Over the weekend, I made a few QSOs of note:
WB2KQG. 20m wasn’t in great shape when I called CQ on 20m CW on Saturday from the museum, but I managed to raise Vinny, WB2KQG. When I called up his QRZ.Com page, I found the banner below and a link to a site with a description of the Radio League of America, an early competitor of the ARRL. Were it still around, the RLA would be celebrating its centennial in 2015, and to commemorate that, Vinny is offering a certificate. To get the 8.5 x 11-in. certificate, send an SASE to Vinny. I’ll be getting one of these certificates for myself.
AC2EU. On Jim, AC2EU’s QRZ.Com page, he notes that he is a former coordinator of the QSY Society, and notes, “The society is a bit different than other clubs in that it focuses on discussions of the Amateur Radio hobby at every meeting.” I didn’t get a chance to talk to Jim about how his club is different, but I did visit their website. Here’s how they describe themselves:
The QSY Society was formed in 1996 by a group of hams who felt there was a legitimate need for an alternative to the conventional ham radio club. These plankowners observed that formal structure, business discussions, and the focus on the more traditional aspects of emergency operations and public service often left precious little time for good old fashioned social interaction and sharing.
The purpose of QSY Society is to create an environment in which persons with an interest in ham radio – whether licensed or not – can come together to explore the many facets of amateur radio in an informal and friendly environment where there are “no dumb questions” and “no smart answers.”
That’s as good a description of an “un-club” as I’ve seen, and I think that I would enjoy being a member of the QSY Society.
KK4UVW. When I first heard Chris, KK4UVW, calling CQ, I almost didn’t reply. His sending was slow, but he had a good fist. Then, I looked him up on QRZ.Com, and knew I had to reply. Even if the picture on QRZ.Com is an older one, he’s still quite young, and we should encourage young people to be active in amateur radio, and the more experienced CW ops should encourage those who are just getting started or are less experienced.
W100AW. On Sunday afternoon, I worked W100AW. This was the first time that I’d even heard this station. To get a QSL card, you have to sign up for it on the ARRL website. When you do that, you’re also signing up to get cards from all the W1AW/x stations you’ve worked, too. Seems to me that it would be a lot cheaper to allow me to sign up only for a W100AW card, but hey, I don’t make those decisions. The ARRL will be sending the cards through the QSL bureaus, so you’ll have to have a current account at the appropriate bureau.
Note that in each case—except for W100AW—what made the contact was the information posted on QRZ.Com. Having a computer in the shack has made my operating that much more interesting. So, please post some info there if you haven’t already and tell us about you. You never know who you’ll inspire or how it will make your QSOs better.
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