KD4HXT Blog

Our new 2008 QSL card design is going out to new requests.  We did the Kern County design on Photoshop and used Printplace.com as the printer.  Very happy with everything.  The non coated back of the card takes ballpoint pen beautifully.  Hope that you like the card, and thanks for the QSO.

Thanks to K6UMC for the QSL today.  Mike is a new "old" ham, getting back on the air.  He already picked up a vanity call.  Full color localized card for a 10 meter SSB QSO and sent direct.  73 and TU Mike

QSL's received direct today:

7X4AN - 15 SSB - Airmail Return 3 1/2 month turn around.
LT1F - 20 & 15 CW - 2 week return from MGR AC7DX
6D2X - 80, 40 & 15 SSB - 2 week return from MGR AC7DX
KG4SB - 80, 40, 10 SSB & 80 RTTY. - 3 week return from home call N4BAA.  These QSO's came via LOTW earlier!

A work colleague has loaned me a Samsung Blackjack Smart Phone to evaluate.  He's upgraded to the new Blackjack 2.  For the past three years I've been using a Motorola MPX-220 Smart Phone.  While I don't need total back end connection to the Exchange Server, it's nice to have the ability.  This phone does it without a hassle.  Just like the older phone, the Blackjack uses Microsoft Active Sync to connect the phone via USB to Outlook.  I always have my contacts, schedule, and e-mail, plus any other files I might need.  The Blackjack uses Microsoft Windows Mobile Version 6.  My older phone is on version 4, so it's a nice upgrade in software.

I'll continue to review and keep you updated.

Dave

February 24, 2008

I started this event as a casual operator, but I ended up playing all day.  Since it's not a QRP event, I cranked the power up to almost 50 watts!  Had a run in the first hour on 20.  Later I ran for 90 minutes on 40, and a short run on 80.  My loop is not resonant on 80, so I feed it shorted with a bad ground. (Laying out some wires soon) BUT, I worked a bunch of stations anyway with lots of fun.  15  never amounted to much here.

These low power events keep the bands cleaner, so you can hear some very weak stations, even on 40.  Wind here was wild (25 MPH) and I saw the swr moving around (flapping ladder line no doubt).  The antenna improvements made in December are really helping the station.  This was also the first time using N1MM with MTTY.  It's a keeper.  My Timewave DSP 9+ is great at filtering RTTY.

RESULTS
Band  QSO  Mults
3.5     39     17
7        67     28
14      126   35
21      2       1
28      Tried

Final Score: 234 Q with 81 Mults for a claimed score of 18,954

Worked the ARRL DX CW contest over the last couple of days as a semi-serious part time effort.  Had a lot of fun here at the bottom of the cycle QRP.  Our antenna improvements made a big difference as we shattered last years score by a huge margin.  While VP6DX helped our country count, we worked 4 all time new CW countries and added 7 all time new ones on 15-20-40. Thanks to all the operators who pulled my tiny signal out of the noise!

Totals: Q's-186 Pts-558 M's-79 for a claimed score of 44,082

Over the last week, we hit a milestone of sorts in operating.  We reached 500 total US-Counties worked and QSLed.  We also hit the 1500 prefix mark. While I would like to apply for the CA-500 award, a good majority of the confirmed QSO's are via LOTW, and so far, CQ magazine is not accepting confirmed contacts from that system.  While I have a WPX on the wall, the 1500 endorsement won't come soon.  That's a lot of QSL cards.  I worked out the math on the postage costs and I'd much rather save for a FT-950!