DMR TG 31515 – Tidewater VA Weekly Net

We had our weekly net last night at 9pm EDT, and seven people checked in. This was my first check in, and I didn’t have much to contribute, so I just sat back and “read the mail.”

There were several interesting discussions during the hour. The net is primarily a place where locals can meet and ask questions of the “collective intelligence” and hopefully find answers … or at least sympathy.

We talked about DMR IDs, how individuals have programmed the function keys on their radios, POCSAG messaging, and the new interface for BrandMeister Hoseline. Some of the guys mentioned good deals they had gotten on a Radioddity RD-5R.

All in all, it was an enjoyable net and I plan to be a regular check-in. I learned a couple of new things last night.

73 de Dick N4BC

A New One …

There was a nice opening on 10 meters yesterday evening, and I was lucky enough to work a new one … Saint Pierre et Miquelon – FP. I worked FP/KV1J, Eric, on FT8 at 1920Z. He popped up calling CQ and I pounced! He’ll be on Miquelon Island through the 17th of this month and will be on for the IARU HF Contest this coming weekend. He’s operating SSB/RTTY/FT8 and satellite also. You can check him out on his web page here. Always exciting to catch a new one when you’re not expecting it.

Actually, I worked a dozen stations on 10/12/15 meters, all domestic except for Eric. All up and down the East Coast, with a few odd ones in the midwest. Ten meters has shown some interesting and exciting propagation lately. FT8 certainly seems to be the mode for making contacts, even on dead-appearing bands.

The cool weather continues here in coastal Virginia. The past couple of mornings, I’ve actually used the heat rather than the A/C on the way to work at 5:30 in the morning.

73 de Dick N4BC

Thirteen Colonies

Well, I wasn’t even chasing the special event stations and ended up working seven of the colonies in one evening … NC, MA, PA, NY, SC, NH, and NJ. So … no clean sweep for me, but it was sort of fun watching them accumulate. Most of them were FT8, but some were CW and some were SSB. I see that for five dollars and a bit of paperwork I can get a nice certificate for participating. Maybe I will (and maybe I won’t). I do want all to thank the guys that organized this event, though. Well done! I think I actually did at least hear all of the former colonies.

I did binge watch a bunch of ham radio related YouTube videos over the weekend. It’s amazing … anything you want to find out about has probably had a video made about it. Lots of interesting and informative videos. Whether you’re looking for technical info, reviews, opinions, or operating hints, somebody has taken the time to make a video about it. I found and subscribed to several new channels that interested me. If you’re not into YouTube, it’s a great resource!

I went to a retirement party for my son’s father-in-law Saturday evening, and we were outside in the back yard gathered around the firepit. It was decidedly chilly! This is July! It felt like spring or autumn. Crazy weather!

73 de Dick N4BC

Nice!

Conditions were really nice this evening. Plenty of action on FT8, CW, and SSB on 40, 30, & 20 meters. Lots of Thirteen Colonies stations active. I think I worked about seven unique stations, and several of those on multiple bands and modes. I probably would have worked a few more, but there were some pretty active thunderstorms on and off all evening, so I pulled the plug several times. I think there’s another day of activity left, so maybe I’ll see if I can get all  thirteen in the log … probably not, though. No big deal if I don’t!

The storms played havoc with my barbecuing plans for dinner, too. The chicken went into the oven instead of onto the grill. Not a good idea to be outside waving a set of metal tongs around in a thunderstorm. I can remember being at a transmitter site when lightning hit the tower … it took a while before my heart rate calmed down. The fiberglass antenna cover for the antenna that was struck looked like a burned, peeled banana. That definitely increased my respect for Mother Nature.

Oh … I calculated my ten-digit grid square (don’t know why, other than just for the heck of it). In case you care, it’s FM17SB46MH. I think that puts you in the middle of my living room. Can’t be too accurate … HA!

73 and thanks for stopping by de Dick N4BC

 

Feeling Slightly Guilty

Friday and Saturday, I worked a LOT of FT8 on 10, 15, 17, and 20 meters. I have to admit … it left me feeling slightly guilty. It just shouldn’t be so easy to make QSOs at the bottom of the solar cycle when the band is pretty much kaput, otherwise.

One that I didn’t snag, though, was the Baker Island DXPedition. I caught a CQ from them on twenty meters FT8 (fox and hound mode in wsjtx), but by the time I configured the software, I never saw another CQ. I evidently copied their last CQ before closing down on that band. Bummer! I’ve seen pileups on other modes and bands, with bunches of stations calling them, but I didn’t have any copy on the DXPedition. I’ll just have to keep listening.

I did see a lot of CW activity on Sunday for the RAC Canada Day contest. The spectrum display looked pretty active most times I checked. Lots of participation. Unfortunately, I couldn’t play Sunday … too much going on. I spent the afternoon at my granddaughter’s ninth birthday party … man, where does the time go? I do know, it goes FAST!

Well, that’s enough rambling for today. See you later.

73 de Dick N4BC