PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Congratulations go to hard working Dick Piety K6SVP for seeing that our trailer location now has transmission lines going to the water tanks 600 feet up the side of the mountain. Dick coordinated all efforts and met my schedule of March 1st.
Ralph West WB6YMF has volunteered to be in charge of the JPL Picnic effort for the radio club. Only one more post needs to be filled ... Field Day Chairman. I'm sure someone out there will be glad to help fill this all-important post.
73, Stan K6YYQ.
FLASH! FEBRUARY 28 WORK PARTY WAS A BLAST!
WE NOW HAVE CABLES UP THE HILL! Thanks to a few hard working volunteers for our work party of Feb. 28, we now have one RG254 7/8" spiral coax line, two RG9U coax lines and one control cable laid from the trailer to the water tank area high up above most of the horizon mask and power line noise sources. The RG254 has such low losses that even with the 700 ft. run it almost gives us gain below 30 MHz, so no worries there! I personally have found a whole bunch of new (and aching) muscles, but all agreed it was worth the effort. A personal thanks goes to Gordon Crawford WB6DRH, Stan Brokl K6YYQ, Jim Lumsden WA6MYJ, and the really hard work of Explorer Scouts Eric Archer WB6GYD, Gary Boyer, Neil Dipprey, Jay Sherbon WA6KCR, and Brian Bartels.
With this giant stumbling block now hurdled, we have hopes of getting our second station in operation soon. We expect to be on the air with the existing Hustler trap vertical ground plane at first, and following that a tower and good rotary beam. Thanks again to all who helped and all who encouraged us on!
73, Dick Piety K6SVP.
TECHNICAL EDITOR OF QST TO SPEAK LOCALLY
Jay Holladay, ARRL Southwestern Division Vice-Director announced at the March meeting of the Los Angeles Council of Amateur Radio Clubs that Doug DeMaw, Technical Editor of QST, will speak in Pasadena at a meeting sponsored jointly by the JPL Amateur Radio Club and the Cal Tech Amateur Radio Club. The meeting will be on April 13 at 8 pm at the Beckman Laboratory, Cal Tech. (Beckman Laboratory is located southwest of Beckman Auditorium, and parking is available in lots.) Doug will speak on Modern Solid State Receiver Design, and I'm sure it will be of super interest to all our members. We'll try to get the April bulletin out early enough to give you any more late news. See you there, but don't forget our regular club meeting will still be held the next day as usual at JPL!
EDITORIAL ELICITS RESPONSES
Your editor has received quite a number of verbal responses to the editorial in last month's issue. The response was very gratifying, even if everyone didn't agree. I'll comment more on the responses in a later issue; meanwhile, here's a written one:
Editor: I would not agree with you more concerning contests and especially DX contests. They are all ego trips for boys often with more money than brains.
Saturday night WB6LWL told me of the backbiting and child-like exchanges between 1) Guatemalan traffic handlers and contesters; 2) traffic handlers and traffic handlers, and 3) contesters and general QSO, etc, all of the above being heard overseas.
When I was in ZL-land in July 1974, 1 listened with other ZL's to the child-like remarks among W's in the Kingman Reef mess. I was embarrassed for the lack of control mature people are expected to possess.
Jesse Ball, W6BFO.
HAVE YOU RENEWED YOUR MEMBERSHIP? If not, you may find your monthly copy of W6VIO CALLING will soon stop. Send your $2 to Jim Lumsden 233-103 pronto!
BOARD MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
Those eagle-eyed nit pickers who read the January issue with my promises for prompt reporting of board meeting goings-on and noticed that there was a startling lack of such information in the February issue deserve an explanation. In trying to move our publication date up nearer the first of the month we were not able to get those minutes in. However, we should be in sync with this issue and continue from now on. As stated before, since these minutes have not been approved by the board, nothing is sacred and could all be a figment of my imagination. Especially this time, since I was not able to personally attend the meeting. Ralph West contributed these notes for me ....
JPLARC Board of Directors Meeting, February 25, 1976 with Stan Brokl presiding. Present were:
- Stan Brokl K6YYQ, President
- Ralph West WB6YMF, Secretary
- Jim Lumsden WA6MYJ, Treasurer
- Jay Holladay W6EJJ, Trustee
- Ralph West WB6YMF, Secretary
1. Jay Holladay reported that the annual affiliated club membership report is due to ARRL. The secretary agreed to handle the response.
2. With the Treasurer's report, Jim Lumsden reported that three additional sets of headphones were purchased as part of outfitting the stations for the upcoming special event operation.
3. The new trailer station is expected to be installed 28 February.
4. As required by the new by-laws, the following off-lab members who have paid their 1976 dues were approved by the Board:
- Paul Ross
- Skip Reymann
- Al Chapman
- George Riggins
- H. R. Mecke
- Dick LaBelle
- Wally Linstruth
- Cliff Moore
- Skip Reymann
5. Brokl stressed the need to apply immediately for the Viking special event call. Some suggestions were N6V, N6VM, N6VIK. A special QSL card would be appropriate, possibly a folding type to provide more space for explanation of the event.
6. Holladay urged that we maintain an affiliation with the Southern California Repeater Association even though we do not presently have a repeater (see next item.) Dues are $8.00 per year. The board approved, with dues to be taken from the Repeater fund. Approval to take these funds from the Repeater fund is not to be construed as approval of the repeater project.
7. A status report and formal design review of the repeater project is overdue. Co-chairmen of this activity, Bob Akers and Walt Diem, to be asked to present their design to the board next meeting.
8. Printing expenses for AMSAT literature distributed at the Ventura convention was reluctantly approved by the Board (approx. $100.)
9. The meeting was adjourned at 12:55.
FRESNO DX CONVENTION SLATED FOR MAY 15-16
The annual get-together of leading west coast DXers will take place in Fresno, Calif., on May 15-16 at the Fresno Hilton. In addition to meeting your DXing competition, there are lots of overseas visitors, technical sessions, presentations about recent DXpeditions, door prizes and the other things that make conventions so appealing. For more information, you may contact this year's General Chairman, Jay Holladay W6EJJ, X 4443.
SOUTHERN COUNTIES AMATEUR TELEPRINTER SOCIETY FORMED
The following bulletin was passed out at the last meeting of the LA Council of Amateur Radio Clubs and is reproduced here for your information ...
Announcing the formation of a group of almost sixty interested amateurs in the Southern California area to promulgate the usage of RTTY on both HF and VHF bands. The ultimate goal of this formally organized group is to stimulate interest in this mode of communications, to assist each other in the location and procurement of available surplus equipment, and to use the expertise of those knowledgeable members of the group in assisting those who might wish to become indoctrinated in this intensely spellbinding mode of hamming.
There is at present an active two meter repeater, which has been set aside for the exclusive use of those on RTTY. This machine has excellent coverage extending from Ventura to San Diego and under marginal conditions to the East almost as far as the desert areas. Additional equipment and constant upgrading is being performed hopefully to even extend the coverage even further. This repeater is open to all who wish to take advantage of its capabilities.
Interested persons may establish contact with Mr. Steve Phillips WA6TVA who is the present membership chairman. His address is 272 Villanova Road, Costa Mesa, California 92626. Or, Frank Iversen WA6ZCQ who is the author of this memo. Frank's address is 1312 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles, Calif. 90026. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated. For those who wish to call by phone Frank's number is 213 663-1581, after six in the evenings ... 73.
CONGRATULATIONS
... To Alan Cassel, WA0UYU/WB6BLS who passed his Extra Class exam February 25th.
... To Cliff Moore, K6KII who is the proud recipient of CW DXCC certificate No. 38. Cliff also helps the club immensely with the QSL bureau.
... To Stan Brokl, K6YYQ, who finally got his 100th QSL card accepted for DXCC.
... To Dr. William H. Pickering, ex-Z2BL, on his retirement as Director of JPL. We hope he will now find some time to again pursue his old hobby!
AUTO RADIO INTERFERENCE REPORT
A report detailing a new technique for reducing automobile ignition interference is now available. A team at Stanford Research Center was able to reduce radio noise from a 1972 American car by a factor of from 5 to 10 (varying with frequency) over a range of 20 to 1000 MHz. A few low-cost electrical components must be added, which according to tests have no undesirable effects on the car's operation or level of exhaust emissions. A copy of the report, PB 239-471 is available for $6.25. Address: National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Va. 22161. [Tnx to Popular Electronics 1/76, via Chewed Rag thence The Footprint. Newsy news travels fast!]
***HELP AMATEUR RADIO GROW. BRING A GUEST TO OUR**** *****************NEXT MEETING***********************
MODIFYING YOUR HP-45 CALCULATOR TO INCORPORATE THE TIMER FUNCTION OF THE HP-55.
Numerous letters have been written to magazine editors about the timer built into the HP-45 calculator and how great it is. Only one of these that I have seen recognizes the timer's inaccuracy which is the characteristic of the L-C circuit controlling the timer. If the oscillator were controlled by a quartz crystal as in the HP-55's timer, it too would have the minimum .01% accuracy, even with a wide temperature excursion.
Unlike the 100 hour capability of the HP-55, the clock in the HP-45 is only good up to 13 hours. It then switches to 1 o'clock (just like the standard 12-hour digital clock.) After much prying at Hewlett Packard, I found that they not only are unwilling to add the crystal to the circuit (at any price) but they were even unwilling to divulge so much as a crystal type or part number. However, with some persistence, someone finally broke down with the info. The accuracy of my timer is better than .001% in a 12 hour check. That's really much better than I need.
The H-P part number for the crystal is 0410-0566. Mine cost $14; however, a $20 minimum order is required. I got a friend to get one for his too, and he is also pleased with his conversion.
The installation procedure is as follows:
WARNING No. 1: Opening your HP-45 will void the warranty.
WARNING No. 2: The integrated circuits in the HP-45 can be damaged by static charges. This modification should be performed only by a person familiar with this type of work.
Sketch 1 below shows the location of the components which are involved in the modification as they were in my calculator. Item A is a 330 uhy inductor, item B is a 150 pf capacitor, and item C is a small electrolytic capacitor. Items A and C remain as they are. Item B is moved to the new location as shown in sketch 2. A 4.7K +/- 5% 1/8watt or 1/10 watt resistor is added as shown in sketch 2.
Mount the crystal to the rear of the board by taping it to the inductor assemblies and run insulated wire leads (#32 AWG) to the connections on front as shown in the schematic. The 4.7K resistor is a nominal value. Should your calculator experience start-up problems, any value from 1K to 100K is suitable. Some may work perfectly with the RLC network deleted.
It is my understanding that the position of the 150 pf capacitor and the 330 uhy inductor may be reversed in some calculators. In this case, move the inductor to the new position since the electrons really don't care which one they come to first.
Good luck and enjoy the added capabilities of your H-P (Hollywood Park?) 45.
Operating procedure is as follows:
To enter the timing mode, press RCL, then simultaneously press CHS, 7 and 8, When in the timing mode the calculator will display the format:
- HH
MM SS hh
- (Hours) (minutes) (sec.) (1/100 seconds)
Note: While in the timing mode, no keyboard entries or calculations can be performed.
To start or stop timer, press CHS.
To reset timer, press CLX.
To store displayed time (only while timer is running,) press any numbered key, 1 through 9. STO need NOT be pressed.
To recall stored times (only while in timing mode and timer is stopped,) press the numbered key in which the desired time was stored, The time displayed when timer was stopped can be recalled by pressing 0. RCL need NOT be used.
To blank the 1/100ths second digits, press EEX. This does not affect the accuracy of the count and will lower the battery drain 25 ua. The digits may be returned to the display by again pressing EEX.
To leave the timing mode, press the DECIMAL key. The display will retain the last time displayed in the format HH.MMSShh. All times stored in the memories may be recalled in this new format by first pressing RCL, then the corresponding digit key. The final count of the timer may also be recalled by pressing the yellow function key and then LASTX (0), but only until a function key is pressed.
To perform calculations on time in this format, it is usually necessary to convert to a decimal format. To do this, press the yellow function key and then D.MS>( RCL). To convert back, press the yellow function key and then >D.MS (STO). In this process, the 1/100 seconds digits will be rounded off.
To enter the timing mode with a pre-selected time, enter the preselected time as shown in the decimal format above and then enter the timing mode as previously outlined.
If the preselected time is an invalid number, the display will show all zeros when the timing mode is entered. The following are invalid entries for the timer:
- 1, Any negative numbers.
- 2. Times with more than 12 hours in the hours field.
- 3. Times with more than 60 minutes in the minutes field.
- 4. Times with more than 60 seconds in the seconds field.
- 2. Times with more than 12 hours in the hours field.
To use as a standard 12 hour clock, the HP-45 should be first plugged into its adapter if it is to be used in this mode for a long period of time. Then, enter time of day in the format shown above (HH.MMSShh), allowing for the time it will take to get into the timing mode and to start the timer on cue. Enter into timing mode and start the timer.
[Many thanks to Rupert Penner, 125-231, for contributing this article. Rupert is an audio tape buff and the mother of this invention was his need for a more accurate timer for tape editing. -Ed.]
FOR SALE
2-meter FM transceiver, Clegg FM27B. Transmit and receive any frequency between 146.000 and 147.999 MHz, or any frequency between 145.000 and 146.999 MHz. $250. Ralph West X 6185 or 284-7592 (Home.)
WANTED
Low cost communications receiver. SSB stability NOT required. Hammarlund HQ-129X or similar. Paul Lecoq, X 5517 or 213-794-5166 (Home.)
WANTED
Used tri-band beam, 10-15-20 meters. 2, 3, or 4 elements. Dick Piety, K6SVP, X 2298 or 790-1991.
WANTED
Used beam, any kind. Traps do not need to work. Aluminum tubing too. Cliff Moore, K6KII, Box 1338, Arcadia, Calif. 91006.
SWAP
Have 35 2cm x 4cm silicon solar cells rated 0.5 volt at 250 milliamperes each in normal sunlight. Can be connected up as 12 volt battery charger. Want 2meter handie-talkie or small 2-meter FM mobile rig. Gil Yanow, K6TOS, X 6713 or 714-595-4102.
A BASE CORNER FED 80 METER DELTA LOOP WHICH ALSO WORKS ON 40
(By Stan Brokl, K6YYQ)
The design for this antenna is not original. It was suggested in an article by G3AQC and republished in CQ magazine last year. For the past 8 months I have been using it draped amongst my mighty oak trees with excellent results on 80 and 40 meter CW. It has worked such DX on 80 as ON4UN, EA8BH, 6W8BY; and on 40 such DX as ZE1OE, ZS1A and 5T5MR. Here's the elevation view:
I am using 22 gauge stranded wire (because I got it free.) I'm feeding it with RG-58/U coax and no fancy baluns. It is wise to start out with a loop larger than needed and cut for minimum SWR at the center frequency you desire. All of the dimensions are approximate and you could probably get by with going down to 50 feet of height at the apex and then increase the bottom wire length to keep the same circumferential length.
The SWR on 80 at 3.55 MHz was adjusted to be 4 1.1 and the SWR at 7.050 was 1.2. The SWR increases to 2.2 at 3.7 MHz and to 2.5 at 7.3 MHz.
I believe one way of looking at the current distribution is to assume that at 80 meters the system looks like two verticals fed in phase. On 40 it may look like something else, but it still seems to work.
Try it and you may be surprised. If you have the room for an inverted vee, you have the room for this antenna. And, I have a 40 meter version scaled down from the above dimensions which works very well on 20. Good luck!
73, Stan K6YYQ.
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