With temperatures in the 60-70's for the next several days its going to
be hard to think about contesting and getting ready for next weekend's
WPX contest. The grass needs mowing and weeds need to be pulled. In
addition, in a few more weeks it will be time to go fishing! Got to get
the boat ready; return the shack backup power supply (battery) and fire
extinguisher (please, no more flames after April 1st). So, with all of
this in mind, the results of this morning's trip to the PO box was
rewarding. Not only did the April issue of CQ arrive, but also, two
fishing magazines and catalogs.
Front cover photo of a just-caught 25lb dorado ..., oops, wrong magazine.
OK, let's start again; front cover photo of KE3Q (PVRC president) in his
well-amplified shack. I wonder which one is creating that red glow in
the corner? The fine print details (more than normal) are on the
Contents page. NOTE - for even more details look at Rich's post that
was on the reflector yesterday, Wow!.
Contest related items: The front cover, of course; Review of the Hy-Gain
DX77 Vertical (for those small contest lots); A Short 2-Band Vertical for
160 & 80; The Yard Yagi - Fixed 5 Element 15 Meter Wire Beam; Contest
Calendar column - Contesting For Newcomers; and Propagation column -
More Evidence That Cycle 23 Has Begun (but not on 10 meters yet!)
Other interesting items: World of Ideas column - Memory Lane?, Just
Follow the Sucrets Trail! (little rigs); Math's Notes column - Optical
Communications, Part IV; Doug's Desk - A Multi-Purpose Broadband
Amplifier (not QRO); Packet User's Notebook column - An Ounce of
Prevention (lightning protection); and Washington Readout column - What
is the Purpose & Future of Amateur Radio?
And, since this is the April issue, there are a couple of items for
light-hearted reading.
Ads: Alpha Delta and Outbacker Antennas have teamed up to bring us the
Outreach Antenna with a two page ad; Electronics Distributors of Vienna,
VA, has an ad for the new Midland 75-510 UHF FM handheld for the Family
Radio Service (new CB band!?); Astron has new switching power supplies
up to 25 amps at only 5 lbs.; AES has a closeout sale on FT990s and
FT900s; and KLM has 40 meter 2, 3, & 4 element yagis.
Good Luck in the WPX Phone. Check 10 meters occasionally, please!
73 & good reading,
Henry Pollock - WB4HFL
Raleigh, NC
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