[handiham-world] Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute Handiham World Weekly E-Letter for the week of Monday, 26 January 2015
- From: "Patrick Tice" <wa0tda@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <handiham-world@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 18:53:18 -0600
Logo for Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, part of Allina Health
Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute Handiham World Weekly E-Letter for
the week of Monday, 26 January 2015
This is a free weekly news & information update from the
<http://handiham.org> Courage Kenny Handiham System, serving people with
disabilities in Amateur Radio since 1967.
Our contact information is at the end.
Listen here:
https://handiham.org/audio/handiham26JAN2015.mp3
Get this podcast in iTunes:
<http://www.itunes.com/podcast?id=372422406> Subscribe to our audio podcast
in iTunes
RSS feed for the audio podcast if you use other podcasting software:
<http://feeds.feedburner.com/handiham> http://feeds.feedBurner.com/handiham
_____
Welcome to Handiham World.
In this edition:
. Snowed!
. Early edition
. Check into our daily nets.
. A call for help with our slow speed CW net.
. Take a dip in the pool.
. Amateur Radio Newsline returns
. The Remote Base HF report.
. ...And more!
Vertical antenna with snow sticking to it.
Snowed!
The news coming out of the USA East Coast today includes a major snowstorm,
a reminder that winter and bad weather is in plentiful supply for us here in
the Northern Hemisphere. If you have the option of staying inside during
bad weather, it's time to do so. Head for the ham shack and have fun on the
air, keeping your fingers crossed that the power will stay on. Major
metropolitan areas like New York City and Boston will get heavy snow.
In bad weather there will always be some people who have to be on the road
or out and about in other ways, so be mindful of the possible need to use
local repeater systems for emergency traffic. While we should always be
practicing good technique - allowing a bit of extra turnaround time between
stations while using a repeater system - it is especially important during
these bad weather events when traffic accidents, health emergencies, and
other situations may require an emergency call on the repeater.
Take your HT if you go out and about. A friend of mine went on a short walk
and fell, only to find himself stranded without either a cell phone or HT.
Don't let yourself get into that situation. Have your HT charged,
programmed with local frequencies, and ready to put in your pocket when you
have to go outdoors, especially in bad weather. Slipping and falling on ice
can be doubly dangerous because not only can you be injured in the fall, but
you can get really cold really fast. Adding to the danger is that other
people may not be out and about to find you lying there since they are
staying indoors themselves. In some ways, your HT is easier to use than a
cell phone since it does not require dialing numbers on a screen. But be
safe and take both, because you just never know.
Antenna tuning can change in snowy, wet weather. When the snow piles up on
antenna conducting surfaces, wires can sag into tree branches and coil turns
and traps can be covered with wet, heavy snow. That can - and often does -
change the tuning characteristics of antenna systems. To cope with this,
check the SWR on your HF antenna system before simply going ahead and
operating as usual. If the SWR has risen somewhat, don't panic - the
antenna is probably still intact but just has wet snow on it. Usually your
antenna tuner will be able to re-match the antenna in short order. On the
other hand, if the antenna cannot be matched by the antenna tuner, you may
have a more serious problem, including a mechanical failure. Perhaps one
leg of your dipole is on the ground, broken down by the weight of ice and
snow. Be safe and leave repairs until the storm passes. Consider using
other antennas that are still working or perhaps operating an HF Internet
remote station instead.
What else can you do? If you are working toward a license or upgrade and
cannot get in to work or school, this is a good time to open your license
manual and do some serious studying. If you are in ARESR, this is a good
time to check your equipment and go-kit, as well as your backup power
options. Consider writing something for your local club newsletter - your
club's editor will love you!
(For Handiham World, this is Pat Tice, WA0TDA.)
_____
Short week at Handiham Office
Pat with books
The Handiham office will be closed Tuesday through Friday this week. Your
weekly e-letter is released on Monday, two days early, because of this
change. We will reopen on Monday, February 2. We apologize for the
inconvenience. The daily nets will continue as usual, and the remote base
stations will be available for your use. There will be no new audio
lectures this week. We will attempt to add new magazine digest audio if
possible.
_____
Check into our Handiham nets... Everyone is welcome!
Our daily Echolink net continues to operate for anyone and everyone who
wishes to participate at 11:00 hours CST (Noon Eastern and 09:00 Pacific),
as well as Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 19:00 hours CST (7 PM). 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, VE6UE, who takes the Thursday evening Technical Net
session.
_____
Still no offers! Can you help Paul with our slow-speed CW net on 40 meters?
Paul, W8IRT, writes:
The 40M slow cw Handiham Corner is still active Friday 9AM to Noon EST. We
get people trying to learn code. There is no net procedure, and each caller
gets as much time as needed because few are aware of CW protocol. In the
early years I used to give a HH# to those who held out for 1/2 hour. I
stopped when a hard drive crash wiped out all data in late 2011. If anyone
has a suggestion for a practical additional time, we'll gladly consider.
Please let me know. Also would be nice to find a volunteer to help. I'm 88,
and it would be nice to have some help with the net.
73, W8IRT
Can you get on 40 meter CW and give Paul some help? Contact Pat, WA0TDA,
and we will get the information to Paul.
<mailto:Patrick.Tice@xxxxxxxxxx?subject=40%20meter%20net%20help>
_____
A dip in the pool
circuit board
It's time to take a dip in the pool - the NCVEC Amateur Radio Question Pool,
not the swimming pool. Looking forward to the new 2015 General Pool that
comes into effect on July 1, we sample the following new question. Let's
see if you can get the answer!
G1A11 is an example of a question that is "new" in the sense that it has a
new question number. It had been question number G1A12 in the old pool.
G1A11 asks: When General Class licensees are not permitted to use the entire
voice portion of a particular band, which portion of the voice segment is
generally available to them?
Choices are:
A. The lower frequency end
B. The upper frequency end
C. The lower frequency end on frequencies below 7.3 MHz and the upper end on
frequencies above 14.150 MHz
D. The upper frequency end on frequencies below 7.3 MHz and the lower end on
frequencies above 14.150 MHz
This is one of those questions that you really need to know. It's easy
enough, since Generals can use "The upper frequency end" of the band (answer
B above), so you can pretty much apply that concept across many HF bands.
The thing is that it is really practical knowledge because you will use it
every day while operating your station, not just for the test! There are a
number of questions related to the band segments where you can operate as a
General Class license holder. Please, please do memorize them. They should
be second nature to you through your operating career, even though you can
always refer to a frequency chart if you have any doubts. But guess what?
You can't use a frequency chart during the exam, so study and learn these
bands. If you are a bit shaky on the math and engineering questions, these
band and frequency questions can help pull you through. In particular, be
aware of the band edges and the relationship between wavelength and
frequencies when talking about the ham bands. For example, know the
frequencies associated with the terms "75 meter band", "80 meter band", "20
meter band", and so on.
_____
Amateur Radio NEWSLINE is back!
Get the latest AR Newsline - The popular news feed is back after a short
hiatus.
.
<http://www.arnewsline.org/news/2015/1/22/amateur-radio-newsline-report-1949
-january-24-2015.html> Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1949 January 24 2015
_____
Both TS-480 Handiham HF remote base internet stations are up and running.
Good news: The W4MQ software works on Windows 10.
Close up of TS-480HX keypad
Lyle, K0LR, has tested both stations from a computer running Windows 10
Preview. Everything works, so we anticipate no problems when Windows 10 is
released and replaces Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 late in 2015. Thanks, Lyle!
No outages were reported last week. 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/> .
We are working to bring a third remote system online somewhere in the USA
Eastern Time Zone.
We are also looking for a new home for station W0ZSW here in the Twin
Cities. The ideal candidate would be a local radio club with room for
antennas and a cadre of volunteers.
_____
Renewing or updating your license online - for free!
Richard, KD7BBC, wrote up a blog post with screenshots on how to renew your
license through the FCC's ULS website.
<http://blog.hamstudy.org/2015/01/renewing-or-updating-your-license-online-f
or-free/> It's on the Hamstudy.org website.
_____
Handiham office hours:
We are open only on Monday this week. Mornings 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.
The two HF remote base stations are also available every day for your use.
_____
Equipment Program:
<mailto:Patrick.Tice@xxxxxxxxxx?subject=Suggestion%20about%20Equipment%20Pro
gram> If you have suggestions on how to make the equipment program work
better, email us a short paragraph.
(Please, no phone calls on this topic. I can sort and track the ideas by
email more easily.)
_____
New audio:
If you are a Handiham member and want a weekly reminder about our new audio,
let us know. Watch for new audio Thursday afternoons.
Bob Zeida, N1BLF, has completed the February magazine audio digest for our
blind members. We will post it as soon as time allows, hopefully by the end
of the week.
In the Technician Lecture Series, we most recently posted the working DX and
satellites section.
<https://handiham.org/daisy/open/General_Pool_2015-19_DAISY_Beta.zip> The
new 2015 through 2019 General Class Pool, machine-recorded in DAISY by the
Handiham Program; Beta 1 version in downloadable zip file format.
Jim, KJ3P, has completed the QCWA Journal for January 2015. Please find it
in the new audio section of the Handiham member website or on the QCWA
website <http://qcwa.org/> .
Any Handiham or QCWA member who cannot find the link to this month's QCWA
Journal may email us for assistance and a direct link.
Also in the members section: Magazine Digest for January 2015 by Bob Zeida,
N1BLF - 25 MB DAISY zip file download.
Also in the members section: The January 2015 Doctor is in column has been
recorded by Ken Padgitt, W9MJY.
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:
. 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 and an
EMCOMM exercise.
. 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%2
0Request>
_____
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 It is almost year-end, and we hope you will remember us in your 2014
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.
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