The Big Dig...a la K5XK

Well, it's finally underway.  I'm talking about the long-awaited ham radio tower for K5XK, my ham radio callsign.  The last tower I had 'up' was in the 80's & 90's, when we lived on beautiful Mt. Sequoyah, in Fayetteville, AR.  One of the 11 year sunspot cycles was in full swing, and combined with a HyGain TH6DXX borrowed from my DX mentor, Stan Krueger (K5AS), a KW, and this phenomenol location, thousands of contacts and new friends were made...behind the, then referred-to, Iron Curtain, and around the world. 

Since that time, I have used mediocore wire antennas in trees, ground plane & vertical antennas, with only so-so results.  Now to recreate the dream and take advantage of a new, promising sunspot cycle that hopefully is just around the corner.

The hardest part of any project for me is overcoming inertia and just "getting started."  This project has been somewhat complicated because of uncertain outcomes in securing official permission to put up a tower, where to place the tower amidst our beloved shade trees, and a steep slope complicating access for excavation...especially mechanical.

At my sweet wife Debbie's insistance and encouragement, I successfully pushed through a formal detailed application with site plan that was approved by the Bella Vista Village architectural commission at the POA, a site was determined behind the house, tower parts were acquired, and work is underway!  Despite hot, humid temps, rain & mud, I am now well-underway in preparing a 3' x 3' x 3+' foundation for the base of my Rohn 25G tower.  When completed, it will be approximately 50' tall, set in reinforced concrete and will be heavily bracketed below the eaves of the house, at approximately 24'. 

The directional, rotating antenna to maximize DX work will be decided once the tower is in place.  I would love to put up a multi-band 2 element Cubical Quad for 20-17-15-12-10 & possibly 6 Meters, but could also settle for a commercial Cushcraft A3s, or homebrew 5-6 band "Hexbeam."  It's nice to have options.

Preliminary photos from the enclosed link show the result of much initial frustration dealing with rock and hard soil--and the rain and mud--this week. 

Stay tuned...!  http://picasaweb.google.com/qrzthedx/K5XKVersionOfTheBigDig#

My Friend Bruce

This Blog has been neglected for two years while Debbie and I relocated back to Northwest Arkansas from Jonesboro.  It's so invigorating to be back in these hills and among our many friends made here during the 80's and 90's.  Some of our closest friendships have been forged through our ham radio hobby.  Hams are invariably a talented and fascinating group.  Although we come from many varied backgrounds, we share a mutual interest in communications, electronics and operational skills using a variety of modes, from radiotelephone to Morse Code--my personal favorite.  

Bruce Vaughn, Amateur Radio NR5Q

This week I visited with our ham friends Bruce & Mary Vaughan, in Springdale, AR.  Both are reknowned professional photographers and business people from pioneer families who settled in NW Arkansas in the 1800s.  They are undoubtedly among the community's most beloved and respected.  In connection with Bruce's amateur radio hobby, for many years Bruce ran a successful radio & television shop, and was responsible for 'importing' the very first television pictures seen in the region...from a distant TV station 200 miles away, in Oklahoma City.

Since then, Bruce has been known for assembling a large "radio shack," tower and antenna system that is the envy of most radio amateurs.  Displayed and regularly used are some of the finest commercially built ham gear available, along with truly outstanding examples of personally-crafted (or 'homebrew') receivers, antenna tuners and high power Kilowatt amplifiers.  I was among several friends who had gathered in Bruce's shack to use his potent station to contact a rare ham in Baghdad, Iraq, the night before the Persian Gulf war erupted.  And we have what we call "QSL Cards" (confirmations) to prove the contacts.

Bruce is possibly best-known around the world not only for his radio construction, but his writing skills--a rare combination of talent.  Bruce's visitors have included foreign hams and celebrities like Joe Walsh of "The Eagles."  His articles have been featured in QST, the national journal of the American Radio Relay League, CQ Magazine, and more recently, for Electric Radio.  My personal favorites have been his annual Christmas fiction stories.

Back to my visit with Bruce and Mary, over a great cup of coffee.  Somehow, the subject turned to their travels up into Nebraska and I asked if he had ever been to North Platte.  I was to learn that he had been there, but had not yet read Bob Green's very moving book ""Once Upon a Town," the story of how the community had greeted countless troop trains coming through during WW II and fed the troops milk, cookies, and provided magazines and other reading material.  Bruce said he had benefited from another similar troop train effort when he joined the Army and headed off to war.  I promised to send him a link for the book.

Then Mary led me into her office to see some of Bruce's handiwork accomplished while she had been out of town visiting their kids and grandchildren recently.  Bruce had singlehandedly installed crown molding, designed and handcrafted shelves, and a window seat--all painted white.  He also had modified and stained an antique desk for Mary's computer work center.  All of which looked superior to commercially available furniture.  Bruce injected that his next project would be to remodel the dining room, adding crown molding and wains coating.  At that point, Mary proudly verbalized what Bruce's friends have long known, that "Bruce can do anything!"

Bruce showed me his final draft of another book that he is nearing completion.  The title will be something like "Growing Up Rich, but Dirt Poor," as I recall.  He has already written two other books about the early days in Springdale, at least one of which was reprinted three times.  All of this, and Bruce is "only" 88.  Unfortunately his health is beginning to wane.  

He and Mary are unquestionably part of our "Greatest Generation," and I am so very proud to be named among their friends.  Stay tuned...as Adventures in RON-ville continue...

Dr. Russ...

Thinking about the little Bistro in Mammoth Spring immediately brings to mind an unusual encounter with Russell Zepeda, MD. A few years ago, I met this gregarious former ER doc from South Texas who had moved to 'Mammoth' to escape the drugs and crowded conditions in the Rio Grand Valley, combined with his desire to maximize time with his family. 'Dr. Russ' not only opened a medical practice, but also leased a turn of the century building across the street, remodeled it and began collecting and offering Arkansas-made products for sale. "Doc's Place" became a popular hang-out with the locals in part because of its ice cream & soda fountain, and a corner stage for the locals to entertain by pick 'n grin.

Doc's Place was a wonderful example of a professional businessman re-investing in his community. Outside his office, many of the passers-by waved and everyone seemed to know one another by name. It was like taking a giant step back in time, when most homes had front porches and knew their neighbors, and socialized. Dr. Russ even made "house calls."

Unfortunately, there were medical licensure & Medicare approval problems and Doc, frustrated, eventually moved his family back to the Valley where he could always earn a good living working the ER's in and around McAllen.

While I was eating at the Bistro recently, I realized that the little restaurant was actually located next door to Dr. Zepeda's former medical practice. As we waited for our order, I picked up the latest copy of the "Hill 'n Holler," a local newspaper-shopper publication and there it was...an ad for Dr. Russ Zepeda's House Calls. "Healthcare the way it used to be. One patient at a time." The ad continued, "Why wait for hours in a doctor's waiting room...when you can be seen in the comfort of your own home." And that's not all, "Cash Accepted, will Barter or Trade." If I can remember how to insert a graphic, I'll post a copy of the ad.

A few days after we returned home, I called Russ to welcome him back to Arkansas. We had a great visit and agreed to get together for coffee, lunch or dinner the next time he and his family are in Jonesboro again, for whatever reason. "Dr. Russ" is another of the colorful people who makes a difference, and keeps life interesting in and around...Ron-ville.

Gotta love those hills!

One of the interesting things about living in RON-ville is that we're miles from everywhere.  The Memphis bridge(s) are an hour away - 1 1/2 hours to the Mall, the airport, or most anywhere in Memphis.  Little Rock is about 2 1/2 hours away.  The twin sister cities of Mammoth Spring, AR, & Thayer, MO, are about 1 1/2 hours to the northwest, just beyond the quaint little shops of Old Hardy Town.

It's near Hardy when one encounters the glorious foothills of the Ozarks.  This past spring, we were passing through 'Mammoth' (named after the huge natural spring which feeds and originates the popular Spring River) at lunch time.  The usual truckstops and more popular hang-outs were already full, so venturing off Hwy 63 into the downtown area, a small sign for "La Pastoral Bistro" caught our attention.  Inside, only one rather small, intimate dining room was open for lunch, and the owners were in the adjacent kitchen preparing orders.  Guests were seated at two of tables, and we couldn't help but overhear bits of their conversations.  In the corner, one elderly gent was interacting with his two lady friends in multiple languages.  They would seemlessly switch between English, French, and German...extraordinary for such a small rural area.

Upon their departure, I couldn't resist asking the lady with the strong French accent if she was from France, indicating that we had visited the country ourselves years ago.  She was kind enough to say that she lived in a chateau (castle) in the countryside, and had an apartment in Paris.  The gentleman paused on his way out to whisper that the dame was an actual French "contessa."  As we paid our bill, the proprietor said the gentleman was a former State Department diplomat in Saigon, and one of the last to leave the U.S. embassy upon being over-run by the North Vietnamese in the 70's.  The French contessa was his former wife, visiting from France, but continues to be friends of the gent and his current wife who live in the area.

What an unlikely, somewhat sophisticated little Italian Bistro in Mammoth Spring...and a fascinating encounter with new eclectic acquaintances.  It was another day...in Ron-ville!

The Death of Newspapers

Newspapers are changing, just like the times. ...the headline reads in the 8/5/07 column of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. In former years, most of our information was gathered from newspapers, but not anymore. I was shocked to read Philip Martin admit in the State's oldest, largest and most widely respected daily that newspapers are dying. Martin believes that the trend is due to declining circulation and profitability, in part due to what he calls "post-literacy."

Newspaper's core readers are aging, and today, many of those who were staunch newspaper readers seldom, if ever, get their news from print. My wife Debbie and my parents excluded. It's part of their daily ritual to begin their morning, or an evening after work, with "the paper," scouring it from front to back. It can be said that newspapers reach the more affluent and better educated, but increasing numbers now opt to get their news online--or from FOX News. And as a result, the big newspaper groups have slashed budgets and payrolls, eliminating their best, more experienced and talented editors and reporters. Advertising rates have gone through the roof, causing advertisers to pay more for less audience.

With the majority of Americans online today & preferring the immediacy of electronic media, the role of community newspapers is diminishing quickly. With environmental concerns, current consumer preferences, and the lack of timely newspaper content, should we be concerned? Perhaps we should join the 'green' activists and pick-up the clarion cry..."save a tree!"

About Arkansas...

Those who know me well are aware that I'm prone to pick-up any number of free publications. I have a lingering sense of curiosity from my years of radio & television news reporting. This time it's a slick color magazine featuring a cover story about Arkansas outdoor & wilderness photographer Tim Ernst. This prolific nature photographer has captured the beauty of our little state better than any other. Arkansas is often called "the Natural State" because of its mostly rural countryside and unspoiled beauty and natural resources. Tim's sense of adventure and exquisite photography has showcased many of our best landscapes, mountains, lakes, waterfalls, streams, rivers, and wildlife like no one else has done. Arkansas is a very rural, diverse state of only 2.7 million total population, which is much smaller than many metro areas around the country.

Tim and his family, along with cocker spaniel 'Aspen,' live in an Amish built 3-story log home on an Ozarks summit with majestic views of the Buffalo River from each its three decks. He calls his home "Cloudland," due to its high elevation and its inspirational views of frequent fog nestled in the valley below. While most of us will never have such an idyllic home, we have all had similar periodic glimpses of Arkansas' majestic beauty. Inspiration is at our beckoned call in the Ozark National Forest, the Ouachita National Forest, south Arkansas' "piney woods," and east Arkansas' Grand Prairie, Crowley Ridge, and even in the Delta...a major contributor to our Country's bread basket. It's just one of many reasons why most of us are proud to call Arkansas 'home.'

If you have a few extra minutes, cruise over to Tim's website and journal at: http://www.cloudland.net/

About the HDTV Poll...

You'll note that there's a little poll at the bottom. We're curious how many of you are currently watching television on an HDTV. As of this writing, Nana (more on her later) and I have had an 'H-D' television for about a year, and I must say that the improvement in video clarity and brilliance is nothing short of phenomenal. In fact, I can be spellbound for hours just watching the simplest of programs called "Sunrise Earth" on Discovery HD Theater. If you're not familiar with it, "Sunrise Earth" consists merely of a highly sensitive, but generally stationary, H.D. video camera on a tripod with a very sensitive microphone placed in relatively uninteresting locales like The Everglades or a beach as the sun rises and wildlife awakens to a new day. It unfolds slowly over the course of an hour(!), but allows us to notice even the smallest of creatures, the mundane, and common scenery in a whole new "light." It's somewhat like using the macro lens on your still camera. I've asked others with HDTV's if they also watch Sunrise Earth and many said they do, and add their own superlatives. HDTV is captivating, invigorating and changing the way we view television. Along with the "DVR"...but more on that later, also!