When I invested in the K4 ecosystem a few years ago I assumed it would grow and evolve. That’s been the way Elecraft has done business since the beginning so there was every reason to believe that would continue with the K-Line. Firmware updates and fixes roll out on a regular basis. The latest, a beta update, includes one major improvement: a new Noise Reduction scheme that has been well received by the community....
Saturday afternoon found me trolling the 20 meter band looking for whatever might be biting. The analogy between fishing and DXing never fails to generate comparisons. Band conditions weren’t great and I knew right away the pickings would be slim. I heard several domestic events underway and decided to wade in as it’s always good to hear CW activity on the bands. Among other things, I made four CW contacts, all on 20, with Canadian...
Things have been rather busy around here the last week. The lawn is demanding a twice a week cutting right now and I’ve been obliging it. The weather has remained remarkably cool and comfortable. I’m certain that will change soon enough. This is Hamvention week and my plans are to go over Friday morning to stumble about the hog barns. I’ll leave about 3pm and retire to the Dayton Marriott in preparation for the...
The weather was nice today. It got up to about 70°F with lots of sunshine and blue skies. We went for a long walk down by the river after a quick lunch at McDonald’s. I’m not a fan of the food, but it was convenient. Kinda. I hate the self-serve kiosks that are popping up everywhere. It’s a big touchscreen interface. Click, click, click, confirm a few things, decline to add anything for any charity...
I’ve been a ham radio enthusiast for a long time — long enough that the words ‘estate planning’ no longer make me change the subject. Not that I’m in any hurry to go, but a timeline has been crossed where we’ve started working on a Last Will, funeral planning, where we will be buried, things like that. Part of that thinking also includes amateur radio. It’s always been a significant part of my life and...