Hi, Richard...   
      
    RW@> TOday is Sun. Dec. 30, 2012   
      
    RW@> TOday is Sun. Dec. 30, 2012.   
      
     A new version of doublespeak?? (hi hi)   
      
      
    RW@> WEll folks, winter is definitely upon us here in the northern   
    RW@> latitudes.  We hope you got all that antenna maintenance done last   
    RW@> fall you needed to get done, as well as your house gutters cleaned   
    RW@> out and all other winter preparations made.   
      
      
     Living in HUD subsidized housing for the disabled means I don't have   
   to worry about outside work. But, when the landscapers come by with their   
   mowers and edgers, it's loud enough to wake the dead!!   
      
    RW@> THe holidays are just about over.  Be sure to dust off that old   
    RW@> straight key for the annual straight key night, and kick back in   
    RW@> the warm comfort of your shack while the other amateurs party the night   
    RW@> away.  IF straight key night isn't your thing, or you don't have hf   
    RW@> amateur priveleges be sure to monitor local frequencies where you   
    RW@> might be of assistance to that traveler in need of assistance or to   
    RW@> report that accident to the authorities which was caused by   
    RW@> somebody who did a bit too much celebrating.   
      
     To me, a straight key is one I didn't bend trying to open a door with   
   (hi hi). I don't have RF equipment anymore, due to antenna prohibitions,   
   and only operate Echolink (single user setup), D-Star (DV Dongle), and   
   packet via telnet to the N0KFQ BBS in Branson, Missouri. I still do the   
   Trains Net on Echolink on Monday evenings at 8pm Central Time, on the   
   N9LLT-L node. At least I finally got my new callsign validated for    
   Echolink, D-Star, and Packet. Now, to get used to typing and saying it   
   (hi hi). But, considering I had my original callsign (N5VLZ) for 18   
   years, and the previous vanity callsign (AE5WX) for 3 1/2 years, the   
   new one (WX1DER) will take some getting used to. But, it's appropriate,   
   because:   
      
   1) It's the name of a series of weather features when I was in college   
   over 30 years ago at the University Of Arkansas at Little Rock (they   
   have a callsign server that mirrors the FCC ULS), and I was majoring   
   in Radio/TV/Film. I never dreamed my "radio" would be amateur radio.   
   Named "A Weather Wonder" (patterned after "A Meteorological Minute"   
   done by The Weather Channel, shortly after it first went on the air),   
   I also coined the phrase "we analyze data, forecasts, and text...but   
   wonder what weather will happen next". That was so true in the    
   Christmas Day, 2012 winter storm that hit Arkansas hard. In Little   
   Rock, we started with 1/4 inch of freezing rain, then had 10 to 15   
   inches of snow on top of it. At the height of the storm, over 200,000   
   people were without power, but it's down to under 40,000 now.   
      
   2) It's the domain of my personal homepage, The Thunderbolt -- A   
   Weather Wonder (www.wx1der.com).   
      
   3) It's the domain of my ham radio and weather oriented BBS, The   
   Thunderbolt BBS (wx1der.dyndns.org).   
      
    RW@> Be sure to keep those batteries charged and your skills sharp.  YOu   
    RW@> never know when you'll need them.   
      
     I still do nets on occasion, but am not as active as I used to be.   
      
    RW@> Study for that license upgrade.   
      
     Considering, I'm an Amateur Extra Class VE, that leaves me out   
   (hi hi).   
      
    RW@> Learn the international Morse code if you haven't already.   
      
     I tried a 5 wpm CW test once, but failed. Had I filled in the blanks   
   on the copy, I might have passed it, but it's a moot point now. Several   
   years ago, one area ham (now a SK) told me that his "secret" to learning   
   CW was "learning all the dirty words first". I laughed, and admitted   
   "Well, you can't say them on the air, but if it helps, more power to   
   you". That was verified when I was listening to a Morse Code training   
   class, done by the Dallas Amateur Radio Club, on their repeater and   
   Echolink node. The first 4 characters they taught formed an expletive...   
   but when you looked at the dot and dash pattern, it made perfect sense!!   
      
    RW@> STudy for other certifications that might be useful.   
    RW@> THis includes but is not limited to ARRL emergency   
    RW@> communications courses, Fema ICS coures, etc.   
      
     Unfortunately, I have too many health issues to worry about getting   
   involved with EmComm.    
      
    RW@> VOlunteer to be a net control for your local or section net.   
      
     I've been doing nets almost since I first got my license in 1991.   
   I still do the Trains Net on Monday, and help with a couple of   
   weather related nets on Saturday, both on Echolink.   
      
    RW@> Fabricate and test antenna feedline jumpers and wiring harnesses   
    RW@> for power distribution to gear requiring 13.8 vdc.   
      
     The only thing I remember from the "electronic theory" part of the   
   license exams was "1500 milliamps can kill you". I did good with   
   rules, regulations, frequencies, propagation, and RF safety...but   
   electronics was NEVER my forte'.   
      
    RW@> If you haven't already done so, make a new year's resolution   
    RW@> to take a CERT class this year.  COntact your localfire or   
    RW@> police department, or your local emergency management agency   
    RW@> and ask where you can acquire cert training.  Join your   
    RW@> local cert team.  IF there isn't one, help start one!   
      
     The health issues have really made me scale back in what I do in   
   ham radio. I even had to stop using Facebook, as between it, and   
   the BBS, I was spending way too much time at the computer, and it   
   was causing severe eye strain, and aggravating my migraine headaches;   
   likely caused from 2 indirect lightning strikes, and a severe   
   concussion over the years.   
      
   Daryl, WX1DER   
      
   ... The Thunderbolt BBS, Little Rock, AR   wx1der.dyndns.org   
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