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CWT Sprint from Potter Place Railroad Stn

August 3rd, 2016 |

This afternoon Judy and I rode our bikes to the old railroad station at Potter Place. I operated about 20 minutes and worked 8 stations on 20 meters.

We started in Andover and rode about 2.5 miles to the northwest. It was a gorgeous day. We arrived after about 20 minutes and I tossed a wire over an oak tree above the picnic table. I set up the KX3. The CWT Sprint was in full swing and stations were strong. The exchange is simple: name and CWOPS number. Here’s my log transcribed from the paper notebook:

3 Aug-16 1908 14 N5DX CW 599 599 Kevin 1293
3 Aug-16 1913 14 K9MA CW 599 599 Scott 1385
3 Aug-16 1915 14 K1GU CW 599 599 Ned 884
3 Aug-16 1916 14 KC4D CW 599 599 Bill 419
3 Aug-16 1919 14 AD8J CW 599 599 John 1395
3 Aug-16 1920 14 K4OAQ CW 599 599 Fritz 1658
3 Aug-16 1925 14 K9WX CW 599 599 Tim 1462
3 Aug-16 1926 14 N4ZZ CW 599 599 Don 902

After 20 minutes I packed up and we rode back. The air was delightful. We stopped by the covered bridge across the Blackwater River and Judy took a quick photo.

UK Hams, Here’s Your Chance to Own the Ultimate Ham-Mobile!

August 2nd, 2016 |

Author: Matt W1MST

ofcom1 If you live in the UK, here’s some great news!

A communications company is disposing of three Nissan Patrols outfitted with 10-meter pneumatic masts and backseat radio operating positions.

In addition to the mast and compressor, each of the three SUVs are fitted with storage and bench units in the back — but unfortunately, the radio gear shown in the photos is not included.

No word on pricing or terms.

UPDATE SEPTEMBER, 2016: All of the Nissan Patrols have been sold.

ofcom2

ofcom3

ofcom4
ofcom5
ofcom6

We’re Giving Away Over 50 NooElec SDR Receivers! Enter to win…

July 31st, 2016 |

Author: Matt W1MST

nooelec-giveaway

If you thought our last SDR giveaway was BIG,
this one is even 25% bigger!

NooElec and AmateurRadio.com have teamed up (again!)
to give away
Over 50 SDR Radio Receivers
to 30 lucky ham radio operators worldwide.

…and they’ll even pay the shipping worldwide!
The deadline to enter is 7 August 2016 at 20:00 UTC.

Prize Packages

smart_bundle

Two (2)
NESDR SMArt HF Bundles

nooelec-rpi One (1)
Raspberry Pi 3 NESDR SMArt Bundle
Includes Raspberry Pi 3, enclosure, SD card, and
2-pack of NESDR SMArt sets with antennas

nesdr_smart_all_2 Three (3)
NESDR SMArt sets with antennas
2-pack

nesdr_smart_5_1_1 Ten (10)
NESDR SMArt SDRs
2-pack

nesdr_smart_all_2

Ten (10)
NESDR SMArt sets with antennas

nesdr_smart_5_1_1

Ten (10)
NESDR SMArt SDRs

Eligibility

All licensed ham radio operators worldwide!
(Free worldwide shipping is included!)

How to Enter

It’s very simple!
Leave a comment to this post.
(e-mail address will not be shared)

Entry Duration

Only 1 week!

You may enter only once from
31 July 2016 20:00 UTC
to
7 August 2016 20:00 UTC

(multiple entries from the same entrant will be discarded)

Winner Announcement

8 August 2016

You can get the winner announcement by
subscribing to our free Amateur Radio Newsletter (subscribe below),
following our posts via RSS feed, via Twitter (@amatradio),
or via Facebook (facebook.com/amatradio).

Sign up so you won’t miss our next prize drawing!

Please tell your friends about this giveaway!

Thank you to NooElec for offering these fantastic prizes!

Visit their website at NooElec.com / eBay store / Amazon store

The winner will be chosen at random (using random.org) from all valid comment entries to this post received by the contest deadline. Entries will be deemed valid at the sole discretion of AmateurRadio.com and may be rejected for any reason, including inappropriate comments. Entries received after the deadline will not be considered. The prize may not be transferred. The prize may not be exchanged for cash. Winner agrees to allow AmateurRadio.com to use their name and callsign to announce them as a winner on our site, and to share their contact information with the sponsor for the purposes of awarding the prize. No purchase necessary to win. Odds of winning dependent on total number of entries received. Winner is responsible for any applicable taxes or fees imposed by their jurisdiction. Void where prohibited by law. Winners limited to licensed Amateur Radio Operators and subject to export restrictions, where applicable. E-mail addresses of all other entrants will not be shared with any third party, including the sponsor. Entrants will not receive any unsolicited e-mail or be placed on any e-mail list.

Don’t forget to enter! Just leave a comment to this post.

Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 122

July 30th, 2016 |

Author: Cale K4HCK

Hara Arena to shut down
Hara Arena is closing its doors after 60 years.
WDTN

Hamvention to remain in Dayton area
The event will take place on the same weekend and it will be within the region.
Hamvention

Utah County ham radio club draws attention
In less than six months, the club has amassed more than 340 members.
Daily Herald

Antennas on a Boeing 777
Antenna locations on a Boeing 777 aircraft.
Reddit

Alive and Well: Post-Coup Amateur Radio in Turkey
I can confirm that I’ve heard a number of Turkish amateur radio operators on the air since the coup attempt.
The SWLing Post

VHF/UHF Digital Voice – a peek into the future
Digital Voice on VHF/UHF is clearly here to stay. Even though the mainstream manufacturers are supporting it (their own version of it), it’s still fairly niche now. It will grow.
AmateurRadio.com

A tour of Elecraft
At a time in our hobby where many businesses are consolidating, closing their doors or failing to innovate, Elecraft is one of the few bright and innovative companies in our hobby.
N6PSE

Georgia Ham fined $1000 for failure to properly identify
Failure to transmit call sign information undermines the purpose of the Amateur Radio Service by preventing licensed users from identifying a transmission’s source.
ARRL

New SDR client, Kukuruku
RTL-SDR compatible software features multiple demodulators running at once and history browsing.
Kukuruku

Video

National Parks on The Air – Satellite Activation
This was filmed on Sunday July 17th, 2016 on the Craggy Overlook Trail on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.
KG4AKV

Sparks by static charge on a groundplane antenna
A short video showing static discharges in the form of sparks, a PL259 connector connected to a groundplane antenna, during a lightning storm.
PA2OLD

The Spectrum Monitor – August, 2016

July 29th, 2016 |

Author: Ken KS4ZR

August2016Cover Stories you’ll find in our August, 2016 issue:

TSM Reviews: LD-5 HF Ham Radio QRP Transceiver
By James Hannibal KH2SR

The LD-5, made in USA by LNR Precision Inc., is an amazing little QRP, 5-band SSB/CW amateur radio transceiver that’s small and light enough to fit in just about any backpack, making this one of the most portable SSB, multi-band, HF rigs currently on the market. James puts this little rig through its paces on a trip down the length of the US west coast with pleasing results.

Vacation Scanning on the Rails
By Eric Beheim

For scanner enthusiasts, traveling by rail offers an opportunity to monitor the radio communications that are being sent and received onboard their trains. These communications include conversations between the train’s crewmembers, conversations between dispatchers and the engineer, and the periodic reports from radio alarm detectors. Listening in on these transmissions not only helps to make the trip more interesting, but also provides greater insight into what it takes to keep a passenger train running in a safe and timely manner.

China Radio International: Evolution of a Shortwave Radio Station
By Fred Waterer

China Radio International is one of the largest broadcasting agencies in the world, as befits one of the world’s economic and military superpowers. Today’s CRI is a mainstream voice of Asia, portraying a sense of order and normalcy. One could easily mistake a current broadcast from China as being from BBC or Radio Japan. This is in stark contrast to broadcasts of past decades, which mirrored the chaotic political situation in the country. Fred looks back at his many years of listening to the radio voice of China.

CB Radio and More: Two-Way Radio No-License Alternatives
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV

There are many facets to the communications receiving hobby—shortwave listening, scanner monitoring, exploring utility stations and more. If you develop the urge to transmit and hold conversations with others, we typically think about earning an amateur radio license and exploring all it has to offer, which is quite a bit, indeed. However, there are some avenues to enjoying two-way communications that you may have overlooked such as CB (HF), GMRS and FRS (both UHF) and MURS (VHF). In this series of articles, we’ll explore these options and find ways to get as much enjoyment out of them as possible.

A Classic Dozen: When it comes to Vintage Ham Gear, what’s in a (Great) Name?
By Richard Fisher KI6SN

Over many decades, there have been scores of radio manufacturers that have come-and-gone or are thriving yet. Here are a dozen whose products, in one way or another, qualify as “vintage.” You will find many of their classic radios are not only still on the air every day, but readily available, some inexpensively, in today’s vintage market. Richard traces the origins of some venerable radio names.

Scanning America
By Dan Veenaman
Madison County (MO), Fire Service & Amtrak

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
When Federal Frequencies aren’t Federal

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman NV6H
When the Going gets Tough, the Tough Tune the Radio

Digital HF: Intercept and Analyze
By Mike Chace-Ortiz AB1TZ/G6DHU
Army MARS and TSA PACTOR Network Changes

HF Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman

Digitally Speaking
By Cory Sickles WA3UVV
Evangelists and Cheerleaders

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
Juggling VHF/UHF Contests and a DIY Antenna for 2-Meters

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Let’s Talk!

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Radio and TV via FTA Satellite on Intelsat 21

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
Did He Really Do it?

The World of Shortwave Listening
By Rob Wagner VK3BVW
Something Old, Something New: Kenwood R-5000 and Tecsun PL-680 Receivers

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Top Shortwave Programs and a Tiny Change in Time

Amateur Radio Astronomy
By Stan Nelson KB5VL
Using FITS Viewers with Radio Astronomy Images

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
Contributor’s Guide to TLZ

Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Wakening the Knight: Allied Radio’s TR-106 6-Meter AM Transceiver

Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Antenna 101: Review of the Basics Part 2

The Spectrum Monitor is available in PDF format which can be read on any desktop, laptop, iPad®, Kindle® Fire, or other device capable of opening a PDF file. Annual subscription is $24. Individual monthly issues are available for $3 each.

Magicband Morphs

July 29th, 2016 |

Author: Steve VE7SL

I have been having fun on 6m every summer since the late 60's. Without doubt, this summer's Sporadic-E (Es) season is the worst one I have experienced in terms of domestic (North America) openings. This summer was almost a carbon-copy of last year's summer Es season. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, unless this is some form of short term or cyclical anomaly, the fundamental nature of Sporadic-E openings appears to be undergoing some type of change. Missing-in-action were the numerous day-long intense openings to California as well as the grand openings to the eastern states (FN grids) and Canada ... all guaranteed openings every summer. These openings would often last well into the late night hours and even overnight, picking up the next day where they left off. This is the second summer in a row where no Es MUF's into the 2m band were experienced, with this year having seen nothing even as high as the 88-108MHz FM band. Maybe I missed them if they occurred, but I don't think so. In terms of non-domestic openings, the band continues to evolve, as it seems that a higher percentage of hours with very long skip continues to rise. As poor as this year has been domestically, CW contacts were completed with Germany, Ireland, England, Japan, France, Canary Islands, Balearic Island, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Cayman Islands. A short and exceptionally rare opening to Africa, allowed an 'almost QSO' with CN8KD in Morocco, as he had one letter of my call incorrect when he quickly faded away ... pretty exciting even for a 'busted' QSO on 6m, in the middle of summer. Whether this very long propagation is just multi-hop traditional Es or something entirely different is still up for debate, as often there are no indicators (beacons or other mid-point signals) indicating that the band is even open. Many, including myself, believe this is some form of chordal hop or interlayer ducting, involving the E-layer alone or perhaps even the bottom of the F layer. Signals strengths can reach 599 levels and almost without fail, have extremely small footprints, with stations just a few miles away hearing nothing at all.

Chordal Hop courtesy: http://g4fkh.co.uk/projects/lp-experiment/

Inter Layer Ducting courtesy: http://g4fkh.co.uk/projects/lp-experiment/

When these openings occur between western North America and Europe, they can be very exciting, as the footprint on the European end often sprays around like a stray garden hose, popping up in a different country with each passing minute. Openings are often fast and furious and always heart-pounding! Perhaps there is still some magic yet to occur but the 'normal' season (or what used to be normal) is drawing to a close as August nears. The fat-lady is warming up her voice behind the curtain and will soon be singing once again. But something else is changing on 6m besides the propagation and that is the huge growth of the JT65 weak signal digital mode. As the season draws slowly down, I still see long-time dedicated CW operators going up the band to dip their toes for the first time on this alternate mode. I have used it fairly often to work stations when the CW / SSB end of the band appears to be dead. The maps shown below, grabbed just four days ago, illustrate what I have been seeing. The amount of JT65 activity is striking, compared to the traditional CW/SSB modes, both shown for the same one hour period. I could assume that the several extra db of weak-signal sensitivity is the reason for the disparity seen from one mode to the other but there may be other factors coming into play.

courtesy: http://www.dxmaps.com/

courtesy: https://pskreporter.info/pskmap.html

Once the band really opens however, the weak-signal sensitivity of JT65 soon looses its previous advantage and the JT65 segment of the band can get pretty clobbered, with numerous signals on top of each other, all competing for their ~200Hz slice of the spectrum. As well, a JT65 QSO is slow ... a minimum of four minutes. Taking four minutes to exchange calls, reports and 'rogers' on a wide open band with strong signals, makes little sense. Perhaps the majority of 6m JT65 operators are new amateurs with a codeless licence or are operating in antenna-restricted communities. Whatever the reason, the numbers are growing and traditional operating patterns are changing. Who knows what next summer will bring!

TX Factor – Episode 12

July 27th, 2016 |

Author: Nick 2EØFGQ

The next show in the series has just hit the airwaves. In this extended summer episode, there is not one, but two rig reviews. The Sun Expert Electronics Transceiver MB1 and the elusive Icom IC-7300 are comprehensively analyzed by ML&S’ Gary Spiers M0TIG and Chris Ridley G8GKC from Icom UK.

Also in this show, Bob teaches Mike a thing or two about amateur satellite operating, and our free-to-enter-draw is back with a chance to win a copy of the recently revised and updated Getting Started with Amateur Satellites book featured in the item.

We hope you enjoy watching the show.

http://www.txfactor.co.uk