Subj : Re: CQ CQ CQ
To   : Gate Keeper
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Sat Apr 08 2023 07:54 am

 GK> Long time no see on the BBS de N4DLT

  I barely have time for my own BBS. I was diagnosed with congestive
heart failure just over a year ago, and after that 3rd Covid-19
booster last November, I've had very little energy. I'm seriously
considering skipping any other boosters (although I've had the two
initial shots, and three boosters). However, I haven't undergone the
Redneck Covid-19 test.

  This is where you take your favorite bottle of wine (you might want 
it chilled). Pour some into a glass, then bring it up to your nose, 
and take a sniff. If you can smell the flavor, take a sip. If you can 
taste it, you're negative for Covid-19 -- repeat the test as many times 
as necessary (hi hi).

  Combine that with degenerative disk disease in my back and spine
(which I've had for the last 6 years), making it difficult to sit at 
the computer for either BBS or website work, or for running my ham 
radio traffic nets (except for Wednesday and Thursday, I run at least 
1 net every other day in the week). It got so bad that I had to cut 
the pre-net checkin time to only 30 minutes instead of an hour. 

  If I take Tylenol caplets (the strongest pain medication I have) for 
the pain, I get very groggy, and can pass out during the net...so, 
basically I have to suffer. Getting old is not for sissies, and if 
you call me a sissy, I'll hit you with my purse (hi hi).

  Two of the nets that I run for the QCWA (Quarter Century Wireless 
Association)...their Sunflower Net on Saturday morning, and their 
Digital Net on Sunday afternoon, offer "an extended checkin window"
via email and Facebook...from 30 minutes before the net starts, to
25 hours after that point. This way, I'm not rushed to prepare the
log, and it lets the stragglers get on the log, but if they checkin
after the net officially closed, I note such on the log. I know that
many nets do NOT offer things like pre-net or post-net checkins...if
you are not there when the net is in operation, you don't get logged;
whether you like it or not.

  There are too many nets, and too little time. I maintain an Excel
Spreadsheet of selected D-Star, D-Rats, and Echolink Nets, plus PDF
files related to amateur radio, at http://www.wx4qz.net/elk.htm

  There are over 200 nets in a month...basically, too many nets, and
too little time. In one time slot, there are 6 nets meeting at the
same time!! But, I've noted many hams that are what I call "Hi, Bye,
and QSY"...it's "Net Control, please checkin [callsign], [name],
[location], short time, no traffic"...and not a minute later, they
are doing the exact same thing on another net. A fellow net control
operator wondered "do they have a life outside of ham radio??". There
is no prize, bonus, award, reward, certificate, etc., for seeing how
many nets you can make in a day...never mind how many BBS's you can
logon to in a day. To me, health takes priority over hobbies.

  In short, I barely have the effort some days to update the ham 
radio and weather data on the BBS, let alone do QWK Mail, or play 
the doors.

Daryl, WX4QZ

.... I CQ. Therefore, I HAM. -- DE WX4QZ
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 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (1:2320/33)

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