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Messages - k4bsc

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Ham Radio Chit Chat / Anderson Hamfest
« on: October 18, 2008, 10:03:01 PM »
I realize it is pretty far away from Rock Hill, but I enjoy driving to the various hamfests to see how they "work" especially in this day of high gas prices and mature audiences. We just had our Hamfest in Rock Hill and we were hammered by lack of gas availability, high prices and instability of the housing and banking system. We had half as many attendees as last year, but still sold over 200 tickets. Our vendors didn\'t do very well but did well enough to say they would be back next year.

Well back to the Anderson Hamfest. This is touted as the most "relaxed" hamfest and this is really the case. It was free to get in and to tailgate. The auction was fun although I didn\'t buy anything. There were about 6 or 7 tailgaters, Lakeview and the Wireman rounded out the dealers. The hot dog/burger stand was OK, but very basic. I understand it was a vendor and the club didn\'t get any proceeds. Oh, ya, there was the funnel cake vendor as well. I put in my $10 into the drawings for the gift certificates to help out the club raise their funds.

From what I saw, it was very successful in that it was relaxing, good friends were able to meet up and ragchew, the weather was a little cool but really comfortable. The setting was very beautiful and was worth the drive. And gas was around $2.69 a gallon. They have got us feeling that this is real CHEAP! That is subject for another discussion...

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Ham Radio Chit Chat / Ham Test Online - NOT!
« on: October 18, 2008, 09:45:34 PM »
You can\'t take a test online. It is illegal. We all know that from the technician questions pool.

Hamtestonline is a method to learn the material for the various tests. It is similar to talking the tests at QRZ but more on steroids. It actually gives you a lot of information on why the particular question is correct. It takes your through the theory and references you to other websites and resources so you can better learn the material the FCC and ARRL wants the student to know. So basically it is an online school for ham radio. I actually used this program to pass my technician in Sept 2006 at Shelby, NC Hamfest, General by March 2007 at Rock Hill, SC, and Extra on Sept 2007, again at Shelby, NC Hamfest. You buy a subscription for $49 that lasts for 2 years. This gives you 2 years to get your licenses and gives you plenty of time to study and practice taking the tests. Plus, it keeps track of questions you miss and provides customized tutorials to direct your learning on those area\'s that are the weakest.

I recommend http://www.hamtestonline.com for learning about ham radio and getting all three licenses.

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Oscar Satellite talk / Other Uses
« on: October 18, 2008, 09:26:36 PM »
If you don\'t need it, I have a friend up north that could use it. He could put it upright and he could use it to see how deep the snow is from his front window. Or it could be used on an island somewhere that doesn\'t have any trees on it for birds to rest on during the journey north or south. It could be used by small Samoan boys to lean against a palm tree to help them climb up to get coconuts; it could be used by the folks that have to paint the Golden Gate Bridge as a paint mixer; it could be used in a zoo for some small animals to climb up and down for exercise.  It could be used to measure lines for a parking lot. Different rungs could be used for different sized cars or for truck parking. That is all I can think of right now. Anybody else have some ideas how it could be used?

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Youth in Ham Radio / 9 Yr Old HAM in Rock Hill, SC
« on: October 17, 2008, 05:55:07 PM »
I taught my first classes for Technician class. Here is an article on my first student:

http://www.heraldonline.com/109/story/783482.html

-Brent Case - K4BSC

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