June 2026
Volume 31 Number 6
Next meeting is scheduled for July 25th at 11:30am. Location and program are TBD. Find out more.
Thirty Years Ago, a bunch of local hams gathered for pizza at Mountain Mike’s Round Table in Martel, and the Mother Lode DX/Contest Club was born!
In this issue: Missives! – news – Monthly features! – Points Generator! – state QSO parties – a look back 10 & 20 years – classifieds – DX – focus contests? – more funny stuff! – Club Log updates – and more!
From the Prez
MLDXCC,
Hopefully you were able to attend the joint MLDXCC / NCCC meeting last Saturday. It was good to re-connecting with NCCC members. A big thank you to Bob K3EST for his presentation on propagation “hows and why’s”. It answered some questions and created even more!
While my HF activities have been sparse lately, my 6 meter log is looking better. New DXCC countries and states, however still no DE or RI in the log.
For those of you who may have not heard, MLDXCC won the medium size club category in the ARRL Sweep Stakes contest! According to Bob W1RH it’s our 10th win in a row. Great job MLDXCC! Thank you to Bob for being the “log flogger”.
In addition to chasing 6 meter contacts, I’ve been busy repairing HF tubes amps for various hams. If you’re in need, purchase or repair, email me at nc6r4dx@gmail.com so we can discuss.
How’s your DX and marathon contacts? Many DX countries are currently active. 3YØL Peter I Island is scheduled for February 2027 and currently listed as #7 on Club Log’s most wanted list.
If you’ve not yet paid your dues for 2026, please consider doing so. Cost yearly is $30 individual, $45 for a family.
MLDXCC is a premier DX/Contest Club, our continued success can’t be done without you. Thank you for your membership and participation.
For your info, here are good contest & DX web links –
Contest dates are listed at –
https://www.contestcalendar.com
DX operation announcements can be found at – https://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html
73 & good DX,
Steve / NC6R
MLDXCC Pres.
From the Veep
No missive this month.
Treasurer’s Quarterly Report
Next report will be in the July issue.
Dues are due (we run our finances January – December), and at the November 2025 meeting those in attendance voted to increase dues to $30 per individual and $45 for a family. That’s a steal – only $2.50/month (or $3.75/mo for a family) – just 58 cents a week! Show your club some support and pay your dues today – you can pay them by:
- Sending a check payable to MLDXCC to our treasurer, Sue K6SZQ at 17610 Red Mule Road Fiddletown, CA 95642
- Paying through Paypal – motherlodeclub@gmail.com Make sure that you spell Motherlode correctly, and choose the “friends and family option” to avoid us having to pay fees.
- Best way: Bringing a check or cash with you to the meeting! Hope to see you there.
Secretary’s Report
Minutes of the June meeting will be posted in the next issue.
Breaking News!
(Click here for the sound of a chattering teletype! Thanks to Bob W1RH.)
The video of the June joint meeting of the MLDXCC and NCCC is available here. Included is Bob K3EST’s excellent presentation on propagation – highly recommended viewing! (Here’s a PDF of the presentation, with an extensive appendix!)
Your editor is a little surprised no one commented on the AI trick I reported in the last issue… (I just tried it on Claude AI and it didn’t work.)
Got news? Send it to me for inclusion in the next issues of The Nugget! – ed.
Recently Posted Articles
None this month. Write something for The Nugget!
Points Generator!
New Feature! Each month we will try to feature a Points Generator member profile. (Here’s how to submit your own profile.) Here’s a hand written profile by Rick W6SR.
Videos!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel!
DX…
DXpedition Timeline (updated regularly) – Via DX-world.net
Upcoming Contests
Focus contests for 2026-2027 should be on the agenda in the next couple of meetings – think about which contests you’d like, and contribute to the decision!
Other contests of note coming up in the next month or so, via contestcalendar.com:
- July 1: RAC Canada Day Contest (CW, Phone)
- July 4-5: CQ Worldwide VHF SSB/CW Contest (6m, 2m only)
- July 18-19: CQ Worldwide VHF Digital Contest (6m, 2m only, any digital modes – FT, MSK144, Q65, etc.)
- July 18-19: North American QSO Party, RTTY
State QSO Parties (via statesqoparty.com) – We have but one State QP for July:
- July 25-26: Alabama QSO Party (CW, Phone, RTTY)
Classifieds
C’mon folks, buy this stuff! Make offers!
For Sale and Wanted: Skip N6NFB is selling a US Tower TX-455 (used, very good) with tilt fixture, Yaesu 800 rotor, and 15 foot mast tube $1100. And also selling a US Tower MA-40 tubular tower. New old stock, still on shipping pallets. $250. Skip – N6NFBskip@gmail.com
Humor!
Send more funny stuff for the next issue! – Ed.
ClubLog DXCC Standings
Standings for 2026 as of 20 June. You can see complete MLDXCC standings on ClubLog here.
Overall
| 1 | W1SRD | 204 |
| 2 | N6NFB | 193 |
| 3 | K6YK | 182 |
| 4 | W6DR | 170 |
| 5 | WU7W | 168 |
CW
| 1 | K6YK | 157 |
| 2 | K6RIM | 138 |
| 3 | W6DR | 109 |
| 4 | K6OK | 80 |
| 5 | WU7W | 54 |
Phone
| 1 | WC6H | 120 |
| 2 | K6YK | 106 |
| 3 | K6TQ | 72 |
| 4 | NC6R | 58 |
| 5 | W6RKC | 49 |
Data
| 1 | W1SRD | 201 |
| 2 | N6NFB | 191 |
| 3 | W6DR | 157 |
| 4 | WU7W | 153 |
| 5 | NJ6G | 128 |
20 and 10 Years Ago in The Nugget
June 2006
The June 2006 meeting was once again held at Round Table Pizza in Martel. “The June program will be: ‘Identifying, Finding, and Eliminating Power Line and Other Man Made Noise Sources’ by Ira Stoler, K2RD. Ira gives a detailed over view of noise diagnosis, including how to determine the signature of the noise using spectral analysis software and the sound card of a lap top. He tells many war stories of his RFI hunts. He also discusses the ultrasonic noise detector that was described recently
in QST.”
President Rich NU6T shared that “Station rebuilding time has arrived. I’ve managed to rearrange the shack desk so I can now get easily to the back of the radios, wires and such. I built a WinKey and the dang thing actually works. My first real electronics project. I may have to make a bigger effort in a CW contest, perhaps actually make a contact! With the success of my WinKey, a RockMite is on order. No, I’m not diving into QRP. I’m learning about the radio and working my way up to a K2. I’m not having enough luck with 100w to worry about QRP. By the time I build a K2, we may be back to the top of the cycle.”
Field Day coordinator Jim WX6V suggested, “If you are looking for something to do over the last weekend of June – c’mon up and join us. The most important day is Friday – setup day (actually – tear-down on Sunday is pretty important too because all of the operators are rather worn down by then). Why not plan to come help us get the masts and antennas into the air and then enjoy a nice juicy steak hot off the grill at the end of the day (of course – you have to supply your own steak!) amidst the company of some great radio operators. Then sit around the table with us, sip on your beverage of choice, and share some of your favorite ‘war stories’ from past contests while the sun sets in the west. Sounds too good to pass up to me! See ya there.”
In member news, Bill KI6PG said, “In the last two days I have received certificates for the 2005 IARU HF World Championship, First place single operator phone only low power, San Joaquin Valley section; and First place Multi-operator (KI6PG + packet) San Joaquin Valley Section 2005 ARRL 160-Meter Contest. It is always nice to get another certificate, even though I suspect I was the only entry in those categories.”
June 2016
The June 2016 meeting was held at “Las Tres Marias
in Wallace, CA. The meeting was going to be held in Valley Springs but the location there, Thai House, now has a standing reservation every Saturday. Wallace is halfway between Valley Springs and Lockeford on Hwy 12.” The program? “You don’t want to miss this one. Jim Colletto, N6TQ will be doing a presentation on his participation in the recent DXpedition to Heard Island!”
If you recall from last month, the May program was TBD. Time to end the suspense: “Steve W1SRD gave an interesting & informative talk & slide show on the TX3X DXpedition to Chesterfield Reef in October of 2015.”
President Shirl AA6K, “First of all I need to inform the club of my developing health issue. It seems that I have developed a golf ball sized growth in/on my right lung. The Doctors at Kaiser have done extensive testing and I have a biopsy scheduled for June 13th. My attendance at future meetings will be dependant upon medical appointments/treatments but I shall try to be there.”
Shirl continued, talking about the DX Marathon: “I must be living in the dark as I was unaware that the CQ DX Marathon had a Club Competition. I never bothered entering as I knew I could not win so why bother. Now that I am aware of the Club Competition I’m proposing that the MLDXCC make this a ‘Focus Event’ for 2016. I think that we could be the top US club and perhaps win it all with the right amount of effort. Also it seems that there will be little added work generate an entry as Club Log has a tracking feature.”
Editor Rick W6SR noted, “We are at the start of my least favorite time of the radio year, when all the signs say…………..
“Yes it’s summer again, and that means the ‘Summer Doldrums’, the A and K incidences are heading skyward, it’s 103 outside, and your stock portfolios are going down. And…………. we all feel a lot like this little guy.
“So what to do what to do? What to do?
“Corvettes. That’s the answer!”
Did these snippets from years ago trigger any good memories? If so, please send them for inclusion in the next issue of The Nugget!
Resources
Check out the Resources menu up there at the top of every web page for useful DX and contest info.
Prepared for the MLDXCC by Editor and Webwookie Jeff WK6I. Please do send me any corrections, omissions, or material for future issues of The Nugget. It is much appreciated!
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