Antennas

And it’s a beautiful day…

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On Sunday I worked the W9IMS special event celebrating the Indianapolis Grand Prix. 2 more to go. Every year the W9IMS club runs a series of 3 special events : 1 for the Grand Prix, 1 for the Indy 500 and 1 for the Brickyard 400. They have nice QSL cards and if you work all 3 events you can get a great certificate. I have worked them for the past several years. Their info can be found on qrz.com

As you can tall, I like working special event stations. They can be an exercise in radio skills and a lot of fun. I have a collection of certificates that I have in loose-leaf binders. I have my wyfe laminate them and then I store them. I look through the binders now and then and revel in the memories.

Good outside activity weather is here. I am looking forward to doing some outside operating, either from a state park or doing some basic hilltopping. Some years back a group of us got together and camped out on a mountain top and used helium balloons to support antennas. That was a lot of fun.

Namaste, all

Un-royal Nonesuch

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Wow. Been busy and tired. We have a person out on vacation and my work partner and I have been filling in. It makes for a long work week and I still have 4 more days to go. Enough of that. I just came in from beating Satan’s Putting Green into submission. It seems that this is the first opportunity I have had to attack it as the weather has not been co-operating. So far this month, we have had 25.40 mm of rain and last month we had over 78 mm. The weather report calls for rain tomorrow and Saturday so the mowing had to be done.

As soon as I have the time, I have a few projects to work on. I need to do some planting and then to cut some brush. After that I need to re-hang one of my antennae and finally, I have the ingredients for a batch of beer ready for brewing. I am not sure how I am going to prioritize all this.

I will leave with a parting observation: people in this country need to learn that “freedom of speech” does not mean “freedom from responsibility”. You can say anything you want but don’t whine when there are consequences to your bloviation. As always, Namaste!

Almost Tax Day

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Yup, it is almost Tax Day. Mine were done ages ago but I guess a lot of people wait until the last minute to file. No matter. I file early because I don’t like things hanging over my head.

Is this entry going to be about taxes? No. Tax Day falls in the middle of April. The weather is getting better and thoughts are turning to outdoor activities. Soon it will be time to plant the garden and, more importantly it will be time to expand outdoor operating. In fact, a club I belong to, Perry County Radio Amateurs, will be activating a state park. There is a programs called Parks On The Air where hams can go to a park and operate. Parks are assigned a number and people can get certificates for working them. I know this may not sound fun but for the hams out there, it is. It is an opportunity to test your equipment under less than ideal situations and to test out new portable antennae. It will also provide other hams with a chance to work Perry County PA. Some hams (called County Hunters) like to make contacts in counties all over the US. Though our county is not extremely rare, it is sought after.

Another outdoor activity coming up is Field Day. A lot of hams see Field Day as a contest but it originally was an exercise to test out portable and emergency operating. In an emergency, knowing what works and what doesn’t ahead of time lets you concentrate on the task at hand.

Finally, there are a lot of prosigns, abbreviations and jargon in use on the radio. If you listen in on a QSO (conversation on the radio), you will hear these cryptic phrases and 3 letter codes sprinkled into the exchange. Back in the days of telegraphy, operators came up with shortcuts and abbreviations. Some of these became official. In the early 1900’s, the British Postal Service (they were in charge of wired and wireless communications at the time) came up with a series of “Q” codes. These are 3 letter codes which all start with the letter Q. Some of them have changed over the years but some are still the same as when they were first originated. Below is a list of Q codes for your enjoyment.

CodeQuestionAnswer
QRAWhat is the name (or call sign) of your station?The name (or call sign) of my station is …
QRBHow far are you from my station?The distance between our stations is … nautical miles (or km).
QRGWill you tell me my exact frequency (or that of …)?Your exact frequency (or that of … ) is … kHz (or MHz).
QRHDoes my frequency vary?Your frequency varies.
QRIHow is the tone of my transmission?The tone of your transmission is (1: good, 2: variable 3: bad)
QRJAre you receiving me badly?I cannot receive you, your signal is too weak.
QRKWhat is the readability of my signals (or those of …)?The readability of your signals (or those of …) is … (1: bad .. 5: excellent).
QRLAre you busy?I am busy. (or I am busy with … ) Please do not interfere.
QRMDo you have interference?I have interference.
QRNAre you troubled by static noise?I am troubled by static noise.
QROShall I increase transmit power?Please increase transmit power.
QRPShall I decrease transmit power?Please decrease transmit power.
QRQShall I send faster?Please send faster (… words per minute).
QRSShall I send more slowly?Please send more slowly (… words per minute).
QRTShall I cease or suspend operation?I am suspending operation.
QRUHave you anything for me?I have nothing for you.
QRVAre you ready?I am ready.
QRWShall I inform ___ that you are calling?Please inform ___ that I am calling.
QRXShall I standby? / When will you call me again?Please standby. / I will call you again at … (hours) on … kHz (or MHz).
QRZWho is calling me?You are being called by … (on … kHz (or MHz)).
QSAWhat is the strength of my signals (or those of … )?The strength of your signals (or those of …) is … (1: very weak .. 5: very strong).
QSBAre my signals fading?Your signals are fading.
QSDIs my keying defective?Your keying is defective.
QSGShall I send ___ messages at a time?Send ___ messages at a time.
QSKCan you hear me between your signals (while transmitting), and if so can I break in on your transmission?I can hear you between my signals (while transmitting); break in on my transmission.
QSLCan you acknowledge receipt?I am acknowledging receipt.
QSMShall I repeat the last telegram (message) which I sent you, or some previous telegram (message)?Repeat the last telegram (message) which you sent me (or telegram(s) (message(s)) numbers(s) …).
QSNDid you hear me (or …) on … kHz (or MHz)?I did hear you (or …) on … kHz (or MHz).
QSOCan you communicate with … direct or by relay?I can communicate with … direct (or by relay through …).
QSPWill you relay a message to …?I will relay a message to … .
QSRDo you want me to repeat my call?Please repeat your call.
QSSWhat working frequency will you use?I will use … kHz (or MHz).
QST–Here is a broadcast message to all amateurs.
QSUShall I send or reply on this frequency (or on … kHz (or MHz))?Please send or reply on this frequency (or on … kHz (or MHz)).
QSVShall I send a series of “V” on this frequency (or on … kHz (or MHz))?Please send a series of “V” on this frequency (or on … kHz (or MHz)).
QSWWill you send on this frequency?I am going to send on this frequency.
QSXWill you listen to … on … kHz (or MHz)?I am listening to … on … kHz (or MHz).
QSYShall I change transmission frequency (to … kHz (or MHz))?Please change transmission frequency (to … kHz (or MHz)).
QSZShall I send each word or group more than once?Send each word or group twice (or … times).
QTAShall I cancel message number ___?Cancel message number ___.
QTCHow many telegrams (messages) have you to send?I have … telegrams (messages) for you (or for …).
QTHWhat is your position in latitude and longitude (or according to any other indication)?My position is … latitude, … longitude.
QTRWhat is the correct time?The correct time is … hours.
QST–General call preceeding a message address to all amateurs and A.R.R.L. Members. This is in effect “CQ ARRL”.
QRRR–Official A.R.R.L. “land SOS.” A distress call for emergency use only.

Coffee and Ham

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I am sitting here drinking coffee and sending out calls on my radio. My wyfe and I were outside earlier but now it is time for coffee and radio. I was reading online about how the bands are dead but that doesn’t seem to be the way it is in reality. If you tuned across the bands, you would hear a lot of stations including some participating on QSO parties. My spotting software is also showing a lot of activity, especially from European stations. We are on the upswing of the sunspot cycle and the bands that are higher in frequency are opening up more. There are some special event stations out there to work also.

My cats are all snoozing so I don’t have the fun of shooing them away from my key as I am trying to send. They enjoy hand motion and have to stick their noses into things. They also seem to be attracted to my computer keyboard and can find some really great key combinations to push. I have had to look up combos to get my screen back vertical, etc. Cats are wonderful critters but sometimes do no mix well with radios and computers. TTFN

Not quite the Ides

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Well, it seems that we are living in interesting times. Folks are sitting on the edges of their seats, drinking in all that they are being told about current events. No matter. The important thing is that band conditions are getting better every day. We are on the upswing of the solar cycle. You can find openings day and night and can always find someone to talk to. I am currently on 17M looking for SKCC and FISTS contacts but will work anyone. There is a sorta zen thing about morse code. The rhythm is relaxing and soothes the spirit. Hearing a reply from a distant station is still thrilling, even with the passage of strange eons. I sit here enjoying my coffee as the remnants of the weather event moves away. It is warm and comfortable and I am thankful for that. My cats are crashed out on the sofa which faces the pellet stove. They are sucking up the heat. My hermit crabs are in the tank behind me and they are moving about, doing hermit crab things. I don’t have to work tonight so I can relax. I think I will leave the radio on for a while to see how many contacts I can make tonight. As I said, the rhythm is soothing. My antennas have lasted the winter in good shape and though Spring is near, don’t need a lot of maintenance. I do need a couple of tree branches cut but that is not critical. I see that I am being spotted on the reflectors and soon someone may be calling me. Again, life is good. TTFN

Veterans Day and other stuff

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Hi all. First a shout out to all the vets out there. Thank you for your service.

I would like to change the subject a bit and put in a plug for FISTS, the International Morse Preservation Society. This is a group of ham radio operators dedicated to using Morse Code (CW) on the air. The club promotes fellowship and mentoring. From their webpage:

“FISTS is a well established and recognized CW (Morse Code) organization in the world of amateur radio. Founded in 1987 by Geo Longden, G3ZQS, it now has a world-wide membership in the thousands and growing daily.What FISTS wants to accomplish.

       1. To further the use of CW on the amateur bands.
2. To encourage newcomers to the CW mode.
       3. To engender friendship within the membership.”

Their webpage is http://www.fistsna.org. They hold activities on the air such as sprints and other contests. Best thing of all is there is no dues! You can join online.

Now for something a bit more different, a 1970 film promoting ham radio from the ARRL and posted on Youtube:

Weather and Radio

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There is a long association between weather and radio in general and Amateur Radio in particular. When broadcast radio started to become in general use, people began to rely on it for local weather reports. Amateur Radio was also found to be useful for spreading weather reports, not only locally but over long distances. One topic of conversation over the radio has always been the weather. Many QSOs include the local weather. It does go deeper than just chatting, however. Hams are concerned about the weather. If thunderstorms come along, it is bad to have your equipment hooked up in case of a lightening strike. Hail and high winds can take down antennas. Trees can come down during storms and flooding can cause all kinds of havoc.

Amateur Radio operators (hams) have been and still are relied upon to provide back-up communications in emergencies and a lot of emergencies are weather related. Even if a ham cannot get to an area and assist with communications they can still be of value by reporting local conditions. A lot of hams have weather stations in their yard and can report things such as temperatures, pressure changes and precipitation totals to the NWS. There are phone apps that allow you to report (mPing is one example and is free) local conditions. What do you do if your cell service is out? Well there are a lot of clubs out there that hold nets when there is severe weather. You can log into a net on a repeater and report. They usually have a back-up plan in the event that repeaters are down. There are also weather nets on the HF bands where you can report conditions. A lot of options exist.

At the extreme end, there are hams who go out spotting bad storms such as tornados. anyway, here is a list of some resources to use if you want to get into weather reporting or learn more about the weather:

http://www.weather.gov is the National Weather Service website

https://www.weather.gov/SKYWARN This is the official NWS Skywarn page

https://www.weather.gov/skywarn/wfo_links This is a link to find local spotter classes in your area

https://www.meted.ucar.edu/education_training/course/23 This is a link to online spotter training

https://www.skywarn.org/local-groups/ And finally a link to locate groups in your area.

I hope this has been useful information to someone out there. 🙂

Another day

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A nice day here in Pencilvania. We were out and about doing some shopping earlier and then when we got home, we burned some trash and I got Satan’s Putting Green under control. I was even nice enough to sweep the grass cuttings off of the road. 🙂 I refer to my lawn as Satan’s Putting Green as it isn’t really lawn. It is more pasture that over grows easily with the wrong kind of grass and other plants. I do have a lot of purslane and millefoil, so it isn’t all that bad. I also have ground ivy which can be used for bittering beer.

Now I am drinking coffee, relaxing and trying to make contacts on my radio. Hmmm … no wonder I am not even getting spotted. I just checked the MUF prediction for this area and I am well above the Maximum Useable Frequency for the bands today. I have been calling on 24.910 MHz and getting no response. Time to tune to a different band. Ok. Now I am on 10.118 MHz. 30 Meters is a good all around band. I will try here. My signal should get out. That is one nice thing about being an Amateur Extra and using CW … you can use any Amateur Radio band. I have even, on occasion, invaded the SSB (voice) portions of bands like 80M and 160M. I am not obnoxious about it. I do listen first for a clear frequency. I just got spotted by a station from Portugal. My signal is travelling. I think one reason that I am not getting anyone is that there are some contests going on. Since 30M is not a contest band, there might be few people here. Oh well, it is all part of the fun. The antenna I am using is my homemade dipole. Dipoles are easy to make and work very well. They can also bee difficult for people to see which is a good thing. There. I worked a station down in Florida. Well closing this for now. Almost time to go on recon.

Relaxing how?

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Had a good day and now it is time to relax and play on my radio.

Frist thing this morning we went to breakfast at a local restaurant. We then took my mother in law down to a Walmart and then to a food store. That is always an interesting experience. After we came back I fired up the weedwacker and brought Hell’s Half Acre back under control. I have been without a weedwacker for a few weeks as my old one shit the bed. I tried to have it fixed but no luck. I ended up getting a new one. My pole saw fits on it so first I cut down some lilacs that had been killed by a huge wild grape. Once I got that done, I did the weed trimming. It does take a bit out of a person.

Now I am on the radio calling CQ. I just worked a gent from Oklahoma and and trying to see if anyone else can hear me. I am on the 30 Meter band at 10.121 MHz. This is the band I built the antenna for the other day. If I don’t get anyone to reply soon I will change frequencies and try the 40 Meter band. I have found 40 M is a good all day band. I can always find someone on there. I just moved to 7.113 MHz. This is in the old novice portion of the band but I have found it to be a good area to use. Sometimes it is very relaxing to just tune through the bands listening to any signals I might hear. I am seeing spots … not if front of my eyes, but I am being “spotted” by folks who enter it into a database online where you can look and see who is on. I use a couple: reverse beacon network and cw club rbn spotter. Sometimes I use the DX Summit webpage, too. It is a good place to find special event stations.

Well back to relaxing!