In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Dan Romanchik KB6NU, Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT, Colin Butler M6BOY and Ed Durrant DD5LP to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief and the episode's feature is Huntsville Hamfest 2024

We would like to thank our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

• ARRL IT Security Incident - Report to Members
• PRESENTER OPINION : ARRL IT Security Incident
• The RSGB is getting ready for National Coding Week
• Children's Museum Provides A Spectrum Of Experience
• Silent Key Who Made A Difference
• Route 66 On The Air 2024
• Yaesu, Icom & Kenwood Feature New Transceivers at Ham Fair Japan
• Transistor Promises Faster, More Energy-Efficient Operation

Commemorating 80 years 

An important stage in the liberation of Western Europe

Operation Market Garden was an Allied military operation during the Second World War fought in the German-occupied Netherlands from 17 to 25 September 1944. Its objective was to create a 103 km salient into German territory with a bridgehead over the Nederrijn (Lower Rhine River), creating an Allied invasion route into northern Germany. This was to be achieved by two sub-operations: seizing nine bridges with combined US and British airborne forces (´Market´) followed by British land forces swiftly following over the bridges (´Garden´).

The airborne operation was undertaken by the First Allied Airborne Army with the land operation by XXX Corps of the British Second Army. The airborne soldiers, numbering more than 41,000, were dropped at sites where they could capture key bridges and hold the terrain until the land forces arrived. The land forces consisted of ten armoured and motorised brigades with a similar number of soldiers. The land forces advanced from the south along a single road surrounded by flood plain on both sides. The plan anticipated that they would cover the 103 km from their start to the bridge across the Rhine in 48 hours. About 100,000 German soldiers were in the vicinity to oppose the allied offensive. It was the largest airborne operation of the war up to that point (Wikipedia ©). Perhaps the most famous, after D-Day, in the history of the Second World War.

As part of Operation Market Garden paratroopers of the Allied forces, such as American, British, Canadian, Polish and Dutch troops, landed in the Nijmegen region on 17 September 1944. The region became a battlefield during Operation Market Garden and most of the inhabitants took refuge in the woods or neighbouring towns. It took more than a week of heavy fighting before parts of the region were temporarily liberated. Many people and military were killed and buildings and bridges were destroyed. At the cost of many young soldiers the important Waal-bridge in Nijmegen was conquered. In our collective mind the entire region was completely liberated in 1944, but this was only for a period of three weeks. There was still hard fighting during the winter and complete liberation was not achieved until may 1945.

YouTube video: Operation Market Garden

The special event

From September 13 to 19 a special event station will be operating in the Nijmegen region of the Netherlands commemorating 8Ø years of freedom. The callsign is PA8ØOMG.

During 7 days they will activate the callsign PA8ØOMG and work amateur radio operators across the world. If you find yourself in the vicinity of Groesbeek and Nijmegen, be sure to visit us throughout the activities of the special event station. We are situated at one of the exact landing grounds of the 82nd Airborne division in 1944. Our website https://radioclublimburg.nl/pa80omg/index.html

~

This livestream recording is from September 1, 2024 – the NW7US Radio Communications Channel Livestream.  We do this livestream every Sunday at 21:15 UTC.  Here is the link to the livestream from this past Sunday:

The livestream list is here:

https://www.youtube.com/@nw7us/streams

I hope to see you in our livestream live chat, during the next session on Sunday, at 21:15 UTC.  See you there!

Listen Now

Spin the Random Topic Wheel (Segment 1)

• All About Scotch Whiskey

• Resources

• https://lhs.fyi/G5 (Ralfy)

• https://lhs.fyi/GN (Ralfy YouTube)

This Weekend in Hedonism (Segment 2)

• Cheryl’s Recipe Corner!

• Easy Banana Bread

• Description

• What is better for breakfast with a nice cup of coffee, or a snack?  This recipe is super easy!

• Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup margarine, softened

• 2 eggs

• 1-1/2 cups mashed banana

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Beat sugar and margarine in a bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs, then bananas. Add flour and baking soda, stirring just until combined. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove from the pan and let cool. Store in the refrigerator or freeze. You can also customize and use chunky applesauce or a 15-ounce can of pumpkin for wonderful variations.

• Cheryl’s Mixed Drink Corner

• Dirty Banana

• Description

• How about a yummy banana cocktail?

• Ingredients

• 2 ounces rum

• 1 ounce banana liqueur

• 1 ounce coffee liqueur

• 2 ounces half-and-half (or one ounce heavy cream and one ounce whole milk)

• 1 banana, slightly overripe, cut into chunks

• Garnish: banana chunk, with peel

• Directions

• Add all ingredients into a blender with a small (6 ounce) scoop of ice and blend until smooth. Pour into a Collins glass. Garnish with a banana chunk.

• Russ’s Drink Corner

• Peerless Single Barrel KSBW

• Description

• Kentucky Peerless’s identity as an artisan distillery is centered around its uncompromising quality and innovative nature. There is possibly no better exemplification of this than our Single Barrel program. Our team promotes only barrels of supreme quality and uniqueness for consideration to be a Single Barrel. Rare notes and characteristics that make each barrel stand apart from the standard profile are celebrated and show off the range of Peerless spirits. Every Drop is honestly crafted. We craft using strictly sweet mash, starting with fresh water and grain in each batch. Our whiskey is never chill-filtered, leaving all the craft flavors you love intact. Peerless Whiskey is bottled at barrel proof. You’re welcome to add water to your liking - we’ll leave that up to you.

• Details

• Mashbill: Undisclosed

• Region: Louisville, Kentucky

• Proof: 117.8 (58.9% ABV)

• Color: Brulee’d caramel

• Nose: Caramel, butterscotch, apple, pear, aromatic tobacco, toasted oak

• Taste: Toasted marshmallow, barrel char, tobacco, butterscotch, lingering rye spice

• Finish: Medium length focused on barrel char, tobacco and butterscotch with hints of apples and baking spice

• Price: $80 (750ml)

• Rating: 88

• Bill’s Whatever Corner

• Equilibrium Brewery - Macedemics

• Details

• Collaboration with Great Notion Brewing. Stout - Imperial / Double Pastry

• 11% ABV

• Macadamia Nuts, Academics, Beavers, Owls, and all in athletic track suits calculating a thicc stout: Macademics… We took out our Texas Instruments TI-81 calculators with our pals from Oregon to figure out the max amount of Macadamia nuts, Coconut, Cacao, and Madagascar vanilla beans possible in our latest stout. This viscous liquid pours pitch black with a mocha head exploding with an aroma macadamia cookies dunked into a salted caramel frap. This absolute big body stout has liquid velvet flavors of macadamia and chocolate chip cookies, Almond Joy bars drizzled with caramel in a thicccc finish that rolls around your palate before making its way to your belly like the most decadent dessert.

Segment 3 (Announcements & Feedback)

• N/A

Segment 4 (New Subscribers, New Supporters & Live Participants)

• Facebook

• Feloh Genje

• Twitter

• @CQN4ML

• @igor_os777

• Mastodon

• @Panosmobm

• @alper

• Discord

• Delring [KQ4ALK]

• Mark KQ4MII

• Live Chat

• Tony, K4XSS

• Don, KB2YSI

• Jill, K1TTZ

This ground rod took forever to pound in.

I had the opportunity in the spring to pick up free of charge 2 copper-clad 8-foot ground rods free of charge as long as I picked them up. It was about an hour's drive for me but free ground rods were well worth the trip. Also, I was able to meet one of the hams from our contest club and have a coffee and a nice chat. As things go I had many things to do around the house and installing ground rods was low on the list.  Well, September was here and I did not want to wait any longer and the decision was made to pound in two ground rods.
I did some online searching for ways to install ground rods and one way was to rent a tool that basically pounds them in. It's like a concrete hammer drill but for ground rods. I contacted the local building store who rented them and I was told for 1/2 day it was about 250.00!!!! Well, it first was time for plan B to see how that worked out. Plan B was to put the ground rods in on my own steam! Online there were many videos of folks who lifted the ground rod and slammed it into the ground. They kept doing this and added water into the hole as they went along. When the ground rod was close to the surface they used a hammer for the rest.  Another common thread in the videos was best case was to do this job after a few days of rain as this also helped out. As plans would have it did rain here for a few days and just after the rain I thought "It's a nice day to pound some ground rods in". Out I went with my trusty water bottles, work gloves and lots of ambition. I have to say the first ground rod at the base of my Hustler 4BTV went in very easily. So bubbling with confidence I moved to the second location which was for a ground rod that was to ground my station.
This spot was not as smooth going, the first attempt came to an abrupt stop at about the 4-foot mark. The only thing I could figure was I hit a tree root from one of our Maple trees. The second attempt was a charm BUT it was not easy going. I added water and slammed the ground rod down and it did go in but very very very slowly. Finally, success and both ground rods were in and connected to the antenna and the other to a ground bus in my shack.

 

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73,

John VE7TI
'The Communicator' Editor