[handiham-world] Courage Center Handiham World Weekly E-Letter for the week of Wednesday, 19 December 2012
- From: Patrick Tice <wa0tda@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: handiham-world@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2012 15:00:27 -0600
*Courage Center Handiham World Weekly E-Letter for the week of Wednesday,
19 December 2012*
This is a free weekly news & information update from Courage Center
Handiham System. Our contact information is at the end, or simply email
handiham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for changes in subscriptions or to comment. You
can listen to this news online.
MP3 audio stream:
http://www.handiham.org/audio/handiham.m3u
Download the 40 kbs MP3 audio to your portable player:
http://www.handiham.org/audio/handiham.mp3
Get this podcast in iTunes:
<http://www.itunes.com/podcast?id=372422406>
http://www.itunes.com/podcast?id=372422406
RSS feed for the audio podcast if you use other podcasting software:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/handiham
------------------------------
*Welcome to Handiham World.*"Welcome the change coming soon into your life."
[image: Pat, blurred in background, holding fortune from fotune cookie,
stating, "Welcome the change coming soon into your life."]
*That was the fortune from a fortune cookie that I cracked open last week.
It was timely, because there will be a lot of change in 2013. The Handiham
System is a long-time program of Courage Center, and Courage Center will be
making some changes in 2013. Here is what our Handiham members need to
know:*
The Boards of Directors of Courage Center and Allina Health approved an
agreement to create a new partnership between Courage Center and Sister
Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, part of Allina Health. This agreement
includes full integration of services and programs across both Courage
Center and Sister Kenny, including our respective foundations. This will be
a uniquely comprehensive continuum of care including inpatient, outpatient
and community-based rehabilitation services that keep people healthy and
independent.
As an advocate on behalf of people with disabilities, we recognize that one
of the challenges our clients face is a fragmented system of rehabilitation
services. We believe the community will be better served by a
comprehensive, streamlined continuum of services that blends both excellent
health care and broader programs that support independence and community
participation.
By blending Sister Kenny’s strengths in clinical care and process
improvement with Courage Center’s breadth and depth of programming and
history of advocacy, we seek to be recognized as a national leader in
improving population health for this important part of our community.
The organization will now move forward with due diligence and integration
planning that should culminate in an official merger sometime in the middle
of 2013.
There are still many details to be worked out; we are committed to
communicating updates about the integration along the way.
• Both Courage Center and Sister Kenny are committed to promoting health,
independence and wellness for people with disabilities
• Client therapies and services will not be impacted for now. We will
continue to take the same insurance plans. Any future changes will be
communicated well in advance of any changes.
• We believe a more seamless system will make it easier for clients to get
the coordinated care and services they need.
• We believe partnership is the best way for Courage Center to fulfill our
mission and continue to grow and provide innovative care that meets the
needs of our community, now and into the future.
• We expect to close on the partnership transaction in mid-2013.
• The new organization’s name and brand are yet to be determined.
• There are still many details to be worked out, and we are committed to
communicating updates about the partnership as soon as we can.
There will also be flyers with this information available for clients at
the Courage Center sites next week. The Courage Center website is also a
source for updated information:
*Here is the official news release: *
http://www.couragecenter.org/ContentPages/partnershipagreementannouncement.aspx
*Any media questions should be directed to Marketing & Communications, Ryan
Hoffman, 763-520-0361, or ryan.hoffman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. *
Patrick Tice, WA0TDA
Handiham Manager
------------------------------
New in Extra Class: Toroids
[image: Three choke cores designed for use with plasma TV set.]
In this week's Extra Class audio lecture series (members only), we talk
about toroids and different types of core materials. Here you can see
several core designs that came with a Panasonic plasma TV set. These are
designed to be used on the wiring between the set and its external cabling
to antennas, speakers, other input devices, and so on. The chokes will
prevent RF from traveling through these connecting wires and being
radiated, which could cause interference to other devices - such as your
amateur radio receiver!
Members should log in and go to Extra Class lecture 19 in the member
section. This is the last audio lecture of 2012. We resume the series in
2013.
------------------------------
Holiday schedule[image: Snowman holding HT]
*The Handiham System is closed on Friday, 21 December and through the week
of Christmas through New Year'*s.
We will reopen on Wednesday, 2 January 2013. There will be no weekly
Handiham World E-Letter and podcast on December 26. Updates and breaking
news will be featured at www.handiham.org. Both Handiham Remote Base HF
stations will remain on the air and available to users.
If you have a gift-in-kind of solid-state working ham radio equipment, it
can be accepted during normal business hours at Courage Center, 3915 Golden
Valley Road, Golden Valley, MN 55422. Although the Handiham office will be
closed, the Courage Center front desk can give you a donation receipt. The
general information number for the front desk is: 763-588-0811.
Please note that we cannot accept antennas (except small VHF/UHF antennas
for handheld radios), electronic parts, outdated or broken equipment,
oil-filled dummy loads, or anything not directly related to ham radio.
*We really appreciate your support! All mail and gifts of support for the
Handihams should be mailed to the following address:*
*Courage Center Handiham System
3915 Golden Valley Road
Golden Valley, MN 55422*
*Your gift is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.*
In other notable closings, ARRL Headquarters will be closed Monday,
December 24 and Tuesday, December 25, 2012 in observance of Christmas, and
Tuesday, January 1, 2013 in observance of New Year's Day. There will be no
ARRL Audio News or ARRL Letter the last week of December. As always, the
latest information about ARRL activities and services can be found at
www.arrl.org.
We wish you a wonderful holiday week, a merry Christmas, and a happy and
prosperous new year in 2013.
------------------------------
Correspondence:
[image: cartoon robot with pencil]
Ken, KB3LLA, passed along a story about a new VoiceOver learning tool:
*VoiceOver
Starter app now Released for iOS*
VOStarter, the first app to offer training on the VoiceOver screen-reader
for iOS has just been released to the app store. Developed by Michael
Doise, VO Starter offers tips and hints navigating various iOS elements
such as buttons, text fields, tabs, and more. It also allows one to
practice interacting with these different controls. VO Starter is currently
free for a limited time.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vo-starter/id586844936
------------------------------
FCC PROPOSES ACTION TO ACCELERATE THE AVAILABILITY OF NATIONWIDE
TEXT-TO-911 SERVICE
[image: FCC round seal]
Proposal Would Mark the First Major Milestone in the Nation’s Transition to
Next-Generation 911. Read more at:
http://www.handiham.org/drupal2/node/160
------------------------------
Handiham Nets are on on the air!
[image: TMV71A transceiver]
*We are on the air daily at 11:00 USA Central Time, plus Wednesday &
Thursday evenings at 19:00 USA Central Time. Nets will continue through
the holidays, but if there is not a Net Control Station available, the net
will be a simple roundtable. *
*The official and most current net news may be found at:
http://www.handiham.org/nets *
*Join us on the Thursday evening Handiham Radio Club TechNet. * The
frequency in the local Minnesota repeater coverage zone: 145.45 FM,
negative offset with no tone and 444.65 MHz with 114.8 Hz tone in the Twin
Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul Minnesota. The UHF repeater will be
heard more easily in the Eastern Twin Cities. You will find our daily net
on the air at 11:00 hours USA Central Time, with a Sunday roundtable
session for a change of pace. A Wednesday evening session at 19:00 hours
USA Central Time also offers a chance to take a guess at a trivia question
(offered by some Net Control Stations) and visit with your friends on the
air. Ideal for those who can't make the daily morning session! Then
Thursday evening at 19:00 hours return to the Tech net and learn something
new.
*EchoLink nodes:*
*HANDIHAM* conference server Node 494492 (Our preferred high-capacity
node.)
*VAN-IRLP*, node 256919
KA0PQW-R, node 267582
KA0PQW-L, node 538131
N0BVE-R, node 89680
*Other ways to connect:*
IRLP node 9008 (Vancouver BC reflector)
WIRES system number 1427
------------------------------
*A dip in the pool*
It's time to test our knowledge by taking a dip in the pool - the question
pool, that is!
*Let's go to the Technician Class pool:*
T3C05 asks, *"What is meant by the term “knife-edge” propagation?"*
*Possible answers are: *
A. Signals are reflected back toward the originating station at acute angles
B. Signals are sliced into several discrete beams and arrive via different
paths
C. Signals are partially refracted around solid objects exhibiting sharp
edges
D. Signals are propagated close to the band edge exhibiting a sharp cutoff
The correct answer is C: Signals are partially refracted around solid
objects exhibiting sharp edges. Also known as "knife-edge effect", more
information can be found on Wikipedia at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knife-edge_effect. The explanation is highly
technical, but what it means for ham radio operators is that sometimes
signals can find their way around sharp-edged obstacles in surprising ways.
Please e-mail handiham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx to comment.
------------------------------
*Remote Base health report: W0EQO is on line. W0ZSW is on line.
[image: W0EQO remote base at Courage North, Lake George, MN.]
*
*Work continues on the remote base software with a projected release in
January 2013. Both stations are accessible via Echolink for receive. *Look
for W0ZSW-L and W0EQO-L using the search function in your Echolink
application. Please note that it is not allowed to connect through RF to
the two remote base Echolink nodes, you can only use the Echolink
application of a computer or smartphone.
If problems show up, please email handiham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Keyboard commands list updated:
http://handiham.org/remotebase/w4mq-keyboard-commands/
*Solar Activity Forecast:*
Solar activity is expected to be at low levels with a slight chance
for M-class flares on days one, two, and three (19 Dec, 20 Dec, 21
Dec).
Credit: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center:
www.swpc.noaa.gov/forecast.html
*
------------------------------
This week @ HQ
[image: NLS player and digital cartridge]
The January Audio Digest is in production. All December DAISY files are
available in the DAISY section of the website following member
login. Please let me know if you have trouble using the DAISY files,
because this is an important member service and we want you to take
advantage of it.
Another member service is the audio lectures for Technician, General, and
Extra. All courses are available on line for your use whenever you want to
study or review. Teaching is done with thoughtful attention to descriptions
for those who are blind, and we promote understanding concepts rather than
simply memorizing the question pool. If you would like to use this service
but do not understand how, please contact us. We can also put the audio
lectures on your DAISY digital NLS cartridge if you prefer that method
instead of downloading or streaming audio from the website. Our latest
audio lectures cover concepts like resonance from the Extra Class course.
Please join us in whatever course you need, and also please let us know if
you would like a specific topic covered in our Operating Skills lecture
series.
Don't forget that Courage Center is a registered non-profit and your gifts
to Handihams are tax deductible. We appreciate your support!
Plan now to contact the Handiham office with your news or address changes,
stories to share, or anything else that needs to be completed before year's
end. The Handiham office will close for the week of Christmas through the
end of the year and will reopen after New Year's Day. That means that once
Nancy leaves the office at 2pm USA Central Time on December 20, any
business you have left until the last minute will have to wait for the
first week in January! Please plan ahead - it will not be possible to get
in touch with us during the last 10 days of the month! During that time we
will keep the website up to date and assure that the remote base stations
are operational. The nets will continue on a regular schedule most days,
but family holidays are special and sessions may be simple open round
tables if no net control shows up.
*
*Net information and news: *The official and most current net news may be
found at:
http://www.handiham.org/nets
*Change in address for equipment donations: *Please contact Pat, WA0TDA,
before making any donation of equipment. My phone number is 763-520-0511
and my email address is pat.tice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. The address is now the
same as our postal mailing address. This should simplify our contact
information.
*Courage Center Handiham System
3915 Golden Valley Road
Golden Valley, MN 55422*
*Equipment change: *We no longer accept antennas, except small accessory
antennas for handheld radios. *We do not accept donations of cassette tapes
or tape equipment or used magazines. *
*George, N0SBU, reminds us that the final tape digest mailing is out and we
will no longer support cassette tapes. We do not accept donations of
cassette tapes or tape equipment. *
**
*Digital mailers are important: *If you do mail a digital cartridge to us,
please be sure that it is an approved free matter mailer. Otherwise it will
quickly cost us several dollars to package and mail out, which is more than
the cost of the mailer in the first place. We don't have a stock of
cartridges or mailers and not including a mailer will result in a long
delay getting your request back out to you.
*DAISY audio digests are available for our blind members who do not have
computers*, playable in your Library of Congress digital player. Handiham
members who use these players and who would prefer to receive a copy of the
monthly audio digests on the special Library of Congress digital cartridge
should send a blank cartridge to us in a cartridge mailer (no envelopes,
please), so that we can place the files on it and return it to you via free
matter postal mail. Your callsign should be on both the cartridge and the
mailer so that we can make sure we know who it's from. Blank cartridges and
mailers are available from APH, the American Printing House for the Blind,
Inc. <http://www.aph.org/>
Digital Talking Book Cartridge Catalog Number: 1-02610-00, Price: $12.00
Digital Talking Book Cartridge Mailer Catalog Number: 1-02611-00, Price:
$2.50
Order Toll-Free: (800) 223-1839.
The Library of Congress NLS has a list of vendors for the digital
cartridges:
http://www.loc.gov/nls/cartridges/index.html
Get it all on line as an alternative: Visit the DAISY section on the
Handiham website after logging in.
*
------------------------------
Stay in touch
[image: Cartoon robot with cordless phone]
Be sure to send Nancy your changes of address, phone number changes, or
email address changes so that we can continue to stay in touch with you.
You may either email Nancy at hamradio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or call her at
763-520-0512. If you need to use the toll-free number, call
1-866-426-3442.
Handiham Manager Patrick Tice, WA0TDA, may be reached at
handiham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or by phone at 763-520-0511.
Mornings Monday through Thursday are the best time to contact us.
The Courage Handiham System depends on the support of people like you, who
want to share the fun and friendship of ham radio with others. Please help
us provide services to people with disabilities. We would really appreciate
it if you would remember us in your estate plans. If you need a planning
kit, please call. If you are wondering whether a gift of stock can be given
to Handihams, the answer is yes! Please call Walt Seibert, KD0LPX, at
763-520-0532 or email him at walt.seibert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Call 1-866-426-3442 toll-free. -- Help us get new hams on the air.
Get the Handiham E-Letter by email every Wednesday, and stay up-to-date
with ham radio news.
You may listen in audio to the E-Letter at www.handiham.org.
Email us to subscribe:
hamradio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
That's it for this week. 73 from all of us at the Courage Handiham System!
Pat, WA0TDA
Manager, Courage Handiham System
Reach me by email at:
handiham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Nancy, Handiham Secretary:
hamradio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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!
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
handiham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for changes of address, unsubscribes, etc.
Include your old email address and your new address.
Courage Center Handiham System
3915 Golden Valley Road
Golden Valley, MN 55422
763-520-0512
hamradio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
*
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