NETNEWS

by WB6IXN

8/02/2006 10m Phone Net - W6ZE/AF6C checked in W7KTS, GW, HHC, and a belated IXN!  IXN, frustrated over the complexity of the controls on the new YAESU rig, now knows that the Company certainly forgot the KISS principle!…After fooling around all Net wid the RIT, IXN finally got the A oscillator and RIT in sync!…Tnx, AF6C, fer the check after Net!  HHC asked GW abt her portable ant…Cori called it a ‘Super Ant.’ HHC briefly described the MP1 ant used by W6GMU, Paul, at FD.  KTS guessed that IXN was having trouble wid the rig, and AF6C watched an interesting Angel’s game just before Net.  IXN finally called AF6C on landline to check out the rig.

 

8/02/2006 2m Phone Net - W6ZE/IXN checked in JD, W7KTS, HHC, AUL, AF6C, and N1AB.  JD worked the Ham Booth at the OC Fair wid AB & Doris last Sat. morning.  IXN gave a report on the colonoscopy, diverticulosis, and hemorhoids, to which JD commented, “Glad to hear your ‘bottom line’ is doing well!  KTS announced the upcoming ‘MS 150 Bike Tour’, a 2-day event beginning at Newport Back Bay and ending in San Diego, scheduled fer Oct 7-8!…Contact David, W7KTS, if you can help wid communications fer the Event!  OPs all congratulated HHC on marrying off his last son last Sat…And Ken said that his avid, surfing son had an excellent, laid bk wedding, Hawaiian shirts, no formal dress, after which son & new bride left fer a honeymoon in Greece!…After discussing MP-1 ants, both horizontal & vertical, wid OPs, HHC reminded all to attend the Club Bfast at Jaegerhaus come Sat. morning!  AUL, still trying to keep warm in his ‘icebox’ computer room at work, conratulated HHC on losing his last son to marriage!  AF6C told NC that he had ARRL Audio News and ARNewsline available on the IPOD at Net’s end, and AF6C gave a report on the EQ, 4.4 mag., located abt 9 mi. SSE of Santa Rosa, that occurred at 8:08pm, during the 10m Net…Then Bob described the sinking of ‘The Scratcher’, a boat belonging to his sister’s friend on the East Coast.  Fishing for Blue Fin in the Atlantic off the coast, the boat struck an underwater obstacle off Horseshoe Shoals, and sunk!…All were saved by the Coast Guard!  AB, noting HHC’s loss of his last harmonic to marriage, reported many new changes at work, completion of outside painting of the QTH, now ready to paint the inside of the QTH, and, a too hot tour of duty at the OC Ham Booth!  Then, by request, AF6C aired ARNewsline #1511…OPs shud focus attention on new electric meters, being installed by San Diego Gas & Electric, which will send time, and amount, of electricity being used…The Company can charge more for power used during peak hours!…What is the method used for transmission of meter readings?…Hmmmm!…The Russian launch, carrying 14 ham payloads, failed…And, if you are interested in tracking animals with transmitters to determine their locations, log on to www.homingin.com …Tnx, Bob!

 

8/06/2006 OCWN 40m CW Net - NCS/UEB checked in OIO, IC, VDP, IB, RND, IXN, and NT.  UEB & XYL will do sum shopping fer the daughter who is preparing fer a kayaking trip in Baja California…The harmonic leaves Aug. 24 fer a 10 day trip!  OIO, at the cabin last weekend, said that band condx were so bad on the previous trip athat she didn’t bother wid the QRP rig…Now Ann, looking fer lighthouses this weekend, has only found 2 so far.  IC, long time no hear, plans to attend the ham convention in San Diego next month…Maybe we can meet agn like last year!  VDP got shocked by the high electric bill after running the air conditioner during the heat wave!  And IB, reading NC wid sum QSB, signed after telling the Net he’s taking K7YNE out to breakfast.  RND, copying all stations, is recuperating nicely frm a head cold…John said that the 40m W6MTC Net, wid bad band condx, QSYed to 80m on 3600 KHz yesterday.  IXN, glad to be out of the hot WX in the San Jacinto Mts, is painting the outside of the QTH.  And NT, wid dismal WX at the Beach, was unable to hear IXN this morning.

 

8/09/2006 10m Phone Net - W6ZE/AF6C checked in IXN and KTS.  AF6C said that HHC was out of town, and IXN said that Lee, now hobbling arnd the house, had hernia surgery Tues. afternoon at the St. Joseph Pavilion.  And AF6C is now a victim of an aging problem called ‘Floaters’, an eye problem where one sees specks of sluffed-off retinal eye tissue floating around inside the eye.  KTS was vy weak tonite, unintellegible at IXN’s QTH…AF6C copied David at S5…KTS will send a small article to HHC abt the MS 150 Bike Ride…Contact W7KTS if you can help wid communications for the Event!  AF6C will now busy himself installing a 250 gigabyte hard drive in the computer.

 

8/09/2006 2m Phone Net - W6ZE/IXN checked in JD, AUL, KTS, AF6C, DDE, and K6CGM (Don).  A landline kept JD frm checking into the 10m Net tonite, and Lowell enjoyed meeting a visiting VA ham, W4MTY, at the Club Bfast on Sat.  KTS told OPs that the TS-130 has a frequency skip problem when operating.  AF6C will check to see if he can find a source for a TS-130 operating manual…KTS also needs OPs to help wid communications fer the MS-150 Bicycle Ride scheduled fer Oct. 7 & 8!…Contact David if you can help!!  AUL told IXN that hospital rooms are kept cold to ease pain (and, quipped Nicolas, to relieve the pain of the hosp. bill!!)…IXN nearly ‘froze to death’ in the surgery lobby on the 3rd floor of the Pavilion!  AF6C, wid an ARRL Audio News fer the Net, welcomed CGM bk to the Net, and DDE, bk frm a trip to Oregon, is re-working the kitchen fer new counter tops…Then Steve will begin painting the outside of the QTH.  CGM, looking forward to retirement after a June 15 layoff, was suddenly offered a new job at much more money than his old job…Gud bye retirement fer now!!  AF6C then aired the Aug. 4th ARRL Audio News…We learned that FCC’s lack-lustre approach to BPL interference enforcement leaves the Comtech Manassas problem unresolved at this time!…Tnx, Bob.

 

8/13/2006 OCWN 40m CW Net - NCS/UEB checked in HKT, GVG, VDP, OIO, RND, IXN, and NT.  UEB has his sights set on the 20 WPM Code Proficiency Award…Rick bought an MP3 player to listen to 25 WPM while commuting in the vanpool…UEB will try the code proficiency run next month!  HKT was touring & hiking in Canada the last two Nets, and next Sunday,  Homer leaves fer Hawaii and will miss two more Nets!  GVG, traveling much lately, is suppoese to go to the UK at the end of the month, if Northwest Airlines is not on strike!…HI!  VDP got his 20 WPM Award long ago, and Larry is busy wid yard work and sorting parts.  OIO, in the bushwhacking mode agn, filled two barrels wid cuttings…Now, Ann is eyeing the 3rd empty barrel when the mood strikes agn!  RND, wid gud sigs frm Net OPs, had a gud week playing gigs, and, feeling better frm the headcold.  IXN’s house painting, wid weeding & grass cutting, will probably be finished painting by next Spring!   And NT, wid overcast WX at the beach, overslept and checked into Net a ’lil late…Ray said sigs are dwn but band noise is gud.

 

8/16/2006 10m Phone Net - W6ZE/AF6C checked in CCD, LDC, IXN and HHC.  CCD was the only check-in on the Wed. nite Net frm the Orange County Fair, and Tom just got bk frm a 3-week trip to UK land…Wid a new modem, Tom now has high speed internet widout changing his email address…And CCD & XYL are off to visit a new grandaughter in Phoenix this weekend.  LDC got bk frm a vy cold Pismo Beach last Sun. nite, and wid the computer now kaput, Larry will invest in a notebook!  IXN reported no record of Warren Smith, WB6TOM, ever being in the OCARC, and HHC, vy busy at work, wondered if PEQ knew where TOM’s son grew up?…Then HHC announced the Peter 1 Island DXpedition program slated fer Friday Club meeting!  AF6C received his QSL card frm the Peter 1 Island DXpedition fer 20, 15, and 10m!   And AF6C & LDC said that the U.S. may have blown the cover on the English terrorist plot too early!

 

8/16/2006 2m Phone Net - W6ZE/IXN checked in JD, AUL, KTS, N1AB, DDE, AF6C, HHC, and MIH.  IXN copied AB S5 on the HT, but JD said Steve was breaking up at his QTH!  And AUL told OPs abt a ’lil black box fer abt $30 bucks, that is a mini-BPL device that allows one to use the house wiring to communicate wid computers in other rooms.  HHC said these devices operate between 2 & 80 MHz, and that it might be possible fer the BPL sigs to cause interference two houses away!…(Ed. note:  These devices will bear watching fer interference in the ham bands!)  KTS told IXN that he liked changes made to his former neighbor’s house, and, David has been vy busy wid the hosp. group and organizing the MS-150 Bike Tour.  AB, on the HT tonite, says a tree is growing into the antenna, and, Steve must get a new water tank fer the QTH.  DDE is also involved wid QTH improvements, installing new kitchen components, counter tops, etc., at the QTH.  AF6C wonders if the $30 BPL boxes fer use at home will meet Part 15 FCC rules!…And Bob eagerly awaits the Peter 1 Island porgram at Friday nite Club meeting!  HHC feels like he’s on a treadmill at work, and Ken says a company owned by Cisco makes a little BPL device for the home computers that notches out the ham bands, ONLY YOU MUST SET THE NOTCHES!…Beware of your neighbor’s ‘little black boxes’!!   MIH was hearing AB at S8 tonite, and Kevin starts college on the 28th of Aug. AF6C then aired ARNewsline #1513…FCC, at present, refuses to alter any BPL freqs. that cause interference in the amateur bands…FCC says that BPL interference must be eliminated within the BPL industry, keeping such interference below detectable levels, and, all aspects of the BPL industry must be kept in the public domain…If you are going to Srilanka, please remember that no guest ham operations will be allowed in Srilanka at this time!…The UK is pushing fer a small amateur band allocation in the 500 KHz band…Tnx, Bob!

 

8/20/2006 OCWN 40m CW Net - NCS/UEB checked in OIO, GVG, KFW, IB, VDP, RND, NT, IXN, and NU6T.  UEB, wid QRN in Irvine, will take his daughter to La Jolla on Thurs. fer the UCSD Orientation Program, and OIO said that the Angels were introduced as, “The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium of Anaheim at Anaheim”…HI!…And Ann has only made 2 lighthouse contacts during the Lighthouse Event.  GVG, wid OP sigs 559 to 579 in Bonsall, wished UEB gud luck on the Code Proficiency Test.  KFW, bk in CA after a two-month vacation bk East, drove over 6,000 miles touching 16 states!…Chris worked FD in PA, garnering 80 CW contacts on 20m wid the mobile rig!  IB, wid clear WX, had a gud time at the SFARC Picnic yesterday.   And VDP, watching the Little League World Series, enjoyed the talk on the Peter 1 Island DXpedition at Club meeting last Fri. eve.   RND was sorry that he missed the Peter 1 Is. (3YÆX) talk.  John has their QSL card, a foldout wid nice pix!  NT’s sigs were too deep in the QRN fer gud copy, and IXN was looking fer the freq. of a ham seismometer on 440 that triggers wid a mag. 4 event or higher.  NU6T reported in wid cool WX and QSB on Net sigs.

 

8/23/2006 10m Phone Net - W6ZE/AF6C checked in NOL, IXN, HHC, and KTS.  NOL & son, JAY, are preparing to go to Bulgaria in the Fall fer the International RDF Contest where JAY hopes to pick up some new medals!  AF6C will tackle painting his bathroom in the near future, and IXN will probably get the outside of the QTH painted when ‘the moon comes over the mountain’!  HHC & WWK are off to the Candy Store tomorrow to pickup new ham radios, ants., etc., to enhanced COAR operations for the City of Orange, and, provide efficient communications fer the Baker-to-Vegas Run.  Then HHC reminded OPs not to forget the potluck at the PEQ’s QTH come Sat.  AF6C sent KTS a new Club roster, has an ARRL Audio News fer 2m, and bought a new ‘toy’ fer the computer!  KTS said that NOL and he are members of the Hospital Group.  The RDF Contest will tke place between Sept. 12-17.  Results shud appear on the Bulgaria Federation of Radio Amateur’s website by Sept. 16 at: www.bfra.org. 

 

8/23/2006 2m Phone Net - W6ZE/IXN checked in MIH, KTS, JD, AUL, N1AB, DDE, HHC, KFW, AF6C, and CCD.   MIH has just signed up fer an accounting course at college, and Kevin is ‘kicked bk’ working wid the computer.  KTS enjoyed the 10m Net tonite, and David is busy at work, and, preparing fer the MS-150 Bicycle Event.  JD talked wid ‘grinnin & pickin’ Lee, IXN’s brother, at Club meeting last Fri. eve, and Lowell is living wid the air conditioning in this hot spell!  AUL, still working in a cold computer room, bought a new laptop fer the XYL.  QAB & Doris are enjoying a visit wid the oldest daughter before the harmonic goes bk to school in Maryland.   DDE has been busy painting inside the QTH the past week, and HHC welcomed KFW bk frm the trip bk East…HHC announced the Club Potluck come Sat., thw World Wide RDF Contest in Bulgaria come Sept., and the WWK/HHC visit to HRO tomorrow to pick up sum new rigs, ants., co-ax, and Astro switching power supplies fer COAR.  CCD, preparing fer the Club potluck come Sat., just got bk frm a visit wid the new grandaughter in Phoenix, AZ…It was hot!!  KFW attended FD festivities wid the North Hills Amateur Radio Club in Pgh, PA…Chris brought bk a FB full page article frm the Pittsburgh Post Gazette describing the Event!  AF6C told OPs about a website, www.archives.org, where movies no longer under copyright can be downloaded.  Bob then aired the 8/18/06 ARRL Audio News which described a Chinese clandestine jammer jumping around mostly on the 20m band, using both voice and music under the name of ‘Fire Dragon’, and, a comparison of polarity of sunspots the old sunspot cycle vs. the new sunspot cycle…Tnx, Bob!

 

8/30/2006 10m Phone Net - W6ZE/AF6C checked in LDC, KTS, VNI, IXN, HHC, and CCD.  George, N6VNI, was welcomed to the Club at the Club Potluck last Saturday, and George ‘flew in and flew out’ tonite.  LDC, in Oceanside, missed the Potluck, but now has a new Bowflex Machine to keep him exercising while listenint to the nets!  KTS had ‘wavy’ sigs tonite, first strong, then weak!…And David enjoyed the food and cameraderie at the Club Potluck.  IXN’s niece will go ‘under the knife’ tomorrow morning fer a ruptured disc, and HHC quipped, “LDC will be pumping carbon fibre material, not iron”!…And HHC thinks that the problem wid the silent mobile rig is a blown fuse…Then HHC & OPs sent kudos along to Dan & Cristin for hosting an excellent Club Potluck at the QTH!  And AF6C & OPs said that ham radio was not mentioned in the much touted Katrina program on TV!  CCD & XYL had a gud time at the Club Potluck and they plan to attend the Sept. Club Bfast!

 

8/30/2006 2m Phone Net - W6ZE/AF6C  checked in JD, AUL, KTS, DDE, AF6C, and HHC. JD attended a COAR practice drill over the weekend, experiencing a small problem wid the police station computer…Then Lowell & XYL took the harmonic out to a BD din-din.  The AULs experienced a 10 pm (over night) power outage during the hot spell, which was solved when the family moved to the cool computer room at work!  KTS, involved wid the 150 Bike Tour, enjoyed the Club Potluck, and DDE, hving completed painting the outside of the QTH, does not envy IXN as Bob continues outside painting of the QTH in the baking WX!  AF6C & HHC announced that the Sat. Club Bfast on Sept. 2 has been postponed until Sept. 9!  HHC’s mobile rig stopped operating just after the Watson RC bfast…a printed circuit board fuse may be the culprit!…Sat. morning ‘surgery’ will be performed on the rig!  AF6C then aired ARNewsline #1515…New Zealand hams lose the 614-622 MHz band…Orion will be the name of the new space probe (Crew Exploration Vehicle) to the moon…The rockets propelling the Orion CEV will be named Aries I & Aries V. …The new home BPL system, HDX-101, has yet to be reviewed for interference to ham radio frequencies!…Tnx, Bob!

 

8/27/2006 OCWN 40m CW Net - NCS/UEB checked in GVG, NT, VDP, RND, OIO, KFW, and IXN.  CW tried to check in but NCS was unable to hear her sigs!…Rick will now ask OPs to relay check-ins to him that he cannot hear.  UEB spent a nearly unbearable 8 hours at traffic school yesterday fer not wearing his seat belt!  GVG told Rick that traffic school was better than having the car impounded, and Roy was operating frm his Newport Beach condo wid a small mobile ant on the balcony.  NT QSO’d a couple of JA OPs last nite so the DX ant. still works!   VDP & XYL are off to Kingman in 2 weeks to look at more properties, and, attend a small hamfest.  RND, feeling gud abt a ’lil fall in the air, has been doing sum house repairs and playing gigs.  OIO did traffic school fer making a normal boulevard stop!??…And Ann injured her knee playing tennis last week.  IXN is off to the San Jacinto Mts. fer Labor Day and will miss Net next week, and KFW, slightly off frequency, came bk to NC after IXN’s report, telling OPs that he’s trying to get things back in shape after the two-month trip bk East.

 

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