Another Florida Update

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 No one around to take our photo together so here is Kathy and I will be below.

 Did a meet up with Judi and Chris as well as our cousin John Walsh and his wife Kris, great afternoon visit.

 This photo of Kathy should of been with the March Florida Update.  Below is me on the bench I will edit us together in the future🤓

The F Layer and its affects

The F Layer and its affects with day and night.  Below is a night day map.

 Below is a training map I used to obtain my license.

 Below shows the layers in day and night.

2 Meters is way to quite

I am concerned that 2 meters is still so quite.  I know we have new tech’s out there and other HAMs home from work in Florida where we are right now and still the crews are quite. I pulled out my 2 and 11 meter radios to check traffic.  I even built a new 2 meter J Pole to boost my capabilities.

 Here you can see a CB (11) & 2 meter radio on the table and the 8 & 20 amp batteries for them.

Here is my new Home made J pole on a temp pole.  Till things get better I will use what I have to make things here no need to go to a store.  I did drive out a few miles to test the 2 meter back to a HT next to a tape recorder I know it works.  I just used the ruler duck mag mount on the ammo can and was heard over 1/3 a mile, I have a fire stick but am using that mag mount for my 80 meter.  HF 20 - 80 is alive and well just not the 2 meter bang.  Hope this changes soon.

Corona Virus Pandemic Plan Summary

Have our fuel tanks full, water full and keep our gray and black tanks empty here in Florida.  We have plenty of fuel to reach Kathy’s moms house with everything and my brothers if we just take our tow vehicle and the five gallon gas can.  Our goal is to stay in the campground till the end of our sessional rate ending 1 May then head back to Wyoming for our annual checkups.

Our hope is this passes in the next few weeks and starts to return to normal.  If it lasts longer I see people starting to stay home and not go to work.  If enough stay home it will impact our power, water and sewer grids.  If we lose power and water we have fuel to run our generator for a few weeks, if we conserve and we have enough water for maybe two weeks if we conserve a whole lot, if we resupply these two we have no limits.

However if the sewers start to back up we would be forced to disconnect and move to somewhere else.  Our onboard holding tanks possibly could hold a weeks worth of waste.

Food and water we have 3 to 4 weeks at best on board, without resupply.  Let’s hope it passes soon and that the actions our President is taking contains this and is enough to keep our people working to avoid futher deterioration.  I feel all will work out it may take longer then I plan but if people continue to work all will be well.

80 meter ham stick on a single mag mount

I added two radials sixty five feet long and had a totally usable 80 meter band for a General Class License.  This five pound single mag mount is only used when stationary.  Without the two radials the swr was all above three with radials the swr was all below two point five.

Above is a scan in process on SWR not the individual frequency SWRs.

This is the roof of our tow vehicle a Chevy spark.  When I took off the radials the SWR went off the chart.  I also found I still could use most frequencies with only one radial.

Biscuits and Gravy

Our favorite biscuit and gravy (store bought).  Kathy makes great homemade ones at home.  Lit the oven and getting ready to cook👍

Hamstick topical range

My hamsticks and radio typical range seems to be around 1000 miles give or take.  It is an ongoing learning curve on propagation issues.

Did contact WA2CCN at 1093 miles.