Zombies were out haunting the bands last night, during the Zombie Shuffle. As always, I had fun taking part in this crazy QRP event.
Once again, I operated from home using my KX3 and rain gutter antenna. I always have some local noise issues, but this year the noise was a bit lower than usual.
I got on the air and immediately encountered a zombie bonus station on 20M. From there, I was off and running. I worked nine more zombies on 40M before taking an extended dinner break.
In the exchange, you get to use a name of your choosing. This year, I once again used “Bones.”
I got on the radio again after dark, but there seemed to be fewer zombies to work. Normally, the rain gutter antenna goes long on 40M after dark. Last night was different, though. I worked a fair number of my fellow Pennsylvanians and one Delaware zombie. I don’t often work Delaware stations on 40M, especially after dark. Maybe the bands really were haunted last night.
After a while, I was running out of zombies to work. I even invoked the “Rebirth Rule” for the first time this year. This rule says you can work the same station on a band every two hours. I eventually pulled the plug and went upstairs to watch game #1 of the World Series.
I ended up with 17 zombies in the log, which is my new personal best in this wacky event. Three were on 20M and the rest were on 40M. My previous personal best was 14 back in 2021. My compromised antenna didn’t do too badly for me this time around.
Before I worked my first zombie, I had a quick POTA contact with KQ1P in Maine. That QSO turned out to be my 500th park as a hunter.
As always, I have to thank Paul NA5N and Jan N0QT for organizing this fun event. Until next year, it’s back to the crypt for this zombie.
Yesterday was the annual running of New Jersey QRP Club’s Skeeter Hunt QRP contest. Even though I’m not much of a contester, I always look forward to this four-hour sprint.
This year, I was asked to be one of the bonus “Palindrome Skeeters.” These are participants with skeeter numbers that read the same, forwards and backwards. My assigned skeeter number this year was 66.
For this year’s contest, I operated from a piece of property owned by my daughter and her husband. I set up in a field on top of a hill, a place I’ve used many times in recent years. Since I had plenty of room, I planned to get up there early to set up some sort of long wire antenna. That didn’t quite work out. I got there later than planned, so I just set up my trusty homebrew vertical on the back of my truck. That’s always a quick way to get on the air.
My setup for the 2023 Skeeter Hunt
I spent most of my operating time on 40M, alternating between calling CQ and searching/pouncing. Although most signals weren’t very strong, there were lots of them. Every time I thought I had run out of skeeters to work on 40M, I’d find another one buzzing out there. I eventually moved up to 20M, where the signals seemed much stronger. Searching and pouncing, I added a few more skeeters to my log.
My KX3. The food container behind the radio houses a LiFePO4 battery.
The bugs were bad yesterday. I didn’t see any real skeeters, but I did encounter every other insect known to man. I even killed a tick that was taking a leisurely stroll across the table. When I eventually lost my shade, it was time to call it a day.
Yours truly wearing my official Skeeter Hunt attire
I operated for a little over two hours, which is longer than my attention span usually lasts. (Remember when I said I wasn’t much of a contester?) I ended up with 30 contacts, 28 of which were skeeters. Four of my skeeter contacts were with fellow palindrome skeeters. I also hunted a POTA station I came across in amongst the skeeters on 20M.
My 30 contacts won’t set any records, but it’s my best showing in recent years (or maybe ever). Once again, I have to give a shout out to Larry W2LJ for putting this fun contest together.
Larry W2LJ recently released the details for this year’s running of the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt. Of particular note is a slight change in the date; this year’s Skeeter Hunt has been moved to the 4th Sunday in August.
There’s also a new bonus point challenge for this year. Larry has asked me to be one of the 15 “Palindrome Skeeter” bonus stations (Nr. 66).
Here’s Larry’s announcement with all the details:
The long anticipated announcement for the 2023 NJQRP Skeeter Hunt – the 12th Annual, if you can believe that!
For all the details – please go to www.qsl.net/w2lj or go to the Skeeter Hunt page of this blog (the next to last tab on the right – located under the KX3 photo up at the top).
A few points to remember:
1) Due to a personal commitment, the Hunt has been moved to the 4th weekend of August – the 27th.
2) New Bonus Point Challenge for 2023:
Fifteen Skeeters have graciously consented to act as Bonus Skeeters. They have been issued numbers that are palindromes (numbers that are the same forward and backward) – Skeeters 11, 22, 33, 44 …… right through 151. When you work one, that QSO is worth 100 points – and you can work as many as you can up to 1,000 bonus points. The Bonus Skeeters are highlighted on the roster.
3) Skeeter numbers for the rest of you will be issued in the same way as they have since the beginning of this event. Send an e-mail to either w2lj@arrl.net, or w2ljqrp@gmail.com NO SOONER THAN June 21st, the First Day of Summer. You will receive an e-mail back with your sequential number, or you can check the roster, by clicking here. Please do not apply for a number via the Facebook page, as I may very well miss your request – and we wouldn’t want that to happen, would we? Numbers will be issued right up until the Midnight before the day of the event.
I hope you’ll have fun and enjoy the Hunt this year – good luck and happy QRP’ing!
The Boschveldt QRP Club once again descended on the historic Daniel Boone Homestead in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, for our annual winter get-together. Like last year’s trip, it was a cold but fun weekend spent socializing and getting on the air.
We spent the weekend in the Wayside Lodge, a large, rustic—and drafty—log cabin. The attendees this year included: Ed K3YTR, Glen NK1N, Ed WA3WSJ, Ed K3BVQ, John NU3E, Ron WA8YIH, Rob KE3TI, and yours truly.
The Wayside Lodge at the Daniel Boone Homestead. This was the Boschveldt QRP Club’s home for the weekend.
NU3E operating digital modes
NK1N operating in the NA QSO Party
WA8YIH operating with NU3E looking on
K3BVQ hunkering down and listening to CW
K3YTR’s Elecraft KX2
WB3GCK operating QRP-portable from a picnic area
The bridge across the creek behind the lodge
The dam near the Wayside Lodge
Another view of the dam
The rear of the Wayside Lodge viewed from across the creek
WA3WSJ keeping warm by the fire
The fireplace in the “Great Room.” This was the only source of heat in the main area of the Lodge.
A few folks arrived on Thursday, so by the time I showed up on Friday, there were three stations set up. By Saturday there were four stations on the air from the lodge.
K3YTR brought a DVD player and a projector, so we watched a movie after a lasagna dinner. The only source of heat in the main room—also known as the “Great Room”—was a large, stone fireplace. Unfortunately, most of the heat was going up the chimney. The temperature in the Great Room was down in the 40s F during the movie. After that, everyone turned in for the night. Fortunately, the two bunk rooms had electric heaters, so they were slightly warmer than the Great Room.
After breakfast, I explored some trails and buildings around the lodge and took some pictures. In particular, there’s an interesting dam very close to the lodge, and I got some pictures of it from both sides of the creek.
After lunch, I headed out for some QRP-portable operation. Like last year, I set up in my truck in the North Picnic Area. I made nine contacts while I was out there. Six of those were POTA stations, including one in Puerto Rico. I also worked SKCC Straight Key Month special event stations in Puerto Rico and Portugal. Like last year, I had a brief CW QSO with K3BVQ who was back at the lodge. After an hour, my fingers were getting cold, so I packed up and headed back.
On Saturday night, we all went out to a nearby restaurant for a delicious dinner, some drinks, and some warmth. By the time we returned to the lodge, it was too late to start another movie, so we all called it a day and headed off to our bunks for the night.
On Sunday morning, the temperature in the Great Room was down to 37°F (2.8°C) before we got the fire restarted. After breakfast sandwiches prepared by NU3E, it was time to pack up our gear and clean up the cabin before leaving for home.
It’s always a fun time getting together with the Boschveldt crew. The weekend ended too soon, but it sure felt good to get back to a warm house and a hot shower.
I keep saying that I need another rig like I need a hold in the head. I guess I have a hole in my head, because I recently bought another QRP rig.
The rig I purchased was a (tr)uSDX transceiver. I had been thinking about getting one of these little rigs for several months before finally giving in and buying one. I placed an order with roWaves in Romania, and, to my surprise, I had it in my hands five days later.
My new (tr)uSDX transceiver on the air for the first time
This rig is only about the size of a pack of cigarettes, but it sure packs a lot of functionality in there. I won’t go through all the specs and functions, but it puts out about 5 watts (give or take) and covers 80/60/40/30/20m. It supports CW/LSB/USB/FM/AM, and you can set it up for digital modes, too.
There are three controls (two push-buttons and a rotary encoder), and they each have multiple functions. So, it’ll take some practice getting this old dog used to the menus and functions.
I set it up on the bench to fire it up for the first time. I connected it to my Elecraft T1 tuner, which was connected to my rainspout antenna. During this initial session, I logged contacts on 40, 30, and 20M. One of those was a very nice chat on 30M with a fellow SKCC member up in Massachusetts. This little rig held up well in my noisy environment.
Hopefully, I’ll be able to take the (tr)uSDX out in the field over the weekend and give it a whirl.
After a long drive home from North Carolina yesterday, we were still unpacking from our vacation and getting caught up on things today. I couldn’t pass up the annual Skeeter Hunt QRP contest, so I snuck out to make a few contacts. Besides, I was issued a single-digit skeeter number (#7) this year, so I couldn’t let that go to waste.
I drove a few miles over to Valley Forge National Historical Park, hoping to catch enough skeeters for a valid POTA activation (K-0761). The area I was in was busy with folks enjoying their picnics, so I parked my truck well away from them.
I didn’t plan to stay long, so I operated from the truck. I used my Penntek TR-35 and my trusty homebrew vertical. That turned out to be a wise move, since the truck provided some shade and an occasional cross-breeze through the windows.
Yours truly operating in the 2022 Skeeter Hunt QRP contest
When I turned on the rig, the 40M band was buzzing with QRP skeeters, and I made most of my contacts there. Conditions, at times, seemed pretty good; I worked stations in WI, MO, and GA on 40M from here in southeastern PA. After running out of new ones on 40M, I moved up to 20M and picked up a few there.
At the end of my 1.5 hour session, I had worked 16 skeeters, one non-skeeter QRPer. There were other skeeters operating from POTA entities; I had at least four park-to-park contacts I know of.
The Skeeter Hunt is always a good time. I’m glad I could take part, even if just for a part of the contest. A big shout-out to Larry W2LJ for organizing this fun event.
If you have ever taken part in a QRP field contest, you have undoubtedly heard Rick NK9G’s big signal coming out of Wisconsin. Rick produced a great video on the 2021 Skeeter Hunt QRP contest to mark the 10th running of this annual event.
Rick’s video shows the equipment and planning that goes into producing that loud signal from the field. The video also includes a picture of yours truly (at the 1:42 mark) operating from the Outer Banks of North Carolina for last year’s Skeeter Hunt.
The Skeeter Hunt is one of my favorite events, and I look forward to it every year. If you haven’t yet operated in a Skeeter Hunt, jump on in and join the fun.
The Boschveldt QRP Club has a long-standing tradition of getting together each January for a winter get-together. For years, we rented a cabin at the Mohican Outdoor Center in northern New Jersey. This time we tried a different location: the Daniel Boone Homestead in southeastern Pennsylvania. We weren’t able to make this trip last year, because of the pandemic, so we were all excited to try this new (to us) location.
This site in Berks County, Pennsylvania, is the birthplace of Daniel Boone, the legendary American frontiersman. The Wayside Lodge is one of several buildings on this 579 acre historic site. Our intrepid band of QRPers rented the lodge for the weekend to use as our base of operations.
During the wee hours on Friday, Mother Nature provide some wintertime ambiance for the weekend. She replaced the moderate temperatures we have been having with temperatures near freezing and a few inches of snow. It was enough snow to make everything look nice, but not so much to complicate my drive later in the day.
I arrived at the lodge mid-afternoon on Friday. Wayside Lodge is a large, rustic log cabin. There are two separate bunking areas and a large “great room” between the two. Despite its rustic nature, it has some modern amenities. There’s a small kitchen with a refrigerator and stove, and there are three bathrooms.
The Wayside Lodge at the Daniel Boone Homestead
A few Boschveldt members arrived the day before, and there were radios and antennas up and running when I got there. The attendees this year included Ed K3YTR, John NU3E, Walt KB3SBC, Ed K3BVQ, Rob KE3TI, and me. After settling in and catching up with old friends, we enjoyed a lasagne dinner courtesy of Ed K3YTR. Walt brought a projector and screen, so we had some movies for entertainment.
It quickly became apparent that we were in for a cold weekend. On Friday night, my thermometer showed that the great room was around 45° F (7° C). There was some heat in the bunk rooms, but it was only about 55° F (13° C) where I was staying. A fireplace provided some warmth in the great room, and we went through quite a bit of firewood over the weekend.
Walt KB3SBC stoking the fireplace
John set up his 20M QRP rig in one of the bunk rooms and ran his end-fed half wave wire out to a tree behind the lodge. Ed K3BVQ ran a 40M half wave wire up and over some beams in the great room. The far end of his antenna ended in one of the bunk rooms. His unusual antenna configuration worked great for him with his QRP rig.
Walt brought his military shelter trailer and parked it in the parking lot near the lodge. This little trailer contains a complete ham shack—with heat—and room for sleeping. He was on the air from there hunting some Parks on the Air (POTA) stations.
The KB3SBC shelter
Saturday morning, the temperature in the great room was only 35° F (1.7° C). Stoking the fire, along with plenty of hot coffee (courtesy of Walt), helped warm things up. We also had an outstanding French toast breakfast, courtesy of Rob.
Later on Saturday, I drove to a picnic area about a mile away from the lodge. I wanted to take part in the Straight Key Century Club (SKCC) Weekend Sprintathon (WES) contest, while avoiding interference to the other stations back at the lodge. Operating from my truck, I made 20 contacts, including two K3Y stations. I also contacted K3BVQ back in the lodge.
WB3GCK at the North Picnic Area at the Daniel Boone Homestead
Bill KA3RMM and Chris W3CJW stopped by to visit on Saturday. Chris was kind enough to drop off a load of firewood for us. We certainly appreciated that!
Saturday night, five of us went out for dinner—and some warmth—at a local restaurant. After dinner, we went back to the lodge to watch another movie before turning in for the night.
John’s Belgian waffles have become a Sunday morning tradition at our winter outings. As always, John didn’t disappoint. The waffles were incredible.
We spent the rest of the morning packing up and cleaning up the cabin. Before heading out, we posed for a group picture.
Boschveldt QRP Club members at the Wayside Lodge. L-R standing: KE3TI, NU3E, WB3GCK, K3YTR, KB3SBC. Seated: K3BVQ.
Despite the cold temperatures, it was a fun weekend. We’re already planning to return to the Daniel Boone Homestead next year. It’s always great to spend time with some old friends and get on the air with our radios.
Last night was the annual running—or shuffling, I should say—of the Zombie Shuffle QRP contest. Organized by Paul NA5N, it’s a silly little sprint that I look forward to each year.
As in recent years, I had to take part in the contest from home. This puts me at a distinct disadvantage; running 5 watts into my rainspout with S5 noise levels can be challenging. Undeterred, I jumped right into the fray. This year’s rules allowed you to use any spooky name of your choosing. I went with Bones.
The 40M band was very productive, netting me seven zombies before I had to take a break for dinner. I never heard much on 20M, but that isn’t the strongest band for my makeshift antenna.
When I got back on after dark, activity was sparse on 40M, producing only three more contacts. I dropped down to 80M and picked up four more before calling it quits.
I ended up with 14 contacts, none of which were bonus stations. Thanks to those who hung in there as I asked for multiple repeats. My apologies to the one or two stations I couldn’t pull out of the noise.
If you’re looking for a fun, low-key contest, give the Zombie Shuffle a try next year.
It saddened me to learn over the weekend of the recent passing of Rich Arland K7SZ. Rich was an avid QRPer and author of several books and many articles on the subject. Years back, he was the author of the QRP Power column in QST Magazine. Rich was a 2002 inductee in the QRP Hall of Fame, a well-deserved honor.
I first met Rich when we were both members of the (now defunct) Eastern Pennsylvania QRP Club. He and his wife, Patty, attended a Field Day or two with the club in French Creek State Park. His keen sense of humor always made for a fun weekend.
Rich Arland K7SZ at the Eastern Pennsylvania QRP Club (EPA-QRP) Field Day in 2005.
During one of our club gatherings, he admired an alkaline battery pack I built into a small military surplus container. I had an extra container, which I mailed to him along with a small circuit breaker/switch. Rich wrote about his completed battery pack in the March 2002 edition of QST (pages 82-83). He gave me a little shout-out, too.
When I bought my Yaesu FT-817, Rich sent me a nice little 12 volt power supply to go with it. That was about 18 years ago, and that power supply is still in regular use today.
Rest in peace, Rich. I’ll think of you every time I power up my old FT-817.
WB3GCK QRP Amateur Radio 