How Many Hams does it take to use Windows Messenger?

In the wee hours of this very morning, the Elites, the ‘cream of the crop’ so to speak, the male, white, affluent Hams that are now meeting on 3720 after midnight, gave me my laugh of the week.

On air was: Jim Southwick n7js, Jim Watkins ki6gu, Scott Baris n6edv, Art Bell w6obb, and Steve Wingate in the background, so smashed he could not even pronounce the simple words.

They have kissed and made up, (well, not including Steve) and were trying to figure out how to add each other to their messengers. It was a riot!

I can only wonder if they added moi to their contacts as artie even mentioned that Kent Nyberg wm7o, was on his list... (Wasn’t it just a few months ago that Jim Southwick n7js told me he was far too busy to play around with an IM program?)

I would suggest that you follow their directions, and invite them to join your Windows Messenger list! Hmmm, wonder how many ‘invites’ they’ll get?

Get yourself something to drink, be prepared to have a good laugh, and go listen to the audio clip of Eaney, Meany, Miney & Moe (and it will only be there for a FEW days!), in “IM Hell” at: http://www.hamfanz.com/Current/Clips.html. You will want to listen to it more than once!

Whats with the Online Tuners (or Art Bell as censor)?

Between uploads of data to a friend’s server, (I’m backing up data in preparation of changing computers.) I did listen for about an hour to the Pahrump receiver: http://www.smeter.net/pahrump/audio.php. Got right in, in fact! And the reason why was because it was a rerun!!!!

It took a few minutes for me to realize that I’d heard this before. It was a recording of a transmission that I had heard shortly after Katrina struck (of which they spoke). It sounded familiar, but it wasn’t until I heard Joanne w6mku come on to defend FEMA, that I realized I was listening to a ‘rerun’. I did check the s-meter page, and there were no notes there about a 'replay'. So any folks listening out there, thought they were hearing 'live' SW!

Then I went to Radio Bothell Online, my own fav online tuner, as Kent Nyberg wm70 REALLY operates a full featured online tuner at: http://home.comcast.net/~ka7znm/stream.html, (Though the audio could be better!) At Radio Bothell, on 3.840 there was just 'static'. I used the 'presets' and checked a few other frequencies, and never did hear a ‘voice’. I did not, however, have the mental acuity to check an AM station, to see if the tuner was working. I just assumed the tuner was down, or that no one was on air.

I quickly whipped by Jim Southwick n7js’s, recently back online tuner at: http://www.jimandleah.com/, and that tuner does not seem to be online any longer, other than streaming through s-meter. Unfortunately I don’t know if Jim was also streaming the ‘replay’. I didn’t think to check and actually, didn’t have the time as I needed to get back to uploading data.

I sure hope JimandLeah and Radio Bothell get any tech probs they may be having ironed out soon as there are many, many HAMS and SWL’s out there seeking that ‘voice in the night’.

And it would seem that artie w60bb is unable to provide that service for them without falling into the temptation of ‘manipulating’ these listeners by choosing, all by himself, what they should (and conversely, should NOT) hear!

Now I admit there is probably MUCH material heard at night that probably SHOULD NOT be replayed the next day. And I admit that it IS Art Bell's receiver. But Art Bell w60bb as ‘supreme’ censor of 3.840??? It seems to be turning out that way. Manipulation of the media, any media, especially without any type of 'notice', is the ultimate in control…

Radio Bothell Online

Provided by Kent Nyberg, wm7o, it’s back; and better than ever! Radio Bothell is a full-featured online tuner.

The tuner is password controlled, (you can get a password by contacting Kent - see the site for email addy). So there are none of the hijinks common to ‘open’ tuners.

This tuner is on a ‘first come’ basis. NO booting you out after a period of time. If you can get in, either to the tuner OR the stream, you can stay as long as you like.

A really neat thing about the Bothell Radio Online tuner is that there are ‘presets’; some great AM, FM, and SW frequencies (including 3.840) to listen to easily, just click with your mouse.

There is an on site chat, and simple info on how to use the tuner, which is NOT smeter associated.

And there’s an accompanying Yahoo List you can join where you can ask questions, etc.

As usual, there are a limited number of ‘tuner’ spots, but even if the Bothell Tuner is full, it IS streamed, both on the site, and on www.Hamstreams.com.

Add to all the above; good, clean, crisp audio, and you have a superior online Tuner.

Thanks and welcome back Kent!