The year opens

This is what many Ham Radio operators do to kick off the new year. Every January 1st we get on the air and using "Straight Keys" old fashioned mechanical Morse Keys, we try and contact (work) as many different other Ham Radio stations as we can. The event runs from 00:00z (reat UTC or GMT time) to 23:59z on January the first.
Let me say this is not your Grandpa's Ham Radio, modern Ham Radio can use communication methods not even dreamed of 40 years ago. We can communicate world wide from our computer keyboards to other operators keyboards directly, NOT via the internet but in "real time", we can bounce signals off of meteor tails to achieve communication from across the country to around the world. Some operators can bounce signals off of the moon to achieve communication paths at VHF frequencies which under other conditions would not be possible. Ham Radio has it's own satellites (Built and funded by Ham Radio enthusiasts) which act as space repeater stations taking on the uplink signal and re-transmitting the same signal back to earth which can sometimes be picked up thousands of miles away. But every January the first some of us like to get back to basics and just chat (we call it "Ragchewing") using the old style Morse Code and it's mechanical instruments. This Blip foto is my humble station with which I have a grand time on the air.
Thanks for viewing and may I wish each and every one of you a Happy, prosperous, safe, healthy and Blessed 2015 and beyond.
God Bless - Wayne.