2007 ARRL Straight Key Night
01/04/2007 |
K1YPP
Straight Key Night log for K1YPP, Sarasota, Florida.
02:50 K4IN 569/599 80M 30W 03:34 Gerald, Mobile, AL
03:54 K1Y/4 599/589 80M 30W 04:01 Kev, Shawsville, VA,
05:59 K1LGQ 589/599 40M 5W 06:12 Dennis, Brookline, NH
06:12 KG7FS 589/589 40M 5W 06:30 Rich, Manchester, MI
Comments on QSOs:
K4IN: I always try to get any station I contact to QSO for at least a half-hour. Im an inveterate rag-chewer and cant see how anyone can learn anything about the person theyre conversing without spending some time with them. Gerald was a joy to work. He commented that he has been trying to slow his life down, now that he is getting up there in years. I told him that using a straight key is an excellent start; we had a good laugh on that!
K1Y/4: Kev (K4VD) was operating a straight key club station and for whatever reason couldnt use the call after 04:00, so we kept it short. He commented on liking my call (K1YPP), he just had the shorter version! He indicated that at some future date we should talk, he loves old Drake equipment. Even though I wasnt using it at the time, I treasure my Drake TR-7A.
K1LGQ: Dennis and I go way back. Ive known him for years, we met back when I lived in New Hampshire. I heard him calling a VE2 station, it was unsuccessful, so I jumped in to let him know I was there. It was a joy to hear him on 40M, he has had some tough times lately, a battle with cancer in particular! The treatments have worked for him and his fist sounded better than ever. We discussed my upcoming Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike this year. Ill be carrying a homebrew rig and he is anxious to work me along the Trail. Dennis is a serious QRP operator; I nominate him as having the best fist of the evening.
KG7FS: Rich called me as soon as I cleared with Dennis. We had a nice chat about Michigan (I enjoy going out there for mountain bike rides). I told him I was running 5W on battery power and he noted that my signal had a bit of hum on it (good ears, the previous QSOs at 30W had run the battery down to where I put the charger on, I usually run battery power and QRP but for the benefit of the SKN event opted for strong signals).
This year the event was a real thrill and I spent some serious time with my Vibroplex, Black-base, straight key; other than just using it to tune up and then switching to the Vibroplex Brass Racer. The vertical antenna was the better performer on 40M and the G5RV did duty on 80M.
Thanks so much for sponsoring this event! It is the one event where the goal is to actually communicate via CW and not just rack-up contest points. Every QSO was special and harkened me back to those days in the early 1960s when as a very young teenager each QSO was not only special, often it was hard earned with very primitive, homebrew equipment. Thanks for the memories!
Dennis, Sarasota, Florida -- K1YPP
02:50 K4IN 569/599 80M 30W 03:34 Gerald, Mobile, AL
03:54 K1Y/4 599/589 80M 30W 04:01 Kev, Shawsville, VA,
05:59 K1LGQ 589/599 40M 5W 06:12 Dennis, Brookline, NH
06:12 KG7FS 589/589 40M 5W 06:30 Rich, Manchester, MI
Comments on QSOs:
K4IN: I always try to get any station I contact to QSO for at least a half-hour. Im an inveterate rag-chewer and cant see how anyone can learn anything about the person theyre conversing without spending some time with them. Gerald was a joy to work. He commented that he has been trying to slow his life down, now that he is getting up there in years. I told him that using a straight key is an excellent start; we had a good laugh on that!
K1Y/4: Kev (K4VD) was operating a straight key club station and for whatever reason couldnt use the call after 04:00, so we kept it short. He commented on liking my call (K1YPP), he just had the shorter version! He indicated that at some future date we should talk, he loves old Drake equipment. Even though I wasnt using it at the time, I treasure my Drake TR-7A.
K1LGQ: Dennis and I go way back. Ive known him for years, we met back when I lived in New Hampshire. I heard him calling a VE2 station, it was unsuccessful, so I jumped in to let him know I was there. It was a joy to hear him on 40M, he has had some tough times lately, a battle with cancer in particular! The treatments have worked for him and his fist sounded better than ever. We discussed my upcoming Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike this year. Ill be carrying a homebrew rig and he is anxious to work me along the Trail. Dennis is a serious QRP operator; I nominate him as having the best fist of the evening.
KG7FS: Rich called me as soon as I cleared with Dennis. We had a nice chat about Michigan (I enjoy going out there for mountain bike rides). I told him I was running 5W on battery power and he noted that my signal had a bit of hum on it (good ears, the previous QSOs at 30W had run the battery down to where I put the charger on, I usually run battery power and QRP but for the benefit of the SKN event opted for strong signals).
This year the event was a real thrill and I spent some serious time with my Vibroplex, Black-base, straight key; other than just using it to tune up and then switching to the Vibroplex Brass Racer. The vertical antenna was the better performer on 40M and the G5RV did duty on 80M.
Thanks so much for sponsoring this event! It is the one event where the goal is to actually communicate via CW and not just rack-up contest points. Every QSO was special and harkened me back to those days in the early 1960s when as a very young teenager each QSO was not only special, often it was hard earned with very primitive, homebrew equipment. Thanks for the memories!
Dennis, Sarasota, Florida -- K1YPP
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