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As I was sitting next to my radio this afternoon, I had tuned to a frequency on 12 meters sideband where I’d seen a spot for a station in Madagascar (5R). I need 5R on 12m so I was listening to see if the station would build (grow in strength) to the point where I could attempt a contact. While waiting for that to happen, I heard another US station call him, giving his callsign properly. Although I couldn’t hear the 5R station, what I did hear was this (callsign changed mostly because I don’t remember exactly what it was, and to protect the not-so-innocent): “5R8UI, did you come back to my-callsign question mark?“. The US station literally said the words “question mark“!

Ok, while I can understand that had this happened on CW, the operation would have sent the code for “question mark”, but given that this was a voice contact, wouldn’t you think that the tone of voice and the fact that the sentence was actually a question would have been sufficient?

There’s been a lot written about the overuse of the CW Q-signals when using a voice mode, and while you can debate some of those (saying “My QTH is River Vale” rather than saying “I live in River Vale”), it just struck me as pretty funny to hear someone actually say the words “question mark“.

By way of explanation, the reason the Q-codes were invented was to provide a shorthand way to send information over telegraph lines and later wireless. It does make sense in particular on CW, where the operators at both ends of the conversation might not both be fluent in a common language. So on CW, it does make sense to say “QTH River Vale New Jersey” rather than spelling it out. It becomes, along with some other abbreviations, it’s own common language.

As I was sitting next to my radio this afternoon, I had tuned to a frequency on 12 meters sideband where I’d seen a spot for a station in Madagascar (5R). I need 5R on 12m so I was listening to see if the station would build (grow in strength) to the point where I could attempt a contact. While waiting for that to happen, I heard another US station call him, giving his callsign properly. Although I couldn’t hear the 5R station, what I did hear was this (callsign changed mostly because I don’t remember exactly what it was, and to protect the not-so-innocent): “5R8UI, did you come back to my-callsign question mark?“. The US station literally said the words “question mark“!

Ok, while I can understand that had this happened on CW, the operation would have sent the code for “question mark”, but given that this was a voice contact, wouldn’t you think that the tone of voice and the fact that the sentence was actually a question would have been sufficient?

There’s been a lot written about the overuse of the CW Q-signals when using a voice mode, and while you can debate some of those (saying “My QTH is River Vale” rather than saying “I live in River Vale”), it just struck me as pretty funny to hear someone actually say the words “question mark“.

By way of explanation, the reason the Q-codes were invented was to provide a shorthand way to send information over telegraph lines and later wireless. It does make sense in particular on CW, where the operators at both ends of the conversation might not both be fluent in a common language. So on CW, it does make sense to say “QTH River Vale New Jersey” rather than spelling it out. It becomes, along with some other abbreviations, it’s own common language.

Now that the snow has melted and ice fishing season is over, I’m looking forward to doing some Summits On The Air (SOTA) operation on the Appalachian Trail (AT).  This video I found from Kevin Gallagher beautifully summarizes a six month AT journey into a few minutes and got me thinking about SOTA operation from the trail.

I’m taking a bit of a break from radio. Perhaps it’s because I’m feeling a bit run down or perhaps I’m suffering from radio burnout but at the moment I can’t even be bothered to turn on APRS or WSPR or something that will run even when I’m not there.

I think the events unfolding in Japan may have an influence on my feelings too. We are used to seeing disasters on our TV screens but the scale of this one seems to eclipse anything in living memory. Hobby activity seems frivolous when you consider how the inhabitants of north eastern Japan must be feeling. The floods that hit my own home town seemed devastating at the time and after more than a year many people are still not back in their homes. But by comparison with what has happened in Japan, what happened to us pales into insignificance. It will take many years before life returns to normal for many people there – if it ever can for the tens of thousands who will have lost family members and loved ones in the disaster. My heart goes out to them. It is yet another reminder that the works of man are as nothing compared to the forces of nature.

If the earthquake and tsunami were not bad enough there is also the impending threat of a nuclear disaster. One is eerily reminded of the Chernobyl disaster, the 25th anniversary of which is only just over a month away. Though the nuclear power experts assure us that everything is under control and there is no risk of another Chernobyl, the headlines scrolling across the screen still scream “Meltdown.” This is a disaster that is going to have repercussions across the world, and I’m not talking about the economic shockwaves from such a big blow to the world’s third largest economy though I’m sure we will soon feel them.

The Three Mile Island nuclear incident in 1979 halted the development of nuclear power in the USA for thirty years. It is unrealistic to expect that what is happening to the Japanese nuclear plants won’t have an impact on how people here feel about nuclear power. Engineers have and will continue to argue that the Japanese plants were 40 years old, that actually they coped with the effects of this major disaster pretty well, and that the UK is not in an earthquake zone so we would never experience such problems. But for as long as these images are fresh in people’s minds, nobody will want a nuclear power station in their back yard. And in a country as small and crowded as the UK if we are going to have nuclear power someone will have to.

This is a disaster, not just for Japan, but for the entire nuclear industry.

Series Four Episode Six of the ICQ Podcast has been released. News Stories include :-

• ARISS inspires students to study science
• Humber Fortress DX ARC to activate GB0BB
• Radio amateurs killed by Somali pirates
• RAYNET member gets funding 
• IC-9100 transceiver now available for orders 
• UK Propagation charts for March 2011
• Microwatt ERP 9 kHz signal copied at 45km
• New look for radio charity 
• VHF activity on the increase 

Your feedback, Propagation Report from Steve Nichols (G0KYA) and Colin (M6BOY) reviews a Radio Play Night.

Series Four Episode Six of the ICQ Podcast has been released. News Stories include :-

• ARISS inspires students to study science
• Humber Fortress DX ARC to activate GB0BB
• Radio amateurs killed by Somali pirates
• RAYNET member gets funding 
• IC-9100 transceiver now available for orders 
• UK Propagation charts for March 2011
• Microwatt ERP 9 kHz signal copied at 45km
• New look for radio charity 
• VHF activity on the increase 

Your feedback, Propagation Report from Steve Nichols (G0KYA) and Colin (M6BOY) reviews a Radio Play Night.

It’s been a fun ride in the amateur radio blogosphere these past few years.  I’ve had some good discussions with intelligent people and had  fun along the way.  I shared ideas, some good and some half-baked.  I had some folks believing that the LORAN network was being saved by radio amateurs, organs were going to be harvested from radio amateurs for universal healthcare, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers liked to jam on amateur radio.  I analyzed, complained, praised, and ranted, and a lot of you listened.  Several of you presented alternate points of view that provoked thought and sometimes changed my opinions.

Unfortunately, I find it increasingly difficult to write about topics that are consistent with the original intent of this blog.  As I’ve often mentioned, I wanted to do something different from the normal “I did this today” blog.  A lot of folks like to do that, and that’s OK.  A blog is what you want it to be, it’s your creation.  There’s only so much I can write about regarding what’s broken or can be improved in amateur radio, and writing about it doesn’t really do anything to fix it.  Often in this online world we amass an audience that agrees with our viewpoints and opinions, and critical topics on blogs tend to preach to the converted.  Those who really need to read such topics aren’t reading blogs.

Rather than have this blog go on a life support system with periodic and annoying “I’ve been really busy” posts as many amateur radio blogs have done, I’m retiring The K3NG Report and have launched another site entitled Radio Artisan which will focus on projects and operating events, mainly outdoors.  While technically it’s hosted with WordPress and essentially is a blog format, I’m not treating it as blog so I don’t feel an obligation to post regularly or write about the amateur radio crisis du jour.

See you over at Radio Artisan…

Thanks for reading and 73.  Dit dit.