Ham On A Bike

"You have to grow with the times or the times will outgrow you."  That is how my Music Director would sign off from his afternoon radio show back in the early 70's when I was Program Director at an AM radio station. I never would have imagined in 1956 when I was introduced to Amateur Radio that one day as I left a doctor's appointment in 2024, I could carry a Ham Radio station in a small backpack and ride my bicycle less than a mile to a Parks on the Air site and communicate to other operators around the world. The only way I would have believed that back in 1956; is if I were sitting with Marty McFly in a Delorean and a plutonium-powered nuclear fission reactor with a Flex Capacitor traveling ay 88 MPH and set the date for March 14, 2024.  March 14, 2024 You might wonder as why I mentioned my introduction to Ham Radio in 1956 and FT8 today. Well, in the early 1950's I remember Ice Boxes, not refrigerators. Ice Boxes. Several times a week The Ice Man riding in his...

  (Disclaimer) I do not claim to be knowledgeable in Space Weather (forecasting).  I consider myself a Space Weather enthusiast. The sun shines bright in my old Kentucky home as it does over most of the earth during Solar Cycle 25.  For several weeks now it seems no matter what region of the Sun is facing Earth, the Sun is having a hissy fit with solar flares, solar storms, CMEs and radio blackouts.  How has Solar Cycle 25 affected, if any your Amateur Radio operating? In anticipation of Solar Cycle25, during the Pandemic shutdown I delved  into areas of Amateur Radio that I was familiar with but wanted to expand my knowledge.  One area is Space Weather and the effects the sun has on Amateur Radio operating.    During the shutdown, I  probed the far reaches of the internet searching for any content, instructions, courses, papers, blogs, social media posts and videos for information on space weather.  I knew a little about how the su...

  WITH using James Watt As some of you know I do some QRPp Parks on the Air activations using the QRP Labs QCX Mini. For the past couple of years I've had GREAT results using my 40 and 20 meter QCX Mini with what I call, "My Smoke Detector Battery" setup This spring and so far this summer I've used both 40 and 20 meter QCX minis with a 9 volt/200mW battery for WSPR operations.  And most recently I've used the 9 volt/200mW battery with my 40 meter QCX Mini for for early morning CW Parks on the Air activations. While using my YouKits HB-1B during a POTA activation on April 29th, 2024, I set up another vertical antenna with my 20 meter QCX Mini to use as a WSPR station with a 9 volt/200mW battery. I ran this setup for almost an hour and was amazed with the distance and how many beacons picked up my less than a watt signal from Kentucky, USA.  QRP Labs QCXX Mini 20 Meters   A few days later on May 1, 2024; I decided to give it another try but this time on 40 meters wh...