Welcome to Handiham World!
Picture: Pat wearing more than one hat this week.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The Handiham World for 28 May 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The Handiham World for 21 May 2008
Welcome to Handiham World!
Photo: Chris, KG0BP, and Carl, N8NSD, take a few minutes to visit at the Handiham booth during HAMVENTION®.
Last week we were at HAMVENTION®, and with so much time out of the office and on the road, it takes a little time to catch up with all of the usual office duties. I have some photos with captions for you later on. I don't want this particular edition to be all about the hamfest, so in upcoming weeks I'll be sharing some thoughts with you on various aspects of the world's largest amateur radio get-together.
One thing I usually buy at HAMVENTION is a new ARRL Repeater Directory, and this year was no exception. The print edition is a wee bit larger than last year's, and it's sitting here on the desk in front of me just begging for a good look-see. I hope to find even more and better listings of IRLP and EchoLink repeaters this year, and I'm sure ARRL will not disappoint me. It's more important than ever for repeater owners to submit current and accurate information about their repeaters so that travelers can access these machines and use all of their new features. A week or so ago, Matt, KA0PQW, was on the road in Minnesota and managed to stay connected through EchoLink and IRLP to his home repeater. How cool is that?!!
There's plenty of news this week, so we had best get started.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The Handiham World for 14 May 2008
Welcome to Handiham World!
Photo: Here I am, peeking over the top of the 2007 display at the Handiham booth during HAMVENTION®.
This will be a shorter edition of your Handiham World, since we are preparing to depart for Dayton. Visit Courage Center's Handiham System while you are at HAMVENTION®. We will be at booth number 332-C, where our display will include a voice-controlled Icom IC-706M2G with audio feedback. This system, called command & control, allows a blind user who also has very limited muscle control, to operate the transceiver, changing frequencies, modes, and other functions entirely by voice. The system then tells the user what it has done. The same headset microphone that controls the system by command is also used to modulate the rig. It's really a pretty cool deal, thanks to developers Lyle, K0LR, and Steve, WB5KIA.
I was impressed with the portability of this ham radio emergency communications system. This photo was from Dayton HAMVENTION 2005, but similar exhibits have been at the 2006 and 2007 shows. I expect to see them again, with improvements, at this year's show.
The system covers VHF and HF bands, and is housed in an orange plastic box that allows the user to quickly deploy in an emergency, rather than having to gather up radios, connectors, and assorted parts when time is of the essence. The plastic box can be closed to keep out rain. The orange color is highly visible.
It's one of many good ideas that you can learn about when you visit Dayton, so we hope to see you there.
Patrick Tice
wa0tda@arrl.net
Handiham Manager
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
The Handiham World for 07 May 2008
Welcome to Handiham World!
Picture: The Red Cross truck with many antennas, as shown to HAMVENTION(R) participants. It is one of many informative displays that make the world's largest amateur radio trade show well worth your time and effort.
It's time to remind our readers and listeners about the biggest ham radio event of the year: Dayton HAMVENTION®. Visit Courage Center's Handiham System while you are at HAMVENTION. We will be at booth number 332-C, which is indoors not too far from the forum rooms. If you attend, you will be part of the world's largest ham radio get-together, the place to meet your fellow amateur radio operators, learn about new technologies, and shop for new equipment. All of the "movers and shakers" in ham radio will be there, so it's fun, exciting, and a place to learn and grow. Dates are May 16, 17, & 18, 2008.
Dr. Tom Behler, KB8TYJ, from Big Rapids, MI, will be giving a presentation in one of the forums at HAMVENTION, and I have accepted his kind invitation to attend, as there will be several references to Handihams. In addition, Tom says that he plans to cover the following topics:
- An overview of some of the adaptive aids that I, as a blind ham and county emergency communications coordinator, use to help me do what I do.
- A discussion of actual or potential roles that people with disabilities could play in providing amateur radio communications during emergencies or other times of need.
- A brief overview of the new "Sociology Of Disasters And Emergency Preparedness" course that I now teach at my University.
If you are at Dayton, you won't want to miss that!
Patrick Tice
wa0tda@arrl.net
Handiham Manager
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