Japan on five watts!

[TerryC]

I got my Japan QSL (contact confirmation) today! 35/40 years ago, I got many international contacts but I believe this one is my first QRP (5 watts or less) contact with Japan. Ham radio has been a passion of mine since the early 80s. And the sun-spot cycle is LOW right now which makes this QRP contact doubly exciting for me! I made the contact using morse code (cw). The second pic shows Mount Fuji ╦╦C

 

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[DizzyDigger]

Well done!

 

[tamrock]

I had a buddy that was into ham radio about the mid 70s. I remember he'd make a few bucks connecting servicemen overseas with their families here in the states in some way by contacting ham operators where these fellas were stationed somewhere else in the world. He had quite a few of those QL Cards tacked to his pegboard in his little radio room at his mother's house.

 

[pepperj]

That's really cool Terry.
One of my small permissions is an operator. Has towers around the yard, feller must be in his eighties+ now.

 

[Upnorth42]

When I first got into ham radio (1980's) DX, mostly Europe and South America on 5 watts was easy. I could talk to a guy on Norfolk Island off Australia consistently with my transceiver and beam antenna. No amplifier. I usually ran at about 50 watts because I was on a battery.

I haven't used HF for a while now but last time I was on what a contrast. Barely anyone on the bands, mostly high power stations in the USA. I'm looking forward to the next sunspot peak.

 

[Ed144]

The bands have been delivering some good DX lately. The 10-meter band is wide-open to Europe this morning. Many signals on SSB/CW. 73, KI6R, Tucson

 

[TerryC]

I had a buddy that was into ham radio about the mid 70s. I remember he'd make a few bucks connecting servicemen overseas with their families here in the states in some way by contacting ham operators where these fellas were stationed somewhere else in the world. He had quite a few of those QL Cards tacked to his pegboard in his little radio room at his mother's house.

Your buddy was a MARS operator. MILITARY ASSISTANCE RADIO SERVICE, I think. Hams got together with the military and helped the guys make phone(radio) calls back home. I made a call from Vietnam using a MARS connection! ╦╦C

 

[TerryC]

The bands have been delivering some good DX lately. The 10-meter band is wide-open to Europe this morning. Many signals on SSB/CW. 73, KI6R, Tucson

I am a CW NUT! CW is really strong now-a-days, even though no longer needed to get a ham license. I also made a New Zealand contact, QRP recently. He has not sent a QSL back yet. Back in the early 80s, I WAS (worked all states) except AK and HI with a homebrew transmitter putting out ONE WATT! I used a Kenwood TS50 as a receiver.

 

[The Rebel]

My dad had an old HealthKit back in the day & picked up Sputnik on it.

My grandparents had an AM/SW Tube Radio that I used to listen to back in the early 80's. My dad bought me a Radio Shack (Realistic) one that I picked up many countries om & I remember sending out for the QSL cards. I specifically remember picking up the Woodpecker / Soviet Jammer.

My dad had all of his QSL cards from the 50's & early 60's.

My Dad got the morse code license back in the mid 80's.

 

[tamrock]

Your buddy was a MARS operator. MILITARY ASSISTANCE RADIO SERVICE, I think. Hams got together with the military and helped the guys make phone(radio) calls back home. I made a call from Vietnam using a MARS connection! ╦╦C

Yeah, They would connect radio transmission between two telephones. I remember that. I enjoyed my CB back when I was traveling the roads of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and the El Paso area of Texas. 30 + years ago now.

 

[billb]

I got my Japan QSL (contact confirmation) today! 35/40 years ago, I got many international contacts but I believe this one is my first QRP (5 watts or less) contact with Japan. Ham radio has been a passion of mine since the early 80s. And the sun-spot cycle is LOW right now which makes this QRP contact doubly exciting for me! I made the contact using morse code (cw). The second pic shows Mount Fuji ╦╦C

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Terry
Great post
Thanks for sharing