Hi All Telephone Communication: I now have a US SIM card and a new Cell Phone number 808 315 7229. If your plan allows you free calls to Hawaii (generally the Case if you have free calls in the USA) you should be able to call me. We seem to have sorted out some telephone issues and I can now talk to Rodger, Greg and Gary but not yet to Chip. I suspect Chip was just not available but I will keep trying him to make sure. I have not tested Mumble yet but I will try that with some of you when I talk to you next. Emails: I am getting emails fine to my IPhone but that is not suitable for typing long replies. I did mention to some of you that I had problems responding from my computer using hot-spot. That issue is now resolved and this email comes from my computer. COVID Issue: Bob WH6XM and his wife have tested positive for COVID and Bob seems to have it badly even though he is vaccinated. As you know I am getting help from Bob to build a cradle to mount the gear in the car. Also a number of items such as the antenna, AZ/EL control and power supplies were sent direct to bob. Bob and his wife picked me up from the airport and took me around to get my rental car and Bob drove with me down to my accommodation to help me with directions and also to help be drive on the other side of the road. So far I have tested negative for COVID on the home test kits. The first tests was inconclusive with a weak control C, and no test T bar, a second tests gave a strong C and no T so it looks like I am clear at this stage. While I am not feeling 100% I suspect this is just the change in Temperature from Snow in Tasmania plus some jet lag. The present plan is that I will stay away from Bob’s QTH until Monday before starting to build things. So this rules out Terrestrial tests until probably Wednesday next week which I think is the 23 June. But I will let you know when I am operational. I have cancelled the EME tests at this stage because the Moon is rising too late. 432 WSPR: Only Roger and Greg will be in a position to run 432 MHz WSPR. Hawaii Beacons: Chip has advised that the Hawaii 2 metre beacon should be repaired this Saturday so if Chis N3IZN could listen out for this New WSJT Version: You will Have seen that K1JT his released a new version as a release candidate. I recommend that we stay with the versions we have and have been tested on EME with the KH6 prefix as RC versions are likely to have bugs and tend to stop working after 30 days. SAVE ALL Function: When we do get operational could you all set the SAVE ALL function on WSJT to ON as the files will be useful for analysing result such as Degradation tests and also looking at single tones that don’t decode. ALL.TXT is on automatically but make sure you don’t delete this as this provides a basis for quickly checking what was received and also includes what was transmitted. I don’t have the email addresses for Chris N3IZN or Al W5LUA with me so if Roger could send me them I will send this email to them to keep them up-to-date. Also I need ZL3RC’s email which I think Richard VK7ZBX could send to me please.
Follow up story
Hello Group I spoke with Rex earlier this afternoon getting through immediately. He has had a few problems starting with the aircraft leaving Sydney for Honolulu 45 minutes late. On arrival he was detained by customs for an hour because they could not understand why he was bringing radio equipment into the country when he wasnt using it for work. This was finally resolved but the combined delay meant missing his connecting flight to Hilo on the big island. From Sydney his luggage was checked through to Hilo which departed from Honolulu without Rex. He managed to get another flight & on arrival looked for his luggage which was sitting intact outside the terminal!
He had made arrangements to be picked up from the airport by a local ham who took him & his equipment to a rental agency & from there in a SUV Rex made his way to a previously booked bed & breakfast about 40 km away where he will be staying for the duration. The next day Bob who had picked him up from the airport contacted Rex to advise that he had just been tested positive for Covid. Rex had taken a self-test kit with him which in three tests since have all returned negative & he is feeling ok.
The 2 m beacon at Hilo pointed to California which is important as a propagation indicator recently broke down but was promised to be fixed by the time Rex got to Hawaii. This did not eventuate but Rex was offered a key to the premises so he could repair the equipment himself!
Because of the known frequent heavy rain showers on the island Rex rented an SUV so he could set up equipment in the dry. An 8 ft x 4 ft sheet of plywood was required to build a cradle in the rear of the vehicle which was available from a local Home Depot store [like a Bunnings] but the sheet wouldnt fit into the SUV & the saw at Home deport had broken down & was not expected to be repaired for a week. They were however able to supply two smaller pieces of ply but on arrival back at base it was discovered that these pieces are unsuitable.
All character building stuff so far & I will call him in a week to see how he is getting on.