Hang in there ..

 The Independence 38 celebration is gone, and we are now watching an Atlantic Hurricane named "SAM" bearing down on the Caribbean. This is the nature of Caribbean life, good days and better days. This does not have a negative impact on amateur radio. Amateur or Ham Radio benefits when the weather is like this, as the ham radio operators prepare to do what they have trained to do in this season. June 1, is the start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season and September is now past the half way mark. By this time of year, everyone and everything should be ready and in place. Historically our 'visitation' is usually August to September. I hear the nighly 2-meter net since the season started, and when the weather gets severe, the latest local weather reports are added.

Just a couple weeks ago ten [10] more amateur radio operators passed the license requirement set by the NTRC, National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission who administers Telecommunication in Saint Kitts and Nevis. I suspect that some of these new ham radio operators have acquired their own ham radio equipment, and are acqiring the ham radio skills. For some time now I am aware that there are many ham radio operators who DO NOT HAVE any radio at all, or access to any. I am of the view that no ham radio operator in V4, should be without functioning ham radio gear, at any time. There is an amateur radio society in the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, and I believe that the Amateur Radio Society [SKNAARS] should ENSURE that EVERY ham radio operator has an amateur radio transceiver to use at all times.

I am not going to get into the historical aspects of amateur radio which was an "elitist" group, and still maintained today, but in Saint Kitts and Nevis we have moved past that, and given ALL our brothers and sisters the opportunity and training necessary to become ham radio operators. A large percentage of our ham radio operators DO NOT HAVE ham radio equipment, and the amateur radio society is not doing anything about it. I believe that the amateur radio society of Saint Kitts and Nevis, should immediately seek to provide a radio transceiver for EVERY ham radio operator without ham radio access. This may call for thinking that is outside the box, but it is perfectly doable, and in the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, V4, nothing is impossible.

In the past I decided to only mention this extremely hurtful matter once  a month. There are some ham radio operators whom this might cause great stress. A few years ago the electricty company introduced smart meters. I do not know what they did or did not do, but the smart meter equipment generates RF interference, noise and jams the frequencies that are legally permitted internationally for Amateur Radio and other Services. The ham radio society brought the interference matter to the electricty company's attention, but they did nothing to stop the RF interference. The NTRC, who is in charge of ensuring that no one in the Federation causes RF interference, which in any way disrupt legally licensed and authorised services [in the Federation] have issued the electric company with a "cease and desist order" since October 2019, and to date the RF interference continues. The electricity company has totally ignored the NTRC, and neither ECTEL or the ITU cannot do anything about it. A very, very sad state of affairs in our Federation. But I believe that only GOD can fix this, and will, in time.

Even though the RF interference may not allow the use of certain frequencies, there are other frequencies that are useable, but not to the same effect. For example, the 40-meter band, 7.000 MHz to 7.300 MHz is used internationally for all emergency, disaster and weather communications, because they are the most reliable frequencies for these services. These frequencies are jammed by the electricity company smart meter RF nterference, so that the ham radio operators in Saint Kitts cannot offer the usual high quality of service offered to the Federation in times past, if it is required. This is the situation here in our Federation as hurricane SAM in the atlantic ocean faces Saint Kitts and this part of the Cariibbean just days away. 

DX activities, will resume after the severe weather has passed. Let us PRAY that the weather follow the predictions, but we know that weathermen are not always on target, so let us be fully prepared for any eventuallity. Take all precautions, follow all protocols. Stay SAFE.

[to be continued]