State of the City of San Bernardino

Photo by C.J. Ellington: San Bernardino Mayor R Carey Davis addressing audiance at San Bernardino International Airport.

4/27/2018: The city of San Bernardino Held its annual State of the city address. The event was held at the San Bernardino International Airport/ former Norton Air Force Base.

The event began with lite meal/appatizers at 5:30 PM. At 6:30PM Mayor Pro Tem Henry Nickel Said a few words before introducing Mayor R Carey Davis.

Mayor Davis emphasised business growth in the city. He notably mentioned several large companies that have moved into the Airport as cargo hubs, including UPS.

Another large part of the speach, was that the city is in the proccess of hiring police officers to fill the void from those lost in previous years to budget shortfalls.

The mayor ended his speach discussing the good work of SB Pastors United, and thanked people. The hour long speach was a reminder of the great things the city has done. There was no negative comments made.

Help for those helping others?

Imagine a hospital without volunteers. Without volunteers, the hospital would have to pay staff to do what faithful volunteers do every day.

Now, imagine those not being paid to do the work of many, being treaded like 2nd and 3rd class. Well that is happening at the Veterans Hospital in Loma Linda California.

It has been six months sense Norlandi Piere has taken over volunteer service. Sense then, the numbers of volunteers have decreased. Moral has also decreased.

Your probably wondering why? From practicly day 1, he has taken away convieniences such as a coffee maker in the volunteer room at the Ambulatory Care Center.

In addition to the coffee maker, she makes promises she can't keep, takes back her promisses to volunteers and suspends volunteers for no reason.

Volunteers are unable to speak freely and no recourse for when she desides she doesn't like you. After a search of the Loma Linda VA's website, found no email or phone number for those in dispute.

Prior to Miss Piere taking the job of Asst Chief of Volunteer services (There is no current chief), Moral was high and so was the amount of volunteers.

SATERNs finnest

Picture shows SATERN Coordnater Paul Hager AE6TR, addressing the seminar.

1/20/2018: The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) San Bernardino, held it's annual seminar. The seminar was held at the San Bernardino corp.

In attendance at the 21st annual SATERN event were 48 members and visiters. The seminar is designed to introduce new HAM radio opperater's to SATERN as well as teach verious amature related topics with the focus on emergencies.

This year there was speakers that discused emergency antennas, digital communications, as well as microwave dish communications.

Door prizes were awarded. Some of the prizes included antennas, a hand held radio, and verious HAM radio items. In addition, they built a portable antenna for the 144 megaherdz band.

SATERNs main goal is to provide emergency communications for the Salvation Army. If you are interested in joining, SAERN holds a 2 meter nets at 8pm PST on Sunday night on 146.385 the Keller Peak repeater. Visiters are welcome.

In the Navy (virtualy)

In the Navy (virtualy)

By: C.J. Ellington


Ever wanted to be in the military but never
got the chance? In Second Life there are many
virtual military group's you can join. (More
on other group's in a future blog post.) 

US Navy Second Life (USNSL) is the virtual
equivalant of the real life US Navy. There
are as many jobs in the SL version as there
are in the real life version. From weapons to
naval aviaters. But first before you chose
your specialty, a recrute goes through RTC
(Recrute Training Center) or OCS (Officer
Candidate School). Both are time consuming.

Recrute's spend five days 2 hours a day to
get their first assignment and rank. Recrutes
train in such things as use of vice weapons,
swimming, guard duty, and uniforms. Officer
candidates go through four weeks 2 hours a
day. They study navy history, navy
leadership, rank structure and boat
navigation in addition to the recrutes. After
graduation you chose your assignment and
specialty.

If you think the classes are over
after RTC, think again. SAR (Search and
Rescue) is typicly four weeks 3 days a week 2
hour's a day. Navy aviation program is
typicly three months.

Like in real life there
are several difrent fleet's. All three of the
fleet's have their own speacialty and
uniqueness. Second fleet concentrates on
search and rescue. 7th fleet is more aviation
as it is based off the USS Kitty Hawk in a
vietnam era sim. Required hour's differ from
fleet's.

If your interested in joining USNSL
you may contact Izzy Harcassle on the SL
grid. Anchers away.

Having a field day.

     Once a year, usualy   the last weekend in June, HAM radio operators from the US and Canada get together. The goal of field day, is to practice setting up communications as if it was an emergency.

     Thousands of HAM radio clubs get together in parks, and other public areas. The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network SATERN, is one of those groups.

     SATERN covers emergency communications for the Salvation Army. This particuler SATERN  group covers San Bernardino and Riverside counties in southern California. 

     The SATERN group set up four HAM radio stations. One on 10 meters. One on 20 meters PSK Didgital mode. One on 40 meters CW or morse code, and one on 15 meters morse code.

     The extreme hot tempertures were a factor in only making a hand full of contacts. But, friendship and learning as you go were the order of the day. 

     The three wire antennas were built on the fly, to match SWR of the band they were covering. And to top it all off, hamburgers were the lunch of the day.

     Field day lasts 24 hours from 11am California time Saturday, to 11am Sunday. The SATERN group pulled up steaks about 5pm. 

     If you are a licensed HAM, SATERN runs a 2 meter net on Keller Peak Repeater 146.385 on Sunday nights 8pm local time. Guests are encouraged to check in.

Phone home

ET phone home. Or in this case HAMs from the JLPVA ARC (Jerry L Pettis Veterans hospital
radio club.) The HAM radio club at the Loma Linda veterans hospital, has been working on
a project to get voice over ip phone system set up.

Finnaly, it is being put into use in the VA Radio room. This VOIP system or "mesh" system, was set up by the clubs technical advisor Larry Anderson W6LAR.

Mesh network consists of a didgital phone, wireless router, and a dish antenna. With that you can
set up your own private network.

The Loma Linda VA radio club has links set up in the radio room at the hospital, as well as 3
other members houses. To use the system you have to have it set up on the other end.

Once set up you can do everything from make phone calls to go on the internet all with minimal
cost. In order to use the mesh system, you have to be licensed as an amature radio
operater.

When all else fails this system is able to continue working to get communications through. For more information regarding The Loma Linda VA Radio Club or the mesh network, contact Larry Anderson W6LAR on the 445.340 repeater.

AIL/KOL on point

     The AIL/KOL points system is not as complacated as it seems. In this article we will explain tha points system so you will better understand how it works.

     According to Dash, the AIL game and points system is based off a 1990's game called Mercs. On Mercs, you can earn up to 20 point per mission. The Rules came from e-wrestling handlers.

     In AIL/KOL, the points are slightly higher. You can gain any points between 20-30. All points are based off mission performance.

     The winner of each mission gets 25-30 points.  Everyone else gets under 25 points. At the end of each season/mission, it is voted on by Ichiro. He doesn't participate in the missions in order to keep it fair according to Dash.

     "AIL has always been a coopertive writing game." Dash said. The points system is ment to give closure to the mission. It is also a motivator for people to participate in the RP's/ missions.

     At the end of each mission the points voted on then reset for the new mission. To be a part of the game and join AIL (Adventures in Loathing), go to http://z11.invisionfree.com/AiL/index.php?