The new 107-ft (32.6m) EFRW in the backyard is doing OK, and I’m getting pretty lucky with low power on 10M FT8.

• Japan (10500 km): 5W, 2025-02-10 2245 UTC
• Norfolk Island (14000 km): 2W, 2025-02-11 2238 UTC

My Week in Radio

• Reconfigured fldigi with some more modular macros and used them for a short time for CQ WPX RTTY contest
• Replaced my 71-foot EFRW with 107-foot wire
  • ATU works a bit harder than the previous, but stretching the counterpoise in a different direction helped.
• 5W into the wire got me a contact to Japan on FT8

Others

• KC3SCY, Luke:
  • building out his radio desk
  • new Drake TR-4A and matching transmitter
• W8CRW, CR:
  • Nets
• WA3VEE, Ron:
  • checking out and testing equipment
  • interviewed on podcast: “operation freedom. ham radio in public service.”
  • KB3SVC presented on senior scams at another meeting
• W3QP, Tim:
  • 11 summits in Virginia!
• KC3TYX, Vic:
  • VHF nets, No HF.
  • hiking and geocaching.
• NA3CW, Chuck:
  • 985 activities
  • tower work at Joe’s when weather permits.
  • acquired merantz professional CD recorder
  • PM/AM net pre-net host. much better at 3:30pm for pre-net.
• KC3OOK, Bill:
  • 985 nets
  • South control for Simplex Net
    • 37 check-ins with only 2 controls
  • Passed along some gear to others via Joe
• KD3AIS, Tim:
  • drove to Parkesburg, and remembered to bring mobile glass-mount antenna and HT, so could contact to the repeater via RF.
• AF3Z, Jim:
  • working on Omni 6, which is broken
    • getting worse as he diagnoses
  • visited old shack in basement and rearranged it
    • finally returned to MB102 heathkit rig with power supply
    • replaced some capacitors
    • now working!
• KC3SQI, Wayne:
  • email reminder was appreciated to host the workbench
• WA3KFT, John:
  • playing with some heathkit lunch boxes.
    • 2m, 6m, 11m
    • doesn’t have the 10m
    • they’re regenerative receivers
    • not very efficient transmitters
  • vibrator power supply for radios that run off 120V AC
  • was convenient back in the day to be able to hang equipment from the old dashboard in cars.

Questions

• KD3AIS, Tim:
  • Given his recent foray into mobile radio and a glass-mounted antenna, he’s looking at mobile rigs. He’s seeming some that are higher-power single band, and some lower-power dual band. Also seeing single-band and dual-band antennas. But no 70cm single-band antennas. Recommendations and considerations?
    • WA3VEE, Ron:
      • Ron just runs high-power dual-band.
      • there are lots of 70cm repeaters around the area.
      • magmount antennas on top.
      • don’t worry about 65W vs 50W. close enough.
    • W3CRW, CR:
      • found a 70cm-only antenna on amazon.
      • still recommend dual band
    • WA3KFT, John:
      • dual band antenna is nicer for 70cm.
      • he dedicates a 70cm antenna and a 2m
    • KC3NZT, Harvey:
      • don’t worry much about power on dual-band radios
      • watch for nicer features
        • full-duplex
        • digital control
        • dual-watch
    • K3YVQ, Jack:
      • has Larson NMO 270 antenna to give away
    • KC3OOK, Bill:
      • recommended a couple radios with those features
    • NA3CW, Chuck:
      • dual-band rigs run less power because they’re a compromise.
      • single-band rig is no compromise, but more limited in features.
      • there are 470MHz antennas for commercial bands
      • feature: wishes his rig had split tones.
    • W8CRW, CR:
      • crossband repeat
      • split tones
    • WA3VEE, Ron:
      • Yaesus generally don’t support split tone
      • ICOMs generally do
    • W3GMS, Joe:
      • ICOM IC-2730A is great
        • split tone
        • good cooling
        • power makes a huge difference when you’re trying to open squelch on a repeater
        • nmo mount is nice, because you can swap specialized antennas.
    • KC3SQI, Wayne:
      • run IC-4730 for split tone and crossband
• KC3WWC, John:
  • Adding another dual-band antenna outside, probably dedicated to APRS. How close can they be or how should they be arranged?
  • WA3KFT, John:
    • 5 vertical antennas: 10, 6, 2m, 220, 440.
      • 2m and 440 are harmonically related, so separated
      • all mounted on a bar.
      • 440 and 2m are separated 7.5 ft, so they don’t interact.
      • 35 ft off the ground.
      • can’t separate them that much on a car.
  • KC3SQI, Wayne:
    • if the antennas are harmonically related, attempt to separate at least 2 wavelengths
    • dual band antennas are
    • DX Engineering has an antenna bar already setup with multiples
  • WA3VEE, Ron
    • Diamond dualband is good. mounted on front.
    • 220 in the middle
    • something else on the far back of the vehicle.

My Week in Radio

• KC3TMZ, Matt:
  • 3d-printing and building antennas is great
• Trying to build a tactical delta loop
  • 4:1 balun
  • 2 17 ft whips
  • 25 ft wire for the top
  • 3d-printed base
  • not great so far
  • will be using the 4:1 with other antennas, like rybakov
• ISS pass with APRS
  • decoded relayed packets from Pittsburgh PA, Smyrna DE, Atlanta GA.
• Bluetooth control of a radio is pretty convenient, big phone screen

Others

• KC3TMZ, Matt:
  • ordered a bunch of ferrites, enameled wire,
  • 3d printing some antennas
• KC3NZT, Harvey:
  • met up with KD3AIS
• KC3RFG, Jim:
  • organizing the shack
• NA3CW, Chuck:
  • PMA AM Net on 75m
    • it’s moving later due to propagation: 5pm
  • working on Joe’s tower project
• KC3OOK, Bill:
  • drywalling the hamshack
  • working on Joe’s tower
    • almost all bolts installed an tightened
    • guided tower with rollers, aligning
• WA3KFT, John:
  • nets: Packrats, DelVa, Weather
  • spoke to David in Texas on 15M
  • Bob on 10M in Virgin Islands
  • nice band openings
• KC3TYX, Vic
  • VE accreditation.
  • helped with first VE session.
    • all computerized
    • worked with WA3VEE
• KC3SQI, Wayne:
  • chasing POTA
    • West coast, 20M
• K3YVQ, Jack:
  • working on go-box for crossband repeater
  • relay from HT on a hike to car with 50 watts
• KD3AIS, Tim:
  • visited KC3NZT
• W3QP, Tim:
  • preparing for some SOTA activations
• WA3VEE, Ron:
  • worked a VE session
  • organizing the shack
  • working on lesson plan for technician review to prep for general
    • short videos / presentations
    • can arrange to do some teaching up here instead of just in delaware
• N3CRE, Charlie:
  • trying to hook a headset to FTM-500
• W3EMF, Jerry:
  • originator of the Workbench Net
  • new 2M rig in vehicle to access 985 more

Questions

• KC3TMZ, Matt:
  • Purchased a new antenna that may want ground radials. What’s the best way to connect temporary radials to an antenna?
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • is removable a requirement?
  • KC3TMZ, Matt:
    • radials can stay, stapled to the ground
    • he wants to remove the vertical element, so dogs don’t tangle leashes
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • terminate all radials to 1 ring terminal and screw that right to a ground rod
    • it’s a 20/15/10M trapped vertical (he sold it to him)
      • doesn’t need guyed
  • KC3TMZ, Matt:
    • liking the idea of a metal pipe into which he can just drop the antenna
  • WA3KFT, John:
    • worked in a AM broadcast
    • drive a pipe into the ground to slip antenna into or onto
  • NA3CW, Chuck:
    • drive a pipe into the ground, flush
    • has a PVC pipe that holds up an inverted-v
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • copper braid with ring terminals, inexpensive on amazon
    • be careful to not short feed with ground in metal pipe socket
• KC3NZT, Harvey:
  • magmonut often comes with a length of coax. is there a magmount wiht an SO-239 so you can do use whatever coax you want?
  • W8CRW, CR:
    • make your own.
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • make your own.
  • KC3SQI, Wayne:
    • there is a bulkhead mount with SO-239 for the antenna that could be added to the magnet
  • K3YVQ, Jack:
    • there’s an empty magnet mount
• KC3WWC, John: I have a talent, how do we avoid doubling during checkin?
  • AF3Z, Jim:
    • don’t worry about it
  • NA3CW, Chuck:
    • silent “this is”. grab carrier, drop it, then give call.
  • KC3SQI, Wayne:
    • some nets use “this is” protocol. that lowers the chance
    • net host resolves it
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • click method, and it doesn’t matter
  • AF3Z, Jim:
    • bigger issue is digital link people and leaving enough space
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • pulse/click method, silent “this is”
    • net control watches for doubles
    • net contral asks for checkins
• K3YVQ, Jack:
  • Can I combine 2 batteries of different capacities in paralllel on a bus to get larger capacity?
  • WA3KFT, John:
    • yes, it’ll work.
    • has a bus with power supply and battery on a bus of banana plugs
    • ok if they’re the same voltage
    • plug the batteries on the ends, and radios in the middle
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • batteries are sometimes limited on max current
    • lithium batteries’ voltage drops very late in discharge
    • a deader battery could be a strong current draw
  • K3YVQ, Jack:
    • they have BCM, so they protect themselves.
    • may look into 12V cigarette lighter to power pole charger.
• N3CRE, Charlie:
  • Having trouble pairing a wireless BT headset with FTM-500.
  • K3YVQ, Jack:
    • check that the bluetooth protocols are compatible
    • maybe a firmware upgrade will fix it

After Party

• KC3NZT, Harvey:
  • when we lack questions, we should present little lectures on testing and equipment.
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • has demonstrated diagnosing feed line problems
  • NA3CW, Chuck:
    • some things can be explained verbally, others more visual
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • a list of resourcse and videos could live on 985 website
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • lots of zoom practice with document camera, etc in his shack
  • KC3WWC, John:
    • I’ll bring my balun around for diagnosis on video
    • I have watched a video on using nano vna to test filters and baluns
    • I like to optimistically use it first, then dig in more if needed
    • I think that keeps me doing stuff that I might otherwise not realize to be possible
    • document my beginner experiences on a blog for my reference and others
  • W3EMF, Jerry:
    • echolink in the mobile
    • calling from Elizabethtown

I caught word that ISS was passing in a moment, so I tuned UV-PRO to 145.825MHz, the APRS digipeater on ISS. I heard packets from Pittsburgh, PA; Smyrna, DE, and Atlanta, GA. I tried to ping out my location a couple times, but it looked unheard according to https://ariss.net/.

The HT app and UV-PRO digipeats APRS packets like a mesh.

My Week in Radio

• I did field day with a group out toward Parkesburg
  • I saw a fancy satellite station for sideband, etc in action
• Attended the lunch on Thursday
• Had Direwolf monitoring a plain ol’ Quansheng to decode packet
• Btech UV-PRO
  • inexpensive
  • APRS location and messaging
  • KISS TNC over BT
  • WoAD on android
  • Winlink
  • Terminal to access BBS on KA3TKW
• Trying to build a tactical delta loop
  • 4:1 balun
  • 2 17 ft whips
  • 25 ft wire for the top
  • 3d-printed base

Others

• K3EA, Greg:
  • QSO parties
  • upcoming contests
  • Solar weather
  • DX
    • Wake Island on 10M
    • Gambia, 10-20m, FT8
      • our sunrise
    • Rowanda, 10-30m, FT8, CW
  • New DXCC programs
  • Cards from bureau
  • Will talk at march lunch about Hamcation in Orlando
• WB3LNY, George:
  • headed to Hamcation in Orlando
• KB9AWS, Bern:
  • New batteries
  • Appreciate the group you have, use the repeater
• VE3HOH, Pete:
  • Working on a combo nvis dipole for 40 meters
    • 20 ft above ground
    • Inverted V
    • Combo it with a vertial for 10M
  • Looking at military antennas for manpack
    • 30MHz-512MHz rubber duck on eBay
  • Looking at some low-power, remote receivers
• K3SWZ, Glenn:
  • Worked 20M helping test a new DX station in Kenya
• KA3TKW, Tom:
  • 145.825MHz ISS packet digipeater
• KB3MIJ, Tray:
  • Repairing some repeater hardware
  • Got a replacement generator for a site
• K3DMM, Denny:
  • Lunch on Thursday
  • HT with Arrow to make ISS contacts and SO-50
  • Try Arrow from inside
• KC3ZBI, Ron:
  • Lunch on Thursday
  • Starting figuring out LoTW
• N3LJP, Bill:
  • Looking for charger for AA, AAA lithium batteries that runs off 120V.
  • KC3BOB, Bob:
    • Hobby King is a good mail-order shop for battery needs
  • KC3WWC, John:
    • I like my EBL chargers off Amazon
    • Inexpensive
• KC3VZU, Bob:
  • Ham lunch, liked the presentation
  • Going to get HF rig up and running

Swap and shop

• WB3LNY, George:
  • Looking for a teletype
• VE3HOH, Pete:
  • Some yagis for weak signal work
  • Drake TR7
  • Kenwood 830
• KA3TKW, Tom:
  • 25W Motorola mobile rigs
  • RadioShack SW receivers
  • Panasonic SW portable
• KB3MIJ, Tray:
  • Jet turbine generator

Watching traffic, I discovered one can ask the REPEAT service on APRS to list repeaters near you.

The HT app presented the firmware update right away upon launching, so now I know it can do the upgrade. The first time I updated the radio, I used the older “BTech Programmer” app.

The update promises some fixes around

• ack in in-built APRS,
• TNC stability

I discovered in the app the setting: Radio -> ID Settings -> 3 Checkboxes (ID, Location, Check) could be turned off to get to “none” to disable post-TX noises, which is “PTT Release” in the radio.

Those settings kept gettign synced from the app to the radio, so now they’re set the way I want it to stay. I could have also disabled “Synchronous Signal Settings” in the app, but the mismatch seems like it would have been confusing.

My Week in Radio

• Really glad to get to field day with 985.
• Customized my AllStar node for better mobile use:
  • DTMF to shutdown
  • DTMF announce IP address
  • Announce ip with the start up macro
• Btech UV-PRO with KISS TNC support
  • It does APRS internally
  • KISS TNC for packet to connect apps on the phone via bluetooth
    • AprsDroid
    • WoAD for Winlink and serial terminal

Others

• W8CRW: field day
• WA3VEE: field day, photographs!
• KC3SCY, Luke:
  • Made 50 contacts on CW, goal was 10
  • Got a nice Drake 4x to help with CW and a new key
• W3FHA, John:
  • Working on a radio crammed with tubes
• W3JAM, Jeff:
  • Heard W3R on 80M CW, but didn’t really operate
  • Pelican case for Bird meter and slugs for it.
  • Checked into Simplex Net and Welfare Net
• KC3HQZ, Jean:
  • Fun on Sunday at 985 field day
• KB3ILS, Keith:
  • Winter Field Day
  • Logging contacts for Joe
  • Heard, “I’ve been waiting for you” from AF3Z under another club call
  • Tried Joe’s Begali straight key
  • Making room for a straight key
• AB3AP, Mike:
  • Bought a QSL card dated from 1949 that belonged to Dick, W3ORU, a recent SK from 985.
• WA3KFT, John:
  • Worked field day a bit
• KC3TYX, Vic:
  • Made a few field day contacts, but not much. He didn’t hear W3R.
• KC3YIG, Dave:
  • Fun at field day
• NA3CW, Chuck:
  • Setup for WFD on Friday
  • Didn’t operate the event
• KD3AIS, Tim:
  • Great time at 985 field day on Saturday
  • Met Harvey, KC3NZT
• KC3OOK, Bill:
  • South control for simplex net: 42 contacts
  • Welfare Net
• W3QP, Tim:
  • Fun at 985 field day
  • Had lots of RFI from electrical lines and other antennas
• N3CRE, Charlie:
  • Visited 985 WFD
• W3MFB, Mike:
  • Saw 985 field day on Sunday
  • Talked to KD3ACF, JT, a bunch
• K3YVQ, Jack:
  • 985 WFD
  • Learned about CW from Keith
• AA3LH, Leon:
  • Fun at field day, made some contacts
  • Looking forward to Summer Field Day
• KD3ACF, JT:
  • Got a cage for 705 and next POTA activation
  • Long chats with W3MFB
  • POTA hunting
  • New AllStar node
• AF3Z, Jim:
  • Operated Cornwall Ranger Station for WFD
  • Indoor station: 2I
  • Jim was their main CW op: 130 QSOs
  • Highlight: Saturday night, 80M, finally found W3R when Keith came to him.

Questions

• KB3ILS, Keith:
  • When operating straight key,
    • Do you rest your forearm on the table?
    • How do you grip the straight key?
    • Operation tips?
  • WA3KFT, John:
    • 3 fingers on the knob, arm on the table, only wrist movement.
  • NA3CW, Chuck, concurs
  • AB3AP, Mike:
    • European style: float the arm
  • AF3Z, Jim:
    • In European style, key is often on the edge of the table.
    • Rests his arm on the table, grip thumb + next 2 fingers
    • Holds the key on his leg when camping
  • KB3ILS, Keith:
    • Luke is the operator he wants to emulate
• KC3YIG, Dave:
  • Electrovoice 719 mic needs a cartridge replacement. Tips, sources of parts, etc?
  • NA3CW, Chuck:
    • No experience changing mic cartridges
    • That mic seems similar to the D104 with a crystal cartridges
    • Specific cartridges can be hard to find
    • Some people seem to replace the cartridge with one from Heil
    • With age, cartridges don’t sound right
• KD3AIS, Tim:
  • Has a Diamond 510HDM antenna, 17ft tall, can the antenna be placed near trees to hide it?
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • You’re sounding good, so no hurry to put that up.
    • Ron’s antenna is next to a bunch of bushes
    • Foliage won’t attenuate much
    • It’s fine
  • WA3KFT, John:
    • Long antennas have nice gain
    • Tie a pipe hitch to the antenna 1/3rd down from the top
    • Hoist it to hang in the tree
  • NA3CW, Chuck: Feb 2018 QST, “Live Trees Affect Antenna Performance”
    • Did simulations with HF
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • His installation is 3-4 feet away from the tree and elevated on army mast
  • AF3Z, Jim:
    • Has a tree in path of beam, and it doesn’t seem to affect anything.
    • Hangs other antennas
  • KC3SQI, Wayne:
    • D300 stuck on a 2-inch piece of PVC attached to the deck railing
    • 10 ft from the ground
    • When he got above the roof, got an extra 2dB into repeater
    • Doesn’t make a lot of difference

The 985 group held their winter field day at Lines Self Storage. They had 5 stations in trailers and tents. They worked some satellites and mostly HF. There was hundreds of feet of coax feed line all over the place.

I aw KC3NZT, Harvey, operating a satellite station with special hardware. Harvey also called CQ on HF. He’s a machine, logging hundreds of QSOs.

I used a headphone splitter to listen to another operator, Bob. I copied some CW, but not a lot. I listened for some digital and found a bit of RTTY, but it was for the BARTG contest, not WFD. I made some SSB contacts on others’ radios that were setup for the weekend.

I hung my rolled slim-jim to call on 146.520MHz and beacon some APRS, but I heard nothing. I could also check winlink email through the N3MEL gateway in Downingtown. I had looked it up ahead of time. In the notes in WoAD, I list the frequency where the gateway listens for packets.

I visited during daytime on both days, but did not stay overnight like some did.