Communicator - Central NH Amateur Radio Club

Monthly
Newsletter of the Central New Hampshire Amateur Radio Club
The Communicator
The
ARRL
Special Service
Febuary,
2016 Club
Communicator
Febuary 2016
CNHARC Web Page - www.cnharc.org
February Meeting Program
Ham Radio Trivia Game – You’ll have random team members!
Chris Read – N1HD will be the facilitator
15-Minute Break
Ham Radio News – Rich Kumpf, WF1V
Making Solid Coax Connections – Barry Green, W1JFK
Secret Attraction of Public Service – Glen Aldrich – KC1AAI
Refreshments will be served!
If you wish to present a program or have a specific subject covered please contact Cliff, N1RCQ @ 279-7763.
For directions to the meeting, the talk in repeater is 146.985 PL123.
spot to operate. Dick and I were taking our time enjoying
the magical geology. Several times I was flooded with fond
memories from forty years ago when my new bride and I
walked up the same steps on our honeymoon.
From the President’s Key
By Tim, W3ATB
When I got to the top of the pathway, there was a
young couple who were trying to take a selfie photo of
themselves. They were glowing and in the moment, but
being a photographer, I knew the photo they were taking
could be much better.
I approached the young couple and offered to take a
photo. They obliged. They giggled. Looking at the young
woman, she reminded me of my wife back those years ago I
said, “I want you to give him a big kiss and let me get that
In This Issue
Each month I try to use this space in the newsletter to
increase the virtual sales of my happiness business. You’re
my customer and I’m trying to increase your state of satisfaction in this amazing amateur radio hobby.
From the President’s Key ………………..………….…...
Sandwich Notch Sled Dog Races Canceled ..……….
Repair Your Power Cord ………………………………
Adam’s Junk Box ………………………………...…….
Secretary’s Report ……………...……………………...
The phrase happiness business popped out of my
mouth sixteen months ago when Jim Cluett, Dick Christopher and I were on an outdoor radio outing at the Flume
Gorge in the White Mountains.
As we approached the top of the walkway through the
flume, Jim scampered ahead as he was very eager to find a
Next Club Meeting - Tuesday, Febuary 2nd, 2016 at 7:00 PM
Gilford Community Church, Gilford NH
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The Communicator
Febuary, 2016
shot.”
ished at what’s possible.
She blushed a little but gave her boyfriend, or husband, or lover, a very passionate kiss. I took at least three
photos, handed the camera back, they thanked me all the
while laughing.
If you’ve been a ham for ten or more years, then you
know that Josh is just scratching the surface.
Go ahead, push that paper surrounding you. Upgrade
your license, try an upcoming public service event, built a
small kit, go visit someone’s shack and get on the air and
have some fun!
I caught up with Jim moments later. He had been waiting for me for at least two minutes.
“Where have you been? What were you doing with
those two people?”
“You may not realize it, but I’m in the happiness business. I was creating bliss for those two lovebirds now and in
the future. Can you believe what they’ll think in forty years
when they look at those photos of them kissing? They’ll
remember the moment and no doubt laugh wondering about
the old goat who took the photos.”
CNHARC
Repeater Sustaining Members
2015 / 2016
I think Jim shook his head and off we went to set up
his KX3 just around the bend of the descending trail. No
doubt he understood that I was trying to help the young
couple, but by gosh getting a QSO or two that afternoon
was important too!
Glen Aldrich
KC1AAI
Peter Jackson
K2SNW
Nate Ayotte
KC1DKE
Robert MacGuffie
K2HZN
Tim Carter
W3ATB
Bryan Medeiros
KC1DVN
Dick Christopher
N1LT
James Robinton
N1CRZ
What’s the moral of the story? I’m blessed to have a
friend in this hobby that motivates me to push the envelope.
Each month or two I’m encouraged by this friend to try
something new or advance a little further in the hobby.
“You need to upgrade to Extra because you’re missing out
on some great Qs in parts of the bands outside your current
privileges,” he said to me about two months ago. My current goal is to have passed my Extra exam on or before
March 1st.
Richard Wholey
K1OBP
Stephen Saunders
K1NET
Lee Duncan
W1LAD
Bernie Quartaroli
WI1I
Derek Fritz
KB1YTQ
Dick Sterry
KB1OCE
Bill Guinther
KC1BMM Dave Worrall
In late April, I’ll be traveling to California for ten days
with my daughter. I’m planning to activate Yosemite, Death
Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks as part of the
ARRL’s National Parks On the Air event.
Ronald Bryson
Who would have ever thought just two years ago I’d
have marched that far down the pathway?
It’s my goal to try to help you get more out of this
sensational hobby where we can talk to people all over the
world with a miserable dipole antenna strung up in the center of downtown Laconia with all sorts of nearby RF interference.
N2IRO
Rick Zach
K1RJZ
Edward Curley
KC1CLA
Thomas Edwards
W1EDW
Ron Baker
N1JJW
Steve Davidson
K1SMD
Jim Brown
KB1FBQ
Bryan Letourneau
Peter Drexel
AE1T
Bruce Hamel
K1BRH
Frank Martin
NG1J
James White
KA1OEO
Frank Towle
KC1AAQ
Aleda Nichols
KC1CCU
Dana Ashton
N1WXQ
Ed Colby
N1SCJ
Jack Barbera
WA1ZDV
Bob Carollo
NY1H
Richard Palmieri
KC1BOW Ed O’Hearn
N1EO
Dave Benson
K1SWL
Ron Deshamais
N1GFD
Richard Hansen
KA1BUC
John Mourtgos
KD7OB
Josh Youssef
K1JFY
Richard Hansen
KA1BUC
Don’t believe it’s possible? Well, I submit to you that
one of our newest club members, Josh Youssef, K1JFY,
does it multiple times a week. He wasn’t even licensed
three months ago, yet he’s an Extra now and he’s aston-
CNHARC Monday Night Net at 8:00 PM on 146.985 MHz
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The Communicator
Febuary, 2016
Sandwich Notch Sled Dog
Races Canceled
FOR SALE
Kenwood TW-4000A Dual Band Transceiver: $50
Icom IC-38A 220 MHz Transceiver with Arrow
Antenna: $75
Reasonable offers will be entertained.
There will be no sled dog races in Sandwich Notch
this year. Check your Email for any updates on the
Laconia races.
Here are a few photos from the 2003 Sandwich
races - let’s hope they are held next year. -ed
Wanted
Any and all radios and radio gear you have that
would otherwise be thrown out
Old smartphones or tablets that would otherwise
be thrown out
Small 2 meter yagi antenna, doesn't necessarily
have to be in good condition.
Contact Adam at [email protected] or at
528-0678
The Phonetic Alphabet
Left to right; Cliff N1RCQ, Dick N1LT, LEE KB1GNI, and Jim
W1PID, getting their assignments at the Sandwich General
Store. Photo by Doug Mertz, K2ITX
A
Alfa
N
November
B
Bravo
O
Oscar
C
Charlie
P
Papa
D
Delta
Q
Quebec
E
Echo
R
Romeo
F
Foxtrot
S
Sierra
G
Golf
T
Tango
H
Hotel
U
Uniform
I
India
V
Victor
J
Juliet
W
Whiskey
K
Kilo
X
X-ray
L
Lima
Y
Yankee
M
Mike
Z
Zulu
Al W1FQQ and Skip KB1CSU at their cold but sunny outpost at
the field. Photo by Mike Stone, N1VE
CNHARC 6-Meter Thurs. Night Net 8 PM, 53.770 MHz
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The Communicator
Febuary, 2016
Step #2 Finish cutting through the tubing with a knife
blade.
Repair Your Power Cord
by Mike Stone, N1VE
Over the years I’ve had several large capacity power
cords separate from their molded plugs. The exposed wire
conductors can become vulnerable to damage.
Step #3 Warm the tubing with a heat gun until it is
flexible
I have had success repairing the separation, using a
two-inch length of PVC conduit (PVC water pipe, or other
suitable non-metallic tubing can be used), electrical tape,
and PVC cement.
Step #1 Use a hacksaw to make a longitudinal cut
along a two inch long piece of tubing with an inside diameter the same size, or slightly smaller than the diameter of the
power cord.
Step #4 Spread the sides of the tubing and slide it
over the extension cord.
CNHARC is on YouTube ! CNHARCAmateurRadio
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The Communicator
Febuary, 2016
Step #5 Squeeze the heated tubing until it fits snugly
over the power cord. It might be necessary to reheat the
tubing. Use gloves or a suitable tool to hold the tubing if
necessary. Then slide the tubing along the cord until it rests
firmly against the plug.
Step #7 Apply two heavy coats of PVC cement to seal
the tape. Let the cement dry between coats. Old PVC cement that is more viscous than fresh cement and will produce a thicker and more durable seal.
Step #6 Tightly wrap several layers of electrical tape
around the PVC tubing, the power cord, and the plug, firmly
binding them together.
The completed repair.
FOR SALE
Social Media and CNHARC
Icom 718 Transceiver
Z-11 Pro Auto Tuner
GR 5 Junior Antennae
All in excellent condition
$600.00 Firm
CNHARC has a presence on Facebook,
Twitter, and YouTube!
Find us on Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/CNHARC
Follow @CNHARC on Twitter.
Visit the CNHARC page on YouTube at
http://www.youtube.com/user/
CNHARCAmateurRadio
Contact: Warren Sommers, N1QXH
524-8310
[email protected]
CNHARC 6-Meter Thurs. Night Net 8 PM, 53.770 MHz
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The Communicator
Febuary, 2016
Sometimes things don’t go according to plan. This
month’s column was going to be about something else entirely, but after writing nearly two pages of it, I realized that
it wasn’t going anywhere. I know that writers often have
“writer’s block”, but that wasn’t the case. The words were
tumbling out of my brain and settling down into neat little
rows on the page just as quickly as I could type them. What
I was writing conveyed my ideas properly and made good
sense.
The problem was that it just plain sucked.
output to be up around 60 to 70 dBm. That’s actually not
bad for most things like PSK and SSTV, but for small signal
modes like WSPR it can cover up some of the fainter signals.
There is a small hack that involves re-routing the power inside the Signalink USB, that has the potential to bring
the noise floor down to 100 dBm or lower! However, this
hack involves modifying a device that probably cost you
over $100, and will definitely void the warranty. Also, any
mistakes could ruin the Signalink USB, which would result
in a very bad day for you and possibly an eruption of words
you wouldn’t want your children to repeat.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the best writer in
the world. I know I have received a lot of compliments
about these articles, and I appreciate every one of them, but
I know that there are far better writers out there (including
my own wife, Maria, who writes brilliant novels for young
adults). That being said, the article I was writing just wasn’t
good enough by my own modest standards. It was, for lack
of a better word, BOOOOORRRRIIING.
The following web site should be required reading for
anyone who actually wants to undertake this mod:
http://www.frenning.dk/OZ1PIF_HOMEPAGE/
SignaLinkUSB-mods.html
So I saved it in a different folder and started over with
a blank screen, and tried to figure out what I could write
about that wouldn’t bore readers to sleep.
There you will find the details on how to do this, why
to do this, and what the mod will do for you. There are also
some other mods described there that you may or may not
wish to try as well.
That’s when it occurred to me: What about ham radio
related hacking? To be completely clear, a hacker is someone who makes use of things in ways that they were not
designed to be used. A person who turns a dead flat screen
TV into a photography light source, for example, could be
said to be a hacker. Hackers are, despite many years of articles in the popular press to the contrary, mostly harmless.
Most of us (yes, I consider myself to be a hacker, though
not a very good one) try to do good things intended to improve our lives and those of the people around us. Here are
some examples of some hacks that I have done to improve
things for myself:
1: The Noise Floor Is Too Noisy.
The Signalink USB is a fantastic little device that
makes connecting a ham radio to a computer about as simple as it gets. With the exception of setting the jumpers inside the device, it is just about plug and play. However, it
has a small design issue that causes the noise floor on the
For anyone I haven’t scared out of doing this yet, here
CNHARC is on YouTube ! CNHARCAmateurRadio
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The Communicator
Febuary, 2016
is the short version how-to:
Carefully remove the 1KΩ SMD resistor between the
TX and RX potentiometers. Solder a 470Ω resistor between
the point shown above, and the 4.7KΩ SMD resistor next to
JP4, as shown in the same image. Simple enough, if you
don’t accidentally damage the device, which is very easy to
do. I strongly suggest that this mod only be undertaken by
people with good soldering skills.
read online, and we all know that the internet never lies,
right?). Using the dynamic element should, in theory anyway, make my voice sound pretty much the same as it usually does on the air, rather than making me sound like I’m
talking from the other side of a large, wobbly piece of sheet
metal.
Getting that dynamic element to sit where the D-104’s
original, much larger element sat wasn’t difficult, thanks to
a couple of bits of foam rubber I had on hand. I used those
to fill in the gaps before carefully marking which wire went
where and screwing the back cover back on the D-104’s
head unit.
One quick note for anyone attempting to do this same
mod: Do not unscrew the screws on the front of the D104’s head. They are decorative only, and you will probably damage the mic if you try to remove them. The mic
head is accessible by removing the 4 screws on the back
side of the head unit, not the ones on the front.
2: Which Mic Does Mike Want?
This mod was inspired by my friend Mike K1MIC,
who did something similar recently with his D-104 and encouraged me to stop letting mine collect dust.
The Astatic D-104 microphone is an old favorite
among hams. In many photos of ham radio benches from
years past, the big silver lollipop mic can be seen sitting
proudly front and center on the desk. These days a lot of
hams are switching to Heil boom mics, but some of us more
nostalgic folks prefer the old D-104. The problem comes
when one tries to hook up an old mic to a modern radio. The
crystal element in the D-104 gives a very tinny sounding
output, and the built-in amplifier is not well suited for being
connected to today’s more sensitive transceivers.
My particular D-104 is the Silver Eagle version, made
during the late 70s and early 80s when everything cool had
patriotic sounding names and emblems containing eagles in
majestic and entirely unnatural poses. It also has both the
“chicken choker” PTT, and an extra one on the base which
was mechanically attached to the chicken choker on the
mic’s stem/shaft/whatever-you-want-to-call-it. Since I
wanted to keep this functionality, I removed the Yaesu’s
PTT microswitch and wired it directly to the Astatic’s PTT
switch. I then wired the tone switch to a small toggle switch
that I had made a hole for on the base of the mic, and then
stuffed the Yaesu mic’s PCB into the base of the D-104
with some more foam and closed it back up.
So if you want to have your lollipop and eat it too, you
have to come up with a solution to these problems. My solution? I gutted the thing.
In all seriousness, I carefully removed the existing
electronics and mic element from my 1980-ish vintage
Astatic D-104 and set them aside. If I ever decide to return it
to factory condition, I’ll have the parts on hand. I then set
about installing a new set of guts which were kindly donated
by Yaesu when I bought my FT-857D five years ago. Well,
not really donated... The radio came with their MH-31 microphone, but I replaced it right away with an MH-59 remote control mic. This mic is a rather expensive add-on, but
well worth it in my eyes, as it opens up many of the features
of that great radio that would otherwise have been buried in
menus. So anyway, the MH-31 sat wrapped up inside the
radio’s original box. In all the time I’ve had the radio, I’ve
never spoken into that mic.
Here’s a picture of the mess I made:
Sounds like a good transplant donor to me.
It wasn’t difficult removing the old Astatic parts from
the big silver sucker, and it was even easier to remove the
still beating heart from the MH-31. The Yaesu mic uses a
dynamic mic element, so it handles a much broader range of
audio frequencies than the Astatic’s crystal element, which
is designed to carry only the higher vocal frequencies to
assist in punching through static (or at least that’s what I
CNHARC Monday Night Net at 8:00 PM on 146.985 MHz
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The Communicator
Febuary, 2016
Much to my surprise, it actually worked, and worked
well! In fact, I used it to run tonight’s weekly 6-meter net.
com. If writing my email address that way actually fools the
programs that prowl the internet looking for such things, I’ll
eat my hat.
3: I Need Some Light Over Here!
I’ve had a few years now to get a good understanding
of what a good ham shack should be: It should be well lit.
FOR SALE
We live in interesting times. In years past if you needed something, you would have to get in your car, drive
however far away the nearest (insert store type here) was,
and hope like mad that they actually had what you needed
in stock, before making the long, slow trip home empty
handed. These days, we have Amazon.com! One of the
things you can find on Amazon.com are rolls of LEDs with
sticky-tape on the back. These can be mounted just about
anywhere you need light. Furthermore, these LED strips
only cost around $7 - $10 each. Further-furthermore, they
can be powered by 12 volts DC. I can’t imagine where a
ham might get access to 12v DC power near his/her shack,
can you?
Astron RS-12A power supply
I used it to power my echolink node which is
now out of service... So it should be in good
running order... $45.
Two portable ground plane antennas, one for 2M
and one for 6M. I call them portable because
they are easily disassembled and assembled,
consisting of four horizontal radials and one vertical radiator. While they offer little gain, they
can easily be attached to one or more sections of
mast and put up in the air where they will provide a better signal than a mag mount on a file
cabinet. Good for emergency setups. I'm looking
for $15 for the 2M unit and $25 for the 6M antenna.
Needless to say, adding two or three of these strings to
your shack/bench/workshop area can really light things up
for you. Further-further-furthermore, they can be installed
in almost any orientation, can be cut into small strips, or left
at their full 16 foot (5 meter) length and be wrapped around
everything including but not limited to the family pet. Our
cat wasn’t happy about this, your own results may vary.
Contact: [email protected]
Here’s a picture of my very messy workbench lit entirely with LED strips:
Central NH
ARES Frequencies
Primary: 146.985 MHz, - offset. PL123.0
Backup: 147.300 MHz, - offset, PL 88.5
Sec. backup: 147.390 MHz, - offset, PL
123.0
Simplex: 147.540 MHz
NH Statewide ARES HF: 3.943 MHz
CNHARC Nets
Monday: Two-Meter Net, 8:00 PM, 146.985
Wednesday: ARES Net, 8:00 PM, 146.985
Thursday: Six-meter Net, 8:00 PM, 53.77
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I’m always
open for questions, comments, suggestions, and cups of hot
chocolate. I can be reached most days on the Gunstock 2m
repeater at 146.985, or by email at my call at hot mail dot
Check Out The CNHARC Page on Facebook!
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The Communicator
Febuary, 2016
Sell 50/50 Tickets
Ragchew with Other Members
Secretary’s Report
GENERAL MEETING FORMAT [SECOND HALF = 40
Minutes]
President reconvenes Meeting (8PM)
50/50 Drawing (Announce Amount, then... Winner Drawing)
Introduces 'News' Presenters
News & Quick Topics
Tech News (Presenter: ??) - Interesting Topics: Technology, Products, etc. 10 Minutes
Quick Topic
3 Minutes
Radio News (Presenter: ??) - World of Radio News, Hamfests, Team Trips 10 Minutes
Quick Topic
3 Minutes
Operating & Contesting Opportunities & DXpeditions
10 Minutes
Quick Topic
3 Minutes
President: Meeting Wrap-up & Close
1 Minute
by
Rich, WF1V
CNHARC STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING
Monday, 12/14/2015
The meeting was held at the Gilford Community Church
CLUB OFFICERS ATTENDING
W3ATB
Tim Carter
KC1AAI
Glen Aldrich
K1LQN
Tom Persson
WF1V
Rich Kumpf
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
OTHER MEETING ATTENDEES
W1JFK
Barry Green
SC Member 2017
N1RCQ
Cliff Dickinson SC Member 2018
N1CRZ
Jim Robinton
SC Member 2018
W1DDI
Mark Persson
NG1J
Frank Martin
N1HD
Chris Read
JANUARY 2016 PROGRAM
40-Minute Panel Discussion - Antennas
Moderator - Tim, W3ATB
Panel - Chris, N1HD, Dick, N1LT,, Clayton, N1VAU
(Cliff will contact Dick & Clayton)
10-Minute Sessions:
Ham Radio News - Rich, WF1V
DXpeditions
- Barry, W1JFK
Power Poles
- Jim, N1CRZ
3-Minute Sessions:
Public Service
- Glen, KC1AAI
Contesting
- Tim, W3ATB
TBD
- Frank, KC1AAQ (Tim to contact)
Frequent Attendees, not in attendance
N1VAU
Clayton Ferry
SC Member 2017
N1RKW
Adam Foley
SC Member 2016
N1LT
Dick Christopher SC Member 2017
CALL TO ORDER:
W3ATB, Tim, Glen, called the December 2015 meeting of
the CNHARC Steering Committee to order @ 7:00 PM
Tim mentioned that the purpose of the meeting was to plan
out the approach and details of the 2016 Program Schedule
FEBRUARY 2016 PROGRAM IDEAS
Repeater Overview
- Mark, W1DDI
OTHER
Tim will put out email soliciting a Field Day Coordinator. If
none is found by February, the club will decide to either
have a Bring-Your-Own setup, or join into a FD with another club.
GENERAL MEETING FORMAT [FIRST HALF = 60
Minutes]
President Opens Meeting (7PM)
10 Minutes
Member Introductions
Makes Comments (incl: 50/50 reminder)
Treasurer Report
Monthly Meeting Master
40 Minutes
Introduces Meeting Topic
Monthly Theme Presentation (Presenter: ??)
Hands-On Opportunity
Break & Snacks
10 Minutes
Public Service Event Opportunities & Signups
REPEATERS REPORT - W1DDI, Mark P
Mark, W1DDI, summarized the progress & status of the
repeater system.
NEXT MEETINGS:
January 5, 2016 - Club Meeting
January 11, 2016 - Steering Committee Meeting
CNHARC is on Twitter - follow us @cnharc
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The Communicator
Febuary, 2016
Ossipee Mountain Electronics, Inc.
PROFESSIONAL 2-WAY COMMUNICATIONS
SALES &SERVICE
RR 1, BOX 396
OSSIPEE MT.ROAD
MOULTONBORO, NH 03254
TELE: (603) 476-5581
FAX: (603) 476-5587
Steering Committee
Meeting
The next steering committee meeting will be
held on Monday, Febuary 8th at the Gilford
Community Church, at 7:00 PM.
Club Officers
The Communicator
is published monthly by the Central New Hampshire
Amateur Radio Club, a non-profit corporation and
charitable trust, affiliated with the American Radio Relay
League.
Membership in the Central New Hampshire Amateur Radio
Club is open to all who are interested in amateur radio.
Payment of annual Club dues as an individual ($15), family
($20) or as a student ($10), entitles the registrant to belong
to the club and to receive The Communicator, monthly or
when published for the remainder of the year. The Club
year starts June 1. Subscription and Membership:
CNHARC, Box 1112, Laconia, NH 03247-1112. Email:
[email protected]
Editors
Lee Hillsgrove, Sr. KB1GNI, Adam Foley N1RKW
President
Tim Carter, W3ATB
603-722-0908
603-581-2411
[email protected]
Vice President
Glenn Aldrich, KC1AAI
603-527-8726
[email protected]
Secretary
Rich Kumpf, WF1V
603-581-2411
[email protected]
Treasurer
Tom Persson, K1LQN
978-774-6351
603-581-2411
[email protected]
Publicity / Public Relations
Officer
Tim Carter, W3ATB
603-722-0908
603-581-2411
[email protected]
Program Director
Cliff Dickinson, N1RCQ
603-279-7763
603-581-2411
[email protected]
Field Coordinator
Training Officer
Dick Christopher, N1LT
603-524-6567
603-581-2411
[email protected]
The deadline for all copy and classified ads for the
Communicator is 16th of every month. Send to:
Lee Hillsgrove, Sr. KB1GNI, 203 Waukeena Lake Road,
Danbury, NH 03230 or email to [email protected]
Club Historian
Dick Christopher, N1LT
603-524-6567
603-581-2411
[email protected]
Technical Coordinator
Open
Officers’ terms are for one year per by-laws
Steering Committee
Change of Address
For a change of address, notify CNHARC at PO Box 1112,
Laconia, NH 03247-1112. Phone: 603-581-2411. Email:
[email protected]
Adam Foley, N1RKW-2016
603-528-0678
Barry Green, W1JFK
603-261-7113
Clayton Ferry, N1VAU-2017
603-498-6017
Dick Christopher, N1LT-2017
603-524-6567
Cliff Dickinson, N1RCQ-2018
603-279-7763
Jim Robinton, N1CTZ-2018
603-556-9492
CNHARC Monday Night Net at 8:00 PM on 146.985 MHz
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