Epara Beacon

Our 24Th Year! EPARA BEACON

Vol. 4, Number 7 The Official Newsletter of The Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association July 2020 Next Club Meeting: July 9th via Zoom Monroe County Public Safety Center, 100 Gypsum Rd Stroudsburg, PA 18360 elcome to the EPARA Beacon! This newsletter is published monthly and is the official newsletter of the Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association. EPARA has served the amateur radio community in the Pocono Mountains for over 25 years. We have been an ARRL affiliatedW club since 1995. We offer opportunities for learning and the advancement of skills in the radio art for hams and non-hams alike. EPARA supports Monroe County ARES/RACES in their mission of providing emergency communications for served agencies in Monroe County. Feel free to join us at one of our meetings or operating events during the year. The club meets on the second Thursday of every month, at the Monroe County 911 Emergency Control Center. The business meeting starts at 7:30 P.M. Anyone interested is invited to participate in our meetings and activities. EPARA Nets: Monroe county ARES/RACES – Sunday’s 8:30 PM, 146.865 MHz, -PL 100.0 Hz SPARK Information/Swap Net – Tuesday’s 8:30 PM, 147.045 MHz, +PL 131.8 Hz EPARA Tech net – Friday’s 8:30 PM, 147.045 MHz, +PL 131.8 Hz

Due to the COVID-19 emergency we have moved our monthy meetings to Zoom. To join our Zoom Meeting please use the link below. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85463346031?pwd=bU1KcVZ0aVZiVEUvdjRsUXlNNHZkZz09 Meeting ID: 854 6334 6031 Password: 244632

Amateur Radio classes have been postponed due to the COVID-19 virus. Classes should begin in the future. Stay tuned... July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 1 President Chris Saunders AJ3C

Vice President Bill Carpenter AB3ME

• Officers and Committees - 2 Secretary • From the President - 3 Naomi Lopes KC3GVO • Announcements & Upcoming Events – 4 • Secretary's Report - 5 Treasurer Scott Phelan KC3IAO • Club Calendar - 7 • EPARA Moments - 8 Memeber at Large • Field Day 2020 - 9 TBA • Keeping Power-Pole connectors together - 12 **************************** • Test Your Knowledge - 13 • Elmer’s Notebook - 14 ARES EC • VE Testing & Classes - 15 Kevin McCauley KB3EJM • EPARA Hamfest - 16 Assistant EC • ARES/RACES - 16 Chris Saunders AJ3C

• In Memorium - W.T Jones WN3LIF SK - 17 Field Day Coordinator • National Traffic System - 18 Chris Saunders AJ3 • New PA PUBLIC SAFETY Repeater - 19 Quartermaster • Solar Events - 20 Ron Salamanca N3GGT • From the Editor - 21 Membership Coordinator • Tube of the Month - 22 Al Brizzi KB3OVB • Contest Corral - 23 Newsletter Editor • Special Event Stations - 24 Eric Weis N3SWR • 13 Colony’s Special Event - 27 Photographer • Tech Corner: - 28 Eric Weis N3SWR • Antenna Archives #24 - 33 Public Information • EPARA SatComm - Operating the Birds - 35 Donald Darcy Jr WK2RP • Bob’s Hill Topping Experiences - 38 Social Media Chris Saunders AJ3C • For Sale - Station Signs - 43 Eric Weis N3SWR • For Sale - Ham Equipment - 44 Hamfest Coordinator • Membership Application Form - 46 Bill Connely W3MJ Walter Koras W3FNZ Technical Program Coordinator Bill Carpenter AB3ME Lead VE Chris Saunders AJ3C Webmaster Chris Saunders AJ3C

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 2 om The P t Fr residen

Well summer is here at last. I hope everyone who participated in Field Day had great success and learned something about their skills and their station. Our Zoom meeting for June went extremely well and we will continue to use this format until regular meetings can resume. At the June meeting we voted two new individual’s into membership, reallocated the Field Day funds to Antenna / Elmer weekend, closed the election nominations, and decided to conduct our elections via electronic balloting. We also held our first VE session since March. So things are finally restarting with EPARA.

The 2020 EPARA Hamfest planning continues, tickets are complete, vendors have been invited, and door prizes are being gathered. We have just a couple months to finish planning and assigning duties to volunteers. We will need people to help park buyers and sellers, run the food concessions, hold the VE session, and quite a few smaller tasks. So we need membership participation! Remember hamfests are not just about making some cash, it’s a service to the greater ham community! I hope many of you will step up to help out.

Antenna / Elmer weekend is set for July 24th – 26th at Big Pocono State Park. This will be our coming out of lock down event. It will be the first chance for all of us to gather since the whole pandemic hit. We will have hamburgers, hot dogs, and refreshments provided through club funds. I hope many of you bring food and snacks for everyone to enjoy. The Sat-Com guys will be making satellite QSO’s so there is the chance for all to learn about that aspect of ham radio. We will be building and testing a horizontal loop for 80 meters for our antenna project. The HF station will be available in the trailer for the weekend so anyone who would like to try out HF can get some experience and tips from more seasoned members. Overnight camping is allowed and I encourage it!

It is with great sadness that I announce that on Monday June 22nd, WT Jones has become a silent key. Many of you know WT and he has attended several of our club meetings. He has been instrumental in the reset of MCARES as well as being a huge part ARES in NEPA. His efforts to make ARES a relevant part of many communities will be sorely missed.

I will continue to be in contact with the folks at the 911 center and as soon as we can host our meetings without limiting the number of people in the room to less than 15 people we will resume regular in person monthly meetings. Until then or another suitable location is secured we will continue meeting via Zoom. So that’s it for now.

Stay Well and 73 Chris AJ3C

Contact Information

President Chris Saunders AJ3C [email protected] Vice President Bill Carpenter AB3ME [email protected] Secretary Naomi Lopes KC3GVO Treasurer Scott Phelan KC3IAO Member at Large ARES EC Kevin McCauley KB3EJM

Postal Address: Web Site: Send dues to: Newsletter submissions to: EPARA https://www.qsl.net/n3is/ EPARA Eric Weis, N3SWR Editor PO Box 521 Email: PO Box 521 [email protected] Sciota, PA 18354 [email protected] Sciota, PA 18354

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 3 Run for the Red 6pm at the Monroe County 911 Training Center. The Run for the Red event has been canceled for 2020. We will post any updates should they Elmer & Antenna Weekend! become available. July 24, 25 and 26th - EPARA plans to cut loose a bit and enjoy a special weekend! Join us at Hamfest! Big Pocono State Park for a chance to fox hunt, The EPARA Hamfest is on schedule!! Date build antennas, make those evasive satellite is September 20th 2020, rain or shine. QSO’s and so much more!! Groundwork to make this a success is continuing and we need volunteers, There is increasing PA PUBLIC SAFETY AMATUER RADIO interest in this from outside as this could indeed Go to our ARES/RACES NTS page for further be the only hamfest in the to actually happen information on a newly activated repeater in the this year. Please volunteer! Palmerton area - you will enjoy!

License Classes! Hamfest In general - no pun intended - all classes are Raffle tickets are now in print - thank you Bob temporarily suspended until we as a club come KE3MW !! out of this virus threat successfully. Bumps in the road folks and we just have to work around them for now.

ARES/RACES Meetings are being held on the ZOOM platform for the time being on the 4th Friday of each month at 7pm. All are encouraged to join in. The Monroe County ARES website has also been revamped. There 146.865 repeater has also been repaired.

VE Sessions are back! VE sessions are returning in a limited fashion to accommodate those waiting for license tests and the requirements as set forth by county and state health codes due to COVID-19. Sessions will be held the 4th Friday of each month at Rule #1 of Amateur Radio, it is a hobby, unless you figured out a way to fashion a living out of it. Rule #2 of Amateur Radio, life is not a hobby and typically carries heavy responsibilities of everything that is not a hobby. Rule #3 of Amateur Radio, never give up a LIFE event for a Ham event. You may make some great memories at the Ham event, but the guilt you may carry missing a LIFE event can be a terribly heavy millstone. Rule #4 of Amateur Radio, as technology moves forward, so does Ham Radio - do what makes you happiest, experiment with other elements of Ham Radio as LIFE allows. Rule #5 of Amateur Radio, it is only Ham Radio, when confused always refer to Rule #1 through #4. July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 4 Secretary's Report EPARA General Membership Meeting Agenda Please stand by.... General Membership Meeting 7:30Pm

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 5 Secretary's Report EPARA General Membership Meeting Agenda Please stand by.... General Membership Meeting 7:30Pm

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 6 EPARA 2020 Calender Note: ALL VE sessions will now be taking place one (1) hour prior to the club meeting starting at 6pm the second Thursday of every month

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 7 Our June meeting via ZOOM! Well somebody had to take a picture ;)

Congratulations to Al KV3OVB for passing his VE open book test !!!

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 8 N3SWR

W3INK

KG3I

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 9 Temporary Rule Waivers for ARRL Field Day 2020

5/28/2020

With one month to go before 2020 ARRL Field Day, June 27-28, the ARRL Programs and Services Committee (PSC) has adopted two temporary rule waivers for the event:

1) For Field Day 2020 only, Class D stations may work all other Field Day stations, including other Class D stations, for points.

Field Day rule 4.6 defines Class D stations as “Home stations,” including stations operating from permanent or licensed station locations using commercial power. Class D stations ordinarily may only count contacts made with Class A, B, C, E, and F Field Day stations, but the temporary rule waiver for 2020 allows Class D stations to count contacts with other Class D stations for QSO credit.

2) In addition, for 2020 only, an aggregate club score will be published, which will be the sum of all individual entries indicating a specific club (similar to the aggregate score totals used in ARRL affiliated club competitions).

Ordinarily, club names are only published in the results for Class A and Class F entries, but the temporary rule waiver for 2020 allows participants from any Class to optionally include a single club name with their submitted results following Field Day.

For example, if Podunk Hollow Radio Club members Becky, W1BXY, and Hiram, W1AW, both participate in 2020 Field Day — Hiram from his Class D home station, and Becky from her Class C mobile station — both can include the radio club’s name when reporting their individual results. The published results listing will include individual scores for Hiram and Becky, plus a combined score for all entries identified as Podunk Hollow Radio Club.

The temporary rule waivers were adopted by the PSC on May 27, 2020.

ARRL Field Day is one of the biggest events on the amateur radio calendar, with over 36,000 participants in 2019, including entries from 3,113 radio clubs and emergency operations centers. In most years, Field Day is also the largest annual demonstration of ham radio, because many radio clubs organize their participation in public places such as parks and schools.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many radio clubs have made decisions to cancel their group participation in ARRL Field Day this year due to public health recommendations and/or requirements, or to significantly modify their participation for safe social distancing practices. The temporary rule waivers allow greater flexibility in recognizing the value of individual and club participation regardless of entry class.

ARRL is contacting logging program developers about the temporary rule waivers so developers can release updated versions of their software prior to Field Day weekend. Participants are reminded that the preferred method of submitting entries after Field Day is via the web applet. The ARRL Field Day rules include instructions for submitting entries after the event. Entries must be submitted or postmarked by Tuesday, July 28, 2020.

The ARRL Field Day web page includes a series of articles with ideas and advice for adapting participation this year.

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 10 July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 11 By Dan Romanchik, KB6NU Keeping PowerPole connectors stuck together!

In preparation for this year’s Field Day, I made a bunch of cables with PowerPole connectors to connect the solar panel, charge controller and batteries that I used. If you’re not familiar with PowerPoles, you might want to check out this You-tube video. They’re really great connectors, and have become the DC connector of choice for many hams.

When I make up PowerPole cables, I normally don’t bother trying to secure the two halves together, especially if you’re using some decently heavy gauge wire. They fit together pretty tightly, and don’t come apart easily. Even so, I think securing them together is a good idea. You can buy a little roll pin to insert between the red and black housings that is supposed to prevent them from coming apart, but many folks complain that the pin has a tendency to fall out. This not only defeats the purpose, but could also damage your equipment. Securing them is the right thing to do, though, and I recently came across some great suggestions on how to do this in the daily digest that I receive from the Elecraft-KX mailing list. Here are the best tips from the thread, Securing Anderson Power Poles:

• Rudy K8SWD: You can thermally bond the red and black housings with a soldering iron like you are making little welds on both sides. Permanent (mostly) but it works better than the roll pins. Just clean the tip really good before soldering! • Dave K0CDA: [Anderson] also make connectors that are thermally bonded together in pairs. They do NOT come apart. • Don W3FPR: I use a drop of Super Glue on the junction of the plastic pieces. Warning – that glue grabs quickly, so slide the 2 pieces onlyl enough to start the assembly, then apply the drop of glue and quickly finish sliding them together. I have never had ones prepared like that come apart, and I don’t use roll pins. I will say one more thing – use only the genuine APPs. I have seen some knockoffs that do not mate well. • Greg KC9NRO: Take a hot soldering iron. Wipe the tip with sponge. Run the tip down both side of APP bonding the black and red sides together. Clean soldering iron tip and apply some solder to tip. That’s how I roll. Never comes apart • Mike AI4NS: PVC cement will soften the plastic enough to bond them together. You can also get plastic welding rods, such as Daindy Plastic Welding Rods. Chuck a rod in a Dremel and weld them together. I have made plastic boxes and panels using this method. • Jack WD4E: Snip the cotton end off a Q-tip, cutting at an angle. Insert into hole made for roll pin, cut off excess, save remainder of Q-tip for next requirement. • Troy K4JDA: 2.5mm screws work well, stay in, and are easily removable.

I posted these suggestions to my blog and got a few more great suggestions: • Tom KB8UUZ: Fat tooth picks also work great. Jam it in, break it off. • Bruce N0NHP: I use MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) replacement to clean my circuit boards after soldering. A single drop of MEK on the junction between the two halves of the PowerPole shell will fuse them. It can be broken with a sharp tap but not accidentally. It will set and dry in seconds and should be applied after the shell pieces are put together. I think these are all great suggestions. I think that I’m going to try the cotton swab method. While reading them, another thought occurred to me. I haven’t tried this yet, but I’m thinking a little drop of hot glue on the roll-pin hole might work, too.

Credit: https://click.mlsend.com/link/c/YT0xNDUxNDE5Mzc4OTc2Mjk4ODMwJmM9ajBsMSZlPTM4MDY- mYj0zNjI1MDc2ODQmZD1hMWUwZTFp.uQ-RY2oxzvsySYCzQne-6n608SM7aPwCGhZ-KfXOIlc

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 12 How can the true power be determined in an AC circuit where the voltage and current are out of phase?

A. By multiplying the apparent power by the power factor B. By dividing the reactive power by the power factor C. By dividing the apparent power by the power factor D. By multiplying the reactive power by the power factor

Last month’s answer was D;

The combination of capacitors and inductors is called an LC circuit (L is the Inductor, C is the Capacitor). Together they act to tune the circuit to smooth out voltage and current pulses from the power supply to provide a constant DC output voltage.

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 13 How to clean Icom radios

Icom recommends using over-the-counter isoprophyl alcohol, with a concentration of 70% to 80% diluted with water, on a soft, dry cloth

Recommended Cleaning Guidelines for Icom Radios and Accesso- ries

In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Icom is providing recommended cleaning guidelines for Icom radios and accessories.

Cleaning

1. Turn off the radio to avoid heat generation or a malfunction. 2. Apply over-the-counter isopropyl alcohol, with a concentration of 70% to 80% diluted with water, on a soft, dry cloth and gently wipe down the surfaces of the product. a. Do not apply or spray the solution directly on the product, or soak it in the solution. b. Avoid wiping the antenna or the transparent acrylic plate of the display as much as possible since rubbing alcohol can damage resin parts. 3. Make sure that the product batteries are sufficiently dry before using or charging them. Do not use bleach or detergents, even if diluted. It may cause damage or deterioration.

IMPORTANT

1. We recommend disinfecting your hands before and after using the product. 2. We do not guarantee compatibility with all rubbing alcohols. We recommend that you first try it on an inconspicuous part of the product. 3. Carefully read the precautions for rubbing alcohol before using it. 4. In the unlikely event that the product is damaged, or malfunctions due to rubbing alcohol, the cost of repairs or replacement of parts may be borne by the customer.

Regular Care (Dirt Removal)

Wipe the product off with a soft, dry cloth. If it is extremely dirty, wipe it with a soft cloth moistened with water. Never use detergent or organic solvents (thinner, benzine, and so on). It may cause damage, paint peeling, or deterioration. Keep it clean out there!

The post How to clean Icom radios appeared first on KB6NU’s Ham Radio Blog.

Credit: https://www.kb6nu.com/how-to-clean-icom-radios/ July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 14 nyone looking to take an exam is encouraged to contact Chris AAJ3C to preregister at least one (1) week in advance of the test date. If you have any questions or to register, Chris can be reached via email [email protected]. VE sessions are being held the 4th friday of each month at 6pm at the Monroe County 911 training center. Seat- ing is limited for the time being so we can follow the health guidelines set forth by the county and state.

s we regroup ourselves from the COVID-19 turmoil, almost every aspect of classroom Atraining unfortunately needs to be considered before classes are to be held again. Rest assured, EPARA is working hard to make this happen in the near future!

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 15 HAMFEST 2020 Sunday, September 20th, 2020 - 8am - 1pm ALL NEW LOCATION!

The American Legion Post 346 126 E 5th St, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301

Take exit 309 off I-80, then left on 447 N. - 2 miles to Business rt 209 S. - then 1st left to E. 5th St.

Featuring: Rain or Shine ✓ Hot & Cold Food ✓ Handicap Accessible ✓ Beverages ✓ Convenient Restrooms ✓ Hourly Giveaways ✓ Door Prizes! ✓ Free Parking ✓ 50/50 Raffle

✓ Sat/Comm Demonstration and Information ✓ VE Session will be held at 10AM Google Maps ✓ Grand Prize Drawing is an Alinco DJ-MD5T Hand held DMR Transceiver

For more information please visit the EPARA website at: www.qsl.net/n3is

Talk-in: 147.045MHz PL+131.8 · Phone 570-350-1185 · email: [email protected]

VISITOR INFORMATION EPARA Website ADMISSION: Buyers: $7 · Sellers: $10 Vendors & Sellers: 6:00AM · Buyers: 8:00AM Tailgate Outside or Table Space Inside our Pavilion Club Table for Consignments

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 16 It is with great sadness that I must report the passing of Walt Jones, WN3LIF. Walt passed on Monday, June 22nd, at Scranton Regional Hospital.

Walt was a Vietnam Veteran and had been awarded the Purple Heart as well as other honors while serving as a Special Forces Officer. Walt spoke often of his wife, Jan, “The Lady of the Jones Manor” and loved going for walks with his dog, Taffy. He never neglected his family and friends.

Walt served on the ARRL Field Staff as our Section Emergency Coordinator. He built ARES in East Pennsylvania into the outstanding organization it is today. Walt WAS the Amateur Radio Emergency Service in the Eastern Pennsylvania Section. He was always ready to lend a hand to County Emergency Coordinators to overcome any problem. Everyone knew they could always count on Walt. Walt visited every ARES group in East PA and made significant contributions to each.

Every Sunday evening Walt published his EPA Section ARES Weekly Bulletin which everyone looked forward to. True to form, this past Sunday, although feeling “a little under the weather”, Walt sent out his last newsletter.

I was privileged to work closely with Walt as Section Manager and valued his friendship and advice. Walt was a “self-starter”. I could ask him to take on any project and knew it would be completed in an outstanding manner.

Walt was known throughout the American Radio Relay League for his skill and devotion to Public Service. His reputation spread far and wide. Above all else, Walt was a “People Person.” He was always willing to lend a hand with any task.

Walt leaves big shoes to fill and no one will ever replace him. We will all miss Walt signing out of nets with his trademark “WN3LIF, Life Is Fun.” Walt was a member of the Murgas Amateur Radio Club and served on the Board of Directors. His passing is a great loss to the Murgas Amateur Radio Club, Luzerne County ARES, the EPA Section, Luzerne County EMA, to his friends in competitive shooting, and to those lucky to call him friend. Our deepest sympathies to his wife Jan and the rest of his family. Thanks for sharing Walt with us.

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 17 ARES/RACES meetings are now being held on the fourth Friday of each month at 7PM. The meetings are being held using ZOOM at your PC at home for the time being. These meetings will serve as training sessions covering several aspects of amateur radio emergency communications. We will start with traffic handling and the use of Radiograms and the ICS 213 general message form. Future sessions will cover the use of several ICS forms and the setup and use of digital communication modes including Winlink, Packet Radio, APRS, and the FLDIGI software program. Meeting are open to all, you do not need to be an ARES/RACES team member to attend.

Don't forget to sign up with with ARES Connect if you haven't done so already and if you plan to attend the meeting or check-in to the weekly net remember to register you attendance on the ares connect page. To sign please use this link: https://arrl.volunteerhub.com/lp/epa National Traffic System

Training Corner Attention all CW Operators:

Effective July 1, 2020, Radio Relay International will be implementing a series of weekly training broadcasts designed to prepare CW operators for participation in traffic nets. Training broadcasts consisting of radiogram training messages will be transmitted on 20, 40 and 80 meters each Wednesday/Thursday. An outline of the program and the operating schedule may be found here:

http://radio-relay.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ RRI-Weekly-Broadcast-Schedule-FA-2020-7-1.pdf

Please distribute to your local radio clubs, EmComm organizations, CW interest groups and section/local traffic nets. 73, Radio Relay International www.radio-relay.org www.facebook.com/radiorelayinternational [email protected]

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 18 New repeater from Aaron Groover K3ALG:

I have a repeater on a club call KC3PMB the new club is PA PUBLIC SAFETY AMATUER RADIO 444.475+5 179.9. That is the freq pair for now for testing until completely coordinated and will change, I got the ok from Ron N3VTH the area coordinator to test.

The repeater is located in Palmerton Pa currently in the testing phase until coverage approves. Right now it covers, lower carbon and upper Northampton and Monroe counties. Once the tower is up the coverage will improve to Lehigh, Monroe, Parts of Berks (Mostly reading, Hamburg and into parts of the skook (East penn twp, New Ringgold, Tamaqua). You may be able to hit it now running some decent power from Tamaqua and lehigh county area. I was able to hit it on a HT from center city Allentown with no issues. Right now the elevation is about 20 feet on a mast. The equipment is a brand new unused Motorola Quantar with a commscope DB404 . The repeater I got from my dad as he went silent key 6/10 his call was W3NTT. His goal was to have this repeater up and that is what I am doing for him now. It will eventually be placed on a 40ft rohn25g and will be pretty sufficient with the footprint.

The repeater is for public safety hams to chat with on the rides to work and such, but also anyone is welcome as well. Please feel free to pass on the information to everyone. Its starting now from the ground up, but more to come!

With that being said if any of you have any background in public safety. As myself am a EMT and a dispatcher. I would like to formally start a members list for the first go round. No payment needed, or donation. All I would need is basically your call and email address. A website will go up here in the coming weeks as well. Once I get a sufficient list of members we will for sure have nets.

I hope you guys all stay safe and well. And thank you for your time. And always 73’s

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 19 The biggest solar flare in years just came out of the Sun and it could be waking up, Nasa says

The Sun produced its largest solar flare since October 2017 over the weekend, which could be an indication that the sun’s solar cycle is becoming more active.

Such periods of activity can cause interference with radio equipment or satellites in space.

A collection of sunspots, which are dark areas of the sun signifying complex magnetic fields, were spotted by a Nasa spacecraft. On May 29, a relatively small solar flare came from these sunspots, sending harmful radiation into the atmosphere.

This flare is classified as M-class, which represents the middle in terms of solar flare strength – more powerful than C-class flares, but not as powerful as X-class flares, which can cause radio blackouts.

Each class is ten times as powerful as before, divided into five classes: A-class, B-class, C-class, M-class, and X-class. Even if a flare reaches X-class, there are ten classifications within that measurement, each ten times more powerful than the one previously, Nasa says. During the last solar maximum in 2003, the sensors cut out at X28.

This M-class flare did reportedly cause a small radio blackout, and was followed b a smaller C-class flare approximately three hours later. Over the past 48 hours, it has also been recorded that smaller B-class solar flares have been seen on the Sun too.

Although this flare was not strong enough to pass the marker at which point the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) would have to issue a warning for space weather forecasts, since the sun has been in a ‘solar minimum’ this could be a sign that our closest star is becoming more active.

The Sun has a natural 11-year cycle, where its activity increases and decreases. Strong activity from the Sun can send eruptions of energy into space with effects seen on Earth, including the aurora or interfere with radio communications and – in extreme cases – affect energy grids.

Scientists need to know when these solar cycles are occurring in order to protect the planet’s radio communications, as well as ensuring the safety of astronauts and satellites outside of the Earth’s atmosphere, because of the damage that they can have on electronics.

The task is a long one: scientists need six months of solar observations and sunspot measurements in order to know when a minimum has occurred, and it could take another six months or even a year after that to know when it is passed. Credit: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/nasa-sun-solar-flare- sunspots-magnetic-fields-space-a9541696.html

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 20 Wow it’s already July and this years Field Day is now behind us.

I trust everyone tried to participate to some degree. Myself - well Eric, N3SWR I tossed a quick antenna up, dragged out my tuner and got that working and made some contacts which will go towards the clubs call sign.

This month we also sadly mark the loss of a friend - W.T.Jones WN3LIF. I could tell his heart was in Amateur Radio and emergency services. He will be surely missed by all.

July brings us Antenna and Elmer Weekend and I won’t miss that event for certain. I have way too many pictures to take to make up for what’s been missed these last few months.

VE sessions are back in full swing and it was a nice change from the norm to see some club members.

Field Day is now history and I had an absolute blast trying out my station. It was a chance to shake out the bugs and just discover what works, what doesn’t and what propagation is all about. I spent hours chasing that wandering signal, trying out the transmitters filters and making the most of the event. I discovered that yes my antenna NEEDS to be redone so now I have another project on my hit list. The 13 Colony’s contest started yesterday and I’m working on that antenna today.

Everyone enjoy your holiday and get on the airwaves! I have a case of Fat Tire to dig into during these hot days and that alone should put a smile on my face.

That’s it for now, 73

Eric N3SWR - ...... --. .- .-. .- -... . .- -.-. --- -. Topics of Interest ave an idea you would like to share with your fellow hams? Interested in one of the new exotic digital Hmodes and would like to get others interested in it too? Found a blog somewhere that you think others would find interesting? Members are encouraged to submit items of interest for publication. Submitted articles (are suggested) to be no more than a page or two in length and may be edited for content and grammar. The EPARA officers and newsletter editor reserve the right to determine which items will be included in The Beacon. The deadline for publication is the 15th of the month. The publication date will be at the end of each month. Copyrights are the property of their respective owners and their use is strictly non-profit/educational and intended to foster the spirit of amateur radio.

If you’ve taken pictures at an event and would like to submit them for possible inclusion in the newsletter, forward them to the newsletter editor. Please send action shots, if possible. Faces are often preferable over the backs of heads. Many hams may be way too overweight, so please consider using a wide-angled lens. Disclaimer The Beacon is not representative of the views or opinions of the whole organization, and such views and opinions expressed herein are of the individual author(s).

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 21 6SA7 Converter

Also known by US military identifier VT-150A.

The 6SA7 is a metal pentagrid converter. It is intended to perform the combined functions of the mixer and oscillator in superheterodyne receivers, especially those of the all-wave type. The 6SA7 is constructed to provide excellent frequency stability.

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 22 Contests!

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 23 06/25/2020 | Vermontville TWP Fire & EMS 100th 57501. W0I will be active for the independence day Annual Dance celebration at Mount Rushmore in SD. Some digital operation is possible using FT8 or PSK31. kd0s@ Jun 25-Jul 6, 0900Z-0900Z, W8S, Vermontville, kd0s.com MI. Rodney Harmon WK8H Fire/EMS Dance 07/04/2020 | Colonial Williamsburg Special Event Committee. 446.200 MHz PL 74.4; 147.080 MHz PL 103.5; 145.560 MHz; IRLP Node 4868. QSL. Jul 4, 1400Z-2000Z, K4RC, Williamsburg, VA. Rodney L. Harmon, WK8H, 172 East Second St., Williamsburg Area Amateur Radio Club. 14.265 Vermontville, MI 49096-9455. A Century of the 7.265. QSL. QSL Manager, K4RC, P.O. Box 1470, Annual Fire EMS Dance [email protected] Williamsburg, VA 23187. 244th anniversary of 06/28/2020 | Boy Scouts of America Trail to Eagle Signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. XXVI www.k4rc.net 07/04/2020 | Independence Day Observance Jun 28-Jul 3, 1300Z-0500Z, K2BSA/8, Metamora, MI. Garden City Amateur Radio Club. 14.330 Jul 4, 1630Z-2130Z, W5KID, Baton Rouge, LA. 7.270 3.840. QSL. Richard Zarczynski, AC8FJ, 7371 Baton Rouge Amateur Radio Club. 14.250 14.035 N. Farmington Road, Westland, MI 48185-6900. 7.225 7.035. QSL. USS KIDD Amateur Radio K2BSA/8 will operate at the D-Bar-A Scout Ranch Club, 305 S. River Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70802. during the week as time permits. We will also be Operation aboard the USS KIDD (DD-661), WW II teaching the Radio merit badge to our scouts. Fletcher class destroyer. qrz.com/db/w5kid michiganscouting.org/event/trail-to-eagle-xxvi- 07/04/2020 | W7PX 4th of July 2019-trail-to-eagle 06/29/2020 | The Brickyard 400 Jul 4, 1400Z-2200Z, W7PX, Missoula, MT. The Hellgate Amateur Radio Club. 7.240 7.074 14.260 Jun 29-Jul 5, 0400Z-0400Z, W9IMS, Indianapolis, 14.074. QSL. Hellgate Amateur Radio Club, P.O. IN. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Amateur Box 3811, Missoula, MT 59806-3811. Celebrating Radio Club. 18.140 14.245 7.245 3.840. Certificate & Independence Day at Historic Fort Missoula. www. QSL. Indianapolis Motor Speedway Amateur Radio w7px.org Club, P.O. Box 30954, Indianapolis, IN 46230. See the website for ALL information! www.w9ims.org 07/11/2020 | Dalton Gang SES 06/30/2020 | Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial Jul 11-Jul 13, 1700Z-2359Z, W5D, Adair, OK. Mayes County Amateur Radio Club. 14.240 7.225 Jun 30-Jul 1, 1500Z-0000Z, N7GMH, Prescott, 3.850. QSL. MCARC, P.O. Box 1195, Spavinaw, OK AZ. Yavapai Amateur Radio Club. 18.119 14.319 74366. [email protected]; www.qrz.com/db/w5d or 7.219 3.819. Certificate. Don Bauer, 7150 E. Acre www.mcarc.me Way, Prescott Valley, AZ 86315. Remembering the 07/11/2020 | Peace Cross Celebration 19 lost members of the Granite Mountain Hotshot firefighters in Yarnell, AZ, on June 30, 2013. w7yrc. Jul 11, 1300Z-1900Z, N3V, Lanham, MD. org American Legion Post 275. 7.275; 145.43 PL114.8. 07/03/2020 | Mount Rushmore Independence Day Certificate & QSL. The American Legionpost celebration 275 TALARC, 8201 Martin Luther King Jr. Hwy, Lanham, MD 20706. QSL cards & certificate can be Jul 3-Jul 5, 1800Z-2359Z, W0I, Pierre, SD. SOUTH obtained with SASE. [email protected] or www. DAKOTA ARES. 14.238 14.040 7.268 7.040. QSL. qrz.com/db/n3v JIM ZAHRADNICEK, 29563 US Hwy 14, Pierre, SD 07/12/2020 | Iowa State Parks On-the-Air July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 24 Centennial – Volga River Jul 20-Jul 25, 1300Z-2030Z, W9ZL, Appleton, WI. Fox Cities Amateur Radio Club. 50.150 14.270 Jul 12, 1500Z-1900Z, W0OEL, Fayette, IA. Rural 7.240. Certificate. W9ZL Special Event, P.O. Box Iowa Amateur Radio Club. 14.240 7.240. Certificate 2346, Appleton, WI 54912. Starting on Monday July & QSL. Great River Amateur Radio Club, P.O. Box 20 through Sunday July 25 2020 the W9ZL EAA 1384, Dubuque, IA 52004. IASPOTA-2020 Located Airventure Special Event Station will be on the air. in one of the most scenic parts of the state. Northeast We will be operating from 1300 UTC to 2030 UTC Iowa is often referred to as “Little Switzerland” Monday through Saturday, and 1300 UTC to 1700 because of its rugged topography, rock outcroppings UTC on Sunday July 25 2020. We will be operating and forest cover – a sharp contrast to the rolling hills, on 14,270, 7,250 and 50,150. EVENT HAS BEEN farmland and scattered stands of timber found in CANCELLED www.fcarc.club the majority of the state. Certificate & QSL managed 07/23/2020 | HamExposition New England THIS by Great River Amateur Radio Club, P.O. Box 1384, EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED Dubuque, IA 52004. QSL for contact; certificate for 5 parks. See website for complete information, http:// Jul 23-Jul 26, 0000Z-2359Z, W1UE, Marlborough, www.w0dbq.org/rules or https://www.w0oel.com MA. HamExposition Committee. 14.250 14.030 07/17/2020 | South Carolina Peach Festival 7.200 7.030. QSL. LoTW or Dennis G Egan, W1UE, 166 Wilson St., Marlborough, MA 01752. THIS Jul 17-Jul 19, 0400Z-0400Z, W4W, Gaffney, EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED w1ue73@gmail. SC. Cherokee County Coroner’s Office. 147.240 com 145.250 145.190 442.500. Certificate & QSL. Dennis Fowler, P.O. Box 1210, Gaffney, SC 29342. To commemorate the 43rd annual South Carolina 07/25/2020 | In Remembrance of the 305th Peach Festival in Gaffney, South Carolina. dfowler@ Anniversary of the Spanish 1715 Treasure Fleet, lost cherokeecountycoroner.com in a hurricane on their way to Spain. 07/18/2020 | Kearney Junction Park Jul 25, 1300Z-1900Z, W4OT, Vero Beach, FL. Jul 18, 1300Z-2200Z, W0KY, Kearney, NE. Vero Beach Amateur Radio Club . 14.327; D-STAR Midway Amateur Radio Club. 21.345 21.045 14.290 Ref078C. Certificate. Vero Beach Amateur Radio 14.045. Certificate. Henry Angle, N0HA, 307 E. 35th Club c/o IRC EOC, 4225 43rd Ave., Vero Beach, FL St., Kearney, NE 68847. 32967. w4ot.webs.com 07/18/2020 | Red River Bridge War Special Event 07/25/2020 | NSS 79th annual Convention

Jul 18-Jul 26, 0000Z-2359Z, W5I, Sherman, TX. Jul 25-Jul 31, 1800Z-1800Z, K8V, Elkins, WV. Grayson County ARC. 14.250 7.250 14.040 7.040. National Speleological Society. 14.285 14.050 7.195. QSL. Grayson County ARC, PO Box 642, Sherman, QSL. Sam Rowe, 2749 Commercial Ave, Madison, TX 75091. The Red River Bridge War was a dispute WI 53704-4868. CW, slow speed, Saturday only. between Texas and Oklahoma over a new bridge www.nss2020.caves.org that was built across the Red River in 1931. Tempers 07/31/2020 | Sheboygan Brat Days were high but no blood was shed during this dispute. Please visit qrz.com/db/w5i for more information Jul 31-Aug 2, 1700Z-0100Z, W9B, Sheboygan, about the war and QSL information. https:// WI. Sheboygan County Amateur Radio Club. 14.240 graysoncountyarc.org 7.240. Certificate. Sheboygan County Amateur 07/20/2020 | EAA Airventure 2020 - EVENT HAS Radio Club, c/o Steve Eisold, 4235 N. 29th St., BEEN CANCELLED Sheboygan, WI 53083. 67th Annual Sheboygan Brat Days, celebrating the sausage that made Sheboygan July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 25 famous! 14.240, 7.240 - noon to 8:00 p.m. CDT Friday and Saturday. Certificate only: W9VCL Sheboygan County Amateur Radio Club, 4235 N. 29th Street, Sheboygan, WI 53083. Please include $2.00 for 8-1/2x11 mailed in manila envelope or send $1 and SASE #10 (certificate will be folded). More information: https://www.w9vcl.com

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 26 Annual 13 Colonies Event Gets Under Way on July 1

06/30/2020

he annual 13 Colonies special event will begin on July 1 at 1300 UTC and conclude Ton July 8 at 0400 UTC. Stations representing the original 13 British colonies, plus two bonus stations, will be on the air with 1 × 1 call signs. The event sponsor stresses that participants do not need to work all 13 colony stations to obtain a certificate and do not need to work the two bonus stations for a clean sweep. All HF bands will be in play, with the exception of 60 meters, and simplex on 2 and 6 meters is encouraged. All modes of operation may be represented.

This year will mark the 12th occurrence of the event. Look for: K2A, New York K2B, Virginia K2C, Rhode Island K2D, Connecticut K2E, Delaware K2F, Maryland K2G, Georgia K2H, Massachusetts K2I, New Jersey K2J, North Carolina K2K, New Hampshire K2L, South Carolina K2M, Pennsylvania.

Bonus station WM3PEN will be in Philadelphia (the call sign commemorates the Penn- sylvania colony’s founder, William Penn). The other bonus station will be GB13COL in the UK.

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 27 The lure of the ladder line I was feeding a short, limited-space antenna with coaxial cable. Everything seemed to be okay, but was it?

Like many hams, I live in a home that’s inhospitable to antennas. My house sits on a 100-foot square lot with trees along the back. I always hoped to be the proud owner of a tower and an HF beam antenna, but that was out of the question. What about a vertical? Well, I’d have to bury plenty of radial wires in the rocky Connecticut turf. That didn’t sound like fun. I could buy a vertical that didn’t require radials, but those antennas were a bit out of my price range and their awkward, spiky appearance didn’t blend well with the landscaping. A wire antenna seemed to be the ideal candidate.

Hanging a wire between two trees wasn’t a problem, but there was still the aesthetic issue to consider. As much as I love ham radio, I didn’t want to arouse the anger of my wife and neighbors by installing a copper monstrosity that looked as if it was spun by a mutant spider. All I wanted was a simple, low- profile dipole that I could operate on a number of HF bands.

Perhaps I could string up a single dipole and feed it with coaxial cable, using an antenna tuner to load it on several bands. The length of the antenna wouldn’t be critical. I’ d put up as much wire as possible and let the tuner worry about transferring power to the system. Even under high SWR conditions, where lots of energy is reflected back and forth between the tuner and the antenna, a substantial amount of RF would still be radiated. That sounded fine to me.

I put up a 66-foot dipole and fed it with low-loss coaxial cable. Sure enough, my antenna tuner was able to load it on all bands from 40 through 10 meters more or less. The tuner balked a bit on 17 meters and it was very touchy on 10 meters. (Sometimes it arced with a startling snap!) Despite the problems, I used my system to work 75 new countries in just a couple of months, finally clinching my DXCC award. I also enjoyed many stateside contacts.

The SWR was quite high on most bands. At 100 watts output, however, the heavy-duty coax withstood the mismatch without noticeable heating. (I’d certainly notice it at higher power levels, though!) The antenna looked great and seemed to be performing well. Even so, I knew I was losing power in the cable and I wondered how it was affecting the overall performance.

While considering the alternatives, my thoughts drifted to trap dipoles. Yes, a trap dipole can be resonant on several HF bands,but the coil-and-capacitor traps tend to be bulky and prone to loss. How about a fan dipole? Simply attach several resonant dipoles to the same center point and feed them all with one cable. Too big and ugly! (We’re back to the spider-web problem again.)

How Bad Can it Be?

I allowed my thoughts to drift for more than a year until I met Dean Straw, N6BV, our new Senior Assistant Technical Editor here at League Headquarters. Dean’s field of expertise is antennas and propagation, so I peppered him with questions about my antenna situation.

Yes, he said, my original assumption was correct. A nonresonant antenna will work even with sky- high SWR if the feed-line loss is low enough. My cable provided a low loss. The ARRL Handbook

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 28 chart indicated that its loss was less than 1.5 dB per 100 feet at 100 MHz. I was only using 50 feet and my highest operating frequency was 29.60 MHz. (Cable loss decreases as feed-line length and frequency decrease.) So how bad could my losses be?

Very bad!

I made the mistake of underestimating the loss under high SWR conditions. Dean used a computer program to calculate the loss on various HF bands when used with my 66-foot dipole. You can see the results inthe middle column of Table 1.1 was shocked, to say the least! My 100-watt signal was reduced substantially on some frequencies. (The higher the dB figure, the more power is lost in the cable. A 3-dB loss represents a 50% reduction.)

Since I insisted on sticking with a single-dipole design, Dean suggested that I replace my coaxial cable with ladder line. Unlike coax, where one conductor completely surrounds another, ladder line places both conductors in parallel. Insulating material is used to maintain a consistent separation. As a result, the fields radiated by the conductors cancel each other and the line is balanced. In 450-ohm line, sections of insulating plastic give the cable a ladder-like appearance, hence the name (see Fig 1).

Fig 1 - This type of 450-ohm ladder line uses plastic insulating material to maintain a consistent separation between the two conductors. The air gaps between the Insulation gives it Its ladder-like appearance. Other types of open-wire line are available, but 450-ohm ladder line is the most common.

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 29 Fig 2 - You can use a piece of Plexiglas to reinforce the ladder-line connection at the antenna. The Plexiglas acts to reduce the flexing of the wires where they connect to the antenna.

“Oh, no,” I said. “I know all about ladder line. It radiates RF in your house and you have to keep it away from metal or it won’t work.”

Dean simply smiled. He ran the loss calculations again, but this time he substituted ladder line (see the right-hand column of Table 1). Wow! On 40 through 10 meters, the loss hardly exceeded 0.3 dB. Now he had my attention. But what about all those ladder-line problems?

“If the ladder line is balanced, it doesn’t radiate RF,” he replied. “As far as metal objects are concerned, you need to keep the line a few inches away from big sections of steel, aluminum and so on. The fields around the conductors can couple to metal and this creates an imbalance. Unless you intend to tape the ladder line along your gutters, however, I wouldn’t worry about it. Your tuner should be able to handle any imbalance that occurs.”

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 30 Cable length: 50 feet. Antenna: 66-foot dipole at a height of 30 feet. Calculated by Dean Straw, N6BV, Senior Assistant Technical Editor

The Test

I was determined to put Dean’s statements to the test. I purchased a 100-foot roll of 450-ohm ladder line and attached it to the center of my dipole. Since this was a temporary installation, I routed the line across the roof and into the window of my radio room. Along the way I passed over a couple of gutters, across some chimney flashing and along some aluminum siding to my window, which was equipped with metal sashes!

After attaching the line to the balanced-antenna posts on my tuner, I fired up the radio. “This will never work,” I mumbled.

The tuner loaded easily on 40 meters, but that proved nothing. The antenna was resonant on 40 meters anyway. I started moving up, band by band. Each time, the tuner reduced the SWR at the transmitter to a flat 1:1 match without difficulty. No arcing. No RF interference. I was stunned!

On 15 meters, I heard a pileup centered on a station in the Marshall Islands. I grabbed the microphone and announced my call sign when he said, “... standing by for calls.” He answered me on the first attempt!

“I know what I’ll do,” I said with a fiendish laugh. “I’ll load the antenna on 80 meters. It’s way too short to load on 80!”

Wrong again. The tuner quickly brought the SWR down to 1:1. I then proceeded to make several contacts and received outstanding signal reports. This was the first time that I was ever able to use my dipole on 80 meters. I tried 160 meters, but that was pushing it a bit too far for the tuner. A muffled frying sound indicated its displeasure.

The performance of the antenna fed with 450-ohm ladder line has been excellent on all bands. As you might guess, the improvement is most dramatic on the bands where the SWR is highest. Thanks to ladder line, the vast majority of my output power is now radiated at the antenna, not lost in the feed line.

Not a Cure-All

It’s important to point out that my nonresonant dipole is a compromise solution designed for the restrictions at my home. The ladder line isn’t magical. It simply allows a mediocre antenna to perform much better than it might otherwise. I must keep my output below 150 watts or risk dangerously high RF voltage levels on the feed line (now you know why the tuner arced on 160 meters!). Some antenna tuners may arc even at relatively low power levels. If you decide to attempt this type of antenna design, I recommend a heavy-duty antenna tuner rated at 1 kW or higher. The tuner must provide a balanced output (not all tuners do).

Of course, if I had a resonant antenna instead, I could go back to my low-loss coaxial cable and enjoy equally good performance. I probably wouldn’t need an antenna tuner and I could run much more

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 31 power.

Ladder line can be affected by weather. (Ice, water or debris between the conductors can upset the balance.) Unless you reinforce the connection at the antenna (see Fig 2), the line is likely to break rather quickly. And ladder line can be difficult to locate. (If your local dealer doesn’t sell it, check the advertising pages of QST for wire and cable suppliers.) These disadvantages notwithstanding, ladder line is an excellent choice for almost any kind of HF antenna. Not only is it inexpensive, the loss figures at HF frequencies are very low.

Apartment and Condo Dwellers

If you’re an apartment/condo dweller, or anyone else suffering under antenna restrictions, ladder line may offer a way for you to get on the air. If you have an attic, for example, install the longest dipole you can and feed it with ladder line. Don’ t worry about the length of your antenna. Just make sure that both sides are equal. Use your antenna tuner and determine on which bands you can achieve a 1:1 SWR. You may be surprised to discover that you can become active on at least some HF bands after all!

Credit: https://www.robkalmeijer.nl/techniek/electronica/radiotechniek/hambladen/qst/1993/12/ page70/index.html

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 32 #24

Random Length Multi-band Dipoles

ou can also enjoy multi band performance without traps, coils, fans or other schemes. Simply cut two Yequal lengths of stranded copper wire. These are going to be the two halves of your dipole antenna. Don’t worry about the total length of the antenna. Just make it as long as possible. You won’t be trimming or adding wire to this dipole.

Feed the dipole in the center with 450-ohm ladder line (available from most ham dealers), and buy an antenna tuner with a balanced output. Feed the ladder line into your house, taking care to keep it from coming in contact with metal, and connect it to your tuner. Use regular coaxial cable between the antenna tuner and your radio.

You can make this antenna yourself, or buy it pre-made if you’re short on time. A 130-foot dipole of this type should be usable on almost every HF band. Shorter versions will also work, but you may not be able to load them on every band.

Ladder line offers extremely low RF loss on HF frequencies, even when the SWR is relatively high. Just apply a signal at a low power level to the tuner and adjust the tuner controls until you achieve the lowest SWR reading. (Anything below 2:1 is fine.) You’ll probably find that you need to readjust the tuner when you change frequencies. (You’ll definitely need to readjust it when you change bands.)

You may discover that you cannot achieve an acceptable SWR on some bands, no matter how much you adjust the tuner. Even so, this antenna is almost guaranteed to work well on several bands, despite the need to retune.

So why doesn’t everyone use the ladder line approach? The reason has much to do with convenience. Ladder line isn’t as easy to install as coax. You must keep it clear of large pieces of metal (a few inches at least). Unlike coax, you can’t bend and shape ladder line to accommodate your installation. And ladder line doesn’t tolerate repeated flexing as well as coaxial cable. After a year or two of playing tug o’ war with the wind, ladder line will often break.

Besides, many hams don’t relish the idea of fiddling with an antenna tuner every time they change bands or frequencies. They enjoy the luxury of turning on the radio and jumping right on the air—without squinting at an antenna tuner’s SWR meter and twisting several knobs.

Even with all the hassles, you can’t beat a ladder-line fed dipole when it comes to sheer lack of complexity. Wire antennas fed with coaxial cable must be carefully trimmed to render the lowest SWR on each operating band. With a ladder line dipole, no pruning is necessary. You don’t even care how long it is. Simply throw it up in the air and let the tuner worry about providing a low SWR for the transceiver.

Whichever dipole you finally choose, install it as high as possible. If a horizontal dipole is too close to the ground, the lion’s share of your signal will be going skyward at a steep angle.

Click on the images below for examples.

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 33 #24

Credit: http://www.arrl.org/random-length-multiband-dipoles

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 34 EPARA SatComm

The EPARA SAT-Comm “how to series” Operating the Birds

Hi Fellow EPARA SAT-Comm enthusiasts! Well in last month’s newsletter I wrote on how to get and find the right equipment, for FM satellite contacts. This last installment on the basics will involve the “how to operate” these types of Satellites. Once more here are the basic items you’ll need:

• A dual band HT radio ( you’ll be transmitting no more than 5 watts though) • A dual band Yagi antenna (70 cm and 2 meter capable) • A duplexer for the antenna • Satellite pass predictions • A compass (to help you get oriented with the satellite) • A way to record your contact (Smart phone or voice recorder)

Check out last month’s EPARA Newsletter for the previous article if you missed setting up for the SAT COMM set up and prep.

I’ll walk you through what to do next...

1. Get all your gear together and make sure everything works. Sounds like a simple enough thing, but there’s really no time to discover during a satellite pass that you have something to fix. Check to see all the items in the list above are ready to work as intended.

2. Check the direction the satellite is coming from, and the AOS (acquisition of signal) portion of the sky where it will rise above the horizon. Remember FM is line of site, with a little signal bending happening. Make a note of when the satellite will reach its maximum height, and practice pointing the antenna at the right angle and direction. See if you can use a landmark that corresponds to the satellite’s pass as in approaches the horizon and ends its pass.

3. About a minute or so before the satellite rises (AOS) set your antenna in that direction. If you’re using different memories on your HT to account for Doppler shift, set your HT up to the first frequency and listen. Sometimes you’ll start to hear the noise level drop indicating that AOS is imminent.

4. Turn on your voice recorder or phone to capture your call and time. Later record the QSO on QRZ or a logbook.

5. If you don’t hear anything when the satellite is 10 to 15 degrees above the horizon try calling “CQ Satellite” and your call sign. If you do hear a conversation going on, be courteous and let it end. If you do hear someone throwing out a CQ, quickly respond with your call sign, or their call sign followed by yours. No more than that, and use your letters not phonetics.

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 35 EPARA SatComm

6. If you make a contact make sure the other station is responding to your call and not someone else.

7. Turn your antenna as necessary to keep the satellite in the best orientation as possible. You’ll know by the strength of other’s signals and the lower background noise you’ll hear.

8. By mid-pass (the bird is over your head or as high on the horizon as its going to get), you should be on the center frequency if you’re Doppler shifting.

9. Keep talking or listening for an opportunity to make a contact, but always be courteous. The pile ups are intense sometimes, so please be patient. You may need to try several times before you make your first contact.

10. Keep your “overs” to the other station short as to not lose the contact

11. SWAP ESSENTAIL INFORMATION – Call sign, Grid/QTH, name, and that’s it. Don’t bother with a signal report, by the third over you should be saying 73!

12. Keep tracking the satellite till Loss of Signal (LOS), you might be able to make another contact, but if you’re about 1 minute before LOS, it’s wise not to try another QSO.

13. After LOS – take a pause and relax. If you make a contact celebrate it with a cold one! Good job and congratulations, welcome to the SAT COMM HAM group!

14. Share your excitement with other club members and remember to share what worked for you, and what didn’t. Post your accomplishment on social media.

I provided this information below last time around but it’s helpful:

For general ISS and Satellite information: https://www.n2yo.com/ For HAM Specific satellite information: https://www.n2yo.com/satellites/?c=18 For HAM satellites making a pass over your location during the next 6 hours: https://www.n2yo. com/passes/amateur-radio.php

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 36 EPARA SatComm

For dedicated software that helps you track satellites: http://www.stoff.pl/ (Orbitron) Or another dedicated app: http://gpredict.oz9aec.net/

Satellite pass predictions will help you determine when best to try working the birds. As a rule of thumb, the majority of time you’ll find weekends will feature several HAMs trying to work one another on one satellite. So imagine several HAMs trying to connect with each other on the same repeater, by throwing out their call sign and grid location, waiting for another HAM to respond. It can get intense and non-productive.

Conclusion Satellite contacts are not necessarily difficult, but these steps will help you make the most of this aspect of the hobby. Be patient. Reach out to others in the club who have made contacts to learn. Research on line to learn more about the process of making contacts and don’t get discourage. You’ll find that for every 5 or more attempts you may make one good confirmed contact. It’s well worth it! 73 de KD2FTA

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 37 July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 38 July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 39 July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 40 July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 41 July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 42 Custom wood plaques done via CNC router!

Plaques and other projects are made to order. Contact Bill AB3ME for more info.

Prices do vary depending on the style ordered and start at $40. Wood available is Butternut, Oak - light and dark, Black Walnut, Cherry and Hemlock Pine. Various fonts are also available. Local shipping via USPS is $8 and $15 for out of area. Construction time is expected to be a minimum of a few days due to the engraving and finishing process.

Keepsake boxes are also being offered using the same materials along with brass hardware and finger joint construction. Engraving for boxes is free up to 10 square inches and can be done on the top and inside of the boxes. Pricing starts at $225 per box. Work time is a minimum two weeks for construction. Paypal is the preferred method of payment and checks must clear before work begins.

Current website is under construction however, this will be the future address:

Carpenterwoodworksus.com

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 43 Equipment for sale !!

These items were purchased by myself for field day 2018 and have not been used since. Have been kept in weatherproof storage cases with desiccant since. I have kept the removed pluck foam for all weatherproof cases.

1. MFJ Versatuner III (#962D) 800 watt, roller induction type tuner. INCLUDES..120v and 12v hook up for meter lighting, complete with manual. Weatherproof case for storage (20"L x 15"W x 7 1/2"H) PRICE is $375 for both tuner and storage case...(negotiable) (3 PICTURES)...pick what you think is best. Excellent condition.

2. Samlex (SEC-1235M) switching power supply rated at 30 amp continuous, 35 amp peak, with lighted meters. Jetstream 6 position 12 volt power strip, with 3 Anderson Power Pole adapters. Weatherproof case for this system (16 1/2"L x 12 1/2"W x 7"H) PRICE is $200 for power supply, power strip, and case...(negotiable) Excellent condition. (1 PICTURE)

3. Heil BM-10 headset, with adapter for Kenwood/Elecraft 8-pin connector. PRICE $125... negotiable..

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 44 Equipment for sale !!

July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 45 July 2020 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Page 46