Fall colors in Yamanaka-ko Lake

Today, I took Kyoko to the Yamanaka-ko lake.
As we expected, the time was a bit too late to see the fall colors here.
But still nice colors there.
After Yamanaka-ko, we visited Kawaguchi-ko Lake too.
A fanous fall color spot in Kawaguchi-ko named "Momiji Kaiou もみじ回廊"　(Maple Leaf Corridor)
That spot was a bit too early for the peak of the color.

View from Hakone

I have been borrowing some land estate in Hakone, near Hakone Pass where is about 800m above sea level.
I'm dreaming to buid small cottage there to spend weekends after retirement.

Last Saturday I visited there and spend one night in my car.
I could see great view of sunset on the gulf of Suruga on Staturday and shining Mt.Fuji at sunrise on Sunday morning.

Typhoon attack

The typhoon no.15th attacked Tokyo yesterday 2011-9-21.
More than 30m/s wind was recorded in my QTH Machida-city, south east of TOKYO.
My 7MHz HB9CV anttena had been damaged on its reflector elemnt.

My garded also became messy.



Above kiwi-fruits tree shelf has been crashed down by a solar panel that has been smashed out from roof-top. Terrible...

CW Promotion

I’d like to introduce some of my recent off-the-air activity for promoting CW.

1) I made presentation titled “モールス通信への誘い” (Morse tsuushin heno izanai )=”Invitation to Morse Communication” at CQ publishing company’s booth in Tokyo Hamfair on 2011-08-27.


2) On the same day, a new book titled “はじめてのモールス通信”(Hajimeteno Morse Tsuushin)=”The First Step of Morse Communication” has been issued from CQ publishing co. The book is written for no-code ham and even for non-ham operator who has no knowledge about radio amateur at all.


3) I also made similar presentation titled “モールス通信を始めよう“(Let’s start Morse Communication) at JARL event corner in Tokyo Hamfair on 2011-08-28.



4) Before Hamfair, I co-operated an interview from JOCX (Fuji TV Broadcasting Co.).
Since there was no enough time before on air, the TV crew requested me to work on my shack and asked real QSO with other ham. I asked my local station JA1HMK, Ron-om to have schedule QSO and showed our chat with both English and Japanese Morse code.
In my small shack, they recorded many scenes for an hour but I haven’t been known how they edited the contents till I saw the result on the air.
Screen shot of TV

8J1MORSE

The special event station 8J1MORSE, that commemorates the 220th anniversary of the birth of Samuel Morse and the first successful Morse Code communication across the Atlantic Ocean by Guglielmo Marconi in 1901, will QRV from 1st June, 2011 till end of Nov 2011.
For detailes refer to official website http://8j1morse.a1tokai.net/ and offical blog http://8j1morse.blogspot.com

I'll operate the station from June 1st to June 3rd from my home QTH, Machida-city, Tokyo.
Then, on June 4th, we are planning to have field operation event at Sagamigawa-river, Zama-city, Kanagawa-pref.

Opening of Machida A1 Museum

Today, my 50th birthday.
Since several months ago, I've been planning to open small private museum in my home on this memorial day.
Neither vintage bugkeys nor special paddles.
Just a kind of ordinary keys and paddles that I've been collected during my CW life of 35 years up to now.
I'd like to provide a meeting place to guys & gals who are interested in the CW and wondering what key or paddle is suitable for themselves.
To all CW lovers, If you come across to Tokyo, please stop by and visit my museum.
Please note I'm still full time worker, so this private museum is available only weekends with prior notice. Hi

Let's have eyeball meeting and talk about CW!

Golden Week Holidays

We had a long golden week this year from April/29 till Mat/8.
I went to short trip to JA3 area (Shiga & Nara) and JA9 area (Fukui) with wife and daughter and my mother who is living in JA3 area (Hyogo) alone.

April/30, we went Shizugatake mountain where located north part of Lake Biwa.

After Shizugatake, we visited the place of my family's origin in Kinomoto town and pray at my father's grave.

We stayed at Kokou-An Inn in Kinomoto town.
It was pretty quiet place and had very nice hot-spa there.


Next morning we visited Shakudo-ji where famous 11-face-kannon (Goddess of Mercy which has 11 faces) a kind of wooden statue.
Photo took at the front passage to the Shakudo-ji temple.


Then we moved to JA9 area (Fukui), and visited Tojinbo where impressive scenic spot facing to the Japan sea.


and Eiheiji-temple. It was a bit disappontment because it was commercialized than I thought.


We went back to JA3 Area (Hyogo) and stayed at my mother's home.

On the 3rd day, we visited Nara.
This is a kind of ancient remains "Saka-Fune-iseki"
The puropose of that shape of stone is unknown. But some says it was used for squeeze Sake.


This is one of a famous temple in Japan, Horyuji temple.
There are a lot of national treasures.


This is "Ishibutai-kofun" a kind of ancient stone grave.


Finally, we visited "Toshho-daiji" temple.
Here also one of most famous temple in Japan and
there have many national treasures too.


It was short 2-day-stay in kansai district, but it was very impressive and happy time with my family.

I'm afraid my 75-year-mother got tired due to many up/down steps and walks.

I hope to go somewhere nice place again with family soon.

BBQ with K3TN

K3TN John and his XYL Carol came to my home with JJ8KGZ Leo.
I invited local friends and had a BBQ at my garden.
Many frisnds gathered and enjoyed drinking eating and chatting under the sunshine.
It was very nice sunny day. Thank you everyone, thank you nature god for this fine time. May the peacefull time be with us for long!


John wrote about his visit to JA i his BLOG

Spring comes even on the tragedic island

Hi Friends!
Thanks for your kind and warm message from all over the world both on and off the blog.
After 3.11 of the great north-eastern Japan earthquake and tsunami, we lost more than 28,000 people including missing and still near to 200,000 peopole are living in the shelters. And situation of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has been getting worse.
The trouble of the nuke plant was caused by lack of risk management of Tokyo Electric Power compant (TEPCO) and government. As one of a Japanese people, it's shame of ourselves and I'd like to apology all the foreign countries we are worry about contamination of the environment.
After one month of the tragedy, we still have many aftershocks with magnitude 4-6.

Although such situation, spring comes equally.
Cherry blossoms are now full open around Tokyo.

I decided not to use AC mains power sourced by TEPCO for my hobby.
My CW signal made by solar power since April, 2nd, 2011.

No More Fukushima!

QTC from JAPAN

This is the copy of message I sent to A1 club DX membes;

As you may know, we had a terrible quake in northern part of Japan on Friday afternoon last week.
After three days past, more than 2000 killed and more than 10000 missing up to now.
Also, the neuclear power plants located in Fukushima-pref. is getting serious situation.

We as an amateur radio operator are gathering and exchanging emergency information on the
following frequenies.
Please kindly keep clean these freqs.
3525KHz+/-5KHz　
7030KHz+/-5KHz　
14.100MHz+/-10KHz
21.200MHz+/-10KHz
28.200MHz+/-10KHz
50.100MHｚ、51.000MHｚ、51.500MHz
144.100MHz、145.000MHz、145.500MHz
430.100MHz、433.000MHz、433.500MHz

Thank you for your kind cooperation.

A1 CLUB secretary
Atsu, JE1TRV
je1trv@a1club.net
http://a1club.net/
http://jo1zzz.blogspot.com/

Begali Stradi

Pietro Begali made another masterpeiece named "Stradivarius".
I love his paddles best.

A Happy New Year 2011

A Happy New Year 2011

I thank you very much for everything in 2010 and wish your happy and health new year 2011.

This year is;
220th anniversary of Samuel F.B. Morse's birth.
110th anniversary of Marconi's over the Atlantic ocean Radio Telegraphy communication.
And probably the year that Morsecode proficiency test will be dropped from the all class of Japanese Radio Amateur License exam.

Cerebrating this, I will work harder for prpmotion of CW.

As my private issue, I'll turn 50 this year.
I think I'll do my best this year, but after that I want to ask to have some time to think about my life in future.

On the other hand,
Number of Collection of my Morse Keys and Paddles became some extent so that I'd like to prepare a place where you can touch them and talk about CW in my home at Machida, Tokyo.
I named it "Machida A1 Museum".
If you have chance to come to Tokyo, please contact me.

73+88
de JE1TRV, Atsu

Japan will drop Morsecode proficiency test from Amateur Radio exam completely

Japan will drop Morsecode proficiency test for Amateur Radio completely

On Nov. 22, 2010, Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and
Communications (MIC) announced a request for Public Comment
concerinig drop of Morsecode proficiency test in the amateur
radio license exam.
http://www.soumu.go.jp/menu_news/s-news/01kiban09_01000007.html
The Morsecode proficiency test for amateur radio has been relaxed as follows;

In 1996, Japanese Morsecode was dropped from 1st Class requirements.

In 2005, Reqiured Speed dropped to 25cpm both for 1st (ex. 60cpm) and
for 2nd Class (ex. 45cpm), and Test deleted for 3rd Class (ex.25cpm).

And this time, All proficiency test will be deleted.

MIC will accept public comments until end of Dec, 2010, then
it may take another few months to be finalized and become offical.
(guess it'll be around spring in 2011)

Mystery Tour

On Nov. 19 and 20, I have attended a mystery tour that my wife and daughter applied a month ago.
The attraction of the tour is that distinations are kept secret until the day of the travel.
The starting place was Shinjuku at 7AM. We got up 5AM to get Shinjuku station on time.
From Shinjuku, we got a bus with 45 other participants.
The bus ran Tomei Express way towards west.
The WX was perfect clear and we enjoyed beautiful view of Mt.Fuji.

At Toyokawa, Aichi-prefecture the bus got off the Tomei Express way then heading north. This is a nice looking brifge called Harp Bridge in Toyokawa.

Around noon, We arrived the first distination.
That was Kourankei 香嵐渓 a famous fall color viewing spot in Tokai district.
The maple leaves are the best of their fall color in this season.


After that, we moved to Kahiko-jima island 賢島　in Shima-city.　志摩市
The hotel we stayed was not so new but the room has ocean view windows and the meals have served to the room. (In this kind of economy class tour, meals are usually served at a restaurant or a buffet style, not served to individual room)

Sun rise view from hotel room.

Morning radio with KX1 and fishing-rod wire antenna.
I could hear many dx sations but no QSO unfortunately.
I hoped to check in the A1 Club On Air Meeting (OAM) from 7AM Saturday Morrinig on 40m band.
But, I cloud not hear the signal from the Key station JP1BJB, Aki this time.
As the but will start on 8AM, I regrettably shut down my portable station before checking in the OAM.

The 2nd destination was, Ise Shrine in Ise-city.

Ordinary people cannot enter the main building of the Ise Shrine.
We can see the main shrine only from very far place.
Only the emperor can get into the main building.
This is Japanese tradition since 1300 years ago.
And amazingly this building had been completely re-building evry 20 years.
It cost about 50bilion Japanese Yen now.
This kind of ceremony had been continued since 1300 years ago.
I thought this is the origin of Japanese Public Works 公共事業.
Many people could get their job for this kind of ceremony.
So it had a good reason to do such a wasting works every 20 eyars.

The last place we visited was Okuni-Shrine in Fukuroi-city, Shizuoka-pref.

It was another nice place to see red maple leaves.

It was a quiet shrine.

My daughter, Yoko picked a Omikuji or a fortune slip, which predicted good fortune "Kichi" for her. I hope it must be true.

Shorinji Kenpo

My son joined a Shorinji Kenpo club in the university.
On Oct. 23 I and XYL visited his univ to see autumn festival of the univ.
That was his first experience to join a soprts club in his life.
He did very well than we thought.

Fall color in Yamanakako

Today was Japanese national holday, I visited Yamanakako Lake with wife and daughter to see fall colors.

The WX was very nice and We could see Mt.Fuji very well.


Beautiful red Japanese maple "kaede" or "momiji" leaves!



Yoko & Kyoko looks happy :-)


We love Mt.Fuji