[handiham-world] Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute Handiham World Weekly E-Letter for the week of Wednesday, 26 March 2014
- From: Pat Tice <Pat.Tice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "handiham-world@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <handiham-world@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 18:49:52 +0000
[Logo for Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, part of Allina Health]
Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute Handiham World Weekly E-Letter for the
week of Wednesday, 26 March 2014
This is a free weekly news & information update from Courage Kenny Handiham
System<http://handiham.org>. Our contact information is at the end, or simply
email handiham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:handiham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> for changes
in subscriptions or to comment. You can listen to this news online.
MP3 audio:
http://handiham.org/audio/handiham26MAR2014.mp3
Get this podcast in iTunes:
[Subscribe to our audio podcast in
iTunes]<http://www.itunes.com/podcast?id=372422406>
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.
Big change coming on 28 March 2014!
[Touch tone telephone]<https://handiham.org/drupal2/node/309>
What? Is it time to set the clocks again? Oh, wait - that's not it. Time to
check my antenna traps to see if they caught any DX? Nope. It's something
that's been the same for decades, but that will change this Friday. And, no,
it is not that I am changing my socks!
Here's the deal: Our phone numbers at the Handiham Program are changing
beginning Friday, March 28, 2014. This will be a system-wide change at the
Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute Golden Valley location. Our existing
Toll-Free number, 1-866-426-3442, will remain the same. This is one of several
contact information changes taking place this year. We will also be alerting
you to new email addresses later this Spring.
Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute Handiham Program will switch phone
numbers on the evening of Thursday March 27 and new numbers will be active on
Friday morning March 28.
The new numbers will be:
Nancy Meydell: 612-775-2291 (General information about the Handiham program,
membership renewals)
Patrick Tice, WA0TDA: 612-775-2290 (Program Coordinator, technical questions,
remote base requests, questions about licensing)
While we expect the change to go smoothly, you just never know with something
as big and complex as a system-wide phone change. If you do experience
problems getting through to us next week, please be assured that we are working
to get everything back to normal as quickly as possible. In the meantime, our
existing email address will be an alternative way to reach us:
Nancy Meydell: hamradio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:hamradio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
(General information about the Handiham program, membership renewals)
Patrick Tice, WA0TDA:
handiham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:handiham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> (Program
Coordinator, technical questions, remote base requests, questions about
licensing)
For Handiham World, I'm...
Patrick Tice, WA0TDA
Courage Kenny Handiham Coordinator
________________________________
Bulletins
[Code Key]
It's time for the W5KUB.COM live webcast of Gigaparts Ham Radio Day!!
Please join W5KUB.com for our live, online webcast of the Gigaparts Ham Radio
Day on Saturday, March 29th in Huntsville, Alabama. Great in-store prizes and
online prizes will be awarded. To join the broadcast go to http://W5KUB.com
where the fun begins! W5KUB will interview various vendors regarding their
latest products, special guests, and attendees.
During the live broadcast, online viewers will have the opportunity to meet and
chat with other ham radio operators from around the world or chat directly with
us at the event and ask questions. You may see some of your friends on the
broadcast.
Make sure to register at Gigaparts.com for the Icom IC-7100 HF radio. This
Gigaparts sweepstakes prize will be announced on our webcast at 2:00 PM CT on
Saturday, March 29th. You will instantly know if you are the winner.
You could also win one of many online prizes awarded during the webcast if your
name is called from the registered users in the W5KUB chatroom. As always, you
must claim your prize within the specified time frame. In the past year over
$10,000 in prizes have been awarded! Of course, no purchase is necessary to win
an online prize as W5KUB does not sell any products or services. All prizes are
donated from vendors or manufacturers.
Broadcast schedule (all times are subject to change):
Friday, March 28th 1300 UTC (8:00 AM - 1200 PM CT) Live broadcast of our drive
from Collierville, TN to Huntsville, AL.
Saturday, March 29th 1400 UTC to 2100 UTC (9:00 AM - 4:00 PM CT), Gigaparts Ham
Radio Day
Sunday, March 30th: 1400 UTC to 1900 UTC (9:00 AM - 2:00 PM CT), Live broadcast
of our drive from Huntsville, AL to Collierville, Tennessee.
Join our group on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/w5kub/ to keep up
with us year-round. Also, please help spread the word by posting this
announcement in Facebook and forwarding this message to your ham radio friends
that may not have received this message! We'll 'see' you at Gigaparts!
73,
Tom Medlin, W5KUB
http://w5kub.com
2014 Radio Camp (Saturday, August 16 through Saturday August 23, 2014)
Operating Skills participants will have a chance to operate from the camp
pontoon boat! We will have both HF and VHF on board.
The new Technician Pool will be in effect as of July 1, 2014. If you are
studying for your first license, you may continue to use our on line Technician
audio lectures prior to the camp session, but you will want to download a copy
of the 2014-2018 Technician Question
Pool<http://ncvec.org/downloads/2014-2018%20Tech%20Pool.txt> for reference,
since that pool is the one from which the questions on your exam will be drawn.
We recommend the NC4FB website for a study guide to the 2014-2018 Technician
Question Pool<http://www.nc4fb.org/wordpress/new-items/>.
The NCVEC website has a status page for the 2014-2018 Technician Question
Pool.<http://ncvec.org/page.php?id=362>
The 2014-2018 Technician Pool may be downloaded as a plain text
document.<http://ncvec.org/downloads/2014-2018%20Tech%20Pool.txt>
The Camp Courage 2 meter repeater will be on the air, and connected to the
*HANDIHAM* Echolink conference.
The Equipment Program will be at Radio Camp. Campers will be able to take home
equipment, provided that the Equipment Program has it available. Campers
should let us know what they need to get on the air. Categories of equipment
that can be made available for you to take home from camp are:
VHF/UHF radios
HF radios
Accessories like speakers and tuners
Morse code accessories
Other accessories - Please let me know what you need.
Our study guide for 2014 Handiham Radio Camp Operating Skills will be the ARRL
Public Service Handbook First
Edition<http://www.arrl.org/shop/Amateur-Radio-Public-Service-Handbook>. It is
available from your favorite ham radio dealer or directly from ARRL. Blind
Handiham members should contact us for the DAISY version. We will be happy to
place it on your NLS DAISY cartridge for you.
We will be operating HF and VHF from the camp pontoon boat on Cedar Lake. Last
camp we worked DX on 20 meters. Can we do that again this year?
The outdoor shelter with picnic tables will be available for outside operations
every day during net time 11:00 AM CDT and between 1:00 and 3:00 PM CDT.
How to subscribe to the blind-hams list:
The Blind-Hams mailing list is the go-to place to get your questions about
amateur radio equipment and software answered. You can post questions and help
others by sharing your knowledge. The list is extremely active, so you will get
a lot of emails. You may wish to filter your mail, adding the output of the
list to a special folder in your email software.
To subscribe, send mail to
LISTSERV@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:LISTSERV@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> with the
command (paste it!):
SUBSCRIBE BLIND-HAMS
Alternatively, to simply search the Blind-Hams archive, go to:
http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=blind-hams
Please be aware that if you subscribe to a mailing list, you will be expected
to follow the list owner's rules. Stay on topic, be polite, and be willing to
do your research. Listen to others and follow directions. Don't fill the list
up with messages on trivial or off-topic comments, and try researching a
question before bringing it to the list. For example, check the instruction
manual for your radio for an answer before bringing the question to the list.
When you get an answer that works, it is acceptable to say so and to thank
those on the list who helped you.
Ken, KB3LLA, likes a link:
iBeacons are one of the new methods for conveying information to consumers
especially while indoors, and Apple's recent support for the technology has
helped to expand their usage over the past year. Gordon Fuller, CEO of
Accessible Help<http://www.accessiblehelp.com/>, talks about his vision for the
future of indoor navigation and what his company is doing to see it through in
this podcast. Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2014 is generously
sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind<http://www.afb.org>.
Download the audio from Blind Bargains at:
Audio Content: #CSUN14 Audio: Indoor Navigation using
iBeacons<http://www.blindbargains.com/audio.php?m=10831>
Dip in the pool dives into the Extra Class:
* Today we are going to do something entirely different. Instead of
going to the real question pool, I am going to pose a question that I think an
Extra Class licensee ought to be able to answer!
This imaginary question asks, "Which of the following is expected of an Extra
Class license holder?"
Possible answers are:
A. Able to repair all of one's own Amateur Radio equipment
B. Puts up all of one's own antennas
C. Design complex electronic circuits
D. Be willing to try and figure out radio problems and apply solutions, and
help others when possible
The correct answer is D: Be willing to try and figure out radio problems and
apply solutions, and help others when possible. To me, holding the top license
means more than regurgitating the correct answers about Smith charts on
examination day. You do not have to design and build your own gear, or have a
fully-equipped repair shop in your basement. Sure, there are some of us who
enjoy designing circuits, then putting them together and testing them. Others
like to write software or climb towers to work on antennas. But the thing - to
me, anyway - that should set an Extra Class licensee apart is a willingness to
be confident and as self-sufficient as possible when it comes to working with
station equipment and operating. It is a can-do attitude that propels an Extra
Class license holder to the forefront of our avocation, as a leader, a go-to
person who can help and who sets good example.
When you hold the Extra, you should be willing to figure things out for
yourself whenever possible. Even if you have significant physical disabilities,
you should be able to knowledgeably direct others when you do need help
completing an Amateur Radio task, and you can always lead by giving good
example. You should contribute to ham radio by accepting leadership positions
and volunteering for radio club committees when you can. On the air you are
polite and follow good operating practices.
Do you understand where I am going with this? I certainly agree that it is
important to have knowledge of electronics and to be able to pass the exams,
but having the Extra really should mean more than that. It means that you
should be a leader who contributes to Amateur Radio, someone upon whom others
can depend.
Extra Class lecture series now available in DAISY format.
* Our biggest single audio project, the Extra Class lecture series, has
finally reached completion. The entire series has been produced as a DAISY
book, available in a zip file download or on NLS digital cartridge. A link is
on the new audio page referenced in each Friday's notification of new materials
in audio format.
It's not too early to think about Field Day:
* The 2014 field day packets and rules are available from ARRL. Visit:
http://www.arrl.org/field-day
________________________________
Practical Radio
[pliers and wire]
If you encounter a "checking status" message when using the W4MQ Remote Base
software:
Incorrect IP address entry can cause a "Checking Status" message: For example,
the correct address for W0ZSW is w0zsw.no-ip.org. If you entered the incorrect
information in the IP field during setup, you will see a "checking status"
screen.
Other possible causes:
Repairs at the host site: One sign of a problem on the server end (not your own
installation) is the "checking status" notification on the Internet Remote
Control screen. If you see this message, then it is likely that the station is
out of service. Either maintenance is being performed, or the internet
connection at the remote base site has failed.
Windows Firewall: Windows Firewall may be blocking the application's access.
Router firewall: Check your home router's firewall settings to make sure that
the application is not blocked.
The station you are trying to use is out of service: This can happen if
internet access fails at the hosting station's computer, if the computer at the
host hangs up or loses power, if the hosting software fails to start after an
update on the host computer, or any other system interruption. Please check
status updates. <http://handiham.org/remotebase/station-status/>
If more than one station is "checking status", it is likely that the problem is
on your end. However, this is not certain, since it is possible that more than
one station might be offline for updates. Also consider the possibility that
your firewall is blocking one station but not the other.
[Screenshot of w4mq software showing checking status message]
Image: The "Checking Status" message appears when the internet connection is
interrupted between your client software and the host software.
This is practical radio - know how to diagnose internet issues.
________________________________
Handiham Nets are on the air daily.
[headset]
Listen for Doug, N6NFF, tonight and try to answer the trivia question during
the first half hour. Check in later just to get in the log and say hello. The
trivia question answer is revealed shortly after the first half hour. If you
are up to a challenge, see if you can correctly answer this week's question.
We are scheduled to be on the air daily at 11:00 USA Central Time, plus
Wednesday & Thursday evenings at 19:00 USA Central Time. A big THANK YOU to
all of our net control stations!
We maintain our nets at 11:00 hours daily relative to Minnesota time. Since
the nets remain true to Minnesota time, the difference between Minnesota
Daylight Saving time and GMT is -5 hours and the net is on the air at 16:00
hours GMT.
The two evening sessions are at 00:00 GMT Thursday and Friday. Here in
Minnesota that translates to 7:00 PM Wednesday and Thursday.
The official and most current net news may be found at:
http://www.handiham.org/nets
________________________________
This week @ HQ
[Cartoon robot with pencil]
Phone & email changes coming March through May
We will be making some changes this Spring in our email and phone systems.
Watch this newsletter and the Handiham website<https://handiham.org> for any
changes in our contact information.
Digests & Lectures
Reminder: If you use the NLS cartridges, please return them to us by the first
week in the month so we can include your cartridge in the next mailing.
By Friday I will have had time to post some new CQ audio for our blind members
submitted by Jim, KJ3P. It is an interview with Jim Kutsch, KY2D, President
and CEO of The Seeing Eye. This is from the January 2014 issue. Also by Friday
there will be some additional audio submitted by Bob, N1BLF, from the
March/April CQ Plus. If you are a Handiham member and wish to be on our closed
notification list for Friday audio, please contact Nancy Meydell in our main
office.
I have started a recording project for Operating Skills, based on the ARRL
book, "Internet Linking for Radio Amateurs" by K1RFD. The goal is to make more
information on VoIP available to our blind members.
In the Extra Class audio lecture series we have completed the course, finishing
up with safety. Everything is now on line and available either as a Daisy
download in zip file format or as individual MP3 files. The zip file is a half
gig, so it is huge. Please don't attempt it on a slow or flaky internet
connection!
Jim Perry, KJ3P, Bob Zeida, N1BLF, and Ken Padgitt, W9MJY do the volunteer
digest recording. Thanks, guys!
March 2014 QST Digest in Daisy format is available.
CQ Magazine & CQ Plus February 2014 digests in DAISY format. Log in and check
out the new CQ!
QCWA Digest for March 2014 is available in MP3.
In Operating Skills: Joe Bogwist, N3AIN, opens his Radio in the Dark series
with tutorials on how to use the new Kenwood TS-590S 160 - 6 m transceiver!
Secure, blind-friendly Handiham website login:
https://handiham.org/user#main-content
* We ask that you please log in securely if you are using any kind of a
public network or unsecured wireless.
Remote Base News
Both stations are operational.
[W0EQO station in the server room at Courage North.]
[Kenwood TS-480HX transceiver with LDG autotuner]
Both Handiham Remote Base internet stations W0ZSW and W0EQO are on line for
your use 24/7.
* If you use Skype for audio, please connect and disconnect the Skype call
to the remote base manually. The automatic calling and hang up is no longer
supported in Skype.
* 200 watt operation is restored on 160, 80, and 40 meters for Extra and
Advanced Class users on W0ZSW.
* Outages: Outages are reported on
http://handiham.org/remotebase/station-status/.
Operating tip: Find out how to tell if the remote base station is already in
use if you are using JAWS:
* Listen to the tutorial:
http://www.handiham.org/audio/remotebase/W4MQ_status_JAWS.mp3
* Read the tutorial in accessible HTML:
http://handiham.org/remotebase/2013/03/05/check-station-status-with-jaws-13-or-14/
Digital Cartridges now Stocked at Handiham HQ:
Nancy now has the NLS 4GB digital cartridges and mailers available at our cost.
She says:
We now have a supply of digital Talking Book cartridges and mailers available
for purchase for our Handiham members. The total cost for a set is $15.50. We
will download any digital study materials from the Members Only section of our
website onto your cartridge at no additional cost. Minnesota residents please
add $1.13 MN Sales Tax.
[Pat holding up NLS digital cartridge and mailer]
Don't care to download Handiham materials via computer? The NLS digital
cartridge and mailer can bring you Handiham audio digests each month, plus we
have room to put the audio lecture series or equipment tutorials on them, too!
Want to log in? Let's go:
Secure, blind-friendly Handiham website login:
https://handiham.org/user#main-content
If you have trouble logging in, please let us know.
* All Daisy materials are in zip file format, so you simply download the
zip file you need and unzip it so the Daisy book folder can be accessed or
moved to your NLS or other Daisy player.
* Tip: When in the Daisy directory, it is easy to find the latest books by
sorting the files by date. Be sure the latest date is at the top. The link to
sort is called "Last Modified".
* You can also find what is on a web page by using CONTROL-F. This brings
up a search box and you can type a key word in, such as "September". You may
find more than one September, including 2012, but you will eventually come
across what we have posted for September 2013.
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 call sign 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, 4GB, Blank; Catalog Number: 1-02609-00, Price
$13.00
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
[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<mailto:hamradio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> or call her at
763-520-0512 through Thursday, 27 March 2014. If you need to use the toll-free
number, call 1-866-426-3442.
Handiham Program Coordinator Patrick Tice, WA0TDA, may be reached at
handiham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:handiham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> or by phone at
763-520-0511 through Thursday, 27 March 2014. Beginning on Friday, March 28, we
have new numbers:
Nancy Meydell, Handiham Secretary: 612-775-2291 (General information about the
Handiham program, membership renewals)
Patrick Tice, WA0TDA: 612-775-2290 (Program Coordinator, technical questions,
remote base requests, questions about licensing)
Mornings Monday through Thursday are the best time to contact us.
The Courage Kenny Handiham Program 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.
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 Handiham Weekly E-Letter in MP3
format<http://handiham.org/audio/handiham.mp3>
Email us to subscribe:
hamradio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:hamradio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
That's it for this week. 73 from all of us at the Courage Kenny Handihams!
Pat, WA0TDA
Coordinator, Courage Kenny Handiham Program
Reach me by email at:
handiham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:handiham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Nancy, Handiham Secretary:
hamradio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:hamradio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Courage Kenny Handiham Program<http://handiham.org>
3915 Golden Valley Road
Golden Valley, MN 55422
hamradio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto: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!
[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
handiham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:handiham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> for changes of
address, unsubscribes, etc. Include your old email address and your new address.
Return to Handiham.org<http://handiham.org>
______________________________________________________________________
This email has been scanned by the Symantec Email Security.cloud service.
For more information please visit http://www.symanteccloud.com
______________________________________________________________________
Other related posts:
- » [handiham-world] Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute Handiham World Weekly E-Letter for the week of Wednesday, 26 March 2014 - Pat Tice
