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09-07-2023 - In preparation for the arrival of my QCX-Mini QRP (5 watts) CW (Morse code) transceiver, I'll need to find a good mini antenna tuner. I have everything else I need - power cord, dipole antenna, coax jumpers, and a small case to hold it all. There's no big hurry as I've just moved up to #492 on the list to receive the QCX-Mini. I'm thinking I might get it in January when it'll be too cold to hit the parks and make contacts. Anyone can make contacts from the shack. I want hot dogs on the grill!

09-07-2023 - I haven't heard a catfight on the CB Radio at our local Flying J truck stop in a long time. I guess no one has blocked a pump while inside taking a shower, or committed some other trucking social felony lately. This is good.

09-07-2023 - I read myself to sleep last night with "The Compete DX'er" by Bob Locher. When I bought the book years ago, I had no idea it would be about CW contacts instead of phone. That was a good thing. For me, the CW aspect made it a lot more interesting.

09-07-2023 - An Amateur Radio Special Event Station, sponsored by the Collins Amateur Radio Club, will be activated tomorrow celebrating Arthur Collins' birthday. The station will be active Sep 9-Sep 10, 1400Z-0200Z. The callsign is W0CXX. Frequencies are 7.180 MHz 14.263 MHz 21.380 MHz 28.380 MHz. QSL via Brice AntonJensen, 1110 Lyndhurst Dr, Hiawatha, IA 52233.

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09-07-2023 - Amateur Radio has "Worked All States", "Worked All Continents, DXCC (100 countries), and similar awards. Will the CB Radio world come up with similar awards since the 155.3-mile restriction was lifted several years ago? Maybe QSL cards could become a thing again. I'm not sure some of the high-powered CB'ers really want to give out their actual location.

09-07-2023 - Whenever I see Chinook helicopters fly over, I wonder what their cargo might be. I've had a few flights on Chinooks, and they all involved me sitting next to a nuclear warhead being moved from one location to another. You never know what's crisscrossing the USA on land or in the air.

09-07-2023 - The year was 1982 and I was sitting in the exam room of the FCC Field Office in Dallas. The occasion was my first attempt at becoming a licensed Amateur Radio Operator. My plan was to take the Technician written exam and the 5 word-per-minute Morse code test. I had been practicing my code diligently in the weeks leading up to the exam, and I thought that I might as well try the 13 words-per-minute test first. Why not? My headphones were on, and the code test began. I was stunned! Shocked! It sounded like machine gun fire! I sat there, motionless, unable to jot down a single character. The examiner came over, lifted one side of my headphones, gave a listen, and said "It's there, I hear it". Smart ass! I shook off that defeat and went on to pass the 5 words-per-minute code test and the Technician Class written exam. Two months later I passed the 13 words-per-minute code test and the Advanced Class written exam. Two months after that, I passed the 20 words-per-minute code test and the Amateur Extra written exam. That was 40 years ago and I'm glad I got all the testing out of the way in short order.

09-07-2023 - The CB Radio is quiet this morning, with just the usual local trucker chatter. The DX channels are coming alive. I hear the "big guns" in Jamaica on Channel 6 - the superbowl of CB Radio - and some weak signals on Channel 38. It's early. Things are sure to improve.

09-07-2023 - It was 1976, and I was sitting in the barracks at the Presidio of San Francisco and tuning across the band on an AM-FM radio with extended VHF range. This range would include frequencies used by the early car phones. I heard a well-known actor talking to someone about a current TV series he was starring in. It was interesting. The old car phones were for businesses and the more well-to-do crowd back then. Now it's cell phones. Everyone has one, and you can't eavesdrop on them.