Elecraft CW Net Report for May 14th & 15th, 2006

[Kevin Rock]

Good Evening,
    Two interesting nets.  The first was plagued by QSB (but not on this
end).  The next was hit with even faster QSB (flutter) which did effect
copy on this end.  But I was hearing check ins from the Midwest who stated
they could not hear me.  KL7V/5 was a solid S7 as was Tom in Missouri.  
Never can tell which way propagation is pointed.
    We did have a few folks from MAQP stop by.  Massachusetts QSO Party??  
Pete bookended twenty meters.  His first check in was strong, the second
weaker, and then on 40 I had to ask for three repetitions of his call
before I got it right.  VE6ITA, John was trying to get Tom's attention but
he was pounding into Oregon at an S7 or better.
    Scott checked in from rainy St. Paul so we exchanged bug reports; the
biting kind!  Once the weather becomes pleasant here the black flies make
it less so.  You get about five minutes outside before you become a meal.  
But those Midwestern mosquitos don't give even that much time before you
are being drained of blood.  At least I don't have deer flies here ;)
    My work bench has been filled with all sorts of projects lately.  Two
of them are hobby related.  The other four are for work.  But the solder
station is getting used, the oscilloscope is getting a workout, and I am
getting to design and build electronics.  I get to write the firmware too
so I am having fun.  I will close the control loop between a camera, some
servos, and an accelerometer/magnetometer lashup.  Once the camera is
aimed correctly just hit the hold button and the control loop takes over
(cross fingers here).  I am getting away from my wire wrapping technique
and using a bit of ugly construction.  I can get the test leads in more
easily.

    However, the lists ===>

On 14051 kHz at 2259z:
W6ZH - Pete - CA - K1 - 553
AB9V - Mike - IN - K2 - 3993
K3IU - Ken - RI - K2 - 5413    Has now checked in four times from three
different K2s.
K4JPN - Steve - GA - K2 - 1422
KL7CW - Rick - AK - KX1 - 798
W1TF - Ty - GA - K1 - 1423
K1EV - Bill - CT - K2 - 2152
AA0GO - Mike - MO - Ten Tec Corsair
N0AR - Scott - MN - K2 - 4866
W6ZH - Pete - CA - K1 - 553

On 7045 kHz at 0259z:
N0SS - Tom - K2 - 008
W6ZH - Pete - CA - K1 - 553
K7TQ - Randy - ID - K2 - 213
W1TF - Ty - GA - K1 - 1423
K4JPN - Steve - GA - K2 - 1422
K2HYD - Ray - VA - KX1 - 608    QNI  #65!!!
VE6ITA - John - AB - K2 - 5384
W1EUY - Dave - MA - K2 - 744    ???
KL7V/5 - Sam - OK - K2 - 3158
WG7Y - Robert - WY - ??
W1KV - Stephen - MA - ??
AB9V - Mike - IN - K2 - 3993    QNI #55!!!
N0AR - Scott - MN - K2 - 4866   QNI #10!

If there are any errors in the above two lists please send me an email
with the corrections.  Any fills would be helpful too.

I am glad the QRN was not as bad on 40 meters as it was last week.  I did
hear complaints from folks in the East of how bad it was but I heard very
little.  Gives my ears a rest ;)
    Until next week, stay well,
       73,
          Kevin.  KD5ONS  (Net Control Operator 5th Class)
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[n2htt-2]

I finally got the resistor/T3 mods done to my KX1+KXB3080, and I was playing around with the calibrations again. I think I've discovered something interesting (wrong?) about how the BFO calibration works...

Using my K1 tranmitting into a dummy load as a signal source, I adjusted the output signal to be spot on 14.050 using a frequency counter. I then zero-beat the signal in my KX1, using first the K6XX tuning indicator, then the STP menu setting. I use an offset of 600 Hz on all of my rigs.

I then used the BFO calibration to adjust the display of the KX1 to show 14.050 exactly. So far so good.

Repeating this process at 7.040 showed the KX1 display about 20 Hz off. So I'm guessing that:
a) the BFO adjustment is one calibration that is applied on all bands.
b) a little variation between bands is normal, yes?

BTW, the resistor mod plus rewinding T3 did improve the power output on all bands. I am now getting between 3.5 and 4.0 watts on 80, 40, and 20, and about 4.2 watts on 30.

Now the next challenge is to find some operating time to try 80m!

73,
Mike N2HTT

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