Topics for Wednesday April 27:

Samuel F.B. Morse

Born: April 27, 1791 Charlestown Massachusetts (231 Years old)

Died: April 2, 1872 (aged 80) New York City New York

Inventions:

Samuel F.B. Morse, in full Samuel Finley Breese Morse, American painter and inventor who developed an electric telegraph (1832–35).

In 1838 he and his friend Alfred Vail developed the Morse Code.

He was the son of the distinguished geographer and Congregational clergyman. From Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, where he had been an unsteady and eccentric student, his parents sent him to Yale College (now Yale University) in New Haven, Connecticut. Although he was an indifferent scholar, his interest was aroused by lectures on the then little-understood subject of electricity. To the distress of his austere parents, he also enjoyed painting miniature portraits.

After graduating from Yale in 1810, Morse became a clerk for a Boston book publisher. But painting continued to be his main interest, and in 1811 his parents helped him go to England in order to study that art with American painter Washington Allston. Like the majority of Americans of his time, however, he accepted English artistic standards, including the “historical” style of painting—the Romantic portrayal of legends and historical events with personalities gracing the foreground in grand poses and brilliant colors.

When, on his return home in 1815, Morse found that Americans did not appreciate his historical canvases, he reluctantly took up portraiture again to earn a living. He began as an itinerant painter in New England, New York, and South Carolina. After 1825, on settling in New York City, he painted some of the finest portraits ever done by an American artist. He combined technical competence and a bold rendering of his subjects’ character with a touch of the Romanticism he had imbibed in England.

In 1832, while returning by ship from studying art in Europe, Morse conceived the idea of an electric telegraph as the result of hearing a conversation about the newly discovered electromagnet. Although the idea of an electric telegraph had been put forward in 1753 and electric telegraphs had been used to send messages over short distances as early as 1774, Morse believed that his was the first such proposal. He probably made his first working model by 1835.

Meanwhile, Morse was still devoting most of his time to painting, teaching art at the University of the City of New York (later New York University), and to politics (he ran on anti-immigrant and anti-Roman Catholic tickets for mayor of New York in 1836 and 1841). But by 1837 he had turned his full attention to the new invention. A colleague at the university, chemist Leonard Gale, introduced Morse to Joseph Henry’s work on electromagnetism. The powerful electromagnets that Henry had devised allowed Morse to send messages over 16 km (10 miles) of wire, a much longer distance than the 12 meters (40 feet) over which his first model could transmit. A friend, Alfred Vail, offered to provide materials and labor to build models in his family’s ironworks in Morristown, New Jersey. Gale and Vail became partners in Morse’s telegraph rights. By 1838 he and Vail had developed the system of dots and dashes that became known throughout the world as the Morse Code.

In 1838, while unsuccessfully attempting to interest Congress in building a telegraph line, he acquired Maine Congressman F.O.J. Smith as an additional partner. After failing to organize the construction of a Morse line in Europe, Morse alone among his partners persevered in promoting the telegraph, and in 1843 he was finally able to obtain financial support from Congress for the first telegraph line in the United States, from Baltimore to Washington. In 1844 the line was completed, and on May 24 he sent the first message, “What hath God wrought.”

Morse was immediately involved in legal claims by his partners and by rival inventors. A natural controversialist like his father, he fought vigorously in this and other controversies, such as those in art with painter John Trumbull, in religion with Unitarians and Roman Catholics, in politics with the Irish and abolitionists, and in daguerreotypy—of which he was one of the first practitioners in America—with Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre’s pupil, François Gouraud. The legal battles over the telegraph culminated in an 1854 U.S. Supreme Court decision that established his patent rights. As telegraph lines lengthened on both sides of the Atlantic, his wealth and fame increased.

In his old age, Morse, a patriarch with a flowing beard, became a philanthropist. He gave generously to Vassar College, of which he was a founder and trustee; to his alma mater, Yale College; and to churches, theological seminaries, Bible societies, mission societies, and temperance societies, as well as to poor artists.

Even during Morse’s own lifetime, the world was much changed by the telegraph. In the decades after his death in 1872, his fame as an inventor was obscured by the invention of the telephone, radio, television, and the Internet, while his reputation as an artist has grown.

At one time he did not wish to be remembered as a portrait painter, but his powerful and sensitive portraits, among them those of President John Adams, Marquis de Lafayette, the American writer William Cullen Bryant, and other prominent men, have been exhibited throughout the United States.

The number of Morse telegraphic operators has decreased sharply, but his memory is perpetuated by the Morse Telegraph Club (1942), an association dedicated to the history of telegraphy. His 1837 telegraph instrument is preserved by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., while his estate, Locust Grove, is now designated a national historic landmark.

Samuel Morse Net Discussion Topics:

Did you know that Samuel Morse was an accomplished fine art/portrait painter?
Did you know that he was very conservative and had some “controversial” views of life in those times.
Did you learn Morse Code for your Ham license?
Do you use it today?

The History of Dymo®

Whenever you hear the name DYMO®, it's impossible not to think of labels… all kinds of labels. From the raised-letter embossed type to smooth and long-lasting thermal transfers, DYMO labels are the perfect solution for keeping everything from kitchen canisters and school supplies to storage shelves and network cables organized and easily identifiable. So how did the company whose name is synonymous with labels and label printers grow from a small US-based company into a global force with thousands of employees worldwide? Let's take a look.

Founded in California by Rudolph Hurwich in 1958, DYMO® was originally known as DYMO Industries, and was the first company to introduce personal embossing label makers for home and office labeling.

DYMO's handheld embossers caught on rapidly, becoming the go-to product line for labeling and identification needs. By the late 1960s, DYMO® label makers not only had a strong following in the United States, but in Europe as well – so much that the company decided to establish a European headquarters in Sint Niklaas, Belgium.

In 1978, DYMO® was acquired by – and brought under the umbrella of – Esselte Office products, a global leader in the manufacture of office supplies. Thanks to Esselte's influence and established presence the world over, DYMO's distribution within the office products industry was dramatically increased.

In 1990, DYMO® introduced what was to become its largest and most successful business segment to date: battery-powered electronic label printers. With their high quality printing capabilities and features like digital displays, built-in keyboards and multiple formatting functions, DYMO's electronic label makers became incredibly popular and led to enormous company growth throughout the following decade.

In 1998, DYMO's parent company, Esselte Office Products, acquired the CoStar Corporation, a Connecticut-based firm that had already developed a market for the LabelWriter®, a compact label printer that could be connected to both PC and Macintosh computers. The LabelWriter® was a totally unique product, in that it allowed users to print one label at a time – as opposed to entire printer sheets worth – directly from their desktop computers.

By 2000, CoStar's LabelWriter® had become the DYMO LabelWriter®, making DYMO's labeling and identification product line the most complete one on the market.

DYMO® is now a Newell-Rubbermaid company, since being acquired in November 2005 for $730 million (USD).

Dymo Net Discussion Topics

Do you have a Dymo machine?
What types of things do you use it for?

NearFest This Weekend

New England Amateur Radio Festival

Friday, Saturday April 29 and 30

Deerfield Fairgrounds, Deerfield NH

From the NearFest website:

The Staff and Management of NEAR-Fest welcomes you to the 31st edition of the New England Amateur Radio Festival held twice a year since May 2007.

NEAR-Fest is not a club; it is a benevolent dictatorship run by Mister Mike, W1RC, and many of his buddies. The main purpose of NEAR-Fest is to have as much fun as you can with your clothes on buying and selling stuff, attending forums and seminars, and socializing with old friends and making new ones too.

NEAR-Fest 31 is dedicated to the memory of Gardner Gardi Winchester II, KA1BTK (SK) and Christine C. Bowen, KB1UBW (SK) with a special AMer Celebration with our beloved Brentina, W1IA Friday Afternoon in the Relaxation Grove at 5:10.

Onsite Official Information Booth and questions answered: K1JEK repeater - 146.70 PL 88.5

Schedule of Events Friday April 29th 20212 - NOTE CHANGE OF FORUMS LOCATION!!!

9:00 AM Gates open for sellers and buyers. Flea market & commercial exhibits (3) open.

11:00AM Arts & Crafts Bldg: (7) ARRL Forum with Director Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC

12:00 PM Arts & Crafts Bldg: (7) The Art of Festering, with Mitch, W1SJ and Mister Mike, W1RC.

1:00 PM Arts & Crafts Bldg: (7 VHF Contesting with Dale Clement, AF1T.

2:00 PM Arts & Crafts Bldg: (7) Introduction to Portable Satellite Operation, with Bill Acito, W1PA.

3:00 PM Arts & Crafts Bldg: (7) Tools and Techniques for Tracking Down RFI with Tony Brock-Fisher, K1KP.

4:00 PM Arts & Crafts Bldg: (7) WW-II Spy Radios Plus with George Rancourt, K1ANX.

5:00 PM Relaxation Grove: Friday Grand Prize Drawing. WINNER MUST BE PRESENT.

5:10 PM Relaxation Grove: W1IA Brent Special AMers Celebration.

Schedule of Events - Saturday April 30th, th 2022 - NOTE CHANGE OF FORUMS LOCATION!!!

10:00 AM Arts & Crafts Bldg: (7) Volunteer Licensing Exams, Bruce Anderson, W1LUS

11:0 AM Arts & Crafts Bldg: (7) Portable HF Operation for Parks and Field Day with Mitch Stern, W1SJ

2:00 PM Relaxation Grove: (1) Closing Ceremonies & Grand Prize Drawing.

3:00 PM NEAR-Fest XXXI is now history!

See you at NEAR-Fest XXXII October 14th & 15th, 2022.

NearFest Net Discussion Topics

Are you planning to go? When?
What are you looking to buy or find?
Have you been before?

Topics for Monday April 25: Jack and Coke

April 22 1937- American actor Jack Nicholson—one of the most prominent motion-picture actors of his generation, especially noted for his versatile portrayals of unconventional, alienated outsiders—was born. Much More on Jack's Movies

Net Questions

What is your favorite Jack Nicholson movie?
What is the first film in which you saw Nicholson?

April 23 1985- The Coca-Cola Company introduced New Coke, a reformulated soft drink meant to replace its flagship beverage; due to public outrage, however, the previous version of Coke was brought back as “Coca-Cola Classic” less than three months later.

Much More on Coca-Cola (Wiki)

Net Questions

What is your favorite soft drink?
What soft drink did you drink mostly before age 15?

Topics for Wednesday April 20: Harry Agganis and ..... Paper Towels

Harry Agganis

Aristotle George "Harry" Agganis (April 20, 1929 – June 27, 1955), nicknamed "The Golden Greek”, was an American college football player and professional baseball player. After passing up a potential professional football career, he played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from 1954 to 1955 for the Boston Red Sox.

Born in Lynn, Massachusetts, to Greek immigrants, Georgios Agganis and Georgia Papalimperis, Agganis first gained notice as a college football player at Boston University, becoming its first student named All-American. He passed up a professional career with the Cleveland Browns in order to play his favorite sport, baseball, close to his hometown. He signed a bonus baby contract, and after one season playing minor league baseball, he started at first base for the Red Sox.

In 1955, Agganis became gravely ill early in the season and was hospitalized for two weeks for pneumonia. He rejoined the Red Sox for a single week before being re hospitalized with a viral infection. After showing some signs of recovery, he died of a pulmonary embolism on June 27.

Agganis' family was from Longanikos, Laconia, Greece. He was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, United States, with four brothers and two sisters. He was a star football and baseball player at Lynn Classical High School as well as a strong student, named "All-Scholastic".

College career

Agganis enrolled at Boston University, where he became a starter, primarily at quarterback. After his sophomore season in 1949, when he set a school record by tossing fifteen touchdown passes, he entered the Marine Corps. Agganis played for the Camp Lejeune (N.C.) football and baseball teams. He received a dependency discharge from the Marines to support his mother and returned to college to play in 1951–52. Around the same time, Agganis was participating in summer baseball leagues in Augusta, Maine.

Agganis became the school's first All-American in football and Boston coach Buff Donelli named Agganis the "greatest football player he ever coached". He also played basketball and baseball in the school.

Agganis set another Boston University mark by passing for 1,402 yards for the season and won the Bulger Lowe Award as New England's outstanding football player. Coach Paul Brown of the Cleveland Browns thought he could be the successor to Otto Graham and drafted the college junior in the first round of the 1952 NFL Draft, offering him a bonus of $25,000. Boston Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey outbid Brown, however, and signed Agganis to play Major League Baseball for the Red Sox as a first baseman for $35,000.

Baseball career

Following his 1953 college graduation, Agganis played with Triple-A Louisville where he hit .281 with 23 home runs and 108 RBI. He made his major league debut on April 13, 1954. Agganis had a modest rookie campaign, although he did lead American League first basemen in assists and fielding percentage. He hit 11 home runs that year, with 57 RBI and a .251 batting average.

Death

In 1955, Agganis briefly lost his starting position to rookie Norm Zauchin. On June 2, he was hospitalized with pneumonia, severe fever and chest pains. He rejoined the Red Sox ten days later and played two games against the Chicago White Sox, before falling ill again in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 5. He was diagnosed with a viral infection and flown back to Sancta Maria Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where a doctor partially blamed his playing too soon after the first illness. The Red Sox placed him on the voluntary retired list until he recuperated, an early version of the disabled list. He began showing signs of improvement, before a fatal pulmonary embolism on June 27.

Ten thousand mourners saw his body lie in state at St. George's Greek Orthodox Church in Lynn.

Legacy

Agganis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1974. Gaffney Street, near the former site of Braves Field in Boston, was renamed Harry Agganis Way in 1995.

Agganis Arena is a multipurpose sports facility at Boston University. The Harry Agganis Stadium located on Camp Lejeune was named in his honor.

The Agganis Foundation has awarded more than $1.1 million in college scholarships to 780 student-athletes from Boston and the North Shore, including Lynn. Scholarships are awarded for academic and athletic achievement. The Foundation was started in 1955 by the Boston Red Sox and owner Thomas A. Yawkey, the (Lynn) Daily Item newspaper and Harold O. Zimman, a mentor of Agganis for whom the football field at Tufts University is named.

Net Discussion Questions:

Do you remember Harry Agganis?
What other local sports figures made it big?

Mike Ryan - Haverhill
Tony Conigliaro – Swampscott
Billy Conigliaro - Swampscott
Richie Hebner - Norwood
Tom Glavine – Billerica
More???

The History of Paper Towels

Paper towels are one of the few things specifically made for clumsy people. Red wine on shirts, soda on keyboards, pasta sauce all over the new white carpet! They are versatile, effective and a severely underrated household item

Before paper towels, people used cloth towels to both dry our hands and clean up our messes. The idea for the paper towel originally came from Scott in 1879. They had created a thinner version of the towel we know and love today. It was first created to be used for medical reasons, as a light toilet tissue.

Then one day, in 1907, Irvin’s Scott’s son Arthur had an issue. A tissue issue if you will. A truckload of toilet tissue arrived at his factory, which was way too thick for their very delicate product they’d become known for.

Instead of sending it back and wasting the product he found another use for the tissue. He’d heard a story from a local teacher who would give sick children pieces of paper to dry their hands so they wouldn’t contaminate the communal washroom cloth towels.

Inspired, he had the accidentally thicker tissue reformed into towel-sized sheets and sold it as disposable paper towels instead of cloth towels to dry hands in washrooms. The invention was accidental, but a medical success! It would help stop the spread of colds and diseases. No more communal cloth towels contaminated with germs.

The first paper towel was named Sani-Towel and was sold to restaurants, hotels, and railroad stations and distributed in their washrooms.

Then in 1931, Arthur had another lightbulb idea. He introduced the Sani-Towel to the kitchen, which was when the concept of the paper towel as we know it truly came to life. At first, people were hesitant to use this unfamiliar product. It took years for behaviors to change and for paper towels to be accepted. But as popularity for paper towels grew, so did concern for the environmental impact they were having. The U.S. is the country with the highest consumption of paper towels and other tissue products, with approximately 53 pounds per capita per year. That’s 50% higher than in Europe and nearly 500% higher than in Latin America

Net Discussion Questions:

Do you use paper towels?
How many rolls per week?
Best Brand?
Brawny / Bounty / Viva / other
Do you shop around for it?

Topics for Patriots' Day, Monday April 18: Boston Marathon.... and the Red Sox-Marathon Double-Header

Today Is World Amateur Radio Day and ...... Tracking N1ATV Near Tucson, AZ

For the first time in three years, the Boston Marathon will return to its traditional Patriots Day date, with 30,000 runners set to toe the start line in Hopkinton for the 126th running April 18.

Just six months and one week after the last edition — with 2021′s race pushed back to October because of the pandemic — it’s the shortest turnaround between races. This year’s also will see a return to the typical field size after the race in the fall was capped at 20,000 for safety reasons.

With the marathon back to its usual time and scale, and two of the best elite fields the event has ever seen, here’s everything you need to know about the race. Questions Below

The Red Sox have won two straight, and four of their last five, to pull above .500 for the first time this season as they wrap up their four-game set vs. Minnesota on Monday morning.

It will be the first time since 2019 that the Red Sox have played a Patriots Day game because the pandemic disrupted the schedule the past two years. Monday’s 11:10 a.m. start should mean fans leaving the ballgame in the mid-afternoon will have the opportunity to walk over to Kenmore Square to watch the Boston Marathon, which begins just after 9 a.m. Runners are expected to pass through Kenmore until the early evening.

Rich Hill, who lives in Milton, will be the starting pitcher for the Red Sox on Monday. His father, Lloyd Hill Sr., passed away Friday at the age of 94. Hill Sr. ran in 37 Boston Marathons, and his son will get his second start of the year on Marathon Monday. Questions Below

April 18 Net Questions

Boston Marathon

Fred, WA1ESU, covered the Marathon bombing of 2013 last Friday Night, when he presented "Things Having Happened on April 15." Memories were shared. Tonight's focus is away from the bombing and on good thoughts and memories of Boston Marathon.

What do you love, like or not like about the Boston Marathon?
What memories stand out for you? (Other than the 2013 race)

April 18 Net Questions

Red Sox - Marathon Double-Header

The Red Sox played the traditional Marathon Day home game at Fenway Park for the first time in several pandemic years.

Have you ever done the Red Sox-Marathon double-header yourself?
Do you follow baseball less than you used to, more than, or about the same?
Is baseball still America's Pastime?

Topics for Wednesday April 13: Thomas Jefferson and...... The Two-Dollar Bill

Thomas Jefferson

Born April 13, 1743, Shadwell, Va.—died July 4, 1826, Monticello, Va., U.S.,

Third president of the U.S. (1801–09)

He was a planter and became a lawyer in 1767. While a member of the House of Burgesses (1769–75), he initiated the Virginia Committee of Correspondence (1773) with Richard Henry Lee and Patrick Henry.

In 1774 he wrote the influential A Summary View of the Rights of British America, stating that the British Parliament had no authority to legislate for the colonies. A delegate to the Second Continental Congress, he was appointed to the committee to draft the Declaration of Independence and became its primary author.

He was elected governor of Virginia (1779–81) but was unable to organize effective opposition when British forces invaded the colony (1780–81). Criticized for his conduct, he retired, vowing to remain a private citizen.

Again, a member of the Continental Congress (1783–85), he drafted the first of the Northwest Ordinances for dividing and settling the Northwest Territory.

In 1785 he succeeded Benjamin Franklin as U.S. minister to France. Appointed the first secretary of state (1790–93) by George Washington, he soon became embroiled in a bitter conflict with Alexander Hamilton over the country’s foreign policy and their opposing interpretations of the Constitution. Their divisions gave rise to political factions and eventually to political parties.

Jefferson served as vice president (1797–1801) under John Adams but opposed Adams’s signing of the Alien and Sedition Acts (1798); the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, adopted by the legislatures of those states in 1798 and 1799 as a protest against the Acts, were written by Jefferson and James Madison.

In the presidential election of 1800 Jefferson and Aaron Burr received the same number of votes in the electoral college; the decision was thrown to the U.S. House of Representatives, which chose Jefferson on the 36th ballot.

As president, Jefferson attempted to reduce the powers of the embryonic federal government and to eliminate the national debt; he also dispensed with a great deal of the ceremony and formality that had attended the office of president to that time.

In 1803 he oversaw the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the land area of the country, and he authorized the Lewis and Clark Expedition. In an effort to force Britain and France to cease their molestation of U.S. merchant ships during the Napoleonic Wars, he signed the Embargo Act.

In 1809 he retired to his plantation, Monticello, where he pursued his interests in science, philosophy, and architecture.

He served as president of the American Philosophical Society (1797–1815), and in 1819 he founded and designed the University of Virginia.

In 1812, after a long estrangement, he and Adams were reconciled and began a lengthy correspondence that illuminated their opposing political philosophies. They died within hours of each other on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Though a lifelong slaveholder, Jefferson was an anomaly among the Virginia planter class for his support of gradual emancipation.

In January 2000 the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation accepted the conclusion, supported by DNA evidence, that Jefferson had fathered at least one child with Sally Hemings, one of his house slaves.

Net Discussion Topics:

Jefferson's greatest accomplishments?
Jefferson's greatest failures?

The 2 Dollar Bill

On November 3, 1975, Secretary of the Treasury William E. Simon announced the reissuance of the $2 note as a cost-saving measure; the new $2 notes would be available from banks on April 13, 1976, Thomas Jefferson's birthday.

Series 1976 $2 bills were partially redesigned and reissued as a Federal Reserve Note. The note retains the same portrait of Jefferson, and the basic design of the obverse remains unchanged since 1928. The treasury seal and serial numbers are printed in green ink, replacing the red used on the previous United States Note. Since the reintroduction of the note coincided with the United States Bicentennial, it was decided to use a bicentennial-themed design on the reverse. The bill was not issued specifically to celebrate the bicentennial, as is widely assumed.

An engraved rendition (not an exact reproduction) of John Trumbull's Declaration of Independence replaced Monticello on the reverse. First-day issues of the new $2 bills could be taken to a post office and stamped with the date "APR 13 1976". The BEP produced a total of 590,720,000 notes from Series 1976, the final run printed in 1978.

Currently, stamped Series 1976 $2 notes typically trade for about twice their face value. If the bills were stamped in a city with an unusual name, the value may be slightly higher. However, no first-day-issued 1976 $2 bills with postage stamps are especially rare or valuable.

Despite their age, crisp, uncirculated Series 1976 $2 notes are not uncommon and are not particularly valuable. More than half a billion series 1976 $2 notes were printed, and a very large number were saved and hoarded upon their original issue. A typical, single uncirculated 1976 $2 bill is worth only slightly above $2 face value. An average circulated Series 1976 note has no additional value above its $2 face.

In 1996 and 1997, 153,600,000 bills were printed as Series 1995 for the Federal Reserve District of Atlanta. Beginning with Series 1995, all $2 notes have been produced at the Western Currency Facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

In 2004, 121,600,000 of the Series 2003 bills were printed for the Federal Reserve District of Minneapolis. An issue of Series 2003A $2 bills was printed from July to September 2006 for all twelve Federal Reserve Banks. In all, 220,800,000 notes were printed.

In February 2012, the BEP printed 512,000 Series 2009 $2 Star Notes, in anticipation of more regular runs being printed later in 2012. Series 2009 $2 bills were issued to banks during the autumn of 2012.

In November 2013, the BEP began printing Series 2013 $2 notes for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta; these notes entered circulation in early 2014. A total of 44,800,000 notes were ordered for fiscal year 2014, which ran from October 2013 through September 2014. Series 2017A $2 notes were first issued to banks in December 2019.

Net Discussion Topics:

Do you have any 2-dollar bills saved?
Have you every purchased anything that you can remember with a 2-dollar bill?

Topics for Monday April 11: Attention All Shoppers and..... Best Intro Video for POTA & Portable Ops and..... Gas Prices

ATTENTION ALL SHOPPERS

The chain cemented a place in American culture with its Blue Light Specials, a flashing blue orb affixed to a pole that would beckon shoppers to a flash sale in progress. Part of its success was due to its early adoption of layaway programs, which allowed customers who lacked credit to reserve items and pay for them in installments.

For a time, Kmart had a little bit of everything: You could shop for your kids’ back-to-school supplies, get your car tuned up and grab a meal without leaving the premises.

“Kmart was part of America,” said Michael Lisicky, a Baltimore-based author who has written several books on U.S. retail history. “Everybody went to Kmart, whether you liked it or not. They had everything. You had toys. You had sporting goods. You had candy. You had stationery. It was something for everybody. This was almost as much of a social visit as it was a shopping visit. You could spend hours here. And these just dotted the American landscape over the years.”

Many of the shelves are bare, though, at the Kmart in Avenel, New Jersey, picked over by bargain hunters as the store prepares to close its doors for good April 16.

Once it shutters, the number of Kmarts in the U.S. – once well over 2,000 – will be down to three last holdouts, according to multiple reports, in a retail world now dominated by Walmart, Target and Amazon.

Source: Associated Press

Do you have a history with K-Mart?

Good, bad, or who cares?

Best Video Intro for POTA & Portable Ops (WC1N)

Any POTA Questions Tonight?

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Price of Gas

How far will you drive to get the lowest price?

Topics for Wednesday April 6: Post-It Notes and..... APRS Follow-Up

Post-it Note

A Post-it Note (or sticky note) is a small piece of paper with a re-adherable strip of glue on its back, made for temporarily attaching notes to documents and other surfaces. A low-tack pressure-sensitive adhesive allows the notes to be easily attached, removed and even re-posted elsewhere without leaving residue. Originally small yellow squares, Post-it Notes and related products are available in various colors, shapes, sizes and adhesive strengths. As of 2019, there are at least 26 documented colors of Post-it Notes.

Although 3M's patent expired in 1997, "Post-it" and the original notes' distinctive yellow color remain registered company trademarks, with terms such as "repositionable notes" used for similar offerings manufactured by competitors. While use of the trademark 'Post-it' in a representative sense refers to any sticky note, no legal authority has ever held the trademark to be generic.

History

In 1968, Dr. Spencer Silver, a scientist at 3M in the United States, attempted to develop a super-strong adhesive. Instead, he accidentally created a "low-tack", reusable, pressure-sensitive adhesive For five years, Silver promoted his "solution without a problem" within 3M both informally and through seminars, but failed to gain adherents. In 1974, a colleague who had attended one of his seminars, Art Fry, came up with the idea of using the adhesive to anchor his bookmark in his hymn book. Fry then utilized 3M's sanctioned "permitted bootlegging" policy to develop the idea. The original notes' pale-yellow color was chosen by chance, from the color of the scrap paper used by the lab next door to the Post-It team. 3M test marketed the product as "Press 'n Peel" bookmark in stores in four cities in 1977, but results were disappointing. A year later, 3M gave free samples to consumers in Boise, Idaho, with 94 percent of those who tried them indicating they would buy the product.[9] The product was sold as "Post-Its" at its 1979 introduction, and was rolled out across the United States on April 6, 1980. The following year, they were launched in Canada and Europe.

Until 3M's patent expired in the 1990s, Post-it type notes were produced only in the company's plant in Cynthiana, Kentucky.

In 2018, 3M launched "Post-It Extreme Notes", which are more durable and water-resistant, and which stick to wood and other materials in industrial environments.

In art

In 2004, Paola Antonelli, a curator of architecture and design, included Post-it Notes in a show entitled "Humble Masterpieces".

In 2000, the 20th anniversary of Post-it Notes was celebrated by having artists create artworks on the notes. One such work, by the artist R. B. Kitaj, sold for £640 in an auction, making it the most valuable Post-It Note on record.

The Lennon Wall, a message board created during the 2014 Hong Kong protests from a stretch of curved staircase in the Central Government Complex, is covered in multi-colored Post-It Notes with handwritten messages from supporters.

Net Questions:

· Do you use Post It Notes?

· What is the most creative use of them that you have seen?

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As a follow up to last Wednesdays net discussion,

Net Questions:

· Has anyone looked into this a bit more?

· Have you signed up for a free Google APRS.fi account?

· Does anyone have any further questions?

Topics for Monday April 4:

What It's Like to Provide Communications

Support at a Race?

Need

Qualifications

YuKanRun and CAARA

Overview

Reasons

· Runner Safety

· Public Service

· Work With Other Hams, Police, Race Support Volunteers

· Provide the Curious With Info About Ham Radio

· Get Outdoors!

· Improve Your Operating Skills

· Up Your Game for Potential Emergency Communications

CAARA Public Service Coordinator

Fred, WA1ESU, WA1ESU@comcast.net

Have you ever provided race support (any capacity)?
Do you have any questions about the YuKanRun operations?

Fools Dual Half Marathon & 5K 4/3/2022
Twin Lights Half Marathon 5/1/2022
Fast Half Marathon 5/7/2022
Twin Lobster Half Marathon & 1M 5/22/2022
Town & Country Half Marathon 6/12/2022
TripleThreat Half Marathon, 5K & 1M 8/7/2022
Half Marathon-by-the-Sea 9/25/2022
Around Cape Ann Half Marathon 10/16/2022
Ocean View Half Marathon & 5K 11/6/2022
Happy Holidays Half MerryThon & 5K 12/4/2022

On This Day in 1975 (47 Years Ago?)

April 4, 1975 Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft, which became the world's largest personal-computer software company.

What does the Microsoft Corporation do?

Microsoft Corporation, leading developer of personal-computer software systems and applications. The company also publishes books and multimedia titles, produces its own line of hybrid tablet computers, offers e-mail services, and sells electronic game systems and computer peripherals (input/output devices).

Key Executives

Mr. Satya Nadella Chairman & CEO 6.2M

Mr. Bradford L. Smith LCA

Pres, Chief Legal Officer & Vice Chairman 6.8M

Ms. Amy E. Hood Exec. VP & CFO 5.6M

What do you think you have spent on Microsoft products since 1975?
Are you a PC or a Mac fan and how loyal are you to brand?
What's your opinion of Bill Gates?

Topics for Wednesday March 30: APRS and... Florida

Introduction to APRS

Automatic Packet Reporting System

With N1ATV heading out on an adventure to the wilds of the Western US on his ATV, the prospect of tracking the trip is possible using APRS. Tonight, I would like to offer the topic for discussion with some information for experimentation and a perhaps follow up net next week with questions on use.

Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) is an amateur radio-based system for real time digital communications of information of immediate value in the local area or beyond. Data can include object Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates, weather station telemetry, text messages, announcements, queries, and other telemetry. APRS data can be displayed on a map, which can show stations, objects, tracks of moving objects, weather stations, search and rescue data, and direction-finding data.

APRS data is typically transmitted on a single shared frequency 144.390 mghz to be repeated locally by area relay stations (digipeaters) for widespread local consumption. In addition, all such data are typically ingested into the APRS Internet System (APRS-IS) via an Internet-connected receiver (IGate) and distributed globally for ubiquitous and immediate access. Data shared via radio or Internet are collected by all users and can be combined with external map data to build a shared live view.

APRS was developed from the late 1980s forward by Bob Bruninga, call sign WB4APR, a senior research engineer at the United States Naval Academy. He maintained the main APRS Web site until his death in 2022.

The initialism "APRS" was derived from his call sign.

Google maps has a map layer dedicated to APRS use. Please check out: APRS MAP

Basic Use of APRS https://youtu.be/ZBse60PuM8k

Net Questions:

· Have you used APRS?

· Do You Have an APRS capable radio?

o Kenwood HTs D7, D72, D74.

o Yaesu FTM 100/200/300/400 / ft2d / ft 3d / ft5d

o others

Florida Territory

On this day, March 30, 1822, the United States merged East Florida and part of what formerly constituted West Florida into the Florida Territory.

The Territory of Florida was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 30, 1822, until March 3, 1845, when it was admitted to the Union as the state of Florida. Originally the Spanish territory of La Florida, and later the provinces of East and West Florida, it was ceded to the United States as part of the 1819 Adams–Onís Treaty.

The Adams–Onís Treaty, also known as the Transcontinental Treaty, was signed on February 22, 1819, by John Quincy Adams and Luis de Onís y González-Vara, but did not take effect until after it was ratified by Spain on October 24, 1820, and by the United States on February 19, 1821. The U.S. received Florida under Article 2 and inherited Spanish claims to the Oregon Territory under Article 3, while ceding all its claims on Texas to Spain under Article 3 (with the independence of Mexico in 1821, Spanish Texas became Mexican territory), and pledged to indemnify up to $5,000,000 in claims by American citizens against Spain under Article 11. Under Article 15, Spanish goods received exclusive most favored nation tariff privileges in the ports at Pensacola and St. Augustine for twelve years.

President James Monroe was authorized on March 3, 1821, to take possession of East Florida and West Florida for the United States and provide for initial governance. Andrew Jackson served as the federal military commissioner with the powers of governor of the newly acquired territory, from March 10 through December 1821.

On March 30, 1822, the United States merged East Florida and part of what formerly constituted West Florida into the Florida Territory. William Pope Duval became the first official governor of the Florida Territory and soon afterward the capital was established at Tallahassee, but only after removing a Seminole tribe from the land. The new capital of Tallahassee was located approximately halfway between the old colonial capitals of Pensacola and St. Augustine. Duval's "government palace for a time was a mere log house, and he lived on hunters' fare."

The central conflict of Territorial Florida originated from attempts to displace the Seminole peoples. The federal government and most white settlers desired all Florida Indians to migrate to the West.

On May 28, 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act requiring all Native Americans to move west of the Mississippi River.

This treaty stated that the Seminoles could organize an exploratory party that would travel to the Indian Territory and survey the assigned lands before they had to agree to relocation, though inhabitants of Florida were expected to relocate by 1835. It was at this meeting that the famous Osceola first voiced his decision to fight.

At the Treaty of Fort Gibson, held in Arkansas Territory between the group of Seminoles sent to explore the new territory and the federal government, Americans led the Seminole into agreeing to the terms of relocation, although Seminoles would later claim to having been tricked into this agreement.

Beginning in late 1835, Osceola and the Seminole allies began a guerrilla war against the U.S. forces. Numerous generals fought and failed, succumbing to the heat and disease as well as lack of knowledge of the land. It was not until General Thomas Jesup captured many of the key Seminole chiefs, including Osceola who died in captivity of illness, that the battles began to die down. The Seminoles were eventually forced to migrate.

Florida joined the Union as the 27th state on March 3, 1845. By this time, almost all the Seminoles were gone, except for a small group living in the Everglades.

Net Questions:

Florida is a popular spot this time of year.

· Have you been to Florida?

· Where do you go? Favorite spot?

· Have you been to Disney?

Topics for Monday March 28: Support for Ukraine Civilian Population and... NEAR-Fest 2022

(CNN)Olympic medalist Tony Martin is auctioning off the silver medal he won at London 2012 to raise funds for children in Ukraine.

In an Instagram post Sunday, the German cyclist said it felt wrong "to sit on the couch and accept the situation" after seeing pictures of what has been happening in UIkraine since the start of Russia's invasion.

He said money raised from the auction would go to Wir helfen Kindern -- a foundation that would support the children and their families.Wir helfen Kindern.

Do you think the situation in Ukraine is appropriately called a
Humanitarian Crisis?
What other non-governmental assistance or shows/symbols of support have you read or heard about?

April 29 & 30, 2022

NEAR-Fest XXXI

Deerfield, NH Fairgrounds

Gates open at 9am for all on Friday

On Saturday gates open at 7am

What is the biggest attraction of Ham Fests for you?
Are you planning on going to NEAR-Fest this year?

Topics for Wednesday March 23: Music and.... Wrist Watches

WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?

As of June 2019, 68 percent of adults aged between 18 and 34 years old reported listening to music every day, and the majority of their older peers also enjoyed music with the same regularity. Daily music listening was far more commonplace among all respondents than weekly or monthly listening, with very few adults stating that they never listened to music or only did so one to two days per week. However, music consumption changed according to the age of respondents, and older generations were more likely to say that they did not listen to music at all.

How age affects music consumption

Despite the many genres and formats available (which in theory cater to every kind of music fan out there) music consumption does change with age. For example, the share of adults aged 18 to 29 years old who are avid music fans is far higher than for other age groups, and almost triple that of adults aged over 65. Similarly, rock ‘n’ roll and country/western music is far more popular among older generations, who have little enthusiasm for hip-hop and rap music, which are much more preferable among 16 to 19-year-olds.

It is not just a passion for music or a specific genre which changes, but also the way in which music is consumed. For example, studies have shown that the popularity of music streaming sources generally dwindles with age, and platforms like YouTube reach more adults aged under 25 years than older generations, whereas Baby Boomers are more willing to pay for music on vinyl records than Millennials or Gen Z respondents.

What kind of music do you like to listen to?
When do you listen to music?
Are you a musician?
Do you play an instrument?

Why do people still wear wristwatches?

I ask myself this question at times. Surely everybody has the time on their phone. And who doesn’t have a phone?

Why?

Where does the story of wristwatches start? ...and how has it ended up where it is now?

Where did watches come from?

The idea of a portable watch goes back as far as the 1500s. Before those days, the closest thing was basically a sundial that you could put in your pocket!

Some German watchmakers began to innovate with miniature spherical timepieces that you could hang around your neck.

This slowly evolved into the mechanical pocket watch, which became a men’s fashion staple for generations. Wristwatches, however, were initially only used by ladies. By the late-19th Century, men too got in on the act - when the military began to realize the utility of having a watch ‘on hand.’

It was in the post-WWI era that the market for wristwatches went boom. It became part of the essential gear of the businessman and a luxurious fashion accessory for the stylish gentleman.

There was no looking back for the world of watches - but then came the 1990s. Over the course of a decade or two, almost everybody started to carry a super-accurate time device in their pocket - the cell phone. Usage of wristwatches declined, and a new generation came through that had very little interest in watches. The rise of the smartwatch, which does more than just tell the time, attempted to change the fortunes - but it remains pretty niche.

Perhaps the destiny of the wristwatch lies in the question:

Why are watches popular today?

People have all kinds of motivations for strapping time to their wrists.

· To tell the time

· Fashion statement

· Professional and powerful

· Habit

· Investment

· Heritage

· Sport

· Discretion

· Their beauty

I guess there will never be a consensus on watches! The debate will rage on.

Net Questions:

When do you wear a watch?
What kind is it?
Do you own more than 1 watch?

Topics for Monday March 21: Solstices and Equinoxes and Anderson Powerpoles

What's the Difference Between a Solstice and an Equinox?

Last month, Kevin talked about the beginning of Solar Spring. Today we recognize the Spring Equinox where the length of day and night are equal because the sun is directly above the equator.

You may know that the solstices and equinoxes signal the changing of the seasons on Earth, but do you remember which is which? Are they just different names for the same thing? Actually, a solstice and an equinox are sort of opposites.

The seasons on Earth change because the planet is slightly tilted on its axis as it travels around the Sun. This means different points on Earth receive more or less sunlight at different times of year. If Earth were not tilted, the Sun would always appear to be directly above the Equator, the amount of light a given location receives would be fixed, and there would be no seasons. There also would be no need to mark equinoxes or solstices.

The two solstices happen in June (20 or 21) and December (21 or 22). These are the days when the Sun’s path in the sky is the farthest north or south from the Equator. A hemisphere’s winter solstice is the shortest day of the year and its summer solstice the year’s longest. In the Northern Hemisphere the June solstice marks the start of summer: this is when the North Pole is tilted closest to the Sun, and the Sun’s rays are directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer. The December solstice marks the start of winter: at this point the South Pole is tilted closest to the Sun, and the Sun’s rays are directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn. (In the Southern Hemisphere the seasons are reversed.)

The equinoxes happen in March (about March 21) and September (about September 23). These are the days when the Sun is exactly above the Equator, which makes day and night of equal length.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

So, in the Northern Hemisphere you have:

Vernal equinox(about March 21): day and night of equal length, marking the start of spring
Summer solstice (June 20 or 21): longest day of the year, marking the start of summer
Autumnal equinox(about September 23): day and night of equal length, marking the start of autumn

Winter solstice (December 21 or 22): shortest day of the year, marking the start of winter

Anderson Powerpole® and SB® Connectors

The versatile Powerpole® and SB® connector series invented by Anderson Power Products meet a wide range of power connection needs.

This versatile connector series invented by Anderson Power Products (APP®) meets a wide range of power connection needs. The four housing sizes in the Powerpole® product family can carry a wide range of amperage and wire sizes in the most compact footprint. For currents up to 350A and from wire sizes of #20 AWG (0.75 mm²) to 3/0 (70 mm²). Powerpole® can handle them all! A wide range of colored housing options can be stacked together to create a proven reliable custom connector. These housings can be used with different contacts to create wire-to-wire, wire-to board, or wire-to-busbar connections. The Powerpole® connector combines high quality materials with a cost-effective and innovative design for powerful versatility.

FEATURES

Flat wiping contact system
Allows for minimal contact resistance at high current, wiping action cleans contact surface during connection/disconnection.
Interchangeable genderless design
Makes assembly quick and easy and reduces number of parts stocked.
Silver plated contacts (also offer Tin on 15/45)
Offers greatest longevity when using high power, elevated temperature applications.
Colored coded housings
Help to ensure that connectors are assembled and mated correctly.
Molded-in dovetails
Secures individual connectors together.
Powerpole® pin & socket series connector (PP10/30)
Green housing is a visual identification of ground terminal
Chemical Resistant Housings available

UL94 V-0 housing material

Provides security in knowledge that the connector chosen meets strict flammability ratings

Topics for Wednesday March 16: March 17 – Evacuation Day & St. Patrick’s Day

Evacuation Day is a holiday observed on March 17 in Suffolk County, Massachusetts (which includes the cities of Boston, Chelsea, and Revere, and the town of Winthrop) and by the public schools in Somerville, Massachusetts.

Background

The holiday commemorates the 11-month siege of Boston ended when the Continental Army, under the command of George Washington, fortified Dorchester Heights in early March 1776 with cannons captured at Ticonderoga. British General William Howe, whose garrison and navy were threatened by these positions, was forced to decide between attack and retreat. To prevent what could have been a repeat of the Battle of Bunker Hill, Howe decided to retreat, withdrawing from Boston to Nova Scotia on March 17, 1776.

The British evacuation was Washington's first victory of the war. It was also a huge morale boost for the Thirteen Colonies, as the city where the rebellion began was the first to be liberated.

Schools and government offices (including some Massachusetts state government offices located in Suffolk County) are closed.

It is the same day as Saint Patrick's Day, a “coincidence” that played a role in the establishment of the holiday.

Establishment of the holiday

While Saint Patrick's Day parades have been held in Boston since 1876, Evacuation Day was not declared a holiday in the city until 1901, amid interest in local history that also resulted in the construction of the Dorchester Heights Monument. The state made it a holiday in Suffolk County in 1938.

The large Irish American population of Boston at that time played a role in the establishment of the holiday. A 1941 law establishing the holiday in Suffolk County was signed in both black and green ink.

Saint Patrick's Day, while not a legal holiday in the United States, is nonetheless widely recognized and observed throughout the country as a celebration of Irish and Irish American culture. Celebrations include prominent displays of green, religious observances, numerous parades, and copious consumption of alcohol. Evacuation Day is a holiday also observed on March 17 in Suffolk County, Massachusetts.

Net Discussion Questions:

Have you ever had Evacuation Day Off? / Comments on the history.

· Do You celebrate St Patrick’s Day?

o Food

o Drink

o Music

o Parade

o Family traditions

Hogans Heroes’ Radioman

Staff Sergeant James “Kinch” Kinchloe

He initially earned attention in groundbreaking stage and film work with pronounced themes of social and racial relevance.

He would become better known, however, for his ensemble playing in the nonsensical but popular WWII sitcom Hogan's Heroes (1965). His character was a POW radio technician with the last name of Kinchloe. Kinch" was the communications specialist, a translator of German, and Hogan's default second-in-command.

Dixon played Kinchloe from 1965 to 1970, the only one of the series' long-time cast who did not stay for the entire series run. Kenneth Washington replaced Dixon for the last year of the show's run, playing a different character who filled a similar role.

Net Discussion Questions:

· Did you and do you watch Hogans Heroes TV show?

o M-F 10:30 pm- Channel 5-2 MeTV

· Who was your favorite character and why?

Topics for Monday March 14: Happy Pi Day! ....and.... GMRS and FRS Radio Services

What do mathematicians and pie fans have in common? A love for March 14.

Monday marks Pi Day.

For math lovers, it's a chance to celebrate Pi, one of the most important numbers ever, representing the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter.

Although Pi is typically rounded up to 3.14, it can go on forever. According to Guinness World Records, the most accurate value for Pi is more than 62 trillion digits (62,831,853,071,796 to be precise). It was calculated last August by the University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland.

For those who don't enjoy math, you get pie. Cherry pie. Apple pie. Pizza pie. All the pies.

Whether you calculate it or eat it, Pi (and pie) bring joy to many. Here's how it all started. (Follow Link to USA Today Article)

Source: USA Today

The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) is a land-mobile FM UHF radio service designed for short-distance two-way communication and authorized under part 95 of 47 USC. It requires a license in the United States, but some GMRS compatible equipment can be used license-free in Canada. The US GMRS license is issued for a period of 10 years by the FCC. The United States permits use by adult individuals who possess a valid GMRS license, as well as their immediate family members. Immediate relatives of the GMRS system licensee are entitled to communicate among themselves for personal or business purposes, but employees of the licensee who are not family members are not covered by the license. Non-family members must be licensed separately.

GMRS licensees are allowed to establish repeaters to extend their communications range. GMRS repeaters are permitted to be linked with other GMRS repeaters but are not authorized to connect to the Public Switched Telephone Network.

Link to Wiki and More Information: GMRS Link to FRS

The Family Radio Service (FRS) is an improved walkie-talkie radio system authorized in the United States since 1996. This personal radio service uses channelized frequencies around 462 and 467 MHz in the ultra high frequency (UHF) band. It does not suffer the interference effects found on citizens' band (CB) at 27 MHz, or the 49 MHz band also used by cordless telephones, toys, and baby monitors. FRS uses frequency modulation (FM) instead of amplitude modulation (AM). Initially proposed by RadioShack in 1994 for use by families, FRS has also seen significant adoption by business interests, as an unlicensed, low-cost alternative to the business band.

LINK to FREQUENCY/POWER CHART for GMRS and FRS

Topics for Wednesday March 9: March 9 in Space History and.... Like to Travel?

Today, March 9, was an important day in space travel and exploration as the following events occurred.

61 YEARS

1961 – Sputnik 9 successfully launches, carrying a dog and a human dummy, and demonstrating that the Soviet Union was ready to begin human spaceflight.

48 YEARS

1974 – The Russian Mars 7 Flyby bus releases the descent module too early, missing Mars.

11 YEARS

2011 – Space Shuttle Discovery makes its final landing after 39 flights

Net Discussion questions:

Did you follow the NASA space program as a kid?

What do you think about modern space travel and exploration?

Do you think the current situation in the Ukraine will affect the ISS (International Space Station)

LIKE TO TRAVEL?

Some people grew up in families that traveled. In my case, my family stayed close to home. My dad preferred day trips to the beach or amusement parks or museums etc. If it was a day trip, we did it. Many others liked to camp, and that’s a topic for another discussion. But we didn’t. Living near the water in Quincy, we had boats and spent a lot of time on the water. So for me, extended travel was not a big part of my upbringing. As an adult, I have traveled more for business than pleasure. I’d like to do more pleasure travel and maybe someday soon I will.

So, let’s forget for a minute that the gas prices are at record highs and overall, all types of travel is difficult. Someday hopefully we will all be able to move about as before.

How many of you like to get away from the homestead for a few days or weeks? Travel can provide us many benefits:

1. Travel Makes You Happier.

2. Travel Lets You Disconnect & Recharge.

3. Traveling Relieves Stress and Anxiety.

4. Travel Exposes You to New Things.

5. Travel Exposes Others to New Things.

6. Travel Makes You Physically Healthier.

7. Traveling Can Boost Your Creativity.

Net Discussion questions:

Now that spring is here and summer is right around the corner, are you planning any trips?

If you didn’t travel as a kid, what did your family do?

Where is the best place you have ever been? WHY

Topics for Monday March 7: Hijacked Airwaves? and.... Thoughts on the 6 O'Clock Net

AT&T’s forgotten plot to hijack the US airwaves

This just in: Ars Technica has uncovered a campaign by AT&T to completely dominate the nation's system of broadcasting. The telco's plan would make it almost impossible for broadcast license holders not affiliated with the carrier to operate. The plot involves an elaborate system of patent lawsuits, corporate alliances, and deals with local politicians.

Oh, sorry—before we get too far into this exclusive, we should probably add that the scheme was hatched in 1922 and abandoned by 1926. But if it's not a breaking story, it's still relevant history. Right now the Federal Communications Commission is proposing a massive transfer of broadcast spectrum to the wireless industry, whose principals, AT&T included, are providing all of the services offered by television and radio broadcasters—with voice and Internet too.

This is all new to us because we take for granted the old over-the-air broadcast licensing system that we've lived with for almost a century. But nothing was old at the dawn of broadcast radio in the early 1920s. Let's go back to those days and explore an alternate history that never happened—until now. .......Read More

The Great Net We Have!

Some Thoughts on the Six O'clock Net and what it has turned into.

From the beginning With K1TP and W1WMM. And then Ruth WW1N.

Where will it be in five years?

Will we all still meet here three times a week?

W1TAT and Old Hat

Topics for Wednesday March 2: FM Radio and.... World's Largest Aircraft Destroyed

1941 U.S.A. First FM Radio Station

On March 1, 1941 W47NV began broadcasting in Nashville, Tennessee, becoming the first fully licensed commercial FM station. There was significant interest in the new FM band by station owners, however, construction restrictions that went into place during World War II limited the growth of the new service. While the FM band had less static and more range, it didn’t become popular until the early 1960s.

Do you remember "AM only" days?
What is the first FM radio station you listened to?
Do you listen to FM these days?

(CNN) — The world's largest aircraft, the Antonov AN-225, has been destroyed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials, generating alarm and sadness among the aviation world in which it occupies almost cult status.

The enormous aircraft, named "Mriya," or "dream" in Ukrainian, was parked at an airfield near Kyiv when it was attacked by "Russian occupants," Ukrainian authorities said, adding that they would rebuild the plane.

"Russia may have destroyed our 'Mriya'. But they will never be able to destroy our dream of a strong, free and democratic European state. We shall prevail!" wrote Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Twitter.

Your thoughts about this plane, or the Russian invasion of Ukraine in general?

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