01/02/2007 | KB4T SKN 2007 was a particularly satisfying experience. I had no trouble making contacts and the activity level seemed high here in Florida during the 3 operating periods in which I was active.

SKN featured the expected wide variety of fists running at varying speeds. Yet it remains clear that a majority of operators still take pride in their keys and operating capabilities. The large number of older and even antique keys in use surprised me.

I got a sense that many operators used SKN 2007 to prove to the world that despite regulatory decisions to the contrary, CW remains a vital and useful operating mode for Amateur Radio. Indeed, as an active member of the Straight Key Century Club (SKCC) I was gratified by the fact that I had trouble finding a clear spot to make calls or find someone calling CQ because the contacts were running on so long.

I also operated as K1Y/4, one of several SKCC 1st Anniversary Special Event Stations active during SKN 2007. While being a special event station does have its perks, it was hard to stand out with so much activity on the band!

Taken all together, I made 39 contacts over a total of about 8 operating hours. My small contact count is a testimonial to the length and quality of the contacts I made. I truly enjoyed being a part of this historic event.

73,

Frank N. Haas KB4T
Florida
SKCC 981C -- KB4T