Sponsored by the: Kent County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service

No Techno-Babble needed, this class is for anyone who wants their amateur radio license.  Since 2006 more than 500 people have taken this class and passed!

Date: Sunday November 15th 2009

Cost: $40.00 Includes license Fee

Location: TBA

Pre-Registration is required to reserve a spot in the class.

Time: 1:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Testing will start at 6:00 PM

To register http://www.kcraces.net/signup/hiad.php.

Questions: jnawrot[at]kcvrm[dot]net

[Those] under 16 must be accompanied by an adult!

Bring either [a] drivers license or 2 pieces of identification

Coffee will be provided! Dress comfortably!

Small Print: This class uses memory retention, everyone learns differently. Class is not a guarantee to getting your license.

“October”, featuring music of the season will take place on October 18, 2009.

Click here to view the flier.

For information you can check out their website at: http://artprize.org/.

Local coverage is also available at mlive at the link: http://www.mlive.com/artprize/.

There are some really remarkable creations (as well as some that are strange, contemplative, outlandish, and amazing) around town.  I’ll likely post some pictures in my photo gallery after the weekend when I head dowtown to view them.

What was I thinking?

Since it’s been a long while, I thought I’d update all my loyal readers further on where I’ve been, what I’ve been up to, and such.

June brought a brief break from school and classes.  Only to fire up again the end of June for the summer semester.  Working on my new subject area has been fun.  I forgot how much work school can be though.  I get home from work, read and study for about two hours, take my evening classes for three hours, grab dinner, and head to bed.  The next morning is rinse and repeat.  Hopefully by next summer I’ll be off to attempt finding work again.

In July, we had a brief trip up north over the Fourth to celebrate.  It was nice to see all the family again.  The annual Burch Terrace picnic was a ton of fun once again.  The entertainment for the evening was a group called “Under Advisement.”  It is a classic rock band mostly made up of lawyers from the Saginaw/Bay City, MI area.  They did a very nice job covering classic Beatles, Aerosmith, CCR, and similar tunes.

August was a cool and dry month.  Most of the weekends were spent out enjoying the cool summer.  Work and school continued on relentlessly.

September has gone by much too quickly.  Just the other day Laura and I headed out on our tandem bicycle for a Labor Day trail ride.  Now it’s almost Autumn (5:18 this evening, officially).

I guess the only other things to report are that music continues to flood through our veins.   The Forest Hills Adult Community Band started up a few weeks back (look for concert dates and the like soon.  Or you can get info now at http://www.FHACB.org.)  Church commitments have started up as well.

The posts will be coming as often as possible.  Stay tuned.

You can always keep up with me on Facebook too at: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=822938706&ref=profile.  Not a member of Facebook???  It’s fun!!!  Sign up at http://www.facebook.com.

If you’d like, post a little message about what is new in your life since we last spoke.

Sorry for the delay in regular posts.  The blog will return in full force starting September 19, 2009!  Ready or not, here it comes!

In mid-June the computer that I have had since college decided that it was time to give up the ghost.  This was a mixed blessing.  While it gave us a chance to get a newer machine it also turned into a major headache in the meantime.  School work was still ongoing when the computer croaked, and it took a few weeks to get the funding together (and the time together) to go search for a new machine.

Our new computer has been living with us since the end of June but with school and work the way they have been, the regular activities ceased for a while.

Until the 19th, twiddle your thumbs impatiently and wait.  Then tune in and see all of your favorite weather, radio, music, and other W8AGT news.

Good things come to him/her that waits.

Thanks,
–W8AGT

The FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Order (NPRM) on May 14 seeking to raise fees for Amateur Radio vanity call signs.  Currently, a vanity call sign costs $12.30 and is good for 10 years; the new fee, if the FCC plan goes through, will go up to $13.40 for 10 years, an increase of $1.10.

The FCC is authorized by the Communications Act of 1934 (as amended) to collect vanity call sign fees to recover the costs associated with that program. The vanity call sign regulatory fee is payable not only when applying for a new vanity call sign, but also upon renewing a vanity call sign for a new term. Instructions on how to comment on this NPRM are available on the FCC Web site.

The vanity call sign fee has fluctuated over the 12 years of the current program — from a low of $11.70 in 2007 to a high of $70 (as first proposed in the FCC’s 1994 Report and Order). In 2007, the Commission lowered the fee from $20.80 to $11.70. The FCC said it anticipates some 15,000 Amateur Radio vanity call sign “payment units” or applications during the next fiscal year, collecting $201,000 in fees from the program.

The vanity call sign regulatory fee is payable not only when applying for a new vanity call sign, but also upon renewing a vanity
call sign for a new term. The first vanity call sign licenses issued under the current Amateur Radio vanity call sign program that began in 1996 came up for renewal three years ago.

Those holding vanity call signs issued prior to 1996 are exempt from having to pay the vanity call sign regulatory fee at renewal,
however. That’s because Congress did not authorize the FCC to collect regulatory fees until 1993. Such “heritage” vanity call sign
holders do not appear as vanity licensees in the FCC Amateur Radio database.

Amateur Radio licensees may file for renewal only within 90 days of their license expiration date. All radio amateurs must have an FCC Registration Number (FRN) before filing any application with the Commission. Applicants can obtain an FRN by going to the ULS and clicking on the “New Users Register” link. You must supply your Social Security Number to obtain an FRN.

The ARRL VEC will process license renewals for vanity call sign holders for a modest fee. The service is available to ARRL members and nonmembers, although League members pay less. Routine, non-vanity renewals continue to be free for ARRL members. Trustees of club stations with vanity call signs may renew either via the ULS or through a Club Station Call Sign Administrator, such as ARRL VEC.

League members should visit the “ARRL Member Instructions for License Renewals or Changes” page, while the “Instructions for
License Renewals or Changes” page covers general renewal procedures for nonmembers. There is additional information on the ARRL VEC’s “FCC License Renewals and ARRL License Expiration Notices” page. 

License application and renewal information and links to the required forms are available on the ARRL Amateur Application Filing
FAQ Web page. The FCC’s forms page also offers the required forms.

(SOURCE: ARRL News Bulletin, May 18, 2009)

Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs underneath it. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the other monkeys with cold water. After awhile, another monkey makes the attempt with the same result – all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon, when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will prevent it.

Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace that monkey with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and another attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.

Next, remove another one of the original monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. the previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm! Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth.

Everytime the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they are not permitted to climb the stairs or why or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey. After replacing all of the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana.

Why not?

Because as far as they know, that’s the way it’s always been done around here.

(SOURCE: Unknown)

The stories that were posted, minus the crossword word of the weeks and quote of the weeks for May 1-15, have now been posted.

Further updates will be posted as the situation may warrant.  We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WKRP_in_Cincinnati#The_.22real.22_WKRP_stations