Subj : Newsline Part 2
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Mar 24 2017 02:02 pm
THE GOOD OLD DAYS OF AM ARE BACK
PAUL/ANCHOR: If you've never tried AM mode, now's your chance. Whatever the
age of your rig, this time-honored voice communication mode is about to
have an event all its own. Here's Amateur Radio Newsline's Heather Embee,
KB3TZD, with more.
HEATHER: What could be better than high-fidelity amateur radio? Nothing!
How about enjoying this through a contest known as the AM Rally, which
takes place the weekend of April 1st and 2nd. The weekend of AM QSOs not
only pays homage to the oldest form of voice modulation, which predates
SSB, but encourages all amateurs - even first-timers who've never used AM
mode - to switch their rigs out of SSB. Hams are asked to experience the
rich sound their contacts have when their signals contain a carrier with
double sideband - perhaps for the first time in their operating careers.
The action is happening on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10 and 6 meters, and
there's an opportunity to earn certificates, as well as learn more about
this historic mode of transmission. Hams with transistorized rigs,
home-brew rigs, boat anchors, software-based rigs, and many other types of
equipment can participate. Even military rigs and rigs converted from AM
broadcast qualify; there are separate categories for each type. Please
visit www-dot-amrally-dot-com (www.amrally.com) for details, operating
frequencies and information about logging software.
Even if you're too young to remember the good old days of AM, if you're
licensed, you're old enough to go back in time for just a few hours, and
experience AM.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD.
(CLARK BURGARD N1BCG)
**
NETS OF NOTE: THE BROTHERS NET
PAUL: Newsline's occasional series, Nets of Note, takes a look at some
unusual on-air gatherings. This week's find is from Amateur Radio
Newsline's Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.
NEIL: On this week's "Nets of Note, we meet Phil Henline, KB0OPR, one of
the founding brothers of the Brothers Net on 40 meters. These guys know
how to throw a party... I mean... a net. Phil tells us how it all got
started.
PHIL: The net started quite by accident. My younger brother got me into
ham radio. Our father passed away in '93. He bribed me with my dad's
Kenwood 520S and a tuner, and said "if you get your general license, I'll
give those to you." So I got my license. I got on one night. I don't
remember what frequency it was, and I heard about three fellows chatting,
and I heard this one fellow say that he lived in Indiana, but he was
originally from Wisconsin. So when they finished, I contacted him, and
we had a little chat, and we discovered that we each had brothers still
living in Wisconsin, that were hams. So we would make contacts every
Saturday morning, and that went on for probably about six or eight months.
Then one day, my brother Kurt said, "We should start a brothers net."
NEIL: Very soon, though, the net was opened to everyone, brothers or no
brothers. And it just started to grow. Now there are 944 members in 41
states, and 32 countries. Each night has a different theme.
PHIL: Monday night, we do what we call tube night, which is old radio
night. You don't have to have an old radio to join us, but if you do, we'd
like you to fire it up. Every other Tuesday night is Route 66, where we
talk about nothing but cars, and Route 66, and things of that nature.
The opposite Tuesday night we have what we call rocket science night. And,
we have another NCS that is into the scientific area, and he does a net
around that.
NEIL: Wednesday night is Canadian night. Thursday is for astronomy, Friday
is for trivia. Saturday is well, wide open! This net even has its own
mascot!
PHIL: My brother, Kurt, WA9KMB, in Medford, had an eagle nesting in one of
the trees on his property. So we called him Rudy, and eventually we decided
we should have a mascot. So, Kurt found this beautiful stuffed eagle that's
about maybe 2 foot tall, very attractive, and we have what we call a
"handshake" every year. So, every first week in June, we go to Russellville,
Kentucky to K4ELO. He has a farm there, and he hosts it. We have about 40
people a year. And, Rudy the mascot then gets auctioned off. Whoever wins
Rudy has to take Rudy with them wherever they go, and they have to
photograph Rudy in all these different places. They'll submit the
photographs to me, and I'll keep a constant slideshow going on our website.
NEIL: For some brotherly advice, try the Brothers net on 7.192 at 7 pm
Eastern Monday through Saturday. And, you can check out the pictures of
Rudy and get more information at their website, w9bro.net.
Reporting for Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.
ANCHOR/PAUL: Meanwhile, if you know of a net with an interesting story to
tell, email us at newsline at arnewsline.org , and we might just feature
it as one of our next Nets of Note.
