V44KF

  Another pile up on 17-meters in the late afternoon, after 17.00 local, 21.00 GMT.  That is the nature of DX. I could not hear the DX station, but I could hear  the stations calling, piling up. I did not have propagation to the DX station, only to the callers. A few minutes later the frequency went dead. I suspect that the DX station went QRT. Recently I have heard many DX stations going QRT because the XYL had called them for supper. That is very good in times like these. I guess that many of us wish that we had an XYL to call us away from the radio because it was suppertime. It is a cultural thing. I know that some of us in times past had supper, and other meals and snacks served in the shack while we were on the radio. We only ate when we got a break, when the propagation changed, and allowed us to take a bite. Those were the days when we dried out the list, we worked everyone who could hear us. The callers did not know when the next opportunity to work V4 would come, and you could

  Happy New Year. Welcome. Wow!! Four days gone already, there is no time to lose. In this year, what we need to do, we need to do quickly. Gone are the days when it would be tomorrow, because tomorrow never comes, is a wise saying. Something always takes it place, so with the best intentions, it never gets done. Be smart, be wise DO IT NOW. "DOIT NOW" has been a "success motivation" strategy for some of us, it always work, and helps us to be ahead of every game, all the time. Not doing it now is what keeps many of us out of the game. In hind sight many of us, if we are honest with ourselves, will recognise that we are the ones responsible for "us" not being at the head of the class. We need to adopt a "DO IT NOW" mentality if we do not yet have it. For those of us who are already there, if we rest now, we shall be overtaken and fall behind. No overtaken by our brothers and sisters, but by the negative mentality that now exists in our world today

  Greetings. Happy New Year. Congratulations and Welcome. Let us take a moment to observe the "silent keys", our ham radio brothers and sisters who left us in 2022. Just a few days ago we lost V44KO, Lawson, a senior ham radio operator. We will all miss him for the invaluable contributions he made to ham radio and the Saint Kitts Nevis Amateur Radio Society in V4. He will always be remembered by the ham radio brothers and sisters. I am certain that much will be written about his ham radio life and style in the days to come.  A new wave of ham radio begins now. Many ham radio operators will make the usual resolutions to do more about their ham radio this year, but truth be told for many of us only the spirit is willing. I have been there so I know. Take action on your ham radio, do something because talk is cheap. Make an investment in your ham radio if you can. Show yourself that you are serious. Only practical ham radio will get us anywhere, resolutions and talk do not. For

  It is that time of year again, the seasonal changes which affects ham radio propagation in the north hemisphere. I am looking forward to see what will make my days. This year should be different because we are rolling up towards another peak of the sunspot cycle. Hams are reporting making DX contacts with low power. This is cycle 25 and it is looking good so far, and expected to get better. This is a contact making opportunity that no young hams should let pass. Young is in reference to the length of time being a ham radio operator. This is the season when some folks treat themselves to gifts, that they have done without for the last year or years. Some folks were saving to buy that dream radio, the one that you looked at everyday. I go a step further and make a poster print of the radio I need and stick it on the wall next to my computer. When the radio finally drops into the radio room, the picture on the wall is replaced by a new picture of some much needed ham gear. This is how s

  It is now two weeks after the general elections in Saint Kitts and Nevis, and I can begin to see that the end of our ham radio problem of interference, noise and frequency jamming on some of the HF radio frequencies allocated to the Amateur Radio Service is in sight. It has been a few years that I have not been able to make any DX contacts on the 40 and 80 meter amateur radio bands, and I am looking forward to catching up on HF DX on these HF bands. Regrettably during the pandemic ham radio also took a beating, and many older hams are now silent key, but new hams have taken over. In V4 we did not lose any ham radio operators during the pandemic, but new hams were added to the amateur radio fraternity. The ham radio outlook in V4 is changing, and has changed significantly, but the amateur radio society is obliged to run amateur radio licensing training classes for those persons interested in attaining an amateur radio license. This of itself is great, but V4 now has to get these amate

 We are in the middle of July, continuing to prepare for the hurricane season, but ham radio continues to thrive and flourish, irrespective of the doom and gloom mouthed by some hams who I suspect should know better. I do not know what is wrong with them, but it seem to be a phase that some people go through. I notice that the fallout of the pandemic has sent many hams into retirement, and health care facilities that do not allow them to be as active as they once were. It is a dramatic lifestyle change, and I do empathize and hope that the ham fraternity could fabricate a system that would allow this growing number of ham radio operators, to remain active on-the-air for years to come. This does not happen in the Caribbean with a different culture and geography. Ham radio is taking off as the world continues to embrace the passing of the pandemic, and everyone gets more comfortable accepting their new normal lifestyle. Last week Yaesu introduced the world to their third transceiver in t

  The end of the second quarter in 2022 is almost upon us, ushering in another year of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. In Saint Kitts and Nevis no one is considering the season seriously as people are engaged in the excitement and heartbreak of an election campaign two years ahead of schedule. This campaign ends in the next couple weeks and we get back to living. In the picture above is one of my vertical antennas due a makeover as we prepare for the next Atlantic Hurricane Season. June to November, with the peak around August to September, and most of us hope that this year will be like those of recent times. However this year could be different and we still need to be ready and prepared early. Most people let the storm and hurricane preparation run from year to year, and just touch up and improve durability as necessary. That is a strategy that I see practiced in another island, and it seems to work for them. In Saint Kitts and Nevis this is not the norm, as most of us build and rebui

The Allure of the Seas at Port Zante, Basseterre, Saint Kitts. 2022-01-02.  Picture made from a second floor bedroom window at V44KF. I do not have the  answer. As we begin the New Year some of us are asking that question, and also where do we go from here? As an amateur radio operator for some years, I have formulated a plan which forces my amateur radio development and progress every year, irrespective. Amateur radio is ongoing, and one can never run out of amateur radio activities. Durng the last sunspot cycle when the bands were dead for some operators, they turned to the digital modes rather than go to sleep or play dead, just because the ham bands appeared dead. Ham radio operators should always have a plan, because amateur radio is a hobby that affords it.   There are amateur radio operators who are watching and waiting on other amateur radio operators, while there are others who are charting their our amateur radio course, rather than watching and waiting for someone to break s

  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

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

  It is not over yet, and even after the official close of hurricane seson, it is not done. Storms and hurricanes have wisited our location way out of season, in the past, and almost every day there is an historic return of something we have forgotten a long time ago. This seems all part of the 'new normal' we were being introduced to a year ago. Everything has to be treated as 'new' because it will never be business as usual ever again. This also means that our amateur radio has to be treated as 'new', because there are now 'protocols' to follow, but fortunately, no 'protocols' can be established for certain aspect of amateur radio, so many of us can still enjoy our ham radio as it was, and hopefully will forever be. Amateur radio participation is taking off with the introduction of the 'new normal' lifestyle, the ham radio scientists are still looking for the triggers which are making amateur radio so popular at this time during and aft

 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

We should be well pleased that the St Kitts Nevis Anguilla Amateur Radio Society, SKNAARS,  has come out slugging for 2021. I get the impression that the Executive is fired up on ham radio, and plans to leave no stone unturned, as they continue the forward and upward march of bringing the joys of amateur radio to the people of our Federation. We should also be pleased when we recognize that almost all of the Society's officers are very recently licensed ham radio operators. That is indeed record setting. It therefore behooves all of us, who have been ham radio operators for some time, to give SKNAARS our fullest support in every area of amateur radio. I have been an Amateur Radio Operator since 1968, and a founding member of SKNAARS in 1973. So, I am very pleased to see SKNAARS still going strong and expanding membership every year. I recall the days when ham radio was down in the valley and just a few of us kept the hobby going. Ken Mallalieu, Keith Govia, Erick France, Karl Rey,

  "The rewards of life come to those who DO, not to those who merely read, talk or day dream. ACTION is The KEY" .  I don’t know where that quote originated, but it is on my wall, in my face as I sit at my computer. This  continuously galvanizes me to ACTION. Yesterday was for talk, and day dreaming, but today is for ACTION. I do not know who this is for, but I hope that it can help someone put that DX station in their logbook. If you can hear it, you can work it. True, but sometimes you have to try a wee bit harder to make it happen.  The antenna is the secret to pulling in real DX. My DX band is 40-meters with 80-meters a close second. Right now things are tight with the electricity company generating RF interference on these bands DX bands, from their smart meter equipment. By now most of the world should know about this RF interference, noise and frequency jamming problem that exist  in V4 land, as it sabotages ham radio DX activity.  The RF interference is illegal, but i