AmateurRadio.com

Hello and welcome to the 463rd installment of Linux in the Ham Shack. In this short-topics episode, the hosts discuss employment opportunities with the ARRL, an Erie ham radio operator with bad intentions, Ham Radio Village at DEFCON 30, updates to the Raspberry Pi OS install images, the rmlint utility and much more. Thanks for listening and have a great week.

73 de The LHS Crew

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].

AmateurLogic.TV Episode 168 is now available for download.

A new type Type ‘N’ connector installed. VarAC enhanced Chat client. Transferring photos over the air from a bluetooth phone.

Download
YouTube

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].

I have a story for you. All of it is true, but I have not changed my name.

Wow! I am always amazed at those moments in my amateur radio hobby when spontaneous joy is had by unexpected events.

On Thursday, 14-April-2022, at about 17:30 Universal Time (UT), the unexpected occurred, and it started by accident.

I have been reorganizing my radio shack. Once I moved my main transceiver (the Icom IC-7610) from one desk to another, and had it back in operation, I left it tuned to a random frequency, in the CW mode. It was just sitting there, hissing away with the typical shortwave sounds of a frequency on which no one was transmitting. And me? I was going about reorganizing my radio shack.

After a while, I heard the start of a Morse-code CW signal; the operator was sending a CQ call–a transmission that invites a response from anyone who wishes to have a QSO with the calling station. What I heard was, “CQ CQ DE EP2ABS EP2ABS…”

NOTE: This transceiver, my Icom IC-7610, is listening with the new antenna—the 254-foot doublet up at 80 feet–that was raised up into the air here at my QTH by a fine crew from Hams in the Air.

I looked up EP2ABS on QRZ dot com, because I did not know from what country/entity the EP2 prefix on callsigns belongs. I was excited to see that EP2 is from Iran!

I started answering his CQ call, “DE NW7US NW7US,” for at least ten minutes; each time he sent his CQ, I answered. Finally, I heard him answering me, “NW7US NW7US DE EP2ABS 5NN…”

I answered back, sending my signal report, “5NN 5NN DE NW7US TU”

Soon after that simple exchange, he confirmed our QSO by posting our QSO to Logbook of the World (LotW).

Thus, by accident–as I had simply left the transceiver tuned to a randomly-selected frequency and stayed on that frequency listening while doing my chores–I heard the Iranian station calling CQ. What are the odds!?!?

This is my first QSO with Iran, another All Time New One (ATNO). How cool!

Note: This is a testimony to the work from the crew that did the fine work of getting this antenna installed.  Here is a video presented by Hams on the Air:

73 de NW7US dit dit

Visit, subscribe: NW7US Radio Communications and Propagation YouTube Channel

 

A belated birthday gift arrived the other day, when the order was placed the item just went on back order so I had to wait. I ordered this item from Radio world here in Canada and I have to say that this company is first class. They are the DX Engineering of Canada and if you have ever dealt with DX Engineering you know what I am talking about. When the antenna was ordered I was not charged until the unit came in. Once it was shipped I was sent the tracking number and a link from there office that gave me updated information as to the where the item was in it 's travels. Then when it arrived the store sent me an email letting me know it had arrived. The expedited shipping is very reasonably priced, as in the past I have very frequently come across when shipping is more expensive than the item itself. This store is located in Toronto and when I lived in that city I often would drive up to their store. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. In a very short time they knew your name and upon return visit to the store you were known on a first name basis. 

So what whats in the box? I will be waiting until the weather warms up a bit more until the assembly and tuning starts.

Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

 

A belated birthday gift arrived the other day, when the order was placed the item just went on back order so I had to wait. I ordered this item from Radio world here in Canada and I have to say that this company is first class. They are the DX Engineering of Canada and if you have ever dealt with DX Engineering you know what I am talking about. When the antenna was ordered I was not charged until the unit came in. Once it was shipped I was sent the tracking number and a link from there office that gave me updated information as to the where the item was in it 's travels. Then when it arrived the store sent me an email letting me know it had arrived. The expedited shipping is very reasonably priced, as in the past I have very frequently come across when shipping is more expensive than the item itself. This store is located in Toronto and when I lived in that city I often would drive up to their store. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. In a very short time they knew your name and upon return visit to the store you were known on a first name basis. 

So what whats in the box? I will be waiting until the weather warms up a bit more until the assembly and tuning starts.

Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

While I would love to think that in Wayne’s World, this article would be “excellent,” that’s for you to decide! In this month’s Practical Wireless magazine, my article, “Need a Hand? Or Six?,” is on the cover. Like many hams, soldering work on the bench takes many forms. A lot of that involves setup time to get the right tools in place to begin. I really like to minimize these things so that my limited time is spent goofing up a solder joint..uh, making good soldering joints…and getting things done.

I also have been immensely dissatisfied with the cheap “helping hands” devices found at every hamfest or rally I’ve attended. The magnifying glass tips over too easily, there’s really not enough “hands” to suit me, and if I drop it on my garage floor, it’s likely to shatter. So I was inspired by a previous article in the April 2021 PW about the fabrication of a jig to do SMD work by Michael Jones GW7BBY.

My “artisan” soldering platform is my current solution to having a rather full-featured 12″ square platform with numerous “hands” to hold parts for using my two hands for holding the soldering iron or gun and the solder thread. It’s an honor to publish in Practical Wireless, smartly edited by a world-class contest operator, Don Field G3XTT. His book on 6 meter operation was recently revised and it’s well worth reading before practicing the “magic” in the 50 mhz region!

Frank Howell, K4FMH, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Mississippi, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

In this episode, Martin Butler (M1MRB) is joined by Chris Howard (M0TCH), Martin Rothwell (M0SGL), Frank Howell (K4FMH), Bill Barnes (WC3B) and Leslie Butterfield (G0CIB) to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief and in the episode's feature, Ham Radio Boot Sale and Podcasters Quiz.

We would like to thank Denny Morrison (GM1BAN) , Avishay Greenberg (4X5VG) and our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

• Dave Ritter, ND4MR, Receives ARRL Herb S. Brier Instructor of the Year Award
• Amateur Radio Led to a Teenager Embarking on an Electronics Career
• SOTA's 20th Anniversary
• G6WBS - SOTA Mountain Goat
• PRESENTER OPINION : Elvis Left the Building…in 2015
• Youngsters on the Air contest results
• Dan Lloyd to Lead Ofcom’s Work Managing the UK’s Airwaves
• New FCC Application Fee will not Apply to Amateur Radio License Upgrades

Colin Butler, M6BOY, is the host of the ICQ Podcast, a weekly radio show about Amateur Radio. Contact him at [email protected].