[Wswss] Western States UHF Weak Signal Net 70cm

[John Kountz]

The Western States UHF Weak Signal Net 70cm typically occurs every Thursday,
unless a higher power intervines.  This happened to be the case last
Thursday when during doctor's visit in Irvine to determine what the hell I
had caught that screwed up my breathing and voice, SoCalEd staged a second
24 hour poweroutage for our happy little street.
Normally there would have been Telco service, but this is the 21st century,
POTS no longer exists and time had damned expired on contacting anyone.
Well, radio, they say shall overcome these little bumps in the road.
Not so!
Even in the presence of the BIG GUNS!
I had the XYL, KE6GFI to send out a last minute 20 watt solar panel/ battery
emergency call on 432.120 usb a couple of minutes into the net to announce
the situation and ask for a substitute net control for the evening.
But the BIG GUNS (Ralph, etc.) were not convenienced and no substitute
operator emerged.
Never you mind that influenza had destroyed my voice earlier that day and on
returned from the doctor's office SOCAL Edison had taken out the 220 feed to
the street. to 'replace a transformer.'
Of course, I'm convinced Ralph's prescient nature told him this was a trick;
something planned well in advance.  to test him so that Ralph, stunned by my
stupidity (no emergency when things are planned...right) thus Ralph's
remedial action was to do nothing apart from adopting a posture of self
protecting silence.  Thank you Ralph and those others
who may have been privy to this episode.
I'll be in the air (GOD WILLING, and a subsidence of the influenzicrud GOD
has seen to inflict on me for being such a bad boy and not giving two weeks
notice for everything).  I love you Ralph, but should the shit really hit
the fan, I fear I'll not rely on your support for communications.
Meanwhile, the 432.120 usb thursday night net shall proceed as it has since 
2002.
 Same time, same place, same frequency as for the past nine or so
years and if you don't know the magic combo for Thursday, you haven't been a
regular participant and probably should stick to 2 meters where the big boys
cavort.
Ciao, arrividerle
John WO1S/T6EE