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To all my friends/readers in Florida, Georgia and The Carolinas ........

Earnest prayers that Matthew leaves you as un-battered and un-bruised as possible - AND that all your antennas stay up in the air.

Be safe; and have those batteries charged and those "Go Kits" locked and loaded!


And special prayers go out for our friends in the Carribean nations who are dealing with the aftermath.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Larry Makoski, W2LJ, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Jersey, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

My UHF repeater has been operating on 447.725 MHz here in Monument for a couple of decades now. It started out as a classic “pet repeater” project and has been operating from my basement all this time. Over time it has picked up additional users and has turned into the de facto hangout for our local radio club.

The repeater system has gone through a number of revisions over the years, especially for the RF transmitter and receiver. I wanted to retire the pair of Motorola Mitrek mobile radios I have been using when they started to exhibit a few lose connections. Really though, I thought it was time for some synthesized, modern RF gear in a compact package.

When Yaesu offered an attractive price on their DR-1X Fusion repeater, I jumped at the chance. Initially, I put it on the air in mixed analog-digital mode with the repeater automatically switching modes to handle either analog FM or C4FM digital. I used the internal controller of the DR-1X which is quite simple and has limited functionality. The DR-1X supports using an external controller but implementing the mixed analog-digital mode is…well…challenging. (Various people have figured out ways to do it with modifications to the DR-1X or using additional hardware.)  In the end, I decided to just run the repeater in analog FM mode and have the expanded features of a real controller.

The repeater controller is an SCOM 7K that has been in service for decades. SCOM has long since moved on to a newer, improved model but my 7K keeps on ticking. The 7K has the voice synthesis and autopatch options installed, so, yes the repeater has an autopatch (not that anyone cares). A Yaesu FT-7800R is used as a 2m remote base and the duplexer is a classic Decibel Products. Not shown in the photo is a Bearcat WX100 weather receiver that is used to transmit weather information when an alert occurs in our area.

I’ve documented the wiring diagram and configuration used here: k0nr-repeater-construction-notes

This was a good opportunity to clean up some of the cabling and physical mounting that had degraded over time. (A kluge here, a kluge there and entropy takes over.) I am happy with the result.

73, Bob K0NR

The post Rehab for the KØNR Repeater appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.

Bob Witte, KØNR, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Colorado, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

On Saturday morning, VK4YB and I had our second QSO on 630m using JT9, the WSPR QSO mode. Signals were slightly better than our initial contact but still far from previously seen conditions on the 11,000 + km Trans-Pacific path. However what happened following our contact was equally exciting.

I thanked Roger for the contact, via the ON4KST LF / MF chat page and indicated I was going back to bed as it was still pre-sunrise here on the west coast. He indicated that my signal strength had increased noticeably on my last two transmissions and asked if we might try CW for a few minutes.

We had previously devised our CW protocol to follow a similar one to that used in CW moonbounce work. We would transmit and receive in one minute sequences, with me transmitting on the even minutes and Roger on the odd. Instead of using the RST code for signal reporting, an 'O' is used to indicate reception strong enough to have been able to copy both calls. Both stations are required to copy the 'O', which cannot be sent until both calls have been fully copied. An acknowledgement ('R') must also be sent and copied by both stations to indicate receipt of the signal report. Once the 'R' has been copied, the final transmission(s) are a '73'. Once both stations have copied the 'R', the '73' is technically not required but when copied, further confirms the completion of a valid contact.

For both of us (late at night for him and pre-dawn for me), it was a bit of a mad scramble to make a quick changeover to CW. From my end, there are a number of changes that must be made correctly to avoid over-driving the transverter and damaging the frequency doubler as well as changing to manual PTT to avoid hot-switching of the antenna relays. I also need to bring up the PC's visible clock-face with its sweep second-hand ... but we both made the transition in about two minutes.

We ran for about 45 minutes during which time I heard Roger's CW on two back-to-back sequences (1331Z and 1333Z), copying both calls on each sequence. From 1331Z on, I added Roger's signal report to my calls to him ... 'VK4YB VE7SL OOO'.

We stopped at my sunrise but Roger had only copied fragments of my transmission and never enough to copy both calls. It appeared that we could both have used a few more db on the path as previous estimates have indicated that we might see at least another 5 or 6db yet, on a really good morning. As well, it seemed that the TP pipeline on Saturday morning had centered itself to my south, around northern California and VE7 was on the far northern edge of the propagation path.

Well it seemed that Sunday morning had moved the path further to the north and our 'extra 5-6db' was on hand. All of the local VE7's had numerous decodes of Roger's WSPR signals, including my own 20 decodes in the pre-dawn hours, but ... as 'Murphy' would have it, Roger was suffering receiver-blocking thunderstorm / lightning noise, keeping his K3's s-meter hard against the pin and absolutely no chance of a CW sked. It may have been a much more exciting morning had the spring weather near Roger been more cooperative.

This morning, the weather was still restricting good reception down-under but is forecast to dissipate shortly. But Murphy has not finished with us yet, as the TP path had also noticeably deteriorated today as well. It looks as though the challenge will now be getting everything to come into perfect alignment before the summer weather in VK shuts our CW attempts down for the season.
Steve McDonald, VE7SL, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from British Columbia, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

Here is this week’s space weather and geophysical report, issued 2016 Oct 03 0200 UTC.

Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 26 September – 02 October 2016

Solar activity was at predominately very low levels with an isolated C1/Sf flare observed at 27/0748 UTC from Region 2597 (S13, L=349, class/area Dsc/120 on 24 Sep). This region also produced numerous background flares during the period. The only other spotted region on the disk, new Region 2598 (N12, L=172, class/area Bxo/010 on 02 Oct), produced a few background flares late in the period.

Other activity consisted of a pair of CMEs that were observed lifting off the NE limb on 01 Oct. At 01/0139 UTC, a 38 degree long filament erupted that was centered near N26E27. C2 LASCO imagery observed a CME off the east limb, first visible at 01/0248 UTC. Later in the day at 01/1340 UTC, coronal dimming was observed in the NE quadrant with an associated CME off the east limb, first visible in C2 LASCO imagery at 01/1424 UTC. WSA-Enlil model output suggested a possible weak, glancing impact at Earth mid to late on 04 Oct.

No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at normal levels on 26 Sep, moderate levels on 27 Sep, high levels on 28-29 Sep and 02 Oct and very high levels on 30 Sep and 01 Oct.

Geomagnetic field activity was dominated during the period by a large, recurrent, positive polarity CH HSS. Field activity began the period on 26 Sep at unsettled to active levels due to a period of prolonged southward Bz to -10 Nt. Wind speeds were in the 400-425 km/s range through midday on 26 Sep when a gradual increase to near 475 km/s was observed by early on 27 Sep. Through 27 Sep, wind speeds continued to increase to end the day near 700 km/s as the CH HSS became geoeffective. Bz was variable between +/- 9 nT. The geomagnetic field reacted with unsettled to minor storm (G1-Minor) levels with isolated major storm (G2-Moderate) levels.

From 28 Sep through midday on 30 Sep, wind speeds remained in the 700 km/s range while the Bz component was variable at +/- 5 nT. Field conditions remained at predominately unsettled to G1 storm levels with isolated G2 storm periods observed on 28 and 29 Sep. From midday on 30 Sep through 02 Oct, wind speeds slowly decreased to end the summary period near 475 km/s. Bz remained variable between +/- 5 nT. Field conditions responded with quiet to active levels with some isolated G1 storm periods.

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 03 October – 29 October 2016

Solar activity is expected to be at very low levels with a slight chance for C-class flares through the outlook period.

No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at high levels from 03-06 Oct, 18 Oct and 24-28 Oct and very high levels 27-29 Oct due to the anticipated influence of multiple, recurrent CH HSSs. Normal to moderate levels are expected for the remainder of the period.

Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at unsettled to active levels on 03-05 Oct, 16-18 Oct and 23-29 Oct. G1(Minor) field activity is possible on 17 Oct and 23-29 Oct with G2 (Moderate) activity possible on 24-26 Oct. This activity is due to the anticipated influence of multiple, recurrent CH HSSs. Generally quiet to unsettled conditions are expected throughout the remainder of the period.

Don’t forget to visit our live space weather and radio propagation web site, at: http://SunSpotWatch.com/

Live Aurora mapping is at http://aurora.sunspotwatch.com/

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The day dawned gray. misty and chilly, but it wasn't downpouring. So I collected this bag of bones out of bed. I showered, shaved, got dressed and packed the Jeep with everything necessary for a ride to NPOTA land.

As stated a few days ago, the destination was WR03, the Delaware National Scenic River, via Washington's Crossing State Park, in Titusville, NJ.  Thanks to the fact that there was hardly any traffic on an early Sunday morning, I arrived in about 45 minutes.






This is a re-creation of one of the "boats" that were in use during Colonial times to ferry people and supplies across the river. It's really not much more than a glorified raft. So the painting IS right. Washington stood ...... and do did everyone else!


Larry Makoski, W2LJ, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Jersey, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

The day dawned gray. misty and chilly, but it wasn't downpouring. So I collected this bag of bones out of bed. I showered, shaved, got dressed and packed the Jeep with everything necessary for a ride to NPOTA land.

As stated a few days ago, the destination was WR03, the Delaware National Scenic River, via Washington's Crossing State Park, in Titusville, NJ.  Thanks to the fact that there was hardly any traffic on an early Sunday morning, I arrived in about 45 minutes.






This is a re-creation of one of the "boats" that were in use during Colonial times to ferry people and supplies across the river. It's really not much more than a glorified raft. So the painting IS right. Washington stood ...... and do did everyone else!


Larry Makoski, W2LJ, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Jersey, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

In this episode, Martin Butler M1MRB / W9ICQ is joined by Chris Howard M0TCH, Martin Rothwell M0SGL and Dan Romanchik KB6NU to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler M6BOY rounds up the news in brief, and this episode’s feature is UK Hamfest 2016

• US Amateur Radio Update for CEPT Operation
• Amateur Radio Parity Act passes in the US House of Representatives!
• Alternative Amateur Radio Club
• Overseas US Ham Radio Exams
• Register for YOTA December 2016
• Historic 630m QSO
• Indian Women Hams Inspired to Learn

Colin Butler, M6BOY, is the host of the ICQ Podcast, a weekly radio show about Amateur Radio. Contact him at [email protected].