• HOME
• JOIN OR RENEW
• FREQUENCIES
• MEMBERS AREA
• ACTIVITIES & AWARDS
• RESOURCES
• LINKS
• CONTACT US

News items added to this page are also available via RSS Twitter Facebook

Recent News

• 04 Feb 12: AGCW-40-3: Year-round Competition 3 Years "new" 40m Band Plan
  
  All CW QSO from 29th March 2012 onwards between 7035 and 7040kHz with a minimum length of 5 minutes count for points. Deadline for logs is the 28th March of the following year.
  
  Each completed 5 minutes count 1 point, QSO with AGCW members count twice.
  To determine AGCW membership the membership list downloadable from http://mgl.agcw.de/Mitglieder.xls can be used.
  
  Logs should show the columns Date, UTC start, UTC end, c/s of stn wkd, RST sent, RST rcvd, QTH rcvd, Name rcvd, Frequency accurate to 1kHz, AGCW # or "NM", Points. Logs can be submitted monthly until the 7th day of the following month to agcw-40-3@agcw.de.
  
  Intermediate scores will be published in the AGCW bulletin, the mailing list ( agcw@mailman.qth.net ) and on the AGCW home page http://www.agcw.de .
  
  The annual winner will receive an activity bowl.
  
  Thanks to Eddi DK3UZ, AGCW #408, FISTS #15596, for sending the above details of AGCW-40-3.
• 03 Feb 12: A replica of the Titanic Morse key is going to be produced by Kent Morse Keys.  For more information and to register for a pre-launch discount, please see the web page. 
• 02 Feb 12: A very warm welcome to our latest members:
  
  

  Brendon	VK4FQRP	#14134
  Ty	AK4LF	#15679
  Bob	KD2UJ	#15680
  Terry	KJ4EZX	#15681
  Clark	KD4NUL	#15682
  Jonathan	K2LEB	#15683
  Sid	W7JSD	#15684
  Alan	KR4AE	#15685
  Colin	AB9YU	#15686
  Tom	K2YEO	#15687
  Craig	WB0OLX	#15689
  Randy	K8HRO	#15690
  Dan	VA3OT	#15691
  Pat	KF7NDH	#15692
  Roy	KC9BPI	#15693
  John	2E0MAW	#15822

• 02 Feb 12: There are Morse (MP3) audio files at www.feacw.net/snd/ of articles from the January 2012 newsletter "morsEAsia" provided by FISTS East Asia . This includes speeds ranging from 10 to 30wpm.
  FISTS East Asia was formed in 2004 to provide East Asian members with various services in their native languages.
• 02 Feb 12: The first batch of FISTS 25th Anniversary Mugs have been manufactured and are awaiting collection and distribution.
  
  There will be a second batch produced in April with the aim to dispatch them by the end of April.
  Be aware that if you order a mug now, it will be for one in the April batch.
  
  Depending on the demand for the April batch, we may or may not produce a further batch mid-year.  So, to be absolutely sure of getting your mug, please ensure you order in time for the April batch.
  
  73. M0BPT
• 31 Jan 12: The FISTS Down Under February 2012 newsletter is now available.
• 31 Jan 12: It's a pleasure to welcome our latest members:
  
  

  Kunio	JE3UOR	#15105
  Paul	KO9U	#15671
  Tom	N3UFJ	#15672
  Billy	AB4RH	#15673
  Marty	W5MRM	#15674
  Richard	SWL	#15676
  Ronald	AD4WG	#15677
  Richard	WA6RIC	#15678
  Imelda	KA0USD	#15688
  Valery	UA9OTW	#15812
  John	2M1BBY	#15813
  Martin	OK2MR	#15814
  Simon	PA2SQ / M0DCU	#15815
  Don	G0ACK	#15816
  Tony	G1MMI	#15817
  Dave	GW0LUA	#15818
  Ian	G1RVK	#15819
  Jon	M6BYR	#15821

• 30 Jan 12: The next FISTS Ladder sessions are on Sunday 12th February 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome).  Please submit your January entries for the Ladder by the 5th February to Rob M0BPT.
• 
  

  FISTS 25th
  Anniversary Mug
  (lilac)
  25 Jan 12: We are offering coffee/tea mugs in celebration of FISTS 25th Anniversary this year.
  
  The mugs start at 4.99 GBP + 3.30 GBP delivery to a UK address.  They are available in two colour styles, lilac (shown in the photograph) and black.  At a small extra cost, you can have your callsign added under the logo on the front or on the rear of the mug.
  
  The standard delivery charge covers up to two mugs to UK addresses, so why not get one for yourself and one as a present for a friend?
  
  We can deliver these to the UK, Eu and USA.
  
  For more details, please see the FISTS 25th Anniversary Mug web page.
• 18 Jan 12: During 2012, UK individual and club stations can apply to vary their callsigns for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee (5 weeks with a letter Q in place of a regional identifier) and the period of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (7 weeks with a letter O in place of a regional identifer).  For more information, please see the RSGB announcement.  This will be very helpful for FISTS members working towards the Prefix Awards; you can count the same FISTS member more than once towards the Prefix Awards under their standard and special callsigns.
• 17 Jan 12: I need to hear from UK members who could commit to an individual/group day of operation on behalf of the society for the dates 2nd-8th September 2012 inclusive.
  
  I will be more specific with my information/criteria needed when I've heard from interested parties.
  
  Email me m0bpt (at) yahoo (dot)co (dot)uk.  73 M0BPT
• 16 Jan 12: The FISTS Brasspounder December 2011 newsletter has just been published by Rob M0BPT.  Brasspounder provides news, views and results for FISTS Activities in Europe/UK.
• 12 Jan 12: Please note that FISTS Prefix Award applications must be sent by email to
  lee-n7nu@comcast.net or by post to Lee Hallin N7NU, 3413 Walton Lane, Eugene, OR, 97408-4673, USA.
• 10 Jan 12: The next FISTS Ladder sessions are on 22nd January 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome.)
• 09 Jan 12: The EUCW QRS Activity Week, previously organized by FISTS, is to continue as a permanent event now organized directly by EUCW.  The dates for 2012 are April 23, 00:00 UTC to April 27, 23:59 UTC.  For more information, please see EUCW QRS Activity Week.
• 06 Jan 12: We're delighted to welcome our latest members:
  
  

  Hiro	JA3UMK	#15103
  Jun	9V1JJ	#15104
  Jim	GW0BBO	#15809
  Les	2E0LAI	#15811

Older News

January 2012

• 04 Jan 12: The January edition of "morsEAsia" from FISTS East Asia is now available.
• 02 Jan 12: Congratulations to the following award winners:
  

  Ian G4MLW, #130	Silver Century and Millionaire
  David KB9MLE, #13933	Millionaire 3 Million Sticker

• 02 Jan 12: The next FISTS Ladder sessions are on Sunday 8th January 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome).  Please submit your December entries for the Ladder by the 5th January and Four Seasons by the 7th January to Rob M0BPT.
• 01 Jan 12: Happy New Year!  Remember that the FISTS Prefix Awards have now started.  There is no time limit on the Version 1 award, but the Version 2 and 3 Awards need to be completed by 31st December 2012, so it's time to get busy with them!
  
  Note an amendment to the Version 3 rules: If no one in a Chapter completes the qualifications, a plaque will be awarded to that Chapter's FISTS member with the highest number of prefixes worked.  The number of plaques for each Chapter is still being determined.
  
  The Prefix awards are fully supported by the latest version (2.3.0) of the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program.  Alternatively, printable log sheets, application forms and spreadsheets will be provided on the website during January.

December 2011

• 29 Dec 11: We're very pleased to welcome our latest members:
  
  

  Roy	G3MPB	#15802
  Alan	M0GNA	#15803
  Ferdinand	PB4TUG	#15804
  Geoff	G3MLL	#15805
  John	GM1VYG	#15806
  Ian	M0UAT	#15807
  Andy	GW8NBI	#15808
  Spen Valley Amateur Radio Society (SVARS)	G3SVC	#15810
  Blackwood & District Amateur Radio Society	GW6GW	#15820

• 20 Dec 11: The Winter 2011 Key Note (Europe/UK) is available from the website's Members' Area's Key Notes Archive.
  
  As well as a PDF version, there is a ZIP containing an eBook (.PRC) version.  Parts of it may look better on devices such as Kindles but the layout is poor; the PDF is recommended.
• 15 Dec 11: The FISTS Brasspounder November 2011 newsletter has just been published by Rob M0BPT.  Brasspounder provides news, views and results for FISTS Activities in Europe/UK.
• 14 Dec 11: The film "Radio Hams (Pete Smith Speciality)" from 1939 is well worth watching (there is CW content about half way through).
• 12 Dec 11: The final 2011 FISTS Ladder sessions are on 25th December 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome.)  It's possible there may not be as many people active on this day!!  Note that the Ladder starts afresh in 2012.
• 09 Dec 11: A very warm welcome to our latest members:
  
  

  Keith	G3YZZ	#15595
  Eddi	DK3UZ	#15596
  Alan	G2DXU	#15597
  Alan	MW6XRO	#15598
  Fred	G0MDR	#15599
  Russ	W8KI	#15661
  Phillip	KF7IOT	#15662
  Dan	W5BM	#15663
  Sam	KJ6NYH	#15664
  Russ	WA2LTH	#15665
  Pete	WA6OEF	#15666
  Otis	AK4HY	#15667
  Barry	WA4CYD	#15668
  Frankie	N5ZS	#15669
  Curt	KC9UNL	#15670
  Jerry	M6JPF	#15801

• 04 Dec 11: Congratulations to the following award winners:
  

  Ann KE6OIO, #3364	Millionaire 4 Million Sticker
  Philip K9PL, #6753	Worked All States
  Cecil K5YQF, #8077	Rag Chewers
  Gary W4IHI, #13344	Millionaire 4 Million Sticker
  Richard AC0MP, #15301	Basic Century and Millionaire

• 03 Dec 11: The Upcoming Events list now contains 2012 events for FISTS (North America & Europe) and EUCW.  For a quick reminder of events coming up over the next month or so, there is a brief list at the top right of the Home page.
• 02 Dec 11: The FISTS European Activities Calendar for 2012 has been released by Rob M0BPT.  This includes three new activities: Titanic 24 hour sprint 2012, Counties Week 2012 and FISTS Eu Silver Jubilee Week 2012.
  
  He has also made available a 2012 year planner.
• 
  

  List of QSOs & prefixes

  
  

  List with awards progress

  02 Dec 11: The latest version of the free FISTS Award tracking program includes the new 2012 FISTS Prefix Awards and the 2012 FISTS European Activities.
  
  FISTS Log Converter 2.3.0 makes it easy to see your progress towards awards and helps you apply for them.
  
  It can be used with your preferred Windows logbook program or if you don't have one, it provides a basic logbook too.
  
  Members entering the European FISTS Activities can also use it to prepare logs ready for submission.
  
  The program can be downloaded from its web page.
• 02 Dec 11: The new FISTS Prefix Awards start on 1st Jan 2012 in celebration of FISTS 25th anniversary.  Each award requires contacts with 250 unique callsign prefixes.
  
  To achieve the basic award, 25 of the contacts must be FISTS members and there is no time limit.
  For the second version of the award, the contacts must be within the anniversary year of 2012.
  The third version of the award must also be achieved within 2012 and additionally all contacts must be with FISTS members.
  
  For detailed information, please see the Awards web page.
  
  The Prefix awards are fully supported by the latest version (2.3.0) of the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program.  Alternatively, printable log sheets, application forms and spreadsheets will be provided on the website.
• 02 Dec 11: The next FISTS Ladder sessions are on Sunday 11th December 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome).  Please submit your November entries for the Ladder by the 5th December and Four Seasons by the 7th December to Rob M0BPT.

November 2011

• 30 Nov 11: The FISTS Straight Key Week (SKW) 2011 Results have been revised by Rob M0BPT, including a new results table.  This is due to a computer failure affecting the original results.  (The top three positions are unaffected.)
• 28 Nov 11: The FISTS Down Under December 2011 newsletter is now available.
• 28 Nov 11: Morse Inspector is a fascinating photo & description of a 1935 Bolton (UK) Borough Police Morse training session.
• 22 Nov 11: It's a pleasure to welcome our latest members:
  
  

  Liu	BU3AA	#15099
  Ara	JR0DIL	#15101
  Hiro	JA4ENN	#15102
  Steve	M0DDR	#15588
  John	G0LJT	#15589
  Mike	M0HKS	#15590
  Hans	DK8RE	#15591
  Dave	G4CXQ	#15592
  Robert	M0JRB/G8BUN	#15593
  Ossett ARO	M0ORO	#15594
  Gabrielle	KK4ASD	#15625

• 21 Nov 11: "Olympic magnetic bug by TWradio" shows a prototype magnetic bug key being evaluated by Sandy G0VQW, who recorded the video.  The key was produced by Tom Withers, G3HGE.
• 16 Nov 11: The FISTS Straight Key Week (SKW) 2011 Results have just been published by Rob M0BPT.
• 16 Oct 11: The FISTS Brasspounder October 2011 newsletter has just been published by Rob M0BPT.  Brasspounder provides news, views and results for FISTS Activities in Europe/UK.
• 16 Nov 11: The next FISTS Ladder sessions are on 27th November 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome.)  QSOs are casual and friendly, so you can just come along to say "Hello" and meet other members.  Most activity takes place around 3.558 MHz, 7.028 MHz and 14.058 MHz.  Logs are much appreciated but not essential.
• 07 Nov 11: The FISTS Mobile Award is being withdrawn on 1st January 2012.  Note that there is a new award being introduced in 2012 in celebration of FISTS' 25th Anniversary - details to follow!
• 07 Nov 11: We're delighted to welcome our latest members:
  
  

  Chuck	GM8GIQ	#15581
  Andy	M6PXY	#15582
  Phil	M0PBZ	#15583
  Dave	M0SFT	#15584
  Hal	LA4XX	#15585
  Henryk	M0HTB	#15586
  Sauli	OH3GGQ	#15587
  Ted	KK4CPO	#15651
  Guy	VE3VCF	#15652
  Sam	KG4HEB	#15653
  Chuck	W7CBR	#15654
  Edward	W9EFW	#15655
  John	N3JFD	#15656
  Cray	KF5MUG	#15657
  Mike	KB0SNE	#15658
  Michael	WB4MJ	#15659
  Madhkar	VU2MUD	#15660

• 02 Nov 11: The next FISTS Ladder sessions are on Sunday 13th November 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome).  Please submit your October entries for the Ladder by the 5th November and Four Seasons by the 7th November to Rob M0BPT.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program to create logs with scores for the Ladder, Four Seasons and other FISTS Activities and Awards.
• 02 Nov 11: Congratulations to Gene W5GXV, #11347 on winning the FISTS Millionaire Award 17 Million sticker.

October 2011

• 29 Oct 11: "Marconi 365B" shows a Marconi 365B key in use by Sandy G0VQW, who recorded the video.
• 28 Oct 11: The FISTS Down Under November 2011 newsletter is now available.
• 25 Oct 11: "Titanic Liverpool 1" shows a Morse recording session for Liverpool Maritime Museum (UK) by FISTS members Bill G0JWB, Rich G4FAD and Sandy G0VQW, who also produced the video.  The Morse is for a Titanic exhibit that is being prepared for display in March 2012.
• 24 Oct 11: Congratulations to Derek M0DRK, #8344 on winning the FISTS Platinum award.  The award requires receiving 100 Century Certificate (CC) numbers over the air from other members.
• 18 Oct 11: Congratulations to George M6GAH, #15553 on achieving his intermediate licence, full licence and new callsigns 2E0FSK and M0HAJ.
• 18 Oct 11: Congratulations to Billy M0JHA, #12589 on winning both the Basic Century and 1 X QRP Awards.
• 17 Oct 11: Would you like a QSO with Chile?  David CE2WZ is happy to set up skeds with FISTS members who need Chile on CW.  He has 10m, 12m, 15m, 17m, 20m and 40m and can be contacted by email.
• 16 Oct 11: The FISTS Brasspounder September 2011 newsletter has just been published by Rob M0BPT.  Brasspounder provides news, views and results for FISTS Activities in Europe/UK.
• 15 Oct 11: We're very pleased to welcome our latest members:
  
  

  Kazu	JI3UVB	#15097
  Kazumi		#15098
  David	G0BCU	#15578
  Jim	G0HGH	#15579
  Dan	M0TGN	#15580
  Scott	KC0BUS	#15646
  Tom	NA4U	#15647
  Bob	KB5UJM	#15648
  Phil	WU8P	#15649

• 12 Oct 11: The Autumn 2011 Key Note (Europe/UK) is available from the website's Members' Area's Key Notes Archive.  As well as a PDF version, there is a ZIP containing an eBook (.PRC) version; this may look better on devices such as Kindles, however, the PDF version is recommended.
• 11 Oct 11: The next FISTS Ladder sessions are on Sunday 23rd October 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome.)  QSOs are casual and friendly, so you can just come along to say "Hello" and meet other members.  Most activity takes place around 3.558 MHz, 7.028 MHz and 14.058 MHz.  Logs are much appreciated but not essential.
• 10 Oct 11: The October edition of "morsEAsia" from FISTS East Asia is available along with Morse code versions of articles at 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30wpm.
• 07 Oct 11: The FOC Straight Key Evenings: October 19th, November 16th and December 21st 2011
  
  The First Class CW Operators Club is inviting the participation in one of its regular monthly events by other CW users on the 80m band.
  
  For the last few months a successful Straight Key Evening has been organised and this takes place on the third Wednesday of each month.  The FOC Club Station G4FOC is active from 1900z until 2200z encouraging the use of pump (straight) key, bug key or the sideswiper (cootie).
  
  The operation is around 3525 KHz and although this is not a competitive event, participants are encouraged to work as many stations as possible exchanging key details and signal reports to both FOC member and non member alike.
  
  No logs need to be sent in and all non FOC members are invited to join the Straight Key Weekend at the end of December 2011.  A warm welcome will be received to all non club participants in these events.
  
  For the remainder of 2011 the SKE event dates are October 19th, November 16th and December 21st.  The SKW is December 31st and January 1st taking place on all bands.
  
  73 all and 'see you on the wireless'. Colin G3VTT
• 03 Oct 11: The Fall Sprint takes place Saturday 8th October 2011, 1700-2100 UTC  (FISTS in North America but members worldwide are welcome).
• 02 Oct 11: The video Paddle Rescue shows a unique minimalist straight key - well worth a view!
• 01 Oct 11: The next Ladder sessions (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome) are on Sunday 9th October 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  Please submit your September entries for the Ladder by the 5th October and Four Seasons by the 7th October to Rob M0BPT.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program to create logs with scores for the Ladder, Four Seasons and other FISTS Activities and Awards.

September 2011

• 30 Sep 11: Congratulations to Phil M6PHL, #14543 on achieving his intermediate licence and new callsign 2E0DPH.
• 28 Sep 11: A very warm welcome to our latest members:
  
  

  Peadar	EI2IF	#15569
  John	MM0LBX	#15570
  David	G4NVB	#15571
  Martin	2E1GJN	#15572
  Sandy	2E1GJO	#15573
  Don	CN2JV	#15574
  Ian	MW0IAN	#15575
  Alan	M6WAV	#15576
  Klaus	OE6KYG	#15577
  Ed	KA8JMW	#15628
  Tom	KJ4FUU	#15629
  David	WB4OBF	#15630
  Gene	KF5MCT	#15631
  Jack	N4FLH	#15632
  Janusz	AK4JK	#15633
  John	KA2TMN	#15634
  Dan	W6DC	#15635
  Michael	WA6SVX	#15636
  James	WA6RYA	#15637
  Jutti	K6FRG	#15638
  Jerry	K6QU	#15639
  Bruce	KJ6DXJ	#15640
  Harold	KO6M	#15641
  David	KA0PNT	#15642
  Malin	KJ6HUB	#15643
  Alan	KC9MHI	#15644
  Donald	KF7QZB	#15645

• 23 Sep 11: We're very sorry to have to report that Dawson Thompson, G3AHS, FISTS #265, became a Silent Key on 21st September 2011.  Dawson was active on the air until recent weeks and very well known to many members.
• 22 Sep 11: The FISTS Down Under September 2011 newsletter is now available.
• 20 Sep 11: There's a new band plan for 6m in IARU Region 1 starting in 2012.  The UKSMG have provided a video about it, a summary and the full band plan.
• 19 Sep 11: "KPH: The Wireless Giant" is a short YouTube video about KPH (coastal station on the USA West coast), including its closure and re-opening.
• 16 Sep 11: Ian Fulton, G4XFC, has started an educational campaign "The Morse Crusade" that promotes teaching Morse characters at operational speeds, such as using the Koch method and Farnsworth spacing.  For more information, please visit Ian's website.
• 15 Sep 11: The FISTS Brasspounder August 2011 newsletter has just been published by Rob M0BPT.  Brasspounder provides news, views and results for FISTS Activities in Europe/UK.
• 14 Sep 11: It's a pleasure to welcome our latest members:
  
  

  Lyn	VK4EI	#14132
  Col	VK4CC	#14133
  R.O.O.S.T.	W5ROS	#15425
  Johnny	G3LIV	#15557
  Harvey	EI5EE	#15558
  Sam	OH2MGA	#15559
  Steve	M0CCA	#15560
  John	G7JMZ	#15561
  Bill	GW0GIQ	#15562
  Dave	M0DJF	#15563
  John	MM0BQN	#15564
  Iain	G4SGX	#15565
  Jim	MM0DXH	#15566
  Eric	G0JBR	#15567
  Barry	2E0BCD	#15568

• 13 Sep 11: "Straight Key Week (Fists)" is a new YouTube video by Sandy G0VQW, FISTS #3739, showing him using a Marconi Nato key to participate in SKW 2011.  It features many well known UK FISTS members on the air.
• 13 Sep 11: Heathkit have announced this on their website: "Based on your input, we are looking at developing amateur radio kits.  Our goal is to have kits available by the end of year."
• 12 Sep 11: Morse Tests
  
  If you are thinking of having a Free Morse Test at the UK National Hamfest (Newark, 30th September - 1st October) and would like to pre-book it, it is now possible by sending an email to morse@g5fz.co.uk .
• 11 Sep 11: The deadline for the Autumn 2011 Key Note in Europe is 15th September.  Please send articles and letters to keynote@fists.co.uk or by post to:
  
  FISTS Key Note
  PO Box 6743
  Tipton
  DY4 4AU
  United Kingdom
• 11 Sep 11: Now that Straight Key Week 2011 (SKW) is over, logs need to be submitted to Rob M0BPT by email to activities@fists.co.uk or by post to:
  
  FISTS SKW
  PO Box 6743
  Tipton
  DY4 4AU
  United Kingdom
  
  Logs must be received by Monday 26th September 2011.  Thanks to everyone who joined in and made this such a fun week.
• 06 Sep 11: Stan K4UK is operating this week as KN0WCW during the FISTS Straight Key Week 2011 (SKW).  Listen out for him around 14.058 MHz and possibly 21.058 MHz.  KN0WCW is the FISTS North American club callsign and is worth 5 points in SKW and for the Century series of FISTS Awards.
• 06 Sep 11: DXpedition to Vanuatu, September 30th - October 12th
  
  I thought FISTS members may want to know about the ODXG Dxpedition to Vanuatu this year.  Myself and 5 other VK3s along with 2 operators from the USA will spend 12 days operating as YJ0VK.  Please visit our web site for further details
  
  http://yj0vk.odxg.org
  
  We'd be very pleased to work FISTS members and hope that a contact with us would credit for the FISTS award (as I am a FISTS member).  Also, not relevant for the VK members, but we have received authorisation to operate on 60 metres, which will certainly be of interest to some members.
  
  All the details of our operation are on our web site, as well as a Guest book where people can leave questions, comments etc.  As usual with such ventures, we have a fair freight charge we'll need to pay, so any small donations will be gratefully received.
  
  Hope to hear you guys from YJ0.
  
  73, Chris VK3QB FISTS #9085 http://yj0vk.odxg.org
• 02 Sep 11: Congratulations to the following award winners:
  

  Bert F6HKA, #14577	Diamond Century Award
  John 2E0JCY, #13253	Millionaire Award

August 2011

• 31 Aug 11: We're delighted to welcome our latest members:
  
  

  Ian	VK3IFM	#14131
  Kung	BX6AAJ	#15094
  Roger	G4MLB	#15555
  Leigh	2E0LDJ	#15556
  Mike	AB9AY	#15613
  Bob	K8RJW	#15614
  Andrew	W5ROX	#15615
  Jenson	KC9UMP	#15616
  Roy	K4LJB	#15617
  Jim	W5JVS	#15618
  Gerald	W9GFB	#15619
  Joe	NX1F	#15620
  Scott	KH6GT	#15621
  John	KJ0P	#15622
  Nestor	KG4BAS	#15623
  Ansel	KJ4ZRU	#15624
  Gabrielle	KK4ASD	#15625
  Art	K7ART	#15626
  Terry	WB8UPO	#15627

• 30 Aug 11: Essex (UK) Morse Classes: Weekly Morse code classes will take place at Danbury near Chelmsford starting Thursday, September 1, newcomers are welcome.
  
  The Morse classes will be held in the meeting room at Danbury village hall at 7pm, September 1.  Newcomers to morse code are welcome as well as those who wish to improve their speed or the use of the paddle key.
  
  The class will be taken by Andrew, G0IBN, who is now the official RSGB morse test examiner for the area.
  If you want to be tested on speeds up to 30 wpm then please contact him on telephone 01621 868347 (before 8pm)
  E-mail: g0ibn at kersey1.freeserve.co.uk
  
  The Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society (CARS) run training courses for the Amateur Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced exams.
  
  Clive Ward G1EUC
  To find out more speak to Clive G1EUC on
  Tel: 01245-224577
  Mob: 07860-418835
  E-mail: training2011 at g0mwt.org.uk
  
  Web: http://www.g0mwt.org.uk/training/
• 29 Aug 11: The FISTS Straight Key Week 2011 (SKW) runs from Sunday 4th September 00:01 to Saturday 10th September 23:59.
  The FISTS Log Converter Windows program can be used to create a log and score for Straight Key Week; just record the FISTS member numbers in your electronic logbook's comments / remarks, e.g. FISTS 765432.
• 29 Aug 11: FISTS North America's International G3ZQS Memorial Straight Key Contest runs from Friday 2nd September 23:00 UTC to Sunday 4th September 23:00 UTC.
• 29 Aug 11: Strictly Come Dancing's judge Len Goodman has visited the Lagan Valley Amateur Radio Society to learn about Morse code in preparation for filming a BBC series of three programmes "Titanic and Me". These will be shown in 2012 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of Titanic.  For more information please see the Ulster Star article.
• 23 Aug 11: Thanks to John M0JCD (Nantwich, Cheshire) for joining the low speed sked scheme.  For more information, please see (for privacy reasons, FISTS members only) Slow Speed Morse (QRS) Contacts scheme.  North American members: if you would like to arrange skeds or volunteer to help, please consider joining the FISTS North America Code Buddy Program, details available from Nick K3NY k3ny@cablespeed.com.
• 22 Aug 11: Heathkit have announced on their home page that they are coming back into the kit business.  They don't mention ham radio kits, but are inviting feedback on what kits they should provide - their email address is info@heathkit.com.
• 22 Aug 11: There is now a handy list of "Upcoming Events" towards the top right of the FISTS home page.  It also links to a larger version on a new Upcoming Events web page, where there is more space available.  The main focus is on FISTS events worldwide.
• 22 Aug 11: The next Ladder sessions (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome) are on Sunday 28th August 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  QSOs are casual and friendly, so you can just come along to say "Hello" and meet other members.  Most activity takes place around 3.558 MHz, 7.028 MHz and 14.058 MHz.  Logs are much appreciated but not essential.
• 21 Aug 11: We're pleased to have Pol G3HAL as the latest station available for arranging low speed Morse skeds.  For more information, please see (for privacy reasons, FISTS members only) Slow Speed Morse (QRS) Contacts scheme.
• 21 Aug 11: Samuel Morse's Reversal of Fortune is a Smithsonian article documenting Samuel Morse's failure as a painter then subsequent success in telegraphy.
• 21 Aug 11: The FISTS Brasspounder July 2011 newsletter has just been published by Rob M0BPT.  Brasspounder provides news, views and results for FISTS Activities in Europe/UK.
• 15 Aug 11: We're very pleased to welcome our latest members:
  
  

  Len	G8SKG/G0MJJ	#15549
  Bernie	GM4WZG	#15551
  Geoff	G0DDX	#15552
  George	M6GAH	#15553
  Telford & District Amateur Radio Society	G3ZME/GP3ZME/G6ZME/G3Z	#15554

• 15 Aug 11: Congratulations to Matt 2E0FNG, #14881 on achieving his full licence and new callsign M0ZAI.
• 15 Aug 11: Helvetia Telegraphy Club (HTC) Sprint - 11 September 2011
  
  NOTE: Starting in 2011, the contest is held on a SUNDAY (not Saturday as was previously the case). In addition, we have tightened the frequency bands as noted below.
  
  Date/time: Sunday, 11 September 2011, 13.00 - 18.59 UTC
  
  Frequencies: 3.540 - 3.560 / 7.015 - 7.030 / 14.040 - 14.060
  
  Categories: VLP (max 1W) / QRP (max 5W) / QRO
  
  Contest call: CQ HTC TEST
  
  Exchange RST / category / canton, province, DOK, PC (postal code), etc / first name
  e.g. 579/QRP/BS/Max 569/VLP/C12/Gerd
  
  Full contest regulations, in English at: http://htc.ch/qrp_sprint
  
  tnx, 73
  Paul HB9DST
  ECM for the Helvetia Telegraphy Club
  
  FISTS and HTC are member societies of EUCW (The European CW Association).
• 11 Aug 11: FISTS will be attending the Telford Hamfest (UK) on Sunday 4th September 2011, so please come and say hello.  The doors open at 10:30am and maps etc. are available on the Telford Hamfest website.
• 10 Aug 11: The FOC QSO Party (FOCQP) - October 22nd and 23rd 2011
  
  Here is a special invitation for you to join in the fun during the First Class CW Operators Club QSO Party (FOCQP), formerly known as the Bill Windle QSO Party (BWQP) that FOC schedule twice a year.  Many operators throughout the world have reported this is one of their favourite operating events.  The idea behind the FOCQP is to offer a stress-free opportunity for FOC members to meet and greet both other members and non-members alike.
  
  Each one of us can make this event what you want it to be - some get on for a few casual QSOs, others spend several hours on different bands and still others treat it like a mini FOC Marathon Contest.  The basic concept is to work as many stations as you can over the 24 hour period.  All of the contacts made during the FOCQP count for the FOC awards if you are a member.  So if you are chasing club points this is a good opportunity to fill in the stations you still need to work.  As a non-member you will be welcomed as a worthy contact and you could be eligible for an award depending on your score.
  
  The FOCQP runs for a 24-hour period from 0000z to 2359z.  Call 'CQ BW' from 015 to 040kHz on all bands, excluding the WARC bands, on October 22nd and 23rd 2011 and the exchange is RST, name, and FOC number (non-members send RST and name).  Many also engage in longer QSOs; it is entirely up to you!  Please note we still call 'CQ BW' to initiate a QSO, a tribute to Bill Windle (G8VG) who did so much to foster activity in our Club.  Please send your exchange as 'G4FOC de KZ5D 599 ART 1761' if you are a member and if you are a non member your report and name in your reports.
  
  If you are interested in reporting your results during a FOCQP, simply send in the total number of contacts and the total number of FOC QSOs by email to KZ5D at kz5d@aol.com.  Reports should be something like '145/120', indicating 145 total contacts of which 120 were with FOC members. No logs are required because we work on the honour system.  Reports are due one week after the event.  A complete list of the stations who report will be included in FOCUS and on our public website.  Handsome certificates are awarded to members and non-members on each continent reporting the highest number of QSOs.
  
  Hope to see you on the bands then!
  
  Colin G3VTT
  www.g4foc.org
• 08 Aug 11: "Portable radio operations Pembrokeshire" is a new YouTube video by Sandy G0VQW, FISTS #3739, showing his /P CW operations in Wales.
• 07 Aug 11: Paul M0PNN, FISTS #14593, will be on Guernsey (Channel Isles) August 19-24 with the Telford and District Amateur Radio Society GP3ZME/P Guernsey Expedition.  Paul, under MU0PNN/P or GP3ZME/P, will be calling CQ FISTS on 80 meters 3.558 and 20 meters 14.058.  He will also be taking 6 meters equipment: a two element HB9CV and 9 element Tonna for 2 meters.  The HF antennas are a full size G5RV and a H-422 rotatable trap dipole.  Paul will accept QSL cards from FISTS members via the FISTS bureau or direct to himself.
  
  The full expedition details are:
  
  HF 80 Meters to 10 Meters.
  VHF 50MHZ 144MHZ.
  SHF 2.3GHZ 3.4GHZ 5.7GHZ 10GHZ 24GHZ.
  
  You may follow the DX Expedition on twitter; 2W0ZJA will be tweeting updates to frequencies etc. http://twitter.com/#!/daiboy250.
  VHF talk back and ON4KST chat may also be used.
  
  Locator Square of the camping site is IO89QK but members of the group may well move around the island looking for the best paths to UK, EU etc.
  
  Hope to enter the UKug Contests
  
  Aug 21st 5.7GHz Cumulative
  Aug 21st 10GHz Cumulative
  Aug 21st 24GHz Cumulative
  Aug 23rd 2.3GHz+ Activity Contest
  
  Hope to enter the 50MHz UKAC on the 23rd August.
  
  The main objective of the Expedition is to have fun especially on SHF.
  
  QSL if needed Via G3ZME (bureau).  For details of direct QSL please use the email address on qrz.com.
  
  For more information about Telford and District Amateur Radio Society please Visit www.tdars.org.uk.
• 05 Aug 11: FOC Straight Key Weekend - December 31st 2011 to January 1st 2012
  
  The FOC Straight Key Weekend was well supported last year by both members and non members alike and the FOC Committee has once again agreed the weekend can be part of the CW calendar.  The idea is not to have a contest but to be active using any mechanical keys such as the semi automatic bug, the side swiper or the pump straight key across all bands 25 KHz up.  Whilst many operators use the electronic keyer there are still a sizeable number who are proficient on the older style keys and FOC recognises the value of preserving these old yet valuable skills.
  
  The weekend of the 31st December 2011 and 1st of January 2012 has been suggested as the first available weekend with many other organisations sharing this slot for straight key activities and FISTS club operators are invited to join FOC on all bands with your straight key, bug key or any other mechanical keying device, (We leave it up to you!).  The timing will follow the FOC BWQP event timing and start at 0000z and finish at 2359z over the Saturday and Sunday weekend. There are no prescribed operating bands or times - just be active as band conditions permit. It would be helpful if CW club editors could put this information on club reflectors.
  
  Please send your comments on contacts and perhaps photographs of the keys used to G3VTT by e-mail at g3vtt@aol.com or post them (QTHR) before the end of January.  A log is not needed but comments about the types of keys heard and the best 'fist' would make interesting reading. The FOC Public Website is at www.g4foc.org.
• 04 Aug 11: Jari OH6DC has built a CW transmitter powered by a straight key.  For details, photographs and a video, see his web page.
• 04 Aug 11: A very warm welcome to our latest members:
  
  

  Glenn	VK4HBP	#14129
  Wade	VK4WMN	#14130
  G6KMQ	Chris	#15548
  JAWS Club	K4HH	#15600
  Norm	WB8FTD	#15607
  Don	K7OLU	#15608
  Ed	VO1ES	#15609
  Phil	KC7EXN	#15610
  Steve	KC2VBU	#15611
  Matt	KC2ZUF	#15612

• 01 Aug 11: The next Ladder sessions (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome) are on Sunday 14th August 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  Please submit your July entries for the Ladder by the 5th August and Four Seasons by the 7th August to Rob M0BPT.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program to create logs with scores for the Ladder, Four Seasons and other FISTS Activities and Awards.

July 2011

• 31 Jul 11: The short Portishead Radio (GKA) documentary includes a ringing endorsement of CW, despite its declining use at the time.
• 24 Jul 11: FISTS Down Under have made a podcast of a documentary in recognition of the advent of the Wellington maritime radio station ZLW in 1911.  This documentary also features the Morse Code.  ZLW was well known to ships radio officers around the world, many of whom are FISTS Club members.
• 22 Jul 11: It's a pleasure to welcome our latest members:
  
  Alexander N2PIG #15495
  Debra K2PIG #15496
  Phil K9DNH #15497
  Alvin W4BAJ #15498
  Bill VE2WMA #15499
  Peter G0LRP #15546
  Kev M0TNX #15547
  Stephen VE6SMG #15601
  Larry W3LAR #15602
  John W5CYF #15603
  Richard WB8YXF #15604
  Steve KB9IZT #15605
  Bill W7IJ #15606
• 21 Jul 11: The Summer 2011 Key Note (Europe/UK) is available from the website's Members' Area's Key Notes Archive.  As well as a PDF version, there is a ZIP containing an eBook (.PRC) version; this may look better on devices such as Kindles.
• 21 Jul 11: The next Ladder sessions (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome) are on Sunday 24th July 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  QSOs are casual and friendly, so you can just come along to say "Hello" and meet other members.  Most activity takes place around 3.558 MHz, 7.028 MHz and 14.058 MHz.  Logs are much appreciated but not essential.
• 20 Jul 11: Rob M0BPT has just published the FISTS Brasspounder June 2011 newsletter.  Brasspounder provides news, views and results for FISTS Activities in Europe/UK.
• 19 Jul 11: The New York Times has a very good article For a Night Each Year, the Airwaves Buzz With Morse Code about the annual commemoration of the closure of coastal stations, focusing on KPH (Northern California).
• 19 Jul 11: Fancy building a telegraph sounder?  The web page Telegraph Clacks out RSS Feeds shows details and lots of photographs of constructing a brass telegraph sounder, based on historical plans.
• 15 Jul 11: There is a fascinating web page with recordings of CW (Morse) from coastal stations and shipping from the days when Morse was King.  Thanks to FISTS member Tony G3ZRJ for providing details of the page.
• 11 Jul 11: Congratulations to Paul 2E0EAN/M6ABN, #14564 on achieving his full licence and new callsign M0PNA.
• 11 Jul 11: FISTS East Asia have provided a Morse version (MP3 audio files) of their recent July newsletter "morsEAsia" at www.feacw.net/snd/ . This includes speeds of 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30wpm.
  FISTS East Asia was formed in 2004 to provide East Asian members with various services in their native languages.
• 09 Jul 11: We're delighted to welcome our latest members:
  
  Dennis K4JOD #15487
  Jim K3JRU #15488
  Kenneth N0AS #15489
  Ronald KX1W #15490
  Bill W0IKE #15491
  Charles KL7OA #15492
  Tony KF7LYZ #15493
  Tommy W2TAW #15494
  Chris G4ILR #15544
  Bernd DL3YDY #15545
  
• 09 Jul 11: The EUCW QRS Party results 2011 have been published by Rob M0BPT, FISTS Activities Manager.
• 05 Jul 11: Ever seen a giant straight key in use?  Now is your chance - see the description and video.
• 04 Jul 11: The Summer Sprint (FISTS in North America but members worldwide are welcome) takes place this coming Friday 8th July 2011, 20:00-00:00 EDT (note: in UTC this is Saturday 9th 00:00-04:00).  For more information, please see the Sprint web page.
• 02 Jul 11: Congratulations to the following award winners:
  

  Ray WB6SZZ, #5703	Gold Century Award and Millionaire Award along with the 2 and 3 Million Endorsement Stickers
  Jimmy K4YFH, #7807	Basic Century Award

• 01 Jul 11: There's a very entertaining, helpful and humerous US Army training film from 1966 on hand-sending Morse and adjusting keys, entitled "INTERNATIONAL MORSE CODE, HAND SENDING".  Part of the film covers American-style hand/arm positioning, but the majority of the film is very relevant to all styles of sending.
• 01 Jul 11: The next Ladder sessions (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome) are on Sunday 10th July 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  Please submit your June entries for the Ladder by the end of 5th July and Four Seasons by the 7th July to Rob M0BPT.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program to create logs with scores for the Ladder, Four Seasons and other FISTS Activities and Awards.

June 2011

• 27 Jun 11: "Two new friends" is a new YouTube video by Sandy G0VQW FISTS #3739 demonstrating two keys he purchased at the Newbury radio rally.
• 27 Jun 11: We're very pleased to welcome our latest members:
  
  Raymond William ARC W9GHX #15450
  Allan KF7EST #15473
  Cormac EI4HQ #15540
  Ray G4NBQ #15541
  Michel ON4DCP #15542
  Francis DL7FP #15543
• 22 Jun 11: Rob M0BPT has just published the FISTS Brasspounder May 2011 newsletter.  Brasspounder provides news, views and results for FISTS Activities in Europe/UK.
• 20 Jun 11: The next Ladder sessions (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome) are on Sunday 26th June 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  QSOs are casual and friendly, so you can just come along to say "Hello" and meet other members.  Most activity takes place around 3.558 MHz, 7.028 MHz and 14.058 MHz.  Logs are much appreciated but not essential.
• 09 Jun 11: A very warm welcome to our latest members:
  
  Dale W5CLD #15452
  Bruce WY7N #15453
  Sandy KB7ZMK #15454
  Malcolm WF5K #15455
  Emmett KD4OS #15456
  Phil KL8DX #15457
  Mark WA2DUX #15459
  Scott KC9SPW #15460
  Peter KC9JJQ #15461
  Martin KD8OQA #15462
  Fred VE7IO #15463
  Henry W8TOG #15464
  Michael W7FKF #15465
  Scott N3JJT #15466
  Ronald WA7RBC #15467
  George K3RQ #15468
  Tom W1CC #15469
  Thomas AB7WX #15470
  Josh KJ4NYI #15471
  Barry WA7KVC #15472
  Louis NY2H #15474
  Bob WA4WLI #15475
  Gene AK9N #15476
  Keith AG0H #15477
  Jean VE3OKK #15478
  Phil NI7R #15479
  Norman NE6H #15480
  Fred N1TF #15481
  Dave WD5COV #15482
  Del W5QQ #15483
  James K2AI #15484
  Mike WD9GNX #15485
  Theodore AH6F #15486
  Roger G3REB #15535
  Nigel 2M0NJS #15536
  Joern LA8DNA #15538
  Barry 2E0CEW #15539
• 03 Jun 11: The next Ladder sessions (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome) are on Sunday 12th June 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  Please submit your May entries for the Ladder by the end of 5th June and Four Seasons by the 7th June to Rob M0BPT.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program to create logs with scores for the Ladder, Four Seasons and other FISTS Activities and Awards.
• 02 Jun 11: Congratulations to the following award winners:
  
  Ken G4RHR, #2248 - Silver Century Award and Platinum Award
  Stan K4UK, #2934 - Millionaire 15 Million Sticker
  Ray WB6SZZ, #5703 - USA Worked All States Award
  Larry KA8HFN, #11631 - Diamond Century Award
  Robert NG9Y, #14411 - Basic Century Award
  

May 2011

• 27 May 11: Elecraft have added provisional specifications and videos from Dayton of their new KX3 multimode 160m-6m QRP portable transceiver to their website.
• 26 May 11: It's a pleasure to welcome our latest members:
  
  David VK5FDKM #14128
  Volk BG4IHP #15093
  Masa JA1CPN #15095
  Ardy YC2LEV #15096
  Atlanta Radio Club W4DOC #15400
  Randall WB3JGP #15431
  J. J. WA3NZR #15432
  Carl KJ4VAS #15447
  John KJ4ZFE #15448
  Fred W3OFT #15449
  William KA1JNB #15451
  Jim G3VRY #15531
  Fredrico #IK0ADR 15532
  Mark M0DFF #15533
  Eddie M0WDE #15534
• 18 May 11: Rob M0BPT has just published the FISTS Brasspounder April 2011 newsletter.  Brasspounder provides news, views and results for FISTS Activities in Europe/UK.
• 16 May 11: We're delighted to welcome our latest members: Steve W5BIB #15529 and Armando M0PAM #15530.
• 16 May 11: The next Ladder sessions (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome) are on Sunday 22nd May 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  QSOs are casual and friendly, so you can just come along to say "Hello" and meet other members.  Most activity takes place around 3.558 MHz, 7.028 MHz and 14.058 MHz.  There's no need to send in logs, but they are welcomed.
• 09 May 11: The FISTS North America Spring Sprint takes place this coming Saturday 14th May 2011, 1700-2100 UTC.  FISTS members worldwide and non-members are welcome to join in.  For more information, please see the Sprint web page.
• 08 May 11: Congratulations to the following award winners:
  
  Gary W4IHI, #13344 - Gold Century Award
  Larry KA8HFN, #11631 - Platinum 500 Award
  Roger K1TG, #10462 - USA Veteran Award
• 08 May 11: We're very pleased to welcome our latest member: Sven LA1MSA #15528.
• 02 May 11: Congratulations to Thomas 2E0ETT/M6TTH, #14893 on achieving his full licence and new callsign M0TRN.
• 02 May 11: The next Ladder sessions (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome) are on Sunday 8th May 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  Please submit your April entries for the Ladder by the end of 5th May, Four Seasons by the 7th May and logs for the EUCW QRS Party by 31st May to Rob M0BPT.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program to create logs with scores for the Ladder, Four Seasons and other FISTS Activities.

April 2011

• 26 Apr 11: A very warm welcome to our latest members: John M0GWQ #15525, Juan EA1AER #15526 and Paul G0WAT #15527.
• 22 Apr 11: The EUCW QRS Party runs from this coming Monday 25th April 00:01 UTC to Friday 29th April 23:59 UTC.  Maximum speed is 14 WPM.  This is not a contest, but you are encouraged to submit logs to Rob M0BPT.  The EUCW QRS Party is organised by FISTS, so please help support it. EUCW is an association of European CW clubs. 
• 22 Apr 11: Rob M0BPT has just published the FISTS Brasspounder March 2011 newsletter.  Brasspounder provides news, views and results for FISTS Activities in Europe/UK.
• 20 Apr 11: We're sorry to report that the following members are Silent Keys:
  
  Chuck N8WDH #1258,
  John W0HPD #3915,
  Tom 5B4AGP #4862,
  Leon ON6ZJ #4889,
  Robin GW3ZCF #4892,
  Roy G4KGD #8307,
  Steve K4RF #9190 and
  Bill W3KLJ #9228.
• 19 Apr 11: It's a pleasure to welcome our latest members: George G0XGK 15523 and Phil G0NVT 15524.
• 18 Apr 11: The Hellenic Amateur Radio Association of Australia will be conducting a DXpedition to Lord Howe Island in July 2011.
  
  We are looking for CW operators who may wish to attend.
  
  More details are on the VK9HR web site or please contact VK2IR Tommy at vk2ir@vk2ir.com
  
  http://www.lordhowe2011.com/
• 12 Apr 11: We're delighted to welcome our latest members: Ian G0CTO #15519, Brian G4JAJ #15520, Terry G0PIL #15521 and Iain M1RPW #15522.
• 12 Apr 11: The next Ladder sessions (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome) are on Sunday 24th April 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  Please come and join us for some friendly QSOs.  It's not necessary to submit logs, but they are very welcome.
• 08 Apr 11: We're very pleased to welcome our latest member: Mike M0OZH #15518.
• 06 Apr 11: Rob M0BPT has published the Exchange Your Age Week 2011 results.
• 05 Apr 11: The next Ladder sessions (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome) are on Sunday 10th April 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  Please submit your March entries for the Ladder by the end of today (5th April) and Four Seasons by the 7th April to Rob M0BPT.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program to create logs with scores for the Ladder, Four Seasons and other FISTS Activities.
• 05 Apr 11: FISTS will be attending the UK NARSA Rally at the Norbreck Exhibition Centre, Blackpool this coming Sunday 10th April, so please come and say hello.  This was a lively event last year with a wide range of club and trade stands, well worth a visit.  The doors open at 11am and maps etc. are available on the NARSA website.
• 03 Apr 11: Congratulations to Greg W8VIJ #8190 on achieving the Silver Century Award and to Graham G3ZOD #8385 on achieving the Millionaire Award.
• 01 Apr 11: The new 3 month season (Spring) in the FISTS Four Seasons Activity starts today.  This is open to FISTS members worldwide.  During the three months, contacts that are 5 minutes or longer are eligible, with extra points for each 5 minutes up to 30 minutes per QSO and 90 minutes per station per month.  The contacts don't have to be with FISTS members, although there are further points for those that are.  So why not have some fun with this and send your monthly logs to Rob M0BPT?  The free FISTS Log Converter Windows program can help by creating log submissions with scores for the Four Seasons and other FISTS Activities.  For full details of the rules, please visit Four Seasons Activity.

March 2011

• 31 Mar 11: The "Fist on the Air Award" starts tomorrow, 1st April 2011.  This is open to members of FISTS in Europe/UK and runs for 12 months, at which point prizes of three Czech Morse keys will be presented to the top three members.  Points will be accumulated from the Ladder, Four Seasons, Straight Key Week and Exchange Your Age Week activities between 1st April 2011 and 31st March 2012, with each activity contributing equally.  So, to be in with a chance of winning a key, join in as many of these activities as you can!
  
  Thanks to Mike Bowthorpe, G0CVZ, #14554 from Czech Morse Keys for donating these excellent prizes.
• 31 Mar 11: It's a pleasure to welcome our latest members:
  
  Doug WA0CRI #15399,
  John W0NWG #15401,
  Paul W5TTW #15402,
  George KC5GB #15403,
  Jim N3ADF #15404,
  Joe W4HH #15405,
  Christian KJ4VPK #15406,
  Carol KJ6LKP #15407,
  Nancy KD0JCX #15408,
  Alexander KC2ZSX #15409,
  Jonathan K8JER #15410,
  Paul VE1PVH #15411,
  Mark K3MRK #15412,
  Michael WA8SAN #15413,
  Jerry W7GAH #15414,
  Roy WD4EIB #15415,
  Bob W0CC #15416,
  Dave KG0YR #15417,
  Richard KF5JDI #15418,
  Dave W8NF #15419,
  Jeff W3KEY #15420,
  Larry WB5CXC #15421,
  Tom K4IJA #15422,
  Alf W6ALF #15423,
  Bill W7JLM #15424 and
  Brian AE0P #15426.
• 25 Mar 11: We're sorry to report that members Brian G0AQJ #258 and Alan G0RJM #9845 are Silent Keys.
• 24 Mar 11: A very warm welcome to our latest members: Jonathan G0SDT #15515, Timo OH5FNI #15516 and Ian G4RVG #15517.
• 23 Mar 11: The Spring 2011 Key Note (Europe/UK) is available from the website's Members' Area's Key Notes Archive.
• 21 Mar 11: FISTS member David EI9FBB, #14576, will be one of the operators in the T32C DXpedition to Kiritimati (Christmas Island) in the Pacific Ocean, 28 September - 26 October 2011.  Special efforts are being made to contact Europe, the USA East coast and stations with limited antennas.  For more details including sponsorship, please see the brochure and the website
• 19 Mar 11: The FISTS North America website is now available via its normal URL http://www.fists.org/
• 18 Mar 11: The FISTS North America website is available again, but for the moment has to be accessed via this link: http://64.177.194.229/
• 18 Mar 11: Rob M0BPT has just published the FISTS Brasspounder February 2011 newsletter.  Brasspounder provides news, views and results for FISTS Activities in Europe/UK.
• 17 Mar 11: Maritime Radio Day 2011 is being held 14/15th April.  Information is available at the Maritime Radio Day website.
  GB0GKA (GKA is Portishead Radio) will be operated by Tony G3ZRJ, FISTS #7727.
• 17 Mar 11: We're delighted to welcome our latest members: Abie AB1EH #15511, Hans BX2ABT/PA2BX #15512, Bart ON4CCU #15513 and Colin M1OCN #15514.
• 16 Mar 11: The next Ladder sessions (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome) are on Sunday 27th March 14:00-16:00 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  UK members please be aware that due to the clocks moving forward, the local times have changed to 15:00-17:00 BST and 19:00-21:00 BST.  Note that contacts lasting 5 minutes or longer can also be submitted in Four Seasons Activity logs.
• 16 Mar 11: Please submit your Exchange Your Age Week 2011 logs by Tuesday 22nd March to Rob M0BPT.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program to create logs with scores for the Ladder, Four Seasons and other FISTS Activities and Awards.
  Note that contacts lasting 5 minutes or longer can also be submitted in Four Seasons Activity logs.
• 11 Mar 11: Portable in Herefordshire (SOTA setup) (YouTube video) shows FISTS member Sandy G0VQW out in the field demonstrating SOTA to fellow FISTS members Tony G3ZRJ and Rich G4FAD.
• 10 Mar 11: We're very pleased to welcome our latest members: Neil MW0ECX #15508, Brian G8NHN #15509 and Sunil 9N-SWL-1 #15510.
• 08 Mar 11: FISTS club calls GX0IPX #1 and GX3ZQS #2 should be on the air from around 10:00 UTC on Wednesday 9th March and Thursday 10th March.  Bands are likely to be 80m and 20m.  For Exchange Your Age Week 2011 both callsigns are worth 5 points.  For the purposes of the Century series of awards, GX0IPX is worth 5 points and GX3ZQS is worth 3 points.
• 08 Mar 11: Congratulations to Thomas M6TTH, #14893 on achieving his intermediate licence and new callsign 2E0ETT.
• 04 Mar 11: Exchange Your Age Week 2011 (EYAW) starts this coming Sunday 6th March 00:01 UTC and runs continuously for 7 days.  FISTS members worldwide are welcome to join in.  QSOs are very relaxed with (at a minimum) an exchange of name, QTH, member number and age.  They can be with members and non-members on any band except for 30m, 17m and 12m.  It's not necessary to submit a log afterwards, but they are very much appreciated.  Even if you're not competitive, it's an excellent opportunity to come on the air and meet old friends and make new ones.  For the full details, please see Exchange Your Age Week 2011.
• 03 Mar 11: It's a pleasure to welcome our latest members: Simon G1VGM/G2CNN #15505, Graham G3UD #15506 and Anthony M0ZZA #15507.
• 03 Mar 11: Congratulations to Peter M0CYR, #10897 and Graham G3ZOD, #8385 on achieving the Basic Century Award.

February 2011

• 28 Feb 11: The next Ladder sessions (FISTS in Europe but members worldwide are welcome) are on Sunday 13th March 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  Remember that Ladder contacts lasting 5 minutes or longer can also be submitted in Four Seasons Activity logs.
  Please submit your February entries for the Ladder by the 5th March and Four Seasons by the 7th March to Rob M0BPT.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program to create logs with scores for the Ladder, Four Seasons and other FISTS Activities.
• 25 Feb 11: A very warm welcome to our latest member: Peter G0OMH #15504.
• 19 Feb 11: During the evenings (UTC) of the coming week, Mon 21st - Fri 25th February, Martin, DL1GBZ / IK2RMZ, FISTS #853, will be using the call DA2MORSE at the upper end of the 80m CW area.  You can also apply for a QSO by sending a request to the trustee DJ4EY.  The call will be QRV all 2011, activated by the FMC (The Friends of S.F.B. Morse Club) in celebration of Samuel Morse's 220th birthday.  For more information, please see the DA2MORSE QRZ.COM entry.
• 18 Feb 11: We're delighted to welcome our latest member: Ray G3XLG #15503.
• 15 Feb 11: Rob M0BPT has just published the FISTS Brasspounder January 2011 newsletter.
• 14 Feb 11: The next Ladder sessions are on Sunday 27th February 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  Ladder contacts that are 5 minutes or longer can also be submitted in Four Seasons Activity logs.
• 11 Feb 11: We're very pleased to welcome our latest members: Kevin GW0KIG #14899, Roger G4OWG #15500, Pavel UU3JU #15501 and Luiz PY1EPU #15502.
• 07 Feb 11: Bath Morse Code Course
  
  After a successful course that ran in 2010 with much interest, Steve Hartley G0FUW and crew have announced next dates for the Morse code training course.
  
  This year the course will run from March 30 until mid June.
  
  Anyone interested in the course will be delighted to know that no knowledge or equipment is required; all you need is a pen, some paper and the enthusiasm to learn the code.
  
  Each week more letters to the mix in a proven method thus increasing your Morse knowledge in a steady fashion. Later in the course as you understand the alphabet and numbers more on air etiquette is explored, and some fun games are played to allow you retain the knowledge you have gained.
  
  At the end of the course candidates can sit the RSGB competency test at a speed that suits them best. Again this year Assessment will be conducted by Robin Thompson (G3TKF).
  
  The lessons and test all take place at the Scout HQ in Bath. Each meeting is held on Thursday evenings at 7PM. For more information please email Steve Hartley on g0fuw<at>tiscali.co.uk or call him on 01225 464394.
  
  Finally to promote the course we have had a poster comissioned which you can download from the following URL
  
  http://tinyurl.com/BathLearnMorseCode
  
  73
  
  Dan M0TGN
• 04 Feb 11: It's a pleasure to welcome our latest members: Martin G4ZMR #14897 and Greg G4CUI #14898.
• 04 Feb 11: News items are now posted to our new Twitter and Facebook pages in addition to the existing RSS feed.
• 01 Feb 11: The first FISTS North America Sprint of the year takes place on Saturday 12th February 2011, 1700-2100 UTC.  FISTS members and non-members are welcome to join in.  For more information, please see the Sprint web page.

January 2011

• 28 Jan 11: A very warm welcome to our latest members: Joakim SA5ACN #14895 and Vincenzo IZ0RUS #14896.
• 26 Jan 11: There are just 5 days left to nominate the FISTS member you would like to be awarded "Fist of the Year 2010".  Nominations are needed by the end of 31st January 2011 and must include:
  - Your callsign and FISTS member number
  - Your nominee's callsign and FISTS member number (if known)
  - A brief description of why you think your nominee should receive the award
  You can send the information by email to Rob M0BPT activities@fists.co.uk or fill in the website form or post it to:
  R. D. Walker, 87A Whitehall Road, West Bromwich, B70 0HG, England, UK.
  (There is a form on page 45 of the Winter Key Note that can be cut out and posted.)
  
  Small print: Only members of FISTS in Europe can make nominations or be nominated.  The following callsigns are not eligible: M0AVW, M0BLT, M0BMN, M0BPT, M0CDL and G3ZOD.
• 26 Jan 11: The next Ladder sessions are on Sunday 13th February 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  Remember that Ladder contacts that are 5 minutes or longer can also be submitted in Four Seasons Activity logs.
  Please submit your January Ladder entries by the end of Saturday 5th February to Rob M0BPT.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program to create logs with scores for the Ladder and other FISTS Activities.
• 21 Jan 11: We're delighted to welcome our latest members: Ian G4WTF #14892, Thomas M6TTH #14893 and Steve G0PQB #14894.
• 20 Jan 11: Rob M0BPT has just published the FISTS Brasspounder December 2010 newsletter.
• 18 Jan 11: There's a new version (2.2.0) of the FISTS Log Converter program available.
  It adds the ability to include QSL details in the internal logbook, detects contacts with the same station during both Ladder sessions on a single Sunday and clears the few known bugs.
  To download a copy, please visit the FISTS Log Converter web page.
• 15 Jan 11: Please nominate the member you would like to be awarded "Fist of the Year 2010".  Nominations are needed by the end of 31st January 2011 and must include:
  - Your callsign and FISTS member number
  - Your nominee's callsign and FISTS member number (if known)
  - A brief description of why you think your nominee should receive the award
  You can send the information by email to Rob M0BPT activities@fists.co.uk or fill in the website form or post it to:
  R. D. Walker, 87A Whitehall Road, West Bromwich, B70 0HG, England, UK.
  (There is a form on page 45 of the Winter Key Note that can be cut out and posted.)
  
  Small print: Only members of FISTS in Europe can make nominations or be nominated.  The following callsigns are not eligible: M0AVW, M0BLT, M0BMN, M0BPT, M0CDL and G3ZOD.
• 14 Jan 11: We're very pleased to welcome our latest members: Lee G0AMU #14884, Eric ON4MIC #14885, Mads LA1TPA #14886, Richard G4MKR #14887, Mike G0ISO #14888, Josef OE6JTD #14889, Martin EI9GCB #14890 and Mike G4SMB #14891.
• 10 Jan 11: The Winter 2010 Key Note is available on the website from the Members' Area's Key Notes Archive.
• 10 Jan 11: The next Ladder sessions are on Sunday 23rd January 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.
  Remember that Ladder contacts that are at least 5 minutes can count towards the new Four Seasons activity.
• 07 Jan 11: It's a pleasure to welcome our latest members: Matt 2E0FNG #14881, Gordon MM0GSS #14882 and Paul 2E0KDM #14883.
• 01 Jan 11: Happy New Year!  The first 3 month season (Winter) in the new FISTS Four Seasons Activity starts today, so how about joining in?  This runs for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and CW contacts that are 5 minutes or longer are valid with extra points for longer contacts and contacting stations who have FISTS member numbers.  There are separate sections for QRP and QRO enthusiasts.  Send monthly logs to Rob M0BPT.  The free FISTS Log Converter Windows program can help by creating log submissions with scores for the Four Seasons and other FISTS Activities.

December 2010

• 31 Dec 10: The 2011 FISTS Ladder starts on on Sunday 9th January 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.
  Please submit your December Ladder entries by the end of Wednesday 5th January to Rob M0BPT.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program to create logs with scores for the Ladder and other FISTS Activities.
• 30 Dec 10: A very warm welcome to our latest members: Huw GW4DWN #14878, Michael VP8DMH/M0PRL #14879 and Florian DK4AA #14880.
• 23 Dec 10: Wanted: Datong D70 Morse Tutor.  Please contact Phil G0ABY yeti585@ntlworld.com
• 23 Dec 10: There's a new version (2.1.0) of the FISTS Log Converter program.
  New features are the ability to view all the details of an award QSO, windows' layouts are saved and log entries can now be read from CSV (Comma Separated Value) files and Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.
  To download a copy, please visit the FISTS Log Converter web page.
• 17 Dec 10: Rob M0BPT has just published the FISTS Brasspounder November 2010 newsletter.
• 13 Dec 10: The final 2010 Ladder sessions are on Sunday 26th December (Boxing Day) 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.
  The Ladder sessions are very relaxed; whether you want to meet other members to have a chat, collect some points towards FISTS Awards or send in logs for the Ladder, you'll be very welcome.  Most activity takes place around 3.558 MHz, 7.028 MHz and 14.058 MHz.  Please remember to QSY down from these frequencies to keep clear of the QRP center of activity frequencies.
• 10 Dec 10: We're delighted to welcome our latest member: Joerg DL9YCS #14877.
• 10 Dec 10: If you'd like to see your progress towards FISTS Awards or apply for them, there's a new version of the FISTS Log Converter program 2.0.1 that helps with this as well as supporting the 2011 FISTS Activities in Europe.  You can use the program in conjunction with your existing logbook software or free-standing.  To download a copy, please visit the FISTS Log Converter web page.
• 09 Dec 10: We've received the following from Tony Dewsbury, G4CLX:
  
  Members who have a faulty STARMASTERKEY or CMOS MEMORY KEYER made by DEWSBURY ELECTRONICS may be heartened to know that TONY DEWSBURY G4CLX can possibly repair them!
  
  Contact G4CLX@aol.com
• 05 Dec 10: Congratulations to Paul 2E0EAN / M6ABN #14564 on achieving his Intermediate Licence.
• 03 Dec 10: We're very pleased to welcome our latest member: Terry G3VSK #14876.
• 01 Dec 10: Congratulations to Phil M6PHL, #14543 on achieving the Basic Century Award.

November 2010

• 29 Nov 10: The next Ladder sessions are on Sunday 12th December 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.
  Please submit your November Ladder entries by the end of Sunday 5th December to Rob M0BPT.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program to create logs with scores for the Ladder and other FISTS Activities.
• 26 Nov 10: It's a pleasure to welcome our latest member: John G1AWJ #14875.
• 20 Nov 10: A very warm welcome to our latest members: John G4LRG #14873 and Damir 9A3VV #14874.
• 16 Nov 10: Rob M0BPT has just published the FISTS BrassPounder October 2010 newsletter.
• 16 Nov 10: The next Ladder sessions are on Sunday 28th November 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.
  The Ladder sessions are very relaxed; whether you want to meet other members to have a chat, collect some points towards FISTS Awards or send in logs for the Ladder, you'll be very welcome.  Most activity takes place around 3.558 MHz, 7.028 MHz and 14.058 MHz.  Please remember to QSY down from these frequencies to keep clear of the QRP center of activity frequencies.
• 12 Nov 10: We're delighted to welcome our latest member: Ray G3SRQ #14871.
• 12 Nov 10: Anyone with an interest in spark transmitters and receivers will find the following article by Harry Heap, G5HF, very interesting reading: Gas Mantles and Amateur Radio.
• 10 Nov 10: The 30th EUCW Fraternizing CW QSO Party 2010 results are now available.
  FISTS is a member society of EUCW (The European CW Association).
• 03 Nov 10: Congratulations to Ian G4MLW, #130 and Bill G0BAK, #13262 on achieving the Basic Century Award.

October 2010

• 29 Oct 10: We're very pleased to welcome our latest member: Anatoly UR5HDE #14872.
• 26 Oct 10: The next Ladder sessions are on Sunday 14th November 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  Note that for UK stations, in local time these are an hour earlier than they were in October due to the clock change!
  Please submit your October Ladder entries by the end of Friday 5th November to Rob M0BPT.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program to create logs with scores for the Ladder and other FISTS Activities.
• 24 Oct 10: Rob M0BPT has released the FISTS Activities Calendar for 2011.  This includes the Four Seasons Activity, new for 2011.
  He has also made available a 2011 year planner.
• 22 Oct 10: It's a pleasure to welcome our latest member: Garo G0PZA #14870.
• 22 Oct 10: On Monday 25th October, 21:00 BST, UK TV's Channel 4 are screening an episode in the series "Titanic: The Mission" which should be of interest as it focusses on safety features and includes: "Brendan tracks down a 100-year-old Marconi Emergency Wireless Transmitter and begins a delicate restoration of this antiquity with the aim of transmitting a message.".
  For more information, see details of the episode on the Channel 4 website.
  Thanks to Dave M0GGK, #12510, for spotting this.
• 19 Oct 10: Rob M0BPT has just published the FISTS BrassPounder September 2010 newsletter.
• 18 Oct 10: The Summer & Autumn 2010 Key Note is available on the website from the Members' Area's Key Notes Archive.
• 16 Oct 10: Steve Smith G0TDJ is now undertaking GB2CW Slow Morse broadcasts from Crayford in north east Kent, near Dartford.  The transmissions are one hour long from 1830UTC on Thursday evenings on 145.250MHz.  At the beginning of each session, licensed radio amateurs are invited to call in and go on a list to be asked to read back practice passages.  Speeds start at under 5 words per minute and increase over the hour long session.
  (From the Southgate ARC News .)
• 15 Oct 10: A very warm welcome to our latest members: Koen PA0KVA #14867, Ian VA7IT #14868 and Steve EI5DD #14869.
• 15 Oct 10: The North American FISTS website www.fists.org is now working again.
• 13 Oct 10: We're aware of the issue with the North American FISTS website www.fists.org and expect it to be working again soon.
• 12 Oct 10: The next Ladder sessions are on Sunday 24th October 15:00-17:00 BST and 19:00-21:00 BST (14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC).
  The Ladder sessions are very relaxed; whether you want to meet other members to have a chat, collect some points towards FISTS Awards or send in logs for the Ladder, you'll be very welcome.  Most activity takes place around 3.558 MHz, 7.028 MHz and 14.058 MHz.
• 08 Oct 10: We're delighted to welcome our latest members: Gerry EI3JU #14865 and Andrew GW3OQK #14866.
• 06 Oct 10: Congratulations to Dave G4ZPI #12516 on achieving the Silver Century Award and to Bert F6HKA #14577 on achieving the Gold Century Award and Platinum Award.
• 06 Oct 10: Rob M0BPT has published the Straight Key Week (SKW) 2010 Results.
• 06 Oct 10: We're sorry to report that Chas, GM3JUD #57, became a silent key on 2nd October 2010.  Chas was well known to members operating on 80m and will be much missed.
• 01 Oct 10: We're very pleased to welcome our latest members: Antonio I5NQK #14863 and Duncan M0RGO #14864.
• 01 Oct 10: The next Ladder sessions are on Sunday 10th October 15:00-17:00 BST and 19:00-21:00 BST (14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC).
  Please submit your September Ladder entries by the end of Tuesday 5th October to Rob M0BPT.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program to create logs with scores for the Ladder and other FISTS Activities.

September 2010

• 27 Sep 10: We're pleased to welcome Phil M6PHL as the QSL sub-manager for the M and 2 series of callsigns.  For Phil's address, please visit the QSL Bureau web page.
• 24 Sep 10: It's a pleasure to welcome our latest members: Harry PA3BLC #14860, Leif SM4MNC #14861 and Alan G8MKQ #14862.
• 20 Sep 10: Glenn M0AYI, #4844, is standing down as QSL Bureau sub-manager for the M and 2 series prefixes.  Thanks to Glenn for his hard work for FISTS.  If you can help take Glenn's place, please contact the QSL Bureau Manager, Chuck M0AVW, bureau@fists.co.uk.
• 20 Sep 10: The next Ladder sessions are on Sunday 26th September 15:00-17:00 BST and 19:00-21:00 BST (14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC).
  The Ladder sessions are very relaxed; whether you want to meet other members to have a chat, collect some points towards FISTS Awards or send in logs for the Ladder, you'll be very welcome.  Most activity takes place around 3.558 MHz, 7.028 MHz and 14.058 MHz.
• 18 Sep 10: Rob M0BPT has just published the FISTS BrassPounder August 2010 newsletter.  This is on his new website http://m0bpt-fists.webs.com .
• 16 Sep 10: A very warm welcome to our latest member: Roberto PU3LGS #14859.
• 16 Sep 10: The price for 100 Custom QSL Cards is now 15 UK Pounds (GBP) including delivery within the UK.  This is necessary to break even on them due to increased production and delivery costs.
• 14 Sep 10: Now that Straight Key Week 2010 (SKW) is over, logs need to be submitted to Rob M0BPT by Sunday 26th September 2010.
  
  If you have an electronic logbook and put the FISTS member numbers in the log's Comment / Notes / Remarks in the form FISTS 54321 (or FISTS #54321 / FIST 54321 / FIST #54321), you can create an entry in seconds by using the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program.
  
  If you don't use Windows, you're welcome to export an ADIF file from your logbook program containing your SKW QSOs and send it by email to webmaster@fists.co.uk and Graham will return an entry to you.
• 08 Sep 10: From Rob M0BPT, FISTS Activities Manager (note that GX3ZQS is worth 5 points in Straight Key Week 2010 (SKW) and 3 points for Century Awards):
  
  Hi all. Just a head up. Listen out for GX3ZQS #2 today day 4 of SKW from around 10am BST (9am UTC) on 80m and I'll see where it goes from there.
  73.
  R
• 07 Sep 10: From Rob M0BPT, FISTS Activities Manager:
  
  GX0IPX (#1) should be on air 7th Sept (today) from Dudley West Midlands approx 10am BST (9am UTC), starting on 80m and see where it goes from there, 40/20m etc.
  
  73 M0BPT
• 03 Sep 10: We're delighted to welcome our latest members: Sean G0OAN #14854, Tony G4CZK #14855, Jack IZ3DBA #14856, Paulo CT1ETE #14857 and Dave MW6TEL #14858.
• 03 Sep 10: Sadly John G2FXS #4898, a long-standing member of FISTS, became a Silent Key on 18th August 2010.
• 03 Sep 10: Congratulations to John 2E0JCY #13253 on achieving the Basic Century Award and to Bert F6HKA #14577 on achieving the Worked All States Award.

August 2010

• 31 Aug 10: This weekend and the following six days are a great opportunity to exercise straight keys!  There's FISTS North America's International G3ZQS Memorial Straight Key Contest (3rd September 23:00 UTC to September 5th 23:00 UTC) and our Straight Key Week 2010 (SKW) (5th September 00:01 to 11th September 23:59).
  The FISTS Log Converter Windows program can be used to create a log and score for Straight Key Week; just record the FISTS member numbers in your electronic logbook's comments / remarks, e.g. FISTS 765432.
• 30 Aug 10: The next Ladder sessions are on Sunday 12th September 15:00-17:00 BST and 19:00-21:00 BST (14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC).
  Please submit your August Ladder entries by the end of Sunday 5th September to Rob M0BPT.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program to create logs with scores for the Ladder and other FISTS Activities.
• 27 Aug 10: We're very pleased to welcome our latest members: Peter M0LRM #14852 and Les M0UMH #14853.
• 24 Aug 10: Rob M0BPT has just published the FISTS BrassPounder July 2010 newsletter.  Find out who got their collar fingered while operating CW!
• 20 Aug 10: It's a pleasure to welcome our latest members: Steen OZ4SR #14850 and Heinz OE3LHB #14851.
• 18 Aug 10: From Nao, JO3HPM #15008 and Manabu, JE1RZR #15020:
  
  QTC!  We, members of FISTS EAST ASIA Chapter, are going to exhibit a booth at upcoming Ham Fest in Tokyo on 20th and 21th August aiming to invite new comers to wonderful CW world.
  
  Would be extremely happy if you could send us your short message with portrait telling how nicely you enjoy CW. Every printed files would be hung on the wall of our booth during the Ham Fest.
  
  Please e-mail to je1rzr@jarl.com till 19th August.
• 14 Aug 10: Morse class in Bath
  
  Following success in the June Advanced exam, a number of local radio amateurs have asked if a Morse class can be run in Bath.
  Steve Hartley, G0FUW, has agreed to arrange a course if there is sufficient interest.
  It is proposed to run the classes one evening each week 7 to 9pm from early September.
  Costs will be limited to classroom hire so the more that take part, the less it will cost.
  If there are any would-be key bashers in the Bath area they should contact Steve on 01225 464394 between 7 and 9pm or via email to G0FUW@tiscali.co.uk
• 13 Aug 10: A very warm welcome to our latest members: Cor PA3FOE #14848 and Dave G4DRX #14849.
• 13 Aug 10: The next Ladder sessions are on Sunday 22nd August 15:00-17:00 BST and 19:00-21:00 BST (14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC).
• 06 Aug 10: We're delighted to welcome our latest members: Joe KA4WJB #14845, Allan M0GEU #14846 and Alan G1OJS #14847.
• 06 Aug 10: Congratulations to Bert F6HKA #14577 on achieving the Millionaire Award.
• 06 Aug 10: Please submit logs for the FISTS 3 Hour Sprint 2010 to Rob M0BPT, FISTS Activities Manager, by 7th August 2010.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program, which will select your best 3 hours and create a log and score in the required form.
• 02 Aug 10: The next Ladder sessions are on Sunday 8th August 15:00-17:00 BST and 19:00-21:00 BST (14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC).
  Please submit your July Ladder entries by the end of Thursday 5th August to Rob M0BPT.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program to create logs for the Ladder and other FISTS Activities.

July 2010

• 31 Jul 10: It's a pleasure to welcome our latest members: John M0JZK #14842, Carl 2E0CWC #14843 and Albert 2E0AZK #14844.
• 25 Jul 10: The member lists on the website have been updated to remove HQ members who haven't renewed for 2010-2011.  To check you are still in the list and confirm your name and QTH, please visit the Member Lists web page.  Please send details of any corrections to webmaster@fists.co.uk .
• 23 Jul 10: A very warm welcome to our latest members: Barrie G4OKB #14840 and Geoff 2E0BTR #14841.
• 21 Jul 10: Rob M0BPT has just published the BrassPounder June 2010 newsletter.
• 19 Jul 10: The second and final session of the new FISTS 3 Hour Sprint 2010 Activity takes place this coming Saturday 24th July, 00:01 - 23:59 UTC.  For the full details, please see FISTS 3 Hour Sprint 2010.
  Please submit logs to Rob M0BPT, FISTS Activities Manager, by 7th August 2010.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program, which will select your best 3 hours and create a log and score in the required form.
• 17 Jul 10: We're delighted to welcome our latest members: Paul PD0TAS #14838 and Janez S50JA #14839.
• 13 Jul 10: If your membership certificate is lost or damaged and you'd like a replacement, you can now order one on the Order Replacement FISTS Member Certificate web page.
• 13 Jul 10: The next Ladder sessions are on Sunday 25th July 15:00-17:00 BST and 19:00-21:00 BST (14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC).
• 05 Jul 10: It's a pleasure to welcome our latest members: Gerard PA0RKT #14835 and David G4COE #14837.

June 2010

• 29 Jun 10: The next Ladder sessions are on Sunday 11th July 15:00-17:00 BST and 19:00-21:00 BST (14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC).
  Please submit your June Ladder entries by the end of Monday 5th July to Rob M0BPT.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program to create logs for the Ladder and other FISTS Activities in seconds.
• 25 Jun 10: Wednesday 30th June is the very last day for existing members to renew their membership for 2010-2011.  After this, member details will be removed and it'll be necessary to re-join and fill in a membership application form.
• 25 Jun 10: We're very pleased to welcome the following new members:
  Jerry AA1OF #14832, Stephen G4GVD #14833 and Tony 2E0VHA #14834.
• 22 Jun 10: The first session of the new FISTS 3 Hour Sprint 2010 Activity takes place this coming Saturday 26th June, 00:01 - 23:59 UTC.  For the full details, please see FISTS 3 Hour Sprint 2010.
  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program, which will select your best 3 hours and create a log and score in the form required by Rob M0BPT.
  The second and final session takes place on Saturday 24th July.
• 19 Jun 10: A very warm welcome to our latest member: Mervyn 2E0WVE #14831.
• 17 Jun 10: Rob M0BPT has just published the BrassPounder May 2010 newsletter.
• 14 Jun 10: The next Ladder sessions are on Sunday 27th June 15:00-17:00 BST and 19:00-21:00 BST (14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC).
• 10 Jun 10: We're delighted to welcome our latest members: Derek G4GVM #14828, Vincent G0ORC #14829 and Martyn GW6ITJ #14830.
• 10 Jun 10: Kanga Products (UK), re-formed earlier this year, has extended its range of QRP CW transceivers, transmitters and receivers, including making extra bands available.
• 05 Jun 10: We're very pleased to welcome our latest members: Herb OE5BFM #14826 and Ken GW4GJA #14827.
• 03 Jun 10: The next Ladder sessions are on Sunday 13th June 15:00-17:00 BST and 19:00-21:00 BST (14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC).
  Please submit your May Ladder entries by the end of Saturday 5th June to Rob M0BPT.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program to create logs for the Ladder and other FISTS Activities in seconds.

May 2010

• 28 May 10: A very warm welcome to our latest member: Paul PA3AQL #14825.
• 23 May 10: Tomorrow (Monday 24th May), look out for Tony G3ZRJ #7727 operating as GB10GKA on 80m (around 3.550 MHz, 17:00-20:00 UTC) and 160m (around 1.835 MHz, 20:00 UTC onwards).  GB10GKA is marking the 10th Anniversary of the closure of the world's largest maritime radio station, Portishead Radio / GKA, and is manned by ex. GKA Radio Officers.  For more information, please see GB10GKA.
• 22 May 10: Look out for the article "National Coastwatch Institution" written by Ian G6TGO #14556 and just published in the June 2010 edition of RadCom (the Radio Society of Great Britain's monthly magazine).
• 21 May 10: Colin M5FRA #7738 has written an interesting short article Portable nostalgia about going /P on 2m in the 1970s.  For some of us this brings back a lot memories of when going on VHF meant a strange mixture of commercial, adapted PMR and home-built equipment.
• 21 May 10: It's a pleasure to welcome our latest member: Graham VE3GTC #14824.
• 19 May 10: The website now has a page dedicated to remembering Silent Keys (members who have passed away).  It is available here: Silent Keys
• 15 May 10: Rob M0BPT has just published the BrassPounder April 2010 newsletter.
• 10 May 10: If you had any QSOs, even if only "giving points away", during the EUCW Fraternizing CW QSO Party please submit an entry as the points will help towards our FISTS club score.
• 10 May 10: The next Ladder sessions are Sunday 23rd May 15:00-17:00 BST and 19:00-21:00 BST (14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC).
• 07 May 10: We're sad to have to report that Fred G3VVP became a silent key at the end of April.  Although in 2008 Fred decided not to continue his membership, he was an enthusiastic and active member of FISTS and this is a sad loss to the amateur radio and CW communities.
• 07 May 10: We're delighted to welcome our latest members: Justin G0KSC #14820, Thomas F8VOD #14821, Graham 2E0JYK #14822 and Tuomas OH5JJL #14823.
• 05 May 10: The EUCW Fraternizing CW QSO Party takes place this coming weekend:
  Saturday 8th May 10:00 - 12:00 UTC and
  Sunday 9th May 18:00 - 20:00 UTC.
  The bands that can be used are 80m, 40m, 20m, 15m and 10m.  The EUCW Fraternizing Party web page gives preferred frequency ranges and also the IARU Region 1 Band Plan contest-preferred frequency ranges apply.  FISTS is a member of the EUCW, an association of European CW clubs, so please help support this event.
• 02 May 10: Congratulations to the following members:
  Geoff G4AQZ #7768 has achieved the Diamond Century Award and
  Milan OK1KW #4827 has achieved the Platinum 250 Award and the Millionaire Award 4 Million Endorsement Sticker.
• 01 May 10: We're pleased to welcome our latest member: Paul ON6WP #14819.
• 01 May 10: The next Ladder session is Sunday 9th May 15:00-17:00 BST and 19:00-21:00 BST (14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC).
  Please submit your April Ladder entries by the end of Wednesday 5th May and EUCW QRS Party logs by 31st May to Rob M0BPT.  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program to create logs for the Ladder, EUCW QRS Party and other FISTS Activities in seconds.

April 2010

• 23 Apr 10: We're pleased to welcome the following new members:
  Paul G4LNA #14815, Thomas G3YVZ #14816, Ruben EA4FYQ #14817 and David M0DKN #14818.
• 21 Apr 10: Rob M0BPT has just published the BrassPounder March 2010 newsletter.  Included in this is news that the G0HGA VHF/UHF/SHF CW Activity is being discontinued due to lack of support.
• 20 Apr 10: The EUCW QRS Party runs from this coming Monday 26th April 00:01 UTC to Friday 30th April 23:59 UTC.  Maximum speed is 14 WPM.  This is not a contest, but you are encouraged to submit logs to Rob M0BPT.  EUCW is an association of European CW clubs.  The EUCW QRS Party is organised by FISTS, so please help support it.
• 20 Apr 10: The next Ladder sessions are on Sunday 25th April 15:00-17:00 BST and 19:00-21:00 BST (14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC).
• 16 Apr 10: Welcome to our new members:
  Mike G4VSS #14802,
  Arnold M0AIS #14803,
  Anne 2E0MLD #14804,
  Peter 2E0LKC #14805,
  Widnes & Runcorn ARC GX7HOA #14806,
  John G0UCP #14807,
  Nick G4OOE #14808,
  Gareth 2E0BKW #14809,
  Robert M0BJX #14810,
  Anthony G0YSS #14811,
  Craig MM0SSG #14812,
  Alan G4GVB #14813 and
  Ger EI4GXB #14814.
• 12 Apr 10: We had a very successful time at the NARSA Norbreck Rally in Blackpool.  There are photographs on the Activities & Awards page.
• 10 Apr 10: Welcome to our latest member, Duncan G4DFV #14801.
• 07 Apr 10: Congratulations to Milan OK1KW #4827 on achieving the Millionaire Award along with the 2 Million and 3 Million Endorsement Stickers.
• 04 Apr 10: Welcome to our latest member, John M0JCM #14800.
• 04 Apr 10: Please submit your March Ladder entries to Rob M0BPT by the end of tomorrow (Monday 5th April).  If you keep your log on a computer, you can use the free FISTS Log Converter Windows program to create the log in seconds.  Please also consider submitting a log for the March G0HGA VHF/UHF/SHF CW Activity by the 14th April (the program can be used for this too).  All that's needed is normal CW contacts on 6m, 4m, 2m, 70cm, 23cm and 3cm.  The next Ladder sessions are Sunday 11th April 15:00-17:00 BST and 19:00-21:00 BST (14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC).
• 03 Apr 10: The web archive of the FISTS club magazine / newsletter, Key Note, has been extended to include the very first newsletter, published in October 1987.  This is available from the members' Key Notes Archive and the public Key Notes Archive web pages.
  If you have copies of any of the following Key Notes and are willing to scan them or loan them for scanning, or believe that they were not published, please contact Graham G3ZOD webmaster@fists.co.uk : any for the years 1987-1988, June 1989, December 1989, October 1990 and June 1993.
• 02 Apr 10: Rob M0BPT has published the Exchange Your Age Week 2010 results.
• 01 Apr 10: We've received an email from a relative of the late Gerry Jackson G3HQU FISTS #39 asking for any information about him.  If you knew Gerry, please can you send Graham G3ZOD webmaster@fists.co.uk an email.

March 2010

• 27 Mar 10: Annual renewals are due on 1st April - less than a week away now.  Payment can be accepted by various methods - for details, please see the Subscription Rewewal page.  Note: If you have an existing Standing Order, you will need to replace it or amend it due to the change in subscriptions.  If you want to use the Standing Order form that was printed in the Spring Key Note but don't want to cut up your magazine, you can print a copy of the form from the website here: Standing Order form.
• 25 Mar 10: FISTS will be attending the NARSA Rally at the Norbreck Exhibition Centre, Blackpool on Sunday 11th April so please come and visit us.  Maps etc. are available on the NARSA website.
• 25 Mar 10: The Spring Key Note is available on the website from the Members' Area's Key Notes Archive.  Postal copies should start arriving from this weekend onwards.
• 24 Mar 10: The next FISTS Activity is the Ladder on Sunday 28th March.  Bear in mind the clocks move forwards in the UK this coming weekend, so the local times are now 15:00-17:00 BST and 19:00-21:00 BST (14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC).
• 16 Mar 10: Sadly Tony G8XGQ #8949 became a silent key today after a long illness.  He will be missed by FISTS members and in particular the Huntingdon Chapter.
• 15 Mar 10: Rob M0BPT has just published the BrassPounder February 2010 newsletter.
• 15 Mar 10: Please make sure that you send your Exchange Your Age Week 2010 logs and reports to Rob M0BPT by Monday 22nd March.  Even if you were only there to give points away, logs are very much appreciated.  The next FISTS Activity is the Ladder on Sunday 28th March 14:00-16:00 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.
• 15 Mar 10: Brian M0ETO FISTS #7710 has announced his intention to cease running the 40m FISTS net.  This is due to low participation and antenna/noise problems at his QTH.
• 14 Mar 10: Welcome to our new members, Kurt HB9DOI #14594, Vlad OK2MTV #14595, Allister G4MLG #14596, David G3UFO #14597, Bob G4GQP #14598 and Matt G4ZZB #14599.
• 14 Mar 10: Graham G3ZOD webmaster@fists.co.uk has made the program FISTS Log Converter 1.0.0 available.  If you keep an electronic log, this program makes it very easy to score FISTS Activities such as Exchange Your Age Week 2010 and create logs in the format preferred by Rob M0BPT.
• 07 Mar 10: Graham G3ZOD webmaster@fists.co.uk has a Windows program that will accept electronic logs and create Exchange Your Age Week 2010 (EYAW) logs in Rob M0BPT's preferred format including working out the points and checking the FISTS numbers. If anyone might be interested, it just needs that in the Remarks/Comments entry in your log, you include the age and FISTS number (as applicable) somewhere like this:
  FISTS 54321 AGE 99
  The exact order, position and case doesn't matter, e.g. this would be fine:
  Running 5kw dipole age 99 terrible chirp fists 54321
  It will accept ADIF files (most logging programs can create them) or Ham Radio Deluxe .MDB (Access database) logbook files.
  It also works for the FISTS Ladder, G0HGA VHF/UHF/SHF CW Activity and Straight Key Week (SKW) 2010 activities.
  Graham is tidying up the program and will post a copy on the website by the end of next Saturday.
• 07 Mar 10: Welcome to our new members, Jacques ON4YZ #14592 and Paul M0PNN #14593.
• 05 Mar 10: Exchange Your Age Week 2010 (EYAW) starts this coming Sunday 7th March 00:01 UTC and runs for 7 days.  This proved a popular event in 2009, so don't miss out!  For details, please see Exchange Your Age Week 2010.
• 04 Mar 10: Congratulations to Bert F6HKA #14577 on achieving the Basic Century Award and the Silver Century Award - well done!
• 04 Mar 10: Logs and reports for the February FISTS Ladder need to be submitted to Rob M0BPT by the end of Friday 5th March.  Logs and reports for the G0HGA VHF/UHF/SHF CW Activity need to be submitted by 14th March.  The next Ladder session are on Sunday 14th March 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.

February 2010

• 28 Feb 10: Welcome to our latest members, Klaas PA0KBN #14587, Jack F8WAK/W4MZV #14588, John G7GUN #14589, William 2E0WAR #14590 and Christian DK5CH #14591.
• 22 Feb 10: The next FISTS Ladder sessions are on Sunday 28th February 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  Please come and join in - submitting logs is not required (but it is appreciated).
• 22 Feb 10: If you're writing an article, letter etc. for the upcoming Spring edition of Key Note, please ensure that Paul M0BMN receives it by this coming Sunday (28th February).  Articles can be emailed to Paul at keynote@fists.co.uk.
• 19 Feb 10: Welcome to our newest member, Colin DD5CF #14586.
• 17 Feb 10: Rob M0BPT has just published the BrassPounder January 2010 newsletter.
• 12 Feb 10: Welcome to our new members, Edwin HB9BQJ #14583, Norman G0WNT #14584 and William G7PVZ #14585.
• 10 Feb 10: If you use CW on 6m or higher frequency bands, please write to Ian G6TGO vhf@fists.co.uk as soon as possible with a report on your activities for inclusion in the Spring Key Note VHF/UHF section.
• 10 Feb 10: If you have any ideas for articles for the upcoming Spring edition of Key Note, please let Paul M0BMN (email keynote@fists.co.uk ) have your articles by 28th February.  All submissions are very welcome, from notes about what you have been up to over the last few months to fully-fledged articles.
• 06 Feb 10: Ever wondered how long your callsign takes to transmit and how it compares with other people's callsigns?  Visit the new Measure Callsign Weight web page to find out!
• 05 Feb 10: Welcome to our latest members, Roger G3SNT #14581 and Ken G6VGN #14582.
• 04 Feb 10: Logs and reports for the January FISTS Ladder need to be submitted to Rob M0BPT by the end of Friday 5th February.  Logs and reports for the G0HGA VHF/UHF/SHF CW Activity need to be submitted by 14th February.  The next Ladder session are on Sunday 14th February 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.
• 01 Feb 10: Congratulations to Milan OK1KW #4827 on achieving the Diamond Century Award. This is a significant achievement - well done Milan!
• 01 Feb 10: The work on the website is now complete.  It may take up to 24 hours for the website to be available to everyone due to the time it takes for address (DNS) changes to be propagated around the Internet.  If there are any problems, please let me know by sending an email to webmaster@fists.co.uk.

January 2010

• 31 Jan 10: There will be some disruption to the main website http://www.fists.co.uk during the week starting 1st February.  The temporary website http://www.fists.org.uk can be used while it's unavailable.  Apologies for the inconvenience.
• 29 Jan 10: Welcome to Roger G3LDI #14580, our latest member.
• 26 Jan 10: We have a new QSL bureau sub-manager for G0, GD0, GI0, GJ0, GM0 and GU0 callsigns.
  Please see the QSL Bureau web page for details.
• 22 Jan 10: Welcome to new members David EI9FBB #14576, Bert F6HKA #14577, Jamie MW3ZKP #14578 and William 2E0LBD #14579, who have just joined us.
• 22 Jan 10: The first 2010 FISTS Ladder sessions were disappointing due to a concurrent 80m CW contest during the afternoon session and unhelpful propagation during the evening session.  However, this coming Sunday's sessions (24th January 14:00-16:00 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC) look to be clear of any contests, so please do give the Ladder another try.  80m and 20m are the most used bands currently in the Ladder, but any can be used except 30m, 17m and 12m.
• 19 Jan 10: The web archive of the FISTS club magazine / newsletter, Key Note, has been extended to include December 1988 to 1993, now covering over 20 years.  This is available from the members' Key Notes Archive and the public Key Notes Archive web pages.
  It would be great if we could extend the archive even closer to the start of FISTS in 1987.  If you have copies of any of the following Key Notes and are willing to scan them or loan them for scanning, or believe that they were not published, please contact Graham G3ZOD webmaster@fists.co.uk : any for the years 1987-1988, June 1989, December 1989, October 1990 and June 1993.
• 16 Jan 10: Welcome to our new members, Colin M0XED #14573, Andrew G4CWX #14574 and Tom EI5CA #14575, who joined us recently.
• 16 Jan 10: The new G0HGA VHF/UHF/SHF CW Activity 2010 has been extended to include 23cm and 3cm (10GHz), so the valid bands are 6m, 4m, 2m, 70cm, 23cm and 3cm.  As we're half way through January, there's still plenty of time to join in! 
• 13 Jan 10: If you currently have a Standing Order for your FISTS annual subscription, please bear in mind that you need to alter it or replace it *before* the 1st April to reflect the changes in subscription.  For a list of the 2010 fees, please visit the Annual Renewal web page.
• 09 Jan 10: Welcome to our latest members, Maurizio IT9RRU #14568, Richard M0RKY #14569, Jan PA7O #14570, Jonathan G6HKA #14571 and Ken G3HSU #14572, who have joined us recently.
• 09 Jan 10: There is a new email address for contacting the FISTS Awards Manager Dennis K6DF: fistsawards@gmail.com.  When writing, please put the word "FISTS" in the subject line.
• 03 Jan 10: The new 2010 FISTS Ladder starts on Sunday 10th January!  The Ladder is a great way to meet up with members in friendly "normal" QSOs rather than "599 TU".  There is no need to submit logs - just come and join in - but if you do submit logs and reports to Rob M0BPT, it's very much appreciated and makes it more fun.  There are two, two hour sessions on every second and fourth Sunday in the month.  Just join in one or both sessions as you wish.  The first sessions are on Sunday 10th January 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  Note: Participants in the 2009 Ladder, please submit your final logs and reports to Rob M0BPT by 5th January (see the Activity Calendar for details).
• 01 Jan 10: Happy New Year!  Welcome to our latest members, George MM0GFR #14566 and Zoran 9A3Y #14567, who joined us recently.

December 2009

• 26 Dec 09: Welcome to our latest members, Paul #14564 and Ron G3SEN #14565, who have just joined us.
• 24 Dec 09: The Online Search feature on the Member Lists page has been revised.  The results for Eu/UK callsigns will now be more up-to-date (normally changes are incorporated within 24 hours).  Additionally, you can search for part of a callsign and display all matching results.  The callsigns are provided as links that you can click to go to the corresponding QRZ.COM web page.
• 24 Dec 09: The Winter 2009 Key Note is available in the members' Key Notes Archive and the Winter 2008 edition is now available in the public Key Notes Archive.
• 20 Dec 09: Welcome to our latest member, Dan IK2UWA #14563, who has just joined us.
• 17 Dec 09: The final 2009 FISTS Ladder sessions are on Sunday 27th December 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  Please see the Activity Calendar for details.
• 11 Dec 09: Welcome to our latest member, Chris ZS6RI #14562, who has just joined us.
• 05 Dec 09: Welcome to the following new members who have joined us recently: David GW0HBZ #14560 and Chris M6FRY #14561.
• 02 Dec 09: The next FISTS Ladder sessions are on Sunday 13th December 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  Please submit logs for November to Rob M0BPT by 5th December (see the Activity Calendar for details).

November 2009

• 30 Nov 09: G0 callsigns: Please don't send envelopes to the QSL Bureau until further notice.  FISTS is currently looking for a new sub-manager for G0.
  If you need more information, please contact Chuck M0AVW bureau@fists.co.uk
• 29 Nov 09: Welcome to our latest member, Eric M0KZB #14559, who has just joined us.
• 29 Nov 09: The CW / Phone Area Code Award, previously available for this year (2009) only, has now been made a permanent FISTS Award.
• 25 Nov 09: The public Key Notes Archive and the members' Key Notes Archive have been extended to include most Key Notes between 1993 and 1999.  It would be great if we could extend the Archive further.  If you have copies of any of the following Key Notes and are willing to scan them or loan them for scanning, please contact webmaster@fists.co.uk:
  February 1995, January 1994, May 1994, February-April 1993, June-November 1993 and any for the years 1987 - 1992.
• 24 Nov 09: Interested in taking part in a club construction project?  Paul M0BMN paul@fists.co.uk has asked for suggestions for a new club construction project.  If you have ideas for what could be built, whether it be a radio or CW-related accessory/gadget, please send the details in an email to Paul paul@fists.co.uk .  It's also worth considering joining in the ongoing discussions about this on the FISTSCW Yahoo Group.  If you are not currently a member of the Yahoo group, you can join here.
• 21 Nov 09: Welcome to our latest member, Derrick G3LHJ #14558, who has joined us recently.
• 20 Nov 09: Rob M0BPT has published the BrassPounder October 2009 newsletter today.
• 17 Nov 09: Ian G6TGO will be writing a VHF/UHF section in future Key Notes.  Please help him by sending regular reports of what you have been doing on VHF/UHF CW and what stations you have heard or worked.  Ian can be contacted at vhf@fists.co.uk.
• 15 Nov 09: The deadline for articles for the Winter edition of Key Note is 28th November.  Please contribute by providing Paul M0BMN with as many articles as possible.  Articles can be emailed to Paul at keynote@fists.co.uk.
• 15 Nov 09: The Autumn edition of Key Note magazine will be sent out by postal mail on Monday 16th November.
• 14 Nov 09: Welcome to the following new members who have joined us recently: Jerry G0AZR #14553, Mike G0CVZ #14554, James MD0MDI #14555, Ian G6TGO #14556 and Bob M6ATK #14557.
• 09 Nov 09: The next FISTS Ladder sessions are on Sunday 22nd November 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  This is a great opportunity to meet up with members and is very relaxed; please give it a try.  Just have normal QSOs and, if you are a member, please include your FISTS number in the exchange.  Most activity takes place at 3.558 MHz and 14.058 MHz and lower (to avoid the QRP areas).
• 06 Nov 09: Welcome to the following new members who have joined us recently: Bal EA8BVP #14551 and Ken GI4ERM #14552.

October 2009

• 31 Oct 09: Welcome to the following new members who have joined us recently: Marek DH9SB #14549 and Rienus PA0RBA #14550.
• 26 Oct 09: The next FISTS Ladder sessions are on Sunday 8th November 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  Please submit logs for October to Rob M0BPT by 5th November (see the Activity Calendar for details).
• 23 Oct 09: Congratulations to Peter G4LHI #2219 on achieving the 2009 CW / Phone Area Code Award - well done!
• 23 Oct 09: Welcome to the following new members who have joined us recently: Allan M0KIS #14546, Gordon G4FGJ #14547 and Petr OK2CQR #14548.
• 20 Oct 09: Rob M0BPT has published the BrassPounder September 2009 newsletter today.
• 20 Oct 09: Straight Key Week (SKW) 2009 results and reports have been published by Rob M0BPT.
• 19 Oct 09: The next FISTS Ladder sessions are on Sunday 25th October 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  UK members: bear in mind that UTC will be the same as local time due to the clocks moving back on 25th October, so the sessions will be an hour earlier than usual!
• 19 Oct 09: The Club Sales web page now includes the recently-available FISTS CW Course and the new-style Standard FISTS QSL Cards.
• 16 Oct 09: We welcome the following new members who have joined us recently: Chris GM4YLM #14544 and Vincent ON3WAG #14545.
• 10 Oct 09: Welcome to the following new members who have joined us recently: John G4NCZ #14541, Theo PA3GHJ #14542 and Phil M6PHL #14543.
• 10 Oct 09: The website now allows subscriptions and purchase of club items (badges, car stickers, key rings and QSL cards) to be paid for directly using Credit Cards / PayPal.
• 06 Oct 09: Rob M0BPT has released the 2010 FISTS Activities Calendar.  This includes two new activities: G0HGA VHF/UHF CW Activity 2010 and FISTS 3 Hour Sprint 2010.
• 03 Oct 09: Welcome to the following new members who have joined us recently: Wallace MM0AMV #14538, Fabio IK0IXI / NB1V #14539 and David CE2WZ #14540.

September 2009

• 28 Sep 09: The next FISTS Ladder sessions are on Sunday 11th October 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC.  Please submit logs for September to Rob M0BPT by 5th October (see the Activity Calendar for details).
• 26 Sep 09: Welcome to the following new members who have joined us recently: Darren 2E0JUG #14527, David M0TUB #14528, Chris G4KUE #14529, Al G4VZQ #14530, Wayne M0WAY #14531, Roby IZ2CPS #14532, Art G4MYU #14533, John G4SRE #14534, Tom ON4TOM #14535, Gordon G3WOV #14536 and Dave G4AJY #14537.
• 25 Sep 09: The website's Members' Area has some new pages: Key Note Archive containing Eu/UK Key Notes for 2000 - 2009 for viewing or download, QSL Bureau details and FISTS Logos so that you can add logos to your website, QSL cards, print them on tee shirts etc.
• 20 Sep 09: The FISTS East Asia (FEA) website has their colourful September 2009 Newsletter "morsEAsia" available as a free sample download on the FEA FISTS Newsletters web page.
• 17 Sep 09: The Events page now has photographs from the Leicester Amateur Radio Show.
  Additionally, there is now a Paul's QRP Rigs page with details of the much-admired transceivers Paul M0BMN had at the show.
• 16 Sep 09: Rob M0BPT has published the August BrassPounder newsletter today.
• 14 Sep 09: The FISTS Straight Key Week finished on Saturday 12th and lots of stations were to be heard.  Please submit logs to Rob M0BPT m0bpt(at)yahoo.co.uk by 26th September.  The scoring and log details required are available on Rob's Activities Page.
• 14 Sep 09: Welcome to the new members who joined us at the Leicester Amateur Radio Show on Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th September 2009 and thank you to the existing members who visited us.
• 14 Sep 09: The next FISTS Ladder sessions are on Sunday 27th September 14:00-1600 UTC and 18:00-20:00 UTC. It's a great opportunity to join in and meet other FISTS members in relaxed QSOs.  For more information, please see the rules.
• 14 Sep 09: The members lists and copies of Key Note magazine are up-to-date.  Please visit the Members Area to download copies.
• 14 Sep 09: The deadline for articles for the Autumn 2009 edition of Key Note is this coming Saturday 19th September.  Please let Paul M0BMN keynote@fists.co.uk have lots of articles by then.