Hi

View from South of the ridge

 

Friends.  

If you hear me on the air calling CQ in a contest, Please spot me.  I cannot ask for that on the air, but it really helps.

For my JA friends, I am working towards the JCC800 award.  Please include your JCC#, JCG# &/orAJA# on your card!

 

I have taken on a new aspect of the hobby.  I am now a volunteer for the ARRL 7th District QSL Buro.  I am the new sorter for the 7X segment.  So,  if you have a USA 7th area callsign and your suffix begins with X  your bureau cards will now come thru me.

If you are not a buro user and would like to use our services, you can get info at 7th Area QS Buro home page:

http://wvdxc.org/joomla/index.php/test-page

KA6BIM QSL'ing:    I QSL 100%

Incoming qsls are up to date. I answer all the paper qsl's that I receive, how I receive them. If you send direct, I will reply direct.  If you send by buro, I will reply by buro.  I also use LOTW, but I like paper cards for my collection. It is much nicer to show someone a paper QSL card that I have received, than to show them a list of contacts on the computer.   I do not use EQSL or the log here on QRZ.    When I get a card from a station for a recent contact, I try and reply for all earlier unconfirmed qso's also. That saves time and postage. My log is fairly complete and goes back to 1978.  

If you made a contact with me and it does not show up in LOTW, Then send me an email with qso details. I usually upload contests within 3 weeks and general logs every 2 months.  My fat fingers may have made a typo and I can correct the mistake.   Sometimes the mistakes are on the other end.  The sorters at the buro sometimes send me cards for k6bim, or k6bum etc.  Once in a while I even get a ka7bim  If I have the station in my log, I will even confirm those contacts, and you can send me a card with my correct call via buro.

Plans for 2017:   

1.  Install KT34xa fixed on Oceania.  

2.  Install 12/17 meter beam above rotator on central tower

3.  Try to install 160 meter inverted L

4.  Become active on PSK

5.  Do 60 meter mod on TS2000

Winter 2016/17:  I finally had some success with Digital communications.  First qso's on PSK & successful Winmor operations

 

Fall 2016:  The station is still growing.  

I have 2 more KT34XA's in my shop to cleanup and install. One I plan to sidemount on a tower fixed on the South Pacific.  The other I may save for portable operations.  I also have a 12/17 mtr beam to assemble and install.  That will probably involve getting a lift truck of some sort out here so I can mount it above my top KT36XA on the Central Tower without having to drop the rest of the antennas.  Those projects just did not get done this summer due to other priorities.

I did manage to convert a KLM 2 element 40 meter beam to a 2 element 30 meter beam.  Fairly simple to do.  It is now mounted above the 4 element 40 meter beam on the East tower.

I have managed to do a few 60 meter contacts, using my 80 meter antenna, including ZS2EX, Chris, in South Africa, K5P on Palmyra & Jay, VY1JA in the Yukon, plus a few stateside contacts

I am still struggling to get my station working on Winmor for ARES/RACES communication and PSK.  Not having any luck with my 15yr old MP1000 Mark V.   I may have to switch radios around and try the TS2000 instead.  

Fall 2014:

I was able to get some antenna work in the summer of 2014.  I planted 2 more towers, a 50' vhf tower and a second 72' crankup designated as "Central Tower".   I then moved most of the antennas around.  I can work a little So2r on ssb, but not on cw or rtty yet.  Also have not got PSK operational yet.  More configurations to work out. I still need a good antenna for the WARC bands 12/17/30, but try a bit with tuner & existing antennas

I have been researching my log and sending out some qsl requests for some of the dx contacts I have had in the past and neglected to request cards for,  I have had quite a bit of success, even digging up some "new" countries that I worked, one as far back as 1982!  I found enough on 80 mtrs to complete my 80 mtr DXCC & that gave me 5BDXCC

 

In September 2014 I had the Honor of being one of the W1AW/7 stations from Oregon.  I gave out over 1600 contacts on ssb, cw & rtty.  Many of the QSO's were with Asia and Europe as well as stateside.  It was a lot of fun being on the receiving side of the pileup for a change. 

I am an active Member of  the Willamette Valley DX Club  & Coos County ARC        

 

DX  Honorary Membership: The WVDXC will award a certificate of honorary membership to any DX station (except W-VE) having 2-way QSOs with 10 or more WVDXC members after 1 January 1956.Contacts must be confirmed by QSL. Submit list of contacts (no QSLs) for verification to WVDXC P.O. Box 5993, Boring OR 97009,U.S.A.

 

I am also an Associate Member of the Northern California Contest Club,   Life member of ARRL, and 

former member Northern Calif DX Club & Western Washington DX Club.

 

Rigs are Kenwood TS 870,  TS2000 & Yaesu MP 1000 Mk V

I will usually sign KA6BIM  but may use KA6BIM/7 if necessary, depending on the contest

 

September 22, 2014 update    All 4 towers are now up.

West Tower 72 ' with 2 element 80 mtr beam on top @73'  and KT34xa fixed on Asia @36' This tower also supports 160 mtr dipole

Central Tower  72' with KT36xa on top @73', KT34xa fixed on EU @54' and KT36XA @36' fixed on Caribean

East tower 55' with KLM 4 element 40 on top,  also supporting 80 mtr delta loop

VHF Tower 50' with KLM 5 element 6 mtr @60', pair of 11 element 2 mtr beams, 440 & 1.2 ghz all on common boom @50'

 

I am new on 6 mtrs as of January 2014.  Now up to @ 35 states & 10 dx entities.  In June 2014  I had a small opening to EU&AF, and worked EA7 & EA8 for 2 new countries and continents!   Also had a nice opening to Asia and worked a few  stations from JA.   In October 2014 had a couple of openings to South Pacific & worked FK, ZL & VK for Oceania & 3 new countries. In April 2015 I worked LU & CX to complete my Worked all continents on 6 mtrs.  Currently at 13 countries worked 10 confirmed

6 mtr station is  TS2000 with 100 watts and a m2 inc 5 element beam @60'.   I could use a good 6 mtr amp!

I am one of 2 active stations on 6 meters here in Coos County, Grid CN73.  If you need a card, send me one.  Sase is appreciated

 

Update August 2014   The 80 mtr beam is up!  A little low but being on a ridge should help.  Lets hope the rotor holds up in the winter winds!

Update Feb.12, 2014 I found that LOTW scrubbed all the /7's off my callsign. So 6307 qso's from my log were not able to match up with any of your qso's that you logged when I signed KA6BIM/7.   I resumbitted  with a new /7 certificate and ended up with 1671 new qsl confirmations.

Update 1/1/2014 All logs from 1978 to 1/1/2014 have been uploaded to LOTW.

Update 12/10/2013 I am caught up on all direct and bureau cards. Boxes have been shipped of to the ARRL & JARL bureaus.

Update 9/1/2012 New permanent QTH is in Coos County Oregon. Station is being rebuilt, towers are planted and aluminum beginning to sprout.   Some of you are or will be receiving soon some very late QSL cards. Please accept my apologies for the late responses. While preparing to move, I found a box of QSL cards that had been misplaced when we were remodeling the house a few years ago. Thank you for your patience, and for the cards.