Subj : Msg from Daryl 11-18-19 To : All From : Barry Martin Date : Mon Nov 18 2019 07:13:00 Hi Folks! Below is a message from Daryl Stout: November 17, 2019 5:30 p.m.: Good News and Bad News. The Good News is regarding Ham Radio and Square Dancing. With a lot of "rigging", I've got my ham radio stuff moved to the Lenovo laptop with Windows 10 64-bit. This includes CQ100 (with QSO-TV), D-Star (via the ThumbDV and the BlueDV program), D-Rats, Packet Via Telnet (via the Outpost Packet Program), and Echolink. So, I can still run ham radio nets on a limited basis, and get some therapy (limited as it is). However, my on the air times are limited to the following nets: Sunday, QCWA Net on the QuadNet Array (4pm Central Time) Monday, PCL Packet Net on the NS2B BBS (7pm Central Time) Tuesday, Arklatex D-Star Net on REF 48 B (7:30pm Central Time) 1st Thursday, CERT D-Star Net on REF 58A (8:30pm Central Time) 2nd Thursday, New Mexico D-Star Net on REF 55A (9pm Central Time) Friday, Trains Net on the QuadNet Array (7pm Central Time) 1st Saturday, Food Net on the QuadNet Array (7pm Central Time) Early checkins for the nets on the QuadNet Array or the REF (Reflectors) start approximately 30 minutes before the net. At that time, and during the net, I am available on D-Rats for checkins, chat, and file transfers. This is as long as my Mi-Fi connect holds. Any other nets I had been part of in the past, are no longer checked into, due to the "mad rush" at checkin. The one exception is The Millennium Net on Wednesday, but it's on hiatus until early 2020. However, due to data limits with the Verizon Mi-Fi and the laptop, once the nets are closed, the net applications and D-Rats are shut down...and I am off the air, otherwise. I am checking on an "unlimited plan", but can't do anything on that until mid-December. At least with the laptop, I can do the ham radio nets, and update a few websites (mainly square dancing), plus some minor web surfing. Of course, if thunderstorms are in the area at net time, or I have health, internet, or other issues, I'm "offline at off the air" anyway. Now, for the bad news... This is mainly for the BBS. Due to rodents (rats) here, and all being done to get rid of them (it'll take some time, as the rats are cautious and smart...unlike mice, who are curious and stupid), I won't have my traditional setup until possibly spring 2020. I likely will have to move it to my bedroom, and run cables from the back bedroom where the cable modem is...to the router for the BBS computer. The laptop can only run on Wi-Fi, but that'd go through the router. The problem is that there are still apparently rodents in the house, and some rooms still need to be cleaned up. Both spring traps and glue traps have been laid out, but at least the guarantee on the work is good until 2025...so if I see more rodents, they'll come back and set more traps. However, I still have to get my late Mom's clothes disposed of as well. With all the stress of being her caregiver for over 3 years, then dealing with stuff after her death, and as a result, having neglected my health, I'm having to pay the piper...and am in the early stages of a breakdown. So, for all practical purposes, I don't look to have The Thunderbolt BBS back up until maybe spring, 2020...and I'm not optimistic at that, either. Plus, I can't update the 2 desktops (one the BBS computer, and the other my late Mom's computer) until I get the regular Xfinity internet back. For my BBS connects, you can either leave me in the nodelist as DOWN, or REMOVE me entirely. In the latter case, I can re-apply for a node number after I get back online. Otherwise, I'll keep my current node number. But, don't bother to hold my mail packets. I will AREAFIX them once I get back online. As for Networks, I know I'll be on FIDONet. I'll look at also having GatorNet, RadioWeatherNet, ILinkNet, and CyberNet. The others (mainly done by Gert Andersen) may or may not be kept, as I rarely hear from him. But, the BBS is the least of my worries until sometime next spring. The rest of the network names that I was part of escape me offhand. But, I wanted to let everyone know what's going on, and why I've basically disappeared. I will try to check email at least once a day. As for Facebook, I unfriended everyone, but if you previously chatted with me on Messenger, you can reach me that way. I am part of a few ham radio, weather, trains, BBS, and square dance groups, but I don't spend as much time on Facebook as I used to. Daryl Stout, WX4QZ, Sysop The Thunderbolt BBS, Little Rock, Arkansas -- Daryl Stout, WX4QZ -- You're DEAD WRONG if you try to beat a train to a crossing. For details, go to http://www.theweatherwonder.com/rxr.htm ¯ ® ¯ Barry_Martin_3@ ® ¯ @Q.COM ® ¯ ® .... Celebrity Deaths: Frank Sinatra - Killed by Stranglers in the Night. --- MultiMail/Win32 v0.47 þ wcECHO 4.2 ÷ ILink: The Safe BBS þ Bettendorf, IA --- QScan/PCB v1.20a / 01-0462 * Origin: ILink: CFBBS | cfbbs.no-ip.com | 856-933-7096 (454:1/1) .