Radio W4KAZ

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IOTA

Planning to operate IOTA with N4YDU at the end of the month.

Cleaned up and tested the SWR on a couple of vertical antennas today. One is a hy-gain ATV18 I got on loan from NT4D. This antenna has seen one too many field days. The so-239 on the base is broken, but I can use a short coax jumper to feed it. The 10 metertrap seemed intermittent at first, but is working for now.

The other is a 20 meter quarter wave that I made from parts of a broken CB 5/8 wave. The base was sound, but I needed to do a bit of surgery on the upper elements. I also replaced the bolts with hose clamps, and some of the rusted hardware with stainless parts. This is a project that had been laying around, but a trip to the beach moved it up the list.

Field Day 2007 – N4Q

Field day for 2007 was with N4YDU and the NC Contesters group, operating the special event station N4Q. We were operating from a fire tower near Lousiburg, NC.

Our group was reduced to five from those originally interested in coming out. We ran the operation as 2A. A general description of the operation is on the N4Q webpage.

BTW–QSL for N4Q is via SASE to W4KAZ.

Continue reading Field Day 2007 – N4Q

CQ Field Day from November Four Quebec

Field Day 2008 is nearly here, and this year is again with the N4YDU/N4PY/KO4PY group. We’ve managed to convince Barry, K4CZ and Kent, K9EZ to join us this year. Our group will be using the special event call sign N4Q.

I’m really looking forward to this one. I hope the new guys like the mix of people and will want to come back again.

2007 CQ WPX CW-No Joy

Well, I missed another good practice session. Tired after hanging off the tower at NT4Q. Just didn’t feel like sorting out the shack.

ooof.

2007 IARU – W1AW/4 HQ in NC

Wow! This is huge!

It looks like NC operators will be hosting the W1AW HQ operation this year. ARRL has contacted N4AF, and Howie will be hosting a CW multi at his station on 80-40-20-15. SSB stations are still being worked out, as well as the 160 and 10 CW stations.
Continue reading 2007 IARU – W1AW/4 HQ in NC

2007 Field Day prep begun

Preparations under way for this year’s Field Day. I have been granted the special event license N4Q. The team will be N4YDU’s crew, and we hope we have added at least two more operators to the regular recurring group. Maybe three.

2007 WPX SSB – A bust!

W4KAZ was not able to operate 2007 WPX due to illness. Sore throat and sinus infection. Bleh….

ARRL DX SSB at NT4D

NT4D ARRL DX Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   26    22
   80:   73    48
   40:  114    83
   20:  370    83
   15:  330    73
   10:   27    13
-------------------
Total:  940   293  Total Score = 826,260

I operated the 2007 ARRL DX at NT4D as Multi/Single with Jay and NT4Q, Jerry. Jay has a very nice station, and his KT34xa is sure a lot more fun on 20 meters than my own rather lame dipole. This was very much a learning experience for me, as operating a good station is much different than a low-power-cruddy-antenna set up.
Continue reading ARRL DX SSB at NT4D

2007 ARRL DX CW

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:    0     0
   80:   17    14
   40:   30    20
   20:   31    22
   15:   48    34
   10:    0     0
-------------------
Total:  126    90  Total Score = 33,210

Several 30 minute forays into low sunspot DX contesting, for only about four or ive hours total time. Boy, that sure stunk–:o I’m sure not looking orward to trying this with the MyCrowFone for SSB.

Still, I managed to work Hawaii, Alaska, New Zealand and South Africa, all pretty good for the peanut whistle. KH6LC was really loud in here a couple of times. ZM1A was solid copy in here too. Continue reading 2007 ARRL DX CW

2006 CQ160 Meter

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 100  State/Prov = 35  Countries = 0  Total Score = 8,050

Very quiet low QRN conditions here. Got my three hours in during the early evening hours, so all QSO’s are W or VE, no DX worked. Heard several DX, but they could not hear my tin whistle over the pile-ups.

It will be interesting to see the logs turned in for this one. This seemed to be the best conditions I have heard on 160 for low noise.