Keep hope alive

 

There comes a time in life when we just need to have patience and endure a little bit longer. Another year is ending and I am still unaware if the interference, noise and frequency jamming of frequencies, which include a critical section of the amateur radio spectrum, has been officially removed, gone away, as in permanently stopped as ordered by the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission [NTRC] some four [4] years ago.  The electric company in Saint Kitts, installed smart meter equipment, which generate significantly high levels of RF signals, which interference with duly authorized and  licensed Telecommunication services, including amateur radio. After four [4] years the electric company still has not complied with the NTRC's order, and the laws of Saint Kitts and Nevis, that govern the illegal generation of interference to licensed Telecommunication services.

A whole lot of politics is being played out here, as the Government, who owns the electric company, refuses to stop transmitting the illegal interference signals, and to obey the legally established Telecommunication laws of Saint Kitts and Nevis. But this is nothing new for Saint Kitts and Nevis,  because this is how the Government steer, and people including amateur radio operators get vexed and upset, when the Government is called out for aiding the perpetrators in causing this RF inteference, which is seriously intefering with the proper operations of the same amateur radio operators. It is okay in their view, for the Government to break the law, and to damage them in the process. The Government is embarrassing our Nation by not observing the laws of the land. No matter how much the International community smile in front our face, they have their say behind our backs, but the politiicians do not care, because that has no effect on the election votes for their personal political office. But one day soon, they will be voted out of office, and we hope that amateur radio does not experience the same treatment from another set of new politicians. Basically all politicians could be very nuch alike.

So, what did you achieve with your amateur radio this past year, as we began to recover from the pandemic,and to establish the parameters of the new environment? Some of us were struck with lockdowns, state of emergency, and more. All that is now behind us, and we should be looking as far ahead as we can, to get as far ahead in the game as possible. We should already have plans for taking our amateur radio to a new level. I suspect that there are many who are waiting and watching to see how things will pan out, before making what they expect to be a quick and strategic move for them. In reality, the move has already started, by those who came out of the starting blocks early, and the waiters and observers are not a part of it, so they will ultimately have to play catch up.

Amateur radio is a hobby, and everybody pursue their hobby at their our leisure, so there is no hard and fast, approarches and attitudes. Over the lat 50 years I have had problems with other amateur radio operators who wanted to practically legislate amateur radio, and I had a problenm with that. Whether inside or outside of a club, society or association, every amateur radio operator is free to do as he or she see fit, and should never be forced to do otherwise. Amateur radio is blessed with volunteers, and we are all thankful for them. Let us refrain from placing any presure on our volunteers and potential volunteers. Let us plan our amateur radio on simplicity. No complexity whatsoever is desired.

The new year calls for a unique and custom version of our amateur radio. This may only prove more difficult for older ham radio operators as we now have too implement new procedures and protocols as they are called. New and young ham radio operators will just function as normal being unaware of what was once our normal, and where we have moved from. I believe that  older ham radio operators should not seek to make this adjustment a problem, instead just modify the parameters and comply, keeping in mind that this season of experience will not be forever. It is in our best interest to adapt and adjust the operating parameters of our amateur radio, so as to keep it current and up to date.

As the new year rolls in I expect to see a large increase in amateur radio activity. All amateur radio operators should be encouraged to be on the HF bands every day, and to make HF DX contacts every day. The society radio station should be activated every day, making HF DX contacts. The DX division of the society should become live and active. The technical people in the society should install a real DX antenna at the society station and ensure that it performs effectively. On  a more personal note, amateur radio operators should seek to operate their DX radio stations every day, as the band conditions continue to improve given the changing and improving conditions of the sunspot cycle.

2025-2026 is the peak of the present sunspot cycle. Let us maximise our band operating over the next six [6] to seven [7] years, three years before and three years after the sunspot cycle peak, to ensure that we get the best operating times in our ham radio life. Let us begin the operating activity now. There is no better time than the present.

 Happy amateur radio operating for 2022.