Courage Center Handiham World Weekly E-Letter for the week of 15 April 2009 This is a free weekly news & information update from Courage Center Handiham System <http://handiham.org> . Please do not reply to this message. Use the contact information at the end, or simply email handiham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx You can also listen to the content online: Listen to an MP3 audio stream: <http://www.handiham.org/audio/handiham.m3u> http://www.handiham.org/audio/handiham.m3u Download the MP3 audio to your portable player: http://www.handiham.org/audio/handiham.mp3 Get this issue as an audio podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/handiham _____ Welcome to Handiham World! CCleaner is a great freeware utility for freeing up disk space Screenshot: CCleaner is a great freeware utility for freeing up disk space Image: Screenshot of CCleaner running on the wa0tda ham shack PC. Free software tour: A free junk remover. Last week we talked about the free file recovery utility called "Recuva" by Piriform Ltd. Today we introduce a great freeware disk cleanup utility made by the same folks. It's called "CCleaner". John, N1IWT, mentioned that he uses CCleaner when he told me about Recuva. I had been using CCleaner myself for a long time and knew it to be an effective disk cleaning tool. Here is the overview from the CCleaner website: CCleaner is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner. The fact of the matter is that most of us are not very good at housekeeping. Sometimes my ham shack is a mess, because projects and things that I am meaning to work on collect faster than I have time to tend to them. My computer is not that much different. Temporary files, deleted files, unused installation files and all sorts of other junk collect on the hard drive because I just don't have time to go through all of the fiddling around to find them, move them to the recycle bin in Windows, and then do a final deletion. Sometimes there are unused program files taking up a lot of space and they have made entries to the Windows registry that slow the computer down. This is the sort of thing that CCleaner can do for you. It can perform a semi automated cleaning, getting rid of a lot of stuff that you will never use and certainly do not need cluttering your hard drive. Your computer will be happier because it will have more hard drive space and the Windows registry will be leaner and meaner and faster. One thing you should know, however, is that a program like this is not for novice computer users. You sort of have to know your way around the Windows computer before you trust any kind of maintenance software to delete files from your hard drive. If you know what you're doing, and are confident in your computer skills, I recommend CCleaner as a worthwhile addition to your computer utilities. It is for Windows computers, not for Mac or Linux. You can find CCleaner online: http://www.ccleaner.com Now if only there were something automated to clean up my ham shack for me, I would be all set! Next week: State of the program. Where we stand during these hard economic times, and what we can expect in services. Patrick Tice, WA0TDA Handiham Manager wa0tda@xxxxxxxx . By wa0tda at 04/15/2009 - 17:14 . Login <http://www.handiham.org/user/login?destination=comment/reply/430%2523commen t-form> to post comments . Printer-friendly <http://www.handiham.org/print/430> version . Send <http://www.handiham.org/printmail/430> to friend _____ Radio Camp Operating Skills topics list Montage of camp photos, operating, lakeside, rig, etc. Handiham Radio Camp is not just about getting a license! Once you are licensed, you can start learning about how to operate, and that means learning by practicing on the air, finding out about new modes of operation, experimenting with new things, and generally having fun for a week with amateur radio! We are compiling our Operating Skills topic list, and would like your suggestions. Here is our list as of April 15, 2009: Send your suggestions to: wa0tda@xxxxxxxx Accessible audible field strength meter ARES coax antenna you can make! Remote Base introduction Remote Base download & installation Remote Base setup Remote Base on the air Foxhunt (hidden transmitter hunt) Camp wide local net - 2m Ham Radio Deluxe XMLog Audacity Screenreaders Antennas & tuners Dayton Hamvention stories DAISY project report How to be the kind of operator the NCS will love Portable audio devices HH Radio Club meeting Overview of stations and equipment Repeater Operations Running a repeater system EchoLink introduction Running an EchoLink node Winlink and Airmail Technical aspects of running an internet radio show MCW on EchoLink Worldwide EchoLink net - Daily @ 11:00 Wednesday evening EchoLink Net @ 19:30 Table-top exercise that consists of training our Op Skills students in the subtle art of listening. Emergency Exercise Handiham Video update Being part of your local club International Space Station Contact Learn how to operate in a contest Working DX Third party traffic defined, examples APRS explained . Login <http://www.handiham.org/user/login?destination=comment/reply/429%2523commen t-form> to post comments . Thumbnail <http://www.handiham.org/sites/default/files/images/radiocamp_collage.thumbn ail.jpg> . Printer-friendly <http://www.handiham.org/print/429> version . Send <http://www.handiham.org/printmail/429> to friend _____ Avery's QTH - Algebra? It's not that hard once you know where to learn more. Avery's QTH - Algebra? It's not that hard once you know where to learn more. Image: Avery hides from the algebra troll at Camp Courage North. His stocking cap is pulled over his head. "No one will see me now", he thinks. Welcome once again to my humble QTH: Does this sound familiar? I have my Technician Class license and want to go for my General next month, but I am having trouble with the math. The algebra is really difficult for me because I didn't have any in school (or I had it in school, but that was so long ago I forgot most of it.) Well, here's the way I answer: The thing about algebra is that everything is based on what comes before. It is like building a brick wall. You have to start at the very bottom and put in a row of bricks. Then you go through and put in place another row of bricks right on top of the ones you just finished. This is repeated until the wall is at the final level. Algebra is much the same way. You keep building on what you learned before. If you skip a step, it is very difficult to understand what is going on. In the case of the brick wall, skipping a brick could mean the collapse of the whole wall. I am very sorry to say that you probably will not learn enough algebra in one month to be able to work and understand the formulas required to pass the General exam. The solution to the problem then would be to take a math class or two at the local high school adult night school. Many have adult algebra classes for those wishing to learn from the very beginning or take a refresher class. There are no grades given, so there is no pressure to have to study for tests. You will only get out of the class what you put into it. Once you have an understanding of algebra, then it is just a question of learning the formulas, plugging in the numbers you know and working the equation to find out the number you don't know. You know what? I'll bet you will find that it will come in handy for other applications besides amateur radio too. For example, people in different parts of the world use different scales to measure temperature, Fahrenheit & Centigrade. In the USA Fahrenheit is used, while in Europe Centigrade is used. What if you want to convert one to the other? If you know the formulas and can plug in the known values you can figure out the unknown. You had a little sample of using algebra when you took the Technician Exam. Remember Ohm's law? E = I times R is algebra! Now, that isn't so hard, is it? So for now, 73 es DX de K0HLA Avery You can reach me Monday and Wednesday until 1:30 pm Minneapolis Time At: 763-520-0515 Or email me at: avery.finn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx . Login <http://www.handiham.org/user/login?destination=comment/reply/428%2523commen t-form> to post comments . Printer-friendly <http://www.handiham.org/print/428> version . Send <http://www.handiham.org/printmail/428> to friend _____ KD5PLB announces NASA module winning name on Colbert Report KD5PLB announces NASA module winning name on Colbert Report Image of KD5PLB, Astronaut Sunita Williams: NASA Astronaut and amateur radio operator Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, appeared on Comedy Central's Colbert Report to announce the winner of the naming contest for NASA's new module, which will be part of the International Space Station. Read more and see the video on the Handiham website: <http://www.handiham.org/node/421> http://www.handiham.org/node/421 _____ That crackle might not be thunderstorms - you may be hearing Jupiter! Jupiter & moons montage - NASA & NSSDC Jupiter montage - Image credit: NASA and the National Space Science Data Center. Space Weather News is reporting that "on April 11th, an amateur radio astronomer in New Mexico heard loud pops and crackles coming from the loudspeaker of his shortwave receiver. The sounds resembled terrestrial lightning, but the source was not on Earth. It was a radio storm on Jupiter." The story continues, "Electrical currents flowing between Jupiter's upper atmosphere and the volcanic moon Io can boost these emissions to power levels easily detected by ham radio antennas on Earth." You can listen to the sounds at: http://spaceweather.com _____ Callsign & Repeater Lookup Try the Handiham System for callsign and repeater lookup links! ARRL <http://www.arrl.org/fcc/fcclook.php3> ArtSci Repeater <http://www.artscipub.com/repeaters/> Directory <http://hamcall.net/> Hamcall FCC ULS <http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp> QRZ <http://www.qrz.com> RAC <http://www.rac.ca/callbook/> WM7D <http://www.wm7d.net/fcc_uls/ulsquery.html> To make suggestions for additional callsign or repeater resources, please contact wa0tda@xxxxxxxxx . Login <http://www.handiham.org/user/login?destination=comment/reply/425%2523commen t-form> to post comments . Printer-friendly <http://www.handiham.org/print/425> version . Send <http://www.handiham.org/printmail/425> to friend _____ FCC ULS search is easy <http://www.handiham.org/node/135> FCC round logo The FCC's Universal Licensing System (ULS) License Search website enables you to search for a wide range of licenses in the Universal Licensing System. The search here provides access to the most basic attributes of a license, but you can also specify more attributes and combinations with the Advanced Search and search within services features like "Amateur" using service-specific criteria. Recently we discovered that the FCC website had changed, and the link to a ULS search on our Handiham website was incorrect. Although it brought you to the FCC website, you had to search for the ULS pages. That has now been corrected. Why search with the FCC's page instead of the other ham radio callsign lookup services? Well, that's a good question! After all, the ham-specific services offer many other features and the FCC site is, well, "just the facts, ma'am", as Sgt. Friday used to say on the old Dragnet program. One reason is that new and changed data appear on the FCC site before any other site. Another is that the FCC site is the definitive one for licensing information. Give the FCC ULS site a try! It's accessible and easy - and it's the official one, too! A direct link is right here: http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp . Login <http://www.handiham.org/user/login?destination=comment/reply/424%2523commen t-form> to post comments . Printer-friendly <http://www.handiham.org/print/424> version . Send <http://www.handiham.org/printmail/424> to friend _____ Fire Vox talking Firefox extension for blind and low vision users Blind hams will be interested in this new way to make the popular web browser Firefox virtually self-voicing! Text from http://firevox.clcworld.net: Fire Vox, built from the CLC-4-TTS Suite by Charles L. Chen, is an open source, freely available talking browser extension for the Firefox web browser. Think of it as a screen reader that is designed especially for Firefox. In addition to the basic features that are expected of screen readers, such as being able to identify headings, links, images, etc. and providing navigational assistance, Fire Vox provides support for MathML and CSS speech module properties. It also works on Windows, Macintosh, and Linux. Read more or download: http://firevox.clcworld.net/ . Login <http://www.handiham.org/user/login?destination=comment/reply/423%2523commen t-form> to post comments . Printer-friendly <http://www.handiham.org/print/423> version . Send <http://www.handiham.org/printmail/423> to friend _____ Audacity audio editor for JAWS screenreader users The popular open-source cross-platform audio editing software Audacity is really quite accessible to blind computer users who access their machines with the screenreader JAWS. Ken, KB3LLA, alerted us to an excellent blind user guide that will make the ins and outs of keyboarding your way through Audacity much easier. The "Audacity 1.3.7 Guide" was written by David Bailes: http://vip.chowo.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/jaws/Audacity-1.3.7-Guide.html More guides are available on the Jaws Guides page of the VIP Software Guides website, which you can find here: http://vip.chowo.co.uk/jaws-guides/ . Login <http://www.handiham.org/user/login?destination=comment/reply/422%2523commen t-form> to post comments . Printer-friendly <http://www.handiham.org/print/422> version . Send <http://www.handiham.org/printmail/422> to friend _____ Wednesday Evening EchoLink Net Wednesday Evening EchoLink Net happy guy with headset Tonight you will have an opportunity to meet your friends on the Handiham net. Please join us and check in or simply listen in, as you see fit: When: Wednesday evenings at 19:30 hours Minnesota time (7:30 PM) GMT: Thursday morning at 00:30 Z Where: 145.450 MHz N0BVE repeater (Minneapolis-St. Paul) Node 89680 (EchoLink worldwide) IRLP node 9008 (Vancouver BC reflector) WIRES system number 1427 Everyone is welcome. You do not need to be a member, and the net is relaxed, friendly, and informal. By the way, our Net Manager Howard, KE7KNN, reminds us that we need net control stations for the Wednesday evening net and for the Monday through Saturday morning net. If you are in the Twin Cities, all you need is a radio that can get on the 145.45 N0BVE repeater, and if you live outside the RF area, you can still be net control via EchoLink, IRLP, or WIRES. _____ This week at Headquarters: . Minnesota Radio Camp application forms are online! The sooner we hear from you, the better -- if you are planning to join us at this summer's session. One of the summer camps that had been held at Courage North in previous years has been canceled, which means that people who could not get into that session may want to apply for the Radio Camp. Incidentally, you can e-mail us with your ideas for projects and topics at the upcoming Minnesota Radio Camp session. The waterfront at Lake George Join us this August at Minnesota Radio Camp! Download the camp application package, which contains information pages and the forms you need to apply for camp. Camp starts on Sunday, August 16, and finishes on Sunday, August 23. It's a week of extraordinary fun, during which you can earn your ham radio license or just get on the air. And it can cost as little as $240 for the week. There are two choices for formats, either Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF. * Download Word Forms <http://handiham.org/manuals/forms/mncamp/word/> * Download PDF Forms <http://handiham.org/manuals/forms/mncamp/pdf/> * Not <http://www.handiham.org/node/358> sure? Take a photo tour! Having trouble downloading or have questions about Radio Camp or Handihams? Just email Pat, wa0tda@xxxxxxxx, anytime. * Change in hours this week: we will be short-staffed on Thursday, April 9. The office will be closed starting noon, April 9 until Monday morning, April 13. ARRL informs us that their office will be closed on Friday, April 10. * New in Operating Skills: * It is hard to believe how time flies, but the May, 2009 issue of QST magazine is already out in print. We look forward to producing the audio digest for our blind members soon. Meanwhile, the April QST , CQ, QCWA Journal, and Worldradio digest audio is online for our blind members. * Volunteer reader Ken Padgitt, W9MJY, reads the April "Doctor is in" column from QST for our blind members. * Login to the <http://handiham.org/user> member section of the Handiham website and find the magazine digests in the Library. The QST, CQ, and Worldradio digests have been read by Bob Zeida, N1BLF. * Stay in touch! Be sure to send Nancy your change 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 toll-free at 1-866-426-3442. Mornings are the best time to contact us. Reminder: Handiham renewals are now on a monthly schedule - Please renew or join, as we need you to keep our program strong! You will have several choices when you renew: * Join at the usual $10 annual dues level for one year. * Join for three years at $30. * Lifetime membership is $100. * If you can't afford the dues, request a sponsored membership for the year. * Donate an extra amount of your choice to help support our activities. * Discontinue your membership. Please return your renewal form as soon as possible. Your support is critical! Please help. 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 Nancy at: 1-866-426-3442 or email: <mailto:hamradio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> hamradio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Ask for a free DVD about the Handiham System. It's perfect for your club program, too! The video tells your club about how we got started, the Radio Camps, and working with hams who have disabilities. Call 1-866-426-3442 toll-free. DONATE USED HAM GEAR 1-866-426-3442 toll-free Help us get new hams on the air. FREE! 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 <http://www.handiham.org/> . Email us to subscribe: <mailto:hamradio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> hamradio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Handiham members with disabilities can take an online audio course at www.handiham.org <http://www.handiham.org/> : . Beginner . General . Extra . Operating Skills _____ That's it for this week. 73 from all of us at the Courage Handiham System! Pat, WA0TDA Manager, Courage Handi-ham System Reach me by email at: <mailto:patt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> patt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx * Nancy, Handiham Secretary: hamradio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx * Jerry, N0VOE, Student Coordinator: jerry.kloss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx * Avery, K0HLA, Educational Coordinator: avery.finn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx * Pat, WA0TDA, Manager, patt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx * Radio Camp email: radiocamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ARRL </p /> <p>diamond logo 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 wa0tda@xxxxxxxx for changes of address, unsubscribes, etc. Include your old email address and your new address. . By wa0tda at 04/15/2009 - 18:30 . Login <http://www.handiham.org/user/login?destination=comment/reply/431%2523commen t-form> to post comments . Printer-friendly <http://www.handiham.org/print/431> version . Send <http://www.handiham.org/printmail/431> to friend _____ 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.