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and proprietary software persists in the amateur radio world. Of course, this is the choice of the author of the software but there seems to be a lot of software out there that is still being used but not being maintained. Generally, I try to avoid this type of software and prefer to use open source software with a vibrant community around it. I can take this attitude professionally, but seemingly not for amateur radio. If anyone reading this has written some software, and you are still maintaining it yourself, you may want to consider open-sourcing the software and build a community to share the load, and ensure the software develops even if you cannot continue to support it yourself.

On VHF and UHF, DMR is something that initially attracted me, but it is surprising how little traffic is around, and that should be disappointing for the investment in infrastructure needed to support the mode.

I still find something satisfying about a relaxed QSO and getting a sense of the person on the other end, entering the details into a logbook and sending a QSL card, but if the other station wants to do something more data-centric then I am OK with that too.

Anyway, I find amateur radio as captivating as I ever did, and I will look forward to having QSOs with anyone using any mode, and welcoming SWL reports too.

Keep going, PW. I look forward to getting the e-mail every month telling me that I can now read the new issue in PocketMags! David Bainbridge VE2XPM (ex-G8LKU, G0EPM, SM0XPM)

Montreal

making a current is, I regret to say, just wrong. Protons, barring thermonuclear interventions, don’t play a part.