QRP in Three Hundred Zeros – A Story with an Amateur Radio Side

Just finished Dennis K1YPP’s book “Three Hundred Zeros” and was tickled pink that among the QRP QSOs that feature in the novel, a local amateur Mike AA9AA QSOed with Dennis K1YPP from the base of Mt Katahdin and Dennis wrote of this QSOs importance to the story in his book! (This QSO was also mention in QST Magazine).

From the write ups:

Dennis Blanchard’s promise to his brother haunted him for over forty years. Finally, when there were no more excuses, he set out on the Appalachian Trail to fulfill that promise. He learned that walking in the wilderness can reconnect one with a Norman Rockwell America that at times seems long lost and forgotten. The difficulties encountered walking over 2,200 miles are easily underestimated and trouble can begin long before setting a first step on the trail. Blanchard’s introspective demonstrates that bears, rattlesnakes and challenging terrain may be far less formidable than some of life’s more subtle dangers.

Book Website: http://threehundredzeroes.com/

The book is an excellent read – I so enjoyed Dennis K1YPP’s tale that two evenings took me through the whole book.

Well written and inspiring! Well done!

All best and 73

Steve
K9ZW

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The Roundtable

An outstanding short story about Amateur Radio means to so many of us:

The Roundtable – A short story by, Don Keith N4KC

Nobody really remembers when the group first started meeting, heating up the band with their conversation, jokes and carryings-on. A couple of guys began chatting most evenings just below 3900 on the 75-meter band. Others dropped by when they could-some of them long-time friends of the first stations, others total strangers who just joined in to give an opinion or ask a question or get a signal report-and over the years, hams came and went, but the roundtable mostly grew, regardless the status of the sunspots or what else was going on in the world.

via eHam at The Roundtable.

I hope you have been touched by Don Keith N4KC’s story as well.

You can learn more about the Author – Don K4KC – and all the books he has written at his website http://www.donkeith.com

73

Steve
K9ZW

Hilberling PT-8000 in Series Production (2011)

LINK  Hilberling Entwicklungslabor Hochfrequenztechnik.

Hilberling has announced the start of production of the PT-8000 and launched an updated brochure.  First customer deliveries of the production model were made.

Marcus WV4Y is on my call list – want to know if he has one in Green Bay Packer colors coming (Bronze Green in Hilberling nomenclature) which just might be excuse a fellow would need….

73

Steve
K9ZW

Mancorad – What to Do if You Are Not on the Reflector

A few straggling reports have come in from people who want to reestablish contact with Mancorad W9DK which for various reasons have fallen off the reflector.

Mancorad uses the Yahoo Groups reflector – the website URL is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mancorad_wi/

You do need to register an email address with Yahoo to get reflector mail.

If your address changes, you need to update your Yahoo profile for the Group. A lot of folk forget this one.

If your email bounces too many time, Yahoo stops sending you emails from the reflector until a Moderator kicks out a probe message to prove you are all fixed up.

So if your reflector email stops, check the Yahoo Group and then your computer/ISP for Spam settings, then a Moderator or info@w9dk.com

Some of the people asking don’t appear to current Mancorad Members – not to worry, as with the reflector is an open reflector, and you basically manage your own Yahoo Group profile.

The past practice or summarily dropping anyone who was behind is dues was stopped with the leadership change, and the reflector doesn’t care if you are a current paid member or not (you should though, as a point of honor please support your club!)

Hope this helps, and please share it with anyone you hear is having trouble with Mancorad reflector notices.

73

Steve
K9ZW
Mancorad Secretary/Treasurer

Mancorad Dashes & Dots – Mid-July 2011

These club news briefs are posted to the Mancorad_WI Yahoo Group.

For the next several issues I will blog them as a courtesy to those not yet on that reflector.

73

Steve
K9ZW

————-

Hello Everyone!

A quick update on Mancorad, and welcome to our second issue of “Mancorad Dashes & Dots” club email briefing.

ORGANIZATIONAL

The background processes to reestablish all of our permissions/coordinations/arrangements continues. Insurances are all up to date with Marsh Affinity, our insurer for the last 5-10 years.

Banking signature cards have been updated as well. We’re well on the way to getting everything back up to date.

REMEMBER MEETINGS RESTART IN AUTUMN

Look for the restart of membership meetings in September!

We have our firstr program presentation volunteer, who will present for September. Again, if any of you have an interesting in being on the program schedule please let us know.

As a reminder there are no member meetings scheduled for July or August.

Meeting times are currently being reconsidered, please contact any of our officers with your suggestions.

REPEATER UPDATES

As you may well have noticed the club’s additional call signs have been assigned to the repeaters in the repeater listings.

Our 146.610 repeater will become W9MTW and our 145.110 repeater K9MTW

The 145.110 K9MTW repeater is temporarily down as it is repaired after all the storms.

Once up it will receive the controller update planned for some time.

This will upgrade it in preparation for adding features.

Our W9DK club call sign is being reserved for club shack and club activity usage.

FIELD DAY

Hoping most of you saw the front page Chronicle article of Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels being put on the air by Scott W9JSB at Field Day. The Mayor did a wonderful proclamation recognizing the entire area amateur radio community while he was at the club. Due to the number of conflicts members had the club didn’t put on a significant Field Day effort outside of hosting the Mayor.

CLUB WEBSITE

The W9DK.com website is a work in progress, under construction. Expect changes as it is made more maintainable and user friendly. The Mobile version will follow later.

SOCIAL NETWORKING

Except for special events, Mancorad will be very light in using Twitter or Facebook. This may change as the youth membership become more active in Autumn.

CONTACTS

The info@w9dk.com email remains active. All other W9DK.com email addresses may be intermittent or not working.

Club Leadership is President Tim N7TAL, Vice-President Scott W9JSB and Secretary/Treasurer Steve K9ZW

73

Steve
K9ZW
Mancorad Secretary/Treasurer

Jeff KE9V’s Cornbread Row, Amateur Radio Audio Story returns

Cautiously announcing the return of Cornbread Row, with five seven of the episodes now back online.

Jeff KE9V has sad it will take a few weeks to get all 13 episodes online, which include the 7 previously released then withdrawn and the concluding 6 episodes which were not available previously.

Looking forward to the whole set and perhaps Jeff KE9V will also provide a Feed or iTunes option to make it quick and easy to add into my iPod.

The URL is http://ke9v.net/cornbread-road/

Enjoy!

73

Steve
K9ZW