Mattes's Musings by KC2GIK

A quote from a mailing list poster, "I have not received any RailScan group messages since 6-22 and I waswondering if anyone else is receiving messages? Perhaps there is just a problemwithmy account?Any help would be greatly appreciated." Alright why in the world do people do this? Hint if you didn't do anything to stop getting e-mail chances are ipeople just do not have anything to say. It just bothers me when people start these discussions and it then goes way off topic because someone questions wether he or she is STILL ON THE LIST. The general idea of these mailing lists is to discuss a hobbby and to highlight news related to the hobby. Now I am just as guilty as the next person when occasional "off-topic post" but I have faith in the moderators to keep me and everyone else in line. Perhaps I would have reacted differently of the person guilty of posting an note like that if he added something related to railscanning at the end, but he didn't. The sad...

Alright that might sound gross but let me explain. For those non hams out there basically Field Day happens every last weekend in June where ham clubs across the nation try to make as many c ontacts as possible. This yearly activity has been around a lot longer than I have and it gets me on the air. Right now my entire ham station is in the crapper, it will be there for awhile. Anyway like almost everything else in this world, the computer enhances everything 100 times over. There are all kinds of "modes" meaning different ways to transmit, there's plain old voice contacts, then there's CW (Morse Code for all you non-hams) you can even do Amateur TV stations on the ham bands. Getting back to the computer, PSK-31 (Phase Shift Key) is among the new digital mediums we are utilizing. Think of it as online chatting but using radiowaves instead of internet. I roped in contacts from a half a dozen states, even KK5K out of Alabama. Yes folks you never know who or what you...

Please read this first: http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/warningyourcleverlittleblogcouldgetyoufired I am not saying I'm the autority on blogging because I have only been doing it for a few weeks. However I have written in public forums and have been exposed to every kinds of reaction to my writing known to man. People questioning wether I wrote something is probablly the worst feedback someone could get. So I take my writing, wether it be an article, a letter or even a quick e-mail very seriously. This is coming from someone who puts a greater value on the written word over the spoke one! It's easier to deny something you say, you can write it off as an emotional reaction. When you write something you can't take it back, that's it! People try to do it all the time, I have tried a few times. It never works because folks on the recieving end assume that if you put in the effort to sit down and compose a note, you mean ever word. Atleast I do, sometimes I throw a few t...

The first word that came out of my mouth was "WOW"! I have honestly only have said it a few times and meant it, this was definitely one of those moments. Anyone who has been on a hill- in Bergen County has seen this things and probablly 90% of the them say how awful it looks ! The problem with that comment is people who say it don't have a clue what the tower has done for all kinds of broadcasting, especially FM. When the World Trade Center collasped a lot of the companies that lost their antennas had back-up services at Alpine so they were back on the air in no time! I got an inside look at the repeaters used by Conrail and NJ Transit there were a lot of paging companies. It was a once in a life time oppritunity because like everything else after 9/11, security is definitely A LOT tighter!! FYI they call it both the Armstong Tower (named after the inventor of FM radio) and the Alpine tower! For the people keeping tack I did bring the BC246T but didn't get that much a...

Man this is coool! I am going to a celebration marking the 70th anniversary of the first FM broadcast made from the Armstrong Tower in Alpine at 12 noon this SaturdayJune 11th !!! I am definitely bringing my scanner with me because the transmission will be on 42.8 MHz!! This is one of the best scanning oppritunities out there. People can also tune into the program o n a regular FM radio one 89.1!! It's so neat being on the site of the first FM transmission EVER!! For details click on this link: http://www.cscmgt.com/news/2005-04-11-armstrong-press-release.html I happen to know Chuck Sackermann, the President of CSC, the company who owns the tower. So he invited me up there to witness the program and to see the tower up close!! Hey maybe I'll climb the tower also, justkidding guys and gals!!! So this Saturday if you listen in you'll hear "Justin and his mom are there!! OK maybe you won't but hey it's going to be neat anyway. Alright enogh bragging and ...

Alright I sound like a little kid when I say this but I love a parade. Every few years a town hosts what they call the New York/ New Jersey Firemen's Parade in Emerson. You know they invite "every department" into this one town they march and at the end have this huge block party. Make one wonder what would happen if one of the towns had a really big fire. Now I have been on both sides of the line, a few year back I rode with Teaneck Box 54 and loved it! The one bad thing was my scanner went dead. Nice going on my part, I forgot the extra battery pack for my radio sitting on my desk at home. Oh well! This time I am totally prepared, extra batteries and all!! So if you are in the area, stop by, I posted all the info on Bergenscanner , including the route and the frequencies for the parade. I'll also write up a little review of the parade Who knows? You might even see my ugly face walking around(with my walker in tow). Free drinks to anyone who comes up to me and says ...