Romeo, 3W3RR

"Hello everyone,

I've gotten a letter from Roman ("Romeo") Stepanenko, aka Roman Vega, the one we know as 3W3RR (ex AH0M). He is an unwilling guest of the the US Government, currently at MDC (Metropolitan Detention Center), in Brooklyn, NY.

It has been 7 (seven) years that he has been in this country, since he was extradited from Cyprus, accused of credit card fraud by our Dept of Justice. Somewhere on the internet there is a cheerful press release about that event, going back to 2003.

Well, it is seven years later - and there has been no trial. Detention - yes, continued investigation - certainly, but NO TRIAL. Call me naive, but I would have difficulty believing this is possible in this country. Well, it is possible. Seven years is a long time to investigate a case against someone held in jail. IMHO, something is
wrong with this picture. Or maybe the case isn't that solid? Draw your own conclusions, fellas.

He is residing only few miles away, yet we had no contact over this time. This is the first letter I received. I dare to guess that something is changing in his circumstances and he decided to write

He doesn't speak about his case much. It is an intensely private matter. Apparently he doesn't want to share it with the worlds at this time. The reasons are obvious

Do you want to know if he is alive and well? He is, full of the usual "piss and vinegar". He is doing as well as he can within the jail confines. Romeo shares his cell with other inmates, all 120 of them. Call it a room with a view - allowing for a peek at distant Manhattan and Gowanus Expressway 40 ft away.

His English has improved to the point of becoming his 'official' second language. He has spent last 3 years studying Japanese and other languages. Romeo is busy - his own library of about 150 books and a stack of books and periodicals waiting to be read (he is subscribed to about 20), extensive letter writing to all sorts of people, excelling at yoga. His mood is upbeat and he keeps a very positive outlook on life and his own fate. This is the same unbending Romeo I knew back when he was in zenith of his worldwide fame, except showing more wisdom and reserve.

Do I think he is an angel with a snow-white consciousness? No, not really. Does he deserve our sympathy? That depends on which side of the fence you are on. I think that Amateur Radio world may have lost track of Romeo for awhile, but he is not forgotten. So, boys and girls, fan (and hate) mail may be sent to him directly: Roman Vega, # 59198-004, MDC, PO Box 329002, Brooklyn, NY 11232, USA. Letters, photos and QSLs are welcome - but currency, checks or IRCs of any kind are strictly forbidden by jail regulations - DO NOT SEND them. (Romeo, ain't this ironic?)

He promises a special jailhouse QSL when he gets out (another 'new one' from this DXpeditioner). Just don't expect one too soon ))

To those inquiring minds who want to know: Is Romeo Stepanenko using me to get his name back in the limelight again? The answer is no. OK, maybe just a little bit. But I don't mind. He hasn't asked for
anything. I'm posting this letter to the Amateur community totally on my own. Opinions expressed are my own and not Romeo's.

Reprint and duplication of this information in any form are freely permitted

73, Ed Kritsky/NT2X

May 30, 2010
New York, USA"

12 tips to learning Morse Code

1) It used to be that there were two main reasons for radio amateurs to learn Morse Code. The first was to actually use it on the air, while the second was to pass the license tests. The second reason has disappeared in the USA and several other countries.


Read more here

Rinnovo quote associative Insubria Radio Club

Dalla IRC Newsletter di Giugno 2010:

Ricordo a chi non avesse ancora provveduto ed ha il piacere di rinnovare la propria adesione all’Insubria Radio Club, che è possibile versare con le seguenti modalità la quota associativa di Euro 10,00 ed eventuali donazioni per gli enti destinatari della nostra solidarietà: 

Presso il nostro stand a Malpensafiere il 15-16 maggio 2010.

PostaPay (4023 6004 5265 8570) intestata a Trevisan Emanuela

PayPal (emanuela.trevisan@insubriaradio.org).

Bonifico bancario: conto corrente della Banca di Credito Cooperativo di Busto Garolfo e

Buguggiate intestato a Ghiringhelli Fulvio e Paolicelli Mario, IBAN: IT 65 I 08404 50700

000000041901

L’elenco dei Soci pubblicato nel sito verrà aggiornato il 30 giugno 2010, togliendo i nominativi di coloro che non hanno rinnovato la propria adesione.

73 de Fulvio IZ2EXA

VI2BI OC-212 ? No more logs.. !

If you still need a QSL card of the 2000 activity from OC-212 by Geoff VK2EO, well, he doesn't have the logs anymore !!! I sent him my direct request in 2002 but nothing arrived in my mailbox. Today Geoff wrote me: "Sorry I do not have the logs anymore for the VI2BI operation.. If you sent a request in 2002 and I had received it you would have had a reply.. Apparently I did not rx your card.. sorry for the problem mate.. good luck on a further activation.. cheers and 73 Geoff". Well, no paper, no file, no backup, nothing at all ? Ok, never mind, lets go for another VK2/P with a better recovery of logs.

I love Radio Rock

Dinner with friends

I had a nice dinner yesterday with very good friends of mine, and here is the picture of the group (Susan K9XYL at the camera). From left to right: Valeria (IK1ADH), Mauro (I1JQJ), Bob (IK2WXZ), me [Maury, IZ1CRR], Joe (I2YDX) and Mike (K9AJ). We had also a nice preview of the T32 movie which I'm editing. 

T32 the movie

I'm editing the T32 movie. Hopefully it will be ready for
Friedrichshafen where Derek will show it!

Over 3,500 channels on your PC

A new feature in the 425 toolbar (the HD) icon allows

you to watch over 3,500 TV channels on your PC.

425 toolbar

La toolbar è sicuramente la prima nata per esigenze radioamatoriali (è datata 13 luglio 2006, quindi più di tre anni). Ora ne spuntano altre che, spesso, anche nell'utilizzo delle icone sono delle copiature. Essendo come quel settimanale di enigmistica che vanta tantissime imitazioni perchè non approfondire il contenuto della 425toolbar ? Ecco allora beneficio dei vecchi utenti e di ancora non l'ha installata una piccola guida all'uso.

Partendo da sinistra, dopo il logo c'è una casella dove scrivere il testo da ricercare (che può essere un nominativo o una qualunque stringa). La ricerca può avvenire su:

• Bollettini 425
• QRZ.COM
• DXWatch
• DXZone
• Ultimi spots DX
• Managers
• Wikipedia
• No bids on Ebay

Passiamo quindi al simbolo della cuffia per i contenuti del 425:

• Bollettini
• Calendario
• Magazine
• Vecchi Spots DX
• Calendario contest prossimi 8 giorni
• Toplist
• Topband
• Topmode
• Sottoscrizione

Il simbolo del mappamondo invece porta nel mondo degli spots:

• Last HF
• Last VHF
• Last ANN
• 70 Mhz
• 50 Mhz
• 28 Mhz
• 24 Mhz
• 21 Mhz
• 18 Mhz
• 14 Mhz
• 10 Mhz
• 7 Mhz
• 5 Mhz
• 3.5 Mhz
• 1.8 Mhz
• 137 kHz
• Last RTTY
• Last PSK

L'icona del gruppo di tre omini rappresenta invece l'ingresso alla chat. Potrete comunicare con tutti gli utenti che, con la 425toolbar installata, saranno presenti nella chat. E' consigliabile usare il proprio nominativo.
Ora i feeds ovvero il mondo dei blogs e dei siti che immettono in rete info da leggere in tempo quasi reale. Sulla toolbar è possibile vedere immediatamente quanti sono i nuovi posts ed i feeds attualmente visibili sono:

• ARRL Amateur Radio news
• Southgate Amateur Radio Club
• i1-21171's blog
• My IOTA website
• DX World of Ham Radio
• Ham Radio Blog
• DL6KAC
• Long Delayed Echoes
• The DXZone
• This Week In Amateur Radio
• G3ZHI
• IZ8FTW
• KD7LAG
• PA0R
• Radio Amateur
• WA5ICA
• DX-ciplina
• IV3YER
• Sands Contest Group
• MyHamShack.net blogs
• W4IAX
• FG/F1JXQ
• PY2BRZ

Attualmente questi feeds non sono customizzabili nel senso che sono io ad aver inserito l'elenco e l'utente non può aggiungerne o toglierne. Spero comunque che presto si possano personalizzare.
Dopo i feeds abbiamo la ruota dentata dei links . Ce ne sono abbastanza, quelli di consultazione frequente. Li ho suddivisi in generali, satelliti e produttori. Nei generali c'è:

• ARRL
• RSGB
• AC6V
• eHam
• Announced DX
• DX Summit
• Log searches (dx.qsl.net)
• IOTA
• Iota on the web
• ITU
• DXZone
• N.C.DX.F.
• Real time V-UHF QSO maps

Tra i satelliti troviamo:

• AMSAT
• NASA
• Heavens Above
• Real Time Sat tracker

E per quanto riguarda i produttori ecco:

• Kenwood
• Icom
• Yaesu
• Ten-Tec
• Elecraft
• JRC
• Rohde & Schwarz

Se ne volete suggerire altri di interesse comune sarò ben felice di aggiungerli all'elenco. Ovviamente non links personali !
Ci sono poi du icone per l'utilizzo dei famosi Yahoo e MSN messengers, nel caso in cui vogliate aprirli da pagina web invece che da stand-alone.
L'ora che vedete è UTC quindi non è modificabile ma riconosce quella del vostro PC e la riadatta per renderla utile a noi HAM/SWL.
Il bottone dei msg (messaggi) è utile per comunicare con me o con altri utilizzatori della toolbar. Potete scrivere e gli altri utenti leggeranno ed eventualmente risponderanno.
L'icona del martello e chiave inglese (come per indicare che è un tool) apre una finestra per una calcolatrice web. Per non andare negli accessori di windows ed aprire la calcolatrice di sistema, mi sembrava che fosse utile averne una a portata di mano.
Segue poi la radio player che potete personalizzare aggiungendo podcast e webradio a piacimento. Ce ne sono un paio predefinite. Anche qui, se pensate di potermi suggerire radio di nostro interesse inviatemi l'url per l'inserimento. L'icona della radio si può stringere se necessario per occupare meno spazio. Ci sono ancora due bottoni. Uno è per le notifiche emails; potete inserire qui i dettagli delle vostre caselle email e verrete informati dei nuovi arrivi. Ultimo è il bottone per il tempo, con i dati odierni e le previsioni per i prossimi due giorni, con diverse città italiane da scegliere.
Tutti questi bottoni possono essere nascosti se non necessari o non utilizzati andando nelle opzioni (toolbar options dal piccolo triangolo a sinistra accanto al logo 425). Spuntate le caselle che non vi servono.
Insomma credo che sia un buon lavoro. Dalla creazione ad oggi sono oltre 5000 gli utenti nel mondo che l'hanno installata. Non male vero ? Se in qualche modo vi ho convinto e non l'avete ancora installata questo è il momento giusto.

Cliccate qui per la vostra 425toolbar
gratuita per explorer e firefox

Technorati Tags: 425, toolbar

15 years of 425DXNews

Happy Birthday 425DXNews.
The website celebrates today 15 years of presence on Internet

Here are some of the quotes users wrote long time ago
(click here to read more quotes):

you are doing a tremendous job with your "425 dx news". i want to thank you for the work you are doing, and express my appreciation for a job well done...in my opinion your publication is one of the top dx news sources in the world and an asset to all of us dx'ers. duncan w7jen
thank you very much for your great job. the 425 dxnews are the best help in dxing for me. all the best for the future and please, please carry on!! wolf, dl6jz
thank you again for your fantastic work! there is nothing comparable to the 425dx-news bulletin! it's simply the best! 73/k. sm4emo
vy good bulletin for the dx er. 73 es de jack,pa0mrn
many thanks for all informations...most atractive,the most important dx bulletin for hams... starting to read on packet, now on internet, good luck ciao!! 4n1dx
the most useful dx website! thanks. tom n2cu
the dx crowd are the top hams and you folks are the cream of the crop. vic ad8k
hi - and thanks a million for your excellent nl, which has been my prime source of dx information since long time ago. every issue inspires to activity. good health and luck! 73 sm0byd (also op at sk0tm & sk0mg)
mauro, thanks i never would have gotten horor roll or 700 islands without your newsletter many thanks for getting my name back on list bob ww1v
your monthly editions are just superb ! very sincere congratulations and thanks ! best 73 jean-marc, f5sgi
gracias señores por un excelente boletin, continuen con su trabajo que va bien saludos para todos y sigan enviandolo a todo el mundo de ce2vqf edmundo 73, chaooo
an excellent source of world wide amateur radio dx information. the best available on the internet or anywhere else. the monthly pdf with pictures and maps is outstanding. many thanks for all your efforts. frank w3vna
congratulations on your great homepage and many thanks for all the good work you are putting into your newsletter! a wonderful service to the ham fraternity. wolf, dj4oa
your site is great, the information that you provide helps me immeasurably. made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yield will continue my quest for an iota award, and your site is a big help
many thanks for all the time and effort you put into 425 news. it is very much appreciated. 73's de brian gm4xqj
my sincerely congratulations for your great job helping us to be well informed about radio activities round the world. 73s tony lu2ffd
thank you for all the good work you do in getting out that famous 425 bulletin: best dx news i have recieved in my 65 years of ham radio. 73 to all, charles ve7wo
i just want congratulate you for the great job you do ! 425dxn, the most complete dx bulletin: happy new year 2001, 73 gil f5nod