Author Archives: robert

100 Confirmed and counting…

Posted on March 2, 2012 by robert

Sometime this morning I ticked over 100 confirmed countries with the addition of Cuba, Martinique and Malpelo Island on LotW, plus Angola on eQSL — bringing my total confirmed countries to 103.  Unfortunately that’s a mix of LotW and eQSL.  … Continue reading →

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A year to the day…

Posted on February 9, 2012 by robert

So I got back on the air exactly a year ago today after my decade break from Ham Radio (a 2 meter SSB QSO with N2ULF).  What a journey this past year has been.  QRP with a FT817, to an … Continue reading →

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Saying goodbye to a faithful friend…

Posted on February 8, 2012 by robert

So today I boxed up my Yaesu FT-817ND and LDG Z-817 tuner.  They are off to their new home in TX.  That little QRP rig is responsible in a major way for rekindling my interest in Ham Radio.  Hopefully it … Continue reading →

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This one (#100) is for you Dad

Posted on February 7, 2012 by robert

I started this blog just under a year ago when I was trapped in the depths of a horrible New England winter.  I had been off the air for a bit more than a decade, my last contact being a … Continue reading →

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Happy 2012!

Posted on January 12, 2012 by robert

What a better way to start a new year in radio than looking at the latest revision to the prediction for Solar Cycle 24 coming from NASA.  The quick summary is that the location of the peak has been moved … Continue reading →

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KPA-500 — a couple of quirks

Posted on December 21, 2011 by robert

Nothing big, but I did notice that the KPA-500 had a noticeably warm cabinet when turned “Off” using the button on the front.  It turns out when in this mode the amp pulls about 11.5 watts of power. So the … Continue reading →

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Elecraft KPA-500 #588 comes to life…

Posted on December 19, 2011 by robert

Although I’ve been using an Icom IC-9100 very successfully for the past 9 months or so, the urge to complete my DXCC this sunspot cycle is growing stronger.  I’ve managed about 70 countries so far, but only have confirmation from … Continue reading →

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Do you need a charge controller with a LiFePO4 battery?

Posted on November 28, 2011 by robert

The makers of the new LiFePO4 batteries recognized a market in replacing traditional Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries.  With a little help from some built-in electronics, they offer a technology that packs 30% more energy into the same form factor … Continue reading →

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Shipping restrictions on LiFePO4 battery caught my eye

Posted on September 28, 2011 by robert

I recently purchased another K2 Energy K2B12V10EB battery (4 cells in series, 10AH, 123 Watt-hour LiFePO4 chemistry – in a package similar to a 7AH SLA battery but about 1/3 the weight). I noted with interest that the package had … Continue reading →

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I can’t wait any longer…

Posted on September 28, 2011 by robert

While I am anxiously awaiting Elecraft’s release of their KX3 QRP rig, my fingers are itching to try something new.  It’s been awhile since I’ve built a radio from a kit (the last time was a HW-16 years ago) — … Continue reading →

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