Post on 16-Jul-2020
Scuttlebutt Summer 2020 Page 1
Scuttlebutt Vol. 33 No. 3
Waterway Radio and Cruising Club ‘Serving Radio Amateurs Afloat Since 1963’
I suppose the biggest
news since I last
wrote this column, is
the “new normal” life
that has been thrust
upon all of us – the
Covid-19 virus that
has turned our world
upside down. Simple
activities that were
once routine - like
pulling into a marina for fuel, or picking up supplies,
can no longer be taken for granted. Special entry or
exit rules, permits, and times must be dealt with
when making what used to be a normal, enjoyable
passage, like to the Bahamas, now an arduous un-
dertaking. I certainly take my hat off to the Honoura-
ble Hubert Minnis, Bahamian Prime Minister, and his
government for the excellent manner with how they
have handled this Pandemic, minimizing what could
have been a far worse disaster than what actually
occurred.
As for the latest news from the Net operations sce-
ne, and in my constant quest to “spread the man-
agement responsibilities around”, I am proud to an-
nounce that we have added another Staff Officer
position. This is an idea that I had been kicking
around since my first term, back in 2018. It is called
the “WRCC Announcements & Cruising Information
Coordinator”. The purpose being, is to have a cen-
From Your Commodore — Brian Hunsaker, W5YE
tralized input and oversight person that maintains our
Announcements page, keeping it fresh, beneficial,
and up-to-date, while at the same time, removing
stale, outdated news items that are no longer of val-
ue.
I am very happy to announce that one of our experi-
enced member-sailors, current Net Control, and for-
mer Commodore, Bob Norman, KE4OIL, has stepped
up to the plate and took on this important assign-
ment. And the best part is - WE GOT TWO FOR THE
PRICE OF ONE! Wife and First Mate Julie, KE4OIM,
came with the assignment!
So, now Bob is the “Announcements & Cruising Infor-
mation Coordinator”, and along with Julie to assist
him, they are in charge of reviewing submissions for
the Announcements page, gathering appropriate data
on their own, and generally overseeing management
of that important information source of our Duty As-
signments Sheets. In the short time they've been at
the helm, Bob and Julie have already made a noticea-
ble improvement in this portion of our Net program.
All but the very basic entries, will be checked over by
Bob before being posted in Sheets. In my opinion, this
is something that was long overdue, since on many
times a posting would languish on the weekly, and
even monthly, Sheet long after the time of interest, or
need, had passed. Many thanks to Bob and Julie! It's
members like Bob & Julie that make our net so spe-
cial to our cruising community.
On June 1, 2020, along with the start of the hurricane
season, our Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with
the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN), and the National
Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, takes effect as it
(Continued on page 2)
Page 2
Scuttlebutt Summer 2020
pertains to the use of 7.268 MHz., during our normal
hours of operation from 0745 EDT for about an hour.
Basically put, we (WRCC) have agreed to relinquish
control of the frequency to the HWN & NHC, in the
event they need the 40 meter propagation while
working traffic to and from an affected area of a hurri-
cane, or the remnants of one. We also agreed to
stand by and assist the appropriate net control (HWN,
NHC) who may request our assistance in relaying traf-
fic for them.
I would like to end this article with a simple request
from each of you who read the Scuttlebutt, and agree
that the Waterway Radio & Cruising Club is a worth-
while endeavor .... Make an effort to bring in one new
member by the time you're reading the next issue this
Fall.
Please be safe, and take the necessary precautions
to avoid this pandemic.
73, and fair winds.
Brian – W5YE
Commodore & Net Manager
Waterway Radio & Cruising Club
(Continued from page 1) - From Your Commodore
Editor: Submitted by Bob Kovach, KJ4UGE, from
ARRL Website: http://www.arrl.org/news/virginia-air-
space-center-ends-relationship-with-ham-radio
(Thanks to Jeanie Schreiber, N4WFM, for forwarding
this item.)
Virginia Air & Space Center Ends Rela-
tionship with Ham Radio
06/26/2020
Virginia Air & Space Center (VASC) Executive Director
and CEO Robert Griesmer has advised that the Cen-
ter’s amateur radio station exhibit will be discontin-
ued, effective July 1, when the Center, in Hampton,
Virginia, reopens. VASC is the official visitor center
for NASA’s Langley, Virginia, facility.
“We have been told to be out of the VASC by June
30,” Griesmer said. “Currently we are in the process
of finding a new home for the station’s equipment.
Thanks to all who have supported KE4ZXW during
the last 25 years, especially the volunteer operators
who manned the station during that time. To the
many visitors we have met and school groups that
have stopped by and talked with us
about ham radio, communications, satellites, and
STEM Program related subjects, thank you!”
The KE4ZXW display station was shut down on
March 13. A main feature of the exhibit was the abil-
ity to communicate with amateur radio satellites and
with the International Space Station. — Thanks to
Randy Grigg, WB4KZI
KE4ZXW PARTS WITH
VIRGINIA AIR SPACE
CENTER
— Bob Kovach, KJ4UGE
Scuttlebutt Summer 2020 Page 3
Editor: Thanks to Jeanie Schreiber, N4WFM, for for-
warding this item.
Boat Owners Association of The United States
5323 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22151
Read this press release online at: https://
bit.ly/3fVGgcm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-
2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com
Photo Available at: https://www.boatus.com/news-
room//Images/Releases/GovAff Keep GPS Working
Photograph 6_25_2020.jpg
Controversial order threatens reliability of hun-
dreds of millions of GPS units
SPRINGFIELD, Va., June 25, 2020 – The nation's
largest advocacy, services and safety group for recre-
ational boaters, Boat Owners Association of The Unit-
ed States (BoatUS), says an April 22 decision by the
Federal Communications Commission to give mobile
satellite services operator Ligado Networks, a private
equity company, the green light to build and operate
a land-based industrial 5G (fifth generation) wireless
network will negatively impact the reliability of the
nation's Global Positioning System and harm boating
safety.
Ligado's slice of licensed "L-Band" spectrum desig-
nated for space-based navigation and communica-
tions is located near lower frequency bands used by
hundreds of millions of GPS units used in public safe-
ty, health, government, transportation, military, com-
merce, agriculture and more. A founding member of
the recently launched Keep GPS Working Coalition,
BoatUS believes that as the Ligado network is rolled
out, instances of signal interference will increase.
This will give current GPS users no choice but to ei-
ther purchase new GPS units or potentially suffer
continued interference. The loss of a GPS signal at a
critical moment is a significant safety concern for any
vessel operator relying on this popular and widely
used technology.
The coalition said that FCC's decision disregarded
mountains of evidence highlighting the interference
issue, ignored established technical standards, relied
only on limited studies with vague and impractical
criteria to access interference, and was made during
the COVID-19 pandemic when a final decision was
circulated only among the five FCC commissioners as
stakeholders were dealing with the health crisis.
The commission also ignored serious concerns from
the federal government as well as agencies including
the departments of Defense, Transportation, Com-
merce, Interior, Justice and Homeland Security, as
well as NASA, the National Science Foundation, Fed-
eral Aviation Administration and U.S. Coast Guard.
"As a recreational boater, I must have a reliable navi-
gation system," said BoatUS Manager of Government
Affairs David Kennedy. "With this decision, FCC is
permitting one private company to upend the entire
reliability of GPS. It's unfathomable that the lone fed-
eral caretaker of our national radio spectrum shows
such disregard, even after admitting there are cases
(Continued on page 5)
BoatUS Says FCC's Message
to Boaters and Those Relying
on GPS: 'Tough Luck'
Page 4
Scuttlebutt Summer 2020
Heat Stroke
The spring in the Mid-Atlantic States has been cool
and a bit moist however the hot summer days will
soon be upon us. Beautiful summer days will bring
challenges to some with regard to the heat and hu-
midity. The blue skies and summer sun can bring
problems to us in the form of Heat Stroke or Hyper-
thermia. Heat stroke is most common in our cities
where the local temperatures are often higher. On
the water, when the winds stop blowing and the calm
water is reflecting the sun, we boaters should also be
prepared to protect ourselves, our crew, family and
friends.
With regard to weather related health; heat related
death is one of the highest causes of weather related
death in the United States. Heat illness or hyperther-
mia occurs when exposed to high heat generally
greater than 90 degrees F. The body becomes una-
ble to cool itself faster than its metabolic activity pro-
duces heat. As a result the body temperature starts
to rise. Normally the body cools itself by sweating.
With high heat and humidity, the sweat doesn’t evap-
orate quickly enough preventing the body from cool-
ing off. In addition, the increased sweating depletes
the body of both water and essential electrolytes
leading to dehydration. Excessive heat may exacer-
bate pre-existing conditions particularly those with
cardiac or respiratory issues. Heat exhaustion and
heat stroke are the most serious heat related illness-
es.
As dehydration and elevated body temperature pro-
gress, symptoms of heat exhaustion will develop.
Early symptoms may include muscle cramping (heat
cramps) or headache. Thirst, fatigue, nausea or vom-
iting, dizziness or fainting are also symptoms of heat
exhaustion. Paradoxically, a person with heat ex-
haustion may have cool moist skin, however, pulse
will be fast and weak, and respiration will be rapid
with shallow breaths. If treatment is not begun when
the symptoms of heat exhaustion are present and
body temperature rises to 104 degrees F. or above,
the illness will progress to heat stroke.
Heat stroke is a life threatening illness with symp-
toms that may include: Hot, dry and red skin without
sweating. Racing heartbeat, throbbing headache,
dizziness, nausea, confusion, unconsciousness are
common. When this high body temperature persists
in excess of 30 – 60 minutes, the thermal stress to
our bodies may exceed cell tolerance resulting in
multi-organ failure and death.
There is some conflicting data in the literature in part
because heat stroke is not a mandatory reportable
illness. Many people with heat stroke
(hyperthermia) die before reaching an Emergency
Room. A 2014 review of ER visits for heat stroke
reported over half the ER patients being admitted
and of them 3.5% died; a number much higher than
the death rate for other ER admissions. A ten year
look (2001-2010) at heat related ER visits in 20
states by the National Center for Environmental
Health reported over 28,000 hospitalizations with a
peak year in 2006 of 4022 hospitalizations. During
the heat wave of 1911 that affected Pennsylvania to
Maine, temperatures peaked at 106 degrees F. in
Nashua, New Hampshire. In New York City alone,
158 people and 600 horses died. During the heat
wave of 1896 between Chicago and Massachusetts
about 1500 people died many of whom were men in
their twenties doing manual labor. The CDC reports
335 people died in the United States in 2015 from
heat stroke. Since the mortality data is obtained by
death certificates, it likely occurs more often than
this form of data collection suggests.
People over 65 are at an increased risk as are those
with obesity, heart disease, or diabetes. Drinking
alcohol as well as medications that affect the body’s
ability to regulate temperature raise your risk, as
(Continued on page 8)
Comments from the Sick
Bay — Jeffrey A Kornblum, MD, KE5QHA
Scuttlebutt Summer 2020 Page 5
Well, this certainly has been an
INTERESTING 6 months. Since I
had plenty of time, I thought I
would crunch some of the num-
bers for the club and see how we
stand relative to our dues situa-
tion. Our bank account is fine,
with a cushion of just over $2,000 (that includes
dues that have been paid in advance, plus the Sun-
shine Fund). After checking the older WRCC Rosters
I find that our dues were last increased in 2008,
from $14 per year to $16 per year. In 2010 we add-
ed the surcharge of $4 for mailing of the newsletter
for those who preferred the printed version. So, for
the last 10 years, our WRCC membership dues have
been $16 per year for digital newsletters and printed
Roster, or $20 per year for printed newsletters and
Roster.
For the last 3 years, the expense of printing and mail-
ing the Roster has averaged just over $13 per Ros-
ter. Printing and mailing the Scuttlebutt costs $430
per year or roughly $1.50 per issue printed. (The ex-
tra $4 almost covers that).
The other expenses for the club include our web site
hosting, office supplies, and stamps …. Lots of
stamps.
Maybe next year we should raise the dues to $20 per
family plus a $5 surcharge if you want the printed
Scuttlebutt. Or maybe only $18 per family..
Just a thought. Think about it. Let your Officers
know how you feel about it.
Your humble bean counter,
Jeanie, N4WFM
Secretary/Treasurer’s
Report — Jeanie Schreiber, N4WFM where federal and private GPS users will suffer harm-
ful interference. It's a message that in essence says
'tough luck' – you are on your own."
Boaters may remember Ligado's former
name, LightSquared. In 2010, FCC suspended con-
sideration of its prior proposal to use its licensed
spectrum for a 4G LTE network also citing unresolved
concerns over radio spectrum interference with GPS,
forcing the company into bankruptcy. In May of this
year, Ligado announced $100 million in new funding
from unnamed sources.
###
Suggested Tweet and Facebook post:
New land-based 5G wireless network will impact reli-
ability of hundreds of millions of GPS units. @BoatUS
says FCC's message to boaters and those relying on
GPS technology: "Tough luck" https://
bit.ly/3fVGgcm #BoatUSonWatch #KeepGPSWorkin
g
About Boat Owners Association of The United States
(BoatUS):
Celebrating more than 50 years, BoatUS is the na-
tion's largest organization of recreational boaters
with more than a half-million members. We are the
boat owners' voice on Capitol Hill and fight for their
rights. We are The Boat Owners Auto Club and help
ensure a roadside trailer breakdown doesn't end a
boating or fishing trip before it begins. When boats
break down on the water, TowBoatUS brings them
safely back to the launch ramp or dock, 24/7. The
BoatUS Marine Insurance Program offers policies
that give boat owners affordable, specialized cover-
age and superior service they need. We help keep
boaters safe and our waters clean with assistance
from the nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating
Safety and Clean Water. Visit BoatUS.com.
(Continued from page 3) - BoatUS Says FCC’s Message to Boaters and Those Relying on GPS: ‘Tough Luck’
Page 6
Scuttlebutt Summer 2020
Roster Updates
New Member Callsigns since 2020 Roster
KO4 EFB G Eric Wilmott KB0 EHU G Corey Ranslem N4 GYN G Ray Bailey KG4 KVK G Rick Greyson KB3 MXL G Mike Pittinger, Sr. KC3 NLY G Darren Parker
(See KC3NLZ) KC3 NLZ T Robin Parker
(See KC3NLY)
~~~ - - - ~~~
New Members Since
2020 Roster
N4GYN (G) Bailey, Ray 3012 Biltmore Woods Dr Buford GA srbailey@comcast.net 30519-6793 ~~~ - - - ~~~
KG4KVK (G) Greyson, Rick and Patty 107 Perquimans Dr C:(252) 833-9917 Chocowinity NC rick.greyson@gmail.com 27817-8886 kg4kvk@winlink.org ~~~ - - - ~~~
KC3NLY (G) KC3NLZ (T) Sharlie Parker, Darren and Robin Gulfstar 44 center cockpit sloop 1602 Hasosaw Nene Tallahassee FL dparker24@gmail.com 32301-5832 ~~~ - - - ~~~
KB3MXL (G) Ariosa Pittinger, Sr., Michael & Betsy '95 Beneteau Oceanis 440 330 S. Main St Red Lion PA Michael.Pittinger.Sr@gmail.com 17356-2411 ~~~ - - - ~~~
KB0EHU/C6A (G) Ranslem, Corey PO Box 9535 Chattanooga TN cranslem@soncoastholdings.com 37412-0535 ~~~ - - - ~~~
KO4EFB (G) Reel Endeavour NP 010468 Wilmott, Eric Fountain, Tournament 31ft PO Box 10967 C:(242) 457-1577 Nassau elwilmott@gmail.com BAHAMAS ~~~ - - - ~~~
Roster Updates since 2020 Roster
W3GFS (E) Southern Lady Albertine, John & Penny Carver 396 MY 109 Kingswood Rd (410) 991-4947 Annapolis MD albertij@erols.com 21401-2919 ~~~ - - - ~~~
KB3CWY (G) KB3CXZ (T) Charm Bearden, Kathy & Jim Liberty 38' Cutter 201 Mastons Wharf Rd C:(804) 436-4247 Lancaster VA C:(804) 436-4165 22503-2456 kb3cwy@amsat.org kb3cxz@amsat.org ~~~ - - - ~~~
W4TPO (E) Sweet Caroline Carbee, John CT-34 Cutter 1726 Hazelton St. NW C:(321) 728-4019 Palm Bay FL w4tpo@carbee.com 32907-7071 ~~~ - - - ~~~
K3PKC (G) KB3HYW (T) Colket, Peter & Nancy 2733 Lake Valley Pl C:(410) 310-1091 Wesley Chapel FL k3pkc@yahoo.com 33544-8745 nancyc108@aol.com ~~~ - - - ~~~
AD5NO (E) Island Dreamin Detherage, Gary & DeLynn Gulfstar Sailmaster 47 sloop 602 Turrentine Way (479) 967-8375 Russellville AR C:(479) 970-8198 72802-9049 GaryDetherage@earthlink.net ~~~ - - - ~~~
N3SGG (G) Agenta Doremus, Bob Mason 43 Cutter 982 Bird Bay Way C:(941) 412-3376 Venice FL 34285-6118 ~~~ - - - ~~~
W5YE (E) Globetrotter Hunsaker, Brian & Sandy 1156 Fairway Ln C:(956) 357-0625 Harlingen TX (956) 440-7171 78552-1781 w5ye@arrl.net ~~~ - - - ~~~
W3IKE (E) Lawton, Ivan 3124 Anchroage Dr C:(410) 693-2723 Annapolis MD w3ike@yahoo.com 21403-4304 ~~~ - - - ~~~
KT4EL (E) Echo Lima Parsons, Walt & Mary Ann McGregor 26 407 Bentley Ave C:(703) 229-3882 St. Michaels MD waltparsons3@gmail.com 21663-2901 ~~~ - - - ~~~
KI4NWL (G) Barefootin' Sadler, Bob & Francie FP Lipari 41 catamaran 744 Fort Sumter Dr C:(843) 259-0207 Charleston SC barefootin1@gmail.com 29412-4204 ~~~ - - - ~~~
WS1C (E) Radio Active Schwartz, Bill & Pat Ranger Tug R-31CB 3 Crampton Ct C:(386) 316-1846 Palm Coast FL WS1C@icloud.com 32137-9055 ~~~ - - - ~~~
AI6DS (E) Warne, Bradley 24011 Via Castella Dr., Apt. 2302 C:(408) 550-5174 Bonita Springs FL bradleyhwarne@gmail.com 34134-5006 ~~~ - - - ~~~
W2HDI (E) Metaphor Ziegel, Arnold Back Cove 37 motor vessel 69 Dish Lane C:(914) 522-0102 Stowe VT w2hdi@arrl.net 05672-4918 ~~~ - - - ~~~
New or Changed E-Mail
Addresses
KI4EVJ bltjet@icloud.com K2KEN kendonnawright@gmail.com
Scuttlebutt Summer 2020 Page 7
If anyone comes across ATONs that are off station,
they can notify the U.S. Coast Guard directly by com-
pleting the online form. This will also get the buoy
noted in the weekly LNM.
h t t p : / / w w w . n a v c e n . u s c g . g o v / ?
pageName=atonOutageReport
Editor: The above is from Donna Ferron, KB3ZCB s/v
Halcyon
*****
Some web sites for help in determining what is going
on around the waterways this season:
Salty Southeast Cruisers Net cruisersnet.net
Waterway Guide waterwayguide.com
Active Captain activecaptain.com
Companion Nets to the
WRCC Net
• Immediately following the Waterway Net
Wednesday — Land Cruisers Net
Friday — Computer Net
• Daily Nets:
0700 ET — CW Net on 7053KHz
0720 ET — Bahamas Weather Net on Ma-
rine SSB frequency 4003 KHz USB (non-
ham) Occasionally move up 3 or up 6 de-
pending on interference.
• Other Nets of Interest:
MMSN — Maritime Mobile Service Net on
14300 KHz from 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM
EST and 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT.
HWN — Hurricane Watch Net on 14325
KHz whenever hurricane monitoring war-
rants it.
Cruiseheimers — 0830 ET on Marine SSB
frequency 8152 KHz-USB (non-ham).
DOO-DAH Net — 1700 daily on Marine
SSB frequency 8152 KHz-USB (non-ham).
Traffic and Float Plans.
CHIRIS PARKERS WEATHER NET — on
Marine SSB, times and frequencies are
listed on his website: www.mwxc.com
SSCA HF RADIO Net — 1215 UTC and
1315 UTC Standard Time and 1215 UTC
during Daylight Savings Time on Marine
SSB frequency 8104 KHz-USB (non-ham).
Around the Waterways
WRCC CW Net — Unknown, W1WC
Editor: The WRCC CW Net did not submit an article
for the 2020 Summer Scuttlebutt. The following arti-
cle is from http://www.w1wc.com/cw-information/
#index . I noted that several of the links are broken
on the web site, thus are also broken here.
CW INFORMATION
I make no endorsement nor has any pecuniary inter-
est in any of the listings.
CW OPERATING AIDS
Amateur ‘Q’ Signals — Commonly Used ‘Q’ Signals
Most Complete International Morse Code – By
WE6W – Telegraphic Numbers, Q Sig, QN Sigs, X
Sigs
CW Roundup — Includes Common Q-Signals, RST,
Pro Signs, CW Abbreviations, International Exten-
sions and Abbreviated Numbers – Contest Style–
Morse Code Chart— W1WC
CW Abbreviations— W1WC
INTRODUCTORY TO CW BACK TO INDEX
Beginner’s Guide to
CW — By Jack Wagoner
WB8FSV
CW Facts & Operating
Tips — By Steve Hurst,
KA7NOC
(Continued on page 8)
Page 8
Scuttlebutt Summer 2020
does strenuous physical activity or work outside on a
hot day. Environment plays a role as well. Many peo-
ple in the Midwest and Northeast United States
where temperatures are generally cooler don’t have
air conditioning in their homes. People not acclimat-
ed to hot weather also are at increased risk when a
heat wave occurs. Heat waves with consecutive days
of elevated temperatures put more people in these
regions at risk. Overall however, the states with the
higher rates of reported heat stroke are in the south
and men (statistically more likely to work outside) are
affected more than women.
Staying cool on a hot day with cool water will help
prevent the onset of heat exhaustion as well is a first
line treatment. Avoid sugary drinks, caffeine, or alco-
hol. Beverages with electrolytes such as a sports
drink are also beneficial (assuming you don’t have
medical problem that precludes you from consuming
the electrolytes like sodium or potassium). If you are
having symptoms of heat exhaustion, get out of the
sun and go inside or at least into some shade. Loos-
en any tight clothing and put on light clothing if avail-
able. Lie down and elevate your legs. Increase your
ability to cool down by putting some cool towels on
your skin, mist yourself and use a fan to cool off, or
take a cool bath. If you did not wait too long and act
to cool yourself down, symptoms will likely start to
reside in 30 minutes. If you aren’t feeling better
within 30 - 60 minutes, seek out medical attention.
Don’t forget about your pet. Dogs and cats don’t
sweat and cool down with their respiration. On hot
humid days, they can also get into trouble. Last sum-
mer during a day hike on the Appalachian Trail near
my home in Virginia, my four year old 110 lb. golden
collapsed. I couldn’t carry her more than a few hun-
dred yards and we subsequently spent quite a bit of
time there while she cooled down before she was
able to walk out.
We want to enjoy the summer days and on a boat
access to health care may be limited. Prevention is
of paramount importance to all on board. Following
(Continued from page 4) - Comments from Sock Bay is some helpful advice to avoid heat exhaustion and
therefore heat stroke: Drink fluids during and after
exercise or work (stay hydrated), particularly if you
are in the sun. Avoid sugary drinks or alcohol. Wear
loose fitting clothing and clothing with sun block if
you have it. Apply sun block with SPF 15 or greater
and reapply as needed. Wear a hat and on the boat
a sun hat with a wide brim all around or a neck
shade is helpful. Try to schedule your strenuous ac-
tivities of the day for the morning or early evening.
When you have to be working on the boat in the sun,
plan some rest periods (a good old fashioned siesta)
to hydrate and cool down. Some cool dips into the
water around you may be just what you need to avoid
the problem and enjoy the day.
Don’t be bad, be cool! And bring back a cool story.
Fair Winds,
Jeffrey Kornblum, MD
KE5QHA
Morse Code: Breaking the Barrier — The Koch Meth-
od Works! –By Dave Finley, N1IRZ
Introduction to Morse Code— By Amateur Radio
Courses
Morse Code Tutorial— From Trans world radio
scphillips.com — Stephen Christopher Phillips
CW LEARNING AIDS BACK TO INDEX
Beginners Code Course Those wanting to learn
Morse Code, the following URLs should help. It is a
course for beginners not knowing the difference be-
tween a “dit" or “dah.” The learner with pencil and
paper simply follows the voice instruction starting
with identifying the sound of dits & dahs and then
progressing in twelve lessons to five words per mi-
(Continued from page 7) - WRCC CW Net
(Continued on page 9)
Scuttlebutt Summer 2020 Page 9
Sunshine
Where the WRCC
Meets to Eat
Bahamas, George Town, - Lunch Weekly Jan-Mar
Details on the Net
FL, Marathon - Lunch on Wednesdays @ 11:30 a.m. November to April Lazy Days Restaurant Contact Peg Forster—
KB4NDE
FL, Pensacola Beach - Lunch
2nd Tues every month — Hemmingway’s on the Beach Contact Chuck Cook—KE4KEA (850) 380-4217
FL, St. Petersburg - Lunch 2nd Sat 12:30
Various — Contact Ken for the current location.
Ken Cowan—KC4OSZ
(727) 821-5383
NC, Oriental - Breakfast - Last Sat 0900 @ Village Restaurant — (Repeater 147.210+ tone 151.4)
Listen to the Net for details:
7.268 MHz at approximately
0800 ET. Please contact the
Editor with any changes to
this list.
The following members or their families received a card or flowers from the
club:
April
Wally Holcomb K4MZY Silent Key
May
Leanne Bradley W1WXS Illness
June
None
Be sure to send any Get Well or Silent Key requests or notices to Debbie at
sunshine@waterwayradio.net
— Debbie Lerner KD4GRR
nute…
CodeMaster V — From Milestone Technologies Inc.
CodeQuick — Since 1979 — From Wheeler Applied Research Lab
CW Player — This freeware program generates the standard Morse charac-
ters, Q codes, abbreviations, random series of characters and text files.
From G. RIVAT F6DQM
CW SOFTWARE — from PA3BWK’s Ultimate CW Site — PileUp, RUFZ,
Stormy Weather SoftWare, VK3ESM’s Morse Code Programs, MRX Software,
QRZ Shareware Collection, EasiWare, K7ON’s list of CW shareware
G4AUD’s NuMorse — Morse code trainer
Ham University — Learn Morse Code or practice for your FCC exams — By
Michael Crick
(Continued from page 8) - WRCC CW Net
(Continued on page 10)
Page 10
Scuttlebutt Summer 2020
The SEA CHEST
*FOR SALE*
*DOCKAGE AVAILABLE*
SSCA CRUISING STATION
NASSAU, BAHAMAS
WARDLE’S DOCK
Offers you the safest place to leave your boat. We
are located on the south side of New Providence in
Coral Harbour. Private network of canals after pass-
ing through the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Base.
A private dock alongside a private house 160’ wide
canal, 10’ depth 110 & 220 electricity, water, inter-
net
10 minutes from Nassau International Airport
Current weather information
Best hurricane protection on the island
Available by the week, month or year
Nick & Carolyn Wardle
Telephone 242-362-1574
Email: carolyn.w.bahamas@gmail.com
For daily weather information listen:
VHF Ch. 72 at 07.15 local to Nassau
Freq. 4003 USB at 07.20 EST covers all Bahamas
*For Sale*
SEA Datamarine model 1617 marine grade auto tun-
er. Very good condition. Waterproof case. Designed
for marine use. Will tune short (9’) ship, or endfed
wire antennas. 1.6 - 28 MHz. 150 watt output. Make
offer on price
Contact Brian, W5YE@ARRL.NET; or 956.357.0625.
Thanks for looking.
*For Sale*
Place your for sale items here.
*WANTED*
Place your wanted items here!
Boat U.S. membership with our
group discount
is only $15.00 per year.
Sign up using our
GROUP ID:
Koch Method Of Learning Morse — By Ray Goff,
G4FON
Learn Morse Code On The Web — From le club,
VE2CRD
Learn CW on-line — At LCWO you can learn Morse
telegraphy (CW) online in your browser.
Linux Morse — From HamSoft — Linux Software For
The Ham Community
Morse Code/CW Interface for 2M/440 HT’s — Send/
Receive Morse Practice Using FM With Ur HT — From
MFJ
Morse Code — A program from Canada “designed for
everyone from beginners to experts who need to
brush up or increase their speed”.
MorseCat — By DK5CI
Morse Code version 4.01a — From Stormy Weather
Software
(Continued from page 9) - WRCC CW Net
(Continued on page 11)
Scuttlebutt Summer 2020 Page 11
Morse Code Teaching Machine — Excellent Morse
Code Trainer
Morse Code practice Programs — Morse Code Train-
ing, Practice and Exam Program
Morse Code Practice — From New Zealand — Great
Practice Text
Morse Code Tutor — program written in C++. It can be
used for learning or sending.
Morse Tutor Gold — From G.G.T.E. Software
MorseMania – — For The Mac
Morse Midi — Generates Morse messages from text
and saves them as MIDI files. Calibrated speed, MIDI
playback, automatic text generation. Download from
Alex Shovkoplyas, ex UR5EMI (now in VE3)
Morse Partner — help you learn to SEND Morse code.
Morse Programs — From QRZ.com
MRP — Morse Receive / Transmit Programs — From
Polar Electric
MRX – — Morse Receive and Transmit Training. Also
new CWCom to transmit and receive Morse code and
text messages over a LAN or across the internet!
N0HR Morse Code Tutor — (and keyer) for PocketPC
PDAs (like the iPAQ, Jordana and Cassiopea).
NuMorse Professional, NuCode, NuMorse, and NuT-
est — From NuWare — Excellent Morse Code Trainers
By Tony Lacy, G4AUD. The Professional version is
completely rewritten in 32 bit Windows.
Precision CW — Several programs
W1AW Code Practice — On The Air, Times and Fre-
quencies
CLUBS BACK TO INDEX
World’s first 3D virtual reality telegraph key — keys
(Continued from page 10) - WRCC CW Net and cw/tele info — From Russell Kleinman
QCWA — Quarter Century Wireless Association
FISTS – San Diego County – via K6FFF
The International Morse Preservation Society
SOME HISTORY ON CW BACK TO INDEX
The Telegraph Office — Wire and Wireless Telegraph
Key Collection
PLACES TO BUY KEYS BACK TO INDEX
HRO Ham Radio Outlet
Vibroplex
CW Operators Wanted the worlds best Touch Paddle
products.
Waterway Radio and Cruising
Club
Scuttlebutt is published quarterly to inform membership about Waterway Net news, activities and items of interest. Club Officers and Staff: Commodore: Brian Hunsaker W5YE Vice Commodore: Ridge Gardner N3JUY Rear Commodore: Bob Gebeaux KA3OCS Sec/Treas: Jeanie Schreiber N4WFM Send Roster Updates & Address Changes to: secretary@waterwayradio.net Fleet Capt.: Bill Turney WS4Y USCG Liaison: Glenn Tuttle K9TUT Safety Officer: Dick Giddings W3RDT Scuttlebutt Editor: Art Howard KC0TPG Send articles and pictures to: Editor@waterwayradio.net Exam. Coordinator: Open XXXX Fleet Surgeon: Open XXXX Sunshine Fund: Debbie Lerner KD4GRR Requests: sunshine@waterwayradio.net Weather Coord.: Ridge Gardner N3JUY Historian: Wes and Sandy Whitley AF4N, KE4EJ Webmaster: Bill Boyle N4UMS Contributions: Please send to: Jeanie Schreiber N4WFM Membership Application may be downloaded from the WRCC web-site: www.waterwayradio.net
Inside This Issue Commodore’s Message ............... 1 KE4ZXW PARTS WITH VIRGINIA AIR SPACE STATION ........... 2 BoatUS Says FCC's Message to Boat-ers and Those Relying on GPS: 'Tough Luck' ........................... 3 Comments from the Sick Bay ....... 4 Secretary/Treasure’s Report ........ 5 Roster Updates ........................ 6 Companion Nets to the WRCC Net 7 WRCC CW Net ....................... 7 Around the Waterways ............... 7 Obituary ................................ 9 Sunshine ................................. 9 Luncheon Schedule .................... 9 Sea Chest ............................... 10
Scuttlebutt Waterway Radio and Cruising Club
27 Cheyenne Ct.
Palm Coast, FL
32137-8966
Bob Dylan wrote a song “The Times They Are a-Changin’” in
a different era but my how the times have changed these
last few months. And it looks like it is not over yet.
So stay safe, self isolate, stay home, and make more con-
tacts on your Ham Radio. We Hams may have an easier
time of it since we have a hobby that allows social distanc-
ing while talking with our friends and colleagues over the airways. What a wonder-
ful hobby!
The propagation this summer has not enabled me to check into the net. Most sig-
nals are very weak. I can hear Ohio well but the East Coast is down in the static
level. I am waiting for better propagation so I may check into the WRCC Net.
Stay safe everyone. Follow CDC guidelines and hopefully we can get past this pan-
demic. As always, spend a few extra minutes talking to a friend or family member.
It is time well spent, since we do not know what tomorrow will bring. Friendships
and relationships reign supreme!
Please continue to share your news, stories, photos, items of interest, comments
and suggestions. Send them to:
Editor@waterwayradio.net or
alhowar@attglobal.net.
73, Art — KC0TPG
Vol. 33 No. 3, Summer 2020