Where is everyone

[wa8yxm]

I know this board is not as busy as many of the others I visit. but ... Where did everyone go? Been quiet as a tomb here this last few days?

[WD8QBQ]

:waggle: Here I am, I was hiding. :D

Really, I was wondering the same thing. Maybe everyone else is thawing out and finally getting out of the "cabin" and catching up with life on the outside.

Really nice and sunny here the last few days and starting to melt down.

he best temps are only in the 40s, but that's way better than it was.

Found out yesterday our official total accumulation of snow, to date is, 122.7".
I hope it's finished.

[Radio]

My new job runs me ragged. Fine way to be to busy and tired to play on the 'pooter.

[WD8QBQ]

Money's important now days, more than ever. You got a way to get some be HAPPY!:bounce:


JIM

[KB5LJE]

Still around Moved back to Memphis, Set up shack, find new docs, start back on Chemo Monday.

we have been VERY busy but things are slowing down and will be back with more to say soon.


Mike:)

[wa8yxm]

You know...... Looking at the 1st reply it makes me glad I'm sitting here in Fair Play, SC posting this.. We have had TWO, count 'em TWO snow storms here so far this winter.. The first one it snowed on Friday, Melted on Saturday and I had no where to go till Sunday and the only snow I saw on the road was what fell off a car.

The other one was on a Tuesday, and by Wed night when I went to Choir practice.. Clear and dry again , That second one did cause me some very very minor grief as this is 2-way Satellite internet and the storm knocked me off line for a couple of hours.. (ON a trouble scale of 10 where 1 is not very much trouble and 10 is .. THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE.. this was around a 0.2)

[KF5BET]

been working on the garage...got the walls up and yesterday put the door up. still have a little siding to do over the garage door and paint on the exterior and the outside will be done.

Once the exterior is done, then can move to the inside. New electrical, insulation and drywall.

All this to say that once the garage is finished and I get all of the stuff out of the storage room....the ham shack remodel can begin :)

[One Country Boy]

I'm also here. Sorry I've been a little quiet of late. Staying busy with different projects. Hopefully getting ready to go camping this coming week. Plans are to head up around Adel, GA and meet some friends. Take our time coming home and may make a couple of more stops after Adel. No specific plans once we leave there. Will try to get more active on the forum.

I too am glad (hopefully) that most of this cold weather has passed. I can't complain after seeing all that snow in the second post. It's just been very cold for our area, cloudy and wet. The lack of sunshine can certainly get depressing.

[KF5F]

We are sitting on the beach in Pensacola (and have been for two months) and enjoying the warm weather. We will be heading down to Breaux Bridge ,LA after Easter to catch up with our Winnebago group. I guess then we will have to go home for a week before hitting the road again. Retirement is very busy!!

[wa8yxm]

Well... I see that folks are now posting so I guess this thread has done it's work.

IT's so nice out today, when I hiked down to the office/store/lounge complex so I could get on-line.. I forgot my coat!!! (On purpose no less) my thermostatically controlled string of lights which I taped to my water hose to keep it from freezing.. NEVER came on last night.

I'm very happy... Hope it keeps up this way for a while.

Alas.. I go back to Michigan up in the great white north at the end of the month.

[One Country Boy]

We are sitting on the beach in Pensacola (and have been for two months) and enjoying the warm weather. We will be heading down to Breaux Bridge ,LA after Easter to catch up with our Winnebago group. I guess then we will have to go home for a week before hitting the road again. Retirement is very busy!!

Hi Gene, you're not too far from my QTH. Do you have any HF gear with you ?

[K3NOQ/Mobile]

Wx here today was "great!" Sunny and mid 70's. Continuing to Wax the MH before heading out to Colorado in May. Been watching and working some of the activity on 17 and 10, even heard some qso's on 12 last week.

73/John :2cents:

[wa8yxm]

Well I've not yet waxed it (And won't today.. It is raining) but I did give it a bath and do some outdoor repair work (very minor) Got a bit more work to do later (Also minor) and then when the rain stops (next week) it's break out the RV-Solution and give it once-over #2

[WD8QBQ]

Well I've not yet waxed it (And won't today.. It is raining) but I did give it a bath and do some outdoor repair work (very minor) Got a bit more work to do later (Also minor) and then when the rain stops (next week) it's break out the RV-Solution and give it once-over #2

OK, wondering, what's RV-Solution???? is it :beer: :bigclap:

JIM:whistle:

[KF5F]

Hi Gene, you're not too far from my QTH. Do you have any HF gear with you ?

No, this is our first winter trip in this coach so we are still settling in. Will have it by next winter...

[W6ZKH]

Hello to all, and I too have been inactive here on the board. Mainly because this laptop where I have the board set to is being used 99.9% of the time for my Oscar Satellite tracking and CAT system to computer control the Yaesu FT847 I got recently, plus auto track my dual yagi's to chase them birdies across the skies. Just about the only mode I operate now, at least from home, but that is being put on hold now, as in the process of moving to a new QTH which isnt antenna friendly.. oh well...can always wander to the park with my HT and ELK yagi and wave at the birdies as they go by, hi.

Also, recently diagnoised with Prostrate Cancer, so having to go through all that right now also... At least it was caught early...........thanks to PSA tests even our "Dear Leader" BHO and his Czars dont seem to think you need to have it nor the xyl's their boobies checked... Will be going with the 'seeds' process it looks like.

Havent been anywhere lately with the 5er either. Big trip planned for June to Yellowstone, Mt Rushmore and all points around that area...

Have a good spring and summer...

John

[wa8yxm]

OK, wondering, what's RV-Solution???? is it :beer: :bigclap:

JIM:whistle:


Alas, no, it's a wash & wax in one product like Dri Wash & Guard or any of a dozen "one step" wash/waxes from your friendly neighbor auto store.

There is a difference between the two products mentioned by name though, Dri Wash & Guard is a concentrate, you mix with water before you use it

Solution you use straight out of the bottle

Both work about the same,,, I like Dri Wash & Guard slightly better but do not have any just now and can't afford to buy any at the moment since I blew another tire on the car (Well, you are supposed to replace them in pairs) Did have enough left over to ALMOST fill the RV's fuel tank though,, that's nice.

Oh, in other news.. Last year when I de-winterized I found that the fall before when I winterized it appears I burned out the solenoid on the ice maker for the fridge (DANG) Local parts place wanted (hold on to your shorts) $140.00 for that part.> Camping world was over 120 (Last time I got one at CW it was 12.0, note the point) so finally I went on line.. The "Buy It Now" store had two different versions for fifteen bucks plus S&H, about 22.5 total.

The one I ordered was an Amana

Now,, there are really only 4 solenoids, (There are a couple of dozen different mounting brackets but only 4 solenoids)

Two are Single Stage and the other two have a second chamber, I suspect a pressure regulator so that if the line pressure changes they still make the same size cubes.. The AMANA is one of these (The OEM is not and let me ask, what type of fridge is most likely to encounter major changes in water pressure... Why an RV fridge of course)

The other "Times 2" is the inlet, it's either a quarter inch compression fitting or a 3/4" Garden hose, the Amana (AND the OEM) are both quarter inch

But even if it was not then the 3/4 inch type come with the necessary adapter already in the box.

Well,,, Had to change one bracket (Included with the solenoid) and re-drill one hole.

And now it makes ice

I have also made a couple of electrical changes so that last night when I was boondocking I push a button (Manually select GAS as power source for fridge) and then double tap a switch to feed Inverter power to it and it made ice all night!!!!!.

On this issue the word HAPPY!!! clearly applies.

[WD8QBQ]

John, I don't use that fancy stuff for washing, just clean cold water and a soft brush, with a micro fiber towel dry after.

Hey, I have the feeling you like your ice :bigclap:

If my maker goes out I won't bother to fix it, never use it now.


JIM

[WD8QBQ]

Big news over here, finally sold the farm. :waggle:

One step closer to full timing:bounce: , well we will call it full timing probably part timing if you go by the book, still have a sticks vacation home that we will keep for awhile anyway.

This is all very exciting and now we have a definite time table to get down to business and "get moving" !

JIM:):):):):)

[Dizzy-Dick]

I keep looking at this site daily and have seen no new posts. Guess I got to get the old keyboard out and at least acknowledge that there is still life out here (grin). Need to hit the road again, been awhile for us.

Been real nice here in Cut & Shoot, TX. 70's and a couple of days in the 80's, but a front is suppose to come in tomorrow and bring some rain and cold air.

73's

[Dizzy-Dick]

Big news over here, finally sold the farm. :waggle:

One step closer to full timing:bounce: , well we will call it full timing probably part timing if you go by the book, still have a sticks vacation home that we will keep for awhile anyway.

This is all very exciting and now we have a definite time table to get down to business and "get moving" !

JIM:):):):):)

Jim,

Good luck on the full/part time RV living. What part of the USA is the vacaction home? Nice to keep a place for a permenant address.

73's and cogratulations,

[wa8yxm]

CONGRATS to Jim.. Now.. I thing if I owned a farm and had an RV pad on it (And I'd have one) I'd have sold it but on condition that I still get to use the pad for up to so many nights a year.

As to the ice maker.. Well.. We use ice cube trays but the ice maker is far easier.. It's only real problem is it does not work without 120vac.. And that was easily fixed.

I should point out that if I wish to read an E-book, in bed (which I often do, there is a fair size library on this hard drive scattered between Kindle for PC, Sony Library Reader, PDF and RTF flies from Baen Free Library and other files) then the power supply that's in the bedroom needs 120vac too.. and it's the same circuit as the 'fridge.. so powering the ice maker.. powers the laptop.

I had hoped to run the fridge on 120vac on the road via inverter but that expierment did not turn out as well as I hoped Now it did work.. Just not as well as hoped.

[K3NOQ/Mobile]

What problem did you have with the refridge on 120 ac. I did the 120 vac trick and only had one small problem and a relay took care of it. Can I help?
73/ John K3NOQ/5 today

[wa8yxm]

Running the fridge off the inverter did work, Just not as well as I planned..
First you have to understand there are 3 12 volt systems in my house, Chassis (The truck part) House (the factory installed part) and Inverter (After market) and though I do have switches that let me use most any battery for most any job.

I'd forgot to parallel the house and inverter sets.

The fridge draws around 35-40 amps from the 12 volt batteries, plus the 10-12 amps of "parasitic" 120 volt things like DVR's and Sat Receivers and the in-motion antenna and such (note, I'm speaking of the 12 volt side of the inverter) and that is a major hunk of what the alternator can put out.

So I decided to run just the ice maker.. It takes only a push of a button to force the fridge to gas only

[WD8QBQ]

Dizzy Dick, we have a house at Chautauqua,NY.

John, no we will not be going back to the farm to visit. Whenever I move I go onward and never look back. There will be other farms to look at and visit.:bounce:


JIM

[KF5BET]

Congrats on the sale Jim...

We had our local hamfest here last weekend and my two dd's won the foxhunt. We made a 2 meter directional antenna out of a tape measure and some pvc. They beat out a couple of guys. Had a good time but didn't spend too much!

youngest had a soccer game and the oldest had softball tryouts today. Spring is here!

[wa8yxm]

Speaking of "Going back to the farm"

I will admit.. I've driven past the farm I grew up on a time or two

But I did not stop

[WD8QBQ]

Fine news on the Fox Hunt Galen, keep the DD's interest up in the hobby.

Things moving along smoothly here almost ready to hit the road. Many details to work out with/on the camper. Deciding what to take for living, is more difficult than what to take on a road trip, especially for the wife?

Pretty quiet around here, I guess everyone must be out having fun.


JIM

[Andy N1ORK]

With Spring here and the WX so nice, we've been working around the yard and such. The camp in NH is opening up on the 16th and we'll be driving up on the 21st. Gotta open up and get the park model ready for the season. This is the first year I didn't take down the dipole, so I hope it's ok. Glad for the nice WX! Ok folks let's get out there and get the units ready!
73
Andy - n1ork

[wa8yxm]

Well.. I"m here Saint Alexander's (http://www.stalexanderfh.org) (Actually I'm parked next to the convent) but I'll be moving later today.. Time to go to the regular campground. Been nice here though. Close when I go to church HI

[TOMWN]

After spending the winter.. a cool one..we are back in Ohio. The Gulf Shore, Al area was much cooler then normal. Lots of rain too made it feel even worse. BUT! No snow to deal with and that was a plus. We hope to camp host in southern Ohio this summer near our daughter. Down side is state parks won't allow me to string my antenna in the trees. Tom WD8CSL

[Radio]

After spending the winter.. a cool one..we are back in Ohio. The Gulf Shore, Al area was much cooler then normal. Lots of rain too made it feel even worse. Tom WD8CSL

Where in Gulf Shores? We take our after Christmas break on Dauphin Island, right at the inlet to Mobile Bay. And it was Cold and Wet. :cold:

[wa8yxm]

I"m back in S.E. Michigan for the summer.

Had a great winter in South Carolina and plan on doing that again next fall/winter. We came back to temps in the 80's. here in S.E. mich, and frost on the picnic table this morning.

Theme song over at the weather bureau seems to be: Did You Ever Have To Make UP Your Mind

Did you ever have to make up your mind
One day it's rain and the next sun shine
One day it is 80, then next it's snow time
Did you ever have to make up your mind.

[KC1BUD]

My new job runs me ragged. Fine way to be to busy and tired to play on the 'pooter.

Hey Wade, Maybe you should refer to the computer to Puter as Pooter has a totally different meaning. :rofl:

[Radio]

Hey Wade, Maybe you should refer to the computer to Puter as Pooter has a totally different meaning. :rofl:

No, actually it's exactly what I meant to say, the way I meant to say it.:whistle:

[WD8QBQ]

Now in the final stages of moving out of the house to be on the road.

Not much time to be on the computer and no time for Ham Radio, "talking that is".

I changed my mind from going with a Yaesu FT 897 and went with an ICOM 7000, I hope I made the correct decision. Half way done with the install. I am using a Tar Heel on the roof with a power "tilter". Show and tell on completion.

There is a lot of stress associated with moving but it is getting less and less by the day!

Went to my 50th High School reunion last week and renewed many old acquaintances, very enjoyable. There was talk of having one every year starting next year and possibly a cruise? Sounds appealing at this time, time will tell.

Took the last horse to it's new home yesterday and have placed four of five cats in nice homes. We will keep one cat with us until it passes on.

We bought a toad on the internet and it is in Dallas,Tx so that will be the first destination, probably Sept.


:beer: JIM ;)

[bikerman]

Snow?? Whats snow,

[W9WLS]

I check the board regularly , don't see much activity and don't have a lot to talk about myself but if someone has a question and I have an answer I'll post it.

[KF5BET]

Been very busy lately...but do lurk on here every other day or so. Been very hot here lately and we are getting some rain from Alex (first hurricane of the season) even though it is way down south of here. Hopefully the rain won't be too bad this weekend since we are headed out for a quick three day trip just north of us for the fourth.