Welcome to 2021
05/01/21 14:55
As I sit down and write the first blog of 2021, we are facing a huge increase in not only infections from COVID-19, but a major increase in the number of deaths. While with the approval of multiple vaccines we can see light at the end of the tunnel, but still must deal with months more of this virus infecting thousands.
However as I look forward into 2021, I see a lot of potential for a great year in front of us, the aforementioned vaccine is slowly making it’s way into peoples arms with us eventually over coming the great pandemic with most estimates showing a return to normal some time in March or April. With that we have hopes of an economic recovery, and an ability to spend time with family and friends again.
I never realized just how much I enjoyed eating dinner out with Ruth and friends. But as dismal of a year as 2020 was, it actually was a banner time for Amateur Radio and most especially in the area of VHF/UHF Weak Signal.
With the end of an already weak Solar Cycle resulting in almost no solar activity, more hams look towards other options with VHF/UHF Weak Signal CW/SSB/Digital gaining a lot of new activity, several manufactures launched all mode VHF/UHF dedicated radios and sales on rigs such as the IC-9700 really took off, putting SSB operation in the hands of more people then ever before, a big upswing in older VHF all mode radio’s picked up, and I became aware of more people then ever picking up Flex Radio’s and adding transverters to them to get on the VHF/UHF Bands with full featured rigs.
All of this really excites me as we move into a new contest year, I see a lot more contest activity on the VHF/UHF Bands than in past years.
Speaking of which, check out the ARRL Site for information on the January VHF/UHF contest which starts at 1900 UTC Saturday the 16th and ends at 0359 UTC Monday the 18th. All legal modes are permitted though CW and SSB are the primary modes of activity.
During 2020, the HAMster Group enjoyed some strong growth and we saw a large number of our members move from HF and VHF - FM over to SSB VHF and slowly picking up more bands. I look forward with great excitement up coming contest and hope for a large HAMster presence during this contest season.
On top of this news, the HAMster Group launched a new Youtube show called HAM Talk, this Youtube show is preparing for its 3 episode and we are growing and improving with each show. HAM TALK sprang out of our inability to perform our lunch and learns, so we started looking towards options and this is the result.
I think Episode #3 due to be released mid January, will be one of our best and invite you to join Samantha KE0LMY, M’Lisa KI5ICQ, Andrea K2EZ and myself N5XO for what I hope is a great show, where we will be discussing pre-amps for VHF/UHF along with Propagation and a few other topics we hope will be of strong interest to you.
So to wrap up my thought for the new year, with a growing solar cycle that is showing great promise, combined with some fantastic new equipment for VHF/UHF activity and more people then ever getting on SSB VHF/UHF/SHF I am seeing a bright Amateur Radio Future for 2021.
I hope you remain safe and are part of what I am predicting will be an exciting year in Amateur Radio.
However as I look forward into 2021, I see a lot of potential for a great year in front of us, the aforementioned vaccine is slowly making it’s way into peoples arms with us eventually over coming the great pandemic with most estimates showing a return to normal some time in March or April. With that we have hopes of an economic recovery, and an ability to spend time with family and friends again.
I never realized just how much I enjoyed eating dinner out with Ruth and friends. But as dismal of a year as 2020 was, it actually was a banner time for Amateur Radio and most especially in the area of VHF/UHF Weak Signal.
With the end of an already weak Solar Cycle resulting in almost no solar activity, more hams look towards other options with VHF/UHF Weak Signal CW/SSB/Digital gaining a lot of new activity, several manufactures launched all mode VHF/UHF dedicated radios and sales on rigs such as the IC-9700 really took off, putting SSB operation in the hands of more people then ever before, a big upswing in older VHF all mode radio’s picked up, and I became aware of more people then ever picking up Flex Radio’s and adding transverters to them to get on the VHF/UHF Bands with full featured rigs.
All of this really excites me as we move into a new contest year, I see a lot more contest activity on the VHF/UHF Bands than in past years.
Speaking of which, check out the ARRL Site for information on the January VHF/UHF contest which starts at 1900 UTC Saturday the 16th and ends at 0359 UTC Monday the 18th. All legal modes are permitted though CW and SSB are the primary modes of activity.
During 2020, the HAMster Group enjoyed some strong growth and we saw a large number of our members move from HF and VHF - FM over to SSB VHF and slowly picking up more bands. I look forward with great excitement up coming contest and hope for a large HAMster presence during this contest season.
On top of this news, the HAMster Group launched a new Youtube show called HAM Talk, this Youtube show is preparing for its 3 episode and we are growing and improving with each show. HAM TALK sprang out of our inability to perform our lunch and learns, so we started looking towards options and this is the result.
I think Episode #3 due to be released mid January, will be one of our best and invite you to join Samantha KE0LMY, M’Lisa KI5ICQ, Andrea K2EZ and myself N5XO for what I hope is a great show, where we will be discussing pre-amps for VHF/UHF along with Propagation and a few other topics we hope will be of strong interest to you.
So to wrap up my thought for the new year, with a growing solar cycle that is showing great promise, combined with some fantastic new equipment for VHF/UHF activity and more people then ever getting on SSB VHF/UHF/SHF I am seeing a bright Amateur Radio Future for 2021.
I hope you remain safe and are part of what I am predicting will be an exciting year in Amateur Radio.
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