M1MRB

Week 5 2012

2012-02-12T20:05:00.002Z

This week’s bit of fun:

Why do Sharks swim circles around you before attacking?

Two great white sharks, swimming in the ocean, spied survivors of a sunken ship.

"Follow me, son." the father shark said to the son shark and they swam to the mass of people.

"First we swim around them a few times with just the tip of our fins showing." And they did.

"Well done, son! Now we swim around them a few more times with all of our fins showing." And they did.

"Now we eat everybody." And they did.

When they were bo

th gorged, the son asked, "Dad, why didn't we just eat them all at first?

Why did we swim around and around them?

His wise father replied, "Because they taste better without the shit inside!"

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Monday: Not as many of us as normal this Monday, probably due to the bad weather. Banstead still had a lot of snow from the weekend and most of us parked in the main car park and walked down to the hall.

I took my Icom ID-E880 Dstar radio again and managed a few contacts before asking Paul (M6PCK) if

Wednesday: Colin and I recorded the latest episode of the ICQPODCAST. This is episode 99, almost three figures.

Thursday: I took my Dstar radio and DVAP to work to show Paul the other engineer Dstar in operation. I worked James MW0SGR in Cardiff, Derek G4WXN in Mildenhall and David G1WXC in Littlehamton. Not bad for a quick demo at lunch time.

Friday evening: I built my Dutch Star Hotspot interface.

Saturday: I could not get the Dutch Star Hotspot interface board to connect to my computer. After much testing I thing that the PIC chip has not been programmed.

Sunday: Colin released the latest episode of our podcast.

Series Five Episode Four of the ICQ Podcast - DVAP - Digital Voice Access has been released.

News Stories include:-

SumbandilaSat beyond repair
Sweden loses 13cm amateur radio band
FCC sets date for medical devices on 70 cm
RSGB PLA/PLT Devices Announcement
BATC Convention 2012
FISTS marks a milestone
New rules for 5 MHz (60 meters)
VOA anniversary spurs museum effort
Morse code not on the way out
UK Propagation charts for February 2012
Record set at Winter Hill

Your feedback, Ed Durrant provides his latest Australian report and Martin reviews a DVAP (Digital Voice Access Point).

The ICQPOCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

Week 4 2012

2012-02-05T18:02:00.002Z

This week’s bit of fun:

The Three Bears (New version)

A far more accurate account of the events of that fateful morning....

Baby bear goes downstairs, sits in his small chair at the table.

He looks into his small bowl. It is empty. 'Who's been eating my porridge?' he squeaks.

Daddy Bear arrives at the big table and sits in his big chair. He looks into his big bowl and it is also empty. 'Who's been eating my porridge?!?' he roars.

Mummy Bear puts her head through the serving hatch from the kitchen and yells, 'For God's sake, how many times do I have to go through this with you idiots? It was Mummy Bear who got up first. It was Mummy Bear who woke everyone in the house. It was Mummy Bear who made the coffee. It was Mummy Bear who unloaded the dishwasher from last night and put everything away. It was Mummy Bear who swept the floor in the kitchen. It was Mummy Bear who went out in the cold early morning air to fetch The newspaper and croissants. It was Mummy Bear who set the damn table.

'It was Mummy Bear who walked the bloody dog, cleaned the cat's litter tray, gave them their food, and refilled their water.

'And now that you've decided to drag your sorry bear-arses downstairs and grace Mummy Bear with your grumpy presence, listen carefully, because I'm only going to say this once....

'I HAVEN'T MADE THE F***ING PORRIDGE YET

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Monday I took my Icom ID-E880 Dstar radio to the Banstead Scout Hall, Set up the antenna and we had a station on the air. We worked a couple of stations via the Bromley Dstar Hotspot MB6IOK. This worked very well and the Bromley Repeater Group posted the following on Facebook.

Bromley Repeater Group

Surprise to hear Martin Butler, M1MRB working through MB6IOK in Orpington from Sutton and Cheam radio club this evening talking to K4GSU in USA and then shortly after Cliff, 2E0RCW in London using a dongle connected to reflector 1c.

Not much happened in the middle of the week apart from me doing some computer maintenance.

This weekend Ii managed to get some time playing radio. I mainly operated via Dstar with a numbers of contacts to the USA via a DVAP.

Week 3 2012

2012-01-29T19:22:00.003Z

This week’s bit of fun:

How to fail a breathalyzer

Monday Andy and Mick set up a Kenwood TS-2000e for us to have a play with. Most members present agree that this is the best all round rig for training and club use that our budget could stretch too. I will work with Derek to purchase one of these and a power supply this week. We should then have a station on Monday nights.

Wednesday Colin and I recorded another episode of the ICQPODCAST, this is episode 98.

My friend Chris lent me a DVAP Dstar Access point which I have been playing with most of the weekend. After the initial setup it worked well with my Icom ID-E880 and many contacts were had over the weekend.

Sunday Colin released the latest episode of the ICQPODCAST

Series Five Episode Two of the ICQ Podcast - G-QRP Limerick Sudden 40m Receiver has been released.

News Stories include:-

Earth Station for Sale
New 60m web site
ARRL achieves fund raising goal
KG4, Guantanamo Bay
UK amateurs experience echo phenomenon
Danish presidency of EU callsign
Student D-STAR satellite to launch in 2012
The new VHF-UHF band plan - 4m in Ireland
QRP to the ISS
Special callsigns for UK radio amateurs during 2012
New Clubs and Training section for RSGB website
Cuban Amateur Radio regulations modified
Call of Titanic will go out again

Your feedback and Colin (M6BOY) reviews the G-QRP Limerick Sudden 40m Receiver.

The ICQPOCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

Week 2 2012

2012-01-22T19:17:00.005Z

This week’s bit of fun:

It's so nice to have a handyman around the house

As found on the internet

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Monday I tested a couple of ATU’s for Colin. The MFJ unit worked fine however we did open it and check all the screw were tight. We found the inductor switch needed tightening but apart from this all works well.

The second ATU was a Yaesu FC-707 which had metering problems. The two diodes in the metering circuit go leaky and need replacing.

I did try and do some HF operating but the bands were dead. Our best contact was Reading, only 50 miles away.

Thursday was club night for Sutton and Cheam Radio Society. We had a talk on contesting which was very interesting. This was followed by a discussion on various radio topics. All in all a good night out.

Saturday I soak tested my repaired valve radio which is working well but still needs a few things din before its perfect.

Week 2 2012

2012-01-15T20:49:00.007Z

This week’s bit of fun:

Life in the Australian Army...

Text of a letter from a kid from Eromanga to Mum and Dad. (For Those of you not in the know, Eromanga is a small town, west of Quilpie in the far south west of Queensland )

Dear Mum & Dad,

I am well. Hope youse are too. Tell me big brothers Doug and Phil that the Army is better than workin' on the farm - tell them to get in bloody quick smart before the jobs are all gone! I wuz a bit slow in settling down at first, because ya don't hafta get outta bed until 6am. But I like sleeping in now, cuz all ya gotta do before brekky is make ya bed and shine ya boots and clean ya uniform. No bloody cows to milk, no calves to feed, no feed to stack - nothin'!! Ya haz gotta shower though, but its not so bad, coz there's lotsa hot water and even a light to see what ya doing!

At brekky ya get cereal, fruit and eggs but there's no kangaroo steaks or possum stew like wot Mum makes. You don't get fed again until noon and by that time all the city boys are buggered because we've been on a 'route march' - geez its only just like walking to the windmill in the back paddock!!

This one will kill me brothers Doug and Phil with laughter. I keep getting medals for shootin' - dunno why. The bullseye is as big as a bloody possum's bum and it don't move and it's not firing back at ya like the Johnsons did when our big scrubber bull got into their prize cows before the Ekka last year! All ya gotta do is make yourself comfortable and hit the target - it's a piece of piss!! You don't even load your own cartridges, they comes in little boxes, and ya don't have to steady yourself against the rollbar of the roo shooting truck when you reload!

Sometimes ya gotta wrestle with the city boys and I gotta be real careful coz they break easy - it's not like fighting with Doug and Phil and Jack and Boori and Steve and Muzza all at once like we do at home after the muster.

Turns out I'm not a bad boxer either and it looks like I'm the best the platoon's got, and I've only been beaten by this one bloke from the Engineers - he's 6 foot 5 and 15 stone and three pick handles across the shoulders and as ya know I'm only 5 foot 7 and eight stone wringin' wet, but I fought him till the other blokes carried me off to the boozer.

I can't complain about the Army - tell the boys to get in quick before word gets around how bloody good it is.

Your loving daughter,

Sheila

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Monday: Our first radio play session of 2012 in the Banstead scout hut. A lot has happened over the Christmas period and it was great to catch up with friends.

Wednesday: Colin and I recorded the latest episode of the ICQPODCAST This is Episode 97, its getting close to episode 100.

Saturday: I spent some time trying to get a computer program to work with little if any success. This problem has been bugging me for weeks and I’m like a dog with a bone with this type of problem. Its not going to beat me.

Sunday: I spent the afternoon renovating an old value (tube) short wave receiver. I made one good radio out of two however now I have a fully working mode it should not take too much time to fix the donor radio.

Colin released the latest episode of the ICQPODCAST.

Series Five Episode Two of the ICQ Podcast- Wolfgang Philipps - W8DA Android Apps has been released.

News Stories include :-

Yaesu supports 4-FSK digital radios
Yaesu Musen
Go back to school - DX University
US feedback for 60m band plan
GB80PW for the Practical Wireless 80th year
New DV-RPTR modem board
RSGB Commonwealth Century Club Jubilee Award 2012
UK Propagation charts for January 2012
New data mode crosses Atlantic on 136Khz at the first attempt
USA HF Spread Spectrum Experiment
43 years of 73 Magazine online

The ICQPOCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

Your feedback and Ed Durrant (VK2ARE) interviews android app author Wolfgang Philipps (W8DA).

Week 1 2012

2012-01-08T22:14:00.002Z

That First Condom...funny

I recall my first time with a condom. I was 16. I went in tobuy a pack of condoms at the Chemists.

In those days it took a lot of guts to go in a store and ask

for that kind of item because everyone in town knew me and there was no doubt the young lady (I think her name was Sharon) knew what they were for.

She was working behind the counter. It was late and the pharmacist had already left.

Sharon could see that I was really embarrassed by the whole procedure. She handed me the package and asked if I knew how to wear one. I answered honestly,

No, not really.

So she unwrapped the package, took one out and slipped it over her thumb. She cautioned me to make sure it was on tight and secure.

Apparently I still looked confused. So, she looked all around the store to see if it were empty. It was.

Just a minute, she said, and walked to the door and locked it.

Taking my hand, she led me into the back room, unbuttoned her blouse and removed it. She unhooked her bra and laid it aside. Do these excite you? she asked without embarrassment.

Well, I was so dumb-struck that all I could do was stand there with my mouth gaping open and nod my head. She then said it was

Time to slip the condom on.

As I was slipping it on, she dropped her skirt, removed her panties and lay down on a desk. Well, come on, she said, We don't have much time.

So I climbed on her. It was so wonderful that, unfortunately, I could no longer hold back and KAPOW! I was done within a few moments.

She looked at me with a bit of a frown. Did you put that condom on correctly? she asked.

I said, Sure did, and held up my thumb to show her.

She then beat the shit out of me...

Women have always been hard for me to figure out.

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Not much to report this week. Started back to work on Tuesday a after the long holiday break because I didn’t win the National Lottery.

I have been working on computer thing most of the week producing a stats server for internal use on the ICQPODCAST.

Hopefully I will get some radio playing next week.

Week 0 2012

2012-01-01T23:14:00.005Z

This week’s bit of fun:

This says it all

Pythagoras' Theorem: ............................................24 words.

Lord's prayer:....................................................... 66 words.

Archimedes' Principle: ............................................67 words.

Ten Commandments: ..........................................179 words.

Gettysburg address: ............................................286 words.

US Declaration of Independence : .................... 1,300 words.

US Constitution with all 27 Amendments: .........7,818 words.

EU regulations on the sale of CABBAGES:.....26,911 words.

This is what you call passion fruit!!

NO WONDER SHE HAS NO TEETH !

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Not much to tell about this Christmas break apart from being ill and not able to do much.

Colin and I did manage to record the first episode of series five of the ICQPODCAST.

Sunday Colin released our first podcast of the new year.

Series Five Episode One- Powered SWR Meter Kit of the ICQ Podcast has been released.

News Stories include:-

Amateur Radio Balloon crosses the Atlantic
Radio Ham's invention seeing wide use
EU threat to Amateur Radio kits
137kHz German signal received in Alaska
Hams do their bit after disaster
Australia to trial limited higher power
Ofcom - 3400 MHz licence exemption
Amateur radio operators to host kids day
Beacon Maps and Beacon Spots
Raspberry Pi moves towards production

Your feedback, Martin reviews a Power SWR Meter Kit.

The ICQPOCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

I would like to wish everyone a Peaceful and Happy New Year.

Week 52 2011

2011-12-25T18:19:00.000Z

A little bit of fun found on the internet.

A New Year Prayer For the Elderly

God, grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway,
The good fortune to run into the ones that I do,
And the eyesight to tell the difference.

A New Year's Wish

On New Year's Eve, Marilyn stood up in the local pub and said that it was time to get ready. At the stroke of midnight, she wanted every husband to be standing next to the one person who made his life worth living.

Well, it was kind of embarrassing. As the clock struck - the bartender was almost crushed to death.

Ten Indications of a New Year Hangover

1. You get it into your head that chirping birds are the Devil's pets.

2. Trying to gain control of the situation, you continue to tell your room to "Stay still."

3. Looking at yourself in the mirror induces the same reaction as drinking a glass of fresh paint.

4. The bathroom reminds you of the fairground cry, "Step right up and give it whirl!"

5. You'd rather chew tacks than be exposed to sunlight.

6. You set aside an entire afternoon to spend some quality time with your toilet.

7. You replace the traditional praying on your knees with the more feasible praying in a fetal position.

8. Your catch phrase is, "Never again."

9. You could purchase a new fridge on the proceeds from recycling the bottles around your bed.

10. Your new response to "Good morning," is "Be quiet!"

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The last working week of the year, not much to report, only doing family this on the run up to Christmas. I hope to get some time to play before the New Year.

Week 51 2011

2011-12-18T19:36:00.004Z

This week’s bit of fun:

Found on the internet.

Why the angel is on top of the tree

Not long ago and not far away Santa was getting ready for his annual trip...but there were problems every where... four of the elves got sick, and the trainee elves did not produce the toys as fast as the regular ones so Santa was beginning to feel the pressure of being behind schedule....then Mrs. Claus told Santa that her mum was coming to visit...

This stressed Santa even more...when he went to harness the reindeer he found that three of them were about to give birth and two had jumped the fence and were out heaven knows where...more stress.

And then, when he began to load the sleigh one of the boards on the sleigh cracked and the toy bag fell to the ground and scattered all the toys...so, frustrated Santa went into the house for a cup of coffee and a shot of whiskey...but he found that the elves had hit the liquor cupboard and there was nothing there to drink...and in his frustration he dropped the coffee pot and it broke into hundreds of little pieces all over the kitchen floor... he went to get the broom and found that mice had eaten the straw it was made from.

Just then the doorbell rang and Santa cussed on his way to the door ..he opened the door and there was a little angel with a great big Christmas tree. And the angel said: Santa, where would you like to put this Christmas tree??

And that, my friend, is how the little angel came to be on top of the Christmas tree...

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I had another busy week doing family things and not much radio. This week I have spent some time building a digital power / SWR meter.Now comes the hard part of mounting it into a case.

Wednesday Colin and I recorded the last episode of the ICQpodcast for this year which will be released Sunday.

Sunday Colin released the next episode of the ICQpodcast - Science Museum for Amateurs

Series Four Episode Twenty-Seven of the ICQ Podcast.

News Stories include:-

SwissCube update
Experimental D-Star repeater
Miracle Antenna suspends order-taking
Digital pictures sent from balloon
Vietnam operation
UZ7HO Soundmodem software
Russian Military OFDM in 40m
ARRL to inspire Hackers and Innovators
German CBer's get 12 watts SSB
70cm to help paralyzed patients?

Your feedback, Ed Durrant (VK2ARE) provides a Christmas Australian report and Chris Howard (2E0CTH) reports from the London Science Museum for Amateur Radio Operators.

The ICQPOCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

Week 50 2011

2011-12-11T16:47:00.002Z

This week’ bit of fun:

As found on the internet:

Barbie's letter to Santa

Dear Santa,

Listen you fat little troll, I've been helping you out every year, playing at being the perfect Christmas present, wearing skimpy bathing suits in frigid weather, and drowning in fake tea from too many tea parties. I hate to break it to you Santa, but it is DEFINITELY pay back
time!!

There had better be some changes around here this Christmas, or I'm gonna call for a nationwide meltdown (and trust me, you don't want to be around to smell it!) So, here's my holiday wish list for this year, Santa.

1. A nice, comfy pair of sweat pants and a frumpy, oversized sweatshirt. I'm sick of looking like a hooker. How much smaller are these bathing suits gonna get? Do you have any idea what it feels like to have nylon and velcro up your butt?

2. Real underwear that can be pulled on and off. Preferably white. What bonehead at Mattel decided to be cheap and mold imitation underwear to my skin? It looks like cellulite!!!

3. A REAL man....maybe G.I.Joe. Hell, I'd take Tickle-Me-Elmo over that wimped out excuse for a boy-toy Ken. And what's with the earring anyway? If I'm going to have to suffer with him, for christ's sakes, make us anatomically correct.

4. Arms that actually bend so I can push the aforementioned Ken-wimp away once he is anatomically correct.

5. Breast reduction surgery. I don't care whose arm you have to twist, just do it!!

6. A jog-bra. To wear until I get the surgery.

7. A new career. Pet doctor and school teacher just don't cut it. How about a systems analyst? Or better yet, a public relations senior account exec!!

8. A new, more 90's persona. Maybe a "PMS Barbie", complete with a miniature container of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and a bag of chips; "Animal Rights Barbie", with my very own paint gun, fitted with fake fur coat, bottle of spray blood and handcuffs; or "Stop Smoking Barbie", sporting a Nicotrol patch and equipped with several packs of gum.

9. No more McDonald's endorsements. The grease is wrecking my vinyl.

10. mattel stock options. It's been 37 years-I think I deserve it!

Okay Santa, that's it. considering my valuable contribution to society, I don't think these requests are out of line. If you disagree, then you can find yourself a new bitch for next Christmas. It's that simple.

Yours truly,

Barbie

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It’s almost the end of the year with just a few more posts before the end of the year.

Not much to report this week apart from I have been working on improving our podcast audio. Only time will tell if I have been successful.

Week 49 2011

2011-12-04T19:49:00.003Z

Monday Colin (M6BOY) my son was over from Ireland for a few days and managed to join us for our play evening.

Colin had built a GQRP Club "Limerick Sudden" Receiver Kit for 40 metres and this evening turned out to be a good chance to connect it to a good antenna. Stations from all over Europe were logged.

Tuesday I had lunch with Colin before he headed back home to Ireland.

Wednesday I recorded the feature for the next episode of the ICQPODACST.

Thursday Colin and I recorded the latest episode of the ICQPODCAST before we both had to go out.

I collected my copy of QST from my mum’s house and I’m looking forward to reading this over the next few days.

Saturday I had to get my glasses repaired otherwise I would be in trouble. I took a number of phone and Skype calls. All in all a very busy day.

Sunday Carole and I went for Breakfast with Mark and Su-Fay. I don’t get to see Mark as much as I would like due to our work commitments.

Colin released the latest episode of the ICQPODCAST.

Series Four Episode Twenty-Six - Books (Review) for Christmas of the ICQ Podcast has been released.

News Stories include:-

New spectrum challenge
Unlicensed radio communicators in Australia
30 Years of UK CB
Android to FT817 App
Planners ground ‘flying bedstead’
Record numbers at Radio Club licensing session Mars Rover launch live on web
AO-51 Lost
ARRL to inspire Hackers and Innovators
Hackers take Amateur Radio course

Your feedback and Martin (M1MRB) reviews Books for Christmas.

The ICQPOCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

Week 48 2011

2011-11-27T21:30:00.003Z

Monday Radio play night. Chris (2E0CTH) was working on his MKARS80 Kit which is coming along nicely; it will soon be on the air. Chris also showed is an AOR 2002 he purchased at the CATS Bazaar.

Andy and Mick were discussing antenna installation problems, what would be the best antenna for Andy’s QTH. Paul turned up for the first time and enjoyed himself.

Steve and I were looking at a couple of AVO 8’s as well as a motor control PCB.

Laurence and Alex did some operating.

Wednesday Colin came over from Ireland. He will be staying with us for the next week.

Thursday we went out for a meal in a restaurant called Cosmo. They can seat up to 800 people and have over 300 dishes on offer. This is all run buffet style and very interesting.

Friday Colin and I went to football for an evening game. Colin supports Barnet who won 2:1.

I have spent the weekend teaching Colin how to solder. We have built a 1.5 watt audio amplifier and a 40 metre amateur receiver. Both worked and Colin has gained a new skill as well as taking home two finished projects.

The GQRP Club "Limerick Sudden" Receiver Kit.

Week 47 2011

2011-11-20T18:31:00.003Z

This Monday I did some operating on the HF bands. My best contact was S52WW in Slovenia on ten watts with my Icom IC-703.

Wednesday I recorded the latest episode of the ICQPODCAST with Colin. That’s number 94 in the bag, just a few more and we are in treble figures.

Saturday I spent the day with the Sutton and Cheam training team and our students. All eleven passed their Foundation Amateur Radio Licence Exam. Three students got 100% pass mark with the lowest score being 88%. Let’s hope we hear some of the on the air soon.

I received my new vanity call sign for my US licence. I now have W9ICQ which is more memorable than the one I was originally issued.

Sunday I spent the morning at the CATS bazaar with a number of friends and other amateurs.

Colin released the latest episode of the ICQPODCAST.

Series Four Episode Twenty-Five of the ICQ Podcast (US v UK Licensing) has been released.

News Stories include :-

Plano Amateur Radio Klub honored
12 Mbps RF modems
Radio Security Service Reunion
Society donates radio to new group
Mercer County needs amateur radio operators
Record numbers at Radio Club licensing session
Maritime Mobile Net in crew rescue

Your feedback, Propagation Report from Steve Nicholls (G0KYA) and Martin is joined by Chris Howard (2E0CTH) to discuss differences between UK and US Licensing System

The ICQPOCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

Week 46 2011

2011-11-13T20:45:00.002Z

For those of you who still enjoy using the far reaches of the brain.

1. Johnny's mother had three children. The first child was named April. The second child was named May. What was the third child's name?

2. There is a clerk at the butcher shop, he is five feet ten inches tall and he wears size 13 sneakers. What does he weigh?

3. Before Mt. Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain in the world?

4. How much dirt is there in a hole that measures two feet by three feet by four feet?

5. What word in the English Language is always spelled incorrectly?

6. Billy was born on December 28th, yet his birthday is always in the summer. How is this possible?

7. In California, you cannot take a picture of a man with a wooden leg. Why not?

8. What was the President's Name in 1975?

9. If you were running a race, and you passed the person in 2nd place, what place would you be in now?

10. Which is correct to say, "The yolk of the egg are white" or "The yolk of the egg is white"?

11. If a farmer has 5 haystacks in one field and 4 haystacks in the other field, how many haystacks would he have if he combined them all in another field?

Here are the Answers

1. Johnny's mother had three children. The first child was named April. The second child was named May. What was the third child's name?

Answer: Johnny of course

2. There is a clerk at the butcher shop, he is five feet ten inches tall, and he wears size 13 sneakers. What does he weigh?

Answer: Meat.

3. Before Mt. Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain in the world?

Answer: Mt. Everest; it just wasn't discovered yet.

4. How much dirt is there in a hole that measures two feet by three feet by four feet?

Answer: There is no dirt in a hole.

5. What word in the English Language is always spelled incorrectly?

Answer: Incorrectly

6. Billy was born on December 28th, yet her birthday is always in the summer. How is this possible?

Answer: Billy lives in the Southern Hemisphere

7. In California, you cannot take a picture of a man with a wooden leg. Why not?

Answer: You can't take pictures with a wooden leg. You need a camera to take pictures.

8. What was the President's Name in 1975?

Answer: Same as is it now - Barack Obama

9. If you were running a race, and you passed the person in 2nd place, what place would you be in now?

Answer: You would be in 2nd. Well, you passed the person in second place, not first.

10. Which is correct to say, "The yolk of the egg are white" or "The yolk of the egg is white"?

Answer: Neither, the yolk of the egg is yellow

11. If a farmer has 5 haystacks in one field and 4 haystacks in the other field, how many haystacks would he have if he combined them all in another field?

Answer: One. If he combines all of his haystacks, they all become one big stack.

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This Monday we had an operating night, putting the Yaesu FT101ZD on the air. This is a lovely old radio and while it is more difficult to set up than modern rigs it works well.

Another busy week as normal doing family things.

Saturday I was teaching a foundation course all weekend at the 7th Banstead Scout HQ. We have 11 students so it should be a good course.

Next Saturday they have their revision morning followed by the exam.

Week 45 2011

2011-11-06T20:25:00.003Z

This Monday night turned into a multimeter night. Chris and I spent some time with Laurence explaining the basic principles of how multimeters work and how to use them.

Steve and Denis were trying to repair and AVO 8 which had a open circuit movement. Unfortunately I was right in my diagnosis but they had fun trying to fix it.

Wednesday Colin and I recorded the next episode of the ICQPODCAST.

Sunday I spent the day at Kempton Park with Robin and Rosemary on the Sycom stand. It was great to see Robin and Rosemary as well as lots of friends and other amateurs who passed by.

Colin released the latest episode of the ICQPODCAST.

Series Four Episode Twenty-Four of the ICQ Podcast (National Ham Convention) has been released.

News Stories include:-

Radar sees through concrete walls
Prospero to be reactivated
RSGB Intruder Watch activity on 28MHz
International digi-modes 10m net
Rotuma High School Amateur Radio Station
Radio/TV Martí 'anachronistic'
Bletchley Park's Lost Heroes
Global Simulated Emergency Test – November 2011
VK100ARV roster begins
Radio in Mayo
Sydney radio hams help search for lost aircraft VH-MDX

Your feedback, North American Hambrief from Chris Matthieu (N7ICE) and Martin is joined by Chris Howard (2E0CTH) to discuss the National Radio Convention

The ICQPOCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

Week 44 2011

2011-10-30T14:42:00.005Z

This week’s bit of fun:

I liked this one:

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Monday another good evening in the Banstead Scout Hut.

Steve and David were discussing how to fix AVO multimeters. Steve showed us an AVO he has just renovated and AVO 8 which looked great as well as showing us some of his AVO spares.

There was a big discussion on the RSGB EGM of which I could not advise the guys which way to vote.

Chris and I recorded our report on the RSGB convention for the ICQPODCAST. This was done in the car park in my car because this was the only place we could find which was quiet.

Tuesday Colin and I were booked to record Dave Wilson from the RSGB however he postponed until Wednesday.

Wednesday evening we recorded an interview with Dave Wilson the President of the RSGB.

Saturday we released an extra episode of the ICQPODCAST.

ICQ Podcast S04 E23 - RSGB President EGM Answers

We are pleased to announce Series Four Episode Twenty-Three issue of the ICQ Podcast, RSGB President EGM Answers has been released.

Dave Wilson, M0OBW answers your questions about the RSGB EGM to be held on 19 November 2011.

Questions asked covered The New Board, Transparency, Communications, Bletchley Park & RSGB4FUN, Licensing, RADCOM, Peter Kirby, Membership and the EGM Day.

The ICQPOCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

Week 43 2011

2011-10-23T21:18:00.001+01:00

The Monday night group was well attended this week. Various discussions we had on a number of topics in including a very lively debate about what is happening in the RSGB.

Chris (2E0CTH) was experimenting with some HF mobile whips with great effect.

All in all another good night out with the Guys.

Tuesday Colin and I interviewed Ex RSGB Technical Director Leslie Butterfields (G0CIB) to help us understand the RSGB proposals and to discuss the issues facing the RSGB EGM announcement.

Thursday Sutton and Cheam Radio Society had a very interesting talk from Graham Somerville on BHI products and noise cancelling in general. This was followed up by a chance to play with a number of products.

Sunday Colin released the latest episode of the ICQPODCAST.

Series Four Episode Twenty-Two - RSGB in Crisis

News Stories include:-

Guernsey’s AM broadcasts are valued
CEPT proposes medium wave frequency allocation
London 2012 usage of 70cm
G4ZU Grand Daughter gets licence
CW SRM Nanosat decoding software
US Amateurs Now 700,000 Strong

Your feedback and Martin (M1MRB) and Colin (M6BOY) discuss the issues facing the RSGB EGM announcement. Ex RSGB Technical Director Leslie Butterfields (G0CIB) joins us to help to understand the proposals.

The ICQPOCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

Week 42 2011

2011-10-16T17:11:00.003+01:00

Back from the RSGB Convention after a very busy weekend. While I was attending the RSGB convention I was glad to catch up with Richard (G3AAT) who I met for the first time last year.

Richard is very interesting guy and runs a walk in practical demonstrations. He also has a great sense of humour and is vey knowledgeable. If you did not see Richard you missed one of the highlights of the weekend.

Photos from the RSG Convention:

Richard (G3AAT) and I

Chris (2E0CTH) after lunch Sunday afternoon.

Saturday I took part in JOTA assisting 7^th Banstead Scouts in this event. The group operated 2 metres and HF, had some fun with Morse and APRS and got the young Beavers and Scouts to make their own QSL Cards.

Week 41 2011

2011-10-09T20:17:00.005+01:00

This weeks bit of fun:

As found in the internet

Top 25 Engineering Terms and Expressions (What they say and what they really mean)

Customer satisfaction is believed to be assured. (We're so far behind schedule that the customer will settle for anything.)
Please see me / Let's discuss it. (I need your help. I've screwed up again.)
The project is in process. (It's so tied up in red tape that it's completely hopeless.)
We're trying a number of different approaches. (We still guessing, at this point.)
We're following the standard. (We've always done it this way.)
Close project coordination. (We met together and had coffee.)
Years of development. (It finally worked.)
Energy saving. (Turn off the power to save electricity.)

We'll have to abandon the entire concept. (The only person who understood the thing just quit.)
We had a major technological breakthrough. (It's boring, but it looks high tech.)
We're preparing a report with a fresh approach. (We just hired a couple of kids out of college.)
Preliminary operational tests proved inconclusive. (It blew up when we flipped the switch.)
Test results proved extremely gratifying. (Yahoo! It actually worked.)
Please read and initial. (We want to spread around the responsibility.)
Tell us what you are thinking. (We'll listen, but if it disagrees with what we've already done or are planning to do, forget it.)
Tell us your interpretation. (Let's hear your bull.)
We'll look into it. (Forget it! We've got so many other problems already, we'll never get to it.)
No maintenance. (If it breaks, we can't fix it.)
Low maintenance. (If it breaks, we're no likely able to fix it.)
All new. (None of the parts are interchangeable with the previous design.)
Rugged. (Needs major equipment to lift it.)
Robust. (More than rugged.)
Light weight. (A little less than rugged.)
Fax it to me. (I'm too lazy to write it down.)
I haven't gotten your email. (It's been days since I've checked my email.)

To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Just got back from the RSGB Convention, I had a great weekend. I attended lots of very good lectures and had plenty of time to meet up with old friends. More on this event will make this blog over the next few weeks. I must do this again.

Colin and I have been very busy over the last few weeks but we still managed to release a podcast this week.

ICQ Podcast S04 E21 - Soldering and Leadfree of the ICQ Podcast has been released.

News Stories include :-

Solar CME and flares kill upper HF bands
ARISSat used as teaching tool
Simulated Emergency Test
VI6CHOGM
GB400KJB
AO-51 to support 54th Jamboree On The Air
WWII HRO receiver donated to museum
Limited Greek 5 MHz permission
Sputnik transmitters on-air
XYL radio ham to stay in touch with husband

Your feedback and Martin (M1MRB) discusses Soldering and Leadfree.

The ICQPOCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

Week 40 2011

2011-10-02T20:08:00.003+01:00

This week’s bit of fun:

An elderly man is stopped by the police around 2 a.m. and is asked where he is going at this time of night.

The man replies, "I am on my way to a lecture about alcohol abuse and the effects it has on the human body, as well as smoking and staying out late."

The officer then asks, "Really? Who is giving that lecture at this time of night?"

The man replies, "That would be my wife."

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Monday night I took a faulty 2 metre linear amplifier and circuit along to our play night in Banstead. While I did not fix it, it did generate a lot of discussion.

Not much else has happened this week but I’m looking forward to the RSGB convention next weekend.

Week 39 2011

2011-09-25T19:01:00.004+01:00

This week’s bit of fun:

Subject: Sleeping with Bob

The guys were all at a deer camp. No one wanted to room with Bob, because he snored so badly. They decided it wasn't fair to make one of them stay with him the whole time, so they voted to take turns.

The first guy slept with Bob and comes to breakfast the next morning with his hair a mess and his eyes all bloodshot. They said, "Man, what happened to you? He said, "Bob snored so loudly, I just sat up and watched him all night."

The next night it was a different guy's turn. In the morning, same thing, hair all standing up, eyes all bloodshot. They said, "Man, what happened to you? You look awful! He said, 'Man, that Bob shakes the roof with his snoring. I watched him all night."

The third night was Fred's turn. Fred was a tanned, older cowboy, a man's man. The next morning he came to breakfast bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

"Good morning!" he said. They couldn't believe it. They said, "Man, what happened?"

He said, "Well, we got ready for bed. I went and tucked Bob into bed, patted him on the ass and kissed him good night. Bob sat up and watched me all night.

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Monday Night we had a trainers meeting in the Scout Hut. We have now set our training Dates for the next year.

Wednesday Colin and I recorded the latest episode of the ICQPODCAST. We keep them coming :-)

Thursday I attended a Sutton and Cheam Radio Society committee meeting. It was good to some of the guys I haven’t seen the summer.

Sunday Colin released the latest episode of the ICQPODCAST and Newsletter.

ICQ Podcast S04 E20 - 21st Century PMR

News Stories include:-

Ham Radio Deluxe purchased
Android Smartphone CubeSat
SO67 safe but problematic
Body as Antennas
UK record for 434.650 MHz balloon
Region 1 recommends Band Plan changes
New JOTA info and badge
National Hamfest Special callsign
Canadian Amateur Radio Hall of Fame
ATV world first - Hams wedding

Your feedback, Steve Nicholls (G0KYA) propagation report and Martin (M1MRB) reports on 21st Century PMR.

The ICQPOCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

Week 38 2011

2011-09-18T19:12:00.006+01:00

Not much to report this week

Monday Neil and I were playing and being very silly with a windup Meger. The video shows all :-)

Thursday was a club night for Sutton and Cheam Radio Society. We had a great talk from David on repairing vintage radios.

Sunday Carole, Miranda, Isabelle, Eliot and I spent the day at the Diamond Centre in Wallington Surrey. It was their open day with loots to see and do. A dog show and a large number of horses all kept the families interest. All in all a good day out and one very happy granddaughter.

Pictures below:

Week 37 2011

2011-09-11T16:46:00.005+01:00

This week’s bit of fun:

As found on the internet

Technology problems

One of my friends works in the customer service call centre of a national pager company. He deals with the usual complaints regarding poor pager operation, as well as the occasional crank caller demanding to be paged less often, more often, or by more interesting people.

The best call came from a man who repeatedly complained that he keeps being paged by "Lucille." He was instructed that he would have to call her and tell her to stop paging him.

"She don't never leave no number, so I can't call her back," he said.

After three such calls, someone thought to ask how he knew it was Lucille if she didn't leave a number.

"She leaves her name," was the reply.

After establishing that the customer had a numeric only pager, the light bulb came on.

"How does she spell her name?" the service rep asked.

"L-O-W C-E-L-L"

Another problem solved.

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Not much to report this week after SSB field day last weekend. I had a slow week recovering, Monday night turned into a chat evening and very little operating.

Colin and I recorded the latest episode of the ICQPODACST. This is our 87^th episode and well on our way to number 100.

Sunday Colin released the latest episode of the podcast.

ICQ Podcast S04 E19 - SSB Field Day

News Stories include:-

· Special Event Stations mark tenth anniversary of 9/11
· Battle of Britain special event station
· Attacker kills W9WPH on hiking trip
· Scout amateur radio team on Mount Snowdon
· 6th form students space project
· Second Japanese D-Star reflector
· Codar Radar on 24 MHz ended
· OH8X Tower Jump
· Full licences at Mid Ulster Amateur Radio Club
· Asteroid fly-by receiving opportunity
· LED lighting causes radio interference
· 15 months for teen radio pirate
· UK Propagation charts for September 2011
· New 2m repeater channels
· Take your hand-held to work' day

Your feedback and Martin (M1MRB reports from a SSB Field Day.

The ICQPOCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

Week 36 2011

2011-09-04T16:48:00.001+01:00

Monday no play night due to its bank Holiday in the UK.

I spent some time talking to the RSGB on various topics. I believe that they are trying to modernise the society for the 21^st century. I am also hopeful we will see some improvements starting shortly.

Friday I gave my talk on junk box antennas to the Crystal Place Radio Club which seemed to go well. I have been ask back next year to do another talk.

Saturday / Sunday I had a great time with the boys of Sutton and Cheam Radio society doing SSB Field Day. Not a winning score but 265 contacts, 25 countries and a great time playing radio. Not bad for a group of none contesters.

We must look ant doing this again and maybe some other contests. I even camped out over night which I haven’t done for over 20 years.

As well as contesting, having our evening meal on the camp site and watching the sun set over Kent was a great sight.

All in all a great weekend.

Week 35 2011

2011-08-28T15:02:00.004+01:00

This week’s bit of fun:

As found on the internet.

Driving Drunk

"But officer, I was just riding my lawn mower."

Well, yes, he was just driving his lawn mower. But it was 1:00 in the morning in Iowa and he was driving on the highway, all over the road, with no headlights. His blood alcohol level was .19 which is well above the limit of .08. In Iowa it is illegal to drive any kind of motorized vehicle anywhere while you are drunk.

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An onion can make people cry but there has never been a vegetable invented to make them laugh. ~ Will Rogers

When I come to one of the forks in the road of life, I don’t waste time and energy wishing it was a spoon. ~ Miss Piggy

All reports are in. Life is now officially unfair.

If all is not lost, where is it?

The first rule of holes: If you are in one, stop digging.

I went to school to become a wit, only got halfway through.

It was all so different before everything changed.

Some days you're the dog, some days you're the hydrant.

I wish the buck stopped here. I could use a few ...

It's hard to make a comeback when you haven't been anywhere.

The only time the world beats a path to your door is if you're in the bathroom.

If God wanted me to touch my toes, He would have put them on my knees.

When you're finally holding all the cards, why does everyone else decide to play chess?

Health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

It's not hard to meet expenses. They're everywhere.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Another busy week, I don’t know where the time goes.

Monday Night was our usual radio play night with some operating taking place on a couple of bands. Unfortunately we will not be meeting next Monday due to the Bank holiday.

Wednesday Colin and I recorded the latest episode of the ICQPODCAST. This one only runs for 45 minutes but as we said if we have content we will use it, if not we will not pad out an episode.

I have been playing with my D-Star radio over the last couple of days so you may be able to catch up with me on GB7OK.

I joined the Yahoo new group for the UV-3R radio this week. There is some interesting development happening in this group with lots of technical information, mods and circuits.

Sunday Colin released the latest episode of the ICQPODCAST.

ICQ Podcast S04 E18 - Lord Howe Island DXPedition

News Stories include:-
· Baltimore QSL card exhibition
· National special prefix for Parks Canada Centennial
· FUNcube Dongle as a Radio Telescope?
· Lining up for TV hook-up
· Vanity call sign fee to increase
· CASHOTA UK & Ireland Heritage event
· 2 metre DXCC achievement
· Dutch authorities get tough with radio pirates
· G5RP Trophy nominations sought
· Heathkit returns to market
· FO-29 15 years old
· 70th Anniversary for ham couple

Your feedback and Ed Durrant (VK2ARE) provides a report from the Lord Howe Island DXPedition.

The ICQPOCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

Week 34 2011

2011-08-21T16:03:00.006+01:00

Monday Night we had a play with a Yaesu FT101ZD and finally put it on the air. Steve (G1MPW) showed us how to set up a valve PA stage before transmitting. Once set up our first call was into Oman, not bad for an old radio.

Thursday was club night for the Sutton and Cheam radio Society. This week’s lecture was about 3D television. On show was one man’s experiment in 3D TV. This was very interesting with a very good demonstration.

Friday I had to do a field call on a trunking radio system in London. I found the fault, bust the working environment is not that great as can be seen from the picture.

The only good thing about this trip was the view from the roof next to the radio room.

I had a visit from my friend Mark on Friday night. Mark is great fun to be around and always has funny stories to tell.

Saturday morning I went Geocaching with Tim (2E0TTA) and family. We had a lovely walk in the Surrey countryside and even found some caches. In the evening I had to go to Heathrow airport and on the way back Carole and I did a Geocache in Harmondsworth Village.

Week 33 2011

2011-08-14T20:28:00.003+01:00

This week’s bit of fun:

This is an oldie and was sent by an Irish person in Ireland:

It's 2012 and it's the Olympics in East London . A Scotsman, an Englishman and an Irishman want to get in, but they haven't got tickets.

The Scotsman picks up a manhole cover, tucks it under his arm and walks to the gate. "McTavish, Scotland" he says, "Discus" and in he walks. The Englishman picks up a length of scaffolding and slings it over his shoulder. "Waddingon-Smythe, England" he says, "Pole vault" and in he walks. The Irishman looks around and picks up a roll of barbed wire and tucks it under his arm. "O'Malley, Ireland," he says, "Fencing".
---------------------------------------------------------------

Monday: We were back to the scout hut after a long break. This meeting turned into a good chat between members discussing various topics and ideas.

Chris Howard 2E0CTH showed us his new Fun Cube dongle which seem to work well.

http://www.funcubedongle.com/

Wednesday and Thursday: were spent recording the latest episode of the ICQPODCAST. This is episode number 85, not long before we make triple figures.

Saturday: was Colin’s and my birthday. It started with my son Lee and granddaughter visiting. Carole, Lee , Isabelle and I had breakfast in the local cafe. I spent the middle of the day in the local library before collecting Carole from work.

Carole and I made our way to Littlehampton which is on the south coast of England for the evening. On arrival we did some Geocaching before having a great curry. We got home around 23:00 local. All in all a great day.

Sunday: Colin released the latest episode of the ICQPODCAST.

ICQ Podcast S04 E17 - UV-3R Dualband Handheld Review

Series Four Episode Seventeen of the ICQ Podcast has been released.

News Stories include :-

ISS to be deorbited after 2020
QSL display on TV
Limerick 2M Repeater QRV again
UK Propagation charts for August 2011
Solar flare bound for Earth
Midland Amateur Radio Society 80 years old
Prosecution for illegal radio jamming
New digital EME record on 2 metres
Youth don't know about Amateur Radio

Your feedback, Steve Nicholls (G0KYA) Propogation Report, Chris Matthieu (N7ICE) provides a North American Hambrief and Chris Howard (2E0CTH) and Colin Butler (M6BOY) review the UV-3R Dual Band Handheld Anateur / Ham Radio.

The ICQPOCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

Week 32 2011

2011-08-07T19:59:00.003+01:00

This week’s bit of fun:

Found on the internet:

The Service

One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little Alex was staring up at the large plaque that hung in the foyer of the church.

It was covered with names, and small American flags were mounted on either side of it.

The seven-year-old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the boy, and said quietly, "Good morning, Alex."

"Good morning," replied the young man, still focused on the plaque.

"What is this?" Alex asked.

"Well, son, it's a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service."

Soberly, they stood together, staring at the large plaque.

Little Alex's voice was trembling and barely audible when he asked, "Which service, the 9:45 or the 11:15?"

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The World’s Funniest Real Ads

Believe it or not, these ads actually found their way into newspapers all over the world:

Braille dictionary for sale. Must see to appreciate.

FOR SALE BY OWNER: Complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica. 45 volumes. Excellent condition. $1,000.00 or best offer. No longer needed. Got married last weekend. Wife knows everything.

Help wanted, singer for rock band. Must be female or male.

For sale, Hope Chest, brand new, half off, long story.

Help wanted, adult or mature teenager to baby-sit. One dollar an hour.

Lost: small brown poodle. Reward. Neutered. Like one of the family.

For sale: a quilted high chair that can be made into a table, potty chair, rocking horse, refrigerator, spring coat, size 8 and fur collar.

Four-posted bed, 101 years old. Perfect for antique lover.

Wanted: Part-time married girls for soda fountain in sandwich shop.

Man wanted to work in dynamite factory. Must be willing to travel.

Christmas sale. Handmade gifts for the hard-to- find person.

Wanted, man to take care of cows that does not smoke or drink.

Three-year old teacher needed for pre-school. Experience preferred.

Wanted. Widower with school-age children requires person to assume general housekeeping duties. Must be capable of contributing to growth of family.

Tired of working for only $9.75 per hour? We offer profit sharing and flexible hours. Starting pay: $7 -- $9 per hour.

Our sofa seats the whole mob and it’s made of 100% Italian leather.

Full sized mattress. 20 year warranty. Like New. Slight urine smell.

Nordic Track $300 hardly used, call Chubby.

Joining nudist colony! Must sell washer and dryer $300.

Open house body shapers toning salon free coffee and donuts

Found: dirty white dog. Looks like a rat... been out while. Better be reward.

Exercise equipment: Queen Size Mattress & Box Springs - $175.

ALZHEIMER'S CENTER PREPARES FOR AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER.

Free Yorkshire Terrier: 8 years old. Hateful little dog.

Free puppies: ½ cocker spaniel, ½ sneaky neighbor’s dog.

Free puppies: part German Shepherd, part stupid dog.

German Shepherd, 85 lbs. Neutered. Speaks German. Free.

Snow Blower for sale…only used on snowy days.

Bill’s Septic Cleaning: “We Haul American-Made Products."

Cows, calves never bred…also 1 gay bull for sale.

Nice Parachute – Never opened. Used once.

Hummels – Largest selection ever. "If it’s in stock, then we have it!"

1 man, 7 women hot tub. $850/offer.

Shakespeare’s Pizza. Free chopsticks.

Harrisburg Postal Employee Gun Club.

Tickle-Me-Elmo, still in box, comes with its own 1988 Ford Mustang, 5L, Auto, Excellent condition $6800.

------------------------------------------------------

Monday: I had a visit from Chris Howard (2E0CTH) who came round to show me his new fun cube dongle. I would like one but would this be another piece of kit that that gets little use?

I have been studying on and off all week trying to get back in study mode. I have been enjoying it and feel with the winter months coming it will make it much easier to study. I have also rejoined the local library who have had a new building built and because its only half a mile away from home its a great asset for Saturdays.

My son Lee and his family spent Sunday with us for a relaxing day.

Week 31 2011

2011-07-31T22:12:00.004+01:00

This week’s bit of fun:

The following is seen in a Florida newspaper

Ever had a day like this?

A man was working on his motorcycle on his patio and his wife was in the house in the kitchen. The man was racing the engine on the motorcycle and somehow, the motorcycle slipped into gear. The man, still holding the handlebars, was dragged through a glass patio door and along with the motorcycle dumped onto the floor inside the house.

The wife, hearing the crash, ran into the dining room, and found her husband laying on the floor, cut and bleeding, the motorcycle laying next to him and the patio door shattered.

The wife ran to the phone and summoned an ambulance.

Because they lived on a fairly large hill, the wife went down the several flights of long steps to the street to direct the paramedics to her husband. After the ambulance arrived and transported the husband to the hospital, the wife uprights the motorcycle and pushed it outside.

Seeing that gas had spilled on the floor, the wife obtained some papers towels, blotted up the gasoline, and threw the towels in the toilet.

The husband was treated at the hospital and was released to come home. After arriving home, he looked at the shattered patio door and the damage done to his motorcycle. He became despondent, went into the bathroom, sat on the toilet and smoked a cigarette. After finishing the cigarette, he flipped it between his legs into the toilet bowl while still seated.

The wife, who was in the kitchen, heard a loud explosion and her husband screaming. She ran into the bathroom and found her husband lying on the floor. His trousers had been blown away and he was suffering burns on the buttocks, the back of his legs and his groin. The wife again ran to the phone and called for an ambulance.

The same ambulance crew was dispatched and the wife met them at the street. The paramedics loaded the husband on the stretcher and began carrying him to the street. While they were going down the stairs to the street accompanied by the wife, one of the paramedics asked the wife how the husband had burned himself. She told them and the paramedics started laughing so hard, one of them tipped the stretcher and dumped the husband out. He fell down the remaining steps and broke his arm.

This story redefines what it is to have a bad day.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Started back to work Monday and after a few hours the holiday was well and truly over. I did manage to get a night out on Monday with the boys; however the Scout Hut was closed so we meet at Sutton United Football Club. It was good to catch up with the guys after a couple of weeks away.

Colin made it back to Ireland on Wednesday night which put back our recording schedule for the ICQPODCAST.

Friday evening Colin and I recorded the latest episode of the ICQPODCAST.

I managed to do a couple of local Geocaches midday Sunday before spending the evening with Carole.

Colin released the latest episode of the ICQPODCAST on Sunday Morning.

ICQ Podcast S04 E16 - Cyprus Ham Radio Uncovered

News Stories include :-

New Zealand's first radio station ZLW 100 years old
RSGB Amateur Radio survey results
Ofcom licensing error
Codar radar on 24 MHz
Amateur Radio exams falling
2 metre simplex frequencies loss imminent in Texas
Radio ham killed in tower accident
Ham radio saves man’s life
SJ22S World Scout Jamboree
The Republic of South Sudan now a DXCC Entity
5 MHz in Slovakia
500 kHz and 70 MHz in the Netherlands
Brazil's first Amateur Radio satellite

Your feedback and Martin (M1MRB) and Colin (M6BOY) interview Richard (5B4AJG / M1EAR) and Baz (5B4AHO / M5BAZ) about being Amateur / Ham Radio operators in Cyprus.

The ICQPOCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

Week 30 2011

2011-07-24T17:18:00.003+01:00

Home from Cyprus and back to work tomorrow. The two weeks break was over all to quickly as I sit here preparing my tools for work.

While on Cyprus I managed to do some operating on six metres. Stations worked included:

UZ5HZZ, UT7OF, YO2LEL, YO2BCT, S51DL, UX0FF, E70T, 5B4AHY, UT4XXA and YO4ASV

Colin and I had lunch with the Paphos Radio Club at a beach taverna on Thursday. This taverna had a great view of the Mediterranean Sea and the weather was very hot. We recorded an interview with a couple of the guys at this spot for a future ICQPODCAST.

The mobile data in Cyprus is very poor with connection speeds lower than dial up. However we were able to get emails direct to the phone.

We did some more Geocaching during the second week along with seeing some nice parts of the island.

Some views from a Geocache:-)

Week 29 2011

2011-07-17T13:51:00.002+01:00

I didn't blog last week because I was travelling to Cyprus with the family. Its very hot out hear as you would expect with most days around the 38°C mark. We have been Geocaching on mount Olympus and visited other locations around Paphos.

I had had time to operate both on 20 metres and 6 metres with good results.

We recorded the latest ICQPODCAST this week while on holiday and release on time.

ICQ Podcast S04 E15 - Mini Holiday DxEpedition

Series Four Episode Fifteen of the ICQ Podcast has been released.

News Stories include :-

RS-ID via linked repeaters results
Space trash misses hams
Amateur Radio Satellites 50th Anniversary
New Whipbeater antenna
Portugal allocates additional 5 MHz frequency
500 kHz for Malta
UK spectrum management
Rare satellite grid squares activated
Satellite Beginners Workshop
Scottish Scout New Horizons Expedition
Olympic tests on 70cm
Amateur radio repeater falls silent
Amateur bags classic callsign

Your feedback, North American HamBrief with Chris Matthieu (N7ICE), American licence system by Jon Hawkes (VK2TCW and K2TCW) and Martin (M1MRB) discusses our mini holiday dxepedition.

The ICQPOCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

Back to normal next week :-)

Week 27 2011

2011-07-03T17:45:00.008+01:00

This week’s bit of fun:

Evolution

------------------------------------------------------------------

This week has been a very busy again. I seem to get one week very busy and the next just busy.

Monday: Another action packed night with the boys playing radio. See playing-radio.blogspot.com for more details.

Wednesday: it was Sandra’s birthday. My son Colin’s (M6BOY) XYL. So the recording of the ICQPODCAST has been put back a day.

Thursday: Colin and I recorded the next episode of the ICQPODCAST for release on Sunday.

Friday: I spent the evening working on a new project which may or may not happen later this year.

Sunday: Colin released a new episode of the ICQPODCAST before driving up to Dublin for the day.

Series Four Episode Fourteen of the ICQ Podcast has been released.

News Stories include :-

Radio Ham gets National Security / Technology role
UK Southern 80m news readings to cease
Comments to RSGB
New callsign suffixes for New Zeland Amateurs
VHF interference problem solved
Near-vertical incidence skywave measurements published
West Yorkshire Repeater Group to go digital
Limerick 2m repeater vandalised
VK3RDD repeater
VHF WSPR beacon from EA1
Youngsters On The Air
Malpas pupil takes to the airwaves
Converting a computer PSU into a bench PSU
Distance learning advanced exam

Your feedback, Austrialian report from Ed Durrant (VK2ARE) and Chris Howard (2E0CTH) reviews WSPR.

The ICQPOCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

Week 26 2011

2011-06-26T21:35:00.012+01:00

This week’s bit of fun:

The other day I needed to go to the local NHS hospital but not wanting to sit there for 4 hours,

I put on my blue jacket and pinned on a plastic ID card that I had made off the Internet onto the front of my jacket .

When I went into the hospital, I noticed that 3/4 of the people got up and left. I guess they decided that they weren't that sick after all. Cut at least 3 hours off my waiting time. Here's the patch. Feel free to use it the next time you're in need of quicker emergency service.

It also works at all supermarkets. It saves me hours.

At the Laundry, three minutes after entering, I had my choice of any machine, most still running!

Don't try it at McDonald's though..... The whole staff disappeared and I never got my order !!!!!

Also.......... never wear it while trying to get a taxi!!

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CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

The Nominees are:

AND the Winner Is:

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Monday: I spent the evening with the guys playing radio in Banstead. This turned out to be a Chinese radio session. Chris showed us his new dual band HT for under £30. It works very well. I have one on order from Hong Kong and look forward to receiving mine this week.

Wednesday: My new radio arrived from Hong Kong today and I have spent the evening playing with it. I think it was worth the few extra pounds to get the programming lead.

Saturday: Fitted my 2m/70cm antenna on Carole’s car and she didn’t notice it, I must have done a good job. I modified my speaker mic for my Wouxun HT and this has improved the transmitted audio a lot.

Sunday: I managed to do some PSK31 in the back garden in the afternoon.

All in all a good week.

Week 25 2011

2011-06-19T19:20:00.004+01:00

This week’s bit of fun:

http://www.thefuntheory.com/

Bottle Bank Arcade Machine

Piano Staircase

The World's Deepest Bin

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Monday: Another play night in Banstead. This evening I did some more PSK31 with the little Small Wonders Lab kit. It worked better on Epsom downs the Saturday before. I think this was due to the switch mode power supply I was using.

Wednesday: Colin and I recorded the next episode of the ICQPODCAST . Afterwards we had a Skype conference call with Chris (2E0CTH) about cheap hand held radios from China.

Thursday: Some of our students were sitting their full licence exam in Banstead. A number of the instructors and me turned up to wish them all luck.

Sunday: Colin released the latest episode of the ICQPODCAST, This is number 81.

ICQ Podcast S04 E13 - Joy of Electronics

Series Four Episode Thirteen of the ICQ Podcast has been released. News Stories include :-

· Urgent notice to South Africian amateur radio licensees
· Ethiopian Amateur / Ham Radio Society back on the air
· New shortwave frequency for Commando Solo
· International Museums Weekend
· SatNav Jamming
· Powerline to pollute Cumbria
· Council of Europe recommends RF free zones
· US Amateur / Ham Radio 60m under threat
· ARRL VHF/UHF advisory committee seeks input
· Ham Radio in NY Times Podcast
· DXpedition to Palestine
· 21 MHz band Aussie radar
· NZART Amateur of the Year
· Norwegian Radio Amateurs provide emergency comms
· Amateurs help NASA to receive solar images

Your feedback, US Hambrief report from Chris Matthieu (N7ICE) and Martin talks about the Joys of Electronics.

The ICQPOCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

Week 24 2011

2011-06-12T15:20:00.003+01:00

This week’s bit of fun:

This was written by a black gentleman in Texas and is so funny. What a great sense of humour and creative thinking!!!

When U Black, U Black

When I was born, I was BLACK,
When I grew up, I was BLACK,
When I went in the sun, I stayed BLACK,
When I got cold, I was BLACK,
When I was scared, I was BLACK,
When I was sick, I was BLACK,
And when I die, I'll still be BLACK.

NOW, You 'white' folks......

When you're born, you're PINK,
When you grow-up, you're WHITE,
When you go in the sun, you get RED,
When you're cold, you turn BLUE,
When you're scared, you're YELLOW,
When you get sick, you're GREEN
When you bruise, you turn PURPLE,
And when you die, you look GRAY.
So why y'all be callin' us COLOURED Folks?

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A cannibal was walking through the jungle and came upon a restaurant operated by a fellow cannibal.

Feeling somewhat hungry, he sat down and looked over the menu....

Tourist: $5.00

Broiled Missionary: $10.00

Fried Explorer: $15.00

Baked Liberal or Grilled Conservative : $100.00
The cannibal called the waiter over and asked,

"Why such a high price for the Politicians?"

The cook replied, "Have you ever tried to clean one?
They're so full of shit, it takes all morning."

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Monday: I took some Items of radio test gear to play with on our Monday night play session. Most new amateurs have not seen a Dip Oscillator, Absorption Wavemeter or an Antenna Noise bridge.

We played with the Dip oscillator and Absorption Wavemeter and found both seem to need recalibration. This is another job to fit into my already busy schedule.

We then moved on to the Antenna Noise Bridge and while it did give us a lot of noise when switched on, we could not get it to work with the ATU and antenna onsite. I must look at this again and try and get it to work correctly.

Thursday: I had a committee meeting with the guys from Sutton and Cheam Radio Society. As well as being a committee meeting it also good to catch up with some of the guys I haven’t seen for a while.

Saturday: I spent the day with some of the guys from the club on Epson Downs. This is a good place to go and play radio if the weather is good.