Things have been very quiet here lately. I was wondering what type of projects everyone is currently working on. At the moment I don't have much of anything radio related happening and have been busy with day to day life type of things. I guess the closest thing to anything radio
like is that I am back into the world of podcasts now that I have to be in the office more and more. Anyone know of any good radio related podcasts? I know Ham Nation puts out an audio version, anything else
out there?
First, HamNation was the first thing that I thought of, although my
schedule doesn't permit me to listen to it. So, if I have free time (two
nasty four letter words -- work is another one <G>), I can go listen to an archived one. I used to listen to ARRL Audio News, but haven't done that
in years...I prefer Amateur Radio Newsline now.
As for projects, nothing new. The contractors are rebuilding the bathroom
at the QTH after a plumbing incident 4 months ago. Then, I'm still dealing with the effects of a car wreck (not my fault) 6 1/2 months ago. So, 2021
has NOT been a good year for me. My health has gotten so that besides not
being able to afford travel outside of central Arkansas (for hamfests or otherwise), is that my health won't permit. The arthritis throughout my
body, and the degenerative disk disease in my spine, have taken its toll.
Hobby wise, I still do work on the BBS...run ham radio nets 4 days a
week (I maintain spreadsheets in the 4 main US Time Zones of selected
D-Star, Echolink, and D-Rats Nets -- you can get these from the hyperlink
off my bio on QRZ)...and take care of the website and monthly publication
for the Arkansas State Square Dance Federation. There are "dancing hams"...
and the National Square Dance Convention (NSDC) is usually on Field Day Weekend.
I always had my HT with me (I was first licensed 30 years ago), and we
would pick an out of the way simplex frequency (such as 144.950, where
no one would bother us), and we'd decide where to square dance, eat,
sightsee, etc. But, one year, the last night of the NSDC, the security
guard at the hotel assaulted our shuttle bus driver, and I used ham radio
to save his life. When the fellow dancers on the bus said that, I replied
"This is what ham radio operators prepare for...emergency communications".
I used to do a precursor to the Arkansas Skywarn Weather Nets, called
"The Weather Watch Net", run from the QTH. In Arkansas, we're in the east
end of Tornado Alley, and the west end of Dixie Alley, so we get it both barrels. And, unfortunately, much of that occurs between sunset and
sunrise. One night, I was up all night doing one of those nets. A tornado
had hit the community of Atkins, Arkansas (where the pickles were made),
around 1:30am, and I had been on the air for over an hour already. Around
3am, one ham came on, and said "Every time there's bad weather in the
area, you're on here. Don't you ever sleep??!!". Sarcastically, I replied
"No. Next Question"...then started laughing before I unkeyed the microphone
(hi hi).
One Thursday night, a half hour before a local club regular traffic
net was to take place, I got a phone call from the Club Vice President,
who chaired up Arkansas Skywarn. He said that the National Weather
Service had contacted him with an activation request, because tornadic thunderstorms were moving into the local county warning area (CWA). I
was asked if I could start "The Weather Watch Net", until they got
operators out to the National Weather Service (this was long before COVID-19)...and, I said "Sure".
So, I began the net...and this one elderly ham (who went bad senile
after his wife died...he's now a Silent Key), went ballistic. He was
expecting (and wanting) the regular club traffic net...but to me,
tornado warnings are far more important than routine traffic. I tried
to explain to him that the National Weather Service had requested this,
but he would have none of that. Thankfully, the Club President was also
on the repeater, and I said "Tell him!!". That made the old guy even
angrier. So, every time I got on that repeater, he interfered with me,
as if holding a grudge. There are 3 clubs in the Little Rock area, but
they still hold constant bickering over "who does severe weather operations better".
I finally had enough, and quit doing weather related stuff 2 1/2 years ago (even though Skywarn was what got me into ham radio 30 years ago). Now, my emphasis is railroad crossing safety; I did a poem and a PSA for Operation Lifesaver years ago on that, at
https://www.theweatherwonder.com/rxr.htm
Ironically, I do the Trains And Railroads Net on the QuadNet Array
every Friday night at 8pm US Eastern Time -- go to openquad.net for
connection options on D-Star, DMR, WIRES-X, and Fusion. We discuss
anything and everything about trains and railroading...and have a
railroad trivia question. First time checkins are eligible for a
commemorative certificate, upon email request to The Conductor (yours
truly).
My alternate phonetics stand for "Whistled Crossings For Quiet
Zones". Some railroads use W for the grade crossing warning sign,
and others use X. QZ stands for Quiet Zone, where the train horn
is not sounded, unless they're meeting a train on a parallel track,
there's a Maintenance Of Way crew doing track work, or in case of
an emergency (someone tries to beat the train at the crossing).
Daryl, WX4QZ
... "Mount your horses, men!!" "We're not that lonely, sir!!"
=== MultiMail/Win v0.52
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)