Metrocrest Amateur Radio Society
News
President’s Corner
July 2017
Thank you for the opportunity to serve as the new MARS President. I look forward to working with you on new activities and opportunities You have a fine group of offices in Andy, Seth and Annie, and we’re excited to begin their new terms.
Field Day was great fun, and we made contacts from sea to shining sea.
Wait, what? Aren’t the bands dead? You hear people say that all the time. We are nearing a solar minimum, true. But, how did we make contacts all over the country on Field Day? Are the bands really dead?
No, actually, I don’t think so. I am on a campaign to try and stamp out “the bands are really dead” and “woe is me” from the amateur lexicon.
If you worked Field Day at all, the bands were in the same dead? You hear people say that all the time. We are nearing a solar minimum, true. But, how did we make contacts all over the country on Field Day? Are the bands really dead?
No, actually, I don’t think so. I am on a campaign to try and stamp out “the bands are really dead” and “woe is me” from the amateur lexicon.
If you worked Field Day at all, the bands were in the same shape then as they are today. Yet the bands were humming! There were contacts to be had at every frequency!
What on earth was going on? Hams were on the air, that’s what! My belief is that too many hams are switching on their rigs, tuning around trying to hear someone, giving up, and then proclaiming that “the bands are dead.”
I propose that instead of doing that, pick a band that would have propagation during that time of the day, and sit on one frequency calling CQ for at least twenty minutes. Chances are, someone will tune by, see your signal on their panadapter or hear the chirp as they tune past, and come back to talk to you. Recent studies show that the more hams on the air at a particular time, the more energized the ionosphere. Tuning around and listening doesn’t energize the ionosphere or anything else for that matter. But TRANSMITTING. Well, that’s the ticket.
So get out there every chance you get. Even if no one hears you right now, try it again tomorrow or even later today. Put some RF into the sky! The bands might be more challenging right now, but they are far from dead.
The same concept holds true for MARS activities. The more you PARTICIPATE, the more activities we’ll have which creates more opportunities to participate – and play! This coming Saturday we’ll have our monthly Amateur Radio Play Day. Plan to be there. Bring something to play with – radio, test equipment, antenna, AREDN, BBHN, TNC and computer, whatever. Even if you don’t have something to bring, bring yourself – you could be just the Elmer (mentor) someone else needs.
See you on the air.
Kevin N5KRG President