The 160 Meter Net...Be There, or be Square!!!!

Please don't forget the 160m net tonight at 0100UTC (9pm eastern)on 1.860. Dave, K7DLB, will fire up the 'ol Kenwood and stomp on the foot pedal and fill the airwaves with the melodious tones of his voice. So come one, come all and join us!!!! If the band doesn't want to cooperate, we'll make it cooperate!!!!!!

This is Amateur Radio Today...

While this video is a little dated (2003), it gives light on some of the valuable aspects of Ham Radio, especially on how it can provide valuable communication capability during emergency situations. Hosted by Walter Cronkite KB2GSD SK, a lifelong ham operator who recently passed away.

My thanks go out to "tomintexas" who posted the video on Youtube, along with another great video, "Hello Radio!", both video's produced and distributed by the American Radio Relay League,(ARRL).

Santa's Mail Bag

The question I am asked the most ON THE AIR is Whats A Prepper

My Answer is:

I have been thinking about this for some time now. This phrase or word has been getting a lot of attention lately. It seems as though this means many different things to many people. I can only speak for myself and what it means to me. I feel this way about it.

Prepper to me is simply put a way to define any one that takes a step towards being more self reliant. If you have never felt the need to have even one can of food or anything extra in your house than you are not a prepper.

If however you have felt the need to have some extra of anything you use than you would be described as a prepper. I know this is a rather simple description but this is the best I can truly answer the question of Whats A Prepper.

Many more questions are in and I will get to them soon so please keep checking back for more
73 W4DMH
Santa

20 Meter Net has been rough

Well the 20 meter net tonight was anything but normal… Tonight’s net was a testament to the fact, no one ever knows what will happen on ham radio… We kicked off the night with a little pre-net rag chew… The band seemed promising right up till 10 minutes before net time… As luck would have it the band fell apart quick as lightening… After many calls for check-ins and nothing but noise… W4DMH (Santa) and KI4HEE (Bob) decided to wing it on 80 Meter… The net QSY’d to 3.961 and continued on… The Netlogger program was running over the internet and the new location was listed there…We had a first time check-in to the net on 80 meter asking what it was all about…With the change in the time it gets dark the decision has been made to move the Thursday night net to the 80 Meter band…There have been many request to do 80 meter so everyone here is your chance to come join us next Thursday night on or near 3.961…

W4DMH WV Dave (aka Santa) Net Control
KI4HEE SC Bob (aka Hawk)
AB4JM/M NH Jim (Motor Home Mobile)
W3ERE PA Ed (First time check-in) Welcome Ed with the question whats a prepper???

So there ya have it folks not many, but a very interesting mix, with one new visit and that is what it is all about.
73 All
Santa

It sure beats Thursday Night TV!

Don't forget, Thursday nite is 20 NITE! Come join Dave (aka Santa) on 14.320MHz. 01:00Zulu. (9PM EST)

Conditions have been poor of late, but the check-ins have been QUALTY! Become one of 'em...check-in early, stay late, n' bring a friend! We'll see ya' on the Radio!

They came from far & wide...

Tonights net started out noisy but ended with signals coming in clear & strong. A lot to be said for persistance, it was a matter of keeping the net moving, calling for check-ins and working everyone who checked in.

There's starting to become a handful of regular stations like Bill KB1LUK, or Stuart KG4LMW in Knoxville on his front porch running 25 watts, who are checking in weekly. Great to see these stations working hard to get the net established. And it's always exciting to welcome a newcomer to the net, like Jim K4PV, with his wonderful sounding signal on his Flex Radio and powerful Delta Amp over there in the Florida Panhandle. Jim found this blog from our referrence to it during the net, as well as learned about the American Preppers Network, you can tell from his comments, he'll be checking in again.

While it was noisy...the net mined out pure gold...

1. KI4HEE BOB SC NET CONTROL

2. W4DMH DAVE WVA

3. NW8I DEL OH (MOBILE)

4. W2WTF BRAD SC

5. N5PED ART LA

6. KG4LMW STUART TN (QRP)

7. K1RMA DON NH

8. KB1LUK BILL MA

9. KG4SRW MIKE NC (MOBILE)

10.KD8CMX JOHN MI

11. K4PV JIM FL

12. KC8QKO CHRIS WV

13.W5MOE MOE AR

14.KG4BYL ROBERT VA

The Band was ALIVE!!!!!!!!

WOW!!!! That is all we can say about the 160 meter net tonite!!!!!Band conditions were fairly good as we had 8 checkins for the APRN 160 meter net. We heard from N8NMJ, Mike from Maryland; NW8I, Del from Ohio: WA1HHN, Walt from Massachusetts; KB3ROZ, Ed from Pennsylvania; KD8USA, Ty from Michigan; W4DMH, Dave from West Virginia; KI4HEE, Bob from South Carolina; and net control was K7DLB, Dave from Maryland.
The cool thing this evening was that almost everybody could hear each other. Sometimes in adverse band conditions, some guys are really tough to hear. The band was good enough tonite that we had to only use relays a couple of times, and the next round of comments everybody was heard just fine. We spent some time on a rag chew, get to know ya type of post net and we secured at about 0210 UTC. So being encouraged by these results,we can't wait for the APRN 160 net next week 0100 UTC next Sunday!!!!
73's and everybody have a safe week!!!!
K7DLB\Net control

HEIL SOUND and HAM RADIO

What do Country Music, Rock and Roll. And Ham Radio have in common you ask….Well…..HEIL SOUND would be the answer…The HEIL Microphone is widely known by ham radio operators world wide as one of the finest money can buy…Please watch the video below for the history of this company…. Ham Radio has more to do with the development of many things we never think of…..

Holy Moley!

Three Weeks = 3700+ visits!

We thought this might be a blog with potential, but Jeeze!

According to a little statistic counter here on the Blog, we've been turning some significant numbers...
Weekly Average of Total Visitors...927
Weekly Average of Unique Visitors... 506
Weekly Average of First-Time Visitors... 288
Weekly Average of Returning Visitors... 218

All this in THREE WEEKS!

What does this mean? Well, we're gaining visitors at a great rate, we're seeing a growing number of first-time visitors, and almost half of all visitors are returning!

Ummm... I got a black n blue mark on my arm where I'm pinching myself.

Mucho thanks to Dave W4DMH for the heavy lifting of prowling the forums n blogs, getting the word out. Promotion is a nasty job but he's a nasty guy (LOL). But a HUGE bunch of thanks for everyone for visiting, reading, linking, getting others to visit, and coming back to read more as well. This is may become a success because YOU are making it a success!

In response to all the attention, we're burning the midnite oil & working on bringing even more to the blog, more articles, more features, and especially more Radio Nets! (Count on hearing more on that later.)

Ok, enuf of this...the arm is sore from all the backslapping...

Thanks everyone, n' we'll see you all on the radio! 73 KI4HEE

The Santa Claus of Ham Radio

Mickey "Santa Claus" Hicks, WO6T Known to many amateurs and their children as Santa Claus, passed away Sunday, August 9. At the age of 79. For the past 38 years, Hicks, a ham for almost 50 years, would get on the air for 10 days each December as W6S Whiskers-6-Santa

I had the opportunity to speak with The Santa Claus of Ham Radio on 2 occasions. Once by his call WO6T and again as W6S. I will never forget the time's we talked.

Please read the article here SANTA CLAUS

"Whiskers 6 Santa" you will be missed by many

God Bless
Dave W4DMH