I started out last weekend by helping out with a public service event—Touch-a-Truck. This event is designed to get kids and their parents out to see some awesome vehicles and to introduce their parents to some local community service organizations. The kids get a balloon and to sit in a fire truck (see below) and blow the horn, while the parents find out about groups like Washtenaw Success by 6 Great Start Collaborative and Safe Kids Huron Valley.
We had eight volunteers from ARROW, our local amateur radio club. At right are Dinesh, AB3DC and Joe, AC8ES. Also on hand were Jim, WD8RWI; Jeff, W8SGZ; Ed, AB8OJ; Thom, W8TAM; and yours truly.
Party on
Also this weekend were several QSO parties, including the New England QSO Party, the Indiana QSO Party, the 7th Area QSO Party, the Delaware QSO Party, and the Florida QSO Party. I heard them all on 40m, but I only worked the NEQP. Logging multiple QSO parties at the same time is just too confusing. It’s too bad you can’t open up multiple instances of N1MM, so that you can work multiple contests at the same time.
Solar storm abating
If you’ve been on the bands, then you know. We got hit with a solar storm on Sunday. Conditions were so bad, that I just gave up trying to make any HF contacts on Sunday evening. Yesterday, wasn’t so hot, either, but I did manage to eke out a few QSOs.
Today, finally, it seems as though conditions are getting back to normal. Signals were stronger, and I was able to make a couple of nice contacts today.
One good thing about the poor conditions. It’s gotten some more hams to think about learning CW. That’s been a big topic of discussion on /r/amateurradio.