2024 highlights, 2025 goals

   My usual post at the end of the year, a overview of 2024 and looking ahead to 2025.

DX

For me hamradio is all about DX. Working remote countries or islands. The further away the better. I like listening the noises and crackles on the band as soon as conditions are there. I especially like the far away DX signals that come from over the northpole, they are most times echoing and a bit shaky. This year we were at top of the solar cycle and working DX was very common. Even the 6m band opened with F2 propagation at the end of this year. Again, like last year, I counted 17 ATNO's. Most of them from the Pacific area. On 60m I counted 16 new ones and on 6m an incredible 12 new ones. Actually this was a very good DX year and I doubt I will equal this in the years ahead.

6m/4m

Highlight of the 6m band DX this year was my CW contact with XU7GNY from Cambodia. After a very bad ES season we finally had some F2 propagation. A lot of DX could be worked including east coast Australia, which I only heard. I missed some DX as wel, like the 4S7 stations that were strong at times but unfortunatly I had no luck reaching them. It took me a few days and carefully timing to work the VU4A DXpedition on the Nicobar & Andaman Isl. It is unfortunate most 6m DX these days is on FT8. But on the other hand it has advantages such as easily working remote and let the computer call. For me that is the key to work the DX since I still have to work for a living and cannot do fulltime radio like some others seem to do...

Antennas

The halo waiting in the
corner of our garden

Everything hamradio is about antennas. We all hope to have the best antenna possible which is most times some compromise after all. I didn't have the time to finish some antenna projects this year. I have so many. At least the multiband halo needs to be finished. I wish I could finish the quad project at some point. I'm still tempted to put the 3 band 3Bmox in the tower if I get it right on 10m. And besides that I have a lot of other projects in mind.

CW

Steady I go on my quest to learn morsecode. But it takes time. It goes very very slowly. I really see improvement compared to this time last year though. I even made some short CW QSOs without the computer. Although, if I hear CW on the band I can only decode a few letters and not what is been said/signed. In contests you know what you can expect, but not in a "chat" QSO, which is to me very difficult.

Personal 

My dad in front of a large
inmarsat antenna.

Last year I wrote that my dad would not be around for very long. The doctors gave him about half a year. He died at the end of July, which was about a year after he was diagnosed with cancer. He always was a big support and always very interested in my hobby. I'm glad I could let him hear my efforts learning CW at the end of his life. He was always very interested when I worked a new DXCC. It was always like that, no problem to drill holes in the house to mount brackets for a mast. Or get on the roof to mount antennas. Even when I caused RFI at the neighbours and  made the TV unhappy he was not angry and never forbid me my hobby. He only told me to take other people in account when using the radio at certain times, and I did. He had a very positive mind and actually I saw him seldom negative in my life. I can tell a lot about him but I think that this is not belonging to my blog. He will be missed very much though.

2024 goals

My goal for 2024 was to make a CW contact without the use of a computer. And I did... It is always good to have a goal in this hobby. My goals for next year? Make more CW contacts and do some more CW contests. I will continue with CW learning and keep you informed on this blog. I always thought by myself that it would take about 3 years to learn at my age. So far I've done the first year, 2 to go. Other goals are finishing the build of an attic in my house and starting to build a new bedroom, not hobby related but very neccessary. Lot's of family belongings are now packed in my radioshack and that's not what I want. It will take time though....like everything takes time.

Well, my dear blogreaders, have fun with the hobby and stay positive. I wish you all a very good, prosperous and healthy 2025.