Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
The Listening Post 1
The Listening Post
Dedicated to Community Service and All Central Florida Hams July 2017
President’s Message Happy summer to everyone! I hope everyone is finding ways to stay cool. The dog days of summer are officially here! The good news is, we only have 16 weeks till our first cool front normally arrives in Central Florida. There so many things going on, just don’t know where to start. So, let’s start with the Tech Class coming up. There are 27 registered students. We are always looking for instructors. If you are interested, make plans to attend the next session on July 22 & 23. See what it is all about. (Continued on Next Page)
I N T H I S I S S U E
1 • Message from the President
2 • Field Day 2017
3 • Ham Radio Tech Class
• HamCation℠ Chairman Column
4 • Interesting Kit For HF Mobile Operation
5 • In Memoriam: Everett Latalian, W4EHL - SK
6 • Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) System
• Additional Countries Gain Bands at 5 MHz
7 • Another Successful WX4NHC Annual Station Test in Advance of Hurricane Season
9 • Contesting User Interfaces of the Future
10 • Ham Radio Aviator Set to Depart on Round-the-World Flight
12 • Amateur Radio Week In Florida: A Proclamation
13 • OARC Events for Remainder of 2017
14 • Membership Application
OARC MEETING July 5, 2017, 7:30pm Beardall Senior Center 800 Delaney Ave, Orlando, FL 32801 ARRL Testing: 5:30pm For information & Updates See www.oarc.org
OARC Board of Directors President: John Knott, N4JTK Vice President: Peter Meijers, AI4KM Treasurer: Lidy Meijers, KJ4MM Secretary: Bob Nocero, W4KBW Directors:
Bob Cumming, W2BZY Ralph Betts, W4ORL Tony Darnell, KK4VRP Val Jacyno, AK4MM Michael Cauley, W4MCA James Deuel, N0XIA
The Listening Post is the OARC newsletter for OARC members. The LP will be distributed electronically via E-mail and the OARC web site (www.oarc.org).
Co-Editors: Thomas Husband KM4MAL and Ed Thralls NE4H. Comments, suggestions and articles are welcome. Send to [email protected]. Contributing to this edition: John Knott, Michael Cauley
OARC REPEATERS Call Freq Shift PL KB4UT 146.760* -600 103.5 N4UMB 147.015 -600 103.5 * Fusion Repeater D-Star K1XC C 146.820 -600 K1XC B 443.275 +5MHz K1XC A 1275.00 -12 MHz Voice K1XC A 1255.00 -12MHz Digital W4PLB C 145.160 +600 W4PLB B 442.300 +5MHz All D-star repeaters are connected
The Listening Post 2
President’s Message (Continued from Previous Page)
Send me an email for more information on the need for instructors. Our website is back up and is being populated with info again. Long story short, we made some changes that were for the better for both OARC and HamCation. The WB4UT Wayne Nelson Traders net has been very popular the past couple of weeks. Lots of listings and trading going on. Don’t let a great deal pass you by, check in on Tuesday night at 8pm on the 146.76 repeater. So, who is going to work the 13 Colonies Special Event? July 1-7, 2017, go to 13colonies.net for more information. Don’t forget the IARU HF Championship is coming up July 8-9! Any one working on the Pine Board project that has been featured on Hamnation? Let me know if you are. I need a couple of members who are knowledge in ALL aspects of ham radio gear and their respected values to please contact me.
FIELD DAY 2017
(By John Knott, N4JTK) (Photos by Peter Meijers AI4KM)
The Listening Post 3
Field Day Crew at Start of the event
Doc Stan – 40 Meter Station
CW Stations
Ana’s Field Day Restaurant
Antenna Set Up - Rumen
Field Day Restaurant with Larry
Field Day Antenna Set Up - King James
The Listening Post 4
Weather
Lunch Preparation by John Bad Propagation by Stan
Field Day 2017 Site
The Listening Post 5
Get On The Air (GOTA) Station
Rumen at 15 Meter CW Station
Well, Field Day 2017 is officially in the history books! I love Field Day. It’s an opportunity for us as a group to setup remotely, make contacts, have fun doing so, eat some awesome food, build comradery, and play with different modes of radios. What I don’t like about Field Day, the HEAT! Boy does it take it right out of you. Even when you think you drank enough water, you find out you should have drunk more.
Let me just say a hat off to all of those who were involved in Field Day, in some way or another. All of you did a fantastic job. A few logistical issues at the very beginning, but what is Field Day without few things that didn’t go perfect. If you missed the dinner on Saturday night at Field Day, you missed a
fantastic spread created by our own Ana Groe, KM4JVE. We had a good crowd. The propagation and weather gods were not on our side on Saturday afternoon and evening. Sunday morning turned out decent compared to Saturday. So, we want to start preparing for Field Day 2018 already. We would like to make it even bigger and better. We’re looking for a Field Day chairman. Up for the challenge? For job details, see me at the meeting in July, or send me an email at [email protected]. We’ll even give you a 20% raise over the last FD chairman! 😉😉
Ham Radio Tech Class (By Michael Cauley, W4MCA)
So, do you know someone that is interested in Ham Radio or are you a newly licensed technician and want to learn more? Orange County ARES and Orlando Amateur Radio Club will be jointly hosting a Ham Radio Tech Class on July 22nd and 23rd. The class is FREE, but you will need to purchase Gordon West Tech Class book. The book is available via Amazon, HRO Atlanta, or the W5YI group website. There will be a test
The Listening Post 6
session immediately at the end of class on Sunday. There will be a $15.00 test fee collected just prior to taking the test. Interested parties must register for the class by sending an email to [email protected]
HamCation℠ Chairman Column (By Michael Cauley, W4MCA)
Greetings Everyone
For the ones counting down till HamCation we have 31 weeks, 6 days, 11 hours and 58 minutes as of this writing till the doors at HamCation open. The Committee is getting in full Swing now. Tickets will be printed in a couple of weeks and our online reservation system will be going live on August 1st. Our trip to Hamvention is starting to pay off. We are getting inquiries from new vendors that we talked to at Hamvention this year that want to come to HamCation.
Within the next couple of weeks, we will be updating the website with next year’s information. So, keep an eye on the website for updates.
We still have 1 open positions to be filled within the HamCation Committee. The following position I need to get filled.
• Onsite Tickets I would like to say thank you to everyone who has stepped up so far and volunteered for some of the open HamCation Committee positions.
Help me in welcoming the following person to the Committee.
David Virden, WN4WYS - Logistics Chairman So, if you are interested in any of the following open positions please contact me at [email protected]
Michael Cauley 2018 HamCation General Chairman
INTERESTING KIT FOR HF MOBILE OPERATION
(By Larry Carter, KV4LT) (This is a follow up to Larry’s article published in the May issue of “The Listening Post”)
The Listening Post 7
I finished the 10-meter amplifier, As I predicted, the output is under what was advertised. No one should be surprised at this...the MRF454 transistors just do not have the dissipation the designer claimed! However, I was pleasantly surprised it was as good as it tested out to be. It gave 280 watts RF output with 13 watts of input. Not bad, huh? This was at the lower end of 10 meters (28.480 Mhz.)
In Memoriam: It is with deep sadness that we acknowledge the untimely death of our Amateur Radio friend this month and express our condolences to his family.
OARC Board
Everett Hollis Latalian, age 78, of Orlando, Florida, passed away on Sunday, June 11, 2017. He was born May 16, 1939, in Bangor, Maine. After moving to Orlando, Florida, Everett worked for many departments within Orange County until 1983 when he became an Orange County Fire Fighter. Everett was proud to be a fire fighter and was honored to help those who were in need. He also embraced his fire fighter family as he moved from Station to Station. Everett supported Orange
County’s fire department even after he retired in 1995. Everett would support his fellow fire fighter brothers and sisters with water and food as a Reservist for 20+ years. Everett was a prominent and active member of Shenandoah Baptist Church. He enjoyed singing in the choir and especially enjoyed supporting the youth group at his
The Listening Post 8
church. His hobbies included being a bowler and an amateur ham radio operator. Both of these activities kept him busy during his retired years. Everett also loved to play golf, but his great passion was to be a volunteer at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He is survived by his wife, Myra Sue Latalian of 36 years and his daughters, Debra Curnes and husband, David of Orlando, Florida, Cynthia Darnell and husband, Stephen of Newton North Carolina, and Dawn Mancuso and husband, James of St. Petersburg, Florida; six grandchildren, Joshua Curnes, John Christopher Larsen, Tyler Darnell, Jordan Curnes, Madeline and Jake Mancuso; and two great-grandchildren, Jackson and Hudson Curnes. In lieu of flowers the family suggest a donation to one of the following in memory or honor of Mr. Latalian: Orange County Fire Department Benevolence Fund; Shenandoah Baptist Church Youth Ministry; or Lotsa Love Pet Rescue & Adoptions. (Source: http://www.newcomerorlando.com/Obituary/141081/Everett-Latalian/Orlando-Florida)
Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) System
(http://www.arrl.org/volunteer-examiners)
FCC created the VEC system to provide initial licensing examination for prospective new hams and upgrade examination opportunities for those already licensed. FCC authorized VEC organizations oversee the work of their certified Volunteer Examiners (VEs) and serve as a liaison between the exam applicants and the FCC. Volunteer Examiners (VEs) are US licensed Radio Amateurs holding a General Class license or higher, who offer their time to administer the FCC licensing exams through a FCC authorized Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) organization. The ARRL VEC is the largest VEC organization in the US. A team of three or more VEs are able to test candidates applying for a new license or upgrading an existing license. Last month, VEs administered tests and five individuals passed the test they took. The results: 1 Tech, 3 General and 1 Extra. Congratulations to them all.
Additional Countries Gain Bands at 5 MHz
(The ARRL Letter for June 1, 2017) Radio amateurs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are among the latest to gain access to a 60-meter band. The allocation is 5,351.5-5,366.5 kHz at a maximum power of 15 W EIRP. Malta also has opened a 60-meter band for its Amateur Radio licensees. The island's telecoms regulator, the Malta Communications Authority,
The Listening Post 9
published an updated National Frequency Plan in April that includes the WRC-15 secondary Amateur Radio allocation of 5,351.5-5,366.5 kHz at a maximum power of 15 W EIRP. Panama came on board with the same allocation in December.
The Netherlands telecoms regulator Agentschap Telecom (AT) has added a 60-meter band of 5,351.5-5,366.5 kHz to its frequency plan for Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba. Eligible licensees may run up to 25 W EIRP.
Radio Amateurs in Poland will soon have access to 5,351.5-5,366.5 kHz with 15 W EIRP. Mexico's telecommunications regulator IFT has approved Amateur Radio use of 5,351.5-5366.5 kHz at up to 20 W EIRP.
Iceland's telecommunication authority PTA has extended experimental license privileges for radio amateurs in the 5 MHz band until December 31, 2017. The privileges are for 5,260-5,410 kHz, with 100 W EIRP, CW, USB, PSK31, and other
digital modes. Currently 25 licensees in Iceland have experimental licenses to operate on 60 meters.
In Hungary, the HG7BHB beacon on 5,352.5 kHz has been shut down. Established in 2015 by Hungary's IARU member society MRASZ, the beacon went out of order in February. A substantial increase in activity near its frequency and the lack of a suitable alternative frequency led to the decision to switch it off altogether.
Meanwhile, Steve Kölcsey, HA0DU, has reported that temporary Amateur Radio licenses permitting 5 MHz operation in Hungary have expired, and there has been no 60-meter operation since May 1. -- Thanks to the 5 MHz Newsletter via Paul Gaskell, G4MWO, Southgate Amateur Radio News
Another Successful WX4NHC Annual Station Test in Advance
of Hurricane Season (The ARRL Letter for June 1, 2017)
Over the Memorial Day weekend, WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami logged nearly 200 contacts throughout the US, Canada, the Caribbean, and even Europe, during its annual station test, conducted in advance of the 2017 hurricane season. The annual exercise on May 27 served to check out Amateur Radio Station equipment, antennas, and computer systems. The Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1 and continues through November 30. (We are now one month into the 2017 Hurricane Season – Ed. Note)
The Listening Post 10
“We had a very successful WX4NHC Radio Station Test,” Assistant WX4NHC Amateur Radio Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R. “All of our radio and computer equipment and new main HF dipole antenna worked well. We feel that our equipment will perform well if needed during this hurricane season.”
WX4NHC was on the air for about 8 hours, Ripoll said, and utilized all communication modes available at the station on HF, VHF, and UHF, including EchoLink, IRLP, DMR, D-Star, D-RATS, and digital HF messaging via Winlink.
WX4NHC also tested the Florida statewide SARNet, which links more than 26 VHF/UHF repeaters and emergency operating centers. “Our UHF repeater on the Florida International University campus is part of SARNet, sponsored by the State of Florida Department of Transportation. Several stations throughout Florida, including the EOC in the state capital of Tallahassee went into the WX4NHC log.
From the Canadian Hurricane Center in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Bob Robichaud, VE1MBR, reported that it was 50° F (and 93° F in Miami at the time). Robichaud expressed appreciation for the cooperation between the hurricane centers and WX4NHC during the storm season, Ripoll said.
Rob Macedo, KD1CY, served as net control station for the VoIP Hurricane Net from WA1EMA at the Acushnet, Massachusetts, Emergency Management Agency. The Assistant Director of the Acushnet EMA, Ed Caron, KA1RSY, “also took time to make a contact and send his cool regards,” Ripoll said.
WX4NHC also contacted the Lafayette, Louisiana EOC, the Slidell National Weather Service Office, the San Juan, Puerto Rico EOC, and stations in Germany and in Israel.
“Many of our contacts were with individual Amateur Radio operators who volunteer as SKYWARN spotters for their local NWS offices and also participate in the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) on HF during hurricanes,” Ripoll said. “One of them — Debbie Gray, WX9VOR, from Aurora, Illinois — was very active relaying surface reports during Hurricane Mathew last year.”
Ripoll thanked all who participated in the annual test. “We hope our services are not needed during this hurricane season,” he added, “but if needed, we are ready to provide NHC back-up communications and ready to receive those important surface reports from stations inside the hurricane. Your surface report or your relay can make a big difference.”
Earlier in May, the Amateur Radio Group at WX4NHC presented NHC Director Rick Knabb with an award of appreciation for his many years of support to the station. The award presentation took place on May 12, during the Hurricane Hunters Tour. Knabb is leaving the NHC to join the staff of The Weather Channel.
"We had a very successful WX4NHC Radio Station Test," said Assistant WX4NHC Amateur Radio Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R. "All of our radio and computer
The Listening Post 11
equipment and new main HF dipole antenna worked well. We feel that our equipment will perform well if needed during this hurricane season."
WX4NHC was on the air for about 8 hours, Ripoll said, and utilized all communication modes available at the station on HF, VHF, and UHF, including EchoLink, IRLP, DMR, D-STAR, D-RATS, and digital HF messaging via Winlink.
WX4NHC also tested the Florida statewide SARNet, which links more than 26 VHF/UHF repeaters and emergency operating centers. "Our UHF repeater on the Florida International University campus is part of SARNet, sponsored by the State of Florida Department of Transportation. Several stations throughout Florida, including the EOC in the state capital of Tallahassee went into the WX4NHC log. From the Canadian Hurricane Center in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Bob Robichaud, VE1MBR, reported that it was 50° F (and 93° F in Miami at the time). Robichaud expressed appreciation for the cooperation between the Canadian and US hurricane centers and WX4NHC during the storm season, Ripoll said.
Rob Macedo, KD1CY, served as net control station for the VoIP Hurricane Net from WA1EMA at the Acushnet, Massachusetts, Emergency Management Agency. The Assistant Director of the Acushnet EMA, Ed Caron, KA1RSY, "also took time to make a contact and send his cool regards," Ripoll said.
WX4NHC also contacted the Lafayette, Louisians EOC, the Slidell National Weather Service Office, the San Juan, Puerto Rico EOC, and stations in Germany and in Israel.
"Many of our contacts were with individual Amateur Radio operators who volunteer as SKYWARN spotters for their local NWS offices and also participate in the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) on HF during hurricanes," Ripoll said. "One of them -- Debbie Gray, WX9VOR, from Aurora, Illinois -- was very active relaying surface reports during Hurricane Matthew last year."
Ripoll thanked all who participated in the annual test. "We hope our services are not needed during this hurricane season," he added, "but if needed, we are ready to provide NHC backup communications and ready to receive those important surface reports from stations inside the hurricane. Your surface report or your relay can make a big difference." Earlier in May, the Amateur Radio Group at WX4NHC presented NHC Director Rick Knabb with an award of appreciation for his many years of support to the station. The award presentation took place on May 12, during the Hurricane Hunters Tour. Knabb is leaving the NHC to join the staff of The Weather Channel.
Alan Wolfe, WB4L, and Susan Blank, WX2L, operate at WX4NHC during the 2017 station test. [Photo courtesy of Julio Ripoll, WD4R]
The Listening Post 12
(Did anyone in the Club participate and if so, would by be willing to write a few paragraphs for “The Listening Post” for publication next month?)
Contesting User Interfaces of the Future (The ARRL Contest Update for June 14, 2017)
I know there are some that are still debating whether touch screens are an improvement to radio gear. I'm over that. I'm pondering the "post-touch-screen era" for contesting. What methods will we be using in the future to command our contest operations? There are already little boxes, tubes, and oddly shaped desktop items from Amazon, Google, and others that will listen for human utterances commanding the playing of a song, ordering of a pizza, turning on a light, or the telling of a corny joke. Today, with a little work (it's just software, right?) those devices can be integrated into a station and could be great for CW or RTTY station control tasks, but I'm thinking it's going to be less useful during phone contests.
Google has experimented with eye tracking, which could be suitable for all modes of contesting. An infrared beam from a special headset is bounced off of an eyeball, coordinated with what is being displayed on a computer screen, or even in the near field of vision. The computer can interpret what is being looked at, and emotion inferred from pupil size. Imagine if a feature like 'eye QSY' were implemented that would tune the radio to the signal that I glance at on the panadapter. Or, as I gaze upon the call of a needed multiplier being entered into the logging window, the contraction of my pupil causes my transmitter settings to 'optimize' to make the contact. The only downside to this feature that I can envision is that little eye-twitch thing that I get on the second day of a contest; after no sleep and my sixth cup of coffee I could frequently QSY to closed bands. If this method of control becomes popular, both eyes could be used independently for SO2R.
Some game consoles like the Xbox can already do body tracking, by using a number of cameras. Station control would be done using body gestures, for example spinning around in place to turn the rotator, "pitching" a CQ, or emphatic single digit macros to ask a QRMing station to find another frequency. With all of that movement, operator fitness might even be improved over time. Watching an operator work a pileup wouldn't be like today, sometimes as interesting as watching paint dry. It could be like watching modern dance! Standards for gestures would have to be established, to avoid sending mixed messages at multi-ops.
Perhaps 'peak interface' would be the direct connection between humans and gear. It's still early days interpreting EEGs for intent. But imagine the possibilities for control. What are your thoughts? Your rig would know!
Ham Radio Aviator Set to Depart on Round-the-World Flight
(The ARRL Letter for June 1, 2017)
The Listening Post 13
Brian Lloyd, WB6RQN, took off from Miami, Florida, on June 1 on a solo, round-the-world flight to commemorate Amelia Earhart's attempt to circumnavigate the globe 80 years ago.
"Airborne!," he posted to his Facebook page, once aloft. "En route to St Thomas!"
Lloyd will be on the air from Spirit, his single-engine Mooney 231 aircraft, during the course of his journey, expected to take 2 months. He will follow Earhart's historic route to fly around the globe at the equator, starting in Miami, skirting the Caribbean islands, then passing along the coast of South America before heading across the Atlantic.
"I am driven by the spirit of historic flights," Lloyd said before leaving his Texas airstrip for Miami. "It is important to remember the aviation pioneers like Amelia Earhart and their contributions to aviation. Their bold actions made today's air travel possible for all of us."
In late May, severe weather on the Atlantic route and aircraft equipment problems forced Lloyd to call off his New York-to-Paris speed flight. "There was only a short window of time that the flight could have happened, and the window has now closed," a May 22 announcement said.
Lloyd will be on the air using HF SSB on or about 14,210.0 kHz, 14,346.0 kHz, 18,117.5 kHz, or 7,130.0 kHz. On board, he has a Mobat Micom-3 transceiver, which puts out about 125 W. His antenna is under the fuselage. He also will utilize ALE (automatic link establishment) on the Amateur Radio HFLINK frequencies.
"The flight route has some very long legs, so I will have plenty of opportunities during June and July to talk with ham operators while flying over the world's oceans," said Lloyd, 62, who has been licensed since 1976 but has been flying since 1968.
To give his 1979 Mooney aircraft additional range, he modified it to carry 150 gallons more fuel. He's also equipped it with modern navigation equipment, long-range radio, and satellite communication gear. Because the flight involves some risk, special safety gear is part of his equipment ensemble.
In addition to being a pilot, Lloyd is a flight instructor and educator. He lives near San Antonio. His commemorative flight is co-sponsored by The Classic Aircraft Aviation Museum, a non-profit in Texas, and by individual contributions.
Brian Lloyd, WB6RQN, during a test flight over Texas earlier this year. [Josh Flowers, photo]
The Listening Post 14
Amateur Radio Week In Florida A Proclamation
(In case you missed it in John’s e-mail)
The Listening Post 15
The Listening Post 16
OARC Meetings and Events for the Remainder of 2017
July 5, Wednesday Meeting
August 2, Wednesday Meeting
September 6, Wednesday Meeting
October 4, Wednesday Meeting
November 1, Wednesday Meeting
December 6, Wednesday No Meeting
The Listening Post 17
Make Checks payable to Orlando Amateur Radio Club, OARC
Orlando Amateur Radio Club Post Office Box 574962 Orlando FL 32857
To have your membership card mailed to you, please include a SASE with your check. Rates: Regular [ ] 1 year $15.00 [ ] 3 years $40.00 [ ] 6 years $75.00 Rates: Family [ ] 1 year $5.00 per family member Husband, Wife or Child under 18 Rates: Associate [ ] 1 year $15.00 Dues Total: __________ All Membership(s) will expire ONE year from date paid. Other Club Affiliation: Are you an ARRL Member: [ ] Yes [ ] No
OARC Membership Application
Date: __/ __/20__ [ ] Regular Member [ ] Family Member [ ] Associate Member [ ] New Membership [ ] Renewal [ ] CMP Name: _________________________________ Call ______________ Class ____________ Address: __________________________________________________ City ___________________________ State _______ Zip __________ E-mail Address (print) _______________________________________ (Home) Phone: _________________ (Cell) Phone _______________ Birth Month__________
Name Badges: White letters on Black background with Gold embossed OARC logo. [ ] Regular 3” x 1.5” @ $10.00 each Name: ___________________________________ Call ______________ All badges are to be picked up at the General meeting or add $2.00 for shipping & handling. Shipping & Handling: [ ] Yes [ ] No Badges ________ S&H _________ Total ___________
