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Installing ground rods around the base of the 20 meter rotating tower

Steve NR4M with a few club members installed on 3/8/2025 8 foot ground rods around the base of the 20 meter rotating tower.  

6 ground rods were installed, out along each of three, 25 foot, #4 radials. Two rods per radial, located at 10 feet and 25 feet.

An electric jack hammer was utilized to drive rod grounds in.  Also the team used a post hole digger to put the top of the ground rods below ground level.  

 

ARRL DX Contest, CW (2025)

Congrats to K3LR, and team, for another excellent team performance for the win.
Then, I need to thank the team at K1TTT for keeping us motivated. It was always so neck-and-neck, that I literally lost track of the number of times we swapped positions on the on-line scoreboard. Sometimes the lead would flip-flop every time the scoreboard would update! That makes for motivation. I hope we 'pushed' them a bit as well. Second place (first loser) will be decided by log checking.
 

CQ WPX RTTY Contest (2025)

Well, this was sure different.
I almost never do this contest because it's the week before ARRL DX CW, and I
don't want to break something and have not much time to fix it.
This time, from the beginning, it was my intent to get as many 'newbies'
involved as it could. This would include those who have operated RTTY before,
but from a very modest station, those with NO RTTY experience at all, those with
very little to NO HF operating experience at all. I got some of each to go
along with some of the regular guys.

CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW (2025)

On the day of the contest, K7SV, came over and helped me sort out the high SWR
issues with my antenna.

I had a full day planned for Saturday that started early, so I didn't operate
too much on Friday night.  When my Saturday obligations were finished about 2250
GMT on Saturday, I got on and had a blast.

North American QSO Party, CW (2025 January)

Knew I wasn't going to have much time, so for the heck of it, I went
QRP.

Only had one station as for a fill.  And, successfully 'ran' for a while on 20.

73 Steve, NR4M

ARRL 10-Meter Contest (2024)

Call: NR4M
Operator(s): NR4M
Station: NR4M

Class: SO CW HP
QTH: FM18 VA
Operating Time (hrs): 5:55

Summary:
  Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
    CW:  384   124
   SSB:    0     0
-------------------
Total:  384   124  Total Score = 190,464

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

ARRL 160-Meter Contest (2024)

160M antenna was FUBAR for this contest.  
 SWR was over 4:1, so just used my K3S, with tuner and 50 watts output.
To my surprise lots of stations heard me.
One of my PVRC friends sent me a text telling me my signal was waay down. Yea, I guess so!
Worked THREE DE stations within a two minute period!
Thanks for the Q's

WAE CW from NR4M (2024)

Fun contest.

I operated as much as I wanted, but little 40/80, where the points are. I never could do the 'night time shifts', very well.

Didn't spent enough time on working mults, as I really enjoy running stations. The score reflects that.

Personally, I think they should spend energy on getting more operators on, rather than cutting the time. If there were 40% more operators on, we'd be complaining about it being crowded.

North American QSO Party, CW - August (2024)

Murphy is alive and well in central VA.

Hadn't messed with the station since WPX CW and found that most things were 'hosed up' Only two rotator controllers were working, two of the others were showing a 'counter out of range' error, one P/P had no voltage going to it and the 40 meter Moxon turned easily, but not past 340 degrees to the west!

CQWW WPX Contest, CW (2024)

"Mr Murphy" checked in at this QTH this weekend. Had equipment failures that really could not have been predicted. We were able to do 'work arounds', so all was not lost.

Too many stations with nasty key clicks.

Thanks for all the Q's

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