KL7J HamRadio Page

Zone 1 - Grid BP40mm
KL7J Callsign

KL7J Callsign

2024

KL7J Shack Photo

SteppIR 6 - 40 meters @ 74 ft on a Hazer Tram.
Buried Hardline to remote coax switching antennas on 8 acres.
Yaesu FTDX101MP. Windows 11.
Amps: Haven't bothered owning an amp the past 6 years. AT4K Ant Tuner (now retired).
Antique gear... namely the operator @ 79 yrs 😃

I have lived in Alaska 53 years.
I visited Alaska in 1966. Returned in spring of 1971 after finishing a B.S. degree and working for 2 years. Alaska was much more a self reliant low population frontier before the 1975 Trans-Alaska oil pipeline, it was awesome times for me. Career was almost 30 years for Alaska and been retired in the State of Alaska system for 23 years. Received my radio license in Alaska 45 years ago. I live near the small rural town of Soldotna... for the past 41 years (before stop lights).

Some snapshots of the shack over the decades.

KL7J in 1979 as KL7EO.

KL7J in 1981 as NL7J.

My Callsigns; over the 45 years operating in Alaska.

KL7J (11/1996 to Present)
NL7J (1980 to 11/1996)
KL7EO (1979 to 5/1980) Extra Class w/20 WPM
WL7AFE (11/1978 to 3/1979)

My 22 year journey to DXCC Honor Roll #1, completed in 2001.

Trivia: My last two enities for HR #1 were Tromelin Is. (FT/T) and N. Korea (P5).

DXCC Honor Roll #1, 2001 to 2024. All current DX entities confirmed.

ARRL LoTW lifetime = 351 DXCC. All from South-Central AK (55 mi radius).
Honor Roll worked in SSB and Honor Roll worked in CW.
9-Band Digital DXCC.
10-Band 100 DX countries incl 60 meters.

U.S. States - 8-Band SSB, 9-Band CW, 10-Band Digital.
WAZ mixed 7-Bands. WAZ in SSB, CW, and Digital.

Band activity and Mode Stats over the years →

Some of my favorite DX'ing cartoons.



LoTW uploaded real time and QRZ is uploaded daily.
-
Photo QSL (e.g. below) via SASE to QSL Manager N3SL.
(N3SL, 22 N Hidden Acres Dr, Sioux City, IA 51108-8641)
or
ClubLog (uploaded daily)


I have a special affection for dogteams.
In early 1970's I had a dogteam 😊

HF Mobile/Remote in the far north and to the Arctic Ocean.
I have been HF mobile on the Alcan many times including two winter trips. Alcan Hwy in 1966 to Alaska was almost 1000 miles of rough dirt road and infrequent fuel availability. It was wonderfully remote. HF mobile on the Yukon/Northwest Territory Dempster Hwy 454 miles dirt road to the arctic VE8-Inuvik (was /VY1 and /VE8). Also HF mobile the 300+ miles dirt 'Dalton' Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline Road to the Arctic Ocean at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.

HF rig was occasionally taken when I was dropped off in remote wilderness by bush pilot for big game hunting or wilderness fishing. Below are a few HF mobile/remote trips. I used a 20/40 meter alligator clamp jumpered dipole when remote tenting.

Contesting interest is limited and there's the frequent geomagnetic realities (and aurora) of Alaska's location so close to the magnetic north pole with the burden of
high-latitude effects on radio propagation.
Some years I've been active low power category ARRL CW Sweepstakes weekend trying for a 'Sweep'.

Miscellaneous
Alaska Judicial Districts reference for County Hunters. Map and cross reference

FTDX101MP with USB cord to computer (no accessory interface) for FT8 (pics and setup that worked for me): PDF Link

* FTDX101MP transmitting 60 meters with no mods (to keep warranty) using WSJT-X program: PDF

Aurora with a local Kenai River temp inversion.
Soldotna, Alaska
My antenna in Aurora 3/2023.
Soldotna, Alaska
(Canon T3i EOS SLR, f3.5, 15 sec, 24mm, ISO 800)
[East view from N60.524 W150.920 3/24/2023 09:11 UTC]

Visitors to this page. I hope a QSO with all.

The world is a DX canvas to paint.
Propagation and patience is a great equalizer of antennas.
DX in the ether drives the imagination of a contact.

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