Year's end leads to reflection and mine makes me want to say "thank you" to all who participate in making this product better. Especially as not a few of the changes that came into the product were things that I specifically asked for and have now received. And more changes that I should have asked for, had I known the value. So many, in fact, I'm not sure I could reliably list them. I'd have to point them out as they came up in operation. They would, believe me.
As long time readers know, I've been off pursuing life ham radio goals with the SDR. I've been doing it with a modest station, too. And, while I did manage to be the first to reach DXCC on the SDR (I still have that certificate you all gave me!), the SDR "country count" hasn't been my focus for some time. I'm going to tally some results. But, not really to brag. Rather, to tell everyone that I've put all that good work in developing this rig to what I regard as good and substantial use. And, to thank everyone for it. My DXCC count on the SDR currently stands at 182, but if I was doing DXCC from scratch, it would have no doubt been substantially higher. I've spent a long time only QRV on 30, 40, and 80 meters. At least half a year that way, no doubt limiting the SDR-specific count. That said, I've also worked some exciting all-time new ones, including Libya, with a barefoot SDR. Peter I, too. As some might remember, but I wish to record here, I've achieved 5BWAZ (to the 173 zone level, with 178 worked) and 5BDXCC. Now since these are life goals, that wasn't all or even mostly the SDR. Still, the numbers are way up from where I started (on 80 meters, I think my life achievement was around 20 DXCC or even less, for instance -- I now have 27 zones and 124 countries). In any case, those are the things I've really been working on and there's no doubt the superior receiver of the SDR, the panadapter, and other improvements over time are directly responsible for a lot of my gains. Many times, the panadapter gives me an opportunity, brief but sufficient, to grab the DX when the competition is bunched up on the wrong frequency. Its sensitivity allows me to scan the bands about as quickly as one can read DX Summit, but often to much more effect. The spectrum display also does the same for CW pileups. I worked Vanuatu on 80 meters simply because I saw the activity. No big deal? Well, probably not. Everyone with an SDR can do that. But, a website check showed this was very early in the DXpedition. The very first or the first of a handful of calls in the whole DXpedition. Spoting a blip and working it before the pileup arrives (before anyone knew they were even QRV in this case!) is something to brag about. But, of course, I can't take credit for anything but sitting at the rig. I stand on some shoulders, here, to do things like that. And, I again thank you all. And, I'm on the threshhold of my next major goal -- the DXCC Challenge. I have 990 band countries worked, way up from where I was when I bought this rig. Way up even if most of the "damage" has been on 80, 40, 30, and 17. Way up even though the sunspot cycle is supposed to be killing DX. Way up as in "one third of the entire band country count I have ever done." In a year and three quarters. I should achieve that Challenge no later by the end of January, I should think. With a little luck, I could do it in a couple of weeks or even, at this point, an exceptionally lucky day (and, with the SDR, I've had a day or two like that). And, this was done pretty much all on CW with some RTTY. For a variety of reasons, not least is keeping the wife happy, I stay away from SSB. Perhaps I could have done better still if I did all modes, who knows? All I can do is thank everyone, especially Bob and Frank, for making it all happen. So, once again, even if words are never enough, just let me say "thank you" and I'll see you all on the air. Larry WO0Z PS, I'd be interested in like things from other folks. What have you all done in operations, software development, hardware development, etc., this year? Be fun to get a summary from the rest of you. _______________________________________________ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
