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WX4QZ > ALL 05.08.23 11:32l 219 Lines 7723 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 53568_NS2B
Read: GUEST
Subj: PCL NET SCRIBE JULY 31 2023
Path: IW8PGT<IZ3LSV<I0OJJ<IR0AAB<PI8ZTM<CX2SA<VE3CGR<KF5JRV<NS2B
Sent: 230801/0039Z 53568@NS2B.#WNY.NY.USA.NOAM BPQ6.0.23
PCL NET SCRIBE JULY 31 2023
WX4QZ, Daryl, Arkansas (Net Control/Scribe)
NS2B, Bob, New York (Sysop)
KE4TP, Paul, (First Time Checkin)(HF)(erratic connection)
KF5JRV, Scott, Arkansas
VA7RBP, Rick, Canada
**
WX4QZ:
It's hard to believe, but tomorrow is August
1, and I think of the commercial from Staples
years ago, with them doing the Andy Williams
classic "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The
Year". When I first saw it, I thought "Sheesh!!
It's Christmas In July" (the Christmas stuff
is up already in some stores). There's a little
boy and girl, walking sullenly like they are
about to get the spanking of their lives. And,
it's Daddy with "Back To School Items". I went
"YES!!" (hi hi). And, with back to school, is
the Labor Day Holiday on Monday, September 4...
the PCL Net won't meet that night...then, our
next net holidays are the weeks of Thanksgiving,
Christmas, and New Years. I guess I need to get
my Easter shopping planned (hi hi).
I figured out how to do Fusion with the BlueDV
program last week, so that's another mode to
play with. But, I still can't get it to work on
the Windows 11 Lenovo laptop...so it has to be
done on Windows 10. The HotSpot Raspberry Pi SBC
and ZumSpot Net has MOVED from the QuadNet Array
to KansasCity-Wide (kansascityroom-wide.com), and
it's now on Wednesday at 10pm Eastern, 9pm Central.
Connection issues made the net founder decide to
move it. So now, I'm not rushed to finish this net
on Monday evening. But, my only night off from nets
now is Thursday...and I'll probably end up getting
suckered into one. So much for N.A.V.Y. -- Never
Again Volunteer Yourself (hi hi). I will get to
checkin to the El Paso D-Star Net after this net,
though.
The weather continues to be crazy all over. More
severe storms in the region overnight, with major
wind damage across southern Missouri and northern
Arkansas (I hope Scott, KF5JRV, and Charley, NT5R,
are OK). Thankfully, they had weakened by the time
they got here before 4am, but there was still quite
a bit of thunder and lightning, so I had all of the
computers unplugged, making for a restless night.
The heat is back...our hottest part of the year is
2 weeks away. We are supposed to have a chance of
storms next weekend, but it's too early to know the
specifics. At least fire danger isn't a concern,
but smoke from the Canadian Wildfires, and the
ozone levels, are concerns for those who have
respiratory issues. I saw a couple of YouTube
"weather folks", who have already issued "winter
outlooks". For Arkansas, the 2 outlooks I saw
showed either "winter battle zone" (ice storm/mix),
or "enhanced snow". We'll see what happens soon
enough...I'll go with what the National Weather
Service says...but that won't come out until late
October or early November.
I was in a panic yesterday, when my lawn guy said
he was on the way over. I told him that "I had
rescheduled for August 3, due to some unexpected
medical bills"...and he had agreed to it. If
LawnStarter had billed me before then, the charge
would've been declined, and I likely would be going
to jail on insufficient funds charges. I got in
touch with Customer Service (amazing on a Sunday
morning), and told them that "it wasn't right for
me to have the guy do the work, and not pay him...
but I need it to wait and be billed until August 3".
I added "if you're going to muck with the scheduling
like another company did, I'm going elsewhere". I
prefer to talk to a live person instead of going
through an automated system. Besides, with all the
rain overnight, you can't mow wet grass adequately;
and I surely don't want him out there if there's a
threat of lightning. He could be hurt or killed,
never mind the threat of a fire and explosion from
the gasoline riding mower getting hit by lightning.
I saw where they have delayed the mowing until Aug.
8, but will do the bush trimming on Aug. 3.
With the large amount of Grandma's Cookies small
bags for dessert and a mid-afternoon snack, and
the Hormel Compleats and small Kraft Macaroni
and Cheese cups (the latter 2 microwaveable)...
all bought with $475 of Amazon Gift Cards last
week, I have greatly reduced my food and calorie
intake to 800 to 1000 calories a day. I've lost
30 pounds, down to 225 Sunday morning. I'll have
to put more holes in my belt, or the next thing
down will be my pants, not being able to keep
them on my hips (hi hi).
Hamfests are coming up in my region...Shreveport,
Louisiana, August 12...Huntsville, Alabama, August
19-20, and Mena, Arkansas, September 8-9, but I
won't be going to any of them, due to health and
finances. They may be having "a crash sale" at MTC
Radio in Paris, Texas...a pickup truck smashed
through the wall of their building, next to a Post
Office. At least no one was hurt, but there was
quite a bit of damage, to the building, and to ham
radio gear.
**
NS2B:
GE All!
It was a warm one here! MaryJo's mom's AC went kaput
so while they were working out quotes to get a new one,
I installed a window unit to at least make her living
bearable. Now it has cooled off. Yesterday and today
barely made 70s. I'm good with that!
Last week missed the net, went out to Mexico NY to visit
a college friend. She has a place on Lake Ontario out
there. It was a good time.
On the radio front, I think I told you guys I got
interested in GMRS a while back. There is a huge
community of GMRS users up here. I never knew that -
and in some ways it's almost embarrassing to the ham
community. The GMRS repeaters seem to have better
coverage than the ham repeaters! Go figure. I'm not
sure of this, but I heard something the other day
that makes me think they're subsidised by NY state.
I wouldn't doubt it.
Paul was trying to come in via HF - that never seems
to work with our typing speed.
In their day, those TS-50s were nice radios. The HF
rig on the node here was a TS50 - but developed its
problems.
And, earlier in the year, I think I lamented that my
tomato plants didn't seem to be doing anything. They
have corrected that. I'm going to have lots of tomatoes
very soon!
**
KF5JRV:
GE everyone
My son had a tree miss his trailer by about three feet.
It fell on his steps to the front door. Nothing hurt.
The last few days were very hot. Today was a little
better, but by Wednesday we are supposed to be back
in the heat. We are at August so maybe another month.
**
VA7RBP:
GE Daryl and all on the NET.
Another hot week with temps in the 90s, staying indoors
most days, except for shopping trips and walks to the
mailbox and back.
This past week, I've been working on repairing...at
least trying to repair, a TS-50 with no TX or RX.
I received a replacement cap kit last week, but it
didn't have any SMD caps, so I had to order those as
well.
My eyes get tired of staring at the small components,
and I tend to nod off...
I haven't been doing much radio play lately, just a bit
of PACTOR on 40M and 20M in the mornings, but not much
activity due to band conditions.
**
Replies from WX4QZ:
Bob, I was afraid of that with Paul and HF. Even if I
had just typed stuff in instead of copy and paste, it
would've caused issues. And, as you noted, propagation
hasn't been all that great.
Strange about the GMRS being more popular...in many
areas, the analog systems are all but dead. They used
to be active for drive time and nets, then just nets;
but in some areas, there's nothing.
The tomatoes do sound good.
Scott, glad your son wasn't hurt, but that's too close
for comfort on the damage.
Rick, GL on getting the rig fixed, and bummer on having
to wait on the SMD caps.
My dry corneas made me get away from the computer more
than once today.
**
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