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The Handiham World for 21 May 2008
This is a weekly news & information update from Courage Center's Handiham System. Please do not reply to this message. Use the contact information below, or simply email handiham@courage.org. For subscribe/unsubscribe information, please see the bottom of the page. Contact us at: Courage Center - Handiham System
Photo: Chris, KG0BP, and Carl, N8NSD, take a few minutes to visit at the Handiham booth during HAMVENTION®. Last week we were at HAMVENTION®, and with so much time out of the office and on the road, it takes a little time to catch up with all of the usual office duties. I have some photos with captions for you later on. I don't want this particular edition to be all about the hamfest, so in upcoming weeks I'll be sharing some thoughts with you on various aspects of the world's largest amateur radio get-together. One thing I usually buy at HAMVENTION is a new ARRL Repeater Directory, and this year was no exception. The print edition is a wee bit larger than last year's, and it's sitting here on the desk in front of me just begging for a good look-see. I hope to find even more and better listings of IRLP and EchoLink repeaters this year, and I'm sure ARRL will not disappoint me. It's more important than ever for repeater owners to submit current and accurate information about their repeaters so that travelers can access these machines and use all of their new features. A week or so ago, Matt, KA0PQW, was on the road in Minnesota and managed to stay connected through EchoLink and IRLP to his home repeater. How cool is that?!! There's plenty of news this week, so we had best get started. Patrick Tice Avery's QTH: Addicted to nets
A few years ago I was asked to do a local two meter net on Sunday Evenings at 7:00 PM. So, after saying “yes” for three years, finally I tried to find someone else to take the net. As it turned out, every Sunday night there I was at 7:00 PM no matter what, doing a net that sometimes lasted quite late into the evening. It didn't matter if it was a family member's birthday, some other holiday or what because every Sunday night there I was. If I was at someone's home for dinner, I would excuse myself and go out to my truck and run the net from there. So then the idea came up: Would I do a CW upgrade net? So, every Thursday we had a two hour long CW upgrade net, again starting at 7:00 PM. Now my Sunday night and Thursday nights were tied up in knots, um, I mean nets. Well, people checking into my nets would ask me to please check into their nets at specific dates and times. Oh, oh! All of a sudden I was addicted to nets. Did you ever think of how many nets there are? A person could spend almost all their time just checking into nets. There are UHF/VHF nets as well as nets on HF when the bands are open. Then there are swap nets, social nets, training nets, weather nets, drive time nets, AM phone nets, CW nets, RTTY nets, slow scan TV nets, and probably a bunch of nets I missed. That doesn’t include RACES, ARES, SKYWARN and MARS nets, either. Some international, national and local organizations like TEN-TEN and QCWA have at least three nets a day and groups like PICONET are on every day for a few hours and switch net controls every hour, so you have to check in each hour if you want to talk to all of them. Did I mention that some people on some nets are very long-winded and it takes awhile for them to break long enough for someone else to check in? In case of an emergency that is not such a very good idea. Just for fun I checked out a local website and found out that I could pretty nearly spend 100% of the time I am awake just checking into nets. Whew! Well, you know I still get asked to run a net, and I will, but only if there is no one else around who can do so because you see I am all netted out and if I start doing nets again, I won't have time for anything else. I do get asked to check into a net once in awhile and for the same reason I usually decline as I am addicted to nets and once I start up again there will be no time for anything else. According to the Amateur’s Code a ham radio operator is BALANCED... radio is an avocation, never interfering with duties owed to family, job, school or community. Don't forget the contest and remember that a QSL card is confirmation of a contact made on the air, so if you are asking for a card and have not made a radio contact with the person you most likely won't get one. So, until next time 73 es DX de K0HLA, Avery. You can reach me at: The Codec2 ProjectBruce Perens, K6BP, open source advocate, has started a new website entitled "The Codec2 Project: Next-Generation Audio Codecs and Vocoders for Two-Way Radio". W1AW will conduct a spring Frequency Measuring Test, or FMT, tonight! How good are you at measuring an audio frequency? W1AW will conduct a spring Frequency Measuring Test, or FMT. This FMT will begin on Wednesday, May 21 at 9:45 PM (EDT) (that's the same as 0145 UTC on May 22), replacing W1AW's normally scheduled phone bulletin. W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, recommends that those planning to participate should listen to W1AW transmissions prior to the event to determine which band -- or bands -- will be best for measurement purposes. In this edition of the FMT, listeners will be asked to measure the frequency of an audio tone, given an exact frequency for the carrier signal. The tone will be between 1000-2500 Hz. The carrier frequencies will be 3990 kHz (LSB), 7290 kHz (LSB), 14290 kHz (USB) and 18160 kHz (USB). Measuring audio frequencies of a modulated signal is a useful skill for those interested in digital modes. Proper tuning of these signals is important to obtain the highest quality performance. For non-digital users, it is also important to understand the relationship between the frequencies of the modulated signal's sidebands and its carrier. More: ARRL: FCC's Hollingsworth Set to Retire in July
"My intention," Hollingsworth told the ARRL, "is to head out in July, assuming the results of the second round of the PAVE PAWS/440 repeater monitoring in California present no complications. It has been a privilege to work with and for the Amateur Radio licensees and the land mobile frequency coordinators. I am extremely fortunate to work for two wonderful groups of people: Those at headquarters in the Enforcement Bureau, and for the Amateur Radio operators." Hollingsworth had planned to retire earlier this year, but changed his mind, saying, "There [were] several issues on the table that I want[ed] to continue to work through with the amateur community." More at:
Photo: Dr. Tom Behler, KB8TYJ, at Dayton Hamvention 2008 Moderator and Speaker Dr. Tom Behler, KB8TYJ, a ham radio operator with a vision impairment and Professor of Sociology at Ferris State University in Michigan, presents his thoughts on the breadth of our hobby and its applications for many different people in our online audio lecture series. Recorded by Will Tice, KC0LJL, Dr. Tom begins with an overview of the adaptive aids that he uses to conduct his activities as a blind ham and County EC/RO. The presentation then turns to how people with disabilities can help with amateur radio public service and emergency communications. The formal presentation concludes with an overview of Tom's course entitled "The Sociology Of Disasters And Emergency Preparedness". Aside from the highly relevant topics the course covers, the course is an excellent example of how amateur radio can be combined with a person's profession. Stream the audio here:
The stations consist of 5 callsigns -- BT1OB, BT1OJ, BT1OH, BT1OY, BT1ON, which represent the 5 Beijing Olympic Games symbols -- Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, Nini. The operation period is : 18, May 2008 to 17, September 2008. The stations accept BURO cards or direct to QSL manager: BA4EG. The cards will be sent out start from October, 2008. On Monday China began a three-day national mourning for the tens of thousands of people killed in the May 12 earthquake. The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Special Event Amateur Radio Station will QRT for 3 days, and will resume from Thursday, 22 May, 2008. This week at Headquarters
May 21 Handiham Website update:
*** Handiham members who pass their Technician license exams at Radio Camp this summer will receive new handheld radios. If you know a person with a disability who would enjoy ham radio, please send them our way. We want to get those new hams on the air! Camp begins on Wednesday, August 20, 2008 and finishes on Wednesday, August 27. Both Wednesdays are travel days. *** Stay in touch! Be sure to send Nancy your change of address, phone number changes, or email address changes so that we can continue to stay in touch with you. You may either email Nancy at hamradio@courage.org or call her toll-free at 1-866-426-3442. Mornings are the best time to contact us. *** Reminder: Contact Handihams Contest
You will have to work a Handiham member and send in a self-addressed stamped envelope along with their filled out QSL Card to me here at Handiham Headquarters. A contact will only count once no matter how many other bands or modes may be used. After the QSL's have been counted, they will be bundled and sent to the Handiham member who made the original contact. Echolink contacts count in this contest. The first three Handiham members that have the largest number of contacts sending in QSL's will receive one of the few remaining Handiham 40th Anniversary coffee mugs. Any band that you are able to use with your license class is acceptable and of course all FCC rules must be followed. For some of the old timers who may remember the "Novice Roundup" contest for only Novices, this is somewhat similar but yet a bit different at the same time. To make it a bit more interesting, a CW contact will count as 2 cards. To make it still more interesting, QRP (under 5 watts or less) counts as 5 cards. It must say on the QSL that was sent that it was a CW contact or a QRP contact to claim the extra points. So, it might be a good idea to brush up on your contest operating skills. Send all cards to: Courage Handiham Contest If you want call me, my direct line is: Elmer is goofing off this week, for no good reason. You can write to Elmer with your questions:  RekkyTec Links The Amateur's Code - How to conduct yourself as a good operator: Chinese Radio Sports Association: Free screenreader via the web: $39 Talking Digital Multimeter from a surplus vendor who has some units left: KNFB Reader:
Image: Meet our new dues collection agent! A huge alligator grabs Pat, WA0TDA. "Sure wish I'd renewed my Handiham dues sooner." For years Handiham membership renewals were done each July. This year, we are going to a monthly system. If you renew in March, your membership goes until the following March, for example. You will have several choices when you renew:
Return your renewal form and get entered in a drawing for a free Handiham coffee mug! There is a postage paid envelope provided, and of course we will do a drawing from each month's returned renewals. And you won't get a visit from you-know-who. Your support is critical! Please help. The Courage Handiham System depends on the support of people like you, who want to share the fun and friendship of ham radio with others. Please help us provide services to people with disabilities. We would really appreciate it if you would remember us in your estate plans. If you need a planning kit, please call. If you are wondering whether a gift of stock can be given to Handihams, the answer is yes! Please call Nancy at: 1-866-426-3442 or email: Ask for a free DVD about the Handiham System. It’s perfect for your club program, too! The video tells your club about how we got started, the Radio Camps, and working with hams who have disabilities. Call 1-866-426-3442 toll-free. DONATE USED HAM GEAR 1-866-426-3442 toll-free Help us get new hams on the air. FREE! Get the Handiham E-Letter by email every Wednesday, and stay up-to-date with ham radio news.
Handiham members with disabilities can take an online audio course at www.handiham.org: • Beginner
That's it for this week. Pat, WA0TDA
ARRL is the premier organization supporting amateur radio worldwide. Please contact Handihams for help joining the ARRL. We will be happy to help you fill out the paperwork! The weekly e-letter is a compilation of software tips, operating information, and Handiham news. It is published on Wednesdays, and is available to everyone in a choice of formats. To administer your subscription to the HTML version, go to: The text-only version is at:
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Welcome to Handiham World!
Welcome once again to my Humble QTH:
According to ARRL, Special Counsel in the FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division Riley Hollingsworth plans to retire on July 3.
KB8TYJ presentation is online
We have a large number of Handiham 40th Anniversary QSL cards left from our special event station at the last Minnesota Radio Camp. We want to send them out even though it’s 2008 (we are quite frugal, you know), but you are going to have to earn them. So I am announcing the Avery’s QTH use-up-our-old-QSL-cards contest!
Reminder: Handiham renewals are now on a monthly schedule
