1st Entry

Okay, let's bring everything up to date. I was first licensed in Jena, Louisiana in 1963 as WN5ICA. In 1964, I upgraded to General class, taking the exam in New Orleans at the FCC field office. I received the call WA5ICA. I was 16 at the time, and that was my first trip to New Orleans. Alas, my mother accompanied me, so there was no opportunity to check out the more notorious aspects of that ancient city. (Later, as a student at LSU, I had many, many opportunities to correct that situation.)

I had a pretty good start as a novice using CW in the 80 and 40 meter novice bands. I continued this for a while after upgrading, but the equipment I was using (a WRL Globe Scout with a really poor general coverage receiver, and an EICO VFO that drifted constantly and had a poor drive level) was not really up to the demands I placed on it. This was at the bitter end of the AM period of HF ham radio, with the 10-minute monologue transmissions (which I hated bitterly, being unable to think of 10 minutes worth of monologue) and the dawn of SSB. Within two years, SSB would be the dominant mode for voice transmission in all the HF bands, and AM would be frowned on for its excessive bandwidth.

After learning how to tune SSB (BFO? what the heck is that for?), I fell in love with the easy and rapid back and forth conversations that the push-to-talk radios made possible. I set my mind on getting on SSB as quickly as possible.

Fortunately, the Heath Company came through for me with the HW line of low cost SSB transceivers. I begged my parents, counted my Christmas and birthday money, and ordered an HW-12 75-meter SSB transceiver kit. I also sold the Globe Scout outfit to a neighbor who had recently upgraded also.

I had been checking in to one or two phone nets on 75 with the Globe Scout, and tried to do so with the "Hot Water Twelve", finding out very quickly what culture shock was. Did the dinosaurs have similar feelings about the furry creatures that watched them from the forest's edge as they lumbered towards extinction? I think perhaps they did. Suffice it to say that AM operators would have electrocuted themselves before they would turn on a BFO to talk to a Sidebander.

But, of course, time was on my side, and within a year, everything above 3900 KHz on 75 meters was SSB only, with AM mostly staying below that line. And so it went for several years. I was a happy ham, member of the ARRL, going to hamfests as they showed up in the area, and making friends on 75 SSB. SSB was catching on like wildfire and AMers were either getting the new rigs or leaving the air (mostly the former, although I knew of some who preferred to give up their hobby rather than change to the new mode). Amateur radio was growing, and there were new hams on every day.

Then came 1968.

The ARRL, thinking that amateur radio had gotten too undisciplined, petitioned the FCC to change the licensing requirements to bring a higher level of ability to amateur radio. This was the dawn of CB, and the league seemingly felt that amateur radio would go the same way as CB if steps weren't taken. The result of their petition was Incentive Licensing. The growth of amateur radio hit a wall, and stopped dead for years. It is true that the licensing scheme that the FCC approved bore only little resemblance to what the ARRL had requested, but the League opened the door to the radical restructuring that resulted with their petition. In any case, thousands of hams blamed the League for the division of the bands between General class and Advanced/Extra class that resulted, and untold thousands of potential hams decided to go with the much easier CB rather than deal with learning code and studying to pass a test that would gain roughly one-half the previous bandwidth for phone.

I let my ARRL membership lapse, and, in 1969, let my license lapse, too. I was no longer a ham operator.

Those years were occupied with finishing college, three years in the Navy, and getting married. When I was released from active duty in 1974, I decided I wanted to get licensed again. I took (and passed) the advanced class test in Norfolk, Va., and petitioned the FCC to restore my original call sign, which, happily, they did. I was once again a ham radio operator, and WA5ICA.

Coincidentally, when I was waiting for my results at the Norfolk field office, I struck up a conversation with Jerry Freeman, the Engineer-in-Charge, which eventually resulted in a job offer from the FCC to work in their Enforcement Division. I spent two years working CB rules enforcement from Powder Springs, Georgia, and operating as WA5ICA/4. I just couldn't let go of that callsign after the effort I has spent to get it back.

Around this time I became enamored of 2-meter FM, with its science-fiction transceivers and short antennas which could be mounted almost anywhere, and given the advent of the FM repeater, could be used to talk over distances almost as long as 75 meter phone. I sold off my last piece of HF gear (a Heath HW-101) and became a VHFer.

Fast forward to the recent past. I got bored with 2 meters, played around with FM packet radio a bit, tried some VHF SSB (with no luck). I packed the radios up and stored them in the attic.

Last September, I started monitoring HF bands again to see how much code I cold remember. I was pretty surprised when my receiving speed picked up to where it had been 20 years before when I had had my last CW QSO. I decided to get a CW-only transceiver, and try my luck. I found an MFJ-9015 on eBay, and cut a dipole to frequency. 15 meters was still getting good openings into Europe at that time, and the 1st CW station I contacted on the MFJ was F5NBX in France. This was the first 15 meter CW QSO I had ever had, the 1st European contact, 1st France, and all of this with a 4-watt radio! I was thoroughly hooked.

So that brings me to the present day. I spent some time this afternoon listening to Hank, HP1IBF in Panama, having QSOs with numerous stations. I called him myself, but couldn't quite punch through the pileup with 4 watts. Next time I'll have better luck. My next project is to get an ICOM IC-703+ to gain some frequency agility. Meanwhile, if you work CW in the lower part of 15, listen for me. I'm trying for WAS and Century Club.

League at Fault?

I was just reading ARRL's 90th Anniversary Editorial. They pretty much blame the FCC exclusively for the Incentive Licensing fiasco. Admittedly, my memory might not be the best for the actual details, especially after 35 years. But it was widely placed at the ARRL's feet at the time, and I do remember (dimly) reading a QST editorial at the time that strongly favored incentive licensing.

Whatever. The complete abandonment of the incentive structure in 2000 seems to show where the present-day FCC is. Dropping the CW testing structure and making the actual questions for the license tests available have made licensing more of a test of memory than actual ability in the art and science of radio.

I know this first-hand. I tried for Amateur Extra in 1975, when the entry was passing the 20wpm code test. I am quite sure I could have passed the written portion of the Extra exam, but never got to find out, because I could not get past the 20wpm code test. Now the code requirement for General and Extra is 5 wpm (5 wpm!!!), with a 50-question theory and rules test to pass. The question pool for the test is available from most ham radio sites (i.e. arrl.org, eham.net, and so forth) and a few runs through the pool will pretty much prepare anyone to pass the test.

Yes, I got my Extra Class license. It was effective December 30. I wanted access to the lower 25 KHz of the bands (the "Extra portion") where the good DX mostly hangs out. I'm happy to be an Extra, and feel some pride to see the Extra beside my callsign on the callbook sites, but I still would have preferred to have passed it back in the day.

You Can't Go Home Again

Just looked at the FCC License Search Page (link below, left) for all the WA5I?? calls still in use. Of the 676 possible callsigns, only 88 are currently held by active hams.

This was the 1963-64 novice class. I worked many of the guys in that call group, like Lew, WN5IFS (later WA5IFS), WA5IBN, and WA5IBZ, among many others.

I'm sure a few of the group are still active under new calls, but it feels like missing friends, all the same.

Things Remembered

Just found this description of the events surrounding the advent of "incentive licensing", and it follows what I remembered pretty closely. The ARRL had, in fact, strongly supported the reduction of phone privileges for General and Conditional class operators, as early as 1963, and their petition requested a restructuring of phone privileges even more severe than what was adopted, leaving no phone priveleges at all in the lower HF spectrum for General class operators.

Little wonder that the League was so thoroughly despised at the time by many hams. But worst of all was the drastic reduction in new licensees that occurred, almost certainly as a result of the new regulations.

Radio Stuff

I have been listening to 15 meter CW during lunch lately, and the band is, to say the least, up and down these days. Some days there are only one or two stations audible across the whole CW portion (21.000-21.200), but the next day I might hear some fairly exotic DX.

Of course, everything outside the U.S. is exotic to me, so my standards are pretty loose in that regard. I would (desperately) like to make a confirmed contact with an Alaskan station, for example, since there are relatively few hams in Alaska, and therefore few opportunities to work anyone.

Today I am listening on 40. So far, I have no contacts on 40 from my mobile installation, but perseverance should pay off eventually. I did hear a station in Wyoming while driving around at lunch, so I know the radio works well on receive, at least.

One thing that disturbs me somewhat is that every contact I make with a U.S. ham, the other guy's age always turns out to be greater than mine. U.S. General/Extra class ops are a seriously aging group, with all that implies.

On a brighter note, license grants are up from last year, so amateur radio might just be coming back (a little).

Success on 40!

Success! As I drove home from work, 40 meters was hot, with stations from all over the U.S. and some from the Caribbean coming in. After dinner, I went outside to monitor some more, and gave a call to a station in Florida. He answered and gave me a signal report of 559, which I will happily accept, given that I am:

a) running 4 watts, and
b) using a mobile antenna.

I am going to stay on 40 for a few days until I have made a few contacts and can get an idea of how the radio is performing. I may also cut a full-sized dipole for it to use when I am at home and can put it up.

That Didn't Take Long

I didn't last too long with my determination to stay on 40. 40 was pretty dead here today, so I went back to 15, and got two new states, South Dakota and Texas. Texas is sort of ironic, since I am in Texas, and the station I worked is about 20 miles east of me. But, I need a confirmation for Texas, too, so I am happy to get it.

A Look At The Gear

Here is all the HF equipment I presently own. The two radios I found on EBay, fortunately being offered by an honest vendor, not a rip-off artist. I have seen several cases of less than honest ham equipment auctions, so I was lucky to have dealt with one of the good guys. The tuner I bought with birthday money. My operating schedule is very limited right now, so I haven't been able to do as much as I would like. I am starting to spend my lunch hour in my truck, listening to the radio and looking for stations calling CQ. That will be more pleasant when the temperature gets a little warmer.

Wall to Wall

Listening to 15 yesterday afternoon, and 40 last night, was interesting. Every kilohertz had two or three stations calling CQ. It was pretty much bedlam. This was due to the North American CW QSO Party, a contest for operators to contact a many stations in North America as possible.

It was the best thing I have heard on the bands in years.

Definition of Frustration

A good definition of frustration is listening to Karl, S52O in Slovenia, coming in at S9+ on 40 meters, and being unable to work him.

Another State

Added Massachusetts today.

Also tuned my antennas so they could be used without the tuner, if necessary.

Heard two maritime mobile stations on 15, I called one and I think he may have replied but I had a phone call and couldn't work him. Heard several Cuban stations calling CQ at different times on 15 and 40.

15 Meter Exotica

Back to 15, 40 mobile just isn't working out. I've ordered a balun (W2AU 1:1) from Universal Radio and will build a full-size dipole for 40 when it comes in. I have no idea where I'll put it, but at least I'll have it.

Driving home, I heard a huge pile-up on 15, around 21.015. It turns out it was Neil, V73NS, on Kwajalein Atoll. He was working split frequency, which the MFJs can't do, so I listened as I drove. In spite of his sending "CQ UP" and "QSY UP", several stations insisted on calling on his transmit frequency, where he was not listening.

New Country

Worked HP1IBF, Hank in Panama. My signal report was only 529, but still not bad for a 4 watt radio feeding a 6-foot whip on a pickup truck in my driveway.

Tropical Holidays

Heard CM2UE in Havana finishing a QSO, and gave him a call. He gave me a 559 report, and was amazed that I was running 4 watts from a mobile installation. He asked me to send him a picture of the setup, to prove that I really was using a mobile station, I guess. (I wasn't actually mobile, I was parked in my driveway. CW QSOs while driving are a little more than I am ready to tackle.)

This was an interesting conversation, because it flowed almost like a phone QSO. If I paused in sending for more than 3 or 4 seconds, Alfredo would pick up the conversation as though I had signed over to him, and I would do the same. Sometimes the call exchanges back and forth get a little tedious, and the relaxed pace of this one was a nice change.

New Places

I worked the Islas Tres Marias IOTA DXpedition staion today. I was at the post office and on returning to my "station" (Chevy truck) I heard a Canadian working PJ2MI in Curacao. I really wanted to try the Curacao station, since he was coming in at 599+, so I parked the truck in a nearby city park to give it a shot.

However, when they signed off with each other, the Canadian stayed on frequency working other stations! This seems like a breach of DX etiquette, that a rare station has priority on a frequency.

With no shot at the PJ2, I tuned around and heard XF1/F9IE calling CQ. I have been hearing this guy for a week or so, and he had invariably worked split frequencies with a huge pile-up. I cannot work splits with the MFJ, so I just listened to see how he was doing.

But today, he wasn't getting any calls, and kept calling CQ. I decided to have a shot and called him on his transmit frequency, and he came back with a 599! He was 599 from me also, and I was so shaken I forgot to exchange names of operators with him. Since I have no idea of where to send a QSL, it probably doesn't matter.

A few minutes later I had a fairly long QSO with Ron in Erie, PA (new state), who is a retired Verizon installer. Long on 15 meters is pretty subjective, the idea being however long you can correspond before the band shifts and you can't hear each other any more. I went from S5 to S8/9 to S1 in about 20 minutes, which is typical on 15 now. The other day as I was driving home, I heard a YV5 station in Caracas, Venezuela, who was so loud he sounded like he was behind me on the freeway. I hurried home so I could try giving him a call, but on arrival he was almost level with the noise, and no longer workable.

That also presaged two days of lousy conditions on 15, the worst I've heard it this year. Absolutely no audible stations from one end to the other. It started returning to normal today.

15 Meter Musings

15 meters is a strange band. Yesterday I was tuning around, around lunchtime, and heard absolutely no stations from one end of the band to the other. But a few minutes later, I began hearing weak signals near the bottom of the band, so I stopped tuning to listen. As the signals got stronger, I was able to copy the callsigns, and realized I was listening to 9J2BO, Brian, in Lusaka, Nambia.

The strongest signal on the band was coming from 8000 miles away.

Tuning up from there resulted in no stations heard. None. Not one.

Today as I was driving home, I heard W1AW on 21.060, as is usual in the afternoon, and CO2GL in Havana, and JH9FNB/MM somewhere in the Pacific. And I heard some of the stations talking to them. But nothing else anywhere on the band.

During periods of low sunspot activity, 15 can be a dead band, but also can have paradoxical openings to the other side of the world with little or no notice.