Lunch with VVARA members

Each week various members of the VVARA get together for a lunch.  Locations vary.  Today it was the Gold Dragon, a long-time Cottonwood eatery.  The members in attendance all know each other.  They were most welcoming to me and made me feel right at home.  I appreciated that so much.  Many of them have been licensed Amateur radio Operators for many years.  Some are relatively new but I'm only a week out of the FCC womb of call signs.  So, it sure was nice of them to be so gracious and exhibit such hospitality.  Capt. Bob (KØCKE-our first follower of this blog) was very enthusiastic about helping me learn Echo Link.  He invited me over to his place in the next couple of days to learn how to use this intriguing and versatile computer-to-HAM functionality.  I am very excited about Echo Link and look forward to being mentored in its operation.  (THANKS, Capt. Bob!). KØCKE's XYL, Aiesha W. (KF7IAJ) has recently turned to electronic published to release her book "Mystical Vapors."  It's great to meet people who are willing to use the latest and greatest in the world of publishing.  Electronic books are going to overturn the staid old world applecart of hard copy publishers!  We introduced ourself to everyone there and passed out some homegrown business cards we made at Office Max moments before the lunch began. Several of the attendees invited me to participate in the VVARA's 7 am Net each day.  I've been listening in each day but haven't had the gumption to sign on and say hello.  Maybe we will give it a try soon.  Thanks for inviting me to a great lunch!  73, jp

The IC V8

An icy V-8 sounds like a cold tomato juice drink.  In this case, however, an IC-V8 is a hand held 2-meter transceiver made by Icom.  Dear Friend, Neighbor and Ham Elmer, Gary W.(N7NUU) swapped out the Yaesu for this IC-V8 yesterday afternoon.  The Yaesu could receive but not transmit and it's keys were balky, too.  Both of us are "new" to this radio so we spent about 90 minutes fiddling with the various memory programming functions and so forth.  Icom's 80-page manual isn't the clearest of manuals.  (Click here to access the manual from our Google Doc's account.)  We will order the aftermarket "quick start guide" today.  Gary says those little laminated, pocket-size "cheat sheets" make a world of difference.

After we finally programmed in the VVARA 147.22 Mingus repeater and it's corresponding PL tone, Gary called up Jack C. (W7JLC) in Prescott.  (The Mingus repeater is a little over 20 miles line-of-sight from our location.) Jack pointed me in the right direction March 15 when I called around looking to find the soonest Technician exam.  Jack was very encouraging and gave me some tips on where to begin to study for the exam.  It was only fitting that he would be our first call with the "new" IC-V8.  We used the The MFJ Long Ranger 2-meter half wave antenna for the call and Jack said our transmissions sounded really good.  Gary and I then used 145.50 to talk on simplex with each other.  I still need a lot of "Elmering" before we even think of using the HT all by ourselves.

We spent a couple of hours yesterday messing with this website.  Each person we asked permission to use their material sent a nice email graciously giving us the green light to use their online resources.  We started a "Kudos" page here on the blog to thank everyone who is helping us.  The Kudos page needs some more work but it's a start.  We submitted  the online paperwork to join the VVARA and were happy to note a blog comment here from Capt. Bob (KØCKE) this morning.  Thanks, Bob!

Meanwhile, we shipped off the IC-V8 manual to Office Max so it can be printed.  Hopefully, we will pick it up today.  I can easily see one thing I will want and need to learn is how to use cloning software to interface this computer with the HT.  We will need to program a lot of repeaters in the areas we travel in five states: Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.  There's no way I want to think of inputting all those frequencies by hand!

We are looking forward to our very first visit to the Ham Radio Outlet store in Phoenix next Tuesday.  I'm sure my wife will want to zip tie my hands behind my back while I am shopping in there.  Hopefully, I will be able to exercise some discipline and keep the expenditures relatively low.

Well, that's about it for yesterday.  Many Cheers & 73's. jp

First HT

Dear Friend & Neighbor Gary W. (N7NUU) loaned me a Yaesu FT-23R.  I found the operating manual online.  (Click here to access it.)  Ironically, the day I rec'd my call sign, I also rec'd my first HAM equipment purchase in the mail.  It's a MJF-1714 2-meter antenna called the "Long Ranger."  I have yet to make my first transmission on the Yaesu (or any other radio, for that matter).  My wife and I served for many years as USDA Forest Service volunteers.  We logged over 4,000 total official hours each from 2001-2007.  From 2004-2007, we served at the remote Bowery Guard Station on Idaho's East Fork of the Salmon River.  We were issued a Forest Service handheld radio and taught to use it very sparingly.  As a result of using that USFS radio, we have been ingrained to only use the radio when we have a very specific need and purpose for using it.  Consequently, I have a built-in reticence to use this Yaesu until I am thoroughly conversant in its operation AND have a specific reason for wanting to key the PTT button.  At this point, I really don't feel at all comfortable using the Yaesu since I don't know HAM etiquette yet. Hopefully, that will change soon.