AmateurRadio.com

There's an active post on the ARRL NPOTA Facebook page, where someone is lamenting the fact that some of the NPOTA Activators are not loading up their logs to Logbook of the World in a "timely" enough manner to his satisfaction.

I think we have to keep in mind, that for many of the Activators, this is not a "free" exercise.  Maybe they have to pay to get into a National Park, perhaps not. Destinations a long way from home involve gas, wear and tear on the car, perhaps even lodging and meals. There are also other considerations that don't involve money, but still involve expense. Time away from home, friends and family.  These all factor into the equation.

Yes, Activators are putting the Parks on the air, because they want to. No one is holding a gun to their heads. So they pretty much ignore the personal expense because they're having a good time and are getting some personal satisfaction from doing their activations. At the same time,  they are giving all the Chasers something invaluable, too.  They are giving you a good time!  They are providing you with something fun, something exciting, and new. 

There have been anecdotes told of those who have their dwindling interest in the hobby rekindled because of NPOTA.  In my own personal experience, I had a dormant Ham come up to me while I was activating the National Gateway (RC08) at Sandy Hook, NJ.  He saw my antenna and me, sitting at my little table, putting The Hook on the air.  He bicycled up and introduced himself with this name and call and proceeded to ask me "What's going on?"  He then proceeded to tell me how he was licensed, but was inactive. I in turn, explained all about NPOTA and portable ops. Not only was his interest in the hobby rekindled (you could tell by "that look" in his eyes), but he also brought his young son over to take a look.  You could almost see the light bulb go off over his head. To him, the idea of not being stuck in a Ham shack, but being able to be operate outside in the sunshine, with the breeze in his hair struck a resonant chord with him. It was almost like he never thought of the possibility before.

Let's also not forget that NPOTA is not a contest.  Yes, there's a Leader Board and yes, stats are being kept; but that doesn't mean that NPOTA is radio sport and nothing else. If anything, it's an operating event - designed by the ARRL to put a new, shiny face on our wonderful hobby.

With that, I'm going to go off on a tangent here, and am going to state my personal opinion that Amateur Radio has gone somewhat off the rails and has become too much "radio sport". We worry too much about DXCC tallies and contests in general. Look, I'm as guilty as anyone else in that regard, as I run a QRP contest each August ........ but what's happened to the rag chew?  When was the last time you had a QSO with a DX station that was more than "599 TU"?  When was the last time you talked about the weather with a foreign Ham, or about some other subject not related directly to radio?

I remember when I was a Novice in the late 70s, and actually had conversations with DX stations!  I know, unheard of, right?  And the QSL cards I received actually contained friendly letters, sometimes with photos of the DX Ham's station or hometown.  Why have we largely gotten away from that?  That was the best part of the hobby!

Before I get accused of contest bashing - let me state that radio sport has its time and place. There are people that exist only for that - and that's fine. That's another facet of this hobby that is perfectly legitimate. However, it seems to me that we've let a little bit too much of that mentality creep into the rest of our hobby.  We worry too much about scores, standings and results. I think what we need to do is slow down and enjoy the journey and not worry so much about the destination.

The journey is the fun part and the destination should be the fond memories of the things we enjoyed along the way. We need to exist for each other, not just for standings, results, wallpaper and trophies.

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].

Stories you’ll find in our June, 2016 issue:

TSM Reviews: Finally, a Mobile Shortwave Radio that Works
By Thomas Witherspoon K4SWL

Every scheme to receive shortwave radio inside the typical sedan or minivan has its shortfalls, some far greater than others. Now there is a product on the market that not only makes listening to shortwave in the car possible, but actually easy. Shortwave listening guru, Thomas Witherspoon K4SWL, literally takes the new BST-1 mobile shortwave receiver for a spin.

Monitoring Russian HF Military Networks
By Tony Roper

This month, military monitoring specialist, Tony Roper, is sticking with the current theme of monitoring the Russian military networks, starting with yet another mission by the Russian Air Force with a pair of their Tu-160 Blackjacks circumnavigating the UK, down into the English Channel between England and France. Then he follows elements of the Russian navy, tracking them as far as Antarctica, all from the comfort of his home listening post in Scotland.

Wi-Fi Radio Primer Part 3: Two Wi-Fi Radios
By Thomas Witherspoon K4SWL

In April Thomas discussed what makes Wi-Fi radios “tick”––their ability to find radio stations via radio station aggregators. In May he took a quick look at various Wi-Fi radio manufacturers whose models use proper aggregators with market longevity, with reviews of the C.Crane Wi-Fi and Sangean WFR-28 Wi-Fi radios. In the finale, he looks at two completely different Wi-Fi radios—the Grace Digital Mondo and the Amazon Echo.

Your TV System is Changing – Again!
By Mike Kohl

Remember the Great ATSC digital TV conversion of 2009? Now, it’s about to happen again, this time with ATSC 3, a new digital TV scheme that will also require “repacking” the Over-the-Air TV band—all for the benefit of Internet delivery over wireless devices. Mike tells us how this will affect us all.

TSM Reviews: Icom IC-7300 Button and Knob SDR Transceiver
By Mark Haverstock K8MSH

In a world of increasing noise, requiring even better filtering and signal processing than ever before, Software Defined Radio (SDR) is rapidly becoming the logical way to go. Icom’s introduction of the new IC-7300 is shaking up an HF transceiver market that has been complacent for the last 15 years or so. Mark notes, “With the 7300, you get the benefits of direct conversion SDR without the rig being tethered to a computer. This makes it easier for portable and field use.”

Your New CB “Good Buddy,” the SDR Dongle
By Mario Filippi N2HUN

TSM regular contributor, Mario Filippi N2HUN, is always finding new uses for the inexpensive SDR dongle. This time he has turned his attention to the world of Citizens Band radio. He recalls the colorful history of CB in the US and listens in to stalwart CB operators today from around the country and across the Atlantic, undeterred by propagation and the declining solar cycle.

Scanning America
By Dan Veenaman
New Scanner News; Ocean City, Maryland

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
More Summer Vacation Scanning

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman NV6H
Spring 2016 “Numbers” Update

Digital HF: Intercept and Analyze
By Mike Chace-Ortiz AB1TZ/G6DHU
Reader’s Questions and an Update on US SHARES NCS PacTOR Network

HF Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman

Digitally Speaking
By Cory Sickles WA3UVV
Beer-Budget Digital Repeater Project

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
June: The Month of VHF and Above Contesting

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Tales of Junk Boxes and Counterfeit Parts

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
FM Radio Reception Part 1: Stalking the FM Band in a Time of Excessive Translators and Boosters

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
Propagation and Field Day 2016

The World of Shortwave Listening
By Andrew Yoder
NYC FM Pirates; Atlantis Radio on MW and FM Pirates in China

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
New SW Programs and Korea: North vs. South

Amateur Radio Satellites
By Keith Baker KB1SF/VA3KSF
Yet More AMSAT History

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
Summer Strategies for LW DX

Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Another Heavy Hammarlund HQ-129X Part 2: Voltage and Alignment

Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Antenna Improv: Portable and Temporary Antennas

The Spectrum Monitor is available in PDF format which can be read on any desktop, laptop, iPad®, Kindle® Fire, or other device capable of opening a PDF file. Annual subscription is $24. Individual monthly issues are available for $3 each.

Ken Reitz, KS4ZR, is publisher and managing editor of The Spectrum Monitor. Contact him at [email protected].

Our club has been (slowly) constructing a SatNOGS 3D printed satellite ground station. It uses a bunch of parts that have been designed on a platform called 3D CAD. This is a free (as the name suggests) 3D CAD solids modelling tool. For those not familiar with mechanical design here’s a very quick and simple run through.

The good old days gave you 2 dimensional CAD packages. One of the most famous was AutoCAD. There have been many releases and it still has a place today (you can even get a free version called Draft Sight).

Perfect for producing 2D drawings in the traditional was. Also ideal for those .dxf files for laser cutting front panels for example. These are simple tools to get your head round but ultimately very powerful. This technology has been used to deliver some pretty complex engineering so don’t underestimate its usefulness

3D CAD design can look like a complex business but as tools develop the proliferation of simple to use applications exist and as expected they use their own language. 2D drawings are no longer the standard and so 3D parametric CAD systems are available from a number of big players like AutoCAD and SolidWorks. They range from very expensive professional packages that have features that only the very keen would need (like finite element analysis, animation and computational fluid dynamics) through to offshoots that are particularly aimed at home users. In amongst these packages are offerings such as FreeCAD and SketchUp which are completely free and very well supported. There is only one preferred standard and that is for the .stl file type although there are key differences between types.

Solids modelling and Surface modelling. As the names suggest one type produces solid shapes which are determined through sketching a part in 2D then turning that into a 3D part by stretching or revolving it around and axis for instance. These are generally referred to parametric modelling tools and they produce solid shapes. Examples of these types are FreeCAD, AutoCAD inventor and Solidworks. SketchUp on the other hand produces hollow surfaces. An easy analogy is between a dice and a cardboard box. Both are cubes, one is hollow and the other is solid. 3D printers for example need to think in terms of solids. This doesn’t mean you can’t use a surface modelling tool to produce a part, it means there are some additional bits of computer based thinking that needs to be done.

FreeCAD falls squarely into the 3D parametric solids modelling camp (for the purists, yes it does do sheet and mesh work but stay with me on this). It is also nice and simple once you get your head round the basic premise. Sketch something in 2D then pad it to make a solid and perhaps put in a pocket for a bolt hole for example. I have been working my way through a few tutorials on YouTube and can recommend theses…..

Once you get into the workbench idea and the language used it is relatively straightforward producing designs. I think the issues are that the assembly workbench isn’t quite there yet and it isn’t as polished as commercial alternatives, but hey it doesn’t cost thousands.

There are also a number of developing online packages like 123D CAD and Onshape but I haven’t had a look at those in any detail. The premise is still the same. draw a 2D sketch, constrain it with dimensions, symmetry, equality etc and extrude, revolve, pocket to your hearts content. It is a really great step to see such powerful tools available for free.

It wouldn’t be fair to mention the extremely accessible surface modelling package that is SketchUp. A Once Google product that instead of producing solids models faces and uses clever tricks to make you thinks they are solids. This is a great tool and is good enough for 3D printing parts. Just beware of its limitations and well aware of the huge amount of models available in its warehouse.

Well worth considering for anything from shack layout to 3D parts design.

Hopefully I will get re-antiquated with this new tools as its been a while sine I behaved like a clanky (that is a mechanical engineer to you lot). There are some truly staggeringly clever products available that you only need invest a bit of time in learning.

 

Alex Hill, G7KSE, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cumbria, UK. Contact him at [email protected].

I’ve had my ID-31 for a few years. It has been an excellent handheld for me…a little analog FM and a whole lot of D-Star. But this Spring it developed a bug…not a software bug, an actual bug in the display.

I take the radio along with me around the farm a lot. It seems a pesky ant decided to crawl into the radio and make the display its final resting place. I imagine it crawled in through the speaker holes. I had put up with it for a while, but bugs need to be either outside or connected to a radio (CW bug, hee hee) and not inside a radio.

A screwdriver and some patience and the radio is apart. The bug remains came right out and now my display is clean again. I did break the microSD card that I forgot to remove before popping the case! Doh! Oh well, $5 on Amazon and that problem is solved.

Here’s to a bug free summer of ham radio!

Michael Brown, KG9DW, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Illinois, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

I’ve had my ID-31 for a few years. It has been an excellent handheld for me…a little analog FM and a whole lot of D-Star. But this Spring it developed a bug…not a software bug, an actual bug in the display.

I take the radio along with me around the farm a lot. It seems a pesky ant decided to crawl into the radio and make the display its final resting place. I imagine it crawled in through the speaker holes. I had put up with it for a while, but bugs need to be either outside or connected to a radio (CW bug, hee hee) and not inside a radio.

A screwdriver and some patience and the radio is apart. The bug remains came right out and now my display is clean again. I did break the microSD card that I forgot to remove before popping the case! Doh! Oh well, $5 on Amazon and that problem is solved.

Here’s to a bug free summer of ham radio!

Michael Brown, KG9DW, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Illinois, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

Due to the intense traffic and interest in the BM-800 Microphone modification, and the amount I have noted sold since the last Blog.  I have opened a support group on Facebook for anyone interested using them for Amateur radio purposes..

https://www.facebook.com/groups/116507002103281/

Please note this is a Closed group. Anyone can find the group and see who's in it. Only members can see posts.




As well as the the G4IZH modification, it will be interesting hearing your own thoughts and modifications plus any further ideas.  Even if you just run a BM-800 into a simple audiomixer please join the group to help others.

73 Steve



Steve, G1KQH, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from England. Contact him at [email protected].

Due to the intense traffic and interest in the BM-800 Microphone modification, and the amount I have noted sold since the last Blog.  I have opened a support group on Facebook for anyone interested using them for Amateur radio purposes..

https://www.facebook.com/groups/116507002103281/

Please note this is a Closed group. Anyone can find the group and see who's in it. Only members can see posts.




As well as the the G4IZH modification, it will be interesting hearing your own thoughts and modifications plus any further ideas.  Even if you just run a BM-800 into a simple audiomixer please join the group to help others.

73 Steve



Steve, G1KQH, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from England. Contact him at [email protected].