So it went this way and read to the end for the funny part.

     I finally got the Icom 7000 to key on CW with the MFJ keyer
keyboard combination.  A friend discovered a jumper wire inside
the MFJ keyer box that said Direct keying and Gridblock keying.
It was on Direct so he switched it to gridblock and wouldn't you,
know, it began keying the radio normally, although the Icom manual
said nothing about this.

     So, Friday, waiting for supper, I tune through 20 meters and
worked everything I could hear just for the fun of it.  About 30
stations in all.  Some were the big loud contest stations running
big antennas and big power but some I worked, I could hardly copy
myself; yet they answered.  I was running about 60 to 75 watts
output due to my SWR and no tuner.

     Then just before the supper call, I was tuning 40 meters
about 7 PM.  I have had the R7 vertical on my roof for many years
and used mostly Ten Tec transceivers.  Once for about three
years, I had the Yaesu ft767 on the same R7 vertical on the roof.
Never once, to my recollection, have I worked, or even copied Q5,
a European on 40 meters with any of those radios and this vertical
and believe me, I've tried.  Since getting the IC7000 in mid
November, I have heard many Europeans, to my amazement, and many
were Q5 copy, too.  Friday night, a 50 mile an hour wind storm
blew into Denver and then it began snowing.  It was a literal
white out for a couple of hours but then just as quickly blew
itself out.  At 7 o'clock that evening was when the storm was
strongest and I was on 40 meters.  I called several of the big
signals but didn't get through.  I also heard several of the
European big contest stations S9 or better at times but none were
hearing me except for one.  I worked a guy in Sweden, to my
amazement, and later, I worked a few KH6 and KH7 on the band.
After supper, learning from one of my kids who had brought his
family over to eat with us, that the storm was on, I went back out
to the radio and used the talking watt meter to see what the SWR
and forward power was.  This R7 vertical, at 7.1 is 1.4 to 1 and
at 7.0 is 5.1 with no tuner running as of yet.  My output power at
5.1 is about 25 to 32 watts.  With the high winds, temperatures
dropping rapidly below freezing, the snow and all, where I worked
the Swedish station I was running 6.4 to 1 and had 18 watts
output.  Imagine that!  18 watts and a vertical working Europe
from Colorado.  By the way, at 7.0 it was up 6.7 to one.

     I worked someone in the Caribbean, I forget who now, on 15
meters Saturday morning but even today heard nothing on 15 meters
or 10 meters.  So, under the circumstances, I was quite happy with
the rigs performance under such limited conditions and not so hot
band conditions.  Now all I need to do is hook up the solid state
amp and the LDG auto tuner, throw up and 80 and 160 antenna,
install the 40 meter rotary dipole, and I'll be in business.

Phil.
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