Hello Ventura County Hams,
We continue to creep ever closer to our big event of the year, Field Day! If you haven’t already
started planning what antennas and gear you are going to bring, now would be a good time to
start. We are hoping for another big turnout this year, which means we will all have to work
together to get as many people on the air as possible. Expect some more updates as the month
progresses.
Last month we had two CQers Club get togethers at Ventura State Beach. The second one was
the day before the M2B Marathon, which made it difficult for some people to attend. This
month I probably only have one weekend day to get out again, so we will tentatively schedule
our next outing for Sunday, May 19th . Keep an eye on Groups.io for more information as the
month progresses.
I attended the International DX Convention in Visalia last month and one of the many small tips
I picked up was that it’s nice for clubs to have a DX Reflector. So, I started one on our Groups.io
page. Each week I will post the DX update from the ARRL, which includes information on
stations operating from interesting locations around the world. But it would also be nice if
members post to the thread in real time when they spot cool DX on the air, so that we can all
try to work them. I’ll try and post SSB and CW spots, but I don’t operate digital much so I can’t
really help there. Digital ops, help out your fellow members with some spots!
Speaking of DX, there is another big contest this month. For those of you who operate CW, or
even if you’re just learning, the CQ WPX CW contest starts at 5:00pm local time on May 24th
and runs for 48 hours. The exchange is 599 and an increasing contact serial number starting
with 001. This is a work-everyone contest, so stateside contacts do give you points as well. Yes,
CW contesting can sometimes seem very fast, but it’s a great way to practice your on-air
copying. Especially with the exchange being a serial number, you’ll get plenty of high speed
practice on those tricky 2/3 and 7/8 differences.
I hope to work some of you during the CQ WPX CW, and if I don’t, I hope to hear you on the air
somewhere else soon!
73,
Jacques KN6VQ
