TIME IN THE SADDLE

I didn’t get a lot of time on the bike this past summer.   Though this is not by design, but rather necessity, the amount of time I spend with my butt in the saddle of my motorcycle is taken from what I call my “discretionary time”.   It is the extra time.  It is the time that remains after all the “have-to-get-done” things are done.  I wish it were not so, but that is how it is.  Other things come first… second, and third.  And then somewhere down the list is my “motorcycle” time. 

Oh, I suppose that I could move it up the list a bit, and to be honest, there are times when some pretty important things have been put off to a later time because I could stand it no longer; I had to go for a ride.  Being out on the bike is one of those activities that clears the mind.  This is a contradiction, I know, but it remains a fact. 

One has a lot to consider when riding a motorcycle, if it is to be done safely.  I don’t want to take time here to catalogue everything that has to happen mentally and physically to successfully glide down a stretch of highway at 70 mph without getting killed, but trust me the list is very long indeed.  As odd as it may seem, it is this very fact that makes doing so such a relaxing activity.

However, this fact of motorcycling comes with a very clear danger.  Your see, riding a motorcycle is not a walk in the park.  It is a constant series of alerts and adjustments.  It is hundreds of minute calculations happening with the passing of mere seconds of time.  It is like playing a game of chess in the middle of a freeway.  Anticipating, reading the situation and preparing several moves ahead at all times.  It is living in a constant state of readiness… ready to respond to sudden and unexpected dangers.  All of which is happening at 40… 50… 70mph, or more.  I recall once riding out in the Nevada desert, when I thought I would die from the heat… I decided it was time to get back to civilization.  I watched the needle on the Harley pass 90mph, and I didn’t look at the speedometer again until we rolled into the outskirts of Vegas. 

What then is the very clear danger?  Complacency.  Worse yet, it is complacency coupled with a lack of proficiency which can only come with very regular and repetitive practice.  In simpler terms: with lots of time in the saddle.

What does all of this have to do with Ham Radio?  The fact is that there are a lot of similarities between these two activities.

For the last several months I have found it necessary to severely curtail my time in the Shack.  In a nutshell, life happens.  Regrettably,  stuff happens that demand a shift in priorities.  Sometimes, our discretionary activities take the biggest hit.  I’m not here to suggest that the “stuff” that happens is good or bad.  It is just life.  We adjust the “sails”, catch the prevailing winds, and continue the journey.  It’s just wind.

But here is what I learned about Ham Radio this last week.  If you are not “riding” that chair in your shack on a very frequent and consistent basis, you are going to get “rusty”.  Your skills are going to very quickly be diminished.  Your “HF ears” aren’t going to hear as well.  Your command of q-signs and the phonetic alphabet will begin to waver.  Stuff that you didn’t even have to think about a few months ago, will now require a slight hesitation.  Other stations will “stumble” over your callsign.

Anyone that thinks that they can absent themselves from their radio activities for weeks, months, or even years at a time, and then just sit down and pick up where they left off… that person is sadly mistaken.  It isn’t going to happen.  And herein lies what I believe to be the biggest argument in favor of Traffic Handling.  Traffic Nets happen around the clock, 365 days per year.   I can think of no other Ham Radio activity that can provide the Operator with a predicable, scheduled, disciplined opportunity to practice and maintain their radio proficiency.  And for a VERY busy guy like me, it is this scheduled predictability that may very will be the biggest advantage of all.

ICS-213

This issue continues to intrigue me.  I don’t mean to come across in some weird / brainy / over-thinking-it sort of way but this ICS-213 thing is, I think, going to end up making me a way better Traffic Handler than what I might have otherwise become.  It became very clear to me tonight on the 75 Meter Interstate Sideband Net.

The hard-core reality of what Voice Traffic Handling is all about became all too real tonight.  I realize that the formal structure of the NTS is violated by an Independent Net such as the 75 ISBN, but I also realize that when the schummer hits the fan and I need to get a message to my kids in Missouri, I am going to use whatever Net can get the job done. If that means that an Independent Net can put me within 35 miles of my kids in a single jump, the choice is going to be a very simple one indeed.  However, this is what tonight’s experience confirmed to me once again.

Band conditions started out bad and turned to worse.  As each minute passed it became more and more of a challenge.  I hate to admit it, but I was moments away from QTAing my Florida traffic (something that I am loath to do), when a station in Missouri (I’m in Detroit) suddenly became available between me and Florida.  KC0M turned on his linear and a game changer had come to play!  As conditions worsened a station in Illinois stepped in to help.  We were all running power and everyone was in it to win it.  What we had was what I would call a quad-station relay going on… and it was a blast.  Every word became a challenge.  Every successful fill was a feel-good victory.  We were moving the ball down the field.

What I learned was this:  If I am ever called upon to move emergency traffic (and I don’t care if the sender is my next door neighbor or FEMA or my SEOC), and the message has to get to its destination rapidly and accurately, and I’ve got 6 properly formatted 25 words-or-less Radiograms and a 150 word ICS-213, the winner is going to be the Radiograms.  All other things being equal, (that is to say, message precedence being equal) it is a very easy choice.  Six messages or one; which will I choose?  The answer is obvious.  I’m going to smile and tell the person with the ICS-213 novella, “Thank you very much”, and then I’m quietly going to move them to the bottom of the pile.  

There is probably someone out there that is going to tell me that is not the way the system works, and you my be correct.  But this is where my heart is tonight, so please indulge me.  Thanks….

Those who think that it makes any sense whatsoever, when band conditions are what they were tonight, to move 1 message when I can move 6, they are going to have to be a really good salesman to get me to buy it.  The bottom line is this, and I suspect that Traffic Handlers that long ago became SKs probably knew very well, message brevity is at the very heart of what makes us successful.  

CHAOS

This post comes from a discussion that I was having on an Amateur Radio Yahoo Group that I moderate. I thought there might be some insights contained herein that might be relevant to this Blog. Enjoy.

I am going thru a bit of a "change" here in the world of KD8LZB. This change
has a much larger sphere than just Amateur Radio, but Amateur Radio holds a very
significant place in the bigger picture. I have of course been following with
great interest the various discussions. There is a lot of GREAT going stuff
going on here. But the more I follow the discussions here, the more I am
convinced that I need to get my Shack in order.

When the proverbial crap hits the fan, and I'm convinced that here in SE MI it
is just a matter of time, all of our fancy dancy opinions about modes and
training and promotion won't mean a thing! I need to be completely ready to
receive traffic from my neighbors and figure out a way to get those messages out
of my community and to their destination. My thoughts on this matter are in
part being driven by what is happening… or perhaps better said… what is not
happening in NY. I have to be ready to serve my neighborhood when the Cavalry
doesn't show up. When all of our plans fail… when all of our favorite modes
fail… when the back-up for the back-up fails… I need to be ready.

I wish like everything that there was some way to organize the chaos of what
will certainly be chaos… and we can train and prepare and strategize… but when
it happens… and it most certain is going to… all of our plans won't even begin
to handle the chaos. I am going to have to be ready think… and improvise… and
make do with less resources than what I have. I am going to have to be smart
and innovative. I am going to have to figure out a way to keep my station safe.
I am going to have to improve my people skills. I have to figure out a way to
do what I do when I'm the only guy doing it.

Has anyone ever figured out how to set up a Traffic Net with little more than a
mobile / portable radio in the middle of an Interstate Highway that is nothing
more than a parking lot cluttered with out of fuel cars and trucks that were
trying to evacuate a city that has collapsed into rioting and looting? Has
anyone ever figured out how to set up a Traffic Net that is prepared to handle
medical emergencies when Hospitals are burned to the ground? Has anyone even
begun to consider what it would be like to try to move a message from one point
to another when politicians have declared that only "approved" radio messages
can be sent?

What is my point in bring up these ridiculously absurd questions? It seems to
me that many of our discussions only tend to prove that we can't agree on how to
handle predictable disaster scenarios. How in the world can we then expect to
deal with the ridiculously unpredictable scenarios that may very well be a part
of our future?

Thanks for letting me vent… This is what happens when I'm tired. I'll try to
be more happy and positive, and much less crazy with my next post.

KC
KD8LZB

A FARMER AND AN APPLE: An allegory

The following is an allegory mixed with a bit a fact; all of which is intended to make the reader think. This one is a bit longer, so go get a cup of coffee before you begin. Then set back, relax for a minute and ENJOY!

Years ago I graduated High School with a guy named Devon. Devon's Dad, back in the 1960's, founded a local gun, the Lake Cicott Gun Club. As a young boy, Devon grew up midst the culture of local firearms enthusiasts, while watching his Dad manage the Club activities. He grew up watching as men would come out to the Club to pursue a variety of gun related activities, which included competitive Trap Shooting. He watched as ten's of thousands of clay pigeons were blown to smithereens above the green fields surrounded by trees. Little did anyone know the lessons being learned or the kind of dreams that were being formed in the heart of a little boy.

As a natural result of young Devon's surroundings, one day he was no doubt introduced to the safe and proper use of a firearm. Shortly after those beginning lessons, he would have had the opportunity to shoot his first clay targets. Those moments would have a lasting impact. Devon's life would never be the same.

Detour with me now to a time long before young Devon was even born:

A young farmer sees a wild turkey strutting through the brush; he pulls back the string on his bow and lets the arrow fly. Hard work and much practice had made the young farmer very proficient, yet his skills could not supersede the inherent limitations of wood and leather, and feathers, and flint. Yet, as a result of his efforts this day, his family would eat well for the next few days.

And then… one day, while preparing to once again release his arrow on a large tom, the young farmer hears a sharp crack… a loud noise never heard before. The startled tom turkey flew away… and the young farmer, curious as to the source of this unusual sound, hesitantly walked in direction of the far away noise.

After walking about half a mile, he discovers a fellow farmer, standing at the edge of a small steam holding a strange object in his hand. Upon investigation the young farmer sees his first gun. Instantly his world, indeed the very security and future survival of his family would change. He didn't have to be highly educated to be able to recognize the seriousness of this new tool.

In the months that followed, another young farmer living some distance away wasn't finding any turkeys to shoot. Bored with his lack of luck, the farmer saw an apple hanging from a branch not more than perhaps 40 yards away. Recognizing the life saving importance of maintaining his marksmanship skills, he shouldered his gun, took careful aim and pulled the trigger. When the smoke cleared he discovered that the apple was gone. Smiling to himself, he reloaded, walked over to the apple tree and looked down see about a dozen ripe red apples on the ground, and an idea popped into his head. He picked up an apple, and turning to face the open sky, the farmer threw the apple upward with a strong underhand toss with his left hand, quickly shouldered his gun, he sighted down the top of a hexagonal shaped barrel, and once again pulled the trigger… As he walked home that afternoon an idea occurred to him; he would challenge his neighbor to contest. The winner would take home "bragging rights".

But a problem developed… Other farmers heard about this silly contest and declared it a farce, a waste of time. Why would any sensible farmer use such an important survival tool for such a ridiculous purpose? So, to avoid the public ridicule of the other farmers, the two men took their contest to a secluded field where no one would see. The day arrived for their contest, and when the time arrived for them to test their skills, they noticed another farmer approaching. "Mind if I join?" The group of farmers meeting together for these "illegitimate" contests began to increase in the months that followed. They would even meet every so often in the barn to share a cup of coffee and discuss how they might improve their skills.

When other farmers heard about what was now happening on a regular schedule, they gossiped with each other and bad-mouthed the "recreational" shooters as often as possible. They never missed a chance to berate and belittle the senseless competitions. But that didn't stop the few apple shooters; for, they had found a great deal of happiness in their new pastime and in the friendships made. And… more importantly they intuitively knew that the skills honed in their contests would easily translate to fields filled with real game that would keep their families safe and well fed.

Fast forward back to my friend, Devon:

Devon would grow up and one day work for Federal Premium Ammunition. His job assignments would include travelling all over the United States promoting Federal Premium Ammunition to competitive sport shooters. However, this ammunition salesman never forgot the dreams of a little boy. He continued pursuing his passion of shooting clays. Thousands, and tens of thousands, and hundreds of thousands of plain, ordinary, boring, identical clay targets passed before the business end of his Perazzi shotgun. You can read his story here…
http://pharostribune.com/sports/x2137443283/Harris-hits-100-000-trapshooting-tar\
get

Little could that farmer who was shooting apples realize that one day a man would put his own children through college with winnings from a contest not unlike the one he created when he tossed that first apple into the sky. Without a doubt, just like the farmer, Devon heard the naysayers. He heard from those who made fun of such a waste of valuable ammunition. But thankfully, he didn't let those curmudgeons deter him from his goal. Attending to a sport as old as time… as old as the first two hunters who picked up rocks and hurled them into the air to see who could throw the farthest… my friend Devon, became a Champion.

Some guys buy guns, in which they will never chamber the first round, to put upon display in a gun shrine in their home. Some gun owners learn enough to be able to talk the talk at the Gun Club meetings, but when it comes to being able to walk the walk and hit what they're aiming at… well, that's another story. And then there are those who use their guns solely for the purpose of sport game hunting. Although they are getting closer to the "real" intended purpose for possessing a firearm, that of providing food and protection for their families, their survival really doesn't fully depend upon their skills. Finally, there are those who, like my friend, find great pleasure in using guns in competitive trap shooting… busting routine clay and collecting points.

However… and here is my point. How many gun owners have ever been faced with having to shoot to keep their family from starvation? Out of the four types of gun owners mentioned above, which one's family do you suppose would eat the best if their lives depended upon the skills of their provider?

There is, however, one last group of gun owners that I reluctantly would like to mention. They are the ones who spend all of their time "bitching" about everyone else because no one is using their guns for the purposes for which they were created… and yet, they themselves buy all their meat from Krogers.

When the day comes that lives depend upon the skills of Amateur Radio operators, which group do you think will have the best chance of success?

I JUST SEND 'EM LIKE I RECEIVE 'EM

Recently I was relaying a "service back" Radiogram. The station receiving the relay from me determined, based on the "content" of the Radiogram that the delivering station didn't "do it right". He then told me that I should advise the station of the "error".

I had a very quick and happy response: "I just send 'em like I receive 'em! KD8LZB back to Net Control." END OF STORY.

I didn't entertain a coversation about how I felt about what the content of the Radiogram revealed. I am a Relay Station; not a content judge... NTS instructor... advisor... etc. And I most certainly didn't think that "during the Net" was the appropriate time to discuss it. SO.... I basically ignored the comment. If someone wants to discuss Radiogram Philosophy, there are probably Internet Groups and Rag Chew Nets in which one can participate. BUT A TRAFFIC NET IN PROGRESS IS NOT THE PLACE! I'm gettin' a little tense... Coffffeeeeeeee... There. That's better.

I feel very strongly that once I agree to take a piece of traffic, and I confirm that it is "legal" traffic... THE CONTENT IS NONE OF MY BUSINESS. I do believe that there is a time and place for learning how to do what we all do night after night, but when I am wearing my Official Relay Station hat, my ONLY job is to move traffic.

For those that are further interested in my opinions on this matter you might enjoy my video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyG-FJyi6BY If you watch the video, please leave your comments on Youtube for the benefit of those who watch the video that do not follow my Blog.

NTS - MPG

Have you ever considered the NTS – Methods, Practices and Guidelines? I do not mean, have you read it. You may have never had a suitable occasion in which it was necessary to read the seemingly endless and always tedious verbiage known as the MPG. Page after page after page of mind-numbing jargon… I can fully understand if you have never read the MPG. Reading the NTS – MPG could be likened to reading a dictionary: boring! What I want to know is have you considered it? Not its specific content, but the whole.

One night as I was traveling across northern Ohio with my family, I was monitoring the 2 meter band for activity, hoping to hear my favorite Traffic Net. Sadly, what I (and my XYL!) heard were a couple of guys discussing a recent visit to their neighborhood strip bar. Needless to say, all my past efforts to convince my wife that Amateur Radio was a "decent" hobby were now in vain. I suppose to be fair I should report that these Hams probably didn't violate any of the FCC rules concerning what can and cannot be said on the air. I could tell that they were being very careful about the use of specific words. However, there was no mistaking the meaning of their "legal" communication. That night, what I wished had existed was a Rag Chewing – Methods, Practices and Guidelines.

I've done a bit of DX chasing, and I will admit that it has been fun to get a QSL card from the Madeira Islands. But, when I try and try and try to get through the cacophony of a DX pileup with my barefoot HF rig, it is then that I wish there was a DX – Methods, Practices and Guidelines.

When I hear some Nut (and I don't mean a Ham who is a nut – a mean a Nut who happens to have an Amateur Radio license) hog a frequency for hours, droning on and on and on and on all by himself… I wish there was a People Who Are in Love with the Sound of Their Own Voice – Methods, Practices and Guidelines.

Have you ever wondered why there is a MPG for Radiogram Traffic Handling, but not for other facets of the Amateur Radio? Could it be that Traffic Handlers are unruly and undisciplined? Perhaps Traffic Handlers are trouble makers and rabble rousers that need controlled. Or… Traffic Handlers are rude and inconsiderate, and thus must be given guidelines on courteous behavior. I can say with confidence that I don't believe any of the reasons above are the reasons for the existence of the NTS – MPG. What then could it be?

I would suggest that the reason for the NTS – MPG is this: In all of world of Amateur Radio, originating, relaying, and delivering Radiogram traffic is at the very heart of what Amateur Radio is all about. Though presently it would seem that some consider Traffic Handling to be the red-headed stepchild of Ham Radio… some sort of illegitimate child that doesn't really belong to the family… the one that all the "real" children tolerate just because Mom and Dad say they have to… I would suggest that the very existence of the NTS – MPG bears witness to the legitimacy of Radiogram Traffic Handling.

Traffic Handlers are the ones who put the Relay in the Amateur Radio Relay League. I haven't been around this game very long, but I have learned one thing. The reason that the FCC gives us the privilege to use the frequency spectrum is because they recognize our ability to serve the good of the general public when all else fails. In short: Public Service. The current FEMA Director, Craig Fugate, a fan of Amateur Radio, has publicly said as much. They tolerate our Rag Chewing and our DXing. However, it is Traffic Handlers that are daily defending the spectrum, proving with the relay of each and every Radiogram that Amateur Radio deserves the frequency allocations we all presently enjoy. It is the NTS that in a very significant way justifies Amateur Radio's reason-for-being before the gods of government. Every day of the year… day after day… night after night… NTS Traffic Handlers train for the day When All Else Fails.

Please understand that in giving emphasis to the NTS I am in no way trying to diminish the role that ARES and RACES and SATERN members play in the big picture that is the ARRL response to a disaster. Each group plays a part in serving the public during times of need. We certainly need each and every part if the job is going to be done well. When All Else Fails, and each of these parts engage their disciplines, the Pubic is served. The random, unwritten courtesies that loosely guide the Amateur Radio Hobby, are superseded when Amateur Radio Public Service becomes necessary.

Radiogram Traffic Handling does not happen in some hap-hazard illogical manner. While it is true that Traffic Handlers routinely have fun passing Birthday Greetings and Congratulatory Best Wishes, Traffic Handling is at its soul, serious business. While some do not understand the passing of repetitive and common Radiogram messages, the reality is that when the day comes, and it most certainly will, that emergency communication becomes necessary, it will be those who logged the most time passing trivia traffic, and grid square requests that will be at the forefront of insuring that vital, life saving "emergency communication" messages get to their destination with accuracy and speed. When All Else Fails… when an ARL TWENTY SIX is the message that needs to be sent, it will be those who passed the most ARL FORTY SIX messages that will get the job done.

There is a reason for the National Traffic System – Methods, Practices and Guidelines… a very good reason. Indeed it may very well be the heart-beat itself of Amateur Radio.

FISHING LICENSES AND RADIOGRAMS

Many years ago I read, I've long since forgotten where, an article about the subject of animal conservation. Without a doubt, this is a subject that certainly generates a lot of passion. There would seem at first glance to be two disparate sides to this issue. On one side are the hunters and fishermen, and on the other animal rights activists. However, I would suggest that these two sides are not nearly as polarized as the avid proponents of each might believe.

The proposition was laid forth in the article that if someone really wanted save the animals… if someone wanted to do the most possible good toward true and effective animal conservation… the one activity that would be the most beneficial would be to purchase a hunting / fishing license. The facts seem to indicate that revenue from fish and game licensing accomplishes more toward animal conservation than anything else. Buy a license and then throw it away if you really want to save the animals.

Sounds ridiculous, yes? Indeed, this sounds contradictory. And yet, sometimes the very thing that we think absurd at least, and abhorrent at worst, is in fact the very thing that does the most to protect that which we love the most. As incomprehensible and repugnant as it may seem, if you are one of those individuals that think the ideal vacation would be volunteering for a week of service on the Whale Wars ship Gojira, your money might be better spent buying fishing licenses for you and all your friends. As you will see in just a moment, so it is with traffic handling in the field of Amateur Radio.

Much to my surprise I have learned that there is no accurate record being kept by the League of the thousands of operator hours devoted to the origination, relay and delivery of Radiogram traffic. I believe that if that number were ever to be calculated, it would result in a fundamental shift in the perceptions that many have toward the work of the NTS.

As of September 27, 2011 there were 742,879 licensed Amateurs in the United States. Out of that number, only a few hundred reported qualifying points for inclusion on the Public Service Honor Roll. If we are going to "Save the Whales" (read: Save the Spectrum), we must do better than that. If you want to do the most possible good in protecting Amateur Radio from extinction, SEND A RADIOGRAM.

If we do not fight to keep our fishing grounds open, we may one day discover that the ocean we have so taken for granted has been reduced to a pond. We are not the keeper of the Sea and the Sea is for sale. If and when the FCC determines that we are no longer earning the frequency we use, know that they will give it to someone else that they determine would like to use it and is willing to pay for it.

The single easiest way for you as a licensed Amateur to prove that we deserve the frequency we all enjoy is to send a Radiogram. That single act, the moment that it is listed on a Traffic Net, is counted. Though it appears that presently the League does not keep a record of those "points", if it ever wanted to prove to the FCC that Amateur Radio Operators invest thousands of volunteer hours each and every day, it has a ready means to do so. A Public Service value could and should be assigned to the time it takes to list, and relay that Radiogram to its destination. An invisible price tag can and should be attached.

The unpleasant economic truth is that the value of Amateur Radio's Public Service usage of the radio frequency spectrum is being compared to the fees that others are willing to pay for the use of the same. The even more unpleasant truth is that the comparison is being made by some Washington bureaucrat that has absolutely no interest whatsoever in Amateur Radio. This is why it is imperative that the ARRL not exclude NTS hours from its arsenal used in defense of the frequency allocations.

What does that me to you and me? It means that the friendly QSO you enjoy tomorrow may very well depend upon the Radiogram you send today. The QSL card you receive next month from that distant South Pacific island may only be made possible because you took the time to send an ARL FORTY SIX Radiogram to a friend.

To be fair, there are other activities in which you can participate that are recognized by the FCC as valuable Public Service activities. However, I would suggest that nothing could be easier or more regularly done at your convenience than the simple act of sending a Radiogram. You don't have to wait for a disaster to befall your community. That is the beauty of a daily Traffic Net; you don't have to wait for a tornado or earthquake to participate. There is probably a Traffic Net happening while you are reading this article. Turn on your radio and send a Radiogram.

As much as I hesitate to do so, it is important that we take moment to be honest about what seems to be a dark-side of traffic handling. As a Traffic Handler I have been on the receiving end of the "on air" snide and condescending remarks made toward my participation in the NTS. I've even heard stations refuse to take Radiograms if they are from "certain" stations, or if they judge the content of a Radiogram to be "unworthy". That, my friend, is the same thing as an Animal Rights Activist refusing to purchase a Hunting / Fishing license. You may not want to do it, but you are only hurting your own cause by refusing to do so. These Hams clearly demonstrate their lack of understanding of how the Amateur Radio game is played.

If ever there were a rule established stipulating an activity in order to gain membership in the Sierra Club, nothing would make more sense that to require the purchase of a hunting / fishing / trapping license. Throw it away and never take advantage of the privileges granted to the license holder if you wish, but you must make the purchase.

If ever there were a rule established stipulating an activity in order to maintain Amateur Radio licensee privileges, there is not one activity, from a Public Service perspective, that would make more sense than handling Radiogram traffic. Never fully enjoy the fun and camaraderie of a Traffic Net, if you must. Ignore the friendships that are possible among Traffic Handlers, if you wish. But… you must originate, list, relay, or deliver a Radiogram in order to enjoy all of the rest of the privileges granted to a licensed Amateur Radio Operator.

**^x!!??($@@ ANTENNAS!!!!!!

My 80m / 20m dipole (I have been told that it is not a dipole but an inverted V) came down last week. OUCH! My XYL has said that I spend a lot of time on the radio, and I've always said... "No, babe, I don't spend much time on the radio. You just think I do." Well... she's right. With my HF antennas on the ground, I suddenly had a whole bunch of time available with nothin' to do.

I've had a 160m half sloper waiting for install, so it seemed like now was the right time. This is were things get interesting... I needed to get at least 40ft. in the air. One day a few weeks ago I was looking in the ARRL Antenna book and I saw a "wooden a-frame" mast/tower, and I thought: "I can build this, and attach it to the side of my garage/man-cave/radio shack."

Well... my "wires" are up and in the air, but... I don't want ANY of my Ham friends to see it - HI HI. If I were to ever do this project again, I will do several things differently. The first thing I will do is invite someone to take a video of 2 crazy guys wrestling with a 42ft piece of 2x2 lumber with 9 pieces of "long" wire attached to one end... in the dark... in the rain. Had we done this, I could have sold the video and used the proceeds to purchase and install a "proper" tower. But, as they say, hind sight is 20/20. Hey... stop laughing! It may not be pretty, but it works. Yesterday afternoon while I was standing on the roof... in the snow... trying to "finish"... I saw the local police slowly drive by!!! I'm sure he was "taking notes" about the crazy guy.

Looking forward to again talking to y'all on HF sometime soon. But know that if I hear you snickering, I'll know you are thinking about my 42ft wooden antenna "tower".

Not If, Not When... but ALWAYS

When was the last time you heard the phrase, "It's not a matter of if; it's a matter of when"? Many people live in an "if" world. We all know people like that. "If it happens, then I will…." But, as Radio Amateurs we have crossed over from the, "If it happens" to the, "When it happens" perspective. Most of us have reached the conclusion that "it" is going to happen… the question is not "if" if will happen, but "when" it will happen. We have prepared for the inevitable "when".

However, I would suggest that we should take it one step further. It is not a matter of if… it is not even a matter of when… it is, or it should be, a matter of "always". Many times in the last two years, during routine NTS training, while I thought I was operating under a "when" mindset, I discovered that I was not living in the "always" reality. What I have discovered is that failure and chaos are an ever present reality. And… all it takes is a moment of laziness… of complacency… of ignorance… and I find myself humbled.

Electricity is a wild and ugly beast that we Amateurs have only barely
contained. And… in my case: poorly contained. (Some other time I will tell you about Field Day 2011; my mobile rig took a direct lighting strike!!!) Every time I sit down in my shack Sparky, the beast, and all of his band of rabid hyenas, which include Amplitude, Modulation, and their ugly cousin, Que R. Nancy are ready, and all too often willing, to pounce. I have had to adjust to the living reality that in my shack it is not a matter of when the beast will attack, but rather, the beast is always biting me in the backside.

Any night, as I shut down the radio, extinguish the kerosene heater, and turn off the lights… if I escape without bite marks, it is a victory. It is not because "when" didn't happen. It is not because the beast wasn't trying to ruin my evening. It is simply because for that one evening I played the game better than the beast. Make no mistake about it however, I am not living under any pretense or illusion that the very next night when I once again enter the arena (read: shack), that I will not have to face the beast again. He will be waiting for me. To bite me… to assault me. To test me.

Radio work is not a "certainty". Radio work is "chance"… and as for me, this is one of my fondest attractions to this hobby. I get a chance every time I press the PTT to defeat the beast. To fight back. To WIN!!!!

So… To the beast:

Sleep well for now, my worthy opponent. But know this: I will not go down without a fight. I am not waiting for "when" you will attack. I will assume you are "always" attacking, and guess what? I am "always" ready for you… or perhaps better said, I am learning to be "always" be ready for your ever present willingness and capability to ruin my night. I am learning… and I have help.

A VIOLATION OF THE PUBLIC TRUST

I have recently come under some fire on another forum about the legitimacy of how some Amateur Radio ops choose to use the NTS. This AM I posted the following on that forum. As I read it back to myself, I thought perhaps it would be well suited to repost here on my Blog. ENJOY

A Radiogram is a "private" message that has been entrusted to licensed, disciplined, regulated, tested, volunteer public servants, to be transmitted over sanctioned, regulated "public" radio frequencies. We, as Amateur Radio Operators, violate the public trust when we judge, criticize, gossip about, and blab our opinions about the contents of the "private" messages we have received, relayed, or even heard on our radios.

We are not only given the privilege to talk on our radios, but we have likewise been given the privilege to listen. Oh, I know, anyone within the ranks of the general public with a multi-band radio may very well listen to what is being said on frequencies assigned to Amateur Radio, and they may certainly say whatever they like about what they hear. But… once we receive our Amateur Radio license we have given up the privilege to gossip about and judge what we hear as it pertains to Radiogram traffic. No matter how much we would at times like to, we have forfeited the privilege to reveal our personal judgments. We are licensed, disciplined Amateur Radio operators, and we should act like it… not like a bunch of gossipy ol' women (or men) whispering and prattling on about their neighbors.

If we listen to rag-chewing, we can say whatever we like (especially about the two guys I heard one night bragging about their recent trip to the local "gentleman's club"). If we listen to a DX Contest, we can blab away about the participants (especially that guy with a 5kw linear!). But… Radiogram traffic is different. Radiogram traffic is a "private public trust" and we dishonor the privileges of our license when we make ourselves Radiogram content judges. We demonstrate a lack of personal integrity when we blather on and on and on about our disapproval of a Radiogram message or its sender. I make it my goal, after I have determined that it is legal, to be "blind and deaf" to the content of any Radiogram that I handle, or even one that I hear. It is as if someone has allowed me to "read their private mail", and what kind of man do I become when I violate that person's trust.

What kind of person do I become if I decide that the "recipient" is unknown to the sender and probably doesn't want to get a particular Radiogram, so I don't bother sending it; allowing it to die within the system? I know of no other "message service" that allows that kind of egregious, unprofessional behavior. But, we have allowed it to happen within Amateur Radio service. Shame on us.

The days should be over, in which honorable Amateur Radio men and women, violate the public trust which they have been granted. When someone brings up the "spam" debate, we should say, "Spam??? What are you talking about? I don't know what you mean? I don't talk about the content of Radiograms… do you?"

AN IRON BUTT TRAFFIC HANDLER

I ride a motorcycle. And I know; you wonder what that has to do with Amateur Radio. Right? I’ll get to that in a moment. However, before I do, you should know that not only do a ride a motorcycle, I am an Iron Butt rider. A few years ago, I rode my first official Saddle Sore ride; 1000 miles in 24 hours. It was a skinny J shaped course that started near Detroit and ended south of St. Louis at a Shell station in Imperial, MO. Given just a few hours to research and prepare, and I would be more than ready do it again. Only this time, I would end up on a beach on the Gulf of Mexico with my boots off and my toes in the surf. Not only would I not hesitate to do another 1000 in 24, I hope to ride a “Coast to Coast in 50” before I’m done riding. That’s right. You read it correctly. 2365.6 miles - Jacksonville to San Diego - in 50 hours! Crazy; right?

On a recent Saturday morning, as I sat drinking a cup of Kona Coffee, reading my copy of Iron Butt magazine, a thought occurred to me. If a stranger came into my home and began to nose around, they would quickly begin to wonder what kind of bizarre person lives in this house. I know my wife wonders the same thing. One look at the basket filled with magazines at the end of the couch and they would be left scratching their heads trying to figure out what kind of weirdo subscribes to both Iron Butt and QST magazines. However, I would suggest that this odd combination of reading material might not be as unlikely or unnatural as one might think.

If they were to nose around the property just a bit further, they would find boxes filled with 100’s of Radiograms beneath my radio desk above which they would see my Amateur Radio license. They would see a kerosene heater in my garage shack and try to visualize what kind of a nut-case sits in that wicker chair. They would see, less than 10 feet away from my radios, is parked my motorcycle… and they would wonder.

You see, not only am I a licensed Ham… I am an Iron Butt Ham; otherwise known as a Traffic Handler. Not just a Traffic Net Checker-in-er, but I bona fide, real life, Traffic Handler. I ride my radio where but only a few Hams ride… down the long lonely highway of Traffic Handling. It is a ride which requires careful attention. It is a ride which requires adherence to a list of very specific guidelines. It is a ride which is at times lonely. It is a ride that can become difficult, tiring and burdensome. It is a ride which will test your abilities. It is a ride which you will ride when other Hams have already parked their radios. It is a ride which will cause family and friends, and even other Hams to ask, “Why?” “Why do you do it?”

I wish more people understood the joy of long distance motorcycle riding. I wish more people understood the satisfaction of sending, relaying, and delivering Radiograms. But alas, I should not expect that to happen anytime soon. While sipping my coffee, I realized that one of the reasons that I am drawn to do much of what I do in life is because not many do it. As much as I try to promote Radiogram traffic handling to others… as much as I am frustrated by the lack of response to my efforts to promote the NTS… I fear success. It may sound strange, but in a twisted logic sort of way, I fear that if all my promotion were to be successful, I might sadly set down my microphone and go find something else to do. If I were to succeed, it would, I’m afraid, be a bittersweet success.

As Iron Butt riders will attest, it is very, very difficult to complete a sanctioned Iron Butt ride in a group. As members of the Brass Pounders League, and those like myself who are not, will attest, it ain’t easy to get 500 points a month. Though there are many riders all over the world that complete qualifying rides every year, most do so alone. It is, I believe, this fact that they are doing something that is difficult, disciplined and solitary that drives them to do it. It is the long lonely stretch of abandoned highway that seduces them to ride on. No one paid me to ride a Saddle Sore ride. And, no one pays me to pass Radiograms. I am beginning to understand that I am a NTS guy for many of the same reasons I am an Iron Butt guy.

Here is your invitation to check in to a Traffic Net and join us Hams that live on Crazy Lane in Amateur Radio Heights. But please, though everything I’ve experienced to date tells me I don’t have to worry… Please… not too many of you. Just a few. I don’t want to one night sit down in front of my radio, check in to my favorite Traffic Net and think, where did all these people come from? I don’t want to have to lay down my pen, push my stack of blank Radiograms aside, turn around, get on my bike and ride out of the Shack, and go find something else to satisfy that itch down inside of myself that can only be quelled on lonely, forgotten highways.

Traffic Handlers are an odd group… of which I am happy to be a part. Iron Butt Traffic Handlers may be even stranger still. If you decide to ride with me, whether on your bike or your radio, just remember that I warned you. A lot of people will look at you as though you are crazy. But you will have the satisfaction of knowing you are doing something that others do not understand and therefore do not enjoy… and, that knowledge… obtained in the solitude of your ham radio shack while traveling the sometimes lonely NTS highway may in and of itself be your greatest and only reward.

‘Till we one day meet, tired and worn out at the counter of some lonely deserted road side diner or on a traffic net… 73, my Iron Butt Traffic Handler friend. 73.

HF EARS

Those who would suggest that they can "bone up" on traffic handling apparently have never handled traffic on an HF Net when conditions are BAD. When you are in the middle of a triple or quadriple relay of a Radiogram, trying to accurately pick a station up out of the QRMary or QRNancy... or when it band conditions make it sound like the station is on Jupiter... it is then that the only people passing traffic are those who have spent the hours it takes to develop HF EARS! And I can testify from experience... HF EARS are a developed skill!!! Those who think they can wait for the schummer to hit the fan and then just sit down and pass a couple pieces of traffic better hope that they are on a local 2 meter Repeater Net and all stations are located within 10 miles of the Repeater.

KNOWING WHEN TO STOP

Last night was going a very "normal" 4 Nets Tuesday night in my shack. To get my night started, I checked into our Michigan Section Net at 7pm on 3.952 Mh. Conditions were not good, but I did manage to send 2, receive 2.

During the following 90 minute break from the radio I enjoyed one of my favorite
comfort foods before I then got back to the shack for my second Net duty of being NCS for the 75 Meter Interstate Traffic Net.

At the beginning of the Net band conditions still had not improved much; fortunately they would improve, but not quick enough to matter. However, as stations began to report it was rapidly becoming obvious it was going to be a very busy traffic night. As I continued to take check-ins, I was trying to get listed traffic organized. A plan was NOT easily coming together.

I quickly got a couple of pieces of traffic moving between 2 stations, which gave me an opportunity to slip off frequency for a few seconds to look for an open spot to perhaps move stations off Net frequency. My hopes of being able to get double use of our time were in vain... 9pm on 75 meters is jammed! We were going to have to do it the slow way.

Band conditions were slowly improving, but traffic between Maryland and Missouri required full relays with an Illinois station in the middle. Nothing was going to be easy.

The particulars of listed traffic combined with the unavailability of open frequencies were not being "kind" to me. Band conditions weren't helping me. And I had liaison stations that were short time.

About 40 minutes into the Net, while traffic was being passed, I checked into my 3rd Net of the evening, a local 2 meter Motor City Radio Club Net, but my brain was still plugged into the Traffic Net, so I screwed up the Club call substituting one of the Traffic Net Manager's call instead. This was the point where I realized I was
getting weary.

It was about at this point that I discovered I had excused on of my liaison stations too soon. I had a piece of traffic still on the list for which I now had no receiving station... ARRRRGHHHH.

Brain weariness was getting worse...

Because NTS stations are typically such a patient and great group of people with
which to work, I was able to finish the Net at 63 minutes with only 1 piece of traffic remaining. I was glad to be done with the Net. I glanced up at the clock and saw that I had 10 minutes 'till the start of the 4th and final Net of my normal Tuesday night... and I was tired.

It had been a long day at work and a long evening at the radio... and I was tired. It was at this point that I realized I had probably done the good that I was going to do. And then... I made the decision. I would not be checking into my 4th and final Net of the evening. I turned off the radios and the kerosene heater. I told my dog Pepper to "come on", and I turned off the lights and called it finished.

My point in sharing my evening with you is that I think it is important to know when to step away from the radio desk. In an emergency situation, it will be important to know when you become too tired and brain weary to do the job accurately and well. Others very likely would have been able to keep on going, but I had to recognize my own mental limitations. Knowing when to stop, or at the least when to take a break, may be as important as knowing when to begin.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR NTS TRAFFIC OPS

This is intended for your entertainment. Hope you enjoy. KC

TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR NTS TRAFFIC OPS

1) THOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER DUTIES BEFORE YOU THAN TO DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER AS A LISCENCED AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR TO SERVE THE PUBLIC GOOD WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE NATIONAL TRAFFIC SYSTEM. (I know that this may seem extreme; after all, we have jobs and families. Right? But, we're having fun here, so… What are jobs for, except to buy more radios and build bigger and taller antennas with which we serve the public good?)

2) ONCE YOU HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO TAKE A PIECE OF RADIOGRAM TRAFFIC, YOU BECOME RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS ACCURATE AND SAFE HANDLING UNTIL IT IS EITHER RELAYED OR DELIVERED. THOU SHALT KEEP A RECORD OF ALL TRAFFIC THAT HAS BEEN INTRUSTED TO YOUR CARE. THOU SHALT NOT KILL A RADIOGRAM.

3) THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE (UNTRUE TO THE ORIGINAL) RADIOGRAMS. THOU SHALL DO EVERYTHING TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE CONTENT OF THE ORIGINAL RADIOGRAM. YOU MUST SEE TO IT THAT THE RADIOGRAM TEXT IS DELIVERED EXACTLY AS IT WAS ORIGINATED TO ITS INTENDED RECIPIENT AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE.

4) THOU SHALT NOT CONCERN THYSELF WITH ANYTHING BUT THE LEGALITY OF THE CONTENT OF A RADIOGRAM. WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE MESSAGE IS NOT TO BE CONSIDERED. THOU SHALL NOT COVET "REAL" RADIOGRAMS.

5) THOU SHALT NOT MISUSE THE NAME OF THE NTS. THOU SHALL ALWAYS BE AS POSITIVE AND OPTIMISTIC AS POSSIBLE IN ALL YOUR COMMUNICATIONS CONCERNING THE NTS.

6) THOU SHALT BE COURTEOUS AND COMPASSIONATELY OFFICIAL IN ALL YOUR COMMUNICATION WITH THE RECEPIENTS OF RADIOGRAMS.

7) THOU SHALL DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO UTILIZE YOUR RADIO SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND EQUIPMENT TO GET A RADIOGRAM FROM ITS PLACE OF ORIGIN TO AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO ITS FINAL DESTINATION. ONCE THE RADIOGRAM HAS ARRIVED AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE, THEN USE WHATEVER MEANS SEEMS BEST TO MAKE A FINAL DELIVERY. THOU SHALL BE CAREFUL NOT TO COMMIT ADULTERY WITH OTHER MODES OF COMMUNICATION.

8) THOU SHALL BE KNOWEDGABLE OF THE ARRL NTS MPG (METHODS, PROCEDURES, AND GUIDELINES). THOU SHALL FREQUENTLY REVIEW THE MPG.

9) THOU SHALL BE A "NET REGULAR"; ROUTINELY CHECKING-IN TO TRAFFIC NETS IN ORDER RELAY RADIOGRAMS OR TO RECEIVE RADIOGRAMS FOR LOCAL DELIVERY.

10) THOU SHALL NOT ONLY BE A TRAFFIC HANDLER, BUT THOU SHALL ROUTINELY ORIGINATE RADIOGRAMS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE ENTIRE NTS. ALSO, YOU SHALL DO WHAT IS NECESSARY TO IMPROVE YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO "STEP-UP" AND TAKE ON MORE RESPONSIBILITIES SUCH AS SERVING AS A NET CONTROL STATION OR NET LIAISON.

NTS PARADIGM SHIFT

(This was originally a post on the Radiogram Yahoo Group website. I have made corrections and edits here. Enjoy.)

I'm going to try to have a little fun this morning. So… if you are in one of those "taking everything seriously" moods, you should probably not read this post, go get another cup of coffee, and continue with whatever more important matter is on your plate for the day.

As I have had time to reflect upon the several posts within the group, as well as another half dozen or so groups that I follow, I have made some observations. The one thing that I have learned is that I cannot expect there to be a consensus concerning my observations… C'mon…. that is supposed to be funny. What I have learned here is that there is a very wide gap in the opinions concerning the role and the implementation of the NTS and traffic handling. When we spend our time fussing about the differences between e-mailing vs. snail mailing a radiogram, one thing becomes very clear: Among those that actively post comments, there doesn't seem to be a lot of "middle ground". Furthermore, there seems to be a lot!!! of passion from all involved.

Passion can be a bad thing when it is expressed by a mad man. But I am assuming that the players in this game are not crazy… everyone except me that is. I've been called crazy by some that know me the best, but that is a discussion for another group… Hi Hi. Passion is a GOOD thing when it is expressed by well meaning and polite people. Now, if we can just get all that passion working in the same direction… WOW!

As I looked back at the posting in various groups, there truly seemed to be more disagreement than agreement. As this seemed to also be the case here in the Radiogram group, at first I was a bit dismayed by this. My goal of trying to create an exchange for ideas on how to create more traffic seemed to rapidly deteriorate into a discussion on why "it" couldn't or shouldn't be done. New ideas were referred to as "schemes". And that crazy and thoughtless "200 Radiogram" guy… "What was he thinking????" Every village has an idiot. Right? (FYI… I'm that guy.)

The conversation became more of a history lesson of the failures, than a strategy for future success. So, I set out to try to see if I could figure out why there seemed to be such a disparity concerning that which is such a historic part of the Amateur Radio universe. And I must admit that I really reexamined my own participation in the NTS in light of some of the ideas expressed here in the group.

In my personal efforts to try to bring a little bit of fresh traffic into the system, were my efforts being misunderstood? I now have learned that apparently that was the case. So, I had to ask myself the hard question, "Was I doing more harm than good?" I suppose that the answer to that question is like a lot of the posts within the group… it just depends upon your perspective.

So… on to some of my specific observations, and remember… we're havin' fun this morning. So, lighten up and smile a bit.

Ideas and opinions seem to loosely follow a geographic pattern. 0's, 8's and 9's seem to have a similar view. If a Radiogram is being delivered to a SK, this is the group that seems to be able to deal with it in the most positive way. 4's and 5's tend to lean in a likewise direction, yet they have a unique Southern hospitality that is unmistakable. If there is any group that I would want to offer a "correction" to something I have done on a traffic net, it would be the 4's and 5's. They are always so "polite"… the first time they correct you. However, the second time they have to point something out… well… it's kind of like taking a trip out behind the wood shed. Been there, done that, don't want to go there again. 1's, 2's and 3's seem to be very passionate and share a lot of common ideas. And then there are the 6's… The 6's are great. They seem to have their own sort of view of things. 6's have created their own particular NTS galaxy party. I wish I was a 6! As for 7’s… (I’m having fun here, so everyone smile…) There are only 32 stations in all of 7-Land, so it’s hard to reach them for an opinion.

Also, ideas and opinions seem to loosely follow a pattern based upon how long an individual has been involved in Amateur Radio. Those that are new to the game, like me, and have no experience handling traffic back in the good ol' days seem to see the NTS and radiograms differently than those who handled "real" radiograms. I have learned that experience is sometimes the BEST teacher… but sometimes, it is the most boring as well.

Now, let's put this all together. What do you get when you put a "new 8" with an "experienced 2"? A TRAIN WRECK! What do you get when you put a "veteran 0" with a "6"? A PARTY… Remember: Any 6 mixed with anything else is a party! What do you get when you put an "old 4" with someone from 1-land? It doesn't matter `cause the 4 will bring some good Southern Sweet Tea to the shindig. And OMG what to you get when you put a "new IT / digital geek 3" with a "CW 8"? Complete and total confusion. And lastly, what do you get when you put a MARS operator from any call district with anyone else? "Stand up straight, soldier! Suck that gut in! What's your call sign? I can't HEAR YOU!!!"

Here's my present conclusion, and I reserve the right to make future revisions. I realize as a newcomer to the ARRL party that I most certainly have not earned a place to offer any advice or suggestions… but, I'm going to anyway. We can all play around here on this group and others like it, but ultimately it is up to the ARRL to determine the future of the NTS. They alone have the capability and the credibility to do what needs done.

It is time for the ARRL to call for an NTS symposium for the express purpose of establishing a new… a COMPLETELY NEW paradigm for the NTS. This symposium must be made up of very positive and forward thinking operators pulled from our ranks. This positive and forward thinking qualification must be the foremost consideration above all other items on a person's Ham Radio resume. Also, each participant in the symposium must realize that everything they come up with will most likely be met with stiff opposition. They will be told 100 different reasons why "that will never work".

One thing that must be of utmost priority in the development of this new NTS paradigm is the establishment of a group of very radical "nothing is off limits" operators whose assignment would be to prepare an NTS plan for the "unthinkable" collapse of the national communication infrastructure, as well as the civil unrest that would most likely follow. This would include even subjects such as Shack Security and Stealth Antennas. A complete examination of how to expand and exploit 2 meter simplex networks should also be discussed.

Using the NTS during "typical" disaster type scenarios has probably seen its usefulness replaced by other technologies. We really need to focus on our "When all else fails" motto.

The old pattern for using the NTS as a "messaging" service is probably not in our future, yet should be developed as a "recreational" use of the NTS between Hams. I still believe that the time for Radiogram contesting has come. I know that there are those that strongly disagree, but I think it can and should be done. And I believe the ARRL should spearhead this endeavor.

Another thing would be to create a group of operators whose assignment would be the preparation and implementation of an NTS Promotion that would be rolled out nationally once it was completed. It seems to me that time has come for the NTS to come out of the shadows. We need a program to positively promote the work of the NTS. It seems utterly ridiculous to me that a new operator's first exposure to the NTS is a (I loathe this term) spamgram.

These are but a few of my ideas. As you are thinking about these… Format and send me a Radiogram with your thoughts. And if you are a "mover and shaker" in the ARRL, I am especially interested in your thoughts.

APPLES AND ORANGES

Apples and oranges are both fruit, but we all know they are not the same. Email, telephone, and amateur radio are all methods of communication, but they are not the same thing.

Over my time as a Radio Op, I have observed something that - IMHO - needs to be considered. I have never quite understood the frequent comparison of amateur radio communication, particularly Radiograms, to telephone and e-mail. To do so, in my mind, is an apple / oranges comparison. This can be demonstrated on several levels.

First of all, amateur radio is regulated. I will never get a Radiogram with an offer to purchase a product that promises to make me into a 25 year old stud! I will never receive a Radiogram that needs my credit card information in order to update my account. The content of email is basically unregulated; Radiogram content has boundaries.

Secondly, there is no test given for those wishing to participate in email or telephone communications. There is no study required. Not so with amateur radio. Furthermore, those that pass the Ham test are given a “call sign” which identifies them to one and all. There is no anonymity in amateur radio. Wouldn’t it be nice if email communicators would have to “identify” themselves? Imagine how email communications and telephone solicitations would change if every user’s home address was published.

Thirdly, and on this account it may necessary for us to disagree agreeably, while there may be some strange Hams out there… there are no strangers. We are all part of a huge club… a fraternity, if you will, that includes active operators, inactive, even SK’s. If you have a “call sign” you are no stranger to me; you are simply a friend I have yet to meet. It is impossible for me to receive a Radiogram from a stranger, third party originations notwithstanding; they are to me a fellow Ham. Likewise, it is impossible for me to send a Radiogram to a stranger…

If I send a Radiogram, to which I am hoping to receive a response from an Operator whom I do not know… How is that any different than me calling, “CQ, CQ. Any station, anywhere… Michigan QSO party, KD8LZB.” It seems as though we acknowledge one form of request for a response as permissible, yet consider the other illegitimate. I, for one, think that the time for “Radiogram Contesting” has come.

Lastly, there is a discipline and a courtesy that generally guides amateur radio communications. Only rarely do things get ugly. And serious offenders may very well have their privileges revoked. Certainly, that cannot be said for other forms of communication.

We all do a disservice to our hobby if we allow these comparisons to continue. It is a disrespect to the hard work and study that is required to be a Ham. It should offend us all to be put in the box of unregulated, undisciplined, fraudulent, and unscrupulous slime that is called e-mail / spam and telephone solicitations.

TRAFFIC "HANDLING" IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH

Handling Radiogram traffic is fun. However, let this be a warning: Sending, relaying, and receiving Radiograms can be addictive.

For many amateur radio operators, receiving and passing Radiograms on the National Traffic System is an enjoyable part of being a licensed radio operator. As I have noted before, and I am sure you are already aware, there are many ways for a licensee to enjoy our hobby. And, certainly each Op has the freedom to explore the many facets of this jewel in order to find that which most suits his or her individual tastes. But, for me, Radiograms have become my radio consort.

I must confess that I am now addicted… Not just to traffic handling... Oh no... I have become a QRNancy junkie. I am addicted to trying to receive radiograms at times of 20 over 9 static. I love it. I can’t get enough of it. Let others pass traffic when conditions are clear, but please let me do so when conditions get bad… really bad. I find myself enjoying the hobby most when I am setting at my radio desk with headphones on, eyes closed, my pen resting on a fresh legal pad ready to scribble the barely discernible fragments of a distant voice… concentrating… lost in the world of invisible movements of sound through the atmosphere. It is for me, radio heaven. There is for me a sweet sense of victory when I am able to recognize a distant voice… to be able to distinguish the broken phonetic letters… to decipher the message. I feel as though I have beaten the radio demons when I can respond with, “QSL. I roger message number… !” Yes, indeed; passing and (even more so for me, receiving) radiogram traffic is both fun and personally rewarding.

But… Why is there always a butt!? I have to own up to the fact that, if I am always a taker and never a giver, then I am a selfish lover… I am a participant in a one-way relationship. If my only contribution to the NTS is as a receiving/relay station, then I have failed in my fair part of the relationship. The NTS cannot survive unless stations are willing to be givers/senders. I must be willing to accept my equal responsibility to put something into the system, if I desire for the same to survive.

It would be an interesting statistic to determine what percentage of the daily traffic volume is sent by… let’s say… the top 20 sending stations nationwide. What percentage of traffic is sent by the top 50 sending stations nationwide? My guess is that those figures would be shocking.

I am making it my personal goal to not be just a promoter of simply traffic handling; but rather, a promoter of traffic sending. It has been my observation that there are more than enough handlers in the NTS… senders, on the other hand, are a scarce commodity. We must promote sending… None of us can expect the NTS to remain healthy, if we are takers only and never givers.

Imagine how much traffic could be generated if every Ham Grandparent were to send original birthday greetings to their grandchildren. Imagine how many graduates would enjoy receiving a Congratulations Radiogram from a friend. There are endless opportunities for every Ham to send Radiograms throughout the year. Why not send a Radiogram today?

PHONETIC IMPROFECIENCY: A SUGGESTION FOR THE ARRL

Using proper ITU phonetics well takes practice. It’s a fact. Using correct phonetics is an acquired skill, and it takes much repetition to both send and receive words phonetically.

You probably have heard the axiom: Practice makes perfect. That is quite simply, not true. Practice DOES NOT make perfect. Practice makes permanent. Practice something the wrong way and you will tend to do it less than perfectly. Furthermore, you will tend to continue to do it poorly. And… When and if the decision is made to do it correctly, you will find it more difficult to fix the errors because… Practice makes permanent. In order to use proper ITU phonetics, a radio operator must at all times avoid using incorrect phonetics. Right?

Well, I’m not so sure. The short answer is of course, yes. However, while I certainly would agree that a good radio operator should always avoid using non-standard phonetics, I learned something recently while I was serving as a NCS for a Local Traffic Net.

I was cruising along very comfortably taking check-ins when one of our local guys, whom I know to be a very proficient operator, checked in with a Foxtrot Zanzibar Tijuana… What???!! I recognized the voice, so I knew who it was… But… My brain went into a sudden state of confusion, and my pen seemed to be overtaken by some strange Ouija board force as it left an unintelligible scrawl across my up-until-that-moment fairly neat Net Roster page.

Some of the Net regulars, along with me, got a chuckle out of this “severe breach” of “proper net procedure”. How could such a well trained operator fall off of the correct Net discipline wagon? Everyone knows there is to be no “clowning around!! This is serious training!!! Well... most of the time; HI HI. Later that evening… sometime after the Net was closed, as I was considering my own incompetence, the fact of which allowed me to be so easily knocked off balance by a little bit of unexpected phonetics, my mind went back to Field Day 2010.

Every station was coming to the Traffic Net with radiograms; hoping to score a few more points. The problem was that all of our normal “thru” traffic handlers were out of town. So… not only was I the only person on the Net able to take the “thru” messages, but I was also the NCS. I assured all stations that I would take their traffic if they would just be patient… and they were, and I did. It was a long night.

But, the thing that I most remember was that the vast majority of the outgoing traffic was being brought by stations that did not normally handle radiogram traffic. Likewise they were not at all proficient in using correct ITU phonetics. The result: I had to deal with a multitude of strange and unfamiliar Tijuanas, Kilowatts, Japans, Marys, Bobs, and Igloos.

Here is what I have learned. The ARRL has its team of silent “Observer” stations whose task it is to monitor frequencies for errors; right? Well, I think that a team of operators should be recruited to go out into TrafficNetLand with the mission of purposely using incorrect phonetics… to make errors. Why? To keep guys like me from becoming lazy. To keep guys like me on my toes. To keep guys like me proficient in handling traffic coming from stations manned by ops that are not familiar with standard phonetics. To give guys like me the opportunity to take traffic from stations that in the pressure of E-COM conditions won’t know a Tango from a Tijuana… a Bravo from a Boulevard. We need a dedicated official ARRL team of Confusers. Where do I send my suggestion?

All of this is to say: Thanks to my Foxtrot Zanzibar Tijuana friend. Thank you for making me aware of my weakness. Thanks for waking me up!

OMG!!!

What has happened to communication? What has happened to simple, plain, spoken language? I realize that language is a fluid and moving reality. I am aware that each period of time is marked by its unique adaptation of language. New words are created, while others lose favor. Dictionaries need to be routinely updated to keep up with the changes in usage and understanding of vocabulary. But… What has happened to uncomplicated, simple, coherent language?

A few years ago, I was speaking to a group of parents. They were shocked when I began to explain the meaning of the letters: POS, WTF. Their teenagers were using a new language… a new vocabulary. This method to communicate to each other was a natural response to the new technologies being offered. While the use of acronyms is certainly nothing new, I would suggest that we are experiencing a major change in way we will communicate for years to come. IHMO, some of us, like me, if we are unwilling to acquire this new verbiage, are on the verge of experiencing that classic piece of celluloid eloquence from “Cool Hand Luke”: “What we have here is a failure to communicate.”

Each organization has its own unique acronyms. The military has both its unique official and unofficial abbreviated vocabulary… including everything from NCO to FUBAR. The sphere of business likewise, has its share of acronyms: CEO, CFO, and TGIF. Each vocation, each hobby, every activity has it own unique abbreviated language. Certainly included in this list is Amateur Radio. We have our own formal and informal abbreviations… everything from QNI and QSL, to XYL and 73… Oh, I almost forgot… the ARRL.

However, NOTHING prepared me for what I was about to experience when I began the required studies for membership in the Wayne County, Michigan, ARPSC. OMG!!!!!

One of the identified problems that became clear as a result of 9/11 was that a multitude of government agencies were not communicating and cooperating with each other. The conclusion was formed that if there had been a single, centralized, and shared database, not only might have the attacks been prevented, but our response to the catastrophic disaster could have been greatly improved. As a result, the government responded with yet another agency tasked with the job of creating a system which would enable many different agencies and jurisdictions to better cooperate in the event of a large scale attack or disaster. That agency was The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which in turn, through the already established Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) created the Emergency Management Institute (EMI) which provides online education to all interested parties.

OMG!!!! So, I needed to take a couple of tests. No big deal… that is, until I went to FEMA’s EMI website. OMG!!!! If the desire of DHS was the creation of a simple, uncomplicated system which would facilitate the synchronization of multiple agencies, resources, and assets into an expeditious and effectual apparatus from which to respond to a crisis… In the famous words of the “Lost in Space” ROBOT: “Danger, Will Robinson. Danger… This does not compute.” Nowhere have I ever encountered such a multitude of snarled, intertwined, convoluted, incongruent nonsense. I have no idea how much time and tax payer dollars were wasted in the development and production of this project, but dare I say that if we are trying to reduce the over $14 TRILLION national debt… Never again should we allow a government agency to try to simplify ANYTHING!!

If we thought that a well north of 2000 page Health Care bill was a monstrosity… Well, it is a pimple on a gnat’s backside in comparison to the thousands upon thousands of pages of unintelligible, organizational dung known as the NIMS and the NRF. These projects appear to be more interested in job titles and flow charts than getting the job done. They demand that cooperating organizations use plain English, yet all of the administrative and operational documentation is filled with incoherent alphabet-soup gibberish. Nothing proves my point more clearly than in the overuse of acronyms... ICS, NIC, HSPD - 5, 7 and 8, NGO, IAP, EOC, ICP, MACS, MAC, DOC, PIO, JIC, JIS, CSG, DCO, DSCA, EMAC, ESF, IMT, DRC, HSEEP, IMAT, JTF, NCTC, NDMS, NJTTF, SFLEO… ad infinitum. One of FEMA’s EMI study courses features an Appendix with 34 different acronyms; another 22.

I will complete my studies. I will do what is required for membership in the Wayne County ARPSC. I will gladly play along, and fulfill whatever specific assignment that I may be asked to accomplish. However, I can’t imagine that I will ever be convinced that this organizational monstrosity created by the government will in any way whatsoever be the cause of a prompt and proper response to a crisis.

We all witnessed the appalling and illogical response of the government to the BP Oil Spill Crisis in the gulf. The basics principles outlined in NIMS and NRF which call for local control and simplicity were clearly not applied to this crisis. Why would we believe that things should be any different in the next disaster? We have all witnessed the alarming failures, the nonsensical strategies, and the unconstitutional invasions of privacy that are commonplace within the daily work of the TSA. Why should we think that FEMA will operate differently?

And yet, one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me as a Ham came from a TSA Agent. I was traveling with my 2 meter Go-Box through Detroit Metro Airport, and as you might well imagine, my equipment caught the attention of the Airport Security. Two Agents pulled me and my gear aside and asked me to “open” my box. As they peered inside, the older of the two looked up and with a smile responded, “Looks like we’ve got a MacGyver here.” I’m not sure if it was meant as a complement or insult, but it proves my point.

At the end of the day… what matters most is PERSONAL preparedness, not GOVERNMENTAL preparedness. It seems to me that at the very heart of Amateur Radio beats the rhythm of personal preparedness. Those of us in the Amateur Radio community must always be ready to guard and preserve the very thing that enables us to respond “when all else fails”, and that is NOT some mutant Godzilla (think: HSPD -5… think: NIMS and NRF), whose gigantic size and inherent clumsiness ultimately becomes its greatest weakness. But rather, it is the importance of the individual Ham Operator and his quirky, homebrew, MacGyverish compilations of antennas and radio gear.

So… After having completed over a dozen EMI courses, my conclusion is this: If FEMA, and the NRF and MIMS gets any praise at all… it should be from their basic guiding principal that all emergency response begins at the lowest possible level: the individual. In that one point, I couldn’t agree more.

SPAMMUNITION

Everyone knows what spammunition is. It is ammunition used by the military and police for training purposes. You say you’ve never heard that terminology before… that it doesn’t make any sense. Well, I agree with you. But some ham radio ops do not… Taking into consideration the derogatory way in which they use the term, spamgrams, which is given to commonly sent / received radiogram traffic, such as those which wish hams a happy birthday. Or, perhaps those messages that are friendly reminders of upcoming license expirations.

I may not have the strongest signal in the pile up, but I think I know what the term spamgram is intended to imply. It is intended to somehow suggest that many of the radiograms relayed on traffic nets are nothing better than the annoying unsolicited emails that we receive each day that promise to make us rich, or young, or attractive. I would like to point out that there is a clear difference between a lie that promises to make me into a 20 year old stud, and a stranger wishing me a happy birthday.

I will admit that I haven’t been around this game very long, but I’ve been around long enough to, on a couple of occasions, get sucked into the drama that some would like to create concerning that which is a prevalent part of the normal daily load of radiogram traffic. And to be honest with you… I just don’t get it. Some guys really get fired up about it, and you can color me stupid if you want, but I just don’t get it.

I have had more than ample opportunity to listen to what most hams call rag-chewing. Most of it is harmless and generic chatter between stations. I would guess that the ARRL probably has data on this, but my unscientific observation would conclude that most rag-chewing is about ham radio stuff… antennas, radios, nets, antennas, contests, tuners, amps, antennas, towers, power supplies, antennas... mostly, antennas. Next in line would probably be the weather, then ham festivals… then the last 10% would be a mix of just about anything you can imagine.

My first point here is that it is all voluntary. Every discussion, every subject… it’s all voluntary. I may participate. I may just listen. Or, I can keep scanning for something different. Whatever the case may be, each station voluntarily decides what they want to do.

Likewise, it is the same with how any ham chooses to respond to the National Traffic System. I’ve both received and passed hundreds of radiograms, and not one time… I repeat… never has anyone forced me to participate. I can or not participate at my pleasure. It is all voluntary.

Secondly, none of the voluntary rag-chewing does anything to help protect and preserve the limited and precious “air spectrum” that we are allowed to use. On the contrary the passing of radiogram traffic is directly connected by a calculation that bean-counters in Washington D.C. measure in dollars and cents to a value that is placed in direct competition with other businesses and organizations for “radio spectrum”. And, as I understand it, the economic law of supply and demand is forcing that value higher and higher as more and more people are vying for the same limited space.

So, it would seem to me that, if for no other reason, those who currently oppose “spam-grams” would do a great deal of good for themselves and our common enjoyment of this hobby, if they would “join” us instead of opposing us. It is kind of like those who oppose hunting because they love animals… It has been proven many times over that the best thing they could do to protect animals is to buy a hunting license. Do you want to promote animal conservation? Buy a hunting license. The largest source of money that is used for the protection of animals comes directly from license revenue. So as distasteful and contradictory as that may seem to some people, the logic cannot be denied.

So, for those of you that hate spamgrams, if you love ham radio… if you want to preserve the hobby… the most logical, albeit personally repugnant thing you can do is create and send as many spamgrams as you possibly can. Nothing else you can do for the preservation of Amateur Radio will be easier done or reap as much personal long term gain. It is quite simply the most logical thing you can do.

My third and final reason for sticking my neck out on this issue is, for me, the most important of all. And that is the “spammunition” argument. Day after day, those who serve us in the fields of law enforcement and the military train again and again for the day when it becomes necessary for them to actually unholster their weapons.

They create elaborate test ranges to simulate the kind of blind chaos that may very well be the deadly reality they face on the streets and upon the battlefields. They drill… they train… they shoot up box after box of ammunition because… they all know that the day after day boredom that is so very typical will certainly be shattered by the cacophony of the live-fire gun battle. It is not a matter of if… but when it will come. And, their lives depend upon how consistently they trained for exactly this type of moment.

The reality is that the officer who used up the most spammunition gets to go home at the end of the gunfight and hug his wife and see his kids grow up. No one who escapes a real life gunfight goes home and says to his wife: “I really regret all that ammunition I wasted on the firing range.” And mark this: When the time comes that you use your skills – skills honed by the night by night boredom of a typical Traffic Net – to relay life saving information out of or into a disaster area, you won’t be thinking that all those repetitive ARL SIXTY YOUR BIRTHDAY messages were illegitimate or wasted.

There is no deception in radiogram traffic. Is not the vast overwhelming majority called Routine? However… and this is my most important point of all… it is not a matter of “if”, but rather “when” the time will come when “all else fails” and the Amateur Radio National Traffic System will be the ONLY system still standing. And this simple truth will rule that day: The ham radio op that handled the most spammunition will win.

I have made friends with stations all over America. My hope would be that none of us will ever have to use our traffic handling skills in a time of crisis; however, though no one talks about it… we all know that the time is coming… and when it does, we will be ready. I have learned their voices… I have learned the cadence and the style of their sending traffic… I have learned to interpret their accents and dialects. I have learned how to pick their voices out of the noise… out of the static crashes. I am ready… and so are they.

For those of you that enjoy handling traffic… Do everything you can to handle as much as possible. Make a point of seeking out difficult conditions in which to operate. Don’t wait for band conditions to improve. If possible, intentionally make your job more difficult. Every once in a while, move off frequency a bit as you receive traffic. Hunt out a distant station to which you can relay traffic. If you hear a difficult relay taking place, copy it down as if you were the receiving station; you may need to act as a "stand in the middle relay"... be prepared. Plus it is good training. Don't be afraid of delivering a message that turns out to be an SK. This too is good training. What kind of messages do you think you might very well have to deliver in a real life disaster situation?

Do everything you can to be the best you can be… and be certain of this: the day will come when your traffic handling skills will be highly sought out… most likely by the very ones who were the most critical of our Traffic Nets. And it will be then… that you will smile a little private grin… and then you will do what you trained to do: you will be a public servant. You will, with integrity, professionalism, promptness, and accuracy, serve the public good.