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Bob K5DZE WELCOME! Thanks for stopping by my website! Here you will find information about my Amateur Radio QRP (low power) operations as well as my Amateur Astronomy efforts. It won't be long till Solar Cycle 24 begins its upswing in earnest, so now is the time to get ready for 10 Meter operation and to start listening on 10 for those long awaited openings. The 10 M BEACON page will tell you about my 10 Meter Beacon as well as 10 m beacons in general. It will also tell you how and where to listen for them. The ANTENNAS page will discuss a number of antennas to include a personal review of the new S9V vertical at my station for general use and for my 10m Beacon. Also discussed is my 80-10 meter 284' Full Wave Loop, some NVIS techniques, and several other antennas. Check out the PROJECTS page for some ideas and projects that might work in your Shack as well. A couple of these were chosen to appear in QST's Hints and Kinks column. Visit the the recently added QSLS page to see some neat QSL cards. You may see one you know there! Speaking of QSL cards, have you ever wished there was an easy way to make your own custom QSL in small quantities on your computer without a lot of hassle? Well, there is...all you need is your computer and MS WORD. Click the MAKE A QSL CARD page link to see how to do it and to see a number of examples, then have fun making QSL cards for all sorts of special events and operations at your station. If you have an interest in Amateur Astronomy, the ASTRONOMY link will also provide you with some ideas you might consider to enhance your own viewing efforts. It is a marvelous hobby and makes for a relaxing evening with family and friends too! The PHOTOS page to see some of equipment going back to 1956 as well as other pictures of projects and activities developing around my QTH. I hope you find something of interest and please... drop by anytime. Comments and feedback are welcomed.
Currently, I have several QRP rigs on SSB/CW/PSK-31 as well as a 100 watt rig. My Shack and equipment can be seen on the QRP page of this site. After holding all Amateur Licenses from Novice to Extra (including the Advanced) and having spent 54 years in Amateur Radio, I seemed to have come full circle. I began with a low powered CW transmitter and small receiver, moved on to running several different kilowatt rigs and numerous big antennas, and now I am again back to low power! While each level has it enjoyment, QRP has really put a lot of fun and challenge back into my operating. This is something you will hear again and again from QRP operators, and I can tell you it is so true! I recommend this facet of Amateur Radio no matter how long you have been a Ham! In addition to the low power option, I got really become active on PSK-31 and am working to get QRP WAS just for the fun of doing so. I am also really surprised at how many DX stations I can hear on PSK-31! If you haven't tried this digital mode, you really ought to give it a shot. Its loads of fun and extremely effective running just 5 watts or less! Drop by the QRP page by using the link on the left to see more details on equipment and QRP operations at my station.
Perhaps you are familiar with the NCDXF/IARU Beacon Project (info: http://www.ncdxf.org/beacons.html). But but did you know a lot of Amateurs just like you also operate their own automated 10 Meter CW Beacons on a 24/7 schedule? These beacons transmit as an aid to 10 Meter propagation monitoring to let anyone quickly check to see if the band is open and if so, to/from what area. It is not only helpful when checking the band, it's fun to see how many of these rascals you can copy! Most beacons are operating at 5 watt or less, and a few run true flea power of 250 mw or even less. When the band opens up a bit, it's not unusual to catch a dozen or so beacons announcing their presence. Information on my 10 M Beacon web page will bring you up to speed on this activity and tell you where to listen for these interesting signals. This page will help you get a handle on what the "Beacon Band" is about and it will even tell you how you can activate your own beacon on the air should you have an interest in doing so. Several states in the US have only one or two beacons, so you efforts would surely be welcome. Right now, band conditions are poor but major improvements hopefully should be coming soon as the solar cycle begins its upturn. This makes now the perfect time to start listening to catch those 10 Meter band openings. 10 meter beacons are on-the-air right now as you read this and if the band is open, you likely can catch several of them! Please tune to 28.2415 and see if you can hear K5DZE/B... See you on 10 meters!
Like Amateur Radio, Amateur Astronomy has been an interest of mine for some time. In the past, I designed and supervised construction of a 1500 sq. ft. roll off roof observatory with an accompanying Amateur Radio Club for a college where I was an administrator. This facility included a classroom, a multi-operator ARRL award winning (2000 School/College ARC) Ham Shack (W5CBC), as well as an optical and radio astronomy observatory area where a pair of Meade telescopes were in operation. We set up for Amateur Radio Astronomy with a 21 MHz radio telescope using an AZ-EL 7 element log periodic to listen to natural radio emissions from the planet Jupiter. Now that I am retired and relocated in KY, I have a light weight portable Celestron NexStar 6 SE telescope for personal use and I enjoy star gazing just for the fun of it. Probably the most enjoyable and useful astronomy related project I did recently was to assemble a small Portable Observatory Shelter for home and field use. (Also works great for as a "Field Portable" Ham Shack!) It seems to always get a smile when its mentioned, because this project is built around a one person "privy" tent that was made to use as a shower or bathroom while camping. This unlikely sounding set up is really a great little asset in that it shuts out dew and the night breeze nicely, it offers a sheltered desk for your computer, and it provides a work space for your sky charts and log. A really nice feature is that it can be easily transported to any site, set up for use, and then be easily taken down. To top it off, its very inexpensive. It also makes great pop-up "Drive-Way" observatory for home use! Check it all out on my ASTRONOMY page.
On this page of the website, you will find a number of free eBooks available written in popular Adobe .pdf eBook format for your pleasure and information. This includes two books for Amateur Radio operators and one for newly elected church board members who have never served on any board before. Additionally, there is a preview and ordering information of my first paperback novel, DEO VINDICE, a tale of people and events of the Civil War. If you are a knowledgeable student of this period of history, you will surely enjoy this novel since you will know the personalities in the book and what they would have likely said and how they might have responded in various situations. For those not so well versed in the Civil War, the story will seem so plausible as to leave you wondering what is really true and what is fiction. See how history might have turned out. Also read about my new novel, titled WAR THEY SHALL HAVE soon to appear as a KINDLE book along with another new work coming soon titled A CIVIL WAR REFERENCE FOR KINDLE. This latter book is now finished and soon to be released as Kindle Books for the Kindle 2 Book Reader. (Not familiar with Amazon's KINDLE book reader? See the link I have provided on The Bookshelf to learn about this great reading device.) As you can see, there are several selections on The Bookshelf free for the download, so drop in and browse around.
I try to update this site often, and I hope I can provide items of interest to you. Till next time...
73 and Clear Skies Bob
This site is always under construction... right after I have my coffee...
"A Salute To Those Who Fly the Unfriendly Skies..."
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