THINGS HAVE CHANGED

August 12, 2014. I have decided to begin blogging again after an almost three year absence. Since my last blog a lot has changed here at Radiodayz. Last year, having turned 70 years old, I decided to reduce my ham radio foot print, occasioned by several things, among them my diminished hearing making voice modes difficult for me as well as my increasing interest in the digital modes. The computer to radio to computer modes are much easier communications for me. I sold the Flex 3000 and the old Kenwood TS-570D and replaced them with a new Kenwood TS-590S. I also removed the Kenwood TS-50S from my truck and put it in the shack as a back-up rig. I added two new SignaLink USB interfaces and I now enjoy working several different digital modes on HF as well as VHF. For me, seeing the communication with another station appear on the monitor is much less stressful than trying to understand what is being said by the other station. I still work a little CW (code) occasionally since it is also clearer to me than voice and not only was it my sole mode of operation when I first became a ham over 57 years ago it was a main mode of operation as a Radioman in the Navy. 

I have configured my mobile rig, a Kenwood TM-D710A dual band transceiver, to work APRS by adding a Greenlight Labs GPS receiving unit specifically designed as a companion for that radio. It is working well and I am very pleased with it. My current ham project is setting up a home APRS digipeater to which I may possibly add an Igate later to post the display on the Internet. 

I did finally get off my duff and rid myself of the entire contents of my ham radio junque box that I had accumulated over the last 15 or so years and which took up almost one-half of a two car garage. Many of the ham club members and some other semi-local hams came and picked the items they wanted to put in their respective junque boxes. I finished building a new and faster ham desktop computer and have it working in the shack with dual monitors. Life is good.

As I approach my 71st birth anniversary in a few days I enjoy recalling many memories of my more than half century of hamming. A lot has changed from the days of my first home brewed crystal controlled CW transmitter and two-tube receiver. More changes will occur in the short time I have left. I owe debts of gratitude to all who have guided and helped me along the way and especially to my father, who took the time to encourage me with my hobby although he was never a ham, the ham engineer who was my first mentor and to my father-in-law who was my most influential mentor and whose ham call I now have. Thanks to you all.