With Varying Frequency - Amateur Radio Ponderings

Had a great chat with the AmQRP nue-psk team. Met with the folk at Green Heron. Ordered a new name tag.Now studying the programs and planing the next visits.

Also have looked at the K3

More when I get to a keyboard!

73

Steve
K9ZW

Ok with the Dayton Hamvention a mere six weeks out, I would expect any of us planning to go are getting the “Dayton Itch.”

I’m again registered for Contest University, and there is 3-1/2 weeks more of open registration before they close off new applications on April 30th.  I’ll be attending the Alumni section, which is programmed to follow on from the material presented last year.

It has been proposed before and Scott NE1RD & I were there in 2007, as a Ham-Blogger Gatheringduring the Hamvention is in the works.  More when time & date are settled.

I hear rumbling of various product launches and some expected products that may be held back from Dayton.  Some of the launches I’ll be covering in the next few weeks, and obviously unless it is a product announced and withdrawn I won’t have very much to say about the Dayton no shows.

Cannot tell you how smart I think it is hold back a product just not quite 100% ready, rather than rush to show at Dayton.  As big of a milestone of the amateur radio industry calendar as Dayton is creates huge pressure to have product to launch by the time of the show.  But if a product isn’t ready for prime time this same exposure can kill it stone cold.

More over the next week!  Don’t miss that deadline to join Contest University!

73

Steve

Looks like things have come together as far as they can for forward planning for Dayton Hamvention 2008.

This year I am able to accompany my friend George W9EVT again. Good deal as he knows so many people and knows the ropes, and I am quite happy to drive & learn.

Should be a blast!

Not certain what my personal shopping list will be this year, or which of the various dinners & events will be taken in. Might even take the car rather than teh truck if gasoline prices go the direction forecast.

Much more on all of this as the countdown to Dayton 2008 Hamvention continues!

73

Steve
K9ZW

Of great interest to me was how I set off to Dayton enthuased to see Radios & Technology, and how in the end what seemed to mean the most after the looking, control twiddling and spec sheet reviews were done was how the people stood out.

The team from Contest University were outstanding to meet in person and to hear explain what they have learned to do so well.

I ran into relatives & friends - some I had been told would be there and some who I hadn’t. 

 Helping at the Special Event Station I ran into Dale N6JSX, who not only went through highschool just ahead of me, but has a number of clever amateur radio antenna & accessory designs to his credit.

From NEWDXA (Northeast Wisconsin DX Association) K8IR and his son (who at age 11 is a General Class amateur who has already started into DXing and Contesting) was a pleasure to run into at the Contest University, as were W9OP who I hadn’t expected to see at CTU & of course W9EVT who rode out from Wisconsin with me.

I had the chance to chat with reknown software developers like Carl N4PY and the people behind many of the products I use in my shack.

People seemed to be pleased to just invite each other to come along & join the group that was going off to eat - which lead to very interesting conversations about how fellow amateurs run their ham shack & what interests them.

The best in Gear and the best in People - already making plans for Dayton 2008!

This ends the write up of the notes I made at Dayton for With Varying Frequencies.  I have four - five pages of additional notes, but it is time to start looking forward to Submarine Events, Field Day, an Antenna Building Project, Operating and Island Activations.

73

Steve
K9ZW

his son

Ok this one wasn’t on the official list of Dayton activities, but is an example of the sort of fun that seems to happen spontaniously at Dayton!

On Saturday Morning I was invited to breakfast to hear about Collins Boat Anchors and to talk DX with several long time DXers - George W9EVT, Joe W9JUV and others who I didn’t catch their callsigns.

I was rather stunned to learn that all of these gents had well over 300 countries confirmed.

Of course all had been hams continuously since a time before I was born.

The commonality of their experience seemed to be:

 Stick-at-it - they all had spent years enjoying DXing

Awareness - they all seemed aware what DXpeditions were in the works.

Use of CW - every one of these gents were proficiant at CW, and used it.

Simply Equipment that WORKS, leaving twiddling & fussing to those more interested in technology than operating.

Shacks that were accessable or in the living space of their home - seems they kept their radios as close at hand as a pianist would keep their practice piano.

I am sure there were more lessons that I could have learned from these gentlemen, as the priviledge to hear how they did DX was a treat.

This is the second to last planned post of my Dayton notes - like this unplanned breakfast, my Dayton was full of 100’s of small bits of learning, lots of comradship and was a great time!

73

Steve
K9ZW

Friday Night at Dayton (May 18th) I attended the SWODXA - Southwest Ohio DX Association hosted the Dayton DXCC dinner.

Of course there was a DXCC countdown, with lots of folk with stunning numbers of confirmed countries!

VERY humorous presentation by Dr Bedlar (aka N0WX Ward Silver) in slides was really a treat. If Ward N0WX’s alter-ego Dr Bedlar didn’t make you smile…. well….

Some Dinner Pictures have been posted. The spokeswoman from India was a charming speaker.

The Daily DX did a write up they have been sharing - and you can read it here.

A good time had by all!

73

Steve
K9ZW