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WX4QZ > ALL 18.05.21 18:37l 206 Lines 7246 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 18853_NS2B
Read: GUEST
Subj: PCL NET SCRIBE MAY 17 2021
Path: IW8PGT<IZ3LSV<IR1UAW<IW2OHX<IW0QNL<VE2PKT<W0ARP<AB0AF<VA7RBP<NS2B
Sent: 210518/1629Z 18853@NS2B.#WNY.NY.USA.NOAM BPQ6.0.21
PCL Net Scribe for May 17, 2021
WX4QZ, Daryl, Arkansas (Net Control And Scribe)
NS2B, Bob, New York (Sysop)
NT5R, Charley, Missouri
VE7TCP, Jim, Canada
VA7RBP, Rick, Canada
N2GWK, George, Kentucky
KF5JRV, Scott, Arkansas (Internet Issues)
KF5TVG, Bob, Oklahoma (Early Checkin)
***
WX4QZ:
Note that May 31, is the US Memorial Day Holiday, so
The PCL Net will NOT meet that night. We will resume
the following Monday, June 7.
Flood Watch here through Thursday, with a risk of
severe weather...the storms may affect my doing nets.
Hopefully, I can get the BBS in the cloud this
weekend. At least the corneal abrasion in my right
eye has healed...not sure how I scratched it. And,
no sign of a detached retina, but I've been told of
warning signs (that'd require emergency surgery).
I helped with a ham radio test session Saturday...got
1 upgrade to Extra...others will try again later. First
session I've been part of in nearly 2 years, due to
COVID-19. I hope to do more exam sessions soon.
Otherwise, I've scaled back my hobby work, as burnout
is trying to set in.
The bathrooms are still torn up, as the insurance
company and contractor are still far apart. I may
never get them fixed at this rate. To the insurance
companies, it's a catastrophe if they have to pay a
claim. Some fellow square dancers have offered to do
the work, but I'd feel guilty to not be able to pay
them. The money may be in the bank account, but I'm
treating it as if it's not even in there. My car tags
got renewed, and I'd hate to have to sell it to pay
the bills, as it'd make the house insurance more
expensive.
The I-40 bridge over the Mississippi River has been
closed due to a huge crack. They are rerouting traffic,
and it's a huge mess. The contractor who missed the
crack on the inspection got fired. The trucking industry
is losing $2.5 million a day with the detour. Glad I
don't have to travel over that way. Both Arkansas and
Tennessee are pointing fingers at each other, on who's
to blame.
I got a square dance publication out Sunday, so I don't
have to mess with that again for at least 3 weeks. I
prefer to work behind the scenes on stuff.
I need to get other medical procedures set up, but I
may change PCP's. One local hospital network can not
figure out how to update their databases (and their
IT department has no clue). I had to send info off to
the state Medicare deal to keep the benefits (such as
they are). I sent it Certified Return Receipt, to be
sure they got it...I don't trust the Post Office.
May 18 would've been my 18th wedding anniversary, but
my wife died 3 weeks before my 4th one. I miss her to
this day. I never remarried, because at this stage of
life, it seems everyone has "too much baggage". While
I'm busier than I was when I was married, some days,
it gets awfully lonely.
***
NS2B:
The week was spent in the yard since it's been dry here
for a change.
Put out a little garden, of course, some critter ate all
the leaves off one of my tomato plants already - hopefully
it has it's fill.
Trimmed up a tree that kept trying to knock me off my mower
when I'd drive by. Now we could use a little rain.
Nothing new on the radio front here.
Sorry for your loss Daryl, there are times when it can
be tough.
***
NT5R:
Boy, what timing. Connection reset just as you turned
it over, Daryl.
Daryl, thinking of you. Hang in there, hope your eye does
well. We were in EM15 Mounds, Oklahoma last week, and
likely several more days. Girl friend had detached retina
so eye surgery in Tulsa last week.
Last 3 days and next several days predicted rain and
thunderstorms, but been able to get out and hike each day.
Yesterday, a bit of rain, but no lightning, thank goodness.
No hiking with lightning!!
George, the Fusion is interesting on Yaesu. Have FT-70D
(from Bob). Talked to YU2DVD in Europe through Fusion
repeater in Springfield, Missouri, a couple of weeks ago.
The digitized voice takes awhile to get your ears tuned,
but interesting mode. Prefer over DMR because you can
program stations on the fly, no computer required.
***
VE7TCP:
I've been having a bit of a tough time lately (and
by 'lately', it seems like I mean a period of months,
thinking back on it now). Always seems like there's too
much to do and no energy to do it with. Symptoms of mild
depression I'm sure, but I just keep plugging away at it
because that's about it.
When this happens, I get really bad at keeping up contact,
be it email, nets, phoning people back, etc. So, sorry I
haven't been around, but it just feels like there's always
something.
Sorry about your impending anniversary, Daryl, I know it is
a tough time. My ex-wife is still alive, so I know it isn't
the same, but I feel a mourning/loss whenever our anniversary
rolls around, because even though she's still around (and I
still have to see her a couple of times a week because of
the kids), she's not at all the same person I loved, and it's
just a constant and painful reminder in many ways. When I'm
able, I try to put it out of mind.
whew, sorry, that was depressing. Radio stuff...well, I
did manage to pull my socks up in the last week and start
back into some things, one of which was a 2m Yagi I'd
bought something like a year ago, that's been sitting in
its box across my coffee table gathering dust. Put it up
in the air yesterday afternoon because it was a nice day
(raining this week) and pointed it south, trying to reach
some of the packet and VARA FM stations across the border...
of course, I have no verification that the stations in the
list I'm using are actually up, and I didn't meet with a lot
of success. I did reach 3 packet stations I hadn't been able
to hit with the J-Pole, but although they seemed to hear me
fine, the responses were so weak they wouldn't decode most
of the time. Same disappointment I get on 14.105 :(
I did manage to connect with a Winlink RMS packet node that
is 90 km south of me (about 55 miles), so I guess that's a
good sign. Barely worked though (weak rx).
It's pouring rain at the moment, and I'm really glad I took
the time to find the roll of coax seal instead of just
throwing the antenna up temporarily - learned long ago that
taking it down later to seal the coax will never happen
if it doesn't happen right from the start (hi hi).
***
VA7RBP:
GE to all on the net, and hi to Jim.
Not too much happened over the past 2 weeks. Just staying
around home, playing with the radio and trying some antenna
idea.
Our temps here are ranging from 45F in the morning to 96F
in the afternoon.
The garden is coming along, radishes, lettuce, and rhubarb
are doing well, and the tomatoes went in this morning.
The bands haven't been great lately, so not much radio work.
My 40m PACTOR links have been restricted to very short
windows around 0530 hours.
***
N2GWK:
I've had a busy time here recently. I've set up an RMS
triMode here, and it's working pretty well. Problem is
it's tying up my HF rig, so I may be looking to invest
in another rig to use full time. FT991A looks promising.
Also working on a YSF link to a local repeater, but not
having much luck with that.
NT5R, I'm running a YSF Ratflector here #75021. Not yet
linked, but I monitor it most of the time.
***
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