Sexiest QSL Card | F4DXW

Sexiest QSL Card

Good morning from #hamr shackadelic zone where I'm playing the music of the likes of Tony Bennett, Louis Armstrong, Dean Martin, and Frank Sinatra. This is one of the days, cool, gray, almost wants to rain near the beach and listening to the Kings is an exceptional reel-to-reel experience.

I've received an estimated two pounds of QSL cards from the W3 bureau in the last two weeks and spinning off Conan O'Brien, "Who said Amateur Radio ain't sexy?"

On the other hand, I'm working through this sensational harvest of international QSL cards from Japan, Slovenia, Germany, China, France, Finland, and the list continues growing. I'd like to shout out to JA-stations who follow up on the final QSO courtesy, "Right on and thanks!"

73 from the shackadelic near the beach.

CQ Magazine and Conan O'Brien

GQ? GQ? GQ? No. No. No. CQ! We're a different kind of sexy.

Visiting The Satellite Amateur Radio Club | W6AB

Mike, KI6UAL Satellite Amateur Radio Club President

Good morning from the #hamr shackadelic zone where clear blue sky and a warm front will push the Shell Beach thermometer into the low 70s later this afternoon. Recently, a serious conversation about the state of ham radio clubs evolved on Twitter, mainly; organizational business and internal political strife significantly damaged participation enthusiasm leading to an eventual decline in activity or folding of the club.

Additionally, David, W9CJS wrote an article titled the Un-Club and it was posted on the American Radio Relay League's website wherein he stated, "Sometimes the best way to reenergize a club is to deformalize it."

W6AB History
According to the Satellite Amateur Radio Club (SARC) website, "The Satellite Amateur Radio Club, W6AB, was originally formed to act as a point of contact within the amateur radio community for the launch of OSCAR-1, the first "Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio"".

This historic event for Amateur Radio happened on 12 December 1961 and 51 years later SARC is still intact and growing.

The New Club Model
Perhaps, like most organizations, there is an ebb and flow of membership and, in this case, the new model of success motivated by Mike, KI6UAL is less business and more ham radio related activities.

The club's participation roster from last month had over 25 signatures and Mike mentioned the key to their success is orienting activities toward the varied interests of the local ham radio community. Their success was de-emphasizing business and re-emphasizing 'why' participants want to participate.

Participants want to learn. They want to socialize. They want to connect. And, they want to experience ham radio from its theoretical foundations to sitting in the chair logging contacts from all over the world.

What participants do not want, from my perspective, is an over emphasis on business, politics often leading to clique formation, and an ego bully pulpit.

The club is neutral ground for sharing a common experience.  

Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) Equipment

Infrastructure Investment
Several factors contribute to SARC success for example infrastructure re-investment from a software defined radio to new linear amplifiers to new wireless sets to bold antenna projects including a remote site as well. Additionally, an equipped moon bounce station with associated antenna system, a stocked meeting room with projector, and an Internet wireless connection.

Mike, KI6UAL emphasized ever since moving club business as a club priority to focusing on ham radio related activities, their membership numbers have significantly spiked in the last year or so.

Facebook Likes With Mike, KI6UAL Inside W6AB Shack

Conclusion
Our shared hope is too see SARC as the local center of gravity for ham radio related activities between Santa Barbara and Paso Robles, California. The renewed enthusiasm is contagious and the general vibe is SARC cares, really cares about the future of our hobby and wants every participant to enjoy their ham radio experience from the technical to time in the chair.

Anticipate positive momentum from SARC who played a role in the launching of Amateur Radio's first communication satellite OSCAR-1 in the near future.

Life is wireless.

An Epic Ham Radio Story Unfolds | DX Across Africa

Man , Machine, And The Spirit Of Ham Radio 
Screenshot Credit DX Across Africa

Epic Route
Screenshot Credit DX Across Africa

Good evening from the #hamr shackadelic zone where I'm settling in for the evening with civilized creature comforts at my finger tips. However, one young man from the frozen Northern latitude with his team of adventurers, has started an epic ham radio journey that is DX Across Africa beginning in Morocco and ending in South Africa.

Civilized luxuries will fade into day dreams and morph into chats about favorite foods. The immediacies at hand puts into perspective what is really most important, who is most important, and guarantees a kinship with fellow adventurers that modernity has forgotten.

It is the experience of dirt between your fingernails and stays there for days on end. The nights ending without a hot shower and sweat flowing like a river. The sharing of a common experience where discomfort breeds steely team resolve because it takes a team to succeed. And, always, the topic of conversation returns to one's favorite food, looped, over and over again.

When was the last epic adventure where man, machine, wireless sets, and aerials pitted themselves against natural elements and personal resolve?

I'm hopeful that Jon, TF3ZA and his team have weighed the risks and dangers involved as these are perilous times? And, they have taken appropriate steps toward mitigating risk while their epic story unfolds while pursuing pure ham radio grit.

I wish them safety, peace, and goodwill as the team attempts to drive from Reykjavik to Cape Town while activating 16 African DXCC entities. Their map now indicates the team is in Morocco.

Life is wireless.     

CQ World Wide 160-Meter First List

First List

I'm not hearing long delayed echoes between the hemispheres, the rapid rising, and fading effects have subsided. It's life returning to normal after an exceptional ham radio experience through last weekend. Also, I'm not slipping into Morse code conversation with Kimberly, either. That's good news because Radio Dawg became seriously confused when I called out, "Dit, Dit. Come here, dit, dit."

On the other hand, DX Lab Suite summary report suggests several new DXCC entities toward my 160m race to first 100 confirmed. I'm ten percent there according to Logbook of the World.

Chase DX with respect and patience.

My 10,000 Hour RadioSport Challenge | 9,348 - 23 = 9,325 To Go

Results 2013 CQ World Wide 160 Meter CW

Good afternoon from the #hamr shackadelic zone where monster wavelength signals continue rising and falling between the hemispheres. I want to thank John, W6SL for an exceptional RadioSport experience through the weekend because 160m is a wavelength unto itself!

My sleep schedule was turned inside out however the benefit of experience most certainly eclipsed lost slumber time. Overall, this is a story of two distinctly different events encapsulated within 23 hours of time in the chair.

First 12 Hours
Friday night arrived at the speed of radio frequency through coax with a weather system parking itself over the central coast of California. Subsequently, rain static pumped natural noise levels between an S8 to an S9 on a wavelength whose reputation lives and dies on noise. I jacked into the transceiver's can jack and John suggested using an additional filter to reduce natural static in addition to a 500 Hz continuous wave filter.

John mentioned be prepared for rapid peak and fading of the signal. He was spot on because if I didn't copy the entire call on the first burst then, ten times out of ten, I didn't get a second chance. His additional filtering suggestion helped with stations inside the noise chamber.

Likewise, I want to mention some stations who called didn't make the log, not for lack of effort between wireless sets and aerials, it was noise, additionally, and in sum; my experience on the Top Band played significantly into the equation, as there were few second chances inside the cans.

I gained this experience through Friday night with 350 Qs going into the log along with 9 DXCC entities. I went QRT after a full day and nearly 12 hours in the chair. My brain refused to function much like a hung application inside your browser. I simply spun, spun, spun an hour before sunrise.

The Other Side Of The First 12 Hours
My rate fell to 50 percent or less on Saturday night. I was curious if our East coast competitors were enjoying a phenomenal European opening and judging by 3830 Score Rumor comments, indeed, they were beside themselves. Well, reluctantly and with a friendly competitor grin, lucky you guys and gals!

On the other hand, I'm grateful for JA-stations who counted as 10-point Qs and our short lived Friday night 1100Z opening was a boon for the log. However, propagation is a fickle mistress that is, gives one night and can deny the next.

I can only write to a certain point because of my limited Top Band experience. The West coast enjoyed a brief teasing when G-station signals while in their gray line were heard and logged by the lucky few. It was a bitter sweet moment but that's RadioSport at its best.

Potentially, on Saturday night, the West coast waited for the JA-hour around 1100Z to exchange information across the Pacific and give thanks for a serious 10 point run for the log. Well, at least from inside my cans, 160m went short at 1100Z and stations from Arizona, California, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington bent the s-meter needle. I didn't hear anything out of Asia.

In Sum
Overall, I gained introductory level Top Band experience because unlike other wavelengths, I must copy your full call the first time around; use additional filtering; and pause a little longer between CQs and listen. The Top Band, at least for me, requires several tons of raw copper patience. This wavelength quickly punished if your focus inside the cans shifted for even a microsecond.

Contest on!