Setting up regular skeds - do it now, not after SHTF

[KC9TNH]

....while I packed my KX3 to ship to it's new owner. I'll miss the KX3 a little bit - ....

[hijack]Thought you'd just slide that right on through without any notice, while everyone drooled all over the new boat.  W7ASA /mm.  OK, we need a full general discussion presentation on this new critter. [/hijack]

2 components: hear & be heard. I put them in that order for a reason.

Get as good an antenna up in the air as you can; I promise you antenna is over half the battle. Do it as well as you can, as far from extraneous noise sources as you can. Everyone has different limitations; work with them, don't let them define you.

CW is pretty much the most signal-efficient means to be heard. Morse can be picked out of the ether using less power when the good ol' boys are firing up their Alphas and Henry 3K's. It's simply an effficiency thing.

All that said, the concept of making skeds with people does NOT just relate to a particular mode (not in my book anyway).  If you are an amateur operator, but all you've got as allies/resources for "potential Event-X" are people who are on 2m, use it.  If they will not learn Morse, but are missed when they don't show up for a SSB net on 75m, use that.  Part of the point of a sked is that if someone does NOT show up, they are missed - and that triggers some other action to find out if they're OK, or if they got swept up by the WA4STO-bot. (had to  ;D )  If the only thing you want is to do SSB to the other coast, a good wire for 20m is easy. (Note: A QRP radio gets its biggest bang for the buck with CW, and that's a fact, Jack.)

By the way, most people don't even start Morse at 5wpm after they've taken even a little time learning the basics and practice-keying.  5wpm is like waiting for Fast & Furious documents to be delivered to Congress. Usually it's more like 8-10.  (I don't know anyone using CW here who wouldn't do a sked with someone at low-speed; it's like paying it forward.) Someone did it for me and I'm still slow 'cause there are people, some with kayaks, that can idle in a parking lot or run RE-ally quick at the drop of a hat.

But if at my home location I'll do what I need to do to make comms.  If someone is camping and seriously wants a sked with someone to take their reports or traffic from a remote location, I'm not necessarily going to play "oh I'm in the woods too, so I'll just run 5 watts."  The other guy/gal is the one "out there" so if needed I'll fire up that big pretty piece of glass & make it glow.
Gil FYI: I'm hoping the additional end-fed going up Saturday (fingers x'd) is going to shoot the best of a 20m lobe centered right between you & Ray.

Geek:  Good luck, do what you gotta do.  But if you have an antenna waiting to go up, and you have 2 trees, get it in the air if for no other reason than to start learning the radio itself. :)  After you think hard on what's important that drives the type of antenna, gimme a holler if you have any questions, Morse, antenna, whatever. I just can't help you pick out a kayak.

(BTW: Have you noticed that in fiction roads are blocked by armed men, but in real life they are blocked by fallen trees?)

Carry a chainsaw and a serious battle carbine & know how to use both. Never know when you might want to drop a few trees in the path behind you.  ;)

And for right now, the 0200Z sked with KK0G, with current guest appearance/opening act W7ASA, is on:

7.108 - Chris suggested to drop the half kc from the 30m freq so that's 10.108 if needed.
Why a different band for alternate?  Noise, weather, racket, propagation and, up in our neck of the woods, Canadians using the lower areas of 40m in accordance with THEIR band plan, which is to talk SSB - it's not like the RF stops at Frostbite Falls, MN Bullwinkle!

These are no-fault-divorce type skeds - if we're there we're there. Takes 10, 15 minutes tops to establish whether someone is gonna make it or not.  No-joy?  Move on with life.

[Geek]

There are two alternative roads out of my neighborhood.  Each time we've had a storm in the past few years, both have been blocked by fallen trees.  The chain saw goes in the car first.  I suppose I could shoot the trees, but I don't think it would make them get out of the way.  :-)

The antenna is going in the attic.

[gil]

I'll listen to 7108 at 22:00 EST tonight...
20:45 EST on 14068.5 (listening now actually).
Got the MTR out tonight  :)

Gil.

[KK0G]

There are two alternative roads out of my neighborhood.  Each time we've had a storm in the past few years, both have been blocked by fallen trees.  The chain saw goes in the car first.  I suppose I could shoot the trees, but I don't think it would make them get out of the way.  :-)

The antenna is going in the attic.

No, shooting the trees won't make them get out of the way, but it might make you feel better because the damned trees are in the way! 8)

[KK0G]

I'll listen to 7108 at 22:00 EST tonight...
20:45 EST on 14068.5 (listening now actually).
Got the MTR out tonight  :)

Gil.

I'll call you now Gil, if i don't hear you I'll listen at sked time.

Edit: QRM on 7.108, going to 7.109

[gil]

Cool, please do. I'll keep my ears open!

Gil.

[gil]

Chris, I could hear you very clearly. You didn't even have to repeat words! 2?9, sometimes 3?9 (no S-meter). My battery is down to 10V, so I wasn't putting out much power. I could have copied anything you sent me. Had I used my KX3 at 12W, you probably would have heard me better. But hey, I like a challenge  ;) Anyway, glad to hear you tonight, weak but perfect copy.
I'll listen on 7108 now...

Gil.

[KK0G]

Chris, I could hear you very clearly. You didn't even have to repeat words! 2?9, sometimes 3?9 (no S-meter). My battery is down to 10V, so I wasn't putting out much power. I could have copied anything you sent me. Had I used my KX3 at 12W, you probably would have heard me better. But hey, I like a challenge  ;) Anyway, glad to hear you tonight, weak but perfect copy.
I'll listen on 7108 now...

Gil.

Unfortunately not so much on my end Gil. I copied you reasonably well on your first go round but then it went south quickly after that. Towards the end I could only make out a few random characters here and there. Look for you next hour on 40 meters.

[gil]

Lots of QRM on my end on 7108. I do hear Morse though, in the background.
I did hear Ray's call sign...

Update: Ray, you were hard to copy.. Though I am glad you heard me  :)

Gil.

[RadioRay]

Well, I let Chris & Wes tap back and forth, then I briefly chatted with both.  I first chatted with Chris - easily readable, even with Spanish language SSB. Then asked Wes if he had heard Gil tonight, but NIL GIL was reported.  However, WHAT to my wandering ears should appear, but Gil's weak , very weak, barely readable signal, using one of his tiny transceivers and wire for antenna, We exchanged a few pleasantries and I've returned to the keyboard. this is not the band/time we usually meet on, so it's not unusual that his signal would be barely detectable. If we changed bands, we could improve that.

Chris: KX1 "QRP"


Gil:     MTR?   QRP


Me:    KX1   QRP/Hardened Edition



Wes: East German battle ship radio with a 12 pound, panel mounted Berliner Grossewurst slicer to handle the keying current. (Big Sig)


Not a bad 4 way round table on CW.


de RadioRay ..._ ._

[KK0G]

For the benefit of those who weren't there; at the 0200Z sked Wes and I found each other on the first try and had solid copy with each other on 40 meters. We had a nice chat for about 15 minutes or so then signed off. Ray then called me and we had a 5 minute or so quick chat, he was considerably weaker than Wes but still solid copy. Ray and Wes then had a quick QSO. I never heard Gil.

All of this was done with small, highly portable QRP rigs; Ray and myself using our Elecraft KX1's and Wes using his Elecraft KX3. I will admit that when Wes had trouble copying me I went quasi 'QRO' and connected my external battery to increase my power from 1 watt to an antenna melting 3 watts! ;D

[gil]

On 40m, I could hear you guys, but because of the SSB QRM, could not decode. I heard Wes, not sure about Chris. At the end I heard Ray and decided to call. My battery is down to 10V, so I wasn't putting out much. Without the SSB, we probably could have all chatted. I could hear Chris well earlier on 20m. It was nice to make contact nevertheless. I'm listening on 7030 now; will leave it on for a bit while I'm reading "Lucifer's Hammer." Highly recommended if you guys haven't read it. It's an old book which I heard prompted many people to start preparing...

Gil.

[KK0G]

On 40m, I could hear you guys, but because of the SSB QRM, could not decode. I heard Wes, not sure about Chris. At the end I heard Ray and decided to call. My battery is down to 10V, so I wasn't putting out much. Without the SSB, we probably could have all chatted. I could hear Chris well earlier on 20m. It was nice to make contact nevertheless. I'm listening on 7030 now; will leave it on for a bit while I'm reading "Lucifer's Hammer." Highly recommended if you guys haven't read it. It's an old book which I heard prompted many people to start preparing...

Gil.

Thanks for the heads up on the new 'old' book to read.

And as usual we've completely hijacked another thread  8)

[gil]

Thanks for the heads up on the new 'old' book to read. And as usual we've completely hijacked another thread 

The comet just hit! I need to read more RIGHT NOW!  :o

Gil.

[KC9TNH]

I will admit that when Wes had trouble copying me I went quasi 'QRO' and connected my external battery to increase my power from 1 watt to an antenna melting 3 watts! ;D

a-HA!  I KNEW it. That was the huge jump you made when I was thinking about QSY to 30m.  (QRN was roaring up here but that's summer on 40m.) Think about it, it's all the same, physics doesn't lie. In CW that's almost an S-unit, and you were definitely making the meter jump then.

Ray, you dug out the wrong pic.  That's the club-station where I got my ticket.  :P
(They didn't have a wurst slicer though, too bad.) Yep, not a bad evening all things considered.

Gil, I think ISON is going the other way. Anyway, if I'm wrong you've got 8 minutes....
8)