INTRODUCTION

Hello, thanks for looking me up on QRZ.com. Please QSL via LOTW. Exchange of QSL cards is great, too! Starting March 2013, my new QSL Manager is K3IRV $donation for his time andpostage. Bureau requests will be returned via Bureau. We are catching up on all previous requests. Sorry for the delay.  I had many personal distractions.

HISTORICAL

I earned #1 USA Rookie for WPX Phone All Bands in 1999 and #5 ranking in the world while only operating 20 of the 36 hrs at my home station using a Drake TR7 and a Heathkit SB-200 600 watt amp. (I didn't operate all night because I was keeping everyone in the house up yelling CQ. Now I have a voice keyer.) I enjoyed WPX trying to get all those prefixes.

I finally reached my grand goal when I made Amateur Extra passing 20 wpm CW, just before the change over to 5 wpm CW in April 2001. My station at home then was a Yaesu FT-1000 and an ICOM 706MKII. I had a Henry 2k-2 2KW amp for 80-10m to warm up the shack. Antennas included a 160m dipole and 80-10m multibander (really inverted Vs), Mosley TA-36 tribander with a 40m kit on 40' of Rohn 25, a 5 element 6m yagi, a 7 element 2m yagi, and a vertical at the top of the stack that tuned on 20m-2m nicely.

Rich/KE3Q was my contesting and Field Day mentor for a couple of years at W3AO in 1998 and 1999.

I coordinated Field Day 2000 for the AARC/ W3VPR. It was a pretty effective 5A setup.In 2001, I organized a serious 2A team to operate on the family farm in Lothian, Maryland.

Then from 2003 to 2008, I did very little operating. By 2005, I had removed the antenna farm and sold most of my field day and radio gear.

In 2008, I started doing field day again with the NA3DX field day team, 3A and 2A battery. The team is doing very well.

TODAY

On January 7, 2013, with the help of K3NDM and N3HU/T6RH I put up a 40m delta loop and OCF 7 band Buckmaster inverted dipole. I started using my ICOM 706MKII at 5 watts and a newly aquired ICOM 703 at 5 watts.  Initial testing in January 2013 found the station effective. I operated a bitduring the 2013  ARRL DX SSB, mostly with the ICOM 703, all QRP into the OCF Dipole.

I sold my ICOM 706MKII and received my new Elecraft K3/10 in March 2013. Great rig. I am learning all the features.

I am finishing up my DXCC and CQ WPX awards and focusing on CW as much as possible. Including a bit of straight key.

On March 24, 2013, with the help of my son I put up a new setup for antennas. I now have 3 OCF Dipoles now connected to an Array Solutions Stack Match. I have 3 delta loops integrated for 40m, 20m, and 15m. I am also using two Array Solutions AS-303U Lightning Protector SO239 to feed the Stack Match and the Delta Loops. For the Stack Match control line, I am using the Array Solutions AS-8SP outside and 6 conductor cinch connectors inside. I will be adding the Array Solutions 180 Phase Shifter (on order) to antenna #3. Models show I can lower the take-off angle of #1 and #2 when used together with phasing #3. I added a 12v LED at the array solutions stack matchswitch box outside to show power to the switch.

Does it work? Yep, I can notice an S unit on receive and I worked Azores (antenna #2) and South Cook Island (antennas #1 and #2 phased together) with 5 watts. Also worked 5W0M most recently. When I have time, I show the differences during the qso when I switch antennas.

During 2013 WPX SSB I worked 45 countries in 18 hrs of QRP operating.

Between January 29 and April 17 of 2013, I have operated 90+ countries QRP using the wire antennas. Much of that is SSB, but I am increasing my CW contacts weekly.

In April 2013, I have completed the setup of a nested 40/20/15m set of Delta Loops.

CLOSING

If you looked me up for QSL information, I want to say thanks for the QSO and hope to catch you again down the log.

73 and GUD DX, de Doug/NA1DX (aka NA3DX and the GOTA during Field Day)