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Squelch TalesNewsletter from the Merrymeeting Amateur Radio Association for August 2017

Six Meters & JT65a By J. Bruce Randall, W1ZE

This past June we had some enhanced propagation

on the Magic Band (6M). However for those of us

up here in northern New England we noted the

E-skip has been about average when using modest

antennas and ERP. Good contacts were being made

with stations south of the Mason-Dixon Line and

west into W8 and W9 land. But as usual the station

in W4 and W5 land are getting the best DX into

Europe, Central America and South America.

I monitor the Telnet DX cluster on a regular basis

looking for six meter openings into and out of New

England, plus other worldwide HF DX spots but

there are not a lot of postings for six meters as of

the last of June. What I was seeing were 6 meter

DX postings on 50.276 MHz, even from W1 and

W2 land. What was happening there were postings

from folks operating in the JT65A, the very weak

signal digital mode. Most the six meter foreign DX

spots are on 50.276 and 50.270, the recommended

JT65 frequencies.

Several months ago in a conversation with Six

Meter Guru Paul “Lefty” Clement, K1TOL he

indicated he was looking into getting on JT65A

because of all the DX that can be had in that mode

on six. Recent observations on the DX spotting

network indicate that Lefty has jumped into that

mode with both feet. He is good to post DX spots

himself and many are on 50.276.

Recently I loaded the WSJT/JT65a program onto

my ham shack PC. I am building a new soundcard

interface that uses the JT65’s program’s

PTT/keying command to key my transceiver in lieu

of the FT-897d’s digital VOX because of the VOX

delay in the Tx/Rx transition, to slow for accurate

JT65.

For more info on JT65A, checkout the following

websites:

• http://nw7us.us/jt65a.html

• http://jt65-hf.com/downloads/

• http://www.physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/

• https://sourceforge.net/projects/jt65hfhb9hqxedi/

• http://nw7us.us/jt65a/2010_10_JT65A-Part-

1_Compressed.pdfAug-17.docx

• https://www.google.com/?trackid=sp-

006#q=JT65a+Communicating+under+the+nois

e+

JT65 is not a rag chew mode but has become very

popular with DXers and paper chasers on the HF

bands too. Modest antenna systems, low power and

poor band conditions can still yield some good DX

while on your DXCC, WAZ, WAS & VUCC quest.

73, W1ZE

Early Ham History-Part 3

As DX became 1000, then 1500 and then 2000

miles, amateurs began to dream of transatlantic

work. Could they get across? In December, 1921,

ARRL sent abroad an expert amateur, Paul F.

Godley, 2ZE, with the best receiving equipment

available. Tests were run, and thirty American

stations were heard in Europe. In 1922 another

transatlantic test was carried out and 315 American

calls were logged by European amateurs and one

French and two British stations were heard on this

side.

Everything now was centered on one objective:

two-way amateur communication across the

Atlantic! It must be possible—but somehow it

couldn't quite be done. More power? Many already

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were using the legal maximum. Better receivers?

They had superheterodynes. Another wavelength?

What about those undisturbed wavelengths below

200 meters? The engineering world thought they

were worthless—but they had said that about 200

meters. So, in 1922, tests between Hartford and

Boston were made on 130 meters with encouraging

results. Early in 1923, ARRL-sponsored tests on

wavelengths down to 90 meters were successful.

Reports indicated that as the wavelength dropped

the results were better. Excitement began to

spread through amateur ranks.

Finally, in November, 1923, after some months of

careful preparation, two-way amateur transatlantic

communication was accomplished, when Schnell,

1MO, and Reinartz, 1XAM (now W4CF and K6BJ,

respectively) worked for several hours with Deloy,

8AB, in France, with all three stations on 110

meters! Additional stations dropped down to 100

meters and found that they, too, could easily work

two-way across the Atlantic. The exodus from the

200-meter region had started. The "short-wave" era

had begun!

By 1924 dozens of commercial companies had

rushed stations into the 100-meter region. Chaos

threatened, until the first of a series of national and

international radio conferences partitioned off

various bands of frequencies for the different

services. Although thought still centered around 100

meters, League officials at the first of these

frequency-determining conferences, in 1924, wisely

obtained amateur bands not only at 80 meters but at

40, 20, and even 5 meters.

Eighty meters proved so successful that "forty"

was given a try, and QSOs with Australia, New

Zealand and South Africa soon became

commonplace. Then how about 20 meters? This

new band revealed entirely unexpected possibilities

when 1XAM worked 6TS on the West Coast, direct,

at high noon. The dream of amateur radio—daylight

DX!—was finally true.

Don’t trash that old

Heathkit DX-40 because the

power transformer is bad!

As our “vintage” ham gear gets old, especially

the old tube type transmitters, receivers, amps and

HV power supplies, one of the common things that

go bad in addition to vacuum tubes and capacitors

are power Transformers, filament transformers and

filter chokes, all heavy iron stuff. When this

happens a lot of hams just give up and scrap the rig

out because finding a replacement transformer is

difficult and if you do the seller wants its weight in

gold or silver.

Hold on folks, there is a second option and much

less expensive. Remove that transformer from the

rig and get it rewound by a rewind facility then

reinstall it giving your old vintage rig a new life.

Good news folks, here in Maine there is a fellow

ham in Orono, Gary Brown, WZ1M who operates,

TRANSFORMER REWIND SERVICE

478 FOREST AVE, Orono, ME 04473

Ph: (207) 942-5745

Pete Russell, K4POR (ex K1MJP) Google him,

to see what he does and found out he can rewinds

power, audio, chokes, modulation transformers,

etc.. Reports are that Gary does a great job at a fair

price.

So if you are in need of a transformer rewind, you

may want to contact Gary and see if he can do the

job for you and give that old rig a new future.

The above is COPYRIGHT 1962 by ARRL. The Handbook back then cost $3.50.

Next time Part 4: Public Service

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Reported by MARA’s Photojournalist Marjory Turner, KX1I

Under experienced coordinated support by John

Goran, K1JJS this year's L.L.Bean Road Race

Event on July 4 was a marked success.

Instead of the usual briefing at 0615 hours, John

emailed assignments and race information prior to

the event. Net Control opened on two meters

simplex net at 0645 and all stations were active by

0700am.

Generally all aspects of communications seemed

to run smoothly.

There were the usual issues of trying to

communicate with the "Shadow" around buildings

in downtown Freeport, and with the mid-course

terrain. A change in propagation occurred mid-

race, but the radio operators picked right up on it

and got the messages through.

L.L.Bean’s Ethan Hempwell thanked all

participants with an email saying "All went very

well. Thank you as always for the great

support. Happy 4th!!"

In brief this was a well-run event, beautiful

morning and amateur radio performed its tasks

well.

After Net control closed the net shortly after

0900 hours, several MARA members and XYLs

drove into town to watch the 1000 parade.

HAM PARTICIPANTS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Steve Kercel - AA4AK

Rick James – W1JLB

Marjorie Turner - KX1I

Dan Lindsly - N5AGG

Tom Berman - N1KTA (as Shadow for Ethan

Hemphill, Race Director)

John Goran - K1JJS

Mike Kilmartin - N1GRO

John Bogner - W1JLB

Bryce Rumery - K1GAX

Steve Sidelinker - N1NCC

Chris Tupper - KC1CIG

Jason Cote - W1WDW

Ariel Cote - KC1CCB

Don Wakeman - KA1WAL

Jim McIrvin -

N1IPA 73, KX1I

Sad Day for Ham Radio

restorers and tinkerers By Bruce Randall, W1ZE Sad

Last month a famous Ham and commercial

crystal manufacturer, International Crystal

Manufacturing, ICM closed its doors for ever.

See: http://www.radioworld.com/business-and-

law/0009/international-crystal-will-close/339307

To my knowledge this leaves no domestic

supplier of crystals for the ham radio builder,

equipment restorer, or experimenter. Other crystal

companies like Jan, Jet, and Cal Crystal that cut

crystals for hams are no longer in business.

If you see an old IC-22A or other crystal

controlled transceiver at a flea market and want to

get a set of crystals for your favorite repeater or

packet node, it looks like you are now out of luck.

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If you restore an old Heathkit DX-40 or other

vintage transmitter and want a crystal for 3885 kHz, the AM calling frequency, you can no longer just have

one made. You will have to rely on eBay or a fellow

ham who is selling one. I now expect crystals like

that will be worth their weight in gold.

It appears that there may still be one company, Bomar

Crystals http://bomarcrystal.com/thankyou.html that cuts

crystals for hams. However, a cut crystal from them will

cost you about 50 bucks. If you find another crystal

maker for the ham radio market, please let me know at W1ZE@ARRL.NET.

As a follow up article, check out Patrick Brown,

N7KRG’s posting on the influence of Ham radio on the

crystal market at: http://www.bliley.net/XTAL/Industry-Hams.html

Sadly, W1ZE

Is Packet really dead? A report by W1ZE

A few months ago Donnie Dauphin, WD1F who

loves all things digital started playing around with

the old keyboard digital error free mode of Packet.

He was able to make packet links to nodes that are

still up and running and active around the State of

Maine.

He experimented with KISS mode which was OK

but he liked using the old TNCs that allowed for

digipeating, mailboxes and BBSs.

He discussed this mode with me and Scott,

Higgins, W3VNE. This rekindled the packet fire in

both of us. We both unpacked our old multimode

TNCs, and in my case it is a PK-232mbx. Scott

was the first to get his TNC connected to an old

2-meter transceiver and get on 145.010 and send out

packet RF in hopes of connecting with WD1F. I on

the other hand had to do some restart maintenance

on my 232, such as replace the memory battery and

free-up the frozen DCD control pot. As of this

writing I am looking for a 2M only transceiver to

connect it to. I was going to put crystals in my old

IC-22A for 145.010 and maybe 145.050 but as the

previous article on crystals pointed out that plan

was scrubbed. I’ll be looking for a good old

2-meter rig to put me back on packet, hopefully

soon.

Packet ability to convey error free messages is

very handy for sending messages by ARES folks

and groups is support of served agencies and

facilities like hospitals where accurate messaging is

a must.

If you are one of those folks who used to be on packet

but moved on and put your old TNC in storage, why not

dig it out, hook it back up and get on 145.010 and see

what is going on.

Now admittedly HF packet has just about gone accept

messaging on 14.105 (300 baud packet). Host folks have

moved on to PSK, and other computer soundcard

generated modes but with an old multimode TNC

RTTY, ASCII, keyboard CW and other digital modes

are still useable. 73,W1ZE

Join your fellow hams for a delicious

DXCC/Contest dinner at Boxboro

Accompanying us will be Jeff Briggs,

K1ZM/VY2ZM, recounting the story of the 7O6T

DXpedition to Yemen in 2012.

A retired commercial banker and living with his wife

Miriam (KC1HHH) on Prince Edward Island, Jeff is

both a contester and a lowband Dx'er with a special

interest in 160m. He enjoys participating in most of the

major contests each

season including CQWW/ARRL DX/CQWPX and the

160m contests.

Jeff is a member of the CQ Contest Hall of Fame and

the FOC Operators Club, and has participated in many

DXpeditions including ZX0F, NP4A, ZX5J, A61AJ,

7O6T and others. Adding to his ham radio repertoire,

Jeff was the principal founder of the Yankee Clipper

Contest Club (YCCC) and its first President in 1977/78.

Attendees have their choice of a chicken, fish, or a

vegetarian meal.

The DXCC/Contest dinner will feature door prizes,

including a grand door prize! - Tickets available at

http://www.boxboro.org

73,

Bob - K1IW, Boxboro 2017! Publicity Chair

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Merrymeeting Amateur Radio Assoc.

1 Smithfield Crossing

Phippsburg, ME 04562-4047