Thank God it's Friday. It's been a long week for me, but it's almost done now. I'm still here at work, toiling away at my desk...but 90 minutes from now it will be Heaven.
I hope that I can get my Yasesu mobile station installed this afternoon, but I have to go to Radio Shack and buy an external speaker to go with it. It seems like I forgot that little detail when I was in Austin last Saturday. That's OK; this RS speaker is amplified so it really should work better than the standard Yaesu stock external speaker. The cost is around $35, but it just might be worth it...especially if I'm trying to hear the radio over the noise of a very hard rain or large hail pinging onto the truck, or an extracurricular activity...well, you get the point.
If this can all be installed fairly swiftly, it will be sweet and I can show it off in Round Rock on Tuesday night at the LSARA meeting. Now, if i can get the XYL to let me have a scanner installed permanently in the truck, complete with mobile antenna...
WR1TX
Friday, May 9, 2008
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Stormy Weather Again
Well, we had some interesting weather in Falls, Robertson and Leon counties last night. A severe thunderstorm formed in the western part of Falls County and just created all kinds of havoc. The worst part of it was a series of at least 3 confirmed touchdowns of tornadoes in Robertson County (I counted 4 myself) that uprooted trees and knocked down power lines on FM 46 SE of Bremond. There was also baseball sized hail confirmed. Thankfully, no injuries were reported...but I'm sure it was scary in that part of Central Texas.
You could see the storm quite nicely from Temple, even through the trees where I live in south Temple. Quite impressive I thought, and it just served as another reminder about severe weather in Texas, the southern edge of Tornado Alley!
Maybe I can get my Yaesu radio installed in the truck this afternoon...
WR1TX
You could see the storm quite nicely from Temple, even through the trees where I live in south Temple. Quite impressive I thought, and it just served as another reminder about severe weather in Texas, the southern edge of Tornado Alley!
Maybe I can get my Yaesu radio installed in the truck this afternoon...
WR1TX
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
An Important Personal Anniversary
I am celebrating an important anniversary. It was 17 years ago today that I received my very first ham radio license. I was a Technician-Plus licensee and I was very happy to get that ticket. It didn't take long for me to get on the air, but I did go through my jitters and nervousness just like anyone else does when they grab the microphone for the first time.
Now 17 years later, I don't even give it a second thought whenever I grab the mic. It's part of me and it always will. It's the new things that I am about to try thta make me nervous, yet excited...just like I was on this date 17 years ago.
So how am I going to celebrate this milestone? I doubt I'll do much, to be honest. I don't need to create a scene or call attention to myself, for it's just a simple milestone. Maybe when the QCWA writes me to request my membership in their group will it really hit me. But 17 years is a long time, and I have enjoyed it all...the friendships, the knowledge gained, and so on.
I hope the next 17 years will be good to me just like the previous 17, except minus the hiccups along the way.
WR1TX
Now 17 years later, I don't even give it a second thought whenever I grab the mic. It's part of me and it always will. It's the new things that I am about to try thta make me nervous, yet excited...just like I was on this date 17 years ago.
So how am I going to celebrate this milestone? I doubt I'll do much, to be honest. I don't need to create a scene or call attention to myself, for it's just a simple milestone. Maybe when the QCWA writes me to request my membership in their group will it really hit me. But 17 years is a long time, and I have enjoyed it all...the friendships, the knowledge gained, and so on.
I hope the next 17 years will be good to me just like the previous 17, except minus the hiccups along the way.
WR1TX
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
...and Cometh Some More
Well, the rain has let up for now but it's forecast to come back late tonight and early Wednesday morning. I guess I can deal with it; I'm tired of seeing our county colored in on all the burn ban maps.
Still waiting for the tax rebate, I mean "stimulus package," that we're supposed to be getting. I checked the IRS site, and they tell me that it will be this week when it gets here. Since I did my taxes by electronic means and used direct deposit, it should be here by this Friday. I'm not complaining if that's the case. I just might take the XYL out for a special day on Saturday or Sunday. I'll see how the end of this week plays out.
Now I'm thinking about adding another piece of equipment that is a bit pricey: a Uniden BCD-396T, which scans all trunking modes including P25, EDACS Standard and Narrow (great for scanning those TXU 4800 baud systems), Motorola Type I and II, and LTR. I would LOVE to have both a portable scanner that does all this as well as a base unit that does likewise. But since that is not reasonable at this point and time, I'll go for the BCD-396T. This will also cover the new Fort Hood trunked system that's in the 380 MHz Federal band, which I would love to listen to!
I'm always looking for something new to enhance my radio communications hobbies, aren't I?
WR1TX
Still waiting for the tax rebate, I mean "stimulus package," that we're supposed to be getting. I checked the IRS site, and they tell me that it will be this week when it gets here. Since I did my taxes by electronic means and used direct deposit, it should be here by this Friday. I'm not complaining if that's the case. I just might take the XYL out for a special day on Saturday or Sunday. I'll see how the end of this week plays out.
Now I'm thinking about adding another piece of equipment that is a bit pricey: a Uniden BCD-396T, which scans all trunking modes including P25, EDACS Standard and Narrow (great for scanning those TXU 4800 baud systems), Motorola Type I and II, and LTR. I would LOVE to have both a portable scanner that does all this as well as a base unit that does likewise. But since that is not reasonable at this point and time, I'll go for the BCD-396T. This will also cover the new Fort Hood trunked system that's in the 380 MHz Federal band, which I would love to listen to!
I'm always looking for something new to enhance my radio communications hobbies, aren't I?
WR1TX
Monday, May 5, 2008
The Rain Cometh...and Cometh...and Cometh...
Well, I'm glad I decided to drive the XYL to work and keep the truck for the day until she is finished and ready to come home. It began to rain soon after I got parked and went inside. And it doesn't look like it's going to end anytime soon, either.
Normally I would walk to work and take advantage of the exercise opportunity, but today I just felt like driving. Now I won't be all wet, except when I walk between my office and the main hospital campus (Scott & White in Temple). I already got wet once; I'm looking at twice more now. All I need is my body wash and a towel and I could have my shower done for the day already!
Maybe not...I'm not sure anyone would want to look at me while I was bathing in the rain. There's a place called "jail" that I wouldn't want to be in...
WR1TX
Normally I would walk to work and take advantage of the exercise opportunity, but today I just felt like driving. Now I won't be all wet, except when I walk between my office and the main hospital campus (Scott & White in Temple). I already got wet once; I'm looking at twice more now. All I need is my body wash and a towel and I could have my shower done for the day already!
Maybe not...I'm not sure anyone would want to look at me while I was bathing in the rain. There's a place called "jail" that I wouldn't want to be in...
WR1TX
Sunday, May 4, 2008
New Bell County Amateur Radio Club Forming
I just got word (and an invitation) to attend the first meeting of the Central Texas Amateur Radio Club, which will be held on June 3 at the Bell County EOC in Belton. I'm going to attend this meeting and see what is planned for this new entity.
I'm not really sure what my presence will mean, but since I resigned from TARC I don't think it will matter. I want to do something in Amateur Radio that will make a difference to others as well as to myself, and I think I might be able to get it done with membership in both CTARC and the Lone Star Amateur Radio Association (LSARA), based in Williamson County.
I feel badly for the Temple ARC (TARC), but that club blew the opportunities it had to do something in the Bell County arena and elsewhere. I see the club dying, but I have chosen not to go down with the ship and to go elsewhere to be a positive influence and to help those who need it.
I'm sorry, TARC; you had enough chances, and you screwed it all up. It's too bad that you lost who used to be one of your biggest supporters...me.
WR1TX
I'm not really sure what my presence will mean, but since I resigned from TARC I don't think it will matter. I want to do something in Amateur Radio that will make a difference to others as well as to myself, and I think I might be able to get it done with membership in both CTARC and the Lone Star Amateur Radio Association (LSARA), based in Williamson County.
I feel badly for the Temple ARC (TARC), but that club blew the opportunities it had to do something in the Bell County arena and elsewhere. I see the club dying, but I have chosen not to go down with the ship and to go elsewhere to be a positive influence and to help those who need it.
I'm sorry, TARC; you had enough chances, and you screwed it all up. It's too bad that you lost who used to be one of your biggest supporters...me.
WR1TX
$570 Later...
Well, the trip to Austin to the "candy store" was very fruitful! I purchased a new Yaesu FT-8800R VHF/UHF mobile, and a Comet SBB-7NMO dual-band antenna which will be mounted on a triple-magnetic mount. That mount holds very well! In addition I purchased a new ARRL Repeater Directory for '08-'09 and a book from the ARRL about HF digital communication. This is in line with my plans for the future as to how my station will evolve.
The main issue is simply to get the power cables run from the radio to the battery in the truck for the 2m/70cm gear, but I haven't found a place to run the cables yet. I don't plan to wait long to do this, for I want the mobile station to be completely operational by the end of next weekend so I can make my trip to Round Rock for the LSARA meeting on May 13.
But at least I have things in motion, and this was with the blessing of the XYL! I love the lady no matter what happens, but she wants me to enjoy my hobby and this will certainly help. She still talks about the events of the end of April when we had that severe weather roll through and all I could really use to talk to her was the cell phone. Not a good idea, especially for someone like myself who knows better. On top of that, Mary was quite scared...so the decision to buy the gear for the truck was easy.
Stay tuned; I think things are getting better on the home ham radio front!
WR1TX
The main issue is simply to get the power cables run from the radio to the battery in the truck for the 2m/70cm gear, but I haven't found a place to run the cables yet. I don't plan to wait long to do this, for I want the mobile station to be completely operational by the end of next weekend so I can make my trip to Round Rock for the LSARA meeting on May 13.
But at least I have things in motion, and this was with the blessing of the XYL! I love the lady no matter what happens, but she wants me to enjoy my hobby and this will certainly help. She still talks about the events of the end of April when we had that severe weather roll through and all I could really use to talk to her was the cell phone. Not a good idea, especially for someone like myself who knows better. On top of that, Mary was quite scared...so the decision to buy the gear for the truck was easy.
Stay tuned; I think things are getting better on the home ham radio front!
WR1TX
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