A SMALL MILESTONE FOR MEDXR
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| A much younger VK3BVW. The end of this post has details of what was on the desk at the time. |
A SMALL MILESTONE FOR MEDXR
When I started the Mount Evelyn DX Report back on October 9, 2012, it was simply as an experiment:
- to see what blogging was all about,
- to test how it worked on Google's Blogger platform, and
- to see if it was something that I wanted to pursue in greater depth.
That's all! I expected it to keep my interest for about, ohhh....maybe, six months - if I was lucky.....
As we come to the end of 2016, the MEDXR is still chugging along and has become an important part of the enjoyment that I personally gain from the radio hobby.
So, what's the milestone?
Well, this website has now reached more than 250,000 page views.
Probably not quite as many page views as the Taylor Swift website!!! 😏
But for a tiny niche market about an old-fashioned hobby of listening to shortwave radio stations, I'm quite surprised to see it get to this level of interest. In fact, according to the statistics supplied by Google (and other sources) prior to last year it puddled along with a few views here and there. It was not until about January 2015 that the site really started to gain some readership. And in the past twelve months, viewings of this blog have been the highest ever.
Probably not quite as many page views as the Taylor Swift website!!! 😏
But for a tiny niche market about an old-fashioned hobby of listening to shortwave radio stations, I'm quite surprised to see it get to this level of interest. In fact, according to the statistics supplied by Google (and other sources) prior to last year it puddled along with a few views here and there. It was not until about January 2015 that the site really started to gain some readership. And in the past twelve months, viewings of this blog have been the highest ever.
And alongside the blog I also have a very small YouTube presence under my own name, Rob Wagner. Frankly, I am astonished to see that a little YouTube video I prepared on the Double Bazooka antenna has just passed 53,000 views! Amazing!
I don't earn any money or kickbacks from these two sites. I don't seek donations. I have gained much personal joy, learning and great friendships from the radio hobby for the past 46 years. Now, MEDXR and my little YouTube channel are simply about giving something back to the radio hobby.....in my own small way. The shortwave listening hobby is currently NOT in a very healthy state - indeed, we know that it's in deep decline. So, if I can help others by teaching, informing and promoting the hobby in its various forms, then that makes me very happy.
It will be interesting to see where all this leads. The moment that it becomes too tedious to continue or no longer enjoyable, then that will be the time I close down the blog and the YouTube channel. But until that time (.....if it ever comes along!), MEDXR will continue with regular posts and videos.
So, a very BIG THANK YOU to all the readers and viewers who have been so kind and generous with their comments, feedback, "Thumbs Up" and Facebook "likes" over the years. It means much to know that somehow I'm hitting the mark with some of my ramblings!
The photo at the top of this post was taken in my shack/office back in 1983. I would have been 30 years old at the time. So, you can work out how old I am NOW! The photo was published on the front cover of the Australian DX News, and it's got that newsprint sort of look about it. My thanks to Craig Seager VK2HBT (ADXN Chief Editor) for sending me a scanned version of this image. The quality of the photo is poor, so it's really hard to see the equipment clearly. So....I'll see if I can remember it all for you. What was sitting on the shelves in the shack at that time?
Top Shelf: (L-R) Two speakers, a small SWL meter (sitting on one of the speakers), a Yaesu FRDX400 receiver (ham bands only operation), and a portable mediumwave Tandy (a.k.a Radio Shack) TRF receiver (sitting on top of the Yaesu).
Middle Shelf: (L-R) A power supply specifically for an Icom 701 transceiver, a woodpecker noise blanker made by Dave Nichols VK1DN (remember the Russian Woodpecker?), my trusty Tokyo Hy-Power antenna coupler, a clock, and a fabulous Yaesu FT-7 QRP transceiver (I regret selling that rig many years ago!!).
Bottom Shelf: (L-R) Icom 701 transceiver and keypad (Icom's very first HF transceiver), and a wonderful Panasonic DR49 receiver.
73 and good DX to you all..........and thanks again for reading the Mount Evelyn DX Report!
Rob Wagner VK3BVW
P.S. I've been told by those that know about these things (i.e. my daughters!) that if I want more people to watch my YouTube videos, I should encourage (...beg?) viewers to subscribe to the channel. So, if that's something you'd want to do, go right ahead and click the link below. If you'd rather not, then that's cool, too! 😄
So, a very BIG THANK YOU to all the readers and viewers who have been so kind and generous with their comments, feedback, "Thumbs Up" and Facebook "likes" over the years. It means much to know that somehow I'm hitting the mark with some of my ramblings!
FINALLY........
The photo at the top of this post was taken in my shack/office back in 1983. I would have been 30 years old at the time. So, you can work out how old I am NOW! The photo was published on the front cover of the Australian DX News, and it's got that newsprint sort of look about it. My thanks to Craig Seager VK2HBT (ADXN Chief Editor) for sending me a scanned version of this image. The quality of the photo is poor, so it's really hard to see the equipment clearly. So....I'll see if I can remember it all for you. What was sitting on the shelves in the shack at that time?
Top Shelf: (L-R) Two speakers, a small SWL meter (sitting on one of the speakers), a Yaesu FRDX400 receiver (ham bands only operation), and a portable mediumwave Tandy (a.k.a Radio Shack) TRF receiver (sitting on top of the Yaesu).
Middle Shelf: (L-R) A power supply specifically for an Icom 701 transceiver, a woodpecker noise blanker made by Dave Nichols VK1DN (remember the Russian Woodpecker?), my trusty Tokyo Hy-Power antenna coupler, a clock, and a fabulous Yaesu FT-7 QRP transceiver (I regret selling that rig many years ago!!).
Bottom Shelf: (L-R) Icom 701 transceiver and keypad (Icom's very first HF transceiver), and a wonderful Panasonic DR49 receiver.
73 and good DX to you all..........and thanks again for reading the Mount Evelyn DX Report!
Rob Wagner VK3BVW
P.S. I've been told by those that know about these things (i.e. my daughters!) that if I want more people to watch my YouTube videos, I should encourage (...beg?) viewers to subscribe to the channel. So, if that's something you'd want to do, go right ahead and click the link below. If you'd rather not, then that's cool, too! 😄
Subscribe!!
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Congratulation, Rob! You have a fine blog and I'm sure your excellent readership will only continue to grow!
ReplyDeleteOh, and your daughters are right! (But we both knew that!)
And you were thirty in 1983? Wasn't that long ago (I was 11 then, by the way). :)
Cheers & 73,
Thomas
K4SWL
Hi Thomas, and thanks for your kind words...and for your support of this blog. Very much appreciated coming from the editor/owner of the fabulous SWLing.com! Best wishes to you and your lovely family for the coming festive season. Rob.
DeleteThanks Rob for your everything (blog, youtube etc). I have been hanging off your words since joining the ARDXC - Member 665. Its kind of tragic that I can remember my DX club membership number but wouldn't have a clue what my landline phone number is now! Keep up the great work - This year I particularly enjoyed the shack and antenna tours, and the ex Radio Australia transmitter site video was the best! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMark, thanks so much for your kind and generous words. Very much appreciated. ARDXC No. 270 here!! :-) They were good days in the club! Delighted you enjoyed the tours and txer site visit. Please keep up the good work with the online SDR - I'm using it regularly for monitoring comparisons between our two locations. Best 73 and have a great 2017! Rob
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