Kilo Kilo One Xray
My name is John and I've been a Radio Amateur since 2001.
I am just now learning to use Morse Code, but am pretty active in RTTY
contesting. I don't much care for phone contesting (maybe that will change with
some new computer automation?), and play with contesting in PSK and other
digital modes. I enjoy the radio/computer interface portion of the hobby.
I also do a decent amount of Public Service work, providing communications
for local events such as bicycle and canoe races, and footraces.
NEWS
- New radio at the house is Elecraft KX3 #3565, which arrived on February 15, 2014.
I assembled it over the long weekend, taking about 2.5 hours on Sunday (down in the basement
so the cats couldn't "help" me to get it put together. Played around with it, just listening,
on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. Then I put it on the air using PSK31 at 2 watts. I called
CQ once and got a call back from US5UCC, Leonid, in Makariv, Kiev, Ukraine, some 4462 miles away.
With 2 watts! I was more than moderately impressed.
- I was awarded DXCC
certificate #42,756 after submitting proof of contacting 100 different
countries (or political entities approximating countries).
- I was awarded Certificate #114 in the Loyal Order of the Narrowbanded
Phaseshifters (LONP), after I submitted proof of 100 PSK-31 contacts with
fellow 070 Club members.
- I worked K5D on 17m phone. This is my
first attempt at working "Big DX", and I'm quite tickled to have logged
them!
- I have worked about 23 CW (Morse code) contacts - here's a list of more-or-less "intentional" ones. A few were in weak-signal contest situations,
where it was the only way to make the contact. Interesting note about contact #5 -
it was with my friend Tom a whole 2.7 miles away. Hell, we could have shouted the
contact! And the KM5TP contact was to New Mexico on 4 Watts using my K1, which I built from a kit in 2009.
- And I'm working on my own "PSK WAS" where I strive to contact all 50
of these here United States using the PSK mode - here's
my list.
You might be interested in my blog, which has
nothing in particular to do with Amateur Radio, or anything else, for that
matter. But it provides a bit of a window into the inner workings of my odd
little psyche.
I'm the manager of the Central Mass 2 Meter
Traffic Net.
Radios:
- Icom IC-7300
- Icom IC-7000 (w/West Mountain Rigblaster Plus)
- Icom IC-706MKIIg which I intend to stick in the truck
- Yaesu FT-8900 (primarily used for local traffic nets)
- Yaesu FT-1500 dedicated to a packet BBS/WinLink2000 node
- Yaesu FT-1500 - I'm going to use it for a mobile packet node and/or remote APRS station
- Yaesu FT-8900 mobile in the truck
- Kenwood TM-G707 mobile packet in the truck
- Small Wonder Rockmite 30m CW transceiver
- Elecraft K1 #2784
- Elecraft KX3 #3565 (this uses a Digirig Moble for digital)
- AmQRP 38 Special 30m 4W transceiver, built by K4TWJ Dave Ingram (SK).
Meters and Tools:
Being built:
In the build queue:
Keys/Paddles: (this is in no way intended to imply that I have
attained any in mastery using them)
I live in a small town, on a small lot, thus my antennas are small, and
there are no towers. So my antennas are mounted on the house or hung from trees. (I'm starting to think
that the little radios I've been building mesh pretty well with the small lot and small antennas...)
Antennas:
- 80m full-wave horizontal loop at about 10m
- 80m dipole at about 11m
- Hustler
5BTV vertical for 10m, 15m, 20m, 40m, and 80m
- 6m, 2m and 70cm dual-halo antennas from KU4AB at 8m. Phil builds a great
antenna.
- 40m RadioWavz G5RV at about 20m (and a damned fine antenna)
- 40m RadioWavz dipole (still sitting in the floor of the truck)
- 80m RadioWavz G5RV Lite (still in the bag, hi)
- 6m/2m/70cm vertical at 12m
- 2m/70cm vertical for the packet BBS at 8m
Organizations to which I belong:
Other organizations that don't outright disavow knowlege of me:
And though this is entirely unrelated to amateur radio:
Awards:
Vendors:
I don't get paid for telling you about these folks, but I buy a lot of
supplies from them over time. I'm a satisfied customer. I suspect you will be, too.
- Ham Radio Outlet The "Candy Store" in Salem NH. 12 stores across the US.
- Davis RF I buy most of my wire and cable from Steve. They deliver almost before you order.
- West Mountain Radio Radio/computer interfaces. I think they have great support, too.
- Synthetic Textiles All that antenna rope? You can buy it locally 100'/$10, or you can buy from the manufacturer 1000'/$55
- K1NU Control Cables I've been using Len's cables for years. When I went to two radios, I went to Len for another cable.
Software:
Contesting and logging software are very important tools. Here are a few of my go-to programs:
- N1MM Logger All the logger you'll need for contesting. And it's FREE!
- MMTTY and MMVARI JE3HHT's marvelous RTTY and MultiMode digital software (FREE!)
- DX Lab Suite AA6YQ's comprehensive suite of Logging/GreyLine/Propagation/Digital and more (also FREE!)
- RT Systems Memory programming software that is crucial with today's complex FM HTs and mobiles.
I run a packet BBS node (KK1X-4) and a WinLink2000 node (KK1X-10) on 145.070 MHz in
the vicinity of Ayer, Massachusetts. You can use client software for sending
email via Winlink if you are a licensed Amateur
Radio operator.
I upload my logs to LoTW and eQSL as quickly as I find time, and Buro and/or
direct cards are welcome. SASE is very helpful for a quicker turnaround, but
that's not a deal-breaker. I'll only send QSLs for states/counties/countries
that I need, and I'll include SASE for domestic cards, or an addressed envelope
and a couple of "green stamps" for foreign cards. The €, £, Loony, and other
coins are simply too heavy to mail. Your mileage may vary.
Webmaster
(that would be me)
Updated $Date: 2022-08-18 09:37:30 -0700 (Thu, 18 Aug 2022) $ $Author: johngriswold $ $Revision: 2325 $
