Amateur Radio (In fact any radio) - Measure your own successes

Hi All,

I hope you're all keeping well and enjoying your radio interests no matter what they may be.


I joined Charlie Tango a little over three years ago after a 30 odd year absence from radio starting with a bit of CB action and then some PMR. Within the year I was invited to join the admin team to help keep this disorganised chaos in check. Nowadays I even have the privilege of allocating call signs for new members and truly hope that it also helps them in their radio journey as much as it did mine. Not only that but also during this time I took my Foundation licence so get to enjoy all those extra frequencies and modes at my disposal!

It hasn't been an easy journey, disability keeps me locked at home and lack of employment opportunities bereft of spending options. Didn't stop me though, donations of radio equipment and commitment as well as dedication in restoring them to working order has seen me good. (I am lucky in being able to repair my own equipment, not all have the skills for such tasks.) Along with good old cheap Chinese radios, (Baofeng, Leixen, Ailunce/Retevis), my radio collection has slowly expanded.

My other options have expanded too, not for me the "best-of-the-best-of-the-best" expensive coaxial cable or "best ratings" commercial antennas but simple homemade ladder line and a 'doublet' antenna strung up in my loft space by my ever supportive (suffering?) wife.....Made from an electric lawnmower lead no less! Along with a homemade ATU this has allowed me to work all the HF bands at my disposal and despite the limitations of a 10 Watt imposed licence limit quite successfully utilising modern digital mode methods such as FT4, FT8 as well as traditional voice modes.


I set myself small goals to keep me going, little achievements that I can realistically make and slowly but surely reach them.

One of them was to see if this tangled mess of lawnmower lead antenna and feed line in my loft could perform well enough. I set myself the goal of achieving my QRZ World Friendship award on as many bands as possible that I can impedance match it to. With only around half of my contacts being confirmed via QRZ I had to work twice as hard at it and almost double my number of contacts to gain the 25 minimum!

Today with a 12m opening I bagged a few more contacts from Canada to Italy and finally achieved my 12m recognition.

With this free antenna that I was 'advised' by many wouldn't work well enough and my forty year old Yaesu FT757gx I have achieved a minimum of 25 worldwide confirmed contacts on 80/40/30/20/17/15/12 & 10m....with 64 countries bagged for the log too! Seems it does work well enough after all.


My next goal?

Probably not what many expect to be 'progress' along the radio interest path but I've always promised myself some CW Morse action. Not "5NN" parrot-fashion competition style stuff but hopefully conversational and comfortable 20 odd words per minute Morse. It might take some work, more dedication, but I'm sure with undoubtedly a home-made key I'll bag just as many contacts again.


Others may well measure their success with more Watts, 'higher' licensing, the 'best-of-the-best-of-the-best' equipment and good for them too. Yet others will set themselves goals that differ from yours.....and you should let them be free to do so.

To paraphrase something I heard recently.....

"Amateur Radio (or any radio interest), a fascinating and rewarding hobby only marred by internal politics and commercial interests."

Rung a bell in my ears.


Praise others for their radio achievements no matter how trivial they may seem to be, remember that we were all 'beginners' once and do your best to extol the virtues of the radio interest rather than berate apparent differences.

Above all, "measure your own successes" and you'll always be happy.

(I'm flipping well chuffed with mine! )



Been a while but more of my 'waffle'.

Have a wonderful Christmas one and all! Plus my most sincerest well wishes to you all for the New Year and your radio interests.



All the best,

Victor

Hello Victor,Hope you fine mate.I often listen to 10/12m frequencies as their a great source of information on how the bands are,Hopefully next year I’ll be using those frequencies not just lurking and listening,Quieter and less QRM on there would be an understatement.
I’m waffling again and really wanted to wish you and the family a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Your always a wealth of good information and it’s greatly appreciated by everyone on the Charlie Tango Forum.

Cheers Victor and all the best mate.
Tom.

Hi Victor a good write up there well done

Another enjoyable read Victor.

Very best wishes to you and yours, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

73
Derek

I now know what to get you for Christmas Victor, a new keyboard as yours must nearly be worn out and a Flymo power lead.

Your post gives me hope that when I pass my Foundation that a lot more will be available to me, at the moment I get a bit of European chatter in the mornings and mid-afternoon, nothing local though. I hope to take the exam soon, as in my mocks I am achieving 80-90%. I tend to rush through and make some very silly mistooks when reading back through the results. Not only that, but I made a very small donation to Essex Ham, which will be increased after Chrimbo, and got 5 extra mocks to take.

Hi Victor, very nice post.

Your struggles have been rewarded, well done.

Keep up the good work......73 Mike

Nice writeup there Victor (as always).
Thought you would have had the 12 days of christmas award ???.All the best to you and yours from me and mine hope you have a good one especially with the little ones round you i miss that.

Tom (Chickenfoot@1987)


Hiya Tom mate, I hope you and loved ones are keeping well too.

Your future plans sound tantalising and would be good to catch you on one of those extra bands in the future. Night and day on some of them and on 10m I've had great QSO's often beyond 5/9 with almost telephone quality. No donkey sounds or whistle ups either!

With the lead you've already taken on the 11m challenge giving the boys a run for their money I'm sure you'll be a great operator on those extra bands even with a starting 10 Watts.  


I wish you all the very best for the New Year and have a great Christmas too!


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Lionel (skyrider)


Hiya Lionel,

Thanks, very much appreciated. You have yourself a great Christmas and all the best for the New Year too.


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Derek (DerekF)


Hi Derek,

I'm glad at least one or two can put up with my 'waffle' let alone admit to enjoying it.

Have a great Christmas and very best wishes for the New Year too.


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Mark (13oots2)


Hi Mark,

I do like to give my keyboard a workout now and then and I readily collect any pieces of wire I stumble across!

I'm sure as I said before that you will do well with your Foundation and just remember to take your time when you get to that final exam.

Have a great Christmas and I wish you well for the New Year and a spangly new licence.


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Mike (IvyMike)


Hiya Mike,

Really appreciated my friend and let it be known that often at times you have been a much needed inspiration for all this digital mode radio malarkey.

Have a great Christmas and my best wishes to you for the New Year.


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Alan (Alan Pilot),


Always appreciated Alan my friend.

Was too busy trying to crack that 12m band final contacts but there's time yet for the 12 days award.

With six grandchildren it's been an expensive run up to Christmas already, but with the 'babies' now being 2 years old (where did that time go?!) they're appreciating it all this year.

Yourself and Linda will be with my heartfelt thoughts my friend and I wish you both as well as loved ones a Very Merry Christmas and all the best wishes for the New Year.


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My very best to each and every one of you, not just those that replied but everyone here at Charlie Tango and those of the 'radio persuasion' around the world.


With Regards to all,
Victor

Thanks for that Victor  and i hope you and yours have a great christmas too 73's

Great post Victor. You're an inspiration to both those those who like to make or fix their own equipment and to those who just don't have the doe to buy flashy expensive commercial antennas (I'm in both those categories). If you ever set up a utube channel detailing any of your experiments or setups do let us know as I am sure I'd find them a lot more interesting than a lot of the samey content on there I have been wasting my time with lately

I may get on here or on the air over the next few days, but if I do will only be very brief as am working and am on 24hr on-call till Monday. If I don't, then I'll say thanks for all you've done for the group over the past year and have a good Christmas!

Bless you Neal my friend, I like to believe that we're all an inspiration to each other with our radio passions.

I've worked a few Christmases and New Years myself over the years as well as having to stay sober and available for call-outs(!) so you have my sympathies with a huge pat on the back for your efforts.


I sincerely wish you and loved ones great Christmas tidings and all the best for the New Year.

May the radio Gods always smile upon you.

73's

Neal i will swap with you lol.
Christmas morning i have to drive 125 miles to collect out daughter up 125 miles back.
Christmas night the same trip.
Blow a few cobwebs of the car and i should get i good sleep after it lol.
All the best to you and yours my friend.

that is certainly some mileage over christmas Alan drive safe

The diesel might cost more than the meal.
Maybe not but not far off.
Told Linda after getting home Sunday night i am not getting the car till new year if not February lol.
Not done that sort of miles in a day since i was in my 20/30s doing hgv run's.

Thanks Victor. Hope you've had a good Christmas so far.

I'm not a fan of long distant driving Alan. Some of my work team regularly do over 100 mile drives to do work and then back again to base after. Occasionally they've drive to various countries in Europe too. Not for me, I get tired just driving to Swindon and back (15 miles lol). Hope you're trips were safe and you've had a good rest now.

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All done and dusted.
Got to have a very large Gin and Tonic around 10pm but had to wash it down with another.
Nice day and Linda was made up so it was well worth it.

I recently was able to talk to two people in the Scandinavian/Finland area on 27.525mhz and 27.545mhz using a Ranger 2950 Mirage and a Antron 99, to me that was a very successful day on the radio. 

2CT216.
The Coyote in the Mohave Desert.
Southern California.
United States.