13 colonies

This is my first year in HF. I have been having a ton of fun with the 13 colonies special event.

Does the certificate only show the ones you worked? Or do you only qualify if you get them all?

A few of those are pretty tough to get through. I am sure next year I will have improved my setup enough to make it.

RM
KF5ZPV

 

It shows the ones you worked.You can get the certificate if you work any of them...if you work them all, then add a "Clean Sweep" stamp,and a stamp for each of the bonus stations. Great fun! This year marks my fourth year in hf, and my fourth clean sweep. This is probably the only special event that has me chasing paper...

 

It was very fun getting them. I got my 13th one last night. RI was my hardest but I got it. Now I am doing the paper work. It is going on my wall.

John, WB0MPB

 

I got my tech license in May and my gen in June. The initial reason for licensing was for my r/c hobby but have gotten into the radio hobby as well. I was tuning around 40m last Friday and found a 13 colonies station. Webbed up on it and thought it would be fun. I'm in SW FL with plenty of thunderstorms (noise) and a modest ham setup. I was on the radio off and on Friday through yesterday and last night got the twelfth and thirteenth stations. After our sons had left, my wife was suggesting I get on the radio to see if I could get all thirteen.....up til now, she didn't pay much attention to my new hobby beyond thinking some of the sci fi noises that come out when tuning around were funny (her liking it is a good thing!).

I was trying to get the Philadelphia add on station but haven't gotten through so far. Did I read correctly that the event runs through the 6th of July?

 

Yes... the 6th ... but the website says MIDNIGHT EST and I wonder if they meant to say EDT ? It also says 0400 UTC and that would be Midnight E D T .

So, in any case, you've still got some time!

 

I've had a busy weekend and not much time for radio. However I've got 12 plus W3PEN.
I only need K2C for a sweep. Does anyone know if the bonus station from England was on this year?

 

THEY were on, GB13COL, and I could hear them, but they sure couldn't hear me, even with the big beam and KILLERWATT!!! It was just a madhouse.
I doubt anyone on WEST COAST made it into the log!
Chip shot for the East Coast.
The 13 & WM3PEN were easier this year, thanks to really excellent operators!

 

Lots of fun! K2F Maryland was the hardest for me! Bought a new radio before I even knew there was a special event going on. After the first few, I was hooked! Spent 5 hours in the rain trying to get my 40/20m antenna working better and getting it a bit higher. It took everything that the IC-7300 could do to get some of the stations, but it was so much fun getting the 13th one today! Got the clean sweep!

 

I only have one left to get. And it has been a booger of a challenge. Maryland - K2E
The chase for this last one is going to be fun this evening! I am looking forward to it. Clean sweep, I want it!

RM

 

Maryland is K2F. Delaware is K2E.

 

Sweeeep! Whole family (XYL, 2 kids, myself) completed on 7/2, including both Bonus Stations. Mailed out for the certs--going over the archway in the dining room.

Also op'd as K2K for different stretches of time; couple of those sessions my YLs got to operate too. They had a blast.

 

Well shoot, I hope I didn't make so much of a mess with my log I have to get both. Thank you for pointing that out though!

RM

 

Ok I didn't make a mess of my log! Wheew! I need Delaware, K2E for the sweep.
I will keep any eye out on dxsummit but if anyone hears it let me know.

RM

 

All I can say is that it has been a lot fun working the 13 Colonies. I'm not a contester by any stretch of the imagination. But, in my mind this is far different from a contest.

I spent about two hours using my old Ten Tec Argonaught 505, SN 000026, running about 3-4 watts PEP SSB on 75, 40, and 20 into a about a 65 foot random wire that transitions through a 4:1 unun to 25-feet of old RG-58/U to the back of my rig little rig. My audio is "processed" through an old Ten Tec 234 Audio Processor using an Electro-Voice 727 microphone.

Thanks to all the volunteers at stations running the 1x1 stations.

I was extremely surprised that my 3-5 watts and minimal antenna somehow busted through the pileups to the 1x1 stations on 75, 40 and 20 meters.

Thanks all!

Ken
K8KJG

 

Wow!!! K2E Delaware operator recognized me from this thread. He got me in for the clean sweep!!!! So cool.
Couldn't catch your call as the band was going in and out plus the ts-130 hadn't warmed up and was drifting really bad. BUT THANK YOU for getting me in!

RM (soon to be K5AGE btw)