Tuesday, 12-12-06 at 09:11 MST
I updated the QSL logs from the 10M contest this weekend. For the ‘band being dead’, I did pretty well, a modest effort got me 81 QSOs, 17 multipliers, including two new countries from here (Bahamas and Peru). I also mailed off and received a bunch of QSL cards I need to update in my logs.
All that is left for this semester is my Explosives final, which is due on Thursday (Take Home). I’ll work on that one today. I’m slowly knocking my to do list down to nothing.
Wednesday, 12-6-06 at 21:54 MST
Updates to the webpage: Shooting Scores, QSOs from the sweepstakes, Skywarn Appreciation Day and the New Mexico QSO Party.
Yet another month has passed. Time to look at the monthly summary:
Books read: ‘Introduction to Explosives Engineering’ by Paul Cooper, ‘Recreational Gold Prospecting for Fun and Profit’ by Gail Butler, and ‘Energetic Materials 2: Technology of the Inorganic Azides’ by HD Fair and RF Walker.
Books of the Bible Read: Kings I and Kings II
Periodicals Read: 4
HF Contacts made: 157
Miles Biked: 4.016, it’s cold now
Farthest Distance Traveled: Socorro, NM
Biggest Accomplishment: Finishing DOE
Goals for November:
1. Finish DOE Yes
2. Send manuscript to publisher No
3. Finish explosives paper Yes
4. QSL everyone No
5. Finish literature review for thesis No
Goals for December:
1. Find ANSYS and start learning
2. Get Labview program running
3. QSL everyone
4. Send manuscript to publisher
5. Finish literature review for thesis
Monday, 11-27-06 at 11:19 MST
I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving! We sure did. We all had a wonderful meal (and plenty of leftovers!).
New updates: I added photos from X-Prize, White Sands, the Space Museum and the Petroglyphs into one page. Take a look at them!
I am FINALLY almost done with DOE. I have a few questions left on the final, and then it’s all done. I am almost done my explosives paper as well. I might try to get it published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences or Forensic Science International. We will see how well it looks when I have finished editing. Hopefully, I’ll update my QSOs page with the 155 QSOs from the Sweepstakes Contest. I am all ready for the 10m contest in a few weeks, and Skywarn Appreciation Day this weekend.
My schedule for next semester is set up as well. I will be taking Graduate Seminar, Small Arms Handloading, Failure Analysis, and Machine Shop Techniques. I might add a finite element analysis class, or replace Failure Analysis with it, if I can find where it is being offered.
Tuesday, 11-21-06 at 6:08 MST
This month is escaping too quickly!
I participated in the ARRL Sweepstakes contest this weekend, and worked 155 stations in 51 zones. If I get the chance, I’ll update my ham pages.
Shooting scores have been updated.
Wednesday, 11-15-06 at 10:57 MST
Happy birthday Little One!!
I updated my shooting scores. I’ve been slow to update things because of all the other stuff I’ve been working on. I have 46 of 80 references ready for my paper in explosives, and am cranking through those as fast as I can. I am also almost done with HW#9 in DOE. It will be good to get some of these things out of my way.
Thursday, 11-9-06 at 20:26 MST
There are new pictures up from Balloon Fiesta 2006. I hope to have X-Prize photos up soon. I also finished off another DOE assignment tonight, so I’m cranking through that class!
Saturday, 11-6-06 at 20:21 MST
I shot poorly tonight, but I added my scores anyway. At least I am honest!
Saturday, 11-4-06 at 20:21 MST
I have updated my logs on here. I wanted to get them done before Sweepstakes in a few weeks, where I’ll add a ton of US.
Thursday, 11-2-06 at 19:22 MST
Hopefully, I’ll do a few updates tomorrow. I did update my shooting scores. For now though, it is the end of October, time for a monthly update.
Books read: ‘Archeological Photography’ by Harold C. Simmons, ‘Solvent Treatment of Coal’ by WS Wise, and my process engineering book which I can’t remember.
Books of the Bible Read: Samuel I and Samuel II
Periodicals Read: 5
HF Contacts made: 180.
Miles Biked: 9.217
Farthest Distance Traveled: Dodge City, KS
Biggest Accomplishment: Winning 2nd place in the NWA High Plains Presentation Contest
Goals for September:
1. Finish DOE No
2. Send manuscript to publisher No
3. Fix bike tires Yes
4. Have nickel and yttria sprayed predictably OK
5. Put up 2/440 Antenna Yes
Goals for November:
1. Finish DOE
2. Send manuscript to publisher
3. Finish explosives paper
4. QSL everyone
5. Finish literature review for thesis
Thursday, 10-26-06 at 6:07 MDT
I have kept pretty busy these past few weeks. I finished up my midterm for explosives, and have also written a good portion of my paper for that class. I also turned in a progress report for my thesis, another DOE homework assignment and started some paperwork for my trip to China in May. Yesterday alone I had four separate meetings to attend.
We went to X-Prize last weekend and I’ll hopefully put up pictures from that soon. It was pretty cool, and we’ll try to go back again next year.
Saturday, 10-14-06 at 11:24 MDT
I updated Malibu QSOs to reflect last weekend’s trip, where my girlfriend logged while I worked another 71 QSOs on HF 20 meters. Adding this total to my current mobile HF QSO total gives me 1020, which means I broke 1000 Mobile HF QSOs last week! It’s been a long journey involving having only 10m HF for a long time, battling the sun cycle, broken antenna wires and antennas, and camping out to work the contests, but 1000 down!
Thursday, 10-12-06 at 22:05 MDT
I updated Radar 2006 images and added a section on the trip I took last week.
Last week, I went to the 10th Annual National Weather Association High Plains Conference in Dodge City, KS. I did a presentation on Skywarn and amateur radio and got 2nd place in a student paper competition, so that made me happy. Afterwards, we still had the weekend free so we went up to Fort Collins, CO to visit my cousin, Laurie, who is going to Colorado State University. It was good to catch up, and good to take some time off.
Monday, 10-9-06 at 21:57 MDT
I have so many things to update and I don’t know when I’ll get to them. I had some major work to do at school fixing the transformer that runs all my plasma spray equipment, so I’ve definitely put my C- electrical engineering knowledge to the test.
Hopefully, I’ll do a few updates today. For now though, it is the end of August, time for a monthly update.
Books read: ‘Schott Guide to Glass’ by Heinz G Pfaender, ‘Memoirs of a Warsaw Ghetto Fighter’ by Kazik (Simha Rotem), and ‘The Alphabet of Manliness’ by Maddox.
Books of the Bible Read: Judges and Ruth
HF Contacts made: 0. I really need to get on the air.
Miles Biked: 0. I have been walking to school most days, but I’ll fix my bike this week.
Farthest Distance Traveled: Raton, NM
Biggest Accomplishment: Getting classified as Marksman from the NRA
Goals for September:
1. Finish DOE No
2. Send manuscript to publisher No
3. Fix bike tires No
4. Have nickel and yttria sprayed predictably No
5. Fix the dryer Yes
Goals for October:
1. Finish DOE
2. Send manuscript to publisher
3. Fix bike tires
4. Have nickel and yttria sprayed predictably
5. Put up 2/440 Antenna
Monday, 9-25-06 at 23:25 MDT
I updated the photography page, my shooting scores page, complete trains, corrected my ‘ore cars’ (to grain cars), corrected my main page to read ‘New Mexico Tech’ instead of ‘Virginia Tech’, and maybe some other stuff, I can’t remember.
The photos I have been taking have mostly been in black and white or sepia. I like working in those tones. It’s easy to find things out here worthy of taking pictures of in those tones. Anything with an old west flavor looks good in either tone. For some reason, I really liked the box car that I added to my photography page.
Just to be a total jerk, I created a live journal to serve as a mini-backup to my lab book at work. You can find it at:thermal-spray.livejournal.com. We’ll see how it goes.
Friday, 9-15-06 at 23:48 MDT
Products I miss: Utz potato chips (particularly the Kettle Cooked) and Northern Neck Ginger Ale. I can’t get either here.
I updated the locomotives page and the tank car page. I will add some stuff from my BNSF training soon.
Amazon.com refunded me the money for the ceramics book, as they listed it for the wrong price. I knew it was too good to be true. I got my explosives books for class though.
Right now, I’m reading Kazik, which is the memoirs of a freedom fighter in the Warsaw Ghetto. It’s an amazing story.
I’d also like to add that I really like WUVT’s hip hop line up. It’s not the commercial stuff you hear on MTV, so it’s good.
Wednesday, 9-13-06 at 7:00 MDT
Once again, it’s been a while since I have updated. I have updated shooting scores, added a page on my M-1 Garand project, and added a few radar images.
Today will be dedicated to calling up physical plant and seeing why we aren’t getting 480V where we need to be. I also have a bunch of classes. Busy busy.
I finally ordered Alphabet of Manliness yesterday, along with a ceramics book and Homer Hickman Jr’s biography. $52 and I have good reading for quite a while.
Sunday, 9-3-06 at 9:49 MDT
It looks dreary outside, but we are still planning on having a barbecue today anyway.
Hopefully, I’ll do a few updates today. For now though, it is the end of August, time for a monthly update.
Books read: ‘A Concise Introduction to Ceramics’ by George C. Phillip, ‘Understanding Polymer Morphology’ by Arthur E. Woodward, ‘The M1 Rifle’ which is a collection of articles found in American Rifleman, ‘Endurance’ by Alfred Lansing, ‘Basic Metallurgy and Metalworking of Aluminum’ by Kaiser Aluminum, and a Plasma Physics book which is sitting on my desk at work.
Books of the Bible Read: Deuteronomy and Joshua.
HF Contacts made: 0. I really need to get on the air.
Miles Biked: 0. I have been walking to school most days, but I’ll fix my bike this week.
Farthest Distance Traveled: Capitan, NM
Biggest Accomplishment: Getting a paper in at the Rio Grande Symposium.
Goals for September:
1. Finish DOE
2. Send manuscript to publisher
3. Fix bike tires
4. Have nickel and yttria sprayed predictably
5. Fix the dryer
Sunday, 8-27-06 at 13:36 MDT
I have hung up a few things and also updated so that there are now photos from Elephant Butte in my about me page.
Sunday, 8-27-06 at 10:54 MDT
No updates yet, been keeping too busy. Maybe this week?
Yesterday, I planned on competing in a regional match, but instead got my car stuck in the mud. By the time we got it out, I was too tired to shoot haha. It was fun anyway though, hopefully I’ll post a photo of the Malibu in the mud.
Recently, it was announced that Pluto is no longer a planet. I don’t know how many of you saw this. Here’s a little bio on the guy who discovered Pluto, courtesy of NASA: Clyde Tombaugh 1906-1997.
Today’s agenda involves fixing a dryer, working on DOE, unpacking and working on my car, and maybe hanging some stuff on the wall. I wonder how much I’ll actually accomplish today…
Thursday, 8-24-06 at 10:47 MDT
School has started for me. I’m only taking four credits of classes, since I’m near finishing all my coursework and have to get everything ready for a conference in China in May. There’s a pretty good chance that I’ll be going, if I can get a few more things to work right…
Classwise, I’m taking Introduction to Explosive Engineering, and Instrumentation, Measurement, and Process Control Design. Shouldn’t be too bad.
Updates to see soon *HOPEFULLY* I need to update Radar 2006 Images, Trains, and a few others. We’ll see how much time I get over the next few days.
I’m shooting in a regional match this weekend. Wish me luck.
An Engineer in the World 