RM>Hi Daryl!

Hi, Richard...

RM>I use it as FM radio, and in the background it is monitoring a local FM
RM>repeater.

  One of the local hams, who is one of the area VE Team Liaisons (we help
each other at our exam sessions), has the Yaesu FT-991 (it replaced the
FT-897). He *LOVES* it, but he laments that "you can't receive FM
stations on it". :P I guess he wants it also "to do windows and
laundry". 

  When I go to these license exam sessions, I bring along copies of ham
radio catalogs for reading...what I refer to as "ham radio porn".
The reason for that is because "the prices are so nasty"!! But,
it gives the examinees an idea of what to put out, money wise. There is
gear for every budget...but hams are some of the most cheapskate...er,
frugal (hi hi)...individuals you'll ever meet.

  A few years ago, on Amateur Radio Newsline, they were advertising a DC to
Daylight Rig at Dayton Hamvention for $17,000!! Now, I could outfit a nice
shack for that amount, with rigs, power supplies, antennas, SWR meters,
computers, accessories, etc. But, all that for just one rig?? To me, that's
overkill.

  Having to live with antenna prohibitions isn't too bad in regard to
cost...I don't have to worry about the rigs, and everything else...not to
mention the price. A basic D-Star HT can run over $400, yet I can use my DV
Dongle ($200), which I use with DV Tool. I noted this "price
fact" when I went to an area high school ham radio club last year, to
give an overview of the hobby, and to do a demo of my programs...which are:

1) Outpost for Packet Via Telnet. The N0KFQ BBS in Branson Missouri is a
full featured packet BBS, with both RF and telnet access...helpful for
those who don't have or can't have a TNC, or there is no packet node in
their area.

  They also have a digital net every Monday night at 7pm U.S. Central Time,
in a roundtable format. The OM and his XYL that run it are an elderly
couple in their 80's, and that's the main thing they do in ham
radio...packet. The couple is as sweet as could be. The net has been busy,
with at times, nearly 2 dozen hams on the log!!

2) Echolink on the main computer, and the Smartphone.

3) DV Tool (with the DV Dongle), plus D-Rats for D-Star.

4) RMS Express to check mail via Winlink 2000 (WL2K). D-Rats is no longer
able to process WL2K messages, as the original author, Dan, KK7DS, is no
longer developing it. D-Rats will still work with the rest of the items,
but no longer with WL2K.

  I also have these set up on the laptop, which I bought at the Shreveport
hamfest last year for $100. It has Windows Vista Home Basic on it, but it's
nice for a demo, like what I did for a ham radio club at a local high
school last year. Plus, I'll take that with me to the Huntsville Hamfest in
August.

  My elderly Mom gave me the bus ticket as a birthday present...and I was
stunned by the difference in price between bus and air. The 80% refundable
bus ticket (which we got a few months back) was $250 -- the same for air
was 10 times that amount!! Plus, I don't think I'll get groped for the bus,
as I would with flying. With internal metal implants from prostate surgery
last year, I'm guaranteed to set the checkpoint alarms off now. I'll pick
up the bus ticket at the local station in early August. Too bad they don't
have e-tickets like Amtrak does, but while trains go through Huntsville,
Amtrak doesn't serve that area...the same for Shreveport.

  The bus (Greyhound) has complimentary Wi-Fi, so while it's basically
interstate all the way (Interstate 30, then Interstate 40 from Little Rock
to Nashville, then Interstate 65 from Nashville to Huntsville), I can have
the laptop and headset mic, and work each of those modes (obviously only
one at a time with the sound card) while going down the road.

  But, I prefer someone else do the driving, as I can't handle the long

(Continued to next message)
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