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

[KK0G]

Ray's going old school on us with his separate transmitter and receiver. I wonder if he has to switch from TX to RX using an old knife switch out to homebrewed ladder line and a dipole made with wooden insulators that have been boiled in paraffin? 8)

[RadioRay]

Haaaaaar! Matey -

Ye be closer to the trooth than ye might know.  Me ladder line is spaced using sword fish bone and bound with baleen twine from the mouth of a whale, the wires is not soldered, but they be hand spliced, using me old marlin-spike.  It's spaced wide enough that I can climb'them like ring on the rat lines up the mast to get up the 75 feet to the balun, just like when I was a weee lad at sea, a'scramblin' around the rigging, tending sail. 




de Radi O'Ray ..._ ._

[KK0G]

UPDATE:


Due to changing propagation with the end of summer, we're changing the sked. The new sked will be as follows:


Primary -     0200Z     3.533 MHz (up 1 kHz for QRM until clear frequency)
Secondary-  0205Z     7.037 MHz (up 1 kHz for QRM until clear frequency)


Didn't want anybody hanging around the old sked wondering where the hell we went. 8)

[KK0G]

We've been forced to use 80 meters for the last few weeks and I have to admit it's not a band that's highly conducive to QRP, at least not this time of year. So far we've been able to copy each other most nights but it's a struggle due to high noise levels, should get better when storm activity dies down as winter gets here.

[KC9TNH]

Quite so. Even with good prop conditions, the earth-bound weather can make quite a racket. One other thing 80m conditions are particularly influenced by up in the northern climes is the latitude the natural aurora is at. Over time I've noticed that when it drops down to 60° (down around the mid- Hudson Bay) signals on the low bands are 'squashed'. You can think you hear wonderfully quiet band conditions, but it's because nothing is being reflected. (One reason those ol' SSB rag-chewers whose VFO never moves off 75m run 1500w just to hold a conversation; sometimes it's needed.)

As Chris said, when the warm jello cools & hardens so it bounces things off it'll get better. It is certainly less populated save a few brief traffic nets from time to time.

[KK0G]

Warning: Monthly CW QRP promotional post to follow 8)


While we may be struggling to copy each other in CW on 80 meters at QRP levels, we are making contact. If the only thing we changed was to switch to SSB as opposed to CW and exchanged keys for microphones, our success rate would probably drop to approximately 0%.


CW works! QRP works! If you don't know code, learn it! If I can do it anyone can.

[KK0G]

Update:

Wes and I are still chugging along on 80 meters most evenings, sometimes the QSB takes its toll but signals are usually copyable. We were experiencing QRM on our previous frequency so we moved up 1 kc to 3.534 MHz in case anyone wants to join in (HINT 8) ). I realize propagation to the midwest on 80 meters probably isn't all that hot for some of the gang but you might give it a shot some evening. Time is still 0300Z.

[RadioRay]

Thanks for the update.  Someone MIGHT listen ... (Hint   ;)   )

de RadioRay ..._ ._

[KK0G]

Thanks for the update.  Someone MIGHT listen ... (Hint   ;)   )

de RadioRay ..._ ._

That might be a good idea because we might have been talking about you. ;D

[KC9TNH]

That might be a good idea because we might have been talking about you. ;D

But not for long, lately.
Despite lofty predictions by lots of computers & heavily-degreed people, 80m has kinda been in the tank locally for the last few weeks. We work what we can, but the principle is still solid. And, truly, the QSB is almost like on a timer and predictable. I also suspect that things will clear up when all the Christmas lights in the neighborhood go off, which is typically after bowl games on Hangover Day. A short pre-formatted SITREP of some kind or other could easily be exchanged in that short window, though. Which has its good side...
8)

[KK0G]

One of the great things to come out of our ongoing sked is finding out what works and what doesn't work over an extended time frame - I think we're getting close to six months into it now. 40 meters worked awesome for us in summer with near armchair copy most nights, then slowly tapered off as fall progressed. When we finally decided to switch to 80 meters as the primary band, it slowly went from sucky to slightly less sucky as winter fell on us. We're holding out for barely sucky LOL.

[RadioRay]

I am surprised that you're not booming in to each other on 80m at night, using horizontal wire antennas.  There might be another factor...

Are you using enough key for the job?



Leverage MIGHT make all the difference.  (and you won't find THAT in any college electronics course, neither!)


de RadioRay  ..._ ._

[KK0G]

For those still interested; Wes and I are still at it most evenings and I'm happy to report that conditions on 80 meters have been steadily improving in the last month. The QSB that tended to start like clockwork has ended and noise levels have dropped off considerably, in the last few weeks I've been giving Wes several 599 reports, even a 599+10 last night!

[RadioRay]

I was listening last night, but the DX'ers were working 'up' and jamming a bit on this end.  I didn't want to add to the mayhem. It was a little in & out, but I did copy this much:

.. (?)TNH BT RR I AM ...... MY BIKINI.... WARM WEATHER RETURNS... WAXING REALLY HURT.  QSL?
I am thinking that is was some sort of CODE or something - right?



73 de Ray
W7ASA ..._  ._

[KK0G]

I was listening last night, but the DX'ers were working 'up' and jamming a bit on this end.  I didn't want to add to the mayhem. It was a little in & out, but I did copy this much:

.. (?)TNH BT RR I AM ...... MY BIKINI.... WARM WEATHER RETURNS... WAXING REALLY HURT.  QSL?
I am thinking that is was some sort of CODE or something - right?



73 de Ray
W7ASA ..._  ._

It really did hurt!  8)