January 30, 2015

Drives me hazy...

A question that sometimes drives me hazy:
am I or are the others crazy? -- Albert Einstein


Photograph of Albert Einstein with his wife Elsa.  Einstein is pictured holding a pipe.  Both are wearing long coats.
Albert Einstein with wife Elsa


January 23, 2015

Voyaging through strange seas of thought...

And from my pillow, looking forth by light
Of moon or favouring stars, I could behold
The antechapel where the statue stood
Of Newton with his prism and silent face,
The marble index of a mind for ever
Voyaging through strange seas of Thought, alone.

— William Wordsworth

January 16, 2015

January 9, 2015

Travel one, ten, or a thousand miles, or even to California...

What would you think of a Universe in which you could travel one, ten, or a thousand miles, or even to California, and then find it came to an end? Even if you were to go millions and millions of miles, the idea of coming to an end is still incomprehensible. -- Lord Kelvin


January 2, 2015

It is not really the fish...

In this season of New Year's resolutions here is a little Thoreau to consider...


Some men fish all their lives without knowing it is not really the fish they are after. -- Henry David Thoreau


Happy New Year and Good DX,

NJ2X

ARRL Kids Day - January 4, 2015

It is time for the semi-annual ARRL Kids Day event (January 4, 2015).  Kids Day is designed to promote Amateur Radio to our youth and presents a wonderful opportunity for hams to share the magic of radio with their kids or grandchildren, a Scout troop, or a church youth group.
Amateur radio is fun for kids


Kids Day gives youth an on-the-air experience and may even foster on-going interest and becoming licensed. It also gives adult hams a chance to share their station and love for Amateur Radio with their children.
We radio amateurs to listen for those Kids Day participants and answer their calls and be extra patient and encouraging.

Good DX and 73, NJ2X

January 1, 2015

NJ2X's QSL/QSO Ratio for 2014

With the arrival of the New Year, it is time for our annual measurement of our QSL/QSO LoTW ratio.


2013 2014 2015 Delta
QSO 3556 3955 4745 790
QSL 1486 1780 2338 558
Ratio 42% 45% 49% 4%

As we write this on January 1, 2015, there are 72,697 hams registered with LoTW (increase of 17,947 users over this time 1 year ago) and our QSL/QSO LoTW ratio is at 49%.  Our prediction of our QSL/QSO LoTW ratio would increase in time continues to hold true with a 4% increase from last year's measurement.  We attribute this increase to having more hams join in the LoTW fun by becoming LoTW subscribers and uploading their logs.
 

Additionally, we spent a good of our operating activity this year working on the ARRL Centennial QSO Party.  These contacts would have a strong bias for LoTW subscribers which would also account for some portion of the increase in our QSL/QSO LoTW ratio.

The LoTW is an excellent example of network economics in action.  The more hams that subscribe to the LoTW and submit their logs the more utility each already-subscribed ham derives (in the form of more of confirmed contacts).  An increase in LoTW subscribers thus will increase the QSL/QSO ratio on average for all subscribed hams.

I am looking forward to the day when we see the number of registered LoTW users increase to 200,000 hams worldwide.  At the present growth rate, there is a good chance we will see over 100,000 users in the next year.  How about 1,000,000 LoTW subscribers?  What will the average QSL/QSO LoTW ratio be when that happens?

So how does your QSL/QSO LoTW ratio compare?  Not using the LoTW yet?  Well come on and join the fun.

Good DX and 73, NJ2X


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© Michael W. Maher and NJ2X.COM, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Michael W. Maher and NJ2X.COM with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.