Category Archives: From the OM

DXCC CW

Posted on August 7, 2012 by robert

I had enough confirmed entries in LotW on March 19, 2012, to apply for DXCC Mixed.  Today, with the addition of a LotW confirmation for CY9M (Saint Paul Island), I had enough CW confirmations for a new DXCC CW certificate … Continue reading →

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Using solar power for Field Day

Posted on August 7, 2012 by robert

The ARRL Field Day includes a 100 point bonus if at least 5 contacts are made using “Alternative Power”.  For the QRP folks, this is an easy bonus, and in fact those folks often times run the entire event off … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Power, From the OM | 2 Comments

Extending Your Honda Generator Run Time

Posted on August 6, 2012 by robert

Outside of raising an antenna tower, probably the most dangerous activity during Field Day is refueling the generator.   A few clubs have back-up generators that they can quickly switch over.  Other clubs have battery backup that allows the rigs to … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Power, From the OM, Gear | 1 Comment

A dedicated 240V line better for the KPA500

Posted on July 23, 2012 by robert

When I purchased my KPA500 at the end of last year, I didn’t have a 240V outlet in the ham shack, so I was forced to run off of a 120V feed.  Unfortunately, the ham shack is about 75 feet … Continue reading →

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Diamond DXCC

Posted on July 22, 2012 by robert

The ARRL has a special DXCC award in celebration of the 75th (Diamond) anniversary of the DXCC program, which began in September of 1937 with a list of just over 200 eligible countries.  The purpose of the DDXCC award is … Continue reading →

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Field Day Satellite Success

Posted on June 25, 2012 by robert

After operating Field Day last year by myself (Category 1E) and remembering back to the fun I had with my fellow club members during FD with K4BFT in Huntsville, AL and K2AE in Schenectady, NY, I sought out a club … Continue reading →

Posted in From the OM, Gear, Satellite | Leave a comment

A 12 Ounce QRP Antenna

Posted on June 22, 2012 by robert

My KX3 fits in a small video camera bag, along with all the accessories (mike, paddle, PC cables, DC cord, spare batteries, solar charger, etc.), with room to spare.  I wanted to add a light-weight antenna to make a complete … Continue reading →

Posted in From the OM, Gear, QRP | 2 Comments

A RI DMV Update concerning “Amateur Radio Operator Plates”

Posted on June 9, 2012 by robert

I received another phone call from the RI DMV.  This time it was from one of the employees in the finance office.  He had contacted the department lawyer, and informed me that there are really only three fees associated with … Continue reading →

Posted in From the OM | 3 Comments

The IC-9100 gets added to the D-Star list

Posted on June 9, 2012 by robert

With the VHF/UHF contest this weekend, I figured I would dust off the IC-9100 and see if I could scare up a few SSB QSOs.   Within a couple of minutes I had a two on 2 meters and one … Continue reading →

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Using D-PRS with the Icom IC-80AD in DVG Mode

Posted on June 6, 2012 by robert

When running in the Digital Voice (DV) mode, the IC-80AD is capable of sending “low-speed” data along with the voice stream.  One of the possible uses for that data is position reporting.  That position data can be shared over the … Continue reading →

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