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Contents
| December 10 | JPL ARC Year-End Banquet, Marie Callender's |
| December 12 | [Fontana Swap Meet, A. B. Miller HS, Fontana} |
| December 19 | [CMRA Hamfest, Cal Poly, Pomona, 7 AM] |
| December 23 | Board Meeting, Noon - 301-227 |
| December 26 | [TRW Swapmeet, Redondo Beach] |
| January 9 | [Fontana Swap Meet, A. B. Miller HS, Fontana} |
| January 13 | General Meeting, Noon - 238-543 |
| January 16 | [CMRA Hamfest, Cal Poly, Pomona, 7 AM] |
| January 27 | Board Meeting, Noon - 301-227 |
| January 30 | [TRW Swap Meet, Redondo Beach] |
The JPL Amateur Radio Club Year-End Banquet will be held on Thursday, December 10, at 7 PM in the meeting room of the Marie Callender's Restaurant, 2300 E. Foothill, Pasadena. Our new Officers will be introduced; the baton passed and awards for outstanding service presented. Our guest speaker will be Dr. Michael J. Klein, who will discuss JPL's contribution to the Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope project. Project GAVRT took the 34-meter DSS-12 antenna out of retirement to use as a learning tool for students over the Internet.
The Club Board of Directors meetings are held at noon on the fourth Wednesday of each month in 301-227. Everyone is welcome at both meetings; bring your lunch. n
President's
Message
By Randy Hammock,
KC6HUR
Here we are at the end of yet another year. Thanksgiving is done and we have officially entered the Christmas Season with a New Year shortly following. I would like to thank everyone who has made this year a productive one for the Club. We got a lot done but there is still plenty left to do. I hope to see all of you at some time during the year on the various work parties that pop up.
A thought occurred to me a couple of weeks ago when looking up information for my ISO-9000 notebook. How many people added your duties as radio amateurs to your notebooks? If you look in the web pages under Emergency Services, you will find a whole section that relates to the JPL Amateur Radio Club. The data may be a bit dated, but we are there. Look it up, get to know it and add it to your notebooks. We are in the rather unique situation of not only being a sub-club of the ERC, but we are also an integral part of the JPL Emergency Response Plan and as such, we receive part of our annual budget from the Emergency Services division. Be prepared to provide your support in the time of an emergency. Bring your HTs to the office every day. Check into the Monday noontime net. Become familiar with the equipment in the shack. Help with the maintenance and upkeep. Become involved!
I hope to see you all at the annual banquet this year. I think we have a very interesting speaker lined up and we have several awards to present to some of our hard workers.n
November
Club Meeting
By Phil Smith,
WB6LQP
November 11: General Meeting
The November general meeting featured a videotape presentation of Mark Schaefer's 1989 visit to the Very Large Array radiotelescope in Socorro, New Mexico. The 27 dishes were the sort of hardware that would warm the heart of any operator of frequencies in the UHF range or above, and the "behind the scenes" shots gave a good idea of what a REAL antenna farm includes. In fact, it was interesting enough that questions continued until the next group of users evicted us from the room.
In other matters:
- The first monthly Goldstone Emergency Control Center check-in on the weekly emergency net was made after an amplifier and new yagi were added to the facility.
- The club station now has two (count `em) HF stations active. The coax N2 leak will be addressed in a work party scheduled for November 21, with the hope that full operation will be restored soon after.
- It was discovered during operation of the DS-2 commemorative that both HF positions can operate simultaneously with no interaction; this resulted in 140 contacts, 40 of which were accomplished on the WARC bands. Certificates for that event are in process and will be mailed out soon.
- New keys for the shack have been distributed.
- The long-awaited Field Day results will appear in next month's QST.
- Candidates for club office can include retirees, which will hopefully enlarge the pool of talent available.
The December meeting will be held the evening of December 10 at Marie Callenders in Pasadena. Besides the food and election of officers a program is planned; check the Monday net for details and updates.
There was no regular Board of Director's Meeting due to the lack of a quorum and the short Holiday week. n
W6VIO
Work Party
By Bob Polansky,
N6ET
On 21 November, a team consisting of Chris Carson, Jonathan Cameron, and Bob Polansky met by the W6VIO Ops trailer to "do good things" on behalf of our Club. Jonathan cleared the steps going up the hill behind our "shack" to provide us better access to the lower part of our hardlines.
Chris provided pressurized Nitrogen to our leaking hardline, and yours truly went on a hunting expedition for the leak. It was found at the antenna switch at the top of the Mesa. Temporary repairs were made and the pressure appears to be holding at about 3 pounds. A final fix, replacing plastic tubing by more robust copper tubing at the antenna switch interface, will be put in place sometime during the next few weeks.
Brief tests were run verifying the operability of the 80-meter loop antenna on the Mesa crest.
Afterwards, Jonathan and Bob cleared a wide path at the Mesa site between the road and the antenna switch. A small amount of additional gardening at that site is still needed. We simply can't let it get this bad in the future!
The station appears to be in good shape for the CQ WW CW Contest on Thanksgiving weekend. n
I ended up without a current 59(9) DX Bulletin today so I have to write today's DX news article without the benefit of it. Therefore, I'm sending a copy of the "Cheatsheet" I maintain as a guide for stations I need on different bands, what times they have been reported, and on what frequencies. If you're serious about DXing, you might want to consider creating and maintaining such an operating aid for your own use. By the time you receive this, the CQ WW CW Contest will be history. A number of exciting operations are planned during this contest. I hope that you will have joined the multitudes in making this contest a memorable event. Now, the "Cheatsheet":
Time Callsign Frequency 1400-1415Z JT1BG 3797,3799 1430-1510Z TL5A 28025 - 3B8CF 24946 1500-1700Z 5V7SA 28503 - 5B4AGC 18076 - 3DA0CA 10107 - ET3AA 21292 - EU8HT 24908 - TZ6DX 24896-24901 - TL5A 18069,28026 - SU1SK 28405 - HZ1AB 18133-18147,18087 - SU2MT 28495,21284 - T77C 24900 - 3V8BB 21287 1700-1800Z 3V8AA 28589 - D44BS 18149 1800-2030Z 3DA0CA 18137 - TL5A 181XX - 4U1UN 18130 - TZ6DX 18072-18088, 24896-24901 - HZ1AB 18133-18147 2030-2145Z TL5A 24935 - 4U1UN 18132 - TZ6DX 18079-18088,24896-24901 2200-0130Z JX7DFA 10111,10105 - TU2XZ 10105 - TL5A 24935 - ZD7BG 10120 0000-0130Z JX7DFA 7003,7005,10105,10110 - TU2XZ 3512 - TL5A 7002 0130-0300Z JY9QJ 10102-10106 0200-0400Z TU2XZ 3512 - JY9QJ 10102-10108 - SU3NQ 10102 - S21L 28487 0330-0430Z 3B8CF 18072 - TU2XZ 3512 - TL5A 3505,7002 - TJ2RSF 7002,7003,7065 0400-0700Z 5B4AGC 18079 - TL5A 7002
In addition, the following operations are planned for the periods indicated:
5V7A Now - 30 Nov JT1A Now - 1 Dec XU1A Now - 4 Dec XZ1N Now - 14 Dec FT5ZH Now - 25 Dec ZL9CI 10 Jan - 24 Jan
Enjoy! n
25
Years Ago in:
By Bill Wood,
W6FXJ
Editor Elmer McMillan kept the December 1973 issue of W6VIO Calling short and sweet: Just one page, including a clip-off form for annual membership renewal at the princely sum of $2.
The issues' big news was the announcement that JPL Laboratory Director Dr. William Pickering (ex-Z2BL and ex- 6UE) would be the guest speaker at the January 1994 general meeting. The January meeting was scheduled in Building 180, room 101 to accommodate the expected crowd. The full December 1973 issue can be accessed at the following Internet address: http://www.jplerc.org/radio/calling/1973/dec/dec73.html
W6VIO Calling Archive on the Internet
Thanks to Merv MacMedan's collection, past issues of "W6VIO Calling" are being added to the club's web site. Each edition has been scanned and OCR'ed so the web version will look as close as possible to the original. Most of the issues from 1971 to 1974 have been posted there. More to come as time is available. Be sure to check out the growing collection. n
Somebody generous enough to donate a 2M H.T. or Mobile/Base rig to the newly licensed members of Boy Scout Troop 1 in Altadena. Thanks. Contact Bill Westphal whwestp@pacbell.com or 213-633-3121
Your want ad or article for inclusion in a future issue of W6VIO Calling. Submit to Bill Wood, W6FXJ, 31094 Hemlock Ave, Barstow, CA 92311; or email w6fxj@earthlink.net
For Sale:
US Tower (MA40) 40 foot tubular telescoping tower, hinged base, 2 co-ax arms, mast extension, Hy-gain Explorer-14 beam antenna with 40 meter dipole add-on, and Hy-Gain antenna rotator (Ham IV). Original cost, less tax, was over $2200. Sell all for $800. Contact Ron Zenone (W6TUZ) at (626) 914-5585.
Icom UT-40 Tone Squelch Option Board (CTCSS) for HT models 2GAT, 4GAT, 12GAT, 32AT or for mobiles 228, 448, 901, 1201, 2400 and 2500. Cost: $80 (AES Catalog) Sale for $40. Radio Shack, Rotor/Controller and Cable, 3 years old, never used, have box/papers, like new. Cost: $70+ Sale for $50. Scott Nolte, N6CUV 818-354-9724n
Internet
- Why Not for Me
By Allan Chapman,
W6MEO
1. Not worth the money. Might reconsider if offered on strictly usage basis of X dollars for Y gigabytes, annually.
2. My Juno email is free, faster and more reliable than ISP's. My packet home BBS has Internet e-mail via ampr.org.
3. No interest in games, trivia, movies, photos, time killers, spam or virus. Upon request, most vendors will e-mail, fax or postal-mail their literature. Authors likewise with their publications.
4. I cannot get a second telephone line, and must not tie up my one line for long periods, which is apt to happen when logged on to an interesting web page. Our local loops are marginal, not reliable for rates over 14.4 K-bytes, usually less.
5. For something very special, I can get a download from a friend or at the public library; only twice was this needed in the 4 years since I quit the Internet.
Editor's Note: W6MEO served with distinction as JPL ARC President in 1972. n
Field
Day Finale
By Jay Holladay,
W6EJJ
The usual QST listing of Field Day results was delayed to the December issue this year, so we finally have the official standings. Despite being limited to multiband beams and a bit short on operators, our JPL ARC/Caltech ARC effort as W6VIO placed a very respectable Ninth Overall! This was in a field of 606 entries in Class 2A.
Check out the complete results, who beat us and by how much, in December QST, p.98. There are some great stories as well, including the massive 26A effort at N1FD. Your Field Day committee would like to thank everyone who contributed to our fine showing this year.n
JPL ARC Repeaters Pasadena: W6VIO 147.150 MHz (+) PL 131.8 Open W6VIO 224.080 MHz (-) PL 156.7 Open W6JPL 224.700 MHz (-) Closed Autopatch W6VIO 440.125 MHz (+) PL 103.5 Open W6VIO-1 145.090 MHz Packet Node/BBS W6VIO-1 223.540 MHz Packet Node/BBS Table Mountain: WR6AZN 145.280 MHz (-) PL 131.8 Open WR6AZN 223.96 MHz (-) PL 156.7 Open WR6AZN 447.325 MHz (-) PL 94.8 Open
ARRL
News
Via the ARRL
Letter Online, Volume 17, Numbers 45-47
New Mini-Sputnik Launched
From Mir
Russian cosmonauts
launched a second mini-Sputnik satellite November 10 during a
spacewalk from the Mir space station. The launch of Sputnik
41--also being called RS-18--comes just over a year after the
launch of Sputnik 40, which commemorated the launch of the first
artificial Earth satellite by the USSR in 1957.
Among the first in the US to report hearing the new satellite was Ken Carlstrom, N1WED, in New Hampshire. He reported hearing Sputnik 41 from approximately 0604 to 0609 UTC November 11 on 145.8145 MHz.
The newest Sputnik was tossed by hand at the start of the spacewalk by cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergei Avdeyev. According to an AP report, Padalka told Avdeyev to "toss it gently toward the moon."
Sputnik 41, which arrived on Mir aboard a Progress supply rocket late last month, was financed by the Aeroclub de France to mark its centennial. Two Sputnik 40 models were transported to Mir last year, but only one was launched. The other remains aboard the space station.
Like its predecessor, Sputnik 41 is just under 8 inches in diameter and weighs almost 9 pounds. It carries a 200 mW transmitter that transmits on or about 145.812 MHz (plus or minus 5 kHz and Doppler shift). The spacecraft has no solar cells. Its expected operational lifetime is approximately 30 days.
Sputnik 41 broadcasts pre-recorded voice greetings in three languages, French, English, and Russian. The Russian-accented English greetings say, "1998 was the International Year of Air and Space" and "International Space School Sputnik Program." The French and Russian messages convey the same greetings. The new spacecraft provides a "bip-bip" beacon. The frequency of the audio tone indicates the satellite's internal temperature (see chart). The tone is transmitted every 90 seconds.
Sputnik 41 reception reports go to AMSAT-France, QSL Spoutnik 41, 14 bis rue des Gourlis, F-92500 Rueil-Malmaison, FRANCE. The 1998 International Year of Air and Space page is at http://www.ccr.jussieu.fr/physio/Satedu/sputnik41.html . n
FBI Arrests Georgia Ham For Interfering with Aircraft Communication
The FCC, the FAA, and the FBI have announced the arrest of a Georgia ham for allegedly interfering with radio communication between aircraft and air traffic controllers in Northern Georgia. An FBI statement issued this week said that Kevin M. Kelly, N2BYE, an Advanced class licensee, was arrested without incident November 6 at his Cumming, Georgia, home by FBI agents accompanied by FAA and FCC agents. The arrest followed a search of Kelly's residence.
Kelly was charged in a criminal complaint with four counts of breaking federal law prohibiting knowingly interfering with the operation of a "true light" or signal used at an air navigation facility. The FBI said its case stemmed from FAA reports of "sporadic and momentary radio frequency interference" between aircraft and air traffic controller communications. The FBI said an extensive investigation showed the RF interference to be coming from the Hyde Park Subdivision in Cumming where Kelly lived.
The FBI described Kelly, 46, as "a highly experienced electronics engineer" who was said to have been "extremely upset" about air traffic noise above his home. Kelly was scheduled to appear November 9 before a US magistrate in Atlanta.n
Propagation prognosticator Tad Cook, K7VVV, Seattle, Washington, reports:
Solar activity was down this week, with average solar flux off by 30 points and sunspot numbers down by over 24 points when compared to the previous week. Average geomagnetic activity was down also, but a week ago we were hit by a major geomagnetic storm that drove the planetary A index to 60, the Boulder A index to 36, and the College A index (from Alaska) to 90 on November 13. This was caused by a major proton flare, and while it had a devastating effect on HF propagation, VHF users enjoyed some interesting conditions.
KL7SIX awoke to find what he described as a wild auroral display, and he mentioned that the one a week previous was the biggest in 10 years. VE6NM in Alberta reported hearing VE7SKA the loudest, along with some VE8 beacons on 6 meters.
Other than auroral propagation, the big VHF news of the week was the Leonid meteor shower. The shower did not turn out to be the hoped for meteor storm, but many hams observed both the meteors and some interesting propagation modes.
For the ARRL November Sweepstakes (SSB) this weekend, look for a solar flux around 110, with planetary A index on Saturday around 10 and then 5 on Sunday. After that look for flux values to rise above 120 after November 28 and peak around 145 on December 5 or 6 (the weekend of the ARRL 160-Meter Contest).
Sunspot numbers for November 12 through November 18 were 85, 97, 129, 110, 76, 92, and 72, with a mean of 94.4. The 10.7-cm flux was 113.9, 118.1, 119, 131.1, 131, 120.8, and 114.8, with a mean of 121.2. The estimated planetary A indices were 4, 60, 38, 10, 7, 4 and 7, with a mean of 18.6. n
The following ARRL
Internet page will help you find a US amateur license exam session
near you. Its database is updated on a regular basis and includes
all information necessary to schedule and attend FCC amateur
radio license examinations:
http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/examsearch.phtml n
FCC Sequential Call Sign Update
The following is a list of FCC sequentially assigned call signs issued as of November 4, 1998. For more information about the sequential call sign system, see Fact Sheet PR5000 #206S or contact the FCC, 1270 Fairfield Rd, Gettysburg, PA 17325-7245; e-mail fccitd@fcc.gov .
++ All call signs in this group have been issued in this district.n
District Group A
ExtraGroup B
AdvancedGroup C
Tech/GenGroup D
Novice0 AB0IC KI0OM ++ KC0EJH 1 AA1UE KE1KM ++ KB1DJC 2 AB2FV KG2PI ++ KC2EGH 3 AA3RV KF3CE ++ KB3DDM 4 AF4MH KU4VX ++ KG4AQE 5 AC5RR KM5TH ++ KD5FMT 6 AD6HE KQ6YL ++ KF6TLR 7 AB7ZN KK7QN ++ KD7DDG 8 AB8DK KI8GX ++ KC8LDZ 9 AA9WQ KG9OS ++ KB9TPD N. Mariana Island NH0G AH0BA KH0HJ WH0ABJ Guam ++ AH2DI KH2TX WH2ANX Hawaii NH7R AH6PO KH7JZ WH6DFA American Samoa AH8R AH8AH KH8DM WH8ABF Alaska AL0N AL7RH KL0QL WL7CUY Virgin Islands ++ KP2CP NP2KF WP2AIJ Puerto Rico NP3Y KP3BL NP3ZS WP4NOB
JPL
ARC Year End Banquet
By Mark Schaefer,
WB6CIA
Please join us for the big JPL ARC Year End Banquet meeting. This year it again will be held at Marie Callender's in Pasadena, where we have a private dining room with good facilities for our program and speaker. With a choice of entrees, and an excellent program planned, you won't want to miss this event.
What: JPL ARC Year-End Banquet meeting
When: Thursday, December 10
No-host Happy Hour at 6:00 PM, Dinner at 7:00
Where: Marie Callender's Pasadena
2300 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA
(626) 792-3109
Choice of entree:
Lemon Chicken Grill
Grilled London Broil Steak
Brook Trout
Includes soup or salad and non-alcoholic beverage
Cost: $14.00 per person (including tax & tip)Program: Awards for achievement and the club officers for 1973 will be invoked. Our featured speaker will be JPL's Dr. Michael Kline discussing the new Goldstone-Apple Valley Science Center joint radio astronomy project.
I believe anyone who attended last year's banquet will agree that we have a fine location and that it was a very enjoyable event. Make your plans now to attend. n
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fill in the following form and mail to Randy Hammock at JPL Mail
Stop 301-270, together with a check made out to Randy for $14
for each dinner. Call Randy at 818-354-0628 to RSVP.
Name:______________________________
Callsign:____________________________
Number of guests:____________________
Check box for number of entree's) desired:
Lemon Chicken Grill:__________
Grilled London Broil Steak:______
Brook Trout __________________
Newsletter Deadline:
Thursday,
December 31 for the January issue of W6VIO Calling. Your articles,
ads, photos, diagrams, letters to the editor, or technical material
should be submitted to the editor via email (w6fxj@earthlink.net ) or regular mail to: Bill Wood, 31094
Hemlock Ave, Barstow, CA 92311.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory Amateur Radio Club
Attn: Bill Wood,
Editor, Mail Stop DSCC-33
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena, CA 91109-8099
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