Plug and Play

As ham radio operators go I am not very technically savvy. In fact, I'd say, if super duper hams are 10.0 on the sliding scale of technical acumen, I'm on the far side. 

That's not to say that the technology and the science behind it aren't fascinating to me. Far from it. But, the older I get, the know I get to know myself and one thing I've discovered is I know my limits. 

All that to say, when my friend Ed was advising me on decisions to set up my new K4KYN ham shack five years ago, I told him I didn't want any complications or frills. No drama. Plug and play. 

It occurred to me, recently, that most hams tell you about their set-up. So, with today's edition as a blank slate, there is plenty of room to tell you about K4KYN.  

So, consider yourself warned. If you're not into this topic, stop reading now. Come back tomorrow and we'll talk about something new. But...

If you do want to know about the equipment and the set-up and the gear that has powered nearly 22,000 contacts since September 2021, come on along. 

My rig (transceiver) is an ICOM IC 7300. I love it so much that I bought a spare. Same rig!

It's easy to use and quite robust. I don't run any extra power to it. I operate "barefoot." In ham-speak, that  means I do not use an amplifier. So with minimal wattage, I have sent my signal all over the world. My rig is powered by a Alinco power supply and my antenna is a modest vertical just outside the shack (which is actually no shack at all but, rather, the former bonus room in our basement). 

If I am talking (which, truthfully, is a very minimal percentage of my contacts, say, maybe 10%), I use the 7300's built-in mike. It does just fine.

On the other hand, for morse code, I have a variety of keys. At last count, I think I am now up to eight different keys, although I rotate through the four main ones that comprise the A Team.

For my participation in the Straight Key Century Club, I use mechanical keys, like a straight key (if you ever watched the 1960s program, "Hogan's Heroes," think of Kinch and his set-up). I have a roster of straight keys, bugs and cooties (sounds more dreadful than it really is!). 

When I am hunting foreign stations or participating in a contest, I use an electronic keyer known as an iambic paddle. 

I use a variety of electronic logging programs to keep track of my contacts. But I also keep a paper log for redundancy (and because old habits–in this case one that dates back 50+ years–die hard).

Like many hams, I have decorated my shack with a combination of maps, calendars, trinkets, QSL cards and logo items that feature my call sign. I bought my desk second-hand and it suits my set-up nicely. 
For a few accent pieces, I keep some equipment from yesteryear to create the vibe. 

All in all, it's quite comfy. And it needs to be. I spend a lot of time in that area. Our gray tabby, Scottie, has also been spending more time in the shack. 

It feels good to have a companion.

JG

I Voted

Late last week, I availed myself of the early voting opportunity in Knox County. 

But before go any further, lest you might think I would violate one of the basic #CoachJeff principles and go political on you. I will not.  If you want to talk politics, I am sure there are many more qualified people out there to engage and many election-related websites to provide fodder. 

Today, my purpose here, is merely to talk about the process. I will not tell you how I voted.  I will just, um, tell you how I voted. 

How we all did. The process.

The first time I went to the polls more than 40 years ago, I remember I went into a booth, pulled a curtain closed behind me and actually flipped a physical lever for each candidate of choice. Then, once I had flipped all the levers I chose to do, there was one big lever to finish the process. I remember pulling that big lever, hearing a bit of a grinding/groaning sound, and then all my selections disappeared. Or were recorded. I hope it was the latter.

Then, of course, in the year 2000, we heard all about chads - dangling, hanging, pregnant and otherwise. The infamous butterfly ballot prompted detailed discussions about election technology throughout the land. And, before you knew it, in Tennessee, we had a different system. 

And having just completed the process, I must say our approach is impressive. At my polling place, for instance:

• Sufficient volunteers to keep the process moving
• Way-faring signs and footpaths to keep the crowd moving
• Friendly and collegial voters sharing their thoughts about the impressive process

One woman even offered a band-aid to a fellow traveler who seemed to have developed a cut on her leg. Everyone present seemed impressed. 

Shared experience.

After you sign in and show your ID, you receive a ballot and off you go.

The physical process includes a color-in-the-lines effort. This is the challenge for color outside the lines folks like me.

Nontheless, poll workers give you a black ink pen and instructions to completely fill in the box for the candidates of your choice. You do so at small carrels labelled with the cheerful language stating, "I Voted."

Once you have finished making your selections (and checked over them one last time), you go to a scanning device. The voter slides her/his paper ballot into the machine. A few seconds later a "waving U.S. flag" appears on your screen. That tells you that your vote has been recorded and it is safe to leave the precinct.

But not before you receive a colorful "I Voted" sticker. 

Even though the polling place was packed on a mid-week, mid-day, I thought the lines shuffled quickly and the process moved apace. I wasn't there more than, say, a good half hour.

Thirty minutes to invest in participating in our democracy? Not a bad trade-off.

JG

Updates

For those of you who have been reading the blog for a while, you know I have written about some unique situations/observations over the last few months. Question: what happened next?

Today, as we close out another week on the blog, I am going to give you some updates about topics I've covered over the last six months.

Rocky and the Red Pepper Paste (August 20)
In late summer and into the early days of fall, a squirrel (or maybe multiple squirrels) started gnawing on one of the boards of cedar siding on our house. I applied a paste featuring cayenne pepper. After some initial success, the squirrels resumed gnawing. 

I was so distraught over that news, I called one of the local wildlife removal services (one that had previously helped us with other critter issues). But the poor young fellah who came to our house that day seemed flummoxed. "I'm not sure what to do. We could set some traps."

That didn't seem like the right approach. There are a bazillion squirrels within a one mile radius of our home. How would you know you got the right one. Or ones. And what would prevent someone else from taking up where the other left off. His last bit of advice to me was that if it happens again and just call back, and ask to speak to his boss. 

???

With no hope and a growing gnaw gash, I went back to the internet and found that, not only do squirrels hate cayenne pepper, they really don't like getting it on their feet. Maybe they lick their feet to keep them clean? Also, they're not fond of the odor.

Our house has a row of bricks that rings the house. The opportunistic varmints used it as a one-way gateway to all the wood they could chomp. 

So, to try to deter them, I coated the bricks with very red cayenne pepper. Honestly, the color wasn't that far off from the color of the bricks. So, in a way, it just looks like brick dust. 

And guess what? The gnawing stopped.

So, $5 for a can of pepper powder < a complicated prevention method from wildlife experts.

Call it a real win!

Kiss on my List (August 13)
In this edition, I told you about my old high school buddy Ben and his approach to singing 
(mumbling)  the old Hall and Oates hit, "Kiss on My List." He also liked the REO Speedwagon smash "Take it on the Run" (although instead of "Take it on the Run, baby," he sing "Take it on the run, Ben...").

Wouldn't you know I heard both songs, back to back, on his birthday last month?!? You can't make this stuff up. Well, I guess you could, but it wouldn't be nearly as interesting.

I do wonder where he is and how he's doing.

Dodger Blue (July 9)
With the Dodgers on the brink of being eliminated from postseason play, this one seems especially poignant.

In a few different posts, I told you about interesting encounters during my walks in the park - including the day I found an abandoned Los Angeles Dodgers cap on the bench.

One weekday mid-morning, recently,  I encountered two teams of guys playing Ultimate Frisbee in the center area of the track. It added to the atmosphere of the walk that morning.  

It did make me wonder if the young men were cutting college class? OR were they young workers on a team-building exercise? Or possibly their employer was closed for some reason that day.

More questions than answers. But a nice walk nonetheless.

Fresh Look 2 (April 27)
In the April 27 edition, I told you about our church's successful fundraising campaign. With the funds now coming in, the church has completed its first project (a refresh of our narthex). New flooring, some high top tables for short visits and other programming. Other projects are continuing.

Signs of progress everywhere!

JG

Ball = Money

I've often said, if I were coaching youth sports today, I'm not sure how well #CoachJeff would fare.

I think I also told you the story about how the young mother approached me during tryouts for one of our youngest rec baseball leagues many years ago and asked for advice about how to guarantee "Little Johnny" would "make it." She meant to the bigs. 

I don't think, by any means, she was the only parent with gold dust in their eyes. And I don't think she appreciated my somewhat dismissive reply. 

But I'm sure I didn't deter her efforts and, according to an article in from the Wall Street Journal earlier this month, parents are lining up more than ever to pay top dollar to chase the dream. Er, um, I mean for Little Johnny to chase his dream. 

From the details included in the article, it seems many modern parents are willing to pay top money for top ball. For them, Money = Ball. Ball = Money.

In other words, a far cry from when the Concord Choppers made our pitch with an economical approach to filling a niche between rec leagues and uber travel teams.

I'll spare you from a recitation of the article. If you'd like to peruse it at the link above, I would highly recommend it. Well written. Well research. Lots of illuminating details.

For historical reference, the Choppers team budget, ca. late 2000s, would have been a few thousand dollars. And that was mitigated by a couple sponsorships. Otherwise, we passed the hat and parents chipped in.

We shopped for less expensive tournaments and we didn't travel out of the area. I sometimes wish we had done that, at least once, for the experience. But I sure wasn't going to go back to the parents had in hand after we made our initial pitch.

Not so, in the modern era, says the author of this piece, it is not unheard of for modern parents to pay an averge of $6,000 each or even upwards of $10K to play elite travel ball. I know there has been inflation in the last 20 years, but...

Another point the author makes, and I definitely saw this from my coaching experience, is that many of these parents are pushing their kids into these uber programs as a status symbol or for a fear of being left out. Others, of course, are hoping Little Johnny cashes in for the benefit of the fam.

The stats I really wanted to share with you are similar to the ones I told Momma so many years ago. 

Quotes the WSJ reporter, Harriet Ryan:

Less than 3% of high school players will play (college baseball) Division I, according to NCAA data, and fewer still will receive an athletic scholarship and NIL. The chance of a pro career is even more remote, with only about 5% of college players at any level making the draft.

When I started rolling out those sorts of stats, that's when Momma grabbed junior's hand and whisked him away with a dismissive "C'mon Johnny. We're not getting anywhere here." I do hope they made it. Really I do. It seemed so important to Johnny ('s mom).

As an old coach looking at this from the 10,000 foot level, there are a few things that strike me as troubling beyond the basic premise that Little Johnny is guaranteed to make it if pop ponies up. 

Truly, these programs are excellent and they serve a good purpose for elite youth talent. I'm not disputing that. 

But for others: Are we pricing out lower income families from the game? What ramifications will that have 10, 20, 50 years down the line?

Also, what of the families who aren't looking for the big payoff and just want their child to be able to have fun, learn the game, experience teamwork and camaraderie in a low-stakes environment? Is there a point at which rec leagues struggle because of depleted numbers? I sure hope not.

Long before the Choppers were champs and long before we stepped up to a travel schedule, our's was a rec team. And if you go way far back, we weren't a very good one. 

Bad News Bears? Hardly. But few people cared about wins and losses then anyway. 

• Spending time with your 7-year-old buddies
• Having the team snack after the game 
• Then going to your pal's house for a playdate later on Saturday

That was the important agenda.

But, I did see glimpses of what was covered in the WSJ piece from time to time.

For instance, one weekend, an uber team rolled into town from the Atlanta suburbs. They brought a branded travel trailer that toted all their gear up I-75. The parents brought designer tents and wore matching jerseys and jackets. 

I asked the coach why such an uber team had come here to play in a low stakes tournament. He shrugged and said, in essence, they needed a change of scenery. 

My fear is that these days, there might be four or five such uber teams and very few Chopperesque clubs to face them.

I'm too far removed from the game to draw any conclusions from what I read (and what I've heard). But I think I experienced some of what was to come in that scenario and in a few others. 

I'm glad we finished when we did and that I didn't stick around to see what came next.

JG

A New Ham Radio Friend

There are so many things I love about ham radio. But, as an extrovert's extrovert, my favorite aspect of the hobby is the interaction with new people. 

In the 5+ years since I returned to the airwaves, I've met a number of people I now consider to be my friends. And among those folks, there is a smaller group with whom I have made a special connection.

Recently, I added to that select list. Or rather, a fellow ham radio operator read my QRZ.bio and thought "Man. Me and this guy have a lot in common. I really want to connect."

And a point of pride for me is that he has become a regular reader #CoachJeff's Blog. So, no names. But, he knows who I am talking about. 

We have had a number of on-air contacts over the past few years -- 11, to be exact. And, recently, we've even chatted via phone a couple times. I have a feeling, we'll do it again soon.

For those of you who have been readers of the blog for a while know these facts. But for the record, here are a few traits/interests that me and my new friend share.

• Travel
• Goal-Setting
• Photography
• Baseball

He and I could talk at great length about many topics. But, c'mon. #CoachJeff and baseball? As conversation pieces go, it's a winner. 

During one of our chats, we talked a great deal about Cooperstown. He has spent quite a bit of time there and, of course, my family thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.

I could devote an entire post to our experience that day.

Recently, the two of us chatted via an instant messaging portal for a group of which we are both members. I complimented him on his very strong signal that night. He encouraged me, too, as I made the last contact with the coveted station before it signed off.

Camaraderie and collegiality. Two other factors I love about this hobby.

During another conversation, he asked me about my Atlanta Braves fan experience. I think he wondered why I picked the Braves. I noted that Tennessee is fully ensconced in Braves Country and Truist Park is a short drive down I-75 from my QTH.

About a week later, a prize pack arrived in the mail. The package included a number of baseball cards featuring various Atlanta Braves players. Talk about a sweet gift. And one that is greatly appreciated. 

Some folks may gripe about subtleties about our hobby. It's not as friendly as it once was. The old etiquette is gone. There are jerks around the airwaves. It's too impersonal. It's become too tech-friendly. 

I dismiss those comments. 

Where I come from, it's all about the people. And because of this great hobby, I've met many great people.

And the most recent is a New Yorker with the gift of gab, some great stories and a heart of gold.

JG

National Newspaper Week

Last week was celebrated as National Newspaper Week. 

It was the 86th anniversary of the observance which dates to 1940. The promotional website tells a bit about the event, the rationale behind it and why newspapers are still so important.

Personally, I think it is definitely true in smaller communities and rural counties. But it also holds true other places as well,

It has been many years since I have been employed in the newspaper industry. And true, I have long identified as a public relations practitioner. But before I worked in PR, I earned my stripes as a journalist. '

In fact, I am proud to say I was the first editor of the newspaper in my community, the Farragut Press. Not only did I help leadership get that start-up paper going, I got to do many unique stories and cover a number of interesting people in that role.

For instance, that was the year of the 1988 presidential election. We covered it. Additionally, we provided regular coverage of town government and the area schools. When we were without a sports reporter, for instance, I'd step in. I spent a number of Friday nights covering local sports teams.

We did a number of unique, full-page features in the Lifestyle section. I recall writing one piece about America's fascination with all things British. Must've been impactful if I remember it all these years later, right?

Another feature I produced was about Children's Hospital. Turns out, that experience helped me make professional connections that led to my jump from news to corporate communications. And once I made that move, I never looked back.

But I don't forget my roots. 

And just as it was with the paper, when you are writing promotional copy, a video script or an article for the company newsletter, the work is all about storytelling.  To inform. To enlighten. To entertain.

My years of producing copy on deadline taught me discipline and emphasized productivity. When you are on deadline, you can't get hung up on perfection. Likewise, if you are writing to fill a specific hole when the paper is about to go to press, you learn to be precise.

#CoachJeff's Blog doesn't impose those sorts of conditions but, still, it is fun and challenging to see what I can crank out four times a week, Monday through Thursday, to share thoughts and entertain/inform you folks who take a moment to stop by.

And it all got started when #CoachJeff was #ScoopJeff all those years ago.

JG

Tip of the Cap

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2026 National League Division Series last night. They defeated the Atlanta Braves to advance.

No snark here today. I told you what I thought of the Dodgers' advantages earlier in the summer. 

In this series, they made the plays they needed to make. Had a few more timely hits; slightly better pitching.  And in postseason baseball, doing the little things cleaner, better and more efficiently usually translates into victory.

So, a tip of the cap to them for winning the series.

But mostly, today, I wanted to tip my cap to my team. Last night, the Braves lost. Sure. They were eliminated from postseason play. Season over.

But, over the course of the last six months, they gave me, my friends and family and all the fans throughout Braves Country many hours of entertainment and enjoyment. They won their division; they won their first round playoff series last week vs. Philadelphia. 

The 2026 season had a full and rich highlight reel.

We all knew the Dodgers would be a tough draw. The Braves needed to play a near-perfect series and have a few breaks go their way. Sorry to say, it didn't work out that way.

Some years ago, I read a quote from former NFL QB Steve Young. Paraphased: A season ends in either a championship or train wreck. He's so right.

This morning, that feeling is raw and real. 

Of all sports teams, the Atlanta Braves have become my favorite sports team. There is no close second. And, it's going to be nearly six months until they are scheduled to play again. 

We'll miss them.

One of the melancholy realities about the end of a modern sports season is that you know the team will have a different look when next season begins. No matter what happens, there will be changes to the roster. Trades. Upgrades. Free agent departures.

I am hoping the Braves' brass will be more aggressive and make the needed upgrades they didn't make last offseason or at the MLB trade deadline in August.

But those are in-depth discussions for a later time.

For now, it's time to celebrate the season - and a great season it was.  And it is also time to take a moment to appreciate some of the big hits, great plays and highlights of a successful season and the staff, players and coaches that made it all possible.

Let it Fly.

JG