NV5L

Got my new call sign yesterday, and it showed up in the FCC database this morning. So now it's NV5L instead of the longer and harder to remember KF5HBT. Once the actual license arrives, I'll ask Karen to send it to me so I can keep it on the boat.

Radio watch:

They're cleaning up the yard getting ready to pull boats for the winter and spent yesterday morning sorting a big pile of old stainless steel halyards, lifelines, stays, and shrouds that were taking up a large area in one of the corners of the yard. Tommy let me go through it and pick out an old halyard I can use to make an antenna. A lot of sailboat owners will cut their backstay and put in a couple of insulators and use it as an antenna, but I think that might weaken it, so I'd prefer to leave it alone and run the additional one up alongside.

I'll attach it to the masthead on one end and the aft pulpit on the other with a few feet of line at both ends as insulation. I'll probably use about 3' at the masthead and try to keep it at least 6' off the deck so no one will grab it and get shocked (actually an RF burn) when I transmit. My mast is 39', and the backstay is around 44', so I should be able to get a good 30' or so. I've got a tuner, so the length isn't that critical, but I'll review the literature before I cut it.

However, I may go ahead and setup one end and use it as a temporary antenna so I can check out the radio. I want to connect to Winlink 2000 to setup an email account with my new call sign, but I need to check to see if the Ham frequencies are open on my radio first. If not, I'll need to get it modified in order to open them up. Not sure what that entails, but I'd prefer not to have to send it back to Icom to get it done.

Boat watch:

I finished sanding the forward part of the deck yesterday, and it looks really good. Not perfect, but really good. I'm going to fill a few places this morning, and sand them this afternoon and try to lay down the next coat late in the afternoon. I'll also continue working on the cockpit area and try to get it ready. Other jobs I can start on this weekend include cetol'ing the teak, and connecting the bilge pump.

Zoe watch:

My friend dropped by again and took us over to a dog park yesterday afternoon for about an hour. It was really nice and Zoe even got to swim a little. Later, Zoe and I went down to the local bar to watch the ballgame, but since she was so tired out from the walk/swim, she was asleep in my lap before the end of the game. She's hanging out under the boat today. It's a beautiful day, so I'll leave her down there all day so I can paint without getting any hair in the paint.