T0 MAKE CONTACTS, YOU NEED TO BE ON THE AIR…..

27/06/21 10:54

This month is going to be all about Dale Ricketson - KA5YEU, Dale is one of those success stories that make me as a HAM Radio operator and as a HAMster Weak Signal Member proud.

While the event of this morning has huge bragging rights, and we will get to that in a few moments, I want to give first a little history of Dale.

I met Dale about 12 to 15 years ago on 146.520, it is a little over 116 miles between his QTH in Alice, Texas and my QTH in Converse Texas. Over the years we were able to work each other on 146.520 Simplex FM when we had band openings in the mornings, we became on the air friends and on my many trips to McAllen for my job, we would work each other on 52 simplex while I was passing through the Alice area. In almost everyone of those conversations I would pretty much hound him to get on Single Side Band 2 meters.

I finally wore him down, and he began building a modest 2 meter SSB/CW Station. You can say that his getting onto SSB and becoming another proud HAMster is my success story, and yes I’ll take credit for that.

BUT WHERE THE SUCCESS STORY becomes all about Dale, is from that point forward. Dales station is modest, he has a TS-2000 with 100 watts, feeding into 2 stacked 11 element yagi’s at about 35 to 40ft. His is not the strongest of stations, but he makes some fantastic contacts and it is all because of him.

He could be like so many Amateur Radio Operators out there, complaining about the lack of propagation, listening but never calling and then complaining no one is on the air.

NOPE, he is not only listening and going back to almost every station he hears, but is putting out his call as well. As such the number of VHF 2 meter DX contacts he is making grows almost constantly, and he is a regular source of conversation on the air.

Dale is doing what we are all supposed to be doing, putting out our call and not just sitting on the frequency monitoring and bemoaning the lack of activity.

And every now and then that perseverance pays off, and you make that once in a life time contact that has you’r shaking from the adrenaline rush.

This morning Dale made that kind of contact, the ones that have you dancing around like a giddy school girl and waking your wife up early in the morning…..BECAUSE YOU NEED TO TELL SOMEONE.

Not only did Dale demonstrate that Single Side Band Phone is still a very useful tool, and you do not need to use FT8 to make amazing contacts, but showed how persistence and making the attempt pay off.

In his words, he was debating heading out to tend to his tomatoes but noticed the MUF was up, so got on the radio instead…….After working a few contacts he heard a faint signal and the call VE3ZV, the signal was in and out and at best a 5/5, but he went back to him and surprised he was heard and made the contact. The Canadian station faded out almost as fast as he came in, showing not only is persistence important, but timing is as well.

Use the tools are your disposal such as VHF Real time propagation maps, MUF reports, etc….BUT MOST IMPORTANT MAKE NOISE, get your call out there.

This morning using 100 watts, on SSB Phone this contact was made.

2021-06-27 @ 14:35 UTC VE3ZV {EN92} with KA5YEU {EL07} on 144.200 SSB - eQSL 2334 km E-Skip

Congrats Dale on a record breaking HAMster Weak Signal Group Contact.

Best of luck and I hope your successful contact inspires many more fellow HAMsters to not only get active on Single Side Band, but to make some noise.

IT WOULD BE GREAT, IF WE COULD WRITE AND BRAG ABOUT MORE SUCCESS STORIES SUCH AS THIS , SO LET'S ALL GET ON THE AIR, MAKE SOME NOISE AND START WORKING THOSE CONTACTS!

MAKE SOME NOISE ON 144.200 AND 144.180

HAMster News Letter

From the Shack of N5XO

T0 MAKE CONTACTS, YOU NEED TO BE ON THE AIR…..

Archives