I'm sitting in the living room, fat, dumb, and happy

[solo1]

when the TORNADO siren went off today.  Crap!! Didn't see it coming.

I tried both 2 meter handhelds, both had dead batteries.  I trust spotters on emergency ham radio better than the WX Bureau.   I got the Yaesu VX5 plugged in, and the emergency channel, 146.88, had no emergency traffic.

 I put on my helmet, motorcycle jacket, grabbed a flashlight, whistle, and gun, and sat in a doorway anyway, away from windows.  Funny, yet not so much!

The WX bureau saw "rotation' on radar in a severe storm we were having so the sirens were activated.

No bad reports of any kind so the warning was lifted. Now I have both handhelds on charge, no more of unplanning here. BTW, I'm not active but still have my Call, K9AXM, on ham radio.

WHEW!!

[hairyteeth]

Wayne
I live an hour east of you, I could see the sky darkening and put all my tools in the shed. As a gust of cool air sent the temperatures from mid 80's to lower 70's I decided to make for the house. Just as I closed the backdoor my smartphone announced the NWS from Indiana has issued an all clear.
THEN the (I can't see the tree in the front yard type rain) started falling! I guess their version of all clear was different then mine.  HT

[Thunderbolt]

Wayne looks like you and I have similar interests.  Ham radio is one of my hobbies also.  I do very little on repeaters and hand held radio's.  Now that you have more time on your hands try your hand at VHF/UHF SSB weak signal.  That is my favorite area in Amateur radio.  Of course that means you will need a multimode transceiver that will do several bands like the Icom 7000 or Yaesu FT847.  And of course antennas as high as you can install them.  Your location might hamper that part.
N4TWX
Terry

[NCGhostrider]

We have had active weather here in TX for days.   We keep dodging the bullet here in my town, just lots of rain.   Normally the weather service has a ham operator that links into my repeater when storms are active.  I am the only ham that even transmits on a repeater in our county, so I get busy if we have bad weather.   But, I usually stay on HF these days.  It's good to see some other radio people on here.  It's been a great hobby for me!

Craig
KC5PGZ
99 I/S

[solo1]

I sold all of my HF ham gear when i moved into the apartment. Restrictions, plus it was too difficult to put up a decent HF antenna for 20 and 40 meters that was unseen.

My favorite was working 20 meters cw QRP.  I remember working a contact in South Dakota, CW, with 1/4 WATT, clear copy!

I don't get on two meters or 440 unless it's an emergency.  I don't use the numerous repeaters in this area.  Just like motorcycling it was hard to give up CW.

[NCGhostrider]

You ought to get back on 20 with a stealth antenna.  There are lots of operators that are working in restricted housing areas that do pretty well.  CW really gives you an advantage since you can run lower power and still communicate.  There is lots of info on the web about hiding antennas.  I wouldn't be afraid of an inside antenna at low power.   Hopefully you wouldn't have to much of a noise problem to hear! 

Although it is not conventional, but it is becoming more common, is the use of Flex radio or similar SDR system with transmit capabilities remotely.  You install the radio at a family or friends house that is radio friendly and access it over the web. 

And if you want to just listen.  Try this link....

http://www.websdr.org/

That website is a list of worldwide receivers that are free to listen to.  I use a local one to listen to my friends on 40 meters while I am at work.

---
The 2 meter / 440 aspect of the hobby is at an all time low from what I see.  It is mostly a hangout for storm / ARES/RACES people.  And they only talk when there is an emergency.  I am about to step out of that aspect from an official standpoint.  There is too much focus on paperwork and what the government needs from us for funding etc.  I keep telling them I am a ham radio operator, I don't mind helping, but it is not my life!  When I do step away from it, I will continue to help on an unofficial level.

I sometimes carry a ham radio on my valk (usually a handheld).  Now this post is valk related!!

Craig
KC5PGZ
99 I/S  that needs to be ridden.

[mrtappan]

Surprisingly I also have a call sign, KC5VUG and my dad is KA5HOP, both from Gulfport MS.  Although he still has an in car and portable.  I don't have either anymore. 

[solo1]

My call sign was issued to me back in 1960.  It had been reissued then so it dates back awhile.
I started with KN9AXM (novice) then changed to K9AXM after upgrading to General Class about a year later. I had to take a written and a 11 wpm test in front of a Federal employee in a noisy post office building.   I built two Heathkit transmitters, Two Allied Radio T100 transmitters (they were junk), numerous home brew accessories and then went to Johnson equipment. I had one the first SSB transmitters where I had to null out the sideband and carrier MANUALLY!

Those were the days, my friends.

No, i never had a spark transmitter