RF

ORANGE COUNTY CLUB, INC. VOL. XLVI NO. 12 P.O. BOX 3454, TUSTIN, CA 92781-3454 DECEMBER 2005 Thanks to Kristin-K6PEQ for ob- de: Ken Konechy, W6HHC taining those great monthly raffle prizes, for encouraging me to buy The club Christ- more raffle tickets, for organizing There will be no regular December mas Dinner is the club Potluck event, for being an meeting. Instead the club will hold coming up soon extraordinary “rotating” editor of its December Christmas Dinner on Friday, Dec the club magazine, and represent- on the 16th, which by coincidence 16, at the Jager- ing OCARC at the OCCARO meetings. is a third Friday meeting date.. haus on Ball Thanks Dan-N6PEQ for pitching in Road in Ana- The Dinner will be at Jagerhaüs in when the Membership position heim. Dan N6PEQ and Kristin Anaheim. See pages 10 and 11 for needed some help, for sending out K6PEQ have arranged for a SU- a map and more details, Contact nice invitation flyers to prospective PER RAFFLE at the dinner party. our Treasurer for tickets. members, for being such a good The main prize is an ICOM-7000 BBQ chef at the Potluck, and for Don’t miss it.! It’s going to be an rig!!! You must be present to win. smooth talking so many donations extravaganza – dinner and raffle! From my view as Prez in 2005, I for our Christmas Dinner raffle. think that the OCARC did very Thanks to Kenaan-N6CCE for stor- well this year. We grew our mem- ing the club’s equipment, writing The next regular meeting will be: bership, had great presentations great RF articles, volunteering to at meetings, had fun events like be a newsletter “rotating” editor, Friday, Jan. 20th 2006 Field Day and a club Potluck, and and being such a “top gun” band participated in community service @ 7:00 PM captain at Field Day. events like helping local police de- We will be meeting on the 2nd partments in the Baker-2-Vegas Thanks to Bob-AF6C for helping to floor in the east bldg. race. A radio club is only success- launch the great “rotating editor” ful because members pitch-in to program for the newsletter this In This Issue: Page make it a fun club. So, I would year, for designing a great OCARC like to thank the board members advertising poster to place at HRO, THE PREZ SEZ ...... 1 for pitching-in. for designing the outstanding tri- NO DECEMBER MEETING ..... 1 fold flyer to advertise the club at CLUB INFORMATION ...... 2 Thanks Willie-N8WP for making HRO and the OC Fair, for being 30 MTR ANTENNA Pt. III ...... 3 sure we had good programs, offer- our craftsman badge maker, and PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT ing to be one of the “rotating edi- for running the 10M/15M weekly tors” for the newsletter, and being JRC NRD-545 Receiver ...... 4 net for many, many years. our FD organizer – great location CLUB E-VOTE ...... 8 and great steaks. And I want to thank our two Direc- Errata: MEETING ADDRESS ....9 tors-at-Large this year, Lowell- SPECIAL THANKS ...... 8 Thanks Rich-KE6WWK for captur- KQ6JD and Steve-N1AB, who JOB OPENING ...... 9 ing our club minutes, for getting made my job much easier by taking FCC ACTION: 147.435 R ...... 9 OCARC recognized as an ARRL on every task that I threw their NOV. MEETING MINUTES .... 10 Special Services Club, and talking way...you guys really helped me. HOLIDAY DINNER MAP ... 10 so many club members in to help- DINNER RAFFLE PRIZES .... 11 ing at the B2V race through COAR. See you at the Christmas Dinner! DEC. BOARD MINUTES ...... 12 Thanks Cheryl-KG6KTT for keep- ing the club finances so well organ- Next Club Breakfast & ized and so well reported and for organizing our December Dinner. Open Board Meeting Details inside! Sat. Jan. 7th 2006

THE ORANGE COUNTY Technical: Monthly Events: AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, Kenan Reilly, N6CCE General Meeting: INC. (714) 543-5073 Third Friday of the Month P.O. Box 3454, Tustin, CA 92781 [email protected] At 7:00 PM Members At Large: American Red Cross Steve Brody, N1AB 600 Parkcenter Dr. (714) 974-0338 (near Tustin Ave. & 4th St) Santa Ana, CA [email protected] Club Breakfast: Lowell Burnett, KQ6JD First Saturday of the (714) 997-0999 month at 7:30 AM [email protected] Katella Grill 1325 W. Katella Ave. 2005 Club Appointments: (SE Corner at Main St.) Orange, CA 2005 Board of Directors: W6ZE Trustee: Bob Eckweiler, AF6C Club Nets (Listen for W6ZE): President: (714) 639-5074 7.086 MHz CW OCWN Ken Konechy, W6HHC [email protected] Sun - 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM (714) 744-0217 Rick KF6UEB, Net Cntl. [email protected] Club Historian: Bob Evans, WB6IXN 28.375± MHz SSB Vice President: (714) 543-9111 Wed - 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM Willie Peloquin, N8WP [email protected] Bob AF6C, Net Control (714) 318-4047 146.55 MHz Simplex FM [email protected] RF Editor for December: Wed - 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM Bob Eckweiler, AF6C Bob, WB6IXN, Net Control Secretary: (714) 639-5074 Rich Helmick, KE6WWK [email protected] VISIT OUR WEB SITE (714) 343-4522 http://www.w6ze.org [email protected] WEB Master: Ken Konechy, W6HHC for up-to-the-minute club Treasurer: (714) 744-0217 information, the latest membership rosters, spec- Cheryl Peloquin, KG6KTT [email protected] (714) 318-4042 ial activities, back issues of RF, links to ham-related [email protected] ARRL Assistant Director: sites, vendors and manu- Ken Konechy, W6HHC facturers, pictures of club Membership: (714) 744-0217 events and much much Dan Dankert, N6PEQ [email protected] more. (714) 544-9846 [email protected] ARRL Awards Appointee: Club Dues: Larry Beilin, K6VDP Regular Members ...... $20 Activities: (714) 557-7217 Family Members* ...... $10 Kristin Dankert, K6PEQ [email protected] Teenage Members ...... $10 (714) 544-9846 Club Badge** ...... $3 [email protected] OCCARO Delegate: Dues run from January thru December Kristin Dankert, K6PEQ & are prorated for new members. Publicity: (714) 544-9846 *Additional members in the family of Bob Eckweiler, AF6C [email protected] a regular member pay the family (714) 639-5074 rate up to $30 per family. [email protected] **There is a $1 charge if you’d like to have your badge mailed to you.

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Techtalk #46 In Figure 2, I show the SWR predicted by NEC-Win A Shortened 30M Dipole – Part III of III antenna modeling program for the 11-foot, 1-inch over- “How It Actually Performs” all length of the 30M antenna. The “real world” al- by Ken Konechy – W6HHC ways varies from perfect models – probably variation In the Part I (March 2005 issue of RF) of this series, I of inductance in my hand-wound 16.5 uH loading walked thru the steps of designing a “shortened 30M coils. Figure 3 shows that actual SWR measurement vertical” antenna using the knowledge from the Win- that I first obtained. So I could either tweak the coils NEC antenna modeling program-and-class offered by (could be very labor consuming) – or I could use the the ARRL. In Part II (November 2005 issue), I showed computer to tell me how much to adjust the length of how to build/construct the 30M antenna from alumi- the antenna. The darker line in Figure 3 shows that num tubing, some PVC piping and do-it-yourself load- the resonant frequency is higher than desired (around ing coils. In this months article of this three-part ser- 10.185 MHz instead of the desired 10.125 MHz) – so ies, Part III discusses actually tuning-up the antenna, by lengthening the antenna I can adjust the reso- comparing SWR readings, and on-the-air QSO results. nance down to exactly where I want it.

In the Part II I had shown a drawing of how to con- 2.9 VSWR vs. Frequency struct a simple “tower” for the 30M antenna using a 30M-short vert-dipole 11-ft-1-inch 10-foot section of 2x4 lumber. In Figure 1, I show how V 2.8 the completed 30M antenna and tower look in my S 2.7 backyard. The entire length of the 30M antenna is W just over 11 feet and the center of the antenna is R 2.6 shown at 10 Feet. I used a 1:1 balun (made by Van 2.5 Gordon) that I bought at the recent club auction to 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 10.14 10.15 feed coax to the balanced antenna at the feedpoints. Frequency MHz If you don’t use a balanced balun, then ensure that the ground side of the coax feeds the bottom side of Figure 2 – NEC-Win Predicted SWR for the vertical. 11-foot-1-inch Antenna

Actual VSWR Measurements 2.2 2.0 Len = 11’ 1” V 1.8 Len = 11’ 3” S W 1.6 R 1.4 1.2 1.0 10.10 10.12 10.14 10.16 10.18 Frequency MHz Figure 3 I played with the antenna length on the NEC-Win computer program and found that if I change the length on the two outer pieces of aluminum so that the overall length was 11-foot-3-inches (add one inch to each end), then the resonance would shift down by 60 KHz. The lighter line in Figure 3 shows the ac- tual SWR measurements after adjusting the antenna length to 11-foot-3-inch. Almost perfect – certainly good enough to use. I should have made it 11-foot- 3.5-inch. Figure 4 shows a close-up detail of how I ad- ded the 1-inch wire to the ends of the element. Just some 14-guage solid copper wire, a solder lug, and a stainless steel 1/4-inch bolt. So, it is now time to make a contact!!! Learning CW again after many years takes a few days of practice. Figure 1 – 30M Shortened Dipole Mounted The 30M band is just CW and digital PSK-31 data. as a Vertical on Simple Tower So I went slowly – but here is a list of my first four QSOs on 30M. See Antenna - on Page 10

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*** Product Spotlight *** Radio Company (JRC) Model NRD-545 HF/VHF/UHF DSP Receiver By: Dan Dankert N6PEQ [email protected] I recently found myself in the marketplace for an all-mode receiver with wide-band frequency cov- erage. My frequency range of interest was 0 MHz thru 2000 MHz. There is not a wide selection of radios currently available to the average consumer for this entire frequency range. Typically you either purchase a new receiver, such as AOR’s model AR3000 or AR5000, or Yaesu’s model VR-5000. Used re- ceivers that fit the bill are Icom’s IC-R8500 and IC-R9000L. It turned out that there was one other option. This is the Japan Radio Company (JRC) model NRD-545 DSP receiver. This receiver comes standard with all-mode capability covering 0.1 MHZ to 29.9999 MHz. An optional wide-band receive board (CHE-199) is available which extends the all-mode frequency coverage up to 1999.9999 MHz. I had not previously owned a piece of JRC equipment, but I was aware of their legendary performance. JRC receivers are used quite extensively by ship-board radio operators because of their impressive receiver characteristics and non-fatiguing audio quality. The table below indicates some of the specifications for the NRD-545 receiver. After a detailed review of the NRD-545 literature, and a few phone calls to some friends knowledgeable in high-end receivers, the decision was made to purchase the NRD-545. After a quick email to HRO, my new receiver was on its way from JRC America, soon to arrive at my home QTH. Eagerly awaiting the arrival of the unit, I wired up a few cables ahead of time, so that I would minimize setup time. Once the JRC package was delivered, it took only a short duration to get it fired up. There’s nothing quite like the smell of a new piece of radio equipment. Time to play! Front Panel Ergonomics... The Japan Radio Company (JRC) Model NRD-545 Manufacturers Specifications 0.01 to 29.9999 MHz front panel of the radio, pictured be- (0.01 to <0.1 MHz Specifications Not Guaranteed) low, has a clean layout with well- Frequency Coverage 0.01 to 1999.9999 MHz (Less Cellular) with Optional CHE-199 spaced buttons and knobs. There is Wide-Band Converter Board Installed no over use of real estate happening USB, LSB, CW, RTTY, AM, FM here! The display is bright, and has a Reception Modes WFM (With Optional CHE-199 Installed) ± <10 ppm (5 to 60 minutes after Power Up) large and easy to read frequency read- Frequency Stability ± 2 ppm (>60 Minutes after Power Up) out. The digital bar graph S-meter ± <0.5 ppm (with Optional CGD-197 TCXO Installed) features a peak hold function. The Triple Conversion Superheterodyne >70 dB Image Rejection tuning knob is solid and has a nice Receiver >60 dB Spurious Response feel to it. Direct keyboard entry of fre- >70 dB IF Rejection quency makes for quick QSYing. There 106 dB Dynamic Range (300 Hz IF Bandwidth) 13” W x 5.62”H x 12.9”D are buttons for three user adjustable Size/Weight 16.5 lbs (Without Options) filter settings. Other “typical” controls Power Requirements 12 to 16 VDC or 100/120/220/240 VAC are found such as tone, AF gain, RF 0.2 to 29.9999 MHz: 50 Ohm “UHF” Female Jack Antenna Connectors & 600 Ohm Wire terminal gain, squelch, notch filter, mode selec- 30 to 1999.9999 MHz: 50 Ohm “N” Female Jack tion, clock, timer, dimmer, attenuator, scan functions and frequency lock.

Front Panel View

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“Cool” Features... • The NRD-545 features DSP noise reduction. The level of the noise reduc- tion aggressiveness is selectable via a menu function. There are 256 differ- ent levels of noise reduction available to choose from. The DSP is accom- plished using a one-chip DSP shown in the picture to the right. • A beat canceler is also provided, which is adjustable among 256 different settings via a menu function. • In addition to the standard “AM” reception mode, the NRD-545 offers a “AMS” mode. The “AMS” mode is a high-fidelity (Hi-Fi) version of AM recep- tion. • Not only is a notch feature available, but also offered is a “notch tracking” DSP Chip mode! You press the notch button to activate the notch circuitry, then using the adjustment knob, you manually notch out the carrier that you desire to eliminate. Then you press the notch button again. This places the notch into “tracking” mode. The notch will then continuously track the specific carrier that you notched, as you tune the main tuning dial within +/- 10 KHz from the start frequency. Neat feature! • A very advantageous feature of the NRD-545 is the “ECSS” mode. ECSS stands for “Exhalted Carrier Selectable Sideband”. If you listen to an AM signal that is exhibiting signal distortion due to signal fad- ing, you would engage the ECSS mode to counteract the band conditions that are resulting in the signal fading. In standard AM transmissions, double sideband (DSB) is used, in which the modulated signal is transmitted in both upper sideband (USB) and lower sideband (LSB). In the ECSS mode, you listen to the AM signal in a single sideband (SSB) configuration. By pressing the “ECSS” button, you toggle between utilizing the USB or LSB component of the modulated AM signal for listening, while providing a locked carrier signal. This reduces audio distortion and fading, since in many cases only the USB or LSB side of the AM signal is being primarily affected by the phenomena, which is called “selective fading”. • Numerous tuning steps are available including 1 Hz, thanks to a one-chip DDS (Digital Direct Synthe- sizer). The 1 Hz tuning is especially helpful in tuning PSK and RTTY signals. The entire selection of available tuning steps is 1 Hz, 10 Hz, 100 Hz, 1 KHz, 5 KHz, 6,25 KHz, 9 KHz (Nice for foreign MW BCB DXing), 10 KHz, 12.5 KHz, 20 KHz, 25 KHz, 30 KHz, 50 KHz & 100 KHz. • In the USB, LSB, CW & RTTY modes, the AGC discharge time is continuously adjustable between 0.04 seconds to 5.1 seconds in 20 millisecond increments. • Pass-Band Shift (PBS) is variable within the range of +/- 2.3KHz on 50 Hz steps. This simply shifts the digital IF filter upward or downward to reduce interference from adjacent frequencies. • Pass-Band filtering is adjustable from 10 Hz to 9.99 KHz in 10 Hz increments. Each of the three user adjustable filters can be individually set to the pass-band filter width of your preference. • A RTTY demodulator is built into the receiver. The demodulator deciphers RTTY signals with widths of 170 Hz, 425 Hz or 850 Hz, and with rates ranging from 37 to 75 baud. The demodulated signals can be displayed through the use of a computer utilizing the RS-232C port on the rear panel of the NRD- 545. • The tuning knob has a handy torque adjustment. The torque adjustment control is conveniently located directly underneath the tuning knob making for swift altering.

Rear Panel View

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Rear Panel Connections... Pictured on the previous page is the rear panel of the NRD-545 receiver. The “typical” types of connections are available, such as 13.8 Vdc power input, 100/120/220/240 Vac power input, external speaker output, timer relay output for automatically triggering a recording device, RS-232C port for computer control and RTTY demodulation display, “UHF” type antenna input for HF, “N” type antenna input for UHF/VHF (optional CHE-199 required), high impedance antenna input, a toggle switch for selection bet- ween the “UHF” or the high impedance antenna for the HF bands, ground terminal, “DC Out” jack (10.8 Vdc output @ 30 mA), right and left line outputs for speakers and a mute jack for use in combination with a transceiver/transmitter. I find the “DC Out” jack to be quite useful to activate my +15 dB preamplifier, which I installed inline between the antenna and the NRD-545. The NRD-545 offers just enough current to power up my preamplifier. Internal Construction... The inside of the NRD-545 is unique as compared to most receivers. As you can see from the picture to the right, the NRD-545 features modular con- struction with plug-in P.C. boards on its motherboard. This gives the in- side of the radio a very simple yet at- tractive look. Since I purchased the optional high-stability TCXO and wi- de-band receive board, the plug-in boards made installation of these items a breeze! JRC provides two helpful lever tools to assist in remov- al of the internal P.C. boards. Optional Accessories... Pictured below left is the CHE-199 wide-band receive board. This is the component that provides the receiver with reception capabilities up to Top View with Cover Removed

1999.999 MHz! The board is simply plugged into the NRD-545’s mother- board. A small coaxial cable that is already furnished inside of the NRD- 545’s chassis, is then plugged into a female coax jack located on the CHE–199 board. After the installa- tion is complete, you must initialize the radio by pressing the “CLR” but- ton while powering up the NRD-545. This is a one-time initialization to activate the UHF/VHF reception cap- abilities.

Optional Wideband Receive Card

The installation of the CGD-197 high-stability TCXO (pictured at the right) is a little more involved than that of the CHE-199. First, you re- move the “REF/DDS” from the NRD-545 chassis. The CGD-197 TCXO is then soldered onto this board in a pre-marked location. The REF/DDS board is labeled very clearly, and the CGD-197 TCXO can only be orien- tated in one direction on the board. A small jumper located on the REF/DDS board is then swapped between two rows of pins to actuate the TCXO. The REF/DDS board is then reinstalled into the NRD-545 chassis. This completes the installation of the high-stability TCXO. The

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photo on the left shows the TCXO mounted on the top-left quadrant of the REF/DDS board right above the green jumper. Pictured below left, the JRC NVA- 319 external speaker for the NRD- 545 offers three different audio re- sponse cuts, as well as inputs for two separate radios. The NVA-319 has nice audio quality. The speaker matches the height, color and finish of the NRD-545 receiver. As with any high-end receiver, an external speaker is essential in order to capi- talize on the exceptional receiver REF/DSS Card with TCXO Installed characteristics and cutting edge features of the NRD-545. At the time of my purchase, the NRD- 545 came supplied with the JRC model ST-3 headphones. Pictured to the right, The ST-3 has a good solid feel to them, while at the same time remaining quite lightweight. The au- dio has good fidelity and tone quality. The cable coming from the head- phones is of a larger diameter than that of most other consumer grade headphones, which should result in JRC NVA-319 Speaker longer cable life after years of exces- NRD-545 Headphones sive flexing. On The Air Performance... So does the radio perform? Yes! The receiving performance proved to be excel- lent. The receiver is sensitive and quiet. The DSP filter aggressively attacks noise, while at the same time en- hancing signal quality. With the NRD-545’s DSP capability, it is routine to convert a signal that is scarcely dis- tinguishable to one of full readability. The world of DSP is fantastic! If you have not yet taken advantage of this leap in technology, you are missing out! The pass-band shift feature does an excellent job of eliminating un- wanted signals. The ability to adjust the filter bandwidth as tight as 10 Hz really is very beneficial. Although significantly effective in AM, SSB & RTTY modes, I found this feature to be especially useful while receiving CW signals in close proximity to one other. The noise blanker is adequate, and it has typical performance as com- pared to most other radios. The notch filter provides for a very sharp and deep null of a heterodyne. The notch- tracking feature works great! I found it very advantageous to be able to notch a specific heterodyne, and still be able to tune the main dial somewhat without the necessity of readjusting the notch filter. The receiver’s selec- tivity is outstanding. Of the numerous radios that I have operated over the years, the NRD-545 is one of best radios at reducing or eliminating interference from an exceedingly strong adjacent signal. The radio accomplish- es this with minimal work from the operator. A quick press of a button or two, and a few turns of a knob or two, and presto! I found the audio quality to be very clean and full. The audio is easy on the ears, even after hours of constant listening. The “AMS” (Hi-Fi) mode has an extraordinarily nice sound to it. Another feature, which created a more pleasing listening environment, is the exhalted carrier selectable sideband “ECSS” mode. This mode really works nicely! Most SWBC signals, that I found experiencing selective fading, were vastly im- proved by using the ECSS mode. During selective fading, the signal’s audio can become distorted and sometimes be very harsh on the ears. With a push of the “ECSS” button, the received audio is significantly en- hanced. I found myself using this feature constantly, and my ears benefited from the more pleasant sound. I do not know how I lived without it! This is one the highlights of this radio. I was grateful for the well thought out design of the main tuning knob. The knob’s torque adjustment allows for a proper feel of tuning control under varying operating conditions. My hand did not suffer from fatigue due to the positioning of the dial. In fact, all of the knobs and buttons tended to have a solid “quality” feel to them. For the most part, the layout of the radio’s front panel made for quick access of functions. With the buttons and controls well spaced, there is no need to call out a search party to locate a specific function. In order to initiate reception from 10 KHz to <100 KHz, you

December 2005 - RF Page 7 must press the “ENT/KHz button years of pleasurable radio listening increase the adjustment incre- while powering up the radio. In or- with the NRD-545. There are only ment based upon this, it would der to activate USB/LSB/CW/RTTY a few specific items that I would result more proficient operating. modes above 30 MHz, you must change: If you happen to be in the market press the “USB/LSB” and • First, the manual should be for a receiver with high-end perfor- “CW/RTTY” buttons while power- written in better English, and mance for the HF or HF/VHF/UHF ing up the NRD-545. In both of the also provide better detail of the frequency spectrums, I would rec- cases, JRC does not guarantee the use of specific functions. ommend considering the JRC NRD- receiver specifications for these ad- • The surface-finish of the front 545 receiver. The NRD-545 is a for- ditional features added by these panel buttons look attractive, midable candidate for the task! modifications. I found the SSB and but they tend to overly reveal CW modes to work well in the the oils deposited by fingertips. Manufacturer Information... VHF/UHF spectrum. • I would like to see the DSP More information on the JRC NRD- Odds & Ends... The NRD-545 noise reduction and beat cancel- 545 DSP receiver can be obtained er to be adjustable via a knob by contacting: has the ability to be computer con- on the front panel of the radio trolled. This is accomplished Japan Radio Company, Ltd. B rather than through a less con- through the RS-232C port on the 2125 Center Avenue, Suite 208 venient menu system. rear panel. JRC offers a simple “no Fort Lee, New Jersey 07024 • The “Fine Control”, which is frills” Windows based program to Tel: 201-242-1882 used to adjust the digital IF filt- get you started in controlling the Fax: 201-242-1885 er bandwidth and AGC dis- radio with your computer. In addi- Website: http://www.jrc.co.jp charge time constant, should be tion to controlling the basic Street Price: NRD-545 DSP Receiv- “speed sensitive”. I found that features of the radio, the software er ($1800), NVA-319 External since the adjustment increment also allows you to display decoded Speaker ($200), CHE-199 VHF/ is constant, that it sometimes RTTY signals on your computer UHF Wide-Band Converter ($370), took much longer than it should screen using the NRD-545’s built in CGD-197 High Stability TCXO to tweak in the adjustment to RTTY demodulator. The instruc- ($100), ST-3 Headphones ($70), your preference. If this knob tion manual for the radio provides 6ZCJD090350 RS-232C Cable could sense that you were turn- additional information on the com- ($60), and Service Manual ($30). ing the knob fast, and in turn mands used to operate the radio via computer. I did not attempt computer control of the radio, nor SPECIAL CLUB VOTE: companies with your purchases. did I execute the software. The In a new first for the club, Presi- Look for additional supporters in NRD-545 has the ability to store dent Ken - W6HHC held the first next month’s issue! up to 1,000 memories. Each memo- Board vote over the Internet. The ry saves the frequency as well as Board e-voted unanimously to au- mode, IF bandwidth, AGC setting, thorize $300 in prize money for the attenuator setting, and tuning step Christmas Dinner raffle. This increment. The first 20 memories money is in addition to the many also can store on/off times for the donated prizes that Dan - N6PEQ internal timer and timer relay out- and Kristin - K6PEQ have ar- put. ranged. Conclusion... I found myself Errata: CLUB MEETING ADDRESS: truly appreciating the NRD-545’s advanced features and capabilities. For the past few years we have The receiver performance is excel- been giving the address of the Red lent. The ability to eliminate band Cross Building where we hold the noise and adjacent frequency inter- meetings as 601 N. Golden Circle. ference while retaining signal inte- Actually this is the west bldg, grity of the target signal is superb. where we did meet occasionally. I enjoyed the simplicity of the front The address of the building where panel controls, which resulted in ef- we meet regularly is 600 Parkcen- ficient tuning. After significant ter. scrutiny, I was unable to discover A BIG CLUB THANK YOU… any defects in the receiver. The con- …to the following businesses for struction of the radio is robust and supporting and donating prizes to sturdy. I expect to experience many our club. Please support these fine

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Career Opportunity: Vertex updates, and support issues; and broad HF transceiver knowl- Standard USA, Inc. (YAESU) • Overseeing and supervising the edge. Strong English writing and communications skills are a must, Job Title: final assembly and testing of and foreign language capability WDXC Program Manager products (such as the FT DX (especially Spanish) is definitely a (WDXC: “World DXers Club,” – 9000) being assembled under plus. Computer experience is man- a Customer Loyalty program) WDXC auspices; • Overseeing the WDXC Auction datory, and knowledge of Amateur Reporting To: Vice President Site operations, including coordi- Radio computer-based operations Job Start: Immediately nation and supervision of the ef- (logging software, HF Packet/ ficient flow of paperwork related RTTY, PSK31) is also desirable. Job Basis: Full-time to the inspection, repair, and cer- Vertex Standard USA, Inc. offers a Chief Responsibilities: tification of previously-owned competitive compensation and ben- You will be responsible for super- YAESU equipment; efits package, including a 401(k) vising the WDXC program at Ver- • Coordinating promotional mate- plan, medical and dental in- tex Standard USA. This is a new rials and activities related to surance, and a generous vacation customer-loyalty program that WDXC; schedule. builds long-term sales through a • Attendance at such trade shows value-added partnership with cur- as management may deem ap- If you would like to be considered rent and potential customers. propriate and necessary for the for this exciting position, please WDXC responsibilities include, but advancement and expansion of send your resume to may not be limited to: WDXC and the YAESU product; Vertex Standard USA, Inc. • Reporting to management, on a • Overseeing the growth and Attn. Mr. Jeff Quan, regular basis, regarding WDXC maintenance of the WDXC mem- Chief Financial Officer, status, problems, and opportuni- bership; 10900 Walker Street, ties. • Overseeing the WDXC Web Site, Cypress, CA 90630. and coordinating with other de- General: Fax: (714) 527-1494. partments and our Web designer An Advanced or Extra Class Ama- No telephone inquiries accepted. in the promulgation and main- teur Radio license is required, as See the WDXC Web site at tenance of timely articles, news are current active DX experience http://wdxc.yaesu.com

FCC LIFTS PRIVILEGES OF users of the busy repeater to comp- FCC terminated the automatic LA-AREA 147.435 REPEATER ly with Part 97 rules and to make control privileges of the then- a reasonable effort to identify unli- W6NUT repeater while it was re- The FCC alleges that problems censed operators. "I believe that viewing its operation. Since then persist on the Los Angeles area's the 147.435 repeater attracts peo- the repeater has changed hands a 147.435 MHz repeater, now oper- ple to the hobby and, overall, is few times, and enforcement issues ated by Jeffrey Stieglitz, AE6NZ. consistent with the purposes of seem to have followed. The FCC Los Angeles District Of- Amateur Radio," he said. fice recently informed Stieglitz that "As the Jack Gerritsen case shows, it was suspending automatic con- Deaton says if AE6NZ is operated there is very little the FCC can ac- trol privileges for the repeater. under automatic control prior to tually do against a determined That means the licensee or a desig- notification from her office, enforce- bootlegger," Stieglitz said. Gerrit- nated control operator must be at ment action up to and including a sen is set to appear in federal court the repeater's control point whe- license revocation and suspension next week. "In my opinion, shut- never the machine is operational. hearing, a fine or both could follow. ting down a repeater because a Deaton also asked Stieglitz to sub- third party breaks the rules just "Your amateur station AE6NZ is penalizes the honest operators." under review by the Enforcement mit in advance the names and con- Bureau for numerous and con- tact numbers of other licensees FCC Enforcement Bureau Special tinued apparent violations of the who serve as control operators. Counsel Riley Hollingsworth had Commissions rules," FCC LA Office "During any times that no control another perspective: "The repeater District Director Catherine Deaton operator is available, the repeater has been out of control long wrote Stieglitz November 18. The must be shut down," Deaton enough, and we have been too pa- Commission alleges inadequate stated. tient too long," he told ARRL. station control, deliberate interfer- The odd-split 147.435 MHz re- ence, failure of users to identify and peater (the primary input is Excerpt from The ARRL Letter, use by unlicensed operators. 146.400 MHz) has been a lightning December 2nd. Stieglitz told ARRL he encourages rod for controversy. In 2001, the

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NOV. MEETING MINUTES NEW BUSINESS: Antenna – Cont. from Page 3 November 18, 2005 • Bob, AF6C (trustee of W6ZE) asked for and was given a • W5HZA - Lafayette, LA President Ken, W6HHC, called the name of someone who would • WA3SLN - Montourville, PA group to order at 7:00 PM. Roll call print the club QSL cards for a • AA5EA - El Paso, TX was taken. Kenan, N6CCE, was reasonable price. • KQØA - Taos, NM out of town, all others were pres- • Those gathered were reminded So this was a very successful pro- ent. There were 26 present with that the Club board meets on ject. I am very satisfied with the visitors Fred, K6RMX; Steve, KI- the first Saturday of the month results. I am active on 30M, now. 6ATO; Matt, KI6BLY; Vlad, for breakfast. Dan-N6PEQ is advising me on the KI6BLP, Frank, WF1A; and new • Newly elected President Willie “how to DX” characteristics of the member Paul, KQ6EH. asked for information from the 30M band. I have already heard a President Ken then introduced visitors regarding what they ex- KH6 and JA7. Perhaps I could or- Taka-KW6I and Jeff-AA6JR of pected from the club. They re- ganize a club antenna building pro- AOR-USA who gave a very interest- sponded, advice on equipment, jects if other club members are in- ing presentation on “New Digital advice on how to get into an terested?? Contact me if you are Voice Modulation”. After the break emergency response group, ad- interested or have question on this the meeting continued. The vice on how to set up mobile op- project at: minutes of the last board meeting erations equipment, getting to- [email protected] were approved as published. gether with hams who like to work on projects and test OLD BUSINESS: equipment, and learning the • Board elections were held and new techniques of ham radio. the following were elected to be on the 2006 board: GOOD of the CLUB: • Dan, N6PEQ reported on recent President: DX.. Willie Peloquin, N8WP; • Tom, WA6PFA, reported that Vice President: he has been monitoring SS ATV Kristin Dankert, K6PEQ; and receiving good pictures. • Bob, AF6C reported that This Secretary: Week in Technology had a re- Steve Brody, N1AB; port on how good the Heil mi- Treasurer: crophone sounds. Cheryl Peloquin, KC6KTT; • President Ken reported that he will follow up in a future RF on Activities Chair: the 30 meter dipole he is con- Dan Dankert, N6PEQ; structing. Membership Chair: The meeting adjourned at 9:07 PM. Bob Eckweiler, AF6C; Respectfully Submitted Publicity Chair: Rich Helmick KE6WWK Tom Weed, K6CCD; Secretary Technical Chair: Figure 4 – Close-up for Adding Kenan Reilly, N6CCE; 1-inch wire to each end Member at Large:

Lowell Burnett KQ6JD; Member at Large: Ken Konechy, W6HHC; • All were thanked for their wil- lingness to serve. Dec 16th, 7 PM at the • Willie-N8WP explained the club Christmas dinner (Dec 16). • A review and discussion was 2525 E Ball Road, held before a final collection of Anaheim, CA donations for the ARRL BPL de- (Note: Taft Ave. in Orange becomes fense fund. Ball Rd. in Anaheim)

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change membership-info flow as ed by Dan Dankert. The motion Board Meeting Minutes follows: passed on a voice vote. Kristin, Dec. 3, 2005 1. The Treasurer will alert Mem- who is president of OCCARO, sug- The meeting was called to order by bership when monies are re- gested dates for the club to be at President Ken, W6HHC. Roll call ceived and transfer over all new- the OC Fair ham booth. The was taken and all Board members member info; and then… agreed-upon dates are July 12 and were present except Bob, AF6C who 2. Membership will send out mem- July 29. The club will “showcase” was ill. There were 15 members bership-info to all requiring club DX on one of the days. Steve N1AB present at the meeting. Cheryl- functions. suggested that the club have some KG6KTT reported that 33 tickets younger hams in the booth this OLD BUSINESS: Christmas din- to the Christmas party have been year. Willie reported that a field ner set up is going well. The elec- sold. Treasurer Cheryl, KC6KTT, day committee meeting will be tion results from last general meet- reported that the club has held in January. ing will be in the RF. The club sent $2,738.36 in the bank. Member- a check for $396.00 to ARRL for The meeting adjourned at 8:20 AM. ship Chair Dan, N6PEQ, reported BPL defense fund. that the club has approximately 55 Note: An e-vote was held to au- members. The board agreed to NEW BUSINESS: An audit com- thorize monies for the Dinner Raf- mittee of Larry Hoffman, Kristin fle. See page 8 for details Dankert and Treasurer Cheryl will Respectfully Submitted meet in the middle of January Rich Helmick KE6WWK 2006 to audit the club accounts. Secretary President Ken has the name of the With assistance from recipient of the Good of the Club Lowell KQ6JD award which will be given at the Christmas dinner. A discussion was held regarding opening a Pay Pal account for club use. Willie, N8WP, moved that the club open a Next RF Deadline: Jan 9th Pay Pal account and it was second-

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