Heard on the 940 Repeater: Exam Prep and Repeater Guides

Exam Prep
A ham on the 940 repeater was discussing his plan to upgrade from Tech to General and then to Extra a month later. He was also planning on talking his XYL into getting her Tech, too. The usual suspects were very critical of his plan to upgrade so quickly. They encouraged him to learn the material instead of taking one of the local classes and memorizing the answers to the question set. They even offered to buy him the books, so he could learn the material. I really appreciate the "tough love" they were giving the guy. They were hard on him, but they followed it up with a way to help. (Of course, I'm more of a paper ham than an expert in electronics and radio communications, but I'm still trying to learn!)

Repeater Guides
As part of that discussion, the new ham asked about getting a repeater guide. The ARRL offers their guide, which has tempted me, but not to the point that I've ordered one. The other hams recommended subscribing to SouthEastern Repeater Association (SERA). See below for information on both resources.

The ARRL Repeater Directory (Desktop Edition) $10.95

• Spiral Bound Desktop 2011/2012 Edition
• Directory of repeater locations and frequencies for the 21,800+ repeaters around the country
• Includes D-Star and APCO-25, references for operating practices, emergency message handling, tips for handling interference and much more.
• New lay-flat spiral binding allows for easy reference on the road. And, now including the ARRL Radiogram and ICS-213 Message Forms.
• Handy indexing tabs on the cover
• Easy-to-read listings
• Key to ""Repeater Notes"" located right up front
• Icons to identify ""Open"" or limited access repeater systems.

SouthEastern Repeater Association (SERA)

• Associate Membership - All repeater users are invited to join SERA as Associate Members. Although Associate Members have no voting privileges, their support is the heart of helping finance the successful operation of the organization. The $15.00 per year membership fee enables you to support the efforts of the organization and receive the Repeater Journal. Associate Membership deadlines are the 15th of the month preceding the months of publication (January 15th, April 15th, July 15th, and October 15th). The Repeater Journal is mailed third class mail.

It looks like the SERA guide may not be as closely edited as the ARRL guide.

"YES! We know the cover says February 2011, but it is indeed the May 2011 edition of the SERA Repeater Journal. To solve this dilemma, take a magic marker, cross out February and write in May and the problem is solved!"

Skeet - After Action Report

I had been to the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency Volunteer Rifle & Pistol Club John Sevier Hunter Education Center (TWRAVRPCJSHEC for short) once before to use the bench rest range.

My second trip was to the shotgun range for skeet shooting with some more friends from church - Red Beard and Hardhat. Slim was supposed to be there, but he had just gotten his nails done or something, so he sent his regrets. Being the good friend that he is, he did suggest that I tell Red Beard and Hardhat that I wanted to go "a dollar a bird" with them. About the shotgun range:

"Shotgun ranges are open on Saturday and Sunday from 1:00-6:00 PM. Saturday and Sunday shotgun range shooters need to check in before 5:00 PM.

Shotgun ranges are open on Tuesday from 6:30-10:00 PM. Tuesday night shotgun shooters need to check in by 7:00 PM.

The range charges $4 for youth and $6 for adults for every 25 targets, in addition to the $5.50 TWRA fee."

We arrived at about 6:30 and got checked in at the front gate. Once you get to the shotgun range, you need to put your name on the waiting list. There are two skeet ranges and they take you through them in squads of about five shooters. Of course, hearing and eye protection are required. Between sessions, the range officers collect money for the targets and ammo (if you need it). You can buy single round tickets or punch cards for multiple rounds. If you don't have a shell bag, they will loan you an apron.

When it was our turn, they let us take six in our squad, since we had a newbie - namely me! There are two buildings that hold the target throwers - the high house on the left and the low house on the right (see pics below). You start under the high house. You must keep your shogun unloaded until you step up to the firing position. The range officer has a remote control to release the targets, so you just tell him "pull" when you are ready. From some stations, you shoot singles (one at a time) and doubles (two in quick succession). You can request, as I did, to get singles only. I lost track of the number of stations, but ultimately you are supposed to be shooting 24 targets. By moving around the field, you change the angle and speed at which the targets go flying by.





As you may recall, I was shooting a beautiful over/under 20 gauge Beretta Silver Pigeon that was on loan from Hardhat. They require that you use #9 shot - something about the people at the bench rest range get antsy when pellets start raining down on them. (You do actually shoot toward the bench rest when you aim beyond the high house!) It really is a pretty gun and I can say, with reservation, it is the best shooting shotgun I have ever fired.



So, I think I hit about seven targets out of the 24+ opportunities. I know I had more than 24 targets as I never saw one leave the house, so they let me have another chance. At another station, the fastest one I think, the range officer sent one flying just for me track before trying to actually hit it. Red Beard and Hardhat provided a lot of support and good advice, but I am especially thankful for the coaching and patience of the range officer. I was so tense and uncertain about firing a shotgun for the first time that I'm not sure I even had a clue where the clays were flying. The other shooters were very friendly and supportive, too. (I guess gun people aren't all bad.)

I am proud that I got better as the round went along. I settled down quite a bit and quit worrying about making the gun go *bang* and actually tried to aim. As far as aiming, I was usually way ahead and had to wait on it or so far behind it that I was trying to catch up. Smooth is the key. Once you have smooth then you start thinking about how much you need to lead the bird. I also felt extremely cool when I opened the shotgun and snagged the shell as it popped out. I neatly caught it and dropped it in the shell bag. Also, I'm recording a minor victory for remembering turn off the safety every time.

It was a lot of fun and I hope that I will be better next time. There are seriously not enough hours in the day. Maybe we can setup a challenge where I try to shoot skeet from the back of moving truck. I bet I am the first one to think of that.

WB4GBI 147.075 Repeater is Down

Tim's 147.075 repeater is down because it is causing interference with W4KEV's 145.370 repeater. Repeater owner's are a special breed - donating their expertise, time, and money to provide a service for other hams. Tim may be in a class all his own. I'd like to have a fraction of his radio knowledge.

Speaking of Tim, he is going to be a guest speaker at tomorrow's Radio Amateur Club of Knoxville (RACK) meeting. Oddly enough, W4KEV will be there, too. Maybe they are going to duke it out!

Knoxville is Big Time

First, we find out that Knoxville is getting a Publix. Now it sounds like we are getting a Costco and a Whole Foods. The scruffy little city continues to catch up to the rest of the world.

RACK Hamfest - Saturday, June 11

Since I'm new to the hobby, I haven't attended any of the previous 44 hamfests sponsored by the Radio Amateur Club of Knoxville (RACK). I plan on attending this year.

There will be the usual dealers, clubs, tailgating, exams, and demos. They are giving away a Kenwood TS480SAT as a door price. That's about a $1000 rig!

The details:
Radio Amateur Club of Knoxville
45th Annual Hamfest
Kerbela Temple
315 MimosaAve, Knoxville
Saturday, June 11, 2011
8:30am — 4pm

A Deal You Can't Refuse

M.J. Mollenhour, whom I had the pleasure to meet, is celebrating the imminent release of his new book by dropping the price of his first thriller to $0.99!

I don't have a Kindle, but I've got an iPad on the way and I have the Kindle client on my Android phone. I've downloaded some of the free books, but this was my first Kindle purchase. Perfect timing as I head to the beach in the near future.

Get it here:

The Gun Test - To Fail Means Jail

This should be enlightening...



They have some sort of test on the VolunteerTV web site.

Knoxville Force

Knoxville has pro soccer. Who knew? Despite loving the sport, I don't keep up with MLS, UEFA, or the Premiership. I guess that's why I've been to a roller derby bout, but had no idea about the Knoxville Force.

Coal Creek Armory - Annual Pass Deal

It used to be on Half-off Depot, but one of my friends found the half price deal here. Get a one-year membership to Coal Creek Amory's indoor shooting range for $99.50.

Miller's Building

New tenants for the Miller's Building.

I loved working in that building and being downtown. Implementing the infrastructure was a lot of fun.

Happy Birthday TNJeff!

Here is to the king of sourdough bread!

Rifle Range Gathering

I met several folks from my Sunday School class at the Volunteer Rifle & Pistol Club over the week-end. I've driven down Rifle Range Road millions of times while I was growing up in Fountain City, but I'd never been.

"The Volunteer Rifle and Pistol Club was founded on June 16th, 1930. It shares the use of John Sevier Range, which is a Federal military reservation, with the Tennessee Army National Guard, as well as, other branches of the US military establishment. Currently, the Army Corps of Engineers is the responsible agency for the administration of this Federal facility. VRPC has a permit to use the facility from the Federal Government on an annual basis. It is through the generosity of the Federal Government that VRPC enjoys the use of the John Sevier Range, therefore, all members are guests of the Federal Government and should treat the facilities accordingly. It is the responsibility of all members to conduct themselves as a responsible guest, keeping the facilities clean and accident free."

We shot at the bench rest range where you can set up targets at 15, 50, and 100 yards. All shooting must be done from the seated position. The shooting positions are covered, so no worries about sun or rain while you are firing. The cost was $6.50 for two hours.

Range Officers monitor the facility and direct the hot and cold periods. Before you can go downrange to setup/retrieve targets, the RO calls for a cease fire. Everyone has to remove clips/magazines, open the action, and step behind a line while they check that all weapons are safe. (Newbie tip: Make sure you flip the weapon to the correct side, so they can see the chamber.) The RO will announce all clear and you can go take care of your targets.

Staplers are provided for mounting your targets. They also have spotting scopes and rests you can borrow to aid in your long distance (50 and 100 is a long way for me!) shooting.

My impressions and notes:

- I really enjoyed shooting outside. This was the first time I'd really done that.

- Shooting at the bench rest range is less than optimal for pistols. You have to be seated. The closest targets are at 15 yards. The distance isn't outrageous, but inappropriate for the new shooters in our group. Trying to introduce someone to shooting by using a .22lr at 15 yards makes it a little difficult to provide good feedback. Letting them try the Glock 23 at 15 yards is even worse when they are very conscious of the recoil.

- I need to go and just shoot my rifle (the S&W M&P15-22). I shot it some, but messed up the scope. I had a fairly reasonable grouping at 50 yards for 25 rounds, unsupported. I was high and left consistently. When I made an adjustment, I was no longer on paper. Obviously, I need to focus a little more on what I was changing. (Newbie tip: Don't get over confident.)

- I only fired one shot out of Slim's EBR, but I squeezed it in with his group, so I was pretty pleased by that. He's offered to come back with me and help me site in my EBRjr.

- Large targets that change color when you hit are nice to have.

To sum up, I'm ready to go back!

W4PGM in Belize

Paul, W4PGM, is going to be in Belize on a DX Expedition. Rick has posted his schedule on the 470 ARG web page. He'll be working 20 Meters (around 14.255) in the afternoons, so with my di-pole I might have a chance to make a contact. He also says he may be working split on 20, so I guess I'll need to pull the manual out for that!

Gun Show & Gun Safety

I went to the gun show at the 640 Expo aka Knoxville Expo Center. It drives me crazy that people don't think the four rules apply in the magical dimension of the gun show.

As always, Volunteer Ordnance Works (Cleveland, TN) had a good selection of higher-end handguns. I noticed the Knoxville Tactical booth for the first time. Their orange and white 550 paracord should be popular.

It amazes me that the prices on new guns vary so much. Who is buying the Glock 19 for $600(ish) when it is $550(ish) two tables over?

It is a shame that you aren't allowed to take pictures inside the show. Add the guns and it would look something like this.

Bullets & BBQ Knoxville Blogger Event

On Saturday, I enjoyed meeting several of the Knoxville area bloggers at Coal Creek Armory for friendly fire and some eats afterwards. It was really nice for me because I've just started this hobby (both the blogging and the guns), whereas some of these folks have been doing it for years. It was an interesting experience in that I had never met them in person before, but I felt like I already knew them through their blogs.

Attendees and their reports (in bold):
Les Jones - Notes from the Blogger Gun Bash
Linoge (plus Better Half joined for lunch) - After Action Report
Lissa
Liston Matthews (dropped by at lunch)
Rich
Michael J. Mollenhour (also joined at lunch)

The gathering also let me try out a few different guns and let others shoot mine. As you see in the post above Les liked my Kel-Tec. He didn't mention it in the post, but he was not a fan of the trigger on the CZ 75 SP-01. We also thought we had a problem with my P22, but it actually was working as intended - you can pull the trigger and the hammer will fall while the safety is on, but there is a block that keeps it from actually firing.

I shot a couple of wheel guns, which was a new experience for me. Les and Linoge told me the models I'm sure, but I didn't catch them in the heat of battle. I also shot Rich's Bersa 380. We had a couple of problems with that one. I had a failure to feed while I was trying it out. A neigbor of mine also happened to be in the lane next to us, so I got to try out the S&W Bodyguard 380. I wanted to fall in love with it, but I didn't. He said it was hard for him to shoot accurately and I was way low and left with it - even with the laser (which probably needed to be adjusted since it had come back from S&W). He had another buddy shooting high right. I'd like to blame the gun, but that's some odd data.

The highlights for me were Linoge's PPS and Les' Browning Buckmark. I shot my Kel-Tec PF-9 pretty well that day, but I'm still looking for an alternative. I really liked the PPS - it is a good size and the manual of arms is very similar to the P22 that I like. This meet-up may end up costing me some money if I decide I need one of those. And thanks to the Buckmark, I now know what a really good trigger is like. Les had some work done to the .22 and it has really paid off. That thing was smooth as silk. The fiber optic sights were a nice upgrade as well.

Thanks to everyone that showed up and shared guns, ammos, and stories.

Knox Vegas Bloggers Unite!

After discussing the much publicized Knoxville Bloggers Get-Together (a.k.a BBQ-N-Bullets) with my co-workers, we decided that the Knoxville bloggers need to form an organized group to seek better pay and benefits. Perhaps some sort of union as they seem popular these days.

As with any group, we need to start with a good name.

Local 556 - Lead Workers Union (Thanks to TNJeff for suggesting lead.)

I thought it would be easier to come up with some clever names, but it turns out to be harder than I thought. I've got some lame ones below. Anyone got a better one?

AFL-CIO - American Firearms League - Constitutionally Involved Operators
SAG - Serious Arms Group
Change to Winchester Federal
UAW - United Arsenal Writers
HSLDBK - High Speed, Low Drag Bloggers of Knoxville

Knoxville Bloggers Get Together

Turning cash into smoke and noise. Check.
Putting food in my belly. Check.
Hanging out with interesting people. Check.

Sounds like a good day to me.

Knoxville Blogger Get Together

Coal Creek Armory

I was out at CCA this week and renewed my range membership. They have a ton of pistols in stock right now. They are basically laying on top of each other in the display case. Also, don't bother leaving a guess for their "how many casings are in the fish tank" contest. I am very confident I nailed it - plus or minus a thousand.

Keeping an eye out for a Walther PPS

When I'm out and about in Knox Vegas, I'll have to keep an eye out for someone open carrying a Walther PPS in an exotic stingray holster.

Shooting Classes in Knox Vegas

Les Jones is trying to help find a shooting instructor in Knoxville. It is a timely question as I have been thinking about taking a class. I'm relatively new to guns and have only been shooting for about a year. I took the basic handgun course and the carry permit class at Coal Creek Armory.

I'm considering a personal session with Rick Newstrom. He did the permit class and I liked his style.

A co-worker’s son took a tactical pistol course with instructor Eric Matson. He really enjoyed it.