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Is Anybody Listening?

Do we really listen? Yesterday's post was about watching so only natural we ask about listening. This has nothing to do with the political chaos of our current government... they stopped listening even before they officially took office!


The listening is about Ham Radio stuff. We are not talking about listening for bad signals or that the op at the other end is 33.5 Hz low in frequency. No, it's just about plain listening to what is being shared during a QSO.


A Ten Tec Omni VI Radio and a Cute YL. I bet she gets listened to on the air.


This discussion for today is about a QSO I had yesterday with my 40M Hybrid Wireless running barefoot at 20 watts. The occasion was that until yesterday I had only one 12GE5. In the mail yesterday was a spare tube and I wanted to test it in the circuit to see what it would do. I no sooner get it installed, and I hear a CQ originating from a station a little north of San Francisco, roughly about 400 miles. 

I respond to the call and he comes back to me. So far so good. I then told him I was running a homebrew hybrid transceiver at 20 watts. He comes back and says I was doing OK. He then says I have been a ham since 1963 and am 78 years old and we used to build all of our rigs but no more. 

I come back and say I have been licensed since 1959 and soon will turn 84. His next over was what kit did you say it was? I came back not a kit totally homebrew with a digital LO that is on frequency. He then said I have to run and a friend of his broke in and it was like I was no longer there.

My supposition is that here was someone older than him and a ham longer than him could actually build a quality radio and have QSO's. I have heard this guy on various nets, and it is pretty obvious he only listens to himself.

So, who do you listen to?

Them that know, listen and then make it go.


73's
Pete N6QW

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