Happy Thanksgiving to all our GERATOL members, and a special “Thanks” during this Thanksgiving weekend to our Net Control Operators. Keep up the great work guys. I happened to check into the net the other evening while Dale was running the net, and he was a busy guy, with over 20 check-ins and 17 states represented.
WELCOME ABOARD !!
Welcome to our latest GERATOL Website subscribers: K8JH – Jim who hails from Michigan. Jim has a “G” number, a “D” number, a QCWA number, and his call is an initial call. Welcome back to the net Jim, and glad you registered on our website. Jim checked into the net this past week, and many guys worked him, and welcomed him back to the net. KW8I – Jim who will bring up the fairly rare state of West Virginia to the net. In addition, Jim sports a 2×1 “K” call, for those looking to complete Endorsement # 12.
Thanks for taking the time to register on the GERATOL Website guys, and should you have any questions about the site, or the net, feel free to fire me off a note, and I will try to answer.
HAM HUMOR:
We will leave you with this parting tidbit of ham related humor, and hope to hear you all on the net !!
Let’s welcome aboard to our GERATOL Website, the latest new subscriber, Robert – K6UJ. Robert hails from the state of CA, and as we all know, having a 1×2 “K” Call from CA helps those looking to complete Endorsement # 1 and in addition, Robert’s call qualifies for those looking to complete the Basic award and are in need of CA. Robert, thanks for taking the time to register on our website. If you have any questions about the site, or about the net, feel free to send me a note and I will attempt to assist. In the mean time, as conditions are improving, we hope to hear you on the net some evening, at 0100Z on 3.668 Mhz.
Tips for completing Endorsements:
Many of the regulars on the net enjoy working toward completing some of our fun and challenging Endorsements, while simultaneously putting their respective state on frequency for those working toward their basic. For those not yet using GNEC, it’s a great tool for tracking progress on your Endorsements. (See example screen shot below of GNEC)
GNEC Endorsement Tracker
As the rules for Endorsements point out, contacts for their completion must be made in the Extra Class portion of the 80M phone Ham band. This may done outside of regular net times. There have been several occasions where I’ve simply tuned up on the net frequency during our off periods, or earlier in the day, put out a CQ and have made contact with some old GERATOL’ers or stations with prefixes or suffixes, etc. I needed.
Another good idea, is to take advantage of various contests throughout the year. My strategy is to jot down several of the Endorsement requirements I need, such as State Abbreviations (Endorsement # 5, or double letter suffixes (Endorsement #6) prior to a contest. As the contest is raging, I cherry pick those calls I may need, to help fill in some Endorsement requirements. Of course, those QSO’s need to be within that Extra Class portion of the 80M Phone band, or 3.600-3.700 Mhz.
For example, as the GNEC update for what I need on Endorsement #2 below reflects, I need two more states with “N” 1×2 call signs, Idaho and Oregon. If I happen to hear these in the Extra Class portion of the band during a contest, I would try to work them to help me complete the Endorsement.
If any of you have other “Tips” or “Suggestions” to help fill in some of the Endorsement or Award blanks, feel free to leave a “Comment” on this post.
Above all, have fun on the net, and remember, our life blood for the net is encouraging those new folks who stop by the net, and to invite folks on the net to join the fun. As always, a BIG THANK YOU to our dedicated Net Control Stations who keep the net alive each season !!
In our ongoing GERATOL Series, highlighting some of the interesting facts surrounding the various United States we attempt to work on the net, this month we are featuring the state of South Carolina.
S.C. State Flag
South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution on May 23, 1788. It also became the first state to vote in favor of secession from the Union on December 20, 1860. After the American Civil War, it was readmitted into the United States on June 25, 1868.
The Charleston area, along the central coastline of the state, demonstrates the greatest frequency of earthquakes in South Carolina. South Carolina averages 10–15 earthquakes a year below magnitude 3 (FEMA). The Charleston earthquake of 1886 was the largest quake ever to hit the eastern United States. The 7.0–7.3 magnitude earthquake killed 60 people and destroyed much of the city. Faults in this region are difficult to study at the surface due to thick sedimentation on top of them. Many of the ancient faults are within plates rather than along plate boundaries.
The state is occasionally affected by tropical cyclones. This is an annual concern during hurricane season, which lasts from June 1 to November 30. The peak time of vulnerability for the southeast Atlantic coast is from early August to early October, during the Cape Verde hurricane season. Memorable hurricanes to hit South Carolina include Hazel (1954), Florence (2018), and Hugo (1989), all Category 4 hurricanes.
South Carolina averages around 50 days of thunderstorm activity a year. This is less than some of the states further south, and it is slightly less vulnerable to tornadoes than the states which border on the Gulf of Mexico. Some notable tornadoes have struck South Carolina, and the state averages around 14 tornadoes annually. Hail is common with many of the thunderstorms in the state, as there is often a marked contrast in temperature of warmer ground conditions compared to the cold air aloft.
S.C. State House
FUN FACTS ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA:
South Carolina was one of the original 13 colonies that formed the United States.
South Carolina is home to the legendary “Hell Hole Swamp.” Every year, it hosts a festival complete with a tobacco-spitting contest and the 10K Hell Hole Gator Trot, which is also known as “Redneck Run.”
South Carolina is the only state in the United States to own and operate its own school bus fleet.
Hilton Head, an island off the coast of South Carolina, attracts over 2 million tourists every year. The island is named for Captain William Hilton who discovered it in 1663 and named it after himself.
Famous South Carolinians include Blackbeard, John C. Calhoun, Chubby Checker, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Grimke, Andrew Jackson, Jesse Jackson, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, Mary-Louise Parker, Strom Thurmond, and Vanna White.
South Carolina is home to the legendary Angel Oak Tree, which shades an area of 17,000 square feet with its enormous limbs. This Live Oak tree is considered to be over 500 years old and is one of the oldest living things east of the Mississippi. The tree gets its name from the Angel family who once owned the land the tree is on, on John’s Island, south of Charleston.
Angel Oak Tree
On January 28, 1861, the General Assembly added the palmetto tree to the original design. The addition of the tree to the flag helped to launch the Palmetto State as the official nickname for South Carolina.
There you have it, just a few fun facts about the State of South Carolina. Next time you work a station in S.C. you are armed with some information that may surprise them.
Back in October Don and his wife Delores both came down with Covid 19. Both were treated and were doing good. However, Don’s wife Delores became ill again and was rushed to the hospital. After a short stay Delores passed away. This a real tragedy for Don and his family. I am sure that Don would appreciate a card from you to let him know we are all thinking of him during this difficult time. God Bless you Don and your family in this trying time. The Geratol Net Family.
Congratulations Carl on completing the Net 50/50 Award #10. Thanks for the neat log submission. It makes it a lot easier on an old guy like me. Again Congrats.
As part of their weekly Amateur Radio News bulletin, the Amateur Radio Newsline announces the start of our latest 2020/2021 GERATOL Net season.
Take a listen to the attached by clicking on the link below. Then click on the opening link on the site that references REPORT 2244 for Friday October 30th 2020
The GERATOL net is referenced after the “stealth” antenna story.
The ARN is a great resource, especially for those hams who may be vision impaired. It’s a great way to get the latest news surrounding our hobby, from a world wide perspective.
I typically access the ARN broadcasts via EchoLink over my cell phone, and listen via the Bluetooth in my truck while driving. “Hands free” of course !!
