April Showers ?!?!?

Some smaller amounts plus 9" + 18" + about another 8" = a very dissappointing April!! Way too much snow removal!!  Soon it will be May........
  73---Tim
Update-- official totals--50.2" making this the snowiest month of any on record in Duluth.About 129" for the season makes this the Third highest overall total ever! Wow!

Azores is #95 !

A casual quick contact with Jose, CU2CE from the Azores on 17m SSB resulted in another confirmation for DXCC # 95. I see this was on December 30 2012 so it was just cruising the bands-no contest contact.His QRZ account doesn't show him as a LOTW user but He did use  this time. Just proves  you never can tell . I hold out hope for more confirmations of any of the over 110 DXCC contacts I've made. 73---Tim

#94 DXCC

I contacted VP2V/KE2VB during the recent ARRL International SSB DX contest for #94 confirmed! He was operating from the British Virgin Islands and happens to be a Log book of the World user. I've been real happy with the frequent LOTW confirmations from the contesting community and also the occasional DXpedition! I expect several more confirmations soon but will probably fall short of 100 until next contest season. Thats Ok - more DX chasing to look forward too!
73---Tim

Zero Bureau Cards

This week I received QSL cards from the Zero Bureau. It is a nice surprise. I had contacted the Zero Bureau last Summer and started the process of using the Bureau both for incoming cards and contacted the ARRL outgoing bureau for sending cards. I received this shipment of about 20 QSL's and I was surprised to see most were from the year 2009, with 2010 and a few from 2011. Wow-four years! I've always heard its a slow endevour and now here's the proof! I'm not complaining because to receive these cards thru snail mail separately would be very expensive and most Hams probably wouldn't even bother.
  Most of these cards also are marked for a return QSL card so I'll be sending QSL cards to the outgoing bureau soon. I've also been trying to keep track of paper QSL's sent and received by marking the QSO in Ham Radio Delux logging program.Not keeping track would be very confusing in short order. I don't forsee a huge amount of cards passing thru My shack but its great to finally see this movement!
  73---Tim

Goodbye Landline

At one time We had two telephone lines into Our house -one for voice calls and the other for Internet dial up. The picture above shows the punch down block with a two line configuration. Even though We haven't had two lines for several years, I had never taken the time to clean up the installation.We've had a DSL connection with phone service for several years and always kept the phone service part because of the many "deals" offered by the provider.Well those deals have finally expired and it was time to let the landline service go.Little lump in the throat moment-- had that number for about 20 years but We all have Cell phones and  can't justify the added expense.Also planning on cutting back on other entertainment services like Satellite Tv,Netflix,etc. Entertainment costs are just crazy! I was hoping our DSL connection speed would increase after removing all the Telephones and having just a straight wired connection to the DSL modem, but so far no increase. Must be maxed out to Us. Contract says up to 7meg-we're at 4meg which is pretty good for Our location!

   73----Tim