New start on WordPress. Old (pa3am.tumblr.com/) blog still available, but will not be updated anymore. Tumblr refuses members to use the .com address. So now my Blog/Website address will again be on: pa3am.com
December 2024, QSL admin, some new DXCC received from 2023: 5W, KH8/S, ZD9, FO, brings me to 267 wkd DXCC.
Finished Aktio40 12th month with 102 ragchew QSO’s and so can apply for 12th and last sticker for my second Aktio40 CW Award.
Monday November 25th, just after a nice “radio-weekend. On Saturday I visisted the SRS-event (Surplus Radio Society) called “Gekke Dingen dag” (crazy things day). The main goal is, get together while enjoying a snack and talking about the radio hobby with something nice on the table. Bring a project that you have been working on for a long time. Or something that you can’t figure out. A device that no one has seen yet. A self-made construction or handy tools. Something to chat about with each other. Lots of inspiring projects on the tables, while meeting several radio friends. Albert and Henk challenged me to join more often in the Sunday CW-net or Wednesday CW roundup. So I did on Sundaymorning with my 1972 Drake TR4 140 Watts CW with my 2004 LH Vibroplex standard Bug. PA0HIT/SRS, was working PA3ACC, PA3ERO, PA0HTT, PA0LCE and me. I struggled with zerobeating their signals, as my Drake is wide and finding the CW BFO shift of 1 KHz is something to get used to. Later that day, made several CQWW contest QSO’s on 40 and 80 meters to prove that this old tube rig still can do its’ job.
June 22nd, Back in Blog, we have returned safely from summer holidays in Sweden (No Radio activity). I feel happy to be back in my shack! I received my 9th Aktio40 label for 101 CW qso’s in April. FB full ragchew QSO with ZL2GD, Grant in Oxfort and several full 75-NATO/NAVO SES qso,s made it a fantastic month. will start in July for nr 10.
50MHz was open, so I tried my old (early eighties) ICOM IC551 and made several CW QSO’s with a Junkers Straight key. C37, EA6, LZ, UK, SM, OH, E7 are in the log. The ICOM IC551 is a monoband TRX from the early eighties, doing 1-10 Watts. I have the VOX EX107 installed, it would be nice to find the FM Unit EX106 for Local FM QSO’s. I can do 100 Watts with my IC756PRO, but using this 44 years old 10 watts singlebander is more fun. No CW filter, so receiving is a bit (2.2 KHz) wide, but I can just filter with ears and brain. I am the proud owner of a IC251 and IC451 as well. I call them my nostalgic, good working Triplets. The used antenna for all three monobanders is a V2000 @ 26m, via a Diamond Triplexer.
2 meter Mobile: After my retirement 2,5 years ago, I just left my Yaesu FT-2900 in the shack-corner and felt no need to install it in my new car. Activity on 2 meter repeaters was already very low then, and this hasn’t improved recently. Today, end of July, I decided to re-install this fantastic rugged mobile set, which is able to do 75 Watts. I Powered it up on the workbench, had to add PI3UTR repeater, delete PI3TWE repeater and modify the CTCSS tone for DB0EE to 110,9 Hz. I made a new 6mm2 Power cord with two times 15 A fuses and installed my JWX half wave vertical. First QSO via PI3NOV with Gert PA5TS proved that everything works OK and that time flies, while having fun.
Finally succeeded in repairing my Yaesu G-600RC Rotor Controller after replacing the potentiometer. First, I had made a wiring mistake and secondly, I should have read the manual carefully on Page 4, points 7 (power on) to 9 and P8 Pre-installation alignment.
Feb 10th, Found back my Akai GX 650D and just powered it up. It has been stored for more than 12 years and needed some loving attention. Just cleaning and some very tiny drips of oil and then it was running, but some switches and Potentiometers were “noisy” so I decided to carefully clean them with xx (BBL)
Will try to join MST (Medium Speed Test) from ICWC
Just see: MST Contest – International CW Council
January 22nd, 2024:
Just did 2 contests this weekend:
NTC QP (31 QSO and 9 x No (or new? Member) Big sigs and CW fun on 80 meters.
HA DX CW. 102 QSO on 10-80m. Inbetween all contest-noise I came (doing S&P) up to 7.029,25 HHz and heard Gerald G3MCK calling “CQ for a REAL QSO”, so we ended up in a 20 minutes ragchew QSO, which was for sure “the best QSO of the day!
Sunday evening I met Boti HA8TA on 40m, the youngest Hungarian Ham, calling CQ at 32wpm. I answered at 25wpm (faster than 25 is not too good for readability) and we had a fine QSO.
January 1st, 2024: HNY to all readers.Aktio40: Just made few HNY qso’s on 40, this will be for 8th (out of 12) sticker.
In 2023 I have joined the CWT sessions from CWops twice:
December 7th 2023, I found 2 power supplies (230V) for the GRC3030 set. As my GRC3030 is Dynamotor powered, using a net-powersupply would help in reducing noise. 1 of the two has still the original, connectors, and has a better inside circuit as well. I will try the make the best one ready to use with my GRC3030 soon. Jan 1st: The best build version (with the blue Cap’s) is the most promising, but one of the Elco’s is “blown”. There are three of them in series, I just found a new one and will replace it. More info will follow.
