[W2LJ] 1st test was a success

[W2LJ via rec.radio.amateur.moderated Admin]

W2LJ QRP - When you care to send the very least!

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1st test was a success

Posted: 25 Aug 2017 06:20 AM PDT
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/feedburner/KhQX/~3/EZrz3PITH90/1st-test-was-success.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email

Before I begin, a shout out to all my friends in the path of Hurricane
Harvey. Evacuate if you can, hunker down if you can't. Stay safe and don't
take unnecessary chances. My prayers are with you.



Harvey as seen from the International Space Station
Harvey as seen from the Seawall.cam in Galveston, TX

Last night was the first chance that I had to get on the air after
switching out the coax on the Butternut. As I had mentioned in the Skeeter
Hunt post, we were away last week on a college open house visit to
Virginia. Between the "before trip" planning and the aftermath that always
occurs when you get back home, I was radio silent.
I thought that it would be a good idea to jump into the 20 Meter QRP
Foxhunt. I haven't participated in it much at all this Summer, maybe only
one or two sessions. I figured this would be a good a test as any.
When I got home from picking up my daughter Cara from high school Color
Guard practice, I went down the basement a hooked up the coax to the rig
and plugged in the power strips. These were all still disconnected since we
had left. Someday I'll tell you the story of the routine my wife and I go
through before leaving the house on an extended trip. Talk about OCD
kicking in!
Anyway, I got everything plugged in, turned on and got the laptop to start
the laborious procedure of booting up. I flipped the KX3 to "ON" and set
the band to 20 Meters. I put the ear buds on and was greeted by .........
quiet. The background noise was lower than I was accustomed to. I thought
maybe something was wrong. Had I possibly not soldered a PL259 correctly?
But then I thought, "No, when I did the quick listen that Sunday, I heard
stuff". So I twisted the dial and before I could even turn it a quarter of
a turn, N0UR's signal came skyrocketing out of the background. So much
quiet and then, "BAM!". It was like seeing a black lump of coal on a
pristine white field of snow, or watching a firework blaze brightly against
a dark sky. The contrast between Jim's signal and the lack of background
noise was stark. I'm sure it was mostly just band conditions, but it was
amazing, nonetheless. I got him in the log on the first try, and then it
was off to hunt for K4BAI.
Since I found N0UR, I knew I had to go to the other side of 14.060 MHz to
find him as the Foxes always (most always) split up in to a High Fox and a
Low Fox. So I twiddled and I listened, then I twiddled and listened some
more. Finally, I heard a signal, but it wasn't John - it was a familiar
call, one of the Hounds chasing him. Knowing how K4BAI operates (textbook
and professionally) I tuned down exactly 1 kHz. There he was; but just the
faintest of a faint whisper. My first reaction was that perhaps it was
only going to be Jim N0UR in the log, but I decided to sit and listen for a
bit. It wasn't like I had anywhere to go or anything else to do. Well,
actually I did, but putting the dishes in the dishwasher could wait for a
while.
John's signal started to increase, slowly but surely. I thought at first
that it was propagation changing and maybe that was part of it, but then I
remembered that John owns a beam and he must be turning it North.
Eventually, his signal rose up to about 569. Nowhere as loud as N0UR, but
surely good enough to make a QSO! I gave John a call and again - an answer
on the first try. Two Foxes in the books for the night.
I know this itty-bitty sample is nowhere big enough to let me really
evaluate how much a change in the coax has made. But so far it seems to be
working well. Maybe it's just like getting your prescription changed in
your eyeglasses. At first you notice the big change and then as you get
used to it, the new prescription becomes the new "normal". I'll be more
than happy if this perceived hearing improvement becomes the new normal in
my shack.
72 de Larry W2LJQRP - When you care to send the very least!