Contents
Meeting
Notice
The next regular JPL Amateur Radio Club membership meeting
will be held on Wednesday, August 9, at noon in 238-543. Club
Board of Directors meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday
of each month in 301-227. Everyone is welcome at both meetings;
bring your lunch.
Upcoming
Events
W6VIO Operations Trailer Work Party: August 12, 9-12
AM
ARRL Southwestern Division Convention: September 1-3
(Labor Day Weekend). Aboard the Queen Mary, Long Beach, California.
Highlights: Famous speakers. Hospitality Suites. DXCC Checking.
Auction. Grand Banquet. Tech Programs. Prizes Galore, Flea Market,
Forums Exhibits and Workshops. In general, a good time for all.
See page 102 in the August QST for further details.
N6NOtes
By Merv
MacMedan, N6NO
By my calendar, we are about halfway through the year and
this is probably a good time to pause to take stock of where
we are and where we are going.
So far in 1995 we enjoyed our best Field Day ever, a joint
record-toppling achievement with the Caltech Radio Club, W6UE.
We fixed a bunch of problems with the WB6IEA repeater including
a new frequency coordination so it is now useable. We installed
new antennas for the Table Mountain WB6TZS repeater and link,
and progressed with upgrades to the W6VIO repeaters. We staffed
a radio club booth at the JPL Open House, supported the Altadena
Homes tour and supported the La Canada Parade. We put out a timely,
regular newsletter of consistently high quality. Supported communications
for the special Olympics and finally got QSL's printed and mailed
for last year's Apollo 11 celebration. We held several work parties
to clean up the trailer, disposed of surplus equipment, and made
several equipment repairs at the main station. Other ongoing
work, such as maintaining the Web pages, putting the newsletter
on the Internet reach month, maintaining the packet BBS nodes
and links, running the HF and VHF emergency nets, and preparing
the club's role in the "recycling" of DSS-12, must
also be commended.
These accomplishments of a volunteer organization must not
be trivialized. It takes many dedicated people to do these things
and I thank all of you who have contributed. Unfortunately we
are living in a time of great career uncertainty and I understand
the difficulty in maintaining adrenaline-level commitments for
long periods. Some of you have felt the pressure of work or health
and have indicated the need to slow down. But, to compensate
for this, others have told me that the enthusiasm and excitement
of recently becoming a ham or recent retirement has provided
them with time and energy to help the club in many activities
that work never permitted before. In today's world, change is
inevitable. We must recognize this and keep in tune.
I want to remind you of a very important activity coming up
in the second half of 1995. It is our Galileo Special Event,
a unique opportunity to have fun on the air and at the same time
give a PR boost to our space achievements. Jan Tarsala, WB6VRN,
is preparing a two- pronged justification and petition to the
FCC to get us a special call sign for the event. Bob Polansky,
N6ET, is developing a list of things needed to fix up W6VIO to
support the event. (See his article on page 3 of this issue.)
However, much more remains to be done and I am looking for help.
We need to secure PIO support and formulate publicity releases
for the ham radio magazines soon. A QSL card has to be designed
to fit with our traditional commemorative series; I would like
this done before the event so we can integrate the QSL activity
with computer logging. Lastly, an operator schedule and possibly
training sessions have to be organized. I am looking for a leader
for the overall event, and leaders for each of the major activities.
Most of the work is really in the preliminary phases over the
next few months. The operation itself will be short and sweet,
supported by many operators in a two-week stint centered around
December 7. If you can help in any part of this project, large
or small, please call me and let's talk!
One last item: I am interested in YOUR current opinion of
how we are doing and where we are going. I want to provide our
diverse membership with a balanced club, hopefully neither emphasizing
nor ignoring any single area that our members are interested
in supporting. Rather than trouble you with questionnaires and
surveys, I would like to hear from you by phone. Give me a call
(Ext. 4-7004) and let me know what you think of the club - where
it has come (for better or worse), and where it should be going.
July Club
Meetings
By George
Morris, W6ABW
The regular July JPL Amateur Radio Club membership meeting
was held Wednesday, July 12. Vice President Jay Holladay called
the meeting to order. Sixteen members were in attendance. Jay
reported that President Merv MacMedan was on travel abroad. One
of the members congratulated Jay on his promotion to First Vice
President of the ARRL.
Jim Marr reported on Field Day Expenses. There were announcements
and handouts provided by Mark Schaeffer on three upcoming events:
ARRL Southwestern Division Convention aboard the Queen Mary in
Long Beach September 1-3; 75th Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club
Hamfest on Sunday August 13; and Associated Radio Amateurs of
Long Beach auction on Saturday August 12.
Bob Deen asked for volunteers for the Angeles Crest Century
bicycle race on September 9. Walt Diem requested members of the
220 MHz SMA to attend it's regular meeting on Saturday, July
15, at JPL's von Karman auditorium.
Members were reminded of the special WB6IEA contest which
starts Friday night, July 14, at midnight. See details in the
July edition of W6VIO Calling. Walt Diem announced that the PL
tone on the output of WB6IEA/R will be turned off to eliminate
the hum. Jay Holladay presented Field Day results. The Club made
5011 contacts for 15,066 points.
The new ARRL video "Friends For Life" was shown
to end the meeting.
The Board of Director's meeting was held in Room 301-227 0n
Wednesday, July 26. Only four of the nine Board members were
present. Since a quorum was not present, no business was conducted.
DX News
By Bob
Polansky, N6ET
This may be my shortest DX article in history. A major Cassini
review and a "full plate" for the weekend leave only
15 minutes for its preparation. Sporadic tuning across the W6VIO
FT-757 confirm the fact that propagation stinks! Nothing above
20 meters shows any signs of life and even 20 is sparsely populated,
at best. The DX Bulletin shows that there are a few activities
planned or occurring, but you'll have to dig deep to make QSO's.
A few operations of note are listed next to aid in your searches.
BELAU - KC6YK continues his operation through 25 August. We
still need him as a new country for W6VIO. There are few clues
as to his operating habits. Drop by the shack and try to find
him/work him for the Club.
BENIN - TY1IJ should be active now through mid-to-late-August.
CHRISTMAS & COCOS-KEELING ISLAND - VK9XI or VK9CJ will
be operating through 16 August, all bands and all modes. The
specific operation will depend on what transportation materializes.
COCOS ISLAND - TI9JJP will be active from this nearby DX rarity
for the first half of August. Jose operates all bands and all
modes to the best of my recollection.
HEARD ISLAND - The Peter Island DX group is planning a major
DXpedition to this rare outpost later this year. This should
be a 3 week effort according to my best information and should
start on 12 November. I understand a ship has already been chartered
for the assault!
ISLE OF MAN - GD3NKC plans operation from 5 to 19 August.
Look for him on the low bands in his morning and evening (He's
7 hours ahead of our local time).
That's it for now. Enjoy what propagation exists. Make some
CQ-noise. Maybe you'll attract something unexpected.
Final FD
Score
By Jay Holladay,
W6EJJ
The joint Caltech-JPL ARC Field Day, 1995, is now history.
The final paperwork has been submitted to ARRL Headquarters for
consideration in the event. Here is the band-by-band breakdown
of our score:
Band CW QSO's CW PTS SSB QSO's SSB PTS
160 0 0 0 0
80 185 740 108 216
40 514 2056 464 928
20 750 3000 996 1992
15 235 940 562 1124
10 2 8 337 674
6 2 8 72 144
2 1 4 266 532
222 1 4 75 150
432 1 4 60 120
1.2 GHz 1 4 17 34
10 GHz 1 4 1 2
SAT 2 8 13 26
PKT 111 444 * *
80N 0 0 * *
40N 25 100 * *
15N 9 36 * *
10N 2 8 165 330
222N 0 * 33 0
Total QSO's:1842 CW plus 3169 SSB equal:5011
Total Score with Multipliers:
CW x 4=7368 PTS plus SSB x 2=6338 PTS: Total QSO 13706 PTS
When the bonus points (1360) were added for all the allowable
categories we ended up with 15,066 for our total point score.
Impressive indeed for class 3A!
This year's outstanding Field Day effort was made possible
by the many people who contributed both time and effort. The
radio operators were:
Mike Baker, KA6SAR Mark Beckwith, WA6OTU
Bob Blakely, N6MTI Carol Bruegge, KE6SRN
Tom Bruegge, KE6SRO Matt Carlson, KD6PZZ
Bob Deen, N5DPU Bob Dengler, NO6B
Walt Diem, WA6PEA Warren Dowler, KE6LEA
Leif Harcke, N3EEN Jay Holladay, W6EJJ
Peter Loer, KD6RLU Merv MacMedan, N6NO
Bob Polansky, N6ET Mike Ramirez, W6YLZ
Steve Rentschler, N8SR Skip Reyman, W6PAJ
Dave Ritchie, N6DLU Mark Scxhaefer, WB6CIA
Brian Stapleton, KW6J Bill Wood, WB6FXJ
Art Zygielbaum, WA6SAL David Zygielbaum, KD6SAD
In addition, others provided excellent support to the overall
effort, both before, during, and after. These included:
Manny Caldera, KC6ZSY John Carnakis, KE6DKY
Chris Carson, KE6EBQ Jerry Person, KK6TS
Richard Schick, KE6BKE Sam Weaver, WB6EMO
W6VIO Work
Parties
By Bob
Polansky, N6ET
In early December, the JPL ARC is going to conduct a commemorative
operation for several weeks celebrating the Galileo encounter
of Jupiter. There's lots of work to do at the W6VIO Operations
trailer to prepare for this event. A list of things we need to
do to get ourselves ready for the Galileo Encounter operation
follows:
The first work party will take place on August 12, from 9
to 12 AM. Specific tasks to be undertaken will depend on the
turn out. Future work parties will take place on 2 or 3 week
centers in an attempt to finish everything prior to the commemorative.
Please support this Club activity. We need all the help we can
get. If you have any questions, please call Bob, N6ET, at JPL
extension 4-4940.
Open
House Activity
By George
Morris, W6ABW
The JPL Amateur Radio Club had a booth at the Open House.
The booth was located near the back door to the visitor center
on the path from the main gate to von Karman auditorium
The Shuttle had landed before the Open House began so we did
not have Shuttle audio or video as we had hoped. We did distribute
about 1500 pieces of literature provided by the ARRL, about 500
pieces produced at JPL, and about 2000 pieces of SAREX material
provided by NASA through our PIO Office. Members working the
booth demonstrated their handy talkies and Mark Schaefer had
a laptop computer generating Morse code.
Thanks to the members who helped: Jon Adams, Many Caldera,
Chris Carson, Rick Ebert, Merv MacMedan, Rick McKinney, Connie
Morris, and Mark Schaefer.
IEA Contest
Report
By Merv
MacMedan, N6NO
The Important Emergency Activity (IEA) contest on WB6IEA (224.70)
has surfaced a number of relatively dormant members, but the
activity level for a 230-member club is not as high as we expected.
The purpose of the activity is to encourage you to dust off
your gear, charge your batteries and demonstrate that you can
really communicate on our emergency repeater when you have to.
May I remind you that first prize is a trophy and a year's QST
or equal subscription; second prize is a QST or equal subscription.
Most of the participants are not contesters, but just want to
help with the activity and give points to the others.
Won't you join in and exchange license expiration dates (month/year)
while showing that we really can communicate among ourselves?
You have till August 15 to participate. Rules and log sheets
appeared in the July newsletter. When the contest is over, SEND
YOUR LOGS INDICATING TOTAL SCORE TO MERV MACMEDAN, N6NO, at JPL
mail stop 301-280.
The Voice
of the Vatican
By Jon Adams,
NW6H
There I was-looking straight down the barrel of a DX pileup.
Germans, Spaniards, Africans, Dutch, Danes, Swedes, Russians,
Slavs, Czechs, French, Irish, Portuguese, Italians, Greeks, Swiss-and
all of them after me! How did I get myself into that situation?
It was a warm, clear, Sunday morning in Rome. The humidity
had not yet come up and the sun was only an hour or so over the
horizon. But, like the previous few days, the air temperature
would be 90(F by midday and the humidity would be in the high
80's.
Just before 8 AM, Pino, I0DUD, stops by my hotel to shuttle
me across town to 5 Borgo Santo Spirito, home of the Society
of Jesus' amateur radio station, HV3SJ. Sunday is the group's
"work" day, and today is no exception. The satellite
station antenna system was only partially completed and today
they would finish the installation.
After a quick drive across town through deserted streets and
across the serene and majestic Tevere, we arrived in the Rome
neighborhood immediately east of Piazza San Pietro, home to the
Vatican. Up the elevator to the rooftop and the radio shack.
There I met Tony, I0JX; Gabriele, IK0HIT, and an American non-ham
named Ron who lived and worked in the building.
Pino proposed that I would enjoy using the radio station while
they worked on the antenna setup. I first received a quick demonstration
of how to operate the beautiful Yaesu FT-1000 HF rig, the antenna
rotor, and the foot-operated PTT switch. Then I sat down to what
I mistakenly thought would be a leisurely operating session.
A few words of explanation first: The station is all Yaesu
hardware generously donated by Yaesu as a result of the efforts
of JPL ARC member Eric Archer, WB6GYD. And what a station it
is! Besides the FT-1000, there is the FT-736 for satellite use,
an FT-650 for 6-meters, and a whole pile of accessories to complete
the station. (I suspect that Yaesu was hoping for an ad with
the Pope at the microphone, calling CQ DX, but I guess that never
happened.) The other factor is that I do not consider myself
a contest operator, nor much of a DX'er. I am also pretty chatty
when on the radio. I was about to enter a world about which I
knew little!
I started on 14,224 kHz with a simple CQ. I was really trying
to become comfortable with the Hotel Victor Three Sierra Juliet
call. I grabbed the "HV3SJ" engraved sign and set it
in front of my nose. By the time I finished my CQ, a DK came
back immediately. I chatted with him for a while, talking about
the weather, my home QTH, etc. I got the feeling he was amazed
that I was spending the time with him. All the while the lights
were slowly coming on inside my brain: I would hear an occasional
callsign, an air of urgency, thrown in around the edges of our
conversation. There seemed to be a lot of people out there! He
finally suggested that I should work the growing crowd. We signed;
then the wave hit.
Imagine standing at second base in Dodger Stadium, with 50,000
hams in the stands, all calling out their names at once, each
wanting to pass callsigns and signal reports. It was overwhelming,
to say the least.
After fifteen minutes had passed, my brain was exhausted,
besieged by seemingly every ham in Europe. I was still not proficient
at the HV3SJ call, dropping into my NW6H call more than once,
not yet adjusted to the staccato style necessary to service the
pileup, and forgetting which language was native.
 |
|
Vatican Amateur Radio Station HB3SJ
with Pino D'Aurelio, I0DUD
(photo by Eric Archer, WB6GYD |
So, I went outside to help in the antenna repair and installation.
Outside, the sun was hot, the correct tools non-existent, and
my three Italian friends were arguing in Italian over the best
way to do the work. Sighing deeply, I returned to the radio.
 |
With the Dome of St. Peter's
Basilica in the Background, Gabriele, IK0HIT, and Tony, I0JX,
assemble the HV3SJ Satellite Antenna
(photo
by Eric Archer, WB6GYD |
By mid-afternoon, and many breaks to work on the antennas
later, I had worked between 300 and 400 stations on 20, 17, 15,
12 and 10 meters. By far, 10 and 12 meters were the most interesting
given the sporadic-E propagation characteristics. First I would
hear a pileup of Brits, quickly working a few with rapidly fading
signals until the band sounded absolutely dead. Then, pounding
the airwaves with CQ and QR-Zeds until suddenly a couple of CT's
from Portugal were there. Then almost immediately the band would
croak or transition to a couple of ON's, or SV's, or Russians.
Within a half-hour I would easily log 30-50 contacts.
During breaks I would walk out on the broad roof terrace or
wander up on to other terraces on adjacent rooftops. A beautiful
garden and several caves, complete with doors, were immediately
south of the building. At noon the Pope himself came out to speak
to the assembled throng in Piazza San Pietro. While I couldn't
find a roof top position from which to see him I could hear him
easily.
Back at the radio, each time I announced the Sierra Juliet
callsign the resulting cacophony was amazing. An explanation:
I'd heard from a few contacts that DX packet clusters all over
Europe were distributing my location as soon as I'd show up somewhere.
If I heard a station sign "mobile", I'd give it preference.
I ended up working more than a half-dozen mobile stations, all
in Europe, all between 20 and 100 watts.
Something important was missing: Americans. W, K, N, A calls.
Later on in the afternoon I was told by an Irish ham that there
were hordes of Americans calling me, but none was apparently
able to get through the European crowd. Finally, around 4 PM
local, I heard an AA9 call in the din. Dave, in Wisconsin. Wow!
An American. With an American accent (well, Wisconsin). I told
him that I'd been listening for that side of the pond all day
and he was the first. We spent a few minutes talking and I was
hoping that I'd hear a few more, but as soon as we signed, the
barrier closed and more Europeans showed up.
The only other exotics were one Kenyan, a few South Africans,
some very Eastern Europeans and a pretty rare DXCC country itself,
Hotel Victor Four November Alpha Charlie. Of course, HV4NAC is
the second of the three Vatican City calls, but I imagine that
his curiosity was piqued by hearing an American voice running
Sierra Juliet, so he came on to say hi. At 60 dB over S9.
During all this time Tony, I0JX, would come in occasionally
from the antenna-building chores and work sporadic-E on the 6-meter
station. Mainly Italians and Spaniards, but there were some Africans
and eastern Mediterranean's in there too. He's worked into Texas
before via a double hop on 6, but he wasn't getting that kind
of range today.
I was really starting to get into this; being on the receiving
end of a DXpedition is a heady, powerful, experience. I could
ignore someone if they displeased me. More than a few D-landers
displeased me. The ones who would literally yell into the microphone,
mike gain at 10, processor full-on, and way off-frequency to
boot. The weaker stations I'd give support to. What fun...
Then, suddenly, Pino ran into the room and motioned for me
to get off the microphone. I looked up and saw the back of a
black-frocked monsignor at the door to the shack, and all three
of the Italians were listening to him with the greatest deference.
Apparently he had grown tired of my interfering with his broadcast
radio reception. It could have been worse: it could have been
the Swiss Guards, or it could have been a bolt of lightning!
The antenna work was done: The satellite station was ready
for working the birds. My voice was worn out; it was time to
take a walk over to the Piazza, see the Vatican, then walk back
across town to my hotel and stop along the way for a pizza, a
cold beer and a plate or two of pasta. As I told my new-found
friends, any time they need an operator, I'd gladly return to
be the Voice of the Vatican.
ACC Call
for Volunteers
By Bob Deen,
N5DPU
Once again, the JPL Bicycle Club has asked W6VIO to provide
communications support for the Angeles Crest Century (ACC) bike
ride. I have agreed to organize the communications for this (yet
again), but I need volunteers!
Public service events such as these are a great way to enhance
the reputation of Amateur Radio. They are usually a lot of fun,
and not too demanding. The fundamental reason for our being there
is to provide emergency communications should someone get hurt.
However, we also pass fair amount of logistical information for
the ride organizers (like Rest Stop 2 is out of water, or the
first rider just came through). I would especially encourage
new ham operators to help with these events. It is a great way
to get some operating experience in a controlled net, and it's
a nice way to give something back to the community.
The ACC is an amazing ride through the mountains, covering
100 miles and 10,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain (how do
they DO that?!). W6VIO has been providing communications for
this bike ride since before I started working at JPL in 1987.
Volunteers are needed to staff the five rest stops along the
course, and, if we have enough people, a base station at the
JPL visitor center. I find this ride particularly interesting
because it is a great chance to spend a day up in the mountains
enjoying the scenery.
The ride is on Saturday, September 9. The rest stops need
to be staffed from approximately 7 AM until 6 PM. The actual
times vary an hour or so for each rest stop. If you can work
the entire day, that would be great; otherwise, I'll try to set
up half-day shifts for the rest stops. Lunch and a T-shirt will
be provided.
We also need additional radio equipment to cover the course.
Because of the mountains, communications can be a bit of a challenge.
If you cannot make it, but have any amplifiers or high-power
mobile rigs or portable beams you can lend, it would be greatly
appreciated. Normally we use both 220 and 2 meters, depending
on the equipment available. I usually run net control at the
top end of the course, using both bands as needed, while a station
halfway up maintains contact with the repeater.
If you can help but do not have equipment, please volunteer
anyway and we can probably find you some. Please let me know
if you can help out with this event. I can be contacted at work
at extension 4-7492 or at home at (818)796-4111. I can also be
reached by electronic mail at rgd059@ipl.jpl.nasa.gov.
|
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Photo by Dick Wetzel, WA6JBZ |
Panamint Mountains Trip
By Mike Frantz,
KM6QZ
In searching through some of the old issues of W6VIO Calling
I came across articles about people who combined a weekend of
exploring in the great outdoors with an amateur radio event.
The results can be a lot of fun. This is exactly what Dick Wetzel
(WA6JBZ) and I found out when we explored the Panamint Mountains
and participated in the VHF contest that was held June 10 and
11.
The Panamint Mountains stretch along the western border of
Death Valley. Getting to the top requires a four-wheel-drive
vehicle as the narrow dirt road is steep and rugged. But the
view at the top is worth the effort. At 7200 feet you can see
for miles in all directions.
After spending Thursday night at the base of the mountains
in Ballarat, an old mining town, we headed up the mountain. We
explored a deserted mining camp and a real, live, operational
gold mine. The area used to be mined extensively, but all that
remains in the old mining camps is rusted machinery and buildings
that have seen better days. But it is fun to explore them.
It is great to be able to talk on the radio on trips such
as this. Not only is it a good way to pass the time, but it can
come in handy in a number of ways. The following are just a few
examples of the messages Dick heard on his radio: "Hey,
was I supposed to turn right at the last junction?" "Help,
I think I'm stuck." "Is it lunch time yet?" "There
is another vehicle coming your way" "Help, this time
I'm really stuck!"
Once we got to the top we set up camp and up went the antennas
on Dick's van, a 2-meter 12-element beam and a 6-meter 3-element
beam. When the contest started Dick was making contact after
contact on 6 meters. The band seemed to be open almost all the
time. Our location was great for contesting. Two meters was just
as good. Dick made about 50 contacts on each of the bands without
much effort. He did not operate full time. Much time was taken
in hiking, exploring, and just plain enjoying the great view.
You don't have to wait for Field Day, or a contest weekend
to combine amateur radio with the great outdoors. Just load the
rigs in the vehicle, and head for the hills. Then sit back, make
some contacts, and enjoy the fresh air and the view.
W6VIO
via Satellite
By Mark
Schaefer, WB6CIA
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory Amateur Radio Club making QSO's
via satellite. What a novel concept. It's been a while since
that's happened, but it should be a regular occurrence now. Thanks
to people like Courtney Duncan, we have 2-meter and 70-cm radios
with computer controlled yagis, complete with preamps. Thanks
to people like Jon Adams and Randy Hammock, we have the latest
tracking software on computer. Thanks to Eric Archer, the radios
are repaired and in perfect working condition.
Now all the station needs is operators like you and me. I
have made many a QSO during the Voyager Commemoratives and just
plain old daily passes. I have used the satellite station to
talk to Shuttle Astronauts by voice and packet. We now need to
get some operators for the Galileo Commemorative in December.
We could use a PSK/FSK modem for the newer birds, and I do not
think we have ever made a SSTV QSO on the birds. Who will be
the first?
The satellite station for Field Day was a lot of fun. Just
making one contact is worth 100 points, but we could not settle
for just one. However, it was not a trivial task to make the
first contact, let alone the 15 we gathered. This was a small
total compared to other years, but, like the ionosphere, you
do not always get optimum conditions for Field Day.
I should mention a few of the handicaps we started with: The
Caltech Club was unable to get a station together in time so
Jay Holladay called on Ted Pfeiffer to supply the Yaesu FT736,
and the 2-meter and 70-cm bricks. Ted had to leave an hour after
the contest started (for a surprise anniversary party as it turned
out). Our antennas were 4-element yagis attached to a ladder
for 2 and 70, a dipole for 15, and a vertical for 10. I provided
a FT757 for a 15-meter receiver and Jay provided an ICOM 735
for the 10-meter transmitter. Our information on satellite passes
was old. We barely knew the satellite passbands and had no information
on the satellite operating mode schedules. No one knew the subtle
operating features of the equipment. We only had a 20 amp supply
for 12 volts, which could not run the HF rig or the 440 amplifier.
Fortunately there was enough time between passes and enough
passes to solve these Murphyism's. Many thanks go to Chris Carson
who brought his laptop computer that gave us accurate predictions
for all the satellites for the entire contest, and for his armstrong
rotator. While We did not know what modes the satellites were
in, we figured when we heard signals, that would tell us what
the mode was. I brought a spare deep-cycle battery and a charger
to power the rest of the equipment. We managed to figure out
how to work the equipment the old fashion way; punch all the
buttons and turn all the knobs until it works!
How did all this work? With 4-element yagis we could just
barely hear ourselves on AO10. Chris was at the computer, I was
at the antennas frantically pointing to where things were loudest
and Dave Ritchie got the first QSO on a handkey. Yea! 100 points!
Another problem, besides not enough power on AO10, was we had
to receive on 2 meters. The satellites were in the same direction
as the site VHF/UHF van with it's front-end deafening 2-meter
FM and packet stations. Fortunately the low Earth orbiting satellite
passes are only 10-20 minutes long so we worked a deal on operating
time with the VHF/UHF station.. RS10 was loud, but we only heard
a beacon; no other signals or QSO's. Besides, there was not a
lot of chance to hear anything while transmitting into the 15-meter
receive antenna apex at the base of the 10-meter transmit antenna.
FO20 turned out to be the hot bird for us. We worked the 20 minute
pass which came from the South Pacific through the Western US,
Canada, then the North Pole. It was exciting to first hear nothing,
then we can hear our signal coming back down, then others tuning
around trying to hear themselves on our frequency, then they
finally hear themselves and called us. We made 13 QSO's in rapid
succession until we could no longer hear ourselves; only some
VE7's talking to each other; then finally silence.
Next year we need to remember a few things: Bigger antennas
for AO10; equipment manuals; satellite handbook; satellite mode
schedules; satellite keplarians; latest satellite pass schedules;,
solid antenna mounting and AZ EL rotation, HF antennas with at
least 30 feet distance; antenna placement so as not to look into
the VHF station. Can't wait to use Phase 3 on FD and the shack.
220
MHz Radio Availability
By George
Morris, W6ABW
I have heard several comments from Club members recently that
there are not many 220 MHz band radios available now. I questioned
those comments and decided to do a quick survey. I looked in
the catalogues of three nationwide amateur radio equipment suppliers
and at recent issues of QST and CQ magazines.
I was pleased to learn that there are at least twelve radios
available from five different manufacturers. Five of the radios
are for mobile use and six are handheld. Five of the radios are
dual band (2-meters and 220 MHz). A mobile radio is one that
provides 25 to 50 watts of power and operates from 12 volts DC.
The mobile radio may be used at home with a suitable AC power
supply.
In the survey I will refer to list and sale prices. The list
prices are usually discounted 10 percent or more. Radios are
single band 220 MHz unless otherwise indicated.
AZDEN has the PCS-7200 25 watt mobile sale priced at $410.
ICOM has five radios: The IC-38A 25-watt mobile list priced
at $600; the IC-2330A dual band mobile list priced at $1020;
the IC-03AT handheld list priced at $450; the IC-3SAT handheld
list priced at $425; and the IC-V21AT dual band handheld list
priced at $715.
KENWOOD has three radios capable of 220 MHz: The TM-331A mobile
list priced at $570; and the TM 642A tri band mobile list priced
at $940 with 2-meters and 220 installed. Space is available in
the TM-642A to install a third band; 6-meters, 440 MHz, or 1.2
GHz. People who already have a TM-742A can add the UT-220S module
for an additional $319
STANDARD has two radios: The C228A dual band handheld list
priced at $695; and the C288A handheld list priced at $500.
YEASU has the FT-33R handheld list priced at $370. This radio
does not come with a touch-tone pad. One is available as a option,
but costs $60.
I hope this survey will encourage some members to get active
on our 220 MHz repeaters which are now operating quite well.
Give me a call if you have trouble finding information on any
of these radios.
JPL ARC
Repeaters
Pasadena:
W6VIO 147.150 MHz(+) PL 131.8 Open
W6VIO 224.080 MHz(-) PL 156.7 Shuttle Audio
WB6IEA 224.700 MHz(-) Closed Autopatch
W6VIO-1 145.090 MHz Packet Node/BBS
W6VIO-1 223.540 MHz Packet Node/BBS
Table Mountain:
WB6TZS 145.280 MHz(-) PL 131.8 Open
WB6TZS 223.960 MHz(-) PL 156.7 Open
WB6TZS 447.325 MHz(-) PL 94.8 Open
ARRL
News
Provided by Jan
Tarsala, WB6VRN
Upcoming
VEC Examinations
The following test session information is provided by the
ARRL/VEC for the upcoming eight week period. For further information,
please call the test session contact person at the telephone
number listed. If necessary, you may contact the ARRL/VEC at
203-666-1541 x282 for additional information. Electronic mail
may be forwarded to the ARRL/VEC via USENET at "bjahnke@arrl.org"
or via MCI Mail to MCI ID: 653-2312 or 215-5052.
Although the test session information presented here does
not indicate whether walk-ins are accepted or not, most test
sessions do allow walk-ins. We encourage you, however, to always
call the contact person at the telephone number provided so that
the VE Team is aware that you be attending the test session.
08/07/95, A, Lancaster, 805-948-1865, Adrienne J Sherwood
08/12/95, A, Fontana, 909-823-6818, Louis Johnson
08/12/95, A, Fontana, 909-822-4138, E William Gruber
08/17/95, A, Fountain Valley, 714-778-1542, Thomas Harris
08/19/95, A, Long Beach, 310-431-8998, Ken Newkirk
08/24/95, A, Colton, 909-825-7136, Harold Heydenfeldt
08/26/95, A, Culver City, 310-459-0337, Scott V Swanson
08/26/95, 5, Garden Grove, 714-534-8633, John Gregory
08/26/95, A, Pomona, 909-620-2089, Frank Westphal
09/05/95, A, Culver City, 213-292-6423, C Lutz
09/08/95, A, Irvine, 714-824-8477, Jack C Lockhart
09/09/95, A, Fontana, 909-823-6818, Louis Johnson,
09/09/95, A, Fontana, 909-822-4138, E William Gruber
09/10/95, A, Thousand Oaks, 805-375-1385, M. Treganza
09/16/95, G, Signal Hill, 310-420-9480, Don Boyce NN6Q
09/21/95, A, Fountain Valley, 714-778-1542, Thomas Harris
09/23/95, A, Pomona, 909-620-2089, Frank Westphal
09/28/95, A, Colton, 909-825-7136, Harold Heydenfeldt
09/30/95, A, Corona, 909-737-9769, Clerina Lamarche
09/30/95, A, Culver City, 310-459-0337, Scott V Swanson
FCC Issued
Call Sign Update
The following is a list of the FCC's most recently issued
call signs as of July 1:
District Group A Group B Group C Group D
Extra Adv. Tech/Gen Novice
0 AA0YM KG0YF ++ KB0TFM
1 AA1NW KE1CJ N1VMF KB1BSX
2 AA2YB KG2DH ++ KB2VEV
3 AA3MC KE3UD N3VSJ KB3BJX
4 AE4KB KT4AM ++ KF4BKY
5 AC5DB KK5QZ ++ KC5POU
6 AC6OK KO6XW ++ KE6VTW
7 AB7LI KJ7PS ++ KC7MBY
8 AA8UB KG8SR ++ KC8AIK
9 AA9PJ KG9DI ++ KB9KZC
Hawaii ++ AH6OD ++ WH6CWI
Alaska ++ AL7QC ++ WL7CNX
Virgin WP2R KP2CF NP2IF WP2AHY
Puerto Rico ++ KP4ZU ++ WP4NAB
++ All call signs in this group have been issued in this area
Classified
Section
For Sale
