QSL Cards

 Somewhere I have a whole mess of printed QSL Cards that I have received via email and the ARRL incoming Region 9 bureau but I have misplaced them at this point. Including QSL cards many of which from Asia, Russia and places like Radio Arcala which I think was scanned into the computer system at some point or another but hasn't been found at this time. Will be posting new QSLs as I find them and they come in. W9SUN. 

A Sampling of Received QSL Cards from 2018-2021

 

W9SUN Upgrades

It's been quite a while since I have updated this blog/website but its time to start using this a lot more since I am quite a bit more radio active these days though SOME might say radioactive and opinionated which for some reason pisses some people off. Of course, I try to mix opinionated along with facts and figures and logic and most of the time it works pretty well. I haven't done the best job in keeping this blog and website updated and frankly over the past several years I've been busy with raising a family and trying to pay bills and also at the same time fight off health concerns and middle age issues which have been a big problem probably the biggest problem. 

I have been operating somewhat over the past few years but probably lesser so with family commitments and raising my progeny and keeping them in food, clothing, personal items, computer technology, cell phones and such to the point that I can say I am proud of my son and his desire and commitment to learning as much as possible and being involved in technology. I haven't quite got him to take part in Amateur Radio yet but I suspect he might get some spark and interest once he gets the technology bug a bit more though he is doing quite well at computers, tablets, YouTube and making videos and the such at his age. 

Some of the big upgrades I have made over the past few years was upgrading equipment from new radios such as a Kenwood TS-480SAT to the Yaesu FT-1000MP I acquired this past summer along with an IC-718 that I got relatively recently as well and upgrading more things such as power supplies, tuners, antenna projects and the such. One of my latest plans is working on software defined radio technology and a combination of building things such as small circuits as well as buying what quality gear I can find on the marketplace. 

Another of my interests like most hams is to build things such as antennas, circuits, projects, power supplies, tuners and the like. I haven't progressed to making my own HF amplifier yet its in the works eventually that I want to shoot for being full legal limit when I need it though I've made QSOs with 110 different countries at this point and probably a few more that I haven't gotten confirmed at this point because they didn't QSL or do Logbook of the World both of which I always try to do as best as possible. 

I've also been in the process of upgrading my social media presence both on Facebook but also Twitter where you can find me @w9sunradio or @w9sunradio1 most of the time lately and its a good way to share information. I am also present in two places on Facebook with my callsign and then a radio page. I also own a YouTube channel that I am just getting started with by putting up various audio clips from Shortwave Radio and Ham Radio on the Internet and future plans include going on YouTube as W9SUN and having a channel at some point on there. 

One of my pet projects I have been working on since late 2018 and I find it a lot of fun is building and implementing magnetic loop antennas of 4 foot in diameter to as big as about 8 foot in diameter or about 25 to 30 foot in circumference or 8 feet square loops which are great for low bands like 80, 60 and 40 although 40 would be more of a middle band rather than a low band. I don't do much on 160 because I don't have the real estate and the desire to put up 550 foot long loop antennas and long wires at this point. Then again I do change my mind and 160 seems like it would be a lot of fun even if I would only use it mostly in the fall and winter as opposed to the thunderstorm months of May to September here in the Ohio Valley region and it rains and thunders here quite a bit along with some pretty severe storms so I am not opposed to 160 meters but that unless its winter you're fighting serious noise issues in this area and thunderstorms being a every other day or every few day affair. 

Add in the fact that its about 550 feet of wire you're looking at or so for successful 160 operation I'll pass for now. I guess I could do a 160 meter magnetic loop that would be quite large or maybe even a shortened vertical for 160 meters but that is not on the agenda right now. One of my antennas ia 3 foot square on each side magnetic loop that I have designed and had pretty good luck for it working on 20, 17 and 15 meters made of 1/2 copper tubing though I want to try something a bit thicker for more radiation efficiency and use a 15 pf to 110 pf air variable capacitor to tune it though I usually use it without a motor to tune it so I choose a band and use it by tuning the band and then letting the antenna tuner do the rest though I am easily down to 2:1 over most of the general portion of the band. Another project I am currently working on is making a 2 element 5 foot diameter loop which would be about 30-32 feet in circumference and be able to tune pretty much anything from 40 meters to 15 or 12 meters from best I can do. 

I usually don't worry about loops for 10 meters and 12 meters though they aren't that big because I usually work with a vertical antenna on those bands or if I have the space put up some sort of sloper or dipole antenna for those bands. I also like using a delta loop which I have found to be quite effective at 1005/fMHZ to get a quality signal out on 75 meters as well as 40 meters and even 20 though usually at 20 meters, 17 meters and 15 meters I will use a vertical or the loop antennas which make a good small yard or small apartment compromise when you can't put up a full size antenna because of landlords or management to deal with. 

One future project I am going to do is building a flexible coax loop out of RG-213 or quite possibly buying some 7/8 hardline coax and then fusing it all together and maybe even be able to take it with me portable to work scenic spots here in the lower Midwest/Ohio Valley area which I like to do when the weather cooperates. Anyway I have said enough for now and I am sure my wife would say that as well! 73s and all best wishes for 2022 and beyond, W9SUN.

More QSL Cards from 2016-2017

I've received quite a few other QSL cards via the electronic method as well which I find for many is cost effective and who doesn't like to save a buck or two. Whether its in South African Rand, Russian rubles, American Dollars, Japanese Yen, etc. I don't blame anyone on a limited or tight budget for trying to be cost conservative and spend within their means. Some purists will get all pissed off at such but it only makes sense to do what you can financially and not spend all kinds of money to exchange QSL Cards. Which is why I happily endorse services such as EQSL at www.eqsl.cc which is a marvelous way to send confirmation cards for various hams that you have talked to all over the globe. I still like getting and sending out QSL cards when I can do so. Sometimes I don't always have the money to send many cards at once so it's unfortunately the way it is especially with overseas postal costs from the USA and vice versa. Anyway, I'll shut my mouth or my fingers and let you peruse the various cards I've received the past couple of years.