[600MRG] Please consider getting active on 630m in 2015!

[Patrick Brown]

January 3, 2015


 
JOHN DLANGRIDGE

827MIDDLE RUN CT

DUNCANVILLE,TX 75137

kb5njd at arrl.net


 
John:


 
My name is Pat KL3DB in Homer Alaska. I amblind but have adaptive devices to assist me. I also have hearing challengesand find it difficult to listen on headphones with static and varying levels ofsounds.


 
I am fascinated with these frequencies and activitieson 630 meters and the below 9 kHz crowd. But I admit I am lost in all thedetails.


 
I am asking if you would be patient, to helpme get on some of this digital activity and especially these frequencies. Herein Alaska I have about 3 acres of land to utilize so I can run long wires justneed to be high enough to not clip moose antlers, which get pretty high upthere!


 
My wife Shanley KL5AJK is real active oncontesting and contacting. Together we do ham training classes. Our club recentlyrestarted after 20 years SPARC, (South Peninsula Amateur Radio Club).


 
I have a background in radio broadcasting includingbeing on the air in Chicago. I am not as technical as you when it comes toradio although I am CSO for a satellite project, another story another time.


 
Sometimes it is difficult to navigate on the web.I will review the site suggested in your bio on QRZ.


 
I would need to understand what we are tryingto accomplish on 630m and need to consider equipment and antenna. We arelocated SW of Anchorage and since I am retired I have time and energy availableand would love to help out the team from Alaska. One goal this year is digital on ham and learning Morse code again.


 
Respectfully,

Patrick Brown KL3DB Extra Class

40996 Woodman Lane

Homer Alaska 99603

Phone 907.775.4638

Email: KL3DB at ARRL.net

 
 
      From: John Langridge <jlangridge at sbcglobal.net>
 To: "600mrg at w7ekb.com" <600mrg at w7ekb.com> 
 Sent: Saturday, January 3, 2015 11:16 AM
 Subject: [600MRG] Please consider getting active on 630m in 2015!
   
There have been a lot of grants awarded in the last year or so...  Activity has been pretty good in spite of the poor-ish condx that we have seen this winter.  There is always room for more and this "630m thing" has always been about what we, the operators (both RX AND TX!), make of it.

If you have a grant and have not been active or have not been on the air yet at all, consider what you might do to make that happen in 2015.  If you are having problems getting things going, there are so many resources and on-air experience within this group to help you make that happen.  You just have to ask.

One of my radio resolutions for 2015 is to lose a little more sleep and make a few  more QSO's.  Compared to my previous two years on 630m, I have been a less active operator, relying more on WSPR reports and the wow factor and marketing potential that is generated for would-be new applicants and potential operators.  I've blamed perceived propagation for the most part but I think having enough guys on the air to populate the band can make some of those perceptions disappear.  Its been very cool to listen to the EU guys (via  http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ ) making random CW QSO's (not skeds - literally random Q's) during their evening.  Also the special event we did in late October / early November was awesome and condx were even pretty good (funny how condx seem to be pretty good when we get on!).  There is plenty of great potential out there if ops will take advantage.


My hope would also be that a few of the former stalwarts from the experimental group would figure out how to get active again.  Its great to have XSH/15 QRV again!  We have holes from the gulf coast and rio grand all the way to the canadian border in the central part of the country...If you can get on or want to file for your own grant, please give it some serious thought!  We also have holes in the south east.  Surprisingly the west and southwest have had very healthy growth and there is always room for more...


73 and happy new year,

John KB5NJD / WG2XIQ
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