Monday, January 11, 2010

Hey all!

Well, as you can see, this blogging thing never went well for me. Just too hard to sit down and chronicle my Amateur Radio activities. So, I am probably going to wrap this up. As it is, it will be a moot point soon anyway...as I will be (hopefully) getting a new callsign soon- K9LGE. We will see- the approval will hopefully be coming any day now. In any case, maybe I'll turn a new leaf and try it again soon. Thanks for reading. :-)

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Yeah, yeah...I know...

Eric...WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

I am not used to this blogging thing...and I am trying to get better. In the meantime, I have doing a LOT. Ask me...really...and I'll tell you. but let's move forward! what am I working on right now...?

1. I am FINALLY re-stripping and painting the 20' tripod tower that will be installed on the 2nd floor deck.

2. I am moving PC's around...new PC for the Hamshack, changed out a network switch, completed a cutover to AT&T U-VERSE, and beefing up the server and data handling.

3. Still playing with APRS, I have anew tracker, and moving towards getting an RMS Packet station on the air.

There's more...but's that's all I can think of right now. Try and keep up!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Well, Not Too Bad...

Worked NH, CT, CA and WA today from a sloper and hamstick on 20m. Not too bad! There was a fair amount of noise occasiaonally, but PSK was good. Pictures coming...

QRV from EM78 Lawrence KS!

I am currently QRV from Lawrence KS, EM78iw on 20m around 14.285 +/-. Using a sloper, alos may put up a vertical for 20 and 40 later.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

On The Road Again...with HF!

I will be leaving later this afternoon for an extended tour through WI, MO (2 weeks) and possibly IA (if I don't come home for the weekend 27th-28th). I will have my TS-450 with me, but will only have Hamsticks for 20m and 40m, so probably no late night ops. :-( I will post here as I determine operating times/bands/freqs. It will be mainly Digital modes (mostly PSK/RTTY) with some phone.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Thanks John...



While by chance traveling through my hometown of Park Ridge, IL on the way from one school to another, I had the great fortune to stop by the home of my VERY FIRST elmer- John Wendt, W9HNA.

When I was a young kid growing up just down the block from my Friend Eddie's house, his Dad, would patiently answer my questions, inspire me to try building small electronic projects, show me all his COOL (at least to a 10-year old kid) Knight and Hallicrafters tube rigs and even gave me a chance to talk on his 2m radio! John was the man that first 'lit the flame' in me that would 28 years later result in me getting MY license and doing what I do now with Amateur Radio. I 'found' him again a few years ago and have kept in touch periodically through the NORA-Glenview repeater and a luncheon he invited me to. this though was the first time that I had the chance to sit down one-on-one with him and his wife Lorraine and really catchup on what's been going on. But there were things that for some reason never occured to me to tell him- so I am saying them now, before I forget again and it might be too late.

They say that one of the measures of a man is the legacy he leaves. Usually these things are said after one passes on, but I wanted you to see it while you are still here... You introduced me a wonderful new world that years later has resulted in new friends and new experiences. I only hope I can pass your legacy on and bring more people into this great hobby and service of ours.

Thanks John.