QRP – Page 5 – WB3GCK QRP Amateur Radio

Grills on the Air

I have been off the air for the past couple of weeks, so I set out to do something about that this morning. Taking advantage of some milder weather, I did some picnic-table-portable operating from Evansburg State Park (US-1351, KFF-1351).

I set up at a picnic table along one of the park’s trails. Using a jaw clamp antenna mount, I mounted my Gabil GRA-7350TC antenna to a picnic grill. I started with two radials, but I had some trouble getting an acceptable match on 20M. After I added two more, I got the SWR down to 1.3:1. Since I was next to a trail, I had to keep the radials on one side of the antenna to avoid being a trip hazard. I set up my Penntek TR-35 (5 watts, CW) and started calling CQ.

My Gabil GRA-7350TC antenna clamped to a grill

The band conditions were a little wonky, with an A Index of about 25 and an unsettled geomagnetic field. As a result, the contacts were coming in at a slower pace than usual. It took about 30 minutes to make my first 10 contacts.

Operating in Evansburg State Park (US-1351, KFF-1351)

I called it quits after about 40 minutes. Band conditions notwithstanding, I logged 12 contacts, including two DX contacts (F1BLL, IW2BNA) and three park-to-park contacts.

As I was packing up, I ran into a bit of an issue with the Gabil antenna. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t unscrew the whip from the loading coil. As if that wasn’t enough, the sliding coil seemed to be stuck, too. I just put the whole antenna in the truck, so I could deal with it later.

When I got home, I took a closer look at the antenna. Using a pair of pliers I managed to remove the whip. I probably got carried away and over-tightened it when I put it together. I also got the sliding coil unstuck. My antenna is one of the early models where the adjustment scale is just a label that was stuck on. (On newer models, the scale is engraved.) The bottom of the label started peeling up and jammed the slider. A little surgery with a razor blade fixed that.

Even with my antenna issues, it was nice to get out for a little radio in the park.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Zombie Shuffle 2024

The QRP zombies were out and about on the bands last night. I got on the air for some of the annual Zombie Shuffle. This year was a little different experience for me from past years, but it was still fun.

This contest is called a “shuffle” because zombies don’t sprint. It kicks off at 1500 local time, but I usually don’t work too many fellow zombies in the first hour. The 40M band is usually my bread and butter band, however, I made most of my contacts in the first hour on 20M. I kicked things off by working a bonus station and worked about eight total in the first hour before taking an extended break.

I checked the bands again twice after dark, and it was slim pickings for me. There was a constant S3-S4 local noise level on 40M, which made things tough. I managed five more zombies on 40M, but it was rough going at times. From my RBN spots, I was obviously getting out better than I was receiving.

I usually pick up a few zombies on 80M, but not this year. Anyway, I wrapped things up early and submitted my entry to Paul NA5N in time to watch Game 1 of the World Series.

This year I was again running 5 watts from my KX3 into my rain gutter antenna. During exchanges, I used my zombie name, Bones.

My 13 contacts were a few off from last year’s shuffle, but it certainly wasn’t my worst year either. It’s a silly contest, but I look forward to it every year.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Carter Craigie N3AO (SK)

I recently learned of the passing of my old friend, Carter Craigie, N3AO. He was an avid QRPer, an excellent CW operator, and one of the nicest people I have ever met.

I first met Carter sometime back in the 90s, when we were members of the now-defunct Eastern Pennsylvania QRP Club (EPA-QRP). Later on, Carter and I were members of Chester County (PA) ARES-RACES. Carter served a two-year stint leading the organization as the Emergency Coordinator (EC).

Eventually, Carter and his wife, Kay N3KN (former ARRL President), moved to Blacksburg, Virginia. Although I rarely saw him in person after that, I had a bunch of QSOs with him over the years. He was a regular participant in QRP field contests, like the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt and Flight of the Bumblebees. He was also an active member of the Straight Key Century Club (SKCC).

In 1999, Carter N3AO and Ed WA3WSJ stopped stopped by my campsite in French Creek State Park (PA) to check out my new camper. L-R: WA3WSJ, WB3GCK, and N3AO.

Looking back through my logs brought back some memories. Carter always tried to work me when I was out camping or traveling. He seemed to know my go-to frequencies and operating habits and would always seem to find me. I remember being on a camping trip to the Thousand Islands in New York back in 1999. I turned on the radio one morning, and without touching the tuning knob, the sound of Carter calling me greeted me. We had some nice rag chews on those trips.

Phillies spring training in Clearwater, FL, in 2009. L-R: WB3GCK, my (far) better half, Kay N3KN, and Carter N3AO. — I had the pleasure of running into Carter and Kay during Phillies spring training in Clearwater, Florida, in 2009. L-R: WB3GCK, my (far) better half, Kay N3KN, and Carter N3AO.

During the year-long National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) event in 2016, I used to text Carter whenever I was out activating a park. Within minutes, I would hear Carter calling me for a contact. He would always make sure to spot me on the NPOTA Facebook page.

While it’s sad to know that I won’t hear Carter on the air anymore, I feel truly blessed for having known him. Rest in peace, my friend.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Zombie Shuffle 2023

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.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Skeeter Hunt 2023

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.

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 Skeeter Hunt t-shirt — 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 W 2LJ for putting this fun contest together.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Skeeter Hunt 2023 Announced

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!

72 de Larry W2LJ

Boschveldt Winter Outing 2023

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.

72, Craig WB3GCK

My New Toy

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.

73, Craig WB3GCK

Skeeter Hunt 2022

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.

72, Craig WB3GCK

NK9G Skeeter Hunt Video

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.

72, Craig WB3GCK