A LOOK AT AN ANGLED STAND

FOR THE FT-817

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When I use my FT-817 in the shack, I've had to be creative in forming piles of stuff to put it on so that I could see the display without slipping a disc in my back. While perusing Ebay, I came across a stand for about $60 + shipping, but I didn't really want to spend that much on it because I use the rig mostly portable....so I passed on it.

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Not too long after that I ran across a stand that was just a stand, no wires or connectors (which was fine for me), and it was only $16 + shipping! So I bought it and yes, it suits my purpose, as the video below shows.

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WOODY

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"THE ULTIMATE MOBILE SETUP"

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Here's Part One of a video I ran across on YouTube.

You'll find that this vehicle has all the gadgets

you'd ever need.

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Woody

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BOOK REVIEW

"EMPIRE OF THE AIR"

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"Buy the book and rent the video..."

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I picked up a used copy of this book off Amazon's website (just in case you didn't know it, they're linked to hundreds of "used" booksellers around the country), and it's a book which is a companion piece to a Robert Burns PBS special, about the who-how-what were invented, the first dynasties created, etc. I can't say I watched the 1991 event as I was between marriages and interested in...others things. But I digress...

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The book itself is hard covered, and runs about 400 pages. The author, really did his homework as well being involved with the documentary. Before reading the book, I was "Hollywoodized" as far as inventor stories go (if you're smart and honest you'll win at the end), so unlike the movies ("The story of...." ; "The Marconi Story", etc) all of the dirt, greed, backstabbing, and sad endings were left intact - unchanged...to some extent, it was like being a fly on the wall and watching the lives of some of Americas history makers, and of interest to me, because where would Ham radio have been without the tube?

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The rest of my short review is in this video, which aired on PBS. Ken Burns is well known for extensive, lengthy-yet-interesting documentaries. Unfortunately this is not one of them. The story centers around 3 men who shaped the world of radio and communications for better or worse "De Forest, Sarnoff, and Armstrong". Marconi is mentioned a little in the video (quite a bit more in the book) as well.

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At 2 hours, the video plays well, and seems to cover the bases, however when mentioning litigation's, deception, etc. the viewer isn't quite sure of the extent or the circumstances which created it. Where they came from, and how they got to where they were is also critically short. That said, if you aren't a reader, then this is your look into the beginnings of Radio! If you are a reader, I would recommend that you read the book first, THEN watch the video.

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Woody

"BACK FROM BELTON..."

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"...you can see the difference, as the cool temp's

and crisp air puts a spring in the step,

and an erect wallet in the pockets of each potential buyer!"

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Yes indeed my friends, the first Belton Texas hamfest of 2007 has come and gone, and unlike the past few years, I'm happy to say I attended!
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Unlike the last one I made it to (some 3 years ago or so), which seemed to be on a slight decline, this one - despite the weather seemed to be a good success. My oldest son Josh came along with me and we left later than we usually would, pulling out of Sealy around 4:15 a.m. with only one headlight working and many miles to go.
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Also unlike other late departures, this one was not due to oversleeping, as neither of us slept! I was doing some stuff via the internet, and then got caught up watching a movie that started at 2 and ended at 4. Thus the late departure. I was traveling light for this trip for a variety of reasons:

1. I had the pleasure (not) of my lower back and upper back "going out" at the same time about 2 weeks ago, so I wasn't eager to load move a bunch of stuff around the shack, much less carry it to the car for loading.
   
2. Having been out-of-touch with recent Belton events, I wasn't sure what to bring, and, if I did load the car down with goodies, would that effort be wasted?
   
3. And last but not least, I wanted to spend less time selling and more time visiting some old friends, and of course, recording the event.

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One thing that didn't change, was the traditional cold front blowing in. I'm not sure of the how's or why's, but usually, a cold front comes in just before, or during the hamfest, dropping the temperature and humidity to the point where everyone is energized to stop by Belton. Once there, you can see the difference, as the cool temp's and crisp air puts a spring in the step, and an erect wallet in the pocket of each potential buyer!

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We arrived at the "Dome" after 6 a.m., and the air had been steadily getting colder the closer we came to Belton. A quick look at Josh told me he was thinking the same thing:

"We'd be stuck outside, freezing our butts off"

As we crossed the parking lot though, it became apparent that there was NO LINE of vehicles waiting to go inside. I drove slowly by one of the large doors to see half the area still vacant, so we pulled right in and got a spot. Happy to be inside, I was a bit worried about the lack of people coming to sell items, but within the next hour or so, those worries were gone, and the building was full.

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We setup what few items were brought, then I took off, camcorder in-hand (In one hand. The other hand was gripping mad money). It was good to see some of the long standing vendors, as well as seeing my good friend Val from Oklahoma. Val makes the Belton trip twice a year, and it's the only time we get together to compare notes, and talk about rigs, and of course...the old times. It was his email in fact that got me to this Belton event by writing "If I can drive six hours from Oklahoma to Belton, surely you can spare two" (or something close to that). He was on a buying mission this time so each stop by my space was short, then he'd dart off in another direction. If I recall correctly, this was the 17th hamfest he'd been to since the first of the year.

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Surprisingly, Friz wasn't there, and I did attempt to look for him, outside in the tailgate section, but I didn't last long - the wind was strong and the temperature dropping. And of course "Repeater Steve" was there!

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There were at least 4 Amateur Radio Stores with tables and booths, including George's shop in Spring, along with several other multi-faceted dealers. I saw quite a few CB's, the only collectible being a Browning Mark IVa, and the rest were solid-state, somewhat beat up, but still usable. Used Ham radios were quite abundant, just not the model I was looking for, and if I were to guess at ratio of HF vs HT's/Dualband I'd have to give the nod to used HF rigs with a whopping 75% or more presence. HT's were almost non-existent (used). I found a sweet deal on a HEIL PR-40, but chickened out at the last moment (yes, I'm regretting it already).

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I'm now fairly renewed from the trip and plan to start work on the video tonight. Yes...you read correctly: A NEW B-E-L-T-O-N VIDEO!!

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Woody

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"HAPPY EASTER"

PICTURE GRAPHICS - ROBINWOOD STUDIOS

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Happy Easter on this chilly (at least for my part of Texas) day! I believe our temperature is in the 37-38 degree range, and we've had wave after wave of rain (some steady, other just steady drizzle), but it hasn't helped the yard/swamp situation. Before Saturday I still had puddles on top of puddles from the previous week's rains, now they're expanding to what looks like a scaled size of the "Great Lakes". Speaking of Saturday - What a change! Friday was one of those rare, GREAT days with low humidity, a nice breeze from the North, and a nice Blue sky. I woke up Saturday to clouds, rain, and the mid-40's. It may seem like I'm making a big deal out of this, but the usual Easter around here involves A/C, shorts, and lots of heat and humidity.

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WOODY

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"TWISTED FINGERS"

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Yep, that's what you get if you spend a lot of time turning that VFO dial on the Yaesu FT-817. I'll be sprinkling some hints now and then regarding this wonderful all band, all mode QRP rig, but this one required immediate attention!
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Fortunately, it only cost $20 + shipping to fix the problem, and the video explains the rest...
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"THE OTHER SHOE HAS DROPPED"

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I had my suspicions about sinister motives when the FCC dropped the CW requirement, but I never, N-E-V-E-R would have imagined what is to come for the Citizens Band.
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From a post on the FCC website (recent news) I read that the FCC was going to add the CW requirement to CB licensees! My first thought was: "Who in the bloody Hell thinks up these proposals??"
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But then, logic set in....."Uncle Charlie" has been trying to kill 11meters almost since it's inception (and they created it), so what better way to do this than require that all CB users pass a CW test. Apparently they realize that they can't stop the tide of "10m radios" with am-fm-ssb and CW, so they thought "Why not put that to use?" and indeed they will. This will accomplish two goals:

1. Get rid of 11 meters
2. Increase Amateur Radio licenses (as they no longer have the CW requirement). Yes - the buck was passed to us.

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They are apparently mulling over standard license fee's again (back to the $20/license), and several other vague, foggy notions that they aren't willing to put to press as of yet. I'll be following this closely (you can too) to see exactly what will happen when the dust settles....well, anyways, may you all enjoy this first day of the fourth month of the year!!

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WOODY

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