[SOC] On-the-air: Was SOC == Ham Radio

Fri, 18 Jul 2003 16:42:44 -0400

Mark et al,

Unfortunately, my on-the-air time is severely limited due to other
obligations (work/school/kids), however I do try to be active on HF several
nights a week (normally running CW in the old novice bands 7100 - 7150).
Occasionally I manage a Q or two during my lunch break.

I also have 10/6/2/440 FM in my truck, so I'm generally talking with someone
when I'm out and about (only about a 15 minute trip from work to home, so
the Q's are usually pretty short).  Also, I have 10M SSB in the truck, so if
I hear the 10 meter repeaters coming through on the FT-8900 I'll switch to
10 SSB to try to generate a Q.

Obviously, this isn't the most exciting stuff, but I'm trying to stay active
(so I don't loose my operating edge) and I'm having fun in the limited time
I have available.

Because I'm limited in my ability to have antennas (due to the size of my
current property) I'm running a 40 meter dipole with 100 watts from my old
TS-440SAT.  It's not high tech, but I can generally work anything I can hear
from 10 thru 40.  When I lived in Texas, I was using the same 40 meter
dipole with a Ten Tec QRP kit and I STILL worked pretty much anything I
could hear on 40 meters.  That was probably the most fun I've ever had with
my clothes on!  I still love QRP, but enjoy having the extra power there if
necessary.

This past week (while the XYL and harmonics were in Tennessee visiting
friends), I played around with my antenna.  I tried installing the 'W5GI
Multiband Mystery Antenna' from July's CQ, but never got it to work quite
the way I thought it should.  After MANY trips up on the roof (and up a
tree) I settled on a 'modified G5RV'... which (in my case) is just a 102'
long dipole fed with coax.  (I just couldn't get the ladder line to feed
correctly... so I took the easy way out!)  The 102' dipole hears a bit
better than the old 40 meter dipole and loads a bit easier with the 440's
built-in tuner.

Again... this isn't exactly high-tech and I'm not going to win any
contests... but it's still fun and it doesn't cost me a arm and a leg.  My
10 year old son is starting to ask questions about radio and we've started
holding 'radio school' in the evening for a half hour or so (can't hold his
attention much longer than that).  I'd love for him to get his ticket some
day.  I suspect his interest will wane when school starts up again, but I'm
glad he's at least paying attention to what I'm doing.

Looking forward to hear what others are up to.

73,

Mike
KG8L/4

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On
Behalf Of W1EOF
Sent: Friday, July 18, 2003 3:02 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [SOC] On-the-air: Was SOC == Ham Radio

I wrote to Lloyd and explained that I responded to his long stream of
messages because I felt I coudln't stand it any longer. Although I do not
apologize for my positions, I did apologize if for some reason I had
accidently came-across with disrespect. He said that he just felt like this
was not the place for him, and I wished him well. Maybe he will reconsider.

I understand this an open forum. Personally I would prefer to see less
political and more ham-related messages on here. As someone stated on a
different reflector just yesterday,  maybe people are spending too much time
on the internet and not enough on the air!

So to get the ball rolling, What are you guys doing as far as on-air
activity? I'm looking forward to the "ship-museums on the air" event this
weekend and will try to work as many of the CW event stations as I can
between regular work and yard work.

Off-air I'm in the process of pulling together parts to build a supply for
my Johnson Viking Mobile. I've had this thing for a few years now, but never
on the air. Figure it would be fun to see how it sounds. Also want to finish
an "L" tuner I started awhile back, and then throw my G5RV back up. It'll be
interesting to compare that setup to my Johnson Matchbox and  tuned-feeder
dipole, my exclusive HF antenna installed right now.

So what are you up to OM?

73,

Mark W1EOF

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On
> Behalf Of Paul Bartlett
> Sent: Friday, July 18, 2003 2:36 PM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: [SOC] Politics are NOT SOC!
>
>
> If politics ain't SOC then why do we have Bush and Blair? ;-)
>
> Seriously though, the occasional flare up is part of the fun and (mostly)
> quite entertaining.
>
> Stick with it Lloyd. Several of us have unsubbed in a fit of temper and
> subsequently re-subscribed.
>
> P
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <[email protected]>
> To: <[email protected]>
> Sent: Friday, July 18, 2003 7:13 PM
> Subject: [SOC] Politics are NOT SOC!
>
>
> This list has become far too SOC for me.
>
> The current political discussions amount to no more than so much
> ranting and
> raving with neither side willing or able to see that there is enough fault
> to be shared by BOTH sides of the political fence.  I have to wonder if
> those who are so fond of criticizing the administration (both past and
> present) have even bothered to get off their duffs and VOTE in any of the
> recent elections.
>
> It's a far sight from a perfect country/government folks, but
> it's a hell of
> a lot better than most others in the world.  Be damn glad you live here or
> you might not have the privilege of complaining.
>
> Can we PLEASE get off the politics and get back to something that REMOTELY
> resembles amateur radio. or at least poking fun at ourselves?  SOC was
> SUPPOSED to be FUN.
>
> Mike
> KG8L
>
>
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