#335 days left until christmas

[romangoldendreams]

Christmas Eve Everyday

#christmas eve #christmas 2021 #christmas #christmas tree #christmas tree decoration #335 days left until christmas #Christmas Spirit

[pamphletstoinspire]

Pope Saint Sylvester I - Feast Day December 31st - Both Calendars

The Baptism of Constantine by Pope Sylvester I

The date of the birth of St. Sylvester is unknown; he died on 31 December, 335. According to the “Liber pontificalis” (ed. Duchesne, I, 170) he was the son of a Roman named Rufinus; the legendary “Vita beati Sylvestri” called his mother Justa. After the death of Miltiades (Melchiades), Sylvester was made Bishop of Rome and occupied this position for twenty-one years (314-335). This was the era of Constantine the Great, when the public position of the Church improved from past persecutions.

***

Although the place of honor in the service of Jesus belongs to the Martyrs, the confessors also fought for the glory of His name and the spreading of His Kingdom. They are crowned with the crown of justice. Jesus has made it a part of His own glory and they are near His thrown. The Church would, therefore, grace this glorious Christmas Octave with the name of one of her children, who should represent at Bethlehem the whole class of her Saints who had not been martyred. She chose St. Sylvester, a confessor who governed the Church of Rome, a Pontiff whose reign was long and peaceful; a servant of God adorned with every virtue, who was sent to edify and guide the world immediately after the end of 300 years of Christian persecution gaining victory by martyrdom under the leadership of the thirty predecessors of Sylvester all of whom had been martyred.

***

Emperor Constantine was also persecuting Christians when he developed Measelry (leprosy). He intended to kill 3000 children and soak in their blood to see if he could be healed of his affliction. The mothers of the children came crying to him to spare their children and Constantine relented. The following night SS Peter and Paul appeared to Emperor Constantine saying to him that because of his actions he should send for Sylvester and be baptized by him and he would be healed of his malady. Eventually the emperor went to St. Peter’s Church, confessed all of his sins, and did penance and was eventually healed. When Helen the mother of Constantine, who was dwelling in Bethany, heard of her sons conversion, sent him a letter of praise for turning away from false idols. Thus begins the era of peace for the Church.

***

Thus, Sylvester becomes a messenger of peace. The peace which Christ came into the world to give and which the Angels sang on Christmas night. He is the friend of Constantine, confirms the Council of Nicaea (325), he organizes the discipline of the Church for the new era in which She is now entering: the era of peace. His thirty predecessors in the See of Peter imagined Jesus in His sufferings; Sylvester represented Jesus in His triumph. Sylvester’s feast during the Octave of Christmas, reminds us that the Divine Child who lies wrapped in swaddling-clothes, and is the object of Herod’s persecution, is, notwithstanding all these humiliations, the Prince of peace, the father of the world to come.

***

Sylvester also defined the nature of the Trinity, especially the divinity of Christ (Nicene Creed) in response to the Arian controversy. He also continued the building of many churches in Rome, and with support from Constantine built the first Basilica of St. Peter along with the cathedral of the pope, even until present time, St. John Latern. He also improved record keeping and established the first martyrology (list of the martyrs of the Church).

***

In a commentary from The Liturgical Year by Dom Prosper Gueranger, O.S.B., we read that Sylvester lived in a time of transformation of the Church. She was in darkness of night and came to live in the full light of the sun; she was persecuted as a slave and became the Queen; she left the catacombs and began to dwell in the palaces. Under Sylvester’s inspiration and command, the greater work began of building the Church as an institution, as a sovereign religious society, the work some call the “constantinization” of the Church.

This term means the following:

1. Emperor Constantine made a decree giving liberty to the Catholic Church; then he issued another decree forbidding the false cults to carry on openly.

2. Wanting to repair for the unjust persecution the Church had undergone, Constantine gave his mother-in-law’s palace to the Church. This was the palace of the Laterani, and it became the first basilica of the Pope. It is the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

3. He began to bestow special honors on the Bishops and treated them as official representatives of the Church.

4. The acts of Catholic worship became more solemn because of Constantine’s presence at such ceremonies.

5. He considered the Church to be united to the State.

6. When Constantine changed the capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantium (Constantinople), the Pope remained in Rome, and became the virtual sovereign of the city. The Pope still did not have official temporal power, but practically speaking, he became the temporal of the city.

The results of this ‘constantinization” of the Church is two-fold:

1. In the political sphere, it pronounced the Catholic Church as the only true Church. As such, the Church deserves to be protected, supported, and respected by the State. Therefore, the Church is an entity more  noble than the State and, at depth, given the fact that she is divine, more  important than the State. From this principal came the medieval  metaphor that the Church is like the sun, and the State like the moon  that turns the sun and depends on it.

2. In the religious sphere, it manifested that the most splendid and  magnificent earthly things and most beautiful works of art were made  first and foremost for the worship of God. So, man should make and  reserve the most significant incenses, the purest gold and silver, the most  splendid fabrics and clothing for the service of God.

3. This is the concept behind the “Constantinian Church”. Thus, the term,  as we can understand it means, that for the temporal character of the Church, with her correlated richness and solemnity in worship, her sacral buildings, the pomp of her dignitaries, etc., is by it’s very nature the essence of the “Constantinian Church.”

This is the work which Sylvester started and continues to this day. It is the heritage of the One, Holy, Roman , Apostolic, Catholic Church founded by Jesus Christ.

***

REFLECTION

Never forget to thank God daily for having made you a member of His indefectible Church, and grow daily in your attachment, devotion, and loyalty to the Vicar of Christy. Ubi Petrus, ibi ecclesia: Where Peter is, there the Church is.

Feast Day Customs (December 31st)

Frankly, the popular focus is on the end of the secular year, but on this, the seventh day of Christmas, a plenary indulgence may be gained, under the usual conditions, by reciting the Te Deum in thanksgiving for the past year.

Every place has its own customs on this day, most being rooted in the desire to bring blessings for the following year, to do things so as to “start things out on the right foot,” and often with the belief that how you find yourself at midnight portends how things will be for you the rest of the new year. Merriment is the rule in all cases, and “lucky foods” are eaten, all of which vary from place to place. In Spain, one must eat 12 grapes at midnight to fend off evil in the following year. Pea Soup is a German “lucky food,” and in France it is oysters. In the United States, black-eyed peas are consumed. Other customs of New Year’s Eve in the U.S. include kissing at the stroke of midnight; banging on pots and pans, honking car horns, and generally making noise at that time; “resolutions” (commitments to break a bad habit, add a good habit, or fulfill a goal of some sort in the coming year); drinking champagne or sparkling wine; watching the “ball fall” in Times Square. No matter what year or century, December 31st,

New Year’s Eve has it’s many customs.

#pope st. sylvester

[maribelletrash]

JJBA Secret Santa

Hello @ladyjotaro , I had so much fun writing some jotakak for your secret santa! Sorry for the unoriginal plot and absolute fluff of this piece, but sometimes it’s just what’s needed in the holiday season! Without further ado, I hope you enjoy your present!

It’s December 1st, and Jotaro narrows his eyes into a tight glare at the loud festivities in the shopping complex. The last place he wanted to be was at the crowded and bustling shopping centre, with people darting this way and that, pushing people others out of the way to find the best presents as the Christmas rush came to a close. He was honestly just thinking of buying Kakyoin some cherries and calling it a day; he didn’t really believe in spending a limb on a big present all for some obligatory secret santa activity the class decided would be a fun, festive way to wrap up the year and its festivities, but when his mother got wind of his plans (how did she even find out about the secret santa? And of the crush he had on his own friend he’d met that summer?) she suggested coyly to get his read haired friend something that would really show him just how much he meant to him if it were that hard to tell him upfront.

After letting out sigh, he turned his cap down and left the room, heading for his ownto pick up his wallet. He wondered just what in the world he would get Kakyoin. He liked sumo, yes? Perhaps...no, just giving him some tickets would be nice, but not the present he was looking for. Besides, he doubted he’d enjoy standing around the loud jeering crowds, even if the wrestlers put on a good show. He needed something more...thoughtful, something that would do the talking for him...He thought of delievering such a mystery present to Kakyoin at school and blanched. There’s no way he could pull of delivering any heart-felt handmade chocolates or roses or-damn, what did his mum think he was gonna give to Kakyoin? He decided to have a wander around the shops to get ideas, or just browse the shops idly until something popped up. Groaning, he shut his door silently and walked over to where his mother was taking washing down from the line.

“I’m off,” he tipped his hat slightly, and his mother grinned at him.

“Going to find something for Kakyoin? I’ll have dinner ready for you when you get home. Good luck!” She waved farewell and gave him a beaming smile and he sighed, waving her off and walking out. He hoped her intuition was a mother’s thing, and that it wasn’t just that he was such a readable character that she knew straight away what he was thinking.

—

What he didn’t think to do was to offer his mother come with him-she was often a good deterrent for his usual troupe of girls, who were now tailing him, their voices ringing in his ears as he grunted in annoyance. She also would’ve picked the perfect gift; one that he’d probably look at briefly but pass over as too expensive or to small. He may be able to find a gift for her this way, though. He had been too busy with all the catching up he’d had to do after the events of Egypt, and the couple of months after that his grandfather advised he take off from school to process everything that happened and fully recover to think of the upcoming seasons festivities.

As Jotaro entered the complex, he realised with a frustrated sigh that he had no idea as to how he would begin his search. Should he just try all the shops and hope that something would catch his fancy? Or go to the stores he remembers the two frequent and find something worth buying there? Figuring he’d have more luck with the latter, he marched off in the direction of the home living store. The girls that had been following him had grown, and his patience thinned at their noise.

“Where are you off to today, Jotaro?”

“Can I help you with anything?”

“Hey, don’t be so presumptuous! It’s not like he just came in here with no idea what he was buying-“

“Get lost, damn it! You’re really starting to annoy me, all of you!” He yelled, turning to them suddenly. A couple of passerby’s stared as the girls turned their attention to him. Letting out a forlorn sigh, the first one nodded, the others following suit.

“Good luck, Jotaro! Hopefully I’ll see you soon,” The last one called out to him, only to get jabbed by the girl next to her. There voices finally faded into the other sounds in the shopping centre, and Jotaro adjusted his hat and continued walking until he reached the shop he was looking for. 

Before his Egypt trip, he doubted he’d be seen dead in a store like this, but if that trip had made him slightly more open to doing little things for his mother. There was no laser eye beaming vampires in the home and living store that he had to be afraid of, so he took a deep breath and stepped into the store, gritting his teeth as he heard the bubbly voice welcome him into the store.

“Welcome!” The assistants, while gaping at his large, intimidating figure still managed to speak. The soft, joyful music that flowed from the speakers seemed to undermine his presence even more, and his eyes scanned the store for something that his mother would appreciate and found the kitchen wares section. It was last month that he’d broken his mothers tea set, an accident, yes, but the sounds of his mother letting out a string of coughs turned his blood cold and terrified him to the very core.  He still felt guilty even though his mother smiled and told him it was no bother, insisting she was just coming down with a cold while fussing over his bloody hands.

He browsed the selection, surprised to see that it would take quite a chunk out of his spending money to replace the whole set. His mouth set into a frown, he carefully examined the set, deciding that the cherry blossom set, although typical, was one his mother would probably enjoy the most, and looked very similar to the one he had broke. He considered complaining about the price, as he placed the tea set on the counter carefully, tipping his hat slightly.

“Ah, an excellent choice, sir,” the lady at the counter glanced at him under her spectacles for a moment before looking away quickly when she was met with a harsh glare. Her face lit up when she scanned the set.

“A-And it’s 30% off! That’ll come to 335 yen, sir,” He opened his wallet, paying for the items quickly, nodding once when the shopkeepers assistant asked if he’d like it wrapped. Walking out, he dipped his hat once more, feeling his cheeks burn. If the old man were to see this...he didn’t think he’d ever live it down

Jotaro, after checking the time to realise he’d spent the last two hours in a search for a present for Kakyoin with almost no luck. Although Turbo Racing was expensive as it had only recently come out, and as he hadn’t heard anything from Kakyoin that tipped him off to him owning the game, he thought it wouldn’t be a present wasting space on the mantelpiece. But Kakyoin would avoid bragging about games and his favourites to Jotaro, who had no real interest in video games. Not to mention...as reluctant as he was to admiring his feelings to Kakyoin, his near death had shaken Jotaro. It had been eating at him enough already, wondering if his friend fancied him the same way he did, and he wanted to tell him; he didn’t really want to think of what would happen if he got rejected, and he wanted to think he had a fighting chance at Kakyoin returning his feelings. He noticed the way his eyes would linger on his slightly, or the way his eyes would light up as he saw Jotaro when he was walking to school. He asked the man at the register for the game, and the shop assistant gave him an apologetic smile.

“We don’t have any more of these in the store anymore, but I can put the game on order for you?” He ground his teeth, and the man behind the counter grimaced as if excepting impact. Instead, he waved him off and walked out. It probably wasn’t a gift his mum would buy his father, anyways.

To say he was a little annoyed that he went all this way and still ended up without a present for Kakyoin was an understatement. He was starting to seriously regret agreeing to the whole “Secret Santa” business.

————-

His mother had other ideas up her sleeve, but he barely considered getting Kakyoin the fluffy teddy bear holding a heart before he yelled that there was no way he was going to be seen giving him that before walking out of the living room in a huff. He sighed, placing the tea set on his desk and grabbing out a cigarette from the pack in his pocket, heading out to the garden outside of the house. Maybe if he thought it over for a while he’d find a present. Thinking back to the game store, the man did say that there were other stores he could try, as unlikely as they may still have stock. It wasn’t until his mum called him in for dinner that he realised he’d snapped his cigarette in half, and picked the pieces up, taking them to the rubbish bin with a curse before joining his mum. 

They ate in comfortable silence, until Holly jumped a little from her seat.

“Oh, I just thought! Kakyoin likes those racing games, why don’t you get him the new one?” He looked up with a raised eyebrow and sighed.

“You don’t think I haven’t tried that yet?” She peered at him slightly, and smiled again.

“Have you tried the other stores? It might be further out, but I’d bet Kakyoin will know-“

“Good idea.” He cut her off before she finished that sentence. He learnt that yelling at her did little to change her babbling on about her sons first love after she first found out and wouldn’t stop talking about it all day. She smiled, and as she spoke again as she poured some tea into her cup.

“Ahh, I wonder if I’ll get something nice under the tree this year...you know, I’ve already wrapped some presents, they’re under the tree now...” Jotaro let the frown that had been set on his face to relax as he ate his food quietly, giving his mother the occasional nod or shrug when she posed a statement to him and enjoyed the food his mum had made. No doubt the next day would prove almost as challenging as this one, and he resolved to having a relaxed evening so he would be more prepared to deal with it than he was today.

The day of the Secret Santa reveals was here, and begun with several girls from his homeroom catching him on his way to school and arguing about who he got and what he’d give them. After yelling at them to be quiet, he continued to school, spotting the very boy that his present was for.

“Ah, good morning, Jotaro,” Kakyoin called out, and joined flank with the tall delinquent, a small bag in his hand along with his normal school bag. Jotaro gave him a nod, and glanced at the bag for a moment.

“It’s today, right? The Secret Santa gift giving. I hope so, I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise of my present,” Jotaro gave him a nod, and Kakyoin looked over to Jotaro.

“Did you bring a present, Jotaro?” He cleared his throat before answering. His fangirls wouldn’t shut up once they heard him, but they were bound to find out eventually.

“Yes, it’s just a little small,” Kakyoin gave him a bemused expression.

“I wonder what you got them, Jotaro.” He smiles to himself and tipped his hat slightly.

“I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise of my present, Kakyoin,” His companion blinked twice before answering, a soft smile on his face that paused him slightly.

“That’s very true, Jotaro. Well, I suppose I won’t have to wait long, shall I?” His words were slightly muffled by the loud exclamations of the growing crowd of girls behind him.

“Did you hear that? Jotaro got his Secret Santa a present!”

“I hope he got something for me...”

“Don’t be silly! You have horrible luck, it’ll probably be one of his friends if anything!” The school bell ringed three times over, and Jotaro let out a sigh before setting his shoes away and making his way to class.

As class begun, the teacher stopped through their lecture and called everyone to attention.

“You may give your gifts to your secret santa at any time during the day, but make sure to tick your name off when your present has been given to you so that we know everyone has given their gifts out!” The teacher gave Jotaro a look before looking to his book and allowing the class to chatter a bit before he asked them to quiet down so he could resume the lesson, and his eyes looked for anything but his teacher, and his eyes found Kakyoin, or the back of his head in front of him. Suddenly, he turned around, catching his stare. Jotaro ground his teeth, but kept his blank stare, and Kakyoin’s voice joined the hum of murmurs within the class.

“Jotaro, would you mind if I joined you for lunch today?” If Kakyoin didn’t spend his afternoons at the arts room finishing off his project, or Jotaro wasn’t beating up some poor soul who decided to sour his mood, they would spend their lunches together and chat about miscellaneous subjects that happened to cross their mind, or nothing at all and just watch as the students went about chatting animatedly or playing sport. He enjoyed Kakyoin’s company, and he’d been saving money from the number of cigarettes he’d saved from his company, so he didn’t ever deny Kakyoin’s company. Whether he knew this or not he wasn’t sure of, but Jotaro has the strangest feeling that his friend knew exactly the answer-yet he asked to hear his gruff agreement of “I’ve got nothing better to do” and catch him quickly averting his gaze. He wondered whether his seemingly transparent disposition came from his mother, and whether or not she had as much trouble with it as he did. Just as Kakyoin smiled (a smug smile, Jotaro realised and sighed.) and just as he was about to answer, the teachers voice cut through the class, and he turned to pay attention to the teacher. Jotaro had to will his eyes not to bring their gaze back to the boy as he fought of the flush in his cheeks, and muttered his now infamous one-liners. A part of him hoped that Kakyoin would hear it and grin, and that the teacher would catch him and send him a look of warning as he continued his lecture in his dry, monotone voice.

————

The lunch bell chimed, and even as he’d faced a relentless vampire that was hellbent on ruling the world and his underlings, yet his heart was pounding as he walked out, holding his present in hand. He walked the halls that were now filling up with students with care, trying to avoid any of his usual adorers on his way outside.

“Eager to get out, Jotaro?” By the time he was halfway from the school, he heard his friends voice calling out and turned around, giving him a nod to the bench that was shaded by the impossibly old tree. The game that was stuffed into his jacket seemed to burn in his pocket, and he silently wished Kakyoin would hurry up so they could get this over with and he could light up a cigarette.

“Didn’t want to deal with those bit-women,” Spitting out the term with as much venom as Jotaro did then probably didn’t sound very respecting, but it was certainly an improvement that even his grandfather had noted. Kakyoin shot him an amused smile and brought out his lunch along with a box with simple yet elegant wrapping. Jotaro expected that anyone who he was dropping that off to would instantly know it was him, but said nothing as Kakyoin raised his eyebrow at him.

“What?” Jotaro frowned at the boy, who gestured to the present that had slided out slightly from Jotaro’s pocket.

“I suppose I shouldn’t have expected a big present from you, Jotaro. Do you want to stop by the lockers after lunch to deliver our gifts?” Jotaro coughed twice and took the game out, handing it to Kakyoin. Looking out to the tree, he cursed himself for not keeping his cool as he muttered

“Actually...It’s for you,” Kakyoin’s eyes widened slightly as he inspected the wrapping.

“That’s...convenient,” Kakyoin chuckled a bit as he unwrapped the present. He blinked, twice, and then turned to Jotaro with that smile that made him turn his gaze so Kakyoin wouldn’t see his cheeks rising in colour.

“Where did you get this? I’ve been looking everywhere for it,” he sounded excited, which was good news; he was glad he wasn’t giving Kakyoin something he already owned.

“I found it in a small store out a couple of towns back. Don’t lose it or anything though, will you? Took me two days to buy the thing...” Jotaro was surprised at himself for holding a decent conversation with Kakyoin, judging on the fact that he’d been holding his tongue for the past couple of days to prevent being suspended by one of the teachers who had given him one last chance to get his act together or face consequences. Besides, he’d much rather tell the truth to Kakyoin then his mother when she next saw him.  It seemed Kakyoin wasn’t expecting to be so forward, and spotting the pink in Kakyoin’s cheeks gave him a slight smug satisfaction.

“Thank you, Jotaro, really,” He set down the gift before continuing, but Jotaro’s eyes were still on the present, specifically the card that stuck to the cover of the game.

“I wonder who will be bringing you a present, hmm?...Jotaro?” The said teen coughed again in the break, this time nodding to the card.

“My, you’ve even written me something...” Kakyoin seemed to stare at the message for longer than Jotaro expected as his sentence trailed off into silence, and he started to regret even agreeing to his mum's idea in the first place. But as hard as it was to admit to himself, let alone the very person he loved; when he saw Kakyoin’s warm smile as he nodded in reply to the card and asked him what time would be best for him, he knew it was worth it and offered his date a small, rare smile of his own.

At least all the trouble he’d been through had its own way of working out in the end.

I’m sorry if this sounds a little ooc, I tried to do as best as I could! I set it in an AU where Kakyoin lives, and set it as almost the climax of a slow burn between the two. I like to think that after everything that’s happened in Egypt, he’s so glad to see his mother happy and recovered that he’s willing to demonstrate a little more respect for Holly. I hope you enjoyed this, and Merry Christmas!

#2017 secret santa #jjba secret santa #Jotaro Kujo #Noriaki Kakyoin #jotakak #sorry about the shitty gift idea...jotaro is bad at gift ideas and so am I #long post #writing #jjba-secret-santa-2017

[santaclaus1225]

335 days left until Christmas 🙂 who here loves Home Alone and Home Alone 2 Lost in New York? . . . #january #eleven #months #christmas2020 #families #happychildren #happykids #christmasmovies #homealone #homealone2lostinnewyork #itsthemostwonderfultimeoftheyear #noel #falalalala #hyggeligt #hygge #candycanes #peppermint #lollipops #snowman #scarf #hat #christmasmug #mug #reindeer #rudolphrednosereindeer #christmasinjuly #tinsel #garland #christmastree #SantaClausIsComingToTown (at The North Pole) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7ur5P7laJX/?igshid=1a6l99fn9wep9

#january #eleven #months #christmas2020 #families #happychildren #happykids #christmasmovies #homealone #homealone2lostinnewyork #itsthemostwonderfultimeoftheyear #noel #falalalala #hyggeligt #hygge #candycanes #peppermint #lollipops #snowman #scarf #hat #christmasmug #mug #reindeer #rudolphrednosereindeer #christmasinjuly #tinsel #garland #christmastree #santaclausiscomingtotown

[certainheartrunaway]

Daily ham news 8/7/19

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Yesterday, @SDRplay noted on Twitter:

It’s 5 years ago today we sold the very first blue and white RSP to someone in Sweden – many thanks to all our customers over the 5 years

Perhaps it’s just because I’m getting older, but it’s hard to believe it’s been five years!

The little RSP1 really disrupted the SDR world. Up to 2014, there were few sub $150 SDRs that included HF reception natively. There were even fewer sub $150 SDRs that I would consider “enthusiast grade”–those that were sensitive, selective, and not prone to overload.

When I initially tested the RSP1 it pretty much blew my mind. I was so impressed by the performance for the price point.

Looking back at my original review, I see that I had a long list of “pros” and only three “cons.” In fact, two of the three “cons” I listed are no longer valid (multi-channel recordings are now an option and SDRplay has their own OEM application, SDRuno).

SDRplay has demonstrated iterative agility with each new product offering and built an impressive community in five years. They have also maintained their position as a price leader even though their products are all designed and manufactured in the UK.

Congratulations, SDRplay! Happy Birthday to the RSP1! Click here to check out SDRplay.

Click here to read my original SRDplay RSP1 review.

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On air activities at KE9V have been a lot more relaxed since removing the computer from the shack. I really don’t miss the constant interruptions from social media, email hitting the inbox, or any of the thousand other distractions that intrude on my radio time.

To be certain it’s not for everyone, I log and take notes by hand.

But that’s no different than the way I operated when I was a Novice and Bill Gates was just another snot-nosed rich kid who hadn’t yet invented a damn thing. And I recall ham radio being a whole lot of fun without all that falderol in 1977 – and what do you know, it’s no less fun in 2019 without it too.

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Evans (W4/VP9KF), who shares the following article from Hackaday:

Before swearing my fealty to the Jolly Wrencher, I wrote for several other sites, creating more or less the same sort of content I do now. In fact, the topical overlap was enough that occasionally those articles would get picked up here on Hackaday. One of those articles, which graced the pages of this site a little more than seven years ago, was Getting Started with RTL-SDR. The original linked article has long since disappeared, and the site it was hosted on is now apparently dedicated to Nintendo games, but you can probably get the gist of what it was about from the title alone.

When I wrote that article in 2012, the RTL-SDR project and its community were still in their infancy. It took some real digging to find out which TV tuners based on the Realtek RTL2832U were supported, what adapters you needed to connect more capable antennas, and how to compile all the software necessary to get them listening outside of their advertised frequency range. It wasn’t exactly the most user-friendly experience, and when it was all said and done, you were left largely to your own devices. If you didn’t know how to create your own receivers in GNU Radio, there wasn’t a whole lot you could do other than eavesdrop on hams or tune into local FM broadcasts.

Nearly a decade later, things have changed dramatically. The RTL-SDR hardware and software has itself improved enormously, but perhaps more importantly, the success of the project has kicked off something of a revolution in the software defined radio (SDR) world. Prior to 2012, SDRs were certainly not unobtainable, but they were considerably more expensive. Back then, the most comparable device on the market would have been the FUNcube dongle, a nearly $200 USD receiver that was actually designed for receiving data from CubeSats. Anything cheaper than that was likely to be a kit, and often operated within a narrower range of frequencies.

Today, we would argue that an RTL-SDR receiver is a must-have tool.[…]

Click here to continue reading the full article at the excellent Hackaday blog.

Of course, for all things RTL-SDR and beyond, I highly recommend bookmarking RTL-SDR.com.

The RTL-SDR.com blog also manufactures my favorite flavor of the RTL-SDR dongle along with a nice bundle of antennas. Click here to check it out on Amazon.com (this affiliate link supports the SWLing Post).

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Look for YO3GA, YO4GKP, YO9RYJ, YO9RIJ and others to be active from Fericirii Island EU-191 as YP0F during August 27 to September 1, 2019. QRV on 160-10m, CW/SSB/FT8. Full QSL info on QRZ.com

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Thor DK7RD, Paul G4PVM and Col MM0NDX plan activity from Europe’s 5th most wanted IOTA – the Shiant Isles EU-112 – during  August 23-25, 2019. QRV on HF bands, CW/SSB/FT8.

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Weekly DX Report 05.08.2019 – 11.08.2019 via Tumblr https://ift.tt/2YDvHp7 August 03, 2019 at 06:57PM via Tumblr https://ift.tt/2YDvHp7

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Latest Amateur Radio News from around the world as compiled by the Southgate Amateur Radio Club web site.

Foundations of Amateur Radio

When you join a new community you learn very quickly that each community has its own language. A word in one community has a different or extra meaning in another. For example, the word “Snowflake” in one community might refer to a phenomenon related to water and freezing, in another community it refers to a person who is sensitive, easily hurt and offended. If you mix the two meanings all manner of misunderstanding ensues

Ham radio featured in ITU News Magazine

Self-training, intercommunication and technical investigations: the amateur service in the 21st Century

Australia: WIA board comment

In this week’s WIA News Director Peter VK8ZZ looks at the purposes of amateur radio and proposed changes to the amateur radio licenses

India: Record number of new ham radio licenses in 2018/19

Jose Jacobs VU2JOS reports the officers and staff of the Amateur Cell, WPC Wing, Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued a record number of new amateur radio licenses in the 2018/19 financial year

VK6WIA NewsWest

NewsWest for Sunday 4th August is the Club Focus Edition, where we focus on clubs, and we give time to clubs to blow their trumpets, or even a whole brass band if they want. We have stories from the Christmas Island Amateur Radio Club, WA Amateur Radio News and Ham College

LimeRFE for ham radio bands

LimeRFE is a software-definable RF front end module for LimeSDR platforms. A limited number of reduced-cost boards are being made available without Cellular but with the Amateur Radio bands

Minor geomagnetic storm warning

A large hourglass-shaped hole in the sun’s atmosphere is facing Earth and spewing solar wind in our direction. Estimated time of arrival: August 5th-6th

ITU News and Amateur Radio

Far too much for me to include with this submission – The latest copy of ITU News Magazine is good news for Amateur Radio

St. Paul Island DXpedtion

The CY9C DXpedition team are active until August 8th. Activity is on 160-6 meters using CW, SSB, EME, FT8 and the Satellites

Retrotechtacular: The Oscar 7 satellite died and was reborn 20 years later

If I were to ask you what is the oldest man-made orbiting satellite still in use, I’d expect to hear a variety of answers. Space geeks might mention the passive radar calibration spheres, or possibly one of the early weather satellites. But what about the oldest communication satellite still in use?

ILLW Final Countdown

Two weeks to go with 335 registrations received, organisers are expecting another 100 over the next 14 days. One entry worthy of note was received today from GB2LG, the Mull of Galloway Lighthouse

SSA defense of 23cm band against Galileo threat

Sweden’s national amateur radio society SSA has sent a supplementary letter to the communications regulator PTS ahead of the next meeting of the CEPT ECC Conference Preparatory Group CPG-19

Satellite challenge

Many of you probably were not at Hamvention when we announced this at the ARISS forum and the AMSAT forum, but if you want a ‘real’ challenge, AMSAT and ARISS are working on the design of a ham radio system for the Lunar Gateway

Book author goes to the moon

MX0CNS, The Essex Dx Group in collaboration with EssexHam on the 27th of July sent a greetings message 384.000km to the moon and back for Dr David Whitehouse, author of the book ‘Apollo 11 the inside story’

CW OPS Open Contest

The CW Open for 2019 is now just around the corner. As in the past, the CW Open is scheduled for the first weekend of September. By the time you read this article it is less than 4 weeks away

HamSphere 4.0 SSB British contest 2019

Beam your antennas to United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey), gather as many big grids from UK as possible

The Space Weather Woman

A Coronal Hole Triple Play- The latest space weather forecast from Dr Tamitha Skov WX6SWW

The Internet’s Impact on International Radio

Radio Today: Many broadcasters saved money by moving from high-power shortwave transmissions to the web. But at what cost?

Laindon Radio Club

The Laindon Radio Club will be holding a Display and Discussion night on the 30th August – and will welcome visitors and members alike

DX News from the ARRL

The American Radio Relay League’s round-up of the forthcoming week’s DX activity on the amateur radio bands

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The Ohio/Penn Dx PacketCluster DX Bulletin No. 1425 BID: $OPDX.1425 August 5, 2019 Editor Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW Provided by BARF80.ORG (Cleveland, Ohio) Written/Sent from Strongsville, Ohio

Thanks to the Northern Ohio Amateur Radio Society, Northern Ohio DX Association, Ohio/Penn PacketCluster Network, the AB5K's AR Cluster Networks, NJ1Q & W1AW, W2VU, NG3K & ADXO, W3UR & The Daily DX, WB6RSE, K8YSE, W8GEX & 60m DX News, W9ILY, DL1EKC, DL1SBF, DL7UXG & The DX News Letter, DxCoffee.com, DXNews.com, DX-World.Net, F5NQL, F6AJA & Les Nouvelles DX, I1JQJ/IK1ADH & 425 DX News, OZ6OM & 50 MHz DX News, PD3H, RN3RQ, RW6HS , Sixitalia Weekly and VA3RJ & ICPO for the following DX information. DXCC COUNTRY/ENTITY REPORT: According to the AR-Cluster Network for the week of Sunday, 28th-July, through Sunday, 4th-August there were 209 countries active. Countries available: 3A, 3B8, 3D2, 3DA, 3V, 3W, 4J, 4L, 4O, 4S, 4U1I, 4X, 5B, 5H, 5R, 5T, 5W, 5Z, 6Y, 7X, 8P, 8Q, 9A, 9G, 9H, 9J, 9K, 9M2, 9M6, 9N, 9Q, 9V, 9Y, A4, A6, A7, A9, BV, BY, C3, C5, CE, CE0Y, CE9, CM, CN, CP, CT, CT3, CU, CX, CY9, D4, DL, DU, E4, E5/n, E5/s, E7, EA, EA6, EA8, EA9, EI, EK, EL, EP, ER, ES, EU, EX, EY, F, FG, FH, FK, FM, FO, FO/a, FR, FY, G, GD, GI, GJ, GM, GU, GW, HA, HB, HB0, HC, HH, HI, HK, HL, HP, HR, HS, HZ, I, IS, J6, J7, JA, JD/o, JT, JW, JY, K, KH0, KH2, KH6, KL, KP2, KP4, LA, LU, LX, LY, LZ, OA, OD, OE, OH, OH0, OJ0, OK, OM, ON, OX, OY, OZ, P2, P4, PA, PJ2, PJ4, PY, PY0F, PZ, R1FJ, S0, S2, S5, S7, SM, SP, ST, SU, SV, SV5, SV9, T33, T5, T7, TA, TF, TG, TI, TK, TR, TT, TU, TZ, UA, UA2, UA9, UK, UN, UR, V3, V4, V5, V7, V8, VE, VK, VK9L, VK9X, VP2M, VP2V, VP8, VP9, VR, VU, XE, XU, XX9, YA, YB, YJ, YL, YN, YO, YS, YU, YV, Z3, Z6, Z8, ZA, ZB, ZD7, ZF, ZL, ZP, ZS * PLEASE NOTE: The report "could" contain "Pirate/SLIM" operations or more likely a "BUSTED CALLSIGN". As always, you never know - "Work First Worry Later". 3W9, VIETNAM. Jacek, SP5APW, and his wife are planning to visit Dao Co To (AS-132) between the end of September and the start of October. He is plans to be active as 3W9KJ (callsign pending). Activity will be mainly FT8/FT4 possibly on 40/30 meters with some SSB (if conditions allow) using 100 watts into a wire QSL via his home callsign, direct, by the Bureau, LoTW or ClubLog's OQRS. 3Y0I BOUVET ISLAND DXPEDITION NEWS (Video). 3Y0I Team member Mietek, SP3CMX, has put together a 27:19 video on the team's first attempt to go to the island called “The Road To Bouvet”. They say “Buckle up” to viewn it at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q39AMAhciuk 8Q, MALDIVES (Reminder/Update). Gil, IZ2DLV, will once again be active from as 8Q7GB Nika Island in the Maldives between August 4-18th. Activity will be holiday style on 40/30/20/17/15 meters using CW, SSB and FT8. QSL via LoTW or ClubLog. 9G, GHANA. Chip, KB1QU, will be active as 9G5QU between September 8-21st. Activity will be on 40/30/20 meters using CW, FT8 and FT4. QSL via N4GNR direct. A8, LIBERIA (Update/Confirmed Dates). The Italian DXpedition Team will be active from Liberia between September 28th and October 11th. They plan to use two callsigns: A82X for CW, SSB and RTTY; A82Z for FT8 only. The 11 operators mentioned are Silvano/I2YSB, Vinicio/IK2CIO, Angelo/IK2CKR, Marcello/IK2DIA, Stefano/IK2HKT, Alfeo/I1HJT, Franco/I1FQH, Tony/I2PJA, Gino/IK2RZP, Alberto/IZ2XAF and Mac/JA3USA. Activity will be on 160-10 meters using CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8. Suggested frequencies are: CW - 1826, 3530, 7025, 10115, 14030, 18068, 21030, 24890 and 28030 kHz SSB - 3775, 7090, 14240, 18130, 21310, 24950 and 28470 kHz RTTY - 14084 kHz FT8 - 1843, 3585, 7056, 10131, 14080, 18095, 21091, 24911 and 28091 kHz For JA STATIONS ONLY -- FT8 on 160m use normal mode; TX frq 1845 kHz and RX frq is 1908 kHz They are planning to use 5 stations with maximum flexibility. QSL via OQRS (http://win.i2ysb.com/logonline/). QSL via I2YSB direct only or LoTW after the operation. They will also be using a "Real-Time Online Logging" (internet permitting), including their FT8 activity as A82Z. For more details, updates, and a survey on bands/needs, see: http://www.i2ysb.com/idt C21, NAURU. Operators Yuris/YL2GM, Jack/YL2KA, Kaspars/YL1ZF and Kristers/ YL3JA will be active as C21W from Nauru (OC-031) after their Western Kiribati operation (see T30 below) between September 16-25th. Activity will be on 160-6 meters, possibly 60m, using CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8. The suggested frequencies will be published later. Split operation will always be used: QSX CW up 2 (160m down 2, JA 1810-1820); and QSX SSB/RTTY up 5. QSL via YL2GN direct or ClubLog (for direct or by the Bureau) for paper QSLs. Full LoTW upload will be done 6 months after the end of the DXPedition. For more details and updates, see: http://www.lral.lv/c21w_t30l/index.html Please do not send log correction requests. Corrections will not be provided. All individual supporters 20 USDs+ will receive direct QSL. Please do not send your QSL to them via Bureau - they are not required. CQ NEWS (Press Release, date July 30th). "Dhruv Rebba, KC9ZJX, Named 2019 Newsline Young Ham of the Year" -- Dhruv Rebba, KC9ZJX, of Normal, Illinois, has been selected as the "2019 Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Memorial Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year". Dhruv, 15, is the son of Hari Rebba, VU2SPZ, and Shailaja Panyam. He is entering his sophomore year at the Normal Community High School this fall. He is a member of the Central Illinois Radio Club. Dhruv earned his Technician Class license in 2013 when he was only 9 years old. He followed it up by passing the test for a General Class license a year later. Dhruv says his interest in amateur radio was sparked by a 2013 visit to the Dayton Hamvention(R) with his father, a long-time amateur radio operator from India who settled in the U.S..... Read the complete press release at: http://cqnewsroom.blogspot.com Also read the ARRL press release at: http://www.arrl.org/news/view/dhruv-rebba-kc9zjx-is-2019-newsline-young-ham-of-the-year CR3/CT9, MADEIRA ISLANDS. Operators Gerd/DF9TS, Detlef/DK3QZ, Michael/DK6QW, Marcus/DL1EKC, Kai/DL3HAH and Andreas/DL3YM will be active as CR3W from Santana, Madeira Island (AF-014), during the Worked All Europe DX CW Contest (WAEDC) (August 10-11th) as a Multi-Single entry. QSL CR3W via DL5AXX, OQRS (see QRZ.com) or LoTW. Look for operators to be active out- side of the contest as CT9/homecall usually on 160-10 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL via their home callsigns. CY9, ST. PAUL ISLAND. After a small delay, the CY9C team is now active until August 8th. Activity is on 160-6 meters using CW, SSB, FT8 in DXpedition mode, EME, and on various Satellites. QSLs will be available: ClubLog, LoTW, direct via WA4DAN. PLEASE NOTE: No Bureau or No IRCs. For more details and updates, watch: http://cy9c.com DXCC'S MOST WANTED (ClubLog). The "DXCC Most Wanted" entities list has been updated on ClubLog as of July 29th. The list contains 340 entities. The following are the top 10 entities: 1. P5 DPRK (North Korea) 6. BV9P Pratas Island 2. 3Y/B Bouvet Island 7. KH7K Kure Island 3. FT5/W Crozet Island 8. KH3 Johnston Island 4. BS7H Scarborough Reef 9. FT5/X Kerguelen Island 5. CE0X San Felix Islands 10. 3Y/P Peter 1 Island No changes this month. The complete "DXCC Most Wanted" entities list is available at: https://secure.clublog.org/mostwanted.php DXCC NEWS. The following operations have been approved for DXCC credit: CY9C -- St. Paul Island; 2019 operation T6AA and T6A -- Afghanistan; 2019 operations H4, SOLOMON ISLANDS. Operators Michael/DL2GMI and Bernhard/DL2GAC will be active as H44MI and H44MS, respectively from Malaita Island (OC-047) between August 23rd and September 2nd. Activity will be on 80/40/20/15/ 10/6 meters using SSB, RTTY and FT8 (normal mode or F/H-Mode according to the activity). QSL via their home callsign, by the Bureau, direct or LoTW. Maybe a OQRS later. IOTA NEWS.............. AS-025. Operators Valdimir/RV1CC and Yuri/RM0F will be active as RV1CC/0 and RM0F/P, respectively, from Iturup Island beginning August 15th. Activity will be on various HF bands. QSL via details on QRZ.com. AS-063/ (Update) The RQ73QQ operation (AS-152) has been cancelled due AS-152. to security reasons (many polar bears on the island now and bad weather for a small boat). The R63RRC operation (AS-063) has made about 10K QSO; 1100 in the RSGB IOTA Contest. AS-206. Take, JA8COE, will be active as JA8COE/0 from Sado Island between September 22-24th. Activity will be on various HF bands using CW, SSB and FT8. The focus will be on EU and low power NA stations. QSL via his home callsign or ClubLog's OQRS. For updates, watch his Blog at: https://blog.goo.ne.jp/takaja8coe AS-206. Kenji, JA4GXS, will be active as JA4GXS/0 from Sado Island, in the Honshu's Coastal Islands East IOTA Group, between October 26-28th. Activity will be on 20/17 meters using CW and FT8. QSL via his home callsign, direct or by the Bureau. AS-206. Ichy, JH7IPR, will be active as JH7IPR/7 from Oshima Island "before noon" (JST time), August 9th, and "around noon" (JST time) on August 10th. Activity will be focused on 40/20 meters using FT8 with some CW. He states, "However, if 6m opens, will work on 6m. Will be active on CW accordingly. Depends on the situation, I might extend one more day." QSL via the Bureau; ClubLog will be available once the system accepts the log upload (It seems to have 30 day rules for the newly validated IOTA#). EU-112. Operators Thor/DK7RD, Paul/G4PVM and Col/MM0NDX are planning to activate Europe's 5th most wanted IOTA, Shiant Isles, as MS0INT between August 23-25th. Activity will be on various HF bands using CW, SSB and FT8. QSL via M0SDV. EU-191. Operators Da/YO3GA, Mircea/YO4GKP, Alina/YO9RYJ, Petrica/YO9RIJ and possibly others will be active as YP0F from Fericirii Island between August 27th-September 1st. Activity will be on 160-10 meters using CW, SSB and FT8. QSL via YO9RIJ. NA-008. (Zone 2) VY0ERC is once again active from the Eureka Weather station and the Eureka Amateur Radio Club [probably the most northerly located amateur radio club in the world] from Eureka, Nunavut, on the air until August 20th. A list of the operating team was not provided. The suggested bands are 40 and 20 meters (possibly 80m), as well as FM satellites (from ER60, EQ79) using SSB, the Digital modes and very slow CW. Activity will be limited to his spare time. QSL via M0OXO, OQRS or direct. NA-176. Pierre, VE2GT, is planning a one day operation from Île du Havre, and will be active as VE2GT/150 between 1330-1530z on September 1st. Activity will be on various HF bands; pro- bably on IOTA frequencies. Track Pierre's progress on APRS at: https://aprs.fi/#!call=a%2FVE2GT-5&timerange=3600&tail=3600 NA-210. (Update) Members of the Russian Robinson Club are planning to activate Sledge Island as KL7RRC/P between August 27th and September 2nd. Operators mentioned are are planning to activate Sledge Island as KL7RRC/P. Operators mentioned are Mike/AD5A, Yuri/UA9OBA and Yuri/N3QQ. Activity will be on 40-6 meters using CW, SSB and FT8, with possibly 2-3 stations. FT8 will be on 24/7 as a beacon on two bands F/H mode. QSL via N7RO or ClubLog (will be uploaded after the expedition). A Web page is now available at: https://www.na-234.com NA-211. Operators Yuri/N3QQ, Cezar/VE3LYC, Sandro/VE7NY and Adrian/ KO8SCA will be active as K7TRI from the rare IOTA Tillamook Rock between September 6-9th. This IOTA is in demand by almost 94% of IOTA members, and has been on the air only once in 21 years. Activity will be on 40-17 meters using CW and SSB. This is a very expensive and challenging project, and they are actively looking for possible support from IOTA chasers and DXers at large. All donors will be promptly acknowledged on their Web site at: http://k7tri.weebly.com QSL via VE3LYC, direct or by the Bureau. The preferred method is ClubLog (for direct or by the Bureau). SA-100. (Update) The current list of operators of Diego/CA1DBD, Fer- nando/CA1FCS, Juan/CE1DN, Sergio/CE3WW, Zoli/HA1AG, Nando/ IT9YRE, Carlo/XQ1CR, Claudio/XQ1FM and Danilo/XQ4CW, will be active as 3G1DX from Pajaros Rocks for 3 days sometime around October 18-23rd (plan is October 18-20th). This will depend on the swells around the island. They plan to work hard during the day hours, but they are not sure during the evening hours due to the high tides. Activity will be mainly SSB and CW, using two stations. Pilot station is Alfio/IT9EJW. QSL via IT9YRE - OQRS preferred . For more details and updates, see: http://www.it9yre.it/3g1dx PLEASE NOTE: It is very hard and dangerous to land on the Rock so please absolutely do not dupe the QSO ! ! ! Restructuring of AS-117/AS-206. On the IOTA Web page (iota-world.org), Roger, G3KMA, on July 30th, posted the following: Islands previously listed as qualifying for AS-117 that now fall within the co-ordinates box of the new group AS-206, Honshu’s Coastal Islands East, have now been transferred and are listed appropriately both in the application database scroll-down list and in the IOTA Directory online. Following several activations from AS-206 in the last few weeks with most already accepted for credit, the group number is now confirmed. Record-holders with credits for AS-117 that commence with prefixes JA0, 1, 2 and 7, will have their credits reviewed for transfer to AS-206. All chasers who logged into the IOTA system at least once during the last two years will be automatically informed by a credit re-allocation. This will alert them to the need to find a replacement card or QSO match for AS-117 with a prefix JA3, 4 or 9 to regain credit. Other record-holders for whom Management no longer retains an email address will have any necessary transfer made automatically. The intention is to transfer all credits to the correct IOTA group within a few weeks. As this is quite a big job, patience is requested. PLEASE NOTE: Since the Webmasters of the new (www.iota-world.org) have decided NOT to post or dedicate a Web page to announce upcoming IOTA operations, PLEASE send your IOTA operations information to the OPDX, and we will post it here in an upcoming bulletin...... KH4, MIDWAY ISLAND. Ron, KH6DV, from Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, announced on July 31st, that a KH6VV/KH4 DXpedition will take place during the second half of February 2020. He states on QRZ.com, "Midway Atoll is #14 on the ClubLog most wanted list and has not been active for some time. The air- craft used for the logistics flights has been downsized and visitors are no longer allowed to fly to the island. Operators interested in joining the expedition should be prepared to undertake a 6.75 day ocean voyage. The vessel DXpedition veteran the 'A/S Machias' can be seen on my KH6DV QRZ.com page. The vessel will provide all power (2 x 27KW generators) and air conditioned sleeping, operating and galley areas. For operators who would like to join the expedition, please send me an email. Anyone with FT-8 F&H experience from the expedition side please state so. What we need: About 11 operators. Someone with experience in contacting DX clubs to solicit donations. Donations are being accepted at the expedition PayPal account ([email protected]). Make sure you note your callsign so we can add you to the express LoTW list." QSL KH6VV/KH4 ONLY via ClubLog's OQRS. ADDED UPDATES (FROM DX-WORLD.NET) by Ron, KH6DV: * August 2nd -- "Upon further review by the DXCC desk we will be moving the equipment and operators to land. As I said whatever it takes to count. We won't be going to these efforts to not count. All will be documented." * August 3rd -- "We have a list of 10 well experienced expedition operators on the high interest list which is 1-2 fewer then we need. These were received in the first day and a half after the announcement. My hope is that now that we are into the weekend people will have time to consider making the trip. I believe one of the problems is that so many have been there on the last expedition 10 years ago and are looking for new places to go rather then a return to somewhere they have been. We will let this run till about August 15th at which time we need to make the decision to proceed or delay till later in the year." OPDX MAILING LIST (Just A Reminder). The "new" OPDX Mailing List is back up and running! Details on how to subscribe/unsubscribe are at the bottom of this bulletin. PLEASE pass the word around.... Thanks and 73 de Tedd KB8NW PA75, THE NETHERLANDS. Look for special event station PA75OMG to be active between September 12-22st. Activity is to commemorate and celebrate the anniversary of freedom. As part of Operation Market Garden(OMG) in World War II, paratroopers of the allied forces, such as American, British, Canadian, Polish and Dutch troops, landed in the Nijmegen region on Sep- tember the 17th, 1944, and the region would soon be liberated after four years of German occupation. During the 10 days of activity, they will try to work as many amateur radio operators across the world as possible. QSL via the infon on QRZ.com. For more details and pictures, see: Home

PROPAGATION FORECAST/REPORT (August 5-11th)....... Aug/05th HN Aug/08th AN Aug/10th AN Aug/06th HN Aug/09th AN Aug/11th AN Aug/07th AN SOLAR REFERENCE KEYS/INDEXES AND GEOMAGNETIC REFERENCE ====================================================== NORMALITY GEOMAG K Values Alpha ----------------- ------ -------- ------ AN - Above Normal Quiet K=0-1 0-7 HN - High Normal Unsettled K=2 8-15 LN - Low Normal Active K=3 16-29 BN - Below Normal Minor Storm K=4 30-49 DIS - Disturbed Major Storm K=5 50-99 VRY DIS - Very Disturbed Severe Storm K=6-9 100-400 Meanwhile, check out the following Web sites for propagation: * VOACAP predication Web page at: http://www.voacap.com/hf and http://www.voacap.com/prediction.html * DX.QSL.NET Propagation page: https://dx.qsl.net/propagation * A daily HF radio wave propagation forecast can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/thomasfranklingiellaw4hm * SolarHam Web page: http://www.solarham.net * Radio Propagation/Space Weather/Sunspot Cycle Information at: http://sunspotwatch.com * Monthly propagation charts between four USA regions and twelve overseas locations are at: http://arrl.org/propagation * Information and tutorials on propagation are at: http://k9la.us * Graphic propagation tool by DR2W: http://www.dr2w.de/dx-propagation * Point to point propagation at: http://www.predtest.uk/p2p.html * Realtime propagation at: http://www.predtest.uk * Also on Twitter: https://twitter.com/@GiellaW4hm QSL INFO AND NEWS................... QSL-INFO from DB0SDX by Lothar, DL1SBF (www.qslinfo.eu) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Next QSL Infos on Sunday, August 18, 2019 (e) eQSL only (d) direct only (B) Bureau only (*-B) DX's- Bureau (O) OQRS only (C) ClubLog only (L) LoTW only (N) No QSL needed (I) No IRC (P) PayPal (NB) No Bureau LOGS ONLINE AT CLUBLOG.ORG THIS WEEK...... https://secure.clublog.org/logsearch/CY9C https://secure.clublog.org/logsearch/OJ0DX https://secure.clublog.org/logsearch/OJ9A https://secure.clublog.org/logsearch/TO5M OZ/DL3DW via DL3DW. Activity during the RSGB IOTA Contest from Falster Island (EU-029). QSLS RECEIVED VIA LoTW: 1A0C, 7X2TT, C5DL, C6ADX, CE3TL, EA5WO, EW7BA, F8DBF, HA7TM, HB0WR, HZ1SK, J69DS, KN0E/KH3, OJ0DX, OZ1TMK, RA4HL, S21SM, T2AR, UA2K, UN7LZ, VE4VT, VE4WQ, YB8OUN, YJ0GA and YO3JR QSLS RECEIVED VIA MAIL: AO50MOON, 5W0H, DU1UD/8 (OC-105), E77E, GU3HFN, K7Y (NA-250), LZ1NP, S9A, VK6MAV/6 (OC-211), VK6MAV/6 (OC-183) and ZB2FK QSLS RECEIVED VIA THE BUREAU: 4E1CVB/4 (OC-202), 4S7KKG, 5W0DXA, 5X2B, 6Y1M, 8Q7PW, 9M4DXX, 9Q0HQ, A35EU, A52ZB, CP8MW, E51JHQ, HC5F, HC5M, HZ1FI, JD1BPH, JG8NQJ/JD1, KC4/N2TA, KH2F, PJ4P, RI0BC (AS-042), RI1OB (EU-133), T31EU, T6/IZ1CCK, TK/DB4BJ, UK/R1ZY, V31FO, VC7J (NA-036), VC7X (NA-036), XV9YM, YE4/DL3KZA (OC-144), Z66X, ZA/DF8AN and ZA/DK8FA --- We would like to see more QSL Bureaus (such as AS/US/SA/AF.. etc) to send in their info.... SV/A, MT. ATHOS (Monk Iakovos, SV2RSG, Mount Athos News). The following is a letter written by Monk Iakovos, SV2RSG, and was provided by Theodore Giamtsidis, SV1GRM: Dear Radio Amateur friends, I am Monk Iakovos from the Holy Monastery of Koutloumousiou of Mount Athos, bearing the distinct amateur radio call sign SV2RSG. I hereby take the liberty to contact you and write in the circumstances of what has been circulated as sporadic rumors regarding Mount Athos, Monk Apollo and me in conjunction to the issue of ham radio activities (radio amateur). My sole purpose and intention is to provide clarification, based on actual facts and figures, in restoration of the truth. Regarding my eligi- bility as a radio amateur and solid proof of it, there are the relevant official records in the competent state service offices in Thessaloniki but also in the pertinent Ministry in Athens, for anyone interested in accessing, verifying, learning more, as well as relevant accompanying photographic material that has come under exposure to public eye at various given time periods. Concerning the subject of a radio amateur license held by the passed Monk Apollo (SV2ASP), whether licensed by the Holy Community (Greek Hiera Koenotes) of Mount Athos for Amateur Radio Broadcasting, I would like to clarify the following: The Holy Community has never shown any sign of interest in this issue, until as recently as only 4 years ago. The only permission granted to the late blessed Monk Apollo was for radio warning communications (regarding natural as well as other serious environmental hazards and disasters), in order to provide wider relative information on local and near periphery level and thus triggering response and support on combating, restricting and mitigating these disasters. On the other hand, it was exactly the outbreak of a ravaging wildfire on Mount Athos with terrible catastrophic effects that provided the motive for a more positive disposition towards mentioned ham radio activity. However, there has never actually been a permit for ham radio amateur contests or daily ham radio activities, nor has it been any concern in the interests of the Holy Community to deal with this issue, since the Holy Community had at the time and still has much more serious and important issues of actual substance to resolve and deal with than those pertinent to a solitary Monk in his individual activity. I say “individual activity” because the Monastery to which Monk Apollo belonged had not requested for such actions, and had not put forth an official Monastic request as such. This was also further demonstrated by the total ignorance of the Holy Community about the actions of Monk Apollo but also with their absence of knowledge regarding the definition, prin- ciples, purpose, and key-functions of Amateur Radio. This fact alone is a response to those who invoke issues of licenses and concessions. This is also the reason why Monk Apollo did broadcast with Thessaloniki as signal mark location and “/A” mark location on Mount Athos, precisely because the base and station of transmission had to be lawfully seated in Thessaloniki and not on Mount Athos. Having thus no serious and formal information provided on the subject from those who were directly involved and concerned, the Holy Community considered the use and action of Ham Radio as a notion opposing tradition and unrelated to Monasticism and its own tradition. This at the exact very same time when Mount Athos is overwhelmed and flooded with constant use of Internet, YouTube, email, social media, mobile phone applications and every other wireless and recent technological invention services. Although people nowadays do say “mobile” and they mean “cellular phone” the intended proper term to actually use is “radio” (frequency telecommuni- cations). I tried with all my kind disposition and due respect to explain, clarify and inform the Holy Epistasia – the Holy Supervisory Committee of the Community (Greek Hiera Epistasia) – on the issue of “Ham/Amateur Radio”, at the time when the Holy Monastery of Koutloumousiou sent me as a member of their delegation regarding the Monastic request of a ham radio station installation. The Koutloumousiou delegation consisted of Monk Iakovos (SV2RSG), as the representative of the Holy Monastery, the Monk driver and one more Monk, all present during our presentation and attending the whole hearing process of the Monastic request. Representatives of the Holy Epistasia of the Holy Community of Mount Athos were the Holy Protepistate and other two Monastery Epistates (Supervisors). Immediately, it became obviously clear that the Holy Protepistate and the Monastery Epistates had, plausibly, no previous or current knowledge of what Ham Radio is in general, its advantages and how it works. In spite of my personal attempt to explain in detail, fill in any gaps or answer eventual queries, unfortunately no one was finally convinced of the use and usefulness of traditional amateur radio, not because they were not convinced based on reasoning and argumentation, but because there was lack of disposition towards dealing with the subject. On the contrary, in reply to our presentation, I was met with many negative comments and criticism about Monk Apollo and his ham radio activities that I would not ever disclose for the sake of respect and esteem for the late brother Monk Apollo. On many occasions I have even received rebukes, insults and slander from friends of Monk Apollo and other Ham Radio amateurs, mostly anonymous.. Mentioned above was certainly not with any intention to put blame or accusation on anyone at all, I just need to attribute the truth to the events and actual facts that happened between people we are struggling together with in our weaknesses, passions and selfishness, during our common spiritual struggle and objectives. However, nowadays that we are going through a time period of total radio silence and relevant activity in Mount Athos, this due to plausible ignorance and partial lack of interest in such ham radio activities on the part of the Holy Community (because of so many other more important and pressing issues demanding our attention) we do have the opportunity to make an appeal. With the status of a Holy Mount Athos Monk and as a Radio Amateur at the same time, I invite and urge you and all those who love Mount Athos and the tradition of Amateur Radio to join our hearts and voices in sending letters or emails of support in spirit of respect to the Holy Community, and pray and request for: Its reconsideration on the issue and – granting their kind permission to install radio communications station(s), not to any individual Monks, but to any of the Holy Monasteries that do wish to install and operate such an installation (after decision of the Monasteries’ ‘Committee’ and the ‘Council of Elders’) by designating / appointing a Monk Radio Operator responsible for its proper function, under the stand- ards and guidelines of well-established international and domestic tele- communication rules and regulations. Glory be to God and our Lord Saviour Jesus Christ for all things! In spirit of Jesus Christ’s love for all. Monk Iakovos Koutloumousianos, SV2RSG T30, WESTERN KIRIBATI. Operators Yuris/YL2GM, Jack/YL2KA, Kaspars/YL1ZF and Kristers/YL3JA will be active as T30L from Western Kiribati (OC-017) before their Nauru operation (see C2 above) between September 6-15th. Activity will be on 160-6 meters, possibly 60m, using CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8. Suggested frequencies will be published later. Split operation will always be used: QSX CW up 2 (160m down 2, JA 1810-1820); and QSX SSB/RTTY up 5. QSL via YL2GN direct or ClubLog (for direct or by the Bureau) for paper QSLs. Full LoTW upload will be done 6 months after the end of the DXPedition. For more details and updates, see: http://www.lral.lv/c21w_t30l/index.html Please do not send log correction requests. Corrections will not be provided. All individual supporters 20 USDs+ will receive direct QSL. Please do not send your QSL to them via Bureau - they are not required. T45, CUBA (LH Op) Members of the DX Punta Maya Group will be active as T45FM from the Punta Maya Lighthouse (NA-105, ILLW CU-032, ARLHS CU-005) between August 15-19th. Activity will be on 160-10 meters using CW, SSB and the Digital modes. An emphasis will be on the International Light- house/Lightship Weekend (ILLW). Operators of this special station will be CO2DSE, CO5MK, CO5AY, CO5NS, CO5JK CO2ROD, CO5LB, CO5DOR, CO5SD, CO5FR, CL5HMB and CO5HCM/W4HCM. QSL via RW6HS V2, ANTIGUA. Bud, AA3B, will once again be active as V26K from Antigua (NA-100) between September 8-20th. Activity will be sporadic because he is doing maintenance on the station but will be primarily CW on various HF bands. QSL via LoTW or via AA3B, direct or by the Bureau. An OQRS will be available via ClubLog. V6, MICRONESIA. Al, K7AR, will be active as V63AR from the South Park Hotel on Pohnpei Island (OC-010) between November 18-26th. Activity will be on various HF bands with a focus on 160/80m and including the CQWW DX CW Contest (November 23-24th). QSL via his callsign. PLEASE NOTE: This callsign was used once before in 2015 (QSL via JH2BNL). VK9L, LORD HOWE ISLAND (Reminder). By the time you read this, Rick, AI5P, should be active as VK9APX from Lord Howe Island (OC-004) until August 10th. Activity will be on 40-17 meters using CW and FT8. QSL via AI5P, direct or by the Bureau. No LoTW, eQSL or ClubLog. VK9L, LORD HOWE ISLAND. Michael, DF8AN, will be active as VK9LQ from Lord Howe Island (OC-004) between November 21-27th. Activity will be on 160-6 meters using CW, RTTY, FT8 and other Digital modes. Michael states that he "will work in FT8 DXPedition mode only if too many callers", but he will mainly not work in DXPedition mode. Also, check the regular FT8 frequencies, and if too many callers, he will QSY to 14090, 7045 or 10142 in the DXPedition mode. QSL via DF8AN, direct, by the Bureau or eQSL. NO ClubLog, OQRS or LoTW.

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[whereareroo]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

WF THOUGHTS (12/20/17).

Before we're all swallowed-up by the commercialized final countdown to Christmas, let's talk about Jesus. After all, it is His birthday.

I can't prove that Jesus was the Son of God. Non-believers can't prove that Jesus was not the Son of God.

Let's say that I wrote a 1,000 page book to prove the existence of God and that Jesus was His son. Let's say I packed the book with compelling arguments and historical information. And, let's say that after reading the book you were partially convinced about the existence of God and Jesus. Maybe you'd be 25% convinced. Maybe you'd be 50% convinced, or 80% convinced.

How do you become 100% convinced? That requires faith. Faith is the inner voice that tells you to believe the unprovable. Faith is the force that allows you to accept without proof. Faith gives you the courage to explore a spiritual world that cannot be seen. Guess what? Nobody ever gets to 100%.

We can argue about God, and faith, forever. That's not my mission today.

Today, I want to stick to the facts. Facts are facts. There can be no argument.

There are facts about the man called Jesus. Like all facts, these facts are true. For 2,000 years, Jesus has been studied by scholars, historians, and theologians. Millions of pages have been written. Here are a few undeniable facts.

A spiritual man named Isaiah lived about 700 years before Jesus. He predicted the birth of Jesus. He wrote:

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign; Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)

How did that prediction get into the head, and heart, of Isaiah?

Another holy man, named Micah, also lived approximately 700 years before Jesus. He predicted the birth of Jesus, and His birthplace. He wrote:

"But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah. For out of you shall come a Ruler, who will shepherd my people Israel."

How did Micah get that knowledge?

Jesus was born sometime between the year 4 BC and the year 2 BC. That is the overwhelming consensus of the hundreds of people who have studied the issue. There is no serious dispute. It is a fact.

Roman records show that censuses were taken in the Roman Empire in 8 BC, 2 BC, and 6 AD. Jewish people went to their homeland to register. Joseph was from Bethlehem. The census that was taken in 2 BC coincides with substantial evidence regarding the birth of Jesus.

The existence of Jesus is confirmed in various writings that date back to the 30 AD - 100 AD time period. Let's ignore the writings of the followers of Jesus. Jesus is discussed in the writings of numerous Jewish rabbis from that time period. They call Him a fraud, a criminal, and a cult leader. The writings, however, prove that Jesus existed.

Roman politicians, no fans of Jesus, left writings regarding his crucifixion.

He did exist, and he was crucified.

You trust the folks at National Geographic, right? When they say something, it's true. For the past several years, National Geographic has been involved with a project regarding the tomb of Jesus. Constantine was the first Christian emperor of Rome. In the year 325 AD, Constantine started a massive building project in Jerusalem. He ordered the removal of a pagan temple that had been hiding the tomb of Jesus. He carefully protected the original tomb, and built a big church over the site. The church was completed in approximately 335 AD. It was destroyed by Muslim fanatics in 1099. It was subsequently rebuilt, and stands today as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

For many decades, skeptics have argued that the Holy Sepulchere did not contain the tomb of Jesus. That skeptical view was supported by the fact that, until National Geographic got involved, the oldest archeological relics found at the shrine were only 1,000 years old. The skeptics said that there was no evidence that Constantine protected a tomb in the 325-335 time period.

Well, the good folks at National Geographic got to the bottom of that problem. In 2016, they filmed a restoration of the tomb area. With new technology, the restoration team was able to take samples from deeper areas that had not be reached previously. Those samples have been tested, and the verdict is in. The samples date back to approximately 345 AD. They're approximately 1,675 years old. The new relics are consistent with Constantine protecting a holy site when the Holy Sepulcher was built in the 325-335 era. National Geographic has the proof. All of this confirms records, from the time of Constantine, that the shrine was built over the tomb that was found empty on Easter.

Jesus was a real man. He walked the earth. The facts prove it.

For the moment, let's put aside all questions regarding the divinity of Jesus. The fact is that Jesus changed the world more than any other human in history. That statement cannot be disputed. He changed the world for all people, not just the 2.5 billion Christians in the world today.

I get annoyed by the fact that Jesus is largely ignored during the Christmas Season. On Memorial Day, we think about deceased veterans. On President's Day, we think about Washington and Lincoln. On Martin Luther King Day, we think about MLK. Why do we, on the day that celebrates His birth, ignore the most important man in the history of the world? What's wrong with us?

Regardless of your religion, find some time to think about Jesus this Christmas Season. If you have 5 minutes to spare, take a look at the "Beatitudes" entry on Wikipedia. The Beatitudes summarize the teachings of Jesus, and provide an outline for living a good life. I know that you're very busy, but I bet you can find a few minutes to focus on this.

Merry Christmas. Happy Birthday to Jesus.