NETNEWS

by WB6IXN

05/02/2007 10M Phone Net - W6ZE/AF6C checked in N6PEQ, HHC, IXN, AUL, GMU, PFA, and HK…Nice check-in, OPs!  DX OPs and PEQ were busy today working BS7H on Scarborough Reef west of the Philippine Isles.  And PEQ said that 20 OCARC members attended the Visalia event…And Dan has just added a new Alpha 9500 amplifier to the shack as Dan now becomes a member of the full-gallon club!…And we cud hear CW coming in frm Finland in the background in PEQ’s shack!  HHC checked in on his ‘spread-spectrum rig’ as OPs had fun following Ken arnd the band!…And Ken didn’t have any errant cables frm the computer connected to the rig this time!…HHC & OPs all sent congrats to AUL who just passed the Extra Class Exam!   IXN cud not cpy AUL at the QTH.  This was AUL’s 1st contact on 10M (or HF for that matter)!  AF6C, recovering frm Baker-to-Vegas, went to a follow-up meeting that critiqued B-to-V Run communications. Bob has the ARRL Audio News ready to air on 2m.  GMU, looking forward to FD, sent congrats along to AUL’s upgrade to Extra.  PFA, wid 2m not hooked up yet, is looking forward to getting a defunct dishwasher repaired tomorrow.  HK hopes that he can make it to next Club meeting.

 

5/02/2007 2m Phone Net – W6ZE/IXN checked in JD, GMU, KTS, AUL, HHC, AF6C, and Rob(KE6FUZ).   JD and OPs once agn sent kudos along to AUL on the upgrade to Extra, and Lowell commented that the digipeater setup fer Baker-to-Vegas did not function well!…And JD may have a wedding in his future as a grandson, soon to be shipped to Ft. Lewis, WA, is planning to go to the ‘hitching post’ wid a young lady frm Texas.  GMU copied JD at S7, and Paul had a gud time at Visalia, missing out on the picture of usual OP meeting in the rest room(?!)(check wid PEQ!)  KTS just got home frm an MS Bikeathon meeting so David missed the 10m Net.  And HHC thinks that wires for PSK-31 operation may be the culprit behind his "frequency skipping" YAESU 757 on 10m.  AUL used a shortened 11m ant wid loading coil to operate on 10m, and HHC recommended that Nicolas get a longer 11m ant. fer better xmission and reception.  AF6C is trying to work the DX station, BS7H, on Scarborough Reef…Bob also aired ARRL Audio News dtd 27 Apr. 2007…ARRL VEC Staff says that new licensee pile-up is letting up a bit, wid new applicants vs upgrades abt equal…The National Hurricane Council looks closely at amateur radio emergency communications during Hurricane Katrina…NOA/NASA says will not occur fer another 6 months! (According to astronomy observers, solar minimum has already occurred!)…Tnx, Bob!

 

5/09/2007 10m Phone Net - W6ZE/AF6C found 28.375 MHz open to DX, so Bob moved up freq. to 28.379 MHz…And Bob checked in LDC, HHC, HK, K7JA, AUL, and IXN.  LDC had to buy a vy expensive fuse fer the air conditioner, and Larry & XYL leave fer Montana next Thursday.  HHC & Diane are flying back to Pittsburgh, PA., to celebrate Ken’s mom’s BD, visit relatives in VA, and, Ken will fly bk the following week, leaving Diane to visit wid her sister.   Wid the motor home getting abt 7 mi/gal, LDC expects to have a $600 dollar gas bill fer the upcoming trip to & from Montana!   JA ‘flew in and flew out’.  HK intends to bring the XYL, Carol, N6YL, along wid him to Club meeting.  IXN cudn’t copy AUL’s weak sigs in the QRN, and AF6C was hearing WI7LL in WY, plus other OPs in TX, FL, and New England!  HHC QRTs a bit early to pack fer an early morning take-off to Pittsburgh!

 

5/09/2007 2m Phone Net - W6ZE/IXN checked in AUL, N1AB, HHC, AF6C, W6HTW(Hank), KTS, and KØBWH/SKYPE.  AUL checked in using wrong gear, and Nicolas came bk wid strong sigs after switching.  AB, burdened wid work, handled the heat wave nicely, but envies us retired folks.  HTW, in La Habra Heights, checked in using a 3 ft antenna wid S5 sigs!  HHC, wid the ‘RF’ ready to go, leaves by air for Pittsburgh, PA., early tomorrow morning.  AF6C completed the 600 cycle power supply, has ARRL Audio News ready to air, dropped by PEQ’s QTH yesterday, and had NJ coming in on 28.445 MHz in the background!  KTS was busy wid paper work while keeping one eye on the TV, and KØBWH said that ‘Lake Buss’ has disappeared frm the bk yard wid the 80 deg. temps in Sheldon, ND…After much rain in ND, the farmers are now bk in the fields…Wid the health inspection fer the store out of the way, Bob & Linda will try to get the VFW to turn off their slot machine so Sheldon can hold their weekly bingo game.  AF6C then aired the ARRL Audio News fer May 4…Amateur SDR technology will be treated by FCC the same as other amateur technology…An AMSAT program will be featured at the Dayton Hamvention…Upcoming construction work on ISS will limit ham radio operations fer awhile…Motorola worked wid the ARRL when developing its LVBPL, which works on the low voltage side of transmission transformers, wid a major improvement in BPL interference!…Tnx, Bob!

 

5/16/2007 10m Phone Net – W6ZE/AF6C checked in CCD, and IXN.  During last week’s 10m opening, AF6C worked Wyoming & Montana.  CCD will be off to Carlsbad State Beach next month fer sum R & R, and Tom had to sign up seven months in advance to secure a spot!…And Tom worked sum DX on 10m last nite.  AF6C trimmed a rosemary bush, found a leaking valve under the sink, and told OPs that Club meeting Fri. eve. features Dennis Kidder frm Raytheon speaking on moonbounce using a 40m dish!…And Bob will put April Netnews on the webpage.  IXN updated OPs on astrospace news, and AF6C told CCD about the 600V power supply to drive selsun motors.  And, OPs didn’t hear any DX on 10m tonite!  And AF6C said that AUL got a new call…(see 2m net notes).

 

5/16/2007 2m Phone Net – W6ZE/IXN checked in KTS, AF6C, AF6CF, YCJ, and KI6BAW(Chris).  KTS cudn’t hear us on the 10m Net, and David said that Real Estate is a ‘mixed bag’ right now, sum sales, sum refis, etc.  Nicolas’ new call is AF6CF…Congrats, Nicolas!…Now we have two ham look-alikes, AF6C and AF6CF!!  YCJ/6 was off work this week, so Ken checked into Net, saying that EICOM has released their new 7700 rig in the $5,000 range…Fer a downloadable brochure, try www.ab4oj.com/eicom/ic7700/main.html.  AF6C planted another rosemary bush today, and Bob talked to HHC in Pittsburgh by SKYPE.  Chris, KI6BAW, lives in Yucaipa, and is using an 857 wid a groundplane ant.  AF6C then aired 5/11/07 ARRL Audio News…Hams quickly answered Red Crosscommunications needs after the EF5 tornado that wiped out Greensburg, KS, using ARES on 3920 MHz.…The 56th Dayton Hamvention happens during the week of May 18…Hams were instrumental in helping the rescue of people from the sailboat, “Sail About”, some 700 mi. south of the Galapagos Is…NC and PA may soon have PRB-1 State legislation regarding ham radio communications antennas…Tnx, Bob!

 

5/23/2007 10m Phone Net - W6ZE/AF6C checked in CCD, CF, HHC, IXN, HK, and KØBWH/SKYPE.  CCD heard AF6CF S3 at the shack, and Tom heard another QSO up the band a ’lil before Net, then Tom was off to din-din.  OPs had a rough time hearing AF6CF as Nicolas experimented wid his new MP-1 Super Antenna, and Nicolas was lost in the QRN at IXN’s QTH.  HHC relayed CF’s QSO to the Net.  Then HHC took off like a bird, flying up and down the band uncontrollably wid his ‘spread spectrum’ YAESU 757! However, Ken was able to relay news of his Pgh, PA, trip, and, Ken visited wid his brother and left Diane bk East visiting wid her sister.  HK, glad to be a Club member agn, heard CF better on the 2nd ant than wid the MP-1 Super Ant.  IXN told OPs that brother Lee will have knee replacement surgery June 18.  AF6C & HK will try to get AF6C’s 10m FM rig on the air.   HHC SKYPEd BWH into the Net, and Bob said they had 3 ½” of rain in Sheldon, ND!…water lying in pools all over the place!…But alas!…Sheldon Highschool closes its doors for good tomorrow!  IXN alerts all OPs, Club or otherwise, to Dennis Kidder, W6DQ, a great speaker who has a wonderful program on EME Moonbounce using a 40m dish ant. located in Owens Valley near Bishop…If interested in having Dennis speak at your club meeting, try contacting Dennis, W6DQ, at: www.ham-radio.com/SBMS/OVRO.

 

5/23/2007 2m Phone Net - W6ZE/IXN checked in AF6C, VDP, W7KTS, N1AB, HHC, KØBWH/SKYPE, and CF.   AF6C has been ‘under the WX’ fer the past couple of days…Allergies asked IXN?…No! quipped AF6C, and Bob has an ARRL Audio News podcast for the Net tonite.  VDP is off to AZ come Sunday to check on the remodeling of the 2nd house on the new QTH property. The house is all-electric, and VDP will be using DSL fer ordinary communications.  KTS enjoyed W6DQ’s EME presentation, is extremely busy at work, and must prepare fer the MS season just arnd the corner.  AB, busy at work, is planning fer FD…Steve will erect a new Ureka six-sided screen house fer the station and have 3 antennas fer FD use…And AB will be getting a new computer to which he must transfer his files frm the old virus laden computer.  HHC told OPs not to miss the Register update article on the renovation of KE6MIH’ QTH!  Ken had a gud time in PGH, PA, celebrating his mom’s 93rd BD, and, Mothers Day.  HHC & OPs will miss IXN’s brother, Lee’s, help at FD setup…HHC hopes all goes well wid the knee surgery.  KØKBWH SKYPEd into Net by HHC, must take a load of fuel to the ADM plant near Sheldon, ND, after Net tonite…Bob, and local farmers, hope that the rains stop long enuf fer spring planting!  And AF6CF will continue to experiment wid the MP-1 Super Antenna, which was set up like a vertical dipole fer the 10m Net tonite.  AF6C then aired May 18 ARRL Audio News…Ham repeaters continue to interfere wid military radar installations on the 70 cm band in Mass. & CA…Ham repeaters may have to reduce their power to 5 watts!…And, Scarborough Reef has been approved fer a DXCC contact!…Tnx, Bob!

 

5/30/2007 10m Phone Net  - W6ZE/AF6C checked in HHC, CCD, IXN, HK, and AF6CF.  AF6C has his nephew Dean as a guest at the QTH, and Bob helped a friend, Joe, down wid his new Mercedes, install a new radar detector.  HHC seems to have solved his band shifting problem by tightening loose coax connectors.  IXN noted an S2 sig increase fer HHC tonite…Diane is bk frm bk East, and Ken worked on a low  band ant. fer COAR last weekend.  CCD, no Ducks tonite, looks fer skiing events in place of ice hockey to satisfy his interests, and Tom says that TRW Swapmeet now has more computer stuff than hamgear!…And Tom knew the 1st W6HK, back when an 807 meant a beer!  Ducks won the 2nd game…!  Whoopee!…exclaimed AF6C after telling OPs abt a phone call frm his sister.  AF6C and Net OPs all confirmed that HHC’s ‘flight over the frequency’ has ended by tightening some loose coax connectors on SWR bridge!  AF6C has an ARRL Audio News to air on the 2m Net, and Bob must eat sum din-din & make a phone call before checking in on 2m.  IXN and brother, Lee, spent a pleasurable last weekend in the San Jacinto Mts. at Garner Valley with a niece and her husband.  HK will order a new rig in July, and Ken recommends the Chino Hills Highschool Swapmeet for lots of ‘good old stuff’!  HHC says the SV2AGW APRS package has the ability to incorporate maps easily, and, zoom in and zoom out!  HK & IXN cudn’t copy AF6CF’s weak sigs dwn in the QRN, and AF6C barely read Nicolas’ sigs at S3…appears to be the antenna!

 

5/30/2007 2m Phone Net – W6ZE/IXN checked in JD, CF, HHC, HK, and AF6C.  JD spent Memorial Day at home, going out fer a couple of meals, and watching movies on TV…And Lowell will be on duty in the OPD radio room during Sat. Club Bfast, but will attend the Watson RC Bfast on Fri. morning.  The old CB ant. isn’t doing too well on 10m at Nicolas’ shack, but CF had nice sigs on 2m, and, Nicolas had to have his aged Golden Retriever put to sleep on Memorial Day!  HHC, mentioning the Club Bfast come Sat. morning, went to the beach wid family & grandkids on Memorial Day, and then back to the QTH for a barbecue!…Younger son, Tony, and bride told HHC that he will soon be grandpa once more!  HK and XYL bought a 50” HDTV & Home Theatre over Memorial Day weekend, and Ken will try to attend the Watson Bfast come Friday, mentioning the Huell Howser documentary covering old town Orange…Then Ken mentioned their ‘Therapy Dog’, used for elderly people, etc…wid Ken giving us a new license plate slogan, “My therapy dog is smarter than your honor student”! AF6C, checking in after a phone call and din-din, having helped HHC wid the COAR ants., and, inspecting a 60V 1000W switching power supply he picked up in the desert, aired ARRL Audio News for 5/25/07…Business was brisk at vendors’ stands at the Dayton Hamvention…The FCC is still dragging its feet enforcing part 97 rules, etc., with Ambient Corp’s Briarcliff Manor BPL…The Corp. ahs failed thus far to provide requested testing results info. to the FCC!…PRB-1 legislation has made it successfully thru both houses of the Oklahoma legislature!…(Podcast ends at 21.36 hrs.)…Tnx, Bob!

 

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