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The Spectrum Monitor — July, 2016
July 4th, 2016 | 
Author: 
Stories you’ll find in our July, 2016 issue:
Touring the WJZ Transmitter Site in Bound Brook, New Jersey—1925
By John F. Schneider W9FGH
This month, John takes us on a tour of WJZ, NBC’s Blue Network station in New York, which debuted on October 1, 1921. Founded by Westinghouse Electric, the station was originally located in a shack, accessible only by ladder, on the roof of a Westinghouse factory located at Orange and Plane Streets in Newark, New Jersey. This was Westinghouse’s radio station – preceded by KDKA in Pittsburgh and WBZ in Springfield, Massachusetts. The 500-watt WJZ transmitter was an exact duplicate of the one built for KDKA.
TSM Reviews: Yaesu FTM-3200DR Digital/Analog 2m Transceiver
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
In mid-March, Yaesu surprised just about everyone with the announcement of a new transceiver, capable of analog FM and System Fusion operation. The FTM-320 (DR/DE) is a 2-meters only, 65-watt radio, with front-facing speaker and a simple black-on-amber, dimmable display. Its small dimensions mean it can fit just about anywhere. With a current street price of $180, he believes many hams are destined to be looking for just such a spot.
How to Become an EMI Detective
By Mark Haverstock W8MSH
In a world full of electronic technology, it’s inevitable that there will be an increase in electromagnetic interference (EMI), especially on HF bands. Computers and their peripherals are the biggest offenders, causing a host of problems for those of us in the radio hobbies. Not far behind are the infamous AC power supplies known wall-warts and power bricks. And don’t forget the plasma televisions! Mark shows how to diagnose your EMI problems and how to fix them.
Tube Tester Basics: Understanding and Restoring Emission Testers
By Rich Post KB8TAD
It’s useful to have at least one tube tester around for basic checking, especially for tubes for which you have no spares or as a relative measure of quality. But, all tube testers make compromises in testing. The most basic tester and the one most commonly seen is for emission which measures the cathode current relative to its target average. The typical emission tester also includes a test for shorts and leakage between the elements of a vacuum tube. Leakage and shorts are always tested first since an emissions circuit and meter can be damaged by a shorted tube.
Free-To-Air Satellite Update Mid-Year 2016
By Mike Kohl
Change is a constant in the field of Free-to-Air (FTA) satellite-TV. While some channels continue as they have for nearly two decades, others, particularly the last of the DigicipherII subscription channels may be on life-support. FTA satellite-TV expert, Mike Kohl, reviews all of the C and Ku-band satellites viewable to North American locations and explains what you might expect to find on those channels.
Scanning America
By Dan Veenaman
APCO P-25 Explained; Scanning Creek County, Oklahoma
Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
DMR Scanning Finally Here!
Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman NV6H
HF Fax: Radio with Pictures
Digital HF: Intercept and Analyze
By Mike Chace-Ortiz AB1TZ/G6DHU
Update on NATO STANAG4285 2400 baud HF Modem Activity
HF Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman
Digitally Speaking
By Cory Sickles WA3UVV
Digital Dayton
VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
ARRL June VHF Contest
Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Old Trees, Old Towers, and Living to a Ripe Old Age
Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
FM Mayhem Part 2: A Little Help from a 16-Element Quad-Stacked Array
Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
The Solar Wind
The World of Shortwave Listening
By Keith Perron
Inside the Voice of Korea
The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Greek, Country, Gospel Music and More
Maritime Monitoring
By Ron Walsh VE3GO
Change is Inevitable
The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
472-479 kHz (& Vicinity) Update
Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Finishing the Hammarlund HQ-129X Part 3: Those Modifications
Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Antenna 101: Let’s Review the Basics
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.
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 118
Sun has likely entered new evolutionary phase
The Sun is in the process of crossing into its magnetic middle age, where its 11-year Sunspot cycles are likely to slowly disappear entirely.
Forbes
13 Colonies Special Event
All HF bands will be in play, including the WARC bands, with the exception of 60 meters. Simplex on 2 meters and 6 meters is encouraged.
13 Colonies
Folded Skeleton Sleeve Antennas
The design is a unique way to build a dual-band resonant dipole or groundplane vertical.
High on Solder
Hams could be superheroes when the earthquake hits
When the big one hits, one of the best technologies to rely on for communication may not be cell phones or computers.
KUOW
Middle Tennessee Ham Quest
The Greater Nashville & Middle TN Ham Quest is a new project dedicated to combining traditional Hamfest elements with less traditional offerings that will help to unite the Ham community.
Ham Quest
K5EHX repeater search tool
Enter a city or zip code for near-by repeaters.
K5EHX
GQRX for digital signals
The idea was to show how GQRX can be combined with other software to use it’s nice GUI. With some plumbing, that’s easily possible.
Carriers Everywhere
How do you measure the success of Field Day?
I’m the president of our club, so if the experience isn’t great, then a large portion of the blame falls on me. After this year, I have a feeling some folks are ready to have me impeached.
KK4DSD
First Field Day as a CW operator
Field Day 2016 with the Knightlites QRP club.
Ham Radio QRP
Field Day 1929 style
The transmitter was a 27-24-24-865 job more or less straight out of July 1931 QST.
AmateurRadio.com
Direwolf: Software soundcard, modem/TNC and APRS encoder/decoder
It can be used stand-alone to observe APRS traffic, as a digipeater, APRStt gateway, or Internet Gateway (IGate).
WB2OSZ
Video
APRS timelapse
Video made of APRS screenshots from aprs.fi map.
DF2ET
Properties of different types of capacitor
Find out all about the different properties of the various capacitor types: electrolytic; ceramic; tantalum; plastic film.
YouTube
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 117
Field Day 2016 is upon us!
Sean, KX9X, Media and Public Relations Manager for the ARRL comes by to share the League’s perspective of the event as well as some tips and tricks to make this Field Day one to remember.
HamRadio360
Field Day 2016 site locator
To find a location near you, type in your town and state in the Location or Call Sign box on the left.
ARRL
It’s Field Day weekend 2016: find a local event, have fun
If you live in North America and have an interest in becoming a ham radio operator, this is the weekend to check out what amateur radio is all about.
The SWLing Post
Are you ready for Field Day?
I’ve been working on my set up for portable HF operations for the last couple of months. It is nothing elaborate or even remotely fancy. It does work and that is good enough for me.
N0RVS
VLF, LF, MF experimenters will transmit ARRL Field Day greetings
A number of Experimental (Part 5) licensees — nearly all of them radio amateurs — have been plying the depths of the radio spectrum as the ham radio community awaits FCC action on the new 2200 and 630 meter bands.
ARRL
Field Day 2016: Activate Off Grid Systems!
Be flexible and understand that Field Day means different things to different people. For some, it’s a serious disaster preparedness drill. For others, it’s a contest, a public outreach effort, or a picnic in the park with radios.
Off Grid Ham
Checklist for a GOTA station
So, I don’t forget to bring anything, I thought I’d come up with a checklist for the station.
KB6NU
Special event station K1D to operate satellites on Field Day
In an effort to encourage more kids and their families to get involved in the hobby, the kids at Ham Radio (dot) World are working to put an all-kids Special Event ARRL Field Day station on the air.
Southgate
“Amateur Radio Week” proclamations abound in advance of Field Day
Several states, counties, and communities across the US have officially recognized the public contributions of Amateur Radio.
ARRL
New Mexico wildfire emergency threatens some Field Day sites
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES®) volunteers in New Mexico late last week responded to the Dog Head fire, which is affecting Torrance and Bernalillo counties, and that activation continues.
ARRL
Field Day 2016 rules [PDF]
Field Day is open to all amateurs in the areas covered by the ARRL/RAC Field Organizations and countries within IARU Region 2. DX stations residing in other regions may be contacted for credit, and may submit entries as check-logs.
ARRL
Packing small
We’re off for our first real holiday in five years. Two weeks in Sweden in a rented motor home. Can’t wait to enjoy the fresh air and laid-back lifestyle. The results of the end-fed half wave (EFHW) experiments were good enough that I packed it in my suitcase. For transmitter I decided not to take my KX3 but get a simple crystal controlled CW kit from eBay. Only cost a few bucks and it is fun just to see if I can make some QSOs with it at all. If not, then nothing lost. I modified the LPF so I can also stick some 20 meter crystals in it. The straight key is a J37 (SKCC QSOs wanted) and a 5/12 Volt battery pack completes the setup.
See you on the bands!
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 116
When everything else fails, ham radio will still be there—and thriving
Ham is now a full-fat fabric that can provide Internet access. Why aren’t you using it?
ars technica
FCC to investigate rise in noise floor
The FCC is investigating changes and trends to the radio spectrum noise floor to determine if there is an increasing noise problem.
ARRL
Daily Twitter HF Activity Challenge
Amass as many contacts as possible between 0000z and 2359z each day. Post your results to Twitter.
SOTABEAMS
TCP and UDP connections over audio
This binding provides an abstract version which emits and consumes floating point samples which can be fed to a sound card.
GitHub
6 Meter Quad Turnstile Antenna
A quad turnstile consists of two cubical quad loops oriented in a diamond configuration and angled 90 degrees apart from one another.
High on Solder
DIY Powerpole voltage and current meters
Due to the availability of nice and cheap modules, it is very easy to make them oneself.
AmateurRadio.com
Canada Day Contest 2016 is coming
Amateurs all over the world are invited to Canada’s Birthday Party on the air.
RAC
23DA330 Jeremy’s Homebrew Quad
Jeremy was able to remove about 145′ of #19 copper wire from the old discarded washing machine motor which provided him more than enough wire to create 3 square loop driven and parasitic elements.
Delta Alfa
Video
Icom 7300 Fldigi Setup
Whether I’m using N1MM, N3FJP, MMTTY or Fldigi, the rig settings stay the same.
K0PIR
Digital modes via satellite
An example of what it’s like to work amateur satellites using digital modes.
YouTube
Last Pass of April 2016 ISS SSTV Event
This is one of two rare MAI-75 passes over North America.
YouTube
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 115
ARRL June VHF Contest this weekend
For amateurs in the US and Canada (and their possessions) to work as many amateur stations in as many different 2 degrees x 1 degree Maidenhead grid squares as possible using authorized frequencies above 50 MHz.
ARRL
Hey, which coaxial cable should I use?
We’ll focus on the most popular cables, with 50 ohm impedance to match the output impedance of our transceivers.
Ham Radio School
Is DMR the digital voice winner in Amateur Radio?
It was standing room only at the DMR Forum at Dayton this year.
KB6NU.com
AM: The original speech transmission mode
AM radio has been in slow decline for decades, indeed it’s disappearing completely in some European countries.
Hack A Day
Deceptive Sun
A quick glance at Sunday’s sun reveals a spotless environment, something we will likely be seeing more often in the years to come.
VE7SL
Digital Video Transmission using LimeSDR and GNU Radio
One of the reasons why I find the LimeSDR interesting is that it can transmit high data rates over a wide frequency spectrum. It covers many ham radio bands where we can legally transmit wide signals using high power.
MYRIAD RF
ARES volunteers take part in search for missing plane
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers in Kentucky recently joined other volunteer organizations, law enforcement, firefighters, and emergency managers in an effort to locate a missing single-engine private aircraft.
ARRL
Mark’s battle with RFI & EMI
Everyone involved in radio comms will suffer this insane problem at some stage of their hobby career. Interference from cheap and nasty technology destroying listening pleasure!
Delta Alfa
Bouvet… so far away…
Why isn’t the Intrepid DX Group announcing plans to activate Bouvet? It all comes down to money. Lots of money is needed.
N6PSE
Decoding NOAA weather satellite telemetry beacons
The telemetry not only contains data such as the current spacecraft time, day and ID, but also contains scientific data from on-board instruments.
RTL-SDR.com
Wrap it up: Icom sums up Hamvention 2016
Icom America
Video
80 Meters Was out of Reach…
I have a pal who lives a stone’s throw away from me. He kept telling me about a group that he chatted with most nights on 80 meters. The closest I could get was 40 meters with my multiband inverted vee. I could hear those guys clear as anything, all 300 miles away. Try as I might, my 40, which tuned for 80 just couldn’t make the trip with my barefoot 100 watts.
It took me a while to figure out how to get such a long antenna in my rented back yard. I did a lot of measuring and drawing in Autocad to make absolutely sure I could put this up back there. When I was finally convinced, I told my pal Lloyd, that I was going to do it. I told him I’d get it as soon as I ordered and received some more wire. Being the great guy he is, he told me he had wire for me to just come and get it. I was more than appreciative.
Wire in hand, I knew I’d need a balun to bring it in from my 450 ohm line that I would use from the feed point to near my window. I ventured onto the Internet and found an outdoor electronic project box. It was about 3.5×5. Perfect for the toroids I had already purchased. Parts in hand, I began work.
