A part of something bigger [048]

Greetings from a hotel in Milton Keynes...

Dec 08, 2023

I’m somewhere about here.

HERE

Sometimes I wonder how I ever got to be a fully licensed amateur radio operator. The first licence was easy. And so it should be. The second was a challenge requiring me to pay attention. The final ‘Full Licence’ exam took me by surprise. I was totally unprepared and failed it. When I eventually passed, it was after weeks of learning a few equations and studying how to pass. But with my refreshed maths and fresh understanding of licensing conditions and protocols, I felt like I’d earned it.

I was still amazed though. And ecstatic when I was told I’d done it. My amazement at being here is regularly refreshed when i’m reading someone else’s blog or newsletter. Radio related — but so technical I only understand every other word.

This hobby is vast and I feel I’m stood in the warehouse at the end of Raiders wondering what box to open next. So. Much. To. Explore.

So yes. I’m only playing at this. I’m here to have fun. I’ll never have an antenna named after me. But it’s quite possible my excitement for this hobby will be infectious. Or someone will come across this radio fanzine and be inspired to get involved. It’s already happened in fact. And that makes all this worth while.

I find it hard to easily explain what my attraction to this hobby is. Although last night I gave it a damn good go.

General interest in radio aside, initially I thought it was the friendships, the sense of belonging, the privilege to have access to modes of communication most know nothing about, the ability to bypass the normal channels and chat to the world on a few watts. But it could be all the spaces in between. All the things to try and the knowledge to gain. Yes. Perhaps it’s all that plus the incredible learning journey.

Like librarians who’ll never get to read all the books, we are the custodians of an endless knowledge. A database that grows faster than we can learn. Nodes in a vast network. All with our own interests and specialities. All a part of something bigger than ourselves.

THERE

Last night I gave a talk at Milton Keynes Geek Night. It was a new talk and a new slide deck. Earlier in the day I was securing the roof on a new shed I’m building and a plank of wood hit me squarely in the face. I spent the time I was going to review and practice my slides lying down with an icepack on my face. But although more nervous than normal, I really enjoyed it and it appeared others did as well.

I’m pretty sure there were a few in the room who were inspired enough to get their Foundation Licence. When at the end of the talk, Mark Wilson (who took the image above and below) promised that he was going to sit the exam. I got him to repeat that promise to the room and then gifted him his first radio.

The Quansheng that everyone is talking about right now.

I love how there was a very audible gasp in the room. I’m looking forward to Mark getting his M7. And perhaps doing this talk to a similar crowd.

Despite the space being filled with geeks and creatives, I was the only licensed radio operator. There were some ex-CBers who were enjoying the nostalgia, but being the only Ham helped to negate any imposter syndrome I’d normally feel. In fact I felt really lucky to be a part of this weird and wonderful hobby and that I might be able to entice more curious geeks into the fold.

My local Huntingdonshire amateur radio group and everyone dropping into the GB3OV repeater have been remembering David, G7DIU now Silent Key. It’s lovely to hear such an outpouring of love for a mainstay of amateur radio. He was the local net control when I first got licensed and I spoke about him announceing his last transmission in this post.

Interested and interesting he was younger than his years. I heard him as a curious, excited big kid, keen to know what others were doing and thinking. Always inclusive and diplomatic, at the same time as being playful and occasionally cheeky.
He had a gift to be able to not only extract the stories but always had something fascinating to add to them.

Since I last posted here, weeks have passed. I’ve been hitting the repeaters up and down the country and decided to bite the bullet on a new radio. (More below) It’s been a bit of a blur really.

Most of the non radio stuff I’ve been doing is logged here…

So I won’t repeat myself. :-)

GEAR

Probably best to not rush into building all the antenna projects you see on the web…

I have a new addition to my shack/and my car. The Yaesu FTM 500. I bought mine from Moonraker while the cash back offer was still valid. It still might be.

I never really got the most out of the Yaesu 991 and sold it as I’d picked up the iCom 7100. But the FT3D and the FT5D fortified my relationship with Yaesu despite their infuriating aversion to basic must-have-features and iffy user experience.

What do I mean by that? Where to begin…?

Lack of in radio USB charging, annoying proprietary cables, non intuitive programming (compared to other radios), not supplying essential extras in the box. And so on.

Despite these niggles, I still gave them my cash. Probably because I have so much fun with APRS. It’s fun knowing when your radio friends are sat in the same row of traffic, flying by your QTH, or turning up at the same hamfest as you.

Yesterday I managed to install the radio properly in the car. Apart from hard wiring it to the battery. That is to come.

I tried semi permanent fastening with contact strips but nothing sticks to the plastic. So I just thought screw it. Six little screws in all.

The head sits happily with the bracket slotted into the vent. Very secure so far. Although I’m really enjoying using the radio in the shack and the quick release bracket should make it easily portable between the two.

Definitely the best mobile rig I have owned. Although I feel if Icom did one with APRS it would be better. ;-) The Yaesu has build in GPS and yet doesn’t automatically deliver the local repeaters in your area. Like Icom do. [Face palm].

That said. As I’ve learned with amateur radio. You can’t always have it all. And the FTM500 is a lot of fun.

Quite tempted to get a rig expert but I will resist. For now.

RT Systems may have the tagline ‘Radio Programming Made Easy’ but wow their website. Check out was a bit pants. Still I had no choice than to buy their software for the FTM500.

Here is a video on the Ciro Mazzoni Baby Loop antenna from my friend Steve G4HPE

It’s worth taking a look at his other videos as well. Especially the QRM car chase ;-)

There are no end of videos popping up on Youtube featuring the Quansheng.

ONAIR

Sometimes I get hung up on the mode I’m working and forget that radio is just as much about the people. I’m never really drawn to the digital modes other than when I’m overseas and want to keep in touch with friends.

I’m also keen to keep analogue alive and well. I have an irrational fear that with all the web based nodes, I’m worried we’ll lose these independent analogue repeaters and chatting simplex will become a lost art… our radios becoming an extension of the internet.

But there is room for all of these systems of connection. I was in the middle of programming the FTM500 and wanted to test MB6WL. It’s about 35 miles away and I wanted to see if I could hit it from my home QTH. After a quick “G5DOC checking access” I was met with a friendly voice from LA7HAA. He was on his way back from work where he looks after the spare parts for all the diesel generators his company services. He gave me a lovely glimpse into life at that moment in Norway and I could even see his commute via APRS.

His English was great (much better than the Norwegian I do not have) and it was lovely to be momentarily taken across the world with a proper chat. No five and nines just shared compliments on the audio quality and a shared snapshot of our lives at that moment. Thanks Svein.

I was a little sad to not have anything for my logbook. So I’m remembering it here.

ELSEWHERE

Machine teaches Morse Code
Custom firmware for your Quansheng radio. Thanks to M1NER for the link
Please don’t settle for a messaging app that is owned by a company hell bent on gathering as much data on you as possible. There are more ethical messaging tools out there. Yes many of my friends and family use the easy options. But I’m just hoping that’s because they are too lazy to fix things. I really hope they don’t think that these main stream apps have their best interests at heart. If you can. Download and try Signal. Read this to learn more. I have recently donated again. Like I do with the EFF and the Open Rights Group. It’s up to us to use and champion the tools that care about people, our data and whatever privacy we have left.
This is the Quansheng UV K5 (8) I kept talking about.

FINALS

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You are some of the more curious people in radio ;-) And I thank you.

Over

73 de Christian G5DOC

_._

Name this radio in the comments. No prizes. Just the glory. ;-)