Solid Copy de KC7Z

The Prez Says:

This episode finds your itinerant, absentee Prez firmly in Alaskan (KL7) water. After an easy ten-day sail north from Poulsbo, WA, we crossed the (sometimes nasty) Dixon entrance. This is the border crossing between British Columbia (VE7) and Alaska. It was smooth and we made the trip in about 4 hours. Setting our clocks ahead one hour for Alaska Time, we laid on extra happy hour snacks to make it to dinnertime.

This update comes to you via snail mail and may be a bit out of date by Editor Bob’s presstime. Our shipboard laptop packed up so we no longer have access to the Winlinbk 3-mail program we mentioned last time around. Worse though, is the lack of the navigation software programs, that with GPS input easily guided us through some narrow passages that one finds in these waters.

Not to fear though, we still can navigate the old fashioned way: Nancy says “I think we should go to the right of that hat-shaped island.” I say: “But radar says we should go left.” We all know that that the WYL is intrinsically correct so we go to the right and it all works out in the end!

There are several boaters’ nets on the air and you may enjoy listening in. In WA and VE7, the Port Ludlow Radio Club runs a net at 1530Z. Al7DJ runs the Great Northern Boaters’ Net on 3.870 Mhz at 1430Z and 7.275 Mhz at 1500Z. The B.C. Boaters’ Net runs on the Saltspring repeater (147.32 Mhz – No Tone) at 0030Z and on 3.855 Mhz at 0100Z.

Most of the time net check-ins merely report their locations and daily happenings but the nets are also a great way to meet other boating Hams. Much helpful information is exchanged, such as weather, local anchorages, fuel availability, etc.

I hope you all had fun at Field Day. Sorry to have missed it. Summer will fly by all too fast so please start thinking "Hamfest.” Give Russ Swank a call and volunteer to take over a chunk of the planning and prep work.

73, Ron (N7EM)

NKARC Hamfest – October Madness:

Almost immediately after Field Day, the NKARC Hamfest comes in October. This is the major fund-raiser for the club and has gotten the reputation of being a well run Hamfest and Swap Meet. Many of the vendors and people who rented tables indicated they will return because the club takes extra measures to make them welcome.

The various phases that make up the Hamfest have been defined. Coordinator Russ (KI7PG) is keeping track of things but he needs help desperately. Work has already been done on the long-range items. Flyers have been printed and are being distributed. Notifications have been sent to the amateur radio publishers for inclusion in their publications. Russ needs volunteers to assume some of the committee heads such as security, ticket sales, and assistance to exhibitors.

Need to reduce the equipment inventory in the shack? The Hamfest offers a great opportunity to present the surplus to a maximum number of customers. Remember there is no such thing as junk in a ham shack. Everything has a use to somebody. If it doesn’t work, somebody can fix it. Get together with another member and share a table rental. If you have doubts about how well a table rental works, contact Burt, W7IIT, and ask him about the success of his venture at last year’s Hamfest.

The club is enjoying many benefits from the proceeds of the previous Hamfests. The portable station, and the communications trailer are projects resulting from these funds. Think about where you can participate. Talk to the board members and they will describe the mini-projects for the event. 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.

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Sailing the Bounding Main:

While Ed, N7NVP, is sailing the coastal waters bringing the MV ENDURANCE from California to the thriving port of Poulsbo, our president will be at the July presentation meeting to tell us about his adventures sailing to the northern latitudes. Ron, N7EM, will tell us about sailing conditions in the waters between Vancouver Island and the continent. He advises that communications networks are an interesting facet of a sojourn to the area. Come to the meeting and get information about a great adventure in boating and communications.

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The BARN Net

This is a reminder/announcement that we, the Burley Amateur Radio Club, have a net that meets on Wednesday evenings at 7pm. The frequency is 145.350 on 2 meters. We turn off the tone so anyone can join in the discussion and have a chance to share. Please stop by to check-in. The more the merrier.

Margo, AC7QI

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Calendar of Events:

July 10th – Presentation meeting at 7:30 PM - Viking Park Clubhouse – May 8th – Presentation meeting at 7:30 PM - Viking Park Clubhouse – Sailing the Inside Passage – Ron Sefton, N7EM.

July 20th -- VE testing Olympic College, Room B-101, Lincoln Avenue, Bremerton, WA at 9:00 AM. All exams, Technician through Extra, are given. Contact Sue, AB7MD, via email at

susan.fgci@attbi.com or phone #360-697-9379.

July 24th – Business meeting – 7:30 PM – Viking Park Clubhouse

Aug. 10th -- VE testing Olympic College, Room B-101, Lincoln Avenue, Bremerton, WA at 9:00 AM. All exams, Technician through Extra, are given. Contact Sue, AB7MD via email at

susan.fgci@attbi.com or phone #360-697-9379. Note: This is the second weekend of the month.

Aug. 14th – Presentation meeting at 7:30 PM - Viking Park Clubhouse – To be announced

Aug. 28th – Business meeting – 7:30 PM – Viking Park Clubhouse –

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A Great Sea Story – Part 1:

Most of you are aware I have been away from home for the past 2 weeks. For the benefit of those who were not "in the know," I went to Long Beach, Ca. to be the Navigator and Communicator aboard the 42' William Gardner trawler, "Endurance". Endurance is a wooden boat built of mahogany and launched in '91. The mission was to bring the newly purchased boat back to the Seattle area.

We got underway from LB on 29 May and transited the Santa Barbara Channel that day. We lost the radar while enroute to Monterey Bay in 20'+ seas with winds >30 kts. Although the boat performed well, we were pretty tired when we arrived in Monterey Bay 48 hours later, 31 May. The only voyage damage suffered by the boat was a broken potable water fill pipe. This occurred when some of the lead ballast (40 - 50 lb ingots) dislodged from its normal stowage and impacted the fill pipe during heavy seas.

Departure from Monterey Bay the following morning was taken after careful consideration of the weather (wx) report. We opted for a short day in the name of progress and made port in Santa Cruz, 1 June. The following morning we were underway early, trying to beat the wind, headed for Half Moon Bay.

At this point we had some decisions to make. Our original plan had 3 stops on the way to the Puget Sound (Seattle area) with a total underway time of 8 or 9 days. One of the crew had business commitments that required her presence in Wa. on 6 June. The wx made it doubtful that we could get her to a port that offered good commercial transportation if we committed ourselves past San Francisco. Since we desired to maximize the use of her time onboard and meet her business commitment, we chose to stop in San Francisco, 3 June, rather than put her ashore in Half Moon Bay.

Every stop we made entailed either repairs or installation of an onboard system. The boat had no autopilot when we went aboard in Long Beach. We started the installation of an autopilot before departure but were unable to complete it. During our 2 day stay in SF we thought we had completed the autopilot installation but had missed a step. We got underway from SF on 5 June without the autopilot and headed for Bodega Bay. While underway we found the problem with the installation and fixed it upon arrival in Bodega Bay. Hopefully it will do its job when we return to the boat for the rest of the trip. The transit from SF to Bodega Bay was almost as nasty as the night before arrival in Monterey Bay. The only real improvement

Continued on page 3…

A Great Sea Story – Part 1 – (continued)

was we had daylight. Winds were 30 to 40+ kts and seas 18 to 20 feet. YUK!

This is probably a good place to mention none of the charter or commercial fishing boats were getting underway from any of the ports we stopped in.

We left the boat in Bodega Bay (see http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?N7NVP-8 for maps) because we had run out of time and the wx was not due to let up for another 5 days or so. While in Bodega Bay the wind was nearly a constant 30+ kts, even at night! Seas recorded at the Bodega Bay observation buoy

(http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.phtml?$station=46013) were in excess of 17 ft. The marina area is very well protected but we saw a one ft. chop and white caps inside the marina.

We operated radar (while it lasted) and GPS as electronic navigation aides. 3 GPSs were onboard, all hand helds, 2 with mapping capability. We kept 1 on the fly bridge to steer by and another in the salon for back up and computer interface. From the time we left Long Beach until we made Monterey Bay, we saw a total of 3 navigation lights on the beach. There should have been about 2 doz. Visibility was less than 4 miles most of the time and less than 1/2 mi. in some instances.

For the Hams reading this: I took Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS), HF (20 and 75 meters) and a tri-band (2, 6 and 70 cm) handy talky with me. HF was a wash from the git go. There was very little time for setup and the interference from various sources made it impossible to communicate. APRS (my call was N7NVP-8) was a life saver! The APRSPoint (www.aprspoint.com) station put 35 watts thru a copper J-Pole mounted on a starboard side life rail on the fly bridge. When the radar went down I quickly resorted to using the APRS map (APRSPoint) as a means of verifying our position in relation to the beach. (Michael, if the program had range [distance] and bearing capability I could have used it frequently) There were places where we couldn't get good reception of the VHF marine forecast (especially about 60 - 80 mi. South of Monterey Bay) so I searched out Wx stations on the APRS map. Thank you N6TBQ & KE6JAB! While APRS didn't keep us off the rocks it did give us (me) a greater peace of mind.

APRS also provided 2 way messaging contact with home and everyone else via the internet. Great morale booster both for those on board and those at home! Thanks to KF6CLH and KE6AFE for help over the rough spots when I was getting clobbered by packet collisions. I did have a delightful 2 meter simplex conversation with Bruce, KF6CLH.

It is significant to note the APRS network in Southern Ca. is robust enough that I had continuous, solid contact with the system during the entire trip, even 20 mi. at sea.

HF will not be part of the electronics suite when we get underway again but you can bet APRS will be in FULL operation.

Very special thanks to my bride, Connie, N7NVQ who allowed me to make the trip. She monitored APRS off the air, on TCP/IP and FindU.com. She was not very familiar with any of these protocols prior to the underway. Needless to say, she learned a lot and has a new appreciation for the capabilities of APRS. She even tried HF, too bad I didn't have time to make it work on the boat.

The plan is to return to Bodega Bay and recommence the transit North at the end of the month, depending on crew availability and wx permitting. Part 2 of the saga when we return.

It was a real adventure. Till next time . . . .

Ed, N7NVP

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Kingston 4th Of July Parade Support

At 0830 it was cloudy with a light drizzle in Kingston. I had toured all of the staging areas and everything seemed ready for the gathering crowd. At 0900 the communications support team started arriving. All of the usual supporters were there. Dan, Bob, Lois, Ed, and Ed. We were all a little concerned when the parade registration staff hadn't come by 0930, but they all finally arrived, and the parade participants started showing up and registering. We had a total of around 70 total units participating in the parade, with three Color Guards, one band, a lot of kids, some llamas, and of course the Kingston Lumber Trucks, and the logging truck. The Washington State Patrol, Kitsap County Sherrif, and the North Kitsap Fire & Rescue Vehicles started off the parade with the usual lights and sirens. The parade started (as usual) a little late (1220). But the parade went on with the usual flare and appreciation by the waiting crowd. Thanks again to the following operators:

Bob Tomas, N7KTP and Lois Tomas, N7ZAD Ed Saftitch, AK7H and Ed Pietras, KA7UJA, Dan Rooks, N7DVR - He says this is his last parade. If we don't see you next year Dan we will miss you. Good luck on your retirement.

Thank you again, everyone, for your support.

Mike Sinnett, N7IPJ

Kitsap County ARES/North Kitsap Amateur Radio Club.

Field Day (FD) 2002 (June 22& 23 )

Field Day 2002 has come and gone. On Saturday, June 22^nd, vehicles arrived at Vinland Elementary School to set up stations simulating emergency conditions and operate for 24 hours exchanging contacts with stations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. A spud” gun was prepared to shoot a potato up over the trees in order to get the wire antennas up in the air. Other Hams positioned himself to retrieve the airborne tuber in order to attach a line and hoist the wire up toward the sky. The antenna being used was a new Double-Zep antenna designed and donated by Jack, N7OYR. Another group worked to get the Tri-Bander beam assembled and positioned on its tower located in the corner of the operating area. Ed, N7NVP, and Tom, W6QJI, worked to eract a NVIS antenna designed for 40 and 80 meters. This was an interesting arrangement requiring four corner posts and a center mast to accommodate the antenna system.

In the meantime, the batteries were connected to the transmitters; the power cables were string between the emergency generator and the operating trailers; and the public visiting area was set up. Steve, W7SG, arrived in the early afternoon and setup a vhf/uhf group using solar panels and operated until the evening.

At 1800Z, the first “CQ Field Day” calls were transmitted as “KC7Z WWA 2A” and the chase for contacts were begun. For the next 27 hours, NKARC members and guests would be tuning through the bands logging 357 contacts on SSB and CW. Two hundred ninety one SSB contacts were made and 66 CW contacts were logged. The CW contacts accounted for 134 contact points which was 31 percent of the contact points claimed.

NKARC qualified for many bonus points and had an enjoyable event because of the efforts of the club members. WO7B, donated the use of his trailer for an operating station. Lois, N7ZAD, and Bob, N7KTP set up the public relations area and placed the new event signs at strategic points to lead the public to the event.. We must thank Susan for making sure that the SaniKan facility was available on time. Ed, N7NVP, displayed his APRS system to the club members and visitors. Dick (W7SV) and Horace Horace (KB6TRG) teamed together to transmit the 10 messages for Message Relay bonus points and the message to the section manager. Steve, W7SG, gave an effective demonstration of vhf/uhf communications. His operation used solar panels and batteries to provide the power. His contact with VE7CVA in Nanaimo, BC on 70 cm could be considered uhf DX and was a highlight of the afternoon. His contact points were a bonus and did not affect the club’s classification as a Class 2A operation.

Lois, N7ZAD, brought cookies and made coffee to provide nourishment to those who working during the setup. Club chef, Bob, WO7B, could not make the field day because of a previous commitment. Lois, N7ZAD, made sure that everybody was well fed by bringing 2 huge pizzas from the Central Market.

Thanks to the following for their behind the scenes work to insure that Field Day went well:

Gene, AB7LH, and Susan, AB7MD, who secured the use of the Vinland School for the operating site.

Malcolm, NF7M, for insuring that the club trailer and the equipment were ready for the event and for acting as site manager throughout the activity.

Burt, W7IIT, for his photographic work which will be included in the ARRL report.

The members and non-members who assisted in the setup and teardown, who logged the contacts during the event. and are not mentioned in this article

The Field Day provided a great atmosphere for operating and socializing. There were times that the stations were silent as the operators and loggers took a break and socialized. Propagation was not as good as it was last year. The ten meter band was totally dead with no contacts logged. It is a surprise that the club worked as many stations as were logged. The new antennas proved to work very well proving that many contacts can be worked using simple wire if it is configured properly. The Double-Zep pulled in many contacts on 40 and 80 meters throughout the entire day. The NVIS antenna proved that a “cloud warmer’ can be just the thing for reliable local communications on hf in an emergency.

Another important lesson learned was the benefits of having solar panels installed on the club communications trailer to maintain the charge level on the batteries. The panels were installed early last month. The batteries went on line at the start and operated throughout the event without the need of a replenishment charge.

Now is the time to start planning for Field Day 2003.

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A Proposal for RDF:

A number of us are trying to get RDF restarted in the Puget Sound area. It started with an effort to build an RDF capability for the King County ARES, but we've expanded to the Puget Sound region. I've started a small web site at

http://www.cfsystems.org/RDFIndex.htm

which has a link for joining the online discussion group. At present, things are small, but I'd like to encourage anyone here who wants to be part of it, even if only to chat about it, to come join us and help us get this thing moving.

I've proposed a learning project to the group (locate all the 2 Meter repeaters in the area) as something we can start using to instruct people in how to do RDF work. During the summer, working alone or in groups, I hope to work everything through basic transmitter hunting by using the repeaters as a good project. I'm looking for help from experts and anyone who just wants to learn about RDF. Please join us and help.

Terry, WX7S

------------------------------------------------------

Terry R. Dettmann

http://www.cfsystems.org

US 425-821-4922

US FAX/Voicemail 800-203-4906

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A vhf/uhf Party:

At the July business meeting, Steve, W7SG, proposed a vhf/uhf party during September to coincide with the annual vhf/uhf contest sponsored by the ARRL. Interested parties would meet at a designated site and operate on the “magic frequencies”. The group would travel to a site offering capability for communications in these bands. This could entail moving to a ridge line, mountain top, of a relatively high site with visibility to the horizon.

As described earlier, Steve had his equipment set up at the Field Day and showed the capabilities to carry on some interesting contacts on the bands that most people consider only capable of “local” communications. More information will be available in the next issue of Solid Copy. If you have suggestions for a site or would like to participate, contact Steve at

w7sg@arrl.net

or Bob, N7KTP, at

bobtomas@sprintmail.com.

NKARC Classified

For sale: Vintage Hallicrafters S-53A shortwave receiver with frequencey coverage from .55 Mhz to 31 Mhz and 48 to 54 Mhz. Good selectivity on all bands. Great starter radio for somebody interested in SWL. Price: $25.00 Bob Tomas, N7KTP – (360) 638-1659 or

bobtomas@sprintmail.com

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The following equipment is from the Gene Grade estate and is posted for his widow. Please contact her at 360-697-6480

Kenwood R-5000 receiver -- $550

Optimus speaker for $50 additional

Kenwood TS570S transceiver -- $750

Astron RS35M power supply -- $100

MFJ557 Code oscillator -- $15

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U.S Tower TX-455 for sale. 21 to 55 feet motorized. Free standing. Nine years old. 1/2 original price. $1600. Excellent condition. Contact D. Gibson at (360)692-7398 or dhgibson1@juno.com.

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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. The Solid Waste Facility on Hansville Road accepts the batteries as past of the county-wide recycling program. Otherwise, bring them to the meeting., and they will be taken to the proper disposal site. Lead-acid batteries such as used in automobiles or tractors are excepted. They too are accepted at the Solid Waste Facility, but it is your responsibility to dispose of 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 :

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.

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The Wayback Machine - Part 29

Edwin Armstrong, who actually invented regeneration, but lost a controversial court battle with deForest, saw this as an opportunity to win back his patent. He purchased 51% of REL's stock, and proceeded to fight the grand battle once more. Unfortunately, in 1934, the Supreme Court ruled that deForest, not Armstrong, was the inventor of regeneration.

Armstrong could take some small consolation that another of his inventions was finally put to good use in the amateur world -- superregeneration. Invented in the early 1920's, superregeneration provides very high sensitivity on AM signals. However, it has almost no selectivity, a very high noise level in the absence of stations, and radiated a broad interfering signal to nearby receivers. It was useless on MW or SW, but was perfect for the 5 meter band at 56 mc. During the early 1930's, Ross Hull, QST's Associate Editor, wrote many articles about 5 meters and the surprising propagation there. Many 'phone stations appeared on 56 mc, almost all used "supergenny" receivers, and some even operated full duplex.

If "UHF" 'phone doesn't interest you, how about amateur television? In 1931 you ask??? Unbelievably, the answer is yes!. In 1931 an article appeared in QST describing the "spinning disc" mechanical television system that had been around since the 20's. It was clumsy and crude, but it worked. The Jenkins Television Corp of Passaic, NJ, offered a "spinning Disc" kit in QST. Within 9 years however,

the mechanical system was rendered obsolete by RCA's all electronic system.

The Madrid Conference was held in 1932. Unlike the 1927 Washington Conference, amateur radio was not in danger, and no frequencies were lost. 1932 also saw the expansion of the 'phone bands, but a special endorsement was needed to operate them.

The "Old Man" was still around, with his letters in QST about "rotten" operators, "rotten" band conditions, "rotten" stations, etc.. In fact, everything that didn't meet the Old Man's standards was

"rotten". For the past 15 years he had been writing--no one knew who he was. Finally, when Hiram Percy Maxim died in 1936, the ARRL revealed that Maxim was indeed the Old Man. By the way, since H.P. Maxim, W1AW, was still alive in the early 30's, the ARRL Station Call was W1MK.

Dealers included "Uncle" Dave Marks, whose first store was located at 115 North Pearl St in Albany, NY. This address is significant to me because the building I now work in stands on that site.

By 1934, the Federal Radio Commission was superseded by the FCC, and a new license structure, with Class A, Class B, and Class C licenses, was in place. <<Class A, Class B, and Class C?? What goes around, comes around

Cairo, Egypt, 1938. In the pre war time of Colonial Empires, this conjures up an image of Europeans in white linen suits sitting on the veranda of a luxuriously decadent Colonial Hotel, oppressive ceiling fans, dark, mysterious strangers, Peter Lorie & Sidney Greenstreet. However, for amateurs, Cairo in 1938 meant a setback.

The first International Radiotelegraph Conference was held in Washington D.C. in 1927. Although amateurs lost almost 40% of their allocations, the concept of amateur radio as a legal, international hobby was established. The second Conference was held in Madrid in 1932, and produced no changes in ham radio. Now the third Conference was at hand, but times had changed. Italy, Germany, and Spain were under Fascist Dictatorships, Stalin was directing a ruthless purge in the Soviet Union, and Japan was at war with China. The shortwaves were filled with propaganda broadcasts and military communications. Under this cloud of uncertainty, delegates from 71 countries assembled in Cairo on February 1, 1938. How would amateur radio be treated under these circumstances?

Actually, American hams came out of the battle with no major losses. Despite the number of Dictatorships at the Conference, there was no attempt to destroy amateur radio, which, after all, allowed individual citizens access to receivers and transmitters. The most serious threat came from Japan, which proposed that amateurs be limited to 50 watts input. The Japanese Plan was easily defeated. The ARRL had pushed for expanded HF bands, but the American Delegation, mindful of the potential hostility at the Conference, did not propose it. The headlines in the July 1938 issue of QST summed up Cairo: "American Amateurs retain all frequencies after a terrific fight", "USA puts up splendid defense", "European Hams short changed by Greedy Governments", and, "European Broadcasting to invade 7 mc Band in late 1939". In Europe, the 7200--7300 kc segment of the 40 meter band would be shared with Broadcasters, starting September 1, 1939. They also lost half of the 80 meter band to broadcasting and other services, and the European 5 meter band was scaled back to make way for television. However, it could have been a lot worse. The next International Conference was set for Rome in 1942. It never took place.

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These columns were originally written for the Schenectady Museum Amateur Radio Association.

Newsletter of the North Kitsap Amateur Radio Club