Good Evening Folks,
Another hectic week but I do have a lot to show for it. Actually less
to show for it if you include yesterday's extended burning session and my
trip to the recycler :) I finally had everything align so I was able to
burn most of the brush from the windstorm which we cut and piled in late
December. I now have a firebreak which extends about twenty feet in any
direction. I have much more to do but this makes me feel a little safer.
I was interrupted yesterday by some deer trying to eat their way
through the backyard where I was working. I don't think they read the
deed. I seem not to own the property just maintain it for their benefit
:) However, the buck now has longer antlers. Today I saw him and his
friends again before I left for a trip to town. His antlers are now twice
as long as they were last week. I did not get a long enough glance at
them to see if there was any structure developing. Next time I see him
they should be better defined.
I worked on my K2 yesterday at NM7N's urging. I now have the front end
mod for next week so I can work next to stations blasting away without an
overload. Not too much of a mod, just two 1N4148s back to back which
makes the required voltage a bit higher. I'll see how it works at the FD
venue. I also replaced my headphone jack so I can hear my speaker. I
think it has been three years since I have heard a peep out of it so I
find it rather novel :) Since I keep the headphones in place most of the
time I'll not hear this too often but it sure is fun.
While I was listening I tried out the AT-11MP which I also repaired
yesterday. When I bought the 100w amp for the K2 there was no 100 watt
tuner to go with it so I bought and built the LDG AT-11MP. But I seemed
to have had an RF problem and zapped the microcontroller. I found a new
chip for it while I was looking for something for someone else. I got the
chip and replaced it. They have also upgraded the firmware so I can now
recall 200 memory settings. Seems to work very well. So I listened
around and found 20 meters was not very popular. I then went to 40 and on
to 80. With an autotuner it makes swift business of band hopping. I had
forgotten the convenience. So I listened to a lot of folks on 80 meters
chatting about this and that.
Seems like the bands are open but I did have to truncate a contact into
Oklahoma on Friday because it got too weak for us to operate. We did
manage to squeak out 40 minutes of talk so I guess that is not so bad.
Normally we run longer but such is life. I did find the crockpot which
Pat hid on me so I am going to try cooking a pot roast. It has been quite
some time since I've tried because I'll have leftovers for a month. But I
think I can deal with it :) Being single is not all it is cracked up to
be. Maybe if I was twenty it would not be so bad. But, then I would be
twenty and not experienced and mature ;) Because I learned many good
things from my mother I think, like her, I shall just never grow up! That
way I can be experienced and young at the same time.
Tomorrow:
1) Hail signs (first letter or two of the suffix of your call)
2) NCS help (as well as QSP/QNP <relay> help)
Please join us:
Sunday 2300z (Sunday 4 PM PDT) 14050 kHz
Monday 0200z (Sunday 7 PM PDT) 7045 kHz
73,
Kevin. KD5ONS
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