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WX4QZ > ALL 29.08.23 04:36l 276 Lines 9565 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 54525_NS2B
Read: GUEST
Subj: PCL NET SCRIBE AUG 28 2023
Path: IW8PGT<I3XTY<I0OJJ<UA6ADV<LU4ECL<JE7YGF<JH4XSY<N3HYM<NS2B
Sent: 230829/0222Z @:NS2B.#WNY.NY.USA.NOAM #:54525 BPQ6.0.24
PCL NET SCRIBE AUG 28 2023
WX4QZ, Daryl, Arkansas (Net Control/Scribe)
NS2B, Bob, New York (Sysop)
VA7RBP, Rick, Canada
KXAC, Carl, Florida
KF5JRV, Scott, Arkansas
KF5TVG, Bob, Oklahoma (1 round)
**
WX4QZ:
I couldn't get RMS Express to load up
to check my WL2K email for early net
checkins. So, I'll have to reboot the
computer after the net, and check the
WL2K email. The PCL Net will take next
Monday, Sep. 4 off for Labor Day. We
wish everyone a safe holiday weekend.
Hard to believe it's almost September.
Storms moved through the region over the
weeekend, but not everyone got rain. The
"cold front" brought highs back to the
80s for a few days...but it looks to be
near 100 for the holiday weekend. 26 of
Arkansas' 75 counties are under burn bans,
with moderate fire danger, and little if
any rain expected for another week or so.
They'll get far more than they want across
the southeast US with Hurricane Idalia,
forecast to hit the big bend of Florida
as a CAT 3 or 4. She may be another "I"
storm that gets retired. The Hurricane
Watch Net is already activated, and I'm
sure other nets are, or will be. They
could have a 7 foot storm surge into
Tampa Bay, and I'm sure several areas
will be submerged or washed away.
The dry corneas have been really bad today,
so I've limited my computer, BBS, and ham
radio nets, and slept much of the day (I
didn't feel like doing much else). The
QCWA CQ100 VoIP Net, which has met on Friday
morning, will shut down on Sept. 29, if I
don't get more checkins on it (I have been
lucky to get 2 short timers before the net,
and 2 during the net). There'll be an article
in the QCWA Journal that comes out on Friday;
but folks don't need to be a QCWA member for
any of their nets. If they were first licensed
anytime in 1998 or earlier (as of 2023), and
are currently licensed, they qualify for
membership; details at qcwa.org
Hams may be proponents of communication, but I
have found so many emails on QRZ that are bad.
I'm going to prepare a Letter To The Editor for
QST on that. Email is so much faster and cheaper
than regular mail nowadays. KE4TP, who has tried
to checkin via HF, has dropped off, for the bad
connection, is one of these with a bad email.
Some salesman from AT&T came to the door, despite
a NO SOLICITATION sign, trying to get me to sign
up. I told him that after the way they treated my
late Mom and myself, to make a 90 year old woman
wait 3 weeks to get the DSL modem/internet, and
landline back (she didn't even have a way to call
911), then they hung up on me...I told the guy "I
wouldn't take the service if you gave it to me for
free for life". Every time there were storms, or a
power/internet outage, the DSL modem was "toast".
Besides, only Xfinity has "bridge mode" where I can
run my computer BBS...and I'm happy with Consumer
Cellular for my cellphone service (saving $90 per
month over what I paid for Verizon). AT&T may be
cheaper, but it's slower...proving "you get what
you pay for". If I were to lose my internet and my
cellphone service, I'd be cut off from the outside
world, and no one would know whether I was dead or
alive.
My callsign light from Gifts4Hams has quit working.
I'm not sure if it's the control panel that changes
the colors and turns it on and off, or the connector
for it. I prefer a little light in the room overnight,
so I can see a little bit if I have to get up in the
night for a pit stop. At least just ordering a base
replacement, plus a new control panel, should be
cheaper, since the laser plastic callsign doesn't
have to be redone.
Rumor has it that the mask mandates are coming back
next month...but after the bad reaction I had to the
3rd booster last fall, I'm not going to get another
one. I rarely leave the house anymore, anyway.
**
NS2B:
GE All!
Made a run out to Stoney Brook Long Island to drop off
MaryJo's boy to college. Great weather for a drive, but
made for a hectic weekend.
Been playing with my Home Patrol II scanner. I think I
finally have it programmed the way I like. It's one of
those that loads a national database, and you just plug
in a zipcode, and select the services you want to listen
to. In my case, it was selecting too much stuff. I finally
created a favorites list with a "whittled down" database!
Tomatoes are starting to ripen - looks like another bumper
crop!
Congrats to Rick and Arlene. Nothing else here - everyone
have a good week!
**
VA7RBP:
Good evening Daryl and all on the NET.
Last week, we stayed indoors most of the time, due to all the
smoke from the wildfires, and temps in the 90s.
I worked on replacing all the electrolytic caps in the TS-50,
and did a bit more troubleshooting on it.
Of course, the big item was our trip down to Harrison Hot
Springs Resort to celebrate our 50th anniversary. The drive
was long, and uneventful. I think the fires along the route
were out when we went through. We had a pretty good time,
a great anniversary dinner, and we visited with some friends
down there. We just got back home yesterday afternoon, so
today was spent grocery shopping to replenish the fridge and
the pantry.
Next on our agenda is a week trip down to the Oregon coast,
sometme around the middle of September. Just starting to make
plans for that.
Thanks for the kind anniversary wishes, folks!
That's all I have for tonight. Everyone have a great couple
of weeks, stay well, 73 until next time. BTU Daryl >>>
**
KX4AC:
Good evening all,
I had a fairly quiet week. I found a web site that offers
an API where I can download information on scheduled rocket
launches, so I put together a script to format a daily message
with upcoming local launches. I am close enough to be able to
see launches from the Cape, but I always seem to find out about
them in the past tense. Maybe this will help :-)
In the process of doing that, I got interested in ISS stuff,
and discovered that there are two ISS educational contacts
scheduled this week. The first was this morning, but
unfortunately, I have kidney dialysis on Monday mornings, so I
could not listen to it. However, the second is on Thursday
morning, and I should be nicely under the footprint, so I will
take a break from work, and see if I can listen in.
I also have some scripts that download and format weather reports
and alerts (I prefer to have simple messages in my inbox, rather
than surfing the various weather websites). It looks like I got
that set up just in time, with the hurricane season definitely
starting here. We are expecting a fair amount of rain here from
Hurricane Idalia, but not much else. The west coast of Florida
will get the worst of it; I am on the east coast. I imagine we
will get hit with something later in the season.
I was struggling with c++ code all day at work. We have something
called "Hippo Mocks" to "assist" with testing. I feel like I got
run over by a stampeding herd of hippos today. Hopefully tomorrow
will be better.
I'm just looking forward to the weekend. I get this Friday off,
so it makes a nice four-day weekend. I will try to get out with
my camera if it's not too hot.
Best wishes to everyone, and I'll see you all again in two weeks.
73. >>>
**
KF5JRV:
Good evening everyone
It has been a good week. It has finally cooled down today. The
hundred degree with no rain is hurtng the tomatoes. I don't know
if they will recover this year.
It is starting to feel more like fall. The daylight is getting
shorter.
Congratulations to Rick and Arlene on the 50th anniversary.
Just hope everyone has a good 2 weeks. BTU >>>
**
KF5TVG:
We've had a few days in the mid 80s, and it feels like heaven
after the brutal triple digits for so long.
Congrats to Rick and Arlene on your 50th! We are a year behind
you, and it only feels like 99! Hi Hi
Have been working to reflash the radiosondes I talked about a
few weeks ago. Most of you here tonight have weather balloons
that are "close by". YMMV -- see sondehub.org for more info.
Also, been tinkering with Magic Mirror software. I'm using it
in an unconventional way... No Mirror, but on an old rpi and a
7" monitor. Has a clock, current weather, and 5 day forecast,
and headlines from NY Times across the bottom. You can tell
I'm bored! Hi Hi
Can't stick around for the last round, so 73 to all!
**
Replies from WX4QZ:
Bob (NY), FB on the ride and the weather. I used to have a
Bearcat 210 XL Scanner, but with most frequencies now bring
trunked, it doesn't do much good.
The tomatoes sound good...now I want a BLT (hi hi).
Rick, congratulations to you and Arlene on the golden
wedding anniversary. While Arkansas has a Harrison, a
Hot Springs, and a Resort, I doubt you were anywhere near
here (hi hi).
Bummer on the wildfire smoke, and GL with those electrolytic
caps for the TS-50..
Carl, bummer on the kidney dialysis. I know that's both
expensive and painful.
FB on the rocket launch software, the satellites, the ISS
stuff, and the weather apps. Hopefully, it won't be too bad
for your area...but as noted, western Florida will get the
brunt of it. And, FB on the 4 day weekend coming up.
Scott, maybe you can get Bob (NY) to send you some tomatoes
(hi hi). That "cooldown" this week won't last...it looks like
a hot Labor Day Weekend. Tell Miss Jackie we said "hi".
Bob (OK), FB on the radiosondes and the Magic Mirror. The
NWS has an office at the North Little Rock Airport, and they
send up balloons twice a day. They have a weather cat named
"Tarmac".
**
Daryl, WX4QZ
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