Permission to copy is granted if credit is given to “W6VIO Calling.”
Contents
Calendar of
Events
Meeting
Notice
Prez’ Mix
October Club
Meetings
DX News
Antenna Party
Report
Goldstone
Y2K Backup Communications
25 Years
Ago, W6VIO Calling
Classified
Section
| November 10 |
General Meeting,
Noon - 238-543 |
| November 13 |
[Fontana Swap
Meet, A. B. Miller HS, Fontana} |
| November 20 |
[CMRA Hamfest, Cal
Poly, Pomona, 7 AM] |
| November 24 |
Board Meeting,
Noon - 233-305J |
| November 27 |
[TRW Swap meet,
Redondo Beach] |
| December 11 |
[Fontana Swap
Meet, A. B. Miller HS, Fontana} |
| December 8 |
General Meeting,
Noon - 238-543 |
| December 18 |
[CMRA Hamfest, Cal
Poly, Pomona, 7 AM] |
| December 22 |
Board Meeting,
Noon - 233-305J |
| December 25 |
[TRW Swap meet,
Redondo Beach] |
Meeting Notice
The next regular JPL Amateur Radio Club will be held on Wednesday,
November 10, at noon in Building 238 Room 543.
The Club Board of Directors meetings are held at noon on the fourth
Wednesday of each month in 233-305J.
Everyone is welcome at both meetings; bring your lunch. n
 |
|
WR6JPL Repeater Site |
By Bob Dengler, NO6B
Well it took a bit longer than expected, but we finally have our 440 MHz repeater on our permanent, coordinated frequency of 445.20 MHz. We even got our system mentioned in the latest SCRRBA newsletter as the first open repeater to be coordinated as a result of the recent 25 to 20 kHz channel spacing band plan change. Thanks to Gerry, KB6OOC, for helping to make this move possible, Scott, N6CUV, and Chris, KE6ABQ, for getting the repeater back up to the site, and Randy, KC6HUR, and Walt, W6CWD, for getting the autopatch phone line back in service. The repeater is now coordinated as an open repeater, using the same 103.5 Hz CTCSS frequency. The RLC-3 multi-port repeater controller was also installed with the 440 system, which will allow linking with the 220 repeater. This feature will be available once the 224.08 repeater is moved from the mesa, which will occur in a few weeks.
 |
|
First QSO with 'VRN |
After discussion at last month’s general meeting, it was decided
to eliminate separate autopatch membership.
This decision came primarily out of apathy, as the turnout at last
month’s meeting was the smallest of the year despite the subject of the
meeting being published in last month’s newsletter. This change will make it easier for the board to administer the
phone line expenses, but more importantly it will make it possible for club
members who aren’t particularly interested in using the autopatch on a regular
basis to still have access to it for emergency use. Once the RLC-3 has been fully integrated into the system, we’ll
be publishing a new repeater and autopatch user’s guide, so unless you have a
great need to use the autopatch now please wait until we’ve finished making the
transition.
It’s that time of year again!
No, I’m not talking about taxes, but something feared almost as much:
nominations for next year’s club officers.
We need a nominating committee or person to round up candidates to be
next year’s President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. We never did get a VP for this year so we
definitely need someone to step forward and fill that slot. Seriously, it’s an easy job but the club
bylaws do not allow me to do it myself.
Give me a call at 4-9620 or e-mail no6b@no6b.jpl.nasa.gov if you can
help.
The lab’s DSN office has received the necessary HF equipment for
end-of-year Y2K backup communications activities, but is still in need of
operators on December 31. Having an
amateur license is not required, as operations will take place on NASA HF
frequencies. Contact Bob Polansky at
4-4940 if you can help. The lab has
been very good in providing HF equipment support for this activity; let’s show
that we appreciate this by providing an adequate supply of operators. 73 n
October Club Meetings
By Jonathan Cameron, KF6RTA
GENERAL MEETING, October 13
Due to lack of a quorum, there was no official meeting on this
date. However, some notes from the
unofficial meeting follow. Those
present were Chris Carson (KE6ABQ), Bob Dengler (NO6B), Alan Devault (N6WDX),
Walt Diem (W6CWD), Walt Mushagian (K6DNS), John Norris (KE6QEZ), Bob Polansky
(N6ET), John Repar, and Jonathan Cameron (KF6RTA).
Walt Diem reported on the history of the autopatch. There was early concern that it would drain
the club resources so the club bylaws require that the users pay for it. The original autopatch cost estimate was 6
dollars a month per member. But
currently it generally costs approximately $300 total per year. There was some discussion of refunding new
autopatch members if everyone in the club is given autopatch privileges.
Bob Polansky reported that we have been getting $2-2.5K per year
from security. This next year we hope
to receive 4K, but some will be earmarked for video gear. TMOD has decided to fund amateur radio
backup voice support for the Y2K rollover activity. Bob has purchased three Yaesu FT-1000D radios for this. In exchange, we will provide Y2k voice comm
support. We are putting up a 40m beam
to support this activity and later it can be used for club communications. Upcoming work parties will set it up and
tune it. Hardline fixes will be done
also. Note that this is a SHARES effort
on NASA frequencies, not technically an amateur radio service activity, although
hams will operate it. Call signs and
frequencies are already set up.
There was further discussion on the status and plans for various
JPL repeaters.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING, October 27
Although three board members met and informally discussed a number
of issues such as the autopatch situation, no regular meeting was held because
there was no quorum. Note that two of
the other officers were unavailable because they were at the Goldstone facility
installing equipment for the DSN Y2K rollover backup communication system. n
By Bob Polansky, N6ET
Everything I’m reporting this month is third-hand. There’s been virtually zero time to turn on
my radio and listen for DX. The one
exciting activity I participated in was taking delivery of several FT-1000D’s,
which will make their way to each Deep Space Complex for purposes of Y2K voice
communications backup. I had the
pleasure
of checking them out in the W6VIO ham shack.
I’m in love! They
are the most wonderful rigs I’ve ever worked with. Even made a few DX contacts while checking them out. They called me!
Now for the news, again, thanks to The 59(9) Report:
BHUTAN - VK9NS will be in this rare QTH for two weeks starting in
early November. He’s hoping to secure
authorization to operate from A51-land.
Cross your fingers!
GHANA - 9G5AA and several other 9G5 calls will make their presence
known starting 24 November and lasting through the CQWW CW Contest on
Thanksgiving weekend. All band, all
mode, activity is planned.
FINLAND - Our own Rob Smith landed an OH on 75 meter SSB the other
morning heralding the beginning of the 80-meter long path season. He used the Club’s new AL-82 linear
amplifier, which is capable of running the full legal amateur power limit and
our full size 75-meter loop antenna.
I’ve run a bit short on inputs this month. Please forgive me. I’ll try to do better next month. Don’t forget the CQ WW CW Contest on 27 and 28 November (GMT, of
course). n
By Bob Polansky, N6ET
On 30 October, we had an all-day antenna party on the mesa
overlooking JPL. Weather was very
cooperative and we successfully lofted our new 40-meter 2-element beam to the
top of the 76-foot tower.
Participating in the event were Phil Barnes, Chris Carson, Rob
Frederickson, Jay Holladay, Walt Mushagian, Jerry Person, Bob Polansky, Rob
Smith, Mike Tope, and Rob's friend James Bockman, a visitor from NASA Langley
Research Center.
We started at 8AM with final assembly of the beam, including minor
dimension tune-ups. We pointed the beam
straight up on a tram line connected to the 50-foot circular stairway at the
antenna range and tuned it to the precisely 40-meter band segment we wanted it
to operate at.
Mike Tope took up his position at the top of the tower and with
the help of the assembled multitude lofted the new beam to the top of the tower
where it was firmly attached. It was a
real team effort. All the beam antennas
at the hilltop were scoped and found to be perfectly tuned. Some minor repairs will be necessary to peak
the loop antenna at the right frequency and to restore functionality to the
inverted vees. Next time.
My sincere thanks to all who participated. n
Goldstone Y2K Backup HF Installation
By Bill Wood, W6FXJ
On October 26 and 27 Bob Polansky, N6ET, coordinated the installation of an HF communications station to provide a backup voice path between the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex and the JPL facility in Pasadena in case normal circuits become unusable.
A modified Yaesu FT-1000D amateur radio transceiver and two HF antennas were installed by station personnel at the SPC-10 Signal Processing Center in the Goldstone Mars basin. The transceiver was positioned near the Station Operations Director’s console while the R-7000 and a 40-meter and 80-meter trapped inverted-Vee antenna were installed on the roof and nearby microwave antenna tower.
A full end-to-end communications check was conducted on two NASA SSB frequencies (3395 kHz and 6982.5 kHz) between N6ET at Goldstone and Walt Mushagian, K6DNS, at JPL. Signal quality was excellent on both frequencies.
Similar equipment will be installed by station personnel at both the Canberra DSCC and the Madrid DSCC before the end of the year. These systems will make it possible to maintain direct voice communications between the DSN stations and JPL in the event of a common carrier outage. n
By Bill Wood, W6FXJ
The highlight of the November 1974 issue was the announcement that Jay Holladay, W6EJJ, was elected Vice Director of the ARRL Southwestern Division and coverage of the successful launch of AMSAT-OSCAR 7 from Vandenberg AFB.
Jay received 1640 votes or nearly twice the votes that either of the two other candidates tallied. W6EJJ was elected to a two-year term starting January1, 1975.
Editor Elmer MacMillen reported that JPL ARC Member Charles Weir, W6UM was part of a DX-pedition to Curacao. They operated under the call PJ9JR during the CQ World Wide Phone DX contest on October 26 and 27. They racked up 19 million points that was believed to be a world record.
Check out the club newsletter archive.
The full November 1974 issue can be accessed at the following Internet
address: http://www.jplerc.org/radio/calling/1974/nov/novt74.html ¾
Wanted:
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:
QST 1990-1994 CD-ROM set, new. $25 (ARRL price $39.95) Skip, W7NWY, 818-354-9674
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 ToneSquelch Option Board (CTCSS) for HT models 2GAT, 4GAT, 12GAT, 32AT or formobiles 228, 448, 901, 1201, 2400 and 2500. Cost: $80 (AES Catalog) Sale for$40. Radio Shack, Rotor/Controller andCable, 3 years old, never used, have box/papers, like new. Cost: $70+ Sale for $50. Scott Nolte, N6CUV 818-354-9724n
Newsletter Deadline:
Friday, November 29 for the December 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.
Updated May 3,
2000