8/17/2020

A couple of memorable QSOs

Last night, I happened to see an old friend of mine, Aki, JJ1TTG on 40m. It has been a few months since I saw him last time, a ragchewing oriented ham on CW. The condition was not very helpful to us. We still have had great time conversing on her mother's passing, his work and time before retirement etc. He remained being a young guy in my memory. He told me, however, he would turn to be 58 years of age in a month. Assignment on his business has forced him to live alone in JA7 and later JA6 for several years away from his family in Tokyo area. He used to be pretty active with his modest set up from those places then. We used to chat on his way back home in his driving trip from JA7, which required a few hours one way. His keying, not very fast but reliable, has reminded me of those days. It has not changed a bit as his personality has not. He is keeping the operating style from the good old days.

After that QSO, I have called CQ DX for a while. I have been annoyed by a few beginners in the Eastern/South Eastern Asia endlessly calling me whether I was in QSO or not. Too bad they have not been trained themselves listening the band before starting operation. The same trouble is occuring everywhere in the world. It could be worst in this region in the world, I am afraid. They are taking CW as a kind of PC game but not as a communication with living human being.

I was called by Gord VE5UJ later. His call sounded familiar to me but has not lit in my memory. Despite of QRN/QRM, I have not missed him saying he was a friend of Summer VE5SDH. Yes, Summer used to tell me of him and she was often operating from his shack. It was him. Gord told me he had enjoyed being with her and she used to tell him, when Gord's wife was not at home, Summer complained of too simple meal Gord had prepared. Their relationship must be so close that she said something like that. 

I have first met Summer in 2014, a year later from her starting ham radio. She was not very proficient with CW yet then. But in a year, she has became a real great CW operator. It was a big surprise. Gord told me he used to give her lesson on CW early in the morning those days. At 6AM every day. As I told in the previous post in this blog, ham radio through CW must be literally a window open to the world for her, a visually handicapped since very early childhood. She has gained the membership of FOC by 2016. I still remember she has proudly given me the membership number 2090. She seemed to be invited to W4 FOC gathering as a guest. It must be one of the most brilliant times for her in her life. It won't take too long, however, before she was diagnosed as advanced breast cancer. She has been missed by many people. 

I know how much Gord has done for her. He has taught CW, helped to set up her own station and let her operate his big station from time to time. I believe Gord and his wife have treated her like own daughter. I thought this story should be remembered by many hams and proposed to make a write up on his relationship with her. It should be a great article in FOCUS, the FOC magazine. I don't know if he has not copied it or he was not willing to do that. He has not answered to me. Maybe, he thought he had done only what an old elmer used to do for beginners since good old days. 

6 comments:

  1. I assure you old friend, these poor-quality CW ops with their endless calling, whether one is in QSO or calling another station for a sked, makes no difference to them. The timing of your comments is ironic because a longtime, very special friend of mine and I whom I sked weekly have been recently discussing this exact frustrating subject. Of utmost concern to me, and I feel certain you as well, is these CW ops with their poor-quality operating styles are not all simply beginners. Sadly, many are seasoned CW ops who are members of worldwide CW organizations, the names of which can remain anonymous, but I'm certain you know which organizations to which I am referring! I'll say no more....

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    1. Hi Rod,

      I was almost smiling to mention about that club hi. They might be interested in only making a QSO or only exchanging meaningless reports. I bet they will lose interests in such a style very soon if he/she has a real sense as a human being.

      Give my best regards to Maurie. Sorry I have not seen either of you. Maybe, when fall starts. Stay safe with Celia.

      Shin

      PS;As with your keying style, I could recognize you from your writing style and its content even without your identification in the comment. I have known you for such a long time, Rod.

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  2. Hi Shin,

    Indeed, very annoying. Some operators in Asia are using CW like a digital mode. I was in QSO with a YB station who was obviously using a code reader and keyboard macros. He kept asking for me to repeat my callsign, using a computer macro. "Pse, yr call agn?" over and over until his computer program could get my call correctly. Then 5NN TU. Why do they bother? Why not use FT8?

    Finding rag chew and meaningful conversations difficult to find, but I have noticed that the bands are slowly improving here. I have had some excellent chats with EU operators on 20m the past few days.

    I try to be a glass half full man, rather than glass half empty.

    I hope all is well.


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    1. Last night, I have had a chain of QSOs with Eu on 20m, including a few FOC member. It sure reminded me of good old days. But there are still only few meaningful QSOs. Yes, I am glass half empty person. But this on going change seems irreversible. I would enjoy the last things in ham radio. Take care and be safe there.

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