Coming back into ham radio after 40 odd years QRT I feel like I have woken into a new world. I finally found out what the strange warbling noise around 1840 is but have no desire to investigate it further. Absolutely the most annoying thing I have found is the universal practice of everybody giving 599 reports in contests which gives me no information at all as to how I am getting out. The first time I received one I was overjoyed but later realised the truth. Perhaps I am of the last generation, but I will continue to give accurate reports contest or no contest. Once upon a time I could recognise most of my regular contacts simply by their CW fist.
However I am really enjoying it. Richard G3OQT > On 23 Apr 2019, at 23:32, W7RH <midnigh...@cox.net> wrote: > > Greetings Top Band, > > > I guess I’m truly an old fart, now in my 54^th year as a ham. I’ve done > contests, EME, Dxing, RTTY, Fast Scan and slow scan TV and still build a lot > of my equipment. > > > I do find the lack of CW activity frustrating. It’s not just 160m it’s all > bands. I operate primarily 160 and dabble in 80 and 40m operation. Seldom do > I venture higher, as my operations stem from the times I have had available > to play most of my working years. Fortunately, I find many of the top band > guys on 80 and 40m as well. > > > With about 46 years of operation on the 160m band there have obviously been > some changes in operating styles. In old days we would ragchew on SSB about > 1840 or so all the while listening or keeping the 2^nd VFO or receiver for > listening down band. Geeze, been over 30 years since that. > > > Today we have panoramic receive adapters, skimmers, reflectors, chat rooms, > Skype and RBNs. We also have numerous tools available in the form of > ionospheric predictions and tons of NASA generated solar numbers, geomagnetic > field sensors et all. In the case of RBNs which many seem to rely upon most > are dreadful in RX performance. Very seldom do I get spotted in EU, JA, VK or > ZL but work them all the time. Even with FT8 I’ve called numerous South > Pacific stations for a half hour only to get no response due to their high > ambient noise levels. > > > On the Dark Side we have moved into the the digital world with computer > operated TVs, wall warts, direct drive washers, variable speed AC units, > clocks, WIFI, digital cable, leaky power lines, PC cabinets with glowing > lights, no shielding and bad neutral connections just to name a few. I can > honestly tell you that locally you have to go to 1296 mHz in order to have > acceptable noise levels. Hence I built a remote. > > > In the 33 years I’ve lived in Las Vegas I’ve seen the city increase in > population form 300K to 3 Million. The average lot size dipped from horse > properties of 5 acres or more with modest sub division plots of 12,000 sqft > to Gated communities with CC&R and HOA antenna restrictions to a minuscule > 4000sqft lot. Currently the objective is high density urban living. The > resultant cramped space combined with noise sources has forced Amateurs > worldwide to go to FT8 or not operate at all. I’m sorry but it’s true. > > > In the US the FCC has long since let electronic manufacturers submit self > tests for part 15 interference compliance. I’m sure the rest of the world is > even more relaxed. The amount of these devices their noise is out of control. > Add to the problem most consumer devices here are two wire power AC power > including most TVs. The only survivor of three wire power cord in NEMA > equipped desktop PCs. > > > I grew up in the 60’s and TV antennas and ham radio antennas were everywhere. > At that time even mid sized cities still had 2-3 radio stores. You didn’t > have to get permission or permits to stick antennas up on the roof, or erect > a tower. Most neighbors then didn’t give a crap or least kept their mouths > shut. Now the consensus is antennas damage property values and view of the > smog filled skies or are a source of community revenue to perpetuate lazy ass > building inspectors in the name of safety. > > > To my top band friends, thanks to the many that have made the effort to be > heard and hear! I’m QRV most nights after 0300 pending conditions and again > in the morning 1130 UTC until sunrise. I hope I’ve put a few things into > perspective. > > > I am now and forever a Analog guy. > > Bob, W7RH > > -- > W7RH DM35os > > "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our > humanity." - Albert Einstein > > _________________ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _________________ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
