Is your Town Repeater Friendly

Like many hams, I’ve traveled through towns of various sizes, repeater directory in hand, hoping to make a few contacts along my way.

All too often, however, After transmitting my call sign, I get absolutely no response.
What gives?


I’ll give my call … wait … Give my call … wait … hear nothing… then hear some guy call his buddy.


Don’t get me wrong, I know there is no law that says someone has to talk to me, but if you’re not going to talk to new people in your area, there’s not much justification for your radios, or your repeaters. And, for that matter, there’s not much use for my participation in the Amateur Radio Hobby.


I carried my handi-talkie to Jackson, Mississippi for two years before people would speak to me, but once they did, I felt right at home.

Believing that we hams can count on each other no matter who or where we are is comforting. That said, when I cant get anyone to even say, “Boo”, that belief is tested.

This situation begs some questions: Are we hams part of a close-knit community? Can we, in fact, count on one another? I believe when push comes to shove, “we are” and “we can“.

So, why not extend a little friendship to strangers when they move through your town? Doing so will be setting an example that just may be extended back to you, one day, when you are driving through a strange town yourself.

Is there a Place for Amateur Radio in a World of Tweets? This Leaves no Doubt!

I asked and thought I answered this question.  That is until I heard the following.

A guy in Haiti, John - HH2J reports from Haiti (via ham radio) right after the terrible earthquake.

New Amateur Radio Publication Gains Momentum

 The Voice of Ham Radio Daily launched in February, 2011 and already has quite a following.

The daily digest, edited by Pete Thomson, KE5GGY, is dedicated to EVERYTHING Ham Radio.  And, that is right up my alley!

Here are just a few current featured headlines:

Look out, Yaesu: amateurradio.com - Chinese-made VHF and UHF hand-held radios are no longer the novelty they were a few years ago when I discovered the Jingtong JT-208 and got one to try. They are no longer the shoddily made bits of...



SWPC D-Region Absorption Prediction: swpc.noaa.gov - NOAA / Space Weather Prediction Center Conditions in the D-Region of the Ionosphere have a dramatic effect on High Frequency (HF) communications and Low Frequency (LF) navigation systems like Lor...

Building a VHF or UHF Ladder Line J-Pole Antenna : collegearc.com - For those of us who live in RF canyons or have difficulties hitting a local repeater with a rubber duck, a better antenna is a must. I live at the bottom of Poly Canyon on the California Polytechni...

I think The Voice of Ham Radio is a great place to get a variety of ham radio news, tips and ideas from across the world wide web.

That's why I give it a big THUMBS UP! 

 Find The Voice of Ham Radio Daily, by using the link on the right hand side of this page.

You can get it like I do,  sent straight to your in-box. 

Severe Weather Threatens Parts of the Deep South... Again!

For the fourth time in less than two weeks, severe weather threatens parts of the South.

Here is the weather map indicating the threat:

The setup for this should sound familiar. A dip, or trough, in the upper levels of the atmosphere will provide the jet-stream energy and cold air aloft (instability) for thunderstorms.  At the same time, a surface frontal system will slowly march through the South with increasingly warm and humid air streaming north from the Gulf of Mexico.

Click Here For Details

Opposition to HR 607 Form Letter

I will be sending the following letter to my Congressman. The letter is from the ARRL web site. Feel free to print this out and send it to your Representative. I implore you to do so. Thanks.

I was instructed to send the form letters to the address at the bottom.  The hard copies will be hand delivered to congress.


The Honorable Congressman Rodney Alexander United States House of Representatives
316 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515


Dear Representative Rodney Alexander:


As a voter in your district and as one of the nearly 700,000 federally licensed Amateur Radio operators across the nation, I ask that you oppose H.R. 607, the "Broadband for First Responders Act of 2011" in its current form. H.R. 607 was introduced by Congressman Peter King (R-NY) and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.


H.R. 607 proposes to allocate the "D-Block" of frequencies (frequencies previously occupied by analog television) to be developed into an interoperable Public Safety wireless network. Earlier, it had been expected that the D-Block would be auctioned by the FCC for commercial use, but there is now substantial support for the allocation of the D-Block to Public Safety. H.R. 607 also provides for the reallocation of other spectrum for auction to commercial users, in order to offset the loss of revenue anticipated by the auction of the D-Block.


While I strongly support the work of the Public Safety officials who put their lives on the line for our safety, my opposition to the bill stems from the inclusion of the 420-440 MHz spectrum (the UHF 70-cm band) as part of a frequency swap and auction. Very little of this spectrum is allocated to Public Safety, and only in very limited areas. Rather, it is allocated to government radiolocation services on a primary basis, with Amateur Radio allocated on a secondary basis. The Federal government uses this band for critical defense purposes, including Pave Paws radars for detecting surface-launched missiles aimed at the United States, and for airborne radars used for drug interdiction. The Amateur Service carefully coordinates its uses of this band to insure compatibility. The two services have a very good record of sharing this spectrum successfully, putting it to good use for both military and civilian purposes in the national interest.


Amateur radio emergency communications rely heavily on our limited frequency allocations in the VHF and UHF radio bands. The loss of access to the 420-440 MHz spectrum would make it very difficult for us to maintain this capability and would mean we could no longer use numerous systems that have been constructed on our own time and at personal expense to provide this important communications support.


Amateur Radio operators across the country repeatedly demonstrate our commitment to public service and emergency communications. Through our work with FEMA and other Homeland Security activities, state and local Emergency Management offices, and numerous charitable relief agencies, volunteer Amateur Radio operators assist the first responders, doing so at no cost to the agencies we support. The role of the Amateur Radio Service as a partner to Public Safety in providing supporting public service and emergency communications necessitates our retention of full access to the entire 70-cm band.


We understand and support that Public Safety officials must have the spectrum they need to do their jobs. However, it is not necessary to do so in the ill-conceived manner proposed in this bill. Other pending legislation provides for this important goal to be realized without the proposed reallocation of non-Public Safety spectrum for commercial auction that is included in H.R. 607. I urge you to oppose H.R. 607 in its current form. Thank you for your consideration.
------------------
sEND TO :

John Chwat
Chwat & Co. 
625 Slaters Lane
Suite 103
Alexandria, VA  22314

Another Bicycle Mobile Fishing Day-Trip Video

This is another video I made of an excursion along the Ouachita River taking my Mountain-Bicycle Mobile.


I am combining some of my favorite activities: Ham radio, mountain biking, exploring, and Fishing.


I'd be interested in seeing your own videos. If you make one, send me the link. I'll post it here.