Hi I'm a little overly excited and wanted to tell yall I made my first couple of QSO's hunting parks yesterday - I worked two stations in three parks on SSB on 20 and 40m, and one station on two bands with cw and:
1. I did not catch on fire,
2. my radio, antenna, and home did not catch on fire,
3. nobody got mad at me for sending CW with a wide farnsworth, without a platinum-embossed placard on my wall indicating I've completed the Master's Level of CW Knowledge and Operation at 45 WPM from the ARRL High Command and FCC Constabulary.
I've really just been listening to POTA activation videos from Thomas K4SWL on youtube during my work commutes for the past 6 weeks and practicing copying for about 30 mins a day. The POTA exchange seems drilled into my brain, but I still had to write down what I wanted to send before sending. Theory and Practice are different things!
Anyway, I wanted to say thanks, and that I'm excited to get into a new hobby <3
72/73 KQ4EHE Andrew
First QSO's
Re: First QSO's
Congratulations and welcome to the fun, Andrew!
You're right about theory and practice. But, as a guitar teacher once told me, there's also a big difference between practice and actually playing. After 30 years I'm still learning to play.
I started with CW and QRP and still have no microphones in the shack. I have no interest in the xxOTAs and organized "atari with antennas" groups, but I'm happy to see them keeping CW so popular.
My interest now is the QRPp area, running 100-200 milliwatts from homemade transmitters. There's something for everyone.
I look forward to working you one day when I'm stumbling along at my 15 WPM!
73 Rick N8TGQ
You're right about theory and practice. But, as a guitar teacher once told me, there's also a big difference between practice and actually playing. After 30 years I'm still learning to play.
I started with CW and QRP and still have no microphones in the shack. I have no interest in the xxOTAs and organized "atari with antennas" groups, but I'm happy to see them keeping CW so popular.
My interest now is the QRPp area, running 100-200 milliwatts from homemade transmitters. There's something for everyone.
I look forward to working you one day when I'm stumbling along at my 15 WPM!
73 Rick N8TGQ
Rick N8TGQ
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Andrew (grayhat)
- Posts: 137
- Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2022 2:59 pm
Re: First QSO's
THIS is the spirit behind this forum, thank you both, guys !
Re: First QSO's
Amazingly, my first QRP contacts on my G90 in Connecticut, were Bosnia and Italy at 1AM EDT.! 
PS.. Was just using an indoor end fed!
PS.. Was just using an indoor end fed!
Last edited by Wize1 on Wed May 17, 2023 9:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: First QSO's
I finished my first successful activation this afternoon! If you contacted me, thanks a lot! 18 contacts with 5w and some speaker wire!
Wiggins N4EEL - Atlanta, GA
Re: First QSO's
Were you using just a 28 1/2 foot radiator with a counterpoise?