[handiham-world] Letter from camp: Wednesday, 19 August 2009

From: "Patrick Tice" <wa0tda@xxxxxxxx>
To: <handiham-world@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:46:22 -0500
Letter from camp: Wednesday, 19 August 2009

Greetings from Radio Camp. I had planned to write this letter earlier today,
since there is no regular weekly E-Letter this week. Then I got so busy that
it's now early evening and I'm just getting started!

If you would like to contact us at camp, we are on the PICONET, which you
can reach on 3.925 MHz Monday through Saturday, 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. CDT and
3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Except on Saturday there is no afternoon net.) The
75 meter band being what it is, stations outside Minnesota and the adjacent
states will likely not hear this net. If you have remote base access, you
can easily check into PICONET.

You can also find us on the usual Echolink net daily at 11:00 a.m. CDT.

Yesterday's WX report sounded ominous - rain and thunderstorms all day long.
When morning dawned, the sun came out and the day was dry. So much for the
weatherman. Since the day was pretty nice, campers went out on Lake George,
aboard the pontoon boat equipped with an Icom IC-718. Back on shore, I
wrestled with cranky computers while Don, N0BVE, put the final touches on
our now-functioning wired and wireless networks. You just don't realize how
much you use the internet until you don't have it!

Last evening I took a walk to the lake and got some beautiful photos of the
sun setting over the water. I hope to get some of those posted online when
time allows -- after camp, of course. On a walk around camp, one can take an
HT and be tuned to the Echolink node frequency. You are never far from your
friends when you use these new technologies to link repeaters around the
world.

We are running a camp-wide net on 146.58 MHz, a simplex frequency that lets
new hams gain some valuable experience. Guess what? There is never a
shortage of volunteers who want to be the net control station. I hope that
these enthusiastic campers take that attitude back home at the end of the
week and volunteer in their local radio clubs. Sometimes the mere mention of
"Who wants to be net control?" will generate a lively discussion of who gets
to do the job. You would have thought they were asked, "Who wants to be a
millionaire?" -- That's real enthusiasm!

Yes, new hams are fun to watch, talk with, and help because they are ready
to have fun on the air, and they really want to get involved. That's why I
was horrified to read an email late yesterday about a new ham who wasn't
being accepted by everyone on his local two meter net. One fellow even went
so far as to conclude that a blind ham like this new guy wasn't qualified to
run a net because he would never be able to keep track of the stations
checking in. Even worse, the new ham has been experiencing malicious
interference on the local repeater.

How sad. I'm sure I don't need to tell our readers how people who are blind
can use all sorts of technology to take notes. No, what really bothers me is
that such ignorance still exists out there, and to find it in the amateur
radio community is just plain disheartening.

Well, that email was a downer, but a look around Radio Camp quickly brought
me back to reality: Most hams are salt-of-the-earth folks who would help a
new ham with just about anything, whether it involved operating for the
first time, setting up a station, finding a club, or discovering Field Day.

Those good things are what make Amateur Radio worthwhile. I hope all of you
feel the same way, and will take time to help a new ham get on the air.

Read more letters from camp at www.handiham.org.

Until tomorrow, 73!

Patrick Tice, WA0TDA
wa0tda@xxxxxxxx

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  _____  

Courage Center Handiham System
3915 Golden Valley Road
Golden Valley, MN 55422
E-Mail: hamradio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Toll-Free telephone: 1-866-HANDIHAM (1-866-426-3442) 

FAX:(763) 520-0577 Be sure to put "Handihams" in the FAX address! 

We look forward to hearing from you soon.
[handiham-world] Letter from camp: Wednesday, 19 August 2009

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