What the "de"?

I've given a lot of thought to naming this blog and I've gone back and forth on a couple of things. I started out with "Amateur Radio" then "Ramblings" just sort of seemed appropriate as a catch-all category. After that I thought, well, it is close to ARRL, so I'll make it "Lessons".

I liked the ARRL (apologies to the real ARRL) but I thought Lessons was too formal because that meant each post would teach someone something. I decided that was too much pressure, so I changed it to "Lectures". A lecture meant I could say what was on my mind without guaranteeing any one they would learn anything .... Amateur Radio Rambling Lectures is what stuck.

It didn't seem complete, though, so after some thought, I added "de AE5FT". Okay, that's it. The blog has a name and maybe a personality will develop as it grows.

But, maybe not every one knows what "de" means. It could be "duh" or "doh", I guess, for the Homer Simpson groupies. The "de" means FROM and is a common practice used in CW QSOs. Whenever a participant in a CW QSO signs over to the other station they give the other station's call followed by "DE" - dah dit dit pause dit - then their own call sign followed by "K" - dah dit dah - meaning OVER. At that point the other station takes over and makes their comments.

That's the very short history of the ARRL de AE5FT blog name.... AR

And thanks to KD5NJR for his suggestion on the blog name ... I've adopted the colon into the name!