WEBVTT 00:00:01.449 --> 00:00:04.509 This episode of ham talk live is brought to you 00:00:04.509 --> 00:00:08.529 by tower electronics for connectors cables and 00:00:08.529 --> 00:00:11.970 more Visit them at a ham fest near you or call 00:00:11.970 --> 00:00:15.410 nine to zero four three five Twenty nine seventy 00:00:15.410 --> 00:00:51.289 three or online at pl -259 .com Hey good evening 00:00:51.289 --> 00:00:54.600 everyone! Yeah, it's a little early. This is 00:00:54.600 --> 00:00:59.079 a bonus mini episode of HamTalk Live. It's Walmart 00:00:59.079 --> 00:01:03.880 parking lots on the air for Thursday, April 26, 00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:09.219 2018. I'm your host, Neil Rapp, WB9's VPG. Thanks 00:01:09.219 --> 00:01:12.760 for tuning into this special episode of HamTalk 00:01:12.760 --> 00:01:16.780 Live. Later tonight at our usual time, we'll 00:01:16.780 --> 00:01:22.269 be joined by Carol Perry, WB2MGP. and Mason Matrezzo 00:01:22.269 --> 00:01:28.030 KM4SII and we'll take your calls live but we 00:01:28.030 --> 00:01:31.469 promised you to talk about Walmart parking lots 00:01:31.469 --> 00:01:34.590 on the air so we're going to do that for a little 00:01:34.590 --> 00:01:37.769 bit tonight here a couple hours before the show 00:01:37.769 --> 00:01:41.349 and before I start I should mention that this 00:01:41.349 --> 00:01:46.730 is plan B we were planning on having a full extra 00:01:46.730 --> 00:01:51.760 episode on Wednesday night at 7 with some of 00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:56.920 the organizers of WMPLOTA or as I pronounce it 00:01:56.920 --> 00:02:03.060 WMPLOTA and some portable satellite experts well 00:02:03.060 --> 00:02:08.099 The main organizer of WMPLOTA came down with 00:02:08.099 --> 00:02:12.789 something on Tuesday and can barely talk so We're 00:02:12.789 --> 00:02:16.150 going to reschedule that episode after Wimploda 00:02:16.150 --> 00:02:18.210 when you'll have a chance to call in and talk 00:02:18.210 --> 00:02:20.270 about it too. And we'll throw around some ideas 00:02:20.270 --> 00:02:23.189 and see how things went. So we'll get a full 00:02:23.189 --> 00:02:26.490 episode of Wimploda going, but I didn't want 00:02:26.490 --> 00:02:31.469 to let this go totally unnoticed here on the 00:02:31.469 --> 00:02:34.449 show. So we're going to talk a little bit about 00:02:34.449 --> 00:02:39.439 Wimploda and there's a story about Wimploda that 00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:41.960 I did on Amateur Radio Newsline, which comes 00:02:41.960 --> 00:02:45.340 out in the morning. So make sure you check that 00:02:45.340 --> 00:02:49.939 out over at ARNewsline .org. But I at least wanted 00:02:49.939 --> 00:02:51.960 to get the word out about Wimploda if you haven't 00:02:51.960 --> 00:02:54.240 heard about it and get into a few of the details. 00:02:54.840 --> 00:02:58.039 So we'll get into how this crazy idea got started 00:02:58.039 --> 00:03:01.400 and talk about the next Wimploda weekend. Yes, 00:03:01.400 --> 00:03:04.319 there's going to be another one at least. We'll 00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:06.900 talk about all that when we do the rescheduled 00:03:06.900 --> 00:03:10.659 episode. And if it seems like the first Wimploda 00:03:10.659 --> 00:03:13.280 episode was a little bit rushed, well, that's 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:16.439 because it was. Um, one of the participants is 00:03:16.439 --> 00:03:19.560 retiring and moving out of the country. So everything 00:03:19.560 --> 00:03:21.900 kind of got put together on short notice. And 00:03:21.900 --> 00:03:24.560 so we didn't have time to work it into the schedule 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:28.479 here. And, um, the rules and everything just 00:03:28.479 --> 00:03:32.539 kind of got finalized yesterday. So we're still, 00:03:32.740 --> 00:03:35.340 uh, still making some tweaks over there with 00:03:35.340 --> 00:03:38.520 the Wimploda folks, but Rest assured there's 00:03:38.520 --> 00:03:41.439 another one coming up this summer so we'll have 00:03:41.439 --> 00:03:44.639 a chance to do another one. So the bottom line 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:49.740 is some satellite operators were looking for 00:03:49.740 --> 00:03:52.199 grid lines to operate. Now grid lines are the 00:03:52.199 --> 00:03:55.500 lines that separate grid squares and they count 00:03:55.500 --> 00:03:58.419 for both squares so it's kind of nice because 00:03:58.419 --> 00:04:01.930 you can get kind of a buy one get one free deal 00:04:01.930 --> 00:04:05.710 and some of them discovered that a lot of those 00:04:05.710 --> 00:04:09.090 grid lines happen to run through Walmart parking 00:04:09.090 --> 00:04:12.770 lots and since they're wide open spaces it's 00:04:12.770 --> 00:04:16.709 easier to point the satellite antenna and get 00:04:16.709 --> 00:04:20.290 a contact and it's easier to get on the grid 00:04:20.290 --> 00:04:25.370 line exactly so the phrase Wimploda was born 00:04:25.370 --> 00:04:30.839 and everybody thought it was Really funny and 00:04:30.839 --> 00:04:33.899 it was a great idea and it just kept growing 00:04:33.899 --> 00:04:41.399 and so yes, it is real And yes, it's wacky But 00:04:41.399 --> 00:04:44.120 it's just a fun time and it's been so much fun 00:04:44.120 --> 00:04:46.740 to read the tweets from people with ideas about 00:04:46.740 --> 00:04:49.459 the special event and the the award list just 00:04:49.459 --> 00:04:52.699 keeps growing and growing and it's It just sounds 00:04:52.699 --> 00:04:55.379 like a fun time. So I'm really looking forward 00:04:55.379 --> 00:04:57.939 to it I don't know how much I'll be able to get 00:04:57.939 --> 00:05:01.040 in on it, but I'm gonna try to get in on it and 00:05:01.040 --> 00:05:06.769 and hope you can too So as a result, Adam started 00:05:06.769 --> 00:05:13.750 putting together a website wmplota .org and that 00:05:13.750 --> 00:05:17.389 website has been collecting ideas from people 00:05:17.389 --> 00:05:19.970 and he's been setting some of that stuff up and 00:05:19.970 --> 00:05:22.949 the public was invited to come up with some award 00:05:22.949 --> 00:05:26.300 ideas and rules for the event. Let me go through 00:05:26.300 --> 00:05:29.220 some of those. I won't hit all of them. If you 00:05:29.220 --> 00:05:32.000 want to read all of the rules and all of the 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:36.399 bonuses, just go over to wmplota .org. That's 00:05:36.399 --> 00:05:40.160 W -M -P -L -O -T -A, WalmartParkingLotsOnTheAir 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:46.160 .org. And you can read those. Now, the event 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:48.899 or contest, whatever you want to call it, starts 00:05:48.899 --> 00:05:54.620 at 0100 UTC on April 28th and goes through 2359. 00:05:54.860 --> 00:06:00.180 on April 29th. And the exchange on satellite 00:06:00.180 --> 00:06:04.259 is always call sign and grid square. Well, if 00:06:04.259 --> 00:06:07.480 you can, we're going to add the Walmart store 00:06:07.480 --> 00:06:10.459 number. And that's kind of at the discretion 00:06:10.459 --> 00:06:14.100 of the operator, but his time is precious on 00:06:14.100 --> 00:06:17.100 satellites. But the Walmart store number or the 00:06:17.100 --> 00:06:20.579 Sam's Club store number, Sam's Club counts also. 00:06:20.959 --> 00:06:24.959 And you can get that from a store receipt or 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:30.420 from the online store finder. And we've got shoppers 00:06:30.420 --> 00:06:33.519 that are going to be the chasers, what we would 00:06:33.519 --> 00:06:35.819 normally call the chasers that are going to go 00:06:35.819 --> 00:06:39.339 look for stations setting up at Walmart parking 00:06:39.339 --> 00:06:42.920 lots and Sam's club. And then we've got associates 00:06:42.920 --> 00:06:47.319 who are the people who set up and activate those 00:06:47.319 --> 00:06:52.029 sites. So. The associates operating from multiple 00:06:52.029 --> 00:06:54.370 stores are encouraged to exchange store numbers 00:06:54.370 --> 00:06:59.550 just so we can reduce the duplicates and preserve 00:06:59.550 --> 00:07:03.350 the satellite bandwidth. So exchanging store 00:07:03.350 --> 00:07:07.170 numbers just lets people know if and when it's 00:07:07.170 --> 00:07:10.449 appropriate to work an associate again for a 00:07:10.449 --> 00:07:16.009 new credit. Associates will identify as stroke 00:07:16.009 --> 00:07:20.819 Walmart. So that way you know that they're participating 00:07:20.819 --> 00:07:24.720 Walmart Walmart neighborhood markets and Sam's 00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:28.779 clubs are all Allowable for credit and if you're 00:07:28.779 --> 00:07:31.959 a DX station you may not have a Walmart now some 00:07:31.959 --> 00:07:36.300 of them do But if you don't have a local Walmart 00:07:36.300 --> 00:07:39.720 branded store, and you're a DX station you can 00:07:39.720 --> 00:07:42.819 activate the nearest local equivalent but it 00:07:42.819 --> 00:07:45.800 does have to be portable and of course you have 00:07:45.800 --> 00:07:52.259 to have a license and you can be near the store 00:07:52.259 --> 00:07:57.620 now a picture of the activated location has to 00:07:57.620 --> 00:08:00.879 be available on request include the operator 00:08:00.879 --> 00:08:04.560 and a portion of the store or at least signage 00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:07.899 or something so we can tell that it's identifiable 00:08:07.899 --> 00:08:12.129 as Walmart and you can even use a Walmart sharpen 00:08:12.129 --> 00:08:16.350 card if you want and you can operate as far from 00:08:16.350 --> 00:08:22.689 a store as the stores sign or as far as an associate 00:08:22.689 --> 00:08:26.930 can legally take the shopping carts. Please don't 00:08:26.930 --> 00:08:30.769 steal the carts but you might pose them in a 00:08:30.769 --> 00:08:34.759 picture. Dislocated or abandoned carts found 00:08:34.759 --> 00:08:38.340 in the wild cannot be used and they do adhere 00:08:38.340 --> 00:08:41.279 to the image Requirements there that you got 00:08:41.279 --> 00:08:43.980 to be able to to see those and make sure that 00:08:43.980 --> 00:08:48.000 you return the carts when you're done operating 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:53.639 shopping cart mobile is allowed but you still 00:08:53.639 --> 00:08:58.440 got to have the verification so oh My and this 00:08:58.440 --> 00:09:03.070 is gonna be be a blast So there's some other 00:09:03.070 --> 00:09:07.149 things here. You get a point, a QSO point, if 00:09:07.149 --> 00:09:11.409 you get a contact with a shopper or another associate. 00:09:12.070 --> 00:09:19.490 There's some zombie QSOs. The Zombieland Multiplier. 00:09:19.549 --> 00:09:26.899 If you get a contact through Oscar7... the satellite 00:09:26.899 --> 00:09:30.840 that came back to life. You get two QSO points 00:09:30.840 --> 00:09:35.740 for going through ZombieSat -7 and then you get 00:09:35.740 --> 00:09:41.080 a Zombie Apocalypse Multiplier. 20 QSO points 00:09:41.080 --> 00:09:46.019 for each appropriate QSO made through the ZombieSat 00:09:46.019 --> 00:09:52.360 PCSat NO -44 and it's really important that these 00:09:52.360 --> 00:10:00.320 zombie chasers always roll back the power because 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:02.960 that can mess up the satellite. So you got to 00:10:02.960 --> 00:10:06.039 watch out for those. There's some multipliers, 00:10:06.440 --> 00:10:09.299 the number of unique associates worked, the number 00:10:09.299 --> 00:10:13.519 of Walmart stores activated, number of passes 00:10:13.519 --> 00:10:17.919 with at least one confirmed QSO. different grid 00:10:17.919 --> 00:10:20.360 squares, different satellites, that kind of thing. 00:10:21.019 --> 00:10:25.340 Some bonus points. You get 40 points for being 00:10:25.340 --> 00:10:29.659 on a grid line. 15 if you're within three kilometers 00:10:29.659 --> 00:10:33.779 of a grid line. You can do a buy one, get one 00:10:33.779 --> 00:10:37.179 bonus. That's 20 points for anybody contacting 00:10:37.179 --> 00:10:40.419 an associate who's operating on a grid line in 00:10:40.419 --> 00:10:43.759 a Walmart parking lot. There's a back to school 00:10:43.759 --> 00:10:48.419 bonus. 25 points for anybody who is currently 00:10:48.419 --> 00:10:52.519 a student, kindergarten through college. Some 00:10:52.519 --> 00:10:57.179 others, there's an Alaskan activator and shopper, 00:10:57.580 --> 00:11:00.360 also the Northwest Passage. If you're in Yukon, 00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:04.179 Northwest Territories, none of it. There's some 00:11:04.179 --> 00:11:08.759 bonuses there. The Aloha for Hawaii. There's 00:11:08.759 --> 00:11:12.840 a Black Friday bonus. Five points for a Q so 00:11:12.840 --> 00:11:17.039 made on Friday night So when it's dark when it's 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:20.860 black you get a black Friday bonus There's all 00:11:20.860 --> 00:11:23.580 kinds of things. There's a good Samaritan bonus 00:11:23.580 --> 00:11:27.259 ten points for returning a dislocated shopping 00:11:27.259 --> 00:11:32.440 cart and Wally's world ten points for packing 00:11:32.440 --> 00:11:36.840 up trash on green space near an activated store 00:11:37.459 --> 00:11:41.000 and you can figure out your score there and there's 00:11:41.000 --> 00:11:43.320 some awards that are going to come out and the 00:11:43.320 --> 00:11:47.240 award levels the express lane is one Q so the 00:11:47.240 --> 00:11:49.659 checkout two to four your greeter if you get 00:11:49.659 --> 00:11:53.000 up to five if you work overnight you get the 00:11:53.000 --> 00:11:56.460 overnight stalker there's the sam walton award 00:11:56.460 --> 00:11:59.039 for the most stores activated there's regional 00:11:59.039 --> 00:12:02.279 manager district manager about how many walmarts 00:12:02.279 --> 00:12:05.960 you are able to activate and contact people of 00:12:05.960 --> 00:12:10.700 Walmart. I think somebody suggested that, um, 00:12:11.080 --> 00:12:14.919 you had to get featured on people of Walmart 00:12:14.919 --> 00:12:19.820 to get that one. But what you're going to do 00:12:19.820 --> 00:12:24.299 for the people of Walmart award is you do a selfie, 00:12:24.299 --> 00:12:28.139 uh, from the parking lot and upload it to Twitter, 00:12:28.139 --> 00:12:33.500 uh, with the hashtag W M P L O T A. Um, and anything 00:12:33.690 --> 00:12:36.830 here that says that you tweet it, you gotta use 00:12:36.830 --> 00:12:42.009 the hashtag WMPLOTA. There's MacGyver works at 00:12:42.009 --> 00:12:45.129 Walmart, you build an antenna from parts from 00:12:45.129 --> 00:12:52.830 Walmart to make the contact. There's OlRoy. It's 00:12:52.830 --> 00:12:56.009 a Twitter post from your operation with your 00:12:56.009 --> 00:13:00.690 dog. And then there's OlRoy with Roy. So it's 00:13:00.690 --> 00:13:04.669 an activator. whose name is Roy with the most 00:13:04.669 --> 00:13:07.769 Twitter posts of their dog at the activated parking 00:13:07.769 --> 00:13:12.210 lot. Special kitty, it's the same as ol' Roy 00:13:12.210 --> 00:13:17.100 but with your cat. Straight talk broadcast the 00:13:17.100 --> 00:13:19.539 pass on your cell phone on periscope Twitter 00:13:19.539 --> 00:13:22.179 YouTube live Facebook live something like that 00:13:22.179 --> 00:13:26.799 and again use the hashtag Mobility you get a 00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:29.899 Q so from a motorized shopping cart or a regular 00:13:29.899 --> 00:13:33.279 shopping cart being pushed by an assistant There's 00:13:33.279 --> 00:13:36.860 the buy one get one free Tabor squared You work 00:13:36.860 --> 00:13:41.700 Chris Tabor and Douglas Tabor, K7TAB and N6UA 00:13:41.700 --> 00:13:48.039 on the same pass. You get that award. Sam's Choice 00:13:48.039 --> 00:13:52.820 is a QSO with any op named Sam. So there's all 00:13:52.820 --> 00:13:56.360 kinds of these and you know, the ideas just kept 00:13:56.360 --> 00:13:59.759 flowing and just, you know, they're just funny 00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:03.080 things. And so this is a chance for you to have 00:14:03.080 --> 00:14:06.679 a good time and just kind of enjoy the craziness 00:14:06.679 --> 00:14:11.289 of. all these award levels and yes, it's a real 00:14:11.289 --> 00:14:13.830 thing. I see so many people say, oh, this must 00:14:13.830 --> 00:14:17.909 be a late April fool's joke. No, it's not. It 00:14:17.909 --> 00:14:21.429 really is a real thing. So if this sounds fun 00:14:21.429 --> 00:14:24.269 to you, you can be a shopper where you chase 00:14:24.269 --> 00:14:26.870 the stations or you can be an associate where 00:14:26.870 --> 00:14:30.879 you activate a Walmart or Sam's club. Just get 00:14:30.879 --> 00:14:35.759 on a satellite between 0100 Zulu on April 28th, 00:14:35.759 --> 00:14:37.860 which would be Friday night at 8 p .m. Eastern 00:14:37.860 --> 00:14:42.240 Time and 2359 Zulu on April 29th, which would 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:45.659 be 759 Eastern Time on Sunday night. And again, 00:14:45.779 --> 00:14:49.919 the exchange, the call sign, grid square, and 00:14:49.919 --> 00:14:54.669 the Walmart or Sam's Club store number. and the 00:14:54.669 --> 00:14:58.730 final set of rules again w m p l o t a dot org 00:14:58.730 --> 00:15:02.870 and make sure you use the hashtag w m p l o t 00:15:02.870 --> 00:15:06.389 a if you're tweeting pictures from your operation 00:15:06.389 --> 00:15:09.279 and please do because that's that's a lot of 00:15:09.279 --> 00:15:13.539 the fun of this. So put on your PJs and bag some 00:15:13.539 --> 00:15:16.419 contacts and if you don't catch this one the 00:15:16.419 --> 00:15:19.659 next Wimploda weekend is scheduled for July 2nd 00:15:19.659 --> 00:15:23.379 which is the birthday of Walmart and coincidentally 00:15:23.379 --> 00:15:30.080 it's World UFO Day. Now that that that's kind 00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:33.580 of strange because it's a satellite operation 00:15:33.580 --> 00:15:37.950 so We're talking about stuff from outer space. 00:15:38.450 --> 00:15:41.129 So maybe it maybe it's a coincidence. Maybe it's 00:15:41.129 --> 00:15:44.169 not who knows But remember when you're working 00:15:44.169 --> 00:15:46.830 satellites, you know running too much power can 00:15:46.830 --> 00:15:50.309 be bad, especially for those zombie ones So be 00:15:50.309 --> 00:15:56.309 sure you roll back the power always So that's 00:15:56.309 --> 00:16:01.149 a wrap for this special mini episode Ham talk 00:16:01.149 --> 00:16:04.490 live be sure to tune in at our regularly scheduled 00:16:04.490 --> 00:16:09.799 time for our Dayton Hamvention preview, that's 00:16:09.799 --> 00:16:13.159 it, coming up in a couple of hours. Tonight features 00:16:13.159 --> 00:16:15.480 the Instructor's Forum and Youth Forum with Carol 00:16:15.480 --> 00:16:21.879 Perry, WB2MGP, and Mason Matrezzo, KM4SII. And 00:16:21.879 --> 00:16:24.340 for all of our upcoming guests, you can visit 00:16:24.340 --> 00:16:28.960 hamtalklive .com. So for now, this is Neil Rapp, 00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:33.159 WB9VPG, saying seven three, seven five. Hope 00:16:33.159 --> 00:16:37.379 to hear you on Wimploda. this weekend, and may 00:16:37.379 --> 00:16:40.000 the good DX be yours.