985 Workbench: 2025-10-27

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  • blog up-to-date after months being outdated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.

See also