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KD8AWZ Keith McKenzie has contributed to 6 posts out of 11674 total posts
(0.05%) in 6,781 days (0.00 posts per day).
20 Most recent posts:
eContest Suggestions »
Qso Party Dec 24, 2005 06:24 AM
(Total replies: 45)
Going just slightly off topic here, Jon above mentioned getting razzed for mentioning eQSL... I also have been getting a lot of flack for participating with eQSL... Why??? Everyone says "You have to use LOTW" or "Nothing replaces a paper card"! Why can't you use all 3 methods of QSL'ing? Why do most people "look down" on eQSL? 73 Keith AB8VL KD8AWZ Keith McKenzie
eContest Suggestions »
Qso Party Dec 22, 2005 06:51 AM
(Total replies: 45)
Hans, Sounds like a great idea! I am in "8 land" and might be able to do some relays. Busy time of year so I am often distracted, but please keep me informed. Oh, and when done I am going to have to figure out how to change my info here - upgraded last weekend and now have a new call - AB8VL! KD8AWZ Keith McKenzie
eContest Suggestions »
Qso Party Dec 11, 2005 06:24 AM
(Total replies: 45)
Thanks Hans for the welcome! In the last couple of days I have had a little changing of thought... As Rich said, different priorities for different people! While working the 10 meter contest yesterday I realized what I like doing best - helping hams newer than I - I had an "Elmer" teach me so much in a short time, and I like doing that for other newbies. But not everyone likes doing that - don't have the time to commit. One thing cool about eQSL I found the other day... The very first HF contact I made after getting my general ticket left me an eQSL was waiting for me when I signed up - a memorable contact for me. I sent him an e-mail, and he replied, said he remembered me - telling him he was my first! Good luck all in the 10 meter contest this weekend! KD8AWZ Keith McKenzie
eContest Suggestions »
Qso Party Dec 9, 2005 04:34 PM
(Total replies: 45)
Why thank you for the welcome Rich! I have a "bad habit" of jumping into things with both feet... and both legs... arms, head... You get the idea. In the just under a year since I first started to study for my tech ticket, and shortly after got my tech, tech plus, and then general license, I have been "involved" in something ham related every couple of days. I asked some local club members to help me put up my first antenna. Eight guys showed up. The next week someone else in the club threw an "antenna party" for his first HF antenna, and I went - not only to help, but to learn for my first HF antenna. So in the next 8 months I went to 8 more antenna parties, two of which were at my house. I got "encouraged" to run the 20 meter station at my club's field day with only about 5 months in the hobby (we were 11 alpha!). As I said above, I jump in with both feet! All these activities I have been a part of let me talk with many new hams, a ton of hams that have been in the hobby for around 10 years or so, and several real "old timers" - who's insight has been invaluable learning about all facets of the hobby. It doesn't amaze me at all that eQSL has grown the way that W3ZJ mentions above. With computers and the internet growing the way they have in the last dozen years, it only makes sense, and I think it will continue to grow, especially if members take the time to tout all the advantages. While I had heard of eQSL several months ago, the excitement of opening an envelope and seeing a QSL card from Greece, Italy, Scotland, ect, kind of made me wait, but I realize the future is now. But for some reason most people today have no idea what the ham hobby is about, and the only way it can be sustained is if experienced hams take to time to encourage newbies. So if I was just tooling around the bands and Rich were to come back to me and talk about his 53 years in the hobby telling me about some of his experiences, I am sure I would be mesmerized! So others may have "differences of opinion" about who to contact during a contest, but I may need your contact for just about every award or contest. Give us newbies a chance to catch up! KD8AWZ Keith McKenzie
eContest Suggestions »
Qso Party Dec 9, 2005 01:33 PM
(Total replies: 45)
A few people have thrown in "thier 2 cents" on this topic, and now I will throw in mine - hopefully from a new perspective. I am a newer ham - tech ticket in February of 2005 and general ticket in March 2005 - and an even newer member of eQSL - joined yesterday. I looked at eQSL because I recieved a hard copy QSL card that had a note attached saying he had also left me an eQSL - from someone I worked in a contest. When I signed up yesterday I had 11 eQSL's waiting for me going back to April, and now that I am signed up, that's 11 more entries for people for whatever award they might be striving for. If these 11 people passed me by because I was not registered with eQSL, that would be 11 less contacts for me as a newbie, and might have been enough to discourage me and I might not be as active in the hobby as I am. Now I try to work every contest and QSO party I can find, and from my very new point of view, I think an eQSL party or contest is a great idea! If it is promoted well it can only gain more popularity for this service. Fortunately I have a lot of time on my hands to "play radio" - I am on disability. My radios have become one of my "windows to the outside world", and I am just as excited to make 10 second contacts during a contest as am to spend 40 minutes working a new DX. While I can understand that some of you have limited time on your hands because of work and family obligations, I find it almost "snooty" that you can't take the 10-20 seconds of time it takes to work someone during a contest because they are either not a member of eQSL, or you just don't happen to need their call/country/state for your award log - you might be the one last contact THEY need for an award, but you don't have the time. Most of my experiences in my short time in the hobby is that we are akin to a fraternity - most of the hams I have met go out of their way to help any other ham out with a problem, whether it be an antenna issue, rig set up, or that distant DX frequency announced on the local repeater. I have never met any hams that were so selfish that they would just "pass me by" on the bands because I wasn't an eQSL member. I really hope that this isn't the "new direction" the hobby is going... KD8AWZ Keith McKenzie |
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