On the Elecraft mailing list a couple of months ago, there was a thread about commenting on the NPRM that proposes to eliminate the Morse Code requirement. I opined that it was a done deal no matter how many commented that it should remain, and that instead of wasting time on the NPRM, we should [...]

On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of helping Colin KD8CCQ, a new ham, get set up. He had purchased an IC-706 and an SG-239 Smartuner, but was having some trouble figuring out how to hook it up. I didn’t see the manual, but according to this guy, it wasn’t much help anyway–at least not [...]

I recently came across two fun Web pages with a Morse Code theme.
The first page is courtesy of the Flying Pigs QRP Club mailing list. The Sparks Telegraph Key Review describes all kinds of early keys, including the original Vibroplex and keys used to key submarine cables. One of the pages, Try Sending Morse [...]

Mike, WM4B, posted this to the Second Class Operator’s Club mailing list. Truly second class, Mike!

106 bicycles = 2 megacycles
500 millinaries = 1 seminary
2000 mockingbirds = 2 kilomockingbirds
10 cards = 1 decacards
1/2 lavatory = 1 demijohn
10-6 fish = 1 microfiche
454 graham crackers = 1 pound cake
1012 pins = 1 terrapin
1021 picolos = 1 gigolo
10 rations [...]

I got an early start to the weekend on Saturday, leaving the house at 6 am to get to the Holland Hamfest (about 2.5 hours away). At the hamfest, I gave my ABCs of Strong Clubs seminar. The seminar was sparsely attended, but the quality of the participants more than made up for the quantity. [...]

A couple of weeks ago at the Kalamazoo Hamfest, I bought an external speaker for two bucks. I hooked it up to the IC-746PRO, and was so pleased with the way it sounded that I started not wearing headphones when operating CW.
After a while, though, I noticed that I wasn’t sending as well as [...]

On the Flying Pigs QRP Club mailing list, Brian KB9BVN posted the following list of parts suppliers:
All Electronics
P.O. Box 567
Van Nuys, CA 91408
Ph: 818-904-0524
Fax: 818-781-2653
Web: http://www.allcorp.com
Surplus and new electronic components including semi,
electro-mechanical, etc.
Alltronics
PO BOX 730
Morgan Hill, CA 95038-0730
Ph: (408) 778-3868
Fax: (408) 779-2608
Web: http://www.alltronics.com
Chips and components.
American Science & Surplus
P.O. Box 1030
Skokie, IL 60076
Ph: (847) 647-0011
Fax: (800) [...]

Well, the results are in folks, and ARROW, my club, seems to have really done a job in this year’s Field Day. Here’s the gist of it:

We placed #82 overall (out of 2,206 total entries)/
We were #10 overall in Category 4A (out of 127 total entries).
We were #3 in the state (behind USECA, who operated [...]

On the arrl_prez mailing list, Ruth KB9VDG wrote:
Hi, my name is Ruth Powell, KB9VDG, and I am the Secretary for the Vermilion County Amateur Radio Association in Danville, IL. We are in need of raising big money ASAP. Our repeater antenna is in need of being replaced, and unfortunately we don’t have that [...]

Well, I made four contacts tonight–two on 20m and two on 40m. (I called CQ on 30m for a while, but without success.)
The two QSOs on 20 were with stations in FL and TX. The two Qs on 40m, though, were with two Europeans: G3WOE and IK5SRD. And in both cases, they responded to my [...]