Greetings!

I'm combining May and June because we're sooooooo far behind in the column. Today is May 21st and this week has been fantastic for DX thanks to some wonderful sunspots! I've lost a lot of sleep because of those suckers.....staying up until the band dies down (about 1-2a.m.) and then getting up at 4am for work. Last night was the BEST. I managed to stay up until 2, and when I turned the rig on at 7 this morning, it was still going strong, with the same folks on-the-air that I heard the night before....

Switching subjects - What is the DEAL (yes, I'm still ranting) with truckers (especially mexican/cuban) using channels 37-40?? I tell ya, it's really pissing me off with their lack of regard for the "Genteman's Agreement". I don't know how many times I've tried to get a word in to let them know they are interfering with sideband communications, but (at least with the mexican/cuban drivers) you almost CAN'T get a word in edge wise, sideways, or anyother way. And the S-H-O-U-T-I-N-G, Geez, I thought it might be just too noisy in the truck cab until the other day. I was filling up the gas tank in my car, when I heard a hispanic guy, FOUR bays away, shouting into his cell phone exactly the same way I hear them on AM. Go figure. If I knew enough spanish, I could walk 40 or 50 feet away and still understand anything he was saying. Why can't they use the lower channels? Why can't the STUPID FCC (ed. - BPL, I rest my case) make a rule change that sez - "Channels 35-40 are for SSB only"? And now that I've mentioned BPL....what-the-hell??? Didn't they learn from their mistake in placing Class D Citizens Band on 11meters?

Now they have allotted 3-30MHz for BPL....

"Oh, the interference will only be about a 1/2 mile or so"

Freaking fine and dandy until a whole city is BPL'd, and then what do you think will happen when the next Sun Spot cycle cranks up? 3-30MHz will be full of BPL BEACONS. Sometimes I think, if they (feds) took their brains out of their wallets and put it where it should be, they would see the light of day. And this is why, my friends, you should all strive to become Amateur Radio Operators, join ARRL, and create a Lobby that can equal the NRA's power in Washington.

Sure, you can sit on your arse, reading my rant and blow it off, thinking "There's no BPL in my area", but if no one stands up to stop them, there will be. Remember - the folks in Washington work for US, you and I. GET YOUR HAM LICENSE, JOIN ARRL, SO THEY WILL HAVE THE MONEY TO FIGHT IT OUT IN WASHINGTON.

(ed. - And I still think, IF the ARRL had any sense, they'd find a way to include CBer's and SWL's into the "Club", because it's going to take $$$ to fight $$$. -Nuff said)

Now I know, you're going to say "Woody (pause) you already have an Ebay Seller ad bashing section", and I know it, but I just can't help myself. I was just checking out some of the recent auctions and....there they were, those words that say two things: 1. We're not all newbie/truckers and 2. Just because someone else has these words in their ad, doesn't mean you have to lower yourself to their level....and those words are????

If you are someone who is going to post some CB's you bought at a yard sale and want some advice, here it is - The process above has almost NO affect on how the radio will work, unless it's been un-tuned by the golden screwdriver! If the radio is tuned from 3.5 watts to 4 watts it won't make a rat's ass difference on the other end. And personally, unless it's a rig I really want (bad), I'll pass on any auction that says that. -Nuff Said

 Rumors have abounded about some new Cobra radios and here is a spec sheet for one of them. Of course, release dates have changed as they often do for new products, and you can only shudder when you see words like "10 Meter Amateur Radio". If you've read my columns long enough, you know I haven't been a big Cobra fan for many years, due to their quality control issues. I suspect that this one will be made in China, like many others, where there doesn't seem to be a word (or words) in Chinese for "Quality Control". Someday I would hope that they put out electronics that equal those made in Japan, but I'm not holding my breath.

Secondly, because it falls into the 10 Meter Amateur Radio category, it will be easily modifiable for 11m, thus creating a can 'O worms as far as Uncle Charlie, Distributors, and Retailers are concerned. The cosmetics seem pleasing, but one day I'd like to see some manufacturer drop the Channel number, and just go with the frequency display, but it's sure nice to see an analog meter. No matter how well they design them, digital meters with the "bars", just don't do it for me. Now if any distributor would like to send me one, I'd be happy to run it through the mill, and do a decent review on it.

Okay, here are some Ebay auctions I found interesting for a different reasons.

NUMBER ONE: Seems like a normal auction, for a Robyn SSB mobile as the first picture indicates.

I ran across this ad and as I was reading about the rig, I was thinking "This sure sounds familiar"

Now go to my review of the radio and compare - radioreview Granted, he does mention - "Here's what the internet says", but if you are looking for a rig and there's a lot to read, it CAN slip by you. All my stuff is copyrighted, but if someone asks me if they can use a picture or a review in their auction, I normallly don't have a problem with it. With pictures I request credit, and with reviews, I prefer they create a link rather than making it seem like they wrote it.

 There is logic to my title above just as there are arguments Pro and Con about Morse Code: Should it be dropped or should it not. IMHO, as a requirement to HF access, especially in these digital days, I believe it shouldn't be a requirement. I know a lot of fellows who learned 5wpm back in the 80's, and then forgot it. What's the point in having someone do something they may not have an interest in, just to get HF access?? Sure, I've heard it, you've heard it - "W'all, all I know is that I HAD to do 13WPM and any one else should have to do the same thing".

I'd rather see more theory, including the basics of electricity and electronics, as this would definitely help the new breed of hams, who probably didn't have a course in basic electricity or electronics in High School like I did. So many high school graduates can run rings around me when it comes to "ring tones" and "Text Messaging" with their cell phones, but many don't know what a volt/ohm meter is, or what it can be used for. Much like a youngster who doesn't know what they would do withou a cell phone, I would not feel complete without my volt/ohm meter. Someone who knows the theory, as opposed to someone who memorizes the theory, will make a better Amateur Radio Operator.

I am not saying lets get rid of Morse Code - some of my best QSO's have been while using CW. I think more elementary school age children should be exposed to Morse Code, because they can pick up the code better when they are young, and it may come in handy someday (or as I found, they may decide they have a good fist, and choose to continue using CW after getting their ham ticket.) Just think of all the thumbs that will be saved from worn out thumb joints and years of text messaging.....

I'm sure you've seen, or at least heard about the video circulating with 2 ham ops vs. two young txt message pro's on the Jay Leno show. If you haven't, you can find the link here:

After much anticipation, the designated hour arrived. Sledge dropped off the amp, and each of us "checked in" on the channel while the Due Sender patched together the rado, antenna, and the massive AMP (One of those BIG tube amps like a D&A). As you know (from previous Due Sender stories) he likes to operate VOX, and this occasion was no different. Step-by-step, he informed us of each move he made, while I sat by half listening to him and half listening to a new "Hit" by "Paul Revere and the Raiders" on my mono-FM receiver....

"Okay thar boys" the Due Sender said, "glue yer eyes to yer S-meter so you can see what my signal is when I'm barefoot"

Paul Revere was quickly turned off and each of us took turns telling him that our eyes were on the meter.

"TESTING ONE-TWO-THREE", he said (very officially), (I don't think "AUDIO-AHHH-DEE-O" ) had been invented by then. Glancing at my meter I saw the Sender's usual "6" on my meter and as this was an official event, I wrote it down on a piece of paper.

"Okay", he continued, "I'm going to turn this amp on and key up so you all can see the difference".

At this point the Due Sender put the key-lock on his microphone so that we could hear ever little sound. First, we heard a "THUNK" as he powered it up, next we heard his mom from downstairs hollering up to him -

"What are you doing?" she shouted "All of the lights are dimming"

The Due Sender, ignoring his mother (aka - the "Drill Sargent") said "Get ready guys, I'm going to flip the switch"

All of our eyes were on our meters....waiting. Suddenly, his signal "6" jumped up to "20", and I don't know about the others, but I know that my jaw dropped! He un-keyed his microphone so that he could get signal reports, but even a "20" didn't seem to make him happy.

"I'm going to check the tubes and try tuning it better", he exclaimed. The amp had a few screws holding the guts, but all you had to do was take out the screws and the whole thing would slide out from the case. It didn't take long before he was back on the air.

"Okay, check your meters now"

I did, and was astounded!! He was now pegging my meter.....it was F A N T A S T I C.......and this is where the story goes bad. Still keyed up, we could hear him talking to himself and it seemed like there wasn't enough room on his desk for his microphone anymore and he was going to re-arrange his radio/amp location. As we heard later, the first squeal we heard was his base station, next he attempted to move the amp, which was quite a bit heavier than his radio. We were all straining to hear his words at this point (he was known to mumble quite a bit). It went something like:

"Dang it......this things too heavy"

followed by a dragging sound

"Hmmm, meybe if I tilt it forward it won't be so heavy, because I'm not lifting it"

Silence, then a few sounds like he was making room on the desk so he could tilt it and scoot it either right or left. What happened next, probably only took up all of 30 seconds, but it sounded a lot longer at the time. When the Due Send tilted the amp the whole chassis started to slide forward, out of the case. Because it was Sledge's amp, and Sledge was older and bigger than the Due, he couldn't let it crash to the floor, so without thinking he grabbed the underside of the amp with his hands to try and stop the slide. Unfortunetely, he grabbed onto the big high voltage cap's and "became one" with the high voltage. Of course, we didn't know what was happening, we could only hear a great WAIL of a sound and several thumps. What we didn't see was the Due Sender's body being thrown across the room in one direction, while the amp chassis flew across the room in the opposite direction.

Fortunetely, both the Due Sender and the amp survived, (although he complained about tingling fingers for many months after that, while the amp never complained), and WE ALL learned a good lesson - if you're going to make a fool of yourself, don't do it while you're ON-THE-AIR!!