AmateurRadio.com

1. VHF JT65

As you know by now, I have become a great fan of JT65 on HF. I want to start using the mode on VHF. In particular the JT6M mode for 50MHz looks interesting. Would it be viable with 100W and a vertical? Maybe! I have to try it. If not, no doubt a simple low dipole would work for meteor scatter.

The challenge is the interface with the FT847 which I have struggled with in the past. Looks like I have various options which I hope to pursue soon.

2. 70MHz

Need to improve the performance of the 70MHz receiver and probably up the power a bit. I have a plan …. Not too worried about tropo on the band but would like to be more competitive for Es and meteor scatter.

3. 1.8MHz JT65

I wonder what could be done on 160m from a ‘small garden’ using JT65?

4. 144MHz EME

I would love to try and work some EME. Probably my old 13el on a stepladder in the back garden then. Need that interface for the FT847!

5. 28MHz mobile

I’m planning to install the Anytone AT-5555 in the car now I have the more efficient 10m antenna.

Hope I can do at least some of these.

Undoubtedly some of you radio artisans have been following the LightSquared spectrum fiasco.  For those of you who haven’t been, in a nutshell LightSquared is a US company that is attempting to deploy a 4G mobile wireless network on 59 Mhz of real estate that’s right next to the GPS band.  Their plans have been halted due to concerns about interference to GPS services, used by consumers, industry, and the military.  Technically the problem is due not to LightSquared’s technology directly, but rather deficiencies or design limitations of millions of GPS receivers in use.

For a solution to this difficult interference issue, perhaps the FCC should look to a past interference situation, that of Broadband over Powerline, or BPL.  Here are some ideas, some that came directly from BPL vendors and advocates or the FCC, and others just in the “spirit” of BPL:

Regulate it under Part 15.  Part 15 states that a Part 15 service can’t interfere with licensed services.  So, everyone should be happy, right?  If someone experiences interference, like with BPL they can contact LightSquared and hopefully have the issue resolved in 6 to 36 months.

Declare no protection for mobile operations.  Like mobile amateur radio operations and BPL interference, GPS users can just walk or drive away from LightSquared towers or cell phone users.  Interference problem solved.  Only stationary users of GPS should be able to file interference complaints.  This would include people using GPS in their living rooms.

Create an online database of LightSquared towers and cell phone users.  As with the BPL database, GPS users could query it to determine if they are experiencing interference from a LightSquared tower or device and determine where in the US they can relocate to avoid the interference.

Claim that interference to military GPS users really isn’t an issue.  The military really only needs GPS when there’s a war going on.  Most people in war zones aren’t making phone calls and LightSquared probably won’t be deploying towers in Iran, where our next war is likely to occur.

Point out that 4G wireless services are new technology and GPS is old.  GPS development began in 1973, 39 years ago.  Why are we still using this old, antiquated technology?  4G wireless is new, it creates jobs, and people can use maps instead of that old GPS.

There is always a simple solution to a complex problem.  BPL was the no-brainer solution to the broadband crisis.  The FCC just needs to dust off its BPL files and apply the same technical expertise and creativity that solved the BPL interference problem and made it the success it is today.

I’ve only seen one or two episodes of Tim Allen’s new TV Show, Last Man Standing. They looked OK, but they didn’t grab me to where I put it on my must see list. But I will be looking forward to an upcoming episode of the show, that does feature Ham Radio. All of this is according to en article on Southgate’s website.

Tim Allen and Nancy Travis star in ABC's Last Man Standing. Photo Courtesy of ABC.com

Tim’s character, Mike Baxter, who’s callsign is KA0XTT, can be seen using his radio in an upcoming episode says Last Man Standing Producer John Amodeo, NN6JA, having a QSO. He says it was all done on the stage. The radios and antennas are inside the sound stage which acts as a large  Faraday cage, basically keeping the QSO, radio to radio.

From the Southgate Article:

“We had two Amateur Extra class staff members complete a QSO on 10 meters and we recorded it,” Amodeo explained. “Unfortunately, we were set up on a stage that is basically a Faraday cage. The very QRP signal made it radio-to-radio. We varied the Receiver Incremental Tuning to give it a little extra SSB sound, but I don’t think the signal made it much past the stage walls. The recording will be on the show. We thought our ham viewers would get a kick out of it. Non-hams will think it’s just distorted.”

He went on to share what equipment was in the shack.  An ICOM IC-9100 HF/6 meter/2 meter transceiver and an IC-92AD handheld transceiver, both provided to the show courtesy of ICOM America, as well as a Comet CHV-5X HF dipole and GP-1 antenna for 2 meters and 70 cm (courtesy of NCG/Comet). In an episode that aired on January 3rd, you can see DXCC and Worked All States awards on the wall as well as issues of QST and the 2011 ARRL Handbook. Obviously, the producers are adding a lot of details we would notice, but the average viewr wouldn’t. I wonder if Tim Allen would be curious taking a test for his license? I may need to do a new “Celebrity Ham Radio List”. Who would be on YOUR list?

The episode Mike Baxter has a QSO in will air on January 17th. So set your DVR and be ready.

73.

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Welcome to Handiham World!

1. Lack of organization.  Any activity that involves a group of participants meeting at specific times for some stated purpose requires some organization.  To understand this concept, let’s consider a simple job like mowing your lawn. You would be correct to assume that you can do this job yourself, so no formal organization is required. On the other hand, suppose you must mow a golf course.  Now you need a formal organization, because the job is too large and complicated for one person. The head groundskeeper will be in charge, doling out job assignments to a crew.  A net can also need formal organization, depending on its size and purpose. When you don’t have job assignments or other necessary organization, it can make a mess of the net. 
2. Failure to commit.  This is a problem in every club, and can sure be a problem when it comes to net participation. You need a critical mass of committed participants to make a net happen.  Not enough commitment equals dead net. 
3. Distractions & competition from other activities.  This is a problem for every club, bowling group, TV network, newspaper, and amateur radio net.  There is competition on every front from something else, no matter what you are trying to organize, and that in turn makes it hard to get participants to commit to the net.  
4. Crowded bands.  Now that the solar cycle is yielding more favorable HF propagation conditions, the most popular HF bands are more crowded than ever.  It can be difficult to find a clear frequency on which to gather for your net.
5. Poor HF propagation.  Ha, ha, this is also an excuse for a failing net, because just as good propagation can result in crowded bands, bad propagation can result in empty bands. You have to hear them if you want to work them, goes the old saying. 
6. QRM.  This annoyance has been around as long as anyone can remember, but it can kill a net if the net participants don’t know how to manage it. Who wants to listen to all that noise and interference? 
7. Poor net control technique.  Oh, man – don’t get me started.  A net control station that cannot control the net is a real turn-off for many would be participants. 
8. Bad marketing.  If no one knows about the net, it is unlikely to grow and prosper. You can’t leave it to chance that people will simply run across the net by tuning around the bands, although that sometimes does happen. 
9. Lack of flexibility.  Everyone knows that people have lots going on in their lives and that they cannot make every net session. HF conditions change all the time. Sometimes there may be another QSO on the net frequency. If the net does not have flexibility built into it, these problems can turn into a failed net.
10. Not having a plan.  What if the frequency is already in use?  What if the scheduled Net Control Station does not show up? What if the band is dead?  If there is no plan to deal with such things, the net can fold like a tent in the wind!

A new toy dropped through the letterbox today. It is a Gadget Gangster Propeller Platform USB demo board for experimenting with the Parallax Propeller microcontroller. If you haven’t heard of the Parallax Propeller before then it is an inexpensive micro chip that contains eight processors called cogs (as in gear wheels) that can run independently in parallel. It’s quite a bit different from the Microchip PIC or Atmel devices which have a single processor architecture similar to an ordinary computer.

 I sent off for the board just after Christmas, after reading about it in Eldon Brown WA0UWH’s blog. Eldon posted code showing how the board could be used as a QRSS beacon. I was quite excited by the idea of a device that with simple programs even I could understand could be made to emit RF.

I sent off for the board on 27th December choosing the low cost untracked USPS air mail shipping option and it arrived today, 4 January – much quicker than expected. What’s more, there were no nasty customs charges! Gadget Gangster still has a special offer of $10 off for the board, so if you fancy getting one of these to play with now is the time to do something about it.

I was very impressed at the speed with which Gadget Gangster processed my order. What you get, though, is just the board. You will need to provide a power supply (7.5 – 12V with a 2.1mm barrel connector, centre positive) and a USB cable with a mini-USB jack at one end. These seem to breed in my junk box so that was not a problem. You will also find useful a small breadboard and some hookup wire to attach components to the board and test your programs.

I installed the Propeller Tool – a free download from the Parallax website, connected the board to my Samsung NC10 netbook. I then tried the Blinky Light tutorial from the Gadget Gangster site. It didn’t work – until I connected the LED the correct way round (stupid newbie error!)

Over the next few days I’ll be working through the tutorials to get the hang of the system. Then I’ll take a look at Eldon’s QRSS beacon code and adapt it to send my own call. I’d like to make a WSPR beacon. I don’t know yet if that will be possible, but I’m looking forward to playing with this Propeller chip and using it in some radio-related project. Watch this space!

Now is the time all over the world where Hams open up their stations to let kids in to experience Ham Radio. January 8th is the magical day and it’s sure to be fun for all involved. For those new to the hobby, it’s not another contest, but just a fun time.

Photo Couretsy of ARRL.org

The American Radio Relay League has a website dedicated to Kid’s Day, as does the IARU Region 1. It’s all about having Kid’s participate by calling CQ Kid’s Day and exchanging Name, age, location and favorite color. And you’re encouraged to work stations again when the operator changes. Operations take place at 1800 UTC through 2359 UTC. The ARRL shows that operation is on the following frequencies:

10 Meters: 28.350 to 28.400 MHz

12 Meters: 24.960 to 24.980 MHz
15 Meters: 21.360 to 21.400 MHz
17 Meters: 18.140 to 18.145 MHz
20 Meters: 14.270 to 14.300 MHz
40 Meters: 7.270 to 7.290 MHz
80 Meters: 3.740 to 3.940 MHz

You can also use your favorite favorite repeater (with permission of the repeater’s sponsor). Be sure to observe third-party restrictions when making DX QSOs.

The ARRL has a colorful certificate that all kids are eligible to receive  just by participating.  But beware, some kids can be mic shy. So encourage them in a fun way.And remember to also post your photos and stories for all to see. If your club doesn’t have a Facebook page, this may be the best time to start one.

73.

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