Foxes, QRP-L Summer Fox Hunt

www.qrpfoxhunt.org
In early 2003, Roger J. Wendell (WBØJNR) volunteered to
take over as webmaster for all of the QRP Fox Hunt web pages. Roger
decided, except for minor corrections, to keep all of the Hunt's previous
pages pretty much intact, as they were, for historical purposes...

QRP-L 20 Meter FOX HUNT
SUMMER 2001

The Foxes

FRENCH LESSON 1

Bonjour. .......... Je suis un renard.

Good Morning. .......... I am a fox.

Jerry, N9AW
During the early 80s I became interested in QRP after a friend showed me
his Ten Tec QRP radio. I was amazed and jumped at the chance to acquire
my first QRP rig, an Argonaut 509, when I found one for sale. I still
remember the thrill of working that first QRP QSO and I am still amazed at
what QRP power levels can achieve. Today I use an Argonaut 515, Elecraft
K1, Red Hot Radio 20m and 40m rigs and my newest edition, a Yaesu FT817.
I really enjoy the foxhunts, the team competition and camaraderie among
QRPers. I hope to see you during the 2001 Summer Hunts.
Click here for Jerry's photo!

Jim, AL7FS
AL7FS was originally licensed as WN0LPK in March 1965 (WA0LPK from
1965-1985). Jim is Vice President of the Anchorage Amateur Radio Club and
a member of Anchorage's South Central Radio Club. Jim has participated in
HF from 160-10 meters (CW and SSB), packet, satellite, 6 meter, UHF, VHF,
ATV, EME (2 meter WAS #36), DX, and QRP. Jim has been active on QRP-L
since 1995 and is currently on the Board of Directors for QRP Amateur
Radio Club International. He is active in many of the sponsored QRP
contests throughout the year as well as the Spartan Sprints. His website
has several QRP articles as well as a compendium of SST emails and other
useful QRP items.

For the Fox Hunt, Jim will probably use his Kenwood TS-450S, OHR WM-2
Wattmeter, Radio Shack DSP and KLM KT34-A at forty feet. As an
alternative, he might use his NorCal NC20. In either case, power output
will be 4 to 5 watts. Code speed will be less than 20 wpm.
Click here for Jim's photo!

Gary, NQ7T
I've been operating QRP since the fall of 1966 as a Novice. That little
Johnson Adventurer would chirp like a parakeet when tripled to 15m unless
I kept it down to 5 watts or so. QRP has been my dominant mode for about
90% of my operation since then and has been my exclusive mode since my
return to active radio in 1995. I've operated FD and SS dozens of times,
WPX (20m QRP US winner in 1979; 40m 2nd place US in 1980 - oops, that one
was QRO at 100w), and a few dozen of the sprints and QSO parties. Other
than the 1980 WPX and 160m operation my DX chasing (170+ countries) and
contest experience has been at QRP levels.

My current station consist of an Omni V with QRP mod, an ailing DSW-20,
and a 6J6A xtal controlled 80m rig. This fall I simply must acquire a K2.
My special challenge is that we live in a CC&R restrictive environment so
I have to be a bit creative with my antennas. At the moment my antenna
patch consists of an inverted L under the eaves, a pair of phased SLVs
that can be deployed in about 15 minutes, and 3 element parasitic vertical
array for 20m that is a work in progress.

See you in the hunt!

Ron, W8RU
I'm Ron and I operate W8RU. I live in Commerce Twp, Michigan which is a
suburb on the far northwest side of Detroit. I am 42 years old and have
been a ham for 27 years. I enjoy QRP operating, QRP and QRO contesting,
DXing, and hunting grid squares on 6m. I am active on all bands from 160m
through 6m. My day job is developing software systems for digitally
processing data from radar systems.

I've included a picture of myself in the shack. You also see my
daughters Caroline (age 5, seated) and Julia (age 3, standing).
Caroline and Julia keep my wife and me pretty busy. Caroline likes to
pretend that she's calling CQ, while Julia is content to play with all the
knobs and buttons that adorn my shack.

My main radio is an FT-1000D that can be run QRP as low as 2 watts. I
have built up a switched attenuator for QRP milli-watting down as low as
25 milliwatts. The receiver in the 1000D is quite good, especially in
contesting situations. Antenna-wise, I have a 60ft crankover aluminum
tower that supports a Force-12 C4SXL yagi (2elem on 40m - 10m) and a
5element M2 yagi for 6m.

72, and see you in the pile-ups.
Click here for Ron's photo!
Click here for Ron's antenna photo!

Ben, NW7DX
While the youngest in the pack, do not underestimate this sly fox. NW7DX
is 16 years old and is pretty much a contest animal! Getting his novice
license at age 13 in '98, Ben explored and learned the art of CW. 10
months after his first license, he had reached his extra class! As being
the only ham in the family, he has taken up all of the responsibilities
for rigs/antennas, etc. Currently, Ben's shack consists of a Kenwood
TS-570D(G), SG-2020, various QRP rigs that he's built, and his antennas
are an 80 meter full-wave loop, a ground-mounted R-7 vertical, and a 44ft
doublet. Because Ben lives in an "antenna-unfriendly" developement, his
antennas are hidden in the trees. Luckily, the trees of the Northwest are
killers and his loop is up 90 feet!

Ben has the teen advantage of showing no fatigue even after operating
a 48 hour contests and is known to really set the pace out on the bands!
You will regularly hear him in cw contests either at his home, or guest
operating at large contest stations - This man really knows how to work
'em. Come Join Ben, NW7DX and experience the thrill of Summer
FoxHunting!
Click here for Ben's photo!

Bob, N7XY
I have been licensed since 1952 and held the call W6SWE until the
beginning of 2000, when I finally decided to get a callsign which
reflected the 7th call area where I have lived for the past 17 years.
Retired Physicist. QTHs have been Los Angeles, CA; Tucson, AZ; and
currently Bainbridge Island, WA (8 mi west of Seattle). Equipment includes
RH NC-20, DSW-40, TS-570D. Just a wire HF antenna for now, but bigger and
better things to come soon.
Click here for Bob's photo!

Doc, K0EVZ
I was born in 1942 in Arkansas, but my folks moved to Texas when I was 2 years old. I received my Novice license in 1960, with the KN0EVZ call. Was a college student in Mason City, Iowa, at the time. My rig was a single tube transmitter, giving 2 watts out on 80, 40 or 15. Band changing was with crystals and tank coils, which simply plugged in. Receiver was a Hallicrafters S-38D. So from the very beginning I was a QRPer (but didn't know it!). Upgraded to a Conditional license within seven months. Remained active for about three or four years, while I finished college in Texas. Then I took a job with a government agency in the area of security, defense and communications, and ham radio became a secondary interest. I was QRT from the hobby for some 33 years.

In 1995 I lost the use of my right arm, and regained interest in hamming, needing a hobby. Had to start over from the very bottom, taking all the tests again. I luckily regained my old call via Gate One, and have been active for the last four years.

Present setup includes a 540' loop horizontal at 33', suspended from four telephone poles. Also have several inverted vees at 48' - 52', and a GAP Titan DX vertical which is ground mounted at 9'. Rigs include a K2, Corsair II, Omni C, Triton DX, and a Kenwood TS-830. Paddles are a Schurr Profi and Wabbler, and my external keyer is a CMOS-II
Click here for Doc's photo!

Larry, N2WW
Larry is a relative newcomer to QRP but a genuine OT otherwise. Perhaps better known under his "real" call UA6HZ ("Hot
Ziggety" Larry is a very accomplished DXer, DXpeditioner, Contester, FOC AND SOC member, and Administrator
(former president of the Soviet Amateur Radio Union and judge at WRTC). Though he's been living in Denver for most of the last ten years, his
English is "mebbe not so good" which is why you will seldom hear him on sideband. But he's been using Morse since his first
license as a teenager and is "fully fluent." Very active in the Colorado QRP Club, he has set a number of club records including
event scores and Q-rate at Field Day. He has the ears of a bat, and can copy three or four signals at the same time.
Click here for Larry's photo!

Marshall (ET), N1FN
        "The sleeping Fox catches no poultry. Up! up! "
        --Ben Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanac
        "So go chase a Fox. Go fly a kite. I don't care, just get out of my kitchen!"
        --Mrs. Franklin
My nom de reynard, ET, was earned honestly, in a QRP QSO. Long envious of ops with names like "Ed," and also cursed with the somewhat difficult QTH "Aurora," I was seriously thinking of a legal name change. But then I was overheard in a QSO with an elderly op in Florida who sent my then callsign AA0XI as "ET ET 0 NA E E", and I've answered to "ET" ever since. I can repeat "ET" three times, faster than I can send "MARSHALL" once, nevermind the repeats.   I had the good fortune to "be DX" early in my ham career, and the Fox Hunts are the closest approximation I can think of here. HUGE fun for all! I'm also the goalie for the Big Dawgs team, which proposes to set the pace again this time! Catch me if you can!
Click here for ET's photo!
Click here for a photo of ET during a recent Fox Hunt!

"All your pelt are belong to us!"

Good hunting, and make FUN your First Priority!

For The QRP-L Fox Hunt Committee,
N1FN, N1TP, K0EVZ, K7QO, VE5RC

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Roger J. Wendell, WBØJNR