01/12/2006 | WA8REI This is my third or fourth soapbox post. I keep inadvertently deleting my updates, tweaking the poem like tweaking the tuning on an ancient transmitter! SKN was a lot of fun, as always. Best fist: VE3WMB. He was using a Swedish Army key. His Code was like W1AW Code Practice. Another FB QSO was with W2VCI. Dex is age 83 and a ham 62 years. His fist was excellent. My rig: Yaesu FT-817 at 5 watts. 80 m. QSOs were with my 80 m. sloper dipole. 40 m. QSOs were via my Hustler [DX Engineering] 4BTV vertical. Tnx all who worked me. Now for hopefully the final revision of my SKN poem. It is ficticious, but I hope you'll take a moment to read it. When I hit the "Submit your comment" button, four lines of the poem magically appear on ONE line. Go figger. Space saving feature, no doubt. Feel free to print the poem in your club newsletters, recite it, save it to computer, use it for shack wallpaper, etc. My only requirement is that the poem not be used for monetary or capital gain of any individual, group, or organization without my permission. My email and postal addresses are FB on QRZ.COM. 73 es hpe CU nxt yr in SKN. Ken, WA8REI

Ode to SKN
by Kenneth A. Louks, WA8REI

'Twas the eve of the New Year
When all through the land,
'Twas crowded with signals
On ev'ry ham band.

The dust was removed
From my straight key in time
To send o'er the ether
A CQ sublime.

My signals went out
O'er the ether with ease,
Who knows where they'll land?
It's your guess, if you please!

Then after my "K"
It's a glor'ous reply:
What's this I hear
Coming straight from the sky?

A mighty fine signal,
S meter reads nine;
It wasn't 'lectronic
Or a computer this time.

No, another straight key!
I could tell in a flash:
At the end of his "K"
He held that last dash

Just a tiny bit longer
Than normal, you see:
A keyer won't do that,
No, only a key.

I came right back to him
With clickin' brassware,
And tryin' right hard
To send good Code with care.

My fist's a bit shaky
O'er sixty-five years;
With thoughts of first QSO
I fight back some tears.

The joy is still great
As I send out the Code
From my glowin' tube rig
It's my favorite mode.

We told of our duty
From wars way back when,
And sharing our stories
We radiomen.

Me in the Army
He the Marines;
Flashed back to my mem'ry
Some prominent scenes.

You can't have a QSO
Like this on a "cell."
You've time to think through
The message you'll tell.

We had a great chew
On the rag, yes, 'twas "cool."
And e'en The Old Sock
Wouldn't have thought me a fool.

No hardware to damage,
No software to "toast,"
Just an old hunk o' brass
That I cherish the most.

And what better way
To "ring in" the New Year
Than the "bell-tones" of Code
Using fine vintage gear?

"Key, it's back to the shelf,"
I proclaim with a sigh,
"Lord willin' next year,"
And to all H-N-Y." -- WA8REI