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The November-December 2022 SARC Communicator
1 November 2022 | by
We're Back With 100+ Pages Of Projects, News, Views and Reviews
'The Communicator' digital periodical of Surrey Amateur Radio Communications is now available for viewing or download.
Read in over 145 countries now, we bring you Amateur Radio news from the South West corner of Canada and elsewhere. With less fluff and ads than other Amateur Radio publications, you will find Amateur Radio related articles, projects, profiles, news, tips and how-to's for all levels of the hobby.
You can view or download it as a .PDF file from: https://bit.ly/SARC22Nov-Dec
Previous Communicator issues are at https://ve7sar.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Communicator and a full index is HERE.
As always, thank you to our contributors, and your feedback is always welcome.
The deadline for the next edition is December 20th.
If you have news or events from your club or photos, stories, projects or other items of interest from BC or elsewhere, please contact us at [email protected]
73,
John VE7TI
'The Communicator' Editor
POTA Enthusiasts: POTAXXIA May Be Right For You
Help is available.
The post POTA Enthusiasts: POTAXXIA May Be Right For You appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.
Bob Witte, KØNR, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Colorado, USA. Contact him at [email protected].
Ham College 94
Ham College episode 94 is now available for download.
Extra Class Exam Questions – Part 32.
E7B Amplifiers:(part 2 of 2) Class of operation, vacuum tube and solid-state circuits, distortion and intermodulation, spurious and parasitic suppression, microwave amplifiers, switching-type amplifiers.
George Thomas, W5JDX, is co-host of AmateurLogic.TV, an original amateur radio video program hosted by George Thomas (W5JDX), Tommy Martin (N5ZNO), Peter Berrett (VK3PB), and Emile Diodene (KE5QKR). Contact him at [email protected].
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 259
If China declares war, these Ham Radio enthusiasts could be crucial
Ham Radio might turn out to be more than just a pleasant pastime.
L.A. Times
Mastodon.Radio: A Twitter alternative for Hams
Mastodon.Radio is a community space for the Amateur Radio community. It’s entirely funded by its users.
Mastodon.Radio
More information about the NOAA-15 failure
The technical aspects of the AVHRR Scan Motor failure.
RTL-SDR.com
Building a local network with LoRaWAN
The core of the build is the LoRaWAN gateway which sits at the top of a tall building to maximize the wireless range.
Hack A Day
Understanding the basics of APRS and how to get started
APRS stands for Automatic Packet Reporting System.
K0PIR
A tour and deep-dive of my SOTA/POTA Backpack
A deep dive into my world of packs, bags, and organization. It’s not for the faint of heart.
QRPer
Building a field expedient Amateur Radio kit
The ability to rapidly move to a remote area and set up reliable multi-band, multi-mode communications in very short order.
On All Bands
History of the 11m Ham band
11m was a legal Ham band in North America from 1947-1958.
PE4BAS
Why I’m keeping my IC-7300
There’s been a lot of hoopla over the new Yaesu Radios.
KK4Z
Video
Hamilton Hamfest walkthrough
A walkthrough of the excellent Hamilton Hamfest.
VE3IPS
Installing FT8, JS8Call, FLDIGI, and Gridtracker on Linux
Let’s get FT8, JS8Call, FLDIGI, and gridtracker installed on the Evolve Maestro laptop running Linux Mint.
KM4ACK
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Amateur Radio Weekly is curated by Cale Mooth K4HCK. Sign up free to receive ham radio's most relevant news, projects, technology and events by e-mail each week at http://www.hamweekly.com.
The Spectrum Monitor — November, 2022
Stories you’ll find in our November, 2022 issue:
LnR Precision MTR-4B V2 QRP Transceiver
By Thomas Witherspoon K4SWL
This little radio first caught Thomas’ attention at a Four Days in May (FDIM) QRP conference over a decade ago. He writes, “A ham friend in the SOTA community proudly showed me a very early version of the Mountain Topper that he built from a kit. The first thing that struck me was how impossibly small and extraordinarily lightweight it was. But when he showed me the 9-volt battery he used to power it––a power supply not only small, but convenient––I was mesmerized.”
Remote Ham Radio Options: Software and Hardware
By Mark Haverstock K8MSH
We’ve all used remote control for decades to operate TV sets. Mark says, “Remote control operation also works for your ham radio hobby. Maybe you live in RFI hell—places where interference from computers, appliances, plasma TVs, and other consumer electronics wreak havoc on your receiver. Or maybe you’re in a lousy location for working DX, or any station for that matter? Then there’s serious portable operation. Imagine working stations from the great outdoors or from a hotel room.” Mark shows how to use software and hardware to make this happen.
Secrets of the End-Fed Half-Wave Antenna
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
As with anything that becomes popular, a certain mythology has developed about the End-Fed Half-Wave (EFHW) antenna, leading one to believe that it is some sort of miracle antenna, capable of gain, never needing a tuner, operating without any sort of counterpoise and extremely broadband in nature, among other amazing (but incorrect) ‘alternative facts.’ Cory says, “While a properly constructed and erected EFHW can be an effective radiator, your understanding and enjoyment of its overall performance characteristics deserves a closer look.”
2022 SDR Buyer’s Guide
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW
Receive-only SDRs continue to grab a major share of the HF shortwave marketplace. With the popularity of Raspberry PI systems, new manufacturers, primarily from outside the US, are now incorporating SDR technologies with portable handheld receivers. Digital radio, and in particular the Software Defined Radios, or SDRs, have quickly become a reality for many of us in our radio shacks. Larry looks at what’s available for 2022.
2022 Scanner Radio Buyer’s Guide
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW
2022 has shaped up to be familiar territory when it comes to selling scanner radios. Larry explains that chip shortages, labor shortages, supply chain irregularities, China Covid lockdown policies and other woes have resulted in “out of stock” notes from various sellers on popular models. Larry looks at products that are available and explains which might be best for you, where you live.
Scanning America
By Dan Veeneman
Scanning Delaware County (PA)
Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
Hurricane Ian Response
Milcom
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW
Monitoring US Coast Guard Aviation Fleet
Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman
2022 Hurricane Season on HF
Shortwave Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman
The World of Shortwave Listening
By Valter Aguiar
Latin American Radio Report
The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Fall Shortwave Schedules
Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
21st Century SWL
Amateur Radio Astronomy
By Stan Nelson KB5VL
The ‘Big Ear’ Radio Telescope’s ‘Wow’ Signal
Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
The Fearnola: 1920s TRF Three-Dial Set
Digitally Speaking
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
2022 Amateur Radio Digital Voice Guide
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.
Ken Reitz, KS4ZR, is publisher and managing editor of The Spectrum Monitor. Contact him at [email protected].
Hunting For NDBs in CLE285
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| YPO-401 Peawanuck, ON tnx: ve3gop.com |
When tuning for NDBs, put your receiver in the CW mode and listen for the NDB's CW identifier, repeated every few seconds. Listen for U.S. NDB identifiers approximately 1 kHz higher or lower than the published transmitted frequency since these beacons are modulated with a 1020 Hz tone approximately.
For example, 'AA' near Fargo, ND, transmitted on 365 kHz and its upper sideband CW identifier was tuned at 366.025 kHz while its lower sideband CW ident could be tuned at 363.946 kHz. Its USB tone was actually 1025 Hz while its LSB tone was 1054 Hz.
Often, one sideband will be much stronger than the other so if you don't hear the first one, try listening on the other sideband.
Canadian NDBs normally have an USB tone only, usually very close to 400 Hz. They also have a long dash (keydown) following the CW identifier.
All NDBs heard in North America will be listed in the RNA database (updated daily) while those heard in Europe may be found in the REU database. Beacons heard outside of these regions will be found in the RWW database.
From CLE organizers comes the following CLE info:
Our 285th Coordinated Listening Event starts on Friday.
This frequency range is not packed with signals for any of us, but if conditions are OK there could be some nice surprises.
Do join in, whether you have days to spare, or only an hour or so over the weekend.
Days: Friday 28 October - Monday 31 October 2022
Times: Start and end at midday your LOCAL time
PLEASE NOTE that most of us will be changing our house clocks
during the weekend, but UTC time continues without changes.
Range: 400 - 419.9 kHz
Please log all the NDBs that you can identify with nominal (listed) frequencies in the range - it includes 400 kHz, but not 420 kHz - plus any UNIDs that you come across there.
Send your final log to the List (no attachments please) with ‘CLE285’ and 'FINAL' in its title.
Show on each line:
# The Date (e.g. '2022-10-28', etc., or just '28' )
# The Time in UTC (the day changes at 00:00 UTC).
# kHz - the nominal published frequency, if known.
# The Call Ident.
Please show those main items FIRST. Other optional details such as Location and Distance go LATER in the same line.
As always, of course, tell us your own location and brief details of the equipment that you were using during the Event.
We will send the usual 'Any More Logs?' email at about 20:00 UTC on Tuesday so that you can check that your log has been found OK.
Do make sure that your log has arrived on the List by 09:00 UTC on Wednesday 2 November at the very latest.
We hope to complete making the combined results within a day or two.
You can find full details about the coming CLE from the RWW Website, including the CLE285 seeklists for your part of the World – just select CLE from the main menu.
Details about current and past CLEs are available from Alan’s NDB List Website, http://www.ndblist.info
Good listening
Brian and Joachim
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From: Brian Keyte G3SIA ndbcle'at'ndblist.info
Location: Surrey, SE England (CLE coordinator)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
(If you would like to listen remotely you could use any
one remote receiver for your loggings, stating its location
and owner and with their permission if required.
A remote listener may NOT also use another receiver,
local or remote, to make further loggings for the same CLE)
A remote listener may NOT also use another receiver, whether local or remote, to obtain further loggings for the same CLE)
These listening events serve several purposes. They
• determine, worldwide, which beacons are out-of-service or have gone silent since the last CLE covering this range
• will indicate the state of propagation conditions at the various participant locations
• will give you an indication of how well your LF/MF receiving system is working
• give participants a fun yet challenging activity to keep their listening skills honed
Final details can be found at the NDB List website, and worldwide results, for every participant, will be posted there a few days after the event.
The NDB List Group is a great place to learn more about the 'Art of NDB DXing' or to meet other DXers in your region. There is a lot of good information available there and new members are always very welcome. As well, you can follow the results of other CLE participants from night to night as propagation is always an active topic of discussion.
You need not be an NDB List member to participate in the CLEs and all reports, no matter how small, are of much value to the organizers.
Remember - 'First-time' logs are always VERY welcome!
Reports may be sent to the NDB List Group or e-mailed to CLE co-ordinator, Brian Keyte (G3SIA), whose address appears above. If you are a member of the group, all final results will also be e-mailed and posted there.
Please ... give the CLE a try ... then let us know what NDB's can be heard from your location! Your report can then be added to the worldwide database to help keep it up-to-date.
Have fun and good hunting!
Steve McDonald, VE7SL, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from British Columbia, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].
Hustler 4BTV base cover.
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| Lower section before balun install. |
Autumn is here along with the leaves all over the lawn, once or twice a week I take the lawn mower out with the grass catcher on and vacuum the lawn of leaves. Doing this got me thinking of winter and my Hustler 4BTV antenna regarding the snow. I did some internet searches and some left the base alone while others covered it. The conscience was that snow does not bother the vertical with regards to performance but I was concerned about the connections and isolation balun.
I decided to make a box to cover the base section of the antenna but one that could easily come off in case of a storm and I had to lower the antenna. I wanted something simple, that would stand up to the weather and remove without issue. I came up with a cover made of wood and only 4 deck screws had to be removed to remove the box cover from the antenna for storage. The top also has 4 deck screws it can be removed for access to the antenna if it has to be taken down due to high winter winds.
I also made the box with room on the side as I knew I would be adding the choke balun to the mix. It's going to be painted white to mix in with the snow when it comes and I will keep on top of shovelling the snow on and around it just in case the antenna has to come down due to windy weather.
As said before to remove the box ultimately all that has to be done is 4 deck screws removed and the side cover and half of the top cover comes off and the box can be removed and stored for the summer. In case of poor winter weather, 2 deck screws are removed and half of the top cover is removed and the antenna base is exposed.
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| Room for the Balun |
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| Completed box to be painted |
The final picture shows 1/2 of the top cover removed and the lower screw clamp is exposed and can be loosened for the antenna to be removed. The cover goes back in place.
Read the rest of this post
Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].
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