NAQCC April Sprint

So I'm not a contester at all.  That requires operating skill, dedication and time to commit to the contests.  The NAQCC monthly sprints, on the other hand, are low stress, fun, short and did I say fun?

I have wanted to take part many times over the years but either didn't have the right band antenna or a good setup...or so I thought.  With the COVID-19 lock down of sorts I have had more time on the radio which has given me more confidence on the radio.  As well, I listened to the Ditdit.fm Podcast on the NAQCC and their contest sprints.  I've had a member number (1967) for years but just never used it.  It was time.  I looked on the NAQCC site this morning to see when the next sprint was and it was tonight!  I have a 130' random wire and my little tuner that will put me on 40 and 20...just not 80.  Those are the 3 bands the sprint runs on.

The toughest part, once it got going at 20:30 Eastern time, was dealing with the congestion.  It took a bit to learn to find a signal and focus on it alone and ignore all the others around you/it.  It makes me wish I had the narrow CW filter in my FT-817.  Anyway, 20M wasn't very good but 40 was full.  My plan was to stay for an hour and take what I got and be happy.  I didn't really feel the need to call CQ NA because I could just dial around and find others calling.  The sprint runs generally between 7.030 - 7.045.  All in all I made 6 QSOs and didn't stumble too much through them.  I was pleased with my effort and results.  The total points score was 144 after multipliers for using a Straight Key and the SPC multipliers.  I know many get dozens of Qs in the log but this was about me getting more airtime.  I used one of the popular loggers called the NAQCC Sprint Logger which was created by Ron Bower, AC2C.  It worked well when I went to enter my contacts after the fact and I was able to do a report that I cut and paste into the log submission page of the NAQCC.  It was painless.  This was a great experience and I hope to take part again next month.

Cheers es 72 de Scott ve3vvf,

Tuner Covers the Bands

I took some time yesterday afternoon on the Good Friday "day off" to try out the QRPGuys Multi Z tuner some more.  I started on 40M, where I didn't have any luck finding a match the other day, and had better luck today.  There's a hi/Lo Z switch and when I switched it to Hi I was able to match 40M quite well.  I even had a QSO with Ron, W3SSF, in Baltimore, MD.  It was turning into a ragchew but had to cut it short because of QRM.  30M tunes alright but I can obtain a better match without the tuner. 20M tuned up nicely and I may have had a brief exchange with 4A60O but he was quick and there were a lot of other callers in the pileup.  I didn't hear my exact call but very similar to mine.  He may have misheard my call because of the QRP.  He did not go in the log.  17, 12, 15 and 10 meters also tuned up will enough but those bands were pretty dead so there were no QSOs to be had.  It was a bit chilly but mostly it was a cool damp very strong wind so I operated from inside the barn.  Even with that my fingers were starting to get a little cold so I packed it in for the afternoon but not before proving to myself that this little tuner will work well for me on this random wire through a LDG 9:1 unun until I can get the doublet in the air.

Still a bit chilly...

I went out with full intention of getting this antenna going.  After I put sheets on the clothesline my hands were already chilly.  What I decided to do was start fiddling with my support pole idea.  My plan is to make a pole by connecting 2"x2" pressure treated end to end until I reach the height I need to sufficiently support the center of the doublet.  Because it will be guyed I am not too concerned about strength.  What I will do is place four twelve inch 1"x2" around each joint to provide support.  It won't be pretty but should do the job.  I will guy the pole at the top and again at some midway point.

My biggest dilemma was what to do at the top to hold the antenna in place while still providing for some up and down movement as the antenna flexes with the wind in the trees.  In the barn I found a 3' fiberglass section from a 20' Shakespeare Wonderpole fishing pole that I used to use for portable dipole setups at parks.  The tip had broken off when I dropped it from the second story roof peak one time (on purpose...I thought it would land flat but it didn't).  Anyway, I plan to drill a 1/2" hole in the top end of the top 2x2 section and glue it in place.  I also drilled a 1/2" hole in the top of the plumbing T so it will slide over top and sit on the top of the pole.  The photos below of my plan explain this better than my words can.  I just did this in a scrap of wood to prove to myself that it should work.

The T is able to slide up and down on the fiberglass shaft by as much as 2'6" and I will put something on the tip of the fiberglass shaft to prevent the T from sliding up and off the top completely in strong winds.  Now I need to investigate what length of pressure treated 2x2 I can get (10', 14'...16') because I'd prefer not to use 8' lengths so I can have as few joints as possible in the mast.

The other thing I did was measure out the antenna wires on the ground at 73' each.  I left them on the ground for now and called it a morning.  If it warms up I will go out and solder the center connections.  I can make and put the antenna up without the support pole.  The pole is just an addition I will install to steady the antenna in the wind I will inevitably get here in farm country.  I am also still trying to figure out how I will get the para cord over the top of the 60' tree.

Cheers for now,
72/73 de Scott

Spring is Here Today

With the lengthening days, warmer temperatures and the reality of being stuck at home due to work policies surrounding the COVID-19 "situation" has me thinking about radio a lot more often these days.  Last weekend I decided to do some outdoor operating using my random wire antenna.  The temperature was 4C so it was quite bearable and I also had a nicer view than I would have had I sat inside looking at the barn wall.  Basically I sat just outside the barn window and ran a short length of RG-174 out the window to a chair.  The other end was connected to my LDG 9:1 Unun.  I set up and in 30 minutes I had 3 nice contacts on 30M and two of them were 2xQRP which always makes me extra happy.

 I have my rig, battery, key, clock and ear buds in a small Pelican case which I lined with "Cubed Pick Foam" from the local Canadian Tire store.  This allows me to keep everything organized and works a lot better than the computer carrying case I used to use.  The battery is a 7mAh and is heavy and would crush the other things in my bag.  Now it's held snugly in place by the foam. 

I have a small collapsible camping table and it worked great for keeping things off my lap.   I enjoy being outside again and with the COVID crisis looking like it's not going to end any time in the near future it will give me a chance to operate more often that I otherwise would have time for.  I am also taking some of my spare time to brush up on my code rx speed.  I started out using the standard G4FON program I installed years ago but have been found two other resources that are extremely helpful at increasing character and word recognition which will help with head copying and get past the barrier that exists when you try and write everything down during a QSO.  One of these resources is Kurt Zoglmann's Morse Code Ninja site which is full of links to Youtube videos he's created with all sorts of words, prosigns, call signs, etc at various speeds for aural practice for word and character recognition.  He has learned Morse Code to the extreme where he has even had books converter to code and listens to them.  He's pretty hard core on code.

The second site is called Morse Camp and it is quite simply laid out and easy to use for word recognition.  It plays words for you at a predefined speed (default appears to be 30WPM) and keeps repeating them until you think you know what it is and hit the space bar.  This shows the word or letter/number combination and you indicate with a left or right arrow whether you were correct or not and it moves on.  You can select word length but as you progress it increments on its own.

I think this seclusion we are all experiencing can be a challenge for those who suffer from anxiety or depression, let alone the rest of us who are also feeling the stress of the unknown be it job security, financial security, or even toilet paper security, apparently.  They say the key is to make sure to get out of the house for a walk or a hike or some other stress relieving activity.  Radio is that for me and I plan to do it as much as I can fit it in.  I don't need to sit there for hours...30 minutes is plenty and even just 1 QSO makes me happy when operating QRP.

72/73 de Scott ve3vvf

A Lot of Time has Passed...

 Well, it's been quite some time since I've posted as I have been busy with other things in my world.  I am happy to say that I am getting back in the saddle on both HF and VHF.  For VHF I had a nice Alinco for local repeater work however my local HAM pals are now using (and have been for some time) a closed digital repeater system they have set up on many bands so the only way for me to chat with them is on a newer digital rig.  I haven't had a rig in the car for a number of years but I have decided to take that plunge again.  When ever I am in the market for something I watch for used items on the Kitchener-Waterloo Amateur Radio Club's Online Swap Shop.  I have been looking now and again for a used digital rig and this week I got lucky and found a HAM selling a Yaesu FTM-7250D which was priced nicely and in great condition.  I should be receiving it in the mail today and I will install it this weekend so I can use it during my commute next week.

In the HF department I had always used a fan dipole for multi-band operation.  I live in a very windy area surrounded by farmer's fields and my antennas often got tangled or worse.  As well, my office/shack has been re-purposed and is not the best spot for operating anymore.  My plan now is to set up a new long wire antenna for multi-band use from a small barn I have near the house.  I have always wanted to experiment with one of these compromise antennas and this way I can give 80 meters a go as well.  I will post my experimentation/installation results when I get them.  I have an LDG Electronics 9:1 Un-un on order from Radio World in Toronto and if it arrives today and the weather isn't too wet I may get to this project this weekend as well.  I will use the Keysight N9913A Fieldfox to get a good idea of the VSWR and performance on all my beams of interest and also see how adding additional ground radials changes/improves my situation.

In other news I am still in a Bagpipe Band in my community and I don't see that changing any time soon as it is a lot of fun.

Cheers for now and I'll see you soon!
72 de Scott ve3vvf/qrp

Antenna Analyzer Update / Syracuse Competition Result

I got a response from MFJ regarding the MFJ-207 and its "dead spot" on 20M and was basically told I could send it in for repair and that the repair shouldn't be more than about $35.  I'm okay with that.  I have only used the analyzer a handful of times in the past few years since I purchased it new but this is the first time I have tried using it on 20M.  It's too bad I didn't realize this when I first bought the unit as I could have sent it back under warranty.  C'est la vie.  $35 isn't too bad and I know they will find the fault quickly and hopefully get the unit back to me before too long.  Apparently the turn-around time at the moment is 4 weeks so it will probably be more than that.  All that being said, the antenna I was trying to measure when I detected the fault is reading about 1.5:1 on the SWR so I should be fine without it.

The Central New York Highland Games and Scottish Festival was a great time as usual.  The shopping was good, the weather was great, the crowd was appreciative and we had a good play.  There were 6 grade 5 bands competing and we tied for first place.  When this happens the "Ensemble" score is compared and because the Finger Lakes Pipe Band scored higher in Ensemble they got the first place and we took second.  Good for them as ensemble is where it's it...at least that's what I've been told.  I'm okay with second place.  It is a vast improvement over our crummy play in Maxville at the Glengarry Highland Games.  I feel a lot better knowing we can play well when we are focused.

Our band warming up.  Photo courtesy - Barbara Macdonnell

Pipe Band Season Coming to a Close

Well the summer Highland Games season is fast approaching its close.  It's a bit of a whirlwind with lots of practicing alone and as a band.  This being my second season playing there is still a whole lot to learn but it's not as overwhelming as last season.  The highlight of our competition season is the Glengarry Highland Games of which we are the host band.  It is the North American Championships and you always want to do your best in front of your home crowd.  With 53 bands and almost 200 solo pipers competing across the 5 grades it's safe to say that there were a lot of pipers in Maxville, Ontario this past weekend.  The games are much more than just the solo and band piping competitions.  There are Highland dancing competitions, the Heavy events including the caber toss and hammer throw, the tug of war which had 10 entries of military teams and so much more.  Oh, and lots of food and beer.

My personal experience at the games this year included solo piping and our grade 5 band competition.  This is my first year taking part in the solo piping event.  It's pretty straight forward actually.  You choose a tune at the start of the season and learn it well.  You play for a judge and he evaluates you on many facets of piping.  At the grade 5 level (beginner) you see old guys like me who are adult learners and you see kids under 10 in the same event.  Kids learn the bagpipes much easier than us old guys so it's not uncommon for the youngsters to take the top spots.  There is no real audience while you perform other that the pipers who are piping after you.  It's not really a spectator sport.  The most valuable part of the exercise is the judges score sheet for your performance.  The judge writes on how you performed and includes both what you did well and what needs improving.  It is very constructive so even if you feel your play was weak you also get positive reinforcement for what you did well.  Oddly, even though the score sheet tells you what you need to work on you usually already know where your difficulties lay.  Knowing what you need to do and actually being able to do it under the stress of judgement is a whole different thing.  I won't be graduating out of grade 5 solos into grade 4 any time soon but I know I have learned a lot this year with respect to playing alone in front of a judge.  The tune I played all season, Lochanside, will be retired from my solo playing repertoire and next year I will try something different. It's not that I don't like the tune...I've just played it enough to last me for a while.

Our band competition this year at Maxville did not go as well as we had hoped.  Our numbers are a little lower than we would like with just 9 pipers.  More pipers, although not a guarantee of better results, do give you a bigger more full sound.  The first part of any band competition is the march into the circle while starting to play the tune.  The play begins with 2 rolls from the drums followed by the drones of the pipes and then an E followed by the first tune in the medley.  This is routine but things can happen during this "simple" exercise.  Stress and nerves can cause all sorts of problems including a poor strike-in (to get the drones going) or the dreaded early E.  In an effort to get that good strike-in one can sometimes blow and squeeze too much which causes the early E.  It stands out to all who are listening and as soon as it happens everyone knows it.  It's not a competition killer at the grade 5 level but it certainly doesn't work in your favour.  This year it was I who had the early E and I felt terrible about it.  The important thing about an error like that at the beginning of your set is to not let it rattle you.  It is so easy to start making mistakes in the tune because you are fretting about what just happened and it can be all downhill from there.  Luckily I was able to play the tune without any errors at all which is actually an improvement over the past few Highland games this season.  Nerves sometimes get the best of me and at some point during a play there is a wrong note here or there even though I have played the tunes a hundred times.  Another problem that can happen is the momentary loss of focus.  All it takes is letting your mind wander for 2 seconds and you can lose your place.  It seems simple enough to keep your focus but it isn't as easy as it sounds.  So, despite that nasty early E I played better than normal.  We didn't place very well and it is definitely disappointing that the early E had a big part in that.  You feel like you've let your band mates down.  I know it's happened at Highland games hundreds, if not thousands, of times over the decades and I know it will likely be quickly forgotten but it doesn't make you feel any better.

We have 1, possibly two, more competitions remaining and I know they will be fun as they always are.  The sense of family that you get from a pipe band is difficult to describe but it's like having a bunch of siblings who all have the same hobby.  Pipers and drummers all working to the same goal.  Just as in any family there is drama, arguments, cheers, laughter and sometimes disappointment.....oh and a lot of waiting.  As the 2-year mark approaches since I first picked up the practice chanter I realize how far I have come.  I played tunes fairly well this year that I stumbled through last year and i learned others from scratch that I had never heard of before.  A lot has been learned but I've only nicked the edge of the iceberg of what there is to learn.  I don't aspire to be a grade 1, top level, player.  I know that won't ever happen.  Heck, I don't even know if I'll ever get out of grade 5.  The only thing I aspire to be is better than I was yesterday.  For me and probably everyone else learning to play an instrument there are good days and there are bad days but as long as I'm improving and having fun doing it I'll be happy.

Glengarry Pipe Band - Grade 5 Piping competition in Maxville, Ontario.  2015

Glengarry Pipe Band - Grade 5 Piping competition in Maxville, Ontario.  2015

Photos courtesy of Fred Cattroll