[Elecraft] Elecraft CW Net Report for February 19th and 20th, 2006

[Kevin Rock]

Good Evening,
    Another fine couple of nets tonight, run with the help of Tom in 
Missouri.  When I first started calling QRL? there were a few contesters 
seeking the frequency.  But once I claimed the territory of 14050.50 kHz 
they were very polite.  Only once did they call QRL? when Tom was turning 
his beam around the country.  I may just have to try this contest next 
year with such polite operators running in it.
    I agree with Fred, K6DGW, the bottom of the sunspot cycle may just have 
passed.  However we never know until the numbers have been smoothed, 
massaged, and manipulated for a few months.  But we will know long before 
the experts tell us the bands are open again ;)  Ken, W0CZ, mentioned how 
rapidly the bands change for him during our Sunday nets.  He cannot hear 
Tom, who has a fine signal to me, very well if at all but he has a 
pipeline to me.  I've never worried about ND for CW WAS :)  Delaware is 
another story!!  That took a major contest and poor Kevin up in the middle 
of the night to snag it.  Those who have met me know I truly need my 
beauty sleep!
   Forty meters had a little QSB but it was possible to work from Coast to 
Coast.  Tom's friend Mike, W3MC in Maryland is a case in point.  He had a 
booming signal with his K2.  Ty, W1TF, wanted to link up with W0CZ but had 
no luck on either band.  Maybe next time Ty.  Thanks for asking though; I 
appreciate providing the conduit.  Lastly, K2HYD was much weaker than 
normal.  I just barely pulled his normally strong KX1 signal out of the 
noise.  I want to hear the rest of the story Ray.
   The lists =>

On 14050.50 kHz at 2300z:
N2HTT - Mike - NY - KX1 - 99
N0SS - Tom - MO - K2 - 008
KT5E - Jay - CO - KX1 - 969
K4JPN - Steve!! - GA - K2 - 1422   Sorry Steve, my database had a 
transcription error in it.
WA5ZNU - Leigh - CA - K2 - 3121
W0CZ - Ken - ND - K2 - 1031    ECN Guest number two now has QNI #100!!!!!  
Thank you Ken!
K4BEH - Pat - GA - K2 - 5041
KL7CW - Rick - AK - KX1 - 798
W2RBA - Joe - NY - K2 - 1299   Welcome to ECN
WA6ARA - Mike - CA - KX1 - 896    Welcome to ECN
K6DGW - Fred - CA - K2 - 4398
W1TF - Ty - GA - K1 - 1423
KB0FB - Carl - IA - K1 - 2126

On 7045 kHz at 0159z:
N0SS - Tom - MO - K2 - 008
W0CZ - Ken - ND - K2 - 1031
N0EHQ - Ed - IA - K2 - 4595     Yes, I got you!
W1TF - Ty - GA - K1 - 1423
W3MC - Mike - MD - K2 - 4932   Welcome to ECN
AB9V - Mike - IN - K2 - 3993
KL7CW - Rick - AK - KX1 - 798
KT5E - Jay - CO - KX1 - 969    QNI #5
KB0FB - Carl - IA - K1 - 2126
N7CQR - Dan - OR - K2 - 1010    Via temporal relay
K2HYD - Ray - VA - KX1 - 608    Very weak tonight.  Wonder why?

As ever, if there are any errors in the above data please feel free to 
send me an email and I will fix them.

Thank you for the enjoyable evening.  I was correct in my assumption: 
Oregon is not the coldest spot in the US.  Some of you reported sub zero 
temperatures but for some reason Rick, KL7CW, kept telling me it was 40 
degrees in Alaska.  Hmmm... did he send all the cold weather down to the 
lower 48?  He claimed QSB when I asked him that question.  I think it was 
pure guilty conscience talking ;)

Until next week keep your woodstoves stoked and your cats warm,
    73,
       Kevin.  KD5ONS  (Net Control Operator 5th Class)