May 1997 PaulLewis KE4DNK for hamradio-online.com.at www.hamradio-online.com.

How to detect tornadoes using your TV or Radio

The season for tornadoes is This system was discovered by New- ton Weller of West Des Moines after 12 drawing near and I would like to years of study. It works because every pass this information on to you. It might TV set has a Channel 2 at 55 mhz. Light- come in handy some day. ning and tornadoes generate a signal near Tornadoes are most likely to occur in this frequency that overrides the bright- the spring on a hot, sticky day between 3 ness control. Channel 13 is at the high and 7 p.m. An hour or two before a twister end of the frequency band is not affected. forms, familiar thunderstorm clouds may This is why the darkness must be set on begin to have a peculiar greenish hue and that channel. bulge down instead of up. Heavy rains and First, warm up your set, tune in Chan- hail often precede the tornado. nel 13 and darken the screen to almost The gigantic and violent whirlwinds black, using the brightness control. Then, almost always march across the country- turn to Channel 2 and leave the volume side from Southwest to down. Northeast about 30 mile Your tornado detec- per hour. This pre- tion device is now in dictability can save your operation. Lightning life, especially if you use will produce momentary Weller’s technique of de- white bands of varying tecting storms 20 to 30 widths across the screen. minutes before it gets to (Color sets produce your neighborhood. color bands.) A tornado A tornado watch within 15 to 20 miles means that tornado devel- will produce a totally opment is possible. Keep white screen which re- a watchful eye on the sky mains white, or one for threatening weather, color on color sets. and stay tuned to the local Should this occur, turn radio, television or NOAA off your TV set, take a Weather Radio for the lat- portable radio and seek a est weather information. place of shelter immediately. A tornado warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather Using Your Radio radar. People in the path of the storm should seek shelter immediately, prefer- Use a portable radio for emergency in- ably on the lowest floor of a substantial structions and in case of power building. failure. If the radio is turned to the 550 If you are caught out in the open, move khz band, lightning will cause intermittent away from the tornado at a right angle. static. A tornado will cause steady con- When there is no time for such evasion, tinuous static. immediately flatten out in the nearest ditch Most homes have these two warning or depression. devices. It might be a good idea to clip Here's a tip on how to use your televi- these instructions and keep them on hand sion set or radio to detect tornadoes during tornado season - and hope you when such a danger has been broadcast for don’t need them! your area. 73, Paul

Using Your Television

Labelwatch - the roster has been updated - check the mailing Note: label to see that your ‘97 dues have been acknowledged. Feedline (WDCG) - Lee, N4AJF, said things were TomDOLIGALSKI - N9CGD about the same. There is no path to Fayet- Feedline is a member-supported teville. BBS usage is down. (Ed. WDCG About our Club publication of the Cary Amateur Radio still needs to schedule an meeting.) Club and is published monthly. Amateur Radio Emergency Service Next month marks one of CARC's fa- Deadline for submissions is the second (ARES) - SM Reed, AB4W, passed out vorite activities - Field Day. Held on Sat- Thursday of the month. Certificates of Appreciation for work done urday, 28 June, and Sunday, 29 June, the during Hurricane FRAN and thanked ev- CARC field day operation will feature Editor: Tom Klimala, KM4LB stations on 40 CW, 40 Phone, swing CW, 1545 Seabrook Avenue eryone who helped out. Reed also noted swing phone, novice/tech, vhf/uhf, packet, Cary, North Carolina 27511 that ARRL dues are going up. Field Day - The Czar is to be: Will, solar power, and satellite. We'll be using the N4NC call and set- Cary Amateur Radio Club K4IWW. We are using N4NC, again, probably in Class 4A at the same location, ting up at Bond Park again, and sure could use help setting up, operating and The Cary Amateur Radio Club meets on the Bond Park. Various assignments were fourth Thursday of the month, 7:30 p.m. in the made: Tom, KM4LB, Information Booth; taking down. Our field day "czar" this lower level of the Christian Life Center of White Lee, N4AJF, to check with Bill, K4SG, year is Will Harper, K4IWW - for any Plains United Methodist Church. The June, about the Solar Panel; Herb, N4UE, to questions (or answers) give Will a call. November, and December meetings are held The next meeting will take place on off-site. Call for location of those meetings. check with the Cary Area Rescue Squad Next Meeting: May 22. about using the Communications Van; Thursday, May 22 at 7:30 at the White Herb, N4UE, to get publicity to news me- Plains Methodist Church. I'm sure quite a 1997 Officers dia and to Gary, KN4AQ. This is an event bit of field-day discussion will occur. Unfortunatey, the meeting program is still N9CGD Tom Doligalksi 481-1236 for everyone in and around the Cary ARC President to support and TBD, but I'm sure a good time will be had N4AJF Lee Swanson 467-8128 learn. The more participation we have, be all. Vice-president the more enjoyable and successful the 73, Tom K4IWW Will Harper 467-0224 Treasurer effort will be. PLEASE PUT JUNE 28-29 N4UE Herb Lacey 467-9608 ON YOUR CALENDAR -- IN INK!!! EdSurmaitis WA2MYZ Secretary Mid-Summer SWAPFEST - Czar Kata Kana CW Tom, KM4LB, reported prizes have been N4UE HerbLacey - chosen. We mailed complimentary tick- If you think Morse Code is tough, try ets to 50 ARRL affiliated radio clubs in this on for size. Below is a sample of the Meeting Report NC. We will be increasing the number of Japanese Kata Kana code I learned as a indoor tables from about 140 to 160. Flea military telegrapher during WWII. April 24, 1997 market space outdoors is planned. Meeting called to order by President, --- Break for Refreshments --- HA - . . . A - - . - - Tom, N9CGD. Introductions. The program was on The National Traffic HE . E - . - - - System (NTS) and how nets work. A HI - -. . - I. - Treasurer's Report - Will, K4IWW demonstration of a CW traffic net (with HO - . . U . . - Savings: $3,159.48 explanations) was given. Yes, Virginia, HU - - . . N . - . - . Checking: $411.36 CW is alive and well, thank you. Reports KA . - . . NA . - . Cash:$0.00 of its demise are greatly exaggerated. KE - . - - NE - - . - Total: $3570.84 n4ue KI - . - . . NI - . - . Duesare due for new year starting April, KO - - - - NO . . - - 1997, at $9/yr. CARC caps still available KU . . . - NU . . . . for $4. WA - . - TA - . Piedmont-Coastal Repeater Network WE . - - . . TE . - . - - (PCRN) - Ed, AB4S, PCRN Treasurer said Grins WI . - - . . TI . . - . that things were "keepin up" with Danny, WO . - - - TO . . - . K4ITL, and Mike, WB4TQD, staying busy "I told the doctor I broke my leg in MA - . . - TU . . - . . behind the scenes. two places. He told me to quit going to ME - . . . - SA - . - . - Southeastern Repeater Association those places." Henny Youngman MI . . - . - SE . - - - - . MO - . . - . SI - - . - . (SERA) - Frank, KE4ZEQ, Asst. Director, "There's a fine line between fishing, SERA, reported that NC had the most re- MU - WO . - - - and just standing on the shore like an id- RA . . . SU - - - . . peaters/members of the eight states. There iot." Stephen Wright have been a few coordination problems RE - - - YA . - - with other states. November '96 GARzette, . RI - - . YO - - Editor, Ike Chapman, KE4GYM RO . - . - YU - . . - - Wake Digital Communications Group via the ARNS RU - . - - . Page 2 TomDOLIGALSKI - N9CGD WHY ASK WHY? author unknown Ham Radio Internet Web Site Selections 1. Why do you need a driver's license to buy liquor when you can't drink + drive? 2. Why isn't phonetic spelled that way? With the arrival of summer many hams contest software and hardware web sites, 3. Why are there interstate highways in begin to think of Field Day. Field Day is etc. Hawaii and Alaska? but one of many amateur radio contests that Another useful site is maintained 4. Why are there flotation devices on occur during the year, and as you by the National Contest Journal at planes instead of parachutes? might expect there are many web sites of www.waterw.com/~ncj which includes 5. Why are cigarettes sold in gas stations interest to the ham contester. A good rules and info about NCJ-sponsored con- if smoking is prohibited? first site to visit is www.contesting.com tests. And of course, no site would be 6. Do you need a silencer to shoot a which features loads of interesting complete without a link to the ARRL's mime? information for the experienced and the contest calendar at www.arrl.org/contests 7. Can you imagine a world with no hypo- novice contestor alike. which as the name suggests has rules, thetical situations? For the contest "pro" there are rate forms and scores for many ARRL contests. 8. How does the guy who drives the snow- sheets, high claimed scores, post contest Finally, no article about contest-related plow get to work? stories, and contestor email addresses and sites would be complete without a 9. If a cow laughed, would milk come out station descriptions. There are "station description of the KA9FOX site at its nose? tours" of some terrific contest stations www.qth.com/ka9fox which contest score 10. If nothing sticks to Teflon, how does (including N4AF and NY4A, ex-K4PQL, rumors, summaries of contest and DX Teflon stick to the pan? in Apex). Many links to contest-related mailing list reflectors, vanity callsign 11. If you're in a vehicle going the speed mail reflectors and archives of these are announcements, and links to other hams of light, what happens when you turn on available, including CQ-Contest, Tower- and ham-related companies. Probably the the headlights? Talk, TRLog, NA, and CT. There are quite best feature of this site is the "KA9FOX 12. Why do they put Braille on the keypad a few feature articles that I highly recom- Contest/DX library." This is an incredible of the drive up ATM? mend reading, including ones on "2 radio list of links to a huge number of resources, 13. Why do we drive on parkways and single-operating by W4AN", "Single- including qsl info, callbooks and call park on driveways? operator assisted operating by K3WW", lookup servers, dx bulletins and propaga- 14. Why is it when you transport some- and "Windows 95 Set-up Tips for CT." tion info, real-time access to a number of thing by car, it's called a shipment but And of course there is a contest calendar. dx packetclusters, contest calendars, rules, something sent by ship is called cargo? From this site there are a number of re- records and score rumors, etc., etc. You 15. You know that indestructible little ally interesting links to explore. You really need to see this to believe it - one black box used on planes? Why can't they can check out www.affcom.com/cqcontest could spend hours exploring these links make the whole plane out of that stuff? for the home page of the CQ Contest (and I have!). And my personal favorite . . . If you magazine, including supplementary mate- tied buttered toast to the back of a cat and rial from many of the magazine's articles, dropped it from a height, what would hap- rules for many (most?!) of the more popu- pen? lar contests, and of course many links to

JanBAvinger N4UTT Worth Repeating

AB4T and N4UTT wish to announce cheap stuff! KM4LB has a suggestion for filling the graduation of their daughter Kate from At this writing, Al, K4PB is off to the the band captain’s rosters for FD. Until UNC Chapel Hill. She did so in grand Dayton Hamfest as CARC’s official am- June 1, 1997, all CARC members are style- with honors. Jan and Harry are very bassador. He’s going to bring back hats FREE AGENTS, and can sign with the proud. for everyone! :-) band captain who offers them the most Congratulations to all parents of new Ed, KF7VY, said 6 meters was wide perks for taking a shift at their station. grads. We feel proud and happy for open a few times last week; 10 meters On June 1, the band captains will get all of you, and send all best wishes to the was also wide open up and down the U.S. together and hold a (professional sports hard-working harmonics. (Way to go west coast with 59+10db signals common style) draft of operators from those who Kate! ...and Jan, let me know if graduat- using just a dipole antenna. A terrific are yet “unsigned.” ing helps them keep their room any Sporadic-E skip opening. Let's hope this Start your wheeling and dealing now! cleaner! ed.) is a sign of things to come! Turn off After June 1 your ability to make outra- DurHAMfest is this coming Saturday, your PC and turn on your radio! geous demands will be diminished! May 25. This fest is one of the better see ya! Jan “flea market” fests around. Lots of good Page 3 LouSchneider N6YMO 1920's Dr. Herrold gave the KQW license to others who had sufficient capital to purchase new Westem Electric equipment. So you think KDK4 was first? At first it was used by the First Baptist Church of San Jose to broadcast its Sun- day services. Later, the station added farm and agricultural news to the sched- Most people believe that the first com- consumed 9-Kw from the electric supply. ule. In the 1940s KQW was sold to the mercial AM station was KDKA in Pitts- Dr. Herrold kept up a regular schedule CBS network and in 1951 it became burgh when Frank Conrad, 8XK, started of music and news for over a decade. KCBS. playing records on the air for his friends Besides broadcasting to the ham radio Authors Note: This information comes and neighbors back around 1920. operators, he established a public lis- from a collection of Dr. Herrold's papers KDKA may have been the first station tening hall several miles away in down- that I found at work, compiled and pub- to receive a commercial broadcast license town San Jose. lished by a journalism professor in San but there a thriving com- Since the loudspeaker Jose. The reference is.- mercial sta- had not tion in existence ten or What? yet been invented, people KCBS - BROADCASTING'S more years before the Send voice and listened to his broadcasts FIRST STATION govemment began music over a on telephone handsets lo- Records and Documents Supporting regulating radio. spark transmitter? cated throughout the hall. the Claim by Charles D. Herrold that This station was in San A fascinating account Dr. Herrold's operation He Established the World's First Jose, California. of Dr. Charles Herrold had all the trappings that Radio Station It began broadcasting in who did it! distinguish a commercial in San Jose, California, 1909 using a crude broadcasting station. A in 1909, which is now spark transmitter. When local phonograph KCBS. it received its store supplied popular records for him to formal call letters it became 6XE, later play on the air in return for mentioning the This article appeared in the Sept. '95 KQW. Today it is KCBS, San Francisco. source of the records. Local musicians GEARS Newsletter, Bill Pope-W6TKE Dr. Charles Herrold ran a radiotele- sang and played songs over the air. Dr. then editor. The author, N6YMQ, who is graph school in San Jose. In 1909 he be- Herrold read news from the local paper. a Staff Engineer at KCSS San Francisco, gan a regular schedule of voice and He sold cash advertising to department has kindly granted ARNS and its members phonograph music to call attention to his stores and food markets. He documented permission to reprint. school. His broadcasts, in those pre- the size and location of his audience by vacuum tube days, were received by the inviting listeners to write in for a gift cer- same crystal sets used to receive spark gap tificate that could be redeemed at a mer- FD ‘97 - Am I nzzdzd? Morse code. chant near the listener. Over 4000 of these By 191 1, Dr. Herrold had developed a certificates were distributed. One of his Zvzn though my typzwritzr is an oldzr quenched spark generator consisting of a sponsors, a candy company, promoted modzl it works wzll zxczpt onz of thz copper tube surrounding a precision ma a specific type of candy on his program. kzys. I’vz wishzd many timzs that it chined carbon rod. He immersed this They claimed the sale of this item in- workzd pzrfzctly. Truz, thzrz arz 42 kzys spark gap in alcohol and he water-cooled creased not only in San Jose but in that function corrzctly, but onz kzy not the entire device. He applied modulation communities all up and down the Pacific working makzs a big diffzrzncz. with a multiple-element water-cooled car- Coast. Somztimzs is szzms to mz that CARC bon microphone in series with the high These broadcasts developed enough of is somzwhat likz my typzwritzr - not all voltage supply. a reputation that when Dr. Lee deForest thz pzoplz arz working propzrly. You Because of the alcohol bath and preci- was unable to get his vacuum tube trans- might say “Wzll, I’m only onz pzrson, it sion tolerances the arc carrier wave pro- mitter operating in time for the 1915 won’t makz much diffzrzncz.” daced by this transmitter was considered San Francisco Pan Pacific Exposition he But you szz, an organization to bz zffi- to be exceptionally pure. One person de- used Dr. Herrold's transmissions - almost ciznt and xffzctivz nzzds thz activz partic- scribed the signal as being inaudible un- 50 miles distant - to demonstrate his new ipation of zvzry pzrson. less modulation was applied. vacuum tube receiving apparatus. Thz nzxt timz you think your zfforts on Voltage for the transmitter was - at first Throughout the run of the fair Dr. Her- FD ‘97 arzn’t nzzdzd, rzmzmbzr my - stolen via a hooked stick from a 600 volt rold's station was on the air at least eight typzwritzr, and say to yourszlf, “I am a DC trolley line running outside a hours a day. kzy pzrson, and thzy nzzd mz vzry much.” second floor window. Later the trolley Unfortunately, Dr. Herrold's apparatus company installed permanent service to would not function at wavelengths below Adapted from Bob Painter’s WA6PLM, article from 600 meters, so when the FRC established the January, 1997, BPARC Communicator via the the station along with an electric meter. ARNS At one point Herrold said his transmitter the present AM broadcast band in the

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