San Antonio Hams

About 20 hams gathered after hours at the KComm Ham Store to hear Lothar K5LEH demonstrate and explain Amateur Fast Scan and Slow Scan TV.   He started with a presentation on a projector screen, showed the equipment that he regularly uses to make this happen, then the group moved over to the radio side of the store to “go live” on the air and see if they could exchange photos with other hams.  Unfortunately, the bands were not cooperative with Lothar’s wishes, and so he got to explain what would have happened if someone had responded to what he was sending out on the air.

I made the short trek over to Martha’s Mexican Restaurant this evening to attend the monthly AARO ham club meeting.  I got there a bit early to eat, so that I could pay better attention to what was happening during the meeting.    About 3 dozen hams and family members were there tonight, including two brand new hams, one who had his ticket about a month, the other for only 2 weeks.

During the meeting, it was announced that the annual awards / Christmas banquet would be on Friday, December 4th, at Grady’s BBQ on Bandera Rd.  Attendance will be prepaid RSVP only, last minute guests will be referred to the normal customer menu rather than the provided buffet. This change was due to a problem last year where some folks RSVP’d but didn’t show, causing the club to have to pay for the difference.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Bexar Operators Group (W5BOG) is in the final stages of acquiring a 1994 Chevy Van/Bus for their use as a general communications and/or emergency communications vehicle. This 18 passenger bus will be converted into a go-anywhere communications van which will also be used for casual outings and “in the field” communications experiments. This “green” bus runs on propane. It will be fitted with complete VHF and HF  operating areas, propane stove, sleeping accommodations and “bathroom”. Special antennas will be used and a portable generator and solar panels will supply energy.    It is hoped to have the vehicle “up and ready” in a few weeks.

Never know who is going to stop by. In March, I had President Bush chatting with me. In May, I met all of the San Antonio Spurs and they gave me an autographed basketball. This Friday (07/24) some of the “Hooter’s Calendar Girls” stopped by my place of work and served the wounded warriors chicken wings and autographed calendars. All I got was this picture.

It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.

73 Bob W2IK

Used my emergency go-kit today to run net control for the Small Texan Triathlon up in Boerne, TX. 

I took the photo (on right) while standing on the back ramp of the race director’s trailer used for running net control during this event.  I’ll post a separate blog entry with my photos from today’s event.  We were on the air from 7am until about 12:30pm for the event that had 137 entries.  1480 meter swim, 45k bike ride, 10k run, certified course.  Temp only got up to the low 90’s by the time we shut down net control, but we also had a fine light breeze, enough to keep us cool inside the trailer, but not strong enough to bother the athletes.

Using this go-kit with the bigger external antenna wWas perhaps a bit “over-kill” in terms of my actual needs since the 2 meter repeater we used was full scale on an HT antenna, but as I told one of the other hams, the big antenna in the air and the rolling toolbox with radios looks more impressive to the (non-ham) event organizers or other spectators.  I was able to charge 2 of my HT batteries using the DC-AC 300w power converter just to do it.  Didn’t actually need the extra batteries or HT’s charged, but I wanted a real life test.

Read the rest of this entry »

KE5DFK (Carlos) and KE5HLS (Robert) under the Guadalupe Valley Amateur Radio Club call WB5LVI will operate from DL88 and DL89 August 21 thru August 26, 2009.

Bands:  6m 50.125 plus or minus 125Khz for the DL88 hunters.15m, 17m, 20m, 40m, 80m, 160m? SSB20m, 30m 40m PSK/RTTY. Two bands will be active at all times. Visitors welcome.

We will monitor the local 146.820 repeater with a 146.2 tone.   More info:  ke5hls@arrl.net or ke5dfk@yahoo.com   QSL:  SASE to the www.qrz.com address for WB5LVI

Information about the Bexar Operators Group, including what they have done and their planned events, can now be found at their new site: Bexar Operators Group – Home  

This club is an active amateur radio group and not a social club. Up coming events include participation in this year’s JOTA event which will focus on operating “green” with solar panels and wind turbines.

We also sponsor the annual “Jump Team Boot Camp”. All types of antenna testing and field operations are done in order to make members better operators in both contests and during emergency conditions.

This webpage also includes two links which will get you to W2IK’s old AOL webpages (45 of them) that were thought lost. Between the two you should find them all!

For further info, contact us through our new web page or at: W2IK@arrl.net

About 4 dozen hams showed up for the summer membership meeting of the San Antonio Repeater Organization tonight.  The venue was Martha’s Mexican Restaurant, on the corner of Huebner Road & Babcock Rd, on the NW side of San Antonio. 

Reports were made on the status of the various repeaters, what needed fixed and what needed upgraded.  Reports were made on a few past events, but the focus was more on what was coming up in the next few events regarding public service.   

A presentation was made by the La Vernia Wildwest Hammerfest bike ride to be held on September 19th, asking for SARO’s support.   They brought t-shirts from last year’s (canceled) event, to offer to those who would have worked it, had Hurricane Ike not caused a cancellation.

Heavy discussion held regarding the new requirement by the National MS needing volunteers to undergo a background check for criminal and drivers license records.  Most discussion focusing the the ability to do credit checks even though that type check wasn’t being paid for by the National MS.  The local BikeMS will be held October 3rd and 4th, running from San Antonio thru Seguin to New Braunfels, and back on day 2.  GVARC ham club has offered the use of their repeater system for this event, plus will try to get some ham volunteers to help work it.

At the July membership meeting of the Hill Country REACT Team held up in Bulverde, TX at the Bulverde VFD on Cougar Bend Rd & FM 1863, Wednesday night (07/22), the guest speaker was GVARC member Skip WB4DAD talking and demonstrating ways to learn CW and encouraging the members to give CW a try on the air.

You could tell by watching Skip, that he really enjoys his CW.   He demonstrated three different types of keyers, a couple of paddles and a straight key.

For more info about Hill Country REACT Team or their upcoming events, please visit their website at www.hillcountryreact.org or join their yahoo group “hillcountryreact”.