================================================================
A R T I C L E S
================================================================



As some of you already know, Roger Nelson, 1:3828/7, died on the
9th of September, 2019.

Ward has let me know that he will be writing an article for
Fidonews this weekend that will discuss much more about Roger
than I could ever do, and that is a good thing.

But... I remember when I was running for Z1C (ages ago it seems
<g>) how Roger helped me out at the time. Roger was there
encouraging me... There were moments when I felt like I was
like some scared kid or, and you know, a woman trying to break
into a "man's world", and he just made it all seem so easy and
comfortable.

I guess that's his Louisiana spirit that I'll miss :(








FIDOGAZETTE Vol 13 No 37 Page 2 September 11, 2019


-----------------------------------------------------------------

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-4
* Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)

Janis,

As some of you already know, Roger Nelson, 1:3828/7, died on the
9th of September, 2019.

I wasn't aware that Bill McGarrity had passed away recently as well.
I've been so busy with stuff after my Mom's death and funeral on August
9, that I've missed quite a bit of stuff.

Daryl


* OLX 1.53 * The only things done by Friday are with Robinson Crusoe.
--- SBBSecho 3.09-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - tbolt.synchro.net (1:19/33)

I wasn't aware that Bill McGarrity had passed away recently as well.
I've been so busy with stuff after my Mom's death and funeral on August
9, that I've missed quite a bit of stuff.

I just thought he never brought his board back up after the storm last
year. I did not realize he had also passed.

Mike

---
* SLMR 2.1a * Blesss usss and splassh us, taglinesss for my preciousss
* Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (1:2320/105)

Re: FidoGazette Vol 13 no 37
By: Mike Powell to DARYL STOUT on Fri Sep 13 2019 07:06 pm

I wasn't aware that Bill McGarrity had passed away recently as well. I've been so busy with stuff after my Mom's death and funeral on August
9, that I've missed quite a bit of stuff.

I just thought he never brought his board back up after the storm last
year. I did not realize he had also passed.

Any one have his obit? When/how? He was a long-time Sync-op. :-(

digital man

Synchronet "Real Fact" #59:
Synchronet apparel and merchandise can be purchased at cafepress.com/synchronet Norco, CA WX: 77.9øF, 47.0% humidity, 1 mph S wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs
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On 13 Sep 2019 at 07:06p, Mike Powell pondered and said...

I wasn't aware that Bill McGarrity had passed away recently as well. I've been so busy with stuff after my Mom's death and funeral on August 9, that I've missed quite a bit of stuff.

I just thought he never brought his board back up after the storm last year. I did not realize he had also passed.

same here... wow, news to me also.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Agency BBS | Dunedin, New Zealand | agency.bbs.nz (3:770/100)

Rob Swindell wrote to Mike Powell <=-

I wasn't aware that Bill McGarrity had passed away recently as well. I've been so busy with stuff after my Mom's death and funeral on August
9, that I've missed quite a bit of stuff.

I just thought he never brought his board back up after the storm last
year. I did not realize he had also passed.

Any one have his obit? When/how? He was a long-time Sync-op. :-(

I think this is him:

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/william-mcgarity-obituary?pid=177520683



=== MultiMail/Linux v0.52
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Mike Powell wrote to DARYL STOUT <=-

I just thought he never brought his board back up after the storm last year. I did not realize he had also passed.

Same here. Damn.

Later,
Sean
___ MultiMail/Linux v0.52

--- Maximus/2 3.01
* Origin: Outpost BBS * bbs.outpostbbs.net:2304 (1:18/200)

On 12 Sep 2019, Daryl Stout said the following...

I wasn't aware that Bill McGarrity had passed away recently as well.

I didn't hear about Bill passing... Damn...


---

Black Panther(RCS)
Castle Rock BBS

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/02 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Castle Rock BBS - bbs.castlerockbbs.com (1:317/3)

On 13 Sep 2019, Mike Powell said the following...

I wasn't aware that Bill McGarrity had passed away recently as well.

I just thought he never brought his board back up after the storm last year. I did not realize he had also passed.

That's what I was thinking as well...


---

Black Panther(RCS)
Castle Rock BBS

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/02 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Castle Rock BBS - bbs.castlerockbbs.com (1:317/3)

On 2019 Sep 12 12:44:00, you wrote to JANIS KRACHT:

As some of you already know, Roger Nelson, 1:3828/7, died on the 9th
of September, 2019.

I wasn't aware that Bill McGarrity had passed away recently as well.

WHAT!?!?!?!

IIRC, the last i remember hearing was he was trying to get his system back online after construction caused a massive electrical problem and blew a lot of
his stuff up in the resulting surge...

are you sure about this?? can you provide a link??

)\/(ark

Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set
them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
... Patriotism is not who can leak the most Secret documents to the NY Times... ---
* Origin: (1:3634/12.73)

On 2019 Sep 14 08:51:00, you wrote to Rob Swindell:

Any one have his obit? When/how? He was a long-time Sync-op. :-(

I think this is him:

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/william-mcgarity-obituary?pid=177520
683

that's a differene one... he died in 2016... still looking for valid information on our bill...

)\/(ark

Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set
them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
... SPAM's popularity can only be explained by the Helsinki syndrome.
---
* Origin: (1:3634/12.73)

mark lewis wrote to Dan Clough <=-

Any one have his obit? When/how? He was a long-time Sync-op. :-(

I think this is him:

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/william-mcgarity-obituary?pid=177520683

that's a differene one... he died in 2016... still looking for
valid information on our bill...

Hmmmm.... what are the odds of two William/Bill McGarrity's in
Tom's River, NJ... You're right though, maybe this was his Dad?
Also there's only one "R" in this last name.



... Gone crazy, be back later, please leave message.
=== MultiMail/Linux v0.52
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Re: Re: FidoGazette Vol 13 no 37
By: Dan Clough to Rob Swindell on Sat Sep 14 2019 08:51 am

Rob Swindell wrote to Mike Powell <=-

I wasn't aware that Bill McGarrity had passed away recently as well. I've been so busy with stuff after my Mom's death and funeral on August 9, that I've missed quite a bit of stuff.

I just thought he never brought his board back up after the storm last year. I did not realize he had also passed.

Any one have his obit? When/how? He was a long-time Sync-op. :-(

I think this is him:

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/william-mcgarity-obituary?pid=1775206 83

That man's information does not seem to correlate with the Bill Mcgarrity I know of. The spelling of the name is even different:

$ finger tequilam@vert.synchro.net
User: TEQUILAM #203 In real life: Bill Mcgarrity
From: Hopatcong, Nj Handle: Tequilam
Birth: 10/22/53 (Age: 65 years) Gender: M
Shell: default Editor:
Last login Thu Sep 20 2018 07:11 am PDT
via FTP from c-73-10-246-199.hsd1.nj.comcas [73.10.246.199]
No plan.


digital man

Synchronet "Real Fact" #36:
Synchronet's Windows DLLs are built with Microsoft Visual Studio/C++.
Norco, CA WX: 97.0øF, 23.0% humidity, 7 mph ESE wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs --- SBBSecho 3.09-Linux
* Origin: Vertrauen - [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net (1:103/705)

Rob Swindell wrote to Dan Clough <=-

I wasn't aware that Bill McGarrity had passed away recently as well. I've been so busy with stuff after my Mom's death and funeral on August 9, that I've missed quite a bit of stuff.

I just thought he never brought his board back up after the storm last year. I did not realize he had also passed.

Any one have his obit? When/how? He was a long-time Sync-op. :-(

I think this is him:

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/william-mcgarity-obituary?pid=177520683

That man's information does not seem to correlate with the Bill
Mcgarrity I know of. The spelling of the name is even different:

$ finger tequilam@vert.synchro.net
User: TEQUILAM #203 In real life: Bill Mcgarrity
From: Hopatcong, Nj Handle: Tequilam
Birth: 10/22/53 (Age: 65 years) Gender: M

Yep, I just saw the name and the fact that he was from Toms River,
NJ (same city as shown for him in the Fido nodelist). Kinda hard
to think there were two Bill McGar(r)ity's in Toms River, NJ
though. Perhaps it was his father that passed away... I think
others are delving further into this mystery.



... Error - Operator out of memory!
=== MultiMail/Linux v0.52
--- SBBSecho 3.09-Linux
* Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (1:123/115)

Hi Dan,

I wasn't aware that Bill McGarrity had passed away recently as well. >> > > I've been so busy with stuff after my Mom's death and funeral on August >> > > 9, that I've missed quite a bit of stuff.

I just thought he never brought his board back up after the storm last
year. I did not realize he had also passed.

Any one have his obit? When/how? He was a long-time Sync-op. :-(

I think this is him:

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/william-mcgarity-obituary?pid=177520683

That man's information does not seem to correlate with the Bill
Mcgarrity I know of. The spelling of the name is even different:

He was older, so I think that is right.

$ finger tequilam@vert.synchro.net
User: TEQUILAM #203 In real life: Bill Mcgarrity
From: Hopatcong, Nj Handle: Tequilam
Birth: 10/22/53 (Age: 65 years) Gender: M

Yep, I just saw the name and the fact that he was from Toms River,
NJ (same city as shown for him in the Fido nodelist). Kinda hard
to think there were two Bill McGar(r)ity's in Toms River, NJ

Yes.

though. Perhaps it was his father that passed away... I think
others are delving further into this mystery.

No, that was our Bill...

I was trying to find the email from Bill's family that he had indeed passed away, but it has been too long... that message is gone and thunderbird has been
updated many times since then :(

Bill passed away and his family contacted me about this... It was really sad, I
remember that much. :(

Take care,
Janis

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-4
* Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)

Mike,

I wasn't aware that Bill McGarrity had passed away recently as well. MP>> I've been so busy with stuff after my Mom's death and funeral on August MP>> 9, that I've missed quite a bit of stuff.

I just thought he never brought his board back up after the storm last MP>year. I did not realize he had also passed.

I couldn't remember the name of his BBS (Tequila Mockingbirg BBS), but
I had lunch with a local BBS Sysop (he picked up the tab as
thanks)...and he told me the name of the BBS. I knew Bill had ran
SportNet, but not sure what other networks he headed up offhand.

I gave him an old laptop that quit working on me. So, he formatted the
hard drive, and is going to put another OS on it. He got the laptop
(which I had gotten used at a ham radio festival (hamfest) several years
ago. It had Windows Vista Basic on it. He got the laptop, power supply,
and I threw in a Microsoft USB 2.4 Ghz wireless mouse, a mouse pad, and
an external DVD USB drive. I'm going to get him a US Robotics 56K v.92
Extrenal Fax Modem to him another day. I don't have a dial-up line, and
VoIP lines (i.e. MagicJack) don't work well with modems, but the analog
phone lines are all but gone now...as are the dial-up BBS's.

I bought a new Lenovo Laptop with Windows 10 64-bit on it, and can put
some stuff on it that won't work on my Windows 10 32-bit systems.

Daryl


* OLX 1.53 * The Thunderbolt BBS, Little Rock, AR tbolt.synchro.net
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Re: Re: FidoGazette Vol 13 no 37
By: Janis Kracht to Dan Clough on Sat Sep 14 2019 11:26 pm

Hi Dan,

I wasn't aware that Bill McGarrity had passed away recently as well. >> > > I've been so busy with stuff after my Mom's death and funeral on August >> > > 9, that I've missed quite a bit of stuff.

I just thought he never brought his board back up after the storm last >> > year. I did not realize he had also passed.

Any one have his obit? When/how? He was a long-time Sync-op. :-(

I think this is him:

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/william-mcgarity-obituary?pid=177 520683

That man's information does not seem to correlate with the Bill
Mcgarrity I know of. The spelling of the name is even different:

He was older, so I think that is right.

$ finger tequilam@vert.synchro.net
User: TEQUILAM #203 In real life: Bill Mcgarrity
From: Hopatcong, Nj Handle: Tequilam
Birth: 10/22/53 (Age: 65 years) Gender: M

Yep, I just saw the name and the fact that he was from Toms River,
NJ (same city as shown for him in the Fido nodelist). Kinda hard
to think there were two Bill McGar(r)ity's in Toms River, NJ

Yes.

though. Perhaps it was his father that passed away... I think
others are delving further into this mystery.

No, that was our Bill...

I was trying to find the email from Bill's family that he had indeed passed away, but it has been too long... that message is gone and thunderbird has been updated many times since then :(

Bill passed away and his family contacted me about this... It was really sad, I remember that much. :(

Perhaps you're confusing Bill McGarrity with another FidoNet node/sysop? The Bill McGarrity that *I* know of (1:266/404) is still alive and (relatively) well. I just chatted with him via Facebook:

"I'm still here... diabetes caught up to me and I had a major electrical screwup by the power company that ate my server. I replaced the server but just
lost interest for now. As soon as I get my legs back working again I may put everything up... who knows lol!! Hope you're doing well." - Bill McGarrity Sept-15-2019


digital man

This Is Spinal Tap quote #14:
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Re: FidoGazette Vol 13 no 37
By: Daryl Stout to MIKE POWELL on Sat Sep 14 2019 04:41 pm

Mike,

I wasn't aware that Bill McGarrity had passed away recently as well. MP>> I've been so busy with stuff after my Mom's death and funeral on August MP>> 9, that I've missed quite a bit of stuff.

I just thought he never brought his board back up after the storm last MP>year. I did not realize he had also passed.

I couldn't remember the name of his BBS (Tequila Mockingbirg BBS), but
I had lunch with a local BBS Sysop (he picked up the tab as
thanks)...and he told me the name of the BBS. I knew Bill had ran
SportNet, but not sure what other networks he headed up offhand.

*That* Bill McGarrity is still alive and kicking.

digital man

Synchronet/BBS Terminology Definition #3:
ASCII = American Standard Code for Information Interchange
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Rob Swindell wrote to Janis Kracht <=-

Bill passed away and his family contacted me about this... It was really sad, I remember that much. :(

Perhaps you're confusing Bill McGarrity with another FidoNet
node/sysop? The Bill McGarrity that *I* know of (1:266/404) is
still alive and (relatively) well. I just chatted with him via
Facebook:

"I'm still here... diabetes caught up to me and I had a major
electrical screwup by the power company that ate my server. I
replaced the server but just lost interest for now. As soon as I
get my legs back working again I may put everything up... who
knows lol!! Hope you're doing well." - Bill McGarrity
Sept-15-2019

Well that's good news, thanks for finding that out and sharing.

Hope he gets back into it, I miss the Fido NHL echo that he
provided the feed for.


... This MSG written by pouring warm tea on an Ouija board.
=== MultiMail/Linux v0.52
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* Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (1:123/115)

Hi Rob,

Perhaps you're confusing Bill McGarrity with another FidoNet node/sysop? The Bill McGarrity that *I* know of (1:266/404) is still alive and (relatively) well. I just chatted with him via Facebook:

"I'm still here... diabetes caught up to me and I had a major electrical
screwup by the power company that ate my server. I replaced the server but jus
lost interest for now. As soon as I get my legs back working again I may put everything up... who knows lol!! Hope you're doing well." - Bill McGarrity Sept-15-2019

Hey, that is so neat, obviously I DID get Bill confused with someone else!! Thank you for correcting me!

Take care,
Janis

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-4
* Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)

On 2019 Sep 15 11:03:50, you wrote to Rob Swindell:

Perhaps you're confusing Bill McGarrity with another FidoNet node/sysop?
The Bill McGarrity that *I* know of (1:266/404) is still alive and
(relatively) well. I just chatted with him via Facebook:

"I'm still here... diabetes caught up to me and I had a major electrical
screwup by the power company that ate my server. I replaced the server but
jus lost interest for now. As soon as I get my legs back working again I
may put everything up... who knows lol!! Hope you're doing well." - Bill
McGarrity Sept-15-2019

Hey, that is so neat, obviously I DID get Bill confused with someone

else!!

Thank you for correcting me!

you're not the only one... apparently daryl did, too...

)\/(ark

Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set
them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
... If Piggy and Kermit had kids: pigpoles or froglets?
---
* Origin: (1:3634/12.73)

Mark,

IIRC, the last i remember hearing was he was trying to get his system back ML>online after construction caused a massive electrical problem and blew a lot ML>his stuff up in the resulting surge...

are you sure about this?? can you provide a link??

One of my Visiting Sysops asked me if I had heard anything, and I told
him to ask Janis Kracht...that if anyone would know, she would. Well,
that Sysop emailed me, and according to Janis "Bill passed away some
time ago". So, if the details are wrong, then it's Janis who is at
fault. I'll netmail her, and ask for confirmation. The Visiting Sysop
was wanting to know, as he was getting mail, etc. from Bill's system,
and hadn't heard from him in a long time...let alone seen him in the
echoes.

As a note, I saw a post of confirmation from Janis in this echo on
that.

Daryl


* OLX 1.53 * This years toast is better with this years bacon and eggs
--- SBBSecho 3.09-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - tbolt.synchro.net (1:19/33)

Daryl Stout wrote to MARK LEWIS <=-

IIRC, the last i remember hearing was he was trying to get his system back
online after construction caused a massive electrical problem and blew a lot
his stuff up in the resulting surge...

are you sure about this?? can you provide a link??

One of my Visiting Sysops asked me if I had heard anything, and
I told him to ask Janis Kracht...that if anyone would know, she
would. Well, that Sysop emailed me, and according to Janis "Bill
passed away some time ago". So, if the details are wrong, then
it's Janis who is at fault. I'll netmail her, and ask for
confirmation. The Visiting Sysop was wanting to know, as he was
getting mail, etc. from Bill's system, and hadn't heard from him
in a long time...let alone seen him in the echoes.

As a note, I saw a post of confirmation from Janis in this echo
on that.

There have since been messages (in FidoNews, I think) that make it
clear that Bill McGarrity is still with us. The reports of his
passing are erroneous.



... Backup not found: (A)bort (R)etry (P)anic
=== MultiMail/Linux v0.52
--- SBBSecho 3.09-Linux
* Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (1:123/115)

Hi Daryl,

As a note, I saw a post of confirmation from Janis in this echo on
that.

Daryl, as I said later in the echo, I was -wrong-, Bill is not dead. As Rob Swindell posted in here after my erroneous post, Bill is fine. Rob Swindell contacted Bill on Facebook.

Take care,
Janis

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-4
* Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)

Mark,

you're not the only one... apparently daryl did, too...

Well, it was from an email from Janis to one of my Visiting Sysops.
Outside of that email, I had no clue.

Daryl


* OLX 1.53 * "Farfrompoopin'" - German word for constipation.
--- SBBSecho 3.09-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - tbolt.synchro.net (1:19/33)

Hi Daryl,

Hi, Janis...

Daryl, as I said later in the echo, I was -wrong-, Bill is not dead. As Rob JK>Swindell posted in here after my erroneous post, Bill is fine. Rob Swindell JK>contacted Bill on Facebook.

I've been away from the echoes a few days, due to a migraine sinus headache...likely from all the tension and stress in the time after my
Mom's death on August 9th.

I'm sure there's more than one Daryl Stout in existence, but in ham
radio, there's only one WX4QZ in existence (me).

I'm glad you're not like Arthur Fonzarelli (Fonzie) on "Happy Days",
who could NOT say he was "wrong"....it came out as "I was rrrrrr". <G>

On another note, is the new Echolist processor deal up yet?? I had
done it via email, but would prefer to do it via netmail.

Daryl


* OLX 1.53 * 100% of people who breathe, die.
--- SBBSecho 3.09-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - tbolt.synchro.net (1:19/33)

Dan,

They each have their own echo, perhaps you'd like to add them to
your mail feed and stay up to date better with each of them?

I've cut back on my BBS and other hobby involvement. I've physically, mentally, and emotionally spent, after being my Mom's caregiver for 2+
years, getting her into a nursing home, setting up a Miller Trust (the
average cost for a nursing home in Arkansas is $5500 a month, and you
can't have more than $2000 in assets), then dealing with her death and
funeral.

... Unregistered taglines subject to confiscation!

OK, this is my response.

Daryl


* OLX 1.53 * This tagline is freeware; future support is unavailable.
--- SBBSecho 3.09-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - tbolt.synchro.net (1:19/33)

Sean,

It may not make complete sense to you but we hams consider our callsign a th SD>of pride and we normally identify each other by our callsigns rather than ou SD>names. Daryl will frequently address me as "COL"; that is common amongst ha

And, as hams, our first name is our first name, and our surname is our callsign. We have no clue (in most cases) what the hams' surname is.
However, if the ham with us is our spouse or girlfriend (obviously
speaking from the male person here), we had BETTER know the surname.
Plus, we wear name badges at hamfests, so we can make like we've known
everyone for years. Yet, we don't know most from Adam and Eve. <BG>

(who's a ham in more ways than one)

I was, too...involved in theatre arts in high school and college, long
before I got into amateur radio. But, I used those talents one year at
the ARRL Delta Division Convention, in playing 2 of the characters in
the initiation ceremony for The Royal Order Of the Wouff Hong. I got a
standing ovation for my efforts.

Ironically, the head of the Radio/TV/Film Department at the time, and
one of the other individuals, are both licensed hams, and are husband
and wife (or as hams term them, OM (for old man, generic for the men),
and XYL (or as hams term them, Ex-Young Lady (more appopriately, wife).
For the non-hams, YL, can stand for young lady or girlfriend.

Just like any other hobby, ham radio has its own lingo. I have a door
on the BBS, with a bunch of these ham radio terms.

Daryl, WX4QZ


* OLX 1.53 * Support bacteria. The only culture some people have.
--- SBBSecho 3.09-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - tbolt.synchro.net (1:19/33)

Dan,

Excellent! I didn't intend my above comment to Daryl as anything
bad, just didn't really see the relevance of him putting it like
that... I fully grasp the pride you have in the callsign and
understand it completely. Something I have thought about getting
into for years (decades?) but just never have. Maybe when I
retire... Thanks and 73!

Actually, one thing you no longer have to worry about is learning the
Morse Code. The FCC *DROPPED* that requirement in February, 2007. You
can still learn and use it (we also refer to it as CW for "Continuous
Wave"), but you don't have to prove that you know it.

The funniest example of this (a true story) was where 4 guys were
sitting around a restaurant table in Annapolis, Maryland...telling each
other dirty jokes in CW, and laughing about it. (As an aside, in ham
radio, the term "hi hi" is known as "the telegrapher's laugh", for the
Morse Code equivalent of hi -- .... .. -- or dit dit dit dit dit dit.

Anyway, this drop dead, gorgeous, curvaceous female, walked up to
them, and sternly admonished them. "You boys need to watch your
language. I teach CW at the Naval Academy across the street!!", and
walked out -- they were as red as tomatoes!! <BG>

All you need to get on the air is the Technician Class license, and if
you study 2 hours a day for 2 weeks, you can learn enough to pass the exam...which covers rules, regulations, frequencies, propagation, RF
safety, and basic electronic theory. The General Class license offers
more privileges, and much of the Technician Class exam stuff is on the
General exam, but in more detail. The Amateur Extra exam is the "booger
bear", but it can be done.

While I'm an Amateur Extra Class licensee (I had to obtain that, to
become a Volunteer Examiner (VE) Team Liaison (leader) (the hams
themselves give the exams now)...but, when I'm on the air, I operate in
the Technician Class bands, because I enjoy them.

I used HamTestOnline (www.hamradiolicenseexam.com). A 6 month
subscription gets you all you need to pass the exam. You learn the
questions, but ALSO the CONCEPTS -- so, you're learning something, and
NOT just memorizing answers. You study in the privacy of your own home,
at your own pace. You can do it on dial-up, DSL, or broadband...all you
need is a computer and a web browser.

When you get to 80% studying, start taking practice tests. When you
start scoring 85% or better consistently, you are READY to take the
exam, which unlike years ago, in some areas, is available once a month.

But, after adequate study and practice tests, if you still fail on
exam day, send them proof of the failure, and they will cancel your subscription, and refund your money. So, you get your ham radio license,
or your money back...you can't lose!! Normally, when you buy a book or
study guide, it's yours...no refunds.

Studying 2 hours a day for 2 weeks (you'll burn out if you do more
than that), I went from Technician to General in 14 days, and General to Amateur Extra 13 days later. It was the best money I ever spent in ham
radio. Prices vary depending on which exam(s) you go for.

The exams themselves are taken from sets of Question Pools, in the
public domain. So, unless a question has been withdrawn, there's a
chance that it'll appear on the exam. The pools have to have at least 10
times the number of questions that are on the exams, in the respective
pools. Over 400 questions each are in the Technician and General Pools,
and over 700 questions in the Amateur Extra Class Pool. The Technician
and General Exams have 35 questions each (you can miss 9, and still
pass), with the Amateur Extra Exam having 50 questions (you can miss as
many as 13, and still pass).

Yet, there is NO DISGRACE IN FAILING. If it takes you a dozen tries or
more to pass the exam, even if just barely, you have as much right to be
on the air as someone who made a perfect score the first time. And, once
you have your license and callsign, it's no one else's business how many
times it took you to pass the exams, or what your scores were. As far as they're concerned, you aced it on the first try.

Besides, the guy or girl who GRADUATES DEAD LAST in Medical School, is STILL....a DOCTOR. But, I may or may not want them doing a prostate
check or a pelvic exam. <G>

Daryl, WX4QZ


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Daryl Stout wrote to DAN CLOUGH <=-

Excellent! I didn't intend my above comment to Daryl as anything
bad, just didn't really see the relevance of him putting it like
that... I fully grasp the pride you have in the callsign and
understand it completely. Something I have thought about getting
into for years (decades?) but just never have. Maybe when I
retire... Thanks and 73!

<SNIP>

All you need to get on the air is the Technician Class license,
and if you study 2 hours a day for 2 weeks, you can learn enough
to pass the exam...which covers rules, regulations, frequencies, propagation, RF safety, and basic electronic theory. The General
Class license offers more privileges, and much of the Technician
Class exam stuff is on the General exam, but in more detail. The
Amateur Extra exam is the "booger bear", but it can be done.

<SNIP>

Thanks for that information, Daryl. I took a look at the website
you mentioned and it looks very good. I've been an electronics
technician for 40 years, including 28 years in military
communications/radar. The Tech and General sample questions were
simple to me and the Extra would not take much studying to pass.
I'll likely take the plunge in the coming year or so. Thanks for
getting me to look at that! Best regards.



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Hello Daryl!

** 19.09.19 - 08:57, Daryl Stout wrote to DAN CLOUGH:

But, after adequate study and practice tests, if you still fail on
exam day, send them proof of the failure, and they will cancel your
subscription, and refund your money. So, you get your ham radio license,
or your money back...you can't lose!! Normally, when you buy a book or
study guide, it's yours...no refunds.

It is interesting to learn that "ham" was originally a perjorative term.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etymology_of_ham_radio

And now just a couple of generations later, something originally an insult
is just a regular word in the hobby.


../|ug

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Dan,

Thanks for that information, Daryl. I took a look at the website
you mentioned and it looks very good. I've been an electronics DC>technician for 40 years, including 28 years in military DC>communications/radar. The Tech and General sample questions were
simple to me and the Extra would not take much studying to pass.
I'll likely take the plunge in the coming year or so. Thanks for
getting me to look at that! Best regards.

Then, the exams should be a cinch for you. If you study for all 3, and
pass all 3 on the first try, you only have to pay 1 test fee ($15 or
less).

You can go to www.arrl.org -- click on Exams -- click on Find A
License Exam Session -- then enter the desired criteria (such as the
state), and click on Search.

When you find an exam session day, time, and location, call, write, or
email the contact person, to get your name in the hat. You can find a
link there on what to bring to the exam session...but you can also ask
the contact person on what to bring.

Because of where I am at, I don't have any RF gear...but I operate
"internet radio", and can still talk to folks around the world. Plus, if
I was to ever go on a long train trip again (highly unlikely <SOB!>), I
could operate via my Wi-Fi from the Sleeping Car compartment. There's a
novelty to operating "railroad mobile".

Daryl, WX4QZ


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Hello Daryl!

August,

It is interesting to learn that "ham" was originally a perjorative term.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etymology_of_ham_radio

And now just a couple of generations later, something originally an insult AA>is just a regular word in the hobby.

H.A.M. also stands for H)ave A)nother M)eal...and you don't call us
"Late For Dinner", unless we're doing the dishes. <G>

One group in Champaign, Illinois, has a "lunch gathering" at a
different restaurant every day of the week.

I joke that one of the alternate phonetics I have is W)ild X)citing
Four Q)uiZ)ines. Now, Quisine isn't how you spell "cuisine". However, in Louisiana, they spell FIDO (for a dog) as "Phideaux"...so, there you
are. <G>

And, everybody has to eat. Plus, if amateur radio operators eat ham,
that makes us cannibalistic <G>.

Daryl, WX4QZ


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Daryl Stout wrote to DAN CLOUGH <=-

You can go to www.arrl.org -- click on Exams -- click on Find A
License Exam Session -- then enter the desired criteria (such as
the state), and click on Search.

When you find an exam session day, time, and location, call,
write, or email the contact person, to get your name in the hat.
You can find a link there on what to bring to the exam
session...but you can also ask the contact person on what to
bring.

Thanks again, Daryl! Saved this for future reference. :-)



... A day without sunshine is like night.
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Dan,

Thanks again, Daryl! Saved this for future reference. :-)

If you have any other further questions, let me know.

I've been doing license exams since October, 2007 (practically the
last 12 years), so I should know what I'm doing. <G>

Daryl, WX4QZ


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On another note, is the new Echolist processor deal up
yet?? I had
done it via email, but would prefer to do it via netmail.

I am working on it. The old platform I could not use or support so I had to write a new one so trying to get the time to finish it since I have a day job that is killing me at the moment.


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I am working on it. The old platform I could not use
or support so I had to write a new one so trying to get
the time to finish it since I have a day job that is
killing me at the moment.

Day jobs are good at killing everyone. :D

Later,
Sean


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