cu2jt
03-30-2006, 07:49 AM
I got my license in 1963 and operated many years as SM5BGK, a not very exotic call sign.
In the 1970's the interest for ham radio faded. I lived in an apartment, had a relationship and generally thought that amateur radio with it's stereotype liturgy was really not very interesting. You hand out RST, name, location and brag about your station and, occationally, mention the weather. If you are XY9DX, you hand out 599 and that's it.
When we decided to move to the Azores, I thought I should give amateur radio a second chance. It is a good location for putting a good signal in the US and Pacific.
CU is not that rare, but rare enough to stir up a little pile up each time I call CQ. This is new to me. I never had any big pile ups as SM5BGK.
I still like to chat which causes some annoyance among the stations waiting to contact me. Lots of breakers and calling on top of the station I am talking to. I know how to handle a pile up but that is not my way of enjoying the hobby.
Then there is the QSL cards. I ordered 1,000 nice glossy QSL cards and they cost a small fortune to print. A 1,000 cards was like spitting in the Atlantic. To date, I have worked over 16,000 QSO since Aug 5, 2004. So, I have made a template on the computer and print the QSL cards on the laser printer direct from my logger.
I get lots of QSL cards direct with SASE and "green stamps" and have become the best customer at the local post office. I send out about 10-15 cards a week and a US $ just about covers the cost for the card and postage as long as the exchange rate for $ / € stays where it is.
You can hear me daily on the OMISS net 14290 KHz and occationally on the Family net on 14245. I will be on 6 meters soon - a special license is required and I am waiting for it.
I think that the picture I posted on QRZ.com says everything about my attitude to amateur radio.
//Gary - CU2JT
In the 1970's the interest for ham radio faded. I lived in an apartment, had a relationship and generally thought that amateur radio with it's stereotype liturgy was really not very interesting. You hand out RST, name, location and brag about your station and, occationally, mention the weather. If you are XY9DX, you hand out 599 and that's it.
When we decided to move to the Azores, I thought I should give amateur radio a second chance. It is a good location for putting a good signal in the US and Pacific.
CU is not that rare, but rare enough to stir up a little pile up each time I call CQ. This is new to me. I never had any big pile ups as SM5BGK.
I still like to chat which causes some annoyance among the stations waiting to contact me. Lots of breakers and calling on top of the station I am talking to. I know how to handle a pile up but that is not my way of enjoying the hobby.
Then there is the QSL cards. I ordered 1,000 nice glossy QSL cards and they cost a small fortune to print. A 1,000 cards was like spitting in the Atlantic. To date, I have worked over 16,000 QSO since Aug 5, 2004. So, I have made a template on the computer and print the QSL cards on the laser printer direct from my logger.
I get lots of QSL cards direct with SASE and "green stamps" and have become the best customer at the local post office. I send out about 10-15 cards a week and a US $ just about covers the cost for the card and postage as long as the exchange rate for $ / € stays where it is.
You can hear me daily on the OMISS net 14290 KHz and occationally on the Family net on 14245. I will be on 6 meters soon - a special license is required and I am waiting for it.
I think that the picture I posted on QRZ.com says everything about my attitude to amateur radio.
//Gary - CU2JT