October 8, 2017

   Currently unable to get wifi or Ethernet out to my shed for clock sync. So me getting on digital will have to wait.

September 9, 2017

    I hope to be on ft8 soon. Hopefully before the end of this month.

July 24, 2017

On May 21, 2017, one of the riders, nicknamed 'Rocket Man' set a new record and cut the time for the Ultra record, 124 miles, in half. The race has more than doubled in riders since 2016. 2018 looks to be another record breaker in the number of riders.

May 15, 2017

Getting ready for the Cheaha Challenge bicycle race so the ham shack things are on hold this week. Safety, not bicycling.

May 9, 2017

Got the pvc pipe in the ground, and now we need a 'fish tape' to pull the coax through. We have a 50 foot tape, but the pvc is 100'. I wanted to put the coax through the pvc as we did each pipe into place. But due to threatening rain, we glued all joins of the pipe first.

April 5, 2017

Apparently the wasps are still finding a way into my shed. The end cap vents are enclosed by screening, and closed with foam in the spots the screen doesn't cover. I have an open ridgeline vent. Its a raised area about the ridge line, like many modern day house roofs. I'll need to spray the ridge line then get up there with aluminum screening and close off those areas.

Not wanting to get stung, I wont be on HF until I get that fixed.

Thanks to all the folks who have signed my web log here.

Currently monitoring the 2 meter repeater as we are under a tornado watch.

Aug 14, 2015

87 QSOs, not including the 20 or so I did for the club on Aug 8, 2015 for the CCC camp special event station at Cheaha State Park. I have wasps in my shed, so I have been on air with my call sign since about mid-July, 2015.

May 16, 2015

55 QSOs, 17 confirmed here, no change at the other sites. About 8 special event QSOs so far. The West Mountain CLRdsp works great !

April 18, 2015

53 QSOs, 16 confirmed here, 12 at LotW, and 6 at eQSL.

April 13, 2015

45 QSOs, 7 confirmed here, 9 confirmed at LotW, and 4 AG confirms via eQSL with 2 more non-AG confirms. Still a long way to WAS or DXCC.

My new West Mountain ClRdsp 58407-949 arrived today. I probably wont be able to test it until later this week.

April 11, 2015

43 QSOs now. 2 of them the NM QSO party. I tried to contact N6JW, but couldn't get through due to all the static.

42 QSOs, I am apparently about 4 hams first QSO. I just need more people to confirm the contacts. Lots of static on 20m, but I did hear two special event stations this morning.

The CME from our sun earlier this week certainly messed propogation up. March 23, 2015. I am up to 15 QSOs with 5 confirmed.

Got my LotW postcard, uploaded my 13 QSOs, and hope to see some cofirms.

Thanks to all the folks who stopped by and left a note on my web contact log !

Now have 13 QSOs, 4 confirms on QRZ, one confirm on eQSL. Four QSOs on the contest March 7-8, 2015. Still waiting on the post card from LotW. eQSL Authenticity took 24 hours.

On ARRL SSB DX Contest; heard very few standard phonetics being used. Outdoor temperature was 60F, so I didn't need the heater today.

I went to play in the snow and decided to try for 15m. Got another one. Thanks Jim for the quick confirmation ! Six QSOs with 2 confirms. Why, before ya know it. I'll have 7 QSOs. Hurrah !

Update Feb 22, 2015: I would have stayed out longer, but house slippers isn't what I should be wearing in a partially heated ham shack. The coat and knit cap just couldn't keep my footsies warm enough. So I have made 5 QSOs, with 1 confirmed. I'll get my printer hooked up and printout some QSL cards this coming week, if my health gets better. I will probably be able to do that, if the predicted 'wintry mix' doesn't hit here on Tuesday. 15m was kinda quiet. So I picked a spot and called, after that QSO, I moved down freq and made 3 QSOs there. Thanks !

Update: Feb 7, 2015: Made my first HF QSO on 15 meters, first with my General class licesne with W1DIG Lou.

My QRZ log book decided I was in florida, but I got that fixed, I think.

Cold out in my shack, relatives decided I didn't need to go shopping with them. When I go back out to the rig, I need to dress warmer.

end of update.

Updated my location details to the correct grid square. Hope to get on air soon.

The antenna01 picture is about where I am installing it.

Grew up in Texas. Small town, very boring location. My dad was in the US Army. We moved rather often after elementary school. Instead of being drafted, I volunteered and joined the US Navy. I became an electronics tech, radar repair. I made it up to E-4. I passed the E-5 test, but only 200 people were promoted, 2000 of us passed the test. I was 'passed but not advanced'. I spent 6 years in the USN. Our ship dodged one hurricane named Camille as we came back from the Mediterranian Sea in 1969.

Went to college and got a Bachelors of Science Degree in Applied Computer Science. Most of the programming classes were done in VAX Pascal on a DEC VAX 11/730. Luckily no punch cards. Which isn't used much anymore anyway. So I became a computer tech while in college.

I knew some of my ancestors were Scot-Irish, Netherlands. Over the years I have found out I am also: Shoshone, Comance, Cherokee, Swiss ( about 1650 AD), Norman/Norse.

November, 2014 I'll be a computer tech for 30 years. I've worked on many different types and operating systems of computers, printers, and networks.

That is it in a nutshell.

If you decide to snail mail, or email, an invite for hamfests and/or conventions they should be less than 50 miles from my QTH.

I am otherwise unable to attend. Thanks. No, I don't need a ride.

I live in central Alabama now, cooler earlier in the year.