ShopTalk Sunday: Ice Storm Aftermath/Radio

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Sheesh.  Not a fun week for Ure. Turning 74 this month, I thought the Sun was supposed to come out, not go falling apart on us.  And golden years?  Pah-leeze!

Got up at 3 AM (*brain on fire, couldn’t sleep) Friday morning.  Wrote column, futzed around, ate and then my neighbor showed up and in a half hour we got the tractor tire fixed.  Me supervising, him doing the heavy lifting.

Getting it to hold air was a venture.  Finally solved with a shot of WD-40 and something else (another six pack of WD is forthcoming…).

Walk With Me

Off behind and east of the tractor port is this corner of the front yard where all the big trees ended up. This will need about four yards of topsoil to return to right.  And somewhere I have a drainage culvert to dig out and clear, but the look of fresh forestry is gone…

Now, thanks to my neighbor’s big brush machine (and 16-inch hydraulic stump grinder on the back) we not only punched in a road directly down to burn pile #1, but also turned it into an access road down to where G2 wants to build some of these days…

As I was walking up to the other collection of trimming and logging debris, I happened to look up on the roof of the shop and this caught my eye:

Yes, right!  High power 4:1 balun (balance to unbalanced) antenna matching unit and the remnants of Super Antenna IV which wasn’t up to the ice storm.

Off 130 feet in the distance, you can see where the big limb came off the top of the “antenna support” – looks baren and lopsided now on the left side of the top of the right tree:

Which also was carted off to burn.  But not before a snap of how other limbs came down in a spear-fishing for humans manner!

That upside down tree branch would have hurt – a lot – and it’s why after being lucky for 20 years, I have finally been reduced to wearing a helmet when deadfall is falling.

A little detective work (though it wasn’t hard) suggested that the antenna had become overburdened with ice (I designed for that) but somehow the big limb was not in the calculations.

Which means 55-feet up in the sky, the halyard for wire antennas is hosed…

That piece of angle steel keeps the antenna and feedline a respectable distance from the tower resulting in a bigger signal (What’s called a Texas Kilowatt-sized ham radio signal!).

Tower comes down or we rent a bucket truck.

The Garden Now Gets Sun!

Any idea how much crap comes down when you drop trees?  Yee gads.  Gone refers to a now-gone big pine and “topped” is overhead 30-feet, or so.

Which was too far from burn pile #1, so we made a second pile down just past the shooting table for the 100-meter range:

Our property runs well past those far trees and you can’t see the backstop from this angle, but you get the idea.

On the way back to the shop (doing a big circle tour, right?) we still can get on with the 3806 group this weekend because of the north-south OCFD antenna:

Being lower, it’s OK for CONUS/Stateside but no great shakes on 20 meters, like the other one was.

Yard Recovery Plan

We’ll get a four-yard load of mushroom farm dirt for the garden and four-yards of topsoil to reconstruct the torn-up turf in the front.  Not in a hell of a hurry to lay it in, though, since it’s still a little cold for seeds and no point putting dirt down until we’re ready to water and patty-cake it to death.

I’m thinking mid-March because in April, my buddy “the Major” will be down for a week, or so, and we’ll set right all the antenna issues then.  I love working on antennas, but single handing (with a tractor) the lowering of a 55-foot tower with 20 feet of pole on top for the beam isn’t a good idea.  Wasn’t at 60 when I did it and damn sure ain’t at 74.  If nothing else, having someone around who can do last rites….

CW Interest

Only one business point this morning.  A couple of people have wondered about a slow speed Morse code class on the air for the hams who either have lost their way on Code (the major needs a brush-up for example) and there are a lot of technician class hams who don’t know that yes – they DO have HF privileges, but only on CW/Morse.

The 40-meter band looks like the best bet – because the privileges run from 7.025 MHz up to 7.125 MHz, so lots of room.  We’d steer clear of the FISTS and SKCC calling frequencies and the digital cowboys on from 7.065 up to about 7.085.

This could be either a one night a week, or more but honestly, if you’re not working on code 2-3 nights a week, you’re not going to improve very quickly.

It would be great to see who is interested and I’ll put a page up for the UrbanSurvival Code Net if people have an interest.  As well as WMotRR’s notes on 3.999 and 7.299 (LSB) on the quarter hours with no net control, just a meet-up place in case it all hits the fan.

My interest in getting involved in this is that I have a “cootie” key that a fellow handmade for me.  Also called a “side-swiper” there’s a lot of radio history behind them. A look at WS1SM CW Page, Telegraph History, Morse Code, Key Collecting, Operating CW, CW Links & More is a good starting point.

The only speed that’s “too slow” is not sending at all or making no effort on receive.  Digital code decoders are pretty inexpensive these days (and actually built-in to some radios).

Let me know if you’re interested, but low power Morse is very unlikely to be monitored widely, it’s reliable all over the country with less than 100 watts and a fair to better antenna.

People talk about prepping all the time.  And how many of us have a small fortune in freeze-dried, right?  But how are you going to get a message from one coast to the other if the balloons go up?

Write when you get rich, or 73’s but nearly 74…

George@Ure.net /ac7x, FISTS/SKCC

26 thoughts on “ShopTalk Sunday: Ice Storm Aftermath/Radio”

  1. The CW page is a great idea.
    On the grass seed project, here is the state of Missourah the best time to plant grass seed is the day after Thanksgiving. Your grass needs to establish a robust root system BEFORE the blazing heat and drought of the summer arrives or it will not survive. It’s called dorman seeding. Lots of info on the web.
    Your place looks great . You have done a lot of work since the storm. It only took one limb to the face for me to invest in a couple of chainsaw hardhats with hearing protection, too late for me on that part, and a face shield. Again too late for me there but it takes the sting out of debris to the face.
    My sons came down last weekend and took down the old yagi and short tower on the roof. Might be abe to rebuild the antenna but im afraid the rotator is toast from what looks like a direct lightning strike many years ago. A few years back I picked up an old 40′ windmill tower at a farm sale. Maybe it will get reassembled and set in concrete shoes. Wife says not only no but Hell NO!
    Or maybe I could set the high end of my end fed with a ballon……. sorry, just had to.
    Stay safe. 73
    Stay safe.

  2. Your UreNess: good job on ATR tidying. I aspire to be 73 going on 74. Maybe later. You note neighbors and friends lending both hands. That’s what makes the world go round. A matter of advanced age, learn how to gracefully accept all the help offered / given.

    I notice others taking pity on me and first instinct is protest and persevere. Then my achin’ back reminds what I used to say to my Dad. Pull up a chair and be administrative! That’s what I’m going to do. And … now I do (unless convinced I can do ____.

    ATL: 195 acres of ice mirror out front. Have an errand to run then may build a fire. Solar gain is coming on. Maybe nyet on fire? TBD. Or not.

    Write when you get well-fixed,
    Egor

  3. Is it just coincidence?

    I was waiting for this 33.

    Turkey earthquake death toll passes 33,000…

    And then we have…

    Oh SH*T, They just crossed the RED line and Putin readies response | Redacted with Clayton Morris SQ;FAST FORWARD TO 33:00 MINUTE,WHERE PODCAST BEGINS

    At least NINE are killed by over 30 tornados of up to 165mph that ripped apart Alabama, Georgia and Kentucky including boy, 5, struck by tree – and more are on the way-33,400 home and businesses in Alabama and Georgia remained without power

    SCIENTISTS PROVE BIBLE AGAIN? Jesus’ Crucifixion Reflected In Soil Deposition Geological Study May Validate Earthquake Described By Matthew; Precise date of the crucifixion: Friday, April 3rd,33 C.E. SQ;THIS IS WHY LUCIFERIAN’S USE 333

    33% Of U.S. Households Skipping Meals Or Lowering Portion Sizes Because Of Food Price Spikes, Yet The MSM Is Too Busy Protecting Democrats From ‘BidenFlation’ Before Midterms To Care

    Hillary was allowed to delete and acid wash 33,000 emails AFTER they were subpoenaed’: Trump tears into the double standards of the FBI and D.C. in statement revealing Mar-a-Lago was raided

    As Inflation Ravages America, Even Costco Is Raising Food Court Prices – Some by 33%

    The Middle Class Is Dying! 50 Percent Of All American Workers Made Less Than $3,133 A Month Last Year

    https://www.stevequayle.com/index.php (search 33)

    • big secret, suppression to the max..Luibel/Lucifer is/was Christ figure in bible. Not bad guy, good guy fighting for mankind. Fighting against Pharisee types who would enslave Humanity. Everything else since is a product of the Father of Lies – Enil/Zeus/Seth/Satan. Turned upside down and backwards – been made to believe Bad is Good and Good is Bad..

      It is a very serious misdirect, Enki lord of the Ki , Lord of the Underworld IS the GOOD Guy..the guy that gave Humanity the secrets of the “tree of Life” = solved the riddle of Metallurgy (plow or sword).

      The jewel that fell from Lucifers crown is the Grahl..not made up blood catching goblet of the church fathers/tribe.
      Satan- Satan worshipers largest annual spectacle/ritual is tonight ,Superbowl halftime show. See Princes historic show in middle of wicked storm that kicked up just as he started…true ritual magic in action and on display. To Prince “the elevator” was satan,the devil, he sang about it “dont let the elevator break us down, oh no lets go crazy” and he was found DEAD in an elevator.. a cowinkydink fo sho.

      33 degrees is knowledge of that , as well as the course (arc)from Orion to Pleiades to Earth(via tachyon tunnel travel/portals)..from whence Humanity came (in massive gene library).

      Scheisse is REAL, and getting “realer” by the day. Watch halftime show and ask Ureself “does this darkness resonant at all with me and mine?”

    • JC: it’s my belief this is a rolling recession (or, contraction if trying to avoid getting politikal [why I’m not] … began with demand destruction, then a round of wealth destruction (3 of 3 inbound?) and … there’s a lot of destruction going round. Meanwhile, I get a tax credit to go solar or buy an approved electrical appliance or car that doesn’t suit my needs. Marvelous. Egor

      • Yes!
        Thank you, Loob.

        Finally, the man from Freilassing told us that “in the happy time“ there will be a temperature in Bavaria, especially in the southern part, that is like in Italy. “We will be able to harvest wine and even figs in the Oberland, and the industrious farmers will have two harvests. The people will all get along well and you will hardly hear an angry word.“

        Altbayerische Heimatpost, 20 November 1949, p. 8

        Made me think of Stu’s latest post.

        Nostradamus Quatrain IX-66
        There will be peace, union and change,
        Estates, offices low high and those high very low:
        Preparing for this voyage the first fruit tormented,
        Wars to cease, civil processes, debates.

        Nostradamus and The Age of Desolation, G.A. Stewart, 2013, Page 793
        This prediction tells us that it is going to be rough sailing for a generation, but in the end humanity will pull through and begin a new golden age. Of course the end of warfare is also a very comforting prediction from The Old Testament.

        Isaiah 2:4 (King James)
        And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
        The First Fruit is this generation, and the ship of Doom has left port; humanity has set out on that voyage.

        https://theageofdesolation.com/nostradamus/2023/02/08/the-last-signpost/

    • JC, Labor shortage too (notice border states have lower labor shortages)
      https://www.uschamber.com/workforce/the-states-suffering-most-from-the-labor-shortage?state=mi

      U.S. 7th in STEM science education in school
      https://fortune.com/2023/01/04/made-in-america-manufacturing-jobs-labor-shortage-retraining-stem/

      Jesus (Prophet Issa, peace be upon him)’s crucifixion didn’t kill him, he went to India:
      https://www.stephen-knapp.com/visiting_the_grave_of_jesus_in_srinagar.htm

      • Re: Jesus’ grave. Always love this stuff. Didn’t have time to read it all just yet but there is also some kind of grave or memorial in Japan said to be for Jesus. Don’t have time to dredge it up just now and I don’t have it in my archives but there is something there in Japan that predates European contact.

        There’s always something out there that contradicts the dogma.

  4. Hey Mr Ure,

    Care to take a shot at Turnabout/Paybacks/Eye for Eye, in light of recent developments regards nordstream and Turkey oil & gas region(read perforated) being “SHEWed” (scalar high energy weapon).

    Tit for Tat ..Yellowstone area or So-Cal (read perforated). Or pipeline bingo – wonder which one is most strategic in conus ? Hopefully the good guys are little moar creative than my gross mind is capable. Superbowl would seem like a pretty high value target, wonder what would happen to a stadium full of peeps set on BOIL ? Would hate to see anything happen to my beloved Burds..E-A-G-L-E-S! Although a “lightening bolt from above” during halftime show would be poetic, and no players would get hurt.

    Good thing I aint King of the World, otherwise be a lot of dead Satanists and Baal lickers.

    • Who is SSGEOS researcher Frank Hoogerbeets? who Friday Feb 3rd prewarned location and size of the Turkey/Syria quake?
      Why disgruntled..vaxx issues?

      What happens to local atmosphere when it has been “SHEWed” ?

      really spooky “earthquake clouds” – whatwhat?https://youtu.be/C3QiwAuTnCg

      What do Alaska, Norway, Greenland and Ukraine have in common ?- SHEW facilities..ukraine one under Rus control..too name a few.
      Remember H. Chavez accusing obongo/bribem admin of SHEWing Hati in 2010?

      * Not only shiny silver disks, now we needz to look out for funky cloud formations. Smacked ass morons messing with mother Earth energies – gonna be hell to pay..U have seen Hati recently?

  7. WOW … your clean up makes it look like no trees were there! So great of your neighbor to come over with his equipment that was the perfect stuff to do all that work mechanically!! Literally months of manual clean up done in just a couple of days..

    Since that take down and clean up went well are you now going to take down or top the fire risk pine trees that you have talked about? Besides the fire protection it would add it sounded like that would also help with your Starlink setup.

    I may be interested in dropping in on any CW chatter … but WOW … I need to get back up to speed with my code. Now I probably couldn’t do 3 wpm!! though I did pass the Extra 20 wpm TWICE, LOL. (accidentally let my license expire at a very busy time in life)

  8. Yes, code practice would be an excellent idea. Back in the dark ages (1959 – 62) I was running a straight key clamped on my leg for HF mobile CW. Bouncing across the Greenland Ice Cap at 10 mph or bouncing across Ft. Hood at 30 mph, the leg key served me admirably. I was able to run 20 wpm pretty reliably on the leg key while copying in my head. 27 years later when I finally got my ham ticket, I was copying 20 wpm in my head while taking my General written exam. The guy behind me was taking his Extra code test, and I had better copy than he did. 34 years later, however, I need some serious practice to get anywhere near 20wpm.

  10. Hear about the conflicting reports given by the pilots who shot down the “balloon?” … even jammed one jets instruments, and no sign of propulsion system.

    Odd a “balloon?” The size of a small car would even have any debris left after being shot … but it does.

    I’m thinking “aliens” or who ever resides at the North Pole besides Santa.

  11. Stupid Bowl Sunday and I’m avoiding the TV like the plague, and cleaning out the deceased ohana’s garage with a brother who also does not ‘DO’ feetball.

    Drop the tower to fix a halyard?? What happened to climbing with a safety belt? 74 is no excuse.

    I couldn’t do a burn pile on my small property, and tropical rubbish trees are very wet soft ‘wood’. I got a ‘tree man’ to fell 30 trees of the big stuff and once on the ground I got the chain saw and cut it up to manageable size. Then we brought in the heavy equipment wood chipper to turn it into a huge pile of mulch that I carted back into the yard to cover the broken lava stone areas. Didn’t need to buy any dirt. A year later I had a weed patch I could run a mower over, and that has become the back lawn.

    For that ‘crazy viking’ dude that asked about my lingering covid effects… I DID reply back then, but the Chinese spy balloon must have eaten my post. I did have some minor throat itch that gave me a dry cough for a couple weeks, but no other lasting effects I have noticed. I’d call me 100% recovered now. Early Ivermectin was key to shutting down the virus before it does a lot of scarring damage to the body.

    Off to the garage cleanout party…

  12. UFO (oops, I mean UAP) number 4 shot down over Lake Huron this afternoon. Things certainly are getting odd out there; it’s starting to remind me of the beginning of a lot of bad 1950s sci-fi movies – has anyone checked to see if there’s a mother ship out there? Or is someone just messing with us by lobbing salvage junk our way?

  13. this birthday never comes . more false starts than a cape carnaveral circus show. hurry up and have your birthday please!!!!

  14. Do you think China and America are in this global madness together . The bloke in Brazil is a dangerous fella and he is in both camps. Strange times

  15. Woke up early with an epiphany, that if the Sun does micro nova and the moon is a starship, will the moon hide behind the earth for 3 days? Will Elon Musk’s “Starship” land on the Moon before it seeks shelter? Kind of a strange way to start the week. Back to work.

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