AmateurRadio.com

Welcome to Handiham World!

…And welcome to a new era of challenges for radio clubs.

What do I mean by that?

Well, if you have to ask, you might not be that tuned in to your local club’s activities. Radio clubs provide a means for you and I to get together with like-minded folks who appreciate amateur radio and who enjoy learning new things through club programs, keeping up their operating skills through club nets and activities, socializing with other radio amateurs, or being part of public service activities – to name just a few of the more obvious ones. I know that I have learned a lot about useful things that have helped me out in ham radio, thanks to the presentations at my local radio club.

Pictured: Greg Widin, K0GW, ARRL Dakota Division Director, gives a club program presentation on lightning and grounding.

“A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal.” Thanks, Wikipedia! Of course we seldom think of clubs in terms of only two people. Usually a radio club is larger – sometimes much larger – and there may be several distinct interest groups within the club. The club may own some equipment, such as special tools for antenna work, a repeater system, a club station, training materials and equipment, and more.

The challenges:

1. Meeting space. If you have a club of only a few members, this isn’t a big deal. Clubs of a dozen or fewer members have lots of choices, up to and including private homes. Typically, a radio club will have a membership that is too large to be accommodated anywhere but a more formal meeting space, and that means casting about for a venue. With a demographic that includes aging baby boomers, a club definitely wants to have a meeting space that is accessible to those who might use wheelchairs or who are unable to climb stairs. You also want electricity, good lighting, and quiet space. Internet is a bonus, but if it is not available, it isn’t exactly a deal-killer. The challenge is finding the space at an affordable price! Back in the day, meeting spaces were plentiful and free for the asking, especially to small public service or special interest clubs like ham radio groups. Venues might include the local school, church halls, service organization halls, and municipal or county buildings. It is not so easy today. The economy is down. Every venue is looking to raise extra cash, so the days of free meeting space might just be in the rear view mirror! And permanent space with room for a club station – wow, that is REALLY hard to find these days. I know that several clubs have either lost or given up their space for club meetings and stations due to the press for more revenue or other activities related to the needs of the landlord or host organization.

2. Apathy. This one drives club officials nuts. And it’s nothing new, of course. There have always been club members who would rather jump out a window than put together a club program or write an article for the newsletter. But it’s worse now than ever before, and it’s related to number three on my list, which I’ll tell you about shortly. Suffice it to say that there are all too many hams out there who think it is a major hassle to even join a club, much less actively participate.

3. Overworked club members. Yes, this one has always been around because some club members take on way more than their share of club duties. But the reason it is worse than ever before goes back to the world economic downturn that started in 2007. As the economic woes gathered, companies and organizations began trimming their workforces. Everyone seemed to be affected, no matter what the industry, and those who were still working felt lucky to have jobs. Those who lost their jobs, ham radio operators among them, tightened their belts and didn’t spend anything extra on their radio hobby. Back at the workplace, those who still had jobs were doing the work of their old job plus that of a co-worker or two, since there were now not enough people on staff to get everything done. That meant longer, harder hours at work, and less time for amateur radio club activities. I have been a ham since 1967, and this is the first time I have been hearing about this phenomenon from other hams who feel too pressed to participate in club activities as they once did.

4. Recruiting. A club will fade away if it does not attract new members to replace those who die, lose interest, or move out of the area. Yet this aspect of club life is often left on the sidelines, going unnoticed until all of a sudden it seems as if there is no longer a reason to have regular club meetings. Recruiting is challenging in a world of worldwide internet connectivity with VoIP and other activities that mimic worldwide radio communication.

What can be done?

Remember that whatever needs doing, you do not have to do it all yourself. Leverage the manpower you do have by using the resources available at ARRL, which has lots of advice and ideas about clubs, club organization, and recruiting. Let’s take a closer look at each challenge:

A strategy to make meeting space more available is to make your club stand out above and beyond the others who might be competing for the same space. For example, if you are meeting in the county law enforcement center, you can make a better case for meeting space because your club supports emergency communications, Skywarn training and weather spotting, and public service communications. You are making sure that your club’s mission is aligned with that of the meeting space owner! No matter who hosts your meeting space, remember that it is wise to give back to your host in some way. If you are using a church hall for your meetings, perhaps the church needs volunteers for a clean up day or help at the church picnic. If you are lucky enough to get a special meeting room at a restaurant, everyone should buy a meal or at least spend a reasonable few bucks to make sure the restaurant owner turns a profit. The key? Be the best meeting space user you can be, and you will have more choices!

Apathy is hard to cure. In fact, I don’t even care anymore.

Ha, ha, I am just kidding about that not caring part, of course! I look at the programs and activities as the “good stuff” associated with a radio club. The other more pedestrian activities like the business meeting don’t really interest many of us. It’s the program on the DXpedition or the special event station that draws club members to the meetings. If your club has apathy oozing out of every nook and cranny, I’m willing to bet that your club doesn’t host good programs. Finding good presenters isn’t a given; the really good ones make the rounds but have limited time and resources. Most of your club’s programs and activities will ultimately come from within the club itself, and that means finding the right club member – one who is a really enthusiastic and positive go-getter – to do the going and getting. By that I mean they need to observe the membership, noting what areas of interest and expertise there are within the club. Then they have to recruit the guy who knows about antennas to give a talk. Apathy is something you chip away at by slowly building your circle of presenters. The more varied the topics, the better. Like the offerings on a menu at an excellent restaurant, there will soon be something for everyone at the club meetings.

The problem of club members who are stressed out by their work schedules will not be solved at the radio club, but I think it is reasonable for those members who are retired or who have a bit more time to step up to the plate and take on some of those extra club duties. We need to appreciate that those in their working years are trying to stuff 10 pounds of potatoes into a 5 pound bag these days, and are often also raising families with all of the obligations and demands on their time that those things require. Yes, those people are sometimes willing to take on club duties, but they are subject to “burn out” if they don’t get a little help. Next time you are at your radio club meeting and something needs doing, raise your hand. Lead by example.

Recruiting is vital, but how does a club go about it? I have seen several once active and vital radio clubs fade into obscurity and finally disband. Others have been successful in maintaining and growing their membership numbers. What is the secret?

Well, there are several, really. You have to understand the world around you – no small feat, that. What it means is knowing that amateur radio has a lot of competition for hobbyists who want to experiment with electronics. It means understanding that on line video gaming, so-called massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), include elements of world-wide communication, cooperation, competition, scoring points, and community-building that are found in traditional amateur radio. There is, in other words, a lot of competition out there. Knowing what you are up against makes it easier to figure out how to package amateur radio and your radio club to better draw people in. If you want to make ham radio attractive to anyone under 100, you’d better start thinking of some interesting activities, outreach to school science teachers, high-profile cooperative ventures with other groups… I think you get the idea. My own local club drew some university students in by participating in tracking high-altitude balloon flights via APRS.

Another recruiting strategy is to offer Technician courses to the general public. We schedule ours right after a Skywarn course in the Spring, just before severe weather season kicks in. The classes are free, but the participants buy their own books. Graduates are invited to join our club. Education is one of the most important indicators of a club’s health. Show me a club without an education program, and I’ll show you a meeting room that will soon be available for a group of rock hounds or stamp collectors. Seriously, you have to offer classes or your club is toast. Again, check out the excellent resources on the ARRL website for tips on teaching and for resources like math help. Most importantly, say “YES!” when asked if you will be part of your club’s education and training team.

Your job? Make getting on the air with amateur radio sound like it’s at least as much fun as World of Warcraft®.

Go get ’em, tiger!

The JX5O DXpedition crew is in route and you can view their progress and latest news here and on The Facebook.  I’ve often thought a DXpedition to Jan Mayen or Svlabard would be cool, quite literally.  They’re not super rare like Bouvet or Heard Island, but for mere mortal radio artisans like me who can’t take three months off work and drop $30K or 40K of life savings on playing radio, they’re attainable DXpeditions.  Sure, they’re not tropical like the popular VP prefix destinations, but that would be too easy :-)

Svalbard is Cool

(Photograph by Hannes Grobe, Shared under Creative Commons)

Inevitably each year the debate over just what is Field Day erupts in club meetings, on the air, and in Internet forums.  One side calls it a contest while the other classifies it more as a casual operating event.  I can argue this both ways, but regardless of which side you’re on one of the objectives of Field Day is simply to make contacts.  If you consider Field Day a contest, more contacts means a higher score.  If you’re in it as just a casual operating event, making more contacts is naturally more fun than making less.  Here are some tips for making more QSOs, not only during Field Day, but really any operating event or contest:

The other station knows his callsign.  The only time you should say or send the other station’s call is when you are calling CQ and giving the other station his report.  A possible exception to this is if you’re replying to a CQ and there are multiple stations on the frequency calling CQ.  Otherwise, sending the other station’s call is unnecessary and it just wastes time.  It often messes up CW operators calling CQ because they’ll start typing the first callsign they hear.  Once they realize it’s their own call coming back, they have to backspace and type in your call.

Adjust your syntax based on the number of stations you have piled up.  If things are slow going, you can be more generous with the verbiage.  If you know you have a pileup going, be more sparse so you can turn around the QSOs more quickly.

Hold your ground on a frequency.  If you have had the frequency for a long time and a LID pops up on your frequency or nearby causing interference, just hold your ground and it’s likely that they will go away shortly.  Often I’ll make longer CQ calls or do a string of QRLs or say “the frequency is in use” and they’ll get the message.  When operating QRP this strategy may not work so well and QSYing may be your best bet.

Switch between CQing and search-and-pounce.   Often people will pick one over the other.  I tend to favor CQing as much as possible and then switch to search-and-pounce periodically to scan the band and harvest QSOs from those calling CQ who haven’t worked me yet.  Keep an eye on your QSO rate while you’re CQing and watch for declines; this is your cue to go into search-and-pounce mode.

Use phonetics when it makes sense and use standard ones when you do.  Much has been said about the use and abuse of phonetics, but there’s a reason there are standard phonetics.  They have the most clarity and are less apt to be confused with other letters over the air.  Cutesy phonetics can be problematic and actually aggravate the problem phonetics is supposed to help.

Make good use of air time.  If you didn’t get a station’s full callsign, you don’t need to give them a 30 second monologue on how you didn’t get their callsign, what letters you exactly heard, and the five combinations of letters you think their call might be.  Just say ‘again?’ and they’ll repeat their call.  The same goes when you have a messy pileup.  Just say ‘again?’  or if you were able to pick out one letter of a callsign, say that letter so you can thin out the pack and get a full callsign.

Series Four Episode Fourteen of the ICQ Podcast has been released. News Stories include :-

• Radio Ham gets National Security / Technology role
• UK Southern 80m news readings to cease
• Comments to RSGB
• New callsign suffixes for New Zeland Amateurs
• VHF interference problem solved
• Near-vertical incidence skywave measurements published
• West Yorkshire Repeater Group to go digital
• Limerick 2m repeater vandalised
• VK3RDD repeater
• VHF WSPR beacon from EA1
• Youngsters On The Air
• Malpas pupil takes to the airwaves
• Converting a computer PSU into a bench PSU
• Distance learning advanced exam

Your feedback, Austrialian report from Ed Durrant (VK2ARE) and Chris Howard (2E0CTH) reviews WSPR.

I’m not shy about expressing my opinion if I feel that I’ve been wronged by a company or product. Amateur Radio operators are the ultimate social network. Hams talk — quite literally. If you market a product or service to hams, you must be prepared to have every aspect put under a microscope. If you create poor products, or don’t stand behind them, you had better be prepared to find another line of work. While I can think of a couple of examples in our hobby where crappy companies continue to survive, it is mostly due to the lack of a suitable replacement. While I’m quick to complain, I’m also quick to offer up well deserved praise.

Enter Smiley Antennas. I’ve been buying their products for many years. They are well constructed, high quality, and customer service is always top notch. If you’ve never purchased one of their antennas for your HT, I believe that you are really missing out. In fact, whenever I buy a new or used HT, the first thing I do is throw away the stock antenna and replace it with a Smiley. Their 270A Dual Band antenna is small, sturdy, and really makes a big difference, especially when I’m trying to hit those distant 440 machines. In my opinion, it’s the best $22 you can spend to improve your signal.

I recently had a need for a customized HT antenna for a very specific application. Within a week of ordering it, I had it at my door. A custom HT antenna built to order. Incredible.

I couldn’t recommend this company more. Check them out at http://www.smileyantenna.com or you can call them at 1-800-527-5439.

It’s always a pleasure to recognize publicly a company that goes above and beyond.

These last few days have been surreal. I don’t feel like a man with a time bomb in my head. I’m still weak, tired and find concentration difficult (the ability to get some decent sleep would help) but every day seems to bring an improvement in many functions. I’m even typing more accurately than I’ve done in a long time. I suppose it’s possible this brain tumour was having an effect on things before I even became aware of it.

I’m far from feeling up to spending a lot of time on the hobby (or anything else in particular) but my mind still needs things to occupy it and my links and contacts with the ham radio community help lift my spirit. As I’m not using my magnetic loop antenna I thought I would connect up the 30m QRSS beacon I built last autumn. So my callsign will be going out over the airwaves as a sign that I’m down but not out and not giving in to the doctors’ pessimistic predictions.

I’d appreciate reception reports direct to my email (julian . g4ilo at gmail . com). At the moment I can’t make head nor tail of grabbers. Nor can I figure out how to change my entry on the Knights QRSS Clipboard. A long way still to go, then, but at least progress for the moment is in the right direction.

73 and thanks for all the messages of support. They really were appreciated during this awful week. If you are interested, you can follow my progress with treatment in One Foot in the Grave.

Welcome to Handiham World!

Before I mention anything else, I want to thank all of you who expressed sympathy or had suggestions for me and my broken computer. Things are looking up this week, and most everything is back to normal. I did have everything properly backed up. In our radio club, this is called the “belt & suspenders theory”. You wear both to make sure that if one fails, the other will still hold your pants up! It does pay to back up your data, since you just never know when something will quit working, whether hardware or software, in a system as complex as a computer. The idea of having backups extends to other parts of your ham shack, too. Having more than one radio can be a real relief when another has to be repaired at a factory service center a thousand miles away. Having a spare HT battery during a public service event is just plain smart. Engineers call this concept “redundancy”, and there is certainly good reason for it when you need to protect a high-stakes system like the communications system in an airliner or the brakes in a car. Since you have a lot at stake with your personal computer’s many files, you have an interest in protecting it with regular backups.

Turning to Field Day, we have an email from Ken, W6KHS, who came up with the idea of holding our own version of Field Day on the HANDIHAM Echolink conference:

You probably know by now that Field Day operations using the Handiham conference server was a total success. As this entity becomes more and more popular, repeaters and radio links using it will be more likely to receive emergency or life or death messages from situations when cell service is not available. I recommend that there be a twenty second break between transmissions so that there is room for emergency traffic to enter. If this information comes from you, it will be carved in stone, rather than from me. Thanks again for just being there.

73, Ken Schwartz W6KHS

Yes, Ken, you are right about that! Occasional longer pauses are in order considering that we are using a worldwide resource. Susi, WA0DKS, who worked behind the scenes to manage the Field Day event on the HANDIHAM conference and put in considerable time as net control station during the overnight hours, commented on the event, calling it a “rousing success”. Podcast listeners will hear Susi tell them about it herself! Our thanks to Jim, WB4LBM and the other net control stations and participants who made this first-time event possible. In talking with Susi after the event, we concluded that the HANDIHAM conference really gained a lot of exposure worldwide. I just happened to tune in later in the day on Saturday and heard a YL who had been at a local Field Day station here in the eastern Twin Cities Metro area. She was driving back home and heard our net on the N0BVE repeater system. (Thanks, Don!) As I have said many times before, having Echolink or IRLP on a repeater really enhances its value to the community, and will make the difference between a dead, unused system and a vital, much-appreciated community resource.

Even though the contacts made on our system don’t count for points, the whole idea of building our operating skills, making friends, showcasing amateur radio and technology, and building a stronger community while HAVING FUN just somehow seemed more important to me. I’ll bet it did to you, too.