Radio Contacts by Countries

Hi.

I've distilled my logs to create a list of countries that I have confirmed contacts with. Some countries have many contacts, some with only one. Getting Ham radio contacts is a function of the population of the country and the standard of living. So first world countries like Japan, Korea, Russia, Australia etc have a relative large number of Hams so multiple contacts are easier. Smaller countries like Panama, Estonia, Iceland St. Lucia that have either a lower per capita income (Can't afford Ham gear), or just a low population (Not too many Hams) make this countries  a harder challenge. Below is my list as of early December.

Yes, I know that Alaska and Hawaii are not "countries" but in the Ham radio designations, they count separate from the lower 48 (USA)

Where conditions (No Sun Spots), population or other roadblocks, I am still alert to make more contacts with Africa, Antarctica, and the Middle East. I was pleased to make a contact with Iceland, and within the Canada contacts, a weather station that is acknowledged to be the most Northern Ham station in the world (80 degrees North).

Here is my current list.

ALASKA
ARGENTINA
ARUBA
AUSTRALIA
AUSTRIA
AZORES
BELGIUM
BELIZE
BRAZIL
CANADA
CHILE
CHINA
COLOMBIA
CROATIA
CUBA
DENMARK
EAST MALAYSIA
EL SALVADOR
ENGLAND
ESTONIA
FINLAND
FRANCE
GEORGIA
GERMANY
GUADELOUPE
GUAM
GUATEMALA
HAWAII
HONG KONG
ICELAND
INDONESIA
IRELAND
ITALY
JAPAN
JERSEY (CHANNEL ISL.)
KAZAKHSTAN
MEXICO
NETHERLANDS
NEW ZEALAND
NORWAY
PANAMA
PARAGUAY
PORTUGAL
PUERTO RICO
ROMANIA
RUSSIA (ASIATIC)
RUSSIA (EUROPEAN)
SAINT MARTIN
SOUTH KOREA
ST. LUCIA
SWITZERLAND
TAIWAN
UKRAINE
USA
VENEZUELA

Below is a Map of my contacts to date.

Retirement Update

Retirement Update

Well folks, I’m ‘starting’ to feel retired. I’m not missing the crank turning parts of my past job, but do feel some pangs of not interacting with my colleagues. Just a little.

I haven’t really changed my sleep / wake schedule, so I’m still getting up and around somewhat after 5 AM. I do like the quiet morning with my coffee.

October is a busy month. I have 2 county emergency exercises where I work radios for a simulated major earthquake. Later this week and over the weekend Mom and I are camping with Uncle Larry and Aunt Janice over near Lake Chelan.

Shortly after that trip, Mom is taking a trip back to Chicago meeting up with her brothers, and other relatives for a memorial for her Aunts. Sad reason for the trip, but spending time with her relatives back there is something for her to look forward to.

Anther camping expedition to Fort Casey to support the annual Halloween Haunted house. We’ll camp at the fort while I do radio safety and control duty over the two nights of the event. Brad has STRONGLY suggested that it would be good for us to visit a Pie shop while we’re on the island. We’ll keep that in mind.

The month closes out with Robyn’s birthday and Halloween.

Busy, Busy.

Dad

Henry Walters

Henry Walter was a member of our household for a long time. It got to be that EVERYTHIG we did had an element of Henry being involved directly, or something we had to keep in mind.

Whenever we left the house, there was a protocol that we used to get ready to go, Mom grabbed some treats, Dad left to get in the car, then Mom put Henry into his pen and gave him enough treats to be able to distract him to get out the door.

Coming back, 80% of the time, he heard/felt/noticed the car and was barking to be let out. If it was me that lifted him out, he would go into a search for Mom. Disappointment would happen if she wasn’t in the house. This was followed by a mandatory walk outside for him to do his business.

We’d always be mindful that Henry didn’t like to be left alone. If I was outside at the same time as Mom, I’d know that the clock was ticking when I needed to get back inside before Henry became upset. It didn’t matter if I left him when he was asleep, he ‘knew’ that he needed to look around and find someone to be with him.

Mornings had a routine as well. When HW woke up, I tried to be the one to take him for his morning walk. There was a pretty set path that he would take around the place, that he followed. It didn’t matter if he ‘needed’ to take a longish walk, he made sure he inspected the whole property before he would consent to coming back in. He was strongest when he planted his feet to stop someplace until he was darn well ready to continue.

When Mom was in the house, each place she might be, in the sewing room, next to her rocker, or at her desk, had a resting place for Henry. If he fell asleep and she moved, he’d go into a brisk trot to re-find her to make sure she didn’t get away.

The above personality was completely different if it was just me in the house. Then, he would get into his bed pillow in the living room and sleep for 6-10 hours straight. I could move around, and maybe he would lift his head to watch me, but that was it. When Mom returned, up went the head and off he went.

All this is to say that Henry Walter was fully integrated into our thoughts and lives here. Our routines, patterns and awareness always took him into account. We miss him terribly. We know its best that he stopped struggling against his failing heart, but he is still in our hearts.

All 50 States !

Hi All!

I could not have done this, contact all 50 states, without your help!

Thank you for the encouragement not to mention help with the antenna when I worked to get it in tine. All of that work is really appreciated!

I could not have earned this award without you!

THANK YOU!!!

Dad

REVISED Retirement Date

Hi Guys,.

I have agreed to work an additional month so I can cover a customer in California. So I'll be working now until July 26. So instead of 3 more weeks, I have 7. Oh Well.

Dad

Worked All States!

US State	Mixed
Alaska (AK)	KL1JP
Alabama (AL)	KI4KWR
Arkansas (AR)	W5GOL
Arizona (AZ)	KK7RT
California (CA)	N6VNI
Colorado (CO)	KE0LCK
Connecticut (CT)	N1API
Delaware (DE)	NY3C
Florida (FL)	AF4Z
Georgia (GA)	WA4OKJ
Hawaii (HI)	AH6U
Iowa (IA)	K0VM
Idaho (ID)	WD7E
Illinois (IL)	KZ9G
Indiana (IN)	N4TZ
Kansas (KS)	KB0PPQ
Kentucky (KY)	KM4IY
Louisiana (LA)	WW5G
Massachusetts (MA)	KA1AQP
Maryland (MD)	W3MMM
Maine (ME)	W1RSN
Michigan (MI)	WI8L
Minnesota (MN)	KE0QXJ
Missouri (MO)	WA0I
Mississippi (MS)	KF8PD
Montana (MT)	K7VIC
North Carolina (NC)	NG4C
North Dakota (ND)	W0OS
Nebraska (NE)	KV0I
New Hampshire (NH)	WW1WW
New Jersey (NJ)	K2RRB
New Mexico (NM)	N9KW
Nevada (NV)	K7PRT
New York (NY)	KO2E
Ohio (OH)	N9RC
Oklahoma (OK)	N6EB
Oregon (OR)	AG7PZ
Pennsylvania (PA)	K3HSK
Rhode Island (RI)	W1KDA
South Carolina (SC)	K5RES
South Dakota (SD)	WA0SD
Tennessee (TN)	K4PDS
Texas (TX)	W5LRU
Utah (UT)	KB7QYI
Virginia (VA)	W4YHD
Vermont (VT)	KK1L
Washington (WA)	KA7NYE
Wisconsin (WI)	W9JA
West Virginia (WV)	KB8BIP
Wyoming (WY)	KE7CCR

Camping in August

Here are the details:

I've been looking for a chance to camp. I likely could have found someplace, but I was really trying for Fort Worden for a few reasons. Ft. Worden seems to be a place where many activities are available. Exploring the Artillery Hill emplacements, Flying Kites on the parade grounds, playing Bocce Ball either in a field, or, if they are still there, on actual regulation pitches.

As Port Townsend is right over the hill from the fort, the shops and places there are also available. Of course there is the always included in a camping trip to have fire cooked meals.

Having a camping trip that has a variety of things to do was a factor that comes into play. We didn't want anyone to feel that there wasn't interesting things to do.

I've reserved the campsite for Monday through Friday the last week of August. That's the longest stretch I could find during the school vacation period. This will allow our school age family member a chance to camp.

As for the rest, you are certainly welcome for the week if that fits your plans. You are also welcome to spend a day, an evening or a few days, whatever you can manage and are interested in. Mom and I, and likely Lukas will be there all 5 days, 4 nights. I understand the rest of you will have work schedules to take into account. 

Just let everyone know what your plans are so we can coordinate activities, meals etc. While we drive around via Tacoma with the camper, it's a reasonable drive to take the Edmonds ferry and drive over Hoods Canal and up to the fort.

So that's the deal.

Dad

Flagpole Update.

Brad will appreciate this first part as he helped me with the first flag pole hole. I did some internet research looking for advice on getting a hole dug through clay or more properly around here glacial till. We had a power auger and it was no match for that stuff. Like screwing through a sidewalk.

So, it appears that the most effective way to get a 3 foot hole dug is to use hand tools. I went and got a manual post hole digger, and to break up the hard stuff, a digging bar. That's a heavy pike thing that can be used to thromp it down in the hole to break up the material.

I'll still be looking for help, and yes, of course, some compensation in the form of Pizza or camping or something mutually beneficial will be part of the deal.

The job will have 2 parts, well maybe 3.

1. Dig a hole about a foot in diameter and about 3 feet deep. This is the hard work part. This step is followed, hopefully in the same day with #2.

2. Gravel in the bottom, then cement mixed and shoveled into the hole around the sleeve that will accept the flag pole. This step requires a person with a level making REALLY sure that the sleeve, and temporary pole in the sleeve are exactly level vertical.

3. After a week or so, dismount the existing flagpole and erect the new flagpole.

Easy Squeezey

Dad

Honoring Moms

Yesterday Dad and I did our traditional Honoring of our Mothers with flowers. It was a beautiful day and so sweet to think of them and be thankful for them.







I have been going through my moms papers and letters etc, and I found some information that led me to believe I might have other relatives buried at Evergreen. So while I was there I did a little checking at the office to see if I could locate them. Lo and behold the nice lady in the office was able to find their grave sites for me. So I was able to honor two more moms this year who are part of my family.

The first lady is Della Emeline Wells Sayles. She is my Grandpa Wells (Your Grandma Rendahl's dad)  Aunt. She would be my Great - Great Aunt. She was born in 1868 and died in 1957. I have the delight of caring for her Peonies in my garden and every spring when they come up I think of her. I have very fond memories of her.









The second lady was Elizabeth (Beth) Sayles Wells. She was the second wife of my Grandpa Wells. My grandmother died when I was less than a year old so I never had the chance to know her. Beth was the only grandma I knew. She and my grandpa were married when I was two. They lived in Seattle and Chicago so I was able to spend a lot of time with them when I was little. I stayed with them when both of my brothers were born. We went over to their house often to visit. She was a lovely lady, always smiling and I loved her dearly.

Beth is in the middle, Grandpa Wells on the right and the pastor who married them on the left. This was taken on their wedding day in 1952.

I am so grateful for both of these women, for all that they invested in my life and it was a joy to honor them after all these years.

What?!? Another Hole? Say it isn't so . . . .

Got your attention? 

I know that you have helped me dig a hole, and more than once (well, many times) you've helped me swing down my antenna er. Flag Pole, so I could tune the traps er, adjust the flag hoist rope

Anyway, despite my best efforts, and your amazing help not to mention patience, I just can't get it tuned right across all of the useful Ham bands that I want to work. I can get 20 meters good only to lose 15 and 40 meters. I get 40, and lose 30. Nature of the beast with a multi-band trap antenna.

In addition, the PVC outer pole just likes to sway in the wind 
a bit more lot more than we're comfortable with. 

So, ladies and gentlemen, what is the solution? Give up Ham Radio? (That'd be NO). But hey, how about a new

Flagpole!

What's that? Didn't I just say that the flagpole has issues that don't seem to want to resolve? Indeed, I did say that. Confused? Don't be.

I am switching to a all metal (well, mostly) flagpole where the pole itself is actually the antenna! To be precise, it's an off center feed (OCF) dipole. It radiates both polarities of the sine wave. 

As it's a DIpole and not a MonoPole like I have now, I won't need to run wires all over the grounds for 'radials'. That alone may earn me some points with my darling garden Czar.

To make it work across the wide range of frequencies, there are details, but to make it simple, the flagpole is insulated from the ground, by being set in a PVC collar that is set in crushed rocks or cement in a hole! 

At the base of the flagpole, there is an electronics box called an Auto Tuner that takes the signal from the radio, and with some electronic magic ;

(I can explain in detail if you ask), (Hint, it has a variable capacitor and Inductor) 

This circuit and the associated electronics makes the flagpole resonate at whatever frequency the radio is sending to it. 

So instead of a set of traps that allow a few bands to be worked (if I could get the entire system tuned) the whole high frequency set of Ham bands can be used with this flagpole. Cool huh?

So, who wants to be a volunteer to help dig a hole, perhaps shovel some rocks and/or cement, and be an eagle eye on a post level? 

Once again, I'll arrange to rent a powered post hole digger. Most likely more power and a wider auger as we know that we can't dig as deep as we'd like. (Darn Glaciers). 

Yeah, I'd be looking for help to dig another hole. Can't avoid it. 

After the insulating PVC sets (if I use cement), a couple of us will just need to lift up the flagpole, (It's just 20 feet high) and nicely drop slide it into the waiting PVC collar. Piece of cake.

Thanks for reading!

Dad

Milestone

Hi Guys,

Well, I told my boss today (April 11) that I am planning on having my last work day as June 28th as I retire from the work force. That was a big deal for me to make public the plan I have made to retire.

Up until today, it was a theory that someday 'Real Soon Now' that I would be taking that step. Telling the boss to prepare to lose one of his (only) two experienced distribution center experts was essentially a point of no return.

I then doubled down on making it tough to undo that deed by writing a note to many of the folks I work with so they wouldn't hear my news through a grapevine. All that makes it harder to second guess or reverse the decision.

The messages back from my colleagues have been nice. All said good luck and several said they were jealous. I recall feeling the same as other folks I've worked with made the same call to 'hang up the boots'.

Anyway, that was my day today.

Dad