On a ham radio watch!!!

V44KF shack under construction

In the last six [6] months since my last blog many things have happened to Amateur Radio in Saint Kitts and Nevis. The most important was that of the NTRC, the Telecommunications regulator, in early October 2019, notifying the electric company that their smart meters system was causing RF interference, and that they should "cease and desist" from causing that radio frequency interference immediately. That give me hope, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The notice that I saw also instructed the amateur radio operators to inform the NTRC as to the RF interference experienced at their radio stations. To date the RF interference at my radio station V44KF has not gone away. I am encouraging our amateur radio station operators in Saint Kitts to kindly update the NTRC as requested, so that the NTRC can continue to do their job effectively, providing us with frequencies that are free and clear of any RF interference.

The picture above was taken in my amateur radio station, called a "ham shack", this morning as I am getting my amateur radio station set up again, since the RF interference that is jamming the HF frequencies will be gone before Christmas 2019. Many people are watching this NTRC matter closely to see if there will be any Government [politics] interference in the matter. The RF interference is ILLEGAL and it has to go. It is as simple as that. Some people feel that this RF interference matter will end up in the high court ... it is illegal, just comply and save taxpayers the money. If this matter goes to court I think that the ham radio operators should seek to be compensated for the couple years loss of frequency use.

The clock in my shack is old, very old. It was a birthday clock from my children when they were kids. The clock had stopped working, and the greetings banner on the front has dropped off, but you know how sentiments go, and I held on to the clock for over 20 years. Yesterday the clock was resurrected and given a second chance. I dug into the junk box, found a quartz clock movement and some hands from 1994, and voila!, the ham shack is coming alive for Christmas 2019.

In keeping with my return to active amateur radio, I decided to start my V44KF facebook page. In 2016 I felt that I should make a Facebook page to tell folks about my second hobby, Amateur Radio, as you all know my first hobby is Photography. In 1973 an Amateur Radio Society was formed by the amateur [ham] radio operators of the day, to wit, Panis Manchester, Terry Nisbett, Lloyd Pennyfeather, Lou Edmeade, Ken Mallalieu, Glen Dear, Sid May and Keeth France. That Society had its ups and downs since 1973, but ham radio organisations around the world never, ever dies. There is always someone to carry it on..

In 2016 The Society reorganized itself under President, V44KBW, Basil Woods and he has taken the Society, the St Kitts Nevis Anguilla Amateur Radio Society, where it has never gone before. From not having a permanent club house to now having its our own HQ and EOC, Emergency Operations center. In the past the Government  of the day gave us a space on two sites, but we were evicted from both when development and construction began. The first was the CFBC [Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College] in the old hospital yard and the second was Prescott Bungalow, home to the Housing Development of Lockhart Street, next to PAM HQ.

As we face 2020 the Amateur Radio Society is facing new challenges of management and operations. V44KBW, Basil set the society in motion, he had a dream and a vision and made serious strides in his Presidency. Going forward we need to keep the vision alive and maintain the drive as we seek to take the society into 2020 and beyond. I am of the view that the present structure of the Society will limit its rapid growth and development. Constitutional reform can help, but the growth and development also need the buy in from the amateur radio operators, and I am not seeing that at present.

All amateur radio operators should love the hobby enough to tell others about it, and encourage them to sample the hobby. Growing and developing amateur radio in our Caribbean region is more important for us given the threats we face, and climate change is included. Almost every day there is an earthquake in the region. Earthquake and tsunami are related. I wonder how many of us have either seen or have a copy of the tsunami evacuation map for our country. I first saw this tsunami evacuation map of Saint Kitts on the NEMA Facebook page but I can't find the link now. I hope that NEMA can point me to the new Tsunami map  link.

Tsunami map

On the serious side of amateur radio, operators lean about the various threats, the methods and procedures, for dealing with these threats, and of being of tremendous help and support to our family, friends and community in times of disaster and emergency. In the worst case scenario the amateur radio operator could be the only person with the ability to establish communication with anyone outside their disaster zone.

On the fun side of amateur radio, if you like to meet and talk to people, in other countries, this is the hobby for you. Ever so often I run into a local ham radio operator who recounts his visit to another country, and how wonderfully he was treated by the hams there, who were just meeting him in person for the first time. Amateur radio is a world wide hobby shared by a few people in every country of the world. It is not unusual for the King of some countries to be amateur radio operators.

There is a lot to be done in the growth and development in amateur radio in Saint Kitts and Nevis. I am of the view that we need to introduce our youths to both the serious and joyful nature of the amateur radio hobby. It is imperative that we all know what to do when the threats are real, earthquake, volcano and tsunami. Amateur radio can help to prepare us for these situations. In every disaster or emergency situation radio communications is the key.

Thank you for giving me a minute of your time today, We talk more about amateur radio later. Feel free to link up on my Facebook page,  and check out the Amateur Radio Society of Saint Kitts and Nevis Facebook page too.

Have a wonderful day.

73
Keeth, V44KF