September 2022
September Meeting - Club Election and Alan Wolke, W2AEW - Smith Charts and NanoVNA
Date: Thursday, September 1st
Time: 7:30 PM
Location(s): Zoom
Speaker Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/slm6WnAm0W4
Slides: will be posted soon
Date: Thursday, September 1st
Time: 7:30 PM
Location(s): Zoom
Speaker Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/slm6WnAm0W4
Slides: will be posted soon
Program:
- Election of ARC 2022-2023 Officers and Board of Directors
The Election committee read the names of the candidates in the only slate submitted. They then asked for nominations from the floor...twice. There were no additional slates so the chairman of the Election Committee made a motion to approve the slate without objection. There were no objections so the slate was elected:- John Talipsky - N3ACK - President
- Bill Perkins - KB4KFT – Vice President
- Ade Shamblin - KJ4CUY – Secretary / Treasurer
- Rob Osattin - KI4UTY – Member at Large
- Ed Bevill - KO4SRJ – Member at Large
- The members of the Election Committee were:
- Jim Reed - N4BFR - Chairman
- Newton White - N4EWT
- Lane Watts - KB4KHQ
- Speaker: Alan Wolke, W2AEW - Smith Charts and NanoVNA
Alan made a great presentation. We learned that Smith Charts can be used to determine the capacitance or inductance that needs to be added to a transmission line to match impedance with the load or source. If you graph the complex impedance measured by an analyzer on the Smith Chart you'll see how far off you are from 0 reactance and what you'll need to achieve it. The chart will also show you the effect of lengthening the transmission line by multiples of 1/2 wavelength. And, it will show you VSW R. And a lot more. - He also showed us how a NanoVNA can be used to graph these parameters vs frequency in order to find the resonant point(s).
We learned A LOT.
AUGUST 2022
August Meeting - Club Election and Eric Webner, K4FAN - Antennas 101
Date: Thursday, August 4th
Time: 7:30 PM
Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Speaker Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/tpIgK98KyCY
Slides: n/a
Date: Thursday, August 4th
Time: 7:30 PM
Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Speaker Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/tpIgK98KyCY
Slides: n/a
Program:
- Election of ARC 2022-2023 Officers and Board of Directors
** The election was pushed back to September because there wasn't time for the election committee to be formed and vet the slate, as called for in the bylaws** - Speaker: Eric Wegner, K4FAN - Antennas 101
Antennas 101 is an overview of antennas commonly used in amateur practice across frequency bands from 160 meters to UHF. While this is a good refresher for experienced hams, Antennas 101 was designed for newer hams. Perhaps you just got your first license and are now wondering, "what now?" Maybe you just got a new whiz-bang radio and need to know how to get it to radiate so you can make contacts. Maybe you want to try a new mode or frequency band.
This talk promises to be informative for hams with all license levels and degrees of experience.
We plan to spend about 1/3 of the presentation doing Q&A. Please ask as many questions as you can. Don’t be shy.
JUly 2022
Spectrum Analyzers and Oscilloscopes
Jeff Hilliard, AK6OK
Date: Thursday, July 7, 2022 Time: 7:30 PM ET
Location: Atlanta Red Cross and ZOOM Videoconference
Speaker Location: Zoom
Video: https://youtu.be/h1JCQg_pHzs
Slides: n/a
Note: The meeting was originally advertised with the title "Antenna Analyzers and Oscilloscopes" but that was a mistake on our part.
Jeff Hilliard, AK6OK
Date: Thursday, July 7, 2022 Time: 7:30 PM ET
Location: Atlanta Red Cross and ZOOM Videoconference
Speaker Location: Zoom
Video: https://youtu.be/h1JCQg_pHzs
Slides: n/a
Note: The meeting was originally advertised with the title "Antenna Analyzers and Oscilloscopes" but that was a mistake on our part.
Meeting Summary:
We had another great presentation. Jeff Hilliard, AK6OK, gave us a hands-on demonstration of a spectrum analyzer and an oscilloscope. Demonstrations are better live than over Zoom but Jeff had multiple cameras so he could switch between his head shot, a camera on the device he was demonstrating and his computer display.
The meeting started about 15 minutes late due to audio/visual problems at the Red Cross. We ended up moving to their Board room and giving up on a camera showing us in the room. We’ll try that again next month.
Jeff’s first demonstration was of his spectrum analyzer. We learned that there are three controls that all spectrum analyzers have: center frequency, span (bandwidth) and voltage scale.
He showed us that it displays a graph of frequency on the x-axis vs amplitude on the y-axis by hooking it up to a 70 cm (440MHz) antenna. Check out the video for details.
He also demonstrated how the spectrum analyzer can be used to test filters by hooking up a band pass (notch) filter. We saw that the filter does not totally attenuate everything outside the band. There are “skirts” on either side of the passed band. Details are in the video.
The biggest surprise (to us, at least) was that a spectrum analyzer can be used to show an antenna’s resonant frequencies. To do that you need a small accessory box that he had.
There were no technical questions so we moved on to the oscilloscope demo. Jeff showed us the main controls for the x and y axes [this is the correct plural of axis] and demonstrated operations by injecting a square wave. Cool display. Check out the video for the complete demo.
There were no questions about oscilloscopes so we thanked Jeff and ended the presentation.
Original Announcement (Fixed):
Jeff Hilliard, AK6OK will tell us all about spectrum analyzers and oscilloscopes. An analyzer is something that every ham should have or have access to. Why? Jeff will tell you. He also promises to "show us some things that are pretty unbelievable that anybody can do with the right analyzer." Jeff will also talk about oscilloscopes, one of the most iconic electronics instruments. The program promises to be interesting and educational for all hams, regardless of license level.
If you want to know more about Jeff, you can read his autobiography that was published in the January, 2020 CQ Magazine. It can be found here.
Location: Atlanta Red Cross and Zoom teleconference.
Atlanta Red Cross
1955 Monroe Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30324
Note: The Atlanta Red Cross requires unvaccinated visitors, vendors and staff to wear masks inside the building.
We had another great presentation. Jeff Hilliard, AK6OK, gave us a hands-on demonstration of a spectrum analyzer and an oscilloscope. Demonstrations are better live than over Zoom but Jeff had multiple cameras so he could switch between his head shot, a camera on the device he was demonstrating and his computer display.
The meeting started about 15 minutes late due to audio/visual problems at the Red Cross. We ended up moving to their Board room and giving up on a camera showing us in the room. We’ll try that again next month.
Jeff’s first demonstration was of his spectrum analyzer. We learned that there are three controls that all spectrum analyzers have: center frequency, span (bandwidth) and voltage scale.
He showed us that it displays a graph of frequency on the x-axis vs amplitude on the y-axis by hooking it up to a 70 cm (440MHz) antenna. Check out the video for details.
He also demonstrated how the spectrum analyzer can be used to test filters by hooking up a band pass (notch) filter. We saw that the filter does not totally attenuate everything outside the band. There are “skirts” on either side of the passed band. Details are in the video.
The biggest surprise (to us, at least) was that a spectrum analyzer can be used to show an antenna’s resonant frequencies. To do that you need a small accessory box that he had.
There were no technical questions so we moved on to the oscilloscope demo. Jeff showed us the main controls for the x and y axes [this is the correct plural of axis] and demonstrated operations by injecting a square wave. Cool display. Check out the video for the complete demo.
There were no questions about oscilloscopes so we thanked Jeff and ended the presentation.
Original Announcement (Fixed):
Jeff Hilliard, AK6OK will tell us all about spectrum analyzers and oscilloscopes. An analyzer is something that every ham should have or have access to. Why? Jeff will tell you. He also promises to "show us some things that are pretty unbelievable that anybody can do with the right analyzer." Jeff will also talk about oscilloscopes, one of the most iconic electronics instruments. The program promises to be interesting and educational for all hams, regardless of license level.
If you want to know more about Jeff, you can read his autobiography that was published in the January, 2020 CQ Magazine. It can be found here.
Location: Atlanta Red Cross and Zoom teleconference.
Atlanta Red Cross
1955 Monroe Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30324
Note: The Atlanta Red Cross requires unvaccinated visitors, vendors and staff to wear masks inside the building.
june 2022
Dual Band VHF/UHF J-Poles
Ed Fong, Ph.D., WB6IQN
Date: Thursday, June 2, 2022 Time: 7:30 PM ET Location: Atlanta Red Cross and ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/8VEw5uuErX8
Slides: HERE
Ed Fong, Ph.D., WB6IQN
Date: Thursday, June 2, 2022 Time: 7:30 PM ET Location: Atlanta Red Cross and ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/8VEw5uuErX8
Slides: HERE
This was a very interesting meeting. Ed Fong, Ph.D., WB6IQN showed us how a 2m VHF J-Pole antenna design could be reengineered into a 2m and 70 cm (440 MHz) VHF/UHF J-Pole without sacrificing efficiency on either band. He discussed design tradeoffs and showed us the radiation patterns and Smith Charts. We also discussed the effect of PVC on the velocity factor of antenna wires. We learned that RF flows more slowly in wires within PVC pipes than in wires in free space so resonant antennas inside PVC pipes are shorter than antennas in free space.
Ed is a professor of EE at the University of California at Santa Cruz. He and his students build and sell these J-Poles and other antennas and use the proceeds for scholarships. His website is https://edsantennas.weebly.com/
Ed is a professor of EE at the University of California at Santa Cruz. He and his students build and sell these J-Poles and other antennas and use the proceeds for scholarships. His website is https://edsantennas.weebly.com/
Original Announcement
Details: Our guest speaker for the June meeting will be Ed Fong (WB6IQN). As many of you know, he is the inventor of the DBJ-1 and DBJ-2 antenna that was featured in the February 2003 and March 2007 QST. His most recent antenna was the TBJ-1 – a triband base antenna that was published in March 2017 QST. The DBJ-1 is a highly effective dual band VHF/UHF base station antenna and the DBJ-2 is the portable roll up version. The DBJ-2 won the QST Plaque of the Month Award. Both of these antennas are featured in the ARRL VHF antenna Handbook and also in the ARRL Antenna Classic Handbook. There are over 40,000 of these antennas in use today. About half are used by hams and the other half by government and commercial agencies.
Ed will give a history on how these antennas were developed and the theory on how and why they work so well. There is no “black magic” to antennas. He will explain in a non-mathematical manner to convince you for overall performance and simplicity his approach is one of the most practical.
Speaker's Biography:
Ed Fong was first licensed in 1968 as WN6IQN. He later upgraded to Extra Class (when 20 WPM was required ) with his present call of WB6IQN. He obtained the BSEE and MSEE degrees from the Univ. of California at Berkeley and his Ph.D. from the Univ. of San Francisco. A Life Senior Member of the IEEE, he has 12 patents and over 40 published papers and books in the area of communications and integrated circuit design. Presently, he is employed by the University of California, Santa Cruz (previously with Berkeley from 1997-2010) as an instructor teaching graduate classes in RF design and high speed interface. In his 35 year career, he has done work for Stanford University, National Semiconductor, Advanced Micro Devices, numerous startup companies in the Silicon Valley.
Details: Our guest speaker for the June meeting will be Ed Fong (WB6IQN). As many of you know, he is the inventor of the DBJ-1 and DBJ-2 antenna that was featured in the February 2003 and March 2007 QST. His most recent antenna was the TBJ-1 – a triband base antenna that was published in March 2017 QST. The DBJ-1 is a highly effective dual band VHF/UHF base station antenna and the DBJ-2 is the portable roll up version. The DBJ-2 won the QST Plaque of the Month Award. Both of these antennas are featured in the ARRL VHF antenna Handbook and also in the ARRL Antenna Classic Handbook. There are over 40,000 of these antennas in use today. About half are used by hams and the other half by government and commercial agencies.
Ed will give a history on how these antennas were developed and the theory on how and why they work so well. There is no “black magic” to antennas. He will explain in a non-mathematical manner to convince you for overall performance and simplicity his approach is one of the most practical.
Speaker's Biography:
Ed Fong was first licensed in 1968 as WN6IQN. He later upgraded to Extra Class (when 20 WPM was required ) with his present call of WB6IQN. He obtained the BSEE and MSEE degrees from the Univ. of California at Berkeley and his Ph.D. from the Univ. of San Francisco. A Life Senior Member of the IEEE, he has 12 patents and over 40 published papers and books in the area of communications and integrated circuit design. Presently, he is employed by the University of California, Santa Cruz (previously with Berkeley from 1997-2010) as an instructor teaching graduate classes in RF design and high speed interface. In his 35 year career, he has done work for Stanford University, National Semiconductor, Advanced Micro Devices, numerous startup companies in the Silicon Valley.
May 2022
QRZ.com
Fred Lloyd, AA7BQ
Date: Thursday, May 5, 2022 Time: 7:30 PM ET Location: Atlanta Red Cross and ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/YSiy57U3W6s
Slides:: Forthcoming
Fred Lloyd, AA7BQ
Date: Thursday, May 5, 2022 Time: 7:30 PM ET Location: Atlanta Red Cross and ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/YSiy57U3W6s
Slides:: Forthcoming
At our May meeting, Fred Lloyd, AA7BQ gave us an exclusive tour of QRZ.com, a website he founded, wrote most of the code for and runs. Did you know that you can get lists of hams in a grid square or zip code? Or that you can get a map all of the hams in a grid square or squares? Or that it has full featured logger that interfaces with ARRL's Logbook of the World. Or that you can use wildcards when search for calls ir names? Did you know that equipment for sale in the forums can only be listed by paid QRZ members? Fred said that this is done to reduce scamming. Watch the video and learn. One of our members took the opportunity to get his QRZ entry corrected. Fred did it cheerfully. If, after watching the video, you have any question, Fred said you can mail them to him at [email protected].
Video: https://youtu.be/YSiy57U3W6s
Slides:: Forthcoming
Video Timeline
Forthcoming
Video: https://youtu.be/YSiy57U3W6s
Slides:: Forthcoming
Video Timeline
Forthcoming
April 2022
Stealth Antennas
Andy Keels, KD4ABB
Date: Thursday, April 7, 2022 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/Y87fsuktlsg
Slides:: Forthcoming
Andy Keels, KD4ABB
Date: Thursday, April 7, 2022 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/Y87fsuktlsg
Slides:: Forthcoming
Our April meeting featured Andy Keels, KD4ABB. His presentation was titled "Stealth Antennas". It was excellent. -Do you live in a subdivision or condominium where your HOA doesn't allow antennas to be erected? Do you live with someone who doesn't appreciate the aesthetic value of antennas like we do? Do you operate in parks or other places outdoors where antennas are discouraged?
If so, our April program will be just what you're looking for.
Andy Keels, PE, KD4ABB will be talking about Stealth Antennas, antennas designed to work well but be unnoticed. The PE after Andy's name indicates that he's a registered professional engineer so we can be assured he knows what he's talking about.
Satellite TV antenna bans were preempted in 1996 but there are no such protections for amateur radio antennas.
The ARRL has been trying for 10+ years to get federal legislation passed, but they have been unsuccessful.
Video: https://youtu.be/Y87fsuktlsg
Slides:: Forthcoming
Video Timeline
Forthcoming
If so, our April program will be just what you're looking for.
Andy Keels, PE, KD4ABB will be talking about Stealth Antennas, antennas designed to work well but be unnoticed. The PE after Andy's name indicates that he's a registered professional engineer so we can be assured he knows what he's talking about.
Satellite TV antenna bans were preempted in 1996 but there are no such protections for amateur radio antennas.
The ARRL has been trying for 10+ years to get federal legislation passed, but they have been unsuccessful.
Video: https://youtu.be/Y87fsuktlsg
Slides:: Forthcoming
Video Timeline
Forthcoming
MARCH 2022
Amateur Radio Astronomy
Tom Crowley, KT4XN
Date: Thursday, March 3, 2022 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/FImfEKqcyXw
Slides:: Forthcoming
Tom Crowley, KT4XN
Date: Thursday, March 3, 2022 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/FImfEKqcyXw
Slides:: Forthcoming
Our March meeting featured Tom Crowley, KT4XN, who delivered a fascinating presentation on Amateur Radio Astronomy.
Our universe radiates electromagnetic waves all over the spectrum from DC to x-rays. When we look at the sky, we see only the visible light portion of the spectrum. And much of that visible light is attenuated by the atmosphere. But when we listen to the incoming radio waves, we get a much bigger and more detailed "picture" of the universe.
The science of receiving and interpreting the radio waves is called Radio Astronomy. It can be done by professionals and by amateurs.
Tom first outlined the spectrum of the incoming waves , then he discussed the methods we use to receive them. During that discussion, he showed us pictures of some of the larger radio telescopes and then went on to explain what we learn from listening. Finally, he discussed ways that we can listen to the universe on our own.
The presentation was quite enlightening.
Video: https://youtu.be/FImfEKqcyXw
Slides:: Forthcoming
Video Timeline
Forthcoming
Our universe radiates electromagnetic waves all over the spectrum from DC to x-rays. When we look at the sky, we see only the visible light portion of the spectrum. And much of that visible light is attenuated by the atmosphere. But when we listen to the incoming radio waves, we get a much bigger and more detailed "picture" of the universe.
The science of receiving and interpreting the radio waves is called Radio Astronomy. It can be done by professionals and by amateurs.
Tom first outlined the spectrum of the incoming waves , then he discussed the methods we use to receive them. During that discussion, he showed us pictures of some of the larger radio telescopes and then went on to explain what we learn from listening. Finally, he discussed ways that we can listen to the universe on our own.
The presentation was quite enlightening.
Video: https://youtu.be/FImfEKqcyXw
Slides:: Forthcoming
Video Timeline
Forthcoming
February 2022
SDR (Software Defined Radio)
Ria Jairam, N2RJ
Date: Thursday, February 3, 2022 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/rxmi1HBiY38
Slides:: Download
Ria Jairam, N2RJ
Date: Thursday, February 3, 2022 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/rxmi1HBiY38
Slides:: Download
Our February meeting featured Ria Jairam, N2RJ, who spoke about Software Defined Radio (SDR). Ria explained that SDR is a marriage between radio hardware and computers.
Conventional analog radios use hardware to convert the RF received from the antenna to the audio we hear over the speaker on the transmit side, and from the audio picked up by the microphone to RF we shoot into the antenna on the transmit side.
SDR radios convert the RF received from the antenna to a digital signal that is passed to a computer, which performs all of the demodulation and filtering functions that the hardware did in the analog radio, then converts it back to audio to feed into the speaker. On the transmit side, the analog signal from the microphone is converted to a digital signal that is passed to a computer. The computer filters and modulates the signal then passes the digital signal to a converter to convert it to analog. The analog signal is fed into the antenna.
Ria showed us diagrams of the major components of SDR radios and discussed the function of each one. That was very helpful. She went on to describe the advantages of SDR over analog radios and talked about the various SDR radios on the market. She showed us where we could find comparisons of the radios. The SDR radios range in price from about $600 to about $6,000 so the comparison numbers are very important. There are also some entry level SDRs available for under $100. They are receive-only. Low end transmit/receive SDRs fall into the $100-$600 range.
Ria Jairam, N2RJ is the ARRL Hudson Division Director. She has been licensed since 1997 in Trinidad and Tobago and in the US since 2001. She first became interested in radio at 5 years old from her dad, an avid SWL and learned about amateur radio from a teacher, Mr. Tony Lee-Mack, 9Y4AL. Ria is active in contesting, Dxing, DMR, DSTAR and digital modes. To her name are several DX and contest awards including 9 band DXCC (160 through 10 meters), Challenge at the 1800+ level, all 3 modes and 325 entities mixed. She has also won several contest plaques including regional, national and North American titles in various DX contests. Ria has won a “Top Elmer” award in 2016 for her mentoring on the Flex Radio forums and also helping users use their radios remotely. She subsequently was awarded two “Top Tester” awards in 2017. She is a volunteer QSL card sorter with the W2 QSL bureau, run by the North Jersey DX Association (NJDXA) and is the Northern NJ section manager for the Frankford Radio Club (FRC). She is also the District 2 chair of the Young Ladies Radio League (YLRL) and a member of the British Young Ladies Amateur Radio Association (BYLARA). Ria is an alumna of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, where she studied Electrical Engineering. In the ARRL, Ria is currently a member of the Administration and Finance committee (IT falls under this committee) and the Band Planning committee. Look for her in the DX pileups, often operating remotely, or operating WSJT digital modes to snag a new one.
Watch this video. It was very informative.
Video Timeline
Conventional analog radios use hardware to convert the RF received from the antenna to the audio we hear over the speaker on the transmit side, and from the audio picked up by the microphone to RF we shoot into the antenna on the transmit side.
SDR radios convert the RF received from the antenna to a digital signal that is passed to a computer, which performs all of the demodulation and filtering functions that the hardware did in the analog radio, then converts it back to audio to feed into the speaker. On the transmit side, the analog signal from the microphone is converted to a digital signal that is passed to a computer. The computer filters and modulates the signal then passes the digital signal to a converter to convert it to analog. The analog signal is fed into the antenna.
Ria showed us diagrams of the major components of SDR radios and discussed the function of each one. That was very helpful. She went on to describe the advantages of SDR over analog radios and talked about the various SDR radios on the market. She showed us where we could find comparisons of the radios. The SDR radios range in price from about $600 to about $6,000 so the comparison numbers are very important. There are also some entry level SDRs available for under $100. They are receive-only. Low end transmit/receive SDRs fall into the $100-$600 range.
Ria Jairam, N2RJ is the ARRL Hudson Division Director. She has been licensed since 1997 in Trinidad and Tobago and in the US since 2001. She first became interested in radio at 5 years old from her dad, an avid SWL and learned about amateur radio from a teacher, Mr. Tony Lee-Mack, 9Y4AL. Ria is active in contesting, Dxing, DMR, DSTAR and digital modes. To her name are several DX and contest awards including 9 band DXCC (160 through 10 meters), Challenge at the 1800+ level, all 3 modes and 325 entities mixed. She has also won several contest plaques including regional, national and North American titles in various DX contests. Ria has won a “Top Elmer” award in 2016 for her mentoring on the Flex Radio forums and also helping users use their radios remotely. She subsequently was awarded two “Top Tester” awards in 2017. She is a volunteer QSL card sorter with the W2 QSL bureau, run by the North Jersey DX Association (NJDXA) and is the Northern NJ section manager for the Frankford Radio Club (FRC). She is also the District 2 chair of the Young Ladies Radio League (YLRL) and a member of the British Young Ladies Amateur Radio Association (BYLARA). Ria is an alumna of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, where she studied Electrical Engineering. In the ARRL, Ria is currently a member of the Administration and Finance committee (IT falls under this committee) and the Band Planning committee. Look for her in the DX pileups, often operating remotely, or operating WSJT digital modes to snag a new one.
Watch this video. It was very informative.
Video Timeline
January 2022
DMR (Digital Mobile Radio)
Jeff Hochberg, W4JEW
Date: Thursday, January 6, 2022 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/y6KHtDyH10Y
Jeff Hochberg, W4JEW
Date: Thursday, January 6, 2022 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/y6KHtDyH10Y
Jeff Hochberg, W4JEW, gave us a fact-filled presentation on DMR. He first gave a brief description of DMR, followed by a definition of terms. Most of the talk was on codeplugs, the configuration files that we have trouble creating and maintaining.
We had a problem recording the talk via zoom but Jeff was able to record most of his presentation so we should have that online within a few days.
Here are links to a few DMR resources that were mentioned during the talk.
- ARC Repeater Information
- ARC Repeater Status
- Georgia DMR site maintained by Jeff
- The Amateur Radio Guide to Digital Mobile Radio (2nd Edition) - John Burningham - W2XAB
- Introduction to DMR - Jeff Hochberg - W4JEW
- The DMR Documentation Project - Fred Moore - WD8KNI
- is a former president of the ARC
- installed, configured and maintains the ARC’s DMR repeaters
- co-founded the weekly Wednesday night Georgia-wide DMR net
- presented on DMR at a forum at last fall’s Stone Mountain Hamfest
December 2021
ARC 2021 Holiday Party
Date: Thursday, December 2, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: The Mad Italian / Chamblee, GA
Video: None. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas ;-)
Date: Thursday, December 2, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: The Mad Italian / Chamblee, GA
Video: None. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas ;-)
November 2021
RaDAR (Rapid Deployment of Amateur Radio)
Eddie Leighton, ZS6BNE (South Africa)
Antennas, HOAs and the ARRL
Fred Hopengarten, Esq., K1VR, Director of ARRL's New England Division
Mickey Baker, N4MB, Director of ARRL's Southeastern Division
Date: Thursday, November 4, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/dswWBUpqm5Q
Eddie Leighton, ZS6BNE (South Africa)
Antennas, HOAs and the ARRL
Fred Hopengarten, Esq., K1VR, Director of ARRL's New England Division
Mickey Baker, N4MB, Director of ARRL's Southeastern Division
Date: Thursday, November 4, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/dswWBUpqm5Q
We had two presentations this month. ARC Meeting November 2021. Eddie Leighton, ZS6BNE presented from South Africa on RaDAR, Rapid Deployment of Amateur Radio. It's a biannual operating event where hams deploy in a park, mountain summit or other outdoor location, operate, pack up and move to another location that's at least 6km away. They set up there, operate and pack up and move again.. It's a 4 hour event where hams operate from as many locations as they can.
Eddie also talked about RaDAR Sport, a variation on RaDAR where points are awarded for operation over 24 hour periods. RaDAR uses a novel central logging system where all participants record their contacts in an online log that accessible to all authorized users.
The main presentation was not recorded at the request of the speakers. They said that they were prepared to give us a thorough walkthrough of the problem, their opinions and some details on what the ARRL is planning to do. Many of the details are non-public so the speakers gave us a choice of recording the presentation and getting only general, publicly announced information or not recording the presentation and hearing the good stuff.
The ARC Board chose this option.
Here's a general summary.
The main presentation was on Antennas, HOAs and the ARRL and was presented by two ARRL Directors and Board members: Fred Hopengarten, Esq., K1VR, Director of ARRL's New England Division and Mickey Baker, N4MB, Director of ARRL's Southeastern Division. Georgia is in this division.
In the U.S., municipalities, such as cities, counties and states set limits on the the size and location of outdoor antennas. In many private developments of houses and/or or condos, the Homeowner's Associations (HOA) of Condo Associations also set placement rules. These rules often prohibit hams from putting up any outside antennas or, if outside antennas are allowed, there are severe size and siting restrictions.
In 1985, the FCC issued a Memorandum Opinion and Order (PRB-1) preventing municipalities from prohibiting the erection of amateur radio antennas. That language was subsequently incorporated in the FCC Rules in section Part 47 §97.15 (b) of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). In 1996, Congress ordered the FCC to issue regulations overturning HOA restrictions on the erection of TV antennas, direct broadcast (satellite) antennas and wireless internet (WISP) antennas. The FCC codified these rules in Part 47 section §1.4000 of the CFR. The ARRL tried but failed in the early 2000s to get the FCC to extend the same rights residents had to erect TV antennas and satellite antennas to ham radio antennas.
Efforts continued over the next 20 years, culminating in the passage of the ARRL-written Amateur Radio Parity Act (H.R. 555) by the U.S. House in the 115th Congress on 2017. But it never made it through the Senate. The ARRL subsequently tried and failed to get the FCC to adopt the language of this act without being ordered to by Congress.
Our speakers updated us on the issues in general and, specifically, what the ARRL is doing now to get us the relief from the restrictions that we seek, In short, the ARRL is crafting new legislation and working with potential sponsors in the House and Senate to introduce the bill when the ARRL is ready. The speakers outlined several concerns about the Parity act as written, told us how the new bill differed and gave us their opinions and estimates of success of the current efforts.
This presentation was not recorded because a lot of what we were told was for background use only and not for publication. We had a frank discussion.
Rob Osattin, KI4UTY
Eddie also talked about RaDAR Sport, a variation on RaDAR where points are awarded for operation over 24 hour periods. RaDAR uses a novel central logging system where all participants record their contacts in an online log that accessible to all authorized users.
The main presentation was not recorded at the request of the speakers. They said that they were prepared to give us a thorough walkthrough of the problem, their opinions and some details on what the ARRL is planning to do. Many of the details are non-public so the speakers gave us a choice of recording the presentation and getting only general, publicly announced information or not recording the presentation and hearing the good stuff.
The ARC Board chose this option.
Here's a general summary.
The main presentation was on Antennas, HOAs and the ARRL and was presented by two ARRL Directors and Board members: Fred Hopengarten, Esq., K1VR, Director of ARRL's New England Division and Mickey Baker, N4MB, Director of ARRL's Southeastern Division. Georgia is in this division.
In the U.S., municipalities, such as cities, counties and states set limits on the the size and location of outdoor antennas. In many private developments of houses and/or or condos, the Homeowner's Associations (HOA) of Condo Associations also set placement rules. These rules often prohibit hams from putting up any outside antennas or, if outside antennas are allowed, there are severe size and siting restrictions.
In 1985, the FCC issued a Memorandum Opinion and Order (PRB-1) preventing municipalities from prohibiting the erection of amateur radio antennas. That language was subsequently incorporated in the FCC Rules in section Part 47 §97.15 (b) of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). In 1996, Congress ordered the FCC to issue regulations overturning HOA restrictions on the erection of TV antennas, direct broadcast (satellite) antennas and wireless internet (WISP) antennas. The FCC codified these rules in Part 47 section §1.4000 of the CFR. The ARRL tried but failed in the early 2000s to get the FCC to extend the same rights residents had to erect TV antennas and satellite antennas to ham radio antennas.
Efforts continued over the next 20 years, culminating in the passage of the ARRL-written Amateur Radio Parity Act (H.R. 555) by the U.S. House in the 115th Congress on 2017. But it never made it through the Senate. The ARRL subsequently tried and failed to get the FCC to adopt the language of this act without being ordered to by Congress.
Our speakers updated us on the issues in general and, specifically, what the ARRL is doing now to get us the relief from the restrictions that we seek, In short, the ARRL is crafting new legislation and working with potential sponsors in the House and Senate to introduce the bill when the ARRL is ready. The speakers outlined several concerns about the Parity act as written, told us how the new bill differed and gave us their opinions and estimates of success of the current efforts.
This presentation was not recorded because a lot of what we were told was for background use only and not for publication. We had a frank discussion.
Rob Osattin, KI4UTY
Video Timeline
Timestamps courtesy of ARC Member Eric Pourciau, W4EWP
October 2021
HF Operations
Mel Granick, KS2G
Date: Thursday, October 7, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Slides (from Mel's presentation to Ham University: HERE
Video: https://youtu.be/_y63JIT5eCk
Mel Granick, KS2G
Date: Thursday, October 7, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Slides (from Mel's presentation to Ham University: HERE
Video: https://youtu.be/_y63JIT5eCk
Our October (7th) program featured Mel Granick, KS2G, who presented on HF operations. Here's the announcement:
Do you have a Technician’s license and::
I could have used a presentation like this one before getting on the air. I’m actually looking forward to it now.
You can rest assured that there will be plenty of time at the end of the presentation to get any questions you have about these topics or any others answered.
Rob Osattin, KI4UTY
Do you have a Technician’s license and::
- You're curious about operating HF or
- You want to know more about HF before talking the General exam
- The pros and cons of each of the major HF bands
- Propagation. How does the HF signal travel so far? How does the weather in space affect the different bands?
- What do you say when you’re on the air?
- How to operate your HF radio. Which buttons and knobs do you use for transmitting? Receiving?
I could have used a presentation like this one before getting on the air. I’m actually looking forward to it now.
You can rest assured that there will be plenty of time at the end of the presentation to get any questions you have about these topics or any others answered.
Rob Osattin, KI4UTY
Video Timeline
| 0:00 | Meeting Intro | 2:04 | Mel Granick, KS2G - Presenter Intro | 4:31 | Basics of HF Operating | 5:14 | About Mel | 8:14 | What Are the HF Bands? | 12:45 | Be Aware of Band and Sub-Band Edges | 15:15 | What Modes Where on Each Band | 16:25 | Digital Modes | 18:23 | HF Propagation: Ground Wave / Sky Wave & the Ionosphere Layers | 21:03 | The Ionosphere, Sky Wave Refraction, & Multi-Hop Propagation | 27:55 | Which Bands When? | 29:11 | The D-Layer & Absorption | 30:52 | Frequency and Ionization Level | 32:12 | Sky Wave & Sunspots – The Solar Cycle | 36:09 | Solar Conditions, Propagation Calculators & Real-Time Path Views | 43:52 | Look for Yourself | 46:58 | Making Contacts, CQ Formatting, Operating “Split” & Contesting | 54:56 | Logging & Logging Methods | 58:29 | QSLing: Confirmation of Contacts & Operating Awards | 1:01:39 | Getting the Most Out of Your HF Transceiver | 1:05:42 | Speech Processing | 1:06:48 | Transmitter Keying Controls | 1:08:56 | Automatic Antenna Tuner | 1:10:04 | Receiver Audio, Sensitivity & Tuning Controls | 1:12:39 | Interference & Bandwidth Controls | 1:15:42 | Presentation Q&A and End | 1:52:43 | Meeting Raffle & Club Closing Business |
Timestamps courtesy of ARC Member Eric Pourciau, W4EWP
September 2021
The Sun, the Ionosphere, Space Weather and Cycle 25
Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA
Date: Thursday, September 2, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Slides: Here
Video: https://youtu.be/sZlJgFc0fF8
Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA
Date: Thursday, September 2, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Slides: Here
Video: https://youtu.be/sZlJgFc0fF8
Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA presented on "The Sun, the Ionosphere, Space Weather and Cycle 25".
Carl briefly reviewed solar issues and then tied space weather to propagation. Then he discussed the predictions for Solar Cycle 25, the 11 year sun cycle that started in December 2019, and its current status.
Sun spot predictions are of interest to commercial broadcasters, communications companies and amateur radio operators because of the correlation between sun spots and solar activity, such as solar wind and coronal mass ejections (CME). Those events can alter atmospheric propagation on earth and result in radio signals taking unpredictable paths. Commercial broadcasters and communications companies don't like it when that happens. Hams, on the other hand, are thrilled.
Video Timeline
| 0:00 | Meeting Intro & Repeater Report | 2:29 | Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA - Presenter Intro | 6:22 | The Sun, the Ionosphere, Space Weather and Cycle 25 | 8:25 | Agenda | 9:00 | Solar Radiation | 10:46 | Regions (Layers) of the Ionosphere | 13:14 | General Characteristics of the Regions | 15:22 | Why Solar Cycles Are Important – High Bands | 17:02 | Why Solar Cycles Are Important – Low Bands | 17:34 | Space Weather: A Caveat – What We’re Trying to Do | 20:00 | Lots of Websites with Data | 21:47 | What Parameters Are Important? | 25:41 | All Those Parameters are on the N0NBH Banner | 29:47 | SFI, SN, EUV | 31:26 | SFI, SN, EUV vs MUF | 33:43 | K, A, BZ, SW | 35:17 | Real-Time QSOs | 37:30 | Real-Time Ionosphere | 39:12 | Cycle 25 | 40:07 | Previous 24 Solar Cycles | 41:41 | Solar Minimums in Our Lifetimes | 43:59 | The Rise of Cycle 25 | 45:10 | What to Expect if Cycle 25 is Similar to Cycle 24 | 47:40 | Big Spike in SFI and SN | 48:59 | Moderate Spike in the K Index | 50:14 | Summary | 53:02 | Presentation Q&A and End | 1:22:30 | Meeting Raffle & Club Closing Business |
Timestamps courtesy of ARC Member Eric Pourciau, W4EWP
AUGUST 2021
Adventures in FT8 and FT4
Frank O'Donnell, K6FOD
Date: Thursday, August 5, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Slides: PDF
Video: https://youtu.be/GwGrvAuhyL0
Frank O'Donnell, K6FOD
Date: Thursday, August 5, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Slides: PDF
Video: https://youtu.be/GwGrvAuhyL0
Frank O'Donnell, K6FOD presented on FT8 and FT4. These are digital modes, primarily used on the HF bands, for making local and distant contacts. The QSO's are structured in a particular way, which Frank detailed, and take less than 3 minutes.
Unlike more traditional modes of ham radio, digital modes require a computer to be used that is interfaced to the radio. The computer produces a digital data stream that is converted to tones that are sent to the radio for transmission. On the receive side, the audio is passed to the computer where the individual FT8 transmissions are broken out and displayed on the screen.
Frank talked about WSJT-X, the program used to send and receive FT8. It runs on Macs, PCs and Linux systems. He also mentioned the PSKReporter website and the JTAlert app.
He told us that FT4 was a faster FT8 because transmissions were only 7.5 seconds instead of 15.
Overall, it was a fascinating and well-received presentation.
Bio
In recent years the FT8 digital mode has been taking the ham world by storm, becoming the most popular mode on the air according to statistics from the ClubLog.org website. If you’ve been thinking of giving FT8 a try but are wondering where to start, ARC’s August 5 online presentation by Frank O’Donnell, K6FOD is one you won’t want to miss.
After earning his ham license three years ago, within nine months Frank earned the ARRL's DXCC award for verifying contacts with 100 countries — all on FT8. In 2019, he received the Southern California DX Club’s Clipperton Award for newcomer of the year.
Topics Frank will cover in his talk include an overview of how FT8 works, setup for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems, a basic FT8 QSO, “fox and hound” mode for DXpeditions, and the new FT4 variant for contesting.
We will take Q&A after the presentation.
Frank took up ham radio after retiring from a 32-year career in public affairs at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. While at JPL he led the press office for more than a decade, directing newsrooms for missions including Galileo to Jupiter, Cassini to Saturn, the Mars Pathfinder lander and Sojourner rover, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and numerous Earth science missions. In addition to HF DXing, he also participates in the ARRL’s twice-yearly Frequency Measurement Tests, determining frequencies of signals received from thousands of miles away to within as little as a couple of hundredths of a Hertz.
He and his family live in Southern California.
Unlike more traditional modes of ham radio, digital modes require a computer to be used that is interfaced to the radio. The computer produces a digital data stream that is converted to tones that are sent to the radio for transmission. On the receive side, the audio is passed to the computer where the individual FT8 transmissions are broken out and displayed on the screen.
Frank talked about WSJT-X, the program used to send and receive FT8. It runs on Macs, PCs and Linux systems. He also mentioned the PSKReporter website and the JTAlert app.
He told us that FT4 was a faster FT8 because transmissions were only 7.5 seconds instead of 15.
Overall, it was a fascinating and well-received presentation.
Bio
In recent years the FT8 digital mode has been taking the ham world by storm, becoming the most popular mode on the air according to statistics from the ClubLog.org website. If you’ve been thinking of giving FT8 a try but are wondering where to start, ARC’s August 5 online presentation by Frank O’Donnell, K6FOD is one you won’t want to miss.
After earning his ham license three years ago, within nine months Frank earned the ARRL's DXCC award for verifying contacts with 100 countries — all on FT8. In 2019, he received the Southern California DX Club’s Clipperton Award for newcomer of the year.
Topics Frank will cover in his talk include an overview of how FT8 works, setup for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems, a basic FT8 QSO, “fox and hound” mode for DXpeditions, and the new FT4 variant for contesting.
We will take Q&A after the presentation.
Frank took up ham radio after retiring from a 32-year career in public affairs at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. While at JPL he led the press office for more than a decade, directing newsrooms for missions including Galileo to Jupiter, Cassini to Saturn, the Mars Pathfinder lander and Sojourner rover, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and numerous Earth science missions. In addition to HF DXing, he also participates in the ARRL’s twice-yearly Frequency Measurement Tests, determining frequencies of signals received from thousands of miles away to within as little as a couple of hundredths of a Hertz.
He and his family live in Southern California.
Election: Executive Committee - 2021/2022 Term
Congrats to the winning team
President - John Talipsky Jr (N3ACK)
Vice President - Skip Kazmarek (K4EAK)
Secretary / Treasurer - Ade Shamblin (KJ4CUY)
Member at Large - Bill Perkins (KB4KFT)
Member at Large - Rob Osattin (KI4UTY)
Congrats to the winning team
President - John Talipsky Jr (N3ACK)
Vice President - Skip Kazmarek (K4EAK)
Secretary / Treasurer - Ade Shamblin (KJ4CUY)
Member at Large - Bill Perkins (KB4KFT)
Member at Large - Rob Osattin (KI4UTY)
Video Timeline
| 0:00 | Intro | 3:01 | Frank O’Donnell, K6FOD - Presentation Intro | 6:11 | Why FT8? Where Did it All Begin? What is it? | 9:49 | Standard FT8 Frequencies | 10:03 | FT8 on the Waterfall | 12:30 | Traditional FT8 QSO | 15:55 | Alternate FT8 QSO | 16:32 | Streamlined FT8 QSO | 19:33 | Getting FT8 Working | 25:25 | Common Issues | 27:26 | Fox-and-Hound | 30:48 | Beyond FT8: FT4 | 33:31 | Good Etiquette on FT8 | 37:07 | Hot Topics | 45:14 | Links | 47:06 | Presentation Q&A and End | 1:09:46 | Meeting Raffle, Club Elections & Closing Business |
Timestamps courtesy of ARC Member Eric Pourciau, W4EWP
July 2021
Everything You Need to Know About USB and Serial Interfaces
Bob Wilson, N6TV
Date: Thursday, July 1, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Slides: PDF
Video: https://youtu.be/UB8lFM6gC7c
Bob Wilson, N6TV
Date: Thursday, July 1, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Slides: PDF
Video: https://youtu.be/UB8lFM6gC7c
Bob Wilson, N6TV, presented the program "Everything You Need to Know About USB and Serial Interfaces".
Topics discussed were:
⚫ Legacy PC Serial Ports
⚫ USB Ports and Devices
⚫ USB-to-Serial Adapters
⚫ Using the Device Manager
⚫ Managing Serial Port Numbers
⚫ Using Serial Ports for CW / FSK / PTT Keying
⚫ Sharing Serial Ports
⚫ USB Sound Cards
⚫ Q & A
Bob first talked about serial ports, from their first appearance on PC's as 25 pin and 9 pin "D" shell ports to modern USB ports. He showed a picture of USB A and B connectors. They each come in fast (USB 2.0) versions, which have black inserts, and super speed (USB 3.0), which have blue inserts.
Radios have serial ports but computers have USB ports. The ham radio software on the PCs is written to talk to serial ports so a converter cable is needed. It connects to the radio with a serial connector and connects to the PC using USB. Through a combination of hardware and software, the cable emulates a serial device so it works with the ham radio software.
Bob detailed how Windows recognizes the cable, what configuration changes users should make to improve operations and what to do if Windows fails to recognize the cable.
Lastly, he talked about the appropriate settings for the most popular radios.
A lively Q&A followed, which was quite educational.
Bob was a really good sport. He said that our people could email him at [email protected] If they still had questions or problems. That was a priceless offer.
Topics discussed were:
⚫ Legacy PC Serial Ports
⚫ USB Ports and Devices
⚫ USB-to-Serial Adapters
⚫ Using the Device Manager
⚫ Managing Serial Port Numbers
⚫ Using Serial Ports for CW / FSK / PTT Keying
⚫ Sharing Serial Ports
⚫ USB Sound Cards
⚫ Q & A
Bob first talked about serial ports, from their first appearance on PC's as 25 pin and 9 pin "D" shell ports to modern USB ports. He showed a picture of USB A and B connectors. They each come in fast (USB 2.0) versions, which have black inserts, and super speed (USB 3.0), which have blue inserts.
Radios have serial ports but computers have USB ports. The ham radio software on the PCs is written to talk to serial ports so a converter cable is needed. It connects to the radio with a serial connector and connects to the PC using USB. Through a combination of hardware and software, the cable emulates a serial device so it works with the ham radio software.
Bob detailed how Windows recognizes the cable, what configuration changes users should make to improve operations and what to do if Windows fails to recognize the cable.
Lastly, he talked about the appropriate settings for the most popular radios.
A lively Q&A followed, which was quite educational.
Bob was a really good sport. He said that our people could email him at [email protected] If they still had questions or problems. That was a priceless offer.
Video Timeline
| 0:00 | Intro | 0:29 | Club Repeater Update | 1:59 | Bob Wilson (N6TV) & Presentation Intro | 4:17 | Legacy PC Serial Ports | 5:40 | USB Ports and Devices | 7:13 | USB-to-Serial Adapters | 11:59 | Using the Device Manager | 21:01 | Managing Serial Port Numbers | 28:08 | Using Serial Ports for CW / FSK / PTT Keying | 43:25 | Sharing Serial Ports | 50:13 | USB Sound Cards | 53:40 | Key Points to Remember & References | 55:14 | Question – Comments – Discussion | 1:14:57 | Presentation Close | 1:15:29 | Meeting Giveaway & Closing Club Business |
Timestamps courtesy of ARC Member Eric Pourciau, W4EWP
June 2021
ARISS Update and Into the Future
Dr. John Kludt, K7SYS
Date: Thursday, June 3, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Slides: PDF or PowerPoint (PPT)
Video: https://youtu.be/Ltn4qblZfFM
Dr. John Kludt, K7SYS
Date: Thursday, June 3, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Slides: PDF or PowerPoint (PPT)
Video: https://youtu.be/Ltn4qblZfFM
Dr. John Kludt, K7SYS presented the program "ARISS Update and Into the Future".
We learned a lot from John, who is Director of Operations of ARISS (Amateur Radio on the ISS organization). ARISS works with NASA to keep an amateur radio presence on the ISS so they can arrange for students to talk to astronauts on the ISS via ham radio. Both NASA and Roscosmos, the Russian version of NASA, require their astronauts to have amateur radio licenses. They each speak to about 20 groups of students a year in their countries, primarily at their schools.
John detailed the history of amateur radios on the ISS. Amateur radios have been on the ISS since its early days. In fact, amateur radio is the longest continuously running experiment on the ISS.
When astronauts aren’t using the radios, the radios are in repeater mode so they can be used for long distance communication by hams on the ground, just like other satellites.
John showed us a picture of the inside of the ISS. It was hard to spot the ham radio in the picture but it was there. He also discussed the antenna configuration and showed pictures of astronauts installing an antenna during an EVA.
ARRIS works with the radio manufactures — primarily JVCKenwood — as well as designing their own space-certified equipment for the station. New radios were recently installed in the station. John elaborated on them, as well as the plans for future radios.
There’s a lot going on up there. John asked us to donate to ARISS to support their work and help keep them going.
We had time at the end of his presentation so John gave us an overview of the 40 amateur radio satellites in orbit. NASA has plans to put a new satellite in orbit around the moon within the next few years. In addition to the scientific instruments, there'll be an amateur radio repeater aboard which will allow contacts between hams with simultaneous views of the moon.
Summary: Amateur radio in space is alive and thriving.
John’s slides are online. See above.
We learned a lot from John, who is Director of Operations of ARISS (Amateur Radio on the ISS organization). ARISS works with NASA to keep an amateur radio presence on the ISS so they can arrange for students to talk to astronauts on the ISS via ham radio. Both NASA and Roscosmos, the Russian version of NASA, require their astronauts to have amateur radio licenses. They each speak to about 20 groups of students a year in their countries, primarily at their schools.
John detailed the history of amateur radios on the ISS. Amateur radios have been on the ISS since its early days. In fact, amateur radio is the longest continuously running experiment on the ISS.
When astronauts aren’t using the radios, the radios are in repeater mode so they can be used for long distance communication by hams on the ground, just like other satellites.
John showed us a picture of the inside of the ISS. It was hard to spot the ham radio in the picture but it was there. He also discussed the antenna configuration and showed pictures of astronauts installing an antenna during an EVA.
ARRIS works with the radio manufactures — primarily JVCKenwood — as well as designing their own space-certified equipment for the station. New radios were recently installed in the station. John elaborated on them, as well as the plans for future radios.
There’s a lot going on up there. John asked us to donate to ARISS to support their work and help keep them going.
We had time at the end of his presentation so John gave us an overview of the 40 amateur radio satellites in orbit. NASA has plans to put a new satellite in orbit around the moon within the next few years. In addition to the scientific instruments, there'll be an amateur radio repeater aboard which will allow contacts between hams with simultaneous views of the moon.
Summary: Amateur radio in space is alive and thriving.
John’s slides are online. See above.
Video Timeline
| 0:00 | Intro | 0:28 | Club Repeater Update | 2:28 | Presentation Intro | 6:14 | ARISS – Amateur Radio On The International Space Station | 7:20 | Radios Used Through The Years | 18:12 | Interoperable Radio System (IORS) | 27:38 | Communicating Using the MVPS | 35:11 | Working ARISS and Other Satellites | 43:15 | Please Donate to ARISS | 43:58 | Questions, Comments and Discussion | 1:07:50 | July’s ARC Meeting Presentation Topic: USB | 1:09:16 | Monthly Club Prize Giveaway | 1:10:48 | Club Updates | 1:12:35 | Closing Comments/Thoughts |
Timestamps courtesy of ARC Member Eric Pourciau, W4EWP
May 2021
Everything you need to know about Lithium Batteries
Marcel Stieber, AI6MS
Date: Thursday, May 6, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Slides: Click Here
Video: https://youtu.be/qdMQlHT8Pro
Marcel Stieber, AI6MS
Date: Thursday, May 6, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Slides: Click Here
Video: https://youtu.be/qdMQlHT8Pro
Marcel Strieber, AI6MS presented the program "Everything you need to know about Lithium Batteries"
Batteries are a necessity for almost all portable radio operations. With the advent of modern battery chemistries, the choices available to the radio amateur are plentiful. This presentation focussed on the three common battery types: Lead-Acid (SLA/AGM), Lithium (Lion/Lipo), and Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP/LiFePO4). We discussed the pros and cons of each chemistry, common uses and misuses, and everyday application tips for our latest amateur radio projects.
We now know everything we need to know about batteries.
Batteries are a necessity for almost all portable radio operations. With the advent of modern battery chemistries, the choices available to the radio amateur are plentiful. This presentation focussed on the three common battery types: Lead-Acid (SLA/AGM), Lithium (Lion/Lipo), and Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP/LiFePO4). We discussed the pros and cons of each chemistry, common uses and misuses, and everyday application tips for our latest amateur radio projects.
We now know everything we need to know about batteries.
Video Timeline
| 0:00 | Intro | 0:46 | Club Repeater Update | 3:14 | Marcel Stieber (AI6MS) & Presentation Intro | 8:56 | Abstract | 9:49 | A Brief Intro to Batteries | 11:21 | Into to Batteries | 14:26 | Lead-Acid Construction | 15:36 | Lead-Acid Voltage | 18:40 | Lead-Acid Types | 20:29 | Lead-Acid Pros / Cons | 22:56 | Lead-Acid Applications | 24:12 | Any Questions So Far? | 34:04 | Li-ion Construction | 35:46 | Li-ion Types and Voltages | 38:27 | Li-ion Integration | 42:42 | Li-ion Pros/Cons | 47:52 | Li-ion Integration | 49:42 | Li-ion Applications | 54:52 | Battery Target Voltage Table | 55:28 | Build Examples & DIY Powerwall Battery Pack | 1:00:18 | LiFePO4 Construction | 1:01:49 | LiFePO4 Types | 1:03:46 | LiFePO4 Pros/Cons | 1:06:09 | LiFePO4 Applications | 1:10:12 | Build a LiFePO4 Battery Pack! | 1:13:13 | Battery Type Comparison Table | 1:14:17 | Question – Comments – Discussion | 1:44:57 | Presentation Close | 1:45:23 | Club Meeting Giveaway & Next Meeting Topic | 1:47:37 | Closing Club Business |
April 2021
The Georgia QSO Party; NanoVNA
Lee Johnson, N4WYE (NanoVNA) and Jeff Clarke, KU8E (Georgia QSO Party)
Date: Thursday, April 1, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Slides:
Lee Johnson, N4WYE (NanoVNA) and Jeff Clarke, KU8E (Georgia QSO Party)
Date: Thursday, April 1, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Slides:
- Georgia QSO Party
- -available shortly-
- NanoVNA
- PDF (with embedded speaker notes)
- PowerPoint
- Keynote
We had two excellent speakers at our April meeting.
First, Jeff Clarke, KU8E, told us all about the 61st Annual Georgia QSO Party (GQP), which will be held in two weeks (April 10-11, 2021) It's an annual competition where amateurs outside of Georgia attempt to make as many contacts with amateurs in Georgia as they can. This will make Georgia amateurs pretty popular that weekend so we will we able to make lots of contacts. Jeff mentioned that the QGP website URL had changed since last year. The new GQP URL is http://gaqsoparty.com.
Jeff went over the rules for Georgia Stations and non-Georgia Stations. All stations get one point for each SSB contact and two points for each CW contact. Georgia stations multiply their number of contacts by the number of unique US States (0-51 (DC counts, too)) + Canadian Provinces (0-13). Non-Georgia stations multiply their number of contacts by the number of unique Georgia counties (0-159) that they talk to. People in Georgia can get in their cars and operate from as many counties as they can. Awards are given to individuals and clubs who get the most points in 37 categories. The ARC sponsors the award for the Georgia Club with the highest score.
More details can be found on the GQP website and in the video of the meeting, which will be posted to YouTube shortly.
If you missed any of this presentation or you would like to hear it again, tune in to the Southeast Contest Club's zoom meeting on Monday, April 6, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The ARC will hold an outdoor event so we can participate in the GQP.
Our main speaker, Lee Johnson, N4WYE, gave an excellent presentation on the NanoVNA Vector Network Analyzer.
He explained the functions of the NanoVNA. In addition to measuring SWR and reflected power, it can locate breaks in cables, generate Smith Charts, measure the transmit pattern for an antenna, find its nulls, measure the velocity factor (VF) of a feedline and antenna, test filters and much more. For $50, it will give the amateur the equivalent of a $50,000 professional analyzer. Lee showed diagrams of the internal structure of the NanaVNA and he showed videos of the operation of the NanoVNA in several scenarios.
The ARC will be using a NanoVNA at the GQP event in 2 weeks to measure the performance of antennas we'll be stringing up in the trees at the park.
Lee said he'd be available via email if anyone needed NanoVNA help in the future. [email protected] . Thanks, Lee. He also provided a slide of resources for further NanoVNA education.
And he recommended reading the "Absolute Beginner's Guide to the NanoVNA". It can be found here..
First, Jeff Clarke, KU8E, told us all about the 61st Annual Georgia QSO Party (GQP), which will be held in two weeks (April 10-11, 2021) It's an annual competition where amateurs outside of Georgia attempt to make as many contacts with amateurs in Georgia as they can. This will make Georgia amateurs pretty popular that weekend so we will we able to make lots of contacts. Jeff mentioned that the QGP website URL had changed since last year. The new GQP URL is http://gaqsoparty.com.
Jeff went over the rules for Georgia Stations and non-Georgia Stations. All stations get one point for each SSB contact and two points for each CW contact. Georgia stations multiply their number of contacts by the number of unique US States (0-51 (DC counts, too)) + Canadian Provinces (0-13). Non-Georgia stations multiply their number of contacts by the number of unique Georgia counties (0-159) that they talk to. People in Georgia can get in their cars and operate from as many counties as they can. Awards are given to individuals and clubs who get the most points in 37 categories. The ARC sponsors the award for the Georgia Club with the highest score.
More details can be found on the GQP website and in the video of the meeting, which will be posted to YouTube shortly.
If you missed any of this presentation or you would like to hear it again, tune in to the Southeast Contest Club's zoom meeting on Monday, April 6, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The ARC will hold an outdoor event so we can participate in the GQP.
Our main speaker, Lee Johnson, N4WYE, gave an excellent presentation on the NanoVNA Vector Network Analyzer.
He explained the functions of the NanoVNA. In addition to measuring SWR and reflected power, it can locate breaks in cables, generate Smith Charts, measure the transmit pattern for an antenna, find its nulls, measure the velocity factor (VF) of a feedline and antenna, test filters and much more. For $50, it will give the amateur the equivalent of a $50,000 professional analyzer. Lee showed diagrams of the internal structure of the NanaVNA and he showed videos of the operation of the NanoVNA in several scenarios.
The ARC will be using a NanoVNA at the GQP event in 2 weeks to measure the performance of antennas we'll be stringing up in the trees at the park.
Lee said he'd be available via email if anyone needed NanoVNA help in the future. [email protected] . Thanks, Lee. He also provided a slide of resources for further NanoVNA education.
And he recommended reading the "Absolute Beginner's Guide to the NanoVNA". It can be found here..
Video Timeline
| 0:00 | Meeting Intro | 1:18 | Jeff Clarke (KU8E) – Annual Georgia QSO Details | 27:42 | Club Repeater Updates | 30:51 | Lee Johnson (N4WYE) – Why You Need a NanoVNA | 32:03 | Thanks for the Invitation | 34:36 | My HF Antennas | 36:04 | Looking for an Antenna Analyzer | 37:10 | VNA is… | 38:44 | Vector Network Analyzers | 39:52 | Vector Network Analyzer Block Diagram | 41:53 | NanoVNA Measurements | 43:26 | Geek-Toy of the Year | 44:22 | My NanoVNA | 44:44 | NanoVNA Backgrounder | 47:09 | NanoVNA | 47:50 | NanoVNA Schematic | 48:01 | NanoVNA H4 Specifications | 50:02 | NanoVNA User Interface | 53:05 | NanoVNA Menu Structure Map | 53:59 | NanoVNA Measure Configuration | 56:15 | NanoVNA Calibration | 57:37 | NanoVNA Live Demonstration | 1:05:55 | SWR – OCF Dipole Antenna | 1:06:30 | SWR – 40 Meter Dipole Antenna | 1:07:39 | SWR Comparison | 1:09:18 | EFHW @ 7 MHz – SWR, Return Loss & Smith Chart | 1:11:34 | Filter & Amplifier Characteristics: 88-108 MHz Bandstop Filter | 1:12:51 | Antenna Radiation Pattern | 1:13:27 | Time Domain Reflectometer – Distance & Impedance | 1:14:31 | NanoVNA Saver | 1:15:34 | Sources & Links | 1:16:33 | Group.IO | 1:17:48 | Presentation Summary | 1:19:01 | Test Question – Name of this Antenna Type? | 1:20:03 | NanoVNA Q&A | 1:43:00 | Closing Club Business |
March 2021
Portable Ham Radio: An introduction to operating amateur radio outside
Joe Domaleski, KI4ASK, and Mary Catherine Domaleski, KI4HHI
Date: Thursday, March 4, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/5g4Df-rMgdc
Slides: https://kk4gq.org/pdf/Portable-Ham-Radio-KI4ASK-KI4HHI-Feb-2021.pdf (From the Fayette County ARC)
Joe Domaleski, KI4ASK, and Mary Catherine Domaleski, KI4HHI
Date: Thursday, March 4, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/5g4Df-rMgdc
Slides: https://kk4gq.org/pdf/Portable-Ham-Radio-KI4ASK-KI4HHI-Feb-2021.pdf (From the Fayette County ARC)
This was an enjoyable and informative presentation. Joe and Mary Catherine talked about their experiences, including:
● Operating from a park during the Parks on the Air (POTA) even
● Operating from a mountain top during the Summits on the Air (SOTA) event
● Talking to the International Space Station (ISS)
● Talking to other hams via one of the amateur radio satellites in orbit =
● Looking for hidden transmitters (Fox Hunting)
They also talked about their choices of locations, radios, batteries and antennas. It was all very helpful and made outside operations enticing.
● Operating from a park during the Parks on the Air (POTA) even
● Operating from a mountain top during the Summits on the Air (SOTA) event
● Talking to the International Space Station (ISS)
● Talking to other hams via one of the amateur radio satellites in orbit =
● Looking for hidden transmitters (Fox Hunting)
They also talked about their choices of locations, radios, batteries and antennas. It was all very helpful and made outside operations enticing.
Video Timeline
| 0:00 | Meeting Intro | 0:56 | Presenter Introductions: Joe and Mary Catherine Domaleski (KI4ASK & KI4HHI) | 4:27 | Portable Ham Radio: An Introduction to Operating Amateur Radio Outside | 6:11 | Agenda | 6:45 | How Not to Operate Portable Ham Radio | 8:43 | What is the Difference Between Mobile and Portable Ham Radio? | 9:13 | Why is Portable Ham Radio So Much Fun? | 11:27 | Why is Portable Ham Radio an Important Skill? | 13:20 | Planning Your Portable Mission | 14:21 | Getting to Your Portable Operating Location | 17:29 | Portable Radios & Power | 24:54 | Portable Antennas | 26:03 | Developing Your RF Awareness | 28:24 | Deployment Scenario – SOTA (Blood Mountain) | 30:02 | Deployment Scenario – SOTA/POTA (Black Rock Mountain State Park) | 32:30 | Deployment Scenario – POTA (FDR State Park) | 33:39 | Deployment Scenario – ARRL Field Data 2020 (Cloudland Canyon State Park) | 38:45 | Deployment Scenario – Listening Post | 42:09 | Deployment Scenario – Fox Hunting | 44:52 | Selected QRP Ham Radio Portable Contacts | 45:40 | Suggested Resources | 47:01 | Questions & Discussion | 1:00:30 | Club Closing Business |
Timestamps courtesy of ARC Member Eric Pourciau, W4EWP
February 2021
HamPC and HamPi - shacks in a box
Dave Slotter, W3DJS
Date: Thursday, February 4, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/s0P_I_sQldY
Dave Slotter, W3DJS
Date: Thursday, February 4, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/s0P_I_sQldY
Dave Slotter, W3DJS, presented on HamPC and HamPi aka Shack in a Box. They are collections of over 90 helpful ham radio programs that Dave maintains that run on PCs and Raspberry Pi's running Linux.
Video Timeline
| 0:00 | January ARC Meeting Business | 4:23 | Presenter Introduction: Jim Reed (N4BFR) | 8:24 | So You’re a Licensed Ham. Now What? | 10:16 | Pop Quiz Hotshot | 12:14 | Six Things for the First Six Months | 16:03 | Tip #1: Get Social – Clubs and Electronic | 23:37 | Tip #2: Get a Decent Radio, and Listen | 34:34 | Tip #3: Meet Your New Friend: “Elmer” | 39:04 | Tip #4: Jump in and Help with an Event | 40:36 | Tip #5: Find Out About Field Day | 47:06 | Tip #6: Make Some D*mn Contacts | 51:15 | In Review | 58:33 | Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts | 1:03:38 | Closing Club Business |
Timestamps courtesy of ARC Member Eric Pourciau, W4EWP
January 2021
So you're a licensed ham. Now what?
Jim Reed, N4BFR
Date: Thursday, January 7, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/ZwxZi4HyJ5Q
Jim Reed, N4BFR
Date: Thursday, January 7, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/ZwxZi4HyJ5Q
Jim Reed, N4BFR presented the program, "So you're a licensed ham. Now what?" (1/7/2021)
He identified 6 things that a new ham can do to successfully immerse himself or herself into his or her new hobby.
He identified 6 things that a new ham can do to successfully immerse himself or herself into his or her new hobby.
Video Timeline
| 0:00 | January ARC Meeting Business | 4:23 | Presenter Introduction: Jim Reed (N4BFR) | 8:24 | So You’re a Licensed Ham. Now What? | 10:16 | Pop Quiz Hotshot | 12:14 | Six Things for the First Six Months | 16:03 | Tip #1: Get Social – Clubs and Electronic | 23:37 | Tip #2: Get a Decent Radio, and Listen | 34:34 | Tip #3: Meet Your New Friend: “Elmer” | 39:04 | Tip #4: Jump in and Help with an Event | 40:36 | Tip #5: Find Out About Field Day | 47:06 | Tip #6: Make Some D*mn Contacts | 51:15 | In Review | 58:33 | Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts | 1:03:38 | Closing Club Business |
Timestamps courtesy of ARC Member Eric Pourciau, W4EWP
DECEMBER 2020
ARC Show 'n Tell and Shack Photos
Various ARC members and meeting participants
Date: Thursday, December 3, 2020 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/5swWBMkfSpU
Various ARC members and meeting participants
Date: Thursday, December 3, 2020 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/5swWBMkfSpU
At our December meeting, we had a show and tell where our members showed off their shacks and current projects.
We also had a PowerPoint presentation of all of the photos of shacks, antennas, radios and other ham related gear that our members had submitted in advance. The presentation lasted almost 10 minutes. We had a lot of pictures to show.
And the whole thing was set to Christmas music. Thanks, everyone, for sending in your pictures.
One of our members who can't make it to our physical meetings, Dallas Jones, VK3DJ, was on the zoom...from Australia. He helped arrange for the ARC and the Geelong (Australia) Amateur Radio Club to become sister clubs. Our meeting started at 7 PM, our time, as you know, but it was 11 AM Friday where Dallas was. To him, our meetings are on the first Friday of every month.
The biggest event of the meeting was the awarding of the 2020 ARC Ham of the Year Award.
This year's recipient is Jim Reed, N4BFR. Jim is a former ARC president and he chaired the Election Committee that conducted our August election. It went smoothly and was uncontested. Jim also promoted the club on social media, explored ways of teaching hams over the internet, and helped out wherever the club needed help. He is one of our Sunday night net ops and he often steps up and runs the net when the scheduled net op can't. Jim is also an ARRL Volunteer Examiner (VE); he helped administer testing sessions where prospective hams became new hams and licensed hams upgraded their licenses.
Congratulations, Jim.
The photos were collected and made into a video by John Talipsky Jr, N3ACK
We also had a PowerPoint presentation of all of the photos of shacks, antennas, radios and other ham related gear that our members had submitted in advance. The presentation lasted almost 10 minutes. We had a lot of pictures to show.
And the whole thing was set to Christmas music. Thanks, everyone, for sending in your pictures.
One of our members who can't make it to our physical meetings, Dallas Jones, VK3DJ, was on the zoom...from Australia. He helped arrange for the ARC and the Geelong (Australia) Amateur Radio Club to become sister clubs. Our meeting started at 7 PM, our time, as you know, but it was 11 AM Friday where Dallas was. To him, our meetings are on the first Friday of every month.
The biggest event of the meeting was the awarding of the 2020 ARC Ham of the Year Award.
This year's recipient is Jim Reed, N4BFR. Jim is a former ARC president and he chaired the Election Committee that conducted our August election. It went smoothly and was uncontested. Jim also promoted the club on social media, explored ways of teaching hams over the internet, and helped out wherever the club needed help. He is one of our Sunday night net ops and he often steps up and runs the net when the scheduled net op can't. Jim is also an ARRL Volunteer Examiner (VE); he helped administer testing sessions where prospective hams became new hams and licensed hams upgraded their licenses.
Congratulations, Jim.
The photos were collected and made into a video by John Talipsky Jr, N3ACK
Video Timeline
| 0:00 | Meeting Intro | 3:05 | Shack Photos Presentation | 15:25 | Member Projects | 18:58 | Dallas Jones (VK3DJ) & Updates from Australia | 25:50 | Upcoming Events | 29:59 | Repeater Updates | 33:35 | Program Ideas for 2021 | 35:05 | Club Membership & Treasury Updates | 35:42 | Questions, Comments, & Club Giveaway | 38:13 | 2020 Ham of the Year Award | 40:37 | Closing Comments |
Timestamps courtesy of ARC Member Eric Pourciau, W4EWP
NOVEMBER 2020
Hams Handle Emergency Traffic
Gordon West, WB6NOA
Date: Thursday, November 5, 2020 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/AMKwiBtuvPo
Gordon West, WB6NOA
Date: Thursday, November 5, 2020 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/AMKwiBtuvPo
ARC Meeting November 2020 - Gordon West, WB6NOA - Hams Handle EmergencyTraffic (11/5/2020)
Several ARC members and others have asked for information on Emergency Communications EMCOMM and Georgia’s EMCOMM groups and initiatives after hearing Gordon West's inspiring presentation Thursday night..
Here are some links I found.
Reference Materials
ARRL Georgia Section Manager: David Benoist, AG4ZR mailto:ag4zr@...
ARRL Emergency Coordinator for Georgia: Frank Dean,K4SJR mailto:k4sjr@...
ARES District Emergency Coordinator - Metro Atlanta: Hal Collier, W4IGE mailto:w4ige@...
ARES Emergency Coordinator - Atlanta: Michael Gaertner, KJ4GUY mailto:michael.l.gaertner@...
If there’s enough interest, the ARC will have a program on EMCOMM in 2021. Just ask.
Several ARC members and others have asked for information on Emergency Communications EMCOMM and Georgia’s EMCOMM groups and initiatives after hearing Gordon West's inspiring presentation Thursday night..
Here are some links I found.
Reference Materials
- Gordon mentioned a handbook with detailed emergency communications definitions and protocols. It’s called the Radiotelephone Handbook Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures. It can be downloaded at https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/CGTTP_6-01_1B_Radiotelephone_Handbook.pdf.
- ARRL Amateur Emergency Radio Service (ARES): http://www.arrl.org/ares
- ARRL Georgia ARES: https://gaares.org/
- Article on the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT): https://community.fema.gov/AP_Story?id=a0Wt00000093oYsEAI
- FEMA National Incident Management System (NIMS) Training: https://training.fema.gov/nims/
- The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) FAQ (Not in Georgia): http://www.arrl.org/ares-races-faq
ARRL Georgia Section Manager: David Benoist, AG4ZR mailto:ag4zr@...
ARRL Emergency Coordinator for Georgia: Frank Dean,K4SJR mailto:k4sjr@...
ARES District Emergency Coordinator - Metro Atlanta: Hal Collier, W4IGE mailto:w4ige@...
ARES Emergency Coordinator - Atlanta: Michael Gaertner, KJ4GUY mailto:michael.l.gaertner@...
If there’s enough interest, the ARC will have a program on EMCOMM in 2021. Just ask.
Video Timeline
| 0:00 | Meeting Intro | 1:07 | Emergency Communication Services and Audio Examples | 26:49 | LA EMCOMM Scenario & Club EMCOMM Involvement | 34:06 | How for New Hams to Practice and Prepare | 36:27 | Thoughts on DMR, DSTAR, & APRS | 38:33 | Yagi Antenna Story | 41:06 | U.S. Coast Guard Handbook Recommendation | 46:03 | Special Thanks | 50:59 | Monthly Club Meeting Giveaway | 53:11 | Monthly Club Business | 1:02:04 | Club SWAG and Merchandise | 1:04:32 | Closing Questions & Comments |
Timestamps courtesy of ARC Member Eric Pourciau, W4EWP
OCTOBER 2020
Sound, Ham Radio and Music
Bob Heil, K9EID
Date: Thursday, October 1, 2020 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/9OPemQkmFEQ
Bob Heil, K9EID
Date: Thursday, October 1, 2020 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/9OPemQkmFEQ
This was a fascinating presentation by Bob Heil (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Heil), K9EID, the audio pioneer and audio advisor to several well-known (from the 70s) rock bands. Not to mention that he's the founder of Heil Sound, a major manufacturer of professional and amateur radio audio products.
If you go to HRO and look at the high end microphones, you'll note that they were all manufactured by Heil. Many of us have his headsets and/or foot pedal and/or hand PTT switches.
One of the most iconic songs of the classic rock era is "Do You Feel Like We Do" by Peter Frampton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_You_Feel_Like_We_Do
The main reason that it's memorable is because Frampton utilized a custom device that allowed him to modulate his guitar chords with his voice, resulting in spoken words that sounded like they were coming from his guitar. That device was designed by Bob Heil. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recognized Heil's contribution in 2007 by inviting him to exhibit some of his historically significant devices. He was the first manufacturer ever invited to exhibit at the H of F.
Another rock legend Bob worked with is Joe Walsh, WB6ACU, of the Eagles. Yup, another ham.
Bob's talk was all about sound and sound processing. Why are some microphones better than others? Why do musicians prefer one microphone over another? What do hams need to know about sound?
If you go to HRO and look at the high end microphones, you'll note that they were all manufactured by Heil. Many of us have his headsets and/or foot pedal and/or hand PTT switches.
One of the most iconic songs of the classic rock era is "Do You Feel Like We Do" by Peter Frampton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_You_Feel_Like_We_Do
The main reason that it's memorable is because Frampton utilized a custom device that allowed him to modulate his guitar chords with his voice, resulting in spoken words that sounded like they were coming from his guitar. That device was designed by Bob Heil. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recognized Heil's contribution in 2007 by inviting him to exhibit some of his historically significant devices. He was the first manufacturer ever invited to exhibit at the H of F.
Another rock legend Bob worked with is Joe Walsh, WB6ACU, of the Eagles. Yup, another ham.
Bob's talk was all about sound and sound processing. Why are some microphones better than others? Why do musicians prefer one microphone over another? What do hams need to know about sound?
Video Timeline
| 0:00 | An Evening with Bob Heil | 0:30 | 128 El. Two Meter Array | 1:57 | Bob’s Early Music Career | 5:29 | The Night Rock’n’Roll Sound was Born | 10:05 | Who’s Next? | 13:20 | Joe Walsh & The Talk Box | 18:59 | Heil Sound, Satellites & Home Theaters | 26:23 | Paul Klipsch and Bell Labs | 29:36 | Microphone Arrays & Importance of Power Focus | 39:56 | Phasing and Phased Arrays | 49:30 | Equalization Comes to Ham Radio | 56:06 | Heil Sound Broadcasting & Radio Products | 1:06:43 | Bob’s Final Thoughts | 1:10:04 | Presentation Q&A | 1:20:55 | Bob Plays the Organ | 1:28:36 | Presentation Close | 1:32:16 | Club Meeting Giveaway | 1:33:36 | Closing Club Business |
Timestamps courtesy of ARC Member Eric Pourciau, W4EWP
SEPTEMBER 2020
Meet and Greet with the Georgia ARRL Leadership
David Benoist, AG4ZR Section Manager, ARRL Georgia Section
David Vine, WA1EAW Georgia On My Mind newsletter editor, ARRL Georgia Section
Martha Muir, W4MSA Asst. Section Manager and Section Youth Coordinator, ARRL Georgia Section
Joe Domaleski, KI4ASK Guest of David Benoist
Date: Thursday, September 3, 2020 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/7t6U_0zNpNs
David Benoist, AG4ZR Section Manager, ARRL Georgia Section
David Vine, WA1EAW Georgia On My Mind newsletter editor, ARRL Georgia Section
Martha Muir, W4MSA Asst. Section Manager and Section Youth Coordinator, ARRL Georgia Section
Joe Domaleski, KI4ASK Guest of David Benoist
Date: Thursday, September 3, 2020 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: ZOOM Videoconference
Video: https://youtu.be/7t6U_0zNpNs
Video Timeline
| 0:00 | Meeting Intro | 2:53 | An Introduction to David Benoist, AG4ZR | 9:56 | Key Georgia ARRL Members | 15:48 | ARRL Updates & Interests | 24:38 | Getting Engaged & Keeping Active | 38:32 | The Upcoming FCC License Fee | 46:09 | ARC Activities Ideas | 51:03 | Misc Questions & Comments for David | 1:04:06 | Getting Youth Engaged in Radio | 1:13:47 | David's Closing Thoughts | 1:15:38 | Monthly Club Business | 1:44:19 | DMR & Georgia | 1:59:29 | Closing Comments |
Timestamps courtesy of ARC Member Eric Pourciau, W4EWP
AUGUST 2020
Election: Executive Committee - 2020/2021 Term
Congrats to the winning team
President - John Talipsky Jr (N3ACK)
Vice President - Michael Miller (KI4RDP)
Secretary / Treasurer - Ade Shamblin (KJ4CUY)
Member at Large - Val Bruce (WD4EX)
Member at Large - Rob Osattin (KI4UTY)
Date: Thursday, August 6, 2020 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: JITSI Videoconference
Congrats to the winning team
President - John Talipsky Jr (N3ACK)
Vice President - Michael Miller (KI4RDP)
Secretary / Treasurer - Ade Shamblin (KJ4CUY)
Member at Large - Val Bruce (WD4EX)
Member at Large - Rob Osattin (KI4UTY)
Date: Thursday, August 6, 2020 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: JITSI Videoconference
JULY 2020
* NO DATA *
Date: Thursday, July 2, 2020 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: W4DOC 146.82 FM Repeater
Date: Thursday, July 2, 2020 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: W4DOC 146.82 FM Repeater
June 2020
* NO DATA *
Date: Thursday, June 4, 2020 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: W4DOC 146.82 FM Repeater
Date: Thursday, June 4, 2020 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: W4DOC 146.82 FM Repeater
May 2020
* NO DATA *
Date: Thursday, May 7, 2020 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: W4DOC 146.82 FM Repeater
Date: Thursday, May 7, 2020 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: W4DOC 146.82 FM Repeater