QST! I just got my General upgrade on 2/4/2012!

A five call returns to the Pacific Northwest! I have been busy getting settled here in the greater Seattle area. I have been on the air on 2M/70CM when I am out in the car on weekends. Mostly on 146.82 (K7LED) repeater and the 146.93 and 145.33 repesters. Working HF is proving to be a challenge from the 6th story of a concrete and steel building in downtown Bellevue. No balcony or patio to hang wires or afix antennas to.

I have sold my FT-897ND and I am on the (LONG) waiting list for a Elecraft KX3 kit. I am really looking forward to assembling my own HF rig! In the meantime, I have procured a FT-817ND rig for "Picnic Table QRP" and SOTA expeditions!

I am a member of the Mike and Key Club here in Seattle. The club call is K7LED.

I tried some HF from Medina Park on 4/7/12 but there was too much QRM to overcome. I must find a quieter spot to TX from.

I am a new HAM as of September 2011. My shack consists of an FT-817ND as a base. Due to my recent move to Bellevue, WA, my ability to be radio active is hampered by a small one bedroom apartment constructed of concrete and steel. The place is nearly floor to ceiling glass on all outter walls but that glass is tinted with a metalized tint that effectively makes the whole place a faraday cage. I also have a S5-8 noise floor on 2 meters.

So I pretty much am resigned to being radio active in the car and on SOTA expeditions (to start soon). My HF antennas are as follows: a TW2010 Adventurer from Transworld Antennas. I bought it used from QTH.com. It is bare aluminum instead of the powder coated black you see on the TW website. The story from the guy I bouight it from goes that he bought it from a former TW employee-he must have picked it from the line and not bothered to powder coat it. I can tear it all down or put it up in less than five minutes. I have an End-Fedz 20M wire and a Buddistick. With the FT-817ND, internal batteries, and that antenna, I can operate from virtually anywhere and be completely setup in about 10 minutes. Insta-shack!

I have a Yaesu VX-8GR HT that I do APRS both in my car and on my bicycle. Track me-I may be on my bike or traveling by car. I may be at home and not moving at all.

My FT-8900R quad bander is now in my Toyota Yaris. I bought the Diamond CR-8900 antenna that is specifically made for that radio. It is mounted with w K400S and works great. You really MUST mount it as directed or you will not be able to tune it below 3:1 on 2/6Meters. Get it out on a corner or edge of your car.

I HAVE relocated to Seattle/Bellevue. I am not doing anything serious about HF and a permanent station until I know where my QTH is and what sort of HOA or CC&R's I will be dealing with here. The FT-817ND is capable of operating on batteries so I can take it and a portable antenna to a park or the ocean shore and work some HF near salt water. I just need to get a few batteries so that I can go remote and work QRP wherever and whenever I want to.

When I am at the Whiskey Zero Romeo Kilo, I am I Computer Support Analyst at the Univeristy of Washington Laboratory Medicine dept. Yup, I am the computer guy!

I have a blog and occasionally post to it at http://randydiddel.com Stop by, or don't. HI HI My given name is Randolph but I prefer to be called Randy.

Please QSL here until I get a QSL card. If you send one I will return once I get one designed. I am waiting until I get up to Seattle so I can come up with something releated to the Pacific Northwest. If you have QSL'd me, I have kept them and will return.

73

/randy

My Transworld TW-2010 in the back yard of our Albuquerque home.

My 2012 Toyota Yaris-If you look carefully at the rear hatch area you can see the Diamnond Quad Band antenna.