[handiham-world] Corrected: Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute Handiham World Weekly E-Letter for the week of Wednesday, 13 May 2015
- From: "Patrick Tice" <wa0tda@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <handiham-world@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 12 May 2015 13:54:42 -0500
Logo for Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, part of Allina Health
Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute Handiham World Weekly E-Letter for the
week of Wednesday, 13 May 2015
This is a free weekly news & information update from the Courage Kenny Handiham
Program <https://handiham.org> , serving people with disabilities in Amateur
Radio since 1967.
Our contact information is at the end.
Listen here:
https://handiham.org/audio/handiham13MAY2015.mp3
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_____
Welcome to Handiham World.
In this edition:
· Heading to Dayton!
· Check into our daily nets.
· A radio museum has a garage sale.
· The Remote Base HF report: RF is getting into the host computer!
· May audio is completed and NLS cartridges mailed this week.
· ...And more!
_____
But first, we are packing for our trip to Hamvention® in Dayton, Ohio.
Picture of back window of SUV with sticker that says, "As a matter of fact I
don't have enough antennas on my car."
It's that time again - Time for us to pack our bags and head to western Ohio
for the world's best ham radio confab - Hamvention®. If you are making the
pilgrimage to Dayton, please stop by our Handiham booth in the Silver Arena.
The booth number is 330. We will have the table pushed to the back of the
booth to make room for our visitors who use wheelchairs.
If you ever get a chance to make the trip, grab the opportunity! Hamvention®
is more than a hamfest. It's THE hamfest - and then some. You'll have a
chance to meet some of the people you have read about in QST and CQ, others who
are key to AMSAT, RAC, QCWA, and many other familiar organizations that support
specialty interests in Amateur Radio. The ARRL section is large and includes
numerous ARRL service areas as well as an immense selection of ARRL
publications and products. There is usually an educational zone set aside
within the ARRL area for mini-sessions on various topics. ARRL staff are
available to answer questions, too.
Hamvention® also has a theme each year. According to the show website, this
year's theme is Homebrew Radio, which continues on the theme from last year and
retains focus on the maker movement that is influencing the growth of amateur
radio. You can download and read the complete 48 page program handout in
accessible PDF here.
<http://hamvention.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Hamvention-Program-2015.pdf>
Equipment is everywhere! Manufacturers and dealers abound, all of them getting
the word out about their products and services. Dayton is the place to talk to
the people who know about the radios and accessories we use in our stations -
or hope to use in our stations someday. Radio manufacturers often plan new
product releases in time for Hamvention®, so Dayton is the place to learn
firsthand about the newest products and updates. For example, I purchased the
rig control software Ham Radio Deluxe <http://www.ham-radio-deluxe.com/> last
year, and was able to ask some questions about accessibility for blind users.
Incidentally, because Hamvention® is such a big event, some vendors even offer
specials for those who cannot make it to Dayton. Check out the vendor websites
for show specials that may be offered online or by phone during the week.
Since I bought my HRD software a year ago, I wanted to renew for downloads and
support for a second year. I visited the HRD website and sure enough, there
was a show special. Of course I like to be there in person, but I did buy the
renewal on line just in case it is not possible for me to make it by the HRD
booth this year.
From the most elaborate transceiver to the smallest connector, from the latest
and newest to the oldest and most collectible to the gently used and everything
in between, you'll find it somewhere on the HARA Arena grounds, inside the
complex of connected buildings or on the acres of flea market tables, tents,
and open car trunks you'll find in the parking lot.
Needless to say, you will have fun people watching. There are always folks
toting so many radios that you wonder how long they had to train to carry all
that weight. Others have affixed antennas to their vehicles in nearly every
square inch of space. How does that guy with the long HF antenna sticking out
of his backpack keep from whacking it into every overhang and tree branch?
View of the flea market with tarps, tents, people, and bristling with antennas
of all types.
The flea market is primo for an intriguing shopping experience. Since you
never know what you are going to find there, it's the sort of shopping trip
where you didn't know you needed whatever it was you bought until you saw it
there in front of you on a card table.
If you are a wheelchair user, you will probably not have too much trouble
getting around the flea market. There are times when it can get crowded and
that will make it hard to see where you are going, but by and large the aisles
between displays are adequate and with a bit of patience you will find your
way. I have generally found people to be pretty polite and helpful.
Inside can be more challenging during the busiest part of the day, especially
on Saturday. Getting around with a service dog or wheelchair is possible, but
again patience is key. Often you will find that there are crowded choke points
in the food vendor areas around lunchtime, which is no surprise. The indoor
aisles are generally plenty wide and the good folks at DARA who run the show
know what they are doing with the layout of vendors because they have years of
experience.
There are some accessible restroom facilities at the periphery of the flea
market grounds, and in the main building complex, but they are not the most
up-to-date design. During busy times, there can be a waiting line. HARA Arena
staff do keep the indoor facilities clean. The flea market restrooms are
portable toilets. Their main virtue is that there are a lot of them and some
units can accommodate people with mobility impairments.
Another question that always comes up is whether there is cell phone service,
wireless internet, or a special talk in frequency on a local repeater. Let's
start with the local repeater: For directions and assistance in the Dayton Area
during your visit to Hamvention®, contact Talk-In on the DARA Repeater 146.94
(-), alternate 146.91 (-). Dayton Hams also monitor 223.94 (-)and 442.1 (+).
As for cell phone coverage, your smartphone may work inside the building
complex, but there is a lot of interference since everyone has a phone these
days. I have found that texts usually get through from my phone, but to
actually make a voice call I will have to go outdoors to the flea market where
there is a better signal.
Wireless internet is also problematic. It may be available in some areas of
the HARA complex but not others. <http://www.haracomplex.com/wifiterms> I
recommend you use your mobile carrier's data plan outside in the flea market.
Hey, don't forget: We are at booth 330 in the Silver Arena, just down the
aisle from Flex Radio.
(For Handiham World, this is Pat Tice, WA0TDA.)
_____
On the air this week:
MIDCARS will again monitor and provide travel assistance on 7.258 MHz. This is
a very active frequency as motorists converge on Dayton.
PICONET is on 3.925 MHz. It is on daily except Sundays, and you will find
HF-savvy Handiham members checking in.
· You can find out more about PICONET on the PICONET website,
http://www.piconet3925.com.
Check into our Handiham nets... Everyone is welcome!
Cartoon multicolored stickman family holding hands, one wheelchair user among
them.
Our daily Echolink net continues to operate for anyone and everyone who wishes
to participate at 11:00 hours CDT (Noon Eastern and 09:00 Pacific), as well as
Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 19:00 hours CDT (7 PM). If you calculate
GMT, the time difference is that GMT is five hours ahead of Minnesota time
during the summer.
Doug, N6NFF, poses a trivia question in the first half of the Wednesday evening
session, so check in early if you want to take a guess. The answer to the
trivia question is generally given shortly after the half-hour mark. A big
THANK YOU to all of our net control stations and to our Handiham Club Net
Manager, Michael, VE7KI.
One operating note: The IRLP reflector 9008 is no longer connected, so the net
is not available via IRLP repeaters or micronodes. We will have the W0EQO
repeater active on Echolink during Radio Camp at Camp Courage in mid-August,
and we hope to be active on the air whenever possible via the *HANDIHAM*
conference and Echolink repeaters worldwide.
_____
This week's go-to website:
In 1988 the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting <http://www.museumofbroadcasting.org/>
opened its doors in St. Louis Park MN. You can read about its history,
including its founder, Joe Pavek, W0OEP.
<http://www.museumofbroadcasting.org/history.html> Joe is a silent key, but
the working ham station at the museum bears his callsign. I thought about the
Pavek Museum because I saw an article in the Star Tribune newspaper
<http://www.startribune.com/st-louis-park-s-radio-museum-dazzles-with-nerdy-gems/303294621/>
about it, and about how the museum is having a "garage sale" this coming
weekend. I guess we all know that when you reside in one place for 27 years
you are bound to accumulate things you don't need. If you live in the Twin
Cities and are not heading to Dayton, check it out:
http://www.museumofbroadcasting.org
_____
A dip in the pool
circuit board
Dip in the pool is taking the month of May off. If you are studying for your
General, our recommendation is that you shift into high gear and plan to take
your exam under the old pool, testing on or before June 30, 2015. If that is
not possible, begin studying now with the new pool. It will be some time
before we can make a new set of audio lectures as time is limited. Be sure
your study materials, especially practice exam websites, are up to date and you
have chosen the correct practice exam pool for whenever you plan to take the
real test.
_____
Both Handiham HF remote base internet stations are up and running.
· We think we have a problem with RF getting into the W0ZSW host
computer controlling the IC-7200. Ferrite chokes have been added to several
critical leads, so now we are monitoring the situation. Please file a problem
report for W0ZSW by email if you notice that the W4MQ software is not
responding or Skype stops working.
<mailto:wa0tda@xxxxxxxx?subject=Problem%20with%20W0ZSW%20station>
· The W0ZSW remote base station is now operated part time with W4MQ
software controlling the IC-7200 (no speech frequency announcements via the
internet) and the ARCP-590 software controlling the TS-590S (speech frequency
announcements available via the internet.)
· If you are a registered user, check the station's schedule for which
rig is in use at the remote base website <http://handiham.org/remotebase/> and
in the W0ZSW Skype status.
· We have run into a problem with Skype crashing on the W0EQO host
computer at Camp Courage North. Please file a problem report for W0EQO by
email if you notice that the W4MQ software is not responding or Skype stops
working. <mailto:wa0tda@xxxxxxxx?subject=Problem%20with%20W0EQO%20station>
· W0EQO is available as an alternative to registered users and does
feature a Kenwood TS-480SAT with speech frequency readout.
* Our two stations are W0EQO at Camp Courage North and W0ZSW in the Twin
Cities East Metro. Please visit the remote base website for more information
on the status of the stations, the W4MQ software downloads, and installation
instructions. Details at Remote Base website
<https://handiham.org/remotebase/> .
* Contact me if you are interested in hosting a Handiham Remote Base
station, either here in the Twin Cities or anywhere else in the USA!
<mailto:Patrick.Tice@xxxxxxxxxx?subject=Remote%20Base%20Hosting>
· If you are an experienced TS-590S and ARCP-590 user and are
interested in participating in these tests, please let me know.
<mailto:wa0tda@xxxxxxxx?subject=Participate%20in%20TS-590S%20Testing>
Thunderstorm season is underway! We did shut down W0ZSW once over the past
weekend.
lightning
We can expect thunderstorms in southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities Metro
area any time now that warm, humid southern air collides with cool Canadian air
over the Upper Midwest. W0ZSW will be off line during thunderstorms and remain
offline until the danger is well past. Better safe than sorry!
When there are storms or when the TS-590S station is using the W0ZSW antenna,
the W4MQ software will show up as off line. Refer to the Remote Base website
<http://handiham.org/remotebase/> or send an email message if you have any
questions <mailto:wa0tda@xxxxxxxx?subject=Remote%20Base%20Problem> .
W0EQO is not expected to be offline unless there is an internet or power
outage.
_____
Handiham office hours:
Pat, WA0TDA, will be out of the office until Wednesday, May 20. Please visit
us at the Handiham booth (#330 in the Silver Arena) at Dayton Hamvention® May
15-17, 2015.
Mornings Monday through Thursday are the best time to contact us. Please visit
Handiham.org for updates and schedule changes. Our website will be available
24/7 as always, and if there is an emergency notification or remote base
outage, the website will be updated accordingly no matter what day it is. We
are always closed Friday through Sunday.
_____
New audio:
May CQ DAISY digest audio has been recorded by Jim Perry, KJ3P, and is
available to our blind members.
May QST DAISY digest audio has been recorded by Bob Zeida, N1BLF, and Ken
Padgitt, W9MJY, and is available to our blind members.
May QCWA Journal has been recorded by Jim Perry, KJ3P, and is available in
streaming MP3 from a link at QCWA.org <http://www.qcwa.org/qcwa.php> or listen
here <https://handiham.org/audio/QCWA/QCWA-2015-May.mp3> .
Podcast: If you would like to receive this audio newsletter as a podcast in
software other than iTunes, the RSS feed for the audio podcast is:
http://feeds.feedBurner.com/handiham
Email version: Subscribe or change your subscription to the E-mail version
here. <//www.freelists.org/list/handiham-world>
Weekly audio reminder: If you are a Handiham member and want a weekly reminder
about our new audio, let us know. Watch for new audio Thursday afternoons.
(Some audio is available only to members.)
Beginner course DAISY download available for our blind members: We now have
the DAISY version of the entire Technician Class lecture series on line for
download.
Some of you have asked about the 2015 General Lecture Series. The new General
pool will be used for exams beginning on July 1, 2015. If you are planning to
study for General at Radio Camp in August, you will take your exam based on the
new General question pool.
But you can start studying using the new pool right now! Bob Zeida, N1BLF, has
finished the recording of the new 2015 General Class Question Pool and it is in
the General Class section in the Members part of the website.
Jim, KJ3P, has recorded the DXer's Handbook Second Edition by Bryce, K7UA, for
our blind members. If you are a Handiham member and need a link to the DAISY
download, please let me know.
Thanks to our volunteer readers:
Bob, N1BLF
Jim, KJ3P
Ken, W9MJY
_____
Radio Camp News: We will once again be at the Woodland campus, Camp Courage.
Cabin 2, site of our ham radio stations and classes.
Photo: A Woodland Cabin with screen porch, fireplace, kitchen, laundry, and
comfortable great room.
Plan to work DX with the triband HF beam antenna. In addition, we will be
installing several wire antennas fed with 450 ohm ladder line for
high-efficiency operation on multiple bands. We will be able to check in to
the popular PICONET HF net on 3.925 MHz. Radios you can try at camp include the
remote base stations running the Kenwood TS-480, and get your hands on a
Kenwood TS-590S or TS-2000, both of which will be set up to operate. If you
have a special request for gear you would like to check out at camp, please let
us know.
Other activities at camp:
· New! We have acquired an Icom IC-7200 to try out at camp. These
excellent rigs come with built in speech.
· Campers needing radio equipment or accessories to take home and
complete their stations should let us know what they need. Equipment will be
distributed at camp.
· We will have a Handiham Radio Club meeting that will include election
of club officers and planning for the upcoming year.
· The Icom IC-718 will once again be pressed into service on the camp
pontoon boat for HF operation from Cedar Lake. All aboard! QRMers will walk
the plank if caught.
· We'll have time for several operating skills discussions.
· Anyone interested in a hidden transmitter hunt on VHF?
If you want to get a first license or study for an upgrade, let us know.
<http://truefriends.org/camp/> Camp dates are now published in the True
Friends Camp Catalog. They are Tuesday, August 18 (arrival) through Monday,
August 24 (departure),
Please let Nancy know if you wish to receive a 2015 Radio Camp Application.
<mailto:Nancy.Meydell@xxxxxxxxxx?subject=2015%20Radio%20Camp%20Application%20Request>
_____
Membership
· You can pay your Handiham dues and certain other program fees on
line. Simply follow the link to our secure payment site, then enter your
information and submit the payment. It's easy and secure!
o Handiham annual membership dues are $12.00. The lifetime membership rate
is $120.00.
MEMBERSHIP DUES PAYMENT LINK
<https://pay.usbank.com/default.aspx?id=COURAGE_KENNY_HANDIHAMS>
o If you want to donate to the Handiham Program, please use our donation
website. The instructions are at the following link:
DONATION LINK <http://www.handiham.org/drupal2/node/8>
o We hope you will remember us in your 2015 giving plans. The Courage Kenny
Handiham program needs your help. Our small staff works with volunteers,
members, and donors to share the fun of Amateur Radio with people who have
disabilities or sensory impairments. We've been doing this work since 1967,
steadily adapting to the times and new technologies, but the mission is still
one of getting people on the air and helping them to be part of the ham radio
community. Confidence-building, lifelong learning, making friends - it's all
part of ham radio and the Handiham Program.
Begging cartoon doggie
o The weekly audio podcast <https://handiham.org/audio/handiham.mp3> was
produced with the open-source audio editor Audacity
<http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/> .
How to contact us
There are several ways to contact us.
Postal Mail:
Courage Kenny Handiham Program
3915 Golden Valley Road
Golden Valley, MN 55422
E-Mail: <mailto:Nancy.Meydell@xxxxxxxxxx> Nancy.Meydell@xxxxxxxxxx
Preferred telephone: 1-612-775-2291
Toll-Free telephone: 1-866-HANDIHAM (1-866-426-3442)
Note: Mondays through Thursdays between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM United States
Central Time are the best times to contact us.
You may also call Handiham Program Coordinator Patrick Tice, WA0TDA, at:
612-775-2290.
FAX: 612-262-6718 Be sure to put "Handihams" in the FAX address! We look
forward to hearing from you soon.
73, and I hope to hear you on the air soon!
For Handiham World, this is Pat Tice, WA0TDA.
ARRL is the premier organization supporting Amateur Radio worldwide. Please
contact Handihams for help joining the ARRL. We will be happy to help you fill
out the paperwork!
ARRL diamond-shaped logo
The weekly e-letter is a compilation of software tips, operating information,
and Handiham news. It is published on Wednesdays, and is available to everyone
free of charge. Please email Patrick.Tice@xxxxxxxxxx for changes of address,
unsubscribes, etc. Include your old email address and your new address.
<http://handiham.org> Return to Handiham.org
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