[Elecraft] Elecraft CW Net Report for August 20th & 21st, 2006

[Kevin Rock]

Good Evening,
    The weekend weather was fairly pleasant here.  The night ballgame was  
comfortable well past the last out.  The ride back to my truck was quite  
cramped though.  I got to see my breath in the window since I was less  
than an inch from the glass!!  Today I got plenty of chores done so the  
first few months of the heating season are covered.  Now to deal with the  
rest of the year and I'll be happy.  Tomorrow I'm up at 3 AM for hopefully  
the last deployment of our blimp this month.  Lack of sleep has been  
effecting each us when it comes to writing software.  I've found my office  
mates staring into blank screens wondering what they're supposed to do.   
I've almost nodded off into the keyboard more than once.  It will be nice  
to get back to a regular schedule.
    Speaking of skeds: the first net had some very strange sounds plaguing  
our ability to communicate.  Some of it sounded auroral, some sounded like  
strange music, and the rest was simple QRN from storms.  However, I am not  
used to a noise floor much higher than S1 at worst.  Today I was copying  
signals at S3 within the S5 noise.  QSB helped and hurt in alternate  
measures.  QSB would at one moment be on my end and the next it would be  
on the other op's end.  Forty meters was pleasant in comparison.  I only  
had to deal with the normal QRN of summer storms and a little QSB.  The  
other strange effects were missing.
    Just before the second net I got a knock on my front door.  A couple  
with a toddler had walked to my porch for assistance.  I gave the baby  
some water and the woman my phone.  I told them I was busy for a little  
while but would help them when I was done with my chores.  They called  
friends but you all know how far I am from any town.  They were from  
Forest Grove but only the woman knew the mountain very well.  Giving  
directions to her uncle was giving her fits.  Net time was approaching so  
they went back to their car to wait.
    After the forty meter net was done I moved the Ranger out of the way  
and got the F250 with a log chain.  A few minutes later I was at their  
very, very stuck car.  Somehow or another they had backed themselves off  
the gravel road downhill into the woods.  They had buried the wheels in  
the soft fir needle soil.  We dug a place to the hook underneath the front  
bumper and I pulled for a while.  I stopped pulling to give him a bit of  
advice on getting his wheels pointed in the same direction I was pulling.   
After that he popped out easily.  The baby had somehow or another drunk a  
full liter of water in just a few minutes.  I think he'll be in need of a  
road side stop or they'll have a very wet car soon!  What wonderful  
excitement I get by living way out in the boonies :)


On 14050.50 kHz at 2300z:
W6ZH - Pete - CA - K2 - 5138   QNI #20!
K4JPN - Steve - GA - K2 - 1422
VE3XL - Ric - ON - K1 - 968
WA4LBN - Carl - TN
AB9V - Mike - IN - K2 - 3993
N8YO - Mike - MI - K2 - 5644
K2HYD - Ray - VA - KX1 - 608   QNI #75!!!

On 7045.47 kHz at 0200z:
W6ZH - Pete - CA - K2 - 5138
K6DBG - Chris - CA - K2 - 3641
KT5E - Jay - CO - K2 - 5037
W6BK - Dave - CA - K2 - 4910
N0AR - Scott - MN - K2 - 4866
N8YO - Mike - MI - K2 - 5644
AB9V - Mike - IN - K2 - 3993
WN7T - Paul - WA - KX1 - ??
N0BK - Bruce - MN - K2 - 3646

Can you fix any errors or make any corrections in the above lists?  Please  
send me an email.

I better make this quick because 3 AM comes awfully early and I've got a  
few more chores before bed.

Until next week,
    73,
       Kevin.  KD5ONS  (Net Control Operator 5th Class)