Kevin,

I guess I knew when I hit the send key that  the phrase about nobody 
stepping up to the plate was a poor choice of words, but it wasn't meant as 
a shot at the West coast or anybody else.   The fact is that nobody, 
including me, stepped up to the plate in the sense of saying "Hey, let's do 
such and such on this freq at this particular time".

The three times this net has worked, it was laid out in advance: date, time 
and frequency and   whoever was willing and able  was there.

Echo Link isn't radio, but I put it on my pc a few years ago to keep in 
touch with my friend YO6OBH in Romania, who had been forced to sell his ham 
gear. it served it's purpose.  He left Romania a few years ago and I have 
lost contact with him and haven't  used it since.    It's not why I got my 
ticket, but if some want to use it  for convenience or necessity, I'm not 
going to take my marbles and go home.   I may even drop in and say hi, but 
my  interest in this hobby has always been HF operation and that will always 
be my preference.

73, Steve KW3A



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kevin Nathan" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, January 19, 2009 1:47 PM
Subject: Re: schedule


>I had to pick one message to reply to in order to give my thoughts on the
> schedule so picked the last one I read.  I'm going to enumerate them below
> just to keep my own thoughts clarified but I do have some opinions I hope
> someone might care about.
>
> 1.  Is there any need for an argument about what radio really is.
> Personally, I don't care for Echolink.  I have used and enjoyed IRLP 
> because
> to me, it still feels like I'm talking on my rig, not my computer.  That
> being said, some may only have access to Echolink due to living 
> arrangements
> and they are welcome to get on it with anyone who wants to participate.  I
> thoroughly enjoyed the day that I hooked up with David Wood in the UK on 
> ten
> meters and we chatted on CW for almost an hour.  I would love to do that
> with more of you on the air.  There's still some magic about sitting 
> behind
> your mic, of your station, using an antenna you erected yourself and 
> talking
> to someone across the country or across the world.  for me, the computer
> hasn't matched that yet.
>
> 2.  As far as stepping up to the plate, I am sitting here with an
> operational station, linear available, and a 2 element quad on 20 meters.
> If we could arrange a meeting at a time and on a day when I'm not working, 
> I
> would be glad to act as the West Coast relay.  If we could get one station
> well equipped in the East and one in the Central U.S. we could make a very
> good 20 meter net.  the ACB Service net used to do this on a regular basis
> and I don't see why we can't.  There are still active nets on 20 that do
> well.  By putting the nets on 40 or 75 and then moving them earlier in the
> day so you guys in the East can hear each other, you virtually eliminate 
> any
> of us in the other half of the country.
>
> 3.   To somewhat reiterate what I said above, let's not start sniping at
> each other over this.  It is supposed to be fun.  Remember?  Let's just 
> keep
> trying different things to see what works.  We all may be pleasantly
> surprised at what does really work.
>
> Take care for now all and very 73 from the Far Coast.
>
>
> Kevin :)
> Amateur Radio:  K7RX
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of John Miller
> Sent: Monday, January 19, 2009 05:44
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: schedule
>
> Because that's not what radio's all about. Look up radio in the 
> dictionary.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Howard Kaufman" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, January 19, 2009 4:26 AM
> Subject: Re: schedule
>
>
>> With this amount of interest in talking to each other, why not do an echo
>> link conference?  I see they have conferrences up to 500 people.  That
>> aught
>> to be enough.  No issues with propigation, location, or having antennas 
>> or
>> HF privilleges.  Since we seem reluctant to make schedules that exclude
>> areas of the country, let's bend over, hold our ankles, and actually talk
>> to
>> each other.  No qrm, no qrn, no foreign broadcast.
> No virus found in this incoming message.
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> 09:37
>