Solid Copy de KC7Z
|
January, 2001 |
President's Message:
I guess I am still president since
there is no president-elect in the wings anxiously waiting to take office.
I would like to thank all of you who
attended the Christmas Banquet at Angel's Homestyle Buffet in mid-December.
Twenty-eight of us enjoyed a delicious dinner and informal program.
There has been some controversy about
when the millennium started. It all
goes back to when the calendar started. They had no zero, so they started with
year 1. Consequently, some claim the millennium didn't start until this year,
2001, based on counting 100 years for each century. Others assert that the year
2000 was the start of the current millennium based on our more advanced
numbering system.
Think of the possibilities. We could
establish two political parties. One would argue for 2001 based on a true
count, and the other would argue for 2000 based on the intent of the current
numbering system. One of the other
parties might even raise the issue before the Supreme Court requesting a
binding decision. At this point the other party would litigate a stop count
request that court would be only too happy to grant.
Due to all the activity during the
holidays, I did not get much time to operate. I did tune 10/15/20 meters. There was very little activity. As Warren has observed, it usually takes a
contest to bring the bands back to active status.
Major items for the January business
meeting will be:
(1) Election of officers,
(2) Install a committee for the hamfest,
(3) Revision of the by-laws.
I hope every one had a great holiday,
and here's wishing you the best for 2001.
73,
Burt
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Can
you copy CW at 5 words per minute? If you can, consider upgrading to General
and get increased HF privileges. If you
cannot, why not take the time to learn the code? Computer programs or code practice tapes are available. Listen around 7100 KHz for practice
transmission at various speeds. Ask the
club officers for assistance or reference to an Elmer. All it takes is a little perseverance and
dedication. Most code training programs
recommend 20 to 30 minute sessions to effectively learn the code.
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And away we go:
The year 2001 is the start of a new millennium and, with it, NKARC looks forward to another year of meetings and projects. In order to see where we could be heading, let’s take a look at where we have been.
NKARC continued to provide a necessary service to the amateur radio community in Kitsap County during the year 2000 by sponsoring and conducting the licensing sessions at Olympic College. The KC7Z DX PackCluster node got back on the air with a reasonable level of on-time reliability. The ARRL Field Day in June and the NKARC Hamfest in October were a success because the club members pitched in and were there to help when needed. The commitments to provide communications support at the North Kitsap Viking Cup Soccer Tournament and the Kingston 4th of July parade were fulfilled with the usual quick and more than adequate response. The club trailer with its mobile communications facilities was present for public viewing at most of these activities.
Some interesting subjects were covered at the presentation meetings. Club members were introduced to the new digital communications mode PSK 31. Mobile hamming on bicycle was an interesting presentation. Visiting speakers talked about the Handi-Ham program and about antique radios. Satellite tracking and communications was a very interesting and eye-opening presentation. The history of QSL cards and how to generate them on a computer was the subject of a presentation.
Where do we go from here? The club will continue the club activities as we did last year. Presentations will be scheduled as speakers become available. The club, however, needs projects and activities to provide more group participation. Some suggestions to consider are:
· A special event station to commemorate a historic event. One possibility being considered is a 60th anniversary commemoration of the Pearl Harbor attack.
· A special interest group to investigate and work the new digital communications modes like PSK31. The group can meet and exchange ideas and information on equipment and operating principals.
· Make amateur radio theory and code classes available to encourage more people into the hobby.
There are more ideas out there. The meeting on Wednesday, January 10th, is a good place to come
and discuss them and present other options and ideas that you have in mind.
NKARC is your club and your participation is needed
Heads up everybody…
All
I could say after visiting this site was WOW!
It is very well done and comprehensive.
Even if you only have an interest in where is the Space Station, MIR or
the shuttle, this site is a wealth of info. Enjoy!
Ed
Bruette
SPACE
STATION LOCATION
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/temp/StationLoc.html
Where
is the International Space Station? Is it above your head or above Mongolia?
Perhaps it's that bright light at sunset, or is that Venus? This site takes the
guesswork out of locating some of the larger man-made objects in space. You can
locate the space station, Mir, Hubble, or Chandra, and many other bits and
pieces of space technology. Three-dimensional images help you track these
objects as they orbit Earth. Download the special NASA software, or follow the
links to other tracking sites. Whether you're an avid sky watcher or a paranoid,
space-junk freak, this site will keep you abreast of the opportunities or the
danger.
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Amateur radio to the
rescue:
Snowbound
ham uses 2-meter H-T to call for help: Suffering recently from bronchitis and
pneumonia, Jim Stewart, KK7VL, a homesteader in a secluded area near Bettas
Pass, Washington, used his 2-meter hand-held to summon help. Stewart called his
friend, Jim Flint, W7TXU, on the Kittitas County Repeater Association's
repeater, advising him of his worsening condition and requesting assistance.
Flint, a member of the Kittitas County Search and Rescue team, enlisted the
help of Deputy Sheriff Robb Lipp. But, snowdrifts prevented them from reaching
Stewart's home. A snowmobiler passing by took the rescuers to Stewart's house.
Lipp then used his GPS and radio to guide a rescue helicopter to the scene, and
Stewart was airlifted to a hospital in Yakima. "Many of our present rescue
team members are already hams," said Flint, "and as a result of this
rescue being reported on local radio, several people have called and asked to
join our team, and to learn more about Amateur Radio."--The Daily Record
(Ellensburg, Washington)
ARRL
Report –12/27/200
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Keep Kitsap Green:
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.
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NEW FCC SYSTEM MEANS
QUICK LICENSE GRANTS
The
FCC's new system to handle batch-filed amateur applications from Volunteer
Examiner Coordinators has cut processing time from hours to minutes. The FCC
inaugurated the more rapid amateur license application processing system
December 28--slightly ahead of its original schedule.
"Way
to go, FCC!" said an enthusiastic ARRL-VEC Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ,
after his office fed its first batch of license applications into the system.
Jahnke says five dozen ARRL-VEC applications resulted in license grants about
52 minutes later. The W4VEC in North Carolina and Central America VEC also took
advantage of the new system for the first time.
Except
for a two-hour window right after midnight each day, the speedy new system
looks for VEC submissions each hour on the half hour. With FCC license grant
processing now measured in terms of hours instead of days, the major factor now
determining the time from exam to license grant is how quickly VE teams get
their test results to their VECs.
The
FCC has been estimating a processing window of up to 90 minutes, depending on
volume and arrival time. License grant results should be available immediately
on the Universal Licensing System Web site,
http://www.fcc.gov/wtb/uls,
using the license search option.
Applications
processed by the FCC one day will appear in the public update ("zip")
files the following morning. Public call sign servers on the Internet should be
able to update within 24 hours after FCC action—rather than the 48 hours that's
been typical.
On-line
filings from individuals, weekend filings and FCC-manually processed
applications put into the hopper during weekdays at Gettysburg will continue to
be handled as have been. These are batched for midnight processing, and weekend
filings will not queue up until Monday midnight. …From ARRL Bulletin – 12/27/2000
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Dues Notice...
The new year is started and it’s time to think about renewing your dues. An application has been included as part of the newsletter. Annual dues are $15.00 Dues are reduced if your are a senior (65 yrs or older) or a student. Family members can be included at a reduced rate. The dues schedule is included on the form. It's easy to make out the form on the back of the address page. Include the form and your check in an envelope and send it to the address on the form. Better yet, bring it with you to the next meeting.
If you are an ARRL member and pay your ARRL dues through the club, the club is allowed to retain part of the dues payment. Support the club financially by paying the ARRL dues to Ron.
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Jan.. 10th – Presentation
meeting at 7:30 PM - Viking Park Clubhouse – Project Roundtable Discussion
Jan.. 24th – Business
meeting – 7:30 PM – Viking Park Clubhouse
Jan. 20th – VE testing – VE testing - Olympic College,
Room T-111, Lincoln Avenue, Bremerton, WA at 9:30 AM. All exams, Technician through Extra, are given. Contact Sue, AB7MD, at 360-697-9379.
Feb. 14th – Presentation
meeting at 7:30 PM - Viking Park Clubhouse – To be announced
Feb. 17th -- VE testing – VE testing - Olympic
College, Room T-111, Lincoln Avenue, Bremerton, WA at 9:30 AM. All exams, Technician through Extra, are
given. Contact Sue,AB7MD, at
360-697-9379
Feb. 28th – Business meeting
– 7:30 PM – Viking Park Clubhouse
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NKARC Web Page..
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 Malcolm Mannan, NF7M.
Submit your comments to Page master Malcolm, at
and
let him know what you think. If you
know of any interesting links, let him know and he will look into them.
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Early Newsletter
delivery?
Want your
newsletter as soon as it comes out of the word processor? Send your e-mail
address to :
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.
Bouvet 3Y0C update:
Astronaut Chuck Brady, N4BQW/3Y0C, has upgraded his antenna setup on Bouvet Island and now has his linear amp up and running. Brady is on Bouvet to assist a team of South African scientists. Mac McIntire, WA4FFW, reports that Brady was successful in getting up a vertical that he is using on 20 and 15 (all operation has been on SSB--Ed). He has worked on his beam antenna, but it's not yet installed. On December 22, the fuel pump for the big generator quit. They found a spare and did get it installed the following day. Given fuel-consumption constraints, they can only run the generator three or four hours a day (and not necessarily every day) to ensure sufficient fuel to carry them through mid-March. This is not a DXpedition, so 3Y0C will not be continuously available, but Brady said he hopes to devote all his spare time to operating. QSL via WA4FFW.--Bernie McClenny, W3UR --- From ARRL Letter Dec. 27, 2000
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The NKARC DX PacketCluster Node experienced a unique problem during the Christmas week. A test was performed at the home QTH and indications were that the computer connected to the Internet was locked up. A trip to the node station showed that the computer was functioning as was expected. The node was connected to VE7CQD (the main node supplying information to KC7Z) but there was no exchange of data between the two computers. Lee, VE7CC, was asked to check the settings at VE7CQD and he reported that all was proper at his end of the connection. The configuration software did not show any changes. The problem was finally traced to a connector problem on the interconnect cable between the two computers. The system has been working well since the reboot.
The node operates on 145.77 MHz and is available 24 hours a day. Connect up and check it out.
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VE Testing: NEW
DATES For Next 3 months!!!
NKARC
sponsors and conducts the only Amateur Radio VE testing in Kitsap County on a
regular schedule. The tests are
conducted on the THIRD Saturday of the month at Olympic College, Room
T-111,
Lincoln Avenue, Bremerton, WA at 9:00 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 $10.00 is
charged for every examination given. Contact Sue,AB7MD, at 360-697-9379 for
further information.
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Help Wanted:
The Solid Copy editor is looking for material to publish in your newsletter. If you have any ideas, let him know by e-mail or a phone call. Don’t worry about how it sounds. Let’s get it down and edit it for publishing
Wayback Machine - Part
17
In our last installment, we saw how
the FCC shifted from an initial VHF/UHF bandplan that was radically different
from today's allocations, to a proposal
which closely parallels the frequencies we have today. Amateurs were happier with the January 1945
plan over the November 1944 one, as it restored our ten meter band back where
it belonged, and gave us a full 4 Mc at six meters.
One person who was not happy with the
January 1945 plan was Edwin Armstrong, inventor of the Regenerative,
Superregenerative and Superheterodyne receivers, and the Father of FM. He
wanted the FM Broadcast band to stay in the 42-50 Mc area: instead, he suddenly
saw it transferred up to 84-102 Mc., which would make every FM station and receiver obsolete. He knew that David
Sarnoff of RCA was behind this, as RCA wanted television in the frequencies now
occupied by FM. Sarnoff and the RCA engineers had an interesting argument, FM
they said, should be moved higher in frequency to avoid the Sporadic E skip.
Armstrong fought back. He pointed out
that FM, due to it's capture effect, was less susceptible to skip interference
than television, which used AM for the video carrier. He ran tests and
submitted data showing that the skip interference to FM would be far less than
imagined, and certainly a fraction of what TV would endure. The ARRL, by the
way, was in favor of moving FM
up to the 84-102 Mc area. To counteract the arguments that FM receivers would
become obsolete by the move, QST in the May 1945 issue ran the schematic of a 1
tube converter, which Hallicrafters said they could build for $5.60.
In late May, 1945, the FCC announced
the three alternatives that were being considered for the disputed 44-108 Mc
region. They were:
ALTERNATIVE #1 --
44-48 Mc--Amateur (We would have a 7
meter band under this proposal)
48-50 Mc--Facsimile Broadcasting
50-54 Mc--Educational FM Broadcasting
54-68 Mc--Commercial FM Broadcasting
68-74 Mc--TV Channel 1
74-78 Mc--Aeronautical fixed and mobile
78-108 Mc--TV Channels 2-6
ALTERNATIVE #2 --
44-56 Mc--TV Channels 1 & 2
56-60 Mc--Amateur 5 Meter Band
60-66 Mc--TV Channel 3
66-68 Mc--Facsimile Broadcasting
68-72 Mc--Educational FM Broadcasting
72-86 Mc--Commercial FM Broadcasting
86-104 Mc--TV Channels 4-6
104-108 Mc--Non-Government fixed and mobile.
ALTERNATIVE #3 --
44-50 Mc--TV Channel 1
50-54 Mc--Amateur 6 Meter band
54-84 Mc--TV Channels 2-6
84-88 Mc--Educational FM Broadcasting
88-102 Mc--Commercial FM Broadcasting
102-104 Mc--Facsimile Broadcasting
104-108 Mc--Non-Government fixed and mobile.
Except for the 44-108 Mc region, which
was still up in the air, the 25-44 and 108 Mc and higher frequencies were
fairly well established at today's allocations. The only major exception was
the 470-480 Mc band, which was still allocated to Facsimile Broadcasting. The
FCC indicated that tests would be run through the summer months to determine
which Alternative was the best.
Reaction was quick to the proposals.
Except for the ARRL, almost none of the major players liked Alternative 2, so
the choice lay between 1 and 3. The ARRL found #2 acceptable because it
preserved our 5 meter band. Of the other two alternatives, the ARRL was
strongly opposed to #1. A 44-48 Mc seven meter band would have too much skip,
was too close to our ten meter band, and too far from two meters. In the end,
the ARRL came out in favor of Alternative #3 because, it was believed that the
FM band should be as far as possible from our ham bands in order to avoid IF
interference to FM receivers.
Naturally, Major Armstrong was in
favor of Alternative #1. He continued to make extensive tests and bombarded the
FCC with the results. However, Armstrong never realized that the political
clout of General Sarnoff and RCA could overcome any test results. The Major thought
he had the summer to complete his tests. Instead, on June 27, 1945, the FCC
decided on Alternative #3, with a few minor changes to bring the allocations in
line with what we have today. FM was definitely at 88-108 Mc, and amateurs had
a six meter band at 50-54 Mc, nestled snug between TV Channels 1 and 2.
Armstrong was stunned, but he didn't
give up. As late as 1947, he was still submitting data to the FCC in regards to
the effect of skip on FM Broadcasts. But it was too late. For a period of time,
there were two FM Broadcast bands, as stations in the new 88-108 Mc allocation
coexisted with the older ones between 42-50 Mc, but by 1947, the old FM band
was a memory, and sat waiting for TV Channel 1 to take over.
However, a new controversy was
brewing. With thousands of amateurs on our new six meter band, and thousands of
TV's pouring out of (mostly RCA) factories, a new concept was entering the
amateur language -- TVI. In our next installment, we will look at the TV wars
of the 1940's and why the ARRL wanted channel 2, instead of channel 1,
eliminated.
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This
article may not be reprinted without the express permission of the author --
Bill Continelli, W2XOY