text:
DX101X Corrections and Additions
Except for manuals already shipped to Ham Stores, all of the below comments, additions, subtractions, errors are included in the manuals as shipped. We print on demand.
The ARRL DXCC Desk is pleased to announce the addition of St Barthelemy (FJ) to the DXCC List, making the island entity number 338 with an effective date of 14 December, 2007. Cards with contacts Dated December 14, 2007 or after will be accepted for DXCC credit. New card submissions for St Barthelemy will not be accepted until January 1, 2008 in order to allow time for administrative Adjustments.
Chapter 2, Paragraph 2-28 Cleaning aluminum tubing change to read:
For cleaning
aluminum tubing, an antenna guru recommends the use of #0 steel wool, along with
dishwashing detergent. First wet the aluminum tubing with water and wet the
steel wool. Add a small amount of dishwashing detergent to the steel wool and
then scrub the aluminum. Rinse out the steel wool periodically with water. Then
add more dishwashing detergent to the steel wool and clean again. Rinse off the
aluminum tubing periodically. Other methods are Scotch Bright, vinegar
and baking soda, wet and dry emery cloth - 600 grit, Cameo Aluminum Cleaner.
After cleaning a piece of aluminum tubing, rinse it thoroughly with clean water
and then dry it off with a clean rag. Unless you totally disassemble and clean
the traps, never attempt to clean the outer aluminum shells of antenna traps as
water and steel wool fragments can enter the traps causing shorts and excessive
trap moisture content. Another suggestion is to clear coat the assembled
antenna with clear spray paint. This also goes for the antenna connections as
well. Tape them well with scotch 88 electrical tape and then clear coat the
assembly. The paint seals the aluminum from the elements and seals any tiny
holes that may be in the wrapping job.
When assembling any aluminum antenna, put a thin layer of
based-based anti-seize compound on all aluminum-to-aluminum joints. These are
Penetrox-A from the Burndy Corporation or another is Noalox. Never varnish any
antenna - the varnish penetrates into the joints and causes continuity problems.
Painting antennas for stealth can be done. Disassemble the antenna, apply paint,
then scrape away any paint where the aluminum makes an electrical connection.
When restoring an old antenna, consider replacing all the hardware (nuts &
bolts) with stainless steel.
Change, Add, Or Delete The following Prefixes In Appendix A10 And A11 - The Prefix List and DXCC Checklist
ITU prefix for Montenegro
Thursday, 17 May 2007
Since 11. Mai 2007 official ITU-Call prefixes:
4OA-4OZ Montenegro (Republic of)
a.. YTA-YTZ Serbia (Republic of)
b.. YUA-YUZ Serbia (Republic of)
Following Prefixes given back to ITU:
a.. 4NA-4NZ
b.. YZA-YZZ
(Source: ITU - Operational Bulletin #885)
At all times, transmitter power must be the minimum necessary to carry out
the desired communications. Unless otherwise noted, the maximum power output
is 1500 watts PEP. All classes are limited to 200 watts PEP in the 80, 40, and
15 meter Novice/Technician Plus subbands. Geographical power restrictions
apply to the 70 cm, 33 cm and 23 cm bands; see The
FCC Rule Book for details.
5-1. HF Thru 6M Frequency Allocations For USA Amateurs (See FCC Part 97 for VHF and up) - Effective 15 Dec 2006
160 Meters
General, Advanced, Amateur Extra licensees:
1.800-2.000 MHz: CW, Phone, Image, RTTY/Data
80 Meters
Novice and Technician Plus classes:
3.525-3.600 MHz: CW Only
General class:
3.525-3.600 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data
3.800-4.000 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
Advanced class:
3.525-3.600 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data
3.700-4.000 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
Amateur Extra class:
3.500-3.600 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data
3.600-4.000 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
60 Meters
The FCC has granted hams
secondary access on USB only to five discrete 2.8-kHz-wide channels. Amateurs
can not cause inference to and must accept interference from the Primary
Government users. The NTIA says that hams planning to operate on 60 meters
"must assure that their signal is transmitted on the channel center
frequency." This means that amateurs should set their carrier frequency
1.5 kHz lower than the channel center frequency.
General, Advanced and
Amateur Extra classes:
Channel Center
Amateur Tuning Frequency
5332 kHz
5330.5 kHz
5348 kHz
5346.5 kHz
5368 kHz
5366.5 kHz
5373 kHz
5371.5 kHz
5405 kHz (common US/UK)
5403.5 kHz
Amateurs may use USB *only*
with a maximum effective radiated power (ERP) of 50 W. Radiated power must not
exceed the equivalent of 50 W PEP transmitter output power into an antenna
with a gain of 0 dBd. UK
report of 200 watts (23dBW) PEP
Using Morse, Telephony, RTTY, Data, Fax and SSTV.
40 Meters
Novice and Technician Plus classes:
7.025-7.125 MHz: CW Only
General class:
7.025-7.125 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data
7.175-7.300 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
Advanced class:
7.025-7.125 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data
7.125-7.300 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
Amateur Extra class:
7.000-7.125 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data
7.125-7.300 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
Note: Phone and Image modes are permitted between 7.075 and 7.100 MHz for
FCC licensed stations in ITU Regions 1 and 3 and by FCC licensed stations in
ITU Region 2 West of 130 degrees West longitude or south of 20 degrees North
latitude. See Section 97.307(f)(11).
Novice and Technician Plus licensees outside ITU Region 2 may use CW only
between 7.050 and 7.075 MHz. See Section 97.301(e).
These exemptions do not apply to stations in the continental US.
30 Meters
Maximum power, 200 watts PEP. Amateurs must avoid interference to the fixed service outside the US.
General, Advanced, Amateur Extra classes:
10.100-10.150 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data
General class:
14.025-14.150 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data
14.225-14.350 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
Advanced class:
14.025-14.150 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data
14.175-14.350 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
Amateur Extra class:
14.000-14.150 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data
14.150-14.350 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
17 Meters
General, Advanced, Amateur Extra classes:
18.068-18.110 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data
18.110-18.168 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
15 Meters
Novice and Technician Plus classes:
21.025-21.200 MHz: CW Only
General class:
21.025-21.200 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data
21.275-21.450 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
Advanced class:
21.025-21.200 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data
21.225-21.450 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
Amateur Extra class:
21.000-21.200 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data
21.200-21.450 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
12 Meters
General, Advanced, Amateur Extra classes:
24.890-24.930 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data
24.930-24.990 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
Novice and Technician Plus classes:
28.000-28.300 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data--Maximum power 200 watts PEP
28.300-28.500 MHz: CW, Phone--Maximum power 200 watts PEP
General, Advanced, Amateur Extra classes:
28.000-28.300 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data
28.300-29.700 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
6 Meters
All Amateurs except Novices:
50.0-50.1 MHz: CW Only
50.1-54.0 MHz: CW, Phone, Image, MCW, RTTY/Data
A nice graph chart of Amateur Frequencies can be
found at URL:
The new 60 Meter band has characteristics similar to the 80 and 40 Meter bands.
Typical winter time
results are:
1] daytime, 9:00 am through 3:00 pm ... up to 300 miles
2] sunrise/sunset up to daytime ... up to 1000 miles
3] night ... up to 3000 miles
All Manuals -- add 2 new
DXCC Countries in Prefix Appendix and Appendix for DXCC Country Checklist
Montenegro YU/YT/YZ/4O (New Prefix To Be Determined) ITU 28, CQ 15 Effective June 28, 2006
Swains Island KH8, ITU 62, CQ 32 - Effective July 22, 2006
All Manuals -- add new DXCC Country in Prefix Appendix and Appendix for DXCC Country Checklist -- VP6D Ducie Island CQ Zone 32 - effective June 1, 2002
Chapter 2, Paragraph 2-18. Add
Band Stackable Registers. The newer solid state rigs use storage registers to allow ham band selection at the push of a button or by up or down buttons. The up button will take you to the next higher ham band or lower band with the down button. In some rigs, the register remembers the last tuned frequency on that band and certain settings – see your operating manual. On some rigs the ham band switching can be changed to 1 MHz steps – handy for SWL listening.
Power Level Control – On solid-state rigs, adjusts the power output from the maximum rated power output down to minimum – 5 watts on my Kenwood. So I am a QRP station at minimum power. When driving a linear – initially REDUCE power so as not to overdrive the linear even though you use ALC around the exciter-linear loop. Tune the linear, then increase the exciter power for the desired linear output, retuning the linear as necessary. See linears below. ALC is Automatic Level Control used for feedback from a linear amplifier back to the exciter to prevent overdriving. Note that some DXers DO NOT use ALC in the exciter-linear loop as it may change somewhat band to band.
Chapter 4, Paragraph 4-2. Add text reference. (3) The New Shortwave Propagation Handbook by Jacobs W3ASK, Cohen N4XX, and Rose K6GKU available from CQ Communications.
Chapter 4, Paragraph 4-3. All of these propagation prediction programs are based on a correlation between smoothed sunspot number (SSN – a 12-month running average) and monthly median ionospheric parameters. As such, the outputs of propagation prediction programs (usually MUF and signal strength) are statistical in nature – they are not absolutes. The reported values are median values, meaning that the reported MUF or signal strength should occur on at least half the days of the month. Since the model of the ionosphere in these programs is based on SSN, it or the equivalent smoothed 10.7cm solar flux should be used for best accuracy. Using the daily 10.7cm solar flux reported by WWV compromises prediction accuracy, as the ionosphere really does not react on a one-to-one basis to the small daily variations of the sun.
4, Paragraph 20
For example, from San Diego, California to South Africa – the Short Path bearing is 103 degrees (9,908 miles); the long path is 283 degrees (14,972 miles).
Chapter 4, Paragraph 4-10. For example at 14.100 MHz at the start of the hour, the United Nations beacon 4U1UN in Switzerland transmits for 10 seconds,
Chapter 2, Paragraph 2-26. When assembling any aluminum antenna, put a thin layer of based-based anti-seize compound on all aluminum to aluminum joints. These are Penetrox-A from the Burndy Corporation or another is Noalox. Never varnish any antenna - the varnish penetrates into the joints and causes continuity problems. Painting antennas for stealth can be done. Disassemble the antenna, apply paint, then scrape away any paint where the aluminum makes an electrical connection.
Chapter 2. Paragraph 2-34.
Rotors. Rotors are rated as to wind load, turning power, brake power, brake type, and bearing type. Needless to say, if buying used, don't rely on the previous owner to have selected the right model. Check the rotor specs in view of the antenna to be turned - favoring the heavy-duty models if you expect to do a lot of contesting or rapid fire DXing. Use a high quality thrust bearing above the rotator. Rotors can suffer greatly during a contest - they may do more work in one contest than in several months of normal operation. Rotors which cover more than 360 degrees by allowing the antenna to move past the normal end-stops can be a real time saver.
Chapter 2, Paragraph 2-40
Coaxal Cable. DX and contest stations usually use coax as opposed to open wire feeders which have very low loss. Open-wire feeders require an antenna tuning unit to match the 50-ohm unbalanced output of the transmitter to the 600 ohm balanced open-wire feeders. It is difficult to construct an antenna tuning unit which can handle the power levels used at contest and Dxer's stations. Open-wire feeders are also mechanically tricky, and need to be separated from other feeders and metal objects to perform properly.
You should be concerned with coax cable losses. Use the best coax that you can afford paying attention to the dB loss per 100 feet at the frequencies of operation. It's easy to test for losses and it should be done periodically to keep your station in top operating condition. Keep a note of the results and you can quickly determine if water has seeped into the coax or it has increased losses. Use a power meter, 50W dummy load, and a low power transmitter – 30 MHz is frequently specified in cable charts. Connect the 50W dummy load to the antenna end of the coax. Then adjust the transmitter for a measured 10W into the coax at the transmitter side, then move the power meter to the antenna end near the dummy load and measure the power arriving there.
Typical results for good coax are:
RF Input power to coax cable = 10W at 30 MHz
RF Output power from Heliax 100 feet of LDF4-50 = 9W
RF Output power from coax cable 100 feet of RG213/U = 7W
RF Output power from coax cable 100 feet of RG58A/U = 5W
Well now - does that make a good case for using the best coax??? And Heliax offers a solid outer conductor instead of a percentage of "braid" like RG213 with 90 or 95% braid.
But heliax is hard to handle and install, nevertheless, it is popular with the big guns. Also be aware of the coax power ratings. RG58 cable is rated at 300 to 400 watts at 30 MHz. But also be aware that coax power handling capabilities should be de-rated as the SWR goes up.
Chapter 5. Paragraph 5-14. When you discover a rare DX or medium rare DX station ragchewing, don't insert a break unless the DX is asking for specific information that you can offer. There are probably 100+ others who would like to break in. For breaking into a domestic QSO or into a "common DX" QSO, use common courtesy, if the QSO is between two old friends talking more or less about personal items, breaking in is usually not welcome. If the QSO is interesting to you and you have something to offer, breaking in is common enough, just break and when acknowledged, ask if you can join the QSO. Often a question is posed that neither have the answer for, and a "break info" would be in order.
Chapter 5. Change to read: Lass Too – or calling with only the last two letters of your call may be against the FCC rules, never the less some operations take on this characteristic. But it has been suggested that as long as you ID within the rule time limits, it doesn't matter how you call, even with two letters, so long as it is not deceptive, of course. The problem is where a station only ID's with their suffix, never getting the opportunity to give the full call within the time limit. But why not give your full call, followed by calls of "lass two" until the 10 minute rule applies???
Chapter 2. Paragraph
Change to read:
Following are discussions of a modern transceiver's operating controls in the way they are used in DXing. These are oriented around Kenwood's nomenclature, for others, check your op manual for corresponding control names. For example AIP is IPO on a Yaseu. RIT is a CLARIFIER on a Yaseu.
Chapter 2. Paragraph 2-18. Change to read: FULL OR SEMI CW Break-In . In FULL (QSK) the transceiver is returned to the receive mode as soon as the key contacts open. Thus it is possible to hear if another station wants to break-in or hear any interference. In SEMI, return to receive is similar to FULL except a delay is introduced as determined by the DELAY control. Note however when using linears, modification may be required for fast response; see linears paragraph below. Transceivers vary considerably in their full break-in characteristics. Ten-Tec has a well-deserved reputation for superb QSK operation.
Chapter 2. Paragraph 2-26.
Although the triband trapped Yagi's are very popular, monoband Yagis are essential if you want to be a big gun. Add: With the advent of computer-designed antennas, the newer trapless designs can rival a monobander. See "Publications" at URL: http://www.championradio.com/
Chapter 2. Paragraph 2-39. Add: In contesting setups, it is typical to have toroids on virtually EVERY cable connected to the computer and audio isolation transformers on audio cables connecting the computer soundcard and the rig.
Chapter 3. Paragraph 3-2. Add "Logger" and "BV6 QSL Label Generation" also "DX Packet Telnet On The Web".
Chapter 2. Paragraph 2-18. DUAL RECEIVE. Some of the more expensive rigs have Dual Receive capability; this is especially useful for contesting. Dual receive for contesting allows you to tune the second receiver in between CQ's and pop a new contact when you find another guy calling CQ. Also, for rigs that can receive another band (TS950 receive same band only, FT-1000D receives same or another band) you can either pop someone calling CQ on another band if you don't violate a 10 minute stay on one band or 6 multiplier per hour rule). Also, you could check propagation on one band while you're working another. Lastly, you could use the second receiver in a DX pileup when the DX is operating split and follow where the last person worked was at - instead of having to shift A/B VFOs on a single receive rig and not have to keep punching the T-F button on Kenwood rigs like the 940 and others.
Chapter 2, Paragraph 2-21. Add:
Follow the manufacturers directions for dipping and loading
an amplifier, then to achieve a cooler running amplifier with a cleaner output,
once you have tuned for maximum output by dip and load, reduce the grid current,
by increasing the loading. Loading is increased by reducing the load
capacitance, this properly couples the RF to the antenna. This will reduce the
grid current considerably with a small drop in RF output power -
about 10 percent. The drop in RF output is a small price to pay for lower
grid current, which will greatly increase the life of the tube(s), especially
metal/ceramic type tubes. The drop in grid current should be somewhere in the
area of 30-50%, (i.e., full drive grid current of 200ma, can be reduced to
150-100ma.). If you turn the load control one direction and the RF output peaks
and the grid current remains high, turn the load control in the other direction
until the RF output drops slowly and the grid current drops quickly.
Some use the duty cycle method of tuning an amplifier; using a commercial pulser or cricket (Centaur Electronics and MFJ makes them), or a CW keyer set for 40-50wpm, this reduces component stress and overheating and excessive power supply loading.
Chapter 6, page 6-18. Add Libya - two green stamps and registered mail.
Chapter 2, Page 2-39. Add -- A favorite with some operators is to wire the two phones out of phase or use a switch to select either in phase or out of phase headphone operation. For some this makes copying high speed and low signal strength CW much easier. For more see "Hearing CW in Noise by Chuck MacCluer, W8MQV". – see URL: www.nitehawk.com/rasmit/br_cpy.html
Some operators use stereo phones with a variety of filters in each earpiece to create a pseudo stereo effect. This uses a low cut filter in one earphone and a high cut filter in the other without phase reversal. Use a low-pass filter to one ear and a high-pass response to the other with the corner frequency of both filters being equal, e.g. 1000Hz. Then 1000Hz signals seem to be in the middle of your head with higher frequencies on one side and lower frequencies on the other. Experimentation is in order!
Chapter 2, Paragraph 2-18
FULL OR SEMI CW Break-In . In FULL (QSK) the transceiver is returned to the receive mode as soon as the key contacts open. Thus it is possible to hear if another station wants to break-in or hear any interference. In SEMI, return to receive is similar to FULL except a delay is introduced as determined by the DELAY control. Note however when using linears, modification may be required for fast response; see linears paragraph below. Transceivers vary considerably in their full break-in characteristics. Ten-Tec has a well-deserved reputation for superb QSK operation. While Dxing, with QSK, you can follow a DX-station much more closely and you can stop transmitting the instant you hear the DX-station start to transmit.
QSK operation (full break-in) in CW allows you to hear in between Morse dits and dahs, which is great for Net operation, contesting, and allows the other station to instantly break-in to alert you to slow down or wait for a bit. QSK operation is usually accomplished with silent electronic switching and is essential to high-rate CW operating, since you waste less time. A tip off is if somebody is trying to send at the same time you are. If your contest exchange isn't being received for some reason, you can immediately respond, rather than waiting until you have sent the entire exchange. High-speed traffic handling uses QSK for the same reasons. You can probably do without QSK for general DXing; it's certainly nice to have, though. But it can be difficult to be competitive as a CW contester without it.
Chapter 6, QSLing. Direct QSLing into Russia -- all letters sealed with transparent tape are supposed now to be "suspicious", especially stateside ones. Most of them come opened. Dollar bills do not come through, IRCs are OK. Dennis, RZ1AK.
Chapter 6, Paragraph 6-21. second paragraph two -- change
to read: The coupons are redeemable for postage stamps in any country, which is
a Member of the Universal Postal Union. Here is a list of countries who do not
accept IRCs: Abu Dhabi, Anguilla, Antigua, Netherlands Antilles, Bahamas,
Bahrain, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brunei, Cayman, China, C.I.S., Czech Rep., Dominican
Rep., Dominica, Falkland, Gilbert, Grenada, Guyana, Honduras, Korea North, Korea
South, Lebanon, Lesotho, Nepal, New Hebrides, Montserrat, Oman, Peru, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia, St.Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Swaziland,
Taiwan, Tonga, Hungary, Vatican City, Vietnam, Virgin Island, Yemen, Zimbabwe.
However, IRCs are sometimes accepted by hams in these countries, because they
can use them as return postage for their own letters.
Chapter 2, Paragraph 2-2. Add -- For some favorite transceivers of contesters and DXers – see Contest Archives http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/.
Without endorsement
from the author, you may want to read rig comparisons/enhancements on the
Elecraft pages at URL: http://www.elecraft.com/
And eHam Reviews at URL:
Also see Sherwood / Drake R-4C www.sherweng.com/ham.html
And INRAD at URL: http://www.qth.com/INRAD/
Appendix A1, Paragraph A1-2, Step 2: Change to read
Chapter 8, Contesting, Add
Note that during a contest, unfamiliar reports are given 594345 is a serial number, 5906 is a zone – see contest rules at URL: http://home.online.no/~janalme/hammain.html
Chapter 6, last checklist item. Add:
____ Print Asia, Europe, Africa, South Atlantic Ocean, South Pacific Ocean, Caribbean, etc. as the last line in the address on some of the more obscure islands/countries.
Note that some of the French Islands such as Reunion Isle go VIA FRANCE. . Pitcairn Island should be addressed Pitcairn Island, South Pacific, Via New Zealand.
Chapter 5, Paragraph 5-8. Operating split, change to read:
2) Determine the pattern that the DX station is using for working the pileup. The DX may be tuning up in 2 kHz increments, so you want to transmit up a bit from the last successful caller. Or tail end by being right on the responding stations frequency and throw in your call as a tail-ender. If the DX station is tuning at random, best pick a clear frequency and stay there. But – catch this: Some DX stations with a very large pileup say I'm listening "up 5" when he is really listening "up 10". This method divides the callers into two groups - the SMART ones who know how to LISTEN, and the other ones, who don't. Guess which group usually gets to work the DX?
Chapter 2, Paragraph 2-26. Under Yagi Antennas, add: For protection during high winds, when you can tell which direction the winds are coming from, or a storm is approaching, point the element ends into the direction of the approaching winds. Wind load on the boom is minimal compared to 3 or more elements facing the wind.
Chapter 5, Working DX, Paragraph 5-11, Working Contests, add: Contacts made during a contest do count for awards. Send QSLs the same as you would for a DX contact including contest info such as the serial number. Contesters are good QSLers and DXCC entities such as Western Sahara, ZC4, and others quite often appear during a contest but otherwise may be infrequently heard.
Chapter 2. Paragraph 2-27, Vertical Antennas. Add: One vertical guru has this
to recommend for installing radials. Use anywhere from #12- to #16 stranded and
double coated house wire to resist breakage and corrosion. Users report having
these type of radials in the ground for up to 14 years and still in like new
condition. For "on the ground surface" installation, tack
them down every 10 feet. Over time, the grass will grow over the radials and the
lawn mower blades will be well above the wires. For on the ground installation,
schemes are aluminum stake pins available at hardware stores, or with U-shaped
wire fasteners made out of old metal coat hangers. For 'buried radials",
installations use a lawn edger, roto-tiller, or a chain saw to create the
Studies have shown that radial effectiveness diminishes as
the radials are buried. Experiments on 160 meters have shown that radials in the
form of a counterpoise 15 feet above ground produces the best far field
strength, followed by a counterpoise 5 feet above ground, then radials on the
surface and then radials installed in the ground. Your results may vary
depending on ground conductivity.
The "chicken wire" approach could potentially cause some problems over time, if you use inexpensive material, as it will corrode ... also, joints between sections should be bonded well electrically, not just overlapped. Professional installations use copper mesh -- not galvanized chicken wire.
Glossary -- add : WFWL -- DXing term used when the validity of a DX station is in doubt. "Work First Worry Later"
Chapter 4. Change Pagargraph 4-21 to 4-22. The add new paragraph 4-21.
The six-meter band is called the "Magic Band" with good
reason, as it can be very unpredictable. This band like 10M can be very
exciting, using low power and reasonable antenna heights and even ground mounted
verticals. Excellent results can be obtained using a vertical dipole of wire
about 9 feet long, center fed with 50-ohm coax. Of course, beams at 20+ feet and
power can give better results but it is primarily a propagation game. The magic
band is subject to just about every propagation mode, tropospheric, sporadic E,
meteor scatter, Aurora Borealis, trans equatorial, backscatter, and the biggie -
F2. For tropospheric propagation see Paragraph 4-8.
Sporadic E propagation can occur any time but especially in the months of May through August. Double hop Sporadic E is not unusual between the east coast of the US and Europe. Multi - hop Sporadic E, that is three or more hops, is less common but allows fairly long haul contacts.
Sometimes called short skip, sporadic E propagation has
little relation to the solar cycle and occurs regardless of F-layer conditions.
It can provide single hop communication from 190 to 1400 miles and multiple-hop
opportunities of 2800 miles and more.
Meteor scatter is the reflecting of signals off the brief
ionized trail left by a falling meteor. These can last for up to a minute or
more on rare occasions, but more usually for fractions of a second. The
operating practice, ranges achieved etc. are the same as for two meters. Hams
will tape-record high speed CW and play it back at a lower speed to copy.
Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights is capable of
reflecting signals from the HF bands up to 70 cm. Six meter aurora tends to
differ from 2M in that the distortion of the received signal is usually less,
making copy that much easier. Interestingly, if the aurora is strong enough
sporadic-E develops which is known as Auroral-Es.
Trans Equatorial Propagation or TEP, seems peculiar to six
and two meters only, and is common for stations located in a band around the
tropics. For higher latitudes, contacts can be made over paths several thousand
miles in length between stations on either side of the equator particularly
around the months of March and October.
Backscatter is caused by a small portion of the radiated
signal being reflected or scattered back in the direction of the originating
station from the F2 layer or a sporadic E cloud. Signals tend to be weak and
watery, but are usually quite readable.
F2 Layer Skip. This is the most common long distance
propagation mode at HF and can also result in some tremendous DX openings on six
meters. Over the years observations have shown that for us in the higher
latitudes, when we are getting high MUF's, the best months for 6M centers
around December. In the last part of 2001 and early 2002, the east coast of the
USA was routinely working into Europe, while west coast USA stations were
working into the Caribbean and sometimes into the Pacific and Japan.
In addition to the favorable months, check for high solar
activity which can result in propagation above what might be expected from the
MUF. A good source for checking openings is the DX Packet Clusters or just set
your receiver for scan mode around 50.110 MHz. Also monitoring 28.885 MHz will
find stations with six meter reports and requests for possible contacts.
During periods of high solar activity, the Solar Flux will
typically be in the two to three hundred region, sometimes greater. Good 6M
conditions are generally, but not always, associated with a high solar flux and
a low A index. That is a flux above say 180 units and an A index below 8 units.
The K index tends to give an indication of the direction of propagation.
Incidentally a high A index, say 30 upwards, would indicate the possibility of
an aurora. The higher the figure, the more likely an aurora will take place. The
famous aurora of the 13 March 1988 had an A index which peaked 175 units.
Another method of predicting an opening, is to monitor the MUF as it moves higher in frequency. Tuning a TV set to channel 2, or listening to utility station frequencies can discover 6M openings. And of course, the packet clusters, someone is always listening for 6M openings.
15, 2002, From Lee R. Wical, KH6BZF ex-K8HQR
page 2-2 para 2-2 third paragraph: add to ICOM list: ICOM-781!
page 3-4 para 3-7 add: contesting logging: add TR log, Also add: CT
page 3-6 para 3-10 add DXMon (http://www.benlo.com/dxmon. html)
page 4-13 para 4-15 underline of bold: NO BIG GUNS OR CONTESTING HERE!
page 4-14 para 4-19 third paragraph: CONTEST ARE NOT Allowed on this band either! (a matter of consistently)
5-12 The "OPERATING SPLIT" GRAPH I would reverse the picture of the
VFO A and VFO B to read increase in frequency as English is read, from left to
right, i.e., Engineering/drafting convention the lower freq. on the right on
left side and the higher freq. on the right-hand side).
Ed Note: Many books represent it as I have it in the book. AND turning my Kenwood Main dial clockwise makes the tuned frequency go up. Mox Nix ???
page 5-30 para 5-31, Freq. Usage: 7.075-7.100 Subband assigned to Insular Areas: Hawai'i, American Samoa, US Pacific Territorial Islands, Alaska and Puerto Rico and US Caribbean Territorial Islands.
page 5-32, 40 Meters insert the same above 7.075-7.100 with data modes assigned, as a courtesy, either side of this Insular Areas Subband.
page 6-13 para: 6-15 Somehow address Euro Dollars, their sending by Eu stations and their receipt, thereof. (I've been getting them, I'll just recycle them!)
page 6-14 Same by adding Euro dollars
page 6-15 para 6-17 add: 5. Euro Dollars
page 6-19 para 6-26 add: Euro Dollars to check list.
page 7-2 "FINDING DX" under para 5. add the "DXMON" free software program that searches all packet clusters! AGAIN: http:www.benlo.com/dxmon.html (A freeware) an excellent program.
page A1-9 Add "Ham Exams" (A self study/computer grading of the FCC pool questions. When one starts hitting 95%, they are ready to move onto an exam testing period/ session and/or move onto the next higher license examination.
page A1-6 Add For straight keys – see URL: http://www.mtechnologies.com/misc/keyadj.htm
Oct 21, 2002
Chapter 2 Equipment Page 2-25, Regarding elevated radials. Add "Consider one pair of radials routed in opposite directions. The currents in those two radials are out of phase and thus the fields cancel at a distance. If you elevate those radials high enough, the fields cancel before they encounter the ground and thus avoid a lot of ground loss. With the radials laying on the ground, the fields can't cancel before encountering the ground and thus there is a considerable amount of ground loss, so you need lots of radials to try to mimic a perfect conducting plane.
27, 2002 Appendix A10 or Appendix A14. Add VP6D Ducie Island (OC-182) (ITU Zone
63 CQ Zone 32) Lat -24.67 Long -124.8 W officially added to DXCC
list on June 1, 2002.
October 28, 2002. By constantly adding information to the important parts of the book, e.g., DXing, propagation, equipment, SWR, etc, the book went well over 2 pounds and was costing to much to ship. So after this date the following Appendices have been deleted in an effort to save book weight and reduce shipping costs. Also they were of limited interest. But all of these can all be found at the indicated URL's:
A1-8. Passing the code test -- see URL: http://ac6v.com/morseaids.htm#CWPASS
A1-9. Ham Exam Study Guides -- see URL: http://ac6v.com/help.htm#EXAMS
A1-10. Learning The Morse Code -- see URL: http://ac6v.com/morseaids.htm#Learn
A6 beacons --- now incorporated into Appendix A3 (as this was repeated information)
A-8. DX Clubs --- See URL: http://ac6v.com/clubs.htm (The URL's for these change frequently -- always updated on the web)
A9 DX On The Internet. Over 600 links. See URL: http://ac6v.com/dx.htm
A12. Amateur Radio Books. Just too many to list. See ARRL web site and google.com
Nov 2, 2002. Chapter 2, Paragraph 2-40. Add: For feeding cables into the house, folks have used vent pipes thru the house roof, dryer vent tubes into an exterior wall, and some construct plastic or metal boxes as feed-throughs complete with coax connectors on the exterior and interior of the house wall. Seal the ends to prevent bugs and critters from gaining an access point. Radio Shack used to sell a plastic wall feedthru with seals on either end.
Nov 3, 2002. Chapter 2. End Of Paragraph 2-25. Add Antenna Placements. Often asked is what effect is exhibited when antennas are close to one another ?? One expert advises, measure the antenna impedance with no other antennas around it. Then measure its impedance with other antennas in the vicinity. Any change in impedance indicates mutual coupling. For multiband antennas – this means impedance measurements on each band.
Nov 4, 2002. Chapter 6 add:
AC6V's InkJet Card. Select an image (I used
PowerPoint, you can use PrintShop and import graphics), visit a paper supplier and choose heavy stock with the preferred
color. Get samples and see if they will go thru your printer. Print image on one
side. On the reverse side print the QSL data -- call, time, RST, etc. Print
several images per sheet. Trim to size with a paper cutter. This is OK for a few
cards, but will take you broke as inkjet cards take a lot of ink. For economical
quantity, take an inkjet master, then Xerox several on a sheet, cut to size.
Really best to Xerox them as inkjet will smear and run when wet. See sample
AC6V's Photo QSL Card. Use your 35mm Camera -- take your favorite photo -- Shack, Mug Shot, Local Attraction, etc. Have photo finisher run off 100 copies or so (try drugstore coupons). For callsign - use an Avery transparent label. For QSL data, use an Avery stick-on label, on the back of the photo. Print with ink-jet or laser. For AC6V's homemade card see Oceanside Harbor and the Star Of India at the bottom of the brag page, Sample at URL --- http://ac6v.com/brag.htm#QSL
Chapter 2, Under Yagi Antennas, Paragraph 2-26, add:
For cleaning aluminum tubing, an antenna guru recommends the use of #0 steel wool, along with dishwashing detergent. First wet the aluminum tubing with water and wet the steel wool. Add a small amount of dishwashing detergent to the steel wool and then scrub the aluminum. Rinse out the steel wool periodically with water. Then add more dishwashing detergent to the steel wool and clean again. Rinse off the aluminum tubing periodically. After cleaning a piece of aluminum tubing, rinse it thoroughly with clean water and then dry it off with a clean rag. When assembling an antenna after cleaning the aluminum, apply a very thin film of Penetrox-A anti-oxidant to all of the aluminum-to-aluminum connections. Unless you totally disassemble and clean the traps, never attempt to clean the outer aluminum shells of antenna traps as water and steel wool fragments can enter the traps causing shorts and excessive trap moisture content.
Chapter 2, Paragraph 2-37. Add
Proper grounding of equipment may solve some RFI problems, see PolyPhaser document at http://www.polyphaser.com/
There are several manufacturers that make kilowatt band pass filters for the output of your transmitter to reduce harmonic radiation. These typically offer up to 60 dB of attenuation. Placing two low pass filters in series, will in theory, yield 120dB, but in practice, it is more like 90 or 100dB. At these levels of attenuation, signals tend to go around the filters.
Radio Shack and others offer input filters for TV and FM sets. RF Parts offer RFI kits including toroids and chokes. For stereo, a 0.01 uF cap across speaker leads will bypass speaker coils. Be sure neighbors have high quality coax -- both cable and outdoor antenna leads. Replace old twin-lead TV antenna lead-ins with coax and transformers. Clean up TV antenna connections.
Be proactive in solving the interference issue. (caution: don't open any neighbor's equipment!) Provide the filters free and show them how they are installed at YOUR location and recommend they contact a service technician. Having a neighbor actually see that your house is interference free is a strong indicator that their house can also be free of interference, but with some additional effort.
Chapter 7. Add new DX Secret -- If a station is calling for a geographical area only (e.g., QRZ Europe only), wait it out. If the op slips and just sez QRZ -- pounce on them (they goofed). She/he didn't say Europe in that call, so fair game. If they question you – just say sorry I heard you call just QRZ. Works more times than not.
Appendix A1. ADJUSTING PADDLES AND STRAIGHT KEYS
Change URL to : For straight keys – see URL: http://www.mtechnologies.com/misc/keyadj.htm
Appendix A1. Character Spacing and Calculating Morse Code Speed
ADD di di
1 1 1 (3) = 6 elements
7-1. CALLING DX (NON-PILEUP OPERATION) Add new neat trick.
Rich KY6R reports
"I read your story about snagging YI1BGD. I heard him reply to someone
elses CQ, so I decided to call CQ 3 KC's up from that QSO, and he replied to my
CQ. He must have been tired of the pileups and instead made a few QSO's by
answering CQ's. That was the second time this happened to me, but the first time
I got a rare new one this way! I had been chasing him for weeks on 40 and 30 CW
during the gray line in January, and he was always about 559 at best with heavy
pileups. Anyway, this confirms that the most important ham "gear" is
your ears (and mind). Chapter 2. Add Paragraph 2-7. SUPERHETRODYNE RECEIVERS
Chapter 2. Add Paragraph 2-7. SUPERHETRODYNE RECEIVERS
Superheterodyne receivers reduce the incoming signal frequency by mixing in a signal from a local oscillator to produce an intermediate frequency (IF). Superhets have better performance because the components can be optimized for a single intermediate frequency, and take advantage of selectivity designs. Along with front end selectivity, the choice of 1st IF frequency determines rejection for signals at the image frequency. For double conversion superhets, the 1st IF selectivity, along with the 2nd IF selectivity determines the adjacent channel selectivity. All of the above are significant in determining adjacent channel blocking. More gain towards the front end is worse, and more selectivity towards the front end is better, in both cases, costs are reduced.
Triple conversion is not necessarily the best for any of the above, but it does add design flexibility. It can allow more practical (in price or availability) choices for bandpass tuning, less complex transceive functionality with a matching transmitter, common modules for multiple equipment design implementations, and perhaps allow lower cost components. (e.g., LC circuits as opposed to more expensive channel filters.)
Chapter 5, Working DX. Paragraph 5-33. Add to this paragraph as necessary
6 meters is generally considered a VHF band as 30 to 300 MHz is defined as such. Six meters is a lot like 10M - low power and small antennas will work well when one has F-Layer skip or sporadic E. F-layer skip only occurs during the peak of the sunspot cycle when the solar flux is up toward 300 and the A and K are agreeable. Otherwise Sporadic E is more common and here in California one can work the North West part of the USA - Wyoming, Washington, Ore, Utah, ND, Nevada and as far back as Kansas. But on occasion we get multi hop E skip all over the USA and North America. Other propagation modes are Ground Wave, Aurora, tropo, backscatter and meteor scatter. There are also hybrids of these propagation types such as Auroral E's, Sporadic E tied to F layer skip, and then there are extended tunnels that are made up of all of these propagation types. See URL: http://ac6v.com/propagation.htm
The best way to work 6M DX is to put the DX windows in memory - 50.125 National SSB Calling Frequency; 50.06-50.09 USA Beacons, 50.090 CW Calling Freq, 50.7 RTTY Calling Frequency, 50.110 DX Calling Frequency, 50.115 DXpeditions. Put these in memory -- then scan them with the squelch just engaged. A lot of 6M DX activity will come thru on the DX Calling frequency - 50.110. and the National SSB Calling Frequency 50.125. Or scan the entire SSB DX window - 50.100 to 50.200+. Also listen for US Beacons 50.06-50.09 MHz and International Beacons from 50.00 to 50.06 MHz see URL: :http://ac6v.com/beacons.htm Also see 6M calling frequencies above.
Another way is to monitor the DX packet cluster – 6M enthusiasts will scan the band periodically and post any domestic or DX activity. If the band is open -- it will appear on the clusters. But one can tune for hours, days, weeks and hear nothing but locals. If the solar flux gets to 300 or so -- the band may open to Europe for a few minutes or for California - Asia --- but this solar cycle it has been disappointing. 6M is the usually the only band that the DX packet clusters will spot US States – since openings are so rare. Typically they report grid squares as folks like to work all grid squares as well as states and DX when there. Your grid square can be found at QRZ.com. Mine is DM13ie. Also see URL: http://www.icomamerica.com/ Click on AMATEUR, then U.S. Grid Square. Some hams watch TV (over the air) and when skip is in -- channel 2 local may be taken over by a signal from elsewhere – a sure sign of skip signals.
More on six meter activity at URL: http://ac6v.com/hambands.htm#50
Six meter beacons at URL: http://ac6v.com/beacons.htm
An international six meter club SMIRK is at url: http://www.smirk.org/
For 6M DX spots and openings – use the local packet cluster or you can also use telnet on the internet --- URL: http://www.cestro.com/pcluster/telnet.html
Propagation Prediction is black magic at best. But the prop charts at the ARRL may help for F layer openings http://www.arrl.org/qst/propcharts/
When you first make 6M contacts, be aware that propagation can change very suddenly, so best to get the essentials across with quick transmissions -- give Callsign, Grid Square (4-digit only City and State, and an RST signal report. Once these are out of the way an extended QSO can ensue, but remember the propagation can change quickly and some operators are trying to make as many contacts as possible before the band closes again.
Beginners on 6M may have a tendency to treat contacts like an HF QSO. As mentioned- keep the transmissions short and use "Over" to avoid repeating callsigns over and over again. And sooner or later you will want to have in the log, callsign, state, and the grid square as well as mode, time (UTC) date and RST. Why grid squares? This is because many awards (VUCC and six meter organizations) offer awards based on the number of grid squares worked. And of course Working All States on 6M is no easy task as it is on HF. Likewise DXCC entities are far and few in between, be sure to hang in the pileups to get them, you may not hear another like it for a long long time.
A mystery for the beginner is where the other station is located. You may only receive or hear their grid square, so have a grid square map or listing available. See URL: http://ac6v.com/opaids.htm#GRID But with some maps, it is difficult to determine the state borders.
A neat program for this is DX Atlas URL: http://www.dxatlas.com/ By VE3NEA. With a map displayed of the area desired, do a CNTRL G, then type in the grid square, a red 4-point locator will appear on the map so you can determine the state and location within the state. With this program, the state outlines are very clear. Where the grid square is close to state borders, using the zoom function will enlarge the grid square to help determine a more precise location. In the case where the grid encompasses 2 or more states, you can use the RAC, Buckmaster or QRZ callbooks to determine the callor's state and city. (I have it at the ready in my computer along with DX Atlas and a Logging program). Other useful tools to coordinate QSO's are the 50 MHz prop logger (http://dxworld.com/50prop.html) as well as the chat area at www.dxer.info.
Sometimes you only hear the callsign and want to know the city, state and grid square. Use the callbooks for this and hope the guy/gal didn't move.
Some operators are using WSJT which is "Weak Signal communication, by K1JT." URL: http://pulsar.princeton.edu/~joe/K1JT/ This was developed for EME but has branched into being used with weak signal operation on 6M and 2M especially. It has three formats: FSK441, JT44 and JT6M.
And don't sit in front of the rig tuning or endlessly calling CQ. When the band has no propagation, you may raise a few locals if lucky. But if the band seems dead, call CQ periodically a few times on 50.125 MHz. Otherwise set the rig for 50.125 or 50.110 (DX) or scan the band and read a good book or surf the web. Long intervals of time (days, weeks) can pass with nothing more than locals stations being heard.
Some stations operate scatter when the band is dead and reach beyond the horizon, but usually these are stations with big antennas and power.
Does power and gain antennas matter? Well with good F skip or single hop sporadic E, a few watts and a dipole or vertical will work surprisingly well. With poor propagation and double hop, going QRO can get you above the noise level. And of course a directional high gain antenna will let you hear the weak ones. Hence "The Magic Band"
Chapter 7. Add DX tip. During a contest, try searching and calling CQ on the non-contest bands/modes, e.g., during a SSB contest, check the RTTY, CW, and digital modes on all bands, and the WARC bands for a rare one. Not all DX stations want to be in the contest with the howling mob.
January 9th, 2004
Bill wrote: I don't
think you spent much time in your book on the missing QSL card. Why
has'nt the guy responded to my card with his QSL? How long is one to wait
before the follow up? How to make the contact? Everyone must experience
this problem once in awhile so what to do. If the manager has an email
listing is that a good approach? Sure is cheap. I'm not looking for an
extensive answer to this problem.
So add to Chapter All About QSLing:
The Missing QSL Card
Not all QSL cards will come back in a reasonable period of
time. Reasons could be your envelope was ripped off by postal thieves or got
lost in the mail, or the postal clerk couldn't read your handwriting – use a
printed address label. You included insufficient postage. Some managers take the
insufficient postage QSLs and eventually dump them into the bureau system –
could take a coupla years to get to you.
Another reason for the missing QSL card is that somehow the logs got lost and
all these contacts are unverifiable.
Another reason for the missing QSL card is that somehow the logs got lost and all these contacts are unverifiable.
The manager or DX station is way behind – managers are
essentially volunteers. The manager is waiting for a build up of cards before
tackling the job, or waiting to print a new batch of QSL cards. And
in a rare case, a poor manager who got in over their head, could take many
months for them to catch up. In one case, the QSL manager died and it was a year
before some one else obtained the logs. Could be a broken contact and you are
not in the log – but most managers or the DX will inform you of this – but
some don't. Perhaps you sent a card via the bureau to a manager and expect a
reply via the bureau -- not all managers will honor this.
Some (but overall very few) DX stations just want the return postage money and don't reply, these get to be known and a post to the rec.radio.amateur.dx news group will usually get an answer if certain stations are indeed QSLing and who received theirs and when.
DX stations on temporary assignment may wait until they
return home before QSLing, could be many months. Some DX stations have good
intentions – but alas just are very poor at QSLing. In the last case, work
another in the country and hope for the best. I have had many rare DX contacts
and never received a return and some QSLs came in six years later !!!
A friend just received a FT5 card in Jan 2004. The QSO was on July 7th 1998. The card was in the exact return envelope that he had supplied in 1998 !!!!
Well what do? After about six to twelve months I send
another card and adequate postage and make sure the envelope doesn't exhibit
Ham radio content. I did this three times for a 3V Tunisia card via an Italian
QSL manager – but I finally got it. Write a postcard or look up the manager or
DX stations E-Mail on the web and ask – have them respond to your e-mail
address -- most find this preferable to a letter. This has worked several times
where I was informed that they never received my card. So I sent another.
Go back periodically and look at your logs, try again for those over six or twelve months old.
Chapter 2, Paragraph 2-19. Add:
PBT. Pass Band Tuning. Similar to IF Shift but passband tuning, as implemented on the some ICOMs, changes one edge of the passband. Some rigs have twin passband tuning. Check your operating manual for the range of narrowing or widening the pass band.
Chapter 6, Paragraph 6-4. Add
Another valuable source for grid squares is the Repeater Map Book By Artsci. It shows USA grid squares for each state in map form. Also they have the major highways, cities, and repeaters on the map. URL: http://www.artscipub.com/mapbook/
Except for manuals already shipped to Ham Stores, All of the above comments, additions, subtractions, errors are included in the manuals as shipped. We print on demand.
UPDATED 10 January 2008


text:
The Good
Cruiserweight build to 'Mania: This build was simply executed. Neville was on commentary hyping how he's not scared of Austin Aries while Aries wrestled Noam Dar and looked strong the entire match. He won with his submission, The Last Chancery, but not before intensely staring and Neville before finishing Dar off. Later in the show, Neville wrestled Jack Gallagher in a solid match. He showed strength, but also looked beatable. This is what should happen for a build. Don't let the wrestlers touch; instead, let the anticipation build. Make the challenger look strong; let the heel champion show a weakness or two. This helps establish that the face could win whether he or she does or not.
Roman Reigns/Undertaker build: Roman leans into the heat from Philadelphia by reminding them he won the Royal Rumble there two years ago and went on to headline Wrestlemania – twice – with a little smirk. He says this Wrestlemania is more important because he's going to end The Undertaker which no one else has been able to do. "This is my time now," he says. "This sold-out arena, this is my house now because this is my yard." The gong goes off, and the Titantron shows a grave yard. The Undertaker tells him that the "ring…is his yard" but "the yard you see now is your yard." The camera finally shows that 'Taker is digging the grave. He stops shoveling. "At Wrestlemania, the Roman Empire will fall, and the Ultimate Thrill Ride…will be your last ride." The lights go out and suddenly he's in the ring. "At Wrestlemania, you will REST IN PEACE." He disappears just as he appeared, in darkness. The Undertaker was classic here, digging a grave for Roman, in a video package reminiscent of the '90s. Roman himself was strong, short, and effective on the mic. He had the arrogant look of Superman villain and a heelish timbre in his voice. It was the best Roman in close to a year. This segment definitely benefited this match.
Kevin Owens/Chris Jericho build and Sami Zayn fights for his career: The destinies of Zayn and Owens intersect again. Early in the show, Sami Zayn announced that he was entering the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. Stephanie McMahon interrupts him and says that with Mick Foley gone, there is a new order. She says Zayn doesn't declare anything. Instead, he will face Kevin Owens tonight, and if he loses, he will be fired.
Later in the show, Owens cut a short but effective promo about how Jericho was never his friend. He said that he would have never been a Jericho fan when he was younger if he knew him like he did now. He also says he relishes the chance to take Sami Zayn's career away from him just like Jericho took his Universal Title. Owen says, "I'm going to turn the Ultimate Thrill Ride (which thankfully he said mockingly) into Chris Jericho's ultimate demise." This was good if only for the fact that Owens knew enough to say the catchphrase in a disgusted way. Bravo.
The match was good and got Philly invested in the match quickly due to the number of hard-hitting high spots. At one point, it looks like Sami has the upper hand, and Samoa Joe comes down, grabs a chair, and looks ready to interfere when Chris Jericho's music hits. Joe readies himself for Jericho, staring at the ramp, but Jericho comes from the crowd and attacks him. He takes Joe out with the chair, and Owens is distracted long enough by this for Sami to get the roll-up for a 1-2-3. Owens starts to attack Sami, but Jericho runs Owens out of the ring with a chair shot as well. Owens and Joe make their way up the ramp while glaring angrily at Jericho. Jericho grabs a mic: "Kevin Owens, who know what happens when you betray Chris Jericho?" The crowd pops and chants, "Yes!" Finally, after being interrupted weeks ago, "You just made The List!" Owens sells being put on the list as if Jericho just destroyed a cherished possession. These two stories tied in well, and the build to one of the best stories leading to Wrestlemania was finally capped off with Jericho putting Owens on The List. This is still the heart of Wrestlemania heading into the show in six days.
Brock/Goldberg build: Paul Heyman delivered one of his better promos throughout this Lesnar and Goldberg feud, but it still felt a little like he's phoning it in. He did put over the championship, although he engaged in some hyperbole that felt insincere, and put over Goldberg as a "superhero." But, in the end, Lesnar is "The Beast," and Heyman says he'll be triumphant at Wrestlemania. Goldberg comes out and says Philadelphia isn't there to see them talk, so since he can't take Philly to Orlando, he's going to bring Orlando to Philly. Lesnar jumps out of the ring to meet the rushing Goldberg who immediately spears him at the bottom on the ramp. He gets into the ring and holds the Universal Title above his head as Brock lays holding his ribs to end the show. This was a relatively tame segment ending into 'Mania, but the Philadelphia crowd helped by being hot for it, so it made the match seem more important thanks to them.
The Bad
Women's build to WM: Bayley opens RAW and talks for about three minutes and practically the only message was that she is so excited that she's going to Wrestlemania. Charlotte comes out and tells Bayley she's a "fangirl in a women's world." She tells her that Sasha is waiting to stab her in the back because that's who she is. Sasha comes out next. She says that she feels "like she hears this same thing every week." That's because she has for about the past four weeks. Sasha claims Charlotte is just trying to "stir the pot" but her and Bayley understand that "friendship is friendship and business is business." Nia comes out last and says the three of them are all "high school drama" and she's going to win the title.
This leads to a match because that's exactly what you should do the week before the biggest PPV of the year is give away part of the action they would see, but three hours to fill and all that. Charlotte took the pin after a Bayley-to-Belly. Afterwards, Nia took out all three women. This segment did nothing to help this feud that hasn't been done previously, and the crowd was largely silent except some "CM Punk" chants at one point. Hopefully, after 'Mania, this division can get some fresh story lines because this is dreadful television. To compound the problem even further by placing the four women in a tag team match is hackneyed booking, pure and simple. After that finish, everyone knows Bayley isn't holding the title and that Nia isn't winning it most likely, which is another bad reason to have one of these matches before the big event.
Rollins-HHH build to WM: This is the contract signing segment for the unsanctioned match. HHH tries to explain that life is about taking what you want and saying to hell with everyone else. Seth tells him that was what Hunter said to convince him to join The Authority three years ago, but it's not three years ago. He's now trying to redeem himself and become "Seth-Freaking-Rollins" again. After Rollins signs, Hunter attacks him because, of course. Hunter does some more damage to Rollins's leg but Rollins got the advantage and back-dropped him out of the ring. This segment went on far too long, and having Rollins explain that he's part of a "redemption" story to the crowd was embarrassing to watch. At least the physical interaction seemed even which could allow viewers to feel the finish is up-in-the-air.
Over-the-top Challenge: It seems like the point of this match is that The Big Show takes on one challenger at a time to see if he can eliminate all of them. He eliminates Jinder Mahal, then Bo Dallas, before a swarm of lower card wrestlers come out to beat him up and eliminate him. The Big Show gets angry and returns to the ring to clear it out. Then Braun Strowman's music hits. Braun says he could destroy Show right now, but he does what he wants, so everyone will have to wait for Wrestlemania where he will also be in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. This was a rather pointless segment that existed only for Strowman to announce he's entering the battle royal Sunday, which anyone could have guessed considering he has nothing to do on the show.
Tag Team Championship Build: The Club attacked Cesaro and Sheamus backstage earlier in the show, and later they wrestled Enzo and Cass. When they were on the ramp, Cesaro and Sheamus attacked them with a ladder that was used on them earlier in the show. The three teams brawl, and the segment ends with Gallows and Anderson standing tall and giving Wolfpack signs in the ring. At least this segment didn't last long.
The Final Analysis: Overall, it was a mixed show. There was a lot of filler with meaningless backstage interviews, promotional materials, overly long segments that are weeks or even months late, in the case of Rollins. However, there were some solid segments in this go-home show, most notably Reigns/'Taker, Jericho/Owens, and the cruiserweights, which interestingly enough, but be the matches that needed the build-up the least. Surely, big things will come next week on the RAW after 'Mania as usually new stars are introduced and a couple reset buttons are hit.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM), is a large and ecologically diverse region located in northeast Colombia, South America. This region is scenic and pristine with high levels of biodiversity. The terrain is drained by 30 river basins. However, with encroaching development it is feared that many of the rivers and streams could be contaminated by agriculture, industry and domestic sanitary wastewater. The objective of this study was to construct, operate and evaluate a small pilot-scale integrated wastewater treatment facility. The experimental system was designed to provide primary and secondary treatment for up to six residents. The system consists of a septic tank followed by 4 subsurface-flow wetlands, a single surface-flow wetland and a terminal storage lagoon. Once wastewater flow was established, the treatment cells and lagoon were planted with aquatic macrophytes including Hygrophyla guyanensis, Limnochris spand Eichornia crassipes. The efficiency of the pilot plant will be studied over a three year period to evaluate water quality dynamics as a function of sub-system, vegetation and time. However, this paper will report on water quality dynamics during a short 60 day acclimation period. Monitored parameters include temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Ammonia-N (NH+ 4-N) nitrate (NO3-N) and nitrite (NO2-N). Shortly after start up, removal efficacy was low and irregular. Monitoring results during acclimation of the system revealed anoxic conditions throughout the sub-units. However, COD and nitrate removal improved in subsequent samplings (>80%). Monitoring will be continued for many months to access the impacts of system age, organic loading and aquatic vegetation.
No Reference information available - sign in for access.
No Citation information available - sign in for access.
No Supplementary Data.
No Article Media
No Metrics
Document Type: Research Article
Publication date: 01 January 2008
More about this publication?
- Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation is an archive of papers published in the proceedings of the annual Water Environment Federation® Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC® ) and specialty conferences held since the year 2000. These proceedings are not peer reviewed. A subscription to the Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation includes access to most papers presented at the annual WEF Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) and other conferences held since 2000. Subscription access begins 12 months after the event and is valid for 12 months from month of purchase. A subscription to the Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation is included in Water Environment Federation (WEF) membership.
WEF Members: Sign in (right panel) with your IngentaConnect user name and password to receive complimentary access. Access begins 12 months after the conference or event
- Subscribe to this Title
- Membership Information
- About WEF Proceedings
- WEFTEC Conference Information
- Learn about the many other WEF member benefits and join today
- Ingenta Connect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites


text:
While Rockstar has said nothing about the release date of the upcoming next generation version of GTA V for PS4, Xbox One and PC besides that it will be sometime in 2014, it seems that British video game retailer GAME might have some clue as to when players will be able to roam the streets of San Andreas with the new and improved visuals on their PS4 or Xbox One.
According to the twitter account of GAME's Croydon store, the game has a provisional release date of November 1st.
Now that might not be a shock for many people since it seemed impossible that such a huge game would be making its way to players before the fourth quarter, having just been announced in the 2nd quarter during E3.
1st November for #GTAV who's excited? I know we are!!!
— GAME Croydon (@GAMECroydon) August 28, 2014
When asked as to the guarantee of this release date, the store's reply was that the release date was on their internal calendar and if somehow it were to change they would notify the customers.
@KorrupTSluMpy that's the date we have on our calendar! Same day as #LegoBatman3 and #ProjectCars
If it changes we will let you know
— GAME Croydon (@GAMECroydon) August 28, 2014
While the time for the release is ultimately drawing close and it is expected that retailers will have the correct dates directly from publishers, it could still turn out to be just a rumor and the actual release might be even later in the year, possibly around Christmas.
Let's hope Rockstar takes notice of this tweet and releases and official statement confirming the date mentioned by GAME.


text:
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Sea Shells in Home
Sea shells are mostly for spring and summer home decors, but you can use them in every season as well. It totally depends on your likes and dislikes in the home interior. You can prefer seasonal decorative objects or you can also prefer to use the same decorative objects for all the seasons. Many decors and occasions lend themselves to accessories from the seashore. Whether you're decorating a room with a nautical theme or throwing a beach themed party, bags of large sea shells are an easy and affordable option that will give your space the perfect touch of sand and surf. Choose from a bag of assorted colors or a bag of black and white toned shells. Bags of large sea shells contain 10 shells each. Available in assorted colors or black and white toned. Bags of large sea shells at World Market are sold separately.
Posted by Deniz Home at Saturday, May 21, 2011 0 comments
Labels: Bags of Large Sea Shells, Sea Shells
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Beautiful Gift for Every Mother
Mother's day gift is always difficult to choose. The gift should be a gift that is useful and beautiful looking. Why buy the same gifts each year? This year you can buy a creative pot for strawberries that your mother will like a lot! The classic strawberry pot gets a fresh new outlook in high-gloss green. Handcrafted pots are hand-glazed and twice-fired. Strawberry pot is made of glazed earthenware, and it has drainage hole. Pot is both for indoor or outdoor use; bring indoors during freezing temperatures. Strawberry pot at Crate&Barrel is made in Portugal.
Posted by Deniz Home at Sunday, May 01, 2011 1 comments
Labels: Pot, Strawberry, Strawberry Pot
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Jaipur, Rajasthan
Dated – 22 Nov 2010
My first scheduled trip to Jaipur, Rajasthan…just for the sake of travel, as Robert Loius Stevenson once quoted, ""I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move."
This is my real dream, I genuinely want to travel, travel a lot, explore places, meet people, learn the cultural diversity across India and abroad, try to imbibe the best, and in the end feel content. I thought travel was all about this.
I was sceptical to plan this trip initially and to that a friend added, "Go for it! 10 or 20 years down the line, would you want to regret thinking you did nothing exciting in life? NO? Right? Then simply go for it…when you look back you should feel happy & content" .
I was determined by now & without wasting any more time, I booked my tickets and thought let the journey begin…


text:
Not a lot of luck last weekend – one win from three, but several iffy performances from the teams I backed, which was disheartening for me!
Philadelphia Eagles -3 @ 20/21 vs Detroit Lions (6pm)
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the NFL season so far for me has been the performances of the Philadelphia Eagles. The decision right before the season started to trade quarterback Sam Bradford and put their faith in rookie Carson Wentz seemed like a signal of a long, hard season for Philly. In reality though Wentz has shown the poise of a wily veteran, leading the Eagles to victory in their opening three games while he is yet to turn the ball over in his short career. Equally impressive and just as important has been the performance of their defence who lead the NFL in scoring.
The Lions may be a better team this year than their record suggests and have the ability to put up points but they have now dropped three games on the trot. In contrast to the Eagles defence they have had just one takeaway all season and will struggle to get meaningful pressure on Wentz. The Eagles match up to well all over the field for the Lions in this one and being fresh coming of their bye week this should be a routine victory by more than the 3. Much like Denver last week this handicap is a gift.
Pittsburgh Steelers -7.5 @ Evens vs New York Jets (6pm)
Pittsburgh went up against a very good opponent in Kansas City last weekend and simply blew them away in a victory that sound warning bells around the rest of the league. Running back Leveon Bell returned from his three game suspension to put in a massive performance for this juggernaut offence which also has arguably the best wideout in the league in Antonio Brown. Their often criticised defence also stepped up to the mark with 4 sacks and two turnovers. That is bad news for opposing Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Since winning the big contract he seems to have reverted to the player we saw while he was in Buffalo and leads the league in interceptions thrown. Given the Steelers ability to put up points the Jets chances seem to rest in his hands and he is playing too poorly right now to believe there is any way to keep the Jets close in this one. The Steelers are 6-1 in home contests against the Jets and that gap will widen today. If you can find the handicap at an even 7 points take it but the extra half point does not overly worry me.
Another that I like from this week is the New York Giants (+7.5) at 10/13 against the Green Bay Packers. Yes, it's a second road game at a tough opponent in less than a week and the Giants have struggled offensively this season but the prospect of getting more than a touchdown in this one is too good to turn down. The Giants have too much talent not to click eventually and they'll have a good opportunity to bounce back against a poor Packers secondary that is missing its best cornerback in Sam Shields. The Giants have a decent record here in the Eli Manning era winning in the playoffs during both their Superbowl seasons. They might not win this one outright but should be able to keep it close and within the touchdown.
Normally I steer well clear of backing double-digit favourites on the handicap especially in road games but it's hard to look beyond the New England Patriots (-10) @ 20/21 when they travel to the Cleveland Browns. Talisman Tom Brady is back from suspension after missing the first four weeks and will be licking his chops at the prospect of facing the 0-4 Browns. Last weeks debacle against Buffalo aside, this Patriots team has retained big scoring ability in his absence and with the pieces of the offence coming back together this game should be over in the first half.
The preferred double is the Eagles and Steelers at odds of 3/1 while the four fold would return a very nice 13/1.
Best of luck!


text:
Kidney disease is divided into five stages, and stage 5 kidney disease is the end stage, which means patients kidney function is damaged severely. Thereby, if patients within kidney disease stage 5, is...[Read More]
Kidney disease is divided into five stages, and end stage renal disease means patients kidney function is very low. Kidney plays a key role in regulating our internal balance, so when patients kidney f...[Read More]
Dialysis is a common way used in western medicine to replace normal kidney function in stage 5 CKD. However, it is easy to cause complications or even aggravate kidney damage. Many of the patients woul...[Read More]
Kidney disease is divided into five stages, and stage 5 is the end stage, at which dialysis usually will be needed. As a matter of fact, many people may have this curiosity: what is the life expectancy...[Read More]
There are usually some of the patients with stage 5 CKD complaining about their poor memory. Why? What are causes of memory loss? It is related to their kidney disease? Now this article will give you a...[Read More]
In clinical, CKD can be divided into five stages according to patients' GFR level. Stage 5 CKD, also called End Stage Renal Disease, is the most severe stage of kidney disease. In this stage, almost ...[Read More]
Shortness of breath is a very common symptoms in stage 5 CKD patients especially the patients on dialysis. Studies show that shortness of breath has become the major cause of death of the patients. Is ...[Read More]
Stage 5 CKD, also named End Stage Renal Disease, is the most severe stage of kidney disease. Usually, dialysis or kidney transplant will be recommended in this stage by your physician to keep you alive...[Read More]
Please call +008613463017175 or email to firstname.lastname@example.com(Monday through Sunday) to make an appointment or request an Online Doctor Consultation


text:
Karissa is currently studying Biology at UC Irvine, and eventually wants a career working with animals. She applied to work at the zoo about a year ago and was THRILLED to receive an interview, and then a job offer. Before she worked for us at Jurassic Parties, Karissa volunteered with all sorts of animals; reptiles and mammals alike. She's worked local reptile events for kids, and donated her time and energy to animal shelters. Her passion for animals and outreach make her such a fantastic employee.
Reaching out to the chameleons.
Karissa one day hopes to work in the conservation field with endangered animals in Africa. She holds a special place in her heart for big cats, which she hopes to one day work with at a zoo or rescue organization. When not presenting at Jurassic Parties, Karissa is working towards her bachelor's degree in biology. Her favorite food is pizza, her star sign is Aquarius (just like Forest!), and her favorite animals at the Reptile Zoo are the Dumeril's boas. The funniest thing that happened to her so far at work was when she was talking to a visitor, one of our chameleons went to the bathroom right above her. She finished answering the question she was asked, and then in true polite and sweet Karissa fashion, excused herself to freshen up.
Employee Bios | Jurassic Parties | The Reptile Zoo
First off, cane toads are considered an invasive species here in the United States. These toads are originally from Central and South America, and were introduced by humans as a pest control measure in sugar cane fields. This happened to spectacularly backfire, as the toads didn't eat the beetles that they were supposed to, and instead began to reproduce and spread across the southern states. What makes them harmful and invasive instead of just an introduced species is that they out-compete native toads for food; they have been known to eat 20x the amount of food of a similarly sized native toad species. They feed on a variety of insects, but as they grow larger they will begin to eat anything that fits in their mouth, including matter that is already dead. They have no set breeding season and reproduce year round, which is problematic as they can spawn up to 30,000 eggs in a single spawning event. In prime habitat, cane toad populations can reach up to 2,000 toads per hectare. That's 2 toads every 10 square meters! Aside from outcompeting native toad species, these toads have another nasty trick up their sleeve… poison.
The cane toad has a large gland located behind the eye. When stressed or scared, these toads ooze a milky white liquid called Bufotoxin. This toxin is present in all the life cycles of the cane toad, even down to the tadpoles and eggs. When this toxin comes in contact with skin, it reddens and swells. If it enters a cut on the body or is ingested, the poison affects breathing, blood pressure, and heartbeat. Victims may excessively salivate, vomit, or become paralyzed. This nasty substance has actually been the cause of some controversy; it is considered a class 1 drug in Australia, right up there with cannabis and heroin, as it can also bring on hallucinations if ingested. Before you go getting any ideas, this toxin can also bring on an acute case of dead, so avoid touching/licking/mouthing the toads. Here at the Reptile Zoo we do not play around, and always handle these toads with gloves to avoid any contact with this nasty poison. While there is usually not enough toxin to kill an adult human, children and especially family pets are at risk. Many dogs and cats have unfortunately become victims of cane toad poison.
Check out the little pores in the paratoid gland! That's where the poison comes out
All that nastiness aside, we couldn't be more excited to have these toads here! You all know we have a soft spot for freakishly large animals, and while these toads aren't quite there yet, we know that one day they'll be outstripping our African Bullfrogs in size! So make sure you come by and admire Worf, Worfina, and Goldie in their new home next to our giant python habitat!
Animal Bios | The Reptile Zoo
Those of you who follow our blog and come to the zoo know that, around here, we love our gentle giants. Not all of them are snakes and lizards though! We wanted to formally (and belatedly) introduce you to Michael, one of the fabulous people that make up the team here at the Reptile Zoo.
When Michael isn't traveling all over Southern California bringing joy and reptiles to people everywhere, he can usually be found at our petting station in the zoo, chatting to visitors about all of the exotic animals we have here. His knowledge of reptiles can only be dwarfed by his impressive stature. He is an information sponge, and has been soaking up reptile facts since he was a little boy. The most common question Michael gets is "Where did you learn all this stuff?" and he cheerfully replies "All self-taught!" Michael began in 2013 as a lot of our employees begin, by working for the zoo in our OC Fair exhibit over the summer.
When not working here at the zoo, Michael likes to relax, hang out with friends, and occasionally go out for a spirited round or two of airsoft. His favorite foods are anything new and exotic. Michael aspires to one day be like Steve Irwin, an ambassador to reptiles and people alike. His favorite animal at the zoo is Harvey, the red panther chameleon living above the photo booth. Like Mandy and Lauren, he too is a Scorpio!
He kindly took the time to narrate his funniest moment at the zoo:
" I was replenishing water to the cages around the zoo. Upon opening the olive python cage, one made a break for it. While I was trying to coil it back up into its cage, the other olive python decided my forearm looked like a good spot to bite. It let go two seconds later, but I was strangely calm and proud of receiving my first big snake bite. It's a badge of honor around here. Soldiers compare war wounds, we compare animal bites. Jay and Lynda were trying to patch me up, but it wasn't so bad as it looked. I'm honestly a little disappointed that it didn't leave a better scar… "
Employee Bios | Jurassic Parties
Voted "Best Party in Orange County" Jurassic Parties brings an exciting "hands-on" presentation with "Prehistoric Pets" from around the globe including giant pythons, lizards, frogs, tortoises, and tarantulas just to name a few. Your host creates an outrageously fun, exciting, and educational experience that you and your guests will never forget. You can join-in on the fun or just stand back, watch, and learn. The presentation is full of photo opportunities and concludes with a group photo with our large python!
Voted "Best Party in Orange County" Jurassic Parties brings an exciting "hands-on" presentation with "Prehistoric Pets" from around the globe including giant pythons, lizards, frogs, tortoises, and tarantulas just to name a few. Your host creates an outrageously fun, exciting, and educational experience that you and your guests will never forget. You can join-in on the fun or just stand back, watch, and learn. The presentation is full of photo opportunities and concludes with a group photo with our large python!


text:
What an amazing night! Congratulations to all of the pupils involved in the production with The Young Americans. It was a fabulous show played to a packed house of friends and family. Everyone enjoyed themselves and were very impressed by the huge talent on show.
The show started with some music, songs and dancing from The Young Americans and then our pupils joined in.


text:
Boston Phoenix Article
Variable density
By JON GARELICK | October 15, 2010
To call what Garrison Fewell does with his Variable Density Sound Orchestra "free jazz" doesn't quite fit the bill. Sure, there are plenty of unfixed meters and tonalities and multi-horn improvs. But Fewell likes to contain that freedom within the boundaries of some clear designs — even if those designs aren't conventionally notated. So "The Red Pyramid," from the band's homonymous 2009 album, fits the description of the title — the gradual accretion of musical material to a peak, and then a subtraction. Base to summit and back again.
At Johnny D's on Wednesday night, the band played from that album and the new Sound Particle 47 (Creative Nation Music). Personnel can be variable as well, but in this case the line-up included the great Afro-Dutch saxophonist and flutist John Tchicai, whose compositions are on the new album and whom Fewell called "the fonte — the fountain of tunes we can unite around." Tchicai's credentials go all the way back to John Coltrane's landmark free-jazz record Ascension, on which he played. Ever since, he's combined compositional deliberation with improvisational freedom.
At Johnny D's, the second tune of the first set was typical — "One of Those," which Fewell described as a collective improvisation. And yet, surely there was a predetermined agreement regarding the dynamics of the introductory soft cloud of free fluttering horns. (Tchicai was joined on the front line by tenor-sax Kelly Roberge, bass-clarinettest Todd Brunel, and trumpeter Jerry Sabatini.) The cloud would clear for solo passages or subdivided groupings of the entire band. For much of the night, Fewell and Eric Hofbauer both played understated guitar — a constant weave of lines and chords. In essence, two lead guitars.
By the beginning of the second set, on "Spectronomous," I was worrying that the band's strategy for unison statements had begun to wear: fast phrase, rest, fast phrase, rest, long-held tone. Repeat. But soon they were into a vamp, and then "Betty's Bounce" from the new album — a bebop line and the first walking-bass swing of the night. Hofbauer even played some octave phrases in the Wes Montgomery manner. Then came Fewell's dark, majestic "Ayleristic," from the first album, its open chords and mournful melody somehow combining Miles and Zawinul's "In a Silent Way" with Ornette's "Lonely Woman," Albert Ayler splitting the difference.
Sabatini was a marvel all night, even at one point when the mute dropped out of his horn and onto the music stand. His sharp articulation and sudden darts up and down the register upped the temperature. Brunel maintained a beautiful tone through all the registers (not easy when playing jazz on bass clarinet) and, like Roberge, he seemed to draw inspiration from Tchicai's long, free, melodic inventions generated from repeated rhythmic riffs. Bassist Dmitry Ishenko took a solo that was old-school avant-garde — leaping intervals, fast, clean flurries of notes, slamming flamenco chords, rattling double stops. Drummer Miki Matsuki used rims, cymbal washes, and mallets to create a dynamically controlled accompaniment that was about timbre as much as time. Toward the end of the set, the band played another medium-tempo, long-lined melody that Fewell said he and Tchicai had written via email, adding, "We don't use Finale."
Read more: http://thephoenix.com/boston/music/110109-variable-density/#ixzz19UgYWDUp
Garrison Fewell's Journey Out
By JON GARELICK
BOSTON PHOENIX February 6, 2009
By the time guitarist Garrison Fewell made his first record as a leader, in the early '90s, he was nearly 40 years old, and the sound he displayed on his debut, A Blue Deeper Than Blue, was ripe. Here was nuanced coloristic shading, subtle swing, a sure melodic sense, rich harmonic palette, detailed fingerwork, and what critic Ed Hazell called in his liner notes a distinctive "cashmere sound." It was post-bop guitar out of the Jim Hall school, refined and lyrical.
So fans of A Blue Deeper Than Blue — and Fewell's two other '90s releases on Cambridge's Accurate Records — might be surprised to hear his new Variable Density Sound Orchestra (Creative Nation Music). Whereas the music on those discs cycled faithfully through harmonically explicit chord progressions over clearly stated meters, the 10 pieces on the new one play with more-open forms. They float through ambiguous tonal centers, move in and out of tempo, break for solos that may or may not adhere to a given theme. The classic post-bop format of those early discs — guitar, piano, bass, drums — has been supplanted by arrangements for sextet and septet and a small orchestra of sounds: Fewell and Creative Nation Music honcho Eric Hofbauer on guitars, New York avant-gardist Roy Campbell Jr. on trumpet, flügelhorn, and flutes, esteemed Italian reedman Achille Succi on bass clarinet and alto saxophone, veteran Boston bassist John Voigt, Boston drummer Miki Matsuki, and Fewell's son Alex on percussion. In fact, everyone plays percussion, Fewell and Hofbauer adding to the mix with "prepared" guitar passages.
What hasn't changed is Fewell's sense of melodic lyricism or the compositional intent of each piece, no matter how free. Collective free-improv alternates with bass vamps, unison themes, previously agreed-upon strategies. As on 2006's superb Good Night Songs (Boxholder) with Fewell and saxophonists John Tchicai and Charlie Kohlhase, the tension between form and freedom and the "variable density" of timbre and texture replace standard structures and create their own sense of narrative expectancy, suspense, and resolution. Still, how did he get from there to here — the mainstream jazz guitarist to the free experimenter?
"It was an alien abduction," Fewell (who brings his Orchestra — plus trombonist Steve Swell and second bassist Dmitry Ishenko — to the YMCA Theater in Central Square this Friday) tells me straight-faced when we get together in the lobby of the Charles Hotel, downstairs from the Regattabar. "It's similar to what happened to Sun Ra. When I came back, I was changed."
In truth, the change had been coming on for years. "I was listening to music that I wasn't playing" — people like Sun Ra, David Murray, the South Africans Dudu Pukwana and Johnny Dyanni, the Afro-Dutch Tchicai. Fewell wanted to integrate some of what he'd been listening to into his own music, but he wasn't sure how. By chance, he ran into Hazell, and the two got to talking. "Ed said he thought there were two kinds of free jazz: melodic and anti-melodic." He saw Fewell as a potential melodic free player. "You know, when a friend challenges you and says, 'Yeah, you should do that!' "
Then it was a matter of finding players with whom he'd be comfortable taking those first steps. One of the artists from his vast record collection was Khan Jamal, a vibist with a small discography and scant public profile. Fewell sent an e-mail to the address of a record company on the back of a CD: "I'm looking for Khan Jamal. He doesn't owe me money or anything, I just really like his music." An e-mail came back: "Okay, you found me, now what?"
Fewell visited Jamal in his Philadelphia neighborhood — Germantown, not far from where Sun Ra had lived — and the two planned a gig at the Regattabar and worked on Khan's music. Here was the kind of thing Fewell was looking for: pan-tonal and atonal experiments, one meter against another, two meters simultaneously. That was in March 2003. Later that year he'd meet Tchicai through a concert at the ICA. Good Night Songs followed, then Big Chief Dreaming with Tchicai and a quintet on the Italian Soul Note label.
Tchicai is remembered by most as one of the players on John Coltrane's free-jazz breakthrough, Ascension, though his performances with Fewell, Kohlhase, and the Either/Orchestra have made him a Boston regular in recent years. "Everyone thinks of John as being this '60s guy, totally free," says Fewell, "but he's not. He really believes strongly in composition, playing the composition correctly, and his compositions can be very difficult." But then come the improvisations, which are about "whatever you experienced in playing the composition."
Take the Variable Density opener, "Spectronomous." It begins with a short unison statement of the theme's wide leaping intervals and a long held trill, then proceeds with darting figures based on those intervals being passed from instrument to instrument in a free improvisation before returning to the sprightly theme. "The Red Pyramid" begins with a purely improvised melody by Campbell on muted trumpet that sets the mood as he's joined by "Egyptian gong sounds" and other instruments that, piece by piece, build a pyramid. By the end, the structure has been inverted, back to Campbell, now on open horn, in duet with Voigt.
Instead of providing notes for such a piece, Fewell provides "a design." In the case of "The Red Pyramid," the design was drawn on a napkin at the bar at Redbones in Davis Square — "the entrances of instruments, how they interact, who plays with whom, where it goes and how it ends."
Some pieces proceed more conventionally. The 17-minute "Venus" (the longest track on the record) opens with an appropriately spacy passage based on a long-lined theme before going into a bass vamp that everyone solos over. Succi is a particular standout here, extending from the deep baritone register of his bass clarinet to a clear, controlled altissimo. Fewell's "Ayleristic" is a reminder of the delicacy of Albert Ayler's work in his trio with Gary Peacock and Sunny Murray. Its gentle, rolling open chords are as reminiscent of In a Silent Way as of Spiritual Unity. The album closer, "Naminthi's Shadow," is a lovely, melancholy, Ornette-ish ballad by Butch Morris.
There's one strange and wonderful event after another in Fewell's pieces — eloquent solo statements, serendipitous combinations of clang and sigh, the beauty of his guitar set across the soundstage from Hofbauer's slightly harder-edged sound as the two support the other players. At times, the bed of complementary guitar sounds acts like a pine-needle-covered path through a shady forest. "I want an environment where there's experimentation but also expectation, freedom but also responsibility. A lot of free music is too free. You're always risking whether something is going to happen or not."
Fewell splits his time between Boston, where he's been teaching at Berklee since 1977, and summers in Europe — he and his wife have a home in Bergamo, just northeast of Milan, that serves as a base. He and Hofbauer often work as a duo (as on their standout 2008 CD, The Lady of Khartoum), and he continues to work with Tchicai. One of the many interpersonal felicities of Variable Density was Fewell's dragging son Alex — a rock drummer now studying at Berklee — into the studio. Fewell recalls driving around with Alex, then 16 or 17, and listening to the legendary free-jazz drummer Milford Graves on the car stereo. "He asked me, 'Hey Dad, do you have to know how to play drums to play like that?' It was a good question!"
Fewell does have friends and fans who miss his old music. "Was my true self when I was playing with Fred Hersch and Cecil McBee on Blue Deeper Than Blue? Yeah, at the time! But I didn't throw out melody in order to create chaos. For a few of my friends, this is already too far out. But they're looking for that other guy to come back, and I don't know if he is."


text:
Siekmann Econosto GmbH, Dortmund, Headquarter
Siekmann Econosto GmbH & Co. KG
Lissaboner Allee 3
D-44269 Dortmund
E-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Tel. +49 231 / 9 37 50
Fax +49 231 / 9 37 51 99
Siekmann Econosto Business Group has its headquarters in Dortmund, Germany. Here is the place of the corporate management. Central Functions, Strategic Business Development including the Administration of Subsidiaries and Branch Offices, Marketing, Finance and Controlling, IT, QM, Process Management, and Product Management belong to the headquarter`s responsibilities, too.
All central business activities of the entire group are strategically developed in Dortmund, and operative responsibility achieves a customer-specific assignment to the fields of business related to the Dortmund, Zwenkau, and International Branch.


text:
Are you smarter than a 12-18 yr old . We gave out the numeracy quiz below to all the class groups for first class this morning.
Numeracy quiz 26/4/16
Q1 If a = 1 , b =2 c=3 and so on what is the total you get if you add up all the numbers that are represented by using each of the letters in ardscoil rath iomghain.
Q2 Apart from Liverpool how many teams have played in every season of the premier league/ premiership since 1992 but have never won the title during this time
Q3 How many letters of the alphabet do not have at least one county in all of Ireland beginning with that letter
Q 4 What teacher in the school has the longest surname?
Q 5 How many teachers in the school share surnames with shortest number of letters?
Q 6 The most followed Irish person on Twitter is Niall Horan .How many million followers does he have to the nearest million?
Q7 Which one of these options has the greater area of food (assuming they are identical in bases and spread of toppings. )
1) a full 9 inch pizza. 2) two thirds of a 12 inch pizza. 3) half of a 14 inch pizza
Q9 If there are a total of 10 bicycles and tricycles in the park and the total number of wheels was 26, how many tricycles were there?
10)After the twelve days of Christmas are over, how many presents has my true love sent me altogether?
11)What letter of the alphabet is the one which comes eight letters before the letter which comes five letters after the fourth appearance of the first letter to occur four times in this sentence?
12) Which is the greatest distance in kms a)rathangan to Waterford
b) rathangan to Limerick C) rathangan to Dublin return
13) There are 12 black socks and 12 white socks in a drawer . In complete darkness and without looking what is the minimum number of socks that must be taken from the drawer to be sure to get a pair that match?
14) A girl, a boy, and a dog start walking down a road.
They start at the same time, from the same point, in the same direction.
The boy walks at 5 km/h, the girl at 6 km/h. The dog runs from boy to girl and back again with a constant speed of 10 km/h. The dog does not slow down on the turn. How far does the dog travel in 1 hour?
15) Find a number with its letters in alphabetical order.
Example: "five" has "fiv" in alphabetical order, but not "e".
16) What percentage of the Republic of Ireland's population live in Leinster
A 44% B 54% c 64 %
17) Which one of these first names do we have more students of in the school
a) John b) Mary c) Peter
18) Which of these numbers is smaller
A) Paul o Connell's international rugby tries , B) Valerie Mulcahy's All Ireland football medals with Cork C) Henry Shefflin's All Ireland medals with Kilkenny
19) Name 4 of the signatures on the Proclemation of 1916


text:
Scott Turow is the author of ten bestselling works of fiction, which have sold over thirty million copies world-wide and have been translated into more than forty languages.
The Chicago native took the stage in a live event presented by RJ Julia and New Haven Legal Assistance Association to discuss his latest war-crime mystery, "Testimony". Turow also tells us how Harrison Ford was cast for the role of Rusty Sabich in the box office winning thriller, "Presumed Innocent".
And stay tuned after the interview with Scott Turow to hear what is currently on Roxanne's nightstand.
Be sure to like us on Facebook and join our mailing list to hear more news about Just the Right Book Podcast
Books in this episode:
Testimony by Scott Turow
Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow
The Late Show by Michael Connelly
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne


text:
Hi all!
This month's theme is Dots! My first mani for this month is actually something I wore nearly two months ago. Hence the shorter nails *winks*.
- Foxy Paws - Just Leave Everything To Me
- Sinful Colors - 101 Snow Me White
- Mundo de Unas - 24 aqua
- Lucky 13 Lacquer - Elemental Ward
Base: 2 coats of Just Leave Everything to Me. On my accent nails I used Stick It! nail vinyls (pattern Bubble Stencils) and sponged a gradient on top with Snow Me White and Aqua. After removing the nail vinyl I added everything with my favourite top coat Elemental Ward.
Of course I didn't pay attention when placing the vinyls, that's why the big dots are on the tips versus near my cuticle. Which side do you prefer?
Ahhh, just look at that holo! Seriously loving this soft mint holo from Foxy Paws. You can still get it here before it's gone!
Love, Brethil
More dotty manicures down here!


text:
George M. Marcus
He is the founder of The Marcus & Millichap Company and its chairman since 1971. The Marcus & Millichap Company is the parent company of a diversified group of real estate, service, investment and development firms. He is also chairman of Essex Property Trust and one of the original founders and directors of Plaza Commerce Bank and Greater Bay Bancorp, both publicly held financial institutions. Included among his professional memberships are the Board of Regents of The University of California, the Apartment Industry Foundation in which he currently serves on the Board of Directors, the Real Estate Roundtable and the Policy Advisory Board of the University of California at Berkeley - Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics. He currently serves as an Advisor on the Strategic Review Committee for CalPers; the largest pension fund in the world.
He received the high Offikion of Archon Exarchos in 1991 by His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York. His many awards include the Oxi Day Award, Axion Award, Elios Cultural Achievement Award, Patriarch Athenagoras Humanitarian Award and Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year.
He and his wife, Judy, live in Los Altos Hills, California. They have four children: Mary Jane, John, Demetra and Alexandria.
Please mark your calendars to attend:
28th Annual Leadership 100 Conference
February 21st - 24th, 2019
Boca Raton Resort and Club
Boca Raton, FL
February 20th, 2019 - Executive Committee & Board Meetings