A Key for CW Lovers

Found at Southern California DX Club web site http://wa6bob.com/default.aspx

QRPp Low Power Award

Rules and Application Process:
(I'm still offering the QRPp award, on a very nice looking certificate,
and hope that you'll not only apply for the award but that you'll make
QRPp operating a regular part of your amateur radio activities!!)

1. The applicant's transmitter output power, during the period of qualifying communications, was accurately measured to be less than one watt (QRPp).

2. The distance between the applicant's transmitting antenna and the reciving station was over 63.3 miles (100 kilometers).

3. No artificial means of active relay was used to complete the communications (i.e., repeaters, satellite transponders, digi-peaters, land-lines, etc.).

4. Send a signed statement to the certificate manager (me!) affirming that the transmitter power was less than one watt, the distance was greater than 100 kilometers, and no artificial means of active relay was utilized. Provide the certificate manager with a photocopy of the station log, or photocopy of the confirmation QSL card (Electronic QSL cards are not acceptable), clearly showing the date, time, mode, and frequency on which the qualifying communication took place. If desired, provide the certificate manager with information concerning any endosements (such as longer distances, even lower power levels, WAC, WAS, WAZ, solar power, etc.) that you may want listed on your certificate.

5. Mail $4.00 USD ($5.00 USD for foreign), to cover the three P's (postage, paper, and printing) along with the aforementioned application materials to Roger Wendell at this address:

Roger J. Wendell - WBØJNR
QRPp Certificate Manager
P.O. Box 17174
Golden, CO 80402-6019 USA

More at http://www.rogerwendell.com/qrpaward.html

Fireworks During CQWW 160CW @ PC5M

Exploding poweramplifier/supply during CQWW 160 meter contest at contest station PC5M.

Ten-Tec Factory Tour

The Basic Electronics Soldering & Desoldering Guide

Here is a soldering guide by by Alan Winstanley, EPE Magazine Online Editor.

This written guide will help beginners and novices to obtain effective results when soldering electronic components. If you have little or no experience of using a soldering iron, then EPE (Everyday Practical Electronics magazine) recommends that you practice your soldering technique on some fresh surplus components and clean stripboard (protoboard), before experimenting with a proper constructional project. This will help you to avoid the risk of disappointment when you start to assemble your first prototypes. If you've never soldered before, then read on!

More at http://www.epemag.wimborne.co.uk/solderfaq.htm

A better way to install PL-259 connectors on RG-8X type coax

Here is an alternative way of installing a PL-259 connector by Dan Richardson, K6MHE.

When installing small coax such as RG-8X in a PL-259 using an reducer have you ever wondered if you were really going to get a good solid connection to the outer braid when you looked the holes in the PL-259 and saw only one or two flimsy little strands of the shield? Well, here is an unauthorized solution to that problem.

More at http://www.dxzone.com/cgi-bin/dir/jump2.cgi?ID=12138

Ham Radio Foxhunt Bullitt ARS Shepherdsville KY

Kite antenna test cody box kite

Ham Academy

Ham Academy is a Computer Aided Instruction (CAI) based Javascript program that assists teaching the Amateur Radio theory using the VEC questions pools. Ham Academy uses on-line interactive sessions for reviewing the questions pools.

Students first register their name (which is used as a file name for storing session statistics). A session is begun by selecting the question pool and then the subset of pool questions to be used in the interactive session. The questions pools have been updated to the latest set from the ARRL web site.

During a session the selected questions are displayed and the student chooses from the four possible answers - A thru D. HA keeps statistics on the correct and missed questions. At the end of the session the student can repeat the session using only the missed questions. This selective repetition helps the student with weak areas in learning the material.

At any time during a session, the student can suspend it and exit from the program. Later, the session can be resumed and testing continued. The session statistics are stored in the browser "cookie" file for up to one year.

I'd like to make a special plea for feedback from anyone using the program. Your help is needed to find problems. And your ideas on how to improve HA would be appreciated. Please help out if you can.

Ham Academy can be run on line or it can be downloaded and run on your PC. Both can be found at http://www.ah0a.org/AH0A.html

Propfire - Ham Radio Propagation in Firefox

Propfire is a web browser extension that allows users to view HF propagation conditions on their web browser status bar. Ham Radio operators and other shortwave radio enthusiasts will be able to monitor propagation conditions using this Firefox extension. This data is retrieved from the NOAA website and is periodically updated in your browser as you surf the web. (assuming you are using Firefox).

Additionally, by right-clicking on the Propfire values, a menu will appear. This menu includes a chart of the current k-index:

Paddle Rescue by F8BBL

Jet Propulsion Lab's Amateur Radio Club Marks 50 Years in Space (from ARRL)

Launch of the Explorer 1 satellite on January 31, 1958 marked the dawn of the Space Age for the United States, as well as the beginning of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's exploration of space. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of this historic event, the JPL Amateur Radio Club will be operating W6VIO from 1600 UTC January 28-0400 UTC February 4 using the following frequencies: 3.535, 7.035, 7.185, 14.035, 14.240, 21.035 and 21.285 MHz. An Explorer I commemorative QSL card will be available. QSL to JPL ARC, PO Box 820, La Canada, CA 91012-0820.

The PicoKeyer—An Ultra Low Power CW Memory Keyer

NØXAS redefines “low power” for us with a keyer that draws 4 nA (that’s 0.004 microamperes!) at idle.

I recently purchased this little thing for $18.00. It has just about anything you would want in a memory keyer. It took a half hour to build the kit. The last step is to install the battery in its holder. When you do, it sends "73", telling you that you've done everthing right. See the QST article at https://www.arrl.org/qst/2003/12/0312038.pdf

The kit can be purchased at Hamgadgets.com

Gene Mayler - K8EE

Operating Practice

Who among us has obtained his driving license by merely taking a theoretical exam ? Nobody has. In Belgium, until the basic ham license came along, there has never been any form of education on how to make a QSO. After the theoretical exam the newborn licensees are unleashed on the ham bands. The resulting operating was not always nice to listen to. In the analogy of taking a driver's exam, imagine you only take a theoretical exam, get your driver's license, and then you can hit the roads and drive a vehicle which you have never steered before. Well, this is exactly what is happening with hams. More

Watch a Vacuum Tube Being Made by Hand

Breathtaking and amazing! That's what is being said about a new video that takes the viewer though the step by step process of creating a triode tube.

It is called "Fabrication d'une lampe triode" but the soundtrack is simply background music by famed composer George Gershwin. This prevents there being any language difficulties.

The video was posted to yje World Wide Web by F2FO.

Fabrication d'une lampe triode
Uploaded by F2FO

From "Amateur Radio Newsline"

The Solar Cycle

This is a good explanation of how the Sun and solar cycle works. It's a bit technical, but if you have looked at our previous articles on the subject you should be able to understand some of it. The podcast can be found at
http://sortingoutscience.net/2007/12/22/episode_15_--_the_solar_cycle/

Solar Cycle 24

Confusing Sun - Will Solar Cycle 24 Be Intense?

First Sunspot of Cycle 24

Scientists Predict Big Solar Cycle

Solar cycle 24, due to peak in 2010 or 2011 "looks like its going to be one of the most intense cycles since record-keeping began almost 400 years ago," says solar physicist David Hathaway of the Marshall Space Flight Center. He and colleague Robert Wilson presented this conclusion last week at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco. Read more at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/21dec_cycle24.htm

Solar Cycle 24 Has Started

Cycle 24 Here, Experts Say (Jan 7, 2008) -- With the appearance of Sunspot 981 -- a high-latitude, reversed polarity sunspot -- on Friday, January 4, experts at NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that Cycle 24 is now here. "This sunspot is like the first robin of spring," said solar physicist Douglas Biesecker of the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), part of NOAA. "In this case, it's an early omen of solar storms that will gradually increase over the next few years." Read the rest of the story here http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/01/07/100/?nc=1

DX Tuners

http://www.dxtuners.com is a free and online website for SWLs, hams and those who just want to listen to get to listen to worldwide and local broadcasts and transmissions from around the world. I recommend you sign up and try it. LW, MW, SW, VHF, UHF and microwave frequencies are all accessible and if you add your receiver to the network you'll become an admin.

I'm not from DXTuners but discovered it recently.

Ham radio operators, SWLs, and the vaguely interested should try it out!

Enjoy!