Elecraft CW Net Report for May 21st & 22nd, 2006

[Kevin Rock]

Good Evening,
    Sorry about the first net being truncated but the rumbling in the
distance was trying to tell me something.  Normally the thunder and
lightning travel up the Columbia River Gorge but this time the sky was
just too dark to take any chances.  When I tried starting the 20 meter net
I could hardly hear myself for the static crashes in my headphones.  Then
I started feeling the rumble from the thunder through my feet.  The
crashes in my ears and the rumble through my feet were starting to synch
up when I sent my QRT.  Good thing too, within a minute or two the house
was surrounded by lightning.  Then the hail dropped thick and fast.  We
got about an inch of hail and another inch of rain in a very short period
of time.  The rigs were unplugged and the antennas were also.  The power
snapped on and off but West Oregon Electric Cooperative's breakers kept
turning it back on.  We did lose power but only for a minute at a time.
    Then, like clockwork, the storm eased up and travelled to the East.  
Only lasted for about half an hour but the dust is most definitely settled
until the log trucks start driving by at O'dark thirty.  The hail is good;
it melts and waters the soil instead of running off too rapidly.  The
weather had been quite warm and dry until today.  We had a couple days
last week of record high temperatures.  It got into the 90s one day and
into the 80s on a few others.  We went from jackets to short sleeved
shirts over night.
    However, after the storm, dinner, and a few chores, I was able to hook
up the rig to power and its antennas and check out 40 meters.  From 7040
to 7050 kHz there were many Flying Pigs but I found an open frequency and
held it for the net at 7044 kHz.  Within a minute after I had sent QNF the
FPs were at it on 7044.  The folks to the East complained of QRN but the
folks to my South complained more of QSB.  ND0V in Colorado had a bit of
each of them.  Fred had gear problems but he was quite loud.  Too bad I
could not continue on 20 m because he said I was very strong.  But
discretion is the better part of valor so I shut down to work folks
another day.  If I had stayed on the air I may not have a rig right now,
just a smoking hole in my desk!

On to the lists.

On 7044 kHz at 0200z:
VE3XL - Ric - ON - K1 - 968
K4TO - Dave - KY - K2 - 4117
K6DGW - Fred - CA - K2 - 4398
K6PJV - Dale - CA - K2 - 5345
NK6A - Don - CA - KX1 - ??98    QNI #10!
ND0V - Greg - CO - K2 - 4411
N0BK - Bruce - MN - K2 - 3646

There may have been another station but it was far off and very weak.  I
think they may have been working the FP folks since they were out of synch
with my calls.  Don, I need a fill on your new KX1's serial number.  I got
?098 but am not sure of the zero.  Could you please send me the SN?  You
were correct in your assessment of poor conditions; most folks to my South
were not all that easy to copy even though their signals were strong.  
There was some odd fluttering QSB on each CA station I worked.  One can
never tell about propagation.

Thank you all for your support.

Have a good week,
    73,
       Kevin.  KD5ONS  (Net Control Operator 5th Class)



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