W2LJ QRP - When you care to send the very least!

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If you have a bug ......

Posted: 15 Jul 2019 01:40 PM PDT
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please take a "re-look" at my Morse Code page on "How To Adjust a Bug".
Benny Owens K5KV, who had purchased a lot bugs from an SK's estate, and
spent a lot of time adjusting them all, and graciously made some
suggestions/corrections to what I had written.

His remarks are in red type and are easy to see. I think it's a more
complete and comprehensive treatise now, from which many neophyte (and
maybe not so neophyte) bug users will benefit from.

Thanks Benny for the editorial assistance!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

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Contact Sport

Posted: 15 Jul 2019 06:56 AM PDT
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While we were on vacation last week, I finally got the chance to read the
book that my sister gave me for Christmas - "Contact Sport" by Jim George
N3BB. I held off reading it with the intention of bringing it along on
vacation. I was not disappointed. This book is his recounting of N3BB's
experiences as a driver for the 2014 WRTC Championship, which was held in
New England that year.


I enjoyed the book on several levels:

A) It is a book about Amateur Radio, to which I can totally relate. It was
an easy read. N3BB is a talented writer and the book was written in a
manner so that someone who is totally foreign to Amateur Radio could pick
this book up and enjoy reading it. In the same vein, it was not overly
simplistic. It held my attention throughout and was a relatively quick read

B) As pretty much a non-contester, I was impressed - VERY impressed with
these "Top Guns" who qualified for the Championships. I could never do what
they do. I don't have the resources or the devotion to plant my butt in a
chair for 24 hours almost every weekend during contest season. These guys
can do that and their experience and abilities are just amazing to me. That
being said ........

C) As an avid participant in Field Day, on some levels I can relate. I can
relate being to being "locked up" in a hot tent for 24 hours trying to make
as many CW contacts as possible. For the first few years of SPARC's Field
Day efforts, the CW duties were left pretty much to Marv K2VHW and myself.
This year we had a lot of help with that. I am hoping that continues in the
years to come. Reading about these guys doing what I do once a year (of
course on a much more advanced level than I could ever hope to do - Uber
Field Day) was neat, because I totally "got it".

D) It turns out I actually know one of the major players in the book. John
Laney K4BAI is a familiar call sign in just about all the QRP Sprints in
which I participate. I have always looked at John with major respect for
his talent and abilities, and his sterling character and reputation for
fairness and honesty. To read about someone I know being eminently
qualified to act as a WRTC referee made the book somewhat more "personal"
and brought it home for me.

E) Chapter 17 was devoted to Morse Code. A relatively short chapter, Jim
attempted to explain the "magic of Morse" to those not familiar with the
mode. IMHO, this was the best chapter of the book - but then again, I AM
biased!

If you get a chance to pick this up in your local library, or order it from
Amazon, I would recommend it. It's a fun read about something that all the
readers of this blog enjoy - Amateur Radio. I had no idea this book was out
there. I thank my big sister many times over for gifting it to me.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!