Rich K8MEG gave me permission to share a page from his 1970 logbook.  Thanks, Rich. 73, Mike
|
Tom,
Not to worry….. Circumstances were such that you got slammed with situations that you had not experienced previously. Every session as NCS is a learning experience and some experiences are tougher than others. Practice will help.
I like your grit, Tom. You will overcome this and come out a better NCS.?
Many thanks to Mike, WB8DTT for having the session details available so he could jump in to assist. A lesson learned here is to take notes just in case there is a rig failure or some other interruption and an on-the-run sub NCS may be needed.
73,
Larry, WB8R
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On Jan 3, 2025, at 7:34?PM, Tom McMichael via groups.io <tommc7@...> wrote:
? Okay, let me confess, I totally lost my ability to keep up with the head copy. So, thank all of you that was on the Friday QMN Early. And a special thanks to Mike, WB8DTT for QNG (and Larry, WB8R).?
?
Clearly, I have some work to do to not panic and listen better when I'm head copying. A Goal for my New Year!!!
Also, still learning what to do when there are several locations and who to pair up. Back to the NTS Practice and Guide Manuel.?
?
Thanks to everyone for their patience and kindness!!!!
?
Tom, KE8PAG
|
I called Tom on the phone after the net to apologize for violating the cardinal rule of not following NCS direction. I heard W8QZ offer to QSP Saranac so I asked KB8PGW to give it to him instead of me. When I returned to the net, I really confused the situation. But I guess we're all friends and K8ED straightened me out, so thanks, guys. What would W8FX have said if he was monitoring the net?
73, Mike
Hang in there - gotta start somewhere.
""
W8QZ
?
?
Hey, no problems with me.? Same thing happened to me once.? Couldn't keep up with the callsigns and traffic, couldn't organize it all fast enough.
?
We got one message through- thanks?
?
?
?
Okay, let me confess, I totally lost my ability to keep up with the head copy. So, thank all of you that was on the Friday QMN Early. And a special thanks to Mike, WB8DTT for QNG (and Larry, WB8R).?
?
Clearly, I have some work to do to not panic and listen better when I'm head copying. A Goal for my New Year!!!
Also, still learning what to do when there are several locations and who to pair up. Back to the NTS Practice and Guide Manuel.?
?
Thanks to everyone for their patience and kindness!!!!
?
Tom, KE8PAG
|
Hang in there - gotta start somewhere.
""
W8QZ
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On 01/03/2025 7:43 PM EST John Tallman via groups.io <kb8pgw@...> wrote:
?
?
Hey, no problems with me.? Same thing happened to me once.? Couldn't keep up with the callsigns and traffic, couldn't organize it all fast enough.
?
We got one message through- thanks?
?
?
?
Okay, let me confess, I totally lost my ability to keep up with the head copy. So, thank all of you that was on the Friday QMN Early. And a special thanks to Mike, WB8DTT for QNG (and Larry, WB8R).?
?
Clearly, I have some work to do to not panic and listen better when I'm head copying. A Goal for my New Year!!!
Also, still learning what to do when there are several locations and who to pair up. Back to the NTS Practice and Guide Manuel.?
?
Thanks to everyone for their patience and kindness!!!!
?
Tom, KE8PAG
|
Hey, no problems with me.? Same thing happened to me once.? Couldn't keep up with the callsigns and traffic, couldn't organize it all fast enough.
We got one message through- thanks?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Okay, let me confess, I totally lost my ability to keep up with the head copy. So, thank all of you that was on the Friday QMN Early. And a special thanks to Mike, WB8DTT for QNG (and Larry, WB8R).?
?
Clearly, I have some work to do to not panic and listen better when I'm head copying. A Goal for my New Year!!!
Also, still learning what to do when there are several locations and who to pair up. Back to the NTS Practice and Guide Manuel.?
?
Thanks to everyone for their patience and kindness!!!!
?
Tom, KE8PAG
|
Okay, let me confess, I totally lost my ability to keep up with the head copy. So, thank all of you that was on the Friday QMN Early. And a special thanks to Mike, WB8DTT for QNG (and Larry, WB8R).?
?
Clearly, I have some work to do to not panic and listen better when I'm head copying. A Goal for my New Year!!!
Also, still learning what to do when there are several locations and who to pair up. Back to the NTS Practice and Guide Manuel.?
?
Thanks to everyone for their patience and kindness!!!!
?
Tom, KE8PAG
|
Hey- no problem with me.? I did that once- the callsigns and traffic came so fast that I couldn't write it down and organize it- you did better than I did that time..
thanks for helping get one message through- and doing NC duties.??
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Okay, let me confess, I totally lost my ability to keep up with the head copy. So, thank all of you that was on the Friday QMN Early. And a special thanks to Mike, WB8DTT for QNG (and Larry, WB8R).?
?
Clearly, I have some work to do to not panic and listen better when I'm head copying. A Goal for my New Year!!!
Also, still learning what to do when there are several locations and who to pair up. Back to the NTS Practice and Guide Manuel.?
?
Thanks to everyone for their patience and kindness!!!!
?
Tom, KE8PAG
|
Okay, let me confess, I totally lost my ability to keep up with the head copy. So, thank all of you that was on the Friday QMN Early. And a special thanks to Mike, WB8DTT for QNG (and Larry, WB8R).?
?
Clearly, I have some work to do to not panic and listen better when I'm head copying. A Goal for my New Year!!!
Also, still learning what to do when there are several locations and who to pair up. Back to the NTS Practice and Guide Manuel.?
?
Thanks to everyone for their patience and kindness!!!!
?
Tom, KE8PAG
|
Re: Sub needed Friday early net
Congratulations on the wedding anniversary, Tom. Wives that tolerate our radio addiction are special for sure!
LC
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On Jan 3, 2025, at 9:40?AM, Tom Hammond W8MK <thammond@...> wrote:
?Greetings,
Celebrating our 38th wedding anniversary tonight so I am unable to NCS the early net. Please consider volunteering. Thank you very much!
Speaking of anniversaries... Let's please not forget to use the revised QMN net preamble throughout 2025. QMN is celebrating 90 years. Please use "QMN The Michigan Net for 90 Years".
73, Tom W8MK
|
Sub needed Friday early net
Greetings,
Celebrating our 38th wedding anniversary tonight so I am unable to NCS the early net. Please consider volunteering. Thank you very much!
Speaking of anniversaries... Let's please not forget to use the revised QMN net preamble throughout 2025. QMN is celebrating 90 years. Please use "QMN The Michigan Net for 90 Years".
73, Tom W8MK
|
Re: QMN Straight Key Night (SKN)
I’m in also ! One night a week/month using a straight key/ Bug……
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On Jan 1, 2025, at 7:25?PM, x y via groups.io <w1ik@...> wrote:
? "Let's give some thought to perhaps one SKN session per month, or perhaps even per week, throughout 2025."
?
If you hear me on the air, it's about a 99% chance that I'm on my straight key, so I'm in!
|
Re: QMN Straight Key Night (SKN)
"Let's give some thought to perhaps one SKN session per month, or perhaps even per week, throughout 2025."
?
If you hear me on the air, it's about a 99% chance that I'm on my straight key, so I'm in!
|
Re: QMN Straight Key Night (SKN)
I was very pleased and want to express my heartfelt thanks to all
of the operators who threw caution to the wind and operated with a
straight key or vintage bug on both the early and late nets
tonight. It was a very small but meaningful gesture to show some
camaraderie and pay homage to CW operators of the past. CW lives!
Let's give some thought to perhaps one SKN session per month, or
perhaps even per week, throughout 2025. We might even attract some
SKCC participation on the net. I would be happy to offer my Friday
early net as a SKN net session on a weekly or monthly basis, as
long as it didn't drive participation down. We can't afford that.
Is there any interest in this?
And, as long as we're on the subject of keys..., let's keep all
of our friends who've passed in recent years and become Silent
Keys. Their memories should live on in our collective minds.
Tom W8MK
On 12/31/2024 5:07 PM, Mike WB8DTT via
groups.io wrote:
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I also have a Speed-X straight key but tonight I'll
use a J-37. I gave a J-38 to a new local licensee to encourage
him to learn Morse. (I bought it at a swap years ago for $1.) I
also have a Vibroplex bug and an Electronic Specialties bug but
my skill is wanting. K8LJG has some nice keys. Mike
On Tue, Dec 31, 2024, 3:34 PM
Tom Hammond W8MK via <thammond= [email protected]>
wrote:
Greetings,
On the eve of the celebration of the 90th Anniversary of the
QMN Section
Traffic Net, I am going to conduct the early session tonight
using my
first key - a Speed X straight key. There were no electronic
keyers in
1935, so I challenge each of you to operate with a straight
key or bug
tonight. I did this a number of years ago when my NCS duties
fell on New
Years Eve. I had fun with it then and I hope you enjoy
listening to my
rusty old fist tonight. Coincidentally, I used a straight key
exclusively back in the mid-late 1970's when I first joined
the ranks of
QMN.
I know it's short notice. I had to dig out my key from a box
buried in
storage. Hopefully some of you will be "game" to have some
fun.
See you on QMN!
Tom W8MK
|
Greetings and Happy New Year,
QMN, The Michigan Net, is celebrating 90 years in 2025! As Larry WB8R has suggested, let's please recognize this incredible achievement by acknowledging the milestone in our preample during 2025. Attached is a revised copy of the QMN Net Preamble to use throughout 2025. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.
Have a happy, safe, and blessed 2025 everyone!
Tom W8MK
|
Re: QMN Straight Key Night (SKN)
I also have a Speed-X straight key but tonight I'll use a J-37. I gave a J-38 to a new local licensee to encourage him to learn Morse. (I bought it at a swap years ago for $1.) I also have a Vibroplex bug and an Electronic Specialties bug but my skill is wanting. K8LJG has some nice keys. Mike
On Tue, Dec 31, 2024, 3:34 PM Tom Hammond W8MK via <thammond= [email protected]> wrote: Greetings,
On the eve of the celebration of the 90th Anniversary of the QMN Section
Traffic Net, I am going to conduct the early session tonight using my
first key - a Speed X straight key. There were no electronic keyers in
1935, so I challenge each of you to operate with a straight key or bug
tonight. I did this a number of years ago when my NCS duties fell on New
Years Eve. I had fun with it then and I hope you enjoy listening to my
rusty old fist tonight. Coincidentally, I used a straight key
exclusively back in the mid-late 1970's when I first joined the ranks of
QMN.
I know it's short notice. I had to dig out my key from a box buried in
storage. Hopefully some of you will be "game" to have some fun.
See you on QMN!
Tom W8MK
|
QMN Straight Key Night (SKN)
Greetings,
On the eve of the celebration of the 90th Anniversary of the QMN Section Traffic Net, I am going to conduct the early session tonight using my first key - a Speed X straight key. There were no electronic keyers in 1935, so I challenge each of you to operate with a straight key or bug tonight. I did this a number of years ago when my NCS duties fell on New Years Eve. I had fun with it then and I hope you enjoy listening to my rusty old fist tonight. Coincidentally, I used a straight key exclusively back in the mid-late 1970's when I first joined the ranks of QMN.
I know it's short notice. I had to dig out my key from a box buried in storage. Hopefully some of you will be "game" to have some fun.
See you on QMN!
Tom W8MK
|
Good Morning to my fellow QMN ops! It is Sunday morning, December 29 as I write this and we are close to putting the wraps on another great year of service to our respective communities and to the amateur radio service as a whole.
I continue to be amazed by the dedication and enthusiasm shown by our great ops over the many years of dedicated operation. While I consider myself one of the ‘old timers’, I know that there are others that have been QMN-ers for longer than I have. My old logs show that my first logged QMN QNI was on April 5, 1981 with Ted, W8UE as NCS.
As for the modified net call-up for 2025, I am good with the suggested “QMN the Michigan Net for 90 Years”.?
My goal now is to find a way to survive long enough to help celebrate our 100th anniversary.
Thanks to all active QMN ops, and especially to those radio pioneers who have gone before us and laid down the path that we now follow.
What a great group….Thanks to you all for helping keep our institution alive and well.
73,
Larry, WB8R
?
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On Dec 28, 2024, at 9:28?AM, Tom McMichael via groups.io <tommc7@...> wrote:
?
So, I have had this fear that one day I will wake up and realize that I missed my NCS assignment! It happens, I'm sure, and I bet it has been done by many others over the last 90 years of QMN. I read yesterday in the NTS Methods and Practices Guidelines this great statement: "If you have not made a mistake then you have not been a Net Control Station!"? What a relief it was to read that!?
I had wondered about Mark, K8ED. There are a bunch of bugs going around. Keep resting my friend and get well!
About the Preamble for 90 years. I am good with either suggestion. I'll probably end up doing both without realizing it (see first paragraph).?
Tom, KE8PAG HNY!?
On Friday, December 27, 2024 at 09:26:16 PM EST, Tom Hammond W8MK <thammond@...> wrote:
Hey folks,
Sorry about missing my NCS slot tonight on the early net. I won't lie,
time simply got away from me as I was deep into preparing a presentation
for the genealogy club meeting next month. It was 6:39pm when I saw the
clock and figured the net was probably wrapping up anyway. Hopefully
someone stepped in and covered for me. Thank you.
I exchanged text messages with Mark K8ED on Tuesday after not hearing
him or seeing him on any net reports for a number of consecutive days.
Mark reported that he was down with a bad cold or something and was
trying to sleep it off. Hopefully Mark is back on the air now. If not,
please keep Mark in your thoughts and hopefully he'll be back on the air
soon.
So, apparently QMN will be celebrating 90 years on the air in 2025.
That's a huge accomplishment! I do believe that QMN is one of the
oldest, if not THE oldest traffic nets in existence. While no big
celebration or hall-of-fame induction will take place in 2025, Larry
WB8R has suggested that we commemorate our anniversary by including a
reference to the 90 years in our net preamble. Currently in the preamble
we send "QMN The Michigan Net". Larry WB8R has suggested "QMN/90 YRS The
Michigan Net". I think I prefer "QMN The Michigan Net for 90 YRS".
Please let me know which you prefer, at the risk of having a 50/50
response. I am open to other suggestions, but would like to keep it very
brief. I'd like to make a decision by the early net on January 1, 2025.
Tom W8MK
|
I was at a Christmas gathering of 22 of us in Clarkston December 25 and missed my NCS assignment. I like Tom's suggestion of adding "90 yrs" to the preamble. I was thankful that QMN was active when I returned to Amateur radio in 2022 after over 25 years QRT. It was quite a cultural shock to see what had changed, and studying for the modern Technician Class license exam was daunting for an old brass pounder.
Happy New Year
Mike WB8DTT
So, I have had this fear that one day I will wake up and realize that I missed my NCS assignment! It happens, I'm sure, and I bet it has been done by many others over the last 90 years of QMN. I read yesterday in the NTS Methods and Practices Guidelines this great statement: "If you have not made a mistake then you have not been a Net Control Station!"? What a relief it was to read that!?
I had wondered about Mark, K8ED. There are a bunch of bugs going around. Keep resting my friend and get well!
About the Preamble for 90 years. I am good with either suggestion. I'll probably end up doing both without realizing it (see first paragraph).?
Tom, KE8PAG HNY!?
On Friday, December 27, 2024 at 09:26:16 PM EST, Tom Hammond W8MK < thammond@...> wrote:
Hey folks,
Sorry about missing my NCS slot tonight on the early net. I won't lie,
time simply got away from me as I was deep into preparing a presentation
for the genealogy club meeting next month. It was 6:39pm when I saw the
clock and figured the net was probably wrapping up anyway. Hopefully
someone stepped in and covered for me. Thank you.
I exchanged text messages with Mark K8ED on Tuesday after not hearing
him or seeing him on any net reports for a number of consecutive days.
Mark reported that he was down with a bad cold or something and was
trying to sleep it off. Hopefully Mark is back on the air now. If not,
please keep Mark in your thoughts and hopefully he'll be back on the air
soon.
So, apparently QMN will be celebrating 90 years on the air in 2025.
That's a huge accomplishment! I do believe that QMN is one of the
oldest, if not THE oldest traffic nets in existence. While no big
celebration or hall-of-fame induction will take place in 2025, Larry
WB8R has suggested that we commemorate our anniversary by including a
reference to the 90 years in our net preamble. Currently in the preamble
we send "QMN The Michigan Net". Larry WB8R has suggested "QMN/90 YRS The
Michigan Net". I think I prefer "QMN The Michigan Net for 90 YRS".
Please let me know which you prefer, at the risk of having a 50/50
response. I am open to other suggestions, but would like to keep it very
brief. I'd like to make a decision by the early net on January 1, 2025.
Tom W8MK
|
I think that modifying the second line of the QMN net preamble to “QMN QMN QMN The Michigan Net for 90 yrs” would work.
We are in the process of our annual winter migration to St. Augustine, Florida so my nightly checkins from Laurium to the late QMN session have ended as of last night. We intend to return in late March 2025.
I will attempt some checkins to the late net from Florida, but I don’t know how the antenna situation will work since we will be in a different condo this year.
73
Danny KB8W
|
So, I have had this fear that one day I will wake up and realize that I missed my NCS assignment! It happens, I'm sure, and I bet it has been done by many others over the last 90 years of QMN. I read yesterday in the NTS Methods and Practices Guidelines this great statement: "If you have not made a mistake then you have not been a Net Control Station!"? What a relief it was to read that!?
I had wondered about Mark, K8ED. There are a bunch of bugs going around. Keep resting my friend and get well!
About the Preamble for 90 years. I am good with either suggestion. I'll probably end up doing both without realizing it (see first paragraph).?
Tom, KE8PAG HNY!?
On Friday, December 27, 2024 at 09:26:16 PM EST, Tom Hammond W8MK <thammond@...> wrote:
Hey folks,
Sorry about missing my NCS slot tonight on the early net. I won't lie,
time simply got away from me as I was deep into preparing a presentation
for the genealogy club meeting next month. It was 6:39pm when I saw the
clock and figured the net was probably wrapping up anyway. Hopefully
someone stepped in and covered for me. Thank you.
I exchanged text messages with Mark K8ED on Tuesday after not hearing
him or seeing him on any net reports for a number of consecutive days.
Mark reported that he was down with a bad cold or something and was
trying to sleep it off. Hopefully Mark is back on the air now. If not,
please keep Mark in your thoughts and hopefully he'll be back on the air
soon.
So, apparently QMN will be celebrating 90 years on the air in 2025.
That's a huge accomplishment! I do believe that QMN is one of the
oldest, if not THE oldest traffic nets in existence. While no big
celebration or hall-of-fame induction will take place in 2025, Larry
WB8R has suggested that we commemorate our anniversary by including a
reference to the 90 years in our net preamble. Currently in the preamble
we send "QMN The Michigan Net". Larry WB8R has suggested "QMN/90 YRS The
Michigan Net". I think I prefer "QMN The Michigan Net for 90 YRS".
Please let me know which you prefer, at the risk of having a 50/50
response. I am open to other suggestions, but would like to keep it very
brief. I'd like to make a decision by the early net on January 1, 2025.
Tom W8MK
|
Mike WB8DTT
Larry WB8R