K6CU

The New Look...

2012-02-28T12:05:00.005-08:00

Using the miracle of PhotoShop, the K6CU Blog page has been updated. It also makes the page load much faster than the old design.

Let me know what you think... good? bad?

By the way, this is the same photo that ran in QST magazine, February 2012 issue.

DX Contest A Success!

2012-02-22T15:08:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I participated in the ARRL DX Contest. This is a contest where stations in the USA try to work as many foreign stations as possible. I enter this annual contest almost every year as a casual operator, and not as a competitive station. My only goal is to try and improve on my previous scores.

The 2012 contest score was the best ever, with 362 contacts and 186,792 points. That's almost double my score last year of 95,066 points!

Some of the more interesting countries I contacted include Madeira Island, Ascension Island, Senegal, Antarctica, Surinam, Aland Island, Svalbard, Palau, plus numerous countries in Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the Pacific.

The contest lasts 48 hours, but I only actually operated for about 20 hours.

All the logging is done with a computer program called WinTest, which saves a whole lot of time, plus it prevents working "duplicate" contacts, which can lower your score.

VP6T on Pitcairn Island...

2012-01-27T15:59:00.001-08:00

Another great DXpedition is currently in operation -- this one from Pitcairn Island in the south Pacific, and home to "Mutiny on the Bounty" fame.

So far I've worked them on 4 bands. I'll probably end up getting them on 20, 30, 40 and 80 meters as well as the lower bands are usually easier to work that area from this location.

Below is a map showing the location of Pitcairn Island, and a chart showing the contacts I've made. The photo (above) shows the island. Very interesting place, but somewhat difficult get to.

K6CU In QST Magazine

2012-01-13T13:57:00.000-08:00

The new issue of QST magazine (the largest magazine for this hobby) has a nice little article that includes my station, and a brief quote from me. Guess I'm almost famous?

To see the image enlarged, click on it. Then right click on the photo and select "View Photo" and then click on the + sign.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T10:03:00.001-08:00

Christmas, 2011...

2011-12-27T09:27:00.001-08:00

Mother Nature cooperated by providing near 70 degree weather for our Christmas 2011 in Murrieta!

While the individual families had their Christmas gift exchange on Christmas eve or early Christmas day, we all gathered at our home in Murrieta to celebrate, open gifts and enjoy a wonderful dinner.

Families attending this year included the Cordray's from Murrieta, the Davis' clan from Hemet and the Duffy's from Riverside. Altogether it was a pretty large group. The dinner was a potluck affair, with plenty of great left-overs to be taken home.

In the photo above Steve, Kayla, Haylie, Kristopher, Colston and Quinton show off their new bathrobes from the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas -- courtesy of our son Matthew. What a fun gift!

2011 CQWW DX Contest...

2011-11-28T08:59:00.001-08:00

After a wonderful Thanksgiving (see post below), I participated in the 2011 CQWW DX contest.

This is a contest where ham radio stations from all over the world try to contact each other. It's held the 4th weekend of November, which is usually right after Thanksgiving.

I've operated in most of these DX contests over the past 15-20 years. This is the first year that I decided to do a "single band" entry, instead of working on all 6 ham bands.

As the chart shows, I contacted 144 stations in 72 different countries and 29 Zones on 10 meters (28mc). The world is divided into 40 ham radio zones, so working 29 of them on a single band is pretty good.

Christmas Time is Near...

2011-11-26T19:21:00.001-08:00

A busy week for the Albrant family in Murrieta...

On Thursday we had Thanksgiving dinner at our house.

Everyone brought an appetizer, which included bacon wrapped shrimp, meatballs and gravy, a cheese/meat and cracker plate, Robbins famous cream cheese with Raspberry topping, plus lots of other good eats!

Instead of turkey for the main course we opted instead for a giant Rib Roast, served with all the trimmings.

Daughters Carrie Renee and Kristen came with their families, plus Robbin's sister Patty and her son Kelly and his family also attended. It was nice to have everyone here for most of the day and well into the evening! Daughter Carrie Ann and sons Bill Jr. and Matthew couldn't make it (Bill Jr. and his family were in Palmer, Alaska while Matthew and a friend went to Las Vegas to celebrate his birthday).

Kelly was the designated chef this year so I was pretty much standing around looking for something to do. Forgot to take any pictures :O(

The day after Thanksgiving I burned off some calories and put up the Christmas tree while Robbin started decorating throughout the house.

We wish you all Happy Holidays and good fortune in the coming year!

T2T, Tuvalu Island... Another Ham Radio Expedition...

2011-11-15T15:41:00.000-08:00

During the past week I've been working T2T, a ham radio expedition to Tuvalu Island, out in the Pacific. They're pretty easy to work from my California location.

Tuvalu Island may disappear! It is only a few feet above sea level. Recent events indicate that Global Warming is causing the sea level to rise and, at some point, the island may actually disappear. Also, the ham operators are reporting there is a very serious fresh water shortage, which is another issue facing this very small country.

The video above was shot by BYU and shows some of the beauty, and some of the problems, this island and it's people are facing. It's worth watching!

Here is a chart showing the bands I've worked them on so far. I added 10 meters today and expect to work them on 30 and 40 meters -- if they don't go underwater first!

TX7M DXpedition to Marquesas Islands Worked

2011-10-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

TX7M is the callsign of another big ham radio dx-pedition, this one going to the Marquesas Islands, out in the Pacific Ocean near Tahiti. I've worked them on 8 bands (see chart at right) using CW (morse code).

This is a major effort is being put on by a group of Russian radio operators.
In recent years it's been difficult to work foreign stations on the higher bands (10, 12 and 15 meters) due to a lack of sunspots. With the 11 year solar cycle coming into full bloom, these bands are now open and stations all over the world can be contacted.

The photo shows one of their antennas used on the 10 meter band hanging from some palm trees.

T32C, Kiritimati Island Worked On 8 Bands!

2011-10-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

Below is a chart showing contacts I made with T32C during the past week.This is an Amateur Radio DXpedition to Kiritimati (Christmas Island) in the Northern Line Islands, a part of the Republic of Kiribati.

The chart is from their on-line log, which they uploaded daily, and shows I worked them on 8 bands using CW (morse code). The only band I have not worked them on is 160m because I don't have an antenna for that band.

This was a HUGE operation, with 15 stations set up and 41 operators participating, mostly Europeans. The map above shows the island. They located their stations at the top right part of the island.

Christmas Island is a very isolated, but interesting place.

Here's a link to Wikipedia with more information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiritimati

Scan, Scan, Scan!

2011-09-30T10:37:00.001-07:00

Earlier this month Robbin and I started scanning photos from our old photo albums.

I had no idea we had so many pictures! So far we've completed 11 albums, with a total of 2,141 photos!

Many of the photos need "work", so after we get the scanning done, we use PhotoShop to correct color, remove "uggies" (blemishes), crop and do whatever we can to make them as good as possible.

There are companies that do photo scanning, at a price of about 28 cents per picture. That doesn't include any kind of corrections or adjustments. So far that would have cost us $599.48. It's more work -- and time -- to do it ourselves, but the results are worth it.

Worth A Look...

2011-08-26T09:08:00.000-07:00

Click on the link below:

Advice to live by

Everyone wishes they could go back in time knowing what they know now. Since that's not possible, the next best thing is to listen to advice from those that have been there ...

The Last Frontier!

2011-08-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

We're home at last... after 17 hours of travel on the return flights! Our plane from Ketchikan was delayed by several hours due to bad weather in Juneau, which means we missed the early flight from Seattle to Ontario. Arrived home at 1 am!

Would we do it again? Absolutely!!!

Our visit with Bill, Becca and the kids was awesome! And Bill is a fantastic chef (who knew?). He prepared his soon-to-be famous Curry Chicken, and we even managed to snag the recipe for the glaze. Thanks Bill!

Becca had a welcome basket waiting for us, with towels, newspaper and flyers on things to do in the area. It was our first time seeing Liam in person. What a cutie he is. The girls were equally fun to be with.

Our hosts took us to visit downtown, then out south of town to see a group of bears out in the wild! Another trip with Becca took us to the far north of town to Settlers Cove, which is a beautiful camping area.

During our visit several people asked about the original "Ketchikan" hoodies Robbin and I were wearing (shown in the top photo). We proudly told them that Becca was the designer, and had them available for sale. Luckily we got ours before she was sold out!

The Ketchikan area is absolutely beautiful with lots of forest and wide open spaces. We have a DVD with many pictures and lots of video. If you're interested, let me know. Here are a few photos from our trip to Alaska.

Photos include "bath night" for Liam; Becca with wild huckleberries in the forest; Bill with Liam at the library; Artwork by Becca on display at a local gallery. We also got some great video on our trip and I'll be making a DVD for our memory collection.

Here's a link to all the photos on PhotoBucket: KETCHIKAN

Visiting Bill & Becca

2011-08-16T07:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some random shots from our visit with Bill, Becca, Bailey, Bristol and Liam. You can click on any of them to enlarge the photo. We leave for home tomorrow.

Invasion of Ketchikan?

2011-08-16T06:54:00.000-07:00

Seems the cruise lines have figured out a way to increase their share of the business along their routes. We learned that most of those cute little shops right along the waterfront are actually owned (or in partnership) with the cruise lines!

In other words, the original Ketchikan wasn't "authentic" enough, so they've created a town that the cruise lines feel is more appealing to the tourist crowd!

Now, this doesn't make the authentic "local" shops happy, as they are open all year round and pretty much are the same as they've been for the past 100 or so years.

Photo at right shows a big cruise ship dominating one end of town (there were 4 big ships in port when this was taken), while the sign on an "original" business (below) gives their viewpoint.

Family Tree Project

2011-07-30T13:23:00.001-07:00

I could never imagine when starting this Family Tree Project just how involved things were to become.

Robbin and I have been working on this for the past couple of weeks, and there's still quite a bit of work yet to accomplish.

I went on-line to see if there are already Family Tree templates we could use (ie: Ancestory.com, and others). They're all pretty much a straight line to direct ancestors.

Of course, with our group (and the fact that we are combining the O'Flaherty and Albrant trees) we wanted a way to include everyone -- step mothers, step fathers, step brothers and sisters, 2nd marriages, etc. -- and not just by strict "blood lines".

Fortunately our son Matthew was able to set us up with Visio, a drafting program from Microsoft, that allows us to create exactly what we want. Ergo, the tree shown here is the current status of what we have (click on it for a bigger image then click the "+" sign for an even bigger image).

The Blog Has Been Busy!

2011-07-13T17:46:00.001-07:00

For some (unexplained) reason, the K6CU website has been drawing a lot of visitors lately. Just this past week there have been 178 visitors, from all over the world, from Tahiti to Turkey!

As you can see on the map (at right), the little dots show the various areas where the last 100 visitors have clicked on to my Blog.

Hmmm... would a $1 "donation" per visit be out of line?

50 Years of Field Day...

2011-06-26T11:45:00.001-07:00

This weekend I participated in the 2011 ARRL Field Day event. This is an event to test the emergency radio abilities of stations across the country.

My score this year was 20% better than last year, which is pleasing!

The station is a 1970's model HW-8 transceiver that runs on battery power. It puts out 4 watts, which is about the same as a night light bulb!

I worked stations across the country -- 101 in total -- all the way from the east coast to Hawaii and Alaska.

The picture at left is from my Field Day effort back in 1961 -- 50 years ago! That station was set up in a tent in our backyard.

The Ballet...

2011-06-22T11:51:00.001-07:00

Yesterday evening Robbin and I attended the San Ellijo Dance ballet presentation at the Poway Center for Performing Arts. What a special evening it was, too. These little ballerinas will steal your hearts... they're so precious!

Granddaughter Chloe, who is almost 4 years old, was one of the "Buttercups" and did a great job. She's pictured in the photos at top, and 2nd from the left in the bottom right photo.

To quote our daughter Carrie Ann, who said it best: "They were so brave. All eleven of them. Hands locked in a little human chain, in the dark, with no idea what was going on. Not a tear. No cries for Mom or Dad. Just wide eyed and brave little ballerinas. It was precious and I am so proud of them".

It's Time To Graduate!

2011-06-08T17:50:00.001-07:00

We've had a flurry of graduations this last week or so.

First off, we attended the graduation of our granddaughter Miss Kayla Guerin from Ramona High School in Riverside (pictured here with her mom, Kristen). Kayla was also one of the singers in the presentation. Afterwards we all enjoyed Pizza.

Then, on Tuesday June 7th, we attended the graduation (called a "promotion") event for grandchildren Colston and Haylie. (pictured at left) from Thompson Middle School in Murrieta. A large group of us ended up at Sizzler for dinner after the ceremonies.

Congratulations to all the smart kids in our family who graduated this year!!!

DXCC Honor Roll?

2011-05-20T09:10:00.001-07:00

Today I received an email from Hans, PJ4LS in the Netherland Antillies, that he will be confirming our 40 meter CW qso from April 10th.

This will be my 311th confirmed country for DXCC, and should put me on the Honor Roll!

I had mailed a card to him about a month ago, along with $5 to cover postage, which he never received.

Via email, Hans told me he would send out a card confirming our contact, and pay the postage for me! What a great guy. Thanks Hans!

A Free Lunch!

2011-05-18T16:50:00.001-07:00

Today I celebrated 15 years of working with WG Holdsworth & Associates and Iron Works magazine as the west coast ad rep, and got a free lunch to boot!

In the photo (left to right) Marcy and Wally Holdsworth, Robbin and I celebrated with a great BBQ lunch at the Dos Lagos center. Our food server even brought out a free chocolate sundae to make it more special.

It was great fun talking about our families, and all the interesting people we've met along the way!

Renovation Update...

2011-05-14T06:37:00.001-07:00

At long last we have our bathroom renovation completed. Here are couple of shots of the new granite shower and sink areas. We also replaced the ugly "builders" mirror with a great deal that Robbin found on some wood framed mirrors, plus new sinks and brushed nickle hardware throughout.

Taking showers now is almost like being in a fancy spa!

Bathroom Destroyed!

2011-04-26T11:11:00.001-07:00

Well, temporarily "destroyed"...

Our master bathroom is being renovated, and this is what it looks like after all the old walls and fixtures have been removed.

In its place they are installing new granite walls and floor for the shower and trim areas. So far they have the two big walls covered but there's a lot of work yet to be done, including the sink area which will be all new.

As soon as the dust settles I'll post a picture of the completed project.

A Day at the Beach...

2011-04-18T09:03:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, April 17, we spent most of the day visiting daughter Carrie and her husband Kelly in Carlsbad. Along with their daughters, Chloe and Ava, we all headed over to the beach which is just a short drive from their home. Beautiful weather and we parked right next to the beach! What a great way to start off a new summer season.

Above, our little miss Ava tries on some cool "shades", while below daddy Kelly and grandma Robbin play in the sand with the girls.

Grab a brush and paint!

2011-04-14T15:33:00.001-07:00

As you can see in the above photo, we're right in the middle of having the house painted. The upper floors in the photo are the "new" paint while the front of the garage is the original paint scheme.

Must say it looks a lot better. The beige with brown trim is much richer looking than that old "pinkish" hue we had.

Hopefully they'll be done with this job by Monday and we can get back to normal -- whatever that is! Or at least until the next project comes along :>)

EP2MKO Card Received...

2011-03-21T14:47:00.001-07:00

In the mail today I received a QSL (confirmation) card from EP2MKO, a station I worked in Iran. It's not often you can work a station in Iran, and even more difficult to get a confirmation.

This contact took place several years ago, and I had sent a request (my own card) but never received a reply. Recently I found a new updated email address for the operator -- a Russian who was operating from Iran -- and re-sent my request to him.

I have sent a QSL to PJ4LS in the Netherland Antillies for our recent contact, which will be country #311 for me, and put K6CU on the DXCC Honor Roll!

The ARRL DX Contest...

2011-03-02T18:09:00.000-08:00

Just about every year I enter the ARRL DX Contest. This is a contest where stations all over the world work North American stations. Even though my score and station is nothing like the "big guns", it is still a blast to work hams from many foreign countries.

This year my score was 97,605. The chart at right shows how many countries (DXC) I worked on each band.

My contacts included stations from all continents. One station, ZF2AM in the Cayman Islands, was worked on all bands from 80 through 10 meters!

Total operating time was about 12 hours out of the 48 hour contest.

Yaesu FT-950 On The Air...

2011-02-16T16:33:00.001-08:00

Well, I finally broke down and upgraded the old ham radio station here at K6CU. Pictured above is the new radio, a Yaesu FT-950, that arrived today.

The previous radio, a Kenwood TS-850s, is excellent, but there were some new features available on the FT-950 that I wanted to play with.

It's amazing how much progress has been made in the past few years. The new radio is all "digital", with dozens of options (some of which I wasn't even aware of) and many features that have come along recently. If any new changes/improvements are made, they can be downloaded from the Yaesu website and the firmware can be updated from my computer. Amazing!

UPDATE: First contact with the new radio was S9DX on 40 meters cw. S9DX is Sao Tome, and island group just off the west coast of Africa.

Early Morning at the Swapmeet...

2011-01-15T10:32:00.001-08:00

Good Morning!
It's 6:30 am on Saturday, and the Chino Hills Electronic Swapmeet is already a busy place as folks set up their tables and displays.

I was there, along with Jan Perkins (N6AW) who graciously provided the booth space and his pickup truck as a display table. I was able to sell off everything I brought... hooray!

The Swapmeet is held on the 3rd Saturday of the month, and has become kind of a ritual for me.

Above is a photo of Jan trying to entice a customer. Other pictures show a table full of laptop computers, and a nice Hallicrafters SX-28 that sold right away for $450 cash! Started primarily for ham radio, the swap has evolved over the years and now has a lot of computer and high tech stuff on the tables.

A View of K6CU...

2011-01-09T14:56:00.000-08:00

A short video showing K6CU monitoring 40 meters. The transceiver is a Kenwood TS-850Sat. The small green radio on top of it is a 1970's Heathkit HW-8, a low power transceiver that runs off a 12 volt battery and a solar cell. Normally I use morse code (cw) and not phone (ssb) mode.

Now That's a Happy Little Kid!

2010-12-31T09:48:00.001-08:00

I just love this photo of our grandson, Kristopher, who was here for Christmas. Have you ever seen a more genuine smile of happiness?

We had several families visit us on Christmas day, including the Duffy's from Riverside, the Daoust's from Carlsbad and the Cordray family from Murrieta. Our daughter Carrie Ann took this photo. Our son Matthew was also here.

Our son Bill Jr. and his family (Becca, Bailey, Bristol and Liam) celebrated Christmas a little closer to the North Pole from their home in Ketchikan, Alaska.

This year we had our gift opening early, and did something a little different for dinner... we had pizza! Not a traditional holiday dinner to be sure, but everyone seemed to like it, and there were some good left-overs!

On Christmas eve Robbin and I visited her mom, Florence, who couldn't make it to our party due to illness.

Some great talent... enjoy!

2010-12-22T09:46:00.000-08:00

Our granddaughter Kayla posted this on Facebook, and I thought it was really worth sharing with everyone else. Note the 5 string violin -- don't see many of these.

Kermadec Island, ZL8X, Contacted...

2010-12-09T16:28:00.000-08:00

Recently I was able to contact the operators of ZL8X, a DX-pedition to the Kermadec Islands, on four different ham bands... including 80 meters.

The islands are located about 700 miles northeast of New Zealand. A group of ham radio operators from Germany spent several weeks on these uninhabited islands.

Above is a map showing the islands (Kermadec is at the very top right of map).

At left is their on-line log showing the bands I worked them on. The photo below shows just one of several operating positions and antennas the group set up.

This was a first-class (and very expensive) ham radio operation to a part of the world that seldom has any visitors, much less ham radio activity.

World-wide Radio Contest...

2010-11-28T16:51:00.001-08:00

This weekend I participated in the annual CQWW DX Contest. This is a 48 hour contest where hams from all over the world contact each other.

The chart at right shows the breakdown of my contacts by continent.

Africa is always the hardest continent to reach, but I still managed to have 7% of my contacts from that area, including The Gambia, Cape Verde, plus the Canary and Madeira Islands.

Altogether I had 135 contacts from around the world in 50 different countries. That is a very modest score, but then again, my station is also very modest!

Thanksgiving at the Duffy's...

2010-11-25T21:43:00.001-08:00

Kristen and Chris Duffy hosted our Thanksgiving Day dinner in Riverside this year, assisted by their children, Kayla and Kristopher. A 25 pound turkey with all the trimmings done to perfection. This was actually the second turkey Chris prepared as an earlier bird was donated by the Duffy's to a worthy cause.

Also enjoying the feast were Larry and Carrie Cordray and their daughter Haylie.

We had a nice surprise when our son Bill in Ketchikan, Alaska called to wish us all a happy holiday. His family just returned from 10 days in Seattle where he was in training.

The food was excellent... the "kids" did a great job... and Robbin and I enjoyed the day with all of them!

Made In... EGYPT ???

2010-11-18T11:09:00.000-08:00

So, we were out shopping at the Dollar Store last night and I found this interesting item on the shelf... Temmy's Cereal.

Never heard of them? Neither have I. So, I took a look at the back of the box and, amazingly, this product is made in EGYPT!

How they can possibly make, ship, distribute and sell a box of cereal from Egypt for $1 defies logic.

No, I didn't buy any in case you were wondering!

The Beach at Carlsbad...

2010-11-07T06:23:00.001-08:00

Yesterday a big group of us showed up at Carrie & Kelly's house in Carlsbad to celebrate the 1st Birthday of their daughter Ava (I'm sure Carrie will post photos).

On the way home I took granddaughters Haylie and Kayla to the beach near Carlsbad Village. Got this near-sunset photo with the cellphone.

It's A Boy !!!

2010-09-25T06:11:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday, September 22nd, at 11:23 our new grandson, William (Liam) Colston Albrant, arrived!!!

Liam was 8 pounds and 6 ounces, and measured 21-1/2 inches. Here he is in his very first photo.

Parents Bill and Becca of Ketchikan, Alaska, are tired but doing just fine. Liam joins his two sisters, Bailey and Bristol, who are excited about the new arrival.

He is the fifth generation to carry the William Colston Albrant name, and our 10th grandchild.

Welcome to the family Liam!

A Delightful Visit With Chloe & Ava...

2010-08-31T17:18:00.000-07:00

As mom and dad (Carrie and Kelly) head off to Minnesota for 4 days, Grandma and Grandpa Albrant played host to Chloe (age 3) and Ava (age 10 months).

They were funny, and cute, and delightful... and we enjoyed having those little sprites around to make us feel young again!

In these photos, Ava shows off the flower in her hair while sitting on Grandmas lap, and Chloe gives Grandpa her funny grin during their lunch on the patio.

Ava learned a new trick -- coming down the stairs backwards. Meanwhile, Chloe went grocery shopping with Grandpa and she insisted on buying a clove of garlic because it smelled so good and she wanted to take it home!

News Update...

2010-08-19T16:26:00.001-07:00

What's your first impression of this image? Yellow arrows pointing left, or green arrows pointing right? There is no "correct" answer, but different people perceive this image differently at first. Thought this was interesting... ps: I see yellow arrows.

Here are some news "briefs" to entertain you all:

1. Robbin spent most of the weekend painting the family room and kitchen. As usual, it looks like professional did it!

2. While painting behind the refrigerator, we discovered an area where the ice maker hose was leaking. Some mold and wood rot. Letting it dry out and asking experts how to repair it.

3. This Saturday is the monthly Ham Radio Swapmeet in Chino Hills. I'll be there at 7am sharp, looking for good deals!

4. They posted some photos of my high school reunion on Facebook. Boy, those people can't be my classmates -- they're a bunch of senior citizens!

That's all for now. Hopefully we'll have pictures of something interesting next time!

"America's Got Talent", Amazing!

2010-08-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

Pretty amazing 10-year-old girl singing opera...

Visitors From Everywhere!

2010-07-23T11:34:00.000-07:00

As you can see on the above map, this Blog gets visitors from all over the world!

I just added a site-meter a week or so ago to track the traffic. The little dots on the map represent recent visitors. People from Asia, Russia, Sweden, France, South America and many from the USA have visited this site.

Yes folks, it is indeed a "world wide web"!

Wild Weather in Murrieta...

2010-07-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

We had a pretty wild thunderstorm hit Murrieta yesterday... lots of thunder and lightening. Several homes in a nearby town were hit and caught fire. Thankfully I remembered to unhook the antenna coax from my radio! Took this short clip with my camera phone.

Everyone In The Pool!

2010-07-03T21:23:00.000-07:00

Our daughter Carrie Renee was the host this weekend for a pool party at her home in Murrieta.

With wonderful weather, three kinds of pizza, plus gourmet sandwiches and other treats, it was a great day of fun and relaxation.

Our other Carrie (Carrie Ann) from Fallbrook drove up with her husband Kelly and daughters Chloe and Ava.

Carrie Renee's children (Haylie, Quinton and Colston) also enjoyed the day along with Bill and Robbin.

In the top photo Carrie Ann (left) and Carrie Renee play with Ava. In bottom photos, Kelly and Chloe do some splashing while Haylie (at right) and her friend get some serious suntan time.

You can click on this link to see more photos: SLIDESHOW

Field Day 2010 - QRP Class

2010-07-01T14:41:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the annual "Field Day" event. Ham radio stations all over the country get on the air to test their emergency radio skills and equipment. Some are very elaborate operations, with major antenna systems, large generators and multiple stations -- all set up on Saturday just prior to the 24 hour event.

My Field Day participation was based on using a small radio with low output (QRP) and battery power. The HW-8 transceiver (the small green radio pictured above) puts out about 4 watts -- the same as a small night light! The battery is charged with a small solar panel.

During this years Field Day I operated between chores, shopping and sleeping, with about 8 hours of total operation. Even so, I made 82 contacts with stations as far away as Hawaii, Alaska, Texas, Ohio and Illinois.

Rescued From The Junk Pile...

2010-06-26T18:28:00.000-07:00

I just recently acquired this nice old radio for $25. It's a Knight Kit R-100. This was a "kit" radio made in 1957, according to the date inside the cabinet. The way it worked is you bought the radio as a box of parts and assembled it yourself. Everything was included, and the price was about $100.

This one looked pretty good cosmetically, but didn't work when I got it. After replacing the filter capacitor and some other parts, it now works like new... and it looks cool!

Spent several hours last night listening to CRI (China Radio International) and some other foreign broadcasts.

A Day At The "Ranch"...

2010-06-20T14:45:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we spent the day at the "ranch" of our oldest daughter, Carrie Ann, her husband Kelly and their daughters Chloe and Ava to celebrate Father's Day. After a great lunch of pizza we all headed out to their orchard to pick some delicious apricots and grapefruit (above).

At right, Carrie Ann and dad pose long enough to have their picture taken.

In the other photos, dad Robbin and Chloe mug it up for the camera while Kelly and Ava scout out some new picking areas.

Kids All Over The Place!

2010-06-06T10:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had two little visitors -- Chloe and Ava came for the weekend while their parents (Carrie and Kelly) were doing "demo" on their home in preparation for some new hardwood floors.

After playing and eating most of the day, we all went to Kahoot's in Murrieta to see the rabbits, snakes and all kinds of other critters.

Even with a big box of toys, it seems most toddlers prefer playing in the water, and a fly swatter makes it even more fun, as Chloe demonstrates!

Finally a nice dinner and then it was time to clean-up. Pictured here, Ava Renee helps grandma get the dishwasher loaded up!

We had a great time, although these little ones sure kept Grandpa and Grandma busy!

12 year old can teach us a lesson!

2010-05-28T14:35:00.001-07:00

Our son Matthew ran across this excellent video, and put it on Facebook. It's a 12-year-old girl who delivers an inspiring message. Figured it was worth passing on... and maybe learn from...

Great Video... Great Music...

2010-05-23T18:09:00.000-07:00

If you don't have this album, get it and enjoy the video and CD... Did I say "album"... yikes! That's certainly going to date me! It's actually a DVD/CD combo from a few years ago.

2010-05-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

Upgrading to Windows 7... a journey!

Recently I decided that the "kids" computer, with Windows 7, would become my new home computer. It's an Acer, with gobs of hard drive space, more memory and features and is very fast. It took awhile, but we finally got it all to work.

However, my various ham radio contesting and logging programs wouldn't work with Windows 7, so I had to get a new program. But that was actually a good thing as I now have logging, DX cluster, contest logging, and DXCC all on one screen (see photo). It's similar to the famous CT program, but works on Windows 7 and has many more features, plus the new computer is much faster than the old Dell with XP.

The new program is WinTest: http://www.win-test.com/

Thanks to our son Matthew for helping me get this program and everything else working properly!

Ham Radio From The Past...

2010-04-15T17:37:00.000-07:00

This should bring a smile to anyone who played around with radios back in the "good old days"...

I received this today via email. It's a page from a 1960 issue of Electronics Illustrated showing a home-made, 4-tube transmitter/receiver project.

This is the "stuff" that we did as kids back in the mid-20th century and, amazingly, a simple set like this could communicate all over the world.

(Click on the photos for
an enlarged view)

Pictured below is a 3-tube set that I made back in the mid-1960's. It had three tubes (6L6 transmitter, 6SN7 receiver and 5U4 power supply), and fit in the attache' case shown in the photo.

Home-made Transmitter... WOW!

2010-03-18T18:05:00.001-07:00

What we have here is a beautiful example of a home-made transmitter. As you can see from the photos, the ham (unknown) who built this was a true craftsman. He even made the chassis and formed the mesh cabinet!

The transmitter uses one tube (a 6L6) and puts out about 10 watts on the 80 and 40 meter ham bands.

The workmanship is beautiful inside and out.

I can't imagine how many hours were spent creating this little gem, but I greatly admire the person who has this kind of skill and patience!

Click on photos

to see them enlarged.

2010-02-25T16:50:00.000-08:00

K6CU Featured in CQ Magazine!
The March issue of CQ magazine had a nice little write-up on my "vintage" station (top photo above). This was part of the "How It Works" column, written by Dave Ingram for the past 30 years.

The equipment shown in the photo is from the 50's (the receiver) and the 60's (transmitter). Both units work very well, and are in very nice condition. I had a schedule with Dave to have a contact using this set-up, but conditions were not good enough to work him on the east coast.

Sadly, this is the last column Dave (K4TWJ) wrote as he passed away on January 20. I had spoken with and emailed Dave several times over the years.

To read the text, click on the image for a larger view.

2010-02-11T15:25:00.000-08:00

Cincy In The Wintertime...

For the past 13 years I've traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio for the annual V-Twin motorcycle expo. Sometimes the weather is very nice, and sometimes not so much. Last week at the show the weather was bit on the cool side (highs of 18 degrees) with SNOW!

Pictured above is the view in front of Applebee's restaurant, where we had dinner on Friday night. This was the start of a snowstorm that dumped about 6 inches on us.

This is not the nice soft "throwing a snowball" kind of snow. It's icy, crusty and hard as a rock, which makes walking and driving a challenge. I'm glad to be home!

2010-01-30T17:13:00.000-08:00

On The Air With The GRC-109...

Today I finally got the old GRC-109 military "spy" radio on the air, and made two contacts right away! One of the contacts was with John (N4HBH) located on the east coast in Virginia who gave me a nice signal report. The other contact was with a station in Oregon.

The video above shows me calling CQ (calling for any station). Sorry there's no sound, but it shows the lights on the transmitter blinking as I send the call.

This was about the easiest set up I can remember. Just hook the transmitter to the power supply, hook up an antenna, and start transmitting. This radio is about 50 years old, and puts out about 25 watts of power. There is a matching receiver that I would like to add to this setup.

In the video you can see me using the little key that is built right on top of the transmitter.

2010-01-13T15:18:00.000-08:00

Blast from the past...

Our daughter Kristen was going through some old photos and found this one of Robbin and me.

Boy, those were the good old days! Just thought everyone would get a laugh seeing this old photo from 1980!

2010-01-08T14:27:00.000-08:00

My Newest Toy...

Pictured above is my newest "toy". On the right is a 2-tube radio transmitter (GRC-109). This is a military "spy" transmitter, and was used extensively during the Vietnam war, especially during the early days when the special forces were in operation covertly.

The little transmitter is about 8-1/2" x 5-1/2", about the size of a VHS video tape. It runs about 10 watts output and covers from 3 to 22 megacycles, quite a range for such a small set. It only operates "cw", or morse code mode, and has a built in key!

Although low power, with a decent antenna this transmitter has good long-range capability, and many hams have worked around the globe using this set. There is also a matching receiver and power supply that I would like to find (see photo below).

On the left is a home made power supply that I hope to "mate" with the transmitter. I'll do an update once I've connected the two units and run some tests.

There is some interesting background on this radio set. Click on this link: SPY RADIO

2009-12-26T10:36:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2009...

It was pretty much a full house as most of our extended family showed up for Christmas day at our home in Murrieta, CA.

We were happy to welcome Ava Renee, our newest family member, and the return of Larry Cordray, back from his military training on the east coast.

After everyone opened their presents we enjoyed a great Christmas dinner, followed by many dessert choices!

Yummy!

Here are a few photos we snapped during the festivities.

You can click on any of these photos for a larger version, or click on the link below to see all the photos at PhotoBucket:

CHRISTMAS 2009

Nice Holiday Music...

2009-12-18T16:37:00.000-08:00

You've probably seen these guys before, but here's a recent performance they did. No instruments, just some guys with great voices! Enjoy...

Merry Christmas To All...

2009-12-05T14:48:00.000-08:00

Robbin (age 20 months) and Bill (age 7)

We wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and
Great Joy in the New Year!

Happy House Warming!

2009-11-14T16:55:00.001-08:00

Daughter Kristen and her husband Chris get a big laugh while opening one of their Housewarming gifts on Saturday.

They moved into their new home on Halloween and had everything in its proper place on the very first day!

The home is a 1959 Ranch-style house, and has been completely renovated from top to bottom! It's just perfect for their family and beautiful throughout.

Children Kayla and Kristopher each have their own rooms, plus there's an office, a guest room, and very nice entertainment area in the backyard.

In bottom photo Kristen gets a few tears while reading one of the gift cards.

The potluck was enjoyed by many friends and family!

Ava Renee - Photo & Video

2009-11-06T20:43:00.000-08:00

Here's a short 1-minute video of Ava Renee taken at her parents home on Friday evening. Big sister Chloe shows she is already a good "helper" to her little sister!

Parents Carrie Ann and Kelly are glad to get home with their new bundle of joy.

Photo shows the two sisters in a quiet moment.

Sorry for the poor quality video but it was taken with a cell phone.

Ava Renee Has Arrived!

2009-11-05T10:13:00.000-08:00

Ava Renee arrived

today at 1:24 am!

Ava Renee Daoust is the newest member of our extended clan!

She is the new daughter of parents Carrie Ann and Kelly. She weighed 7 pounds and 12 ounces at birth, and was 19" long.

Everyone is doing great, although a little short on sleep!

Ava Renee is spending night with her mom at the hospital, but will be coming home tomorrow, where Grandma Robbin and sister Chloe await their arrival.

Baby Ava Renee Update...

2009-11-02T18:24:00.000-08:00

*********************************************************

Baby Ava Renee is scheduled to be induced

on Wednesday afternoon!

*********************************************************

YIKES! Those teeth can bite!

2009-11-02T17:54:00.000-08:00

Granddaughter Haylie and friend Lauren are pictured as they get ready for some Trick or Treat fun in the neighborhood.

Haylie said she was feeling a little "thirsty" and decided Lauren would be the perfect appetizer! (Click on the picture for an up close view).

Also out on the town was granddaughter Chloe, who was here with her mom and dad, Carrie and Kelly.

'Candy' is now one of her favorite words!

Ava's First Photo... 3 Weeks To Go !!!

2009-10-19T16:27:00.000-07:00

Daughter Carrie Ann sent us this "first photo" of our new granddaughter, Ava. She's due on November 7th, although there is some speculation she may arrive early!

Carrie and husband Kelly have been pretty busy getting everything ready for the new arrival.

In this shot, you can clearly see her little hand and facial features.

Obviously a little doll in the making!

Working Midway DXpedition...

2009-10-17T17:58:00.001-07:00

Several hams I know are on a DXpedition to Midway Island. This island last saw ham radio activity over 10 years ago, so there are lots of stations calling them.

Although they're a long ways from home, they are able to upload the contacts to a website where we can check to see our contacts have been confirmed.

Here is a screen shot of the log today, showing I have worked them on four bands, all on CW (code).

They'll be there a few more days so perhaps I'll get a chance to work them on some other bands!

UPDATE: Have contacted Midway on 6 bands (megacycles): 3.5, 7.0, 10.1, 14.0, 18.0 and 21.0, all on morse code.

Ham Radio Video with K6CU

2009-10-04T12:56:00.001-07:00

A couple of guys who love to get out in the back country of Utah took their battery powered ham radio with them. They shot some video, including part of their contact with me, and put it on YouTube!

This was taken about a year ago. The part with my call is at about the 6 minute mark, so you can skip ahead.

Thanks to N0TU and N7UN for posting this on YouTube and sending me the link.

Grab the marshmallows... we're having a fire!

2009-09-24T16:17:00.001-07:00

Today right around lunch time we had a little excitement in old Murrieta... a fire broke out in the hills just behind our house!

The excitement was short-lived, as a bevy of airplanes and helicopters showed up and, within about an hour, had knocked the fire down.

This shot shows the smoke. It's difficult to see, but if you click on the photo to enlarge it, and look very closely towards the middle of the photo, you'll see a small black dot in the red circle. That's a big 4-engine airplane dumping water on the fire. Gives you a little bit of an idea how big this was!

Skinny and Bald!

2009-09-01T15:19:00.001-07:00

We received this picture of a skinny bald guy on Robbin's cell phone today.

OH! It's Larry Cordray!

Carrie Renee really surprised him by showing up for his graduation from boot camp in South Carolina. He had no idea she was going to be there, and was THRILLED she could make it!

It was quite a challenge getting Carrie across the USA to be there in time, as her first flight was canceled at the last minute!

She will spend two days with Larry before he ships off to his schooling in Ft. Lee, Virginia. We expect Carrie Renee back home on Friday.

Becca and family visit...

2009-08-23T10:34:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, August 22, we spent the day with Becca, her mom Nancy, and daughters Bailey and Bristol. The purpose of their visit was not a happy one however, as Nancy's dad passed away recently and they were here for the funeral in Long Beach.

Despite the sad occasion, we had a full day of fun activity. The video here is just a short clip with highlights of the movies we took.

In addition to Becca and her family, our daughter Carrie, husband Kelly and their daughter Chloe also attended.

First we had a terrific lunch at the Belmont Brewing Company in Belmont Shores (an area of Long Beach), on the outside patio, followed by some play time on the beach. Then it was off to a local park where all the kids had a chance to play, play, play! It was a very full day, to say the least, and all the kids (and Grampa Bill) needed a nap to catch up!

Bill Jr. (Becca's husband) had to work, but there was some good news about him. He was working as First Mate on his ship (this is the #2 position on the boat, under the Captain).

There are also pictures at this link: BECCA VISITS

There's A Baby In My Sink!

2009-08-17T16:02:00.001-07:00

We had several overnight guests this past weekend.

Grandchildren Quinton, Colston and Haylie stayed with us Thursday through Sunday while their mom Carrie Renee was visiting friends and relatives in Arizona. On Saturday evening the gang had a big Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner (originally scheduled for last St. Patrick's Day!).

Granddaughter Chloe spent Sunday night with us while her parents, Kelly and Carrie Ann, visited friends in San Diego. One of Chloe's "funner" times was taking a bath in the kitchen sink. A bath is quite important, especially after eating lots of juicy watermelon!

Sorry for the quality, but this is a cell phone shot.

Central Coast, Day 3 and 4...

2009-07-31T14:18:00.000-07:00

What, no pictures???

Sorry, but we were having so much fun, we kinda forgot to click off any photos. But, just so you know, we survived our mini-vacation to the central CA coast. We tried 3 nights in a row to get a great photo of the sunset, but the cloud/fog level was too heavy.

Here's the sunset photo I would have taken if it hadn't been so foggy!

Day 3: We left Pismo Beach and stopped in at San Luis Obisbo for a few hours. Took a short tour of the Mission, and we searched for --and found-- a restaurant Robbin likes. Later we arrived in Morro Bay where Bill had his crab cocktail on the pier. Spent most of the day visiting all the shops and restaurants.

Day 4: A little more sight-seeing, then off we went. Stopped in at Anderson's Pea Soup restaurant in Buellton and did a little shopping, and then to Santa Barbara where stopped by another Mission. We had a great lunch at Nordstrom's in the outdoor cafe, located on the top floor, with a beautiful view of the area.

Good News: The Good News is that the "check engine" light went out. We had it checked before leaving and they told us it would be an $1100 repair job! Hopefully it was just a temporary hiccup and we won't need to have it repaired. If we're lucky, the money we saved on not repairing the car will help pay for the vacation!

All in all, it was a wonderful trip that we both enjoyed -- and needed. It's pretty strange being on the coast with temperatures in the low 70's, and come home to 100+ degrees.

Central Coast, Day 1 and 2...

2009-07-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we started a short vacation up the California central coast. On our first stop we visited Bob and Julia in Ventura, then off to Santa Barbara.

Day 2 started with a great breakfast at a funky little place in Santa Barabara before driving up to Los Alamos, where Robbin took this photo of Bill in a neat museum.

We continued to Pismo Beach, but it was jammed full of tourists, so we drove north a few miles and found some wonderful spots (including where photo below was taken).

Later that evening we returned to Pismo Beach and enjoyed Clam Chowder bowls at the world famous Splash Cafe (claimed to be the best chowder west of Boston!).

Tomorrow should find us roaming around in San Luis Obisbo and Morro Bay.

From there, who knows!

DXCC #330 Confirmed...

2009-07-03T14:23:00.001-07:00

Recently received a QSL card confirming my contact with this quite rare station that was operating in the Andaman & Nicobar Island group. These islands are located in the Bay of Bengal, southeast of India.

This card bring my total confirmed country count to 330 in the DXCC program. The contact was made on the 40 meter band using cw (morse code).

I am currently listed on the CQ Honor Roll (CW - morse code), but I still have a couple more countries to work/confirm before being eligible for the ARRL DXCC Honor Roll.

BonVoyage Party for Larry...

2009-06-21T10:24:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, June 20th, Jamie and husband Jimmy hosted a BonVoyage party for Larry, as he heads off to Fort Jackson, SC for basic training in the US Army.

Lots of laughs, lots of tears, lots of swimming and lots of great food and drinks.

There wasn't a dry eye in the house when Larry read all the cards, and made a heartfelt statement of his love for his friends and family.

Be safe and well Larry, and come home soon!

Click on the link to see all the photos...

LARRY BONVOYAGE

Kelly's Band Plays in Huntington Beach

2009-06-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

Kelly and his band, Tsunami Blue, played at Huntington Beach on Sunday. Kelly is 2nd from left in the photo.

Robbin, daughters Carrie Ann and Carrie Renee, and granddaughters Kayla and Chloe spent the day cheering them on.

They were participating in a weekend concert presented by the Huntington Beach Surf Museum.

Solar Power Ham Radio...

2009-06-01T16:23:00.001-07:00

It's about time for some ham radio news!

Last week I dug out the old (1970's) Heathkit HW-8 rig, in preparation for Field Day, a communications test held in June. During the weekend event, stations from all over the country try to work each other using a variety of portable, emergency and home powered equipment.

The HW-8 (smaller green radio in photo) puts out 4 watts, and last year I worked over 80 stations. In my testing this week, I worked stations in Japan, Australia, Alaska, and South America.

To give you some idea of the power level, a 4 watt radio is the same power as a night light bulb. My regular station is the equivalent of a 100 watt light bulb, while the maximum power allowed is the same as 15 light bulbs, 100 watts each!

For hams reading this, I use a solar panel and 5 ah battery for power. The keyer (blue box next to clock) is an old MFJ model that runs forever on one 9 volt battery. Antenna is a 40m Ham Stick with 2 radials. Everything but the antenna fits into a plastic tool box.

LaJolla For The Day...

2009-05-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

Lovely LaJolla... it's not that far from Murrieta, but we seldom get there. On Sunday, Robbin, Bill, Kayla and Haylie drove down and spent the day.

First was lunch at "The Spot", a true landmark. It's the oldest continuously operated restaurant in LaJolla (since 1915), and a favorite of Robbin's.

If you go, try the beer battered fries or macaroni and cheese.

Pictured here are Haylie, Kayla and Bill in front of the restaurant.

Next we visited the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, which included numerous tanks with all kinds of sea life, and an outdoor area where you could actually touch sea critters.

Then off to LaJolla Cove, with a park with a small beach area, although a little chilly for swimming.

On the way home we topped off the afternoon with chocolate dipped ice creams cones. A beautiful day and a rare treat for us.

PS: We tried to find the house where we lived for a summer in LaJolla but no luck.

To see all the photos, click on this link: LAJOLLA

Patty's Birthday Party...

2009-05-18T10:07:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we hosted a birthday party for Robbin's sister, Patty, at our home in Murrieta.

A highlight of the day was a visit by Patty's son Kelly, who came all the way from his home in Virginia, and will be here for most of the week.

Pictured here are Patty opening one of her gifts, while her son Kelly visits with Kayla and catches up on the latest news.

Meanwhile, next door, our neighbors had a birthday party for their daughter, and invited our granddaughter Haylie to celebrate.

Looks like she may have the winning hand in the water gun action!

Click on any of the pictures for a larger view.

The Murrieta Chili Cook-Off Festival...

2009-05-09T15:41:00.001-07:00

Today a group of us went to the 1st Annual Murrieta Chili Cook-Off Festival in downtown Murrieta. This is national competition, with the winner going on the the semi-finals later this year.

There were all kinds of chili samples, food tents, beer tents, line dancing, live music, and even a wildlife exhibit. Whew! Lots to do and enjoy, and the weather was perfect.

The group included Bill & Robbin; Carrie, Kelly and Chloe; Carrie Renee and her son Colston.

Click on any of the pictures to make them larger.

You can also view these and other pictures at PhotoBucket. Click on the link below for more pictures:

CHILI COOK-OFF

Eric O'Flaherty Signs with Atlanta...

2009-05-06T15:23:00.001-07:00

Our own Eric O'Flaherty (Robbin's nephew) has signed with the Atlanta Braves baseball team.

From a Braves press release: "The Braves enter the regular season with a projected pitching staff that includes starters Derek Lowe, Javier Vazquez, Jair Jurrjen, Kenshin Kawakami and Tom Glavine, closer Mike Gonzalez, setup men Rafael Soriano and Peter Moylan and middle relievers Blaine Boyer, Eric O'Flaherty and Buddy Carlisle".

Congrats to Eric, and good luck in Atlanta!

Here's a link to a story about Eric: ERIC O'FLAHERTY

Hippies Spotted in Murrieta!

2009-04-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

It's nice to see some things just don't change much. Like "hippies". Spotted this rather unique VW bus in the local gas station yesterday. Apparently "Ike" is one of those counter-culture types who's stuck in the 70's. Unfortunately, Ike didn't learn to spell very well (Mobiel?).

So next time your in town, watch for Ike, who continues to thumb his nose at "The Man".

Me? Well, somehow my life went down a different road from Ike's VW and, now, I seem to have almost become "The Man".

We Visit The 23rd Avocado Festival...

2009-04-19T15:07:00.000-07:00

Lots of food and sun today at the 23rd Annual Avocado Festival in downtown Fallbrook.

I went down to Carrie and Kelly's ranch early so we could get there before the big crowds arrived. As you can see, even getting to this event early means it is elbow-to-elbow down Main Street!

In the photo above, three of the Avocado Princesses stopped by to say hello to Chloe, who was thrilled to see some real nobility!

After a couple of hours sight-seeing, and getting all kinds of free samples, we went back to Carrie & Kelly's to have lemonade (fresh from their lemon tree) and some treats. Robbin and Kayla joined us later for a nice lunch.

Food, sun, princesses... and more food!

Now, doesn't that sound like a perfect day?

(Click on pictures for a larger view)

Haylie & Colston Birthday Bash!

2009-04-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

Happy 13th Birthday to Haylie and Colston!

Over 40 family members and friends from 4 counties celebrated on Saturday, April 11th.

The "teen" party included a scavenger hunt (the boys team won), a "Guess Who" trivia game with little known facts about Haylie and Colston, a Soul Train style dance exhibition, a fantastic BBQ, and of course the opening of cards and gifts.

Everyone had great time, even the sometimes embarrassed new "teens".

The dance exhibition was filmed by Matt and copies will be available as soon as we all stop laughing! We promise not to post the video on You-Tube!

To see more pictures, click on the PhotoBucket link below...

BIRTHDAY PICTURES

Choir Group Wins First Place!

2009-04-09T15:54:00.001-07:00

Here's a group photo of Kayla and her Murrieta Valley High School Advanced Women's Ensemble Choir. While in New York City last month they performed in a signing competition at the famous Riverside Church... they won FIRST PLACE... Congratulations!

Kayla is in the back row, 6th person from the left. Kayla picked the "goofy" picture as opposed to the more serious pose. Click on the photo for a larger view.

(Remember: If you would like to post a comment, click on the "comments" button and enter your comment. Then click on the "Name/URL" button below the comment window, and type your name. You do not have to enter the "URL"... just your name).

Hang On To Your Domain Name!

2009-03-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

Last October I decided to give up my k6cu.com website, and go with this BLOG instead. Well, last week I thought perhaps I could start it up again and add some photos.

Well, LO AND BEHOLD, some bottom-feeder snapped up the K6CU domain name! Apparently this guy watches for any domain names that expire and then buys the rights to it ($10 per year is the going rate). He then puts it on his website that it's available.

Here is the email correspondence I had with him. BEWARE -- if you have a website, keep the domain name even if you don't want to keep the website active! Lesson learned!

**********

From: blake@acquirethisname.com
To: k6cu@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:52:49 -0700
Subject: RE: Your offer for K6CU.com

Bill,

The owner of this domain has listed the sales price for this domain at $4000 USD, but is willing to entertain a reasonable offer.

To make an offer, reply to this email with the offer you would like me to present to the owner of the domain.

To expedite negotiations, the seller has requested minimum bid of $1000.

Regards,

Blake AcquireThisName.comblake@acquirethisname.com

Remember: If you would like to post a comment, click on the "comments" link. Enter your comment. Then click on the "Name/URL" button below the comment window, and enter your name. You do not have to enter the "URL"... just your name.

NYC Girl !!!

2009-03-20T15:55:00.000-07:00

Our Miss Kayla is in the Big Apple right now, on a 5-day trip with her Choir group. She left yesterday.

Here are some photos she sent earlier today. Can you believe she's only 15 years old?

They have a busy schedule, including lunch in Central Park, a visit to Rockefeller Center and the Statue of Liberty, plus a dinner cruise. On Sunday they're going to lunch at the Mesa Grill, and that evening they will see the Lion King at the Minskoff Theatre. Whew!

The highlight of their trip is an Awards Ceremony for her Advanced Women's Ensemble Choir group tomorrow (Saturday) night.

Playing at Big Bear...

2009-03-15T10:06:00.001-07:00

Last week Matthew and his friend Erik spent a few days snowboarding up at Big Bear. Pictured here is the view out their back door, overlooking the lake, and an interior shot of the rustic cabin (heating only with firewood). Although it doesn't show up in these photos, there was lots of snow on the slopes.

$30,000,000,000,000 -- Is That Right?

2009-03-02T16:12:00.000-08:00

NOTE: I had to use an on-line calculator to figure this out, and it still may not be right. One of you smart numbers-type might be able to correct me if I'm wrong. BUT . . . if I'm not wrong, a $30/billion bailout means every man, woman and child in this country is paying $100 each to help bailout this company.

Frankly, I wish they send a check directly to me instead of AIG, GM, Ford, etc. I'll spend the money, putting it back into circulation. Pouring money directly into the vaults of these companies does not do a thing ignite the economy!

AIG to get $30/b lifeline
By Francesco Guerrera in New York
Published: March 1 2009 18:10 Last updated: March 2 2009 14:12

AIG’s board on Sunday approved a radical plan to give the government a controlling stake in two of the stricken insurer’s largest divisions in exchange for a new $30bn-plus lifeline from the US authorities.

Under the deal, the third government rescue of AIG since September, the US Treasury and the Federal Reserve will provide around $30bn in fresh capital to the insurer, lower the interest rate on a $60bn-loan and ease the terms of a $40bn preferred share investment. People close to the situation said the $30bn would not be injected immediately but would be provided as a standby line of equity that AIG could tap as its losses mount.

Family from Ketchikan... Part 2

2009-02-22T18:31:00.001-08:00

Here's one of the pictures from the photo shoot today at the mall. Bristol (left) and Bailey. See the previous post below for details of our weekend with the Alaskan babies!

Family from Ketchikan... Part 1

2009-02-22T17:07:00.000-08:00

This weekend was b-u-s-y!

Becca and her mom, Nancy, came down to visit in California. Of course they brought two cute Alaskan babies with them... Bailey and Bristol. They stayed with Kelly, Carrie and Chloe in Fallbrook.

Daddy Bill had to stay home to work hard for his family. We missed you Bill!

On Saturday the entire group, plus Carrie Renee, Kayla, Haylie and Matt, spent the afternoon in Old Town Temecula, with lunch at the famous Swing Inn Cafe, a landmark since the early 1800's. In these photos, Chloe and Bailey share one end of the table, while Bristol patiently awaits for her food to arrive at the other end of the table.

On Sunday the same group (plus Mikey, minus Haylie) went to the local mall where the three little girls had professional photos taken.

Becca's mom Nancy gave us a really special gift -- a thumb drive with many great photos and movies of the girls, taken in Ketchikan. We can share these with you if you like.

These are just camera phone shots. Hopefully I can post some better pictures later.

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Help Wanted???

2009-02-14T07:39:00.000-08:00

Just had to post this recent photo of Matthew. In a shirt and tie, no less! Matt is currently "available", and has been working on some interviews in the IT field. A talented and handsome guy, don't you think?

By the way, Matt sent this photo to my cell phone. I then sent it to my email. And now here it is on the Blog. Isn't it amazing what you can do with technology these days?

Good luck Matt!

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Spreading My Wings!

2009-01-29T17:31:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is my last day as an employee. Beginning next week I start off on a new adventure as an independent contractor on advertising! Ahhh, the great unknown!

Hopefully things will go well, as I will still be working on the same magazines as before. I'll also be able to contract with new publishers if a good opportunity comes my way.

In the meantime, wish me the best as I start flapping my solo wings!

Famous Hams...

2009-01-18T15:11:00.000-08:00

The dapper gentleman in the photo is Chet Atkins, who was also a ham radio operator (W4CGP). Chet is one of many notable ham radio operators, including entertainers and kings. Here's a list of some of them:

K2AMH - Robert A. "Bob" Moog. His "Moog Synthesizer" became the standard for composers in the electronic media for many years. The landmark album, "Switched on Bach," was composed/performed on his device.

KB2GSD - Walter Cronkite.Former TV Journalist, long-time CBS correspondent, avid sailor. Has an asteroid named after him!

K2HEP - John Sculley.Former CEO of Apple Computer.

WA2JXX - Gerson Strassberg.Inventor of the plastic pocket protector.

KC2KNU - Daniel J. Peng.Princeton University Class of 2005 student who ran afoul of the Recording Industry Association of America and settled with them to the tune of US$15,000.

K2ORS - Jean Shepherd. Author/Actor/Radio/TV personality.

W2SKE - William "Bill" Leonard.Former President of CBS News.

K2ZCZ - George Pataki. Governor of New York 1994-present.

W2ZK -Amory "Bud" Waite. Polar explorer, after whom the Waite Islands and Cape Waite are named; rescued Admiral Byrd in 1934.

W4CGP - Chet Atkins.Singer/Composer/"Certified Guitar Picker"; (ex-WA4CZD);

WB4KCG - Ronnie Milsap.Singer/Songwriter.

K4LIB - Arthur Godfrey.TV personality (SK); See Arthur Godfrey K4LIB Fan Club.

KG4UYY - James L. "Lance" Bass.'N SYNC pop singer and cosmonaut wannabe.

K4ZVZ - Brig. Gen. Paul W. Tibbets. Pilot of "Enola Gay" the B-29 aircraft which dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan at 8:16 AM on 06-AUG-1945, resulting in the end of World War II.;

K5ZC - Jay Maynard.That "Tron-suit" guy who keeps showing up on the "Jimmy Kimmel Show!"

WA6AAA - Bryan K. Joseph.Writer/TV series creator of "Adam-12", "Three's Company", and others.

WB6ACU - Joe Walsh.Guitarist/Singer/Songwriter/Eagles.

WA6BND - Stephen G. "Steve" Wozniak.Co-founder of Apple Computer in 1976.

W6DOE - "Leo" Fender.Prolific musical-instrument inventor, including the legendary Telecaster and Stratocaster Fender electric guitars.

K6DUE - Roy Neal.Late TV personality/producer; retired NBC News correspondent; major expert in spaceflight and science; starred in ham radio videos.

WB6EWU - John Draper.In the late 60's and 70's he was known as the notorious 'phone freak' "Captain Crunch". Famous for his use of the telephone 'blue box' - defeating the telephone company's long distance billing equipment

W6EZV - General Curtis LeMay.Military legend - also held callsigns K3JUY/K4RFA/K0GRL.

N6FUP - Stu Cook.Bass player with Creedence Clearwater Revival.

AE6J - Timothy "Gaines" Hagelganz. Bass Player in the world famous rock group Stryper;

KB6LQS - Dick Rutan.Pilot/Adventurer; Voyager 'round the world flight 1986;

KD6OY - Garry Shandling.Actor/Comedian/Writer/Producer.

KE6PZH - Marlon Brando, Jr. Actor; (pseudonym Martin Brandeaux) - (see also FO5GJ);

WB6RER - Andy Devine.Actor; Hualapai Amateur Radio Club in Kingman, AZ, adopted the callsign and operates a number of special events.

KE6YGN - Shari Belafonte Behrens. Daughter of film great, Harry Belafonte; actress/model/photographer & author; same date of birth.

N6YOS - Priscilla Presley.Actress. She was listed in the 1990 call book under her maiden name Beaulieu. Held two calls KC6IWA & N6YOS.

KA7EVD - Donnie Osmond. Donnie of "Donnie and Marie" fame.

NK7U - Joe Rudi. Baseball player.

K7UGA - Barry Goldwater.Late US Senator/vociferous friend of amateur radio.

9DRV - David Packard.Co-Founder of Hewlett-Packard.

K9EID - Robert G. "Bob" Heil. Audio engineering guru; pioneered live-sound industry in 60's and 70's with the Grateful Dead, the Who, Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton, et al.;

K0DWC - Gen. Francis "Butch" Griswold.Famous leader of the Strategic Air Command w/Curtis LeMay.

K0HWY - Gordon L. "Tex" Beneke. Lead tenor sax player for Glenn Miller orchestra/movie actor

CN8MH - King Hassan II (Moulay Hassan). King of Morocco

EA0JC - King Juan Carlos.King of Spain.

I0FCG - Francesco Cossiga. Former President of Italy

JY1 - King Hussein. King of Jordan; was very active ham before his passing; touching memorial

LU1SM - Carlos Saul Menem.President of Argentina (1989-1999).

UA1LO - Yuri Gagarin.First Cosmonaut; - died in jet crash.

VR6TC - Tom Christian. Lives on Pitcairn Island, in the South Pacific. This famous ham is most notable as the ancestor of Fletcher Christian, the man who led the famous mutiny on "H.M.S. Bounty."

VU2RG - Rajiv Ghandi. Late Prime Minister of India; victim of assassination/bomb explosion.

A Nice Day For A Swapmeet...

2009-01-11T14:17:00.000-08:00

With temperatures up in the 80's, it was a beautiful day to visit a swapmeet... so we did!

Daughter Carrie Ann with husband Kelly, and their daughter Chloe, plus Carrie Renee joined Bill and Robbin at the Lake Elsinore swapmeet today.

This is a new event that got its start just last month.

The crepes were excellent, and there were several other tempting booths filled with food, clothing, jewelry and other items.

The swapmeet was at the baseball stadium for the Lake Elsinore Storm, a pro baseball team, which explains why Chloe is sitting on top of a giant baseball in the picture.

These are camera phone photos, so the quality is not the best... but you get the idea... we had fun!

Winter in Ketchikan...

2009-01-05T15:25:00.000-08:00

Since I failed to take any pictures of Christmas or New Years at our home, I thought maybe this nice snow shot might make up for it.

This is son Bill's front yard in Ketchikan, Alaska last week, where it has been snowing for several days! Bill says he prefers the snow to rain, even tho you have to shovel the snow.

Talk about having a White Christmas...