Computer knowledge

How many operating systems and programs have you needed to learn over the years? I think I started with DOS 5 and went thru Windows 3.1 to the present day Windows 7. I stopped trying to learn them inside and out at about Windows 98. It was getting harder to be competant with every new release.
Recently I needed to print a screen shot of a program and when I did the "shift-print screen" or even right clicked-- nothing I could see was happening. Now maybe I'm just dreaming but I thought in earlier version somewhere, a print screen would start just that! Nope no printing. At work i happened to ask one of the"young" guys who smiled and explained i needed to open a program like "paint" and control-v and it would show up there. I could then manipulate to My heart's content!
I emailed this information to My girls, their 12 years old, I thought it would interest them. When I arrived home they rolled their eyes and said they had been doing that for years and sent ME a link showing a different but equally easy way of "screen printing". Yes,My kids are now smarter than Me computerwise!
73--Tim

Maybe its trying to tell Me something!

Ok, so I really thought I was prepared and had a good working setup for the CQWW Rtty contest. I was excited to be using My new Yaesu Ft-950 and had made several contacts and figured I was good to go. I use AFSK for RTTY and have a simple homemade isolated interface I use for PSK31,SSTV and RTTY. It has level control for both Transmit and Receive, red LED to indicate PTT activated and its connected to an old computer switchbox so its easily used with different radios. My second radio is a Yaesu FT-857 and both also have a CAT interface to My shack PC.
Friday night at Our house is family movie night and I very seldom miss participating. I always think about when the girls are bigger and won't enjoy spending time with Us....so We watched part one of"Dances with Wolves" before I had a chance for the contest.
I use MMTTY and N1MM and the first time I tried RTTY contesting it took quite a bit to get it working. Setting up N1MM first , use the"configure" menu setting soundcard type, mode to AFSK and make sure the path leads to MMTY.exe.You also need to set com port for your type radio and lastly use "setup MMTTY" to set TX com port for sending. Notice two com ports, Com one is to My homemade interface for PTT and com two is the CAT interface hence the radio type attached to com two.
Open N1MM , setup contest and MMTTY and the"RTTY engine" should be brought up also, if not go to "window" menu in N1MM and click "digital interface". You should see static on the waterfall and tuning around,espcially during a contest, see RTTY signals and hear the "diddle" sound.
So that is a very basic explanation for the setup, using My Ft-950 I started to make S & P QSO's and was off to a good start. Ten contacts later, after snagging P49X- smile,smile, the contacts abruply stopped. No matter what I tried, DX,North America, anyone,anywhere, I was decoding OK but getting no replies. At first i didn't realize something was wrong,but as more time went by and the dry spell increased it slowly dawned on Me-- what the hey??. ...Restart the Program,restart the PC, turn off and on radio. Play with the interface, try everything besides switching radios, until i finally gave up for the night. Maybe tomorrow the light bulb would pop on in My head!!
Next day... .well the weather was wayyy too nice to spend time contesting. I started and finished many projects till supper. After that I was too tired to even fight with a non working setup, maybe Sunday!
OK-repeat of the day before with the weather,the work, until finally several hours before contest end I made it back to the basement,determined to rack up some points. A quick assessment of the situation steared Me towards the old standby FT-857. Fairly simple to get it ready, except now the CAT control was only partially working! Oh well, at least contacts were being made, I stayed focused on 20m for a single band attempt, but in hindsight I should have tried for as many multipliers as possible!
I did quit before the contest end for Supper and a beer! Today I tried to find information on problems with the Ft-950 and RTTY but found no definitive answers. I think I need to copy all the changes in the menus from default and do a master reset. Hope that helps!
73-- Tim

Ready for RTTY

CQ World Wide RTTY Contest is this weekend and I've been getting My setup with My FT-950 fine tuned. This is only the second time attempting RTTY and the first time was with My Yaesu FT-857. I'm hoping with the many options the 950 has compared to the small versatile 857, I'll be able to post a decent score.

I will be doing a S & P contest until I am comfortable with the exchange. Testing tonight I was receiving a "RU" station from Russia and He was very strong. Maybe conditions will be favorable this weekend.

I also have a Swapfest Sunday Morning to attend.Going to meet some fellow Hams for breakfast, then head across the street to the Swapfest. Many eyeball QSO's-- should be fun!

73----Tim

Downsizing?

After many Years of accumilating stuff, I'm actually contemplating going the other way. Last weekend I actually turned down a 40's vintage,dual turntable RCA console. Nice rosewood cabinet-AM/FM, and I said sorry- -trying to downsize.
I already have decided to sell some of My better equipment on Ebay-- mostly to payback on My FT-950. The letting go I don't think will stop there- I have aquired lots from Hams via "its free" and I think I'll try to give back the same way. Many projects I've aquired with the idea" I can finish that"! -- Not!! Time and energy are just several reasons they have been relinquished to the corners of the basement.
Speaking of the basement-- how did I fill this area up? What happened to all those open spaces? Just another reason to downsize!
Stay tuned-- I'll try to post My "treasures " as I learn to let go! Wish Me luck!!
73---Tim

The Contest that wasn't!

Well it wasn't a contest for Me at least. The ARRL VHF contest I thought I was prepared for turned out to be a bust! Fridat Night I contacted several Hams in Wisconsin ( W9MP & N9KOR ) on 2m SSB, but no activity on 6m. 6m yagi tested OK so I thought I was set. It rained during the night and the next morning My big dipole was wet enough I had a dickens of a time tuning it to 3.919 for the morning net.
I had also decided to work on some outside projects in between busy times for the contest. This turned out to be a very good idea, a sense of accomplishment for the weekend. At 1800 utc I was on and checking propagation, had several early 2m contacts but 6m was not only dead on My radio but propagation on the internet was bad. Calling CQ on 6m for some reason didn't "feel" right so I decided to recheck with the analyzer and found it now was showing a bad SWR again!
I checked several verticals which tune OK on 6m and they looked normal. My problem was back on 6m just like during the summer- appears moisture is getting in somewhere. Thats why it looked OK till last nights rain. I had a choice now-- use a vertical on 6m or just pack it in. Well I left the staion running and was watching several propagation maps for any openings. I knew that would be the only chance for My available 6m antenna. My 2m setup was doing and checking Ok but activity when I passed thru the basement never really picked up. The bands up in Northern Minnestota never kicked in!!
I'm looking forward to the CQ RTTY contest end of September-- My HF6V was hearing DX whenever I listened.
73----Tim

6m is a go!!

The ARRL September VHF contest starts at 1800 UTC September 11th and I believe My 6m Yagi is now useable. I was going to try this contest using My 2m yagi and one of two verticals for 6m and then last night I started examining the 6m antenna issue. What I remember from some simple checks during the summer, the SWR was higher than normal. This yagi was originally built for 52.525 FM but did tune OK at 50.125.
This summer I did a basic check with My antenna analyzer but I had checked it thru jumpers and coax switches. I thought I had also checked right at the feedline and even there it showed high SWR. Now it shows about 1.8:1 at 50.125 which isn't great but not bad enough if used with My FT-950 which will tune to match. A self healing antenna? Maybe.. more than likely a bad/interrmittant jumper!
I bypassed everything and connected a jumper to Ant 2 on the FT- 950 and -voila! Tunes great and testing shows full 100w out. Couldn't raise anyone on frequency for further testing- maybe this weekend after 1800 UTC !!
73--hope to catch You on the bands!!-----Tim

Dog fitness program

Meet "Bella" our Terrier,Dachshound,Lab? mix who We adopted last year from the local shelter.She was listed as two years old but all indications point to Her advanced age of about five. She has adjusted well to Her new home and loves to "walk" around our property.I've been trained by Her to walk many times on My days off-LOL. I don't mind,I need the excercise and enjoy spending time with Her.
I mention our dog because of the excercise and because I've noticed several Ham radio blogs I occasionaly read have indicated Health issues from the bloggers. I was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure which surprised Me considering My activity level. Probably genetics for Me but the point being is the need to take better care of ourselves. Ham Radio as a hobby does not tend to be physically exertive. Lots of brain power ,so just remember to add the physical part in somewhere.
Kids are back to school and I'm on vacation today-- raining outside so maybe I'll do some Ham projects. Bella and I have already had one walk this morning, any walks later will be in the rain. We've done that before- if its not too cold its kind of fun!!
73---Tim

D4C- Cape Verde

During the ARRL International SSB Contest in March, I had a contact with D4C on both 15m and 40m. Cape Verde is off the West coast of Senagal, Africa and I remember this station was booming in and gave Me a good signal report on 15m. Now if you do much contesting, pausing to tell sometime their signal is better than average is an unusual occurance. I've done it several times and had the favor returned. I was using My HF6V vertical- smile,smile!

This card is an EQSL card and it showed up in My inbox this week along with several others. Not all were from contesting contacts, but everyone was a welcome sight. Its fun to receive this during times of low activity on My part. Keeps My interest level up-- contests I'm involved in are just around the corner! Tomorrows Labor Day-- remember the workers in all walks of life1

73---Tim

Back to it!!

I checked into the local 146.52 early morning "greyline net" this morning and later I also participated in the "Iron Range net" on 3.919. Good turnout for both nets and it felt good for Me to be back into this Saturday morning routine.
I feel a slow growing excitement as the contest season approches for Me. Friday night while playing on the PC in the shack I listened on 20m to some of the "All Asia" contest activity. Signals were fairly good on My HF6V vertical and momentarily thought of participating but decided not to just because of other obligations.
Next weekend is the ARRL September VHF contest and even though My 6m beam is out of commision, I'm considering a try at this contest. After reading some of the write-ups from the June VHF contest, I mentally kicked Myself for not being involved . Conditions were very good and I think I would have had fun- even with antenna limitations.
I'll watch propagation this week to make My decision. Course it could change depending on family obligations. If I do operate, it will be a good time to do several small projects down here between QSO's. I really need to get ready for the upcoming RTTY contest at the end of September.
Have a safe and fun Labor Day Weekend! Think of the working people!!
73s---Tim

Blog List Change

Time to clean out a Blog from My"blog list"not being updated often enough so I can add a Newer blog with some really good technical information. The blog removed had not been updated for over five monthes and the new one although not recently updated is still within weeks old.
Hope you enjoy --SV8YM ... and no, I haven't emailed to ask permission to include it here. I tried before going that route and maybe half replied back-- whatever! Complaints? Easy to remove from the list! Its only a blog for petes sakes ( Betcha haven't heard that expression for a while!) I'm trying to have a kinder,gentler,non swearing blog!! :)
73's for now----Tim

Back to School soon!

Almost back to school time for My kids. Minnesota starts after Labor day, which is later than some states. Last week in South Dakota ,We were surprised how many states were already in session. This is also the time when I start having more "radio" time, it gets dark earlier and My kids have homework and other assorted school related chores. Grass slows down and outside projects wind down.

This year I'm not as enthused about the added time to play radio. I can't quite figure out this change in attitude. I hope it passes. Maybe I'll be re-energized when the September contesting starts. The CQ WW RTTY end of the month will be the first of the season for Me. I still need to work on the new interfaces for My FT-950.

Maybe crisp Autumn evenings will renew My attitude--

73---Tim