AmateurRadio.com

Today the FCC release a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) regarding Deployable Aerial Communications Architecture (DACA).  In a nutshell, this technology involves deploying a light aircraft containing communications equipment over a disaster area to provide emergency communications.  Those familiar with mobile wireless will recognize this as somewhat analogous to a COW (cellsite on wheels), and the military has been using similar technology for years.

A whitepaper on DACA describes the potential for this technology:

The DACA vision for disasters involves an aerial capability that is deployable within the first 12-18 hours after a catastrophic event to temporarily restore critical communications, including broadband, for a period of 72-96 hours. This capability would be useful in situations where the power grid may be inoperable for 5-7 days, depleting back-up power supplies and resulting in an almost complete failure of landline, cellular, land mobile radio, broadcast, and cable transmissions, as well as Wi-Fi and Internet services. In such circumstances, access roads and bridges may be impassable, preventing communications repair crews and fuel suppliers for generators from entering the area. If DACA systems were available, users on the ground could continue to rely on their day-to-day communications devices in a transparent manner.

While DACA technology does not involve amateur radio, nor does amateur radio have a horse in this race, amateurs may find DACA technology interesting, as the recent interest in unmanned balloon experiments with amateur radio payloads would suggest.  The FCC in the NOI is seeking comment from industry on logistical, regulatory, and technological questions.  I imagine it will be several years before we see DACA technology ready for prime time and probably only in major metropolitan areas.

In July I’m giving a 45 minute talk on amateur radio to a local neighborhood group that restored and maintains an old historic schoolhouse down the road from my QTH.  I plan on bringing my FT-897 and throwing a dipole up in the yard so I can tune around the bands and maybe even whip up a phone QSO.  (It sure would be nice if 20 was open to Europe.)  I’m going to avoid “death by PowerPoint” and just work off of some simple bulletpoints.

So, any suggestions on what to talk about?  What would you definitely not talk about?  Any tips from seasoned speakers on things to wow the audience with?

I’ve often wondered if I were to go on a long distance Appalachian Trail hike, where would I get the power to charge some lightweight batteries so I could operate a QRP rig and a cell phone each night.  Of course, I’ve wondered more where I would get the vacation time or money to do such a long trip, but that’s another story.  A company called BioLite is offering CampStove, a lightweight hiking stove that burns twigs and anything else you can gather and turns them into heat and electrical energy.  The stove has a USB port for plugging in devices. 

BioLite manufactures a larger model called the HomeStove that is intended for third world countries and purchases of the smaller CampStove help fund providing HomeStove to needy families.  The stove is more efficient at burning wood due to a built in fan which feeds more oxygen to the fire, and the stove produces less pollution than convention wood fires.

The USB port on the CampStove delivers 5 volts at a nominal 2 watts of power, with up to 4 watts power peak.  That’s not a whole lot of power especially when talking about 12 volt powered QRP rigs, but it’s definitely up to the task of topping off your phone battery each meal.  Undoubtedly for a long hike one would want a small solar panel to charge rig batteries.  Perhaps a high efficiency 5 volt to 12 volt converter would allow charging of rig batteries with CampStove during meals or long periods of overcast, solar panel unfriendly skies.

The CampStove is $129 US and can be purchased on the website, though new orders currently aren’t shipping until July.  I may get one just to try it out and have another hiking stove option and support BioLite’s efforts in poor countries.

Kenwood took out a full page back cover ad in this month’s QST hinting at a new HF rig being unveiled at Dayton.  What could it be?  Another super multi-kilobuck uber contester rig?  A KX3 competitor?  A fun little rig like the Yaesu FT-817?  Inquiring minds want to know!

MakerShed announced a new product that will probably appeal to radio artisans who like to build little rigs.  It’s the Menta, a smaller version of the Arduino which fits nicely in the venerable Altoids tin.

Get a few 2N2222s, some toroids, resistors, and a crystal soldered on the prototyping area, then burn some CW keyer software on the Arduino and voila, you got a nice little QRP rig.

RSGB had this puzzling note in its recent news script:

Some say that CW has been made obsolete by modern digimodes, which work well in conditions far too poor for the older mode. Now that Morse is no longer used in commercial radio traffic, the RSGB confirms that it would fight any moves to prohibit CW on amateur bands. The Society recognises that Morse gives much pleasure to thousands of operators, and will continue to support its use.

The blurb doesn’t cite any specific threats.  To use a quote never said by, but attributed to Jerry Seinfeld, “Who are these people?“

I’ve said before that there are people saying there are people saying that CW is dying, but I have yet to find anyone saying CW is dying.  Much like American politics, we tend to get our panties in a bunch making up things to be outraged over and threats to be worried about.  No radio amateur who has been licensed more than a week would seriously propose to outlaw CW operation.  Any amateur who does is likely insane or doesn’t have the capacity to garner support of anyone from amateurs to government officials.

Perhaps I’m reading more into the RSGB statement and giving it more time than it deserves, but my guess is RSGB suffers from one of the thorns that has been in the side of ARRL here in the States.  People make accusations that the organization doesn’t support the code, in order to increase the number of licensed amateurs and fill its coffers with more memberships.  The people who make such nonsense accusations are still upset with the elimination of the code test or just dislike the organization and look for whatever means to criticize it.  To this day I still hear people claim ARRL doesn’t support CW, despite petitioning the FCC for a 5 WPM test for the Extra class test and running code practice and bulletin broadcasts every weekday.  Myths are hard to replace with facts.

Each year I post an article with tips for Field Day organizers, but admittedly most folks who volunteer to lead such events already know how to organize a good Field Day event.  Something I see year after year but is rarely talked about is personal growth from these events.  What does personal growth have to do with Field Day, you ask?  By personal growth, I mean learning new things, becoming more technically proficient, and become an overall more skilled operator.  You see some folks who come one year who are nervous about getting on the mic, they observe others operate, and during a slow period they may get coaxed into operating awhile.  They get the hang of it after an hour or two and do fairly well.  Next year when they come back to Field Day, they readily volunteer to operate and can belt out 60 or 70 QSOs an hour, with someone logging alongside.  The next year they can operate and log all by themselves.  Perhaps later they will branch out and do digital modes or CW.  There’s a learning process going on, and it extends outside of Field Day where skills and techniques learned are applied to everyday operating or perhaps casual contest operating.  Ultimately these people become a key part of the Field Day organizing process, readily becoming a resource and providing expertise to others.

Unfortunately there tends to be an element at annual Field Days who don’t grasp this concept.  They don’t listen during the demonstrations of the logging program during the preparation meetings or at the final pep talk before Field Day operating kicks off.  They don’t want to know how the rigs work, they will depend each year on someone setting up the band, mode, and tuner before they operate.  Some may drive into the site several hours into the event, hop in an operating position in prime time hours, eat some food, and leave.  Now I’m not saying it’s wrong to be a casual operator, but if you’ve been at your local club’s Field Day for the past decade, you owe it to yourself and those who are putting a lot of effort into the event to help out, learn, grow, and contribute.

Get to know the logging program.  Most clubs these days tend to use free logging programs.  You can download them from the Internet, install them, and get to know how they work.  Undoubtedly you’ll be able to use the Field Day logging program in your own shack.

Learn about antennas.  There’s a reason why Miracle Whip or Buddipole antennas, while very portable, easy to setup, and convenient, are horribly lousy antennas for Field Day.  Yes, everyone does believe you worked Europe with one, which by the way, was on 10 meters when it opened up one day ten years ago.

Watch others making QSOs.  Some guys can’t make a QSO to save their life, and others can stack up QSOs like cordwood.  Band conditions certainly help, but you’ll notice some ops just take the mic and do short CQs, they skillfully adjust their verbaige in order to make the best use of frequency time, they manage pileups well, and they use proper phonetics and at the right times.  They amass QSOs effortlessly.  Other operators just can’t seem to get it together.  They do long 40 second CQs in which they say CQ numerous times, but say the callsign only once or twice.  They’ll wait a long time in between CQs.  When someone does answer they’ll waste time giving their own callsign, perhaps multiple times.  If they don’t copy the station on their first call, they’ll spend 30 seconds telling the station how weak they are, wasting precious time that could be used for the station to try again.  While no one is asking people to have the communications efficiency of an air traffic controller, you can have a lot more fun with less effort by adopting a few simple techniques.

Learn about the equipment.  Field Day is a great opportunity to see new rigs in operation you’re not familiar with.  Ask the owner of the equipment to show you how the menus work and find out what they like and don’t like about the rigs.

Bring a pair of headphones, a “Y” adapter, a notepad and pen, and ride shotgun on the CW station.  CW contesting is probably one of the most intimidating things in amateur radio, if you’ve never experienced it.  Sit alongside someone running CW on Field Day and just listen and try to copy callsigns.  After you attempt to copy a callsign, look up at the logging program screen and see what call the lead operator copied.  You will be amazed at what you can pick out and how you eventually get the “rhythm”.  Before you know it, you’ll want to hop on the keyboard and give it a try.  It’s addictive.

Network and help out.  While most clubs welcome people to come for a short period of time and operate, if you’re a regular annual attendee, you owe it to your club to stick around longer and talk with folks, get to know new members, and help with the clean up.  If you’re a seasoned amateur, you owe it to the hobby to help others become seasoned operators.