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
The Douglas County Amateur Radio Club (DCARC) publishes this Newsletter monthly. 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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NOVEMBER PROGRAM
Show and Tell Construction Projects
Let's each bring in some piece of equipment built from kit or from scratch, for a program on construction.
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OFICERS ELECTED FOR 2000 AT THE OCTOBER MEETING
President: Dan Gravatt, N2PRC
Vice-President" Gordon Fitch, N0AB
Secretary: Troy Flower, KC0DWS
Treasurer: Bill Pendleton, N0KRI
Activity Manager: Vince Francisco, KC0DPL
Repeater Managers: Will Shockley, KB0WDW and Bud Waugh, N0APJ
Emergency Management Coordinator: Will Shockley, KB0WDW
Training Manager: Bob Drake, N0TFU
Program Manager: Jim Canaday, N6YR
Information Manager: Andy Stahmer, KC0FSM
Newsletter Editor: Ken Blair, KC0GL
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NOWHERE 1999 REPORT
By Bob Rainbolt, WB0AUQ
The morning of 16 October was rather bleak, with forecast of morning wind and rain, then deteriorating throughout the remainder of the day. But the mighty DCARC has never let a bit of unpleasant weather interfere with our Nowhere event and converged on the site at the appointed time of 0759. Nowhere weather actually improved during the day rather than deteoriating; actually was rather pleasant and allowed for much visitation among crew and visitors. The site was the same as last year, the just-south-of-nowhere picnic area. We used the Club call sign of W0UK and Ken/KC0GL is handling the certificates.
The first order of business was to position our "shack," the DG EOC emergency communications bus, ably driven to the site by Prez Vince/KC0DLP, with Will/KB0WDW escorting, about 30 feet west of the track. Then on to erecting the tri-band beam on north side of the bus for the primary SSB station on 20 meters. Next came an all-band vertical, a Cushcraft R7000, installed just to the south of our bus-shack, for the secondary SSB station.
There was some apprehension that the bus-shack would not be optimum for operating the multiple stations we hand in mind for this year, and we borrowed Pat Blair's shelter just-in-case.
Mike/WB0LKA was back with us this year after a much-too-long absence. Mike fired up the ICOM 735 20-meter SSB station while Bob/N0TFU checked out 40- and 15-meter SSB on the ICOM 737. We tracked down the W0FUN station on 40m and talked with John/K0RW at Nowhere, IL for a few minutes. After getting assurance that they would take a photograph of their participants for the Big Challenge, the ICOM 737 went QSY to 15m for the remainder of the day.
For those not attending our last Club meeting or who have not seen our Big Challenge to W0FUN on the DCARC website, it reads briefly: "It is our intention to engage a larger mass of participants at the Nowhere, KS site than can be done at Nowhere, IL." Each group is to submit proof of their claim with a photograph of participants. Our esteemed Nowhere Arbitrator, Wes/N0WU, will examine the photographs and determine a winner.
Dan/N2PRC came prepared with rig and antenna for 10 meters, and with assistance from Parker/K0VL, Gordon/N0AB, and Ken/K0TLQ, he was soon active on an open band from his truck-shack.
Troy/KC0DWS and Will/KB0WDW rigged up a make-shift 6m antenna and installed rig #3 in the bus-shack. Troy made at least one contact to justify the effort.
Whether from boredom, or most likely just to hone their skills and practice for response to an emergency, a small crew erected a dipole and set up in the bus-shack station #4, a Ten-Tec Century 22, for CW operation on 30m and 40m. Several contacts were made on each band which gave several of us an opportunity for checking out our copying proficiency.
Although it was a bit noisy inside the bus-shack with all the stations from across the country clamoring to contact Nowhere, KS, some order was maintained. Pat's shelter was never utilized but it was nice to have a backup.
The event ended at the appointed hour and teardown completed in short order. Total QSOs surpassed 300. Seven antennas were erected during the day and at one time five stations were on-air simultaneously. At least 14 participants were noted at one time, however that number is subject to an official count.
Seen with mic in hand: Otto/OE2OKG, Gordon/N0AB, Bob/WB0AUQ, Vince/KC0DLP, Troy/KC0DWS, Mike/WB0LKA, Dan/N2PRC, Bob/N0TFU, Ken/K0TLQ, Parker/K0VL. My apologies to anyone missed. Seen sans mic: Bud/N0APJ, JD/KC0BD, Earl/N0KYS, Mary/N0KYU, Larry/WB0UYI, Will/KB0WDW. I know there were a couple of others whom I did not record.
Thanks to all for making Nowhere '99 a success.
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THE NOWHERE CHALLENGE
By Bob Rainbolt, WB0AUQ
In the spirit of friendly(?) competition, the Nowhere, Kansas Special Events Station sent the following challenge to the Nowhere, Illinois Special Events Station:
Subject: Challenge to Nowhere, IL group
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1999 20:39:37 -0500
From: BobR brainbol@sunflower.com
Reply-To: W0UK-L@raven.cc.ukans.edu
To: W0UK-L@UKANS.EDU
W0UK List Members: I transmitted the following challenge to the Nowhere, IL group, addressed to John Lenahan, K0RW, who is widely rumored to be grand mystic of the callsign W0FUN, under which they will operate.
Hi RW, Well, the Club thoroughly dis-cussed the upcoming event at our last meeting. Amid shouts of "hang 'em high!" a challenge emerged, wherein the W0UK group hereby challenges the W0FUN crowd to a duel of sorts. It is our intention to engage a larger mass of participants at the Nowhere, KS site than can be done at Nowhere, IL. A participant would be loosely defined as: 1) A warm human body who visits the special event site, of their own volition, sans threats of bodily harm. 2) Participant does not have to actually assist in erecting an aerial nor operate a radio. 3) Participant need not possess a valid FCC (or DX) amateur license (but will be immediately disqualified if they knowlingly display a Class D license). 4) A participant with a DX callsign may be counted twice. 5) Participant is required to extend some form of support for the event, which may include, but not be limited to: offerings of food and/or drink; loan of equipment; expending manual labor in erecting the station; shouts of praise to the operator when a QSO is deemed acceptable to log; refraining from, or at least squelching, loud laughter when operator screws up a callsign; refueling
the generator, particularly if siphoned from their own gas tank; sign a binding agreement not to sue.
Each group should nominate a participant to photograph the remainder of their group when it is felt the maximum number of participants are present. Said photograph must be taken between hours of 0759 and 1559 local, 16 October 1999. Assuming a dastardly deed of using a timed-release shutter on the camera was not involved, the number of participants actually displayed in the photograph may be increased by one (1).
Said photograph is to be submitted to our esteemed judge, one W. Unruh, upon his return from far, far away. WU is widely acclaimed from at least three Kansas counties for his dexterity of the digits, and will be sole judge in determining which group had the greatest participation.
Best Regards, AUQ
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FROM THE EDITOR
It would appear that this issue has evolved into the "Nowhere" issue, and rightly so. The Special Events station certainly generated a lot of interest. Bob Rainbolt WB0AUQ, suggested this event in 1993 and it has been held every year since. Bob deserves a big "THANKS" for heading up this yearly event. It was great to see a large number active at Nowhere as well as increased participation in providing communications for bikeathons and walkathons in 1999.
But let's go back a few years. Our club had become a little "sleepy" and just about everyone had been an officer once or twice. In fact it was becomming difficult to find anyone who would be our club leaders.
In 1995 N6YR saw a real need and proposed that that our club begin offering Amateur Radio classes in 1996. Kudos go to Earl Schweppe N0KYS, Bob Drake N0TFU, and Jim Canaday N6YR who have consistently been the class leaders since beginning in 1996. There are other members who have helped out quite a bit and they will be mentioned in an upcoming article about the classes.
Since that time our club has been blessed with many new members and their enthusiasm is contagious. New life has emerged. New members are accepting leadership positions and the effects can be seen in the large number of participants at our Special Events Station. Nearly fifteen members and friends participated. Over 300 contacts were made on several bands. As of this writing more than 100 certificates have been mailed to stations sending in QSL requests. All in all, this was indeed the best "Nowhere" event ever held. Thanks to all involved.
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THE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS BANQUET
You and your spouse or friend are cordially invited to attend our Annual Christmas Dinner Wednesday, December 8. To be held at:
Fifi's Banquet Connection
1350 North Third in North Lawrence
Buffet Style Dinner. Besides two main dishes, vegetarian is available by advance request $18.75 per person. Includes tip and tax People who plan to attend must prepay by December 5. Make check payable to DCARC and pass on to:
Bill Pendleton N0KRI, Treasurer
1153 East 1600 Road
Lawrence, KS 66046
Again this year we will enjoy having our own space for these festivities!
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MINUTES OF 13 OCTOBER 1999 DCARC MEETING
By Earl Schweppe, N0KYS, Secretary
After members introduced themselves, the Club heard a presentation by Otto Koudelka OE6OKG on ham radio in Austria including satellite projects. The business meeting was convened at 8:45 and the minutes of the September 8 meeting were accepted. The President and Secretary had no reports to give.
The Treasurer's report given by the President showed $231.24 in the General Fund and $317.90 in the Repeater Fund for a Total of $549.14. There were also bills in hand of $111.00 for liability insurance and $48.48 for the October Newsletter. A motion to pay these bills was approved unanimously.
It was observed that the November and December newsletters will cost about $100.00©©more than depleting the General Fund. A discussion of this problem produced $140.00 to tide the club over to the new year. Perhaps the dues need to be increased to avoid this annual shortfall and a study of the problem will be made for the next meeting.
The Program Manager, Jim Canaday N6YR, reported that we would have reports on home brew construction projects in November. The Training Manager, Bob Drake N0TFU, reported that the Code Only Class is going well with examinations to be held on November 1st. The Activities Manager, Dan Gravatt N2PRC, reported that we would talk more about Nowhere later. The 146.76 and the 147.03 repeaters were reported to be working well. All the managers' reports and the TreasurerÀ$Às Report were accepted.
Under old business, the President reported that the fast and hard work of the nominating committee had resulted in a complete slate of officers for next year. In addition to those nominees listed in the October Newsletter, Andy Stahmer KC0FSM had agreed to be the Information Manager. The slate was elected by acclimation with thanks to all for serving.
Plans for the Nowhere Station were discussed. We are to meet at Norwood at 7:59 a.m. and the Douglas County Emergency Bus will be on hand driven by Will Shockley or Vince Francisco. Bob Rainboldt reported that all necessary equipment should be available, but that someone needed to prepare log sheets.
The only new business was a brief mention of our Thirtieth Anniversary next year.
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THE WANDERING SUN
By Paul Wilkins, AB4CY
The sun strongly affects earthly radio propagation. High in the summer sky, its strong radiation ionizes a dense layer low in the ionosphere which absorbs low-HF signals. In winter, when the sun is lower in the sky, weaker solar radiation produces lower ionization density in the ionosphere. But higher-altitude "F-layer" ionization fades to low levels during long winter nights, eliminating long-distance propagation on the high-HF bands. These patches typically reappear at sunrise.
The degree of ionization also depends on the sun's surface. Sunspots, which are giant magnetic storms in the sun's atmosphere, emit great outbursts of ultraviolet, X-ray, and particle radiation that strike the earth's ionosphere.
The ancients watched the daily movement of the sun closely. They invented calendars to time planting of crops, spring floods, etc. During the spring the sun climbs higher in the sky each day until the summer solstice, the longest day of the year--June 21 in the northern hemisphere. Then it begins to sink again toward its lowest point at winter solstice--December 21.
Ancient festivals celebrated the return of the sun after winter solstice. But it took them a few days to be sure the Sun was "returning," so these winter festivals were typically between Christmas and New Years on our calendar.
Since sunrise and sunset vary with the seasons, so does the timing of band openings. Solar flares, jets of superhot gas that can shoot half a million miles above the sunÀ$Às surface, sometimes wipe out HF-radio propagation. (Particles from flares, being charged, can "pull the earth's magnetic tail." The resulting magnetic disturbances occasionally render long-line telegraphy and telephony impossible. Solar flares have even been known to disrupt power grids. --AF6S)
Light takes eight minutes to make the sun-earth journey, but heavier particles the sun emits during flares, the ones that do the tail pulling, can take as long as 36 hours. Active regions on the sun tend to persist, often for several months. Since the sun rotates in about 28 days (relative to the earth's position in its solar orbit), ionospheric disturbances tend to reappear at four-week intervals.
Radar developers during WW-II discovered that the sun also radiates radio energy. And tests showed that solar noise at 2800 MHz correlates with F-layer ionization. So, as an aid to shortwave radio users, governments have been measuring "2800 MHz solar flux," and publishing the data, for over 50 years. National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) stations WWVI WWVB and WWVH broadcast solar flux data at 18 minutes past every hour. The ARRL bases its propagation charts in QST and in bulletins on predicted solar activity.
In the early days of radio you could "hear" the morning activation of the ionosphere on 80 meters. It sounds like a flock of birds chirping, so early hams christened it "the dawn chorus." Today man-made noise masks the dawn chorus, except in remote places.
DXers call the dawn or dusk day-night boundary "the grayline." At the grayline, the low D layer forms instantly at sunrise; it disappears just as quickly at sunset. Radio waves that follow the gray line can travel long distances with little loss over a wide range of HF frequencies because a fairly high level of ionization can exist at high altitudes (F layer), without much low-altitude D-layer ionization to absorb signals passing through.
The best chance to work far parts of the world is often when the grayline "connects" the ends of the path. But that may happen only twice a year, within a few days and of course, only at sunrise or sunset. (It's one or the other on both ends of the path.) Today's DXers use computer programs to find grayline paths.
--From the January '96 Foundation for Amateur Radio "Auto-Cafl" John
Queen, KAOSEY, Editor (with some editing and technical and DXing additions by AF6S) via ARNS Bulletin, 4/96
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RUNNING THE LEGAL LIMIT
By "Huck" Huckabee, AA5BU
Most of us Amateur Radio operators have at some time wished for a "full-powered rig"--especially when we hear stations that don't hear us. I recently worked a station on the West Coast who had a four element beam on an eighty-foot tower, running legal-limit power. I was running 50 watts to a whip antenna on the roof of my RV. Afterward I thought, "We each received good signal reports, yet he ran thirty times more power." I wondered if his investment was in the same proportion. And I wondered, "Is he having proportionally more fun?" Still, most of us would like to "fire a big gun."
Not long after WW-II, when military surplus radio parts were cheap, I built a kilowatt CW transmitter for 40 and 20 meters. It was great! It blanked out all the radios and TV's for blocks, and neighbor's fluorescent lights blinked my Morse--with their switches off!
My home required a new circuit to supply the rig. The input stage of my receiver burned up, and the odor of hot transformer varnish permeated the house. I even had to warn my small children, "Don't touch the window screens when dad is on the radio." What fun!
But that old equipment wasn't efficient; it drew 700 watts on standby, and nearly 3,000 watts key-down! That wasn't bad in the winter, but in the summer's sweltering heat, my attitude quickly shifted to, "Who wants to nursemaid 3000 watts of heat through a hot Texas night?"
So I gave that rig to a young ham, and built a new one that ran 200 watts. Unfortunately, it and the receiver together consumed--and dumped into my shack--200 watts key-up and 550 key-down. That's still far too much for a Texas summer.
Today I'm down to 50 watts. And seriously considering going QRP.
--From the February '96 Austin (Texas) ARC `AARC-Over'-Mickey McInnis, KB5YAC, Editor, April 1996, via ARNS Bulletin 4/96.
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TOP SIGNS THAT YOU NEED AN ELMER
By Jeffrey S. King, N1DJS
An Elmer is the guy you go to, to ask questions about topics in Ham Radio that you don't understand. In that vein, you know it's time for you to find an Elmer if . . .
* Your friend tells you he has a new two meter radio and you figure one of the meters must be for swr and the other for power out.
* You hear a conversation on the low bands about CW and you think they're refering to the cold war.
* You hear someone sign this is N8XXX mobile 4 and you think it's because he has three other radios
* You hear that someone won a 40 meter radio at a hamfest and you wonder how they're going to get something that large in their house.
* You build a morse code key out of plexiglass and can't figure out why it won't key your radio.
* You think the difference between short wave and long wave is the speed at which you move you move your wrist back and forth.
* You're thinking about joining your other ham frineds in the local ATV group because you own a four wheel drive vehicle that will go just about anywhere.
* You won't use a repeater because you've heard that using a repeater could be dangerous. You've heard an alligator could get you.
* You think a colinear antenna can only be used with two amplifiers.
* You think fm is the modulation type that came after em, dm, cm, bin and am.
* You wouldn't mind getting into packet radio but no matter how much you practice you can't get the hang of sending those beeps and braps with your keyer.
* You wonder what sound a short wave makes and why anyone would want to listen to one.
* You think the repeater owner would be a lot happier if instead of talking about his cavities he just went to the dentist and got them filled.
--From The W3OK Corral, Clarence Snyder, N3LLL, Editor.
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