Date: Sun, 19 Dec 93 20:32:06 PST
From: Info-Hams Mailing List and Newsgroup <info-hams@ucsd.edu>
Errors-To: Info-Hams-Errors@UCSD.Edu
Reply-To: Info-Hams@UCSD.Edu
Precedence: Bulk
Subject: Info-Hams Digest V93 #1483
To: Info-Hams
Info-Hams Digest Sun, 19 Dec 93 Volume 93 : Issue 1483
Today's Topics:
AEA question
Arizona repeater info needed
ARLD069 DX news
ARLP050 Propogation de KT7H
ARRL's callsign admin position
ARRL Letter December 14, 1993
I'm a "young" enthusiast...
rec.radio.amateur.propagation ?
Where are all the young enthusiasts?
Send Replies or notes for publication to: <Info-Hams@UCSD.Edu>
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Problems you can't solve otherwise to brian@ucsd.edu.
Archives of past issues of the Info-Hams Digest are available
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We trust that readers are intelligent enough to realize that all text
herein consists of personal comments and does not represent the official
policies or positions of any party. Your mileage may vary. So there.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 15 Dec 1993 22:28:15 GMT
From: metro!basser.cs.su.oz.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!msuinfo!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!sdd.hp.com!caen!malgudi.oar.net!news.ysu.edu!yfn.ysu.edu!@munnari.oz.au
Subject: AEA question
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
In a previous article, janc@icebox.iceonline.com (Jan Chojnacki) says:
>Just a quick question for someone who may be in the know..
>I've been somewhat out of the hobby for the last few months since I'd returned
>to school to furthur my education, so when the notice went out, I didn't hear
>about it at all. I've been told that AEA is no longer producing Amateur Radio
>oriented products - is this fact or fiction? It it's true, does anyone know
>what the reasons behind this decision were, and who, if anyone, will continue
>product support for such things as the TNC's?
>
>Jan Chojnacki
>VE7FJC
>
> *** ICE Online, Canada's COOLEST online service! ***
> Opinions expressed in this article are not necessarilly those of ICE Online.
>
Well this is certainly news to me.. I just sent them back some of their software
I was testing for an article. They have recently sent out new catalogues
and have come out with many new products.. and even remember hearing
that they had bought out another company.
might want to check your source again
73
--
Jeff M. Gold, AC4HF
Manager, Academic Computing Support
Tennessee Technological University
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1993 06:29:57 GMT
From: mvb.saic.com!unogate!news.service.uci.edu!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!asuvax!ennews!anasaz!john@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: Arizona repeater info needed
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
Cecil_A_Moore@ccm.hf.INTel.COM (Cecil A Moore) writes:
>Text item: Text_1
>>I've heard of the Northlink system, and ZIA. Do either of
>>these get into Phoenix?
>>-Paul Christofanelli KG0CZ Fort Collins, Colorado
>Northlink indeed does get into Phoenix on four repeaters:
>North Phoenix area: Towers Mtn 449.175
>East Phoenix area: MT. Ord 444.500
Currently off the air until the ARA tower is replaced.
>South Phoenix area: So. Mtn. 442.125
>West Phoenix area: White Tanks Mtns: 441.675
>73, Cecil, kg7bk... I do not speak for Intel on Internet.
--
DISCLAIMER: These views are mine alone, and do not reflect my employer's!
John Moore 7525 Clearwater Pkwy, Scottsdale, AZ 85253 USA (602-951-9326)
john@anasazi.com Amateur call:NJ7E Civil Air Patrol:Thunderbird 381
- - Support ALL ...erk glugh mmpph.... Memory fault (core dumped)
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 05:45:29 -0700
From: mvb.saic.com!unogate!news.service.uci.edu!usc!math.ohio-state.edu!cyber2.cyberstore.ca!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!cs.ubc.ca!scapa.cs.ualberta.ca!adec23!ve6mgs!usenet@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: ARLD069 DX news
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
SB DX @ ARL $ARLD069
ARLD069 DX news
ZCZC AE95
QST de W1AW
DX Bulletin 69 ARLD069
>From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT December 16, 1993
To all radio amateurs
SB DX ARL ARLD069
ARLD069 DX news
Thanks to Tedd, KB8NW; Don, KJ6TC/9K2WR and the Ohio/Penn and Yankee
Clipper Contest Club PacketCluster Networks for the items in this
week's bulletin.
WALVIS BAY. Ian, ZS9A, has been on 21335 kHz SSB with a DX Net
group at 1400z, and 21087 kHz RTTY around 1545z. He also sneaks up
onto 10 meters from time to time. The possibility of South Africa
turning control of Walvis over to Namibia could have some affect on
the DXCC status of ZS9. Smart money says to work this one now if
you haven't already.
GHANA. Peter, XT2BW, is scheduled to leave Burkina Faso at the end
of January. He will vacation for two or three months in Ghana with
his family. Of course he plans to apply for a license and hopes to
be active. QSL via WB2YQH.
PACIFIC ISLAND HOPPING. Akio, JA3JM, will be on a Pacific
DXpedition during late December and early January. Plans are for
CW, SSB and RTTY on 160 through 10 meters and OSCAR 13. The
schedule is December 20 through 23 from American Samoa as AA5K/AH8,
December 24 through 30 from Niue as ZK2XJ, December 31 through
January 2 from the Southern Cooks as ZK1AJM, and January 2 through 5
from Western Samoa as 5W1AS. QSL all contacts via JA3JM.
MALDIVE ISLANDS. Carlo, I4ALU, will sign 8Q7BX from December 26 to
January 6. Activity will be CW only on 80 through 10 meters.
NAURU. Mine, JA2NQG, will solo as C21/AH0F from December 28 through
January 3. He will concentrate on 160, 80 and 40 meter CW. QSL via
JA2NQG.
SVALBARD. Lars, LA5EBA, plans a six month operation as JW5EBA
starting in mid January. His tour of duty will be working at a
meteorological station on Hopen Island.
NEPAL. 9N1HP was recently active on 7008 kHz from 1200 to 1230z.
The operator was JA1OEM.
THE WAIT FOR KUWAIT. Don, KJ6TC, reports that after a year and a
half of waiting he has finally received the logs for his 9K2WR
operation. Processing of QSLs will be DX first, then US, and
finally bureau cards.
NNNN
/EX
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 08:28:47 -0700
From: mvb.saic.com!unogate!news.service.uci.edu!usc!math.ohio-state.edu!cyber2.cyberstore.ca!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!cs.ubc.ca!scapa.cs.ualberta.ca!adec23!ve6mgs!usenet@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: ARLP050 Propogation de KT7H
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP050
ARLP050 Propagation de KT7H
ZCZC AP12
QST de W1AW
Propagation Forecast Bulletin 50 ARLP050
------------------------------
Date: 14 Dec 93 12:58:41 EST
From: ucsnews!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!ncr-sd!ncrhub2!ncrgw2.ncr.com!psinntp!arrl.org@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: ARRL's callsign admin position
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
In rec.radio.amateur.misc, rcrw90@email.mot.com (Mike Waters) writes:
>I think you would find them even more so in person. The ARRL headquarters
>is *well* worth visiting if only for that!
>I have been there twice (hopefully again this summer :-), once in 1964, and
>again in 1980. The most impressive difference was how everything had
>grown! The sheer size of everything was impressive, yet somehow they still
>manage to remain very well focused on both amateur radio and the individual
>amateur.
>I will be interested to see the changes since 1980!
Well, Mike, if you do, let me know in advance. I will gladly give you
a tour of the facilities! A tour of the ARRL HQ is given on the
hour, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 to 4:00. One of our staff
will be asked to show you around.
If you would like to read about it, an electronic tour of HQ is
available by email from our ARRL Electronic Mail Server (info@arrl.org).
(send ARRL-TOUR).
If any of you all do stop by HQ, make sure to look me up!
73 and Happy Holidays from ARRL HQ, Ed -- KA1CV
-----
Ed Hare, KA1CV ehare@arrl.org
American Radio Relay League
225 Main St.
Newington, CT 06111 My posts and views do not necessarily
(203) 666-1541 - voice represent the policy of the ARRL,
ARRL Laboratory Supervisor but I can probably get in trouble
RFI, xmtr and rcvr testing for them anyway!
-----
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 15:06:04 GMT
From: netcomsv!netcom.com!marcbg@decwrl.dec.com
Subject: ARRL Letter December 14, 1993
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 12, No. 23
December 14, 1993
FCC proposes choice of call sign
The FCC on December 13 proposed that amateurs be
able to choose their own call signs, once a new automated
processing system is in place at the Commission s Private
Radio Bureau.
Under the proposed system, amateurs wishing to apply
for an available call sign would be required to file a form
and pay a fee.
Trustees of club and military recreation stations
also would be eligible for the new program. The
FCC cancelled a rule it adopted last summer establishing a
call sign administrator program for amateur club and
military stations, a program that was never implemented.
The FCC said that at the present time call sign
selection by new licensees was not feasible, but left the
door open for that possibility in the future.
The FCC said that the new PRB computer might
eventually allow amateurs to check for themselves the
availabilty of call signs, and that the new system might be
used to allow electronic filing of applications, making the
process easier for applicant and FCC alike.
At the meeting today, the first under new FCC
Chairman Reed Hundt, Private Radio Bureau staff began by
telling the FCC commissioners that recent Nobel Prize
winners Joseph Taylor and Russell Hulse had begun their
scientific education as radio amateurs.
The vanity call sign plan was unanimously approved
by the four FCC commissioners. The text of the Notice of
Proposed Rule Making is expected to be issued shortly.
222 MHz: Novices get more, weak-signal band OK d
The FCC has acted to expand privileges for Novice
class licensees on the 222-MHz band as well as to create a
subband for weak signal work on that band. The changes
approved by the FCC in a Report and Order released December
2, 1993, were first proposed in an FCC Notice of Proposed
Rule Making in November, 1992 (PR Docket 92-289) in response
to petitions for rule making from the ARRL. The
effective date for the new rules is February 1, 1994.
Expanded novice privileges
The new rules authorize Novice operation in the
entire 222-225 MHz (1.25 meter) band. Novices currently have
access to 222.10-223.91 MHz, an allocation created in the
1987 Novice Enhancement proceeding. At that time the
League sought full access for Novices to the (then) 220-225
MHz band. The FCC s 1987 Report and Order, however, limited
Novices to 222.10-223.91 MHz.
In support of its latest proposal to the FCC, the
League said expanding Novice frequency privileges to include
the entire 1.25 meter band made sense since Novices already
are permitted to use SSB and CW on portions of the HF bands,
and there was no reason why they should not be permitted to
utilize those same modes in the entirety of the 222-225 MHz
band, where other licensees use those modes.
The FCC agreed with the ARRL that allowing Novices
privileges on the entire 222 MHz band was a good idea,
saying that the changes would allow Novices to become
proficient in a wider variety of amateur service operations
and give them more flexibility in selecting the mode of
transmission.
Choosing the appropriate mode would result in a
more efficient use of available spectrum, the FCC said.
Not repeater control operators
In PR Docket 92-289, the FCC also proposed that
Novices be authorized to be licensees and control operators
of repeaters on the 222 and 1240 MHz bands. The ARRL
opposed this idea, as it had during the Novice Enhancement
proceeding in 1987. The FCC in its final ruling agreed,
saying that Novices lack knowledge about repeater operation.
The Commission also noted that allowing Novices to be
control operators would diminish the distinction between the
Novice and Technician classes.
Experimentation encouraged
The League also proposed that a weak signal
segment be established at the bottom of the 222 MHz band, at
222.0 to 222.15 MHz, similar to what previously existed at
220.0 to 220.5 MHz. Repeater and auxiliary operation will,
beginning February 1, be prohibited from 222 to 222.15 MHz.
The League said its proposal was in response to
amateurs loss in August 1991 of 220-222 MHz to the land
mobile service, and that a weak-signal subband, which could
not be enforced through voluntary agreements or formalized
band-planning by amateurs, was necessary to allow amateurs
to carry on experiments in propagation and operating
techniques.
Some repeater operators, nearly all in southern
California, said that severe crowding in the 222-225 MHz
band there would make a 150-kHz subband untenable.
On the other hand, weak-signal operators said that
the loss of 220-222 MHz most severely affected them, rather
than repeater users, and that repeater owners and users in
the 222-225 MHz band had been unwilling to accommodate other
types of spectrum use.
The ARRL told the FCC that it remains persuaded
that the issue reflects not any one group of amateurs
refusing to accommodate another, but rather the difficulty
of reaccommodating amateur users displaced from the 220-222
MHz segment.
The League noted that weak signal operators are
entitled to pursue a variety of weak signal operations in
some segment of the 222 MHz band, and such such operations
are incompatible with repeater and auxiliary link operations
on the same frequencies.
The League said that while it has always supported
local, voluntary band-planning as a means to accommodate the
interests of diverse groups of amateurs, such simply could
not work in this case, and that current FCC staffing does
not permit it to referee amateur-to-amateur disputes. Thus,
a statutory subband seemed the only solution.
U.K. amateurs surveyed on HF no-code license
British amateurs are opposed to a code-free amateur
license with HF privileges, an informal survey has shown.
The current U.K. Class B license, with privileges
only on 50 MHz and above, is code-free; the Class A (HF)
license requires a 12 wpm Morse code exam.
In 1992 the British Radiocommunications Agency asked
the Radio Society of Great Britain to conduct a
consultation exercise, a survey. Through articles in its
journal, *Radio Communications*, and other British Amateur
Radio publications, readers were asked to express their
opinion on the subject. Out of 60,000 U.K. licensed
amateurs, 1,413 responded, including 86 from overseas.
By a 2-to-1 margin the respondents opposed a code
free HF license.
The RSGB said that with the worldwide amateur
community expanding at some 7 percent per year, some method
is needed to restrict access to the HF bands, which already
are very crowded and unlikely to expand. It said that if the
current method of restriction, CW, were eliminated, some
other filter should be found.
It is the way in which numbers are limited to avoid
intolerable levels of interference that is being
questioned, the RSGB said.
The RSGB said that it is primarily up to the
amateur community worldwide, and its elected
representatives, to determine what qualifications are
necessary and what standards need to be met to gain
different types of transmitting licence.
Current International Telecommunication Union
regulations requiring a Morse exam for an HF amateur license
would have to be changed, through a petition process from
individual countries, the article said, although it also
noted that Japan has a code-free license that allows limited
amateur privileges below 30 MHz (10 watts output and
excluding 20 and 17 meters -- ed).
The RSGB noted that Region 1 of the International
Amateur Radio Union as recently as September had voted to
support keeping a Morse code requirement for HF licenses.
The RSGB said it currently agrees with that opinion but
recognises that the situation may change in the next 5-10
years.
Here is a summary of survey arguments for and
against a code-free U.K. license:
Against:
* Would reduce status of amateur service;
* Standards already too low;
* Would erode challenge to licensees;
* Would make U.K. a renegade among nations;
* CW fundamental to spirit of Amateur Radio;
* CW has communications advantages ;
* CW a common international language;
* CW alleviates HF overcrowding, encourages good
operating.
For:
* CW a barrier to new licensees;
* Young people put off by Morse requirement;
* Morse no longer a communications necessity:
* Resultant band crowding would promote new
technologies;
* CW is a relic, an artificial barrier
* Some people simply can t learn CW.
The RSGB also said that a significant number of
people responding to the survey also favored some sort of
incentive licensing in the U.K., with more levels of
license than the current two. The RSGB said that two of its
committees are studying the idea of some sort of incentive
licensing structure.
LICENSE RENEWALS TO
BEGIN AGAIN IN 1994
Have you looked at the expiration date on your FCC
license lately? Five years ago the term of an FCC amateur
license went from five years to 10. So, for the past five
years no licenses have expired. Licenses are now beginning
to expire again, which means that *it may be time for you to
renew*.
It s a good idea to renew at least 60 days before
the expiration date on your current license. Use an FCC Form
610, available from ARRL Headquarters. If you submit a
timely renewal application, you may continue to operate even
if the FCC doesn t act on the application by the expiration
date. If your renewal is late, you must stop operating until
your new license arrives.
Licenses that have expired for more than two years
may not be renewed, which means you lose your call sign and
will have to take the exam again. Don t take a chance -
check your license expiration date now!
BRIEFS
* The FCC has extended to January 11 the comment
period in ET Docket 93-62, which proposes to adopt new
guidelines for evaluating the environmental effects of RF
radiation, based on petitions for more time from CBS and
ABC.
The new guidelines would parallel those adopted in
1992 by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and
would impose stricter limitations on low-power devices such
as hand-held transceivers and portable and cellular
telephones.
* The ARRL DX Advisory Committee has recommended the
creation of an RTTY DXCC Honor Roll, to require the same
number of RTTY countries as the Mixed Honor Roll. On
December 14 the ARRL Awards Committee approved the new RTTY
Honor Roll, to include all non-CW digital modes, including
Baudot, packet, ASCII, and AMTOR.
The DXAC also voted to maintain the start date for CW
DXCC at January 1, 1975 (rather than moving it back to 1945
to match Mixed and Phone DXCC).
* The first private station DXCC application has
been received from the People s Republic of China, from
BZ4RBX of Nanjing. Operator Wang Long submitted 102 QSLs
which, interestingly, did *not* include a card from his own
country. The lucky American in this historic DXCC was K4MIH.
DXCCs have already been awarded to PRC *club*
stations BY4RSA and BY5AC.
* Those weird Canadian prefixes you hear are
courtesy of Industry and Science Canada (their FCC), granted
through the end of 1993 to mark Canada s new Amateur Radio
national organization, the Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC).
* The FCC has added Bosnia-Herzegovina (T9) to the
list of countries with which the United States has an
Amateur Radio third-party agreement.
* Manuscripts on antennas and propagation are being
accepted through March 1, 1994, for Volume 4 of the ARRL
*Antenna Compendium*. Prospective authors should contact
Dean Straw, N6BV, at ARRL HQ.
* 1994 ARRL National Exam Days have been set for May
14 and October 29. Details will be in February *QST* but you
can start planning now by checking February, 1993 *QST*,
page 96.
* Clean Sweep! We may not always be politically
correct but we re diverse! With the recent addition of *QST*
Managing Editor Al Brogdon, K3KMO, to the HQ staff, we now
have every US call area represented on the full-time
Newington payroll. For example: KR1R (Massachusetts); AA2Z
(New Jersey); K3KMO (Maryland); KJ4KB (South Carolina);
K5FUV (Arkansas); N6BV (California); KU7G (Washington); K8CH
(Michigan); WB9RRU (Wisconsin); NT0Z (Minnesota); and even
KH6CP.
* In other staff news, Assistant Technical Editor
Jim Kearman, KR1S, has transferred from the book team to
the *QST* editorial team.
* 13-year-old Nathan A. Taylor, WZ1W, of Gardner,
Massachusetts is still missing after disappearing on August
27.
According to Gardner police, Nathan left of his own
volition apparently under the influence of unidentified
adults. Amateurs in Tennessee and Texas in particular are
asked to keep his disappearance in mind; although an Extra
Class amateur, Nathan s most recent interest has been in
computers.
At least two agencies of the federal government are
now involved in the search for Nathan. Anyone with
information on Nathan is asked to call Detective Bill
Grasmuck of the City of Gardner (Mass.) Police Department,
at 508-632-5600.
* Arthur Milne, G2MI, died October 6, 1993, at age
86. First licensed in 1924, he was a member of the RSGB
Council for more than 30 years. He also was a Secretary of
IARU Region 1 from 1950 to 1959.
He is probably best remembered as manager of the
U.K. QSL Bureau, a post he held from the beginning of World
War 2 until the early 1980s. Thousands of DXers have thus
addressed envelopes to A.O. Milne.
Among his survivors are a son, G3UMI, and a
grandson, G6VMI.
10 Years Ago in *The ARRL Letter*
Finally, the delayed first Amateur Radio operation
from space was over, an unqualified success, yet it was
relegated to an inside page of the December 8, 1983 issue of
*The ARRL Letter*.
The reason? ARRL s president of just 20 months, Vic
Clark, W4KFC, was dead, of a heart attack at age 66.
The next available issue of *QST* carried a major
tribute to W4KFC. First Vice President Carl L. Smith, W0BWJ,
assumed the League s presidency. Fittingly, Straight Key
Night on December 31 was dedicated to W4KFC.
The *Letter* had a very early report on
W5LFL/Shuttle. Astronaut Owen Garriott reported that noise
inside the shuttle made copy somewhat difficult but that
plenty of stations had been worked on 2-meter FM and more
had been recorded on tape.
Profile: Director-elect Lew Gordon, K4VX
ARRL Midwest Division Director-elect Lew Gordon,
K4VX, lives in Hannibal, Missouri. Lew s 64 and retired as
an electronic systems engineer for an agency of the federal
government.
Lew was born in Wabash, Indiana, grew up in
Indianapolis, and began his Amateur Radio career as W9APY at
age 17. He was a student at Purdue University when the
Korean War heated up, and he enlisted in the US Air Force.
He ended up an instructor at Keesler AFB in Biloxi,
Mississippi, where one of his Air Force students was a young
woman named Marie Teresa Girard. Lew asked Airman Girard if
she d like to see the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS)
station there (now K5TYP).
In 1954 Terry and Lew got married, and in 1955 Terry
became K5BRQ -- General class on the first try.
After his Air Force hitch Lew went to work for the
government, then returned to Purdue to finish a bachelor s
degree in physics. The founder, John Purdue, suffered Greek
and Latin as a youth and disallowed its use at the
university, so Lew graduated in 1962 with distinction
rather than *cum laude*.
Lew and Terry moved to Manassas, Virginia, in 1963.
Terry got W4BFA and Lew was assigned WA4RPK through a
bureaucratic error. Lew finally spoke up and became W4ZCY in
1968, and then K4VX.
In Manassas the Gordons had two towers; today in
Missouri there are *nine* (with a tenth on the ground
waiting to go up). They retired to land that has been in
Lew s family for more than 170. Lew and his call sign are
well-known among contesters and he still does his own tower
work, including on the tallest, 170 ft.
*(This is the first of what we plan to be a series
of brief profiles of the ARRL Board of Directors family,
beginning with those elected last month.)*
--
Marc Grant
marcbg@netcom.com
------------------------------
Date: 17 Dec 1993 14:51:43 GMT
From: ucsnews!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!news.umbc.edu!haven.umd.edu!cville-srv.wam.umd.edu!ham@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: I'm a "young" enthusiast...
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
I'm 24. I just recently celebrated the 9th anniversary of getting my
license in the mail. I was always inclined to experiment with electronics,
and I had my shortwave when I was 12, but...
Getting into ham radio has charted a great deal of my professional career
to date. All through college (elec. engr.), I took a great interest in the
study and solution of Maxwell's equations. E-M waves baffled most people.
I could tell them that it really wasn't "magic" - OK, it kind of is - but
that it's a part of everyday life that I could literally get my hands on
and play with. I took communications theory classes when I could, and
even an antenna theory course.
But what was REALLY neat was that I could go over to the radio club and
play with RF - and talk all over the world. HANDS ON EXPERIENCE - the kind
that wasn't taught in class.
I'm a CW addict and a DXaholic - and loving every minute. Run 5 watts off
my car battery on Field Day; try QRPing because 100 watts is just too easy;
work a repeater 300 miles away from my dorm room on 2 meter sporadic E
with a 1/4 wave vertical on the windowsill; give an exam at least once a
month; fix my own stuff if I can get the schematics; track the receive
frequency of a DX station working split, and call for about an hour - and
finally GET it!
If I just wanted to talk I'd use the phone or send e-mail.
--
73, _________ _________ The
\ / Long Original
Scott Rosenfeld Amateur Radio NF3I Burtonsville, MD | Live $5.00
WAC-CW/SSB WAS DXCC - 119 QSLed on dipoles __________| Dipoles! Antenna!
------------------------------
Date: 17 Dec 1993 13:48:39 GMT
From: ucsnews!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!pipex!sunic!news.funet.fi!nntp.hut.fi!vipunen.hut.fi!jsi@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: rec.radio.amateur.propagation ?
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
I would very much like to see a new newsgroup: rec.radio.amateur.propagation.
Am I the only one ? To me the newly created newsgroups .antenna, .equipment
etc. are doing very well. The point is that the new groups create more
discussion on these areas. Atleast I think so. Another thing is that it is
much more convenient to read these groups since they are not loaded with
stuff you are not interested. Or is there a propagation newsgroup I
haven't found yet ?
Jukka OH6DD
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 13:53:34 GMT
From: world!cravit@uunet.uu.net
Subject: Where are all the young enthusiasts?
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
In article <2er4on$f1b@wuecl.wustl.edu>,
Jesse L Wei <jlw3@cec3.wustl.edu> wrote:
>
>btw, even at the amateur radio club at my university,there are
>perhaps 50 operators with keys to the shack--not too much for a
>school with > 5000 undergrads and who-knows-how-many-more grads.
>But at least the school has facilities!!!
OTOH, the Amateur Radio club at Michigan State University (~43,000
students) has less than 30 members. And, at least we have facilities,
too.
/Matthew (Callsign to go here, 5 weeks and counting.)
--
Matthew Cravit | All opinions expressed here are
Michigan State University | my own. I don't speak for The World,
East Lansing, MI 48825 | and they don't speak for me (luckily
E-Mail: cravit@world.std.com | for both of us).
------------------------------
Date: (null)
From: (null)
SB PROP ARL ARLP050
ARLP050 Propagation de KT7H
Average solar flux was down this past week by about 13 points
compared to the previous period. Geomagnetic conditions were stable
until the 16th when K indices reached four. Conditions are expected
to remain unstable for a day or so.
This week solar flux should slowly start rising toward a peak near
105 around January 6. There is a chance of some disturbed
conditions around December 28.
Sunspot Numbers from December 9 through 15 were 79, 60, 59, 33, 22,
36 and 23, with a mean of 44.6. 10.7 cm flux was 98.4, 96.1, 92.5,
90.9, 87.8, 87.9 and 85.4, with a mean of 91.3.
The path projection for this week is from Las Vegas, Nevada to
Chile.
80 meters looks good from 0030 to 1030z, with the best conditions
from 0300 to 0900. 40 meters looks good from 0000 to 1130, with
best signals from 0130 to 0930. 30 meters should be good from 2330
to 1200, with best conditions from 0100 to 1000. 20 meters looks
good from 2030 to 0130. On a few days 20 could be open as early as
1300 and as late as 1100, or nearly around the clock. 17 meters
looks promising from 1500 to 0030, and 15 meters from 1530 to 0000.
10 and 12 meters look good from 1700 to 2330, with openings as early
as 1500 and as late as 0100 on some days.
NNNN
/EX
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 14:48:08 GMT
From: ucsnews!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!news.dell.com!pmafire!boojum!mamie.lanl.gov!user@network.ucsd.edu
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
References <CI3G07.1Cv@news.udel.edu>, <CI3KDB.CK2@srgenprp.sr.hp.com>, <1993Dec17.040303.16513@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu>m
Subject : Re: Optimum call sign for CW/contests?
I've been very happy with my call on CW: KJ5LT. It has a nice rythm
that seems to get noticed in a pileup. Also, it is a bit longer than
the really short calls, so I am often among the last to finish a call.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1993 15:03:41 GMT
From: news.uiowa.edu!icaen!drenze@uunet.uu.net
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
References <drew.95.0@trl.oz.au>, <2er4on$f1b@wuecl.wustl.edu>, <CI5usE.KI5@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>europa.e
Subject : Re: Where are all the young enthusiasts?
dbasinge@nickel.ucs.indiana.edu (Mike Basinger) writes:
>It seems (especially on the net) the ham is a older man's hobby. A lot
>of hams have a reputation of sitting around at club meetings talking
>about the set-up they have at home. The local meeting I did goto was a
>talk about one of the members antenna systems he had 15 years ago. It
>was somewhat interesting, but I don't see that exciting to many young
>people to join.
Agreed. We need to make Amateur Radio interesting to the younger crowd
(well, I guess at 23, I *am* part of that younger crowd, but...) but how?
>The main reasons the ham may be losing popularity with young people is
>1. The excitement of talking to people from different areas and
>foreign countries can now be done via a home computer (much many
>households have anyways).
One way to integrate the excitement of amateur radio with the computer
revolution is to stress sme of the hi-tek aspects of the Amtateur Radio
Service (I can hear some OT's groaning out there...). Many of the more
popular online services have net e-mail access (and one or two o them
hve more thn that). These services could very easily be parallelled in
amateur radio (and they are!). Why aren't non-amateurs aware that we're
more than just a bunch of OFs who sit around pounding brass?
>2. More people live in cities now. What is worse, more people live in
>apartments. Not many people can set-up fancy rigs with huge antennas
>in an apartment building (I have asked :-). This limits people to the
>hand-held jobbies, that most newbies will get from Radio Shack (so
>that is only 2-Meter band and 440MHz I think).
This is part of the "Amateur Radio == QRO" syndrome. If you have an apartment
with a balcony, you can easily set up a vertical whip, such as a Texas Bug-
catcher. You can also drop off a random wire. If you have a clothesline,
you can run several different sized dipoles out on it, depending on how
big it is. You also don't *need* that fancy YACOM-9000 with 256 memories,
1.5MHz-2.4GHz coverage, electronic keyer, and built-in coffee maker. My HF
rig is a vintage 1970 Heathkit HW-101. It suits me, though I'm saving my
nickles and dimes to buy a newer one. As for power? Why do you need to
put out 1.5kW? 25-100W out is enough to contact anyplace in the world if
you've got the patience.
>Things that will help is when you can buy a multi-band hand-held radio
>for a fairly good price. And maybe when packet-radio and SSTV catch on
>more ham will re-gain popularity.
Already possible. Check hamfests and let local amateurs know what you're
looking for. You'll find one.
Now, I've got one question for everybody: Why isn't amateur radio *actively
pitched* to the younger crowd? For instance, just after I'd earned my first
license, I visited my parents. I took my code-practice oscillator with me
to work on my speed. My two sisters found it in my car (ages 14 and 11).
They thought it was so *neat*! So I bought them a key and guess what? We're
well on our way to having at least two more hams in the family (it wouldn't
surprise me if they're dragging *mom* into it too, to help them study...then
*dad*'ll crumble soon enough, and I'm working on my other sister...*cackles
gleefully*).
But why have I never seen Amateur Radio operators go into schools and
pitch their interest (or at least in this area)? There're all sorts of neat
and nifty things like SAREX (what technology-dazzled kid wouldn't love to her
directly from the *space shuttle* and see SSTV images, maybe some ATV and even
have the remote chance of *talking back*?), SSTV, packet, ATV...all of those
would rivet kids to their seats...and if you could manage somehow to snag
a DX contact for a little more than just a standard DX exchange, that'd really
be something!
Why aren't we targeting educators? Amateur radio has tremendous
potential for use in education, whether assisting in science classes (even
if only providing a means of remotely-monitoring nifty things like weather
experiments in Earth sciences classes), social studies classes (want to learn
about what it's really like in Outer Patagonia? Try to set up a sched with
a ham there to talk with your class!) or mathematics (using studying for an
amateur radio exam as n avenue of teaching practical (and hopefully interest-
ing) concepts in mathematics). I know the NAR (National Assocition of
Rocketry--the largest interest group for model rocketry) has programs which
specifically target educators with the idea of using model rocketry in the
classroom to help teach such concepts as aerodynamics, newton's laws, etc.
Does the ARRL or any similar organization have such a program? Do they *push*
them, that is, make educators *aware* that they exist? Why not?
I see people asking, "Where are all the young people?" But when I
look around, I have to ask in return, "What are you doing to go out and *get*
the young people?" Face it: Unless *we* go out and make it interesting for
them, we're not going to catch their attention in this decade of 30-second
sound bytes and MTV videos. I think it's "73" that has the blurb on their
contents page which goes something like, "By reading this, you're agreeing to
introduce one young person to amateur radio in the next month." Well, I
earned my license 4 months ago, got it in the mail two months ago. In
that four months, I've gotten three young people interested in amateur radio.
I challenge each and every one of you to do the same.
73, Doug N0YVW
BTW, as a very technologically-oriented group of people, we Internet-hammers
are in a unique position to snag young people, to snag college freshmen,
to snag bright new minds coming into our companies. Let's not blow it!
--
__ /| | Doug Renze, N0YVW | Don't believe what your eyes are telling
\'o.O' | +1 319 339 7814 | you! All they show is limitation. Look
=(___)= | drenze@icaen.uiowa.edu | with your understanding, find out what you
U | Douglas-Renze@uiowa.edu | already know, and you'll see the way to fly.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 14:16:01 GMT
From: ucsnews!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!pipex!Q.icl.co.uk!dsbc!iclbra!prs@network.ucsd.edu
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
References <CI3G07.1Cv@news.udel.edu>, <CI3KDB.CK2@srgenprp.sr.hp.com>, <2epudj$lmn@oak.oakland.edu>dsbc
Subject : Re: Optimum call sign for CW/contests?
In article <2epudj$lmn@oak.oakland.edu>, prvalko@vela.acs.oakland.edu (prvalko) writes:
> The cool thing regarding vanity calls is that you DO NOT have to get a
> three-land call! You can buy any cool call you can afford.
>
> Last time I looked in the server, K9DOG was still being used. <G>
>
> I wonder who will buy WB0OZE? Certainly not a tea-tottaer!
>
>
I've got a friend locally .. his call 2E1BZE - we call him BOOZE !
73 Peter G0 PUB :-)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--... ...-- -.. . --. ----- .--. ..- -... -.- (Pub Inspector)
Peter Swynford is available... TEL: +44 344 472625 FAX: +44 344 473300
or at prs@oasis.icl.co.uk ICL: 7263-2625 AX25: G0PUB@GB7BEQ.GBR.EU
Disclaimer: See Paragraph 2.4.a of section 1.a (article 7) (iii) of the
Town and Country Planning Act, 1967.
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End of Info-Hams Digest V93 #1483
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