[Elecraft] Elecraft CW Net Report for October 1st & 2nd, 2006

[Kevin Rock]

Good Evening,
    Forty meters worked better than twenty this evening.  There was a lot  
of QSB on twenty which prevented Pat from working me with his K2.  He  
switched to the 100 watt Ten Tec and made it through.  Thank you, I  
dislike missing someone who is trying so hard to check in.  The second net  
was easier because there was much less QSB and the normal QRN was weaker  
(at least to me) than normal.  I even got Fred direct from California  
while he was tuning up!  Normally he is too close for me to work.
    Looking at the two lists I see I am missing certain parts of the  
continent.  The East and Northeast, the Southwest, and much of the middle  
of the country.  During my time off from work I plan on getting a few more  
antennas up and running.  I think those may help me get into other parts  
of the US and Canada.  A squirrel nibbled a guy rope to one of my doublets  
so that should be an easy fix.  All I needed was time and a few moments of  
good weather.  Now I have both.
    I am still tracking down the AC wiring to the front of the house.   
Hopefully I will discover the correct breaker and the correct stub so I  
can start putting in sockets and lighting fixtures.  That is the only  
thing preventing me from putting up drywall in the living room; at least  
that part of it.  I still need to rip out a series of windows,  put in  
another header, and reframe the windows.  Then I can think about finishing  
that part of the house.  Living in the house you are working on is not an  
easy proposition!
    I am thinking of moving my radio shack into Sam's domain, the front of  
the house near the wood stove.  I may just maintain two locations so I can  
work ECN, MARS, and ARES nets from various parts of the house.  MARS and  
ARES require non-CW digital modes.  My new work area will place at least  
three networked computers within easy reach of the radios.  Currently I  
must empty my desk of robots, documentation, circuit boards, and laptops  
before I run the nets.  I'd like to keep my projects each on their own  
desk so I can get back to work on them quicker.  I've got a number of kits  
which have been begging for time and space on the bench as well as robots  
which wish to be free.  Now if I could only get them to clean the house,  
do the laundry, and make dinner for me :)  I had to be very careful down  
in Albuquerque because our Rottweiler wanted to eat one of them which was  
searching around his food!  August would have done major damage to the  
poor little critter.
    I am also thinking of adding another K2 to my shack ;)  I don't think  
I'll add any features except the audio filter.  I've got the ATU from my  
first K2 so I can mount that top and have a QRP rig with all the feature  
to which I've grown accustomed.  A K2 would be a nice relaxing winter  
project.  Hopefully we will get enough snow to go skiing so I can break up  
the build with a little outdoor activity.  I hope to keep the pad on my  
soldering station wet until I get called back to work.  I've too many  
electronic projects which have been put on hold.  Now is the time to start  
building!

    Enough, the lists =>

On 14050 kHz at 2300z:
K4JPN - Steve - GA - K2 - 1422
NE5DL - David - TX - K2 - 2887
AB9V - Mike - IN - K2 - 3993
N9SF - Bob - IN - K2 - 5308
K4BEH - Pat - GA - Ten Tec Omni  Just could not drag out the K2/QRP.
VE3XL - Ric - ON - Ten Tec Omni
K4NVJ - Joe - AL - K2 - 4155   QNI #5!
KG6VPU - Bill - CA

On 7045 kHz at 0153z:
K6DGW - Fred - CA - K2 - 4398
W0CZ - Ken - ND - K2 - 1031
AB9V - Mike - IN - K2 - 3993
VE3XL - Ric - ON - Ten Tec Omni   QNI #120!!!
K4JPN - Steve - GA - K2 - 1422    QNI #30!!
KT5E - Jay - CO - K2 - 5037
N0AR - Scott - MN - K2 - 4866
N9SF - Bob - IN - K2 - 5308
KL7CW - Rick - CA - KX1 - 798   Tough copy on a very weak signal but we  
made it!
N0BK - Bruce - MN - K2 - 3646

If there are any errors please email me with the corrections.

I hope you all have a very fine week ahead of you.
    73,
       Kevin.  KD5ONS (Net Control Operator 5th Class)