Life's Lessons Part 4 APRN Goals

Life's Lessons Part 4

I have enjoyed sharing with you this series of post on how and why the APRN was born and I hope you have enjoyed getting to know just a little about me and how this all happened. Next, I want to share the main goals we have here at the APRN and coming soon I will try to share some of the plans we have in the works to help accomplish the goals listed here.

The goals of the APRN

1. To have established nets run at least 3 nights per week

2. To help educate people that are either new to Ham radio or that are just learning what Ham radio has to offer them.

3. To demonstrate just how functional Ham radio is for communications needs with no grid support at all and also just how versatile the hobby can be with very limited grid support.

4. To be prepared to assist with any need for communications during an emergency or disaster, and to be on the air to help provide communications in the event of a failure of the grid supported forms of communication.

5. To help with educating people of the importance of being prepared to provide for themselves in the event of any type of emergency, rather it be a natural disaster or a man made event that would disrupt the way we live or normal lives.

This is just an outline of the major goals of the APRN and while there may well be more in the future, this will give you some idea about why we are here. If anyone here reading has any ideas or suggestions please use the email contact on the right side of this page.
73 for now
W4DMH
Dave aka Santa
Copyright © 2009 www.w4dmh.com

Ham radio 101

I am going to start posting some things that everyone interested in Ham Radio will need to learn. I hope that this will help those wanting to get there ticket.(License)

Ham operators have a language they use that many do not know, I will be trying to help you understand what you hear on the airwaves over the next couple of weeks.


Lesson one is going to be the internationally recognized phonetic alphabet. A good use for this other than Ham radio is when you talk with those customer service or tech support people. They are always fumbling for words to spell with phonetically and it throws them for a loop when you spell things back to them with ease using this.


TRY IT YOU WILL LOVE THE RESPONSE YOU GET.


A = ALFA

B = BRAVO

C = CHARLIE

D = DELTA

E = ECHO

F = FOXTROT

G = GOLF

H = HOTEL

I = INDIA

J = JULIETT

K = KILO

L = LIMA

M = MIKE

N = NOVEMBER

O = OSCAR

P = PAPA(PA-PA')

Q = QUEBEC (KAY-BEK')

R = ROMEO

S = SIERRA

T = TANGO

U = UNIFORM

V = VICTOR

W = WHISKEY

X = X-RAY

Y = YANKEE

Z = ZULU (ZED)


1 = ONE

2 = TWO

3 = THREE(TREE)

4 = FOUR

5 = FIVE (FIFE)

6 = SIX

7 = SEVEN

8 = EIGHT

9 = NINE (NINER)

0 = ZERO


The words in parentheses are the pronunciation or the alternate pronunciations for the words or numbers, but you will hear both used. With the letter Z, (ZED) is by far the most commonly used. With the number 9, NINER is the most common and easiest to understand ON THE AIR.


One more thing I will cover today is the use of 73 (best wishes) normally followed by either the persons call sign or de (from) then there call sign.

73 W4DMH or 73 de W4DMH

This would be;

Best wishes radio station W4DMH

Best wishes from radio station W4DMH


There you have the first lesson. Learn it and have fun with it the next time you need it with a call to TECH SUPPORT you will love it.

73 To All

W4DMH

Dave aka Santa


Copyright © 2009 www.w4dmh.com

Ham Radio 101

I would like to share with our readers today that are either new to ham radio or that are not ham radio operators yet. If you are a prepper and do not plan to become a ham but listen to short wave this may help you as well.

CQ or as it is normally used CQ CQ CQ Normally next you will hear the operator say what band they are on such as 10 meter or 20 meter etc. then followed by there call sign then more often than not CQ CQ then QRZ

CQ - means I wish to contact any amateur station

QRZ - Means Who is calling me and spoken Q R ZED

Now lets cover some more of the common slang you may hear and not understand.

73 or 73's - This stand's for best wishes or best regards

88 or 88's - Hugs and Kisses

Now let me warn you there is a never ending quarrel over having the 's after the number. Well that will continue forever so I do not pay much attention to that.

XYL - Wife

YL - Young Lady (any women that is not married or commonly a girlfriend)

OM - Old Man (A common term like calling another operator a friend)

OT - Old Timer or someone that has been a Ham for a long time

LID - Used to describe a poor operator (using bad habits or being annoying)

HI HI - Laughing (like LOL on a computer)

Ticket - Your Ham license

Machine - A repeater

Rig - Your radio

DX - Long distance normally referred to as communication with a different country

QRM - Interference

QSB - Signals are fading

QSL - Used like saying that you understand what was said or you copy what was said

QSY - Changing frequency

QTH - Where you are located (My QTH is ________ county West Virginia)

This is just a small list but they are some of the most common. If you are a prepper and or new to ham radio please come back often for more info on ham radio and being prepared.

Stay tuned more to come soon

Copyright © 2009 www.w4dmh.com

Thursday night 10-08-09 on 80 meter

The Thursday night net was another fine one. The net started on the alternate frequency of 3.983 but soon moved back to it's home of 3.961. It seems there is a group of hams that have recently moved from another frequency to 3.960 so just before the net started we moved to the alt. frequency.

Well shortly into the net 3.983 became the place everyone wanted to be..... Welcome to the wonderful 80 meter band. AC0BG looked for another freq. and we soon moved back to what seems to be our home.3.961

After the move the signals were much better at first but soon begain to go up and down.

All in All we had a great net tonight....The first topic was actually the announcement of plans that are still in the infant stages of developing......The APRN has been looking into doing a DXpedition to Cape Brenton Island in Canada.... More on this later as plans develop......

Next we did a open mic round tonight like last week as everyone really seemed to like that..........

In the end as always the dedicated members that make up the APRN stuck to there guns (or mics) and managed to get in several rounds of comments before the net was closed and the freq. returned to regular amateur use.

W4DMH...... Dave.......WV.......Net Control

AC0BG.......Dean.......IA

WA1HHN ......Walt.......MA

KD8HDP...... Justin.......MI

KD8JPQ......Jeff..............OH

Thursday Night 80 Meter Net

The 80 Meter net is on for tonight so come join in at 0100Z (UTC) at 3.961 or 3.983

There will be an announcement tonight about something that may interest people so we will go for a round of comments and see what others think. 

The second round for comments will again be a OPEN MIC round like last week. Get your notes out and go over them and see if there is anything we have talked about that you would like to ask questions of other members or just comment with something you have learned on that topic.

Hope to see you on the air tonight once again remember to tell a friend and come join the fun.

80 meter net report 1- 1 - 09

 The 80 Meter net for 10-1-09 once again has gone above and beyond all I every thought would happen with this net. We started with the topic of how do you think we could improve the nets and websites. Some had very good suggestions that we will need to work on but most thought we were doing fine.

For the second round of comments the topic became what I referred to as OPEN MIC NIGHT. I was not sure how this would work out when I put up the net announcement but wanted to try it anyway. What I wanted to do with this is give everyone that makes this net possible a chance to talk on the subject they wanted to know more about. I have to admit this was initially because some topics seem to get very little attention . It is very hard to come up with 3 or more topics every week that are of intrest to everyone.

Well let me tell you this turned out to be the most lively net I have done to date. The topics were from A to Z and there were people that joined in and shared information willingly beyond my wildest dreams. I want to Thank everyone that took part in this net and was so willing to contribute. Without all of the great participation form all this net would truly not be possible. The 80 Meter net rocks once again.

73 to all

W4DMH

Santa

W4DMH....Dave....WV....Net Control

WA1HHN....Walt....MA

KB4MSU....Robert.......OH

NW8I....Del.....OH

W4SQL....Landy....SC

K4USS....Lee....VA

KD8HDP.....Justin....MI

KD8JPQ....Jeff....OH

Thank you all

Thursday Night 80 Meter Net

Santa is back tonight fir the APRN Thursday night net.
Everyone please come join in the fun tonight.
The place is 3.961 on your radio dial.
We will use 3.983 as the alternate. 
The time will be 0100 Z (UTC)
Tonight the first topic for the net will be, How Do You Think We Can Improve The Net. After discussion on this we will have a round of OPEN MIC when everyone will have a chance to ask any questions or bring up any topic they have had fun with before. Everyone please give this some thought and feel free to bring up whatever you want. We have had some topics in the past that continue to be very popular so feel free to bring any of them up again tonight. Everyone please come join and remember to tell a friend to come join the fun.
73
W4DMH
Santa

40 Meter net with Lee K4USS

The American Preppers Radio Net 40 meter version will come to life again tonight at 2359Z (UTC) as Lee K4USS once again takes to the air. Folks the 40 meter band has been ruff and tuff for us so don't be surprised if Lee lets us know something new for the Tuesday night net. Rumor has it that there may be some changes in the works by Lee. So everyone please come and join in on the fun and keep your ear to the speaker for any clues as to what may be happening on Tuesday nights for the future.

Net controls for the APRN are free to do what ever they want to do with the net on there night. (almost anyway)  I have been told by a reliable source that Lee has some top secret plans for his night on the air and it is possible we may be clued in on what they are tonight. I sure hope his plans don't include going underwater for the net. Keep in mind he did spend time on subs during his Navy days.

Come one come all and please do tell a friend to come join in

40 meter net with K4USS as net control

Please come join the 40 meter net tonight. Remember it is now in the new time slot of 2359Z (UTC). Lee K4USS is back in the saddle and ready to ride the airwaves again. Lee has been busy installing a new antenna so help him give it a workout tonight and come join in on the topic for tonight's net. Lee has never got the topic of alternative heating systems on the air so look for that to be the topic for tonight's net. I truly hope the band will be much better tonight with the new time slot. Come one and all and bring a friend. Thank you all for the prayers last week for Lee's speedy recovery from surgery.