48 years ago, at this time of year, CB radio manufacturers were thrown into turmoil by the FCC’s decision to ban the sale of 23-channel transceivers.
The sudden shift came without prior consultation with industry leaders, leaving many manufacturers in the dark about how this would affect their existing products. While discussions had been circulating about the potential for a 40-channel CB spectrum, no one expected the FCC’s move to take place so quickly or so drastically.
What happened:
Without warning, the FCC expanded the CB radio spectrum by adding 17 new channels to the existing 23, creating a total of 40 channels. The decision caught the entire industry off guard, creating widespread chaos among manufacturers and consumers alike.
Why the furor?
For years leading up to the announcement, millions of 23-channel radios had been sold to consumers who relied on them for personal and business communication. These radios, once the pinnacle of CB technology, were suddenly outdated and rendered virtually obsolete by the FCC’s new mandate.
At the time, many companies had substantial inventory of the 23-channel radios—millions of dollars' worth—sitting in warehouses and stores across the world. These radios, which were now legally unsellable, left manufacturers facing serious financial losses and forced them to scramble for solutions.
What happened next:
It was a bloodbath. With the FCC’s cut-off for selling the 23-channel radios set for January 1, 1977, manufacturers found themselves in a race against time to redesign their radios. The shift from crystal-controlled frequency synthesis to PLL (Phase-Locked Loop) chips was a huge engineering challenge. To make matters worse, companies had to find ways to deal with the millions of unsold 23-channel radios that were now obsolete—putting them in a difficult financial position that would haunt the industry for years to come...
"The deadline was briefly extended, but the die had already been cast. Within approximately three years, industry leaders such as Pearce-Simpson, E.F. Johnson, Kraco, SBE, PACE, Royce, Regency, and several others withdrew from the CB radio market and ultimately ceased to exist."
For further context, please read the article below, published in January 1978, in the Birmingham news:
**A short extension was granted, but it couldn't save the industry - no one wanted to buy a 23 channel CB radio when 40ch. radios were selling along side them.
I'll leave you pondering over this glimpse of CB radio history. So, 'Nuff Said, and see you next time!
IS THE WASHINGTON ONE OF THE BEST RADIOS PAST OR PRESENT?
What a question indeed. Not in question though, is the price tag: the President Washington is one of the most expensive 10 meter radios on the market. Is it worth it to you? Let's take a look..
Easy on the eyes, this radio is one of the best looking radios on the market. At a quick glance, it's almost hard to tell it from the President George and George II, except for the bezel. Unlike the latter, the Washington's bezel is not shiny chrome, but more of a dull dark grey color that seems to fade into the color of its covers. I prefer this over the usual chrome bezel, which is typically a magnet for finger prints, smudges, and scratches.
I got one of the first Washington's available from Bells CB, which I consider to be a top quality retailer of two-way radio equipment and accessories. This radio was purchased by myself for this review**.
One thing about being a ham and CB radio operator is the large amount of equipment available for our use, the only limitation being the size of your wallet. While I've gone through more ham rigs than many hams do in a lifetime, it's a lot cheaper buying CB or 10 meter gear to use and review. The last year (from the Fall of 2023 to Fall of 2024) I'll have to admit that I didn't expect the number of new radios to reach the level that they did - but I sure had a lot of fun using them!
Let's start out with the usual stuff: Specs and other information you would get from the manufacturer themselves.
SPECIFICATIONS
Supply
:
13.8 V
AM
:
Y
FM
:
Y
SSB
:
Y
Channel selector
:
rotary
Volume
:
Volume adjustment and ON/OFF
Adjustable RF Power
:
Y
Squelch
:
Manual and auto squelch
ASC
:
Y
Display
:
LCD multifunction
Frequencies display
:
Y
S-meter
:
Digital
Public address
:
Y
Talkback
:
Y
Vox
:
Y
Automatic SWR meter
:
Y
Tone
:
Y
Filter ANL
:
Y
Filter NB
:
Y
Filter HI-CUT
:
Y
NRC
:
Y
Noise Gate
:
Y
RF-Gain
:
Y
Mike-Gain
:
Y
Clarifier
:
Y
Scan
:
Y
Scan + Scan Skip
:
Y
Memory Channels
:
4
Dimmer
:
Y
F / Menu function key
:
Y
Beep Function
:
Y
Roger beep
:
Y
Dual watch
:
Y
Key locking
:
Y
SWR (Power Reading /SWR)
:
Y
CTCSS
:
Y
DSC
:
Y
microphone plug
:
front (6 pins)
External Vox microphone jack
:
Y
External loudspeaker jack
:
Y
Size (W x D x H)
:
7.28 x 6.77 x 2.2 inches / 185 x 172 x 56 mm
Weight
:
~ 2.62 lbs / ~ 1.19 kg
TECHNICAL SPECS
General
Frequency ranges
:
28.000 MHz to 29.700 MHz / 24.890 MHz to 24.990 MHz
Antenna impedance
:
50 ohms
Power supply
:
13.8 V
Size (W x D x H)
:
7.28 x 6.77 x 2.2 inches / 185 x 172 x 56 mm
Weight
:
~ 2.62 lbs / ~ 1.19 kg
Accessories supplied
:
power cord with fuse, 1 microphone and its hanger, 1 mounting bracket with fixing screws
Whenever you're considering the purchase of a new transceiver it's often good practice to read reviews, view YouTube reviews, and download the manual to get an idea of what you're getting into -
As well, compare the features as well as the price. How much radio do you want, and how much space do you have to put it?
While this transceiver has a large footprint (size of case, including controls and heat sink), it still slightly smaller than Radioddity's QT60 PRO, but much larger than the closest competition (in wattage), the QT80 or AnyTone 6666 PRO.
The display is very important as well, especially when you're operating mobile. I found the display used in Washington (and other of their new "Breed") to be fantastic. It didn't matter where the radio was positioned in my SUV, and I even held it out the window, aimed directly at the hot Texas sun, and display readability was never an issue. This was not tried in every color the display offered, and I used it in my preferred color of choice: CYAN. When pointed towards the sun, the display changed to grayscale (i.e. - graduated shades of black & white), very much like Midland's 79-290.
Looking at the image above, you have a row of buttons below the display that are generally useful to you, and not something you'd want to go into a menu while driving, to access:
MODE
MEM (memory channels)
SCAN (scan for frequencies with traffic on them)
ANL/NB (automatic noise limiter and noise blanker)
EMG (takes you to channel 9 or 19, but ch.9 is useless if you need help)
BAND (like just about any radio like this, frequencies are set in block of 40 channels. You'll change bands to be able to cover the complete range of 10 meters).
Above each of these buttons are the main secondary functions you can access:
Memory 1
M2
M2 and/or DUAL WATCH
M4 and/or HI-CUT
RF GAIN and/or MIC GAIN
On the right side of the display you have a column of 4 buttons:
TB (Talkback)
RX/TX NRC (setting the DSP noise reduction to receive only, transmit only, or receive and transmit. Each selection will illuminate in a different color, so you can quickly determine which noise reduction setting you're using.
NRC (Noise Reduction Circuit). Press this to change the setting, or strength of the noise reduction. You'll find that, the higher you go, not only will the noise reduction increase, but the audio quality of the received station will decrease, by sounding quite watery.
VOX (Voice activated transmit). This allows you to transmit without pressing a PTT switch, in hopes you won't be further distracted while driving. President has released several microphone to help you use VOX, while maintaining quality transmit audio - one of those being a small Bluetooth microphone, eliminating a microphone cord altogether.
Inside the radio (i.e. the function/menu settings you'll find this radio quite customizable, with one function relatively new to transceivers: Relay Mode. You can actually set the radio up to act as a repeater. If you're not yet familiar with what a repeater does, it pretty simple - Setup a receive frequency, along with an offset (+ or -), use your up/down buttons on the mike to choose what your offset will be, and you're done.
This works ONLY if you're in the FM mode and have set a have set a CTCSS/DCS code, which is mandatory for the receive end (you generally wouldn't want just any old signal to activate the relay (repeater) which is why it's mandatory, and any station trying to get a message through the relay would have to have their radios set to use the same code as your receiver - if they don't, then nothing will happen. As well, a station activating the relay should have split channel capabilities, because the signal will be relayed (repeated) on a different frequency.
I haven't gone in-depth into setting up the Relay, but whenever (or if ever) I do, I'll provide an update on this page. Suffice to know that it's there for you to setup, if you have a use for it. You'll find information about the Relay feature beginning on page 17, and finishing on page 18 of the manual.
The hand microphone you get with the radio is the usual President stock mic. It's lightweight, but delivers decent audio. As an alternative, President sells their "Digimike" for use on this and other 6-pin President radios. The usual retail price is under $50, and President has run promotions where if you buy the Washington, you get a FREE Digimike to go with it, and I really like this mic a LOT (I have one on my McKinley, and George FCC as well).
So you've looked at the specs, downloaded the manual, and now you want to know how well does it work. Rest easy my friends, this is a great radio to own and operate. I have a variety of radios to use in the shack, but the one that everyone seems to like best, is the Washington paired
with a Digimike. Power output on the box and in the specs say 70w output, but that wattage can vary slightly, and some folks are reportedly getting very close to 80w output on their radios. It's of little matter though, because no one could tell the difference on their end, if you were at 70 watts or 80.
The only gripe I have about this radio has to do with the size of the frequency display. Compared to the channel number it's awful small, and a tad hard to see while trucking down the highway, at least for my eyesight. I'd have to take my eyes off the road in front of me to know exactly where I was at on 10 meters. For those out there who don't have a ham license and plan to do the 11m modification for the CB channels, this wouldn't be much of an issue. As well, if operating this as your base station, the small size of the frequency display would not be an issue either.
In a nutshell, this transceiver (IMHO) is one of the best radios President has made in many years. The radio is not a rebranded AnyTone, or any other brand radio - it's a President! If you have the extra pocket money and are in the market for something new, then this radio is for you. And if your looking for a shop to buy it from, there are several to choose from, and I recommend Bells CB Radio shop. They've been around for quite awhile and happen to be my pick as 2024's "DEALER OF THE YEAR" (more on that in my next Blog post).
The President Washington has so many features, it's hard to cover them all in one review, and as I'm oft to do, I've included some YouTube videos about the Washington, from some of the guys I trust to get my info from:
390 WAGON MASTER
CBRADIOMAGAZINE
NLK MEDIA
If my view/review along with the 3 YouTube videos above don't answer your questions, I'm not sure what will. But, there are other Washington "First Looks" and "Reviews" to be found on YouTube if you do a search, and the more views & reviews you can find, the better informed you'll be.
If all you want is a quick fix pathway to 10m until you upgrade to a General or Extra class amateur radio license, and buy an all band HF rig, there are a few 10 meter radios that, when on sale, are almost half of what the Washington sells for, and they will get you where you want to be. For someone who plans on using this regardless as a long term 10m radio, it's a good choice (and if you QRP, dial it down to 1 watt).
P.S. - I got on the radio yesterday and was talking to a friend in the next town when he asked me what radio I was using. It was a Yaesu. He said my audio and signal was good, but a bit subdued. I switched to my QT-60PRO and he said my audio was different (but still subdued) and the signal had dropped. I noticed that I wasn't putting out a lot of watts, according to my PEP watt meter, so he asked me if the Washington was available (Jim likes the sound of this radio). It was, and when I switched the selector to the Washington, and began to talk, I noticed an immediate jump on the PEP meter, and Jim (once again) told me it was the best sounding radio I own.
We haven't had enough time on the air, due to the Holidays, to try the Washington on its stock microphone, and compare it to the DigiMike, but suffice to say that, the DigiMike and President Washington is a butt kicking combination for anyone's base or mobile station.
Being the last review of 2024, I'd like to wish you all a "Happy New Year", as well as "See ya in 2025..."
Well, After several months, 4 photo software programs, and a lot of diligent dust/scratch/spot replacements I'm finished with the small image of my shack, and it's never looked so good.
I had taken 4, perhaps 5 different shots with my equipment changes and set next to each other (like the usual shot I show from a 35mm film strip in the upper left corner on each post). The one I picked to work on had my two favorite base stations: 1. E.F. Johnson 124 AM, and 2. Midland 13-880B AM/SSB.
The Johnson had excellent adjacent channel rejection, while the Midland sucked at that, but it did give me my first taste of SSB at a low price. Why Johnson didn't come out with an AM/SSB base was, and still is, beyond me. They were bullish enough to offer a 2ch Sideband only mobile in the early 60's, followed by 3 23ch am/ssb mobiles (I bought the E.F.J. 352D), followed by 2 40ch mobiles: the 4730 with the old style mechanical type channel selector, which made it hard to figure out what channel you were on, with 40 little numbers crammed on the dial, and not long after, the 4740 which had a 2-digit readout (in red lit numbers).
The more I think about it, the more I wonder why they didn't do (at the least) a 40ch base station. After all, a base radio was the mobile PCB put in a big box, along with a power supply, and perhaps a clock and a couple large meters.
I'm well behind in reviews, thanks to health issues, but since I finished the my adjustments to the photo I figured I'd put it up on here today, before the new President Washington arrives, and absorbs any and all free time.
So, here's to 1970-1971, and my current shack at that time!
At that time I still had my RS TRC-100 5w/6ch walkie-talkie and TRC-101 23ch walkie-talkie. I think I'd taken my Antenna Specialist Super Magnum antenna off the pole and put an Avanti Astro-Plane in its place. Apparently I hadn't purchased a Turner Super Sidekick at the time this photo was taken either.
73, enjoy the photo, and the year!
Woody
Saturday, June 06, 2009
"NO SUNSPOTS, RECESSION.... TIME TO BUY"
-
Sunspots are down, the economy is down, and you know what that means - Used radio prices are down. For those of you who can, or who are smart enough and can, it's best to hang onto those pieces because from what I've seen there seems to be no bottom to the used rig arena. For those who can afford it, this is a great time to buy!! A year and a half ago you couldn't find a Kenwood TS-850sat WITH filters for under $900-$1000.Today you have a hard time finding a buyer at $675. And the Ts-850 is one of the best NON-Digital, NON-Menu'd Rigs around. No...you won't find DSP, but you don't need DSP with this great performer, and there are many other bargains out there. -
"AND THEN....THERE IS THE TS-570..."
It bothers me when I see several of one type radio (of recent vintage) come up for auction. This past week I've see at least a half dozen 570's pop up on EBay. Is there a secret self-destruct code that I don't know about? The prices are good, but Woody sez"HOLD" on that stock. Sure, if we had unlimited financing at Robinwood Productions, we'd do a demographic study to determine if more 570 owners were laid off than other particular model number rig-runners; but alas...we don't. Any 570 owners out there having problems?
"RECESSION PROOF RIGS"
I think you know what I'm going to say here: Yaesu FT-101 series Transceivers. These wonderful beasts seem to maintain their value no matter what the economy is doing. Prices remain firm in the $250-$400 range. Unless you really find the one you want, you might be better off buying something else that will jump up in value when the tough times let up (and then make a profit). Of course, if you've read anything I've written in the last 15 or so years about the 101, you know it holds a nice memory (several actually) in that shack in my heart. And if a giant EMP hits the world, well, they'll make a much better defense weapon than an FT-100/D as you drop them from the walls of your well stocked fortress onto the wall climbing Zombies below.
Regarding EMP's: There is nothing like having an 'ol "Hot Water 101" in the closet for the unexpected (with a good supply of replacement tubes).
"DAYTON SALE PRICES"
GigaParts, an online retailer of computers and ham gear had some FANTASTIC (if not varied) pricing during the Dayton Hamfest. I checked in each day to see prices jump up and down like a freakin sine-wave. I may have missed a few low points, but I saw:
TS-480SAT's (100w) for less than $900, and HX's under $1k
FT-857D's at-or-around $630 (with remote kit)
FT-897D's under $700
FT-817ND's around $500
It was really crazy. The actual week of the 'fest the prices were a tad higher, and kept climbing up to where they are today (now cheaper at HRO due to free shipping). I wonder how many of you bought some, just to resell later? I would have if I could have....
"CLASSIC CB'S"
Prices are waay down here folks. If I had control of my collection I'd hang onto them until things improved (but as you know, I don't). Even my old General MC-11a which fetched around $250 was well below it's value. Whoever got that - got a DEAL (ed. - and with all that was sold, the "ex" will REALLY have to work!! That's a lot of stuff to get out and shipped). Basically, if you have the $$$, it's a good time to buy the real collectible rigs. When things improve, they'll rebound, and in time - increase.
I still had to come up with the dough to pay for the labor on replacing that stupid battery cable in "Moby Dick" (the new S.O.W. - Ford Explorer), and after getting most of my pre-marriage film camera gear, sold a bunch to put towards some repairs (ed.- Yeah....I know Fix-Or-Repair-Daily).
"ME AND ALICE"
As promised, here's the picture of Alice Cooper and me. This picture is VERY ironic because I was sicker than I've ever been (couldn't even talk) and he was glib and very funny. Somehow the picture doesn't appear that way....
Well, I've wasted enough of your EBaying time with a mixture of topics. Hope you enjoyed it, and can pick up on some good deals!!
'Nuff Said
Woody
-
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
WHAT CB SOUNDS LIKE IN JAPAN...
-
-
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
"IT'S ALL ABOUT ACCESSORIES"
-
Accessories, accessories, oh how thy break me...
-
Let's start with the lesser of 2 evils: CB. So you buy a CB and bring it home, having spent almost all of your hard earned money on the best rig you could find (ed. - well I suppose if THAT were true, you would have bought a pre-90's rig off ebay..'nuff said) and then your remember the accessories: coax, pushup pole, antenna. So you borrow some money and you're on the air! And then you find out you should have an swr/watt meter, and a after market microphone..... Yes, accessories can eat into your funds.
-
The HAM operator has it tougher in every category. He orders an HF rig, without any extras because his XYL said so, but he knows that between Christmas, Birthdays, and Fathers day, he can nickel'n dime his way up to CW and SSB filters, and Autotuner, and more.
-
I'll use the Yaesu FT-897D as an example
=
So, our happy Ham has owned his 897D over a period of a couple years now and acquired the matching auto-tuner, both the SSB and CW filters, internal batteries and the charger, and a nice impressive desk microphone (and if it's impressive it must be HEIL right??). But now our friend has the hots for a different rig, and wants to sell it.
-
We all know what that's like.....ceaseless browsing on the Internet, dog-eared pages of QST and the AES Catalog -What should he do?? The rig he wants cost much more than the 897D sells for, and he's short on funds...but, he has all of these accessories so he figures that he can sell his 897D rig for at least $1000 because he spent over $1300 when you add all the extras in....what a bargain for the next owner!!
-
Unfortunately he is about to learn a hard lesson of hamdom: It usually doesn't matter what accessories are lumped into the sale because the buyer is most likely looking for a used 897D at a good price, he is short of funds, and plans to add accessories piece-by-piece in an unassuming way so as not to alert the XYL(ed. - just like you did).
-
The moral of the story: Either take a beating on the package deal, or sell everything separately.
Many thanks to Peter Kendall for donating a pair of E.F. Johnson Walkie-Talkies to my W.T. Collection!! I've always been a fan of handheld transceivers so this was an especially welcome addition to my WT array! One of the days, I'll have to round them all up (yes, they're just like stray cattle that have wandered here'n there) for a photo shoot - Tnx Peter!
-
FROM THE "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING" DEPT.
-
EBAY AUCTION: Midland 13-885 Buy-It-Now: $795
-
REVIEW UPDATE
-
As promised, I'm following up on the "Finger Dimple" I ordered earlier this year for my Kenwood TS-850 tuning knob. For those who missed it, the Finger Dimple is a stick-on device that allows you to spin-the-dial on the VFO with one finger, when that dial does not have factory "dimple". Now to the update:I'm always a bit leery of stick-on devices living in the moist, humid Southern Texas area because you have to keep re-sticking whatever you're sticking, back on. I'm happy to report that the "Finger Dimple" is still "Stuck" like it was a factory install, and believe me when I say I've given it an ample workout. My Red Sox cap is tipped to the inventor for making a quality product that does what it says it will do, at a decent price!
-
Hey, what do you know - I've wasted some more browsing time (look out, the boss is behind you) and with no pictures! See ya on the next posting -
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.
-
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.
-
-
WOODY
-
"THE ULTIMATE MOBILE SETUP"
-
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.
-
Woody
-
Sunday, April 15, 2007
"BACK FROM BELTON..."
-
"...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!"
- 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! - 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. - 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:
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.
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?
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.
-
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!
-
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.
-
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 17thhamfest he'd been to since the first of the year.
-
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!
-
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).
-
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!!
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.
