Long overdue update

After a long bout of laziness, I decided that I need to update this blog again!
I will take a new photo of the station and post that soon as well.
I have a new 18" Laptop (Toshiba Qosmio, intel Core i7 - it rocks!), and a new Heil ProSet Elite 6 headset, footswitch, etc. This is making radio a lot more fun! I hated using the hand mic.

I have also now passed the 6500 QSO mark, and my QSL manager is up to date with all cards that had been received up to Friday 10 February 2012.

I upload my logs to LOTW about twice a week, usually just before, and just after the weekend.

I hope to take part in the ARRL DX CW contest this weekend. According to the LOTW records, I need three more states (Delaware, Nebraska and North Dakota) confirmed on LOTW to have the Worked All States done. Hopefully I'll manage these missing states the coming weekend.

DXCC standings are currently 125 countries worked, and 91 confirmed via LOTW. Not sure how many others might have been confirmed vir mail, to my QSL manager. Keeping in mind that I don't hunt countries actively (I just get on the air and work the masses), I'm quite happy with the results.

I'll be shuffling between two sites again from the end of March, when I return from my break.

I'll spend 3 weeks at the current camp (Grid: KH27tr), then three weeks at an exloration project in Kitwe (Grid: KH47ce). At the house in Kitwe there is a 20m high tower, that I'll be able to get some antennas on. I'll be putting up a permanent 80-10m Off-centre fed Dipole, like the one I have up at my present location.

I have been given a 3 element yagi for 6m, a Spiderbeam for HF bands, and a Spiderbeam 12m push up mast. This is on it's way to Zambia, and I'll be geting them up when I get back from my next break. I land back in Zambia on 20 March. So look out for a louder signal on HF, and hopefully more activity on 6m.

I have also got a digital interface, that I'm trying to get to work for digital modes, but I'm having a bit of trouble. Things sure have changed a lot since the days of my old PK-232 MBX (RTTY only!). I'll get some help with this when I'm on break.

There you go.... now people know what's happening in Zambia again.

Have a good week playing radio.

Chris

Zambian Future plans

The client that I'm working for, has decided to change our work schedule.
We used to work 6 weeks on, 6 weeks off. With this schedule in mind, I started developing my amateur radio station at home as well. I've built the counter tops, and started looking at antennas.

When I returned from my last break, I was informed that our schedule would now be 4 weeks on, 2 weeks off. This isn't so good, as it means 25% more time at work, and 50% less time at home. But the company has agreed to adjust our contract fees, to compensate for this, so I guess that will be how it is for the foreseeable future.

This will obviously impact my amateur radio activity as well. With a lot less time at home, I've decided that I'm not going to spend much time on radio while I'm home.
I will therefore be bringing some of my new equipment that was supposed to be for the new "home station" up to Zambia, and set up a better station here.
I have a brand new Yaesu FT-950 (weblink), and I've been offered a 12m Aluminium Spiderbeam mast, as well as a Spiderbeam. If this offer materialises, I'll be having a LOT of fun here in Zambia.
I also need to look at the option of operating 6m. the FT-950 is capable of 6m operations (100w), and I hope to find a company, or ham, who will donate a portable 6m yagi.

My QSL manager has reported that cards have been arriving in the mailbox, and that he's having some basic cards printed up as a start.

Well, these are my musings for the day.

73 / 88 to all

Chris