Ham Radio & Fountain Pens

[FlyFast]

KL1TU here and I also have a GROL license. All of my logs are handwritten with a Pilot EF.

[Drone]

WB4ONA, many years both radios and pens. Best 73's OM, David

[danok1]

Is this still viable today? I haven't bought a WRTH for years.

 

I still have my Sony ICF-7600d, and it still works. Haven't sat down for a long time. I think I got discouraged when the BBC shut down their Canadian relay stations, and then HCJB went off the air. As computers and streaming became more popular, I think that the English language broadcasts diminished. I still remember sitting at my Heathkit receivers in Jr High and High school, headphones clamped to my head, listing to the BBC and other broadcasts. Radio Moscow and its rhetoric was always entertaining. I haven't had a good place to put up a long line antenna for quite some time though.

 

FWIW, I bought a "Yacht-Boy" type receiver a few years ago. Able to pick up Radio Romania, Radio Prague, Radio China, Radio Habana, Radio Sweden all in English. Some broadcasters still send out QSLs. Radio Prague occasionally sends out promo items as well (I have an "e-mail opener" from them...basically a letter opener in the shape of an "@" sign).

[blINK]

Very cool to see so many fellow hams on here. I have been licensed since the early 90s. Our HOA is also a pain about antennae, so I have to find creative ways to get on the air.

 

I like to work low power CW, so sometimes it is as easy as sneaking out with a piece of wire and hiding it in the bushes.

[Bill]

Fun to see a radio thread on FPN...it's been several years.

 

I've been US licensed since 1974 (yep, was just a kid) and hold an Extra in 8-land. Had a handful of other US and overseas calls but now am mostly on the local repeaters, though I do have a working HF station with tower and beam. I used to be a serious cw operator and key collector, and occasionally give presentations to local clubs about keys and telegraphy. Still hand log with fountain pens.

 

PM me if you are going to the Fort Wayne hamfest this weekend and want an eyeball (for the non-hams, that's hamspeak for speaking in person instead of by radio).

 

73,

Bill

[Water Ouzel]

There seems to be a lot of crossover between fountain pens, watches, firearms, and amateur radio interests.

 

Once things settle down here (just moved into our new home last Friday, and expect to spend the next several years finishing the interior), I ought to see how much different things here are compared to coastal central California. I know that shortwave broadcasting has changed hugely since the mid-80s...

 

73 de KE6BHY

[etaylor33]

Used to be an avid voice listener in my youth. Unfortunately, I found that with the advent of computers, most of the stations that used to be on, have left the air. My Grandfather, in England, used to be quite active. I like fountain pens, but that is a recent activity. Seems that as I get older, I tend to revisit the activities of my youth. Gone back to shaving with a double edge, that tends to be a scratchy affair.

[dasXFnib]

Used to be an avid voice listener in my youth. Unfortunately, I found that with the advent of computers, most of the stations that used to be on, have left the air. My Grandfather, in England, used to be quite active. I like fountain pens, but that is a recent activity. Seems that as I get older, I tend to revisit the activities of my youth. Gone back to shaving with a double edge, that tends to be a scratchy affair.

At 63, I'm just delving into the world of straight razors!!!!!!!

Never used an electric......HATED DE....just found a fairly decent cartridge (Feather MR3).....now ready to shave the "real" way.....!!!

 

Always try to get the dibs....on fountain pens with EF nibs!!

[Ink Stained Wretch]

I like fountain pens, but that is a recent activity. Seems that as I get older, I tend to revisit the activities of my youth. Gone back to shaving with a double edge, that tends to be a scratchy affair.

 

I started shaving myself with a single edged razor, but quickly went to the then pretty much universal double edged safety razor. I've been shaving with the double edged razors for more than 50 years now. Make sure you soap up and wash that beard before you begin to shave. I use shaving soap from a mug, as opposed to cream from a can.

 

At 63, I'm just delving into the world of straight razors!!!!!!!

Never used an electric......HATED DE....just found a fairly decent cartridge (Feather MR3).....now ready to shave the "real" way.....!!!

 

Yeah, straight razors are something I've thought about but decided not to try. Too easy to make a bad mistake with one. There's a reason why they are sometimes called cut-throat razors .

[Eduardo]

 

 

Yeah, straight razors are something I've thought about but decided not to try. Too easy to make a bad mistake with one. There's a reason why they are sometimes called cut-throat razors .ou

 

 

Never mind... Few practice and you are ready... When you use a straight razor, you shave the right side of your face with your right hand... When you pass to your left side, you need to use your LEFT HAND to shave... Straight and forward!!! A very good task to exercise the few used parts of your brain

[Ink Stained Wretch]

Is this still viable today?

 

I don't know. I haven't listened for years. I bet the numbers channels are still ongoing.

 

 

I haven't bought a WRTH for years.

 

Oh, I'd forgotten completely about that. I don't remember when I last bought one. I should see if I can dig whatever I have out for nostalgic purposes. I suspect that if WRTH is still around it's an on-line subscription service now.

 

The FRG-7700 seems to not work anymore. I can't justify getting it repaired, and my eyes are not so good these days, and my hands shake a bit now, so trying to repair it myself is out of the question. I think it's destined to be a boat anchor from now on.

[Ink Stained Wretch]

Never mind... Few practice and you are ready... When you use a straight razor, you shave the right side of your face with your right hand... When you pass to your left side, you need to use your LEFT HAND to shave... Straight and forward!!! A very good task to exercise the few used parts of your brain

 

Trying to learn a new dexterity skill using my left hand, with the stakes for making a mistake being potentially pretty serious, I think this is another one of those things that I'll pass on in my old age .

[EPP]

Brilliant my two favorite things in one place.

 

Callsign M0KAV, member of Poldhu Amatuer Radio Club, club call sign GB2GM which we operate from the Marconi Centre at Poldhu we have a national trust museum there on the site of where Marconi Made his 12th Dec 1901 transmission which is accepted as the first recorded transmission across the atlantic to signal hill Newfoundland, and the birth of long distance radio transmission. At the site there was also a later transmission received in 1903 from the then President of the USA Theodore Roosevelt to the King of England, Edwards VII at Poldhu, noted as the first USA/UK two way, trans atlantic transmission, obviously all CW.

 

We will be running a special event station to commemorate Marconis achivement on the 12th December on 40m and 20m possible also 17m, mainly SSB but we will have a period of CW as well, so if your into pens and radio give us shout, we will be operating from 8am to 7pm. I hope the bands will be in good condition.

 

73 speak soon .......Ell

Edited November 29, 2015 by EPP

[Garageboy]

Who exactly do you talk to on the Amateur bands?

I always wanted to get licensed, but only because I wanted to play with all the cool Motorola HTs

[EPP]

Who exactly do you talk to on the Amateur bands?

I always wanted to get licensed, but only because I wanted to play with all the cool Motorola HTs

Thats the great thing just like a forum you never know whos going to shout up. This year to celebrate Marconi's Birthday we ran a special event station and around lunch time we took a call from a station that turned out to be Marconi's Daughter transmitting from the Marconi ancesteral home in Italy, which was way cool. There are a large number of aspects also to Ham Radio, you dont just have telephony you can use morse code, or digital transmission some are interested in video transmission via wireless, then theres bouncing signals off the moon........ no really. Its a vast and technical hobby that always has an avenue of interest. Get licenced and maybe we can chat pens on the air sometime....cool. cheers......Ell.... M0KAV

Edited December 3, 2015 by EPP

[dasXFnib]

Who exactly do you talk to on the Amateur bands?

I always wanted to get licensed, but only because I wanted to play with all the cool Motorola HTs

If you've ever thought collecting PENS required deep pockets....try "collecting" HT's -- especially Moto's!!

Before digital came to be, it was all crystal control.....a single-channel unit like an HT200 meant a different rig for EACH channel you wanted to use!!!

IIRC, the crystal(s) in the -200 were solder-in....and working on these (easily....!!!) required a special "jig" (read: $$$$$!!!)....

Still in all....a LOT of fun!! My first general- coverage receiver (Hallicrafters s-76) and transmitter (Johnson Viking Adventurer) cost less than $100 together...

A wire dipole antenna strung between 2 trees.....plug in a key (NO MIC as a novice!!! Self-imposed RULE!!!).....tune up....and work the world!!

 

Always try to get the dibs.....on fountain pens with EF nibs!!

[opticalserenity]

Another HAM here. I mostly stay in the 70cm and 2m bands when I talk. These days, the technology has converged the old with the new, and there are some fascinating ways to communicate across the world using a simple dual band, inexpensive HT, using tech like DMR or EchoLink.

 

I think there are some similarities between HAMs and fountain pens. Neither are "required" and both have a sense of community among people who like to "talk shop."

 

Glad to see other HAM's here.

[SteveE]

Wow, guys! I've been "away" for a couple of months (you know how life sometimes gets in the way of itself. . . ), so I didn't post to this thread until now.

 

I've been licensed as a ham since 1962 - still a WA9 "know-code" general. I'm still somewhat radio-active, all on HF-CW. I have a Kenwood TS-590S and a ground mounted trap vertical. I've never run more than a couple of hundred watts, always CW, so the vertical does just fine.

 

My interest in FP's pre-dates my license date, as I used a couple of Esterbrook's in grade school. We started learning cursive writing (Palmer Method) in second grade, which would have been about 1954 for me. I still have those Esties, although I rarely use them any more.

 

I do remember in my earlier ham radio days that I kept my log books and wrote all of my QSL cards using an Esterbrook pen, so for me, the hobbies really do converge.

 

Maybe some day we can put together an FPN net. I know the guys from QRZ.com do it a couple of times a year.

[Hangglidernerd]

I have a HAM license but I only use it for hang gliding.

[trun4rth]

I'm a 911 Dispatcher, and our county Emergency Management Plan was recently changed to incorporate HAM Radio in the event of a loss of infrastructure - so the Emergency Management Director asked for volunteers. In May I was hit by a drunk driver and while recovering in the hospital I got my first pen, and my technician's license - even signed the paperwork with it