Electrifying, My Dear

Thought for the day: If it weren't for electricity, we'd all be watching television by candlelight. [George Gobel]

[THEME: Amateur radio]

Amateur radio operators are expected to learn some fundamentals of basic electronics, and one of the things we learn about is OHM'S LAW, which expresses the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance.








Voltage (E) refers to the amount of electromotive force (EMF) applied to a circuit, and can be compared to water pressure going through a pipe. The more voltage, (or pressure) the more electrons (or water) flowing. Voltage is measured in volts.

Current (I) measures the number of electrons flowing. No, you can't count them as they flow past any more than you can count the individual drops of water in a waterfall, but just as water is measured in quantities such as gallons, the electron flow is measured in amperes. One ampere is equal to 6.24 x 10 to the eighteenth power. (That'd be a LOT of counting!)






Resistance (R) is just what it sounds like. If you put a blob of hair or sponge into a water pipe, it'll block the flow. In the same way, resistors resist the flow of electrons, and limit the amount of current flowing through a circuit. Resistance is measured in ohms.

Here's a bunch of different resistors. See those color bands on them? Each color represents a different number, and in simplest terms, the numbers express the resistor's value.








So what does Ohm's Law tell us? That within a circuit, voltage equals current times resistance. E=IR.

                                                               So, there ya have it.

Connections for the Common Good

Thought for the day:  Know how the Vikings communicated? Norse code.

[THEME: Amateur radio]

Fish and butterflies are rarely happy to find themselves in a NET, but amateur radio operators enter them quite willingly.

In amateur radio parlance, a net is an organized group of operators working together on one or more specific frequencies so they can serve a common purpose.

It's people working together. Strength in numbers!

There are many different reasons to hold a net. Some of them are:

• To provide emergency communications following a disaster. Many amateurs worldwide consider this to be our most important role, and routinely volunteer their services to aid their communities, states, and nations following such things as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, tsunamis, earthquakes, fires, etc.
• To provide communications as a public service for activities from parades and sporting events to helping locate a downed airplane or lost child.
• As a support system for travelers. The assistance provided to travelers during emergencies has rescued many people and saved countless lives.
• Medical nets provide an outlet for sharing medical information, which is particularly valuable for doctors working in remote parts of the world.
• Missionary nets- Talking about remote areas, for some missionaries around the world, amateur radio provides the only means of communication.
• Practice nets- In order to be better prepared to serve in times of emergencies, amateurs practice, practice, practice.
• Traffic nets are specifically designed to hone skills in sending, receiving, and delivering messages.
• Others- There are countless other reasons for amateurs to meet in a net: to enable them to make contact with other countries, states, or counties; to discuss and share a common interest, rig, or mode of operation; and to socialize and chase the clouds of loneliness. 

                                                       So, to us ... nets are a good thing.

                                                      It's friends connecting with friends. 

Talking about friends connecting with friends, the lovely Skippy had some questions after the last post on mobile operations. She wanted to know what the set-up looks like inside my car. So, here are some pictures, just for her. (Y'all can look, too ...)

This is my dual-band VHF/UHF radio, and it's mounted under the dashboard just below the commercial radio. This radio is for local communications, and we have many frequencies programmed into both bands. As a special bonus, you can also see some of Georgia's infamous pollen.

Moving upward from the UHF/VHF rig, you'll see the HF radio right in front of the air vents, and between the two microphones. This radio is for long-distance communications.

This is a shot of the HF radio from the topside. See how thin it is? That's because it isn't the entire radio. It's just the faceplate, containing all of the controls.

The REST of the HF radio is underneath the seat.

This control box sits atop the console between the seats. It controls the HF antenna. By using the up-down switch, we can raise or lower the screwdriver antenna to reach the optimum resonance for the frequency we want to work.

And finally, this is the speaker, mounted between the seats.

All in all, it's a fairly compact, efficient set-up. Not as fancy as some, but it serves us well.








Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other. Especially you, Skippy.

Have License, Will Travel

Thought for the day: According to Einstein's Theory of Relativity, the probability of in-laws coming to visit is directly proportional to how much you feel like being left alone.

[THEME: Amateur radio]

One of the cool things about amateur radio is its versatility, not only in the many facets of the hobby, but in the many places you can enjoy it.

Like MOBILE operations. As in, from our moving vehicles. Could be from our cars and trucks, from a boat, from an airplane, or even from a bicycle. (My husband once cracked everybody up by checking into a net maritime mobile ... from our hot tub.)

This is my station at the house.

And this little red car is my mobile station. (The truck is my hubby's.) Amateur radio operators have a lot of reasons for wanting mobile communications. For one thing, hams support the National Weather Service, and during bad weather, some actually drive around, both during and in the aftermath of the storms, to provide NWS with accurate reports of on-the-ground conditions.

I'm not inclined to chase a tornado, but I do like the security of having radios in the car. It means I am NEVER alone, even if I'm the only person in the car. As a somewhat directionally impaired person, it's comforting to know there's always a ham out there willing to help me find my way if I happen to make a wrong turn. (Or maybe I should say when I make a wrong turn?) When we had car trouble in an unfamiliar area, one call on the radio connected us with local hams who were only too happy to assist. And there are whole networks of operators who assist travelers. One morning, I checked into a net from Maryland and told the net control we were heading back home to Georgia. That evening, another net control called me on the radio to check on us. It was kinda nice to know, from the time we left Maryland until we rolled into our driveway, a whole network of operators had our backs.

                                              Who could ask for anything more?