NEWS UPDATE by Tom, KH0/KC0W:
After 60,000+ CW, SSB and FT8 QSOs from my house as KH0/KC0W & KH0W I decided to go QRT on January 1st, 2022. I needed a new challenge so I decided to construct the KH0W/m station and operate CW only. As a ham radio purest it’s absolutely imperative that all QSOs take place when the car is actually in motion & NOT sitting stationary. There are numerous large grassy areas on Saipan where I can drive in large circles while contesting/DXing from the mobile. I use a small laptop strapped to the center of my steering wheel which runs N1MM to send CW and log contacts. The telescoping antenna is a full 1/4 wave on 20 meters as well as 17, 15, 12, 10 & 6 meters. Yes, I’m aware a mag-mount is not optimal & I hope to upgrade the setup in the mobile near future with the purchase of new car and not the little jellybean I now drive.
The first real test of the KH0W/m station was in the CW WPX contest. Luckily I had the weekend off from work so I was able to devote my entire weekend to the contest. Propagation was mediocre from KH0 land for much of the contest so I decided to only operate 20/15 meters. It didn’t take me long to realize mobile operating presents challenges in terms of signal strength. My great equalizer though is by operating very close to the ocean. My country total in the WPX contest was 49 and the total number of QSOs was 607. Not too bad for my first effort. I used a whole tank of gas during the contest. Gas on Saipan is over $7 a gallon.
Hope to work many of you in upcoming CW contests while driving around in a large circle with a laptop strapped to my steering wheel. After all, my license plate frame DOES say “Morse Code Enthusiast”, hihi.
Dear Thomas,
First of all, congratulations for your excellent good ear in cw and thanks for your time.
I have sent my QSL direct to you two times, the first time in July to confirm our QSO in CW with KH0W/M, but I have not received it after 5 months. The secon one I sent at the begining of december.
Please, could you tell your manager to check it? I put 2 dollars in both envelopes (4 total), so that, if you have received it, perhaps it´s possible to confirm also our QSO from 27-december-2022 in 21MHz Cw in 15 m band this time with your primary call KH0W.
Mariana is new one for me.
Thank you very much in advance,
Juan
EA5BLP
Hello dear om Thomas,
We had QSOs (my callsign is SQ8LUV):
ZD7X – 30M and 15M
KH0W/M – 20M
How much $ I need to send You to cover direct QSL for these operations. Do You need 2 envelopes (SASE)?
Do You use PayPal?
Thank You very much,
73! Chris SQ8LUV
Hello Tom , I sent my qsl direct as per qrz.com 5 months ago (March 26 , 2022) but still I haven’t received your KH0/KC0W Qsl .
So check with your manager please and when possible let me know.
Waiting your reply my best regards
ciao
Andrea IZ3GOG
Hello Tom,
Thank you. I want your DX Manager to send me a card free of charge.
LEONIDAS BAIRAKTARIS
DRAMAS st. No. 33, AGIOS DIMITRIOS
ATHENS 17343
Greece
Leonidas de SV1OCA
Please check in the log, I’m IU8IZA, not EU8IZA…
Hello Leonidas,
I have absolutely no idea why the post office returned the envelope to you FIVE MONTHS after you sent it to my PO Box. Something here does not make sense. I assume the QSO was for 30 meters FT8 according to my log. Please let me know if you want my DX Manager to send you a card free of charge.
Tom KH0/KC0W
Hello,
I sent the envelope with SASE on 22 Nov 2021 to
“THOMAS M CALLAS PO BOX 1058 MINNETONKA, MN 55345 USA”
and it was returned with the following label on 28 Apr 2022:
“RETURN TO SENDER
ATTEMPTED – NOT KNOWN
UNABLE TO FORWARD”
Leonidas de SV1OCA
Come on~ my friend~
de BX2AK
We shall miss you on the air Tom.
So, did you keep all your other radio gear, and just give up on all the antennas for now?
Were you told, by your HOA, that you can not have antennas, or are you just not able to get good signals in such a high-RFI environment?
(I, too, live in a horribly noisy MDU and commercial business neighborhood.)
Hope you find a great QTH soon!