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Stepping up the pace

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I just saw the latest DX-World Weekly Bulletin #388, and I am minded to draw it to your attention, and to encourage you to take a browse. In case you have not seen the DX-World Weekly Bulletin #388 as yet it can be found here   Thanks to the DX-World bulletins amateur radio operators can know what is happening and where, and get to know what is going to happen, and when. Amateur radio operators also have the opportunity to list their operation's activity. This is a tremendous service to the amateur radio fraternity and we must be eternally grateful for it. Let me encourage all of us to bookmark this DX-World website and let be one of our first go to websites for amateur radio. If you are like me, you will have a bookmark folder entitled "amateur radio" and this link could be in the DX folder. A quick scan of this latest dx bulletin shows future activity from V4, St Kitts, to wit, V4, ST KITTS John, W5JON will once again be active as V47JA from Calypso Bay between June 12

Forward, step up the pace

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Greetings ALL,  [a] Happy New Year.  We are all pleased that 2020 is now behind us. [b] Please excuse my treating this blog as a business document. I am of the view that we need to treat all that we do very seriously until the world is rid of this "pandemic". Ham radio is still our hobby, we still love doing what we do in our spare time, but I am just taking my ham radio more seriously than before. Everything around us are not like before. In our Caribbean there is an active volcano just miles down the street in Saint Vincent, J8 land. Things are not like before, and we need to be aware, and ready for any eventuality, anytime. We must know what we can do, what is expected of us, and how to do it effectively. I am getting the impression that we are just watching the movements. If that is true then that is bullshit, and every Caribbean ham radio organization should be on alert, even though nothing blows yet. Of course, this is my personal view,  and everyone is free to disagree

Forward into 2021

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Season's  greetings. I hope you started today right with a word of prayer to GOD, seeking forgiveness, and thanking Him for His love, wisdom, protection, guidance, and more. Always remember to ask GOD'S Blessings and Help for our brothers and sisters, at home and abroad, who are going through difficult times. There is always someone in need, somewhere. As we get ready for the new year, I wish to suggest that many of us who are seeking to move ahead in every area of of our life, give serious thought and consideration, to becoming an Amateur Radio Operator, also called a Ham Radio Operator, especially if you had any previous contact with or interest in the hobby. Even if you are just inquisitive. There is always something NEW that you can learn. Many of us have gone through a lifestyle change in 2020, and 2021 should see us coming out of this somewhat 'unwholesome' atmosphere. Amateur Radio, when you get involved, will take you to another level.  There are many new things

Focus - Forward

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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

Forward -phase 3

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 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

Time for DX again

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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

Eleven months and counting ...

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I hope that all readers and viewers in V4 land had a very quiet and enjoyable Independence 37 celebration and holiday last week. I did not miss the celebratory parade picture session that I usually make from the public area of the Cricket Stadium. I cannot say that we are looking forward to next year Independence 38, because all indications are that the covid protocols will still be in place, but maybe by then it may be a  virtual ceremonial parade, you never know, because the technology is available.    https://youtu.be/ehFoVCOW1Dw This news item showed up on YouTube a few days ago, but it seems that many people have not heard of it or seen it, and I am not asking why. Maybe it is a technical matter, and maybe it is not, but just in case, you have difficulties viewing, here is another YouTube link to the news item   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehFoVCOW1Dw This is a simple matter as far as the amateur radio fraternity is concerned. It is a legal matter, and if the protocols had bee