Well, a lot has happened since I last posted here. A relationship ended and I have moved to a new location. But new things are coming down the pike and I may FINALLY be able to do some of the things I always wanted to do beginning this year. Here are some highlights:
I have moved out of Valley Mills, TX and moved to the town of McGregor, about 15 miles south and about 15 miles west of Waco. I had to get out of a very toxic relationship and have begun life anew and I am finally on the road to recovery and beginning to enjoy life again.
Ham radio is now again closer to being on the front burner again. I have plans to attend Field Day just outside Brookshire again and improve the effort made last year. QRP is fun, and using solar and battery power in FD can be really fun! Let's see what happens in 2010 as Randy (KA5IIA) and I try to help the Houston QRP group improve on last year.
Portable operation will be on the front burner again as I will be looking to bring out the portable antenna and gear again and see what can be done with it. For the 1st time I plan to operate in CQ Magazine's WW WPX Contest and turn in a score to see what I can do against the big guns! I do believe that my WR1 prefix should count for something. It could be time for the Slinky antenna ideas to bring some fruit...
More news coming in the next few days as ideas begin to bear fruit.
Stay tuned...
Warren, WR1TX
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Oops, Been Away Too Long!!!
Sorry, gang, for being away way too long but when you have limited Internet access, a new job, and a lot of other things going on in life some things get pushed out of the way for a while. Unfortunately it was my blog and my main website. But here I am again, and I'm ready for 2010 to get here. There's a lot going on, so let's dig in...
I finally left Scott and White Hospital in Temple back around the end of September. When you have problems with gigantic egos that permeate your department and those egos are trying to get you into serious trouble for reasons that are not your fault, then you know it's time to go. I left a day before my given departure date because I had had it with the idiots that worked there. But fortunately I already had a job lined up with Convergys in McGregor, which is a customer service company that serves clients worldwide. It's a good job. I work the evening shift except for Sundays which are daytime. That may change in the future but for now I'm good.
Christmas is going to be a happy time around the house, including for me. I can't exactly say what's going to be under the tree but I can tell you that I managed to buy some gear for the hamshack that I had been wanting for some time. One thing is West Mountain Radio's Rigblaster Pro, which will FINALLY allow me to start using the digital modes; I have always wanted to experiment with PSK-31 and -63, RTTY, and more. I may even try a little SSTV but we'll see about that. The Rigblaster will be hooked up to my Yaesu FT-857, which should compliment each other beautifully. I opened up the case of the Rigblaster and saw how clean the circuitry was and how easy the jumper tabs are to get to; the instructions are easy to read as well. I also ordered the complete software package offered by Scott, N3FJP. I have always been a fan of his contest software because it is so very easy to use; now I have the entire compliation along with registration for everything on the way. I can't wait to start using it all, once my new Hewlett-Packard with 4 GB RAM, 500 GB hard drive gets installed!
I also purchased a new Radio Shack Scanner, the PRO-164. (Or is it the -163? Anyway...) I have that scanner set up in the bedroom and my PRO-2051 is now in the car. The new scanner is absolutely awesome in the fact that you can enter more information for a particular frequency. You can even enter PL and DCS tones for that frequency if you choose! More search functions for specific services which opens up more frequencies/channels for storage, and more. At $199 I thought it was a steal.
I had also planned to purchase a new weather station by Davis to install to complete the station and have available for all to see online but I simply ran out of cash to do it with. It looks like income tax time will be the time for that to get done; I should have everything else working before then. How I will do that is purchase the Davis Vantage Pro and set that up so all weather information gathered would be accessible by way of the Internet. I am also looking to try to set the weather station up for access by way of APRS. That will also require a 2-meter APRS radio, but I don't think that will be expensive. But all together this weather station could run me at around $1000 if done RIGHT, just like the rest of the shack. It will all be done right.
I'm also looking forward to my 46th birthday, which will be on January 2. Hard to believe I've made it this far and I haven't run myself into the ground...yet. Life has been challenging lately but all will be OK. It's simply a matter of patience.
So what's been going on with you? Drop me a line and share...
Stay tuned...
WR1TX
I finally left Scott and White Hospital in Temple back around the end of September. When you have problems with gigantic egos that permeate your department and those egos are trying to get you into serious trouble for reasons that are not your fault, then you know it's time to go. I left a day before my given departure date because I had had it with the idiots that worked there. But fortunately I already had a job lined up with Convergys in McGregor, which is a customer service company that serves clients worldwide. It's a good job. I work the evening shift except for Sundays which are daytime. That may change in the future but for now I'm good.
Christmas is going to be a happy time around the house, including for me. I can't exactly say what's going to be under the tree but I can tell you that I managed to buy some gear for the hamshack that I had been wanting for some time. One thing is West Mountain Radio's Rigblaster Pro, which will FINALLY allow me to start using the digital modes; I have always wanted to experiment with PSK-31 and -63, RTTY, and more. I may even try a little SSTV but we'll see about that. The Rigblaster will be hooked up to my Yaesu FT-857, which should compliment each other beautifully. I opened up the case of the Rigblaster and saw how clean the circuitry was and how easy the jumper tabs are to get to; the instructions are easy to read as well. I also ordered the complete software package offered by Scott, N3FJP. I have always been a fan of his contest software because it is so very easy to use; now I have the entire compliation along with registration for everything on the way. I can't wait to start using it all, once my new Hewlett-Packard with 4 GB RAM, 500 GB hard drive gets installed!
I also purchased a new Radio Shack Scanner, the PRO-164. (Or is it the -163? Anyway...) I have that scanner set up in the bedroom and my PRO-2051 is now in the car. The new scanner is absolutely awesome in the fact that you can enter more information for a particular frequency. You can even enter PL and DCS tones for that frequency if you choose! More search functions for specific services which opens up more frequencies/channels for storage, and more. At $199 I thought it was a steal.
I had also planned to purchase a new weather station by Davis to install to complete the station and have available for all to see online but I simply ran out of cash to do it with. It looks like income tax time will be the time for that to get done; I should have everything else working before then. How I will do that is purchase the Davis Vantage Pro and set that up so all weather information gathered would be accessible by way of the Internet. I am also looking to try to set the weather station up for access by way of APRS. That will also require a 2-meter APRS radio, but I don't think that will be expensive. But all together this weather station could run me at around $1000 if done RIGHT, just like the rest of the shack. It will all be done right.
I'm also looking forward to my 46th birthday, which will be on January 2. Hard to believe I've made it this far and I haven't run myself into the ground...yet. Life has been challenging lately but all will be OK. It's simply a matter of patience.
So what's been going on with you? Drop me a line and share...
Stay tuned...
WR1TX
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Some Special News...I'm Gonna Be a Grandpa!!!
That's right. I have reached the period in my life that I'm going to become a grandfather. I was hit with the news today and to be honest that was the last thing I would have expected to hear. My youngest daughter is going to be a mother and I am going to help in any way I can. She's 12 weeks along and the blessed event should happen in mid-February.
You can expect a lot more news in the coming days concerning this! I'm excited, nervous, and scared all at once but I'll be OK I assure you. But I sure could use some advice! You can post your comments here or email me at wr1tx@wr1tx.net and give me whatever advice you can afford to give. Thank you in advance...
Stay tuned...and I really mean it!
WR1TX
You can expect a lot more news in the coming days concerning this! I'm excited, nervous, and scared all at once but I'll be OK I assure you. But I sure could use some advice! You can post your comments here or email me at wr1tx@wr1tx.net and give me whatever advice you can afford to give. Thank you in advance...
Stay tuned...and I really mean it!
WR1TX
Thursday, June 25, 2009
It's a Go!!!
Well, everyone...the plan to head down to Magnolia and houston for Field Day is set. I will be leaving Valley Mills at around noon tomorrow and should arrive in Magnolia at around 5 or so. I do need to make a few stops along the way so that will take up some time. The reason for these stops are simple: I have to stop at Randy's (KA5IIA) house in Temple to pick up a dismantled 6-meter antenna and I will also visit with his parents and maybe his sister as well. It's been quite some time since I have seen them so the visit will be enjoyable. I'll also stop along the way to grab a bite to eat and I'll take time doing it. If nothing else, the trip will be a great chance to get away and get a little peace.
It is VERY important to note that it will be very hot for FD this weekend. Temps from 100 to 105 or more will likely be the norm so make the extra effort to dress cool and drink LOTS of liquids, especially water. Believe it or not, this die-hard Dr Pepper drinker will actually stay away from the sodas this weekend! I learned from last year, when I almost dropped from heat exhaustion walking across Temple to go to an FD site. I swore that I would never do that again and I intend to keep my promise. Be careful out there, PLEASE!!!
I do hope to get some pictures from FD in Houston and if I do I will make every effort to get them uploaded onto my website.
One important note: Google is evidently getting rid of the website section of Google Apps. They're going to incorporate those websites still in use (like mine) and will move them over and set them up on Google Sites, which is actually different. To me that area looks like something from Yahoo Groups, but I'll be open about it and see how it goes. I'm not sure when the transition will take place but it is supposed to happen fairly soon. I'll keep you updated on the details. Who knows; maybe the transition will work out in my favor!
Take notice of the poll question I have up concerning FD. I would like to know how many people who view the blog actually participate in FD and what they do during the event. From here on out once the poll is closed I will post a new poll question for you to respond to. No names or calls will be listed; I would just like to look at the numbers of those who respond.
Also, by ALL means feel free to reply comments to anything I may post on this blog. I would love to hear from you and I will certainly respond to your comments. The same goes for personal emails to me; I will respond and respect your thoughts and comments.
Have fun this weekend; I should be back in the saddle early next week with an entry on how everything went. STAY COOL AND HYDRATED, PLEASE!!!
Stay tuned...
WR1TX
It is VERY important to note that it will be very hot for FD this weekend. Temps from 100 to 105 or more will likely be the norm so make the extra effort to dress cool and drink LOTS of liquids, especially water. Believe it or not, this die-hard Dr Pepper drinker will actually stay away from the sodas this weekend! I learned from last year, when I almost dropped from heat exhaustion walking across Temple to go to an FD site. I swore that I would never do that again and I intend to keep my promise. Be careful out there, PLEASE!!!
I do hope to get some pictures from FD in Houston and if I do I will make every effort to get them uploaded onto my website.
One important note: Google is evidently getting rid of the website section of Google Apps. They're going to incorporate those websites still in use (like mine) and will move them over and set them up on Google Sites, which is actually different. To me that area looks like something from Yahoo Groups, but I'll be open about it and see how it goes. I'm not sure when the transition will take place but it is supposed to happen fairly soon. I'll keep you updated on the details. Who knows; maybe the transition will work out in my favor!
Take notice of the poll question I have up concerning FD. I would like to know how many people who view the blog actually participate in FD and what they do during the event. From here on out once the poll is closed I will post a new poll question for you to respond to. No names or calls will be listed; I would just like to look at the numbers of those who respond.
Also, by ALL means feel free to reply comments to anything I may post on this blog. I would love to hear from you and I will certainly respond to your comments. The same goes for personal emails to me; I will respond and respect your thoughts and comments.
Have fun this weekend; I should be back in the saddle early next week with an entry on how everything went. STAY COOL AND HYDRATED, PLEASE!!!
Stay tuned...
WR1TX
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Reflections of N5TD...and Field Day
In case you haven't heard, Charlie Schlieper (N5TD) became a Silent Key recently. I got the call from Randy, KA5IIA, early the morning after and I was absolutely shocked. Even though Charlie had been in worsening health over the last several months it was still a surprise to many. I did get to see Kay (his XYL) at both the visitation and the funeral. She had been through so much and it showed. She is a strong lady and I'm sure that she will get through this very difficult time.
My thoughts about Charlie go back a long way, all the way to when I was first licensed as a ham. Charlie was one of the guys who taught the class that got me on my way and was one of the VE's at my test session. I sat in his shack several times and we talked radio a lot. I had even helped him repair a radio that had some issues with the audio, only to discover that the mike element needed cleaning and some junk needed to be removed from around it. But ultimately some of the best times of my life were spent with Charlie and Kay, and I will never forget them; those times will always be cherished...forever.
Field Day was something special with Charlie there. Many times he would bring a lot of equipment with him to do satellite work or perhaps digital modes or something else. The stuff he brought would fill up several tables lined up in a row. That was only a small sample of all the gear the man had, and we all knew it. I sat with him several times and watched as he tried to reach the international space station or in previous years, MIR...or anything else that came up.
Charlie was extremely knowledgeable in electronics. No one could touch the man as far as what he knew, and it's possible that he had forgotten more than most of us knew about electronics and beyond. We knew that and accepted that. Education was extremely important to him and he showed that every day. He had said several times that the day would be a failure if he had not learned at least one new thing, and maybe that's something we should take note of.
Field Day is this weekend, and I go into that weekend with a very heavy heart knowing that Charlie will not be out there somewhere. But I do go forward, and I will pick up the torch that Charlie left behind and I will work hard to learn new things and apply what I have learned. That begins with this weekend, as I go to visit Randy down in Magnolia and will participate in Field Day with a Houston-area QRP and AMSAT club there. There will be lots to learn and I plan to get a lot of pictures taken while I'm there. If I possibly can I will get these posted with captions.
In the meantime, my most sincerely condolences and prayers go to Kay, her son Carl and the entire Schlieper family. Your pain is felt by many, and rest assured that we will be there for you if you need us. But do remember that it is only a farewell, not goodbye, and we will eventually see Charlie again. You can bet that he and Bob, W7KPW (also a silent key), are now talking about how they can help God improve his communications equipment...like it needs any help in the first place. But they will try...
See you at FD...and stay tuned.
WR1TX
My thoughts about Charlie go back a long way, all the way to when I was first licensed as a ham. Charlie was one of the guys who taught the class that got me on my way and was one of the VE's at my test session. I sat in his shack several times and we talked radio a lot. I had even helped him repair a radio that had some issues with the audio, only to discover that the mike element needed cleaning and some junk needed to be removed from around it. But ultimately some of the best times of my life were spent with Charlie and Kay, and I will never forget them; those times will always be cherished...forever.
Field Day was something special with Charlie there. Many times he would bring a lot of equipment with him to do satellite work or perhaps digital modes or something else. The stuff he brought would fill up several tables lined up in a row. That was only a small sample of all the gear the man had, and we all knew it. I sat with him several times and watched as he tried to reach the international space station or in previous years, MIR...or anything else that came up.
Charlie was extremely knowledgeable in electronics. No one could touch the man as far as what he knew, and it's possible that he had forgotten more than most of us knew about electronics and beyond. We knew that and accepted that. Education was extremely important to him and he showed that every day. He had said several times that the day would be a failure if he had not learned at least one new thing, and maybe that's something we should take note of.
Field Day is this weekend, and I go into that weekend with a very heavy heart knowing that Charlie will not be out there somewhere. But I do go forward, and I will pick up the torch that Charlie left behind and I will work hard to learn new things and apply what I have learned. That begins with this weekend, as I go to visit Randy down in Magnolia and will participate in Field Day with a Houston-area QRP and AMSAT club there. There will be lots to learn and I plan to get a lot of pictures taken while I'm there. If I possibly can I will get these posted with captions.
In the meantime, my most sincerely condolences and prayers go to Kay, her son Carl and the entire Schlieper family. Your pain is felt by many, and rest assured that we will be there for you if you need us. But do remember that it is only a farewell, not goodbye, and we will eventually see Charlie again. You can bet that he and Bob, W7KPW (also a silent key), are now talking about how they can help God improve his communications equipment...like it needs any help in the first place. But they will try...
See you at FD...and stay tuned.
WR1TX
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Looking Forward to June...
Well everyone, we are well on our way toward summer and it will be here before we know it. For me this summer will provide me with opportunities to pursue ham radio that I haven't had in a long time.
I'm looking at the possibility of operating from Jenny's family's reunion and campout at Lake Whitney June 18-21. If I do that I'll make sure to get some special QSL cards showing my portable operation from there. I'll let everyone know if I do decide to do that.
The following weekend (June 26-28) I plan to be in Magnolia visiting Randy, KA5IIA, and operating with a Houston-area QRP group for Field Day. My car will also be set up for mobile operation, and that is what I'm really looking forward to.
Finally, I'm still working on plans for operating bicycle mobile but the gear will be different from what I had originally planned. I'm now looking at possibly buying the Yaesu FT-10R or -10SR since this series is weather resistant and is Bluetooth capable. With those two options I really can't go wrong there!
I'm also back on the air more at home. I worked AF5DM who lives in Plano on Monday night on 40m CW. We had a great 40-minute chat that could have lasted a long time if we chose to. We are both members of FISTS and SKCC so we exchanged numbers among other information. I should be back on the air later this week.
Stay tuned...
WR1TX
I'm looking at the possibility of operating from Jenny's family's reunion and campout at Lake Whitney June 18-21. If I do that I'll make sure to get some special QSL cards showing my portable operation from there. I'll let everyone know if I do decide to do that.
The following weekend (June 26-28) I plan to be in Magnolia visiting Randy, KA5IIA, and operating with a Houston-area QRP group for Field Day. My car will also be set up for mobile operation, and that is what I'm really looking forward to.
Finally, I'm still working on plans for operating bicycle mobile but the gear will be different from what I had originally planned. I'm now looking at possibly buying the Yaesu FT-10R or -10SR since this series is weather resistant and is Bluetooth capable. With those two options I really can't go wrong there!
I'm also back on the air more at home. I worked AF5DM who lives in Plano on Monday night on 40m CW. We had a great 40-minute chat that could have lasted a long time if we chose to. We are both members of FISTS and SKCC so we exchanged numbers among other information. I should be back on the air later this week.
Stay tuned...
WR1TX
Monday, May 4, 2009
A Quick Retrospect...From One Year Ago to Now; Also, a Little Philately
Well everyone, it's almost a year since my life turned upside down. The XYL and I had split up in May of last year and we are still separated, and likely to divorce now. We have rarely talked over the last month of more, and she has pretty well made it clear that she just doesn't want to try to reconcile. It's her loss, and I have decided that I need to move on and just make life for myself as good as I can possibly make it. Jenny has been there for me and she certainly deserves the chance to perhaps make it permanent. But certain things have to happen...and I will leave it at that.
For my hobbies, they had to be put on hold for the most part while I got my life back together again. It's not perfect now, but my life is better than it had been. I can enjoy my hobbies to some extent now and the support for them is there as well. That was something I hadn't had in a very very long time, and I do appreciate that. But it's a two-way street, and I continually work to make sure that Jenny gets her due. She wants me to have fun and explore, and do things like I always have wanted to do them if at all possible. I am now doing that, and I have explained in previous posts what I would really like to do and what I am now doing to get there.
I have now lived in Valley Mills, Texas since early November. It's a different kind of lifestyle and pace and it has taken me a while to get used to it. But I'm getting there and I really do enjoy it now. I'm not sure I really want to leave this quiet and peaceful place, located on State Highway 6 about 25 miles NW of Waco in Bosque County.
We will see what happen in time I'm sure. Only God knows what is in store, and He will not give me more than I can handle. But He sure has made life challenging for me!
***********************************
On the Amateur Radio philately front...I have just won on eBay an interesting set of stamps. These were issued by the kingdom of Jordan, and depict a picture of none other than the late King Hussein, JY1. Many of you long-time DXers know that King Hussein loved and supported Amateur Radio, and was even a life member of the ARRL. The monarch was easily one of the most popular and loved hams in the world, bar none. Anyhow, there are 5 stamps in this collection; all of them are in mint condition, never used. One $9.99 bid sealed the set for me. I should be receiving these any day. This comes on the heels of a mint stamp from India showing a picture of Marconi on it. I was happy to see this one come in the mail today.
Where am I getting these Amateur Radio stamps? I have an eBay seller in New York that seems to be able to get these stamps pretty regular. But I'm not alone in collecting Amateur Radio postage stamps from around the world. There are one or two others who bid on these stamps on eBay; we usually wind up bidding against each other. If you want to find out about those who collect these stamps, just do a Google search. I will eventually have a page on my website that is dedicated to Amateur Radio stamps.
Stay tuned...
WR1TX
For my hobbies, they had to be put on hold for the most part while I got my life back together again. It's not perfect now, but my life is better than it had been. I can enjoy my hobbies to some extent now and the support for them is there as well. That was something I hadn't had in a very very long time, and I do appreciate that. But it's a two-way street, and I continually work to make sure that Jenny gets her due. She wants me to have fun and explore, and do things like I always have wanted to do them if at all possible. I am now doing that, and I have explained in previous posts what I would really like to do and what I am now doing to get there.
I have now lived in Valley Mills, Texas since early November. It's a different kind of lifestyle and pace and it has taken me a while to get used to it. But I'm getting there and I really do enjoy it now. I'm not sure I really want to leave this quiet and peaceful place, located on State Highway 6 about 25 miles NW of Waco in Bosque County.
We will see what happen in time I'm sure. Only God knows what is in store, and He will not give me more than I can handle. But He sure has made life challenging for me!
***********************************
On the Amateur Radio philately front...I have just won on eBay an interesting set of stamps. These were issued by the kingdom of Jordan, and depict a picture of none other than the late King Hussein, JY1. Many of you long-time DXers know that King Hussein loved and supported Amateur Radio, and was even a life member of the ARRL. The monarch was easily one of the most popular and loved hams in the world, bar none. Anyhow, there are 5 stamps in this collection; all of them are in mint condition, never used. One $9.99 bid sealed the set for me. I should be receiving these any day. This comes on the heels of a mint stamp from India showing a picture of Marconi on it. I was happy to see this one come in the mail today.
Where am I getting these Amateur Radio stamps? I have an eBay seller in New York that seems to be able to get these stamps pretty regular. But I'm not alone in collecting Amateur Radio postage stamps from around the world. There are one or two others who bid on these stamps on eBay; we usually wind up bidding against each other. If you want to find out about those who collect these stamps, just do a Google search. I will eventually have a page on my website that is dedicated to Amateur Radio stamps.
Stay tuned...
WR1TX
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