This note started in early October. The change in meeting days has caused deadline changes for this column. This is a mixture of two columns. Some of you have already seen parts of it.
With that, here goes:
Well, September has been a busy month. Sorry I missed so much of it but a medical issue has kept me sidelined since the middle of the month.
Exams at the hamfest kept me busy and out of trouble right from the opening bell. Congratulations to the successful candidates, and we are looking forward to hearing you on the air. I’m not sure if the other individuals and groups who have expressed interest have made arrangements to do exams with other examiners. I hope so.
I missed Radio in the Park, which is too bad because I acquired a new radio and wanted to take it out to play with all its friends in the radio park. Maybe I’ll say more about it next month, once it is housebroken.
Then there was a communications exercise. Thanks to IHI for opening up the RAC Shack and KMV for helping out with his knowledge of the shack details. I hope it went well. At the same time, I hear ISP has been working on getting remote operations going. That would be a real boon for everyone who can’t operate from home.
I tried to get to the September meeting virtually but that didn’t work out too well. The slides came through OK, once I remembered to get my “radio and computer” glasses. The audio was another story. I heard a few hundred milliseconds of audio at what sounded like half speed, followed by a similar period of silence. I’ve never heard anything quite like it even in the worst auroral flutter or HF rapid QSB. I tried to hang in for an hour or so, but gave up midway through the special interest group discussion. I just hope I can get to the November meeting in person.
I read that one of the new (May) hams just made his first CW QSO. Congratulations Dylan, VA2TAU. News like that is encouragement for those just behind you working towards the same goal.
I hope JOTA, the Scout’s Jamboree on the Air went well. Every now and then you hear about someone who catches the ham radio bug at an event like that and goes on to do good things.
October 21
Over a month now and I’m still pretty much on the sidelines, although things are looking up.
Since “mk’s words” is usually about what’s going on at VE3FFK, and nothing has been happening, this will be a record short report. I still don’t have the endurance to hang around for an entire day, but I will be trying to get to RAC HQ some time this week to sort out a few things.
I also got a request for an exam from someone who reached out earlier, so I think I will try to fit them in among all the other appointments that sprout up when you get connected to the world of health care. Who knows, I might even make it back on the air soon.
Hang in there, I am.
mk
VE3FFK
Last Updated on 2026-10-21 by Joannadanna