Table of Contents
05 : Blog
0 Post(s) for July 2025
Sat 31/05/25 : Back On CW
I had intended 2025 to be the year of SSB
I even bought a new radio to start the ball rolling an FT-891 but despite always being fascinated by receiving SSB on HF (not necessarily amateur radio SSB, especially nowadays) I couldn't really get into having many SSB QSOs.
Today I got the keys and bugs back out of storage and tidied up my desk. I removed the IC-7200 (it'll find a new use sometime later), and set up the FT-891 for CW operation. It felt better to be a CW operator again & having my bugs and my old straight keys sitting there just asking for me to start calling CQ.
So I called CQ at around 7:30 AM (BST) on 60m (5260.0kHz) and was answered by Rupert G4XRV - another bug enthusiast - and despite the poor conditions with deep QSB we managed a 1/2 hour chat. I switched to a straight key, to allow me to slow down more due to the conditions.
Now I want to get back to having more CW contacts, and get my bug fist working again.
Thu 27/03/25 : A 60m SSB QSO
I'm making an effort to pick up the mic and have SSB contacts and I've had my first one of the year on 60m.
Listening on 5320kHz I heard a weakish CQ call from M0JMV and replied a few times, but no joy… then I was called by G4MQL, with a 59 signal report (both ways).
It still feels a little alien speaking rather than typing or sending dots and dashes but it somehow transports me back to when I first got interested in radio back in the 1980s and got my callsign. Why have I largely ignored 'phone modes in the last 20 years?
I will have more SSB contacts. I have even put my morse keys and bugs away for a while and am waiting for delivery of a new HF radio, FT-891, bought with the express intention to use it purely for SSB.
I've been using the 60m band since we first got access via a Notice of Variation, but 90% of this has been in digimodes (mostly Olivia) with some CW and a little SSB.
But…. I'm also interested in the use of 60m for “normal” phone QSOs - I listen a LOT to 60m SSB operation, be it amateur or commercial/aeronuatical (and in the past to the Cadets, where have they all gone??) I now want to get more involved in things instead of listening/watching from the sidelines.
Onwards and upwards.
Sun 09/03/25 : A New Blogging platform?
I've recently (yesterday, Saturday 8th March) set up a blogging platform on my Virtual Private Server.
Sun 09/03/25 : Tweaking The Blog Setup
I've added a config value for the blog plugin
dateprefix ⇒ %Y:
This should make a sub-namespace of (e.g.) public:blog:2025 and each year's blog entries will be together in one year's sub-namspace.
Thu 08/08/24 : Zettelkasten
I'm getting interested in the Zettelkasten concept again…. after looking at it last year.