K3MRI

Check out this very original method of mass disconnecting an antenna system during a lightning storm.

Join the conversation, we would love to know what you think...

Who is participating? I am. This is my fourth year. It's great opportunity to get involved. Also, I just received an email from Howard, the lead, telling us that we are short about 20 operators. If you are interested, sign up at https://www.mcmham.org/Volunteer/

Does anyone out there know any amateur radio jokes? I know my dad knew several, obviously I don't remember a single one. Anyone?

I'm curious which branches of the military our members have served. If you've served in more than one, feel free to include them. Also, if you would like to (optional!!) tell us about your Service, feel free to below.

I might as well be the first one to make a shameless plug. Last year (2018) I wrote my first novel. I'm thrilled to present a link here, It's available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle. https://bit.ly/tuk50 The Teaser... After 34 years of service, retired Lt. General El Masri is living comfortably in Washington D.C. His new life is a balanced mix of adventure motorcycling and amateur radio, until one day he receives a message on an HF frequency; it will change the course of his life and of the very world order he once defended. What causes this ex-Deputy Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD, to steal a Top Secret archive from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency? Why is he trying to start a nuclear war with Russia? As worrisome, why are an elite group of Russian Navy Spetsnaz preparing an infil into North America? In this military, espionage, adventure novel, we discover the fragile nature of inter-agency intelligence and how a single event could trigger a nuclear Armageddon, still today. Fortunately, a pair of mismatched allies, Graham Lombard, a CSIS, has-been, intelligence analyst, and Masako Fujimori, an overdriven DIA field agent, will make it their duty to chase down the General over land, across oceans, in the air, and even on the airwaves. In the end, it will come down to a choice, will one of the General’s own family members be prepared to stop him, even if it means killing him?

I'd love to hear some of your good and bad experiences with public service events. I'll start it off with a mini mini beef of mine and that's toilets. It may seem silly, but on one of my first marathons, as an operator, they put me at a mile marker that has zero facilities. Not fun. Plus it was a downtown so no nice tree to hide behind. I also wish that there were more hams involved in these types of events. It's often a problem to have a critical mass of operators making the operation somewhat inefficient. Last thought is parking. Often there is no parking at public service events, especially on races, so you may end up walking a few miles...

I have to throw a little bit of fuel on the fire and ask who misses CW being on the exam...

Are you in the mood to see the craziest antenna launcher ever? Here you go... And if you don't want to use it to launch wire, you could always use it to launch an invasion 😎🤣

For those of us who approve of Winlink and the convergence of technologies, here is an interesting development... Winklink on Raspberry Pi !! https://hamradiohawaii.wordpress.com/2018/11/13/winlink-on-raspberry-pi-project/ **EDIT** This site mentioned above is 'no longer available'. See @K0BLU's post below for a new link. More welcome.

For years, different emergency responders have self-deployed. First doctors and nurses did it during the African famines of the seventies. Cajun Navy has done so more recently during many floods in the U.S. I'm wondering what you all think about the notion of self-deployment among hams? Authorities do not want us to self deploy. Ask anyone at Homeland, ARRL/ARES, Red Cross and they will always tell you the same thing, that we are undisciplined and that self-deployment is dangerous. I won't take sides for now, I'll just let the debate take its course.

Welcome to Ham Community, an experiment by a small group of amateur radio operators who, like all amateur radio operators, love to experiment. That's what we do! We try new things, then we improve them, then we simply build another one, better still. There are other amateur radio websites out there, we know this, And yet, none seemed to have the most important defining characteristic: a sense of community. Some are about reviews, others about propagation, still others about technology. All those are important, and we support them, we even have links to them in our Links Directory! Instead, Ham Community was born out of a need to create off-air bonds. Let's be clear, first and foremost, HAMs build bonds on air. But why not use the web to strengthen those bonds, to facilitate them, even to nurture them? As I type this, the project is in its infancy; it's not even live yet. As you, however, read this first post, who knows how far we've gotten. One thing is certain, we will get nowhere if we do not make this space useful to you, and that's what we've spent the past six months doing. We've been talking, thinking, and planning. We've been building and rebuilding, all in the hope of giving you a worthy tool and space. As for the future, we have dreams. We think we know where this online community could end up, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Before I close, a quick shout out to several HAMs, and non-HAMs, who have been instrumental in making this site a reality. Their encouragements and input have been invaluable. I count them as friends and accomplices in this mad venture. A most special thank you to @W4DOI, @W3JRD, @K3HLT, and @KW4TO; the Five Hamigos.