October 21, 2015. I want a flying car….
Star Wars Episode 7 Trailer #3
Star Wars Episode 7 Trailer #1
Opening Weekend of Deer Season 2014
This past weekend began Deer Season 2014. As usual, we had a fantastic time in the woods, but unfortunately the deer just weren’t moving yet. We saw a few animals here and there, but nothing to write home about.
This year was the first year that we had setup some game cameras at several of the feeder locations. We’ve had these running for the past few weeks, prior to opening weekend, and they revealed some good activity at various times of the day. We have plenty of legal-sized bucks roaming around the area, along with lots of Doe, and even some hogs. Our latest camera captures showed a pack of about 10 or so hogs that were feeding at 2 or 3 of the feeders. They’ve basically discovered the location of each feeder and are making their way around the property. I foresee some wild pork in my freezer again this year.
This is a photo I snapped of a spike that came up to one of the feeders this weekend. He has a large-framed body, but his horns were strange. I didn’t feel like shooting a spike this weekend, but I imagine he will be picked off at some point this season.
Friday night before opening day was Halloween, October 31. We celebrated by burning some wood. We set traps for witches in the field, but didn’t catch any this time.
I’ll be back this coming weekend and for the next several weekends afterwards, so be watching for some updated posts.
Happy New Year 2014
Happy new year, everyone.
I haven’t been blogging much on this blog lately, I have been spending most of my time on my ham radio blog. I started that blog around June of 2013 and it has become very enjoyable. I spent the last 4-5 months of 2013 writing in this blog, updating articles, finding other similar blogs to comment on, etc. I’ve also had people ask me over the air about the blog. Some say that they found some article I wrote, and we’ll start to talk about a subject, then others will ask the URL. I try not to give out the URL unless someone asks for it; I don’t like broadcasting, “hey go visit my blog at www….” because I would consider that spam. So I try to keep it to a “ask-only” situation and I have been impressed by how many people have asked about it over the air.
I’m also continuing on my Book Review blog. I’m continuing on my journey of reading all the Star Wars Expanded Universe books. I didn’t get as far in 2013 as I had wanted, so I am planning to focus more on this goal in 2014. I only read and completed 9 novels this year. In 2012 I had read 22 novels, and had set a goal for myself to reach 30 novels for 2013. Obviously, I didn’t make it. Partially due to a new job, and renewed interests in ham radio, and other things going on in life also. So I’ve renewed my goal to read more books for 2014. I’m not sure I will hit the 30 mark, but I at least want to get back into the 20s.
Over the next 3 months I am planning to spend some heavy-time in the gym and am I also going to eat very clean. I have about 2.5 months until my 40th birthday, so I plan to hit it really hard up until then.
We still have our GrapevineBlog also. We don’t post in it much anymore, but from time to time we will throw new posts up there.
Not much else new at this point in time. Instead of daily posts, I might try weekly posts on this blog for 2014. I don’t think I have enough to talk about every day, but I also don’t like going a month or two in between posts either. We’ll see what 2014 brings.
Deer Season 2013 10-point Buck
The attached picture is the buck that I shot on 11/9 from the Sendero stand for season 2013. This buck was a 10-point and weighed probably about 150lbs after field dressing. The processor didn’t give me an exact weight, but I also forgot to ask for one.
The night I shot this guy, he was the only deer I saw, after Justin had sat in the stand that morning and seen about a dozen deer. In fact, he shot his buck that same morning, which ended up being a very-wide 6-point.
This 10-point came out from the creek behind the feeder, on the road-side of the sendero. He fed for a bit around the feeder before I shot him, and at one point I thought I had lost him because he was down the slope that is hard to see from the stand. But after he reappeared, I shot him on his left side, and he ran about 15 yards into the woods, lease-side of the feeder. It was around 5:05pm. I waited 15 minutes, then walked down and found him just inside the treeline.
New Ham Radio Blog
Rather than posting here for lots and lots of Ham stuff I have been doing lately, I decided to make yet another blog and dedicate it totally to Ham Radio. Go check it out and please comment:
Ham Radio Antenna Tower
I’ve decided that I want an antenna tower, but they are so expensive, at least for a new one, that I am weighing my options right now.
I have found a few on craigslist, and a few more on ebay, but of course you have to pay for shipping on ebay. Craigslist is local and you can drive to go pick it up, but some people have existing towers they want to sell and require you to take down yourself, which I am not crazy about doing.
For a brand new 30-40 foot tower, I could spend anywhere from $300-$1000. I found one guy from Temple selling a 40-ft for $200, but I’ve emailed and called him and he isn’t responding, so I bet he has sold it.
People: If you list an ad on Craigslist and then sell the item, removing the freaking ad! It isn’t rocket science….
Anyway, I haven’t yet decided what I am going to do. I could probably keep looking and find a good price for one on Craigslist, and that might be the way that I go, but I also have an idea for a homemade tower that I think I may try first. I’ve already assembled a couple of versions of this tower, but in my mind I have a new version that it taller and more stable than my current setup. It is built out of Galvanized pipe, normally used for water supply lines. Here is a link to the brand/type at Lowes.
My ambition for this new configuration came to me after getting my hamshack setup, but also from the Antenna and Tower setup that KM5RF has. I spoke to Maurice on the Arlington repeater the other night and he directed me to his website, and wow. This is a bit extreme for my current location, but I think I can do something on a smaller scale .
I’ll post more about this as the project comes to fruition.
Dallas Ft Worth Amateur Radio Repeater List
This is a repeater list that I have been working on for some time, but it is likely outdated because I haven’t made any updates to it in about a year. I went through the Notes section just now and changed a few things but I think some of these frequencies are no longer active. I will be testing each of these repeaters and updating the Notes section for each one. Check back frequently for updates. Any comments or info about any of these machines is welcome also.
| Mem | Output | Call | PL | City | State | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 145.400 - | N5EOC | 110.9 | Grapevine | Texas | NETARC |
| 2 | 443.875 + | N5EOC | 110.9 | Grapevine | Texas | NETARC |
| 3 | 146.860 - | WD5DBB | 110.9 | Arlington | Texas | |
| 4 | 147.14 + | K5SLD | 110.9 | Arlington | Texas | Very Active Repeater – Linked to 224.8 |
| - | 224.8 + | K5SLD | 110.9 | Arlington | Texas | Linked to 147.14 |
| - | 224.90 - | WB0LII | 110.9 | Arlington | Texas | Update Lima Link System and linked to 145.27 Glen … |
| 5 | 443.400 + | WD5DBB | 110.9 | Arlington | Texas | |
| 6 | 444.2 + | K5SLD | 100.0 | Arlington | Texas | Changed PL to 100.0 in November and added IRLP |
| 7 | 442.3 + | - | - | BEDFORD | Texas | |
| 8 | 147.22 + | - | - | BOWIE | Texas | |
| 9 | 442.450 + | KA5PQK | 156.7 | Bowie | Texas | WRG Link System – Bowie-Dallas-Decatur-Ft. Wort |
| 10 | 146.82 - | - | - | BROWNWOOD | Texas | |
| 11 | 145.21 - | N5MJQ | 110.9 | Carrollton | Texas | |
| 12 | 147.32 + | K5MOT-2 | 146.2 | Carrollton | Texas | UNVERIFIED |
| 13 | 442.875 + | - | - | CARROLLTON | Texas | |
| 14 | 444.875 + | K5MOT | 146.2 | Carrollton | Texas | |
| 15 | 53.07 - | - | - | CARROLLTON | Texas | UNVERIFIED |
| 16 | 441.9 + | W5RV | 110.9 | Colleyville | Texas | |
| 17 | 441.600 + | KA1CWM | 107.2 | Coppell | Texas | D/FW Airport Local Open Repeater |
| 18 | 441.800 + | ka1cwm | 107.2 | Coppell | Texas | Repeater is open-used by club members and the Community |
| 19 | 444.225 + | K5CFD | 110.9 | Coppell | Texas | A very good repeater |
| 20 | 145.190 - | KA5CTN | 110.9 | Dallas | Texas | This used to be on the tallest building in Dallas but now is hardly accessible |
| 21 | 145.430 - | K5DM | 110.9 | Dallas | Texas | TIARC. Open repeater. |
| 22 | 146.610 - | K5ZYZ | 110.9 | Dallas | Texas | In continuous operation since 1973 !!!!!… |
| 23 | 146.880 - | W5FC | 110.9 | Dallas | Texas | Dallas Amateur Radio Club. Open Repeater. An Excellent Machine. |
| - | 224.180 - | W5RDW | 110.9 | Dallas | Texas | Antenna at 350 ft. on tower. Covers North Dallas |
| - | 224.70 - | N5TPS | 127.3 | Dallas | Texas | North Texas Repeater Association linked to Dallas |
| - | 224.880 - | W5FC | 110.9 | Dallas | Texas | Dallas Amateur Radio Club |
| 24 | 442.425 + | W5FC | 110.9 | Dallas | Texas | Dallas Amateur Radio Club. Open repeater |
| 25 | 53.35 - | - | - | DALLAS | Texas | |
| 26 | 145.39 - | - | - | DECATUR | Texas | …I don't think this repeater exists anymore |
| 27 | 444.400 + | KA5PQK | 156.7 | Decatur | Texas | WRG Link System – Bowie-Dallas-Decatur-Ft.Worth |
| 28 | 146.920 - | W5NGU | 110.9 | Denton | Texas | Denton County Storm Watch |
| - | 223.800 - | K5QA | 110.9 | Euless | Texas | Euless ARC Repeater — Linked to 442.900 |
| - | 224.56 - | - | - | EULESS | Texas | |
| 29 | 442.900 + | K5QA | 110.9 | Euless | Texas | Euless ARC Repeater — Linked to 223.800 |
| 30 | 145.230 - | N5ERS | 110.9 | Flower Mound | Texas | linked to 444.850 and 927.875 |
| 31 | 444.850 + | N5ERS | 110.9 | Flower Mound | Texas | Open to all! Emergency power linked to 145.230 |
| 32 | 145.33 - | W5NRV | 110.9 | Haltom City | Texas | A very active repeater |
| 33 | 146.94 - | K5FTW | 110.9 | Fort Worth | Texas | Tarrant County RACES Storm Watching |
| 34 | 53.15 - | K5SXK | 110.9 | Fort Worth | Texas | |
| - | 224.140 - | ka5gfh | 156.7 | Fort Worth | Texas | |
| - | 224.32 - | W0BOD | - | Fort Worth | Texas | |
| - | 224.42 - | W5SJZ | 110.9 | Fort Worth | Texas | Lockheed Martin ARC |
| - | 224.68 - | W0BOD | 103.5 | Fort Worth | Texas | |
| - | 224.94 - | K5FTW | 110.9 | Fort Worth | Texas | Fort Worth Texas VHF-FM Society… |
| 35 | 53.35 - | WA5YST | 127.3 | Frisco | Texas | (DFW area) Open 6mtr rptr covering Dallas Fort-Wor… |
| 36 | 147.100 + | W5HRC | 110.9 | HURST | Texas | I once held a QSO on this repeater and another operator came on to tell us it was a Closed machine |
| - | 224.30 - | WB5TCD | 110.9 | Hurst | Texas | |
| 37 | 442.85 + | K5JRR | 110.9 | Hurst | Texas | |
| 38 | 443.575 + | WB5TCD | 110.9 | Hurst | Texas | |
| 39 | 145.45 - | N2DFW | 110.9 | Irving | Texas | Update Owned by the DFW Repeater Association |
| 40 | 146.72 - | WA5CKF | 110.9 | Irving | Texas | |
| - | 224.40 - | WA5CKF | 110.9 | Irving | Texas | |
| 41 | 442.675 + | WA5CKF | Irving | Texas | ||
| 42 | 146.840 - | KE5IGO | 136.5 | Kaufman | Texas | |
| 43 | 147.2 + | - | - | KELLER | Texas | |
| 44 | 29.660 - | W5DFW | - | Keller | Texas | DFW Remote Base Association OPEN 10m repeater |
| 45 | 442.975 + | N5UA | - | Keller | Texas | Linked to N5CN HF & UHF remote baseYou might hear |
| 46 | 145.17- | W5FKN | 110.9 | Lewisville | Texas | I used to talk on this machine all the time-good group of guys. |
| 47 | 145.37 - | K5NRH | 110.9 | North Richland Hills | Texas | |
| - | 223.94 - | W5URH | - | North Richland Hills | Texas | |
| 48 | 147.18 + | WD5ERD | 107.2 | PLANO | Texas | This repeater is open to all amateur radio operators |
| 49 | 147.12 + | - | - | RICHARDSON | Texas | |
| - | 224.180 + | w5rd | 110.9 | Richardson | Texas | |
| - | 224.28 - | N5LLH | - | Southlake | Texas | |
| 50 | 442.175 + | N1OZ | 110.9 | Southlake | Texas | NETARC |
| 51 | 444.700 + | N5EOC | 110.9 | Southlake | Texas | NETARC |
| 52 | 147.380 + | K5LRK | 110.9 | The Colony | Texas | The Lake Area Amateur Radio Klub (LAARK) Repeater |
| 53 | 442.750 + | KA5R | 110.9 | Trophy Club | Texas | Open Alliance Amateur Radio Club Repeater |
| 54 | 146.660 - | K5QHD | 110.9 | Garland | Texas | Garland Amateur Radio Club |
| 55 | 146.700 | 110.9 | DALLAS | Texas | DFW Flame Thrower | |
| 56 | 145.490 - | WD5U | 85.4 | Rosston | Texas | |
| 57 | 52.590 - | - | 110.9 | DALLAS | Texas |
New Antenna Adjustments
This past weekend I changed my antenna mast just a bit, and the result is a 3rd arm for another antenna and the main mast section being 2 feet higher in the air.
I had had the main mast in 2 pieces; a 10′ section and a 4′ section. Connecting the two sections was a T-style connector which added a perpendicular arm to the 14′ section. The perpendicular arm was 18″ long with a 90 degree elbow on the end of it, and a 4″ section of pipe pointing straight up from the elbow. This 4″ pipe allowed easy mounting of a 2nd antenna to the entire system with U-bolts. I had the main mast mounted to the back of the Ham Shack with a railing system, and it was 4′ off of the ground, making the main antenna sit 18′ in the air at its base.
The change I made was to remove the 4′ section and replace it with a 3′ and a 5′ section, then I dropped the main mast down 2′, making it 2′ off of the ground. This creates a 20′ base for the main antenna; 2′ from the ground, +10’+3’+5′ of piping. Also between the new 3′ and 5′ section I added a second T-style connector and another 18″ arm for a 3rd antenna.
My plan for the 3rd arm is a 200MHz J-pole. In total this will give me a 2-meter antenna at the top (20′ in the air), then a 220MHz antenna 5′ below that (15′ in the air) then finally a dual-band 2m/70cm J-pole (12′ in the air).
I also hung a 6-meter J-pole in the tree behind the Shack that you can somewhat see in the pic above, to the right. It is a 12′ antenna and it hanging from a branch that is right at 12′ from the ground, so the height isn’t ideal. But I was able to hit the Ft Worth and Cedar Hill 6-meter repeaters last night. I plan to change this up somehow, with hopes of getting the antenna higher up for better TX/RX ranges.