PACC 2014 is upon us......

For those who know me it should not be a surprise that i am not a fan of contesting.
With one exception, the PACC.

1200 UTC, 08 February - 1200 UTC, 9 February 2014

That's when it is all going to happen. hundreds or thousands of dutch hams will start to cq to see who will win 1st price. And even more other hams all around the world will start to listen to the hams from our small country.
And this is exactly what makes the PACC fun for me.... I am not a big gun , i have a few small antennas in my small back yard... no beams, no amps... 100 wats in a falcon out-250b, or an end fed wire, or a 5/8 10 meter vertical. But all the hams around the world now will make the effort to hear me. and that makes it a lot of fun.

I took preparations.....

• Got me a new espresso machine.
• Got me 8 cans of red bull (energy drink for those who don't know)
• A VGS-1 speech processor option in my TS-480 as a parrot
• 3 antenna's wired to the ts-480
• PACC software made available by the Veron installed.
• Took some days before and after off from work....

If you wanna know more about the PACC contest , please take a look at http://pacc.veron.nl/

I would like to make a QSO with all of you , and you can each me by e-mail, twitter and skype.

Do drop me a line to see where i am at , or to tell me where you are at so we can make it happen.

Hope to talk to you in the contest !!

73's 

Alex

PA1SBM

CQRLOG 1.7.0 Released..... The update MANY hams were waiting for....

Hello all,

As the title states, Petr, OK2CQR and Martin, OK1RR, released the next big release of CQRLOG
It's version 1.7.0. So you might be wandering what the fuzz is all about.... I'll explain...
I maintained a virtual WinXP to run HamRadioDeluxe on.... Just for uploading to HRDlog.net
In this release, online QSO upload to HamQTH, ClubLog and HRDLog added.
LotW was allready a feature, but these other big ones were not supported until now.

Release notes:

Version 1.7.0

• online QSO upload to HamQTH, ClubLog and HRDLog added
• improved QSL managers import, should be faster a bit
• "Long Path" button to Rotor Control added (Darek, SP2MKI)
• COMMENT field is exported to eQSL server
• Always overwrite info from previous QSO with callbook data option added
• help updated
• country files updated
• membership files updated
• layout improved (mostly new QSO window)

• LoTW QSL RCVD was not imported when ADIF didn't include LOTW_QSLRDATE value - fixed
• CONTESTIA mode was saved as CONSTESTI (increased max length of mode to 10 characters) - fixed
• ReverseBeacon support in Gray line didn't work - fixed
• after click to OK button in Preferences, bandmap stopped deleting old spots - fixed
• bandmap was not updated when any spot was not added - fixed
• station was added to bandmap when offline mode was activated - fixed
• big square statistics didn't work in newer versions of distributions - fixed
• QSO JT65* mode were not confirmed by eQSL - fixed

So for me this now means i can fully switch to logging in CQRlog. Which i now will do as it was a pain in the ... well you know where.... to log in 2 programs.

I cannot state enough how awesome this program is... it's small, fast, and simple, but still FULL of options that will satisfy big gun dx stations, and the casual qso'er like me.

73's
Alex
PA1SBM

Great or even good service is optional..... or isn't it?

I normally do not want to write about suppliers and their level of customer support or customer service......
But , as everything in live, you have to make exceptions to the rules....

So... As the PACC is upcoming , I wanted a VGS-1 speech processor in my Kenwood TS-480....
This so i can use it as a cq-ing parrot....
So I ordered it on-line at a shop in Holland.... which was closed due to the holidays, but at the 6th of January they would ship all orders if they were in stock. And my VGS-1 was....
So i filled in all my info at the website and i did a money transfer using iDeal payment. (this is probably Dutch only, but you can compare it to a pay-pal payment) and the payment went through successfully.... Only when i pressed the "back to the web shop" button I got his big 404 error.. "Page not available" My first reaction was .... "#$$%&^*&*()&^%#$@#$@#$%"

So i decided to write them an email using the contact form on the website....
And i was surprised that at 10:00 in the morning at the 6th i got an email back, saying that my order came through ok , and the payment was received too... this compagny starts at 09:00, so it took them just an hour to get back to me.... awesome.....

So today the part arived... at the 7th... ohh what a joy , short delivery times :)
But , you need adhesive cushions for the VGS-1, and i should have ordered them seperately....
So i called this company (at 16:45), and the boss himself answered.... He immediatly knew what i was talking about , and told me if i ordered it on the website , payed it , that he would put it in an envelope, and mail it to me... at NO extra delivery charge....
And probably it will arrive tomorrow..... As my TS-480 is already open on the workbench, it will go in quick :)

And even though I know this should be the normal, polite, customer friendly way to handle things, times changed and it is more normal to not hear anything from suppliers, and if you miss ordered something , it's your fault and you are screwed.....

So, Mr Jacobs, thank you for proofing to me that normal shops, where a customer is treated like he should be, still exist... I bought my SSB filter with you , now my VGS-1, and i am quite sure that i will keep on buying stuff at your store http://www.jacobsbredaelectronics.nl

73's
Alex,
PA1SBM

EDIT: the adhesive cushions indeed arrived today...... Awesome!

Happy new year !!!!!

I want to wish everyone who reads my blog.... well , and everyone else too, a very very happy new year....
That all our rig wishes and dx spots may come true and that the QRM will be as low as possible.....


My new years resolutions for 2014.... (WARNING!!: these might be broken)
- Finish my Bitx20
- Learn  CW

Please do tell me your HAM related new years resolutions !


Well, sorry , but i have to get back to beer and "oliebollen" (dutch typical new years eve food )
:)

73's
Alex
PA1SBM