Echolink and iPhone

I tried using Echolink on an iTouch but at the time We used a Satellite internet company and a local router. I could never even get the connect test to pass and always assumed either My router or Satellite delay were causing issues. Guess I'll never know because We have had DSL since before Christmas and I just recently upgraded My old phone to a iPhone. The Echolink App works great and tonight I checked into a local Weathernet thru Iphone and Echolink . The local repeater I access seemed to be down and other link repeaters are only accessible when My 2m beam is working. The rotator is froze and so My directional antennas are not!!
I was totally amazed at the ease of connecting tonight to the local echolink repeater access. Did the connect test and tested My audio and when the net started-bingo!! I heard net control and saw the users on echolink!
Try Echolink- sign in on the Internet, You'll receive an answer back to your email and the fun begins.Not a huge repeater user but this is neat!
73---Tim

Snow and future Antenna plans

I like Winter but the snow depths and frequency of new snow is starting to wear on Me. Spent all day Saturday with snow removeal, roofs,sidewalks, driveway and dog trails! The snowbanks are getting huge! Will it ever end? More snow predicted for tonight. Just in time for back to work and fighting snow removeal in the dark!
The Ham radio end of all this mainly the lack of time to play on the radio.I did listen for a short time to 160m before bed and the band was fairly active with the North American QSO party contest. Heard most of the US from East to West coast, would have been fun to participate but by this time only about an hour and a half was left and I was just too tired! My 160m inverted "L" was definately hearing very well!
Earlier this week I was attending a retirement party and happened to meet several Hams there. Discussion turned towards antennas and the bottom line is this-- I have decided to remove both VHF antennas on My tower and put the ATB34 tri-bander up there instead. I will probably also put a new smaller 2m beam up but refurbish the old 6m beam and put that back on the pole building mini-tower. I am on HF lots more now than VHF and the tri-bander would really help My contesting efforts. Early this Spring I need to assemble and test the ATB-34 and get it ready to put up. The 2m beam i either need to buy or refurbish an old one-- we'll see what the old one looks like. I truthfully don't remember its condition. Love the options!
73-- Tim

ARRL RTTY RU 2011

Well considering some of the pre-contest issues I had with equipment, this contest turned out to be another fun experience. I never tried to use My main set-up or My back-up but used the back-up to the back-up!! Confused? Don't be! I'm lucky to still have several radios and I do think eventually I will have problems ironed out.


The virus on My back-up PC has been eliminated, the FT-950 is mysteriously working on the digital modes again--go figure! The radio of the hour (or contest) the Yaesu FT-857 worked well even with its limitations. The most glaring limit is only having the factory filters (2.4 khz) and not the CW filters in. The front end tends to overload with close adjacent ,strong signals and this did interfere when trying to receive info during QSO's. I firmly believe I could have doubled or tripled QSO count but for this shortcoming!


I was able to start the contest at the beginning,but Dog,chickens and family also need attention so it was on and off for most of Saturday. Sunday was able to get back on the air towards the end and then I scrambled trying for multipliers mostly. I noticed a lack of multipliers, espcially DX. I had several memorable contacts, one being 4U1WB from Washington DC and Don- AA5AU who I contacted on several bands. Don wrote an excellant tutorial on RTTY setup I have referred to many times. Also had the usual suspects from South America and a new one for Me-- J39BS from Grenada. Also some Europe but not as much as last year.


I also seen "printed" some fellow MWA members who I missed-unfortunately and a fellow blogger I follow- Dave-K2DSL. Very fun contest- -really enjoy RTTY, hope to resolve radio and interface issues for the next one.Very thankful I was able to participate. Thanks for all the Q'S


My meager but hard earned results:


Band- QSOs-- Sec- Cty
3.5 -9- 3- 0

7- 40 -8 -0

14- 59 -15 -4

21 -54 -12 -5

28 -1 -1 -0

total: 163- 39- 9

score: 7,824




73---Tim

RTTY Fiasco!

Well just when i thought My RTTY setup and backup were in good shape-- tried the pre test on Thursday and Friday and very inconclusive. OK- total failure although I really don't want to admit that. I had an occasional broken reply with My callsign but could never really complete a QSO, so have finally fallen back to the FT-857 which I think is working but, "moni" on this radio doesn't appear to work! So I can't hear My "diddles" ! The FT-950 seems to work for a bit then I lose Rx audio and I can't figure out what is happening to it. My Kenwood TS-850 is hooked to a PC with a bad soundcard or driver and unfortunately in trying to reload a different driver- I now have a virus!!
Contest starts in an hour-- I hope I can cobble something together!
73 for now----Tim

The good and bad with SKYPE

I became a Skype member several Years ago when I aquired an itouch. I used it for awhile to chat with My family thru Instant messaging when out of town. Recently with PC upgrades, several laptops now have built in webcams,so leave it to My Girls to try video calling. It works really well and I'm impressed but Skype lets new accounts start with privacy wide open and one of My Daughters had an"ishy" person try to contact them.Scary!! Needless to say the account is now locked down very tight. Word to the wise- new accounts need privacy invoked right away! That was several several weeks ago and all seems to be OK now. I've recently bought a Logitech C150 webcam for My hamshack PC. I'm waiting to install it till after ARRL RTTY Ru this weekend- don't want any conflicts to interfere with the contest! I'll let you know how the Webcam install goes and the contest results. Hope to log a QSO with many out there! :) 73----Tim