V44KF

  Greetings Amateur Radio Operators All A couple weeks ago I was pleased to hear from an unofficial source that the RF interference, noise and frequency jamming, caused by the smart meters of the Electricity Company, SKELEC, had been shut down. This shutting down should have come well over five [5] years ago when the RF interference matter was raised by the Amateur Radio Society members who were directly and adversely affected. The interference matter was escalated to the NTRC, who is responsible for keeping the frequencies clean, and free from any RF interference under International member country agreements. But SKELEC refused to hear from the NTRC, and the RF interference continued to plague the Amateur Radio Operators. Fast forward to 2022, and the Government then in office lost the general elections of August 5th 2022. New Ministers were assigned to the Ministries responsible for Telecommunications and for Electricity, and within seven [7] months of being in office the RF interfer

  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

  wow!! The plane landed, the boat docked, and my radio station components are on the island. This is a difficulty that we learn to live with. No hardware store around the corner, or on the next street, that sell over the counter aluminum tubing which we can use to build antennas, and the cord is not rated at 500 pounds or more to hold up our expensive antennas, but we improvise and live with that. After a while you get accustomed to making decisions in faith. I still do not understand why a 100 pound test cord can be used to guy an antenna costing over a thousand dollars. Some things you just close your eyes and whisper. These things and more add to the exciting quality of LIFE in the Caribbean, and it works for us. Countdown to the start of the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season continues. Now is the time to get prepared for anything and everything. Do not wait until the people who think that they know, make their predictions. They are doing their best with what they have, and I do not f

  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

It is the middle of October, Christmas and Carnival are shaping up nicely. People are pleased to have the return of the customary Christmas and Carnival activities and festivities which the last government had stopped. Of course that only stopped people from going onto the street, but everyone had their own personal Christmas and Carnival. Long story short, things have changed, and we are back to normal. It is expected that we will act responsibly in everything that we do, and institute and maintain our own protocols, because we are a serious people. I am still awaiting the official announcement from the regulating authority of amateur radio, with respect to the interference generated by the electricity company, which blocks and jams transmissions in some of the HF amateur radio bands. I see that the Minister of Telecommunications, and of Electricity was quite busy overseas attending conferences. He has returned but still conducting his familiarization exercises within his various mini

  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

  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 now down to two [2] days before the general elections for a new government in Saint Kitts and Nevis. This government has not done anything for me, and I look forward to getting a new government in place in three days time. My needs are simple. Get rid of the RF interference on the amateur radio frequencies. The RF interference is generated by skelec, as it originates from the smart meter system of the electricity company. The electric company has refused to stop generating the illegal RF interference, even though the NTRC, the alleged guardian of the Telecommunications industry in Saint Kitts and Nevis is on their case. I say alleged, because they have been unable to get skelec to comply with their cease-and-desist order. This also proves that skelec is above the law, and can do whatsoever it pleases with the blessings of the ministers of government. A very sad state of affairs in Saint Kitts and Nevis. But that reign of lawlessness can be ended soon if the voters of the Federa

  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

  Alure of the Seas at Port Zante, Basseterre, St Kitts. 2022-01-03 It is a nice warm, bright, not cloudy, and not windy day in the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis.  A wonderful day to begin taking our amateur radio on a journey to another level. Amateur radio in this Federation can only go upward, as all of us seek to make our amateur radio mark in 2022. We all need to seriously consider what is next, so that we can effectively and efficiently take our amateur radio to the next level. I suspect that all of us wish to take our amateur radio knowledge and education to that next level. I know for a fact, that some amateur radio operators used the pandemic "stay at home" and "lockdown" to update their radio knowledge online. There are problem situations in V4. There are almost 200 amateur radio operators by call sign, and many of them are not active, as in being on the air regularly. That is not a real problem. Our resident amateur radio population are either opera

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 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially closes, and so begins, for most of us, the period of "any other business". Speaking from my own experience of over 50 years, most hams just seem to take a break, a recess, until the next hurricane season. Amateur radio is a hobby and we should not be unduly perturbed because hams do not think like us. Everybody presents their personal brand of ham radio.  I am comfortable with, and work with all those who think like me, and act like me. Amateur radio should be a contuinuous flow of activity, from seasom to season.  https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/active-2021-atlantic-hurricane-season-officially-ends?fbclid=IwAR2mfpSnJxyEGoofgJfx4sIBTuQxJHInhIs0MLFbuLMd6D6aF_4sXXKASmc   My amateur radio continues with the instalation and testing of new antennas, based on recently acquired infirmation from a research document. I welcome the information because I am now able to install all my vertical antennas on the ground, rather than in the air