V44KF

  Every day brings us closer to the day when the RF interference, noise and frequency jamming generated by the electric company goes away permanently. The Minister responsible for the utilities is still familiarizing with the offices and staff under his ministries, and so we need to afford him time t get a good grasp of the areas of  responsibility under his charge. I am confident that when this RF interference matter comes up, or is brought to his attention, this RF interference matter will not be swept under the carpet as it was before by the last administration. I am willing to wait three [3] months, until the end of the hurricane season, November 30, before I begin to forcibly agitate for resolution.  I suspect that the Amateur Radio Society may also have a resolution timeline on this matter. This blog is about ham radio and how we can help our brother and sisters in the ham radio hobby to be the best amateur radio operators that they can be. We are all aware of the limitations tha

 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 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

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

 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

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 suspect t

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]  HQ/EOC