[ADXA] ADXA Update

[w5zn at w5zn.org]

Greetings ADXA Folks,

During the local club meeting in Searcy this month ADXA member Kenny, 
KG5KS, and a couple of other ADXA members ask me if I thought we might 
be able to have an in-person ADXA meeting this year. Pat, W5VY, and I 
had briefly chatted about this when he was here at W5ZN a month or so 
ago. I was on the phone with Jay, W5JAY, last week and I asked him if we 
scheduled an in-person meeting sometime this fall would he and Kathy 
attend. They both said YES!

I am up for an in-person meeting. I am so tired of "Zoom", my new most 
offensive four letter word, and not being able to see folks in person 
instead of on a computer screen. Zoom is an outstanding tool, I just 
miss the in-person interaction! So, I put the question to you, ADXA. If 
we schedule an in-person meeting this fall (NOT a big conference but a 
get-to-gather meeting) would you attend?? Most places in the state have 
opened up, a good number of us have been vaccinated and slowly, very 
slowly, things are getting back to some resemblance of what normal was 
once upon a time!

If we have a good group that would attend, we'll look at scheduling 
something at a location convenient to both our central Arkansas and 
northwest Arkansas members. I envision this would be similar to one of 
our regular quarterly meetings where we meet for lunch, have some good 
ole visiting (and DX lies) and a brief business meeting.

So let me know your thoughts.

I am excited that Huntsville is moving forward with their hamfest in 
August, Kim and I will be there and also for the W4DXCC Convention 
September 24-25 out in Pigeon Forge, TN.

I was very saddened to hear the news about ADXA member Paul, K5YH. Ron - 
I appreciate you passing this on to the group. A note about Paul's 
passing is now on our ADXA home page. I will most definitely miss our 
friendly chats and his nice smile.

It is very pleasing to me to see the continued spots and activity posts 
from our members here on our reflector and it is good to see everyone 
still being active on the bands.

Each year, by this time, I have pretty much transitioned from my 
"winter" operating mode for contests and low band DX'ing to 6 meters, 
the June VHF contest and summer time family activity. This year has been 
no different thus far. I have yet another tower project to work on this 
summer. My 160 meter transmit array driven element, which is a Rohn 25 
tower, has always been shunt fed. A couple years ago I decided I wanted 
to ditch the shunt feed and insulate the bottom of the tower so I picked 
up a set of  Rohn 25 insulators. Because of the configuration it needed 
a slight modification on the ground side mount. Roger, N5QS, took care 
of that for me so now the hard work begins with taking the tower down, 
installing the insulators and putting the tower back up. There are 
couple of very old sections in the tower that need replaced so that will 
occur during the process. There are no antennas on this tower, its just 
a radiator, so it won't be too big of a job but it is 135 ft tall !! The 
guy wires, which is steel guy wire broken up with insulators, will be 
replaced with Phyllistran.

What do you have planned for a summer radio project??? Think of what is 
about to happen - propagation is building in the new solar cycle, 
DXPeditions are being planned to fire back up soon and in no time things 
will be wide open! Don't be caught standing on the peer watching the new 
country DX boat sail off without your being ready to get them in your 
log! Dust off those plans, review and update them and get ready. Then 
GET IN THERE AND WORK 'EM!.

And, in closing, if you don't already know ADXA member Rick, K5UR, and 
Holly are officially grand parents!!! Congratulations to Steven and 
Brittany Roderick on the birth of Owen Richard Roderick on Saturday May 
15. CONGRATULATIONS!!!! All are doing great except Rick who is now 
completely spoiled, turned in to mush and is very weak in the pileups!

73 Joel W5ZN
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