Club Member News
What’s on your “Top 10” list this year as part of your lifelong ham radio learning adventure?
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ
Top 10 lists are not new. I’m used to seeing other people’s Top 10 lists. They’re easy to read and even easier to disagree with. Making one for yourself, though, for what you want to do this year, is a little harder. Ever try and do this? I’ll challenge you with trying to make one based on this question :
What is on your personal top 10 list of things of things you would put on your own “check-off” list to do or learn about in ham radio for this year? Pause for a moment. Can you even come up with 5? It’s not that easy, is it?
What prompted this? Well, we just passed the 10th anniversary of the publication of Dan KB6NU’s e-book “21 Things to Do After You Get Your Amateur Radio License”, which came out around the time I joined our club. It has been a while since I first saw this list. I remember being overwhelmed, at first. It is a 21 item list, after all, not a top 10 one, and I had so much to learn (and still do)!
Anyway, seeing this list again got me to wondering, how would I score against this list today? And if I was making a “to do” list today, would I put any of these things on it? So I took a look. Surprisingly, at least for me, even though this list is 10 years old, it was very well written. It stands the test of time well, even today. Here’s the list. How would you score your own progress?
One thing became obvious to me while I was “scoring” myself against the list was just how much I owe to being part of GCARC for the learning and opportunities I’ve had on my continuing Ham Radio learning adventure. Sorry to get all nostalgic on you reading this, but 10 years can seem like a lot, until it has passed, and then it seems like just a blink of an eye. Quite amazing, actually. That list, which was so daunting and intimidating when I first saw it, now reads to me more like a “did” list than a “to do” list!
Which brings me back to the title of this article, the need to come up with an answer for what’s on my/your “top 10” check-off list for this year’s ham radio learning adventure. How about a list like this for this year? (in no particular order)
Any other suggestions, anyone? What would you put on your list for this year?
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ
Top 10 lists are not new. I’m used to seeing other people’s Top 10 lists. They’re easy to read and even easier to disagree with. Making one for yourself, though, for what you want to do this year, is a little harder. Ever try and do this? I’ll challenge you with trying to make one based on this question :
What is on your personal top 10 list of things of things you would put on your own “check-off” list to do or learn about in ham radio for this year? Pause for a moment. Can you even come up with 5? It’s not that easy, is it?
What prompted this? Well, we just passed the 10th anniversary of the publication of Dan KB6NU’s e-book “21 Things to Do After You Get Your Amateur Radio License”, which came out around the time I joined our club. It has been a while since I first saw this list. I remember being overwhelmed, at first. It is a 21 item list, after all, not a top 10 one, and I had so much to learn (and still do)!
Anyway, seeing this list again got me to wondering, how would I score against this list today? And if I was making a “to do” list today, would I put any of these things on it? So I took a look. Surprisingly, at least for me, even though this list is 10 years old, it was very well written. It stands the test of time well, even today. Here’s the list. How would you score your own progress?
- Join a club - did this, thank you GCARC!
- Join the ARRL - did this, left for a while, but am back now!
- Find an Elmer – did this, found not one, but many. Thank you GCARC!
- Buy a radio – did this, starting with an HT and then an old IC7000 for HF (still have it)
- Get on the air – did this, repeaters at first
- Set up a shack – did this. And still adding stuff (of course, right?)
- Buy some tools – did this. Still doing this
- Buy a digital multimeter (DMM) – I think I got mine for free from a Club member
- Build an antenna – did this. Started simple with a balun and some wires to make a dipole, but it counts!
- Build a kit – did this. Got a “tuna can” CW xmit kit after seeing one at a Club presentation on QRP
- Go to a hamfest – did this, thank you GCARC!
- Learn the lingo – still learning
- Subscribe to mailing lists, blogs, and podcasts – did this, still fun to find new ones
- Upgrade to General – did this, then Extra, thank you GCARC!
- Go to Field Day – did this, thank you GCARC!
- Learn Morse Code – still learning, with a re-sparked interest, thanks to (GCARC) Tony’s Morse Code class!
- Get to know your (ham) neighbors – IMHO best part of the hobby. Not just those with us today, but for those who are not who helped me so much along the way these past 10 years, including Doug Gehring WA2NPD, Jim Mollica K2OWE, Gene Wallace N2IMK, Charlie Sketchley K2PQD, Tom Cusack KC2THO, Joe Everhart N2CX, Ken Newman N2CQ, Ray Schnapp WB2NBJ, Urb LeJeune W1UL, Ray Martin W2RM, and others. RIP, my friends, so blessed to have been able to know you. You’ll never be forgotten.
- Buy QSL cards – did this. Still got a pile left. Want one?
- Join SkyWarn, ARES, or RACES – did this
- Participate in a contest – did this, still doing this (sometimes from the W2MMD Clubhouse)
- HAVE FUN! – still learning too!
One thing became obvious to me while I was “scoring” myself against the list was just how much I owe to being part of GCARC for the learning and opportunities I’ve had on my continuing Ham Radio learning adventure. Sorry to get all nostalgic on you reading this, but 10 years can seem like a lot, until it has passed, and then it seems like just a blink of an eye. Quite amazing, actually. That list, which was so daunting and intimidating when I first saw it, now reads to me more like a “did” list than a “to do” list!
Which brings me back to the title of this article, the need to come up with an answer for what’s on my/your “top 10” check-off list for this year’s ham radio learning adventure. How about a list like this for this year? (in no particular order)
- Giving back to hobby
- Help teach a license prep class
- Be a presenter for a program at a GCARC Club meeting
- Operate at least once as NCS on ARES/RACES net
- Participate as VE in grading tests at a license testing session
- Volunteer to a Club office or committee
- Help a fellow ham get on air with HF (e.g. at field day this year)
- Amateur Satellite – make at least one contact via repeater on an “FM bird”. Stretch goal : Hear self on sideband through an inverting bird
- Morse Code – make at least 3 on-air Morse code contacts. Stretch goal : Log at least one contact at the CW table at field day
- Fox hunt – participate in at least 2 Club fox hunts. Stretch goal : Get to be the “fox” who hides the transmitter for others to find
- DXCC – get at least 2 new countries added to my confirmed DXCC list at LoTW, any bands
Any other suggestions, anyone? What would you put on your list for this year?
The following article by Peter Doherty KC1HHO, posted to the Eastern Massachusetts Section ARRL website on December 22, 2022, has been adapted with permission.
Why Not Send a Radiogram Today?
By Dave Sheppard, W2PAX - Net Manager, Southwest Florida Traffic Net
Amateur Radio operators need not be involved with the National Traffic Service (NTS) to send or receive radiograms. Official Relay Stations (ORS), as well as stations in training, can “originate” your messages and get them into the traffic system. This can easily be done by finding out who a local ORS is and sending them your message via email, snail mail or even in person (think club meetings). This station will also communicate back to you any replies that your message generates. Best of all it’s all free of charge!!
So what kind of messages could be sent? Holiday greetings to family or friends, confirmations of QSO’s, notifications of awards or certifications from your club or special event, thank you messages. Any legal traffic, recommended to be 25 words or less (but not required). Some NTS messages can be incorporated into brevity codes that reduce the word count (think ‘ARL’ numbered messages). An ORS will be able to work with you to make it happen.
The ominous possibility of communication infrastructure being compromised is another reason to rely on the NTS to get your message through. The time is now to establish a trusting relationship with your local NTS stations and gain experience so that you’ll be better prepared for the future.
Incorporating radiograms into your personal or club radio activities will provide another facet to the hobby. Once you’ve experienced the effectiveness of sending radiograms you’ll be amazed. Thousands of Amateur Radio operators participate in this system and you can too.
To get started utilizing the NTS resources in your local area, contact your Section Traffic Manager.
(**NOTE: THE LAST PARAGRAPH ORIGINALLY READ “To get started utilizing the NTS resources in your local area, contact Dave Sheppard W2PAX at swftn@fmarc.net, and visit https://fmarc.net/swftn.” I am willing to help anyone that wants to get involved with traffic handling, and my contact information can certainly be provided. However, since I am in Florida, I may not be the best source of help for those in South Jersey.)
Steven Bromhead, KB2RTZ, is the ARRL SNJ Section Traffic Manager.
Editor’s Note : Dave Sheppard, W2PAX, is a new member of our Club and the “unofficial” Florida correspondent for CrossTalk Magazine.
Why Not Send a Radiogram Today?
By Dave Sheppard, W2PAX - Net Manager, Southwest Florida Traffic Net
Amateur Radio operators need not be involved with the National Traffic Service (NTS) to send or receive radiograms. Official Relay Stations (ORS), as well as stations in training, can “originate” your messages and get them into the traffic system. This can easily be done by finding out who a local ORS is and sending them your message via email, snail mail or even in person (think club meetings). This station will also communicate back to you any replies that your message generates. Best of all it’s all free of charge!!
So what kind of messages could be sent? Holiday greetings to family or friends, confirmations of QSO’s, notifications of awards or certifications from your club or special event, thank you messages. Any legal traffic, recommended to be 25 words or less (but not required). Some NTS messages can be incorporated into brevity codes that reduce the word count (think ‘ARL’ numbered messages). An ORS will be able to work with you to make it happen.
The ominous possibility of communication infrastructure being compromised is another reason to rely on the NTS to get your message through. The time is now to establish a trusting relationship with your local NTS stations and gain experience so that you’ll be better prepared for the future.
Incorporating radiograms into your personal or club radio activities will provide another facet to the hobby. Once you’ve experienced the effectiveness of sending radiograms you’ll be amazed. Thousands of Amateur Radio operators participate in this system and you can too.
To get started utilizing the NTS resources in your local area, contact your Section Traffic Manager.
(**NOTE: THE LAST PARAGRAPH ORIGINALLY READ “To get started utilizing the NTS resources in your local area, contact Dave Sheppard W2PAX at swftn@fmarc.net, and visit https://fmarc.net/swftn.” I am willing to help anyone that wants to get involved with traffic handling, and my contact information can certainly be provided. However, since I am in Florida, I may not be the best source of help for those in South Jersey.)
Steven Bromhead, KB2RTZ, is the ARRL SNJ Section Traffic Manager.
Editor’s Note : Dave Sheppard, W2PAX, is a new member of our Club and the “unofficial” Florida correspondent for CrossTalk Magazine.
ARRL Membership Commission Program
By Chris Prioli, AD2CS
As some of you may already know, the ARRL has upped the ante on one of their long-standing programs, the Affiliated Club Membership Commission program. What this means to us is that we as an Affiliated Club have access to an improved revenue stream that costs us nothing but a little bit of paperwork and cooperation. The Membership Committee will handle the paperwork, but we do need the cooperation of all Club members to make this a reality.
Here is how it works. The ARRL will pay a commission to the GCARC for every new ARRL membership and for every ARRL membership renewal that is processed through the Membership Commission program. The payments are at a rate of five dollars for each renewal and fifteen dollars for each new membership application submitted. This could equate to a sizable income for our Club if everyone cooperates.
All that you have to, as an existing ARRL member, is to renew your League membership via a renewal form that the GCARC Membership Committee will provide to you, completing the form and returning the form with the renewal payment to our Membership Committee. We will then bundle all of the applications received in a given month and submit them to the ARRL together with a special cover form competed by the Membership Committee. The ARRL will then send a check for the agreed commission amount to our Club. Renewals can be submitted as much as sixty days before expiration. If you are unsure of your expiration date, drop me an email and I can tell you when your ARRL membership expires.
As a tentative new member… and 36% of our membership does not currently belong to the ARRL… the process is similar. Our Membership Committee will provide you with a League membership application, which you will then complete and return to us together with your payment. We will then submit those applications together with the required cover form to the ARRL, who will again send a check for the commission to our Club.
If you are not currently an ARRL member, I strongly recommend that you join the League. The ARRL is our - Amateur Radio’s - ONLY voice in Washington when it comes to lobbying for the hobby and protection of Amateur Radio against encroachment by other interests. We NEED to support the ARRL in order to protect our chosen hobby, and they are quite effective and successful in their efforts to protect and promote Amateur Radio.
Many of you will be renewing your ARRL memberships anyway, so why not do it through this program and let GCARC benefit a little bit from your renewal?
By Chris Prioli, AD2CS
As some of you may already know, the ARRL has upped the ante on one of their long-standing programs, the Affiliated Club Membership Commission program. What this means to us is that we as an Affiliated Club have access to an improved revenue stream that costs us nothing but a little bit of paperwork and cooperation. The Membership Committee will handle the paperwork, but we do need the cooperation of all Club members to make this a reality.
Here is how it works. The ARRL will pay a commission to the GCARC for every new ARRL membership and for every ARRL membership renewal that is processed through the Membership Commission program. The payments are at a rate of five dollars for each renewal and fifteen dollars for each new membership application submitted. This could equate to a sizable income for our Club if everyone cooperates.
All that you have to, as an existing ARRL member, is to renew your League membership via a renewal form that the GCARC Membership Committee will provide to you, completing the form and returning the form with the renewal payment to our Membership Committee. We will then bundle all of the applications received in a given month and submit them to the ARRL together with a special cover form competed by the Membership Committee. The ARRL will then send a check for the agreed commission amount to our Club. Renewals can be submitted as much as sixty days before expiration. If you are unsure of your expiration date, drop me an email and I can tell you when your ARRL membership expires.
As a tentative new member… and 36% of our membership does not currently belong to the ARRL… the process is similar. Our Membership Committee will provide you with a League membership application, which you will then complete and return to us together with your payment. We will then submit those applications together with the required cover form to the ARRL, who will again send a check for the commission to our Club.
If you are not currently an ARRL member, I strongly recommend that you join the League. The ARRL is our - Amateur Radio’s - ONLY voice in Washington when it comes to lobbying for the hobby and protection of Amateur Radio against encroachment by other interests. We NEED to support the ARRL in order to protect our chosen hobby, and they are quite effective and successful in their efforts to protect and promote Amateur Radio.
Many of you will be renewing your ARRL memberships anyway, so why not do it through this program and let GCARC benefit a little bit from your renewal?
What A Ham Detected On VLF With Earth Probe Antenna!
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ
Every once and a while, something comes along in this hobby that just makes you stop for a moment and say what, you can do that? How about using ground spikes or underground antennas for LF and VLF reception. How’s that?
I had no idea this was a thing, and that there are Facebook groups with over 1000 members (enthusiasts even) experimenting with such weird antennas. But there are! There are people out there chasing DX on low frequencies using the Earth’s crust as part of a waveguide to detect distant transmitters. Check out https://www.facebook.com/groups/earthprobes and https://www.facebook.com/groups/VLF.ULF.ELF.
As quoted in an article posted at https://www.rtl-sdr.com/building-an-underground-earth-probe-antenna-for-0-14-mhz-tx-rx. “At first everyone made fun of me, the professionals called me crazy and today with more than seven hundred members, we installed underground antenna systems and the results are there”
What kind of results? Apparently, these ground spike and underground antenna designs have been around and have been studied for some time. And on October 9, 2022, a ham used receptions from his Earth probe antenna to confirm a gamma ray burst from outer space. How’s that? https://spaceweatherarchive.com/2022/10/17/powerful-gamma-ray-burst-made-currents-flow-in-the-earth.
Question for readers of Crosstalk - have any of you experimented with Earth probe antennas, or done any DX yet on either of the far-below-HF 135kHz or 472kHz ham bands? I’d be interested in hearing about your experiences.
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ
Every once and a while, something comes along in this hobby that just makes you stop for a moment and say what, you can do that? How about using ground spikes or underground antennas for LF and VLF reception. How’s that?
I had no idea this was a thing, and that there are Facebook groups with over 1000 members (enthusiasts even) experimenting with such weird antennas. But there are! There are people out there chasing DX on low frequencies using the Earth’s crust as part of a waveguide to detect distant transmitters. Check out https://www.facebook.com/groups/earthprobes and https://www.facebook.com/groups/VLF.ULF.ELF.
As quoted in an article posted at https://www.rtl-sdr.com/building-an-underground-earth-probe-antenna-for-0-14-mhz-tx-rx. “At first everyone made fun of me, the professionals called me crazy and today with more than seven hundred members, we installed underground antenna systems and the results are there”
What kind of results? Apparently, these ground spike and underground antenna designs have been around and have been studied for some time. And on October 9, 2022, a ham used receptions from his Earth probe antenna to confirm a gamma ray burst from outer space. How’s that? https://spaceweatherarchive.com/2022/10/17/powerful-gamma-ray-burst-made-currents-flow-in-the-earth.
Question for readers of Crosstalk - have any of you experimented with Earth probe antennas, or done any DX yet on either of the far-below-HF 135kHz or 472kHz ham bands? I’d be interested in hearing about your experiences.
Not So Fast!
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ
You’ve seen charts like this one, from N0NBH.com, showing current solar conditions along with a prediction of HF Conditions. But not so fast! Compare here the listed HF condition of “poor” for 40 meters, vs what I was actually seeing on FT8 on 40 meters. Poor? Maybe not! Just goes to show, there’s no substitute for turning on the radio and seeing for yourself!
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ
You’ve seen charts like this one, from N0NBH.com, showing current solar conditions along with a prediction of HF Conditions. But not so fast! Compare here the listed HF condition of “poor” for 40 meters, vs what I was actually seeing on FT8 on 40 meters. Poor? Maybe not! Just goes to show, there’s no substitute for turning on the radio and seeing for yourself!
October 15, 2022 N0NBH Chart
Actual conditions seen same time on 40
Historical Lunar RCA TV Camera
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ
As a former employee of RCA Camden, it was fun to discover this historical lunar mission RCA TV camera during a recent trip to visit the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy National Air and Space Museum out by Dulles airport. Looking forward to our upcoming club trip to visit the RCA museum at Rowan!
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ
As a former employee of RCA Camden, it was fun to discover this historical lunar mission RCA TV camera during a recent trip to visit the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy National Air and Space Museum out by Dulles airport. Looking forward to our upcoming club trip to visit the RCA museum at Rowan!
Post Cards From Space - ISS Pictures - December 30, 2021
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ
Manually, I have to tune the dial to compensate for the doppler shift. Starting at 145.803 and then ending at 145.797. Being there at right time is part of the fun! I was a little late on the manual frequency change for the Doppler shift, so got a static bar, but otherwise, this one received pretty good. I bet the RX at the Clubhouse has an impressive collection by now. Can't wait to see them to compare. Pictures from space - kind of fun! Wish this earlier one had come out better, I like the rover picture!
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ
Manually, I have to tune the dial to compensate for the doppler shift. Starting at 145.803 and then ending at 145.797. Being there at right time is part of the fun! I was a little late on the manual frequency change for the Doppler shift, so got a static bar, but otherwise, this one received pretty good. I bet the RX at the Clubhouse has an impressive collection by now. Can't wait to see them to compare. Pictures from space - kind of fun! Wish this earlier one had come out better, I like the rover picture!
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QSL Card with International Space Station and Award
By Doug Dersch, KD2VQA
I received a QSL card from communicating with the International Space Station and an e-mail with the text and images below.
Hello KD2VQA
This ARISS SSTV event is dedicated to "Present ISS Space Agency Contributions to Lunar Exploration, Past, Present and Future.” The SSTV slides provide some historical context to several missions, some not well known, that significantly contributed to Lunar Exploration either from a technology or scientific perspective. General intention of the ARISS SSTV slides is to provide aspects to the observers that may not be known before and could offer a base for own investigations on space history.
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics. ARISS does this by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities take part in hands-on learning activities tied to space, space technologies, and amateur radio.
Greetings - Slawek SQ3OOK,
ARISS SSTV Award Manager
By Doug Dersch, KD2VQA
I received a QSL card from communicating with the International Space Station and an e-mail with the text and images below.
Hello KD2VQA
This ARISS SSTV event is dedicated to "Present ISS Space Agency Contributions to Lunar Exploration, Past, Present and Future.” The SSTV slides provide some historical context to several missions, some not well known, that significantly contributed to Lunar Exploration either from a technology or scientific perspective. General intention of the ARISS SSTV slides is to provide aspects to the observers that may not be known before and could offer a base for own investigations on space history.
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics. ARISS does this by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities take part in hands-on learning activities tied to space, space technologies, and amateur radio.
Greetings - Slawek SQ3OOK,
ARISS SSTV Award Manager
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Small Station VHF Contesting :
Since the Clubhouse is currently without VHF antennas, several members operated the January VHF contest from their own QTH in order to submit for a club aggregate score. John K2QA, Mike K2MRP, and Frank N3PUU teamed up and ran a cobbled together limited multi-operator station from N3PUU's workshop. Needing a second antenna for the second operating position, N3PUU assembled a quick and dirty 6 meter Moxon which netted the team a total of 97 QSOs on 6 meters. The team also completed an additional 110 contacts on a combination of 2 meters and 70 cm. While this was far from a big gun station, it was a great example of what is possible on VHF with a very modest setup. Fun was had by all!
Since the Clubhouse is currently without VHF antennas, several members operated the January VHF contest from their own QTH in order to submit for a club aggregate score. John K2QA, Mike K2MRP, and Frank N3PUU teamed up and ran a cobbled together limited multi-operator station from N3PUU's workshop. Needing a second antenna for the second operating position, N3PUU assembled a quick and dirty 6 meter Moxon which netted the team a total of 97 QSOs on 6 meters. The team also completed an additional 110 contacts on a combination of 2 meters and 70 cm. While this was far from a big gun station, it was a great example of what is possible on VHF with a very modest setup. Fun was had by all!
Special Projects and the GCARC Budget
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ
Each January, the Club establishes a budget for the Club, to balance planned expenses against planned income for the upcoming year. Once this budget is approved at the February General Membership Meeting, the Club then controls expenditures within the approved budget.
The question often comes up, is there is a way to approve items during the year that were not recurring or normal items included in the budget at the start of the year? The answer is yes. As stated in Article V, Section 2 of the Club’s Constitution,
“no expenditure shall be incurred by the Board of Directors greater than the individual line items in the annual budget, nor shall the total amount of the annual budget be exceeded except by the express consent of a majority vote of the general membership.”
It is that last except clause that provides the answer as to how. Basically, if you want to spend for something above what is already in the annual approved budget, you have to get a vote on it at a general membership meeting.
There are examples of such approvals having been voted on and approved in recent history. Examples that come to mind include funding and approvals for :
Those were examples all involving unbudgeted improvements at the Clubhouse. But not all special projects have to involve the Clubhouse. Do you have a special project or activity idea that you would champion for the Club? If you do, please share it with us. Others might find it to be a great idea also, and with enough grass roots support, might be willing to work with you to get it funded and worked on. You’ll never know unless you ask.
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ
Each January, the Club establishes a budget for the Club, to balance planned expenses against planned income for the upcoming year. Once this budget is approved at the February General Membership Meeting, the Club then controls expenditures within the approved budget.
The question often comes up, is there is a way to approve items during the year that were not recurring or normal items included in the budget at the start of the year? The answer is yes. As stated in Article V, Section 2 of the Club’s Constitution,
“no expenditure shall be incurred by the Board of Directors greater than the individual line items in the annual budget, nor shall the total amount of the annual budget be exceeded except by the express consent of a majority vote of the general membership.”
It is that last except clause that provides the answer as to how. Basically, if you want to spend for something above what is already in the annual approved budget, you have to get a vote on it at a general membership meeting.
There are examples of such approvals having been voted on and approved in recent history. Examples that come to mind include funding and approvals for :
- Project : New Toilet
- Project : New Air Conditioner
- Project : Generator Refurbishment
- Project : Clubhouse Lightning Protection
Those were examples all involving unbudgeted improvements at the Clubhouse. But not all special projects have to involve the Clubhouse. Do you have a special project or activity idea that you would champion for the Club? If you do, please share it with us. Others might find it to be a great idea also, and with enough grass roots support, might be willing to work with you to get it funded and worked on. You’ll never know unless you ask.
August QSO Today Virtual Hamfest
By Mary Delemarre, W2TDS
For $10 I attended the virtual QSO Today Hamfest at https://qsotoday.vfairs.com on August 14 & 15, 2021. It was money well spent. Plus, for the next month I have access to all of the session recordings. I am a new ham so what interested me will not interest a seasoned veteran of 30 + years. I have my Technicians license, and I have started studying to get my General. I have a Yaesu 857D radio that I use occasionally on 2M. My radio is capable of far more, but I need other antennas for that. Sadly, my elmer has passed away, so I am figuring things out by research and asking the occasional question on the 2M Rag Chew Nets. So when I saw for $10 I could learn about antennas and what to do with my Technician license other than listen to repeaters, I was all in.
I was curious about contesting so I attended Contesting, The Second Step, by Gary Sutcliffe W9XT. Two things I learned was to get a very comfortable chair and to have good logging software that you are familiar with. It is not recommended to use your logging software for the first time during a contest. He recommended the chairs gamers use since they are designed to be comfortable for gamers to sit in for many hours. I currently use a paper log, but want to switch to an electronic log. So next up was listening to a session on Amateur Radio Logging Software by Anthony Luscre K8ZT. He also has a website that is packed full of information at http://www.k8zt.com. He recommended listening/reading reviews of various logging programs on YouTube and at http://www.eham.net. Most of the logging programs are windows based, but one or two run on a Mac. My old MacAir now can run Windows 10 so I can experiment with digital modes. When I get some free time I plan on trying out a few of the logging programs. I first need to do some research to down-select from the dozen or so I learned about.
My favorite session was Technician Licensees, Life Beyond Local Repeaters by Anthony Luscre K8ZT. It talked about a bunch of topics that were interesting to a newbie like me - try something besides repeaters. Try simplex, contesting, fox hunting, satellites, digital mode, and EchoLink. Well I have tried EchoLink?? Try different bands such as 6M, where technicians have full privileges (all modes and frequencies) for the entire band. He also discussed antennas. I will need to read up a lot more on antennas. I have a lot to learn. The full presentation materials are at http://tiny.cc/qte-bt.
The last presentation I watched was the Youth In Ham Radio by Carole Perry WB2MGP. The kids selected were amazing. They have passed their General and Amateur Extra licenses and they weren't even in High School yet! They participate in field day, do morse code, etc. usually as part of a school club.
I highly recommend attending the virtual hamfest - for $10 - it is a bargain. I love to learn new things and I learned a lot and have notes and links that will keep me busy learning for the foreseeable future.
By Mary Delemarre, W2TDS
For $10 I attended the virtual QSO Today Hamfest at https://qsotoday.vfairs.com on August 14 & 15, 2021. It was money well spent. Plus, for the next month I have access to all of the session recordings. I am a new ham so what interested me will not interest a seasoned veteran of 30 + years. I have my Technicians license, and I have started studying to get my General. I have a Yaesu 857D radio that I use occasionally on 2M. My radio is capable of far more, but I need other antennas for that. Sadly, my elmer has passed away, so I am figuring things out by research and asking the occasional question on the 2M Rag Chew Nets. So when I saw for $10 I could learn about antennas and what to do with my Technician license other than listen to repeaters, I was all in.
I was curious about contesting so I attended Contesting, The Second Step, by Gary Sutcliffe W9XT. Two things I learned was to get a very comfortable chair and to have good logging software that you are familiar with. It is not recommended to use your logging software for the first time during a contest. He recommended the chairs gamers use since they are designed to be comfortable for gamers to sit in for many hours. I currently use a paper log, but want to switch to an electronic log. So next up was listening to a session on Amateur Radio Logging Software by Anthony Luscre K8ZT. He also has a website that is packed full of information at http://www.k8zt.com. He recommended listening/reading reviews of various logging programs on YouTube and at http://www.eham.net. Most of the logging programs are windows based, but one or two run on a Mac. My old MacAir now can run Windows 10 so I can experiment with digital modes. When I get some free time I plan on trying out a few of the logging programs. I first need to do some research to down-select from the dozen or so I learned about.
My favorite session was Technician Licensees, Life Beyond Local Repeaters by Anthony Luscre K8ZT. It talked about a bunch of topics that were interesting to a newbie like me - try something besides repeaters. Try simplex, contesting, fox hunting, satellites, digital mode, and EchoLink. Well I have tried EchoLink?? Try different bands such as 6M, where technicians have full privileges (all modes and frequencies) for the entire band. He also discussed antennas. I will need to read up a lot more on antennas. I have a lot to learn. The full presentation materials are at http://tiny.cc/qte-bt.
The last presentation I watched was the Youth In Ham Radio by Carole Perry WB2MGP. The kids selected were amazing. They have passed their General and Amateur Extra licenses and they weren't even in High School yet! They participate in field day, do morse code, etc. usually as part of a school club.
I highly recommend attending the virtual hamfest - for $10 - it is a bargain. I love to learn new things and I learned a lot and have notes and links that will keep me busy learning for the foreseeable future.
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It Couldn’t Happen Again, Could It?
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ 100 years ago, the entire signal and switching system of the New York Central Railroad below 125th Street was put out of operation, followed by a fire in the control tower at Fifty-Seventh Street and Park Avenue. What was to blame for this? A New York Times article from the time blamed a sunspot for this mischief. For sure, the sun must have uncorked a good one, and the Earth was in its path. Theater goers exiting their shows that evening were surprised to be treated to an overhead light show as the Northern Lights, the Aurora Borealis, danced overhead, brighter than the lights of New York City. |
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You can read all about it in old newspaper reports from the period, an example being :
http://www.solarstorms.org/NewsPapers/d1921a.pdf
Could what happened those 3 days back in 1921 happen again? And what if it did?
Some say we’ve been lucky. Our modern technology today might not take too well to a large Earth directed solar coronal mass ejection (CME). There has been speculation over the years as to what might happen, if a big Earth-facing CME were to happen again, and example being :
https://spaceweatherarchive.com/2020/05/12/the-great-geomagnetic-storm-of-may-1921
A most disturbing potential consequence of such an event in 2021 could be the loss of GPS satellites. What I did not realize is, that despite its name that includes the word “position” in it, today’s reliance on GPS that would be most disrupted would not be related to location. It would be related to time.
This critical time is used for precise synchronization of communication systems, including wireless telephone and data networks, by financial networks (including those used by your favorite ATM machine), credit card transactions, and other critical infrastructure. You can read more about this at
https://www.gps.gov/applications/timing
The point being that even a “minor” short term disruption to the GPS satellite system from an Earth-directed CME could have a wide reaching and lingering effect on our commerce and our lives. The potential impact is not a hypothetical exercise.
Dan Glass from The Atlantic magazine described in 2016 some of the problems that have already been seen with GPS time errors, from accidental events (human error), to deliberately introduced errors (jamming, and spoofing). You can read about this at :
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/06/what-happens-if-gps-fails/486824
Included in the article is a mention of a large CME that exploded from the sun in July 2012, estimated to be as strong as the CME that is suspected as causing the 1859 Carrington Event. Why did we not hear of it? It was not Earth-directed. It blew off in a different direction, and thus missed Earth.
Could it happen again? Sure. But there’s not that much we can do about it. When it comes to large Earth-directed CME, fingers crossed for continued good luck!
GCARC In Club Competition
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ
On the weekend of January 16-18, 2021, GCARC participated in the ARRL's January VHF/UHF contest as a team as part of the affiliated club competition. Some Club members operated from the Clubhouse under the W2MMD callsign. Others operated from their home stations under their own callsigns for a combined Gloucester Co ARC club score.
Al KB2AYU writes "Great job on the contest (at the Clubhouse) from Frank N3PUU, John K2QA, Mike K2MRP. It was another last minute rush to get everything set up. I certainly wasn't expecting to beat last year's score, which we did by over 10,000 points. Some of those points were from having a new band (1296MHZ) ". Home station contributors included Chris KC2IEB, Sheldon K2MEN, Mark KK2L, Bruce KB2LBU, and Jim N2GXJ.
As was the case last year, we'll have to wait until later this year when the ARRL publishes results to see how well we did. Indications so far is that we might have done quite well!
Way to go GCARC!
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ
On the weekend of January 16-18, 2021, GCARC participated in the ARRL's January VHF/UHF contest as a team as part of the affiliated club competition. Some Club members operated from the Clubhouse under the W2MMD callsign. Others operated from their home stations under their own callsigns for a combined Gloucester Co ARC club score.
Al KB2AYU writes "Great job on the contest (at the Clubhouse) from Frank N3PUU, John K2QA, Mike K2MRP. It was another last minute rush to get everything set up. I certainly wasn't expecting to beat last year's score, which we did by over 10,000 points. Some of those points were from having a new band (1296MHZ) ". Home station contributors included Chris KC2IEB, Sheldon K2MEN, Mark KK2L, Bruce KB2LBU, and Jim N2GXJ.
As was the case last year, we'll have to wait until later this year when the ARRL publishes results to see how well we did. Indications so far is that we might have done quite well!
Way to go GCARC!
Attention Club Members - Morning 2M Rag Chew Net
By Steve Farney, WB2VFJ
Starting on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 @ 1100 Hours, I will be conducting a weekly Morning 2 Meter Rag Chew Net on 147.180 MHz and Echo Link : W2MMD-R.
This will be a trial net for the entire month of January. If there is about the same participation as the Thursday Night 2 Meter Rag Chew Net, we will continue into the next month.
The reason for this experiment is that the repeater is very lightly used during weekdays. I rarely hear anyone on the repeater during the week during daylight. When I first earned my ticket in late 1978, morning and evening rush hours and lunch time was packed on the repeater. There was anywhere up to 20 members on air at any given time. That was back in the days of “phone patches” and before cell phones (boo to cell phone’s impact on our hobby). Our Club pays for the electric to keep the repeater operational so I would like to try to utilize that Club benefit more efficiently.
I would welcome help from any Club members in accomplishing this project. Just let me know if you would like to help (e-mail address below).
Thanks in advance for your assistance.
73
Steve
WB2VFJ
sef001 <at> comcast <dot> net
By Steve Farney, WB2VFJ
Starting on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 @ 1100 Hours, I will be conducting a weekly Morning 2 Meter Rag Chew Net on 147.180 MHz and Echo Link : W2MMD-R.
This will be a trial net for the entire month of January. If there is about the same participation as the Thursday Night 2 Meter Rag Chew Net, we will continue into the next month.
The reason for this experiment is that the repeater is very lightly used during weekdays. I rarely hear anyone on the repeater during the week during daylight. When I first earned my ticket in late 1978, morning and evening rush hours and lunch time was packed on the repeater. There was anywhere up to 20 members on air at any given time. That was back in the days of “phone patches” and before cell phones (boo to cell phone’s impact on our hobby). Our Club pays for the electric to keep the repeater operational so I would like to try to utilize that Club benefit more efficiently.
I would welcome help from any Club members in accomplishing this project. Just let me know if you would like to help (e-mail address below).
Thanks in advance for your assistance.
73
Steve
WB2VFJ
sef001 <at> comcast <dot> net
My First Virtual Hamfest
By Mary Delemarre, KD2PLH
I attended QSO Today’s virtual hamfest on August 8 & 9. It was fantastic and it was free. The organizers used a platform to make the experience unique and informative.
Not to worry if you missed it, you can still sign up to experience the virtual platform and view the more than 60 recorded presentations and the vendor booths. The virtual hamfest platform will be open until September 9th.
By Mary Delemarre, KD2PLH
I attended QSO Today’s virtual hamfest on August 8 & 9. It was fantastic and it was free. The organizers used a platform to make the experience unique and informative.
Not to worry if you missed it, you can still sign up to experience the virtual platform and view the more than 60 recorded presentations and the vendor booths. The virtual hamfest platform will be open until September 9th.
You can see the schedule/agenda here to see if any of the topics are of interest to you :
https://bit.ly/2EthbrE
To login go to https://qsotoday.vfairs.com. It should look like Figure 1. Login using the same email that you used to register. No password is needed. That is also where you register.
After you login you will see something like the image in Figure 2. Using your mouse, click on the building with the ICOM flag to go inside for the hamfest. It is using some virtual reality effects so you feel as if you are flying inside the building.
Once inside a popup window appears and Eric Guth 4Z1UG gives an overview of the Hamfest. It is less than 7 minutes long and gives a very good overview of what there is to see & do. I recommend it even if you are looking at the hamfest for the first time after August 9th.
Figure 3 is the Lobby. Using your mouse click on the Exhibits Hall area to see vendors and Auditorium to see the presentations.
After clicking on Auditorium, click on the Presentations in the center of the screen (see Figure 4). It takes you to the 4 tracks of presentations. Click on the agenda to see all the different topics : https://bit.ly/3l8d7ho. It opened in a separate tab on my computer.
What I enjoyed :
1. Keynote Address : COVID-19 : Amateur Radio’s Impact On Problem Solving To Create A Global Response To The Pandemic - Dr. Scott Wright, K0MD
Summary : The presentation was about COVID-19 and how some hams were involved with making convalescent plasma available. It was nice to get the facts about COVID-19 from a doctor. It was well presented and eye opening. It is the first item in track 1.
I discovered that the presentations are shared on Youtube. The link for the keynote is : https://youtu.be/QcsMpduoqpA, if you would like to check it out. I hope it starts at the beginning. I was experimenting with the link and seems to pick up where I left off.
2. Youth in Ham radio presentation : https://youtu.be/AQcM59B0ga0
Summary : It is the first item on day 2 (August 9) in track 3. I did not hear Carole speak, when I joined the kids were talking. They were very extremely impressive and gave their take on how to interest youth in ham radio - new technologies like Satellites. The items below are from their summary.
· Carole Perry, WB2MGP, travels the USA supporting the activities of youth in amateur radio through the support of the Radio Club of America.
· Highly Flying Kids With High Altitude Balloons (HAB) - Jack McElroy, KM4ZIA
· Citizen Science : HamSCI And The Personal Space Weather Station Project - Frances Bonte, KE8HPA
· 5 Fun Things for Youth to Do With Ham Radio - Ben Wagner, AD8FQ; Bernadette Wagner, KE8LWO; and Agnes Wagner, KE8LWP
· Getting Girls Involved In STEM, Specifically Amateur Radio! - Audrey McElroy, KM4BUN
· How To Be A Great Contester - Connor Black, W4IPC
To see the Vendors, click on Exhibit Hall from the Main Lobby.
The information for the Exhibit Hall (see Figure 5) said there were 45 booths, but I was only able to view the booths of the top sponsors : ICOM, Elecraft, GigaParts, RT Systems, FlexRadio, RFinder, DX Engineering, RigExpert, and NCG Company. While writing this article, I was able to figure out how to see the rest of the booths. Below the main exhibitors on the right hand side is the Exhibitors Index. I am not sure the total is still 45 booths after the event, 25 seems to be what is still there.
https://bit.ly/2EthbrE
To login go to https://qsotoday.vfairs.com. It should look like Figure 1. Login using the same email that you used to register. No password is needed. That is also where you register.
After you login you will see something like the image in Figure 2. Using your mouse, click on the building with the ICOM flag to go inside for the hamfest. It is using some virtual reality effects so you feel as if you are flying inside the building.
Once inside a popup window appears and Eric Guth 4Z1UG gives an overview of the Hamfest. It is less than 7 minutes long and gives a very good overview of what there is to see & do. I recommend it even if you are looking at the hamfest for the first time after August 9th.
Figure 3 is the Lobby. Using your mouse click on the Exhibits Hall area to see vendors and Auditorium to see the presentations.
After clicking on Auditorium, click on the Presentations in the center of the screen (see Figure 4). It takes you to the 4 tracks of presentations. Click on the agenda to see all the different topics : https://bit.ly/3l8d7ho. It opened in a separate tab on my computer.
What I enjoyed :
1. Keynote Address : COVID-19 : Amateur Radio’s Impact On Problem Solving To Create A Global Response To The Pandemic - Dr. Scott Wright, K0MD
Summary : The presentation was about COVID-19 and how some hams were involved with making convalescent plasma available. It was nice to get the facts about COVID-19 from a doctor. It was well presented and eye opening. It is the first item in track 1.
I discovered that the presentations are shared on Youtube. The link for the keynote is : https://youtu.be/QcsMpduoqpA, if you would like to check it out. I hope it starts at the beginning. I was experimenting with the link and seems to pick up where I left off.
2. Youth in Ham radio presentation : https://youtu.be/AQcM59B0ga0
Summary : It is the first item on day 2 (August 9) in track 3. I did not hear Carole speak, when I joined the kids were talking. They were very extremely impressive and gave their take on how to interest youth in ham radio - new technologies like Satellites. The items below are from their summary.
· Carole Perry, WB2MGP, travels the USA supporting the activities of youth in amateur radio through the support of the Radio Club of America.
· Highly Flying Kids With High Altitude Balloons (HAB) - Jack McElroy, KM4ZIA
· Citizen Science : HamSCI And The Personal Space Weather Station Project - Frances Bonte, KE8HPA
· 5 Fun Things for Youth to Do With Ham Radio - Ben Wagner, AD8FQ; Bernadette Wagner, KE8LWO; and Agnes Wagner, KE8LWP
· Getting Girls Involved In STEM, Specifically Amateur Radio! - Audrey McElroy, KM4BUN
· How To Be A Great Contester - Connor Black, W4IPC
To see the Vendors, click on Exhibit Hall from the Main Lobby.
The information for the Exhibit Hall (see Figure 5) said there were 45 booths, but I was only able to view the booths of the top sponsors : ICOM, Elecraft, GigaParts, RT Systems, FlexRadio, RFinder, DX Engineering, RigExpert, and NCG Company. While writing this article, I was able to figure out how to see the rest of the booths. Below the main exhibitors on the right hand side is the Exhibitors Index. I am not sure the total is still 45 booths after the event, 25 seems to be what is still there.
KPW
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ
Do you like to operate your radio outdoors, but on contest days, well, the super stations always seem to win? Wouldn’t it be nice if someone would take a bulldozer and level the playing field between the big guns and smaller stations, to give everyone a fair chance at winning in a big global contest? Impossible you say?
Well here’s the deal, the social science of amateur radio, Fox Mike Hotel, has come up with what might be a new concept in radio sport designed to do just that. It is designed to level the competitive playing field between the “Big Guns” and the “Little Pistols”. It’s an intriguing concept, making this more about radio sport than radio gear. And as this is the inaugural launch of this new contest, you have the chance to be part of it, with a chance to make history. Do you dare to give it a try?
So, what’s KPW? KPW stands for Kilometers Per Watt, which will be the base scoring metric for each contact. As described by the contest organizers, using KPW as a base scoring metric, along with multipliers that favor lower power, more difficult modes, and operating portable, it’s like a golf handicap index, used to equalize the opportunity for all players to win when they have unequal ability to play on courses with varying levels of difficulty. With KPW, the further the contact (measured by maidenhead grid square differences in the exchange), and the less power you used to make the contact (used to divide the distance), the higher the base score is for that contact.
Let’s try an example. If you made a contact with KC9ZO in EN51, which is 737 Miles (1186 KM) away from us here in Southern New Jersey (FM29), and you did it with a Kilowatt (1000 Watts), your score for that contact would be 1186/1000 = 1.18 points. However, if you made that same contact using 100 watts, your score for that contact would be 1186/100 = 11.8 points, ten times more. Taking it a step further, if you made that same contact using just 5 watts, you score for that contact would be 1185/5 = 237 points, quite a bit more!
Then comes the multipliers. Those using a more difficult transmission mode, like phone, receive a higher multiplier than those using CW and digital. There are additional multipliers for you operating a portable station, and even more if the contact you just made was with another portable station. Crazy! This does really change the playing field for this contest!
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ
Do you like to operate your radio outdoors, but on contest days, well, the super stations always seem to win? Wouldn’t it be nice if someone would take a bulldozer and level the playing field between the big guns and smaller stations, to give everyone a fair chance at winning in a big global contest? Impossible you say?
Well here’s the deal, the social science of amateur radio, Fox Mike Hotel, has come up with what might be a new concept in radio sport designed to do just that. It is designed to level the competitive playing field between the “Big Guns” and the “Little Pistols”. It’s an intriguing concept, making this more about radio sport than radio gear. And as this is the inaugural launch of this new contest, you have the chance to be part of it, with a chance to make history. Do you dare to give it a try?
So, what’s KPW? KPW stands for Kilometers Per Watt, which will be the base scoring metric for each contact. As described by the contest organizers, using KPW as a base scoring metric, along with multipliers that favor lower power, more difficult modes, and operating portable, it’s like a golf handicap index, used to equalize the opportunity for all players to win when they have unequal ability to play on courses with varying levels of difficulty. With KPW, the further the contact (measured by maidenhead grid square differences in the exchange), and the less power you used to make the contact (used to divide the distance), the higher the base score is for that contact.
Let’s try an example. If you made a contact with KC9ZO in EN51, which is 737 Miles (1186 KM) away from us here in Southern New Jersey (FM29), and you did it with a Kilowatt (1000 Watts), your score for that contact would be 1186/1000 = 1.18 points. However, if you made that same contact using 100 watts, your score for that contact would be 1186/100 = 11.8 points, ten times more. Taking it a step further, if you made that same contact using just 5 watts, you score for that contact would be 1185/5 = 237 points, quite a bit more!
Then comes the multipliers. Those using a more difficult transmission mode, like phone, receive a higher multiplier than those using CW and digital. There are additional multipliers for you operating a portable station, and even more if the contact you just made was with another portable station. Crazy! This does really change the playing field for this contest!
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There are some big backers behind this portable operations challenge too.
See https://foxmikehotel.com/challenge/ for more details. This is the real deal. Seriously, being a first ever for this contest, nobody really knows what will happen. Keep the weekend of October 3 and 4 open. You’ve got a month to plan for this. You get to pick which 8 hours contiguous window within the 48 hours you choose to operate - also part of the challenge! We don’t get chances to be in on the inaugural run of a contest like this very often. You’ve got a chance to make history here! Do you dare to give it a try? |
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When Are Solar Conditions Going To Pick Up Again For HF Radio Communications?
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ
Here is an interesting link from NOAA that provides an interactive chart of the current solar cycle :
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/solar-cycle-progression
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ
Here is an interesting link from NOAA that provides an interactive chart of the current solar cycle :
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/solar-cycle-progression
As described on the "details" tab :
"The forecast comes from the Solar Cycle Prediction Panel representing NOAA, NASA and the International Space Environmental Services (ISES). This amounts to the ‘official’ forecast for the solar cycle. The Prediction Panel forecasts the sunspot number expected for solar maximum and has predicted Cycle 25 to reach a maximum of 115 occurring in July 2025. The error bars on this prediction mean the panel expects the cycle maximum could be between 105-125 with the peak occurring between November 2024 and March 2026."
When Two Hobbies Collide...Comet Hunting!
By Dan McCormick, KD2TUS
I am a new ham as of April and was lucky to sit in on one of the virtual VE Sessions with a club from New England and I am now a new Technician. For those who don’t know, we’ve had a great morning show of comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE).
Being new to the GCARC Club, I haven’t been to any in person meetings yet. Seeing that Clubhouse was on such a big field, this makes for a perfect spot to view objects low to the horizon and Comet Neowise (Neowise for short) is just that; rising only about 6 degrees high.
Astronomy has been a hobby of mine for a long time and I am part of a few area clubs. Neowise is one of those comets that has been putting on a great show. For those who don’t know, Neowise is the name of the space-telescope that discovered the comet.
The NEOWISE mission was spun off of the WISE mission. WISE ran out fluids and could no longer operate at extremely low temperatures. When this happened, the mission was repurposed to look for asteroids and every now and again will find a comet. This is how Neowise came about. These missions are funded by NASA's Planetary Science Division.
Not too often do comets become ‘naked eye’ meaning you need no astronomical aid to view them. Neowise was discovered back in March as the pandemic was coming to fruition. By the way, that’s where the ‘ 2020 F3’ designation comes from - 2020 (year discovered), F designates the second half of March and 3 is the 3rd comet discovered for that month.
You are able to spot comet Neowise around 4:35am in the North East sky. Look for the bright star Capella and the comet will be to the bottom left of this star.
I have yet to observe a comet and I couldn’t think of a better one to start with! Neowise is still hanging around early morning if you are up before the Sun however chances to see it are reducing. It is projected to last the remaining of the month (July). This comet could potentially brighten up during the early evening sky in the North West direction after sunset through midnight before going below the horizon at the time of writing this article. Although comets are very unpredictable, projections have the comet to fade after the 22 of July. If you are at all curious about Neowise or would like to observe it, feel free to shoot me an email KD2TUS@gmail.com.
73 and Clear Skies!
By Dan McCormick, KD2TUS
I am a new ham as of April and was lucky to sit in on one of the virtual VE Sessions with a club from New England and I am now a new Technician. For those who don’t know, we’ve had a great morning show of comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE).
Being new to the GCARC Club, I haven’t been to any in person meetings yet. Seeing that Clubhouse was on such a big field, this makes for a perfect spot to view objects low to the horizon and Comet Neowise (Neowise for short) is just that; rising only about 6 degrees high.
Astronomy has been a hobby of mine for a long time and I am part of a few area clubs. Neowise is one of those comets that has been putting on a great show. For those who don’t know, Neowise is the name of the space-telescope that discovered the comet.
The NEOWISE mission was spun off of the WISE mission. WISE ran out fluids and could no longer operate at extremely low temperatures. When this happened, the mission was repurposed to look for asteroids and every now and again will find a comet. This is how Neowise came about. These missions are funded by NASA's Planetary Science Division.
Not too often do comets become ‘naked eye’ meaning you need no astronomical aid to view them. Neowise was discovered back in March as the pandemic was coming to fruition. By the way, that’s where the ‘ 2020 F3’ designation comes from - 2020 (year discovered), F designates the second half of March and 3 is the 3rd comet discovered for that month.
You are able to spot comet Neowise around 4:35am in the North East sky. Look for the bright star Capella and the comet will be to the bottom left of this star.
I have yet to observe a comet and I couldn’t think of a better one to start with! Neowise is still hanging around early morning if you are up before the Sun however chances to see it are reducing. It is projected to last the remaining of the month (July). This comet could potentially brighten up during the early evening sky in the North West direction after sunset through midnight before going below the horizon at the time of writing this article. Although comets are very unpredictable, projections have the comet to fade after the 22 of July. If you are at all curious about Neowise or would like to observe it, feel free to shoot me an email KD2TUS@gmail.com.
73 and Clear Skies!
Kerberos SDR Direction-Finding Development at the Clubhouse
By Jon Pearce, WB2MNF
Most of you are probably familiar with software-defined radios - the USB sticks that can receive radio signals from AM broadcast into the microwave region using your computer to process the signal. Well, a bunch of smart guys have stuck four of those things into one case, connected them together, and built a "Kerberos” radio that can do a lot of cool stuff. K2QA and I each bought one, and I took it out to the Clubhouse this week for some development.
I'm specifically interested in its application in direction finding, first as an interesting development project and also to put the fear of God into N2GXJ and other fox hunters that technology was about to overwhelm skill in hidden transmitter hunts. And while that fear of God is still far off, it looks like this stuff is going to work.
The idea behind Kerberos direction finding is to put several antennas in a line and see which one receives the radio signal first. The first antenna to receive the signal is the closest to the single source; hence it points out the direction from which the signal is originating. As you can imagine, with radio signals moving at the speed of light the timing difference between two relatively close antennas is miniscule, but the developers have actually worked this out and the software can discern this difference. The Kerberos radios were developed as a Kickstarter project and are packaged in a box. The software runs on a Raspberry Pi computer, which because of the high CPU load of running 2 SDR radios, I encased it in a heat sink enclosure with two fans on it, similar to that used on the GOES satellite receiver that also has a high CPU load. Figure 1 shows only 2 antennas connected; the radio is powered by a USB-C connection and the Pi by a standard mini-D connector.
By Jon Pearce, WB2MNF
Most of you are probably familiar with software-defined radios - the USB sticks that can receive radio signals from AM broadcast into the microwave region using your computer to process the signal. Well, a bunch of smart guys have stuck four of those things into one case, connected them together, and built a "Kerberos” radio that can do a lot of cool stuff. K2QA and I each bought one, and I took it out to the Clubhouse this week for some development.
I'm specifically interested in its application in direction finding, first as an interesting development project and also to put the fear of God into N2GXJ and other fox hunters that technology was about to overwhelm skill in hidden transmitter hunts. And while that fear of God is still far off, it looks like this stuff is going to work.
The idea behind Kerberos direction finding is to put several antennas in a line and see which one receives the radio signal first. The first antenna to receive the signal is the closest to the single source; hence it points out the direction from which the signal is originating. As you can imagine, with radio signals moving at the speed of light the timing difference between two relatively close antennas is miniscule, but the developers have actually worked this out and the software can discern this difference. The Kerberos radios were developed as a Kickstarter project and are packaged in a box. The software runs on a Raspberry Pi computer, which because of the high CPU load of running 2 SDR radios, I encased it in a heat sink enclosure with two fans on it, similar to that used on the GOES satellite receiver that also has a high CPU load. Figure 1 shows only 2 antennas connected; the radio is powered by a USB-C connection and the Pi by a standard mini-D connector.
Figure 1
The optimal antennas for this arrangement is four antennas arranged in a line with the antennas placed 1/3 to 1/2 wavelength apart, so for 2 meter reception I glued four large washers to a 6 foot 1x2 and stuck 4 mag mount verticals onto the washers. This gave me a set up like the one in Figure 2.
Figure 2
As you can see, the Kerberos radio and Raspberry Pi are connected to AC power, which obviously limits their portability, but I'm envisioning powering them with USB battery packs in actual operation. The Pi communicates with the computer through a Wi-Fi connection and a web browser and can be located away from the radios. All of the processing occurs in the Pi, so the computer doesn't need to be particularly powerful and could probably be replaced by an iPad or some other more portable device.
The direction of the signal sources displayed on the computer on a line graph, with the peak of the line indicating the direction of the signal, as shown in Figure 3.
The direction of the signal sources displayed on the computer on a line graph, with the peak of the line indicating the direction of the signal, as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3
In testing within the Clubhouse using a HT as the signal source I could definitely see the peak of the curve move as I walked around the table, but couldn't completely correlate it with the location of the HT. These radios are subject to signal reflection, much of which probably occurs within the Clubhouse. I need to do some testing outside when the weather is more conducive, but at least these initial tests are promising. Hopefully, before the end of summer, we’ll have one of these on an actual fox hunt. So if you see a couple of guys walking around with a long piece of wood on a fox hunt, you’ll know what’s happening.
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Kudos to Kenny Denson, WB2P
Single-Op Unlimited, Low Power There was more turnover in this category than in any other. Only three call signs from last year’s Top Ten appear in the box again this year - WB2P, KK7AC, and KØNEB. It also happens that they’re the only ones that also made the grade in 2016 and 2015! Congratulations to WB2P, who topped the category this time after finishing in the top five in 2015, 2016, and 2017. Ken’s 70k margin over the 2nd place finisher, VE3PJ, was the largest in any category. His 3830 post gives some insight into his strategy: “This was my first Sweepstakes that I did not worry about |
WB2P at his home station. Kenny operated from W2YC this year and won the SOULP category.
(Photo courtesy of Kenny Denson, WB2P)
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the sweep and just tried to run as much as possible. Being low power, it was a lot easier to hold a run freq on 80m than 40m on Saturday. And after most of the big guns on Sunday moved from 20 to 40, I was able to have a solid run on 20m.” His >900 QSOs on 80 and 20 meters would’ve won the category by themselves.
In contrast, KS4AA operated only on 40 meters (“I thought there was a single-band category...oh well!”), snagged all but one multiplier (never found a VO station), and still made the top five! Not unexpectedly in times of poor propagation, the scores in the low power categories take a bigger hit. Last year’s Top Ten SOULP scores ranged from 207k to 85k, this year they spanned 186k to 70k.
Article Credit : ARRL November Sweepstakes, Phone, 2018 Results - www.arrl.org
In contrast, KS4AA operated only on 40 meters (“I thought there was a single-band category...oh well!”), snagged all but one multiplier (never found a VO station), and still made the top five! Not unexpectedly in times of poor propagation, the scores in the low power categories take a bigger hit. Last year’s Top Ten SOULP scores ranged from 207k to 85k, this year they spanned 186k to 70k.
Article Credit : ARRL November Sweepstakes, Phone, 2018 Results - www.arrl.org
AREDN LAN Party
By John Zaruba Jr, K2ZA
On October 14, 2018 several members gathered at the Clubhouse for an AREDN LAN party. AREDN is the Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network and this was a follow-on activity to the Tech Saturday October 6th presentation by Randy Smith WU2S of the AREDN Project.
Several Ubiquiti Nanostation devices were upgraded to become AREDN nodes. There were experiments performed to further understand the mechanics of building both infrastructure and ad hoc mesh networks. Range tests were performed at various places on the 4H fairgrounds to get a feel for the performance of the devices.
John O’Connell K2QA, Jon Pearce WB2MNF, John Zaruba Jr K2ZA, and Michael Covaleski N2MMC were in attendance.
By John Zaruba Jr, K2ZA
On October 14, 2018 several members gathered at the Clubhouse for an AREDN LAN party. AREDN is the Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network and this was a follow-on activity to the Tech Saturday October 6th presentation by Randy Smith WU2S of the AREDN Project.
Several Ubiquiti Nanostation devices were upgraded to become AREDN nodes. There were experiments performed to further understand the mechanics of building both infrastructure and ad hoc mesh networks. Range tests were performed at various places on the 4H fairgrounds to get a feel for the performance of the devices.
John O’Connell K2QA, Jon Pearce WB2MNF, John Zaruba Jr K2ZA, and Michael Covaleski N2MMC were in attendance.
Existing FT8 mode will become obsolete this year
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ
What is changing?
The super popular WSJT-X software package is getting a major update this December. As part of this update, the messaging formats for FT8 and MSK144 protocols are being changed. These changes allow for more bits per message, and greater error correction on those bits for even better weak signal performance, along with some other improvements. However, these new message formats are not compatible with the versions in use today. An early version is in beta testing now. Here’s what you need to know.
How does this affect me?
If you are a digital modes contester, hold onto your hat! As described in the October 17 quick start guide for experienced users, “these changes enable new message formats for efficient, robust QSOs in North American VHF contests, European VHF contests, ARRL Field Day, and the ARRL RTTY Roundup”. I’ll let that sink in for a minute.
It was just last month, in the October 2018 Crosstalk article titled “Where’d Everybody Go?” that the undeniable influence FT8 is having on our hobby was discussed. One of the last questions asked was “How about an FT8 field day mode?” Well, there it is! FT8 just became contest mode capable, and this is all blessed by the ARRL. I’d expect to see some “FT-8” mode only contests springing up soon. Love it or hate it, FT8 continues to innovate, grow, and evolve. Let’s see where this goes from here. Hey 2019 Field Day chairman, sign me up to operate a field day digital mode station now!
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ
What is changing?
The super popular WSJT-X software package is getting a major update this December. As part of this update, the messaging formats for FT8 and MSK144 protocols are being changed. These changes allow for more bits per message, and greater error correction on those bits for even better weak signal performance, along with some other improvements. However, these new message formats are not compatible with the versions in use today. An early version is in beta testing now. Here’s what you need to know.
How does this affect me?
If you are a digital modes contester, hold onto your hat! As described in the October 17 quick start guide for experienced users, “these changes enable new message formats for efficient, robust QSOs in North American VHF contests, European VHF contests, ARRL Field Day, and the ARRL RTTY Roundup”. I’ll let that sink in for a minute.
It was just last month, in the October 2018 Crosstalk article titled “Where’d Everybody Go?” that the undeniable influence FT8 is having on our hobby was discussed. One of the last questions asked was “How about an FT8 field day mode?” Well, there it is! FT8 just became contest mode capable, and this is all blessed by the ARRL. I’d expect to see some “FT-8” mode only contests springing up soon. Love it or hate it, FT8 continues to innovate, grow, and evolve. Let’s see where this goes from here. Hey 2019 Field Day chairman, sign me up to operate a field day digital mode station now!
Example ARRL Field Day exchange mode being added to FT8
I’m not interested in contesting with FT8. Do I need to update my current software?
Yes. The new and old versions of the protocols are not interoperable. The version 1.x protocols in use today are going to be obsolete. The current 1.9.1 version of FT8 and MSK144 will no longer be supported. It’s not a stretch to predict that by year’s end, if you want to have QSOs in FT8 with most anybody, you’ll need to be on the new 2.0 version or you’ll have next to nobody left to have contacts with.
To be fair, most, but not all the improvements involve contesting. There are other improvements in the new version non-contesters may benefit from as well. For example, it is described that the WSPR decoder has better sensitivity now by about 1 dB. For FT8, symbol rates and occupied bandwidths are the same as before, but decoding sensitivity is slightly improved and false decode rates are described as being significantly lower. To help you search for, and catch that rare missing DX, color highlighting of decoded stations now lets you identify missing DXCC entities on a per-band basis. Additional color codings can now let you know if the station is an active LoTW user or not, using information automatically downloaded from the ARRL web site, to improve your odds of picking a station likely to confirm your QSL.
Can I participate in beta trials of the 2.0 version while it is still in development?
Yes. On-air testing with the new protocols started in September. You may already have noticed some strange new signals on the waterfall during this testing period at the high end of the current FT8 watering holes. Look for them near 7.078 and 14.078 MHz on your radio dial. You can participate in the trial period by downloading the latest release candidate (rc) for WSJT-X 2.0 from the official website: https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/wsjtx.html. See the quick start guide for experienced users linked from that site for more details associated with configuring the software for 77-bit messages and for special operating activities.
When is the official switch over when we need to be on the new version?
The release of a generally available (GA) version is scheduled for December 10, 2018. By design, this release schedule makes WSJT-X 2.0 usable for the ARRL sponsored January 5-6 RTTY Roundup and January 19-21 VHF Sweepstakes.