Okay, I'm showing off my Dog... Why shouldn't I?

Me and my dog had fun the day I took the clips for this video.  I'm sure, though, she worked alot harder than I did.

FEMA Administrator Voices the Value of Amateur Radio

On May 3, 2011 in a forum at FCC Headquarters (Washington, DC) officials from the White House, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), FEMA, the FCC and the private sector were brought together to discuss earthquake communications preparedness.


During the forum, the FEMA Administrator - Craig Fugate made the following statements regarding Amateur radio:

*** He described the Amateur Radio operator as “the ultimate backup; the originators of what we call social media.”


*** “During the initial communications out of Haiti, volunteers using assigned frequencies that they are allocated, their own equipment, their own money, nobody pays them, were the first ones oftentimes getting word out in the critical first hours and first days as the rest of the systems came back up,”


*** “I think that there is a tendency because we have done so much to build infrastructure and resiliency in all our other systems, we have tended to dismiss that role ‘When Everything Else Fails.’ Amateur Radio oftentimes is our last line of defense.”

Read the ARRL article for more information about this topic<LINK

Take the Fun Little Amateur Radio Acronym Quiz - Just how Good are You?

It’s true that there are many, many abbreviations for things in amateur radio. Please consider these examples: NCS, NVIS, EOC, EC, VE, and on … and on.


Take the fun little quiz outlined on this ARRL web page. <---LINK


You can check your answers on the bottom of the page.


Good luck.

Report: Above average Hurricane Season

Yet again, the Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service is predicting an above average Atlantic Hurricane season this year.


Read the ARRL Story.


I think last year we were also told we’d have an above average season, but as far as hurricanes go, it was a bust.


I’m not saying I want any hurricanes, I’m simply saying that regardless of what those NWS nerds say, we should be ready.


What did they say? According to the ARRL article, we have a 65% probability of having an above average  hurricane season. That’s only slightly better than 50/50 odds. You and I might get those odds correctly guessing heads - flipping a coin 100 times.


I wonder if that’s how the NWS came up with their prediction?


Now, I might sound a little cynical but I really do appreciate what the NWS does.


Do you think we should all prepare now that they published their findings? Do you think we would be less prepared if they didn’t publish this report at all, and instead simply stated, “There’s a pretty good chance we’ll see some hurricanes this year”?


I wonder how many tax dollars went into this prediction.

Check out my Amateur Radio Gifts

I launched "Observations", an on-line amateur radio gift shop, Monday, May 16, 2011.  I'll be adding products regularly, so come back often. 


Don't see something you'd like?  Leave a comment and I'll try to make it happen.



create & buy custom products at Zazzle

2011 Armed Forces Day Crossband Test (After Action Reveiw) Contacts

It was a lot of fun working those armed forces Day stations May, 14 during their annual crossband test.


This was the first time I ever operated using split frequencies, and I thought it was pretty cool!

If you didn’t work any of the military stations Saturday and you aren't familiar with it, this is the way it went down:


I went to each of the posted frequencies for the various military branch stations and listened for the operator (if there was one) to give his “listening” frequency.


You see, they were transmitting from outside our Amateur band, in their MARS/military spectrum.


Since we can’t transmit on those frequencies, they listen on amateur frequencies; which (after being broadcasted) are input into the other VFO on my radio.  I then utilize the split function to transmit on their listening frequencies while listening on their transmit frequencies.


Pretty cool huh? I suppose people operating transceivers not equipped with a split function would have to tune the MARS/military frequencies on stand-alone receivers.


Here are the Stations I made contacts with during Saturday’s cross band test:


AAZ - Operator Juanita at Fort Huachuca, AZ .


WAR - Operator Steve at The Pentagon, Washington, DC


WUG2B - Operator Pat, Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis, TN


NWKJ - Operator Fred, USS Yorktown, Patriot’s Point, SC


NBL- Operator Bob at Navy/Marine MARS Radio Station; Groton, CT


NAJ - Operator Dave at Navy/Marine MARS Radio Station, Great lades, IL

2011 Armed Forces Day Crossband Test

As part of the celebration of the 61st anniversary of Armed Forces Day (AFD), the U.S. Military Branches will be co-sponsoring this cross band test on May 14, even though AFD is May, 21 this year.


The schedule for this test has been moved up a week due to the Dayton Hamvention on the 21st.


From the ARRL :  <--- link 

“The annual celebration features traditional military-to-amateur crossband communications SSB voice and Morse code tests. These tests give Amateur Radio operators and short wave listeners an opportunity to demonstrate their individual technical skills and to receive recognition from the Secretary of Defense and/or the appropriate military radio station for their proven expertise. QSL cards will be provided to those stations making contact with the military stations.”


*** For each station, frequencies and times of Military-to-amateur crossband operations are listed in UTC HERE.

*** Voice ops will be SSB - voice.

 *** Propagation difficulties may cause some stations to shut down early.


*** Participating military stations will transmit on selected military MARS frequencies, and listen for Amateur Radio stations in the amateur bands.


*** The military station operator will announce the specific amateur band frequency being monitored.


*** Duration of each voice contact should be limited to 1-2 minutes.

KC9RUL gets the Freewheeler Welcome

Rick, KC9RUL is welcomed to the freewheelers by NCS K9VDO and many of the freewheelers.  This is how the freewheelers roll!




Freewheeler Rewind

KJ4SXQ Is Welcomed to the Freewheelers Net Video

Listen to how the Freewheelers welcome a fellow ham (KJ4sxo):





KJ4SXO video.

Why Handle Traffic? Ask Alabama Hams

For about two two years I’ve been speaking with Brian (KJ4RJU) a truck driver who regularly passes through my town along Interstate 20.


He’s from Alabama; real close to one of the areas affected by recent tornados.


As he passed through today, I had to ask him how he faired in the aftermath.


He told me he wasn’t personally affected; that a tornado passed only a mile away from his home. He didn’t stop there though.


He explained how the images we see on the news does not do justice to the actual damage. He explained about the massive-powerful-tornados that whipped an entire hamlet off the map.


Then, the mentioned the value and importance of amateur radio in the hours following the terrible events. He said the hams in his area were well trained and provided an immeasurable service to the area.

How were the hams able to do this? I’ll tell you: by performing traffic handling in traffic nets when there is no emergency.


This event and the amateur radio response illustrates how important regular practice in traffic handling is.


Get in involved in traffic handling. It’s not that hard, and when trouble arises, you’ll be prepared to help.