I'm from Michigan and drove out to California via Austin, TX last winter with a few friends from school. It is real interesting to see how that state is literally split in half. The eastern half is heavily populated and you can tell that by the image. However, the western half has got to be the least populated region of the lower 48.
There is a good 350 mile stretch of I-10 that runs west from San Antonio where you average an exit every 30 miles or so. I think the largest city between San Antonio and El Paso had 1000 people.
The nice thing about all of this, though, is that we did part of this drive at night. With no light pollution to fuss with, we saw the darkest sky we'd ever seen in our lives.
Re:Oh, simpler times...
on
Hamvention
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· Score: 1
i have to agree with you gavin. most people today are too used to convenience in everything. ive found that ham radio is very similar to yachting in many ways. ive had friends in yachting who've expressed similar views to what i have. theyve had people ask them "why do you go through the trouble of learning how to sail when you can use a motorboat?"... quite close to "why do you use radio when you can use the internet or your cell."
a lot of fun in the hobby resides in the challenge of it. take dx'ing, eme, and contesting, for example. i think that ham radio has lost its popularity simply because the world has gotten smaller and faster. however, i dont think for a second that it will ever end, because there will always be a need for wireless communication.
went there 3 years ago w/ my friend whose dad was selling a PDP-11 for $75 (initially). ended up selling it for nothing, simply because the guy offered to transport it for free (i'll never forget the sign: FREE OBO).
anyway, word to the wise: one of the best times to go to dayton is sunday afternoon after everyone leaves. people leave all the crap they couldnt sell (good for finding parts, and you sometimes even find something worthwhile).
im looking forward to going back again this year (itll be my 3rd time).
same here, seen too many people our age who have a license and dont use it. granted, i find little time to get on the air while in school, but i make the most of the summers, hehe.
its been awhile since i read the original, but i pretty much didnt expect the ending until a few pages before it became obvious... i dont know, to each is their own, i suppose.
lets just say i never expected the ending in ender's for one second. it completely surprised the hell out of me. after that, i became convinced that i had to read speaker for the dead. this book even brought more of a twist to the ender story and its ending left me wanting to read more. im currently about halfway through xenocide and can safely say this is my favorite sci-fi series ive ever read.
actually, this year, for the first time ever, field day is extending beyond the us. now, every country in north and south america is able to participate (iaru region 2).
73, n8yo
Re:Albemarle County, VA FD2002 (WA4TFZ)
on
Field Day 2002
·
· Score: 1
if any of you happen to hear w8mai (2A MI) on cw, be sure to say hi since itll probably be me on the other end =)
I am 19 years old and got my ham license when I was 13. For a few years, I was active in the local club quite heavily (all the old, bald, fat guys, etc) but dropped out of any affiliation. The reason for that is quite simple, age gap. I was not even a quarter of the age of about 90% of the club and ran into a lot of difficulties because of it. For instance, I made approximately 90% of the CW (morse code) contacts for the club at field day for 2 years straight, yet I still got patronized as being a little kid by the majority of the people at the club.
The straw that broke the camel's back, though, was when I wanted to gain a position in the club (since I had been secretary at a few meetings). At this time, I was 15 and already pretty disgusted with the club in general. When they pointed out some obscure, 50 year old rule that said a person had to be 18 or older to have a position, I had had enough.
I have since gone to one meeting for the club, mostly to say hi/goodbye (this was right before I went to college last year) to the people I really did get along with (there were a few). I am still active on the air, mostly on aprs or psk, but have no club affiliations anymore (not even arrl).
Ham radio is a dying hobby.I know it, all hams know it, but some have such a strong tenacity at being stubborn that they don't see it.
Slashdot Mirror
There is a good 350 mile stretch of I-10 that runs west from San Antonio where you average an exit every 30 miles or so. I think the largest city between San Antonio and El Paso had 1000 people.
The nice thing about all of this, though, is that we did part of this drive at night. With no light pollution to fuss with, we saw the darkest sky we'd ever seen in our lives.
i have to agree with you gavin. most people today are too used to convenience in everything. ive found that ham radio is very similar to yachting in many ways. ive had friends in yachting who've expressed similar views to what i have. theyve had people ask them "why do you go through the trouble of learning how to sail when you can use a motorboat?"... quite close to "why do you use radio when you can use the internet or your cell."
a lot of fun in the hobby resides in the challenge of it. take dx'ing, eme, and contesting, for example. i think that ham radio has lost its popularity simply because the world has gotten smaller and faster. however, i dont think for a second that it will ever end, because there will always be a need for wireless communication.
anyway, thats enough of a rant for me.
73
-mike N8YO
went there 3 years ago w/ my friend whose dad was selling a PDP-11 for $75 (initially). ended up selling it for nothing, simply because the guy offered to transport it for free (i'll never forget the sign: FREE OBO).
anyway, word to the wise: one of the best times to go to dayton is sunday afternoon after everyone leaves. people leave all the crap they couldnt sell (good for finding parts, and you sometimes even find something worthwhile).
im looking forward to going back again this year (itll be my 3rd time).
-mike N8YO
same here, seen too many people our age who have a license and dont use it. granted, i find little time to get on the air while in school, but i make the most of the summers, hehe.
-mike N8YO (21)
"Greetings Professor Falken. How about a nice game of chess?
Definitely a must-see for anyone who comes to /.
-tib
its been awhile since i read the original, but i pretty much didnt expect the ending until a few pages before it became obvious... i dont know, to each is their own, i suppose.
lets just say i never expected the ending in ender's for one second. it completely surprised the hell out of me. after that, i became convinced that i had to read speaker for the dead. this book even brought more of a twist to the ender story and its ending left me wanting to read more. im currently about halfway through xenocide and can safely say this is my favorite sci-fi series ive ever read.
just my $.02.
actually, this year, for the first time ever, field day is extending beyond the us. now, every country in north and south america is able to participate (iaru region 2).
73,
n8yo
if any of you happen to hear w8mai (2A MI) on cw, be sure to say hi since itll probably be me on the other end =)
73,
Mike N8YO
and they did it with less power than it takes to run a hair dryer...
GO BLUE!
I am 19 years old and got my ham license when I was 13. For a few years, I was active in the local club quite heavily (all the old, bald, fat guys, etc) but dropped out of any affiliation. The reason for that is quite simple, age gap. I was not even a quarter of the age of about 90% of the club and ran into a lot of difficulties because of it. For instance, I made approximately 90% of the CW (morse code) contacts for the club at field day for 2 years straight, yet I still got patronized as being a little kid by the majority of the people at the club.
The straw that broke the camel's back, though, was when I wanted to gain a position in the club (since I had been secretary at a few meetings). At this time, I was 15 and already pretty disgusted with the club in general. When they pointed out some obscure, 50 year old rule that said a person had to be 18 or older to have a position, I had had enough.
I have since gone to one meeting for the club, mostly to say hi/goodbye (this was right before I went to college last year) to the people I really did get along with (there were a few). I am still active on the air, mostly on aprs or psk, but have no club affiliations anymore (not even arrl).
Ham radio is a dying hobby.I know it, all hams know it, but some have such a strong tenacity at being stubborn that they don't see it.