[QCWA] Here's an idea

[n6cmf at verizon.net]

Concur....and Bill's word, "brilliant", is perfect.  73
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: Lloyd Colston <kc5fm at aol.com>
Sender: qcwa-bounces at mailman.qth.net
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2013 21:35:20 
To: Ham Radio Lists<qcwa at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: [QCWA] Here's an idea

Well, I am sure that it will surprise you to learn that I am getting
older.  I don't climb towers.  I do good to program a radio.  I can
still see, though the vision is corrected.  I can still hear but you
get to repeat yourself a lot.

If I make it to 70, will I be in a nursing home?

Many nursing homes don't want to mess with an old geezer with a room
full of radios that may get stolen and expose the facility to an
insurance claim, much less holes in walls.

I doubt many of you remember WA5IMO.  I do.  I valued the effort his
son put into his final days.  You see, Joe was a Navy MARS member.
His ability to check into that service nets was greatly reduced when
he entered a nursing facility.  Except, his son set up an Echolink
connection from a computer in the facility to a radio at his home.
Now his son was not a MARS member.  His dad was.  Control operator
operations were done by the Dad on Echolink.

I call that LOVE.

Now, lets fast forward some 15 years.

Technology has advanced to http://www.remotehams.com software allowing
users the ability to control remote base stations around the Nation
and the globe.  I am a control operator of a number of remotes.  I
hope to set up one of my own.  With my control operator privileges, I
can check into the QCWA #63 net from a remote base in NM, MI, CA, or
WA.  I can change the antenna on a remote base in WA.  I can rotate a
beam on a NM remote.  I can talk to my Norwegian friends on a simplex
remote while tormenting them with my Swedish with an Oklahoma accent.
I can enjoy a multi-continental QSO with Europe, Africa, and America
on a remote base in South Africa.

Now, there are those that say "that is NOT real radio".  I remember
the transition from my crystal-controlled AM transmitter to my
VFO-operated SSB transceiver, too.   <G>

For us Old Farts, I could see the value in QCWA if there were a number
of remote base stations around the Country that allowed members to
have control operator privileges so we could check in to the HF radio
nets or the VHF/UHF radio nets that are on one of the pages in the
Journal.  I could see value in a net run like Southcars where one
checks in, gives a report that includes member #8276, and is made
welcome with "there's member 8276 checking in from Oklahoma!"  That
happens now for me on a remote in FL.

Yes it takes $$$.  Yes, it takes time.  It can be done for under $3K
per remote, ex. IC-706MKII, B&W broadband antenna for 160-6, a power
supply, some sort of support for the antenna, a cheap computer and
Internet DSL or Cable service.

I could see Linda, in five years, seeing value in QCWA membership.

After all, HandiHams is doing this now:
http://handiham.org/remotebase/   ... just with different software.
Handiham Services - Member dues are $12 U.S./year for those receiving
services.   I'd pay more than that with my QCWA dues, if there was two
remote bases I could use with my QCWA friends.   I already am.  <G>

In the mean time, back to the real world.

73 and ya'll be safe now.



-- 

Lloyd Colston KC5FM
Altus, OK USA http://wx5em.us
Straight Key Century Club #5676
Croatian Telegraphy Club CTC # 1.931
CARF #294 Ten-Ten #10231 NAQCC #4408
Southcars #8276 QCWA #31935 ARRL #8037325
http://www.carf.net http://www.ten-ten.org http://norcars.net/
http://kc5fm.blogspot.com  http://doodle.com/kc5fm
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