AmateurRadio.com

While I was at my “regular job” yesterday, I along with countless others on the east coast, felt a 5.9 magnitude earthquake. I was leaning against a table helping someone with setting up a new computer and felt the table start to move. The first thing that ran through my mind was someone was shaking the table. It was almost surreal.

No one else really realized what was going on or even felt it. And I didn’t even think it was an earthquake till I saw on twitter what it really was. But because of that, I have decided to post a few links to information to have in case a bigger quake should hit. And even a little video from a couple of my co-workers.

First up, I found an article from the San Fransisco Gate on making a preparedness kit. It’s usually a good idea to have these around on a regular basis anyways for not just an earthquake, but any other kind of disaster that could happen. Food, water, a First Aid kit and a radio with some extra batteries are a good idea to have, along with clothing and important documents to take with you. You could also buy a premade kit, but those seem to be way more expensive compared to what you could do with just what you have at home.

But as Ham Radio operators, some of us are prepared for even more, having generators to power the house, as well as battery backups for the radios and computers. These kind of things are on the “To Do” list for when I do get a house with the YL. For now, I’m ready with the basic kit.

This little “rumbler” was just a reminder that even here in the Northeast, that we can feel the effects of an earthquake too. While It was thankfully a “small” one by comparison to many others that have caused countless deaths and millions or even billions of dollars of damage, it’s still a kind of sobering thought that these can happen. But, there is a side of humor too it as well, as shown in this video from my co-worker Brian Sinkoff, who is host of a local sports talk show and program director of the ESPN radio affiliate here in town. Even my program director Rob Dawes gets in on the act. But note at the :20 second mark of the video, you see a quick pan of the camera and you get a glimpse of Rob standing in the door way, which from what I understand is something you should do in a quake.You can’t miss him in his bright yellow shirt. I have to remember to call him out compliment him on his fashion sense.

73.

Rich also writes a Tech blog and posts stories every Tuesday and Thursday on Q103, The Rock of Albany’s website, as well as Amateur Radio stories every Monday thru Friday on AmiZed Studios.

Rich Gattie, KB2MOB, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New York, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

Next weekend 27 – 29 August is the Wainwrights On The Air Activity Weekend. Many radio amateurs are planning to activate Wainwright summits over this three day Bank Holiday weekend – see the list of currently planned activations here. If you will be in or around the Lake District during this period then be prepared for a lot of activity on all the VHF and UHF bands.

The team that has taken over the running of WOTA following my illness is doing a great job and has come up with several new ideas. There will be a special activation of the summit of Latrigg, one of the lower summits to the north of Keswick, on the Bank Holiday Monday. It’s an easy walk for most people so if you will be in Keswick on that day why not stroll up after lunch and meet some of the team? If you are thinking about a family day out then Keswick Agricultural Show is being held on the same day and is always worth a visit.

I hope to be on the summit of Latrigg myself on Monday afternoon. The team has obtained permission to take a 4×4 on to the fell so I can have a ride to the top and won’t have to climb. I am looking forward to the opportunity to be on a summit again but whether I am able to go will depend on how I feel on the day and, of course, the ever unpredictable Cumbrian weather. I will be well into the chemotherapy regime by then which depresses the immune system so getting cold or wet would not be a good idea at this time.

Julian Moss, G4ILO, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cumbria, England. Contact him at [email protected].

CLICK TO ENLARGE PHOTO'S FOR THE FULL AFFECT.

F-16

This past Sunday Julie and I were off to the Waterloo Air Show . The weather forcast was very iffy and seemed the show may be cancelled due to severe weather. The sky's were very dark most of the morning as we toured the aircraft on the tarmac but we were told it was going to clear. By the time the show started at 1pm there was sunny periods. We did come prepared with rain gear, umbrella and the specialized rain gear for Julie's camera stuff.  We had what was called flight deck seating...translation VERY up close and personal with the aircraft and NOISE. Below are  very few (1300 in total) of the snap shots Julie captured during the airshow. The American F-16 Viper, Canadain Forces CF-18  Fighter, the

CF-18

Harvard, flying in a four team formation, the P-40 Kitty Hawk and the Canadian Snow birds team.

F-15

The Harvard

Snow Birds

P40 Kitty Hawk

Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

Welcome to Handiham World!

 

 

But first – Help us win the Dr. Dave Challenge!

Photo: Bill, K9BV; Lucy, KE6QNX, Dr. Dave, KN0S, Bill, N6HBO & Guide Dog Heldy, and Pat, WA0TDA (kneeling in front.) Thumbs up for a pass for Lucy at the VE session. 

Pat Tice, WA0TDA, is the manager of HANDI-HAM and a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com. Contact him at [email protected].

I’ve seen a couple of stories about this video already, so I figured I would post it too, and get Randy a little more traffic to the YouTube video. Randy headed to Petaluma, CA, and hung out at the TWiT Brickhouse with Bob Heil, K9EID and Leo Laporte, W6TWT, for the first day of the new Ham shack in the Brickhouse Studio.While Randy was there, he of course recorded some video and shared it with everyone else. There was also a special event station on the air for the open house, which I talked about last week. I’m curious if anyone who reads me, also worked the special event? If you did, please share in the comments. I would love to hear how it went. But now, Lights! Camera! ACTION!

73.

Rich also writes a Tech blog and posts stories every Tuesday and Thursday on Q103, The Rock of Albany’s website, as well as Amateur Radio stories every Monday thru Friday here on AmiZed Studios.

Rich Gattie, KB2MOB, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New York, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

The G4ILO APRS iGate is off the air again. My Android smartphone is on its way back to Motorola for repair so for the time being I need to use the Windows Mobile as a phone again.

I’ll also be running APRSISCE on it as G4ILO-SP while travelling to and from radiotherapy treatment in Carlisle. That is so that Olga can look at aprs.fi and see when I am about to return home. As I am using the volunteer hospital car service, time and route can be somewhat variable. APRS does have its practical uses…

Julian Moss, G4ILO, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cumbria, England. Contact him at [email protected].

Jumping out of a fully working airplane from 13,000 feet is not exactly my cup of tea. When I stand to high on a ladder I get a little woozy. But this guy jumped from an airplane and using 70cm Amateur Radio Television, shared ti with other Hams. Mark, AF6IM, strapped on a parachute, and a 427 MHz ATV transmitter hooked to a helmet cam and jumped from an airplane to land safely while he transmitted, using a Drake mini-modulator with foldable dualband J-pole, that he released after his chute opened and he floated down to the ground.

As you can see from the video below and the info Mark gave about the jump, the Drake can act as a transmitter when an antenna is hooked to it, but the signal was weaker then expected and only worked when he got to about 2000 feet. He said he may try a linear or use a 5 watt Videolynx ATV transmitter next time he does it.

Mark was transmitting on 421.25MHz or cable tv channel 57, and the recieving station was using a 3-element 70cm UHF antenna connected to a Sansui TV set with built-in VHS deck set to catv channel 57. Improvements are being looked at from what was learned from this jump, and another may be in the future.

If you want to find out more, you can visit the Parachute Mobile website.

Rich Gattie, KB2MOB, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New York, USA. Contact him at [email protected].