Category: Uncategorized

  • CW practice continues

    I am using just about every device I own that is capable of sending Morse these days, toward my goal of being a competent CW operator by Spring. Wherever I am, if I have a few moments to spare I have some way of practicing sending and/or receiving. There’s the KD1JV Morse Trainer, a W1REX […]

  • I can’t believe I missed Straight Key Night !

    Well, make that “I don’t want to believe … “ and it’s not like the universe didn’t give me every opportunity, either ! There was an email from the League on the 31st; (“Celebrate Morse code heritage with Straight Key Night“) that I opened, read, and promptly forgot in the press of other matters like […]

  • Carrying liquids in the field

    Over the winter is a great time to noodle about and work on the equipment we use in the field in the milder months, so this is the first in a series of posts about, well, things and stuff.     This morning I was washing out all of my bottles and figured it was […]

  • Shaking down for winter ops; part 1

    So a couple of weekends ago I went up to Wildcat Mountain State Park on a misty, chilly morning to try out the back-of-the-minivan setup that I had assembled. Few QSOs resulted, but it was a great learning experience. Very early in the morning I posted my proposed activation on the POTA site and made […]

  • The KD1JV Code Trainer

    It’s been obvious to me for some time that if I want to be a successful QRP operator I need to improve my CW skills!   If there is a single thing on the Things You Don’t Want To Do If You’re Going To Learn Morse list that I missed, I am not aware of it.   […]

  • A quick paddle base

    A month or two ago I spotted this little paddle on Amazon and bought one, just because I like straight keys and paddles and I’m always willing to add another one to the collection.   Only real issue was the 3 little magnets that were used for feet; on any surface other than steel it […]

  • Tooling up for winter ops

    Wisconsin doesn’t have the mildest (or the worst) winter weather, so right now I am organizing my elderly minivan into a mobile shack for doing parking-lot-POTA for the next few months.    The one jump seat that we have left in the back is conveniently located by windows which will open, and has both heater outlets […]

  • Hello world!

    Welcome to Driftless QRP! Still working on all the nuance of a full WordPress site, taking lots of pictures for future posts ! Winter is slowing down outdoor operation. actual content coming Real Soon Now!