NETNEWS

by WB6IXN

4/03/2005 40m OCWN CW Net - NCS/UEB checked in IMW/6, KFW, IC, OIO, VDP, RND, KS6CW, AG, HKT, NT, IXN, and GVG.  UEB hoped all enjoyed one less hour of sleep! …And Rick will be doing some prep work today fer next week interviews!  IMW has a stability problem wid the ARC-5, and it will be on the air next week…And Ian said that a pair of aircraft xmitters frm NT are going to a collector of aircraft gear…Also IMW told NC that he was using the TS-430S today.  KFW, enjoying the spring WX, gave NCS a RST 589.  IC, wid a marine layer in Oceanside, gave the movie ‘Because of Winn-Dixie’ a two thumbs up!  OIO is getting within range of her diamond award wid around 200 contacts to go, maybe by the end of 2006.   VDP, getting over the flu, heard sum DX on 17m…And Larry will give NT a call.  RND, wid FB WX in Utopia, wishes all a gud week ahead.  CW congrats Ann, OIO, on her progress towards the Diamond award, and Kathy got a new fax/copier machine.  KA6G said that the WX has broken, and we go frm cloudy to clear WX!  HKT had fun on his two desert trips, learning history about hauling supplies from Prescott to Wilmington during the Civil War…Then Homer told OPs not to forget the EAA B-17 tour coming to Torrance April 15-17.  NT confirms VDP’s call, and Ray still has two 3-element beams up fer grabs, the 1^st to come gets the goodies!  IXN will go in for a bone density & carotid artery tests to find the source of his slight dizziness, and Bob wishes UEB gud luck on his upcoming inetrviews!  GVG checked in a ’lil late, Roy was still operating on standard time!

4/06/2005 15m Phone Net – The 10m Phone Net moved to 15m as of this evening’s net!   W6ZE/AF6C checked in PEQ, IXN, and CCD.   PEQ and Kristin will be off to the DX Convention in Visalia, and Dan, checking in on the 7800, switched over to the YAESU DX-9000 fer a checkout run.  OPs found Dan’s audio vy weak!…Hm-m-m!…Did Kristin put a hex on this rig!  All OPs agreed upon the nice WX, but PEQ quipped, “bad bands”!   AF6C had weak sigs on the 40m dipole, but sigs improved on the beam.  IXN had atmospheric QRN which lessened later in the Net, and HHC was helping Willie/N8WP wid April ‘RF’ Newsletter before the Net.  CCD, also experiencing some QRN tonite, cudn’t hear PEQ on the DX-9000…Then Tom got the din-din call.

4/06/2005 2m Phone Net – W6ZE/IXN checked in JD, HHC, AF6C, BWH, and KFW.  JD got a new table and will set up the VHS rig to operate the 15m Net possibly by next week…JD has been busy wid COAR, and Lowell told OPs that his son & wife will hve a baby girl by the 1^st week in Aug.!  HHC helped N8WP wid April ‘RF’, and Ken said the new Club Bfast restaurant has gud food.  KTT & WP will be helping BWH and the GGPD in the Baker-to-Vegas Run.  HHC will take the auto in fer an oil change, and then next week, he & Diane are off to Laughlin fer a ’lil R&R.  AF6C thought that AB might show up on 15m tonite…No luck!  NOT, AF6C, and Brian visited old Boeing mountain sites last week, including windy Monument Peak…Bob said that Boeing radio towers might be being used by others, too!…In Julian, gas was $2.95/gal!…Then Bob told OPs to click on the OCARC Orange on the website, then critique a new webpage!…Contact AF6C wid your comments!   HHC & BWH said that Baker-to-Vegas Run will occur on Apr. 23 & 24.  KFW worked on an errant TV, the voltage was OK, he reset the microprocessor, and now all is well!  BWH aired Newsline file #1442, wid a gud report on the 8.2 EQ in the Sumatra region in Indonesia, wid over 3,000 casualties!

4/10/2005 OCWN 40m CW Net - NCS/UEB checked in HQK, VDP, KFW, HKT, GVG, IC, RND, OIO, KS6CW, KA6G, IXN, and NT.  UEB finished his taxes yesterday…and wid a refund!  HQK checked in after several months due to other obligations…Bart enjoyed hearing so many chack-ins!  VDP will pick up sum more of NT’s stuff today, and Larry may need Chris’ help to get the errant laptop up and running.  HKT told OPs that the B17 will be in Torrance next weekend, wid Homer helping the TARA wid ground communications…And HKT told us that there is a new repeater guide called the Scan Directory, available for scanners.  GVG, now on the correct time, HI, says the avacados are in full bloom, wid Roy hearing gud sigs frm all OPs!  IC, wid clear skies and 71 deg. temp., is just soaking up the beautiful WX.  UEB told GVG and OPs that his Monday and Tuesday interviews were grueling!…Now Rick is awaiting the results!  RND is starting a new book, Ship of Gold, another sunken ship full of gold!…HI!…The author is Gary Kinder.  OIO gave a FISTS presentation to the Orange Senior Center Radio Club…One member still thinks it’s all abt contesting, and sum OPs thought that QRP was just a toy!…HI!  CW, welcoming HQK bk to the Net, will be off next weekend to see poppies and wildflowers in bloom in Antelope Valley.  KA6G kicked bk and listened to the Net, and IXN goes fer a carotid artery check and a bone density test come Apr. 20.  NT, wid the QTH full of boxes, is hoping to move before next weekend…(We will all miss Ray’s checkins frm The Hill.)

4/13/2005 15m Phone Net - W6ZE/AF6C checked in HHC, LDC, and IXN.  HHC said that PFA stopped his Tennessee Valley Indians right in their tracks wid the repair of a loose connection!  Diane wrangled a suite fer HHC and herself, from the Flamingo hotel in Laughlin!  And HHC said that he will handle communications frm the City of Baker, thru Shoshone, then half way to Pahrump during the Baker-to-Vegas Run.  IXN cudn’t hear LDC’s sigs at the QTH…LDC was using a 80m loop ant to work the Net…Larry will try to put up a 15m dipole fer next week’s Net! IXN checked in late…Bob forgot throw the ant. switch frm the 40m rig position fer the OCWN, to the YAESU VHF rig!…IXN will hve a carotid artery test, a bone density test, and a brain MRI in late April.  AF6C’s nicad batteries kept Rudolph’s red nose blinking frm Dec 1 thru April 1!…And Bob is reburbishing an old fan (40, maybe 50 yrs old)…It still works!…Next, he will repair an errant power supply in an old tectronics oscilloscope.

4/13/2005 2m Phone Net - W6ZE/IXN checked in JD, HHC, AF6C, and BWH.  Limited by his health, JD will not be participating in Baker-to-Vegas this year.  HHC is still trying to find a way to snake control cables frm the trunk to the passenger compartment in the T-Bird, and Ken & Diane are still trying to figure out what the yellow bikini wid a blue background is doing on CH4 cable during The DaVince Code airing!  IXN suggested that HHC check out Autoland’s radio installers fer help wid the T-Bird cable problem.  AF6C told BWH that he wud get something ready to air Newsline File when BWH moves away.   And AF6C & IXN agree that these new plastic window fans are a rip-off!…The plastic used just doesn’t stand up to the WX!  BWH aired Newsline File #1443…The BPL plan fer the UK has been scrapped!…BPL in Irving, TX, has pulled the plug…And, did U.S. Navy sonar beach dolphins in Florida?…a very interesting Newsline!…Tnx, Bob!

4/17/2005 OCWN 40m CW Net - NCS/UEB checked in IC, KS6CW, KA6G, VDP, RND, IXN, NT, and CCE.  UEB & family drove up to San Francisco Bay area on Thursday to check out colleges fer the Harmonic…They encountered strong headwinds, cutting highway mileage to 17MPG!…They returned late Friday, missing the heavy traffic.  IC said the WX has been great fer yardwork, Fred even painted tree trunks white…HI!  Yesterday CW went to the Lancaster Poppy Festival and the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, taking many photos of wildflowers.  KA6G worked the MTC Net and did OK, with sum struggle!…HI!…Jim will continue working toward full recovery!  VDP picked up three beams frm NT, and Larry’s laptop is still kaput!  IXN, unable to pull IC out of the QRN today, will be going over to GG right after Net fer a grand-nephew BD party.  And NT, last check-in frm Goat Hill, will be moving tomorrow to Corona del Mar…And Ray asked VDP to land line him.  RND told NT to get the rig bk on the air ASAP!  UEB welcomed Kenan, N6CCE, in Santa Ana, to the Net!

4/20/2005 15m Phone Net - W6ZE/AF6C checked in LDC, IXN, and HHC.  IXN cudn’t hear LDC dwn in the QRN…AF6C will go to Larry’s QTH tomorrow and help LDC wid a vertical ant.  AF6C and OPs missed UC and GW at the last couple of Club meetings, and Bob has now finished refurbishing the old mid-century metal fan which we are sure will outlast these new plastic cheapies!  VKZ is busy selling off ham gear before making the big move back East to Philadelphia area.  VKZ & HHC will be off to HRO tomorrow to pick up a battery pack fer a HT.  IXN nw awaits test results from a carotid artery ultra-sound test, and, a bone density test.  HHC checked out the FD site at Los Alamitos wid CCE and N8WP…Looks like a gud site!  HHC tnxed AF6C fer his help in routing cables frm the trunk to the passenger compartment in the T-Bird.   IXN & Lee visited UC & GW over at Winn’s Music Store just before Net, and Bob said that CCE checked into the OCWN last Sunday morning.

4/20/2005 2m Phone Net - W6ZE/IXN checked in MEQ, KTS, MIH, MIG, HHC, KFW, and AF6C.  MEQ put up a Diamond X-50 2m/440 vert. antenna, which is doing a FB Job!  KTS warned all OPs that they only hve two weeks to sign up fer HAMCON, and David said that the crowd at the MS Walk ranged between 2 & 4 thousand!  MIH played hookie to go meet The American Idol, and Kevin has a new 2m/440 GP-6 ant, wid abt 9 db gain on 440.  AF6C told Kevin abt the bad time he had the only time he played hookie!  HHC, wid the lost feedline connected to the rig once more, told OPs that this is our 1^st contact wid Berlie, MEQ!…And Ken tells OPs to go check out the ham gear fer sale, etc., at VKZ’s QTH.  HHC also told OPs abt the FD site at Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base.  KFW & XYL were baby sitters fer a week wid their 18 month old grand daughter while daughter & husband were away.  AF6C & IXN reminded all to check into the 15m Net…the 10m net having moved to 15m on 21.375 MHz!

4/24/2005 OCWN 40m CW Net – NCS/UEB checked in IMW/6, KS6CW, KA6G, HKT, VDP, RND, IXN, and CCE.   UEB bought his Hamvention tickets yesterday and is looking forward to Dayton…He and Casey will be representing the OCWN…(Note:  Nice pix of UEB, NT, VDP, and IMW on ‘The Hill’ just before NT left for the new QTH).  IMW, not on the vintage gear this week, is getting the Paraset ready fer VE Day, and CW informed OPs that next Sat. is Morse Day, and all are welcome to enjoy the luncheon and meeting at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Fullerton frm 11:30 to 3 PM.  KA6G ran the W6MTC net yesterday, wid sum QRN.  In the middle of the net, Jim’s keyer failed, so he went to the hand key.   Jim asked RND to take over NC duties due to QRN at his QTH.  Last week, HKT spent 3 days doing crowd control fer the B17 Bomber visit, six volunteers winning a ride in the plane frm here to Lancaster, to be flown back by private pilots.  VDP, working on the laptop, finally got Windows 95 to work, and Larry hopes to get bk to NT’s QTH to pick up more gear. RND, awakened by the rain at 4 AM this morning, made a few QSOs and got a few new FISTS numbers last week.  IXN, tests finished, awaits a brain scan next Tuesday.  Results will follow later.  IMW told UEB that JIL is giving the XYL a jump start at UCI…(Tnx, Ian!)  N6CCE, Kenan, enjoyed his 1^st Net check-in, using a R7 ant. and a Kenwood TS-850S.

4/27/2005 15m Phone Net - W6ZE/AF6C checked in IXN, LDC, HHC, PFA, and CCE.  AF6C got pix frm PEQ at the DX Convention in Visalia, and Bob will put sum up on the website…And Bob helped LDC wid his 15m dipole ant.  IXN cudn’t pull LDC out of the QRN, and Bob has sum plaque in his right carotid artery.  Cheryl, KTT, just called HHC, and she told Ken that she and WP were involved in an auto accident yesterday…PEQ ended up wid a broken wrist and a broken kneecap!   HHC got bk frm Baker-to-Vegas Run just in time to go on jury duty this week…(PS:  When the litigants saw ‘hang ’em high Ken’ on the jury panel, they settled out of court!…HI!)  All OPs were able to hear LDC but IXN, HHC hearing Larry at S5.  Club participants in Baker-to-Vegas were:  WP and KTT, BWH, PFA, VPP, WWK, HHC, and former Club member DLA, Bruce.  IXN also has slight osteoporosis, and Bob is waiting to hear the results of the brain scan!  PFA checked into Net wid 5/9 sigs on the 8-band vertical…Tom told OPs that Newport came in 1^st, Utah in 2^nd, and Orange in 3^rd, in their respective classes in the Baker-to-Vegas Run.  CCE also experienced weak sigs frm LDC, and Kenan said the frequency had vy low QRN tonite.

4/27/2005 2m Phone Net - W6ZE/IXN checked in JD, CCE, AF6C, and HHC.  JD gave all OPs 5/9 sig rpts, and JD & IXN compared medical test results.   AF6C described LDC’s 2-section tubular ant. tower to OPs.    IXN told OPs that there are abt 30 OPs nw checking into the OCWN!  IXN wondered if Willie & Cheryl’s airbags deployed during their recent auto accident.  CCE likes the new Club Webpage, and Kenan highly approves of the old Alamitos Naval Airstation fer FD this year.  AF6C said that May’s Club program will be arranged while Willie recuperates frm his injuries…And Bob has finished ‘the fan project’ wid the old motors purring like new!…AF6C also finished another Brother Cadfael mystery…(If you finish the series, Bob, you will know quite a bit about monastic life!)…And, Bob downloaded Westlink File, but he isn’t prepared to air it as yet.  HHC asked OPs if they had heard that the State of CA. needs communications people…No response (...May news letter has details).   Ken filled OPs in abt WP and KTT’s auto accident last night…And HHC is now finished with jury duty.

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