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ZL2VAL > RTTY 16.12.04 07:24l 230 Lines 9411 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : E10564ZL2VAL
Read: GUEST
Subj: RTTY Gazette, December 2004
Path: DB0FHN<DB0FOR<DB0SIF<DB0EA<DB0RES<ON0AR<7M3TJZ<ZL2BAU<ZL2AB
Sent: 041216/0522Z @:ZL2AB.#46.NZL.OC #:53783 [New Plymouth] FBB7.00g
From: ZL2VAL@ZL2AB.#46.NZL.OC
To : RTTY@WW
RTTY Gazette - December 2004
Now we have a few parting thoughts from our departing editor Jim N2HOS...
It all began in Palm Springs, CA. George and I. Their motor home was next
door and we began talking. We overlooked the golf course but neither of us
cared a damn about that stuff. He was an avid bike rider and regularly rode
100 miles or so, up and down the mountains. But I was a bystander and rode
only for a modest bit of exercise.
Then, one day, we began talking about ham radio and he lit the fires that
first flamed up in 1939. Those were extinguished because of budget
restraints and then, of course, WWII. But, George hit a sensitive button and
I soon went to his house in Carmel, CA. Living on top of a mountain, his 72
foot tower and Collins gear demanded a certain respect around the world. We
had a chat with a ZL operator, and I was hooked. Besides, he was an
Ex-Marine and I was an Ex-paratrooper, and I couldn't let him get the best
of me.
So, I began the hard work. Most all of it, except the CW portion, was a
snap. I worked the CW tapes at home, on the road, in the airplane and still
had no confidence when the big day arrived. I somehow passed and zipped
through the General test. Two weeks later, I zapped the Advanced and,
feeling on top of the world and ready to demonstrate my brilliance, I asked
the 12 year-old next to me about his day. Assuming he was a Novice or
something, he responded, "I just passed my Extra." So, I learned all about
lesson number one: Don't ever think, not even for one moment, that you know
more about amateur radio than the man, women or child sitting next to you!
First there was SSB. I am still amazed at the propagation that allowed a
nightly chat with Gul VU2GI with or without an amp. But, as I piled up a
reasonable number of DX contacts, the interest faded. And I then heard about
and then began to explore RTTY. Wow! This was it, a new world! Within
months, I delved into Amtor, and after a trip to Dayton, Clover and then
Pactor. Within a short time I had WAZ #55 in digital, and I rolled on until
the keyboard began to falter.
One day I began to write and filled the pages of the RTTY Journal, Digital
Journal, QST and Jim's Gazette with thousands of pages of stuff about the
hobby, the modes and the software. Pure fun for me, though I'm not certain
that the long suffering readers shared my enthusiasm. Toward the end of the
road, PSK31 arrived and my interest soared once again, and remained until
the hurricanes of 2004 took down my antenna and my interest.
So, here I am--retired and turning over the column to Thom WI8W. He has the
talent and the interest to continue. And that, of course, is what makes the
hobby such a treasure.
God Bless and good luck and Happy Holidays to all.
73 de Jim N2HOS
Thanks Jim for all your hard work over the past 7 years. Enjoy your
retirement.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
The bands have sure been funny the last few weeks. I was all set to do the
TARA RTTY Melee and found some strange happenings on the bands at this
location. When the contest started I put out my ususl CQ's on 10 meters and
got no replies. I moved down to 15 and again no replies. Same with 20, 40
and 80 meters. I thought for a minute that I had the wrong date but nope
that was not the problem. I was hearing some CW on the bands so I knew the
radio was connected to the antennas and not the dummy load.
Anyway, I had some other things to do so I thought I would check again in a
few hours. About 6 hours later I heard no RTTY signals on the bands. Same
thing every 6 hours for the whole weekend. I also subscribe to the
Propagation maillist and was aware of a very major storm that weekend but it
looks like that from here, it wiped out the whole contest.
I have been looking on the RTTY and Contest maillists for some posted scores
but I saw none after the contest.
Maybe it was a wash and maybe it was not but all I know is that for me, the
contest was a total bust. Hopefully the RTTY Roundup in January will be
better.
Looks like the National Contest Journal has a new RTTY column editor. John
WA9ALS has decided to retire and in his placed stepped Bill W6WRT. Thanks
Bill for stepping in and keeping RTTY visible in this fine publication.
Thanks also to John for all the hard work. Please let Bill know what you
would like to read about. Please give him some ideas or contribute an
article yourself. You can subscribe to the National Contest Journal at
www.ncjweb.com
A new version of Writelog is now available. Version 10.51M was released
on December 4. There are several new things and some bug fixes. You can
download the uopdate file from:
http://www.writelog.com/Downloads/w11051mUPG.ZIP
You must be a current Writelog user to use the upgrade.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Into RTTY DXing? Looking for something that wil tell you what has been
heard out there? If so, then check out the RTTY DX Notes produced by VK2SG
and company. It is available via email subscription.
They are distributed each week via the Winlink Network and is also available
on the Internet at http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/vk2sg-rtty
To subscribe send a email message to majordomo@mla.nifty.ne.jp with the
Subject blank and the words subscribe digital-dx in the message body.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Digital DXpeditions December 15 to January 15
Nov20 - Dec31 Cambodia XU7
By ON6TZ as XU7POS, along with XU7AJV
Dec02 - Dec31 Andaman & Nicobar Islands VU4
By VU2DBP VU3DVS VU2MYH VU3RSB as VU4NRO and VU4RBI; initial focus on 20m
Dec03 - Dec26 New Zealand ZL
By RA3XR as ZL/RA3XR; HF; CW SSB RTTY PSK
Dec07 - Dec28 Vietnam 3W2GAX
By JA7GAX fm Ho Chi Minh City, Con Son Is (AS-130), Phu Quoc Is (AS-128)
Dec07 - Jan05 Afghanistan YA7X
By DL2JRM
Dec09 - Dec29 El Salvador YS
By YS3/I2JIN; focus on CW
Dec11 - Dec23 Marquesas FO/m
By F6COW F6EPY F6GNZ as FO/homecall fm Hiva Hoa (OC-027); CW SSB, some
digital; focus on low bands
Dec17 - Dec20 United Arab Emirates A61Q/p
By A61Q A61AV RV6LNA ON5NT fm Jazirat Al Siniyah (AS-021); chk 21260 14260
7060 (SSB) 21040 14040 10103 7003 (CW)
Dec21 - Dec22 Acension Island ZD8ZA
By G3ZAY fm AF-003; requested callsign
Dec22 - Dec31 Angola D2
By LA9IAA as D2/LA9IAA or D2AA; 160 80 40 30m; mainly CW; QRV as work permits
Dec24 - Jan01 St Helena ZD7ZA
By G3ZAY fm AF-022; requested callsign
Dec26 - Jan04 Cayman Islands ZF2PD
By N2LM fm Grand Cayman (NA-016); 80-10m; SSB RTTY
Dec26 - Jan09 Mauritania 5T5DY
By F6GDC F6CQX F5SSM fm Nouakchott, Atar, and Tergit; F6GDC QRV for 3 days
on Banc d'Arguin (AF-050) during 2d week
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Upcoming Contests - All Digital Modes
December 2004
MDXA PSK DeathMatch 0000Z, Dec 18 to 2400Z, Dec 19
OK DX RTTY Contest 0000Z-2400Z, Dec 18
Croatian CW Contest 1400Z, Dec 18 to 1400Z, Dec 19
Stew Perry Topband Challenge 1500Z, Dec 18 to 1500Z, Dec 19
January 2005
SARTG New Year RTTY Contest 0800Z-1100Z, Jan 1
AGCW Happy New Year Contest 0900Z-1200Z, Jan 1
Original QRP Contest 1500Z, Jan 1 to 1500Z, Jan 2
ARS Spartan Sprint (Jan) 0200Z-0400Z, Jan 4
WQF QRP Party 0000Z-2400Z, Jan 7
Midwinter Contest, CW 1400Z-2000Z, Jan 8
ARRL RTTY Roundup 1800Z, Jan 8 to 2400Z, Jan 9
North American QSO Party, CW 1800Z, Jan 8 to 0600Z, Jan 9
EUCW 160m Contest 2000Z-2300Z, Jan 8 and
0400Z-0700Z, Jan 9
NRAU-Baltic Contest, CW 0530Z-0730Z, Jan 9
070 Club PSKFest 0000Z-2400Z, Jan 15
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well folks, that is it for the year 2004. I want to take this time to wish
all of you a very happy holiday season. See you again in 2005.
73
Thom WI8W
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
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--------------------
PS, if you don't have email facillities, you can send them via packet to:
ZL2VAL@ZL2AB.#46.NZL.OC and I'll forward them on.. Alan, ZL2VAL.
-=###=-
73, Alan
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Message timed: 18:25 on 16-Dec-2004, Local time.
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