I don’t know exactly why, but I’ve had a bit of an obsession with the T32C DXpedition to Kiritimati since they got started a few weeks ago. Maybe because I found them easier to work than many of the DXpeditions that I’ve tried before. The fact that they are a very well-run operation has something… Read More Two Watts Across the Pacific
You QRP guys probably already know this, but I’m hoping that some of my non-QRP readers will check this out as well. QRP ARCI, perhaps the world’s largest QRP club, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. As part of its golden anniversary celebrations, the organization is running a special event throughout the year. Each… Read More QRP ARCI Golden Jubilee
Perhaps that’s a bit melodramatic, but my time for operating and homebrewing is going to be severely curtailed very soon. Baby Boy Milldrum will be arriving any day now (the estimated due date is July 22) and we’re in full-blown panic mode as we finish the last minute preparations to get the baby’s room ready,… Read More Last Chance Hammin’
Please accept my apologies for the long delay in posting my impressions of Hamvention and FDIM. I was literally on the move every waking hour of my time in Dayton on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Up about 6 AM to shower, at Hamvention all day, then FDIM at night. Back to N8ZM’s house around… Read More Dayton/FDIM 2010 – Days 2 and 3
Since FDIM 2010 is in the history books, it is my pleasure to finally publicly release my entry into the FDIM 2010 QRP Challenge: The Clackamas 40 Meter Transceiver. The rig is a VXO-tuned superhet that operates around 7.030 MHz. The heart of the design is the BF998 dual-gate MOSFET (which was popularized by W7ZOI… Read More The Clackamas QRP Transceiver
I recently received a couple of excellent photos of completed Willamette transceivers, and I just can’t help but brag on these wonderful creations. W8BH completed his rig quite a while ago but recently upgraded it by adding a KD1JV digital dial. Looks very sharp, Bruce! I’m really getting a kick out of this one. K3PG,… Read More More Willamette Pix
Yesterday I got the Clackamas all dressed up nicely in its new Ten-Tec TPC-41 enclosure. I have such a stack of bare, half-finished circuit boards laying in the shack that it’s always a real pleasure to get a project to the point where it’s well enough developed to put it in a case. It’s also… Read More All Buttoned Up
Over the last week or so, I’ve been coming home from work nearly every morning thinking about ways to tweak the Clackamas (FDIM 2010 QRP Challenge) rig. I’m sure that Jennifer is wondering if I have OCD at this point. This morning I was able to stamp out the last few bugs in project and… Read More Sweet Success!
I’ve noted with quite a bit of interest the recent surge of comments on QRP-L favoring a QRP exodus up from 7030/7040 kHz to [part of] the old Novice watering hole of 7100 to 7125 kHz. The esteemed Arnie Coro, CO2KK seems to have ignited the fire with this post to the reflector: Dear amigos… Read More QSY
This weekend, I’ve been participating in the SKCC Weekend Sprint when I get the opportunity in between other obligations. At about 0900 local, I heard F6HKA on 20 meters coming in pretty well with a very fluttery signal. As you can see on the azimuth map for my QTH, the path to France goes right… Read More Over the North Pole