My Year In Review, 2014

Massachusetts Setup

I figured it was as good of a time as any to address my year in review. As with any year, there have been ups and downs professionally, personally and hamally (Okay, just keeping with the theme). Since this blog is mainly about ham radio, I'll focus on that. My personal life has a direct effect on what I would consider the most rewarding hobby I have ever participated in, that being ham radio. Working in Boston for well over a year was a great experience. Leaving Alaska for Boston was (for me) going from one extreme to another. Something like working the HF bands (or trying) with ½ watt and an indoor basement antenna and then being able to work the HF bands at one of the many contest super stations across the country with stacked beams nearly reaching the flight paths of most 737's. Even though my job was essentially the same, that was the only similarity between the two locations. My radio (or shack time) was cut dramatically and I found little time to play radio when we headed east.

857D & My Navy Flamerproof

In looking at my logbook, I made approximately 298 QSO's in 2014 from my old QTH in Massachusetts, most QRP. The highlights were working the ARRL January VHF Contest, something I had not done in many years. Now mind you, I was working with an indoor antenna but it was fun to once again operate on 6, 2 and 432. Another highlight was playing in the ARRL DX Contest as a QRP entry. I've blogged about both of these so I won't go into details here but even with a limited station, it was fun. I got on as often as I could and I think I did pretty well considering my setup. I found the propagation on the east coast much better for QRP operation so that also made the experience much more enjoyable. As many contest stations will tell you, it's about location, location and location. 

New QTH

When my wife and I relocated to Oregon, it has allowed me a bit more free time to play radio, for now. Oregon is a beautiful place but I find my current QTH is not as QRP friendly as my last. Being surrounded by mountains and operating QRP with my same indoor setup has been much more challenging here. To date, I've made a whopping 28 QSO's from my new 7'land QTH. A mix of digital (JT65A) and Morse Code (CW) contacts. But, I'm thankful for those 28 contacts and my goal is to make many more as we enter into 2015. Plans can change but maybe I can put up an external antenna and get a bit more serious about operating as I once did from Alaska. I miss contesting.

Afternoon Commute

Having experienced life in the city, I'm excited about my new western adventures. I don't miss the traffic, the commute or the expense of Boston, but it's a very neat city. I experienced several firsts for me there having grown up in a small town community in the Midwest. I no longer need to use my WAZE app on my cell phone to find the least congested way home. People actually stop at red lights here and there does not appear to be a 5 second rule (increased from 3 seconds in the Boston area I believe in 2012). This year certainly has ended much differently than it began on all aspects for me. When opportunity knocks, sometimes what lies on the other side of the door is just what you're looking for. That door took me (us) 3,000 miles west. And of course I leave Massachusetts when I finally learn how to spell it. 

Probably the biggest highlight of 2014 for me was being able to finally attend the Dayton Hamvention. I won't dwell on the details as they are found elsewhere in this blog but hitting Dayton with my long time bestest of friends Sean, KL1SF was at the top. We have talked about it for many years and it finally happened. I don't see myself going back anytime soon but it was great to put faces with callsigns of other hams I talked to on the radio over the years.

Our Family Beagle 1999-2014

In life, we often times take things for granted and I'm guilty of that. My wife and I decided on getting a family pet many years ago. I just happened to be traveling down a back road (which I normally did not use) and I saw a sign that read "Beagles For Sale." I've had a love for this breed since I was very young. I stopped and spoke with the owner. A few days later, I stopped back with my wife and this one little tri-colored female won our hearts. We laid claim to her and it was not long before I was picking her up and taking her home. Like any young puppy, it took her awhile to get used to her surroundings but soon she ruled the house. When we began camping, she loved to go along and experience new surroundings. When we moved to Alaska, she toughed it out (her outside potty times were shortened dramatically during the winter months) but she loved to sniff and play in her new environment. When we moved to Boston, it was obvious her age was catching up to her. 2014 was the year that she would leave us and I think of her often with a tear in my eye. That was by far, the lowlight for me in 2014 and just writing about it leaves a lump in my throat. 

With the New Year nearly upon us, there is plenty of "New" for me in 2015! New friends, new coworkers, new QTH, new surroundings, new places to enjoy the great outdoors, new...well, the list goes on. These new things may take away from my operating time but I believe I can achieve balance and harmony when it comes to ham radio and the rest of my humanly obligations. At least for me, living out here on the western side of country makes it more possible. Life already seems so much slower and I'm enjoying every second of it. 

So, what else is new for me in 2015? After much thought, there was at least one more "New" for me to do. That is pictured below. The New Year really does symbolize "New" for me and in many ways. I'm looking forward to flipping that calendar over and jumping feet first into 2015. I see myself being a 7'lander for a long while. Just like AK2MA (Alaska 2 Massachusetts) had a meaning, this next vanity callsign has a more personal meaning. Dedicated to two things I miss greatly, Alaska and our family beagle. Enjoy today because you don't know what tomorrow will bring. Where does this winding road of life take me next and where do I go from here? Chapter 4 of course and it would be great to have you along for the ride.    

Retired

   HAPPY NEW YEAR!

APRS Broadcasting and Life Over 3,200 Miles and 6,300 Feet Later

AK2MA-9 now in 7'Land

Seems I've been having issues with my old Garmin GPS III lately. I use it to feed location data to my Kenwood TM-D700A while mobile. In a recent cross country trip, I was able to troubleshoot the issue with the help of my long time friend and APRS Guru Sean, KL1SF. Once we get settled, I need to replace it with a spare GPS III that I have or my V if the issues continue. I like the GPS III as it does Maidenhead grid location so it works great as a mobile unit if you want to work some HF/VHF and need your grid square. I was only able to broadcast my location during the final third of our trip due to my GPS III losing memory data.

With that said, there has been very little time for ham radio over the last several months. A career move to 7'land has landed me at our new QTH. The cross country trip went extremely well and the weather cooperated for all but the beginning of the adventure. But I am temporarily settled and I'm looking forward to getting my portable set up working here in Oregon. I think the elevation should hopefully help my QRP signal and I'm looking forward to once again hearing those strong Pacific signals that I used to hear when we lived in Alaska.

Having worked at sea level for the last year or more has me moving a bit slower at this higher elevation. Once I get on the air, it may take a week or more for my CW to get back up to speed. Primarily due to the lack of oxygen getting to my brain that passes those dots and dashes to the straight key through my upper extremity. I'm sure my decoding skill will be effected as well but probably due more to being inactive for the last several months. The time I spent commuting to and from work in Boston can now be used for the HF bands. 

Now starts the tedious process when one relocates with all the changes that need to be made. But one thing never changes, my love for the hobby and Morse Code. My equipment is still in my camper but my plans are to bring it all up here this weekend. With any luck, I will have my Buddipole antenna out of the bag and sending and receiving radio signals on the HF bands once again. My wife has been warned, it won't be long before coax is once again strung through the house and the sweet sound of CW will be heard throughout. Stay tuned for photos and propagation reports.   

SKCC's February Weekend Sprint-a-thon

Stacked 

This weekend was the SKCC February Weekend Sprintathon (WES). I know the bands were busy with RTTY and had I still lived in Alaska, I would have been diddling my way across the bands in another low power RTTY effort. Ironically, I just received some RTTY wallpaper and wrote about it on my KL8DX blog. But since I have no way of running RTTY here yet, I decided that any free time I had was going to be directed toward working CW with my straight key.

I began Saturday with only my Yaesu FT-857D. When Sunday rolled around, I decided to pull the Icom IC-703Plus out of the portable box and set it up. I had the power output set for 1 watt. I have a 3 position antenna switch which I use to switch between the rigs. It's an eBay special so the isolation stinks, but it works as it's a quick and easy way for me to switch between rigs. The Yaesu allows me to dial down to 5 watts, however I find the need to go even lower from time to time. 

Rigs 2 Keys

Getting back to the WES, I found that my indoor set up was hearing best on 15 meters. Since I use my Buddipole antenna indoors, I normally will set it up for 40 meters first and then tune around on the different bands. Once I find the band with the most activity, I will re-tune the antenna for that band. Needless to say, there is no quick band switching for me. I started off Saturday on 40 meters, briefly went to 20 meters for just a few contacts and then headed to 15 meters where most of my weekend activity took place. I enjoy the high bands because when the bands are open, I can easily work thousands of miles away. I know that 15 was in great shape for me and my puny setup so there is no doubt it had to be good for those who had outdoor antenna's. 

With shopping on Saturday morning / afternoon and my normal weekend duties to complete on Sunday, I did not have lots of time to devote to the key but I was able to log 57 straight key QSO's. I worked a handful of European stations on Sunday morning on 15 meters.  It was great to finally run into several stations that I've not worked since I pulled the plug in Alaska. The weekend highlight was working my buddy Martin, W3MLK and then toward the end of the contest, working Karen, W4KRN. Pete, N1ABS welcomed me to the neighborhood and by the time the WES was over, I added a few new SKCC numbers to the logbook, too. I wrapped up my effort on 40 meters, the same band I started. My last QSO was with Dan, W9DLN for a WI multiplier. Not band considering and my longest QSO on 40 meters for the weekend. 

CW, The KEY to Success

I miss my 4 elements and my Icom IC-756PRO, which I could pull out of the box however, I'm enjoying my portable set up for now. I do miss working JT65, PSK31 and the other digital modes! I wish I could find my interface cable for my Icom! I'm also not able to find my Cellpro battery charger so that I can charge my A123 portable batteries. Until I can get them charged, I won't be operating /p anytime soon. But for now, I'm just happy being able to get on the air from time to time and having the success that I do. I worked 35 different SPC's (States, Provinces or Countries) this weekend so for me, CW was my KEY to DX success!  

Going Vertical & Breaking In A New Callsign

Hustler 5BTV unboxed (again)

As life continues, I finally had a bit of extra time to unpack my Hustler 5BTV. I still have a few boxes from the old shack to unpack but the end is in sight. I've been working on my QSL backlog of those cards I've received that are in need of a return QSL. The Alaska QSL Bureau sent me my last envelopes and told me they will be forwarding the remainder of my QSL cards to the 2land incoming QSL bureau. Since I'm not able to keep envelopes at the AK bureau, there will be even a longer delay for those responses. I've yet to investigate the 2land bureau but last I heard, they do things a bit different. As winter approaches, I will have time to investigate what I need to do to continue to receive my QSL cards with them. I'm sure I will be getting KL8DX QSL cards for several more years since I was pretty active. No matter how long it takes, I'm thankful for all of our bureau volunteers! 

Hustler 5BTV in the Yard

Since our holiday vacation plans took a unexpected turn, I'm spending a bit more time at home than planned. That allowed me to construct my Hustler 5BTV and place it in the yard today. My backyard is wide open and elevated and actually, a perfect setting for a ground mounted vertical. I need to only get my radials down before the snow arrives. But I wanted to take advantage of the sunny day and see what I could hear from this QTH. After putting up the vertical, I located two sections of feedline and ran it into the back door of our house which leads directly into our kitchen. I found my portable box of goodies and began unboxing my portable station on the kitchen table.

The AK2MA Temporary Ham Shack

Having not made any contacts with my new callsign, I normally try to get a few familiar callsigns in any new logbook first. My first CW QSO just has to be with my CW Elmer, K8QWY. My SSB QSO just has to be with KL1SF who is now in Arizona. I phoned Ed, K8QWY leaving him a message that I had my antenna up and wanted to see if we could make contact. In the mean time, I placed my antenna analyzer on the 5BTV and found I have a bit more work to do. All of the bands showed an unhealthy SWR with 20 meters being the best of the bunch. This could be for a few reasons. The first, I set up the vertical using the suggested measurements for one that had radials. I don't have them down yet. It could also be that I'm off in my measurements and I need to do some adjusting. The antenna was in great shape so I think it's more of a measurement / grounding issue than anything else. I'll continue to get the vertical tuned in as time and weather allows.

Feedline through the door

I had my coax run through the door which left for a slight breeze coming into the kitchen. Not bad for a summer day but with the temperatures in the 20's in late November, it did not take long for the kitchen to cool down. Once I got my Yaesu FT-857D out along with tuner and power supply, it was not long before I was hearing the sweet sound of CW (Morse Code) coming from my radio. Even my wife commented that was a sound she had not heard in a long while! I browsed over to the SKCC Sked Page and stuck around there eventually chatting with a few old straight key friends. But before I made any SKCC QSO's, Ed phoned me back! Ed recently put up a new antenna and he pointed his beam my way and we tuned to 20 meters. It was then that I was able to make my first QSO with Ed and he had a super signal into Eastern MA! One down and now only Sean to left to snag on SSB!

QSO's Continued

After working Ed on 20 meter CW, I then ended up with my next straight key QSO. There are several SKCC hams that I would call friends even though I have yet to personally meet any of them. On that list would be none other than Jim, KK7YJ. I was able to make a QSO with Jim, exchanging SKCC numbers on 15 meters. It was great to work Jim once again. Immediately after working Jim, I also worked fellow SKCC'ers KP4SJ and AE6DH on 15 meters. Success! That out of tune antenna was working, so I knew that once I got it tuned, it would work even better! I also realized that my noise level was tolerable living in a more populated area. I will have a much smaller station here than I've ever had. Something tells me I won't be nearly as active here as I was in Alaska. It's obvious being away from the key, my code speed has suffered some but as seen in previous breaks from the key, it does not take long to pick back up where I left off with practice.

I consider today a successful first run. My plan is for a few more antenna's (probably wire antennas) but I will be at the mercy of Mother Nature. Even though we are enjoying a much more mild fall / winter than we have encountered in many years, I'm losing time to get some crucial work done. Soon the ground will be frozen solid and I'm sure snow is not far away. Most of my spare time on the weekends were spent on our new Harley Davidson. Normally in November, I was plowing snow in temperatures well below zero in Alaska. So, do you blame me? Being in MA now is almost like being on vacation from winter. 

A New Beginning

USS Constitution at Boston National Historical Park

July 2013 began our new detail at Boston National Historical Park. After arriving in Denali National Park November 2003, I never imagined living outside of Alaska again. Things happen for a reason and because of that, we sadly departed Alaska in June of 2013. Traveling across the country was exciting but long. Well over 5,000 miles later, we arrived at our new destination, Boston. Recently, I had to decide what to do with my callsign, KL8DX. Operating and contesting in the lower 48 with my Alaska callsign would have led to confusion when operating in contests. After giving it some thought, I decided to change my callsign to AK2MA when my Vanity Callsign expired. 

A callsign is unique and I wanted it to reflect the next journey of our life. After thinking about contesting and sending my call on CW, the AK2MA seemed to work well. I applied for and received AK2MA in October of 2013. It was a sad day to see that my Alaska call was cancelled but I may be able to use it again someday. I loved operating from Alaska even though it was the most challenging location I had ever operated from. I was able to obtain several contesting awards and I was proud of my ham radio accomplishments while there. I have all of my wallpaper to remember the great and challenging times I had living in such a beautiful part of our country. You can hardly get on the air without some sort of pile-up.

So, as we continue to get settled at our new location, I hope to soon turn my focus on putting up a few antenna's before the snow arrives. I miss the sound of CW and it will be fun taking my new callsign for a spin. I think it's safe to say that I won't be creating pile-ups any longer but I can't wait to hear the sound of a contest weekend coming through the speaker once again.