A day that will live in …

Before
After

What a day! My friend Don got here on time, unlike the satellite tech who called and said he couldn’t make it and I had to reschedule. This is the second time. The first appointment was in June and we sat here waiting from noon until 15:45 (the scheduled maintenance window was noon to 16:00) when a robot called and informed us we just wasted 4 hours because they could not make it today. I called the company and was able to get an appointment for today. Now my appointment is on Tuesday from 08:00 until Noon. Yes, that is annoying. The work on the antenna went smoothly and we took Don to breakfast. After that I attempted to unplug a drain. Note the word “attempted”. I finally broke down and started calling around for a plumber. Several in the area told me that they are swamped. I finally got one to claim they are coming tomorrow morning. Keeping my fingers finged. So I tried out my radio that is attached to the new antenna and things seem to be working well. Now I can relax a bit.

Installing an antenna

I have a tower that has an antenna on it that has taken a lot of damage over the years due to weather. The day after tomorrow, I have a friend coming over to remove the damaged antenna and install another in its place. He will be swapping out a 2M quad beam for a 2m/400 vertical. This will go on the top of the tower and should allow me to hit some of the local repeaters. Basically, we live in a hollow which shelters our house from a lot of the worst weather but is not a good location for VHF/UHF communications. The tower will put the antenna around 40 feet above the ground level. I am also having him install some pulleys at the top which will allow me to raise the level of my dipoles and hang an american flag. I am looking forward to the project. I might even post some pics and or video on here. Stay tuned.

A Fresh Start

Howdy. I am starting a new blog about ham radio. It may not be the only subject but it will be the primary focus. Sit back and see where my mind takes us!

According to the ARRL (American Radio Relay League), Amateur Radio (ham radio) is a popular hobby and service that brings people, electronics and communication together. People use ham radio to talk across town, around the world, or even into space, all without the Internet or cell phones. It’s fun, social, educational, and can be a lifeline during times of need.

In this blog I intend to publish matters of interest to hams and to the general public. Feel free to leave me feedback and suggestions!