First of all, a big shout-out to all of you that have returned my QSL cards.

For the first time ever, I started sending out unrequested cards in November 2011. LoTW semed like a simple way to confirm QSOs but a friend suggested also using QSL cards, and now cards have been arriving every day (10 cards in one day is the max thus far). Counting the cards and LoTW the count has reached 225 DXCC unique entities confirmed out of about 250 unique entities worked -- all on SSB from my small station. Confirmed band entities have reached over 570 out of 980 worked and I have 4 bands with about 200 and 3 bands with 100 entites.

Again, thanks to all of you that have sent me your FANTASTIC cards from your DXpedition or home QTH.

QSL info: (The fun photos and such are near the bottom)

I L-O-V-E LoTW a FANTASTIC system for QSL-ing. To the stations that already use LoTW it is very much appreciated!!!!!!! LoTW can be a pain to setup but well worth the effort . I upload my OSOs to LoTW every few days.

If using QSL cards here are the basic instructions

Direct International (DX) please enclose 1 greenstamp and SAE. Our outbound international postage is just $1.05 US so I can pay the extra $.05 to get a card to you (-:

USA, HF QSLs please include an SASE .

VHF/UHF and 6 meter QSLs just send me your card and I'll do the same.

For you hard working SWL-ers, just include the callsign for the other station in the QSO and other details, no greenstamps required for SWL only SAE needed and I will take care of the postage. Use the saved money for your HAM studies -- SWLers make great HAMs. SWLers, feel free to post this information on your forums.

Sorry no eQsl But I will return all BURO cards quickly via the BURO. The BURO can take many months but I will do MY part quickly.

Greetings fellow HAMs from NA6L ! (was K6JSV)

We live in San Diego, California USA very near the Pacific Ocean and the border with Mexico.

In the shack On HF I use a Yaesu FT-950, Ten-Tec Hercules II 550w solid state amp, Dentron AT-3K tuner.

Generally my full-time HF antenna is a 3 element, Parallel wire, Inverted “V” dipole that is cut for 20/40/80 Meters but kinda' works on all the other HF bands via the tuner. The “V” dipole is 12 Meters at the apex and the ends are about 4 meters off of the ground. I am working on getting a beam permanently installed but for now I’m testing a Cushcraft A3S about 5’ above the roof with an “armstrong” rotor.

When on 6 Meters I use about 80 watts into a small Comet 4 element beam up about 50' above the ground. There is a nice terrain advantage here with a 250' drop-off toward the East. Prior to installing the Comet I used a 2 element homebrew Moxon with great success ($20 worth of parts from Home Depot).

For mobile, portable and on vacation I use a Yaesu FT-857D, auto tuner, dipoles (screwdriver on the Jeep). We love heading out to remote areas in our Jeep and setting up a station using an 11 meter tall push pole for dipoles or vertical antennas. I still use the 6m Moxon (that I originally built for the house) when I am operating portable so watch for me from some “unique” grid squares from time to time!

Regards and good DX, John NA6L (XYL is KJ6JAL)

San Diego, California. East from the antenna! Inverted "V" 3 element 20/40/80 home QTH

Mexico Vacation Patio dipoles 20m (above) and 40m (on big pole)

Curacao as Maritime Mobile - Dipole in rigging! Beach "HAM Shack" with 11m tall Vertical

The Travel Rig "DX in a bag" -- add coax and some dipole wire and work the world. Jeep Mobile/Portable with 33' pushpole with dipole

Home Depot special, $20 moxon 2 element beam built from 1/2" aluminum angle