Twenty meters have wide opened to the Western Europe this morning.
I had a great chat with Hartmut DK2SC, ex 9X5HG. He started calling me with his old Rwanda call. He told me he had thought it would help me to recall of him. Without that call, I would have remembered him very well. I have written about him in the previous article in this blog. We used to talk a lot in '90s. He kindly invited me there near Hamburg. He added that Brahms is waiting for me over there. He knows what charms me.
After that long QSO with him, a chinese ham, BG2WSS, who must had listened to us, gave me a call. Surprisingly, he has made an ordinary QSO with me. I haven't expected that. I must say it is quite unusual with a chinese. most of the chinese hams do it in contest style. He even asked about my age. I don't know if he understood how much I have been touched by the QSO with him. But I surely felt there was another ham in China who would enjoy this style of QSO.
I am sure "Tell me your story" type QSOs are still alive around the world. This morning, these QSOs have convinced me of the fruitful future of ham radio. This style is contagious to us. Let's keep up this style. What an enjyoyable hobby it would be if there were more of this style QSOs everywhere on the bands!
5/29/2014
Each word as a lump
The other day, I have listened to a radio program where an ENT doctor was talking about sensory hearing loss. He said, in that condition, the patient could not hear but also understand what others talked to him/her. Not only the inner ear and auditory nerve but also higher brain center responsible for understanding are often disturbed.
For such a patient, we should not speak slowly but should emphasize each word with sufficient spaces between them, as the doctor said. That wider spaces are of much more help to the handicapped people. This means simply that we are not listening each character but meaning of each words which eventually leads us to the whole meaning of a sentence.
I believe it is also the case with CW reception. We are taking what the sendes says by taking meaning of each words, of course, not by each character or whole sentence. Longer the spaces between words are, easier we could take its meaning, that is, what the sender says. This space between words is determined in the relation with the space between characters. If the latter is too long, it is often difficult to take each word as it is. The latter should be as short as possible while the former should be long. It helps us to read sentences sent with CW.
Aesthetically, such code sending sounds more favorable as well as more beautiful than equally spaced codes. I could remember an example of beautiful code sender. It is Rod K5BGB. It was a pleasure for me to listen to him making pretty good spces between words with rather short ones between characters. It was a functionally as well as aesthetically excellent code sending. Unfortunately, such an operator is rarely heard nowadays.
For such a patient, we should not speak slowly but should emphasize each word with sufficient spaces between them, as the doctor said. That wider spaces are of much more help to the handicapped people. This means simply that we are not listening each character but meaning of each words which eventually leads us to the whole meaning of a sentence.
I believe it is also the case with CW reception. We are taking what the sendes says by taking meaning of each words, of course, not by each character or whole sentence. Longer the spaces between words are, easier we could take its meaning, that is, what the sender says. This space between words is determined in the relation with the space between characters. If the latter is too long, it is often difficult to take each word as it is. The latter should be as short as possible while the former should be long. It helps us to read sentences sent with CW.
Aesthetically, such code sending sounds more favorable as well as more beautiful than equally spaced codes. I could remember an example of beautiful code sender. It is Rod K5BGB. It was a pleasure for me to listen to him making pretty good spces between words with rather short ones between characters. It was a functionally as well as aesthetically excellent code sending. Unfortunately, such an operator is rarely heard nowadays.
5/23/2014
Modification of 80m sloper for 30m
Last night, when I complained of a lot of contrests occupying almost every week end to Jim W0CML on 40m, he told me to get on 30m. So did Bob W6CYX in the past. I was reluctant to make an antenna for 30m and thought I would do something else while the bands are busy with contests. Jim persuaded me, however, to be on 30m. I have made up my mind to adjust the 80m sloper for 30m.
The 80m sloper could work as the 3rd harmonic for 30m as you know. But it is resonant too high for 30m. Addition of 80 or 100cm of element at the end was supposed to work out for 30m. I haven't examined the antenna for years. The outer sheath of the element was almost decayed. No wonder it has deteriorated in that way since it was kept as it is for almost 25 years. It is astonishing the element has not cut yet.
Anyway, I was not so eager to exchange the element by myself. Bringing out the solder iron beneath the element, I connected that additional wire to the element. Later, having turned out too short for the adjustment, it got SWR about 1.7 on the mid portion of 30m. Maybe, I could run with it. Opposing to my intention, SWR reads much better on CW band of 80m. Let it go as it is.
In the daytime, I could hear a few JAs on 30m. But they seemed so called JCC/JCG chasers. I worked a few of them. The antenna seemed to work well. The only problem is if there are anyone who enjoys ragchewing. I would make debut on 30m this week end after a long absence.
The 80m sloper could work as the 3rd harmonic for 30m as you know. But it is resonant too high for 30m. Addition of 80 or 100cm of element at the end was supposed to work out for 30m. I haven't examined the antenna for years. The outer sheath of the element was almost decayed. No wonder it has deteriorated in that way since it was kept as it is for almost 25 years. It is astonishing the element has not cut yet.
Anyway, I was not so eager to exchange the element by myself. Bringing out the solder iron beneath the element, I connected that additional wire to the element. Later, having turned out too short for the adjustment, it got SWR about 1.7 on the mid portion of 30m. Maybe, I could run with it. Opposing to my intention, SWR reads much better on CW band of 80m. Let it go as it is.
In the daytime, I could hear a few JAs on 30m. But they seemed so called JCC/JCG chasers. I worked a few of them. The antenna seemed to work well. The only problem is if there are anyone who enjoys ragchewing. I would make debut on 30m this week end after a long absence.
5/19/2014
Brahms Symphony Nr2 D Major
I have run across with John 9V1VV on 40m a few days ago. He has come back home now. He seemed to be busy at the work of teaching even being off his main work off shore.
He has mentioned his visit here 6 years ago. It was May 6 years ago. I might have written about his visit somewhere else in this blog. It was a really nice eye ball here. Since it was the day of orchestra practice, I had to take him that event at a hall located in the midst of farms here. He remembered of that. We were practising the Nr2 Symphony by Brahms at that time. I was sorry I had him waste his precious time in Japan listening to us and walking around. Yes, it was a beautiful late spring day then. I hoped he had enjoyed the beautiful scenary around the practice hall at that time.
So it was not my intention to make him a fan of Brahms. I just wanted to tell him, whenever recalling of his visit, that tune came into my mind.
He has mentioned his visit here 6 years ago. It was May 6 years ago. I might have written about his visit somewhere else in this blog. It was a really nice eye ball here. Since it was the day of orchestra practice, I had to take him that event at a hall located in the midst of farms here. He remembered of that. We were practising the Nr2 Symphony by Brahms at that time. I was sorry I had him waste his precious time in Japan listening to us and walking around. Yes, it was a beautiful late spring day then. I hoped he had enjoyed the beautiful scenary around the practice hall at that time.
He kidded me saying don't try to convert him to Brahms. He is an firm admirer in Baroque music, I know. I told him I knew that but always recvall of the 2nd theme of the 1st movement in this symphony. It is a music of this season when a breeze, stirring the fresh leaves of trees, would touch our face gently.
So it was not my intention to make him a fan of Brahms. I just wanted to tell him, whenever recalling of his visit, that tune came into my mind.
5/17/2014
A daily routine
It's beren a while since I uploaded a write up here. I still have something to write down from time to time. But the daily routine has kept me away from renewing this blog.
How am I spending a day?
Getting up around 5 AM.
Bringing two pieces of toast bread, a cup of coffee and salad into the shack. Looking for a conversational QSO mainly on 15m. The recent good condition lets me talk a few friends. Sometimes disappointing. From 6 to 8 AM.
Getting out in the garden. A lot of projects. Having planted several vegetables like tomato, potato, water melon, radish and pumpkin etc. Strawberry is already ripe. From 9 to 11 AM.
Taking lunch, looking around the bands, reading and listening to music,
surfing the net:often doing it all the day around and taking a power nap. From 0 to 3 PM.
Shopping and/or preparing dinner. From 5 to 7 PM. A happy hour in the meantime alone.
Dinner with wife. Around 8 PM.
Getting on 40m or 20m and getting ready for beauty sleep. From 9 to 12 PM.
Reading and listening to particular music like The Art of Fugue before sleeping. Around 0 AM.
What a simple way of life!
You know why I am away from this blog. Even though I am still checking any comment etc every day.
I won't quit keeping it anyway. I would see you on the radio or on the line.
How am I spending a day?
Getting up around 5 AM.
Bringing two pieces of toast bread, a cup of coffee and salad into the shack. Looking for a conversational QSO mainly on 15m. The recent good condition lets me talk a few friends. Sometimes disappointing. From 6 to 8 AM.
Getting out in the garden. A lot of projects. Having planted several vegetables like tomato, potato, water melon, radish and pumpkin etc. Strawberry is already ripe. From 9 to 11 AM.
Taking lunch, looking around the bands, reading and listening to music,
surfing the net:often doing it all the day around and taking a power nap. From 0 to 3 PM.
Shopping and/or preparing dinner. From 5 to 7 PM. A happy hour in the meantime alone.
Dinner with wife. Around 8 PM.
Getting on 40m or 20m and getting ready for beauty sleep. From 9 to 12 PM.
Reading and listening to particular music like The Art of Fugue before sleeping. Around 0 AM.
What a simple way of life!
You know why I am away from this blog. Even though I am still checking any comment etc every day.
I won't quit keeping it anyway. I would see you on the radio or on the line.
5/10/2014
Spring fully blown here
In our garden, there have been many kinds of flowers grown and coming out. Some are inherited from my parents while the others, mainly roses, are planted by my wife. They seem to sing the joy of fully blown spring here.
German iris. An elegant color. There are, at least, two kinds of the same flower, yellow and white in our garden. This one is most elegant and attractive. This has been in front of the dining kitchen of the house our parents used to live. I am sure my father has planted them so that they could enjoy them sitting there.
Camellia. It is a bit out of the season for now. Gorgeous flowers.
Azalea. I planted it last year. This species is told to be easily damaged by the cold weather in winter. This one has survived and has bloomed like this.
A well survivor through the hard winter.
Lawn beside the entrance road. It is a headcahe for me how to maintain it. It is a real labor for me to mow it at regular interval throughout the summer. I have finally done it now when weeds have grown too much there. It looks well-groomed now. Who would do that for whom?
Anyway, it is always good for me to do with the plants and the garden by myself. It surely relaxes myself. So far as I could do it, I would go on working in the garden.
5/04/2014
If another mega earthquake occurs in Kansai Hokuriku area
Our government has been telling they would restart any nuclear power plant once Nnuclear Regulation Authority:NRA judges it as legitimate according to their regulation. NRA declares they won't guarantee its safety if they legitimize it. They insist they just judge it regulated properly. Our government says, however, NRA would guarantee the safety. Both of them, especially our government, are trying to avoid the responsibility for the safety issue.
In case of any serious accident at nuclear power plant, an actual serious problem is how the local people could evacuate from collapsed nuclear power plant. Compared with the plate type earthquake, an mega earthquake directly above the focus is known to damage the roads around there even more frequently. It would deprive the people there of the way to evacuate from the radio active substance contamination. Evacuation is supposed to be planned by the local government. Either central government or NRA won't concern about it. There is no financial and technical capability to plan for their evacuation in local governments. Evacuation of the people is abandoned from the beginning
Of 54 nuclear power plants in Japan, 5 are located in the Kansai Hokuriku area. They have 13 reactors in total. Here is the map, although it is described in Japanese. All of them are within 50km of distance. A mega earth quake could damage multiple reactors of these 13. Or a domino effect could cause serious accidents to all of them.
There is only one trunk road to those plants. It is highly suspected that this route could be damaged by the earthquake or tsunami. It means that there would be no way to have the people evacuated or to rescue and manage the damaged plants.
The large cities like Kyoto and Osaka are located within 100km in radius from those nuclear power plants. There could be serious radio active substance contamination over these areas. We should remember, in the case of Fukushima, most of radio active subvstances have flown away to the Pacific ocean with the land spared with the contamination. If Kyoto and Osaka areas are highly contaminated, there would be tens of millions people evacuated from there. I guess it almost means our country won't survive any longer.
In case of any serious accident at nuclear power plant, an actual serious problem is how the local people could evacuate from collapsed nuclear power plant. Compared with the plate type earthquake, an mega earthquake directly above the focus is known to damage the roads around there even more frequently. It would deprive the people there of the way to evacuate from the radio active substance contamination. Evacuation is supposed to be planned by the local government. Either central government or NRA won't concern about it. There is no financial and technical capability to plan for their evacuation in local governments. Evacuation of the people is abandoned from the beginning
Of 54 nuclear power plants in Japan, 5 are located in the Kansai Hokuriku area. They have 13 reactors in total. Here is the map, although it is described in Japanese. All of them are within 50km of distance. A mega earth quake could damage multiple reactors of these 13. Or a domino effect could cause serious accidents to all of them.
There is only one trunk road to those plants. It is highly suspected that this route could be damaged by the earthquake or tsunami. It means that there would be no way to have the people evacuated or to rescue and manage the damaged plants.
The large cities like Kyoto and Osaka are located within 100km in radius from those nuclear power plants. There could be serious radio active substance contamination over these areas. We should remember, in the case of Fukushima, most of radio active subvstances have flown away to the Pacific ocean with the land spared with the contamination. If Kyoto and Osaka areas are highly contaminated, there would be tens of millions people evacuated from there. I guess it almost means our country won't survive any longer.
5/03/2014
Sour and sweet pork
Sour and sweet pork for dinner a couple of days ago. Pork and vegitables were seasoned with soy sauce, sake, sweetened sake and sugar as the usual dishes. In this case, it was seasoned tomato ketchup and vinegar as well. Pork tasted great.
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