Posts Tagged ‘amateurradio.com’
Ham Radio to the rescue!
May 19th, 2015 | 
Author: After kind of causing the problem, in the first place.
http://kdvr.com/2015/05/17/littleton-snowshoer-rescued-after-falling-off-icy-ledge/
Thanks to Drew W2OU for pointing this one out.
But in all seriousness folks, portable ops can seem harmless, but they come with their own hazards and some can be life threatening.
Just a few basic things to keep in mind:
Don't go hiking alone if you're unfamiliar with the trail. It's too easy to get lost. I speak of this one from personal experience. Once I was out on a hike in the Adirondacks on an unfamiliar trail for the first time, and I took a turn I shouldn't have and found myself off the trail. Fortunately, I kept calm, retraced my steps and found my way back quickly and easily. However, if you panic, all bets may be off. Moral of the story - two or more sets of eyes are better than one when looking for trail markers.
Always take along extra water, food and appropriate clothing. While it may be hot and sunny when you start out, weather can and often does change in a heart beat, so keep weather conditions in mind. For good measure, always bring along your VHF/UHF handheld, it could literally save your life.
Let someone know where you're going and approximately how long you'll be gone.
This is an obvious one, but people sometimes forget. If you can hear thunder, shut the station down! A storm does not have to be right on top of you to be a lightning threat. Lightning bolts can touch down more than 10 miles away from a thunderstorm's leading edge.
Portable operating is about the most fun you can have in Amateur Radio, but you have to approach it in a common sense fashion.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
http://kdvr.com/2015/05/17/littleton-snowshoer-rescued-after-falling-off-icy-ledge/
Thanks to Drew W2OU for pointing this one out.
But in all seriousness folks, portable ops can seem harmless, but they come with their own hazards and some can be life threatening.
Just a few basic things to keep in mind:
Don't go hiking alone if you're unfamiliar with the trail. It's too easy to get lost. I speak of this one from personal experience. Once I was out on a hike in the Adirondacks on an unfamiliar trail for the first time, and I took a turn I shouldn't have and found myself off the trail. Fortunately, I kept calm, retraced my steps and found my way back quickly and easily. However, if you panic, all bets may be off. Moral of the story - two or more sets of eyes are better than one when looking for trail markers.
Always take along extra water, food and appropriate clothing. While it may be hot and sunny when you start out, weather can and often does change in a heart beat, so keep weather conditions in mind. For good measure, always bring along your VHF/UHF handheld, it could literally save your life.
Let someone know where you're going and approximately how long you'll be gone.
This is an obvious one, but people sometimes forget. If you can hear thunder, shut the station down! A storm does not have to be right on top of you to be a lightning threat. Lightning bolts can touch down more than 10 miles away from a thunderstorm's leading edge.
Portable operating is about the most fun you can have in Amateur Radio, but you have to approach it in a common sense fashion.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
The scoop from Elecraft at FDIM
So Elecraft came to FDIM today, to announce the new K3S.
The new product is an enhanced K3 with many new features - here's a link to a .pdf which explains them all in detail. And here's a link to a FAQ.
It appears the new K3S will be approximately $500 more than the old version, and the original K3 has been "discontinued" or "replaced" - whichever you prefer. In addition, it appears most, but not all the enhancements will be retro-fittable to make a K3 a K3S. The new bezel and the attenuator, for instance, will not.
I wonder - how does the guy feel who took delivery on a brandy new K3, in the very recent past? Are they happy because they squeaked under the wire and got their K3 at the lower price? Or are they feeling a bit miffed because they ordered and received something that is no longer "the latest and the greatest"? Except for the cosmetics, it appears that you can pretty much turn your existing K3 almost into a K3S - and you do have a "system" that is continually upgradable. So if you're an Elecraft owner, you can take comfort in the fact that when you buy something, the company does its best to stand behind their product and you.
I for one, am quite happy with my KX3's. They're all the radio I need, and should Elecraft come out with a KX3S tomorrow, I would not be bothered in the least.
The morning UStream feed from FDIM was disappointing. If you attempted to watch it, you saw that only a portion of the video picture appeared and none of the audio. Basically, you missed the entire Elecraft K3S presentation. Things got straightened out during Rev. Dobb's presentation and we were able to hear that the good Reverend was inaugurated as QRP-ARCI's very first Lifetime Member.
The silver lining is that hopefully the feed will be up and running normally for the remaining sessions.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
The new product is an enhanced K3 with many new features - here's a link to a .pdf which explains them all in detail. And here's a link to a FAQ.
It appears the new K3S will be approximately $500 more than the old version, and the original K3 has been "discontinued" or "replaced" - whichever you prefer. In addition, it appears most, but not all the enhancements will be retro-fittable to make a K3 a K3S. The new bezel and the attenuator, for instance, will not.
I wonder - how does the guy feel who took delivery on a brandy new K3, in the very recent past? Are they happy because they squeaked under the wire and got their K3 at the lower price? Or are they feeling a bit miffed because they ordered and received something that is no longer "the latest and the greatest"? Except for the cosmetics, it appears that you can pretty much turn your existing K3 almost into a K3S - and you do have a "system" that is continually upgradable. So if you're an Elecraft owner, you can take comfort in the fact that when you buy something, the company does its best to stand behind their product and you.
I for one, am quite happy with my KX3's. They're all the radio I need, and should Elecraft come out with a KX3S tomorrow, I would not be bothered in the least.
The morning UStream feed from FDIM was disappointing. If you attempted to watch it, you saw that only a portion of the video picture appeared and none of the audio. Basically, you missed the entire Elecraft K3S presentation. Things got straightened out during Rev. Dobb's presentation and we were able to hear that the good Reverend was inaugurated as QRP-ARCI's very first Lifetime Member.
The silver lining is that hopefully the feed will be up and running normally for the remaining sessions.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Something new from Elecraft?
Will Elecraft be introducing something new at Hamvention tomorrow? Seems like it to me. Eric and Wayne posted the following on Facebook:
Notice the use of tomorrow's date in the display. Also - the current black chassis radios in the Elecraft line are the K3 and the KX3. Both use black screws on the bezel - not silver. AND the last character before the word "Transceiver" on both radios is a "3" ...... not an "s". Lastly, there's no current radio in the Elecraft line (that I'm aware of) that has that little "down arrow" above the VFO knob.
Seems to me that a major announcement is in the offing for tomorrow. I guess time will tell!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Notice the use of tomorrow's date in the display. Also - the current black chassis radios in the Elecraft line are the K3 and the KX3. Both use black screws on the bezel - not silver. AND the last character before the word "Transceiver" on both radios is a "3" ...... not an "s". Lastly, there's no current radio in the Elecraft line (that I'm aware of) that has that little "down arrow" above the VFO knob.
Seems to me that a major announcement is in the offing for tomorrow. I guess time will tell!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
It’s time
As much as I hate to do it, I need to look for a new laptop for the shack. A few months ago, when the family computer gave up the ghost, I pressed my shack desktop into service in that role. To fill the void in the shack, I resurrected my old Acer Inspire One netbook. It's a small machine with a very small screen, with hardly any processor power. It was performing duties way beyond its pay grade. This is the kind of computer that was designed for looking at e-mails and Facebook, and that's about it. Needing something better, I tried recruiting my even older HP laptop (the one with the broken top lid hinges - thanks, kids!) into service. Alas, it's better than the Acer, but only by the breadth of a hair. It has a bigger screen, more RAM and a bigger hard drive, but it's still an old XP machine that has grown long in the tooth.
To explain what I mean ..... I went down to the shack last night to add some entries to my main logging program from the HamLog app I use when operating portable. I flipped the on switch at 9:30 PM and by the time it had booted up and the logging program had loaded it was about 9:47 PM. 17 minutes is not good. I wanted to start pulling out my hair by then. I think watching paint dry, or grass grow would have been less stressful and more entertaining.
That exercise in frustration drove me to start searching the Web. At work, IBM issued me a Lenovo T410. I still use this model every day. Yes, they are slowly being refreshed out with the newer T440 model, but mine has served me decently well at the job over the last few years. I have found a couple places where I can pick up a refurbed T410 with 4G of RAM, a 250 GB hard drive and Windows 7 Professional in the $150 neighborhood.
This model has everything I would need. It can hook up to the Internet wirelessly, it has 3 USB ports (need one for the KX3, one for a mouse, and one for an external keyboard), provisions for adding a second VGA monitor and the standard audio ports, so I can do the digital modes, should I ever be inclined to go down that road. Not planning to go there, but you never know. I'll have to dip into savings to acquire one, but having a computer in the shack has almost become a necessity.
Of course, I could always go native and log strictly with paper and pencil, but I don't think the ARRL would accept mailed in Xerox copies of my log for LoTW. Also, I like to keep my eye on QRPSPOTS as well as SOTAWatcher. Can't do that without some kind of computer, although I guess I could always just use my cell phone for those. And having a Telnet DX Cluster at my disposal for confirming that I correctly copied the call of that DX station who was sending at a blistering 45 WPM is a nice thing to have, too. (Was that an "H", or a "5" ? - 37 years of Hamming and my ears still wig out on those two, at times.)
This is another occasion where I'll just have to bite the bullet and take the plunge. Good thing I wasn't planning on going to Dayton.
Oh, and by the way, as long as I mentioned Dayton .... best wishes to all those heading to Ohio for FDIM and Hamvention. May the weather be good, the traffic light and travelling conditions safe - there and back!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
To explain what I mean ..... I went down to the shack last night to add some entries to my main logging program from the HamLog app I use when operating portable. I flipped the on switch at 9:30 PM and by the time it had booted up and the logging program had loaded it was about 9:47 PM. 17 minutes is not good. I wanted to start pulling out my hair by then. I think watching paint dry, or grass grow would have been less stressful and more entertaining.
That exercise in frustration drove me to start searching the Web. At work, IBM issued me a Lenovo T410. I still use this model every day. Yes, they are slowly being refreshed out with the newer T440 model, but mine has served me decently well at the job over the last few years. I have found a couple places where I can pick up a refurbed T410 with 4G of RAM, a 250 GB hard drive and Windows 7 Professional in the $150 neighborhood.
This model has everything I would need. It can hook up to the Internet wirelessly, it has 3 USB ports (need one for the KX3, one for a mouse, and one for an external keyboard), provisions for adding a second VGA monitor and the standard audio ports, so I can do the digital modes, should I ever be inclined to go down that road. Not planning to go there, but you never know. I'll have to dip into savings to acquire one, but having a computer in the shack has almost become a necessity.
Of course, I could always go native and log strictly with paper and pencil, but I don't think the ARRL would accept mailed in Xerox copies of my log for LoTW. Also, I like to keep my eye on QRPSPOTS as well as SOTAWatcher. Can't do that without some kind of computer, although I guess I could always just use my cell phone for those. And having a Telnet DX Cluster at my disposal for confirming that I correctly copied the call of that DX station who was sending at a blistering 45 WPM is a nice thing to have, too. (Was that an "H", or a "5" ? - 37 years of Hamming and my ears still wig out on those two, at times.)
This is another occasion where I'll just have to bite the bullet and take the plunge. Good thing I wasn't planning on going to Dayton.
Oh, and by the way, as long as I mentioned Dayton .... best wishes to all those heading to Ohio for FDIM and Hamvention. May the weather be good, the traffic light and travelling conditions safe - there and back!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Something that’s been bothering me
For a little while I’ve been pondering a problem on, or rather mostly off.
My SOTAbeams SB270 is a 2m & 70cm antenna that used a fairly unique way of holding the antenna elements. There are a set of elements for 2m and a set for 70cm. Each element had a hollow nylon cap head screw with a knurled end that was screwed into the plastic antenna boom. Unfortunately Richard can’t supply these as spares.
My SB270 is useful for, well SOTA, and the occasional VHF contest but what is makes up for in portability it lacks in gain. So I’ve thought about making a single boom version that covers 6m, 2m and 7ocm. The idea seems reasonable but the crucial aspect of mounting the antenna elements is a sticking point. Here’s a brief design brief.
1. Doesn’t need tools to assemble in the field
2. Must stay in place once installed
3. Must be easy to replicate (Just in case anyone else wants a go). So no need for specialist fabrication skills.
4. Must keep with the ‘elements live in the tube when not in use’ principle, So no big bulky parts
I have used standard pipe clamps and they get knocked about and blown around in our strong winds. Stauff type clamps need tools so they’re out. Some 3D printed parts are available on thingiverse but they look like they are for permanent installations or don’t really float my boat.
So, here’s the plea. Any ideas other than the one below?
The current thinking is to use some thicker walled ABS pipe (like durapipe which is cheap and easily found) and some threaded inserts for the parasitic elements. Only feeding the driven element is making me think a bit. May need a cut out or permanent part which has feeder and (ugly) balun.
Thinking caps on!
Possibilities
It's sunny and the sky is a brilliant blue and there are no clouds. The high temperature for the day is expected to reach around 80F (27C). The SSN is currently at 110 and while the A index is slightly high, the K index is only "1".
I am hoping this makes for good band conditions during lunchtime today. Hopefully, I'll jump on somewhere around 1745 UTC for about an hour.
Amateur Radio is so much like fishing. The possibilities abound, and you rarely know what you're going to get. I don't get how anyone could not like this hobby. Even when I get skunked, I may be disappointed, but I never have a bad time.
To turn a phrase, "A bad day at Amateur Radio is better than a good day at ...... (you fill in the blank)".
I'll update this later to let you know how it went.
Lunchtime Post Mortem:
The weather was indeed beautiful, the band conditions were "meh". Signals were non-existent on 10 and 12 Meters, sparse on 15 Meters and most plentiful on 17 Meters (which has become a favorite band).
I worked YN5SU in Nicaragua and OT4A in Belgium, and that was it. I called CQ for a bit and had no takers. But I was getting out, according to RBN:
I have no idea, however, why RBN has my location as somewhere in the vicinity of Missouri.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
I am hoping this makes for good band conditions during lunchtime today. Hopefully, I'll jump on somewhere around 1745 UTC for about an hour.
Amateur Radio is so much like fishing. The possibilities abound, and you rarely know what you're going to get. I don't get how anyone could not like this hobby. Even when I get skunked, I may be disappointed, but I never have a bad time.
To turn a phrase, "A bad day at Amateur Radio is better than a good day at ...... (you fill in the blank)".
I'll update this later to let you know how it went.
Lunchtime Post Mortem:
The weather was indeed beautiful, the band conditions were "meh". Signals were non-existent on 10 and 12 Meters, sparse on 15 Meters and most plentiful on 17 Meters (which has become a favorite band).
I worked YN5SU in Nicaragua and OT4A in Belgium, and that was it. I called CQ for a bit and had no takers. But I was getting out, according to RBN:
I have no idea, however, why RBN has my location as somewhere in the vicinity of Missouri.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Some PMR fun
It was the Dambusters Hamfest on Sunday. Sadly the weather was awful with heavy rain all morning so was only there for an hour. Despite the flying visit I managed to pick up a couple of old PMR radios for conversion.
One is a Tait T535 2-Channel Mobile PMR which can be converted to amateur 2m operation relatively easily. Details are available on the internet including David Pye's website. I intend to use this unit to set up a permanent APRS internet gateway/digipeater.
While walking around with the Tait I attracted the attention of another seller who had some PYE MX294 units for sale. One was already converted to work on the 25kHz spaced simplex and repeater channels with CTCSS. The other was only partly converted and they came with a box full of spare boards and mounting plates and an original microphone and speaker. I wasn't really looking for any more units but seemed a bargain for £20.
The PYE MX294 was indeed converted and seemed to work fine on the simplex channels, and while it was receiving and transmitting on the repeater channels it wasn't transmitting the CTCSS sub-tone. With some sage information from Ian MW0IAN on twitter it was a simple issue to solve, using the oscilloscope I confirmed the tone was being generated it was the pot controlling the level that was set too low.
I have made a couple of QSOs with it and had some good audio reports. It is capable of 25W but has been set to 10w output so may increase this in time. Stewart M0SDM from the club was kind enough to video a QSO to illustrate the audio. Impressed by the quality of the unit I have ordered a second hand copy of the PMR Conversion Handbook as published by the RSGB from eBay so I can finish the the other MX294 as information on the net is a bit sketchy.
The Tait is proving a little more involved. It has a diode matrix board to set the Tx/Rx frequencies which has been set incorrectly. It also had a CTCSS board that was hard-wired in rather than socketed which I have now removed. The information of which diodes to link/unlink is freely available, however I decided to create a small windows utility to simplify the calculation. This is available for download from my website, it is supplied as is and with no warranty.
There are a number of modifications to add multi-channel to this radio by the use of eproms, but I am considering devising an Arduino solution to allow setting of frequencies and possibly selection of CTCSS.
