Logbooks

I can't remember exactly when it was that I got my novice license. That information may be available on the FCC's licensing website - somewhere - but I couldn't find it. Rather, I should clarify, the data that I did find didn't go back that far.

But, thinking back as hard as I can, I think it was 1976 (and that's the date I used in the Nov CW SS recently). I would have been around 12 or 13. Prior to getting my ticket, I was fortunate enough to have two terrific elmers - one being my best friend, Jeff - WA4ZJW (then WN4HQH) and his father, Nick - K4KYN. Jeff used to bring his log books to school and let me take them home to sift through. Jeff was (and still is) a meticulous record keeper and looking through his log was a lot more fun than trying to learn the code on a Realistic shortwave set that I'd built (and subsequently had my dad 'rebuild' when it didn't work).

If there was one thing that I came away with from reading Jeff's logbook, it was a desire to make my logbook as orderly and informative as his was. And so, when I finally got my license, my logbooks became truly one of my proudest possessions. Not only did I try and make them neat and legible (which was pretty difficult for a teenage boy with horrendous handwriting), but I tried to include any important and interesting information about the QSO's that I made. I made intricate notes in the margins and although I felt it must have been pertinent at the time, looking back at them now makes me smile and laugh out loud at some of the silly things I wrote down.

And that was back when a callbook went out of date rather quickly, so I jotted down plenty of addresses in order to acquire the coveted QSL cards that I wanted.

So, when the ham bug bit me again about a year ago, one of the first things I did was purchase a new, shiny logbook. But things have changed and Radio Shack doesn't carry them anymore, so I ordered one from the ARRL (not realizing that every hamfest has oodles of them for sale). But it wasn't until I made an impulse purchase of a Yaesu FT-857D earlier this past February that I began keeping my QSO's electronically. Since then I've changed rigs, but I've maintained my logbook on the computer.

I checked my DXCC progress the other night and was somewhat pleased to find that I've worked nearly 140 countries since February. I feel that's pretty good considering that I took nearly all of the summer off from hamming. But more importantly, I found that I've confirmed 63 countries through the Logbook of the World (LOTW). So, thinking a little further, that's roughly a 50% return on my QSL's country-wise. Now, obviously I've worked many of those 130-some countries many times, and I've probably received several QSL acknowledgements that only show up once towards my DXCC total. Undoubtedly my 'real' return percentage is WAY below 50%. But for all the quirks and initially confusing instructions, LOTW seems to work pretty darn good - so far. It's sure a heck of a lot cheaper.

I bring this topic up because somewhere along the way I stopped entering my QSO's into my paper log. And with that, even though my logging program has a field for comments, I stopped making notes of all the little tidbits that I used to keep track of in my logbook. Somehow typing them on the computer doesn't have the same impact as whenever I took the time to write them down. Moreover, looking back through the entries on the computer doesn't produce the same joy that turning the pages of the logbook did. And, recently, my daughter looked through some of my old logbooks and asked all kinds of questions, which only made me realize how much I missed those little snippets.

I guess there's not much to write when a CW DX contact takes all of 10 seconds. In 1977 I remember discovering 15 meters and all the DX stations that I could actually work. But the exchanges still took several minutes.

Of course, I didn't have 140 countries in the book either.

ARRL November CW Sweepstakes

I had a good time this past weekend working stations in the November Sweepstakes. It was really nice to hear the bands singing with CW signals again. After a summer-long hiatus from hamming because of lousy propagation and a heavy workload, I was more than ready to return to the radio. I don't know how propagation played out for the rest of the country, but I was pleased with the fact that the S-6 noise that had plagued me for most of June through September had dissipated for the most part. Or maybe it was just that folks were on the air?

I had briefly given some thought to participating in the CQ Worldwide DX SSB Contest the weekend before, but after a paltry 4 or 5 QSO's, I bagged it. I'm a realist, and 100 watts and a vertical during the opening hour of that contest is pretty much akin to doing 'you-know-what' in the wind. I'm sure if I'd waited until the next day I'd would've had more luck, but I knew that good ol' CW would be waiting for me the following weekend.

I'm not sure how many hours I operated - I need to check that in N1MM - but I would guess that I was active for about 1/3 of the total time. I ended up with 360-some QSO's, but halfway through I decided to worry less about the number of QSO's and focus strictly on trying to work all sections. I nearly made it. Out of 80 sections I contacted 75. I missed 4 sections in Canada and 1 in the states. Get this, I worked every US section with the exception of South Carolina. You know, the state right next door to North Carolina - where I live. Kind of ironic.

In fact, I spent a majority of my time using the spotting function and searching call signs for areas that I needed, listening to their state, and, if needed, making the contact. For me, that was a great challenge and kept things interesting, rather than focusing on my QSO total.

And throughout it all, I had the good fortune to work a few fellow bloggers, that was a treat.

I used the K2 for the entire contest and it did a fantastic job. It's a real joy to kick in the filtering, turn the knob and hear only one signal - the one you're interested in. Turn off the filter and it's a mess of signals. I've made some boneheaded purchases in the past when it comes to ham radio, but I can't imagine that I'll ever regret buying the K2.

Sure makes me look forward to CQWW CW at the end of the month!