Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
This Weekend In RadioSport | Tribal Weekend
March 12th, 2010 | 
Author: 
RadioSport USA | Elecraft QSO Party.
Keyers sound Morse code while voices hail open frequencies and digital modes finalize the connection. The simplest form of human connectivity is the tribe. Elecraft nonetheless has built a community of loyal enthusiasts and its QSO party is an ultimate expression. It expresses one’s connection to the radio, and, in broad terms, to a group sharing a common interest.
The object is fun and why not? One goal is to collect rig serial numbers while logging old friends and making new friends. The event itself is open to everyone “no Elecraft radio required” while logged Elecraft serial numbers count five points and no rig serial number counts three points.
Rules (link).
RadioSport USA | Second Class Operator’s Marathon Sprint.
I’m laughing with the let’s not take ourselves too seriously marathon sprint. How can one have a marathon and sprint at the sametime? They can and they are!
The point is, like other events, it is social connection via the airwaves that brings people together. I wonder which is first, our technology connecting with others, or people connecting with technology, in either case, it’s a ham radio tribal weekend.
Rules (link).
SFI = 90 | A-index = 9 | K-index = 1 | Sunspot count is 31 @0101UTC.
Nano-40 heard in Holland
I still haven’t made a contact with the little Nano-40 QRPP transceiver I made, but after listening on several occasions I finally heard its signal coming back from the Web SDR at the University of Twente in the Netherlands at 2100 this evening.
I sent a few V’s and clearly heard them come back with a second or so delay from the remote receiver. I then attempted to send CQ, but the distraction of the delayed signal made it difficult. The signal was lost in the noise some of the time, but at other times it was perfectly clear and readable. I calculated the distance between my QTH at locator IO84hp and the Web SDR at JO32kf to be about 750km or about 450 miles. Not bad for 150mW to an MFJ magnetic loop antenna in the attic! Isn’t QRP amazing?
I will treasure the first contact I make with this little radio, so for the time being I am not going to cheat and try to arrange a sked because it would be much more of an achievement to make a contact that happened naturally. But if you should hear me one evening calling CQ close to 7.030 please reply slowly because I can probably hear 4 or 5 different stations at the same time and my CW is not that hot so it will take a lot of concentration for me to read you. A bit more power might help too because the little guy’s receiver isn’t as sensitive as the one you’ll be using.
FCC: Lazy Or Just Lackadaisical? (Part 2)
The robot seems like a very clever product that will undoubtedly be successful and save lives in coming years. The only problem is the company requested to use three 6 Mhz channels with the amateur radio 440 Mhz band. Amateur radio has secondary privileges in this band which is primarily allocated to the Federal radiolocation service, which the PAVE PAWS system operates under.
Though it may not be obvious, the FCC's granting of the waiver has some parallels with the Broadband over Powerline (BPL) situation from a few years ago. From a technical standpoint ReconRobotics couldn't be more different than BPL. BPL radio emissions were just a spectral pollution byproduct of a wired network that blanketed the HF spectrum. The ReconRobotics product actually uses the airwaves for transmitting information and uses set frequencies in the UHF spectrum. What is quite similar is that the FCC allowed an unlicensed service to use licensed spectrum in a way that is not beneficial to either licensed or unlicensed users. Both BPL and ReconRobotics provide a valuable service to the public, Internet access and support for law enforcement. Although this may ruffle some feathers in the radio artisan community, it's arguable that these services are more valuable than amateur radio. (Ignore for a moment BPL isn't actually using the frequencies, but is polluting them.) Operating under Part 15 rules, BPL operators had to shut down operations if it interfered with licensed services like amateur radio. As we learned from FCC actions (or rather inactions) this wasn't going to be enforced to the letter of the law and BPL systems would be allowed to interfere with amateur radio for months or years. It just wasn't realistic to expect a for-profit business to turn off tens or hundreds of customers to investigate or stop interference, and the FCC quietly let the BPL industry off the hook.
In the ReconRobotics request it was acknowledged that a robot video system would be required to shut down if it interfered with licensed operations such as amateur radio. But we all know that this is just not practical or realistic. No law enforcement officer is going to shut down a robot during an enforcement event because it is interfering with amateur radio, nor would it be advisable or justified for an radio amateur to complain about reconnaissance robot interference. But even worse, if an amateur radio operator transmitting interfered with a robot on a mission, it's likely that the event would be reported on by local media and would it put amateur radio in a bad light. Overall it's a bad situation for all involved.
It's obvious the FCC still hasn't learned from BPL and has some things backwards. Important services like data networks or communications for law enforcement need to be in licensed and/or dedicated spectrum, not shoehorned in with quite dissimilar licensed services as an unlicensed squatter that will ultimately demand and garner licensed allocation type protection and privileges. Unfortunately it looks like this unlicensed / de facto licensed arrangement is going to be more common in coming years if the FCC continues to sidestep real spectrum management.
RadioSport Software | N1MM Logger Website
I want to thank Team N1MM and all the volunteers who are working hard at producing no-cost RadioSport software. The new website appearance is streamlined and easy-to navigate. Drop down menus are superior, overall, a job well done!
N1MM Logger Free Contest Software for Phone, CW, and Digital Modes.
Contest on.
Company Offers Biodegradable QRP Kits
Dick Rich, founder of GreenKits said "We discovered that most QRP kit builders build kits not because they want or need another QRP rig. Far from it. In our initial market feasibility study we found several hams that had 20 or more monoband rock-bound 40 meter QRP rigs, but were eager to build more 40 meter rigs. The primary motivators for buying and building QRP rigs was to be part of a fad and impress other QRP rig builders. Most hams only have one or two or even no QSOs on newly built rigs before they are tossed into a desk drawer."
Rich has designed a rig that lasts just long enough after powered up to make a few contacts and then the rig nonviolently self-destructs into a pile of harmless biodegradable ash, with a slight emission of hydrogen. The ash can be dumped into a garden or houseplant pot and the QRPer doesn't have to worry about storing or hiding the unused rig so his wife doesn't ask why he spent money on a rig he'll never use regularly.
GreekKits has created email reflectors for support of the rigs and also to give builders a place to brag about the contacts they made, or even didn't make. Each kit comes with a one time usable password that gives the builder ten days of access to the reflector. Once the password expires, the builder is banished from the reflector forever. Rich says this prevents flame wars about what serial number kits are better than others. GreenKits has an online virtual shrine where customers can worship company founders and kit designers. Virtual flowers can be purchased and placed at the feet of an online statue of founder Rich. Rich says, "We didn't think of the shrine, one of our customers did. We weren't really excited about the idea but several customers really bugged us to do it, so we did."
Rich noted that business is doing well, despite the recession. "We've even released a transceiver called the ESP that doesn't actually transmit any RF. It's selling like hotcakes. Surprisingly, we have customers who have announced on the rig reflector that they have made contacts. One guy has even achieved Worked All States with it and one ham worked Russia with the rig using a three foot loaded whip antenna in a basement apartment. I think this speaks volumes about the quality and performance of our kits."
RadioSport History | CQ World Wide DX CW 1978
How did the titans of RadioSport in the 70s score inside the Box or achieve a world record score without our modern version of spotting networks? How did they manage without the availability of today’s technology such as software controlled radios, switching boxes for single operator 2 radios, or CW Skimmer capable computers?
Perhaps, hours and hours, of skill development in front of the radio, continually improving antenna systems, melting solder on the workbench, and listening to the airwaves for nearly the same amount of time.
Spotting Networks.
Brockman and Cox (1979) stated, “All of a sudden the adrenaline is flowing. The eyes are now bright and intense. In a flash our hero has his VFO zeroed in on the prize. There, on 40 CW, is zone 23! But who? Not to be denied, our hero plunges in with his call. As he comes up for air, he hears the prize once more. JT1AN.” (p 43)
Today, the art of listening before taking on the flash swarm generated by spotting networks, is in need of serious re-purposing. The proliferation of junk data is reaching epic proportions as described in various RadioSport reflectors. The utility of the networks, at least in my estimation, is in slow decline. One that, if, left on its own in its present configuration, may harm Box scores and world record attempts.
In 1978, OH2BH piloted CT3BZ in the Madeira Islands, to a new single operator all band world record held only for a year by Dick Norton, N6AA who operated 9Y4AA. Additionally, according to Brockman and Cox, for the first time ever a single band entrant broke the one million point barrier (1979). Jorge, LU8DQ accomplished the impossible.
It was a tremendous year for those seeking world or continental records.
599 Never Dies.
Are we still having this conversation? Apparently, we are, because in 1978 many operators according to the article lobbied the committee asking them to jettison the report. It was suggested that the committee would look into the matter.
RadioSport Ethics.
Computerized logging begins its slow march toward dominating RadioSport. However, in its infancy, an alphabetized cross check reference list was required. Padded logging plagued log checkers then like the unsavory method of rubber clocking in the 21st Century.
On the other hand, one entrant miscopied JA callsigns to the tune of 20 percent of the log total, according to Brockman and Cox (1979); it was unacceptable. The voice of history suggested everyone concentrate on accuracy and not as much on speed.
Conclusion.
They managed to compete and win without the aid of flash swarms generated by spotting networks. Perhaps, back in the day, data traveled slowly weaving itself through VHF/UHF links while a team of spotters carefully listened on high frequency. One’s reputation was on the line while waiting for an opportunity in the pilot’s seat.
I’m convinced a new spotting platform is needed for the longevity of the sport. One that will correct errant oft times malicious data which may lead to irreparable damage when chasing a world or continental score.
My take away in a sport that cherishes speed is one can be accurate and speedy however accuracy trumps speed ever time.
Lastly, will we ever retire 599?
73 from the shackadelic on the beach.
Reference: Brockman, L. N6AR, Cox, B. K3EST (October, 1979). CQ Magazine: 1978 CQ World Wide DX Contest: C.W. Results. pp. 43 – 53.
Nano-40 schematic
I didn’t plan to produce a schematic of the Nano-40, the tiny 40m CW transceiver I built based on Roger G3XBM’s 80m XBM80-2 design as modified by Alan VK2ZAY as I don’t claim any originality for the circuit. I provided the original sources and discussed the changes I made to the circuit and thought that other builders would follow the same path.
However I have been asked by a couple of people already if I could provide a schematic so I have patched a copy of the circuit diagram produced by Alan to show what I ended up with. I hope that will keep everyone happy, but please remember that without Roger G3XBM’s genius and Alan VK2ZAY’s improvements the Nano-40 would never have happened.
