[Elecraft] Elecraft CW Net Report

[kevinr]

Good Evening,

    Twenty meters had very loud QRN.  A steady roar of about S6 with 
some QSB.  I have received five emails so far complaining of QRM 
blocking my signal.  It did make sending decent code hard too.  For the 
last few weeks CQs start up when I call the net and continue throughout 
them.

    Forty meters was different.  When I first tuned to 7047.5 kHz I 
thought something was wrong.  Twenty meters had been full of QRN while 
forty meters was dead quiet.  I turned back to twenty meters to check 
and it was still noisy.  When I did hear stations it was like I was 
inside a box of cotton batting.  Our Christmas sunspots are only a 
memory.  The solar wind has slowed and the auroral oval is close to the 
magnetic pole.  If we are not at the bottom of this sunspot cycle we 
have to be very close.  More QRM but I did get a relay station to call 
them and gained another few stations for the list too.  Thanks Brian.


   On 14050.5 kHz at 2200z:

W0CZ - Ken - ND

K6XK - Roy - IA

NO8V - John - MI


   On 7047.5 kHz at 0000z:

W0CZ - Ken - ND

K0DTJ - Brian - CA

KC1ACL - Steve - NM

WM5F - Dwight - ID


    The people I worked on 20 meters all mentioned the word blizzard.  3 
degrees F came up a few times too.  Then we compared our winter 
experiences :)  I once went XC skiing in Wisconsin at -65 degrees F.  It 
was not windy.  It was also not very pleasant. Normally skis ride on a 
layer of water created by the pressure of the skis.  Not this night.  My 
skis were acting like I was on a layer of sandpaper.  Within twenty 
minutes I was back next to the woodstove.

    Until next week stay warm folks,

        73,  Kevin.  KD5ONS

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