[Elecraft] Elecraft CW Net Report for October 5th & 6th, 2008

[Kevin Rock]

Good Evening,
   Forty meters was not too noisy tonight; that was nice!  It did take some effort to work stations however.  Luckily Tom was available tonight and he got over half of the stations on the lists.  Having a rotatable beam on 20 meters and power on both bands does make a difference.  Plus he has this geographic advantage of living in the middle of the US :)  Thirty-two check ins is pretty good any way you count it.  From reports I received the weather is turning toward fall; rain and chilly in many places today.
   There was some QSB on the eastern stations and those west of me had it on me.  QRN was lower than normal but then so was signal strength.  The solar stream we have been in for most of the week is going to cease soon from what I can see from Hinode.  That should mean conditions will improve in a couple of ways.  First the noise will go down and second the signals should be a little stronger.  On Friday my contact in Alabama was hearing EU stations as strong as he was hearing me.  If the noise would go down I could hear them too.  There are also a few teeny sunspots poking up.  Never can tell but maybe we are getting past the bottom of the cycle.  

   On to the lists =>

   On 14050 kHz at 2300z:
K9DMV - Joe - IL - K2 - 5628
N0SS - Tom - MO - K3 - 008       ** QNI #280 **
K1THP - Dave - CT - K3 - 686        QNI #60!!!
K4JPN - Steve - GA - K2 - 1422
AK2B - Tom - NY - K3 - 109
N3ND - Dan - FL - K3 - 1567
WA7BOC - Roger - WA - K3 - 75
K6PJV - Dale - CA - K3 - 1183
N6JW - John - CA - K3 - 936
VE3XL - Ric - ON - K1 - 968
TF3KX - Kristinn - Iceland - K2 - 6425
VE6ITA - John - AB - K2 - 5384
KJ7BS - Mark - AZ - K2 - 539
N0AR - Scott - MN - K2 - 4866
WS7L - Carl - OR - K3 - 486
AB9V - Mike - IN - K3 - 398
KL7AI - Mike - AK 

   On 7044.5 kHz at 0200z:
K1THP - Dave - CT - K3 - 686
N0SS - Tom - MO - K3 - 008
W0CZ - Ken - ND - K3 - 457
KL7CW - Rick - AK - KX1 - 798
W0RSR - Mike - CO - K2 - 5767
K9ZTV - Kent - MO - K3 - 021
N0AR - Scott - MN - K2 - 4866
WA7BOC - Roger - WA - K3 - 75      QNI #95!!!!
AB9V - Mike - IN - K3 - 398
VE6ITA - John - AB - K2 - 5384
W0JFR - John - CO - K3 - 994
N2YC - John - NY - K2 - 5949
NS7P - Phil - OR - K3 - 1826
WI6O - John - CA - K1 - 922
K6PJV - Dale - CA - K3 - 1183

   Thank you for the continuing support.  I am glad to hear you all and to hear your reports each week.  As ever if there are any errors please send them to me via email and I will repair the database.  There is a century award from the Elecraft folks.  ECN has approximately 600 serial numbers.  I wonder what the award would be for collecting a thousand separate serial numbers?  Millenary springs to mind ;)
   I keep looking at my extended weather forecast and keep seeing more of the same.  Rain, showers, rain, cloudy, showers, rain; these guys need a thesaurus!  But, as I told Scott, antennas and roofs are better if they are created and repaired under inclement conditions.  At least my bucket can be smaller today because I spent a soggy few hours on the roof yesterday.  There is still a small leak but nothing like the steady stream which was plaguing me for the previous two days.
   Until next week stay warm, dry, and well,
      73,
         Kevin.  KD5ONS  (Net Control Operator 5th Class & Apprentice Roofer! )

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