As part of our ongoing series on the 50 states, this POST will cover the state of VERMONT, which was the 14th state to formally ratify the United States constitution, following Rhode Island and just ahead of Kentucky.

Vermont is a state in the New England region of the United States. It borders the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. Vermont is the only state in New England that does not border the Atlantic Ocean. Vermont is the second-least-populated U.S. state and the sixth-smallest by area of the 50 U.S. states. The state capital is Montpelier, the least-populous state capital in the United States.

Before Vermont became the 14th state, it existed as an independent nation for 14 years. It became independent in 1777 following clashes over land. The development allowed locals to begin printing their currency, enacting laws that banned slavery and established postal service.

The state is undoubtedly the largest producer of maple syrup in the country. It produces a staggering 35 percent of the total supply on the market. Many locals produce the syrup at home while others pay a prominent role as the big producers. Did you know that it takes 40 gallons of maple sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup? The sap from the maple trees flows and is collected in buckets.

The state is the birthplace of the well-known ice cream brand, Ben & Jerry’s. The company still operates from headquarters in Vermont. Local farmers benefit from Ben & Jerry’s commercial activities as they receive ice cream waste to feed the hops.

You think you have experienced COLD. Just imagine this COLD. The coldest recorded temp is -50 in Bloomfield in 1933.

There aren’t more cows than people in Vermont. However, in ratio of cows to people, Vermont has the greatest number of dairy cows in the country.

Many like a little snow, especially around Christmas time, but are you ready for levels like the winter of 1970/1971 they experienced in Vermont? The greatest snowfall for a single season was 26.5 feet of snow! Yikes, time to think about Florida !!

Some additional Fun Facts about the state of VERMONT:

• With a population of fewer than nine thousand people, Montpelier, Vermont is the smallest state capital in the U.S.
• Montpelier, Vermont is the only U.S. state capital without a McDonalds.
• Vermont’s largest employer isn’t Ben and Jerry’s, it’s IBM.
• Vermont was, at various times, claimed by both New Hampshire and New York.
• Until 1996, Vermont was the only state without a Wal-Mart.
• Rudyard Kipling, living in Vermont in the 1890’s invented the game of snow golf.
• Vermont does not sell alcohol to out of state licenses, you must have a liquor ID in order to purchase alcohol at liquor stores and grocery stores. This doesn’t apply to bars, but can affect those traveling through the state.
• U.S. President Calvin Coolidge was the only president born on the fourth of July. Born in Plymouth 7/4/1872.
• The origin of Vermont name came from a French phrase of “Le Verts Monts”. Means of the phrase is Green Mountain.
• There are no billboards in Vermont. In 1968, legislators decided to restrict the installation of billboards in towns or counties of Vermont. They have restricted the advertisements to preserve the natural beauty of the state.

We hope you enjoyed some of the fun facts and details about the GREEN Mountain State of Vermont. If you are from VT, or have traveled there, feel free to share some thoughts of your own about the state of Vermont.

73 for now, Kevin N1KL

On occasion we will post some “opinion” oriented articles on the GERATOL Website, to spur discussion and thought regarding a variety of topics, germane to the hobby of Amateur Radio.

This article discusses, “The lost art of rag-chewing”

Based on GERATOL Net participants, the majority of GERATOLers have quite a few years as licensed operators under their belts. The success of our 50/50 Award is proof of that fact. Luckily, for the survival of the net going forward, we also have a good cadre of fairly new operators, who also join the net in search of their basic award qualifications, and for the comradery experienced on our net. While I realize, our GERATOL Net is not conducive to lengthy Rag Chewing, but rather is dedicated to a specific activity, we can, none the less, look at our hobby from another, non-Worked All States perspective.

I’d like to pose a question to both groups, namely, the old timers as well as the newer members of the fraternity of Ham Radio. Whatever happened to the age-old Ham Radio tradition of Rag Chewing ??? For those not familiar with the term, RAG CHEWING means to have a fairly lengthy conversation with another amateur operator. I think the Rag Chewers Club (RCC) was the first Amateur Radio award for which I qualified. To qualify, one need only provide evidence of having made a single QSO that lasted more than 30 minutes. The implication being that such a contact involves interacting with another Ham to cover more than the abbreviated signal report and location contact.

Such lengthy conversations were prevalent on all bands, not just the HF bands at one time. I recall having rag chew round tables on Six Meters back in the 60’s, with as many as 20 stations participating, that would last for two hours or more. I remember putting up omni-directional stacked Cushcraft Squalo antennas, so I could hear the stations from all directions… My RCC Award was initiated by a fellow ham in the same state, on six meters, where we had chatted for over an hour.

Seems today, the norm is more like, “Your 5-9, state is MA, 73’s” Along this same trend, is the loss of VHF Repeater activity. I also recall, as do many of you, no doubt, the 2 Meter daily “round tables” with fellow sufferers headed into the salt mines each day. A one hour commute, was shortened in scope, by interacting with fellow travelers along the asphalt jungle, via 2 Meter or even 440 repeater activity.

In addition to the “5-9, see you later” QSO’s, we can now add in the newest modes of communication, via digital exchanges. Don’t get me wrong, I am a firm believer in new and exciting modes of operating. It is clearly one of Ham Radio’s greatest contributions to communications. Namely, the adoption, development and use of new modes of communication. Heck, I am not only a believer, but a user of them as well. On the plus side, it allows communications via using much lower power, with more simple antenna arrangements, and under poor band conditions, which of course, we have been subjected to the last several years. However, with the advent of modes such as FT-8, two ops don’t even need to be at their respective radios when the exchanges are made. It’s all mechanized, without the personal touch that comes from legacy-mode human-to-human contacts and conversation.

The good news about our net, the GERATOL net, is that we are lucky to have Net Control Operators who not only promote the original mission of the net, namely, to allow two stations to confirm QSO’s in the effort to obtain working all 50 states, but they also promote a friendly, and cordial dialogue, not only between check-ins and NCS, but from one operator to another. We ALWAYS, exchange names along with QSO’s. Some WAS nets, don’t even bother with that. We get to know each other, and our interests as well. If you need proof, check into the net on Wednesday evenings, and listen to how cordial, friendly, welcoming and down right FUN the net can be when Bob, AI4IL runs the net.

Beyond our net though, “I’m Just Sayin’ “ let’s take the time to reach out to new Hams and have a real conversation with them. If you are into CW, jump down to the slower speed areas of 80 and 40 meters, typically around 3.535-40 and 7.035-40 respectively, and have a nice QSO with a chap learning the code. Or, jump on to any of the HF bands and put out a CQ !! Or, fire up the 2meter rig for something other than a local net, and say, Your call sign, followed by “Listening” and have a QSO with someone….

Let’s not lose our ability to communicate human-to-human with our fellow Ham operators, but above all, HAVE FUN !!

Feel free to weigh in, and make a “Comment” on this opinion POST. Am I right, or am I wrong ? Let’s hear from our fellow GERATOLers about this.

I’m Just Sayin’ – Kevin N1KL

I am sorry to report that Bud Coulter, W8BUD G# 2409 D# 496 passed away on March 4, 2021.

News of his passing may be viewed at this link:

https://www.echovita.com/us/obituaries/mi/south-haven/buddy-coulter-12406683

Barry K2MF G# 325 D# 739

As part of our ongoing series on the 50 states, this POST will cover the state of Rhode Island, which was the 13th state to formally ratify the United States constitution, following North Carolina and just ahead of Vermont.

On May 4, 1776, the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was the first of the Thirteen Colonies to renounce its allegiance to the British Crown, and it was the fourth state to ratify the Articles of Confederation, doing so on February 9, 1778. The state boycotted the 1787 convention, which drew up the United States Constitution and initially refused to ratify it; it was the last of the original 13 states to do so, on May 29, 1790, becoming the 13th state to officially ratify the constitution.

From its infancy during the Revolutionary War to its present day technology, the United States Navy has been a part of Narragansett Bay. Until the last two decades of the 19th century, a sailor learned most of his trade on the job. In the 1880s, a new concept of shore-based training for officers and enlisted personnel was developed, and the Navy turned to Narragansett Bay.

Newport is the Navy’s premier site for training officers, officer candidates, senior enlisted personnel and midshipman candidates, as well as conducting advanced undersea warfare and development systems. Having spent time being stationed there, I can attest to the amazing history and scenic beauty of the state, not the Naval base !! As the saying goes, I spent a year there, one month ! Awaiting orders for my next duty station.

Rhode Island is nicknamed the Ocean State and has a number of oceanfront beaches. It is mostly flat with no real mountains, and the state’s highest natural point is Jerimoth Hill, 812 feet above sea level.

Rhode Island is also home to many tourist attractions, including the former “Summer Homes” aka: Mansions of the industrial age tycoons, including the Breakers, owned by the Vanderbilt family.

Facts about Rhode Island.

• Rhode Island has the longest official name of any state, the “State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.”
• It is said that “the cradle of American industry began at the place of rushing water”. This happened in 1793 when Samuel Slater built a …
• Rhode Island is the smallest state in the nation while Alaska is the largest. It could be fitted into Alaska 425 times.
• Rhode Island is nicknamed the “Ocean State” because one can get to the ocean from anywhere in the state in less than an hour’s drive – the state is only 37 miles wide and 48 miles long
• The American straw hat industry was launched by a 12-year-old Betsey Metcalf in 1798 when she started making inexpensive straw hats

• Portsmouth, RI is the first town in America to be established by a woman: – Anne Hutchinson.
• The first NFL game at night was hosted in Rhode Island
• With more than 1,000 manufacturers, Rhode Island is a leading jewelry producer. Rhode Island is also the 46th biggest exporter overall in the country.
• America’s first Jazz festival was held in Newport in 1954.
• Founded in 1922, WJAR was the state’s first radio station.

• With twelve colleges and universities, higher education is one of the state’s major industries.
• One of those universities, Johnson and Wales, boasts a world renowned culinary arts curriculum

That’s it for now…..we hope you enjoy reading about some our 50 States, and their fun facts. Please feel free to place a “Comment” under this POST, should you have any of your own experiences, having either visited or heard about the little state of Rhode Island.

73 Kevin N1KL