22 Aug

Doing business in the Pacific

In 2002 I decided to fly over to Temotu Province, Solomon Island on a one man expedition. What an experience that was! Loaded with 130kg of equipment with no help, very little food and water, I managed to setup a station battling inhumane humidity. The...
22 Aug

Go away!

“We don't want you here! Don't even think of putting your foot on the rocks!"The message from the Brazilian Navy to the amateur radio community is loud and clear, and leaves no room for misinterpretation: obtaining a landing permit on St. Peter and Paul Rocks...
22 Aug

Passing it on

Last week, I had the privilege to restore an 1880s good pocket watch. It was a special timepiece featuring two important functions: a quarter chime 'repeater' mechanism which, when activated, would tell the hour and quarter by striking on two gongs. The second feature is...
22 Aug

Victories only

As they say, 'history is written by victors'. And when it comes to accurate historical records, the ancient Egyptians were probably the worst. They almost never chronicled their defeats, only victories.DX chasers are as bad, if not worse. Always happy to brag about the last...
22 Aug

Captain Khalid

Khalid Al Riyami, A41CK from Oman is a cool dude. A captain of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner and an active amateur radio operator.Check him out: chatting with a Danish ham https://youtube.com/shorts/0aKZfrJbpmo?si=lw_YAFACEd0U2yKO A41CK choice of gear: ICOM and HEIL.As I always say: if it's good for the highflyers,...
22 Aug

We have the right and obligation to protect what we have

Last night I stumbled across Peter Parker’s video on YouTube titled "Preserve the CW space in Australia’s 40m band". VK3YE has provided a link to the WIA website, which I followed. Quite frankly, I was shocked to discover that my organisation has put out a...
22 Aug

Can YOU smell it?

If there ever was a band on fire, then that was 30m this sunrise. Juicy DX everywhere! Yemen, Suriname, Namibia, Brunei, half a dozen Middle Eastern stations, the JTAlert was flashing yellow like there is no tomorrow. Overwhelming - even for a seasoned chaser. An...
21 Aug

Getting back into amateur radio

Peter Parker VK3YE needs no introduction: whether you are a complete novice, seasoned operator, or anything in-between, there is a good chance you've been 'exposed ' to Peter's opus. Keen videographer, prolific writer, educator, experimenter, contester, builder, QRP enthusiast - Peter's ham footprint is simply...
21 Aug

"Why do you chase DX?"

Some of the subscribers are not into amateur radio - and this is a question received recently. The pursuit to make a contact with every country and geographical entity as per 'the list' goes back to 1930 when American amateurs started the chase. The first...
21 Aug

Suriname, and the pride of ownership

Last week I had a contact with Suriname on a 10m band with PZ2YT, Judel.Suriname is a small country on the north-eastern coast of South America, defined by vast swaths of tropical rainforest, Dutch colonial architecture and a melting-pot culture. A resource rich country, but...
21 Aug

It's worth it!

Over the past couple of weeks, a number of subscribers reached out asking: how can I get an amateur radio license? Before I can answer that question directly, a bit of an intro.Amateur radio is all about wireless communications - essentially, receiving and transmitting radio...

Doing business in the Pacific

In 2002 I decided to fly over to Temotu Province, Solomon Island on a one man expedition. What an experience...

Go away!

“We don't want you here! Don't even think of putting your foot on the rocks!"The message from the Brazilian Navy...

Passing it on

Last week, I had the privilege to restore an 1880s good pocket watch. It was a special timepiece featuring two...

Victories only

As they say, 'history is written by victors'. And when it comes to accurate historical records, the ancient Egyptians were...

Captain Khalid

Khalid Al Riyami, A41CK from Oman is a cool dude. A captain of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner and an active...

We have the right and obligation to protect what we have

Last night I stumbled across Peter Parker’s video on YouTube titled "Preserve the CW space in Australia’s 40m band". VK3YE...

Can YOU smell it?

If there ever was a band on fire, then that was 30m this sunrise. Juicy DX everywhere! Yemen, Suriname, Namibia,...

Getting back into amateur radio

Peter Parker VK3YE needs no introduction: whether you are a complete novice, seasoned operator, or anything in-between, there is a...

“Why do you chase DX?”

Some of the subscribers are not into amateur radio - and this is a question received recently. The pursuit to...

Suriname, and the pride of ownership

Last week I had a contact with Suriname on a 10m band with PZ2YT, Judel.Suriname is a small country on...

It’s worth it!

Over the past couple of weeks, a number of subscribers reached out asking: how can I get an amateur radio...

Am I interrupting your busy day? Don’t worry, it’s intentional!

Seriously, it is. Life is short - so why waste it on stuff you don't really want to do?Yes, there...