NU5DE

From the "Where in the heck did this come from" department:

"Special Events" column of July 2007 QST:

Jul 11 - Jul 15, 1800Z-2200Z, Austin, TX. Naturist Amateur Radio
Club, NU5DE. Nude Awareness Celebration - Nude Recreation Week.
21.365, 14.265, 7.256,. QSL, Naturist Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 200812,
Austin, TX 78720-0812. http://www.nu5de.org/

Reminds me of a Saturday night live skit. Who would have thought of combining these two hobbies? Good thing Amateur Radio is RADIO! I'm still laughing.

I don't know about you, but most clubs I've belonged to have 96% old men (of which I am included) and the thought of a similar demographic in this club send shivers up my spine! Here's something: Our Field day operation requests everyone have their own headset/boom mic and we standardised on Icom partly because of this. I'm guessing guys in this club bring their own chair? I could go on, but I'll quit while I'm ahead!

If you don't think I should have this on my blog, hey, I got this from QST magazine!

KE9V

On the left hand side of this is a link to KE9V's blog. I look at it often and think its the best I've seen so far on ham radio related blogs. Almost every entry is like reading a well researched magazine article. How does he do that?


In addition KE9V also has a podcast of which I subscribe and enjoy listening to those. I recommend you check out the series on WW2 as it related to ham radio activity of that time. It was a series that I enjoyed very much.

Currently he is doing a 2 part podcast on H. P. Maxim of the ARRL. Great stuff, I encourage everyone to check it out.

Have a great weekend, see you Monday. (Field Day next weekend, Yea!) ...Marty / W4MY

Why CW was Important to Ham Radio

We have all read the letters to QST, eHam articles, and group discussions with old timers about how eliminating CW has wrecked Ham Radio. Newcomers to this grand hobby see no relevance to this antiquated mode of communicating and view CW as an unnecessary roadblock. Just what is it about CW that has emotions and passions so exercised? Why is CW important to Ham Radio?

I look back into my own experience to try and explain this. I don't go back as far as most, but far enough I think. Having no recollection of ever not being fascinated by radio, my earliest memory is going to bed with a table top broadcast receiver in my bed under the sheets. This was a special radio with a shortwave section that my parents got for me. I don't actually remember the specific circumstances of how it came to be that I owned a shortwave receiver at age 9, but knowing my interest in radio, it doesn't surprise me. My parents were no help in encouraging me and even thought I would "outgrow" my strange interest!

Everything I knew about radio, propagation, magnetism, gravity, was a result of self motivation, curiosity, and ingenuity. It was a thirst for more knowledge. When I saw the ham radio station of my soon to be elmer, Bill Asbury, WA4GYZ, there was no doubt that instant I was to be a Ham. There was no obstacle too difficult, no mountain too high, ocean too deep, no code too difficult to stop me from my dream of being a radio operator. If the requirement had been walk over broken glass in your bare feet for 50 feet, I would have done it. I'm glad all I had to do was learn CW... no problem!

Having gone through all these "obstacles" and gotten my ticket, I was in the fold. I didn't realize it then, but I met and was involved with others who felt the same about radio as me. We had a shared experience of getting over difficult tasks (i.e., CW) and overcoming them. We "understood" each other in a way that others outside our hobby didn't. It was "safe" to talk about radio without fearing condescending remarks from most "regular" people. We could relate to each other at a higher level. CW was as much a test of your interest as it was a viable communications mode. If you were willing to put up with learning CW, it was thought, you really had the ham radio bug. It was a litmus test of your interest.

The world is a different place than it was in the 1960's and 70's when I was coming up. These old school ways of doing things have taken a back seat to more streamlined and practical matters. We old time hams are around enough folks that think we are strange for our interest in an antiquated hobby, ham radio. We don't want the same thing from fellow hams!

But, alas, it is what it is. So I welcome the new hams with open arms. I will endeavour to pass along my passion for this hobby that has given me so much pleasure over the years. Hopefully now, after having read this, the new hams understand a little better why we old timers feel the way we do. This might help all of us do what Reily Hollingsworth has been saying, "can't we all just get along?"

Memorial Day

To the members of all the US armed forces, past and present:

I know that this is not directly related to ham radio, but with so much owed by so many to so few I believe it is worth setting our hobby aside one moment. (I am re phrasing the famous Winston Churchill quote referring to the RAF pilots at the end of the Battle of Britian)

Without the sacrifice of those who went into harm's way on my behalf, I would not be able to opine on this blog, speak to others all over the world via radio, and assemble with my friends of a like mind at my monthly ham radio meeting.

My pale "thank you" is small in comparison. I'd like to mention specifically the ham radio operators that entered the US armed forces in the middle of the 20th century where communications was not nearly developed as it is today. Back then, America entered a great world war woefully unprepared. Hams were regarded as a "God-send" to the signal corps hitting the ground running in establishing quickly a ready communications infrastructure so critical for the survival of our civilization. Every time you see an old black and white news-reel picture of a B-17 spiraling to earth realize there was a radio operator on board most likely a ham. I mention that in hopes to bring this solemn holiday closer to home.

Thank you

My Friend Ernie, K9LO

L to R in the picture above is Tim, KF4IIC, Ernie, K9LO, Travis, KI4KNB, and Les, W4FRA. This was from Field Day 2005 at Boddie-Noel and that was the GOTA station setup behind Ernie.

Ernie moved down from Wisconsin to take a job as Chief Engineer of a group of broadcast radio stations here. Talk about a fish out of water, there is very little commonality between North Carolina and Wisconsin culture! But Ernie was a ham, and that was enough common ground to welcome him in the Tar River Amateur Radio fold.

Well, last night, Ernie called me on the telephone from Wisconsin (he moved back early in 2006)

We had a grand time talking about old times, catching up, and such as that. I was glad to hear he was doing well and both of us were trying to outdo each other in conveying complements to each other.

Ernie never missed a club meeting or event except when he was laid up with a bad back. We made plans to meet up in Dayton for 2008 and that is one I will endeavour to keep. We made allot of jokes at Ernie's expense and he held his own and gave it right back. You guys in Wisconsin are lucky to have him, and even though he is a little rough around the edges, all of us in NC miss him.

Take it easy, Ernie, we'll see you in Dayton next year!

My First QSO

A number of new hams in the area are upgrading to General and above due to the new rule changes eliminating CW as a requirement to transmit on the HF bands. Brings me back to my first QSO. Lets set the flux capacitor on the time machine to 1975 and rev the Delorian up to 88 miles per hour and go back....

It was October, I think, when I went to the home of my elmer, Bill Asbury, WA4GYZ, to take my Novice test. This is a story unto itself, but since this is about my first QSO, suffice it to say I left there not sure if I had passed or not. Back in those days, your elmer just proctored the test and it was mailed off and graded by the FCC.

That winter I ordered and built a Heathkit HW-16 with the help of my friend Jim Duke who's dad had built a number of Heathkit TV and stereo sets. I had it up and running after a few trips to Jim's house and a once over from his dad.

The winter was over and I had all but given up on my Novice ticket when it finely arrived in May of 1976! I got a big lump in my throat, it was time to get on the air! I called Mr. Asbury and asked him what to do, I had forgotten everything! He was firm, but compassionate with me in saying, "come on now, Marty, you can do it!" He was definitely "old school" and did not believe in pampering. I'll say.

The rig and antenna had to be completed and I spent the ensuing summer copying QSO's in anticipation. Finely, one full year after sitting for the test, I plugged in my only JAN FT-243 crystal on 3725 and listened. I was petrified with fear, but somehow managed to send CQ DE WN4OAR as I had done a bizillion times on my practice keyer, only this time I was watching the meter on the rig bounce as I sent. Would I be able to copy any response? Here it comes.... "WN4OAR DE W3IHA W3IHA K" I began to shake uncontrollably as if I were freezing. But I did not freeze, somehow I eeked out, "W3IHA DE WN4OAR RRR UR RST IS 579 579 QTH IS JUPITER, FL JUPITER, FL NAME IS MARTY MARTY BTU W3IHA DE WN4OAR KN" To which the reply, "WN4OAR DE W3IHA R TNX UR RST 559 559 QTH IS SILVER SPRING, MD SILVER SPRING, MD NAME IS LEO LEO RIG IS HW100 TO END FED ZEPP" and it went on with me giving Leonard my address and informing him of my first QSO. What a thrill! It was a very significant moment in my life and I remember it vividly. Mark that date in history as October 11, 1976 at 0021 GMT (UTC as we know it now)

What are first QSO's like for new hams today? I can tell you, back then it were scary!

Radio Nerd dot net

This morning I wondered by my good friend and partner in crime's blog, radio-nerd.net, and saw that he noticed my new endeavour here. He said in his post (I will paraphrase) that I have stumbled into the 21st century. He made a vague illusion that he thought he would never live to see that.

Well, Ray, here I am! Don't worry, I'll be posting about many things from 19th century radio, telegraphy, and such as that. I won't let you down!