Nicholas Roberts

The angle of the dangle is directly proportional to the motion of the ocean -Pythagoras.

Rachel Lindsay wrote:Hey y'all--let's help each other out, as we can, so that our hard-working idealists don't have to make their plans depend on grants and/or funding from who-knows-where and -when. Many members of this site have projects I would love to get behind with a little money, and it would be great to have those projects posted here and updated as they get funded and further progress.  

Do you have a fundraising project for your regenerative efforts we should know about?

(Common sense advisory clause: Permies.com of course does not necessarily endorse any projects listed below; please research carefully and only contribute to anything posted in this thread at your own risk!)

Well, here's mine, for what it's worth.
Not a lot of $$ in my inner circles, but plenty of creativity.
Will throw this into the cosmic spiderweb:
https://gofund.me/dca9e080

Jeff Steez wrote:I've got an invention idea for gardening but the task is so ridiculously daunting to pursue.

I know the feeling.
I had built a prototype for a watering system in greenhouses, but nobody wanted to market it.
I suppose I didn't have enough drive, but the application was perfect.
Perhaps not a lot of interest in watering dirt ; p

John F Dean wrote:Hi Betty,

The Ham license can be gotten without buying the books. I did pick up two books, but I found the free online resources to be excellent. I suspect that just taking a bunch of practice tests will do the job.

Indeed it will. Radio is like any other science... You can scratch the surface,  or you can get very technically involved. What makes it a fun hobby.
I got my license back for more utilitarian purposes. Was living in the mts without good phone service,  but I could see the radio repeaters from my property.  It only made sense to have that line of communication as an emergency outlet. Plus, service is free. They did this during WWII for that very purpose. I wish more people would learn to utilize it!

I originally got my license using the paper-back ARRL manual when I was maybe 15 y/o. But if you want a good study guide, look up Roy Watson. Study app. I aced the exam with no sleep, living off-grid in the hills. They told me I was the first to get 100% in that particular club.
It was really a whole lot of budweiser and rollie cigarettes in my 16' trailer. I don't care, it was a function of winter : )
You'll get it. Buy  2m handheld and learn to build antennas. It's pretty amazing what you can do;)

John F Dean wrote:I picked up my license maybe a year ago. I picked up the Tech and the General as well as a GMRS.  What got me going was that I bought a couple of GMRS radios that also crossed over into ham.  I wanted to be sure I knew were the cut offs were. I don’t spent much time on ham….the equipment is out of my budget at present.

I get that.
In fact, I contacted my first radio mentor after 25 years, and he mentioned the same thing, that the hf hobby had gotten pretty expensive.
Well, I still love the idea that I can get a signal out, and I'm amazed at how far-reaching the repeater networks are here.
Thanks for the response!

Anyone here have a ham license?

I got my first Technician license at around 14 years old.
At the time, a Novice license required passing a Morse Code test, which failed me miserably.
I say it failed me, because I knew the code. I was just horrible at taking tests in crowded rooms.

They've done away with the Novice license, and the Morse Code test. Be that as it may.

My license had expired, but I found myself living in the hills of AZ, with a direct line-of-site to Green's Peak, a mountain 19 miles away, with at least 3 active radio repeaters in my sight.

So, I found a wonderful coach, locally, who not only gave me the materials to retest for the license, he also ended up being one of three volunteer examiners to administer the test.

I thought ham radio had been dead for years.
Not so... Definitely still a pretty vibrant community on the nets. Mostly older, some younger, but all interested in the actual mechanics of communicating with a radio.
I have had so many frustrating moments with cell phones, that, at the price point, I really wonder whether it's even worth the time or money.

Was a trip getting back into radio. I'm still only a Tech, so most of my communications are on 2m, but it's been exciting to see that people are still utilizing it.

Anyway, would love to see if there are any other hams on permies.

Kindly,
N1XDW

Lee Cason wrote:I must be square in the center of the target audience. I'm a crusty old, opinionated IT guy that has been criticizing web pages since before there was an Internet, and I found nothing to dislike. In fact, I was so sold that I bought the course! I think you folks did an excellent job and that this is suitable to release.

I'd have to agree. Didn't see prior versions, but the current one seems very manageable to the senses. I recently got back on a regular computer after not having one for 10 years, so the internet experience has obviously changed. But I like this. Simple, not a lot of visual garbage. Not a lot of distraction. A+ I say!

William Bronson wrote:  When I was a kid I would find sticks that just felt good in my hand.
Because I was a kid, I usually couldn't keep them.
Now I have a many many sticks drying in my basement while I plan my next move.

I just yesterday saw some walking sticks going for $65 each.
I have some hand tools,lots of power tools,  I'm an inveterate scavenger and a compulsive maker.  

I would like to hear from folks who have carved walking sticks for fun or profit.

Carved this one for an old co-worker as a Christmas gift.
Found the antler and started getting creative. Used a small 1/4" dia double-ended screw and predrilled into the antler and the stick...some glue, and getting the angle right actually worked well. Was pretty solid!
Maybe a little over the top, but it made a fun winter project!

Posting on behalf of a family member.
Have two able-bodied adults, one of whom owns the sawmill.
Plenty of experience. We're quite interested in the NW (MT, WA,OR,ID...)
Mostly just testing the waters to see what kind of demand might be out there.