Phil Landmeier @shuttersparks@social.cleverlibre.org

@johnb48 @SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom That's right. A lot of people, a lot of hams don't know this.

@mog7546 Indeed. I believe that's coming. I hope it's coming.

The U.S. is sending Bradleys, which are quite effective against tanks. They aren't much on armor but they're fast, manueverable, and pack a devastating chain gun. The French are also sending a vehicle designed with a similar philosophy: "I don't need armor if I kill you first."

It seems like the Poles are about to send Leopard 2 tanks and Germany is watching to see how it goes before doing the same. It will require training the Ukrainians to use and maintain this highly advanced tank. We'll have to set up supply chains for maintenance parts. Rheinmetall is onboard with the idea.

This would change the tone of the war in Ukraine because the Leopard 2 is a highly effective offensive tank, on par with the most advanced in the world and well beyond anything the Russians can put in the field.

You saw what the Abrams did to Russian tanks during the first Iraq war. It was a turkey shoot. Tank after tank destroyed by an Abrams they didn't even know was there and couldn't see. Like that only 25 years more advanced.

The West has been holding off on giving the Ukrainians weapons that could be used to not only drive the Russians out but drive deep into Russia itself.

The Russians have demonstrated stupid persistence despite it being clear they can never win. So I think it's fine to change the tone and do what should be done. Give the Russians something to work on besides adventurism by giving them a 30 year project to rebuild the southern part of their country. Let's find out how the Russians feel about having their national treasures blown up.

You know, it's only about 230 miles from the Ukrainian border to Moscow, about the distance from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

@Ralph058 @ClaraListensprechen@universeodon.com @SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom I like using a bug but they're too danged expensive nowadays. I used to have several beauties.

When I learned cootie I was warned it would mess up my electronic paddle skills, but it didn't. This might be because I play musical instruments. Mentally, I saw the cootie as a completely new instrument, which it is, with a whole special technique. More challenging to learn than I expected, but now fun.

@ClaraListensprechen@universeodon.com @SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom Well, I should get back to winding my toroids. Actually, I should finish building this EFHW transformer and then I'll get back to the toroids. ;-)

@ClaraListensprechen@universeodon.com @SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom Hey, I trademarked that expression. ;-) I use it all the time.

@ClaraListensprechen@universeodon.com @SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom

R R TNX FER NICE QSO VY 73 DE KW2P

@ClaraListensprechen@universeodon.com @SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom I guestimated from my daughter's license which should have been a couple of months before yours.

@ClaraListensprechen@universeodon.com @SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom You're welcome. I hope it serves you as well as it does me. I find SKCC so valuable I donate monthly to the organization. They offer a LOT of stuff. If you dig down there's a lot to read. There's also an SKCC logging program that I use for all CW contacts.

@ClaraListensprechen@universeodon.com @SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom I suspected that was the case. ;-)

With your KC7Lxx call Ima guess you were licensed around mid 1994.

@ClaraListensprechen@universeodon.com @SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom Well, you do hear RTTY outside of contesting and the best way to scare up a contact is to call CQ. I sometimes hear RTTY in the digital subband from 7070 to 7072 but more often between 7080 and 7085.

PSK31 is a modernized version of RTTY using modern DSP techniques so you can make long contacts on closed bands with 10 watts. Hah. PSK copies well below the noise level. Tune around, hear nothing with you ears, but the computer pulls out a signal. PSK also supports upper and lower case text. I've had many long ragchews using RTTY and PSK.

@ClaraListensprechen@universeodon.com @SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom Please do consider it. Note that SKCC is focused on forming the code with your hands. Straight key, sideswiper (cootie), or bug (Vibroplex). I use straight key and cootie for everything.

Most SKCC members like to collect other members and for a QSO to count it has to be manual key at both ends. But we'll QSO with anybody, it just doesn't count for levels and other awards.

@ClaraListensprechen@universeodon.com @SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom ARRL still broadcasts practice, now from two locations, CT and CA. I found listening to QSOs better for learning. But I find the ARRL broadcasts useful now for pushing my speed up.

SKCC is excellent. 20,000 nice people who are willing to slow down as far as you need. I'm honored to have been the very first QSO for two beginners. SKCC has a real-time sked page where you can set up QSOs on the spot. People post what frequency they're on and you can chat with them. And there's a running discussion stream.

Here's the sked page, real time: https://sked.skccgroup.com/

And all the info you could want is here: https://www.skccgroup.com/

@ClaraListensprechen@universeodon.com @SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom An actually TTY, like a Teletype Model 33 or older? Well, yeah, you can. I did that in the early 1970s. Believe me, it's much nicer to do RTTY using the computer. ;-)

RTTY is still very popular for contesting because it's a great mode for contesting. Outside of contests, you don't hear much RTTY.

@ClaraListensprechen@universeodon.com @SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom I remember that program long ago. QST used to publish articles from time to time for sueful gadgets for blind hams. A new ham I Elmered here in town, N3LSJ, his father was a blind ham.

@ClaraListensprechen@universeodon.com @SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom That happens. After a long hiatus I had to de-rust myself. My daughter is still in the process of rerusting herself. She used to be a CW demon and we contested together, in the multi-single class. She took 7th place in a speed competition among fellow contesters. 7th place was 63 WPM at pulling callsigns accurately out of a pileup. The 1st place winner was a guy from Slovenia at 111 WPM.

You just have to do it. Fortunately, it's much easier today because of the SKCC organization I belong to.

@ClaraListensprechen@universeodon.com @SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom

Hah. Back in the day I loved Standard radios. Today I have three handhelds, an FT-60 and a couple of Baofengs. But I only keep them charged and programmed for emergencies. I never talk on the repeaters here.

@SrRochardBunson @ClaraListensprechen@universeodon.com @sergio_101 @LGsMom VHF and repeaters is easy, inexpensive. All you need is a $30 Baofeng radio with the built-in antenna and Tech class license and you're on the air.

There are a few spots on HF where unsavory people hang out too, but always voice (SSB). The top end of 80 meters from 3900 to 4000 kHz is messy like the and the region around 14300 kHz.

You'll find me in the CW portions of the bands, far from that noise. So around 3550, 7050, 10120, 14050 are the areas you'll find me.

@ClaraListensprechen@universeodon.com @SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom

Still does and that part of the hobby is growing. More and more people are discovering the fun of QRP using CW or digital modes. There are some terrific radios around now. Right now I'm winding the toroids for another radio, a QDX from QRP Labs. It's an amazing, ingenious 4 band, 5 watt transceiver that's the size of a pack of Marlboros. It supports all FSK type digital modes and connects to the computer with a single USB cable that simultaneously supports digital transmit and receive and CAT control. Super efficient. Transmit final is Class D. Ultra clean output because it doesn't use a sideband modulator but twiddles the transmit frequency directly to produce FSK, Olivia, RTTY, FT-8, FT-4, JT-8, etc. It does not support phase-shift keying so no PSK modes. That's the only disappointing thing for me, but it's obvious that this clever design can't support it.

It's an absolutely brilliant idea and it works. http://qrp-labs.com/qdx