Happy New Years 2014

Happy New Years to all Operators! I'd like to take a minute to send best wishes to all. We have been quiet through Christmas and New Years Eve, now it is time to get after it again! You probably noticed the color change... what do you think?

The Reason For The Season

Merry Christmas to all!

During this season, let's keep it's true meaning close to our hearts and minds. This is a beautiful time of year with lots of memories and traditions. I want to wish everyone a joyous Christmas. This is my favorite Christmas song, so remember to enjoy the blessings we are given... 

"Why her, she's just an ordinary girl".

Merry Christmas !!

Merry Christmas from KAØEGE and KDØRTX !!

SEKARC Digital Net? (updated 12/18/13)

SEKARC Digital Net? A few of us were trying to catch the 80 meter digital net out of the Kansas City area last week and between us we were trying different modes of digital signals. During that, I had a thought... what if we talked about having a local weekly or monthly digital net directed by the Southeast Kansas Amateur Radio Club? In the next few weeks we will be discussing questions like these...

#1 What Day? - Maybe after the first net of the month on Wednesdays?

#2 What Frequency? - Possible on VHF-UHF or should we go HF?

#3 What Mode? - Probably start with PSK-31 but we should try some of the lesser used modes for fun.

New Ham Or Soon To Be?

This post is for the new operators, or those working on getting that initial Technician Class Ham radio ticket. K7AGE has some great videos for new and veteran hams alike. His presentation is very casual and often funny. He covers most everything from 2 meter stuff below, to working satellites, digital modes and various bands.

New Regional Digital Net

This might be worth trying to check in to... I received this on the Larry's List email list.

Don't forget to check into the new MOKAN HF Digital Net Thursday evenings at 8 pm central time on 3.584.5 using MFSK32 at 1500 hz on the waterfall.

KB0EMB is the net control. Help spread the word to other NBEMS “HAMS" in the midwest and surrounding states as well as clubs in Missouri and Kansas.

Please distribute as widely as possible.

James P. Bair - N0AJI EM28qx
AEC Jackson County Missouri ARES Public Relations
Metropolitan Emergency Communicators Consortium (MECC) Public Information Officer
30 W. 74th st
Kansas City Missouri 64114-5724
n0aji@arrl.net

KOAM News From 1938-53

I know a lot of you are interested in radio history and I found this link above from Larry's List. I did a quick search of Pittsburg Kansas and found the published page in Radio News from May 1953 announcing that KOAM was granted an FCC Construction Permit. At least one of you worked at KOAM if I remember correctly? Might be some interesting stuff if you are willing to do some digging !

Holiday Meeting - Winners !!

What a great bunch of Hams we have in the SEKARC club. We had our holiday meeting today and our last meeting for 2013, but it was a great day and it has been a great year. We had the usual members there, and a couple of new friends. Lee / KDØOCY, the son of member Loren KDØRTX who came down from Peculiar, MO and we also had Steve N5SD and his wife pop in and say hello!

Most of us...

Everyone left with a door prize ( donated by our friend at Associated Radio ) and we had a couple of Grand Prizes that were drawn as well.  Steve / WDØDTS won a set of magnifying viewers and the big prize went to Jack WDØCFH who won the AAØZZ EZKeyer kit which was donated by the 4States QRP group. Their website is a great source for QRP kits of all kinds. And when you buy one, bring it to the regular builders group meetings! ( See the Builders Group tab above ).

Thanks to Four States QRP

 

We even had an interesting model brought in by Jack. He has made a full scale model of the QubeSat radio satellite which was recently launched into orbit and is being programmed now. Say tuned for a write up on that after I do some research. It was fascinating to see it and to know that it was full scale ( about 5" cube with antenna radials coming out of 4 sides ). Thanks for making that Jack and as contacts are made, we will try to keep everyone updated on how they working.



FUNcube Model

Thanks for all that were able to attend and a special thanks go to another special guest ( Tom's son ) for helping pull the lucky winners out of the hat! Stay tuned to the website here for new updates and information. Our next meeting will be January 25, 2014. Thanks again to all of the club members for a great 2013 and I hope we all look for an even better 2014!

Excellent Young Ticket Picker !

 

Thanks to Associated Radio         !

 





Thanksgiving Proclamation - 1789

This is the text of George Washington's October 3, 1789 national Thanksgiving Proclamation; as printed in The Providence Gazette and Country Journal, on October 17, 1789.

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interposition of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.

George Washington

Meeting Saturday and Happy Thanksgiving !!

Reminder ! Saturday is our Holiday meeting with door prizes for all !! We will start at 9 am in Hardee's of Pittsburg and it should be a fun and great time for all. I hope all of you have nice Thanksgiving Day plans and I know that living in America we are never out of things to be thankful for.

Here is a nice Ham radio Thanksgiving story... and reminds us all that we should have our radios with us everyday and everywhere we go!

Happy Thanksgiving and See You Saturday!!

Last HAM Standing !!

Tonight's episode of Last Man Standing has another strong ham radio segment. 

Thanksgiving Show

Friday 8|7c

Here is a clip prepared by Ham Nation last year when the last time that Ham radio was included in the show. It goes into the background and shows mentions some of the active real life hams that are part of the crew! I really enjoy this show, even without ham radio mentioned so this is just a bonus !!

They recently had a VE testing session on the set and 8 new hams and 1 upgrade to general were granted among the crew. You can even send off for one of "Mike's" QSL cards by sending a SASE to the info on this QRZ page for KAØXTT.

CW Is Cool !!

CW Is Cool

Written By
David Keath N0WKZ

So tonight, I sat down at my rig and tuned up 40 meters to do my usual time tediously listening to CW that I mostly do not understand quite yet. Indeed, very often it has been months of torture. An act of seeming sheer futility. Oh, of course I can pick out numbers, letters and the occasional word 'is,' but up until recently it has been like hiking up a ladder with a bundle of 50 year shingles. Then there is the almighty 'CQ' that seems to ring endlessly up and down the band and is quite recognizable from one gazillion miles away. All those single character triumphs are great but there is no cigar when you cant understand the conversation. But tonight was different. Tuning up the band I finally heard an operator who was keying the characters at about my speed, 15 WPM, but with wide spacing. Here we go I thought. I might as well listen in and at least muscle through a few minutes of copy practice. After all, what could I lose.

As I sat listening, I started to hear more than I normally hear and then it happened. I heard the word 'GETTING!' I was amazed! Astounded! I had heard the characters but I also heard the word. I had been told this would happen but as of late I was kind of losing faith that it would for me. I was so excited that I tore off my headphones and ran through the house into our kitchen where my wife was making jello and exclaimed my victory in a sort of touch down/crazy dance. Wow!

Youth returns for that one fleeting moment, my hair catches the fire of exuberance, and CW is too Cool....

Amen

GB and 73's

Certainly the sobering fact is that I still have a ways to go learning CW.  But, one thing is for sure.  Personal effort is only a spark in the fire of achievement.  Learning CW without the help of friends would be exponentially more difficult.  I would be remiss if I did not extend a word of gratitude to the local Amateurs for the time they spend helping myself and others.  Also for me, the continued help from my Friends Joe - W0MQY, and Bill - WB0LXZ...

David Keath N0WKZ

Emporia State University Presentation and Kit Building Session

Group Build at Emporia State University Radio Club

By Joe Porter, W0MQY

At the invitation of Max McCoy, KC0MAX, I gave a presentation to the Emporia State University Amateur Radio Club. Items covered were selected for first time or relatively new hams embarking on their first kit building project.  The topic was "Kit Building Tips and Techniques" and was directed toward first time kit builders.

The one hour presentaton was followed by a "hands on" kit build of the AA0ZZ EZkeyer produced by the Four State QRP Group.  

This kit provided a nice range of first time skills to be learned.  The photo shows five of the nine participants hard at work assembling the EZkeyer kit.

My EZKeyer was used for show and tell.  It helps first time builders to be able to see the finished project and use it a a guide.

My version of the EZKeyer

That's Max, KC0MAX, moving too fast for the camera.

Providing assistance to a participant is Johnny Matlock

who made a special trip down to Emporia to deliver the

kits and sit in on my presentation.

Johnny is one of the many 4sqrp kitters and was

on hand for the kitting session for these first time

builders.

The photos below are depicting various stages of the build with different participants.  As you can see the concentration and interest in this project was pretty intense.

Many smiles appeared across the room as each keyer came to life and spoke its first words.  There is nothing like the feelings of euphoria when that first project springs to life.  It is even sweeter when you know you built it with your own two hands.

As can be seen in the above photo, they were busy little bees.  There is nothing like the learning experience that takes place with that "hands on" building session.  The session was two and one half hours long and most all of the participants finished the keyer and had it operating.  Altoid tins were furnished along with pill bottles to store those tiny parts.  It was a highly successful evening thanks to Max's leadership and coordination.

Johnny brought along the latest and greatest version of the EZKeyer.  It is housed in a very nice enclosure included with the kit and has several improved features.  It was a great evening and I want to thank the ESU faculty, students, Max, and Johnny for their support in this project.  Max deemed the evening a success and was evident by listening to all the beeping keyers around the room.  I had a great time, met a lot of nice people, and would like to say "thank you" for inviting me.  

72 es see ya all in April

Joe W0MQY

Holiday Meeting - November 30th

Be sure to attend the Holiday meeting of the Southeast Kansas Radio Club. The meeting will be at 9am, November 30th at Hardee's of Pittsburg. This will be our last meeting in 2013 as I am sure that between Christmas and New Years all of us will have family and friends to see!

I am gathering an assortment of door prizes from local and not so local merchants so we might be able to all walk away a winner of something! Stay tuned for future announcements on the prizes! In 2014 I will try to make this a regular feature of the monthly meeting. If any of you have any thoughts or ideas on that let me know!

At the meeting maybe we can put some goals for the club and put some possible activities on the calendar for 2014.  In spring we should do a park on the air event, maybe a build meeting so we can get ready for a foxhunt. Field Day 2014 is something we should put on the calendar also. Do we want to do the Big Brutus location again? Or maybe look into something closer to town.

We have lined up some great door prizes for this meeting thanks to Associate Radio and others. Nothing like a new radio, but hey they were free !!!! Our kind of prizes right ? Mark your calendar, update your iPhone, download your Droid, add to your PDA.... November 30th Saturday 9am. at Hardee's.

See you there and GOOD LUCK TO ALL !!

73's until then... a hint ?

Satellite AO-27 Might Be Back Soon

I found this link in a Larry's List email and I thought this information and link might be good to pass along to our members. This website provides updates on all activity under way to get the bird back to operational status!

Bookmark this link and check it often for updates ------->   AO-27 Website

Here is a sampling of the updates....

Nov 11th, 2013
Turned on High Power for the pass to try a software upload.
Uploaded code using the secondary bootloader. Went slow but made it. The interference is still a problem on the uplink.
STATUS: on Secondary bootloader, Software upload test complete.
- James, N3UCC

Nov 10th, 2013
Another good pair of passes gave a clean upload of the secondary bootloader.
Commanded back to the Primary. Modem came up with up without IDLE tones. Had to clear the modem lockup again.
Uploaded secondary. Changed to the secondary cleanly.
We still have heavy interference on the uplink.
- James, N3UCC 

Oct 29th, 2013
Recovery operations are underway again for AO-27. We will try to keep the website up to date with any infomation.
- Michael, N3UC 

The History of W9BSP

 

I found this nice story about a piece of Midwest radio history... I will have to make a point to stop by and see this. Thanks to RadioMagOnline for this!

The History of W9BSP ( <-- click here for full source article )

In 1922, Marshall H. Ensor, a 22-year-old industrial arts instructor at Olathe High School in Olathe, KS, just outside Kansas City, earned his amateur radio operator license. His interest in radio began in 1916 when he built a spark-gap radio that he operated until the end of WWI in 1918.

This story sounds very much like other early radio operators around the United States early in the 20th Century. But for Marshall Ensor, his hobby continued to grow. In 1929, Ensor began working with the American Radio Relay League to broadcast radio lessons to the listening. He did so under the call sign W9BSP. With the help of his younger sister Loretta, who earned the call sign W9UA, the two taught "Radio by Radio" nightly during December and January for more than 10 years. Their radio transmitter was located in a small room off the kitchen of their parents' dairy farm home. ( More )

Photo from http://radiomagonline.com

David's Narrow Copper J-Pole Antenna

This is another post from one of our members!  David sent me a bit of this in an email and I thought it would be great to share with the group!  If you would like to post something here about your projects, experience or thoughts, let me know and we will see if we can post it up!

Narrow Copper J-Pole Antenna
Written by David Keath – N0WKZ

The goals I had in mind for this antenna were relatively simple.  Specifically the low takeoff angle of the Slim-Jim mixed with some of the durability characteristics of the larger cactus copper J-Pole.  Another desirable feature I was seeking that the Slim-Jim does not tend to have due to it's small conductor size is a wider usable bandwidth.  The final result is not a magic bullet, nor does it exhibit miracle performance.  Within reason, it does seem to have the qualities I was trying to achieve.

The dimensions and materials I am listing here come directly from the antenna, which is currently in use at the time of this writing.  I tuned and tested this version using nothing more than the built in VSWR meter on my radio.  Like any other antenna device, this antenna was tuned to my own equipment in my operating environment.  Please be mindful that the J-Pole design is generally somewhat sensitive to environment. Cutting and tuning it on different equipment in a given location may alter the final tuned dimensions slightly. Please also remember that this project was and is an experiment.

Materials Used
• ¼ Inch Diameter Soft Copper Tubing – at least 6.7 Feet
• Common Black Electric Tape
• Small Diameter Nut, Bolt, Washer – 2 Sets
• 1 Card Board Toilet Paper Tube
• Fishing Line – Enough to make a loop for hanging the antenna

Tools Used
• Ordinary Pliers
• Screwdrivers – Phillips and Flathead
• Utility Knife
• Scissors
• Cordless Drill and 7/64 or 1/8 inch Bit

Measurements Approximate
• Long section of the J – 60 inches.
• Short section of the J – 21 inches.
• Bottom section of the J – 0.5 inches.
• Feed-point location from the bottom of the J – 2 inches.

The total length here is long for construction purposes.  It should initially be approximately 81.5 inches/6.7 feet.

NOTE: If you feel confident in working with the copper tubing, you can use lengths closer to the final dimensions which are listed below for reference.  I would however recommend leaving at least an extra 2 inches on the long element and perhaps an extra inch on the shorter one.

Final Tuned Dimensions – Approximate
• Long section of the J – 54.5 inches.
• Short section of the J – 18.75 inches.
• Bottom section of the J – 0.5 inches.
• Feed-point location from the bottom of the J – 2 inches.

Construction
Measure the tubing  and mark off the points where the two bends making the bottom of the J should be located.  Be careful to leave the extra length of tubing on each element before making the bend.

Pliers may be used to flatten the  bottom section of the J.  Being careful to work slowly and carefully, bend the tubing into the J shape.  Used gently, the Pliers can aid in this process.  The average gap or space between the J elements should be approximately 0.5 inches.  This gap is between the tube surfaces, not center to center.

Cut small rectangular strips from the toilet paper tube.  Use a number of them together to create a simple spacer between the elements.  I used electric tape to hold them together and in place.

The area of the feed-point should be flattened and drilled.  Use the feed-point location listed here.  There is no need for the extra holes.  Feed-point holes should be located 2 inches from the bottom of the J.

Choke Balun
5 Turns at about 5 Inches Diameter of RG-58

Handling
While this device is certainly more durable than a Slim-Jim, soft copper tubing can be warped or bent.  Too much rough handling or a good hard drop could damage it.  Some care should be exercised in handling the device.

Mounting
I intended this device for indoor use, either ceiling hung, or installed in an attic.  The main idea is to keep the antenna as far from nearby dense objects or metals as possible, choke the feed-line, and isolate it from direct contact with conductive surfaces within reason.

Feed-Point Polarity
Depending on what publication you read, there seems to be a difference of opinion about which element on the antenna the coax center conductor should be attached too.  Based on most articles I have read, I chose to attach the coax center conductor to the long element on the antenna.  Supposedly this is the difference between having a lower verses a higher takeoff angle.

Tuning
Coax with the choke formed at the antenna end should be attached to the antenna feed-point allowing most of the choke to hang off below and too the side of the antenna within reason.

NOTE:  Before going any further, please remember that trimming off too much Copper cannot be undone.  Certainly an extension can be added but that defeats the whole simplicity idea.  Take your time trimming and tuning the antenna.

• The short element of the J should initially be just slightly longer than my final tuned length.

• The long element of the J should initially be longer by an inch or more.

• The antenna should be initially placed or hung in it's desired location or someplace similar and then check the VSWR at the top, middle, and bottom of the 2 meter band.

• Most of the tuning should achievable by trimming the long element until VSWR is low across the entire 2 meter band.  I would be careful trimming  too much off the short element.

• Trimming is done by grasping the Copper near the top of the long element and using pliers to flatten 1/8 to ¼ inch of copper.  Carefully work the flat copper back and forth with the pliers until it breaks off.

• Check the VSWR between each trim.

• The antenna should initially have a lower VSWR value near the bottom of the band.  Shortening the long element by small amounts and re-checking the VSWR should move the low VSWR region up until eventually the VSWR is acceptable across the band.  That is where I stopped trimming.

When tuning is complete, a small section of copper at the top of the long element can be flattened and formed into a small hook or drilled for a fishing line loop to hang it.  Be certain to hang it securely.

NOTE:  Because I do not own a device to analyze the antenna, it may have positive or negative characteristics I am unaware of.  I would be grateful to anyone who builds the device and tests it with an analyzer to send or share the results.  pu239u235@gmail.com

References:
NOTE: There are more web sites about J-Pole antenna devices and designs than I can list here.  These sites I have listed lead to many others and provide useful information.  Simply searching the word jpole on the Internet will also yield many other sources of information.

Jpoles - Mythbusting and the perils of rogue RF currents. By John Huggins, KX4O
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1uJ_INHlJEXUFeDrEiBgRcpQRKZ3TNSx6ahN_lWdX4ms/edit?pli=1#slide=id.p14

JPOLES Handbook, 4th Edition Buck Rogers, K4ABT
http://www.buxcomm.com/jpoles4ever.htm

Web Station, N9TAX
http://www.n9tax.com/Slim%20Jim%20Info.html

I wish to thank the SEKARC Club, Pittsburg KS, USA  for allowing me to submit this project so that others may perhaps use and even improve it.  If errors, comments, improvements, or anything else regarding this antenna comes to light, please do submit that information in the comments below so that others might benefit.

The J antenna design has been around since the time of the rigid airships prior to WWII.  The Slim Jim has also likely been around for some time.  Neither design is my own.  As well, it is unlikely that I am the only operator to attempt to make a rigid narrow J pole.  In essence, I can only state that I constructed this project as an experiment based on existing sound designs.  This is what Amateur Radio is all about.  Experimentation, improvement, and a sharing of those experiences with others.  Of course, there is always the inevitable failures on the way to successes but that is the way of it...

73's
Sincerely, D Keath – N0WKZ – 2013

Element Closeup

Balun Coil

Feed point Closeup

Complete

Hanging Method

Great Meeting

We had a great meeting Saturday! Eight local hams attended and a wide variety of topics were discussed. From flying broken airplanes, hamcan issues, Baofeng $38 specials, to listening to the Gorillas game on an unexpected HF band.  If anyone wants to add anything about the meeting, please do so! Just click the comments button below. It would be fun to see Bill's explanation of the HF Gorilla game!

  

The Baofeng UV-5RE Plus that I recently purchased was a good topic. The $38 price is convenient. It works well, especially if you can get the software to use for programming ( I recommend Chirp and not the Baofeng software ). The scan is a little slow but I just skipped more channels and changed a setting and it works great. I might do a little review for our readers for those unfamiliar with these radios. The funniest item was discussing the translations in the manual and on the equipment. Justin had a picture of instructions on a similar Chinese radio that is very funny. He sent the photo to me so we could share it with everyone. Thanks Justin !

Thanks for all that attended. These meetings are becoming more enjoyable and more informative as we all get to know each other better. With the collection of experienced hams that attend, their stories are the best. If you have been thinking about it, please make a point to come to the next one on November 30th.

  

On The Lighter Side...

And now for an oldie from across the pond. Here is a funny take on Ham Radio! The 1960 BBC TV comedy series 'Hancock's Half Hour' starring Tony Hancock - and in particular, the infamous bungling radio ham segment.

Enjoy...

Joe's QRP Station Build

This is the first member post of many I hope. Joe wrote this piece about a recent project. If you would like to post something here about your projects, experience or thoughts, let me know and we will see if we can post it up!

Joe's QRP Station Build
by Joe Porter WØMQY

I'm a big fan of portable qrp operations and enjoy the PSK31 mode.  There are always lots of cables and boxes to carry around with you, and I decided there must be a better way.  The following photos show my solution to keeping it all together.

I removed the printer stand from my computer lab because it was too large and took up too much desk space.   I can’t claim originality for the idea but after stumbling over the stand for several months, I assembled it into a portable QRP_PSK31 unit.  Under the stand on the left is the Icom 703®, in the center is the Signal One® PSK31 interface, and on the right is the external speaker.  Handles were placed on the top of the stand for ease of carrying.  The top of the stand makes a nice resting place for the laptop.  The two heavy steel legs make it a great support for the computer but raises the keyboard above the level I like to type.  This problem was solved by using a small collapsible table that has a height adjustment.  This table is set to about 24” high bringing the laptop to a comfortable typing position.

While this particular setup would not satisfy the biker, pedestrian, or back pack mobile enthusiast, it does simplify my setup and teardown time in the local park.  This package was used the past weekend with great success during the Brutus Bash in my camping trailer.   For a quick stint in the local park, it is a keeper.

 

This photo gives a better view close up of the operation position.  The stand seemed to slide around on slick surfaces so a couple of heavy chair grommets were added to the bottom of the legs to provide stability.

 

This photo shows the arrangement of the equipment underneath the stand.  The Icom 703® is on the left, the Signal One interface® with associated cabling in the center, and the Icom 703® external speaker is on the right. Directly behind the above equipment are two 7 amp hour SLA batteries.  One battery is used for operation while the other is on the charging system.

 

A 15 watt solar panel provides the charging power for the second battery while the radio is operated from the first battery.  The panel is probably marginal in keeping up with the radio but it does a nice job of charging the second battery in the pack.  So far, the batteries have outlasted me on my trips to the field.  That put my fears to rest on whether I had enough battery power for a weekend or a 4 hour sprint.

The Icom 703® would not be the radio of choice if I were going for a long haul because it draws 350 ma. on receive and the transmitter will pull about 1.5 amps on transmit.  Although these two batteries with the solar charging system make it completely portable it does have limitations with its size and weight.  For me, that is offset by the quick setup and tear down time.  Coupled with some South Bend® SD20 collapsible fishing poles and a dipole for each band, it makes the ideal portable companion for me.  The beautiful part of all this is that the Icom 703 gives me CW, PKS31, SSB, RTTY, and NDB chasing.   The complete portability of this system provides many an opportunity to go to the park, woods, Brutus Bashes, or any other event I might want to operate.  It also has the neat feature of being a quick setup in time of disaster for a small command station to assist in public service.

Last but not least, it was decided to keep things as simple as possible to minimize breakdowns, broken cables, and solder joints in the field.  As is shown in the photo, all of the equipment including the batteries are equipped with Anderson Power Pole® connectors.  This makes for easy switching batteries, removing equipment for other projects, and just plain versatility.

 

This project has given me pleasure both assembling and using it.  I love QRP radio and portability. This package gives me both.  If you haven’t tried portable operation, I suggest you give it a try.  It is great fun and you get to enjoy the great outdoors.

72/73’s   Joe  WØMQY

To Honor KAØEGE Charles Chancey

Now on a personal note... I am honored to now have the call sign KAØEGE, originally granted to my father Charles Chancey. By example, he taught me patience, hard work, honesty, honor, humor and love. I will transmit with this call in memory of him. Below is his QSL card which incorporated the logo from Harry's Cafe which our family started, worked for and owned spanning 3 generations. I am working on a new version of Radio Harry for my QSL card.

I remember his ham shack with Heathkit radios, big brown plastic rotor controller, CW key, KAØEGE sign over the door, QSL cards from all over the world, and the ham shack was wallpapered with National Geographic maps pasted to the wall. He worked very hard at the hobby and was awarded the WAS, WAC and the DX Century Club award.

My brother in law John Penrose WBØUFV who is on our club roster played an instrumental role in dad's ham radio time. Back when the Pittsburg repeater was way up on the KOAM tv tower they could have qso's between here and Springfield. Dad was also the treasurer of the Pittsburg Repeater Organization and after I got my ticket, John gave me a KAØEGE decorated mug from dad and a metal box he held from the club with handwritten note cards with members call sign, address and due payment history. I bet there are some names in there many of you would recognize and possibly some of you ARE in there.

Below I have posted some photos from his Field Day in the yard with WBØUFV a newspaper article from the newspaper, to his certificates and awards. If you knew him or have memories of dad, feel free to post them in the comments below!

Thanks everyone !! 73's KAØEGE clear.

SWR Simplified in 1959

Here is another gem taken from the Larry's List email that I have mentioned before. This is a great demonstration of waves of all kinds and specifically explains SWR and it's affect on the waves themselves. Of course many of you long timers already know this, so for us newbies... please watch and learn.... I sure did.

New "Old" Take on CW Code

I ran across this on an email list that I subscribe to "Larry's List". This is a very informative group and lots of different things are posted from FCC rule updates, antenna ideas, ham equipment for sale ( $500 Yaesu 857 recently ). And this little video posted below... kind of a new "old" take on learning CW.

Here is a link to the website and a place to sign up and be added to the mailing list !

LARRY'S LIST

Bob Heil and Ham Nation

I noticed at the Joplin Hamfest, many of you did not know about the web cast show Ham Nation starring Bob Heil. Heil was at the hamfest and gave a presentation on audio quality. You can see these episodes on YouTube, The TWIT website or on the ROKU device. He talked briefly about the hamfest but these guys are fun to watch!

Hams in Space and Joplin !

Reminder, the Joplin JARC hamfest is this weekend August 23rd and 24th !!

The Hams in Space Team of KYØF-Eddy Paul, ACØDX-Jeremy Widner, and KDØHKD-Randy Schulze will be appearing at the Joplin Hamfest at Joplin, Missouri Friday and Saturday, August 23rd and 24th. The Hams in Space presentation provides hams with information how to successfully get on the air with FM Amateur Radio Satellites, in most cases with equipment they already possess, or by obtaining a few specialized, inexpensive items. While explaining the techniques and procedures, an emphasis of “Keep it Simple” and “Have Fun” is stressed throughout.

This Hamfest, sponsored by the Joplin Amateur Radio Club, will be at the Holiday Inn Convention Center, located near Exit 8-B off of Interstate 44 in Joplin. This event, which is one of the largest Hamfests in the region, opens its doors at 3:00 PM Friday until 9:00 PM, and from 8:00 AM until 2:00 PM on Saturday.

The Hams in Space Classroom presentation will likely occur on Saturday. We plan on scheduling one or two “hands on” demonstrations during the Hamfest, weather permitting, and a good pass of SO-50 fitting into the schedule. Satellite enthusiasts not attending the Hamfest are encouraged to be on the air to work the new guys trying out satellite work for the first time.

For more information on Hams in Space, go to: http://hamsinspace.com. For more information on the Joplin Amateur Radio Club Hamfest, go to: http://www.joplin-arc.org.

73! We Hope to See You There!

Randy Schulze, KDØHKD
<rschulze@everestkc.net>
 

Rocky Mountain QRP !!

Rocky Mountain QRP story with a local twist !

One of our own got a nice, brief mention in QST magazine this month. Joe W0MQY was mentioned in an article about Max McCoy and his adventures with QRP in the mountains of Colorado! If you get the mag I encourage you to check it out !!