All, My son was kind enough to lend me his mini laptop today so I could run digital from the backyard with my portable station. I normally use my battery powered FT- 897D for portable work (CW / QRP), but this time it was going to be digital.
I expected a little RF hash coming from the PC after I hooked up the Rigblaster plug-n-play, but the Acer mini was very quiet. My portable HF antenna is a 3 foot diameter magnetic loop made by PY1AHD; it's lightweight and easy to tune from 7 to 30 Mhz (see attached). I had my first QSO with CO2NO on 20 meters and managed to work a QRP-to-QRP/P contact with AF2M in Orlando Flordia running Olivia 8 250 mode. As 20 meters started to fade, I QSY'd to 30 meters and worked KB9MUT on PSK31 with his plus 20db signal. It dawned on me after pulling the plug that portable contesting might be something that would interest the group. A two hour monthly Sprint for example, where both portable and non-portables can participate. Higher points would be rewarded to those running portable as an incentive to get out there and brave the elements; non-portables who seek out portables would be awarded higher points as well. Sort of a mini digital mode Field Day sprint each month that lasts a couple of hours. Just an idea. Tony -K2MO
