Articles and information for the Newsletter may
be submitted up to the 25th of the month
before the next meeting.

Ken Blair, KC0GL, Editor
1711 West 19th Terrace
Lawrence, KS 66046
Phone: 843-8826
e-mail: kc0gl@arrl.net

This Newsletter is published monthly by the Douglas County Amateur Radio Club (DCARC). Reprint permission is granted to other Amateur Radio-oriented publications (expept for copyrighted material as noted) provided that credit is given to the author and source. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the club or its officers.

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CONGRATULATIONS

At long last the DCARC 2000 Amateur Radio Class received their licenses. This class really seems to be a very active group. It is good to hear more activity on the Club repeater and many said they will be at Field Day operations.

Again, CONGRATULATIONS. Here is the list of newly licensed Amateurs and their call signs:

Reid Crowe -- KC0IDI
Jim Eckler -- KC0IDF
Dan Evans -- KC0IDC
Chetan Khanna -- KC0IDH
George Learned -- WD0FAI
Artur Leung -- KC0IDG
Joyce Neal -- KC0IDE
Leroy Schmidt -- KC0IDD
Matt Withers -- KC0IDJ

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P R O G R A M

JULY 12, 2000

CITY BAND CONCERT IN THE PARK

After a brief Business Meeting, we will adjourn informally to South Park for the City Band Concert that begins around 8:00 p.m.

BRING FOLDING CHAIRS

--Jim Canaday, N6YR, Program Chair

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NEW MEMBER

Please welcome Chetan Khanna, KC0IDH, as a new member to our Club. He was a member of the 2000 DCARC Amateur Radio Class. His address is: 2414 Cedarwood Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66046.

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SHORTWAVE

Congratulations to Steve Mooney, KB0EZY, a long-time member of DCARC who recently upgraded to General Class. His e-mail address is:

Steve Mooney, judge1@falcon.cc.ukans.edu

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THANKS

As Editor, I want to express my thanks and appreciation to Bob Rainbolt, WB0AUQ, who has consistently contributed articles, photos, and other items to the DCARC Newsletter.

In recent issues Bob has supplied many interesting Web sites, many geared toward Amateur Radio, plus other sites of general interest.

Bob, thank you very much for your generous support of the Newsletter over the years. It is greatly appreciated.

--Ken Blair, KC0GL, Editor

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NOTES FROM THE HELP COORDINATOR

Ken Olson, K0TLQ

Many of us may have received some piece of new gear during the past few weeks. I hope none of us gets entangled with our new gear like the young fellow in Tonnganoxie did several days ago. It seems that he was putting up an antenna and it came in contact with a high voltage power line. He will never become a Ham. K0RW was at the scene after the accident, a very grim and sad story. Before you put up an antenna, make sure there is no way your antenna can come near a high voltage power line. Now, don't just be careful and simply avoid contact, because if your antenna is even close to a power line, it could make contact during a storm.

A few years ago I made a very accurate scale drawing of my lot with the house, trees, antenna tower, telephone lines and even the water meter carefully plotted. I made a bunch of Xerox copies and each time a new antenna dream develops, it is very handy to get out a copy and make a few lines to see if the wire length will fit the area I have available. If you have a high voltage power line on or near your property --mark the "killer" on your copy with a red lineİİand build your system a safe distance from the red!

There are so many safety tips we could pass along to each other that they would fill several volumes of this column. Safety tips make rather dry reading; however, a few safety tips now and then which could save a life might be worthwhile, for being dead would seem very dry to me.

A few months ago I was helping one of our members with his antenna and typically acting without thinking, I kneeled down on the wet grass/earth/ground, feeling the dampness on my knees, and then I took hold of the vertical antenna. I got one heck of a shock! So folks, before you work or play with your antenna, disconnect it from all equipment. Sure it takes a little longer but...

Make sure you have a good ground on all of your equipment. Don't depend on the shield of the coax and don't depend on the ground wire in your power cord as the ground for all of your equipment. Each piece of gear should have a separate ground wire and a good lug of some kind to attach it to the equipment. Now again, if you have a problem and need some help, give me a call, maybe we can find someone to help.

--Ken, K0TLQ

--From DCARC Newsletter, April 1978, Kathy Vaughn, WD0AQH, Editor

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ANTENNAS---SOME RULES OF THUMB FOR BEGINNERS

An e-mail contribution by James R. Duffey, KK6MC/5 (a.k.a. Dr. Megacycle)

Reproduced with permission

Every now and then somebody asks the list for antenna suggestions. Quite often these people asking are beginners who are afraid of making the wrong choice. In order to help QRPers choose antennas wisely I have compiled a few "rules of thumb." As with any rules of thumb, these are general and there are some exceptions to them. A few may be somewhat controversial and I am sure alternate views will be given by those with opposite views. However I intend these guidelines to point one in the right direction rather than providing a detailed map of what to do.

1. Any antenna is better than no antenna. Rather than agonizing over an antenna choice, just put one up and operate. After operating with it for a while you will become aware of your operating habits and the shortcomings of the antenna you have erected. That will give you some hints as to which direction you should go with another antenna. You can lose 1/2 of your power in poor antenna system efficiency and only be down an S unit or so. I hear lots of S9 QRP stations. They would still make fine QSOs at S8. I am not advocating antenna inefficiency, but you can live with it. It is better than no antenna at all.

2. Higher antennas generally out perform lower antennas. A vertical on the roof of a one story house is probably a better choice than one on the ground in the backyard. A dipole whose end is tied to a 5 or 10 ft mast on top of the house will out perform one whose end is merely fastened to the eaves.

3. Most people will be happier with a low dipole than with a vertical. Verticals require a bit more attention to work effectively and beginners can become frustrated in dealing with ground issues.

4. It pretty much doesn't matter what kind of copper wire you use in an antenna. Thick or thin, insulated or bare, stranded or solid, they will all perform fairly well. Any effects due to these characteristics will be "second order". The old formula for cutting a half wave dipole, 468 / frequency (in Mhz), may be a bit different for various combinations, but this formula is only an approximation anyway.

5. Whatever antenna you chose, if it is fed with coaxial cable you should use a choke balun. This will prevent the feed line from becoming part of the antenna which can cause all sorts of problems. There are many designs to chose from. My favourite is an air core balun wound from coax. These are described in the ARRL Handbook and in the ARRL Antenna Book. You don't have either?

Then:

6. Purchase a "Handbook" or "ARRL Antenna Book" and study it. Antennas don't change much, so even an old copy of the Antenna Book will be very useful. These show up at Ham Fests occasionally. You can also special order ARRL publications from good bookstores.

7. Outdoor antennas perform better than indoor ones. If all you can erect is an indoor antenna, fine, but try to see if there is a way to get up an antenna outside. A thin wire supported an inch or more away from the building will be much better than one inside. If you can dangle a wire out a second story window, feed against a counterpoise, that will be a pretty good antenna.

8. Don't scrimp on feed line. Good, low-loss feed line does not cost much more than the antenna it is feeding.

9. Most single band antennas can be made into multiband antennas by feeding them with a balanced feeder like window line and using a tuner. This applies to loops as well as dipoles. For an inexpensive low loss tuner see Cecil's method of changing the feed line length to achieve a match:

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/8476/

10. If you have antenna restrictions consider a temporary antenna. The SD-20 Blackwidow Crappie Pole can be erected with a wire of choice to make a vertical in a matter of seconds. With a few radials or a chain link fence as a ground, this can give a good account of itself. If somebody complains about it take it down and next time erect it where they can't see it.

11. Consider your operating practices in choosing an antenna. If you can only operate in the evening, then even a high 10 M antenna will not provide you with much operating time. The band will usually be dead after sunset. On the other hand, a 40 M dipole will provide you with a number of contacts late into most evenings. It can also be used on 15 M for those occasions when you can operate during the day.

12. Avoid the temptation to "have it all". Multiband antennas are often attractive to new comers. So are electrically "small" antennas. They are by necessity compromises, and usually don't work as well as single band antennas. I suggest erecting a single band dipole and using it for a while. As you get used to operating or have desires to try out other bands you can erect another antenna, or feed the one you have (if it is a dipole) with ladder line for multiband use. You can build and feed a lot of single band dipoles for the price of an R-7000!!

13. Home-made antennas are better than commercial ones. Ask anyone on the list who has built one!!

I hope that someone finds this useful. See you on the air.

---From Ian Purdie's Amateur Radio Tutorial Pages:

http:/www.integritynet.com.au/~purdic/

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PSYCOLOGY OF JAMMING

A different approach to the problem of deliberate interference was taken by the Fullerton (CA) Radio Club when "The Psychology of Jamming" was presented at a recent meeting. Dr. Roberta Trieschmann, a clinical psychologist, told the group about the motives of those who maliciously cause QRM and the best ways to get them to stop.

Dr. Trieschmann started out by commenting that interference problems in Amateur Radio seem to parallel our entire society's "me first" attitudes where etiquette and consideration for others is on the wane. Also the anonymity of being a jammer provides a convenient way for frustrated hams to react to the sense of powerlessness they may feel about other areas of their lives.

She had the following suggestions for counteracting jamming.

1) DON'T RESPOND! Even if only one person responds in some way, reinforcement and encouragement are provided to the jammer. Remember, what he/she wants is attention. You won't hear jamming on unbusy repeaters [or bands]. No audience, no jamming.

2) REDUCE ANONYMITY. Unless he/she has a specific vendetta, jammers usually don't jam people they know. Your repeater club or other local ham group should reach out to encompass all users and active hams. Who knows, you may turn a jammer into a productive ARES member!

3) SUPPORT THE FCC. Letter writing at the national level may help the FCC to get the funding they need to combat interference successfully.

4) SET AN EXAMPLE. Put articles in your club newsletter on proper procedure and common courtesy. Make sure your own operating procedure is beyond reproach.

Although not an amateur herself, Dr. Trieschmann received a thorough introduction to our hobby before her presentation, including hearing many examples of jamming on both HF and VHF. Many persons in the twice-normal- crowd attending the meeting commented the fresh views of a non-ham were quite useful.

--From "Ham Hum," Heart of America Club via "Kansas Amateur Radio," Jul-Sep '83, Ken Blair, KC0GL, Editor

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QRP OPERATION

Pete Campbell, WB5RQR

How many of you are amateurs who think you must have 1,000 watts and a multi-thousand dollar station in order to enjoy your hobby?

How many of you are tired of not having a challenge in working anyone you can hear?

I did not fall into any of these categories, but I had the mistaken idea that one must have the best equipment to enjoy my hobby.

One day while frantically trying to answer a CQ from a Russian station, I forgot to advance the carrier control on my FT-101E. After what I considered to be a wasted call, I was just moving the control up to give me 100 watts when I was totally amazed to hear the Russian answer with my call! I received a 579 report, to my utter amazement.

I later checked my power output and discovered that I was delivering a whopping two watts to the antenna! What followed was a revelation that every QRPer goes through. If I could work that station with two watts, how many more could be worked?

In a mere three months I have worked 49 states (Alaska being the last one needed), 27 countries, and only lack Australia for Worked all Continents. I have discovered the thrill of working a rare DX station amongst immense pileups.

I have found that most serious QRP operators are among the best operators in the world. I would rather try to work WWV with a police whistle than to compete against most of them.

Don't be discouraged by the last few statements though. QRP operators are not born; they learn because sometimes it's the only way you may be heard! It's much easier than you think to be a really good operator. Let's look at rigs and see what's really needed.

If you like to build, QRP is just the thing for you. There are lots of good rigs that can be built for very little money.

If at all possible, build your rig with a VFO instead of a crystal-controlled rig. As an alternative, use a variable crystal oscillator to give you a few kHz in which to move around.

If you go CW only, your choice of circuits is almost unlimited. A class C amplifier will work just fine, but it's a good idea to keep the signal as clean as possible, i.e., no chirps, clicks, etc. There have been several good ideas in magazines over the last few years.

If building is not your bag, there are several very good rigs on the market. The best known of these is the Ten-Tec Argonaut Model 509. This excellent little transceiver offers features found in much more expensive equipment. It also has SSB, which is something that is difficult to build for a reasonable amount of money.

--73 and good QRP DXing.

--In The DARC - Dallas ARC via worldradio

--From DCARC, July 1978, Kathy Vaughn, WD0AQH Editor

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OHM IN THE RIG

Edward Andrews, WB0AKV

(with apologies to "Home on the Range")

Oh give me an ohm
Where the 'lectron does roam
Where the volts and the amperes do play,
Where seldom is code
A discouraging mode
And the hams are transmitting all day.

Refrain: Ohm, ohm in the rig
Where the volts and the amperes do play,
Where seldom is code
A discouraging mode
And the hams are transmitting all day. .

Oh give me a rig
For it need not be big
As I yak at the hams on the net.
To hear a strong voice
Then will be my first choice
While I log all the calls that I get.
How often at night
When the band is just right
And the rig will glow like a big crown,
I sat at the mike
For the DX that I like
But I QSOed the ham across town.

Oh tune with good care
For a time on the air
While you're carefully turning the beam.
The calls will come in
And you'll have a broad grin
Like a ham in a heavenly dream.

--ARMS via WORLDRADIO

--From DCARC Newsletter, July 1978, Kathy Vaughn, WD0AQH, Editor

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THE FORMER MARCONI AND RCA MORSE CODE RADIO STATION TO MAKE

A COMMEMORATIVE BROADCAST ON WEDNESDAY, 12 JULY 2000

I received the following interesting "News Release" and thought it might be of interest to others.

- cul Bob Rainbolt, WB0AUQ

Subject: KPH Lives! Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2000 13:40:28 -0700 From: "Dick Dillman" (ddillman@igc.org) Organization: Radio Central To: Old Tube Radios boatanchors@theporch.com

* * * * *

22 JUNE 2000 (MRHS)--The former Marconi and RCA Morse code radio station KPH will make a commemorative broadcast on Wednesday, 12 July, the first anniversary of the last commercial Morse code transmission in North America.

KPH began life at the dawn of radio. Its first home was the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, from which it derived its first call letters, PH. When the Palace Hotel was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire the station moved to several different locations, eventually finding a permanent home on the mesa west of the small California town of Bolinas. Along the way federal regulators added the K prefix to the original PH, creating KPH, one of the most famous radio call signs in the world.

Radio operators ashore and afloat came to regard KPH as "the wireless giant of the Pacific". Only the best operators worked at KPH. They were there 24 hours a day, ready to help with everything from the mundane messages of maritime commerce to urgent requests for assistance from ships in distress. The KPH signal literally spanned the globe. Radio operators on ships in the far corners of the world were comforted by the steady signal of KPH in their earphones.

As technology progressed the end of Morse code was predicted many times. But KPH soldiered on providing good, reliable service to the maritime community. The end came at Bolinas in 1997 when Globe Wireless purchased the license and the big transmitters were finally shut down. On July 12, 1999 Globe Wireless sent the last commercial messages in Morse code from KFS, their master station near Half Moon Bay. It was the last time the famous call KPH would be heard on the air - or so it was thought.

Today the former KPH facilities are part of the Point Reyes National Seashore which has a strong interest in the important role the station played in the history of radio communications. The Maritime Radio Historical Society has been working with the Point Reyes National Seashore to preserve and restore KPH with the goal of eventually creating a museum dedicated to this great station that was once heard throughout the world.

On 12 July KPH will return to the air from its original location, using its original equipment and its original frequencies - generously made available by Globe Wireless, the current owner of the KPH license and operator of the equally famous KFS from which the last commercial Morse message was sent.

Veteran operators, radio engineers and those with an interest in radio history will gather at the Bolinas transmitter building to watch the station come on the air one year and one minute after the last Morse transmission from Half Moon Bay. Commemorative messages will be sent by hand by the operators who once stood watch at the station. And then they will listen for any calls from the few remaining ships at sea with Morse capability.

While this event does not signal the return of KPH to commercial Morse service we intend it to acknowledge and honor all the radio operators who have "worn the earphones" and played a role in the history of maritime radio.

The station will operate on 4247.0, 6477.5 and 13002.0Kc on shortwave and 500/426Kc. on medium wave. If additional frequencies become available by 12 July these will be announced in the commemorative broadcast.

Contact:

Dick Dillman Maritime Radio Historical Society Phone: 415-512-7137 Email: ddillman@igc.org

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WB0AUQ's WEB PICKS OF THE MONTH

Here are a few interesting and/or oddball sites for this month.

http://www.b17.org/ Interesting site of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

http://slashdot.org/ "News For Nerds, Stuff That Matters". Breaking news stories of computers. You don't have to be a Unix/Linux user to be of interest.

http://www.Copernic.com/ A nifty search engine, Ken/KC0GL found this one.

http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/statutes/statutes.cgi Search Kansas Statutes (found this one when looking up a question on Kansas driving test).

http://www.levylatham.com/ Search for gov'mint surplus stuff for sale.

http://home.sol.no/~sindret/ Home page of Sindre Torp/LA6OP, world's largest collection of R.L. Drake radio equipment.

http://hazard.com/msds/ Great place to start in your search for an MSDS sheet.

http://www.usadr.com/ Read about the upcoming Digital Radio craze. Download a sampling.

http://www.eht.com/oldradio/arrl/index.html Interested in a recent QST "Old Radio Article"? Go here for more information.

http://dll.freeservers.com/various.html Need a Windows .DLL? Lots of downloads and/or links here.

http://www.computingcentral.com/topics/bandwidth/speedtest500.asp Run a Bandwidth Speed Test and see how fast your computer and internet connection actually is.

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MINUTES OF THE JUNE 14, 2000 MEETING

Troy Lowrance, KC0DWS, Secretary

The business portion of the meeting began with the approval of the meeting notes from last months meeting.

Our president, Dan, N2PRC, inquired on the status of the mass mailing to all hams in the area not involved with the club. The report back was that there were about 165-170 names in total. $200.00 was allocated for the club to do this mailing.

The Vice President had nothing to report.

Secretary had nothing to report.

The Treasurer reported $415.90 in the repeater fund, and $871.76 in the general fund, for a total of $1287.66. There where also two bills, one for the repeater space in the amount of $180.00, and one for the newsletter at a total of $126.24. Both where moved and passed to be paid.

Emergency Coordinator had no report.

Activities manager reported that the next activity was yet to be planned, but was open for suggestions. Foxhunts, QSO parties and tailgates where all mentioned.

Program manager reported that no programs have been planned for the rest of the year. In July, the suggestion was for the club to leave early to see the city band concert on an informal basis. Programs where suggested for antenna videos, preventing RFI and TVI, and demonstrations.

Information manager reported that he was sending information to the media about the club, and also postings on the Internet.

Our newsletter editor is asking for articles for the upcoming newsletters.

Training manager had no report. There was no old business. Under new business there are going to be calls placed to several manufactures for donations of weather radios. These radios will be given away as door prizes at meeting, special events, or distributed to people who need them. After that, the meeting ended.

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THE END