Hows This For Mobile HF CW - JA!

My first mobile CW contact just so happened to be to JA (Japan)!

I was going to school this morning (OSU) and I saw my micro MFJ CW paddle sitting in the center console. I also saw my home made C-clamp (I machined it from 3/4" sold steel in a machining class about 4 years ago, always comes in handy). Being the creative Ham I am I looked at the clamp, then the paddle, then the clamp... AHAA! Put the paddle in the clamp for weight so it won't slide! Bingo.

I tuned around 17m CW on my commute this morning and called CQ for a while and didn't get any replies. Then I was tuning around again just as I jumped in the truck to come home. The first signal I came to on the band was JA1LZR calling CQ DX.

I don't really know if the USA is considered "DX" as we surely have the highest population of Ham radio operators (I am guessing), so I chanced it and chased after the guy. It took me several times to get through - maybe 10 minutes of trying total. I heard him work several stations.

Finally, as I was on SR 315 North by Broad Street JA1LZR came back to my call! We exchanged names, locations, and signal reports - 559's both ways - and he was in the log. AWESOME!!!

Now I just need that QSL card. Then I need to figure out where to hang it - on the dashboard? Trucks don't necessarily have "walls" to hang wallpaper.

UPDATE 2/18/08:

The QSL card came yesterday!