Merry Xmas & Happy New Year

Thank you for visiting my blog. I would like to thank you for everyone who worked with me on the band in 2012 and I do hope to see you more often in 2013. We wish your Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Trip to JA6 land with KX3

As I posted before, I got KX3 in late August this year. However, I could not QRV until mid Nov since I must get station lisence revision pernmission from the national authority. The lisencing process in JA is still bureaucratic and old fashioned. We must revise the station lisence everytime when we add or modify own transmitter. Altough some part of process became internet system, if the transmitter is not the type approved one, it takes long time to pass evaluation by TSS, which is the only one company who is allowed to issue certificate for submitting to the national authority. Japanese amateur radio maker register their transmitter as type approved before they start marketing so that the user can revise their station lisence easier without certificate issued by TSS. Anyway, I finally got revised my station lisence in mid Nov. so that I could take my KX3 to the trip to JA6 land last week. Here is everything that I took for my trip: The preparation was OK. But i had no enough time to operate radio during my trip though. Here are set up at hotel in Beppu Spa. I took 9m wire with 4m fishing-rod. So, I extended the fishing rod from the window of 8th floor of the hotel and 4m wire along with the rod and rest of 5m of wire was just dropped from the tip of the rod. I used 5 of 5m long wire for radials. But SWR is not so good even with KX3's internal tuner. (I must consider better way to get good grounding next time) The 2nd day, our room has balconi so that antenna settin was easier. And SWR is low on 7MHz. But I could operate for short time so that I could not work with any station until the time limit that I must pack laggage for departure. It was not so good trip to enjoy amateur radio. But it was very nice trip to spend time with family. I'd like to share some photos during our trip HERE. 73+88

Looking for fall colors

As I was off duty today, I've been to Yamanakako Lake with Kyoko expecting to view colorful maple leaves there. Yamanakako is located about 1000m above sea level so that the temperature is always about 5, 6 deg C lower than my living place in Machida, Tokyo. At Yamanakako, autumn leaves festival has been held from last week till Nov.11. Although most of maple leaves are still green, we found some nice colored trees and enjoyed viewing. Mt.Fuji with white snow on its top viewed clearly over the lake. Along the lake side street, we found nice gallery. There are many attractive calligraphy works written by bamboo brush. One of them inspired my heart.

TS-990 at Tokyo Hamfair 2012：A1 Lab.モールス通信研究所

I've been Tokyo Hamfair 2012 last weekend.
Although I was busy as a staff of A1 Club booth almost all two days, I could seen the brand new Kenwood flagship model TS990 for just a few minutes.
It's front face with full of switches and knobs recalled my childhood memory that I wrote an illustration of front panel of TRIO, former Kenwood, T/R599 line on the desk of elementary school and played with buddy pretending HAM operator.

It's something like an boy who is excited in front of aircraft's cockpit. :-)

See my Japanese blog where I put YouTube link for short video clip that I took.
http://s.webry.info/sp/cw.at.webry.info/201208/article_6.html


iPhone

KX3

A new toy arrived !!
S/N0513

New Contest Information

I got an interesting contest information from Trippy, ac8s as follows:


> The first annual on the airantenna party.
>
> Sponsored by Trippy Brown, ac8s.
>
> starts 2300Z, September 21
>
> ends 0400Z, September 23
>
> bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6, and 2 meters
>
> modes: am, cw, fm, ssb.
>
> purpose: to get as many hams on the air as possible that weekend, and
help
> hams know about different antennas, and hear how they get out, so they
can
> put up one just like it. I want us hams demonstrating our antennas, so
> other hams, can put up better antennas if they hear one they like.
>
> Whether you want to make just a few contacts, or, if you want to make a
> lot of contacts, don't sit this one out! Get on the air and have fun
> learning about and hearing, new antennas, and, let others learn about,
and
> hear your antenna!
>
> exchange: signal report, US state, Canadian province, or dx country,
> antenna being used, where it's located, for example, on a balcony, in an
> attic, how high up it is, and, how much power you're running.
>
> An example exchange would be
>
> "you're 59 Alaska, running a long wire, in a backyard, up 10 feet,
running
> 200 watts."
>
> work once per band, once per mode.
>
> Class, single station, single op, I want as many stations on as possible.
>
> power: must run 200 watts or less.
>
> Must run only from a fixed location, such as, your place of residence.
>
> Logging: no logs need to be sent to me. Just take down any info about the
> other stations antenna that you need to know, such as what is given by
the
> station.
>
> The station can give as much info on the antenna as needed, such as, how
> to build it, or, tell the station you're working, that they can find
> directions on how to build and put up the antenna at a certain web site,
> or, to send you an email with a request on info about the antenna.
>

Test

Test posting from email.

Golden Week

Golden Week holdays started from April 28, I have 9 consecutive holidays till May 6. The first day has been finished only with chores in my home, such as cleainig rooms, mowing grasses, tec. The second day, we had small BBQ at my yard with Kyoko, Yoko and Taiki. That's it for sencond day. And the third day, I've driven to Hakone by my EV Nissan Leaf. That was the 1st trial with my EV to visit Hakone. Hakone is my favorit place to go for refreshing myself.

WX was not perfect but I could see Mt.Fuji over the green belt.

Mountain cherry blossoms were full in bloom there.

Blossoms are modest with leaves but it seems more natural than typical sakura blossoms in Tokyo or city area.

Mt.Fuji still covered by white snow was seen in the background of maountain cherry.

Here is a view from Onshi-Hakone-Park a kind of imperial park.

Google Japan's Texting by Morse Code

Look! Today's Google Japan Top Pgae!

Click "Use Now" links to the URL
http://www.google.co.jp/ime/-.-.html
Gee, The URL itself is also written by Morsecoe "-.-. html" !!

Here is the page shown when "Use Now" is clicked:

An introduction video clip is also available. Perfect!!

YouTube Video Clip

Hummmm, Morse input while juggling!?...
Input by leg... hummm... it's bit pity.
They'd better use left foot (QLF) instead of right foot.
BTW, the straight key used in the video is GHD's Key.

Anyway, I think that this appeals the Morsecode 120%!

The person in charge of this page must be a CW lover...

Good Job Google Japan!

7MHz inside Electric Vehicle

I tested receiving of 7MHz inside Electric Vehicle.
EV:Nissan Leaf
Receiver: Tecsun PL660
Ant: Rod Antenna of PL660


Receiving 7MHz inside EV in motion (ANT inside)
Antenna is extended inside the EV.



Receiving 7MHz inside EV in motion (ANT outside)
Antenna is extended outside from the EV's window.



Receiving 7MHz inside EV in parking (ANT outside)
Antenna is extended outside from the EV's window.
The EV is parking, main switch OFF->ON->OFF->ON

Car navigation

Connecting Operator and ask her or him where do we want to go.
Neither need to know precise address nor input and search on the screen.
Just talk to them, then they will search by PC over the phone and set destination on my navigation computer. This kind of service is convenient.
Especially during riving the car.

Trip to Zao, Sagae and Mogami

I visited Zao, Sagae and Mogami river this weekend with wife, daughter and my mother.
We enjoyed 樹氷　"Silver frost" at the Mt.Zao.
The temp was minus 13 deg C. So we could not stand outside so long time.
Enjoyed beautiful scenery from the gondola.

The main purpose of this trip was to spend peaceful time with family but I could not forget about the radio.

I took elecraft K1 and Fishingrod and some wires for antenna.
Here is the antenna set up at the balconi of the hotel in Sagae-city.


Hot spa at the hotel in Sagae was superb.
The outdoor spa was especially nice with white snow around the hot spa.

We also enjoyed river crousing at Mogami river.

Other photos are summarized here.

I also summarized photos of our trip to Okutadami last October here