WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.200 This episode of HamTalk Live is brought to you 00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:06.759 by Tower Electronics. For connectors, cables, 00:00:06.980 --> 00:00:14.820 and more, call 920 -435 -2973 or visit pl -259 00:00:14.820 --> 00:00:18.500 .com. And by Spring Hill Suites, Dayton, South 00:00:18.500 --> 00:00:22.199 Miamisburg, the Hamvention home for HamTalk Live. 00:00:22.500 --> 00:00:26.620 Reserve your rooms now at Marriott .com or call 00:00:26.620 --> 00:01:05.280 888 -850 -63. three nine one. Good evening, everyone. 00:01:05.579 --> 00:01:09.420 It's time for yet another episode of HamTalk 00:01:09.420 --> 00:01:16.560 Live. It's number 52, DXing with Fred Rigenider 00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:22.680 in K4IU, recorded live on Thursday, February 00:01:22.680 --> 00:01:27.400 16th, 2017. I'm your host, Neil Rapp, WB9VPG. 00:01:27.459 --> 00:01:30.879 Thanks for tuning into this episode of HamTalk 00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:35.920 Live. Tonight, we're joined by Fred Reganider 00:01:35.920 --> 00:01:40.780 K4IU and we'll be talking about DXing and take 00:01:40.780 --> 00:01:45.739 your calls live in just a few minutes. Last week 00:01:45.739 --> 00:01:49.459 George Nicholson in for GRN was on the show to 00:01:49.459 --> 00:01:53.930 talk about logistics for DXpeditions. And if 00:01:53.930 --> 00:01:55.989 you missed that show, you can listen anytime. 00:01:56.069 --> 00:01:59.150 You just go to HamTalkLive .com and you can listen 00:01:59.150 --> 00:02:02.930 on demand. Or you can listen to one of those 00:02:02.930 --> 00:02:06.409 podcast things, iTunes, Stitch, or Google Play, 00:02:06.569 --> 00:02:09.550 TuneIn, SoundCloud, or you can go over to YouTube 00:02:09.550 --> 00:02:13.629 and catch the old shows. So take a listen to 00:02:13.629 --> 00:02:17.310 those. And tonight, we celebrate our first year 00:02:17.310 --> 00:02:24.819 on the air. So one year ago. I decided it was 00:02:24.819 --> 00:02:27.379 time to give talk radio a shot something I've 00:02:27.379 --> 00:02:30.300 been wanting to do for a very very long time 00:02:30.300 --> 00:02:34.020 and so I decided that it was time to get back 00:02:34.020 --> 00:02:36.300 into broadcasting at least just a little bit 00:02:36.300 --> 00:02:39.840 and since last year we've grown to over a thousand 00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:42.379 listeners each week and we just celebrated our 00:02:42.379 --> 00:02:46.460 2 ,000th follower on Twitter and we did a show 00:02:46.460 --> 00:02:49.800 at Dayton with a live audience we added Instagram 00:02:49.800 --> 00:02:53.469 and Periscope to of our Facebook and Twitter 00:02:53.469 --> 00:02:57.569 feeds and even did a show with open phone lines 00:02:57.569 --> 00:03:01.169 and hopefully we'll do some more of those. Stephen 00:03:01.169 --> 00:03:04.449 Hawking, Samuel F .B. Morris, Kate Upton and 00:03:04.449 --> 00:03:07.969 Oprah Winfrey are just a few of the stars who 00:03:07.969 --> 00:03:10.889 have never been featured right here on HamTalk 00:03:10.889 --> 00:03:14.169 Live. But we have had some of the top names in 00:03:14.169 --> 00:03:16.629 amateur radio and leading experts on this program 00:03:16.629 --> 00:03:19.770 covering everything from DXpeditions to Young 00:03:19.770 --> 00:03:22.069 Ham of the Year. So to our listeners, our guests, 00:03:22.710 --> 00:03:25.530 our callers, and our tweeters, we say thanks. 00:03:26.050 --> 00:03:28.590 And we hope you continue to listen and more of 00:03:28.590 --> 00:03:31.889 you will participate in the show in the years 00:03:31.889 --> 00:03:34.789 to come. Also, don't forget, there's one day 00:03:34.789 --> 00:03:38.189 left of School Club Roundup. Just got home a 00:03:38.189 --> 00:03:41.969 little bit ago from working on that. So get on 00:03:41.969 --> 00:03:46.439 the air, give the kids a call tomorrow. Give 00:03:46.439 --> 00:03:49.379 them some more contacts on the last day of school 00:03:49.379 --> 00:03:53.020 club roundup All right, get your dialing fingers 00:03:53.020 --> 00:03:56.340 ready after the interview You can call us by 00:03:56.340 --> 00:03:59.719 telephone at eight one two net ham one that's 00:03:59.719 --> 00:04:02.780 eight one two six three eight four two six one 00:04:03.340 --> 00:04:07.219 or you can Skype us at the username HamTalkLive. 00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:10.280 You can also send questions via Twitter. Our 00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:14.340 Twitter handle is at HamTalkLive. So I'll be 00:04:14.340 --> 00:04:17.220 back with Fred right after this word from Tower 00:04:17.220 --> 00:04:22.100 Electronics right here on HamTalkLive. This episode 00:04:22.100 --> 00:04:24.879 of HamTalkLive is brought to you in part by Tower 00:04:24.879 --> 00:04:27.879 Electronics. Tower Electronics has been the Ham's 00:04:27.879 --> 00:04:31.279 dime store since 1978. When you need connectors, 00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:35.019 mobile and handheld cables, or adapters, visit 00:04:35.019 --> 00:04:38.620 Scott or Jill at a hamfest near you. Or you can 00:04:38.620 --> 00:04:44.800 order online at PL -259 .com or call 920 -435 00:04:44.800 --> 00:04:49.800 -2973. Stock up on those supplies like PL -259 00:04:49.800 --> 00:04:53.100 and end connectors, SMA adapters, audio cables, 00:04:53.379 --> 00:04:56.540 soldering supplies, mobile antennas, and hamsticks. 00:04:56.800 --> 00:04:58.920 There's silver -plated end connectors or even 00:04:58.920 --> 00:05:22.310 used on the International Space Station. Oh baby, 00:05:23.129 --> 00:05:29.050 you put a 5 -9 in my logbook. Now enjoy more 00:05:29.050 --> 00:05:51.279 HamTalk Live. Thanks to our friend Scott and 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:53.540 Jill at Tower Electronics for sponsoring the 00:05:53.540 --> 00:05:56.819 show tonight to help bring you HamTalk Live. 00:05:57.579 --> 00:06:01.170 They'll be at the Dalton, Georgia. Hamfest on 00:06:01.170 --> 00:06:05.029 February 25th and Cave City, Kentucky on March 00:06:05.029 --> 00:06:11.899 4th or you can call them at 920 -435 -2973. or 00:06:11.899 --> 00:06:16.360 visit them at pl -259 .com online and tell them 00:06:16.360 --> 00:06:19.339 you heard it on HamTalk Live. HamTalk Live is 00:06:19.339 --> 00:06:22.319 on the air every Thursday night at 9 p .m. Eastern 00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:26.519 Time right here at HamTalkLive .com and if you 00:06:26.519 --> 00:06:28.360 missed the show you can listen to the archive 00:06:28.360 --> 00:06:31.620 on the website or download it from most popular 00:06:31.620 --> 00:06:38.470 podcasting websites. Fred Rigginiter, K4IU, is 00:06:38.470 --> 00:06:42.050 a retired orthodontist and consummate DXer and 00:06:42.050 --> 00:06:44.850 contestor. He traveled the world as an officer 00:06:44.850 --> 00:06:48.569 in the US Army as an orthodontist, being stationed 00:06:48.569 --> 00:06:51.329 in Germany, Seoul, South Korea, and the Canal 00:06:51.329 --> 00:06:55.629 Zone, as well as across the USA, including as 00:06:55.629 --> 00:06:58.009 the commander of orthodontics while stationed 00:06:58.009 --> 00:07:01.569 at Fort Knox, Kentucky. While at Fort Knox, he 00:07:01.569 --> 00:07:04.329 had a stealth Yagi living next door to the base 00:07:04.329 --> 00:07:08.449 commander even. He's operated from Germany, Korea, 00:07:08.569 --> 00:07:12.889 and the Canal Zone with his wife Judy K0UH. He 00:07:12.889 --> 00:07:15.089 was a big contester in the Canal Zone working 00:07:15.089 --> 00:07:19.170 with Jim K4SQR who started Comtech Products. 00:07:20.040 --> 00:07:24.639 Fred worked DXCC from the canal zone and from 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:27.259 Korea. He was transferred back to the continental 00:07:27.259 --> 00:07:31.360 United States in the 80s and landed at Fort Knox, 00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:34.560 Kentucky. He and Judy raised two children, Chris 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:37.750 and Jill. Chris followed his dad's footsteps 00:07:37.750 --> 00:07:40.370 and did a short career in the army after graduating 00:07:40.370 --> 00:07:43.949 from West Point. And Chris is now an executive 00:07:43.949 --> 00:07:47.449 with Frito -Lay and Jill went on to the best 00:07:47.449 --> 00:07:51.910 university south of the Ohio river. It's the 00:07:51.910 --> 00:07:55.550 university of Kentucky where she majored in marketing 00:07:55.550 --> 00:07:59.149 and was a member of my beloved big blue nation. 00:07:59.509 --> 00:08:02.889 Uh, she's a strong UK fan even to this day and 00:08:02.889 --> 00:08:07.459 she lives in Chicago. And that instantly just... 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:09.500 Made her okay in my book. I haven't met her, 00:08:09.500 --> 00:08:12.100 but that's okay. She's a part of big blue nation. 00:08:12.759 --> 00:08:16.199 So, uh, Fred and Judy have six grandchildren 00:08:16.199 --> 00:08:19.540 and, uh, he taught at that other big university 00:08:19.540 --> 00:08:22.860 in Kentucky that I try not to talk about. That's 00:08:22.860 --> 00:08:25.720 the university of Louisville, uh, in the dental 00:08:25.720 --> 00:08:29.300 school and was a member of the Kentucky contest 00:08:29.300 --> 00:08:33.740 group. So Fred now, uh, competes with wires in 00:08:33.740 --> 00:08:36.620 his backyard. He has an off center fed dipole. 00:08:36.590 --> 00:08:42.090 runs a Flex 6700 and an ICOM 7700. He's a local 00:08:42.090 --> 00:08:44.850 contest mentor to hams in the Rochester Minnesota 00:08:44.850 --> 00:08:48.610 community and is a board member of the Minnesota 00:08:48.610 --> 00:08:52.169 Wireless Association. Fred's an active contester 00:08:52.169 --> 00:08:55.750 weekly in the CWT and nearly every weekend in 00:08:55.750 --> 00:08:59.250 a contest. He has more quesos per foot of wire 00:08:59.250 --> 00:09:03.620 than most hams ever dream possible. And he's 00:09:03.620 --> 00:09:09.120 almost completed 80 meter DXCC just on an off 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:13.000 -center fed dipole. So Fred, welcome to HamTalk 00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:16.820 Live. Well, thanks, Neil. I'm honored to be your 00:09:16.820 --> 00:09:19.279 guest on this first anniversary of your radio 00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:22.019 talk show. Happy birthday. Thank you. Thank you. 00:09:22.179 --> 00:09:24.460 And I'll try not to hold the Louisville thing 00:09:24.460 --> 00:09:27.299 against you. We were talking about that a little 00:09:27.299 --> 00:09:30.210 bit before the show. well thank you what we'll 00:09:30.210 --> 00:09:34.450 try to skip over there is a lot of work my resume 00:09:34.450 --> 00:09:37.429 they're exactly but everything else you know 00:09:37.429 --> 00:09:39.909 we could we could we could overlook that being 00:09:39.909 --> 00:09:44.429 that being u k fan that i am so uh... we we just 00:09:44.429 --> 00:09:46.549 want to talk some dexing tonight and you've had 00:09:46.549 --> 00:09:50.169 uh... a rare experience of being able to work 00:09:50.169 --> 00:09:53.889 the act cc uh... from several different places 00:09:53.889 --> 00:09:59.759 and and uh... and DX from not just here in the 00:09:59.759 --> 00:10:03.320 United States but from several locations. So 00:10:03.320 --> 00:10:07.340 the first question here is for somebody starting 00:10:07.340 --> 00:10:14.159 out in DXing and wants to work toward getting 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:19.500 100 entities for DXCC, what would you recommend 00:10:19.500 --> 00:10:23.460 is the best way to accomplish that goal for the 00:10:23.460 --> 00:10:26.620 first time? Well, you have to get on the air. 00:10:26.879 --> 00:10:29.960 You know, Neil, it's often easy to work DXCC 00:10:29.960 --> 00:10:33.360 in a single contest weekend. And I think electronic 00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:35.860 logs have taught a lot. A log book of the world 00:10:35.860 --> 00:10:38.980 makes it easy to get the confirmations without 00:10:38.980 --> 00:10:42.340 doing all the busy work with QSL -ing and SASCs. 00:10:43.259 --> 00:10:46.360 You know, consider the major DX contests promoted 00:10:46.360 --> 00:10:49.399 by the American Radio Relay League, CQ Magazine. 00:10:49.879 --> 00:10:51.799 There's one this weekend, the American Radio 00:10:51.799 --> 00:10:56.389 Relay League CW DX Contest. If you don't do Morse 00:10:56.389 --> 00:10:58.830 code, wait until next month when it's single 00:10:58.830 --> 00:11:01.870 sideband. And don't forget, there are some of 00:11:01.870 --> 00:11:04.929 the DX contests, good ones, sponsored by countries 00:11:04.929 --> 00:11:07.850 outside of North America that worked all European 00:11:07.850 --> 00:11:12.429 contests, Russian Federation contests, JARL, 00:11:13.009 --> 00:11:18.250 French contests, HA, Hungarian, Polish, and Scandinavian, 00:11:18.409 --> 00:11:22.129 just to name a few. There are weekly and monthly 00:11:22.129 --> 00:11:25.490 annual contest calendars. You can find these 00:11:25.490 --> 00:11:28.029 on a number of different sites. One of them is 00:11:28.029 --> 00:11:32.610 WA7B &M's site, the CQ and QST publications. 00:11:33.509 --> 00:11:35.789 On a day -to -day basis, I think spotting networks 00:11:35.789 --> 00:11:39.049 are helpful. And of course, there are newsletters 00:11:39.049 --> 00:11:44.629 like the Daily DX, QRZDX, you know. Neil, DX 00:11:44.629 --> 00:11:47.710 is relative. It can be a remote rock or island, 00:11:47.789 --> 00:11:50.669 or it can be an entity, which prohibits ham radio. 00:11:51.570 --> 00:11:53.830 If you take a look at the 10 most wanted lists, 00:11:54.590 --> 00:11:59.269 10 most wanted DX entity lists, now it's different 00:11:59.269 --> 00:12:04.029 than it was 10 years ago, or 20 years ago. Number 00:12:04.029 --> 00:12:07.330 two on that list is Bouvet Island. You've had 00:12:07.330 --> 00:12:10.250 one of your guests, Ralph Fedora, KZO Isle, I 00:12:10.250 --> 00:12:13.580 think. So he's been there and that's number two 00:12:13.580 --> 00:12:17.200 on the list. P5 is number one the North Korean 00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:22.639 Republic. Which by the way, I saw that come across 00:12:22.639 --> 00:12:28.000 DX Summit today. Really? Somebody decided to 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:32.820 spot P5DX today. Well, I don't know if it's a 00:12:32.820 --> 00:12:38.600 pirate or a swimmer or who that is. Today was 00:12:38.600 --> 00:12:42.580 the day that It was supposed to happen from the 00:12:42.580 --> 00:12:46.580 guy that was stateside. Today was the day he 00:12:46.580 --> 00:12:51.820 was supposed to go. The cancelled trip. Well, 00:12:51.820 --> 00:12:53.659 I could definitely put that one in my log book. 00:12:54.259 --> 00:13:00.480 Yeah. As could I. So those are just some suggestions. 00:13:00.700 --> 00:13:04.559 I mean, the radios are sophisticated now. They 00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:06.899 do what you have to do for antennas, but 100 00:13:06.899 --> 00:13:09.399 watts to wire. a good contest weekend with a 00:13:09.399 --> 00:13:15.179 little help from the solar cycle, I think it's 00:13:15.179 --> 00:13:17.100 entirely possible to get it knocked out pretty 00:13:17.100 --> 00:13:27.899 fast. Well, there's a lot of opportunities to 00:13:27.899 --> 00:13:32.259 get these. And like you said, in a contest, we 00:13:32.259 --> 00:13:36.340 did this at school where I teach. We got DXCC. 00:13:37.450 --> 00:13:40.070 worked at least. We didn't get it all confirmed 00:13:40.070 --> 00:13:45.490 yet, but we got it all worked in just a weekend 00:13:45.490 --> 00:13:49.190 on CQ Worldwide. So there's opportunities like 00:13:49.190 --> 00:13:54.909 that. And then how do you like to keep up with 00:13:54.909 --> 00:13:58.309 all the de -expeditions, the Bouvet Islands and 00:13:58.309 --> 00:14:01.070 the Peter Wands and those? How do you like to 00:14:01.070 --> 00:14:05.389 keep up with those? Well, probably the best is 00:14:05.389 --> 00:14:09.409 some of the the DX newsletters, I like the daily 00:14:09.409 --> 00:14:15.429 DX. And then, you know, I just get on. I'm more 00:14:15.429 --> 00:14:17.509 interested in the contesting aspect of it now 00:14:17.509 --> 00:14:22.269 than chasing down the DXCCs. I have work to do, 00:14:22.409 --> 00:14:26.409 you know, I need a few more on 80 for five band 00:14:26.409 --> 00:14:31.590 DXCC from this QTH and I think, you know, a contest 00:14:31.590 --> 00:14:34.700 we can do. I could probably knock that out. We're 00:14:34.700 --> 00:14:38.539 not out of time for this season though. Yeah, 00:14:38.779 --> 00:14:46.200 it's not an optimal time for a lot of those with 00:14:46.200 --> 00:14:50.279 the cycle where it is as well, so it makes it 00:14:50.279 --> 00:14:53.980 difficult. Well, let's talk about DXing from 00:14:53.980 --> 00:14:57.679 other countries. So do you think it's easier 00:14:57.679 --> 00:15:01.049 to get contacts when you're not in the United 00:15:01.049 --> 00:15:05.309 States and you've got that call sign from someplace 00:15:05.309 --> 00:15:10.490 else? What's different about DXing when you're 00:15:10.490 --> 00:15:13.450 not here in the United States? Well, it never 00:15:13.450 --> 00:15:16.049 hurts if you're on the air to have a rare, cool 00:15:16.049 --> 00:15:19.850 call. DX is kind of irrelevant. It just depends. 00:15:20.129 --> 00:15:22.889 So what's DX for me is maybe not necessarily 00:15:22.889 --> 00:15:28.679 DX for a JA. So DXing is the... Kind of the pursuit 00:15:28.679 --> 00:15:31.700 of distance with the goal of earning an award 00:15:31.700 --> 00:15:34.840 like the FCC or worked all zones And your DX 00:15:34.840 --> 00:15:36.779 and neighbors are all going to be a little different. 00:15:37.100 --> 00:15:41.519 So for example in Korea You know, it's difficult 00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:43.460 from that part of the world to work into the 00:15:43.460 --> 00:15:45.879 Caribbean So we had to get through a wall of 00:15:45.879 --> 00:15:50.019 Jay's to overcome to be able to work the VP fives 00:15:50.019 --> 00:15:53.419 and you know the KP twos and and to the west 00:15:53.419 --> 00:15:57.129 at least in the 80s there was this huge interference 00:15:57.129 --> 00:15:59.669 from what was known as the Russian Woodpecker. 00:16:00.490 --> 00:16:02.750 And this was kind of their over -the -horizon 00:16:02.750 --> 00:16:07.210 radar, and it would randomly show up in 20 meters, 00:16:07.929 --> 00:16:10.870 and it was a lot of interference. In the canal 00:16:10.870 --> 00:16:15.789 zone, from KZ -5, we had great propagation worldwide. 00:16:15.929 --> 00:16:18.169 We were near the water in the equatorial zone, 00:16:19.350 --> 00:16:25.129 and it was always good. In Germany, You know, 00:16:25.129 --> 00:16:26.789 we had Russians and Italians. I didn't really 00:16:26.789 --> 00:16:29.090 have a very good set -up in Germany antenna -wise. 00:16:29.669 --> 00:16:32.149 It was tough to, you know, if you're working 00:16:32.149 --> 00:16:36.250 in, let's say, a double RL VX contest, you know, 00:16:36.289 --> 00:16:38.470 we're trying to work the west coast and we have 00:16:38.470 --> 00:16:41.350 to get over the east coast first. So differences 00:16:41.350 --> 00:16:43.570 can also occur in some of these countries, not 00:16:43.570 --> 00:16:46.429 so much in the ones, you know, like Germany, 00:16:46.509 --> 00:16:49.710 Korea, Panama, but differences can occur in, 00:16:49.710 --> 00:16:51.769 you know, just the local infrastructure, you 00:16:51.769 --> 00:16:55.000 know. electricity may not be always 100 % reliable. 00:16:55.139 --> 00:16:58.340 You might need generators. 20 or 30 years ago, 00:16:58.419 --> 00:17:00.759 we didn't have the luxury of the internet. Now, 00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:04.700 you're in VP5 and the internet goes down. It's 00:17:04.700 --> 00:17:06.839 like somebody cut one of your antennas, but you 00:17:06.839 --> 00:17:12.920 know what I mean. The climates, like I go back 00:17:12.920 --> 00:17:16.920 to Ralph's, his free wife, Bouvet Island expedition, 00:17:17.160 --> 00:17:20.160 the harsh climates. In some countries, we just 00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:23.759 talked about P5, restrictive governments, they 00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:27.920 all make a difference. A few years ago, it was 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:30.960 the ZAs, Albanians weren't on, BYs weren't on. 00:17:31.460 --> 00:17:34.779 Now you've got some of my mentors like Scott 00:17:34.779 --> 00:17:38.200 KZRMD going over there and operating a contest 00:17:38.200 --> 00:17:41.539 from a club station. So it's kind of a moving 00:17:41.539 --> 00:17:47.279 landscape. Well, tell me a little bit more about 00:17:47.279 --> 00:17:52.960 this stealth. Yaggy. Now, Scott tells me that 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:57.420 you had this set up next to the base commander's 00:17:57.420 --> 00:17:59.819 house. Well, we have to get one thing straight. 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:03.119 So a base is an Air Force location. A post is 00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:07.019 an Army post. So on the Army post at Fort Knox, 00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:10.900 it was right in his backyard. We had been stationed 00:18:10.900 --> 00:18:14.099 in Fort Knox before, and I had a tower up one 00:18:14.099 --> 00:18:17.359 of the other. housing developments, but this 00:18:17.359 --> 00:18:20.500 time we were kind of up on Colonel's Row and, 00:18:20.500 --> 00:18:24.539 you know, post commander is a two -star, major 00:18:24.539 --> 00:18:28.480 general, and so I had this TA -33 Junior, which 00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:30.200 is kind of a small, lightweight antenna. I put 00:18:30.200 --> 00:18:32.779 it on a TV mass, I spray painted it, not Army 00:18:32.779 --> 00:18:35.180 camouflage back then, but spray painted it so 00:18:35.180 --> 00:18:38.519 it didn't stand out too much, but it was fine. 00:18:38.619 --> 00:18:40.859 I had to turn it up with the Armstrong method. 00:18:42.550 --> 00:18:45.390 And it worked out okay. I mean, it was better 00:18:45.390 --> 00:18:47.910 than not being on the air. And it really didn't 00:18:47.910 --> 00:18:50.910 have any problems. You know, in the military, 00:18:51.029 --> 00:18:55.150 I'd move most of my hardware, the tower and the 00:18:55.150 --> 00:18:59.890 antennas with being a Mars affiliate, military 00:18:59.890 --> 00:19:02.509 amateur radio service. And that's still in existence 00:19:02.509 --> 00:19:06.130 today. But the weight did not count against your 00:19:06.130 --> 00:19:09.329 household goods. So when you move in the Army, 00:19:09.859 --> 00:19:11.680 The amount of stuff you can move kind of depends 00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:15.619 on your rank That did not come against my my 00:19:15.619 --> 00:19:17.539 move which was good because we still need to 00:19:17.539 --> 00:19:21.079 close in furniture Well, yeah, you might need 00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:25.140 those things, but you have to decide if you had 00:19:25.140 --> 00:19:28.759 to decide that wouldn't be a good good decision 00:19:28.759 --> 00:19:31.680 Yeah, even having the next while who's a ham 00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:34.299 she probably wouldn't side with me on that one 00:19:34.299 --> 00:19:40.200 Probably probably correct Well, that's a good 00:19:40.200 --> 00:19:42.799 story. Well, we're going to take a quick break 00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:46.359 and then we're going to come back and we're going 00:19:46.359 --> 00:19:49.339 to take your calls live. So if you have some 00:19:49.339 --> 00:19:54.180 questions about DXing and some of Fred's adventures, 00:19:54.640 --> 00:19:59.539 give us a call. It's 812 -NET -HAM -1 is the 00:19:59.539 --> 00:20:03.039 phone number. And we'll be back to do that right 00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:07.400 after this message from Spring Hill Suites, Miamisburg, 00:20:07.420 --> 00:20:11.000 right here on HamTalk Live. If you're going to 00:20:11.000 --> 00:20:13.240 the Dayton Hamvention this year, be sure to join 00:20:13.240 --> 00:20:16.460 us for a live broadcast from Spring Hill Suites 00:20:16.460 --> 00:20:19.660 Dayton South in Miamisburg, Ohio on Hamvention 00:20:19.660 --> 00:20:22.960 Eve, Thursday, May 18th. HamTalk Live will have 00:20:22.960 --> 00:20:25.740 a live audience and we'll put some of our visitors 00:20:25.740 --> 00:20:28.880 on the air to celebrate the annual migration 00:20:28.880 --> 00:20:31.589 to Dayton. and if you're still in need of a place 00:20:31.589 --> 00:20:35.069 to stay, Spring Hill Suites Dayton South Miamisburg 00:20:35.069 --> 00:20:38.190 still has some rooms available. Just 25 minutes 00:20:38.190 --> 00:20:41.230 from the new home of Hamvention in Xenia, Spring 00:20:41.230 --> 00:20:44.230 Hill Suites Dayton South Miamisburg is near the 00:20:44.230 --> 00:20:47.369 Dayton Mall, shopping districts, and restaurants. 00:20:47.630 --> 00:20:51.309 Enjoy fast Wi -Fi, an indoor pool, free breakfast 00:20:51.309 --> 00:20:54.309 buffet, rooms with microwave and refrigerator 00:20:54.309 --> 00:20:57.630 and sofa, and it's just minutes away from both 00:20:57.630 --> 00:21:02.140 I -75 and and I -675. Reserve your rooms now 00:21:02.140 --> 00:21:09.039 at Marriott .com or call 888 -850 -6391. Spring 00:21:09.039 --> 00:21:12.460 Hill Suites Dayton, South Miamisburg, the Hamvention 00:21:12.460 --> 00:21:16.759 home for HamTalk Live. We're not sure what's 00:21:16.759 --> 00:21:19.220 up with the fifth dentist, but four out of five 00:21:19.220 --> 00:21:22.039 dentists recommend listening to HamTalk Live. 00:21:23.640 --> 00:21:26.960 Join the conversation. Call us on voice with 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:30.700 Skype at HamTalk Live or give us a call at 812 00:21:30.700 --> 00:21:37.119 -NET -HAM -1. That's 812 -638 -4261. Now, here's 00:21:37.119 --> 00:21:43.119 more HamTalk Live! Welcome back to HamTalk Live. 00:21:43.140 --> 00:21:46.759 We're here every Thursday night at 9 p .m. Eastern 00:21:46.759 --> 00:21:49.200 Time. Be sure to check out our Facebook page 00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:52.079 and our Twitter feed. Just look for HamTalk Live. 00:21:52.099 --> 00:21:55.599 You'll find us there. And we're going to take 00:21:55.599 --> 00:21:59.319 your call. So if you have a question for Fred, 00:21:59.839 --> 00:22:07.240 call 812 -NET -HAM -1. That's 812 -638 -4261. 00:22:07.480 --> 00:22:10.819 Or you can Skype us at HamTalk Live. you can 00:22:10.819 --> 00:22:14.500 tweet us at HamTalk Live, and we do have a couple 00:22:14.500 --> 00:22:18.319 of tweets ready to go here too. But while we're 00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:22.559 waiting on the calls, Fred, you had a couple 00:22:22.559 --> 00:22:27.119 other things about working from overseas that 00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:29.400 you wanted to throw in here, so why don't you 00:22:29.400 --> 00:22:32.859 go ahead and do that? Well, many hams don't have 00:22:32.859 --> 00:22:36.019 like a high school club like you have. We were 00:22:36.019 --> 00:22:38.099 lucky, I was in rural Iowa, small town Iowa, 00:22:38.740 --> 00:22:44.289 and there was a ham K0RLX Anton helped me earn 00:22:44.289 --> 00:22:47.930 my license and my brothers. And as I was active, 00:22:48.029 --> 00:22:51.069 I met another guy who later would become a good 00:22:51.069 --> 00:22:55.630 friend, Steve W0HT, who was a radiologist, retired. 00:22:55.950 --> 00:22:58.150 And he got me interested in DXing back in the 00:22:58.150 --> 00:23:01.289 70s. So between him and the mentor I previously 00:23:01.289 --> 00:23:05.430 mentioned, KZ5JM, that was kind of my learning. 00:23:06.970 --> 00:23:10.230 And KZ -5 was a looting experience with DX and 00:23:10.230 --> 00:23:13.710 DXing. We had 24 -7 propagation pretty much everywhere. 00:23:13.890 --> 00:23:17.210 I had good antennas, mono -banders, big power, 00:23:17.369 --> 00:23:20.769 and it was just fun. Hotel Lima 9 was fun because, 00:23:20.910 --> 00:23:23.329 as a U .S. ham, all of the call signs in that 00:23:23.329 --> 00:23:25.730 part of the planet were exotic to me because 00:23:25.730 --> 00:23:30.109 I just worked the stateside stations. So the 00:23:30.109 --> 00:23:35.079 deep Central Asia stations and... Malaysia and 00:23:35.079 --> 00:23:37.039 Indonesia, you know, those were like my back 00:23:37.039 --> 00:23:40.319 hair, but they felt like real DX. In Germany, 00:23:41.400 --> 00:23:46.500 DA to call, you know, I was just, again, this 00:23:46.500 --> 00:23:49.859 garden variety DX, really not that much of a 00:23:49.859 --> 00:23:52.920 DX station, but it was fun to be able to hear 00:23:52.920 --> 00:23:56.779 what DX sounded like from that QTH. And so I 00:23:56.779 --> 00:23:59.500 think with contesting that helps in kind of knowing 00:23:59.849 --> 00:24:02.430 when those guys were listening and what their 00:24:02.430 --> 00:24:05.430 conditions are like too. So that's just the continuation 00:24:05.430 --> 00:24:07.529 of the story, what it was like to operate for 00:24:07.529 --> 00:24:10.970 a protracted period of time from other QTHs. 00:24:11.569 --> 00:24:15.009 812 -NET -HAM -1 is the phone number. If you'd 00:24:15.009 --> 00:24:19.450 like to talk to Fred about DXing, give us a call. 00:24:19.690 --> 00:24:25.349 812 -NET -HAM -1 is the number or you can Skype 00:24:25.349 --> 00:24:30.299 us or tweet us. at HamTalk Live. Well, Dr. Scott 00:24:30.299 --> 00:24:36.039 Wright, K0MD, as we mentioned, did have a couple 00:24:36.039 --> 00:24:41.700 of questions ready for you. And he wants to know 00:24:41.700 --> 00:24:44.619 which of the five locations you've worked DXCC 00:24:44.619 --> 00:24:49.299 from was the hardest and the most interesting. 00:24:50.460 --> 00:24:52.960 And he wanted to know, can you compare DXing 00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:55.779 from those as an operator, which I think we We 00:24:55.779 --> 00:24:58.299 kind of addressed that a little bit, but if you 00:24:58.299 --> 00:25:00.279 have anything else you can think of on that, 00:25:00.380 --> 00:25:04.420 that's fine, too. Well, I've been a ham a long 00:25:04.420 --> 00:25:07.559 time, and so I wouldn't say working DXAC from 00:25:07.559 --> 00:25:10.539 the States is that difficult. Over the time that 00:25:10.539 --> 00:25:13.799 we were in Germany, it was difficult. Probably 00:25:13.799 --> 00:25:16.319 the fastest time was a weekend, a couple weekends 00:25:16.319 --> 00:25:19.359 in the VP5 land, so we got on there for the contest. 00:25:19.460 --> 00:25:21.519 We've been down there, I think, three times. 00:25:22.160 --> 00:25:27.359 with Scott and his team W0B and KC0W and K0PC. 00:25:28.099 --> 00:25:31.420 You know, we worked out a day practically. And 00:25:31.420 --> 00:25:35.980 so I think the Caribbean has been a good location 00:25:35.980 --> 00:25:41.480 for me to knock out DXCC the fastest. All right, 00:25:41.500 --> 00:25:46.660 very good. Now, what do you think made Germany 00:25:46.660 --> 00:25:51.660 a little more challenging? Well, you don't have 00:25:51.660 --> 00:25:54.200 that cool call sign. The antennas really were 00:25:54.200 --> 00:25:57.859 the problem. I lived in a restricted antenna 00:25:57.859 --> 00:26:01.440 network, so I didn't have good location right 00:26:01.440 --> 00:26:06.299 next to the post commander. We were in a stairwell, 00:26:06.619 --> 00:26:11.339 which it's Army slang for living in multi -unit 00:26:11.339 --> 00:26:16.160 dwelling, like a series of condos. You've got 00:26:16.160 --> 00:26:18.839 to keep a low profile antenna and minimize all 00:26:18.839 --> 00:26:21.359 the RFI. We had a club station there as well, 00:26:21.420 --> 00:26:23.619 but it was just too lazy to get down there and 00:26:23.619 --> 00:26:29.119 use it routinely. And another question from Dr. 00:26:29.240 --> 00:26:33.940 Scott Wright, KZeroMD. Can you tell a substantial 00:26:33.940 --> 00:26:38.079 difference in the receivers between your ICOM 00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:43.140 7700 and the FLEX 6700 when contesting or DXing? 00:26:43.529 --> 00:26:48.529 other than the top drawer pan adapter? On the 00:26:48.529 --> 00:26:51.390 Flex. Well, I like them both. I've had the Flex 00:26:51.390 --> 00:26:54.230 for a little bit less than a year. I have to 00:26:54.230 --> 00:26:56.029 tell you, I just scratched the surface on this 00:26:56.029 --> 00:27:00.150 radio's capability. So it's a 6700. And Neil, 00:27:00.170 --> 00:27:03.250 it's got eight receivers. You can look at eight, 00:27:03.250 --> 00:27:09.849 and it's two radios in one. So it's just a multi, 00:27:09.990 --> 00:27:12.390 I mean, there's so much flexibility with it. 00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:16.460 It's an amazing radio, so I try to use it. I 00:27:16.460 --> 00:27:18.599 have to say, though, in all honesty, it is not 00:27:18.599 --> 00:27:21.640 my go -to contest radio, but it is my, that radio 00:27:21.640 --> 00:27:25.700 is on all the time. And, you know, I come downstairs 00:27:25.700 --> 00:27:28.619 and I look at the pan adapters and see what's 00:27:28.619 --> 00:27:31.460 going on. I mean, it's just kind of a cool thing. 00:27:31.779 --> 00:27:34.180 So I'm looking forward to kind of really getting 00:27:34.180 --> 00:27:36.759 into that radio. Superheterodynes, you know, 00:27:36.859 --> 00:27:39.579 like... I've done 70, 700, I've been around for 00:27:39.579 --> 00:27:42.619 a long time, 100 years. But recently you've probably 00:27:42.619 --> 00:27:45.640 have seen the SDRs make the top of Rob Sherwood's 00:27:45.640 --> 00:27:51.079 list. But like I said, for serious contest activity, 00:27:51.140 --> 00:27:55.480 I'm on the ICOM, and I've had ICOMs for many, 00:27:55.480 --> 00:27:57.700 many years. And so part of it is just familiarity 00:27:57.700 --> 00:28:00.640 with the dial layout, and as I get older I'm 00:28:00.640 --> 00:28:05.380 a little less flexible. But the flex is, like 00:28:05.380 --> 00:28:09.079 Scott said, The pan adapter is amazing and it's 00:28:09.079 --> 00:28:14.099 such a visual experience. The integration of 00:28:14.099 --> 00:28:18.259 the visual and the sound, being able to look 00:28:18.259 --> 00:28:21.140 at not just one band but say eight bands, which 00:28:21.140 --> 00:28:26.000 I rarely do, but you could, it's just remarkable. 00:28:27.220 --> 00:28:30.759 On my webpage I've got a couple of picture QSLs 00:28:30.759 --> 00:28:33.980 from way back when, and none of those pictures, 00:28:34.960 --> 00:28:39.069 are there any computers? Okay, so very few computer 00:28:39.069 --> 00:28:40.650 monitors now you look at the average station 00:28:40.650 --> 00:28:44.150 They may have one or more and you know the bigger 00:28:44.150 --> 00:28:46.250 the better so there's a lot of power in this 00:28:46.250 --> 00:28:49.809 visual Sound interaction and and really if you 00:28:49.809 --> 00:28:52.329 look at those pan adapters now you've got a sense 00:28:52.329 --> 00:28:54.309 of time as well So you can almost say it's three 00:28:54.309 --> 00:28:55.869 -dimensional. I know that you've had some of 00:28:55.869 --> 00:28:59.890 the SDR folks on here, too I I hate to highlight 00:28:59.890 --> 00:29:02.670 my Ignorance about you know some of the more 00:29:02.670 --> 00:29:05.569 some of this technology, but I like them both 00:29:05.849 --> 00:29:10.130 Oh yeah, I think they both have a lot of benefits. 00:29:11.930 --> 00:29:14.549 It's always a good question to ask. It's one 00:29:14.549 --> 00:29:16.990 that we ask a lot is, which one do you like better? 00:29:17.089 --> 00:29:21.750 Because there's still some advantages and disadvantages 00:29:21.750 --> 00:29:26.750 to both and so we'll see how it all plays out. 00:29:27.029 --> 00:29:29.390 Right, and you've got a 7300 and so you've got 00:29:29.390 --> 00:29:33.769 a taste of the SDR at a price point that is very 00:29:33.769 --> 00:29:38.150 good. Oh yeah. What do you think? I tell you 00:29:38.150 --> 00:29:42.130 what, I've been a Kenwood fan all my life and 00:29:42.130 --> 00:29:47.930 the 7300 at school that we have, we're just falling 00:29:47.930 --> 00:29:52.950 in love with it. The options of the scope and 00:29:52.950 --> 00:29:56.970 the touchscreen and how quiet it is compared 00:29:56.970 --> 00:30:01.519 to what I'm used to with the SDR is just... Just 00:30:01.519 --> 00:30:05.000 fabulous, so. That's a lot cheaper than the 991, 00:30:05.039 --> 00:30:07.779 isn't it? Oh yeah, it's a lot cheaper than that 00:30:07.779 --> 00:30:11.819 990 that I keep wanting, and Scott keeps reminding 00:30:11.819 --> 00:30:14.920 me that I need. Well, we've got a caller on the 00:30:14.920 --> 00:30:17.839 line. He's been patiently waiting, so let's see 00:30:17.839 --> 00:30:23.440 who we have here. Welcome to HamTalk Live. Hello? 00:30:25.940 --> 00:30:31.680 Are you there? Okay, we have lost our caller, 00:30:31.799 --> 00:30:36.299 so if you want to call back, give us a call. 00:30:36.839 --> 00:30:44.519 812 -NET -HAM -1 is the number. 812 -638 -4261 00:30:44.519 --> 00:30:49.759 to talk with Fred, and hopefully they'll call 00:30:49.759 --> 00:30:58.519 us back here in a minute. Oh, here we go. Let's 00:30:58.519 --> 00:31:01.599 see if we can pick this up. Yeah, now we've got 00:31:01.599 --> 00:31:08.579 you. Who's this? This is WB0WIV Gordon. Hey, 00:31:08.579 --> 00:31:11.420 Gordon. Thanks for calling. I had a question 00:31:11.420 --> 00:31:14.240 for Fred since he was kind of my mentor, got 00:31:14.240 --> 00:31:17.279 me started in AM radio years ago. We both came 00:31:17.279 --> 00:31:21.099 from the same hometown. And I just kind of wondered 00:31:21.099 --> 00:31:26.279 if Fred had any ideas on how to work. some of 00:31:26.279 --> 00:31:32.259 the more Central Asian countries from Eastern 00:31:32.259 --> 00:31:37.000 Iowa since I don't have much luck at it Well, 00:31:37.180 --> 00:31:39.460 thanks Gordon good to hear you again and Gordon 00:31:39.460 --> 00:31:44.680 was One of yes, we worked him on 10 meters from 00:31:44.680 --> 00:31:46.960 HL 9 land which is pretty remarkable feet at 00:31:46.960 --> 00:31:49.140 the time He was using the dipole. So if you can 00:31:49.140 --> 00:31:52.920 work Korea, I think that Gordon if you If you 00:31:52.920 --> 00:31:54.440 just kind of keep your ears out, watch those 00:31:54.440 --> 00:31:59.660 spotting networks. First of all, ham activity 00:31:59.660 --> 00:32:02.099 tends to cluster around technology. And in certain 00:32:02.099 --> 00:32:05.000 parts of the world, that technology doesn't exist. 00:32:05.599 --> 00:32:07.740 And I think some of the Stans, and I think that's 00:32:07.740 --> 00:32:10.640 what you're referring to, Tersmekistan, and let's 00:32:10.640 --> 00:32:14.660 see, that's number 10 or 11 on the list, Kazikistan. 00:32:19.319 --> 00:32:21.400 Those countries just don't have a lot of operators. 00:32:22.579 --> 00:32:26.220 Again, the governments are restrictive, so the 00:32:26.220 --> 00:32:31.099 Maldives, Diego Garcia, those may be a little 00:32:31.099 --> 00:32:34.539 bit further south than Central Asia, but you 00:32:34.539 --> 00:32:36.160 got to have people that are hamps who are there. 00:32:36.700 --> 00:32:39.799 Does that help? Yes, it does. Thank you, Fred. 00:32:39.859 --> 00:32:43.160 Appreciate it. Good to hear you. Thanks for calling 00:32:43.160 --> 00:32:48.700 in, Gordon. Appreciate it. 812 Net Ham 1 is the 00:32:48.700 --> 00:32:52.900 phone number 812 -638 -4261 or you can Skype 00:32:52.900 --> 00:32:57.700 us or tweet us at HamTalkLive. We do have a few 00:32:57.700 --> 00:33:01.059 minutes remaining so if you want to ask a question 00:33:01.059 --> 00:33:04.980 about DXing or something about Fred's experiences 00:33:04.980 --> 00:33:08.299 why go ahead and give us a call or a tweet right 00:33:08.299 --> 00:33:16.420 now at 812 Net Ham 1. So, talk a little bit about 00:33:16.420 --> 00:33:20.299 contesting. What is your favorite contest award? 00:33:21.240 --> 00:33:25.019 Well, Neil, I'm, as you know, antenna restricted, 00:33:26.099 --> 00:33:30.019 so we have some limitations. So I personally 00:33:30.019 --> 00:33:32.799 like the CWA contest. I feel like I'm a better 00:33:32.799 --> 00:33:37.660 competitor and I like the CQ Worldwide CWA contest 00:33:37.660 --> 00:33:40.180 in November. We've done the CQ Worldwide Single 00:33:40.180 --> 00:33:43.359 Side Band in October, as I mentioned, with Scott 00:33:43.359 --> 00:33:49.619 down from BP5 land. These are big league contest 00:33:49.619 --> 00:33:52.440 events with a variety of operators. There are 00:33:52.440 --> 00:33:56.660 big guns and little pistols together. No matter 00:33:56.660 --> 00:34:00.180 what the contest, every competitor is important 00:34:00.180 --> 00:34:04.700 to the success of the event. If you're a big 00:34:04.700 --> 00:34:07.079 gun station, you need little guns to give you 00:34:07.079 --> 00:34:10.199 a call. keep your rate up. So everybody's important, 00:34:10.219 --> 00:34:12.860 everybody has a role. With the skills and the 00:34:12.860 --> 00:34:17.880 station designs, some of those can change, but 00:34:17.880 --> 00:34:20.219 there are also some equalizers like solar conditions, 00:34:20.360 --> 00:34:24.219 and they all tend to affect the conditions, the 00:34:24.219 --> 00:34:27.139 conditions affect the contestants equally. So 00:34:27.139 --> 00:34:29.539 you've had some amazing guest operators as well 00:34:29.539 --> 00:34:32.820 as owners and operators of super stations, so 00:34:32.820 --> 00:34:38.300 you know this too. 812 net ham one is the phone 00:34:38.300 --> 00:34:40.800 number. We have a few minutes left. So give us 00:34:40.800 --> 00:34:47.800 a call 812 net ham one So yeah the the favorite 00:34:47.800 --> 00:34:53.260 contest maybe Whatever one is this weekend? Seeker 00:34:53.260 --> 00:34:57.679 worldwide CW man. Yeah. Yep. Yep. The I'm sorry. 00:34:57.739 --> 00:34:59.420 That's not right. That's not right. It's a double 00:34:59.420 --> 00:35:02.460 RLCW Got too excited about the CQ worldwide. 00:35:02.840 --> 00:35:11.179 Yeah, there you go I didn't mention the RTTY 00:35:11.179 --> 00:35:14.400 contest, so that's kind of a new mode for me. 00:35:14.500 --> 00:35:16.659 I've been active probably for only about eight 00:35:16.659 --> 00:35:20.199 or nine years, but that's a whole different world 00:35:20.199 --> 00:35:22.840 in itself, and some of these guys were in eight 00:35:22.840 --> 00:35:26.679 and single operator, four radials or three radials. 00:35:26.860 --> 00:35:29.699 That's amazing. Think about the way that these 00:35:29.699 --> 00:35:33.039 guys... And so that's why a radio like the Flex 00:35:33.039 --> 00:35:44.639 has a lot of potential. Sure. Well, what's your 00:35:44.639 --> 00:35:54.039 best recommendation to someone who hasn't worked 00:35:54.039 --> 00:35:58.440 one of these contests before and somebody that's 00:35:58.440 --> 00:36:03.639 new? What would you suggest to them to try to 00:36:03.639 --> 00:36:06.639 knock out, you know, 100 countries in a weekend? 00:36:07.579 --> 00:36:12.139 Get on 20 meters, get on with your 100 watts 00:36:12.139 --> 00:36:17.179 in a wire and just give somebody a call. Kind 00:36:17.179 --> 00:36:18.760 of know what the rules of the contest are. You 00:36:18.760 --> 00:36:22.139 go to one of the websites I mentioned, W7BNM's, 00:36:22.699 --> 00:36:24.519 and each one of those links tells you what the 00:36:24.519 --> 00:36:28.360 rules and the scoring is. It helps if you have 00:36:28.360 --> 00:36:30.960 computer logging, but you don't have to. You 00:36:30.960 --> 00:36:35.059 can still keep a paper log and just get on Saturday 00:36:35.059 --> 00:36:37.239 night or Sunday, Sunday morning, Sunday afternoon 00:36:37.239 --> 00:36:40.079 when things kind of thin out, the frenzy is over, 00:36:40.559 --> 00:36:43.960 and the big guns are looking for the little pistols. 00:36:45.119 --> 00:36:48.699 If you like phone, you don't do CW, get on phone. 00:36:49.059 --> 00:36:51.360 20 meters is going to be your go -to band with 00:36:51.360 --> 00:36:54.260 declining solar conditions. 40 meters might be 00:36:54.260 --> 00:36:56.090 a little bit more of a challenge, but I think 00:36:56.090 --> 00:37:00.409 20 for a stateside guy in the morning or afternoon, 00:37:00.449 --> 00:37:02.369 you're going to find some DX. Remember, it's 00:37:02.369 --> 00:37:07.789 all relative. Now, what is your strategy for 00:37:07.789 --> 00:37:13.769 the next few years when the dead bands are going 00:37:13.769 --> 00:37:18.630 to get worse? So what's your strategy for the 00:37:18.630 --> 00:37:21.750 next few years? Well, the low bands are going 00:37:21.750 --> 00:37:25.610 to probably be your new favorite bands, you know, 00:37:25.710 --> 00:37:29.449 2040, 80, maybe 160 if you've got some real estate 00:37:29.449 --> 00:37:34.610 you can put up. So I think, you know, you can 00:37:34.610 --> 00:37:38.650 work a lot of DX on 20 and 40 and that will keep 00:37:38.650 --> 00:37:41.289 us into the solar minimum and through the next 00:37:41.289 --> 00:37:48.010 maximum. Very good. 812 Nat Ham 1. We've got 00:37:48.010 --> 00:37:54.630 time for one more. 812 -638 -4261. If you have 00:37:54.630 --> 00:37:58.769 a question give us a call or a tweet here real 00:37:58.769 --> 00:38:01.809 quick and we're just about to finish things up 00:38:01.809 --> 00:38:06.070 with Fred and want to appreciate or extend our 00:38:06.070 --> 00:38:10.250 appreciation for you coming on the show and sharing 00:38:10.250 --> 00:38:14.050 some of your experiences with us. Tell us a little 00:38:14.050 --> 00:38:17.730 bit more about the canal zone and we actually 00:38:17.730 --> 00:38:23.059 posted a picture from Your QSL card from the 00:38:23.059 --> 00:38:27.380 canal zone on social media Tell us a little more 00:38:27.380 --> 00:38:30.900 about about operating from there Well, it's pretty 00:38:30.900 --> 00:38:34.280 amazing So, you know, I was done with school 00:38:34.280 --> 00:38:36.980 just finished a fellowship at Fort Brad, North 00:38:36.980 --> 00:38:39.440 Carolina So this is my first overseas first time 00:38:39.440 --> 00:38:41.599 really ever out of the country. So Junie and 00:38:41.599 --> 00:38:45.019 I we had a one -year -old went down there and 00:38:45.019 --> 00:38:49.059 We were stationed on the Atlantic side of the 00:38:49.059 --> 00:38:53.510 canal zone Remember, this was a 10 -mile wide, 00:38:53.570 --> 00:39:00.150 15 -mile long U .S. territory and had been there 00:39:00.150 --> 00:39:04.269 since the 1990s. And we took down the radio equipment. 00:39:04.809 --> 00:39:08.449 We were able to get a canal zone call through 00:39:08.449 --> 00:39:11.269 the local administration. We met some really 00:39:11.269 --> 00:39:14.670 good hands. I mentioned one of them, KZ -5JM. 00:39:14.670 --> 00:39:17.719 He was on the Pacific side. But on our side, 00:39:18.039 --> 00:39:22.300 I was able to help mentor a Ham KZ -5 RO. Ron, 00:39:22.659 --> 00:39:26.260 he's silent key now, but he was a fireman. There 00:39:26.260 --> 00:39:28.780 were a couple of physicians at the Cocosolo Hospital 00:39:28.780 --> 00:39:34.219 there, and we just made some friends, and I had 00:39:34.219 --> 00:39:38.059 the real estate and the antennas, four element 00:39:38.059 --> 00:39:42.699 mono -band or 204BA on 20, 153, three elements 00:39:42.699 --> 00:39:49.840 on 15, and. Three elements went 10. And it was 00:39:49.840 --> 00:39:52.860 just a great setup and a great location. They 00:39:52.860 --> 00:39:56.360 had tennis help, but I think the location was 00:39:56.360 --> 00:40:00.139 even better. So I'd seen patients during the 00:40:00.139 --> 00:40:03.019 day and we did some contest weekends with Jim. 00:40:04.199 --> 00:40:07.460 His favorite contest was always the... the CQ 00:40:07.460 --> 00:40:09.900 Worldwide WPX contest. We always had a unique 00:40:09.900 --> 00:40:15.699 call, KZ0DX. At the time, KZ5FR was a U .S. territory, 00:40:16.000 --> 00:40:19.280 so it was for sweepstakes, it was kind of like 00:40:19.280 --> 00:40:21.860 an entity that everybody wanted, so it was kind 00:40:21.860 --> 00:40:25.420 of cool to operate sweepstakes from down in KZ5 00:40:25.420 --> 00:40:31.500 land as well. So it was just a lot of fun. It 00:40:31.500 --> 00:40:34.349 really became a solid part of my... identity 00:40:34.349 --> 00:40:39.150 and happy to carry it through to this point in 00:40:39.150 --> 00:40:41.929 time. All right. Well, if you haven't checked 00:40:41.929 --> 00:40:49.409 out that QSL card on Fred's QRZ page or on our 00:40:49.409 --> 00:40:53.469 social media that we tweeted out and on Instagram 00:40:53.469 --> 00:40:56.530 and Facebook, check that out. It's a pretty cool 00:40:56.530 --> 00:41:00.550 picture. And Fred, thanks so much for coming 00:41:00.550 --> 00:41:03.860 on the show tonight. Really enjoyed it. And Hope 00:41:03.860 --> 00:41:07.059 to catch you down the log. Well, Neil, thank 00:41:07.059 --> 00:41:10.559 you. Good luck with your school roundup and thank 00:41:10.559 --> 00:41:13.139 you for all the work you do with the kids in 00:41:13.139 --> 00:41:16.119 your radio club. They're the future of the hobby. 00:41:16.360 --> 00:41:21.800 73. Thank you very much. That's a wrap for this 00:41:21.800 --> 00:41:25.340 week's edition of HamTalk Live. I'd like to thank 00:41:25.340 --> 00:41:30.480 my guest. Fred Rigginite or k4iu and everyone 00:41:30.480 --> 00:41:32.940 out there in cyberspace for listening and calling 00:41:32.940 --> 00:41:36.139 in and Invite you all back next week now next 00:41:36.139 --> 00:41:41.059 week Looking at doing the show actually on Wednesday 00:41:41.059 --> 00:41:43.139 night and we'll probably do that a little earlier 00:41:43.139 --> 00:41:47.420 so we don't run up against ham nation, but I've 00:41:47.420 --> 00:41:49.539 got to announce a basketball game next Thursday 00:41:49.539 --> 00:41:53.750 night happens once every other year and Next 00:41:53.750 --> 00:41:57.250 Thursday is the night that it happens on Thursday. 00:41:58.210 --> 00:42:02.769 So check Twitter or Facebook for the time, but 00:42:02.769 --> 00:42:04.670 I think we're going to do that a couple hours 00:42:04.670 --> 00:42:08.750 early, probably on Wednesday next week. And of 00:42:08.750 --> 00:42:11.969 course, if you tune in at the normal time, we're 00:42:11.969 --> 00:42:15.070 still there on the archive. You can listen to 00:42:15.070 --> 00:42:18.969 it anytime. So if you tune in at the regular 00:42:18.969 --> 00:42:21.889 time, just go ahead and hit play at that point. 00:42:22.539 --> 00:42:26.679 And so I just wanted to let you know that we 00:42:26.679 --> 00:42:30.679 won't be live during our normal time slot next 00:42:30.679 --> 00:42:35.119 week. But we will bring you another episode of 00:42:35.119 --> 00:42:39.699 HamTalk Live. And as we bring year one to a close. 00:42:39.960 --> 00:42:42.420 We thank you for listening, tweeting, and calling 00:42:42.420 --> 00:42:45.920 in, and hope you enjoy year number two even more 00:42:45.920 --> 00:42:49.099 than the first. For a list of all of our upcoming 00:42:49.099 --> 00:42:53.300 guests, visit HamTalkLive .com. So for now, this 00:42:53.300 --> 00:42:57.739 is Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, saying seven three, seven 00:42:57.739 --> 00:43:20.519 five, and may the good DX be yours. Thanks for 00:43:20.519 --> 00:43:46.739 watching! 73, and good luck from HamTalk Live.