IZ4AKS

DxCoffee: a retrospection after 2 years

IZ4AKS — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:06:43 +0000

If I look back in these two years of DxCoffee, I see a terrific job done. The magazine grew a lot, but of course the journey is still long to reach the level we have in mind.
The staff is proud of the job done, but they will never give up to let the magazine evolves.
Thanks DxCoffee, You are a really the best company.

Quadrantis: my best pile-up ever

IZ4AKS — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:16:47 +0000

The Quadrantis Meteor Shower characterizes these days. My mind runs at 5 years ago. Year 2007 was at the beginning of the bottom of the Solar Cycle and 10 meters were completely dead. I was alone to manage the station and the other team members were sleeping after a heavy activity on low bands. I decided to listen on 10 m. I plugged the RG213 without any special intuition but I immediately began to listen some strange noise, typical of meteor shower. I started to call and immediately I got a strong pile-up for 2-3 hours. I was able to hear lovely signals of several call-sing but complete the QSO was another story. I was able to listen the first part of the call-signs, after that silence, than call-signs again, sometime just some letters and nothing more…sometime I had the time to complete the QSO.
It was my best pileup ever, the rate was not high but was unforgettable, and I was really surprised to work all Europe with the band in silence for days and days till that moment. QSOs became faster and faster, and I realized a good rhythm. At noon, I collected around 400 contacts on 10 and 12 meters. When the others went back, I remember their surprise. Nobody was supposing to have fun on high bands in January 2007. For a couple of days the situation comes again, but with a different intensity. Today I can assure that it was the best pileup I ever managed: it was difficult, it was crazy (because it was hard complete the QSO), but I enjoyed a lot of adrenaline during that meteor shower session.

New Year Google Reader Cleaning

IZ4AKS — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:06:58 +0000

Now all the feed of my amaradio account of Google Reader are clean. I addedd brand new, I deleted the death one. I discovered that hamradio love to manage blogs. Anyway now all is in order and ready to be consulted from my Fliboard account. It’s a pleasure to read about hamradio everyday at breackfast time with the iPad!

Merry Christmas everybody!

IZ4AKS — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 22:09:36 +0000

At the door of W1MX

IZ4AKS — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 22:14:38 +0000

During my short visit in Boston, I supposed to have no time for hamradio. But last day I was invited to visit MIT Media Lab, the research laboratory founded by Professor Nicholas Negroponte. Just in front of the building, when I was parking the car, I found a good set up waiting for me. It formerly was 1XM, the MIT Radio Society (W1MX). This station is America’s Oldest College Amateur Station and it is managed by the MIT Radio Society, a student run organization intended for MIT students, faculty, and staff.
The MIT Radio Society meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 PM on the Third Floor of Walker Memorial, next time I will work to meet them.
Noted. Next time I will try to meet them in person.

YL in thigh higs :-)

IZ4AKS — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:26:51 +0000

At the time of landline railroad telegraphy, the males were traditionally referred to each other as OM (“old man”). What about the women? Starting from 1920 “YL” identified the women on the air by the American Radio Relay League referring to young ladies of all ages. Of course “Young Ladies” was better than “Old Lady”, that would certainly be really unwelcome.
From that time, many years were gone and a lot of YL operated from worldwide. Hamradio in general, has a huge debt to them. Their effort provide to our radio family a lot of fun. They were part of important dxpedition teams, they gained first places in contests. We listened them pass trough huge pileups before several well-known dxers and occasionally they provide us, also, a special sexy touch as this Mexican Lady Radio Amateur in thigh highs or IV3BSX with her erotic-soft QSL card.
Hamradio is a popular hobby and there are inside all facets of humanity. It is absolutely normal, to find inside all we are able to find in the our life’s.
Anyway, whatever was their effort, we must be grateful to all the YL of our hobby. Not only for what they did for dxing but also for their activities in Emergency Communication. Few years ago hamradio was a pure male-oriented hobby. It was mostly an hobby for males probably because it was based on electronics and CW, but today, many Ladies join in the “family” to serve during disasters. And from Emergency Communication the arrive to dxing more than before. Times are changing, sometimes in the wrong way, other times we are able to do a step forward to a better future.

Wired about shortwaves, again

IZ4AKS — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:43:16 +0000

Another article article by Wired, an american magazine devoted to current and future trends in technology, and how they are shaping business, entertainment, communications, science and politics, is talking about swortwaves: Inside the Russian Short Wave Radio Enigma

5H1HOK: my new call sign

IZ4AKS — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 15:28:54 +0000

In part this is good news: I received one new license to operate from a new Country of DXCC. The call sign is 5H1HOK, and I’m evaluating to use it for some interesting IOTA activities. I know, you will start to suffer of bruxism for this, because there is also a bad part and you will grind your teeth: I have not planned jet any activities.I have no plans to go there, any hotel booked, any flight sheduled. This year is a difficult year, I already have two interesting DXCC entity to activate till next summer and I don’t know if I will have enough free time to travel to Tanzania and arrange this activity. Anyway, stay tuned, stop teeth grinding, because there will be a great surprise for you in few days. Be patience, more details will follow.

5V7KS

IZ4AKS — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 21:54:15 +0000

Thanks to Franco Prete I1FQH, I got a new clicence from Togo. I don’t know if I will be able transimt from 5V in the next future, but if it will be, I will use 5V7KS to go on the air.

New license!

IZ4AKS — Sun, 22 May 2011 21:06:13 +0000

Since I stopped to press for the license, I was convinced to have lost the money of the fee payed in Duala one year ago. But friday the dispatch is arrived. The callsing is TJ3GM, and it was really unespected. Now I have no plans to go in Camerun, but who know the future?!