QRZ.com blocks Russian callsigns

 https://www.dx-world.net/qrz-com-blocks-russian-callsigns/

https://yo3hjv.blogspot.com/2022/03/qrzcom-banned-russian-ham.html

I personally disagree. But you have to remember QRZ.com is not ours but in possession of an USA HAM called AA7BQ Fred. He can do what he wants with his site. I do remember he had some issues before regarding a "black lifes matter" call. Many USA Hams are very shortsighted and I think it has to do with culture and might sometimes be an education issue.

You might read YO3HJV's blogpost because that translates my vision on it as well. Banning Russian radioamateurs from our community is just as stupid as not working them any more. This does not add anything to peace, it just makes it worse for all.

QRZ.com is not the only site to find info on hamradio operators...

https://www.hamqth.com/

https://www.qrzcq.com/

https://hamcall.net/

Although, not using QRZ.com or removing your QRZ info from the database doesn't add anything as well. I hope Fred will have some regrets and try to help those in need in another way.

Update: https://qrznow.com/qrz-com-reconsidered-and-reversed-russians-blocking-action/

Glad Russian HAMs are back into the database...

Ukraine: IARU-R1 statement - what would you do?

 Ukraine: IARU-R1 statement

IARU Region 1 has released the following statement regarding any radio transmissions you may hear from radio amateurs in Ukraine

"Any radio amateur currently transmitting from Ukraine is risking his or her life. If you hear a Ukrainian station, do not broadcast its callsign, location or frequency-whether on the band, in a cluster or on social media. You may be putting lives at risk."

Source IARU Region 1 https://iaru-r1.org

I remember some contacts made into Poland and Belarus at the end of last century eighties. At that time I had no license, I was active on the 11m freeband, also called Citizens Band. The stations from those countries transmitting on that band were highly illigal and I never heard russian or polish stations on the 11m band before. Often those stations were portable and transmitting when hiking high up in the mountains. Of course they used "cb handles / skipnames" instead of the normally used country number on the 11m band. That way no one could indentify them. Of course they didn't risk their life but at time they could expect a large fine or many years in jail if caught. I still have QSL cards/photos from a polish guy named Jan who I made contact with several times at that time. And also a QSL from a guy from Minsk (Belarus). This was before the iron curtain felt. 

Anyway, I was reading the IARU R1 statement today and thought about the ukrainian hams we all know. What would you do in their situation? Would you take the risk and still be on air to let the world know what exactly is going on? Or try and stay in touch with others in the country, to create a network to exchange information? Just like the resistance in WW2. 

I can't help it but last week I kept thinking about my last years "wake up call"  and especially what KE9V wrote on his blog. I don't want to be negative but if this whole war is escalating WW3 could be near and all of us could be HAMradio silenced. Have you ever thought about such a situation? You probabely have to think about this now. It could be useful to be ready.

Useful links:

http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2022/march/ukraine-darc-provides-an-update.htm

https://swling.com/blog/2022/03/everyone-should-have-a-shortwave-radio

Blogroll maintenance

 Once and a while I do some maintenance on my blogroll. Personally I think blogs that don't feature new items for over a year are less interesting so I remove them. Sometimes people don't do blogging anymore or moved to another platform like twitter, instagram, facebook or youtube. So unfortunate because there were some very good bloggers around. Sometimes blogs are purely made for a project and when it ends the blog ends. I understand that, just an example is VE0JS who sailed successfully around the world and kept a blog while on her way. Another one is 3W3RR Romeo who did QSL and blog from jail, he's back in Russia now and at least the english language blog has stopped. G3CWI stopped with his sotabeams blog and is now active on youtube. Anyway, if you have an interesting blog about our radiohobby and want to be in my blogroll just give a comment on this post and I will read the blog first before I decide. There is only one blog that I will not remove. It is the blog from G4ILO. Julian died 7 years ago and was one of my most favorite blogs to read. It's still online and has a lot of interesting articles.