QSL and TS-2000 update

This week I received the best QSL ever from Masayuki  JA7BEW.  This was the 5 watt Japan contact I made on 10/23/11 ... See the picture below he sent me some cancelled Japanese stamps and a printout of the award that he is going for and needed my call sign.  Very cool, now this is what ham radio is about ....

Update to new Kenwood TS-2000 ....

This radio makes me smile every time I turn the dial ... Wow what a nice rig. I am still learning all the in's and out's but it is coming along well and I have yet to get frustrated with any thing on the unit.  I have a Heil Pro Set Plus the the HC-4 and HC-5 elements (now discontinued) and from reports I am getting on 2 meter FM its sounds much better than the stock Kenwood hand mic. I need to get a dummy load to make sure my SSB quality is where I want it.  I made a mistake last week trying to adjust the mic with the monitor function and I thought it was not transmitting ....Wrong after making an idot of myself for a min or so a Minnesota station comes back to me ... We had a nice short QSO and now I will not make that mistake again .... That is why it is called AMATEUR radio ....LOL 

Next on the list of things to do is replace the FT-2900 in my jeep with the FT-857 that came off the Ham Shelf.  I have purchased a High Sierra HS-1800DX Mobile Screwdriver Antenna and plan on starting that install next weekend. Lots of pics and info to come on that one.  I cant wait to make some DX contacts on my way to work ... 

Peace 

Kelly