2012 R.A.C.E.S. /A.R.E.S. ICS TRAINING DAY

-------Original Message------- · New User?

Hello all,
Here is the link for my radio Balloon prodject.
http://kb8afs.wordpress.com/
Timothy KB8AFS

Hello to the list,
    Happy New Year,

    I'm still actively promoting "weak-signal" VHF/UHF to hams in a multi-state
area.  Both via email lists I've developed and via my website, kc9bqa.com.
    If you want weekly reminders about VHF activity, email me and I'll get you on
a list.  I've greatly reduced how many lists I mail to save a few hours per
week.   You may not hear from me via this list for a month or more.  Your best
option is to visit kc9bqa.com once or twice a week.

    I'm not sure I ever defined "weak-signal" VHF/UHF for this list.  My
definition is making contacts far beyond the line-of-sight limit that is
incorrectly put on V/UHF.  Every day, hams with horizontally-polarized,
high-gain yagis up in the clear, using at least 50-100w output power, are making
contacts of 100, 200, 300 miles and more, using USB and CW modes, along with an
ever-growing suite of digital modes.  This is standard practice on the 50 and
144 MHz bands.  Under enhanced conditions, the range occasionally expands to 500
miles or more.
    My goal is to make sure every ham within range of my keyboard knows that this
is possible.  What you do with the info is up to you.  If you have DX'er in you,
you may eventually love the SSB/CW/digital side of V/UHF.

    Our bands often don't have enough activity.  My other goal is to direct hams
to where and when the activity will be.  Who is going to enjoy a new mode of
operating if there's no signals to hear?

    If you follow kc9bqa.com, you know exactly where and when to look.  We still
have our long-range SSB nets on Wed. nights.  I just made this week's
announcement on the website, visit kc9bqa.com if you're curious.  I update
kc9bqa.com frequently, just like I have for the last 2+ years.

     We also have the first VHF/UHF contest of 2012 coming up.  This is the ARRL
January VHF Sweepstakes, on the weekend of Jan 21-22.   All bands from 50 MHz
and 144 MHz, right on up thru 222 and 432 MHz, and into the microwave bands are
in play.  Here's a link to the rules:  
http://www.arrl.org/january-vhf-sweepstakes
     Because so many hams have 6m and/or 2m, and because most contest  activity
takes place on those bread-and-butter bands, there's potentially hundreds of VHF
contesters out there.  Problem is, a lot of hams think contesting is a
high-stress, cut-throat deal for big guns only.  On VHF at least, that just
isn't true.  We can always use more ops, and we need more signals to work.  In
the Midwest, we have decent activity levels, but there's always room on the
bands for you to get your feet wet.  I invite you to tune in and participate.

     When I was brand new to ham radio in 2002-03, I had a hard time finding
solid info about how to play in a VHF contest.  I have put together a series of
articles called VHF Contesting School.  They cover the whole 9 yards, and break
topics down into bite-sized pieces.  The articles are available here:
http://kc9bqa.com/?p=5609   Skim thru those articles and see if they motivate
you.

     I realize many of you will gloss over this post and I understand.  But if
you know a ham who is VHF-curious, steer them toward kc9bqa.com where they can
find what they're looking for.

     73,
     Todd   KC9BQA    EN63ao  (my grid square -- visit the website for a new post
about what grid squares are all about)
     www.kc9bqa.com  For Frequent VHF/UHF Updates
     www.wivuch.com  WI  VHF/UHF County Hunters Award

Anyone want to hazard a guess as to the probability of propagation on 28
MHz to Europe @ 0400 to 0600 EST this coming Sunday?  There's a German
10 metre contest which starts at 0900Z and runs to 1059Z   I wonder if
it would be fruitful to raise my aging bones at Oh-Dark-thirty to see
how 10 metres is acting on the wee hours of Sunday morning.

For rules of this contest see:
http://www.darc.de/referate/dx/contest/10m/en/rules/

I haven't been on 10 meters at such an hour for several (many?) years.

I was able to work Europeans during some recent contests at 0800 EST
(1300Z).  If I recall, some of them were from Germany.

Private responses are probably best, unless there's a groundswell of
interest on this reflector.

73 de n8xx Hg

Anyone know how to contact the folks at the Muskegon Area Amateur Radio
Council?  They don't list any ossifers or members on their web site, nor
is there a contact person listed on the ARRL's affiliated club "search"
site.

Tnx es 73 de n8xx Hg

Good day Hank
The MAARC's new website is w8zho.com.
Bill Fries, NA8M, is the 2012 President.  Bill follows this forum and post here
often.

Best regards,
Rich "Doc" AC8AL

--- In WestMichiganHams@yahoogroups.com, Hank Greeb <n8xx@...> wrote:
>
> Anyone know how to contact the folks at the Muskegon Area Amateur Radio
> Council?  They don't list any ossifers or members on their web site, nor
> is there a contact person listed on the ARRL's affiliated club "search"
> site.
>
> Tnx es 73 de n8xx Hg
>

A fellow ham said that CQ Magazine is still on newsstands.  Anyone know
where I can buy a copy in the Grand Rapids area?

73 de n8xx Hg

It was for years available to check out at Loutit District Library in Grand
Haven, but they dropped their subscription early last year. I protested, but
apparently was the only one.
Mark,
KE8FO

--- In WestMichiganHams@yahoogroups.com, K8TB <k8tb@...> wrote:
>
> Hank,
>      I have seen it at Barnes and Nobles at Grandville.
>
>                                tom k8tb
>
> On 1/6/2012 7:41 PM, Hank Greeb wrote:
> >
> > A fellow ham said that CQ Magazine is still on newsstands. Anyone know
> > where I can buy a copy in the Grand Rapids area?
> >
> > 73 de n8xx Hg
> >
> >
>

All:

As you know I've been putting W8ZHO QSOs into an electronic log.  After the QSOs
are logged I've been uploading them to the ARRL's LoTW site.  As a result of the
QSLs we have "in stock" and on the LoTW system we have just crossed the 100
countries (or, entities, if you prefer) level.  With this country count we can
apply for a DXCC certificate for W8ZHO.  I will likely do so after we get a
dozen or so more QSOs (as insurance).

We might also apply for WAS and WAC.  We have the QSLs or LoTW credits for each.

Bill, NA8M

Any other local operate this event?  I didn't find a single Michigan
Station "running" a frequency on either 80 or 40.  I heard IAN, K8MM
doing S&P, but I never could attract his attention.  And, I did hear a
fellow on 21 MHz working my friend WA8REI from Freeland, Michigan, but
never ran across him on 80 or 40.  Oh, well, I had fun.  QRP is fun in
this contest because of the 100 watt maximum limit.

                       North American QSO Party, CW - January

Call: N8XX
Operator(s): N8XX
Station: N8XX

Class: Single Op QRP
QTH: MI
Operating Time (hrs): 8 (A SWAG, someone tell me the place where N1MM
keeps track of "ON" times?  I know it's there, but can't find it.)

Summary:

    Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
     160:    0     0
      80:   75    32
      40:   71    37
      20:   46    21
      15:   47    19
      10:   11     5
-------------------
Total:  250   114  Total Score = 28,500

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Team: MRRC

Comments: Sn*w and ice on the feeders (as high as 1" or more on flat
parts of the window line) and antenna wire (Guesstimate at more than �"
in diameter on a 14 gauge wire) MIGHT have caused some lack of
performance, particularly on 14 thru 28 MHz.  The LDG auto tuner could
find acceptable matching on all bands.  Didn't think to deploy the end
loading part of the antenna for 160, so couldn't make it there.

Used "DUCK" in honor of K8DD (SK) and I'm sure there are some "busted
contacts" because folks would say "DICK ?" and I'd try to correct them,
but they'd proceed on.

NAQP is fun for QRP operation because the "BIG GUNS" are only allowed
100 watts, which makes it much easier to bust through a pileup.  S&P
mainly, but was semi-successful "running" late in the contest on 80 metres.

80 and 40 were a bit noisy, perhaps from sn*w static - and was somewhat
surprised in being able to work some stations who weren't S9 +++ on
these bands.

Thanx to the organizers of this fine contest!
_______________________________________________
MRRC mailing list
MRRC@...
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/mrrc

Yesterday, at around 10 am, I looked outside and saw a very strange sight.
The phone/cable line was oscillating very strong, and there was NO wind.

Here is a video I took, note that only the bottom cable is moving, and there
is no wind.  The truck in the video was no where near the poles and was
there changing a tire (I walked down there and checked it out)

Click on this link to see the video

http://videobam.com/lygib

Today I got up and checked the web for some news and found this:

"(CNN) -- A strong 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck Sunday off the coast of
Antarctica, prompting a warning that there was a "small possibility" it
could trigger a tsunami.

The tremor was centered in waters south of South America's southern tip,
about 334 miles (539 kilometers) west of Coronation Island and 388 miles
northeast of Palmer Station in Antarctica, the U.S. Geological Survey
reported.

It hit at 9:40 a.m. local time (8:40 a.m. ET) on Sunday, according to the
federal agency, and had an estimated depth of 6.2 miles."

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/15/world/americas/antarctica-earthquake/index.htm
l?eref=rss_topstories

Here are some factoids

The cable was oscillating at about 3 Hz with about a 7 Hz harmonic.  I
watched it and timed it.  It shook full force until around 4 pm.  At 5:30 pm
it was down to about 1/2 it's activity.  It's now more than 24 hours later
and the cable is still shaking, but it's barely noticeable.

The 'Schumann Resonance' is the Earth's natural electromagnetic resonance,
and that starts at 3.5, then 7, then 14 and so on Hz.

My road, Hall Rd. was the only road we could see that had the phenomena.  It
extended on and off from close to Maple Island Rd. to Sheridan.

The cable that is shaking has a metal shield, as it is comm cable.  So that
would be like a 3 inch diameter metal tube.

Buried under Hall Rd, from Sheridan to Maple Island is a about a 5 or 6 foot
metal pipe, the forced main to the wastewater facility.

I have never seen this happen before, and this house has been in my family
since before I was born.  Until about a year and a half ago, there was no
large diameter metal pipe under the road.

I know this is not really a ham radio subject, but it is a radio subject if
what I saw was a result of a disturbance in the resonance of the earth.

Remember, what you see in the vid I posted started before 10 am and
continued full force until around 3 pm and slowly tapered off, still barely
moving now more than 24 hours later.

Thanks,

Mark K8MHZ

Wow.... that is really funky.

You should make copies of that for safe keeping, and maybe send it to
some of the scientific outfits, colleges, etc., that study this sort of
thing and see if they are interested in it.

spooky.

=====================  James - K8JHR  ===========================

On 1/16/2012 11:50 AM, Mark wrote:
> Yesterday, at around 10 am, I looked outside and saw a very strange sight.
> The phone/cable line was oscillating very strong, and there was NO wind.
>
> Here is a video I took,
________________________________________________________________

.

Forwarded from MiHam Reflector
==================
New Hams Dinner
February 11th, 2012 @ 2:00pm.
Fire Mountain
3725 Alpine Ave NW 
Comstock Park, MI 49321

This event is open to all Amateur Radio Operators, family and friends.All new hams receiving there license since February 2011, will eat free.

There is no need to sign up.

If you have photos, stories of events or QSL Cards please bring along to share with others

If you have any questions. Contact the Lowell Amateur Radio Club -Officers@... 

KD8HNF Bob

ADDEDby N8UVI: New move-ins qualify for eat free. Hams that moved in to the area since last February. To somewhat define that, if you moved to the GR area from Lansing, Chicago, Indianapolis, etc., Yes! If you moved from Middleville to Ada, No!

For the rest of us, let's welcome the new ones. Dinner runs $12 - $13 includes beverages and gratuity.

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Messages

Reed Timmer: Meteorologist and Extreme Storm Chaser

Hey guys, I'll be speaking at the Minnesota Storm Chasing Convention on January 14th at around 1:30 p.m. Central. If you can't make it, you can watch my presentation LIVE for FREE by bookmarking this link! http://www.mnstormchasingconvention.com/MNSCCstreaming.htm

2012 R.A.C.E.S. /A.R.E.S. ICS TRAINING DAY

Complete the required Incident Command System courses for your R.A.C.E.S. requirements in one day.