Nowadays, there are only very few calling me when I call CQ on any band. I have been wondering why they won't make usual QSOs on CW. I could not get any conclusive answer to this question yet. It seems there are less operators capable of not only ragchewing but also usual stereotypic contacts now. In addition, they are less willing and less energitic for conversation. Getting acquaintance with someone, either in real or on radio, requires us some energy. They might have run out energy to do so in the real relationship or in their family. It is the day of indifference to the others wherever they might be. All they want to is just to compete with the others, to get cards from them or to exchange almost meaningless reports. No interests in the other people.
If this is the conclusion of this post, there is nothing to add any more. It is too bad to those who went on reading this stereotypic and boring sentences by an ideologue. I would add a bit more hints how to find out those exceptional old fashioned operators who would like to converse with you.
Listen the spot you are calling CQ. When you could trace of signals on the background there, it could be loud enough for the guy getting ready to call you in the other part of the world. Even if you could not hear anything on the spot, there could be much QRM away from your area. Try to move up or down a little bit. It may let your partner listen you clearly enough. Yes, this is a kind of common sense which every experienced operator knows well.
The other point is regarding the bait you try to fish with. Generally speaking, slow and variable shaped CW is more attractive to listeners than machinery fast one. The machinery characteristics of CW, as if it was from a key board, in high speed is the worst bait. The listeners would like to be indulged in CW music but not machinery neat code after they get tired with machinery things at work or yelling voice of their wives. Bring out a bug or a hand key on the operating desk. Send CQ in swinging way with it. I am sure some of the listeners would respond to it. It must run at the speed of heart beat in rest. They would look for something human but not machinery.
Be a musician, not a key puncher.
3/03/2013
3/02/2013
Spring has come here
For the past couple of days, it has become much milder here. I feel as if I have moved to another country with warm weather. We have had a very cold and bleaky waether this winter. It is almost gone now.
Ume flowers are almost coming out in our garden. It is surprising they have got ready to come out even in such a cold snap for the past months. The garden will keep me busy from now on. Pulling weeds, planting new flowers or vegetables and making flower beds. We plan to have flower gardens and deck constructed this spring. We should get it shaped as we want it to be not so long if not perfect. It would be our another goal in our lives.
TPP
The Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement is under discussion among the countries involved in it. It is not yet opened what agreements they would provide. It is going on in secret. The most important matter is that it could force each country to change its own system as the global companies wish to. So far as the leaked information says, the most part of the content is concerning, not the issue of trading itself, but the regulation issue in each country. Among them, the article of the Investor State Dispute Settlement seems most important. When any investor, most likelily a global company, judges that a foreign government has given them any disadvantage by some regulation, it could accuse the government to a relevant organization under WTO. The judgement by that organization is told to override any domestic law.
I am afraid this agreement would mess or even destroy the systems as commonage in any particular country. It is only for the global capitals but not for the peoples. It is surprising that any government could take it granted that they would serve for the global capitals but not for the people.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/6/14/breaking_08_pledge_leaked_trade_doc
Sorry for not having renewed the blog for some time. A family issue has prevented me from doing that. I guess I could post new articles from now on. Thanks for your patience.
I am afraid this agreement would mess or even destroy the systems as commonage in any particular country. It is only for the global capitals but not for the peoples. It is surprising that any government could take it granted that they would serve for the global capitals but not for the people.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/6/14/breaking_08_pledge_leaked_trade_doc
Sorry for not having renewed the blog for some time. A family issue has prevented me from doing that. I guess I could post new articles from now on. Thanks for your patience.
2/19/2013
Pleasant QSOs
I woke up early in the morning when it got bright outside. It was starting another cold and quiet day here. Bringing toastes and coffee in ths shack, I started watching 15m. It was wide open to the US. There were a couple of pile ups going on. Apart from that mess, I started calling CQ.
A number of friends have given me calls in a row. A friend in New England told me what a blizzard they had had there and, despite of that snowy storm, he had walked 3km this morning, wearing a coat, a muffler and a hat. He was pleased to tell me his wife had called him crazy. Another guy reported about the latest result of his cancer check up. No signs of recurrence. He will finish his treatment protocol in 3 more courses. He and his family must have been relieved a lot. I felt thrilled when he started telling me about it like the result was and so forth. I wished him very good luck for the rest of the treatment. A guy would see our mutual friends for the very first time when he comes back to the west Coast from the mid US where he has been on duty for months. I have pictured of their eye ball over there.
And a few more interesting QSOs. What a wonderful hobby ham radio is! This slow and unexpected mode of communication would give us much pleasure when we could share our lives in the short communications. I felt thankful to all I met today. It is still worth spending some time and some energy to be on looking for those friends. May we be blessed having such QSOs throughout our lives. I am sure ham radio won't die if such communication would go on.
A number of friends have given me calls in a row. A friend in New England told me what a blizzard they had had there and, despite of that snowy storm, he had walked 3km this morning, wearing a coat, a muffler and a hat. He was pleased to tell me his wife had called him crazy. Another guy reported about the latest result of his cancer check up. No signs of recurrence. He will finish his treatment protocol in 3 more courses. He and his family must have been relieved a lot. I felt thrilled when he started telling me about it like the result was and so forth. I wished him very good luck for the rest of the treatment. A guy would see our mutual friends for the very first time when he comes back to the west Coast from the mid US where he has been on duty for months. I have pictured of their eye ball over there.
And a few more interesting QSOs. What a wonderful hobby ham radio is! This slow and unexpected mode of communication would give us much pleasure when we could share our lives in the short communications. I felt thankful to all I met today. It is still worth spending some time and some energy to be on looking for those friends. May we be blessed having such QSOs throughout our lives. I am sure ham radio won't die if such communication would go on.
2/17/2013
Spring is not so far
By this time in a year, we always have ume flowers come out in our garden. They are still buds now like the photo shows. The sunray is already pretty bright and the daytime is elongated much more than in mid winter. The cold snap still remains here. It is always freezing early in the morning. There is some snow left on the shaded area.
Believing in the saying that once cold winter comes here, it won't be too long before warm spring follows, I would like to look forward having spring arriving here soon. We will have that day of March 11th in a few weeks.
Believing in the saying that once cold winter comes here, it won't be too long before warm spring follows, I would like to look forward having spring arriving here soon. We will have that day of March 11th in a few weeks.
2/15/2013
A CWT trouble
A friend of mine, Bob W7AYN, has encountered an embarrassing situation last Wednesday. I happened to listen to him at that time. He was working a W8 guy on around 7026KHz. All of sudden, another pretty big one started calling CQ CWT right on his frequency. Bob had to quickly finish that QSO then. I don't believe the CQ caller could not hear either of Bob or that W8 guy. I have ever experienced this due to those contesters in the past. I am running 500W with 3el. Hearing this mess, I sighed and thought the same thing had happened again.
In a day, Bob wrote to me on this event. He seemed to have sent a mail to blame them to a CWops head. It seemed that guy had delivered that personal mail itself to the CWops members through their reflector. Bob's mail seemed to contain my call. A few friends told me about that. Even though I am not directly involved in this event, I may have a right to express my opinion on this issue here owing to the above mentioned course of the event.
It might be essentially a problem of negotiation and compromise between the contesters and the non contesters as for how to avoid such interference to the latter by the former. In the major contests like WW CW etc, we, non contesters, could escape from the mess. Because the schedules are well known. It is not the case with minor ones. It is difficult for us to escape somewhere prior to such minor ones as CWT starting.
CWT should have been held in the week ends like the others. So far as international contests are concerned, it is the first contest ever held on "a plain week day". It is held once a month. There are increasing number of contests being held right now. I am afraid CWT might lead them to be held on the plain week day since the week ends are already full of contests for now.
CWT is divided into 3 sessions with only an hour of duration for each session. The trouble is apt to occur in the very beginning of the contest. Non contesters are not ready to avoid the mess especially in the beginning. The chances of the mess is up to 3 times in a CWT event. All these factors are causing the mess as Bob has experienced this time.
I would propose them to limit the band width in use to its certain portion, for example, from 7010 to 7020KHz etc. And it should move from the week day to a week end. I sincerely hope they won't mess the bands with such games on any plain week day even for 3 times in a day, when we could enjoy slow and meaningful QSOs.
Lastly, a personal whispering. There are "too many" contests. "Redundant" activity. I suspect it will all the more decrease the non contest activities. Eventually, it may harm the ordinary ham radio activities.
In a day, Bob wrote to me on this event. He seemed to have sent a mail to blame them to a CWops head. It seemed that guy had delivered that personal mail itself to the CWops members through their reflector. Bob's mail seemed to contain my call. A few friends told me about that. Even though I am not directly involved in this event, I may have a right to express my opinion on this issue here owing to the above mentioned course of the event.
It might be essentially a problem of negotiation and compromise between the contesters and the non contesters as for how to avoid such interference to the latter by the former. In the major contests like WW CW etc, we, non contesters, could escape from the mess. Because the schedules are well known. It is not the case with minor ones. It is difficult for us to escape somewhere prior to such minor ones as CWT starting.
CWT should have been held in the week ends like the others. So far as international contests are concerned, it is the first contest ever held on "a plain week day". It is held once a month. There are increasing number of contests being held right now. I am afraid CWT might lead them to be held on the plain week day since the week ends are already full of contests for now.
CWT is divided into 3 sessions with only an hour of duration for each session. The trouble is apt to occur in the very beginning of the contest. Non contesters are not ready to avoid the mess especially in the beginning. The chances of the mess is up to 3 times in a CWT event. All these factors are causing the mess as Bob has experienced this time.
I would propose them to limit the band width in use to its certain portion, for example, from 7010 to 7020KHz etc. And it should move from the week day to a week end. I sincerely hope they won't mess the bands with such games on any plain week day even for 3 times in a day, when we could enjoy slow and meaningful QSOs.
Lastly, a personal whispering. There are "too many" contests. "Redundant" activity. I suspect it will all the more decrease the non contest activities. Eventually, it may harm the ordinary ham radio activities.
2/14/2013
A priviledge in young age
A cool cellist, Cicily Parnas, shows an excellent performance as if in an audition. In young days, anyone could concentrate in something like her, whatever talent he or she may have. Parnas is performing in really stunning way as for technique. She seems to express herself fully with cello. What concentration!
It is another question how deep she could sing with her instrument. I would look forward listening to her playing music which requires her real talent in expression. Her concentration in music is still really admirable. Maybe, a priviledge for her young age.
Incidentally, I have been thinking why I feel less cozy with the skimmer/RBN stuff than the old fashioned analogue set up. Maybe, unexpectedness in ham radio is disturbed with this cutting edge technology. Give me a bit more time to put ideas in shape.
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