Well, I managed to get the ICOM 208H installed the other day. I will say this; a Chrysler Sebring is absolutely horrible to try and run power wires through the firewall. It is also not very well setup to run antenna cable from the trunk. I had pulled my V8000 out of the car about a year ago and installed it in my old truck so the wiring was not in the car anymore. Installing the radio this time was just as fun (by fun I mean ever so frustrating and aggravating) as it was the first time.

I finally made it to a local club meeting. I have been here nearly nine months now so shame on me for not doing it sooner. I missed out on spending time with some real good folk. I visited the local K5WPH at their club house on 3709 Wickham Ln. It was a business night for them, and I was well received. They have a very nice facility and take a lot of pride in it. At least one of them was familiar with the KC5OLO repeater run by the KCARC club in Abilene. Hopefully I will run into some of them again before I head back to Abilene.  I also plan to visit the W5ES club here on Friday the 12th. I think it is good to try and meet with other clubs while traveling around. It is a good way to share ideas and get to meet new people. Hams as a group tend to have a lot of ingenuity and it is always good to hear new ideas and ways others have solved different problems.

 Shane

KE5TVB

Well I am still in El Paso, TX, but I kinda hope not for much longer. The new job has great income potential, but isn’t really me. I fix things, it is just who I am. Not sure I can handle a job that seems to repeat itself without any true resolution to its activities. If the xyl gets orders in March, we may just take them. I think I would like to get some college in, mechanical engineering seems real interesting. There is a decent size group of hams in El Paso and about 27 repeaters in the area. I have not made it to any of the local club meetings, and have been inactive in ham activities since leaving Abilene. I do miss it, and just picked up a dual band 2m/7cm Icom-IC-208H. I had been running a 2m Icom V8000 and really liked it. This area seems to favor the 7cm band so hopefully if I stay here I can get myself back into the hobby. I also picked up a rough Kenwood TR-7800. If it works at all I am going see if I can put it in to service for data. Same with the pair of Drake TR-22s I have. Not sure what I really want to do, maybe a weather station? Who knows? I will think on it. Anyway I choose to go will require a bit of learning, and that is always fun. Well, that is it for this update; hopefully the next will find me shipping off somewhere other than El Paso. Hawaii would rock, though the news of the tsunami hitting there today makes one reconsider a little. Though I would probably still jump at the chance to go!

73

Shane

Well, I will be moving out of Abilene later on in April. I will be moving to El Paso, TX after a short stay in Artesia, NM. I will be looking for a new home for ham radio and will miss the groups here. I was a member of both BCARN and KCARC. I was not very active with these clubs regrettably. I obtained my license towards the end of my active duty service. As such, my time was devoted towards the transition back to the civilian world. Once out my focus moved on towards moving to my new line of work. Hopefully I will find a new club in El Paso that I can be active in and learn from. I am currently looking at K5WPH, and will contact them soon and get a feel for them. They look pretty active based on their website, and it looks like there will be a lot I can learn from them. Well, all for now, I will update this site as I move and get settled.

73

Shane

KE5TVB