[Elecraft] Elecraft CW Net Report

[kevinr]

Good Evening,

   It was early one July day in Wisconsin, the sun would be up soon.  
Pack mule Kevin was carrying Dad's target rifle of the day on one 
shoulder, the rifle he was tuning on the other, forty pounds of .30 cal 
ammunition in one hand and the target scopes in the other.  I was 
sinking into the ground with each step.  Dad was following me with the 
electronic equipment and his photographic gear.  The goal was to tune 
his new barrel design for the 300 H&H magnum.  He had strain gauges 
along both sides and along the top of the barrel all with their leads 
hooked into his recorder.  They were to measure its resonant 
frequencies.  He was also planning to take photos of the muzzle flash to 
check powder burn rates.  He had hand loaded a few different powder 
mixes for the forty rounds we were planning on testing.

   My job for the day was to be part of the test equipment.  The guy who 
pulled the trigger and tried to hit the paper at 600 yards.  Xs would be 
a dream with the kick of this rifle.  Dad would give me windage, the 
elevation was already set, and I would perform the sight picture, 
breath, squeeze part.  If you've ever shot high power rifles you know 
they kick.  This rifle had been designed to shoot elephants and rhinos.  
By the fifth round my flinch was becoming comic.  By the fortieth round 
it was a matter of timing between the squeeze and the jolt of pain. If I 
delayed the pain long enough I could hit the paper.

   What does this tale of discovery have to do with Elecraft? During 
today's nets you will have heard the same timing effect. That between 
cause and reaction.  It was especially troubling on dits.  Any character 
with multiple dits through off the timing because my thumb would flinch 
before completing them all.  Hs became Ss  Bs into Ds  och!  While we 
did tame that old Holland & Holland it never was the target rifle of 
choice.  With my CW the problem has more to do with over use than the 
kick of my Begali.  Once I don't have to split any more compression wood 
fir and after I am done editing another hundred pages I will have time 
to rest.

   But, I digress


   On 14050.75 kHz at 2200z:

NO8V - John - MI

W0CZ - Ken - ND

K6XK - Roy - IA

K4JPN - Steve - GA

K9ZTV - Kent - MO

K1SW - Dick - CT


   On 7047.75 kHz at 0000z:

K6XK - Roy - IA

W6JHB - Jim - CA

K6PJV - Dale - CA

K0DTJ - Brian - CA

W0CZ - Ken - ND

KG7V - Marv - WA

KL7CW - Rick - AK


   Twenty meters was noisy, forty meters was quieter, but 160 meters has 
been great lately.  We truly are at solar minimum because what used to 
be the low band is open during the daytime. Twenty meters had medium 
speed QSB of 3 to 4 S units.  Forty meters had much less.  As you can 
see from the lists the bands were open today.  Weather reports were of 
mild weather considering it is January.  Even -5 F from Rick seemed like 
a nice sunny day to me.  Polar wax, sunglasses, gloves, and a scarf then 
XC ski all day.

    Until next week enjoy the bands 73,

         Kevin.  KD5ONS

_



You claim that nobody understands you, but then,

the strange white men in lab coats are doing the best they can.