NOTE:

7 - 15 January 2012 I operated as KE4PT/3 from FM18rx using an small "Go-bag-DX-station" and a homebrew off-center-end-fed (OCEF) "DX-fishing-pole" dipole. Thanks for your patience with my 2.5-5 W signals!

I uploaded all QSOs to LOTW as KE4PT/3.

.

"Go-bag" station includes a Yaesu FT-817, CW key, Elecraft T1 ATU, Signalink-USB interface, and Dell Mini-1010 computer. I use exactly the same rig/computer settings for all of the digital modes, so I can operate PSK31 or RTTY or JT65 by just setting the appropriate frequency and running the appropriate software for the mode (Digipan and MMTTY shown). The 41 ft long homebrew OCEF dipole droops off the 20 ft long fiberglass tent pole attached to the balcony using a bungee cord.

__________________________________________

At home, my Icom 706mkIIg pushes 100 watts through a coax-coil + ferrite current choke to an Icom AH-4 automatic antenna coupler/tuner at the bottom of a 4.3m tall and 14.6m long dual element inverted "L" that is strung in the attic of my one-story home. The coupler ground side connects to a horizontally displaced ground rod which also supports a vertical conductive mast for a 2m band J-pole that tops out at 6.6m [please see: QST, Oct. 2007, p33]. The tuner-antenna combo covers 160m - 6m. It's a modest station, but good enough to earn WAS-TPA, WAC [8-bands], DXCC [220+], and 6m-VUCC, and to copy HAARP lunar echoes on 6.7925 MHz with "no visible means of antenna". I'm always looking for Asian stations hidden behind the Auroral oval. Portable QRP piqued my interest, so I stuffed a "DX-go-bag" with a Yaesu FT-817 and a homebrew off-center-end-fed "DX-fishing-pole" dipole resonated by an Elecraft T1 ATU. Please listen for my QRP operations.

I operated a homebrew 6L6 oscillator and Hallicrafters SX-110 receiver when originally licensed as WN2PGH. I soon upgraded the transmitter to a pair of 1625s driven by a 6AG7 oscillator, and the roof sprouted a wideband "conical monopole" antenna. Founded TimeDerivative, Inc. in 2003, a wireless consulting services and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) radio technology company. I'm a member of the SAREX (Space Amateur Radio Experiment) team, life member of AMSAT, member of ARRL, and ARRL RF Safety Committee, and I'm an ARRL Technical Advisor. I like chasing DX. The extra 17 dB that CW has over SSB helps with my modest station, so please look for me at the CW end of the HF bands! I just added RTTY, PSK and JT65 modes. I'm also a member of the South Florida DX Association and the QCWA.

Can you decode my Secret Ham Message? Send your solution to ke4pt (at) amsat.org - Congratulations to the many successful decoders of the message!

The final courtesy of a QSO is a QSL card. I reply 100% in kind: direct to direct, and bureau to bureau. I upload all my logs to LoTW, and reply with 'AG' to eQSL cards.

The KE4PT Rules of Ham Radio:

• (1) Please be courteous.
• (2) Don't operate in an electrical storm.
• (3) If you ignore rule (1) please also ignore rule (2).

Finally, please do your part to lower the average age of Hams: 'Elmer' a youngster!