V44KF

 The following was a post I prepared for one of my Facebook groups, but it became longer than I intended, so I am posing it here on my ham radio blog and will link to the Facebook group. Kindly permit me a minute to share a few items with you. Amateur Radio on a budget has different meanings to every ham radio operator. When you live on an island like me,  V4, you have to use what is made available by the hardware suppliers. I cannot run across town to get aluminum tubing to build an antenna, or to buy coax cable, nor antenna wire. These items are just not available in any store.  I have to use and recycle whatever I have. If I can get pass the amateur radio coax cable discussion I may be able to find a piece of TV coax cable that I can use on my QRP radio. Many local ham radio operators frown on this but it work for me. The largest investment one makes in ham radio is determined by the seriousness taken in the hobby. It is always best to get the most affordable brand name radio equipm

We are looking at the new year in days. The question is, what did you achieve in 2020?  And the next question could be, what do you plan to achieve in 2021? From the amateur radio operator there is always a positive response. The past we can speak about, and comment in "hindsight", but the future is not given to any of us, we could [1] make a physical determination based on our present knowledge of our circumstance, or [2]  just create a wish list of everything we would like for ourselves. Most of us prefer the second option, and spend quite a bit of time day dreaming in this mode. That is quite natural and necessary, because all we need to do is to convert every dream into reality, and we have the GOD given ability to do just  that. We also call this day dreaming imagination. Everything begins there. FAITH. If you need the scriptural data we can discuss that later. Over the years I have been encouraging amateur radio operators to create their personal wish list of everything

 It is necessary in these times to keep reminding ourselves, and those around us that we need to keep our mind thinking forward. Many of us may need  more than a daily dose of motivation, inspiration, and what  ever that 'thing' in the bottle is labeled as, just to get though today and go from week to week. In V4 land some of us are going through a second wave, even though no 'covid' is walking the streets, but since our ports are now opened from Halloween day. I have not been interacting in person with many amateur radio operators, but they are all very active on the ham radio bands, that we are allowed to use. I say allowed to use, because we have not been informed by the NTRC, the local authority for Telecommunications, that the amateur radio frequencies are now free of RF interference, generated by the electric company in Saint Kitts, since before 2018. I was pleased to hear last month, October, that the NTRC now seem to be collecting real data and information that

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ The Atlantic storm/hurricane season ends on November 30, and we are now over the season's peak. I am now planning the installation of my DX antennas. I say installation instead of re-installation, because my radio station operations will change from last year. I do not plan to put us the same six [6] antennas as before, and the main reasons are [a] on 40 and 80 meters there is significant illegal Radio Frequency interference caused by a local business operation, which has REFUSED to stop generating a band of illegal Radio Frequency signals which are affecting other legal radio frequency users, even after the NTRC, [the legal authority given the responsibility for  keeping the radio frequencies free from all and any illegal radio frequency  transmissions,] has issued the offender with a cease and desist order. On Independence Day I saw the following news item on Facebook, it was also on YouTube. It  explains what is happening to amateur radio and amateur ra

The amateur radio antenna is the most important piece of hardware in the radio station. Wherever a  radio frequency signal is transmitted or received an antenna is necessary. No antenna, no signal. The quality of the antenna does affect the quality of the signal received, and in amateur radio that is more important than many of us believe. Whether we are into a Disaster and Emergency Operation, or into a fun day, trying to contact someone on the other side of the planet, the antenna we use is critical. There are many software programs that are used by commercial radio frequency managers who usually want to get the best consistent signal level between two or more points at particular times of the day. However, amateur radio designed software is available to those of us who wish to invest and experiment. Many of us save the funds and just invest in the best antenna that we can. There is a lot of tabulated historical data available and we are smart enough to use it. Most times we only hav

 Amateur Radio in V4 is definitely moving with operators willing to invest in new equipment. Some people may suffer temporary hardships due to the global situation but that does not seem to unduly affect amateur radio operators who may already have nearly all that they need. This is the time for those operators to specialize on their operating mode[s], and focus on what additional equipment they need to perfect their art. If an operator is into the digital modes, focus on what is needed, if anything, to carry your digital mode operating to the next level. https://www.kenwood.com/usa/com/amateur/ At the other end of the scale, new operators or persons interested in the hobby need to acquire good background knowledge and information and to determine early what mode[s] they may ultimately operate. There is no hard and fast rule, you are free to do your own thing. After over 50 years of amateur radio I am still to try the digital modes. CW, Morse code is not needed for licensing, but some