The reason why the shorties are so prevailing on ham radio seems interesting to me. Even more than interesting to me because it is related with how to enjoy radio and with the way of my life itself.
I can not help pointing out that there is a liking not to be related with others so much but to enjoy as many QSOs as possible. Of course, we should admit such as QRP operators should go on in the sorty style owing to their limited set up. But it is an exception. The basic trend is to get satisfied with making as many QSOs as possible.
It is like in contests or DX pile ups. Contesting and DXing might be leading to the prevalence of this QSO style. They might learn to work with others as short as possible. Reports and promise exhchanging QSL cards are good enough. More than that should be too much. It might seem cool to get QSOs finished as short as possible. I am sure this trend is the same as contesting and DXing. The latter is strengthening the trend as well.
I repeatedly told that it was a problem of balance. It is getting imbalanced. Some contests are being held all over the world almost every week end. Now a 10m contest is going on on 10m while AP Sprint is on all bands at present. Contesting and DXing are fun events for hams. Those activities are getting more and more planned as there are less general activities on the air nowadays. Some clubs are trying to maintain the members' activities with those events. Awards are the same kind of thing to arbitrarily stimulate activities of hams. But They won't give us the real pleasure communication gives us, I believe. Contesting and DXing are the peripheral events in ham radio activities, even if not the least things, in my point of view.
Another point I should clear is that the hams might not have "room in mind" to enjoy onversations. Time wise as well as psychologically. In conversation, we should have mental energy to get involved in the others. Haven't we lost that kind of energy even when we are ready to operate radio? And aren't we too busy at the other things than communication on the radio? The others behind the head phone and the keyer must be a kind of automatic replying machine. I am feeling that way sometimes. I am trying to pull the big switch in such a case. It is not good for me as well as the others to carry on QSOs without any interests to the others.
As John 9V1VV has clearly demonstrated in his comment for the previous post, there are too much pauses and silences in QSOs. I really would like to fill my mind with good conversations.
10/21/2012
10/20/2012
10/19/2012
As a probable peasant descendant
My ancestors must be peasants somewhere in old ages. I could concentrate in gardening and farming in the garden. My old genes might make me feel that way.
In a corner of the garden, after having cut and pulled the weeds and their roots, I plowed the ground to make a couple of small farms. Very tiny but good enough for my purpose. Kneading the neutralizing chemical and the compost into the soil there, I have planted the seeds of spinach in the farm in front. Cabbages may be planted in the back one later.
I have felt vivid myself in the garden since my forties. I had not been interested in gardening/farming at all. It was my father who took care of the garden those days. Gradually, I have taken over his work, even though I could not do it perfectly at all.
At the time of the nuclear power plant being blasted last year, I was eagerly caring for the lawn at another portion of the garden. I felt the plume bringing the radioactive substances here might endanger our lives from its base. Fortunately, it turned out not to be too bad in this area. I could not, however, forget the feeling that our being itself was in peril at that time. I have become strongly against the nuclear power usage for any purpose then. It might come from the instinct within me as a probable peasant descendant.
Anyway, it is good for me to work in the garden under shining sun.
Tad ex JA1KFN/J2KN
Recently, I don't know why but have often remembered an old timer, Tad, ex JA1KFN/J2KN.
I met him on the air in my newcomer days. He used to be a good friend of Ralph Multon WB6BFR. Ralph was a kind old timer and used to work with me quite often on 40m CW. Ralph was an elmer for me. When Ralph and his wife visited Japan in mid '60s, Tad has planned a reception party in Tokyo. I applied for that meeting.
Though I was not able to converse with Ralph so much or even the other japanese old timers there, he and the company used to welcome me there. It was a beer garden of Kanda Seiyouken at Ueno. A muggy summer evening, I believe. Tad was a kind guy aged around 50 years or so at that time. He was a not tall but thin guy. With a kind of high pitched voice and good sense of humor, he has played as the master of ceremonies there. It was not only a ham meeting I first attended but also the very first social activity among adult people for me, a teen age boy, studying mechanical engineering at a college or even before that. He treated me as a grown up at that time.
It had passed over ten years when I ran across with Tad again on the air. It was around 1980. I was very happy to have found him with the same old bug. He have retired by that time and was quite active on the air. We have conversed on CW with simple English. He won't operate SSB or CW in Japanese Morse Code. When 20m was dead for any DX late at night, we often had slow but enjoyable chats on CW. His unique bug keying is still very vivid in my memory. We have exchanged New Years' Greeting cards for several times. But no other means to contact with him. His slow and a bit deformed bug was the only way to communicate with me. Despite of the limit in conversing abilities on each side, he had the definite will to communicate with CW. It was a joy to talk to him. He must be already over 70 years of age at this time.
In several years, I had a letter from his wife, telling me of his passing away. He used to be a pioneer ham as J2KN in Japan just before WWII and had been an active ham thereafter. I have known how he had lived from the correspondence with his wife for some time. I surely missed him and felt a great time of ham radio had gone for me.
I would ask myself if I had been so kind to the others, especially to the beginners, and fulfilled my life with the joy of ham radio for myself and for the others. The fruit of our lives become evident to ourselfves in the last days of our lives. I should be aware of this. Recalling Tad, I contemplate of my own life in the past in this way.
I met him on the air in my newcomer days. He used to be a good friend of Ralph Multon WB6BFR. Ralph was a kind old timer and used to work with me quite often on 40m CW. Ralph was an elmer for me. When Ralph and his wife visited Japan in mid '60s, Tad has planned a reception party in Tokyo. I applied for that meeting.
Though I was not able to converse with Ralph so much or even the other japanese old timers there, he and the company used to welcome me there. It was a beer garden of Kanda Seiyouken at Ueno. A muggy summer evening, I believe. Tad was a kind guy aged around 50 years or so at that time. He was a not tall but thin guy. With a kind of high pitched voice and good sense of humor, he has played as the master of ceremonies there. It was not only a ham meeting I first attended but also the very first social activity among adult people for me, a teen age boy, studying mechanical engineering at a college or even before that. He treated me as a grown up at that time.
It had passed over ten years when I ran across with Tad again on the air. It was around 1980. I was very happy to have found him with the same old bug. He have retired by that time and was quite active on the air. We have conversed on CW with simple English. He won't operate SSB or CW in Japanese Morse Code. When 20m was dead for any DX late at night, we often had slow but enjoyable chats on CW. His unique bug keying is still very vivid in my memory. We have exchanged New Years' Greeting cards for several times. But no other means to contact with him. His slow and a bit deformed bug was the only way to communicate with me. Despite of the limit in conversing abilities on each side, he had the definite will to communicate with CW. It was a joy to talk to him. He must be already over 70 years of age at this time.
In several years, I had a letter from his wife, telling me of his passing away. He used to be a pioneer ham as J2KN in Japan just before WWII and had been an active ham thereafter. I have known how he had lived from the correspondence with his wife for some time. I surely missed him and felt a great time of ham radio had gone for me.
I would ask myself if I had been so kind to the others, especially to the beginners, and fulfilled my life with the joy of ham radio for myself and for the others. The fruit of our lives become evident to ourselfves in the last days of our lives. I should be aware of this. Recalling Tad, I contemplate of my own life in the past in this way.
10/16/2012
Variations of Brahms
Brahms has composed a number of impressive variations. String Sextet Nr2 is one of the examples. The 4th movement of his last symphony could never be forgotten. This is another variation which touches our heart. This trio performs one of the bests for this variation. The cello sounds heartfelt.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/958FW76fgGM
The tempo is fairly slow compared with the other modern performers. They play each variation in the thorough way the composer would express it. The last variation starting with cello solo could not help making audience feel touched a lot. What emotion they put in this pianissimo!
Last year, I have played this trio at a small concert. I was so happy to play it even at practice. I felt rewarded spending hours for the practice.
This is one of the best tunes Brahms has left for us.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/958FW76fgGM
The tempo is fairly slow compared with the other modern performers. They play each variation in the thorough way the composer would express it. The last variation starting with cello solo could not help making audience feel touched a lot. What emotion they put in this pianissimo!
Last year, I have played this trio at a small concert. I was so happy to play it even at practice. I felt rewarded spending hours for the practice.
This is one of the best tunes Brahms has left for us.
The shorty ones
The conditions are getting better on the air. So quiet and open to the areas over the pole. I have been working several East Coasts on 15m this morning. Again I have met a few guys calling me only their calls. When they call me a bit off the frequency as well as off the timing, I am always perplexed and wondering if I should reply to him/her. It could be often misleading. They sound as if in a pile up or in DX contest. Such guys always finish QSOs with the report and name only. Very busy people.
I don't believe it is a good habit to omit the other's call or DE before own call. So I won't reply to those calling me in that style. If I respond them, it means I admit their way of operation and help it to prevail in CW communication.
Those guys always go away as soon as they finish exchanging the reports and the names only. They must be thinking that they have spent time effectively. As I repeatedly tell, it is meaningless for me to make contacts in this way. I would let them do in that way with the same kind of guys. I would not do that.
I don't believe it is a good habit to omit the other's call or DE before own call. So I won't reply to those calling me in that style. If I respond them, it means I admit their way of operation and help it to prevail in CW communication.
Those guys always go away as soon as they finish exchanging the reports and the names only. They must be thinking that they have spent time effectively. As I repeatedly tell, it is meaningless for me to make contacts in this way. I would let them do in that way with the same kind of guys. I would not do that.
10/14/2012
A short trip to a hot spa
One way or another, I have been a little bit busy at chores. Away from those things, I wanted to go for a short trip to mountain area north of here. Yesteday, when I finished lunch, I ran my car toward the mountain area. It was fine and cool. It could not be better for such a drive. Despite of solitude on car, I felt pretty good on the way. In half an hour, however, I found there were thick clouds covering that area I was heading to. I have changed my destination to a hot spa nearby as the GPS navigator instructed.
It is a pretty flat area where we are living. But, running north for sometime, we could see hills in ranges between plain areas. These hills are ranged from the high mountains in Fukushima. It is a farming area. Sparsely populated. The rice was alrady harvested. Very few people on the roads.
Driving through those rice paddies, I have reached the hot spa which I had destinated without knowing what place it was. It was on a top of a hill. But, unfortunately and inexplicably, closed. No one there. The facilities were vacant and ruined.
I didn't know of this hot spa as I told. But I am sure it was constructed in the era of bubble economy in '80s. Those days, our government was required to invest for public enterprises by the US. The investment was up, they say, to 80 trillion USD. Our government made a schema to have local governments invest for them with their local governmental bonds. The government was supposed to pay for that as subsidies to the local governments on yearly basis. The Prime Minister Koizumi has cut that subsidies to them all of sudden, which resulted in the financial crisis in quite some local governments all over Japan. In addition to higher proportion rate of elderly in the countrysides, it has made them fall into the present difficult situation. I am not sure if this hot spa was one of those investments, which have financially failed at many places. Anyhow, it has reminded me of those facilities or buildings built in those days which have been ruined thereafter.
From this place, we could enjoy a beautiful scenary over the hills.
I consulted to the GPS navigator again, which gave me another hot spa for a change. It is named Kurobane Hot Spa just south of the border to Fukushima Prefecture. I ran the country road without much traffic. I found a big tomb site in the ancient age beside the road. It is over 300 feet in length. There were pine trees growing on it. The grass was neatly cut there. It seemed to be prepared for sight seeing. Though I don't know exactly how old this tomb was, generaly speaking, such a tomb must be constructed by and for a local dominator in the 5 or 6th century. It is surprising that there are hundreds of such tomb sites in this area. It is mysterious why they have constructed such tombs for themselves those days. Maybe, primitive religion firmly believed by them forced them to do so. A book of history in this era told me it was a symbol to get the tribe united those days as well.
It has not taken me so long before reaching the hot spa. It was still on a hill just next to a athletic field. Fortunately, it has not been collapsed yet! But there were only few people in the facility. A gorgeous building and beautifully arranged garden.
Near to our home, I dropped in a supermarket where I bought foods for supper. I have returned to the normal routine again. Relaxing but a little bit lonely trip.
I have been listening the following musics on the way.
Mendelssohn Piano Trio Nr1
Brahms Piano Quartet Nr1,2,3
It is a pretty flat area where we are living. But, running north for sometime, we could see hills in ranges between plain areas. These hills are ranged from the high mountains in Fukushima. It is a farming area. Sparsely populated. The rice was alrady harvested. Very few people on the roads.
Driving through those rice paddies, I have reached the hot spa which I had destinated without knowing what place it was. It was on a top of a hill. But, unfortunately and inexplicably, closed. No one there. The facilities were vacant and ruined.
I didn't know of this hot spa as I told. But I am sure it was constructed in the era of bubble economy in '80s. Those days, our government was required to invest for public enterprises by the US. The investment was up, they say, to 80 trillion USD. Our government made a schema to have local governments invest for them with their local governmental bonds. The government was supposed to pay for that as subsidies to the local governments on yearly basis. The Prime Minister Koizumi has cut that subsidies to them all of sudden, which resulted in the financial crisis in quite some local governments all over Japan. In addition to higher proportion rate of elderly in the countrysides, it has made them fall into the present difficult situation. I am not sure if this hot spa was one of those investments, which have financially failed at many places. Anyhow, it has reminded me of those facilities or buildings built in those days which have been ruined thereafter.
From this place, we could enjoy a beautiful scenary over the hills.
I consulted to the GPS navigator again, which gave me another hot spa for a change. It is named Kurobane Hot Spa just south of the border to Fukushima Prefecture. I ran the country road without much traffic. I found a big tomb site in the ancient age beside the road. It is over 300 feet in length. There were pine trees growing on it. The grass was neatly cut there. It seemed to be prepared for sight seeing. Though I don't know exactly how old this tomb was, generaly speaking, such a tomb must be constructed by and for a local dominator in the 5 or 6th century. It is surprising that there are hundreds of such tomb sites in this area. It is mysterious why they have constructed such tombs for themselves those days. Maybe, primitive religion firmly believed by them forced them to do so. A book of history in this era told me it was a symbol to get the tribe united those days as well.
It has not taken me so long before reaching the hot spa. It was still on a hill just next to a athletic field. Fortunately, it has not been collapsed yet! But there were only few people in the facility. A gorgeous building and beautifully arranged garden.
The bath was a large one. One indoor, the other outdoor. The hot water is transparent without no sulfar odor. I soaked myself for some 20 min and got out of there.
When got out, I felt the cool breeze on my face. Relaxed enough. It was the time for me to go back home. On the way back, there were scenes typical for our countryside. I used to drive with my family as well as my mother in this area. So everywhere looked familiar to me even though I was not sure when I drove around a particular place. Much fond memories everywhere.
In a few weeks, the foliage might turn colorful. The sun was fast to set. Mother used to tell the sun was running down the horizen so soon in the fall. I felt as if she were on the side seat telling that to me.
Near to our home, I dropped in a supermarket where I bought foods for supper. I have returned to the normal routine again. Relaxing but a little bit lonely trip.
I have been listening the following musics on the way.
Mendelssohn Piano Trio Nr1
Brahms Piano Quartet Nr1,2,3
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