Bravo - Ham Radio Power Trail Traditional Cache
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Bravo - Ham Radio Power Trail
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INTRODUCING THE HAM RADIO POWER TRAIL SERIES
This cache is the second (2nd) of over twenty six (26) caches hidden approximately one tenth of a mile (or so) apart along an 11 mile paved jogging/cycling trail.
PURPOSE:
In hiding and maintaining this series of geocaches we have the following purposes in mind:
1. Health & Fitness: To help folks get fit and healthy by giving them a fun reason to get out hiking, walking, jogging, or cycling on a wonderful 11 mile paved fitness trail which goes around the Pelahatchie Bay portion of the Ross Barnett Reservoir.
2. HAM Radio: To help folks learn about another fun hobby which many Mississippi Geocachers, including the CaneMaster Family, are into, called Amateur Radio or HAM Radio. Each cache page in this series will introduce a different aspect of Ham Radio.
3. Power Trail Challenge: To give geocachers a new Challenge to complete. Once you have found all of the HAM Radio Power Trail caches you qualify to receive the coordinates to the HAM Radio Power Trail Challenge cache, which contains a congratulatory certificate suitable for framing.
5. Alphanumerical Challenge Assistance: To give assistance to geocachers who need fresh letters and/or numbers to complete the various Alphabet and Number Challenges in Mississippi.
THE CACHES:
The Plan:
To hide a large number of the caches in this series with-in a tenth of a mile of each other all the way around the entire trail. Due to logistic problems (a few other caches nearby, poor hiding spots, high water, etc) some of the caches in this series will be up to a third of a mile apart.
We are hoping that you will park your car at the small parking spot near the first cache in this series (Alpha - HAM Radio Power Trail) and hunt for each cache in its alphanumeric order. We are also hoping that you will use this series to get in shape by cycling, jogging, hiking, or simply walking through the entire series or as much of it as your current level of health and fitness allows.
The first 26 geocaches in this series are named using the standard Phonetic Alphabet used by Amateur Radio operators: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliet, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, Xray, Yankee, and Zulu. The rest are named after special types of Ham Radio usage, or the call signs of Mississippi geocachers who are also licensed Amateur Radio Operators (HAMs).
Each cache page will introduce a different aspect of HAM Radio.
Locations:
Some of these caches are hidden very close to the trail and even right on the small bridges which take the trail over various small streams. Some are also hidden a short distance inside the tree line and others are a little deeper into the woods. We have attempted to place all of these above the reservoir flood plain, but in a few places you might want to wear rubber boots during the rainy season. A few are also hidden on the railing of the larger street bridges.
Containers:
Primarily we used bison tubes, magnetic key safes. However, we also made good use of a few fake utility plates and a few of those infinitesimally small magnetic nanos. You will need to bring your own pen for all of the caches in this series.
Tip:
The hardest part of bison tubes is putting the small rolled up log back in them after signing. If you place the rolled up log inside the tube first then the cap wont fit! This is because the inside of the tube is a bit wider than the inside of the cap. When you put the log in the tube it unrolls slightly and the cap wont fit. The SECRET to making it fit is to roll the log up tightly and place one end of it inside the cap first. That holds it tight enough for you to slip the tube over the other end of the log and then screw the two parts together.
Additionally, most our bison tubes’ caps are permanently strapped to a tree or tree limb which means that you will have to unscrew the tube from cap and not the other way around.
LOGISTICS:
The Trail:
The entire trail is paved and is used by a good many people for cycling, jogging, hiking, walking, and now Geocaching! A very small part of it runs along side of a few businesses and nice neighborhoods.. However, most of it runs along side a scenic woodland area and a good portion provides a scenic view of the Ross Barnet Reservoir.
This paved trail forms a complete 11 mile circle (more like a square) around the Pelahatchie Bay portion of the Ross Barnett Reservoir. The trail runs in a generally eastward direction along side of Spillway Rd (from Old Fannin Rd/Northshore Parkway to Hwy 471), then it turns left and runs in a generally northern direction along side of Hwy 471 (from Spillway Rd to Northshore Parkway), then it turns left and runs in a generally westward direction along Northshore Parkway (from 471 to the Northshore Parkway bridge), then it curves toward the left and runs in a generally southwestern direction as it crosses over the Northshore Parkway bridge and eventually reaches the starting point back at the intersection of Old Fannin Rd/Northshore Parkway and Spillway Rd (near McDonalds).
Parking:
The following coordinates give the location of the parking spot closest to the first cache in this series (Alpha - HAM Radio) N 32°22.7479 ' W089°58.8211 '
There are only a few legal parking locations along this trail! This forces you to cycle, jog, hike, or walk along the trail from one cache to the next (and thus get in shape, which is one of the main purposes of this series). Do not park in front of any houses, or along the side of the roads, or along the side of the trail (except in the designated trail parking locations). If you do your car will get towed off fairly quickly in this area. Only use the Trail’s Parking locations and nearby recreational or business parking lots near the trail.
ETIQUETTE:
As always please put everything back exactly as you found it.
Please pick up and take out any trash you find during your hunt so that we can give back to the community and earn their respect for our hobby.
Since this trail gets a good bit of use by cyclists, joggers, and walkers, please use the utmost stealth to insure that muggles don’t discover our caches. Its always a bummer hunting for a cache for a long time only to discover its been muggled. So please do your part to insure that this series remains fun for those who come hunting after you.
SUGGESTIONS:
As always when hiking, jogging, cycling, or walking long distances, dress appropriately for the weather, activity and length of time you will be spending on the activity.
If you plan to hunt for a large number of these all in one hike/jog/cycle session then you might want to bring a cell phone (or HAM Radio) with you in case you need to contact someone in the event of an emergency.
During hot weather you might want to bring along with you adequate water, sunscreen, and mosquito repellant.
During the rainy season you might want to wear rubber boots for some of these caches.
You might want to bring a camera for some of the more scenic portions of the trail.
Don’t forget to bring a pen to sign the logs with.
There are several other older caches located either along this trail or in close proximity to it. While you are in the area you might want to give them a try too.
THIS CACHE:
Bravo- Ham Radio Power Trail
This cache is hidden extremely close to the trail. The type of container used for this specific cache can be discovered by reading the following “More Details About Ham Radio.”
MORE DETAILS ABOUT HAM RADIO
In the first cache in this series, Alpha - Ham Radio Power Trail, we gave a brief FAQ about Ham Radio. In this second installment we will give a little more in-depth overview before going into individual areas in the subsequent installments.
1. What is Ham Radio?
A housewife in North Carolina makes friends over the radio with another ham in Lithuania. An Ohio teenager uses his computer to upload a digital chess move to an orbiting space satellite, where it's retrieved by a fellow chess enthusiast in Japan. An aircraft engineer in Florida participating in a "DX contest" swaps his call sign and talks to hams in 100 different countries during a single weekend. In California, volunteers save lives as part of their involvement in an emergency response. And from his room in Chicago, a ham's pocket-sized hand-held radio allows him to talk to friends in the Carolinas. This unique mix of fun, public service and convenience is the distinguishing characteristic of Amateur Radio. Although hams get involved for many reasons, they all have in common a basic knowledge of radio technology and operating principles, and pass an examination for the FCC license to operate on radio frequencies known as the "Amateur Bands." These bands are radio frequencies reserved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for use by hams at intervals from just above the AM broadcast band all the way up into extremely high microwave frequencies.
Listen to this spot, "What Is Ham Radio?: (visit link)
2. Who's the Typical Ham?
Amateur Radio operators come from all walks of life -- movie stars, missionaries, doctors, students, politicians, truck drivers and just plain folks. They are all ages, sexes, income levels and nationalities. They say Hello to the world in many languages and many ways. But whether they prefer Morse code on an old brass telegraph key, voice communication on a hand-held radio, or computerized messages transmitted via satellite, they all have an interest in what's happening in the world, and they use radio to reach out.
3. What's the Appeal of Ham Radio?
Some hams are attracted by the ability to communicate across the country, around the globe, or even with astronauts on space missions. Others may like to build and experiment with electronics. Computer hobbyists enjoy using Amateur Radio's digital communications opportunities. Those with a competitive streak enjoy "DX contests," where the object is to see how many hams in distant locations they can contact. Some like the convenience of a technology that gives them portable communication. Mostly we use it to open the door to new friendships over the air or through participation in one of more than 2000 Amateur Radio clubs throughout the country.
Read real person comments in “Why I Love It!” : (visit link)
4. Why Do You Need a License?
Although the main purpose of Amateur Radio is fun, it is called the "Amateur Radio Service" because it also has a serious face. The FCC created this "Service" to fill the need for a pool of experts who could provide backup during emergencies. In addition, the FCC acknowledged the ability of the hobby to advance the communication and technical skills of radio, and to enhance international goodwill. This philosophy has paid off. Countless lives have been saved where skilled hobbyists act as emergency communicators to render aid, whether it's during an earthquake in Italy or a hurricane in the U.S.
5. Why Do They Call Themselves "Hams"?
"Ham: a poor operator. A 'plug.'" That's the definition of the word given in G. M. Dodge's "The Telegraph Instructor" even before there was radio. The definition has never changed in wire telegraphy. The first wireless operators were landline telegraphers who left their offices to go to sea or to man the coastal stations. They brought with them their language and much of the tradition of their older profession. In those early days, every station occupied the same wavelength-or, more accurately perhaps, every station occupied the whole spectrum with its broad spark signal. Government stations, ships, coastal stations and the increasingly numerous amateur operators all competed for time and signal supremacy in each other's receivers. Many of the amateur stations were very powerful. Two amateurs, working each other across town, could effectively jam all the other operations in the area. Frustrated commercial operators would refer to the ham radio interference by calling them "hams." Amateurs, possibly unfamiliar with the real meaning of the term, picked it up and applied it to themselves in true "Yankee Doodle" fashion and wore it with pride. Magnetic Key Safe. As the years advanced, the original meaning has completely disappeared.
6. Do I Have to Learn Morse Code?
Not any more! While many hams LIKE to use Morse code, it is not required.
7. What are some of the other ways radio hams communicate? What do they sound like?
There is a great variety of ways that Amateur Radio operators are able to communicate. Using voice is just one. Morse code is still widely used.
Here is what "hello" sounds like in Morse code: (visit link)
Some other sounds you might hear on Ham Radio which carry information are Packet, Radio Teletype (visit link) often called Ritty, and PSK (visit link) are three more. Even faster transmissions are being developed using methods which can send almost any form of digital data. Hams also use television (visit link) to send pictures over the air.
8. Please check out the next cache in this series for more information about Ham Radio.
Charlie - Ham Radio Power Trail
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Congratulations to Eagle700 and his son Lucky52 for being the First to Find (FTF) this and a total of twelve (12) of our twenty six (26) plus Ham Radio Power Trail caches. The rest of the caches in this series extend all the way around the trail and across the old railroad trestle. We expect them to be approved very soon, so keep an eye out for them.
Congratulations to WarEagle59, a fellow Amateur Radio Operator (call-sign: KD5NSA) for being the First Ham to Find (FHTF) this and a total of eight (8) of our twenty six Ham Radio Power Trail caches.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gur glcr bs pbagnvare hfrq sbe guvf fcrpvsvp pnpur pna or qvfpbirerq ol ernqvat “Zber Qrgnvyf Nobhg Unz Enqvb.” ba guvf jrocntr.
Treasures
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