More Snow on the Way

Posted on by February 28, 2014

This weekend is shaping up to be a good weekend to spend some time on the radio.

So far our winter has been one of the snowiest and coldest on record in Central Indiana.  Over the past week we had just enough of a warm spell to melt off most of the snow that had accumulated  since January.  Unfortunately, the temperatures have already dropped back into single digits.  If the return to frigid temperatures were not enough, today the National Weather Service gave us a ground hog day moment by predicting 5-8 inches of snow for this weekend. Ugh!  It is starting to feel a lot like the winters I experienced while living in Syracuse, New York where 100 to 150 inches of snow annually was typical.

Regardless of the weather, as long as the power stays on and the antennas stay up I should be able to spend some time working a little DX during the ARRL SSB DX contest this weekend.

Surprise Award

Posted on by February 25, 2014
2012 Sweepstakes 1st Place Indiana Single Op, High Power, Unlimited

2012 Sweepstakes
1st Place Indiana
Single OP, High Power, Unlimited

I was pleasantly surprised a couple of weeks ago when I received an envelope from the ARRL which contained a certificate showing that I had won 1st Place in the Indiana Section in the “Single Operator, High Power, Unlimited” category of the 2012 SSB Sweepstakes. The certificate also has a sticker confirming that I made a clean sleep which was my primary objective during the contest. Please don’t burst my bubble by telling me I was the only entrant in this category!

Regardless, I don’t participate in contests for the awards, and it’s a good thing because this is the only contest award I have ever received.  I participate in contests because I enjoy making contacts with hundreds of other Hams in a single weekend.  I find it really exciting to “work all states” or a hundred or more countries in a single weekend.  My goal in most contests is to score higher than the previous year.  I enter some contests just to try something new; like I did earlier this month when I operated RTTY for the first time during the CQ WW WPX RTTY contest.  It was a lot of fun setting up the station to work RTTY.  It was even more fun when I put my RTTY setup on the air to make a few contacts during the contest.

If your getting tired of doing the same old things with your ham station all the time, consider trying contesting.  Jump right in and give out a few contacts the next time you hear the band full of other hams calling “CQ Contest”.  You might find you actually enjoy the action. If you want to know what contests are occurring each weekend, be sure to check out WA7BNM’s Contest Calendar at:

http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/weeklycont.php. 

Bruce does an excellent job providing nearly everything you need to know about up-coming contests.

73,

Fred, KC9QQ

KX3 / KXPA100 Given First Workout in ARRL DX CW Contest

Posted on by February 23, 2014
KXPA100 with Optional Antenna Tuner

KXPA100 with Optional Antenna Tuner

I am a little late getting this posted because I have been busy setting my station up for RTTY operation (a new mode for me) for the NAQP RTTY contest.  

However, last week I received the Elecraft KXPA-100 amplifier which was backordered at the time I ordered the KX3.  The KXPA100 is a compact 100 watt amplifier designed to boost the QRP signal from the KX3 up to the 100 watt level of a standard transceiver. It is primarily designed for those wanting to use the KX3 as both a portable QRP rig and a primary home transceiver.

KX3 and KXPA100 In Operation

KX3 and KXPA100
In Operation

The KXPA100 when inter-connected to the KX3 using the CAT 5 interface cable will work seamlessly with the KX3.  Once the KX3 and KXPA100 are connected all of the functions of the KXPA100 are controlled from the KX3; including the amplifier on/off, band changes, antenna tuner and output power adjustment.  When the KX3 power is increased above 10 watts the KXPA100 kicks in.  When the power is set below 10 watts the KXPA100 is internally bypassed.  The optional internal antenna tuner (located in the  KXPA100) will automatically track and adjust with band changes.  Like most automatic antenna tuners it contains memories that remember the settings per frequency segment and antenna selected (Ant 1 or 2).  If the tuner does need to re-tune the process takes just a few seconds.  The turner is wide ranged and should be able to match any reasonable antenna.

I wanted to give the new KX3 and KPA100 a try so I decided to make a few contacts during the ARRL CW DX contest last weekend.  I had only planned to make 90 to 100 contacts but once I started, I was having so much fun with the KX3 that I found it hard to quit.

The KX3 is a marvelous CW rig.  When combined with the KXPA100 it is a near perfect CW contest rig.  I found it’s CW operation more enjoyable than my Icom 756 Pro III.  The KX3’s receiver is very quiet and does an extraordinary job separating strong signals that are copious during contest operation.  I didn’t experience any receiver de-sensing by strong adjacent signals as I sometimes do with the Icom 756 Pro III.  I’m not putting Icom 756 Pro III down because it also does a great job in crowded band conditions, the KX3 with it’s roofing filter and latest generation DSP outperformed the 756 Pro III in my hands on testing.

Here is a summary of my results:

ARRL CW DX Contest – ALL Band, Low Power, Assisted (S&P)

Band QSOs Points Countries
40m 46 138 25
20m 110 327 46
15m 94 282 43
10m 126 378 49
Total 376 1125 163

Total Score:  183,375

73,

Fred, KC9QQ