Category Archives: Amateur Radio

Calling CQ

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CQ, CQ, a call through the air,
Seeking a voice, a friend somewhere.
With waves that carry, strong and free,
A ham’s connection, a bond to see.

“Go ahead,” the call extends,
A simple phrase where distance bends.
Be enthusiastic, let your spirit show,
In your voice, let the passion flow.

CQDX, a directed plea,
“Europe, respond!” across the sea.
Focused signals, crafted with care,
Hoping someone, somewhere, is there.

Q-codes come like a secret tongue,
QRZ—another round has begun.
Shorthand bridges, quick and true,
A world of voices, just waiting for you.

So spin the dial, find your space,
Let your signal find its grace.
CQ, CQ, don’t hesitate—
A call to the world, a chance to relate.

Created by
MarkWaldrop

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1AVQuZSf9q/?mibextid=UalRPS

The 13 Colony Contest

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In July's embrace, the airwaves come alive,
From July first to seventh, hams strive,
A celebration of history and the thrill,
Of the thirteen colonies' spirit and will.

From New York’s echo to Virginia’s call,
Special stations rise, one for all,
K2A to K2M, their voices soar,
Across the ether, tales of yore.

On HF, VHF, UHF bands they play,
In CW, SSB, and digital display,
Operators gather, young and old,
In a contest of stories retold.

Certificates await those who seek,
Thirteen callsigns, unique and sleek,
QSL cards, a treasure to behold,
In the hands of those, brave and bold.

A bonus station here, another there,
WM3PEN and GB13COL's flair,
Reminders of allies and history’s friends,
In this contest, where learning blends.

The 13 Colonies, a test of might,
Connecting the past with signals bright,
Promoting the hobby, a bond so true,
Uniting operators, old and new.

So tune your radios, set your gear,
For the 13 Colony Contest is here,
A week of challenge, joy, and quest,
In the spirit of ham radio’s best.

Created by
MarkWaldrop

Propagation Here and Beyond

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Invisible threads traverse the sky,  
Radio waves that whisper, shout, and sigh,  
From earthbound stations, voices rise,  
Reaching far beyond our eyes.

Through the ether, swift they soar,  
Bouncing off the ionosphere, exploring more,  
No barrier holds their eager quest,  
In endless space, they find their rest.

Just like our prayers, both loud and meek,  
In moments of despair or peace we seek,  
They travel realms unseen, unheard,  
To touch the heart with every word.

In silence or in fervent plea,  
Our voices find divinity,  
Beyond the clouds, beyond the stars,  
In faith, they break through cosmic bars.

Both wave and prayer, unseen yet strong,  
In their journey, they belong,  
A bridge between the here and there,  
Connecting hearts through space and prayer.

So when you send your message high,  
In radio waves or prayerful sigh,  
Know that both are heard, embraced,  
In realms beyond our earthly pace.

Created by
MarkWaldrop KE4WA
Bible Fellowship Net
bfn2.com

 Hamvention 2024

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Hamvention what a place to be
Hamvention 2024 was way too big for me

I walked and walked and still did not see
Everything that interested me. 

All the Big Boys were there and tailgater’s too
Oh my.  All the things I bought . If only my wife knew. 

I thought I had died and gone to Heaven
Until my credit card bill sent me into depression 

Fried corn cheese dogs for breakfast every day
What in the world more could you want, I say

Well I’m tired and my bones ache now
I’m headed for my car if I can find it somehow 

I’m already looking forward to Hamvention 2025
Hoping it’s a better year providing I’m alive

Mark Waldrop

The D-104

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Painting by Spike O’Dell
In the heart of nineteen thirty's gleam,  
Two hams dreamed a crystal clear dream.  
Astatic born, from passion, not motion,  
Crafted with care, the famed D-104 potion.

A microphone not just of metal and wire,  
But of voices carried, higher and higher.  
Introduced in an era of swing and of jazz,  D-104 microphone,
Its clarity cut through the buzz and the razz.

The D-104, oh, how it stood the test of time,  
In amateur shacks, its presence sublime.  
From broadcasting booths, its fame would spread,  
Professional voices, clearly, were led.

Astatic's creation, from humble start,  
Became an icon, in the audio art.  
The D-104 microphone, a legend in sound,  
Wherever communication is bound.

Decades on, its legacy clear,  
A testament to those who hold sound dear.  
The D-104, a marvel, a tool,  
In the history of audio, forever cool.

March 16, 2024
Created by
MarkWaldrop

The Humble Dipole???

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 WBCQ
500,000 Watts  20 Million Watt Gain
Variable Signal Width

In fields wide, where signals dance and streams,  
I've raised towers high, touched the sky's seams.  
And I've laid beams, sturdy, across the lands,  
Yet found my heart tied to simpler bands.

For in the humble dipole's gentle reach,  
There lies a lesson that the skies do teach.  
Complexity not always does one need,  
When simple strings of wire can far exceed.

I've worn the cloak of wealth, pockets deep,  
And I've felt the pinch, when ends don't meet.  
But through the highs and lows, one truth endures:  
The essence of action, which life secures.

Not in the riches, nor in the dearth,  
But in the doing, we find our worth.  
For towers may fall, and beams may decay,  
But the spirit of a doer stays in play.

So let us cherish the old dipole's grace,  
And in our actions, find our rightful place.  
For in the end, it's not what we acquire,  
But what we do, that lifts us higher.
FaceBookhttps://www.facebook.com/WBCQThePlanet
March 10, 2024
Created by
 MarkWaldrop  KE4WA

Dr. Bob Heil, K9EID

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In silent waves, the airwaves mourn, a key now stilled, a legend born.  
Dr. Bob Heil, K9EID, his call,  
In the ether, his voice did fall.  
A valiant fight, a year in span,  
Cancer's battle, a brave man ran.  
Surrounded by love, in peace, he passed,  
Into the memories, his legacy cast.  

A passion for radio, clear and bright,  
Guiding waves, through day and night.  
Everything he touched, for growth, for better,  
His spirit in service, an unbreakable fetter.  
Instructional guides, presentations with zest,  
Support for ARRL, in youth, he invested.  

An Elmer to all, a mentor, a guide,  
His absence now felt, a missing tide.  
Yet, in the silence, his impact resonates,  
A beacon of love, through the ether, it radiates.  
To ham operators, across every land,  
Bob's spirit whispers, in the airwaves, it stands.  

So let's key our mics, in homage, in grace,  
For Dr. Bob Heil, an irreplaceable space.  
His journey on earth, a radiant trail,  
In every static crackle, his story we hail.  
Though the key is silent, his legacy sings,  
In the heart of the hobby, his spirit brings wings.  

Farewell, beloved founder, your journey now ends,  
But in frequencies wide, your essence extends.  
A Silent Key, yet your message loud,  
Dr. Bob Heil, forever proud.  
In the hobby you loved, your passion remains,  
An eternal echo, in the amateur radio lanes.

March 1, 2024
Created by 
MarkWaldrop KE4WA

Antenna is the Star

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In the realm of waves, both near and far,
It's not the Rig, but the Antenna, star,
A truth profound, in radio's art,
In crafting signals, that's where you start.

With solder, wire, and hands so skilled,
It's not what's bought, but what's self-built,
The heart of communication, clear and true,
Lies in the Antenna, reaching skies so blue.

For every ham, enthusiast, and sage,
Who turns the dial, or sets the stage,
Knows well the secret, old yet bold,
It's not the machine, but the reach, gold.

In the dance of frequencies, high and low,
It's the Antenna's song, that steals the show,
A crafted beam, a loop, a whip,
Guiding the waves on their journey, a trip.

So heed this wisdom, clear and bright,
In your pursuit of the signal's flight,
It's not the Rig, with knobs and lights,
But the Antenna, in heights, ignites.

In this endeavor, patience is a friend,
For every build, every tweak, lends,
To the magic of the airwaves, wide and vast,
It's the Antenna's tale, that forever will last.

February 17, 2024
Created by
MarkWaldrop

Echoe in the Airwaves

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In the gentle hum of frequencies long past,  
Brian Evans whispers, a connection vast.  
"I used to help," with a voice both proud and clear,  
Through '68 to '70, the message dear.

With his Dad by his side, under a sky so wide,  
Phone patches they did weave, in hope they'd believe.  
For servicemen and women, across seas so grim,  
Their voices a bridge, a light, however dim.

The equipment now silent, echoes of a key,  
Holds memories of a time, of unity.  
He's now the guardian of this sacred lore,  
W7BBW, alive once more.

Feeling cool, with the call sign in his grasp,  
A legacy continued, in each breath a gasp.  
The Morse code taps out a rhythm of the heart,  
A silent key, yet his spirit never to depart.

In every call made, in every static crackle,  
Lies a story of love, across the ether it travels.  
Brian, with his license, continues the tale,  
Under the same stars, where once his Dad set sail.

So here's to the echoes, in the airwaves they swim,  
To Brian, to his Dad, and their service kin.  
W7BBW, a call sign of pride,  
A son's tribute, in the airwaves they reside.

February 13, 2024
Created by
MarkWaldrop KE4WA

A Young Boy’s Dream

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In the spring of '71, a young boy's journey begun,
Kevin, just eleven, with dreams touching the sun.
WN2AEY, his call sign, a beacon of light,
Received on his twelfth birthday, much to his delight.

With a homebrew transmitter, fifty watts of pure zeal,
Cathode keyed, crystal controlled, a young ham's ideal.
A National NCX3, his first receiver to hold,
But soon traded for something more bold.

The Hammarlund HQ170A, vast as the sea,
A radio giant, for a young enthusiast, a key.
This machine, a marvel, in his hands it lay,
An ocean of frequencies, just a dial away.

In the fall of '72, at the tender age of thirteen,
He upgraded to general, a new call sign to glean.
WAZAEY, his new identity in the air,
A step further in his journey, handled with care.

Through the static and noise, his passion grew,
A world of connections, old and new.
From a young boy's dream in the spring of '71,
To a journey in waves, under the invisible sun.

January 31, 2024
Created by 
MarkWaldrop KE4WA
Penned for Kevin Clark WA2AEY