I took some time off from using the digital FT modes. 40 days and nights away from the keyboard. It was good to get time off from it, and that span seemed about right. I need to do this every year or more often when warranted. During that span I put 149 in the log using SSB and CW only. I broke the “fast” yesterday because I was getting anxious to see how the new K4 performed on the digital modes. Over the course of four hours I put another 71 in the log using FT8/FT4, most of those of the DX variety, and the new transceiver did an admirable job once I grokked the hardware and software configuration.

Now my attention has turned to the upcoming weekend and the CQWW DX Contest (SSB). Not that I’m planning a major effort, but phone is a weak link in my radio chain and I could use the practice and a DXCC Phone count boost. Not only will I be using a new transceiver this year, but for the first time ever I will be using an amplifier. The Mercury IIIs (KM3KM) and its matching high-power auto-tuner are ready to rumble and I really don’t know what to expect. In addition to getting the cabling and interface ready for the contest, I’m also moving my R6000 vertical from one end of the house to the other so there remains some mechanical and cable routing work to be done before the weekend. I also hope to have some time on Thursday and Friday to troll the bands looking for the big dawg operators who will be setting up in their exotic locations early.

The other bit of work that needs doing is setting up the logging software. N1MM+ might be the preferred logging app for serious contest ops, but I’m thinking of using N3FJP as I haven’t yet built any automation into the new station yet and I try to avoid the complexities of N1MM+ whenever I can. Either will produce a perfectly acceptable Cabrillo log file for submission so I’ll stick with it for this one. I’m glad when I purchased the package I did I paid a little more for all the optional modules though that was a few years ago.

Note to self: send a $50 donation to N3FJP for his continuing support. Done!