AmateurRadio.com

INCOMING STORM CLOUDS: Three or four CMEs that left the sun earlier this week will arrive in quick succession this weekend. Mostly, the blows they deliver to Earth's magnetic field are expected to be weak, but the combined impacts could stir up significant geomagnetic activity. NOAA forecasters put the odds of a high-latitude geomagnetic storm at 55% on Saturday, increasing to 75% on Sunday. Check http://spaceweather.com for updates.

I was asked to write a final paper for my University of Phoenix Class on a topic that I was passionate about. I thought that how Ham Radio helps communities would be a good paper as wells help others understand a little more about what makes Ham’s so passionate about the topic. I received an A on the paper and in the class and thought I would share with the community. The interesting part of the paper is that two of the people in the class were doing some disaster planning as they lived on the West Coast and they are getting more and more worried about earthquakes. My teacher is now going to get his license and I send the other person more information about the process. Add a Ham a year is my goal.

Here is the full post:

http://nicktoday.com/ham-radio-helping-communities/

After what appears to be a life time of waiting HRD now supports Clublog, with automated uploads of your QSOs straight to the Clublog server. Its pretty simple, and runs in exactly the same way as HRDLog and eSQL plugs ins currently do within the Logbook application.. So here is how to do it.

Firstly download the latest version of HRD. At time of writing its version is 6.2.3.255 and is in public Beta.

Back up your files as described on the site, and install this new version.

Once downloaded and installed everything seems pretty familiar. Your logbook, layouts and program settings. will all be the same as they were before. But now you have a few options.

1. Click on Configure and in the drop down you will see ClubLog.

2. Add your registered email address and password to the fields, and you are Done !!

When ever you now log a QSO HRD Logbook will automatically upload the details to the Clublog server. Perfect for keeping an online log and embedding the Clublog log book facility on your web page (Like mine)

You can also bulk upload QSOs that you have not syncronised. You can do this by :
1. Select the QSOs that need to be uploaded to ClubLog.
2. Right mouse click and select File.
3. Select Clublog and select Upload.
4. The results will be loaded into a log file that you can view, by clicking “View” and “Logfile” from the top line menu.

These QSOs will now be uploaded to your Clublog account, and Clublog will send you an email (if you have chosen to receive them) confirming the upload, and any issues.

Again this is pretty simple stuff, but its been a long time coming and I for one am glad its finally enabled. !

Tim W3ATB and I hiked down to Old Hill Village today. The Pemigewasset River is up more than 20 feet and the area is inaccessible. We set up in a small field and worked the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Belgium and Alabama. We had a grand time.

We hike into the Corps of Engineers flood control area along Needle Shop Brook. We detour and clamber down a steep hill to get near the brook. It’s exhilarating to see the water racing through the narrow channel, filling the air with mist.

As we get closer to the flood plain the road disappears. The river has become a huge lake of more than 1000 acres and millions of gallons of water held back by the Franklin Falls Dam perhaps 8 miles downstream.

Melting snow and recent rains have left their mark. Three miles upstream a man drowned a couple of days ago in the Smith River. Search teams have been called back because it’s too dangerous.

Tim and I find a safe operating position in an overgrown field above the water’s edge. We toss a line over the branch of a small maple tree and pull up a sloper. I am using the KX3 and the internal tuner. I hear OK2PDY calling CQ on 15 meters and complete a quick exchange. He gives me a 559 and he is 579. In just a minute I work Frank PA1FP in the Netherlands. I am only 539 and he is 589.

We’ve brought our jackets because the temperatures dipped into the 30s the last couple of days. But my thermometer reads 60 in warm spring sun. I hand the key to Tim and he answers N4RAY who is calling CQ from Alabama. Rodney gives us a 579. He is QRP but is a strong 599.

Before calling it quits, I snag one more QSO… this time with a special event station in Belgium. OS16M is celebrating Morse Heritage Day. We exchange quick 599s and pack up. Unless we get more rain the water will recede in a few days and dry out within a week.

We’ll be back soon with bicycles to explore some of the most beautiful countryside in New Hampshire.

Thanks to W3ATB for the photos.

Never say that protesting doesn’t help. After Agentschap Telecom withdrew the registration of my Dutch call sign – and some 200 other Dutch hams living abroad – the two biggest Dutch amateur radio organisations wrote a letter to the AT in protest. Not only that, but many of the affected hams also wrote in to appeal the decision. The reasoning of the AT for their action was quite valid, because every database needs to be cleaned up every now and then. Their execution wasn’t and yesterday they admitted to that.

All the affected hams will be re-registered, with their old call signs given back to them. All previously issued registration papers will remain valid. We are being asked by AT to cancel our registration voluntarily in case we indeed never use the Dutch radio space. Re-registration is always possible, because the results of the test to pass the radio amateur exam will stay on record.

All’s well that ends well. 73 from PA2BX a.k.a. BX2ABT