Occupy Ham Shack

I’ve wanted to make a blog entry for several days now, but I haven’t been able to get down to it.  Let’s face it.  I really feel lousy.  I’m suffering (and that is the operational word here) from a bronchial infection.  And as usual, the medicine is almost as bad as the disease itself.  The meds I’m taking make me drowsy, and it’s hard for me to concentrate.  About the only mode I’ve been able to work with any consistency is JT65HF, and I’ve worked a ton of that.  Yep I missed a few transmissions because I was too slow to respond.  As I said before, if I didn’t have JTAlert I would probably miss them all!

I’ve tried a few new things.  I’m trying to learn how to write command code for my TS-480.  I managed to install two buttons on the HRD desktop that tunes the radio directly to the 20 meter and 40 meter JT65 frequencies.  Not a great accomplishment, but I’m satisfied that I’m on my way to greatness.  If only I could find the “bring me a cup of coffee” command set…

I’ve been working a little more SSTV, and I actually had a DX contact on 14.230!  Well now, Puerto Rico is on the DX list.  I worked a station in Louisiana and one in Illinois as well.  Just now when I’m starting to work some SSTV, I find that I’m behind the curve again.  Have you heard of EasyPal?  Well, I hadn’t either, until I broke in on those guys on 14.233 and found out they were sending digital pictures on EasyPal.   They sent me to http://kc1cs.com/ to download the software, and only after a brief setup with no fine tuning, I was copying a nice digital picture.  Now all I have to do is learn how to transmit a digital picture.

I’m trying to regain my CW expertise.  It’s a long road ahead to get back to where I was in the 80’s and 90’s, but I’m determined to give it a try.  I tried using DM780 for keyboard CW and that’s just terrible, and because I don’t have a paddle I can’t load anything into the Winkeyer or the CW memories on the TS-480.  Thanks to Pete @WB0LCW who showed me how to use the KYCmd option under CW in DM780, I can now write macros to send in real CW and I can use my new-to-me Bencher Straight Key. Now I can send CQ and get my call right all at the same time, and then let my fist take over when the connection is made at which time the sending quality drops a few notches.  I will have a paddle in a few days.  I gave up on it last time and passed it along to another ham, but I ordered a new one, and I’m going to try it again. I’ve made a few CW contacts recently.  Today I’ve worked four stations so far, VE1AHC, IC8POF, SP4LNV and K5UTG.  Thanks guys for your patience.

I designed a new QSL card and I’d like to know what you think about it.