AmateurRadio.com

Not much new to report.  I had hoped to be home by now but my doctors say otherwise.  

The two ribs are healing nicely, but as long as I am here they want me to do a few weeks of cardio re-hab before they sign me clear, but I have no idea as to how long this will take.  (For those not aware I been a sufferer of Coronary Artery Disease since about 1983 and went through an out patient cardio rehab program back then.)  

For now, the full length ARNewsline newscast remains down.  am looking to find a volunteer with a background in Broadcast Journalism / Radio News Production and who can devote about a day a week to come aboard as a co-producer with me.  I can easily write stories and scripts from here, but doing the editing, post production, etc. would be all but impossible from this environment.

In the meantime, a compact (about 6 minute) audio/video version will continue to be produced by Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, and will be posted to several locations including our Facebook page, our website (www.arnewslinre.org) and included on the weekly show Ham Nation (twit.tv/hn).

My sincere thanks to both Don and out Webmaster Kevin Trotman N5PRE, for keeping the various entities as up to date as possible with the latest breaking news and I can assure you that the full length newscast (both audio and text) will be back -- hopefully in the very near future.  

Also a big thank you to Todd Hitzeroth N6ZXJ who lent me this laptop when mine lost its had drive two days into this unexpected "forced vacation" and to Dave Booth, KC6WFS, who is repairing the machine with its clickety-clacking drive.

Last, but by no means least, my sincere thank you to all who have offer your prayers and e-mailed and/or called with your get well wishes.  All are very much appreciated.  

Keep an eye on the ARNewsline website and Facebook page for the latest updates.

de
Bill P. / WA6ITF

VE7SL Backyard Test

I have recently received permission from Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC), our national organization similar to the ARRL, to post a copy of an article that I wrote for their bimonthly journal, 'The Canadian Amateur'. I have posted a link to the article on my main web index page..."A West Coast Lightwave Project", which describes the building and operating adventure, shared with Markus, VE7CA. This link will also take you to the page.
Steve McDonald, VE7SL, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from British Columbia, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

One of my favourite tweeters on radio matters is Patrick WD9EWK Patrick is a keen member of AMSAT and the wider amateur satellite community. Just recently, Patrick has been experimenting sending APRS packets through the old NO-44 satellite.

NO-44 or PCSAT is one of those satellites that is in its’, er, twilight years. The battery failed some time ago and now the satellite operates when the solar panels can supply it enough power to make it go. It was and is, an APRS digipeater in space. Recently, Patrick has shown making keyboard to keyboard APRS QSOs through NO-44 as well as simply digipeating his own signals. Patrick had used his Kenwood APRS enabled handheld and his handheld Arrow antenna.

I thought I should try! I noticed a pass this morning where NO-44 was in sun all the way up over the South Atlantic before passing directly overhead us here in the UK, so got the ‘usual’ ISS packet setup going, using the V-2000 vertical and wondered if I would hear anything.

All was quiet until I calculated the satellite was almost directly overhead and I send a packet, with the unproto path set to PCSAT via W3ADO-1 To my surprise, I heard a weak packet. Too weak for me to decode, but as I discovered later, thanks to Paul N8HM, the ON7EQ-1 gateway heard it and retransmitted it and plotted me on the map you’ll see below

Tim Kirby, G4VXE, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Oxfordshire, England. Contact him at [email protected].

One of my favourite tweeters on radio matters is Patrick WD9EWK Patrick is a keen member of AMSAT and the wider amateur satellite community. Just recently, Patrick has been experimenting sending APRS packets through the old NO-44 satellite.

NO-44 or PCSAT is one of those satellites that is in its’, er, twilight years. The battery failed some time ago and now the satellite operates when the solar panels can supply it enough power to make it go. It was and is, an APRS digipeater in space. Recently, Patrick has shown making keyboard to keyboard APRS QSOs through NO-44 as well as simply digipeating his own signals. Patrick had used his Kenwood APRS enabled handheld and his handheld Arrow antenna.

I thought I should try! I noticed a pass this morning where NO-44 was in sun all the way up over the South Atlantic before passing directly overhead us here in the UK, so got the ‘usual’ ISS packet setup going, using the V-2000 vertical and wondered if I would hear anything.

All was quiet until I calculated the satellite was almost directly overhead and I send a packet, with the unproto path set to PCSAT via W3ADO-1 To my surprise, I heard a weak packet. Too weak for me to decode, but as I discovered later, thanks to Paul N8HM, the ON7EQ-1 gateway heard it and retransmitted it and plotted me on the map you’ll see below

Tim Kirby, G4VXE, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Oxfordshire, England. Contact him at [email protected].

How about that: It's the first episode of Linux in the Ham Shack for 2015! We hope everyone is having a great new year so far. In this episode, we talk with David Rowe, VK5DGR, of Adelaide, South Australia. David is an audio engineer, Ph.D. scholar, inventor of Codec2 and co-author of FreeDV, among his many accolades. We talk to David about his projects, Linux, amateur radio, life in Australia, LinuxConf AU, the new SM1000 FreeDV device, the amount of energy it takes to make a Krispy Kreme donut, home built electric cars, and much more. Until next time...

73 de The LHS Guys

Russ Woodman, K5TUX, co-hosts the Linux in the Ham Shack podcast which is available for download in both MP3 and OGG audio format. Contact him at [email protected].

So .... the ARRL rejected the idea, out of hand, for the new "Jeeves" cartoons for QST. It appears they don't want any cartoons in QST and they don't want "to look to the past". As I've said in my comments, I think this is so LAME that I cannot believe it! It's thinking like this makes me regret my decision to become an ARRL LIfe Member, so many years ago.

No humor? No look to the past? I think "The Old Man" is spinning in his grave at this line of reasoning. Did any of you at HQ ever read his editorials? You are aware, I'm sure, of the Rettysnitch and the Wouff-Hong?  Do you think those inventions of his were NOT stabs at humor? Do you think his editorial letters were deadly serious 100% of the time?

I think the leadership at the ARRL needs to come off its high horse. I also think you guys are starting to take yourselves way too seriously. To say that you are above humor and that you are above living, enjoying and celebrating your past is to put yourselves on a pedestal so high, that no one even wants to bother looking at you.

QST was always looked upon as "THE" Amateur Radio magazine. Jeeves, Phil Gildersleeve, the humor, friendliness and "folksiness" all helped to put you there, so many years ago. I admire your endeavor to maintain that leadership role, but I think your approach is off. And dare say it,  I think HPM would agree.

My Mom, God rest her soul, always told me "Never let your head get too big and never forget where you came from." That advice has served me well throughout the years. I offer the same sage advice to the ARRL, at no charge - compliments of a thoroughly disappointed Life Member.

Before I close this post, one last thought about looking upon the past, and what it can do for you. Hey ARRL, have you looked at NASA's "spacecraft for the future" - the Orion?  Does it remind you of something from the past, like perhaps the Apollo Command Module?  It appears that NASA didn't think that a concept from the past couldn't be made to work well again, and perhaps even better!

Bravo for them, and shame on you.

Footnote: This rant is NOT a knock on the "worker bees" who actually do the work, and produce QST from month to month. They do an outstanding job, for which I am forever grateful. The policy makers, from whom they take their direction and get marching orders from, IMHO, need to wake up and smell the coffee - perhaps, just a little.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!



Larry Makoski, W2LJ, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Jersey, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

As many QRP'ers, I'm a CW enthuisiast. Before I earned my license, CW was an imagined barrier. I imagined how difficult it would be to learn and that it would the ulitmate reason for me failing to get my license. However, for me, after I tried it it came to me relatively easy. I went from 5 wpm to 20 wpm in 11 months as I advanced to Extra Class. As most of us do, I started with a straight key and moved on to paddle and electonic keyer.
Mike Crownover, AD5A, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Texas, USA. Contact him at [email protected].