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artmorris
Administrator
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Posted: Sun Oct 14th, 2007 12:57 pm |
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Several friends of my mine have been after me to take the Ham Radio test for years. So, finally, I took a look at the Technician class book last week, and took the test at the Springfield Hamfest last Friday night. I passed the test, and then they offered me the General, which I hadn't studied for. Almost passed it.
So, I went and skimmed the General Class study guide Friday night & Saturday morning, took the General and passed it, too. They offered me the Extra class test, but I took a look at it and changed my mind.
Anyway, shortly I'll have another call sign!!!!!
I'm thinking of what vanity call I might request... A0ART? K0ACM (my intials) or how about K0SWM (since I worked there for so long)?
Art
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VORTEXX
Member
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Posted: Sun Oct 14th, 2007 08:44 pm |
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| I would go the "VANITY" route....The new general calls are all KD0--- calls and I can't "hear" them very well....Rod at KADI has K0ADI as his call sign...I think K0ART is good or K0SWM....My call sign is N0UAM...by the way Congratulations!!!....I look forward to having you participate in the SKYWARN nets....We have a conditional Tornado threat tomorrow so I wish you had a call sign/valid license now!!!...Hee Hee....Did you get a 2 meter radio yet? Last edited on Sun Oct 14th, 2007 08:50 pm by VORTEXX
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artmorris
Administrator
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Posted: Sun Oct 14th, 2007 08:49 pm |
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Associated Radio was there, and I picked up a Yaesu VX-170 handheld to get started. It's driving me crazy that I can't transmit yet.
I would very much like to get involved with Skywarn. I've spent so many years on the air doing severe weather coverage, it seems only natural.
I saw Rod Kittleman at the Hamfest, along with Corbin Campbell who stopped by, plus a lot of non-broadcast friends that I know around the area.
Art
Last edited on Sun Oct 14th, 2007 08:51 pm by artmorris
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VORTEXX
Member
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Posted: Sun Oct 14th, 2007 08:57 pm |
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| I know that you love the mix between weather and radio....I always told Steve at the NWS here in SGF how cool it was that a broadcaster took the time to read and understand the Hazardous Weather Outlook over the air like you did on your noon show on KSWM...Did you get a magmount antenna to go with the HT?...
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VORTEXX
Member
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Posted: Sun Oct 14th, 2007 09:08 pm |
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| Looks like the K0ACM and K0SWM callsigns are both available....
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artmorris
Administrator
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Posted: Sun Oct 14th, 2007 09:16 pm |
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Yep, got a magmount, but forgot to get the SMA to BNC adapter. So, I've got a few details to work out.
Haven't quite figured out how to program the VX-170 yet. 200 channels. It'll also function as a police scanner, which is cool for me, and has WX band Alert decoder. Nice little radio, if I can figure out all the functions.
Art
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VORTEXX
Member
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Posted: Sun Oct 14th, 2007 09:39 pm |
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| Radio Shack has the adapter you need....Lee Brown NA0LB has built a programming adapter that emables you to program most radios via a PC....Rod Kittleman may have one or can help you get access to one....Software driven programming is the way to go if you can...That "KEYPAD" programming on the HT will make a guy crazy...
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artmorris
Administrator
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Posted: Mon Oct 15th, 2007 10:22 am |
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Thanks! My friend Kelly Ellison (also a ham and former broadcaster) runs the Radio Shack store in Monett. I'll stop and see him!
What kind of HF rig are you running?
Art
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VORTEXX
Member
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Posted: Tue Oct 16th, 2007 05:01 am |
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| Art..I"ve got an ICOM 706MKIIG with an external antenna tuner...It is a good radio....I bought my son a Kenwood TS450AT(100 watts with a built-in antenna tuner) when he upgraded to General....Both are good....I'd prefer the Kenwood if it were mine...I've had the 706 for about 5 years and it works great....I really need to upgrade my antenna...Since I moved I've been using a "SLINKY" antenna...It works but just barely...Changing the subject...The latest model runs put us at significant risk of severe weather Wednesday overnight into Thursday...Maybe even strong tornadoes....Stay tuned....Jim
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artmorris
Administrator
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Posted: Tue Oct 16th, 2007 11:43 am |
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I see the potential for supercell development Wednesday aft & eve.
Do you use any particular software for radar monitoring? I'm using GRlevel3, because I love the smoothing of the image. It also allows me to export to my website, so I can access the image with my cell phone.
You?
Art
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Buddy Dornster
Member
| Joined: | Sun Feb 4th, 2007 |
| Location: | Missouri USA |
| Posts: | 137 |
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Offline
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Posted: Tue Oct 16th, 2007 03:46 pm |
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So you went from Pro to Amateur. Maybe we're aging?
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JR
Member
| Joined: | Thu Feb 8th, 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 33 |
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Offline
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Posted: Tue Oct 16th, 2007 05:18 pm |
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| Congrats Art!! Now that code is not a requirement, I am going to upgrade my ticket. I have been a ham for 13 years.
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artmorris
Administrator
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Posted: Wed Oct 17th, 2007 01:49 am |
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It's driving me crazy waiting for my call sign. Hopefully, it'll just be a few days. What's your call?
Art
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VORTEXX
Member
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Posted: Wed Oct 17th, 2007 08:02 am |
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artmorris wrote: I see the potential for supercell development Wednesday aft & eve.
Do you use any particular software for radar monitoring? I'm using GRlevel3, because I love the smoothing of the image. It also allows me to export to my website, so I can access the image with my cell phone.
You?
Art
I use use STORMLAB....I'm not a big fan of the smoothing....SPC might upgrade us to a HIGH risk in the morning....
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artmorris
Administrator
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Posted: Wed Oct 17th, 2007 12:13 pm |
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It took me years to get used to digital radar presentations.
When I was a kid in central Arkansas, Channel 11 had an old RCA AVQ-10 radar that they used on TV. It was a 5-inch display, which they shot with an old B&W camera and superimposed (not keyed) a map onto. It was cool.
In the 70's Channel 3 in Kirksville had something similar. They eventually bought a digitizer for it before it was retired.
In about 1980, I worked for KAAN in Bethany, MO, where they had an old AVQ-10. We had a motor-generator set in the basement to power the thing, since it ran on 400hz power, and it had a flat panel antenna inside a clear dome. Mighty cool. 100-percent analog, and I loved it. I got to where I didn't need to plot the echos on a map. I could do it on the fly while live on the air.
There was nothing I loved more than doing severe weather coverage. I've still got the cassette tape of when I was on the air at KSWM in Aurora when the tornado hit in 2003. Callers were describing it as it moved across from Monett and across just north of Aurora and across toward Marionville. I actually could see the storm passing in the north-facing windows of the studio. We were off-air for about 10-minutes when we lost power at the xmitter shack, which escaped destruction by just a 100-yards or so.
Hours later, I drove over to Pierce City and did live reports from there. It was like a Hollywood move, literally. People were wandering the streets with a glazed-over look in their eyes.
Then, I drove up to Stockton and we set up a temporary studio for KRLK 107.7 at their tower, so they could get back on the air. We went into town, which was cordoned off at the time, and the destruction was ungodly. We grabbed a few items from the studio, and set up shop at the tower. They operated there for several days.
Looking forward to later today. Let's see how it develops.
Art
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