Happy Holidays to all!
It has, again, been a busy month of five online meetings and
presentations to our radio clubs. I also got the chance to once more
represent the National Weather Service Paducah on Skywarn Recognition
Day while periodically taking a brief break for the 160 contest.
I didn’t have a lot of success on the 10 meter contest. Propagation
wasn’t good at my QTH. I did manage to make a few contacts so all was
not lost.
As an Elmer I have been asked to help program HT’s. This past month I
found an excellent book that, while slightly large, I think will be a
good resource for your go kit. It’s titled “Handheld Radio Field
Guide” 2nd Edition by Andrew Cornwall. It contains simple to follow
instructions for programming 85 different HT’s.
Mr. Cornwell is a ham radio operator and as I read the book it was
apparent it’s written by a ham and not a technical writer. The
instructions were clear and concise without adding in all sorts of
technical information.
I am a strong advocate for people learning how to program radios without
using software. Yes, I do use programming software, but I also practice
manual programming because I know that in the field I probably won’t
have a computer and the software for my radios.
This year has been a challenging year for many. In-person club meetings
and hamfests have been few and far between. Yet, according to an article
I recently read, ham radio activity and new licenses are up. I, like
you, am hoping 2021 is a better year for us all.
Best wishes to all and who knows, you may open a present that has that
new radio you’ve been staring at in the catalogs and online.
73
Thom