Fireman Training Grounds

Today I participated in a recognisance mission to review our field day site at the Rocky Mount Fireman's Training Grounds. I met with John Faulkner, KR4SV, who has our connection with the fire department. Robin, WA4WPD, was supposed to also be there but was unable due to an emergency.

Evaluation List:

1. Fire Tower - this is a 68 foot structure that can be easily ascended via a steep staircase and is relatively safe to operate on the top. It has plenty of room to work at the top to place the StepIR and D40 Dipole.

2. Low Band Antennas - one end can be tied to the fire tower at 68 feet and the antenna extend outward over an open field. The Superloop 80 can get tied to a non working light pole at about 30 feet. The Carolina Windom 80 will go out over the middle of the open field and we will have to construct a counterpoise with an extension ladder.

3. Shelter - The gazebo attached to an activity building is about all that is usable, as the inside of the building is being used for storage. It is adequate for adverse weather and will be OK.

4. Stations - Stations will be located in the ERV, Camping trailer, and under the gazebo (GOTA). The gazebo is about 150 feet from the tower and is located in the shade, so it is quite pleasant despite the mid day sun.

5. Necessary Facilities. The plumbing in the bathroom is not functioning, so there will have to be a portable toilet rented for the weekend.

6. Enjoy the pictures, see everyone at the June TRARC meeting.

Barry, K4CZ

I'd like to Embarrass Barry, K4CZ. Sorry, I don't have a picture of K4CZ.

Barry is a friend of mine from PVRC. He is a newcomer to the contest scene (as am I, just newer than me, so I can call him a newcomer ;-) He writes prolifically and I always read what he has to say. I have to say that if Barry were to write a book about accounting, I know I would enjoy reading it. To see what I mean, here is Barry's submission the the PVRC reflector for his WPX effort this past weekend.

Call: K4CZ ...

Comments:
My primary rig is out for repairs so I dusted off my TS-830 for some
casual operating between family events. The TS-830 is one of the last of
the"hybrid" rigs (6146B finals). The rig doesn't have a port for computer control and its grid block keying (-60V at the key terminal) isn't compatible with my Microkeyer so it was a "back to basics" contest for me.

I connected my N0XAS Pico Keyer and hand-sent all code with my
paddle...nottoo difficult but it made me realize how "lazy" I had become...I've
actually worked entire CW contests by pushing N1MM macro buttons and almost
never touching my CW paddle. The TS-830 definitely doesn't have QSK
either...theT/R relay is loud enough to rattle the shack windows...even my dog
couldn't sleep in his usual spot under the shack table! Quick
bandchanges?...fuggedaboutit...even if I write down the load, plate and
drive settings, I like to touch up the tuning while transmitting into a
dummy load...way too much work for casual operating. Like to
operate assisted?...well you can't just click on a spot and go there...you have
tospin the dial...and make sure you subtract 800 Hz from the spot since the rig
display is offset in CW mode when receiving. Crowded
band conditions?...well there aren't any roofing filters or non-stock filters
in my TS-830...just IF shift, VBT and a manual notch...provides a
completely different perspective on the fiercely debated comparisons between
the performance of the Orion II and the FT-1000MP.

Am I complaining?...sure am. Did I have fun?...absolutely. By the end of the contest, I even improved my CW sending skills quite a bit. I enjoy the competitive
aspect of contesting and am constantly striving for personal bests and higher
finishes in the rankings. Like most of you, one of the joys of contesting
for me is constantly refining my station to maximize the Qs obtainable within the
constraints of my equipment budget, operating skills and available time.
What I learned this weekend, however, is that in the process of "optimizing" my
station, I've computerized and automated so much of the contesting process that
the joy of radio is sometimes lost. I'm not going to give up my Microham
Microkeyer with its 150 features and capabilities or any of the other
conveniences of my station. However, I am going to make sure that I pick at
least one contest each season when I go"back to basics"...use the tube rig, send
CW manually, turn off the packet spots and maybe even log by hand...well, maybe
not log by hand. But don't worry...I won't take my nostalgia trip
during Sweepstakes...based on my slide rule calculations, my QTH is 140.701 miles
from the center of the PVRC universe so my modest scores will still contribute to
the greater good...assuming the universe remains circular and its radius doesn't
shrink significantly ;-)

Thanks for all the Qs from PVRC members and apologies to those who were subjected to my occasionally sloppy CW sending.

73, Barry K4CZ

Well, see what I mean? Good job Barry! Yes, operating was different back in the bad old days. And, no, I agree, don't go back to hand logging. I wasn't a contester back then, but I do remember Field Day and logging with a pencil and road map sized dupe sheet! If you were low man on the totem pole at Field Day back then, you spent the bulk of your time fueling generators and sharpening pencils! Yikes, perish the thought.

Rock on!

Radiocoversdot Com

I found a couple of years ago some great felt covers for radio gear by Radiocoversdot Com. Each one is made to fit the particular radio model. The embroidery is a nice touch.

Keeping the radios under the covers has really kept them looking nice and free of dust in the tiny crevasses. My only pet peeve is that the mic connector on the front must be removed for them to fit right. Small inconvenience, though.

They are fairly inexpensive and are a great value. here, the blue one for the IC-746 is about 2-3 years old, and the black one for the Yaesu is about a year old. The cleaning instructions state to be dry cleaned only, lest you will end up with a new keyer cover! HI!

I didn't really mean for this to sound like an advertisement, as I have no vested interest in this company. Just its something that has really worked well for me.

Memorial Day

To the members of all the US armed forces, past and present:

I know that this is not directly related to ham radio, but with so much owed by so many to so few I believe it is worth setting our hobby aside one moment. (I am re phrasing the famous Winston Churchill quote referring to the RAF pilots at the end of the Battle of Britian)

Without the sacrifice of those who went into harm's way on my behalf, I would not be able to opine on this blog, speak to others all over the world via radio, and assemble with my friends of a like mind at my monthly ham radio meeting.

My pale "thank you" is small in comparison. I'd like to mention specifically the ham radio operators that entered the US armed forces in the middle of the 20th century where communications was not nearly developed as it is today. Back then, America entered a great world war woefully unprepared. Hams were regarded as a "God-send" to the signal corps hitting the ground running in establishing quickly a ready communications infrastructure so critical for the survival of our civilization. Every time you see an old black and white news-reel picture of a B-17 spiraling to earth realize there was a radio operator on board most likely a ham. I mention that in hopes to bring this solemn holiday closer to home.

Thank you

WPX is Over / Whew!

I've been busy with the test so haven't visited here since Friday. Along with working WPX (see score at left) I built a horse platform (don't ask, XYL's horse hobby) Was working on it when I jammed a wood splinter into my left ring finger between my fingernail and finger tip. Ouch! Now I know what Chinese bamboo torture is all about. Good thing it was on my left hand, I'm right handed and need it for ..... CW sending, yea that's it, CW sending.... HI!

Anyway, WPX, yes, Don't think I'm going to win this one! 8-) But I broke 400!

Ahhh, the life of a contester!

New Tacoma Truck

Well, you all have seen my Tacoma truck in an earlier post (a week or so ago). We are now a two Taco family as my lovely and gracious XYL, Chris, KC4HDI has a new 2007 model. This was her choice.

So here is the question. She wants her 2M rig back in so she can talk to me. Unlike me, however, she does not want to drill any holes in it for an antenna. Does anyone know if the "through the glass" V/UHF antennas work all that well? A "lip" mount would have to be on the hood as this is a pickup truck.

So I'm open to suggestions and opinions. I am going to change the comments to "un-moderated" as I don't think this blog needs a security level [yet]. If you have figured out this is a veiled attempt to see if anyone is reading this thing yet, go to the head of the class! :-)

So let me know you are out there, and what Chris should do with her new truck.

73 and Go PVRC! ...Marty

WPX is This Weekend

I have to start taking my own advice. Operate! I haven't made a QSO in two weeks, and with Field Day coming up, I sure don't want to get rusty! Note to self, operate!

So, WPX CW is this weekend. Its one of those 48 hour tests that I have to pick 36 hours. Since I am off this weekend, I'm going to give it a concerted effort. Dust the rust off so to speak.

My Superloop80 is down for use at the Field Day. I've got the StepIR in the yard and have half a notion to put it on my tower at 30' and point it west. Hmmmm might just do that.

So, look for me! Good prefix hunting! 73

My Friend Ernie, K9LO

L to R in the picture above is Tim, KF4IIC, Ernie, K9LO, Travis, KI4KNB, and Les, W4FRA. This was from Field Day 2005 at Boddie-Noel and that was the GOTA station setup behind Ernie.

Ernie moved down from Wisconsin to take a job as Chief Engineer of a group of broadcast radio stations here. Talk about a fish out of water, there is very little commonality between North Carolina and Wisconsin culture! But Ernie was a ham, and that was enough common ground to welcome him in the Tar River Amateur Radio fold.

Well, last night, Ernie called me on the telephone from Wisconsin (he moved back early in 2006)

We had a grand time talking about old times, catching up, and such as that. I was glad to hear he was doing well and both of us were trying to outdo each other in conveying complements to each other.

Ernie never missed a club meeting or event except when he was laid up with a bad back. We made plans to meet up in Dayton for 2008 and that is one I will endeavour to keep. We made allot of jokes at Ernie's expense and he held his own and gave it right back. You guys in Wisconsin are lucky to have him, and even though he is a little rough around the edges, all of us in NC miss him.

Take it easy, Ernie, we'll see you in Dayton next year!

My HXL-17 Hexbeam

I took down my HXL-17 Hexbeam today. It has served me well, and I enjoyed having it up for the last three years. Some history

I bought this curious antenna from Mike Traffie himself when I was at Dayton in 2004. At the time, I was interested in this novel antenna and thought that 17 meters was a perfect testbed to satisfy my curiosity. Now $300 was allot to spend on a whim like this, but I had some extra "walking around" money that year, so why not?

I put it up on a pole mounted on the chimney at the peak of my ranch house (shown in the background in the pic). My guess it was up 28-30' from the ground. I also bought a light duty Hygain AR-35 "TV" rotator and mounted it all together. This was the recommendation from Traffie and the literature, so as to evaluate their claims.

I was very pleased with the results. No, it won't replace a full size mono band Yagi at 65', but I have to tell you, it is the best antenna I have ever used at this low height. I found the front to back ratio to be good, and always got good reports. If the band was open, I was right in the mix with everyone else.

My review on the air to a California ham brought about an unsolicited phone call from Mike Traffie himself. I was quite surprised that he was in much despair over my review. I thought it [the review] to be quite complementary in stating pretty much what I just said in the paragraph above. He was perplexed as to why I was not dimantling my tribander at 65' now that I owned the Hexbeam. I explained to him that if I was restricted in height and had to have a stealthy low profile antenna, the Hexbeam surely would be at the top of my list. I described its performance as "par" at 28' with my multi band Yagi at 65'. If you asked me, that's a complement. He wanted me to say it was better. We parted friends.

I think I'm going to sell it. It was fun, but I do not need its stealth or low height performance, per-se, because I already have my Force 12 (now at 85') and have no restrictions where I live.

I think you will agree about the stealth part. I took a bunch of pictures of it with my XYL's Olympus E500 ( a top notch camera) and the pic above was the best one, all-be-it not so good.

See you in the pileups!

My First QSO

A number of new hams in the area are upgrading to General and above due to the new rule changes eliminating CW as a requirement to transmit on the HF bands. Brings me back to my first QSO. Lets set the flux capacitor on the time machine to 1975 and rev the Delorian up to 88 miles per hour and go back....

It was October, I think, when I went to the home of my elmer, Bill Asbury, WA4GYZ, to take my Novice test. This is a story unto itself, but since this is about my first QSO, suffice it to say I left there not sure if I had passed or not. Back in those days, your elmer just proctored the test and it was mailed off and graded by the FCC.

That winter I ordered and built a Heathkit HW-16 with the help of my friend Jim Duke who's dad had built a number of Heathkit TV and stereo sets. I had it up and running after a few trips to Jim's house and a once over from his dad.

The winter was over and I had all but given up on my Novice ticket when it finely arrived in May of 1976! I got a big lump in my throat, it was time to get on the air! I called Mr. Asbury and asked him what to do, I had forgotten everything! He was firm, but compassionate with me in saying, "come on now, Marty, you can do it!" He was definitely "old school" and did not believe in pampering. I'll say.

The rig and antenna had to be completed and I spent the ensuing summer copying QSO's in anticipation. Finely, one full year after sitting for the test, I plugged in my only JAN FT-243 crystal on 3725 and listened. I was petrified with fear, but somehow managed to send CQ DE WN4OAR as I had done a bizillion times on my practice keyer, only this time I was watching the meter on the rig bounce as I sent. Would I be able to copy any response? Here it comes.... "WN4OAR DE W3IHA W3IHA K" I began to shake uncontrollably as if I were freezing. But I did not freeze, somehow I eeked out, "W3IHA DE WN4OAR RRR UR RST IS 579 579 QTH IS JUPITER, FL JUPITER, FL NAME IS MARTY MARTY BTU W3IHA DE WN4OAR KN" To which the reply, "WN4OAR DE W3IHA R TNX UR RST 559 559 QTH IS SILVER SPRING, MD SILVER SPRING, MD NAME IS LEO LEO RIG IS HW100 TO END FED ZEPP" and it went on with me giving Leonard my address and informing him of my first QSO. What a thrill! It was a very significant moment in my life and I remember it vividly. Mark that date in history as October 11, 1976 at 0021 GMT (UTC as we know it now)

What are first QSO's like for new hams today? I can tell you, back then it were scary!

MXL-990 Condenser Microphone

After hearing the MXL-990 on the air it sparked me to read the reviews on eHam. I had to try it out. An order to MusiciansFriend with the outboard phantom supply and pop filter I was on my way 4 days later spending less than $100.

This mic is now my primary station ragchew mic. Its a delight to use and always a good conversation piece, especially when asked how I achieve such good TX audio.

I mounted everything via the included isolation mount (a necessity IMHO) on my Heil topless boom and made all my cables. Every time I go to a hamfest I make sure I stock up on the connectors so I can do things like this when I get the urge! I wired the new mic via my 2-band W2IHY EQ/Noise gate to my FT-1000MP. Not that this is really necessary, but the W2IHY makes setting the levels a snap and inserting PTT.

I had to "re-learn" on how to speak into this mic, 8-12" away is the norm, not close up, it is very sensitive. So thats the other thing you have to watch out for with a condenser, its very sensitive. One time the phone rang in the other room and the guy I was in QSO with asked if I needed to step away and answer the phone! A quiet shack is a necessity. Audio reports have ranged from "pleasant full sounding" to "fantastic".

Bottom line, for a condenser, this inexpensive unit would be tough to beat at twice the price. Properly applied, I think it sounds as good or better than the ham specific mics in the $300-400 range (you know the ones I'm talking about) But don't run out and buy one without thinking it through. A condenser is not the best choice in some situations.

I couldn't be more pleased with the results. And to think I did it all for less than $100 is icing on the cake.

Character

Is what you decide to do when when no-one else will know.

PVRC (Potomac Valley Radio Club) leadership took it upon themselves yesterday to relinquish the hard fought 2006 November Sweepstakes club championship gavel. It seems that there is a geographical rule that all participants of any given club must all reside within an imaginary circle having a 175 mile radius. There apparently was some sort of violation of this rule that was brought to light within the PVRC ranks which precipitated this move. A class act making me proud to be part of this organization.

A little history. Radio contesting is alot like Grand Prix car racing. There is one track on which all the competing cars take to at the same time. There are many races going on within the big "race" where different classes, teams, and point standings are all competing within their respective groups. The Ferrari's are not racing against the Volkswagen Bugs, though they are on the track at the same time.

When a radio contest starts, everyone takes to the air to contact (and out contact) as many other hams as possible. But, like the Grand Prix, many competitions are going on at once. Throw all the manners your mother taught you right out the window. Its dog-eat-dog. Anyway, One of these "sub contests" is the club competition. Members of different clubs throw their final score in one big pool of fellow members with the object being the club with the most overall points wins.

PVRC was declared the winner for the 2006 Fall competition, but has shown immense character by declaring a self discovered foul passing the gavel to previously second place finisher NCCC (Northern California Contest Club)

I'm sure there will be plenty of Monday morning quarterbacking on this issue in the coming weeks.

Thanks for stopping by! 73 CUL Marty / W4MY

Working on Field Day

Put together to test out the StepIR and D40 today. Here are some pics. Everything checks out and is good to go. Both of these antennas will be atop a 68' firefighting training tower sitting on the top platform just as you see them set up here.

Out club call sign is W4DCG with GOTA call sign TBD. We've invited the Rocky Mount Amateur Radio Club (our sister club here) to join us in a joint effort, and if that pans out, the GOTA call will be WR4MT.

The one pic of the StepIR is a bit over exposed, but shows the antenna nicely against an otherwise dark background. This antenna is difficult to see which, in some cases, might be a benefit.

Not shown are the low band antennas which will be a Radio Works Superloop80 and Carolina Windom 80.

Had great weather today. A good day to get outside and play Ham Radio.

Are We in This, or Not?

OK, I'll get off my high horse after this post! But I wanted to show off my mobile setup that I used in the NC QSO Party. In the fist pic you see the High Sierra HS-1800/pro and mount. Notice the custom bracket and you might be wondering how it is attached. The High Sierra bracket is bolted to a custom made 1/4" plate of the same footprint using the holes originally meant for the tube u-bolts. At the bottom of the plate there is a piece of 2x2 box beam welded to the opposite side of the custom plate. The box beam is about 23" long and reaches over to a "receiver box that was added/welded to the Reese hitch. The receiver box is nothing more than another piece of box beam 2-1/2"x2-1/2" six inches long that the 2x2 beam coming from the antenna bracket plugs into. Nothing is attached to the body except for the 1" ground strap which High Sierra talks about ad nauseum.

The control cable and RG-58 coax is routed under the vehicle along the frame member and enters the cab through an axillary hole with notched out rubber plug that Tacoma provided. (Nice touch, Toyota, Thanks!)

The IC-706M2G is mounted on the floor under the driver's seat along with the N2VZ Turbo Tuner. I made sure the Icom was oriented so I could get to the two tweak pots for side tone and ... I forgot what else. Anyway, I have the 706 control head and speaker mounted on a custom bracket which is bolted to the floorboard just below the gearshift.

Although there might be some very good mobile antennas out there, I am VERY GLAD I have the High Sierra. In my opinion, having that antenna mated up with the Turbo Tuner is the absolute best and safest way to go HF mobile.

It may be hard to see this in the pics, but I also have a Larson NMO 2/70 mounted in the middle of the cab roof. Yes, this NMO mount required a 3/4" hole drilled through body sheet metal but is the best situation for VHF/UHF RF radiation.

I drilled that hole for the 2/70 and installed this big HS-1800/pro antenna with the best RF performance as priority. I believe I have retained the good looks of this truck by the quality of the workmanship and don't feel I will make the Hamsexy rolls. Hey, are we in this, or not?

Roll on!

I'm Flabbergasted!

I won 1st place (Mobile/In-State) in 2007 NC QSO Party!

Pinch me, is it real? Check it out!

It was a very slim victory, but even coming close to Jeff, NY4N, would have made me happy. Maybe Jeff just had an off day. I actually e-mailed Jeff last year after the 2006 event which he won and asked for some tips. He was more than helpful, a true sportsman and gentleman.

I have to mention, also, Jeff, NX9T. He only made 15 QSOs, all with me (I presume). He even went to the trouble to submit his log so as to facilitate my confirmation in the log checking. Class act, Jeff, thanks! Those 15 Q's (when weighted with my 57 multiplier) represented the value of my margin of victory.

Also, my friend Barry, K4CZ followed me for a much appreciated number of Q's. Seems that maybe Barry got into it as a result because he walked away with second place overall in the fixed single-op category. I remember Barry asking me if I thought anyone would want a Q from Durham county. I guess they did!

Last, but certainly not least, go my thanks to my lovely and gracious XYL, Christina, KC4HDI (You're still a YL in my eyes, honey!) for driving me while I operated, the whole 10 hours. We made only 3 stops; one for gas, one for the flat tire in the rain (a famous story by now, I'm sure), and one necessary. I take back everything I said when you kept making wrong turns!

Up until now, the only wood on my wall was in some of the picture frames for my certificates.

Not any more!

I won! (something)

I just got an e-mail from Henry, W2DZO, chairman of the 2007 NC QSO Party stating that I was going to receive a plaque. The email looks like a generic going to all the plaque winners so it didn't state what it was I won. Here's part of the e-mail from Henry:

Congrats! You are receiving this email because you/your club has/have won
aplaque for your 2007 North Carolina QSO Party effort. As usual, we will bring
your plaque to the Dayton Hamfest, Fleamarket spot #3301 if you would like to
pick it up.

Now I entered the Mobile/In-State category, so one would assume I won that. But I talked to NY4N during the GA QSO Party and he was also in the same category and got a few more Q's than I did. Its conceivable I had more mults, thus a higher score, but why then was NY4N listed as a plaque winner also? I seriously doubt I beat out NY4N. Therein lies the consternation.

I just guess I'll have to wait for the results to be posted. Hurry up, Henry!

Radio Nerd dot net

This morning I wondered by my good friend and partner in crime's blog, radio-nerd.net, and saw that he noticed my new endeavour here. He said in his post (I will paraphrase) that I have stumbled into the 21st century. He made a vague illusion that he thought he would never live to see that.

Well, Ray, here I am! Don't worry, I'll be posting about many things from 19th century radio, telegraphy, and such as that. I won't let you down!

Field Day 2007

Field Day is on my mind today.

There is no more engaging activity for the ham. If you are really into radio, and like the athletic aspects of the hobby, Field Day is for you.

Now how does "athletic" fit into ham radio? Sitting in front of a radio late at night intently listening to small signals coming from the ether is more accurately described as sedentary, not athletic. Field Day is different.

Try going 30 hours without significant sleep, climbing- pulling- pushing- trodding involved in erecting temporary antennas, surviving the elements, slapping bugs, troubleshooting, and 24 hours of operating. Then tearing it all down in a whirlwind leaving the area just as you found it, only your footprints as evidence you were ever there.

Everyone has a different perspective on what FD (Field Day) is, for me its the shared experience with like minded hams. Fellowship, shared adversity, teamwork, and most of all intense radio activity is what gives me the biggest charge. Some people say I try too hard and need to throttle back. Maybe so, maybe not. Hopefully there will be a place for me this year!

See you in the pile ups!

BS7H Scarborough Reef DXpedition

Yes, I worked 'em.

I can honestly say it was 50% shear luck. Yes, I was on 20 meters at the right time during our precariously short propagation opening on 20 metres; Yes, I have an antenna (Force 12 C3E at 85') that will do the job; Yes, I used a half-kilowatt amp (Ameritron AL-811) to give me just a little help; Yes, I had great advice from experienced DXer here locally; But all that added together did not assure me of the contact.

BS7 is the rarest entity on the DXCC want list and for all practical purposes NO NONE had this confirmed yet. That means that every ham in the world that had any casual interest in DX was trying to work them. With over 6 million hams in the world, my wild guess is that maybe 20% are interested or have the equipment to work DX. That's 1.2 million. Maybe half of those (again, I'm guessing) had the time available to actively pursue the DX.

Boil it all down, there could have been 600,000 hams in search of that elusive Q, and in fact only 44,00 QSO's were made (according to the BS7H web report)

You've got better odds winning a door prize at a hamfest raffle. Lucky? Yes!

A Journey of a Thousand Miles...

...Begins with a single step. Here we go.

I have just finished reading, "Blogging for Dummies" by Brad Hill. Allot of good information in it, and would recommend it. It got me this far anyway. I suppose, like any good written work, there should be some sort of a thesis for my new blog, I'll do my best.

Ham Radio.

Not bad, eh? For those that know me, there's no surprise there. For those that don't (and right now that would be no one) you will get to know that just about everything in my life is connected to ham radio via less than three degrees of separation. (i.e., I met my wife at a job I got at a television station who's chief engineer was a ham, and he only hired hams, Good thing the EEOC never learned about him! She got the job through a connection of someone she met at a hamfest!) See what I mean.

Enough for now AR