May the Forth be with you!!!

 Sorry I just couldn't resist!!! Between Star Wars and Star Trek our world has changed quite a bit. George Lucas and Industrial Light and Magic revolutionized special effects in he movie industry. OBTW: My favorite Star Wars spin off is Mandalorian. It's Star Wars for adults. 

 OK, enough of the sci-fi.....back to the real world of radio and QRP. 

 One of my latest observations is how much the QRP facet of the ham radio hobby has changed over the last 10 years. While there are still QRP clubs out there offering simple CW kits the emphasis has become QRP kits that feature direct digital synthesis (DDS),  digital readouts, digital signal processing (DSP),  built in test equipment, and basically features you would pay a lot of money for in a simple kit that costs under $100! Yup, I'm talking about QRP Labs and their QCX+ transceiver kit ($55 less case) Seriously, this is a great radio kit and has a load  of features that are mind blowing! In addition to the QCX+ QRP Labs also offers a plethora of kits including a GPS receiver, 50 watt amplifier in the event you need to "turn up the wick" on your QCX+ transceiver, a series of band pass filters, station clock, Qrss/Wspr kit, etc. 

Do yourself a favor and wander over the Hans Summers' QRP Labs site: qrp-labs.com and prepare to be amazed. The prices are fantasitc for the kits and the documentation is better than Heathkit.

 About 10 days or so ago I managed to pickup up an original QRP Labs QCX transceiver for 40M, from Ken Evans, W4DU. This was housed in a custom aluminum case and makes a tidy little package for doing SOTA, portable ops. While the original QCX kit is no longer offered, Hans has updated the circuitry and provides the QCX+ which has a different form factor, redesigned circuit board, and aluminum case. I was so impressed with the original QCX transceiver I ordered a QCX+ for 20M. It should be here any day.

 My wife, Patricia, KB3MCT, and I are going to take off on an extended trip to Texas, N. Dakota, NE Pennsylvania and back home. My ham radio goal for this trip is to work some QRP QSOs from the car while in transit. I did this in 1996 on the "K7YHA North American Tour" to celebrate my 50th birthday. At that time I had a Wilderness Radio Sierra with a Hamstick antenna for 40M. Good times!

I don't have a HF installation in the car at this time. So the first order of business is finding a HF antenna that would not cost an arm or a leg and fabricate some kind of mount for it. These newer cars do not have a lot of metal on which to mount an antenna hard point. Gone are the days of the bumper mount. 

So, having l scoped out the Chevy Equinox and spying a class III hitch installed on the rear of the vehicle I opted for a hitch mount with a coaxial-to-antenna connection installed. This will allow me to remove the antenna (and mount) when not in use, so no holes in the car! 

 My choice of antenna is the Hustler mobile whip/resonator series. I have used Hustler products many times over the years. This particular mast/resonator antenna system came my way via Ray Bailey, N4GYN. He happened to have a Hustler mast with 40 and 20 M resonators that needed a new home. In addition to this Hustler mobile whip system I also have a 102 inch CB whip which I had planned on feeding through and LDG Z-11 automatic antenna tuning unit. I may include the whip and ATU as a backup since it won't take up a lot of space in the vehicle.

Power will be provided by the direct wiring to the battery that I use to power the Icom IC-2720 dual band FM mobile installation. Quicksilver Radio (qsradio.com) has a great selection of Power Pole accessories that will allow you to split out the DC power from your power supply/mobile battery so you don't have to run extra wiring. John Bea and I go waaaay back and John is a great guy to deal with. Check out Quicksilver Radio.

 As for an operating position, I plan on using the QCX on 40M by just setting it on the console between the front seats and using a small paddle set by Tony Baleno, N3ZN. I have two paddle sets from Tony: a dual lever iambic and a single lever paddle set. Tony's workmanship is out of this world! His paddles are made extremely robust and I have not adjusted either of my N3ZN paddles since Tony sent them to me! Check out Tony's site: http://qrqcwnet.ning.com. Logging will be accomplished by paper and stubby pencil and later entered into my computer logging program. 

In short, I can hardly wait to hit the road and have some fun with mobile CW.  

In the mean time I am here, perched on the edge of my chair awaiting the FedEx truck to deposit my new QRP Labs QCX+ 20M transceiver kit. Once I get the ops position in the shack to where I can actually find the power panel, I plan on putting both the QCX and the QCX+ on the air prior to our trip. Look for me on the low end of booth 40 and 20M. 

 Stay safe and stay well. 

 Vy 73

Rich K7SZ 

+

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Alas, Poor Mimi, I knew her well (with apologies to Billy Shakespeare).

Tomorrow I must bid goodbye to someone who has been with me for many years. She was always close to my heart but it's time to let her go. 

 Mimi is my heart murmur.....Yes, I named my murmur "MiMi" and tomorrow I will be the recipient of a replacement aortic heart valve and MiMi will be gone. However, my chances of having a fatal heart attack will be greatly decreased. Yeah, me!

 Just thought I'd share. 

 Now, on to other ham radio related "stuff". 

I have been toying around with my new/old ICOM IC-706 MkII G transceiver. Although 20+ years old, it is a solid performer (provide some additional IF filtering is installed) even by today's standards. Covering 160-10 meters HF, plus 6 & 2 meters and finally 70 centimeters, this is an all-in-one small box that operates CW/SSB/FM and data modes. 

 I know that someone is going to ask so I'll just come right out and say it: It's what I can afford and it fills my requirements. Why spend more money than necessary when a used rig will do everything  you want to do on the ham bands. 

 Slap a Signal Link radio-to-computer interface on it, hook up an old laptop running your favorite digital software suite and you are in business. 

One of my primary reasons for obtaining the IC-706 was to mount it in the truck and remove three other radios while getting HF coverage in addition to the V/UHF bands. Thankfully, the truck has enough room in front between the passenger seats to mount this rig without having to resort to spending a lot of cash for the optical cable that allows one to remote the control head from the main body of the radio. 

Another reason is that it offers multi-mode coverage over the most popular HF/V/UHF bands at reasonable power output levels. Additionally, with it's digital capabilities one can run all sorts of digital modes using a small laptop computer or a Raspberry Pi.  

Mobile HF antennas are always problematic. Aside from 10 and 12 meters, the antennas required for mobile operation on 80-15 meters are quite long compared to a quarter wave antenna actually cut for a specific frequency on these bands.  

One of the most popular mobile HF bands is 40 meters. A quarter wavelength on 40 is around 34 feet +/- depending upon which area of the band you want to operate on. A quarter wavelength on 20 meters is around 16 feet +/-, and so on. So, as you can plainly see the bands below 12 meters are always going to be short, and in the case of 80//40-20 meters only a fraction of the actual length needed for efficient antenna radiation. This is the primary reason why obtaining good/efficient HF mobile operation is difficult to come by.

As for HF mobile antennas, there are the coil loaded "hamstick" antennas with a long whip at the top, there are other antennas that offer marginal performance at these frequencies, but, if you are serious about HF mobile performance, the standard 102 inch CB steel whip fed through a remote automatic antenna tuner is hard to beat.

 If you are really serious about mobile HF, the next step up the HF antenna ladder is the "screwdriver" antenna offered by a number of manufacturers. These are NOT inexpensive! I had one on my 2001 Nissan Frontier pickup truck and it worked great. The caveat here is the fact that I had a special antenna mount fabricated by a local welding shop that was welded directly to the frame of the truck. That was a very efficient antenna system and I worked a lot of DX from the truck using an Alinco DX-77T transceiver running between 5 and 50 watts.  

Another annoyance is the noise generated internally by the various vehicle computer systems. A good noise blanker is a blessing, while a very good Digital Signal Processor unit is essential to limiting the noise that gets into your radio and then into your ears. Of course, good engineering practices regarding grounding and bonding of the various sections and systems in the vehicle are also quite important. Do your homework and read up on ways to eliminate or at least reduce the noise your rig hears and you are well on the way to working some decent HF mobile contacts. 

Now for something completely different: Thanks to the help given to me by Brian Page, N4TRB and Larry Brinson, KO4IZU, two local hams, the 5 foot Glenn Martin roof tower, Alliance HD-73 rotator along with the 6 meter Ringo Ranger were successfully removed. Thanks, guys. My days of tower and roof work on antennas are over. 

In the near future that roof tower will be re-mounted on the opposite end of the roof from the original location, rotator re-installed, and some V/UHF antennas installed to allow OSCAR along with 6 meter DX to be available to K7SZ.

I still have two trees to cut up.....yup, the same two trees that ate two of my HF wire antennas. Once that is done, I plan on installing the new G5RV on one tower leg at the 60 foot level and a V/UHF discone antenna on the other tower leg at about the same level. This will complete the antenna farm at K7SZ, at least for a while. 

Stay safe and get on the bands and play some radio!

Vy 73

 Rich K7SZ

 

 

Tales from the Bent Dipole Ranch or I'm Back in the Saddle Again!

2020 was a wild ride. I put this blog on standby/back burner for over  a year. I just got tired of writing and needed a break. I quit writing for CQ Mag in 2012 due to the tiresome ritual of monthly deadlines for column submission. Ham radio is a fun hobby. I have always subscribed to the philosophy that when it is no longer "fun" its time to find another avenue for spare time involvement. 

 

A few weeks ago I was approached by a close friend who wanted to know if I was doing any writing. I told her no to which she replied that since I had a lot of experience and great stories, I should return to writing as an emotional outlet. So I have decided to get this blog back on track. 

 

During the past year (2020) the crew at the Bent Dipole Ranch has weathered a bout of COVID (for all four of us), a new mini Dachshund puppy, a duo of antenna eating trees who cost me two low band HF antennas, and (on my end) a worsening of my feet and lower back due to chronic pain caused by the lack of disk material in my back. In the case of my feet, the left foot has started breaking down after being rebuilt in 2005.This makes for painful walking, and prolonged standing. 2020 was not a fun time!

 

In short, I just didn't feel up to writing so the blog suffered and you loyal readers were left in the dark, lacking my caustic wit and sarcastic comments.  Well, relax....I'm baaaaaack!

Let's start with a recap of the current shack gear. My main HF station is the venerable Elecraft K2 with a whole bunch of options. This is my 2nd one (although I have built two others for local hams). In order to afford new gear I have to sell one or more radios I currently have to get the cash to pony up for a new radio. This K2 came from an estate of a local ham. It works great and I don't plan on selling/trading this radio. 

Recently I picked up a Hallicrafters SR-160 w/PSU. This is a mid-60s radio that covers 80-20 meters SSB/CW. The PSU needs to be recapped and as soon as that project gets done the SR-160 will be my main QRO SSB radio.

 

My ICOM IC-202S has a new friend....an IC-402 for UHF SSB/CW. So now I have the makings of a QRP V/UHF terrestrial weak signal/OSCAR station. The 402 needs a crystal for the VXO circuit to cover 432.2-432.4 MHz. It has the 435 MHz OSCAR crystal already installed. Both radios work great. They are my "pet project" radios. I don't know why I like these ICOM bookshelf rigs so much other than they are not only unusual but they are ultra-cool and work fine (for 40 yr old rigs). Oh, yeah....they are also true QRP radios which fits into my overall philosophy of "doing more with less".

Another recent acquisition is a used ICOM IC-706MkIIG radio set that I plan on using in the truck. This will replace three radios that currently reside there saving some space and offering 160 meters through 70 centimeters coverage using CW/SSB/FM/DATA. The control head can be detached and remotely mounted to save space in the cab of the truck. 

My project Wilderness Radio NorCal 40-A CW transceiver will be completed later this year and I'll detail my mods to this radio set here in this blog. Suffice it to say that this NorCal 40-A is not your daddy's radio! Originally this project started in CQ Mag just before I stopped writing for them. It's been sitting idle so its time to get it out and finish this project.

I have several QRP Guys kits, namely two of their modernized PARASET radios patterned after the WWII PARASET radio that provided much needed information from German occupied Europe. They are both all solid state so its all done with no vacuum tubes. 4 States QRP group has just offered their version of the PARASET called the "Bayou Jumper" in kit form. For just under $100 you get a complete kit that replicates, in solid state form, the WWII PARASET. If the funding is available I may pick one up just for grins. Sounds like a fun project.

On the boatanchor scene I am in the middle of restoring a nice Drake 2B receiver along with a very nice Heathkit HR-10 which was my first ham receiver when I was first licensed as a Novice operator. Aside from a recapping and alignment, the HR-10 should be an easy project. The 2B needs recapping and a full alignment. Again, no big deal, just a large investment of time. 

Two antenna eating trees came down in high winds after soaking rains so I lost two antennas, my 500 ft loop and a multi-band dipole. The 40M Extended Double Zepp (EDZ) is coming down (its been up for 12 years and needs refurbishment) and being replaced with a G5RV multi-band antenna. Before the foliage starts blooming on the trees, I plan on putting some wires up in several trees to hold a 160M end-fed wire and possibly a new (or rebuilt) 40M EDZ. 

 

The tower needs some work: I have to have the 2M 13 element Yagi  re-secured and pointed in the proper direction. Somehow the long-boom Yagi was not fully tightened down on the rotator mast and the winds managed to turn in about 30 degrees. The rotator control cabling needs to  traced out as I have lost the wiring key. The roof tower on the east end of the house is being moved to the western end. On that roof tower will be a set of M2 2meter loop antennas (w/phasing lines), a PAR stressed 6M Moxon antenna and possibly a set of V/UHF Quagis for satellite work. 

As for the military radio gear, I procured a nice AN/TRC-77A Special Forces HF CW set along with an AN/PRC-1088 squad radio (low band FM, fully synthesized, frequency hopping radio), and finally an AN/GRC-109 CIA/SF CW set to play with on military Field Day. 

OK, that's about it for the latest update from the ham shack at the Bent Dipole Ranch. Currently all ham activities here are on hold until we get the master bathroom remodeled. This project has taken on a life of it's own. Once completed, I will be upgrading the ops bench in the shack and redoing the radios to provide an improved work space. That may require a few pictures!! 

Until net time, stay well, stay safe and play radio.

Vy 73 Rich K7SZ

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MilCom

First of all, "My Bad!" It has been months since I have blogged anything and I must apologize to the readers of this blog. I have three other entries in draft and will get this posted ASAP.

Over the years I have collected, restored, used and sold a lot of old military communications (MilCom) equipment. It started when I was in high school when a family friend gave me a beat up BC-1000, low band FM squad radio circa WWII.

That led to a slew of old ARC-5/Command Sets (mainly receivers) and the occasional piece of test gear. My 20 year career in the USAF allowed me to "play" with a lot of comm gear but due to constantly moving around the world precluded my obtaining any surplus gear. 

The one exception was when I was assigned to the 1936 Comm Squadron in Lajes Field, the Azores. The folks at AFR&M surplussed out a bunch of old Motorola base stations in the low band and high band VHF freqs. I purchased a L43GGV high band radio that I (along with several others) converted over to 2M FM....146.94 simplex and 146.34/94 repeater frequency. 

Once I was transferred to the 3rd Mobile Combat Comm Gp (3rd MOB) at Tinker AFB, OK (right outside Oklahoma City) I became active on the local 34/94 machine with my 20 year old Motorola rig. Thank you Uncle Sam.

Once I retired from the AF in 1987, I found that MilCom gear tended to follow me home from various ham radio flea markets. Prior to moving from PA to GA I had a basement full of military comm gear, most of which I realized that I was never going to restore much less use. Therefore, I sold off about 90% of my MilCom gear. 

A couple of Command receivers, a BC-221 frequency meter, a GRR-5 SW receiver, and my favorite: a PRC-74B HF synthesized SSB/CW transceiver followed  us down to GA. Within a couple of years those were also sold off due to the need to get some liquid funds after our move. 

The PRC-74B (also called a "74 Bravo") was my retirement present to myself. Mark Francis, KI0PF, built this radio up from spares that he had accumulated and installed the LSB mod to allow both USB/LSB operation. Designed and built by Harris Corporation, the 74 Bravo was the first fully synthesized HF radio to see service in military ground forces. Used primarily by the Army Special Forces (Green Berets) in Vietnam, this provided the special ops folks in country with reliable HF communications. I really hated to sell that set as it had special significance for me but hey, when the wolf is at the door.....

Slowly (very slowly, actually) I began obtaining the occasional small piece of MilCom gear. One of my all time favorite low band VHF FM squad radios is the PRC-1088 manufactured by Datron. Originally Rockwell Collins designed and produced this man-pack radio set to enter the completion to replace the venerable PRC-77 from the Vietnam era. Unfortunately the military declined the Collins radio in favor of SINGARS. Rights to produce this radio were sold to Datron which still produces it today. It is a nice FM unit with a digital readout that can frequency hop while offering an optional encryption package for secure voice communications. Mine hops but cannot go secure. The overall package is the same form factor as the PRC-25/77 and uses the same mics, speakers, and headsets. The antenna connector is a BNC type unlike the PRC-25/77 radios. It offers low power output of around 300 mW and a high power output of around 7W. 

During a recent flea market run my wife, Patricia, (KB3MCT) and I found an estate sale that included a large amount of MilCom gear that covered WWII to Vietnam. I was too late to pick up one of the two PRC-74s, but was able to score four Command receivers covering from 100 kc to 9 mc. Three of these receivers were installed in a triple receiver rack and included the remote tuning and audio units and all the proper wiring. Unfortunately no splined tuning shafts but all the receivers had tuning knobs in stalled so it was no biggie. 

One BC-312 WWII HF receiver followed me home along with two PRC-127 hand held low band FM units theoretically used in the first Gulf War. They worked, too!! 

The US Army Special Forces during the Vietnam era needed a portable low power HF set to provide intermediate range comms in the jungle. Sylvania was chosen to design and field such a radio and the AN/TRC-77 was born. This luggable radio set. while it was portable, was not able to be operated in a man-pack configuration and therefore was given the TRC (Transportable Radio Communications) nomenclature as opposed to the PRC (Portable Radio Communications). The 77 was a CW only (on transmit, CW/SSB/AM on receive), six channel crystal controlled package about the same form factor as the PRC-25/77. It was tested over a period during the early 1960s but was not adopted by the Army for use in Vietnam. However, the LRRP (Long Range Recon Patrol) units in Europe utilized this radio for HF comms finding it fitting their needs as long as the operator was a good CW op. Operation is ultra simple, the six channels can be independently selected and a set of "cans" and a key (antenna not withstanding) are all that is needed to get on the air. 

The TRC-77 soon became the 77A with some minor internal and external changes. But in essence it was the same radio, same size and still very easy to operate. Those of us who like to obtain, restore and use MilCom gear find the 77A a great little rig with a price tag that is fairly easy to swallow. Mine cost $200 with no crystals. 

Crystalling up one of these radios is expensive today. With the demise of International Crystal Manufacturing (ICM) there are only a couple of crystal providers and their prices START at $50/each, depending upon the type!  However, there is a work around. Digi-Key carries a series of crystal oscillator ICs that are extremely stable and come in 8 pin DIP through-hole components. Hayseed Hamfest offers a four-IC PC board in kit form that will provide four independent oscillator outputs that can be used in older radios. This board seems a bit large for inclusion inside the 77A but the idea of using these programmable IC oscillators to replace crystals in older radios has merit. Besides, it a whole log cheaper! 

There are also options to rock up the transmit side of the 77A using HC-49 crystals (with leads) obtainable from QRP.ME and
expandedspectrumsystems.com. Prices are very inexpensive and these crystals can be directly soldered to the underside of the transmitter crystal bank and they will work quite well. (See N6CC.com for details on all this crystal stuff.) 

The receive crystals are 455 kc ABOVE the transmit frequency which makes it basically impossible to use QRP HC-49 crystals for the receiver. This is where the programmable IC oscillators will shine. Again, consult N6CC's website for intimate details. Tim has done a lot of the heavy lifting on a number of MilCom restorations and modifications so he speaks from first hand experience. 

I am going to detail the restoration of my 77A in this blog, hopefully spiking some interest in others to quit building "cute" little single band kit CW rigs and move onto some REAL radio!!! 

Vy 73

Rich K7SZ

A Tale of Two Radios

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" 

(with apologies to Charles Dickens) 

Anyone who has been in this hobby for any length of time realizes they need (want?) more than one radio. It's a disease. Trust me. 

ONE do-all radio (FT-817/818/857) is a great idea.....until.....it breaks. What now, coach? 

The solution is simple, have a standby radio to pick up the slack while the primary radio undergoes maintenance. Makes sense, doesn't it?  It makes real sense when we talk about emergency communications (EmComm) or for the "preppers" out there trying to bullet-proof their communications systems.

For the last um-teen years those of us who have participated in Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) have used analog VHF FM to pass emergency traffic. Over the last few years digital modes like PSK-31, WinLink, DStar, etc have been incorporated into the EmComm arsenal much to the consternation of many of the Old Guard within the EmComm community.  

Gradually VHF gave way to a combination of VHF and UHF FM modes to spread the wealth around allowing more communications channels with which to improve redundancy and to support the mitigation of the emergency. This idea was something that had come of age owing to the proliferation of V/UHF dual band mobile and hand held transceivers (HTs). These devices allowed the EmComm/prepper user to have access to more spectrum which is always a great idea. 

 When it comes to survivable/emergency communications it might be a good idea to pay attention to an adage used by "preppers/survivalists": Two is one and One is none. Ergo, if you have two radios and one goes Tango Uniform, you will still have the ability to communicate. I like that adage, actually. 

One of our local area amateur radio clubs has an EmComm trailer that has all sorts of comm gear installed: HF, V/UHF FM, CB (yes, one of those "10-4 good buddy rigs") along with a portable repeater. A high end computer system, and of course, antennas to match all those radios plus gas generated power. Great idea, especially when it has air conditioning!!! Unfortunately only the "chosen ones" within that particular ARES organization have the privilege of manning it. Alas, once again "the great unwashed" are left out in the cold but it does look good on display at ham fests and field day.

Recently Patti and I were able to afford a covered Horton Hauler 6 x 12 foot utility trailer. The previous owner was an elderly locksmith and used the trailer for his business while on the road. It came with 120VAC and 12VDC lighting and power factory installed, along with a counter weighted rear door and a host of other options. The price was an absolute steal  so we jumped while the jumping was good.  

We are going to remove some of the cabinets and stowage that was previously installed and add a communications console, workbench and basically convert it over to our camping/mobile ham shack trailer. While we have a nice 25 ft fully outfitted camping trailer this smaller trailer will fulfill our needs much better than it's bigger cousin.

As to radio gear I plan on installing a HF SSB/CW/DATA radio along with V/UHF analog/digital radios, two high end scanning receivers, a CB set and a high power GMRS transceiver along with a couple of recycled laptop computers. I will have enough redundancy in place to continue operating should one or more of the primary radios fail.

Plans for this camp trailer/ham shack include outings to local county and state parks, speed runs up north to visit the kids/grand kids, Field Day, Winter Field Day, and the occasional camping/fishing trip.

In short being able to continue to operate should one of the radios go down is a great proactive idea. Provided I can find one additional Icom IC-2720 dual band V/UHF FM radio I will install that radio in the trailer as I have that particular rig in both my Chevy Silverado and Patti's Chev Equinox, giving me the necessary redundancy on those bands. 

Backtracking a bit, the addition of two scanning receivers gives us the ability to monitor local and state radio systems for the emergency responders. 

Time for a "War Story": about 15 years ago I was working at a state prison in NE Pennsylvania. One evening I heard a gaggle of sirens across town and turned up the gain on the scanner beside my chair. The local Wilkes-Barre PD and the Luzerne County Sheriff  frequencies were going wild with urgent traffic. 

It seems that two of the "guests" of the county jail had engineered a daring escape using bed sheets to form a makeshift rope that they used to slither down from their cell window and escape into the community. 

Since I knew the State Police air unit would be involved along with local township law enforcement units I put two more scanners on line and was monitoring the frantic action in trying to recapture these two miscreants. 

Suffice it to say that these three scanning receivers allowed me to keep up with the exciting, non-stop action happening only several blocks away from my home! There is little doubt in my mind that I knew as much, possibly more, about the efforts to recapture the two escapees than the on-scene incident commander! 

As to the inclusion of CB and GMRS radios that is a no-brainer. There are several million CB sets out there and probably triple that in GMRS rigs. Being able to gather information (intelligence) from these valuable sources can provide valuable insight to local situations. 

So now all we have to do is get the time and allot the energy to upgrading the new trailer. The antennas needed to support all these radios will be a challenge since at first glance, the outside of the trailer is aluminum and mag mount antennas won't stick!! That is OK, we'll think of something! 

Now how will I mount that V/UHF beam array??? Hmmmm.....

Vy 73
Rich K7SZ

What Once Was Old is New Again

Radios, radios, radios.....I love radios. Over the years I have owned more than my share of boatanchors, QRP rigs, V/UHF gear, short wave (now called "world band") radios, some CB rigs and, yes, a scanner or two. 

For one reason or another I have sold/traded most of that gear off and have kept only a very select group of radio equipment. Herein lies the crux of this blog. "The one that got away".

In 2017 I managed to afford a brand new Elecraft KX2 ultra-portable HF transceiver. The KX2 is an utterly fascinating radio, it's size being deceptively small for all the features that are packed inside that tiny box. I was very proud of my new KX2 and took it to Grand Forks AFB, ND when Pat (KB3MCT) and I visited our grand daughter and her hubby after the birth of Eloise, our 3rd great grand child. I had a simple vertical antenna set up on the back yard of their base house (complete with three radials) and made a grand total of 3 Qs over a 4 week period. Not a stellar number of contacts given the extended period of time. 

That experience sealed the fate of my KX2. I quickly found that although I liked the rig a lot and it was a small miracle of miniaturization and design it was NOT a fun rig for me to operate. Don't get it twisted, I was very happy with the radio but several things about it's operation started to bug me. Soon, I knew that I had to find it a new home and get a replacement. One that had a lot of features, was well respected in QRP circles and one that I was at ease operating. 

Enter the Elecraft K2....."The One That Got Away!" I built my first K2 back before the turn of the century. It was loaded up with all the options Elecraft sold except for the 100W linear amp....(I don't need no stinkin' 100 watts!) and I loved it. The building experience was not only pleasant it was also very soothing and calming. Pat worked nights as an armed Social Security Guard at the data center in Plains, PA, so I would stay up very late each night and Conan O'brian and I would build the K2 together. Occasionally I'd tune to Coast to Coast AM with John Noory and listen to all the UFO/conspiracy theorists explain how the space aliens had taken over MacDonald's and were fattening up Americans to become a food source for their dying planet. WOW! 

My original K2 and all the options went together without a hitch thanks to the extremely well written instructions provided in the K2 manual (thanks Wayne and Eric!) I used that K2 until 2005, when I sold it to procure a newer, more expensive piece of gear. Dumbest move I ever made (not including marrying my first wife). I have regretted that decision countless times over the intervening years. Time to find someone that wanted to off load their K2 in exchange for my KX2.

I placed an email on the North Georgia (NoGA) QRP Club reflector and within 24 hours Pickett Cummins, AD4S, emailed me back saying he had acquired a K2 from the estate of a local QRPer who had just become a Silent Key (SK), would I be interested? I immediately told Pickett that I was most assuredly interested and maybe we could do a trade.

We exchanged several emails and last Thursday I traveled to AD4S' QTH to seal the deal. He liked my KX2 and I definitely liked the K2 he was offering in trade. The K2 looked near mint. It was a bare bones CW rig with only the KAT2 internal automatic antenna tuner (ATU) installed. We struck a deal and I walked (stumbled?) out his basement door with my new K2 under my arm. 

Presently there is the KSB2 SSB option and the KAF2 active audio filter option on order as well as a factory manual. I need to find a copy of Fred Cady's, KE7X, book on the K2 which is long out of print. The hunt is on. 

Over the next 11 months I am going to procure the KNB2 noise blanker, the KIO2 I/O option, along with the K1602, 160M/2nd antenna option. Elecraft has discontinued their KDSP2 digital signal processor option apparently from either poor sales or the lack of availability of critical through-hole parts. This last thing weighs heavily on my mind as it is possible that Elecraft may decided to discontinue (retire?) the K2 and it's options, in the near future due to this parts procurement problem. I certainly hope not as the K2 is a great kit radio and it offers QRPers the chance to construct a world class HF rig that, although 20 years old, still performs admirably on today's bands. 20 year old technology be damned, it is more radio than I'll ever need given my current operating schedule/practices. 

One thing I loved about my original K2 was it's ease of operation. Once the learning curve had been mastered it became second nature to tweak controls to optimize the radio. Controls were ergonomic and easily accessed without going through 4 or 5 nested menus. Something I really liked! In short, the K2 was, and still is, a viable HF multi-mode station even by today's standards. Additionally, the K2 set the bar for future HF rigs, including those offered by the Offshore Empire. I have said it before, Elecraft, and it's amazing and talented engineering talent, have revolutionized ham radio equipment design, forcing other manufacturers to up their game to stay competitive. All this done by a hand full of people in northern California. Well done, Elecraft!

So I have managed to recapture "The One That Got Away" and am looking forward to many years of flawless operation on the HF bands with the K2. 

Time to go ogle the new K2 and maybe even put it on the air!

vy 73

Rich K7SZ

s

DXing and Contesting!

I was pondering earlier this evening about DXing. I am a proud member of a local prestigious DX club that sponsors DXpeditons and has members who participate in DXpeditons all over the world. Several of the membership are on the DXCC "honor roll" meaning they have worked at least 331 DX entities (as defined by the ARRL)! These are a world class group of hams that have dedicated their lives to the world of working distant stations (DX) and helping by financing DXpeditons for those hams that want to put extremely rare locations on the air. 

Over the last 55+ years as a ham radio operator I have worked DXCC (that is working or contacting 100 countries) on three (3) separate occasions using three (3) different call signs while on active duty with the USAF. 

All this was completely unintentional. I did not set out to "get" DXCC. It just happened. Between three intercontinental moves with the military I managed to lose several critical log books so I never collected the requisite 100 QSL cards to submit to the ARRL to qualify for the DXCC certificate. What can I say....shit happens. Now days I have no real interest in swapping QSL cards with the stations I work nor do I have any interest in getting the necessary QSL cards to qualify for DXCC. Sorry, that is just who I am.

Thinking about the DXing side of ham radio has led me to form some interesting conclusions. 

1. DXers are obsessive, A+ personalities that have a serious competitive streak. 

2. Most "big gun" DXers are extremely well heeled as far as money goes. 

3. DXers, for the most part, are on the "bleeding edge" of technology. They uses computers and Software Defined Radios (SDRs) to pursue their facet of the ham radio hobby. 

4. The majority of DXers look upon us QRP operators and smile, while patting us on our collective heads, classifying us as "DXer
wannabees".

These are just four of the conclusions that I have formed in relating with DXers. 

Looking at #1: DXers are single minded. DXing "is" as the old saying goes. They are solely focused on working distant stations and little else. Competitive? Without a doubt! These folks are all about "one ups-manship" on their fellow DXers. Working an All Time New One (ATNO} is the name of the game.

About #2: If  you have a chance to be invited to one of the local "big gun" DXers in your area be prepared for some intense sticker shock! Since DXing is a life style many DXers have more than one, high end, HF transceiver, multiple computer systems, antennas out the wazoo and a room away from the family for their ham shack. These folks don't have a problem spending thousands of dollars to be competitive DXers. 

Looking at #3: Technology is a wonderful thing.....WHEN IT WORKS!! DXers look at any new technology that gives then a "leg up" on their competition with a critical eye, ready to integrate same into their high end stations. Operating modes like PSK-31, JT-65, and JT-8 are guaranteed to grab the DXers attention. Adding computer waterfall displays gives them the advantage to look at whole chunks of the RF spectrum making for critical operating decisions, especially during contests, a whole lot easier.

As for #4: I have been a QRP (5 watt ham radio) operator for 53 years. I joined the QRP Amateur Radio Club International (QRP ARCI) in 1965 (member # 2388). Over this time I have come to realized that being a QRP op has a down side. Mainly the majority of other ham radio ops look down their noises at us QRPers. The DXers are the biggest offenders downplaying QRP as DXer wannabees. Why? Everyone KNOWS that you need at least 100 watts of RF (preferably much more) to work DX. Guess these nay sayers haven't taken a real look at QRP. Watts are not the answer in most cases. Operating techniques are. As Howard Pyle, W7OE, stated many years ago: "Power is no substitute for skill". Truer words were never spoken!

Contesting also is a place where DXers congregate on many weekends each year, in an attempt to work as many DX entities as possible, accruing points in the process. 

Having been a guest operator for four years at the G4ANT (GB4ANT) East Anglican Contest Station, I have had a taste of what it takes to accrue a world class score in several HF contests. G4ANT was the club station for the Mosley antenna manufacturer in the UK, owned and operated by Owen Chilvers, G3JOC. On the major HF contest weekends a group of outstanding DXers would descend upon the factory and put a minimum of 5 complete, high powered, HF stations on the air covering 160 through 10 meters. Antennas were never a problem as Owen had installed three towers the tallest of which was 120 ft, with fixed and rotatable mono-band beams and tri-banders at various levels. Add to this a host of wire antennas and you get the picture. Depending upon propagation each station could select one of several antennas to work the contest. It was a "sweet" operation. I learned so much hanging with these world class DXers/contesters over that four years. I am eternally grateful for the chance to work with DXers like G3LDI, Roger, G3JOC, Owen, G3MPN, David, G3VXT, Ricky and a host of others. 

Occasionally I will still get on the air during the CQ DX WW CW and WPX CW tests along with the CW portion of the ARRL DX contest to "give away" a few Qs and, in some feeble way, relive those halcyon days at G4ANT.  

Do not get my opinions twisted. I truly admire DXers. They are the Senior Statesmen (and women) of the ham radio hobby. I'm not whining about sour grapes. Far from it. DXing and contesting are outstanding ways to sharpen your CW and phone skills along with giving newer modes (PSK & JT modes) a try under extremely congested band conditions. Of course you can always use these times as a way to increase your DXCC totals!!  

OK, time to get the station ready for the ARRL 10 Meter contest next weekend. 

Vy 73

Rich K7SZ
Bent Dipole Ranch
Dacula, GA