[Elecraft] As good as it gets...for now?

[AJSOENKE at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/31/2007 8:49:19 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
rcerkon at gmail.com writes:
Folks,

After a 2+ year hiatus from  "RadioActivity", I finished up a K2 build,
and tried getting on the air a  bit--UGH dismal results! During the
recent ARCI Homebrew Sprint I made 3  contacts, 1 in WA and 2 in ID,
I'm in OR. Me and a friend back in CO have  tried two or three times
for a scheduled QSO--no luck we could just barley  hear each other. One
one of those attepts my freind was using a beam and 100W  of power.
More troubling is the lack of signals I'm hearing. Before each of  the
activities I mentioned I would tune around the bands to assess  band
conditions, I could hear no more than 5 or 6 other stations.  I
couldn't hear any of the NCDXF beacons--Are they still operational?  I
can hear WWV @ 10MHz 5x9.

Set up here is QRP K2, and a Superantennas  PW-1. Now before everybody
jumps on the PW-1--NO PW-1/ANY OTHER ANTENNA   BASHING!!! I mean it!
:-) I had a PW-1 in CO and it worked great! (  see
<http://www.elecraft.com/PictureGallery/NewPics/n0rc_vw_foxhound_front.jpg>
for  one example)

Do I have a problem with my K2--I'm thinking not. With an  XG-1 signal
generator set to 1uV I can hear it fine on 40, and the harmonics  on 20
and 15m.

Is it my QTH? I have a city lot, the back yard is only  9m x 6m (30' X
20'), surrounded by one story houses on each side. The PW-1 in  placed
in the center. Further, I live in a river valley abt 275m (900Ft)  ASL.
The valley is surrounded by low mountains 900-1200m (3-4k Ft) AL  abt
10 miles away.

I have no other radio equipment, (or access to) to  try A/B
comparisons. I can not and will not change my antenna setup, I  want
nothing permanent outside. I have no room to set up take  down
temporary wire antennas. I WILL NOT MOVE TO A DIFFERENT QTH. I  WILL
NOT SPEND ANYMORE MONEY ON RADIO EQUIPMENT--I am at  an
economic/financial sweet spot all things [radio/non-radio]  considered.

So given my circumstances and the current lull in solar  activity...

Is this as good as it gets?
--
73 Rod, Ai7NN   ~*~*~Happy Holidays~*~*~
______________________________________________
 
 
Hang in there, Ron. Yeah!, the bands really are sucking right now, but  there 
are moments. Like just after I got my K3 on the air I worked 60 new  
countries in the CQWW on my 50 year old mosely vertical. It wasn't just the K3.  Sure 
I could hear them, but so could lots of others, and they could   hear me too!  
My K2 could work them as well. There are a couple good  contest weekends 
coming up this month (Jan) so get ready and maybe we'll be  surprised with good 
activity.  Personally, I think so many hams are sold on  the premise that 
there's no one out there, that they don't even try. But the  contest activity - not 
great - demonstrates the contacts can be made. 
 
CU there - WA6VNN,   Al



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