[Elecraft] Elecraft CW Net Report for July 20th & 21st, 2008

[Kevin Rock]

Good Evening,
   I hope all is well with you.  The weather here today was very pleasant.  It rose to around 80 degrees with full sun and a light breeze.  After the mildly chilly week this was nice.  I had a chance to mix fuel for the chainsaw and cut for an hour.  Later this did give a few problems while sending but I've never claimed to be perfect ;)  After the second net I walked on the other side of the property for a while and was overwhelmed by the amount of work I am going to have to do to clear up the wind damage.  I'll take one of those CS algorithms to heart and use divide and conquer.  There is no way to look at all of the work and think I can ever get it done.  A small piece at a time?  Maybe...  
   Propagation was decent but not great.  There was QRN on both band as well as intermittent QRM.  QSB was very geographically dependent.  On 40 meters I had QSB on each station I worked out west.  The eastern stations had varying amounts but none were as bad as the western stations.  AB9V reported storms in Indiana which was causing problems for all the Midwestern stations.  

On to the lists =>

   On 14050 kHz at 2300z:
WB3AAL - Ron - PA - K2 - 1392
W6ZH - Pete - CA - K1 - 553
NO8V - John - MI - K3 - 820
AB9V - Mike - IN - K3 - 398
K1THP - Dave - CT - K3 - 686
K6DGW - Fred - CA - K3 - 642
W0RSR - Mike - CO - K2 - 5767
N0AR - Scott - MN - K2 - 4866
KS7D - Mike - FL - K3 - 118
VE3XL - Ric - ON - K1 - 968    * QNI 165 *
W3TMZ - Jack - FL - K3 - 1169
K5VJC ?? - Denis - ? - K3 - 35   ????  
AK2B - Tom - NY - K3 - 109
WC7S - Dale - WY - K2 - 4360

On 7047 kHz at 0200z:
W6ZH - Pete - CA - K1 - 553
WB5BKL - Nick - TX - K3 - 231
K6PJV - Dale - CA - K3 - 1183
W0RSR - Mike - CO - K2 - 5767
K6DGW - Fred - CA - K3 - 642     QNI #85!!!
AB9V - Mike - IN - K3 - 398
WC7S - Dale - WY - K2 - 4360
NO8V - John - MI - K3 - 820
WG7Y - Bob - WY - K1 - 2140
N7AF - Dave - AZ - K2 - 4795     QNI #15!!
N0AR - Scott - MN - K2 - 4866
NK6A - Don - CA - K2 - 1217

   I just did a few calculations.  A possible score for ECN is 493.  I missed once through miscalculation, once because Pat passed away, and once because a tree fell on my house wiping out my HF antennas.  Guess I have worked the net 490 times thus far.  Whoa!  No wonder it seems I can look out the window watching the trees while calling CQ CQ ECN ECN DE KD5ONS ? K :)  If you hear me stumble during that part it was because my mind had drifted so far I had forgotten I was on the air!  Is that an 'out of body' experience?  Hmmm... 
   Now, can anyone help me with K5VJC.  My notes have F5VJC, then 5?JC, but never a clear call.  I was able to get Denis and K3 and 35 but never did get the call straight.  Conditions were not good with heavy QRN and rapid QSB.  However, I should be able to get call out of the noise considering I have done this a more than a few times ;)  Help!  
   Next item of business.  Since Tom went into the hospital I have had no stations acting as alternate NCS operators.  Would anyone care to help while he is on hiatus?  I know I have a 'dead zone' which would be nice to have covered.  If I can be NCS it must not be too tough!  Once again: HELP!  Get well quick Tom we miss you.
   Now off to fiddle with firmware and wrap a few circuits before bedtime.  I hope to hear you all again next week and maybe, just maybe the bands will be better.  Stranger things have happened ;)
   73,
      Kevin.  KD5ONS  (Net Control Operator very 5th Class)