Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Two more down and 39 to go!

Got home late from work so I didn't get on the air until about 7PM, just in time for the shortwave broadcast interference.  It was a religious station out of Florida I think.  So I started calling around and the RBN was showing me in double digits between 10db and 20db on most of the skimmers.  It was a little weird but about every 15 minutes the signal rating would drop below 10db and then come back up...the A index was 10 and climbing.  (SSN:19 SFI:83 A:10 K:1)

My first one tonight was Mike K5MP down in Florida.  We traded SKCC and RST and then the QRN/QRM pretty much swallowed us up.  The band was noisy tonight again, and I think I may borrow a SCAF audio filter from Ivin W9ILF to help with the noise. Mike K5MP is a long time SKCC operator and he's very good at it as his SKCC number shows, it's 1537S and that S means he's made hundreds of SKCC contacts.  Mike made this cool Cootie Key from a hacksaw blade! 

K5MP - Homebrew Cootie Key
The more I use my straight key (A Nye Viking Master Key)  the more I think I like it.  I have an adapter on order so I can plug my Norcal Keyer in and use my paddles...but maybe not. 

Nye Viking Master Key - Straight Key KB9BVN Uses

The next one I worked was Roger W9BZ from Indiana, he lives about 12 miles from my house! He was plugging away on his Johnson Ranger at 50w tonight, in 29 years of hamming I had never worked an op using a Johnson Ranger...until this week, when I have now worked two of them.  I don't know much about them but they sound great on the air.  Roger is 79 and has been pounding brass for 64 years.  His fist was great copy and I found out we are both in the same radio club, Midstate Amateur Radio Club

E.F. Johnson Ranger Transmitter
Well that's it for tonight.  I am going to try and increase my chances by using the VOACAP point to point propagation predictor.  Stay tuned! 

de KB9BVN

2 comments:

  1. I am good for Oklahoma, if you need a QSO.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lloyd...i have been hearing OK...but not getting back to them. I'll listen for you!

    ReplyDelete