Snake Oil?

The ARRL.org site is down. It redirects to a "new account" page on Interbridge Networking.

I have reported this to ARRL HQ; they're looking into it. Meanwhile, no ARRL.org, LOTW, etc.

I sure hope they have backups, because this is looking like a server is down.

Click the picture for a full-size screen grab of what arrl.org looks like this morning:

(The "Snake Oil" reference is to the domain that serves the certificate for p1k.arrl.org, the LOTW host. You get a notice that snakeoil.dom is offering an expired certificate.)

No Joy

Fah. The feed at Planet Ham says ARRL is back up, but it's still inaccessible here. Apparently the bad DNS info spread far and wide before they caught it.

I was one of the early reporters of this problem, either 1st or 2nd judging by what the tech people at HQ said on the phone this morning.

Moving ALong

First off, arrl.org is all better. The web site is up and running fine. Next, in operating news, I was able to work E71AA in Sarajevo on 30 meters last night, for another new country for me (I didn't recognize that prefix and had no idea who I had worked until afterwards when I could check the callsign), and MD0CCE on 20 CW the night before, also a new country.

Thirdly, my XGGCOMMS cable arrived today. This cable combines CI-V control, PTT, and audio feed to/from the PC and the IC-7000 enabling PSK as a possible mode, as well as AFSK. I am anxious to give it a try, I have been playing with N1MM logger for a few days getting to know some of its ins and outs. I'm watching the calendar for some QSO parties so I can do my thing with it. I am passing on WAE, it's a little too intimidating right now, what with the QTC thing and all. But maybe next year will be another story.

New Mode

I made my 1st ever PSK31 QSO today with Bob, WC0D, in Minnesota on 20 meters, so the new interface does work.

I can't tell if this is a mode I'm going to enjoy using because it is somewhat challenging to get everything going while sitting in a truck. The laptop has to sit in the passenger seat and I have to lean over to reach it, so it's not the most comfortable operating mode. But I'll give it a shot to see how it goes.

Tuning Aid?

I decided to tune the Hi-Q down to 80 meter CW to see what was happening. That's a long trip from 20 meters, and the radio was pretty hot at the end.

So I painted some tuning indicators on the coil:

From the bottom, that's 3.500, 3.750, 4.000, 7.000, 10.100, and 14.000 MHz. I can reach 28.400 at the very top with the long whip on, and for 50.100 I tune down from there. It's probably running as a 5/8 or 1/2 wave on 6.

Low Band

Okay, not the low band that is usually meant. I mean 80 meter CW, because that is as low as I can go. Last night while I was working on the antenna, I found that the wire going to the center pin of the SO-239 was coming off, so I re-soldered it. Tonight I worked Dan, W3DF, in Westminster, MD., on 80 CW, and afterwards found that the center conductor had come loose again. A cold joint, I am guessing, held together by the flux.

So I am going to dig out my nuclear soldering iron and fuse that sucker for good and all.

In other news, those who follow my PHP Hamlog may have noticed a dearth of QSLs lately. I upload all my contacts to LOTW and have picked up several QSLS there, but I really need to take a work day and get a few cards out. There is some nice DX among the ones I haven't sent yet that would be great wallpaper for the page if I can convince them to reply.