V44KF

   screenshot of 10 meters around lunchtime Saturday 02 December 2023. Greetings Amateur Radio Operators, All, from V44KF, It has been a long time, though it seems like just yesterday we were here blogging about ham radio in V4 and the region. The hurricane season ended a couple days ago, but weather is still the prime talk and they are now adding earthquakes to the chatter. But all is well in V4 and getting better from my perspective. But some may disagree with me, because I sport an optimistic attitude. Regrettably many people are letting other peoples pessimistic attitude get the better of them. This is a hard topic for many so I will just leave it there.  While I am blogging this I am listening to a G1 station that I contacted few minutes ago. He said that he visited SKB some years ago on a cruise. It is indeed great to speak to someone who has visited our country and have many pleasant memories. This was a DX moment for him so he could not hang out and rag ...

The "new normal" continues to roll in for November and it may not be as bright as imagined. Every country has its version of 'new normal' for the citizenry, some are easy and some are hard, and it depends on whether you are old or whether you are young. No matter your status, everyone will be affected by the 'new normal' and its mentality. This is driven by the people in authority, some who do not understand but think they do, and others who understand but are totally excluded from the process. This is not unique to any place but just the way that globalism rolls in these times. Our world has changed irretrievably, we cannot go back, so it is forward ever, for all of us and our amateur radio, and that applies to every amateur radio operator and for every country on our planet. This is not the first time that we are adapting, so this should not be difficult unless we make it so. There are always people who resist change, including even some amateur radio operat...

What do you do when the people who you trust to make it happen for you, seem to conspire with those who set out to ensure that it does not happen for you? This is the case of Amateur Radio in the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. October 7th 2021 will make another year that the NTRC seem to have proven that is cannot effectively enforce its duty of keeping the frequencies used for amateur radio telecommunication services in the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, free and clear from RF interference, noise and frequency jamming. On October 7th 2019 a "cease and desist" order was given to the electric company for illegally generating RF interference on unauthorised frequiencies. To date I am not aware that the electric company has stopped generating the RF interference that jams the frequencies rendering them then unusable for amateur telecommunications services.  Nothing more needs to be said about this illegal RF interference matter plaguing our amateur radio telecommunic...

 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 ...

 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 s...

In this season we cannot afford to be left behind, no matter your reason or excuse. This is not a heartless viewpoint as some may see it, but one of reality and optimism. I am following the established protocols remaining in place, and tremendously enjoying myself. Amateur radio is my hobby, and communicating with people around the world is what I do. I suspect that over the last six [6] months, many people have taken the opportunity to change their hobbies, pastimes, even though some never tire at watching TV reruns and playing video games. I suspect that a few of them may even have tried various aspects of amateur radio. I am informed that two [2] new SDR radios were imported into V4 land for two established amateur radio operators. I am pleased to see that operators are embracing the SDR technology, and are serious enough about amateur radio to continue growing the art and hobby, even in the face of the covid-19 and its alleged hardships. Smart people will always recognize the i...

West Bus Terminal, Bay Road, Basseterre, Saint Kitts under construction. People the world over are declaring that "Black" matters, but regrettably, we in Saint Kitts and Nevis may be unable to show public solidarity with brothers and sisters overseas because our country is under a State of Emergency. Fortunately for us in this Federation we do not seem to suffer from the 'police brutality' that people in other countries say that they experience. That is a good thing because we may not have that level of racism, which seem to be a trigger for the present global activity. But that does not mean that 'RACISM' does not exist in our Saint Kitts and Nevis. Racism is alive and doing well in certain entities of our Federation, and that racism continues to create a measure of gross injustice and lawlessness in our country. I have been a licensed Amateur Radio operator in the Colony Saint Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, and now in the Federation of Saint Kitts an...

snap of sknaars operating table March 7, 2020 March 7th 2020 made five [5] months since the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Saint Kitts and Nevis, the NTRC,   issued a cease and desist order to the utility company, telling them to stop transmitting illegal radio frequency signals on the international short wave radio frequencies used by other radio services inside and outside of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. As I scribe this I am not aware that the utility company has stopped transmitting the illegal radio frequency signals that cause RF interference, noise and frequency jamming to other radio services inside Saint Kitts and Nevis. Five months ago on October 7th 2019, the NTRC, issued the order to stop the utility company from making these illegal signal transmissions, but the utility company seems to have just brushed the NTRC aside, and continues to generate the illegal RF interference, noise and frequency jamming signals. I suspe...

2020 New Years Day Sugar Mas Carnival Parade Welcome to 2020 and my world of Amateur Radio. As I begin a new year I like to take a minute to briefly reflect on my amateur radio, and on amateur radio in our Federation, as far back as I can recall. Amateur Radio in St Kitts and Nevis is due in part to the Amateur Radio activity of Amateur Radio Operators, past and present, who dedicated their time and effort to the hobby. There comes a time when we need to give THANKS to all the Amateur Radio Operators and their Families. Amateur Radio Operators are unique, and Families have to develop unique skills to live with people who talk a foreign sounding language and exchange coded messages with other amateur radio operators across the world. This activity sometimes go on for hours, and into the darkest night, when the long distance communication is best.   This is a short list of Amateur Radio Operators who have helped me, and some of our present amateur radio operators, ...

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 a...

Greetings and Happy New Year 2019 Today I have decided to combine all my ham radio blogs into one and post them here. Ham radio is alive but not doing well in St Kitts. This is my personal view after being a ham radio operator for over 50 years, since 1968. I have seen many things coming and going, but nothing has affected our ham radio like what we have in these technological times. We live in the times where the laws which are designed to protect us are challenged by unscrupulous and selfish people, who only want to collect something for themselves, at any cost. They seem willing to take matters all the way to the Supreme Court of the land, knowing full well that this is a case that they cannot win. This is the kind of people that wish to kill ham radio in our St Kitts. So we have to stand up, put on our gloves, and do what we must, to ensure that our ham radio continue to live in St Kitts, for the good of future generations.  The snapshot above was made a few minutes...

It is a very bright and beautiful day in St Kitts and Nevis. I wake at sunrise and see that the grass on my lawn still display rain drops from the early morning shower. The sky is blue and cloudless, but the mountain just West of North are covered with thick clouds. The base of this mountain is only two miles up the hillside from my home, which is less than a mile up the hillside from the beach, and overlooks the Basseterre Bay. There is nothing better in the world than living on an island. Just think about it. If you miss this, you miss one of the secrets of living the "American Dream" on the best islands in the Caribbean. Why is St Kitts and Nevis the best, because the word impossible does not dwell in our vocabulary. Time and again we have proven that the size of our landmass and population does not decide where we can go, nor what we can do on our islands. We all know what happens here, just Google "St Kitts and Nevis" and find out. Among ot...

Greetings ham radio operators, all Ham radio is alive and well in V4 land. From my ham radio station V44KF in St Kitts at #35, I wish all ham radio operators, supporters, friends and even haters/enemies, continued prosperity and great health for 2018. This is my first post for this year, so permit me a minute to express my thanks to all who helped to carry my ham radio up to another level in 2017, and to express condolences to the family and friends of those ham radio operators who have passed to the great beyond. Ham radio in St Kitts and Nevis rose to a new level in 2017. Many of us were lucky to be part of the process. Ham radio continue to rise in 2018, but there are a few issue that want to threaten our sanity. Over the years I have seen many issue like this,  so I can tell you that we just have to dig our heels in, maintain our focus and any insanity will find its way out through the door. The picture of the St Kitts Nevis Anguilla Amateur Radio Society [SKNAARS]...