[ADXA] Joel's upcoming article in our newsletter ..

Crownhaven crownhaven at bellsouth.net
Wed Sep 23 21:39:25 EDT 2020 

Well, I got my novice first tour in DC but couldn’t get on air.  Did a lot of listening.  Went to Baltimore FCC, written test which made me Tech, still not on air.  In Detroit, made it happen.  Passed code test.  40 meter dipole at about 25’ and CC R4 vertical later converted to R5.  Had TS830, no mic so it was all straight key.  Chased DX primarily on 10,12 and 30 meters tuning 40 meter dipole.  Used R4 for 10/12, no amp, great fun.

It was magic, I don’t want it to end.

Steve, QQ

> On Sep 23, 2020, at 8:26 PM, jayw5jay <jayw5jay at cox.net> wrote:
> 
> 
> Hi everyone,
> I started out as WN5JZX in 1972. I let that novice callsign lapse because there was no way to get tested in Little Rock, Tulsa, or Dallas. My parents were simply against that sort of thing and driving me to one of those  testing sites was out of the question. My age at that time was 12 years old.
> 
> By the time I was old enough to drive, I drove myself to Dallas and became a real ham radio operator in short order. It's been a great ride for sure. At times I wish I could go back and redo the whole ride knowing what I know now.  Still proud of what I've been able to accomplish so far.
> 
> It took until the mid-to-late nineties for the DX bug to bite me.  Peter 1 was my first expedition that I actively chased. Mainly because the local DXers in Fort Smith were making such a big deal about it on 2m simplex. Little did I know how hard it was to  put  on an expedition like that for others to enjoy. For years several of them tried to get me into dxing and I wish I had listen to them when I was younger!
> 
> I lucked out on getting P5. I just happened to cross his path at the right time and at the right place on 10m. Even during that time I didn't consider myself a real DXer.
> 
> Still four away from getting on the honor roll for the first time. Even if I don't make it, the journey has been fantastic. It's not the awards or even the cards, it's always been the camaraderie within the DX community.
> 
> Stan K5VR and the Alma, AR hams were a few years older than me. I always looked up to them and wish I could have lived closer to them. Too far for my 10-speed to travel, although I did managed to pedal that far, but  only one time. :-)
> 
> For most of my ham career, I always had some sort of directional antenna in the air. However after getting interested in Dxing I had to take the tower down once Kathy and I got married. Still I had fun on a 43 foot vertical and a 44 foot each side of Center doublet.  Once we finally got settled in NWA I was able to put up a modest beam again. Seems like always at the bottom of the cycle.
> 
> We could be planning another move within a year or so. Even if I have to resort to compromise antennas I will continue to do the best I can.
> 73 de jay/w5jay
> 
> 
> Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
> 
> 
> -------- Original message --------
> From: Stan Ross <k5vr.stan at gmail.com>
> Date: 9/23/20 3:37 PM (GMT-06:00)
> To: HamOP <k5yy1 at cox.net>, adxa <adxa at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [ADXA] Joel's upcoming article in our newsletter ..
> 
> Great comments, everyone. 
> 
> I, too, need P5 (and FR/G) to have “worked ‘em all” but I’m not losing sleep worrying if I’ll work them before time to go SK. 
> 
> This Saturday, 9/26, will be my 49th ham radio “anniversary” and most of my ham career did not involve amplifiers and elaborate antenna systems... a Swan 500C (courtesy of my grandfather K5VRC before he became a SK) and a simple ATB-34 Tri-bander that I saved up for got me well on the way of what has turned out to be a lifelong love of DX’ing.
> 
> So, as we patiently await Cycle 25’s better band conditions, we can wait for those elusive entities as well.
> 
> 73 and good DX!
> 
> Stan
> K5VR 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>>> On Sep 23, 2020, at 12:15 PM, HamOP <k5yy1 at cox.net> wrote:
>>> 
>> 
>> Good post Joel
>> I will try to be brief. I was on the DXAC for many years and Chairman in late 70s and early 80s, and the talk began from those DXers who were chasers for a few years only and lacked 3-4 countries and wanted the uninhabited or countries not allowing amateur to be deleted. The DXAC was strongly against this, especially when some “real old timers” who had been around 2-3 times longer than those ‘newcomers’ still needed 1-2 of the same 3-4 rare countries..
>>  
>> I will NOT discuss the allowance of Burma a few years ago at this time and the “way too fast allowing it” without proper proof of “him” being there with permission, mainly because 100s on the DXCC needed only Burma for Top of Honor Roll. In the late 1970s to early 80s there was a time when 3 of the top 5 rarest countries suddenly appeared within 3-4 months and most DXers got them, including HZ/YI Neutral Zone, etc. Then people shut up a while! You don’t just delete 3Y, BS7 and No. Korea at this time and cheapen the DXCC award program for the ego of a few, politically motivated hams in our “HOBBY”… This ain’t a business you know.
>>  
>> Anyway, good prelim comment Joel about your upcoming dissertation for us to read slowly and understand and then support the right agenda that the ARRL should adopt, without politics!  The initial Kosovo operation sorta stands out too. Hmmm.
>> San K5YY
>>  
>> Sent from Mail for Windows 10
>>  
>> From: w5zn at w5zn.org
>> Sent: Wednesday, September 23, 2020 10:28 AM
>> To: adxa
>> Subject: [ADXA] Various Comments - LONG Email
>>  
>> Greetings ADXA Folks!
>>  
>> I'm sitting here early this nice, cool fall morning listening to 160
>> meters for the first time this "season". I don't have my RX antennas up
>> and running yet, that is this weekend's project. I am listening on my TX
>> array and its good to hear some sigs coming in from South America and
>> VK.
>>  
>> As Glenn has noted, the quarterly newsletter will be out in a few days.
>> We have articles from Rick, AI5P and EJ, K5EJ plus my usual ramblings.
>> In my section I talk about remote operation. It was, once again, a major
>> topic of debate, confusion and agitation on the ARRL Awards reflector a
>> few weeks ago regarding its impact on the DXCC awards program.
>>  
>> The ARRL Awards reflector debate has now turned to whether or not some
>> reefs currently on the DXCC Entity List should be deleted. As you can
>> imagine from other reflector debates the discussion has migrated to a
>> variety of related and unrelated topics!
>>  
>> I won't repeat my editorial that is forthcoming in the newsletter as you
>> can read it when it is distributed however I will state, firmly, that
>> the expectation that a person should achieve DXCC Honor Roll, or
>> "working them all" in some perceived period of time is not only a false
>> perception, it is ridiculous! If you're sensing that I'm not a fan of
>> "everyone gets a trophy" you're right. Whether you believe the pursuit
>> of DXCC is a competition or an individual achievement is irrelevant
>> because very simply it is an award that is EARNED regardless of how you
>> view the program. Some have complained that the award and rules have
>> become too political....uh??? Did they just wake up yesterday? I've been
>> DX'ing and a DXCC holder for over 45 years and I've heard that statement
>> the entire time! Since the DXCC program is based on countries (OK
>> "Entities") that are controlled by governments would you expect anything
>> else? The DXCC rules have evolved over time and that is a good thing but
>> we simply do not change rules on a whim or because someone cannot have
>> instant access to a country that currently outlaws or prohibits amateur
>> radio. To quote John Wayne from the movie Big Jake, "Times change" and
>> if you've been DX'ing as long or longer than I have you are well aware
>> of countries that outlawed or prohibited amateur in the past that now
>> are active on the air daily. Just hang on....remember this program is
>> based on political entities that change and evolve over time. If you
>> feel slighted because your one or two needed countries seem hopeless,
>> just QRX, times change and remember I still need one, just one, to have
>> "worked them all" that seems hopeless right now but I'm not throwing in
>> the towel over P5!
>>  
>> I remember an interview with past ADXA Charter Member Dick Freeling,
>> W5TIZ (SK) that appeared in the Arkansas Democrat statewide newspaper on
>> May 29, 1975. During the interview he noted he had made contact with all
>> countries except South Sandwich Island and Bouvet Island. Dickie said
>> "It is highly unlikely I will ever contact them in my lifetime. There is
>> no one there and they are closed down due to an active volcano." If you
>> are not aware of W5TIZ he was a blind radio amateur. He lost his sight
>> as a Lieutenant in World War II at the hands of a German sniper. At the
>> end of the interview Dickie said his life was much better because of
>> amateur radio. I believe we can all say that! Fortunately, times changed
>> and he did work South Sandwich and Bouvet before he became a silent key!
>>  
>> Let's all remember one thing. The DX Century Club Award is still the
>> premier operating award in amateur radio, period, whether you chose to
>> only pursue a mixed award of 100 or you continue that pursuit toward a
>> 5BDXCC on your way to the Honor Roll or 3,000 on the DX Challenge. PAY
>> NO ATTENTION TO THE WHINERS AND CRYBABIES that try to tell you
>> otherwise. If you hold a DXCC award at any level YOU EARNED IT! Remember
>> that. You earned that award using a shortwave station that you assembled
>> at your home after you studied and passed an exam to be granted a
>> license to transmit by the federal government. Don't forget that and pay
>> no attention to the minority of folks who believe just because they
>> can't work an entity today that somehow they have been "cheated" from a
>> life achievement. To once again quote a movie character, James Bond,
>> "We're not dead yet!" :-)))
>>  
>> I am being somewhat firm with my comments and highlighting them for one
>> reason and that is I love the Arkansas DX Association. Why? Because
>> we're not on our reflector fighting, crying, cussing or discussing
>> things for the purpose trying to convince someone we know more than we
>> really do. We're on our reflector posting juicy DX we're hearing and
>> working so others can possibly grab a "new one". We're on here
>> congratulating our fellow ADXA members for their DX achievements and
>> helping each other improve our stations and operating efficiency. That
>> is our objective.
>>  
>> Yes, the rules will continue to evolve and it is important that we
>> provide our input on these matters. We are fortunate to have ADXA member
>> Steve N4JQQ as our DX Advisory Committee member for the ARRL Delta
>> Divison. Steve is very active in the discussions and always seeks our
>> input on matters regarding the DXCC awards program. With that aside,
>> let's continue to keep our actions civil and positive. Thank you ADXA!
>>  
>> NEXT TOPIC:
>> We most likely will NOT be hosting a virtual conference this year. I
>> believe most of us are virtually Zoom'ed out, literally. If not, that is
>> a blessing. Try to stay in perspective! This technology is great and in
>> the future will provide an excellent path for folks to join our sessions
>> who cannot attend in-person for one reason or another but for now we do
>> not plan an annual conference event. What we do need is to hold an
>> annual meeting of some sort to conduct a little association business.
>> The ADXA board will be reviewing options.
>>  
>> SILENT KEY:
>> Some of you knew DX'er Jim Lane, KN4F, in Memphis. Jim became a silent
>> key a couple of weeks ago.
>>  
>> That's about all (enuf??) for now. Thanks to everyone for your support
>> of ADXA, the DXCC program and ARRL.
>>  
>> 73 Joel W5ZN
>> ADXA President
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