With another year almost behind us, the Board of Directors is getting ready for the 1998 Annual Elections and Meeting.
Top on the priority list right now is getting the slate of candidates lined up for the Board of Directors. This year, we will have three board members with terms about to expire. These individuals are Frank W6SZS, Ken KN6CK, and Dick KB6GLX. The remaining Board members, Jey KQ6DK, Ned KE6ZOZ, Harry K6JTC, and Jim KN6PE, still have one more year left on their term.
So far, the Board has as received nominations for board membership from the following members:
We are still looking for a third candidate. Anyone interested in running for the Board should contact Jey KQ6DK.
Three members assembled for the Saturday Shack Work Day on November 1: Dick KB6GLX, Jim KN6PE, and myself KQ6DK. We arrived about 9 AM and concluded about 2:30 PM.
With this small crew, there was plenty accomplished. Here's a run-down of the items on the list and the actions taken:
Thanks to everyone who came out or supported us on this project.
73, Jey KQ6DK
For a second time in a month, club members were caught committing senseless ingenuity and random acts of initiative with club property.
Jey KQ6DK and Tom K6KMT spent Saturday November 8 back up at the shack finishing up a variety of tasks still on the list. These included:
I have the sad duty to report that Don Berticvich, KO6GI, became a Silent Key this past month after a long struggle with cancer. Don was a recent member to LCARC and was active on the repeater. You may remember hearing him while he was fishing on the Monterey Bay, his other favorite past time. Don, with his distinguishable voice, was also often heard helping new hams with signal reports or helpful advice.
Don enjoyed many aspects of Ham radio. He entered the hobby as a novice but quickly upgraded and became an avid HF'er and built an impressive station. As EC for Los Gatos ARES, his detection established a new and stronger relationship with the town of Los Gatos. Through his efforts Los Gatos ARES will play and important role in the Town's disaster preparation and planning. His participation in the ARES supported civic activities, even towards the end when it must have been very difficult, was inspiring.
Don was a true friend to amateur radio, he was my friend and he will be dearly missed.
During WW2, many people didn't know about the FM repeater that was available.
When we secured the Island of Mindoro in the Philippines, we returned to the South Shore of the Island (Incidentally the town there was named "San Jose." The town on the north shore was called Calipan. There was a Brewery there but due to the War, there was nothing available to make beer!!!
One of our Doctors looked at the drink the Filipinos made from the flower that grows in the top of Palm trees, called "Tuba." He decided, that if distilled, it would make a very reasonable Gin!!
We left "D" company of the 2nd battalion, 21st Infantry there to occupy the town and of course to make sure the Brewery operated!!!
About once a week a sail boat would arrive on the south shore, loaded to the gunnels with kegs of "Calipan Gin." So we set up three hospital tents down on the beach for Clubs -- one for the enlisted men, one for the First Three Graders, and of course an Officer's Club.
We had a saw mill company with us and they made us bars and dance floors out of Philippine Mahogany. We made mugs from Bamboo, and there was a little Trio from San Jose (Mindoro), a girl singer with two guitar playing brothers who provided entertainment.
To maintain contact with the north shore, we put in a repeater system using the SCR-300 walkie-talkie. Each repeater consisted of two SCR 300s cabled together. A liaison plane would go out ever so often to replace the batteries.
Following the War, when stationed at Sandia Base, New Mexico, I moonlighted at one of the local TV stations (circa 1950) and the station had a transmitter site on top of Sandia Crest (10,700 ft above sea level and about 4500 ft above average terrain).
Some of the local Hams and I decided to put in a repeater up at the transmitter site. We used a surplus Aircraft transceiver (AM) and were told by the FCC that first: we had to have an operator on duty at all times (all of the TV Engineers at the transmitter site were hams so this was not a problem), and second: we would have to ID each time the repeater transmitted.
This of course appeared to be a problem. Wayne Coy, an Albuquerque resident, was at that time Chairman of the FCC. While visiting us one day at the station, we discussed the Repeater and the problem of ID'ing. The set had an MCW capability, so we designed a little encoding wheel driven by a small electric motor and let that key a microswitch, sending our the station callsign when ever anyone transmitted via the repeater.
The audio level of the CW was set approximately 6dbv below the voice audio. This made the ID readable but it did not interfere with the voice audio.
Wayne Coy took the idea back to Washington and about two weeks later we had a license for the Repeater. I have no way of knowing whether this was the original CW Id'er or not.
This article appeared in the July 1997 issue of "Spurious Emissions", the newsletter of the Indian River Amateur Radio Club, and is reprinted with the permission of it's author Dick McKlveen W4YWA.
Having been irresistibly influenced by an intellectually inclined spirit, I happened by the local library the other day. My mission was to find a book about paramagnetic amplifiers. To tell the truth, I just wanted to find out what a paramagnetic amplifier was. Anyway, I recognized my esteemed associate, Sparky Corona, sifting through a stack of impressive looking documents. This was the very first time I had run across friend in any place other than our favorite watering hole.
Sparky was so intent with his scholarly pursuit that he failed to acknowledge my presence until I nudged him and exclaimed, "Hi, ole buddy, whatcha doin' in this dull dump?" Obviously impatient, Sparky mumbled, "If you must know, I'm researching a true science. . . Bet you never heard of Graphology!" Definition needed...
I was truly astounded. This guy must be working on the art of drawing graphics for some business! "You mean that you're going to learn about those drawings that show trends in business, where the tax payer's money goes, and that sort of thing."
"Boy, you're really not all that smart, are you, Dick? Graphology has nothing to do with drawing boxes with lines or bars or those pies with pieces cut in different sizes. It has to do with analyzing handwriting." Sparky continued speaking hurriedly as though he wanted to clue me in quickly and then get on with his consequential study,
"After I find out all about this graphology business, I intend to examine the handwriting of Hams who are good at working DX. My expert analysis should reveal something about their secret to success. I'm not too old to change my approach, you know!"
"You amaze me, Sparky. Do you mean to tell me that a study of graphology can help you get a DXCC?"
"Not only that, I bet I'll be able to compete with those guys who have worked all countries including Upper Flushovia!"
"I've never heard of Upper Flushovia, or whatever, but, anyway, just how do you figure you are about to break the bank at the ARRL?"
"It just so happens that I have copies of the logs of several outstanding Dxer's. It won't be difficult for me to figure out their character traits and merely copy them. For example, here's one, "See those squiggly lines at the top of the fives and bottom of the nines?" All sigs are readable and strong...
"Yeah, I do. By the way, have you noticed how these award winners give each and every DX station a 5 and 9?"
"Oh yes, of course, why would our heroes want to disenchant those rare stations by telling them they were 3 and 4? You're not goofy enough to think that the rare ones would QSL after receiving such a stinkin' report, are you?" Now, don't bother answering as I haven't much time, the library closes at 9. To get back to my character analysis, those squiggly lines clearly show that Dxers are both stubborn and patient. Yes, and they are immune to powerful electro-magnetic radiation in the shack."
"Whoa! How do you know they are immune?" Exercise for the immune system...
"Well, it should be obvious that, if you or I were to subject ourselves to as much radiation as these champion DXers experience, we'd be pushing up daisies, not merely making squiggly lines on our logs!"
"Pardon me for asking, but have you anything else to add before I check up on those paramagnetic amplifiers?"
"Now that you have mentioned amplifiers, do you know where a guy could pick up a jumbo linear on the cheap?"
"Nah, Sparky, I'm really sorry to say that the only linears I know about are not for you; they aren't capable of exceeding the legal limit."
"Well, I'm practicing patience, so I'll keep looking without getting too excited about it. I'm already stubborn and, with practice, I think I can be patient, even though patience may not be needed if I can actually stomp on people in a pile-up." Current will do him in...
I left Sparky with his illusions of grandeur. Seriously, I don't think his call will be included in the DX Honor Roll soon. You see, he'll probably never learn to be patient, and the AC power in his shack is fused for a maximum of 20 amperes.
This article appeared in the October 1997 issue of the "ARNS Bulletin", Steve Auyer-N2TKX Editor.
The 1997 World Radiocommunication Conference concluded its talks in the early morning hours of November 21 in Geneva, Switzerland. Amateur Radio survived WRC-97 largely unscathed, but the stage has been set for renewed spectrum battles at WRC-99. The Little LEOs (non-voice, non-geostationary mobile satellite interests)--which put a huge scare into the ham radio community in 1996 with their proposals to share ham radio VHF and UHF bands -- were unable to muster much support for new allocations at WRC-97. However, they came away with up to 3 MHz of additional spectrum on a regional basis, in the bands between 454 and 460 MHz. The Little LEOs also got a resolution calling for urgent studies in preparation for WRC-99--what some at the conference called "a hunting license" for additional VHF/UHF spectrum. A second issue that will recur at WRC-99 is finding a place in the 420-470 MHz frequency range for the Earth Exploration Satellite Service (EESS). Synthetic aperture radars (SARs) using frequencies in this range are said to be capable of penetrating the rain forest for mapping purposes.
Two significant ham radio-related issues failed to make the cut for consideration at WRC-99. For budgetary reasons, the WRC-97 delegates had to limit the WRC-99 agenda only to the most urgent issues. Pushed back to the tentative agenda for WRC-2001 were the possible realignment of the 40 meter band to resolve a conflict between hams and broadcasters in part of the band (along with possible expansion of broadcasting bands between 4 and 10 MHz), and Article S25 of the international radio regulations. Article S25 contains the international regulations specific to the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite Services, including the Morse code requirement for operation below 30 MHz.
WRC-97 delegates approved a resolution (called the Convention on Disaster Communications) encouraging administrations to facilitate the use of ham radio and other "decentralized means of communications" (including satellites) for disaster mitigation and relief operations. This resolution eliminated the need for Resolution 640, which defined how certain ham bands could be used for international disaster communications by non-amateur stations, so Resolution 640 was suppressed. (The term "suppressed" in this context means that the Resolution was deleted and will no longer be in force. It has gone away!)
WRC-97 delegates did agree to upgrade the Earth Exploration Satellite Service from secondary to primary at 1215 to 1300 MHz, which should have only minimal impact on amateur use of 1240-1300 MHz. The presence of EESS there also reduces the possibility that other, less-compatible services might later be introduced into this band.
In other allocations decisions, amateur satellite segments were not included among allocations for wind profiler radars. Except for a worldwide primary allocation at 1270 to 1295 MHz, the only specific allocations for wind profiler radars are in Region 1 (Europe and Africa), and those are on a secondary basis. Region 2 (North and South America) administrations were urged to implement wind profilers in radiolocation bands at 440 to 450 MHz, 904 to 928 MHz (protecting the lower, weak-signal segment), 1270 to 1295 MHz (protecting amateur satellite and weak-signal), and 1300 to 1375 MHz.
The delegates agreed that the bands 420 to 435 MHz or 438 to 440 MHz could be considered for use in situations where there was incompatibility between wind profiler radars and other radio applications at 440 to 450 MHz or 470 to 494 MHz (only in some Region 1 countries). In this case, too, the amateur-satellite segment is protected.
Several Region 1 (primarily European) countries deleted footnoted exceptions to the international table of allocations in the 1810 to 1830 kHz range, expanding the usability of 160 meters for ham radio. North Korea was persuaded to drop its bid for footnoted exceptions to the allocations table that could have affected some ham radio bands in that part of the world.
Amateur Radio was represented at WRC-97 by a multinational team of International Amateur Radio Union officials, including Secretary Larry Price, W4RA, Vice President Michael Owen, VK3KI, and Region 1 Vice Chairman Wojciech Nietyksza, SP5FM. They were assisted for a time by Tafa Diop, 6W1KI, and Eduardo Estrada, HC2EE, who are members of their respective regional executive committees. Numerous radio amateurs attended the conference in official capacities on behalf of their national administrations, including ARRL Technical Relations Manager Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, who served on the US delegation.
In all, 1801 delegates from 142 countries registered at the conference. Another 141 observers from regional and international organizations also attended.
Thanks: ARRL Letter, W1AW Bulletin, and Larry Price, W4RA, ARRL International Vice President
Carrie Fisher:
"Instant gratification takes too long."
"You start talking to yourself in code."
"You say, "QRZ" when you answer the telephone."
"You steal the windshield wiper fuse to replace the blown one in
your rig"
"You have your Call Sign printed on your checks."
"Your battery goes dead because you forgot to start the car
before the Long QSO."
"Instead of running to the basement during a tornado warning,
you run to your vehicle to Participate in "SKY WARN."
"You take your Hand held along on your Honeymoon."
"You use your fishing rods for 20 Meter Verticals on Camping and
Fishing Trips."
"When you install your rig on the boat before you even put gas
in it."
"When you are out driving with your wife or girl friend, you
look for antenna sites!"
If you've been transmitter hunting or foxhunting before, you already know how much fun it is. But if you haven't, I'll try to introduce T-Hunting to you.
Transmitter hunting is not just a game. The experience you gain could very well be used to look for downed aircraft, find an unknown keyed transmitter or track down deliberate interference.
You probably own enough equipment to get started right now! An HT. Using an HT is a little time consuming, but it's not very hard. But once you have mastered this way of hunting, you are ready for just about anything.
Before you get started, the first thing you need to know is what direction to head towards. First of all, you'll want to find a clear area with no large structures nearby. Large structures may, if close enough, reflect the signal, giving you a bad start.
Hold your HT as close to your body as possible, but still able to see your signal meter. Slowly rotate your body while looking at your signal meter. You do not want to find the peak signal (strongest), you want to find the null (weakest) signal. Once you find the null, stop rotating. The transmitter will be behind you.
If you have a full scale reading on your S meter, you will want to remove your HT antenna. Adjust your squelch so it sometimes breaks open. Again, try the body fade by rotating. If you do not receive a signal without an antenna, use a hair pin, paper clip or some other small piece of metal, proceed using the body fade.
If you do not have a paper clip or small metal piece, you may want to move off frequency 5 kHz at a time when you receive a full scale reading.
Using a beam is a very popular and effective way of hunting. Two, three and four element yagis and quads can be used.
The advantage of using a beam is it's directivity. The disadvantage is its gain. You do not want gain when DF'ing, you want directivity and this is when attenuation comes in,
There are various ways to attenuate the signal. A very popular way is using a Step Attenuator. A Step Attenuator is a metallic box used between the antenna and receiver. Inside the metal box are numerous resistors controlled by numerous toggle switches. My quantity of resistors and switches depends on how much attenuation you want.
(A schematic of a Step Attenuator is in the ARRL Handbook).
You can build a cheap little attenuator using a couple of 1 meg linear taper potentiometers wired in series. The potentiometers must be shielded from each other. I built one of these in an old 1 meter T.V.I. filter in a matter of minutes. It's not the best attenuator, but it's cheap and quick for somebody just starting out.
I prefer an active attenuator. The active attenuator I use has variable attenuation. It mixes the incoming signal with a 1 MHz oscillator. Let's say you want to hunt on 146.565 MHz. When you use the active attenuator, you will program the receiver to either 147.565 MHz or 145.565 MHz but will actually receive 146.565 MHz.
As you control the signal of the mixing oscillator, you also control the signal strength to the receiver. If you need more attenuation, you simply program 2, 3, 4 MHz off the actual frequency you are hunting.
So, here's all you need to know to get started. Get a friend and go out and see how well you do. If you don't want to hunt, at least ride along. I am sure you'll get hooked.
This appeared in the July 1997 "ARNS Bulletin", Steve Auyer-N2TKX editor.
Studies show that if a cat falls off the seventh floor of a building it has about thirty percent less chance of surviving than a cat that falls off the twentieth floor. It supposedly takes about eight floors for the cat to realize what is occurring, relax and correct itself.
When: Friday evening, December 12, 1997
Time: No host bar 6:00 P.M.
Dinner 6:30 P.M.
Where: Harry's Hofbrau, Mountain View, El Camino at Bonita.
(El Camino between Grant Road and Shoreline Parkway
on South side of El Camino.)
Menu: Harry's spectacular hofbrau favorites
Dress: Casual
Activities: Dinner, conversation, gift exchange, raffle, and more
Optional: Gift Exchange - Draw or Steal for your favorite. If you
want to participate, please bring a wrapped gift of cash
value up to $10
Links to OET Bulletin 65B are now available at the ARRL web site www.arrl.org, as well as the Pacific Division web site at www.pdarrl.org. The document is now available in two formats: Word Perfect, and Adobe Acrobat.
The next session of HANDI-HAM Radio Workshop (Camp) will be held at Camp Joan Mier, Malibu, from February 24 to March 1, 1998. This camp will provide ham radio instruction at all levels for persons with severe physical (not learning) disabilities and/or sensory impairments.
The camp in 1998 will be FREE for California residents who are going for a first ticket or upgrade. All normal care, food, lodging, and Amateur Radio instruction for the session will be provided AT NO COST to the campers.
If you or anyone you know is interested, contact Jane Rova, Secretary, Courage HANDI-HAM System, 3915 Golden Valley Road, Golden alley, MN 55422; (612) 520-0512; e-mail handiham@mtn.org
Over the years in the pages of QST, countless letters and articles have been written about Elmers, those patient, inspired souls who thoroughly enjoy bringing newcomers into the world of Amateur Radio. Now, the ARRL's new Radio Coaches program takes Elmer'ing to new levels. Through the Radio Coaches program, you and your fellow club members can become part of a national effort to better the lives of youth using Amateur Radio. And ARRL will provide the game plan and materials!
Radio Coaches stems from the kickoff of America's Promise, the Alliance for Youth, a national campaign to improve the lives of the nation's young people and put them on paths for brighter, more productive futures.
The mission will be to give young people an ongoing relationship with a caring adult and a marketable skill through effective education. Amateur Radio will be our chief tool.
Through Radio Coaches, we want to reinforce the idea that Amateur Radio is a "sport for the brain." Ham radio provides not only a lifetime of enjoyment, but also, potentially, a lifetime career.
To get involved contact Radio Coaches, c/o Field Services Department, ARRL, 225 Main St., Newington CT, 06111; or e-mail coaches@arrl.org. Thanks, ARRL Letter, Nov. 14, 1997.
If you will let me know when and where classes are to be taught within the Pacific Division, I plan to post the class information on the Pacific Division WWW site. I will also make certain that they are registered with Education Activities Dept. (EAD) at ARRL HQ. Training materials of all kinds are available from EAD in ARRL HQ. Let's start out 1998 with a large group of new ham classes!
Bruce MacKay, KF6JLP, joins the ranks of the Volunteer Counsels in the Pacific Division. Bruce works in Redwood City, CA. Welcome, Bruce.
The Nov. 4 election resulted in Fred Fowler, KE6EPM, becoming a new Sunnyvale, CA, City Councilman. He joins Joel Gambord, KT6J, who won a seat on the Monte Sereno City Council in 1996.
Congress has recessed until at least Jan. 26, 1998. HR 2369, the Wireless Privacy Enhancement Act, has been rewritten to reflect the concerns of Amateur Radio operators, volunteer fire fighters, scanner enthusiasts, and others. The ARRL worked with a coalition of other organizations to make sure your voice was heard on The Hill.
One of the bill's original cosponsors, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA-14th) praised Mr. Tauzin for listening to Amateur Radio concerns.
S. 1350, just introduced by Sen. Leahy (D-VT) would give states and municipalities more leeway to regulate the construction and location of commercial telecommunications, radio or television towers that "destroy the view from such homes, and reduce substantially the desire to live in such homes." ARRL staff plans to meet with Sen. Leahy's staff.
See DC Currents in Dec. QST, for more details.
K6FB/R: 145.450 MHz (-), PL=100, linked with K6FB/R: 442.575 MHz (+), PL=100 K6FB/R: 223.880 MHz (-), PL=100 K6FB-1 Digipeater: 145.050 MHz K6FB-2 Bulletin Board: 145.050 MHz K6FB-7 Node (alias LCARC): 145.050 MHz K6FB-5 tcp/ip "losgatos" [44.4.8.1], 145.750 MHz
Jey Yelland / KQ6DK . . . . . . President Ken Carey / KN6CK . . . . . . . Vice President Harry Workman / K6JTC . . . . . Treasurer Ned Rice / KE6ZOZ . . . . . . . Membership Jim Oberhofer / KN6PE . . . . . Secretary Frank Butcher / W6SZS . . . . . TCC Tom Campbell / K6KMT . . . . . Trustee Dick LaTondre / KB6GLX . . . . Member at Large