Ted’s essays

letting go

Parents, grandparents, siblings and good friends often enable destructive bahavior. Letting go is quite difficult, but more often than not is the right answer. The Declaration of Independence jumped into my head: …a long train of abuses and usurpations… We forgive, cover-for, assist, fret, lose sleep and so-on while they flit in and out of acceptable behavior. It is a show I watched from ringside a generation ago, though then I missed darn near every clue while I struggled to make my business feed and house us all. I am one row back today, but able to play reruns in the face of similar behaviors. Most likely, there was nothing I could do then to change the trajectory. I’m pretty […]

take a step back

A touch of the philosophical is good for the brain. I share this here so I may come back and ponder it from time to time. So far I keep up with the thoughts until the last few lines. I think I need to work it over until I either understand or reject that last bit. The link, by the way, takes you to one of the next-generation social media platforms that have evolved in response to the dark-forces takeover and evil application of the more popular ones. We were hoping the geeks would recognize the problem and use their specialties in creation of alternatives. They have. Now we just have to migrate to them. – Ted Live in Truth, […]

constitutional sheriff

Elizabeth Hodge interviewed me when I was running for Ada County sheriff. I just tripped over it today. The interview explains the concept as well as I have seen it done. It is still valid, and incredibly valuable to those USofA counties who have elected constitutional sheriffs. Coming out of nowhere with no significant support, I shocked the 20-year incumbent by garnering 40,943 votes. The incumbent was startled. He had not been in any contest that close, and sure as heck didn’t expect it from my campaign. Unfortunately, it was only 26% of the votes. I suspect $10,000 in campaign finances could have won it for us. I’m happy nobody did that to me. I like where I am. […]

comfortable solitude

I gave it no thought while living it, but realize today just how unique I was growing up. I spent A LOT of time alone without being “a loner”. I graduated high school standing 5’2, weighing 98 pounds without ever feeling small. I spent countless days wandering the adjacent woods. Occasionally my neighborhood friends would wander with me. Most often it was just me and the dog. I played individual sports, team sports, yet could spend hours alone shooting hoops or pounding tennis balls against the wall. I decided I wanted to pitch for our little league team. I built a wooden strike zone target and spent hours, days, weeks by myself throwing baseballs through each corner of it. Of […]

amateur radio www links

I am sharing my favorites with you. This is by no means an exclusive list. Start here. Build your own set. I started to share what I titled them and a description, then decided, “NAH”. Do it yourself. It will be better suited to you that way. Ham Exams Online https://hamstudy.org/ https://hamexam.org/ http://aa9pw.com/ http://arrlexamreview.appspot.com/ https://www.mometrix.com/academy/?s=amateur+radio Ham license information http://www.arrl.org/advanced-call-sign-search http://hamdata.com/fccinfo.html http://hamuniverse.com/hamcallsigns.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radio_licensing_in_the_United_States#Sequentially_assigned_call_signs radio hardware https://www.dxengineering.com/ https://www.hamradio.com/ https://www.radioddity.com/ https://www.smileyantenna.com/category-s/1814.htm http://kv5r.com/ham-radio/2-meter-sleeve-dipole/ https://nsw.wicen.org.au/technical/projects/coaxial-folded-dipole-antenna Operations https://amrron.com/ http://www.arrl.org/home http://www.bandconditions.com/ https://www.eham.net/ http://www.hamqsl.com/solar.html http://hflink.com/propagation/ https://www.scc-ares-races.org/generalinfo/phoneticalphabet.html http://qrznow.com/real-time-band-conditions/ Training https://brushbeater.wordpress.com/ https://www.americanpartisan.org/2018/07/fall-2018-open-enrollment-class-dates-the-american-redoubt-region-and-nc/ https://www.americanpartisan.org/2018/11/writing-a-tactical-soi/ https://brushbeater.wordpress.com/training-courses/

NVIS amateur radio antennas

Unless we are on a mountain peak or Kansas flatlands with line-of-sight views of everyone we want to talk with, there are barriers resisting our two-way communications. With our Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) radios we compensate by installing specialized radio systems (repeaters) on high ground to repeat signals over a much wider area than we can reach from our own radios. These can extend our VHF and UHF ranges to 50 miles or so. Repeaters are both expensive and could be a weak link in emergency comms – that is they may not be working in certain disaster scenarios. Amateurs with General or Amateur Extra class licenses can use their High Frequency (HF) radios to […]

updated ham radio operator class schedule

Welcome to Amateur Radio FCC, licensing, getting your license March 16th, 1000-noon, Darby Library books available from instructor for $30 [$33 for spiral bound] (save $10.45 shipping) Radio and Signals Fundamentals March 23rd, 1000-noon, Darby Library Electricity, Components and Circuits March 30th, 1000-noon, Darby Library Propagation, Antennas and Feed Lines April 6th, 1000-noon, Darby Library Amateur Radio Equipment April 13th, 1000-noon, Darby Library Communicating With Other Hams April 20th, 1000-noon, Darby Library April 27 no class – library unavailable Licensing Regulations May 4th, 1000-noon, Darby Library Operating Regulations May 11th, 1000-noon, Darby Library Safety May 18th, 1000-noon, Darby Library FCC License Test Session – Technician – General – Amateur Extra – May 25th, 9:30-noon, BJ’s Restaurant Stay after testing for […]

popular class

Turnout for the Spring 2019 ham radio class first day was outstanding. Icing on the cake is that a highly-knowledgable, skilled, professional teacher is bringing his young son to every class. I could not ask for a better co-teacher. Sixteen students and two instructors filled the Darby Library meeting room. They came from all over Ravalli County most planning to earn their FCC Technician license, but a few will be testing for the next level, the General class. I’m studying double: their book to insure good mentoring every Saturday plus the Amateur Extra manual so I can take the third and final step up the amateur radio licensing ladder when we all test in May. My drafted co-teacher came from […]

Bitterroot Ham class starts Saturday

I am reposting this to catch any stragglers. Response has been good enough to assure the class will take place. I will know in a few days how many new FCC license holders will be testing mid-May. One thing that holds many potential licensed hams back is their lack of electronics, radio, electrical or related background. I absolutely promise that electro-mechanical incompetents can and do pass this test. Another question I get is the expense. Paperback Technician Manuals are $30. Spiral-bound are $33. The testing session costs $17. Passing your first test earns you the FCC Technician license with no further costs between now and renewal ten years from now. Radios can be purchased for $25. It goes up…up…up from […]

Idaho Liberty .com is moving

It has taken me a long time to reach this decision, but I will be retiring that website. I started blogging in 2007, establishing IdahoLiberty.com as my first website. TedDunlap.net came along several years later as did a couple that came and went. I have been posting almost exactly the same content as IdahoLiberty at Bitterroot Bugle .com since I moved from Idaho in 2013, and reinvigorated that old-time newspaper name from this territory last used in the late 1800s. Ted Dunlap playing with the Grand Canyon in a trombone choir of echoes on one otherwise quiet February 1st morning … utilizing a pitch-adjustable bugle Montana elk bull bugling its territorial claimsI was amazed and thrilled when the first name […]

dimbulb savings time

Sure is a shame about the hour I am losing this weekend. It was the one hour of the year I intended to spend worshiping our government… maybe next year. While there is even a .gov website describing circadian rhythms, other than the governments of Arizona and Hawaii, the rest of the governments within the USofA seem to be clueless about it. I’ll put it in simple terms even a legislator can comprehend: Messing with our clocks messes us up. The ONLY purpose it serves is to twice every year demonstrate governmental control over our daily lives. It COSTS the economy money. It kills hundreds of people every year. And, most importantly, It pisses me off. One year I skipped […]

painting with pastels

It is official I am an artist You can plainly see I now have my Artistic License I came by it honestly Made it myself ———— I have long been wanting to do more drawing and painting than will fit in the little squares of my wall calendar with Sharpie pens. I never quite get around to it. Years ago I inherited some water color tools from my Step Dad. Even that did not get me started. So I signed up for the Pastel Painting class the Bitterroot College offered this January/February. THAT WORKED. I did a lot of gearing up for a type of painting I had not considered, but it turns out I really like the medium. […]