KD4HXT Blog

I did it.  Tonight, I placed an order for a new radio, the Yaesu FT-950.

My XYL was feeling my radio pain and we figured out that with the governments rebate, I could move forward and purchase the radio.  Ham Radio Outlet was offering a very good price in the month of April and I wanted to take advantage of it.  We also purchased the Alinco DM-330MVT power supply and the Yaesu DVS-6 voice recording module along with the FH-2 remote unit for both CW and SSB memory playback.  This system will allow me to sell the FT-990, IC-551, Timewave DSP-9+, and MFJ Voice Keyer.  I'm also purchasing a new cable for the microHAM digikeyer so that it works with the 950.

I expect shipment this week, so my excitement is building as I wait for arrival.

I attended this 59th annual DX event in Visalia on Saturday.  One of the few advantages of living in Bakersfield is that it's about an hour south of the convention.  This was my second year to attend.  I invited new ham Jason - KI6OII and we spent the day. 

I'm pretty sure that Jason at 21 years old was the youngest in attendance.  I'm 48, and I felt young.  Our ham DX ranks are getting pretty old.  I'm concerned about our future.  I don't know why more young people fail to see the hobby as fun and interesting.  Jason is hooked.  He had a chance to operate the convention Special Event Station, K6V, and loved it.  I did too, managing to run a pileup for 45 minutes or so on Saturday evening.  Great fun using the K3 to an Alpha 9500 pumping out 1500 watts to the Big Step IR 36-foot boom at 85 feet high.  Great equipment!

Both of us managed to win nothing.  Maybe next year!

Thanks to Koji, JL3RDC for the quick return of my QSL for NH0DX 17-meter SSB QSO.  Mariana Islands is the location he was at in late March.  The QSL was returned via e-mail with a 2 week turn around.

 73

Today the ARRL delivered my Mixed DXCC certificate.  This was earned using just LOTW QSL cards.  I also received endorsement stickers for my Phone and 10-meter certificates.  I never before applied for the "mixed" certificates.  My original DXCC awards were issued in 1994.

As a budget conscious ham, LOTW has been a huge help.  While I have no problem with mailing QSL's, it can get expensive quickly.  Typically I send cards for new countries or bands and I always return cards that come direct or via the bureau.  Electronic QSL credits helps reduce costs but allow participation in a full range of ARRL awards.  I'm hoping to complete CW and RTTY DXCC soon.  I've also qualified for WAS from California and have applied for that certificate.  I'm very close to CW and RTTY WAS awards.  My hope is that CQ Magazine starts to except LOTW for awards.

If you've not yet tried LOTW, give it a shot.  Get you log on-line and help out hams all over with confirmations.

QSL's Received:

T32OU - CW QSO's on 15, 20 and 40 Meters.  Card returned in 60 days from N7OU from my SASE.
PZ5WW - CW QSO on 15 Meters. Card returned in 60 days from K8DD from my SASE.

Thanks Ops - 73

On the way back from Vegas Thursday, we stopped by AES.  They hooked up the FT-950 for a brief evaluation.

Since my FT-990 is down, I've finally convinced myself that a new radio was needed in the shack.  After reading the many reviews on the 950 and joining the Yahoo Group for this radio, I've decided that it should be a good fit and give me better performance to work some new ones.

My brief evaluation at the AES store was my first time actually touching the radio.  It's about the same size as the 990 and will fit well in the shack.  The display is beautiful and easy to read and understand.  Since I'm sure the radio has been played with a lot, I should have reset it back to factory defaults.  I checked it on a tribander pointed at New York.  The bands were not in very good shape.  My first reaction is how quite this radio is.  Signals jump out at you.  I heard a VK long path on 15 meters and several domestic QSO's on 20 both CW and SSB.  The controls are laid out different than I'm used to the 990.  I did not a mic for key to transmit with.  This short evaluation was a good experience and will lead the way to more evaluation soon.

It's now a matter of having the cash to purchase.

I've just returned from a week at the National Association of Broadcasters Convention (NAB) in sin city, Las Vegas.  I attended with 3 other members from our Media team at Valley Baptist Church.

It was very strange to see both AVID and Apple gone from the show.  I spent some time in Sony training sessions and experienced some good stuff.  Great basic HD engineering info and a Cinema school all in one day.  Purchased Zaxworks 3D software finally.  We dined at some of great restaurants and this may have been the best year for SWAG yet. 

I did join the Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) after all these years.  I plan to work on certification because that's what you do.  The closest chapter is Fresno.  Maybe we can start a Bakersfield chapter sometime soon.

All of this activity has kept me off the ham bands.  Hope I've not missed any good DX!

Thanks to Larry, KF6JOQ and a borrowed TS-430S, I'm on the air.  Worked a new country with it already - H44MS.  CW is a little tough going as no keyer, just a straight key and I really suck at that. (Learned iambic reversed as I never knew better)

Card received:
T49C - 80 SSB (Return via direct in 2 months)

Cards Outgoing via Bureau:
BD1NNI - 20 SSB
BU2AI - 30 CW
CE3DNP - 15 CW
5T5DC - 30 CW via DH7WW
C21DL - 17 CW via DJ2EH
CT9L - 40 CW and 20 CW via DJ9QT
H44MS - 15 SSB via DL2GAC
F6ARC - 40 CW via Fe11DX
4U1UN - 40 CW and 20 CW via HB9BOV
D4C - 15 CW via IZ4DPV
S52AW - 40 CW
VK9ANU - 12 CW via JO2SLZ
VA7CRH - 30 CW
VE6EX - 40 CW
9A7A - 20 CW

A week ago my HF radio took me off the Air (HF,DC, Contest Wise) with a frozen VF shaft encoder.  It's been somewhat depressing and I feel out of touch.

The penetrating oil did not work.  It's stuck.  I have found a couple of repair possibilities, both on the East Coast.  The question is one of whether or not repair is worth it for the age of the radio.  I believe my limited funds should go for a new radio.  After 17 years, a lot of technology has come along that could greatly help my radio efforts.  So the process of research is underway.  I'm a Yaesu guy, so the FT-950 looks like the best fit.  It would replace the FT990, the IC-551 and Timewave DSP-9+, with one box.  I would also replace the old Pyramid power supply with a new switching supply.  I don't know how much selling the old gear would bring to offset the new investment.

In the meantime, KF6JOQ had offered me a TS-440 to use while I'm in between radios.  I'll pick it up later today, and I'm sure it will help my off the air blues.