Good Evening,
The bands were not happy this week. When I first had a chance to make
a morning sked my contact and I were unable to make it work. We exchanged
a few sentences but the band was just too weak. The next morning we tried
again. He was stronger to me but could not hear my reply at all. Upon
searching SpaceWeather.com I found we had had a little problem in our
protective magnetic shield. There had been an opening in it allowing the
sun to spew ions into our magnetosphere. This did not help the bands
any. Today, though, I was able to hear folks on all the bands I tried: 80
m, 60 m, 40 m, 30 m, 20 m, and 17 meters. From what I have read I should
have tried 15, 12, and 10 as well because the 10 meter beacons were
accessible. But, I was soldering away on a little Norcal kit to make some
test gear for the bench. One more setting to adjust and I'll have a
frequency counter up and running.
I had to go into town this evening to buy a few supplies. On the way
back up the mountain I noticed the Flowering Dogwood at the lower
elevations were losing their flowers. Further up they still had a few
flowers and up at my elevation they are in full bloom. I stopped along
the way to pick a few False Solomon's Seal to make a little bouquet for
Pat. The house will smell a bit better for the next week or so :) She
and I used to clip a few of them in their season to take to her mother who
loved their scent. These are just getting started so the fragrance is not
yet as strong as it will be.
As I was clipping them I heard a snort and saw a buck in velvet eyeing
me. He then walked off into the alder glade to get some peace. Looked
like there were at least four points on each side. The California Quail
have been grouping up along the road each morning to see me off to work.
A little lower I see a few grouse; I've not seen the greyish blue ones in
a while, these are brown. I saw a female pileated woodpecker Friday
morning and there is a large, elusive bird just below my house. I've
heard him banging through the trees and have only seen a dark silhouette
as he flees. I am not sure what he is afraid of but I'd like to determine
his species just for the record.
If you are not doing anything tomorrow evening you may enjoy checking
in to the nets. I am not sure how well the bands will hold up but the
contest is doing a good job of keeping the ionosphere charged. That
normally guarantees a day or two of good propagation :) I may turn the
rig on to 10 meters tomorrow morning as I do the wash and clean the
house. Never can tell when it will be open. Good luck with propagation
in your part of the world.
Tomorrow:
1) Hail signs (first letter or two of the suffix of your call)
2) NCS help (as well as QSP/QNP <relay> help)
Please join us:
Sunday 2300z (Sunday 4 PM PDT) 14050 kHz
Monday 0200z (Sunday 7 PM PDT) 7045 kHz
Kevin. KD5ONS
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