Hi Larry ...

Number for Skeeter Hunt, please:

N0SS

Two ops:

Kent Trimble, K9ZTV

Bill Gerth, W4RK

Missouri

On Jun 19, 2019, at 5:48 AM, Larry Makoski <w2ljqrp@...> wrote:

Signups for the 2019 NJQRP Skeeter Hunt are almost here!

That's right - this Friday is the First Day of Summer 2019 - and you know what that means!

Applications will be accepted for Skeeter Numbers for the 2019 Skeeter Hunt.

For those not familar, this event has become one of the Summertime QRP operating staples. It is a four hour QRP Sprint that will be held on Sunday, August 18th. The idea is to get you and your equipment to the Great Outdoors for some QRP fun. A Skeeter Number is not a requirement, but it adds to the fun, so why not get one for yourself, or your group if you want to get out and operate with a bunch of friends?

All the details can be found on the Official NJQRP Skeeter Hunt Webpage. Some of these e-mail lists get particular about publishing links - so just Google, Bing, or Go Duck Go "NJQRP Skeeter Hunt" and you'll get the link to take you there.

To apply for a Skeeter Hunt Number - send an e-mail, BEGINNING ON FRIDAY, to w2lj@... and you'll get an e-mail reply with your number. If you don't get an acknowledgement, then I didn't get your e-mail - so try again!

72 de Larry W2LJ

Skeeter #13 (in perpetuity)

Chuck,

If I was part of the rule making committee the increasing weight for scoring would be Digital , SSB (or other phone), Satellite, then CW..... however each venue sets their rules and I guess we have a choice..... play or not.

Your points however are spot on because every other mode requires far more skills than any digital mode although the setup may take some finesse initially, the point scoring should not be the same as CW....... IMHO, but ARRL needs to address it I think.

I have been around microcomputers since ‘75, love ‘em but they are not radio and the clicking on some of the modes reminds me of playing “PONG”.....never liked the game.

73,

John

KK4ITX 

If you need a parachute and don't have one you probably won't need one again.

On Jun 23, 2019, at 23:06, chuck adams <chuck.adams.k7qo@...> wrote:

Out of 52 Qs I had 6 1E contacts.  I was doing 1B with a 5W S/N 001 from a park
5 blocks from the lab.  Started on 20m at local sunset when the band opened up.
Repeat on Sunday a.m.

I got 22 states and N7WY couldn't hear me this a.m.  No DX worked, but heard.

But, I might bring up the following question and squash me if I am wrong.
Do you believe that a digital operator should be given the same per QSO
points as a CW operator?    Should not the CW op be given some credit for
the time and energy in on learning a skill that is not done without a (*&*)(*
computer?  I put this in the same category as 'dumbing down' the skill
level of the ham population.  Go  for the bucks.

For your consideration from a grumpy old guy.

chuck, k7qo

On 6/23/19 5:28 PM, Paul Goemans wrote:

Yes,

  I noticed the same. It’s getting easier with the available power gates and better batteries/ quieter generators these days!

 

Paul Goemans WA9PWP
Stoughton, WI

 

 

From: N2EI

Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2019 9:44 AM

To: main@4SQRP.groups.io

Subject: Re: [4SQRP] Field Day

 

Personally, I am encouraged by the number of stations I hear operating 1-E or 2-E. In a true emergency, anyone not already deployed to service is very likely to be directed to shelter in place. Being able to operate for an extended period of time on emergency power from a home station is a true asset that is sometimes not considered.

I agree completely. Maybe an email or letter writing campaign to the ARRL would get them thinking.

72

Dave, NI9M

On Sun, Jun 23, 2019 at 11:16 PM jleahy00 via Groups.Io <jleahy00=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:

Chuck,

If I was part of the rule making committee the increasing weight for scoring would be Digital , SSB (or other phone), Satellite, then CW..... however each venue sets their rules and I guess we have a choice..... play or not.

Your points however are spot on because every other mode requires far more skills than any digital mode although the setup may take some finesse initially, the point scoring should not be the same as CW....... IMHO, but ARRL needs to address it I think.

I have been around microcomputers since ‘75, love ‘em but they are not radio and the clicking on some of the modes reminds me of playing “PONG”.....never liked the game.

73,

John

KK4ITX 

If you need a parachute and don't have one you probably won't need one again.

On Jun 23, 2019, at 23:06, chuck adams <chuck.adams.k7qo@...> wrote:

Out of 52 Qs I had 6 1E contacts.  I was doing 1B with a 5W S/N 001 from a park
5 blocks from the lab.  Started on 20m at local sunset when the band opened up.
Repeat on Sunday a.m.

I got 22 states and N7WY couldn't hear me this a.m.  No DX worked, but heard.

But, I might bring up the following question and squash me if I am wrong.
Do you believe that a digital operator should be given the same per QSO
points as a CW operator?    Should not the CW op be given some credit for
the time and energy in on learning a skill that is not done without a (*&*)(*
computer?  I put this in the same category as 'dumbing down' the skill
level of the ham population.  Go  for the bucks.

For your consideration from a grumpy old guy.

chuck, k7qo

On 6/23/19 5:28 PM, Paul Goemans wrote:

Yes,

  I noticed the same. It’s getting easier with the available power gates and better batteries/ quieter generators these days!

 

Paul Goemans WA9PWP
Stoughton, WI

 

 

From: N2EI

Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2019 9:44 AM

To: main@4SQRP.groups.io

Subject: Re: [4SQRP] Field Day

 

Personally, I am encouraged by the number of stations I hear operating 1-E or 2-E. In a true emergency, anyone not already deployed to service is very likely to be directed to shelter in place. Being able to operate for an extended period of time on emergency power from a home station is a true asset that is sometimes not considered.

Out of 52 Qs I had 6 1E contacts.  I was doing 1B with a 5W S/N 001 from a park
5 blocks from the lab.  Started on 20m at local sunset when the band opened up.
Repeat on Sunday a.m.

I got 22 states and N7WY couldn't hear me this a.m.  No DX worked, but heard.

But, I might bring up the following question and squash me if I am wrong.
Do you believe that a digital operator should be given the same per QSO
points as a CW operator?    Should not the CW op be given some credit for
the time and energy in on learning a skill that is not done without a (*&*)(*
computer?  I put this in the same category as 'dumbing down' the skill
level of the ham population.  Go  for the bucks.

For your consideration from a grumpy old guy.

chuck, k7qo

On 6/23/19 5:28 PM, Paul Goemans wrote:

Yes,

  I noticed the same. It’s getting easier with the available power gates and better batteries/ quieter generators these days!

 

Paul Goemans WA9PWP
Stoughton, WI

 

 

From: N2EI

Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2019 9:44 AM

To: main@4SQRP.groups.io

Subject: Re: [4SQRP] Field Day

 

Personally, I am encouraged by the number of stations I hear operating 1-E or 2-E. In a true emergency, anyone not already deployed to service is very likely to be directed to shelter in place. Being able to operate for an extended period of time on emergency power from a home station is a true asset that is sometimes not considered.

I agree completely. Maybe an email or letter writing campaign to the ARRL would get them thinking.

72

Dave, NI9M

On Sun, Jun 23, 2019 at 11:16 PM jleahy00 via Groups.Io <jleahy00=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:

Chuck,

If I was part of the rule making committee the increasing weight for scoring would be Digital , SSB (or other phone), Satellite, then CW..... however each venue sets their rules and I guess we have a choice..... play or not.

Your points however are spot on because every other mode requires far more skills than any digital mode although the setup may take some finesse initially, the point scoring should not be the same as CW....... IMHO, but ARRL needs to address it I think.

I have been around microcomputers since ‘75, love ‘em but they are not radio and the clicking on some of the modes reminds me of playing “PONG”.....never liked the game.

73,

John

KK4ITX 

If you need a parachute and don't have one you probably won't need one again.

On Jun 23, 2019, at 23:06, chuck adams <chuck.adams.k7qo@...> wrote:

Out of 52 Qs I had 6 1E contacts.  I was doing 1B with a 5W S/N 001 from a park
5 blocks from the lab.  Started on 20m at local sunset when the band opened up.
Repeat on Sunday a.m.

I got 22 states and N7WY couldn't hear me this a.m.  No DX worked, but heard.

But, I might bring up the following question and squash me if I am wrong.
Do you believe that a digital operator should be given the same per QSO
points as a CW operator?    Should not the CW op be given some credit for
the time and energy in on learning a skill that is not done without a (*&*)(*
computer?  I put this in the same category as 'dumbing down' the skill
level of the ham population.  Go  for the bucks.

For your consideration from a grumpy old guy.

chuck, k7qo

On 6/23/19 5:28 PM, Paul Goemans wrote:

Yes,

  I noticed the same. It’s getting easier with the available power gates and better batteries/ quieter generators these days!

 

Paul Goemans WA9PWP
Stoughton, WI

 

 

From: N2EI

Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2019 9:44 AM

To: main@4SQRP.groups.io

Subject: Re: [4SQRP] Field Day

 

Personally, I am encouraged by the number of stations I hear operating 1-E or 2-E. In a true emergency, anyone not already deployed to service is very likely to be directed to shelter in place. Being able to operate for an extended period of time on emergency power from a home station is a true asset that is sometimes not considered.

John-

I've been using FT8 recently, and I'll add a couple comments to the discussion. 

Once you're set up for that mode, it's quite possible to just plunge in and make contacts.  With some experience, though, your success improves.  Especially in my case- running 10 watts- it pays to watch what's going on fairly carefully.  At that power level, I watch the signal-strength trends. It doesn't pay to call a weak station at that power level.  Everything else aside, I'm ~ 10 dB weaker than other folks. QSB contributes to the challenge- fading runs 15-20 dB on 40M and even more on 20M.  I've had several instances where our signal reports differ by as much as 31 dB. That's propagation- not relative power. 

There's also a common scenario where you call someone and they don't answer.  You're probably competing with someone else on the same frequency- and don't know it. Good practice suggests that you quit transmitting until their contact is complete. 

I think there is more is more to it than just 'point and click'. For that matter, for some activities, I simply press buttons to send CW.  In that case, the fun wears off pretty quickly. Just not my thing.   What is?- CW, of course. I ran 1B over the Field Day event.  180 contacts at 5 watts, including 28 on 40M FT8, and the rest were all CW- no buttons.

I agree wholeheartedly with Martin- it's all about having fun and doing whatever works for you. 

73- Dave Benson, K1SWL

On Mon, Jun 24, 2019 at 7:27 AM Dave Belville <davebelville@...> wrote:

I agree completely. Maybe an email or letter writing campaign to the ARRL would get them thinking.

72

Dave, NI9M

On Sun, Jun 23, 2019 at 11:16 PM jleahy00 via Groups.Io <jleahy00=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:

Chuck,

If I was part of the rule making committee the increasing weight for scoring would be Digital , SSB (or other phone), Satellite, then CW..... however each venue sets their rules and I guess we have a choice..... play or not.

Your points however are spot on because every other mode requires far more skills than any digital mode although the setup may take some finesse initially, the point scoring should not be the same as CW....... IMHO, but ARRL needs to address it I think.

I have been around microcomputers since ‘75, love ‘em but they are not radio and the clicking on some of the modes reminds me of playing “PONG”.....never liked the game.

73,

John

KK4ITX 

If you need a parachute and don't have one you probably won't need one again.

On Jun 23, 2019, at 23:06, chuck adams <chuck.adams.k7qo@...> wrote:

Out of 52 Qs I had 6 1E contacts.  I was doing 1B with a 5W S/N 001 from a park
5 blocks from the lab.  Started on 20m at local sunset when the band opened up.
Repeat on Sunday a.m.

I got 22 states and N7WY couldn't hear me this a.m.  No DX worked, but heard.

But, I might bring up the following question and squash me if I am wrong.
Do you believe that a digital operator should be given the same per QSO
points as a CW operator?    Should not the CW op be given some credit for
the time and energy in on learning a skill that is not done without a (*&*)(*
computer?  I put this in the same category as 'dumbing down' the skill
level of the ham population.  Go  for the bucks.

For your consideration from a grumpy old guy.

chuck, k7qo

On 6/23/19 5:28 PM, Paul Goemans wrote:

Yes,

  I noticed the same. It’s getting easier with the available power gates and better batteries/ quieter generators these days!

 

Paul Goemans WA9PWP
Stoughton, WI

 

 

From: N2EI

Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2019 9:44 AM

To: main@4SQRP.groups.io

Subject: Re: [4SQRP] Field Day

 

Personally, I am encouraged by the number of stations I hear operating 1-E or 2-E. In a true emergency, anyone not already deployed to service is very likely to be directed to shelter in place. Being able to operate for an extended period of time on emergency power from a home station is a true asset that is sometimes not considered.