I just received two batches of QSLs: one from the ARRL Bureau and one from the FISTS QSL Bureau. Both contained a few goodies:

After last week’s meeting, Al, KC8RNQ came up to me and asked me if I could help him troubleshoot a problem with one of his rigs, a Kenwood all-mode, 2m radio. I asked him what was wrong, and he told me that it would “cut out” intermittently and that someone he was talking to thought it was “just” a bad connection in the microphone. Furthermore, the reason he wanted to fix this was so that he could give the radio to a new club member (and recent Tech licensee) who did not yet have a rig.

Well, I certainly couldn’t turn him down, especially after he said he was going to give the radio away. So, I told him to come over one evening the following week.

I don’t know exactly why I’m doing this, but I’m trying to drum up QSOs on 40m in the Maryland/DC QSO Party. And, boy, are they few and far between. At times, there have been more out-of-state stations calling CQ MDQP than Maryland stations.

Here are some ideas floating around in my mind that aren’t big enough for their own items. or would be too much work to make into their own item:

• 30 guys showed up for the ARROW meeting last night. Not bad for a meeting in the middle of August.

I worked a little of the North American CW QSO Party last night, making 50 contacts in an hour and 40 minutes. Not great, but not bad. I scored 32 multipliers, including 3 Canadian provinces and Mexico.

About a week ago, my Elmer-ee, Zoltan, KD8ABX, e-mailed me and asked if he could come over some evening and watch me operate HF. He came over Monday evening. After participating in the ARROW Monday Night, I fired up the IC-735 and tuned around on 40m.

One of the things he was curious about was why someone would choose a particular band or a particular mode over another. The answer to that, of course, is not an easy one. A variety of factors come into play: the time of day, band conditions in general, and personal preference.