qsl cards – Page 4 – Spinning and Grinning

Weekend wrap up

A pretty busy Sunday….

– The recon to Edenton, NC went well. I found the lighthouse without too much difficulty, although you would not run into this lighthouse unless you were specifically looking for it. It’s an old screwpile lighthouse (the only remaining screwpile in North Carolina) that used to be in active use near the town of Roper (across the Albemarle Sound from Edenton). It served as a beacon to guide ships up the Roanoke River towards the town for Plymouth. A former tugboat operator, Emmett Wiggins, purchased the lighthouse in 1955 and had it brought to Edenton, where it was used as a residence. There was an attempt to sell the lighthouse to the Port O’Plymouth Museum (http://www.livinghistoryweekend.com/port_o.htm), but the deal ended up falling through. The museum ended up building a reproduction instead (http://www.roanokeriver.com/news_features/lighthouse.htm). The Edenton Historical Commision is now going to purchase the lighthouse and have it moved near the waterfront/downtown area.

Edenton is a beautiful little town right on the Albemarle Sound. There are two viable locations to conduct an activation. The first is from the waterfront park – the lighthouse is about 400 yards away across the water. The second is in a small park directly across and a bit down stream from the lighthouse. The downtown area stores were closed on Sunday, but I was able to find a restaurant near the waterfront that was open.

– I finished most of my QSL cards from an activation of the Old Point Comfort Lighthouse back in May (http://shedberg.livejournal.com/2006/05/13/). I enjoy filling out the cards and remembering the QSOs that stand out.

….. more QSL cards

– Completed the cards for the Bodie Island Lighthouse (USA-067) activation.

– Knocked out 8x QSL cards for some QSOs with Germany under my old callsign (KD7PJQ). It’s easier to send the cards out when you can get the mailing address.

– Printed out a bunch of QSL cards for Old Point Comfort. I need them for the W4M special event QSLing as well as an activation that I did back in May.

… stamps are going quick.

This weekend with AD7MI

I looked for three special event stations this morning and didn’t find any of them! There was the Anniversary of Moon Landing put on by the Reservoir Amateur Radio Association, Wapakoneta, OH, the Colonial Williamsburg/Historical Triangle by the Williamsburg Area Amateur Radio Club, and the 200th anniversary of Zebulon Pike’s Expedition by the Pikes Peak Radio Amateur Association (PPRAA). Didn’t hear a peep for any of the three. But – while searching for the above I was able to work Bermuda (a new country!) and also the W1AA out at the lighthouse on Clark’s Point, MA.

I’ve been catching up with my QSLing. I was able to get about 40 cards out the door this morning and have another 40 ready to go.

Cleaned up the workbench in the garage. Set up the trickle charger with my big ol’ marine battery. It’s a Black & Decker – I’ve already gone through one that died on me. I hope this one continues to work.

Had a nasty storm pass through very quickly. Enough to get me wet while BBQing dinner. The local SkyWarn net was up. Thunder, lighting, and about 0.06 inches of rain in about 5 minutes. Also trying to work AA1BU who was on 20M from the Virgin Islands. I think he had his antenna pointed towards Europe, had no luck trying to work him.

I need to bang out a few more QSL cards. Sure would like to finish up WAS and DXCC. One contact at a time I guess.

Weekend wrap up

Got to see a bit of the air show today from a nearby park that has a good view of Langley Air Force Base. Had my Bearcat Scanner (BC245XLT) with the Radio Shack antenna and was able to monitor the Air Boss as well as the air/ground communications for the Golden Knights parachute team.

Tired to contact the special events station at Fort Knox (W2P), but the propagation just wasn’t there. I was able to make two other SSB contacts while trying as well as a PSK31 contact with a Swedish amateur radio operator on St. Martin.

Worked on cleaning the radio room.

Started looking at using my TH-D7A for accessing a DX packet cluster… but I’m not sure if we have any packet clusters in the area. We’ll see.

I’m looking at getting an amp for my FT-817 so I can use it for portable operations without having to pull the IC-706 out of the shack.

Finished about 30 QSL cards to be sent out tomorrow.

Weather Display works on Ubuntu!! I need to transition my weather station from the radio room to the linux box out in the garage. I need to figure out how to do do the FTP upload and webcam.

Started working on a webpage for Old Point Comfort Lighthouse activations: http://www.ni0l.com/monroe/monroe.html

QSL Card

From : Fred LeBlanc
Sent : Monday, January 23, 2006 6:34 PM
Subject : QSL Card

Hi Scott
This afternoon I received your QSL card pertaining to our contact on PSK.
I visited your website, very interesting information.
I see you had a similar situation while posted away from home as I had.
I was in the Royal Canadian Signals from 1953 to 1969 (one of my trades was a teletype operator) and during that time I was posted as a peacekeeper in the Congo in 1962 and the only way I could get to talk to my wife and children was through the Amateur Radio patch to Trenton Ontario and them to Fredericton New Brunswick, unfortunately I was able to do it once as I was sent to other parts of the Congo when they did not have communication except the ones through United Nations.
How technology has changed, now they can communicate with home just about everyday.
I did get an introduction to hamming in 1954, was interested in it but not enough to get my licence until 1974 and haven’t looked back since.
For the past few years I seem to be on the digi modes more than anything else, I enjoy being able to make wonderful contacts in lower powers.
Will get a card out to you in the very near future.
Thank you very much.
Take care and have a nice evening.
73 de Fred VE9UN and VE9SIG

More QSL Cards

http://www.netcom.com/~ckuter/kb9rtm.htm

I was first licensed in December 1997. I am enjoying amateur radio more than I thought I would. I mainly worked as a mobile station (parked) due to severe power line noise at my home QTH. This changed in August 2001 when the electric utility finally resolved its problem.

My interests include HF, CW, RTTY and PSK31. I am also involved with QRP radio opertions and kit building. I am also a member of the Society of Midwest Contesters.

Check out my website for various pieces of information about amateur radio in the Chicago area. There is also information about building a portable mast and an inexpenseive QSL logging and printing program that uses MS Word.

Please QSL to above address, and I am good in the buro and Logbook of the World!

73 and hope to CUA.

See my previous entry about this QSO.

http://fmyers.com

My QSL card…

I mentioned back in my 16 OCT entry that I had to come up with my own QSL card… well here was the first version:

I got the above cards made at Kinkos and wasn’t very happy with either the service or the final product. I’m now through the first 100 cards so I did a little research and found another printer that specializes in QSL cards. Here’s the prototype for my new card:

Mail Call

My first QSL card from another country.

From QRZ.com:
Thank you for stopping by to learn a little bit more about me. I was born in 1965 and like a lot of hams, I got into radio at an early age. Became an official ham in 1993 and made the move to extra in 2004. I have a stay at home XYL and 2 young boys who are beginning to show an interest in ham radio. I am now retired which gives me a lot more time to spend with my family and friends. Not to mention ham radio and my other hobbies which include the outdoors, firearms and restoring tube radios. I also enjoy military history and collecting military items from the civil war to Vietnam. This goes with-out saying the honor it is to be able to talk with any veteran. Thank you again for my freedoms.

I strongly feel that the ham community is a fraternity of wonderful people that are always there to help out. And as such, I would also be more then happy to help any one at any time any way that I can. Please feel free to email me about any thing. Together, there is no problem that we can not solve.

My motto has always been 100% ham-spirit in every sense of the word.

QSL info = 100% Direct or via Bureau. I also upload the logbook to LOTW and eQSL. Please do NOT send a SASE as these are not needed at all. But please send the paper QSL’s as I do collect them.

Thank you once again for stopping by and I’ll be looking forward to the next time we meet.

73 John

Hello!!! Welcome to Rhode Island! I started amateur radio in Dec 1997 as Prev.call (KB1CGG). Really like to ten meter activity. Got into 1010 international. 1010# 70008 more than likely did work all states but lost log while moving. Rig used is Icom IC-706MIIG, doing mostly digital modes. I hope that all the new hams have as much fun as i do. GOD BLESS US ALL.Best 73’s to all. de n1zw Robin

Mail Call!

Gary (W7FSI) uses a postcard as his QSL card – petty smart idea – and what a great picture.

This was an early morning QSO and the band didn’t allow us to chat long.

Bruce (K4CMC) used to work for NASA and the Apollo program.

I had a really nice QSO with George (K1EPT) – he was a nose gunner in the B-24 Liberator during WWII. He mentioned he had a picture of a B-24 on his QSL card during the QSO and I was able to find a stamp at the post office that had a B-24 on it and used the stamp on the QSL card I sent him. George transition from the Army Air Corps to the US Air Force and eventually retired. His grandson is a full-time national guardsman – also involved in aviation.

A few firsts…

My first QSO with Russia! And from Andy’s page on QRZ.com:
ex: UA3-151-472 (10.12.80), EZ3SAN (16.11.81), UA3SFF (7.02.84 – 25.08.86), RW3DQC (27.09.98)

Добрый утро!
It was a short QSO, but great QSO.

Another short QSO, but first with North Dakoda:
Dwayne’s QSL is good in the 3905 Century Club and OMISS buro’s, the ARRL buro and via LoTW. ALL contacts are currently loaded in LoTW. SASEs are welcome. If you need a card, you got to send a card.

His love for radio stems from his father, an operator on 11m radio in the late 60’s. Dwayne’s start in radio was also with 11 meters as a teen. When that wasn’t enough, he explored other operating experiences. He became a communications officer in Civil Air Patrol, Panama City Flordia. Later took the FCC tests for his Amateur Radio license. He started with Amateur Radio as a NO-CODE Tech and received the call KD4POJ. He enjoyed the W4RYZ remote base (2-10 meters). At that point he was hooked on 10 meters. In 1994 he was voted in as President of the Panama City ARC. He considered that a great honor and still holds that club in the highest regards. Dwayne’s elmers and friends he will never forget are Steve AC4QB, Dan KO4YG, John KO4HX, and Dave N4YEO. “THANKS, GUYS!!!”

In 1995, he moved to Germany and received the call DA4POJ. Still wanting more he learned the code and upgraded to General. Keeping his stateside call the same but shortened his German callsign to DA1PJ. Dwayne made lots of good friends with that call.

In July 2002 Dwayne and his family moved to Minot (My Not) North Dakota. Dwayne enjoys digital communications such as PSK31, SSTV, and RTTY. Dwayne is active on 160m from ND and only needs HI to finish his 160m SSB ARRL WAS. He is a member of the ARRL, 10-10 International and AB1HZ (Former Operators of HZ1AB.) In 1993 he had the pleasure of being a guest operator (3 months) at HZ1AB in Dhahran KSA. He was also a regular op for the TEAM EIFEL ARC (DA1SP) and was a guest operator of DL0BIT (K-51.) Dwayne is an active member of the 3905 Century Club and OMISS WORKED ALL STATES nets, so if you need North Dakota for your WAS you can find him on one of those nets. Dwayne does very little CW but will work you on that mode if it’s really necessary.

Dwayne’s XYL Carol, is also a HAM (KE4ZLS, ex-DA4ZLS, ex-DA4ELS), she enjoys 6 meters and another way to keep tabs on Dwayne.

Above is a picture of Dwayne in Saudi Arabia, 2001. This was his second trip to The Kingdom; the first was in 1993. In June of 2003 Dwayne went back to the Middle East and spent several months in Kuwait but didn’t get to operate.

A message for his fellow brothers and sisters serving in the Armed Forces…”You’re in my prayers and thoughts as you serve our great Country. Be careful and serve with pride.”

First QSO with Maine! Fran said it’s getting pretty cold up there.

Nice QSO with John:
I was born in 1965 and like a lot of hams, I got into radio at an early age. Became an official ham in 1993 and made the move to extra in 2004. I have a stay at home XYL and 2 young boys who are beginning to show an interest in ham radio. I am now retired which gives me a lot more time to spend with my family and friends. Not to mention ham radio and my other hobbies which include the outdoors, firearms and restoring tube radios. I also enjoy military history and collecting military items from the civil war to Vietnam. This goes with-out saying the honor it is to be able to talk with any veteran. Thank you again for my freedoms.

73 John

This was an interesting QSO with Alex – he was operating through an 80 M station in Virginia via the internet!
Check out his website.