Category: All Things HF

All Things HF: March 2018

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In the many years of writing this monthly addition to the BAARC newsletter, I’ve kept the contents upbeat and positive for the hobby we represent, Amateur Radio. The time to sound off is when one believes the hobby is being led in the wrong direction. I am and always will be a supporter of the ARRL.

As a life member along with being an annual supporter of the Diamond Club, I firmly believe in the tiered class of membership (Technician, General, Advanced and Extra) as each of the classes are earned through intensive study and finally by strictly administered examination. Advancement to a higher class equals additional bandwidth privileges. The ARRL in its infinite wisdom has sent a request to the FCC for expanded HF privileges for Technician class licenses to include (limited) phone privileges on 75, 40 and 15-meters plus RTTY and digital mode privileges on 80, 40, 15 and 10-meters.

Their rationale is that it’ll attract more newcomers to Amateur Radio. By the ARRL’s own published numbers there are 378,000 technician class licensees which is more than half the numbers of those with HF privileges. My objection is the word ‘give’ should be replaced with the word ‘earned’. Nobody is holding these folks back from upgrading their licenses to have more privileges other than themselves. A relatively simple test that is administered for a Technician class license will give them a personalized vehicle license plate with their callsign, a big whip antenna and an FM transceiver for their vehicle allowing them mobile radio privileges. I doubt very much if most of them will go any further. How many of those 378,000 Techs are really going to upgrade to earn their way up the ladder.

What this hobby needs is more dedicated people able and willing to follow in the footsteps of those that went before them. There’s no doubt that the digital modes are going to be ‘The Thing’ in the coming years and so we welcome these new modes and encourage younger people to join this wonderful hobby BUT…they must EARN their way up the ladder just like the rest of us have done over the years. Those of you dedicated HF radio operators can sit down at your station, find an open frequency and call CQ because someone somewhere that has HF privileges is listening for your call. Don’t disappoint them. So long from my station in Huntersville to your station wherever it may be…

Best 73 es gud DX de Bob/WØZPE

All Things HF: February 2018

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The worldwide DX community was both stunned and deeply disappointed when the word was received on February 3RD that the 3YØZ DXpedition to Bouvet Island had been aborted due to safety concerns. While anchored 800 yards from the Island in heavy ground swells, their ship Betanzos, experienced a failure in one of their two main engines during the night. Weather conditions were poor and an extended weather forecast was not encouraging. Getting one or either of the two helicopters operational with the heavy ground swells rolling and pitching the ship 30⁰was not an option. The crew consisting of the best of the best radio operators in the world was to experience a 31 day sea going odyssey but sadly…no DXpedition to activate Bouvet Island.

Their illustrated story can be seen on the 3YØZ website www.bouvetdx.org I would encourage you to visit the sight that will take you from the very beginning, years ago to the present. In the meantime at ARRL headquarters an announcement was released that the country of Kosovo had been added to the DXCC list…good news! The Kosovo radio club wasted no time in getting their station on the air with the call Z6ØA inviting the world of radio operators that an ATNO was waiting as soon as you were able to bust through the pile-up. I wasted no time in joining the fray and by mid-day, I had an ATNO. The following day WØZPE was in their online log putting a smile on my face.

More good news…Baker/Howland Islands (KH7Z) will be QRV from Baker Island in June of this year. The DXpedition will also commemorate the Ill-fated flight of Amelia Earhart that was scheduled land on Baker Island for refueling those many years ago in 1937. That’s it from my station in Huntersville for now. Remember to sit down at your station and call CQ because someone somewhere is waiting for your call, don’t disappoint them…

Best 73 es gud DX Bob/WØZPE

All Things HF: January 2018

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You just know you’re going to have a good day behind the mic when the answer to your CQ starts out with Aloha from KH6 land and he was operating mobile to boot! There’s always a thrill waiting you after calling CQ, even if its just a QSO here in the USofA. My next contact was operating portable 4 with a thick French accent and perfect English. I asked him to standby while I turned the beam toward 4 land for a better signal, he agreed telling me that he was in North Africa in Algiers to be exact…operating a remote station.

I should have realized that he was remote from the slight pause in his transmission. Anyway, late December through January always to seems to provide some good worldwide propagation, this winter was no exception. Later in the morning I worked the UK and Slovenia all with good signal strength. Happy New Year from my station to yours and may it bring good DX to all. Speaking of New Year’s eve, I decided to work the annual straight key night (SKN) using my vintage WWll J44 CW key. I decided to operate CW on 30-meters using my vertical antenna. I do not call CQ when operating CW. I prefer to answer a CQ and that way I can hear in advance how the other station is transmitting…if he’s sending like a speed demon, I take a pass and listen for a station that is more 13 to 15 WPM in the neighborhood of my poor CW skills. I answered a CQ and worked a station in Alameda, California using CW. I did okay and decided not to push my luck retiring after my single SKN contact.

What a great hobby…you sit down at your station and think, where will I go today. The DXpedition to Bouvet (3YØZ) is still scheduled to begin by the end of January and…this station is going to be on the hunt. That’s all for now as I look at the morning’s temp sitting at -29⁰ and still heading south. I hope to sit at my station later today finding some nice warm place to chat with. Remember, sit at your station and call CQ because someone somewhere in this world is listening for your call, don’t disappoint them. So long from Huntersville…once again Happy New Year from my station to yours…

Best 73 es gud dx from Bob/WØZPE

A Christmas Story

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His name was Mickey Hicks and his call sign was WO6T. Mickey had an alter ego named Santa Clause who also had a call sign, W6S. Every year for 37 years, Santa was on the air reaching out to the children of the world from the 20th of December until Christmas Eve calling CQ, CQ, CQ, HO, HO, HO, this is Whiskers Six Santa inviting all children into my workshop at the North Pole.

Santa was always spotted on DX clusters worldwide with the call W6S and his web page encouraged Dad or Mom to drop him a request via ‘e’ mail detailing what the kids were asking Santa to drop beneath their Christmas tree. Also, Mickey rigged a CCTV in his shack so the youngsters could see Santa in his white beard and red costume operating from his shack at the North Pole. When you listened to the kids talking with Santa from Dad’s shack, it was immediately evident that Santa Clause was someone to believe in.

It was a magical time for both the kids and for radio operators worldwide. In the real world, Mickey’s shack was located in a high rise building in downtown Bakersfield, California in the penthouse no less. I used to hear Mickey from time to time in the pileups working DX. He was good, so good that he was on the DXCC Honor Roll. I worked the call WO6T many times through the years until Mickey became a silent key at the age of 79.

The call W6S has been reassigned as a special event station for the annual Route 66 celebration. Santa is alive and well and Mickey Hicks made thousands of children so happy…so long Santa (Mickey Hicks) Clause I know your station is still broadcasting from heaven and the world is a better place for you having been here. WO6T/SK.

A Very Merry and Blessed Christmas To One And All from my shack to your shack…

Bob/WØZPE