Solid Copy
from
Newsletter of the
North Kitsap Amateur Radio Club

President's Message

My apologies to the club. I made some copies of last year's hamfest name tag forms at Kinko's. There was some color, so paid the color price. There was so little color I should have used a color ink pen with black and white copies. It would have saved the club about $12. Oh well, next year---

This will be my first attempt as a vendor at a hamfest. I'm not too well organized yet, and there are one or two items I don't know what they are used for. The rest of the stuff is in the "another man's treasure" category.

The Wednesday program meeting, October 11th, will be used to finalize preparations for the hamfest, and to assign staffing for the various functions. We will need a good turnout so Susan and Marcie can wrap up the preliminary phase.

I'm looking forward to another fun event---

73 Burt

Volunteers Needed!

It’s almost time for the changing of the guard. The nomination and election of club officers takes place at the December dinner meeting. Although we are going into the tenth month of the year and the election seems a long time off, there is just a short time to think about who will lead the club in the coming year. The club offices are listed on the newsletter mailpage. Look over the list and think about the office you would consider or else who would make a good candidate. If somebody approaches you and asks you to consider a position, listen and give some thought to it. After all, they have confidence that you have the qualifications for the office you are being asked about.

NKARC Hamfest – October Madness:

Where has the time gone? Just a few months ago, we were celebrating the start of the new millennium. Now it is October, the tenth month of the year 2000. The NKARC Hamfest, the major fund-raiser for NKARC is here. In five years. it has earned the reputation of being a well run Hamfest and Swap Meet. Many of the vendors and people who rented tables last year indicated "they will return in 2000 because the club takes extra measures to make them welcome."

The club enjoys many benefits from the proceeds of the previous Hamfests. 
The portable station, DX node, ant the communications trailer are projects resulting from these funds. The club has managed to maintain the dues structure at the same level for a long time because the proceeds from the Hamfest help to defray the costs such as ISP costs, publication of this newsletter, insurance and operating supplies.

The coordinators Susan (AB7MD) and Marcie (KC7DAT) are keeping track of things but they still need commitment from the members. Much of the work has already been done. Flyers have been printed and distributed. Notifications have been sent to the amateur radio publishers for inclusion in their publications. Table reservations are being received and assigned to locations within the display hall.

Susan has indicated that many hands will be needed to help set up the Hamfest on the day before; coordinate the functions during the event and teardown and clean up after. A service the club provides during the setup is assistance to those who rent the tables. Club members are there with carts and hand trucks to move material from their vehicles to the designated display areas. Others will provide security during the night to prevent looting and vandalism. (Hint: this is a good way to get a preview of what is available before the crowds arrive.) The involvement of each and every member is required if this year’s Hamfest is going to continue its run of successes from previous years.

If you feel the shack is getting crowded with surplus equipment, rent a table (or get together with somebody else) and make the "stuff" available to somebody who may need it. In the spirit of garage sales, " One person’s surplus or garbage is another person’s treasure." Who knows that this may be the place to find that "thing-a-ma-bob" that you need to make that "what-cha-ma-call-t" you’ve been working on. Find the part at the Hamfest; get the project to work: and publish in QST.

A group of questions related to amateur radio in mid 20^th century were published last month in Solid Copy to stir interest in a bygone era of this fascinating hobby. Dick Atwood, W7VV, answered the questions showing that he was around B.S. (Before Semiconductors – What were you thinking?). Congratulations Dick, and your prize for that knowledge is a great big WOW !!! from the rest of us.

By the way, some of these questions appeared on the amateur radio license test in 1948 – the year that I was preparing for but never took. There was no multiple choice. You answered the questions just as Dick did below.

Bob, N7KTP

The questions and their answers are:

1: What is a tetrode?

A triode with additional grid between control grid and plate---called screen.

2: Describe a vibrator.

An electro-mechanical device causing a make and break of a power source to allow the resulting AC to feed a transformer. A synchronous vibrator also has contacts to rectify the transformer output. The electo-mechanical device itself is a make and break operation---ie a buzzer.

3: Why was Mil-V-73 varnish used in electronics?

Believe it was an anti-fungal (tropical) concoction placed over almost all components of late WW2 electronics.

4: What was the nominal impedance of headsets?

2000 ohms total both sides.

5: Describe the function of the C-battery.

To allow a grid bias greater than that possible by grid resistor or filament connection.

6: Name the elements in a triode with heaters.

Heater, cathode, control grid and plate. Plus possibly a "getter"---while not an element--it serves to reduce residual gas and was part of latter tubes.

7: What is a grid leak circuit?

A circuit combining a resistor with the diode action of a grid to form a DC bias and an audio frequency signal developed from the rectified RF signal---thus demodulating an AM radio signal and allowing the associated tube to function also as an audio amplifier.

8: Where was a "top hat" used?

Additional wires or solid metal sheets added to the top of certain vertical antennae to cause a shorter antenna to appear longer---IE to allow resonance of the shorter antenna at a lower than its natural frequency.

9: Describe a filter choke

An inductance in series with a DC power supply output when used with capacitors to reduce ripple from the rectifier----IE to "smooth" the output voltage.

FCC regulations require that a trustee be designated for a club station. Ed Bruett, N7NVP, has stepped forward and volunteered to be the trustee for the NKARC club station, KC7Z. Ed has served the club previously in various capacities. Among them was as coordinator for the special event station set up at the Naval Undersea Museum on December 7, 1991 to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor bombing. He is now active in the emergency communications network for Western Washington. Thanks Ed for stepping forward and assuming this important position in the club.

I thought you might find this an interesting email, possibly for the newsletter. Here is an eleven year old, and he is in RACES, ARES, and of course ARRL, and he is the APRS chairman in Indiana.

73sMike, N7IPJ

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Hello from KB9UQQ,

I am Zachary Michael. I am an eleven year old amateur radio operator. I live in Hartford City, Indiana. I have been interested in APRS now for about 3 months. I have already built a tracker, have a digipeater up, and I'm trying to do an I-Gate. I am chairman of APRS in Indiana and I am an active member of RACES, ARES, and ARRL. I have been a ham for about 1 and 1/2 years now. I attend Montpelier Schools and am in grade 6. I am running a KPC-2 TNC and a CPU-2500 at twenty-five watts into a Ringo Ranger at 45 ft. Would like to know more about I-Gates and how to set one up.

Need some information related to amateur radio designs or principals? NKARC owns some books containing the technical information you may need. Contact Malcolm, NF7M, to find out what is available for loan. Material covers everything from the amateur radio basics to VHF and UHF communications

Don’t forget to dispose of those discharged household batteries in a way that helps our environment. This includes alkaline, ni-cad, and regular zinc carbide batteries. Bring them to the meeting., and provisions will be made to transport them to the proper disposal site in Kitsap County.

Lead acid batteries are excluded from this collection. The disposal site on Hansville Road will accept lead acid batteries without a charge

Oct 11th – Hamfest preparations at 7:30 PM –Viking Park Clubhouse

Oct 14th – Hamfest/Swap Meet at 9:00 AM – President’s Hall, Kitsap County Fairgrounds

Oct. 25th – Business meeting at 7:30 PM – Viking Park Clubhouse, Poulsbo

Oct. 28th -- VE testing – VE testing - Olympic College, Room T-114, Lincoln Avenue, Bremerton, WA at 9:30 AM. All exams, Technician through Extra, are given. Contact Sue,AB7MD, at 360-697-9379.

Nov. 8th – Combined Business/ Presentation meeting at 7:30 PM - Viking Park Clubhouse – Presentation to be announced

Nov. 22 nd – NO Business Meeting

Nov. 23rd – Thanksgiving Day -- Holiday

Nov. 25th – VE testing – VE testing - Olympic College, Room T-114, Lincoln Avenue, Bremerton, WA at 9:30 AM. All exams, Technician through Extra, are given. Contact Sue,AB7MD, at 360-697-9379.

Want your newsletter as soon as it comes out of the word processor? Send your e-mail address to : bobtomas@sprintmail.com, and it will be mailed out right after the proof reading. Be sure to tell if you are using an Internet browser or an e-mail only account in order to get the right format. Most e-mail only accounts only accept ASCII text format and we oblige with a text only format for them.

You’re a geek if your wristwatch has more buttons than your telephone.

In an effort to better document the extent of unlicensed operation on Amateur Radio frequencies, particularly 10 meters, the IARU Region 2 Monitoring System is surveying member societies about the extent of the problem. In order to provide statistical backing for its response, ARRL is soliciting reports from American hams to supplement its response to the survey.

ARRL Monitoring System Administrator Brennan Price, N4QX, is accepting reception reports from amateurs for a two-week period, from October 1 to October 14. Observations should include date and time in UTC, frequency, mode of the transmission, language, if known, and any notes which might assist in identifying the source. Observations should also be limited to amateur frequencies, focusing on 10 and 12 meters.

Price urges monitors to use caution before documenting a transmission as probably unlicensed. ''Most countries do not mandate a segregation of voice and digital modes, as the United States does,'' Price says. ''A phone transmission between 28.0 and 28.3 MHz is not necessarily illegal in the country where that transmission occurs, and if valid amateur call signs can be made out, the transmission should not be reported. However, lower sideband and AM transmissions between 28.0 and 28.1 MHz are usually unlicensed, and may be treated with suspicion.''

Reports should be e-mailed to Price at n4qx@arrl.org. All reports will be acknowledged, and respondents will receive a summary of the survey results via email.

NKARC sponsors and conducts the only Amateur Radio VE testing in Kitsap County on a regular schedule. The tests are conducted on the fourth Saturday of the month at Olympic College, Room T-114, Lincoln Avenue, Bremerton, WA at 9:30 AM. The one exception is the month of December when the test is conducted on the third Saturday. All exams, Technician through Extra, are given. An applicant can take any tests for which they qualify. If the applicant passes the test for a given grade, they are allowed to take the next level if they feel they are qualified to do so. A fee of $6.65 is charged for every examination given. Contact Sue,AB7MD, at 360-697-9379 for further information

Obsolete: Any computer you own.
State-of-the-art: Any computer you cannot afford

The subject of Sunspot Numbers came up during the September Presentation Meeting. The following information authored by Tad Cook< K7VVV, was taken from the ARRL Propagation Bulletin of 29 Sept. 2000.

Amateur Radio operators who use HF generally like increased sunspots because they correlate with better worldwide radio propagation. When there are more sunspots, the sun puts out radiation which charges particles in the earth's ionosphere. Radio waves bounce off of (refract from) these charged particles, and the denser these clouds of ions, the better the HF propagation.

When the ionosphere is denser, higher frequencies will refract from of the ionosphere rather than passing through to space. This is why every 11 years or so when this activity is higher, 10 meters gets exciting. 10 meters is at a high enough frequency, right near the top of the HF spectrum, that radio waves propagate very efficiently when the sunspot count is high. Because of the wavelength, smaller antennas are very efficient on this band, so mobile stations running low power on 10 meters can communicate world wide on a daily basis when the sunspot cycle is at its peak. There are also seasonal variations, and 10 meters tends to be best near the Spring or Fall equinox.

The sunspot numbers used in this bulletin are calculated by counting the sunspots on the visible solar surface and also measuring their area. Solar flux is measured at an observatory in British Columbia using an antenna pointed toward the sun tuned to 2.8 GHz, which is at a wavelength of 10.7 cm. Energy detected seems to correlate with sunspots and with the density of the ionosphere.

Other solar activity of concern to HF operators are solar flares and coronal holes, which emit protons. Since the charged ions in the ionosphere are negative, a blast of protons from the sun can neutralize the charge and make the ionosphere less refractive. These waves of protons can be so intense that they may trigger an event called a geomagnetic storm.

The Planetary A index relates to geomagnetic stability. Magnetometers around the world are used to generate a number called the Planetary K index. You can hear the Boulder K index updated every three hours on WWV, or by calling 303-497-3235.

A one point change in the K index is quite significant. A K index reading below 3 generally means good stable conditions, and above 3 can mean high absorption and poor reflection of radio waves. Each point change reflects a big change in conditions.

Every 24 hours the K index is summarized in a number called the A index. A one point change in A value is not very significant. A full day with the K index at 3 will produce an A index of 15, K of 4 means A of 27, K of 5 means A of 48, and K of 6 means A of 80. You can find an explanation of these numbers on the web at http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/stp/GEOMAG/kp_ap.html.

The number reported here is the Planetary A index, which is a worldwide average based on the K readings from a number of magnetometers. The numbers reported on WWV are the Boulder K and A index, measured in Colorado. Generally the higher the latitude of the measuring station, the higher the K and A indices reported. This is because the effects of geomagnetic instability tend to concentrate toward the polar regions of the globe.

Currently we are near the peak of the solar cycle, so conditions are generally better because of the increased ionization of the ionosphere. But along with the increased sunspots come more solar flares and coronal holes, producing disturbed conditions.

Visit the NKARC Web Page at the URL: http://www.silverlink.net/nkarc. There is a wealth of information and capabilities to anybody that checks in. After you get connected, you can get the latest copy of the club newsletter -- "SOLID COPY.

Click on the handi-talkie graphic and you’ll get a list of links to other web pages giving you an opportunity to connect to the ARRL, FCC, Packet Radio Home Page, AMSAT and many others. Need the QTH of the station you just had a contact with? The QRZ call sign look-up form is available. The links also give the link to the information on the Evergreen Intertie.

The page master is Marcie Stilwell, KC7DAT. Submit your comments to Page master, Marcie at nkarc@yahoo.com and let her know what you think. If you know of any interesting links, let her know and she will look into them. Give it a try.

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Is anybody interested in setting up a VHF QSO party? Leet’s get a group together and head out for a high hill or mountain side to set up some equipment and look for some VHF DX. Pack the gear into the back of the car and head up the road. Set up for 2 meters and 440 and have a go at it. If anybody has some 6 meter portable equipment, bring it along too. Contact Steve Gates, W7SG, at the club meetings or at 360-697-4991.

The Kitsap County ARES/ACS is prepared to provide emergency communications when required by the county gov-ernment. The group conducts networks on Sunday night to allow members to check in and be brought up to date on topics related to the system. The HF net meets on Sunday nights at 1900 local on 28.330 Mhz. The VHF net meets the same night on the AB7Y repeater at 1930 local on 145.43 Mhz with a negative offset.

Everyone with packet capabilities is welcome to check in to the Kitsap County ARES Packet Net every Sunday at 1900 PST (7PM). Connect to the SEA node on 145.010 MHz, and then type in "TALK", followed by <Enter>. The node announces you to everyone in the talk mode as soon as you enter. Everyone in the TALK mode can read what every-one else says. Each transmission is preceded by the call sign of the person saying it. Come and join in the conversation.

Mike Sinnett N7IPJ

Kitsap County ARES Packet Coordinator

by Neal McEwen, K5RW

An amateur wireless operator's guide cut from a magazine and found in a stack of papers, c. 1925

Don't try to transmit without a license.

Don't connect the lightning-switch to an inside ground.

Don't forget that tube sets are far more efficient than crystal sets.

Don't use iron for an aerial.

Don't handle the crystals of your set.

Don't forget to keep the aerial and lead-in insulated from all other objects.

Don't try to get a fine adjustment while touching the detector with bare hands.

Don't expect to get good results with an aerial less than 100 feet long or low down among other buildings.

Don't fail to make good connections.

Don't run your aerial parallel with electrical wires, elevated tracks or steel bridges.

Don't forget to scrape off the insulation and have wires bright before making connections.

Don't forget that a good ground is necessary.

Don't cover joints with adhesive tape; use "spaghetti" or varnish cambric tubing wherever possible.

Don't try to use your instruments just before, just after, or during a thunder storm.

Don't oil any portion of a set.

Don't be discouraged if the first galena crystal you try is not very sensitive. Try a number of pieces.

Don't blame your set until you are sure it is not your fault that something is wrong.

Don't rush blindly at the set and turn knob and handles hit or miss if anything goes wrong. Be calm and patient and go slowly. Haste makes waste in radio as in all things.

 

Neal McEwen, nmcewen@metronet.com

The annual ARRL November sweepstakes are right around the corner. This is the greatest chance to get those contacts you need to fill out your Worked-All-States requirements in one weekend. The sunspot activity is in the area where propagation could be available to cover the entire country.

The contest is divided into two segments;

CW on November 4-6
Phone on November 18-20

The contest begins at 2100 Z on Saturday and ends at 0300Z on Monday.

Information is available in the October 2000 issue of QST or at http://www.arrl.ort/contests.

If Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, or Eugene O'Neill had been amateur radio operators, one of them certainly would have written a play about the VHF frequency allocation battle of the mid 1940's. For, except for sex, this event had all the elements of great drama--Power, Passion, Politics, Greed, and sudden twists and turns in the plot were the hallmark of this epic battle. It hastened the destruction of probably the greatest man in the history of radio, solidified the stranglehold of another in his quest for total television domination, doomed a viable alternative in the infant television industry, and gave birth to the predecessor of CB radio. Got your attention? Then let's open our Playbills and read the

CAST OF CHARACTERS

THE ARRL AND THE 50,000 AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS --

Prior to World War II, hams were virtually the only major users of the "UHF" spectrum (as the frequencies above 25 Mc. were then known). They had the use of the 10 meter band (28-30 Mc.) and 5 meters (56-60 Mc.) since the late 1920's, as well as a small slice of spectrum at 400 Mc. In the late 1930s, the FCC had allocated two new bands to amateurs--2 1/2 meters (112-116 Mc.) and 1 1/4 meters (224-230 Mc.). Except for 10 meters, most of the operations on these frequencies were done with very simple equipment. Modulated oscillators and superregenerative receivers were the mainstay of their activities. For those not familiar with this type of equipment, a modulated oscillator was a tube coupled to a tuned circuit directly on the desired frequency which was modulated by another tube. Since crystal control and frequency multiplication were not used,

the resulting signal varied in both frequency and amplitude when the oscillator was modulated. The only way to receive such an unstable signal was with a superregenerative receiver. Invented by Major Edwin Armstrong in the early 20s, the "supergenny" was extremely sensitive, but very broadbanded. It gave off a loud "rushing" noise (like an FM receiver unsquelched). A complete phone station of this type could be built with only 3 tubes -- an important consideration for the Depression era hams.

Except for limited operation on the 112-116 Mc. band in World War II under WERS (War Emergency Radio Service), amateur stations had been silent since December 7, 1941. Now, late in 1944, with the end of the war in sight and new VHF/UHF tubes in production for the War effort, the ARRL was making plans for more bands above 25 Mc.

MAJOR EDWIN H ARMSTRONG --

The unquestioned "Father of Modern Radio", Major Armstrong had experienced several setbacks in the 1920s and 30s, partly because of his secretive nature and uncompromising attitude. He had delayed in obtaining his original patent on the regenerative detector, and when he did finally apply, he omitted the oscillating properties of the circuit. Lee De Forest challenged Armstrong on this invention by submitting a circuit of his own that he claimed he developed in mid-1912. Armstrong initially won, based on the fact that De Forest's design was basically uncontrolled feedback. When, however, Armstrong flaunted his court victory (by flying a flag with his patent number on it where De Forest could see it), and when Armstrong refused to grant De Forest a license to manufacture regenerative receivers, De Forest went back to court -- and this time won. In two separate cases, the Supreme Court ruled that De Forest, not Armstrong, was the inventor of regeneration. This was bad enough, but then Armstrong lost another court battle. Although he had invented the superheterodyne receiver while in France in 1918, it was based partly on a crude, barely functional converter designed by a Frenchman. Despite the obvious superiority of Armstrong's design, the courts ruled against him again.

Desperate for a success to reverse these setbacks, Armstrong turned to the idea of FM. At that time, the late 1920s, the concept of FM was known, but it was widely believed that it was impractical, if not impossible. Armstrong, however, proved them wrong, and by 1933-34 had developed an operational, noise free, wideband FM system. He offered it to RCA, which had the first right of refusal. RCA, for reasons we will see in a moment, declined to fully develop FM, and Armstrong turned to GE. In Schenectady, New York, he found an ally in W.R.G. Baker, a GE Vice President, who saw the potential in FM. With GE's help, he continued to develop FM, got the FCC to allocate a slice of the VHF spectrum for FM broadcasting (42-50 Mc.), and set up his first FM broadcasting station -- W2XMN in Alpine, New Jersey. With two other pioneer FM stations, W1XPW in Meriden, Connecticut, and W2XOY in Schenectady coming on the air in 1939- 1940, the new Yankee Network was up and running. Armstrong was convinced that, once the war ended, FM would completely replace AM as the broadcasting standard, and he wanted a large chunk of VHF frequencies to accommodate it.

Sorry folks. The cast is quite long and we’ll have to continue this into next month.

Bob, N7KTP

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This article may not be reprinted without the express permission of the author -- Bill Continelli, W2XOY

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