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Wireless Institute of Australia - WIANEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING JULY 25 2010. - WIA Centenary Update - Club News- WIERD & WONDERFUL - AMATEURS WANTED FOR REALITY TV SHOW - INTERESTING PROJECTS IN MAKE MAGAZINE - ALL UP AND COMING IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA FOR WEEK COMMENCING AUGUST 1 2010.

GB2RS Podcast - Propagation

GB2RS Podcast - Intro, main News

GB2RS Podcast - main News, Special Events, DX, Contests

DX World of Ham Radio - Willi, DJ7RJ will be QRV from Reunion Island between September 23 to October 3, then he will operate as 5R8RJ on Madagascar from October 4 to 29, 2010. He hopes to operate 160-10 CW/SSB and possibly 6 meters. QSL to H/C. AA1M/ADXO

AE5X - Check it out here – nice photos too. Pre-built, not a kit. No mention of QSK capabilities yet. . .

G3XBM - Today I increased the power from my QRSS3 136.93kHz beacon to 2W out of the PA into the 20m spaced earth electrodes. Another "ride about" test locally with the deaf FT817 and E-field probe RX antenna gave the following results: At 2.4km good copy on the Spectran displayAt 4.6km clear copy on the Spectran display.At 8.6km the signal was detectable, but weak (see picture attached from Spectran screen). These reports are roughly "end on" to the electrodes and I've yet to try other directions such as orthogonal to them. No attempt was made to match the PA output to the impedance presented by the earth electrodes which are around 40-60 ohms below 10kHz; I've not measured it at 136kHz yet. Even with true QRP it looks like a range of at least 10km should be possible on QRSS3 (and probably WSPR) with a half decent receiver (better than my crude set-up) using just a 20m earth electrode TX antenna on 136kHz.  I'll leave the QRSS3 beacon running over the weekend on 136.93kHz from my QTH in Burwell, Cambs (JO02dg) and any reports and screen shots would be much appreciated.

DX World of Ham Radio - Tony, G0WFV will be active from Cyprus between 3-15 August using the callsigns ZC4WFV and 5B/GØWFV. Operation will be sporadic. Equipment in use will be a Yaesu FT-817 to a homebrew vertical, using mainly 20m SSB, but other bands and modes possible too.

AE5X - After pondering tree geometry with the idea of putting up an inverted L for the coming fall/winter season, I decided to just make further use of what I already have – an 80m dipole & its feedline. The idea isn’t original – it came from my well-worn copy of ON4UN’s book on lowband DXing. Below is a modification of a diagram in the book that more accurately reflects what I want to do. My main concerns are avoiding ground loops and in utilizing the right relay that will provide minimal loss and maximum isolation for my 100-watt station. Ground loops and relays at RF are both gray areas for me so I plan on picking the brains of those more worthy in this area than I am… I suppose the relay shown here would be referred to as a DP3T 3PDT (thanks Mike!). I began the radial installation this weekend by mowing the grass short and using lawn staples (75 for $10 at Lowe’s) to hold down the wires. According to several sources, the wires should be invisible within a week or two. I’ll be able to use elevated radials along the fencelines of my yard. Click for link to Lowe's After several mowings of the yard, laying additional radials each time, I will have a radial system as good as it’s gonna get around here. . .

NG3K-ADXO - Dec 8-13, 2010 -- St Lucia -- J6 -- QSL: LotW -- Source: N7UN (Jul 30, 2010) -- By W3FF N7UN K8EAB W7ZT N4LA K4MK NX8L W4OKW as TBD; 160-10m; CW SSB RTTY; QSL also OK via home_call (w/ SASE) or eQSL; requested J6BP for ARRL 10m Contest

DX World of Ham Radio - Message from Guy, N7UN: The Buddies in the Caribbean DXpedition group which specializes in 100 watt or less low power radios and the Buddipole portable antenna systems is back again to St Lucia (J6) on Dec 5 – 13, 2010. The north shore Villa location was magnificent on our first visit in Feb 2010 and we want [...]

VA3QV - While bored and surfing you tube I found a few examples of how Amateur Radio Operators could work in their hobby…  The first few will be the obivious ones…. Now although this one and the first one are “Pro Canadian Forces” and a few more will be as well I am not trying to get you to sign up and I am not a “Hawk” or a “Dove” but I am a radio/technical enthuaist…  If your hobby is radio and electronics why not get a job where you get to play with the best electronic toys Canada has to offer. It gives you a choice especially if you get seasick…. Keep your  political views to yourself and look at the radio side of things… 73bob

KE9V - It seems my work days are increasingly filled with meetings and conference calls and so a day without either has become a rare and cherished event. I had one of those all lined up yesterday until my boss asked me if I could meet with a vendor who was coming in from out of town and wanted to discuss some work that he would be performing here soon. The vendor arrived on time and we sat down in a conference room. Business long ago became the most powerful and important of all the religions on the planet and it includes its own peculiar rites, passages and ablutions, one of them being the time honored swapping of the cards. I’ve been in meetings with as many as thirty people trading cards with each other in a bizarre looking ritual that sometimes takes longer than the actual meeting. Oddly enough, there’s an application for iPhone and Android that allows two phones to be "bumped" together which triggers the automatic exchange of business card data electronically but I doubt that will catch on, its much too progressive. Congregants of the Church of Business are mostly orthodox and insist on paper cards – King James if they can get them.  I know enough not to mess with folks strongly held beliefs and superstitions so we traded business cards. And right about then his cell phone sounded a now familiar call: "DROID" He quickly moved to silence it but having recently become the owner of a new Droid X I asked him about his phone and we proceeded to spend a pleasant twenty minutes talking all things Android. His office had adopted the platform in a big way. The phones were company issue and made extensive use of sipdroid, a VoIP application that allows calls to his office extension to be routed directly to his phone, wherever he happens to be. Then he showed me his laptop. It was running Gentoo with the KDE desktop so of course we needed another half hour to talk about Linux and Open Source and how his company had integrated it into their everyday operations. That ended up being one of the more interesting meetings that I’ve attended in some time, of course, something like that is bound to happen when you encounter a real geek in the wild.

DX World of Ham Radio - By Mehdi, F5PFP, FT5YJ, LU/FT5YJ, VP8DLM, CE9XX: Members of the 2011 expedition to Antarctica have met with the skipper. Authorisation has been received and the yacht is officially allowed to sail in Antarctic waters. Date has also been scheduled from February 15th through March 31st, 2011. Amateur radio activity is not the only goal of the 2011 expedition as [...]

VU2SGW - This free operating system provides your PC with all of the usual features, including lots of ham radio applications. The ham radio applications include programs for Morse code training, APRS and packet programs, rig control, CW and digital mode terminal applications, satellite tracking, Smith Charts, logging, DX clusters and more. In most cases there are multiple programs available for each of these applications and there is also a logging program that interfaces with LoTW. http://www.arrl.org/ubuntu-linux-for-hams Courtesy : VU2HVK, OM Harsha

KE9V - The reliability of the service that I pay to host this site has been downright miserable these last few days. I have noted at least three periods of extended downtime in the last six days. If you’re reading this then we are obviously back up but who knows for how long? I’ve been using the same hosting provider for this site since 2000 with generally good results so I’m not anxious to pull the plug on them, though for awhile yesterday I was beginning to wonder if they had gone out of business and just pulled the plug on me, so to speak. I want to see how things go over the next few days before making any sudden moves.

G3XBM - I'm trying to optimise an IRF510 MOSFET PA for use in the 136kHz beacon and later transverter design. Alan Melia G3NYK has a very useful page on practical approaches to class E designs for 136kHz at his page http://www.alan.melia.btinternet.co.uk/classepa.htm together with a useful Excel worksheet to come up with practical values for the output network. Class E using square wave drive on the input can produce very good efficiencies, thereby reducing heatsink requirements.

VK2TPM - A great application for Android is WarDrive. It records the GPS location of wireless networks it sees and exports the data as KML which can be viewed in Google Earth.That's part of my bus ride home.If you zoom in there's almost a 1:1 ratio of homes to networks.Green dots are open networks, yellow are WEP and red are WPA2. I love some of the names, there's lots of Netgear and linksys but a few

K3NG - The six meter calling frequency and perhaps other calling frequencies on other bands are a bit of a paradox.  Six meters is often dead and will magically open up between areas due to Sporadic E propagation.  You won't know the band is open unless you continually scan the lower end of six meters hunting beacons or someone happens to be calling on the calling frequency. We have an amateur in the area who likes camp out on the six meter calling frequency and have his voice keyer automatically call CQ for a few hours some evenings.  It's logical to do such a thing as no one will know the band is open unless someone is transmitting and someone receives the transmissions.  But it's terribly annoying to listen to and I find myself getting frustrated when people do this.  I know others feel the same way as well.  Despite being a calling frequency it's impolite to use it for calling for long periods of time. Perhaps what we should really have are multiple calling frequencies based on areas such as grid square fields, the first two characters of the Maidenhead Locator System (i.e. "FN", "EM", "CN", etc.).  You could camp out on the frequency for your grid square field and call CQ all you like, but if you just wanted to listen for an opening, you could leave your receiver on one of the other grid square field frequencies and not have to worry about a local station clogging the frequency for long periods of time.

AE5X - A year and a half ago my LoTW confirmations were at 14%. Either more and more people are starting to use it or contesters are more apt to use LoTW than non-contesters. Most of my QSOs as a function of percentage in the last 18 months have been made during various contests and sprints. . .

W2LJ - I have no idea what caused that horrendous QRN on 20 Meters the other night; but I have been hanging around and listening to 20 Meters tonight; and so far there is no sign of it. The weather here is the same as it was Tuesday night - hot and humid, no rain. I am sure that it will probably not rear its ugly head again until the next time I am scheduled to be the 20 Meter Fox in a few weeks. Sigh. However, I did manage a very quick QSO on 30 Meters with HP3DX. K2 and the Butternut got me a 449. Bill was about 569 here. 72 de Larry W2LJ

G3XBM - Today I started to modify my 136kHz QRP beacon to increase the power from 250mW to around 5W using an IRF510 MOSFET PA. I've still work to do to optimise the design but hope to complete this tomorrow.

G3XBM - A rather long, but fascinating article on the possibilities and issues with time travel is on Wikipedia.

K4SAC - The eagerly anticipated 2010 WRTC is finally done and in the can and the results have been announced. In a very close competition, Vladimir Askenov RW1AC and Alexey Mikhailov RA1AIP using the call R32F won a very narrow victory over Team Estonia, R33A operated by ES5TV/ES2RR in the 2010 World Radiosport Team Championship. In a demonstration of how close the competition was, Team Estonia garnered 4,084,889 points, 99.675% of the winning Russian score. The R32F team won with a total score of 4,098,162. Even though R33A came in 2nd place overall they did win the award for most SSB contacts and multipliers. Operating as R33M, Dan Craig N6MJ and Chris Hurlbut KL9A came in 3rd place with a total score of 3,942,904. Dan and Chris managed to make 3,549 contacts and lost no multipliers during log checking.  The competition was so close, had Dan and Chris made just 16 more mults, they would have won overall. For fourth place S50A/S57AW, they had too many log errors and ended up losing 8.5% of their QSO’s – 323 in all, dropping them from second to fourth. In fifth place, K5ZD/W2SC had the same problem as N6MJ/KL9A – not enough multipliers. Final Scores of WRTC 2010 Teams 1 – R32F   RW1AC/RA1AIP 4,098,162 2 – R33A   ES5TV/ES2RR 4,084,889 3 – R33M   N6MJ/KL9A 3,942,904 4 – R39D   S50A/S57AW 3,907,540 5 – R34P   K5ZD/W2SC 3,889,908 6 – R32K   RV3BA/RA3CO 3,776,544 7 – R32R   LY9A/LY6A 3,615,024 8 – R31X   UA3DPX/UA4FER 3,594,820 9 – R37M   G4PIQ/G4BUO 3,558,636 10 – R36C   LY9Y/LY7Z 3,502,044 By all accounts, the competition was a success and fair. You can read more at Radio-sport.net (credit: Radio-sport.net) 73, Jack K4SAC

ARA of Nebraska - Saturday Training in August & September! A Technician license class is scheduled for 1900-2200 local time on the Saturday evenings of August 7, 14 & 21, followed by an open, walk-in ARRL/ VE exam session at 1900 local time on Satur...

G3XBM - Researchers at MIT may have come up with a way of travelling through time (and space) using quantum closed timeline curves or CTCs. It has always fascinated me that in quantum mechanics one can describe things as wave functions that have existed in all space and all time, past present and future. It takes a leap of imagination to consider the possibilities. For an explanation see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/7904712/Quantum-time-machine-allows-paradox-free-time-travel.html This is the abstract of the original MIT paper: "This paper discusses the quantum mechanics of closed timelike curves (CTC) and of other potential methods for time travel. We analyze a specific proposal for such quantum time travel, the quantum description of CTCs based on post-selected teleportation (P-CTCs). We compare the theory of P-CTCs to previously proposed quantum theories of time travel: the theory is physically inequivalent to Deutsch's theory of CTCs, but it is consistent with path-integral approaches (which are the best suited for analyzing quantum field theory in curved spacetime). We derive the dynamical equations that a chronology-respecting system interacting with a CTC will experience. We discuss the possibility of time travel in the absence of general relativistic closed timelike curves, and investigate the implications of P-CTCs for enhancing the power of computation."Simple ??? See http://arxiv.org/abs/1007.2615

NG3K-ADXO - Aug 27-Sep 2, 2010 -- Vanuatu -- YJ0VK -- QSL: LotW -- Source: OPDX (Jun 21, 2010) -- By VK3QB VK2CA VK3HJ VK3CB fm Efate I; 2 HF stns; 100w; verts + dipoles; QSL also OK via VK2CA, Buro or direct: VK2CA, Buro or direct: A Meredith, PO Box 890, Mudgee, NSW 2850, Australia

9W2PJU - Android is popular linux based operating system for most of smart phones and also tablet PCs. Some said that android based phones is an iPhone killer. Can we run an android on your x86 pc ? yes we can! Steps Get android x86 iso here at http://android-x86.googlecode.com/files/android-x86-1.6-r2.isoyou need UNetbootin to make bootable USB drive or just burn the iso if you got cd/dvd drive ( you can also run this iso in your virtual environment, vmware, virtualpc, virtualbox )reboot your pc to your USB drive or burned cd/dvd Screensnap

MyHamShack.com - I'm not sure how Heathkits are regarded these days, but I'll always have a great fondness for them. I started with the SB400 and SB401. The transmitter never did work, so I took it all apart and carefully put it all back. It just wouldn't transmit and ...

MyHamShack.com - Just returned from my annual summer trip to my European QTH in Bratislava, Slovakia. OM9ACA was QRV from June 3 - July 27, 2010, with a record 648 contacts on bands from 40m to 70cm. Highlights of this year's trip included EME and meteor scatter conta...

N4KC - Back to amateur radio for a moment.  Amateur radio and how technology is affecting its growth.  There is a very good editorial in the August issue of CQ MAGAZINE about how ham radio has been dying...for over 60 years.  As with many other things technological, innovation and change is supposed to have been causing eroding interest in the hobby since the so-called glory days of the early 1950s. See, that was when people were buidling their own gear--because they could, before ICs, surface-mount technology, computers-masquerading-as-radios, and the like--experimenting, learning.  It was also before ubiquitous cell phones brought us the ability to talk without wires around the world, the internet, email, IM, and Facebook.  Ham radio is dying!  That became the cry from the masses.  And it only got worse when things began to change and the old timers felt their world crumbling beneath their feet. Hey, I was just getting into the hobby when SSB began replacing AM.  Talk about wars! Well, all that technology has failed to put a dent in our wonderful hobby.  The numbers are up and, as of right now, we have far more active amateurs than ever before.  Some of CQ's guesses on how to determine who is "active" may be statistically fuzzy, but I think they are about as close as we can get.  I'll throw one more thing into the mix: I hear people say that the bands are just not as crowded as they once were.  Well, they weren't in the pile-up for the Rwandan dx-pedition the other night!  Truth is, we have more bands now than we had in the '50s.  160, thanks to antenna experimentation and more widely available commercially made gear, is viable.  And many prefer VHF/UHF and FM now and spend more time there.  They were non-starters 60 years ago. No, CQ's point is right on.  The hobby is healthy and growing, innovating and morphing.  And it's still one heck of a lot of fun!

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WSPRnet - Has anyone solved the problem how to run WSPR with the ICOM-7600.

VA3QV - While bored and surfing you tube I found a few examples of how Amateur Radio Operators could work in their hobby…  The first few will be the obivious ones…. And if you also enjoy boating this one could be a real bonus…. 73bob

DX World of Ham Radio - Chris VK3QB, Allan VK2CA, Luke VK3HJ and Brenton VK3CBV will be activating YJ0VK from near Port Vila on Efate Island, Vanuatu, from the 27th August to 2nd September, 2010. Full details by clicking image above.

DX World of Ham Radio - Message from Steve, 9M6DXX: 9M6XRO, 9M6DXX, 9W6AMC, 9W6LEE and G3USR plan to activate the rare IOTA island of Pulau Sebatik, OC-295, from 24 to 27 September inclusive. The operation will be on 10 – 80m with the emphasis on 15 – 40m. Two stations will be used with amplifiers to a HexBeam and verticals located directly [...]

DX World of Ham Radio - Loren, AD6ZJ may again be QRV from Singapore during September. He will be active as time permits, mostly during weekends and nights. Any open bands but will focus on WARC bands and will include RTTY, SSB and CW. QSL via LotW, Bureau or direct to H/C.

VK2TPM - I'm enjoying having the 24 hour ABC TV news channel around. If you visit the Ultimo centre it's right there in the foyer:Presumably it will come in to it's own when a big story breaks but it is convenient being able to flip to it any time.It's weird that a high definition channel is being used for news, which is pretty much standard definition or less.When ABC insider Roi was asked what he

73s.org - Please share this with you clubs. The Drake Radio Group is sponsoring a free class “Google for the Amateur Radio Operator” This class is designed to as a boot camp and for the attendee to follow along. See it today, use it today type of class covering the use of Google free applications as a radio operator. We will discuss online identity, email, mail groups, calendaring, mapping, etc. as it applies to the radio operator. Class size is limited to 20 + class support people so Register asap by sending email to gary.ny8t@gmail.com. Where: Class will be held at the City of Springboro Community Room 320 West Central Avenue Springboro, Ohio 45066 Free parking and restrooms are available. This is a different location then the “Ham Radio Deluxe fundamentals” class was held. When: Saturday October 9th, 2010 0830-1700 (0830am to 5pm) Prerequisites: Laptop with Wifi, bring your charger. Laptop does not have to be Windows. Should have anti virus current with in a week. Should have computer operating system patches current. Should have Browsers current Suggest having Google Chrome browser installed, use of Firefox and Internet Explorer is fine as well. Class will not cover extensive use of browsers. Copy of FCC Amateur License to be presented at check in. Suggestion: Bring a small cooler with drinks and lunch. Learning opportunities during lunch. Schedule: 830 Checking and personal setup (connect to wifi, ensure Prerequisites are installed) 0900 Start 1100 Break 1130 Lunch and learn 1300 Break 1315 Start 1500 Break 1630 Tear down 1700 Completed Contact gary.ny8t@gmail.com for questions.

NT7S - A very quick update for those of you wondering what’s going on at the Milldrum residence. The baby’s due date was 22 July, but that’s come and gone and he still hasn’t shown up yet. Apparently he likes his current accommodations and is reluctant to change. The OB/GYN has decided that he’s had enough time, so she’s going to induce if Jennifer is not in labor by 1 August. So stay tuned, you’ll see some news very soon regardless of which way he comes. Finally, a brief message courtesy of my manager’s whiteboard:

W2LJ - I have often heard it said that, "If you listen to the radio long enough, you will hear everything." I think that in 30+ years as a Ham, that finally came true the other night. I was driving home from work and had the Icom in scan mode. It settled on one of the repeaters in New Jersey that is linked for statewide coverage. I heard a Ham relating the following story. He was driving through a certain town and got stopped by a police officer for going over the speed limit. He was also on the radio at the time. In New Jersey, when you get a speeding ticket a certain "point value" goes on your driving record, depending on how far above the speed limit you were traveling. If you accumulate more than 12 points in three years, your license to drive is subject to revocation. The Ham must have offered some kind of sob story and the officer must have felt sorry for this guy, or something, because he offered him a choice. He had to issue a summons; but was willing to avoid giving the guy the points for speeding if he would take a ticket for using an electronic device while driving. This is New Jersey's cell phone law. If you use a cell phone (other than a non-hands on system) while driving, you get a fine. The Ham agreed to the cell phone ticket instead of the points. What the officer didn't know, it seems, is that there is a specific exemption for Amateur Radio operators built into that law. As far as the law is written, Amateur Radio is NOT cell phone communications and is therefore permissible while driving. So our friendly "lead foot" Ham was explaining to his friend on the air how he is going to court to challenge and possibly have the driving offense expunged on the technicality. I was perturbed. First off, the police officer did this guy a favor. Even though Joe Ham broke the law by speeding, the police officer gave him a break by charging him with a lesser offense with a smaller fine and no points against his driving record. Joe Ham freely admitted his guilt and freely admitted that he was going to try and get out of this on the technicality that the police officer was probably unaware of. How about taking responsibility for your actions and taking your medicine like a man? As it is, he should be eternally grateful to the police officer for not issuing him the speeding points. Secondly, if this guy's argument works; and he does beat the ticket .... how is that police officer going to treat other Hams in the future? He will have gotten burned by one of us once. Think that's not going to reside in the old memory banks for a long time? Think this police officer is going to be sympathetic to some other Ham in the future? I doubt it. This kind of thing makes us all look bad. Fortunately, the friend that "lead foot" was talking to on the repeater advised him against his planned course of action. The friend was trying to be the voice of reason and common sense; but somehow I don't think his advice will be heeded. It seems that anything goes these days. I will keep an ear open to this repeater system over the next few weeks. I will be very interested to see how this turns out. 72 de Larry W2LJ

AmateurLogic.TV - AmateurLogic Xtra 1 is now available for download. Apple recently release the iOS version 4 update. For iPhone 3GS and 4 users the update works fine. However many iPhone 3G owners have complained about their device becoming considerably slower after upgrading. Tommy shows us how to restore the iPhone 3G to iOS version 3 and reclaim it’s previous speed. 7:32 It’s Summer here so we’ve taken a short break. Look for more full length AmateurLogic.TV episodes coming this Fall. View or Download View in web browser: YouTube

AE5X - Click for larger My little piece of Cold War history arrived today in the form of an NOS telegraph key built for the Soviet military in the 1980’s. For only $18, I had to have one. Shipping was quick (got here in 12 days) and the key seems as solid and well-built as I was hoping it would be. For a better description and far better pics than I could ever take, have a gander at Yury’s eBay store. This’ll be the first straight key I’ve owned/used in three decades so  I guess the folks on the next Straight Key Sprint from NAQCC will be suffering my poor sending come August 11. I’ll try to brush up a bit before then… Now if I can only figure out how to read these instructions! . .

9W2PJU - The scenario is, i have created a pdf file for my personal document, and then to make it safe i put a password so anyone else cant read the file except myself. After a month later, I've forgot the password but i want to read the file as soon as possible. here it comes, pdfcrack! ( also available on win32 ) Mission: recover the password target: piju.pdf's password weapon: pdfcrack http://pdfcrack.sourceforge.net/ estimation time: depends on the length of the password situation reports: no text, just photos status: password recovered, mission accomplished, all units please stand down :-)

DX World of Ham Radio - Simon, IZ7ATN informs he will be active until August 2 from Malindi, Kenya (on the coast of the Indian Ocean). Holiday-style activity. QSL via H/C.

QRPedia - Some words about a driver – it is a necessary program which is used by your computer’s operating system, for example Windows. Driver makes possible the usage of different devices which are installed or connected to our personal computer. As an example, those devices which can exploit that drivers can be your scanner, printer, sound card, digital camera and also USB. By using drivers for you it is so simple to plug and play those devices, because the main purpose of drivers is to provide communication between your hardware and your computer’s operating system. read more

Hamslife.com - Follow me at the new ham radio social page Ham Radio Nation   (http://www.hamradionation.com/home.php)

DX World of Ham Radio - Following their recent Press Release, the PJ7 DXpedition Team scheduled to visit Sint Maarten from 10/10/10 now have a website detailing all aspects of this soon to be new DXCC. Click below for full details: The team consists of the following: AA4NN, DJ9ZB, I8NHJ, K4SV, K6MM, K6TD, K9CT, K9ZO, N2WB, NF4A, W6KK, W6OSP & W8GEX

W8MRC - The July issue of Wireline is available here 73, Steve

W8MRC - The Ohio QSO Party (OhQP) is just 5 weeks away, and the excitement is already building. Stations from across Ohio are making their plans to be on the air for one of the premier state QSO parties. Small stations from Ohio can make hundreds of QSOs during the short 12 hour event. Get on and call “CQ Ohio QSO Party” and run the pileups! We hope you will join us to make this the best event yet – our goal is to get fixed operations on from every county this year. If you are planning on being on, please let everyone know by posting your county of operation on the “Planned Operations” website at http://ohqp.org/plannedOpsEntry.html For those who don’t know what the OhQP is all about, it’s a fun time for Ohio stations to be on the air and be the hunted station, or “DX”. People from around the world are seeking out Ohio stations in this event, which is a nice change from most operating events. The OhQP occurs on Saturday August 28, 2010 from local noon to local midnight. In the basic QSO exchange, Ohio stations send a consecutive serial number + county, and non-Ohioans (who can only work Ohio) send a consecutive serial number and state/province/DX. Suggested frequencies are: CW: 3545, 7045, 14,045, 21,045, 28,045 kHz; SSB 3825, 7200, 14,250, 21,300, and 28,450 kHz. Don’t be shy – try calling CQ in addition to searching and pouncing. Remember, the world is tuning the bands looking for Ohio stations – your CQ’s will be answered! Full details and an OhQP operating guide can be found on the official website at: www.ohqp.org/. This is a great event for a club activity or a training ground for new(er) hams. QSO rates are as high or higher than Field Day, and there’s virtually no QRM in this event. Round up the club and have some fun. If you are in the mood to enjoy the great Ohio countryside, try operating portable or mobile from a rare county. Remember, the ultimate goal is to just get on the air and have some fun! 73 and we hope to hear you on the air, Kenny K2KW Ohio QSO Party PR Coordinator kenny.k2kw@gmail.com P.S. If any Ohio amateur radio organization has an upcoming event, they can post it on the ARRL Ohio Section calendar, even if they are not a member of the ARRL. http://arrlohio.org/calendar/calendar.php (QSP from Scott N8SY, ARRL Assistant Section Manager)

DX World of Ham Radio - UPDATE: LINK BEIRUT – Lebanese judicial officials say authorities have released a German engineer detained on suspicion of spying for Israel. The man, who worked at a dairy factory in eastern Lebanon, was detained late Monday. He was suspected of involvement in passing on sensitive security information to Israel. The Lebanese officials said on Wednesday no arrest warrant [...]

NG3K-ADXO - Oct 10-20, 2010 -- Sint Maarten -- PJ7 -- QSL: unknown -- Source: N4AA (Jul 28, 2010) -- By DJ9ZB I8NHJ K6MM K4SV K6TD K9CT K9ZO N2WB NF4A K6KK W6OSP W8GEX; 160-10m; SSB CW RTTY; 4 stations QRV 24 hrs/day

N0TU - Talk about a good workout ...that trail up Blodgett Peak (9465') climbs approximately 2500' in a little over 2 miles. Got a late start 9:40AM from the trail head parking lot and didn't summit till almost noon! Weather was sunny and clear and no forecast of T-storms! Woohoo! Setup the antenna/radio and conditions were GREAT it sounded like CQ-WW Wow! ...lots of signals from 14058.5 to 68 ...absolutely amazing for a QRP 'test! I've never heard such a joyful noise!

N0TU - The goats and I went on a reconnaissance mission to check out Huron Peak for a possible 14er (14,000') for the Ham-14er this coming August 8th. When we will operate as NØB! ... It was a picture perfect day in the Colorado mountains and us goats had a super day on the peak! Very few climbers made it out that day maybe 12 or so? for more information on the Ham-14er: http://n0b-14er.blogspot.com/ http://www.14er.org/ Please join us for the fun! Here's some photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/qrp.wg0at...

N0TU - Recently I had the thrill of making contact with Wes Hayward W7ZOI! Who's Wes/W7ZOI you say? Together with another QRP giant, Doug DeMaw, W1FB, Wes was among many who was responsible for popularizing home made construction of simple radio equipment, which fostered experimentation among radio amateurs. Most of all he inspired me to get out doors with radio! By sharing his QRP adventures and stories on the web and in print. I was eager to follow his lead taking my rigs to the woods to experiment with antennas and little QRP cw rigs I built from his and Doug's designs. You could say he started me down the "trail" of 40 years of very rewarding QRP fun!

N0TU - The goats and I put Mt herman on the air for the first time for SOTA Summits On The Air program. Our original plans were to do an overnight but weather was factor. So we hiked up and down both days instead. Made over 35 fun contacts world wide and several summit to summit contacts and several Europeans QSOs. We did get chased around by spring snow flurries but had a fun time. For more information on SOTA:

N0TU - Our original plans were to hike up Mt Herman with the goats for one of the best QRP contests of the season "QRP to the field" QRPTTF. But Mother Nature had other plans. She dropped 20" of very wet-heavy snow on our us instead making it impossible to travel any of the backcountry roads near by. So we tossed the goats a some fresh hay and tossed another log in the wood stove and operated QRPTTF from home.

N0TU - Phil/KL8DX and Suann/KL8SU on their way back to Alaska from vacationing in the lower 48 stop by Colorado to visit Peanut & Rooster for a goat hike up Mt Herman. Phil snags some amazing DX while on top. The goats are up to their usual tricks and antics. Great day on the mountain! Fun time for all!

SolderSmoke News - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrDYEbRGEdsThis video really made me yearn for my shack and soldering iron (all my gear is still on the high seas). OM AK2B is doing amazing modular things in an apartment in NYC. Richard Fenynman would be proud! I was pleased to see the circuits and kits of so many FB radio amateurs (including KD1JV, W7ZOI, and KA7EXM) in this rig. Thanks to Jonathan-san, KC7FYS,

SolderSmoke News - Lulu just announced a big summer sale, good through August 1. This is a good chance to get "SolderSmoke -- The Book" in time for that late-summer beach trip. Just use the coupon code SANTA when checking out. (U.S. buyers may find it more advantageous to use the summer-long free shipping offer.)Find the book here:http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm

VK2TPM - I'm a news addict but the house is overrun with paper and it's time to go electronic. News Limited did a fine job, right at the iPad launch with The Australian for iPad, but it's not without a few glitches...The Sydney Morning Herald launched this week with an astonishingly bad tablet version of the paper - basically a PDF of the whole thing, weighing in at 30MB to download or more, hard to

KE9V - Cornbread Road Episode Five Lazy Days of Summer Hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad, watermelon, swimming, fishing, ham radio – does it get any better than this? It does on Cornbread Road where everything has been carefully planned, right down to the the mosquitoes. Cornbread Road #5.mp3 Subscribe to the Podcast feed: http://ke9v.net/podcast.xml Cornbread Road is a different kind of ham radio podcast. It’s an audio experiment, an episodic mystery in thirteen parts being released between the Solstice and the Equinox in 2010. Don’t miss it!

QRPedia - FDA closes Johnson and Johnson plant   More troubles are being see by the drug company, Johnson and Johnson. The Food and Drug Administration has temporarily shut down a medicinal manufacturing plant in Lancaster, Penn. Until the plant can pass an inspection like the one they failed, they are going to remain closed. Johnson and Johnson has already suffered some high profile setbacks over the past a number of months, on the heels of a large recall of children's Motrin and Tylenol products.   read more

KB6NU - Two years ago—almost to the day—I wrote about making a min-solder pot to tin toroid leads. Well, now I finally have one. Sunday, at the museum, Jim, K8ELR, brought down all of the soldering irons he’d ever purchased to try them out in building the little QRP transceiver kit he just bought. The results of that may be the topic of another blog post, but one of the irons he had was a 25 W Weller pencil iron. “Aha,” I thought, “this would be perfect for the mini-solder pot.” I convinced Jim to let me take the iron home with me and convert it by noting that his kit had several toroids whose leads were going to need stripping and tinning. I  did that tonight. I carefully hacked off the end of the soldering iron tip and filed it down. Then, I carefully drilled a 5/64-in. hole about 3/16-in. deep. I then widened the hole to 3/16-in. The hole in the tip wasn’t exactly centered, but I didn’t break through the sidewall of the tip. I plugged in the iron, heated up the tip, and filled it with solder. I dipped a short piece of enameled wire, and a couple of minutes later, I had a perfectly tinned lead! It had worked like a charm. In about 15 minutes, I had eliminated one of the most odious tasks associated with kit building. This is going to be well worth the effort.

W2LJ - Tonight was my night in the barrel as Fox in the 20 Meter Summer Foxhunt. And in the 5 or so years that I have been a Fox, this had to be my worst performance, by far! 20 Meters was lousy for me tonight with some local QRN that was horrendous. I took some video, have a look: And this was one of the times when the bursts were coming at a relatively slower rate! There were times it sounded more like machine gun fire. I had to deal with this for about 80% of the time during the 90 minute time window. Look at how the S-meter moves into 20 dB over territory! I'm very lucky that I was able to hand out any pelts at all. What's even more frustrating is that I have no idea what was causing this. I have listened on 20 Meters a lot the past week or so; and never encountered this before. I am wondering if this has anything to do with the work they did on the utility pole last Sunday when that transformer blew after the thunderstorm. If you were a "hound" in the hunt and tried calling me and calling me to no avail, I apologize. Believe me, it was just as frustrating for me as it was for you. Probably more so. 72 de Larry W2LJ

Medical ARC - From Warren, KD4GUA, This Sunday we will continue the discussion on "Making health rationing ethical." Ian K3IK did a great job of narrating and he will be back on board this week. PS. "Aether" mailed July 27, you should receive it shortly.

K9ZW - Fun & amusing, the vast majority of website based surveys are openly acknowledged as unscientific and biased to the point of uselessness. They can be a lot of fun, and can have a great use in prompting the website visitor to think about topics and perhaps interactively reflect on subjects of mutual interest. The ARRL [...]

NQ3X - Courtesy of sarahbellem : 1.) Go to google and type in "You know you're from [your area] when..." 2.) Cut and paste the list 3.) Bold or italicize items that apply to you. -=-=begin paste=-=- 1. You think its hilarious that getting into New Jersey is free, but you have to PAY to get out. 2. You take pride in the fact that after crossing into PA (from NJ) there is a sign that says "Welcome to Pennsylvania, America Starts Here". 3. You thought everyone in the world had 2 or 3 different choices for ABC NBC CBS and FOX (this reception is getting fuzzy, there must be a storm in Philly, I'll just switch to the New York Channel). 4. You've never had to explain that you are really from Pennsylvania, not someplace in the middle east (Bethlehem, Egypt, Nazareth, Emmaus). 5. You think Industrial Parks are better uses of the land then Farms. 6. You actually can show people the dairy where your milk comes from. 7. You've never thought that Walmarts are "creeping in" from the South. 8. If it takes less than ten minutes to get to a mall but more than 10 minutes to park and get inside. 9. When Roadside America isn't a warm nostalgic idea but a place you've passed on I-78. 10. If you can go to a church bazaar every night all summer and not go to the same one twice (and not win at bingo either). 11. If you lived somewhere between Mario Andretti's place and Larry Holmes' place and yet never watched a Race or a Prize Fight. 12. If you have rooted for either side in a Lehigh - Lafayette game. 12a. If you own a piece of Lehigh-Lafayette memorabilia (a brick glued to a plaque, a cylindrical piece of white wood from a supposed goal post from a certain year, etc.). 13. If you prefer Yocco's over Pott's or vice versa. 14. If you think Quakertown is far away (25 minutes by car) but you think nothing of driving 15 minutes one way to pick up a friend and then backtrack another 25 to get your girlfriend and then another 10 to get your friend's girlfriend and then another 20 to go to the movies on a Friday night. 15. If you've ever been to a 'platz. 16. If you've ever said to yourself "Damn, I need two more tickets" while attending a platz. 17. If you or any of your relatives have ever "worked the beer tent". 18. You know when Rice's is open for business and plan accordingly. 19. If you know the real reason kids have off from school the Monday after Thanksgiving. 20. When you and your co-workers discuss the "game last weekend" on Monday morning, you're referring to high school football. 21. You think the PP&L Building and Martin's Tower are skyscrapers. 22. If you finish every sentence with "dontchano". 23. You can get pierogies in every restaurant. 24. You actually think ring baloney is good. 25. Ring baloney is an appetizer at most black tie events. 26. You think the Morning Call has a great sports section. 2

frrl.net - The Best Way to Predict the Future is to Create It What better a post than to sandwich more from Tom Peters between 2 postings; one on the demise of the middle class in America and the other on the demise of the traditional business model of print journalism (newspapers) Everyone is aware, or should be aware, of what is happening to traditional business models in the face of disruptive technology and innovation. From the Federal Trade Commission article posted recently: Journalism is moving through a significant transition in which business models are crumbling, innovative new forms of journalism are emerging, and consumer news habits are changing rapidly… Corporations, organizations, and individuals are necessarily in one of three states when it comes to innovation and change.  They are either: 1) running away.  2) standing still  3) embracing the change.  And maybe I will add a fourth state – 4) creating innovative ways at looking at the world, society, and technology that creates change and builds a new future.  Was amazon.com created by the booksellers.  No.  Was the personal computer created by a major player in the computer industry?  No.  What business is Google in?  Yours?  What, and who, is next? It is not “business as usual”.  For those out to, as Steve Jobs says, “Make a dent in the Universe” and for those who envision a future of unlimited possibilities (as opposed to running away), here is more inspiration from Tom Peters on embracing the chaos. They read Jim Collins and grok on “quiet, humble leaders.” I say “Give me the Bold, the Brash, the Brassy, the Egocentric     Dreamers who, like Steve Jobs, ‘Dent the Universe.’” They say they need a “vision” born of McKinsey. I say we need a “Grandiose Dream” born of a Passionate &     Intemperate Belief that the world can be a different, better     place. They say “no child left behind.” I say “education” is leaving ALL our children behind, as it is     totally mis-aligned to deal with tomorrow’s (this afternoon’s)     uncertain, ambiguous, creativity-driven economy. They say we need to “bring effectiveness to the supply chain.” I say we need an IS/IT/Best Sourcing revolution based on     nothing less than an Entirely Original Vision of what     organizations are and how they interact. They say “Globalization is a bumpy road.” I say India and China and Asia in general are within two     decades of running the show: Get ready or get trounced. They say “defense” and “consolidation” are musts for a global     game. I say encourage Offense, nurture a Generation (or 10) of     Entrepreneurs, cherish Creativity & Risk-taking from primary     school onwards … and don’t expect to be saved by a bunch     of bulky, retro behemoths commanded by a phalanx of Old     White Guys who think 30 minutes a day on the corporate     treadmill and 27 holes on the links are a fit defense against     Revolution. They say “If it can’t be precisely measured then it isnâ€

Teen Radio Journey - If you spend a lot of time on HF and like to exchange QSL cards, then you know how expensive they can get even if you print them on your own. Anyone who loves to exchange QSL cards would drool over a box of 1000 Full-Color Photo QSL Cards. The only problem is, you would

HandiHam - Welcome to Handiham World!Update: Larry Huggins, KA0LSG, Handiham Volunteer, holds the Wouxun HT on cover of WorldradioLast week's mention of the Wouxun talking dual band handheld radio created quite a stir, so we are devoting some time to a follow up. I heard from a number of our readers and listeners who said that the PDF online version of the "With the Handihams" article was difficult to read because of the PDF layout. Although the magazine has done a great job making the layout easy to follow for sighted readers, I have heard that there is a need for a more straightforward text version for our blind readers and listeners. I have placed the text of the article on the Handiham website, as well as a link to an audio version of the article read by Bob Zeida, N1BLF, who reads for us and for The Talking Information Center of the Massachusetts Reading network. Since we didn't specify retailers, we also provide you a link to some sources.Those of you who listen to this podcast will hear Bob reading "With the Handihams". Before we get to those resource links, there is word that Wouxun is interested in developing a talking dual-band base/mobile rig. I read about this on a discussion thread on the Blind-Hams mailing list. At this point, they are interesting in learning what accessibility features are most needed, so this may be a rare opportunity for anyone who wants to have a say in the early design of a radio to get their voice heard. To comment on this, you may email Ed at Wouxun: sales@wouxun.us. That is also the address to request a price list and ordering information. The Wouxun.us website states "Due to having minor surgery, I will not be shipping orders between July 26 - Aug 7. During this time I will answer emails and take orders." With this in mind, I would guess that you may need a bit of patience in communicating with Ed, especially if you have questions. I would urge our readers and listeners to keep the questions simple and don't ask a bazillion of them. In fact, the website is easily navigated and you can find the answers to your question there. The pricing is under $110 + shipping, and a variety of accessories are available. Remember that you can get this radio in a dual band version that includes 2 meters and either 70 cm (440 MHz) or 1.25 m (222 MHz.) The pricing is the same for either combination. Please see the Handiham.org website for the story & resource links. Our thanks to CQ Publications and the Blind Hams Mailing List for helping us get the word out about accessible technology. For Handiham World, I'm...Patrick Tice wa0tda@arrl.net

KB6NU - Some purchasers of the latest Apple iPhone have been experiencing reception problems. Apparently, the band around the phone is the phone’s antenna, and when held in a certain way, the antenna doesn’t function as well as it should. Well, doh! Any amateur radio operator could tell you that you probably don’t want to touch your antenna while you’re transmitting and probably not while you’re trying to receive, either. I guess there aren’t many hams on Apple’s engineering staff. For more technical information, listen to this IEEE podcast with antenna engineer Spencer Webb.

VA3QV - Thats right… 24 Days to Maplecon…. Click on the above Logo to go to their site for the most up to date information I’m still planning to get there at least for the Saturday and if the family permits the 3 Days… 73bob

AE5X - There seems to be a lot of interest in personal weather stations among ham radio ops. I started my own a little over a year ago after researching what was out there, equipment wise, and I did so thinking it would be interesting to see trends over time here at my own QTH. What I didn’t realize at the time was how much goes on behind the scenes regarding the data flow of weather info for those stations that are tied to computers with an always-on internet connection. I learned about all that after getting set up and was/am amazed at what occurs without my having to do anything to enable it other than allowing my data to go out into the ether. I’ll describe it in brief here, and provide relevant links to more detailed info for those considering a similar set-up. For the record, I have a Davis Vantage Pro II with a USB connection to my computer. It comes with its own software for local presentation of graphical data, charts, etc on your own computer. But instead of that program, I’m running Virtual Weather Station which provides far more options in how and which data is presented. It also allows me to upload my selected graphs to a page on my website. And it has a free add-on program called VWSaprs that runs in the background and uploads your weather station’s data to the APRS network. If I didn’t have a 24/7 internet connection, I could feed my weather station’s data to a 2m FM radio tuned to 144.390 MHz and get onto the APRS network that way. To control and convert weather data to audio for the 2m rig, I’d use one of these or one of these or something similarly inexpensive. Either method gets your weather data onto the APRS network and that’s where the magic begins. By magic, I mean that you are not only sharing your info but are allowing it to be smoothed, compared, evaluated and rated. This is important for two reasons: it provides you with info regarding the proper siting of your weather station and it provides external weather entities (NOAA, MADIS, Wunderground.com, etc) with an additional source to use for their purposes. Furthermore, each of these users of weather data provides their own way for you to see how your data compares to what they believe is the correct data for your area and time. By data, I’m talking primarily about temperature, barometric pressure, rainfall and dew point/humidity. Here is a diagram of the data flow that results simply from you putting your wx data onto the APRS network using either method mentioned above: The presence of your own station’s dataflow throughout this system can be seen at each step along the way, often accompanied by quality checks and other comparative data derived from other sources. Here’s mine at various steps along the way: FindU - Wx Quality Reporter

WSPRnet - VE5MU has moved from Regina, SK (DO70QK) to Saskatoon, SK DO62QD, also running a new antenna, a large delta Loop approx 350 feet , apex at 4o feet and fed in from one corner with an SGC tuner at the feed point. John VE5MU

KE9V - By now most of us have read the news touting the recent explosive growth in amateur radio. According to the ARRL, last year was very good and the first six months of 2010 even better: “With more than 18,000 new Amateur Radio licenses issued in the first half of this year — 18, 270 to be exact — 2010 is shaping up to be a banner year for Amateur Radio. So far, the number of new licenses issued by the FCC in 2010 is outpacing the January-June 2009 totals by almost 8.5 percent; at this time last year, the FCC had issued 16,844 new licenses”. Good for us! But lost in that good news is one question that deserves an answer: what is bringing them in? Is it renewed vigor in local clubs? Perhaps it has something to do with the newly minted ARRL Web site, or its forays into social media like Twitter or Facebook? Is it a particular book or magazine, a new iPhone app, or maybe a combination of all the above? It certainly seems important to get to the heart of the matter so the hobby/service can keep doing whatever it is that is bringing record numbers of new hams into the fold. I haven’t observed any new television or radio marketing schemes promoting amateur radio. I haven’t kept track, but it certainly feels like ham radio is getting more attention in local newspapers though it may be that we are only recognizing that now thanks to Google. Could it have something to do with that different looking man with the unusual name who sits in the Oval Office? That certainly seemed to ignite the sale of guns and ammunition last year. Has ham radio become a refuge for survivalists and those awaiting a Thunderdome conclusion to life as we know it? What do we know from the data that we do track – have you noticed an uptick in the usage of your local repeater? Are we seeing larger crowds attending hamfests? Has anyone noted a significant increase in the number of radio contesting entrants? I’m simply curious – what is bringing new blood into an old hobby and what are these new operators finding so interesting about it? Enquiring minds want to know. The comment section is wide open, operators are standing by…

DX World of Ham Radio

QRPedia - I am a 27 year old social worker from Alabama, Alberta and on the side run a website for various ebook ressources. I also have a dream of opening a website that is based around freelance art and finding the inner artist in everyone. I hope everyone on here enjoys my articles and will benefit from my knowledge. I also have a site about ecommerce software and email marketing software on my sever too. Check them out if you want to know more about me.

DX World of Ham Radio - A team will operate as 9L5VT in Sierra Leone during the CQWW DX CW contest (November 27/28). The group dedicate this year’s project to Vince K5VT who became a SK recently. QSL via G3SXW. ADXO

DX World of Ham Radio - Alex, UA3DLD will be QRV as RI0FKD from Kunashir Island, Kuril Islands, AS-025 between August 8 to Septemeber 3, 2010. He may be active from other islands within the Kuril group during this period. QSL via UA3DLD. LINK

DX World of Ham Radio - Nikolai RK3RB, Arcady RZ0SB and Igor UA3EDQ with great assistance and participation of their family members plan to activate from 7th to 17th August as R3RRC/0 and Home Calls/0 some references of Baikal Lake for Russian Robinson Club’s awards programs (more details can be found here ). RRA Islands planned to be visited: RR-21-02; 21-07; 21-08, more details [...]

VA3QV - Early this morning while surfing Youtube I came upon this interesting video… …  I found it to be a fantastic example of ARES being taken very seriously by all three levels of goverment.  As the video states the Mobile Command Post was sponsored by various levels of Goverments and it goes anywhere in VE5 as needed… Like I said “FANTASTIC”!!! 73bob

DX World of Ham Radio - Michael, DB5MH plans to be active from Disko Island, NA-134 between July 29 to August 8. This will be a QRP operation only, with Michael using 14310Mhz daily @ 00:00UTC. QSL via DJ9KH.

VA3STL - The off-centre dipole installed on Field Day 2010 (photograph and copyright of Chris Weisner, VA3SM) As I mentioned in the earlier Field Day 2010 report, the CUARC group built two antennas for the event.  In this post I will describe the first one of these, an off-centre fed dipole. The common place for the feed point of the off-centre fed dipole is at a 1/3 : 2/3 split in the arms. This has the advantage of providing low SWR (with a 4:1 balun) at even harmonic frequencies, such as 20m and 10m for an antenna cut for the fundamental frequency of 40m (around 66ft). Whereas a centre-fed dipole will only have the odd harmonics which for a 40m (7MHz) dipole is 15m (21MHz). Rather than use the traditional off-centre length split of 1/3 : 2/3 for our Field Day antenna, it was decided to follow the design proposed by Richard Formato, K1POO, in two technical correspondences published in QST 1,2 and followed up with further article with by Dale Gaudier, 3. In this design the feed point is moved closer to the 1/6 point on the short arm, the advantage being stated in the articles that you should get a 200Ω feedpoint there and so a low SWR on 40m, 20m, 15m and 10m bands when using a 4:1 balun, with no need for an antenna tuner unit.  The emphasis on the 15m band is intentional as a low SWR on that band is not usually possible with an off-centre fed dipole with the feed at 1/3 : 2/3 and a 4:1 balun.  Four bands on one 69 foot wire antenna with no tuner looked very attractive for Field Day. The antenna was cut carefully prior to Field Day and the end insulators were added.  When cutting the antenna the length measurement included the ‘pig-tail’ connections that I have on the 4:1 balun. The diagram below shows the arrangement of the antenna. The off-centre fed dipole for 40m, 20m, 15m and 10m On the day the antenna was installed between two trees at about 35ft off the ground. While the second antenna was being constructed (to be featured in a later post) its SWR was measured with my Autek RF-1 antenna analyzer.  The results were taken by Maria, VA3MMI and Gil, VE3JRY and are tabulated below. _______________________________________________ Band (m)    2:1 VSWR Range (MHz)          Minimum VSWR 40                                                                      3.1 : 1 (at 7.38 MHz) 20                       13.29 – 14.65                            1.4 : 1 15                       21.20 – 22.31                            1.5 : 1 10                      27.78 – 29.25                            1.7 : 1 _______________________________________________

KB6NU - As I’ve often mentioned, many of us started out as shortwave listeners (SWLs). It’s also true that SW broadcasting isn’t what it used to be. Nearly everyone, except the Chinese, have cut back their broadcasting schedules. Heck, the BBC doesn’t even broadcast to North America anymore. So, it’s hard to report bad news concerning a long-time SW broadcaster. The latest is that a court-ordered study in Italy has warned of “important risks” of dying of cancer for people who had resided at least 10 years within a nine-kilometre (5.5-mile) radius of the radio station’s antenna towers near Cesano, about 12 miles north of Rome.A Rome judge ordered the report in 2005 as part of an investigation into a complaint filed in 2001 by Cesano residents who alleged health hazards posed by the electromagnetic waves. “There has been an important, coherent and meaningful correlation between exposure to Vatican Radio’s structures and the risk of leukaemia and lymphoma in children,” the report said, according to the daily La Stampa. The charges are so serious that there’s talk of indicting some Vatican Radio officials on charges of manslaughter. The Vatican, of course, disputes this study, but it’s hard to say who will win the case. To read more, here are a few links: Vatican Radio: Still Making Waves (IEEE Spectrum) Challenge to Vatican Radio Station (ABC News) Vatican Radio Waves Blamed for High Cancer Risk (Telegraph.co.uk)

W2LJ - As always, FOBB taught me a few lessons, 1) Really have to get a Buddipole mast. The plastic insert on my painter's pole can't handle the weight of the Buddistick. Those 10 foot whips add A LOT of weight! It did the job yesterday; but at the end, the antenna was listing pretty badly. 2) Have to finish the Fuchs tuner, so I can play around with an end fed tossed up a tree. 3) It always seems the weather for the major QRP outdoor events will always end up being less than desired. Have to account for all kinds of possibilities. Yesterday's thunder crept up on me very quickly. I was definitely paying too much attention to the radio and not enough to the sky. 4) Have to tear apart the PFR3A and find out why the internal batteries didn't work. One must have gotten jostled out of the battery insert on the trip back from Lake George. 5) Wish I had been able to put in the whole four hours. From what I have been reading on the QRP reflectors, 40 Meters got WAY better during the second half. 72 de Larry W2LJ

2E0HTS - We spent last week relaxing at the Galloway Coastline in the south west of Scotland. We had a very enjoyable stay at The Isle of Whithorn just 7yds from the sea. Our accommodation was excellent on the Harbor row, which was only a stone’s throw away from the historic landing place of St Ninian We visited this area for the first time three years ago when we stayed at the Galloway Astronomy Centre and have been revisiting as regular as we can, ever since. The area has lots of historic sites not to mention the stunning views, large empty beaches and plenty of wild life which for us makes up a great holiday. One of our favorite beaches is at Monreith where there is one of Scotlands best kept secerets The Church of Kirkmaiden hidden away but easily found along with St Medana’s Well. The Church of KirkmaidenSt Medana's beach at Kirkmaiden During our many visits to the beach I was able to get some HF Mobiling done with the trusty Yaesu FT-100 on 20m, 40m and 80m with some great contacts worked with my recently acquired Hustler mono band antenna.I enjoyed the many QSO's and managed to get a few of the stations I worked in my log thanks to my YL Louise (M3TLL). Thanks! to all of you guys that came back to my call. I also took my telescope and I spent some time watching the Buzzards look for their lunch. I tried to catch some pictures so you can see what I was looking at.

WSPRnet - Today I received my first SWL rpt by mail from Frank Hunger from Germany. A nice postcard and a very nice letter with ofcourse the details from his reception report. Thanks for this one Frank and a qsl card is on the way back to you. Greetings Johan, PE9DX.

DX World of Ham Radio - Message from Francisco Jackson, PY1PDF: ZY6Z – Island of Morro de Sao Paulo and Tinharé, SA-080 A team of Radiate will activate the island of Morro de Sao Paulo and Tinharé, SA-080 in the Bay of All Saints, between 3 – 7 September, 2010. Will be operating in the frequency for the operation at IOTA, the bands [...]

KE9V - The Oatmeal takes on the pesky apostrophe in written communication and does a nice job. Now if there were only some way to scrub the use of "ton" when it doesn’t relate to a specific measure of weight: "We’ve got a ton of new ideas…" "…there are a ton of people waiting outside" "I’ve got a ton of 2N2222′s in my junk box…" Sigh.

ARRL - WMA - The W1HFN fox has been brought home to have his batteries re-charged. Watch this spot for the next deployment. 73, Barry W1HFN

MyHamShack.com - My QRP portable setup is almost ready for its first outing. I have finished an 80M dipole which is resonant at the bottom end of the band and can cover the higher end with a home brew tuner with a switched inductance and tuning capacitor connected in s...

frrl.net - Or, Misguided solutions that undermine healthy marketplaces and stall the pace of change Here is another case of an industry (newspapers) looking for government legislation and protection against a disruptive technology that challenges its business model.  The players are the dying newspapers, the Federal Trade Commission, and Google. Here is the “get” on this strategy of protectionism against the (inevitable) re/definition of the business model for traditional journalism (read: print media) The large profit margins newspapers enjoyed in the past were built on an artificial scarcity: Limited choice for advertisers as well as readers. With the Internet, that scarcity has been taken away and replaced by abundance. No policy proposal will be able to restore newspaper revenues to what they were before the emergence of online news. It is not a question of analog dollars versus digital dimes, but rather a realistic assessment of how to make money in a world of abundant competitors and consumer choice. “The current challenges faced by the news industry are business problems, not legal problems,” Google says,”and can only be addressed effectively with business solutions. Regulatory proposals that undermine the functioning of healthy marketplaces and stall the pace of change are not the solution.” Truly, lessons learned by the demise of the Rocky Mountain News John Temple, former editor, president, and publisher of the Rocky Mountain News, described and applied it to the news industry in his blog post about the lessons he had learned from his newspaper‘s demise on February 27, 2009.  As Mr. Temple explained, the paper‘s online service was not viewed by management as providing consumer value in its own right, but rather solely as a way to support the print edition. This mistake proved to be fatal: Why did the Rocky disappear? Looking back now on that difficult day, the word that stands out . . . is ―newspaper. Being a ―great newspaper‖ isn‘t enough in the Internet era. You have to know what business you‘re in. We thought we were in the newspaper business. Working on the Web, you need to think of now and forever. At a newspaper, people largely think about tomorrow. Thinking about tomorrow isn‘t enough anymore. Consumers today want services when, where and how they want them, and they want to be able to participate, not just receive. We perceived the Web site as a newspaper online, as a complement to the paper, not as its own thing. That‘s not a strategy. Which brings me to the final lesson: Know your customers. If newspapers would spend more time trying to understand their customers instead of focused on their own internal issues – such as which newspaper department should get credit for Web revenue – they‘re more likely to be successful. Read a summary of the debate http://www.buzzmachine.com/2010/07/20/google-takes-the-ftc-to-school/ Read the FTC’s proposal to save the traditional business model of the newspapers http://frrl.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/ftc_new-staff-discussion.pdf Read Google’s response http://frrl.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/34593118-comments-to-ftc-20-july-2010.pdf Read a related article from the Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704107104574569570797550520.html Read a related article on how corporate interests used (=”captured”) government to undermine a competitive disrup

KB6NU - Back in the day—and by that I mean before we had the World Wide Web—electronics and ham radio companies published catalogs. They were wondrous things. Paging through them, one’s imagination could run wild. As a kid, I would pore over the Allied, Lafayette, and Olson catalogs and just imagine all the cool things I could do with electronics and radio. Real, printed catalogs have one distinct advantage over their Web counterparts&mdash;they can be browsed in a way that you can’t browse a Web catalog. The Web just can’t seem to duplicate the experience of paging through a catalog.  Maybe it takes more mental agility to point and click rather than simply flip pages. I’m not sure. All I know is that paging through a real catalog is a distinct pleasure. I had such a pleasurable experience just recently when I paged through the <a href=”http://www.universal-radio.com”>Universal Radio</a> catalog. It came packaged with the LDG 4:1 Balun that I’d just purchased. (The reason for that purchase is another story, which I’ll tell soon.) Just looking at the cover was a pleasure. The cover, as you can see above, is a collage of QSL cards from many different shortwave broadcasters. Like many hams, I got started in the hobby as an SWL, and the cover brought back some nice memories. Another pleasure was being able to look at a number of products all at once, instead of one-by-one on the Web. In the shortwave receiver section, for example, the catalog has pictures and descriptions of five or six radios per page, so on a spread you can look at and compare up to a dozen different units. I also enjoyed seeing some products that I didn’t even know existed.The specialty radios section, for example, included several models of “Internet radios,” which are capable of connecting to your home’s wireless network and connect to the digital streams of thousands of radio stations. Sure, you can do this with a computer, but these radios can also function as alarm clocks, and, presumably, have better audio than a laptop computer. So, even though I’m a big computer and Net geek, I may just have to go request the catalogs of the other ham and electronics retailers and see how they compare to the Universal Radio catalog. With any luck, they’ll also bring back some fond memories and spur my imagination and help me look into the future.

W2LJ - I think that today, it should have been the Flight of the Butterflies. My wife Marianne, who is a nurse, was on call today. That meant, at any given moment, she might have been called in to go to the hospital to administer dialysis to a patient, had the need arisen. With her schedule so uncertain, and not being able to leave the kids home alone (yet), I decided to operate FOBB from the backyard. We have a few butterfly bushes out there; and while I was operating, I glanced over to see a multitude of butterflies feasting on the nectar that the flowers contained. I set up the Buddistick for 20 Meters, and got on the air shortly after the 17:00 UTC start time. I was glad to be under the patio umbrella as it was about 92 degrees (33C) outside. The first 45 minutes or so went well, and then I heard rumbles of thunder. The sky was starting to get dark and a breeze was picking up; so I decided to take the station apart and head inside. I'm glad I did. The station was packed away in the rucksack and the Buddistick was being put away as the first huge drops of rain began falling. I waited for a half hour after the last rumble of thunder and got back on the air again. This time from the basement shack and the HF9V. That lasted for all of about 4 QSOs when a deafening static crash advised me that the local thunder was becoming active again. Closing down the station yet again, it was only a few minutes later that I heard a loud, "BZZZZZT" and the power went out. The transformer on the utility pole down the street died yet again; and we were without power for over 90 minutes. I guess I could have hooked the K2 up to a battery to continue, but sitting in a dark basement wasn't appealing as far as logging goes. A few minutes after the power went out; the downpour really began in earnest. After the last of the lightning and the last rumble of thunder was long gone, and after last raindrop had fallen - the temperature had dropped, too. It went down from 92F to 72F (22C) in about the stretch of about 90 minutes. The scorching heatwave of the week and the Flight of the Bumblebees 2010 edition were both over. 72 de Larry W2LJ

K3NG - Readers who follow this blog regularly (all five of you in straight jackets) have probably noticed that I haven't blogged much recently.  I'm still alive, in good health, and pumping RF into the atmosphere.  In fact, I've emitted more RF into the atmosphere these last few weeks than I have in quite awhile.  Six meters has been hopping and I re-joined the local amateur radio club to participate in Field Day.  I think I may be getting my radio artisan mojo back that I thought I was losing much of the previous year. In my Blogger drafts area I have 98 articles that I've started but haven't completed or I've completed but just haven't felt like they should see the light of day.  Some are just titles of quick, fleeting ideas I had for an article but just haven't had the time or inclination to further develop.  Several are April Fool's joke articles.  And then there are the rant or soapbox articles.  I hope to polish some of these draft articles in the coming weeks and months and slim down my drafts area.  Hopefully I don't release any clunker articles in the process. The web animation I did a few weeks ago with virtual radio artisans Bob and Jane was done on a bit of a whim.  I'm working on a second web animation on a different topic with most of the dialog again coming from online amateur radio forums.  I'm entitling this series of web animations Off Frequency.  I intend to add more characters and other sources of dialog, focusing on this strange hobby we all love and the often strange people within in. We'll see where this goes. On an aside, I have to give a shout out to KE9V for his Cornbread Road podcast.  I'm hooked on the story and I'm impressed with the production quality of the podcast, and I'm not much of a podcast aficionado.  If you haven't been following Cornbread Road, I strongly suggest you check it out.

AE5X - Nothing says serious contest station like Barney videos and sippy cups. I was fortunate in this afternoon’s FoBB to have the assistance of my 2-year old granddaughter who is staying with us for a few weeks as her parents (both in the Air Force) tend their duties. Too hot here to go outside anyway, my hat is off to those who endured the heat and set up from afield. Besides the periodic local QRM there were also several thunderstorms in the area with their static crashes making the copy tough at times. Strongest station by far was Seab AA1MY (quick MP3 here), however by the last hour, QSB had rendered everyone as barely copyable here. Here’s the log, such as it is….. Anna likes the K3 but hopes that I have better antennas on 40 and 160 meters by the time DX season rolls around again. I’ll see what I can do. . .

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G3XBM - I'm getting ideas, and parts, together to allow me to build a small transverter for 136kHz. For the TX low pass filter I'll use either T68-2 or T157-2 (or something on between) toroids as these seem most suitable at up to 30W.  For the RX input tuned circuit I still need to find a suitable inductor, preferably tunable. Any ideas?

K2DBK - I operated a contest yesterday that I'd only ever done before as as DX, The RSGB IOTA contest. In this contest, any station can work any other station, but if you work an island (as defined by the organizers [note that the link goes to a PDF file]) it is worth more points (15, instead of 3 for a non-island contact) and each island you work counts as a multiplier, increasing your score. The contest has some interesting rules regarding hours of operations (you can submit as a "12 hour" or "24 hour" contestant) and some categories that are different from many other contests. (e.g., "Island DXpedition"). I decided that I'd try to operate in the 12-hour, low-power assisted  mixed category as "world" station. That means that my operating time was 12 hours or less, I used 100 watts to transmit, I used the packet cluster to help locate stations, operated both phone and CW, and I was not located on a island. Unlike many other contests which typically start either in the evening or mid-afternoon for me, this one started at 8AM local (Eastern Daylight Time), and, not being a "morning person", I didn't get on the air until around 11:30 AM, and was a little disappointed to find out that the band conditions didn't seem to be as good as I'd hoped. I started off on 20m phone and made a handful of contacts in the first 20 minutes. I realized that if 15m was open, if I wanted to work anyone outside the US it would have to be early in the afternoon. I switched over to 15m and found ... nothing. Well, almost nothing. I did manage to work two stations in about 10 minutes, one on phone and one on CW. Clearly 15m was not going to be a productive band. I moved back to 20m and worked stations steadily, thought not terribly quickly using Search & Pounce to find stations. I worked a few dozen stations on phone, then another dozen or so on CW and moved back to phone. After another hour of S&P, I was lucky enough to find a clear frequency to call CQ to try to "run" stations. (During most contests, it's pretty tough to find and keep a frequency, especially for a small station like mine.) I called CQ for a couple of minutes and got one reply from a station in Poland, then about a minute late got a reply from my friend David, K2DSL, who is located nearby. We chatted briefly, then I moved on to work other stations. All of a sudden, a number of stations all started calling me. It turned out that David had "spotted" me on the packet cluster. When that happens many stations will tune to the spot frequency to work whoever is there. For someone like me being spotted is terrific because it significantly increases the rate at which  I can work stations. Prior to being spotted, I'd operated for around 4 hours and had made around 100 contacts, for a rate of around 25/hr. One hour after being spotted I'd worked an additional 65 stations, almost tripling my rate. I finally gave up the frequency after about 90 minutes, making 75 QSOs during that time which comes to around 50/hr. (The final 20 minutes or so of that period was considerably slower). In any case I had a great time and it was a lot of fun being the person that was being called, rather than having to hunt. After time out for dinner (we were out with friends), I got back on the air at around 11:30PM. The only band that was open at the time was 40m, and because of atmospheric noise due to all the thunderstorms in and around the east coast, the band was very noisy. It was very slow going making contacts, and I suspect that some of the ones that I made then will turn out to be incorrect, since I had a particularly difficult time getting the details of the contest exchange. (For this contest, you gave a serial number, starting at one, and, if located on an island, the island identifier). I gave up after about 90 minutes, with a total of 210 contacts in my log. I thought that