Lazy Saturday QSO on 40m

What can I say, I have been neglecting my blog, and I have not been on the air nearly as much as I would like to be.  I have a million excuses and they won't all fit here, so I will say, I'll try harder in March. 

Not much going on this weekend, I am on call for work so that means I need to hang around the QTH and get some chores marked off the list.  I have that all done and got some time this afternoon to get on the air.  I forgot this was the ARRL DX contest weekend.  

W4AMV's latest RX creation
From his QRZ Page

So I fired up the K2 and tuned to my favorite 40m fishing hole, 7120 and heard nothing but the soothing sounds of slow rolling QSB.  I fired off a CQ or two using my trusty and unrusty Nye Viking Master Key and was answered almost instantly by Alan W4AMV down near Raleigh NC.  I was on the attic dipole today and I am certain that my house is aimed directly at North Carolina.  I have more NC stations logged that any other state.  Today I  was running 10 watts, and I feel no shame. 

W4AMV Project from QRZ Page

Alan W4AMV is an avid homebrewer, if you want to see some really cool stuff, look him up on QRZ.  Today he was running 50 watts into I think a  random wire to his tree tops.  I had him 599 and he gave me a 579.  QSB was rolling slow and wouldn't you know it, just as the QSO got going I started getting QRM from a couple other stations that just sort of showed up out of nowhere.  We carried on though for about 15 minutes.  

The band conditions were fair, and I will try for a few more QSOs today.  I am going to try and see if I can find any DX up on 15m, the attic dipole works well on 15 and 40 for me so maybe I'l have some luck.  

Don't forget, Daylight Savings Time returns to the US in a few weeks.  It'll be time to SPRING FORWARD those clocks and deprive yourself of at least one hour of sleep.  I wish we'd just pick a time standard and stick to it all year around.  

Best 73 to all! 

de KB9BVN