New Year's Eve

It was Sukiyaki that we had chosen for the dinner last night. The beef was the gift from my brother in law, a vet doctor. Coming home after busy days at the university, our daughter perked up the table.

 

At present, I could hear her and my wife playing their own instruments in the living room, violin and flute, respectively. Not in ensemble but tunig at the same time! Our daughter wanted me to give her 442Hz for la. It's been a long time since she took her violin out of the case. 

 

We have had unpleasant or unhappy events this year. But I think we should thank the higher being for the fact we could spend the New Year's eve in this way.

 

 

A story of an old hand key

This morning, when I was working with a stateside with a hand key on 15m, I found the contacts of the key had got worse. It might have been getting even more dirty. Listening the other sending slowly with the same kind of key, I was cleaning it with a piece of paper. Putting it in the gap of the contacts, I tried to rub the contacts with it.

It made me upset when I found the key went silent in my turn of transmission. All in a fluster, I started with the bug. Things went on well. Since the connection cable line was intact, I thought the ball bearings in the key supporting the moving arm were in trouble and made it silent keyed now. I used to try to repair that ball bearings by myself, having lost a few balls in the bearings. Trying to key down the hand key in vain several times, I have remembered all the years being with it. For 51 years.

I was a real new comer when I purchased it in Akihabara in 1963. It was pretty costly for me. Possibly, around 18USD or so. It was like a jewel for me. Soon, it was replaced to an electronic keyer for the main keyer but still occupied the honoralbe place on the desk. In several years, I quit operating radio in order to prepare for the entrance exam for med school. I have discarded all the equipments I had those days. Maybe, I have given something to the others. Nothing left except for this key. It had been used as a weight on my desk for about 10 years until I came back on the air in 1980. It has occupied a place on the operating desk as the only hand key since then. I have got another fancy one from JA CQ Publishing Co. as the prize for the Ace of Aces in late '80s, that was given to the most craziest DX chaser once a year those days. Anyway, this hand key has been the only thing which reminded me of my old days.

                                   

 

 

I have given it up to revive this key in a minute or so. It was the time for me to quit using this old one and to place it for a weight again. A bit sad but I felt the key had taught me how suddenly the end of life would come on us.

 

In a few minute, I have checked it to be sure it was literally gone silent key. I cleaned the contacts thoroughly again. My gosh, it has revived. I could pound it like before. It won't go off duty as a key. It seems it has been getting so dirty that cleaning it once had rather worsened the contacts. It might tell me it would go on for another decade or two until the operator would silent key. 

 

John K1JD

John K1JD has long been a good friend of mine. Especially since his retirement brough him to New Mexico, we have often talked on our loving mode.

It made me surprised the following data given in the face book which turned out to be quite identical to my history:

Born in 1949

Started ham radio in 1963

Semiretired in 2012

There must be many more things we share. As we knew each other through this hobby, this coincidence might have happened. There could be more hams in our generation with the same kind of histories. Ham radio was one of the most attractive and brilliant hobbise for our generation those days.

They would hold an FOC gathering in Santa Fe in April next year. I wonder if I could shake hands with him.

Energy crisis

A book on the energy in the world has taught me some important things.

As laready well announced, the energy resources including water are going to be run out very soon. The latest prospects say as follows as for the question how long we could use natural gas and petrolium including the unconventinal types like the shale gas/oil.  IEA "World Energy Outlook 2009" estimates it 100 years for natural gas while World Energy Council "Survey on Energy Resources 2010" gives 50 years for perolium. Uranium is not an exception which is going to be deficient sooner or later. If the developing countries like Inida or China go on using increasing amount of these rsources, the deficits will come much sooner.

The energy is comprised of not only the electricity, which is coming from the 1st resources of energy, but also of the heat energy. The former is only 46 % of total energy in the energy flow in Japan. We should consider how to lessen the total energy consumption. The utilized energy is approximately 30% of the supplied total energy. The rest is wasted as heat.

We should reduce the total energy requirement as well as the loss occurring in the process of utilization.

We should reform our life style of massive production and massive consumption. The exponential increase of energy consumption is not sustainable. The housing, choice of the transportation vehicles, usage of solar heat or pursuing more efficient energy consuming items etc would decrease the total energy consumption. The energy loss should be decreased with such as cogeneration system or exchage from electricity to the other modes of energy. The latter could be carried out in a small society where the heat associated with electricity generation could be harnessed.

Anyway, I believe we should be aware of the energy crisis going on and should turn to the society sustainable from the standpoint of energy consumption. Or the next generation would suffer from this crisis or so would we.

Best Season's Greetings

I always thank you for visiting this blog. Your kind comment is always appreciated. I am afraid I might have almost run out the topics to write about here. But I would still carry on with it. Wishing you all the best for this season.

 

Tokyo Hypower seems bankrupted

A source of information says Tokyo Hypower was bankrupted on Dec 24th.

This company has been producing a variety of amplifier for amateur ham radio for years. It is too bad that such a company won't be able to carry on its business. It may reflect the shrinked market of ham radio.

The struggle of the former governor of Fukushima Prefecture

It was decided by the supreme court that the former governor of Fukushima Prefecture, Eisaku Satoh, had been guilty for the acceptance of a bribe for the service as the governor. The sentence has admitted the bribe between him and a private company. But, oddly enough, they have sentenced no penalty for the bribe. Even though he once admitted his "crime" to the prosecutor when he was told in the investigation that his relative had tried to commit suicide due to the event, he has been asserting of his innocence in this case since the first trial. He says he would go on struggling against this judgement.

He had argued against the government and the electrical power company regarding the transparency and the participation by the people in the decision naking of the policy for the nuclear power plant. It was several years before the accident of the nuclear power plant in Fukushima happened. He has organized a committee investigating on the energy policy at the prefectural government, which has later published a interim report on the theme. It has taken the idea for the nuclear power plant commonly claimed after the accident in advance. He has not accepted the problematic MOX fuel to the nuclear power plants there. He was a really excellent politician as well as an administrator there. Therefore, no wonder, the government had hostility toward him.

The government could be involved in his accusation by the special investigation department of the public prosecutors office. This department has caused several serious cases of false accusation for the past decade. In some cases, there have been evidences that they made frame-ups. It is another horrible case if they did the same thing accepting the evil intention of the authority to have him fall in the frame-up. There don't seem to be any conclusive evidence to prove his innocence and the involvement of the government to this case. But the sentence and the situation how he was accused seem to tell us it was a real frame-up case by those who get enormous benefit from the nuclear power industry.

On the other hand, the Prime Minister Abe used to answer to an inquiry at the diet that the total loss of electricity could never happen a few years prior to the accident. It has been historically denied. And he still intends to start the nuclear power plants all over our country and even to increase the number of the plants.

Who is the right politician?

Citron bath

Around the witer solstice, we have a habit to take a bath with citron soaked in it. Citron is told to be effective for warming or for skin protection against dryness. This habit seems to have been kept since Edo era. We, japanese, like bathing. Citron is ripe in this season. With the knowledge of beneficial effect of this fruit for an adjunct to bathing, people might have kept this habit last so long among people in this season.

Our daughter, who is on the training for care for patients at home, has given a few citrons by the patien's family. She has brought them back home last night and has brought one of them into the bath when I took it. the fragrance of citron has spread all around. Needless to say that I have become more warmed than usual.

  

Tempura

It is difficult for me to make tempura crisp and light. The temperature of the oil, the time the materials are dipped in it or the preparatory procedures is involved in the result. Though I believe I still need training for this dish, my wife has given me a passing mark haha.

 

Shrimpf and vegetables.

 

Tell me your story

This evening, I was on 40 m. The band was intermittently bothered by the OTH radar. In between when the band is quiet, I could hear some signals from Europe as well as North America. One of the callers to me was Steve KF7YRL. Not loud but readable. He seemed to go with a hand key. Actually, he wanted me to slow down. He has introduced himself as an ER doctor. His QRZ.com page was informative and interesting to me. He is not a DX chaser nor a contester. He seems to enjoy ragchewing on CW. He loves outdoor activities as well.

I was sorry we could not go on ragchewing enough. We might have shared the same kind of interests. Looking forward next QSO with him, I have given him my best wishes for the season.

In his bio. of QRZ.com, he says as follows. That's what I always want in a QSO. Yes, I would say the same motto:tell me your story. It will fill my heart with pleasure.

quote:

TELL ME YOUR STORY.
MAKE MY LOG-BOOK INTERESTING.

You may think you're boring, but I don't. I want to hear about your family, your career, your military service, your ham-life, your other hobbies, what it's like where you live, or crazy stuff you've lived through. Give me something that helps me remember you. 

Ramen

Since I spend the daytime alone at home on the plain week days, I am apt to take simple junk foods for lunch. Thinking it was not good for health, I often cook a kind of noodle named Ramen in Japan. It is an instant food that has been sold for decedes. Recently, the technology has improved the quality of  noodle so much that it tastes like fine raw noodle.

 

The problem for aged people to take it as meal is that it has high calory as well as high sodium content. It may worsen the trait of high blood pressure or the arteriosclerosis, maybe. I have made a couple of principles to take it as "a safer food" for myself.

 

1)Do not take the soup, which contains much salt. This may eliminate 60% of sodium intake.

 

2)Put as much vegetables as possible. Almost the same amount as the noodle in volume. It may give me satisfaction that lasts longer than noodle alone. 

 

This lunch Ramen has fresh spinach from our garden. With the colder weather, it tastes sweeter. Cabbage tastes mildly sweet in the salty soup seasoned with pork. Some carrot makes it look better. The ham was again a gift from the violinist.

 

 

 

 

It was good like Ramen at good restaurant. But it might not be advisible for aged people to take it for lunch every day. I still recommend you to try it with the principles.

 

The expense account will be more tax free!

A half of the expense account would be tax free in the next national budget as the government has determined. It is told as a plan to stimulate business. Heck! The cost for parties of company held as reception is a stimulating measure?! Whom will they give reception? How could it stimulate business?

The economical recession, apparently deflation, is due to the decrease of the working generation in number as well as the depositing money by aged people worring about their future. The income of the working generation has been constantly decreased while the reserve of major companies is increasing up to more than 200 trillion Yen, that is, 2 trillion USD, since the beginning of this century. With increased tax, they should have done with those problems.

All the government does to stimulate business is to conduct the record quantitative easing. It could be of help to relieve credit failure. Only as a temporary measure. The quantitative easing has been carried out without any effect on the apparent deflation. It won't yield any value in the economy.

As the last measure, they are stimulating business with reception expense. What silly politicians! 

Cheers!

 

The pottery pot dish is very popular in Japan in this season. Warm and tasty. It is ready for dinner. 

 

 

Before starting it, I would toast myself with a can of dark beer. The ham is a gift from a violinist friend. I have been enjoying ensemble with her for over ten years since her student days. I have not been able to spend time for that ensemble for months this year. This girl kindly told me to enjoy ensemble together again with her and a pianist. Needless to say that I have started practising the d minor piano trio by Mendelssohn which we had practised until Jan. this year. What a sweet girl! Cheers to our piano trio!!

 

 

In a hurry, where do they go?

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navy Pillay has expressed concern about the state secret protection bill our diet is going to enact. She says the law should meet the international standard of the human right.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/kyodo-news-international/131202/un-rights-chief-urges-japan-hear-public-concerns-secre

The Ambassador of Sweden, Lars Vargo, has told in his blog on Dec 2nd how important free speech and the freedom of the press are. Though he has not indicated directly of the bill above mentioned, it is most likely he has meant of that bill.

http://blog.swedenabroad.se/tokyo/2013/12/02/free-speech-and-freedom-of-the-press/

Regrettably, in a couple of days, the government would have the bill voted at the upper diet, where it is supposed to be approved. It has not been discussed enough at the diets yet. The government is rushing to get it enacted by some reason. This law will change the framework of our country. It is not rational to conclude about such a subject of much dispute in too much of a hurry.

To my pal, John, 9V1VV

In the FOC mailing list, when John 9V1VV has told how much he look forward ordinary ragchews, he has added the following sentences. It has made me smile. I should, however, definitely tell that we are not falling out yet. It is the condition and the difference of our operating hours that made us apart a bit for some time. I still love as well as respect all the masterpieces of J.S. Bach. Actually, I have got a book regarding his works at a book store today. I have been practising his great unaccompanied suits for the past months. I must confess, however, that I haven't listened so much to both Couperins yet even though John has taken them as real geniuses and has recommended me to lsiten to.

quote:
My regular ragchew pal is JA1NUT. Shin and I can chat for ages. But recently we have fallen out because our tastes in music differ radically. He is a huge Brahms fan, whereas any music written after Bach is anathema to me. Hence my email address. (There are two famous Couperin's, and I prefer the Uncle).
unquote:

I am sure John will bring a wind for the basic tradition of ragchewing into FOC. It is difficult to know how much every one enjoys ragchewing. No award nor contest for ragchewers. But I am sure there has been a basso continuo of love for ragchewing as the tradition in the club. Let's talk much more of musics in the upcoming QSOs from now on, John. Have a nice business voyage. Best season's greetings to you and yours. See you again soon.

A War Drum

Bob W6CYX has metaphored the OTH radar for a war drum. That radar is believed to come from the south eastern part of China. It covers almost all of CW portion on 40m all day long. A source says it is a harmonic of 1.8MHz. Anyway, very noisy. It makes me give up operating radio in the evening. It could have been very quiet on 40m. I could have enjoyed nice QSOs with all over the world in our evening hours. I surely miss the good path to the western Eu at this time in a year.

Bob's comparison of it to a forerunner of a war is quite correct. Very meaningful. When there is more strain in the eastern Asia, they would run more radar. It might be related with the increased tension by chinese new ADIZ at present. We could do little for this problem. A friend of mine in the US has sent a claim on this OTH to a Chinese consulate there. I have enjoyed his idea and have approved him for that at that time. But I don't think the fanatic military would stop the radar owing to such complaints.

Why on the amateur band? No one knows that. It could be a military demonstration to hams in the world. I don't understand why the  military officials in China realize such a demonstration of their power makes much antipathy among hams. Is the radar effective against stealth planes? Isn't is a technology in the last century?

Drew VK3XU used to collect reception information for this radar on the amaeur bands from various parts of the world. From what direction and how strong etc? He told me he and the group would report on it to IARU. This invasion to the ham bands is illegal if it is from China, one of the IARU members. I believe all we could do is working on through such an international organization as IARU.

I hope this drum would be calmed down very soon.