Share your experiences...

What use is an F-call? Amateur Radio is a social activity. It's about communication and community. Ironically, as much as we are about talking to one and other, we still do some activities all on our own. If you're hunting for a rare station, trolling up and down the bands, looking for that elusive callsign or country, or sitting in a pile-up, calling and calling and calling some more, hearing your callsign and confirming a contact, that kind of activity is very solitary. It doesn't have to be. I know the feeling of getting a hard get and putting down your microphone and jumping up and down, yelling in celebration, wanting to tell someone, your XYL, the neighbors, the cat, anyone about your amazing feat of achievement, I've been there. If you do this with a fellow amateur, either both of you in the same shack or via a local repeater, or on 850MHz, or via email, that experience means something to the other person. I just got a message from a great friend who managed to speak with Israel on 6m, something he's been trying to do for 38 years. I have a pretty good idea how he feels. Mind you, I'm not old enough to have tried contacting someone for 38 years - well, technically, I suppose I am, but I get it, the exhilaration of the achievement, the swelling of the chest, the smile on your face, the hairs standing up on the back of your neck. That's what Amateur Radio is all about. I've said previously, one person's achievement is another's bread and butter. I'm still trying to get my first contact with Israel on any band - one station heard me once, but they couldn't get all the letters in order in one go. It's not yet percolated through the Amateur consciousness that an F-call comes with an extra letter, but at least I proved to myself I could get there. I'm not yet allowed on 6m and I'm sure I'll spend many hours at some future time attempting to make the same contact, but right now, I'm happy to celebrate the achievement someone else made. In case you're wondering, VK6YS and 4X4DK. So, share your achievements, it makes them sweeter! I'm Onno VK6FLAB