Portable Operations Ideas Part 4 of 4

So, how do we carry all this stuff around?  In your car to the park or campground...no problem.  Bike mobile users put a lot of thought into where to place the radio, battery and antenna.  Marine mobile users have the game pretty well figured out.  Pedestrian mobile ops also have specialized techniques for packing around radios and talking as they walk.  So, you're just a person who wants to hike up a trail and spend the day on the radio...or walk through a park or nature area until you find a good place.  Personally, while I have several brand name packs, what would I recommend?  In most cases, get one of the inexpensive internal frame backpacks from Wal Mart.  I happened to find a contractors' pack at Lowe's for 1/2 price that has lots of zippered pockets in it.  You don't need an expensive backpack that will haul a tent, sleeping bag, food, water, etc. (unless you are going backpacking).  Anybody who tells you that you do is trying to over-complicate carrying some gear a short distance.  However, if your gear weighs more than 15-20 pounds or other factors limit your ability to carry a pack, I would try to get a higher quality pack, so the weight distribution is spread out on your hips rather than your shoulders.  They have better designed pockets, larger, and are more water repellent.. And, as most people already know, if you will be on trails, rocky or uneven ground, etc., give special consideration to your footwear.  For something like the FT-817 or a CW QRP rig, a wire antenna, such as the EndFedz, a CW paddle, along with a snack and water (and first aid kit), a small pack might be all you need.

Whether you do mobile, marine, bike mobile, pedestrian mobile, or whatever, an organization called HFPack is a great resource.  There are numerous QRP organizations, as well as Summits On the Air (SOTA), that can offer advice.

I'm sure that I've left out something, but hopefully this will benefit you in your choices for portable ops.  Whichever equipment you choose, remember...have fun!  Here's wishing you some good DX.

Visitor Hit Globe Now On Blog

If you hit my blog, you'll notice that I now have a spinning hit globe.  It's brand new as of December 12, 2011, and pretty weak with hits.  Unfortunately, it isn't retroactive to the many previous hits...like a thousand.  That would look way cool.  But, thank you very much for visiting.  Please do subscribe if you want.  I'll be happy to provide a link to your blog if you want me to.

More on QSL Card Progress

I got a card from Belgium the other day.  That was cool, as I don't have any from that country.  It is sort of nice, being able to check the mailbox every day, knowing that a card will be there every couple of days.  I got two in one day this past week!

This endeavor has taught me 3 things:  1) Keep caught up in your log book r/t who you want send a QSL card to.  2) Decide when it's time to use the Buro and who you want to send that way.  I'm getting poor and IRCs and the concern of if the other ham will send his card can weigh on a person's mind. 3) Send out a few cards frequently, rather than having 50-60 to try and get written, envelopes prepared for, and mailed.

I've worked on deciding if I want to accept eQSL cards for my collection for some time.  I discovered the printer will do a great job of printing them on photo 4x6" paper, however the edges are chopped off.  It is really cool getting a hardcopy card, with the hand-written QSO facts, and the envelope, with foreign stamps to look at.  But, it is definitely easy, and free to use electronic cards.  I think this medium will work once a person gets a confirmed contact for a country or state.  Duplicates then won't count for any awards anyway.

I do find it frustrating that when you work a special event station with a cool theme, that either the QSL card is a generic one from the club or trustee, or it turns out they don't accept QSLs for the exchange.  I worked a station, S52OSV in Slovenia, that commemorated 20 years of the signal branch of their armed forces.  That would be a cool card to have.  They don't QSL...  Crap.  I do understand that everybody can't afford event cards, or cards at all in some instances.  I read an article about the value of cards.  An example was a fellow who took a long time to get a card back to the sender, and it was all handwritten on a 3x5" card.  He thanked him for the contact and apologized that his income and family size wouldn't allow him to purchase cards.  I got a card back earlier this year from a maritime mobile station I worked.  He was on his boat off MA.  The card was self-printed with a drawing of a boat and his name/address on one side of a 3x5" index card, with the contact hand-written on the other side in cursive.  There were even the blue lines on the card.  At first, I didn't like it and hoped he would send me a nicer one (when his new stack came in), but then I realized how much time it took him to hand write all the info with the nice note, and now it's one of my favorite cards.

My own cards from cheapqsls.com have a nice, but generic format, with the template already there to put the info.  It's specialized a bit with some clip art from SKYWARN and ARES, but no photos.  I hope to do photos some day.  I'm considering learning how to make my own.  I'm interested to learn about your own experiences with cards.

QSL Cards Almost Caught Up!

After procrastinating for a long time, I've almost got my last batch of QSL cards ready to mail.  I have somewhere between 20-30 stateside cards to mail.  All the overseas cards went out about 2 weeks ago, and I got one from France at the end of last week.  I'm expecting cards from several other countries in that part of Europe, as well as from Mexico, as well as one more hardcopy card from the ILLW event.  At least I hope so, considering the amount of postage I spent money on...

Back in the summer, I sent one guy an IRC and SAE.  I won't name him by name.  I never got a card back from him, and he didn't email me.  Later, I discovered that he only does Buro.  If somebody accident sends me a card, not knowing that, and I only do Buro, I'd feel an obligation to make an exception and take that IRC to the post office and send the person a card.  At the very least, I'd email that person and explain.  Anyway, to get the country, I guess I'll either have to pay $2 and send one card to the Buro, or not get the card from Italy (if that were the country).  That's my gripe for the day.

I suppose I'll start sending cards via the Buro, but I'd like to get my foreign DX cards built up a bit.  I have had good luck with Canada.  With one reminder letter, I've had 100% so far.  eQSL cards are another story. I can't get my printer to not cut the edges off.  So, I usually end up sending a card to them anyway.  I have noticed that nobody ever sends me a card first.  Wonder why that is?

The last thought for the day:  The Bureau is referred to as the Burro as it is slow.  However, it is usually spelled Buro.  Any ideas why?

Merry Christmas!
Steve