Elecraft CW Net Report for April 11th & 12th, 2010

[Kevin Rock]

Good Evening,
  After fighting with two computers and giving them both a good talking too I am now at the report.  I had to shake my finger at one and tell it to get squared away or it would get nuked.  I probably should zap the OS and move to something a bit more robust.  I am thinking of running a Linux box with VMware so my regular OSs can live in a comfy sandbox safe from the nasties.  Speaking of comfy the last two days have been great!  Today it got to 59 degrees outside with full sun.  I found the sun block so I am ready ;) There is still quite a lot of snow visible in the shady spots.  The surrounding mountains have quite a covering of it due to the many snowfalls over the last two weeks.  This cycle may have broken because the forecast is for steady rain for the next ten days.  
   Propagation was once again odd.  K1THP had auroral sounds for both nets.  N0AR mentioned hearing a number of stations with the same warble on 40 meters.  He told me 6 meters had an opening which he tried to work but his beam was aimed a bit lower than would be optimal.  Once again 20 meters was more quiet and 40 meters a bit louder.  The QRN made life interesting on 40 m as well as two ops who jumped on top of me for a quite a bit of QRM.  Once they got out of the way W0NTA came along and said he had to use his K3 to block them.  I cannot imagine what that would have been like before Elecraft rigs.  I have been spoiled!  I listened to CW when I was young but it made no sense to me.  Luckily my brother's Lafayette receiver had a BFO or the new fangled SSB stuff would have been undecipherable too.  However, there were a lot of AM amateurs and international shortwave stations to keep me tucked under my dad's comfy WWII headphones.  They had sheepskin pads which were necessary
  at bomber altitudes.  

On to the lists =>

  On 14049.75 kHz at 2200z:
NO8V - John - MI - K3 - 820
AE6IC - Fred - CA - K3 - 2241     QNI # 20!!
NS7E - Arthur - TX
AB9V - Mike - IN - K3 - 398
N0AR - Scott - MN - K2 - 4866
K4JPN - Steve - GA - K2 - 1422  * QNI # 130 *
N7KRT - Jeff - TX - K2 - 5471
K1THP - Dave - CT - K3 - 686
KL7CW - Rick - AK - KX1 - 798

  On 7045 kHz at 0000z:
NO8V - John - MI - K3 - 820     * QNI # 120 *
K6PJV - Dale - CA - K3 - 1183
AE6IC - Fred - CA - K3 - 2241
K0DTJ - Brian - CA - K3 - 4113
W0CZ - Ken - ND - K3 - 457
N0TA - John - CO - K3 - 994
K1THP - Dave - CT - K3 - 686
W0NTA - Dick - CO - K3 - 1208
N0AR - Scott - MN - K2 - 4866
W8OV - Dave - TX - K3 - 3139
AB9V - Mike - IN - K3 - 398    ** QNI # 295 **

   If there are any errors please write with corrections.  When I am done with the report this computer is going to get an intensive malware check and then all the essential data will get backed up in a couple places.  I built this box in 2000 so it is aging just a bit.  I need to build a new box for Internet stuff.  The faster boxes in the house do not touch the Internet so they can stay sprightly.  Why have a fast box if 50% or more of its CPU cycles get wasted fighting malware?  I need to research the VMware system so I can avoid much of the mayhem that way.
   On another note: my first trillium have sprouted and bloomed today.  Large ones so I know I could not have missed them yesterday.  By tomorrow I should have a dozen across the front area.  I have also been hearing a lot of grouse drumming in the forest.  The frogs and toads in the local marsh have been croaking for a few weeks on the warmer days but today was the first time I heard tree frogs.  After dinner I went out on to the deck and frightened a large bird roosting nearby.  I did not get a chance to see him but it sounded big.  I think spring may at last be close.
   Until next week stay well,
      73,
         Kevin.  KD5ONS   (Net Control Operator 5th Class)

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