Net

My Week in Radio

• I moved the tape-measure yagi to the top of a 25-foot flagpole in the backyard.
  • 10 W, but not quite doing it.
  • There’s still too much of a hill.
• I upgraded the X6100 baseband, stock firmware, and 3rd-party firmware.
• Some CW
  • barely got 2 CW contacts hunting POTA, but I got into their logs
  • heard AF3Z on 40m out on his trip
  • morsle app to practice copying CW words and call signs
• I redesigned and printed a new antenna winder.
• I heard some AM and some RTTY during contests.
• I cleaned up and organized all the radio stuff from the move instead of contesting.
• I’m going to try for my extra ticket at the next Ham Fest.

Others’ News

• KB3RFG, Jim: all the bands open today in lots of directions
• NA3CW, Chuck: lot’s of AM fun
• AF3Z, Jim
  • spectated some RTTY contesting
  • 10m CW conversations
• WA3VEE, Ron: LMR400 (KMR400) coax is lowest loss practical

Questions

• KN3I, John: How does one make an AM rig sound good? Carrier power, modulation, etc.

Week in Radio

• Last weekend was POTA weekend: 4 setups and 5 activations in 2 days around Michaux State Forest area
• Morsle to practice copying CW
• My first 2 CW contacts hunting POTA
  • 40m
  • X6100
  • 71-foot EFRW
  • 3D-printed Iambic paddles
  • Fell apart pretty quickly, but got into their logs.
• Testing the footprint of the KA3TKW VHF/UHF repeaters to high on a hill. near Wrightsville with my trusty Quansheng at the SPARC picnic
• New house
  • Extending my meshtastic network with a minimal external antenna
  • Strong enough into 21 at 5 watts
  • Flagpole mast with a tape measure yagi to try to get back east to Parkesburg.
• I was up way too late redesigning an antenna winder for the smaller balun I like.
  • I need to get the 3d printer and software going again since the move
• Xiegu x6100 has another dangerous firmware update that I’ll try in the near future.
  • The last firmware stopped all TX, so we’ll see what happens this time.

Other News

• A RTTY contest coming up this weekend
• AO-91: Monday, 10:15pm EDT
• SO-50: 437.795FM
• The 6m 53.21 repeater is up.

My Week in Radio

• Tried some new firmware for X6100, but no good
• Moved Houses
  • installed some antennas
    • 71ft random wire
    • 1/4 wave ground plane
• POTA weekend
  • Michaux State Forest
  • Caledonia State Park
  • King’s Gap Environmental Education Center
  • Pine Grove Furnace
  • Used an EFHW for everything
  • Ran out of battery on Pine Grove Furnace on the second day, so did the whole thing with 1W FT8.
  • Tried calling CQ on CW to see if RBN would pick me up.

Questions

• Charles, KC3SWC: What books about operating do you recommand?
  • Ron, WA3VEE
    • ARRL Operating Guide
    • ARRL: Basic Electronics for Radio
    • Electronics for Hobbyists
  • John, KC3WWC
    • Spend lots of time listening to others
    • Youtube
  • Chuck, NA3CW
    • Lots of people are listening
    • Keep it civil
    • Keep it technical
    • Don’t bore people with aches and pains
    • ARRL Operating Manualy
    • ARRL Handbook
    • ARRL Antenna Book
    • Be helpful
    • Be interesting
• Wayne, KC3SQI: How do you tone squelch for receiving and filtering away QRM from another repeater on the same frequency?
  • Ron, WA3VEE: tone squelch or “split tone”
  • CR, W8CRW: T-SQL = tone squelch
  • Chuck, NA3CW: would be useful when the band opened and a distant DMR is overtaking 985.
• Ron, WA3VEE: Yaesu HTs can only do one of the other, not both.

My Week in Radio

• The photos looked great from Bill’s, KC3OOK, antenna party
• https://ft8.live/ for a more responsive visualization of pskreporter data.
• POTA at Susquehannock
  • No digital, only sideband
  • QSO parties for Hawaii, Kansas, and Ohio
  • Bothered someone with a bit of CW badly
• Morse Machine app on Android for practicing
• I finally confirmed 50 states on QRZ.com with Hawaii
  • generally 5-10W
  • mostly digital, some sideband
• I started playing with a couple Meshtastic nodes
  • Impressive range for low power, ~125mW

Questions

• W8CRW, CR: Is there any device that would log a date-time every time you key your VHF/UHF transmitter?
  • W3DIB: string together an arduino, some AI, and voice recognition
  • WA3VEE: pull it from broadcastify
  • K3VIL: newer ICOM has a recording feature
  • NA3CW: security system that can log contacts opening/closing
  • W8CRW: looking for something radio agnostic
• KC3OOK, Bill: Balanced-L vs T-Match network tuner for open wire feed. Is one better than the other?
  • Balanced L = L-C-L and it’s fed on the low-impedance side.
  • T-Match has a wider range, but maybe less efficient.

My Week in Radio

• I Wish I had paid attention to the contest calendar for WW digital contest.
• I’m awaiting a confirmation on QRZ for my last of 50 states: Hawaii.
• Lots of new open updates for the Xiegu X6100.
• Started compiling firmware for Quansheng.
• Playing with a couple heltec v3 meshtastic nodes
  • marveling at the range, better than APRS?
• I did my first POTA activation by only voice, no digital.
  • lots of qso parties
  • heard Hawaii really easily
  • Wasted someone’s time trying CW

My Week in Radio

• Iambic Keying
  • Tap, instead of squeeze, since I’m having trouble releasing the paddles in time.
  • Squeeze Keying at Ham Radio QRP
• I started patching and compiling my own firmware for my Quansheng radios
  • building and flashing works
  • my minor change had no effect
• New R1CBU 0.22.0 firmware for x6100
  • whole firmware is like a new radio
  • minor fixes and conveniences
    • peak marger on S-meter
    • nicer scrolling on waterfall
• POTA by the Susquehanna River in Marietta
  • I heard some lighthouse events
  • I spoke to someone on a nuclear ship in Baltimore
  • I ran into a fellow ham and ex-professor from 25 years ago, Paul Ross, W3FIS.
  • It’s so quiet away from my normal desk of computers, I thought noise reduction was stuck ON
• 10m looking pretty open today to California
• I’ve been keeping the blog up-to-date, and I use this net to document my week.

Topics

• Jeff, W3JAM, is having trouble with an MFJ antenna analyzer that’s not being reliable compared to his other analyzers.
• Bill, KC3OOK, is preparing for the weekend’s antenna party.
• Jim, AF3Z, participated in the QRP Skeeter Hunt with his Penntech, 68ft of wire, and a tuner. 5W on 40M got him 25 CW contacts.
• Luke, KC3SCY, is building a transmitter from 1929.
• Tim, W3QP, is planning some hiking and SOTA in Virginia.
• Harvey, KC3NZT, was in PEI (I think) doing a little HF and listing to ship traffic.
• Question from Jeff, W3JAM: What is Supermon and how does one get started?
  • It’s a web-based interfacet to an Allstar node.
  • ClearNode app runs on Android.
• Question from Harvey, KC3NZT: In 120V wiring, does a voltage between 0V and 120V mean a broken or loose ground or common?
  • KC3RFG: Yes! The AC world is different from the DC world.

My Week in Radio

• Watching APRS
  • trying different radios/antennas w/ aprsdroid
  • slim-jim working better with any radio
  • watching logs and better-understanding the structure of the packets
• N3TWT repeater (South Mountain) looks good for “off grid” communication when camping in Cumberland county
  • heard lots of volunteer event activity
  • also heard N3FYI & N3KZ
• moving in September, so scheming new antennas
• maybe noticing a bug on AUBS firmware on Quansheng. I have copy of code to read and see about a fix.
• I tried another firmware, but missing the killer feature: scan on start

Notes from Others

• Everyone went to Kimberton Hamfest
• AF3Z, Jim: wait 30 years, and that shiny new radio will be affordable.

Questions

• W3JAM, Jeff:
  • using a generator, how important is ground?
    • KC3RFG, Jim:
      • already grounded if connected to home.
      • job site may require a ground rod, but doesn’t do much.
      • for field day, generator is the only “reference”, so no need for ground
      • modern generators have GFI built-in.
    • NA3CW, Chuck:
      • don’t let generator run down and stop under load, because it’ll degauss the residual magnetism
  • Heathkit SB102 w/ 6146B tubes. It wouldn’t tune up. is there concern with using 6146W tubes?
    • NA3CW, Chuck: 6146W is the ruggedized version. it should work. neutralize, and you’re good to go.
    • AF3Z, Jim: be sure to check the tubes with a tube-tester
• AF3Z, Jim:
  • cable management while being able to access and change. beat the rats’ nest. Are there good systems for cable management?
    • WA3VEE, Ron:
      • best if you can walk behind the desk
      • everything slides on felt feet, so must have some slack loosely coiled.
    • NA3CW, Chuck:
      • desk 90 degrees to the wall for easy access to the back.
      • garden velcro: can be snipped to any length you need.
    • KC3JAM, Jeff:
      • military systems require being able to get behind things.
• KC3OOK, Bill:
  • Has anyone used DragonOS / Linux?
    • NA3CW, Chuck: Mint, but not Dragon OS.

My Week in Radio

• Mobile APRS is proving to be really short-range
  • Couldn’t even spot myself outside at Sam Lewis up on the hill
  • Cycled with it, but no traffic
  • Needs a real antenna
• Some POTA
  • Sam Lewis, US-1418
    • found the leading park activator, kn3a, in my spot. :)
    • storms rolling in, so called it quits
    • watched 20m slam shut: decoding 30 signals to 4
  • Susquehanna River, US-4567
    • Columbia Riverfront Park that’s open after sunset
    • spanned into the next day…again, so had an incomplete and a complete activation.
• Got an FT8 contact to Israel with 5W from home: first Asia for me.
• Weekly RTTY Test and FT4 sprint
• Ham radio software may not be the most efficient
  • fldigi left running but disconnected from radio ran CPU at 95C doing nothing.
  • GridTracker likes to burn cpu too when left running.
• AB3AP, Mike, on EZ-Hang slingshot: I’ve given up the slingshot and just swing my throw line by hand.
• KB3ILS, Keith: there are scripts online for 3d-modeling any size knob you need.

Questions

• W3JAM, Jeff:
  • Does anyone have experience using Drake TR4CW on AM?
  • Can you add a noise blanker to this radio?
    • Noise blanker would alleviate pulsing noise from electric fence.
    • Jeff will be getting the entire manual library on CD, which will have information.
• KC3OOK, Bill:
  • How do you connect a NanoVNA to an open wire feed line?
  • WA3VEE: Would you need a balun to start getting close to impedance to match the expected 50 ohm?
  • W3JAM: Doesn’t matter so much where it’s tuned, since you use it with a tuner anyway.
  • NA3CW:
    • You don’t want it to be resonant anyway, because being resonant will give you the largest extremes to tune when trying to move to other bands.
    • NanoVNA may be limited on the impedance it can read.
    • Dipole should be at least as long as half wave + a little
    • He extended a wire to get it to tune where it wouldn’t.
• WA3VEE, Ron:
  • SOCO connectors carry 208V. When rewiring those connectors, what’s a good caulk-like sealant that could be used for “potting” the inside of the plugs?
    • Plain bathroom caulk can be conductive.
    • Silicon may breakdown at lower voltage than needed too.

My Week in Radio

• During last workbench, I used the TYT HT in crossband for the whole net. It gets hot but works.
• I found a bug in the Aubs firmware on my Quansheng radios. It skipped lots of my repeaters for a day.
• Trying the TIDRadio TD-H8 tonight on M/5W power with the good old tape measure Yagi. It’s sounding really nice here.
• On linux, I found cwcp for CW training. I run it at 20wpm with a very slow 20-dot gap.
• I’ve been trying APRS with QRZ-1, an 8-year-old Nexus phone, and a btech APRS cable.
• POTA in York:
  • I had a terrible time throwing into trees that were too high.
  • Resorted to an inverted-V EFHW, 2ft-10ft off the ground with telescoping fishing pole.

Questions

• KB3ILS, Keith
  • How does a hack learn to read basic schematics: conventional or electron current flow?
  • Tips for reading schematics?
  • Chuck, NA3CW
    • Except when dealing with tubes, work in conventional current.
    • Diode and transistor arrows show positive to negative (conventional) flow.
    • Inside tubes the electron flow is shown negative to positive.
    • Reading schematics:
      • Look up different circuit functions
        • Amplifier
        • Audio oscillator
        • etc
      • recognize those groupings as a “block diagram”.
      • learn to read like a block of functions
      • trace with your finger
  • WA3VEE, Ron
    • Think of circuit groups as mechanical operations.
• KC3YIG, Dave
  • Recommendations for distributing power to multiple radios?
  • Astron powering 2 kenwoods: 25w and 65w, 2m and HF base stations.
  • W3QP, Tim
    • Ham Radio Workbench has a nice power distribution block as a kit:
      • 1 anderson power polse for input
      • 5 anderson power poles for output
  • WA3VEE, Ron
    • PowerWorx gear for power poles
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • Anderson power pole has become standard in ham radio.
• KC3NZT, Harvey
  • Operating internationally, in Canada, do we just add “/ve3” to call?
  • W3QP, Tim
    • That’s right for Canada, as long as you’re there temporarily, up to 180 days or so.

Upcoming Hamfest

Reading Radio Club will host their hamfest in Sinking Springs.

My Week in Radio

• Great to see everyone at the breakfast, especially Luke’s loose couplers.
• POTA after the breakfast at Marsh Creek with Vic, KC3TYX
  • 20m was the place to be, but 2 of us operating, so we had to take shifts with our own radios.
• Prime Day Shopping
  • microcord
  • TYT HT for 10w crossband repeater
    • I’m using it now as the repeater
    • Less tethered to the outside antenna
    • Top of the radio/sma is 50C after repeating for an hour on power
  • TinySA
  • Raspberry Pi Zero W kits
• APRSDroid: phone & radio
  • email gateway
  • POTA spotting

Notes from Others

• solarham.com
• Reading Ham Fest coming up
• VE session at Stateline Radio Club

Questions

• KC3WWC: What’s cool about APRS?
  • APRS weather station
  • PWS monitor app to find weather stations near me
  • Other gateway frequencies?
  • Check with CCAR/ARES/RACES nets for their uses.
• KC3WWC: In Galenium detector, how does one know when the cat whisker is right?
  • Joe, W3GMS
    • put on headphones
    • move spring arm with stiff wire (cat whisker)
    • touch it to the galenium
    • move around to find the hot spot where it’s louder
    • germanium diode conducts at very low voltages, so easy
    • loose couplers don’t work so well in a crystal set, since it’s lossy
    • spark era - 1913
    • before galenium, there was a tube with metal filings, a “coherer”.
      • activate a buzzer
      • tap that would fall and reset the coherer
    • after galenium, then audion tube
    • imperative to have a very big antenna to capture as much signal as possible.
    • drive diode into forward current
    • Heathkit made a collectible kit
      • tightly coupled
      • voltage increase in the second coil
      • higher Q, so could be made more selective
    • Luke, KC3SCY, counted 20 different stations one night
  • Chuck, NA3CW
    • fox-hole radio: rusty razor blade, lead pencil, coil, safety pin, oatmeal box, wire
    • galena: ore of lead sulfide
    • immerse the galena in base of lead solder
    • grope around quietly to find magic spot where it works best
    • same thing with foxhole radio
    • uses oxide for detecting, not stainless
    • galena has 0.4V drop, like germanium diode
  • Ron, WA3VEE
    • has a marconi cat whiskey receiver
    • 0.4V can be converted to dBm, and it’s a pretty large signal required
    • predates any amplification
• WA3VEE: What is the most important measure of solar activity we need to consider?
  • most profound affect on propagation?
  • KC3RFP: a-index (9 or lower) k-index (5 or lower)
  • Tamitha Skov website and youtube