NETNEWS

by WB6IXN

 

7/02/2003 10m Phone Net – W6ZE/AF6C checked in IXN, CDD, and KB1GZ.  HHC & LDC are on vacation.  CDD just got bk frm a visit to New Caanan, CT, for a cousin’s 90th BD!  GZ passed on info. to OPs to send Gov. Davis a QSL card requesting passage of an ant. bill.  And GZ prevailed upon AF6C to help him raise a dipole ant. on Sat. if possible.  AF6C told OPs abt. Ham visitors frm Brea, and Alabama…They found our FD site & Map on the website!!  IXN read OPs the ‘Ten Commandments of the Lazy’.

 

7/02/2003 2m Phone Net – W6ZE/IXN checked in JD, KB1GZ, VDP, TWA, AF6C, KFW, KG6GVY(Steven), and BSV.  JD gave all OPs armchair cpy sigs, and Lowell visited VKZ, telling us that Frank is looking forward to getting bk home!   GZ is already planning fer 2004 FD!…He’s designing a ant. to be hoisted on a 20ft. pole.  VDP reported that Texans had a 4 hr. opening the last 4 hrs. of FD, and Larry said that N6UC’s E-mail adr. is incorrect on the Club roster!  IXN & bro. Lee, are off to the ‘dude ranch’ in the San Jacinto Mts. next week, and TWA has another tomato bumper crop this year.  AF6C, after a short pause (picked up wrong mike!), said that Art Goddard has predicted better propogation condx fer next FD!  And Bob said that there was a gud turn-out of hams fer FD.  AF6C told us that HHC & XYL were ‘making donations’ in ‘Lost Wages, NV’! KFW enjoyed working 40 & 80m at the Club site on FD, and Chris said the QRN was high!  KFW said that the Club generator has been drained of fuel and the oil has been changed…(Tnx, Chris!)   We thank Steven, KG6GVY, for helping out wid contacts & FD chores.    Carl, BSV, checked in wid vy weak sigs at Net’s end.

 

7/06/2003 40m OCWN CW Net – NC/UEB checked in RND, IMW/6, KFW, IB, VDP, NT, KS6CW, IOA, GVG, and SHU…Great check-in, OPs!  RND will act as NC next Sun. as UEB, IMW, and IOA will be located at a campsite 15 mi. N. of Ojai.  IB relayed info. on our newest check-in, Ed, KF6SHU, in San Luis Obispo, to NC…(Tnx, Casey).  And Ed’s ARRL adr. has been added to the E-mail list!  UEB will send RND Net info. fer nxt Sun., and UEB told IOA that he was a bit off freq.  RND ‘kicked bk’ and took it easy on the 4th, and IMW/6 battled QRM frm neighborhood AC units, now to put together a 6m converter frm the scrap box so he can listen in silence agn!  KFW tnxed OPs for the contacts last Sun. during FD.  IB worked GVG last Fri. using 3 Watts QRP!  VDP told OPs that OCARC FD results will be up on the website soon, and NT said that his horses survived 4th of July fireworks wid much distaste!  CW enjoyed FD wid RACES, submitting the bulk of her report separately via E-mail, as most stations were 539 fer her.  GVG, wid 339 sigs, was patchy copy at best!

 

7/09/2003 10m Phone Net – W6ZE/AF6C checked in NOL, HHC, and AF6C.  IXN was sweltering in over 100 deg. heat in the San Jacinto Mts. at the “dude ranch”!  NOL told OPs that his son, Jay W6JAY, had been named ‘2003 Young Ham of the Year’.  AF6C discovered that metal risers in a sprinkler system are a ‘No-No’!

 

7/09/2003 2m Phone Net – W6ZE/VDP checked in JD, HHC, KB1GZ, WWK, KFW, TWA, AF6C, NOL, MPW, and BSV.   IXN was in the Mts.  HHC gave a synopsis of the FD scores for OCARC, telling OPs that the results are also displayed on the website.

 

7/13/2003 40m OCWN CW Net – NCS/RND checked in IB, GVG, NT, VDP, CW, UEB, IOA, and KFW.  UEB & IOA operated portable frm Reyes Peak Campground in grid square DM04io abt 15 mi. N. of Ojai.  RND did a great job wid NC duties…(Tnx, John!)  UEB and IOA used dipole ants., and UEB ran 50W to the ant., getting only marginal sig. rpts.

 

7/16/2003 10m Phone Net – W6ZE/AF6C checked in KB1GZ, IXN, LNX, BSV, HHC, and AJE.  ORANGE COUNTY FAIR!!…Wid HHC, LNX, and BSV helping wid the Amateur Radio Booth!  IXN had S5 sigs on Fair OPs, and GZ tnxed AF6C fer past help wid his dipole ant.  Steve nw expects to hve the ant up on the 28th or 29th.   HHC met Tony, a former 2nd Class Navy OP.  Ken invited Tony to a Club meeting and we may soon meet Tony fer an eyeball!  IXN read “Good of the Club” Award names frm a plaque at the QTH, and AJG stopped by AF6C’s shack to share computer programming for their rigs.  Then, at 8:00pm, AF6C switched the Net to 21.375 MHz in the 15m Band!…QRN increased at IXN’s QTH, wid sum sigs stronger and others weaker.  HHC reported an increase in QRN at the OC Fair.

 

7/16/2003 2m Phone Net – W6ZE/IXN checked in MIG, AJE, JD, VDP, CCD, LNX, HHC, WWK, CCD, AF6C, TWA, BWH, and BSV.  Cliff, MIG, wid MIH & MIF enjoying the OC Fair, checked in frm the Amateur Radio Booth, wid HHC, BSV, and LNX all helping out.  AJE checked into the Net fer the 1st time wid the FT 50HT using 5W wid the new Diamond ant. up 70 ft.!…Great sigs, John!  JD, at the QTH, had already spent 7 hrs. at the Fair.  IXN will look up KA6DUE in the 1978 Club records.  JD reported that VDP, PFA, Missy & April Hughes, NOA, and GLF were all workers at the Booth.  VDP, wid 5 Fair hrs. under his belt, heard OR on 6m at the Fair, and OPs expressed an interest in long wire ants. for 40 & 80m at a future FD.  AJE enjoyed FD, and CCD, bk frm vacation in the high Sierras near Tahoe, has 2 shifts at the Fair.   LNX said that, to his knowledge, no ribbons had been awarded at the Booth at this time, and gave a report to NC on MESAC, and ham gear in the Booth.  WWK will work the Booth next week fer the Orange Club, and BWH checked in frm work…No Newsline tonite!   OPs told BWH that they could close the Booth tonite.  AF6C made his 1st E-Bay purchase, a CW filter fer the TS-440! TWA hasn’t been to the Fair fer several years, and Charles said that he & the XYL had their 61st anniversay today!  Then TWA told us that he tripped over himself, fell, and sprained his ribs…Nw he’s taking pain pills to help him thru the misery! BSV has already spent 2 hrs. in the OC Fair booth tonite…Tnx, OPs, fer all the help!!

7/20/2003 40m OCWN CW Net – NCS/UEB checked-in IMW, KS6CW, RND, VDP, W7IB, NT, GVG, and KØIOA  Rick – Started out getting some QRM (which might have been KS6CW trying to relay). Running on battery (the usual 50 watts) since didn't get much chance to operate portable last weekend. Will switch back to house power if tone suffers.  Ian – Not much going on here as we are playing bridge at the Nationals in Long Beach. Next weekend is the BB (Bumble Bee) QRP event.    Ann – Glad to be home. Tried some genuine English fish and chips and mushy peas and happy to say that I don't have to do that again.      Kathy – Can copy NCS now... All other stations are fine copy.  Ann KE6OIO is 599. Nice weather and enjoyed the beach all day yesterday.      John – Copy all OK. Last Friday they repaved the driveway so now we are sitting around watching the cement dry. Will be able to drive on it tomorrow. It's nice to have net members back.        Larry – Rick very weak today. I worked the HAM booth at the fair last Wednesday. Not much else.       Casey – Rick's RST 549. Lots of QRM today. Weather here in the capitol area is hot with current temp near 90. Will be at a trade show all next weekend so won't make the net. QNX owing to family duties... 73 and good week to all.      Ray – the hill is still here at going to be here. Finally heard fromt eh bureau; they sent me 80 cards to show that they are still alive. Otherwise, all same. (Relayed that K0IOA was trying hard, but weak at the end.)   Roy – (Signals again too weak for Secy to copy. Sorry Roy.)       Ron – (No copy after Ron's  check-in.)

 

7/23/2003 10/15m Phone Net – W6ZE/AF6C checked in JD, CCD, IXN, HHC, and UC, Jim.  JD, DLA, and WWK all worked the OC Fair Booth wid the COAR group from the City of Orange.  CCD, finished wid din-din,  said that the Amateur Radio Booth at the Fair garnered a 1st Place Ribbon!  Tom said they were eating fish that he caught at Donner Lake.  AF6C finished installing a CW filter in the rig, and Bob spent the afternoon wid NOT, Mark, who just purchased a new 8” Cassegrain telescope wid all the trimmings!  HHC tuned in on the COAR group at the Fair last nite, and Ken said that Stephen, QVY, and JD and HHC will get together for transfer of the Club treasury records to Stephen.  IXN discussed NOT’s new telescope wid AF6C.  And, at 8:00 pm., the Net moved frm 10m to 15m.

 

7/23/2003 2m Phone Net – W6ZE/IXN checked in UC(Jim), VDP, MPW, AF6C, HHC, JD, WWK, BSV, QVY, and UEB.  UC checked in wid solid sigs, saying that Cory was ‘holding dwn the Store’ tonite!  VDP enjoyed working the Fair Booth last week, and MPW, just bk frm visiting relatives in Mexico, is recuping frm 4 broken ribs after falling dwn a pair of stone steps at the relative’s QTH!  AF6C experienced a power loss and ‘fire under the hood’ wid the auto on the 55 Fwy near Katella!…A visit to a junk yard, a new piece of wiring harness plus repairs, and $200 later, Bob had the auto once more in running condx!  HHC told us he has placed 26 pix of FD up on the website!  IXN told HHC that he has copies of the club's  Articles of Incorporation ready for placement on the website.  MPW told HHC that he got his electronic cpy of ‘RF’, and HHC gave a positive rpt on VKZ’s new Docs, who think they can help Frank wid his back pain!  JD reported on activity at the Orange County Fair Booth, and Lowell reminded all of the upcoming Club Bfast on Aug. 2.  JD also announced that Cindy, OPI, is the new MAL.  IXN cudn’t hear QVY on his new HT, but AF6C & HHC relayed for Steve to IXN.  BSV, not reading the fine print on the parking pass, had to double-time to the Fair Booth in the heat, and Carl enjoyed Club meeting last Fri. eve., attending Joe Moell’s T-Hunt on Sat.!   And UEB worked his 1st KH6 station last nite on the big island of Hawaai.

7/27/2003 40m OCWN CW Net – Note from KF6UEB: When the net started at 0900 hrs, I had an S9-level QRN at my base station in Irvine. Even K3JIL/6, perhaps a couple of miles away, was only 579. I was about to cancel the net due to my inability to copy other stations when K3IMW boldly stepped up to the NCS role. Thanks, Ian, for stepping in and keeping the net alive! You did a great job on the fly and are truly are “the Voice of Irvine (VOI)”!

NCS/IMW checked in UEB, VDP, KØIOA, KS6CW, NT, and RND.        Ian – Finished some station improvements this week that appear to be paying dividends (i.e., he/Jill are able to hear stations Rick can’t).        Rick – Finished the design of my new QSL card. It will feature a photo taken of me during our portable operating trip to Pine Mountain.        Larry – Reported weak signals today. Went to TRW swap meet; WX was nice but sales were slow.        Ron – (NCS was unable to raise K0IOA, probably due to our spectacular band conditions)        Kathy – Volunteered in the Amateur Radio booth at the Orange County Fair with Huntington Beach RACES. Also won a bid for a Bencher paddle on eBay.        Ray – Also reported poor receiving conditions, but confirmed that Goat Hill is still standing.        John – Didn’t understand all the fuss about ‘poor condx’; John was getting good copy at this QTH, much better than last week. Been getting up early to watch the Tour de France bike race, which is wrapping up this morning. Looks good for the USA. (After NCS made a remark about John racing in the next Tour de France, John came back to say that his bicycling fame is limited to his membership in the Irvine Bicycle Club, Member #178.)

 

7/30/2003 10m Phone Net – W6ZE/AF6C checked in JD, KB1GZ, IXN, HHC, LNX, N7BWB(Bruce in Idaho), and TWA.  AF6C and JD reminded all OPs abt the Club Bfast Sat. morning, and Bob said that he dug out a palm tree vy near the QTH, sparing a neaby rose bush…(Any sore muscles, Bob?) IXN supplied answers to AF6C’s Tech article in last ‘RF’, and Bob enjoyed review of inductive & capacitive reactance helpful.  AF6C, HHC, GZ, and JD listened wid interest as GZ, bk frm a trip to England, described his experience wid an English radio club, of over 70 paid members, that meets in a pub!…GZ joined the Club!!   HHC enjoyed the recent rain & humidity…Ken felt like he was in Singapore!  Ken also told OPs that at least 30 FD pix are nw up on the WWW.W6ZE.ORG website.  HHC got bk the ant. that he loaned to VKZ, but nw he needs a large ‘O’ ring for the base of the ant.  LNX checked in using a 10/11m ant., roof mounted, up abt 18ft…Matt’s sigs were 5/7 at IXN’s QTH.  BWB, Bruce, checked in frm 25 mi. NE of Boise, ID.  BWB was born & raised in San Jose, CA., and has lived at his present location fer the past two years.   TWA’s XYL will have to watch her pitching arm…She just had a shoulder rotator cup operation!  And Charles collected abt a ½ gal. of water frm this morning’s rain in the rain barrel.

 

7/30/2003 2m Phone Net -  W6ZE/IXN checked in JD, KTS, MIH, HHC, MIG, MIF, MPW, VDP, AF6C, MIV, TWA, BSV, and WB6AJE(John).  JD announced the Club Bfast this Sat. morning, giving MPW directions to Cow Girls #2.  HHC referred Frank to the website fer a map.  IXN noted that the West Nile Virus is in Riverside County and all OPs shud empty standing water pots, etc., in their backyards!   KTS told OPs that the Ham Radio Booth at the Fair closes this Sun., and David mentioned the ribbon picked up by the Booth!  MIH said HI to OPs, and MIF & MIG ‘flew in and flew out’.  HHC mentioned KB1GZ, Steve, joining a radio club in England that meets in a pub!  MPW has been transferred to a microwave installation at John Wayne Airport.  AF6C told VDP that our new treasurer might be interested in Jim Talcott’s old Ringo Ranger ant. fer the handheld.  IXN told VDP abt the 10m contact wid N7BWB near Boise, ID, and VDP said that the 40m OCWN xmissions were bad last Sun.  Larry has only two items frm JSV’s ham gear left to sell.  AF6C & IXN told VDP to bring items left over frm the swapmeets to the upcoming Club Auction.  IXN wondered if AF6C’s removed palm tree had done any damage to the QTH foundation.  And IXN thinks we ought to have a ‘wrong mike’ award for OPs when they pick up the wrong mike during nets!…TWA wud be our 1st winner starting tonite!  BSV, suffering frm an overdose of sun at the Water Park, hopes that his oldest 16 yr old harmonic, who just got her driver’s license, has a vy successful driving career!  John, WB6AJE, and AF6C discussed electronic chips.

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