RagChew Archive (Google Drive)

VBand

by Ross M0NNK

Work in progress.... stay tuned.

Setting-Up Your Own qrz.com Webpage

by Ross M0NNK

Stay tuned... work in progress.

Venus and Mars in the Ham Shack

by Mark Bosma VK2KI / VK6QI

Introduction by Mark Bosma, Convenor of the CQQRS Net.

Venus and Mars in the Ham Shack is a series of cartoons published in the CQQRS RagChew newsletter starting in April 2026.  The cartoons depict two characters, Mars the CW fanatic and Venus his supportive and very patient partner.    

Background

In 2026, producers of internet publications became aware that in theory at least, material published on the internet may be subject to copyright laws unless specifically marked as Creative Commons or with similar waivers.  So as the editor of RagChew I banned RagChew's use of internet-published images without such waivers, despite the newsletter being run by volunteers as an interest-group only publication with distribution to readers who pay nothing for membership or the newsletter.

Images

This of course added considerably to the challenge of publishing a newsletter that was of interest to the CQQRS community, continued to attract and motivate members and continued to attract new people to the group.  So simple things like nice photographs, cartoons, etc now had to come in the main from the members themselves.  So the home-brewed Venus and Mars cartoons were born to allow a weekly cartoon or other interesting tid-bit to be added to the end of each newsletter as a kind of bait - to encourage readers to scan through to the end for a quick look... and perhaps notice other things of interest along the way.

Operator Encouragement

However, I wanted something more than a bit of humour each week.  Bear with me while I philosophise a bit.... (again!)

One of the keys to the long-term success of the CQQRS group was that the CQQRS net was a place that people wanted to return to week after week.  Unlike some CW groups of ancient history, CQQRS net participants became a family and joining-in was like going down to the friendly local pub for a beer to meet-up with mates.  I'm convinced that the newsletter became the catalyst for that (the friendly net bit, not the going to the pub bit).

However, just like going down to the pub to have a beer with mates, operators locking themselves alone in their ham shacks and away from their families every Tuesday, risked hurting something much more important.  I didn't want having a bit of CW fun each week cause harm to the much-more important family relationships.  

So the dilemma is there for so many of our operators.... meet up with new friends, help some newer operators get some practice, have a bit of fun and develop our own skills every Tuesday, or use the time to maintain and build relationships with those who matter to us most.  Many of us know the anguish of lost family relationships, which on balance (and often in hindsight), are far more important than individuals' other interests.  But that can sometimes be hard to see at the time.

So part of the CQQRS doctrine is to make the net a place where the amateur operator wants to be;  and what better way to do that if support comes from the operator's family, and in particular, his or her partner if in such a relationship?  I for instance count myself as very very lucky to have wonderful support from my partner.  Elizabeth sees radio-land as one of my happy places - and actively encourages me to go there as a break from life's challenges.

So it's pretty easy to be so focussed on the thing of interest (in this case, the gentle art of slow CW and helping others join the fun), and for those who happen to have family, to forget that our partners and family don't necessarily share that motivation.  So perhaps an understanding of what motivates each of the players may help a bit in understanding the others' perspective, and perhaps allow the building of stronger relationships by you (motivated or supported by us the net organisers)?

Venus and Mars

So where to start?  Well perhaps one opportunity is to look at men and women, and unpick a little about what motivates the majority of each tribe?  Most (but by no means all) of our operators are hetrosexual males.  Many (but by no means most) have female partners.  So perhaps thats a good place to start?

The book by John Gray Women are from Venus, Men are from Mars although ageing, is I believe still a good place to start to learn that in general, women and men think quite differently about most things.  Gray contends that relationship conflicts stem from fundamental psychological differences between the sexes rather than a lack of love.  By using the metaphor of two planets, the book helps readers recognise the different communication styles, coping mechanisms, and emotional needs of a male-female partnership.

Core Venus and Mars Concepts & Behaviours

• The Cave (men under stress):  Men tend to withdraw into themselves to solve problems alone, which partners should not misinterpret as a rejection.

• Emotional Processing (women under stress):  Women feel better by talking about problems and sharing feelings rather than immediately seeking blunt solutions.

• The Rubber Band (intimacy cycle):  Men naturally pull-away to feel independent before returning to a closer emotional bond.

• Scoring Points:  Men value competence and fixing things.  Women value small, thoughtful gestures and being heard.  Don't try to keep score - Venus points do not equate to Mars points.

Communication and Needs

• Different Languages:  Each gender speaks a different emotional language, meaning literal translations of what is said often lead to unintended friction.  Like nations in our world - when Venetians translate Martian into the Venetian language, or when Martians do the same with Venetian language - cultural misunderstandings are inevitable.

• Core Emotional Needs:  Men thrive on feeling trusted, accepted, and appreciated.  Women thrive on feeling cared for, understood, and validated.

Bringing it all Together

So back to the problem at hand - we need to create our own material for the RagChew Newsletter - including a weekly cartoon or something to think about.... bait to encourage readers to go all the way to the end of the newsletter before attending to the rest of the flood of email noise.  And we need to build the CQQRS net into that safe pub where members and their families encourage them to go every Tuesday.  

That's why we've started the Venus and Mars in the Ham Shack series of cartoons.  

Something to look forward to each week for a bit of a laugh.... and perhaps a subtle reminder about life and the importance of family relationships along the way?

Venus and Mars in the Ham Shack

So where did all that philosophy lead us?  As the convenor of the CQQRS Net, I started toying with the idea of creating a cartoon series based on two charcters called Venus and Mars - in this case, Mars was the mad-keen slow CW fanatic, Venus was his encouraging partner.  The idea was to start to explore some of the strange things that us QRS fans get up to, and consider the perspective of how our partners might feel.

Creative Juices

Once the concept was tried once or twice, and reader numbers didn't plummet - it was time to find a creator!  My first choice was one of the CQQRS Net's very active members - Jordan VK3ACU.  Jordan himself joined the team as a new operator fresh from the on-air training sessions by Nic VK7WW - a fish to water comes to mind!  Jordan quickly became one of our most proliffic members - on air pretty much every week, always building and trying something new - new antenna ideas, new bits of electronics, new locations to try and so on.  Jordan epitimises what many amateurs aspire to.  Jordan had an obvious sense of humour to go with his fanaticism, and was no slouch when it came to creating and publishing things on a computer.  Perfect match!

So here's what we've published in the RagChew newsletter.