My Week in Radio

• Other clubs
  • Learned about geochron:
    • old mechanical map with terminator lines
    • new digital one with all sorts of visualizations, including ham radio
  • Presentation on Antennas and feed line at a Ham Lunch in Harrisburg.
• US-1418, POTA:
  • FT8, 10M, mostly 1-2W, but 4W some times.
  • also 1 CW contact
• Built conveniences into software I use for my radio weblog
  • easily link park identifies to the POTA site and callsigns to QRZ profiles.

Others

• KD3BPI, Simon:
  • Listening while mobile
• WA3VEE, Ron:
  • setup and plan for WFD
• KC3SCY, Luke:
  • PM/AM net
  • working on CW
  • Bruce Kelley Memorial event coming up in a couple weeks:
    • will operate 1929 TNT and 1929 Hartley
• KC3OOK, Bill:
  • Hosted Welfare Net
  • At Joe’s to plan hardline from tower to building
  • worked on cable trays for his shack
• KC3KFT, John:
  • 10M has been open lately
  • Retired Net on 28435kHz or 28333kHz
• K3FF, Rene:
  • operated lots on CQ WW SSB. Lots on 10M.
  • working on Yaesu 991A that wouldn’t power on initially. (lightning?)
  • insure your good equipment
• KD3AIS, Tim:
  • 1st General Class
• KD3BWL, Frank:
  • Learned about EchoLink
    • contacted a repeater in VA
  • other repeaters
• KC3MAI, Joe:
  • purchased a CW keyer to start learning
• W3QP, Tim:
  • Headed to Illinois for work:
    • aiming to activate Summits in Illinois and neighboring states
• K3DBD, Bob:
  • First time checking in to this net in a long time, even though being a long-time user.
  • 68 years into ham radio
  • chairman of technical committee in Pottstown Club.
  • preparing for ARRL Frequency Measuring Event on 8 November
  • fixing a broken PC board for an old wurlitzer juke box
• KC3YSM, Steve:
  • DXing: Chile, Italy, Canada
  • Mobile listening
  • Excited to hear Ron’s plans for WFD

Questions

• KC3MAI, Joe:
  • Has a keyer and paddles, how should he learn CW?
    • is it bad to start with paddles?
  • WA3KFT, John:
    • taught CW
    • with a staight key, you can practice spacing within a character as well as the timing of dit and dah (3*dit)
    • straight key is easier to control speed and start slower
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • Has gotten Rusty in CW
    • Used to be able to do 18WPM
    • Look at Koch Method and Farnsworth spacing
      • slow down by extending spacing between characters, not by slowing everything.
    • 10-15 minutes a day really helps.
  • W3GMS, Joe:
    • Call Joe and discuss at great length
    • CW instructor in the Military
    • Do not try any sending until you can copy 10 WPM
    • focus on recognizing the sound
    • don’t count dits and dahs
  • AF3Z, Jim:
    • use CW software to train
    • ensure you practice at higher speed to avoid counting
    • G4FON software
  • NA3CW, Chuck:
    • don’t ever look at a chart or page of dots and dashes
    • it’s about sound
    • learn to receive well first
  • KB3ZIM, Bob:
    • https://morsle.fun/ is effective practice and lets you stretch for speed

I ran out to Sam Lewis, US-1418, to activate when the rain stopped.

I took a few minutes to setup my normal EFHW running North-South to operate more to the East and West, though I did get a contact to Colombia.

I operated mostly low-power FT8, 1-4W, but mostly 2W. I chased and got 1 CW contact before it started getting cold and dark.

My Week in Radio

• great ham fest in Harrisburg
  • ARISS presentation was great with a good pass to hear astronauts answering questions at a museum in Indiana
  • bought a cheap power meter for HF and some connectors
• 5 hours of CQ WW DX SSB contest
  • 12 contacts
    • Canary Islands on 5W SSB.
    • heard lots more that could hear my 5W
  • logged in World Radio League website and phone app. It exported a perfect Cabrillo file for the contest.
  • POLO was not going to cut it for contest exchanges. (I later found global “Activities” settings that exposed a “simple contest” mode.)
• blog up-to-date after months being outdated

Others

• NA3CW, Chuck:
  • PM/AM net on 75 meters
• AF3Z, Jim:
  • trying echolink, noticed repeater keys instantaneously, but audio is significantly delayed allstar seems less delayed
  • 10M CW Sked: around 28.180MHz
  • found a DX pile-up a little lower in the band:
    • C5Y from Gambia
    • used RIT
    • managed to work the station
    • 70W
• KC3OOK, Bill:
  • net control for simplex net
  • building his station on the bench
  • ron dropped off an HP signal generator
• KD3AIS, Tim:
  • made his 1st 10 contacts on 10M
  • getting comfortable
• KC3NZT, Harvey:
  • also got on 10M while it’s open for the contest.
    • 50 countries in 10 minutes
    • also New Mexico on 10M for WAS
• WA3KFT, John:
  • fighting with a Bird Watt Meter 4410.
    • powered by 9V battery
    • has an amplifier that’s required
    • not working
    • may need repair
• KC3MAI, Joe:
  • upgraded to AE
  • signed the private land use bill
  • 4 contacts in contest, including C5Y
  • Father Murgas Reenactment
    • this is an important event
    • Hungarian priest came to wilkes barre
    • into wireless telegraphy
    • first person to do point-to-point over 20mi (Wilkes Barre to Scranton)
    • used a 2-tone system of his own invention instead of CW
    • Joe’s driving and buying lunch. email him.
• AC3NW, Manny:
  • identified a good location for his Hustler 5bpv vertical with radials
    • cleared with XYL

Questions

• NA3CW, Chuck:
  • Helping a preschool with a computer update. Front of the laptop pushed apart and won’t push back together. Battery is 2x original thickness. Stowed in in the driveway. What do you do with a damaged lithium ion battery?
  • KD3EE, John:
    • drop it at Waste Management in Lancaster: House Hold Chemicals
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • Home Depot took it as long as not actively warm
      • put it in a non-conductive bag
    • His local scrapper would take them too
  • W8CRW, CR:
    • Chester County Recycling said just throw it in the trash(!)
  • W1RC, Mike:
    • in Massachusetts, he’d take it to the Fire Dept.
  • W3KZG, Scott:
    • For NA3CW, Chuck: SECRA doesn’t accept that stuff, but they do pick up a couple times a year. SECRA recommends the retail store.
  • NA3CW, Chuck:
    • local trash collector forbid lithium or lead acid batteries
    • likes the idea of Home Depot
      • may only want tool batteries, though, hand-written sign.
    • not generating any heat
• KD3EE, John: Seeing a 20kHz-wide band of noise in the 30M band. In SSB it sounds like a flatulent tractor anywhere you tune in it. reminds me of maybe over-the-horizon radar. What might this be, and what other mysteries in signals have you seen and solved?
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • 60M is shared with military, but 30M may also have military.
    • radar usually looks like a narrow sweep
  • NA3CW, Chuck:
    • not a broadcasting band, but
    • DRM signal on 70M: shortwave with very defined edges
  • Aberdeen Proving Ground tests lots of HF radio equipment
• AA3LH, Leon:
  • Does anyone have any model trains they’d like to donate for a church display at Christmas? Call 717-286-7216 to donate.
    • KD3AIS, Tim:
      • He has too much stuff in the attic, including trains from childhood.
      • Will donate.
  • AA3LH, Leon:
    • call the number, thanks.
  • W3KZG, Scott:
    • KB3ZIM, Bob, may have some trains to re-home.

• https://www.geochron.com/
• Owner: Patrick Bolan
  • rides motorcycle around and visits geochron users
• mechanical clock since 1964
  • automated map to show greyline
  • backlit
  • 6ft map that turns on gears
  • shades moved by motors
  • seen in movies: twister, clear and present danger, hunt for red october,
  • Ronald Reagan had them
    • gave Gorbechev one as a gift: American ingenuity
  • Geochron still has a mechanical shop to service them
    • refurbish 300 / yr
    • build 100 / yr new
    • $2500-$4000 for new mechanical
    • 25 hours to assemble
• Geochron Digital
  • renders 4K on the client
  • pulls maps and data from geochron
  • HDMI
  • used on carnival cruises, since light on internet
• his geochron shows:
  • pota
  • airplanes
  • weather / hurricane
  • naval carriers for US and others
  • aurora predictions
  • earthquakes
  • lighting strikes
  • noaa satellite images
  • fire hotspots in CA
  • pollution
  • remote controlled or by phone app
• ISS has a video feed you can show on Geochron, and you can see lightning
• Atlas 1 can’t render the newer animated overlays
• Atlas 2 and pro (new this week) show everything
• ham radio features
  • CQ zone maps
  • geocentric map
  • FT8
  • MUF
    • watch for “holes” on the way to a target where the signal would “escape”
  • filter by callsign prefixes (VK)
  • POTA / SOTA
  • ISS
  • satellites filtered by mode with footprint
  • QRZ logbook integration
  • where the moon is shining - moon terminator
• need to customize, since there’s so much data
  • opacity
• Atlas 2 - $425 -
  • 16 layers included with internet access
  • $2-11/month or more layers
  • email coupon@geochron.com for code
    • $425
    • free ham radio annual pass

My Week in Radio

CQ WW DX SSB Contest

• 12 contacts
  • including Canary Islands near Africa
  • heard lots of places that couldn’t hear me: Galapagos
• QRP (<5W)
• Logged in World Radio League website and phone
• exported a Cabrillo file in the right format to submit!
• POLO didn’t seem to collect the right fields

Great Ham Fest in Harrisburg

• Saw some faces from a couple different repeaters I frequent
• Tom’s satellite presentation was great, and we had a really good pass to hear the astronauts talking to the museum in Indiana.
• Bought a cheap power meter for HF and some connectors for it

My Week in Radio

• enjoyed getting to the breakfast
  • great to be unemployed this summer
  • time to find a job, though
• 10M open lots for FT8: Azores today with 4W
• headed to ham fest in harrisburg on saturday
• great collection of probes for my multimeters

Others

• W1RC, will:
  • local hamfest flea market
    • great gear
    • ten tec 555 scout, a favorite
      • adjustable bandwidth
• W3CRW, CR:
  • breakfast
• AC3NW, Manny:
  • considering budget and layout for first HF station
• WA3KFT, manny:
  • some nets
• KC3SCY, Luke:
  • working on CW
  • building a rig
• WA3VEE, Ron:
  • Perkasie RF Hill hamfest
  • 10M this weekend for HF DX: CQ WW SSB Contest
    • great for technicians
  • acquired a cool cat whisker receiver before it got trashed
    • to restore
  • winter field day work
• AF3Z, Jim:
  • carried QRP gear to the beach, but didn’t use it.
• KC3OOK, Bill:
  • usual nets
  • breakfast
  • finished his table and a row of equipment
  • working on a heath kit
  • ordered a speaker for the heath kit
• KC3NZT, Harvey:

Questions

• AC3NW, Manny:
  • Considering antennas for HF in his neighborhood.
    • Trying to remain low-profile.
    • Vertical for HF: Hustler 5BTV
    • trapped vertical
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • used that antenna previously when he was a kid
    • 190 countries
    • 75m resonator
    • WAS on 75M SSB
    • for CW as well
    • solar cycle 20
    • Russia, China, Australia
    • used raised verticals
    • we’ve used that antenna at the field day site
  • K3FS, Renee:
    • an end-fed wire can be pretty invisible
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • that vertical could be sort of conspicuous
    • an 80m dipole with ladder line would be a great multiband
    • has chosen to an EFHW for his home
  • W1RC, Mike:
    • likes his 130-ft EFRW + tuner for agility
  • AC3NW, Manny:
    • end-fed sounds interesting
• K3FS, Renee:
  • has an older amplifier, Clipperton L
  • runs 4 5072 tubes.
  • does not have a tuned front-end
  • used pi network to match impedence to the amplifier
  • there’s a tuning module that can be inserted to give 50-ohm interface for transceiver.
  • doesn’t have that module
  • would an automatic tuner match the amplifier that’s not tuned?
  • WA3KFT, John:
    • uses a 7300 with that Clipperton L for 10 meters
    • has inserted an MFJ tuner between the transceiver and the amp.
    • built-in tuner may not have enough range
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • has no trouble driving the Clipperton L with 7610
    • caution: built a circuit to key it
  • WA3KFT, John:
    • also has a circuit of a transistor driving a relay to key the amplifier
    • DIC relay
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • can share keying circuit to be safe
  • KC3OOK, Bill:
    • learning about his Clipperton L
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • another word of caution: look at the voltage on the relay.
    • it’s driver at a high voltage, so it runs hot.
    • use an LM317 regulator to bring it down
  • K3FS, Renee:
    • great to see so many Clipperton Ls around.
    • already has some tuners to use
    • thanks for relay advice
    • will use a quiet relay
• KC3OOK, Bill:
  • How would one adapt a new speaker impedance to an old radio that uses higher impedance? matching wattage?
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • speakers are pretty forgiving
    • the volume may vary a little
    • large speakers could require more current to move the cone
    • try it and see
  • AF3Z, Jim:
    • 25W speaker doesn’t need 25W, that’s just the max
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • speakers going into clipping is what damages them.
    • sensitivity is rated in dB at 1W at 1M from the speaker
    • pick a speaker that sounds good to you.
    • Liisong speakers are a great option for radios
    • pay attention to how it sounds. a clipping speaker sounds like garbage.
    • 90dB is the benchmark: quite loud.
    • 200-5000Hz is about what we need for SSB
    • find 8ohms or higher
• KD3EMS, Chris:
  • Church is using FRS Retevis radios, Does anyone have any recommendations for ear pieces for extended use?
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • SAL Notes Zero

My Week in Radio

• practiced copying CW with Morse Maven app while on vacation with no radios.
  • Koch method to build up symbols, and now words.
  • I need to break the habit of repeating in my head, especially for similar letters, like F and L.
• listened to PA QSO party, but didn’t participate
• fixed antennas around home were not performing well
  • confused by a local repeater also experiencing power problem
  • bad connection to YAGI
  • 1 entire antenna broken and fallen out of the tree
  • untangled and reassembled everything

Others

• W8CRW, CR:
  • 985 activities, Red Rose, Salem in NJ
• WA3VEE, Ron:
  • breakfast with Pottstown group
  • visited Pottstown repeater site to take photos
  • Pottstown UHF net
  • graphed coverage with “what’s my path” profiler
  • PA QSO parties: 63/67 counties + states, 10k points
    • good test for emergency comms
  • worked other special events
  • RF Hill Hamfest next weekend
  • CQ DX SSB coming up
• W3QP, Tim:
  • picked up LDG tuner at a hamfest
    • started testing it out recently
    • cleaned it up with deoxit to make it work
  • SOTA in vermont: 8 summits
  • summit-to-summit QSO party
  • cleaning up computer stuff around the shack
    • stuff to get rid of: wireless router, ethernet router, PoE, computer
• AF3Z, Jim:
  • avoided the PA QSO party
  • a little CW for random contacts on 10M
• KC3OOK, Bill:
  • south control for simplex net: worked 7 counties
  • finished riser for his station
  • finishing touches on tower base at Joe’s.
• KA3GLI, Dave:
  • installed a ground-rod
  • ordered a throw line to launch some wires
  • planning location for his station in the basement
    • power
• W3KZG, Scott:
  • assisted with Joe’s tower swap
  • helped with last-minute things on tower base
  • picked up a nano VNA on amazon prime day.
• NA3CW, Chuck:
  • 985 activities
  • net control for 75M PM/AM net
  • hosted new hams, James and Mike, to setup a test rig for logging in Kenya. USB to DB9 serial.
  • CQ DX WW SSB will be a great opportunity for DX
• KD3AIS, Tim:
  • learned some colleagues are hams
• AA3LH, Leon:
  • problem: key up HF radio, and it would turn off.
    • troubleshoot for 2 days
    • 3 radios would work with the PS fine.
    • found a bad connector
• KC3SQI, Wayne:
  • 80m OCF thrown into a tree.
  • used the existing rope to pull a pulley into the tree, so it’s easier to get the wire up and down.

Questions

• KA3GLI, Dave:
  • Didn’t care for “Coax Shield” to seal connectors. Is there something better?
  • KB3ZIM, Bob:
    • There’s a silicone tape, coax seal, that sticks to itself, and stays in place really well: 9 years.
    • Maybe you had a bad batch of that “Coax Shield” stuff.
    • try a different brand.
    • make sure the coax is clean.
  • W3KZG, Scott:
    • Coax wrap can be an absolute mess to remove.
    • Has found some recently that doesn’t stick.
    • likes adhesive-lined heat shrink for coax and other electrical applications.
  • NA3CW, Chuck:
    • coax seal was fine in the past
    • squish it in like clay
    • try self-fusing tape: silicone, sticks to itself.
  • KC3OOK, Bill:
    • coax wrap silicon tape
    • doesn’t stick to itself. friction, then electrical tape.
    • cut it off
  • KC3RFG, Jim:
    • does a wrap of scotch electrical tape, then the silicone coax wrap, so it’s easy to remove
  • AA3LH, Leon:
    • has used a non-conductive grease from HRO on connectors
  • KC3SQI, Wayne:
    • stretch and seal silicone tape from home depot.
      • not radio specific.
    • also grease. used on boat as well.
  • KA3GLI, Dave:
    • forgot about adhesive-lined heat shrink
    • lots of good ideas
• KD3AIS, Tim:
  • Are there big factors unexplored in causes of intermod that effects a handful of nets?
  • NA3CW, Chuck:
    • interaction between 2 radio signals acting upon some non-linear element.
      • transistors in the amplifier
      • rusty bolt joint
      • crossed wires
      • power line
      • something that creates a mixing element, and causes a 3rd signal
      • adjacent towers
    • we have control of 1 signal, but not the other
    • could be the nearby cell tower
    • nothing has worked yet
      • lots of solid technical efforts
    • trying to solve it with coexistance
      • digital
      • auxiliary site at Joe’s house
        • different PL tone
  • W3KZG, Dave:
    • do other sites have intermod problems?
  • KC3SQI, Wayne:
    • it is common
    • troubleshooting the second signal is often the problem
    • can also be a problem with field equipment
  • NA3CW, Chuck:
    • slipping connectors can cause it
    • commercial sites require a certain connector to avoid it
  • KC3SQI, Wayne:
    • it can be a problem in non-RF equipment: medical, etc

My Week in Radio

• traveling:
  • cruise ships specifically forbid ham radios
  • practiced copying some CW
• listened to a little PA QSO party, but didn’t participate
• 21 has been lower power recently,
  • wondering if it’s my multiple antennas or the repeaters
  • definitely at least one feed line problem diagnosed during this net

Others

• K3EA, Greg
  • QSO parties coming up
    • Germany
  • CQ WW SSB
  • Vanawatu, SSB
• N7JMS, Jon
  • digi-pi
• KC3ZBI, Ron
  • talking to a classroom about radio
• KA0JQO, Kevin:
  • repeater power
  • when no double beep, then the repeater is putting out full power: 115W
  • when it’s beeping, the power is low: 20W.

Swap and Shop

• KA3TKW, Tom:
  • shortwave receivers

Week in Radio

• Welcome Manny!
• Attended the 3D Printing show in Belair on Saturday
• activated a new-to-me park in MD
• WW RTTY contest
  • 66 contacts, QRP, Rookie
• leaving on a cruise on saturday:
  • no ham radios
  • will miss Red Rose Hamfest

Others

• W3JAM, Jeff:
  • Skywarn in Dauphin county
  • Simplex Net
  • OCF antenna finally installed
  • 2m antenna mounted higher
  • received a 16 element yagi to refurbish
• AC3NW, Manny:
  • new extra license in January
  • building a shack
  • running coax outside
  • working on getting operational in general: VHF and HF
  • looking to install a vertical for VHF and dipole for HF
  • budget
• WA3VEE, Ron:
  • getting ready for Red Rose Hamfest
    • testing some scopes and power supplies
  • setting up his military station
• KC3RFG, Jim:
  • fixing up an antenna and its connections, so radio will tune better
    • replaced a lightning arrester
• WA3KFT, John:
  • hearing some other traffic in his location on 985
  • advice: always have an SWR meter in the coax line to keep an eye on things.
  • reading high SWR on current 2M rig
• KC3OOK, Bill:
  • hosted welfare net on sunday
  • working at joe’s on tower
    • final install this weekend
• KC3SQI, Wayne:
  • working on his feed lines on tower
  • attempted to check-in to the old forks net on Saturday
    • but found Puerto Rico and Scotland instead, so made those contacts
  • hula hoop antenna on top of tower
  • evaluating performance and noise of different antennas he has up
  • noise from air conditioner unit
  • one more antenna to move, and then they’re all on the same mast
• AB3AP, Mike:
  • CW and POTA contacts
  • playing with PLL to track broadcast AM modulation
• AF3Z, Jim:
  • found the rtty contest
  • 7030kHz, found the FOC CW party there
    • worked some of them
    • 2 UK, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, US
    • exchange: signal report and name + FOC number
• KD3AIS, Tim:
  • another week waiting for an antenna bracket for the 2024 Tundra
    • keep getting the wrong bracket
• KB3ZIM, Bob:
  • more 10M activity
  • worked a 6m repeater in Honey Brook: K3CX?
    • linked to other repeaters
    • enjoying morsle.fun: very helpful, 40wpm
• AA3LH, Leon:
  • playing with a receiver on the long wire again: China, Russia

Questions

• AF3Z, Jim:
  • With surface mount, integrated circuits, chips in modern rigs, how repairable do we think they’ll be?
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • surface mount requires specialized equipment for soldering
    • swap whole boards
    • send it for repair
  • W8CRW, CR:
    • shipped a radio back for repair
    • parts sometimes aren’t available for repair
    • obsolete
  • KD3EE, John:
    • Xiegu radios: my X6100 or G90
      • cheap, chinese
      • Radioddity sells a “refresh kit” with common parts
      • I have internal battery to swap in some day
    • updatable software means new features and optimizations in the future
    • is it like cars, where they don’t need repair as much?
  • KC3SQI, Wayne:
    • like TVs, some high power componests with heat sinks will still be replaceable
    • update-able firmware can extend the life
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • for icom rigs with burn-in problem, like ic-7610, repair turn-around is expected to be slow, but it got repaired quickly: 18 days turn-around.
    • updated firmware, totally refreshed, settings restored, replaced clock battery
    • great service from shop in MN
  • NA3CW, Chuck:
    • late 80s kenwood, never had anything wrong with it.
    • can deal with some surface mount
    • flashing may or may not be possible for replaced chips
    • never missed old car tech: more complex but less likely to fail
    • modifications to yaesu for external audio
      • days of work to make mods, so not accessible to most people
    • keeping rigs as long as possible
    • repairable: connectors, finals, power supplies
    • done with boat anchors
  • AB3AP, Mike:
    • old C64 computer had such a following there’s an FPGA reproduction of it.
    • favorite old radios may be cloned, emulated, or new chips fabricated.
  • NA3CW, Chuck:
    • both his rigs have the original Motorola transistors that have been discontinued
    • ebay supposedly has equivalents (or fakes?)
    • other companies stepped up to make replacements
    • if there’s demand there will be supply made available
  • AF3Z, Jim:
    • ARRL had insurance for ham radio gear: preparation
    • amazed at longevity of solid-state gear: Triton IV since the 70s
    • computers with high clock speeds
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • labor is getting expensive: $1000 labor to install $7 part
    • SDR radios, like 7300 is 10 years old, and working well
    • 10 years is probably a good lifespan
    • with labor price, budgeting to buy replacement might be best
    • doesn’t miss old car systems
  • NA3CW, Chuck:
    • they seldom commit suicide, but they sometimes get murdered
    • some new radios promise updates, but never deliver

On the way back from 3DPrintopia, I stopped to activate US-1587 Palmer State Park.

• 11 FT8, 1 CW contacts
• 10m, 15m, 20m
• Gabil slider whip