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N5VLZ > ALL 30.01.24 09:22l 334 Lines 11963 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 2187_NS2B
Read: GUEST
Subj: PCL NET SCRIBE JAN 29 2024
Path: IW8PGT<I3XTY<I0OJJ<LU4ECL<LU9DCE<VA3TOK<VE3KPG<N9PMO<NS2B
Sent: 240130/0715Z 2187@NS2B.#WNY.NY.USA.NOAM BPQ6.0.24
PCL NET SCRIBE JAN 29 2024
N5VLZ, Daryl, Arkansas (Net Control/Scribe)
NS2B, Bob, New York (Sysop)
NT5R, Charley, Missouri
KX4AC, Carl, Florida
K0WAV, Scott, Arkansas
VA7RBP, Rick, Canada
KF5TVG, Bob, Oklahoma
**
N5VLZ:
My hip surgery recovery was going good...until
Sunday. I had gone to a square dance Saturday
evening...not to dance, but to grab snacks from
the duty square (HAM - Have Another Meal (hi hi)),
and get some info for the club report, and photos
for the publications (I'm Editor, Webmaster, and
Circulation Chairman for the Arkansas State Square
Dance Federation (ASSDF)). So, I was up all night,
finalizing and preparing the PDF files for release,
then updating the website with them...and it turns
out, I was glad I got that done. I had gone out to
the kitchen to eat something, then go back to bed.
Right after breakfast, I developed a sinus drainage
coughing fit, while standing up (it likely would've
happened sitting down). One cough was particularly
bad...as I suddenly had a sharp pain shoot down my
left hip and leg...the same one that had surgery 10
weeks ago. I had left my walker in the bedroom, as
I wasn't in pain, and didn't need the walker before
the incident, but I surely needed it now, and I was
in agony. It was a miracle I didn't fall getting
back to it. I grabbed my medical list and all my
medications, shut off and disconnected the computers,
called ADT to advise them I was going to the emergency
room (I thought I had dislocated the hip), and called
the ambulance.
They started an I.V. to inject some medication, and
took several X-rays (those hard metal boards against
my lower back, tailbone, and butt, were extremely
uncomfortable), and I had to "partially strip down"
for them to see the incision (it's still healing
nicely) and for them to "feel for bone displacement".
At least I had all females working around me (hi hi).
The X-rays showed nothing was broken, and they gave
me Flexirol, which I'll take at bedtime. The first
few moments getting out of bed, and getting dressed
are just agony...and I'm having to use the walker
again for everything. It could've been far worse (a
fall, and breaking things), but I wish it wouldn't
have happened at all. I think my wallet is going to
be ill next (hi hi). It was either a pulled muscle,
or a pinched nerve (likely the sciatica one), but
it's still very uncomfortable. I likely will crash
out after the net, and will send the scribe Tuesday.
Weather wise, we're drying out until the weekend,
when rain moves in. There was a levee failure on a
river in northeast Arkansas, due to all the recent
heavy rain, and the ground in many areas is a mud
bog swamp right now. Extended data is showing arctic
air returning just before Valentine's Day, and lasting
into March. It's too early to tell whether it'll be
a cold rain, ice, or snow. Grover Groundhog, Punxatawney
Phil, and their kin, all make their prognostications on
Friday. I still think of the meme where there's a wolf
in the snow, and he snarls "The groundhog said there'd
be 6 more weeks of winter...so I ate him" (hi hi).
Our Tornado Season officially starts March 1, and the
local National Weather Service has started Skywarn
Training courses. I dread tornado season...it seems
to get worse every year. I think January made it
into the 10 wettest for Arkansas...and this past
Jan. 21, marked 25 years since Arkansas' worst
tornado outbreak (56 tornadoes in just a few hours).
Otherwise, I'm stretching out my food until Friday,
when I get my next disability payment. I've already
budgeted out the bills, and basically the entire deal
is spoken for, money wise (it usually is). No new ham
radio toys for a good while...that SharkRF OpenSpot 4
Pro has to last awhile. I saw where several other items
are going up in cost, as is everything else. Folks going
to Hamcation next weekend or to Hamvention in May, better
bring an armored car full of cash with them for the gear
(hi hi).
It seems I have something going on with me every week
(sigh!). But, I felt it was better to be safe than sorry
with the ER trip.
**
NS2B:
GE All!
Glad to hear you didn't break anything Daryl, that would
have been bad.
Well, this week, I finally noticed some odd behavior with
my DMR handheld. On initial power up, the first PTT would
not transmit, the 2nd PTT would transmit, but no audio.
Finally, the 3rd PTT would behave normally. I don't know
why it took me so long to get sensitive to that behavior.
Probably because I spend more time listening than talking.
Anyway, finally figured out it was the latest firmware
updates causing it. So I downgraded it to that last major
release before the current versions, and it's all better.
Of course, software is never designed to downgrade so I
spent all week rebuilding the code plug for it. But now
all better.
Wx had been cold and wet. Some snow, but mostly rain. I am
noticing that the days are starting to get longer! Yay!!!
Yeah Scott, all along if anything odd has happened with my
DMR radio I'd blame it on Brandmeister or TGIF - in this case
one day, I just happened to have my scanner on listening to
"buzz" from the hotspot. When I noticed that keyups from my
radio weren't producing sounds on the scanner??? So I delved
into using my scanner, and the Parrot talkgroups, and finally
figured out the radio was behaving weird on initial powerup.
Always took 3 PTT's to get it working normally. So I played
with a variety of firmware versions and finally found one that
fixed it. I'll leave it there!!
**
NT5R:
ge everyone
I just returned from a cruise last week (South America and
Antartica) had a blast.
Not yet returned to Missouri, flew out of Tulsa OK, friends
and family in area. Have been on road since January 2
Not much radio, tried Echolink on trip when cell coverage,
but our local club echolink down. Would have been slick to
check in from 88 degrees south latitude!!
Rick, a gal I follow on FB said temp got up to 24c (about 75f)
today, she is around Kitimat BC. Wonder how far from you.
Thank you Bob and Daryl for the node and the net.
Scott FB working TX5S dxpedition, I know one of the fellows
on that adventure. Dave, WD5COV, from Deming, NM
Several years ago, visited ham buddy in Deming a couple times
per year for couple weeks at at time. Dave lives and breathes
ham radio, restores old Collins etc equipment. Does all his
own tower work, 6 towers in his back yard. Had up 80 meter beam
for awhile, had to take it down. The wind vibrated elements too
much.
Daryl take care of yourself, slow and easy.
OK Bob, have the UV-K5, really slick little rig. Like the fact
that you can set it to FCC mode, and not able to accidentally
transmit out of bank.
Scott, may be going thru your area tomorrow returning to Branson.
Holler if you free for coffee or goatburger.
Any particular frequency or repeater to monitor?
**
KX4AC:
GE All. Had a pretty decent week here.
The weather has been a bit better, hope it stays that way
for the hamfest in a little over a week. We had the first
night of the QRPme "buildathon" yesterday. Didn't do much
building, just went over the schematic for the "Tuna Tin II"
transmitter in detail, and build an RF probe and dummy load.
I wanted a receiver to go with it, so I build the companion
"sudden storm" receiver over the weekend. It seems to work
fairly well, except that the tuning range was unbeliveably
small ... I traced that to the kit using a normal rectifier
as a varactor diode. Maybe if you select one for varactor
use it will be better, but I just replaced it with a real
varactor, and got something that worked better.
On Wednesday, we build the transmitter proper, and then
there is a debugging session next Sunday ... so I will have
to try my hand at QRP CW one of these days.
It is always good to hear how everyone is doing.
**
K0WAV:
Week was mainly uneventful... we got 3.5" rainfall during
the week.
I made contact with TX5S DX Expedition on eight (8)
different bands. all FT8... my 100W and a wire just
could not bust the SSB pile up.
Will not be going to HamCation, but good luck to all that
are.
Bob, I have had simular issues with my ClearNode Allstarlink /
HotSpot device... It takes a double clutch or two to make
connections on digital modes.
So you are not the only one, I suspect it is a Brandmeister
Side issue but, then again maybe not.
Daryl, take it slow, and heal up right.
Charely - I will be Springfield tomorrow, visiting family.
I will be monitoring 52 both coming and going, so feel
shout out between 8am and 10:30 !!!
Thank Bob for the Chat and Daryl for the NCS work!!!
**
VA7RBP :
Good evening Daryl and all on Net.
I wouldn't say it was a great week. I had issues with my
shack PC audio, which took a while to sort out...USB 3 HUB..
and I fiddled around installing ubuntu 23.10.1 on a laptop.
Played on the radio a bit with HF PACKET, PACTOR and VARA...
nothing exciting to report there.
Got the power wiring done for three VHF radios, for my
ALLSTARLINK extensions. Just have to put up a couple of
antennas before I can test the system.
Our WX has been a mix of snow and rain all week, temps
have been in the mid-thirties. Today, the temp. jumped up
to 50F.
Charley, that's probably related to your friend in Kitimat's
experience. The "atmospheric river" or whatever... OH,
Kitimat is 1000 mile NE of my QTH, about an 18 1/2 hour
drive if the road conditions were perfect.
**
KF5TVG:
GE Daryl and all!
Beautiful day today out here on the prairie... 65F, sunny
and... No Wind!
Slow week for radio. TInkered with 3d printer to make some
trinkets for friends kids. Got a RPi alternative called
OrangePi Zero 2W, but it seems pretty slow.
XYL is still struggling with mobility after hip tendon repair
surgery 6 months ago. Maybe she's related to Daryl?!! Hi Hi
Picked up a cheap Quansheng uv-k5 this week. Fellas in the
local club have loaded 3rd party firmware on theirs, so it
can receive 10m, as well as tx/rx on the usual 2m/70cm. May
be a (short) steup up from a Baofeng?
Good to see all here tonight! Many thanks to Daryl and Bob
(NY) for making it happen.
**
Replies from N5VLZ:
Bob (NY), DMR stands for "doesn't mean radio" (hi hi).
Wish I could downgrade to Windows 10. But, this last
registry rebuild is finally doing what I want it to do.
As for the weather, I doubt winter is over by a longshot.
Concering Brandmeister, some refer to it as BM...and I'll
leave it at that -- never mind I thought TGIF was for
"toes go in first" (hi hi). If it ain't broke, don't fix
it...but don't tell that to Microsoft.
Charley, FB on the cruise...you're the world traveler!!
And, FB on visiting family. Too bad the club Echolink
node was down. We're glad to provide this net each week,
and FB on the ham in Deming, NM, and you having the UV-K5.
Hope you can hook up with Scott.
Carl, yeah, Hamcation is next weekend...hope all goes
well with it. FB on the QRP Buildathon; hope you can
get the rigs working.
Scott, we got around that much rain here. FB on the
TX5S DXpedition...it sounds like the big guns won.
Interesting on the "multiple tries" for the digital
modes.
Rick, bummer on the PC Audio. I bought a commercialware
program called LetaSoft, to boost the sound, and using
a headset mic is helpful. At least my USB hubs have
been behaving, for the most part. FB on the digital
modes, and the wiring work. GL on the antenna setup.
On the weather, you may get colder soon...we will
just before Valentine's Day. Never mind being frigid
on the love day (hi hi)...and the cold looks to last
into March.
Bob (OK), it was in the 60s to near 70 here recently.
I thought spring had sprung. FB on the 3d printer, and
and RPi alternative. I can sympathize with the XYL on
her pain...she and I could exchange war stories (hi hi).
FB on the Quansheng UV-K5 rig...hope you can get it to
do what you want.
**
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