San Antonio Hams

Folks,

Here is my “Rambling Ride Report” for the weekend [editor: Valero BikeMS Ride to the River on October 6-7th, 2018]. Please feel free to publish, conceal, distribute, fold, spindle, or mutilate as you see fit.

Yours,

Andy

KE5PWX

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10/08/2018

2018 MS Ride to the River: A Backseat Ham Reports.

Day 1: Saturday

At about 03:00 Saturday morning, I dragged my reluctant backside out of a nice warm bed, loaded some radio equipment, tools, and a few personal items into “Smart Car 42,” and set out for Rolling Oaks mall on the extreme Northeast side of San Antonio, Texas. If you asked me why, I’d have to say it’s complected. Sure, my company encourages me to do volunteer stuff. US Bank even matches cash donations to the organization at my hourly rate for events I participate in, but the biggest part is that my late father-in-law was a MS victim—a paraplegic confined to a wheelchair for half of his adult life—and that, and his daughter, my wife, was diagnosed with MS shortly after we were married 25 years ago. I’d like to say that those who participate in these events exemplify the indomitable spirits of my wife and her dad—accept, adapt, adjust, double-down, overcome—rinse, and repeat.

First thing Saturday, I discovered that while I know exactly where the mall is in the daytime, I have no idea where it is at 04:00 in the morning. Fortunately I was able to illustrate one of the many valid reasons for having a ham radio in your car. My dedicated GPS was not acting anything like ‘dedicated’, and it seemed like it would be more expedient to ask for directions than to fool with getting it on my phone; I posed my quandary to the good folks who happened to be monitoring the AARO repeater at that hour, and, Bob’s your uncle, I had the name and exit number about two minutes before I needed it.

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Here’s the edited version of the drone video on Day-1, Saturday, October 6, 2018. I used my DJI Mavic Pro drone to fly near the start line at Rolling Oaks Mall and later to track the riders and Turtle vehicles a short distance north on Nacogdoches Road as they rode past my launching point.

The 2018 Valero BikeMS Ride to the River 2-day bicycle ride started in San Antonio and ended up in New Braunfels, TX. #BIKEMS #MAVICPRO

The Medina Radio Club will have it’s monthly meeting this Thursday, October 11th, at 10am at the Medina United Methodist Church.

We will be working on teaching members how to program their radios so any help would be appreciated.

The Church is on the road next to the new Family Dollar store off of 16. We do have coffee and food.

While you are in downtown Medina you can visit our wonderful library and check out one of our 43 Amateur Radio related books.

Thanks

Peter K5HAB

Mike Falcon KD5OZM Silent Key Sept 17, 2018

RIP Mike Falcon, KD5OZM.

I just received a phone call from Andrew Watson saying that Mike had passed away.

Andrew Watson had given Mike a ride to the ARRO Ham Club meeting last week on Wednesday, then Mike reported becoming extremely ill the next day.

It is not believed that the two events were related.

Mike had been in great spirits during the meeting, saying how much better his vision had become after his eye surgery.

Mike is a former director and club president of the Alamo Area Radio Organization (AARO) and had been very active with club events in the past.

UPDATE 10/22 Services: Here’s the info on Mike’s funeral/memorial service.

St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church 1710 Clower Street SA, TX 78201

A lunch reception will follow in the church hall following services Oct 22, 2018 at 10 a.m.

DUE TO THE ACTIVATION OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS, in response to the expected incoming coastal weather patterns, their building became unavailable for this event. A new date will be selected and announced in the future.

New Date Selected – February 2, 2019

Greg N5XO

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The HAMster VHF/UHF Weak Signal Group presents our 4TH HAMster Lunch and Learn, plus swap meet. FREE admission. Friends and family are very welcome! You don’t need to be a ham to attend. Lots and lots of door prizes will be raffled off.

FREE EVENT! TECHNICAL TRAINING – SWAP MEET – VE TESTING – RAFFLE

FREE COFFEE, SODAS, WATER AND SPAGHETTI LUNCHEON

Saturday, September 22, 2018 @ 8:00 am

Location: American Red Cross, 3642 E Houston St, San Antonio TX 78219

(Please use the side entrance off of Houston Street, not the main entrance from parking lot.)

Please RSVP ASAP to Greg n5xo@144200.net for lunch, etc.

RAFFLE:

• FT-920 100 Watt HF/6 Meter Radio with Desk Microphone
• Yaesu HT, VX-5 with Desk Charger
• Lots of other door prizes!

SWAP MEET:

Indoor swap meet with table lease of $10 each. If you wish to lease a table, contact Patrick KG5OMX – hondopatrick@me.com or call/text 210-380-1220.

TRAINING:

Technical Training to make yourself more effective in VHF/UHF DXing, no matter your VHF/UHF interest. A more efficient station is just more fun!!

SCHEDULE:

07:15-08:00 Swap meet table setup

08:00 Sign in – Raffle Ticket Sales – Swap Meet

09:00 N5XO – Introduction to VHF/UHF Weak Signal & HAMster Group

09:30 N5XO – Is your Coax Charging you a TAX?

09:30 N7LRY– Quadrifilar Helix Antenna. A surprising performer

10:30 W5KTX – Station building, Grounding

10:30 N7LRY– Analyzer-Tools to get you that last db

11:00 LUNCH IS SERVED

12:00 noon SWAP MEET IS CLOSED DOWN

12:30 KC5ULU– How to build a 2 meter 4 element Quad for under $50

12:30 KA2ZGW– Traffic Handling-How to create a message and send it

13:00 AD5BR – Volunteer Examiner Test Session for New hams & Upgrades. $15 Test fee. Bring photo ID. Contact HAMTEST@GMAIL.COM for more info.

14:00 N5XO– Final Program & Raffle

For more information on the HAMsters go to: www.144200.net or our all new interactive web page: www.hamstergroup.ning.com

Greg N5XO

The annual Universal City Veterans Day Parade will be held on Saturday, November 3rd. Both Ham Radio and non-ham operators are needed to provide assistance to the UC Police Department. Our duties include moving barricades into place along the route (Pat Booker Rd) and start pointing cars to head south towards Randolph AFB if they insist on leaving. Our “job” is not to be confrontational, but to help drivers avoid being confronted by a uniformed police officer if they ignore our instructions. Lol

We meet up at the UCPD Office on Universal City Blvd at 9am for free donuts, coffee, juice and assignments of course. Around 10:10 we’ll be told over the radio to close off all side streets and parking lots. Barricades are prepositioned for this purpose.

If you are interested in helping out, please email Lee N5NTG at info@sanantoniohams.org for more info.

Jerry Barry/K5AXN passed away last night from numerous health issues. According to Carol, there will be no further arrangements. Carol said “We didn’t like going to funerals and didn’t want one for ourselves. Years ago we signed up for the Willed Body Program at the UT Health Science Center and want all our friends and family to take a moment to remember Jerry and laugh and smile.”

Carol Barry

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Personally I will miss seeing him at ham fests, his regular phone calls, and visits. He loved the old technology and used to hold an annual field day with classic equipment.

Best 73,

Gary H. Harmon, Jr. – K5JWK

I am very sorry to announce that fellow HAMster and long time Amateur Radio Operator Harry Jordan W5CRS passed away yesterday at 4:pm.

Harry has been hospitalized for little over a month after suffering a sever stroke and unfortunately did not recover from the results of the stroke which left him unable to speak, or open his eyes.

Harry will be remember for his sense of humor, and his high energy level and enthusiasm for Amateur Radio, even though he was in his 80’s he was still full of energy and excitement like a kid when it came to HAM Radio and was hard at work to build a high quality 2 meter SSB Station to take part in many of the HAMster activities, building a repeater and was hard at work building a 6 meter repeater.

Harry will be missed.

Please keep Harry and his family in your thoughts and prayers during this rough time.

Service Announcement for Silent Key Harry Jordan W5CRS.

Visitation will be Wednesday June 27th from 6-9pm, Funeral will be June 28th at 11:am.

Both will be at Mission Burial Park South, followed by as procession to Oakley Cemetery on Hardy Rd, then a reception to follow.

Greg N5XO

I am sad to announce that Royce Taylor KA5OHJ passed away on Friday, May 25, 2018 of Heart Failure. Voice had suffered multiple heart attacks in the past in had been suffering poor health for the past couple of years.

He and his wife Diane, just gone shopping and returned home. He collapsed as he entered the house. EMS was called, But they could not revive him. A private ceremony was held this past Saturday, on June 16th for family and close friends of the family only.

Discussion was held regarding a memorial service being held at a later date, but I have no information concerning it.