985 Workbench: 2026-03-02

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

My Week in Radio

wire down when i got home from vacation, so I got to throw it again
- threw it again with pulley and halyard: 42 ft
built a T2LT flowerpot antenna on PVC pipe and pulled into a tree
- replaced a slim jim built from ladder line

Others

KN3I, John:
- crowbar circuits to add to old power supplies to recover them
W3MFB, Mike:
- testing some 10M radios to get them back in service
W3KZG, Scott:
- working on some radios for 985-ers
KC3RFG, Jim:
- repairing his fan dipole in good weather
  - replaced balun
  - trouble tuning it after reinstall
  - check the coax and MFJ lightning surge protector: water infiltrated
  - back in operation
  - tested with rooster net on 75M
NA3CW, Chuck:
- AWA PMAM net, hosted pre-net and regular net, 13 check-ins.
KD3EMS, Chris:
- providence, ri over the weekend with family stuff
  - participated in 2 local nets
KA3GLI, Dave:
- starting echolink for upcoming travel
WA3KFT, John:
- helped a friend take down a broken titan antenna
KC3OOK, Bill:
- simplex net, and welfare net
- pulled power into the shack sub panel
KB3ZIM, Bob:
- a little HF, chasing POTA activators
- got a QSL card in the mail from a POTA activator
KD3AEL, Joey:
- new tech operator in Gap
- participating with W3RRR welfare net

Questions

KD3AEL, Joey:
- When the repeater is quiet, how do you announce your presence on a repeater?
- KB3ZIM, Bob:
  - “ listening”
  - maybe a couple times
  - operate, operate, operate
- KC3OOK, Bill:
  - when you do call, wait a minute or 2 for people to get to the radio
- WA3VEE, Ron:
  - don’t just hit and run, wait a few minutes
- NA3CW, Chuck:
  - don’t hit and run, patience
- W3MFB, Mike:
  - say your call nice and slow
- W3GMS, Joe:
  - Welcome Joey
  - check out the website
  - find the round table as well
  - get the audio gain up: swallow the mic
- WA3VEE, Ron:
  - on qrz.com, add your email, so we can email you
- WA3KFT, John:
  - get on the air and practice
- KD3AEL, Joey:
  - Thank you for the warm welcome
  - looking forward to getting outside with the radio
WA3VEE, Ron:
- Preparing a talk for Pottstown: “Ham Radio Tall Tails, Old Wives Tails, Folklore, Myths, and Debunking Them” Share
- W8CRW, CR: “Ham radio, do people still do that?”
- W3KZG, Scott: “What’s the big antenna for? do you talk to aliens?”
- KB3ZIM, Bob: “All you need is a low SWR.”
- KD3AEL, Joey: “Ham radio, that’s just like CB?”
- KC3RFG, Jim: “A perfect 1:1 SWR means your antenna is resonant”
- W3MFB, Mike: Pottstown has lots of CB-ers switched to ham.
  - “Are you a federal agent?”
- NA3CW, Chuck: “Ham radio is too expensive”
- WA3KFT, John: “What do you mean ‘dip the plate’?”
- NA3CW, Chuck: “this tiny HF antenna is just as good as a halfwave dipole”
- KD3EE, John: “This is the last HT I’m going to buy”
- KD3AEL, Joey: “Now that we have cell phones, there’s no need for radio”
- AF3Z, Jim: “They still use Morse Code?”
- W3KZG, Scott: “Ham radio people are preppers”

Myths on John Flinchbaugh KD3EE

985 Workbench: 2026-03-02

My Week in Radio

Others

Questions