[Mobile-Portable] Ham Radio Preparation For The Coming Winter 2015 / 2016

[WD8ARZ]

Ham Radio Preparation For The Coming Winter 2015 / 2016

Base station Carolina 160 Windom antenna checked out and all the end 
supports look great. Base station is working fine, and has a battery 
backup nearby. Mobile HF and Vhf / Uhf antenna's are cleaned and waxed. 
Hope everything lasts through the coming winter for South Bend, Indiana. 
Mobile has its own separate charger / battery system, so I brought the 
battery into the house and let it warm up. Then put it on a charger and 
verified it was taking a charge ok. Below is a conversation just had at 
another reflector about our "hobby". 73 from Bill - WD8ARZ

HFMobileHamRadioCarTruck on a Yahoo Email Reflector. It is at:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/HFMobileHamRadioCarTruck/info
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From:
> AFA4EG / N4NSS <http://www.qsl.net/n4nss/> <<click this <<Enjoy the 
> Magic of HF Radio. It's just not a hobby, it's an adventure.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Posted by: Kyle N4NSS <n4nss at yahoo.com>

My reply to the group is below.
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Well said Kyle, and so so true what you have said. The amateur radio 
rules by the FCC here in the USA list five reasons for the existence of 
Amateur Radio.... none say anything about 'hobby', though we sure can 
enjoy any aspect of it we get involved with. These five reasons are 
essential for us to support, or we could lose our 'hobby' some day. Note 
that the first one covers emergency communications. How many of us are 
capable of providing such a service when commercial power is off for a 
week or more? If one has to relocate?? If one is not at home when the 
event occurs??? Missing but important to us is, if your not involved 
with a local group, how are you going to setup the contact / 
relationship to contribute in a useful way????
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Subpart A - General Provisions

97.1 Basis and purpose.
The rules and regulations in this part are designed to provide
an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as
expressed in the following principles:

(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur
service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication
service, particularly with respect to providing emergency
communications.

(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability
to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.

(c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through
rules which provide for advancing skills in both the
communications and technical phases of the art.

(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio
service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics
experts.

(e) Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to 
enhance international good will.

73 from Bill - WD8ARZ
South Bend, Indiana
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