Once calling CQ, I have had a small pile up from Europe. Among endless calls of big signals from the Eastern Europe, there were modest signals from DL or G land calling me. I tried to pick them up first. I have had nice QSOs with them in chain for a while.
I asked good friends of mine, Knut DK5AD and Rupert G3SQD, how the ragchewers' activity was there. I thought the desperately low activity of conversational CW could have been a regional problem. We are far away from the areas with dense population of those operators in North America or Western Europe. Both of them, however, answered of pretty low activities there. Rupert was optimistically telling me they had gone for some other activities in summer. Knut was a bit more serious. He has mentioned of the high activities of contest on the contrary to declined ragchewing. I wondered if there had been more ragchewing going on in the Western Europe, which we could hardly listen to due to the hard path over the north pole.
In response to Knut, I told my rather pessimistic view on the relationship between contests and conversational CW. Recent surprising increase of contests in number must be based on the recognition of those organizing their events that there is a sharp drop of overall activity in ham radio. They must be intending to activate it with contests or with other competitive events. Ironically enough, it seems to have suppressed or decreased the overall activities other than those events. That reverse relationship might be explained in a few different ways. Basically, ragchewing and contesting are heading quite different ways. The old timers used to enjoy both. But, nowadays, contesters are doing their activity as if it were a game. No human relationship in it. I haven't told Knut up to this depth. It is still what I think of this problem.
Anyway, it is not good to make any conflict with those enjoying contests. We should do what we believe right and enjoyable. If young new comers enter this hobby, they might judge which is more enjoyable and ever lasting. Thinking of such a thing, I have enjoyed very nice chats with them and a few others. I would get up early and try to catch them again soon.
Anyway, it is not good to make any conflict with those enjoying contests. We should do what we believe right and enjoyable. If young new comers enter this hobby, they might judge which is more enjoyable and ever lasting. Thinking of such a thing, I have enjoyed very nice chats with them and a few others. I would get up early and try to catch them again soon.
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ReplyDeleteA few typos in my last post, Shin. I was just mentioning that I have also had good contacts with EU over the past few early mornings, but that I usually get to bed by 1am (2pm your time) just when 20m is opening. Many of them want a rubber stamp QSO but some still like a decent ragchew. I did point out in my deleted post that I thought ragchew activity has declined during the past 14 years I've been a ham. Re-writing this post, maybe it is also tied in with the poor propagation over those years. It is hard to embark on a ragchew, or sustain one, unless you are both 579 to 599, which is rare these days. Perhaps that is also a factor.
ReplyDeleteHi John,
DeleteIf this low activity was mainly due to the poor conditions, there could be recovery of activity in occasional rise of conditions, I guess. Except for the rare occasion like last night, it is unlikely to occur. I believe it is difficult to attribute this activity to the conditions.
Now, our Ministry of Telecom seems to require us to measure the spurious emission for each equipment, which has not been measured for it according to the new requirement by ITU. Newer ones have already been measured by the manufacturers and won't be questioned about it. The measurements of spurious emission will be done by either of the corporate or the org. which has guaranteed for legitimacy of our equipments on paper basis for years. This means the bureaucrats and the related business people would snatch more money from us, amateur hams, in Japan. I am feeling, if it comes true, disgusted at this. So far as I know, the authorities won't impose amateur hams to do such as real measurements of spurious emission etc in the other countries. The bureaucrats are exploiting us in bad manner. If this new license requirement comes true, it might be the time for me to quit this hobby. This is making me even more pessimistic for the future of ham radio in Japan. I have enjoyed this hobby much enough.
So far as I could, I would enjoy it. Though I know you are in the other kind of difficulty with radio, turn on your radio before going to bed.
Shin
Shin
ReplyDeleteIt seems unreasonable to measure spurious emissions unless a neighbour complains.
When I first got my 9V license the local authority came to check the set up for free. It was a waste of time and after a few years the practice stopped, probably because more people understood Amateur radio and there was no secrecy attached to it. The only time the authority gets involved now is to follow up QRM complaints.But with only 25 active hams here, that is very rare.
In JA there would be some money to be made by inspections due to the large number of active hams. If the license fee increased to cover expenses, this would not be fair. Here we pay only $15 per annum for our license. The fee has actually decreased from $35. Admin costs are low because everything is done on line. Even the exams for new ops are free because they are done by the local radio club, which us accepted by the national authority.
The JA proposals seem very unfair. I hope they reconsider.
John
It seems Singaporean government appropriately handles ham radio there. Our government and the bureaucrats behave in authoritarianism. Unfortunately, the latter is always seeking any source of profit for the retired bureaucrats. They have found another source in this regulation. They won't care for the value and history of ham radio. As for this spurious emission regulation, it is the right attitude that they would move only when ham radio causes any interference to the other communications. ITU has intended only to avoid such interference between communications.
DeleteBTW, it is getting terribly hot here. For the past few days, the temp has hit over 30 degrees in the daytime. Be ready for that! Of course, the mountains would be cooler.
Shin
I have been remiss in not commenting to this quote from the original post " The old timers used to enjoy both."
ReplyDeleteI believe that to be a true statement. But, the mitigating change is that the people that are motivated by contests can satisfy their needs without every having to express more than signal report, serial number and other miscellaneous computer generated data. There is a contest somewhere in the radio world (actually so many on some weekends, you don't know who is participating in what) on every day of every weekend and mid week on Wednesdays. After sitting in the radio chair through each weekend and a few hours midweek, there probably is little interest in having a conversation. The point....hand sent, head read conversational
CW is a dying art form, perhaps rigor mortis already setting in.
Don,
DeleteI was going to shout CQ on 40m CW having a glass of Sapporo. But the can was not cooled yet! Moreover, there were a couple of domestic contests going on there! Bummer!!
Let's call it as CW Terminating event.
Shin
Despair not dear CW afficionados. The top end of every band is shared SSB-CW but the SSB is dying out maybe more than CW. Usually no SSB on top end of bands. Solution is simple. Enjoy rag chew CW when bottom of band is contest or big DX money operation go to the top end and enjoy. Up there it is like the very early beginnings of Amateur Radio all over again, let us relive the old days, eventually it will populate with those who wish to avoid 5NN and web spotting.
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