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Volume No. 32 Issue Number 4 Fall, 2001

ECARS Service - 7255 KHz - for Public Health, Safety, and Welfare

In This Issue How Do You Like Yours? Participating in ECARS You Be the Judge K3FEC, SK W1TAT, SK 40-Meter Broadside, Array Secretary / Treasure’s Report ECARS Get Together Official ECARS Ballot Mini HT 50 Watt Adapter

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The official publication of the East Coast Amateur Radio Service, Inc.

MONITOR THE

ECARS Web Page: http://www.qsl.net/ecars/

Participating in ECARS by Al Prindle, KA3UNB, Ridley Park, PA, ECARS Net Manager

As with any volunteer organization (I have been in-volved with a few over the years), it always seems that the brunt of the work gets done by a handful of people. The East Coast Amateur Radio Service is no exception. By the time that you read this article, the nominations for officers will have closed, and in this issue of the Monitor you get to vote for officers of ECARS. We have been trying to get people to run for office this year, and as in past years, it is like pulling teeth. I want to urge all of you to read this issue of the Monitor and please VOTE. Let me repeat that. PLEASE VOTE. Take the time to fill out your ballots and vote for the candidates of your choice. Also vote on the proposed amendments that are on the ballot. It only takes a few minutes to fill out the ballot and put it in the mail. We have about 560 members at this time and out of that number only about 80 voted last year.

(Continued on page 3)

How Do You Like Yours? How About 6 db straight UP?

by David Jordan WA3GIN, Alexandria. VA This Labor Day weekend I had a chance to construct a

Near Vertical Incidence Sky wave (NVIS) antenna. I read about this antenna several years ago and I’ve wanted to try out the concept ever since. Basically, the NVIS is an an-tenna design that focuses most of the radiation straight up (90 degrees). If you aren’t familiar with the concept it was very popular in the 50s in applications where local commu-nications was of primary interest, such as ship to shore, etc. So, now you know why the U.S. Coast Guard installations had those low to earth dipoles. It wasn’t for lack of funding for big towers. Those antennas were intentionally low to the ground to improve communications paths in the vicinity of the station. This style antenna continues to be used in many countries where the more typical broadcasting antenna de-signs fall short due to jungle and terrain anomalies. So, what’s this got to do with ECARS operations or low band Amateur Radio transmissions?

I enjoy listening and operating mobile and working mobiles. I recently took a look at some of my old logs books for 40-meters and noted that most of the stations I contact regularly on 40-meters are within a range of about 500 miles or less. This 500-mile range is just within the out-side of the optimal coverage area for the NVIS antenna for 40-meters.

The past few years I’ve been using a pair of phased 1/2 wave dipoles on 40m at an elevation of 55 feet (also known as an 80-meters dipole feed with open wire line). The an-tenna works well. Perhaps too well, as I’m able to work mobiles in Florida, Kentucky, Iowa, and Canada, etc. I wanted to see if the NVIS would provide me with an im-proved signal (on receive and transmit) for the closer in sta-tions like PA, NJ, VA, DE, NY, NC, WV, RI, etc.

The design is fairly simple: two full wave dipoles feed (Continued on page 2)

This issue of the Monitor is dedicated to the brave Americans who are defending our country against terrorism.

Volume No. 32 Issue Number 4 Fall, 2001

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Edited from the ARRL Vol. 5 Antenna Compendium

(NVIS continued from page 1) in-phase with open wire line. The dipoles are spaced .50 to .65 wave length apart or about 70-90 feet apart (for 40-meters). The height of the antennas is relatively low. The height on 40-meters should be greater than 1/8 wave (17.5 feet) but less than 1/4 wave (35 feet) above ground. If you aren’t sure about your earth conductivity choose the lower value (1/8 wave above earth).

This antenna is very forgiving. I made the feed-line and the antenna from vinyl coated 10-gauge wire. I used five and one-half inch spacing for the open wire line which gives me about 600 ohm impedance for the feed-line, but you could use store bought open wire line as well. The 10-gauge wire gets pretty heavy. Unless you are looking for exercise while building this antenna I’d advise using a small gauge wire such as #12 or #14.

At the center of the phasing line, connect a primary feed-line (see diagram). Unlike the W8JK antenna that

feeds the ½ dipoles out of phase there is no twist in the phasing line to the two dipoles of the NVIS antenna. They are fed in-phase. The primary feed-line can be any length. I mounted an old homebrew tuner on the ground just below where the primary feed-line drops down from the phasing-lines and then ran RG-213U (52 ohm coax) back to the op-erating position.

This antenna is a pure dream to tune. I used the ARRL Ultimate Transmatch circuit design for my tuner and it had absolutely no problem matching the complex impedance of the NVIS feed system. I matched the antenna for the center of the 40-meter band and the SWR is below 2:1 over 200 KHz (no need to go out and adjust the matching network when moving frequencies.

Having an MFJ 259B antenna analyzer also makes set-ting the matching painless. Just set the 259B to the middle of the band and adjust the tuner for 1:1 SWR with 52 ohm resistance and zero reactance.

The full wave dipoles are center feed with the phasing

line. The wire length off the center insulator of the dipoles measures 70 feet each. So, you are going to be cutting four wires, each about 72 feet long. The extra length of wire will be used to thread through insulators and any excess can be trimmed off. Longer is better if you have to make an error it’s easier to clip-off some wire than to have to solder on an eight inch piece. :-)

The end-to-end length of each dipole is 140 feet. It helps to have trees to support this beast of an antenna, espe-cially on 40-meters, but one could use 16-foot tower sec-tions or other support masts.

The on-air tests of the antenna were very satisfying. The NVIS outperformed the 80-meter dipole consistently on near stations. At night a mobile in Florida gave me S9 +10 on the 80-meter dipole and S5 (in the noise) with the NVIS. While in Pittsburgh, PA, the NVIS antenna was 10 db stronger than the 80-meter dipole. The 80m dipole has some high angle lobes intermixed with some lower angle radia-tion lobes so it covers far and near pretty well, but the NVIS antenna is clearly focused on high angle radiation and it out-performs the dipole on the close-in stations almost 90 per-cent of the time, so far, especially when the stations are within 50-250 miles. (see illustration below)

So, I’ll keep the NVIS if the XYL approves. One has to have an appreciation for drooping wires to enjoy looking at this NVIS antenna. :-)

There is still more one can do to increase the perform-ance of this antenna system and that is to install parasitic reflectors under the NVIS array. The reflectors will be 5 percent longer then the driven elements or 73 ½ feet each, not connected in the center. Unlike rotary beam reflectors, these parasitic ground mounted wires must be kept as inde-pendent half-wave dipoles.

I’m not sure how much gain these additional four ele-ments will provide but when we find out we’ll let you know. I’m guessing around 3 db.

It’s truly amazing what a few wires can do for a signal. Linears and compressors can only do so much, but antennas can produce more db per dollar invested than any other ele-ment of the ham shack.

Have fun trying this one out – but be sure to pick a cool weekend to construct it and as always stay-away from power lines and use good common sense during construc-tion, etc.

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Volume No. 32 Issue Number 4 Fall, 2001

You Be the Judge by Alan Carney W4CRA, Corryton, TN

Being a ham has one disadvantage for me. It seems that I have this passion for buying old radios. There is so much radio equipment in the den that before long, moving to another room may be only a temporary solution. My only save-the-den quest is not to buy any more radios at all. With only a pathway to walk from the door to my desk, it’s similar to a trip through the scrap yard, looking for old used car parts. Surely someone reading this article will remember looking from one side of an isle to the other.

I hope it never comes to pass that my wife and I end up living in a tent in the yard, because the radios are packed solidly in the house.

(Participating in ECARS continued from page 1) On another note we are in the need of net control

stations that can help out during the day, whether it is dur-ing the week or on the weekends. As Net Manager, I am always looking for members who can help by acting as a Net Control Stations. This is not something that is hard to do. Anytime that you can jump in and help out, even if it is only for fifteen minutes, would be great. The East Coast Amateur Radio Service is a great organization but unfortu-nately is being held together by a handful of officers, net control stations and those in the background like Mike, N1VE who puts this Monitor together. The only thing I ask of net control stations is that they try to follow the guidelines outlined in the Operators Manual and most im-portantly treat people the way they would like to be treated. Other than that, have fun! As I sit here writing this, I am listening to Bob, KO1C running the service. Let me tell you, Bob is having fun!

The Executive Committee has made it official that only ECARS members can act as net control stations. This policy change has worked out great and was passed unani-mously. As soon as I have some time, I will amend the Operations Manual to reflect this change.

Enough of badgering people to get involved. In clos-ing I'll leave you to ponder something that was published in the monthly newsletter sent out from a Yacht Club I belong to.

Are you an active member, a kind that would be missed or are you just contented to have your name on the list? Do you attend the meetings and mingle with the flock, or do you meet in private and criticize the flock? Do you take an active part to help the work along, or are you satisfied to be the kind to just belong? Do you work on committees; to this there is no trick, or leave the work to just a few, and talk about the clique? Come to the meetings often and help with hand and heart, don’t just be a member, but take an active part. Think this over folks, as you know what is right and wrong!

Cy Fellerman K3FEC, SK by Dave Jordan, WA3GIN Alexandria, VA

By now most ECARS members are aware that one of the early founders of ECARS, Cy K3FEC has died. Cy was an old friend of mine and a “Super” supporter of ECARS over the years. Thinking of him these past weeks, I decided to go back and look at some of my logbooks to see and re-flect on just how many of our old friends are no longer with us. There seems to be so many of the guys that I sort of grew up with in ham radio who are now silent keys. Many of them weren’t members of ECARS, but were active par-

ticipants on the 7.255 Mhz frequency. Times are changing for sure…the old friends seem to be leaving faster then the new friends arrive.

I found an entry in my 1973 logbook for Cy. He was operating 40-meter mobile, heading down to Richmond to visit his son. Back then his mobile station consisted of a “Hot Water 22” or Heath Kit HW22. That was a single-band or mono-bander that ran a pair of 6146s, I believe. It was a monster of a radio by comparison to today’s stan-dards. A real, glow-in-the-dark rig that brought true excite-

(Continued on page 4)

Volume No. 32 Issue Number 4 Fall, 2001

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ECARS Swap and Shop Net Don’t forget to tune to 7.255 MHz on Wednesday

mornings from 9:00-10:00 for the ECARS Swap and Shop Net.

Tom Nutting W1TAT, SK Dave Jordan WA3GIN sent this touching letter to

Tom’s wife, shortly after Tom passed away. Marilyn, I want to send you my thoughts, as I cannot be with

you to personally share them, during these trying times. Your personal loss is shared by hundreds and hundreds

of amateur radio operators from Canada to Florida and as far west as Oklahoma. As I write to you this evening, I know Tom’s memory is in all our hearts.

Several years ago the “Night Hawks”, an evening short-wave amateur radio network was born and it wasn’t long after, that the net found it’s true voice. The voice of course was that of W1TAT. Evening after evening, as reli-able as sunrise, Tom’s voice would call out into the ether for stations all around the country to hear and to be wel-comed.

Tom was no doubt the most well mannered and polite radio operator I’ve ever come to know in my forty years of short wave listening and amateur radio operation. No mat-ter what the conditions of the airwaves, Tom’s voice would ply its way through the static, broadcast interference, QRM, and solar flare fades. He made the Night Hawks the premier evening net...a bit of short wave history in the 21st century.

Many times during the summer months while making my 100 mile commute from my farm back to the city, Tom would be there running the net, keeping me company on the lonely night-time drive home.

Tom would pay special attention to those of us who had ham radios in our vehicles, keeping an ear open for us as we traveled up and down the coast on the highways and byways that criss-cross our country. His signal was always strong and clear. It was remarkable and memorable. One could always count on Tom to be there…loud and clear!

I never had the pleasure to meet Tom in person but I know he was a good man. He was the kind of man that makes a person want to become a better person.

Tom was a gift to all of us Marilyn...and I know I speak for all the Night Hawks when I say, thanks so much for sharing him with us during so many evenings over these past few years!

God Bless

(Continued from page 3) ment to the inside of a car or truck. The tubes in the HW22 put out enough heat to take the chill of your feet on a cool spring evening. That radio eventually found a home in one of my cars and served me well for several years. I had been using a Motorola MOTRAC for 2-meter mobile, but HF sounded like a lot more fun and I wanted to give it a try. Cy gave me an excellent deal on the rig.

I originally met Cy several years earlier, when I helped him install his first 40-meter loop. That was before ECARS was even a concept. He was running a net called the “Guardian Angel Service Net”. This net met once a week on Sunday mornings and it was a traffic net. It would run phone patches for the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard picket ships that cruised the Atlantic Ocean, guarding against en-emy submarines, etc. (remember this was before spy satel-lites). Sometimes the net would run all day, with members handling phone patches for Coast Guard crewmembers. It was a great net and the guys who checked in from up and down the coast were super people, who were dedicated to public service.

My first linear amplifier was a gift from one of the GAS net members. It was Bill K3QPM, another supporter of ECARS, who gave me an RF deck built around a pair of RCA 813s. The agreement was that I had to build the power supply for the amp and then use it to run the GAS net on Sundays. That was perhaps the best deal I ever made in ham radio! I learned about RF decks, traffic handling, and I met some great amateur radio operators. An experience where acquaintances became lifelong friends. Years later I became the president of that traffic net. However, it wasn’t long before technology eliminated the need for the picket ships and our phone patch customers evaporated, so the net was disbanded. Shortly thereafter, nets like ECARS and MidCARS arrived on the 40-meter scene.

The band conditions back then on 40-meters were spectacular during the day and night. I’ve seen nothing like it since. HQ-170As and HT-37s were cherished radios and only Collins S-lines could boast superior performance. The fact that the band conditions were so good meant that there really wasn’t a need for DSP and all the fancy stuff the equipment manufacturers throw at us these days.

Today both Bill and Cy are no longer with us, but the memories of past good times and lessons learned will be our gift of their friendship for as long as we’re around.

Imagine someone selling a rig for a great low price, rather than the highest EBAY price possible. Or better yet, giving some useful equipment to a new ham. That doesn’t sound much like our current radio hobby does it?

Perhaps the age of radio has passed with the abun-dance of new technology at every turn, but there is nothing obsolete about ethics, good manners, generosity, and good will…something our old radio buddies in the GAS net and early founders of ECARS understood very well!

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Volume No. 32 Issue Number 4 Fall, 2001

ECARS Web Page http://www.qsl.net/ecars/

40–Meter Broadside / NVIS Array Near Vertical Incident Skywave Antenna

By Vaughn “Willy” Worth, K3VW

This page is a corrected version of the 40-meter NVIS array published in the previous issue of the Monitor. editor

The NVIS is a three-element yagi, pointing straight up, with two directors concentrating the RF energy north and south. This antenna is good for net control stations located halfway between Maine and Florida. It is a dipole with a reflector 17 feet off the ground and a director above.

A 3-element yagi, pointed straight up with two directors on either side of the driven element for the broadside radiation.

At the 41 foot level, put two director wires paral-lel with the driven element and spaced thirty feet from it.

Volume No. 32 Issue Number 4 Fall, 2001

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Treasurer’s Report – 10/1/2001 Charles Stampf, N2CJ Secretary/Treasurer's

ECARS membership has grown to 592 paid members. It wouldn’t surprise me to see the total increase to 600 before the

end of this year. Welcome to all those who have joined us since my last report. ECARS continues to be the premier service net on 40-meters.

Our major expenses this past period were costs incurred at the Ocean City event and the Monitor. The proposed Consti-tutional change requires that we mail each member the text. To save some money, the changes were included in the Monitor. The Executive Committee decided that email was not an acceptable method of insuring that all members would receive the proposal. As a result the usual savings were not realized. We will incur additional costs publishing this issue of the Monitor because of the new balloting process. The Executive Committee approved a more secure balloting method.

Please be sure to read the voting and balloting instructions. Ballots that do not conform to the procedure will be un-counted.

Thanks to this year’s candidates, and thanks to the Nominating Committee. It is always a chore developing a slate of candidates for an election. Our Nominating Committee, chaired by Jerry, WA4SOF did a yeoman’s job.

Don’t forget to VOTE, and GOOD LUCK to the candidates.

ECARS-All Accounts Net Worth Report (Includes unrealized gains) As of 10/1/01

ASSETS TOTAL Cash and Bank Accounts 3,752.98 Investments—CD 5,234.80 TOTAL ASSETS 8,987.78 LIABILITIES 0.00 OVERALL TOTAL 8,987.78 INFLOWS DECAL 11.00 Dues - New 1,072.50 Dues - Renewal 767.50 ECARS Pin 30.60 Misc Income 5.50 Monitor Refund 42.65 TOTAL INFLOWS 1,929.75

OUTFLOWS Corporation Fees 20.00 Office Supplies 369.12 Postage 78.10 Printing 1,310.05 Reimbursement - Misc. 270.00 Uncategorized Outflows 13.50 TOTAL OUTFLOWS 2,160.77 OVERALL TOTAL 231.02

ECARS 2002 Meeting and Get Together by Al Prindle, KA3UNB, Net Manager ECARS

The Location and details for the ECARS 2002 get together have been worked out. We will be having it May 3rd through May 5th at the Chateau Resort and Conference Center located In Tannersville, PA, which is located in the Pocono's. It is off exit 45 on Interstate 80 in Northeastern PA. The facility is located at the base of the Camelback Ski Area.

Rooms will be $91.05 per night based on single or double occupancy. Children stay free if staying with an adult in that room. Price includes tax and a $1.00 safe fee.

There will be a Welcome Reception Friday, between 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM in the piano lounge at the facility. There will be an Hor D'oeuvres hour during that time and a cash bar for those who prefer alcoholic beverages.

Saturday will be the meeting of ECARS members. The

time will be announced. Saturday night will be the banquet dinner and the cost

will be $35.00 per person, which includes tax and gratuities. All reservations must be received by Camelback by

April 2nd. I urge everyone to make their reservations early, as this location is centrally located, we are expecting a large turn out, and there will be limited room. Anyone making reservations later than April 2nd will be on their own as far as the room availability and cost. More information about reservations will be in the next issue of the Monitor.

For the ladies there is a 100-store outlet mall located at the base of the mountain, only five minutes from the resort. For the kids there are many activities such as the slide that starts at the top of Camelback Ski Resort Mountain and runs to the bottom. There are also parks and bicycling areas nearby.

For more information contact Al Prindle KA3UNB at ka3unb@rcn.com or call me at 610-521-5612.

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Volume No. 32 Issue Number 4 Fall, 2001

Proposed Amendments to ECARS Constitution The following paragraph is meant to replace and become ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP, in the Constitution. The membership of ECARS shall consist of (a) Full members who shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of ECARS except as otherwise provided in these Articles or in the Bylaws, and (b) Associate members who have the same rights and privileges as Full members except the right to vote. In addition, ASSOCIATE members shall not receive the ECARS publication, The Monitor. All members must be willing to respect and serve the purposes of ECARS as explained in the PREAMBLE. The Board of Directors shall, by appropriate By-Laws, specify the requirements of membership, provided, however, that the Board of Directors shall not terminate or reduce the rights of any member except for the lapse or termi-nation of a condition now required as precedent for membership. Nothing herein contained shall preclude the Board of Directors from expelling a member upon good cause shown and after notice and an opportunity to be heard. These paragraphs are proposed By-Laws changes (additions). SECTION: 1 MEMBERSHIP 1. Pursuant to Article II of the Constitution of ECARS, the following membership categories are established: Full Membership. To be eligible, an applicant must be a resident of the United States or Canada, one of the United States possessions, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a United States citizen temporarily resident elsewhere, and the holder of an unexpired Amateur Radio operator's license or reciprocal operating authorization issued by the United States. Associate Membership. To be eligible, an applicant must have a genuine interest in Amateur Radio. It is not required that the applicant hold a valid Amateur Radio operator’s license, i.e.; SWLers, certain RACES and ARES personnel. 2. Applications for membership or renewal of membership shall be submitted to the Secretary. In the case of any appli-cant whose character, reputation or conduct might make him an undesirable member, the Secretary shall refer the applica-tion to the Executive Committee for review; in all other cases, the Secretary shall have the authority to grant membership. SECTION 2: DUES Dues for FULL membership shall be $7.50 yearly, payable on January 1st. Dues for Associate members shall be $2.00 yearly, payable on January 1st. The amount of dues may be changed by a majority vote of the Executive Committee upon determination of financial needs. Any new member dues payment received after October 1st shall cover the ensuing year. A new member applying after September 30th, shall be ineligible to vote in the October election of that year.

Shall the above proposed amendments to the Constitution and

By-Laws of ECARS, be approved? □Yes □No

Official ECARS Ballot Voting Instructions: (1) Mark your ballot, (2) Put the ballot in the envelope marked “Ballot” and seal it. (3) Put the ballot envelope into the return envelop and mail it. Don’t forget to put your name and return address on the return envelope only. This process will insure anonymity and that only ECARS mem-bers vote.

President Tom Small, KB1EFA Bob Hotland, KO1C

Vice President Roy Moyer, K3RRK Scott Bellefeville, KT4ER Respectfully submitted by the Nominating Committee: Jerry Wohlgemuth WA4SOF (Chair), Dave Jordan WA3GIN, Art Storm K2TRK

Secretary/Treasurer Charles Stampf, N2CJ

Director, two-year term Vote for one Jerry Rogich, AA2T Mark Farrell, KZ3DX Weldon Cromwell, VE3ILN Art Storm, K2TRK

Volume No. 32 Issue Number 4 Fall, 2001

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The ECARS Monitor is published by the East Coast Amateur Radio Service Inc., for the benefit of its members. Full permission to quote from the Monitor is granted, provided a credit line is used. Members' for sale advertisements are run free of charge. Credit card size commercial ads are accepted at a cost of $15.00 per issue or $45.00 per year. Send advertisement information to the editor. The Monitor and ECARS do not assume any responsibility for items offered for sale. Your Monitor mailing label will show your ECARS number and the year of membership expiration.

Items for the Monitor should be sent to the editor in Microsoft Word or text format, if possible. The deadline for submissions is the 15th of the month preceding the month of publication, subject to change by the Editor. Publication is in Feb., June, Oct., and Dec. The Editor reserves the right to reject, edit, or modify submitted material as necessary.

Membership renewals, address changes, call sign changes, and new applications should be sent to: ECARS, PO Box 49, Verbank, NY 12585. Membership dues are $7.50 per year. Make checks payable to ECARS, and put your call sign and member number on the check memo. Multi-year renewals are appreciated. Renewals of three years or more will receive a laminated card at no charge. All membership subscriptions begin upon receipt of dues and terminate on December 31st.

ECARS decals are available for $1.00 each, and pins for $3.00 each plus $.60 postage. Sent your payment to: ECARS, PO Box 49, Verbank, NY 12585.

The 2000 ECARS Executive Committee

President: John Calise, W2LKS 97 Greenbrook CT. New Hope, PA 18938 email: <jenydeli@bellatlantic.net> Vice President: Vaughn Worth, K3VW 3597 Browns Pond Rd. Selma, NC 27576 <w3gcg@aol.com> Secretary/Treasurer: Charles Stampf, N2CJ Bloomer Rd. LaGrangeville, NY 12540 email: <n2cj@arrl.net> Director, , Mark Farrell, KZ3DX Director, David Jordan WA3GIN <wa3gin@erols.com> Net Manager, Al Prindle, KA3UMB Editors: Mike Stone, N1VE, Peggy Burns, K1VE 32 Carriage Road, Gilford, NH 03246 (603)-524-0468 email: <n1ve@amsat.org> packet: N1VE@WA1WOK.NH Publisher: Jules Deschenes, W1GDE 406 Darby Drive, Briarcrest Estates, Laconia, NH 03246, email: <w1gde@cnharc.org>

A Alfa N November B Bravo O Oscar C Charlie P Papa D Delta Q Quebec E Echo R Romeo F Foxtrot S Sierra G Golf T Tango H Hotel U Uniform I India V Victor J Juliet W Whiskey K Kilo X X-ray L Lima Y Yankee M Mike Z Zulu

The Phonetic Alphabet

Mini-HT 50-Watt Adapter

N1VE

Thanks Thanks to the following ECARS members for submit-

ting articles and information for this issue of the Monitor. Alan Carney W4CRA, Dave Jordan WA3GIN, Al Prindle KA3UMB, Charlie Stampf N2CJ, Art Storm K2TRK, Jerry Wohlgemuth WA4SOF, and Willy “Vaughn” Worth K3VW.

Mike Stone N1VE, Editor