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The Whitman Amateur Radio Club has produced a special edition Field Day 2008 Newsletter available via its web site. The nine-page newsletter highlights the club's activities during Field Day, listing the call signs of 39 club members and ten ham visitors. It also showcases their two youngest visitors: 6-year-old Patrick and 8-year-old Colben, who made contacts on 2-meter FM. Congratulations to the Whitman ARC for a job well-done!

A rather large unexpected (by us) Pacific storm settled onto Summit County pounding the Ten Mile Range for 36hrs with heavy rains and low clouds making a safe passage over peaks 8-9 all but impossible. After spending a wet night on the mountain we decided to save our adventure for another day. Not wanting to attract more lightning than we already experienced hence no radio contacts were attempted.

I've often felt that you can tell a lot about countries by the way they manage amateur radio and communication in general.

Look at this story

News from Roger, G3SXW about his activity this weekend! Olof, G0CKV's location can be tracked via APRS here

I was curious and measured the velocity of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), eHam, and QRZ websites. Compete [Web2.0] defined velocity as, "Velocity is an effective way to measure the impact of planned (or unplanned) events, such as new advertising campaigns, product/service launches or general site growth. Simply choose an event date as the starting point to see how it has affected a site's attention over time." Time is currency and holding attention is value. Field Day 2008 produced a neglible velocity bump. In contrast, QRZ is effectively holding attention when compared to the ARRL and eHam, overall with Field Day included. The QTH for ham radio operators is QRZ?

July looks to be a busy month for Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). On Friday, July 4, members of the Austin Amateur Radio Club (AARC) facilitated a successful ARISS contact between the International Space Station (ISS) and Cub Scout Pack #304 and Blackland Prairie Elementary School in Round Rock, Texas. Before an audience of 100, 10 Cub Scouts asked nearly 20 questions of Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ. Chamitoff launched into space on May 31 on the space shuttle Discovery and took over on the ISS for Garrett Reisman, KE5HAE. Chamitoff is scheduled to return to Earth in November.

This is a short blog update sharing the status of my current projects in progress. I needed to do this to attempt to prioritise my efforts.

Cumbrian Q1SR near clone, all components have been procured, the PCB layout is probably 80% complete, steps to move this project forward:

• Finish PCB layout
• Run off Gerbers and send to Andrew for checking
• Print top and bottom foils and check footprints against actual components
• Make any minor mods required
• Send Gerbers off for manufacture

Priority: points 1 & 2 must be towards the top of the list!

HPSDR Pheonix, waiting for the remainder of parts to arrive from Al in the States, missed taemspeak this week, so not sure of latest status, however from last week’s teamspeak Al was waiting for a couple of long lead items to arrive before dispatch of kits to alpha builders.

• As soon a the remaining parts arrive, construction will re-commence.
• I don’t believe the 125Mhz clock will be part of this kit, and I assuming Phil has a solution to this issue?

HPSDR Penelope / CSDR integration, waiting for a ‘rigrunner’ to arrive before hooking up the individual supplies, this item has been outstanding for over 4 weeks now!

• Install rigrunner
• Hook-up interconnections
• Install new software and commission
• Test on air

This list may not happen, depending on the progress of Pheonix, if Pheonix flickers into life soon, I’ll bypass the Penelope / CSDR integration and wait for the arrival of Mercury J

Cumbrian magnetic loop controller, as predicted this is a slow ongoing project, bubbling along in the background, however with the arrival of the K2 the background noise on 20M with my 132’ doublet is over S9! I’m sure the loop will help here, so this project may see some progress shortly.

Gate Dip Oscillator, I have yet to mention this new piece of test gear on the blog, but suffice to say I’m pulling on together from parts from the junk box, the hardware is finished, PCB etched and drilled, just need some time soldering the few components required. This however is another background task.

DSP-10, This build is slowly progressing, the DSP has been ‘boxed’ the RF PCB is about 85% complete, and is currently on hold due to missing components, basically lack of funds have stalled this build. This project is once again a background task J

High Performance Analog Defined Radio (HPADR), this is a new project, hinted at a couple of posts ago, basically I’m about to embark on a new radio build, based around Martein’s excellent work. I predict the front end boards will be with me with a couple of months, this will mark the start of the build. I am currently intending to develop my own user interface, and am learning a lot through research of graphic displays and touch panels, I am nearing completion of my selection, and following Martein’s advice I will probably be ordering an EA eDIP320-8 intelligent module, it has a number of interfaces and I will probably hook it upto my generic PIC development environment and control it through I2C. More to follow on this shortly J

Sat here in front of the screen and not in the shack, I reasonably confident the above list represents what is currently on the bench here in Cumbria (although I might have missed something), as you can see there’s a lot going on, but as always I’m learning new things at every step. Isn’t that what the hobby is all about, it is for me.

End of update.

Emily Stewart, KC0PTL, a 17 year old from Leavenworth, Kansas, has been named the 2008 Young Ham of the Year (YHOTY), announced YHOTY Award Administrator Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF. Emily was selected based on her commitment to Amateur Radio, along with leadership, outreach, and her technical and public service achievements of the Amateur Radio Service to others. She will receive her award as part of the Huntsville Hamfest. More than two dozen young people were nominated for this award, now in its 22nd year.

Small, but successful Field Day operation at Yale Field - Yale's historic baseball stadium. More info at the new Club blog: W1YU.blogspot.com.

New version of both the Foundation and Intermediate syllabus have been released which will take effect from 1st June 2009

Miles Mann WF1F has posted the latest ISS Amateur Radio Status Report which raises the prospect of Digital Voice on the ISS

An International Space Station Expedition 17 ARISS school contact has been planned with participants from the City of Ottawa Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on 09 July

Smart Metering could become a serious threat for amateur radio, when wide band is used

Mustapha, DL1BDF is reporting some bad news for radio amateurs in Algeria

Tired of listening to the Snoop Doggie Dog or Liberace on your I-Pod? Wouldn't you like to be able to carry with you the kinds of ham radio conversations that you listen to while in your radio shack? Tune in to SolderSmoke!

Inventor Trevor Baylis has hit out at the 'horrible cruelty' of Robert Mugabe in banning Zimbabweans from using his wind-up radio

LEHMAN TWP. -- The Murgas Amateur Radio Club of Wilkes-Barre had its 29th annual “Hamfest” Sunday at the Luzerne County Fairgrounds. Vendors, also known as “tailgaters,” sold new and used ham radios, computers and electronic equipment from tables alongside their vehicles. Visitors to the Hamfest at the Luzerne County Fairgrounds had the opportunity to look over a variety of transmitting devices and other electronic items Saturday morning. Sarah Reed of Bethel, Berks County, said she didn’t mind driving two hours to get to the event. Accompanied by her boyfriend, Matt Miller, Reed, an amateur radio operator or “ham,” said she’s been attending the Hamfest for years. Although Reed belongs to another amateur radio club in her area, she also likes to support the Murgas Club. “I just like coming and looking around,” she said. “I get a kick out of all the stuff.” Money from admission ticket sales and rentals of vendor booths are used to pay for club-sponsored activities such as the annual “Field Day” at Moon Lake Park. The event, which trains for disaster preparedness, attracts hams from around the state. A portion of the proceeds also goes to support the Murgas Scholarship, which is administered by the Foundation for Amateur Radio. The Murgas Amateur Radio Club has about 100 members, said chairman Carol Nygren. The club provides public service communications each year in support of the Wilkes-Barre Triathlon, the Wilkes-Barre YMCA Duathlon and local walks to support diabetes and multiple sclerosis awareness and research. Part of what attracts people to amateur radio is the ability to communicate across the country, around the globe, or even with astronauts on space missions.

When communications networks go down, hams can get communities connected. Normally, in a time of crisis, an "amateur" is not the first person you might call. But when communications networks go down, amateur radio operators -- or hams -- and their gear can get communities connected to the outside world via the radio waves. During the recent Field Day activities hosted by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), ham operators and clubs across North America spent 48 hours demonstrating their communications abilities. After a 24-hour setup period, groups had a second 24-hour window to make as many contacts as possible around the world using voice or Morse Code (knows as Continuous Wave in ham parlance) over varying frequencies. In the case of the Nashua Area Radio Club (NARC), which set up camp at Wasserman Park in Merrimack, New Hampshire, a group made some 1,165 contacts over the 20m band, one in Australia. More important than potential bragging rights for making the most contacts, NARC and other teams participating in Field Day proved they're ready to set up 24/7 communications sites when disaster strikes. To wit, at the Wasserman Park site the group from NARC erected two 70-foot towers complete with various antenna beams, set up tents and campers to house people and gear, and self-powered the site with a gas generator. Many similar camps are currently operating in flood-ravaged parts of the Midwest, says Don Grant, a NARC member that uses the handle N1UBD and was involved in the setup of the Wasserman Park site. Hams also helped maintain communications in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Hams work in conjunction with other volunteer groups such as the Military Affiliated Radio Stations (MARS) and Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), both of which work with state and local officials to coordinate communications during emergencies. The ham sites can be used to relay information over voice (both analog and digital, the latter offering greater privacy) or data -- even e-mail.

When electricity and phone service in New Orleans went down during Hurricane Katrina, ham radio operators, running on batteries and generators, kept communications open. They relayed a distress call from a rooftop in New Orleans through a nationwide network of amateur (ham) radio operators from Louisiana to Oregon to Utah to Baton Rouge. Emergency responders then rescued the 15 stranded people. The nation’s ham radio operators stepped up to aid in emergency communications in the aftermath of the disaster, and the White House even mentioned them in its report “The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned, Appendix B: What Went Right.” Katrina is an extreme example of ham radio’s ability as an emergency tool, but the Johnson County Radio Amateurs Club is serious about practicing in case it is ever needed.

Read his comment here.

Field Day 2008 goes down in the memory book as stellar ham radio fun. I gained a little more experience especially in the use of N1MM contest logger. Likewise, solving technical issues on the fly, is important as well. We learned how-to breakdown N1MM into separate band categories after reading the instructions. Also, we adapted our 20-Meter CW station using a different type of paddle/keyer because of a missing interface cable.

Thanks for the comment and I'm looking forward to good reads at VU2SGW. Hope too see you in the log in the very near future.

73 from the shackadelic.

The Portage County Amateur Radio Service (PCARS) announces the first Ohio State Parks On The Air Contest to be held on Saturday, September 6, 2008, from the hours of noon to eight p.m. EDT (1600 UTC to 2400 UTC).

Here is another gem from Jean Shepherd. He describes his discovery of CW at age 6 or 7, his first shortwave receiver, and his discovery of amateur radio. Plus, some Army Signal Corps madness.

Click here for the mp3 audio file: Shepherd, Morse, Ham Radio

Steve (N0TU), Peanut and Rooster are at it again. This time the Old Goat Trio are back on Mount Herman for the 2008 ARRL Field Day. Steve made another one of his fun and interesting ham radio videos. Take a look at it on Steve's blog.

73, Bob K0NR

The KY1N Memorial List Scheduled Amateur Radio Volunteer Examinations - CT MA ME NH RI VT 7/07/08 Jim, WW1Y, Editor Date Time Contact Location Phone 07/08/08 19:00 Lawrence Polowy, KU1L Thomaston CT 860-283-4089 07/09/08 19:30 *James Weckback, W1EQW Framingham MA 508-435-6487 07/10/08 17:00 Steven Ewald, WV1X Newington CT 860-594-0265 07/10/08 19:00 Louis Mester, W1CH Providence RI 401-263-6045 07/10/08 19:00 Kevin Cellini, N1KGM Trumbull CT 203-268-5015 07/11/08 18:30 Ralph T Stetson III, KD1R Burlington VT 802-878-6454 07/12/08 08:45 William J Needham, K1WN Braintree MA 781-843-4400 07/12/08 09:00 Ben Fleck, K2LYE Falmouth MA 508-540-2583 07/12/08 09:30 Ernest Laug, KA1NGG Stamford CT 203-348-3993 07/12/08 09:00 Norm Smith, NY1B Union ME 207-354-6853 07/13/08 12:00 Bob Quinn, WV1A Gloucester MA 978-283-4660 07/15/08 19:00 Orrin Riggott, AB1EL Portland CT 860-223-8867 07/16/08 19:00 Robert E Moreland, KA1ZMF Milford CT 203-934-4059 07/17/08 19:30 Louis Harris, N1UEC Canton MA 508-668-0858 07/17/08 18:30 John Ruggiero, N2YHK Worcester MA 508-982-0617 07/19/08 09:00 Bryce Rumery, K1GAX South Portland ME 207-799-1116 07/21/08 19:00 Richard Strycharz Jr, KD1XP Amherst MA 413-665-2211 07/21/08 19:00 Arthur Denault, KB1CNB Fall River MA 774-644-3469 07/22/08 12:00 Adam Woodbury, K1ADW Bedford MA 781-271-3062 07/23/08 19:30 Nick Altenbernd, KA1MQX Cambridge MA 617-253-3776 07/23/08 19:00 *Paul Upham, KD1YH Shirley MA 978-597-6535 07/24/08 18:00 Bryce Rumery, K1GAX South Portland ME 207-799-1116 07/25/08 18:00 David Cote, WA1DC Holyoke MA 413-575-2950 07/26/08 09:00 William D Wilson, K1IN Bloomfield CT 860-869-1059 07/26/08 09:00 Kenneth Carr, KB1AWV Cranston RI 401-828-1665 07/26/08 12:00 +Daniel Lee, W1DFL Danvers MA 978-352-4513

This year, as we have done for at least the last five years, our amateur radio club provided communications for the JayCee’s Ann Arbor Fourth of July Parade. Last year, I tried to get a small flag they were handing out to kids to mount on my HT antenna, but was rebuffed, the woman saying, “These are for kids.”

Well, this year, I brought my own.  Got a lot of great comments on it, too. :)

I've gotten a bit behind after my burst with the three-part series about the ARRL June VHF QSO party. Things have been a bit quiet in radioland for me, and in fact, a quick look at my log shows very few contacts at all after the aforementioned contest. The most exciting contact I had was with TO5E in St. Bart's on July 3, which was a new DXCC entity on 6m for me. Unfortunately, unless a miracle happens at some point over the next few hours, I won't be able to work CY0X on Sable Island. St. Bart's is a relatively new DXCC entity, and I'd previously worked them on some other bands so working them on 6m is nice, but folks live there and it's pretty easy to get to and operate from. I was a little disappointed about missing CY0X on 6m, since although it's existed as a DXCC entity for a long time, I've never managed to work it on 6m. This time, I only heard it once, very weakly, when I was at the radio, so I'll have to wait for the next time.

As I'm sure most of you know, last weekend was ARRL Field Day, but for the first time since I became a ham, I didn't participate at all. We were in Florida to celebrate my mother-in-law's upcoming 90th birthday, and while I did consider taking the small radio with me and attempting to make a few contacts, I realized that we weren't going to have much spare time (I did have about 90 minutes free, which I spent getting a little bit of a suntan while lying around the hotel pool) but more importantly, since we were trying to avoid checking our bags (our trip to Florida was Friday to Sunday), I realized that there was just no way that I'd get the radio and even the smallest antenna I have (the Buddistick) into the carry-on bag I was taking. The past two trips that I've gone down I've taking the radio and operated from Lido Key, which is IOTA NA-034, but unfortunately it didn't work out this time. The closest I got to operating was when I happened to drive past what I realized was the Sarasota Emergency Radio Club's Field Day site. I'd looked it up prior to going to Florida, but  never had a chance to stop by. By pure chance, a route back to the hotel from one of the family functions took me right by there. The next morning, there was a blurb about them on TV, and I'm really sorry that I didn't have a little more spare time to at least stop by.

Despite the fact that I've managed to get a five-day weekend out of the Fourth of July holiday (with the holiday falling on a Friday and my company giving me Monday off as well, I took Thursday the third off to give myself even more time), I haven't really gotten much done on the radio. 6m has been open to at least somewhere every day, but I've had enough things to do that I never seemed to have managed to gotten on the radio as much as I'd like.

As a follow-up, about a month ago I posted a poll asking how folks read this blog. I got 25 responses of which 11 were via an RSS feed and the rest were pretty evenly split between those of you who visit here directly, people who get the feed via email (if you'd like to do that, there's a link right on the main page at the blog website where you can sign up), people who read this via another website (I'd be curious to hear from those of you who do that rather than come here directly; either leave a comment or email me directly) and those of you who read it via the N0HR tool bar. Thanks to those of you who participated.

On a personal note, some of you know that my son, Justin (KC2MCS) has been suffering with a rather serious back problem for well over 2 years. After trying everything else, he's scheduled to have spinal fusion surgery in a little over a week. We are, as they say, cautiously optimistic that this will allow him to get back to a normal life.

I'm teaching myself SH5 written by Dmitriy Gulyaev UA4WLI. This particular screenshot is my CQ WPX 2008 CW summary. It is broken down by band then categorized into QSOs, Time, and Moves. I can measure for the first time the efficacy of my search and pounce strategy. Furthermore, one is given several functions in order to analyze log data, absolutely fascinating. What does this mean too me? I have a visualization(s) of KA3DRR contest production broken down by band and discreetly categorized into useful data sets. Admittedly, I have not peered into the portable document file (pdf) but I just could not wait. Thanks Dmitri, UA4WLI for taking KA3DRR to the next level of RadioSport science. Contest on.

RACES, SKYWARN, and ARES will participate in a statewide hurricane drill on Monday, August 4, 2008. [Full story]

It's probably fair to say that the weather dominated the event for the clubs and groups out in the field. Those of us who, for one reason or another, were not able to get out portable, probably had a lucky escape.

I noticed Dave, G3YMC of the Bracknell club refer to the event as VHF Field Day (Aquatics) and the Newquay group, G4ADV/P were not able to be active owing to the very severe weather that they encountered at their site.

Because we had a lot to try and do this weekend, I had to regretfully turn down a very welcome invitation to operate with the Windmill CG, G0FBB/P. I did try to get on and make a few contacts through the weekend though.

On 50MHz, the bands were initially quiet - though of course I struggle to hear the weaker signals on the band, owing to the S5-6 noise level here. First stations worked were M0XXT/P and G5XV/P - both comparatively local and indeed, I worked them both on 6m, 2m and 70cms. Sunday morning saw a little more distant portable activity and I was able to work T99C/P, YT1W, S56A and S52LW.

On 2m, there was nothing really distant, but I was pleased to work MM0CPS/P from IO84 and OQ4U from JO20. Honour was saved by working G0FBB/P on both 2m and 70cms.

Best DX as usual, on 432MHz was PA6NL over in JO21 as well as a nice crop of G portables.

In total, I made around 35 QSOs across the various bands, which was done in fairly short order. I was sorry to miss 70MHz, but wasn't around at the correct time.

A particular pleasure was to have a number of people say that they enjoyed the Radcom column or this blog - kind words which are warmly appreciated.

Congratulations to everyone who braved the elements and I look forward to reading the results in due course.

I had a nice e-mail from my friend, Steph, F5NZY who lives in Paris.

Like me, Steph's been interested in using solar power to power his station. He has a splendidly large solar panel which charges a lead-acid battery! Most of the time, he uses the battery to power an FT817. I'm trying to persuade him to run a bit more power!

I picked up this link up from Scot, KA3DRR and RadioDawg over at the shackadelic.  There’s a project going on to port TR over to Windows.  The product appears to still be in beta testing, and I understand there are still some outstanding issues with CAT control for certain radios.   The hardware requirements appear to [...]

Peanut, Rooster and Steve — the GoatHiker share their Field Day in this video:

Visit Steve, N0TU’s blog for more video adventure from the field.

73 de Jeff

Working this last week (actually very little radio work) on Washington Island Wisconsin (WI-001L) it again became so very obvious that if an amateur’s station can hear the other guy, then you have a great chance of being able to work them. It isn’t transmitter power you need first, but that ability to identify the other [...]

SuitSat appears on the cover of the June issue of Under the Hood, a supplemental issue of the EE Times

The New Zealand Amateur Radio Frequency Management Technical Advisory Group (FMTAG) has published suggestions for D-STAR simplex frequencies and invites comments

Here's another interesting video from Randy, K7AGE, in which he pays a visit to Beijing and takes a look at amateur radio in China

Weekly IOTA News - compiled by OPDX

On July 5th, a geomagnetic storm sparked brilliant auroras directly above Earth's south pole

Members of the RSGB will activate a special callsign for the upcoming IARU HF Championship (July 12-13th) from three separate DXCC entities this year (G, GW, GM)

The UK regulator Ofcom has published two independent reports as part of its research and development work on transport and wireless sensor networks

Jean Michel, F6AJA, wants to remind everyone to visit the Les Nouvelles DX (LNDX) Web page to see more than 5500 old QSL cards in several different albums/galleries

The SOTA Management Team is pleased to announce that John Linford, G3WGV has accepted its invitation to be named President of the Summits on the Air programme

A look back at events that made history this week - compiled by the Summerland Amateur Radio Club of Lismore, NSW

Club president also assists EMA, National Weather Service: Ed Brown is the eyes, ears and voice for the National Weather Service in Grant County. Brown, emergency coordinator for the Grant County Amateur Radio Club, has been involved with the group since the late ’80s. Most of his interests in the club are in emergency communication, which allows him to work directly with the county Emergency Management Agency and Skywarn, a group of storm spotters in the area that relays information to the weather service. “I love it. It’s my niche,” Brown said. “We have been becoming more involved with the EMA and have really started to jell into a great relationship locally.” Jose Zapata, operation supervisor for the EMA, said amateur radio operators act as a vital backup link to official emergency communications. “You can never do too much to prepare,” Zapata said. “Having these secondary communicators is just one step further to bringing quick communication to us that can help get things back to normal as quickly as possible in case of a disaster. We are glad to have them.” Bruce Tisdale, president of the radio club, said group members are licensed to assist in emergency situations and other radio needs, such as information about community events.

This 4th of July, 30 volunteers spent their time helping CAL FIRE. Teams of ham radio operators were given binoculars and maps to patrol rural San Diego County. Every 4th of July holiday, the department puts into place their Volunteers in Prevention program. The teams drive around and spot smoke. Even homeowners doing yard work during the day can be a threat. Lawn mowers can spark a fire on hot dry days. Mike Martak is a ham radio operator and has volunteered for 2 years now.

The USS Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear-powered vessel, is today a public museum, visited by more than 250,000 annually at its berth at the Submarine Force Library and Museum in Groton, Connecticut. The ship (along with Old Ironsides in Boston) is one of only two vessels designated as “Historic Ships.” Now, amateur radio operators worldwide will be able to participate in the recognition of the ship’s most notable and historic accomplishment.

After last season’s pathetic performance on 160 and 80 meters, it’s time to figure out what to do to replace the AlphaDelta DX-B half-sloper. The half-sloper design is questionable and is highly dependant upon many variables that differ from site to site (tower height, antennas, mast, sloper height, angle, etc.).  I had low expectations for this antenna when I installed it - and, after attempting several angles and lengths, I was disappointed in its performance.  It was merely a quick and dirty solution to try to get any type of antenna 80 and 160 meters for the first contesting season.

In trying to decide which approach to take, I’ve done some lowband antenna modeling of inverted Ls and shunt fed towers. I have also asked for advice on the best 160m/80m antenna approach on the towertalk/topband forums. 

My plea for help on the towertalk and topband forums was met with with many great responses. Some guys went to great lengths to review the situation and provide input.

Quite a number of hams suggested that I shunt feed the tower. While that does seem to be an attractive approach for a number of reasons, there are some drawbacks in my scenario:

• The Cushcraft XM-240 40 meter yagi at the top of my stack is susceptible to overheating when the tower is shunt fed. 
• Exposing the SteppIR 4 element controller to voltages when the tower is shunt fed is also a concern. However, many have reported that there could be an advantage to using a SteppIR on a shunt fed tower in that some tuning may be accomplished with this approach.

At the moment, I think the approach I’ll take is two inverted Ls: one for 160m and one for 80m. This pair of inverted Ls will be driven with a variable capacitor of some sort.  There are downsides to this approach… extra wires in the yard, probably will be tricky to tune, and some interaction causing a distorted pattern on 80m.

Still many things to be worked out on this… housing and control of the capacitor, band switching, installation of standoff arms, etc.  I’ll post more as this develops- but feel free to comment if you have ideas on lowband antennas with a self supporting tower.

One advantage of the move to Kansas will be the opportunity to redesign and implement a new shack layout. I don't have a clear picture of what I want it to look like, so I am going to start with making a list of what I want to be able to accomplish in the shack. This will be a basement shack... a big basement. I've never lived in a house that had a basement and I'm looking forward to the possibilities.

What I want to accomplish in the Kansas Shack:
- HF phone and CW operation; 80m-10m
- HF digital modes (PSK-31, RTTY, PACTOR III)
- Computer logging
- 2m FM base station
- APRS weather station, interfaced with a dedicated 2m transceiver
- Online weather page, showing current weather conditions
- Seperate, organized workbench

There are a number of tall trees to the north of the house that will support some different wire antenna options. My plan is to start out with a RadioWavz 246' End Fed Zep. We'll see how that works. Maybe try a loop before winter comes. Another challenge will be getting the feedline into the basement.

Disclaimer: I am a little ticked off that my digital scanner (radio receiver, not a graphics scanner) decided to toss its cookies today and lose all of its programmed data. The day before, my Yaesu FT-8900 got amnesia, losing all of its channels. (It seems to not appreciate the voltage dip when the car engine starts.) This reminds me of when iTunes discarded my podcasts about 3 weeks ago. Which reminds me of when my computer hard drive failed, putting my entire digital presence into the bit bucket.

I had always resisted using software to program my radios. When our public service agencies switched to 800 MHz trunked digital, I didn't have a choice anymore for the scanner. The complexity of that system requires a software program to manage the channels. I also tried to avoid using software to program my amateur transceivers. (Old Guy Talk: Back in the old days, we only had a band switch and one big VFO knob to turn and that was plenty good enough.) Slowly, but surely, the huge number of memories and features available have teased me into buying the software to keep track of it all. I don't mind paying for the software...typically, the programs are a bargain.

I do object to the time it takes to manage this stuff. You might think that there would be a standard file format that stores my favorite frequencies, transmit offset, CTCSS tone and channel labels so that I don't have to enter them every time. No, that would make too much sense.

What other cute little electronic devices require their own database? I already mentioned iTunes and MP3 players, where the songs are just bits on a computer. (Not your old 8-track tapes anymore, is it?) My GPS receiver has its own set of maps that demand to be cared for and fed to keep the little device happy and useful. (The other day, a bit in the GPS got set that told it to ignore the maps that were loaded. I could see that the maps were there but the GPS was apparently not using them. A master reset and reload eventually cured the problem.) The GPS also makes use of my favorite set of waypoints that I maintain...carefully stored on The Hard Drive, waiting for the next disk crash.

Oh, and don't forget digital cameras....they are the Masters of Data Creation. One click of the camera can generate a file with a million or two bytes. A day of photography can fill up a few gigs of storage with no effort at all. All of these precious photos need to be stored somewhere to be preserved for posterity. (Should I put posterity on The Hard Drive?)

There is just too much data in my life, and the trend line is increasing. Keep in mind that this data is the kind that you never really see. You can't see files on a hard drive, you can't see mp3 files on an iPod, you can't see the bits programmed into my scanner. Oh sure, you can see something that pretends to represent the actual data....The Hard Drive lets you display a Word document on your screen and print it out. It is supposed to be the same as the file on The Hard Drive, but that is just an approximation....or maybe an illusion. Another reason bits are so hard to manage....they are invisible.

Back to the scanner...I had the configuration file on The Hard Drive (and backed up via Carbonite, just in case.) The Win96 software that programs the RadShack PRO-96 scanner was a victim of the recent hard drive failure, so I had to reinstall it. The program refused to run until I found the magic registration key that proves I paid for the software. No problem...found that on The Hard Drive as well and off we go. Then, the PC had trouble talking to the scanner via the COM port, mostly because there is no COM port on the PC. That is, I needed to use a USB-to-Serial Port converter. (Insert another poorly documented device of questionable origin.) Can we just have USB ports on all data-hungry electronic devices? After much fiddling around, I got the scanner to load all of the data.

Any one of these things is not that big of a deal. I can deal with one or two special programs and cables. But after being surrounded by these self-centered little devices that don't play nicely, it really starts to wear you down. Clearly, the amount of data is going to continue to increase and more devices are going to take advantage of it. So don't count on the problem getting any simpler. Ever.

So what's the solution?

• Electronic devices should use standard data formats that share easily from device to device. They shouldn't insist on their own native format. Sharing data is good.
• These devices should use standard interfaces and memory cards so that moving data around is trivial. Get rid of the proprietary cables.
  
• The software that handles the data should be designed and tested for maximum usability using established human factors methods. Every feature should work with minimal effort for the end user.
• Last but Most Important: these devices shouldn't ever lose their memory. Bad, bad, bad, bad.
  

There, I feel much better now.

-- 73, Bob K0NR

I've blogged before about contacts that stop you short, even after 20 odd years of doing this stuff. I had one of those today.

I popped up here in the early afternoon to have a look at something and noticed a 'tweet' from Pete, M3PHP that he'd worked a Spanish station on 50MHz. As it was Field Day weekend, I thought I'd have a quick spin across the band and see if there was something that I could work quickly.

A couple of stations on CW - EA1BSH who I polished off pretty quickly and someone I'd worked earlier in the day. Tuned up to SSB - where I often don't hear much because of the noise level. Hmmm. There's something sounding Spanish, perhaps on 50.155. What! It's NP4A from Puerto Rico. He MUST be loud, as he's audible on my little antenna.

I sat and listened for a little while and shot the video I've attached. I was quite happy to sit and listen. But just after I stopped filming, signals came up and he didn't seem to be working anyone, so I dropped my call in and a few seconds later, he was in the log.



I listened some more and discovered why he was such a fine signal. He has a 17ele yagi on 50MHz. Fantastic! I wonder how many Europeans he worked this afternoon and over what sort of geographical area. I heard him working Germans, but there were Lithuanians calling as well.

Pedro - thank you! I can't imagine how you heard my solar powered 50 watts to a 70MHz vertical, but you did - and I'm delighted!

Although yesterday was not strategically the best day for a yard sale, the XYL and I were running out of time as the movers are due to show this coming week. We've have a lot of extra "stuff" and tried to strictly enforce the rule that if it hadn't been used/touched/worn/opened/looked at since the last move in 2005 it was time to get rid of it. I'd also acquired an amazing amount of ham stuff (the XYL has a different terminology for it). I could sell it on eBay, but I didn't want to invest the time or energy... nor the trips to the Post Office. Here's what was up for sale:

Heathkit SB-220 amplifier
MFJ Versa Tuner V, MFJ-989C
Astatic D-104 microphone
ICOM AT-180, HF+50MHz Automatic Antenna Tuner (in original box, very good condition)
MFJ 6 Meter SSB Transceiver, MFJ-9406 (includes AC power supply)
MFJ 6 Meter Tuner, MFJ-906
Cushcraft 6 Meter 3 element beam (well weathered)
Ten Tec RX320 (with manual)
ICOM IC-PCR1000, Communications Receiver For Computer (with manual)
Kantronics KPC-9612 Plus (with manual)
Pakratt-232, Model PK-232 MBX (with manual)
MFJ Multi-Mode Data Controller, MFJ-1278 (with manual)
MFJ TNC 2 Packet Radio, MFJ-1274
MFJ Deluxe Code Practice Oscillator, MFJ-557
MFJ Electric Keyer Paddle with Memory, MFJ-442
Dymek DA100E, Active Receiver Antenna, 50kHz-30MHz (with manual)
Radio Shack Amplified Base Station Microphone, CAT NO 21-1173
Radio Shack SWR/Power Meter, CAT NO 21-534
MFJ-8128 VHF 114-220 MHz SWR/Wattmeter
MARS Model LE-2 Hybrid Phone Patch
Heathkit Hybrid Phone Patch, Model HD-15 (with manual)
Quad magnetic mount for antenna
Various Hamsticks and Hustler single band mobile antennas
Various amateur radio books

We did have quite a few hams show up and my prices were incredibly reasonable if not down right ludicrous. The MFJ 6 Meter SSB rig went quick, but I'm surprised no one grabbed the 3-element beam. All the three of the phone patches sold (I had two Heathkits) - that surprised me. What all surprised me was why I had three phone patches. All the Hamsticks and Hustlers went. Some of the books. Bottom line - I was able to find new homes for a lot of gear I wasn't using and got a bit of reimbursement in the process.

Anybody need an MFJ Deluxe Code Practice Oscillator?

What's amazing is the amount of gear I still have that I'm unwilling to part with and is coming with me to Kansas.

You have to wonder how much coffee was blown through the nostrils of the religious-right yesterday morning when they read the LA Times article about Thomas Jefferson taking a pair of scissors to the New Testament gospels and cutting out all the things he didn’t believe — principally the “miracles” to create his own bible.

In Jefferson’s version of the Gospels, for example, Jesus is still wrapped in swaddling clothes after his birth in Bethlehem. But there’s no angel telling shepherds watching their flocks by night that a savior has been born. Jefferson retains Jesus’ crucifixion but ends the text with his burial, not with the resurrection.

According to the Wikipedia, Jefferson was one of the most influential Founding Fathers for his promotion of the ideals of republicanism in the United States. As a political philosopher, Jefferson was a man of the Enlightenment and knew many intellectual leaders in Britain and France. He idealized the independent yeoman farmer as exemplar of republican virtues, distrusted cities and financiers, and favored states’ rights and a strictly limited federal government. A polymath, Jefferson achieved distinction as, among other things, a horticulturist, statesman, architect, archaeologist, paleontologist, author, inventor and founder of the University of Virginia.

When President John F. Kennedy welcomed forty-nine Nobel Prize winners to the White House in 1962 he said, “I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent and of human knowledge that has ever been gathered together at the White House — with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”

What does it say about our evolution as a nation that Jefferson — who was a previous President, Vice-President, Secretary of State, and the principal author of our beloved Declaration of Independence couldn’t be elected as a dog-catcher given his religious views and today’s political climate?