>> I've gone from 7 1/2 wpm to less than 5 in one summer. That -sucks-.
 JE> Well, it's been said before, and will probably be said again - lay down
 JE> that 2m mic, and start practicing!   Tell the 2m group what you wanna
 JE> do, and you might get someone to go with ya!  Work CW on 2m, at 
144.050MHz!
 No mics have been touched in over a week.
 I have an exam on Friday coming so have been buried in my books.
 >>  JE> Oh, it can't be -that- bad, Rob 
 >> It is when I'm out of practice on the `ear'ing side of code.
 JE> On-air is always the best practice.
 And for me listening around the US novice portion is my hearing practice.
 The cw I hear is at a nice easy for me to listen to,and sounds good to the 
ear as opposed to the machine guns down at 3550.
 >>  JE> There's supposedly a 'late-night' group that gets on down around
 >> Any idea on a freq they use?
 JE> Mine! };->  3.885MHz, thereabouts
Ok' I'll try that one and see what I hear.
 >> Most 160m activity seems to be from 1850 thru to 1890.
 >> With the exception of K1MAN intruding on the band
 >> 160m can be very quiet unless you know where to look.
 JE> Intrusion?  A little 'harsh', maybe.  I think he provides some decent
 He may provide some decent content,but when he starts up his `show' on 
someone else's frequency and conversation without even being polite enough to 
-ask- `is this frequency in use?' then I have no use for him.
 If everyone came ona freq and starting blindly transmitting the band wouldbe 
total chaos everywhere.
 Just a common courtesy I noticed he seesm to lack.
 >> Yep. I leave a radio on 28.420 usb and (GASP!!) 27.1850 AM.
 JE> Where's a moderator when ya need one! 
 Hey,its a cheap lightening early-warning system and 10m and 6m experimental 
propagation predictor device.
 Besides which it is a legitimate use for `recycled' 11m gear!
 >> Cheap,crude and poor method for 6m propagation
 >> prediction,but it does work.
 JE> What else matters?
 As long as it gives me a hint the band is open I could care less for all the
fancy-dancy prediction software analysis mumbo-jumbo.
 This cheap system has proven its worth many a time for good DX-ing on 6m and 
avoiding a blown radio on VHF/UHF FM when thunderstorms are in the area.
 The AGC circuitry in the old TRC-449 has got just the right delay level in 
t
to let you guess the closeness of the lightening dishcarges and strikes.
 If that AGC fails to release and give you audio noises after more than 10-15 
seconds it's time to disconnect everything -real- fast.
 Silly as it sounds it works,and costs less than repairs to a blown rig.
--- GoldED 2.42.G1219
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