Forgive me for not writing for the last few weeks.  I post new episodes every week, even it I don't write here.  

The truth is that I have writer's block that comes from Covid lock down depression.  I am good a working all of the time, have a beautiful new office and am working on the "lab" for the rest of my projects.  And while I make a joke that hams are the original social "distancers", I betray the fact that I really like to be with people in person.  I am praying for a speedy end to the pandemic that that we and the ones that we love come out of it unscathed.  I am looking forward to live everything, seeing peoples faces, reading their lips in a noisy place, and seeing a smile. 

We are moving fast and furious on the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo, returning in March 2021.  I spent September looking at technology that could be used to enhance the Expo to make it more user friendly, including video platforms for making casual contacts, like tuning through 20 meters in the evening.  I have recommended some of my discoveries to other hams wanting to have virtual ham club meetings and smaller events.  I am happy to share what I discovered. 

I would like to have a few panel discussions at the Expo.  If you have ideas for discussion topics, please reply to this message. 

Since my last message I posted three episodes: 
Bob Weed, W7SCY
Stan Johnson, W0SJ
and
Ralph Haller, N4RH

those episodes are up on the QSO Today website for your enjoyment.  

I just posted Rick Miller, N1RM.  While I was moving through his interview, he stopped me and asked if he should tell about his US Navy service.  Of course, I said.  It seems he was a Russian submarine hunter.  I am glad he told this story as it was extraordinary. 
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Have a good week, stay safe, and 73, Eric 4Z1UG

The Covid-19 Pandemic has created a lot of free time due to business closures, social distancing, and lock downs. There are countless examples of re-invention that has happened since last March. The QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo was my example of reinventing myself to get through this crisis. My XYL, Karen, too,  wrote a book for the our grandchildren about her going into quarantine after being exposed to the Covid-19 virus at her school. This illustrated book is called "Bubie in Bidud". Bidud is Hebrew for quarantine. Once this one is published, she hopes to publish more children's books, in addition to her busy schedule teaching on Zoom to her students. 

My friend and fellow Israeli amateur, Mark Rosenberg, 4X1KS, interviewed in the QSO Today Podcast Episode 220, decided to become a novelist with his free time. He recently published his first book, Recon Time, by his pen name, Sebastian Blunt. When he premiered the book, a few weeks ago, he wanted his friends to write reviews of the book to put up on Amazon and other on-line book sellers. I told him that I wanted to read it first. 

My idea of a vacation is to sit next to a body of water and read novels. I am a great fan of Tom Clancy like books, fast action thrillers, so I downloaded Mark's book, Recon Time, on my Amazon Kindle and started to read. I couldn't put it down. It was a great combination of high tech entrepreneurs, Washington DC swamp, American Revolutionary War history, including fancy weapons and drones, all topped off with an alien invasion. Mark got all of the pieces right and therefore I told him that I would recommend the book to my QSO Today audience. It was great fun. 

Don Keith, N4KC, is another ham radio operator who I interviewed back in April of 2015 in Episode 39. Don also writes great action thrillers mostly involving submarines. His book series, Hunter Killer has become a movie starring Gerard Butler and Gary Oldman. Still, with all of this creative energy, both Don and Mark are very active in amateur radio. 

The moral of the story is that we amateurs know how to channel our time and energy, especially if we have spent a lot of time in the hobby. Since the beginning of the pandemic, sales of amateur radio equipment and accessories is through the roof. It's not surprising since the time off gives us the time to fine tune the shack, build antennas, and get on the air. 

Ria Jairam, N2RJ, first got on the air in 1997, from her native home island of Trinidad/Tobago. She immigrated to the USA, pursued a degree in electronic engineering and while pursuing great ham radio mentors. Ria is now an established electronic security professional, mother, ham radio contester, and the recently elected ARRL Hudson Division Director. No doubt, that even during this pandemic, N2RJ is more than busy than ever. She shares her story and interests in this QSO Today.

73 - Eric, 4Z1UG​