Preparations for November Sweepstakes

I've gotten spousal approval to go for two full-effort weekends in the November Sweepstakes, including a full 30-hour CW split station effort at AD6Z's excellent QTH. So, to get my home station ready to go, here's my list of tasks:

• Repair my triband wire beam - replace broken spreader arm. [DONE]
  
• Upgrade K3 firmware and N1MM well ahead of time (get them installed by the CQP in early October). [DONE]
  
• Secure the coax feedline attachment to the G5RV - the strain relief appears to have worked loose, so all the downward pull from the coax is on the PL259. I just know it'll pop loose in the middle of SS. [DONE - feedline replaced, too]
  
• Give the station a good shakedown in CQP - aim for at least 10 hours of operating. [DONE - some new problems discovered]
  
• Spend some time tweaking my transmit microphone EQ settings. [DONE]
  
• Get WAV files recorded for phone SS.
• Get my netbook set up to do logging tasks. [DONE]
  
• Make a list of things I want to take with me to a guest station (e.g. K3, headphones, netbook, keyer, etc.) so I don't have any unpleasant surprises upon arriving. [DONE]
  
• Clean up the shack. [DONE]
  
• Hang some blinds in the shack - that afternoon sun is blinding. [DONE]
• Fix RFI problem that kills DSL when running high power (otherwise I won't be able to supply spots) [DONE - switched to Comcast for internet access]
  
• Get FT-857D working with N1MM on Netbook. [DONE]
  
• Fix virus infection on desktop (Grrrr!!)
• See about maybe adding a simple longwire receive antenna to use with diversity reception on the K3. [NOT DOING]
  
• Run an RFI check with amplifier running at 500w on 80-10 meters.
  
• See if the ANC4 noise cancellation unit does any good.
• Write down antenna tuner settings for all bands and put cheat sheet on tuner.
  
• Raise the triband wire beam on Friday and test. [DONE]
• Get hooked up to VE7CC cluster and get spot filtering working. [DONE - needed to change the SH/DX macro to SH/MYDX/30]
  
• Find a packet cluster that includes RBN spots.
• Make a function-key cheat sheet that can sit on the keyboard. [DONE]
  
• Get N1MM set up with two separate log databases, one for each callsign, including FN keys. [DONE]
  
• Make "go kit" list so I can roll out to AD6Z's place in a hurry. [DONE]
  
• Make a rate sheet from last year's CW logs. [DONE]
  
• Come up with an operating plan. [DONE]
  
• Get N6BV propagation PDF on laptop. [DONE - actually printed it out]
• Put "SS" back in at end of CQ. [DONE]
• Update Prefill and SCP files. [DONE]
• Get set up to record contest audio.
• Add "R" to S and P exchange [DONE]
• Be Faster on S and P!!!!!
  
• Do the Sunspot Dance
  

So this is where they come from...

Spotted on a recent trip to Sacramento.

Anyone know what this LP array is?

This last weekend I took my kids to Sacramento on the Capitol Corridor Amtrak. On the way, just south of the Fremont train station, and visible from the right side of the train is a big HF log-periodic array. It's got about 17 elements, and is about 70 feet in the air. I got a photo:



Near as I can figure with Google maps, the street address is on Centralmont Pl. in Fremont:


Anyone know what this thing is used for?
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Summer 20m Evenings...

One of these days I'm going to learn why 20 meters is so great in the evening. Tonight I worked Greece, Serbia, Australia, and Bulgaria on 20m CW around 10:30pm local time. There was a big pileup on A71BU (Qatar) but he was just barely above the noise here, so I didn't wade in.

WWV QRM

I heard something on the 5 MHz WWV frequency tonight:




I hear things like "bullseye", "track", and a lot of digits. It almost sounds like some military communications. But right on top of WWV?

RA3EG QSO

Tonight I found 20m open, and worked Vlad, RA3EG on CW. I was pleasantly surprised, upon looking up his callsign on QRZ, to learn that he's 16 years old! Maybe ham radio isn't just a bunch of old guys after all.

P.S. After I worked him, another Russian ham started calling CQ almost dead-beat with Vlad (obviously, was in the skip zone and couldn't hear him). I sent "QRL" after the CQ, and got a "SRI" back. Considerate ops are still on the air.

Ogasawara

Tonight I worked Steve Culp (K8QKY), an old W8UM friend operating as JD1BNQ from Ogasawara:



40 meter CW, 100 watts to my inverted vee at 60 feet. Thanks, Steve!