PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
July has been the busiest month for the Radio Club of any month to date. Thanks to the good coordination and planning of Ralph West, WB6YMF, our Hot Dog Sale was a great success with a "profit" of over $260 and no extra hot dogs left over to eat. I wish to make a special thanks to Wes Weems, W6PVR, Goldstone Amateur Radio Club President, for his help in setting up the stand Saturday Morning and selling many hot dogs.
N6V is still going strong and Jim Lumsden, WA6MYJ, is to be commended for the excellent job in keeping interest high during the many weeks we have been operating.
Dick Piety, K6SVP, scrounged another 1800 ft. of hardline, and during the July 24, 25 ARRL bicentennial celebration he installed two more runs up the mountain, plus an additional 400 ft. up to the existing telephone pole. The vertical and our inverted vees now sport low loss feedlines, too. Helping Dick in the work party were Ralph West, WB6YMF, Jim Longthorne, WB6KPW, and Jim Lumsden, WA6MYJ. Jim Longthorne's 4-wheel drive Jeep was invaluable pulling the long cables down the hill to the trailer and transporting the troops up the steep hill from the water tanks to the antenna mesa.
Ralph West, WB6YMF (in addition to being Secretary) has also been busy converting and fixing up some old radiophones for Red Cross use and has completed 4 units.
Now that the Club has a first class station, thoughts on using its capabilities in future contests may be in order. It may be time to establish a new post of Contest Coordinator. Any takers?
73, Stan K6YYQ
N6V PROGRESS REPORT, by Jim Lumsden WA6MYJ (7/30/76)
N6V is becoming one of the most sought-after call signs in the country. It was reported earlier that 2250 stations were worked in the first 5 days of operation during Viking I orbit insertion; at least that many have already been worked for the Viking I landing phase as of this writing. We are half way to our goal of 10,000 contacts.
It has come to our attention that there is an N4V operating at Langley Research Center. They received their license the day of the Viking I landing. We are trying to set up a sked, but have been unable to connect as yet. We may hold the first, but not the only, 1x1 call in this country, The N4V effort is being accomplished by a joint effort of two local ham clubs; Langley Research Center does not have an organized ham radio club.
I hate to keep crying, but no new faces are appearing at the station. The same old iron men are continuing to risk exhaustion, divorce and dismissal from JPL for their heroic efforts to keep N6V on the air. The PIO office, the ERC office, and myself are getting phone calls daily from all over the country requesting frequency and schedule information. Experience shows that we get best results - and need operators for the period 8 pm to midnight on 20 and 40 meters, while 80 meters is going good in the early AM. I reiterate: No arm-twisting campaign is going to be undertaken. Our operating crew needs relief. We have a major worldwide event to conduct, so let's do a proud job.
Slow Scan TV is exceeding the popularity expectations. Stan, K6YYQ, simply cannot provide enough Viking pictures to satisfy that hungry gang, In one night, he worked six countries on slow scan, including Australia which is suffering from a postal strike. Since the post office controls the communications there, only the first lander photos were officially allowed into the country. Naturally, Stan's slow scan pictures since then have really been a hit in VK-land!
Oscar 6 and 7 were worked on the weekend of July 24-25. Many more stations heard us than we could hear. With some more help from Skip Reymann, W6PAJ, I hope we will be able to try it again. The Mesa location was great for Oscar rise viewing.
Two meters took on a new look today with the addition of a DV-21 synthesizer for the IC-21A transceiver. I worked Mt. Otay (04/64) for the first time today with an excellent signal and continued for a full steady three hours! Some reception! With judicious use of the synthesizer, we should soon be able to work all repeaters in range and give everyone who wants it a crack at N6V. Also worked San Clemente Island, and our first DX - XE210 in Tijuana - on 2m FM.
The current N6V operating plan is to continue to operate through August 10, covering both the Viking I landing and Viking II orbit insertion events in one continuous operating period. If activity is still intense, and operators are available, it may be continued a few days longer. Then, to celebrate the Viking II landing, our final operating period will begin the day before the landing and continue for at least 15 days. If activity is high, or band conditions at a high point, N6V may run even longer; it all depends on operator support.
For those of you who have not tried the station, you are in for a treat! Four, yes, 4 hardlines now run up the hill and give every antenna (inverted V, vertical, 2m vertical, and the 10-15-20 m beam) a low-loss feedline. The trailer has 4 independent operating positions. Make yourself a double treat and try the new station using the call N6V!
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS VISIT N6V
On July 30, "Bill" was talking to WB6MXU, located at the console of the DSS-14 tracking station (210 ft) at Goldstone, through a 2 meter FM repeater link, At the same time, "Roy" was talking on 20 m SSB and transmitting one of the Viking I lander pictures to another amateur using Slow Scan techniques, recently installed for the historic occasion here at the JPL Amateur Radio Club, Pasadena.
"Bill" happens to be our retired laboratory director, Dr. William H. Pickering (formerly Z2BL in New Zealand) and "Roy" is Roy Neal, K6DUE, Science News Editor for NBC News, a radio-TV personality who has done much to tell what has been done by Amateur radio enthusiasts.
We hope our distinguished guests enjoyed their visit to N6V and got a good taste of the "now" things going on today in amateur radio. [Tnx WB6DRH]
N6V HELPS KEEP VIKING PROJECT TOGETHER
On July 2, Stan was operating N6V when a call came in from KC4AAB/MM region 2. It was an icebreaker off the coast of Chile, returning from duty in the Antarctic. When the ship's operator told the men aboard he was talking to the Viking control center at JPL, pandemonium broke out! It seems the ship carried a crew of Viking biology experiment scientists who had been spending the past few months in the antarctic testing the experiment. While there, they had heard no news of Viking's progress or even arrival at Mars. Stan gladly filled them in, and then handled some traffic notifying their families of their expected arrival. But the high point of the contact came when Stan offered to send them some slow scan pictures of Mars taken by the orbiter! Unfortunately, the ship was not equipped for SSTV - but the operator swore that next trip out, he would be prepared! [Tnx K6YYQ]
REPEATER LICENSES ARRIVE
Good news for those members awaiting our FM repeaters! On July 13, we received our licenses for the system which are as follows:
- WR6APQ Repeater, located at JPL.
- WR6APR Repeater, located at Mt. Wilson
- WR6APS Repeater, located at Mt. Wilson
- WB6IDV Club Auxiliary Control Station, JPL.
- WB6IDX Club Aux. Control Station, Mt. Wilson.
- WR6APR Repeater, located at Mt. Wilson
Congratulations, Repeater Committee! [Tnx WA6PEA]
REPEATER DIRECTORIES AVAILABLE
The club has copies of the comprehensive 1976 ARRL Repeater Directory. For yours, see Ralph West, WB6YMF at X 6185.
REPEATERS ABOUND
A unique repeater within the San Fernando basin has been found quite by accident. It operates on 146.76 in, 146.16 out (reverse pair) and has tremendous coverage throughout the valley.
I had just purchased the WR6ALH reverse pair crystals for access to the Table Mountain repeater and put them in my IC-22. Lo and behold, I heard a 40-plus carrier when I keyed it up at my home in Sunland. Soon, I found that instead WR6ALH in Rosemead, I had actually keyed up a reverse-pair repeater intended, I am sure, to discourage Table Mountain spillover into the Valley on 76.
It is apparent from my driving around that this repeater that I have discovered has very good coverage in the Valley and provides it with potentially good service if it were used more. The 146.76 channel is relatively quiet right now, but I am sure with the knowledge of this unique pair and its fine coverage, things may change. 73, Stan K6YYQ.
BOOTH IDEAS NEEDED
At their meeting of July 7, the Los Angeles Council of Amateur Radio Clubs unanimously endorsed using a booth donated by Skip Tenney of Ham Radio magazine for the Personal Communications Show, November 12 through 14, 1976, at the L.A. Convention Center. Ideas for the theme of the booth, and help with creating the displays are solicited, as well as volunteers to man the booth. Members interested should contact Stan, K6YYQ, X 2715. [Tnx K6YYQ]
HELP WANTED: RAMRODDER
Bob Akers and Walt Diem have been doing a good technical job with the Repeater project, but their time demands from Viking are far too great to do all the liaison and organizing really needed to make it a true clubmembership-participation project, as it was intended. The system design review, at which time the board will decide whether to support the project or not, still has not been held. We need someone to organize and lead the project, hopefully with plenty of help from all those VHF FMers we have in the club. Don't let this project die! Get in touch with Walt Diem, X 3186, or Bob Akers, X 2653 ASAP!
FOR SALE: H-P Universal Counter Model 5325A. Measures frequencies (0-12.5 MHz); Period average (to 108); ratio of 2 frequencies; and time intervals from 0.1 us to 108 seconds. 7-digit display and BCD output. Three years old but condition new (used 2 hours.) $750 or best offer, Wally Ausman, X 2720, or home, 352-4226,
WANTED: Portable Color TV. Also, 13AP4 B&W picture tube or equiv. for portable TV. Jack, X 3591, or home, 451-3829.
WANTED: Crank-up antenna tower, preferably 4 sections. Dr. Tom Wynne, W6QHL, X 3319.
WANTED: Old HF SSB transceiver, repairable, cheap. (Like $100-125.) Walt Ross W6VPN X 2456.
WANTED: Last call for a super job. Club member to sort QSL cards for the Bureau. All the "I" suffixes in California! Contact your editor, Merv, at X 7264. -
CONGRATULATIONS, W6VIO! QSL manager George Williamson, K6YGN advises W6VIO now has 88 countries worked, 88 QSLed
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