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Contents
|
October 7 |
[Fontana
Swap Meet, A. B. Miller HS, Fontana} |
|
October 11 |
General
Meeting, Noon - T-1309 |
|
October 21 |
[CMRA
Hamfest, Cal Poly, Pomona, 7 AM] |
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October 25 |
Board
Meeting, Noon - 233-305J |
|
October 28 |
[TRW
Swap meet, Redondo Beach] |
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November 4 |
[Fontana
Swap Meet, A. B. Miller HS, Fontana} |
|
November 8 |
General
Meeting, Noon - 238-543 |
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November 19 |
[CMRA
Hamfest, Cal Poly, Pomona, 7 AM] |
|
November 22 |
Board
Meeting, Noon - 233-305J |
|
November 25 |
[TRW
Swap meet, Redondo Beach] |
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December 2 |
[Fontana
Swap Meet, A. B. Miller HS, Fontana} |
|
December 13 |
Annual
JPL ARC Banquet |
|
December 16 |
[CMRA
Hamfest, Cal Poly, Pomona, 7 AM] |
|
December 27 |
Board
Meeting, Noon - 233-305J |
|
December 30 |
[TRW
Swap meet, Redondo Beach] |
By
Christopher Carson, KE6ABQ
LOCATION
CHANGE – LOCATION CHANGE
The October General Meeting of the JPL Amateur Radio Club will be held October 11th at noon at Trailer 1309, which houses the Club’s HF operation. Come see W6VIO and get the tour - three HF rigs, the DX Cluster PC, and more. T-1309 is located directly across the street from the Guard Shack at the East Gate. The Lab Day Bus or Van stops nearby every 10 minutes. Bring your lunch if you like.
The October JPLARC Board
meeting will be held October 25th in 233-305J. Everyone is welcome
to attend – bring your lunch if you want.
n
By Bob Dengler,
NO6B
There are two items I want to make sure I get the word out on this
month. The first is that it is that
time of the year when we need to form a nominating committee to assemble a
slate of club officers for you to vote on this December. Well, OK, so we never get enough members to
run for office so each position ends up being uncontested.
We never even get a nominating committee formed unless you
consider a committee of one a committee.
At least consider the job of nominating “person”. It is a short-term position. All you have to do it twist four arms to
produce next year’s President, VP, secretary and treasurer.
The first is easy: I’m volunteering to run once again as your
imperious leader. So make that three
vermiculated arms to produce. If you
would like to help your club make it to 2001 intact, please give me a call at
4-9620.
This month’s general club meeting
will be a most interesting change of pace. We’ll be meeting at the club’s
trailer shack at the East gate for a special presentation by Bob Polansky and
Walt Mushagian, who will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the
club’s HF capability. They will show
you how to use the club equipment as well as take requests for shack keys for
any club members who don’t have access.
If you’d like to start using our world-class HF DX stations or just want
to see how our HF equipment works during the 364 days it’s not at field day,
stop by at noon at the East gate on Wednesday, October 11. n
By Jonathan M. Cameron (KF6RTA)
General
Meeting, September 13
No official meeting was held since
there was a lack of a quorum. A few
items were discussed informally. A new
employee, John Berry (KB8LZZ), was welcomed to JPL and invited to join the JPL
Amateur Radio Club. Bob Polansky (N6ET)
discussed a few items relating to next years budget. And Randy Hammock (KE6HUR) reviewed the situation at the Cerro
Negro repeater site.
Board of
Directors Meeting, September 27
The meeting was called to order
with a quorum at approximately 12:25pm.
Those present were: Eric Archer (N6CV), Chris Carson (KE6ABQ), Bob
Dengler (N06b), Randy Hammock (KE6HUR), Walt Mushagian (K6DNS), Chuck Sarture
(KG6NF), Bill Wood (W6FXJ, by telephone) and Jonathan Cameron (KF6RTA).
Bob Dengler presented a trial
budget for next year (2001). The
discussion of various items on the budget and the need to reduce expenditures
led to some changes in the budget. Bob
Dengler will discuss some changes with the club members most affected and
should have a working budget resolved in the next month or two.
JPL has inspected the area around
the JPLARC Radio shack and has warned the club that the area must be cleaned up
soon. Various ways to achieve this were
discussed. The board decided that the
next meeting of the club would be at the trailer site, hopefully as a mini open
house
The meeting broke up at 1:05. ¾
By Bob Polansky,
N6ET
This will be a short article this time. There’s a lot of DX activity out there from 40 through 10
meters. It’s a bit too early for 80 and
160 meters, and 6 meters has been closed every time I’ve listened. I did manage several QSO’s with Los Angeles
though! The long path on 20, 17, and 15
meters has been productive during the early morning hours. Here’s what’s coming in the DX arena:
AGALEGA - 3B6RF will bring all the bands to life from 8 to 24
October. Frequencies for 160 through 6
meters, both phone and CW, are posted in the W6VIO shack. Don’t miss this one. They should have enough firepower to be
workable on 80 through 10 meters.
BANGLADESH - Look for S21YD who plans activity during the first
week in November, mainly on 20 and 15 meters.
BHUTAN - A team of five JA’s will operate from Bhutan, call sign
unknown, from 27 October through 3 November.
Hopefully they will have better propagation than the last team, who
just left. 160 through 6 meters, all
modes, is planned.
CRETE - SV9/HA4XG/P will be the call sign used from 28 September
through 12 October, primarily on the WARC bands.
VANUATU - From 18 through 28 November, a group of W9 radio
amateurs will put YJ on the air. While
this isn’t on the top ten list of most rare DX entities, they should be workable
on 160 and even 6 meters. All band, all
mode, operation is planned.
Hope this entices you to keep an ear to the ole HF transceiver and
listen for all the ones I haven’t told you about! ¾
By J. Ervin Bates, W8ERV
After nearly four full months of debate over the FCC’s restructuring R&O, between members of our Amateur Radio ranks, I have come to the conclusion that the answer to our problem lies within each of us. I know, “here we go again,” right? I certainly hope so.
As someone who has been a direct recipient of the
assistance of many Elmers since 1994, I cannot stress enough, the importance
of those helping hams. You probably
would think it takes a great deal of time to do this, wouldn’t you? The fact is that couldn’t be further from
the truth. It only takes a little time
and a little effort between several of you.
Take my case, for example.
One local Club member directed his attention to my knowledge and mastery of the Morse code. Another interested me in antennas. Still another, to the joy of HF operating. And then, there was the guy who was a die-hard QRP enthusiast. That one has lasted and I find myself enjoying it today! Ah, the list is long and distinguished and my thanks will never be enough for all their efforts on my behalf. But this was, in its purest form, Elmering.
For the long-time members of this great Hobby, you remember the Elmer well. We hear about him, or her, today, but not as often as you did back then. And please, if you are a practicing Elmer, don’t take these comments to heart, as they are not intended for you...rather for the new crop of potential Elmers. The Hobby needs you NOW. Practicing Elmers know that already.
The saddest part of the restructuring debate was the feelings that got in the way. Those who are passionate, with regard to Amateur Radio, versus the melancholy aging masses, decrying the “bad guys” at the FCC-and predicting the doom and destruction of their first love. Setting those battles aside for a moment, maybe we can illustrate a small (or not so small) “plan of action” in the next few paragraphs.
All I can do is offer my suggestions; never pretending to know all there is to know about this vast, incredibly fun Hobby. Even after nearly six years as an Amateur, I learn new things on an almost daily basis. At the conclusion of this article, all you will have to do is take the ball and run with it. Deal?
So the ground rules have been laid and now let’s
spend a few moments discussing what we can do to revitalize Amateur Radio, via
Elmering, our Hobby’s “oldest profession”.
I have taken many of the following suggestions from those made by
members of my Club (The Central Michigan Amateur Radio Club), where I serve as
President and have for more than 29 months now.
First, get involved in your local Amateur Radio Club. It’s not enough to show up each month for a dose of entertainment. You really need to get into the action, giving your time and energy to make it grow and to keep it interesting, because nobody likes to be bored to tears at a meeting. Run for the Board of Directors and serve a year or two. Get your hands dirty at Club events; Field Day, Ham Swap, SKYWARN, ARES, RACES.... take your choice. But let them know you have a vested interest, no matter what your age is, or how long you have been licensed, and show them you are willing to dig in along side the older members. This alone will improve the atmosphere in Clubs where the “young and old” are at constant odds. Trust me on this, ok?
Next, since you have gotten involved at the ground level, check into Club licensing classes. If your club doesn’t offer them, why not make them happen? It will take about 6 weeks, if properly prepared. You can teach basic theory and get another helper to teach the code, or a small team of 3-5 will do nicely and that way, nobody gets bored in the teaching process, either. With 5 WPM the only code requirement left, the battle will be easier to win and you are likely to turn several new Generals out, instead of a batch of Technicians (not that Techs are bad. I started at that license class!). Approaching the Club with your eyes ablaze and a fire in your belly will do wonders. They will see that you are truly interested in making it a better Club and before you know it, the classes will have begun.
From this point, consider working at your Club’s public appearances, such as our local “Science Day at the Mall”, where your fellow Club members turn out for a special “Field Day-type” event. Or how about a demonstration at the local Middle School, or High School? Be sure to have informational fliers for the visitors to your program (you can design these and copy them cheaply) and if you can, secure pamphlets for SKYWARN, ARES, RACES and the like. You could also offer demonstrations of your on-hand station and take names and addresses or your visitors for sending off Club promotions, newsletters, etc.
Now let’s fast-forward a few months. You have an average turnout of members for your meetings, but suddenly, you are looking at a crop of new faces. VISITORS! But all you did was get involved, right? What a difference a short span of time makes!
“I didn’t Elmer anyone, how can this be?” you ask yourself with a smile. Ah, but you DID Elmer them, simply by being there to answer questions. By handing that young lady an information sheet on the Club. By inviting the local Boy Scout troop to your annual Field Day outing. By taking that one step further and attending the annual JOTA (Jamboree On The Air) in the Fall. You have been successful, by making a step to promote your Hobby. You have made a difference already - You have Elmered!
In the next section, we’ll discuss taking newly minted Amateurs under your wing and welcoming them “into the fold”, as it were.
J. Ervin Bates, W8ERV, is President of the
Central Michigan Amateur Radio Club and Editor of their newsletter, “The
SCOPE”. This article provided by Jay
Holladay, W6EJJ, from www.qrz.com. n
Wanted:
Reliable Person to receive about 40 copies of “W6VIO Calling” each month to address and mail to retired and other off-lab club members. Job involves applying club supplied adhesive address labels and postage stamps. Takes only 30 minutes each a month. Contact Bill Wood, W6FXJ, at 760-256-5529 or w6fxj@earthlink.net for details.
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 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 818-354-9724 n
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Newsletter Deadline: Friday, October 27 for the November 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. |
ARRL News
Governor
Vetoes PRB-1 Bill
NEWINGTON, CT, Oct 3, 2000--California Gov Gray Davis has vetoed a proposed Amateur Radio antenna bill. The measure, SB-1714, had passed both houses of that state’s legislature. Davis had until September 30 to sign the bill.
ARRL Pacific Division Director Jim Maxwell, W6CF, and Southwestern Division Director Fried Heyn, WA6WZO, expressed extreme disappointment at Davis’ action.
“We are disappointed, to say the least, by this decision of the governor,” Maxwell said in a statement on behalf of Heyn and himself. “We are also puzzled, for SB-1714 was passed unanimously by both the Senate and Assembly, and to the best of our knowledge had no organized opposition.”
Maxwell said the “1714” Steering Committee would be reviewing the decision and deciding on a course of action over the next few weeks. The California legislature has adjourned and will not be back in session until next January 3.
Heyn predicted that an amateur antenna bill “in some form” would eventually become law in California. “We are not going to give up,” he said.
In a statement to the California Senate, Davis said he declined to sign the bill because it required expenditures for studies that were not included in his budget. “This bill may encourage local officials to accommodate the needs of amateur radio operators when adopting ordinances,” Davis said. “The cost of this bill, however, is not included in the Budget Act of 2000.”
The California measure carried a price tag of between $70,000 and $100,000 to fund studies and a model ordinance that lawmakers required. As approved, the bill required the legislature’s Office of Planning and Research to prepare and publish a technical assistance bulletin for local officials to use in drafting amateur antenna ordinances. It also required the planning and research office to prepare and publish a model antenna ordinance that municipalities could adopt. For both endeavors, the bill specified that the Director of the Office of Planning and Research consult with the ARRL and the FCC, among other organizations and individuals.
SB-1714 also required a report to the legislature and the governor on any recommendations for changes to state law regarding state or local regulation of Amateur Radio antennas.
In his statement, Davis also said the topic of amateur antennas was “a local rather than a state issue.”
Amateur Radio operators in California had been urged in recent weeks to write Davis to encourage him to sign the measure into law. The bill was aimed at incorporating the language of the limited federal preemption known as PRB-1 into state law. SB-1714 would have required any ordinance regulating Amateur Radio antenna structures to “reasonably accommodate amateur radio service communications” and “constitute the minimum practicable regulation to accomplish the legitimate purpose of the city or county.”
SB-1714 was introduced by Sen. James Brulte of Cucamonga. It cleared the California Assembly on August 18 and the California Senate on August 22, when the upper chamber agreed to several amendments. The Senate initially had approved the bill three months ago. The bill won final Senate passage on a 39 to 0 roll call vote, with 1 abstention.
Ten states currently have incorporated PRB-1 wording into their statutes. n
The K7VVV Solar Update
 |
SEATTLE, WA, Sep 29,
2000--Solar flux and sunspot numbers were up over the past week, while average
geomagnetic indices were lower—always a happy condition for HF radio
enthusiasts. Solar flux peaked at 232.2
on September 22 and sunspot numbers peaked at 255 on September 24. Average sunspot numbers for the week were up
nearly 87 points, and average solar flux rose by almost 39 points, when
compared to the previous week.
The
sunspot number is calculated by counting the visible sunspots and factoring in
their size, so a significant factor was sunspot 9169, noted in last week’s
reports as one of the largest seen in many years. It is now fading as it rotates off of the visible solar disk. We were lucky not to have a great deal of
flare activity from this magnetically complex spot.
K4WY
sent a web reference
concerning this particular sunspot.
The
most active geomagnetic day over the past week was Tuesday, September 26, when
the planetary A index was 21. Planetary
K index was four during most of the day, but Alaska’s College K index, which is
usually higher because of the polar region proximity, was as high as six. College A index was 37 for the day.
Friday
and Saturday, September 22-23, were the quietest geomagnetic days, with A
indices in the single-digits, Planetary K indices at two and three, and
mid-latitude K indices at one and two.
Fortunately for HF enthusiasts, this was also the period when the
sunspot count and solar flux were the highest, which often is not the
case.
Geomagnetic
indices should remain stable over the next few days, with planetary A indices
predicted at around 10. On Monday
through Wednesday, October 2-4, the A index is forecast at 12, 15 and 12,
probably based on the previous solar rotation.
This indicates an unsettled to active geomagnetic conditions, with
higher absorption of HF radio signals, particularly in the higher latitude or
polar paths.
Solar
flux is expected to decline over the next few days, with Saturday, September
30, at 190 and Sunday, October 1, around 180.
For the short term, flux values should reach a minimum near 155 around
October 7-9, then head above 200 again around mid-month.
We
have now passed the autumnal equinox and are experiencing fall HF
conditions. 10 and 12-meter operators
should expect great propagation, at least when the K index as reported by WWV
is three or less. Openings follow the
sunlight, with propagation to the east in the morning and toward the west later
in the day. Fifteen meters should offer
plenty of worldwide openings as well, but also later into the evening after 10
meters has closed. Worldwide 20-meter
openings should be available around the clock.
As the northern hemisphere moves further from the summer season, 160 and
80 meters should improve with shorter days and less of the static commonly
associated with summer.
Judging
by recent e-mail, it is time to repeat the occasional explanation of the
various numbers and indices that are cited in this weekly bulletin, which
appears below. Questions and comments
are always welcome at k7vvv@arrl.net.
Amateur Radio operators who use HF generally like
increased sunspots because they correlate with better worldwide radio
propagation. When there are more
sunspots, the sun puts out radiation, which charges particles in the earth’s
ionosphere. Radio waves bounce off
(refract from) these charged particles, and the denser these clouds of ions,
the better the HF propagation.
When the ionosphere is denser, higher frequencies will
refract from of the ionosphere rather than passing through to space. This is why every 11 years or so when this
activity is higher, 10 meters gets exciting.
Ten meters is at a high enough frequency—right near the top of the HF
spectrum—that radio waves propagate very efficiently when the sunspot count is
high. Because of the wavelength,
smaller antennas are very efficient on this band, so mobile stations running
low power on 10 meters can communicate world wide on a daily basis when the
sunspot cycle is at its peak. There are
also seasonal variations, and 10 meters tends to be best near the spring or
fall equinox.
The
sunspot numbers used in this bulletin are calculated by counting the sunspots
on the visible solar surface and also measuring their area. Solar flux is measured at an observatory in
British Columbia using an antenna pointed toward the sun tuned to 2.8 GHz,
which is at a wavelength of 10.7 cm. Energy
detected seems to correlate with sunspots and with the density of the
ionosphere.
Other
solar activity of concern to HF operators are solar flares and coronal holes,
which emit protons. Since the charged
ions in the ionosphere are negative, a blast of protons from the sun can
neutralize the charge and make the ionosphere less refractive. These waves of protons can be so intense
that they may trigger an event called a geomagnetic storm.
The
Planetary A index relates to geomagnetic stability. Magnetometers around the world are used to generate a number
called the Planetary K index. You can
hear the Boulder K index updated every three hours on WWV, or by calling
303-497-3235.
A
one point change in the K index is quite significant. A K index reading below 3 generally means good stable conditions,
and above 3 can mean high absorption and poor reflection of radio waves. Each point change reflects a big change in
conditions.
Every
24 hours the K index is summarized in a number called the A index. A one point change in A value is not very
significant. A full day with the K
index at 3 will produce an A index of 15, K of 4 means A of 27, K of 5 means A
of 48, and K of 6 means A of 80. You
can find an explanation of these numbers on the Web.
The
number reported here is the Planetary A index, which is a worldwide average
based on the K readings from a number of magnetometers. The numbers reported on WWV are the Boulder
K and A index, measured in Colorado.
Generally the higher the latitude of the measuring station, the higher
the K and A indices reported. This is
because the effects of geomagnetic instability tend to concentrate toward the
polar regions of the globe.
Currently
we are near the peak of the solar cycle, so conditions are generally better
because of the increased ionization of the ionosphere. But along with the increased sunspots come
more solar flares and coronal holes, producing disturbed conditions.
Sunspot
numbers for September 21 through 27 were 198, 248, 216, 255, 215, 223 and 233,
with a mean of 226.9. The 10.7-cm flux
was 225.1, 232.2, 225.2, 224.5, 225.6, 223.6 and 204.7, with a mean of
223. Estimated planetary A indices were
9, 7, 7, 10, 16, 21 and 11 with a mean of 11.6.
Amateur
solar observer Tad Cook, K7VVV Seattle, Washington, provides this weekly
report on solar conditions and propagation.
This report also is available via W1AW every Friday, and an abbreviated
version also appears in The ARRL Letter. Readers may
contact the author via k7vvv@arrl.net.
n
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ISS Expedition One Crew Ready for Historic Adventure (Oct 4, 2000) -- Just weeks away from its historic launch to begin the permanent habitation of the new International Space Station, the Expedition One crew will hold a pre-launch news conference Monday, October 9, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. Full Story
 |
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It's a Whole New Look for ARRLWeb (Oct 2, 2000) -- Visitors to the ARRL Web site are being greeted by a whole new look plus instant access to the latest Amateur Radio news. The makeover, which went "live" today, includes much easier site navigation and quick access to the most-visited ARRL pages. Full Story
 |
Phase 3D Set for Halloween Launch (Sep 26, 2000) -- The next-generation Phase 3D Amateur Radio satellite is set for launch on Halloween! The launch agency Arianespace said that in addition to Phase 3D, an Ariane 5 rocket would attempt to orbit the PAS 1R communications satellite for Connecticut-based satellite operator PanAmSat and two other payloads, STRV 1C and STRV 1D, on Tuesday, October 31. n
Posted October 4, 2000