Communicator - Central NH Amateur Radio Club

Monthly
Newsletter of the Central New Hampshire Amateur Radio Club
The Communicator
The
ARRL
Special Service
January,
2016 Club
Communicator
January 2016
CNHARC Web Page - www.cnharc.org
January Meeting Program
40-Minute Panel Discussion – Antennas
Moderator – Tim, W3ATB
Panel – Chris, N1HD, Dick, N1LT, Clayton, N1VAU
Ham Radio News – Rich, WF1V
DXpeditions – Barry, W1JFK
Power Poles – Jim, N1CRZ
Public Service – Glen, KC1AAI
Contesting – Tim, W3ATB
Digital Fun Update via Skype – Frank, KC1AAQ
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.
plans to upgrade my privileges from General to Extra on
hold.
From the President’s Key
By Tim, W3ATB
But 2016 is different. I've got big plans and I'd love to
help you extract even more enjoyment from this phenomenal hobby we both share.
My 2016 goals got off to an early start on Christmas
Eve and Christmas Day with the help of the glorious warm
WX Mother Nature and her friend El Nino' have bestowed
upon us.
Gary Johnson, K1ESJ, came to my house with his air
launcher and in just 40 minutes we had two new halyards
up as high as possible in two trees. My zep dipoles 80 / 6-
In This Issue
Happy New Year!
Last year I told you how I spend the week between
Christmas and New Years Day.
From the President’s Key ………………..………….…...
What Would Wayne (Green) Do? ……...…………….
Adam’s Junk Box ………………………………...…….
Zombie Shuffle QRP ……………...……………....…...
Use of 146.52 MHz FM Simplex Frequency… ……..
Winter Field Day ………………………………………..
Why a Slide Rule is Better Than a PC .……………...
Secretary’s Report ……………...……………………...
I relax from the past busy year and try to chart my
goals for the upcoming year. It's a fun exercise because you
can do a little dreaming.
Last year I didn't achieve some key goals because I
ended up spending the entire summer re-roofing my house.
This unexpected and grueling four-month saga also put my
Next Club Meeting - Tuesday, January 5th, 2015 at 7:00 PM
Gilford Community Church, Gilford NH
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The Communicator
January, 2016
meter antenna is now a towering 70 feet off the ground.
Hartford, CT.
Think of that. In less than an hour I exponentially increased my chances of grabbing that elusive QSO or DX
contact. You've got an extra hour and a couple of trees,
don't you?
I think you'll agree the list you can choose from is
nearly endless.
Be brave. Pick just one or two things that are new to
you and get them done in 2016.
Let's make a short list of what you can do in 2016 to
sharpen your skills and make new friends.
When you do complete one, please share it with me.
I'm interested in your success and what you accomplish will
be an inspiration to your fellow CNHARC members!
For starters you can start to attend our monthly meetings. If one of your reasons was you couldn't hear anything,
that problem's been solved. We've now got access to the
professional sound system that's been hidden in the basement ceiling of the Gilford Community Church. We can
turn it up so loud you'll need ear muffs.
CNHARC
Using this same multi-media system and the Internet,
we'll be patching in LIVE presenters from hundreds or
thousands of miles away. Yes, experts from other parts of
the nation, and possibly international fame, will be talking
to you about different aspects of our hobby.
Repeater Sustaining Members
2015 / 2016
Glen Aldrich
KC1AAI
Peter Jackson
K2SNW
How about you come out with me, and a few others,
and do outdoor radio as part of the NPOTA. That's a new
year-long ARRL event that's helping to celebrate the National Park Service's 100th Anniversary. There are a minimum of two official places in New Hampshire where you
can be an activator! Go here for all the details:
Nate Ayotte
KC1DKE
Robert MacGuffie
K2HZN
Tim Carter
W3ATB
Bryan Medeiros
KC1DVN
Dick Christopher
N1LT
James Robinton
N1CRZ
Richard Wholey
K1OBP
Stephen Saunders
K1NET
Lee Duncan
W1LAD
Bernie Quartaroli
WI1I
Derek Fritz
KB1YTQ
Dick Sterry
KB1OCE
Bill Guinther
KC1BMM Dave Worrall
http://www.arrl.org/npota
What about upgrading your license privileges? Take
your test the day I do. Hurry, because I plan to do this no
later than March 1st, if not earlier.
Ronald Bryson
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
NHY1H
Go to a regional conference. Each month the upcoming events are listed in QST.
Richard Palmieri
KC1BOW Ed O’Hearn
N1EO
Dave Benson
K1SWL
Ron Deshamais
N1GFD
Hitch a ride with some of us as we do some fun and
informative one-day road trips. The first one is coming up
in February when a few of us are going to get on the air
using the storied W1AW call sign when we operate under
the massive antenna farm at the ARRL headquarters in
Richard Hansen
KA1BUC
John Mourtgos
KD7OB
Josh Youssef
K1JFY
Richard Hansen
KA1BUC
Have you ever soldered a resistor or a diode onto a
circuit board? Did you know you can build a tiny radio in
just two hours for a cost of less than $50? If you need help,
just call me and we can do it together any day you choose.
You know that amateur radio is like fishing. Well,
how about setting a simple goal of just catching one fish a
day. Yes, make just one QSO each day and log it. It could
be fun to see how long you can go doing this.
CNHARC Monday Night Net at 8:00 PM on 146.985 MHz
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The Communicator
January, 2016
of amateur radio, as set forth in Part 97.1 of the amateur
radio regulations. Part 97.1(b) says that one of the purposes
of the Amateur Radio Service is “Continuation and extension of the amateur’s proven ability to contribute to the
advancement of the radio art.” According to Part 97.1(d),
another purpose of the Amateur Radio Service is
“Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur
radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.”
What would Wayne (Green)
do?
By Dan Romanchik, KB6NU
Wayne Green was a crackpot…but he was a great one.
For those of you who aren’t as old as I am, Wayne
Green, W2NSD, was not only the publisher of 73 Magazine, but also the founder of Byte and other PC magazines
in the early days of personal computing. In 73, he would
write these long, rambling editorials. Often, he would take
the ARRL to task, criticizing what he thought to be some
lunk-headed policy or another.
Just as often, he’d be encouraging hams to take up
some new technology. He was, for example, one of the
guys driving hams to set up repeater systems.
He would often exhort hams to get started in their own
technology-related business. I remember one column where
he urged hams to get involved in the home-security business. And, of course, when personal computers became
popular, he wrote that hams should think about getting into
that business. His reasoning was that our knowledge of
electronics would stand us in good stead in those businesses.
Today, I think that he would be telling us to get more
involved in with technologies like the Internet of Things,
WiFi, or whatever other wireless technology is coming
down the pike. “Wireless” is the key word here. These networking technologies are based on good, old radio, and
who better to push these technologies forward than guys
like us who understand radio.
This point was brought home to me last week as I was
interviewing an executive of a wireless company for an
article that I’m writing. He said to me that many of the
companies he works with are taking a software-centric view
to their wireless products. They simply use the reference
designs provided by the wireless chip makers and expect
those designs to work flawlessly in their products.
While they often do, he gave me an example where
simply using the reference design was a colossal failure. In
one case, he said, the company mounted the board inside a
metal enclosure. Since the antenna was part of the printedcircuit board, the enclosure acted like a shield, and of
course, the device had little or no range.
He went on to say that he thought that there was a real
shortage of experienced RF guys in the wireless industry.
Does that sound like an opportunity to you? It does to me.
So, I’m going to make like Wayne Green here and exhort
all you guys to get out there and take advantage of it.
This is not only a business opportunity, but a way for
amateur radio operators to fulfill a couple of the “purposes”
Let’s do it!
---------------------------------------------------When he's not ruminating on the latest wireless technologies, KB6NU likes to make use of some vintage wireless technologies by working CW on the HF bands. He's
also a prolific blogger (www.kb6nu.com) and the author of
the " No Nonsense" amateur radio license study guides
(www.kb6nu.com/study-guides). If you have a comment or a
question, email him at [email protected].
FOR SALE
Icom IC-38A 220 MHz rig and
Arrow yagi antenna: $100
Kenwood TW-4000A dual-band (2m/70cm) rig:
$100
Contact Adam at [email protected] or at
528-0678
Social Media and CNHARC
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
CNHARC 6-Meter Thurs. Night Net 8 PM, 53.770 MHz
3
The Communicator
January, 2016
Well, here we are in a new year. There’s snow on the
ground, it’s colder than the Wicked Witch of the West’s left
armpit outside, and winter is here for good. Actually it’s
still November as I write this, but if there’s anything predictable about New Hampshire’s unpredictable weather it’s
that the weather in January generally sucks. Good antenna
weather, if you follow the axiom that an antenna’s performance is inversely proportional to the quality of the weather
at the time of installation.
“hears” the signal coming in from the wire, amplifies it, rectifies it, amplifies it again and sends this amplified signal to
a coil of wire attached to a piece of paper (also known as a
speaker).
Now let’s look at the amazing part of this: IT ACTUALLY WORKS!!!
This, and many other sayings of a similar nature make
radio out to be a magical thing that only ever truly works
properly for those who were lucky enough to be educated at
either MIT or Hogwarts. I’m not one of those folks, so getting a grasp on what is actually happening when one ham’s
voice is heard 12,000 miles away by another ham is a bit of
a stretch for me.
Do any of us really understand how an antenna actually
works? Do any of us even bother to think about it? It just
works! The only time most of us put any thought into the
science of radio transmission is when our antennas DON’T
work. Even then we tend to be mostly concerned with
what’s going on in between the radio and the antenna rather
than what’s going on between our antenna and the other
ham’s antenna. But what does actually happen between the
antennas?
Let’s go over the basics: Let’s say a fictional ham
named Joe is talking to another fictional ham named Ed.
When Joe speaks into his microphone, his voice is amplified and superimposed upon a much higher frequency signal
(called the carrier) and then amplified again before being
sent to a piece of wire hanging up somewhere nearby (also
known as an antenna). All of the mixing and amplification
is done in circuits that exist within Joe’s radio.
Somewhere many miles away from Joe, Ed has his
own radio tuned to the same carrier frequency Joe is transmitting on. He has his own piece of wire hanging up somewhere nearby, and a radio similar to Joe’s. That radio
The first thing that most of us intrinsically know but
don’t actually think much about is the simple fact that radio
is light, and light is radio. The only difference between the
radio waves carrying Joe’s voice, the microwaves cooking
Adam’s frozen pizza, the radar system reporting weather
information, the light coming from the Sun, the x-rays showing the fracture in little Susie’s leg (fictional little Susie is
not a ham, and therefor was injured playing on a jungle-gym
instead), and the gamma rays boiling water to power the
steam turbines at the local nuclear power plant is their frequency. That’s it. They’re all manifestations of the same
thing: light, or electromagnetic waves. Even the different
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The Communicator
January, 2016
colors we see are just the way our brains interpret different
frequencies of visible light.
While there are a few hams that operate on higher frequencies than that, most of us operate exclusively below 10
GHz. In fact, most of us never venture much above 450
MHz. This is mostly because available ham radio gear
doesn’t usually cover higher bands than 70 cm, but this
may be changing in the future as more of us take advantage
of the glut of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz wifi gear on the market.
On the chart I’ve drawn up, the various portions of the
electromagnetic spectrum are indicated. Starting from the
left side, we have DC or direct current. This is not technically radio yet, as you need oscillations to transmit radio, and
DC doesn’t oscillate. It also has an infinite wavelength, and
as we know, an infinitely long antenna would be very difficult to build, and just wouldn’t fit in the back yard. So DC is
the starting point, but the electromagnetic spectrum technically starts just above DC. Most people don’t think of it being radio until the frequency is above 20 KHz and therefor
above the audio range, but audio is actually pressure waves
moving through a substrate (usually air). Electromagnetic
waves do not need a substrate and can travel forever, which
is why we can receive radio waves from outer space (not to
mention receiving light from the Sun, Moon, and stars). The
biggest, most powerful radio transmitter in the world actually transmits well below the 20 KHz audio “cutoff” frequency, at only 50 or 60 Hz, depending on which part of the
world it’s in. I’m referring to the power grid, which looks
like this on a radio receiver that is capable of receiving signals that low:
The portion of the spectrum we call “radio” goes up to
roughly 100 GHz, give or take a few hundred GHz (it depends who you ask). It overlaps significantly with
“infrared”, which is the name given to the chunk of spectrum that ranges from roughly 100 GHz to about 375 THz,
the beginning of the portion of the spectrum called “visible
light” for rather obvious reasons. Visible light ranges from
roughly 375 THz (800nM wavelength) to roughly 750 THz
(400nM wavelength). That is if my math is correct, anyway. Everyone talks about visible light in terms of wavelength instead of frequency, so I had to convert 800nM –
400nM to 375 THz to 750 THz and I hope I got it right. I
don’t trust my math gland, it’s been faulty for as long as I
can remember.
The frequencies immediately above visible light are
called “ultraviolet”, and now we start getting into the more
dangerous part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Electromagnetic waves at these frequencies and above are what is
called “ionizing radiation”, meaning that anything exposed
to these waves can have the charges of its atoms changed in
a process called “ionization”. This isn’t such a bad thing if
you’re a rock, but if you’re a mote of dust or a strand of
DNA you’re in for a bad day. This is the portion of the
spectrum that most people think of when they think of
“radiation”, though technically waves that occur at any frequency in the electromagnetic spectrum are radiation. Xrays are even more energetic and therefor potentially damaging than ultraviolet, and gamma rays are the most energetic form of radiation of all. There aren’t any frequencies
higher than the highest possible frequency of gamma rays,
because science. Actually it has to do with the wavelength’s
relation to Planck length, but that would take another whole
article to explain, not to mention needing someone far more
intelligent than me to write it.
In this case, the radio receiver is a software defined
radio (something that I will discuss in a future article) tuned
to 60 Hz. As you can see, there is quite a strong signal there.
In case you are wondering, there is no such thing as
“negative frequency”. The signals to the left of the little red
zero line are simply reflections of those on the right created
by software that doesn’t really know how to handle 0 Hz
properly, so they should be ignored.
So that’s the spectrum in a nutshell, so what is actually happening between the antennas?
Like radiation in all portions of the electromagnetic
spectrum, radio waves are carried by photons. Our antennas, which are nothing more than lengths of copper wire or
steel rods in most cases, actually convert electrical signals
to electromagnetic signals. Remember how I said that audio
signals are pressure waves carried through a substrate?
Electrical signals, which is what your radio works with, are
From roughly 150 KHz to roughly 10 GHz are the frequencies that most hams will be concerned with, and it’s this
tiny slice of the spectrum that most of us think of when we
think about radio waves. On my chart, it’s the part represented by the dark green bit just to the right of the DC line.
CNHARC Monday Night Net at 8:00 PM on 146.985 MHz
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The Communicator
January, 2016
much the same. They can be at the same frequencies as
electromagnetic waves, but they need a substrate through
which to propagate, usually wires and circuits. When these
electrical signals are sent to an antenna, the antenna will
convert most of the electrical signal to an electromagnetic
one and transmit it out through space (as I also said before,
electromagnetic radiation does not need a substrate, so it
can pass through the near nothingness of space).
further away and the signal strength continues to drop, and
does so literally exponentially. The apparent brightness
would continue to decrease, if we could see the signal. By
now it might only appear as a pinpoint light source.
Radio signal strength is determined by the inversesquare law, which is math. Ick. In this case, however, we
don’t have to grab our scientific calculators and a nearby
mathematics professor. The inverse-square law simply says
that every time you double the distance from a radiation
source, in this case Joe’s antenna, your received signal
strength is divided by four. With that in mind, we can only
wonder how it is that Ed, who lives in Perth, Australia, nearly 12,000 miles from Joe, can receive his signal at all. The
signal started off quite strong, but by the time it bounced
from Earth to stratosphere and back again enough times to
make it all the way around to the other side of the world, the
signal has become quite weak indeed. If we were able to see
radio, Joe’s signal would no longer be visible against the
background light, which we can consider to be the equivalent of the RF noise floor. I can’t say it enough, the right
antenna is absolutely vital to transmitting and receiving radio signals, especially over long distances.
Here’s why having the right antenna is so important:
The transmitting antenna will reflect most signals back to
the transmitter, except those that are within the frequency
range it’s tuned for (and sometimes at a few frequencies it
isn’t specifically tuned for as well). This is why we tend to
put so much stock in what our SWR meters tell us, as an
antenna that is reflecting power back toward the transmitter
isn’t doing what we want it to and is definitely doing what
we don’t want it to. Having the right antenna on the receiving end is just as important, as an antenna will only strongly
receive the frequencies that it is tuned to. Consider the fact
that we are plucking signals out of space that may only induce a fraction of a microvolt into our antenna. That’s less
than a millionth of a volt! Yes, most of our ham radios really are that sensitive. For example, the Yaesu FT-857D is
sensitive down to 0.2 microvolts on the worldwide ham
bands. This is really quite astonishing when you think about
it, and yet those are not exceptional figures. Most modern
ham radios are similarly sensitive. As sensitive as they are,
our radios need all the help they can get. A properly tuned
antenna usually works well for both transmitting and receiving, though there are one or two exceptions to this rule
of thumb (a Beverage antenna, for example, generally only
works well for receiving).
If Joe had been using his autotuner hooked up to say,
the steel toe in his right boot, there’s no way that Ed would
have been able to receive his signal. Likewise, if Joe was
using the best antenna possible but Ed was using a pipe
cleaner, there’s no way that Ed would hear Joe’s signal.
Both stations need to use the best possible antenna. Most of
us, however, will need to come up with a compromise of
some sort to match our individual location and circumstances, so we need to do the best that we can and hope that it
works.
Let’s see how Joe and Ed are doing. Joe is in central
New Hampshire and is operating on the 20 meter band
(14.000 – 14.350 MHz) transmitting at 100 watts. The photons are just pouring out (radiating, actually) of his antenna
at an astonishing rate (close to the speed of light, actually).
If you could see radio waves at that frequency, his antenna
would probably resemble a very bright fluorescent tube.
The space immediately around it would appear to be very
brightly lit, much the same way a flood light can light up a
large area. In his yard, Joe’s signal is quite strong, and
would probably overload a receiver tuned to his frequency
the same way an intense light source can overload a digital
camera. Receiver overload is the name given to the phenomena of a receiver receiving a voltage higher than it is
designed to handle, which can make them fizzle and pop in
a way that will make you and your wallet cry. This, however, is not the subject of this article, so quit whining about
your damaged HT. Step out of Joe’s yard, and the signal
strength drops off. If we could see Joe’s signal, it would not
be quite as bright here but would still be easy to see. Go
So what does happen to the signal? In the case of Joe’s
20 meter transmission, if atmospheric conditions are good it
will bounce from Earth to sky and back again multiple
times. It will continue to do this for a while, though it will
attenuate (lose power) very quickly down to well below the
noise floor as some of it gets absorbed by the atmosphere
and ground. Signals above a certain frequency called the
MUF (maximum usable frequency), which changes continuously depending on atmospheric conditions, will not bounce
around the Earth and will instead continue off into outer
space, forever. Yes, an alien from Alpha Centauri may indeed be listening to that rant from 4 years ago about your
wife’s guacamole waffle recipe that gives you indigestion.
You never know who might be listening.
In Ed’s case, a very small portion of Joe’s signal is
induced into his antenna, and is amplified and converted
back to audio by his transceiver, as I mentioned above. Does
Ed picking up this small amount of signal have any effect on
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6
The Communicator
January, 2016
the signal in general? In other words, does the fact that Ed
picked up this minute signal preclude anyone else from
picking it up, sort of like sticking your hand in front of a
flashlight prevents other people from seeing its light? In a
word, no. More accurately, sort of but not really. Yes, Ed
did take a tiny amount of energy out of the signal, but so did
every tin can, car, tower, building, labradoodle, baseball hat,
and rock that was exposed to the signal. So Ed did remove a
small amount of the signal from the air, but not enough that
anyone would notice it missing. Simply put, antennas do not
work like vacuum cleaners, sucking the signal from the air.
They work more like a solar cell. Put a small solar cell up
and it will cast a very slight shadow, but everyone else
around will have no trouble whatsoever seeing the Sun.
ing any further than this would involve going down the rabbit hole known as quantum physics, a subject that I have
very little knowledge about. Discussing it wouldn’t help
you or me.
To sum up: Joe presses the PTT on his radio and
through a complex series of electrical interactions inside his
radio, an electrical RF (radio frequency) signal is produced
and sent to his antenna. That electrical signal is converted to
an EM RF signal by the antenna, a process referred to as
transmitting. The EM signal from Joe’s antenna then bounces off a specific layer of the Earth’s atmosphere because in
this case the signal’s frequency is below the MUF
(Maximum Usable Frequency). On the other side of the
world, Ed’s antenna converts a tiny portion of Joe’s now
very tiny EM signal back to a still quite tiny electrical signal and sends it to Ed’s radio. Through a complex series of
electrical interactions, the signal is rectified, amplified and
then sent out to an audio speaker by Ed’s radio. Ed then
picks up his own microphone and starts the process all over
again, probably without realizing just how complex the
whole process really is.
Meanwhile, little Susie is still crying because she realized that her life would be much better if she had listened to
her dad, Joe, and got her amateur radio license instead of
going out to play at the local playground. As for the alien
from Alpha Centauri, who knows what he thinks of your
wife’s guacamole waffle recipe. Maybe he would like it,
unlike every other being in the known universe.
I’ve used the term “electromagnetic” an awful lot in
this article. An explanation is in order. Unfortunately, there
isn’t anyone intelligent around to explain it, so you’ll have
to suffer through my attempt to make sense of EM field theory. I’m so sorry.
The word “electromagnetic” is, somewhat obviously,
electric and magnetic combined, and this is a very good segue into how electromagnetic waves propagate. It’s a little
weird, and I don’t completely understand it myself, but an
electromagnetic wave is a combination of an electric field
and a magnetic field, perpendicular to each other. If your 2
meter antenna is mounted vertically, and it darn well should
be, there will be an electric field radiating out in the same
orientation as the antenna during transmit. Simultaneously,
there will be a magnetic field radiating out from the antenna
perpendicular to the electrical field. It’s these two components of the radiated signal, the electric and magnetic fields,
working together that make it so special. As I said earlier, an
electromagnetic field needs no substrate, can travel at the
speed of light in a vacuum (of course it goes as fast as light,
it IS light), and will continue on forever unless absorbed or
blocked (pretty much the same thing). The carrier or
“quanta” of this field is the not-so-humble photon, which is
one of the most amazingly useful subatomic particles ever
created, right up there with our old buddy, the electron. Go-
I hope you find this helpful, and perhaps even something approaching accurate. Please feel free to hit me up
with questions, comments, corrections, quotations, and any
Diet Dr. Pepper soda you may have. I can be reached on the
146.985 repeater or via email at my call sign at hot mail dot
com.
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
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The Communicator
January, 2016
Zombie Shuffle QRP
By Tim, W3ATB
“Be brave.”
Those words were spoken to me many moons ago by
my CW, QRP and outdoor radio sensei Jim Cluett, W1PID.
He wasn’t talking about the Zombie Shuffle, a fun low
-intensity contest that’s held each year on the Friday night
that’s closest to Halloween.
This year the shuffle was on Halloween Eve, a perfect
dark evening to have some great fun.
Jim’s advice about courage had to do with getting on
the air and wandering into the jungle of invisible radio
waves as a CW beginner.
Believe me, it can be a scary place.
But last night, I was brave. Unbeknownst to me over
the past two weeks I had reached yet another plateau on my
long and arduous CW journey.
I was about to discover I finally had listening skills
that would allow me to have the most fun yet on the air. And
fun I had!
Last year I signed up for the Shuffle and was lucky
enough to garner a very special number. Zombie numbers
are given for life.
Mine was 1111.
How Fast?
The two ghouls behind the Zombie Shuffle are Paul
and Jan Harden, NA5N and N0QT. They refer to themselves as the Grand Zombie Grand Witchess and Contest
Coroner.
I want to thank both for creating a special memory for
me. Prior to last night the most QSOs I’d ever done on one
day was three, maybe four.
In just over two hours last night I’d do thirteen.
Yeah, if you’re an experienced pro, you can do 100 or
more Qs in two hours, but years ago you were where I was
last night. You didn’t start out doing CW at 30 WPM.
But I digress.
The shuffle is a fun contest. It’s not meant to be a
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The Communicator
January, 2016
high-speed adrenaline-filled sprint or like the madness of
Field Day.
“There is no point to the Zombie Shuffle whatsoever
except to get on the air and have fun with fellow Zombies
and QRPers. Even with only 2-3 QSOs, you can earn a fairly large score to brag to your co-workers and QRO buddies. If you haven’t been on the air for awhile, or you are a
new CW ham, your fist is “rusty,” or your code speed is
slow, this is the “contest” to put a few contacts in the
log. Note that the scoring is based on SERENDIPITY rather
than operating skill.”
That’s the philosophy of the contest taken right from
the Zombie Shuffle website.
I was sending at 12 WPM with a spacing of probably
10 WPM. Everyone who I worked slowed for me and I was
able to copy 98 percent of everything sent. I was euphoric.
I had my first Zombie QSO.
Then another, and another and another.
I can’t remember if Jim texted me or called me, but
over the next hour I’d text him at least five or six times and
we’d talk on the phone a few times.
I was so excited I was telling him what was happening.
Early in the contest I had five or six QSOs to his one!
Hah! We eventually worked each other on both 80 and
40 meters. You’re allowed to work the same station more
than once so long as you’re on different bands.
Time passed quickly. Before I knew it I had been on
the air for over two hours with just a 10-minute break for
dinner.
Jim knew I’d love to work an Elvis in the shuffle.
Elvis and Elvira stations are operators who you can
work to get 666 extra points.
Jim found WA5TCZ on 20 meters and texted me.
After several attempts, he finally heard me and was
extremely patient as I was battling lots of fading – QSB.
By 8:30 pm I was tired. What’s more, my body chemistry was changing as the adrenaline that powered me two
hours before was being neutralized in my veins.
It didn’t matter. I had a grin on my face as big as any
carved pumpkin in central New Hampshire.
It was a night I’ll never forget and there’s lots to be
said about being brave.
You can be brave too.
Sundown
Moments before sundown last night, that’s when the
contest starts no matter where you live, Jim called me.
“Do you want me to work you right now on 3.560 for
the Zombie Shuffle so you don’t get skunked?”
“What? Oh my gosh! That’s right, the contest starts in
just a few minutes. I forgot about it! Thanks for calling! And
NO, I don’t want to work you now. I’ll not be begging for
QSOs tonight. I emailed you my goal of ten Qs. I’ll do just
fine without you.”
What was he thinking? Well, when viewed from his
perspective I’ve not been putting in the requisite time to
become a skilled operator.
But Jim doesn’t know me that well. When I decide to
do something, I do it. The issue with CW is that I’m still a
working stiff and a few other things have nudged me away
from the key.
Score!
I hung up the phone and rushed up to the shack.
Quickly I reviewed the frequencies, made a crude logbook in my notebook and turned on the radio.
I started out at 40 meters because I thought that would
be alive at this time of day / pre-night.
I wasn’t disappointed. I went to 7.030.30 and started to
call CQ.
Because I’m a rookie contest grasshopper, I did my
CQ wrong.
Here’s what I sent: CQ CQ CQ BOO W3ATB
W3ATB K
What I should have sent was: CQ BOO W3ATB
W3ATB K
Oh well, the pros knew what was going on and were
gentle with me.
Within a few minutes N8RVE came back. BOOM!
FOR SALE
Icom 718 Transceiver
Z-11 Pro Auto Tuner
GR 5 Junior Antennae
All in excellent condition
$600.00 Firm
Contact: Warren Sommers, N1QXH
524-8310
[email protected]
CNHARC 6-Meter Thurs. Night Net 8 PM, 53.770 MHz
9
The Communicator
January, 2016
Preparedness is the key to a professional and timely
response during any event and this is what local and state
authorities are expecting when they reach out to the emergency service groups that offer their services.
If you are serious about emergency communications
as we are; we welcome you to join us for our yearly event.
We are sure that you will find this event a pleasant change
and challenge to that of a normal summer time field day.
Use of 146.52 MHz FM
Simplex Frequency Cleared
for ARRL Contests
Courtesy of the Surrey Amateur Radio Club
‘Communicator’
The ARRL Programs and Services Committee earlier
this year unanimously adopted a recommendation from its
VHF and Above Revitalization Committee to remove the
rule prohibiting the use of 146.52 MHz simplex for making
contest contacts. The change becomes effective in 2016,
starting with the ARRL January VHF Contest.
The VHF and Above Revitalization Committee concluded that the restriction was no longer necessary. The
committee felt that permitting the use of 146.52 MHz would
allow new/curious contesters possessing only FM-mode
radios to stumble upon more contacts, increasing their
chances of being drawn further into VHF+ contesting -- the
primary aim of the Revitalization Committee.
The change will also be incorporated into the ARRL
Field Day rules This change eliminates Rule 1.8 in the
"General Rules for ARRL Contests Above 50 MHz," with
subsequent Rule 1 sections renumbered accordingly.
The contest runs for 24 hours during the last full weekend in January each year from 1700 UTC (12:00 noon EST)
Saturday to 1700 UTC (12:00 noon EST) Sunday. For 2016,
the dates are January 30 and 31, 2016. Station set up may
begin no earlier than 1300 UTC (8:00 AM EST) on January
30, 2016.
Winter Field Day
Via http://www.winterfieldday.com/
Winter Field Day Association (WFDA) is a dedicated
group of Amateur Radio Operators who believe that emergency communications in a winter environment is just as
important as the preparations and practice that is done each
summer but with some additional unique operational concerns.
We believe as do those entities of ARRL Organizations like ARES & RACES that maintaining your operational skills should not be limited to fair weather scenarios.
The addition of a Winter Field Day will enhance those already important skills of those that who generously volunteer their time and equipment to these organizations. This is
why WFDA is open to all licensed amateur radio operators
worldwide.
Disasters are unpredictable by nature and can strike
when you least expect them. WFDA's goal is to help enhance your skills and ready you for all environmental conditions found in the US and Canada during the spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Mike Stone, N1VE recently sent in the following:
Yesterday afternoon I visited Jules (W1GDE) and Lorraine (W1LRD) who are living in Lady Lake, Florida. They
are well and enjoying life in Florida. Lorraine plays a lot of
golf, and Jules is involved in an opera group that meets at
his house to listen and discuss operas. Jules has a twometer/440 station and also uses Echolink. He has spoken to
several hams on the Gunstock repeater via Echolink.
Jules' call sign was his father’s. His father’s name was
also Jules Deschenes. Jules’ brother, Norman (N1VPS) is
also a ham
Back in 1992 Jules was CNHARC vice president, Lorraine was club secretary, and I was club president.
Peg (K1VE) and I live in Hernando Beach, about 75
miles from Jules and Lorraine. It really is a small world.
73
Mike
CNHARC 6-Meter Thurs. Night Net 8 PM, 53.770 MHz
10
The Communicator
January, 2016
Why a Slide Rule is Better
Than a PC
The Phonetic Alphabet
1. A Slide Rule doesn’t shut down abruptly when it
gets too hot.
2. One hundred people all using Slide Rules and Paper
Pads do not start wailing and screaming due to a singlepoint failure.
3. A Slide Rule doesn’t smoke whenever the power
supply hiccups.
4. A Slide Rule doesn’t care if you eat or drink while
using it.
5. You can spill coffee or a soft drink on a Slide Rule
and keep on computing.
6. A Slide Rule never sends you snarky system messages about upgrades, reboots, and damaged files.
7. A Slide Rule and Paper Pad fit in a briefcase with
space left over for lunch or a change of underwear.
8. You don’t get junk mail offering pricey upgrades for
your Slide Rule that fix current old errors while introducing
new ones.
9. A Slide Rule doesn’t need scheduled hardware
maintenance, an IT staff, and a 24/7 help desk outsourced to
a team of geeks in Carjackistan who barely speak English.
10. A Paper Pad supports text and graphics images
easily, and can be easily upgraded from monochrome to
color.
11. Slide Rules are designed to a standardized, open
architecture.
12. You can use a Slide Rule to hit the obnoxious person in the next cubicle.
13. Nobody can steal your identity by hacking your
Slide Rule.
14. You can upgrade your memory without limits by
simply adding additional Paper Pads. No need to reconfigure
anything, change any settings, or do any backups. “Backing
up your data” consists of putting the old Paper Pad away in
a drawer.
15. Nobody will make you feel bad by introducing a
smaller, faster, cheaper Slide Rule next month.
http://bilbosrandomthoughts.blogspot.in/2010/04/whyslide-rule-is-better-than-pc.html
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
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
FOR SALE
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.
Contact: [email protected]
W1JY Central NH Amateur Radio Club W1CNH
11
The Communicator
January, 2016
TREASURER'S REPORT - K1LQN, Tom P
Club Membership: 123 paid members
The club received a $50 donation for providing Radio
Comms during the Trick or Trot event.
The 2015 Financial Profit/Loss Report Summary Year-toDate (details available on request):
Total Income:
$ 4,038.29
Total Expenses:
$ 3,262.30
Net Income/(Loss):
$ 775.99
The 2015 Financial Balance Sheet Summary on November
09, 2015:
ASSETS
Repeater Fund
$1,585.51
General Operating Fund
1,654.20
PayPal CNHARC Account
70.00
PayPal Internet Account
25.00
Petty Cash
27.00
Checking/Savings TOTAL
$3,361.71
TOTAL Current Assets $3,361.71
LIABILITIES
Opening Balance Equity
$2,072.66
Retained Earnings
513.06
Net Income
775.99
TOTAL Liabilities & Equity
$3,361.71
Secretary’s Report
by
Rich, WF1V
CNHARC STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING - Monday, 11/09/2015
The meeting was held at the Gilford Community Church
CLUB OFFICERS ATTENDING
W3ATB
Tim Carter
KC1AAI
Glen Aldrich
K1LQN
Tom Persson
WF1V
Rich Kumpf
OTHER MEETING ATTENDEES
N1RKW
Adam Foley
N1VAU
Clayton Ferry
Replaced Dave Megin's Term
W1JFK
Barry Green
Replaced David Weiss's Term
N1RCQ
Cliff Dickinson
N1CRZ
Jim Robinton
Replaced Jim Brown's Term
W1DDI
Mark Persson
Coordinator
NG1J
Frank Martin
KA1OEO
James White
President - Excused
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary - Excused
SC Member 2016
SC Member 2017 SC Member 2017 -
SECRETARY'S REPORT - WF1V, Rich K - Was Traveling, No Report
SC Member 2018
SC Member 2018 -
MEETING PROGRAMS REPORT
The club held a simulated emergency test on Saturday 11/7
for 2 hours. Franklin & Lakes Region General Hospital participated.
Member & Repeater
December 2015 Program: Coordinator: N1VAU Clayton
Christmas Party: Games & Prizes & Swaps!
Date/Time: December 11th at 5:00 PM at the Gilford Community Church
There will be a Yankee Swap, with a $10 suggested gift
cost.
Two (2) turkeys were donated. A volunteer will be needed
to cook one of them
Frequent Attendees, not in attendance
N1LT
Dick Christopher ..SC Member 2017
KB1FBQ
Jim Brown
SC Member 2018 Resigned from SC
KA1VJU
Dave Megin
SC Member 2017 Resigned from SC on 8/10/2015
N1DOU
David Weiss
SC Member 2017
2016 Programs:
Need to be coordinated. Tim will call a planning meeting
CALL TO ORDER: KC1AAI Glen, called the November
2015 meeting of the CNHARC Steering Committee to order
@ 7:00 PM
COMMUNICATOR REPORT- KB1GNI, Lee H - No update this month
PRESIDENT'S REPORT - W3ATB, Tim C - Tim was
Traveling
VICE PRESIDENT'S REPORT - KC1AAI, Glen A
There were 2 new members participating in the Trick or
Trot run on 10/31.
Glen thanked everyone for helping Adam and his family
move to their new apartment.
FIELD COORDINATOR REPORT - Need New Field Coordinator!! Contact W3ATB for information.
REPEATERS REPORT - W1DDI, Mark P
Mark P feels that we should purchase a new SCOM 7330
Controller. The cost is $524.00
W1JY Central NH Amateur Radio Club W1CNH
12
The Communicator
January, 2016
Glen asked that since we can only spend up to $499 w/o
asking members, would the group cover the overage until
the old equipment is sold. Glen made a motion to approve,
Barry 2nds, 9-Ayes/0-Nays.
Barry Green, James White, Clayton Ferry, Jim Robinton,
and Glen Aldrich each gave $5.00
Mark requested reimbursement of $123 for 2 Light Beam
M5 devices for $98 plus $25 for 300' of CAT-5 outdoor
cable.
Clayton made a motion to approve, Adam seconded, 9Ayes, 0-Nays
FOR SALE
This 2015 Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium is in Showroom condition. Comes in a beautiful Silver exterior,
complimented by a gray/black fabric interior. MPG:
22 City/29 Hwy, 4 Cylinder, 6 Speed Manual, All
Wheel Drive, Odometer: Under 5000, Balance of
Manufacturer’s Warranty.
Top Safety Rating!
NET CONTROL OPERATIONS - N1RKW, Adam F
Looking for alternate net control operators for times when
Adam is not available
PUBLICITY & WEBSITE- W3ATB, Tim C
Mark has been helping on the website
OPEN DISCUSSIONS & NEW BUSINESS - All Members
Jim Robinton talked about doing advertising to increase
membership. We talked about using QSL cards for advertising. Adam F said it would cost $25 per 100 cards. Clayton F
asked what is the maximum amount of money we want to
spend on cards. Jim R suggested a $300 outlay. Members
can volunteer to supply some of the postage costs. Cliff D
says we should wait until after the 1st of the year to do mailings.
Frank M said we could put something in the newspaper under community events. What to put on the cards was discussed. Jim R suggested members invites someone to a
meeting., we could make a contest out of it. It was stated
that members continue networking to get potential new
members. Adam will look into the printing costs for cards
with Lee. Barry G volunteered to distribute cards in his
town.
We talked about what we need to create the cards: Design,
Content, What's in it for someone to become a member. Jim
R volunteered to put the photo album back on the website.
Glen A suggested setting up demo table at events to bring in
new members. Barry G says people don't seem to follow
through with this idea. Jim R said that we should formally
designate ambassadors to follow up with new people. Glen
made a motion to accept this idea. Adam 2nds, 9-Aye, 0Nays.
Adam said that his church members were very impressed w/
all the help the CNHARC members gave to him to move
into his new apartment. The church would like to have
someone come and do an emergency service demo. Glan
said he would help.
Options include: All Weather Pkg, Hill Start Assist
Control, Traction Control, Vehicle Dynamic Control,
ABS (4-Wheel), Keyless Entry, Air Conditioning,
Power Windows, Power Door Locks, Cruise Control,
Power Steering, Tilt & Telescoping Wheel, AM/FM
Stereo, MP3 (Single Disc), Bluetooth Wireless,
Backup Camera, Dual Air Bags, Side Air Bags, F&R
Head Curtain Air Bags, Heated Seats, Power Seat,
Panorama Roof, Privacy Glass, Daytime Running
Lights, Alloy Wheels, and Fog lights.
$22,495
Contact Sam, N1OVA at 603-536-3155
MEETING CLOSE
At 8:15 PM, Tom P made a motion to close the meeting,
and Adam seconded. The vote was unanimous, AYE!
ARES Net Wednesdays at 8:00 PM on 146.985 MHz
13
The Communicator
January, 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, January 11th 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
603-498-6018
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
14