[Elecraft] Elecraft CW Net Report for July 11th & 12th, 2010

[Kevin Rock]

Good Evening,
   Twenty meters was interesting.  The QSB I had experienced during the week was even deeper today.  I would give a signal report only to have it blown away in the next second when any given op came back.  Sometimes signal strength would change by four to five points during the contact.  Mostly signals did not drop to zero so I could copy all the information being passed.  My left hand was on the RF gain so my ears would not get blasted.  My right hand bounced between the paddles and my note taking tasks as I worked station after station.  
   Forty meters was even more strange since I could only work Western folks even though I did get a few emails of ops hearing me enough to know who I was further east.  John, N0TA, took a few tries before we completed the contact.  He was giving me a 329 or 339 at best.  He did not hear me call him a couple times so then signal strength was even worse.  It was liking working through a cotton batting cloud.  Even the normal storms were not crashing as loudly.  Twenty meters had more QRN than forty did!  Odd.  
   Weather reports across the continent gave more pleasant temperatures than last week's did.  Here the heat has passed and it is quite pleasant.  Now I see cloud cover and may even get a little mist from the ocean soon.  This will be nice because I intend to get back out into the forest tomorrow and continue cutting firewood for next winter.  My neighbors are all collecting more wood than usual so I must ever strive to be the ant instead of a grasshopper.  My nearest neighbor's family has been on this mountain for around 150 years so if they know something is coming I plan for it too.  If I have too much wood there is no problem; I can always burn it the next year.  It is much tougher to collect wood when the snow is deep or the rains are pouring down.  

   On to the lists =>

 On 14051 kHz at 2200z:
KL7QOW - Mike - AK - K3 - 3144
NO8V - John - MI - K3 - 820
AB9V - Mike - IN - K3 - 398
K6PJV - Dale - CA - K3 - 1183
K0DTJ - Brian - CA - K3 - 4113
W0RSR - Mike - CO - K2 - 5767
N0TA - John - CO - K3 - 994
W0CZ - Ken - ND - K3 - 457
K1THP - Dave - CT - K3 - 686
N0AR - Scott - MN - K2 - 4866
WB5BKL - Nick - TX - K3 - 231

 On 7045 kHz at 0000z:
KL7QOW - Mike - AK - K3 - 3144
K0DTJ - Brian - CA - K3 - 4113
K6PJV - Dale - CA - K3 - 1183
N0TA - John - CO - K3 - 994

   There is a great disparity between these two lists.  Hopefully next week will provide forty meters with better conditions.  We shall see.  I also hope the weather continues mild until I can cut the fifteen or so cords of wood.  It is not pleasant to cut and split wood in 90 degree temperatures.  But it is a great way to lose a little excess weight :)  Drinking a gallon of water each day helps cool me but I do go through a lot of clothes that way.  Working in the brambles means I cannot dress in short sleeved shirts.  Like my dad working near the furnace all day in his lab I have learned to soak through multiple layers.  He was protecting himself from molten metal.  I just worry about the barbs of the berry bushes.  But I have five newly sharpened chains so I can cut until I grow weary.  One day I will be in shape again.
   Until next week stay cool,
      Kevin.  KD5ONS  (Net Control Operator 5th Class)

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