THE AIRWAVES. Dues are due! Last newsletter! February 2010 SARC OWNED AND MAINTAINED REPEATERS

Transcription

1 Dues are due! Last newsletter! THE AIRWAVES February 2010 SIERRA AMATEUR RADIO CLUB An ARRL Special Service Club RACES ARES P O Box 1442 California BOARD President Harry Stephens KI6PSZ KI6PSZ@webstephens.com First VP Fred Moses KG6STR kg6str@verizon.net OF Second VP Gene Brewer W5DQ w5dq@radioroom.org Secretary Paula Herr N6VGW n6vgw1@gmail.com OFFICERS Treasurer Julie Stephens KI6YRA KI6YRA@webstephens.com Randsburg SARC OWNED AND MAINTAINED REPEATERS WA6YBN MHz (-), PL Hz, Wide Area, Emergency Power WA6YBN MHz (-), Translator, No Squelch Tail, Emergency Power YBNBBS:WA6YBN, MHz, Bulletin Board, 1200 Baud #YBNSW:WA6YBN-4, MHz, Node, 1200 Baud #YBNSW:WA6YBN-4, MHz, Node, 9600 Baud SARC Committees Technical Assistance: Greg, WA7IRW Public Relations: Fred, KG6STR Program: Gene, W5DQ Airwaves Editor: Mike, WA6ARA RF Interference: Bill, WA6QYR Emergency and Public Service: Mike, W6PM Every Monday Night ARNewsline Audio News 1900 (7:00 p.m.) on MHz IWV Emergency Net Visitors Welcomed! 1930 hrs (7:30pm) WA6YBN Translator MHz (-) East Kern County Emergency Net Visitors Welcomed! Rand repeater , pl hrs (8pm) THE AIRWAVES CALENDAR AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE EXAMS Every Even Month, Second Saturday 13 February Volunteer License Exam Session Location: Guns 4 Us, basement classroom 417 East Blvd, CA No handicapped access Pre-reg by 8 Feb. Limited to 8 applicants All must register at 9 AM Contact Elvy Hopkins NØLV <lvrh7589@iwvisp.com> 10 Feb SARC Board Meeting 7:00pm Heritage Inn 10 Feb SARC General Meeting 7:30pm Heritage Inn Six Meters: The Magic Band 27 Feb 100 mile Horse Endurance details inside

2 2010 SARC Dues are DUE! This may be your last newsletter Yep, it's that time once again. Your 2010 SARC dues are due. Your dues support numerous repeaters, some future repeater expansion, insurance, meeting site, licensing classes, the newsletter and a host of other items. Please use the application at the end of the newsletter and join or re-join! Please remember, starting in 2010, SARC will only be publishing an , PDF version of the newsletter. President's Shack Well, it s 2010 already. I d like to begin by wishing everyone belated Happy New Year, and thanking Greg WA7IRW and the other outgoing club executives for all of their hard work in Treasurer s Report As of January 31, 2010 Beginning Balance $5,127 Income 468 Expenses (565) Ending Balance $5,030 Submitted by Julie Stephens, KI6YRA SARC 2010 Installation Dinner A little about me my family and I migrated to from the urban sprawl of the Silicon Valley about 2 years ago, with no ham radio experience whatsoever. Fred KG6STR heard about my interest and roped me into the first Technician-class class sponsored by the SARC. After passing that class I bought some mobile gear and then passed my Extra-class test last year at the end of the SARC s General-class class. I m running strictly mobile VHF/UHF right now, and don t get on the air much, but I do have an old HF rig donated by a friend s father, who s been a ham for something like 60 years. I just have to figure out how to go about putting up an antenna that won t rile the neighbors Most of you are way ahead of me where radio is concerned, but I look forward to learning from all of you and bringing a newbie s perspective to the club. What I d like most is to find ways to generate interest in amateur radio and the SARC among folks in the community, perhaps by integrating amateur radio with other activities in which our members are interested. Some of you are already involved with Boy Scouts. Maybe we can find a way to set up a temporary station in a remote/difficult area for a contest weekend (Little Petroglyph Canyon, Bodie, Badwater ), or sponsor a station at one of our local schools. So please give some thought to the above, as well as what you d like to see from your club over the next year and don t be afraid to speak out early and often. If you can possibly manage the time, please consider putting together a presentation on something you ve done that would be of interest to our members. If you re presenter-phobic I m sure we can find someone who ll help you put the slide-show together, and maybe even present the material for you. From what I ve seen so far, it s a pretty sympathetic crowd. 73, Harry KI6PSZ@webstephens.com Technician Class We are going to offer the Technician class again this year and it is coming up fast. The class will be starting with a sign up night on 23 February and run seven nights on Tuesdays followed by a test night. Cost will be $20. Those who have taken the class before and not passed may take it again at no cost (as long as you still have your book). The class will be held at the LDS Stake Center at S. Norma and Bataan. If you are interested, please contact Mike Herr, WA6ARA

3 ARRL Audio Newsletter For the past few years we have been retransmitting the ARRL Audio News. However, the ARRL has announced they will be suspending the audio news for an undetermined amount of time while they evaluate it. I will look at replacing it with the Amateur Radio Newsline report. This usually runs about 30 minutes long, so the news will be starting at 7pm, instead of the 7:10pm time. the horses headed back out on loop 2 where Phillip, KG6JEL was at Water 2, Roger, KI6PSX was at Radio 1 and Jerry, KK6PA at Water 3. Upcoming 100 mile Endurance Horse Ride Support The next horse endurance ride is the 100 miler on Saturday February 27th. The Fair Grounds is the base camp for this one. The route is around the Spangler Hills and off west to Black mountain area and down into Golar dip. This one will take a few more people than the Fire Mountain 50 miler just completed. We will need to have operators available to take shifts at some of the locations and have good mobile radios to work the portable repeater. Bill, WA6QYR is heading this one up. If you have that weekend available, please give Bill a Call at Fire Mountain 50 Report There was one horse that was having trouble at the base camp so was dropped from the ride. After an hour hold at base camp the 50 milers headed out on loop 3 to the east of camp. Hal, KM6JM covered water 4 on the Navy Echo Range road, John, KC6UWM and Lorilyn, KG6LEW covered Water 5 along the Johansburg-Trona Road and Mike, W6PM worked Water 6 at the Rock Pile. Dennis W6DWF was our in town support person to deal with phone communications just in case we needed some thing. Mid afternoon Tammy, KG6VYA took over Base Camp communications and closed the ride down at 550 pm. Thanks to all who helped in the various jobs needed to make the ride safe. Bill WA6QYR We had a great sunny day for the 2010 Fire Mountain 50 horse endurance ride on January 23. After a week of rain and snow it was great to get out and help with the ride. We had a few operators that had to back out; one with travel Fred, KG6STR; Mark, N0BLM with a cold and John, AI6A with bladder infection. Several came into action for us to make the ride happen, Phillip, KG6JEL; Mike, W6PM; Jerry, KK6PA and Tim, NH2BV. Tim put up the SARC portable repeater at 700 am on a peak in the hills south of town. The ride had 3 loops to travel in 12 hours covering the Spangler Hills south of town. There were 25 fifty milers, 16 thirty milers, and 7 fifteen milers (new to endurance riding). The 50 milers started at 6:30 am followed a half hour later by the 30 milers and 7:30 am the fifteen milers. Bill, WA6QYR was the Base Camp coordinator. The first loop had Jerry KK6PA at the first water stop. The horses came in to base camp after the first 14 miles for a Vet check, water and Hay. After a 30 minute hold

4 ASK ELMER The Question... How about some tips on taking care of deep cycle batteries? Type of chargers to use and avoid, recommended gage wire recommended PM etc. And the Answer... Good question. There is lots of excellent reading available from various sources on this important subject. One of the best sources that I've found is the Emergency Power for Radio Communications by Michael Bryce, WB8VGE, available from the ARRL and various Amateur Radio stores. Although the book covers much more than just deep cycle batteries and chargers, this book can prove invaluable in helping you design the system that powers your radio shack. Another excellent source of information is an article in the December 2003 issue of QST by Joel Hallas / W1ZR titled, Emergency Power at W1ZR. This article is available for download to all ARRL members by going to the QST Archive Search page and searching for the subject article. This article will most likely answer every one of your questions. As far as taking care of your batteries, it depends on what type of battery you have. If you have the common, old wet-style, flooded cell, lead acid battery, be sure to keep them topped off with distilled, deionized or other approved processed water. Never use tap water or mineral water. The impurities in the water will drastically shorten the life of your battery. Also be sure to use these types of batteries in well ventilated areas. These batteries vent hydrogen gas when being charged and that gas WILL explode when exposed to a spark! You should always use the largest wire within reason, your budget will allow. Keep your wire runs as short as possible also! Just because the manufacturer placed a 10 foot power cord on your HF or VHF rig doesn t mean you need to use it all. As a great example, Joel Hallas / W1ZR in his Emergency Power article talks about powering a rig that draws 20 amps using 6 feet of 10 gage wire from the power supply to a RigRunner and then another 6 feet of 10 gage wire to the radio. This equals a total of 24 feet of wire (12 feet times 2 wires each). Doing the math and calculating the resistance of the wire, the voltage drop between the power supply s output of 13.8V to the radio would be a minimal.5v, or in other words, the radio would see 13.3V. Nothing wrong with that. However, if you were to try to power that same radio with 16 gauge wire, that voltage drop would now be a whopping 2 volts! Not so good anymore. Yes, 10 gage wire costs a lot more money, but in the long run, it s worth it. An excellent source of wire (and PowerPoles / accessories) is 73.Hal/KM6JM Hey, What happened to my radio? By: Ed Czajka KI6PSP ki6psp.blogspot.com On a semi regular basis, I start up my Kenwood TS-440 and check propagation by listening to the WWV stations. I have them programmed into memory to make it easy, as well as all of the PSK31 freqs and the 60 Meter channels. Yesterday I turned on my radio and I wasn't getting any sound from the speaker. Thinking the fallen keyboard may have knocked a cable loose I checked the wires. I then discovered that the Heath Kit filter that I was not using was turned on but not powered, cutting off my audio to the speaker. Simple, ok, but how did that happen, my wife avoids my desk as well as radio stuff. Then today, I observed my 20 month old, climb onto the chair, and without any help did the following: She stood up on the chair, leaned forwards and turned on the Power Supply, then turned on the radio. Yeah, she figured out the radio doesn't work without the power supply being on first. Then she started changing the channels I had programmed into memory by turning the knob and listening to the WWV stations. Oh it gets better, then she leans forward even more, puts her hand on the mic and says in a cute voice, "Heddo, Heddo...". She hasn't associated the PTT button to when you talk into the mic but she is well on her way to being a Ham Radio Operator. She loves to snatch my hand helds from the counter and run around the house saying "Radio". According to her mother, She loves to climb into my chair and play with my radio in the morning while I am at work. I think it is really funny considering the January dinner meeting with the local club (WA6YBN). Tickets were being drawn for door prizes, and the oldest person was heading up there. Then someone asked who the youngest person was to go next, without realizing what was going on, they looked towards me and asked how old I was, and my daughter Amanda raised her hand, as to say, "I'm the youngest!!!". Everyone started laughing and it took me a second to realize how silly my daughter was. Its cool though, she got me a good morse code practice kit and a Marine VHF radio with a couple of wall worts. Ok, we got the bubble wrap calender too.

5 Its a good thing I usually leave the Mic disconnected, and the RF carrier at 0%, just in case she figures that out next. KI6PSP How to submit an article to the newsletter This last month I had a deluge of submissions to the newsletter. Thanks! It really helps make the newsletter better. There were some problems, folks are making it harder on themselves trying to make it easier for me, which I appreciate. But, overall, it was actually harder on your editor. The best way to submit an article is simple text in an . Don't worry about the font or size. Photos should be an attachment, not embedded. No HTML. If you want a photo at a particular spot, simply put in parenthesis (photo 1 here). Please do not use PDF. It is very difficult for me to manipulate. In general don't try to put into the format I use, in font, size, column, etc Again, I just need to reformat anyway and move stuff around in order to get it all to fit right. In general, I don't like to pull an article off a web page. From time to time certain artifacts come over and I end up fighting it for a while. If you submit something from another club, someone else's web page, etc, please get written permission to republish it. Most give it readily but I have had some who insist on complete editorial action over the entire newsletter. Needless to say those article never make it. And, if you send something to me for publication, please note that in the title. I get a lot of articles, what about this or that and such from folks all the time. I am not always sure who wants an article in and who simply is sending me something interesting. So, please, please, please keep those articles coming and let's make it easier on all of us....the editor Clyde Lebsock KA6UGF has given his amateur radio equipment to SARC with proceeds of sales to go into the SARC treasury. Kenwood TR mtr FM mobile xcvr with mobile mount and MC-46 speaker mic. I have electronic PDF versions of both manuals. $50.00 Yaesu FT-208R 2 mtr FM HT with NC-8 base/charging stand and YM-24A hand mic. This HT works in the base stand but needs a new set of FNB-2 batteries available from < for $20 + S&H. Manual is downloadable from < Library/Eighties/ft208r.jpg> $25.00 Mirage B-23, 2 mtr, solid state FM/SSB RF amplifier. 2 Watts in-30 Watts out. Small 5"x4"x2". No manual is available from the current owners of the Mirage line < Currently bolted to the top of and connected to the pwr sup below. $25.00 Astron KPS-12, 12 VDC/10 AMP continuous/12 Amp ICS, power supply. Astron sent an RS-12A manual for this one. < $40.00 Ranger Communications RCI-8000 VHF marine (NOT 2 mtr.) HT without charging device, with manual. $5.00 This hardware is nearly 30 years old. Clyde says that all were working well when taken out of service several years ago. All units are in excellent mechanical condition and bear no gross, or even not-so-gross, visual defects. Contact Elvy Hopkins NØLV at <LVRH7589@IWVISP.COM> or Collins R648/ARR-41 w/manual Drake R4, TX4, TR7A, w/rv7 VFO, MS4 supply/spkr., misc mic, etc... Nice H.B. antenna matcher Hy-Gain High Tower mostly complete Kenwood TR9000 multi-mode 2 mtr mobile Webster Bandspanner coils in boxes Many larger tunable coils and caps, high power types Heathkit Cantenna Hustler HF mobile whips and coils NMO VHF type mobile ant. Misc mobile ant. Make offer to Sam Edwards, WA6???, 648 Sonja Court, (760) Gonset 20mtr 5 elm beam $10; 220MHz heavy duty 7 el beam $15 ; 6 ft spin aluminum dish (no back mounting support) $50; Hallicrafter HT32A transmitter with manual $50, Trio (Kenwood) TS520D meters SSB 90w rig with manual $75 Bill WA6QYR bburns@ridgenet.net. FOR FREE Early Heathkit items- G-2 sine/square wave generator; V-5 VTVM; Later Heathkit- 5 inch scope O-10 Bill WA6QYR bburns@ridgenet.net. Yaesu HF Transciever FT-757GX-II M including WARC Bands ( M), 100W output on SSB, CW, FM and 25 watts AM. The receiver features IF shift, a squelch that works on modes other than FM, and noise blanker. The General Coverage receive covers 500 khz to 30 MHz. The rig also has an excellent built-in electronic keyer with semi/full break-in CW. Other

6 features include an attenuator, dual VFOs, speech compressor and VOX. Tested and radio works to specs. Includes Yaesu MD1-B8 Desk Mic and "External Amplifier Keying Relay" optional attachment. Wired for Anderson Powerpole DC connections. No manual but can provide a downloaded electronic copy. Was my father's rig before he passed. Asking $ If radio buyer is interested, I have 2 additional items that I will sell as a package ONLY. I prefer to sell all three items together. All three items (radio, tuner and P/S) as a package for $ FIRM MFJ W Manual tuner. Connecting coax between radio and tuner and original manual included. Astron PS-20 Power Supply. No meter version. 13.8V at 20A ICAS rating, 16A continuous. Wired for FT-757GX-II connection using Anderson powerpoles. No manual but one should be available online. This is an excellent starter station for the newly upgraded General or Extra Class ham. Contact Gene W5DQ at "w5dq-at-radioroom-dot-org" or call If outside Indian Wells Valley, shipping charges will apply or coordinated delivery may be arranged. WANTED Digital storage scope with GPIB interface. Any major manufacturer. Call Claude Wood- WA6YSQ at Check out the SARC Web Page RACES, ARES and INDIAN WELLS VALLEY EMERGENCY NET MEMBERS In case of impending or current emergency, monitor the SARC translator on /04 MHz or the backup simplex frequency of MHz. W6PM, Mike or AI6A, John, the local RACES ECs, will coordinate mobilization. An Emergency Net Control Station will direct radio communications. Check in. State your capabilities. Be prepared to go outside the IWV for at least three days. An E-Pac should contain: your RACES card, radios and accessories, batteries, charger, paper, pen, clipboard, flashlight with spare batteries, timepiece, headgear, sunglasses, spare glasses, your medications, your medical history, first aid kit, severe weather clothing, non-perishable food, 3 gal. water, sleeping bag.

7 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION SIERRA AMATEUR RADIO CLUB of the HIGH MOJAVE Please fill out this form. It is used to make the club roster and newsletter mailing list. This form must accompany all membership and badge payments. All renewals are due 31 March. Please mail this application and your payment to SARC, POB 1442,, CA or give them to the Secretary at a meeting. Membership Please circle one Individual via - $17.00 Family via - $27.00 Full time student via - $8.50 Active Duty Military via - $8.50 Individual or First Family Member Date Name: Last First Call Sign Novice Tech Gen Adv Ex ARRL Member : Yes No Address (Note: address is not shared, for newsletter only) Mailing address: City State Zip Phone: Second Family Member (For more family members please duplicate) Name: Last First Call Sign Novice Tech Gen Adv Ex ARRL Member : Yes No DO NOT DETACH BADGE ORDER DO NOT DETACH The club badge shows your Amateur Call, your Name and Sierra Amateur Radio Club. It will identify you at club meetings and public service events. To order a badge, provide the information below and, include $11.00, for each badge in Membership Application total above or with this form and mail to SARC, POB 1442,, CA or give it to the Treasurer at a meeting. Name to put on my badge is (What you like to be called) Amateur call for my badge is