Technet

My Week in Radio

• CQ WW RTTY contest
  • 70 contacts in one afternoon
  • a little antenna maintenance in the middle
    • poking at un-un
    • reinstalling counterpoise
• PSKFest
  • 3rd place in QRP class (of 4 people)
• fixed some connections in or near the house to fix some 2M antenna performance
• using pulleys in the tree for cleaner rope work in trees
• New R1CBU 0.32.2 firmware for the X6100
• loaded frequencies into the scan on the quansheng to watch for those new satellites Tom’s been emailing
• APRS getting much better on RT-880G with alternate firmware
• loved to hear about practical guid to IRLP into KA3TKW

Others

• K3EA, Greg:
  • RTTY contest
  • CW contest
  • NA QSO Party for RTTY upcoming
  • state QSO parties are coming up, good for WAS
  • 17 and 20M will have best propagation for DX
  • hamclock backend is going away
    • alternatives are in the works
    • https://openhamclock.com - web based
• WB3LNY, George:
  • Hamcation in FL
    • nearly as big as hamvention
• KC5DRI, John:
  • Hamcation in FL
    • meeting people
• WE3ARE, Paul:
  • Hamcation in FL
    • lots of swaps and gadgets
    • large vendors
    • saw demos of https://amateurrepeaterdirectory.org/
• W3TUG, “Tug”/Ray:
  • Hamcation in FL
• VE3HOH, Pete:
  • Chris Casper demoed meshtastic for another club
  • wants to get into it
  • has openhamclock running
• KA3TKW, Tom:
  • UMK-1 satellite: got a good pass and posted SSTV photos
  • RS-18: 437.950 downlink for SSTV. 10 or 11pm tonight, then 10 or 11 am in the morning
    • then done
  • amsat website -> satellite resources -> current satellite status
    • added these new SSTV satellites
  • chinese space station will have ham radio soon
    • 145.825 / 436.510 down
    • and another
  • ham lunch last thursday: hibachi buffet
• K3DMM, Denny:
  • some satellite contacts from within the house
  • QRZ 250 certificate
    • 20% confirmed on SSB
  • AnyTone AT-890UV
    • a friend has a video using full duplex on the HT for satellite.
• KC3NWN, Jim:
  • using a president washington on 11M
  • XFM program for satellite
  • elwood of ham clock SK
• KA3TKW, Tom:
  • IRLP How-to
    • buy an IRLP node for $250-500
    • get a node number assigned
    • 9204 is the one 21 is connected
• KK4KKW, Steve:
  • some HF work down in Florida
    • good contacts
  • contacts harder up here
• N7JMS, John:
  • FT8
  • listening on 21

My Week in Radio

• RTTY Round Up got me the last couple states I needed on QRZ with the new callsign
• USB adapter for CW key on computer
  • use it with websites
    • vband for online CW chat
    • morse invaders
      • keying CW for video games is improving my accuracy
• Continue to practice to improve reading CW
• Visited the hamfest in Harrisburg, but didn’t buy anything
• Headed East tomorrow to help install antennas for field day next weekend
  • see how others do this more reliably
  • learn some better practices
  • my antennas usually get replaced regularly for repair or boredom
• Nothing for swap and shop

Others

• WB3LNY, George:
  • Hamfest in Harrisburg
  • local 6M repeater
  • modifying a big icom battery
  • got a new IRLP node from a guy in Chicago for portable use
• KA3TKW, Tom:
  • keep your groups.io account active
  • John Holler passed away
  • Jeff Dipolo operating VHF contest on: 50.140 USB, 146.52, 446.00
    • Chambersburg
  • new satellite: KW2
    • 436.950 down
  • Ham lunch on last Thursday this month
    • Glen talking about directional beverage antennas
    • show and tell
    • Riley will be there
• VE3HOH, Pete:
  • shared some history with John Holler
  • helping restore service to a local repeater
    • introducing and balancing some more battery backups
  • some work on power supplies
• K3DMM, Denny:
  • dabbled in NA QSO party
  • trying some DX work to Fiji
• KD3BVC, Jeff:
  • just getting started with his Baofeng UV-5R
  • built a jpole
• N3RBG, Jeff:
  • 50 W, Comet GP-6, 70ft up a pine tree, good signal to/from Plymouth Meeting

My Week in Radio

• muted the APRS channel on my UV-PRO, so I don’t need to hear that squawking away
  • there is an option to mute digital, but it only works when it recognizes it’s digital
• been testing a doublet built from:
  • a split speaker wire,
  • 44ft end to end
  • a 4:1 balun
  • choke balun
  • 30 FT8 contacts on 20M at 1W for a park activation
• 80M EFHW today for better receive to place 21.6M-long EFRW
• worked contests:
  • PSK Fest: 15 contacts
  • RTTY Roundup: 70 contacts
• gave one of Tom’s cool little ATS radios to a friend’s kid, get him bitten by the bug

Others

• K3EA, Greg:
  • special event station
  • this past weekend:
    • rtty contest
    • psk31 contest
  • NA QSO party, CW next weekend
• WB3LNY, George:
  • working on some 12V power supplies
• VE3HOH, Pete:
  • ordered some radios
  • great tuner
• KA3TKW, Tom:
  • RS-40 pass at 8:40 tonight
  • 437.625
  • no special equipment needed
  • trivia net on wednesday
  • Saturday Hamfest in Harrisburg, W3UU
  • new commercial satellite:
    • AST bluebird 6
  • mod firmware for ATS v4 radio
    • waterfall
    • s17432
    • decodes CW and RTTY
  • DigiRig Mobile: $49
    • audio
    • PTT (no need for VOX), so better than just a USB sound card
    • connect lots of radios
  • lots of SSTV
  • ordered a UHF Moxon SSTV antennas
    • big in RC airplane world
    • range video LLC
• K3DMM, Denny:
  • not much luck with SSTV yet
• KC3VZU, Bob:
  • not getting to the ham fest
  • working on full-band radio in truck, replaced the mic
• W3MW, Don:
  • finishing wiring of antennas
  • getting shack back in order
• KC3ZBI, Ron:
  • doing paperwork to do a ham radio program for a local school
• KC3EWN, Curly:
  • new Arrow antenna
  • Icom W-32A, full-duplex, 5W
  • ready for satellite
• K3EA, Greg:
  • DigiRigs have wiring for old rigs
• VE3HOH, Pete:
  • watch 401MHZ and 401.025 for occasional satellites

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

My Week in Radio

• KC3WWC changed to KD3EE
  • nice for CW
  • start over with a whole new log book
  • days to find and update everywhere
• packet radio for Winlink and BBSes including KA3TKW
  • like my old modem BBS days
  • phone + btech HT as TNC
• POTA, FT8 + CW
  • new Gabil whip with the sliding coil is very convenient
  • learning value of chokes in the right places: computer interference from RF
  • chasing CW POTA from home
• working a little more 10M now as we near autumn
• have a google calendar feed from https://contestcalendar.com/ keeping my calendar very full should the mood to do some contesting strikes

Others

• KA3TKW, Tom:
  • trivia net has new format: 5 digital
  • digipeaters
    • 145.010
    • 28.105
• K3EA, Greg:
  • heard hamsci presentation:
    • study from eclipse
    • upcoming study on meteor scatter
  • training session on the local club station
  • contests:
    • AARL Sept VHF this past weekend
    • WAE SSB contest
    • next weekend: QSO parties
    • following weekend: CQ WW RTTY
    • https://contestcalendar.com/ for more details
  • solar flux index and sunspots down this past week
  • normal/average propagation
  • some disruptions coming up: increased K index
  • minor storms coming tomorrow.
  • check clusters for current DXpeditions
    • Palestine/West Bank on the air for about a week, FT8+CW
  • no QSL cards this week
• WB3LNY, George:
  • local hamfest in Indiana
    • sold some LMR-400 + other things
  • new tower in place
• VE3HOH, Pete:
  • recovering from back injury
  • cleaning up radios
  • working on some amplifiers
  • getting some HF wires up
• KA3TKW, Tom:
  • Owen Garriott, W5LFL, was the first person to operate ham radio from space in 1983
  • easy sats:
    • ISS
    • SO-50: tues + wed 7:30pm
    • SO-124: tues + friday 12:25pm
    • SO-125: tues 11:25, wed 12pm, thurs 10:30am
  • looking for a presentation for next luncheon
• K3DMM, Denny:
  • worked PO-101 earlier in the week
  • Route 66 on the air: 12 of 19 cities, and 2 of 5 rovers
    • request a cert with even 1 contact
  • met fellow ham at RV show, recognizing antenna
• KC3ZBI, Ron:
  • had someone try to cut his coax
  • wondering about periodically reprogramming the keps in his OpenGD77 HT
  • Tom: every 10 days or so
• W3MW, Don:
  • VHF contest, but not participating
  • antenna work in nice weather
  • looking forward to december contest
• KC3NWN, Jim:
  • new alinco rig, 60m monoband, beam pointed to repeater
  • watched recent ISS pass
  • SO-50 often works for him
  • east stroudsburg hamfest
  • there’s AM on 17m
  • lots of simplex 2m and other VHF
  • QSL card from oklahoma on 17m

Swap and Shop

• VE3HOH, Pete:
  • rohn tower with guy cable, 8 sections

My Weeks in Radio

• traveling
  • Chino Hills State Park near Los Angeles
  • 2 activations
  • hiked and biked my gear in on my back
• Field Day QRP, emergency power, on the patio, at home, 650 pts

Others

• K3EA, Greg:
  • in charge of antennas at local field day
  • 13 colonies coming up: https://13colonies.us/
  • Marconi Memorial contest
  • see the calendar
  • monitor FT8 or calling on 6M
  • good HF this week
  • Guyana: 8R1TM
  • Russians in Mozambique: C94RRC, C93RRC
  • LotW is undergoing maintenance
• KB9AWS, Bernie:
  • hearing VHF openings in the morning
• KC5DRI, John:
  • conversations with truckers while traveling NC on simplex
  • travel using repeaters
  • got to dayton this year
• KA3TKW, Tom:
  • SSTV coming around july 4 from ISS, watch email
• KK4KKW, Steve:
  • POTA Hunting
  • visited SPARC for field day
• K3DMM, Denny:
  • heard lots of ISS contacts on field day
  • saturday is firecracker hamfest: postal picnic grounds
• KC3NWN, Jim:
  • contact from a mobile at camp right now
• VE3HOH, Pete:
  • local field day in macadoo
• KC3VZU, Bob:
  • setting up a wire antenna and an HF rig
• W3MW, Don:
  • lots of work getting antennas up
  • trying 10GHz, but blocked by foliage

My Weeks in Radio

• French Creek State Park (US-1355)
  • All FT8, 1-2W.
  • Tried PSK, but no one responded.
• 80M EFHW, 130ft
  • Built a 64:1 unun for it to help match better than the 49:1.
  • Resonant in many places, maybe need tuner in one band.
• Customizing Allstarlink node to make it easier to manage.
• New R1CBU firmware for my X6100.
• Getting tempted about the zbit or sbit, but the X6100 scratches that itch for being able to customize it.

Others

• WB3LNY, George:
  • Dayton Hamfest.
• KA3TKW, Tom:
  • No net on holiday weekend.
  • Enjoying zbitx and zbitx.
  • Visited club in Letterkenny, satellite presentation.
  • New power connectors for the zbits.
• VE3HOH, Pete:
  • Tried 6M with a quarter-wave on mobile.
    • Worked well, trying some repeaters.
    • Working simplex on trip from Pottstown to Pine Grove.
    • Fixing connectors.
    • 100W.
• W3MW, Don:
  • 2.4GHz station ready to go with loop yagis.
  • Soon will have 5.6GHz by next month.
  • UHF pre-amp.
  • Pre-amp is more necessary, at the antenna, on these higher frequencies.
• KC3VZU, Bob:
  • Looking into RADTEL 880 w/ HF, VHF, UHF, SSB, 10W.

Swap and Shop

• W3MW, Don:
  • IC7300, 100w, portable, tuner, pack setup.
  • Looking at Yaesu, FTX-1.

My Week in Radio

• I did field day with a group out toward Parkesburg
  • I saw a fancy satellite station for sideband, etc in action
• Attended the lunch on Thursday
• Had Direwolf monitoring a plain ol’ Quansheng to decode packet
• Btech UV-PRO
  • inexpensive
  • APRS location and messaging
  • KISS TNC over BT
  • WoAD on android
  • Winlink
  • Terminal to access BBS on KA3TKW
• Trying to build a tactical delta loop
  • 4:1 balun
  • 2 17 ft whips
  • 25 ft wire for the top
  • 3d-printed base

Others

• K3EA, Greg:
  • QSO parties
  • upcoming contests
  • Solar weather
  • DX
    • Wake Island on 10M
    • Gambia, 10-20m, FT8
      • our sunrise
    • Rowanda, 10-30m, FT8, CW
  • New DXCC programs
  • Cards from bureau
  • Will talk at march lunch about Hamcation in Orlando
• WB3LNY, George:
  • headed to Hamcation in Orlando
• KB9AWS, Bern:
  • New batteries
  • Appreciate the group you have, use the repeater
• VE3HOH, Pete:
  • Working on a combo nvis dipole for 40 meters
    • 20 ft above ground
    • Inverted V
    • Combo it with a vertial for 10M
  • Looking at military antennas for manpack
    • 30MHz-512MHz rubber duck on eBay
  • Looking at some low-power, remote receivers
• K3SWZ, Glenn:
  • Worked 20M helping test a new DX station in Kenya
• KA3TKW, Tom:
  • 145.825MHz ISS packet digipeater
• KB3MIJ, Tray:
  • Repairing some repeater hardware
  • Got a replacement generator for a site
• K3DMM, Denny:
  • Lunch on Thursday
  • HT with Arrow to make ISS contacts and SO-50
  • Try Arrow from inside
• KC3ZBI, Ron:
  • Lunch on Thursday
  • Starting figuring out LoTW
• N3LJP, Bill:
  • Looking for charger for AA, AAA lithium batteries that runs off 120V.
  • KC3BOB, Bob:
    • Hobby King is a good mail-order shop for battery needs
  • KC3WWC, John:
    • I like my EBL chargers off Amazon
    • Inexpensive
• KC3VZU, Bob:
  • Ham lunch, liked the presentation
  • Going to get HF rig up and running

Swap and shop

• WB3LNY, George:
  • Looking for a teletype
• VE3HOH, Pete:
  • Some yagis for weak signal work
  • Drake TR7
  • Kenwood 830
• KA3TKW, Tom:
  • 25W Motorola mobile rigs
  • RadioShack SW receivers
  • Panasonic SW portable
• KB3MIJ, Tray:
  • Jet turbine generator

My Week in Radio

• ARRL 10m contest:
  • 13 CW contacts logged on paper
  • Iambic keyer set to 20 WPM somewhat confidently
  • Still relying on radio to decode for me
• Hunting some CW POTA activators through the week
• Practicing copying CW
• Latest beta of Meshtastic app on Android is reconnecting automatically
• ISS SSTV 25 Dec - 4 Jan

Others

• K3EA, Greg:
  • FT8 whack-a-mole
  • Saw some RTTY contests
  • Canadian contest next weekend
  • https://contestcalendar.com/
  • Jan 4-5 is RTTY Roundup
  • Kids day
  • Good space weather, peak of solar cycle
  • DX
    • Phillipines
    • French Guyana
• WB3LNY, George:
  • Diagnosing heating connections on large electrical panel
• NE3H, Joe:
  • Spoke at length with a bunch of old acquaintances from Taiwan
• KC3VZU, Bob:
  • Installing some coax and a 220MHz rig
• KD3AGU, Richard:
  • Licensed 3 weeks ago
  • Setting up DMR
  • Listening to a net in Ephrata
• K3DMM, Denny:
  • 16F outside, so no fun standing outside for satellite work
  • Tuned some mobile antennas
  • Worked a couple ISS passes
  • Good SO-50 pass
  • Looking forward to lunch on Thursday
• WA3WIJ, Ron:
  • Rebuilding Halicrafters radio with caps and tubes
  • Preparing for straight key night
• KC3ZBI, Ron:
  • Working on an outside antenna
  • Trying for 12 days of Christmas Event
• N7JMS, Jon:
  • Got some new countries on FT8/FT4
  • Building a 10M loop antenna
  • Is there any C4FM or Fusion available in the Harrisburg area?
    • K3DMM, Denny: 447.925

My Week in Radio

• I used N3KZ 440 repeater in York from Lancaster
  • always surprised on their range.
  • thought UHF didn’t go far.
• I built an Allstar node from a PI 4 and a USB-C radio dongle to reach a fringe repeater.
• I’m looking forward to FT challenge
• I stumbled into and recognized some Olivia-8/250 on 20M, and some SSTV
• I’ve been hearing lots of ISS repeater traffic at convenient times on my good ol’ 1/4 wave antenna in the tree.
• I got the radio blog up-to-date with all my adventures.

Others

• 145.010 packet repeater
• K3EA, Greg:
  • No contests this past weekend
  • Next weekend:
    • ARRL 160m CW at night
    • FT challenge - normal exchanges
  • December 14-15
    • 10m contest, phone/CW, 48 hrs, should be great.
  • https://contestcalendar.com
  • Propagation should be normal and above normal
• WB3LNY, George:
  • Working on ISS access.
• KA3TKW, Tom:
  • ARISS mission 1622UTC, 145.800
  • New satellite on Nov 4, AO-123, ASRTU, FM, 4-day pass
  • Easy satellites
    • ISS: 145.800FM, 145.825 packet, 437.800FM downlink
    • AO-123, 435.400FM down
    • SO-50, 437.795FM down
• K3DMM, Denny:
  • Travel and simplex contacts
• K3AQ, Kenny:
  • New laptop from Best Buy to run fldigi, etc.
• KB3MIJ:
  • Some fldigi on HF
  • Some repeater work at reesers.
• W3MW, Don:
  • Most bands on a vertical antenna.
  • Mounting some antennas on the roof with a contractor.
  • Built some more receive pre-amps.

Swap and Shop

• VE3HOH, Pete
  • Rohn 25 sections + brackets
  • 8 yagis for 432.
  • Kushcraft yagi for 2 meters
• KA3TKW, Tom:
  • Cheap UHF radios
  • CMD-1550
  • Shortwave receivers