No worries on FB. It is what it is.  I get all posts to this group sent to me as many others do so in a way it serves a similar purpose.

As you can see there are a variety of options that people use. I also have been using pen and paper prior to my recent transition to mobile (I do only mobile) logging via ACL.

ACL is a PC program so I don't know how it runs in the various pc operations available for Mac.

I did forget to mention that there is a WWFF template for HamLog that you might want to try before going elsewhere. 

Here the link to the article and the template for download:
https://www.n3vem.com/blog/wwff-logging-more-with-hamlog

My fingers just don't fit on my iphone screen trying to log but it might work well for you. 

The thing I love about this hobby and this WWFF-KFF group is that there are so many creative ways to solving problems and there is a good chance that somebody has been there, done that. 

73
Kraig

A good read, thanks. I was left with a few questions:

Power? Mode(s)? Radio?

73, 44,

-detrick

K4IZ

On Tue, May 1, 2018, 12:42 Wayne Robertson <k4wk@...> wrote:

You might enjoy this yarn at www.hamdom.com

Very good, and thank you for the additional info. Your experience sounded, overall, somewhere between a bad and an average day for me. But I use a KX3 and work primarily CW at 15W.

I spent a couple weeks in FL last December. During my trip I had my first activation to successfully reach at least 44 contacts on one attempt. In the days before that activation I built a new antenna and spent some time in the backyard as a hunter to see how it performed. It seemed like all the acticators I hunted were running hard, easily reaching 44 contacts in no time. A few times, when the other activator seemed slow, I asked how much power they were running. 100W was the constant answer. I don't have a way to run 100W in a park, so I did the next best thing: I brought a laptop with and ran FT8 to give myself a fighting chance. It worked, but I also found that CW contacts seemed to come more easily than they had in the past at 5W. My biggest lesson was to run 15W for as long as I could, and 10W once battery voltage had dropped too far for 15W. The additional power, meager as it may seem, has let me skip using FT8 ever since. But an activation is still an all day event for me (but no complaints here).

I'm surprised to hear of someone having such a hard time with 100W. But also somewhat comforted. It gives me hope that sometimes it's just bad condx or a slow day and not my meager power output.

73, 44,

-detrick

K4IZ

On Tue, May 1, 2018, 13:44 Wayne Robertson <k4wk@...> wrote:

Good questions: 100 watts, SSB on 14 (got zero) and 7 Mhz, Icom 706 MarkII.  Antenna a Par EndFedz for 40 and 20m.

Hope to work you on future activations.

On 5/1/2018 12:54 PM, Detrick Merz wrote:

A good read, thanks. I was left with a few questions:

Power? Mode(s)? Radio?

73, 44,

-detrick

K4IZ

On Tue, May 1, 2018, 12:42 Wayne Robertson <k4wk@...> wrote:

You might enjoy this yarn at www.hamdom.com

Detrick, you've given me some good ideas.  For one, maybe I'm not staying in the saddle long enough.  You say most yours are all day affairs.  Maybe I was spoiled to get 49 qso's in an hour Sunday, and 39 in an hour on a weekday a few wks ago.  Flukes?
For two, you use CW (I note your straight key in your qrz photo); I've been using SSB cuz I'm lazy but in truth, I really like and sometimes prefer CW.  About 15 wpm for me.
As for power, I had an 817 until recently and had been consistently disappointed with results on 5w CW.  Phone on 5w was, for me, a complete waste of electrons.  Thus I bought the Icom 706; bigger and heavier, but still smaller than a normal base station unit.  I like it, so far, but we're still just dating. With 100w and the EndFedz antenna I received a number of 59's from Massachusetts and beyond.  I even had a ham stop in at 7184 to tell me, in a very nice way, that I was interfering with their net in NY at 7185!  I took that as a compliment, then courteously scrammed.
If I go backpacking, and if, someday, the bands improve, I'd use my NorCal40 CW xcvr tuned for 7024 or 7044.  By the way, do you know why there's two?  Is one for General and the other for Extra?
In your qrz photo you have an interesting battery resting on your handrail.  Is that what I think it is?  Great idea.
100 w to 15 w is 8 dB, pretty significant difference.  The ratio of 100w to the 5w of an 817 is 13 dB; hugely significant, IMHO.
73, Wayne
On 5/1/2018 2:49 PM, Detrick Merz wrote:

Very good, and thank you for the additional info. Your experience sounded, overall, somewhere between a bad and an average day for me. But I use a KX3 and work primarily CW at 15W.

I spent a couple weeks in FL last December. During my trip I had my first activation to successfully reach at least 44 contacts on one attempt. In the days before that activation I built a new antenna and spent some time in the backyard as a hunter to see how it performed. It seemed like all the acticators I hunted were running hard, easily reaching 44 contacts in no time. A few times, when the other activator seemed slow, I asked how much power they were running. 100W was the constant answer. I don't have a way to run 100W in a park, so I did the next best thing: I brought a laptop with and ran FT8 to give myself a fighting chance. It worked, but I also found that CW contacts seemed to come more easily than they had in the past at 5W. My biggest lesson was to run 15W for as long as I could, and 10W once battery voltage had dropped too far for 15W. The additional power, meager as it may seem, has let me skip using FT8 ever since. But an activation is still an all day event for me (but no complaints here).

I'm surprised to hear of someone having such a hard time with 100W. But also somewhat comforted. It gives me hope that sometimes it's just bad condx or a slow day and not my meager power output.

73, 44,

-detrick
K4IZ


On Tue, May 1, 2018, 13:44 Wayne Robertson <k4wk@... <mailto:k4wk@...>> wrote:

Good questions: 100 watts, SSB on 14 (got zero) and 7 Mhz, Icom
706 MarkII.  Antenna a Par EndFedz for 40 and 20m.

Hope to work you on future activations.


On 5/1/2018 12:54 PM, Detrick Merz wrote:

A good read, thanks. I was left with a few questions:

Power? Mode(s)? Radio?

73, 44,

-detrick
K4IZ

On Tue, May 1, 2018, 12:42 Wayne Robertson <k4wk@...
<mailto:k4wk@...>> wrote:

You might enjoy this yarn at www.hamdom.com
<http://www.hamdom.com>

This Saturday I’ll be camping at Suwanee River state park, KFF-1921 (and SUW for Florida State Parks On the Air). This is primarily a test run along with N4ESS and KE4AL for our VHF/satellite grid expedition in July to the Dry Tortugas (KFF-0023 in EL84np). I’ll be testing my portable 6m rig this weekend, mostly on FT8 to work out any kinks with the laptop/signalink/857 that crop up, and to get a feel for how long my batteries will last running digi.

However we will still be operating some HF this weekend from Suwanee (weather permitting), mostly 20 and 40, maybe 80 if we can get that much wire up in the campground. CW and sideband. So, if you hear us, or see us spotted stop by and give us a call! This will be my first “real” KFF activation using my own callsign (NJ4Y) instead of the club call, so I’d like to rack up at least 44 Qs for a successful activation!

73, nj4y

- Matthew

Planning to head out to KFF-4588 on Saturday, July 14. Hiking in, looks like about 2 miles up the mountain, hoping to find a good spot to set up on the ridge. Looks like a very nice hike. High temp of 91F, should be good fun :)

Looks like the first activation attempt for this park, so help me make it a success. I'm not checking out right at 44 contacts if I don't have to, I'll hang out until the battery or water runs out. Spots are greatly appreciated if you can hear me. I'll try to self-spot, but can only afford to carry in so much extra battery power for the cell phone (along with water, lunch, etc.). Will be bringing the KX3+6Ah LiFePO4 and running at a full 15W until voltage starts to drop, and then as much power as it'll do until the battery shuts off. Usually 6-8 hours is not a problem. Focus will be on CW, but I'll watch the spots; please post in the spot info if you need/want SSB or PSK31, and please also know it might take me a few minutes to see it and QSY. I'll also happily QRS; if you need 5wpm and everything repeated 10 times I'm happy to oblige. I'm willing to give any of these modes a try, but CW will likely be the most fruitful (and PSK hardest on the battery).

Generally all HF bands seem to be available to me with the antenna setup I've been running. Primary (and first) focus will be on 20m, then likely 40 & 30, and on to any other bands as needed. If you're semi-local we can try 80 and 6, and I'll bring an FM HT in case anyone wants to try 2 (line of sight is in theory good to almost Baltimore and DC).

Tnx es 73,

-detrick

K4IZ