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Every woman needs at least one great pair of joggers for traveling.
Joggers are easily one of my favorite travel clothing staples. If you have to wear pants, they are the best travel pants you can own. (And I’m not embarrassed to admit that the number of joggers I own might take me from jogger enthusiast to expert).
The best travel joggers are versatile and convenient. They can be comfortably worn on a long-haul flight or road trip and are stylish enough to be dressed up for a night out. Being comfortable doesn’t mean you look underdressed or sloppy. (No one has to know how comfortable you are when you look chic in your going-out outfit.) This can really help take the stress out of packing and save space in your suitcase.
One thing that I love about wearing joggers when I travel is that they are flattering and look put together even if I’m bloated after a flight or a huge meal out (no need to suffer or secretly unbutton your pants).
If you aren’t a travel jogger convert yet, I’ll get you there. I’ve curated a list of the best women’s joggers for travel that includes a variety of styles, fabrics, and price points. No need to sacrifice fashion or function.
Joggers vs. Sweatpants For Travel
Just in case you’re wondering, “What’s the difference between joggers and sweatpants?”
Yes, they are different. To keep this simple:
Joggers tend to be more lightweight, with a more fitted, flattering, and fashionable look that taper at the ankle. They were originally intended to be used for jogging so they are often made with materials that are sweat wicking, breathable, and allow for you to move easily.
Sweatpants are usually made with heavier weight and thicker, less breathable materials intended to keep you warm when it’s cold. They are often a relaxed fit all the way through (not fitted through the legs or ankles).
While I do wear and have ways to dress up my sweatpants, I find joggers to be much more travel friendly. Joggers take up much less room when packing, are easier to change up the style based on your activities (ie. you don’t look like you’re wearing “athletic wear” to dinner), and they work for a variety of locations and weather conditions. (Joggers can be comfortably worn in humid climates, sweatpants… not so much…)
Now, let’s dive into the joggers…
The Best Women’s Joggers for Travel 2023
Zella | Vuori | Ugg | Lululemon | Athleta | Beyond Yoga | American Eagle Outfitters | Eddie Bauer | Everlane | Madewell | Gap | Adidas | Icebreaker | Cuyana | Alala | Commando | Splendid | Naadam | Alo Yoga | The North Face | Yummie | L.L.Bean | Quince | Velvet by Graham & Spencer | Only on Amazon
Zella Live In Pocket Joggers
These Zella joggers are a must-have if you’re traveling. They won’t shrink or wrinkle which will make them a perfect travel staple.
These lightweight knit joggers are super soft and stretchy with a stylish slim fit. They’re made from a moisture-wicking fabric that dries quickly and is bluesign®-approved, which means it was sustainably created with the highest environmental standards available for textiles.
The Zella Live In Pocket Joggers have two front slant pockets and a left front zip pocket so you can make sure not to lose your ID, keys, credit cards, money or whatever you want to keep on you when you’re traveling. (And they also come in plus size!)
Complete The Look:
Vuori is one of my go-to brands for capsule travel pieces. They make some of my favorite joggers that are perfect for staying comfortable (and cute) on overnight flights, long car rides, and hours of sightseeing.
Vuori Performance Jogger
The Performance Joggers are Vuori’s number one bestseller and they come in a range of travel-friendly colors. These joggers have a cult-like following in part because they are incredibly soft and made with DreamKnit™, which is Vuori’s softest premium stretch fabric that is moisture wicking and made from recycled materials.
I own and love these! They are slightly cropped to sit above the ankle, but if you’re like me and prefer a longer inseam, you’ll want the Performance Jogger – Long.
Vuori Daily Jogger
If you like a more fitted look (think leggings, but more comfortable), the Vuori Daily Jogger will be your go-to. These high-rise joggers are made from Vuori’s Breathe Interlock™ fabric which is incredibly soft, but also gives you the smoothing and airbrush-like coverage that a legging would offer through your waist and hips. Perfect for the plane and to wear out at your destination.
Vuori Boyfriend Jogger
Vuori’s Boyfriend Jogger is another personal favorite. If I want to be comfortable on a plane, long car ride, or just day to day, these are one of my go-to staples.
Complete The Look:
As far as UGG products go, I’ve gotten great longevity out of every piece I’ve purchased (boots, robes, pants, blankets) and they always become some of my most comfortable and reliable travel staples.
UGG Women’s Kantner Jogger
I own these UGG Kantner joggers in two colors (black and grey), and they are heavy in my rotation when I want to stay warm and cozy. The UGG Kantner is made from a lightweight double knit fleece with a ribbed-waistband, pockets, and a drawstring closure. They are great for colder weather, chilly airplanes, and nice enough to wear out and about.
UGG Ericka Relaxed Jogger
Another great option for travel from UGG is the Ericka Relaxed Jogger. These are a recycled cotton blend with two-sided brushed fleece that makes the Ericka feel fluffy and super soft on the inside and sweatshirt-like on the outside. These are great as lounge pants or for your next long-haul flight.
Lululemon is one of my favorite brands to travel with. They’ve been all around the world with me from across the US to Europe to Asia and more. I know some people say that the price isn’t justified for activewear, but the Lululemon pieces I own have lasted me years (I literally have tank tops and leggings that I still own and wear that have lasted me 10+ years!). They have been more than worth the investment.
Lululemon Align High Rise Jogger
You really can’t have a list of best joggers without including the iconic Lululemon Align. Lululemon’s Align line of activewear from joggers and leggings to tops have to be the most “duped” pieces by other companies in the athleisure wear space.
Are they that great? Yes. The Aligns are known for their buttery softness and almost weightless feel from Lululemon’s Nulu™ Fabric. The Align Jogger has a flattering high rise, slim fit, with front pockets that include an interior card sleeve and a drop-in back pocket. You cannot go wrong on the road with these and you might not take them off.
Lululemon Ready to Rulu Jogger
These high rise, full length joggers offer softness, stretch, and lightweight warmth while also being sweat-wicking and quick-drying.
Lululemon Scuba High-Rise Jogger
These Lululemon Scuba High-Rise Joggers are made to be traveled in. If you’re always cold on planes like I am, you’ll love these naturally breathable, cotton-blend fleece joggers. They are made from a naturally breathable, cotton-blend fleece fabric and offer cozy, lightweight warmth.
Lululemon Dance Studio Mid-Rise Jogger
These mid-rise, full-length joggers are incredibly lightweight, easy to pack, and travel very well.
Reviewers are saying…
“Best joggers ever! These are my favorite of all my joggers, across many brands. The fit is perfect! They are great for everything from a workout to travel.”
“Newfound love of joggers. I’m literally in love. I never thought I would look good in joggers but my confidence in these is unmatched.”
Complete The Look:
Athleta makes incredible travel joggers. Athleta is a brand I’ve started shopping more recently after experiencing their quality firsthand. Similar to Lululemon in that some aren’t fans of the price tag, you really do get what you pay for in longevity with their quality materials and construction. Plus, they are also size-inclusive, with many of their styles now being carried up to a 3X.
Athleta Headlands Hybrid Trek Jogger
I love the zipper pocket for added pickpocket protection, and if you’re planning on doing any adventurous outdoor activities these are abrasion resistant and offer UPF50+ sun protection.
Athleta Salutation Jogger
The Salutation Jogger is Athleta’s answer to Lululemon’s Align Jogger. These are similar but not the same, and there is heated debate on both sides about which one is “better.”
The Salutation Jogger is made from Athleta’s Powervita™ fabric which means that these joggers are not only buttery soft, but also sweat-wicking, breathable, and quick-drying. These joggers are also UPF50+ so you’ll get great sun protection. On top of that, these joggers are very figure flattering with a high-rise waistband and a curved seam on the back.
These are great multi-purpose travel pants because you can comfortably wear them en route to your destination and then throw on some boots or heels to dress them up to go out to dinner.
One reviewer said, “LIVING IN THESE PANTS! Hands down my favorite pants I own. So versatile, butter soft, they look and feel amazing. I am already eyeing different colors to stock up!”
Athleta Venice Jogger
Stylish comfort that you can wear anywhere. These have a clean look you can easily dress up for work and day-to-day wear.
Complete The Look:
Beyond Yoga is a brand that is committed to creating luxury-level activewear that delivers the ultimate comfort for all body types and shapes, and they never retouch images. Their products are made in the USA with a focus on sustainability.
Beyond Yoga Spacedye Midi Jogger
The Spacedye Midi Jogger is a quality jogger that you’ll wear for years. It’s made from their buttery performance fabric that has a unique texture and ultra soft and cozy feeling to the touch. These high-rise joggers are perfect for traveling with a flattering tapered silhouette, 4-way stretch, moisture-wicking properties, UV protection, and are easy to care for. They also come in a variety of colors!
AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS
American Eagle Outfitter’s OFFLINE by Aerie is a size-inclusive line designed for movement and comfort. These joggers are made with soft, luxe-feeling fabrics that are also affordable.
OFFLINE By Aerie Real Me Jogger
These very flattering, high-rise joggers are a 5-star favorite. Aerie’s Real Me fabric is their number one fabric with 360° stretch and a second skin feel. They are ultra-lightweight, offer light support, and will become a staple in your travel wardrobe.
One reviewer says, “I can honestly say these are the most comfortable leggings I have ever worn. They’re so soft and they feel so good on. I never leave reviews but these deserve 10 stars!”
OFFLINE By Aerie OTT Fleece Full Length Jogger
These relaxed fit joggers are made with Aerie’s OTT Fleece fabric that reviews have compared to cloud-like softness—one reviewer said, “What I imagine it feels like to touch heaven. BUY IT. Hands down literally the SOFTEST pair of bottoms I own.”
These have a rollover waistband with a drawstring so you can play around with the styling. They do run large so make sure to size down. I’d pair these with a white tee or a cropped-style top, white sneakers, and a denim jacket for a casual but comfortable travel look.
Eddie Bauer Cozy Camp Fleece Jogger Pants
Eddie Bauer has been making outdoor apparel for over 100 years, which makes them experts in travel staples. They took their favorite sweats and made them even better, adding spandex for stretch and making the interior even softer. These are a universal-staple basic jogger: a classic with a flattering fit (not too slim or too relaxed), two pockets, and a rib-knit waistband and cuffs. You can wear these with everything from a hoodie to a leather jacket to a blazer or long wool coat.
Everlane The Track Jogger
I’m a big fan of Everlane’s transparency when it comes to everything from their pricing to the quality of their materials to ethical practices and sustainability.
Everlane’s The Track Jogger is a classic, signature staple made from 100% organic cotton fabric. This is a high-rise, relaxed-fit jogger that you can dress up or down. These joggers are warm, durable, and made of custom-developed, organic french terry, which gives it a premium feel without the luxury markup. The Track Jogger will never go out of style.
One fan says, “This is my 5th pair. I literally live in these pants! I have 2 in black, the grey, the light green, and these blue ones are my new faves. They are just everything: the fit, the fabric, the color — just *chefs kiss* perfection!”
Complete The Look:
MWL Breeze Skinny Joggers
Madewell’s Make Weekends Longer loungewear is known for extremely soft, comfortable, and sustainable fabrics you’ll want to live in 24/7. The Breeze Slim Skinny Jogger is a super soft, lightweight cross between a legging and a jogger. I like that the drawstring is the same color as the rest of the pants, no matter which color you buy, because it elevates the look by making the pants just a little more chic and little less like loungewear.
ultracor Essential Pavo Jogger
These ultracor joggers scream both fashion and function. I just love the look of these joggers. They are very much my personal style of a classic piece with a twist.
That being said, I would highly recommend these to anyone else these chic joggers speak to. They have a slim fit with a high rise, compressive waistband, a hidden side zipper pocket, a center pleat, and contrasting side trim. These are definitely joggers you can wear out and are already dressed up on their own.
Gap Vintage Soft Classic Joggers
Gap is known for its reliable, classic, quality basics. Gap’s Vintage Soft Joggers are mid-rise, made from a soft french terry knit, and washed with a special technique to make sure they feel even softer than soft before the first wear.
Gap High Rise Vintage Soft Joggers
And if you prefer a higher rise, you’ll want to check out this version.
adidas Essentials Jogger Pants
You can’t go wrong with these. These versatile joggers make for an easy, clean look.
Icebreaker Crush Jogger Pant
The Icebreaker Crush Merino pants are made from a lightweight, durable, merino wool blend that regulates body temperature in all weather conditions. These joggers are excellent for travel because they are warm in the cold and cool in the heat. This merino wool is soft, non-itchy, and naturally odor-resistant. It’s also ethically sourced, sustainable, naturally renewable, recyclable and biodegradable.
These Icebreaker joggers have a regular fit—not too loose or too snug—and can be worn by themselves or as a base layer. They have a flattering and feminine back yoke and practical side seam pockets.
When it comes to travel, I’ll let these great reviews speak for themselves:
“Best pants ever. These are amazing travel pants, lounge pants, exercise pants and camping pants. I traveled for a year ( se Asia and South America) and I wore these so much and they held up so well despite all that wear and washing and drying ! They became my go to pants for all airplane travel. They don’t smell even after wearing for multiple days, and are comfortable in all temperatures. I also really like that they are tapered , as they don’t drag on the ground when you’re in the outdoors camping.
“Best joggers ever. Wool fabrication is awesome! I wore these on a 10-day trip to Iceland in late June. I wore them for both travel days and for 2+ other days in-country. I didn’t wash them. I wore them hiking, I wore them driving, I wore them in the city at restaurants. They never got smelly. They never bagged out in the knees or butt, like some cheaper wool joggers I tried first because these were too expensive. They always looked great. I wore them in temperatures from about 45-75 and didn’t get too cold or too hot.”
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“Fewer, better” is the philosophy behind Cuyana’s brand, which means you can invest in the high-quality, long-lasting, timeless staples you need without needing to constantly add more to your wardrobe.
Cuyana Single-Origin Cashmere Tapered Pant
Cashmere is a favorite fabric among travelers because it is lightweight, luxuriously soft, and versatile. If you’re ready to travel in ultimate comfort, Cuyana’s Single-Origin Cashmere Tapered Pant is a luxury, easy-fit jogger crafted from medium-weight sustainable single-origin cashmere that you’ll wear again and again.
Cuyana French Terry Tapered Lounge Pant
You might never take these off.
Complete The Look:
Alala Wander Sweatpant
Chic and functional.
Complete The Look:
Commando Butter High Waist Joggers
Commando is one of my favorite brands for comfortable luxe basics, particularly tights and leggings. These high waisted Butter Joggers say it in the name: they are made with an incredibly soft and stretchy cotton ribbed modal blend that feels almost weightless. These joggers are easy to elevate for a night out with heels and a coat or blazer.
Complete The Look:
Splendid Super-Soft Joggers
The reviews for this 5-star favorite all use the word “soft.”
Naadam Essential Cashmere Sweatpants
These joggers are made with 100% Mongolian Cashmere that will keep you warm when you’re in the cold, and cool when you’re someplace warm. They also won’t wrinkle!
I own several pieces from Alo Yoga and all of them are very comfortable. Alo knows how to make quality loungewear and athleisurewear.
Alo Yoga Muse Sweatpant
The Muse Sweatpant is a 5-star cult favorite for its comfort.
Alo Yoga Accolade Sweatpant
If you love a streetwear look, these are very soft and stylish.
THE NORTH FACE
The North Face Ea Dune Sky Joggers
The North Face brand is known for more than 50 years of quality activewear. These joggers are buttery soft and made from 80% recycled materials. These are specifically designed keep you dry and comfortable no matter what you’re doing or where you’re headed.
Yummie Tristan Joggers
These Yummie joggers are made from a soft baby french terry fabric that you won’t want to take off.
L.L.Bean Bean’s Cozy Joggers
The reviews for these L.L.Bean joggers speak for themselves—5-star comfort and coziness.
Quince SuperSoft Fleece Pants
These raving reviews at this price point are unbeatable. Quince’s proprietary SuperSoft fabric makes these the softest fleece joggers you’ll own.
Quince Mongolian Cashmere Sweatpants
Affordable Luxury. You would never know by the quality that these 100% Grade-A Mongolian Cashmere Joggers are under $100.
Complete The Look:
VELVET BY GRAHAM & SPENCER
Kimana Drawsting Waist Sweatpant
The softness and comfort is truly next level.
These Zuma joggers are 100% Organic Cotton and incredibly luxe.
ONLY ON AMAZON
CRZ YOGA Lightweight Quick-Dry Joggers
You really can’t go wrong with these highly-rated, budget-friendly joggers. They have a classic fit and are made with a quick-dry, ripstop fabric that is resistant to tearing, which makes them perfect for travel. On top of that, these pants are soft, have 2-way stretch, are available in several colors, and won’t take up much room in your bag or suitcase.
BALEAF Fleece-Lined Water-Resistant Joggers
These Amazon favorites are perfect if you want to stay warm, whether you are traveling somewhere cooler or you just get cold when the AC is blasting. These soft, high-waisted joggers are fleece-lined, water resistant, and won’t shrink in the wash. These joggers also have great deep side pockets that fit a 6.7″ mobile phone, cards, and other essentials.
BALEAF Lightweight Quick-Dry Jogger with Zipper Pockets
These stylish, lightweight joggers are a highly-rated Amazon staple with many of the reviewers owning several pairs. You get a laundry list of amazing travel-friendly features with these joggers for an affordable price. They are breathable with 4-way stretch, water resistant, have UPF50+ sun protection, and FIVE pockets, including two deep hand pockets, two front-zip cargo pockets, and one roomy rear pocket, giving you plenty of space to keep your phone, keys and cards safe. There’s really no reason not to buy at least one pair of these.
One reviewer says, “Will not give you swamp ass! The pants are super stretchy, breathable, and very comfortable. I used them in 90 degree (F), walked through brush, and sat in a truck for 2 hours. They didn’t make me sweat, they held up against walking through thick brush, and didn’t dig into my stomach when I sat down. They’re great.”
Dragon Fit High-Waist Joggers with Pockets
These joggers have thousands of 5-star Amazon reviews for a reason. They are not only functional, but very flattering at an affordable price point. Many people consider them a “dupe” for the Lululemon Align Jogger. These Dragon Fit joggers are ultra-soft, lightweight, have 4-way stretch, and two deep side pockets. The material is also thick enough that it’s very forgiving and doesn’t show any “imperfections.” They also offer High Waist Tummy Control that helps enhance your shape, but isn’t uncomfortable. I wear these comfortably at home or on the road, and I always get compliments on them! These are even nice enough that many reviewers wear these joggers with heels to work.
I also have the matching top.
SEVEGO Lightweight Soft Jogger
These joggers are a favorite on Amazon for many reasons, not least of all because they come in a variety of inseam lengths to fit petite to tall. If you’re someone who has trouble finding joggers in a length you like, these are heaven-sent (tall ladies are raving in the reviews section).
These comfortable high-rise joggers are made from a lightweight, breathable, soft cotton fabric with soft French Terry on the inside. I love a zippered pocket for travel, and these joggers have two front zippered pockets and one open back pocket.
Best of all, these just look nice whether you’re wearing them inside or outside.
THE GYM PEOPLE Women’s Joggers
These highly-rated joggers from The Gym People are flattering and easy to just throw on and go. This is another go-to staple I take with me and wear on trips. They are high-waisted, lightweight, have great stretch, and have pockets that are deep enough to hold what you need, including a phone. These are also budget-friendly enough to buy more than one color. The elastic waistband is not at all uncomfortable (these are very comfortable to wear), but it’s structured enough that it slims your waist. And big plus, they don’t give you the dreaded camel toe.
I also highly recommend the matching top—I own it in several colors!
Softies Dream Jersey Ultra Soft Two Piece Lounge Set
If Oprah includes it in “Oprah’s Favorite Things” five years in a row, I have to include it. You might just live in this super soft jogger set 24/7. It’s buttery soft and feels like cashmere. This stylish jogger set is easy to care for, which is great for travel, and can be worn anywhere and everywhere (dress it up with a long cardigan or blazer).
“There’s a reason the goodness from Softies continues to make my Favorite Things list. You won’t want to take it off—and there’s no need to.” -MF-ing OPRAH


Come join Irish musicians from the State College, PA area for sessions, once a month in the homey atmosphere of Kildare's Irish Pub (last Thursdays of every month). Another session is held on the second Thursday of every month, location to be announced on the State College Area Irish Sessions Facebook page. A session is a traditional meeting of musicians to play old tunes together and learn new ones. All levels of experience are welcome, and no invitation is necessary- just come and play, or just listen! This session specializes mostly in instrumental tunes, with the occasional song.
When: The second and last Thursdays of every month, from 7:00-9:00 PM
For further information or questions about the session: call Patty at (814) 692-8966 or email at email@example.com
The session's Facebook page has a list of frequently played tunes. For sheet music, try the wonderful website thesession.org, which provides sheet music and a recording index for hundreds of Irish tunes.


Like most drum machines from the mid-1980s, the Roland TR-505 generates its percussion sounds by replaying pre-recorded digitised samples of real drums. These sounds are stored as pulse-code modulation data in ROM. Whereas older machines such as the LinnDrum, Oberheim DMX, etc. typically stored each sound on its own ROM chip, with dedicated digital-to-analogue converter and associated circuitry; the TR-505 uses a much more economical design, storing all the sounds on a single memory chip and making use of a complicated time division multiplexing system to achieve limited polyphony.
I first set about reverse-engineering the TR-505 in July 2015, in order to produce my own sample ROM. The first thing to do was to get a dump of the contents of the TR-505's original sample ROM. This is not quite as simple as popping the chip into an EEPROM programmer, as the Toshiba mask ROM which Roland used doesn't have a standard pinout. Fortunately, the pinout is described in the TR-505 service notes, so it was straightforward to build a wiring adapter on a breadboard. When dumping the ROM I mapped it to the pin configuration of a 29C010 EEPROM, which is functionally very similar for reading.
I was able to produce an address map of the TR-505 sample ROM by studying the service notes and pulling apart a dump of the ROM using a hex editor and CoolEdit 2000 (an excellent audio editor for this sort of work, as it fully supports 8-bit formats and is sample-accurate, unlike Audacity).
All of the samples in the TR-505 are stored as 8-bit unsigned PCM data, with a 25.00 kHz sampling rate. Although some of the samples are stored one after the other, most of the drum sounds are interleaved in pairs (i.e. one sound occupies the even numbered bytes in a given address range, and another sound occupies the odd numbered bytes). The sounds are arranged in memory according to this table:
|Sample at address||Sample length||Starting address|
|Bass (interleaved with Low Conga)||4K (even bytes)||$8000|
|Low Conga (interleaved with Bass)||4K (odd bytes)||$8001|
|Snare (interleaved with High Conga)||4K (even bytes)||$A000|
|High Conga (interleaved with Snare)||4K (odd bytes)||$A001|
|Clap (interleaved with Low Cowbell)||4K (even bytes)||$C000|
|Low Cowbell (interleaved with Clap)||4K (odd bytes)||$C001|
|Rimshot (interleaved with High Cowbell)||4K (even bytes)||$E000|
|High Cowbell (interleaved with Rimshot)||4K (odd bytes)||$E001|
|Crash Cymbal (interleaved with itself)||32K||$10000|
|Ride Cymbal (interleaved with itself)||16K||$18000|
As the TR-505 is not particularly generous with sample time (memory was expensive in 1986, after all), I decided to re-use samples from some classic drum machines which had very similar sample lengths / rates. I produced kits based on the Linn LM-1, LinnDrum and Oberheim DMX. The sample data from these machines is compressed (they used non-linear DAC circuitry to simulate 12-bit resolution) and had to be decompressed before using it in the TR-505. This was done with a program called DMXWAV. The subsequent 16-bit wav files were then resampled back down to 8-bit resolution. Some samples had to be padded out with silence ($80) to fill their allocated memory space in the ROM.
I found a few ways to produce the interleaved data. One way is to make a stereo WAV file using an audio editor, putting the even bytes in the left channel and the odd bytes in the right channel. Saving this as a raw headerless file will produce the interleaved data. Alternatively, WinHex is able to interleave files using the unify tool - just use the 8-bit 'wordwise' option. WinHex is paid software, but the shareware demo is able to do this.
One problem I ran into was that a couple of sounds had a ringing sound present in the background, even when they weren't being played (especially the hi-hats). I found that ensuring that the first and last few bytes of that sample were set as $80 solved the problem.
I have been able to successfully replace all of the original TR-505 sounds, with the exception of the crash and ride cymbals. I have tried various ways of interleaving / encoding the data, but it would always come out sounding very artefacted and distorted. Instead, I substituted in the cymbal data from the TR-505; $10000 to $1BFFF in the original ROM.
As previously mentioned, the mask ROM in the TR-505 uses a non-standard pin configuration, meaning that you cannot simply drop an EEPROM in its place. In order to solve this problem, I designed an expansion board for the TR-505 that adapts various EEPROMs to the original mask ROM's pinout, while also breaking out additional address lines to support multiple sound banks on one chip.
The ROM expansion upgrade is available as a kit, including pre-assembled daughterboard, DIP socket and toggle switch. Visit my sales page for ordering info.
ROM Expansion board installed in the TR-505
(individual outputs mod also visible)
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REKON VM-1 Vice Mount. Designed and manufactured to REKON's exacting specifications for trouble free operation in the most extreme conditions and environments. Expertly CNC machined from T6061 Aluminum with Type-III hard-anodized finish for corrosion and abrasion resistance - virtually indestructible.
REKON VM-1 Specifications:
- Construction: CNC machined from T6061 Aluminum with Type-III hard-anodized finish
- Weight: 22.6oz (640g)
- Jaw width: between 1.14inch (29mm) and 2.68inch (68mm)
- Overall Height: 3.93inch (100mm)
- Overall Length: 3.22inch (82mm)
- Picatinny rail length: 2.55inch (65mm), 6 slots
- Color: Flat Green
- Direct interfaceable with all REKON Ball Heads and other brands constructed to the Arca-swiss standard
Key Design Features:
- The base of the VM-1 mount is machined with Arca-swiss standard dovetail grooves allowing direct mounting interface to Arca-swiss standard ball heads (no "QR" or adaptor plates needed)
- 1/4" and 3/8" threaded mounting holes allow for the attachment of "QR" plate or direct mounting to various brand tripod depending on design configuration on your tripod/ball head
- Extended height VM-1 Arca-swiss column base eliminates frustrating clearance issues often found with ball head tension knobs and provides for the widest interface clearance of various ball head manufacturer control and tension adjustment knobs. The extended height VM-1 allows for positioning of VM-1 mount with either the locking knob on the left or right side depending on your preference.
- Built-in Picatinny Rail (STANAG 2324/MIL-STD 1913) for placement of various complementary accessories such as Laser range finder, IR target marker, video camera, weather/wind meter, illumination device, night hunting light, etc
- Built-in Picatinny Rail offers enhanced predator and hog night hunting scanning capabilities via mounting an additional scanning light to the VM-1 vice mount and utilizing the fatigue free panning of the weapon on the tripod technique to locate animals


WELCOME TO SILHOUETTE DANCE CLUB
Silhouette Dance Club is a St Helen's based dance school offering classes to budding dancers. Marie and Kevin Smith have been owners of The Silhouette Dance Club for 40 years. Marie is a former Ballroom World Cabaret Champion having competed all over the World and taught on the QE2. We specialise in Ballroom, Latin, Salsa, Jive, Sequence, Rock n Roll, Line Dancing, Wedding Dances and Show choreography.
The Silhouette has two air conditioned studio/function rooms complete with lounge areas. We operate on a pay as you go system. Non members are welcome.
We are a family orientated Dance Club. The Silhouette has raised funds for several charities which include Willowbrook Hospice, Woodlands Hospice and Ukraine appeal fund by putting on dance displays, raffles, cake sales etc. We have had over three generations of pupils, some of which have gone on to join the Royal Ballet and also won the under 21yrs British championships in Ballroom.
At the Silhouette Dance Club we pride ourselves on offering a space for everyone from absolute beginners to professionals to flourish, building their technical dance ability and encouraging and supporting whilst making new friends on their journey. Dancers are welcome to join as individuals, couples and groups. We regularly host social events as a school including several party nights a year.
LOOKING FOR A SPACE TO HOST A CLASS, PARTY OR EVENT?
CONTACT MARIE AT email@example.com FOR FURTHER INFORMATION!


In the bustling streets of city life, the quest for the most efficient and eco-friendly mode of transportation is ever-present. Among the plethora of options, electric skateboards and e-scooters have emerged as popular choices for urban commuting. But which of these personal electric vehicles is the better option for city commuters? This two-part blog post aims to compare electric skateboards and e-scooters, considering various factors such as cost, convenience, performance, and safety.
Cost Comparison: Electric Scooters vs. Electric Skateboards
When it comes to cost, both electric scooters and electric skateboards offer a range of options, from budget-friendly models to high-performance versions. Generally, most electric scooters cost slightly more than electric skateboards due to their larger size and additional features like dual motor scooters. However, the price can vary widely based on the brand, battery capacity, and power output.
Portability and Convenience
One of the key advantages of electric skateboards is their compact size. Many electric skateboards are lightweight and can be easily carried or stored, making them ideal for commuters who need to take their ride on public transportation or into buildings. E-scooters, while also portable, tend to be bulkier and heavier, especially the models equipped with larger wheels and higher battery capacity.
Performance and Terrain Adaptability
In terms of performance, both electric scooters and electric skateboards have their strengths. Most electric scooters typically offer better stability due to their larger wheels and wider turning radius, making them more suitable for novice riders or those who prefer a more relaxed riding style. Electric skateboards, on the other hand, provide a more thrilling ride experience, especially for those accustomed to traditional skateboards. They are better suited for smooth, paved surfaces, while most e-scooters can handle rough terrain more effectively.
Safety is a paramount concern when it comes to urban commuting. Electric scooters offer a more stable ride due to their design, with the rider standing forward and two wheels providing balance. This can be particularly advantageous in extreme weather conditions or uneven terrain. Electric skateboards, while offering an exhilarating experience, require more skill to navigate and maintain balance, especially at higher speeds or on uneven surfaces. Wearing safety gear is essential for both modes of transport.
Battery Life and Range
Both electric scooters and electric skateboards are powered by lithium-ion batteries, but their range and battery life can differ significantly. Most electric scooters offer a longer range due to their larger battery capacity, making them more suitable for longer distances. Electric skateboards, while having a shorter range, are often sufficient for typical city commutes and offer the convenience of quicker charging times.
Eco-Friendliness and Emissions
Both electric scooters and electric skateboards score high on eco-friendliness, offering zero emissions during operation. This makes them both excellent choices for environmentally conscious commuters looking to reduce their carbon footprint.
When it comes to maintenance, both electric skateboards and e-scooters require regular upkeep, but the nature and cost of maintenance can vary. Electric skateboards generally have fewer components and can be easier and less expensive to maintain. However, their smaller wheels may need more frequent replacement due to wear and tear, especially if ridden on rough terrain. E-scooters, with their more complex structures and larger batteries, might incur higher maintenance costs, particularly for high-performance models or those used extensively for longer commutes.
Health Benefits and Physical Activity
While both electric skateboards and e-scooters provide a form of physical activity, the nature of the exercise differs. Riding an electric skateboard requires more balance and core strength, potentially offering a more engaging physical workout. E-scooters, being more stable and easier to ride, might offer less in terms of physical exertion but are still a healthier alternative to sitting in a car or public transport.
Ride Comfort and Experience
Ride comfort is another significant factor to consider. E-scooters, with their larger wheels and often more substantial build, generally offer a smoother ride over various terrains. They are also typically easier to learn and ride, especially for those new to electric personal mobility devices. Electric skateboards, while offering a more exhilarating and agile experience, might be less comfortable over longer distances or on uneven surfaces due to their smaller wheels and the stance required to ride them.
Urban Environment Adaptability
In urban environments, the adaptability of your chosen mode of transport is key. Electric skateboards, with their compact size, can be more maneuverable in tight spaces, making them ideal for crowded city streets. E-scooters, while bulkier, often perform better on a wider range of surfaces and can be more stable in high-demand urban areas, especially when navigating through traffic or over obstacles.
Speed and Efficiency
Regarding speed, both electric skateboards and e-scooters can reach speeds suitable for urban commuting. Most models are capable of reaching speeds that allow for efficient travel while adhering to urban speed limits. However, high-performance models of both e-scooters and electric skateboards can offer higher speeds, which might be more suitable for experienced riders or those commuting over longer distances.
Personal Preference and Lifestyle Fit
Ultimately, the choice between an electric skateboard and an e-scooter may come down to personal preference and lifestyle fit. For those who enjoy a more active and engaging ride, and who value compactness and portability, an electric skateboard might be the ideal choice. For commuters prioritizing stability, comfort, and ease of use, particularly over longer distances or varied terrains, an e-scooter could be the better option.
Conclusion: A Choice Tailored to Your Commuting Needs
In conclusion, both electric skateboards and e-scooters offer unique advantages for city commuters. The decision between the two should be based on individual commuting needs, personal riding style, and the specific characteristics of your urban environment. Whether you choose the agility and compactness of an electric skateboard or the stability and comfort of an e-scooter, both are excellent eco-friendly alternatives to traditional modes of transportation, contributing to a greener and more efficient urban commuting experience.


Explore the highly anticipated sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong. Discover captivating gameplay, stunning visuals, and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack in this thrilling adventure. Join us as we unravel the secrets of Pharloom and embark on an unforgettable journey.
Discover the unique and unforgettable co-op storytelling adventure of "A Way Out." Join two prisoners on a thrilling journey to escape prison and seek redemption. Prepare for suspense, action, and heartfelt moments in this cooperative masterpiece.
Is Fortnite suitable for a 5-year-old? Explore the age appropriateness, potential value, and drawbacks of this popular game in our informative article.
Discover the addictive and exhilarating world of Slay the Spire! This deck-building roguelike game offers hours of fun and endless replayability.
Is Fortnite suitable for 12-year-olds? Explore the age-appropriateness of this video game in this informational post. Find out the age ratings, game content, and tips for parents.
Discover the breathtaking world of "Ori and the Will of the Wisps" with stunning visuals, captivating gameplay, and an emotionally-driven storyline. Immerse yourself in a magical adventure like no other.
Experience the enchanting world of "The Witness" on a beautiful island filled with mind-bending puzzles and hidden secrets. Read our review now!
Discover if you can fulfill your spy dreams in The Sims! Delve into the virtual realm, equip yourself with gadgets, and go on thrilling missions.
Discover the wonders of Axiom Verge, a captivating Metroidvania game that combines exploration, action, and puzzle-solving. Immerse yourself in a richly layered narrative and unravel the secrets of Sudra. Dive into this mesmerizing adventure now!
Explore the intriguing world of Sim behavior as we uncover the possibility of Sims getting expelled. Discover the consequences of their actions and the lessons they teach us in this captivating article.


Announcements from NE1RDWebsite update
20 February 2017 I'd been remiss keeping the website fresh. So, I updated all the Elecraft pictures in the Building section of the website, and updated some of the prose. I've updated this awards page with the happenings over the past year. I also added the DARC Europa 300 award to my awards page. (I've had this for some time.)
Northern California DX Association
31 December 2016 I've made it to the Platinum Contributor level for the Northern California DX Foundation, a group that helps fund important DXpeditions to some of the most sought after places on Earth. They do great work, and they deserve our support.
4 July 2016 The ARRL awarded an 8-band DXCC plaque to me for speaking with at least 100 countries on each of eight different bands. It looks great next to my DXCC Challenge award!
11 May 2016 After many years of putting QSOs in the log, I finally achieved the ARRL DXCC Challenge award. This award is granted to operators who have had conversations (QSOs) with at least 1000 band-country combinations. So, England on 20m is one, France on 40m is another, France on 30m is yet another one. It took many years to get this, and I'm very pleased to have finally made it.
Nashua Amateur Radio Club Presentation
1 March 2016 I'll be giving my talk ”Buddipole In The Field” at the Nashua Area Radio Club on the 1st of March 2016 at 7PM. Spring is just around the corner and this is a good time to start thinking about portable operations.
A PDF of the presentation is now available on the Presentations page.
1 May 2015 12:00 PM: ” Buddipole In The Field” presented by Scott Andersen, NE1RD (Located in the Entertainment Building, see map) Portable operation is a great way to enjoy the hobby. The Buddipole antenna system is a versatile platform for deploying antenna configurations in a variety of situations. Yagis, verticals, and dipoles can be made with this system to support nearly every situation. Scott is the author of this informative book and will review using this antenna system “in the field” Nearfest will give away a copy of Scott's book to one lucky audience member and don’t forget a Buddipole antenna system is Fridays Main door prize here at NEAR-Fest! NEAR-FEST web page
UPDATE: A PDF of the presentation is now available on the Presentations page.
NE1RD wins NH Hillsboro County section for New England QSO Party (2014)
25 April 2015. I just received a very nice certificate in an email for my 2014 effort in the NEQP (SOHP). I was the only entry in that category. That helps a great deal. (In these contests it is the fun you have on-air, not your score, that matters.)
NE1RD wins NH section for ARRL DX SSB (2014)
2 March 2015. I just received a very nice certificate in the mail for my 2014 effort in the ARRL DX SSB contest (SOHP).
Navassa K1N DXpedition log for NE1RD
15 February 2015. The Navassa DXpedition has concluded. I was able to work them on all HF bands except 160m. Congratulations to the entire DXpedition team on their achievement.
Framingham Amateur Radio Association talk
5 February 2015. Many thanks to the FARA folks for having me visit and give my "Three small talks in an hour." Even though it was a very snowy night, there was still a great turnout.
Interviewed for QSO TODAY
3 January 2015. I was interviewed by Eric, 4Z1UG, today for his fantastic ham radio podcast QSO Today. You can hear the podcast by visiting the QSO Today website, subscribing on iTunes, or via Stitcher. I hope you'll give this program a listen when it is released later this month. In the mean time, there are a bunch of episodes with other very interesting people you can hear. Many thanks to Eric for the invitation. It was an honor talking with him. UPDATE: The podcast was released 24 January 2015.
Hampden County Radio Association talk
2 January 2015. The new year got off to a great start when I spoke at the Hampden County Radio Association in Holyoke, Massachusetts Friday night. It was a very good crowd (about 50 people) and my presentation "Three small talks in an hour" was well-received. Many thanks to Larry, W1AST, for the invitation.
Now an RSGB member
12 October 2014. I attended
the RSGB convention in Milton Keynes (UK). It was a great show. Sandy and I enjoyed it very much. I sat there in the last talk with Sandy whispering to me to join. I did. I should be an official RSGB member as soon as they process my application. It is a good organization, and this was overdue.
Trowbridge Amateur Radio Club (UK) talk
1 October 2014. I spoke at the Trowbridge (UK) club while on work assignment in England. There were a number of big-time DXers and DXpeditioners in the audience. Thanks to Jan, G0BBL, for the invitation.
Bath and District Amateur Radio Club (UK) talk
25 September 2014. I spoke at the Bath and District Amateur Radio Club (BADARC) while on work assignment in England. It was a very nice group and we had some interesting discussions about antennas after the presentation. Thanks to John, G4OTJ, for helping me get organized.
ARRL National Centennial Convention 2014
July 2014. I spoke at the ARRL National Convention in Hartford. A link for the slides from this talk may be found here.
NE1RD to speak at the ARRL National Centennial Convention 2014
27 November 2013. I will be speaking at the ARRL National Convention in 2014. I know there were many good proposals submitted for this event and I am honored that mine was selected. Details for the event should be posted by the ARRL soon. I plan on being there for the whole event Thursday through Saturday (17-19 July 2014). I hope to see you there!
UPDATE: My time slot for this talk is Saturday at 1 PM.
Connecticut Convention Center
6 October 2013. I created a table on the Contest Results page that better shows my efforts for each contesting season (October-May). I've been something of a dilettante in all this and I intend to put in more effort and focus on station improvement, propagation study, and technique. I'd like to score a million points in the "big four" contests for my club (YCCC) in the upcoming contesting season. My new shameless photo opportunity with Ward Silver at the recent club meeting might be a good omen.
NE1RD to speak to the Boston Amateur Radio Club
1 October 2013. I will be speaking to the Boston Amateur Radio Club on 17 October 2013. The topic will be lightweight DXpeditioning including my recent experiences with the 100 Pound DXpeditions to the Boston Harbor Islands.
2013 CQ WW WPX SSB Contest results
28 August 2013. I came in 3rd in the W1 call area for SOAB HP with 406K points, far behind the winner (10.8M) and second place finishers (2.3M). That said, I beat a whole string of other people so my vertical dipole farm is doing OK.
NA-148 2013 Activations
3 August 2013. I operated on Georges Island for a few hours until the threat of rain chased me home.
10 August 2013. I returned to Georges Island again, this time with better solar conditions. I made many more European contacts that day.
A video from that day has been posted to YouTube and is available on my Boston Harbor page.
1 September 2013. The last activation of the year was 30 August -1 September. I made 300+ contacts this summer. Many thanks to all who worked me.
NE1RD activated NA-148 for RSGB IOTA Contest
27 July 2013. I was active on Lovells Island for about 5 hours on Saturday, 27 July 2013 for the RSGB IOTA contest. I was only able to put 26 QSOs in the log but had a pretty good time. You can see a picture from the event on the Latest Fun Thing page.
NE1RD passes the 1000 prefix mark
9 July 2013. Though I am not on the air nearly as much as I would like to be, I have been making progress on some awards. I recently passed the 1000 prefix mark in CQ Magazine's WPX awards program. I also now have WPX for the five top contest bands (10-80m). I only need WPX for each continent to be eligible for the CQ WPX Award of Excellence.
NE1RD activated NA-148
9 July 2013. I was active on Lovells Island for about 9 hours on Saturday, 6 July 2013. Conditions were poor but I did get more QSOs than mosquito bits (barely). I have several other operations planned for these islands this summer. Hopefully conditions will be better for those. A log search for work on the NA-148 island group is now available on the Boston Harbor page.
NE1RD to activate NA-148
5 July 2013. I plan to activate NA-148 again this weekend for 24 hours from 6 July 2013 16:00Z. I will be camping on Lovells Island here. There is nothing on Lovells: no water, no electricity, and no transportation except for the 3 daily boat trips to Georges Island (and on to Boston). Camping there implies carrying everything you need in, and packing everything out when you leave. Operation will be on a KX3 at about 10 watts using batteries and solar panels for power. I can see the Boston Skyline and have (spotty) Internet access. If I can, I will use the DX spotting network to announce my operating frequency. QSL to home call. LoTW, eQSL, and ClubLog will all be updated soon after the trip.
Website updated with Latest Fun Thing
March 2013. I updated the Latest Fun Thing web page with the newest edition to my shack.
ClubLog powered online QSL system now available
My main logs (NE1RD, VP2MRD, V4/NE1RD, NE1RD/1, and KP2/NE1RD) are now available for online QSL requests using the ClubLog system. If you've not yet learned about ClubLog take a moment and click the link. The system is very powerful and popular with major DXers and DXpeditions. Many of the latest DXpeditions have been using ClubLog for log search capabilities. To obtain a card (either direct or through the QSL bureau) just fill out the form. If you are already a ClubLog member the form is filled out for you on QSOs that match in both logs. Cards sent direct mail are $2; BURO routed cards are free. Of course, the best and easiest way to get a confirmed QSO with my operations is with the ARRL service Logbook of the World.
NE1RD to activate NA-148 for RSGB IOTA Contest
The Radio Society of Great Britain Islands on the Air group is having its annual contest 28-29 July 2012. I will be operating from Lovell Island in Boston Harbor (NA-148) starting Friday afternoon (27 July) and ending Sunday morning local time. The call will be NE1RD/1 (to differentiate this operation from my home call). More information about this island group and my operations there can be found here.
UPDATE: 30 July 2012
The operation on Lovell Island was not successful. I could barely hear European stations and nobody could hear me. I worked only one QSO in the contest--Cuba. When the second Cuban station couldn't hear me I knew this was a bust. I packed up camp and took the ferry home before the rains came. I will try again next year. Let's hope we have better conditions!
Website major overhaul
The website has been given a major overhaul and reorganization. There may be some broken links or other problems. I hope to have everything polished up by the end of January 2012. Thanks for visiting!
Website updated with Latest Fun Thing
February 2012. I added a page to this website that talks about the Latest Fun Thing. For now, this is the Lantern Battery Challenge. Check it out here.
KP2/NE1RD wins SO 10 QRP category of 2011 CQ WW WPX SSB Contest
For the second year running I have won my category in the CQ WPX contest (phone). In March of 2011 I returned to the little rented villa on St. Thomas, USVI, and worked QRP. My 10m QRP entry was the top score in the world. The US Virgin Islands (KP2) did not have a 10m SOSB QRP record so I'll hold that when the contest results are released (along with the 15m SOSB QRP record I set in 2010).
QSL cards for my new home have arrived -- All QSL requests have been answered
As of today I have completely caught up on QSLing. If you have been waiting for a card from me you should expect it soon. Of course, the easiest way to QSL with me is through Logbook of the World and eQSL. You can check to see if you are in my log by using ClubLog.
I Earned Worked All States (WAS) from my new home in Pelham
I worked all 50 states from my new home in Pelham, NH. The confirmations were all through Logbook of the World. Though talking with folks in 50 states is relatively easily (I worked 49 of 50 in the ARRL SS in November 2011) getting all those QSOs confirmed is the trick. MT came through this morning giving me the last in the set. My certificate is ordered.
Presentation to PART Radio club
Rich (AB1HD) and I will give a presentation to our local club PART highlighting ham radio software for the Macintosh on Tuesday 18 October 2011.
Presentation to Quannapowitt Radio Association Banquet
I will present my 100 Pound DXpedition talk to the Quannapowitt Radio Association Annual Banquet on 17 June 2011 at the Hillview Country Club in North Reading, Massachusetts.
Presentation to Montachusset Amateur Radio Club
I will present my 100 Pound DXpedition talk to the Montachusset Amateur Radio Club on 8 June 2011 at the Lunenburg, Massachusetts Public Library.
Presentation to PART Radio Club in Westford, Massachusetts
I will present my 100 Pound DXpedition talk to the PART of Westford radio club on 17 May 2011 in the Westford, Massachusetts police station training room.
I earned Worked all States (WAS) from KP2!
I had 48 states confirmed via Logbook of the World (LoTW) from the 2010 trip (all on 15m) and was short just two states (ND and WY) coming into the 2011 trip. I was able to snag ND in the 2011 CQ WPX SSB contest but still lacked WY with just days left on my vacation. Thankfully, Rich (AB1HD) pointed me to the K3UK LoTW Sked Page which offers a bulletin board for coordinating scheduled QSOs. After only a couple of posts
KP2/NE1RD SOSB 10 QRP in 2011 CQ WW WPX SSB Contest
I had a (claimed) score of 135,540 from 364 QSOs and 180 prefix/multipliers. The actual score will be computed by the contest sponsor CQ Magazine and published in their January 2012 issue. The US Virgin Islands (KP2) did not have a 10m SOSB QRP record so I'll hold that when the contest results are released (along with the 15m SOSB QRP record I set last year). This year's score was only good enough to put me in the top 20 all-time for North America. (Last year I set the record for North America!)
KP2/NE1RD to be SO 10 QRP for 2011 CQ WW WPX SSB Contest
I returned to the Virgin Islands for the 2011 CQ WW WPX SSB contest. Sunspots permitting I will be SOSB 10M QRP for the contest operating from the same location as last year.
KP2/NE1RD wins SO 15 QRP category of 2010 CQ WW WPX SSB Contest
My efforts from the US Virgin Islands paid off. I had the highest QRP single operator score in the contest with 639,086 points [778 QSOs and 382 prefixes]. This is a new North American record and puts me 3rd all-time for this band-mode-power category.
Presentation to Hampden County Radio Association
I presented my 100 Pound DXpedition talk to the Hampden County Radio Association on 7 January 2011. This fine group of hams had a club kit building project where the group built a bunch of RockMite transceivers using the manual I had written a couple of years ago. It was a snowy night but lots of good folks came out for the show!
Presentation to the North Shore Radio Association in Peabody, MA.
I presented my 100 Pound DXpedition talk to the North Shore Radio Association on 18 October 2010. We had a nice pre-talk dinner at a restaurant I had not visited since 1991! The food was still great! The turnout was one of the biggest club meetings I've seen in a while. This is a very active club!
Presentation to the Candlewood ARA in Bethel, CT.
I presented my 100 Pound DXpedition talk to the Candlewood ARA on 12 November 2010. This was a great group that really treated me right: dinner, a place to sleep, and even a new fancy CARA T-shirt. They're looking to celebrate their 80th anniversary next year. Woot! Congratulations!
Presentation to the Framingham ARA in Framingham, MA
I will be presenting to FARA on 4 November 2010 about the Joy of QRP. This isn't a formal presentation; it is just a fun review of a collection of QRP rigs and accessories along with some stories about the joy of operating a very low power.
Make Magazine video from the Massachusetts QRP Convention
I added an embedded YouTube video from Diana Eng of Make Magazine to the Gallery page. MassCon sure was fun!
QSL cards for the recent St. Thomas trip have arrived!
15 April 2010. I have just opened the box and the cards look gorgeous! I will respond to all QSL card direct requests this weekend and probably do a big BURO drop within the week. Look for your card soon!
Log searching is now provided by Club Log
You can now search my logs using the Club Log web site. Additional details may be found on my QSL information page.
2011 CQ WW WPX SSB Contest plan
We had such a great time on St. Thomas that we have reserved the Seabright Villa again for 2011's contest! My current thinking is to do a single band QRP effort on 10m. We will see if conditions permit it.
CQ WW WPX SSB Contest after-contest report
I was 15m single band in the CQ WPX contest and had a great time. I also turned in a great score! We'll see if I survive contest adjudication after they ding me for dups and goofs but I sent in a claimed score of 676,039--which is over 100K points higher than the current North American record for this category! Final results are to be published in the January issue of CQ Magazine.
Buddipole in the FIeld is published! [updated]
A book written by me entitled Buddipole in the Field was published at Masscon. The book is available under a very generous Creative Commons license as a download and as a paperback book from Buddipole, Inc. The book is intended as a field guide for Buddipole antenna system users and has antenna configurations, modeling results, analysis, and a set of "cookbook" instructions that should help everyone with a Buddipole get the most out of that fantastic product. You can find the free PDF version of the book on the Buddipole. Documentation webpage, or you can purchase a paperback copy of the book for $15 from the Buddipole Accessories page.
100 Pound DXpedition blog now available in PDF book form
My 100 Pound DXpedition blog was suspended after about 400 entries. I have rendered it as a single PDF file for convenient download and perusal. You can find it in my public download area under the name 100_Pound_DXpedition_Blog.pdf (select that file and then click the "Download" button). There are a couple of lost images and a couple of places where the formatting is ugly. But, it is as complete a view as you'll get of these entries that were posted from June 2006 to November 2007. It is free (of course)!
The Massachusetts QRP Convention is over
The Massachusetts QRP Convention (Masscon) is now just a scribble in the history books. A couple of photos from the event are available in the gallery here.
RSGB IOTA Contest DXpedition to Lovells Island (NA-148) July 2010
I will set up camp on Lovells Island outside Boston Harbor for the RSGB IOTA Contest 24-25 July 2010. Lovells Island is little more than a sandy spot in the Atlantic with no fresh water, no electricity, and limited ferry service. I'll have only what I can carry including food, water, shelters, radios, antennas, batteries, solar panels, and other personal gear. This will be a QRP effort (12 hour category).
NE1RD to travel to St. Thomas, USVI (NA-106) for CQ WW WPX SSB Contest.
The deadlines that scuttled my J6 DXpedition should be well behind me by late March 2010. As a reward, Sandy and I will travel to the beautiful island of St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands for a week of fun in the sun, and the CQ WW WPX SSB Contest. Additional details can be found on the USVI DXpedition page.
NE1RD drops out of Caribbean Buddies Buddipole DXpedition to St. Lucia (J6).
It is with deep regret that I must drop out of the Buddipole DXpedition to St. Lucia. The other eight fellows are going and I'm hoping they'll get great propagation and lots of QSOs in the log. 73 and GUD DX to the entire team!
Colonial Wireless Association, Concord (Massachusetts) 27 January 2010.
I spoke to the CWA on the Joy of QRP. It was a show-and-tell session where I will passed around a bunch of great gizmos and talked about MassCon.
Tickets now on sale for the Massachusetts QRP Convention.
Tickets are on sale for the Massachusetts QRP Convention. PayPal or any major credit card is accepted. Follow the link below for more information!
Four Days in May (FDIM) 2010
I have just accepted an invitation to speak at Four Days in May (FDIM) in 2010. FDIM is the QRP convention held in conjunction with the national convention in Dayton, Ohio. The event is run by the QRP Amateur Radio Club International (QRP ARCI) and usually draws about 300 for its Thursday seminars. My presentation will be a variant of my 100 Pound DXpedition talk, obviously adjusted slightly to emphasize the low/QRP power and portable aspects. QRP ARCI is a terrific organization and I'm honored to be a part of next year's event.
Algonquin Amateur Radio Club - November 12, 2009
I gave my 100 Pound DXpedition talk at the Algonquin Amateur Radio Club meeting in Marlborough, MA on November 12, 2009 at 7:30 PM. This is a great group! My talk covered the latest planned DXpedition to St. Lucia (J6).
Massachusetts QRP Convention - March 2010
This is going to be huge! The first ever Massachusetts QRP Convention will be held March 12-13, 2010 at the Westford Regency Inn and Conference Center in Westford, Massachusetts. I am the Principal Organizer--though I am getting lots of help from my friends! We have an amazing slate of speakers scheduled to appear including three members of the QRP Hall of Fame and one Nobel Prize winner. If you love ham radio, if you are interested in the technical aspects of the hobby, if you just love to hear interesting people who are passionate about their interests, then I believe you'll have a wonderful time at MassCon. Click on the link to learn more.
Hawaii 2008 DXpedition recap - December 2008
The DXpedition to Hawaii in November 2008 was really a great family vacation. I only played with the radio a little bit, but I had a great time. I also got to meet NH7Y and his wife, and W6TWA and his wife while on Kauai. Bonus!
New audio and video added to the DXpedition area
I have added some audio and video to the DXpedition pages. A movie, hosted on YouTube, now appears on the Montserrat page. Audio has been added to the Boston Harbor Islands and St. Kitts page.
New DXpedition resources page added to the web site
A new page has been added to the DXpeditions area to provide a home for resources like white papers and URLs helpful for anyone planning a lightweight DXpedition. The white paper Antennas for 100 Pound DXpeditions Volume 1 and the accompanying ZIP file full of EZNEC models is now available. To just take a glimpse, you can still find the paper on issuu.


10 of the Greatest Magic Tricks EVER!
Magic is the child’s entertainment that no one ever grows out of. Well, at least, we haven’t here at Occasions for all Children! To help share the wonder of magic, we’ve put together a list of the 10 greatest magic tricks of all time (in our opinion, anyway) so you can feel that childlike awe and excitement all over again.
1) Switching a Sword for a Jackhammer
Now, we all know about swallowing swords, but a jackhammer? That’s a whole different game! Magician Thomas Blackthorne showed us how it’s done live on TV, demonstrating that the jackhammer actually worked before putting it down his throat. It’s an amazing trick but you may have to watch from behind your hands!
2) Death by Saw
We can’t not mention magician David Copperfield’s Death by Saw – an incredible and mesmerising trick in which Copperfield ‘accidentally’ saws himself in half with a giant blade before putting himself back together again. Does that not sound like the best thing ever?
3) Catching Bullets
Pen and Teller performed this wacky trick, in which they used the audience members to add belief by drawing on two bullets, which they then proceeded to shoot into each others mouths and catch in their teeth from across the room. If we were there, we probably wouldn’t have been able to watch!
4) Dissapearing Teeth
The famous magician David Blaine never ceases to amaze with his illusions and trickery. In this quick performance with a random member of the public, Blaine removes the woman’s front teeth (which she doesn’t look too happy about), before making them appear again by simply blowing on her face. What? We don’t understand it either.
5) Dove Magic
William Lance Burton stunned with his incredible dove tricks, in which he would seamlessly make a dove appear from a flame in his hand or a length of fabric. The skill in which this highly regarded magician performs this magic is second to none, and though it is not the most flamboyant trick, it’s one of the most incredible to watch.
6) The Quickest Metamorphosis
Husband and wife duo The Pendragons performed one of, if not the, fastest magic tricks in history. Their metamorphosis takes the switching of magician’s places to a whole knew level through their incredible speed which just doesn’t seem possible! The fact that Charlotte not only has time to disappear from view and tie herself up in a bag in a few seconds, but she also manages to somehow change her leotard is simply beyond our comprehension.
7) Walking on Water
For a magician to walk on water is in itself quite the feat, but to do so whilst people swim around and beneath them? Well that’s just something else entirely! This is exactly what Criss Angel did in a public pool. The fact that he also dropped his shoes straight down in the water beneath him at one point added to the “how did he do it?” factor of this one.
8) Chop Cup
Though many have tried this, Paul Daniels is the unrivalled master of the ball and the cup. His sleight of hand and incredible pace as he moves the ball between his pocket and cup is a sight to behold! The effort he put into perfecting this trick (performing it over 300 times) is evident.
9) Rings, Rings, Rings
Though simple and perhaps not one of the most awe-inspiring, the technique and skill from magician Richard Ross in this ring linking trick definitely makes it a deserving addition to the list. Every movement is flawless and fluid – a true joy to watch!
10) Chinese Water Torture Cell
How could we create a list of the best magic tricks without mentioning Houdini? A true wonder and inspiration in the world of magic and one of the greatest magicians we have ever seen. Though the majority of his tricks are fair contenders for our favourite acts, we thought we’d go with his most memorable and often recreated act of being put, head-first, into a water tank with his feet manacled, which he then had two minutes to escape from. The extraordinary thing about this is the fact that Houdini isn’t using illusion, but true skill, and the danger of the act is completely real.
If you’re in need of a bit of magic after reading this, Occasions for all Children offer magician hiring services for parties and events. Get in touch with us and we’ll provide you with a skilful magician that’ll certainly liven up any children’s party!


Captain Zach is partnering with Audubon South Carolina for a private guided Bird Walk of Beidler Forest. We will walk the boardwalk in search of nesting Prothonotary Warblers that make use of cavities within the Cypress Knees of the ancient Four Holes Swamp. Along the way we’ll look for other Swamp residents & learn more about this ecosystem. The park will be closed to the public this day, so we will have the boardwalk to ourselves. Less people around means more wildlife to see!
Beidler Forest Birdwatching Tour
We require 5 days notice if you choose to cancel your reservation in order to receive a full refund.
Guests who arrive late will be left behind and unable to receive a refund.
In the unlikely event of inclement weather, we may cancel the day prior and will call the number you provided on your reservation to let you know. If a trip is cancelled before we embark, we will offer you a full refund.


This Manfrotto Bundle includes the 502A Pro Video Head, the 546GB Tripod with a Ground Spreader, and a Tripod Carry Bag. The 502A features a 75mm half ball and 22 lb payload, and the 546GB offers a max height of 62″.
Manfrotto 502A Pro Video Head with 75mm Half Ball
The Manfrotto 502A Pro Video Head with 75mm Half Ball is an affordable yet remarkably fully featured professional head that represents an advance over the popular 501HDV, with sturdier construction and a half ball for precise leveling on a corresponding tripod. The 502A comes in two versions—the “A” ball-base version such as this one, and the “AH” flat-base version which is separately available.
Featuring Manfrotto’s patented bridging technology (inherited from the 509 and 504 heads), the 502A is designed for executing cinematic moves with compact camcorders and DSLR video cameras. The weight limit is 15.43 lb and counterbalance supports up to 8.8 lb. The balance plate’s 3.27″ range allows you to correct for uneven payloads that might be due to matte boxes or exotic DSLR rig configurations.
The bridging technology ensures that the pan friction control is intuitive and easy to set, but also protected against knocks. There are independent locks for pan and tilt, and drag for both is selectable in a continuous range from zero to the max level. This allows you to operate the head in a confident, smooth manner using the included pan bar.
Manfrotto 546GB Pro Video Tripod with Ground-Level Spreader
The Manfrotto 546GB Pro Video Tripod with Ground-level Spreader is an aluminum two stage/3 section tripod that combines stability and strength with affordability. Reaching a maximum height of 62.4″, the 546GB is capable of supporting up to 44 lbs (20kg). Its spiked feet come with rubber overshoes, allowing setups on both smooth floors and uneven surfaces, while a newly designed ground-level telescopic spreader keeps the legs exactly where you need them.


Meet Your Carolina Beach Fishing Charter Captain
Captain Austin Eubank is a USCG licensed captain who has been fishing for 20 years. At just 10 years old, he started his fishing career as first mate on a Carolina Beach fishing charter boat. Through his passion for fishing he has mastered and learned the techniques of the sport. Austin purchased his first boat in 2009 and has successfully been running his charter business ever since. He was hired in 2014 to captain The Hammer Time, a 54’ Spencer yacht, and fishes the billfish tournament circuit.
Austin is also captain of the well-known Clearly Hooked fishing team, recognized for multiple king mackerel tournament wins and division first place finishes over the years.
Captain Austin looks forward to meeting you for a safe, fun, fish filled day on the water.


Obituary of Mark A. Edgerton
Piscataway, NJ – Mark A. Edgerton, 67, passed away on July 13, 2021 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick with his loving wife at his side. Born in Somerville to the late Nelson and Gretchen (Prosser) Edgerton, Mark was raised in Martinsville and lived a short time in Bound Brook before settling to Piscataway when he met and married the love of his life, Nancy, almost forty years ago.
He was employed as a Production Supervisor for Manley Performance Products in Lakewood. An avid outdoorsman, Mark loved to hunt and belonged to the Manville Rod and Gun Hunting Club, Manville Sportsmen Club, and Somerset County Fish and Game Protective Association. He was a fan of the NY Yankees and could always be found cracking a joke or quoting lines from movies. His very favorite of which was My Cousin Vinny. Mark was very sentimental when it came to music and enjoyed singing and listening to Oldies.
Predeceased by his older brother Scott, Mark leaves behind his loving wife of almost forty years; Nancy M. (Rickvalsky) and their two sons; Brian of New York and Gary of California. Mark is also survived by his brother Eric of North Carolina and Eric’s wife, Pat.
A gathering honoring Mark’s life will be held on Sunday, July 18, 2021 at Piscataway Funeral Home, 18 Stelton Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854 from 2:00 pm until 5:00 pm. Beginning 4:30 pm, family will have a service including tributes of Mark’s life and concluding with prayers.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations sent to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org) would be appreciated.


Madagascar | Vanilla Bean scented candle
Madagascar, Vanilla bean scented candle
Madagascar is the result of a the “Vanilla Quest” my crusade to find and make the best vanilla candle.
A pure vanilla bean fragrance. Really sweet and creamy, with gentle white florals from the orchid flower, and then strong vanilla and tonka notes.
If Madagascar was a colour it would be light yellow .
- Natural soy & beeswax wax
- Burn longer and cleaner than paraffin wax
- Made in Essex, UK
Available in 2 sizes:
- 70g | +/- 15H Burn Time
- 280g | +/- 60H Burn Time
Each candle comes in a gift box with a wax seal ready to be gifted.
Please note this candle isn't suitable for vegans as this wax contains a small amount of beeswax.


Merritts Ultimate Taekwon-Do is excited to anounce our 10 year anniversary MUTKD Championships to be held on January 27 2018 in Taber, Alberta @ the Taber Civic Center. This event is for MUTKD members only. We encourage all members to register for this memorable event.
We will have the following divisions of competition:
-Little Dragons Ages 5-6 Set techniques, belt game, Stomp (board breaking)***
-Power Breaking for all belt levels. One hand one foot technique.***
-Specialty Breaking for all belt levels, Jumping front snap kick, and flying side kick***
-Pre-arranged sparring 1.5 minute long skit.***
Come Celebrate 10 Years
To celebrate 10 years we will be offering a fun day of activities:
10:00am MUTKD championships (In-house tournament)-$40-$65
4:45pm Pizza Party & Cake for Students and Families after tournament (no charge)
6:00pm-7:00pm Swimming @ Taber Pool for students and families. (no charge)
Please register online for the tournament by clicking on the link:
Please RSVP letting us know how many people from your family will be attending the celebration!
Merritts Ultimate Taekwon-Do Ltd.


Aimee has been styling for almost 20 years! As a child, Aimee loved rearranging her bedroom, her dolls house and making inspiration boards, a passion which was inspired by her Textile Designer mother, and Interior Designer father.
Aimee studied Fashion & Textile design and took inspiration from the fashion in old classic movies and in the UK and European museums she visited during a gap-year. “I loved textiles, fashion history and devoured fashion magazines.” Says Aimee when asked about her interests.
Intrigued by the visual storytelling of photoshoots Aimee started assisting stylists on fashion & interior magazines and soon found herself working as a market editor on a leading Australian Interiors magazine for a couple of years before taking the leap into freelancing.
Aimee’s work is regularly seen in many of the top Australian Interior and Food magazines - Vogue Living, Vogue Entertaining & Travel, Delicious, Donna Hay, Country Style, Home Beautiful and Gourmet Traveller.
“I thrive on being creative, styling, hunting for the perfect pieces to fill a brief - I am inspired by colours, images and objects from bygone eras. I love reading beautiful books on interiors, flowers, food, history and fashion and always have an inspiration board on the go. I also occasionally rearrange my daughter’s dolls house!!” laughs Aimee


HER Academy’s computer science clubs for girls and nonbinary students ages 9-12 meet weekly via Zoom throughout the school year.
Club members receive access to detailed instructions for each project at the beginning of the month and meet once a week with their peers and instructors for a short live lesson and assisted work time. Girls will get dedicated coding time with a cohort who shares their interest. Those who complete their coding projects early will receive special challenges to further their learning and continue the fun!
With guidance from their instructor and support from their peers, your child will work their way through a series of programming challenges that will familiarize them with the Scratch block-based coding platform and introduce them to computer science concepts including events, the coordinate grid, sequencing, conditionals, and loops. This class is for girls who have little to no experience in computer science or who could use a refresher on the basics before tackling more complex projects.
Projects include telling a joke, coding a dance party, and designing a maze game.
Returning HER Academy students may register for Level 2 to develop their programming and storytelling skills through game design. Your child will learn how to use the Scratch platform to develop her own versions of popular games such as Pacwoman. Over the course of the year, she will develop mastery of computer science concepts including events, the coordinate grid, sequencing, conditionals, and loops and be introduced to variables, operators, and functions.
Projects include designing various multi-level games with obstacles and coding a short animated “film.”
BUILD HER coding clubs will meet every Wednesday from September 20, 2023 through May 8, 2024, with the following exceptions. There will be NO coding club:
You can use Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express for secure online registration on our platform. However, we do not accept e-check as a payment method.
You have three options for payment.
Option 1: Annual memberships will be charged at the time of registration for a special price of $500, a savings of $60 over the course of the year.
Option 2: Bimonthly memberships will be charged in 4 installments of $130 each for a total savings of $40. Your initial payment will be charged at registration and bimonthly thereafter.
Option 3: Monthly memberships will be charged in 8 installments of $70 each for a total cost of $560 for the year. Your initial payment will be charged at registration and monthly thereafter.
Any discounts, registrations, or credits cannot be transferred to another individual unless the recipient is a sibling. In other words, only siblings can share these benefits; others cannot transfer or use them.
If HER Academy cancels a program, regardless of the reason, you will receive a full refund.
HER Academy reserves the right to cancel any program at any time. In the past, we have canceled programs only when enrollment was extremely low.
Cancellation by the Family:
You may cancel your membership up to three days before the next payment date and your card will not be charged again. You will maintain your membership privileges throughout the time frame you’ve previously paid for.
Participants who do not attend their registered sessions will not receive a refund.


The PD Crane Dance Project
Calling All Members of the Parkinson’s Community Who Love to dance and move, you are invited to create a video of a crane danceUpdates
All members of the Parkinson’s Disease community are invited to create a dance or movement piece inspired by the origami cranes in the art installation ‘Soaring With Hope.’ Your Dance piece will add to the celebration of the Spirit of Hope as symbolized in the traditional Japanese origami crane. All video submissions will be compiled into a single continuous video which will be shown at the 5th World Parkinson’s Congress in Kyoto, Japan 2019.
Be a part of the World Parkinson’s Congress!
Due to an overwhelming response, the video submission deadline date has been extended to accommodate all the dancers. The maximum length has been increased to 2 minutes to provide enough time for larger dance groups. Multiple submissions are allowed and encouraged.
- New Submission Video Deadline Date: March 20, 2019
- New maximum length of the crane dance video: 120 seconds or 2 minutes
- If you would like to receive an origami paper crane for inspiration, please fill in the form provided on the website cranedances.com. Requests accepted until February 11, 2019.
The Dance can be:
- Solos, duets, groups.
- PD dance classes.
- With or without music.
- Choreographed or improvised.
- Dancing with or without an origami crane(s).
Let your imagination soar!Watch Examples
Available Music Downloads
Music to dance to
Free to use
Contemporary by Aris Chalin
|Jazz Concert (Generic).mp3|
Modern Classical by Shauna Toh
The Book of Five Rings by Richard X Bennett
|04 The Book of Five Rings (Raga Gunkali Part 1).mp3|
Haru No Hana by Richard X Bennett & Paula Jeanine Bennett
|Richard X Bennett & Paula Jeanine Bennett (Spring Flower).mp3|
Away From the Many by Richard X Bennett
|Away From the Many.mp3|
Or use your own original music or soundtrack.
Want A Crane?
Receive a hand folded origami crane to inspire a crane dance to be videotaped and submitted to this dance project. This is limited time offer, until February 11, 2019.
Let your imagination soar!Apply Now
Steps to Submit
Submission Deadline: Wednesday, March 20, 2019Submit Now
WPC proudly presents Soaring With Hope - Crane Dance, a project made possible with support from US WorldMeds and Britannia Pharmaceuticals.


I caught the tail end of the first run of the 2003 World Series of Poker on ESPN, when Chris Moneymaker won 2.5M in a spirited battle with the word's best poker players. He was an amateur, an online poker player, someone who won a tournament to qualify for the WSOP.
The story was so compelling, the games so interesting, the players so unique, I couldn't help myself. I was hooked.
At some point along the way, I learned the rules, and I was off and running. I play the game plenty, too, but I don't play for money. If I ever do, it'll be for pocket change. In that spirit, here are my rules for playing poker without losing your shirt.
1. Never play for cash online.
Let me simply put it this way: if you think you might become an alcoholic, you don't order up an unlimited supply of beer. Internet gambling is essentially the same thing. You can wager money, from $0.02 a bet to thousands, any time of day. You can play the tables 24/7. As for me and my house, I'm not even willing to dip my little toe in that pool.
2. When you have friends over, play for low stakes.
Even better, play a tournament. Whatever you play, make it a $5 limit. If you'll allow me to use the same analogy I used for rule #1, this is more like social drinking. Safer, and still a lot of fun.
3. If you ever play in a casino of any kind, play a tournament.
There are plenty of inexpensive tournaments, and the competition is fierce. It's good poker, and though you probably won't win a lot to begin with (you may never win, really) you'll learn a lot and you won't lose any more than the cost of the tournament.
These rules certainly don't apply to everyone out there. Especially not professional poker players, for whom online gambling is a major boon. (Work from home! Make your own hours! So much dead money, you don't know what to do with yourself!) But they apply to me, and I intend to keep them as best I can.
In the meantime, if you feel like a little poker, I'm always game!


Race 7: Wrexham – 26th Apr 2017
A bright but chilly evening provided the backdrop to the final race of the season. Fittingly, in a season which has seen so many participation records broken, 347 runners – a new record for this BL venue – completed the familiar 4 mile course around the edge of the industrial estate.
The Mens race saw last season’s overall winner, Ricky Challinor of Deeside, provide a reminder of his quality with a 15 second margin of victory in his 12th League win – this ahead of second-placed Gareth Williams of Deestriders. The latter result, however, was sufficient to ensure Gareth succeeded Ricky as overall winner for 2016-17.
Laura Riches of Buckley maintained her 100% record with a third win in three BL appearances in the Womens race. 35 seconds further back in second place was Ellesmere Port’s Liz Renondeau. But a 5th place finish confirmed the season-long consistency of Wirral’s Sarah Kearney and was just sufficient to clinch her overall victory for 2016-17.
A huge effort from Buckley RC was needed in Division One of the Mens team competition to overturn the 99 point margin between themselves and leaders Wallasey AC. With 5 of their runners home in the top 17 before the first Wallasey runner, they came desperately close. Wallasey’s strength in depth however was just enough, and getting their 10 counters home in the first 52 was decisive in holding Buckley off by an 18 point margin and guaranteeing them the League title.
In the other team competitions, the margins already held by the League leaders were too great for results on the day to make any difference to the outcome of League titles and promotions. Buckley RC were winners on the day from League champions West Cheshire AC in Womens Division One, but were unable to overhaul Wallasey AC for the League runners-up spot. Chester TC‘s win on the night from Wrexham AAC in Mens Division Two confirmed the former’s League title and the latter’s promotion, while the win on the night for Deestriders over Ellesmere Port confirmed the latter’s League title and the former’s promotion.
West Cheshire AC held onto their lead in the Veteran Mens competition to clinch that title, and Wirral AC‘s Veteran Women did likewise. Wrexham AAC took the Mens Improvers title, West Cheshire AC the Womens Improvers.
Race 6: New Brighton – 9th Apr 2017
Warm spring sunshine on the seafront contrasted vividly with conditions for race 5. 316 runners lined up for the penultimate race of the season, to run a 5.15 mile course which followed the seafront pavement and coastal embankment for two miles, before turning inland, circling Wallasey Golf Club, coming back to the seafront, and returning along the pavement once more.
Another dominant performance from Gareth Williams of Deestriders saw him clinch a third victory of the season in the Mens race, 40 seconds ahead of Wirral’s Phil Robertson. In the Womens race, Laura Riches made her second appearance of the season for Buckley and made it two wins out of two, with a 58 second margin over Wirral’s Sarah Kearney.
In the Mens and Womens team competitions, the form book was followed all the way through in that the first two clubs in each division were 1st and 2nd respectively on the day. Wallasey AC’s win by 62 points over Buckley RC in Mens Division One gave them a margin of 99 points over their rivals, and left them firm favourites to regain the League title from Wirral AC. Womens Division One saw West Cheshire AC extend an already sizeable lead over Wallasey AC, and leave the top two positions virtually decided already.
Mens Division Two likewise saw Chester TC and Wrexham AAC draw even further away from the rest and all but guarantee promotion, and this story repeated itself in Womens Division Two, with Ellesmere Port RC and Deestriders all but confirmed as winners and runners-up.
A victory for Wallasey AC‘s Veteran Men over Chester TC on the day gives them an outside chance of overhauling West Cheshire AC for the title. Wirral AC‘s Veteran Women won on the day ahead of Ellesmere Port RC and extended their slender lead over Helsby RC. Wrexham AAC have a comfortable lead in the Mens Improvers category, while West Cheshire AC are favourites for the Womens Improvers trophy.
Finalised results are posted below.
Race 5: Manley Mere – 5th Mar 2017
The 318 runners who arrived at Helsby RC’s new lakeside venue had driven through heavy rain, sleet and even snow. Fortunately, this gradually abated as the 5.15 mile race, taking in the middle section of the Four Villages Half Marathon course, got under way.
Gareth Williams of Deestriders took his second victory of the season in the Mens race, easing away to a margin of more than a minute ahead of Elliott Cox of Buckley RC. Liz Renondeau of Ellesmere Port RC claimed her first win of the season in the Womens race, holding a 24 second margin over Wirral AC’s Sarah Kearney.
Wallasey AC regained the lead over Buckley RC in Mens Division One, their strength in depth bringing home their 10 counters in the first 41 and putting a 37-point gap between them and their rivals. In Womens Division One, West Cheshire AC’s narrow victory on the day over Helsby RC took them another 40 points clear of their nearest rivals, Wallasey AC.
Wrexham AAC’s continued improvement in Mens Division Two saw them claim victory on the day over distant League leaders Chester TC and consolidate their position in 2nd place. Ellesmere Port RC‘s waltz to the Womens Division Two championship continued with another win on the day, and Deestriders, 2nd again, seem increasingly likely to be promoted with them.
West Cheshire AC continue to lead the Veteran Mens division by a reasonably secure margin, while Wirral AC‘s leadership of the Veteran Womens division is coming under challenge from Helsby RC.
Finalised results are below:
Race 4: Coleg Cambria, Connah’s Quay – 22nd Jan 2017
A dank and chilly morning failed to deter another huge field – 371 runners – from taking on Deeside AAC’s short (4.4 miles) but challenging course, with its steep climb up Kelsterton Lane.
Last season’s overall champion, Deeside AAC’s Ricky Challinor, returned for his first appearance of the season – and won the Mens race by a margin of 10 seconds over Gareth Williams of Deestriders. Far more emphatic was the winning margin in the Womens race, where BL debutant Laura Riches of Buckley RC came home almost a minute and a half ahead of Ellesmere Port RC’s Liz Renondeau.
Buckley RC fielded their largest ever Mens team – 56 strong – the first ten of whom all finished in the top 50. This sufficed to give them not only a convincing victory on the day over Wallasey AC, but also a 36 point lead over that same club at the top of Division 1. West Cheshire AC extended their lead over Wallasey AC at the head of the Womens Division 1 table despite being narrowly pipped to victory on the day by Helsby RC.
Mens Division 2 saw victory on the day for Chester TC to extend their lead, with Wrexham AAC‘s 2nd place sufficient to take them up to 2nd also in the League. Womens Division 2 saw another massive win for Ellesmere Port RC to extend their lead over Deestriders, who also finished second on the day.
West Cheshire AC‘s male Vets maintained a commanding, and Wirral AC‘s female Vets a rather slimmer, lead in their respective competitions.
Race 3: Birkenhead Park – 4th Dec 2016
Seasonal distractions – maybe a Santa Dash? or just shopping? – kept the number of finishers on a bright frosty morning in the Upper Park to a “mere” 348. The race, over the usual 4 lap, 5.5 mile course, was smoothly organised by hosts Birkenhead AC.
Wirral AC’s Phil Robertson registered his 2nd win of the winter in the Mens Race, kicking away from the lead group to maintain a 7 second margin over last month’s winner, Gareth Williams from Deestriders. Meanwhile in the Womens Race, Wallasey’s Claire Walton, in her first BL outing since 2010, had a winning margin of 27 seconds over the rapidly improving Katie Clarke of West Cheshire AC.
Wallasey AC had managed to match their record turnout of 65 from the last fixture – and ten of them finished in the first 45 in the Mens race. This gave them a 36 point victory in the Mens Division 1 team race ahead of Wirral AC, and took them into a 100 point lead at the top of Division 1. Victory in the Womens Division 1 team race was however shared with Wirral, both teams scoring 58 points from their 4 counters.
An unusually strong male contingent from Wrexham AAC guaranteed that club a big win in the Division 2 Mens race, eclipsing Chester TC in second. This puts them into a position to challenge Abergele Harriers and Cybi Striders for the second promotion spot, with the triathletes still maintaining a big lead at the head of the division. For the Division 2 Women, another huge win for Ellesmere Port RC saw them surge to the top of the table ahead of Tattenhall RC – a distant second on the day.
West Cheshire AC‘s male Vets extended, and Wirral AC‘s female Vets maintained, their leads at the head of their respective categories.
Race 2: Upton-by-Chester – 6th Nov 2016
430 runners – many having completed cross-country events the previous day – made the 10 a.m. start and braved the chill winds which blew throughout across West Cheshire’s Chester Spring 5 mile course. In so doing, they helped set all manner of turnout records – exceeding the previous overall record turnout by 60, setting a new male turnout record of 296, and a new female turnout record of 134. Wallasey AC also set a record in fielding 65 club members.
All change this time in the Mens race – Gareth Williams became the first winner from Deestriders since the turn of the millennium, holding an 18-second margin over Wrexham AC’s Daniel Weston. The Womens race also saw a first-time winner – Carol Parsons of Ellesmere Port RC finishing a comfortable 28 seconds ahead of her club colleague Liz Renondeau.
Division 1 Mens team winners on the day were Buckley RC, whose 49-point margin over Wallasey AC was sufficient to take the overall lead. West Cheshire AC remain in close contention, but a weakened Wirral AC dropped back. Another strong performance from West Cheshire AC‘s women (finishing well ahead of Helsby RC on the day) has given them a sizeable lead in the Womens Division 1.
In Mens Division 2, Chester TC‘s excellent turnout guaranteed them a big win on the day, ahead of Wrexham AC – sufficient to give them a sizeable lead over the now 2nd placed Abergele Harriers. Meanwhile in Womens Division 2, Ellesmere Port‘s crushing win (1st, 2nd and 6th on the day) made up a lot of the ground lost by a weakened turnout in race 1. Deestriders and Tattenhall RC (2nd on the day) remain at the head of the division, however.
West Cheshire AC extended their lead at the top of the Veteran Mens competition, while Wirral AC took over from Chester Tri as the leading Veteran Womens team.
Finalised results and current team standings can be found below:
Race 1: Caernarfon – 9th Oct 2016
A beautiful autumn day saw The Foryd at its most scenic, and a BL course record turnout of 318 finishers (218 men, 100 women) racing the usual 10K course – this year, in the anti-clockwise direction, with the “undulations” saved for the second half of the race.
Despite the change in direction, it was still deja vu at the sharp end of the Mens race – with Phil Robertson and Phil Langan of Wirral AC repeating their 1-2 from last December. Sarah Kearney made it a double for Wirral with a comfortable win in the Womens race (her 13th BL victory in all), more than a minute ahead of Ellesmere Port RC’s Nicky Whitfield-Bird.
However, on the day, the winning Mens team in Division 1 was Wallasey AC – whose 10 counters finished in the first 65 and edged out Wirral AC by a margin of 32 points. The potential for a very close contest in this division was emphasised by both West Cheshire AC and Buckley RC, who trailed Wirral by just 3 and 8 points respectively.
West Cheshire AC took an early lead in the Womens team competition in Division 1, beating last season’s champions Chester TC by 15 points.
Similar to Division 1, the Mens team competition in Division 2 could see a close battle with today’s hosts Eryri Harriers taking a narrow 10 point lead at the top from Chester TC, with Abergele Harriers another 16 points further back.
Eryri Harriers’ womens team continued their improvement from the second half of last season with a win in Division 2 by 14 points from Deestriders, with Tattenhall RC a little further back.
The new segregated Veterans competitions saw West Cheshire AC make the early running in the Mens competition, taking a sizeable lead over Wallasey AC, while Chester TC took a much narrower lead over Wirral AC in the Womens competition.
Race 1 Individual results are here
Team results are here
You can find results of previous years’ races in our Results Archive.


This was brought to me by a former customer. I had done some work previously on his electric bass. He mentioned he had an old Gibson mandolin that didn't stay in tune and was worried the tuning machines needed replaced.
I was overjoyed when I opened the case. It was in great condition and appeared to be all original with the exception of a missing tailpiece cover. I set about fixing the detaching binding first.
Nothing a little cyano glue and some rubber bands can't fix!
Cleanup required just a little scraping of the fingerboard and some ultra fine steel wool against the binding to get rid of any glue residue.
While the strings were off I cleaned and polished the whole instrument and went about trying to date it. I could tell it was a pre-war instrument from the script logo on the headstock and the old fashioned "guarantee" label inside.
At the time of the paper label, the serial numbers were written in pencil. That of course has faded decades ago, but the ghost of the number can still be made out if held at the precise angle in the right lighting. 36994. The lack of a letter before the number places it on or before 1947, and according to Gibson's records, the last serial number in 1916 was 3200, and the last serial number in 1917 was 39500, which dates this mandolin to 1917.
Luckily for everyone, the tuning machines are in perfect working order (worm and pinion design with quality metallurgy is hard to fail) and all it needed was some new strings and precise intonation. Now it's playing great and will hopefully continue to for another 98 years.