RADIO AMATEUR FOX HUNT

Transcription

1 January 2001 Happy New Year! RADIO AMATEUR FOX HUNT WHEN: JANUARY 21, 2001 STARTS AT: 12:30 PM WHERE: COMMUTER PARKING LOT, EXIT 23 OFF OF ROUTE 2 (NORWICH HOSPITAL) SPONSOR: RASON RULES: FOX FREQUENCY MHz BOUNDARY 10 AIR MILES FROM STARTING LOCATION FOX WILL BE ON PUBLIC LAND WINNER: FIRST HUNTER OR TEAM TO FIND FOX FOX: MARK KE1IU REFRESHMENTS: AT FOX LAIR AFTER HUNT MAPS WILL BE PROVIDED AT STARTING LOCATION. THANKS ALL. HOPE TO SEE YOU ON JANUARY 21!! PAUL TOWNE N1ZYB H IGHLIGHTS INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 First Hunt of the Year 2 VEOSEC Exam Schedule 3 What is a Repeater? Part 3 4 The Return of Art Bell 5 Classifieds, Contacts and Important News 6 Advertisements The RASON Monitor 1

2 VEOSEC VOLUNTEER EXAMINERS OF SOUTHEASTERN CONNECTICUT CO-CHAIRMEN Michael J. Martell, N1HFX Roy Hilt, K1JNR 74 Lillibridge Road 41 Jerome Road Plainfield, CT Uncasville, CT ANNOUNCING 2001 VEOSEC AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE EXAMINATIONS MARCH 3, 2001 MAY 19, 2001 AUGUST 18, 2001 NOVEMBER 17, 2001 All 2001 exam sessions will be held at the American Red Cross building on 150 Eugene O'Neil Drive in New London, Connecticut. All elements from Technician to Extra will be administered at thes e sessions. Walk in exam registration starts promptly at 9 A.M. Exams begin at 10 A.M. As a result of license restructuring, no waiver of the 5 WPM code element can be granted. VEOSEC now uses the fill-in the blank question format for all code tests and special provisions for handicapped code testing is available upon prior request. THE TEAM WILL NOT ORDINARILY REGISTER ANY CANDIDATE AFTER THE START OF THE FIRST CODE EXAM. Exams are FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED, so please plan your arrival accordingly. Each exam candidate must have the following materials: 1) BRING BOTH your ORIGINAL and a clear PHOTOCOPY of your current amateur radio license. MAKE SURE YOU SIGN YOUR LICENSE!! 2) BRING YOUR ORIGINAL CANDIDATES COPY and a clear photocopy of any CERTIFICATE OF SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF EXAMINATION with which you claim code or theory element credit. Note that the FCC REQUIRES A COPY OF EACH CSCE as well as the original. 3) FCC NCVEC FORM 605 WILL BE AVAILABLE for fill-out during registration. If you do bring in a filled-out NCVEC 605 form, make sure that you FILL IN SECTION 1 ONLY. Make sure that you only use the April 2000 version of the form. The August 1999 version of the form is now obsolete and can no longer be used. 4) All exam candidates must provide their Social Security number or FCC license identification number on the 605 form. This information is required by law. 5) A PHOTO ID or other airtight proof of identity. 6) CHECK/CASH in the amount of $10, checks made out to ARRL/VEC. For additional information please call either of the co-chairmen listed above. The RASON Monitor 2

3 What Is A Repeater? Part 3 Repeater Controllers By Mike Martell N1HFX In my last article, we discussed repeater transmitters in detail. In this article, we will take a look at repeater controllers. Sometimes referred to as the brain of the controller, the controller is responsible for most of the functions of the repeater. While the simplest controller is nothing more than a timer and a means of generating a CW ID, most modern controllers contain microprocessors with a wide array of features. The most important function of the repeater controller is to identify the repeater within the 10 -minute time frame required by FCC regulations. The ID can be in either CW or voice but must neve r exceed 10-minute intervals under any circumstances. Many modern controllers use a synthesized voice IC which has a large vocabulary of words and common amateur phrases. In this era of amateur license restructuring, there is more emphasis on voice identification rather than CW identification. However, a CW ID is still perfectly legal and is always an acceptable method of identification. The repeater ID must be a high enough audio level to be heard above any conversation or audio being retransmitted from the receiver. When setting the parameters to a modern repeater controller, it is important to understand the significance of the various timer settings that are available. The more commonly used timers are listed below with explanations: Repeater Time-out Drop Out Message Timer The maximum length of a continuous transmission by a repeater user. It is usually set to the 2 to 3 minute range. When a user exceeds this they have timed out the repeater. This is the maximum time allowed after a repeater is timed out and the drop out (repeater time out) message occurs. Repeater ID Timer This is probably the most important timer setting. It should be calculated as follows; 10 minutes minus Repeater Time-Out setting minus Drop Out Message Time. With a Repeater Time-out of 3 minutes and a Drop Out Message time of 1 minute, this should not exceed 6 minutes. Not taking the other timers into consideration could result in the repeater exceeding the 10-minute requirement between identification in the result of a very long-winded amateur. Repeater Turn On Delay Timer COR Drop to Courtesy Beep Timer Courtesy Beep to PTT Drop Timer Autopatch Timer This is sometimes referred to as the Ker-Chunck filter. This is the minimum amount of time the COR (received) signal must be active before the repeater will activate. This is normally set to 1 second. This setting can be very useful in preventing intermittent interference from activating the repeater This is the time between the loss of COR (received) signal to the courtesy beep tone. It is normally set to 2 to 4 seconds. This timer should be long enough to allow a breaking station to enter their call sign. This is the time interval after the courtesy beep when the repeater will stop transmitting if no input signal is received. It is normally set to 3 to 4 seconds. This is the maximum time an autopatch is allowed. Exceeding this time will cause the autopatch to terminate automatically. This is very important when an amateur s transmitter is no longer able to reach the repeater during an autopatch in progress. This timer setting should not exceed the Time Out Timer setting or there is a risk of exceeding the 10-minute interval for identification. A common feature of a controller is the ability to decode a particula r CTCSS (PL) sub-audible tone when it is present on the receive audio. Normally an additional PL tone decoder board is installed to facilitate this function. The PL tone decoder function is turned on by the controller which then requires the use of the PL tone for an input signal to activate The RASON Monitor 3

4 the repeater. Often, the PL board has an additional high pass audio filter which strips out the sub-audible tone before being retransmitted by the repeater. One of the more popular features of a repeater controller is the ability to make autopatch phone calls. This service is normally restricted to club members of a repeater due to the high cost of a monthly phone line. Repeater controllers often have user speed dials to facilitate dialing. Other features such as restrictive open dialing is available. Controllers normally can be programmed to prevent toll phone calls, specific numbers or specific prefixes from being dialed as needed. Most repeater controllers can be programmed over the air through the repeater input using DTMF tones. The DTMF tones are usually muted on the output or replaced with cover tones for security purposes. An alternate but more expensive method of programming the controller is via a phone line. This can be the same phone line used for autopatch phone calls. Sometimes if the repeater is located in a remote location where phone service is not available or very expensive, a cell phone can be used. Special circuitry will be required to interface the cell phone to the controller. Another method for controlling a repeater is to use an alternate receiver normally on 222Mhz or 440Mhz. The alternate receiver can require the use of a non standard CTCSS tone or DTMF tone combination to activate for security purposes. Once activated the procedure is the same as programming over the air. Normally the alternate receiver is on a band other than what the repeater operates to prevent interference from the repeater output. Modern repeater controllers can often control two or more repeaters concurrently allowing cross band repeater operation. In addition a controller may also have a remote base feature. A remote base refers to an auxiliary transceiver used for linking to other repeaters in the area. This feature is especially useful when it is desired to link up to a large number of repeaters simultaneously. The controller must control all of these devices and their required functions while insuring that proper identification is made. While modern repeater controllers provide a wide array of featur es, their most important function is to insure that proper station identification is made in accordance with FCC rules. When programming a controller for a new repeater, pay close attention to this requirement first. All the other features must not interfere with proper Identification. An example of this is an automated repeater linking system which turns on at a predetermined time. The controller must be programmed to provide station ID when this feature is activated or risk exceeding the 10- minute interval for the new repeater, which has just been switched into the system. That s it for now. Next time, we will discuss repeater duplexers. Art Bell Returns to Broadcast Radio By: Gary Travis Roberts (AG1T) 73, N1HFX Art Bell "W6OBB" is returning from retirement to again voice the microphone of his popular radio show "Coast to Coast AM". Art, an advanced class licensee, was forced to retire during the spring of 2000 due to some legal issues surrounding his family. The announcement of his return can be found on his website, Art is an active radio amateur and is active on 80 meter SSB as well as 2-meter simplex when he travels by Cessna aircraft. His station can often be seen on his webcam transmissions during his show. The RASON Monitor 4

5 RASON CONTACTS C ALENDAR OF E VENTS?? THE NEXT RASON MEETING WILL BE HELD ON JANUARY 17 TH AT 7:30 P.M. AT THE NORWICHTOWN MALL COMMUNITY ROOM. ALL MEMBERS AND FUTURE MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND. SHARE THE HOBBY WITH A FRIEND AND BRING THEM ALONG TO SEE WHAT WE RE ABOUT. TALK-INS WILL BE PROVIDED BEFORE THE MEETING ON THE AND REPEATER. President: Mark Noe, KE1IU Vice President: Bruce Adams, KA1ZMZ RASON Monitor Editor: Randy C. Gudeahn, N1PTB P.O Box 161 Taftville, CT n1ptb@arrl.net RASON Monitor Publisher: Mike Martell, N1HFX Area NETS?? HORIZONTAL ENGINEERS Nightly at 7:00 p.m. on ?? AREA 4 ARES NET Every Monday Night at 8:00 p.m. on ?? AREA 4 Weather NET Every Wednesday Night at 8:00 on (PL 156.7)?? E.C.T.N. Nightly at 9:00 p.m. on and ?? RASON Phone NET Every Thursday Night at 8:00 p.m. on (+ -)?? CONNECTICUT Phone NET Mon.- Sat at 6:00 p.m. on (+ -) and Sunday at 10:00 a.m.?? THE WEATHER NET will meet on on the First Wednesday of each Month, at 8:00 p.m.?? T.I.P.S. NET Every Tuesday at 7:30 on (PL 156.7)?? Check out World 1 Radio on WBCQ Am, Monday nights at 5:45pm. Classifieds There are no items reported for sale this month. * * *IMPORTANT NOTICE * * * Your favorite short-wave radio show, World 1 will be moving to Monday nights at 5:45pm est. on WBCQ am. The RASON Monitor 5

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7 February 2001 FOX HUNTING WITH 4-WHEEL DRIVE The last snow of the January 21 st storm ended at 11:30 a.m. and the fox hunt started on time at 12:30 p.m. Mark, KE1IU, was the fox and he hid at the commuter parking lot on Route 117 that is located just north of the I95/117 Industrial complex. There were two hunt teams. Randy, N1PTB, Paul, N1ZYB, and Linda, N1ZYC, teamed up in the 4-wheel drive Explorer. They had a TDOA, a ZL Special and a new Digital Doppler direction finder. New toys are always lots of fun so it turned out that only the Doppler was used by that team. Matt, KB1FKL, teamed up with Chris, KB1FUO, and they also had some new equipment. Matt had just finished building a Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) kit and was eager to put it to work finding the fox. They also had a Quad which didn't get used. When the hunt started the fox's signal was very weak at the Route 12/2A starting location so both teams headed south looking for higher ground. Matt went directly to the Route 184/117 intersection to pick up his partner Chris and at the time was not aware that this put them very close to the fox. When the fox transmitted, the new TDOA gave them a strong bearing that pointed south down Route 117. The problem is that the TDOA doesn't provide range data, so they drove right past the fox and went to Bluff Point Park. Determining range while fox hunting is a science in itself. The next bearing they obtained at Bluff Point lead them a little astray and that delay provided time for Team 2 to close in on the fox. Linda, Randy and Paul went to Overlook Road near Route 214 and obtained the first Doppler bearing to the fox who was about 3.2 miles away as the crow flies. Randy was favorably impressed with the 4-wheel drive and the Doppler, both of which were used. Next then went to the Stop & Shop parking lot at the intersection of Route 184 and Route 12 where they got a solid (one LED) bearing almost due east. They drove east on Route 184 and then south down Route 117 to the Industrial Park where I95 crosses Route 117. (Another team going right past the fox!) At the park the Doppler pointed north up along Route 117. Suspecting that this bearing might have been influenced by some signal reflections, a second bearing was obtained near the Pequot Medical Center and it also pointed north along the Route 117 line. Linda plotted these last two bearing on the map and the team headed north again on Route 117. After driving only about 1/2 mile, team 2 heard the fox start a short QSO with a non-hunter. Linda reported from the plotting room (the back seat) that the Doppler now said the fox was directly behind us to the south. (Drove past him again!) One of the advantages of the Doppler is that it works while the hunter is moving. They reversed direction and about 200 feet down the road sharp-eyed Randy spotted the fox in the commuter parking lot. 73 s Paul and Linda ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TIPS Net News Effective February 1 st, Bruce, WB1FMP, and Ken, KB1EPU will be the co-net managers of the ever growing TIPS Net. Congratulations to you both! H IGHLIGHTS INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 Fox Hunt Report 2 Upcoming Events 3 What is a Repeater (Part 4) 4 What is a Repeater (Part 4) continued 5 Classifieds, Contacts and Important News 6 Advertisements The RASON Monitor 1

8 MS Walk-a-thon The 2001 Multiple Sclerosis Walkathons statewide will be held on Sunday, April 22nd with the exception of Woodstock which will hold their event on the 29th. Ed, K1UQE is coordinating the ham communications for that one. If you would like to come out and help provide health and safety communications on the 22nd for the walk in Groton please contact Kevin, KA6PDG at or The event will kick off at the same location as last year (UCONN Avery Point Campus). We gather at about 7:30 AM and disperse to respective locations. Everything concludes around 1 PM. There will also be a need for ham operators on a couple of sag vehicles and we will be looking for one or two net controls. This is always a fun event and is perfect for those who may be newly licensed and have never done a public service communications event. The MS folks always treat us well with coffee and doughnuts in the morning and plenty to eat at lunchtime and of course volunteers get an MS WALK T-shirt. Please let us know if you have questions or would like to sign up to work. The weather is usually very spring like but this is New England after all. Last year it snowed. ECARA AMATEUR RADIO FLEA MARKET SATURDAY MARCH 17, AM to 12 PM RAIN OR SHINE. ADMISSION: $2.00 DONATION TO BENEFIT Eastern Connecticut Amateur Radio Association. VE test session, Limited spaces available, Must Pre-register. Place: Pomfret Community School Corner of Route 169 & 101 Pomfret, CT. Tables are $10.00 each. For more information and reservations contact us at the numbers below. Directions: North & South: Rt 395 to exit 93. Go west on 101 to school, 4-5 miles. West: Rt 84 East to Rt74 East, To Rt 44 East to Rt 101 East. 1/2 mile past 44 & 101 Intersection. East: Rt 101 West. 4-5 miles after Intersection of Rt Talk in on Mhz PL 156.7, simplex Info: Contact KE1LI, Paul at or KE1LI@ARRL.NET The RASON Monitor 2

9 What Is A Repeater? Part 4 Repeater Duplexers By Mike Martell N1HFX In my last article, we discussed repeater controllers in detail. In this article, we will take a look at repeater duplexers. The duplexer is really part of the antenna system and allows a repeater to use the same feed line and antenna for both transmit and receive. A duplexer is a series of large resonant cavities with special properties. It is usually the most expensive part of a repeater system. A duplexer has 2 or 3 cavities for the transmit frequency and a matching set of 2 or 3 for the receive frequency. Each cavity has both a pass band filter as well as a corresponding notch or reject filter A resonant cavity is normally made of hollow copper pipe usually about 6 to 8 inches in diameter. The physical length is normally slightly longer than ¼ wavelength of the desired operating frequency. Inside the cavity is a threaded rod which is designed to be rotated to allow its internal length to be adjusted. It is this rod attached to a plunger which determines the resonant frequency of the cavity. Proper adjustment of this rod determines the pass through frequency of the cavity. A similar adjustment of a variable capacitor or inductor determines the notch frequency. It is this notch filter that can give us up to 30db of attenuation at a desired frequency. The pass band filter allows a particular frequency to pass through with no more than 1db of attenuation. At repeater power levels, 30db is not enough attenuation so a second or third cavity is connected in series to increase the attenuation at the desired frequency. The RASON Monitor 3

10 Because all transmitters generate white noise or hiss on a wide band of frequencies, the notch tuning is particularly important on the transmit side of the duplexers. For a 100 watt transmitter, all white noise must be suppressed to an absolute minimum of 87db down for a receiver of.15 micro volt sensitivity. Most transmitters suppress noise at least 40db down from the transmit frequency. This means that we need at least 47db down or a total of 2 or 3 duplexer cavities for the transmit side. A repeater that has inadequate suppression of transmitter white noise is often characterized by the consistent snap, crackle and pop sounds in the receiver. This condition is easily detected by momentarily turning off the repeater transmitter while monitoring the repeater receiver speaker. If the noise is substantially reduced or eliminated with the transmitter off, this may indica te a need to retune the duplexers. With modern receivers with wide dynamic range, the need to suppress the transmitted signal on the receiver side of the duplexers is not as great as the transmit side but is still necessary. A matching set of cavities on the receive side is provided to suppress the transmitted signal enough to prevent overload and desense in the receiver. Without a duplexer, the high level of RF energy from the transmitter would most likely destroy the receiver front end. Tuning of a duplexer is best accomplished using a spectrum analyzer but it is possible to do a fair job using less expensive alternatives. Use of an HT with a watt meter and a dummy load can be used to tune the pass band of each cavity. The notch filter can be tuned using a low power signal generator or HT with an attenuater in conjunction with another HT used to measure received signal strength. Normally each cavity is first tuned separately. Then each cavity is connected one at a time and then re-tuned together. Due to the high cost of duplexers, it is sometimes desirable to home brew a set. Unfortunately, construction of a duplexer is beyond the ability of most amateurs. Construction requires considerable machining skills and equipment. Most of the components must be fabricated. The silver lining used on the inner walls of the copper pipes is extremely hazardous. Commercial duplexers are designed to be temperature compensated and this feature is especially difficult to home brew. Fortunately, most manufacturers offer price discounts to non-profit amateur radio clubs. Despite the high cost, duplexers are an essential part of a repeater system. Using the same antenna for both transmit and receive insures that users who can hear the repeater well should be able to access it with a reasonable amount of RF power. That s it for now. Next time, we will discuss repeater antennas and feed lines. 73, N1HFX The RASON Monitor 4

11 C ALE NDAR OF E VENTS?? THE NEXT RASON MEETING WILL BE HELD ON FEBRUARY 21 ST AT 7:30 P.M. AT THE NORWICHTOWN MALL COMMUNITY ROOM. ALL MEMBERS AND FUTURE MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND. SHARE THE HOBBY WITH A FRIEND AND BRING THEM ALONG TO SEE WHAT WE RE ABOUT. TALK-INS WILL BE PROVIDED BEFORE THE MEETING ON THE AND REPEATER. THE PROGRAM WILL BE ON TRAFFIC HANDLING. THIS WILL BE PRESENTED BY N1PTB. Area NETS?? HORIZONTAL ENGINEERS Nightly at 7:00 p.m. on ?? AREA 4 ARES NET Every Monday Night at 8:00 p.m. on ?? AREA 4 Weather NET Every Wednesday Night at 8:00 on (PL 156.7)?? E.C.T.N. Nightly at 9:00 p.m. on and ?? RASON Phone NET Every Thursday Night at 8:00 p.m. on (+ -)?? CONNECTICUT Phone NET Mon.- Sat at 6:00 p.m. on (+ -) and Sunday at 10:00 a.m.?? THE WEATHER NET will meet on on the First Wednesday of each Month, at 8:00 p.m.?? T.I.P.S. NET Every Tuesday at 7:30 on (PL 156.7) ***********************************?? Check out World 1 Radio on WBCQ MHz Monday nights at 5:45pm. *********************************** RASON CONTACTS President: Mark Noe, KE1IU Vice President: Bruce Adams, KA1ZMZ RASON Monitor Editor: Randy C. Gudeahn, N1PTB P.O Box 161 Taftville, CT n1ptb@arrl.net RASON Monitor Publisher: Mike Martell, N1HFX Classifieds There are no items reported for sale this month. * * *IMPORTANT NOTICE * * * VEOSEC CONNECTICUT CO-CHAIRMEN Michael J. Martell, N1HFX Roy Hilt, K1JNR 74 Lillibridge Road 41 Jerome Road Plainfield, CT Uncasville, CT VEOSEC AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE EXAMINATIONS MARCH 3, 2001 MAY 19, 2001 AUGUST 18, 2001 NOVEMBER 17, 2001 See January 2001 RASON Monitor for details. The RASON Monitor 5

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13 March 2001 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Upcoming Fox Hunt The next Fox Hunt will be held on Sunday, March 11 th. The hunt will start promptly at 12:30 p.m. We will meet at the commuter parking lot, just past the former Norwich State Hospital on Route 12 in Norwich. All are welcome! Refreshments available after fox has been found. H IGHLIGHTS INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 Upcoming Auction and Fox Hunt Information 2 Special News 3 What is a Repeater? (Part 5) 4 Classifieds, Contacts and Important News 5 Advertisements The RASON Monitor 1

14 One Voice Was Heard It was the voice of Dave Carberry, WA1IKN. It all started when I received a call for help from Mike Martell N1HFX the other night. He asked to come over to my shack and align the receiver for the new 6-meter repeater to be installed for the SCRAMS club on top of L&M Hospital in New London. I received a lesson in tuning up a receiver. I hooked my HF rig to the dummy load and keyed the mic down on while Mike made the adjustments to the receiver. I said Lets call Dave Carberry and ask him to make a transmission from his house ingales Ferry knowing he is really into 6 meters. We made the connection to the Comet tri-band antenna at my house, I then called Dave who was in the middle of making a salad for dinner. He put down the salad tongs and headed for the ham shack. He fired up his rig and gave that all too familiar ten count at five wonderful watts. At that point he made amateur radio history, his was the first voice heard on the new receiver. What a triumph for local amateur radio, a six meter repeater in Southeastern Connecticut, how exciting! I hope that when the repeater is up and running, people take the time to use it and enjoy the benefits of having this new repeater instead of a side salad with dinner, food for thought. From the Editors desk, Randy C. Gudeahn N1PTB MS Walk-a-thon The 2001 Multiple Sclerosis Walkathons statewide will be held on Sunday, April 22nd with the exception of Woodstock which will hold their event on the 29th. Ed, K1UQE is coordinating the ham communications for that one. If you would like to come out and help provide health and safety communications on the 22nd for the walk in Groton please contact Kevin, KA6PDG at or kharkins1@juno.com. The event will kick off at the same location as last year (UCONN Avery Point Campus). We gather at about 7:30 AM and disperse to respective locations. Everything concludes around 1 PM. There will also be a need for ham operators on a couple of sag vehicles and we will be looking for one or two net controls. This is always a fun event and is perfect for those who may be newly licensed and have never done a public service communications event. The MS folks always treat us well with coffee and doughnuts in the morning and plenty to eat at lunchtime and of course volunteers get an MS WALK T-shirt. Please let us know if you have questions or would like to sign up to work. The weather is usually very Spring-like but this is New England after all. Last year it snowed. The RASON Monitor 2

15 What Is A Repeater? Part 5 Antennas & Feed Lines By Mike Martell N1HFX In my last article, we discussed repeater duplexers in detail. In this article, we will take a look at repeater feed lines and antennas. Feed lines used for repeaters are normally 50 to 100 feet in length and are designed for lowest possible signal loss at VHF and UHF frequencies. A feed line called Heliax or more commonly called hard line is normally used. Antennas used in repeater systems are normally of the very high gain omni directional type. Repeater antennas must be rugged and able to withstand high winds without breaking. Hard line is usually about ¾ to 1 inch in diameter and offers loss figures as low as ½ db per 100 feet at 146 MHz. Hard line is extremely stiff and lives up to its name when handled. It is not possible to make large bends with hard line, therefore smaller sections of regular coaxial cable called pigtails are used at each end to connect to the antenna and the repeater system. At each end of the hard line special N type female connectors are used to connect the hard line to the pigtails. Hard line is very expensive often costing more than $5 per foot and the special connectors at each end usually cost in excess of $80 each. Fortunately, there are less expensive alternatives to hard line cabling. The LMR600 coax from Times Microwave costs about $2 per foot and offers loss figures comparable but a little higher than hard line. The special N type connectors cost about $25 each. Like hard line, this coax is very stiff and requires the use of pigtails. Repeater antennas are required to have very large gain as well as a very low radiation angle. Without this low radiation angle, mobiles and handheld radios in low elevation areas will not be able to access the repeater very well. While ¼ wave ground planes have a low radiation angle, they may not have adequate gain for many repeater applications. To achieve high gain, most repeater antennas are of the collinear type. A collinear antenna uses multiple ¼ wave elements connected in phase. Because of the multiple connections, the antenna must be enclosed in a rigid casing to prevent connections from separating during high winds. It is possible to achieve good results with lower gain antennas if the antenna is mounted at a very high location. If the antenna is not located in the middle of the desired coverage area, it is sometimes desirable to use a partially directional antenna. Antennas with a special radiation pattern can be used to maximize coverage in a more densely populated area. This can be very useful with antennas located on the shoreline. By maximizing the radiation pattern to the inland area, RF energy will not be wasted over the ocean. That s the end of our series on repeaters. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. 73, N1HFX The RASON Monitor 3

16 C ALENDAR OF E VENTS?? THE NEXT RASON MEETING WILL BE HELD ON MARCH 21 ST AT 7:30 P.M. AT THE NORWICHTOWN MALL COMMUNITY ROOM. ALL MEMBERS AND FUTURE MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND. SHARE THE HOBBY WITH A FRIEND AND BRING THEM ALONG TO SEE WHAT WE RE ABOUT. TALK-INS WILL BE PROVIDED BEFORE THE MEETING ON THE AND REPEATER. THE PROGRAM WILL BE THE SECOND PART OF TRAFFIC HANDLING. THIS WILL AGAIN BE PRESENTED BY N1PTB.?? FOX HUNT MARCH 11 TH (SEE PAGE 1)?? RASON AUCTION MARCH 31 ST (SEE PAGE 1) Area NETS?? HORIZONTAL ENGINEERS Nightly at 7:00 p.m. on ?? AREA 4 ARES NET Every Monday Night at 8:00 p.m. on ?? AREA 4 Weather NET Every Wednesday Night at 8:00 on (PL 156.7)?? E.C.T.N. Nightly at 9:00 p.m. on and ?? RASON Phone NET Every Thursday Night at 8:00 p.m. on (+ -)?? CONNECTICUT Phone NET Mon.- Sat at 6:00 p.m. on (+ -) and Sunday at 10:00 a.m.?? THE WEATHER NET will meet on on the First Wednesday of each Month, at 8:00 p.m.?? T.I.P.S. NET Every Tuesday at 7:30 on (PL 156.7) ************************ ***********?? Check out World 1 Radio on WBCQ MHz Monday nights at 5:45pm. RASON CONTACTS President: Mark Noe, KE1IU Vice President: Bruce Adams, KA1ZMZ RASON Monitor Editor: Randy C. Gudeahn, N1PTB P.O Box 161 Taftville, CT n1ptb@arrl.net RASON Monitor Publisher: Mike Martell, N1HFX Classifieds There are no items reported for sale this month. * * *IMPORTANT NOTICE * * * VEOSEC CONNECTICUT CO-CHAIRMEN Michael J. Martell, N1HFX Roy Hilt, K1JNR 74 Lillibridge Road 41 Jerome Road Plainfield, CT Uncasville, CT VEOSEC AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE EXAMINATIONS MAY 19, 2001 AUGUST 18, 2001 NOVEMBER 17, 2001 See January 2001 RASON Monitor for details. The RASON Monitor 4

17 Call Lentini s at or The RASON Monitor 5

18 April 2001 JOIN IN ON THE PUBLIC SERVICE SIDE OF AMATEUR RADIO Spring, summer and fall bring a flurry of always interesting events that rely on Amateur Radio communications to happen successfully and safely. It has even been said that the peep frogs and red winged black birds know that it's spring when they here that the MS Walk is about to take place. Welcome the season of nature's annual renewal and the advent of nicer weather by helping out at this year's Multiple Sclerosis Walkathon in Groton on Sunday, April 22nd. It's a 10 kilometer walk which begins and ends at the Avery Point UCONN Extension Campus and is one of nine such major fund raisers held simultaneously statewide to find a cure for this cunning and tragic disease. Perhaps the greatest thing about ham radio is that we can have fun, learn, and experiment while providing service to our communities. Amateurs with 2-meter radios provide communications as a free public service for this and other events throughout the year. Handling logistical communications for the event officials and coordinators allows us to practice our verbal communications and technical skill. Supporting appropriate response in the event a participant is injured or becomes lost is what ham radio is all about. The annual MS Walkathon usually goes smoothly and I recommend it for all Amateurs with a few free hours and it's a very user-friendly event for the new ham who may not have much experience on the air. What could be better than learning while enjoying hopefully pleasant weather and meeting a lot of friendly folks who value our assistance. And for the hungry ones, KA6PDG rates the MS food and refreshment service with five stars. They always treat us well... coffee and doughnuts at the start... salads and sandwiches and juice and soft drink for lunch and a complementary National Multiple Sclerosis Society T-shirt for every volunteer. The event takes place on the Sunday after Easter. Hams need to meet at Avery Point at 7:45 AM for coordination and assignments to several rest stops and a couple of mobile sag vans. Bring a HT with extra battery or two, a Mag mount antenna if you have one, pencil and paper for writing down messages and a smile. Everything wraps up about 1:30 in the afternoon but several venues close earlier so even if you can only help out for a couple of hours we could still use you. For our younger operators who might not drive there's very likely another Amateur who would be happy to give you a ride so don't be shy about asking. We're all here to help each other. If you would like to sign up to work the event or if you have questions please contact me, Kevin, KA6PDG on repeater or at Peace and 73; Kevin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Upcoming Fox Hunt The next Fox Hunt will be held on Sunday, April 29 th. The hunt will start promptly at 12:30 p.m. We will meet at the commuter parking lot, just past the former Norwich State Hospital on Route 12 in Norwich. All are welcome! Refreshments available after fox has been found. H IGHLIGHTS INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 RASON Auction and Upcoming Fox Hunt 2 Using Op Amp IC s 3 Two Birds with One Stone 4 Two Birds with One Stone (continued) 5 Two Birds with One Stone (continued) 6 Classifieds, Contacts and Important News 7 Advertisements The RASON Monitor 1

19 Using Op Amp IC s By Mike Martell N1HFX With the availability and low cost of Op Amp IC s, there is little need to design a low level audio amplifier with discrete components. The performance and low cost of Op Amps make them the ideal choice in many applications and are actually easier to use than conventional transistor circuits. In this article, we will review the basic design techniques for low level audio amplifier designs suitable for amateur applications. Operational amplifiers are inexpensive, easy to use and offer a very large amount of gain. These IC's come in a variety of packages with 1, 2 or 4 complete Op Amps in a single IC. Op Amps have two inputs called the non-inverting and the inverting designated by the plus and minus sign, respectively. Op Amps are actually differential amplifiers because they amplify the difference between the inverting and the noninverting inputs. Op amps will normally operate from any supply voltage in the 6 to 15 volt range. While intended for dual power supply operation, Op Amps can be easily configured to a single power supply by the use of a resistor network. In the above example, resistors R3 and R4 place a voltage of 1/2 of the supply voltage across the non-inverting input which causes the output voltage to also be 1/2 of the supply voltage forming a sort of bias voltage. Resistors R3 and R4 can be any value from 1K to 100K but in all cases they should be equal. An additional.1uf capacitor has been added to the noninverting input to reduce noise caused by this configuration. The use of coupling capacitors for input and output is required for this configuration. The gain of this circuit is determined by resistors R1 and R2 and is calculated by the following Voltage Gain = R2 / R1 R1 can be any value from 470 to 10K. Because Op Amps have input impedances as high as several hundred thousand ohms or greater, any input power lost through R1 is insignificant. R2 can be any value from 10K to 1M. R2 actually limits the gain of the Op Amp by providing a form of negative feedback. Op Amps typically have voltage gains between 20,000 to 200,000. In no case should the voltage gain set by R2 / R1 be greater than 1,000. The voltage gain is essentially independent of the supply voltage. Because of the extremely high gain afforded by operational amplifiers, precautions are often needed when very high gains (greater than 100) are used. The use of a 1 to 10 ohm resistor and a 100uf capacitor connected to the Vcc terminal of the Op Amp will isolate the power source and prevent oscillations. While the actual amount of gain can be accurately controlled by selecting the necessary values of R1 and R2, It is sometimes necessary to have a variable resistor on the output to control gain as indicated in the below example. The RASON Monitor 2

20 One interesting property of the 741 Op Amp is the fact that it has a maximum output power of 250 milliwatts. This is enough power to drive a small speaker or headphone. It is recommended that 2 or more Op Amps be cascaded to achieve this much gain without causing instability problems. As we can see from the above, Op Amps offer us a lot of gain for the buck. They have a very predictable amount of gain and are very stable. Op Amps are often our best choice for most low level audio circuits. 73, N1HFX TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE By Paul Towne Last year Linda and I were very fortunate to be able to experience an adventure that combined two hobbies that we love into one activity. In the late winter I read the book 200 Meters and Down which is the story of early amateur radio written by Clinton B. DeSoto. A short time later I was looking at the 75, 50 and 25 Years Ago section of QST magazine. I noticed that in QST of 1925 there had been a couple of articles about how Dr. Donald B. MacMillan was taking the schooner Bowdoin on a voyage of arctic exploration and shortwave radio contacts would be attempted from the far north for the first time. Linda and I had just finished a book about Admiral Peary s North Pole attempts with MacMillan so all of this caught our attention. Then, in the early spring, we received a catalogue from the Elderhostel program that offered a one-week educational experience sailing on the schooner Bowdoin on Penobscot Bay in Maine. The Bowdoin is owned and operated by the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine. What could be better? We could have some fun sailing on a two-masted auxiliary schooner rich in Arctic exploration history, attend maritime classes at the school, and stand on a boat that was part of early amateur radio history. We quickly sent in a registration request. Then we called ARRL and ordered a copy of the July 1925 QST article on the Radio Equipment of the Navy-MacMillan Arctic Expedition. After we read the old QST article we were chomping at the bit to get to Castine and board the Bowdoin. Unfortunately, the trip wasn t scheduled until August so while we were waiting, I sent an to Elliot Rappaport, the Bowdoin s captain. In the I explained that Linda and I were amateur radio operators scheduled to attend the sailing program, and asked if he knew of any documentation regarding the schooner Bowdoin s part in early radio experimentation in the Arctic. He replied and said that there were some dusty boxes in his office that contained assorted papers from the Zenith Radio Corporation employees and others that covered the subject. We could review these papers when we came up to sail on the Bowdoin. Finally the day came to drive to Castine and begin the adventure. We had a great week on the 88 foot Arctic exploration schooner and true to his word, Captain Rappaport let us review and copy some very interesting documents on the Bowdoin s relationship with early radio. Here are some of the articles I think you will enjoy. The RASON Monitor 3

21 FROM: Ted Leitzell Zenith Radio Corporation Chicago 39, Illinois FACT SHEET SUBJECT: How Admiral Donald B. MacMillan and the Bowdoin made radio history. When Admiral (then Commander) Donald B. MacMillan set sail for North Greenland in the summer of 1923 on his eighth Arctic expedition, he was leading the first such expedition to be equipped with radio. Prior to 1923 every Arctic exploring party was lost to the world from the time it plunged into the icy silence of the Polar Regions until it again made physical contact with civilization. Some failed to return, and hundreds of men perished, in many cases because they lacked communication with the outside. On virtually all expeditions, growing boredom led to friction, fights, killings, even mutinies. Strangely enough, MacMillan was at first reluctant to put radio equipment on the Bowdoin for fear it might make his men homesick, and did so only after considerable urging from his life-long friend, Commander E. F. McDonald, Jr., president of infant Zenith Radio Corporation. McDonald told him that men became bored with each other because they ran out of new things to talk about after hearing each other s autobiography and opinions a few dozen times. He said that news from home would provide new subjects and interest, that the ability of the Bowdoin to send out messages would be a god-send to friends and relatives of expedition members, and might even be an important safety factor. In the early twenties radio was still very young. Virtually all wireless communication was on what are today standard broadcast and long wave bands. With sufficient power these wave bands would provide respectable distance at night, but during daylight their range was so short that ships at sea were out of touch with land when only a few hundred miles from shore. What was called short wave, the ash can, in those days is now the home of television, FM broadcasting, radar, and virtually all new services invented since It was then considered to be commercially worthless, and was turned over to radio amateurs as a playground. These uninhibited youngsters, dubbed hams, did not know their channels were worthless and began experimenting. Soon they were achieving amazing distances with minimum power. McDonald knew what the hams were doing because on Zenith s staff were many amateurs who built radio sets at the factory by day and sat up half the night talking with other hams hundreds and thousands of miles away. He was convinced that even with the small power available MacMillan would be able to get messages t hrough to the United States by short wave. He was not concerned about getting messages through to MacMillan during the Arctic night because after dark sensitive receivers would be able to pick up powerful broadcast stations, even when the Bowdoin was ice locked near the Pole. On board the Bowdoin as a radio operator was Donald Mix, a young ham selected by Hiram Percy Maxim, president of the American Radio Relay League. For a time after battening down for the winter, the Bowdoin made no outside contact, but the signal was finally picked up by a fourteen year old named Everett Sutton who lived in the state of Washington. Thereafter, communications presented no problem. McDonald had a regular schedule of broadcasts from Zenith s powerful station, WJAZ in C hicago, sending messages and greetings to expedition members. Answers came back by short wave relayed by amateurs from all parts of the country. MacMillan heard of Harding s death by radio on the day it occurred, in contrast to the years he was in the Arctic after the outbreak of World War I before he knew of the conflict. Mac has never gone to the Arctic since without good radio equipment. The MacMillan-National Geographic Expedition of 1925 was more ambitious than that of 1923, and produced even more spectacular radio history. When the Bowdoin sailed she had a sister ship, the Peary, skippered by Commander McDonald who was second in command of the expedition. Both ships were outfitted with new Zenith short wave equipment, considerably improved as a result of progress since The RASON Monitor 4

22 On the Peary were three U. S. Navy airplanes and a Naval contingent headed by Richard E. Byrd, who later achieved fame for aerial exploration in both the Arctic and Antarctic. Along with the airplanes, the Navy provided a po werful long wave radio. MacMillan and McDonald both felt that it would be of little or no value, but dutifully carried it along. In spite of continued efforts, the long wave job never made a successful transmission after they were north of Labrador, while the short wave equipment kept right on hanging up new records for long distance transmission. On the other side of the continent, the U. S. Fleet was steaming across the Pacific on a good will cruise. On board the flagship Seattle was a young ham named Fred Schnell, commissioned for the cruise at the suggestion of McDonald. Most of the fleet s communications officers looked on his homemade ham equipment with derision, but he received warm support from Commander (later Admiral) Stanford C. Hooper, who was already interested in the potentialities of short wave. As the fleet steamed west and the MacMillan expedition north, they kept in direct contact by short wave. Half way up the coast of Greenland, McDonald stopped to coal the Peary, but found that the Danish Governor would no permit him to refuel without authorization from the Danish ministry in Washington. McDonald asked him to radio for it, but the Governor s powerful long wave transmitter could not reach out in daylight. This was June. It did not get dark until September, and McDonald needed coal. So, he sent a message by short wave to a radio ham in Washington, who bicycled to the Danish Ministry, and radioed back permission within the hour. In August, the Bowdoin reached Etah, Greenland, within eleven degrees of the North Pole, while the fleet was off the coast of Tasmania. From that position the fleet was completely our of direct radio contact with the United States by its long wave radio. Messages had to be relayed by cable through Australia or New Zealand, but Schnell s pin-box radio kept up regular communications with amateurs in all parts of the United States. The Bowdoin at this time was in 24 hour daylight, but maintained regular contact with Schnell. One occasion when, for a few hours, atmospheric conditions caused messages from the Seattle to skip Chicago, Schnell was anxious to get some through to a convention of the American Radio Relay League in that city. One of MacMillan s operators, Paul McGee, heard him, copied the messages, and relayed them to Chicago. That set a new distance record: Tasmania, to near the North Pole, to central U. S. A. One day when conditions were particularly good, MacMillan put on a group of Eskimos to sing for Admiral Coontz on the Seattle, almost half the world away. He likened their singing to a college yell, which MacMillan says is the best description yet. That was the start of practical use of short wave in the United States Navy. The navies and merchant marines of the world soon followed, as did international communication. McDonald also provided radio transmitters and receivers for the Navy airplanes used on the expedition to permit ready contact with the radio equipment of the Bowdoin. One of these transceivers is on exhibition on the Bowdoin. Through the years Zenith kept the Bowdoin s radio room in tip-top shape with the most modern and up-to-date equipment. When good commercial equipment became available the company discontinued its manufacture of handmade transmitters for the Bowdoin, but sent engineers down before each expedition to check everything over and make sure it was in top condition. In 1941, MacMillan took with him to the Arctic the prototype of a long wave, short wave portable, since become world famous as the Zenith Trans-Oceanic. McDonald authorized its production only after he received a radiogram from MacMillan which read: McDonald-Zenith-Chicago. In all my years in the Arctic I have never been able to keep in touch with the outside world as I have been able to with the Zenith Trans-Oceanic portable. MacMillan. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ The schooner Bowdoin has been refurbished since it was built and none of the original radio equipment is on board today but Linda and I were able to stand on the very deck in the very same compartment where this radio history was made. If you would like to read more about the Bowdoin, MacMillan or Elderhostel, I suggest the following web pages: s Paul and Linda The RASON Monitor 5

23 C ALENDAR OF E VENTS?? THE NEXT RASON MEETING WILL BE HELD ON APRIL 18 TH AT 7:30 P.M. AT THE NORWICHTOWN MALL COMMUNITY ROOM. ALL MEMBERS AND FUTURE MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND. SHARE THE HOBBY WITH A FRIEND AND BRING THEM ALONG TO SEE WHAT WE RE ABOUT. TALK-INS WILL BE PROVIDED BEFORE THE MEETING ON THE AND REPEATER.?? FOX HUNT WILL BE HELD ON APRIL 29 TH AT 12:30 P.M. (SEE PAGE 1 FOR DETAILS). Area NETS?? HORIZONTAL ENGINEERS Nightly at 7:00 p.m. on ?? AREA 4 ARES NET Every Monday Night at 8:00 p.m. on ?? AREA 4 Weather NET Every Wednesday Night at 8:00 on (PL 156.7)?? E.C.T.N. Nightly at 9:00 p.m. on and ?? RASON Phone NET Every Thursday Night at 8:00 p.m. on (+ -)?? CONNECTICUT Phone NET Mon.- Sat at 6:00 p.m. on (+ -) and Sunday at 10:00 a.m.?? THE WEATHER NET will meet on on the First Wednesday of each Month, at 8:00 p.m.?? T.I.P.S. NET Every Tuesday at 7:30 on (PL 156.7) ***********************************?? Check out World 1 Radio on WBCQ MHz Monday nights at 5:45pm. *********************************** RASON CONTACTS President: Mark Noe, KE1IU Vice President: Bruce Adams, KA1ZMZ RASON Monitor Editor: Randy C. Gudeahn, N1PTB P.O Box 161 Taftville, CT n1ptb@arrl.net RASON Monitor Publisher: Mike Martell, N1HFX Classifieds There are no items reported for sale this month. * * *IMPORTANT NOTICE * * * VEOSEC CONNECTICUT CO-CHAIRMEN Michael J. Martell, N1HFX Roy Hilt, K1JNR 74 Lillibridge Road 41 Jerome Road Plainfield, CT Uncasville, CT VEOSEC AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE EXAMINATIONS MAY 19, 2001 AUGUST 18, 2001 NOVEMBER 17, 2001 See January 2001 RASON Monitor for details. The RASON Monitor 6

24 Call Lentini s at or The RASON Monitor 7

25 May 2001 Six Meter Repeater Listing Here is a Six meter repeater listing that is accurate. This list was compiled by Dave Carberry, WA1IKN. Thanks to Dave for his time and effort getting this list together. Connecticut Output Input CTCSS Call Location Comments K1JCL Coventry Amp Moduln WA1LMV Burlington WA1IXU Bristol W1GPD Tolland W1OBQ East Hartland Links East Hartland, Fall River, MA, Mt. Uncanoonuc, NH KJ1Q Terryville Full time link East Hampton /88.5 Terryville /88.5 Rocky Hill /88.5 Rocky Hill /123.0 Terryville /123.0 Terryville /88.5 Rocky Hill 29.64/29.54 Internet Phone Computer KJ1Q1@AMEXOL.NET WA1NXG Bolton KD1RJ Bridgeport NE1A Salem Est on air 5/ W1NLC New London Est on air 5/2001, L & M Hospital; 25 watts SCRAMS KD1RJ Bridgeport Linked to Fairfield K1IKE East Haddam Temporary rep. On 35 ft. twoer at K1IKE s QTH. Will get new freqs. And PL in future H IGHLIGHTS INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 Connecticut Six Meter Repeater Listing 2-3 Six Meter Repeater Listing (various states) 4-6 Designing Bipolar Transistor Audio Pre-Amplifiers 7 Classifieds, Contacts and Important News 8 Advertisements The RASON Monitor 1

26 Massachusetts Output Input CTCSS Call Location Comments WA1HZK Danvers Aux. Input. Link to Deerfield, NH WA1HZK Danvers Main input W1OJ Bolton W1DC Billerica N1PAH Pelham WA1VVH Pepperell Off the air K1LU Sandwich Off the air W1OBQ Templeton K2FFL North Adams Mt. Greylock WA1HUD Winchester WA1NVC Framingham K1KZE Princeton Mt. Wachusett K1USN Quincy On USS Salem KD1XP Amherst KA1NAH Jefferson WA1AIC Dennis Future KA1TIH Marlborough Link / off N1KUY Winchendon WA1NIC Westfield Off the air W1OJ Maynard KA1OXQ Oakham KA1RTD Plymouth W1BRI Marlborough Remote input from Berlin KA1SRD Fitchburg Link off the air KB1FVK Boston N1NMX Pepperell N1LDY Fall River New Hampshire Output Input CTCSS Call Location Comments NH? WA1HZK Deerfield Aux. Input. Link to 52.42/53.42 Danvers MA, , WA1HZK Deerfield Main input. Link to 52.42/53.42 Danvers MA, , W1OBZ Mt. Washington The RASON Monitor 2

27 New Hampshire (continued) Output Input CTCSS Call Location Comments W1KGZ Manchester Off the air WA1HZK Goffstown Mt. Uncanoonut Aux. Input is off the air. Links 52.42/53.04/ / WA1HZK Goffstown Mt. Uncanoonut Main input is off the air. Links 52.42/53.04/ / KA1OKQ Concord Records inputs then rebroadcasts N1IMO Temple Off the air N1VQQ Hudson Links to: Maine Output Input CTCSS Call Location Comments K1AAM Arundel W1IMD Woodstock Spruce Mtn W1ZOU Parsonsfield Links KC1CG Washington Lenfest Mtn N3LYT Portland Vermont No 6-meter repeaters Rhode Island Output Input CTCSS Call Location Comments W1IMD Cranston 100 watts. At 160 Ft. Est. on air 4/ W1PEV Burriville Buck Hill At 85 ft. on fire tower 765 ft. AMSL West Greenwich Future The RASON Monitor 3

28 Designing Bipolar Transistor Audio Pre-Amplifiers By Mike Martell N1HFX With the availability of high performance IC s, it may not make much sense today to design an audio pre -amplifier from transistors. However, the knowledge and experience gained will later become essential in the design of RF amplifier circuits. The basic principles of audio amplifier design also apply to RF amplifier design. In this article, we will review the basic design techniques for low level audio amplifier circuits using common bipolar NPN transistors. Before attempting to design a transistor amplifier circuit, it is necessary to acquaint ourselves with some very important design equations. The most commonly used design equations are listed to the right to help us with our effort. The first few equations are derived from ohms law and you should already be familiar with them. The bottom two equations deal with transistor gain and are equally important to our work. The formula for hfe refers to the ratio of collector current (Ic) to base current (Ib). For most modern transistors it is typically in the 50 to 100 range. To insure a circuit will always work properly, it is safe to assume a value of 50 for modern transistors. At this time, we need to make some decisions about our audio preamplifier circuit. For this design example we will choose the following: Vcc = 12 V Our supply voltage Ic = 5 ma Our collector current hfe = 50 Assume gain of at least 50 Q1 = 2N3904 A common NPN transistor With all those big decisions made, we can now begin our design. Using the one of the hfe formulas, we will now calculate the base current as follows: Ib = Ic / hfe Ib =.005 / 50 =.1 ma Lets calculate R1, the collector load resistor, as follows: R1 = 1/2Vcc /.005 R1 = 6 /.005 = 1200 Notice above that we assumed 1/2 of the supply voltage to be dropped across R1. This is necessary to insure that the amplifier remains in the linear operating range of the transistor. We need to determine how m uch voltage is to appear across the emitter resistor, R2, before we calculate its value. A good value is anywhere between 5 to 10 percent of Vcc. For this circuit we will use 1 volt which is about 8 percent of Vcc. Resistor R2 is now calculated as follows: R2 = 1 / (Ic + Ib) R2 = 1 / ( ) = 196 (Both the base and collector currents flows through this resistor) Because the voltage across the base to emitter of a silicon transistor is always.7 volts, the voltage from the base to ground is.7 plus the 1 volt drop across R2 for a total of 1.7 volts. This 1.7 volts happens to be the voltage drop across resistor R4. In order to provide a stiff base voltage, resistor R4 should have a current of about 5 to 10 times the base current. For this example, we will assume 9 times the base current for a total of.9 ma. Resistor R4 can now be calculated as follows: R4 = 1.7 volts /.0009 = 1889 The RASON Monitor 4

29 If the voltage drop across R4 is 1.7 volts then the voltage drop across R3 must be for a total of 10.3 volts. The current through R3 is the total of the current through R4 (.9ma) and the base current (.1ma) for a total of 1 ma. R3 can now be calculated as follows: R3 = 10.3 /.001 = Now that we have calculated all our resistor values, we will select the nearest standard values as indicated below: R1 = 1.2K R2 = 180 R3 = 10K R4 = 1.8K The circuit at right is the result of our design efforts. 4.7uF capacitors were use for input and output coupling and slightly larger or small values could be used satisfactorily. Notice the optional 4.7uf capacitor across the emitter resistor R2. This capacitor increases the current gain to the hfe of the particular transistor used. This emitter bypass capacitor should only be used when the maximum amount of gain is desired without regard to a predictable level of gain. Remember, hfe will vary from transistor to transistor even though they have the same part number and even if they were produced by the same manufacturer. It is always better to assume an hfe that is at least 20% less than that specified by the manufacturer. One common error that designers make is that they forget to calculate the actual power that each resistor will dissipate in a circuit. Failure to perform these calculations can sometimes result in a resistor exceeding its maximum power level and cause premature resistor failure. This is particularly important for circuits which have collector currents exceeding 40 milli-amps. Fortunately, power ratings for each of our resistors in this circuit can be easily calculated as follows: R1 = 6 Volts *.005 Amps =.03 Watts R2 = 1 Volt *.0051 Amps =.0051 Watts R3 = 10.3 Volts *.001 Amps =.0103 Watts R4 = 1.7 Volts *.0009 Amps = Watts The preceding calculations indicate that 1/4 watt, 5% resistors are adequate for this design. Although our preceding circuit does have substantial gain, lets design a second stage to the previous circuit to further increase gain. Before we can begin our design we must make those all important design decisions again as indicated below: Q1 = 2N3904 Vcc = 12V Ic = 10ma hfe = 50 Vr2 = 1V (8% of Vcc) Ir4 = 9 times Ib Now were ready to calculate our resistor values as follows: R1 = 6/.010 = 600 Ib =.01/50 =.0002 R2 = 1/(Ic + Ib) = 1/( ) = 98 Ir4 = 9 *.0002 =.0018 R4 = (1 +.7)/.0018 = 944 R3 = ( )/( ) = 10.3 /.002 = 5150 We will select standard resistor values as follows: The RASON Monitor 5

30 R1 = 560 R2 = 100 R3 = 5.1K R4 = 1K The circuit at the above right is the result of our design efforts. 10uF capacitors were used for output coupling and optional emitter bypass. Slightly larger or smaller capacitor values could also be used satisfactorily. As always, the emitter bypass capacitor should only be used when the maximum amount of gain is desired without regard to a predictable level of gain. Now lets add the two transistor stages together to get the resulting circuit below:. Because of the large amount of gain obtained with this circuit, we added a 10K variable resistor at the output as a gain control. This circuit will provide good results for almost any microphone pre -amplifer application. Incidentally, we can substitute a 2N2222A, 2N4401 or any general purpose NPN with a minimum hfe of 50 for the 2N3904 transistor used in this design example. There are many general purpose NPN transistors that can be easily used in this circuit with good results. Perhaps a good exercise for the designer is to recalculate all of the above resistor values using a Vcc of 9 volts which will allow the use of a 9 volt battery. Now that we got our hands wet designing these circuits, lets summarize what we've learned below: Vcc = Supply Voltage Hfe = Absolute minimum current gain for the selected transistor Ic = Selected collector current Ib = Ic / hfe (base current) Vr1 = 1/2 Vcc Vr2 = 5 to 10% of Vcc Vr3 = Vcc Vr2 Vr4 =.7 + Vr2 Ir4 = 5 to 10 times Ib R1 = 1/2Vcc / Ic 73, N1HFX The RASON Monitor 6

31 C ALENDAR O F E VENTS?? THE NEXT RASON MEETIN G WILL BE?? HELD ON MAY 16 TH AT 7:30 P.M. AT THE NORWICHTOWN MALL COMMUNITY ROOM. ALL MEMBERS AND FUTURE MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND. SHARE THE HOBBY WITH A FRIEND AND BRING THE M ALONG TO SEE WHAT WE RE ABOUT. TALK-INS WILL BE PROVIDED BEFORE T HE MEETING ON THE AND REPEATER. Area NETS?? HORIZONTAL ENGINEERS Nightly at 7:00 p.m. on ?? AREA 4 ARES NET Every Monday Night at 8:00 p.m. on ?? AREA 4 Weather NET Every Wednesday Night at 8:00 on (PL 156.7)?? E.C.T.N. Nightly at 9:00 p.m. on and ?? RASON Phone NET Every Thursday Night at 8:00 p.m. on (+ -)?? CONNECTICUT Phone NET Mon.- Sat at 6:00 p.m. on (+ -) and Sunday at 10:00 a.m.?? THE WEATHER NET will meet on on the First Wednesday of each Month, at 8:00 p.m.?? T.I.P.S. NET Every Tuesday at 7:30 on (PL 156.7) ***********************************?? Check out World 1 Radio on WBCQ MHz Monday nights at 5:45pm. ********************************** * RASON CONTACTS President: Mark Noe, KE1IU Vice President: Bruce Adams, KA1ZMZ RASON Monitor Editor: Randy C. Gudeahn, N1PTB P.O Box 161 Taftville, CT n1ptb@arrl.net RASON Monitor Publisher: Mike Martell, N1HFX Classifieds There are no items reported for sale this month. * * *IMPORTANT NOTICE * * * VEOSEC CONNECTICUT CO-CHAIRMEN Michael J. Martell, N1HFX Roy Hilt, K1JNR 74 Lillibridge Road 41 Jerome Road Plainfield, CT Uncasville, CT VEOSEC AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE EXAMINATIONS MAY 19, 2001 AUGUST 18, 2001 NOVEMBER 17, 2001 See January 2001 RASON Monitor for details. The RASON Monitor 7

32 Call Lentini s at or The RASON Monitor 8

33 June 2001 The New Six Meter Repeater Built by Mike Martell The Repeater That Mike Built By Randy Gudeahn, N1PTB - Editor This is the new 6-meter repeater that is a joint effort between Mike Martell (N1HFX) and the SCRAMS club to generate great enthusiasm in 6-meters. These photos were taken at my QTH when Mike came over to make the final adjustments as I was transmitting off my HF rig. Once the basic adjustments were made, we called Dave, WA1IKN in Gales Ferry to make some low power transmissions. Congratulations to Mike for his expertise in building this fine repeater! H IGHLIGHTS INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 Six Meter Repeater 2 Field Day and Red Cross News 3-4 Using Transistors as Switches 5 Classifieds, Contacts and Important News 6 Advertisements The RASON Monitor 1

34 FIELD DAY 2001 RASON will have its field day on Saturday, June 23 to Sunday June 24 at the CCC Youth Area of Pachaug State Forest in Voluntown, Connecticut. We will also have the traditional hamburger and hotdog barbecue at 6:00 PM. Your Chef will be Mike Martell. Looking for help with setup, operating, eating and clean up. If interested, please contact Mike Martell, N1HFX at ARC/EX 2001 American Red Cross South Eastern Connecticut Chapter Three Chapters of the American Red Cross in Connecticut are participating in a drill called ARC/EX 2001 on November 30th and December 1st This drill includes a 24 hour period beginning at 6:00 PM on Friday November 30, 2001 and ends at 6:00 PM Saturday December 1, During this 24 hour period The ARC EOC will be opening along with (2) shelters. Now the catch... The Red Cross is seeking help from the three local radio clubs and area amateurs to support this important exercise. We are looking for amateurs to participate during this 24 hour exercise to be stationed at the EOC or at the shelters to support Red Cross Operations. Contact Bruce Adams, KA1ZM at Using Transistors As Switches By Mike Martell N1HFX While transistors have many uses, one of the less known uses by amateurs is the ability for bipolar transistors to turn things on and off. While there are limitations as to what we can switch on and off, transistor switches offer lower cost and substantial reliability over conventional mechanical relays. In this article, we will review the basic principles for transistor switches using common bipolar transistors. The most commonly used transistor switch is the PNP variety shown in Figure 1. The secret to making a transistor switch work properly is to get the transistor in a saturation state. For this to happen we need to know the maximum load current for the device to be turned on and the minimum HFE of the transistor. For example, if we have a load that requires 100MA of current and a transistor with a minimum HFE of 100, we can then calculate the minimum base current required to saturate the transistor as follows: Minimum base current = 100 MA / 100 Minimum base current = 1 MA The RASON Monitor 2

35 In actual practice, it is best to calculate about 30% more current than we will need to guarantee our transistor switch is always saturated. In this case, we will use 1.3 MA. We must also select our supply voltage, so for this example we will use 12 volts. We can now calculate resistor R1 in the circuit as follows: Minimum HFE = 100 Maximum Current Required = 100MA Supply Voltage = 12 Volts R1 = Supply Voltage / ( Maximum Current Required / Minimum HFE * 1.3 ) R1 = 12 / (.1 / 100 * 1.3) R1 = or 10K for nearest standard value. Resistor R2 is not essential to this circuit but is generally used for stability and to insure that the transistor switch is completely turned off. This resistor insures that the base of the transistor does not go slightly negative which would cause a very small amount of collector current to flow. The value of this resistor is not critical but a value about 10 times R1 is normally chosen. For this circuit we will calculate R2 to be 10 times R1 as follows: R2 = 10 * R2 = 100K To turn on our transistor switch all that is needed is to short resistor R1 to the negative ground. While PNP transistors are normally used for a negative ground configuration, it is possible use a NPN transistor if a positive ground configuration is desired as indicated in Figure 2. The calculation of resistor values is identical to the PNP version. However, in the NPN transistor, R1 must be shorted to the positive end of the supply to turn the switch on. While our transistor switch can easily replace many mechanical relays, it does have a few drawbacks. The maximum design current must not be exceeded or the output voltage will be reduced. A short circuit of the output will overheat and destroy the transistor in many cases. Although the transistor is in saturation when turned on, about.3 volts is lost through the collector to the emitter of the transistor. We must also insure that the maximum power dissipation of the transistor is not exceeded. We can calculate the power dissipation by multiplying the current by.3 volts. In the case of 100 MA, the transistor must be able to withstand 30 milliwatts (.3 times.1). The RASON Monitor 3

36 Transistor switches are used for a wide variety of applications. Many amateurs will notice that the circuit in Figure 1 is used as the PTT in many transmitter circuits. Transistor switches are commonly used to turn on transmitter circuits, LED s, cooling fans and even relays. However, when using a transistor to turn on a relay coil, it is very important to use a 1N4001 diode reversed biased in parallel with the relay coil as in Figure 3. This is to prevent the kickback voltage in the reverse polarity from destroying the transistor. This reverse voltage occurs momentarily when the normal current stops flowing through the coil. It is good practice to always use a diode when turning on any inductive load. Transistor switches are often used to take the low-level output from logic circuits to turn on or turn off a particular device. The actual transistor used as a switch is not critical in these applications. Virtually any general purpose NPN or PNP transistor can be used as a switch. All that is needed is to know the minimum HFE and the power dissipation of the transistor. While most all transistors in a TO-92 case will have HFE s of at least 100, many power transistors in TO-220 cases often have an HFE no greater than 25. It is essential to know the HFE or Beta of a transistor, so that we can have a large enough base current to achieve saturation. If a power transistor is used to turn on a high current device, it may be necessary to use another lower current transistor switch to drive a transistor switch used in a high current application. This is especially important when using a low current logic output from a CMOS IC. While there are a few applications where our transistor switches may not be suitable, it is usually a much more reliable and inexpensive alternative to using mechanical relays. These circuits are low in cost and offer ease of design for the radio amateur. 73, N1HFX Eastern Connecticut Traffic Net (ECTN) Needs You! As of late, there has been very little participation in your local Traffic Net (ECTN). Please use this net for what it is designed for, SENDING TRAFFIC or PRACTICE. The net meets every night at 9:00pm on the RASON repeaters, and Why not send a message to a relative, friend, or your fellow ham? It doesn t take much to send a message, if you have never sent one, we will show you how to on the net. Try being a Net Control, we are always looking for new NCS s to fill in or take Friday night, which is open at this time. I can t stress this enough, this net is here to provide training in traffic handling in the event of a disaster where all other means of communication are disabled. Support your local Traffic Net, it only takes a few minutes out of your busy day! 73, Randy, N1PTB The RASON Monitor 4

37 C ALENDAR OF E VENTS?? THE NEXT RASON MEETING WILL BE HELD ON JUNE 20 TH AT 7:30 P.M. AT THE NORWICHTOWN MALL COMMUNITY ROOM. ALL MEMBERS AND FUTURE MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND. SHARE THE HOBBY WITH A FRIEND AND BRING THEM ALONG TO SEE WHAT WE RE ABOUT. TALK-INS WILL BE PROVIDED BEFORE THE MEETING ON THE AND REPEATER.?? FIELD DAY WILL BE HELD JUNE 23 AND JUNE 24 TH AT THE CCC YOUTH AREA OF THE PACHAUG STATE FOREST IN VOLUNTOWN. REFER TO ARTICLE IN NEWSLETTER FOR DETAILS. Area NETS?? HORIZONTAL ENGINEERS Nightly at 7:00 p.m. on ?? AREA 4 ARES NET Every Monday Night at 8:00 p.m. on ?? AREA 4 Weather NET Every Wednesday Night at 8:00 on (PL 156.7)?? E.C.T.N. Nightly at 9:00 p.m. on and ?? RASON Phone NET Every Thursday Night at 8:00 p.m. on (+ -)?? CONNECTICUT Phone NET Mon.- Sat at 6:00 p.m. on (+ -) and Sunday at 10:00 a.m.?? THE WEATHER NET will meet on on the First Wednesday of each Month, at 8:00 p.m.?? T.I.P.S. NET Every Tuesday at 7:30 on (PL 156.7) RASON CONTACTS President: Mark Noe, KE1IU Vice President: Bruce Adams, KA1ZMZ RASON Monitor Editor: Randy C. Gudeahn, N1PTB P.O Box 161 Taftville, CT n1ptb@arrl.net RASON Monitor Publisher: Mike Martell, N1HFX Classifieds There are no items reported for sale this month. * * *IMPORTANT NOTICE * * * VEOSEC CONNECTICUT CO-CHAIRMEN Michael J. Martell, N1HFX Roy Hilt, K1JNR 74 Lillibridge Road 41 Jerome Road Plainfield, CT Uncasville, CT VEOSEC AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE EXAMINATIONS AUGUST 18, 2001 NOVEMBER 17, 2001 See January 2001 RASON Monitor for details. The RASON Monitor 5

38 Call Lentini s at or The RASON Monitor 6

39 July 2001 RASON Field Day a Smashing Success (By Mark Noe KE1IU) Who couldn t have had fun? With as many as five simultaneously running HF and VHF amateur stations working modes ranging from CW and SSB to PSK-31, SSTV, and APRS. RASON operated 5-alpha from the Mount Misery Campsite at Pachaug State Forest and demonstrated more modes of amateur communication to members and onlookers than ever in its history. The excitement began on Friday afternoon when many hard-working amateurs gathered at the site to set up the antennas. Gary N1REF installed his 4-element beam for 6m atop a portable TV mast. Rick N1KD brought out an improved and slightly more portable version of his 40-meter full wave loop always a hit at Field Day. As is tradition, Tony AA1JN supplied his 2-element Bamboo Wonder for 15 m. Antennas for 10-meters (3-element beam) and 2- meters (13-element Cushcraft Boomer) were perched on Rick s (N1KD) 37-foot tower. Dan (K1YF) operated 20- meters using a rotatable dipole mounted on a TV mast, and Mike N1HFX operated 80-meters using his half-wave dipole. Saturday morning saw the completion of antenna installation, and with the two generators up and running, we were all set to make the 2PM-starting bell. Dan Brochu (K1YF) gave an impressive showing on 20-meter CW (how could he not at a steady 25 WPM copying in his head and neatly logging the information after the QSO was complete)! Mike N1HFX and Mark KE1IU carried CW on 80m and 15 m respectively. Forty-meter phone was greatly productive as usual, and Rick s (N1KD) station hauled in several hundred phone contacts on that band. As usual, RASON went after as many bonus points as possible, and will qualify for all bonus points except for the traffic handling points this year (we were too busy making contacts!) Mike N1OKK brought out his eggbeater antennas for satellite work and made a 2m/70cm FM contact to Wisconsin. Mark KE1IU and Rick N1KD pulled in the non-traditional mode demo points for packet (thanks to Rick s portable node), SSTV and APRS. Chris KB1FUO brought out two high-power solar panels and a lead-acid battery charged by them, allowing him to capture a RASON record for solar-powered FD contacts. Using 100w on 10-meters and 50w on 2-meters, he pulled in over 30 contacts with solar power! Dan K1YF passed traffic to our Section Manager. Bruce KA1ZMZ was our guest from the American Red Cross and handled all of the publicity He even gave an interview to a reporter for the Norwich Bulletin on site! We had our usual curious onloo kers come by and visit Over 30 Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts from the campsite across the road got their first taste of amateur radio I m sure will see a few more young licensed amateurs, as we gave them a pretty good show. We were grateful for the food prepared by N1HFX and K1YF at the evening picnic. Our Field Day was especially comfortable thanks to the deluxe RV hospitality suite with all the fix -ins provided by 99-Main Internet Services (Mike N1OKK and Jeff N1JMI). Teardown was uneventful (we didn t bounce the tower!), and I know I had a good time, as it took three days for me to stop hearing morse code in my head! Next up: contest August 4-5 see you there! H IGHLIGHTS INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 Field Day 2 ARRL Training Course Now Available 3 Red Cross and ECTN 4 Classifieds, Contacts and Important News 5 Advertisements The RASON Monitor 1

40 NEWS FROM ARRL Do you know someone itching to get his or her FIRST HAM RADIO LICENSE? Someone who enjoys learning at his or her own pace? Someone who wants to GET ON THE AIR quickly? We are pleased to announce the release of the 3rd edition, ARRL TECHNICIAN CLASS VIDEO COURSE. Available now! The course was first produced in 1993, in conjunction with King Schools a world leader in the production of exam preparation video courses. The course was designed as an alternative self-study method. It is intended to assist anyone seeking instruction outside of the classroom, or those who do not have time to attend local radio classes. Many radio clubs and instructors have even found the videos useful to supplement their own classroom instruction! The ARRL Technician Class Video Course is a FAST, EASY, FUN way to earning a FIRST AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE. INCLUDED with EVERY COURSE: * 3 Videos--over 5 hours of fast, fun instruction * Coursebook with detailed notes * Every exam question, with thorough step-by-step explanations * 3 Practice Exams (test yourself before exam day) * ARRL's Computerized Exam Review CD-ROM * Personalized Graduation Certificate (suitable for framing) * ARRL's No-Risk Guarantee Thousands of people have used ARRL Video Courses to earn their first license. Visit ARRL's web site for more information about this blockbuster course! ORDERING To order a course, please use the links in this message to visit ARRL's secure online catalog, Or, call our Publication Team toll-free in the US , Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 8 PM Eastern Time [Outside US telephone (860) ]. ABOUT THIS Participation in ARRL Product Announcements and Special Offersis voluntary. During the registration to access ARRL's Members Only Web Site features, you indicated a preference to receive these s. To unsubscribe from future announcements, visit and click the "Modify membership data" link. ARRL The national association for AMATEUR RADIO 225 Main Street, Newington, CT USA The RASON Monitor 2

41 ARC/EX 2001 American Red Cross South Eastern Connecticut Chapter Three Chapters of the American Red Cross in Connecticut are participating in a drill called ARC/EX 2001 on November 30th and December 1st This drill includes a 24-hour period beginning at 6:00 PM on Friday November 30, 2001 and ends at 6:00 PM Saturday December 1, During this 24-hour period The ARC EOC will be opening along with (2) shelters. Now the catch... The Red Cross is seeking help from the three local radio clubs and area amateurs to support this important exercise. We are looking for amateurs to participate during this 24-hour exercise to be stationed at the EOC or at the shelters to support Red Cross Operations. Contact Bruce Adams, KA1ZM at Eastern Connecticut Traffic Net (ECTN) Needs You! As of late, there has been very little participation in your local Traffic Net (ECTN). Please use this net for what it is designed for, SENDING TRAFFIC or PRACTICE. The net meets every night at 9:00pm on the RASON repeaters, and Why not send a message to a relative, friend, or your fellow ham? It doesn t take much to send a message, if you have never sent one, we will show you how to on the net. Try being a Net Control, we are always looking for new NCS s to fill-in or take Friday night, which is open at this time. I can t stress this enough, this net is here to provide training in traffic handling in the event of a disaster where all other means of communication are disabled. Support your local Traffic Net, it only takes a few minutes out of your busy day! 73, Randy, N1PTB The RASON Monitor 3

42 C ALENDAR OF E VENTS?? THE NEXT RASON MEETING WILL BE HELD ON JULY 18 TH AT 7:30 P.M. AT THE NORWICHTOWN MALL COMMUNITY ROOM. ALL MEMBERS AND FUTURE MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND. THE AUGUST MEETING WILL BE HELD AUGUST 15 TH. SHARE THE HOBBY WITH A FRIEND AND BRING THEM ALONG TO SEE WHAT WE RE ABOUT. TALK-INS WILL BE PROVIDED BEFORE THE MEETING ON THE AND REPEATER.?? CONTEST WILL BE HELD AUGUST 4-5, Area NETS?? HORIZONTAL ENGINEERS Nightly at 7:00 p.m. on ?? AREA 4 ARES NET Every Monday Night at 8:00 p.m. on ?? AREA 4 Weather NET Every Wednesday Night at 8:00 on (PL 156.7)?? E.C.T.N. Nightly at 9:00 p.m. on and ?? RASON Phone NET Every Thursday Night at 8:00 p.m. on (+ -)?? CONNECTICUT Phone NET Mon.- Sat at 6:00 p.m. on (+ -) and Sunday at 10:00 a.m.?? THE WEATHER NET will meet on on the First Wednesday of each Month, at 8:00 p.m.?? T.I.P.S. NET Every Tuesday at 7:30 on (PL 156.7) RASON CONTACTS President: Mark Noe, KE1IU Vice President: Bruce Adams, KA1ZMZ RASON Monitor Editor: Randy C. Gudeahn, N1PTB P.O Box 161 Taftville, CT n1ptb@arrl.net RASON Monitor Publisher: Mike Martell, N1HFX Classifieds There are no items reported for sale this month. * * *IMPORTANT NOTICE * * * VEOSEC CONNECTICUT CO-CHAIRMEN Michael J. Martell, N1HFX Roy Hilt, K1JNR 74 Lillibridge Road 41 Jerome Road Plainfield, CT Uncasville, CT VEOSEC AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE EXAMINATIONS AUGUST 18, 2001 NOVEMBER 17, 2001 See January 2001 RASON Monitor for details. The RASON Monitor 4

43 Call Lentini s at or The RASON Monitor 5

44 August 2001 Gee Our Old LaSalle Ran Great Over the last couple of years there has been a huge decline in repeater use. I know not everyone likes to talk on local repeaters, but whatever happened to the morning crew. There were always four or more people chatting on the way to work talking about antennas and towers or how they just replaced an output transistor on their radio. How about the traffic net, there used to be at least ten or more people who checked in every night to handle traffic or just to say no traffic. Is it just me, or is ham radio really in trouble? I learned about ham radio by listening to my scanner at night and found the traffic net and thought to myself this is really neat, what is all this traffic stuff. So I went to a class to learn about this really cool hobby. What happens to that kid lying on his or her bed with the scanner on if we are not there for them to listen to? They won t get the same opportunity as I did twelve years ago. Sure you are so busy with your life that you can t get on the air once in a while. Use whatever excuse you want, but in ten years when you don t have a local net or you don t have that morning chat ask yourself, could I have done something to change this? The amateur radio tradition has been one where getting on the air was a privilege and a joy. Operating was about practicing your skills, keeping up on what's going on, making good friends and keeping a keen ear tuned in case someone needed information or help. Those Were the Days Best 73 Randy N1PTB Editor Ham Breakfast An idea is being passed around for a once a month breakfast for hams and prospective hams. Please send me your comments and/or suggestions. Do you have a place in mind? Contact info: Randy N1PTB n1ptb@arrl.net H IGHLIGHTS INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 Gee Our Old LaSalle Ran Great 2 Important News 3 Red Cross and ECTN 4-5 Morse Code Practice Oscillator 6 Classifieds, Contacts and Important News 7 Advertisements The RASON Monitor 1

45 UPCOMING ELECTIONS The Nominating Committee has chosen the candidates for the upcoming election. All members are asked to attend the August meeting to hear the nominations, as well as make your own nominations from the floor. This is very important, as the next elected officials will be running your beloved amateur radio club. Fellow Amateurs: * * * IMPORTANT NOTICE * * * Because of recent reports of amateurs operating in a less than courteous manner, the following changes have been made to the repeater controller: 1. All transmissions will be limited to 2 minutes. This is a reduction from the current 3 minute maximum. Any attempt to talk beyond this period will time out the repeater. There will be no exceptions to this limit. 2. An appropriate message advising amateurs to wait 2 seconds between transmitting on the repeater will be transmitted EVERY hour. These changes will stay in effect until further notice. All amateurs are reminded of the requirement to wait for the courtesy tone BEFORE keying the transmitter during a QSO. Failure to do so can prevent the repeater system from being used in an emergency. Recent incidents during which amateurs had long winded QSO's without waiting for the courtesy beep prevented the machine from being used in an actual emergency. All amateurs, RASON members and non-members, are advised that repeated failure to wait between transmissions may result in temporary or permanent suspension from the use of the RASON repeaters. Thank you for reading this message, Mike Martell N1HFX RASON Repeater Trustee THE SIGNS ARE EVERYWHERE Nothing can be more fun, particularly on a long trip through unfamiliar towns than reading the signs. The freeway coming down from Big Bare, California passes the San Bernardino Municipal Airport. A ign s near the exit reads, "SBD AIRPORT". We have all seen the signs warning us of "FALLING ROCKS" or, "SLIDE AREA AHEAD". In Oregon you find yourself wondering if this sign was placed by the highway department or the local tourism promoters. It reads simply, "ROCKS". Sometimes signs tell a story of the region's governmental customs. Who hasn't seen the signs on I395 next to the prison in Montville that says, "DO NOT STOP". In Oklahoma clearly however, lawmakers and enforcement authorities are held accountable for their policies and must give reasons for their instructions. On I40 near the state pen a sign reads, "HITCHHIKERS MAY BE ESCAPEES". The RASON Monitor 2

46 Sometimes businesses find clever ways to make people remember their establishments while rendering a political statement. It's common out west to see signs proclaiming, "SPANISH SPOKEN HERE". One west coast gas station mini mart sports a sign that reads, "ABLE BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH". Still none can top the informational posting scrawled in magic marker in gas a station mends room in Virginia. It reads, "PLEASE FLUSH AFTER USING THOROUGHLY!". Kevin Harkins, KA6PDG ARC/EX 2001 American Red Cross South Eastern Connecticut Chapter Three Chapters of the American Red Cross in Connecticut are participating in a drill called ARC/EX 2001 on November 30th and December 1st This drill includes a 24-hour period beginning at 6:00 PM on Friday November 30, 2001 and ends at 6:00 PM Saturday December 1, During this 24-hour period The ARC EOC will be opening along with (2) shelters. Now the catch... The Red Cross is seeking help from the three local radio clubs and area amateurs to support this important exercise. We are looking for amateurs to participate during this 24-hour exercise to be stationed at the EOC or at the shelters to support Red Cross Operations. Contact Bruce Adams, KA1ZM at Eastern Connecticut Traffic Net (ECTN) Needs You! As of late, there has been very little participation in your local Traffic Net (ECTN). Please usethis net for what it is designed for, SENDING TRAFFIC or PRACTICE. The net meets every night at 9:00pm on the RASON repeaters, and Why not send a message to a relative, friend, or your fellow ham? It doesn t take much to send a message, if you have never sent one, we will show you how to on the net. Try being a Net Control, we are always looking for new NCS s to fill-in or take Monday or Friday night, which is open at this time. I can t stress this enough, this net is here to provide training in traffic handling in the event of a disaster where all other means of communication are disabled. If you are listening for the net and realize there is no one there to run it, take charge and run it yourself. The preamble is available on the RASON website. Support your local Traffic Net, it only takes a few minutes out of your busy day! 73, Randy, N1PTB The RASON Monitor 3

47 Morse Code Practice Oscillator By Mike Martell N1HFX Even though amateur license restructuring reduced the morse code requirement to 5 WPM in the United States, many amateurs still have not upgraded. This project is intended to help hams elmering others to pass their code exam as well as classroom instruction of morse code. This circuit will provide output for a small speaker and an additional add on amplifier circuit will produce enough volume to satisfy almost any need. The basic circuit uses the well known and ultra stable 555 Timer IC as its basic oscillator. The circuit will operate from 6 to 14 volts and can be operated from a 9 volt battery if desired. All parts are available off the shelf at your local Radio Shack store for those who hate mail order. While the circuit in Figure 1 is adequate for a small speaker, there are times when you just can t get enough volume. The circuit in Figure 2 uses an inexpensive LM386 audio amp IC to minimize parts count and efficiency. This circuit produces plenty of volume to fill a room for class room type practice. In Figure 2, resistor R3 and C2 are used in a different configuration then Figure 1. Only 2 additional Capacitors C3, C4 and IC-2 is needed to get the additional volume. The RASON Monitor 4

48 Parts List R1 100 Kilo Ohm Resistor ¼ watt 10% R2 1 Kilo Ohm Resistor ¼ watt 10% R3 10 Ohm Resistor ¼ watt 10% C1.01 Micro Farad Ceramic Disk Capacitor 15 volt minimum C2 4.7 Micro Farad Electrolytic Capacitor 15 volt minimum C3,C4 220 Micro Farad Electrolytic Capacitor 15 volt minimum (Not used in Figure 1) IC-1 Type 555 Timer IC IC-2 LM386 Audio Amp IC (Not used in Figure 1) Because of the large volume produced by the amplifier in Figure 2, all amateurs are reminded to use the enhanced volume with discretion particularly when sharing your habitant with a spouse or children. Morse code sometimes sounds like music to amateurs, but to other members of your household it could be perceived as a form of torture or even spousal abuse. For smaller households, the circuit in Figure 1 is recommended along with the use of headphones in lieu of a speaker. 73, N1HFX ED **********************SEND ME ARTICLES FOR THE MONITOR******************** The RASON Monitor 5

49 C ALENDAR OF E VENTS?? THE NEXT RASON MEETING WILL BE HELD ON AUGUST 15 TH AT 7:30 P.M. AT THE NORWICHTOWN MALL COMMUNITY ROOM. ALL MEMBERS AND FUTURE MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND. SHARE THE HOBBY WITH A FRIEND AND BRING THEM ALONG TO SEE WHAT WE RE ABOUT. TALK-INS WILL BE PROVIDED BEFORE THE MEETING ON THE AND REPEATER. Area NETS?? HORIZONTAL ENGINEERS Nightly at 7:00 p.m. on ?? AREA 4 ARES NET Every Monday Night at 8:00 p.m. on ?? AREA 4 Weather NET Every Wednesday Night at 8:00 on (PL 156.7)?? E.C.T.N. Nightly at 9:00 p.m. on and ?? RASON Phone NET Every Thursday Night at 8:00 p.m. on (+ -)?? CONNECTICUT Phone NET Mon.- Sat at 6:00 p.m. on (+ -) and Sunday at 10:00 a.m.?? THE WEATHER NET will meet on on the First Wednesday of each Month, at 8:00 p.m.?? T.I.P.S. NET Every Tuesday at 7:30 on (PL 156.7) and RASON CONTACTS President: Mark Noe, KE1IU Vice President: Bruce Adams, KA1ZMZ RASON Monitor Editor: Randy C. Gudeahn, N1PTB P.O Box 161 Taftville, CT n1ptb@arrl.net RASON Monitor Publisher: Mike Martell, N1HFX Classifieds There are no items reported for sale this month. * * *IMPORTANT NOTICE * * * VEOSEC CONNECTICUT CO-CHAIRMEN Michael J. Martell, N1HFX Roy Hilt, K1JNR 74 Lillibridge Road 41 Jerome Road Plainfield, CT Uncasville, CT VEOSEC AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE EXAMINATIONS AUGUST 18, 2001 NOVEMBER 17, 2001 See January 2001 RASON Monitor for details. The RASON Monitor 6

50 Call Lentini s at or The RASON Monitor 7

51 September 2001 CALLING ALL MEMBERS, CALLING ALL MEMBERS RASON Officer Nominations President: Bruce Adams KA1ZMZ Vice President: Kevin Harkins KA6PDG Treasurer: Lou Herman KB1DED Rec. Secretary: Matt Marx KB1FKL It s that time again for election of officers at the RASON club. All members are required to attend the September meeting and show your support. The election is a very important issue as these fine people will run our treasured club in their spare time to better all of us. So please do me this one little favor and come out and VOTE!!! I m looking forward to seeing all of you. Best 73 Randy N1PTB editor Thank you to all the RASON Committee members who served during the past year. Their dedication to the club is appreciated today and every day. We look forward to their continued participation within our club. Ham Breakfast An idea is being passed around for a once a month breakfast for hams and prospective hams. Please send me your comments and/or suggestions. Do you have a place in mind? Contact info: Randy N1PTB n1ptb@arrl.net H IGHLIGHTS INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 RASON Election 2 Fox Hunt Notice 3 Capacitance 4 RASON Application Form 5 Classifieds, Contacts and Important News 6 Advertisements The RASON Monitor 1

52 ARC/EX 2001 American Red Cross South Eastern Connecticut Chapter Three Chapters of the American Red Cross in Connecticut are participating in a drill called ARC/EX 2001 on November 30th and December 1st This drill includes a 24-hour period beginning at 6:00 PM on Friday November 30, 2001 and ends at 6:00 PM Saturday December 1, During this 24-hour period The ARC EOC will be opening along with (2) shelters. Now the catch... The Red Cross is seeking help from the three local radio clubs and area amateurs to support this important exercise. We are looking for amateurs to participate during this 24-hour exercise to be stationed at the EOC or at the shelters to support Red Cross Operations. Contact Bruce Adams, KA1ZM at COME JOIN THE HUNT SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16! Nobody knows for sure if there's fox hunting in heaven so best not miss the opportunity now. Great weather is almost a certainty this time of year, perfect for matching wits with Mat, KB1FKL and Kevin, KA6PDG and see who can find the hidden transmitter first and get to be next month s RASON FOX. Often we hear someone say, "I don't know much about fox hunting" or "I don't have sophisticated direction finding gear." Great! That simply increases your odds of winning. Ask any of the more experienced guys and they'll tell you, it's not uncommon for those with fancy tracking toys to come in second or third or fourth on a fox hunt. All you really need is a radio with an antenna and a keenness for good fun. We supply the maps. Sometimes several hunters show up and elect to work together, communicating their findings over the air to test their coordination and communications skills. If you don't have a car or a driver's license, find another ham to team up with or have a friend come along as a driver. It's a fantastic way to introduce someone to ham radio. Heck, if you don't have a transceiver you can hunt using a garden variety scanner the receives the two meter band. Refreshments will be served free of charge at the fox's den. The starting point for the September 16 hunt, will be the commuter parking lot at Rt. 2A and Rt. 12 near the old Norwich State Hospital. The hunt will start at 1 o'clock but most hunters like to show up a little early and gab. Maps will be handed out at the starting point. For additional information or talk in the day of the hunt, call on the repeater. 73; Kevin Harkins - KA6PDG The RASON Monitor 2

53 Capacitance By Mike Martell N1HFX While most amateurs have a good understanding of resistance, there is still a lot of mystery about the property of capacitance. This article will review the basic principles behind capacitors. Figure 1 shows the schematic symbol for a capacitor. Normally it is indicated as a plate on each end separated by some type of insulating material. In fact, virtually any two conductors separated by an insulator will exhibit the property of capacitance. The property of capacitance is the ability to store an electrostatic charge and later discharge it when needed. Even a battery has a certain amount of capacitance. Those popular glass mount cell phone antennas are using a type of capacitor to pass RF energy through the windshield. A closer look at this type of antenna will reveal two plates on each side of the windshield while the windshield is used as the insulator. The insulator in a capacitor is also referred to as the dielectric. Different types of dielectrics will affect the total amount of capacitance. Capacitors are usually thought to allow the flow of alternating current and block the flow of direct current in a circuit. Actually, DC current will flow moment arily when power is first applied until the capacitor is fully charged. A great way to demonstrate this property is to use a conventional ohm meter and measure the resistance of a capacitor. Use a capacitor of 4.7 micro farad or larger for this test. First watch the ohm meter s resistance go from low to high as the probes are first applied. This effect is more noticeable with a large capacitor and while using the high resistance setting of the ohm meter. Now reverse the polarity of the probes and watch the same effect on the ohm meter. This is the effect of the capacitor discharging. Reversing the polarity of the probes continuously will duplicate this effect repeatedly. This is how a capacitor blocks DC and allows the flow of alternating current. One interesting property of a capacitor is the fact that it tends to oppose a change in voltage. This is why large value capacitors are used for filtering in power supplies. Because of this property, the voltage can lag behind the current by as much as 90 degrees in a purely capacitive circuit. This property can be best seen on a dual trace oscilloscope with the proper configuration. Even through capacitors appear to allow the flow of AC, there is always a certain of resistance to AC voltages more commonly known as impedance. This impedance decreases with increasing frequency and increasing capacitor values. The impedance of a capacitor in ohms can be calculated with the following formula: Impedance = 1 / 2?FC Where F = Frequency in megahertz C = Capacitance in micro farads? = Electrolytic type capacitors are frequently used when large values of capacitance are needed. Because of the electro chemical nature of these devices they must be connected to a specific polarity as indicated on their leads. This polarity normally conforms to the polarity of the voltage source in the circuit since electrolytic capacitors must be charged to the specified polarity first to work properly. The behavior of an electrolytic capacitor closely resembles tha t of a rechargeable battery. Normally an electrolytic capacitor in a circuit remains fully charged until any AC energy flowing through it causes it to discharge and then fully charge again. This type of capacitor is manufactured using very thin aluminum plates separated by a chemically treated foam or paste and then rolled up like devil s food cake to keep the component small. Electrolytic capacitors have high loss at high frequencies and work best at audio frequencies or lower. In low level audio preamplifier circuits, electrolytic capacitors have been known to cause a certain amount of white noise. Capacitors are widely used in electronics and in virtually all amateur gear. Their unique properties make them indispensable in amateur radio. The RASON Monitor 3

54 R.A.S.O.N. Radio Amateur Society of Norwich PO Box 329 Norwich, CT Application for Membership Name: Phone: Address: City: State: Zip Code: Callsign: License Class: Age: (Optional) Birthdate: (Optional) Are you applying for a Family Membership? If YES, Please list names and callsign if any: Yes No ARRL Member: Yes No ARES Member: Yes No Please describe any special interests you have in amateur radio: New Membership Renewal (Sept>) Annual Dues $15 Single $18 Family ******FOR CLUB USE ONLY****** Date: Dues Received: Accepted-Approved By: Membership Card Issued: The RASON Monitor 4

55 C ALENDAR OF E VENTS?? THE NEXT RASON MEETING WILL BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 19 TH AT 7:30 P.M. AT THE NORWICHTOWN MALL COMMUNITY ROOM. ALL MEMBERS AND FUTURE MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND. SHARE THE HOBBY WITH A FRIEND AND BRING THEM ALONG TO SEE WHAT WE RE ABOUT. TALK-INS WILL BE PROVIDED BEFORE THE MEETING ON THE AND REPEATER. Area NETS?? HORIZONTAL ENGINEERS Nightly at 7:00 p.m. on ?? AREA 4 ARES NET Every Monday Night at 8:00 p.m. on ?? AREA 4 Weather NET Every Wednesday Night at 8:00 on (PL 156.7)?? E.C.T.N. Nightly at 9:00 p.m. on and ?? RASON Phone NET Every Thursday Night at 8:00 p.m. on (+ -)?? CONNECTICUT Phone NET Mon.- Sat at 6:00 p.m. on (+ -) and Sunday at 10:00 a.m.?? THE WEATHER NET will meet on on the First Wednesday of each Month, at 8:00 p.m.?? T.I.P.S. NET Every Tuesday at 7:30 on (PL 156.7) and RASON CONTACTS President: Mark Noe, KE1IU Vice President: Bruce Adams, KA1ZMZ RASON Monitor Editor: Randy C. Gudeahn, N1PTB P.O Box 161 Taftville, CT n1ptb@arrl.net RASON Monitor Publisher: Mike Martell, N1HFX Classifieds?? Radio Shack radio scanner Model channels in 10 banks of 10. Receives full 800 Mhz, mobile or home use, mobile bracket, 120 VAC wall transformer, works great. Contact Dave K1DCT Cleaning Shack!!?? 1 MFJ949E Tuner - $40.00?? 2 Swan 350 units. 1 complete w/ new finals and working, the other for parts. Also comes with 2 Power Supplies, both working. $350.00?? 1 FT560 HF rig Make a reasonable offer!! Phone number is :00 PM thru 9:00 PM. 73 Bob W1AMF * * *IMPORTANT NOTICE * * * VEOSEC CONNECTICUT CO-CHAIRMEN Michael J. Martell, N1HFX Roy Hilt, K1JNR 74 Lillibridge Road 41 Jerome Road Plainfield, CT Uncasville, CT VEOSEC AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE EXAMINATIONS NOVEMBER 17, 2001 The RASON Monitor 5

56 Call Lentini s at or The RASON Monitor 6

57 October 2001 RASON Officer Elections 2001 ****RASON ELECTS OFFICERS FOR TERM**** The members all gathered at the September meeting and voted in the club officers. But first, lets give thanks for the officers who have served this beloved club for the last year, what a commitment these people have made to make sure that your club continues to function. What does that really mean? I ll tell you. These repeaters and packet nodes don t run on self-power, someone must pay the bill to the electric company, and what about that insurance plan we have if some unfortunate incident should occur? Someone must take the minutes at every meeting, if we don t have a Secretary and miss a meeting, how will you know what happened at the last meeting? Maybe the President has important plans on a meeting night and can t make it, we need the Vice President to fill in and run the meeting. Who runs the meeting and all goings on in the club, you guessed it, the Club President. All I m trying to say here in a round about way is give thanks and appreciation for the people who devote their time and energy to run this great club we call RASON. And without further ado, here is our new slate of officers: President: Vice President: Treasurer: Secretary: Bruce Adams, KA1ZMZ Kevin Harkins, KA6PDG Lou Herman, KB1DED Matt Marx, KB1FKL Ham Breakfast An idea is being passed around for a once a month breakfast for hams and prospective hams. Please send me your comments and/or suggestions. Do you have a place in mind? Contact info: Randy N1PTB n1ptb@arrl.net H IGHLIGHTS INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 RASON Election Results 2 September VHF QSO Party 3 September VHF QSO Party (continued) 4 Holiday Banquet 5 RASON Application 6 Classifieds, Contacts and Important News The RASON Monitor 1

58 ARC/EX 2001 American Red Cross South Eastern Connecticut Chapter Three Chapters of the American Red Cross in Connecticut are participating in a drill called ARC/EX 2001 on November 30th and December 1st This drill includes a 24-hour period beginning at 6:00 PM on Friday November 30, 2001 and ends at 6:00 PM Saturday December 1, During this 24-hour period The ARC EOC will be opening along with (2) shelters. Now the catch... The Red Cross is seeking help from the three local radio clubs and area amateurs to support this important exercise. We are looking for amateurs to participate during this 24-hour exercise to be stationed at the EOC or at the shelters to support Red Cross Operations. Contact Bruce Adams, KA1ZMZ at September VHF QSO Party By Bob W1AMF Many months of planning went into this contest. This originally started as an event held by the club for several years on top of Mount Misery. I guess the idea of dragging the radios up the mountain was not too appealing to many of the club members that did the original climb, But any way I opened the idea of holding it at the Farm seeing we hold the contest here anyway. The idea was then turned into reality on the second weekend of September. The Contest Site. About 4 weeks before the contest the 6-meter antenna array was still in the building phase. The plan was for 5 over 5 (two five element beams stacked). The first six-meter beam went together with no problem, only 42 trips up and down the stairs to tune it! Finally it was finished. The 2 nd beam was a cushcraft beam for 6 meters that was still in the box. Chris (KB1FUO) and Matt (KB1FKL) playing with a corner beam. The RASON Monitor 2

59 About 2 weeks before the contest the 432 array of 11 over 11 was fast nearing completion. This array was an antenna builders dream, 1.2 to 1 SWR on initial test! NO tuning! So with this completed, the next step was to put together the last six-meter beam, which Terry and I completed on the Saturday before the contest. So then Terry and I took all the antennas out to the site and started putting them in place on the tower. Bob (W1AMF) and Mark (KE1IU) at the helm. The tower was then raised into place with the 6-meter and 432 beams in place. The first test contact on the 6-meter array went well as Terry was mobile in the Willimantic area. The next test contact was off the back of the 432-array with John (W1AN) in Ledyard. Signals seemed to be fine, John was S-9 and I was S-8. Course that was S-8 with a booming 5 watts! Contest Weekend. Saturday, the 8th was a beautiful day. People started arriving shortly after noon for the finishing touches on the site and the lifting into the air of the two meter 13 element beam. Band conditions for the contest were good to marginal. 2 meters had a few good openings to the south and north during the contest. Below is a summery of the contest scores. 2-meters - 41 QSO s and 13 Grids. Furthest contact was AA4ZZ in EM96 (N.C.). 6-meters - 40 QSO s and 17 Grids. Furthest contact was AA4ZZ in EM96 (N.C.). 432 MHz - 5 QSO s and 4 Grids. Furthest contact was W4/ON1CFX/ROV in FM09 (VA). This gave us a total score of 3,094 points. Not bad for conditions I would say! Hope to see more people try a contest. It is fun and can be a real different experience. 73 Bob W1AMF Why not try something new and help me fill this space with items of interest The RASON Monitor 3

60 related to this awesome hobby. Did you build a new antenna lately, make a really neat contact, did you buy a new radio and want to review it, come on folks, give me some articles, help me create a really great newsletter so people will talk about it at the water cooler. 73 N1PTB, Ed Special thanks go to Mike Martell, N1HFX for all his expertise as the RASON Tech Committee Chairman. You all really don t know how much time and effort he puts into this club and making sure the repeaters work 24/7. Mike, my hat goes off to you. The RASON Monitor 4

61 BANQUET TIME AGAIN The annual holiday get-together of the Southeastern Connecticut/Southwestern Rhode Island Amateur Radio clubs is the responsibility of the Tri-City Radio Club this year. Marcia Hays, KA1ZZW, chairman of the event announces that arrangements have been made with Flanagan's at the Best Western Hotel on Route 12 in Groton, CT., to host the event on December 2, We will enjoy a special brunch and program from 11:30 AM to approximately 3:00 PM. Marcia will be setting the final menu in conjunction with the management of Flanagan's during the month of October. If you have any dietary restrictions or any particular buffet favorites, please let her know at (401) or at kalzzw@juno.com. She and the banquet staff will do their best to accommodate your desires and needs depending upon expense. The cost of the brunch has been set at $16.75 per person. Some of the possible buffet items could be as follows: Scrambled eggs Omelet Eggs Benedict French Toast Pastries Bacon Sausage or Ham Boneless Baked Chicken Seafood Newberg Roast Beef or Yankee Pot Roast Mashed or Baked Potatoes Mixed Vegetables Fresh Fruit Dessert Selection The final menu will be approved by Flanagan's staff and our event chairman. Flanagan's has room for people for this event so please plan to attend. Marcia Hays, KA1ZZW For Reservations, please fill out form and mail before November 17, 2001 to: Marcia Hays, KA1ZZW 90 Ashaway Rd. Westerly RI Yes, Count me in, I want to be at the Radio Club Celebration at Flanagan's In Groton on the 2nd of December at 11:30 AM for the Holiday Brunch Buffet Name Callsign Address Phone # of People Guest Name Amount Paid Date D.R. The RASON Monitor 5

62 R.A.S.O.N. Radio Amateur Society of Norwich PO Box 329 Norwich, CT Application for Membership Name: Phone: Address: City: State: Zip Code: Callsign: License Class: Age: (Optional) Birthdate: (Optional) Are you applying for a Family Membership? If YES, Please list names and callsign if any: Yes No ARRL Member: Yes No ARES Member: Yes No Please describe any special interests you have in amateur radio: New Membership Renewal (Sept>) Annual Dues $15 Single $18 Family ******FOR CLUB USE ONLY****** Date: Dues Received: Accepted-Approved By: Membership Card Issued: The RASON Monitor 6

63 C A LENDAR OF E VENTS?? THE NEXT RASON MEETING WILL BE HELD ON OCTOBER 17 TH AT 7:30 P.M. AT THE NORWICHTOWN MALL COMMUNITY ROOM. ALL MEMBERS AND FUTURE MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND. SHARE THE HOBBY WITH A FRIEND AND BRING THEM ALONG TO SEE WHAT WE RE ABOUT. TALK-INS WILL BE PROVIDED BEFORE THE MEETING ON THE AND REPEATER. Area NETS?? HORIZONTAL ENGINEERS Nightly at 7:00 p.m. on ?? AREA 4 ARES NET Every Monday Night at 8:00 p.m. on ?? AREA 4 Weather NET Every Wednesday Night at 8:00 on (PL 156.7)?? RASON Phone NET Every Thursday Night at 8:00 p.m. on (+ -)?? CONNECTICUT Phone NET Mon.- Sat at 6:00 p.m. on (+ -) and Sunday at 10:00 a.m.?? THE WEATHER NET will meet on on the First Wednesday of each Month, at 8:00 p.m.?? T.I.P.S. NET Every Tuesday at 7:30 on (PL 156.7) and RASON CONTACTS President: Bruce Adams, KA1ZMZ Vice President: Kevin Harkins, KA6PDG RASON Monitor Editor: Randy C. Gudeahn, N1PTB P.O Box 161 Taftville, CT n1ptb@arrl.net RASON Monitor Publisher: Mike Martell, N1HFX Classifieds Lentini s has decided not to renew their ad with us, if you know of a ham or electronics company that would like to advertise with us, please let me know. * * *IMPORTANT NOTICE * * * VEOSEC CONNECTICUT CO-CHAIRMEN Michael J. Martell, N1HFX Roy Hilt, K1JNR 74 Lillibridge Road 41 Jerome Road Plainfield, CT Uncasville, CT VEOSEC AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE EXAMINATIONS NOVEMBER 17, 2001 Renew your ARRL membership through RASON. The RASON Monitor 7

64 Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! November 2001 A special thanks I would like to take a moment and say how thankful I am for the friends and fellow hams who sent me their well wishes after my recent surgery. Randy, N1PTB ATTENTION: Due to the upcoming holiday, our next scheduled meeting of R.A.S.O.N. will be held on Wednesday, November 14, 2001, at the Norwichtown Mall Community Room at 7:30 PM. The room opens at 7:00 PM for pre-meeting communication. Ham Breakfast Thank you to the two people who responded; however, due to a lack of interest the idea of the breakfast will not go forward. Randy N1PTB H IGHLIGHTS INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 Meeting Date Change 2 Greetings from Radio Club 3 October Fox Hunt Results 4 Reading Capacitor Values 5 Ten Ten Contest Results 6 Holiday Party Information 7 Classifieds, Contacts and Important News 8 RASON Membership Application The RASON Monitor 1

65 Greetings From Your Radio Club We hope this newsletter finds you and yours in good health and receiving of the hope of peace that the holiday season brings. I would first like to thank you all for electing me as your club vice president. It is a great privilege to hold an amateur radio license and an honor to serve such a dynamic and motivated radio club. Speaking of the season to come, remember that the November club meeting will be on November 14, at 7:30 PM at our usual location in the Norwichtown Mall Community Room. We will return to the third Wednesday of each month beginning again in January 2002 (there is no meeting in December in lieu of the holiday party). Also a reminder that dues were due and payable in September. If you did not anti up them, your club membership status is an arrears. Consider giving our treasurer Lou an early Christmas present when you stop by the next meeting. At the November meeting we will hold the annual drawing for the one year free membership awarded to the member with the best attendance during the year. Members have asked that we bring a couple of things up here in the newsletter for your consideration and feedback at the next meeting. First, an item that we rarely have the privilege to announce. We have identified a significant surplus in this year's budget, approved in October. We want the input of you the members. Is there something the club really needs? What do you think we should do with the extra cash? Some have suggested buying a generator that the club would have both for emergency use and at field day and other contests and events. Given the times we are living in, emergency power resources that might benefit the club and perhaps the community is a valid idea. But let's hear what you have to say. Secondly we are considering starting up a club net that would meet weekly, probably on both repeaters. We need to know what the level of interest would be in such an activity. The net would take on a form and style to be determined by the members. Many club nets are relatively informal. We can do anything we choose with the net consistent with FCC rules. Of course it could be a great opportunity to regularly promote club activities and provide an on air venue for friendship and education amongst members and local hams. Would you like to have a weekly net? What do you think we should do on the net? What would be a good time to hold it? We need your ideas. Let's work together to make the year ahead a fun and productive one for the Radio Amateur Society of Norwich. Remember to invite a friend along to the next RASON meeting. The coffee's on and the conversation is always lively. Best 73; H. Kevin Harkins ( ) kharkins1@juno.com (phone) The RASON Monitor 2

66 October Fox Hunt The October Fox Hunt was held on Sunday the 21st, on a great, sunny autumn day. Kevin and I had originally scheduled the hunt for September, but canceled that hunt over concerns that a public display of our radios and antennas in a capacity that did not directly have to do with disaster relief might be somewhat alarming. Unfortunately, Kevin had a prior obligation on the 21st and couldn't join me as the fox. At the October club meeting, Dave T. suggested that I call the state and town police to let them know what we'd be up to, and that all of us should carry our licenses with us. I took his advice, which turned out to be a good idea. My hiding place was in Montville, at the end of Depot road. There is a parking area there right next to the railroad tracks, where people can leave their cars and walk down to the river to fish. The spot also happens to be right next to some kind of manufacturing plant (does anybody know what that is? It is just up-river from the power plant), and as soon as I parked my car, the front gate security guards came over to see what was going on. They seemed to be reassured by my license, and I encouraged them to stick around for my first transmission to the hunters...who were Mark (KE1IU), Chris (KB1FUO) and Tom (sorry, I missed your call). They all ended up hunting together, in two cars. The map that I had provided was kind of lousy, so I promise to fix that next time. In spite of that handicap, I wasn't trying to make things difficult, and I didn't pull any fancy tricks like using a directional antenna or changing antenna orientation. Because I wasn't far from the starting point, I DID vary my power levels on the first few transmissions, and I was at sea level with a hill right behind me. The hunters got their initial bearings on the correct side of the river, and were looking first down in Quaker Hill before finding me at about 3pm in Montville. Unfortunately, we didn't have much time for snacks or hanging out, because Chris had to escape to a work-related obligation. I had much more fun that I would have had at home raking leaves, and hope to do it again next month. Matt, KB1FKL ARC/EX 2001 American Red Cross South Eastern Connecticut Chapter Three Chapters of the American Red Cross in Connecticut are participating in a drill called ARC/EX 2001 on November 30th and December 1st This drill includes a 24-hour period beginning at 6:00 PM on Friday November 30, 2001 and ends at 6:00 PM Saturday December 1, During this 24-hour period The ARC EOC will be opening along with (2) shelters. Now the catch... The Red Cross is seeking help from the three local radio clubs and area amateurs to support this important exercise. We are looking for amateurs to participate during this 24-hour exercise to be stationed at the EOC or at the shelters to support Red Cross Operations. Contact Bruce Adams, KA1ZMZ at The RASON Monitor 3

67 Reading Capacitor Values By Mike Martell N1HFX Over the years I have frequently received inquiries from kit builders about how to determine a particular capacitor value from the markings. While these numbers appear strange to many new amateurs, there is a system that most manufacturers of disk capacitors follow. In this article we will discuss these markings and how to read the values on most ceramic disk capacitors. To obtain a basic understanding of these markings we must first realize that most capacitor values are specified in pico farads. To help understand the differences in the numbering systems, the following Information is provided: Micro farad 1 X Nano farad 1 X Pico farad 1 X Most ceramic disk capacitor values are in pico farads indicated by a three digit number. The first and second digits are the values. The third digit is the multiplier or the number of zeros. An optional Letter indicates the tolerance of the capacitor value. The following are some sample values: 104M Pico Farads or.1 Micro Farads 103M Pico Farads or.01 Micro Farads 102M 1000 Pico Farads or.001 Micro Farads 221K 220 Pico Farads or Micro Farads Pico Farads or Micro Farads 5 5 Pico Farads or Micro Farads The optional letter indicates the tolerance as indicated below: J 5% K 10% M 20% Occasionally, we may see some European capacitors with the marking 1nK. This is actually 1 Nano Farads or.001 Micro Farads. Many ceramic disk capacitors are of the NPO or negative temperature coefficient type. These types of capacitors are unique in that their capacitance decreases with increasing temperature. These capacitors are most often used in critical oscillator circuits to substantially reduce frequency drift. They are usually indicated by the black marking on the top of the disk as indicated below. NPO Capacitor Sometimes the letters NPO appear on the component instead of the black marking While the preceding is not a complete list of the various types of markings used, it should help us identify the most common types of capacitors used in amateur circuits. For a complete listing of all the various types of markings used on capacitors as well as many other components, refer to any edition of the ARRL handbook. The RASON Monitor 4