01/02/2007 | VE3IFS/W2 What a wonderful time! Was it me, or were there more signals on the band than last year? This was my second SKN and it was a chance to fire up all the equipment that has been dormant. First to fire up? The TS 820 that I got from my father, VE3LHS (ex-VE3DLS) about 20 years ago. It worked perfectly. And then the TS520 which had not been turned on, let alone used in a QSO, in almost 30 years. Lo and behold, it worked like a charm. To QSO with those rigs was a joy and, coupled with the fact that I finally got my Vibroplex bug properly set up (why don't they just make a DVD going step-by-step?) and SKN was truly loads of fun.

I was on the air for about 6 hours on New Year's Day and had a good many contacts. Signals were, by and large, quite good and everyone seemed to be tolerant of everyone else's somewhat rusty fist. It took off all the pressure that is usually present in high-speed CW contests and I literally had my feet up while receiving as well as transmitting. With a cup of tea in one hand, a bug in the other, and with the sweetest sounds of code suffusing the shack -- and by extension a good part of the house --- a tolerant and accepting family which did not mind the frequently dissapearing dad, and the wonderful sense of amateur community all made for SKN 2007 a real joy.

I am looking forward to hearing everyone next year. In the meantime, I better fire up the keyer...I don't think it's fair to subject the ether to my hand-made CW! -- VE3IFS/W2