A very late Happy new year to each and everyone,  I hope you are all keeping well and safe as we enter another year over shadowed by this dreadful virus. Once again I am working online with my students rather than being in the welding and fabrication workshop where I belong. Despite the chaos there is plenty of fun and laughter in the household and I have also been very active on the ham radio bands. My log has never looked so healthy and I have been making many QSO meeting some great guys and girls on the air. 

The last few months have flown by and I now seem to be live streaming both welding sessions and ham radio from the shack. Every Sunday evening I have been live on YouTube working lots and lots of other radio amateurs on 80 and 40m as well as up on 20m when conditions permit. Its started to become a weekly ritual and I have almost formed a virtual gathering of regular friends via the YouTube channel stream and of course on the air. It is a real pleasure to finally get to meet/make qso with so many of you guys and girls that have been following my ham radio antics. The weekly check in is becoming very popular and I would like to thank each and everyone of you for making the effort and trying to call in. 

The weekly check in usually happens after I settle down my two fast growing daughters and get them into dream land. I try to get on the air for 22.00 utc and sometimes a little bit earlier if at all possible. Each week the number of callers seems to be growing and last nights live stream was great fun with a mini pile up at one point. 

My good friend and fellow blogger/youtuber Bas PE4BAS was one of the many super contacts that I made last night and as ever was coming in superb with an arm chair copy. Many of you guys come through exceptionally well on my recently home brewed 40/80 fan dipole. Its certainly working very well for me and with the 400 watts I have been hitting the USA and Caribbean on a regular bases, its fantastic to work so many great operators from around the world and see so many regulars on the live stream chat. There are too many great guys and girls to start naming everyone but please keep it up guys as I am really enjoying the fun and banter. 

Some of my favourite contacts have been with Barry - G6JMX, Chris - GM4ZJI, Jimbo - G1JSP, Michael - W3MLJ, Brayden - KC1KUG, Marija - YU3AWA and Frankie - VP2MNI. But in all honesty you have all been top guys and girls and have really helped me to de-stress in the current lock down situation. I cant wait to catch up with all of you and some of you that have been trying but not quite made it through yet.

See you all next Sunday around about 22.00 zulu for some more fun in the shack live and direct on my ham radio YouTube channel.

Here is a sneak peak of what kind of craziness we get up too.