[Elecraft] Elecraft CW Net Report for December 6th and 7th, 2009

[Kevin Rock]

Good Evening,
   Twenty meters seemed very weak this afternoon.  I only received one response east of the Mississippi River and John was very hard to copy.  The net ran only seventeen minutes because of the lack of check ins.  Thus I got a little break between nets to get ready for the noise endemic to forty meters.  After the second net I decided not to go outside to rest my ears.  The wind was blowing briskly.  I listened to my wood fire burn :)  Tomorrow night is forecast to be the coldest of this period.  Down to 16 degrees F (above zero) so there is little danger of freeze damage.  The wind from the Columbia River gorge will be strong, whipping by Vancouver at 60 mph or so but I am protected from that by a range of mountains (Tualatin).  It is fast enough as it is but it should not be too bad here.  
   On to the lists =>

 On 14050 kHz at 2300z:
W0CZ - Ken - ND - K3 - 457
N6JW - John - CA - K3 - 936
NO8V - John - MI - K3 - 820
W0RSR - Mike - CO - K2 - 5767
K6DGW - Fred - CA - K3 - 642
W6SU - John - CA - K3 - 1303       QNI # 20!!

 On 7045 kHz at 0000z:
NO8V - John - MI - K3 - 820      * QNI # 100 *
KD5ZLB - Edwin - LA - K3 - 3147
W8OV - Dave - TX - K3 - 3139
N0TA - John - CO - K3 - 994
N7KRT - Jeff - TX - K2 - 5471      QNI # 65!!!
K1THP - Dave - CT - K3 - 686     * QNI # 105 * 
K6PJV - Dale - CA - K3 - 1183
AB9V - Mike - IN - K3 - 398
W6SU - John - CA - K3 - 1303
W0RSR - Mike - CO - K2 - 5767    * QNI # 115 *
W7AQK - Dave - AZ - K3 - 96
WC7S - Dale - WY - K2 - 4360       QNI # 40
W0CZ - Ken - ND - K3 - 457
K1THP - Dave - CT - ?
K6DGW - Fred - CA - K3 - 642

   If there are any errors in the above lists please report them to me via email.  The forty meter net went well as you can see from the list though the QRM did get rather intense at times.  I tried closing the filters down but whoever was there was right on frequency.  Later, when they stopped their activities, there was one station transmitting as they tuned across the frequency.  That was not nearly so disruptive.  But, I persevere and gather contacts.  
   One of these days the sun will become active.  In fact there was a coronal mass ejection recently which presages an active region coming around the limb.  The blast was rather large so the activity may be sufficient to excite the ionosphere nicely.  One day of noise will give us over a week of decent propagation.  Maybe the fox hunts will be just a little easier ;)  Maybe, just maybe, the sun is coming out of its long slumber.  That would be a very nice Christmas gift :)  
   Until next week stay warm and don't catch that cold which is going around!
      73,
         Kevin.  KD5ONS  (Net Control Operator 5th Class)

-