Posted: 8/1/2011 5:40:36 PM EDT
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You may have read I have my Emcomm Box almost completed: Here
Or read my questions on a Random Wire Antenna: Here Which all culminated for my first ever HF QSO this afternoon on 80 meters. After driving a Ground Rod into what seemed like pure bedrock, I strung a line to the flag pole from the barn and began calling CQ.... I tried for about 45 min and gave up-I was bushed and disappointed and walked back down to the house. After cooling off with some Sweet Tea, I found the unction to go back and try again...after-all; didn't I study and pass the exam? didn't I have some hard earned dough invested in equipment? and didn't I just drive a ground rod in the sweltering SC heat? Dang Right, and I'm gonna get 'er done! I fiddled with my tuner, and found a QSO in progress on 3.890...I called out and Immediately a gent by the name of Larry came back. I gave my call, QTH, and name...and mentioned this was my first QSO-then all trains halted! from there Larry, Duke and Nathan chatted along for a bit, asking questions and offering advice (just like you'd hope someone would treat a Green Ham)! They asked about my antenna, and I mentioned I was running about 75' of random wire- no counterpoise? What counterpoise  So I ran out, strung 75' feet of #14 on the ground and called back into the guys-Signal went from S4 to S7....ran another 50' or so and got to S9! Was also directed to up the mic gain and hold it closer to my trap 
So what if it was only about 225+ miles, I finally got it done; with NVIS to boot––––it wound up being a pretty great day 
Now the REAL learning starts! |
A Super CONGRATULATIONS!!! Excellent! See? You were scared they would give you a hard time for being a dork on the radio, and they helped you get a better signal! The reason you may not have gotten anyone for the first 45 minutes, it may have still been too early for 80/75 meters to open. Usually you need to wait until about 6:30 pm at the very earliest (your local Daylight Savings Time), and even then it is iffy. The band does not really get going until after 7:00 pm local Daylight Savings Time. Hey, it's all downhill from here. Make SURE you have properly logged, hope you made note of the times, if not your best estimate, and send those guys each a card and a thank you as soon as you get cards printed. For now you can even whip up something with your own printer and some cardstock. List date and time (UTC), band/freq, your call, and "confirming QSO with (their call sign)." I would even make a note, "Thanks for making my first QSO so enjoyable!" or somesuch. Again, Congrats!!! 73, AFM |
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just wait till you get on 17m. its all over then. that quickly became my favorite band. Yep, I love 17. The beach antenna I'm working on is a multi-band vertical but 17 is my main priority. made my first international contact on 17m a few weeks back(early summer) and was HOOKED. very little noise and very good signal reports. talked all over Europe that day. |
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eQSL is excellent, and I use it.
http://www.eqsl.cc/qslcard/Index.cfm Especially good for overseas contacts, and in countries where a return card is very expensive in relation to the other ham's income. I set up my eQSL "card" to look like my printed postcard type QSL card, same photo, same layout. And when I receive an eQSL I "print" it to a pdf and save in a QSL subfolder in my ham radio folder on the computer. Ham Radio Deluxe, aka HRD, I use only the Digital Master 780 portion of that program. I just don't "get" the rig control part. I have the radio right in front of me, so why do I need to control it with a computer? I really don't. I've used it and it was just a waste of time. I also don't need to track satellites, control a rotator (have not seen one yet that didn't come with its own controls - duh!), or the other things this way overloaded program does. I guess I'm just not "computer geeky" enough. But I DO like using DM780 for PSK31 and other digital modes. I've used others, FL Digi, MixW, MultiPSK, and Digipan. I keep coming back to DM780. DM780 allows you to easily use other digital modes, such as Feld Hell, Throb, etc. And the logging portion of HRD is cumbersome. I tried it, just a pain to set up and use. I had also tried several other logging programs and they were rather crude and difficult to use, and didn't give me near the utility of my simple Excell spreadsheet plus QRZ callsign lookup. So, that's all I use now. QSL cards, let me recommend "The Sign Man of Baton Rouge", himself a ham. http://www.thesignman.com/ And he is your source for other ham swag, caps, badges, license plates, patches, coffee mugs, desk signs, etc. Top notch quality and top notch reputation, good prices, fast shipping. What more do you want? |
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So what now? Logging Software....eQSL....HRD..... and what about my address...do I use the PO Box as known by FCC or actual transmitting addy for QSL? If you are transmitting from home, use the address shown by the FCC or your QRZ page. I have my address as shown by the FCC on my card. If you are transmitting from an unusual location, such as a rare grid square on an island, or whatever, use that. I had a nice QSO one day, I was in the city park running off batteries with my homebrew Buddipole. My contact was on Assateague Island, off the coast of Virginia and Maryland. It is a state park and famous for the wild horses on the island. He was on the beach, sitting in a lawn chair, using the mobile antenna on his van. http://www.assateagueisland.com/ So that contact and Grid Square made an interesting addition to my logbook. (You can find the Grid Square on QRZ) But your QSL cards can be either actual physical address or the PO Box. |
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This is truly a "learn by doing" hobby!
I feel guilty. My first HF contact was on 20m from VA to OK using 5 watts phone from a Yaesu 817 into a buddipole (an off center fed commercial dipole kit that uses traps: ie, not the most efficient thing in the world). He came back to me the first time I called CQ ever.
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Made my first HF QSO on 17m and it still is my go-to band. If you can put up everybody and his kid brother along with all the nets, 20m can net you a bunch of DX. Especially if you're into the digital modes like PSK31, RTTY, and JT65-HF. Most of the action there is on 20m.
Don't forget to spin the dial on the other bands too. Made more than a few just starting at 10m, work my way though that band. Then do the same on 12m, then 15m, etc. Congrats on the first HF QSO. Just wait till you start working DX. Being on the right hand coast Europe is open frequently.
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Made my first HF QSO on 17m and it still is my go-to band. If you can put up everybody and his kid brother along with all the nets, 20m can net you a bunch of DX. Especially if you're into the digital modes like PSK31, RTTY, and JT65-HF. Most of the action there is on 20m. Don't forget to spin the dial on the other bands too. Made more than a few just starting at 10m, work my way though that band. Then do the same on 12m, then 15m, etc. Congrats on the first HF QSO. Just wait till you start working DX. Being on the right hand coast Europe is open frequently.My first was 15m to Croatia, Man the upper bands were slamming in March. I haven't had any days like that in a while. |
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I use HRD for everything. Contests, chasing awards, any and all modes. I really like the logbook feature. During digital modes right click on the callsign and click callsign on the menu. It populates the logbook thingy on the left. With a cheap subscription to QRZ.com it then populates the rest with name, address, DX entity, QSO start time, and a bunch of other info. In the macros you can add a tag to add the QSO to the log and once configured do an auto upload to eQSL.com as well. Got mine set up on the 73 signoff. During phone and hand sent CW I have a 'add QSO' window up and enter the call manually. Tab away and the info fills in.
So what now? Logging Software....eQSL....HRD..... and what about my address...do I use the PO Box as known by FCC or actual transmitting addy for QSL? As for QSL services you have to make a decision whether electronic, paper, or both. Myself I cover all the bases. As much for the other station as for myself. Whatever the other station wants, he gets. So I'm on LoTW (preferred), eQSL, direct to the PO Box, or through the bureau. Now for the address issue. All my ham radio mail goes to the PO Box which happens to be in a different town than my residence. Closer drive. The only time it can be an issue is during VHF contacts where the grid square is exchanged along with the sig report. Make sure you send the grid square of where the transmitter is during the exchange. I have a note on my QSL cards of the transmitter location by city name in case somebody cares. Nobody cares where the mailing address is. What people do care about is an accurate transmitter location by grid, county, city, and state. Leave the home address out. |