V44KF

 We are moving on. A couple weeks out of lockdown and we are full speed ahead. Lockdown should not slow down or stop our ham radio, but everyone has a different recaction to the same stimulus. When our mobility is under threat we all experience adverse reactions. At V44KF, I got into the planning and building mode. I developed an interest in the EFHW, "end fed half wave" antenna. Many people seem to build it like an inverted "VEE" or a long wire of sorts, but I am interested in it as a vertical. Vertical antennas, installed correctly and properly, posses the lowest signal take off  angle. The half wave vertical has a lower take off angle than the quarter wave vertical. Check your vertical antenna handbook for take off angle data, or knock yourself out with a 'Google search' for "vertical antennas take off angles". 40-meters is my favorite band, 7.0 mhz  to 7.3 mhz, but that amateur radio band is not useable for amateur radio communications because

We are moving again. The first weekend out of lockdown. I have not seen my ham radio buddies, brothers or sisters for a while, but I suspect that all is well with them. Some ham radio operators do not experience any difficulty with lockdown as they use the VHF radios to talk to each other, and release any stress built up. I am not active on 2 meters at present, but I can hear the repeater actively keying, and even involved with dx contacts at times. As long as most ham radio operators can communicate, they are happy. It becomes a problem when anyone restricts or stops ham radio operators from talking on their radios. However, the exception to this is the present situation in V4, where the Government sides with the Electricity Company to break the law, allowing them to use equipment that generates illegal Radio Frequency interference in the HF radio spectrum. Some of these frequencies are legally allocated to the Amateur Radio Service, and because these frequencies are noisy and jammed

All amateur radio operators are affected by the present pandemic in many ways. We stand with all our brothers and sisters as they go through these changing times. Let us keep our ham radio operations active, and keep our mind focused and head level as we weather our personal storms. We hope that we can assist each another when help is needed. A new season is coming , we do not know how it will pan out. Let us keep positive and focused. I follow a few amateur radio groups on Facebook, and view some of the issues and questions raised. I suspect that some of these issues and questions may also be raised by the new ham radio operators who may read this blog. In 50-years of ham radio I have seen and proved a few things, which may be helpful to someone willing to experiment. I am still learning, as we all are. We never stop learning in ham radio. Antenna experiments are fun, if you have the correct tools. In 2020 I got a RigExpert antenna analyzer, which opened up a new world of antenna expe

  All Is Well, as this week V4 takes new steps in addressing the covid within our borders. Let us be there for our brothers and sisters who are part of the covid teams. Our PRAYERS are with them 24x7 as they provide National Service with undeniable and undisputed distinction. Amateur Radio has a unique role to play in any aspect of Emergency Disaster, and is almost always on alert during this season. A few miles down the road the V88 amateur radio operators of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are dealing with an active Volcano, and in a few days the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1. All amateur radio operators in this Caribbean region is undergoing practical training, whether we like it or not. We do not know when covid will end, neither the V88 volcano activity, let us PRAY that this is a quiet hurricane activity year. This is a testing time for amateur radio in this region.  In recent times I suggested that all amateur radio stations should have, and that all amateur r

  The great outdoors where an amateur radio operator in our Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis can experiment with any antenna design so long as it does not cause any interference with anyone else. However, there is no protection for the amateur radio operator from RF interference generated by certain business operations  in Saint Kitts, even though the law of the land declares that the interference is illegal, and the authority charged with upholding the law has requested the entity to cease generation of  the interference. This interference has  been going on since about 2017. It is all about talk, talk and more talk, and nothing is being done. Occasionally there seems to be some sort of activity which could give an impression that something good is happening, but then the noise seem to get worse. Personally, I have stopped stressing over this interference situation, but I am leaving this matter in the hands of the Master who I believe will fix this in due time. In between time it i

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" . This is the Action beginning month. Begin the MARCH, one step at a time, even if you only touch the radio daily, don't stop and accept defeat. At the ham station many things are accelerating. I am not at liberty to share liberally. It is interesting to note that I am also looking into YB land for DX. This is DX when you are in V4, and if you can get into YB, all the DX in this area is fair game. Unfortunately in V4 we are still suffering from RF interference on the DX bands 12 MHz to 2 MHz and here is what is going on.   https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2859016311009957 We are all hopeful that this interference matter is resolved soon. The local amateur radio society which has been talking with the authority about the interference for some time, seem to be using all its power to bring about a resolution, but nothing is happening. It has gone 4 years and th