Volume 18, Number 10 October, 2009 The Greensboro Association

Providing Amateur Radio news for the Triad Brian Wilson, KJ4LKY, Editor www.w4gso.org [email protected] transmitting so it’s a natural for Building The Elecraft K1 battery power operation. by Will Ravenell, AI4VE chose the four band option making it The kit consists of three boards, I’ve been getting interested in a K1-4. The bands the Filter Board, QRP operation and have been eyeing included are 40m, the Front Panel the Elecraft kits. After Rob Wittner, 30m, 20m, and Board, and the WG5Q, gave his presentation on either 17m or R F B o a r d . building the K2 at the August GARA 15m (parts for C o n n e c t i o n s meeting I decided to take the plunge. both are included b e t w e e n t h e I’ve built small kits before but the and the choice boards are made K2 looked like more than I wanted is made during w i t h i n - l i n e to tackle right now from both a cost construction). In plugs and there and effort point of view so I ordered addition to the fourth band selection is virtually no point to point wiring. the K1. This little 0.1 to 7 watt CW- there is a choice to be made for band Commands are passed between the only QRP rig comes with either a coverage. By changing a capacitor boards under the control of a PIC two or four band filter board and I and a crystal filter you can select processor on the Front Panel Board. between about 80 KHz or 170 KHz The pictures show what you see coverage on each band. The 170 KHz when you first open the box and after coverage comes at the expense of a unpacking. faster tuning rate. I chose the 15m band and the 80 KHz coverage on each band (I ended up with closer In This to 90 KHz). The kit cost $390 plus shipping. This is a single conversion radio but has lots of capabilities Issue not normally found in a QRP kit, including: Building a K1 Kit Elecraft does a great job of RIT/XIT making life easy for the builder. The Family Electrocuted A three digit LCD display that components are packaged separately can be selected to show frequency, for each board and the resistors are Erecting an power out, voltage, or AGC see K1, page 3 A memory keyer adjustable in Open House one wpm steps A 17db attenuator NEXT MEETING A choice of three band pass October 26, 2009 filters which are user selectable from The next meeting of the Greensboro Amateur Radio Association will be on 850 Hz to 200 Hz Monday, October 26th, at the Golden Corral Steak House, 4404 Landview Dr, The rig draws only 55 mA Greensboro, NC 27407, off Wendover Ave. in receive and about 1 W when near Sam’s Club. Feed Line www.w4gso.org GARA Meeting Minutes Regular Meeting Minutes, September 28, 2009 The regular monthly meeting have a report due to computer problems. Brian Wilson, KJ4LKY, needs of the Greensboro amateur ra- Tom Forrest, N4GVK, said the newsletter ideas and stories. dio association was held website is doing good. Alan Bradley, KD4IUN, thanked on September 28, 2009 at Will Ravenell, AI4VE, said he all volunteers who worked the soc- the Golden Corral restau- needs ideas for programs for future club cer tournament. Alan gave Bob Mays, rant near Wendover Ave. meetings. KE4MOW, a certificate for his multi- and I-40. Old business faceted work at soccer tournaments over The Meeting was The D-STAR gateway is fully op- the years. called to order at 7:15PM erational. The previous problems have Alan said there is one more tour- by Chris Thompson, K4HC. been resolved. nament coming up Nov. 21&22. Please We had our usual round of every Chris explained the function of the Alan at [email protected] if you one identifying themselves. D- STAR gateway and used the Southeast are able to help. Chris said that we need volunteers weather net as an example of linking Will gave a great presentation on for a nominating committee. several repeaters together. Tom will put a the upcoming open house. Ernie Wall, NC4EW, said the club link to the S.E weather net on the GARA Roy Smith, N4BYU, made a mo- is in good shape. website so people can listen to it on a PC tion to adjourn. Respectfully submitted by Greg Spencer, KG4UQV, GARA Al Allred, K4ZKQ, said he did not without a D-Star radio. Secretary. Board Meeting Minutes, September 14, 2009 The monthly meeting of the GARA ley, N4BFD, Roy Smith, N4BYU, and John, AJ4BT, said the church will board of directors was held on September Greg Spencer, KG4UQV. We also had be a good venue for the open house, add- 14, 2009, at Hinshaw Memorial Method- three visitors; Tom Forest, N4GVK, John ing that it has a lot of options. We then ist Church on High Point Road. Those Strandberg, AJ4BT and Jim Waynick, discussed the different possibilities for present were; Chris Thompson, K4HC, N4GLW. the open house and the number of tables Will Ravenell, AI4VE, Ernie Wall, The meeting started with Jim, required for the exhibits. We discussed NC4EW, Al Allred, K4ZKQ, Jesse Lind- N4GLW, giving us a tour of the church the invitation and how many to send out facilities that are available for our upcom- and to what areas. ing open house. Chris made a motion to use the The Greensboro Chris thanked Jim for showing us church’s bulk rate mailing offer and the Amateur Radio the church and for making it available motion passed. Association to us. Jim asked that any club member President Chris Thompson, K4HC Will gave an update on the D- who has or can borrow an easel please Vice-President Will Ravenell, AI4VE STAR repeater. Will met Arch, KT4AT, contact the GARA board. Treasurer Ernie Wall, NC4EW at the repeater site to do some testing to Will added that we will need as Secretary Greg Spencer, KG4UQV Financial Al Allred, K4ZKQ determine the cause of some gateway many volunteers as we can get to staff Engineering Chairman Jesse Lindley, N4BFD problems. Will said that they found the the event, and Jim offered to cook lunch Operations Roy Smith, N4BYU Member at Large Clark Doggett, KG4HOM router for the Internet connection was the for all who are working the open house. Member at Large Dave Touvell, KN4ZO cause. Will and Greg Cohoon, KJ4AED, Set up will start on Friday after- Appointed Positions: Webmaster Tom Forrest, N4GVK will get together and set up a registration noon on Oct. 30th and the church will Newsletter Editor Brian Wilson, KJ4LKY page to be linked to the GARA website. be open at 7:00am on Saturday Oct 31st. “The Feed Line” is ©2009 by the Greensboro Amateur Radio Association and published monthly. Our address is P.O. Box Ernie said that we are doing good, Will made a motion to adjourn; 7054, Greensboro, NC 27417. The purpose of the newsletter the phone bill showed the increase of Chris seconded; and the meeting ended is to provide the club and prospective members information about the club and amateur radio in general. Material and adding the DSL service. at 8:40pm. information should reach the editor by the first Friday of Respectfully submitted by Greg Spencer, the month for the next edition of the newsletter. Opinions Al said, “We are on forecast same expressed in “The Feed Line” do not necessarily represent as last meeting.” KG4UQV, GARA Secretary the views of the officers, directors, editor or members of the Greensboro Amateur Radio Association. Material may Jesse had nothing to report. be reproduced, provided proper credit is given to GARA. October, 2009 Page 2 Feed Line www.w4gso.org

using a blob of solder on the iron to while building the first stage of (continued from page 1) burn the insulation off. I found that the RF Board. There are three 8 K1 tedious but got through it. If I did pin receptacles on this board that taped in strips and arranged in the another I think I’d do all the toroids order that they will be installed. The at once or pay the nominal fee to manual is very detailed and includes buy pre-wound toroids. Things get a illustrations and parts photographs to little congested on this board. This is help identify everything. There’s even where a good temperature controlled a tutorial on soldering technique for soldering iron with a very small tip those without much experience. If helps. Using very small diameter you get in trouble there is an on-line solder also helps avoid excessive forum where Elecraft engineers and blobs that could short between expert builders provide diagnostics adjacent pads. I used 0.015” 65/35 the Filter Board will plug into and and trouble shooting advice. Lead/Tin solder. Construction goes before I realized that there are more The first step was to inventory faster if up to ten or so resistors or than three places where these can every part. I probably could have capacitors are inserted into the board go I had soldered all eight pins into skipped this since there was nothing before soldering. I bent the leads so the wrong set of holes. I was able missing but it did help familiarize they stayed in place and then laid the to recover with a little solder wick me with the components, some and a suction solder extractor with of which are very similar but not nothing lost except some time, but interchangeable. I used egg cartons I was a little more careful after that. and muffin tins to sort all the small There are three toroids to build in the parts so they’d be easy to find. This receiver stage and three more in the job was made much easier with the stage. help of a fluorescent magnifying lamp After completing resistance clamped to the work table. There are measurements on the receiver section no surface mount components in the the RF Board was connected to the K-1 but some of the caps and diodes component side of the board on a dish Front Panel and side panels and are tiny. The inventory took me 4 sponge to keep the components close powered up. It’s very reassuring to hours to complete. to the board while soldering. see the LED display come to life and Then comes the Filter Board The Front Panel Board is to step through some of the menu assembly. Ten of the sixteen toroids built next. This board went together settings. The keyer was checked out to be wound are on this board. faster than the Filter Board but care by using the menu options to set the Winding the toroids is not so hard must be taken when handling and side-tone level and the VFO range and the manual provides very good soldering the PIC microprocessor. is calibrated using a menu readout instructions. For me the winding was I used an anti-static mat throughout construction for peace of mind. It’s white surface helped me keep track of loose components (and made a nice background for photos). Here is the completed board installed in the front cabinet piece. It’s beginning to look like the finished product! The RF Board is the largest of the three boards and is built in two while adjusting the winding spacings stages. First the VFO and Receiver on one of the toroid inductors. Things much easier than stripping the leads. section and then the Transmitter were looking great until I powered The wire provided is heat strippable section. I made my first mistake see K1, page 6 October, 2009 Page 3 Feed Line www.w4gso.org From the President’s Shack by Chris Thompson, K4HC GARA President Fall is certainly upon us, and the wealth of experience amongst the of officers for nomination. That temperatures have dropped to where membership, but in order to make it obviously isn’t going to happen, since I’ve had the heater on for the last few work, EVERYONE needs to take a there IS no nominating committee. days. Now it’s time to put a little heat shift in making the GARA has been a great club. to you, the membership. wheels turn. That I’d hate to see it fall apart, but For the past several meetings way, the club is truly if you don’t take an active and columns, I’ve sought volunteers a reflection of its role in it, that’s what will for the Nominating Committee. membership. happen. The purpose of this committee is to This month’s seek out and nominate to the club meeting is supposed 73, membership people interested in t o b e t h e t i m e Chris, serving on the Board of Directors. t h e n o m i n a t i n g K4HC So far, a deafening silence is the only committee reports response I’ve heard. to the club their slate While many members of the board are long-serving, and normally agree to continuing in their roles, there are normally a few vacancies Silent Key that need to be filled. In particular Gwyn Dewet Stewart, W4AKU Donald Stewart of Greensboro; this year, the spot of Club President GIBSONVILLE — Gwyn Dewet son-in-law, Ken Marley of Gib- will be vacated by yours truly, as I’ve Stewart , 91, of 506 Pebble sonville; sister, Patricia Fogle- done this for two years now, and feel Drive, Gibsonville, died Monday, man and Bob Alverson of Burl- it’s someone else’s turn. This is a great club, with a October 12, 2009, at the Hospice ington; sister-in-law, Elizabeth Home. Stewart; brothers-in-law, John He was born September 25, 1918, Bulla, and Canton Preston and in Burlington, North Carolina. A wife, Ruby; four grandchildren Congrats! U.S. Navy Veteran of World War and three great-grandchildren. II, he retired from Western Union Graveside services will be held The October test session results Telegraph Company & Guil- at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, October are as follows: ford County Social Services. For 14, at Bethlehem United Method- many years he was an amateur ra- ist Church Cemetery, 5410 Pine Fred Brown, WB4IFO dio operator, W4AKU. Hall Road, Walnut Cove, NC - Upgraded to Extra He was preceded in death by his 27052, with minister, Rev. David Macchiarolo, AJ4TF parents, Dewet and Leona Wells Karen Branch. - Extra (David came in as a non- Stewart; daughter, Carla Stewart Memorials may be made to Hos- ham and left an Extra. He passed Marley; sister, Hyacinth Bulla, pice & Palliative Care of Ala- all three elements. and brother, Glenard Stewart. mance-Caswell, 914 Chapel Hill Survivors include his wife, Road, Burlington, NC 27215, or Charles H Robbins II, Nightingale Preston Stewart, of to Gibsonville Christian Church, KJ4PRQ the home; sons, Duane Stewart 325 Burke Street, Gibsonville, - Technician and wife, Trish, of Durham and NC 27249. Published in News Record on October 13, 2009 October, 2009 Page 4 Feed Line www.w4gso.org

News Briefs That Effect the Ham Community Three People Killed While Erecting Antenna From ARRL At approximately 8:40 PM on of electricity through the pole the three there were casualties. You know, there Monday, October 12, a man, woman and were holding. A family friend, a 17 year were people on the ground. So [the 911 their 15 year old son were killed while old boy, was on the roof at the time of the operator] told me that’s electric, you back trying to erect a 50 foot vertical antenna accident. He and the couple’s daughter, away don’t touch anything.” at the home of the man’s mother, Barbara who was in the house at the time, were Couture said that night was not the Tenn, KJ4KFF, in Palm Bay, Florida. The not injured. best time to be attempting to put up an deceased were not licensed amateurs. The mother was pronounced dead antenna. “It wasn’t the best time, meaning “It happened in an instant,” Palm at the scene. When paramedics arrived, it was night time. Obviously, in darkness, Bay Fire Marshal Mike Couture said in the father and son were not breathing; and trying to do something like this and a statement. “It is an unfortunate set of rescue crews immediately tried to resus- not being keenly aware of where the circumstances that led to the most tragic citate them. They were transported to a power line is in the backyard, [was not a result.” hospital where they later died. good idea],” he said. According to police reports, Mel- Neighbor Jim Vallindingham told Neighbors said that Tenn, an ARRL ville Braham, 55, Anna Braham, 49, and station WFTV that he called member, used Amateur Radio to talk with their 15 year old son Anthony were put- 911 when he saw the fire in the back yard her family in Jamaica. ting up an antenna -- Tenn’s second -- at and then he ran over: “I had no idea it was -- Thanks to WFTV and Central night when they lost control of the an- electrical until we got over there and saw Florida News 13 for the information tenna and it crashed into nearby overhead the three people laying on the ground. So power lines. The impact sent 13,000 volts I called 911 a second time to tell them Ham Provides Rescue Support at Utah Marathon From ARRL While not as well known as the radio amateur. “We started driving up and down the Boston and New York City Marathons, On Friday, October 2, Plumb went highway,” Plumb said, “stopping to help Utah’s St George Marathon draws more to go pick up the van, getting it ready and anyone in need and helping those that than 7000 runners to the town of St making sure he had his radio and every- thought they had the desire to even try George -- located 300 miles south of thing else he might need during the race. running, for some reason couldn’t finish Salt Lake City, near the Utah-Arizona- As he was leaving, he realized he had not the race. Kathy and I had just dropped Nevada border -- each year. The race, off a van load of runners at the transition now in its 33rd year, uses shuttle vans area at mile marker 24, turned around and equipped with Amateur Radio operators were getting ready to go up the highway and medical personnel to provide any again when everything happened -- a lady help and support needed along its course. ran up to us and said there was a runner On October 3 -- race day -- Brian Plumb, who had collapsed just up the road and KE7HNW, was driving Shuttle #3, with he needed our help.” Kathy Hutchinson, a cardiac nurse at a “As we approached the runner, we local hospital, by his side. saw that he was down,” Plumb recounted. A member of the Dixie Amateur “Kathy grabbed the oxygen and I grabbed Radio Club (DARC) and the Wash- received an automated external defibril- the AED machine. When we got there, the ington County (Utah) ARES®, Plumb lator (AED), so race officials went back runner wasn’t doing well. With the help got his Amateur Radio license in 2006. and got him one. “We were the only van of another runner (who happened to be a According to his friend, Hal Whiting, -- and there were six vans -- that ended fire fighter), Kathy gave him oxygen and KI2U, Plumb has been involved with up with an AED,” Plumb told the ARRL. we started doing CPR. The police were Boy Scouts for more than 25 years, but Plumb and Hutchinson had never on the scene and they called 911 for an desired to “give back” a bit more to his met prior to the marathon, and this was ambulance.” community, and so became a licensed the first marathon for both of them. see Marathon, page 7 October, 2009 Page 5 Feed Line www.w4gso.org

transceiver using a dummy load. K1 (continued from page 3) Then the BFO alignment procedure is down for a phone call. When I came followed to set the desired side-tone back and powered up the LCD was frequency when a signal is centered in the filter bandwidth. Finally the receiver frequency is calibrated using an external signal of known frequency with the help of another menu function to adjust the readout more solder joints before realizing to the correct frequency. that the problem was not the K1 but After completing the receiver the external QRP power meter. If I’d tests, the Filter Board is unplugged paid attention, the K1 LCD display blank and the VFO LED stayed was indicating 5 Watts all along. on constantly. I re-checked some voltages and saw nothing wrong so I The remaining assembly went disassembled the Front Panel Board quickly and mainly consisted of and heated up all the solder joints on installing the speaker beneath the the 20 pin connector to the RF Board top cover and attaching the rest of as well as many other points that the case. Including inventory and I could reach. After re-assembling re-work I spent a total of 33.5 hours the Front Panel, plugging in the RF on the project. Board, and powering up everything worked as it should. I don’t know and the sides removed to provide which solder joint was bad, they all access to install the Transmitter looked good to me, but apparently components. The transmitter section one was a cold joint that just needed was completed without mishap and a touch-up. after some resistance tests the Filter Receiver alignment is also Board and sides were re-attached done at this time after plugging for Transmitter alignment. This the Filter Board into the sockets requires placing a dummy load on above the Receiver Board. There the K1 and tweaking the same 16 are four trimmer capacitors on the variable capacitors adjusted for the Filter Board for each band. The two receiver calibration, but this time for maximum power output while keying the K1. Although you can use the power out reading on the K1 LCD, I chose to use a QRP power meter I had built a while back. The transmit offset is adjusted after calibration. Using the external power meter resulted in some One week after beginning unnecessary work. With the output construction I connected the K1 to set at 5 W using the menu, each band my 96’ doublet and worked stations Premix Filter capacitors and two peaked at 5 W except for 20m. This in Ohio and Louisiana on 40m RF Filter capacitors are adjusted to band wouldn’t exceed 3 W. I accepted then switched to 20m and worked peak the noise on each band in a this at this point but later went Hungary, Scotland, and Ukraine, all specific sequence. This can also be through the calibration procedure with 5 Watts. What a fun little radio! done using a signal from a second again and even tried re-heating some

October, 2009 Page 6 Feed Line www.w4gso.org

Marathon (continued from page 5) Plumb told the ARRL that the 48 radio ham guy?’ They knew that Amateur For Sale year old man “had no pulse. He was gone. Radio had helped save their family mem- Yaesu FT-450AT, this is the So I got the AED set up and I ‘shocked’ ber.” Plumb said that the man is out of him and his heart began beating again. the hospital and seems to be doing fine. one with the built in antenna He was then transported to the hospital Plumb said that just before the tuner. Also, a G5RV and the via ambulance. The EMTs told us that woman called for their help, he and Data Link cable that connects if we had not been there when we were Hutchinson had been discussing how they the radio to a computer. All there and with an AED, he would have needed to be prepared for anything that the paperwork and manuals been gone, he was so out of it totally and could happen on the course. He is grateful could not have been be revived.” to have fully prepared at the marathon: “I for the radio included. All Later, Plumb learned from Hutchin- had the right equipment, the right nurse items sold as a package deal. son -- the runner had been taken to her and the right training to have been able Anyone interested can call hospital -- that the man and his family to help. Learning to be an Amateur Radio Marcus Johnson, N4MFJ at wanted to meet him. “I went there on operator, giving service and the ideals 336-476-3790 or email at the Monday after the race,” he told the of Scouting to ‘be prepared’ has helped ARRL, “and said ‘Hi, I’m Brian.’ I didn’t myself and many others in giving service [email protected] . give my last name or call sign or anything to our community at large.” like that, and they all asked, ‘Are you the

October, 2009 Page 7 Area Happenings

FOURTH MONDAY – at 6:30 PM, the Greensboro Amateur Radio Association have their regular monthly meeting at the Golden Corral, 4404 Landview Dr, Greensboro, NC 27407, off Wendover Ave, near Sam’s Club. Please plan to gather The W4VEC at 6:30 PM for dinner. The meeting is scheduled to start at 7:15 PM CLUB NETS: OTHER ACTIVITIES : Testing SUNDAYS – weekly at 9 PM, the GARA News FIRST MONDAY – The Guilford County and Information Net. This net features News- A.R.E.S. monthly meeting is held at 1002 Meado- Schedule Line and is on the 145.150, W4GSO repeater. Roy wood St. off W. Wendover Ave, in the EMS build- Smith, N4BYU is always looking for net controls. ing, beginning at 7 PM. Nov. 2009 to Mar. 2010 Contact him if you would like to help. THIRD MONDAY – at 6:15 PM The Guilford THURSDAYS – The Guilford County ARES Amateur Society holds their monthly meeting at November 14, 2009 Net meets on the 145.150 repeater (100 Hz. Tex & Shirley’s Restaurant in Friendly Shopping tone) at 9 PM. Center. Eat at 6:15 PM and the business meeting December 12, 2009 TUESDAYS – at 8 PM, the 2 Meter SSB Net begins at 7 PM. January 9, 2010 meets on 144.225 Mhz. USB. Chris Thompson, THURSDAY – at 11:15 AM, Greensboro Hams K4HC is the net control station. (Not operational get together for lunch. Thursday lunch group is February 13, 2010 present time) meeting at the K&W Cafeteria, 300 Forum VI March 20, 2010 WEDNESDAYS – The Guilford Amateur Mall at Friendly Shopping Center. Talk-in is on the holds their weekly net on the 145.250, 145. 150, W4GSO repeater with a 100 Hz. tone. Society : #3 Centerview Dr, W4GG repeater with an 88.5 Hz. tone. Jim High- EVERY FRIDAY – at 8 PM (approximately) Location tower, W4JLH is the net control. Greensboro Hams get together for coffee. Hickory Building, TUESDAYS – at 8:30 PM The Triad SkyWarn Greensboro, NC 27407 Net meets on the 147.225, K4ITL repeater, no Time: 9:00am tone required. GARA REPEATERS 145.150 Mhz - minus offset Contact: Glenda Nicholson 100 Hz. Tone Phone: (336) 674-3810 Technical Forum Sundays at 7:30 442.8625 Mhz. + offset E-mail: [email protected] 145.15 repeater Digital D-STAR

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