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antennas and cables

I do not recommend you begin connecting your radio to a remote antenna by building your own antenna OR cable. It is not as simple as it looks. Your first remote antenna and cable should be purchased from a reputable engineering firm.

Here are three choices: Ham Radio Outlet DX Engineering cables DX Engineering vhf uhf antennas

Doing it like that will get you a good solid start where setting up and operating your radio gear are the primary variables.

IF you decide to immerse yourself into antenna and/or cable building you will have a pro-built setup for comparison […]

May 31st, 2019 | Category: amateur radio | Comments are closed

emergency comms

Once again I address the subject of “What do you do when your phones and Internet stop working?” Wonder and Nothing useful are the two answers most people will default to.

I know I am unusual in planning and preparing for such a scenario. I not only think of ME and mine, but want others to have value in their radios as well. So I produce an attractive, sturdy laminated card that they just might keep with their two-way radio enabling them to find value in it when no other means of mid-range communication is available.

I hereby […]

May 31st, 2019 | Category: amateur radio, community, preparing, radio | Comments are closed

personal Victory!

I determined to UP MY GAME in amateur radio knowledge this year. My primary methodology was to work towards passing the final hurdle in amateur radio to earn my Amateur Extra ticket. It demands a wide range of knowledge covering the spectrum of radio construction, operation and transmission.

Two unanticipated things I learned from this effort were: 1) I really don’t want to know how radios are constructed… though much of that is required to pass the exam. 2) Simultaneously teaching a class of newcomers to pass their Technician level exams while studying to pass the third […]

May 25th, 2019 | Category: about, amateur radio, radio, teaching, technology | Comments are closed

20 gauge tactical youth-stock pump shotgun

I continue to extoll the virtues of this platform as your basic home defense firearm. You will never regret having one of these, find many people who it fits perfectly and know it could serve anybody well as an only home defense weapon if you have limited choices.

It has not been long since I published 20 gauge youth pump as #1 home defense weapon choice (Bitterroot Bugle .com, April 26th), but I did not include a link to the one I would be purchasing were I in the market today:

Mossberg 500 Tactical 8 Shot Pump Shotgun

[…]

May 24th, 2019 | Category: guns'n'gear | Comments are closed

computer back-oops

I had a couple careers in computer operations and office automation. I know more than a little about preserving electronic data. Therefore I have multiple back-ups of my important files.

I don’t do it as often as I should, but intend to at least monthly. I save files from my most active computer onto two USB backup drives and onto my backup computer. If you are counting, that is four copies of every file I deem worth preserving.

With my mind working on a couple other things I copied my most treasured files onto one of the backup […]

May 2nd, 2019 | Category: technology | Comments are closed