Issue 83 — FEBRUARY 2000
Monthly Newsletter of the Southern Oregon Amateur Radio Club
SOARC, P.O. BOX 1164, GRANTS PASS, OREGON 97528
VISIT THE SOARC WEBSITE AT: http://www.qsl.net/soar/SOARC/
EDITOR: MIKE WRIGHT, N7GEI, 432 GRANDVIEW AVE., G. P., OR 97527
PHONE: 541-471-0440 E-MAIL:
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The President's Corner
Members, I am excited about this coming year for SOARC and ham radio.
Changes are in the air and on the air waves. Since I have not yet attended a board meeting, I have little to report in the way of ongoing news. I have many ideas I will bring before you and we can see how they play one by one. One I will pose here is some building projects--one a QRP rig. So, for this first posting, let me remind you to try and find a ham who could use a ride to the meeting and lend a hand. Also, try to introduce ham radio to our younger citizens. I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday.
73, Jim, WA6OTP
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2000 SOARC Officers and Board:
| President: Jim McNutt, WA6OTP | Vice President: Bill Tyner, WX7U |
| Secretary: Sean Smithers, N7ZWU | Treasurer: Ann Randall, KB7TGO |
Board of Directors:
| Mike Wright, N7GEI | Will Calvert, N7KS |
| Elmer Seutter, W6IGK | Cy Potts, W7MQL |
| Gary Ingram, KB7FCI |
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Welcome From Your Editor
I have included in this month's newsletter a lot of information about license restructuring. If you can, please take some time to go over these items and, if you have any questions, write them down and bring them with you to the meeting and we will try to figure out things together.
Thanks to those members who contributed articles for this month's Gnus. If you have anything to submit for publication in the Gnus, or you just want to communicate something to your editor, you can contact me at 471-0440 or at mdwmkw@cpros.com.
73, Mike, N7GEI
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Power Supply Presentation
At the next SOARC meeting, Ernie Sanford, KC7WEU, will introduce us to an inexpensive 12-volt power supply that can be constructed with readily-available parts.
Also, I will be handing out a list of proposed program topics. There will be spaces available for you to write down any additional program ideas that you may have.
73, Cy, W7MQL
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NEXT CLUB MEETING
TUESDAY, 15 FEBRUARY
1900
SENIOR CENTER
3RD & B STREETS
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Last Chance to Upgrade Under the Old System
When mid-April comes, there will be a single 5-wpm code test and three written tests. Those who wait until the new tests arrive to upgrade from Advanced to Extra will be met with a more difficult and larger exam, even though the 20-wpm code requirement will be dropped. Because there are many who wish to upgrade under the old system, I am scheduling another test before the changeover. This will allow them to test one last time. I feel that because we administered several code tests during our last testing session, there are many who wish to upgrade under this system. The projected date will be April 7th at 6:30 PM.
The first testing session under restructuring will be May 5th.
73, Bill, WX7U
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Questions, Comments, & Confusion
Provided thanks to ARRL with their approval and submitted to the Gnus by Gary, KB7FCI
Questions, comments, and some confusion have been the order of the day since the FCC finally dropped the other shoe on Amateur Radio restructuring on December 30. The FCC's momentous action--reducing the number of license classes to three and establishing 5 WPM as the sole Morse code examination element--has, at least for now, polarized the Amateur Radio community. It also promises to change the complexion of Amateur Radio as it enters the new millennium
More than half of those responding to an informal poll on the ARRL website indicate they plan to upgrade during 2000. Demand for study materials in the past week suggests many amateurs will be hitting the books in the coming weeks.
After April 15, 2000, the FCC will only issue Technician, General, and Amateur Extra class licenses. Novice and Advanced licensees will retain current operating privileges and may renew indefinitely. The FCC's new licensing scheme simplifies and shortens the upgrade path from the ground floor through Amateur Extra. Applicants will only have to pass one Morse code test, and there are fewer written examinations and total questions.
"This is the best news I have heard since bread and butter!", exclaimed Jimmy Stewart, WD9FHY, who said he's been trying unsuccessfully for years to boost his code proficiency.
On the other side were some who asserted that the revised requirements would contribute to a further decline of Amateur Radio and open the doors to "riff-raff".
The ARRL Board of Directors is expected to review the FCC Report and Order and discuss its implications when it meets January 21-22 in Memphis.
In a significant step, the FCC has left it in the hands of the National Conference of VECs Question Pool Committee to determine the specific mix and makeup of written examination questions. Current Amateur Radio study materials remain valid at least until the new rules become effective in April.
The nation's Volunteer Examiner Coordinators, including the ARRL-VEC, now are under the gun to meet the plan's April 15 implementation date. "The Question Pool Committee has been meeting by telephone and e-mail to get the updating process under way," said ARRL-VEC Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ. "It's anticipated that the QPC will put out a news release soon that indicates when the updated question pools will be available to the public." Jahnke said the revised question pools will be out "well in advance" of April 15.
No one loses any privileges under the FCC's new plan, and, with one limited exception, no licensee is in a position to automatically gain any privileges when April 15 rolls around. The FCC's action establishes the Technician license--with or without Morse code credit--as the entry-level ticket to Amateur Radio. Technician applicants passing the 5 WPM Morse code exam will gain current Tech Plus HF privileges. The current "no-code" Tech license will continue to be available. Technician applicants opting to not take the code test will gain current Technician VHF/UHF privileges. After April 15, 2000, the FCC will lump Technician and Technician Plus licensees into a single "Technician" database. Despite the name change, current Tech Plus licensees won't lose any privileges.
Similarly, current General and Amateur Extra class holders will continue to enjoy their current privileges. The FCC took no action to reallocate any amateur bands.
The new licensing regime has four examination elements: Element 1, the 5 WPM Morse code test; Element 2, a 35-question Technician test; Element 3, a 35-question General test, and Element 4, a 50-question Amateur Extra test.
The new Amateur Extra test is expected to combine the important elements of the current Advanced and Amateur Extra examinations. Only minor changes are anticipated in the new General class examination. The new Technician exam likely will include some questions on HF operating from the current Novice test.
The new licensing plan created a lone and limited upgrade for those who held a Technician license or a Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE) before March 21, 1987. Those individuals may claim credit for a new General class license. This is because there was a single Technician-General written test under the old system; only the code tests differed. The upgrade is not automatic, however. Affected individuals will have to apply through a Volunteer Examiner test session, complete Form 605, attach documentary proof of having completed the requirements for a Technician license prior to March 21, 1987, and pay an application fee, if any, to the VEC.
Judging from the questions coming into ARRL HQ, many hams want to know whether to upgrade now or wait for the new system. If you're either a Tech Plus or an Advanced licensee, there might be an advantage to taking an exam now. The FCC has told the League that current Tech Plus licensees holding a valid CSCE for Element 3B may apply for a General class upgrade when the new rules become effective. Likewise, current advanced licensees holding a valid CSCE for Element 4B may apply for an Amateur Extra class upgrade under the new system. To be valid on April 15, 2000, any such CSCE will have to be dated on or after April 17, 1999. A CSCE is only good for 365 days. CSCE holders must attend a Volunteer Examiner session, complete Form 605, attach a valid CSCE, and pay any required application fee ($6.65 for the ARRL-VEC).
The reduced Morse code requirement hit a nerve with some hams who felt it "devalued" their upper-class licenses. Others, however, felt it minimized an unnecessary obstacle. The FCC said it believes a demonstration of Morse proficiency does not necessarily indicate an individual's "ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art," as the FCC put it. The Commission also said it was not convinced that Morse proficiency had any particular value to emergency preparedness.
The reduction in the Morse code requirement was not entirely unexpected.
Several other countries already have lowered their Morse code examination requirements, and some observers believe the Morse requirement will disappear altogether once it's eliminated in the International Radio Regulations. The FCC said it opted for the "least burdensome requirement" as its sole Morse standard. While the 13 and 20 WPM code tests soon will be history, the FCC said that "provisions must remain in place for accommodating individuals with severe disabilities."
The Morse code issue is expected to be on the agenda of a future World Radiocommunication Conference. The FCC said it would not automatically "sunset" the Morse code requirement even if Morse code is eliminated from the international radio regulations.
Frequently Asked Questions on restructuring are available at:
http://www.arrl.org/news/restructuring/faq.html/
A copy of the entire Report and Order (FCC 99-412) is available at:
http://www.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/wt98-143ro.pdf
or at:
http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/1999/db991230/fcc99412.txt.
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Restructuring Details & VE Misc.
It's been a real, very, especially busy--no make that exceptionally busy--time at ARRL and the ARRL VEC. Hundreds of calls and thousands of e-mails have inundated us. Regretfully, I personally still have more than 500 e-mails to still get through in our "vec@arrl.org" inbox (of nearly 3500 e-mails in the past 5 weeks).
If you have an urgent request, or one by e-mail that is running out of time, please call us to address it for you. The ARRL VE line is 800-927-7583.
A VE Team Newsbrief will come shortly to team liaisons by mail. A VE Express newsletter is in the works for all ARRL VEs. New exams, software, forms and an 8th Edition VE Manual update are expected to be completed and out to you all (in that order) by April 15th.
Here are some restructuring details and other important VE matters: * The new question pools are out, for use in exams beginning April 15, 2000, at 12:01 am. They can be found on the ARRLWeb at http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/pools.html. The new pools will be valid, and then revised on the following schedule: Element 4 - valid April 15, 2000 to June 30, 2002 Element 2 - valid April 15, 2000 to June 30, 2003 Element 3 - valid April 15, 2000 to June 30, 2004 * The Federal Register just published the FCC's Restructuring Report and Order. The published version includes a change to Section 97.505(a)(5) giving Novice license holders either current, or expired, lifetime Element 1 (5 WPM) credit--just as pre-2/14/91 Technicians have.
See: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2000_register&docid=00-2983-filed 2/9/00
* Proof of General written test credit for pre-3/21/87 Grandfathered Technician class licensees can be verified to you and your VE team as follows:
- Any reasonable proof is acceptable. Contact the ARRL VEC after accepting such credit at a test session if a type of proof presented to your team is highly questionable. Acceptable means include, and are not limited to: - An original or copy pre-3/21/87 FCC Technician license. As exams taken on March 20, 1987, did not result in license grants until mid 1987, contact us regarding whether certain grant dates in June/July 1987 are still acceptable.
- An original pre-3/21/87 CSCE showing Element 3 credit.
- An FCC issued license Verification Letter (see items 5 and 6 at
http://www.arrl.org/news/restructuring/faq.html ) - An International Transcription Service (ITS) FCC Records Contractor extract/certification from FCC Fiche Records.
- A 1987 or earlier Callbook listing is acceptable (be sure to include the year of publication reference, if not printed on the page).
- QRZ.COM has posted it's very first CD ROM product on their web page, published in 1993. This includes licensees from 1983 to 1993. A printout of such a listing from this CD ROM, showing a Technician license effective/begin date prior to 3/21/87 is acceptable.
- Any other reasonable form of verification, showing license class as Technician and the license ending and license beginning/effective date before 3/21/87 should be considered as acceptable. Accept reasonable proof, then contact the ARRL VEC after the test session if you have any questions.
* License Verification. In addition to a hardcopy original or verification letter from FCC, a printout from on line call servers can be considered as acceptable proof of licensing. With all FCC data now online, restricting license proof to only original hardcopy licenses is no longer necessary. A hardcopy without a signature, is acceptable--but it should be signed by the applicant at that time. If the applicant refuses to sign the license, treat the matter as questionable, give the requested tests, but alert us at the VEC after the session.
* Upgrades resulting from restructuring rules changes. According to FCC, no one qualifies for any credit under restructuring until April 15, 2000, at 12:01 am. To obtain this credit, any person eligible for an upgrade on that date must go to a publicly-announced VE test session to get his/her upgrade processed. Such sessions can be held, and announced, as paperwork only sessions (no tests need be administered, if announced that way). Applicants must present themselves before three VEs, present their current license and any claimed credit proof, complete an NCVEC Form 605, and pay a $6.65 processing fee. The VEs must sign the NCVEC 605, and must complete and sign a CSCE showing the new class of license upgrade that was earned as a result of any license, credits and restructuring credit given resulting in an upgrade credits. The applicant therefore gets temporary upgrade operating authority (VE authority is not earned via the temporary CSCE privileges however, such authority is only conveyed when FCC grants the new license and the grant appears in the FCC's data base). The CSCE should have written on it near the top what credit was accepted to result in the upgrade (eg, pre-3/21/87 Tech credit, pre-2/14/91 Tech credit, etc), and attach to the ARRL/VEC CSCE carbon a copy of the proof of credit presented by the applicant. FCC says that postdating credit, from pre-4/15/00 upgrades, is not consistent with the rules or instructions to VECs (this means that a person who passes an exam on April 14th to qualify for a upgrade on/after April 15th cannot simply sign all the necessary forms on April 14th and pay only the fee for the 14th to get the upgrade on/after the 15th--the person must reappear, per FCC). Remember that to upgrade from General to Extra class in preparation for April 15th, the applicant must pass both the Advanced Element 4A and Extra Element 4B tests before April 15th. Or, instead, on/after April 15th just take the new Element 4.
* Form 610 (rip). The Form 610 will not be accepted by the FCC and cannot be accepted by VE teams after April 16, 2000. Be sure your team is using NCVEC Form 605 for all new license or upgrading license application matters.
Remember, NCVEC Form 605 can only be processed through VE teams and VECs.
For persons simply trying to process a change of information with FCC, FCC Form 605 must be used.
* Exams, CSCEs, 605s and other forms changing for April 15th. All current ARRL/VEC written test booklet designs will expire on April 14, 2000 at midnight. The 5 WPM Morse code tests remain fine. 13 and 20 WPM test designs can be destroyed or shelved locally. CSCEs and NCVEC Forms 605 will be changing as well--expect to see replacements for these by April 5th-or contact us by April 10th. Test Session Reports and answer sheets will be updated as well. Registration Forms will be updated in due course.
* 2000 ARRL VEC test fee is $6.65. VE teams can retain up to $4 per person served to reimburse your necessary out-of-pocket expenses. If keeping only $1.65 per person offsets all your costs, then the team would forward $5 per person to the ARRL VEC.
* More fees. Elements 1A and/or 2 only are free until April 15th. Starting April 15th, no exam elements will be done for free at ARRL VEC exams (there will be a charge for taking 5 WPM beginning on April 15th).
* Your ARRL VE Hotline. Your ARRL VE Hotline at 800-927-7583 is for ARRL VE use only. Protect your line from too much traffic, preventing you from reaching us--keep this number for your use only. Exam candidates and others can reach us by phone at 860-594-0300 or by fax to 860-594-0339.
* When to call for test results. Now is a busy time for you and for us.
Normally, new license grants appear in the FCC database at about 10 to 14 days after a test session. At present, that time is more like 12-18 days. At present ARRL VEC processing is taking 4-5 business days--and your increasing activity is pushing that timeframe back, slowly. Tell your applicants to muster as much patience as possible, and that we will find their new license data about the same time they do either at http://www.fcc.gov/wtb/uls/ (choose the License Search tab), or a day later at http://www.arrl.org/fcc/fcclook.php3. Have your applicants wait 20 days before calling the ARRL VEC (we'd like to not have to do this, but we are spending a significant amount of time responding to license inquiries from 4 to 12 days after the test date, when many times the results haven't gotten here by mail until day 10).
* ULS on line filing is accomplished as follows: Applicants can submit updates to FCC on-line via the internet - WWW at: http://www.fcc.gov/wtb/uls (applicants must first register in ULS by following the "TIN/Call Sign Registration" tab procedures, then choose "Getting Connected to ULS" and use their special dial-in to an FCC 800# modem only access system).
If applicants choose to do changes by mail, they can obtain FCC Form 605 by writing ARRL, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111. An SASE is appreciated.
Form 605 also is available from the FCC via the internet at http://www.fcc.gov/formpage.html or ftp://ftp.fcc.gov/pub/Forms/Form605/ or by fax at 202-418-0177 (request Form 000605).
The FCC Forms Distribution Center will accept orders by calling 800-418-3676.
Form 605 has a main form, plus a Schedule D with two parts (for Vanity and Physician's Certifications). The main form is all that is needed for changes.
Mail Form 605 to FCC, 1270 Fairfield Rd, Gettysburg PA 17325-7245. This is a free FCC service.
* License Renewals can only be conducted at 90 days or less before the license expiration date, or up 2 two years after expiration. If changing an address only, indicate the application purpose as "AU" or "MD". Do not indicate "RM" for Renewal and Modification, as the entire application will be dismissed for untimely renewal filing.
*Beginning April 15, 2000, Physician's Certifications go away; as does the ARRL VE Policy limiting ARRL VEs to administering only those code elements which they themselves have passed (by default, every VE must have passed 5 WPM). ARRL VEs will only be limited starting April 15th by the application statement that states that the VE will not administer any examination which he/she is unable or not competent to administer. Remember that all accommodations described by FCC on the back of Form 610, NCVEC Form 605 or on FCC Form 605 Schedule D are applicable and must be considered for handicapped/disabled persons needing same in order to pass 5 WPM More to come...
73, Bart J. Jahnke, W9JJ
Manager
ARRL VEC
vec@arrl.org
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Classified Ad
Wanted: 2 meter and 6 meter all-mode transceivers or transverters and antennas.
Gary Ingram, KB7FCI, 541-474-7974, kb7fci@cdsnet.net
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Blast From The Past
I gleaned this from an old newsletter that I brought back from my unit in Vietnam. The MARS unit at Binh Thuy mentioned in the article once made a call to the States for me using the Red Cross Priority so I appreciate first-hand the value of a person-to-person radio call to your own front door.
Local MARS Station Offers That Call Home
Can Tho--How easy is it to make a call home to your family or friends?
Through the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS), you can make that important call home.
Mars is a world wide communications system with both military and civilian stations. The primary purpose of MARS is to bring military personnel, their families and friends closer together. In Vietnam, there are 36 Army MARS stations under the control of the USARV MARS director. These stations operate in five nets in Vietnam. Each net has specific assigned frequencies on which they are authorized to broadcast to stateside stations such as those in Hawaii and California which are normally used from the Can Tho area.
The Can Tho Army MARS station, AB8AN, patches telephone calls daily via radio back to the States for personnel located in the Can Tho, Vinh Long, Sa Dec and other nearby areas which can reach Can Tho by telephone. Other MARS stations in the Delta are located in Soc Trang, Bac Lieu and Binh Thuy.
The system works like this: When an individual's name comes up on the waiting list and there is a stateside contact, the call is made. AB8AN has the capability of patching a call from the telephone on your desk, in your orderly room, or in your quarters into the radio, and beaming your call back to the States. The stateside station picks up this signal and patches it into the commercial telephone system. The cost to you is a collect call from the stateside station to the person you are calling. If your call is made from the MARS station, you speak directly into the radio and eliminate the telephone.
Two types of waiting lists are maintained and these are kept for 12 hour periods only. One list is for personnel waiting in the MARS waiting room and the other is for personnel who have to be reached by telephone. The highest priority is given to personnel having a Red Cross verified emergency who are put through as soon as possible. The next priority is given to those waiting at the station. The lowest is given to those on the telephone list. This is necessary as the quality of the call is reduced by patching into the telephone and also because those on the telephone list are not always readily available when their call comes through. This causes wasted calls and cheats someone else out of a turn at making a call home.
Calls are made from both lists as AB8AN averages from 500-700 calls attempted each month with 75% successfully completed. The other 25% are not completed because the stateside telephone is busy or the party does not answer.
Another feature of the MARS station is the MARSGRAM. This is a message sent similar to a telegram and is passed from MARS station to MARS station until it is delivered to the addressee. Normal delivery cannot be guaranteed since AB8AN has no control over the other end of the system. However, most MARSGRAMS are successfully completed.
Call the MARS station anytime for assistance at Can Tho, 2398, and place your call home.
(Uhh, not recommended at this time.)
73, Bill, WX7U
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Merger Mania
(Ripped off from another list.)
- Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W.R. Grace Company merge to become Hale Mary Fuller Grace.
- Polygram Records, Warner Brothers, and Keebler Crackers merge to become Polly-Warner-Cracker.
- 3M and Goodyear merge to become MMMGood.
- John Deere and Abitibi-Price merge to become Deere Abi.
- Zippo Manufacturing, Audi Motors, Dofasco, and Dakota Mining merge to become Zip Audi Do Da.
- Honeywell, Imasco, and Home Oil merge to become Honey I'm Home.
- Denison Mines, and Alliance and Metal Mining merge to become Mine All Mine.
- Federal Express and UPS merge to become FED UP.
- Xerox and Wurlitzer will merge and begin manufacturing reproductive organs.
- Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell Computers will merge and become Fairwell Honeychild.
- 3M, J.C. Penney and the Canadian Opera Company will merge and become 3 Penney Opera.
- Knott's Berry Farm & National Organization of Women will merge and become Knott NOW!
Submitted by Bill, WX7U.
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Did You Know?
- The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time television were Fred and Wilma Flintstone.
- Coca-Cola was originally green.
- Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the US Treasury.
- Men can read smaller print than women; women can hear better.
- The state with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska
- The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% -- now get this...
- The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%
- The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $6,400
- The average number of people airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000.
- Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
- The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910.
- The youngest pope was 11 years old.
- The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.
- That San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.
- Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history. Spades -- King David, Hearts -Charlemagne, Clubs -- Alexander the Great, Diamonds -- Julius Caesar
- 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
- If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.
- Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.
- "I am." is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.
- Hershey's Kisses are called that because the machine that makes them looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt.
- No NFL team which plays its home games in a domed stadium has ever won a Superbowl.
- The only two days of the year in which there are no professional sports games (MLB, NBA, NHL, or NFL) are the day before and the day after the Major League all-stars Game.
- How about this... The nursery rhyme "Ring Around the Rosey" is a rhyme about the plague. Infected people with the plague would get red circular sores ("Ring around the rosey..."), these sores would smell very bad, so common folks would put flowers on their bodies somewhere (inconspicuously) so that they would cover the smell of the sores ("...a pocket full of posies..."). People who died from the plague would be burned so as to reduce the possible spread of the disease ("...ashes, ashes, we all fall down!").
- Q. What occurs more often in December than any other month? A. Conception.
- Q. What separates "60 Minutes," on CBS from every other TV show? A. No theme song.
- Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what? A. Their birthplace.
- Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested? A. Obsession.
- Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter "A"? A. One thousand.
- Q. What do bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common? A. All invented by women.
- Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil? A. Honey.
- Q. There are more collect calls on this day than any other day of the year? A. Father's Day.
- Q. What trivia fact about Mel Blanc (voice of Bugs Bunny) is the most ironic? A. He was allergic to carrots.
- Q. What is an activity performed by 40% of all people at a party? A. Snoop in your medicine cabinet.
Submitted by Gary, KB7FCI
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Fun With AM
Check into the West Coast AM International Net on 3870 KHz, Wednesday nights at 9:00PM, Pacific Time. Don't have a boat anchor? No problem! Just put your rice box into the AM mode and join the nicest crowd on the ham bands! Your obstreperous but servile host is Randy, KK7TV.
160 Meters and 75/80 Meters
1880-1950 KHz on the 160 Meter Band
3870-3890 KHz on the 75/80 Meter Band
40 Meters and 20 Meters
7290 KHz on the 40 Meter Band
14286 KHz on the 20 Meter Band
Exciting 10 Meter Action!
29.000 to 29.100 MHz on the 10 Meter Band E-Mail, Short Wave Listeners, & Gates BC-1H
Donations gary@w3am.com
Submitted by Gary, KB7FCI
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Signs That You Weren't Y2K Ready
You backed-up your desktop by pushing it against the wall.
You put foam around the computer to prevent it from crashing.
The soles of your shoes are worn out from re-booting the computer.
You try to clear the screen by shaking the monitor up and down.
It has trouble supporting the latest version of Tetris.
The spell check replaces the word "You" with "Thou."
It takes the same amount of time to re-boot as it does to bake a potato.
The manual advises you to throw a towel over the monitor to use as a screen saver.
It needs to be updated to binary code.
Submitted by Gary, KB7FCI
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