From bmarx at bellsouth.net Thu Nov 5 14:21:05 2020 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2020 14:21:05 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Q-Codes? References: <1705e3cc-6a2a-dece-d6c2-983ca890ed37.ref@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: <1705e3cc-6a2a-dece-d6c2-983ca890ed37@bellsouth.net> QLF? Are you sending with your left foot? I usually respond with QRF ? I am sending with my right foot. Explaination: I am a right footed sender. I use a single paddle key and I find that the paddle fits perfectly between my big toe and index toe on my right foot. See figure below. I find the ability to sendwith my right footparticularly useful during contests as it leaves my hands free to keep the contest log updated while sending. Also, in long CW contests my keying arm grows tired and switching to foot sending allows me to rest my arm. QBS Bull Sh*t! Often heard after my QRF explaination. QBS? Did I tell you about the time I worked Western Australia with my Lafayette Model HA-73B 100milliwatt Walkie Talkie? QFH? Is this frequency hogged? Often used with QRL? Eg., QRL? QFH? de N3AZB QFH This frequency is MINE! - go elsewhere. Sent when my QRL (Frequency IS Busy) is repeatedly ignored. May be accompanied with QFO. Eg., QRL QFH QFO de N3AZB QOK? Was my last transmission OK? QOK Your last transmission was OK. QRC? Are you a rag chewer? QRC Warning, rag chewer on frequency. QZZ Sorry, I fell asleep while you were sending your boring story. QZZ? Are you still there? Did you fall asleep during my facinating story? QHI? Are you leaving after only one transmission? QHI I am jumping in quick to say hi, then going QRT. QET???? Phone home. QET? Are you calling me from another planet? QBA???? My antenna is BIG! ????????? QBA???? How big is your antenna? ?? ???? QPP???? Unfortunately, my antenna is the only big thing I own. From bmarx at bellsouth.net Fri Nov 6 09:18:29 2020 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2020 09:18:29 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] The knob on my SX-28 is bigger than this...Bill W2CQ References: <178ee997-9068-4417-7f0f-bef7c785af1d.ref@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: <178ee997-9068-4417-7f0f-bef7c785af1d@bellsouth.net> /The knob on my SX-28 is bigger than this.../Bill W2CQ 50K-200MHz Malahit DSP SDR USB Radio SSB HAM Receiver + 3.5'' LCD 1P Shortwave https://www.ebay.com/itm/50K-200MHz-Malachite-DSP-SDR-Radio-Malahit-DSP-SDR-HAM-Receiver-3-5-LCD-GREEN/143824985835?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D229756%26meid%3Dbe17198d61854bdba046774275e4b14b%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dco%26sd%3D254702306101%26itm%3D143824985835%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DSimplAMLv5PairwiseWebWithDarwoV4BBEV2bLowerCap%26brand%3DUnbranded&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851 * **This one is only $66* https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001437908036.html?aff_platform=true&aff_short_key=UneMJZVf&isdl=y&src=bing&albch=shopping&acnt=42005546&isdl=y&aff_short_key=UneMJZVf&albcp=373871275&albag=1308419064071836&slnk=&trgt=pla-4585375808811125&plac=&crea=81776241344382&netw=s&device=c&mtctp=e&utm_source=Bing&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=PA_Bing_customlabel1_US_PC&utm_content=customlabel1%3D7&utm_term=50K-200MHz%20Malahit%20DSP%20SDR%20USB%20Radio%20SSB%20HAM%20Receiver%203.5%27%27%20LCD%201P%20Shortwave&msclkid=e2a6188b6bd81df64fd9472e32c1db1f -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: jkneeefejpnmhndc.png Type: image/png Size: 241585 bytes Desc: not available URL: From bmarx at bellsouth.net Tue Nov 17 12:21:02 2020 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2020 12:21:02 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] ARLB034 Clear Frequencies Requested for Caribbean Hurricane Emergency Traffic In-Reply-To: <20201117022411.244EA20ACBFB@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20201117022411.244EA20ACBFB@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: SB QST @ ARL $ARLB034 ARLB034 Clear Frequencies Requested for Caribbean Hurricane Emergency Traffic ZCZC AG34 QST de W1AW ARRL Bulletin 34 ARLB034 > From ARRL Headquarters Newington CT November 17, 2020 To all radio amateurs SB QST ARL ARLB034 ARLB034 Clear Frequencies Requested for Caribbean Hurricane Emergency Traffic Stations handling emergency traffic during the response to Category 5 Hurricane Iota, just off the eastern coast of Nicaragua, are requesting clear frequencies. Radio amateurs not involved in the emergency response are asked to avoid (plus/minus 5 KHz) the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) and WX4NHC (National Hurricane Center) frequencies of 14.325 and 7.268 MHz, as well as a Honduran emergency net operation on 7.180 MHz (net control station is HR1JFA), and a Nicaraguan emergency net operating on 7.098 MHz. With maximum sustained winds of 160 MPH, Hurricane Iota is expected to bring catastrophic winds, life-threatening storm surge, and torrential rainfall to Central America. NNNN /EX From bmarx at bellsouth.net Wed Nov 18 17:47:11 2020 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2020 17:47:11 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] World Radio History... In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: /This was from the Collins Reflector. If you like radio books, particularly old ones or history you might like this site./ Bill W2CQ https://worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Bookshelf_Technical.htm "This site is amazing BTW. A zillion books and magazines from the ?good old days? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bmarx at bellsouth.net Thu Nov 19 14:00:43 2020 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2020 14:00:43 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] ARLB035 ARRL Seeks Waiver of Proposed FCC Amateur Application Fees In-Reply-To: <20201119184841.BD0E820ACBF2@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20201119184841.BD0E820ACBF2@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <9d5dff50-9f15-7285-8f8e-19e07c3af564@bellsouth.net> SB QST @ ARL $ARLB035 ARLB035 ARRL Seeks Waiver of Proposed FCC Amateur Application Fees ZCZC AG35 QST de W1AW ARRL Bulletin 35 ARLB035 > From ARRL Headquarters Newington CT November 19, 2020 To all radio amateurs SB QST ARL ARLB035 ARLB035 ARRL Seeks Waiver of Proposed FCC Amateur Application Fees ARRL has urged the FCC to waive its proposed $50 amateur radio application fee. The Commission proposal was made last month in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in MD 20-270. The proposal already has drawn more than 3,200 individual comments overwhelmingly opposed to the plan. The fees, directed by Congress and imposed on all FCC-regulated services, are to recover the FCC's costs of handling and processing applications. The NPRM can be found in PDF format at, https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-20-116A1.pdf . "Amateur radio applications were not listed when the Congress adopted its 1985 fee schedule for applications, and therefore amateur license applications were excluded from the collection of fees," ARRL said on November 16 in its formal comments on the proposal. "Similarly, a decade later when regulatory fees were authorized, the Amateur Service was excluded, except for the costs associated with issuing vanity call signs." The new statutory provisions are similar. Amateur radio license applications are not addressed in the application fees section and explicitly excluded from regulatory fees," ARRL said, and there is "no evidence of any intent by Congress to change the exempt status of amateur applications and instead subject them to new fees." ARRL's formal comments can be found online at, https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filing/111762316365 . ARRL argued that the FCC has explicit authority to waive the fees if it would be in the public interest, and should do so for the Amateur Radio Service. Unlike other FCC services, the Amateur Radio Service is all volunteer and largely self-governing, with examination preparation, administration, and grading handled by volunteers, who submit licensing paperwork to the FCC, ARRL pointed out. "Increasingly, the required information is uploaded to the Commission's database, further freeing personnel from licensing paperwork as well as from day-to-day examination processes," ARRL said. "The addition of an application fee will greatly increase the complexity and requirements for volunteer examiners." The Communications Act, ARRL noted, also permits the FCC to accept the volunteer services of individual radio amateurs and organizations in monitoring for rules violations. In 2019, ARRL and the FCC signed a memorandum of understanding to renew and enhance the ARRL's Volunteer Monitor program, relieving the Commission of significant time-consuming aspects of enforcement. These volunteer services lessen the regulatory burden - including the application burden - on the Commission's resources and budget in ways that licensees in other services do not, ARRL said. Amateur radio's role in providing emergency and disaster communication, education, and other volunteer services also justifies exempting radio amateurs from FCC application fees. For example, ARRL noted, last year more than 31,000 participated as members of the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), and local ARES teams reported taking part in more than 37,000 events, donating nearly 573,000 volunteer hours, providing a total value of more than $14.5 million. Amateur radio also has motivated many students to develop critical science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills. ARRL noted that the Amateur Radio Service contributes to the advancement of the radio art, advances skills in communication and technology, and expands the existing reservoir of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts - all expressed bases and purposes of the Amateur Radio Service. "Accomplishing these purposes entails working with young people, many of whom may have difficulty paying the proposed application fees of $50, $100, or $150," ARRL said. "The $150 fee would be the cost of passing the examinations for the three amateur license levels in three examination sessions," ARRL said. "Such multiple application fees to upgrade would dampen the incentive to study and demonstrate the greater proficiency needed to pass the examinations for the higher amateur classes." ARRL concluded that the FCC should exercise its authority to exempt amateur radio from application fees generally. If the FCC cannot see its way clear to waive fees for all amateur radio license applications, the fees should be waived for applicants age 26 years and younger. Such individuals, ARRL contended, have the most to contribute to the future of radio technology and other STEM-related activities and are the most likely to find the proposed application fees burdensome. NNNN /EX From bmarx at bellsouth.net Thu Nov 19 17:44:54 2020 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2020 17:44:54 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] From Our Friends at HamSCI In-Reply-To: <1135016083527.1103600790276.3415.0.261401JL.2002@scheduler.constantcontact.com> References: <1135016083527.1103600790276.3415.0.261401JL.2002@scheduler.constantcontact.com> Message-ID: <05033c8f-c43a-14dd-94b3-4f6d17a8c627@bellsouth.net> Volunteers Needed for Propagation Research Project From our friends at HamSCI... HamSCI (www.hamsci.org) is looking for amateur radio operators around the world to help collect propagation data during the December 14 eclipse across South America. Data collection requires an HF radio connected to a computer. There will be 24-hour practice runs on November 21 and December 5. The main data recording will run from December 9-16, to ensure an abundance of control data. Details of the experiment may be found here: https://hamsci.org/december-2020-eclipse-festival-frequency-measurement Instructions are also available in Spanish and Portuguese. Interested operators should sign up at this link (https://forms.gle/C9PFSTeLf7xvCQDYA) or directly contact Kristina Collins at kd8oxt at case.edu. From bmarx at bellsouth.net Fri Nov 20 08:03:47 2020 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2020 08:03:47 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Arizona Congresswoman Introduces National Amateur Radio Operators Day Resolution In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Arizona Congresswoman Introduces National Amateur Radio Operators Day Resolution 11/19/2020 US Representative Debbie Lesko of Arizona has introduced a *resolution* designating April 18, 2021, as National Amateur Radio Operators Day, to recognize the important contributions of amateur radio operators. ?Amateur radio operators are critical in times of crisis and our communities are safer thanks to their dedication to sharing important information with the public,? Lesko said. She was approached to introduce the resolution by 12-year-old Raymond, N7KCB, from Peoria, Arizona. ?I started *Long Distance Responders* ?so I can help prepare the community for emergencies with amateur radio,? said Raymond. ?There might be a price for a radio, but the ability and knowledge to help someone is truly priceless.? As Lesko?s resolution notes, World Amateur Radio Day (WARD) is celebrated annually on April 18 to commemorate the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union (*IARU* ) in 1925, and she said her resolution recognizes the amateur radio community with a national day in the United States in 2021. The resolution cites the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES?) for providing ?invaluable emergency communications services following recent natural disasters, including but not limited to helping coordinate disaster relief efforts following Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma, and Maria and other extreme weather disasters.? http://www.arrl.org/news/arizona-congresswoman-introduces-national-amateur-radio-operators-day-resolution -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sat Nov 21 08:30:50 2020 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2020 08:30:50 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] ON4UN - Farewell Service In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <94028bac-855e-7904-f88a-d5d2a9d16438@bellsouth.net> *ON4UN - Farewell Service* From: W1JCW Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2020 23:17:50 EST Off topic but thought some of you may be interested. This is an email from his widow to me. Dear John Thank you for your e-mail. The many messages I have received were very endearing. So nice to read all of them! My father's digital farewell ceremony will be held tomorrow, Saturday November 21 at 14:00 UTC You can follow it through the link below https://cmore.be/afscheid-john-devoldere/ Warm regards Marleen Devoldere -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sun Nov 22 14:31:21 2020 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sun, 22 Nov 2020 14:31:21 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Build a Long-Distance Data Network Using Ham Radio In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <21dfd248-2afb-6ef4-f474-aaf2d3a5dae6@bellsouth.net> From Tony N2MFT: Build a Long-Distance Data Network Using Ham Radio Send data via IPv4 up to 300 kilometers with easy-to-assemble hardware By F4HDK Advertisement Editor's Picks Software defined radio kit. A $40 Software-Defined Radio Image of someone adjusting a radio transmitter Is Ham Radio a Hobby, a Utility?or Both? A Battle Over Spectrum Heats Up null Hands on: A Ham Radio for Makers A medium-range UHF band using a directional antenna.Photo:?F4HDK?Data links work over the medium-range UHF band, but for the best results, a directional antenna is?used. I have been a hobbyist and maker?for almost 15 years now. I like inventing things and diving into low-level things. In 2013, I was looking at a protocol called NBP , used to create a data network over amateur radio links. NBP was developed in the 2000s as a potential replacement for the venerable AX.25 protocol ?[PDF] that?s been in use for digital links since the mid-1980s. I believed it was possible to create an even better protocol with a modern design that would be easier to use and inexpensive to physically implement. It took six years, but the result is New Packet Radio (NPR), which I chose to publish under my call sign, F4HDK, as a nom de plume. It supports today?s de facto universal standard of communication?the Internet?s IPv4?and allows data to be transmitted at up to 500 kilobits per second on the popular 70-centimeter UHF ham radio band . Admittedly, 500?kb/s is not as fast as the megabits per second that flow through amateur networks such as the European Hamnet ?or U.S. AREDN , which use gigahertz frequencies like those of Wi-Fi. But it is still faster than the 1.2 kb/s normally used by AX.25 links, and the 70-cm band permits long-distance links even when obstructions prevent line-of-sight transmissions. Initially, I considered using different frequency bands for the uplink and downlink connections: Downlinks would have used the DVB-S standard , originally developed for digital satellite television. Uplinks would have used a variation of FSK (frequency-shift keying) to encode data. But the complexity involved in synchronizing the uplink and downlink was too high. Then I tried using a software-defined radio equipped with a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). I?had some experience with FPGAs thanks to a previous project in which I had implemented a complete custom CPU using an Altera Cyclone 4 FPGA . The goal was to do all the modulation and demodulation using the FPGA, but again the method was too complex. I lost almost two years chasing these ideas to their dead ends. imgThe modem is principally a microcontroller attached to a radio transceiver. imgAn amplifier designed for DMR radio links boosts the signal to required levels. imgThe transceiver is?a?shielded module built around the Si4463 ISM chip, which operates at 434 megahertz.?Photos: F4HDK Then, in one of those why-didn?t-I-think-of-this-earlier moments, I turned to ISM (industrial, scientific, and medical) chips. These are transceivers designed to operate in narrow radio frequency bands that were originally allocated for noncommunication purposes, such as RF heating. However, the ISM band has become popular for communications as well because typically a license is not required for its use . In Africa, Europe, and North Asia, there is an ISM band lying inside the 70-cm ham radio band at 434 megahertz, so commercial ISM chips are available for this frequency. I chose to build my hardware around the Si4463 ?[PDF] ISM transceiver: It?s cheap, flexible, and available in many modules and breakout boards, and it can handle a raw data rate up to 1 megabyte per second. It?s designed for short-range applications, so the radio part of the chip is not optimal, but it works. In order to reach reasonable distances, you need an amplifier to provide more RF power. For my NPR plan, I needed an amplifier that can also switch very rapidly between transmitting and receiving. I found some widely available external 20-watt amplifiers for handheld radios designed for the European-developed Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) standard , which was ratified in 2005. In the DMR standard, radio equipment must be able to handle a complete transmit/receive cycle within 60 milliseconds. I established a minimum of an 80-ms-long cycle time for NPR with this bound in mind. The ISM transceiver is connected to an Mbed Nucleo STM32 L432KC microcontroller, which uses an Arm Cortex CPU. This microcontroller is in turn connected to an Ethernet interface, and it takes care of all the details of running the NPR protocol. Any connected PC or network sees the radio link as just another IPv4 connection with no need to install specific NPR software. The NPR modem can be configured over this link or via a USB connection. The total cost of the hardware is about US $80, and a partner, Funtronics, will be making kits available for purchase online. If you want to build a modem yourself from scratch, detailed instructions and the NPR protocol software are available from my Hackaday project page . The NPR protocol is based on a hub-and-spoke model, in which a central modem links several client modems. Currently there can be as many as seven modems, although I plan to expand this to 15. The theoretical maximum distance between a client modem and the central modem is 300 kilometers. This limit arises because NPR uses a managed time-division multiple access (TDMA) technique, in which the central modem and the clients each transmit on the same frequency but at different times, with the central modem dictating when each client can transmit, and making scheduling adjustments to account for time delays due to distance. The complete transmit/receive cycle is between 80 ms and 200 ms, depending on the exact type of modulation and data rate chosen. The creation of the NPR protocol was a very fun part of the project for me: deciding how data should be packed and arranged inside radio frames and how the NPR modems should interact with each other. But after two more years it was time to stop working alone, so I shared NPR with my local ham radio community in France. By the end of 2018, we began testing it in real-world conditions. We have already achieved distances over 80 km, and I am now getting help from the global amateur community, especially in Germany. Currently, NPR is primarily being used to access existing local high-speed amateur radio networks from places that cannot have the line-of-sight radio links required for 2.4- and?5.6-gigahertz signals. Although it?s usable, I would be the first to admit that NPR is a young technology and probably not totally mature. In addition to increasing the number of clients that can be supported by a central modem, I have a number of enhancements in mind, such as adding support for QoS (quality of service) prioritization, so that NPR could be used to transmit digital voice; allowing Ethernet frames to be transported directly; and separating downlink and uplink frequencies. /This article appears in the November 2019 print issue as ?Ham Radio Does Distant Data Networking.?/ https://spectrum.ieee.org/geek-life/hands-on/build-a-longdistance-data-network-using-ham-radio -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bmarx at bellsouth.net Mon Nov 23 14:18:42 2020 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Mon, 23 Nov 2020 14:18:42 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Universal Radio closing 30 Nov In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <840e4e36-aca0-7f8d-8a94-32b3d2ac684f@bellsouth.net> From Tony N2MFT: -Bill W2CQ From Ohio Section weekly Manager?newsletter. Dear Friends Of Universal Radio, Time waits for no one, and that includes Barbara and myself. We have decided to retire and our current location in Worthington will close on November 30, 2020. Even though the store is closing we will fulfill all existing customer orders and have a large amount of inventory to close-out.page27image3122331600 The Universal Radio website will be maintained for the foreseeable future to sell this remaining stock, publications and some select products. Unfortunately, the lack of a store front showroom will preclude us from carrying some manufacturers? products. I am very fortunate to have been in the radio business for over 50 years, 13 at Radio Shack and 37 at Universal Radio. We have met many wonderful people along the journey who have supported me personally as well as Universal Radio. It has been a privilege to have a continuous career in the fascinating field of radio since 1969. Please accept our sincere ?Thank You? for your support of Universal Radio for these many years, and for the months to come. Our new address for correspondence and mail order is below. This is not a store front. Universal Radio Inc. 752 N. State St. Unit 222 Westerville, OH 43082 Phone: 614 866-4267 Thank you. 73, Fred Osterman N8EKU and Barbara Osterman KC8VWI -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bmarx at bellsouth.net Tue Nov 24 18:00:08 2020 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Tue, 24 Nov 2020 18:00:08 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Last Man Standing Thanksgiving Episode Clip (Ham Radio) In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <992b8547-6d64-a2e5-7558-0fe3fbbc1096@bellsouth.net> From Tony - N2MFT: -Bill W2CQ Mike Baxter (KA0XTT) tells what he is giving thanks for on Thanksgiving Night in 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcxqNEBmNno&feature=youtu.be Happy Thanksgiving everyone. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bmarx at bellsouth.net Thu Nov 26 13:14:09 2020 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Thu, 26 Nov 2020 13:14:09 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Thanksgiving Message - ARRL Section Manager: Mr Barry M Porter, KB1PA In-Reply-To: <20201126041232.0B64320ACBE6@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20201126041232.0B64320ACBE6@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: 2020 has been a very trying, stressful year, but Amateur Radio operators have a lot to be thankful for. We all should be thankful for each other, and our abilities to use our radio equipment to stay in contact with each other, and our colleagues all over the world. We should be thankful for all those that have come and gone before us. Without them, there would not be amateur radio. We need to be more thankful for our mentors, who showed us the ropes and allowed us to learn, becoming better radio amateurs. We need to be thankful for those that give so much time as leaders of our clubs and other organizations, often a thankless job. We need to be thankful to those radio amateurs who give presentations to our groups, on many diverse, but fascinating topics that give us interesting activities to try, even during this pandemic. We should be thankful for our national organization, the ARRL. They do a lot to keep amateur radio growing, and give lots of unseen support to our local groups and represent amateur radio on national stage. Of course, we should be thankful to all the various first responders in our communities. We should be especially thankful to our families, our amateur radio and non amateur friends. We need to give more focus on recruiting and mentoring new amateurs. In this high tech world, we need to search out those that are curious about how all things work, especially radio things. Many got their start by taking apart radios, TVs and other electronics. Finding and mentoring those interested in how stuff works, like we were mentored will allow amateur radio to grow. We all have something to pay forward. We need to do more than just teach license classes. We all need to pitch in and mentor the newly licensed. I bet only 10 percent of those that get their first license ever get involved in amateur radio. We can and should do better. In addition, we ALL need to give back something to our local clubs and organizations. Making suggestions, serving on committees, offering to give a presentation, or as club leaders will keep our groups healthy, interesting and viable. We need to be open to attracting and interacting with new amateur radio operators, and getting our average age below 70. This year, we have lost many amateur radio friends and colleagues. During this time of thanks, we should all remember all the good and not so good times we spent with them, and keep them in our memory. Please have a happy thanksgiving! Like I said, we have a LOT to be thankful for. Thanks to everyone for all you are doing to promote amateur radio! And HAVE Fun on the air with Radio -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARRL Southern Florida Section Section Manager: Mr Barry M Porter, KB1PA kb1pa at arrl.org From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sat Nov 28 09:39:54 2020 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2020 09:39:54 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] 2.5 More Years of CW References: Message-ID: From the CWops List: ?From Mike Duke, K5XU: Dan?s story about 2.5 years more for CW operating VS dementia reminded me of a QSO I had about 30 years ago. I was living in an apartment, and running a much beloved, very well used, Yaesu FT7 with an almost hidden multi-band dipole called a ?Mor-Gain.? One Saturday morning I answered a CQ on 10 meters from a very strong, obviously local operator whose call I did not recognize, . He was sending at around 15 WPM, so I replied at his speed. During the QSO, I learned that he was in his mid-80s, and lived about a half mile from me, thus the strong signal. He asked me if I could give him the address for the W5 QSL bureau. I did not have the address, but told him I would get it and call him on the phone. He gave me his number, and we signed. Later that morning, I got the address from another local on 2 meters, then called him. ?Please give it to me slowly,? he said. ?I have to pay close attention when I write things down over the phone.? He read the address back to me correctly, and then said: ?I don?t work phone any more on the radio, only slow speed CW. I can no longer process information very quickly, and cannot think fast enough to have an intelligent qso on phone. I still do fine with conversations on CW as long as people answer me near my sending speed.? We never met, but crossed paths on 10 and 15 meter CW a few more times before he became a silent key about 2 years later. That candid explanation of his slower sending speed has remained with me ever since. Mike Duke, K5XU -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: