The Next Adventure?

When I began to get back into amateur radio in the late fall of 2019, CW was the initial focus. I had enjoyed working code before becoming inactive and it was fun reawakening those neural pathways. Within a month or so of working on the code, my speed was in the 13-15 WPM range -- a far cry from my previous 22 WPM, but good enough to get back on the air. 

I think there were a small number of CW QSOs before I discovered FT8, which seemed pretty cool! True, FT8 isn't a conversational mode, but it makes a lot of sense in the nadir of the sunspot cycle. Also, when combined with tools like pskreporter.info, you rapidly gain an understanding of propagation, power, and antenna directivity. It's a lot of fun. 

This week I qualified for WAS and DXCC on FT8, and the shininess seems a little less now. Having proved to myself that these milestones are obtainable with a little discipline and thoughtfulness, there's a definite sense of "now what?".

Besides still aiming for VUCC on 6 meter FT8, on HF I'll probably head back to CW. I like dittybopping more than talking, although SSB on Field Day was a whale of a lot of fun. For sure FT8 will be a staple, because variety is the spice of life.

The Joy of the Hunt

When I was active in ham radio earlier in my life, I wasn't a hardcore contester or award seeker. I didn't keep track of states or countries for Worked All States or DXCC, and while I occasionally did participate in contests, the awards were never of interest.

Now, I find myself actively seeking a few more countries to complete DXCC, that elusive Alaska QSO to complete WAS, and various WPX endorsements. In doing so, my appreciation of different facets of radio has increased significantly. It's forcing me, for example, to understand propagation trends and patterns; how radios and computers interact with one another; and different practical antenna designs and why they work, among  many other things. 

Other people may or may not be interested in such parts of the hobby, and that's okay; different things appeal to different people. That's part of the greatness of Amateur Radio: Others continuously develop things to discover and participate in at some point.

 

Birds and Antennas

A rapid de-tuning of an end fed long wire (EFLW) antenna mid-QSO is usually a sign that something bad has happened, especially when the rapid de-tuning is accompanied by a lot of squawking.

Birds and EFLWs don't always coexist peacefully.

In the middle of an FT8 the other night I noticed the SWR increase dramatically. Not catastrophically, but very significantly. In the morning the cause was clear -- the far end was no longer tied to the tree as it had been. It was on the ground.

I think birds had landed either on the antenna or on the branch where the nylon line had been tied off. They clearly didn't appreciate it when the line snapped.

Neither did I!