CQ World Wide VHF Contest This Weekend

The CQ World Wide VHF Contest is this weekend - starting at 2:00pm Eastern time (1800z). It is for 6m and 2m.

This should be fun! I missed most of the June VHF Contest so this might be a chance to catch up. Although, I won't be doing any roving for this one. Maybe I can get something together for the September VHF Contest. That would be a lot of fun to go rove again...

Walter Cronkite KB2GSD

Somehow I never made the connection between the ARRL publication Amateur Radio Today and who Walter Cronkite was. However, after reading the ARRL's article on Cronkite's passing I had a wide awakening. He was a famous ham, and world famous as an anchor for CBS news. Read the ARRL's story - it is very interesting.

Surflon Leader Wire Fiasco

I wish this stuff was easier to get! I am specifically looking for C010B-4 - Black 10lb test Surflon on a 300ft spool.

I did a search on Google for it a couple days ago and found one place that has that product code listed. Just ONE. So I ordered it. Yesterday I get an e-mail saying I was being sent a refund because they no longer stock that item.

So I got in touch with American Fishing Wire and they recommended I go to South Creek Shop and see if I can order it from them. Well so far I haven't heard anything from them.

I would just order a 20lb 300ft spool instead, since that seems to be readily available (though I haven't tried to place an order so I don't know for sure) but I want the smaller diameter wire as it is less visible. I don't think the strength is going to be an issue for my antenna - it is stainless steel. Even though the small stuff is rated for 10lbs the actual breaking strength will probably be higher (and that is far more than magnet wire!).

Once I get this all figured out I will post an update. Hopefully, if anyone else is going to do the same idea using this stuff for an antenna, it won't be this HARD and COMPLICATED to get the stuff! You could, of course, try to order a higher lb test wire too (knowing it will be a larger diameter than .015").