Hey everyone...just wanted to give a big shout out to my friend Vlad, UA6JD, who does web design as a hobby.  Want to spruce up your page on the Zed?  Give Vlad a shout - he does it up really nice!  If you check out his page (UA6JD), you can see that he's written a few books on the subject, and they can be downloaded for free...just click the cover of the books in the left hand scroll box on his QRZ page.

To see how nice your page can be, just check out mine...www.qrz.com/db/k8si...he does this for free to all fellow hams!  You give him what you want on the page, and he codes it and sends you the files to upload....Check it out!

Hello, everybody.  Well, it surely has been a long summer, at least it seems so with the XYL convalescing all summer from her broken hip and subsequent surgery.  She is now able to get up and around, and can get out to do her running around without my assistance.  Six more weeks and she should be released to go back to work....

In the mean time, I have been anxiously awaiting the upcoming Va. Beach Hamfest.  This year, they are officially back at the beach.  Hopefully, this is a sign that the 'fest is going to be larger than in the past few years, with more vendors and other displays.  Looking forward to going, although I really don't have anything in particular on my shopping list...just want to stock up the junk box a little, and look for the ever-elusive great bargain.  For anyone interested, here is the link to the website:

http://www.vbhamfest.com/front_page

Hope to see some of you there!

73,

Jim  K8SI

Well, it has been a while since I last wrote in this blog...but not a lot has been happening.  My bride had a little accident on the first of May, took a nasty fall, and broke her femur, so I have been rather busy tending to her as she convaleces.  She's been coming a long rather well, but the healing of such a large bone is a slow process, even with all of the advanced hardware she now possesses...

I am now down to only one QSL from WAS...Alabama is my last need.  I guess I should've taken advantage of the recent ALQP, but just didn't have the time.  I only operate sparingly of late, so I didn't manage to jump into that one to nail down my last needed QSL.  I KNOW there a several stations in here from AL, can't we make a sked and help me get this one out of the way?  Please?

Have been working some nice DX lately - especially since I became more active on CW.  Managed to work E4X, and have also added several other new countries to my "worked" list, ahinch is now up to 101 worked, with 63 confirmed.  Now if those bureau cards will ever get here...thinking about trying out Global QSL...I figure for about 12 bucks for the first 100 cards, it isn't all that expensive to test out.

Also have started playing around with some RTTY just for a change of pace...worked several Carribean stations so far, plus worked JY4CI in Jordan!  So, apparently, there's some more fun to be had with one of the OLD digital modes!  Although it isn't as robust as PSK, it still works, and is gatting more entries into my log.

Well, that's about all there is to report for now.  73 from beautiful, historic Hampton, VA - America's oldest continuously English-speaking city (Estab. 1601).

Well, only two more confirmations to go to submit my app for WAS - Alabama and Montana.  Unfortunately, I have only one contact with each state to rely on...I sent SASE's, but so far, no joy.  Hopefully, they'll come soon..then I can start really concentrating on DXCC.  So far I have 91 countries worked and 55 confirmed, but I have a BUNCH of DX QSL's out there that I am awaiting returns on.  Not getting too impatient with those tho...several of them are via the bureau, and that can take months if not a year or more...oh, well, the paper chase continues!

73,

Jim  K8SI

Wow!  The new server is really quick!  Page loads almost as fast as I can click!  Great improvement...

Now, if the bands would just cooporate this well.  75 is really up and down this evening...could barely hear a guy that lives less than 5 miles away (although I think he's on a vert).  Maybe 20 PSK will be the place to go to after my bride and I go for our evening stroll thru the neighborhood.  I can only hope so...want to play some more with PSK125...damn that's a quick mode!

73 for now.

Jim

Wow...trying to sit thru the VSBN net...thank goodness we picked up a relay...can't hear NCS at all!!!  75m is REALLY down for in-state comms right now...

Hello everyone!  Not much to report just yet from Hampton, VA, but I'm sure there will be something eventually.  I did just last night work Utah for my 50th state, completing WAS...now if I can just get those last 5 QSL's, I'll be able to apply for it.  Amazing, considering that I've been a ham for 38 years and never completed WAS.  I got most of the way there back in my early days, but then I moved from WV to here, so I had to start over.  Then got busy eith school and work (and other fun), and dropped out of the hobby for several years.  Got back into it for 3 or 4 years back in the mid-90's, but didn't really try for it then...mostly worked DX on 20m CW.  Dropped out again for about 15 years, and decided to get back into it again about a year ago.  Finally got on the air back in November, and starting completely from scratch, I completed WAS in 4 months.  Not bad running 100 watts barefoot!  Thanks to the digital modes!

73,

Jim - K8SI