S.E.K.A.R.C to the Park

Tom N2UHC

Our first outing of the year turned out to be a cool one.  Operators present were, Jim Paddock, ADØOD of Baxter Springs, John Humble, ADØKA of Joplin, MO, Tom Sevart, N2UHC and harmonic Skyler, St. Paul , Bill Bradrick, WBØLXZ of Pittsburg, Leon Heer, N3LRH of Pittsburg.  Cecil Weinstein, NØEHP, of Lamar later joined us for breakfast.  Tom and John had contacts on cw and ssb.  Yours truly made several attempts on 30 meters but to no avail.  The bands were is reasonably good shape considering all the solar activity of late.

The temperature was hovering around 42 degrees with a slight breeze making it a bit uncomfortable for old duffers like me.  Testing of packs and antenna's was the order of the day.  John and Tom seem to have mastered the "One Bag Station"  I have mine down to a backpack for the bicycle but still needs some refinement.  It doesn't take long in the field to decide you are carrying things you don't need.  Weight seems to be the major factor and it is surprising how much two 7 amp gel cell batteries weigh at the end of a 10 mile bike ride.  All in all, it was a great morning, great fellowship, followed by a warm breakfast and hot coffee..  If you didn't make it this time, join us for the next one.
 
72/73  Joe   WØMQY

Great Copper J-Pole Calculator

I found this great little site for calculating the materials and measurements for making a great copper j-pole antenna! If you were looking at making one of these classics, this will help you out !

LINK HERE
J-Pole Antenna Calculator

The Frequency you entered: 146.94 MHz

Measurements(95% Velocity Factor for Copper Pipe):
A: 1.454 meters or 4 Feet 9.24 inches
B: 0.485 meters or 1 Feet 7.092 inches
C: 0.049 meters or 0 Feet 1.932 inches*
D: 0.046 meters or 0 Feet 1.812 inches §

* Adjust up or down to get the best SWR.
§ Measurement not critical.

March Meeting Announcement

The March 28, 2015 meeting of the Southeast Kansas Amateur Radio club will be held at Lincoln Park in Pittsburg at 9am. We will set up some radio gear, help you with your setup and will have our first field activity of 2015.

It will be BYOC (bring your own coffee) and bring snacks and we will begin setup by 9am and will stay as long as the operators and the weather cooperate! Please stop by and visit or stop by and set up your gear. It's always good to test your portable setup ahead of time.

If the weather is bad and not condusive to being outside, the alternate location will be to meet at Hardee's around 9am for breakfast and radio talk. We will try to notify of any changes of location via the email group so if you have not signed up yet then please do! You can clink the link here MESSAGE BOARD or go to the link in the left column.

If you are new to the club or interested in Ham Radio, this would be a great chence to see what it's all about and meet some operators that would love to help you get on the air!

Great New Portable SDR

This is a great idea. We have posted a lot about inexpensive SDR receivers but not TRANScievers! I think you will all enjoy this one! Check out both the webpage and video. You can also invest in it's development! Maybe a project for the builders group?

PORTABLE SDR

Great New Ham Podcast !!

Great new podcast for Amateur Radio !!

Fo Time is a new podcast, aimed at the ‘younger’ Ham Operator and those interested in learning more about the hobby. Cale/K4CDN  is the podcasts host.

I posted episode 21 below, and you can hear more on iTunes or the website Fo Time. Check it out and give it a listen!

Great new podcast for Hams !!

A note from the host.... "After leaving a near decade stint in Non-Commercial FM I wanted to fill the void of missing being behind the microphone.  Podcasting seemed to be the logical answer.  As a life long “radio nerd”  I did some homework and launched Fo Time.  I hope you enjoy the program and welcome your feedback!"

Contasct and feedback email cale at amateurradio15.com

Ham Nation With Yaesu Rep Chris Wilson NØCSW

Recently Chris Wilson NØCSW from Yaesu stopped by for a visit at the SEKARC Coffee QSO at Starbucks. We had a great informative meeting with him and he explained some of the new items that Yaesu is working on and spoke about Ham Radio in general. He asked us to keep him in the loop on our club activity.

Last month he made a special appearence on the Ham Nation monthly show. He discussed some newer Yaesu products and was featured on the show. Please watch the episode below and you can subscribe to them on YouTube so you can be notified of new posts!

Good job Chris and anytime you are in the SE Kansas area you are always welcome!

Antenna Basics from 16mm Film

This is a nice old nugget on antenna basics. It examines the characteristics and dynamics of radio waves emanating from a dipole antenna and is part of the collection: Educational Films

Producer: National Film Board of Canada.; McGraw-Hill Films.
Sponsor: Internet Archive
Keywords: 16mm Film; Educational Film