This past Saturday, August 8 was the 2009 edition of ZO Fest in Bloomington, Illinois. ZO Fest is the annual gathering of the Society of Midwest Contesters, a group of dedicated contesters and DXers in Illinois and neighboring states.
As usual a god time was had by all. Ralph Bellas K9ZO is the chief instigator and every year he and the other line up some of the best contesters, DXers, and DXpeditioners in the Midwest to share stories, experiences, and tips with the group.
I've had a day to rest up now and I'm already looking forward to 2010!
73,
Tim, N9PUZ
Monday, August 10, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
ARS F.O.B.B.
The last Sunday of July is always the Adventure Radio Society's Flight of the Bumble Bees contest. It's a four hour, low key QRP event that encourages people to head to the outdoors for an afternoon of fun operating.
I was only able to operate for a little over an hour and logged just two contacts. The propagation really stunk here today.Still, it's an enjoyable event that I particularly like because most of the ops call CQ at reasonable speeds that mere CW mortals can copy.
Highly recommended for your calendar in 2010!
73,
Tim, N9PUZ
I was only able to operate for a little over an hour and logged just two contacts. The propagation really stunk here today.Still, it's an enjoyable event that I particularly like because most of the ops call CQ at reasonable speeds that mere CW mortals can copy.
Highly recommended for your calendar in 2010!
73,
Tim, N9PUZ
Friday, June 26, 2009
It's Field Day Time!
It's the eve of Field Day. Saturday and Sunday many, many ham radio operators will switch their radios to battery power or haul entire stations into the field. There they will operate for up to 24 hours trying to rack up as many points as possible in the ARRL's annual non-contest.
Do you participate in Field Day? How? Some people operate from home. Others participate with a group. Some are serious about racking up points, others use Field Day as more of a party with friends.
My plans are to participate in two Field Day events. Our local club, Sangamon Valley Radio Club tends towards low key operating and a big Saturday evening cookout with all the families, etc. The local ARES group, Capitol Area Amateur Radio Emergency Response Team has a smaller more serious effort. Both groups seem to have a lot of fun.
It's going to be very hot here in central Illinois. Whatever you do, if it's outside drink lots of water, have fun, and stay safe.
73,
Tim
Do you participate in Field Day? How? Some people operate from home. Others participate with a group. Some are serious about racking up points, others use Field Day as more of a party with friends.
My plans are to participate in two Field Day events. Our local club, Sangamon Valley Radio Club tends towards low key operating and a big Saturday evening cookout with all the families, etc. The local ARES group, Capitol Area Amateur Radio Emergency Response Team has a smaller more serious effort. Both groups seem to have a lot of fun.
It's going to be very hot here in central Illinois. Whatever you do, if it's outside drink lots of water, have fun, and stay safe.
73,
Tim
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Support Your Local Hamfest
We read a lot about the big mega-Hamfests -- Dayton, HamCom, Pacificon, SeaPac, Huntsville, etc. Many of us travel to one or more of them a year in search of bargains, to renew old friendships or perhaps meet an "on air" friend in person for the first time. They are great!
Don't forget to attend and support your local hamfests though. They are treasures in their own right. Today my wife and I went to Egyptian Fest in Granite City, Illinois. 2009 marked their eightieth (that's 80 not 18!) year.
I remember going to the Egyptian Radio Club hamfest back in the 70's when I was first licensed. I'd rummage through old equipment having no idea what a lot of it was. Even though I wasn't buying the old grey beards would explain the equipment to me and perhaps share a story about people I hadn't met and how they had used this or that to first get on the air or make a rare contact. It was an enjoyable day I looked forward to each year.
Egyptian Fest is still a small, friendly hamfest. Today for their 80th birthday they pulled out all the stops with not one but two guest speakers plus a presentation on D-Star that I was unable to attend due to talking with too many friends while I should have been listening!
First up was Bob Heil K9EID of Heil Sound. Bob showed a presentation that described a little background on the company and then did an interesting presentation on microphones, articulation, and what you want to be heard effectively on the air.
Second up was retired FCC Special Counsel Riley Holingsworth K4ZDH. Riley talked about human nature in general and hams in particular. Along the way he shared a few humorous stories and then took questions.
Not every small hamfest will have speakers like Bob and Riley. But an awful lot of them have some pretty sharp people talking about some aspect of the hobby they love. If you don't go take advantage of them you're the one who's missing out.
The local hamfests are a good place for second chances too. Remember that vintage equipment I mentioned earlier? I'm pretty sure I saw a few of those same radios in the outdoor swap area today!
73,
Tim, N9PUZ
Don't forget to attend and support your local hamfests though. They are treasures in their own right. Today my wife and I went to Egyptian Fest in Granite City, Illinois. 2009 marked their eightieth (that's 80 not 18!) year.
I remember going to the Egyptian Radio Club hamfest back in the 70's when I was first licensed. I'd rummage through old equipment having no idea what a lot of it was. Even though I wasn't buying the old grey beards would explain the equipment to me and perhaps share a story about people I hadn't met and how they had used this or that to first get on the air or make a rare contact. It was an enjoyable day I looked forward to each year.
Egyptian Fest is still a small, friendly hamfest. Today for their 80th birthday they pulled out all the stops with not one but two guest speakers plus a presentation on D-Star that I was unable to attend due to talking with too many friends while I should have been listening!
First up was Bob Heil K9EID of Heil Sound. Bob showed a presentation that described a little background on the company and then did an interesting presentation on microphones, articulation, and what you want to be heard effectively on the air.
Second up was retired FCC Special Counsel Riley Holingsworth K4ZDH. Riley talked about human nature in general and hams in particular. Along the way he shared a few humorous stories and then took questions.
Not every small hamfest will have speakers like Bob and Riley. But an awful lot of them have some pretty sharp people talking about some aspect of the hobby they love. If you don't go take advantage of them you're the one who's missing out.
The local hamfests are a good place for second chances too. Remember that vintage equipment I mentioned earlier? I'm pretty sure I saw a few of those same radios in the outdoor swap area today!
73,
Tim, N9PUZ
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
New Rig at ARS N9PUZ
After several years of great service from my Icom IC-718 I've replaced it with a shiny new Icom IC-7200. I really liked the IC-718. I had added the W4RT dual filters to mine and that made for a nice HF rig that had great performance in a compact, easy to use package. I always said the only way Icom could have improved the IC-718 was to replace the audio chain DSP with a nice IF chain DSP like they have in thier higher end rigs like the the "Pro" series. Perhaps they heard me.
The "Big Brown Truck" brought the IC-7200 yesterday. After only one evening I've decided I really like this radio. The variable DSP filtering simply blows away the mechanical filters I had in the IC-718. You can adjust the bandwidth for CW and USB modes in 50 Hz increments. The radio remembers the "wide", "medium", and "narrow" selections you make for each mode. The display is nice and crisp although a little smaller than the old radio. It is very easy to read.
I'll be writing more as I gain experience. I was able to try this radio and a Yaesu FT-450 and this one seems like the clear choice to me. If you are in the market for a $1,000 class HF rig this one bears close consideration.
The old IC-718? Fear not, I didn't put it out to pasture and it's not gathering dust. A Ham down South bought it and I've already had a note from him that it works great and he's enjoying it.
73,
Tim, N9PUZ
Monday, February 16, 2009
The RF Gain Control - Unsung Hero of Your HF Rig
A lot of times when I talk to Hams that are new to HF operation they mention how bad noise (QRN) and interference (QRM) can be. They often wonder whether adding an external DSP or internal crystal filters will eliminate the problem. Well, these accessories can help but new operators, and perhaps you as well, may already have one of the most effective tools in combating interference and noise.
The RF Gain control on your transceiver is the unsung hero of HF operation. It provides a variable means to reduce the strength of all of the signals coming in to your receiver. Used properly it can very useful in picking out just the signal you want. Here are the basics...
First off, if the band is just generally noisy like 40 and 80 meters so often can be, use the RF Gain control to reduce the static and noise levels you hear when you are not tuned to a signal until the noise is just barely audible. Then starting scanning for stations to work. If you're not trying to snag some rare DX station or pass an emergency message then there's no reason to make your rag chew tedious by hearing all that noise. As long as you can hear the other station does it really matter if the meter indicates S9 or S2?
Next, lets say you find a station to work but there is some QRM or QRN making it tough to hear them in spite of the adjustment you made earlier. Try this: Turn the RF gain control to minimum. You may hear nothing at this point. Then, turn the volume control up very high. You still may not hear anything. Now, use the RF Gain control (not the volume control) to control the volume of the station you want to hear. A lot of times this will make the easy to copy while drastically reducing the junk you don't want to hear.
Remember to turn down the volume control before you increase the RF Gain when you move on to the next QSO or things will get VERY loud! Once you practice this a little and get used to it you'll wonder how you ever got along before.
The RF Gain control on your transceiver is the unsung hero of HF operation. It provides a variable means to reduce the strength of all of the signals coming in to your receiver. Used properly it can very useful in picking out just the signal you want. Here are the basics...First off, if the band is just generally noisy like 40 and 80 meters so often can be, use the RF Gain control to reduce the static and noise levels you hear when you are not tuned to a signal until the noise is just barely audible. Then starting scanning for stations to work. If you're not trying to snag some rare DX station or pass an emergency message then there's no reason to make your rag chew tedious by hearing all that noise. As long as you can hear the other station does it really matter if the meter indicates S9 or S2?
Next, lets say you find a station to work but there is some QRM or QRN making it tough to hear them in spite of the adjustment you made earlier. Try this: Turn the RF gain control to minimum. You may hear nothing at this point. Then, turn the volume control up very high. You still may not hear anything. Now, use the RF Gain control (not the volume control) to control the volume of the station you want to hear. A lot of times this will make the easy to copy while drastically reducing the junk you don't want to hear.
Remember to turn down the volume control before you increase the RF Gain when you move on to the next QSO or things will get VERY loud! Once you practice this a little and get used to it you'll wonder how you ever got along before.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
A New Springfield Area Digipeater
Last night my new packet radio digipeater went live at its permanent home. I've wanted to expand the footprint covered by the N9PUZ-10 VHF Winlink 2000 Gateway and Al N9MAF was kind enough to offer rack space and an antenna site at his VHF and UHF repeater location.
N9PUZ-3 has an antenna at about 95 feet AGL. Power is 30 Watts and operation is controlled by a Kantronics KPC-3+ TNC. The system has an alias of SPI and is located about 14 miles south of Springfield.
For those not familiar with conventional packet radio there is a tutorial by WB9LOZ. Packet radio is used as the underlying communication system for the VHF portion of the Winlink 2000 system.
N9PUZ-3 has an antenna at about 95 feet AGL. Power is 30 Watts and operation is controlled by a Kantronics KPC-3+ TNC. The system has an alias of SPI and is located about 14 miles south of Springfield.
For those not familiar with conventional packet radio there is a tutorial by WB9LOZ. Packet radio is used as the underlying communication system for the VHF portion of the Winlink 2000 system.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Go SMC!
This past weekend Ralph K9ZO hosted a little bash for the Society of Midwest Contesters. SMC is a contesting club located in the "Black Hole" of locations--the center of the United States.
"ZOfest", as it was called was probably the best club meeting I've ever attended. There was of course the obligatory business meeting where the club's performance in contests over the past few years was discussed along with super secret, "if I told you, I'd have to kill you" plans for the years ahead. There were also some first rate presentations by various members on topics that included:
Every group should have an event like this periodically. It'll keep your spirits up during the bottom of the solar cycle and you'll just plain have a bunch of fun!
73,
Tim N9PUZ
"ZOfest", as it was called was probably the best club meeting I've ever attended. There was of course the obligatory business meeting where the club's performance in contests over the past few years was discussed along with super secret, "if I told you, I'd have to kill you" plans for the years ahead. There were also some first rate presentations by various members on topics that included:
- What goes on "off air" before, during, and after a DXpedition
- Antenna Modeling
- Old radio collecting and restoration
- "Turn-key" vs. "carry it all yourself" DXpedition contesting
- Test equipment and troubleshooting your station
Every group should have an event like this periodically. It'll keep your spirits up during the bottom of the solar cycle and you'll just plain have a bunch of fun!
73,
Tim N9PUZ
Saturday, May 31, 2008
ARES and Skywarn Participation
Last night a couple of major storm cells moved through Central Illinois and in particular Springfield where we live. Our local ARES group, the Capitol Area Amateur Radio Emergency Response Team (CAARERT), activated a weather net.
I imagine we are like a lot of groups. People show up for training, etc. but frequently the regular monthly nets are poorly attended. People have lots to do and giving up free time for routine stuff is difficult. However, when the real deal happens folks turn out. Last night without any fuss there were nearly 30 people on frequency ready to go out to spotter locations, work with the National Weather Service, etc.
Congrats to all!
Tim N9PUZ
I imagine we are like a lot of groups. People show up for training, etc. but frequently the regular monthly nets are poorly attended. People have lots to do and giving up free time for routine stuff is difficult. However, when the real deal happens folks turn out. Last night without any fuss there were nearly 30 people on frequency ready to go out to spotter locations, work with the National Weather Service, etc.
Congrats to all!
Tim N9PUZ
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Gasoline and Ham Radio
In a May 23, 2008 poll the ARRL asked " Have rising fuel prices reduced your willingness to travel to hamfests?". These polls are not supposed to be scientific, they are just for fun but when I looked at the poll on May 27th a surprising number of people, over 57%, said yes, gas prices had effected their willingness to travel to hamfests.
Since I just returned from the Dayton Hamvention and FDIM I thought about that a little. Here's my thinking...
From my house to Dayton is about 640 miles. If I drove a vehicle that got only 15mpg on the highway then at $3.50 per gallon my fuel would have cost about $150. The same trip at $4.50 per gallon would have used $192 in fuel, an increase of $42.
Our vehicle gets considerably better mileage than 15mpg and I'm not saying the extra $42 above is a non-trivial amount. However, I have to believe that if the $42 were a deal breaker you maybe shouldn't have been going on a big trip anyway. Also consider that that is for one person. If two, three, or four people are traveling together then the cost per person could drop to a difference of only about $10.
73,
Tim N9PUZ
Since I just returned from the Dayton Hamvention and FDIM I thought about that a little. Here's my thinking...
From my house to Dayton is about 640 miles. If I drove a vehicle that got only 15mpg on the highway then at $3.50 per gallon my fuel would have cost about $150. The same trip at $4.50 per gallon would have used $192 in fuel, an increase of $42.
Our vehicle gets considerably better mileage than 15mpg and I'm not saying the extra $42 above is a non-trivial amount. However, I have to believe that if the $42 were a deal breaker you maybe shouldn't have been going on a big trip anyway. Also consider that that is for one person. If two, three, or four people are traveling together then the cost per person could drop to a difference of only about $10.
73,
Tim N9PUZ
Hope Springs...
I wouldn't exactly say the bottom of the present solar cycle is over yet but some of my recent operating does give hope. Over the past Memorial Day weekend I was able to work quite a few lower power stations on the East Coast, West Coast, Southwest, etc. Happy days may not be exactly here yet but I do think they are returning.
I made two prized contacts this weekend, both on 14.3425 MHz. First was Budd W3FF who I've worked many times but this weekend I finally worked him while he was mobile on his recumbent tricycle in Redding, CA. Second was Steve N0TU. Steve was operating portable from Mt. Herman in Colorado. He frequently backpacks along with his goats Rooster and Peanut.
How do you find these crazy operators? Check out the HFpack group. On any given day, especially weekends, you'll find a bunch of them monitoring one of the HFpack Calling Frequencies, primarily at 14.3425 MHz these days and 18.1575 MHz when the sun spots improve a bit.
I hope to catch you on the air one day soon.
73,
Tim N9PUZ
I made two prized contacts this weekend, both on 14.3425 MHz. First was Budd W3FF who I've worked many times but this weekend I finally worked him while he was mobile on his recumbent tricycle in Redding, CA. Second was Steve N0TU. Steve was operating portable from Mt. Herman in Colorado. He frequently backpacks along with his goats Rooster and Peanut.
How do you find these crazy operators? Check out the HFpack group. On any given day, especially weekends, you'll find a bunch of them monitoring one of the HFpack Calling Frequencies, primarily at 14.3425 MHz these days and 18.1575 MHz when the sun spots improve a bit.
I hope to catch you on the air one day soon.
73,
Tim N9PUZ
Monday, May 05, 2008
Byonics TinyTrak 4 TNC
A month or so ago I was shopping for a small TNC that I could use to build an APRS "tracker" system. We frequently use them around here when we support public service events, Red Cross Activities, etc. I ended up getting a Byonics Tiny Trak 4 because in addition to having the tracker features it is also a complete KISS mode TNC which makes regular two-way packet radio communications possible as well.
In addition to other activities I operate N9PUZ-10, a VHF Winlink 2000 gateway. This morning I tested the TT4 in full TNC mode and am happy to report it works quite well with Winlink using the Packlink MP program and AGW Packet Engine. If you're looking for an affordable, portable TNC that can be used in a variety of applications the TinyTrak 4 is worth evaluating.
73,
Tim, N9PUZ
In addition to other activities I operate N9PUZ-10, a VHF Winlink 2000 gateway. This morning I tested the TT4 in full TNC mode and am happy to report it works quite well with Winlink using the Packlink MP program and AGW Packet Engine. If you're looking for an affordable, portable TNC that can be used in a variety of applications the TinyTrak 4 is worth evaluating.
73,
Tim, N9PUZ
Old Time Hamfests
This past Sunday Jimmie WX9DX and Bill K9KKL sponsored a small old time hamfest at Lake Springfield's Center Park (Springfield, IL.) We had a great time looking over everyone's treasures, and sitting and swapping stories about goofs we've all pulled at one time or another, tales of working that rare DX, or things we could do to improve our EMCOMM support.
Noon time featured a huge potluck meal with plenty of fried chicken, baked beans, and deserts. Certainly much better than the typical hamfest faire of hot dogs and chips.
If you need a good low stress, local activity for your group or club I highly encourage you to try a small, old time hamfest at the park. It'll remind you of all that's good about Amateur Radio.
Tim, N9PUZ
Noon time featured a huge potluck meal with plenty of fried chicken, baked beans, and deserts. Certainly much better than the typical hamfest faire of hot dogs and chips.
If you need a good low stress, local activity for your group or club I highly encourage you to try a small, old time hamfest at the park. It'll remind you of all that's good about Amateur Radio.
Tim, N9PUZ
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
30 Meters
I've always enjoyed operating on 30 Meters but lately it's been one of the more productive bands for QSO's here at the bottom of the solar cycle. If you haven't been on 30 Meters for a while or maybe you've never been there it's time to take a look.
There's a moderately active Yahoo group for all things related to 30 Meters. You can look at the group web page where you'll find information on how to subscribe as well as a link to a great 30 Meter spot page.
The spot page deserves special note. Besides the usual features there are also feeds that come from "auto spot" stations such as mine. The auto spot stations listen around 10.140 MHz and when they decode PSK31 streams they spot them without an operator manually typing in the information. If your CQ or QSO shows up as an "auto" it means the station at that location heard your signals well enough to decode it. This near real-time propagation indication can give you good information on where you're really being heard. Currently there are just two auto-spotting stations in the US but look for more around the world to show up soon.
There's a moderately active Yahoo group for all things related to 30 Meters. You can look at the group web page where you'll find information on how to subscribe as well as a link to a great 30 Meter spot page.
The spot page deserves special note. Besides the usual features there are also feeds that come from "auto spot" stations such as mine. The auto spot stations listen around 10.140 MHz and when they decode PSK31 streams they spot them without an operator manually typing in the information. If your CQ or QSO shows up as an "auto" it means the station at that location heard your signals well enough to decode it. This near real-time propagation indication can give you good information on where you're really being heard. Currently there are just two auto-spotting stations in the US but look for more around the world to show up soon.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Lack of Sunspots Got You Down?
Does the current lack of sunspots have you down? Don't forget to check out 30 meters!
30 meters continues to be a productive band both day and night even during the solar minimum. One group who promotes its use is the 30 Meter Digital group hosted on Yahoo. They use a variety of modes like PSK, RTTY and MFSK. Mostly they have a lot of fun and just encourage operators to remember 30 meters. One neat thing they also promote is a nicely done digital spots page done by Sholto, KE7HPV. Please join anytime but especially look around 10.140 MHz on Sunday and Thursday nights when activity is especially encouraged.
There is no phone operation on 30 meters in the US but CW is alive and well there too. The QRP watering hole is 10.106 MHz but there's generally activity from 10.100 MHz to 10.130 MHz.
Antennas are easy on 30 meters as well. A dipole is less than 50 ft long and chances are something you already have something up will work anyway. 30 meters is a shared allocation, remember to stay under 200 Watts.
Remember... someone's got to call CQ! The band will sound dead if everybody just listens.
73,
Tim, N9PUZ
30 meters continues to be a productive band both day and night even during the solar minimum. One group who promotes its use is the 30 Meter Digital group hosted on Yahoo. They use a variety of modes like PSK, RTTY and MFSK. Mostly they have a lot of fun and just encourage operators to remember 30 meters. One neat thing they also promote is a nicely done digital spots page done by Sholto, KE7HPV. Please join anytime but especially look around 10.140 MHz on Sunday and Thursday nights when activity is especially encouraged.
There is no phone operation on 30 meters in the US but CW is alive and well there too. The QRP watering hole is 10.106 MHz but there's generally activity from 10.100 MHz to 10.130 MHz.
Antennas are easy on 30 meters as well. A dipole is less than 50 ft long and chances are something you already have something up will work anyway. 30 meters is a shared allocation, remember to stay under 200 Watts.
Remember... someone's got to call CQ! The band will sound dead if everybody just listens.
73,
Tim, N9PUZ
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Travels...
Well, vacation was over all too quickly but we had a great time.
What can you say about operating W1AW? I was only there for an hour or so but what a whoot! Conditions weren't fantastic but I made about 10 contacts. I highly recommend stopping by to operate if you're ever in the area. People seem to love to work the station and it was a lot of fun to call "CQ CQ DE W1AW."
Another thing that impressed me about W1AW was the equipment. Yes, they have an amazing array of radios, amplifiers, etc. but it was the antennas that made me think. They are equipped to operate all sorts of HF, VHF, UHF but for the most part their antenna systems take up very little space. If you get to thinking your lot is too small to put up an antenna studying some photos of their towers may give you some good ideas.
As for the rest of our trip it was fantastic. The Fall colors were in full swing in New Hampshire and Vermont. We planned to do a lot of goofing off and relaxing and my report is we were very successful.
What can you say about operating W1AW? I was only there for an hour or so but what a whoot! Conditions weren't fantastic but I made about 10 contacts. I highly recommend stopping by to operate if you're ever in the area. People seem to love to work the station and it was a lot of fun to call "CQ CQ DE W1AW."
Another thing that impressed me about W1AW was the equipment. Yes, they have an amazing array of radios, amplifiers, etc. but it was the antennas that made me think. They are equipped to operate all sorts of HF, VHF, UHF but for the most part their antenna systems take up very little space. If you get to thinking your lot is too small to put up an antenna studying some photos of their towers may give you some good ideas.
As for the rest of our trip it was fantastic. The Fall colors were in full swing in New Hampshire and Vermont. We planned to do a lot of goofing off and relaxing and my report is we were very successful.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Where In The World Is Tim?
Wow, time flies. It's hard to believe it's been so long since my last post but it's been a busy summer and sometimes life just gets in the way. Here's an update...
The N9PUZ-10 TelPac gateway has been running very smoothly. There are several local users active with Winlink via the gateway now and it's been working well. I have some equipment changes I'd like to make just to switch to some dedicated equipment I've picked up but that will all wait until the weather turns bad for outdoor projects.
It's no surprise to anyone that the higher frequency HF bands and even the lower bands to some extent are really bad. Few sunspots, etc. I've had some fun the last couple of months during the Adventure Radio Society "Spartan Sprints" but that has a lot more to do with it being QRP CW than it any sort of outstanding scores.
The first part of October I'll be out in the New England area. I hope to visit and operate W1AW one day and do a little portable QRP operation from the White Mountains area of New Hampshire. No set schedule for anything, it is a vacation after all!
73,
Tim N9PUZ
The N9PUZ-10 TelPac gateway has been running very smoothly. There are several local users active with Winlink via the gateway now and it's been working well. I have some equipment changes I'd like to make just to switch to some dedicated equipment I've picked up but that will all wait until the weather turns bad for outdoor projects.
It's no surprise to anyone that the higher frequency HF bands and even the lower bands to some extent are really bad. Few sunspots, etc. I've had some fun the last couple of months during the Adventure Radio Society "Spartan Sprints" but that has a lot more to do with it being QRP CW than it any sort of outstanding scores.
The first part of October I'll be out in the New England area. I hope to visit and operate W1AW one day and do a little portable QRP operation from the White Mountains area of New Hampshire. No set schedule for anything, it is a vacation after all!
73,
Tim N9PUZ
Monday, June 18, 2007
TelPac Gateway and APRS
Yesterday K9WAV, one of the local APRS iGate operators started gating my TelPac Gateway beacon into the Springfield area APRS network. The result is if you are traveling in the area a red Winlink icon will appear on the local APRS map with info about the frequency to use for emails, etc.
Take a look at N9PUZ-10 here.
Also, we've been up and running about 1 week now and are looking forward to Field Day Winlink contacts to and from the W9DUA club effort.
Take a look at N9PUZ-10 here.
Also, we've been up and running about 1 week now and are looking forward to Field Day Winlink contacts to and from the W9DUA club effort.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Field Day 2007
Yeah, so the HF propagation stinks at this point in the solar cycle. Your group may not set any records but I hope everyone gets out to Field Day this year and invites along a bunch of those newly licensed Generals. Teach 'em about antennas. Play with some 6 meter stuff--there may just be an opening. Most of all welcome them into the world of HF and Amateur Radio!
The TelPac Gateway Is Stable
During the past few days there have been more tweaks and changes on the N9PUZ-10 TelPac Gateway. Things are pretty darn stable right now.
The RF problems have gone away with the switch from the FT-1500 back to the IC-207H. I'm sure I'll be able to use the FT-1500 but I need to work on a better grounding setup and I have other fish to fry right now.
Several users from the WL2KEmcomm group on Yahoo sent me copies of their KAM Plus TNC ".aps" files to initialize and control the TNC. There were a few tweaks in those that have brought my gateway to a stable condition. It's been running for several days without a glitch now and file transfers, updates to the APRS servers, etc. all appear to be working properly.
If you're in the Springfield, Illinois area and have VHF packet radio capability check out my TelPac Gateway web page and give it a try.
What are the future plans? Well, right now I'm building a TNC-X kit with the USB option so that I can have a portable station to do more testing. The TNC-X looks interesting because it can use a USB connection to your PC. Important since serial ports are going out of style these days. Other users have reported good success with them and at under $100 with the USB option they're priced right. Other interesting features include a) an expansion connector so you can add other gadgets and b) you get the source code for the microcontroller!
The RF problems have gone away with the switch from the FT-1500 back to the IC-207H. I'm sure I'll be able to use the FT-1500 but I need to work on a better grounding setup and I have other fish to fry right now.
Several users from the WL2KEmcomm group on Yahoo sent me copies of their KAM Plus TNC ".aps" files to initialize and control the TNC. There were a few tweaks in those that have brought my gateway to a stable condition. It's been running for several days without a glitch now and file transfers, updates to the APRS servers, etc. all appear to be working properly.
If you're in the Springfield, Illinois area and have VHF packet radio capability check out my TelPac Gateway web page and give it a try.
What are the future plans? Well, right now I'm building a TNC-X kit with the USB option so that I can have a portable station to do more testing. The TNC-X looks interesting because it can use a USB connection to your PC. Important since serial ports are going out of style these days. Other users have reported good success with them and at under $100 with the USB option they're priced right. Other interesting features include a) an expansion connector so you can add other gadgets and b) you get the source code for the microcontroller!
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