01/27/2006 | K5SOH Made seven QSOs with a Ten-Tec 1340 qrp rig running on a 12 volt gel cell battery. I built the rig in 1999 for My 55th Birthday. used in for My first skn that year while working over time on Y2K watch with the Houston Police Dept. didnt work skn again intill 2004 used Ten-Tec with a 400ft long wire the high end up 270 ft on a commercial communication tower worked about a dozen stations even had pile ups calling My qrp station. This year no pile ups using a trap inv at 35ft contacts all made on qrp except for last one new years day just before skn close qrm and band condiction just too bad for qrp. most contacts were about 30 min long except for one I lost after a few min and KG4LDD who could not copy My call for a no contact. or it would have been 8 qsos instead of 7. My most interesting qso was with N5GW in Vicksburg MS running 1 watt HB transmitter and a HB DC receiver He was also My vote for best fist. I plan on skn again next year with the long wire used as a off center fed zepp.Key I used this year was a surplus J-38 I first used as a novice in 1958 with a 6AG7 osc and a 6L6 final May use it next year with a SX24 My first receiver. Jimmy Tomball TX. -- K5SOH