AmateurRadio.com

The loop horizontal and nothing.

In my last post I wrote about how my Alexloop was just not getting out in the condo, I was checking the Reverse Beacon Network as I called CQ at 5 watts from my condo and there was ZERO spots! Well from that post I received lots of great suggestions on how to get VE3WDM's signal from the antenna to the world. So here is what I tried........I mounted the Alexloop in the horizontal position in the condo and it netted no spots on the Reverse Beacon Network. I then put the Alexloop on the balcony seeing that we are 60 feet in the air I felt this was a sure thing. The last option for me was to place an antenna on the balcony as it was open season to the condo cops.  I placed (in the cover of darkness) the Alexloop on the balcony and called CQ on 20m and 40m and then check the Reverse Beacon Network. To my surprise there were no spots and now I am really stumped and frustrated. The Alexloop is out in the open 60 feet in the air and no spots what the heck is going on......do those dam condo cops have ham radio jammers!!!!!! Up to this point I have only use the RBN to check for spots but there is also WSPR and I have had some bloggers suggest I use this. At this point I am not able to get WSPR up and running as there seems to be some software issues. My goal now is to sort out the issues and give WSPR a go both with the Alexloop in the condo and out on the balcony. This coming weekend I hope to get on the air with WSPR and give that a go! Im really not frustrated I see this as a challenge, for me to get ham radio on the air from a condo will but only  help others in the same situation as me get on the air.


Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

Paul Stam, PC4T, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from the Netherlands. Contact him at [email protected].

A new video (quite well done) that you may want to keep on hand for showing to those who have or are expressing a deisre to become an Radio Amateur.

First, here’s the link to the full version (which is a bit longer than what is embedded here):  http://youtu.be/ivUMIADFSDw

Next, from Jim W4QO considering the current “Buddies in the Caribbean” DXpedition to St. Lucia:

In order to step up the pace here in St. Lucia, if you (running QRP @5 cw/dig or 10 PEP SSB) work 3 of the 7 ops on the Buddies in the Caribbean DXpediton this week, you can earn the coveted BIC QRP certificate.  It’s not the Buddies who have to be running QRP – it’s YOU!  Many of us are running QRP
but some are not.

http://dx-world.net/2013/st-lucia-buddies-in-the-caribbean-dxpedition/

Sadly, Joe didn’t make it so you only have to work 3 of the other 7 using QRP to earn this valuable certificate.

We have worked many of you QRPers already so how hard can it be?  Find 3 of us on any band, any mode.

To find us, go to this easy link:

http://www.dxwatch.com/dxsd1/dxsd1.php?f=3647

The Buddies are the ones with a J6/ in front of their calls. There are still 3.5 more days to do this, so come on, work us!

Send a #10 envelope with SASE to W4QO at qrparci.org with a list of the 3 (or more) you worked.  If you work 5 or more, well, just wait and see what you get!!  🙂

If you worked J6/W4QO, then include your QSL card and get one in return.

73,

Budd, J68FF #6260
Chris, J6/W6HFP #15226
Rick, J6/AA4W #4046
Craig, J6/NM4T #8137
Jim, J6/W4QO #6515
John, J6/W5EXJ #15219
Jerry, J6/N9AW #6694

Lastly, I thought this announcement from the League regarding the Communications Act of 1934 was of interest:

SB QST @ ARL $ARLB033
ARLB033 Plans Announced to Update the Communications Act of 1934

ZCZC AG33
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 33  ARLB033
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  December 5, 2013
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB033
ARLB033 Plans Announced to Update the Communications Act of 1934

The US House Communications and Technology Subcommittee has announced plans for a multi-year effort to examine and update the Communications Act of 1934, the overarching law under which the FCC functions. The subcommittee, part of the US House Energy and Commerce Committee, is chaired by Oregon Republican Greg Walden, W7EQI. Walden and Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Fred Upton of Michigan made the announcement December 3.

“Today we are launching a multi-year effort to examine our nation’s communications laws and update them for the Internet era,” Upton said in a news release. “The United States has been the global leader in innovation and growth of the Internet, but unfortunately, our communications laws have failed to keep pace.”

ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, noted that the most recent significant update of the Communications Act was in 1996. “Under the leadership of Greg Walden, the subcommittee and its staff are well equipped to take up the challenge,” Sumner said. “The ARRL will be monitoring the work closely as it goes forward next year and beyond.”

The plan was made public via Google Hangout, where the committee leaders were joined by former FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell, who said he was “delighted” to learn of the update plans. Upton explained that the process, to start in 2014, will involve a series of white papers and hearings focusing on what might be done “to improve the laws surrounding the communications marketplace as well as a robust conversation utilizing all platforms of digital media.” He suggested a bill would be ready by 2015.

Walden said, “A lot has happened since the last update” and that the Communications Act is “now painfully out of date.” He pointed out that the Act, drafted during the Great Depression, was last updated “when 56 kilobits per second via dial-up modem was state of the art.”

Upton said, “We must ensure that our laws make sense for today but are also ready for the innovations of tomorrow.”

Walden said he wants to open the discussion to input from everyone. Interested parties may follow the plan’s progress via Twitter. “It’s important for people to have an opportunity to weigh in,” he said. “This is really a public process to get better public policy.”

Call me a pessimist, but I hope we’re not opening Pandora’s Box here.

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 Baofeng UV-5R has been an unqualified success. I’ve always liked it as a simple, no-nonsense handheld. Since the summer, connected to my Elk hand held yagi, it has become my satellite transceiver of choice for making contacts on SO-50.

As I have commented before, I have enough handhelds really. However, Sunday night saw me on the Handy Radio website (a UK based vendor of Chinese handheld radios and accessories) looking around for an after market antenna to stick on my tiny Baofeng UV-3R. I couldn’t help but notice the Baofeng UV-B5 on sale at £28.99. It would have been silly not to, really.

Tim Kirby, G4VXE, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Oxfordshire, England. Contact him at [email protected].

I was very lucky today, I heard T6MH Michael from Afghanistan on 10m with PSK31. And he did hear me. I worked Afghanistan before, so no new DXCC but I am happy to work him from Kandahar.
Paul Stam, PC4T, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from the Netherlands. Contact him at [email protected].

How do the cheap Baofeng handhelds compare? I have had the Baofeng UV-5R since I bought it from the 409shop in April 2012, but recently I noticed that the UV-B5, UV-B6, and UV-82 have appeared on the market also. If I should need another handheld transceiver for VHF/UHF, is there any advantage in getting any of the other models?

I prepared the following table in order to highlight differences and similarities. Bold characters signify an improvement for what I conceive to be typical radio amateur use.

Feature	UV-5R	UV-82	UV-B5
Front-end	OK	OK	Improved
Antenna	Short	Longer	Longer
Signal meter	On/off	On/off	Dynamic
Squelch	VHF: On/off UHF: Tiny steps 21. Dec 2013	As the UV-5R 21. Dec 2013	Larger steps
Size and shape	Square and small	Fits better in hand, larger buttons	Fits better in hand
Frequency/channel change	Up/down	Up/down	Rotary encoder
VFO/MR button	Yes	Turn radio off, then press menu as you turn it on 3. Jan 2014	Yes
Band button	Yes	No (in menu)	Switches  automatically
Dual PTT button	No	Yes	No
Programming	Need a computer to enter alpha tags	Alpha tags  can be entered  from keyboard	Alpha tags can  be entered  from keyboard
Memory channels	128	128	99 + 16 for FM radio
Display	7 characters in name	7 characters  in name	Harder to read, only 5 characters in name
Modifications	Enlarge mic hole, (and here), Low modulation mod	–	Unused button as background light switch

Sverre Holm, LA3ZA, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Norway. Contact him at [email protected].