Hi Anthony,
When you make that move, don't count yourself out of amateur radio! I've
not had the chance to get my antennas up yet but have been having fun on
hf using a portable antenna outside.

If you've got a patio, or balcony, or a park area, a portable antenna
and a rig like the IC-703 will get you on the air and let you make
contacts.

As an example, my wife and I went away for our anniversary. We rented a
cabin (with a full kitchen, screened in porch and all air
contitioning--lest you get the idea we were really roughing it) at
Silver River State Park near Ocala Florida. I used my IC-703+ running 5
watts and an MP2 antenna and worked a number of stations during the
weekend. My contacts included: stations in the U.S., Jamaica, French
Guiana, U.S. Virgin Islands and Martinique.

You will need to have more patience than you would with a kilowatt and a
big antenna or antennas--but you can sure stay radio active.


Ron Miller
N6MSA
Clearwater, FL.
SKYPE: arjay1


-----Original Message-----
.From: "Anthony Vece" <[log in to unmask]>
.Sent: 5/30/06 10:33:17 AM
.To: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>
.Subject: Re: BAND conditions
.
.Hi Jeff & List;
.
.I don't know about BPL but, antenna issues are another story.
.
.Susan and I at some point want to move into a 55 and up community.
.
.The up side basically is that their is no maintenance but, I can't put
up 
.antennas.
.
.Echolink is fine but, it just doesn't cut it.
.
.Echolink is good if your antenna comes down and you know it will go
back up 
.soon other than that, I don't think it has any real value.
.
.I would get board with it in very little time.
.
.73 De Anthony W2AJV
[log in to unmask]
.ECHOLINK NODE NUMBER: 74389
.
.----- Original Message ----- 
.From: "Jeff Kenyon" <[log in to unmask]>
.To: <[log in to unmask]>
.Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2006 10:01 AM
.Subject: Re: [BLIND-HAMS] BAND conditions
.
.
.> Hi there, I think that BPL will be the  biggest threat, and the
antenna
.> issue.  I know that in Virginia the BPL I think is in use, but I
don't
.> know if it has started up for sure or not.  Does anyone know where
this is
.> going to expand to next with regard to BPL?
.>
.>
.>
.>
.>
.> On Tue, 30 May 2006, Colin McDonald wrote:
.>
.>> personally i don't think it has much to do with echolink or
IRLP...since
.>> there aren't a whole lot of HF privvallaged folks on there anyway.
.>> Its probably got more to do with the fact that most people in our
day and
.>> age don't have as much time for persuing their radio hobby as they
once 
.>> did.
.>> Also, with the american operators becoming more and more restricted
as to
.>> antennas in housing developments, with hams who previously operated
HF, 
.>> now
.>> having to stick to 2M and 70CM because they can only use a mobile
set up.
.>> I think echolink and IRLP are pretty much the least of the issues
out 
.>> there
.>> that are causing us to hear less and less folks on the HF bands.
.>> Lets not forget that many many hams simply aren't bothering to get
on the
.>> air because they do not like to deal with unstable conditions and
are
.>> waiting for conditions to get more stable, if not necesarily better.
.>> the threat of BPL has also thrown a shadow over many, and their
plans for
.>> antennas and so on have been put on hold until plans are finalized
one 
.>> way
.>> or the other for BPL projects...no point in putting in an expensive 
.>> antenna
.>> system when it will prove useless when BPL goes through in your area

.>> right?
.>> I think another big problem, especially right now, is that there are
less
.>> and less US hams that are getting HF privallages because the
regulations 
.>> are
.>> still quite stringent.  You will hear many many more hams from
Canada and
.>> other countries who have relaxed the code requirements on the HF
bands 
.>> now
.>> compared with a year ago.
.>> These are surprisingly very good operators and I personally have
seen
.>> nothing but good come out of relaxing the code requirement here.
.>> 73
.>> Colin, V A6BKX
.>>
.>
.>
.>
.> -- 
.> No virus found in this incoming message.
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.> Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.7.4/351 - Release Date:
5/29/2006
.>
.>