[Elecraft] Elecraft CW Net Report for August 17th & 18th, 2008

[Kevin Rock]

Good Evening,
   The forty meter net had some very odd sounds tonight.  After I passed the net to Tom I was able to listen more.  It sounded like a flock of high pitched geese flying by at intervals.  I have never heard anything like it before.  At first I was having a very hard time copying anyone until I started fiddling with knobs and settings.  Finally I got something to work but tones were very odd tonight.  Normally easy stations were quite tough.  It took me three tries to get AB9V!!  Signal strength was great but copy was horrid.  I finally turned RF gain way down and left AF up and the tones got slightly better which improved copy.  That made it tough to hear the weaker stations.  Sometimes one just cannot win.  However, I finally have K4JPN back in the log!  Steve must be very glad Tom was working on 40 meters because I did not hear him at all.  I am very grateful to have Tom active on ECN once again.  I know many of you feel much the same way.  Without him we could not work as great a distance nor could we gather as many of you for the net.  Thank you Tom!  

On to the lists =>

   On 14050.5 kHz at 2300z:
WB3AAL - Ron - PA - K2 - 1392
N0SS - Tom - MO - K3 - 008
NO8V - John - MI - K3 - 820
W3TMZ - Jack - FL - K3 - 1169
W0RSR - Mike - CO - K2 - 5767
K6DGW - Fred - CA - K2 - 4398
K9ZTV - Kent - MO - K3 - 21      QNI #40!!
KL7CW - Rick - AK - KX1 - 798
KS7D - Mike - FL - K3 - 118      QNI #20!!
K1THP - Dave - CT - K3 - 686     QNI #50!!
WA7BOC - Roger - WA - K3 - 75
AD6GI - Chuck - CA - K3 - 355
W0NTA - Dick - CO - K3 - 1208
K6PJV - Dale - CA - K3 - 1183
AB9V - Mike - IN - K3 - 398
WG7Y - Bob - WY - K1 - 2140

   On 7045 kHz at 0200z:
N0SS - Tom - MO - K3 - 008
K6DGW - Fred - CA - K2 - 4398    QNI #90!!!
W0JFR - John - CO - K3 - 994
W3TMZ - Jack - FL - K3 - 1169    QNI #5!
AB9V - Mike - IN - K3 - 398 
K6PJV - Dale - CA - K3 - 1183    QNI #85!!!
W4SEC - Pete - FL - K2 - 5813
NO8V - John - MI - K3 - 820      QNI #40!!
K1THP - Dave - CT - K3 - 686
N5SM - Scott - TX - K2 - 6417
N7AF - Dave - AZ - K2 - 4795
VE3XL - Ric - ON - K1 - 968
N0AR - Scott - MN - K2 - 4866
W6GMT - Brock - MN - ?
K4JPN - Steve - GA - K2 - 1422
KL7CW - Rick - AK - KX1 - 798
WI6O - John - CA - K1 - 922
 
   When I finished the first net and fed the cats I noticed it had gotten cooler very quickly.  From a high of near 90 it is going to be in the mid 50s by bedtime.  What is surprising is the lack of wind or storms.  It rained during the first net but there have not been the forecast thunderstorms.  I don't think that is going to happen tonight.  But it sure did last night!  I awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of the first blast of thunder and the near horizon was full of lightning.  I got to the radio shack and started unscrewing coax.  Lightning is very rare here so I do not make a habit of disconnecting cabling like I did in Albuquerque.  It did make things interesting when I turned on the rig and tried to find any stations.  I had broken the circuit in three places and set the switch to an unfilled location.  I made two of the connections and reset the antenna switch but nothing was heard.  It really helps if all of the coax is connected between the rig and the antenna :(  If there are any errors or you can send me fills to the above lists please email them to me.
   My ears are still ringing.  I do not know how anyone could do this for a living for very long.  They would either have constant headaches or they would become deaf.  Going crazy is an option but I don't think that would make much difference to me since I am most of the way there already ;) 

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

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