AmateurRadio.com

The Ocean – Monmouth Amateur Radio club (OMARC) N2MO had the honor and privilege of touring the Battleship New Jersey, BB-62 on Saturday.

Our guide was Dave WA2TVS of the Battleship New Jersey Amateur Radio Club, NJ2BB. Nine OMARC members met at our club facility at 0800 and then car pooled to the battleship. Arriving around 0930 we were met dock side by Dave. The tour started with us going aboard and making our way forward. Standing in front of Turret One, with those three huge 16” navel rifles over head made it was quite an experience.

After getting a brief history of the ship we made our way to the communications center. The NJBARC has there Amateur Radio club Station in a small compartment just off the communications center. With four operating positions, it’s cramped. Our group split into to two groups. The smaller group stayed to operate and the larger group started out on the tour. Now having been on large naval ships before I was somewhat used to climbing steep ladders. But some of the group had to be watched on them. One has to remember that this ship was originally manned by very young men. So old men like me do have a hard time with the ladders. But the hardship of climbing up and down them was worth it. Dave give us the grand tour, which included areas not covered by the standard tour. We went up and down the ladders, and made our way aft, stopping at all the museum spaces that have been sit up throughout the ship.

After about three hours, we arrived back at the communications center. The smaller group had already eaten lunch in the galley. So we left them to operate and made our way to the galley for lunch: pulled pork, hot dogs and chili. After which we went back to trade places with the small group. I chose to be at the twenty meter station. Although the bands were not in the greatest shape, I started calling CQ. After a few calls, I started making contacts. The others in my group were on fifteen and forty meters. The massive antenna systems aboard the ship work great. Soon we were adding contacts to the logging program database.

Our time on board was short and we soon had to go QRT, but our time aboard will not be forgotten. I would like to thank the Members of the New Jersey Amateur Radio Club for being our hosts and allowing us to operate from this very special venue.

Our thanks also go to the Battleship New Jersey museum for all the hard work it has done and all the hard work it takes to maintain the ship as a museum. But most importantly: Thank You To All Those Men who took this grand Old lady into Harm’s Way in defense of our Country. THANK YOU, JOB WELL DONE!

Amongst many deliveries this week, one very welcome package was side plate covers for the KX3. Ive noticed on recent trips that the soft pouch that I use to hold the KX3 is offering very little protection to the knobs.

The side plates allow the installation of a clear cover that is intended to give protection to the delicate front panel.

Installation is easy. It takes less than 10mins and also comes with a Heat sink to help the PA transistors stay cooler for longer. I didn’t want to fit the heat sink at first – I thought it wouldn’t allow the radio to fit in the carry pouch. But as you will see the case I use was able to take both the radio and heat sink. To complete the installation you will need 10minutes of spare time, a screwdriver and a 10mm spanner.

If you own a KX3, use it out and about – this is a quick and simple upgrade you should seriously consider.

Amongst many deliveries this week, one very welcome package was side plate covers for the KX3. Ive noticed on recent trips that the soft pouch that I use to hold the KX3 is offering very little protection to the knobs.

The side plates allow the installation of a clear cover that is intended to give protection to the delicate front panel.

Installation is easy. It takes less than 10mins and also comes with a Heat sink to help the PA transistors stay cooler for longer. I didn’t want to fit the heat sink at first – I thought it wouldn’t allow the radio to fit in the carry pouch. But as you will see the case I use was able to take both the radio and heat sink. To complete the installation you will need 10minutes of spare time, a screwdriver and a 10mm spanner.

If you own a KX3, use it out and about – this is a quick and simple upgrade you should seriously consider.

This transceiver looks like it should be possible to duplicate. A neat design. I think this connects via a USB socket so the PC acts as a node for digital modes like DSTAR.

See http://unsigned.io/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2

Here is this week’s space weather and geophysical report, issued 2015 Nov 23 0602 UTC.

Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 16 – 22 November 2015

Solar activity was at very low to low levels over the period. Low levels occurred on 17-18 November and 21-22 November with Regions 2454 (N13, L=121, class/area Dac/130 on 22 Nov) and 2457 (N11, L=032, class/area Dsi/130 on 21 Nov) responsible for the C-class flare activity. The largest flares of the period were a pair of C5/Sf flares at 22/0210 UTC and 22/0538 UTC originating from Region 2454 which was in a growth phase after 21 November.

Two filament eruptions were observed at the beginning of the period that resulted in coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The first was an approximate 21 degree long filament, centered near S11W17, that lifted off around 15/2114 UTC. The second was an approximate 19 degree filament, centered near S26W24 that lifted off around 16/0114 UTC. Two CMEs were observed lifting off the SW limb in SOHO/LASCO C2 imagery at 15/2336 UTC and 16/0312 UTC, respectively. Analysis of these CMEs indicated a likely glancing blow early on 19 November. Later in the period, another filament eruption, centered near S20E10, occurred around 22/0600 UTC. An associated CME, observed in C2 imagery beginning at 22/0836 UTC, was mostly directed off the east limb. Subsequent analysis of this CME indicated a very low chance for a glancing blow.

No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at high levels on 16 November with a maximum flux of 3,129 pfu at 16/1525 UTC. Normal to moderate levels were observed from 17-22 November.

Geomagnetic field activity ranged from quiet to minor storm periods over the period. Solar wind conditions began the period near nominal levels with prolonged periods of southward Bz near -6 nT on 16 November. Subsequently, the geomagnetic field responded with unsettled to active periods. Quiet to unsettled levels were observed on 17 November. At approximately 17/1941 UTC, a solar sector boundary crossing to a mostly negative (towards) sector occurred followed by an increase in solar wind speed from 370 km/s to around 530 km/s by early on 19 November. An abrupt increase in total field from 6 nT to 12 nT occurred at 18/1925 UTC with a maximum southward deflection of the Bz component to -11 nT indicating the likely arrival of the CMEs from 15-16 November coupled with influences from a negative polarity coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS). A geomagnetic sudden impulse (70 nT at the Wingst magnetometer) was observed at 18/2010 UTC. The geomagnetic field responded with (G1) minor storming late in the period on 18 November with quiet to active conditions on 19 November. Solar wind speed continued a slow decay over the rest of the period to background levels resulting in quiet to unsettled levels on 20-21 November and quiet conditions on 22 November.

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 23 November – 19 December 2015

Solar activity is expected to be low with a chance for M-class (R1-R2, Minor-Moderate) flares from 23-25 November due to flare potential from Region 2454. Very low to low levels are expected from 26 November through 07 December. There is also a chance for M-class flare activity from 08-19 December with the return of old Region 2454 (N13, L=121).

No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at normal to moderate levels with high levels likely from 26-28 November and again from 06-13 December due to CH HSS influence.

Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at unsettled to active levels from 25-26 November and 05-12 December with (G1) minor storming likely on 06-07 December due to recurrent CH HSS activity.

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/

If you are on Twitter, please follow these two users: + https://Twitter.com/NW7US + https://Twitter.com/hfradiospacewx

Get the space weather and radio propagation self-study course, today. Visit http://nw7us.us/swc for the latest sale and for more information!

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DX for new CW operators

How to copy those high speed ops?

EA8TL's Hexbeam in the Canary Islands

As a relatively new CW operator my copy skills are still relatively weak, especially at higher speeds.  DX stations seem to send their calls at 25wpm or faster so I often can't copy them without listening to them over and over and usually there are so many other stations working them that it gets confusing.

Well this morning I wasn't having much success getting an answer to my calls on 40m, and 20m seemed dead.  So I popped up to 17m and there was a good signal coming in that no one else was answering.  I listened over and over and finally copied EA8T (op name Jorge) located in the Canary islands off the coast of Africa.  I replied to him and worked him at my relatively slow 18wpm sending speed.  I wasn't very graceful in my response and he got my call wrong on the first go 'round but resent it correctly after that.  The entire time no-one else answered him even though there was plenty of activity elsewhere on 17m.  Are the Canary Islands considered blasé as far as DX?

Anyway I was happy to get the response.  I know (or surmise) that my 80m Windom has some fairly pronounced gain nodes in different directions on the higher bands but I didn't know which directions they pointed.  I guess one of the nodes points toward Africa (yaaay!)

Path from N4PBQ to EA8TL in the Canary Islands

My copy speed is slowly increasing as I've been operating CW for about 3 months now, but I wonder if there are DX stations on some segments of the band plan for slower speed operations.  I spent about 20 minutes sending my call at 18wpm down to 12wpm on the QRP segment of 17m (18.096 MHz) but no one answered.  I know I was getting out given the previous contact.

Do DX operators just not want to bother with newbies such as myself?  I wonder.  I'd appreciate suggestions in the comments section.

That's all for now

So lower your power and raise your expectations

73/72
Richard N4PBQ