KH9/KH7AL - Wake Island

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KH9/KH7AL Wake Island News
Hello fellow friends of Wake Island,
The past two weeks were a ton of fun as it was filled with lots of ham radio. I was so busy between work and radio play that I did not have much time for blog updates, but I did a couple new posts along with some pictures of an old transmitter site here on Wake. Check it out here.

All that recent activity, mostly on CW, added an additional 1,400+ QSOs to my log. Thanks for your patience as I work to improve my CW operating skills in order to meet as many of you on the air as possible.

This week will be light on radio activity as I am attending a very early webinar training event. It starts at 04:00 local time and runs for four hours, and for five days before work. Who knows? Perhaps I will find the energy to get on one night this week but not for too late.

Upcoming Activity page.
09 March ~ 07:00 - 09:00, 17m CW, CQ EU
09 March ~ 20:00 - ?, 10m SSB

I hope to catch you on the air in the near future.

Thanks for the contacts and happy trails!!!
73 and good DX,
Allen ~ KH7AL/KH9

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KH9/KH7AL News
Hello fellow friends of Wake Island,
Well, I survived a long week of early wake ups to attend a five-day test prep course for work. I'd consider myself a morning person, but there is a significant differnence between getting up at 3:50 a.m., instead of my usual 6:00 a.m wake up. That is the reason I was not on the radio much the past week. With that behind me I am looking forward to getting on the air as much as possible before I head home for a break in a couple weeks.

Tonight I took the opportunity to accept an invitation to join the ANZA net on 14.183. That was fun to meet a few VKs and south Pacific neighbors.

Tomorrow I will cut some wire to make a new 17m dipole to get ready for more CW fun tomorrow night. I don’t think my old 10-15-17m linked dipole will be up for the task given the corrosion it has endured while on Wake. I will be calling CQ EU, but VKs and ZLs are welcome to join in while the band is open.

For the rest of the week I will be on the air as opportunities presents themselves. Nothing planned, so standby for some random KH9 activity before my vacation.

Upcoming Activity page.
09 March ~ 07:00 - 09:00, 17m CW, CQ EU
09 March ~ 22:15 - 23:59, 10m SSB

I hope to catch you on the air.

73 and good DX.
Aloha,
Allen ~ KH7AL/KH9

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Hello fellow friends of Wake Island,

As I see my travel date quickly approaching for my break from Wake Island, I feel the urge to log as many contacts as I can. Therefore, I have planned a multi-day (evening local time) radio activities to dish out some QSOs before I am wheels up and heading home for some fun time with my family. That starts tonight with "30-meter Thursday."

The line up is on my Activity Page, but I'll post it here for convenience:
• 13 March ~ 06:45 - 08:30, 30m
• 14 March ~ 07:00 - 09:00, 15m SSB
• 15 March ~ 07:00 - 09:00, 15m CW
• 16 March ~ 07:00 - 09:00, 12m SSB
• 16 March ~ 19:30 - 23:59, 15m SSB
• 17 March ~ 07:00 - 09:00, 12m CW -- Happy St. Patrick's Day

I am also happy to share that a colleague at work just passed his Technician exam and has a new callsign. He is already working on upgrading to General after much encouragement that HF is where all the fun is at. I will let him make his debut to the world at his own pace. He is not initially interested in big pile-ups that he's witnessed me work. Wake Island is an odd place to start your journey with ham radio as I am sure you would agree. I would like to get him on 10m to say hello very soon. So get ready to say hi to your new ham friend, Richard, in the coming weeks and months.

I hope to catch you on the air.

73 and good DX.
Aloha,
Allen ~ KH7AL/KH9

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KH9/KH7AL from Wake Island on 21040 now.

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KH7AL/KH9 from Wake Island on 24965 now.

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KH9/KH7AL News 18 April 2025
KH9 Weekly Update

Hey friends,

I’m back on Wake Island and couldn’t be happier to be surrounded by water, the warm breeze, and ready to get back on the air. The past several weeks were busy at home but I’ve managed to squeeze in a couple of blog posts you might enjoy:
• Tiny Dogs, Big Mountain: A SOTA Misadventure – What do you get when you mix two tiny house dogs, an off-trail SOTA summit, ticks, cacti, and a lost handheld radio? One very memorable misadventure in Montana.


• Ham Radio Homecoming: My Favorite Projects at Home – From dipole builds to a remote-controlled Icom 7300, here’s what I tackled during my time off—plus a few Raspberry Pi wins (and one unfinished Ham-Pi adventure).

I’ll also be getting on the air regularly over the next couple of weeks. If you’re tuning in, here’s when and where you might catch me:

Upcoming On-Air Schedule:
All times listed are UTC.
• 20 April ~ 07:00 - 09:00, 12m SSB
• 20 April ~ 19:30 - 23:59, 10m SSB

Would love to make a contact if you’re around—or just hear what projects you’re working on too.

Catch you on the air or in the comments on my blog!

73,
Allen ~ KH7AL and back on KH9

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KH9/KH7AL Wake Island News
Hey everyone!

Quick update from Wake Island!

This week, 17 meters lit up—over 230 QSOs logged in just two hours, with contacts ranging from Fiji and Costa Rica to Finland and Japan. It felt good to be back on the band after a bit of a break.

? Upcoming operating times (UTC):
• 27 April ~ 07:00 - 09:00, 20m SSB
• 04 May ~ off day for antenna building
• 08 May ~ 07:00 - 09:00, 30m CW
• 11 May ~ 19:30 - 23:00, 12m SSB

Also, in true "can't sit still" fashion, I built a trail. Yes, with a machete. It winds through a patch of forest near the old comms building—about 2km of shade and solitude. A great spot for running... or pretending you're in a Japanese forest doing Shinrin-yoku.

? Sneak a peek at the latest blog post here:

17 Meters, UK to Fiji – Free Floating and Trail Building

73,
Allen – KH7AL/KH9

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KH7AL/KH9 Wake Island News
KH9 Weekly Update


This Week on Wake: Radios, Ruins & new videos on my YouTube Channel

Hey folks,

Big week out here on Wake Island! Richard (KR4CDI) and I made our first FT8 contacts using the new Icom IC-7300 and WSJT-X setup today. Might even be the first FT8 QSO from Wake—still checking on that. Either way, we’re on the air and testing the waters with the digital modes.

Also had the chance to kayak over to Peale Island (the bridge burned down years ago), where I explored WWII ruins, the old LORAN station, and caught sight of thousands of baby hermit crabs on the shore. It’s wild out there—in the best way.

Oh, and I’ve added several videos YouTube channel to share some of this island adventure with you. Quick videos, both ham radio content and historical walkthroughs, starting with Peale Island and a review of Big Signal’s DeltaFlex portable antenna.

? Read the full post & watch the videos on my @KH7AL YouTube Channel

Upcoming Activity
• 08 May ~ 07:00 - 09:00, 30m (CW or FT8… tough choice)
• 11 May ~ 19:30 - 23:00, 12m SSB

Thanks for following along—more updates coming soon as we dig deeper into the island’s history (and its radio potential).

73,
Allen – KH7AL/KH9

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Hi team,

It’s been a mixed bag on the bands this week. I had a tough go on 20 meters with FT8—all my fault as I am still getting the hang of it. But I’m not backing down. I'm determined to master this digital mode so I can reach those stations who might otherwise miss the Wake Island connection. Stay tuned—more FT8 attempts are coming your way.

In more exciting news, I had the honor of being featured on the All Across America Podcast with Marc Vig! We dug into everything from my Air Force days to operating from Wake. You can listen to Episode #62 here:

? AllAcrossAmerica.com
? Apple Podcasts
? Spotify

Give it a listen and let me know what you think! Also, check out other interviews by Marc, from All Across America. I think you might like them.

Upcoming Activity:
? 11 May | ⏰ 19:30 – 23:00 UTC | ? 12m SSB
There may also be more FT8 sessions later next week—weather, propagation, and gear willing.

Lastly, if you watch my YouTube, please consider following my channel (@KH7AL) as I hope to post a video or two each month about Wake Island and some ham content as well.

Thanks again for all the continued support and QSOs. Catch you on the air!

73,
Allen ~ KH7AL/KH9

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KH9/KH7AL on 14078 now FT8.