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Foundations of Amateur RadioWhat's the story you'd like to tell yourself?Foundations of Amateur Radio
When you joined the global community of radio amateurs you did so with a perspective that represented, at the time, what you thought the hobby was and how it operated. Since then, years, months, even days ago, that perspective has shifted in both subtle and obvious ways.
One of my local amateur radio clubs, Ham College, was specifically formed to provide amateur radio education and license exams. It's where I went to get my Foundation license in 2010 and it's where many of the local amateurs have been taught over the years.
For years...2025-03-0104 minFoundations of Amateur RadioSurprising ideas that change you foreverFoundations of Amateur Radio
Every now and then you come across an idea that throws you for a loop. It comes seemingly out of nowhere and once you've seen it, you cannot unsee it. It's a lot like a 1929 painting I like called "The Treachery of Images", also known as "Ceci n'est pas une pipe", or in English, "This is Not a Pipe" by Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte. If you're not familiar with it, it's a painting of a pipe, and by being a painting, it's not a pipe. Obviously.
Before I go into the idea that r...2024-10-1204 minFoundations of Amateur RadioWhat does an actual minimal set-up look like?Foundations of Amateur Radio
The other day I was packing the car to go on a little trip an hour out of the city to see the Milky Way. I briefly entertained the idea of bringing my radio gear with me to get on air to make some noise.
I resisted the urge, mainly because thinking about this didn't fill me with joy, rather it made me groan.
Now to be absolutely clear, I adore going out into the scrub with my radio gear. I love getting on air and making noise. I like doing this with...2024-10-0502 minFoundations of Amateur RadioThe history of our hobbyFoundations of Amateur Radio
The other day I was handed a sheaf of paper. The person handing it to me, an amateur, was insistent that I take custody of this little collection. I asked what it was that they intended for me to do with it and the response was that because I did things with history, I should do this too.
Aside from taking on a new project, trying to juggle life and income, their observation was pretty spot on, even though I had never quite seen it in that way. Over the years I've often explained...2024-09-1403 minFoundations of Amateur RadioKeep It Simple StupidFoundations of Amateur Radio
The other day I lamented to a fellow amateur that my shack was not functioning well. Specifically, my main workstation died three months ago and ever since I've been struggling to reclaim my productivity. One aspect of that is my desk. For half a decade or so I've had my computer clamped to a rolling lectern. It allowed me to move around my office as my mood and the light from the window changed.
During the weekly net I'd move my lectern and computer next to my radio and host the net whilst logging...2024-08-3103 minFoundations of Amateur RadioWeaving radio into your life.Foundations of Amateur Radio
A great deal of energy is expended on the notion of operating portable. I've talked about this plenty of times. Issues like power, antennas, suitable radios, logging, transport and time of day all come to mind. Some activities are framed specifically as portable operations. Things like Summits On The Air, or SOTA, Parks On The Air, or POTA, World Wide Flora and Fauna, or WWFF. There's field days, portable contests and specific activities like the 2014 activation of FT5ZM on Amsterdam Island and the 2016 activation of VK0EK on Heard Island. I mention those last...2024-04-2004 minFoundations of Amateur RadioRF is all around us ... starting your own station frequency surveyFoundations of Amateur Radio
As a self-proclaimed radio nerd I'm aware of the various amateur bands. Depending on your license, your familiarity will likely vary. I've never been on 6m for example, but I have a good working relationship with the 10m band.
Amateur bands aside, there's plenty of other activity across the radio spectrum. It occurred to me that I've never actually stopped to take note of what specifically I can hear from my own station. Think of it as a station frequency survey.
Obvious sources are AM and FM radio broadcasters. Then there's the aviation...2024-04-1304 minFoundations of Amateur RadioWhen you just have to try things ...Foundations of Amateur Radio
A little while ago I was gifted a new radio, well, new to me. A Kenwood TS-480HX. It's an all mode HF transceiver with 6m. Does 200 Watts, but you know me, I'm into QRP, low power, so I first had to figure out how to dial the transmitter down to 5 Watts and that was after figuring out how to feed the dual power supplies from one source and have the fuses work as expected.
When I received the radio, I took stock of all the bits that it was packed with, all complete...2021-04-0303 minFoundations of Amateur RadioPrior Planning Prevents Poor PerformanceFoundations of Amateur Radio
The other day I was adding an item to my to-do list. The purpose of this list is to keep track of the things in my life that I'm interested in investigating or need to do or get to finish a project. My to-do list is like those of most of my fellow travellers, unending, unrelenting and never completed. As I tick off a completed item, three more get added and the list grows.
Given some spare time and to be honest, who has that, I am just as likely to find an item...2020-11-2803 minFoundations of Amateur RadioWhen one WSPR receiver just isn't enoughFoundations of Amateur Radio
When one WSPR receiver just isn't enough
The other day during a radio play date, highly recommended activity, getting together with friends, playing radio, seeing what you can learn, we were set-up in a park to do some testing. The idea was an extension on something that I've spoken about previously, using WSPR, Weak Signal Propagation Reporter, to test the capabilities of your station.
If you're not familiar with WSPR, it's a tool that uses your radio to receive digital signals from WSPR beacons across the radio spectrum. Your station receives a signal...2020-11-2103 minFoundations of Amateur RadioIf you WSPR and nobody hears you ...Foundations of Amateur Radio
The day came to pass when all my set-up and configuration was going to culminate in the moment of truth when I enabled TX on my WSPR mode station. Before I tell you of my experience, I should give you a little bit of background.
A few weeks ago I managed to erect a HF vertical at my home or QTH. That in and of itself was news worthy, well at least to me it was, since it was the first time since I became licensed in 2010 that I had actual real all-band HF...2020-06-2004 minFoundations of Amateur RadioAll bands + All modes + All countriesFoundations of Amateur Radio
A regular lament is the lack of things to do in our hobby. I know, it's foreign to me, but there are plenty of amateurs who express frustration at the lack of activity, no contacts, nothing new, no challenges.
For my poison, I started the process of contacting 100 different countries using 5 Watts. I've been at it for a number of years and truth be told, since my latest domestic move, over two years ago now, my efforts have been put on hold. Not because I didn't want to, but because I was getting annoyed...2020-03-0704 minFoundations of Amateur RadioGetting Started ...Foundations of Amateur Radio
Don't get me started, Let's start this thing, Where do I start, Start me up, I could go on, but I have better things to do today, like starting a podcast.
Amateur Radio is a hobby with an enourmous range of activities, interests, skills and experiences. If you're new to this hobby, you might find yourself standing at the edge of a precipous wondering what to do next. Where do I start, who do I ask, what's the first step, what if I fail and a myriad of other doubts and concerns.
Would...2018-08-1803 minFoundations of Amateur RadioeBook Volume 6 - shortFoundations of Amateur Radio is now available as an eBook.
In Volume 6 - Joy of discovery - read about microphone technique, the dead band, propagation maps, melting coax, amateur radio satellites, strange antennas, self-training, SOTA adventures and more.
Search for my callsign - VK6FLAB - on your local Amazon store to have a Look inside.
I'm Onno VK6FLAB2018-04-0300 minFoundations of Amateur RadioeBook Volume 5 - shortFoundations of Amateur Radio is now available as an eBook.
In Volume 5 - Getting on air - read about the perfect SWR, how to become a better operator, what batteries to use, the difference between a propagation forecast and reality, the phonetic alphabet, antenna compromises, Q-codes and more.
Search for my callsign - VK6FLAB - on your local Amazon store to have a Look inside.
I'm Onno VK6FLAB2018-03-2000 minFoundations of Amateur RadioeBook Volume 4 - shortFoundations of Amateur Radio is now available as an eBook.
In Volume 4 - Just get started - follow my journey through the amateur radio community, how to use QSL cards, mobile antennas on HF, licensing requirements, policing the airwaves, the super check partial list, packing up coax, lightning protection and more.
Search for my callsign - VK6FLAB - on your local Amazon store to have a Look inside.
I'm Onno VK6FLAB2018-03-0600 minFoundations of Amateur RadioeBook Volume 3 - shortFoundations of Amateur Radio is now available as an eBook.
In Volume 3 - Share the fun - follow the third year of my journey, how to make contacts on HF, how to go on-air QRP, propagation planning, how to deal with trolls, online resources and more.
Search for my callsign - VK6FLAB - on your local Amazon store to have a Look inside.
I'm Onno VK6FLAB2018-02-2000 minFoundations of Amateur RadioeBook Volume 2 - shortFoundations of Amateur Radio is now available as an eBook.
In Volume 2 - Find the spark - follow the second year of my journey through the hobby of amateur radio, what's the point of Morse code, making contacts during lunch, Magnetic Loop Antennas, keeping your shack tidy, the identity of your callsign and more.
Search for my callsign - VK6FLAB - on your local Amazon store to have a Look inside.
I'm Onno VK6FLAB2018-02-0600 minFoundations of Amateur RadioeBook Volume 1 - shortFoundations of Amateur Radio is now available as an eBook.
In Volume 1 - Join the hobby - follow my initial journey through the community, what to buy when you start, how to participate in the community, things to practice, what the first steps look like once you have a license, playing in radio contests, encouragement and sharing.
Search for my callsign - VK6FLAB - on your local Amazon store to have a Look inside.
I'm Onno VK6FLAB2018-01-2300 minFoundations of Amateur RadioeBook Volume 6Foundations of Amateur Radio is now available as an eBook. Six years in the making, after much prodding from fellow amateurs, the edited transcripts of this podcast are now available as a series of eBook volumes. Covering our amazing hobby with short discussions about hundreds of different topics.
In Volume 6 - Joy of discovery - read about microphone technique, the dead band, propagation maps, melting coax, amateur radio satellites, strange antennas, self-training, SOTA adventures and more.
Search for my callsign - VK6FLAB - on your local Amazon store to have a Look inside.
Amateur radio is...2018-01-1600 minFoundations of Amateur RadioeBook Volume 5Foundations of Amateur Radio is now available as an eBook. Six years in the making, after much prodding from fellow amateurs, the edited transcripts of this podcast are now available as a series of eBook volumes. Covering our amazing hobby with short discussions about hundreds of different topics.
In Volume 5 - Getting on air - read about the perfect SWR, how to become a better operator, what batteries to use, the difference between a propagation forecast and reality, the phonetic alphabet, antenna compromises, Q-codes and more.
Search for my callsign - VK6FLAB - on your local Amazon...2018-01-0900 minFoundations of Amateur RadioeBook Volume 4Foundations of Amateur Radio is now available as an eBook. Six years in the making, after much prodding from fellow amateurs, the edited transcripts of this podcast are now available as a series of eBook volumes. Covering our amazing hobby with short discussions about hundreds of different topics.
In Volume 4 - Just get started - follow my journey through the amateur radio community, how to use QSL cards, mobile antennas on HF, licensing requirements, policing the airwaves, the super check partial list, packing up coax, lightning protection and more.
Search for my callsign - VK6FLAB - on...2018-01-0200 minFoundations of Amateur RadioeBook Volume 3Foundations of Amateur Radio is now available as an eBook. Six years in the making, after much prodding from fellow amateurs, the edited transcripts of this podcast are now available as a series of eBook volumes. Covering our amazing hobby with short discussions about hundreds of different topics.
In Volume 3 - Share the fun - follow the third year of my journey, how to make contacts on HF, how to go on-air QRP, propagation planning, how to deal with trolls, online resources and more.
Search for my callsign - VK6FLAB - on your local Amazon store to...2017-12-2600 minFoundations of Amateur RadioeBook Volume 2Foundations of Amateur Radio is now available as an eBook. Six years in the making, after much prodding from fellow amateurs, the edited transcripts of this podcast are now available as a series of eBook volumes. Covering our amazing hobby with short discussions about hundreds of different topics.
In Volume 2 - Find the spark - follow the second year of my journey through the hobby of amateur radio, what's the point of Morse code, making contacts during lunch, Magnetic Loop Antennas, keeping your shack tidy, the identity of your callsign and more.
Search for my callsign - VK6...2017-12-1900 minFoundations of Amateur RadioeBook Volume 1Foundations of Amateur Radio is now available as an eBook. Six years in the making, after much prodding from fellow amateurs, the edited transcripts of this podcast are now available as a series of eBook volumes. Covering our amazing hobby with short discussions about hundreds of different topics.
In Volume 1 - Join the hobby - follow my initial journey through the community, what to buy when you start, how to participate in the community, things to practice, what the first steps look like once you have a license, playing in radio contests, encouragement and sharing.
Search for my...2017-12-1200 minFoundations of Amateur RadioHearing very weak signalsFoundations of Amateur Radio
This week I'm going to talk about a Digital Mode you can use with any Amateur License, or even without an Amateur License. You can set-up your radio, hook it to a computer and the Internet and after installing some software, you can join the Weak Signal Propagation Reporters.
So how do you start, what does it do and how can it help you?
First of all, WSPR, pronounced Whisper, is a way of encoding information and transmitting it across the spectrum. At the other end a radio receives that signal, sends it...2017-11-0403 minFoundations of Amateur RadioAdding a stroke to your callsign ...Foundations of Amateur Radio
To sign or not to sign, that is the question. Last week I spoke about operating with low power, or QRP which sparked a lively discussion which evolved into a conversation about adding bits to your callsign to indicate some extra information.
For example, some stations will add stroke QRP to their callsign when they're operating low power when others don't. Other examples are adding stroke Portable or stroke Mobile.
Let me start by saying that I'm not familiar with the rules in countries outside Australia, but I'd be surprised if they're much...2017-04-0102 minFoundations of Amateur RadioThe logistics of being in a contest while mobileFoundations of Amateur Radio
Today I'm going to talk about the doing of a contest. Previously I discussed the preparation and you can go back to that and have a listen online, search iTunes for my callsign, VK6FLAB.
The contest I participated in was a 24 hour contest. It started at 2pm local time on a Saturday and ran the whole 24 hours. If I was sitting in a shack, I might have and in the past actually have, operated during most of that.
Seeing that this time around I was planning to be mobile, I needed to...2016-06-1803 minFoundations of Amateur RadioHarmonics and calling CQFoundations of Amateur Radio
Have you ever had your radio on, listening around, say on 40m and heard the following:
"CQ, CQ 40m, this is VK6FLAB, calling CQ 40, CQ 40m, calling CQ"
Apart from the fact that the station calling seems pretty desperate for a contact, you're tuned to 40m, why on earth would you actually mention that, what's the point of telling me what band you're calling on, when clearly I'm hearing you on that band?
The answer to this question is in harmonics.
At the heart of every radio is an oscillator...2016-05-2103 minFoundations of Amateur RadioQRP - When you care to send the very least!Foundations of Amateur Radio
Today I'm going to talk about QRP, a term that's used in various different environments and one that I've used in the past. So, let's start at the beginning. QRP is a three letter code, part of the so-called Q-codes, that can either be a question or an answer. It's used in Morse communications to either ask "Shall I decrease transmitter power?" or to answer "Yes, decrease your transmitter power." It was perfectly valid for a kilowatt station to ask: "QRP?" and for another kilowatt station to answer: "QRP".
Language changes over time, meanings...2016-04-2303 minFoundations of Amateur RadioOperating ProceduresFoundations of Amateur Radio
Today we're going to look at operating procedures, that is, what to say, when to say it and when not to say it. Amateur Radio being over a century old has lots of traditions and lots of quirky exceptions to rules, but you'll learn those as you go on air and make mistakes, and assume that you'll make those, probably regularly and every now and then someone will gently correct you, or you'll get shouted at, either way you'll get feedback.
It's generally a better idea to figure out what's going on before you...2016-04-0203 minFoundations of Amateur RadioHave a look or search online at the previous editions of this podcast.Foundations of Amateur Radio
This is episode 236 or so of my weekly contribution to this hobby. As you may have heard me say over the past few weeks, this is now available as a podcast which you can subscribe to. It's available at http://podcasts.itmaze.com.au and you can also search for my callsign, VK6FLAB on iTunes and find it there.
I'm mentioning this because each podcast also contains a transcript, which you can use to search the content. I've been doing this podcast since May 2011 and in that time I've covered many topics.
...2016-01-0902 min
What use is an F-call?WelcomeWhat use is an F-call?
This podcast started life in 2011 when I was asked to record a story I shared during the production of the weekly amateur radio news in Western Australia.
I'd been a licensed radio amateur, or ham, for a few months and found myself surrounded by people who perceived the basic Australian foundation amateur licence wasn't worth anything.
What use is an F-call? is my response to that sentiment. It's produced weekly.
In 2015 after long deliberation it was renamed to Foundations of Amateur Radio so people outside Australia might also enjoy the experience.
Although most of the...2015-06-1300 minWhat use is an F-call?L.A.S. - Lead Arse SyndromeWhat use is an F-call?
It seems that there is a disease within the amateur radio community. It's spreading and seems to be contagious. There doesn't seem to be a cure and it seems to be pretty virulent. Symptoms include listlessness, deafness, stubbornness and apathy. Community members have aptly named it as L.A.S. or Lead Arse Syndrome.
I receive a regular stream of emails and phone calls from fellow amateurs who share with me their latest idea or plan for an activity in the hobby. It's often a group activity, a plan to do something with the wider...2015-06-0603 minWhat use is an F-call?OQRSWhat use is an F-call?
When you make contacts around the world with other amateurs the traditional way of confirming a contact is with a QSL card. It's a postcard-like affair that has the details of the station, and if all is well, the details of the contact between their station and yours.
Traditionally if you want a QSL card, you'd go to your local post office and buy an International Reply-paid Coupon or IRC, but increasingly this has become more and more difficult, to the point where many post offices have no idea what you're talking about and will...2015-05-3002 minWhat use is an F-call?Retaining two letter callsigns is rubbish.What use is an F-call?
Recently I witnessed a discussion about callsigns. As you know, your amateur callsign is akin to your personal on-air identity. It's the thing that distinguishes your station from all the other stations on the globe.
My callsign was assigned to me randomly, it was intended as a temporary stepping stone to a higher license, but over time I was distracted by all the things I could do as a Foundation Class amateur and my callsign now feels like "me".
The discussion was about the re-issuing of callsigns. In Australia, if you don't renew...2015-05-2302 minWhat use is an F-call?Stop whining and get with the program...What use is an F-call?
We are part of an amazing hobby where inventiveness, inquiry and exploration is part and parcel of the thing we do. It's that spirit that got me interested in this hobby and fortunately I have enough friends in the hobby who share that view.
Unfortunately, this hobby seems to also attract a group of nay-sayers, people who are always denigrating others, starting from the perspective of saying No, before asking How? Let's call them the whingers.
These are the ones who complain about the ineffectiveness of the WIA, the ones who complain that when the...2015-05-1601 minWhat use is an F-call?Stop and enjoy the electrons along the way...What use is an F-call?
I'm a child of my time and my perspective is the result of input from fellow amateurs. I'm often in the group of amateurs who would rather buy than build, rather get something done, than do it yourself. The black box brigade if you like.
The same is true for the antennas I use. I've been struggling with some verticals on the back of my car for months. I've got it working, mostly, but it was a lot of stuffing around. In the end, I added a black box, in the form of a tuner...2015-05-0902 minWhat use is an F-call?How to roll up coax and rope?What use is an F-call?
When you start in Amateur Radio you'll come across the problem of rolling up coax and rope. If it goes the way it went for me, you'll be doing what you always did, that is, winding up the coax on your arm until someone stops you and tells you that you're doing it wrong.
Then you're likely to be told about rolling out the coax into a straight line and when you want to take it home after a field-day, you'll either be rolling it onto a roll, or physically hand-over-hand be rolling the coax...2015-05-0201 minWhat use is an F-call?The Community Spirit of Amateur RadioWhat use is an F-call?
I've talked in the past about the community spirit that is embodied by Amateur Radio. Yes, I know there are several not very nice people around, some even brag about it, but by enlarge, that's absolutely not the case.
I had the opportunity to use an antenna from a friend over a long weekend recently. He's building a tower at his QTH and had a spare Buddipole available that he handed to me while I was having problems getting my mobile verticals to work.
It made me think about all the other things that I've...2015-04-2501 minWhat use is an F-call?Learn from every outing!What use is an F-call?
Recently I had the opportunity to participate in a contest that was specifically set-up for QRP. That is, 5 Watts or less. There was an hour for digital modes, including Morse, but I don't yet speak that, so I sat tight for the second hour, for phone.
This particular contest was a single band only contest, 80m.
When I planned for the contest, I set my watch wrong by an hour, so I almost didn't make it, but fortunately my XYL queried my delayed departure and I was out the door in the nick of time.
...2015-04-1801 minWhat use is an F-call?Super Check PartialWhat use is an F-call?
If you're into contesting, you're likely to have heard of a thing called the Super Check Partial list and if you haven't then you should.
It's a simple thing, maintained by Stu, K6TU, it contains a rolling list of the callsigns of all the stations that appeared in a minimum of 6 contest logs as a worked station over the past two years.
This means several things.
First of all, it means that you need to make contacts. Then each of your contacts needs to submit their log and it has to happen on a...2015-04-1102 minWhat use is an F-call?Your local repeater is like magic...What use is an F-call?
If you're new to Amateur Radio like I am, it's easy to turn on your radio, set it up to key your local repeater and call CQ. After the first time it's a trivial matter that you might take for granted. The repeater just sits there on frequency, making communication possible between you and the rest of the Amateur Community.
In many ways it's like turning on your mobile phone and dialling a number and talking to someone.
When people ask me what the difference is between Amateur Radio and Community Radio, I often jest...2015-04-0402 minWhat use is an F-call?How do you get gain if you don't change power?What use is an F-call?
Recently I talked about a digital mode that had the ability to give you an estimated gain of 13dB over Analogue FM. It's the equivalent of gaining more than 2 S-points or like turning up your transmitter power from 10 Watts to 200 Watts.
Of course, the receiver at the other end doesn't all of a sudden see their S-meter go up and neither does the power draw from your transmitter spike. The actual transmitted power is still the same and the actual received power is also the same.
What's going on for this magic to happen?
If...2015-03-2802 minWhat use is an F-call?Planning for operating portableWhat use is an F-call?
Operating from your shack is a different experience from operating in another station. It's a completely different experience again if you operate your station portable.
At first glance, what's the problem, you pack your radio into a bag, travel to the destination and start operating. If you spend a little more time, you'll soon realise that you'll need to take many other variables into consideration. Things like power, coax, structures for your antenna, antennas, operating position and the like.
Let's start with power. Do you have access to mains power where you'll be operating, or...2015-03-2102 minWhat use is an F-call?CODEC2 - 13dB gain, what does it mean?What use is an F-call?
Recently I spoke about digital voice communications. I made mention of the CODEC2 project being developed by Dave Rowe, VK5DGR. I also made reference of the kinds of things that digital voice improves, battery life, channel separation and bandwidth.
One of the things I didn't mention, mainly because I still had to learn what it meant, is that CODEC2 has an estimated 13dB gain over Analogue FM.
To explain what that actually means, you might recall that an S-point is 6dB, that means that if you use CODEC2, you gain more than two S-points...2015-03-1402 minWhat use is an F-call?Share your radio skills with non-amateursWhat use is an F-call?
During the week I had the opportunity to hear several people use a radio in day-to-day communications. In this particular instance it was a water taxi speaking to their base. They were using their own frequency and essentially used it to coordinate their activities across their coverage area.
Listening with an Amateur ear, if there is such a thing, I noticed that there was a lot of back-and-forth, missed communications and misunderstandings. We take for granted, once we've learned, that there is a sequence in successful radio communications. Consistency, brevity, simple vocabulary, microphone handling, antenna...2015-03-0701 minWhat use is an F-call?A rotator on 4 wheels...What use is an F-call?
As you might recall, I've been struggling to get an antenna installed on my car. It's been a process that started seven months ago, resulted in the purchase of four single band antennas and finally the purchase of an antenna tuner. I could spend hours discussing the things that were recommended, tried and tested, but I won't. It's a sorry tale that I'll share with you over a beer or six one day.
On the first day that everything "worked", and I use the term loosely, since it's not been long enough yet...2015-02-2802 minWhat use is an F-call?A League of Extraordinary GentlemenWhat use is an F-call?
Amateur Radio is about communication as much as anything else. The whole idea is to get a message from one place to another. This hobby attracts people from all walks of life, people who are physicists, truck drivers, pastry chefs, accountants and dentists and everything else under the sun.
One thing is common among us is, we're all Hams.
It's not unusual to see people from completely different walks of life bond over a beer and a soldering iron.
With the recipe set, you'd imagine that while people have different outlooks, they'd come back to...2015-02-2102 minWhat use is an F-call?Self policing license conditionsWhat use is an F-call?
Over the years that I've been an amateur I've spent many hours discussing the ins- and outs of being an amateur. I've talked about what you're allowed to do, where the LCD falls short, what things you can build, what activities you can participate in and where to find and learn more about this wonderful hobby called Amateur Radio.
I've received emails from many different people, amateurs and non-amateurs alike, each sharing with me their take on what excites them, what mistakes I made, or what things I should investigate next.
An increasing theme over...2015-02-1402 minWhat use is an F-call?More on lightning and bonding.What use is an F-call?
Last week I spent a little time talking about lightning. I discussed how lightning can affect many different things, not just by being a direct hit, but by having a nearby hit, that is, something that is in some way electrically connected to you or your station.
We all know that the ground has some level of conductivity, just like air does - the lightning that you see during a thunderstorm is the visualisation of the conductivity of air.
In the earth, you don't really see it that clearly, but the same thing happens.
Conductivity...2015-02-0703 minWhat use is an F-call?Lightning, not just the radio...What use is an F-call?
During the week we were subjected to some unusual lightning activity. There was lots to go around and it raises the issue on what to do when lightning is nearby.
The obvious comments about disconnecting your radio from your antenna is pretty common knowledge, but there are other things that might happen that you hadn't thought about. Lightning is an electrostatic discharge, and strangely enough, RF is closely related, in that your antenna system converts electric energy into voltages that you then insert into your radio.
So, lightning will just as easily affect your antenna...2015-01-3102 minWhat use is an F-call?Digital Voice in Amateur Radio is broken...What use is an F-call?
Digital Voice in Amateur Radio is broken. It's a big call for a mere F-call to make, so let me back that up with some facts.
There are three basic digital voice products you can buy as an amateur today, D-Star made by ICOM, System Fusion made by Yaesu and MOTOTRBO or TRBO by Motorola. There is also Project 25, or P25.
Each of these systems are based around technologies and patents owned by a company called Digital Voice Systems Inc. or DVSI.
In essence, each of these systems use the same maths to encode and...2015-01-2403 minWhat use is an F-call?WIA Awards SystemWhat use is an F-call?
As you've heard me talk about making contacts with other countries on many occasions, I thought I'd spend a little time describing what I do when I've actually made the contact.
At the moment I'm logging my contact on CQRLOG, it's a Linux based programme that manages each contact, tracks to show if I've uploaded it to Logbook of the World, eQSL and Clublog. I chose those three services based on their functionality and their availability.
I won't go into each of them, but combined they allow me to confirm the contacts I've made.
Once...2015-01-1702 minWhat use is an F-call?How do nets work?What use is an F-call?
In the normal day-to-day interaction between amateurs on air we use the procedure to say the other station's call-sign, followed by our own. If there's two people on-air, this is a simple way to have a discussion.
But what if there are more?
If it's informal, we tend to talk in a circle, that is, we keep handing the microphone to the next person in the line. For this to work, you need to remember who comes after you, so you can hand it over to them. If you want to join in a discussion...2015-01-1003 minWhat use is an F-call?The LCD is a living document.What use is an F-call?
When was the last time you went online and downloaded a copy of the LCD? Do you even know where to find it? Do you know when it last changed and what changes it contained?
If the answer is, "I have a copy from 2005 when they introduced the Foundation license.", you have a problem.
The LCD changed in 2005 twice, again in 2008, also in 2010 and again in 2013. In total, between 2005 and 2013 there are 546 changes to the document that sets out the conditions to which your amateur license is subject to.
Some of those 546 changes...2015-01-0302 minWhat use is an F-call?Which way is the Grey Line?What use is an F-call?
I recently spent some time talking about the Grey Line, about the way it moves around and how it will help you make contacts along its path.
If you recall, the direction of the Grey Line changes throughout the year. As the tilt of the earth affects the direction of the sun on your head, it also affects the shadow line that's drawn across the planet as sun-set and sun-rise occur at your QTH.
Of course, you already know this. We experience this change as our seasons.
So, if the Grey Line changes direction, the...2014-12-2702 minWhat use is an F-call?Remember to stop fiddling every now and then...What use is an F-call?
I've now been an amateur since December 2010. In the time that I've been part of this hobby I've come to understand that a large part of the experience is to tinker.
We tinker with radios, batteries, antennas, coax, connectors, mobile set-ups and software. We fiddle with circuits, with antenna designs, with locations, with anything and everything.
Of course the fiddling is all about improvement, or sometimes, it's just about getting on-air. The more you fiddle, the more you learn and the more experience you gain. So there is good to be had from doing these...2014-12-2001 minWhat use is an F-call?QRM and moronsWhat use is an F-call?
Man-made interference is a wonderful thing. It allows you to appreciate that there are both people and morons on air. Some people become morons, either by accident, or on purpose, but every now and then you have special people who share our airwaves. In case you're wondering, a moron is someone with the intellectual age between 8 and 12.
In the past we as amateurs have chosen to ignore them. In general that works pretty well. The moron doesn't know that they're having any effect and they soon move on to greener pastures, hopefully one six foot...2014-12-1301 minWhat use is an F-call?The Gray Line changes through the year!What use is an F-call?
In the past I've mentioned the Grey Line. If you recall, this is a twice daily phenomenon. During dawn and dusk, and often slightly before and after, there is an enhanced level of DX propagation. That is, if you're listening while it's happening, you'll notice far-off stations you didn't hear before, clear as day, then five or ten minutes later they're gone.
Today I'm not going into the actual process that makes this happen, absorption, D and F layers and the like. The more you read about the physics of this, the more you'll get...2014-12-0602 minWhat use is an F-call?We need mentors!What use is an F-call?
Amateur Radio is a personal thing. It's an expression of communication, of exploration, of invention, learning, electronics, physics and personal achievement. The community we are members of is a living organism. We pick up random people from the global community, spark their interest and gain another member.
For new entrants to our community there is much to see and do. Often the choices are overwhelming and common mistakes are made. While every person has their own journey through this, there are things we as a group could do to help.
Any Amateur can be a...2014-11-2902 minWhat use is an F-call?Programming repeaters.What use is an F-call?
You purchased a shiny new radio and it's all you imagined and it works great and you're over the moon with your purchase and you're raring to go, but you find yourself constantly typing in the frequencies, or twiddling the VFO to change repeaters.
As a last ditch attempt, you've got out the manual and you're busily typing in each repeater, one at a time, and then when you've finally done it, you hit the wrong button and you have start again. Only 22 repeaters more to go.
Does this sound familiar?
If it doesn't then...2014-11-2202 minWhat use is an F-call?What is your level of preparedness?What use is an F-call?
Recently I was part of a discussion about emergency preparedness. The idea being that as radio amateurs we're ideally suited to being communication hubs and conduits to pass messages along. Of course as part of that we need to have skills and equipment to make those things possible.
I've often said that doing contests are a great way to improve your radio skills. It's an adverse environment in which sending and receiving messages is related to your score and as a bonus, it's a great way to pick up some DX stations that are not...2014-11-1502 minWhat use is an F-call?Raspberry Pi SDRWhat use is an F-call?
I've just built myself v1.0 of a Raspberry Pi SDR. It still has some way to go until I can show it off - needs a touch screen, a power supply that runs on 12V, some user interface elements, but the functionality is there.
If you're unfamiliar with the nature of a Raspberry Pi, it's a single board computer, the size of a credit card, has Ethernet, USB, HDMI, audio, video and a MicroSD card slot. My version comes with 512Mb of memory. It's 17mm high. This is a tiny fully functional computer.
From a...2014-11-0801 minWhat use is an F-call?Share your experiences...What use is an F-call?
Amateur Radio is a social activity. It's about communication and community. Ironically, as much as we are about talking to one and other, we still do some activities all on our own. If you're hunting for a rare station, trolling up and down the bands, looking for that elusive callsign or country, or sitting in a pile-up, calling and calling and calling some more, hearing your callsign and confirming a contact, that kind of activity is very solitary.
It doesn't have to be.
I know the feeling of getting a hard get and putting down...2014-11-0102 minWhat use is an F-call?Learning from listening...What use is an F-call?
As an F-call, working DX, you'll spend many hours looking for that elusive contact, or you'll turn on your radio, tune around, hear a station, call back and bag a new country. It's all there for the taking, one contact at a time.
As you operate on HF, you'll notice a whole range of operating skills, from amazing to atrocious and everything in between. You'll hear stations who keep calling two letters of their callsign, or those who run a pile-up for 40 contacts without once uttering their own callsign. You'll hear people who are not...2014-10-2502 minWhat use is an F-call?The QSL card is not dead!What use is an F-call?
On previous occasions I've discussed the QSL system in Amateur Radio. It's a mechanism that uses what's known as out-of-band communications to confirm contacts. For over a hundred years that has been mostly in the form of QSL cards. Since the introduction of the Internet, websites and pervasive computing, some of the confirmations have been moved from card to electron.
I've had about 29 countries confirmed electronically and two via card. Until about 10 minutes ago I was convinced that electronic QSL confirmation was the way to go. Before I explain why, there is a place for...2014-10-1802 minWhat use is an F-call?Small Changes can have a Big EffectWhat use is an F-call?
Yesterday I learned an interesting lesson. It wasn't a simple lesson to learn, but I'm guessing it's going to take me some years to come to grips with what I experienced.
Said plainly, "Small Changes can have a Big Effect"
That's pretty straight forward as a lesson, but when you actually experience it head on, it tends to make more impact.
As you've heard in the past, I operate my radio mostly from my car. I recently purchased some antennas that I want to mount on my car and want to use without...2014-10-1102 minWhat use is an F-call?Tuning mobile antennas...What use is an F-call?
I've recently purchased four verticals, one for each of the HF bands I'm allowed to use. I installed them and started playing, only to be confronted with some interesting results.
The 80m and 40m verticals have a very high Q, that is to say, they resonate on a particular frequency and you can make contacts at those frequencies with about 22 kHz variation. This is as expected. My antenna analyser picture looks just like the one on the box. This is great. In theory all I should need to do is trim them a little bit...2014-10-0402 minWhat use is an F-call?Everyday Terms, think about them sometimesWhat use is an F-call?
In our hobby we come across terms and names that we use and commonly understand, that is, we think we understand them. I mean, what's a velocity factor and what is a dielectric?
Simple right?
The velocity factor is something to do with coax and the dielectric is something to do with capacitors. Next.
Hold on.
Let's have a little closer look at this. The velocity factor is the wave propagation speed, or the velocity of propagation, relative to the speed of light. That is to say, it's a percentage of the speed of light...2014-09-2703 minWhat use is an F-call?Everything Changes All The Time ... pay attentionWhat use is an F-call?
When you operate your station on a regular basis you might find yourself lulled into the belief that all is well with the world and that your station will continue to operate as expected. It worked yesterday, so why wouldn't it work today - nothing changed.
Having now operated my station for several years and having been granted the opportunity to operate stations built and maintained by others I can categorically state that nothing stays the same, ever.
In fact, it's probably better to work on the assumption that your station is changing all the...2014-09-2001 minWhat use is an F-call?QRP is everywhereWhat use is an F-call?
Having a Foundation License, the basic amateur licence in a three tiered system that is in use in Australia, means that you have access to low power only. 10 Watts PEP is the limit today, though that might change as reviews get underway.
I've said in the past that if you operate an advanced call as a QRP station, that is, SSB 5 Watts or less, and you make a contact, you're showered with accolade. This illustrates that there is a disconnect between an F-call who legally needs to use QRP and an advanced call who chooses...2014-09-1301 minWhat use is an F-call?It's not about sitting in a shack talking on the radio...What use is an F-call?
As I've said many times before, Amateur Radio blows me away. Every week I see new and imaginative things that this community achieves through trial and error, from contacts across new bands, coordination of new activities such as fox-hunts and SOTA activations.
We are a fool hardy lot, climbing up hills to "activate" them, or doing the same thing for light-houses, or museums. There's a surfing contest where you collect callsigns to spell the locations of surfing beaches as outlined in the Beach Boy's "Surfin USA" song, which includes an Australian...2014-09-0602 minWhat use is an F-call?There are more than just Amateurs Listening...What use is an F-call?
In the past I've mentioned that we're not alone on the bands. We as a community, Hams, or Radio Amateurs have radio spectrum we can use, specific ranges of frequencies that are available to our exclusive or shared use.
Radio being radio means that we're also able to be heard by other radio users. Those users come from all walks of life. Not only do we have diversity within our own little community, the listeners beyond our license add a whole new range of variety.
We sometimes refer to them as short wave listeners, but...2014-08-3002 minWhat use is an F-call?Newness should not be a barrier to participationWhat use is an F-call?
When I started recording this weekly segment, there were lots of things I didn't know. I was apprehensive about how my contribution to Amateur Radio might be received, about what I should talk about, how long it should last, what tone I should set, how technical I should be and all manner of other considerations.
When I started in Amateur Radio itself, not long before I started this segment, I had similar concerns and considerations, things I was worried about and skills I was unsure about.
Today that is still the case, but of course...2014-08-2302 minWhat use is an F-call?Learn from your mistakes and share them...What use is an F-call?
Recently I received an email from an Amateur who has had their license for over 30 years and been in the electronics field for more than 40. He shared with me an experience that goes to the heart of why it pays to share, even if this particular experience left his mates with sore bellies from laughing so hard.
Without going into too much technical background, the devil is in the detail. Our amateur, was working on a project which required a particular part. He was a little short, so after a quick check of the specs...2014-08-1602 minWhat use is an F-call?How much do you gain from more power?What use is an F-call?
When you get an amateur radio license, you learn that different license classes have different power limits. The basic power limit in Australia, the foundation license, or f-call, has 10 Watts as the limit. The standard license has 100 Watts and the advanced license has a maximum legal limit of 400 Watts.
It's natural to think that more power gives you more reach, but realistically, what does that look like, what is the difference between 10 Watts and 100 Watts? Can you really notice a difference?
From my own experiments, I can confirm that it's possible to talk to the...2014-08-0903 minWhat use is an F-call?How to do a contest?What use is an F-call?
If you've just gained your license and you're still not sure what to do with it, I can strongly recommend that you have a go at the Remembrance Day contest. It's an annual event where amateurs spend 24 hours commemorating the cessation of hostilities in the Pacific. The contest happens every year on the weekend closest to the 15th of August and runs from Saturday at 03:00 UTC until Sunday, 03:00 UTC.
The aim is to make as many contacts as possible between amateurs in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guniea, or said using Amateur Speak, VK...2014-08-0202 minWhat use is an F-call?dB and dBmWhat use is an F-call?
In a previous discussion I talked about decibels. The take home from that was that a decibel represents a ratio between two things. The gain of an antenna over the gain of a standard reference antenna, or the power loss between the start of a coax cable and it's end.
I also mentioned that there are several other things with dB in them.
Today I'd like to introduce the dBm, or Decibel milliwatt. It's a unit used to compare and contrast different levels of output. Unlike the Decibel, which is a ratio, the dBm is...2014-07-2604 minWhat use is an F-call?Looking at mobile antennas for HF.What use is an F-call?
As you might know or recall, I don't have HF at my QTH. So far my DX activities have been using other people's equipment and using my 12m squid-pole when I'm either camping or set-up at some waterside location. This seriously curtails my activities and I'm keen to do something about it.
Over the past few weeks I've been looking at different options, it's a process that everyone goes through, and sometimes you come out of it having gained some experience. I'm not shy in asking questions, but the replies are sometimes a little more...2014-07-1902 minWhat use is an F-call?Clubs and F-calls?What use is an F-call?
Amateur Radio is a hobby that gains and loses members as does any other hobby. One aspect of the hobby differs, that of licensing. To join Amateur Radio, you need to be licensed, that is to say, if you want to transmit, rather than receive.
In the vast majority of cases, the place where people join is as an F-call. They do their course, do their exam and after paying the requisite fees, they gain their license.
After that they're pretty much left on their own.
Amateur Radio clubs also gain and lose members. There...2014-07-1201 minWhat use is an F-call?No more bulliesWhat use is an F-call?
If you're new to Amateur Radio, you may be surprised to learn that we have bullies among us, but if you've been around for a while, you'll have heard it, or perhaps even experienced it first hand.
Yesterday I received two communications from two separate amateurs on different sides of the country. Both had been the victim of bullies. One was from an F-call and the other, an Advanced-call. Both of them described some of their experiences, how they felt belittled, hurt, humiliated and abused. One of these people stayed off air for a week...2014-07-0503 minWhat use is an F-call?Contesting, it's for you!What use is an F-call?
On previous occasions I've spoken about contesting and what it might add to your amateur experience. I know that there are amateurs who are convinced that contesting isn't for them, you'll never hear them on air, they don't think it's worth while, it's too complicated, it's not fun, it's not them.
I beg to differ.
In my opinion, contesting is among the most fun you can have with amateur radio and it's the most challenging, rewarding and fundamental test of your amateur abilities.
I know that you might be thinking that your station isn't up...2014-06-2803 minWhat use is an F-call?Using Commercial Names on AirWhat use is an F-call?
Recently I received an email from a fellow amateur who pointed out a curious phenomenon that was being taken up by new amateurs with little purpose or necessity.
He pointed out that on air some amateurs, myself included, are referring to local companies indirectly, saying things like the Green Hardware Store, the J-store and the Blue Furniture Warehouse, meaning Bunnings, Jaycar and Ikea.
Gasp, horror, I've just said three company names on air. Bunnings, Jaycar and Ikea, and I did it again. The world didn't come to a sudden and laborious stop, reversed direction and...2014-06-2101 minWhat use is an F-call?The Grey LineWhat use is an F-call?
Much of what Amateur Radio is about relates to the planet we live on. I realise that you might think that it's about radios, antennas, contacts and logging, but the vast majority of our hobby relates directly to the Ionosphere, the Sun, the Earth and all manner of other natural influences.
One of these influences happens twice a day, Sunrise and Sunset. The transition from light to dark and from dark to light has a period during which there is twilight. This period in amateur radio is called the Grey Line, because if you were...2014-06-1402 minWhat use is an F-call?dB, dBi, dBdWhat use is an F-call?
You've come across the term dB, or Decibel. Likely you've heard of dBi as well. These terms are all related to Decibels, but mean completely different things.
A decibel, named after Alexander Graham Bell, is a RELATIVE measure of two different power levels, that is, one power level compared to another power level. 3dB is about twice as much power, 6db is about four times as much, and 10dB is exactly 10 times as much power. This means that you can say that a feedline has 6dB loss, that is, you need to put 20 Watt in...2014-06-0702 minWhat use is an F-call?The Maidenhead Locator systemWhat use is an F-call?
One of the innocuous questions you are asked during a contact is: "What is your QTH?" or: "Where are you?". Often this is followed by a whole story about a goat track and so many kilometres away from some large land-mark. If you're dealing with an experienced operator, they'll simplify that to something like: 10km North East of Tokyo. Often that's more than accurate enough, but how do you communicate a more accurate location?
In this age of GPS, we've all come to know that you can express any location on...2014-05-3102 minWhat use is an F-call?The QSL systemWhat use is an F-call?
Making a contact using your radio is one thing, starts off with someone calling CQ, someone responding, discussion ensuing and the like. If you've never had the opportunity, then get to it, get on air and make some noise.
Once you've made the contact, depending on your intent, you can log the contact and even get confirmation of the contact using an out of band method, that is, some mechanism, not using radio, that confirms that on this day and time, on this frequency and mode, you spoke with the other station.
This mechanism of...2014-05-2402 minWhat use is an F-call?17 May - ITU dayWhat use is an F-call?
Three times a year, on Australia Day, 26 January, Anzac Day, 25 April and ITU Day, 17 May, an Amateur in Australia may change their prefix from VK to AX, making their callsign a special event station without requiring prior permission.
Australia Day and Anzac day are pretty self-explanatory, but what on earth is ITU day and why is the 17th of May significant?
First of all, it's actually called the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, or WTISD, but among friends we refer to it as ITU day.
So what is ITU day?
Founded on the 17th...2014-05-1701 minWhat use is an F-call?Amateur Radio evolution is dependent on your imagination, not your license.What use is an F-call?
Technologies come and go, some more quickly than others. Valves have been around since the 19th century, the first diode valve was developed in 1904, by John Ambrose Fleming. Despite ongoing urgings to kill them off in favour of solid state technology, they survive, much like shellac records vs mp3 files, fond tools that do their job in their own inimitable way.
Some technologies become obsolete, sometimes really quickly, audio-cassettes, DAT tape and VHS are things of the past, no doubt an mp3 of the future will look nothing like what we use today.
New technology...2014-05-1001 minWhat use is an F-call?The simple S-unitWhat use is an F-call?
You're 5 and 9, or 20 over 9, or 5 and 5. It's a phrase that you'll hear regularly in amateur radio conversations as you tune up and down the bands.
If we ignore for a moment the readability signal, the first number, in this case "5", which I have to confess is pretty arbitrary. My perfect readability is not going to be the same as yours. The deafer I am, the less likely you're going to get a readability score of "5", lets look at the second number.
It's a signal strength. Pretty straight forward. It goes from...2014-05-0302 minWhat use is an F-call?The bands change all the time...What use is an F-call?
As you gain more experience as an Amateur I've found that I spend more time listening and less time talking. I set my radio up in my car, get comfortable with a clipboard and headphones and tune up and down the dial listening for stations. I do this regularly. I've listened to the bands enough to know that each band has its own "feel", the crackle and hiss of each one slightly but distinctly different.
On occasion I've had the fortune to be able to spend more than a few hours listening, scanning...2014-04-2601 minWhat use is an F-call?Bullies have no place in Amateur RadioWhat use is an F-call?
Nobody works in isolation, and neither do I. This weekly segment has now been running for 130 or so episodes and in that time I've received a variety of feedback about my attempt at making a contribution to Amateur Radio.
I remember when a random stranger walked up to me when I attended the WIA Mildura conference in 2012. He told me that he used my segment in training new F-calls and that he was most impressed. Last week, another random member of the HAM community told me that this segment made him return to Amateur Radio...2014-01-1803 minWhat use is an F-call?5 Watts, what a blast!What use is an F-call?
I've been participating in contests for a little while now, both as part of a club, using a club station and equipment and under my own callsign using my own radio.
When I did my first contest as VK6FLAB with 5 Watts, it was to see what effect it would have on my experience. That was over a year ago and during that contest I made many contacts and had lots of fun. I must confess that in the back of my mind it niggled a little that many of those contacts were on UHF...2013-10-1201 minWhat use is an F-call?Mechanics of ContestingWhat use is an F-call?
I've participated in several contests since I became an Amateur. When I talk about contesting, I often hear the same response, "Contesting is not for me". In talking to some of those people, it's clear to me that often Contesting as an activity is not really understood.
I'm not going to talk to you about how much fun it is, and it is, or how much you learn, because you do, or winning, because you can, I'm going to talk about the mechanics of contesting.
At it's heart, contesting is nothing more and...2013-10-0503 minWhat use is an F-call?Trolls and what to do...What use is an F-call?
The radio waves are open to all comers, licensed or not. That means that while you have to be licensed to use a particular frequency and that stiff penalties apply if you're not, there's nothing physically stopping anyone from using any frequency.
I recently had a report from a fellow amateur who had a particularly unpleasant experience on-air. They were accosted by another station. Fortunately that amateur had a witness to the experience, so they didn't feel completely alone in the moment. It did stop them from being on-air until surrounded by friends.
This discovery...2013-06-2202 minWhat use is an F-call?Your callsign is your identity.What use is an F-call?
Names are important in day-to-day interaction between people. In amateur radio, you get issued with a callsign that after a little while takes on the role of a name.
When you first become an amateur and you meet another amateur, they're likely to introduce themselves, "Hi, I'm Onno VK6FLAB". At first you do a double-take and wonder what the other person is smoking and where you can get some. After a while you realise that this is quite common.
If you use your own callsign for a while, you'll get to the...2013-05-0402 minWhat use is an F-call?What's in a name?What use is an F-call?
The name of this segment is meaningful if you are aware of Amateur Radio Licensing in Australia, but if this is all new to you, then I might as well have said, What use is a Flux Capacitor?
Let's start with some generic information. Unlike CB radio, where the license is based on the equipment itself, a so-called Type Approval, that is, if you use a certified CB Radio, you're licensed to use it, Amateur Radio works differently.
In Amateur Radio, the approval is related to a person, they are licensed to be an Amateur...2012-12-1502 minWhat use is an F-call?What does Amateur Radio mean for you?What use is an F-call?
Arthur C Clarke pointed out that "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" and so it is with Amateur Radio. We're celebrating over a century of radio and most of that is about learning, about transforming knowledge, applying that and coming up with new solutions for problems.
What use is an F-call started 44 episodes ago. During that time I've talked about what Amateur Radio is about, what you can do with a Foundation Call, how to involve yourself in the hobby, how to ask questions, where to go for help and many...2012-04-1401 minWhat use is an F-call?ContestsWhat use is an F-call?
Recently I participated in my first amateur radio contest. In short, it was a blast!
One thing I noticed was that several amateurs I speak to on-air regularly were not there and I'd heard a few people say that "Contesting is not my thing". I respect that, but I'm also a little disappointed by it because it was a lot of fun. I started thinking about it a little and wondered what else might be occurring that could account for some of this. I'm sure that part of it is that you might...2011-08-2003 min