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ZB2FK
 GibraltarERNEST STAGNETTO 74 KINGSWAY HOUSE, ALAMEDA ESTATE, GIBRALTAR, Europe. GX11 1AA Gibraltar [+] Mailing label | ||
Lookups: 167433 Ham Member
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| Email: Use mouse to view.. QSL: DIRECT ONLY ZB2FK / ZG2FK / ZQ2FK & ZB54FK | ||
20140320 2251UTC 14005kHz ZB2FK
Date : 20/Mar/2014 2251UTC
Freq : 14005kHz CW
Rig : SDR(PI4THT)
ANT : Mini-Whip(PAORDT)
PC recording
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I was born in Gibraltar on the 14th April 1948. I was interested in radio from an early age and was a SWL from 1965 to 1979 when I got my A class licence. Those formative SWL years were very important as I learned how to listen, sadly something lacking these days. My first communications receiver was a military surplus R206. A monstrosity my late Father greeted into our home saying "who`s desk do you plan to crush with that ?" It was an impressive heavyweight at 54KG and provided me with a decade of short wave listening. As things were in those days (1977) it took me the better part of two years to get my licence. First study for my City & Guilds Amateur Radio Examination. Then after passing this exam I needed to pass my CW (12 wpm ) at Cable & Wireless. There were no other options like novice or B class it was A class or nothing. I value my licence much more for having had to work hard to get it.
I was a clerk with the Ministry of Defence from 1964 to 1970. First with 224 Sqdn Supply Control & Accounting Flight. South Dispersal at RAF North Front. Later with the R.A.E.C. Command Education Centre at Bleak House Europa Point and then at R.A.F. HQ North Front. I was bored with desk jobs so in 1970 I transferred to the Meteorological Communications Centre as an RTTY operator. Then in 1973 I trained at the Hemsby Radio Sonde Station in Great Yarmouth and started working with the Radio Sonde unit of the Met. Office in Gibraltar. This involved launching weather balloons trailing sondes that would transmit WX data back to the station ( on 27.975 Mhz. would you believe ? ). This data would be computed ( with slide rulers ) to evaluate upper air conditions. Our receivers were the trusty Racals RA17. Antennas were simple GPs & Dipoles.In the 70s our Radio Sondes were the MK2B which used low voltage valves. During the early 80s we were using a German Radio Sonde (Transistorised at last) known as Graw Sonde which transmitted a corrupt form of Morse that was decoded from letters to figures 0-9. Those who knew Morse proper (like myself) had a big problem as the codes conflicted with each other. The solution came from the Graw Sonde itself as the CW was so crude and distorted that on being heard (the human brain being what it is)you would automatically switch to the required decode.
These WX balloons also trailed a Radar Reflector so that with the aid of our Cossor tracking radar we could work out the upper air winds and any Jet Stream data. (no GPS in those days). Annoying occurences with this radar was when it suddenly locked on to a passing aircraft and began to follow it intead of the balloon. As can be imagined and due to the aircraft`s speed the Azimuth / Elevation dials and range readings would go wild. Once the unfortunate operator reacted he would put it on manual and search for the proper target refraining his language as best he could. Once the unwanted signal was removed from the tracking gate a horrendous alarm bell would add to the frustration of the moment. The leg pulling that would ensue from the rest of the shift added considerable insult to injury.
We also operated a Cathode Ray DFing section for thunderstorm detection. This network was known as the Med.Spherics unit and involved Malta , Cyprus and Gibraltar with Callsigns MPU, MKS and MLU respectively. C.W. was used on 13.382 supplemented by 11.662 , 8.126 and 5.045Mhz to keep the observation pips in sync. Bearings, (that were triggered by lightning) would be read off the CR screen and sent by Teleprinter to Bracknell U/K for Triangulation, plotting and subsequent location of Thunderstorms. When Net Flashes (flashes covering the whole screen) were seen you were supposed to send Thunderstorm Overhead and vacate the CRDF Cabin. On a day with suitable WX conditions there was an isolated incident when a renowned joker was caught red handed hiding in an adjacent building shorting a 12v battery whilst wearing a sadistic grin ! ! Another anecdotal occurrence ( this time accidental) I always reminisce about come December was when one bright spark was looking for a place to store two kid`s bikes. Not imagining the consequences he put them in the wooden shed on the roof of the CRDF cabin that housed the two huge LF loop aerials. The steel frames in proximity to the magnetic loops made it impossible to align the equipment the following day when the new shift came on duty so our technician was called out. After a laborious fault finding ritual he narrowed down the fault to the loops (which normally never gave any problems). Can you imagine the sort of rage he errupted into when he made the discovery ? Two bicycles were extricated from the shed and flung off the cabin roof. The culprit met his reprimand with shrugs, apologizing to all and sundry. A hefty padlock was subsequently fitted to the shed door.
With the advent of computers all that fun and it`s department came to a sad ending in 1987 and the Radio Sonde dept. in 1993 so I had to go back to school ( Shinfield Park Met College in Reading ) at the ripe age of 45 to retrain as an observer in the main Met. Office in the Air Traffic Control building at Gibraltar Airport. The only attraction to this transfer was that I would sometimes coincide on shift with my younger brother Wilfred who was one of the forecasters. We had to put up with a certain amount of leg pulling mainly from Air Traffic who`s favourite phrase was " Oh Oh today we are fully dependent on the Stag Brothers ! ! " We still made our Radio Sonde ascents with the Vaisala UHF version albeit from a corner of the Main Office where a computer did the work of a crew of 4. Twelve hour shifts, single manning and watching the Radio Sonde computer executing all sorts of unprofessional manouvers (for which we as humans would have been reprimanded) was far from a joy. During my last 3 years at work I found it quite a struggle to complete my 12 hour shifts.
My nickname in Met circles, family and friends is ( TiTo ).
I am now retired thank God so I have a lot more spare time to play radio. I am a member of the Gibraltar Amateur Radio Society GARS, RSARS No 4200 and also the RSGB. I got married to Helen in 1976 and Paul was born in 1986, unfortunately, like most youngsters these days he is not in the least interested in radio. Helen is a very tolerant XYL who puts up with a radio station in one corner of our living room ( CW is the solution when the TV is on).
I sometimes wonder if my preference for CW is hereditary as my Grand Dad on my Mother`s side was an experienced Telegraphist from the "Old School"
My outdoor activities are boating, fishing and operating / P. One of OUR pastimes is singing. Helen sings soprano and I sing bass. We both sing at three different choirs. The HARMONICS CHOIR, The KING`S CHAPEL SINGERS and the CATHEDRAL CHOIR. ( My Choir nickname is UNCLE MAX ). So you see Helen & Yours trulyDO have a common interest after all ! !
Remember I have been using the Green Stamp method since 1980 and it is EXTREMELYrare for mail to be tampered with. In theVERY RARE CASEof this happening I.R.Cs will also go missing.
PLEASE NOTE= VASILLYRW6HS HAS MY AUTHORITY TO MANAGE THOSE RUSSIAN CONTACTSWHO WISH TO USE HIS FACILITY.
Pile ups, split operations, band conditions , pseudo ZB2FKs and D.I.Y. experts can sometimes give rise to confusion, so, if you have any doubts as to YOUR call being in my LOG ? it is best to make sure by sending me an E mail. Remember I am antiquated and still use paper logs (if they crash by falling off the desk I just pick them up. A simple hassle free action!) so give callsign, date, and time of QSO to be checked. It is NOT pleasant to have to write SORRY NOT IN LOG on a QSL and send it back so a simple E mail could avoid all that.
A POINT TO PONDER ON, IS THE UNIQUE SITUATION OF THIS AREA OF THE WORLD ( THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR ) WHERE YOU HAVE WITHIN SIGHT OF EACH OTHER 4 DIFFERENT PREFIXES. TO THE NORTH GIBRALTAR ( ZB2 ) AND SPAIN (EA7) TO THE SOUTH ACROSS THE STRAITS CEUTA (EA9) AND MOROCCO (CN8). NOT AT A STONE`S THROW BUT CERTAINLY AT SEMAPHORE RANGE.
ERRATA : Your observations are correct there is an A missing in ALAMEDA on the rubber stamp I use on the back of your envelopes. However it seems a pity to destroy it because of that minute error. I think the local Post Office can live with that in the remote event a letter might come back.
DISCLAIMER=TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN = IT IS NOT MY INTENTION TO EMBARRASS OR OFFEND ANYONE WITH WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN IN THIS BIOGRAPHY . IT IS THEREFORE PURE COINCIDENCE IF ANYONE OR ANY GROUP FEELS IDENTIFIED WITH CERTAIN COMMENTS OR SITUATIONS CONTAINED HERE IN. ALL THESE DISSERTATIONS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN IN GOOD FAITH AND HUMOUR IN THE HOPE OF IMPROVING OPERATING STANDARDS AND ADDING SOME COMICAL SPICE TO OUR VALUED HOBBY. THOSE WHO HAVE SENT ME DISGRACEFUL, RUDE, NASTY, AND VICIOUS E MAILS ARE ALL FORGIVEN FOR HAVING DONE SO. AFTER ALL, THESE E MAILS CAN BE REGARDED AS CONFESSIONS OF SOME SORT. NO GENUINE ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS HAVE YET BEEN RECEIVED.
WARNING= STATIONS THAT ATTEMPT TO ALTER THEIR CALLSIGN AFTER THE QSO HAS BEEN INITIATED WILL NOT BE ENTERED IN MY LOG. INDEED ANY CHANGES YOU MAKE TO YOUR CALLDURING OUR QSO WILL IVALIDATE YOUR ENTRY IN MY LOG. I NEVER CALL CQ DX. I JUST CALL CQ ON ITS OWN WHICH MEANS THERE IS NO NEED TO DISGUISE YOURSELF AS A DX STN IN ORDER TO WORK ME. I WORK EVERYONE WITHOUT DISTINCTION, EVEN THOSE ON MY ESTATE IF NEED BE. THEREFORE I FIND IT QUITE INSULTING AND TIME CONSUMING THAT YOU SHOULD TRY AND TRICK ME BY PRETENDING I GOT YOUR CALLSIGN WRONG. IF YOU GO TO THE EXTREME OF GIVING ME AN ATTITUDE I WILL PUT YOUR CALLSIGN ON MY SPECIAL HONOURS LIST. FORTUNATELY IT SPEAKS VOLUMES FOR AMATEUR RADIO THAT THERE ARE ONLY TWO CALLSIGNS ON THIS LIST.
EXPLANATION = FOR THOSE ZB2s /ZB3s WHO HAPPEN TO LIVE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE ROCK (like myself, ZB2B, ZB3R, ZB2CW, ZB2JK, and others)THERE ARE CERTAIN LIMITATIONS BECAUSE THE ROCK SCREENS OUR PATH TO THE EAST. LONG PATH PROPAGATION IS INDEED RARE AND ONLY LASTS FOR VERY SHORT PERIODS WITH MAINLY WEAK SIGNALS. FOR US ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE ROCK IT ISTHE ONLY CHANCE WE GET TO WORK CHINA, JAPAN, KOREA, AUSTRALIA AND ALL THE OTHER COUNTRIES IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD. SO WHEN YOU HEAR US SAY " FAR EAST ONLY " OR "JAPAN ONLY " WE ARE REALLY ASKING EVERYONE ELSE TO RESPECT OUR REQUEST AND NOT TO DESTROY THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WHICH FOR US ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN. I AM CERTAIN A WIDE MAJORITY ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS PECULIAR SITUATION AND THEREFORE TAKE OFFENCE WHEN WE ASK FOR A QRX AS IT COULD BE INTERPRETED AS DISCRIMINATION, SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DISSEMINATE THIS INFORMATION. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY CO-OPERATING WITH ME ON THIS MATTER BECAUSE WITH THEIR HELP I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WORK A GREAT NUMBER OF THESE LONG PATH STNS.
I STILL HAVE SOME QSLs AVAILABLE FOR THE ZB300FK EVENT THAT TOOK PLACE IN 2004. THIS SPECIAL EVENT WAS TO CELEBRATE 300 YEARS OF BRITISH GIBRALTAR 1704 - 2004. IF YOU DID WORK ME AND WANT THE SPECIAL EVENT QSL YOU CAN STILL APPLY NOW. THIS CARD IS IN COLOUR AND BLACK & WHITE, CONTAINS A BRIEF HISTORY AND HAS PHOTOS OF SIX ZB OPERATORS. WHEN I SEE MYSELF IN THERE I CANNOT BELIEVE I HAVE CHANGED SO MUCH. HOW COULD I LOOK SO YOUNG IN THOSE DAYS ?
SPECIAL EVENT CALL ZB2LGT ( LIGHTHOUSE WEEKEND FROM EUROPA POINT )QSLs WILL BE AVAILABLE DIRECT FROM ZB2JK.
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for MARCH 2012 WHY DO SOME PEOPLE KEEP CALLING WHEN I AM IN QSO WITH SOMEONE AND WHEN I FINALLY STRUGGLE TO FINISH AND CALL QRZ THERE IS A DEADLY SILENCE ? ? WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP CALLING WHEN I ONLY WANT AND KEEP REPEATING A SPECIFIC CALLSIGN ? ? WHY IS THIS GUY TELLING ME ABOUT HIS RIGS & WX WHEN HE CAN HEAR ALL THOSE OTHERS CALLING ? ? WHY ARE YOU CALLING CQ VERY NEARLY ON MY FREQUENCY AND CAUSING ME QRM WHEN WE HAVE JUST EXCHANGED 599 RSTs ? ? WHY DON`T YOU ANSWER MY PLEAS FOR A QSY ? ? ARE YOU RISKING BEING STRUCK OFF MY LOG ? ? WHY DON`T I REST MY CASE ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for APRIL 2012 WHY DO SOME " CW FOG HORNS "SEND ME ( ? ? ? ?) WHEN I GIVE THEM A 5 9 5 REPORT ? ? WHY IS IT THAT SOME REPEAT THEIR CALL 4 TIMES DESPITE HAVING HEARD ME COPY IT CORRECTLY FIRST TIME ? ? WHAT HAPPENS TO THESE CALLSIGNS THAT SUDDENLY GROW AN ( I ), (O) OR SOME OTHER LETTER INFRONT OF THE ( K ) OR ( W ) WHEN THEY SIGN OFF ? ? WHY DO I HEAR THESE SPASMODIC STREAMS OF Es OR Ts EVERY TIME THERE ARE MORE THAN 5 STNS CALLING ME ? ? ? COULD IT BE A NEW FORM OF CW CLAPPING OR JEERING PERHAPS ? ? ? SHOULD I LOOSE ANY SLEEP OVER SUCH IRRATIONAL BEHAVIOUR ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for MAY 2012 WHY DO SO MANY STNS. TEST THEIR TRANSMITTERS ON THE CLASSIC BANDS ON SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS ? ? WHY IS IT THAT WHEN YOU LET THEM KNOW THEIR TX IS WORKING OK THEY INCREASE THEIR SPEED TO 40WPM AND GIVE YOU SOME STRANGE NUMBERS AND LETTERS ? ? WHY DOES`NT ANYONE ASK IF THE FREQUENCY IS IN USE ON THE CLASSIC BANDS AT WEEKENDS ? ? WHY ARE THE W. A. R. C. BANDS A REFUGE WHEN THE WEEKLY CHAOS IS UNLEASHED ON THE CLASSIC BANDS ? ? WHY DID THIS GUY GET ANGRY WHEN I JUST SAID "SORRY I AM NOT PART OF THE TESTING PARTY ". IS IT POSSIBLE I AM BEING TOLD TO QSY TO THE W. A. R. C. BANDS JUST BECAUSE I CHOOSE NOT TO BE PART OF THE FRENZY? ? WHY AM I LEFT TONGUE IN CHEEK ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for JUNE 2012 WHY IS THIS STN WITH A 599+20 db SIGNAL TRYING TO WORK ME IF EVIDENTLY HE IS NOT COPYING ME AT ALL ? ? WHY IS IT THAT HE CONTINUES TO CALL CAUSING ME HAVOC WHEN I HAVE RESPONDED WITH A 599 REPORT 5 TIMES ? ? DO THESE STNS FALL INTO THE CATEGORY OF RADIOCROCS ? ? WHAT IS A RADIO CROCODILE ? ? ARE RADIO CROCS STNS WITH BIG MOUTHS AND NO EARS ? ? WHY HAS ONE GOT TO USE CELLOTAPE TO SEAL SOUTH AMERICAN ENVELOPES ? ? WHY DO I HAVE TO KEEP PLEADING TO BE POSTED ON THE CLUSTER ? ? DO YOU THINK I SUFFER FROM INSOMNIA WHEN I CALL CQ AT 0100Z (0300 MY TIME) AND THAT IS WHY YOU DON`T BOTHER TO POST ME ? ? WHY DON`T I LEARN MY LESSON AND NOT DRINK COFFEE UNLESS THERE IS A STEADY STREAM OF TAKERS ? ? IS IT MORE THAN FAIR TO THANK A VERY SMALL MINORITY WHO MAKE MY OPERATIONS RUN WITH FLUIDITY BY HAVING THE COURTESY OF POSTING ME ON THE CLUSTER ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for JULY 2012 WHY IS IT THAT SINCE I WROTE THE EXPLANATION MANY MONTHS AGO I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FILL MY LOGS WITH ZLs, VKs, Js etc. etc. ? ? IS IT BECAUSE THE MAJORITY ARE THANKFULLY TOP NOTCH OPERATORS ? ? WHY AM I SO APPREHENSIVE ABOUT WORKING STNS WITH THE LETTERS ( U P ) IN THEIR SUFFIX ? ? IS IT BECAUSE THE DUTY POLICEMAN CAN TRANSFORM THE WHOLE THING INTO A SPLIT OPERATION IN SECONDS ? ? WHY DO WE HAVE TO WASTE PRECIOUS PROPAGATION TIME ON 6M BY EXCHANGING LOCATORS ? ? IS IT NOT A VALID CONTACT IF STNS DO NOT PASS THEIR RESPECTIVE LOCATORS ? ? WHY DOES MY BLOOD CURDLE WHEN YOU ASK ME MY CALLSIGN AFTER WE HAVE FINISHED OUR QSO ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for AUGUST 2012 WHY DON`T I REMEMBER PROPAGATION ON HF AS POOR AS LATELY ? ? WHEN WILL WE BE OUT OF THE DOLDRUMS ? ? HAS IT COME TO THE POINT OF TRYING TO, RATHER THAN OPERATING ? ? WHY AFTER ALL THESE CARRIER PLAGUED YEARS HAS NO ONE THOUGHT OF ESTABLISHING A "LOADING UP " FREQUENCY / FREQUENCIES FOR EACH BAND ? ? WHY DO YOU INTERRUPT MY QSO WITH THAT RUDE AND PRIMITIVE " WWHHOOOOOOOOOLLLLLAAAAAAAAA" INSTEAD OF GIVING YOUR CALLSIGN ONCE I FINISH ? ? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO TREAT ME TO A SONG BY PLAYING WITH YOUR TUNING CONTROL WHILST TRANSMITTING A CARRIER ON THE FREQUENCY I AM TRYING TO OPERATE ON ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for SEPTEMBER 2012 WHY DO YOU HAVE TO SCRATCH YOUR MIKE BEFORE SPEAKING INTO IT ? ? IS IT PURELY RITUALISTIC OR IS THERE SUCH A THING AS MICROPHONE ECZEMA ? ? WHY DO YOU GIVE YOUR CALL CONTINOUSLY WITHOUT STOPPING EVERY NOW AND THEN TO LISTEN ? ? DO YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE YOU CAN ACTUALLY HEAR ME COMING BACK TO YOU EVEN IF YOU ARE USING FULL BREAK IN ? ? DO THESE INSTANCES INEVITABLY END UP IN CROC TEARS ? ? WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT W3LPL MY FAITHFUL ROBOTIC FRIEND ? ? WHY DO I HAVE TO KEEP WRITING U. S. A. ON YOUR SAEs? ? IS IT NOT RISKY WITH SO MUCH POSTAL CONFUSION TO PUT SUCH THINGS AS (PA 15748) AND HOPE FOR THE BEST ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for OCTOBER 2012 WHY DO I KEEP HEARING THESE CALLSIGNS THAT HAVE NO NUMBERS IN THEM ? ? COULD THEY BE SOME SORT OF CODED MESSAGE DICTATING SOMETHING TO ME ? ? WHY IS IT THAT WHEN I QRS OUT OF COURTESY TO FACILITATE A QSO I START GETTING A SHOWER OF SUPERFLUOUS INFORMATION WHICH INEVITABLY MAKES TEMPERS FRAY AT THE WAITING END ? ? DO WE ALL AGREE QRX MEANS STAND BY ? ? WHY IS IT THAT I CAN GO BLUE IN THE FACE SENDING Q R X AND NO ONE STANDS BY TO LISTEN? ? WHY DO OLD RIGS SMELL DIFFERENT TO MODERN ONES ? ? DOES THAT AROMA OF PAXOLIN & SHELLAC MAKE YOU REMINISCE ABOUT THE DAYS WHEN A RADIO WAS A RADIO ? ? DO THE LATEST TWIN VFO RIGS CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROLIFERATION OF RADIO CROCS ??
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for NOVEMBER 2012 WHY IS IT SOME MEMBERS OF OUR FRATERNITY SEND " CQ DX CQ DX CQ DX CQ DX " FOR EVER AND EVER AND ONE HAS TO WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THE MANDATORY CALLSIGN THAT SOMETIMES NEVER COMES ? ? IS IT ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO WHISTLE INTO YOUR MICROPHONE ? ? WHY AM I SO GLAD I DO NOT OWN A DOG ? ? IS IT NOT A BIT CONFUSING FOR THE POOR ANIMALS ? ? WILL I HAVE TO END UP POSTING MYSELF ON THE CLUSTER OR WOULD THAT BE SEEN AS SINFUL? ? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO REST A HEFTY BRICK ON A MORSE KEY TO ADVERTISE A LINEAR ? ? WHY IS IT I CAN STILL HEAR CW WHEN ALL MY RADIOS ARE SWITCHED OFF ? ? HOW CAN YOU ASK ME TO QSY BAND IN THE MIDDLE OF A PILE UP BECAUSE YOU NEED ZB2 ELSEWHERE ? ? DO YOU NOT HAVE AN ATOM OF CONSIDERTATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE PATIENTLY WAITING TO HAVE THEIR QSO ON THE CURRENT BAND ? ? WHY AM I LEFT IN AWE ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for DECEMBER 2012 WHY IS IT NO ONE TRIES TO SEND A CQ ON A SEEMINGLY DEAD BAND ? ? WHY IS IT THAT A BAND, THAT HAS NO BEACONS, CAN BE OPEN AND NO ONE KNOWS ? ? WHY DON`T WE TUNE AROUND AND LISTEN FOR ANY ACTIVITY OR SEND A TENTATIVE CQ INSTEAD OF DEPENDING ENTIRELY ON THE CLUSTER ? ? HOW WAS IT THERE WAS SO MUCH MORE ACTIVITY ON THE BANDS DURING THOSE CLUSTERLESS YEARS ? ? HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN A HUGE SPLIT OPERATION WITH S9 SIGNALS ON A PORTION OF A BAND AND NOT EVEN A LONE CQ OR QSO ON THE REST OF THE BAND? ? WHY DON`T SOME GM STNS UNDERSTAND WHEN I SAY TO THEM " 73S AND LONG MAY YOUR LUM REEK " ? ? WHY DO FISHING TRAWLERS FROM A NATION (THAT SHALL REMAIN NAMELESS FOR THE MOMENT) HAVE TO USE THE AMATEUR RADIO FREQs, WITH APPARENT IMPUNITY, INSTEAD OF THE MARINE BANDS ? ? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO SEND A STREAM OF ? ? ?s WHEN I GIVE MY CALLSIGN EVERY 2MINS ? ? CANNOT YOU WAIT AND LISTEN LIKE THE OTHERS ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for JANUARY 2013 WILL WE NEED TO PUT PEDALS ON THIS CYCLE SO THAT WE CAN GET TO THE LEVELS EXPECTED ? ? WHY DOES MY DOCTOR ALWAYS ASK ME " ANY PROBLEMS READING YOUR MORSE ? " WHEN I GO FOR MY ROUTINE CHECKS ? ? WHAT SORT OF A MEDICAL QUESTION IS THAT ? ? WHAT DOES HE KNOW ABOUT AMATEUR RADIO ANYWAY OR AM I DETECTING A METHOD IN THE MADNESS ? ? WHY IS IT I SET MY ALARM CLOCK TO ACTIVATE 160M, END TRYING 80M AND FINALLY HAVE TO SETTLE FOR 40M ? ? DOES THE TERM " L I D " IN AMATEUR RADIO MEAN " LATEST INTERFERING DEVIL " OR HAS IT SOMETHING TO DO WITH COVERING YOUR SPEAKER WITH THE LID FROM A TOBACCO TIN ? ?? WHY IS IT I SOMETIMES CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE BACKGROUND WHILST I AM HAVING A QSO ? ? ? HOW CAN YOU SEND ME 599 WHEN I AM IN QSO WITH SOMEONE ELSE AND THEN DASH OFF TO POST ME ON THE CLUSTER WITH " TNX FB QSO" ? ? ? DO THESE "D. I. Y. QSOs" INEVITABLY END IN THE UNPALATABLE NOT IN LOG ? ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for FEBRUARY 2013 WHY IS IT YOU SPOT BEACONS INSTEAD OF ANNOUNCING THEM ? ? HAVE THINGS ADVANCED SO MUCH THAT WE CAN NOW HAVE A QSO WITH A BEACON ? ? WHY IS QRP AND CW THE PERFECT MATCH ? ? HOW CAN A 5W QRP STN. KICK THE BLAZES OUT OF MY *S* METER ? ? WHY DO I INVARIABLY GET THE SAME ANSWER WHEN I ASK ABOUT THE ANTENNA IN USE ? ? DOES A 6 ELEMENT MONOBAND YAGI SOUND FAMILIAR ? ? HOW WAS IT THE LATE GERRY SMITH ZB2GS USED TO WORK VKs & ZLs WITH HOMEBREW ONE WATTERS AND A LOOP ANTENNA ? ? WHY DID THIS CHARMING, VENERABLE MAN ALWAYS SAY " TO QRP OR NOT TO QRP THAT IS THE QUESTION "? ? WHAT DOES A 3 3 9 REPORT REALLY MEAN? ? IS IT NOT DIFFICULT ENOUGH TO MAKE OUT A CALLSIGN AT 4 4 9 ? ? ? WHY IS IT YOU CAN MAKE OUT THAT WEAK SIGNAL AND COMPLETE A QSO BY CANCELLING YOUR A.G.C. ? ? HOW MANY OF US MAKE USE OF THAT MAGIC R. F. GAIN CONTROL ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for MARCH 2013 IS IT NOT TIME WE HAD A (W3LPL) EQUIVALENT FACILITY ON THE EUROPEAN SCENE ? ? WHY IS THERE SO MUCH FUTILE BICKERING ON THE ANNOUNCEMENTS COLUMNS ? ? CAN WE AT LEAST REFRAIN FROM USING THE INTERNATIONAL 4 LETTER WORD LIBERALLY ? ? DID YOU KNOW THIS WORD ORIGINATED IN THE DAYS WHEN IN ENGLAND ONE HAD TO OBTAIN A PERMIT FROM THE KING TO ( F ornicate U nder C onsent of the K ing )? ? ? CAN THE USE OF THE 4 LETTER WORD CONTRIBUTE IN ANY WAY TOWARDS THE ADVANCEMENT OF AMATEUR RADIO ? ? WHAT DO YOU THINK IS EASIER ON YOUR EARS, THE CONTINOUS RUSH OF BAND NOISE OR THE RANDOM HUFFING AND PUFFING OF THE DSP ? ? ? IS IT NOT A COWARDLY, DESPICABLE ACT TO ADOBT SOMEONE ELSE`S CALLSIGN OR A FICTITIOUS ONE IN ORDER TO POST NASTIES ON THE CLUSTER & ANNOUNCEMENTS COLUMNS ? ? ? WHY IS IT I KEEP GETTING E MAILS ASKING FOR SCHEDS ? ? ? HAVE I NOT GIVEN AN APOLOGY AND MADE MYSELF CLEAR IN THE Sorry for the inconvenience LINE ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for JUNE 2013 IF YOU HAD 2 QSOs WITH ME ON CW , ON THE SAME BAND, WHY DO YOU HAVE TO ARGUE ONE OF THEM WAS ON SSB JUST BECAUSE IT SUITS YOU ? ? DO I HAVE TO BE SUBJECTED TO THESE ARGUMENTS BY E MAIL ? ? IS THERE A POSSIBILITY I MAY BE GOING GAGA AND LOGGED 72 QSOs ON CW WHEN THEY WERE SSB ? ? WHY DO I GET SO AGITATED WHEN A PARTICULARSTATION, AFTER HAVING COMPLETED 2 QSOs IN THE SPACE OF 15 MINUTES, COMES BACK AND CALLS ME AGAIN ? ? WHY DO I HAVE TO TELL THE GUY " DO NOT CALL ME AGAIN YOU ARE IN MY LOG TWICE " ? ? WOULD YOU BELIEVE SOME KEEP CALLING AND CAUSING ME QRM THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE OPERATION ? ? WHY IS THERE NEVER A POLICEMAN AROUND WHEN ONE NEEDS ONE ? ? IF YOU ARE A FOG HORN AND DON`T LIKE ME GIVING YOU A 557 REPORT WHY DO YOU SEND ME AN UTTERLY RIDICULOUS AND SPITEFUL 331 ? ? IS QSX NARROW 21015 TOO COMPLICATED TO UNDERSTAND OR JUST NOT USED IN AMATEUR RADIO ? ? WHY IS IT THAT WHEN I MAKE A MISTAKE AND SEND (COR) WITH THE CORRECTED CALLSIGN SOME TAKE OFFENCE AND SEND " ES TU TOO" ? ? IS (COR) NOT ACCEPTABLE IN AMATEUR RADIO ? ? THESE ARE NOT AMATEUR RADIO PROCEEDURES SO WOULD IT BE FAIR TO RETRACT ON THIS ONE ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for JULY 2013 ARE WE SUCH A MINORITY THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC ARE STILL NOT AWARE OF OUR HOBBY ? ? WHEN I OPERATE PORTABLE WHY HAS THE POLICE ALWAYS GOT TO PAY ME A VISIT AND ASK FOR MY LICENCE ? ? WHY DOES THIS KEEN GENTLEMAN IN BLUE HAVE TO INTERRUPT MY OPERATIONS AFTER I HAVE GONE BLUE IN THE FACE TO ATTRACT SOME TAKERS WITH MY 50W ? ? WHY DO I GET SO MANY ? ? ? ? WHEN I SEND " PSE QRX POLICE VISIT " ? WOULD IT BE A GOOD IDEA IN A SMALL PLACE LIKE GIBRALTAR TO ENLIGHTEN THESE DUTY CONCIOUS PEOPLE WITH A LIST OF PROBABLE ( /P ) CALLSIGNS AND A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF OUR ACTIVITIES ? ? WHY IS IT THAT WHEN I ASKED ONE OF THESE GOOD GENTLEMEN " HOW DID YOU KNOW I WAS HERE ? " HE SAID WITH A BROAD SMILE " A LADY REPORTED SOMEONE VERY SUSPICIOUS TAMPERING WITH A BLACK BOX THAT HAD LIGHTS AND MADE LOTS OF WHISTLING NOISES " (GENERAL PUBLIC`S FIRST IMPRESSION OF AN FT857D ! ) CAN ONE ARGUE WITH AN ANSWER LIKE THAT ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for AUGUST 2013 HOW DO YOU THINK I FEEL WHEN AFTER HAVING CALLED CQ FOR SOME TIME YOU TUNE UP ON ME FOR NEARLY A MINUTE BEFORE ANSWERING MY CQ ? ? IS THIS EAR SPLITTING CARRIER SUPPOSED TO RAISE MY MORALE THAT SOMEONE IS ACTUALLY GOING TO CALL ME ? ? WHY DO YOU GET IMPATIENT WHEN I TAKE A FEW SECONDS FOR MY EARS TO RECOVER BEFORE ANSWERING ? ? HAVE YOU CALLED ME BECAUSE W3LPL POSTED ME ON THE CLUSTER ? ? ONCE WE HAVE HAD OUR QSO WHY DON`T YOU POST ME YOURSELF SO THAT OTHER CLUSTER GAZERS REALIZE I AM WORKABLE ? ? HAS THAT BLACK HOLE ON THE SUN HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH CULCUTTA ? ? WHY DO THE PROPAGATION DOLDRUMS ALWAYS COINCIDE WITH THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS ? ? WHY IS THIS TIME OF THE YEAR NOT SUCH A GOOD TIME TO RECRUIT NEW BLOOD INTO OUR HOBBY ? ? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO WRITE MY NAME & ADDRESS ON THE FRONT OF YOUR S.A.E. ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for SEPTEMBER 2013 WHEN YOU WRITE THE DATE OF QSO ON YOUR QSL CARD DO YOU USE DD/MM/YY , MM/DD/YY or even YY/MM/DD ? ? WHY IS IT THAT IF YOU MARK THE DD/MM/YY SEQUENCEYOU USED OVER THE DATE THERE WILL BE NO ROOM FOR CONFUSION ? ? WHY DO I LOVE THOSE WHO WRITE THE FOLLOWING FORMAT e. g. 4th April 2013 ? ? DOES ONE HAVE TO BE IN A CONTEST TO OPERATE ON THE CLASSIC BANDS AT WEEKENDS ? ? WHY DO I BOTHER ASKING IF THE FREQUENCY IS IN USE ? ? HAS THE (QRL ? ?) BEFORE CALLING CQ NOW GONE OUT OF FASHION ? ? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN INITIATING A QSO, HAVING GIVEN HIS CALLSIGN AT LEAST TWICE AND BEFORE HE HAS GIVEN ME HIS REPORT HE MYSTERIOUSLY STOPS SENDING HALF WAY THROUGH HIS THIRD CALLSIGN. COULD THIS BE DUE TO A POWERCUT ? TRANSMITTER FAILURE ? POWER SUPPLY FAILURE ? BLOWING A FUSE ? ANTENNA GOT BLOWN DOWN ? OR HUMAN INDISPOSITION ? WHY AM I SO GLAD WHEN SOME SEND ME AN E MAIL EXPLAINING WHY I WAS LEFT WONDERING AND SENDING "SRRI NIL" ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for OCTOBER 2013 WHY DO YOU HAVE TO SEAL YOUR S.A.E. ? ? WHILST I CAN ALWAYS WRITE AND PROVIDE A NEW ENVELOPE COULD THIS NEW TREND HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH COMPULSIVE LICKING ? ? WHY ARE CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES SO DESTRUCTIVE WHEN IT COMES TO AMATEUR RADIO ANTENNAS ? ? WOULD YOU BELIEVE THEIR LICENCE TO DESTROY READS " ALL FIXTURES SHALL BE REMOVED AND DISPOSED OF WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE AND THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGES INCURRED" ? ? HOW CAN THESE GENTLEMEN DISTINGUISH BETWEEN A V2000 VHF ANTENNA AND A SIMLAR TELECOM ANTENNA CLOSE BY THAT MIRACULOUSLY ESCAPES UNSCATHED ? ? WHY DOES MY HAIR STAND ON END WHEN I HEAR THE SOUND OF THOSE ELECTRIC DISC CUTTERS FROM MY FLAT ? ? HOW COULD I HAVE EVER IMAGINED AGING GRACEFULLY ENTAILED WITNESSING THE SYSTEMATIC DEMISE OF MY PRECIOUS ERECTIONS ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for NOVEMBER 2013 WHY IS THE QSO DATA FROM YOUR PRINTOUT LABEL STUCK TO YOUR QSL CARD GETTING SO SMALL I HAVE HAD TO BUY A POTENT MAGNIFIER IN ORDER TO READ THEM ? ? MY OCCULIST CONFIRMS MY SIGHT IS STILL THE SAME SO WHY IS THE TEXT ON THOSE PRINTOUTS SHRINKING ? ? WHY IS IT THAT WHEN I PROMPTLY TAKE THE TROUBLE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS BY E MAIL 30% ARE BOUNCED BACK OR NOT ACKNOWLEDGED ? ? WHY IS IT THAT IF I WERE TO IGNORE THESE EMAILS I WOULD BE LABELED EVASIVE OR UNSOCIABLE ? ? WHY SHOULD K6VVA`s VIDEO BE ESSENTIAL VIEWING EVEN IF IT IS SLIGHTLY PROTRACTED ? ? WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO TRANSLATE IT INTO AS MANY LANGUAGES AS POSSIBLE SO THAT IT HAS A GLOBAL IMPACT ? ? WHY GO ON SPLIT AS LONG AS YOU CAN MANAGE ON SIMPLEX ? ? WHO IS SILLY BILLY THE QRO BULLY ? ? IS HE THE ONE THAT SLAPS A CARRIER ON ME AND FORCES ME TO GO SPLIT ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for DECEMBER 2013 WHY IS IT NOT SUCH A GOOD IDEA TO SEND QSLs BY POST AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR ? ? CAN ONE ACTUALLY OWN A CERTAIN FREQUENCY AND ALWAYS BE THERE DAY AND NIGHT ? ? CAN YOU ACTUALLY BE STUBBORN ENOUGH NOT TO MOVE THAT DIAL AND GROW ROOTS FOR YEARS ON THAT SAME FREQUENCY ? ? CAN THESE ROOTS BE TRANSLATED INTO KILOWATTS ? ? HOW SHOCKED CAN ONE BECOME LISTENING TO THE ABUSE AND INSULTS SHOWERED UPON THESE RADIO TREES ? ? WHY CANNOT I HELP DETECTING A HINT OF MASOCHISM AMONGST THESE RADIO TREES ? ? DO THESE RADIO TREES SHED THEIR TX OR LINEAR FINALS IN AUTUMN ? ? IF WE WERE TO SHOWER THESE RADIO TREES WITH GREETINGS AT CHRISTMAS COULD THEY BECOME OUR RADIO CHRISTMAS TREES AND GIVE OUR BANDS A FESTIVE SPIRIT ? ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for JANUARY 2014WHAT IS THE REASON FOR AN AVALANCHE OF QSL CARD REQUESTS FOR QSOs FROM THE 80s ALL OF A SUDDEN ? ? HAVE I NOT HEARD SOMETHING I SHOULD HAVE IN CONNECTION WITH THIS ONSLAUGHT ? ? COULD THIS BE AN ENIGMA SIMILAR TO OUR PROPAGATION CYCLE MAX ? ? WHY IS IT THAT WHEN I SEND CQ AT 0100 LOCAL AND GET ONE RESPONSE EVERY 5mins I SEND STREAMS OF Z Z Z Z Z Zs ? ? WHY DO I HAVE TO BURN MY FOREHEAD ON THE LAMP SHADE BEFORE I PULL THE BIG SWITCH ? ? COULD THIS BE SENILITY OR SHEER BOREDOM ? ? WHY ARE LIDFESTATIONS MORE ACUTE ON OUR BANDS DURING JANUARY AND FEBRUARY ? ? COULD IT BE THE WINTER BLUES, THE AFTERMATH OF OVER INDULGENCE, THE SWINE FLU, OR PERHAPS GETTING TO GRIPS WITH THE LATEST BLACK BOX CHRISTMAS PRESENT ?? ?
Hope all the above information has been of some interest. 73s and 88s where applicable, & BCNU all on the bands.
I was a clerk with the Ministry of Defence from 1964 to 1970. First with 224 Sqdn Supply Control & Accounting Flight. South Dispersal at RAF North Front. Later with the R.A.E.C. Command Education Centre at Bleak House Europa Point and then at R.A.F. HQ North Front. I was bored with desk jobs so in 1970 I transferred to the Meteorological Communications Centre as an RTTY operator. Then in 1973 I trained at the Hemsby Radio Sonde Station in Great Yarmouth and started working with the Radio Sonde unit of the Met. Office in Gibraltar. This involved launching weather balloons trailing sondes that would transmit WX data back to the station ( on 27.975 Mhz. would you believe ? ). This data would be computed ( with slide rulers ) to evaluate upper air conditions. Our receivers were the trusty Racals RA17. Antennas were simple GPs & Dipoles.In the 70s our Radio Sondes were the MK2B which used low voltage valves. During the early 80s we were using a German Radio Sonde (Transistorised at last) known as Graw Sonde which transmitted a corrupt form of Morse that was decoded from letters to figures 0-9. Those who knew Morse proper (like myself) had a big problem as the codes conflicted with each other. The solution came from the Graw Sonde itself as the CW was so crude and distorted that on being heard (the human brain being what it is)you would automatically switch to the required decode.
These WX balloons also trailed a Radar Reflector so that with the aid of our Cossor tracking radar we could work out the upper air winds and any Jet Stream data. (no GPS in those days). Annoying occurences with this radar was when it suddenly locked on to a passing aircraft and began to follow it intead of the balloon. As can be imagined and due to the aircraft`s speed the Azimuth / Elevation dials and range readings would go wild. Once the unfortunate operator reacted he would put it on manual and search for the proper target refraining his language as best he could. Once the unwanted signal was removed from the tracking gate a horrendous alarm bell would add to the frustration of the moment. The leg pulling that would ensue from the rest of the shift added considerable insult to injury.
We also operated a Cathode Ray DFing section for thunderstorm detection. This network was known as the Med.Spherics unit and involved Malta , Cyprus and Gibraltar with Callsigns MPU, MKS and MLU respectively. C.W. was used on 13.382 supplemented by 11.662 , 8.126 and 5.045Mhz to keep the observation pips in sync. Bearings, (that were triggered by lightning) would be read off the CR screen and sent by Teleprinter to Bracknell U/K for Triangulation, plotting and subsequent location of Thunderstorms. When Net Flashes (flashes covering the whole screen) were seen you were supposed to send Thunderstorm Overhead and vacate the CRDF Cabin. On a day with suitable WX conditions there was an isolated incident when a renowned joker was caught red handed hiding in an adjacent building shorting a 12v battery whilst wearing a sadistic grin ! ! Another anecdotal occurrence ( this time accidental) I always reminisce about come December was when one bright spark was looking for a place to store two kid`s bikes. Not imagining the consequences he put them in the wooden shed on the roof of the CRDF cabin that housed the two huge LF loop aerials. The steel frames in proximity to the magnetic loops made it impossible to align the equipment the following day when the new shift came on duty so our technician was called out. After a laborious fault finding ritual he narrowed down the fault to the loops (which normally never gave any problems). Can you imagine the sort of rage he errupted into when he made the discovery ? Two bicycles were extricated from the shed and flung off the cabin roof. The culprit met his reprimand with shrugs, apologizing to all and sundry. A hefty padlock was subsequently fitted to the shed door.
With the advent of computers all that fun and it`s department came to a sad ending in 1987 and the Radio Sonde dept. in 1993 so I had to go back to school ( Shinfield Park Met College in Reading ) at the ripe age of 45 to retrain as an observer in the main Met. Office in the Air Traffic Control building at Gibraltar Airport. The only attraction to this transfer was that I would sometimes coincide on shift with my younger brother Wilfred who was one of the forecasters. We had to put up with a certain amount of leg pulling mainly from Air Traffic who`s favourite phrase was " Oh Oh today we are fully dependent on the Stag Brothers ! ! " We still made our Radio Sonde ascents with the Vaisala UHF version albeit from a corner of the Main Office where a computer did the work of a crew of 4. Twelve hour shifts, single manning and watching the Radio Sonde computer executing all sorts of unprofessional manouvers (for which we as humans would have been reprimanded) was far from a joy. During my last 3 years at work I found it quite a struggle to complete my 12 hour shifts.
My nickname in Met circles, family and friends is ( TiTo ).
I am now retired thank God so I have a lot more spare time to play radio. I am a member of the Gibraltar Amateur Radio Society GARS, RSARS No 4200 and also the RSGB. I got married to Helen in 1976 and Paul was born in 1986, unfortunately, like most youngsters these days he is not in the least interested in radio. Helen is a very tolerant XYL who puts up with a radio station in one corner of our living room ( CW is the solution when the TV is on).
I sometimes wonder if my preference for CW is hereditary as my Grand Dad on my Mother`s side was an experienced Telegraphist from the "Old School"
My outdoor activities are boating, fishing and operating / P. One of OUR pastimes is singing. Helen sings soprano and I sing bass. We both sing at three different choirs. The HARMONICS CHOIR, The KING`S CHAPEL SINGERS and the CATHEDRAL CHOIR. ( My Choir nickname is UNCLE MAX ). So you see Helen & Yours trulyDO have a common interest after all ! !
Q S L IN F O R M A T I O N.
I do NOT collect QSL cards but for those who might need mine for DXCC or other awards(SHORT WAVE LISTENERS INCLUDED) I advise them to use the direct system ONLY, with A SELF ADDRESSED ENVELOPE + ONE DOLLAR FOREUROPE AND U/KOR TWO DOLLARS FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD.
Any QSLs received without the correct return postage cover in green stamps as specified above will be swiftly vectored into file 13 (which is a Jimmy ZB2BL original) (OR THE RUBBISH BIN TO YOU AND ME ).
IF YOU FIND IT TOTALLY IRRESISTIBLE TO USE I. R. C.s instead of green stamps make sure they are stamped on the left hand side and that they are NOT THE ONES THAT EXPIRED 31/12/13 AS THEY ARE WORTHLESS TO ME.Remember I have been using the Green Stamp method since 1980 and it is EXTREMELYrare for mail to be tampered with. In theVERY RARE CASEof this happening I.R.Cs will also go missing.
DO NOT LIST QSOs FOR WHICH QSLs HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN SENT AS I THINK THEY ARE FIRST TIME REQUESTS AND AFTER DIGGING THROUGH THE OLD LOG BOOKS I FIND THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN SENT TO YOU YEARS AGO !GGRRRRRR INFURIATING ! .
Please limit yourself to 6 QSOs per envelope, (the record stands at 27 , some of which were PURELY IMAGINARY OR D.I.Y. TYPEwith lots of duplicate bands and repeats). I WILL NOT QSL MORE THAN ONE QSO ON THE SAME BAND OTHER THAN ON DIFFERENT MODES OR CALLSIGNS e.g. ZG2, ZB54 etc.etc. PLEASE ALLOW 28 DAYS FOR A REPLY.TYPICALLY IT TAKES ABOUT 3 WEEKS. IF 2 MONTHS GO BY WITHOUT AN ANSWER PLEASE SEND ME AN E MAIL SO I CAN CHECK YOUR STATUS IN MY LOG.
SPECIAL PREFIX UEFA = THE ZB54 PREFIX, HENCE (ZB54FK) HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE GIBRALTAR REGULATORY AUTHORITY (GRA) 29/5/13 UNTIL THE 27TH JUNE 2013 IN ORDER TO CELEBRATE THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE GIBRALTAR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (GFA) AS THE 54TH MEMBER OF U. E. F. A. SUITABLE QSLs WILL BE PRINTED FOR THIS HISTORIC OCCASION AND THE SAME DIRECT ONLY CONDITIONS WILL APPLY.PLEASE NOTE= VASILLYRW6HS HAS MY AUTHORITY TO MANAGE THOSE RUSSIAN CONTACTSWHO WISH TO USE HIS FACILITY.
Pile ups, split operations, band conditions , pseudo ZB2FKs and D.I.Y. experts can sometimes give rise to confusion, so, if you have any doubts as to YOUR call being in my LOG ? it is best to make sure by sending me an E mail. Remember I am antiquated and still use paper logs (if they crash by falling off the desk I just pick them up. A simple hassle free action!) so give callsign, date, and time of QSO to be checked. It is NOT pleasant to have to write SORRY NOT IN LOG on a QSL and send it back so a simple E mail could avoid all that.
Sorry for the inconvenience this might cause to S O M E but I do NOT consider THE BUREAU,SCHEDS, E QSLs or the use of LOTW
DURING PORTABLE OPERATIONS ZB2FK/P IS USED.
FT 857d RUNNING 40W FROM A POWERPACK AND THE ATAS 120A (operations from the East side of the Rock (close to the sea) have produced short path QSOs with Japan, The Phillipines, China and other Far East countries). If you notice fluctuations in my tone please let me know as sometimes my battery pack is low and I am not aware of it.
ZG2FK OPERATIONS
The Special Prefix ZG2 / ZG3 is only authorised by the GRA (Gibraltar Regulatory Authority) once a year in September. You will only be able to work ZG2FK during National Day week. From the 4th TO 11th Sept. Nat. Day being 10th September.
CURRENT EQUIPMENT = FT 2000d & Hygain 14AVQ VERTICAL Rendered unserviceable , INV V DIPOLE FOR 80M & HF (The only operational antenna that has survived the Constructors Destruction ! ! ), LONG WIRE SLOPER FOR HF including TOPBAND Rendered unserviceable fed at 100ft with a Nevada 9-1 Balun. V2000VERT for 6m Rendered unserviceable. FT 857d and ATAS 120A for /P OPS. The rest are boat anchors that are kept operational by being fired up every now and then. My favourite is the Yaesu FT101B on CW and the Kenwood TS520s on SSB.A POINT TO PONDER ON, IS THE UNIQUE SITUATION OF THIS AREA OF THE WORLD ( THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR ) WHERE YOU HAVE WITHIN SIGHT OF EACH OTHER 4 DIFFERENT PREFIXES. TO THE NORTH GIBRALTAR ( ZB2 ) AND SPAIN (EA7) TO THE SOUTH ACROSS THE STRAITS CEUTA (EA9) AND MOROCCO (CN8). NOT AT A STONE`S THROW BUT CERTAINLY AT SEMAPHORE RANGE.
ERRATA : Your observations are correct there is an A missing in ALAMEDA on the rubber stamp I use on the back of your envelopes. However it seems a pity to destroy it because of that minute error. I think the local Post Office can live with that in the remote event a letter might come back.
DISCLAIMER=TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN = IT IS NOT MY INTENTION TO EMBARRASS OR OFFEND ANYONE WITH WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN IN THIS BIOGRAPHY . IT IS THEREFORE PURE COINCIDENCE IF ANYONE OR ANY GROUP FEELS IDENTIFIED WITH CERTAIN COMMENTS OR SITUATIONS CONTAINED HERE IN. ALL THESE DISSERTATIONS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN IN GOOD FAITH AND HUMOUR IN THE HOPE OF IMPROVING OPERATING STANDARDS AND ADDING SOME COMICAL SPICE TO OUR VALUED HOBBY. THOSE WHO HAVE SENT ME DISGRACEFUL, RUDE, NASTY, AND VICIOUS E MAILS ARE ALL FORGIVEN FOR HAVING DONE SO. AFTER ALL, THESE E MAILS CAN BE REGARDED AS CONFESSIONS OF SOME SORT. NO GENUINE ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS HAVE YET BEEN RECEIVED.
WARNING= STATIONS THAT ATTEMPT TO ALTER THEIR CALLSIGN AFTER THE QSO HAS BEEN INITIATED WILL NOT BE ENTERED IN MY LOG. INDEED ANY CHANGES YOU MAKE TO YOUR CALLDURING OUR QSO WILL IVALIDATE YOUR ENTRY IN MY LOG. I NEVER CALL CQ DX. I JUST CALL CQ ON ITS OWN WHICH MEANS THERE IS NO NEED TO DISGUISE YOURSELF AS A DX STN IN ORDER TO WORK ME. I WORK EVERYONE WITHOUT DISTINCTION, EVEN THOSE ON MY ESTATE IF NEED BE. THEREFORE I FIND IT QUITE INSULTING AND TIME CONSUMING THAT YOU SHOULD TRY AND TRICK ME BY PRETENDING I GOT YOUR CALLSIGN WRONG. IF YOU GO TO THE EXTREME OF GIVING ME AN ATTITUDE I WILL PUT YOUR CALLSIGN ON MY SPECIAL HONOURS LIST. FORTUNATELY IT SPEAKS VOLUMES FOR AMATEUR RADIO THAT THERE ARE ONLY TWO CALLSIGNS ON THIS LIST.
EXPLANATION = FOR THOSE ZB2s /ZB3s WHO HAPPEN TO LIVE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE ROCK (like myself, ZB2B, ZB3R, ZB2CW, ZB2JK, and others)THERE ARE CERTAIN LIMITATIONS BECAUSE THE ROCK SCREENS OUR PATH TO THE EAST. LONG PATH PROPAGATION IS INDEED RARE AND ONLY LASTS FOR VERY SHORT PERIODS WITH MAINLY WEAK SIGNALS. FOR US ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE ROCK IT ISTHE ONLY CHANCE WE GET TO WORK CHINA, JAPAN, KOREA, AUSTRALIA AND ALL THE OTHER COUNTRIES IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD. SO WHEN YOU HEAR US SAY " FAR EAST ONLY " OR "JAPAN ONLY " WE ARE REALLY ASKING EVERYONE ELSE TO RESPECT OUR REQUEST AND NOT TO DESTROY THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WHICH FOR US ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN. I AM CERTAIN A WIDE MAJORITY ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS PECULIAR SITUATION AND THEREFORE TAKE OFFENCE WHEN WE ASK FOR A QRX AS IT COULD BE INTERPRETED AS DISCRIMINATION, SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DISSEMINATE THIS INFORMATION. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY CO-OPERATING WITH ME ON THIS MATTER BECAUSE WITH THEIR HELP I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WORK A GREAT NUMBER OF THESE LONG PATH STNS.
REQUEST = PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY MESSAGES FOR ME TO OPEN AT THE HEADING OF THIS WEBPAGE. PLEASE BE KIND ENOUGH TO USE MY E MAIL SUPPLIED FOR ANY POSITIVE / NEGATIVE FEEDBACK, INQUIRIES OR EVEN INSULTS YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR ME.
SPECIAL PREFIX * * * Z Q 2WAS AUTHORIZED BY THE G.R.A. FOR THE DIAMOND JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS OF HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH 2nd. FROM 0000Z 5th MAY TO 2359Z 10th JUNE2012FOR THOSE WHO WORKED Z Q 2 F K A SPECIAL QSL FOR THIS HISTORICAL OCCASION IS NOW AVAILABLE. SAME DIRECT CONDITIONS APPLY.I STILL HAVE SOME QSLs AVAILABLE FOR THE ZB300FK EVENT THAT TOOK PLACE IN 2004. THIS SPECIAL EVENT WAS TO CELEBRATE 300 YEARS OF BRITISH GIBRALTAR 1704 - 2004. IF YOU DID WORK ME AND WANT THE SPECIAL EVENT QSL YOU CAN STILL APPLY NOW. THIS CARD IS IN COLOUR AND BLACK & WHITE, CONTAINS A BRIEF HISTORY AND HAS PHOTOS OF SIX ZB OPERATORS. WHEN I SEE MYSELF IN THERE I CANNOT BELIEVE I HAVE CHANGED SO MUCH. HOW COULD I LOOK SO YOUNG IN THOSE DAYS ?
SPECIAL EVENT CALL ZB2LGT ( LIGHTHOUSE WEEKEND FROM EUROPA POINT )QSLs WILL BE AVAILABLE DIRECT FROM ZB2JK.
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for MARCH 2012 WHY DO SOME PEOPLE KEEP CALLING WHEN I AM IN QSO WITH SOMEONE AND WHEN I FINALLY STRUGGLE TO FINISH AND CALL QRZ THERE IS A DEADLY SILENCE ? ? WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP CALLING WHEN I ONLY WANT AND KEEP REPEATING A SPECIFIC CALLSIGN ? ? WHY IS THIS GUY TELLING ME ABOUT HIS RIGS & WX WHEN HE CAN HEAR ALL THOSE OTHERS CALLING ? ? WHY ARE YOU CALLING CQ VERY NEARLY ON MY FREQUENCY AND CAUSING ME QRM WHEN WE HAVE JUST EXCHANGED 599 RSTs ? ? WHY DON`T YOU ANSWER MY PLEAS FOR A QSY ? ? ARE YOU RISKING BEING STRUCK OFF MY LOG ? ? WHY DON`T I REST MY CASE ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for APRIL 2012 WHY DO SOME " CW FOG HORNS "SEND ME ( ? ? ? ?) WHEN I GIVE THEM A 5 9 5 REPORT ? ? WHY IS IT THAT SOME REPEAT THEIR CALL 4 TIMES DESPITE HAVING HEARD ME COPY IT CORRECTLY FIRST TIME ? ? WHAT HAPPENS TO THESE CALLSIGNS THAT SUDDENLY GROW AN ( I ), (O) OR SOME OTHER LETTER INFRONT OF THE ( K ) OR ( W ) WHEN THEY SIGN OFF ? ? WHY DO I HEAR THESE SPASMODIC STREAMS OF Es OR Ts EVERY TIME THERE ARE MORE THAN 5 STNS CALLING ME ? ? ? COULD IT BE A NEW FORM OF CW CLAPPING OR JEERING PERHAPS ? ? ? SHOULD I LOOSE ANY SLEEP OVER SUCH IRRATIONAL BEHAVIOUR ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for MAY 2012 WHY DO SO MANY STNS. TEST THEIR TRANSMITTERS ON THE CLASSIC BANDS ON SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS ? ? WHY IS IT THAT WHEN YOU LET THEM KNOW THEIR TX IS WORKING OK THEY INCREASE THEIR SPEED TO 40WPM AND GIVE YOU SOME STRANGE NUMBERS AND LETTERS ? ? WHY DOES`NT ANYONE ASK IF THE FREQUENCY IS IN USE ON THE CLASSIC BANDS AT WEEKENDS ? ? WHY ARE THE W. A. R. C. BANDS A REFUGE WHEN THE WEEKLY CHAOS IS UNLEASHED ON THE CLASSIC BANDS ? ? WHY DID THIS GUY GET ANGRY WHEN I JUST SAID "SORRY I AM NOT PART OF THE TESTING PARTY ". IS IT POSSIBLE I AM BEING TOLD TO QSY TO THE W. A. R. C. BANDS JUST BECAUSE I CHOOSE NOT TO BE PART OF THE FRENZY? ? WHY AM I LEFT TONGUE IN CHEEK ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for JUNE 2012 WHY IS THIS STN WITH A 599+20 db SIGNAL TRYING TO WORK ME IF EVIDENTLY HE IS NOT COPYING ME AT ALL ? ? WHY IS IT THAT HE CONTINUES TO CALL CAUSING ME HAVOC WHEN I HAVE RESPONDED WITH A 599 REPORT 5 TIMES ? ? DO THESE STNS FALL INTO THE CATEGORY OF RADIOCROCS ? ? WHAT IS A RADIO CROCODILE ? ? ARE RADIO CROCS STNS WITH BIG MOUTHS AND NO EARS ? ? WHY HAS ONE GOT TO USE CELLOTAPE TO SEAL SOUTH AMERICAN ENVELOPES ? ? WHY DO I HAVE TO KEEP PLEADING TO BE POSTED ON THE CLUSTER ? ? DO YOU THINK I SUFFER FROM INSOMNIA WHEN I CALL CQ AT 0100Z (0300 MY TIME) AND THAT IS WHY YOU DON`T BOTHER TO POST ME ? ? WHY DON`T I LEARN MY LESSON AND NOT DRINK COFFEE UNLESS THERE IS A STEADY STREAM OF TAKERS ? ? IS IT MORE THAN FAIR TO THANK A VERY SMALL MINORITY WHO MAKE MY OPERATIONS RUN WITH FLUIDITY BY HAVING THE COURTESY OF POSTING ME ON THE CLUSTER ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for JULY 2012 WHY IS IT THAT SINCE I WROTE THE EXPLANATION MANY MONTHS AGO I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FILL MY LOGS WITH ZLs, VKs, Js etc. etc. ? ? IS IT BECAUSE THE MAJORITY ARE THANKFULLY TOP NOTCH OPERATORS ? ? WHY AM I SO APPREHENSIVE ABOUT WORKING STNS WITH THE LETTERS ( U P ) IN THEIR SUFFIX ? ? IS IT BECAUSE THE DUTY POLICEMAN CAN TRANSFORM THE WHOLE THING INTO A SPLIT OPERATION IN SECONDS ? ? WHY DO WE HAVE TO WASTE PRECIOUS PROPAGATION TIME ON 6M BY EXCHANGING LOCATORS ? ? IS IT NOT A VALID CONTACT IF STNS DO NOT PASS THEIR RESPECTIVE LOCATORS ? ? WHY DOES MY BLOOD CURDLE WHEN YOU ASK ME MY CALLSIGN AFTER WE HAVE FINISHED OUR QSO ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for AUGUST 2012 WHY DON`T I REMEMBER PROPAGATION ON HF AS POOR AS LATELY ? ? WHEN WILL WE BE OUT OF THE DOLDRUMS ? ? HAS IT COME TO THE POINT OF TRYING TO, RATHER THAN OPERATING ? ? WHY AFTER ALL THESE CARRIER PLAGUED YEARS HAS NO ONE THOUGHT OF ESTABLISHING A "LOADING UP " FREQUENCY / FREQUENCIES FOR EACH BAND ? ? WHY DO YOU INTERRUPT MY QSO WITH THAT RUDE AND PRIMITIVE " WWHHOOOOOOOOOLLLLLAAAAAAAAA" INSTEAD OF GIVING YOUR CALLSIGN ONCE I FINISH ? ? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO TREAT ME TO A SONG BY PLAYING WITH YOUR TUNING CONTROL WHILST TRANSMITTING A CARRIER ON THE FREQUENCY I AM TRYING TO OPERATE ON ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for SEPTEMBER 2012 WHY DO YOU HAVE TO SCRATCH YOUR MIKE BEFORE SPEAKING INTO IT ? ? IS IT PURELY RITUALISTIC OR IS THERE SUCH A THING AS MICROPHONE ECZEMA ? ? WHY DO YOU GIVE YOUR CALL CONTINOUSLY WITHOUT STOPPING EVERY NOW AND THEN TO LISTEN ? ? DO YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE YOU CAN ACTUALLY HEAR ME COMING BACK TO YOU EVEN IF YOU ARE USING FULL BREAK IN ? ? DO THESE INSTANCES INEVITABLY END UP IN CROC TEARS ? ? WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT W3LPL MY FAITHFUL ROBOTIC FRIEND ? ? WHY DO I HAVE TO KEEP WRITING U. S. A. ON YOUR SAEs? ? IS IT NOT RISKY WITH SO MUCH POSTAL CONFUSION TO PUT SUCH THINGS AS (PA 15748) AND HOPE FOR THE BEST ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for OCTOBER 2012 WHY DO I KEEP HEARING THESE CALLSIGNS THAT HAVE NO NUMBERS IN THEM ? ? COULD THEY BE SOME SORT OF CODED MESSAGE DICTATING SOMETHING TO ME ? ? WHY IS IT THAT WHEN I QRS OUT OF COURTESY TO FACILITATE A QSO I START GETTING A SHOWER OF SUPERFLUOUS INFORMATION WHICH INEVITABLY MAKES TEMPERS FRAY AT THE WAITING END ? ? DO WE ALL AGREE QRX MEANS STAND BY ? ? WHY IS IT THAT I CAN GO BLUE IN THE FACE SENDING Q R X AND NO ONE STANDS BY TO LISTEN? ? WHY DO OLD RIGS SMELL DIFFERENT TO MODERN ONES ? ? DOES THAT AROMA OF PAXOLIN & SHELLAC MAKE YOU REMINISCE ABOUT THE DAYS WHEN A RADIO WAS A RADIO ? ? DO THE LATEST TWIN VFO RIGS CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROLIFERATION OF RADIO CROCS ??
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for NOVEMBER 2012 WHY IS IT SOME MEMBERS OF OUR FRATERNITY SEND " CQ DX CQ DX CQ DX CQ DX " FOR EVER AND EVER AND ONE HAS TO WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THE MANDATORY CALLSIGN THAT SOMETIMES NEVER COMES ? ? IS IT ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO WHISTLE INTO YOUR MICROPHONE ? ? WHY AM I SO GLAD I DO NOT OWN A DOG ? ? IS IT NOT A BIT CONFUSING FOR THE POOR ANIMALS ? ? WILL I HAVE TO END UP POSTING MYSELF ON THE CLUSTER OR WOULD THAT BE SEEN AS SINFUL? ? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO REST A HEFTY BRICK ON A MORSE KEY TO ADVERTISE A LINEAR ? ? WHY IS IT I CAN STILL HEAR CW WHEN ALL MY RADIOS ARE SWITCHED OFF ? ? HOW CAN YOU ASK ME TO QSY BAND IN THE MIDDLE OF A PILE UP BECAUSE YOU NEED ZB2 ELSEWHERE ? ? DO YOU NOT HAVE AN ATOM OF CONSIDERTATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE PATIENTLY WAITING TO HAVE THEIR QSO ON THE CURRENT BAND ? ? WHY AM I LEFT IN AWE ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for DECEMBER 2012 WHY IS IT NO ONE TRIES TO SEND A CQ ON A SEEMINGLY DEAD BAND ? ? WHY IS IT THAT A BAND, THAT HAS NO BEACONS, CAN BE OPEN AND NO ONE KNOWS ? ? WHY DON`T WE TUNE AROUND AND LISTEN FOR ANY ACTIVITY OR SEND A TENTATIVE CQ INSTEAD OF DEPENDING ENTIRELY ON THE CLUSTER ? ? HOW WAS IT THERE WAS SO MUCH MORE ACTIVITY ON THE BANDS DURING THOSE CLUSTERLESS YEARS ? ? HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN A HUGE SPLIT OPERATION WITH S9 SIGNALS ON A PORTION OF A BAND AND NOT EVEN A LONE CQ OR QSO ON THE REST OF THE BAND? ? WHY DON`T SOME GM STNS UNDERSTAND WHEN I SAY TO THEM " 73S AND LONG MAY YOUR LUM REEK " ? ? WHY DO FISHING TRAWLERS FROM A NATION (THAT SHALL REMAIN NAMELESS FOR THE MOMENT) HAVE TO USE THE AMATEUR RADIO FREQs, WITH APPARENT IMPUNITY, INSTEAD OF THE MARINE BANDS ? ? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO SEND A STREAM OF ? ? ?s WHEN I GIVE MY CALLSIGN EVERY 2MINS ? ? CANNOT YOU WAIT AND LISTEN LIKE THE OTHERS ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for JANUARY 2013 WILL WE NEED TO PUT PEDALS ON THIS CYCLE SO THAT WE CAN GET TO THE LEVELS EXPECTED ? ? WHY DOES MY DOCTOR ALWAYS ASK ME " ANY PROBLEMS READING YOUR MORSE ? " WHEN I GO FOR MY ROUTINE CHECKS ? ? WHAT SORT OF A MEDICAL QUESTION IS THAT ? ? WHAT DOES HE KNOW ABOUT AMATEUR RADIO ANYWAY OR AM I DETECTING A METHOD IN THE MADNESS ? ? WHY IS IT I SET MY ALARM CLOCK TO ACTIVATE 160M, END TRYING 80M AND FINALLY HAVE TO SETTLE FOR 40M ? ? DOES THE TERM " L I D " IN AMATEUR RADIO MEAN " LATEST INTERFERING DEVIL " OR HAS IT SOMETHING TO DO WITH COVERING YOUR SPEAKER WITH THE LID FROM A TOBACCO TIN ? ?? WHY IS IT I SOMETIMES CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE BACKGROUND WHILST I AM HAVING A QSO ? ? ? HOW CAN YOU SEND ME 599 WHEN I AM IN QSO WITH SOMEONE ELSE AND THEN DASH OFF TO POST ME ON THE CLUSTER WITH " TNX FB QSO" ? ? ? DO THESE "D. I. Y. QSOs" INEVITABLY END IN THE UNPALATABLE NOT IN LOG ? ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for FEBRUARY 2013 WHY IS IT YOU SPOT BEACONS INSTEAD OF ANNOUNCING THEM ? ? HAVE THINGS ADVANCED SO MUCH THAT WE CAN NOW HAVE A QSO WITH A BEACON ? ? WHY IS QRP AND CW THE PERFECT MATCH ? ? HOW CAN A 5W QRP STN. KICK THE BLAZES OUT OF MY *S* METER ? ? WHY DO I INVARIABLY GET THE SAME ANSWER WHEN I ASK ABOUT THE ANTENNA IN USE ? ? DOES A 6 ELEMENT MONOBAND YAGI SOUND FAMILIAR ? ? HOW WAS IT THE LATE GERRY SMITH ZB2GS USED TO WORK VKs & ZLs WITH HOMEBREW ONE WATTERS AND A LOOP ANTENNA ? ? WHY DID THIS CHARMING, VENERABLE MAN ALWAYS SAY " TO QRP OR NOT TO QRP THAT IS THE QUESTION "? ? WHAT DOES A 3 3 9 REPORT REALLY MEAN? ? IS IT NOT DIFFICULT ENOUGH TO MAKE OUT A CALLSIGN AT 4 4 9 ? ? ? WHY IS IT YOU CAN MAKE OUT THAT WEAK SIGNAL AND COMPLETE A QSO BY CANCELLING YOUR A.G.C. ? ? HOW MANY OF US MAKE USE OF THAT MAGIC R. F. GAIN CONTROL ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for MARCH 2013 IS IT NOT TIME WE HAD A (W3LPL) EQUIVALENT FACILITY ON THE EUROPEAN SCENE ? ? WHY IS THERE SO MUCH FUTILE BICKERING ON THE ANNOUNCEMENTS COLUMNS ? ? CAN WE AT LEAST REFRAIN FROM USING THE INTERNATIONAL 4 LETTER WORD LIBERALLY ? ? DID YOU KNOW THIS WORD ORIGINATED IN THE DAYS WHEN IN ENGLAND ONE HAD TO OBTAIN A PERMIT FROM THE KING TO ( F ornicate U nder C onsent of the K ing )? ? ? CAN THE USE OF THE 4 LETTER WORD CONTRIBUTE IN ANY WAY TOWARDS THE ADVANCEMENT OF AMATEUR RADIO ? ? WHAT DO YOU THINK IS EASIER ON YOUR EARS, THE CONTINOUS RUSH OF BAND NOISE OR THE RANDOM HUFFING AND PUFFING OF THE DSP ? ? ? IS IT NOT A COWARDLY, DESPICABLE ACT TO ADOBT SOMEONE ELSE`S CALLSIGN OR A FICTITIOUS ONE IN ORDER TO POST NASTIES ON THE CLUSTER & ANNOUNCEMENTS COLUMNS ? ? ? WHY IS IT I KEEP GETTING E MAILS ASKING FOR SCHEDS ? ? ? HAVE I NOT GIVEN AN APOLOGY AND MADE MYSELF CLEAR IN THE Sorry for the inconvenience LINE ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for APRIL 2013 WHEN YOU SEND ME A QSL REQUEST WHY DON`T YOU TICK OR UNDERLINE THE PERTINENT CALLSIGN FROM THE MULTITUDE OF CALLSIGNS ON YOUR CARD ? ? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHICH CALLSIGN YOU USED TO MAKE THE CONTACT ON THAT DAY ? ? AFTER CALLING CQ FOR THE BETTER PART OF 10MINS WHY IS IT THE MOMENT I SEND " NO TAKERS SO GOING QRT " THERE IS AN AVALANCHE OF CALLERS ? ? ARE YOU JUST SITTING THERE MONITORING AND WAITING FOR ME TO SEND QRT BEFORE CALLING ? ? WHY DO I FEEL SO PERPLEXED WHEN THESE THINGS HAPPEN ? ? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE MY TASK MORE DIFFICULT BY USING ROMAN NUMBERS ON YOUR QSLs INSTEAD OF THE NORMAL ONES? ? WHY IS IT THAT ALTHOUGH IT MIGHT BE MORE ROMAN--TIC FOR YOU, ROMAN COULD BE A HEADACHE FOR ME ? ? WHERE HAVE ALL THE Es GONE ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for MAY 2013 WHY AM I SO GLAD I AT LAST FOUND MY "Es" WITH AN OPENING ON 6M TODAY, THE 5TH OF MAY ? ? WHY WAS IT SUCH A PLEASURE NOT TO WASTE VALUABLE PROPAGATION AND ONLY GIVE THE ODD LOCATOR ? ? HAS MY LOCATOR GOT ANYTHING TO DO WITH AN INDIAn calledMIKEwho is 76 and lives in a HOTEL near a riverDELTA ? ? ( 9/5 ) WHO CLOSED THE "Es" TAP AGAIN ? ? WHY ARE JAPANESE STATIONS SO RELUCTANT TO SPOT ME ON THE CLUSTER ? ? DON`T THEY WANT TO SHARE THOSE SCARCE LONG PATH CONDITIONS WITH THEIR FRATERNITY ? ? WHY AM I LEFT FESTERING WHEN THIS PSEUDO ( Foxtrot Oscar zero Lima ) (FO0L) CALLS ME AND I TAKE LINE , SINKER & BAIT BY QUICKLY GIVING HIM A 599 ? ? IS IT NOT A BIT OUT OF SEASON FOR AN APRIL FOOL ? ? COULD YOU BELIEVE THE QRK HE GAVE ME WAS HI HI HI ? ? IS IT POSSIBLE WE ARE SUFFERING AN EPIDEMIC OR LIDFESTATION OF SOME SORT ? ? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO GIVE ME YOUR LOCATOR THREE TIMES AND FORGET TO GIVE ME MY REPORT ? ? IS THIS LOCATOR THING ON 6M BECOMING AN OBSESSION ? ? WHY IS IT I BEND LIKE A REED AND GIVE THE LOCATOR BEFORE I AM ASKED TO SPEED THINGS UP BEFORE THE PROP VANISHES ?? IF I GIVE YOU 439 AND ASK YOU FOR MY RST WHY DO YOU KEEP GIVING ME EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN EXCEPT MY QRK UNTIL, UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE TO SEND " SRRI N I L " ? ?QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for JUNE 2013 IF YOU HAD 2 QSOs WITH ME ON CW , ON THE SAME BAND, WHY DO YOU HAVE TO ARGUE ONE OF THEM WAS ON SSB JUST BECAUSE IT SUITS YOU ? ? DO I HAVE TO BE SUBJECTED TO THESE ARGUMENTS BY E MAIL ? ? IS THERE A POSSIBILITY I MAY BE GOING GAGA AND LOGGED 72 QSOs ON CW WHEN THEY WERE SSB ? ? WHY DO I GET SO AGITATED WHEN A PARTICULARSTATION, AFTER HAVING COMPLETED 2 QSOs IN THE SPACE OF 15 MINUTES, COMES BACK AND CALLS ME AGAIN ? ? WHY DO I HAVE TO TELL THE GUY " DO NOT CALL ME AGAIN YOU ARE IN MY LOG TWICE " ? ? WOULD YOU BELIEVE SOME KEEP CALLING AND CAUSING ME QRM THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE OPERATION ? ? WHY IS THERE NEVER A POLICEMAN AROUND WHEN ONE NEEDS ONE ? ? IF YOU ARE A FOG HORN AND DON`T LIKE ME GIVING YOU A 557 REPORT WHY DO YOU SEND ME AN UTTERLY RIDICULOUS AND SPITEFUL 331 ? ? IS QSX NARROW 21015 TOO COMPLICATED TO UNDERSTAND OR JUST NOT USED IN AMATEUR RADIO ? ? WHY IS IT THAT WHEN I MAKE A MISTAKE AND SEND (COR) WITH THE CORRECTED CALLSIGN SOME TAKE OFFENCE AND SEND " ES TU TOO" ? ? IS (COR) NOT ACCEPTABLE IN AMATEUR RADIO ? ? THESE ARE NOT AMATEUR RADIO PROCEEDURES SO WOULD IT BE FAIR TO RETRACT ON THIS ONE ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for JULY 2013 ARE WE SUCH A MINORITY THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC ARE STILL NOT AWARE OF OUR HOBBY ? ? WHEN I OPERATE PORTABLE WHY HAS THE POLICE ALWAYS GOT TO PAY ME A VISIT AND ASK FOR MY LICENCE ? ? WHY DOES THIS KEEN GENTLEMAN IN BLUE HAVE TO INTERRUPT MY OPERATIONS AFTER I HAVE GONE BLUE IN THE FACE TO ATTRACT SOME TAKERS WITH MY 50W ? ? WHY DO I GET SO MANY ? ? ? ? WHEN I SEND " PSE QRX POLICE VISIT " ? WOULD IT BE A GOOD IDEA IN A SMALL PLACE LIKE GIBRALTAR TO ENLIGHTEN THESE DUTY CONCIOUS PEOPLE WITH A LIST OF PROBABLE ( /P ) CALLSIGNS AND A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF OUR ACTIVITIES ? ? WHY IS IT THAT WHEN I ASKED ONE OF THESE GOOD GENTLEMEN " HOW DID YOU KNOW I WAS HERE ? " HE SAID WITH A BROAD SMILE " A LADY REPORTED SOMEONE VERY SUSPICIOUS TAMPERING WITH A BLACK BOX THAT HAD LIGHTS AND MADE LOTS OF WHISTLING NOISES " (GENERAL PUBLIC`S FIRST IMPRESSION OF AN FT857D ! ) CAN ONE ARGUE WITH AN ANSWER LIKE THAT ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for AUGUST 2013 HOW DO YOU THINK I FEEL WHEN AFTER HAVING CALLED CQ FOR SOME TIME YOU TUNE UP ON ME FOR NEARLY A MINUTE BEFORE ANSWERING MY CQ ? ? IS THIS EAR SPLITTING CARRIER SUPPOSED TO RAISE MY MORALE THAT SOMEONE IS ACTUALLY GOING TO CALL ME ? ? WHY DO YOU GET IMPATIENT WHEN I TAKE A FEW SECONDS FOR MY EARS TO RECOVER BEFORE ANSWERING ? ? HAVE YOU CALLED ME BECAUSE W3LPL POSTED ME ON THE CLUSTER ? ? ONCE WE HAVE HAD OUR QSO WHY DON`T YOU POST ME YOURSELF SO THAT OTHER CLUSTER GAZERS REALIZE I AM WORKABLE ? ? HAS THAT BLACK HOLE ON THE SUN HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH CULCUTTA ? ? WHY DO THE PROPAGATION DOLDRUMS ALWAYS COINCIDE WITH THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS ? ? WHY IS THIS TIME OF THE YEAR NOT SUCH A GOOD TIME TO RECRUIT NEW BLOOD INTO OUR HOBBY ? ? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO WRITE MY NAME & ADDRESS ON THE FRONT OF YOUR S.A.E. ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for SEPTEMBER 2013 WHEN YOU WRITE THE DATE OF QSO ON YOUR QSL CARD DO YOU USE DD/MM/YY , MM/DD/YY or even YY/MM/DD ? ? WHY IS IT THAT IF YOU MARK THE DD/MM/YY SEQUENCEYOU USED OVER THE DATE THERE WILL BE NO ROOM FOR CONFUSION ? ? WHY DO I LOVE THOSE WHO WRITE THE FOLLOWING FORMAT e. g. 4th April 2013 ? ? DOES ONE HAVE TO BE IN A CONTEST TO OPERATE ON THE CLASSIC BANDS AT WEEKENDS ? ? WHY DO I BOTHER ASKING IF THE FREQUENCY IS IN USE ? ? HAS THE (QRL ? ?) BEFORE CALLING CQ NOW GONE OUT OF FASHION ? ? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN INITIATING A QSO, HAVING GIVEN HIS CALLSIGN AT LEAST TWICE AND BEFORE HE HAS GIVEN ME HIS REPORT HE MYSTERIOUSLY STOPS SENDING HALF WAY THROUGH HIS THIRD CALLSIGN. COULD THIS BE DUE TO A POWERCUT ? TRANSMITTER FAILURE ? POWER SUPPLY FAILURE ? BLOWING A FUSE ? ANTENNA GOT BLOWN DOWN ? OR HUMAN INDISPOSITION ? WHY AM I SO GLAD WHEN SOME SEND ME AN E MAIL EXPLAINING WHY I WAS LEFT WONDERING AND SENDING "SRRI NIL" ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for OCTOBER 2013 WHY DO YOU HAVE TO SEAL YOUR S.A.E. ? ? WHILST I CAN ALWAYS WRITE AND PROVIDE A NEW ENVELOPE COULD THIS NEW TREND HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH COMPULSIVE LICKING ? ? WHY ARE CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES SO DESTRUCTIVE WHEN IT COMES TO AMATEUR RADIO ANTENNAS ? ? WOULD YOU BELIEVE THEIR LICENCE TO DESTROY READS " ALL FIXTURES SHALL BE REMOVED AND DISPOSED OF WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE AND THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGES INCURRED" ? ? HOW CAN THESE GENTLEMEN DISTINGUISH BETWEEN A V2000 VHF ANTENNA AND A SIMLAR TELECOM ANTENNA CLOSE BY THAT MIRACULOUSLY ESCAPES UNSCATHED ? ? WHY DOES MY HAIR STAND ON END WHEN I HEAR THE SOUND OF THOSE ELECTRIC DISC CUTTERS FROM MY FLAT ? ? HOW COULD I HAVE EVER IMAGINED AGING GRACEFULLY ENTAILED WITNESSING THE SYSTEMATIC DEMISE OF MY PRECIOUS ERECTIONS ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for NOVEMBER 2013 WHY IS THE QSO DATA FROM YOUR PRINTOUT LABEL STUCK TO YOUR QSL CARD GETTING SO SMALL I HAVE HAD TO BUY A POTENT MAGNIFIER IN ORDER TO READ THEM ? ? MY OCCULIST CONFIRMS MY SIGHT IS STILL THE SAME SO WHY IS THE TEXT ON THOSE PRINTOUTS SHRINKING ? ? WHY IS IT THAT WHEN I PROMPTLY TAKE THE TROUBLE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS BY E MAIL 30% ARE BOUNCED BACK OR NOT ACKNOWLEDGED ? ? WHY IS IT THAT IF I WERE TO IGNORE THESE EMAILS I WOULD BE LABELED EVASIVE OR UNSOCIABLE ? ? WHY SHOULD K6VVA`s VIDEO BE ESSENTIAL VIEWING EVEN IF IT IS SLIGHTLY PROTRACTED ? ? WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO TRANSLATE IT INTO AS MANY LANGUAGES AS POSSIBLE SO THAT IT HAS A GLOBAL IMPACT ? ? WHY GO ON SPLIT AS LONG AS YOU CAN MANAGE ON SIMPLEX ? ? WHO IS SILLY BILLY THE QRO BULLY ? ? IS HE THE ONE THAT SLAPS A CARRIER ON ME AND FORCES ME TO GO SPLIT ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for DECEMBER 2013 WHY IS IT NOT SUCH A GOOD IDEA TO SEND QSLs BY POST AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR ? ? CAN ONE ACTUALLY OWN A CERTAIN FREQUENCY AND ALWAYS BE THERE DAY AND NIGHT ? ? CAN YOU ACTUALLY BE STUBBORN ENOUGH NOT TO MOVE THAT DIAL AND GROW ROOTS FOR YEARS ON THAT SAME FREQUENCY ? ? CAN THESE ROOTS BE TRANSLATED INTO KILOWATTS ? ? HOW SHOCKED CAN ONE BECOME LISTENING TO THE ABUSE AND INSULTS SHOWERED UPON THESE RADIO TREES ? ? WHY CANNOT I HELP DETECTING A HINT OF MASOCHISM AMONGST THESE RADIO TREES ? ? DO THESE RADIO TREES SHED THEIR TX OR LINEAR FINALS IN AUTUMN ? ? IF WE WERE TO SHOWER THESE RADIO TREES WITH GREETINGS AT CHRISTMAS COULD THEY BECOME OUR RADIO CHRISTMAS TREES AND GIVE OUR BANDS A FESTIVE SPIRIT ? ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for JANUARY 2014WHAT IS THE REASON FOR AN AVALANCHE OF QSL CARD REQUESTS FOR QSOs FROM THE 80s ALL OF A SUDDEN ? ? HAVE I NOT HEARD SOMETHING I SHOULD HAVE IN CONNECTION WITH THIS ONSLAUGHT ? ? COULD THIS BE AN ENIGMA SIMILAR TO OUR PROPAGATION CYCLE MAX ? ? WHY IS IT THAT WHEN I SEND CQ AT 0100 LOCAL AND GET ONE RESPONSE EVERY 5mins I SEND STREAMS OF Z Z Z Z Z Zs ? ? WHY DO I HAVE TO BURN MY FOREHEAD ON THE LAMP SHADE BEFORE I PULL THE BIG SWITCH ? ? COULD THIS BE SENILITY OR SHEER BOREDOM ? ? WHY ARE LIDFESTATIONS MORE ACUTE ON OUR BANDS DURING JANUARY AND FEBRUARY ? ? COULD IT BE THE WINTER BLUES, THE AFTERMATH OF OVER INDULGENCE, THE SWINE FLU, OR PERHAPS GETTING TO GRIPS WITH THE LATEST BLACK BOX CHRISTMAS PRESENT ?? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for FEBRUARY 2014 WHY DO YOU HAVE TO LET ONE OR TWO YEARS ELAPSE BEFORE MAKING INQUIRIES ABOUT THAT QSL YOU SUPPOSEDLY SENT AND DID NOT GET A REPLY ? ? ? IS IT THAT HARD TO SEND AN EMAIL AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS ? ? ? DID YOU KNOW ZZ80 IS A BRAZILIAN CALLSIGN PREFIX ? ?WHY IS IT THAT IF YOU TRY TO BE FUNNY BY GIVING ME A 555 REPORT I IMMEDIATLELY SUSPECT ANOTHER OF MY ANTENNAS HAS BEEN WRECKED BY THE GENTLEMEN CLAMBERING ALL OVER THEM ON THE TERRACE UPSTAIRS ? ? ? WHY IS IT THAT MY 5 YEARS OF RETIREMENT HAVE FLASHED BY ? ? ? HAS IT SOMETHING TO DO WITH AGE OR IS IT BECAUSE IT IS THE BEST JOB I HAVE EVER HAD ? ? ? WHY IS IT THAT IF YOU CALL OFF FREQUENCY WHEN I AM WORKING SIMPLEX WITHOUT MENTIONING (ZB2FK DE - - - - -) I MIGHT ASSUME YOU ARE CALLING SOMEONE ELSE CLOSE BY ? ? ? WHY DO I HAVE TO KEEP GROOMING THIS WEBPAGE TO RECUPERATE MY LOST SPACES BETWEEN WORDS ? ? ?
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH for MARCH 2014 WHEN I GO ON SPLIT TO FACILITATE OPERATIONS AND KEEP SENDING ( ZB2FK UP ) WHY DO YOU INSIST ON CALLING ON MY TRANSMIT FREQUENCY ? ? DOES QSX UP MEAN YOU HAVE TO CONGREGATE IN A PILE ON THE ONE FREQUENCY ? ? WHAT IS THE USE OF GOING SPLIT IF YOU DON`T SPREAD OUT ? ? WHY DO I BOTHER GOING SPLIT IF I HEAR THE SAME CACOPHONY AS ON SIMPLEX ? ? COULD THESE RANDOM NUMBERS I HEAR POSSIBLY BE BEAM HEADINGS ? ? CONTESTER`S SYNDROME ? ? OR COULD IT BE THAT SOME CANNOT BELIEVE I HAVE WORKED WITH VERTICALS, DIPOLES & LONGWIRES SINCE 1988 ? ? WHAT WAS THE ORIGIN OF THE EXPRESSION " RAG CHEWING " ? ? WAS IT BECAUSE YOU REPEAT YOURSELF A LOT WHILST YOU ARE CHEWING IT ? ? OR IS IT BECAUSE YOU REPEAT A LOT WHEN DIGESTING IT ? ? IS " WHATEVER " THE RAG CHEWER`S FAVOURITE PAUSE ON PHONE AND " ! ! " ON CW ? ? IS THE CW KEY HELD WITH A RAG WHEN IT GETS TOO HOT TO HANDLE AND ACCIDENTALLY THE RAG GETS CHEWED UP BY THE CONTACT POINTS ? ? WHY DOES THE XYL SAY " WHY DON`T YOU CALL IT RADIO INSTEAD OF WIRELESS ? THERE IS NOTHING WIRELESS ABOUT THIS MESS OF WIRES ".Hope all the above information has been of some interest. 73s and 88s where applicable, & BCNU all on the bands.
Ernie ZB2FK
Last modified: 2014-03-17 22:40:33, 60054 bytes
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