<html><head></head><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:14px"><div id="yiv3045418163"><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462478606304_9340"><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462478606304_9339" style="color:#000;background-color:#fff;font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:14px;"><div id="yiv3045418163"><div id="yiv3045418163yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462478606304_2960"><div id="yiv3045418163yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462478606304_2959" style="color:#000;background-color:#fff;font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:14px;"><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462478606304_9565">Dave, you are so correct - mentoring is so important and it doesn't take much, I've had several along the way. If the desire is there and cultivated, the operators will finish the work on their own. I remember back in the early 80s I had regular QSOs with Pat Stein (N8BRA) before he started Commander amplifiers. He was always a gentleman and never looked down at me because my station wasn't at his level.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462478606304_9566"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462478606304_9567" dir="ltr">I encourage everyone to concentrate on their hearing abilities. I have worked two stations recently on 144.200 who were using RG-58 for feedline. Neither station realizes what they are missing. The actiivity isn't what it used to be but it is still out there, sometimes we just have to reach a little farther for it. Some good ragchews not too far off the call frequencies will be good advertising.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462478606304_9773" dir="ltr"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462478606304_9792" dir="ltr">Best 73 to all</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462478606304_9793" dir="ltr"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462478606304_9794" dir="ltr">Ken - KU8Y<br></div><div id="yiv3045418163yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462191638309_125333"><span></span></div> <div class="yiv3045418163qtdSeparateBR" id="yiv3045418163yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462478606304_2961"><br clear="none"><br clear="none"></div><div class="yiv3045418163yqt5490798715" id="yiv3045418163yqt93272"></div></div></div></div><div class="yiv3045418163yqt2078921538" id="yiv3045418163yqt39012"><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462478606304_9338"> <div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462478606304_9337" style="font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:14px;"> <div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462478606304_9336" style="font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:16px;"> <div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462478606304_9381" dir="ltr"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462478606304_9772" face="Arial" size="2"> On Thursday, May 5, 2016 2:08 AM, David Pruett <k8cc@comcast.net> wrote:<br clear="none"></font></div> <br clear="none"><br clear="none"> <div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462478606304_9335" class="yiv3045418163y_msg_container">Tom,<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Thanks for your note. I enjoyed reading what you had to say and hearing <br clear="none">your perspective on the club.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">There seem to be a number of small pockets of weak signal VHF/UHF <br clear="none">activity here in Michigan, each with few dedicated ops. I've been on VHF <br clear="none">on and off since 1989, and it sure seems like the bands are empty a lot <br clear="none">of the time.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">I had the chance to operate 2M from K3MQH, a multi-op station on a <br clear="none">mountain top outside of Gettysburg, PA in the 1997 Sept VHF QSO Party. <br clear="none">Out there, 2M sounds like 40M :-)<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Yes, I can see how having a club web site and e-mail reflector has <br clear="none">helped in resurrecting MIVUS. But the web site content is a bit sparse <br clear="none">or old, and there is very little chatter on the reflector. Roger can't <br clear="none">do it all by himself; we all need to contribute stuff for the web site <br clear="none">and converse on the reflector.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">As you are aware, I am also involved with the Mad River Radio Club with <br clear="none">contesting on HF, so I'll be splitting my time between the two clubs. <br clear="none">But I feel a lot of loyalty to what MIVUS is trying to do, and hope to <br clear="none">contribute towards that.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">I have been trying to recruit newcomers to the weak-signal VHF/UHF <br clear="none">world. I think that one way to do that might be rovering. I think <br clear="none">there are a lot of guys who have radios with HF/50/144/432 capability <br clear="none">that never venture above 30 MHz. With a few simple antennas on their <br clear="none">car, they can make QSOs in a VHF contest and have a lot of fun if there <br clear="none">are people for them to work. This is where MIVUS comes in - mentoring <br clear="none">people like this as to the right way to set up their stuff, then <br clear="none">promoting the rovering activity on the e-mail reflector.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">I think the "Golden Mitten" award is a great idea. There should be a <br clear="none">page on the MIVUS web site describing the award with an official list of <br clear="none">the 24 grids and how to apply. If somebody would work out the details <br clear="none">of how to administer the award, maybe I could craft a web page.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">I hope that you will be able to acquire those Larcan modules. Those <br clear="none">would make a great club project with some of our experienced tech guys <br clear="none">leading the way so other members can increase the capability of their <br clear="none">stations. This is exactly the kind of thing which can build interest <br clear="none">and activity.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">I wish that we had some sort of weekly net, maybe rotating between <br clear="none">different bands so members could get on an test their stations without <br clear="none">having to wait for a contest weekend.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Or maybe a set of beacons on the most popular VHF band, centrally <br clear="none">located in the state, again so that people would test their stations' <br clear="none">receiving capabilities without needing a contest to do so.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">I am glad to hear about the "Spark in the Park". I've already marked in <br clear="none">my calendar, and plan to attend.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Do you know if K8EB/b on 903.065 is still QRV? I'm putting my 903 gear <br clear="none">back together and I'd like to find a beacon to listen to for proving out <br clear="none">my setup.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">73, Dave/K8CC<br clear="none"><br clear="none"><div class="yiv3045418163yqt8527144898" id="yiv3045418163yqtfd44518"><br clear="none">On 5/4/2016 9:56 PM, Tom wrote:<br clear="none">> Dave,<br clear="none">><br clear="none">> Really nice post. I myself would love to do more on VHF/UHF, but I'm <br clear="none">> 33 months away from the R word!<br clear="none">><br clear="none">> I also wish there was more activity. It's puzzling, as it seems like <br clear="none">> activity is down. I give a little talk about once a year to the <br clear="none">> Holland club, and I push the faith at hamfests by telling the FM'rs <br clear="none">> that a 7 element 2 meter beam on top of their roof, will let them talk <br clear="none">> to Chicago, Milwaukee or Detroit anytime.<br clear="none">><br clear="none">> Roger, W8IO gets the credit for resurrecting the MIVUS crowd. With <br clear="none">> this list server, it is easier for all of us to keep track of what is <br clear="none">> going on. We've even come up with an award, the Golden Mitten award, <br clear="none">> for working all 24 Michigan grids. "We" need to get working on being <br clear="none">> able to award that.<br clear="none">><br clear="none">> The best part of this list is that if someone like you does go rover, <br clear="none">> you can let all of us know, and we can then look for you.<br clear="none">><br clear="none">> Any ideas for increasing activity, well, they are appreciated.<br clear="none">><br clear="none">> As an aside, sometime in June, I might be able to get my hands on some <br clear="none">> 50+ Larcan VHF high band 1 kw modules. If I get those, there will be a <br clear="none">> special deal for MIVUS members. I should be able to bring them to the <br clear="none">> annual meeting.<br clear="none">><br clear="none">> Oh, speaking of that for you Dave and everyone, make sure to put <br clear="none">> August 20, 2016, Saturday on your calendar for the annual MIVUS <br clear="none">> meeting at the "Spark in the Park". That will be 3-8 pm, Saturday in <br clear="none">> Grand Rapids.<br clear="none">><br clear="none">> Thank you fro the note Dave, and your level of activity is very much <br clear="none">> appreciated..<br clear="none">><br clear="none">> Tom K8TB<br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none">_______________________________________________<br clear="none">MiVUS mailing list<br clear="none"><a id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462478606304_9796" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:MiVUS@mivus.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:MiVUS@mivus.org">MiVUS@mivus.org</a><br clear="none">subscribe/unsubscribe <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.mivus.org/mailman/listinfo/mivus_mivus.org">http://mail.mivus.org/mailman/listinfo/mivus_mivus.org</a><br clear="none"></div><br clear="none"><br clear="none"></div> </div> </div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>