Chicken Feathers: Hot!

Chicken Feathers: Hot!: Boy, was it ever HOT the other day! The gang didn't stay out too long yesterday - soon after this, they went back in th...



Love fried green tomatoes

R. J. Corman Railroad Group

 

The R. J. Corman Railroad Group national headquarters is located in Central Kentucky in the City of Nicholasville. There are 67 strategically placed field offices in 22 different states across the US.

Many Parts, One Source

R. J. Corman is the One Source service provider for all facets of railroading. Although we are made up of several entities, our individual companies come together to form a custom package to respond to our customers’ unique needs. All companies and service groups are unified under one R. J. Corman banner and adhere to the same set of core values in order to provide consistent, high-quality solutions for our customers.

R. J. Corman Railpower Locomotives: Bluegrass One

Bluegrass One is an eco·friendly genset locomotive that was built entirely in the state of Kentucky. It was designed by R. J. Corman Rail power Locomotives and built to carry heavy freight loads using a gen set engine system that would decrease fuel consumption and harmful emissions. 

 R. J. Corman’s My Old Kentucky Dinner Train

 

More...











 Check every thing here https://www.rjcorman.com/

World's Largest Track Layer

All that machine and still needed a guy with a big hammer.

A long way from the days of the Gandy Dancers.

UPDATE - Folkston Rail Cam - No longer Cam of the Week

The webcams at Folkston are no longer cam of the week and the free YouTube feed has been disabled. There are several others available, Do a YouTube  search for Virtual Railfan.

The webcams at Folkston, Ga. are now online at Youtube. 

Thanks to Dixie at Whistling Dixie Cafe and Railfan Lodging for letting everyone know on her facebook page. 

97  SILVER SERVICE / PALMETTO

Southbound Folkston headed to Jacksonville 

Screenshot Saturday morning 11/3/2018 at 9:52 AM

https://www.amtrak.com/track-your-train.html 

Radio

I have decided to add a new label that is searchable. I have several posts that are about radio and radio topics. I recently received an email from a young lady that was interested in ham radio and had discovered my orphan blog about ham radio. She suggested adding the following link about ham radio emergency communications.

https://alertfind.com/amateur-radio-and-emergency-communications/

Thank you Ella, that was very timely given the recent hurricane and the response by the ham radio community. Hams are currently deployed throughout the Florida Panhandle at shelters and emergency operations centers. Communications is both on linked UHF repeaters (sarnetfl.com) and on HF on 40 and 80 meters depending on propagation.

Information on Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES) at the link.

 

Here are the contents of the orphaned blog:

Want to share some interesting ham radio links.

Subject for the May 15, 2016 TAPRN net was lightning protection. Lots of good discussion. Links include:

QST articles and other links. Definitive information on lightning protection.  http://www.arrl.org/lightning-protection

Gas tube surge protectors  http://www.alphadeltacom.com/

http://www.dxengineering.com/search/department/grounding-and-lightning-protection/brand/dx-engineering/product-line/dx-engineering-utility-enclosure-kits?autoview=SKU&N=4294953334%2B401126&sortby=Default&sortorder=Default


Here is the link from below we talked about on the TAPRN Net today, Feb. 14, 2016. Moved it up to be easier to find.
https://sites.google.com/site/fmtransceiverinterface/sound-card-interface-for-fm-transceivers
The printed circuit board is no longer available. See below.

WB5VJB Cheap Yagis for VHF and UHF. http://www.wa5vjb.com/yagi-pdf/cheapyagi.pdf
Kent has lots of other good information and products for sale on his website. See the downloads page for Pre Amp Cookbook, Circular Polarization Calculator and Antenna Measuring Notes.
Pre Amp CookbookCircular Polarization Calculator (exe) (zip)Antenna Measuring Notes

Happened to look a the QRZ.COM page for KH6TY and found some links to several of his projects:
Compact 2- Meter Quad for the Attic: https://sites.google.com/site/2matticquad/2m-attic-quad
A Sound Card Interface for FM Transceivers (June 2009 QST): https://sites.google.com/site/fmtransceiverinterface/sound-card-interface-for-fm-transceivers
 FM DXing (Powerpoint presentation): https://sites.google.com/site/skiptellerfiles/files/2MeterFMDXing.ppt
 SS5 (5 element Skeleton-slot beam from SVHFS Conference 2009):https://sites.google.com/site/skiptellerfiles/files/5elementskeleton-slotbeamfor70cm.doc
 Jolly Roger - Omnidirectional, Horizontally Polarized, 2 Meter Antenna: https://sites.google.com/site/skiptellerfiles/files/JollyRoger.zip
Another AmRRON member checked and the PC boards for the HT sound card interface are not available. She found an alternative on EBay. Search for "EASY DIGI" Sound Card Interface.  It is available as a kit through complete units with cables for your radio. Prices from $10 & up plus shipping. Short presentation with schematic is here: http://www.aracc.org/EASYDIGI!.pdf

Have not been involved with handling traffic before but am now participating in the AmRRON project. Hence the recent interest in traffic handling. The ARRL has some useful information / publications developed for their National Traffic System (NTS). You do not have to be an ARRL member to access it.  The publications include: PowerPoint presentation, NTS Manual, a Net Directory, Forms, NTS Digital and an Instructors Guide. www.arrl.org/nts

On the subject of traffic nets,Quick and Dirty CW Netiquette: Old hat for some, new to me...
http://www.qsl.net/n5lf/cw-nts.html

Wondering which shortwave broadcast station is on your net frequency on 40 meters? When are they scheduled to go off the air? Just want to do some shortwave listening? Check out Shortwave Schedules Around the World.

Maritime Radio Historical Society In cooperation with the Point Reyes National Seashore, part of the National Park Service, the Maritime Radio Historical Society (MRHS) has taken on the job of preserving the historic ex-RCA coast station KPH and returning it to the air. Home of KSM, K6KPH and the True Believers. Be sure to check out Incredible Radio Tales link.

The 7163 Group meets daily on 40 Meters from about 5 AM to 8 AM to work DX. Good group and everyone gets a shot at the DX stations that show up on frequency. And there are quite a few.

KP4MD has a great web page with lots of information on antennas, antenna modeling and propagation studies. She also has a link to the 40 minute documentary "An Insider Tour of the Arecibo Ovservatory". Carol's interests include VHF/UHF and WSPR. 

Had a discussion about portable operation during the TAPRN net April 2, 2016. Lots of radios discussed including the KX-3 (10 W), FT-817 (5 W) and the FT-857 (100 W max adj. to 5 W). I happened  to have an FT-857 and was looking at various options. Ran across this website with a neat setup using the 857 with a battery setup for backpack operation:
http://yo3hjv.blogspot.it/2008/07/ft-857d-backpack-kit.html

Since we were discussing portable operation, I checked out the operating voltage specifications.
The FT-817 will operate with the following power conditions:
Supply Voltage:
Normal: 13.8 VDC ±15 %, Negative Ground
Operating: 8.0-16.0 V, Negative Ground
...................FBA-28 (w/8 "AA" Alkaline Cells): 12.0 V
.................. FNB-72 (Ni-Cd Battery Pack): 9.6 V (Option)
Current Consumption: Squelched: 250 mA (Approx.)
Receive: 450 mA
Transmit: 2.0 A

The FR-857 is has the following power specification:
Voltage: 13.8 VDC +/- 15%
Receive 1 amp, transmit 22 amps (of course this will be lower with reduced power)

KX3 Standard Features Show:
Built-in 8 AA-cell battery holder works with any 1.2-1.6V cell type
Current drain as low as 150 ma in receive mode.

Before the Iron Horse

 There were real horses. And in Florida that meant cowboys.

OK, Cowgirls. The 31 annual Florida Cracker Trail Ride across the state ended Saturday, February 24, 2018 with a parade in Fort Pierce. The ride started Feb. 17 on the west coast in Bradenton honoring the Florida cowboy pioneers.

After the War Between the States (recent unpleasantness) a group of pioneers were know as Florida Crackers because of the cracking sound from the whips they used to drive cattle and oxen pulling carts and wagons. Every year they would drive the scrub cattle across the state from west of Ft. Pierce to Bradenton and then to Punta Rassa for shipment to Havana, Cuba. Other sources say the cattle operations started earlier.

The Cracker Trail was the only dry route across Florida with the Kissimmee River and its floodplains to the north and Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades to the south. For more information, go to crackertrail.org.

For another interesting read see:  Jacob Summerlin (February 20, 1820 – November 4, 1893), aka the King of the Crackers and King of the Cracker Cow Hunters, was reputed to be the first child born in Florida after the land was ceded by Spain.

Chesapeake and Ohio 614 -- A Link

Chickenmon did a great Friday Night Steam post on the C & O 614 locomotive. I did a bit of looking around and found this video and wanted to share.

C&O 614 - 80+mph From The Air!

The information on the FNS post gave the top speed as 125 mph. 

Chickenmom