On Thu, Feb 13, 2025 at 20:17, Oliver Barrett via groups.io

<oliverorb@...> wrote:

Still hopeful for decent WX by lunchtime tomorrow, will see what transpires.

Oliver KB6BA

On Feb 13, 2025, at 6:19, Doug Hendricks via groups.io <ki6ds1@...> wrote:

?

Yes, Hiroki, what did you buy?? And how are the prices??

Bob and Doug,

I only bought two small tools

(a very sturdy fine-pointed tweezer and a cutter to clean up after see the thru-hole soldering) and a small project box.?

Prices of Japan-made transceivers are very low thanks to the weak yen (150 yen to 1 dollar). You can get a new IC-705 for under $1000. It is a good time for Americans to go to Japan to buy some ham stuff. On the other hand, China-made accessories and components are more expensive in Japan than in the US. I didn’t see any China-made HF transceivers, such as Xiegu, however. The situation like this, I don’t believe, will last for long if history is any indication. We have been having great lunch for about $10 per person.

Shall we organize a ham tour of Japan, perhaps in conjunction with a Ham Fair (counterpart of Dayton Hamvention) in late August?

Hiroki AH6CY?

On Feb 13, 2025, at 6:19, Doug Hendricks via groups.io <ki6ds1@...> wrote:

?

Yes, Hiroki, what did you buy?? And how are the prices??

On Feb 13, 2025, at 6:19, Doug Hendricks via groups.io <ki6ds1@...> wrote:

?

Yes, Hiroki, what did you buy?? And how are the prices??

My boat arrived in Tokyo this afternoon and I beelined to the Akihabara electronics district, my old favorite haunts while my wife is nursing her cold on the boat. To my delight, many small stores catering to DIY enthusiasts have returned with force. You can literally find anything if you look (but you do need to look around).

The photos below show only small samples of those shops. One store sells nothing but enclosures in different shapes and sizes
for any kind of applications.








This store specializes in inductors. Not only can you find any size of toroids and ferrite cores but you can find ready made wound toroids of any value, perfect for lazy home brewers.





Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying Friday get together in field or online.
East Asia now is unusually cold.

Hiroki AH6CY

L

? February 8, 2025 ? ? Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act Re-Introduced ? Legislation Will Increase Communication Options During Natural Disasters ? WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Richard Blumenthal, D- Conn., and Representatives August Pfluger, R-Tex., and Joe Courtney, D-Conn. announced their joint re-introduction of legislation in the Senate and House to restore the right to Amateur Radio operators to install the antennas necessary to serve their communities. ? Homeowner association rules often prevent Amateur Radio operators from installing antennas at their homes even though Amateur Radio has proven to be essential in emergencies and natural disasters such as hurricanes when other means of communication fail. ? “Mississippians should have access to every possible means of warning for natural disasters, including amateur radio operators. In an emergency, those warnings can mean the difference between life and death,” Senator Wicker said. “The Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act would remove unnecessary roadblocks that could help keep communities safe during emergencies like tornadoes, hurricanes, and fires.” ? “When disaster strikes, amateur radio operators provide vital, often life-saving information, which shouldn’t be hindered by prohibitive rules or confusing approval processes. The Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act eliminates obstacles for ham radio enthusiasts, allowing them to continue their communications and serve their communities in the face of emergencies,” said Senator Blumenthal. ? “Natural disasters and other emergency situations that hinder our regular lines of communication are unfortunately unavoidable, which is why we must bolster our emergency preparedness by removing the barriers amateur radio operators often run into when installing antennas. Amateur radio plays a vital role in public safety by delivering critical information to people at all times. My district is home to dozens of amateur radio operators ready to volunteer in the event of an emergency, and I am proud to lead this legislation,” said Congressman August Pfluger. ? “As we know from recent natural disasters, amateur radio operators in Connecticut can be a critical component of disaster response and emergency management. It is in our communities’ best interest that we give them the capabilities to operate at the highest level, and with the re-introduction of this bill, we’ve taken a strong step in that direction,” said Congressman Courtney. ? Background: The Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act of 2025 (H.R. 1094 and S. 459) would require homeowner associations to accommodate the needs of FCC-licensed Amateur Radio operators by prohibiting the enforcement of private land use restrictions that ban, prevent, or require the approval of the installation or use of Amateur Radio station antennas. Homeowner associations have often prevented installation and use of such antennas through private land use restrictions. This has hindered voluntary training for emergency situations and blocked access to necessary communications when disaster strikes. ? Among other provisions, this legislation would: Prohibit homeowner association rules that would prevent or ban Amateur Radio antennas; Specify an approval process for installing Amateur Radio antennas; Provide a Federal private right of action to Amateur Radio operators in disputed cases. On behalf of America’s Amateur Radio licensees, Rick Roderick, the President of The American Radio Relay League, re-confirmed the ARRL’s full support for the passage of the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act of 2025 and extended his thanks and appreciation to Senators Wicker and Blumenthal and Congressmen Pfluger and Courtney for their unflagging leadership of the bi-partisan effort to support and protect the rights of all Amateur Radio Operators. ? The text of the House version can be found at this . ? ? Copyright ? 2025 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other purposes require written permission. ?

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio? ?