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 !!
For many of us currently enjoying the amateur radio hobby, we got our start by doing some Short Wave Listening, or even some Broadcast Band using an old tube type radio, with makeshift antennas. In my case, it was an old console radio salvaged from my Grandmothers house, that was in need of some TLC and a decent antenna. I recall tuning the broadcast band, to see where the farthest station I could pull in, was located. KDKA was like real “DX” for a fledging Short Wave Listener.
Pittsburgh radio station KDKA will celebrate 100 years of radio broadcasting in November, and Pennsylvania radio amateurs will honor that milestone in a multi-station special event. KDKA dates its broadcasting history to the airing of the Harding-Cox presidential results on November 2, 1920, and the station has been on the air ever since. The special event, which will involve the operation of four stations, will run through the entire month of November.
This photo of KDKA’s first “broadcast center” offers some detail about the in-house manufactured 100-Watt transmitter used for the Nov. 2, 1920 broadcast. A six-volt lead-acid car battery behind the rig likely provided tube filament voltage.
Special event stations K3K, K3D, K3A, and W8XK will set up and operate at several locations in Pennsylvania during November. Stations will determine their own modes and schedules. Visit the W8XK profile on QRZ.com for information on certificates and QSLs.
During World War I, amateur radio operation was suspended due to national security concerns. After the war, 8XK was reorganized as a commercial AM radio station, KDKA. The first transmissions of KDKA originated in a makeshift studio on the roof of Westinghouse K Building in East Pittsburgh.
Ham radio clubs participating in the centennial special event include the North Hills Amateur Radio Club in Pittsburgh — which is planning to operate from KDKA’s 1930s’ transmitter site, where an original tower pier still stands. A 1920s’ transmitter site, in Forest Hills, will serve as another operating location. In addition to the North Hills ARC and Skyview Radio Society, other clubs taking part include the Panther Amateur Radio Club, Steel City Amateur Radio Club, the Wireless Association of South Hills, the Butler County Amateur Radio Public Service Group, and the Washington Amateur Communications Radio Club.
Take a minute to share any of your experiences or thoughts of Broadcast Band listening, or Shortwave Listening in the Comment section of this post.
Well winter has set in here in Northern Michigan and I have time to get back to work on awards information. Some years ago, all of the Geratol Net records for awards issued were thrown out by a disgruntled Awards Manager and I have been working on putting them back together for several years now as time permits. I have all the Geratol and Directors numbers put back together from old records I and some others had. Now I need to get the dates issued for both Geratol and Directors awards. I have worked on this and have resurrected a lot of dates with much help from those award holders. But I am starting this task again on yet more dates.
It may not seem important to some, however, there are members that for many reasons have lost their certificates and they ask for replacement certificates. There is a date issued on certificates and if have those dates it makes the task easier. With that being said I need dates of issue for Geratol and Director awards issued from Geratol Number 1676 through 1900 this time around. Any and all information you can provide will be extremely helpful. Thanks in advance for any and all help in this matter. Please email numbers and dates issued to kj8v@charter.net
