Well Now, Wasn't That Fun?

The big storm left us without power from 1900 Friday till 0430 Wednesday. No ham radio heroics, but the skill set allowed the ginning up of a charging station for electronics-we still had some cell service. Now I know that the rule is you are on your own for the first three days but we never saw FEMA, the National Guard nor the Red Cross. The local Volunteer Fire Department carried the load, emergency medical services, distributing food and water and trying to provide accurate information. Meanwhile NPR and other big outlets were giving infrequent bulletins that sounded like press releases. A local sports/talk radio station improvised a studio and tried to get out and receive information with call ins, local emergency officials and business that had emergency power so they could provide some services. Again no big ticket relief organizations involved. 

I'm no stranger to relief efforts, as a ham in a major flood and data infrastructure reconstruction after Andrew and the big organization and agencies can work but they are hard to get started and aren't too flexible but that was no excuse for their conspicuous absence.

I think I'll take a check to the VFD tomorrow.

Nuttin to do with Ham Radio, 73 de Rob

My Pissweaker Pacific DX Window

Not to brag, OK I'm bragging, worked JE1AAG this am at 1104Z. This has been consistent with the ZL, VK and 3D QSOs and has been accompanied by near crickets in NA. If I hear anybody in NA it is in the NE.  Monitoring the DX, they don't seem to be working any 6's or 7's and none are heard at this QTH. At least it seems there is a gap in the Great Wall of California. The set up is still 5W into a top fed vertical cut for 40m and worked on 20M. It could be the product of behavioral engineering; 1100Z is pretty early for the West Coast and it seems to be better on workdays. Of course it only may be the product of more radio time with retirement.  73 de Rob

A Flash From the Past

A little six meter qrp.

This is the QSO that got this OM a mention in QST and was the inspiration of 10 Watts, a Wire and an Attitude. Gracias Luis for uploading this to eQSL.  73 de Rob

GO FIGURE

This retirement thing has given me more morning time to operate and I just added ZL3DW/QRP to the list, thanks Andrew!, but it has me puzzled. Each time I have worked this kind of dx, VK, 3D es ZL, stateside, in fact most of NA, has been dead to me and the PSKReporter shows few if any spots in NA. By 1200-1300Z NA warms up and the waterfall is full. Maybe this is the window in the 6-land Great Wall? I am still amazed what I can do with 5 watts and a wire stuck out my window!   73 de Rob

HOT DIGGITY DAMN DAMN!

First day of my retirement I work a VK qrp, then the second day its 3D2MP Fiji! There must be something to this retirement thing. 73 Rob

HOT DIGGITY DAMN!

Made the antipodes! Tnx Mick-VK4NGW, ya made this QRPers day. About 1800 miles to the watt short path.   73 Rob

QRPp or 5400 Miles to the Watt.

Was calling CQ QRPp on 20M for a while tonight with no joy, then heard HC6EP calling CQ. A 3X3 callback and we connected for a 599/579 QSO. After the QSO I realized I hadn't upped the power back to 5W but completed with 0.5W. Must be something to this Brimstone and Treacle of a Brit wire vertical

Gracias Ernesto

73 de Rob