KE9V's Ham Radio Blog

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Scrambled Eggs

Posted: 26 Jan 2020 05:42 AM PST
https://ke9v.net/2020/01/26/scrambled-eggs/


In the shack a couple hours before sunrise this morning. But with no
antenna other than a wire in the attic its not like Im trolling for DX on
the low-bands. Its 30F outside and though a snow/rain mix has been falling
since midnight, theres no real accumulation, the ground it too warm for it
to stick. Before walking in here I put chicken in a pot in preparation for
the noon meal, made a pot of coffee and stuffed the last of my Plum Pudding
barrel aged tobacco in a sure-enough Mark Twain Missouri Meerschaum.
Mornings like this are made for low-band DXing but Ive settled on
eavesdropping on a few friendlies on 75 meters while shaking off the
cobwebs with the first cup.



Sometimes I wonder if Sunday mornings will still be this enjoyable after I
retire?

I purchased tickets for the SWODXA DX Dinner (Hamvention) online last
night. The hotel has already been booked so the plans are nearly
complete.Â*Ill be at FDIM on Thursday and plan to spend Friday at Xenia then
that evening Ill be at the DX Dinner. Id like to visit the Air Force Museum
on Saturday, assuming its open then. Ill be home late Saturday evening and
that will end my 39th excursion to Dayton.

Best wishes for a speedy recover to Bob Bruninga, WB4APR who told the APRS
world he will be out of action while doctors determine how to best treat
the football-sized tumor in his gut.

Over the last month everyone around here has been sick, including your
truly. Some weird bug that has us coughing without end and feeling a little
under the weather without fever. We had avoided the flu so far. Until this
week when one of my daughter-in-laws went to a doctor who diagnosed her
with Influenza Type B. Its fairly late in this flu season so hopefully it
will pass without much more difficulty. Our immune systems need to recharge
given that the new coronavirus appears destined to span the globe. Were
overdue for pandemic, perhaps this will be that?

Having foolishly waded into the shallow end of the ARRL CEO controversy,
Ive become disillusioned with the response. Life is too short for ham radio
politics. Im an ARRL Life Member but Im done with the organization. Im not
sure why the internal strife of a shrinking non-profit organization gathers
such an interested, rowdy crowd but theres plenty of dysfunction to pick at
if youre so inclined. I remember well the days when 73 magazine would
arrive in the mail and Uncle Waynes monthly column would often take up a
quarter of the magazine with complaints about the ARRL. I dismissed those
as chumming the water to sell magazines but maybe he was on to something.
One thing is certain, hes grinning from ear-to-ear with this latest soap
opera drama in Newington.

Ive been engaged in a long conversation with a couple of radio friends
about where were going with the hobby. These conversations almost always
conclude with some minimalist definition of a simple, off-grid, low-power
station, using wire antennas and CW only. More recently the discussion has
warped a little to include publishing original content via AX.25 packet
over HF.Â*So not just off the power grid, but off the Internet too.

Yeah, I know, its foolish. Everyone knows ham radio cant work without the
Internet