Net

My Week in Radio

• R1CBU 0.26.0 firmware for my X6100
  • I continue to maintain a fork of the code that modifies the database to show boundaries of US privileges and recommended usage.

Questions

• W3MFB, Mike: increased tower height, switched to 60ft of new coax. 35W 1.9:1 SWR, so worse than it was before. UHF is bad too. Checked it with NanoVNA. Seeing 1.3:1 SWR. Trying an analog SWR meter. Using Yaesu 991A. Showing 2:1 SWR. SWR goes up with different power.
  • NA3CW, Chuck: Test the tester. SWR shouldn’t change with power. Could be something heating.
  • W3QP, Tim: He does see different SWR at higher power due to reflections from his car. Shorter coax is better, but stay away from quarter wavelengths.
  • W3JAM, Jeff: Test the tester. Hearing him fine on the input, so it’s good.
  • AF3Z, Jim: RF, common mode current, into the meter can cause erratic behavior.
  • NA3CW, Chuck: RF on outside of the feed line is sometimes hard to avoid, and can cause reading issues. Grabbing line at different places will cause readings to change.
  • W3QP, Tim: Some antennas recommend at least a turn of cable at the antenna to choke.
  • KC3OOK, Bill: 1.2 to 1.3 is a 0.9% loss.
  • W8CRW, CR: is that antenna tune-able.
  • W3MFB, Mike: may try ferrite beads at a height he can reach.
• W3MOW, Mike: Looking at Electric Vehicles. Who knows a reputable electrician to run power? Drop him the email you find on QRZ.
• KC3TMZ, Matt: Getting noise with random wire on G90. 71ft 9:1 wire. How does one run the counterpoise?
  • KC3MFB, Mike: 17 ft, opposite direction, if at all.
  • KC3RFG, Jim:
    • try different places.
    • choke at the radio, especially if you don’t
    • run a counterpoise
  • W3QP, Tim:
    • There is always a counterpoise, so provide one so you can control it.
    • Number of turns or number of beads will be effective at different frequencies.
  • NA3CW, Chuck: There’s an article on 985 website.
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • The further from a balanced antenna, the more it’ll force a counterpoise, and that means your coax, so changes around your antenna (body) can change things as well.
    • Run the counterpoise opposite a sloper or flat topper,
    • you can get some gain in the direction of the counterpoise.
  • KC3TMZ, Matt: Propagation to light/dark places?
  • W3MFB, Mike: wire runs NE-SW, and it doesn’t matter for direction too much.
  • KC3NZT, Harvey: Do you hear them? How do you know you’re not getting to them?
    • Can hear them, but they don’t hear him. Did manage Belarus once.
    • Do they have other stations calling them? Is it a pile-up?
    • He’s getting beat for only 20W.
    • Don’t get discouraged. It takes some technique.
  • W3MFB, Mike: Don’t worry about 20W. Don’t call QRP.
  • W3QP, Tim: Operates a lot of 10W. Propagation depends on radiation pattern. EFRW can have weird patterns with spiky lobes.
  • KC3TMZ, Matt: lots to learn, will take a recording from Ron.
• KC3WWC: Headed to Hawaii for a couple weeks and taking radios for all bands. What should I expect/try while traveling?
  • W3QP, Tim:
    • SOTA from volcanos!
    • salt water will give a great boost for DX.
    • lots of asia
• WA3VEE, Ron: the virtues of broadcastify

My Week in Radio

• I received a couple images from ISS, but it ended quicker than I realized.
• JARTS RTTY contest coming this weekend
• I did a little CW for POTA.
• Trying to reach a little further over a hill and to the East
  • building a yagi on a flag pole from a calculator using ARRL spacing
  • 50W TYT radio
• This Week in Ham Radio Podcast Ham Radio History:
  • 1916, amateurs exploring propagation
  • 1917 first, faster trans-continental relays with ARRL

Others

• K3EA
  • Upcoming ARRL Sweepstakes for CW
  • Munsters had a Ham Radio episode
• KA3TKW
  • W3UU Harrisburg Ham Fest this Saturday
  • ARRIS mission on 24 Oct, 11:15AM, 145.800MHz
  • Tri-repeater is up: 224.210 PL 123.0, 449.925, 53.21
• KK4KKW
  • Sudden SWR reading on 40M antenna

My week in Radio

• I saw aurora for the first time, and I got some nice photos.
• I visited K3IR tower sight in Mount Joy during PA QSO party
  • I listened to people contesting, but didn’t participate.
• TYT TH-9800: 50W into the tape measure yagi, tried it on the roundtable, still have work to do
• I threw my main 71-foot EFRW higher into another tree.
• I watched my flagpole and yagi in the wind
  • walked it down while I had a kid here to help
  • scoping a new location for it as a tilt-up attached to the house
  • collecting pieces for some experiments in engineering

Questions

• W8CRW, CR:
  • National Electronics Museum is hosting a class for general license.
  • How far from the mast should a vertical yagi antenna be installed?
  • Can it be installed 45-degrees to be used for both horizontal and vertical?
    • WA3VEE, Ron: some have had success at 45 degrees for satellites.
    • KC3SQI, Wayne: 45-degree will lose you 1.5dB
• WA3VEE, Ron: what is the ideal thickness for a bus-bar to which you’re mounting a lightning arrester.
  • KC3RFG, Jim:
    • 1/4-inch minimum. thicker won’t hurt anything.
    • mechanically strong (bolted) instead of soldered
    • woven ground strap is best, but 6AWG stranded is good.
  • NA3CW, Chuck:
    • avoid inductance, so use strap or bar, not wire
    • no right angles, no coils, no spirals
• KC3RFG, Jim: Hearing ignition noise on HF on battery or on truck power. How best can one eliminate that noise?
  • KC3SQI, Wayne: Remove the mast from the coax and see if you still have the noise. If it’s still there, then it’s coming from power cables. Try a better ground directly to the battery. On vehicles that rust, bolts don’t ground so well after a while, so then you get lots of grounds connecting back through the antenna.
  • KC3KZB, Aaron: go for a short ground, and keep ground wire away from ignition wires
• KC3SQI, Wayne: What’s the mechanical strength for 1.5-inch conduit?
  • WA3VEE, Ron: See Ugly’s Electrical Reference.
  • KC3RFG, Jim: that’s right.
• KC3WWC. John: I like that I can build my transformers and cut, measure, and test wire antennas, Is it practical to build, iterate, expand a homebrew yagi?
  • NA3CW, Chuck:
    • blatant plagarism: they’ve been around for a long time.
    • modeling programs, manuals, existing antennas.
    • different goals: gain, bandwidth, front-to-back ratio examples in the antenna book
    • software
    • moxon antenna: 2 element yagi with bent ends, massive front-to-back ratio
      • great for direction-finding: forward to get in the neighborhood, then reverse to find the null where it disappears
      • not much gain though
• W8CRW, CR: Is there a program for windows to map out a computer network?
  • W3DIB, Greg:
    • there are lots of tools to probe and fingerprint machines to try to disclose the host OS.
    • also ping, angryping, etc.

My Week in Radio

• I saw some antennas at the Ham Fest, but I couldn’t bring myself to buy any. I’ll build.
• I passed extra at the Ham Fest
  • I guess enough workbench discussion sunk into my brain.
  • Found I can download and search a copy of the entire ULS database like some of those other helpful websites that show available callsigns.
• POTA along the Susquehanna River.
  • Normal FT8 to get to 10 contacts.
  • 1 CW contact, and it wasn’t painful.
  • I tested out my newest printed EFHW antenna winder.
• Running and comparing Meshtastic and APRS more
  • Why use it?

Other News

• WA3VEE, Ron, PA QSO Party this weekend.
• KC3SCY, Luke, switched his loose couple radio from diode to cat whisker.
• KC3ZSJ, Gary, is playing with new antennas.
• W3FES, Fred, has a new FT-60R
• AF3Z, Jim, is headed to Cornwall Ranger Station for PA QSO Party

Questions

• KC3SZO, Chris: How can I overcome some terrain in the way of my RF?
  • WA3VEE, Ron: Antenna in the attic
  • NA3CW, Chuck: VHF isn’t exactly line-of-sight, so there is hope.
  • KC3WWC, John: Lower YAGI inside had advantages over a higher outside ground plane quarter wave.
• AA3LH, Leon: Let’s confirm repeater settings for this old radio and new antenna going in the car.
• KC3WWC, John:
  • I could change my callsign now.
  • I’ve only used this one for a year, so not super-attached.
  • For contesting, I see the benefit of a shorter call, so I might ultimately consider phonetic and morse weight.
  • How did you choose your vanity call? What strategies should I consider?
  • NA3CW, Chuck: initials.
  • W8CRW, CR: initials.
  • AA3LH, Leon: initials, and wanted an “A” call.
  • AF3Z, Jim: assigned by FCC. Consider how it sounds in CW.
  • WA3VEE, Ron: assigned, and sounds cool.
    • He also has K3DTS for the campus location of his old club.
    • quick and simple for CW
    • 1-by-1 is for special events.
    • easy to understand, so stay clear of confusing letters; V, C, Z, etc.
    • sound in sideband: normal or phonetic.
  • KC3OOK, Bill: assigned.
    • catching phonetic for DX
    • NA3NA was catchy.
    • KC3QQD is funny: Quack Quack Duck
  • Callsign ideas:
    • KD3FN
    • KB3VI
    • KC3VI
    • AA3WW
    • AA3KK

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.