[Elecraft] Elecraft CW Net Report for December 1st, 2008

[Kevin Rock]

Good Evening,
   The bands were not being helpful tonight.  On twenty meters I was able to gain a few checkins but they were mostly 'local' (OR, AK, and CA).  UA0IT is probably not local :)  [In fact Andy is local, he lives in Magadan.]  I'll find out when I can use the Internet again.  Right now I have no telephone, it has been out since around noon.  The last few days it has been intermittent at best but mostly down.  Verizon has been promising to replace the equipment further down the mountain for over a year but they are still employing a temporary, used, replacement trailer.  The latest news is they will put a cell tower in on the top of the mountain (about 500 yards away).  Maybe I will get better service from that.  I have never used a cell phone but hope there may be a way to improve my Internet connection from its current 24 kB/second to something a little faster and more reliable.  One can only hope.  Pat and I grew used to our convenient DSL hookup when we lived in Albuquerque.  I did most of my grad work at home because my equipment was better and the Internet connection was faster than what I had in the ECE department.  My CS  grad work had a separate account and was the fastest on campus.  But, then, they were hooked to the fastest parallel computer in the world (at least a few times a year).  
   However, the forty meter net was better and Tom was able to hear me and help me.  QSB was rampant so I could not dig a few out which he was able to work.  While Tom was NCS I kept hearing CQs on frequency from another three stations.  One in Alaska and the other two were in 4 land.  They would fade out and Tom would come back.  While I was listening prior to the first net twenty meters sounded very good with all the contesters banging away.  I did not hear the QSB but, then, there exchanges are much shorter than ours.  My first QNI was obviously taking part in said contest because he likes these activities (WS7L).  He also happens to be a K3 owner and a fellow VE person.  I was surprised to be able to work NS7P directly.  Normally he is out of my ground wave and much too close for skip.  Tonight I could hear him on both bands fairly well but a little better on twenty. 
   Once again KL7CW, Rick in Palmer, Alaska had the best signal.  Seems odd that an Alaskan station running QRP power levels would hit Oregon so well but there seems to be some sort of duct which assists his signal.  There are other AK stations I hear regularly which are quite strong.  Propagation still seems like magic to me; I can never quite tell what is going to happen until I start calling.  

   On to the lists =>

   On 14050 kHz at 0000z:
WS7L - Carl - OR - K3 - 486       QNI #5!
KL7CW - Rick - AK - KX1 - 798
UA0IT - Andy - Magadan - RU
K6DGW - Fred - CA - K3 - 642
NS7P - Phil - OR - K3 - 1826

   On 7045 kHz at 0300z:
N0SS - Tom - MO - K3 - 008     ** QNI #290 **
W3TMZ - Jack - FL - K3 - 1169
AB9V - Mike - IN - K3 - 398
K6DGW - Fred - CA - K3 - 642
W4SEC - Pete - FL - K2 - 5813
W6ZH - Pete - CA - K3 - 657
NS7P - Phil - OR - K3 - 1826      QNI #10!!
W0CZ - Ken - ND - K3 - 457
W0JFR - John - CO - K3 - 994
WB5BKL - Nick - TX - K3 - 231
K7SJ - Roger - WA - K3 - 75
W0NTA - Dick - CO - K3 - 1208
N0AR - Scott - MN - K2 - 4866
W1BPJ - Terry - CO - K1 - 1800
KL7IDA - Bill - AK 

   I hope there are no errors in the above lists but memory fades with time and I may have missed a relay during the 'interesting' propagation we were having last night ;)  If there are any corrections or fills necessary please email them to me.  We are due for a solar stream on the 3rd which after its initial interference should perk things up a little.  But propagation is an odd thing; one can never foretell its effects.  I am sorry for the delay in getting this report posted but between phone problems and working and chores it did get pushed back a little.  
   Until next week stay warm and stay well,
      73,
         Kevin.  KD5ONS   (Net Control Operator 5th Class)

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