Ham Radio Cartoons by Jeff K1NSS

02.08.10 No kidding, stop the presses, big flash! Our Dash! to Dayton 2010 Hamvention booth reservation is in the works for East Hall. Plus we have still more up our sleeve to announce in the weeks ahead, so stay tooned!

02.03.10 Recognize the orbit? No it ain't that of Muttnik a.k.a Laika or Ham the space chimp. Wanna hint? It's the flight path preceding that of Gherman Titov, the second man in space. Nothing comes to mind but Tang? Not to fret. EX LIBRIS reveals all -- including the ham radio mystery behind the story -- on our new page formerly know as Top Shelf and probably something else any minute now, which is why the menu selection simply reads favorites.

01.28.10 Papa-OO-mau-mau, ladies and gentlemen THE DAWG is THE WORD and our brand new Feedline is totally SHAKALICOUS! Go on, click El Big Mouth for a tasty mash-up of post-contest beach food, struttin' around the surf scene and hangin' loose in the sublime mode of Left Coastal RadioSportin' Life -- courtesy of that stoked bloke behind them blue Oakleys, Dashtoons' intrepid correspondent Scot KA3DRR, introducing Splash! The Dawg-Faced Ham!

01.18.10 Oyez, Oyez, Oyez, Trial by Dash! is now in session. No further questions because we're guilty of turning the traditional amateur radio review into a circus and you have ringside seats. First on the docket is our big shiny new ham badge -- put through a grueling battery of tests. The verdict? Select reviews from our menu or his honor Judge Dash! below.

01.11.10 Today we have kindly been admitted to membership of the Society.

And what kind of a Society, Johnny Olson? The RSGB, thank you very much -- the Radio Society of Great Britain. No,no, it's not what you think. Old Dash!Chum Ivor G4YIT did not ring up the Duke of Earl who in turn did not lean heavily on the RSGB Admissions Committee to bend the rules on our behalf. We merely signed up online, surrending to one more nearly pre-natal radio fascination. Like so many of our hobbyhorses, it can be traced to a library book, in this case a circa 1930s collection of radio projects, the difference between this book and many others that passed through our paws being that it was English and referred, naturally enough, to VALVES, in which the schematic elements were rotated 90 degrees. Combine that with Aerials, Earths, and references to Eddystone plug-in coil forms and that was enough to send us off the deep end. Okay, so we were 11 or 12 and read a lot of Poe and Wells and cultivated a taste for giant wave accounts of Eddystone lighthouse keepers. Were any Commonwealthers of our certain age similarly afflicted, but America-oriented? You tell us. Anyway, fifty years later it still doesn't take much to hijack our fancy. Like our new RSGB pin. It's just part of our New Member's Pack, the startling contents of which we'll reveal in a special upcoming report.

01.10.10 What happened to our Phone Sweepstakes cartoon? We take full responsibility for the massive failure of Dashtoon systems. What's more, we're seizing the moment to remind you that others have done more terrible things. So on balance, you owe us one or two. Not that we expect to collect on those favors any time soon. But should you be curious about the location of said cartoon, it's now up and running in our fancy- schmancy new format. Click the thumbnail above or go through the more toons menu option. We'll keep you updated on our continuing site makeover because nothing improves the kick of old wine like a new and improved bottle. Cheers!

We received Adam's card a little while ago and I really enjoyed the hounds and homey looks of this cool Radioactive Hillbilly QSL from the mountains of North Carolina. After viewing the movie Avatar last night, we've been musing about the money spent and the astonishing skills and technology devoted to amusing us Earthlings, and yet for all that thunder and 3D, a simple grayscale postcard with a light touch of whimsy and evidence of forethought still cheers us right up.

We came across Carlo's knockout QSL while looking into the English translation of his book Zen and the Art of Radiotelegraphy. Click the title or the QSL to download ZART free via Carlo's QSL.NET page. It's a truly wholistic approach to CW -- skill-building, hardware, attitude, chivalry (bravo!) and much, much more, by an operator with QRQ credentials that CW ops above our 'umble WPM grade will be in better position to fully appreciate. I queried Carlo about the "Old Rhythmers" term. He replied Old Rhythmers comes from the "swinging" mood of CW, remembering the sea tides. Perhaps everyone was already hip to ZART except yours truly, but should you also be among us last to know, check out this most thoughtful and practical exploration of the most civilized mode. We repeat...bravo!

Note: Carlo also kindly provided us this link to the INORC, of which he is a proud associate member. On site, the Google translator will assist you.

First photographed grazing the inedible chassis of a vintage S38-C receiver, this underfed Stegosaurus was easily captured and declared a “major disappointment” by Hallicrafters collector and veteran amateur radio operator/cryptobiologist Addison Voorhees II.

“These Jurassic-come-latelys are all alike,” complained Voorhees. They think they’ve been around and know the score. They’ve dated Pterodactyls. They quote Bob & Ray chapter and verse. But they can’t remember when a ham license was a ham license and the Morse code test kept appliance operators at bay.”

Undeterred, Voorhees vows to continue his search for another living fossil that remembers the really good old days, so he can welcome a second member to his Quarter Eon Wireless Association.