qs3 2008 dealer cover.pmd

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WWW.RADiOSCAMATORUL.Hi2.RO

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TAILTWISTER SERIES IIFor large medium antenna

arrays up to 20 sq. ft. wind load.Available with DCU-1 Pathfinderdigital control (T2XD) or stan-dard analog control box (T2X)with new 5-second brake delayand new Test/Calibrate func-tion. Low temperaturegrease, alloy ringgear, indicatorpotentiometer, fer-rite beads on poten-tiometer wires, new weather-proof AMP connectors plus8-pin plug at control box,triple bearing race with 138ball bearings for large loadbearing strength, electric lock-ing steel wedge brake, Northor South center of rotation scale on meter,low voltage control, 21/16 inch max. mast.

AR-40 For compact

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arrays up to 8.5sq. feet mountedinside tower or 5sq. ft. with mast adapter. Lowtemperature grease good to-30 F degrees. NewTest/Calibratefunction. Bellrotator designgives totalweather pro-tection, dual 58 ball bearing race givesproven support. Die-cast ring gear, stampedsteel gear drive, heavy duty, trouble freegear train, North center scale, lighted direc-tional indicator, 8-pin plug/socket on con-trol unit, snap-action control switches, lowvoltage control, safe operation, takes maxi-mum mast size to 21/16 inches. MSLD lightduty lower mast support included.

HDR-300AFor king-sized antenna

arrays up to 25 sq.ft. wind loadarea. Control cable connector, newhardened stainless steel output shaft,

new North or South centered cali-bration, new ferrite beads onpotentiometer wires reduce RF sus-

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ROTATORS. . . the first choice of hams around the world!

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rotator in the world!For medium communicationsarrays up to 15 square feet windload area. New 5-second brakedelay! New Test/Calibrate func-tion. New low temperaturegrease permits normaloperation down to -30degrees F. New alloyring gear gives extrastrength up to 100,000 PSI for maximumreliability. New indicator potentiometer.New ferrite beads reduce RF susceptibility.New Cinch plug plus 8-pin plug at controlbox. Dual 98 ball bearing race for loadbearing strength and electric locking steelwedge brake prevents wind induced antennamovement. North or South center of rota-tion scale on meter, low voltage control,max mast size of 21/16 inches.

HAM-VFor medium

antenna arrays up to15 square feet windload area. Similarto the HAM IV, butincludes DCU-1Pathfinder digitalcontrol unit withgas plasma display.Provides automatic

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ROTATOR OPTIONSMSHD, $99.95. Heavy duty mast supportfor T2X, HAM-IV and HAM-V.MSLD, $39.95. Light duty mast supportfor CD-45II and AR-40.TSP-1, $34.95. Lower spacer plate forHAM-IV and HAM-V.

T-2X$69995

T-2XD$107995

with DCU-1

HAM IV and HAM V Rotator SpecificationsWind Load capacity (inside tower)Wind Load (w/mast adapter)Turning Power Brake PowerBrake ConstructionBearing AssemblyMounting HardwareControl Cable ConductorsShipping WeightEffective Moment (in tower)

15 square feet7.5 square feet

800 in.-lbs.5000 in.-lbs.

Electric Wedgedual race/96 ball bearingsClamp plate/steel U-bolts

826 lbs.

2800 ft.-lbs.

HDR-300A Rotator Specifications

TAILTWISTER Rotator SpecificationsWind load capacity (inside tower)Wind Load (w/ mast adapter)Turning PowerBrake PowerBrake ConstructionBearing AssemblyMounting HardwareControl Cable ConductorsShipping Weight Effective Moment (in tower)

20 square feet10 square feet

1000 in.-lbs.9000 in.-lbs.

Electric WedgeTriple race/138 ball brngsClamp plate/steel U-bolts

831 lbs.

3400 ft.-lbs.

25 square feetnot applicable

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solenoid operated lockingbronze sleeve w/rollers

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61 lbs.5000 ft.-lbs.

Wind load capacity (inside tower)Wind Load (w/ mast adapter)Turning PowerBrake PowerBrake ConstructionBearing AssemblyMounting HardwareControl Cable ConductorsShipping WeightEffective Moment (in tower)

CD-45II Rotator Specifications8.5 square feet

5.0 square feet600 in.-lbs.800 in.-lbs.Disc Brake

Dual race/48 ball bringsClamp plate/steel U-bolts

822 lbs.

1200 ft.-lbs.

Wind load capacity (inside tower)Wind Load (w/ mast adapter)Turning Power Brake PowerBrake ConstructionBearing AssemblyMounting HardwareControl Cable ConductorsShipping Weight Effective Moment (in tower)

AR-40 Rotator Specifications3.0 square feet

1.5 square feet350 in.-lbs.450 in.-lbs.Disc Brake

Dual race/12 ball bearingsClamp plate/steel bolts

514 lbs.

300 ft.-lbs.

Wind load capacity (inside tower)Wind Load (w/ mast adapter)Turning Power Brake PowerBrake ConstructionBearing AssemblyMounting HardwareControl Cable ConductorsShipping WeightEffective Moment (in tower)

AR-35 Rotator/ControllerFor UHF, VHF, 6-

Meter, TV/FM antennas.Includes automatic con-

troller, rotator,mounting clamps,mounting hardware.110 VAC. OneYear Warranty.

HAM-IV$55995

HDR-300A$137995

HAM-V$99995

with DCU-1

Antennas, Rotators & Towers308 Industrial Park Road,Starkville, MS 39759, USA

Prices/specs subject to change without notice/obligation (c)2007 Hy-Gain.

http://www.hy-gain.comNearest Dealer, Free catalog, To Order . . .

800-973-6572Voice: 662-323-9538 Fax: 662-323-6551

NEW! Automatic Rotator Brake DelayProvides automatic 5-second brake delay -- insures your

rotator is fully stopped before brake is engaged. Preventsaccidentally engaging brake while rotator is moving. Use with HAM II,III, IV, V, T2Xs. Easy-to-install. Includes pre-assembled PCB, hardware.

RBD-5$3495

AR-35$7995

AR-40$28995

CD-45II$38995

Digital Automatic ControllerAutomatically con-

trols T2X, HAM-IV, Vrotators. 6 presets forfavorite headings, 1O acc-uracy, 8-sec. brake delay,

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trolled with many logging/contest programs.

DCU-1$69995

Hy-Gain_rotators_022807.qxd 5/24/2007 8:26 AM Page 1



Life is a JOURNEY. Enjoy the ride!

For a complete catalog, call or visit your local dealer. Or contact NCG Company. 15036 Sierra Bonita Lane, Chino, CA 91710 909-393-6133 • 800-962-2611 • FAX 909-393-6136 • www.natcommgroup.com

“One person can effortlessly raise the antenna at night when no one can spot it, and take it down

before daybreak. This antenna is also a great choice for portable operations, such as quick and

easy mini-DXpedition to a campground or a nice tropical island! In short, the Comet CHA-250B is

simple to assemble, painless to elevate and is easy on the eyes, while at the same time getting

you on 6 meters thru 80 meters without the requirement of an antenna tuner and ground radials.

You’ll even be able to work some DX while you’re at it!” – Dan Dankert N6PEQ

and Antennas

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9 It Seems to Us: Amateur Radio, Version 2008

12 This Just In ....................................................................................... Joel P. Kleinman, N1BKE Scout campers see ham radio up close. Inside HQ; Media Hits; more.

56 HF Antennas and Restricted Living ......................................................Dick Jansson, KD1K A stealthy HF apartment station.

59 Happenings ................................................................................. S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA Solar Cycle 24; new Board members visit ARRL HQ; Wisconsin hams activated for tornado;

FCC News; more.

QST (ISSN:0033-4812) is published monthly as its offi cial journal by the American Radio Relay League, Inc, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111-1494, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Hartford, CT, USA and at additional mailing offi ces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: QST, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111-1494, USA. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. Canada Returns to be sent to Bleuchip International, PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2.

March 2008 Volume 92 Number 3

This Month in QST

Technical

US & Possessions: Membership in the ARRL, including a one year subscription to QST, is available to individuals at $39. Age 65 and over, with proof of age, $36. Licensed radio amateurs age 21 and under and the eldest licensee in the household may qualify for the rate of $20. Life Membership, in cluding a subscription to QST is available at $975.* Age 65 and over, $900.* Member-ship and QST cannot be separated. Libraries and institutions, $39 per year. Single copies $5.

InternationalTo compensate for additional postage for mailing outside the US, the follow-ing rates apply:Canada: Membership in the ARRL, including a one year subscription to QST, $49, payable in US funds. Life Membership, including a subscription to QST is available at $1225.* Libraries and institutions, $49 per year.All Other Countries: Membership in the ARRL, including a one year subscription to QST, $62, payable in US funds. Life Membership, including a subscription to QST is available at $1550.* Libraries and institutions, $62 per year.*Payment arrangements available. Please write for details.

Membership without QST is available to the imme diate family of a member living at the same address, and to anyone who is legally blind, for $8 per year.Foreign remittances should be by international postal or express money order or bank draft negotiable in the US and for an equivalent amount in US funds. Copyright © 2008 by the American Radio Relay League Inc. Title registered at the US Patent Offi ce. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Quedan reservados todos los derechos. Printed in the USA.QST®, DXCC®, VUCC®, DX Century Club®, ARES® and Amateur Radio Emergency Service® are registered trademarks of the American Radio Relay League, Inc.The ARRL and QST in no way warrant the products described or reviewed herein.QST is available to blind and physically handicapped individuals on audio cas-sette from the Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Call 1-800-424-8567.Indexed by Applied Science and Technology Index, Library of Congress Catalog Card No: 21-9421.

30 A New Spin on the Big Wheel ...................L. B. Cebik, W4RNL, and Bob Cerreto, WA1FXT A new take on a three dipole array for 2 meters.

35 Portable PSK Has Finally Arrived ............ Milt Cram, W8NUE, and George Heron, N2APB Operate PSK31 without a conventional PC or laptop.

39 I Just Got My License and a Used HF Transceiver — Now What? .......R. Dean Straw, N6BV What to consider when picking out your fi rst vertical antenna for 20 and 40 meters.

43 A Station for the ARRL Sponsored 500 kHz Experiment .........................................................Patrick Hamel, W5THT, WD2XSH/6

Experiments using 505-510 kHz could open up new doors — and bands — for Amateur Radio.

46 Product Review .........................................................................................Mark Wilson, K1RO Yaesu FT-950 HF and 6 Meter Transceiver; Array Solutions AS-AYL-4 Receiving Antenna

News and Features

30

46

90

4 March 2008

T O C 4 & 5.indd 4T O C 4 & 5.indd 4 1/23/2008 3:52:12 PM1/23/2008 3:52:12 PM



In order to ensure prompt delivery, we ask that you periodically check the address information on your mailing label. If you fi nd any inaccura-cies, please contact the Circulation Department at [email protected] or 860-594-0200 immediately. Thank you for your assistance.Reprints and permissions: [email protected] page 14 for detailed contact information.Telephone: 860-594-0200Fax: 860-594-0259

Harold Kramer, WJ1BPublisherSteve Ford, WB8IMYEditorJoel P. Kleinman, N1BKEManaging EditorJoel R. Hallas, W1ZRTechnical EditorLarry D. Wolfgang, WR1B Dean Straw, N6BV Senior Assistant Technical EditorsSteve Sant Andrea, WB2GYKAssistant Editor

S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFAHappeningsMark J. Wilson, K1ROProduct ReviewMike Tracy, KC1SXProduct Review Lab TestingSteve Ewald, WV1XPublic ServiceMary M. Hobart, K1MMHAt the FoundationSean Kutzko, KX9XContestsBill Moore, NC1LDX and VHF/UHF Century Clubs

John Troster, W6ISQ Paul L. Rinaldo, W4RIAl Brogdon, W1ABBernie McClenny, W3URJohn Dilks, K2TQN H. Ward Silver, NØAX Gene Zimmerman, W3ZZPaul Wade, W1GHZContributing Editors

Michelle Bloom, WB1ENTProduction SupervisorJodi Morin, KA1JPAAssistant Production SupervisorMaty Weinberg, KB1EIBProduction Coordinator

Sue Fagan, KB1OKWGraphic Design SupervisorDavid Pingree, N1NASSenior Technical IllustratorDevon Neal, KB1NSRTechnical Illustrator

Ed VibertProofreader

Debra Jahnke, K1DAJBusiness Services ManagerBob Inderbitzen, NQ1RSales & Marketing ManagerAmy Hurtado, KB1NXOCirculation ManagerDiane Szlachetka, KB1OKVAdvertising Graphics Designer

QST Workbench

Amateur Radio World ............................. 94ARRL VEC Volunteer Examiner Honor Roll ............................................. 55At the Foundation ................................... 96Coming Conventions.............................. 98Correspondence ..................................... 24Eclectic Technology ............................... 95Emergency Communications Course Honor Roll ............................................. 58Feedback ................................................. 80Guide to ARRL Member Services ......... 14Ham Ads ................................................ 148Hamfest Calendar ................................... 98

63 The Doctor is IN Coil chokes revisited; excess transmission line; more.

65 Short Takes .........................................................................................Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU QSO Wizard: Mac OS X Amateur Radio Visual Aid

66 Hands On Radio ......................................................................................H. Ward Silver, NØAX Experiment #62 — About Resistors

68 Getting that Antenna Cable into the House .........................................Joel R. Hallas, W1ZR The station is inside, the antenna outside — how do you bring them together?

69 Getting on the Air ....................................................................................Joel R. Hallas, W1ZR You’ve got your license and you’ve got your gear. Now get ready to make that fi rst contact!

71 Hints & Kinks .......................................................................................... R. Dean Straw, N6BV Checking electrical panels; keeping wires neat behind the consoles; adding bands to an SWR

analyzer; more.

Radiosport

Departments

OUR COVEROur annual antenna issue features the station of Sture Henriksson, OHØJFP, of Åland Island on the cover. The tower on the left has a 3-element Yagi for 30 meters, while the tower in the middle boasts two antennas — a 4-element Yagi for 12 meters on top and a 4-element Yagi for 15 meters below. The tower on the right has a 6-element Yagi for 6 meters. (Photo by Henryk Kotowski, SMØJHF); (Inset) Andrew Toth of XX Towers installs the new SteppIR 3-element Yagi for 6-20 meters on top of the ARRL HQ building in November 2007. SteppIR donated this antenna to ARRL for use by W1HQ, the ARRL employees club station. (Photo by S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA)

Hamspeak .............................................. 101How’s DX? ............................................... 85Index of Advertisers ............................. 166New Products .......................................... 84Old Radio ................................................. 92Public Service ......................................... 90Silent Keys .............................................. 96Special Events ...................................... 100Strays ................................................. 64, 70Technical Correspondence .................... 53Up Front in QST ...................................... 20W1AW Schedule ..................................... 97The World Above 50 MHz ....................... 8775, 50 and 25 Years Ago ......................... 97

73 This Month in Contesting .................Sean Kutzko, KX9X

74 Contest Corral .................................H. Ward Silver, NØAX

75 2007 ARRL September VHF QSO Party Results .....................................Sean Kutzko, KX9X

79 2007 ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest Results .......................................Jon Platt, WØZQ

81 2007 IARU HF World Championship Results ....................................Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA

8575

65

March 2008 5

T O C 4 & 5.indd 5T O C 4 & 5.indd 5 1/23/2008 3:52:23 PM1/23/2008 3:52:23 PM



March 2008 9

David Sumner, K1ZZARRL Chief Executive Offi cer

”“Amateur Radio, Version 2008

There has never been a better time to share your passion for Amateur Radio with your friends and family members!

Many of the people you know probably realize that you enjoy Amateur Radio. You may have shown it to them years ago. But what do they know about the 2008 version of your avocation?

Do they know that our stations do not have to be bulky boxes banished to the basement or garage, but that they now come in compact, highly transportable packages?

Do they realize that the digital revolution sweeping through consumer electronics is bringing equally exciting changes to Amateur Radio?

Do they know about the many ways we use computers to enhance our operating?

Do they know that Amateur Radio interfaces with — but doesn’t rely on — the Internet?

Do they understand how, when the power and telephone lines are down and cell phones aren’t working, we can still communicate?

Do they know that knowledge of Morse code is no longer a requirement for any class of FCC amateur license (but that CW continues to be one of the most popular operating modes)?

Unless you’re a relatively recent licensee, your friends probably have a 20th Century impression of Amateur Radio. They might remember you making autopatches from your car, which was pretty impressive at the time but now seems as dated as a rotary-dial telephone. They might recall that you were exchanging electronic mail by packet radio years before they enjoyed the blessing (or curse) of email themselves. If you were an early devotee of radioteletype (RTTY), the sounds and smell of your surplus teleprinter (your pride and joy, mechanical monster that it was) may yet linger in their subconscious.

Those are the memories that cause people to ask, “Amateur Radio? Do they still do that?”

On the other hand, your friends probably can’t imagine that radio amateurs routinely bounce signals off the moon using software tools adapted from radio astronomy. They don’t know that while GPS navigation is just becoming commonplace, amateurs have been using it for years to track one another’s whereabouts — and are still coming up with new applications. They don’t realize that it’s less trouble to take an Amateur Radio station along on vacation than it is to take skis or golf clubs.

Your friends might have thought about how they would get in touch with their own family members if a disaster or crisis cut off telephones and the Internet, but they may not realize that Amateur Radio can provide the answer — and that they can do it themselves.

Technology is what makes all that, and more, possible. But technology may not be — at least, not directly — what makes you passionate about Amateur Radio.

It may be restoring and operating older equipment.

It may be the ability to provide a public service in your community.

It may be the people you meet who share your interests or who broaden your perspective.

It may be the opportunity to improve your skills by competing or collaborating with others.

It may simply be that radio — being able to communicate without wires, over virtually any distance — is still magic.

Whatever it is, make 2008 the year you share your passion with your friends and family members.

Signs are all around us that Amateur Radio is on an upswing. ARRL membership grew by 3.3% in 2007 — the best result we’ve had since 1993 — to a total of 153,535 at yearend. Participation in ARRL-sponsored operating events and programs is increasing despite the absence of sunspots. A number of antenna and equipment manufacturers say they can’t keep up with demand.

Even so, most people — including many radio amateurs — are not aware that Amateur Radio is in the midst of growth and change. If we want them to understand us — if we want them to join us — then we must take the initiative.

We all know people who thought about getting a license at one time but never quite got around to it, for whatever reason. We all know people who were licensed at one time, perhaps as Novices, whose licenses have lapsed. We all know licensed amateurs who haven’t been on the air in years.

We also know people, especially younger people, who don’t know very much about Amateur Radio. It’s not their fault. For all of their lives they have been surrounded by advanced communications technology and insulated from the magic.

Let’s make sure, before the year is out, that they know what they’re missing. Talk to them about what you’re doing, or thinking about doing, in Amateur Radio. Bring them along to a radio club meeting or just for coffee with the gang. Show them your station, whether you carry it on your belt or it looks like Mission Control — and if the latter, make sure you explain that all that stuff isn’t really necessary. Point them to interesting Web sites. Steer them toward the 99% of us who are positive and welcoming, and away from the 1% who aren’t.

There’s a good chance that by helping others discover the magic of radio, we’ll discover — or rediscover — something ourselves.

Page 9.indd 9Page 9.indd 9 1/24/2008 10:24:19 AM1/24/2008 10:24:19 AM



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This Just InJoel P. Kleinman, [email protected]

Media HitsAllen Pitts, W1AGPWhile the media hits, highlighted here last month in praise of Amateur Radio’s response to the Oregon storms, continue to flow in, other parts of the country have also been “PRo”-active.

■ We wonder if Neil Dorfman just might have something to do with the January 3Jeopardy! question for $800. “Using a call sign like K8RX, you’re engaged in this hobby.” In the program’s “backwards” way of doing things, the correct response (and they got it right) was, “What is Amateur Radio?” [See page 64 for “the rest of the story.”]■ What is Amateur Radio? The answer was in color over two pages in the Guidon story of the Midwest Division Convention in Lebanon, MO. The very same day, November 15, Bridgeport, TX hams’ special event scored an equally big, above the fold article in the Bridgeport Index.

■ Kids Day, January 6, was not missed by the hams in South Kitsap, WA. They used the day at the Fire District’s HQ to explain to kids what Amateur Radio is all about and scored a very nice article in the Kitsap Sun.

■ The Bloomington, IN Amateur Radio Club also made the most of Kids Day at the Wonderlab, a private science museum. By working together, the museum and the hams even had a “build your own radio” session as reported in the Reporter-Times of Martinsville, IN.

■ The face in the picture looked very familiar when we spotted the December 11edition of the San Leandro Times (CA). Director Bob Vallio was also answering the question for reporters, and they printed that there surely was “No SOS Signal for Amateur Radio — It’s Alive and Well!”

■ Two more articles were notable in answering “what is Amateur Radio?” — Amateur Radio is people, and this was illustrated well by The Enquirer (Cincinnati, OH) article announcing the Cincinnati Medical Association was naming a special scholarship program honoring the significant medical achievements of Dr Caesar Bassette. But we smiled in noting the first half of the article was all about his enjoyment of ham radio as KO8B. A similar honor went to Dr Eugene Gottfried as reported in the Contra Costa Times (CA). He was chosen as the Orinda, CA “Volunteer of the Year.” While he may work as a professor emeritus in laboratory medicine, he is best known as KQ6OL. Well done!

In Brief■ The ARRL Board of Directors met January 18-19 in Houston, Texas. Details will appear in next month’s issue. Before the meeting, four new Board members, W4OZK, WY7FD, KØGW and N6VI, attended an orientation session at ARRL HQ.

■ The Yasme Foundation has announced the winners of the first-ever Yasme Excellence Awards: W3HNK; W6EL; 9V1YC, and OH2BUA and OH5TB.

■ The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for December is Geoff Haines, N1GY, for his article “The Octopus — Four Band HF Antenna for Portable Use.”

■ February saw the running of the ARRL International DX Contest (CW). Coming up in March: The Phone DX ’Test.

■ Motorola Inc announced that its subsidiary, MI Inc, has successfully completed its tender offer to acquire a controlling interest in Vertex Standard, parent company of Yaesu.

■ Registration remained open through February 3 for these online courses beginning on February 15: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 2 (EC-002); Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 3 (EC-003R2); Antenna Modeling (EC-004); HF Digital Communications (EC-005); VHF/UHF — Life Beyond the Repeater (EC-008) and Radio Frequency Propagation (EC-011).

■ The 2007 ARRL Periodicals on CD-ROM is available for sale.

■ A rare January EF3 tornado in Wisconsin destroyed houses and knocked out power January 7, displacing about 160 people. The Red Cross activated members of the Kenosha County and Racine County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) groups to provide logistical communications.

■ The Southwest Ohio Digital and Technical Symposium and the New York City/Long Island Section Convention were held in January.

■ Despite the fact that sunspots have been virtually non-existent, the ARRL Outgoing QSL Service is seeing bigger numbers

■ ARRL’s Winter Catalog is now available online.

■ ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, has announced that the following 2007 operations have been approved for DXCC credit: S79UU and S79AB — Seychelles Islands; 5L2MS — Liberia, and D2NX — Angola.

A VEC FirstOn October 29, Susan Novotny, now KDØBZF, earned her Technician license and Carlos Diez, KD4ZNB, upgraded from Technician to Extra. Okay, no big deal. What makes this event unique is that it was the first VE session in Costa Rica. Carlos is better known to DXers and contesters as Keko, TI5KD. We will be prepared for our next trip to Costa Rica. We are planning to host a VE session for the many Americans who live and work there. This was the first Costa Rica VE session, but it won’t be the last. — Jim Hammock, KIØDN

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From the left: Cliff, NØZUQ; Susan, KDØBZF; Don, N6JRL; Keko, K2CE/TI5KD, and Jim, KIØDN.

12 March 2008

Pages 12 Through 16.indd 12Pages 12 Through 16.indd 12 1/23/2008 2:12:58 PM1/23/2008 2:12:58 PM



Inside HQ

73,Harold Kramer, WJ1BARRL Chief Operating Offi [email protected]

400 Cub Scouts See Ham Radio Up Close in ArizonaIn late December, 400 cub scouts took part in the Catalina Council Winter Day Camp at Fort Huachuca. Thanks to Jim Fagan, KE7IDC, a boy scout in Troop 157, and several volunteers he recruited to assist, the scouts had the chance to experience several aspects of ham radio. Jim recruited his father, K7DF, and Lloyd Miller, N7GV, as well as fellow boy scout Brandon Holman, KE7ODY, and Brandon’s dad Dave Holman, KE3HF. N7GV brought out several members of the Green Valley ARC to help out. Lloyd put together the soldering demonstration, the VHF station, the Snap Circuits demonstration and the Morse code demonstration. Each boy had 16 events to attend over a two day period. Amateur Radio was a big hit. — Tom Fagan, K7DF, ARRL Section Manager, Arizona

Lloyd Miller, N7GV, demonstrates soldering to Cub Scouts at the Catalina Council Winter Camp in Arizona. Boy scout Jim Fagan, KE7IDC, recruited several hams to organize and set up four separate areas.

BETH FAGAN

In late October, Dick Stebbins, K1ITV, looks on as station trustee Gordon Horn, W2WTV, makes the very fi rst contact from the new ham shack (W1VCM) at the Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut in Windsor. The station is currently using a vintage Kenwood TS-520S transceiver and a Cushcraft vertical antenna. In the spring, a tower and TA-33 beam will be going up, thanks to a grant from the ARRL Foundation. Visiting hams are welcome to operate the station. — Bernie Michaels, KB1OO

BU

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ICH

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Special Antenna IssueWelcome to our special Antenna Issue. This year we scheduled this special issue for March QST so it would arrive in time for the nice weather when most of us do our annual spring antenna work.

As Amateur Radio operators, we are obsessed with antennas. Antenna pieces are the most popular articles and columns in QST. We produce and sell more books about antennas than any other topic. The ARRL Lab’s Technical Information Service answers more questions about antennas than any other subject. Why is this? First, after operator skill and experience, an amateur station’s antenna is, without question, the most critical component of station’s performance. The old saw that “a dime in the antenna is worth a dollar in the radio” still applies. Second, antennas are a part of our station that we can still easily build, modify and experiment with ourselves.

Most amateurs’ fi rst experience with HF antennas is the act of putting up a dipole or vertical in their backyard. Many of us, myself included, still use wire antennas or verticals for HF operations. These antennas are easy to build, or if you prefer not to roll your own, they are inexpensive and readily available from a number of our QST advertisers. They are also easily installed and unobtrusive. In many cases, they are the only type of antenna that will easily fi t on a modest size urban or suburban lot.

We are featuring these types of antennas in this issue. These articles include HF Antennas and Restricted Living, about a stealthy HF apartment station, and an article by Dean Straw, N6BV, on what to consider when picking out your fi rst vertical antenna for 20 and 40 meters. In addition, there is an article by Joel Hallas, W1ZR, offering practical advice on how to get that outside antenna cable inside your house. For VHF operators we have a new way to make a three dipole array for 2 meters entitled A New Spin on the Big Wheel.

In keeping with the antenna theme of this issue, you will fi nd a special 8-page tear-out advertising section, titled Antenna Time! If you are already thinking about spring and that latest antenna project, you will want to check out a variety of antennas and related products in this section.

Finally, many of our antenna advertisers had told us that they are experiencing a record demand for their products, particularly verticals and HF dipoles. This is great news for Amateur Radio since it indicates an increased interest in HF operation. This increased demand is most likely due to the large number of General and Amateur Extra class license upgrades that we have experienced during this past year.

I hope that this issue motivates you to upgrade and improve your antenna system. Good luck and good DX with your antenna project!

March 2008 13




ARRL, 225 Main Street Newington, Connecticut 06111-1494, USAtel. 860-594-0200, Mon-Fri 8 AM to 5 PM ET (except holidays)

FAX: 860-594-0303e-mail: [email protected]

ARRLWeb: www.arrl.org

News CenterARRLWeb: www.arrl.org ARRL Letter and Audio News: www.arrl.org/arrlletter

Public Relations/AdvocacyGovernment Relations and Spectrum Protection: www.arrl.org/govrelations e-mail: [email protected] and Media Relations: www.arrl.org/pio

Membership Benefi tsMembership Benefi ts (all): www.arrl.org/benefi tsARRL “All Risk” Ham Radio Equipment Insurance: www.arrl.org/insurance ARRL Visa® Credit Card: www.arrl.org/visa ARRL.NET E-mail Forwarding: www.arrl.org/arrlnet Awards: www.arrl.org/awardsContests: www.arrl.org/contests FCC License Renewal / Modifi cation: www.arrl.org/arrlvec QSL Service: www.arrl.org/qsl Regulatory Information www.arrl.org/regulationsTechnical Information Service www.arrl.org/tis e-mail: [email protected] tel. 860-594-0214

Contributions, Grants and ScholarshipsARRL Development Offi ce: www.arrl.org/development e-mail: [email protected] tel. 860-594-0397 ■ ARRL Diamond Club/Diamond Terrace ■ Spectrum Defense Fund ■ Education & Technology Fund ■ Planned Giving/Legacy Circle ■ Maxim SocietyARRL Foundation Grants and Scholarships: www.arrl.org/arrlf

Public ServicePublic Service Programs: www.arrl.org/publicserviceAmateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®): www.arrl.org/aresARRL Field Organization: www.arrl.org/volunteer

The American Radio Relay League, Inc.

Guide to ARRL Member Services

Clubs, Recruitment, Instructors and TeachersFind an Affi liated Club: www.arrl.org/clubsearchMentor Program: www.arrl.org/mentorFind a Licensing Class: www.arrl.org/coursesearchSupport to Instructors: www.arrl.org/instructorFind an Exam Session: www.arrl.org/examsearchVolunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC): www.arrl.org/arrlvec

Publications & EducationQST — Offi cial Journal of ARRL: www.arrl.org/QST e-mail: [email protected] QEX — Forum for Communications Experimenters: www.arrl.org/qex e-mail: [email protected] NCJ — National Contest Journal: www.arrl.org/ncj e-mail: [email protected] Books, Software and Operating Resources: tel. 1-888-277-5289 (toll-free in the US); www.arrl.org/shop Advertising: www.arrl.org/ads e-mail: [email protected] cation and Continuing Education / Online Courses: www.arrl.org/cce

Advocacy

Membership

Public Service

Education

JOIN or RENEW or ORDER Publicationstel. Toll Free 1-888-277-5289 (US)

International callers tel. +1 (860) 594-0355

Interested in Becoming a Ham?

www.arrl.org/hamradioe-mail: [email protected]

tel. 1-800-326-3942 (toll-free in the US)

Visiting ARRL Headquarters

Tours Mon-Fri at 9, 10, 11 AM; 1, 2, 3 PMW1AW guest operating 10 AM to noon, and 1 to 3:45 PM (bring your license).

The American Radio Relay League, Inc. is a noncommercial association of radio amateurs, organized for the promotion of interest in Amateur Radio communication and experimentation, for the establishment of networks to provide communication in the event of disasters or other emergencies, for the advance-ment of the radio art and of the public welfare, for the repre-sentation of the radio amateur in legislative matters, and for the maintenance of fraternalism and a high standard of conduct.ARRL is an incorporated association without capital stock chartered under the laws of the State of Connecticut, and is an exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Its affairs are governed by a Board of Directors, whose voting members are elected every three years by the general membership. The offi cers are elected or appointed by the directors. The League is noncommercial, and no one who could gain fi nancially from the shaping of its affairs is eligible for membership on its Board.“Of, by, and for the radio amateur,” the ARRL numbers within its ranks the vast majority of active amateurs in the nation and has a proud history of achievement as the standard-bearer in amateur affairs.A bona fi de interest in Amateur Radio is the only essential qualifi cation of membership; an Amateur Radio license is not a prerequisite, although full voting membership is granted only to licensed amateurs in the US.Membership inquiries and general correspondence should be addressed to the administrative headquarters: ARRL, 225 Main Street, Newington, Connecticut 06111-1494.

Interested in Writing for QST? www.arrl.org/qst/aguide

e-mail: [email protected]

14 March 2008




As an ARRL member, you elect the director and vice director who represent your division on ARRL policy matters. If you have a question or comment about ARRL policies, contact your representatives at the addresses shown.

Atlantic Division Bill Edgar, N3LLR*22 Jackson Ave, Bradford, PA 16701 (814-362-1250); [email protected] Director: Tom Abernethy, W3TOMPO Box 73, Accokeek, MD 20607(301-292-6263); [email protected]

Central Division George R. Isely, W9GIG*736 Fellows St, St Charles, IL 60174 (630-584-3510); [email protected] Vice Director: Howard S. Huntington, K9KM25350 N Marilyn Ln, Hawthorn Woods, IL 60047 (847-438-3452); [email protected]

Dakota Division Jay Bellows, KØQB997 Portland Ave, St Paul, MN 55104(651-238-4444); [email protected] Director: Gregory P. Widin, KØGW13457 Sixth St N, Stillwater, MN 55082 (651-436-8811); [email protected]

Delta Division Henry R. Leggette, WD4Q*7335 Ginger Snap Cove, Memphis, TN 38125-4732 (901-757-0444); [email protected] Director: Karl Bullock, WA5TMC321 CR 458, Ripley, MS 38663 (662-512-8053); [email protected]

Great Lakes Division Jim Weaver, K8JE5065 Bethany Rd, Mason, OH 45040-8130(513-459-0142); [email protected] Director: Gary L. Johnston, KI4LA3056 Hergott Dr, Edgewood, KY 41017 (859-391-6399); [email protected]

Hudson Division Frank Fallon, N2FF30 E Williston Ave, East Williston, NY 11596 (516-746-7652); [email protected] Director: Joyce Birmingham, KA2ANF235 Van Emburgh Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450-2918 (201-445-5924); [email protected]

Midwest DivisionBruce Frahm, KØBJ1553 County Rd T, Colby, KS 67701 (785-462-7388); [email protected] Director: Cliff Ahrens, KØCA65 Pioneer Trail, Hannibal, MO 63401(573-221-8618); [email protected]

New England DivisionTom Frenaye, K1KI*PO Box J, West Suffi eld, CT 06093 (860-668-5444); [email protected] Director: Mike Raisbeck, K1TWF85 High St, Chelmsford, MA 01824 (978-250-1235); [email protected]

Northwestern Division Jim Fenstermaker, K9JF1525 NW 57th St, Seattle, WA 98107 (360-256-1716); [email protected] Director: William J. Sawders, K7ZM 51442 Mac Ct, La Pine, OR 97739 (541-536-5963); [email protected]

Pacifi c DivisionBob Vallio, W6RGG18655 Sheffi eld Rd, Castro Valley, CA 94546 (510-537-6704); [email protected] Vice Director: Andy Oppel, N6AJO1308 Burbank St, Alameda, CA 94501-3946 (510-864-2299); [email protected]

Roanoke Division Dennis Bodson, W4PWF233 N Columbus St, Arlington, VA 22203 (703-243-3743); [email protected] Vice Director: Patricia Hensley, N4ROS164 N Main St, PO Box 70, Richburg, SC 29729-8223 (803-789-5810); [email protected]

Rocky Mountain DivisionBrian Mileshosky, N5ZGTPO Box 20186, Albuquerque, NM 87154-0186(505-463-9468); [email protected] Director: Dwayne Allen, WY7FD82 Wenger Dr, Devils Tower, WY 82714 (307-756-3916); [email protected]

Southeastern DivisionGreg Sarratt, W4OZK912 Pine Grove Rd, Harvest, AL 35749; (256-337-3636); [email protected] Vice Director: Sandy Donahue, W4RUPO Box 9424, Dothan, AL 36303 (404-403-1513); [email protected]

Southwestern DivisionRichard J. Norton, N6AA21290 West Hillside Dr, Topanga, CA 90290(310-455-1138); [email protected] Director: Marty Woll, N6VI21301 Candice Pl, Chatsworth, CA 91311-1404 (818-773-9655); [email protected]

West Gulf DivisionCoy C. Day, N5OK*20685 SW 29th St, Union City, OK 73090-9726 (405-483-5632); [email protected] Director: Dr David Woolweaver, K5RAV2210 S 77 Sunshine Strip, Harlingen, TX 78550 (956-425-3128); [email protected]

Officers, Division Directors and Staff

How to Find anARRL HQ Staff MemberCan’t fi nd the department you’re looking for? Call 860-594-0200 or e-mail [email protected]. Sending e-mail to any ARRL Headquarters staff member is a snap. Just put his or her call sign (or fi rst initial and last name) in front of @arrl.org. For example, to send to Allen Pitts, W1AGP, Media Rela-tions manager, use [email protected] or [email protected]. If all else fails, send a message to [email protected] and it will get routed to the right person or department.

*Executive Commitee Member

Offi cersFounding President (1914-1936)Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW President JOEL M. HARRISON,* W5ZN 528 Miller Rd, Judsonia, AR 72081 [email protected] Vice PresidentKAY C. CRAIGIE,* N3KN 570 Brush Mountain RdBlacksburg, VA 24060 540-552-3903; [email protected] Vice PresidentRICK RODERICK, K5UR PO Box 1463, Little Rock, AR 72203 501-988-2527; [email protected] Affairs Vice President RODNEY STAFFORD, W6ROD 5155 Shadow Estates San Jose, CA 95135; 408-238-4671 [email protected] Executive Offi cer DAVID SUMNER,* K1ZZSecretary DAVID SUMNER, K1ZZTreasurer JAMES McCOBB Jr, K1LUChief Financial Offi cer BARRY J. SHELLEY, N1VXYChief Operating Offi cer HAROLD KRAMER, WJ1BChief Development Offi cer MARY HOBART, K1MMHChief Technology Offi cer PAUL RINALDO, W4RI

StaffGeneral CounselChristopher Imlay, W3KDBusiness Services ManagerDebra Jahnke, K1DAJEducation Services ManagerDebra Johnson, K1DMJLaboratory ManagerEd Hare, W1RFIMembership & Volunteer Programs ManagerDave Patton, NN1NDennis Dura, K2DCDEmergency Preparedness & Response ManagerProduction & Editorial ManagerSteve Ford, WB8IMYSales & Marketing ManagerBob Inderbitzen, NQ1RKatie Breen, W1KRBMembership ManagerAmy Hurtado, KB1NXOCirculation ManagerVEC ManagerMaria Somma, AB1FMWeb & Software Development ManagerJon Bloom, KE3ZBusiness StaffBusiness ManagerBarry J. Shelley, N1VXYComptrollerLouAnn CampanelloInformation Services ManagerDon Durand*Executive Committee Member

March 2008 15




The 15 divisions of ARRL are arranged into 71 administrative sections, each headed by an elected section manager (SM). Your section manager is the person to contact when you have news about your activities, or those of your club. If you need assistance with a local problem, your section manager is your fi rst point of contact. He or she can put you in touch with various ARRL volunteers who can help (such as technical specialists).Your section manager is also the person to see if you’d like to become a section volunteer. Whatever your license class, your SM has an appointment available. Visit your section page on the Web at www.arrl.org/sections/.

ARRL Section Managers

Atlantic Division (DE, EPA, MDC, NNY, SNJ, WNY, WPA)Delaware: Frank T. Filipkowski, Jr, AD3M, 1130 N Hilton Rd, Oak Lane Manor, Wilmington, DE 19803-5216 (302-656-0409); [email protected] Pennsylvania: Eric Olena, WB3FPL, 284 Blimline Rd, Mohnton, PA 19540 (610-775-0526); [email protected] Maryland-DC: James E. Cross III, WI3N, 16013 Dorset Rd, Laurel, MD 20707-5314 (301-725-6829); [email protected] New York: Tom Valosin, WB2KLD, 117 Warrior Way, Middleburgh, NY12122-4712 (518-827-4800); [email protected] New Jersey: Jean Priestley, KA2YKN, 7158 Chandler Ave, Pennsauken, NJ 08110 (856-662-3587); [email protected] New York: Scott Bauer, W2LC, 1964 Connors Rd, Baldwinsville, NY 13027 (315-638-7551); [email protected] Pennsylvania: John Rodgers, N3MSE, 803 S Main St, Butler, PA 16001(724-287-0424); [email protected] Division (IL, IN, WI)Illinois: Tom Ciciora, KA9QPN, 1887 Irene Rd, Sandwich, IL 60548(815-498-4929); [email protected]: James S. Sellers, K9ZBM, 54676 County Road 8, Middlebury, IN 46540-8710 (574-825-5425); [email protected]: Donald Michalski, W9IXG, 4214 Mohawk Dr, Madison, WI 53711 (608-274-1886); [email protected] Division (MN, ND, SD)Minnesota: Richard H. “Skip” Jackson, KSØJ, 1835-63rd St E, Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077 (651-260-4330); [email protected] Dakota: Kent Olson, KAØLDG, 7702 Forest River Rd, Fargo, ND 58104-8004 (701-298-0956); [email protected] Dakota: Richard L. Beebe, NØPV, 913 S Gordon Dr, Sioux Falls, SD 57110-3151 (605-376-4241); [email protected] Division (AR, LA, MS, TN)Arkansas: David Norris, K5UZ, 640 Josephine, Batesville, AR 72501(870-793-6431); [email protected]: Mickey Cox, K5MC, 754 Cheniere-Drew Rd, West Monroe, LA 71291 (318-397-1980); [email protected]: Malcolm Keown, W5XX, 64 Lake Circle Dr, Vicksburg, MS 39180 (601-636-0827); [email protected]: Glen Clayton, W4BDB, 246 Old Parksville Rd NE, Cleveland, TN 37323; (423-472-7751); [email protected] Lakes Division (KY, MI, OH)Kentucky: Jim Brooks, KY4Z, 7099 Louisville Rd, Cox’s Creek, KY 40013(502-349-2099); [email protected]: Dale Williams, WA8EFK, 291 Outer Drive, Dundee, MI 48131(734-529-3232); [email protected]: Joe Phillips, K8QOE, 2800 Jupiter Dr, Fairfi eld, OH 45014-5022 (513-874-0006); [email protected] Division (ENY, NLI, NNJ)Eastern New York: Pete Cecere, N2YJZ, 329 W Saugerties Rd, Woodstock, NY 12498 (845-246-4359); [email protected] Island: Tom Carrubba, KA2D, 226 Sheffi eld Ave, West Babylon, NY 11704 (631-422-9594); [email protected] New Jersey: William Hudzik, W2UDT, 111 Preston Dr, Gillette, NJ 07933 (908-580-0493); [email protected] Division (IA, KS, MO, NE)Iowa: Jim Lasley, NØJL, PO Box 5, Chillicothe, IA 52548 (641-935-4337); [email protected]: Ronald D. Cowan, KBØDTI, PO Box 36, LaCygne, KS 66040 (913-757-3758); [email protected]: Dale C. Bagley, KØKY, PO Box 13, Macon, MO 63552-1822 (660-385-3629); [email protected]: Matthew N. Anderson, KAØBOJ, 2342 Clay St, Ashland, NE 68003 (402-944-7488); [email protected] England Division (CT, EMA, ME, NH, RI, VT, WMA)Connecticut: Betsey Doane, K1EIC, 92 Mohegan Rd, Shelton, CT 06484-2448 (203-929-7759); [email protected] Massachusetts: Arthur S. Greenberg, K1GBX, 123 Pond St, Georgetown, MA 01833 (978-352-2095); [email protected]: William Woodhead, N1KAT, 68 Madison St, Auburn, ME 04210 (207-782-4862); [email protected] Hampshire: Sterling Eanes, AK1K, 207 Depot Rd, Hollis, NH 03049 (603-465-2277); [email protected] Island: Bob Beaudet, W1YRC, 30 Rocky Crest Rd, Cumberland, RI 02864 (401-333-2129); [email protected]: Paul N. Gayet, AA1SU, 11 Cherry St, Essex Junction, VT 05452(802-878-2215); [email protected] Massachusetts: Ed Emco, W1KT, 37 Bullard Ave, Worcester, MA 01605 (508-853-3333); [email protected]

Northwestern Division (AK, EWA, ID, MT, OR, WWA)Alaska: Jim Larsen, AL7FS, 3445 Spinnaker Dr, Anchorage, AK 99516-3424 (907-345-3190); [email protected] Washington: Mark Tharp, KB7HDX, PO Box 2222, Yakima, WA 98907-2222 (509-965-3379); [email protected]: Doug Rich, W7DVR, 2025 Regal Dr, Boise, ID 83704-7153(208-376-7651); [email protected]: Doug Dunn, K7YD, 216 Fiddle Creek Rd, Livingston, MT 59047-4116 (406-686-9100); [email protected]: Bonnie Altus, AB7ZQ, 7770 Harmony Rd, Sheridan, OR 97378 (971-237-0711); [email protected] Washington: Jim Pace, K7CEX, PO Box 1602, Centralia, WA 98531 (360-736-2221); [email protected] c Division (EB, NV, PAC, SV, SF, SJV, SCV)East Bay: James Latham, AF6AQ, 1798 Warsaw Ave, Livermore, CA 94550-6140; (925-447-6136); [email protected]: Dick Flanagan, K7VC, 2851 Esaw St, Minden, NV 89423 (775-267-4900); [email protected] c: Bob Schneider, AH6J, PO Box 131, Keaau, HI 96749-0131(808-966-8146); [email protected] Valley: Ronald D. Murdock, W6KJ, 998 Bogue Rd, Yuba City, CA 95991-9221 (530-674-8533); [email protected] Francisco: Bill Hillendahl, KH6GJV, PO Box 4151, Santa Rosa, CA 95402-4151 (707-544-4944); [email protected] Joaquin Valley: Charles P. McConnell, W6DPD, 1658 W Mesa Ave, Fresno, CA 93711-1944 (559-431-2038); [email protected] Clara Valley: Bill Dale, N2RHV, 142 N Milpitas Blvd #264, Milpitas, CA 95035 (408-263-5325); [email protected] Division (NC, SC, VA, WV)North Carolina: Tim Slay, N4IB, 141 Queens Cove Rd, Mooresville, NC 28117-9609 (704-382-4646); [email protected] Carolina: James F. Boehner, N2ZZ, 525 Barnwell Ave NW, Aiken, SC 29801-3939 (803-641-9140); [email protected]: Glen H. Sage, W4GHS, 1928 Crooked Oak Rd, Hillsville, VA 24343 (276-398-3548); [email protected] Virginia: L. Ann Rinehart, KA8ZGY, 1256 Ridge Dr, South Charleston, WV 25309 (304-768-9534); [email protected] Mountain Division (CO, NM, UT, WY)Colorado: Jeff Ryan, KØRM, 9975 Wadsworth Pky K2-275, Westminster, CO 80021 (303-432-2886); [email protected] Mexico: Donald D. Wood, W5FHA, 9100 Wimbledon Dr NE, Albuquerque, NM 87111 (505-828-0988); [email protected]: Mel Parkes, NM7P, 2166 E 2100 North, Layton, UT 84040 (801-547-1753); [email protected]: Christopher J. Pritchard, WY7UPR, 325 Greasewood St, Green River, WY 82935-4770 (307-870-6258); [email protected] Division (AL, GA, NFL, PR, SFL, VI, WCF)Alabama: Jay Isbell, KA4KUN, 2290 Quail Dr, Bessemer, AL 35022 (205-424-9993); [email protected]: Susan Swiderski, AF4FO, 772 Camelot Way, Norcross, GA 30071 (770-449-0369); [email protected] Florida: Rudy Hubbard, WA4PUP, PO Box 843, Milton, FL 32572-0843 (850-626-0620); [email protected] Rico: Roberto Jimenez, KP4AC, PO Box 360536, San Juan, PR 00936-0536 (787-756-7276); [email protected] Florida: Sharon T. “Sherri” Brower, W4STB, 736 34th Ter, Vero Beach, FL 32968-1226 (772-562-3240); [email protected] Islands: John Ellis, NP2B, PO Box 24492, Christiansted, St Croix, VI 00824 (340-773-9643); [email protected] Central Florida: Dee Turner, N4GD, 10132 64th St N, Pinellas Park, FL 33782 (727-548-7474); [email protected] Division (AZ, LAX, ORG, SDG, SB)Arizona: Thomas J. Fagan, K7DF, 10650 E Bridgeport St, Tucson, AZ85747-5925 (520-574-1129); [email protected] Angeles: Phineas J. Icenbice Jr, W6BF, 19323 Halsted St, Northridge, CA 91324 (818-349-3186); [email protected]: Carl Gardenias, WU6D, 20902 Gardenias St, Perris, CA 92570 (951-443-4958); [email protected] San Diego: Harry A. Hodges, W6YOO, 2435 Our Country Rd, Escondido, CA 92029-5715 (760-743-4212); [email protected] Santa Barbara: Robert Griffi n, K6YR, 1436 Johnson Ave, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3734 (805-543-3346); [email protected] Gulf Division (NTX, OK, STX, WTX)North Texas: Tom Blackwell, N5GAR, Box 25403, Dallas, TX 75225(214-361-5275); [email protected]: John Thomason, WB5SYT, 1517 Oak Dr, Edmond, OK 73034-7408 (405-844-1800); [email protected] Texas: E. Ray Taylor, N5NAV, 688 Comal Ave, New Braunfels, TX 78130 (830-625-1683); [email protected] Texas: John Dyer, AE5B, 9124 County Road 301, Cisco, TX 76437 (254-442-4936); [email protected]

www.arrl.org/sections

16 March 2008




AMERITRON . . . 800 Watts . . . $899!More hams use Ameritron AL-811/H amplifiers than any other amplifier in the world!

Only the Ameritron AL-811H givesyou four fully neutralized 811A transmitting

tubes. You get absolutestability and superb per-formance on higher bandsthat can’t be matched byun-neutralized tubes.

You get a quiet desk-top linear that’s so com-pact it’ll slide right intoyour operating position --you’ll hardly know it’s

there . . . until QRM sets in. And you canconveniently plug it into your nearest 120VAC outlet -- no special wiring needed.

You get all HF band coverage (with

license) -- including WARC and most MARSbands at 100% rated output. Ameritron’sAdapt-A-VoltTM hi-silicon core power transformerhas a special buck-boost winding that lets youcompensate for high/low power line voltages.

You also get efficient full size heavy dutytank coils, slug tuned input coils,operate/standby switch, transmit LED, ALC,dual illuminated meters, QSK with optionalQSK-5, pressurized cooling that you canhardly hear, full height computer grade filtercapacitors and more. 133/4Wx8Hx16D inches.

AL-811, $749. Like AL-811H, but hasthree 811A tubes and 600 Watts output.

AL-811H$899

Suggested Retail4-Tubes, 800 Watts

AL-811$749

Suggested Retail3-Tubes, 600 Watts

AMERITRON fulllegal limit amplifiers

AMERITRON legal limit amps use asuper heavy duty Peter Dahl Hypersil(R)

power transformer capable of 2.5 kW!Most powerful -- 3CX1500/8877

AL-1500$3495

Eimac(R) Tube AL-1500F

$3095Imported tube

Ameritron’s most powerful amplifier uses theherculean 3CX1500/8877 ceramic tube. 65watts drive gives you full legal output -- it’sjust loafing with a 2500 Watts power supply.

Toughest -- 3CX1200A7AL-1200

$3450Suggested Retail

Get ham radio’stoughest tube withthe Ameritron

AL-1200 -- the Eimac(R) 3CX1200A7. Ithas a 50 Watt control grid dissipation.What makes the Ameritron AL-1200 standout from other legal limit amplifiers? Theanswer: A super heavy duty power supplythat loafs at full legal power -- it can deliverthe power of more than 2500 Watts PEP twotone output for a half hour.

Classic -- Dual 3-500GsAL-82


This linear givesyou full legal out-put using a pair

of genuine 3-500Gs. Competing linearsusing 3-500Gs can’t give you 1500 Wattsbecause their lightweight power suppliescan’t use these tubes to their full potential.

Near Legal Limit TM Amplifier

New class of Near Legal LimitTM amplifiergives you 1300 Watt PEP SSB power outputfor 60% of price of a full legal limit amp! 4rugged 572B tubes. Instant 3-second warm-up, plugs into 120 VAC. Compact 141/2Wx81/2Hx151/2 D inches fits on desktop. 160-15Meters. 1000 Watt CW output. Tuned input,instantaneous RF Bias, dynamic ALC, para-sitic killer, inrush protection, two lightedcross-needle meters, multi-voltage transformer.

HF Amps with Eimac 3CX800A7These compact desktopamplifiers with 3CX800A7tubes cover 160-15 Metersincluding WARC bands.Adjustable slug tuned inputcircuit, grid protection,front panel ALC control,vernier reduction drives,heavy duty 32 lb. siliconesteel core transformer, highcapacitance computer gradefilter capacitors. Multi-voltage operation, duallighted cross-needle meters.141/4Wx81/2Hx161/2D in.

ALS-500M 500 Watt Mobile Amp

500 Watts PEP/400W CW output, 1.5-22MHz, instant bandswitching, no tuning, nowarm-up. SWR, load fault, thermal over-load protected. On/Off/Bypass switch. Re-mote on/off control. DC current meter. Ex-tremely quiet fan. 13.8 VDC. 9Wx31/2Hx15Din., 7 lbs. ALS-500RC, $49, Remote Head.

ALS-600 Station 600 Watt FET AmpNo tuning, no fuss, noworries -- just turn onand operate. 600Watts PEP/500W CW,1.5-22 MHz, instantbandswitching, SWRprotected, extremelyquiet, SWR/Wattmeter,ALC control. 120/220VAC. Inrush protected.91/2Wx6Hx12D in. ALS-600S, $1428,ALS-600 with 10 lb. switching power supply.

AL-572$1495Suggested Retail

ALS-600$1299

Suggested Retail

Suggested RetailAL-800

$19951 Eimac(R)tube, 1250 W

AL-800H$29952 Eimac(R)tubes,

1.5 kW PlusWith Imported Tube

AL-800F, $1825AL-800HF, $2695

AL-80B kilo-watt outputdesktop linear

amplifier doubles your average SSB poweroutput with high level RF processing usingour exclusive Dynamic ALCTM!

You get cooler operation because theAL-80B’s exclusive Instantaneous RFBiasTM completely turns off the 3-500Gtube between words and dots and dashes.Saves hundreds of watts wasted as heat for

cooler operation and longer component life.You get a full kilowatt PEP output from

a whisper quiet desktop linear. Compact151/2Wx81/2Hx14D inches. Plugs into yournearest 120 VAC outlet. Covers 160 to 15Meters, including WARC and MARS (usermodified for 10/12 Meters w/license).

You get 850 Watts output on CW, 500Watts output on RTTY, an extra heavy dutypower supply, genuine 3-500G tube, nearly70% efficiency, tuned input, Pi/Pi-L output,inrush current protection, multi-voltagetransformer, dual Cross-Needle meters,QSK compatability, two-year warranty,plus much, much more! Made in U.S.A.

AMERITRON no tune Solid State Amplifiers

AL-80B . . . Desktop Kilowatt 3-500G AmpAL-80B


ALS-500M$849

Suggested Retail

ARB-704 amp-to-riginterface. . . $5995

Protects rigfrom dam-age by

keying line transientsand makes hook-upto your rig easy!

ADL-1500 DummyLoad with oil . . . $7495

Oil-cooled. 50Ohms. 1500Watts/5 min-utes. SWR<

1.2 to 30 MHz. LowSWR to 400 MHz.

ADL-2500 fan-cooledDryDummyLoad,$20995

Whisper quietfan, 2.5kW/1minute on, ten

off. 300W continu-ous. SWR< 1.25 to 30MHz.<1.4 to 60 MHz.

ATP-100 TuningPulser . . . $6995

Safely tune upfor full power, bestlinearity. Prevents over-heating, tube damage,power supply stress,component failure.

Ameritron brings you the finest high power accessories!Call your dealer for your best price!

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Suggested Retail

Amps_ADL-1500_091807.qxd 9/19/2007 11:10 AM Page 1



Specifications are subject to changewithout notice or obligation

● NO transceivermodificationsnecessary

● Digital voicecommunications usingexisting analogtransceivers

● Works on Single SideBand (SSB) mode.

● Automatic digitalreceive

● Optional interfacecables for mostpopular transceivers

● Built-in high gradeVocoder (AMBE)

● Built-in FEC protocol

● Compact unit. Easy tooperate.

● Utilizes a uniquelydesigned highperformance DSPengine

● Uses the establishedG4GUO open protocol

● ARD9800 can also beused for digital slowscan TV and datatransmissions (imagesrequire optionalmemory board)

Be sure to check the website atwww.aorusa.com for FAQs, links to user groups and more!

Special PurchaseDiscountsAvailable for Ham Radio Clubs!

®

Authority on RadioCommunications

AOR U.S.A., Inc.20655 S. Western Ave., Suite 112, Torrance, CA 90501, USATel: 310-787-8615 Fax: [email protected] http://www.aorusa.com

Add a whole new mode to your HF operation with a couple ofquick connections and be part of the digital voice excitement

that’s sweeping the SSB bands. Once you hear the audio quality,you’ll be a believer! Whenever these digital voice modems are

demonstrated, looks of amazement pass through the crowds.

Using the open G4GUO protocol, the ARD9000 Mk2 or ARD9800 allows any ham toconvert any existing HF analog transceiver to work digital voice in one easy step! Theunit automatically detects digital signals and decodes them, but you also maintain full

analog capabilities. Whether a contact comes in as digital or analog, the ARD9000 Mk2and ARD9800 can handle it.

It’s a real breakthrough in communications technology that uses the same audiofrequencies (300 Hz ~ 2500 Hz) as microphone audio to transmit digital SSB voice signals.

Enjoy the clean, clear audio that makes HF digital so much fun!

Enjoy HF even more with HF Digital!AOR offers new HF licensees a CLEAR differencewith the amazing audio clarity of HF digital. TheARD9000 Mk2 and ARD9800 are both great ways to join in the fun because there’s “no assembly required”.

Enjoy HF even more with HF Digital!

Add a whole new mode to your HF operation with a couple ofquick connections and be part of the digital voice excitement

that’s sweeping the SSB bands. Once you hear the audio quality,you’ll be a believer! Whenever these digital voice modems are

demonstrated, looks of amazement pass through the crowds.

Using the open G4GUO protocol, the ARD9000 Mk2 or ARD9800 allows any ham toconvert any existing HF analog transceiver to work digital voice in one easy step! Theunit automatically detects digital signals and decodes them, but you also maintain full

analog capabilities. Whether a contact comes in as digital or analog, the ARD9000 Mk2and ARD9800 can handle it.

It’s a real breakthrough in communications technology that uses the same audiofrequencies (300 Hz ~ 2500 Hz) as microphone audio to transmit digital SSB voice signals.

Enjoy the clean, clear audio that makes HF digital so much fun!

AOR offers new HF licensees a CLEAR differencewith the amazing audio clarity of HF digital. TheARD9000 Mk2 and ARD9800 are both great ways to join in the fun because there’s “no assembly required”.



Searching for peak HF performance?

Introducing the Elecraft K3 transceiver

� 100-W model starts at $1749; upgradable 10 W model, $1399

� 160-6 m; SSB/CW/AM/FM/data modes

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� 4"H x 10" W x 10"D; only 8 pounds

� Factory-assembled or no-soldering kit (all PC boards pre-built, 100% tested)

� Fully isolated soundcard interface

� Built-in PSK31/RTTY for data-modeQSOs with or without a computer

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No other rig in this price class comes close to the K3’s performance. Its high dynamic range, down-conversion architecture provides roofi ng fi lter bandwidths as narrow as 200 Hz, while its 32-bit I.F. DSP handles advanced fi ltering and noise reduction. The K3 also offers an optional fully independent, high-performance subreceiver, as well as innovative new features like variable-bandwidth, DSP-tracking roofi ng fi lters, and 8-band RX/TX EQ.

Then there’s the K3’s unmatched versatility. It provides state-of-the-art performance as a primary home station, yet its size and weight make it ideal for DXpeditions, RV operation, and Field Day. You can take it with you!

ELECRAFT ®www.elecraft.com • 831-662-8345P.O. Box 69, Aptos, California 95001-0069

Elecraft is a registered trademark of Elecraft, Inc.



20 March 2008

Up Front in QST

New Hams Get Same-Day SKYWARN DemoOn December 1, scouts and parents from Boy Scout troops 204 and 351 in Madison, Alabama took exams for their Technician class licenses, cul-minating a series of classes taught by scout lead-ers Monte Bateman, WB5RZX, and Steve Conklin, AI4QR. The classes combined the licensing materi-al with the Radio Merit Badge requirements. Seven scouts and three parents passed their exams.

Since December 1 was National SKYWARN Rec-ognition Day, immediately following the testing session, most of the scouts visited the National Weather Service offi ce in Huntsville. They were given a tour of the facility by Robert Boyd, KC5ZJO, who showed them the WX4HUN station where SKYWARN reports from radio amateurs are received. He explained the need to have hu-man observers to provide “ground truth” to back up radar and instrumentation reports.

Also at the NWS offi ce were Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, ARRL Southeastern Division Director elect, and Doug Hilton, WDØUG, ARES Alabama District 6 Emergency Coordinator. — Steve Conklin, AI4QR

One-Tube CW TransceiverHal Guretzky, K6DPZOne morning in my favorite coffee shop while I was waiting for the java, I thought up the concept of using just one tube for both receiving and transmitting. My idea was to use this one tube as a self-contained transceiver having a CW sidetone and full break-in keying. I thought to myself “Gee, nobody’s done it with just one tube, so why not try it?” The original prints were done on a napkin that morning. I ended up calling the rig my Back to the Future one-tube CW transceiver.

This transceiver runs about 5 W output using a 6AQ5 tube confi gured as a crystal controlled, electron-coupled Colpitts oscillator. The trans-ceiver features break-in keying with a Hartley regenerative receiver sporting a sensitivity of less than 1 microvolt. The sidetone is generat-ed by a neon lamp oscillator coupled to the headset in transmit mode.

This little rig was designed just as an idea and it worked out very well. I have made contacts with it on 40 meters, but it could be put on 80 meters just as easily. Photos courtesy of K6DPZ

ARRL Board Meets in HoustonThe ARRL Board of Directors, with President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, presiding, met in Houston, Texas January 18-19. Details will appear in next month’s issue.

Under the rainbow: Huge arcs of energy in the sky aren’t just for the guys with the big towers. That’s a 40 meter wire dipole being supported by a rather shaky TV mast. I took this photo at my home in Randolph Center, Vermont.— Ed Stokes, W1KOK

ED STOKES, W1KOK

ARRL Directors, Vice Directors, Offi cers and senior staff at work on Friday, January 18.

MARY HOBART, K1MMH

Front view of the one-tube CW transceiver.

Hal Guretzky, K6DPZ, with his Back to the Future transceiver and assorted vintage gear.

Boy Scouts from Madison, Alabama Troop 204 visit with Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, on National SKYWARN Recognition Day. From the left: Matt Conklin, KJ4AYF; Dylan Couch, KJ4AYG; Nick Conklin, KJ4AYE; Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, Chris Cazer, KJ4AYC; Erik Treffi nger, KJ4AYL, and Andy Francis. They are holding their CSCEs or WDØUG QSL cards.

DAVID CAZER

UPFRONT.indd 20UPFRONT.indd 20 1/23/2008 10:18:57 AM1/23/2008 10:18:57 AM



March 2008 21

What does one ham (my daughter Stephanie, AC5NF) give her fi ancé for Valentine’s Day, especially when the fi ancé is also a ham (KD5EVW)? How about a specially engraved key! — Phil Salas, AD5X

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a ham: I have had the call KB1QU for a long time, so it was only natural that when I recently fi nished building my Glasair Sportsman Experimental airplane, I had to work my call into the project somehow or another. Your aircraft N number is also your radio call sign. This picture was taken by a friend of mine as I was fl ying by Mount Adams in Washington state. Digging those familiar phonetics out of the rapid fi re transmissions that come out of air traffi c control is a snap. — Chip Swett, KB1QU

Rail Riding Special Event Honors TroopsLynn Kutter

Paul Dixon, KK5II, makes some local contacts via 2 meter FM.

The hams pose for a group shot in front of the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad following the successful special event. Left to right: Hal Long, K5NOW; Scott Anderson, KD5KZJ; Joe Dunn, KD5TLH, and Paul Dixon, KK5II.

Scott, KD5KZJ, making a contact on K5W/M, located inside a cupboard aboard a refurbished 1927 car on the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad.

ARNIE CLARKE

Four Arkansans, Scott Anderson, KD5KZJ; Joe Dunn, KD5TLH; Hal Long, K5NOW, and Paul Dixon, KK5II, partici-pated in a Memorial Day 2007 special event on a 1927 pas-senger train of the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad, a working railroad in the beautiful Boston Mountains of Arkansas. It was the second annual “Troop Train” event to honor military personnel, veterans and family members. Scott, a veteran himself, thought of a special event while aboard the 2006 Troop Train.

Scott and Joe, a conductor on the Arkansas & Missouri Rail-road, received permission for the special event station using the call sign W5T. The station operated on 20 meters and 2 meter simplex.

The stations were set up in the conductor’s closet and cup-board. The closet held the HF station and was large enough for only one person at a time. The hams took turns, with one operating and the other logging. A third operator worked a 2 meter FM station in the cupboard. A screwdriver antenna attached to the end of the passenger car rose above the train.

The station operated almost continuously during the trip.

They were able to log about 170 contacts from hams in South Dakota, Minnesota, Georgia, Illinois, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Iowa, North Carolina, Maryland, Florida and even Canada.

“We’re talking to people all across the country, and they want to thank everyone for serving our country,” Scott told the passengers in the three separate train cars. “We are receiving a lot of support for our troops.”Photos by the author.

PHIL SALAS, AD5X

UPFRONT.indd 21UPFRONT.indd 21 1/23/2008 10:19:25 AM1/23/2008 10:19:25 AM



Tonight click on K1JT’s WSJT program. Log on pingjockey.net and make some JT65B EME skeds. Aim your single beam at the Moon and work a few new countries on VHF or above with only 100 W.

If the Moon isn’t up yet, bounce signals off of meteors 24/7 with JT’s FSK441 mode.

West Mountain Radio www.westmountainradio.comORDER ON-LINE OR CALL TOLL FREE (888) 937-8686, (888) WESTMTN

Thursday bounce signals off the MoonClick on WinPSK, tune to 14.070 MHz and work the world on PSK31.

This weekend gather some of your favorite digital camera photos and transmit and exchange those pictures with the SSTV operators on 14.230 MHz.

Monday work the world on 5 watts

Lunch hour use the Internet to get on

Sunday send pictures over the air

Run a couple of programs at home and at your office to remotely operate from your desk at work. Driving to work use your link with the Echolink System to talk to the world from your 2 meter mobile.

Monday.indd 1 1/21/2008 10:36:29 AM



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24 March 2008

RADIO WAVES GOOD-BYE TO CANCER? As a cancer patient, I’m really hoping

John Kanzius, K3TUP, is successful in his quest to target cancer tumors using RF energy without invasive procedures [“13.56 MHz as a Cancer Cure? It Just Might Be,” February 2008, pp 52-54]. This is a wonderful and worthwhile proj-ect. RF-based procedures are already saving lives today. The Radio Frequency Ablation technique mentioned in the article is very much a leading-edge pro-cedure that is a huge improvement over traditional surgery. RFA is used success-fully to treat small tumors in the liver and lung.

My two lung surgeries were four years apart, but each required a five-day hospital stay and a two-month recovery time — you can imagine the cost. The idea of a procedure that lets me get up and around after an overnight hospital stay is incredible. Tumors can be treated while they are still small and without a life-threatening surgery. This is the hope that the Radio Frequency Ablation tech-nique gives me and many others.

I had two tumors treated by RFA. I could not have handled another lung surgery, so to have this new option — so new, it did not have a medical treatment code until last year — was fantastic. Today we have Radio Frequency Abla-tion, and tomorrow we will hopefully have that “Noninvasive Radiofrequency Field.” Keep up the good work, because many of us — myself included — will need it!GENE RAY, AE5FTBroken Arrow, Oklahoma

I very much enjoyed the piece on John Kanzius and his quest for a cure for cancer. It looks like John may have found a cure for the nation’s energy problems in the process (www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6vSxR6UKFM). JOE FALLETTA, W6UDOSan Diego, California

RALLYING ’ROUND RADIOSPORT The announcement of expanded

Radiosport coverage [February 2008] was welcome news! Let me offer my thanks for making that happen. One of the things I would like Potomac Valley Radio Club to do this coming year is focus on exposing new hams to contest-

ing. It looks like a large portion of the Radiosport focus in QST will be aimed at this audience, as well. If there is any-thing PVRC can do to help you in this endeavor, please let us know. We have plenty of talented and willing individuals that I’m sure would welcome the chal-lenge. It gives the club something to rally around — along with Sweepstakes! KEN CLAERBOUT K4ZW President — Potomac Valley Radio ClubStafford, Virginia

ROOM FOR EVERYONE Andrew Eaton, VE7REF [“Corre-

spondence”, January 2007, page 24], is reasonably temperate in his critique of contesting, and ARRL Contest Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, offers a reasoned response, but misses one point that cries out for comment: Eaton refers to “the few who contest.” But his reasoning is hopelessly flawed. When he tries to demonstrate this, he says, “it only takes a few contesters to fill the band — 20 meters can be filled from 14.140- 14.350 with only 70 stations.” True in theory. But in practice? A really avid contester would give his first-born for a guaranteed 3 kHz, the figure Eaton used. The bands seem full because contesters are not the few, but the many.

The latest figures I could easily turn up show that in 2004, more than 2000 logs were submitted for the ARRL DX Phone and CW contests. At least as many more undoubtedly took part, seriously or casually, without submit-ting logs. Figures for the other major contests would be similar — contests probably make the most intense use of our allotted frequencies of any phase of the hobby. Even so, it’s not really “every single weekend,” as Eaton says. There are a lot of contests, but only a few truly band-filling events like Sweepstakes and the CQ World Wide each year. At other times, even the Canada Day Contest is unlikely to crowd out any non-contester who seriously looks for a clear spot. Not every minute of every day, but nearly always, there’s room for everybody.STAN TURNBULL, WA6STLos Altos, California

IF YOU BUILD IT, YOU’LL HAVE FUN I want to compliment one of your au-

thors, Rich Mitchell, N3III. “Building Kits to Learn” [November 2007, pp 34-36] was an excellent article for someone like me. I’ve been licensed since 1949 and have built everything from soup to nuts with tubes and ugly construction, but I’ve never built anything solid state that worked very well, if at all. I found Rich’s article refreshing; I was able to build his kit (with a little help from Rich by e-mail), and darned if it didn’t work! The important thing is that I learned from the experience. Great effort, and a great article. I think this experience may very well get me into QRP and more construction.AL HARRIS, WØBPBIndependence, Missouri

VINTAGE ISSUE BRINGS BACK MEMORIES

John Dilks’ column “Remember When?” [“Old Radio,” January 2008, pp 87-88] was terrific. I remember order-ing the 6V6 transmitter, my first home-brew project as young Novice. As I recall, I tuned up the 6V6 using a 25 W light bulb. I just went for maximum brightness then hooked up the random length wire. By today’s standards, that’s really crude! It will be a pleasure to res-urrect my old friend; I earned Worked All States on 40 meters with that 6V6 using a converted BC 348 receiver. That’s sort of hard to believe today. Now if I can find an old World War II receiver, I might see if I can duplicate that feat again today. Many thanks for the great articles, John.BRUCE BOSSIE, W7JBBReno, Nevada

FIGHT FIERCELY HARVARD As a former president of the Har-

vard Wireless Club, W1AF, exactly 50 years ago, I couldn’t help but notice the picture of the present president of the club, Zane, W2YL [“Up Front in QST,” January 2008, page 21]. It is clear that not only has the club equipment vastly improved over the past 50 years, but so has the quality of the membership from the scruffy looking group of the 1950s. I am sure that recruitment is much easier and has markedly increased under her leadership. STEPHEN B. PAKULA, W6MEDSaratoga, California

Your opinions count! Send your letters to “Correspondence,” ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. You can also submit letters by fax at 860-594-0259, or via e-mail to: [email protected]. We read every letter received, but we can only pub-lish a few each month. We reserve the right to edit your letter for clarity, and to fi t the available page space. Of course, the publishers of QST assume no responsibility for statements made by correspondents.

CORRESPONDENCE

CORRESP R_E _ A _ L_ _ _ _ _ _.indd 24CORRESP R_E _ A _ L_ _ _ _ _ _.indd 24 1/23/2008 10:20:03 AM1/23/2008 10:20:03 AM



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30 March 2008

InIn his “Antenna Options” column in the Jan/Feb 2008 issue of QEX, L.B. Cebik discusses some dif-

ferent options for omnidirectional horizon-tally polarized antennas. Here he and Bob Cerreto provide the details on how to build and use two versions of an update to the Big Wheel antenna from the ’60s.

Most attempts to develop a horizontally polarized omnidirectional (HPOD) 2 meter antenna have sought to minimize the an-tenna’s size. Shapes such as circles (halos), squares and rectangles usually result in the need for either hypercritical dimensions or difficult matching conditions — or both. By turning to more conventional full size structures using three dipoles, we can reduce the number of critical parameters and ease the process of replicating the antennas in a home workshop. In fact, we shall describe two versions of the same basic antenna. One is a triangle of three dipoles that folds into a flat package, suitable for easy transport to a hilltop. The other is a circle of three dipoles that requires somewhat less space but needs greater precision in construction. Both an-tennas share a common feed system and display broadband characteristics that ease the builder’s task.

The Basic Three Dipole DesignA 1961 QST article described a horizon-

tally polarized 2 meter antenna called the

big wheel.1 The authors described it as three full wavelength (λ) loops with a parallel connection at the central hub and feed point. Unfortunately, their description proved to be off target. In fact, the an-tenna is a continuous loop with three high-impedance feed points, as shown by the current curves on the left in Figure 1. (All wire models of the same antenna show the same results, but are less clear to read when converted to graphics showing the current distribution.) The legs constituted transmis-sion lines (with variable spacing in the origi-nal) that transformed the high impedance at the rim to a low impedance at the hub. By judicious sizing of the circle and the legs, the authors managed a very good omnidi-rectional antenna.

Unfortunately, many amateurs had dif-ficulty replicating the design because the antenna’s dimensions are critical at every point. Small changes in the leg (transmission line) spacing or even differences in the tub-ing curvature at the rim could throw off the impedance values at the hub.

The big wheel is difficult to model be-cause numerical electromagnetic code (NEC) based antenna modeling tools imple-mentation of transmission line models are not fully accurate when applied to a low cur-rent position along the antenna’s geometry. The antenna proved equally difficult to build due to the sensitivity of the structure to small

dimensional changes. Therefore, we decided to re-explore a territory that the big-wheel authors had set aside: the use of three dipoles to form the same HPOD patterns. The center and right outlines in Figure 1 show the trian-gular and circular forms that emerged. Note that the current magnitude curves place the feed points of the dipoles at high current, relatively low impedance positions, remov-ing the big wheel’s matching challenge.

Both forms are very broadband in virtual-ly every operating parameter once the builder gets the dimensions correct. The triangle, with a wider separation between the dipole end tips, is less critical with respect to dimen-sions, but requires more space. The circular version, with tighter coupling between dipole tips, requires more careful construction, but results in a more compact structure. In fact, for the same performance, the circular three dipole antenna is smaller than the original big wheel.

The far-field performance of the three di-pole HPODs and the big wheel are virtually identical. Therefore, the data in Figure 2 ap-plies equally to all three designs. At a height of 20 feet above average ground, the three ele-ments in all of the designs provide

A New Spin on the Big WheelA popular 2 meter antenna returns in an improved, easier to reproduce form.

L. B. Cebik, W4RNL, and Bob Cerreto, WA1FXT

Figure 1 — Relative current magnitudes on three different three element HPOD antennas.

1Notes appear on page 34.

QST CEBIK.indd 30QST CEBIK.indd 30 1/23/2008 1:50:44 PM1/23/2008 1:50:44 PM



March 2008 31

an average gain in the lowest lobe of about 7.2 dBi. The azimuth pattern is as close to cir-cular as is possible with fewer than four ele-ments. The gain variation for the worst case was less than 0.3 dB. Although a physical an-tenna is unlikely to obtain the perfection of a model, the differences in gain around the horizontal will still fall below the level that an operator can detect.

The modeled SWR curve applies to both of the three dipole models.2 Because the dipoles of the final designs present feed point impedance close to 50 Ω, we may use standard coaxial cable of virtually any length to reach the hub without changing the impedance significantly. Matched to a 50 Ω main feed point at the hub junction, the SWR curve is very flat and in the model shown in the graph, the SWR is acceptable (well under

Figure 3 — Alternative methods of feeding the three dipole arrays: the prototypes employ the series feeding system for ease of matching to a 50 Ω main feed line.

Figure 2 — Representative elevation and azimuth patterns and 50 Ω SWR curve for a three dipole HPOD antenna using either a triangular or a circular shape at 20 feet above average ground. The patterns of the conventional big wheel are virtually identical in shape and strength.

2:1) for at least 8 MHz in the 2 meter range. Moreover, the circularity of the pattern and the gain are virtually constant across the en-tire 2 meter band. Even though the antenna is likely to see service only in the first MHz of the band, the broadband characteristics ease the difficulty of successfully building a ver-sion at home.

To obtain a 50 Ω main feed point imped-ance, the three dipole arrays use a somewhat nonstandard arrangement at the hub. As shown on the left in Figure 3, most builders would try to connect the three connecting cables in a parallel arrangement. The result-ing impedance would be less than 17 Ω, a somewhat difficult value to handle. As well, any remnant reactance at the hub would con-stitute a significant portion of the impedance magnitude, creating a matching challenge.

However, both of our three dipole designs use the scheme on the right, a series connec-tion of the lines with the source. The result-ing hub impedance is close to 150 Ω, and any stray reactances become very small portions of the impedance magnitude. Therefore, a simple λ/4 matching section can handle the impedance transformation to the 50 Ω re-gion.

150 Ω is a borderline value. If the actual impedance of a physical antenna is below this value, then a 75 Ω line (such as RG-59) provides the best match. If the value is a bit higher than 150 Ω, then a 93 Ω cable (such as RG-62) is the better choice. For the lower half of the 2 meter band, λ/4 is about 20 inches. Multiply this length times the veloc-ity factor of the line actually used to obtain the physical length of the matching line. If you are not satisfied with the frequency of the SWR minimum value, you can lower it by lengthening or shortening the match-ing line.

Based on the basic design information, W4RNL built a triangular version of the ar-ray, suitable for both home and hilltop ser-vice. WA1FXT took on the task of bending aluminum to form a circular prototype that is both smaller and perhaps more aesthetically pleasing. The differences give the builder options that may fit one or another set of shop skills and tools. Therefore, let’s exam-ine both antennas.

A Three Dipole TriangleA very capable horizontally polarized

omnidirectional antenna consists of three dipoles fed in phase. Each dipole is broad-side to a direction 120° from the adjacent dipoles. The goal is to find dimensions that will achieve this goal plus provide a work-able feed point impedance at each dipole. The prototype constructed to test the basic model of this arrangement used 1⁄2 inch di-ameter aluminum tubing as a light but sturdy material. Each dipole used a 2 inch length of 0.375 inch diameter fiberglass rod as a center insulator. The dipole halves are held in place with #6 stainless steel sheet metal screws. The gap should be as small as is fea-sible, 1⁄8 to 1⁄4 inch. These same screws will fasten the ends of the coax cable to the ele-ment, with a stainless steel washer to prevent electrolysis between the aluminum element and the copper wires. For ease of disassem-bly in portable operation, the prototype used lugs under the screws.

The key is to find the correct dimensions so that each dipole presents a 50 Ω imped-ance at its feed point to match the connecting cable impedance. Table 1 lists some dimen-sions for both 0.5 and 0.375 inch aluminum tubing, perhaps the two most likely materi-als for this project. For the triangle, we used




32 March 2008

Figure 4 — Some details of the support structure used for the three dipole 2 meter triangle.

Table 1Dimensions for a Three Dipole 2 Meter Triangle (inches)Design Element Radius to Dipole Tip-to-tip Frequency (MHz) Diameter Feed Point Length Spacing 146 0.5 15.4 34.3 9.5146 0.375 15.3 34.7 9.15144.5 0.5 15.6 34.7 9.6144.5 0.375 15.5 35.1 9.25

Figure 5 — The triangle HPOD disassembled for transport.

stub pointing upward. For field service, do not cement the upper part of the stub to the next T. Instead, let it twist. Once you have aligned the elements as specified below, drill holes through the T fitting and the stub and install 2.5 inch hitch-pin clips to hold the an-tenna in alignment during use. A convenient way to accomplish this without a protractor is to predrill only the T fitting of each mov-able arm. Then, assemble the hub and install the elements and align the arms so that each of the three spaces between dipole ends is as equal as possible. Finally, drill through the outer T fitting holes through the stub. Install the hitch-pin clips.

To fold the structure for transport, first re-move the clips, and then twist the arms into parallel alignment. Remove the elements and cables as a unit. Figure 5 shows the two piece transport package for the antenna. Assembly is simply the reverse of disas-sembly. In field service, each assembly will require a new set of cable ties, while disas-sembly will require a small knife or cutter. (Please carry away cut cable ties from the operating site.)

For field use, the elements pass through tight 1⁄2 inch diameter holes in the outer ends of the arms (carefully measured to establish the feed-point radius). Each element slides into the armhole until the cable connections touch the edge of the hole. Under most con-ditions, the element will not need further pinioning to remain in place. However, a small cable tie on the other side of the arm will increase holding power. For a more per-manent installation, the builder can cement the hubs in final alignment and install any desired kind of brace at the armhole to posi-tion the elements more permanently. Caution — each element should be marked to ensure that the connecting cable center conductor is in the same position on each arm. Either all three center conductor screws should be touching the armhole or all three should be away from the armhole. Reversing one of the dipoles relative to the other two will produce a highly directional pattern and a feed-point impedance that is well off the target value.

The construction style vertically spaces the element at 2.5 inch intervals. Modeling tests showed that the displacement increased the distortion of the circular azimuth pat-tern from about 0.1 dB up to about 0.3 dB, a variation that we have not been able to detect in operation.

Figure 6 shows the cabling details of the triangle, beginning with the dipole connec-tion at the end of the support arm. For field use, small cable ties hold the connecting cables neatly on their way to the junction. Since the connecting cable impedance matches the dipole impedance, the cable length is not at all critical. As well, the cable

146 MHz as the design frequency because the performance and the SWR do not sig-nificantly change across the band. This cen-ter-design frequency also provided a good view of the antenna’s broadband properties. However, the table also lists dimensions that are usable if the builder wishes to place the performance center of the antenna at 144.5 MHz. The prototype used the half-inch-diameter material and the 146 MHz dimensions for that material.

Note the length of the dipole. It is about 3.3 inches shorter than an independent dipole composed of the same material. The resonant impedance (50 Ω) is lower than the usual value for a standard dipole of about 70 Ω. The three dipoles in the triangle do interact

by virtue of both the proximity of their feed points and the closeness of their tips. The dimensions of the triangle are therefore quite critical to successful operation of the array as designed. However, in the triangular form, they are not finicky, and cutting errors of 1⁄8 to 1⁄4 inch will not materially affect performance.

In fact, the relatively relaxed conditions for the triangle prompted the particular de-sign that emerged. The prototype may be useful for field or hilltop service, since the support structure and the elements and their cable come apart and store in a flat package for transport. Figure 4 provides a few of the support structure details. The arms are 1⁄2

inch nominal Schedule 40 PVC, with T fit-tings at the hub. Each fitting has a cemented




March 2008 33

type also makes no significant difference to performance. Calculations show that cables ranging from RG-58 on the lossy end of the scale to lossless hypothetical cables change the array gain by about 0.1 dB for reasonable cable runs. The prototype used 20 inch con-necting cable lengths to ensure that there are no stresses at the main junction of the cables. Figure 7 shows the entire assembled antenna on its test mast, including the cable ties that keep the coaxial cables neatly arranged and free of stresses. Figure 8 shows the simple connections at the dipole centers, uncoated for portable use and easy disassembly.

Since the antenna uses a series connection to arrive at a junction impedance above 50 Ω, as shown on the right in Figure 6, the antenna requires a λ/4 cable section to transform the impedance to a value that matches the main feed line. The design data showed a net junc-

Figure 6 — Some details of the cable runs and connections used on the three dipole triangle; a similar system is used with the three dipole circle.

Figure 7 — An overall view of the HPOD triangle in use, showing the general construction and cable routing.

Figure 8 — A close-up of the junction of the support arm, the dipole element, and the connecting cable termination for portable operation. For a permanent installation, insert a stainless steel washer between the hook connector and the element and seal the junction.

tion impedance of about 150 Ω. Although a section of 75 Ω cable can be pressed into service, it will transform the impedance to a value in the 30 Ω range. A better choice is RG-62 (A or B) with an impedance of 93 Ωand a measured velocity factor of 0.84. Ideally, a 50 Ω impedance at the source end of the matching section calls for close to 170 Ω at the load end. At the design frequency, the impedance will be about 57 Ω, a very us-able figure. With about 17 inches of RG-62 93 Ω cable having a velocity factor of about 0.82, the antenna provided a 50 Ω SWR of 1.3:1 or better from 144 to 145 MHz.

The SWR check is one of two tests for the assembled antenna. The other check re-quires a second person stationed about 10 λ(about 65 to 70 feet) or more away. One per-son provides a signal source and the other provides reception with a signal strength

reading. It does not matter which person is at the antenna. For the test, simply hand rotate the antenna and test mast, checking for any changes in the signal strength. If the assembly has gone well, the S-meter should not budge.

Although the triangle assembly leans toward potential hilltop uses for the array, permanent installation requires only a few extra steps. Instead of using hitch-pin clips at the hub, cement the rotatable hubs. As well, cement or otherwise fasten the dipole elements into place at the armholes. For both types of use, seal the cable junction. Several thin coats of Plasti-Dip or liquid electrical tape work well and durably. Finally, use a brush to coat the arm ends of the connecting coaxial cables with the same material.




34 March 2008

A Three Dipole CircleFor a permanent installation or for mobile

use, you may prefer a circle of three dipoles. The circle has no loose dipole ends and is more compact than the triangle. Indeed, it is aesthetically more pleasing. However, such pleasure comes at a cost. The construction and adjustment of the elements are somewhat more critical, although completely manage-able.

The element connection arrangementsfor the circular version are shown in Figure 9 with the required materials in Table 3. The hub connections are shown in Figure 10. Figure 11 shows the resulting SWR –– well below 2:1 across the entire band. Detailed fabrication instructions, in-cluding a fabrication jig are described in a Web version of this article found at www.arrl.org/files/qst-binaries/. The Web version also describes the methodology of stacking either version for additional omnidirectional gain towards the horizon.

ConclusionOver the years, the use of three dipoles

to form an omnidirectional horizontally polarized radiation pattern for 2 meters has experienced unwarranted neglect. The

Figure 9 — A close-up of the method used to connect the element to the support arm with cable ties in the circular antenna.

Table 3List of Materials and Local Sources for Circular WheelMaterial Suggested SourceTwo pieces 36 × 36 × 3⁄4 inch plywood Old pallets or Home Center144 inches 3⁄8 inch aluminum tubing Texas Towers or online metals.com12 inches 3⁄8 inch aluminum tubing Texas Towers or online metals.com6 feet 3⁄8 inch fi berglass rod Home Center, farm and garden supply, Max Gain Systems11⁄4 inch PVC coupler, pipe, end cap Home Center, hardware storesNo. 6 stainless steel hardware Home Center, hardware stores13⁄4 inch 1⁄4-20 bolts Home Center, hardware stores

Table 2Modeled and Final Dimensions for a Three Dipole 2 Meter Circle (inches)Design Element Radius to Dipole Tip-to-Tip Frequency (MHz) Diameter Feed Point Circumference Length GapModeled146 0.5 15.5 97.4 31.4 1.0625 (11⁄16)146 0.375 16.0 100.5 32.4 1.125 (11⁄8)144.5 0.5 15.7 98.4 31.75 1.0625 (11⁄16)144.5 0.375 16.2 101.6 32.75 1.125 (11⁄8)

Final144.5 0.5 15.8 99.375 32.0 1.0625 (11⁄16)

Figure 10 — The hub, support rods and the main junction of connecting cables and the λ/4 matching section before fi nal sealing.

Figure 11 — Measured SWR of the circular three dipole horizontally polarized omnidirectional antenna.

designs and prototypes described in these notes should restore these arrays to their rightful places as viable alternatives to many of the other possible HPOD designs. Except for using reasonable care both in cutting and adjusting the elements, the three dipole ar-ray — in either triangular or circular form — provides both a high performance antenna of its type and the potential for a satisfying antenna building experience.Notes1R. Mellen, W1IJD, and C. Milner, W1FVY, “The

Big Wheel on Two,” QST, Sep 1961, pp 42-45.2EZNEC models of a big wheel simulation

and of various versions of the three dipole triangle and circle are available at www.arrl.org/fi les/qst-binaries/.

Bob Cerreto, WA1FXT, is a Senior Engineer with a major dc power systems supplier. Back in Connecticut, Bob was first licensed in 1965 as WN1FXT. Since then, the ham radio world for Bob has been filled with many homebrew projects. He feels most comfortable in his radio lab and woodworking shop with fellow hams and grandchildren. Since he moved to Ohio in 1984, his backyard has become a three-acre an-tenna breadboard. No single antenna seems to

stay in the air for too long before it is replaced by something new. Visitors to WA1FXT often find themselves part of a new homebrew project. Bob’s wife, KC8BOM, serves as a catalyst for his ham radio ventures and is an accomplished builder too. Bob is looking forward to retirement when he has to make that difficult choice every morning: “Which project do I work on today?”

Bob can be reached at 49015 Middle Ridge Rd, Amherst, OH 44001 or [email protected].

Since his retirement as a professor at the University of Tennessee, L. B. Cebik, W4RNL, has written extensively for radio amateurs about an-tennas and related topics in many venues, includ-ing his own Web site, www.cebik.com. Licensed since 1954, LB has served ARRL in many ca-pacities, including as Educational Advisor and as Technical Advisor. He is a contributing editor to QEX and is technical editor for antenneX. LB can be reached at 1434 High Mesa Dr, Knoxville, TN 37938-4443 or [email protected].




March 2008 35

Portable PSK Has Finally Arrived

Is it possible to enjoy PSK31 without a

computer? It is now!

Milt Cram, W8NUE, and George Heron, N2APB

And portable operating aside, what about hams who do not own computers? Even today there is still a percentage of the amateur community that does not have access to com-puter hardware. These people are excluded from HF digital operating entirely.

With these challenges in mind, we decided that we wanted to invent a PSK system that did not require the use of a PC in any form. We wanted something that would be portable and compatible with both standard and QRP transceivers, providing many hours of opera-tion from a battery (unlike the 2 or 3 hours you might squeeze out of a typical laptop).

Two Flavors of PSKPSK31 is one of many modulation tech-

niques within the “phase shift keying” fam-ily of communication. PSK31 operates at 31.25 bits/second, while other speeds may be achieved using variations to the software algorithm. PSK is perhaps more accurately termed BPSK, for bi-phase shift keying, whereby two distinct phase states separated by 180° are used to convey the information. Four states may also be encoded/decoded, as is done with QPSK (quad-phase shift keying), in order to provide higher speeds with greater error correction ability.

The NUE-PSK digital modem can cur-rently support the digital modes of BPSK and QPSK, and will soon support MFSK and RTTY. In fact, the field updating capabil-ity — that is, the ability to download new/improved programs from the Internet and simply program them into the modem — will allow users to stay current with new features and modes for years to come!

Design OverviewAt the heart of the NUE-PSK digital

The NUE-PSK digital modem can currently

support the digital modes of BPSK and QPSK, and will soon

support MFSK and RTTY.

You say you haven’t even tried PSK31 yet? Of all the HF digital modes, this is one of the best, especially considering

the mediocre band conditions we’re experi-encing today. With a few watts and a wire, you can enjoy PSK31 keyboard conversations with stations throughout the country. There is plenty of DX to be had as well.

If you’ve been putting off PSK31 because you lacked a computer, you’ve just run out of excuses. The NUE-PSK modem doesn’t require a computer — just plug it into your SSB transceiver’s mic and speaker jacks, plug in a standard PS2 keyboard, and you’re on the air.

Many modern transceivers also provide fixed-level audio inputs and outputs using DATA or AUX connectors. These connectors often include AFSK Out, Audio In and PTT (Push To Talk) lines — just what the digital modem needs. If your radio features this con-venient multipurpose port, you’re in luck. It will greatly simplify the task of connecting the NUE-PSK.

The battery-operated NUE-PSK digital modem fits in the palm of your hand and can provide hours of digital communications enjoyment.

PSK31: The King of HF DigitalUnless you’ve been asleep for the past

eight years, you probably know that PSK31 is one of the hottest digital modes on the airwaves. Much like instant messaging (IM) over the Internet and text messaging over cell phone networks, PSK31 provides hams the same type of peer connectivity over the HF bands — and it is still growing in popularity as technology marches on.

PSK31 first burst onto the Amateur Radio scene in 1998 with some intrepid experiment-

Is it possibPSK31 w

computer?

ers providing complex hardware and soft-ware designs for this new digital mode. These early PSK experiments required digital signal processing development kits and other hard-ware. Not long afterward, however, technol-ogy improvements enabled some other smart hams, such as Peter Martinez, G3PLX, to find ways to use the common PC and sound card to provide the required computing power and convenient user terminal I/O. Steve Ford, WB8IMY, described the excitement in QST articles (1999 and 2000), extolling the virtues of this fun new mode. Design veteran Dave Benson, K1SWL (ex-NN1G), even designed a whole series of dedicated, single-board/single-band low-power (QRP) transceivers for PSK31.

But even with these clever hardware and software innovations, there was yet room for improvement. The computer and its sound card still form the core of all present-day PSK31 stations. The sound card functions as the modem and the computer runs the neces-sary PSK31 software. The problem with this arrangement is portability. Even if you resort to using a laptop computer to take your PSK31 to the field, you are limited to the operating time that the laptop battery provides. Standard-sized laptops are also bulky and their LCD screens are difficult to see in bright sunlight.

Heron Cram.indd 35Heron Cram.indd 35 1/23/2008 11:57:30 AM1/23/2008 11:57:30 AM



36 March 2008




March 2008 37

B1, B2 — See text.C1-C3, C7, C11, C13, C17-C19, C21-C25 —

0.1 µF ceramic capacitor, SMT, Digi-Key PCC1883CT-ND.

C4, C5, C9, C10, C12 — 1 µF electrolytic capacitor, 16 V, SMT, Digi-Key PCE3045CT-ND.

C6, C8 — 10 µF electrolytic capacitor, 25 V, radial, Mouser 140-XRL16V10-RC.

C15, C16 — 22 pF capacitor, SMT, Digi-Key 311-1153-1-ND.

D1, D2 — Schottky diode, MA2SE01, SMT, Digi-Key MA2SE0100LCT-ND.

ENC-1 — Rotary encoder, Digi-Key P10860.J1 — DC power connector, coaxial, 21 mm,

Mouser 163-5004-E.J2 — 6-pin Mini-DIN, Mouser 161-2206.J3 — 8-pin Mini-DIN, Mouser 161-2208.J4 — 2-pin receptacle, pinheader, female,

1×2, Mouser 517-870-01-03.J5 — 9 V battery clip.LCD — CFAG12864, Graphics LCD,

CFAG12864, 128×64, Crystalfontz CFAG12864BTFHV.

P1, P2 — Pinheader, 1×2, 0.1", Mouser 517-834-01-36.

P3 — Pinheader, 2×3, 0.1", Mouser 517-836-01-36.

P4 — Pinheader, 1×4, 90-deg, Mouser 517-835-01-16.

P5 — Pinheader, 1×2, 0.1", 90-deg, Mouser 517-835-01-16.

P6 — 8-pin Mini-DIN plug, Mouser 171-2608.PB-1 — Push button, DPST, momentary,

Newark 19C6398.PB1-cap — Push button cap, Newark

18M6492.Piezo — Piezo sounder, Digi-Key

433-1023-ND.Q1-Q3 — 2N7000 transistor, NFET, Digi-Key

497-3110-ND.R1, R2, R9, R12 — 1 kΩ resistors, SMT,

Digi-Key RHM1.00KFCT-ND.

R3 — 47 Ω, 1⁄2 W, resistor, Mouser 293-47-RC.

R4 — 10 kΩ resistor, SMT, 1%, Mouser 71-CRCW1206-10K.

R5 — 2 kΩ resistor, SMT, 1%, Mouser 71-CRCW1206-2K.

R7, R8, R10, R11 — 10 kΩ resistors, SMT, Digi-Key 311-10KECT-ND.

R13 — 1 kΩ mini-potentiometer, Mouser 317-2080F-1K.

R14 — 10 kΩ trimpot, Mouser 652-3306W-1-103.

R15, R16 — 6.8 kΩ resistors, SMT, Digi-Key 311-6.8KECT-ND.

S1 — Slide switch, SPDT, PCB mount, 90-deg, Digi-Key EG1917-ND.

SH-1, SH-2 — pinheader, 1×2 shunt, Mouser 517-951-00.

U1 — dsPIC33FJ128MC706, Microchip DSC, 64-pin, Mouser 579-33FJ128MC706IPT.

U2, U3 — TXB0108, Octal Level Shifting Buffers, Mouser 595-TB0108PWR.

U4 — 24AA256, Microchip EEPROM, Digi-Key 24AA256-I/SN-ND.

U5 — MC68HC908QY4, Freescale Semiconductor microcontroller, MC68HC908QY4VPE-ND.

U6 — MCP4922, Dual-DAC, Digi-Key MCP4922-E/SL-ND.

U7 — MCP6S21, Programmable Gain Amplifi er, Digi-Key MCP6S21-I/SN-ND.

U8 — MCP601, Op Amp, Digi-Key MCP601-I/SN-ND.

U9 — PT78ST105H, 5 V Switching Regulator, Digi-Key PT78ST105H-ND.

U10 — LP2950, 3.3 V regulator, Digi-Key LP2950CZ-3.3-ND.

X1 — Crystal, 10 MHz, 20 pF, Digi-Key 631-1101-ND.

modem sits a new and inexpensive 16-bit microcontroller from Microchip called the dsPIC33F. See Figure 1. This device com-bines a standard control processor together with a computational powerhouse digital signal processor. While the conventional con-trol processor instructions handle the display and keyboard I/O, the DSP instructions are what actually perform the complex PSK31 demodulation, thus allowing the NUE-PSK modem to be the first economic solution for digital modem operation without the aid of a PC sound card.

Only a few other integrated circuits are required to handle everything in the digital modem. A digital-to-analog converter creates the analog audio tones sent to the radio, and the programmable gain amplifier receives the speaker tones from the rig for demodulation. A memory chip serves to hold your call sign and the macro commands used for efficient QSO exchanges, and several interface chips are used to buffer the LCD connections to the MPU. A second, smaller MCU serves as the keyboard interface, processing the many interrupts gen-erated from the user keystrokes. The digital modem draws about 80 mA at 12 V, or as little as 45 mA when used with a supply up to 18 V (eg, two standard 9 V batteries in series).

The audio input, audio output and PTT lines are connected to the radio by using a single cable instead of implementing the conventional rat’s nest of wires. When the modem is used with a dedicated HF rig like a Yaesu FT-817 having a “digital control” jack, the rig-end of the cable may also be consolidated to a single multi-pin plug, thus providing a neat and elegant interconnect with the radio.

The entire NUE-PSK digital modem is contained on a single 33⁄4 × 51⁄4 inch printed circuit board that can be placed into your favorite homebrew enclosure. A custom-made aluminum enclosure was designed to house the PC board, with the graphic display and controls on the top surface, connections to the outside world on the right side panel, and a battery compartment on the bottom side.

The NUE-PSK software design imple-ments a straightforward approach to I/O con-trol, while employing the AE4JY PSKcore modem algorithm engine. Wheatley’s docu-mentation and C++ source code was profes-sionally done and graciously placed into the public domain for everyone to use.

The software is also open source under the GPL license, which allows others to freely implement the fruits of our labor in related projects. In this way we hope to be further enabling technology to evolve and produce even more advanced designs downstream.

A detailed technical discussion of the NUE-PSK is beyond the scope of this article. However, you can read a much more thor-ough treatment in the March/April issue of

The NUE-PSK modem sends and receives PSK-31, with more modes to come, without requiring a computer. Any PS/2 keyboard can be used. The NUE-PSK is shown here with the lightweight, portable Parallax Mini-Keyboard, which is available from retailers for $19.95 (or directly from Parallax at www.parallax.com).

Figure 1—Schematic diagram of the NUE-PSK modem. Supplier part numbers are shown where applicable (Digi-Key Electronics: tel 800-344-4539, www.digikey.com; Mouser Electronics: tel 800-346-6873, www.mouser.com; Newark: tel 800-463-9275, www.newark.com; Crystalfontz America: tel 888-206-9720, www.crystalfront.com; Freescale Semiconductor: tel 800-521-6274, www.freescale.com).




38 March 2008

An interior view of the NUE-PSK.

Buying or Building Your Own NUE-PSKAssembled and tested NUE-PSK modems can be purchased from the

American QRP Club at www.amqrp.org/kits/nue-psk31/. The cost is $199 for US and Canadian shipment; $219 for overseas orders. Accessories are also available. You can order online, or send a check or money order payable to the American QRP Club c/o George Heron, 2419 Feather Mae Ct, Forest Hill, MD 21050. Full and partial kit versions will be available later this year. Check the American QRP Club Web page for the latest updates.

If you prefer to source your own parts and build from scratch, see Figure 1. The NUE-PSK software is available for free downloading on the NUE-PSK Web page.

Whether you decide to homebrew the modem, or perhaps get the partial kit and assemble it yourself, don’t be afraid of soldering the surface mount ICs used in this project. Here’s a technique that works great even for the 64-pin dsPIC chip. Using a magnifying lamp, position the IC on the pads and tack solder two corner leads to hold the package in place. Liberally solder all the leads to the pads without any concern for shorts between the leads. Next, use some desoldering braid (like SolderWick) to remove all excess solder along the rows of leads. Don’t worry about overheating the IC package — it’s tough. After all that excess solder is sucked up, you’re left with the cleanest looking connections that could ever be achieved by hand soldering!

QEX magazine, QST’s sister publication for experimenters. If you don’t subscribe to QEX, the article is also available on the Web for free downloading at www.arrl.org/qex/2008/3/Heron.pdf.

Using the NUE-PSKWhen the NUE-PSK is switched on, the

LCD shows a graphical spectrum representa-tion of signals in the band. A cursor in the signal portion of the display may be moved up or down the band by turning a rotary dial on the modem, or by using the arrow keys on the keyboard. This tuning method allows you to move to select the PSK signal you wish to monitor. As soon as the cursor approaches a PSK31 signal, the software automatically locks onto it and the decoded characters of the signal being received start displaying on the lower LCD.

Now, suppose you want to answer a sta-tion’s CQ, or call him after his conversation ends. Just press the F12 key to go into trans-mit mode and begin typing! Your typed char-

acters are shown in a new line of the display and the PSK31 audio tones are sent character-by-character over to your rig that has been automatically set to transmit mode. When you’re done with your reply, pressing F12 again puts the rig back into receive and his typed reply will show character-by-character in your display…just as if you were instant messaging!

Just like the popular PC applications for PSK31, the software in the NUE-PSK digital modem provides numerous menu options, hot key short cuts, and time-saving buffers in memory to allow you to have an easy-and-effective QSO. For example, these features make it easy to record macros, and change various setup features like mode, AFC On/Off, CW ID, etc. Its internal memory is used for storage of setup information and macros so that they will be retained when power is removed from the modem.

ConclusionWe already have a long list of additional

features planned, including extra digital modes (MFSK, RTTY), improved tuning and sensitivity, and a super-portable mode using a CW paddle to input data and Morse tones for output. The portable evolution keeps on coming!

The NUE-PSK digital modem is used reg-ularly by both authors and has seen intense operation during QRP contests during the past year. It is a great pleasure to be able to operate PSK31 out in the field with such little reliance on a conventional PC or lap-top. This portable PSK digital modem truly helps one enjoy the overall communications experience.

Some truly outstanding opportunities exist for using the NUE-PSK digital modem in the field of emergency communications. The modem’s suitability for field portabil-ity — battery-operated, small, lightweight, integrated and no-PC design — is a fabulous component for state, local and ARES com-munications use during weather- and nature-related disaster communications. The PSK31 mode excels in establishing low-power com-munications, much more efficient than voice, and is able to be quickly and effectively used by any emergency personnel that can type at a keyboard.

We hope you enjoy the NUE-PSK digital modem. We are indebted to the pioneering efforts of others before us here in the field of PSK31, especially the avid experimenters of the Austin QRP Club. Let us know how it works out and we’ll be looking for you on the air!

Milt Cram, W8NUE, was first licensed in 1953 as WN8NUE and has held several calls (minus the “N”) with an Amateur Extra license. He is a long-time homebrewer and member of the Austin QRP Club, enjoying operating low power and the digital modes on HF. Milt holds BEE, MS and PhD degrees in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech and comes from a family of hams (dad, Ernie, W8JKX [SK], great uncle, Oz, W1JUJ [SK], and son, Marc KC5RWZ). You can reach him at 9807 Vista View Dr, Austin, TX 78750 or at [email protected].

George Heron, N2APB, has been a technol-ogy manager in the northeastern US for more than three decades. He is the chief scientist for McAfee, helping to develop new security prod-ucts and technologies to protect users from all forms of computer malware. First licensed in 1968, George is an avid homebrewer in RF and digital circuits, with a special interest in DSP and microcontroller applications to QRP. He leads the New Jersey QRP and the American QRP clubs and can be reached at 2419 Feather Mae Ct, Forest Hill, MD 21050, or at [email protected].




March 2008 39

You did it! — you studied hard in the licensing class at the local ham radio club and you passed the General exam.

Now you are waiting for that precious license from the FCC to arrive in the mail.

You’ve held a Technician class license for several years and you’re really intrigued by the thought of getting on more of the HF bands. So for the last few months you have been haunting local hamfests looking for a good second-hand HF transceiver, aided by some of the HF veterans in your club. For a good price you bought an “oldie but goodie” radio that was in great condition, despite hav-ing been manufactured almost 25 years ago. I saw a vintage Kenwood TS-830S transceiver advertised recently for less than $400. It’s got plenty of “bells and whistles” — enough to keep you satisfied for your first venture into operating HF.

Naturally, as soon as you brought your new radio home you couldn’t resist throwing a random length of wire out your second story window to serve as an impromptu receiving antenna. Too impatient to solder a proper coax connector on the wire, you simply stuck the bare wire into the ANTENNA socket on the back of the rig. (And you shut the window to prevent the wire from pulling out and falling down to the ground!)

Now, the main reason you upgraded to General class from Technician was because you had heard how much fun it was to oper-ate 20 and 40 meter phone, communicating directly with people in far-off lands, some-thing you couldn’t do working only your bud-dies through local VHF/UHF repeaters.

Indeed, it’s the attraction of hearing and working long distance (DX) stations that draws many people to Amateur Radio in the first place. The sheer wonder of talking via the ionosphere with someone in an exotic, far-away location — such as Mongolia, Moscow, Paris or maybe Namibia — excites me today every bit as much as it did when I was a 12 year old kid, some 50 years ago in Hawaii.

But I digress. Let’s get back to you — almost licensed General class Amateur Radio

I Just Got My License and a Used HF Transceiver — Now What?Some practical tips on the selection and installation of your fi rst antenna, focusing on the do‘s and don’ts for vertical antennas.

R. Dean Straw, N6BV

Figure 1 — Typical 40 meter horizontally polarized dipole mounted 30 feet above ground and fed with 50 Ω coaxial cable.

operator. Your radio is ready. You are ready — all you lack is that magic license from the FCC. Although you can pick up some signals on receive, even a newcomer to HF knows that a short, random length of wire dangling out the window is not going to work very well as a real antenna when you want to transmit.

Your First Real HF AntennaYou asked a friend at your local radio club

to lend you a book about antennas, and he kindly lent you his copy of The ARRL Antenna Book.1 You were overwhelmed — yes, 800 plus pages of technical details covering a bewildering variety of antennas can be over-whelming. It’s a little like “trying to take a sip of water from a fire hose” for a newcomer.

Many, perhaps most, new hams just want to put up a simple, easy-to-construct antenna and get on the air. They can learn the finer points of heavy-duty antenna theory later, at their leisure. Rest assured, it’s not that dif-ficult to put up a simple antenna that will quickly get you on the HF bands.

Antenna PossibilitiesMy colleague at ARRL, Joel Hallas, W1ZR,

in his January 2008 “Getting on the Air — Your First HF Antenna” QST column covered the basics of simple horizontal wire antennas.

Here, I will discuss some theoretical con-

siderations and then get into the practical aspects of installations of simple verticals for the 40 and 20 meter ham bands. Now, you may ask why am I concentrating on 40 and 20 meters? I chose these two bands because as of the end of 2007 we are in the lowest part of the 11 year solar cycle. The amateur bands higher in frequency than 20 meters (17, 15, 12 and 10 meters) are simply not open to work much DX these days. And they won’t become truly exciting again for at least another couple of years. You do want to expe-rience the excitement of DX now, right?

Why Verticals?Why am I going to write mainly about

verticals? First, a vertical usually requires less space to put up than does a typical hori-zontal antenna, such as a horizontal 40 meter dipole, which has a “wingspan” of about 66 feet and is usually mounted at least 30 feet off the ground (see Figure 1).

I’ll explain later why I say, “usually requires less space” in the previous paragraph. Be patient with me; there’re lots of things to talk about on the subject of verticals.

The Need for Low Takeoff Angles to Work DX

Take a look at Figure 2, which shows how signals launched at an angle close to the horizon result in a longer distance trip when bounced off the ionosphere. Actual HF propa-gation is usually much more complicated than

1R. D. Straw, Editor, The ARRL Antenna Book, 21st editon.

Straw.indd 39Straw.indd 39 1/23/2008 10:21:12 AM1/23/2008 10:21:12 AM



40 March 2008

this simple illustration. But the main idea is that if you want to work distant stations con-sistently, the takeoff angle from your antenna should be low. Vertically polarized antennas inherently favor low angles, while horizon-tally polarized antennas must be mounted high off the ground to favor low angles.

In fact, a typical 40 meter horizontal dipole would ideally be about 100 feet high for most long-distance contacts. How many of you can get an antenna up 100 feet easily? Figure 3 compares the response patterns for four antennas:

A typical 40 meter horizontal dipole, at a height of 30 feet.

The same horizontal dipole, but at a height of 100 feet.

A ground mounted 40 meter vertical with 16 radials mounted over “average” soil.

A 40 meter vertical with 16 radials mounted over salt water.

You can immediately see that the qual-ity of the soil around a vertically polarized antenna has a large effect on its low angle performance. The peak gain over salt water at a 10° takeoff angle, typical for 40 meter DX work, is about 7 dB (more than four times) stronger than the same vertical over typical soil. That’s almost two S-units on a typical HF transceiver, a very significant difference. For verticals, it really pays to be very close to salt water for DXing.

While it isn’t explicitly shown in Figure 3, soil quality has only a minor effect on the strength of signals launched from horizontally polarized antennas. For a horizontally polar-ized antenna the height above ground has a profound effect on those low-angle signals needed for effective DXing. At a 10° takeoff angle, the 100 foot high horizontal dipole is also about 7 dB stronger than its 30 foot high horizontal dipole cousin.

Real-World ConsiderationsI’ve been talking mainly about theoretical

considerations in comparing horizontal and ver-tical antennas. Now let’s get down to some spe-cific questions you may have about verticals.

Put it Outdoors, if You CanFirst, can you manage to put your first

antenna up outdoors? I know, that sounds like a pretty dumb question. But a fact of modern life is that many hams live in housing devel-opments that impose severe restrictions on putting up outside antennas. Life is not fair.

Some hams have to resort to putting antennas inside their attics so that their hom-eowner’s association can’t spot any of their “unsightly” wires. Or else a ham might craft-ily put up a low outdoor antenna that uses thin wire, perhaps 24 gauge wire that is nearly “invisible” to their neighbors. He might load up a metallic gutter just to get on the air with-out alerting nosy neighbors that he’s got a rudimentary outdoor antenna!

Do these compromise antennas work as well as ones you mount outside, high above ground and in the clear? No, they don’t, especially if the thin wire breaks easily in the wind or snaps when a bird lands on it.

So, I’m going to assume from here on in that you can put a vertical antenna outside, in the clear, away from the house. I will talk about “stealthy” verticals too.

The Simplest Vertical You Can Build Yourself

It’s easy to put up a vertical for a single amateur band, especially if you can hang a vertical wire from a high tree branch. See Figure 4, which shows a simple antenna using one vertical wire about 32 feet long, two 32 foot elevated radials and a feed coax. Chuck Hutchinson, K8CH, made this simple

antenna for the 40 meter band. This form of vertical antenna is com-

monly called a ground-plane vertical because the radials form a “ground plane” under the vertical radiator, making the overall antenna into a close equivalent of a half-wave verti-cal dipole.

Although K8CH made his ground plane with durable 14 gauge hard-drawn copper wire, the antenna is difficult to see unless you get close to the tree. This is indeed a stealth antenna, yet one that can still work DX very well. As a bonus, it will perform reasonably well on the 15 meter band too.

The outer ends of each radial should be kept at least 8 to 10 feet above the ground. This prevents deer from getting their antlers tangled in the wires, and it also protects animals and humans wandering through your backyard from getting RF burns when you transmit.

What if I Don’t Have Trees to Hold up a Wire Vertical?

You could also construct the K8CH ground-plane vertical out of aluminum tub-ing, using wire radials and a feed coax, of course. Be careful, though, because it’s a lot easier for neighbors to see an antenna con-structed with shiny 1 inch diameter alumi-num tubing compared to 14 gauge wires hung inconspicuously from a tree branch.

Aluminum tubing is sometimes self- supporting, particularly for a vertical for 20 meters or higher in frequency. But a verti-cal may require guy ropes to stabilize and hold it upright, particularly if you live in an area where the winds can blow strongly. You have two main choices for mounting a verti-cal made of tubing:

On the ground in your backyard Up on a rooftop.

Up is BetterUnless you live at the ocean, the ability of

your soil to conduct electricity is not as good as saltwater, which is an excellent conductor. Typical soil is lossy and you will have bet-ter results if you mount a vertical and its ac-companying radials up in the air, well above

Figure 2 — Behavior of waves encountering a simple curved ionospheric layer over a curved Earth. Rays entering the ionized region at angles above the critical angle are not bent enough to be returned to Earth and are lost to space. Waves entering at angles below the critical angle reach the Earth at increasingly greater distances as the launch (elevation) angle approaches the horizontal. The maximum distance that may normally be covered in a single hop is 4000 km. Great distances are covered with multiple hops. (From The ARRL Antenna Book, 21st Edition.)

Figure 3 — Comparison of four types of antennas.




March 2008 41

that lossy ground. This is why the simple K8CH wire vertical elevated in the air works well.

A vertical of any sort mounted on the garage roof well above lossy soil can employ only a single pair of radials and yet can still be a very effective antenna. Don’t forget, how-ever, that K8CH’s elevated wire ground plane would work even better if the tree that holds it up were located right next to the ocean!

Is it Possible to be Too High?Yes, it is possible to place a vertical too

high off the ground. If you place the K8CH ground-plane vertical more than a full wave-length above ground (the radials would be 120 feet above ground on 40 meters), the low-angle elevation pattern would begin to distort and break up. I’m not going to be overly concerned by being too high right now, since I don’t think many hams getting on HF for the first time will have to face this situation in a suburban environment.

But if your vertical is located in a city on the top of a tall apartment building 120 feet or higher, then you probably would be better off building a horizontal dipole on that rooftop (with permission from your landlord, of course). You’ll be able to enjoy excel-lent DX performance from such a high dipole on 40 and 20 meters.

What if You Can’t Elevate a Vertical Above Lossy Ground?

Let’s get back to the backyard vertical. Placing a 40 meter vertical and its radials

at least 8 to 10 feet above lossy ground will reduce losses that occur just under the antenna. Similarly, elevating a 20 meter vertical 4 to 5 feet above ground would give good per-formance, except for the potential hazard of burning people and animals with RF, since they can easily reach wires at that height. So it’s still a good idea on 20 meters and higher to elevate the system 8 to 10 feet off the ground for safety.

Let’s say that you have no other choice but to mount a vertical right on the ground. The losses your antenna will incur due to the proximity of lossy soil are sometimes rather colorfully called heating up the worms. The mental picture is an apt one.

If you must mount your vertical on the ground, you can minimize your worm losses by installing a multitude of radial wires on — or even just under — the soil. (You should probably also install a wooden fence around the vertical radiator to keep people from touching it.) Placing the vertical sys-tem on the ground will require more than the two radials you can get away with when you elevate the system to your rooftop.

There is a whole body of literature devoted to how many radials you’ll need, and how long those radials should be, for maximum efficiency for ground mounted verticals. The often cited classical example is what the FCC generally expects for com-mercial AM broadcast stations — 120 radials that are 0.4 wavelengths long, symmetrically placed around the vertical radiator. See The ARRL Antenna Book for all the details about

radial grounds. For the neophyte HF owner of a ground

mounted vertical antenna, let me suggest that 16 quarter wave long radials are enough to get you started. (A quarter wave is about 33 feet for 40 meters, or 16 feet for 20 meters.) If you are really ambitious and want to squeeze every last tenth of a dB out of your vertical system, by all means, knock yourself out installing 32, 64 or even 120 radials.

Purists may squawk, but the practical point of diminishing returns for extra effort (and extra wire) versus radiated signal level is somewhere around 16 ground radials. If you run into obstacles running out radials in certain directions from your vertical, zigzag around them. These include your house, trees, your dog’s house and your garden.

Here’s another useful tip for deploying radials on the ground. If your vertical is located on your lawn, you can run out indi-vidual radial wires, pinning them at their outer ends with pieces of wire bent into the shape of a hairpin, making a lawn staple. After a month or so during the summer, the grass will grow right over the radials, hiding them from the wrath of your lawnmower.

What About So-Called “Half Wave” Verticals?

The verticals I’ve been discussing so far are variations of a quarter wave long verti-cal radiator, with a set of at least two quarter wave long radials, usually elevated on a roof top. You could also stand a conventional hori-zontal half wave long dipole on its ear and make a full-sized vertical half wave radiator.

Because the half wave vertical doesn’t require radials, we have traded the need for width for the need to support extra height. The vertical radiator of a quarter wave ground-plane vertical is 33.5 feet long, meaning that the top need only be 41.5 feet high for 8 foot high radials. Each radial is 33 feet long, however, making for a horizontal wingspread of 66 feet. The half wave vertical need only be as wide as a piece of wire, but its 66 foot height requires a support at 74 feet to gain a safe clearance.

There are various methods of loading a half wave vertical to make it shorter. Many commercial vertical antennas are based on this concept.

More Than One Band?If you want to work a number of bands

using a single vertical antenna, things quickly get more complicated. First, of course, you’ve got to figure out which HF bands you want to cover. Most commercial multiband verticals cover at least four amateur HF bands and they usually use traps to electrically isolate portions of the antenna so that the antenna is always close to being resonant. That is, the traps force the antenna’s electrical length to be automati-cally a quarter wavelength long on each band.

Figure 4 — Dimensions and construction of K8CH tree-mounted ground-plane 40 meter antenna. (From The ARRL Antenna Book, 21st Edition.)




42 March 2008

See Figure 5 for a typical multiband trap verti-cal, in this case one covering 10 and 15 meters, from The ARRL Antenna Book.

You’ll need some test equipment and a fair amount of skill to build your own multiband trap vertical if you want operation on more than two bands, so I really don’t recommend that you attempt to build this as your first homemade antenna. But you can purchase commercial trap verticals from a number of manufacturers, and you can also find used trap verticals at hamfests and flea markets.

Keep in mind that the performance of a mul-tiband antenna is rarely equal — and almost never better — to that of an antenna devoted to a single band, such as the verticals I’ve dis-cussed so far. How much compromise do you have to make for going multiband instead of monoband? Multiband verticals are generally less efficient than monoband verticals, mainly because of losses in the traps. You will probably find, however, that the loss is less than about 1 dB for most multiband trap verticals, at least on the ham bands higher than 40 meters.

Older trapped vertical designs cover the traditional HF bands of 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters, while newer designs often cover seven HF bands, including 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10 meters. For ground mounted trap verticals, you should lay out at least 16 radials cut to be a quarter wave long at the lowest frequency of operation, usually 40 meters. Since these radials will be detuned by the proximity to the soil they need not be resonant for the other frequencies covered by the multiband vertical.

If you elevate the multiband trap vertical by putting it up on your garage or on your house roof to make it into a ground-plane vertical, you should provide at least two radials for each of the bands covered. For example, let’s say you purchase a trap vertical that covers the 40, 20, 15 and 10 meter bands. You should cut two radials each for each band. Each of the two radials wires for a particular band should be laid out so that these two wires are opposite each other in a straight line, and they should be separated from the radials for other bands. Use insulators at the ends of each radial because there is a high RF voltage at each end.

If you do spend the money and put up a commercial multiband vertical that covers more than the 40 and 20 meter bands, you may be planning ahead for when the sunspots come back in full force after about 2010. However, if you really just want to get on the air quickly and get your feet wet on HF, I recommend putting up a simple 40 meter wire ground-plane vertical like K8CH’s in Figure 4. After all, the 40 meter band allows you to work stations within about 400 miles radius during the day and you can work sta-tions all around the world during the night.

If you really want more flexibility in your first bout of HF operating, you may well want to build yourself a simple dual band 40/20 meter wire vertical out of K8CH’s

monoband 40 meter ground-plane vertical, making it into a dual band antenna. This antenna connects an additional 20 meter verti-cal wire in parallel with the original 40 meter vertical radiator. It also connects a pair of quar-ter wave 20 meter wire radials in parallel with the existing 40 meter radials. The 20 meter vertical wire is spaced 6 inches from the 40 meter vertical radiator. The performance on each band is very close to that for individual monoband versions of this antenna.

SummaryVertical antennas can give you a lot

of “bang for your buck,” especially if you construct them yourself using wire and can suspend them from a convenient tree. If you can, mount your vertical so that it is elevated above lossy ground, say, on a roof. That way you can get away with fewer radials. Usually

only one pair per band will suffice. If you must mount a vertical on the ground, however, you will need at least 16 radials.

Single band ground-plane verticals are simple to build, but generally speaking multi-band versions are not so easy to construct. Commercial multiband trap verticals are read-ily available. And while they do compromise performance some, they don’t do so hugely. You should be aware of the compromises, how-ever, which usually involve limited SWR bandwidth and somewhat less gain and power handling capability than single band designs.

See you on HF working DX. You’ll be glad you got on!

R. Dean Straw, N6BV, is an ARRL Senior Assistant Technical Editor and editor of The ARRL Antenna Book. You can reach Dean at [email protected].

Figure 5 — A homemade duoband (15 and 10 meters) trap ground-plane vertical. Trap details are at upper left. (From The ARRL Antenna Book, 21st Edition.)




March 2008 43

The first International Wireless Tele-graphic Conference, held in Berlin in 1906, declared 500 kHz the interna-

tional maritime calling and distress frequency. It remained allocated to that use, with govern-ment and ship stations continuously monitor-ing for distress calls until the distress function was transitioned to the Global Marine Distress Signaling System, a satellite based system, in the 1980s. The 600 meter band, 495 to 505 kHz, just below the AM broadcast band, had provided reliable ground wave coverage over medium to long distances for ships at sea for most of a century. The frequencies are now largely dormant, with the exception of some use by museum stations. These frequen-cies are of interest to many amateurs since we have been banished from that region of the spectrum since we were allocated to “200 meters and down” in 1912.

What it’s All AboutThe ARRL is sponsoring the WD2XSH

experimental license, which allows specific experimental stations to use 505 to 510 kHz

A Station for the ARRL Sponsored 500 kHz Experiment

A look into the hardware and antenna of a participant in the WD2XSH experiment.

Patrick Hamel, W5THT, WD2XSH/6

using CW with power limitations.1 This experiment is based on Part 5 of the FCC rules and is coordinated by Fritz Raab, W1FR. We hope that by proving we can operate without causing interference to users on nearby fre-quencies, we will aid in justifying extension of the experiment, and perhaps eventually, even a new amateur band at 600 meters. Another purpose is to study if these former ship fre-quencies, previously used over sea water, can provide reliable land-based communications during a time when HF propagation is out because of ionospheric or other disturbances. It is hoped that WD2XSH experimental oper-ations on 600 meters can demonstrate either an immunity from ionospheric blackouts or a possible characteristic that can be used to warn of impending seismic events.

The ship operators proved the characteris-tics of 600 meters over salt water. Computers did not exist at the time 600 meters was being

used for shipboard communication. Logs were detailed, but they were the property of the respective companies and governments. The companies were not concerned with propagation studies and the early data is gen-erally unavailable.

This experiment is being conducted by oper-ators of volunteer stations who erect antennas of their own design on their own property and transmit mostly over land. The experimental license and the personal computer combine to provide detailed logs that make the WD2XSH propagation experiment yield valuable data. Correlating the skip zones we log with natural phenomena may keep graduate students in geology, engineering and computer science busy for many years to come.

Some unexpected propagation has been reported that may be due to geological events. The small number of sunspots in late 2006 and through 2007 provides opportunities to study the effects of individual sunspots and coronal holes on propagation. As hoped for and of utmost importance, no reports of interference have been received to date.

1R. Raab, W1FR, “The ARRL 500-kHz Experi-ment: WD2XSH,” QEX, Jul/Aug 2007, pp 3-11.

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44 March 2008

The Magic Happens at the AntennaAboard a steel hulled ship in salt water, the

standard antenna was a thick uplead running to a horizontal wire or wires between tall masts. The transmitters and receivers were built to match into these electrically short antennas. They worked well, because there was almost no ground loss nor any power line frequency interference. When antenna characteristics were measured, the reactance was usually as calculated, and the input resistance was almost equal to the calculated radiation resistance, indicating very high radiating efficiency.

This is not nearly the case with an earth ground based 600 meter antenna. Ground loss is the biggest challenge to be overcome for the operator of a land-based 600 meter transmitting station. Natural atmospheric noise and incidental power-line-frequency radiation are the biggest challenges to land-based 600 meter reception.

The WD2XSH/6 AntennaThe 600 meter antenna I have been able

to erect on my city lot began as an 80 meter inverted L. It has been modified over the years years, and now consists of a 50 foot vertical section, elevated coil and a 120 foot horizon-tal section.

The horizontal section is now a fan of 11 wires 5 feet wide at the fed end and 10 feet wide at the open end. The horizontal section acts like a large loading capacitor that helps resonate the coil, located between the vertical and horizontal sections. The coil is painted dark green to keep the fiberglass from deterio-rating and to hide it against the trees when viewed from the street. The coil is bolted and tie-wrapped to the 5 foot piece of 3⁄4 inch cop-

of the antenna ground system and put down a ground screen while I was filling in the holes left by the fallen trees after Hurricane Katrina. I used three rolls of chicken wire, a mile of electric fence wire and a 50 foot long 20 inch wide strip of flashing aluminum.

The electric fence wire was threaded through the chain-link fence top and bottom to try to reduce the number of joints the cur-rent had to run through. This grounding, and a few radials I have installed after negotiating with the neighbors, has reduced my measured input resistance to 28 Ω, allowing more effi-cient operation.

Why All This Trouble about Grounding?

Even at an input resistance of 28 Ω, it requires 384 W of RF power delivered to the antenna to get an effective radiated power (ERP) of 19.2 W into the 0.77 Ω radiation resistance, close to our license limit of 20 W ERP. This is very different from a good full size quarter wave HF vertical, but that would be 468 feet high! The center of the ground field with the tuner is shown in Figure 3.

Real life has interfered with erecting a separate receiving antenna here at this time. Other stations have reported good results with low noise loop antennas for reception.

The WD2XSH/6 Radio SystemThe existence of synthesized full-

coverage receivers has solved the receiving part of the problem for most of us. I am using an ICOM R-75 general coverage receiver with a CW filter as my primary receiver. I also have a WWII vintage military surplus 190 to 550 kHz ARC-5 series receiver as a backup.

The transmitter relies on a borrowed HP

Figure 1 — WD2XSH/6 transmitting antenna in the air.

Figure 2 — Lowered antenna showing the coil and connections to the horizontal wires.

Figure 3 — The center of the ground fi eld with the base tuning unit.

per pipe at the flattop. There are pulleys at each end to allow for experimentation. Figure 1 shows the antenna in the air, while Figure 2 shows the lowered antenna with the coil and horizontal wires clearly visible.

I started with the classic base loading coil. When I tuned the base coil to resonance, I saw that the input resistance was above 30 Ω. Since the calculated radiation resistance of a 50 foot high, top loaded vertical at 505 kHz is 0.77 Ω, I knew that ground and coil losses were too high. Basically, all the power was being lost in the ground around the antenna, including the garages, bushes, trees and fences. The cure was to use the fence as part




March 2008 45

How and Why Can You Participate?

You do not need to join anything to send reception reports to the www.500kc.com Web site. The WD2XSH information (including the invitation to join the group) is on the site. The existence of Amateur Radio is justified by, among other things, the self-training and discoveries made by hams at no cost to the

government. The last ARRL-sponsored experiment was the ARRL-IGY Propagation Reporting Project in the mid 1950s.

Your observations, logged to the Web site with your location and time, may help put together a picture of signals skipping from where they should be to where they should not be. The use of these computerized logs and other databases could lead to geological, solar or seismic discoveries. Again, when you start an experiment you never really know what you may find.

As an example, WD2XSH/7 (Ralph Hartwell, W5JGV) has rediscovered and is using a “TreeTenna” antenna with the tree a part of the antenna element. Using a TreeTenna in a restricted subdivision may allow other hams to get on the air. Ralph’s TreeTenna information for 600 meters and a link to earlier (and mostly forgotten) tree antenna research is on the www.500kc.com Web site. Air time has helped me approach sanity, so we never know who getting on the air will help.

As always, reception reports are necessary. We need reports from everywhere. Statistics professors will tell you we need thousands of reports summer and winter to get a true pic-ture of propagation with and without solar or seismic activity. People in different fields will notice different correlations.

A few minutes to listen for our signals evenings (or a couple hours one time to set up your computer to monitor for you) could lead to a discovery when all the reception report data is processed. Somebody has to be

Figure 5 — Map showing active station locations and identifi ers.

Figure 4 — Close-up of the transmitting subsystem.

instrument for a stable frequency generating source. It is an otherwise unaffordable VFO. Other than the HP generator, I am probably the only station using all homebrew tube based transmitting equipment. There are some nice FET transmit amplifiers shown on the www.500kc.com Web site.

Since I am retired and living on a fixed budget, I used an old Heathkit monoband transceiver and parts from the junk box to cobble together an exciter capable of a clean 70 W to the feed line. Due to the ground losses mentioned earlier, that gave me 2.3 W ERP.

Ham Radio is Wonderful A few mentions on the air got me the parts

I needed to build the amplifier I have dreamed of building since I was a kid in the late 1940s. It took two months to build it right. Modern diodes replace the glowing 866 mercury rec-tifier tubes, but the four 811-A tubes across the window in the front panel cast a soft glow as they put out a clean 380 W. Figure 4 shows a close-up of the transmitting subsystem.

How Does It Work?I have received listener reports from

Mexico to Nova Scotia and from Oregon to Germany. I have had successful fall and win-ter contacts with several of the WD2XSH and WE2XGR stations as we are experimenting building and rebuilding stations and antennas. The closest station (WD2XSH/2) to me is 80 miles away and we can communicate day or night, even in summer.

listening to document what happens when a seismic or solar event occurs to see if it dis-turbs propagation. A big antenna is always best, but you don’t need one to listen. A fer-rite loopstick (broadcast radio antenna) or simple wire loop wound around a window frame will receive signals, even though you won’t be able to rotate the house as you would if it were an outdoor loop.

I hope I can speak for all the active sta-tions (see Figure 5) in our experiment, as well as other experimental licensees operating in this part of the spectrum, when I request you take a listen and file a report. If nothing else, it will help me convince my wife that the increased electric bill caused by putting a sig-nal on 505.266 kHz from sunset to midnight (except during contacts) is not money being wasted. Reports to the site are particularly valuable if you are the only reporting station in a geographical area.All photos by the author.

Patrick Hamel, W5THT and WD2XSH/6, has been a licensed ham since 1956 and currently holds an Amateur Extra class license. He oper-ates HF (he holds DXCC), as well as 6 and 2 meters (he also holds VUCC). He also partici-pates in public service activity and is a volunteer examiner.

He has held FCC commercial First ClassRadiotelephone and Second Class Radiotele-graph licenses, both with Ship Radar Endorse-ment. His academic achievements include night school through the MS level. He has worked with heavy ground based radar as a techni-cal instructor and technical specialist, served as a broadcast engineer, shipyard electrician, spacecraft mechanic, facilities engineer, net-work administrator and business applications programmer. He is now retired and lives with his wife, and they enjoy their five children and seven grandchildren.

You can reach Pat at 1157 E Old Pass Rd, Long Beach, MS 39560 or at [email protected].




46 March 2008

PRODUCT REVIEW

Mark J. Wilson, K1RO Product Review Editor [email protected]

Key Measurements Summary

Reviewed by Norm Fusaro, W3IZAssistant Manager, Membership andVolunteer Programs Department

Before the official opening of the JARL Ham Fair in August 2007, hidden under a black veil, Yaesu’s latest player in the mid priced transceiver market waited for its introduction to the world. This is where I first saw the FT-950, the HF and 6 meter amateur transceiver that is being touted as a “baby FT-2000.”

The FT-950 may be a scaled down ver-sion of Yaesu’s workhorse transceivers but it certainly is not stripped down. With 100 W output on all amateur bands from 160 to 6 meters, general coverage receive, built-in automatic antenna tuner and a host of other features found in competition class transceiv-ers, there is no doubt that this new radio will fill a void in the company’s product line and in the hearts of radio amateurs looking for big rig performance in an economical package.

First ImpressionsWhen the FT-950 is sitting side by side

with the FT-2000, the inherent resemblance is striking but the similarity doesn’t stop at facial features. The ’950 is packed with many of the QRM-fighting and signal-enhancing features that many operators have come to know in the FT-2000 series and in Yaesu’s flagship FTDX9000 series radios.1 For example, the FT-950 includes digital noise reduction (DNR), which uses a variety of algorithms to separate signals from noise. It

also has a CONTOUR control, used to enhance the desired signal and distinguish it from noise and interference.

The FT-950 is also capable of using optional accessories such as Yaesu’s Data Management Unit (DMU-2000) to provide a graphic image of the rig’s operation. It’s also got provisions for adding optional μ-Tune units, precision motorized preselector circuits that can enhance a weak signal or attenuate an interfering signal.2 I used the optional μ-Tune units with the ’950 and they had an obvious effect on received signals. Not being located near a strong broadcast station or other source of interference, I was unable to fully appreci-ate the preselector’s performance.

Noticeably smaller than its big brother, the FT-950 is still a substantial piece of gear that makes a nice statement when sitting on the operating desk. One reason for the smaller form factor is the absence of an internal power supply. This can be a benefit to some people because many operators already own a power supply that is used to run several pieces of gear in the shack. I found that the ’950 worked fine using a big, heavy 35 A Astron analog supply or when juiced with a lightweight Yaesu FP-1023 switching supply.

Weighing in at 21.6 pounds, the FT-950 is not what many would consider a “portable” rig, but with all of the big rig features in a smaller package I would consider this a re-markable field radio to be used in a variety of situations such as DXpeditions, Field Day or EOC operations. The front and rear feet

Yaesu FT-950 HF and 6 Meter Transceiver

The FT-950 HF/50 MHz trans-ceiver fills a void in Yaesu’s product line. It should appeal to radio ama-teurs looking for big rig performance in an economical package.

1QST Product reviews, including the FT-2000, FT-2000D, FTDX9000D and FTDX9000 Con-test, are available on the Web at www.arrl.org/members-only/prodrev/.

2The DMU-2000 and µ-Tune units were discussed in more detail in the FT-2000D Product Review in October 2007 QST.

-20 -70

I9

TXTransmit 9th-order IMD (dB)

-35TX

I3

Transmit 3rd-Order IMD (dB)

-35

-56

-40 +35

I3

2

-40 +35

I3

20

50 110

I3

22 kHz 3rd-Order Dynamic Range (dB)

20 kHz 3rd-Order Intercept (dBm)

2 kHz 3rd-Order Intercept (dBm)

50 110

I3

20

2 70 140

70 128

129

98

97

95

90

71

+21

+16

-4

1402020 kHz Blocking Gain Compression (dB)

2 kHz Blocking Gain Compression (dB)

20 kHz 3rd-Order Dynamic Range (dB)

50 10T-R 25Tx-Rx Turnaround Time (ms)

80 M

20 MDynamic range and intercept values with preamp off.Intercept values were determined using –97 dBm references.

Key:

pr028

-20

Bottom Line

ROD REV.indd 46ROD REV.indd 46 1/23/2008 1:42:42 PM1/23/2008 1:42:42 PM



March 2008 47

are sturdy with the front adjustable, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a comfort-able operating position.

In order to offer a transceiver with all of the superb features that are found in the bigger rigs, cost had to be cut somewhere on the FT-950 without sacrificing operation. Jettisoning the aforementioned power supply contributed to the economy of the ’950 as did replacing the FT-2000’s analog meter with an LED bar graph style multimeter that is part of the brightly colored and easy to read display. The meter functions are still there — ALC, speech compression level, SWR and final amplifier drain current and voltage.

Perhaps one of the most noticeable changes (or perhaps not, depending on your operating style) is the exclusion of a second receiver. Many operators probably would not consider losing a second receiver a big sacrifice in performance because the rig uses dual VFOs, essential for split operation when working DX stations whose band allocations are different than your own.

Working a DX station that is calling CQ takes just takes a quick push of the A-B button to move the DX frequency to the sub VFO, allowing the operator to tune the main VFO

In the July 2007 Product Review, we compared some of the features and performance of the radios in the $2500 to $3000 range. With the introduction of the FT-950, there are now four desktop radios within $100 of $1500. They are listed in alpha-betical order in Table A starting with the ICOM IC-746PRO, then the Kenwood TS-2000, the Ten-Tec Jupiter and finally the new Yaesu FT-950. This price range is above the entry level, but about half that of the middle ground radios looked at previously.

Near this range there are other radios as well, but perhaps not quite direct competition. The new Elecraft K3 100 W kit starts just above this range, but we haven’t reviewed it yet. For most buyers, with usual accessory features, it will end up as competition in the next higher bracket. There are compact portable or mobile radios that are also close to this range, the ICOM IC-7000 perhaps the most obvious choice. The kit Elecraft K2/100 with a few options is in the same range, but

both of these are a bit outside this desktop market segment. Either could fill that role, especially for smaller desks.

Each of these radios offers 160 through 10 meter operation with a general coverage receiver and IF DSP. They all oper-ate from an external 12.6 V supply. These radios offer distinct choices among the models that will make each appeal to hams with particular needs and interests. Perhaps the most dramatic difference is in V/UHF frequency coverage, which may be a decision maker for many potential buyers. I have summarized the major features and performance characteristics in Table A to make a comparison easier. Note that higher dynamic range values provide better rejection of the effects of nearby strong signals. Still, there are many subjective differences worth reviewing and all are on the ARRL members Web page in the original product reviews. — Joel Hallas, W1ZR, Technical Editor, QST

A Look at the Field

Table AKey Differences Between the Contenders

Feature IC-746PRO TS-2000 Jupiter FT-950Base Price $1525 $1570 $1549 $1475Power Supply Included* $135 $169 $170MF/HF/6 Meters Yes + 2 Meters Yes + 2 M, 70 cm MF/HF only YesIF DSP Yes Yes Yes YesDual Receiver None V/UHF AM-FM None None14 MHz BDR (20/5/2 kHz) dB** 125/100/94 126/103/87 123/94/93 128/111/9814 MHz 3OIMD (20/5/2 kHz) dB** 97/75/70 94/69/66 85/69/67 95/91/71Antenna Tuner SWR Range 3:1*** 3:1 10:1, $300 Option 3:1Firmware Downloadable No Yes Yes YesElectronic Memory Keyer Yes Yes Yes YesTransmit Audio Equalizer Yes Yes Yes Yes

*Limited time offer, regularly $300.**Preamp off.***2.5:1 on 6 meters.

to the frequency that the DX station is listen-ing to. Another quick poke at this button re-turns the rig to the appropriate receive and transmit frequencies, ready to break the pileup. A nice feature of the FT-950, also found on the FT-2000, is the TXW button. Holding the TXW button, conveniently lo-cated to the lower left of the main VFO, momentarily swaps the two VFOs allowing the operator to monitor the rig’s transmit frequency. Releasing the TXW button returns the VFOs to the proper TX/RX configuration for working split. Because this is a momentary feature and does not permit the rig to transmit when activated, the TXW should all but eliminate the “wrong VFO” syndrome.

The FT-2000 rear panel includes connec-tions for an external VHF/UHF transverter and for an external receive antenna. Both are absent from the FT-950’s rear panel, and that may or may not be an issue depending on your on-air activities.

ErgonomicsThe ergonomic design of the FT-950

makes it a real pleasure to operate. Some of the lesser-used controls are positioned out of the way but remain fully accessible when

needed. The more frequently used features utilize larger buttons and knobs and are placed within easy reach. Routine maneu-vers, such as toggling between two antenna inputs, simply requires pushing a button located on the front of the radio.

The large knurled rubber knob of the main VFO makes tuning signals easy and comfort-able. Dial torque is easily adjustable. Similar to the FT-2000 and FTDX9000 transceivers, the FT-950 has a medium sized tuning knob on the lower right of the front of the rig. In the larger radios this knob is used to tune the sub receiver and VFO B. The FT-950 uses this CLAR/VFO B knob for the clarifier (RIT/XIT) or to tune VFO B when the second VFO is activated. Just as on the larger rigs the CLAR/VFO B knob is also used to select memory channels or to navigate through the general coverage receive bands in menu selectable 1 MHz or 100 kHz increments.

The AF GAIN knob and its concentric part-ner, RF GAIN, use larger than normal knobs, making fine adjustments smooth and easy. A similar sized knob labeled SELECT is to the left of the main VFO, positioned beneath a bank of six buttons that activate the IF shift, IF width, contour, notch filter and optional




48 March 2008

μ-Tune units. The operator simply presses one of the buttons to choose which function to control and then presses the SELECT knob to activate or deactivate the selected feature. Turning the knob makes the adjustments. All settings are retained when moving from feature to feature and can be recalled. An improved feature not found on the big rigs is the CLEAR button that is used to return the selected function to its default setting.

Pressing and holding the SELECT knob permits access to the CW memory keyer fea-tures. I found the keyer easy to program with standard CW paddles and easy to play back on the air. I felt that the record and playback functions could have been separated to avoid accidentally erasing one of the memories. This did not happen to me, but I can easily see how during the heat of battle some operators could overshoot the playback selections and land on a record option, hitting the SELECT knob before noticing the error. You can also use the optional FH-2 keypad to access the memory keyer.

The multifunction SELECT knob also permits access to the FT-950’s digital voice keyer features if you’ve installed the optional DVS-6 Voice Memory Unit. With the DVS-6, you can record and play back five messages of up to 20 seconds each. The FH-2 keypad can be used to control the digital voice keyer functions as well. The keypad is more conve-nient to use than the SELECT knob and is a good investment if you use the internal voice or CW keyers a lot.

Menu setup and operation is similar to the FT-2000 series, FT-450 and other recent Yaesu transceivers. Press the MENU button then use the SELECT knob to call up the menu items. The 118 menu items are arranged in groups. Press the SELECT knob and turn it to scroll through the various groups (DISPLAY, MODE-SSB, TX AUDIO and so on). When you have the right group, press SELECT again and then turn the knob to scroll through the related menu items in the group. Rotate the CLAR/VFO B knob to select among the settings for the menu item. Press and hold MENU for at least 1 second to store the new settings.

With the limited front panel space, the FT-950 has only four dedicated rotary con-trol knobs in addition to the TUNING and concentric AF/RF GAIN controls mentioned earlier. These controls are for MIC GAIN, keyer SPEED, MONI (monitor level) and SQL (squelch).

Several traditional front panel functions have moved to menus. Transmitter power output adjustment (5 W to 100 W) is now controlled from a menu. That’s fine if you normally operate at one power level. It’s less convenient if you need to vary your power regularly. For example, you might need to reduce power temporarily to adjust an external power amplifier or manual antenna tuner for

Table 1Yaesu FT-950, serial number 7K030158Manufacturer’s Specifi cations Measured in the ARRL LabFrequency coverage: Receive, 0.03-56 MHz; Receive, as specifi ed (sensitivity transmit, 1.8-2, 3.5-4, 5.3305, 5.3465, degrades below 1 MHz). 5.3665, 5.3715, 5.4035, 7-7.3, 10.1-10.15, Transmit, as specifi ed. 14-14.35, 18.068-18.168, 21-21.45, 24.89- 24.99, 28-29.7, 50-54 MHz.

Power requirement: 13.8 V dc; Receive, 2.0 A; transmit, 18 A; receive, 2.1 A (signal present); tested at 13.8 V dc. transmit, 22 A (100 W out).

Modes of operation: SSB, CW, AM, FM, As specifi ed. FSK, AFSK.

Receiver Receiver Dynamic TestingSSB/CW sensitivity, 2.4 kHz bandwidth, Noise Floor (MDS), 500 Hz bandwidth:* 10 dB S+N/N: 0.5-1.8 MHz, 4.0 μV; Preamp Off 1 2 1.8-30 MHz, 0.2 μV; 50-54 MHz, 0.125 μV. 1.0 MHz –109 N/A N/A dBm 3.5 MHz –120 –129 –136 dBm 14 MHz –119 –130 –137 dBm 50 MHz –119 –130 –138 dBm

Noise fi gure: Not specifi ed. 14 MHz, preamp off/1/2: 29/18/7 dB.

AM sensitivity, 6 kHz bandwidth, 10 dB (S+N)/N, 1 kHz, 30% modulation: 10 dB S+N/N: 0.5-1.8 MHz, 28 μV; Preamp Off 1 2 1.8-30 MHz, 2 μV; 50-54 MHz, 1 μV. 1.0 MHz 12 N/A N/A μV 3.9 MHz 4.5 1.3 0.57 μV 50 MHz 5.1 1.4 0.56 μV

FM sensitivity, 15 kHz bandwidth, For 12 dB SINAD: 12 dB SINAD: 28-30 MHz, 0.5 μV; Preamp Off 1 2 50-54 MHz, 0.35 μV. 29 MHz 2.2 0.58 0.27 μV 52 MHz 2.7 0.75 0.28 μV

Blocking gain compression: Not specifi ed. Gain compression, 500 Hz bandwidth:* 20 kHz offset 5/2 kHz offset Preamp off/1/2** Preamp off 3.5 MHz 129/127/126 dB 112/97 dB 14 MHz 128/127/127 dB 111/98 dB 50 MHz 125/125/123 dB 114/98 dB

Reciprocal Mixing (500 Hz BW): Not specifi ed. 20/5/2 kHz offset: –86/–69/–57 dBc.

Two-Tone IMD Testing*** Measured Measured Calculated Band/Preamp Spacing Input level IMD level IMD DR* IP3* 3.5 MHz/Off 20 kHz –30 dBm –120 dBm 90 dB +15 dBm –22 dBm –97 dBm +16 dBm

14 MHz/Off 20 kHz –25 dBm –119 dBm 94 dB +22 dBm –18 dBm –97 dBm +21 dBm 0 dBm –39 dBm +20 dBm

14 MHz/1 20 kHz –35 dBm –130 dBm 95 dB +13 dBm –25 dBm –97 dBm +11 dBm

14 MHz/2 20 kHz –44 dBm –139 dBm 95 dB +4 dBm –31 dBm –97 dBm +2 dBm

14 MHz/Off 5 kHz –29 dBm –120 dBm 91 dB +17 dBm –20 dBm –97 dBm +19 dBm 0 dBm –40 dBm +20 dBm

14 MHz/Off 2 kHz –49 dBm –120 dBm 71 dB –13 dBm –35 dBm –97 dBm –4 dBm 0 dBm –33 dBm +16 dBm

50 MHz/Off 20 kHz –33 dBm –119 dBm 86 dB +10 dBm –25 dBm –97 dBm +11 dBm

Second-order intercept: Not specifi ed. Preamp off/1/2: +71/+71/+71 dBm. FM adjacent channel rejection: Not specifi ed. 20 kHz offset, preamp on: 29 MHz, 77 dB; 52 MHz, 79 dB.

operation on different bands. The VOX adjust-ments and CW delay are also set via menus.

As on other Yaesu transceivers, the ’950 has a C.S (custom switch) button that you can program for quick access to a menu item (your choice, but only one at a time). This is helpful, but some operators might prefer

several C.S buttons, or better yet, the ability to assign different functions to one or more of the rotary knobs. For example, some ops might get more use from VOX DELAY or RF POWER controls than from SQL or SPEED.

You’ll need a special 10-pin plug for the relay and ALC connections to an external




March 2008 49

Receiver Receiver Dynamic Testing

FM two-tone, third-order IMD dynamic range: 20 kHz offset, preamp on: Not specifi ed 29 MHz, 77 dB†; 52 MHz, 78 dB; 10 MHz offset: 52 MHz, 85 dB.

S-meter sensitivity: Not specifi ed. S9 signal at 14.2 MHz: preamp off, 110 μV; preamp 1, 31 μV; preamp 2, 7.1 μV; 50 MHz, preamp off, 136 μV; preamp 1, 38 μV; preamp 2, 6.7 μV.

Squelch sensitivity: SSB, 0.1-1.8, 50-54 MHz, At threshold, preamp on: SSB, 14 MHz, 2.0 μV; FM, 28-30, 50-54 MHz, 1.0 μV. 0.55 μV; FM, 29 MHz, 0.51 μV; 52 MHz, 0.44 μV.

Audio output power: 2.5 W into 4 Ω at 3.1 W at 0.5% THD into 4 Ω (max vol). 10% THD.

IF/audio response: Not specifi ed. Range at –6 dB points, (bandwidth): CW (500 Hz): 449-948 Hz (499 Hz),‡ Equivalent Rectangular BW: 493 Hz; USB: 144-1707 Hz (1563 Hz); LSB: 146-1742 Hz (1596 Hz); AM: 114-1826 Hz (1712 Hz).

Spurious and image rejection: HF, 70 dB; First IF rejection, 14 MHz, 84 dB; 50 MHz, 60 dB. 50 MHz, 62 dB; image rejection, 14 MHz, 118 dB; 50 MHz, 71 dB.

Transmitter Transmitter Dynamic TestingPower output: HF & 50 MHz: SSB, CW, FM, HF: CW, SSB, FM, typically 108 W high, 100 W (high); AM, 25 W (carrier) 4 W low; AM, typ. 42 W high, 3 W low; 50 MHz: CW, SSB, FM, typ 99 W high, 4 W low; AM, typ. 26 W high, 2 W low.

Spurious and harmonic suppression: HF, 62 dB; VHF, 68 dB. HF, >60 dB; VHF, 65 dB. Meets FCC requirements.

SSB carrier suppression: >60 dB. HF, 61 dB; VHF, 65 dB.

Undesired sideband suppression: >60 dB. HF, 65 dB; VHF, 68 dB.

Third-order intermodulation distortion (IMD) 3rd/5th/7th/9th order (worst case band): products: –31 dB PEP at 100 W HF, –35/–40/–53/–56 dB PEP; VHF, –34/–42/–52/–59 dB PEP;

CW keyer speed range: Not specifi ed. 4 to 56 WPM.

CW keying characteristics: Not specifi ed. See Figures 1 and 2.

Transmit-receive turnaround time (PTT release S9 signal, 25 ms. to 50% audio output): Not specifi ed. Unit is suitable for use on AMTOR.

Receive-transmit turnaround time (tx delay): SSB, 39 ms; FM, 36 ms. Not specifi ed.

Composite transmitted noise: Not specifi ed. See Figure 3.

Size (height, width, depth): 4.5 × 14.4 × 12.4 inches; weight, 21.6 pounds (not including power supply or accessories).

Price: Price: FT-950, $1500; DMU-2000 data management unit, $1000; µ-Tune kit A (160), B (80/40) or C (30/20 meters), $500 each.*Initial Lab testing revealed lower than expected IMD dynamic range test results. Subsequent testing of two additional FT-950s indicated that our particular unit was defective. The Noise Floor, Blocking Gain Compression and Two-Tone IMD Testing results shown here are from another off-the-shelf FT-950, s/n 7L040087.**When preamp 2 is switched in, the default roofi ng fi lter becomes 15 kHz. It is 3 kHz with preamp off or preamp 1. Measurements were made with default settings.***ARRL Product Review testing now includes Two-Tone IMD results at several signal levels. Two-Tone, 3rd-Order Dynamic Range fi gures comparable to previous reviews are shown on the fi rst line in each group. The “IP3” column is the calculated Third-Order Intercept Point. Second-order intercept points were determined using –97 dBm reference.†Measurement was noise-limited at the value indicated.‡Varies with pitch control setting.

Figure 1 — CW keying waveform for the Yaesu FT-950 showing the fi rst two dits in full-break-in (QSK) mode using external keying. Equivalent keying speed is 60 WPM. The upper trace is the actual key closure; the lower trace is the RF envelope. (Note that the fi rst key closure starts at the left edge of the fi gure.) Horizontal divisions are 10 ms. The transceiver was being operated at 100 W output at 14.2 MHz.

The 128 page FT-950 Operating Manual is well illustrated and does a good job of explaining the radio’s features and operation. There’s a lot to this radio, and it’s worth spend-ing some time going through the manual and trying all of the features and settings. Yaesu offers a PDF version of the manual on the

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Figure 3 — Worst-case spectral display of the Yaesu FT-950 transmitter output during composite-noise testing. For the red trace, power output is 100 W at 14.2 MHz. The carrier, off the left edge of the plot, is not shown. This plot shows composite transmitted noise 100 Hz to 1 MHz from the carrier.

Figure 2 — Worst-case spectral display of the Yaesu FT-950 transmitter during keying sideband testing. Equivalent keying speed is 60 WPM using external keying. Spectrum analyzer resolution bandwidth is 10 Hz, and the sweep time is 30 seconds. The transmitter was being operated at 100 W PEP output at 14.2 MHz.

linear amplifier. To speed things along, Yaesu offers an optional cable with the 10-pin plug on one end and bare wires on the other, ready to accept whatever plugs your amplifier requires. Another optional cable allows plug-and-play operation with Yaesu’s VL-1000 “Quadra” solid-state amplifier.




50 March 2008

Web, ideal for searching for specific items or printing a few pages of menu commands to keep at your operating position.

Sounds GreatThe transmitted audio on the FT-950 is

beautiful right out of the box. For those who like to customize things, the ’950 provides a three band parametric equalizer that can tailor just about any microphone to match or modify any user’s voice characteristics. The FT-950 is very capable of transmitting a full-bodied, well articulated voice. With all of the variables and possible combinations of audio settings with the FT-950, you can also make the audio sound bad. Familiarization and practice with the audio equalization tools is necessary to achieve a desired result.

The speech processor in the FT-950 is tricky and requires gentle adjustments to find the proper setting. It is better to rely on your ear or to check with a friend on a quiet band rather than depend on the front panel meter alone to make this adjustment.

In addition to the CW memory keyer mentioned previously, the FT-950 includes menu selectable semi break-in and full break-in (QSK) operation. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, keying characteristics are very similar to the FT-2000, with no noticeable shortening of the first character in QSK mode.

The menus offer several interesting op-tions. You can enable CW keying while in the SSB mode, either on all bands or just on 6 meters. Although they’re not that common on HF, cross-mode contacts can be useful on VHF. This feature makes it convenient to call an SSB station on CW without changing modes and retuning if your SSB signal isn’t getting through. Another menu option allows you to set the frequency display to show the CW offset or not.

Connections for RF frequency shift (FSK) RTTY or AF frequency shift (AFSK) RTTY and sound card modes and packet operation are handled though the rear panel RTTY/PKT jack, a 6 pin mini-DIN connector. The manual includes the pin-out diagram for this and the transceiver’s other connectors all on one page. RTTY parameters such as polarity, shift and tone set are all adjustable via menus. If a PTT connection isn’t available, you can use VOX to key the transmitter in the AFSK modes.

FM operation on 6 meters and 10 meters is included. Repeater offset and CTCSS tone encode/decode are selectable via menus.

Fighting QRMThe FT-950 provides many of the same

receiver enrichment features that are found in the FT-2000 and FTDX9000 series radios. As with the larger radios, it takes some practice to become proficient at using these state-of-the-art digital processing features. The operator who takes the time to read the manual and become familiar with the FT-950 will surely appreciate all that this innovative transceiver has to offer.

Filter selection is similar to the FT-2000. Initial selectivity is provided by 15, 6 and 3 kHz wide roofing filters. Roofing filter selection is handled by the R.FLT button, and you can choose any filter manually or let the radio make the selection automati-cally. Automatic selections are 15 kHz for AM and FM, 6 kHz for SSB and 3 kHz for CW and RTTY. The 15 kHz roofing filter is automatically selected regardless of mode when preamplifier 2 is selected or when the noise blanker is turned on.

DSP bandwidth filtering allows a wide range of filter choices for the various modes. Bandwidth is variable in 100 and 150 Hz steps using the WIDTH control, or you can switch in a preset narrower bandwidth by pressing the NAR button. The default wide/narrow settings will work for many operators but it’s easy enough to fine-tune things to your liking.

In addition to the standard IF SHIFT and WIDTH controls, the receiver includes several receiver gain settings. Using the IPO (intercept point optimization) switch, you can select one of two preamplifiers or turn the preamps off, whichever is most favor-able to the current operating environment. The ATT switch selects from 6, 12 or 18 dB attenuators.

In my review of the FT-2000D radio, I described the interference fighting features as “signal enhancing features.” Improving the desired signal and attenuating unwanted signals and noise is the perfect combination for great radio reception. Regardless of the operating situation, familiarization with all of the controls is vital to achieve maximum performance from the FT-950.

The CONTOUR and the DNR are two features that I used a lot on the FT-2000 and I have found them to do a tremendous job at being able to isolate a desired sig-nal. Experimenting with these digital pro-cessors and getting to know the effect that they can have on signals is essential to be able to get the most out of the FT-950’s performance.

The CONTOUR control allows the op-erator to move a “low Q notch” across the passband in order to boost or suppress certain frequency components in the IF passband. By altering the passband response, you can improve the readability of a desired signal. This feature is accessed with a push of a but-ton and adjusted via the SELECT knob, and easily accessible menu settings determine the peak/null and width of the notch. In my opinion the CONTOUR control is one of the better tools for signal enhancement and one that I rely on heavily in daily use. For this reason I have chosen to make this the func-tion of the C.S. (custom switch) that allows me to access the CONTOUR menu with a push of a single button rather than scroll through the menus.

Noise Reduction SystemThe digital noise reduction system (DNR)

is a digital signal processing feature that uses 16 separate and unique processing algorithms designed to attack different noise profiles. The DNR can be quickly engaged with a push of a button but unlike the larger rigs the adjustments are made through the menu system. This does not hinder operation very much because the DNR is a feature that does not require constant adjustment.

Like the FT-2000, the ’950 has two IF notch filters. A manual notch filter is turned on and off and adjusted with the SELECT knob. As on the FT-2000, we measured a notch depth of more than 60 dB, and the manually operated notch filter is very good for eliminating a single source of interference within the passband.

There’s also a digital notch filter (DNF) intended to automatically clean up several tones at once. DNF is enabled by pressing SELECT knob and dialing up a menu choice to turn it off and on. Unfortunately, as we found during the FT-2000 reviews, the DNF doesn’t

Figure 4 — The FT-950’s rear panel includes connections for two antennas, a linear amplifi er, and digital mode interface. Other jacks allow for plug-and-play connection to Yaesu optional µ-Tune units, data management unit, FC-40 external antenna tuner and VL-1000 power amplifi er.

Figure 5 — As with other current Yaesu HF transceivers, the display shows fi lter selection, DSP settings and other important operating parameters at a glance.




March 2008 51

behave well when presented with multiple signals or noise in the passband. The FT-950’s DNF effectively notched a single tone by 60 dB when nothing else is in the passband, but with more than one tone, it sometimes adds audible distortion products and notches the upper tone by a varying amount. Also, DNF is either on or off regardless of mode, so when activated it notches out desired CW

Reviewed by Mark Wilson, K1ROProduct Review Editor

As the days started to get shorter in late 2006, on a whim I decided to hang a 160 meter dipole from a convenient tree. It’s not much of an antenna, really — perhaps 35 feet high in the center and 15 feet high at the ends, fed with nearly 150 feet of RG-58 and RG-8X. But I managed to have quite a bit of fun with it in the 160 meter contests sponsored by ARRL and CQ. Running barefoot, it was a thrill to work some West Coast and DX stations. I called anyone I could hear, no matter how strong they were. Sometimes they heard me, sometimes they didn’t. I even was able to put together some decent runs during the contest.

Many nights the band was noisy, often a constant S7 to S9. It was difficult to hear weaker stations through the noise, the loud static crashes and the jumble of massive sig-nals from nearby stations. Sometimes I used 12 to 18 dB of attenuation in my receiver just to make it palatable. I really needed to look into a dedicated low-noise receive antenna.

Over the summer I picked up a copy of ON4UN’s Low-Band DXing and spent a few evenings poring over the detailed chapter on receiving antennas.3 John describes and evaluates antennas ranging from simple to awe-inspiring. Although Low-Band DXing make it clear that other (bigger) receiving antennas such as Beverages and vertical ar-rays offer better performance, I settled on a small terminated loop mainly because of its small footprint and ease of construction.

Array Solutions K9AY Loop SystemArray Solutions offers a turnkey version

of the popular terminated loop receiving an-tenna first described by Gary Breed, K9AY, in September 1997 QST.4 Consisting of two triangular wire loops about 85 feet long, hung

Array Solutions AS-AYL-4 Receiving Antenna

3J. Devoldere, ON4UN’s Low-Band DXing, 4th ed. Available from your ARRL dealer or the ARRL Bookstore, ARRL order no. 9140. Price, $39.95 plus shipping. Telephone 860-594-0355, or toll-free in the US 888-277-5289; www.arrl.org/shop/; [email protected].

4G. Breed, K9AY, “The K9AY Terminated Loop — A Compact, Directional Receiving Antenna,” QST, Sep 1997, pp 43-46.

signals as soon as they are tuned in. DNF settings are stored in memory separately for each VFO.

SummaryEmploying the latest digital technol-

ogy found in more expensive transceiv-ers, the FT-950 is well suited as a main radio, backup rig or as part of a SO2R or

multioperator contest station. New HF licensees or casual operators will appreciate the rig’s basic operation while contesters, DXers, net operators and others will de-light in the FT-950’s competition grade heritage.

Manufacturer: Ver tex Standard, 10900 Walker St, Cypress, CA 90630; tel 714-827-7600; www.yaesu.com.

Bottom LineThe AS-AYL-4 receiving antenna

system from Array Solutions is an effective way to improve your listen-ing experience on the low bands, especially if space is limited.

at right angles to one another from a single 25 foot high support, Gary’s antenna caught the imagination of many suburban low-band operators. From the center of the antenna, you need just 15 to 20 feet in four directions, making it possible to put up on a small lot. Some switching, a good ground rod, a vari-able termination resistor and a 9:1 matching transformer are required to make the antenna work. Depending on your receiver’s sensitiv-ity, you may need an external preamplifier.

For this review, we purchased the AS-AYL-4 controller and AS-AYL-4 MW wire/mast kit from Array Solutions. The controller, manufactured by Wolf RF Sys-tems, consists of indoor and outdoor units. The indoor unit houses the control cir-cuitry, a 15-dB gain preamplifier and a bandpass filter designed to pass 160 and 80 meter signals but reject those from AM and shortwave broadcast band transmit-ters. The weatherproof outdoor unit, which mounts at the antenna base, is for switching relays, matching transformer and termination resistors.

You can use the controller with your own loops, but we tried the mast/wire kit from Array Solutions. The kit includes a fiberglass mast, wire, guy rope, insulators and all the hardware in one convenient package. Every-thing is cut to length and ready to assemble. You can also order the kit without the mast.

In addition to the material supplied by Ar-ray Solutions, you need to provide a coaxial feed line, a 6 conductor control cable (20 gauge wire for runs up to 250 feet) and an 8 foot long, 5⁄8 inch diameter ground rod. A local home center had ground rods and some

sprinkler wire perfect for the control cable (seven 18 gauge conductors, with a jacket suitable for direct burial).

Assembling the AntennaUPS dropped off two boxes, one with

the controller and one with the mast/wire kit. All of the pieces were clearly described in the manual and a quick inventory showed nothing missing.

I assembled the antenna over the course of three afternoons the week before Thanks-giving. My heavily wooded lot means that antenna projects generally start with a chainsaw. The first afternoon was devoted to clearing and disposing of a couple of trees and some brush behind the garage and driv-ing the ground rod. Unfortunately I hit a rock after driving the ground rod in 4.5 feet (in this part of New England, I was glad to get that far). I ended up cutting the rod at ground level and later installed a few radial wires under the loops as suggested in the manual.

The ground rod also serves as the base for the mast. First you slip a piece of thick wall aluminum tubing over the rod and secure it with supplied bolts. Next comes an aluminum ring that slides over the tubing and fastens




52 March 2008

some back and forth and moving the guy stakes a bit closer to the mast, I got the guys adjusted and the mast plumb.

I spent the third afternoon attaching the switch box to the mast, attaching the loop ends and ground wire to the appropriate terminals, and running about 200 feet of feed line and control cable. The control box needs 12 V dc at 400 mA and a coax jumper to the receive antenna jack on your transceiver. The control box used a phono jack for the receiver connection and an SO-239 UHF type coax jack for the loop feed line.

Putting the Loops to WorkWith the wiring finished, there wasn’t

much left to do but turn it on and start lis-tening. There is only one adjustment — the eight-position TERMINATION resistance switch. As explained in the manual and shown in more detail in the original QST article, the K9AY loop horizontal radiation pattern has a very broad front lobe with a deep null off the back. The null in the verti-cal pattern is deepest at around 30 to 40° elevation. The termination resistance estab-lishes the optimum front-to-back ratio, and the optimum value varies with local ground conditions and frequency. After some experi-mentation over a couple evenings, I couldn’t improve on the suggested default values for 160 and 80 meters.

On air results were quite interesting. The first thing I noticed was the absence of noise and the clarity of desired signals. Listening on the dipole, with S-7 or stron-ger noise most of the time, it’s a struggle to hear weak stations. Not so with the loops. Although signals are significantly weaker, with the noise gone they clearly stand out and are easy copy. My receiver is sensitive enough that I use the preamplifier/filter in the loop controller perhaps half the time on 160 meters and only occasionally on 80 meters. Sometimes the antenna, with the preamp/filter off, improves listening when 40 and 30 meters are noisy. The loops ex-hibit noticeable directivity and are effective in reducing the strength of signals off the back. The null seems to range from about two S-units to five or six S-units depending on propagation and my distance from the undesired signal.

One interesting question arose a couple weeks after installation. Winter arrived with a bang in early December, and four storms in a row deposited about 24 inches of snow on the ground, covering the lower loop wires. A quick consult with ARRL’s antenna expert Dean Straw, N6BV, reassured me that snow is actually not very conductive and likely would not noticeably affect the pattern or create additional losses. We have even more snow on the ground as this is written, and the antenna still works. The outdoor relay box is

Figure 7 — The green fi berglass mast, black wire and black Dacron guy ropes all help the assembled AS-AYL-4 MW mast/wire kit blend into the background. The gray relay box is mounted several feet off the ground with the ends of the loop wires attached to posts on top.

Figure 6 — Response of the preamplifi er and bandpass fi lter in the AS-AYL-4 loop controller from 1 to 7 MHz as measured in the ARRL Lab. The fi lter is designed to attenuate unwanted signals in the AM broadcast band below 1.8 MHz and in the shortwave broadcast bands above 4 MHz.

with set screws. The bottom of the mast rests on this ring, which has a series of holes for attaching a ground wire from the relay box and for hooking up radial wires.

The mast and loops went together on the second afternoon. The loops are made from 88 feet of 13 gauge insulated, stranded wire. The fiberglass mast is four sections, each 6 feet long, 1.5 inches OD, with an 1⁄8 inch wall. You build the antenna from the top, first stringing the loop wires through a plastic guy ring that slips over the top sec-tion. Then you slip in the next mast section from the bottom.

At this point, the instructions say to get a friend to hold the mast while you finish as-sembly. The next steps are attaching 1⁄8 inch Dacron rope guy lines to another guy ring, slipping that over the top of the third mast section and adding this section to the mast assembly. At this point you slide insulators over the loop wires and finish assembling the guy ropes and fasteners using prescribed di-mensions. Then you hammer in the supplied guy anchor stakes at the 90° points (northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest) and loosely attach the guys. Finally you lift the assembly, slide in the last mast section, and set it on the ground rod mount.

The mast seemed fairly sturdy and my wife wasn’t all that excited about continu-ing to work outside on a cloudy 25° day, so I kept going by myself. While adjusting the guys, I pulled the top of the mast a little too far out of vertical and it fell over, cracking a couple of the mast sections at the joints. Ouch! I was able to repair and reinforce the mast joints with some electrical tape and hose clamps, but do yourself a favor and follow the instructions. The mast is perfectly capable of supporting itself and the antenna when assembled as directed.

Some of the dimensions didn’t come out exactly as shown in the drawing, but after

still above the snow line, but the white stuff accumulated on top where the loop wires attach to exposed stainless steel machine screws. The box seems to be well sealed against weather, but I decided to add a plastic bag to keep the snow away.

After using the K9AY loop system for a month, it would be difficult to go back to listening on my dipole. After improving my transmit antenna next summer I may want to try a bigger receive antenna, but for now I can hear more DX than I can work with my low dipole and 100 W. If you’d like to hear better on 160 and 80 meters, and especially if space is limited, the K9AY loop system from Array Solutions is worth a close look.

Array Solutions recommends their AS-196 or AS-197 receive front end protec-tor for those with a close by transmit antenna. The two are similar, except the 197 model also includes a lightning arrestor.

Distributor: Array Solutions, 350 Gloria Rd, Sunnyvale, TX 75182; tel 972-203-2008; www.arraysolutions.com. Price:AS-AYL-4 controller, $325; AS-AYL-4 MW mast/wire kit, $195 ($110 without the mast); AS-196, $38; AS-197, $58.

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Larry D. Wolfgang, WR1B Senior Assistant Technical Editor [email protected]

TECHNICAL CORRESPONDENCE

MARCONI’S FIRST TRANSATLANTIC EXPERIMENT

In the Dec 2007 issue of QST, Steve Nichols, GØKYA, wrote an article entitled “GB3SSS — Marconi’s Transatlantic Leap Revisited,” pp 40-42. Steve has told us what the Poldhu Amateur Radio Club, Cornwall, UK, and the Marconi Radio Club of New-foundland did, during Dec 2006 and Jan 2007, to evaluate propagation conditions over the path from Poldhu to Signal Hill, NF, on a frequency of 1960 kHz. I read this article with interest.

I did not intend to write further on Marconi’s well-known experiment — my view on whether Marconi heard the signal from his sender at Poldhu, Cornwall, on Signal Hill, NF, on Dec 12, 1901. I have (perhaps) said enough about that experi-ment. But what Nichols said with reference to me needs clarification, updating and put into context. GØKYA begins his article by quoting a statement I am “reported to have said” in 2001, but the “incomplete” refer-ence he included to me is to a paper I wrote in 1995 [Belrose, J.S., “Fessenden and Marconi: Their Differing Technologies and Transatlantic Experiments during the First Decade of this Century,” IEE International Conference on 100 Years of Radio, Con-ference Proceedings 411, 5-7 Sep 1995, pp 32-43]. Since he was referring to a com-ment I am reported to have said, probably during the presentation of my paper in 2001, he should have referenced the paper I wrote in that year.1 I do not disclaim orally say-ing what he said I said, but in what I have written I have always tried to give credit where credit is due, and to cast doubt, even to express impossibility, but not to be com-pletely negative.

I have always referenced the 12 Decem-ber 1901 experiment as an “experiment,” not a “transatlantic leap,” and with respect to whether Marconi heard the signal, I have said: “It is difficult to believe that signals could have been heard.” Continuing, I did say that “even at the time of the experiment there were those who said, indeed there are

some who still say, that Marconi misled himself and the world into believing that atmospheric noise crackling was in fact the Morse code letter ‘S’….” While in my view he did not hear what he thought he did, he did not hear “absolutely nothing.” With a 155 m long wire connected to an earphone he would hear a myriad of naturally occur-ring EM signals, whether he had a detector that worked, or not. He would hear EM signals in the audible frequency range of the listener’s ear — musical sounds, clicks, even sequences of clicks, and hisses, wonderfully clear in the absence of 60 Hz signals and harmonics of that frequency. If his detector was working he would hear as well EM signals/and noise on and about the frequency that his 155 m kite supported wire antenna was resonant (~ 460 kHz).

Certainly it is difficult to believe that he heard the signal he was listening for, since:

1) his receiving equipment consisted of a long wire antenna coupled to an untuned re-ceiver, a detector of uncertain performance, and there was no means of amplification whatsoever;

2) we do not really know the type of de-tector he used. Marconi never told us. What he said was that because of the bobbing and weaving of his kite supported wire aerial, he could not adjust his new syntonic (tuned) receiver, which employed the Italian Navy Coherer. He told us he therefore decided to use his older untuned receiver, and he used one of his three types of coherers: “… one containing loose carbon filings, another designed by myself containing a mixture of carbon dust and cobalt filings, and thirdly the Italian Navy coherer containing a glob-ule of mercury between two plugs.” 2 The so-called Italian Navy coherer (which GØKYA refers to as Bose/Solari Mercury Detector) can, when critically adjusted, and using a globule of mercury not quite clean, perform like a metal oxide rectifier. Marchese Luigi Solari, a Lieutenant in the Italian Navy, had presented Marconi with a working model in the summer of 1901.

Vyvyan, however, was quite definite that Marconi used the “highly sensitive self-restoring coherer of Italian Navy design.”3

Marconi himself never specifically said he did, and furthermore he continued to confuse us. When listening for the signal he refers to hearing the mechanical click-click of his coherer “tapper,” the sound of which alerted him to listen carefully using the earphone? Certainly Marconi compromised himself, when in Newfoundland he put the earphone to his ear to listen for three dots, because of the very low spark rate Fleming was able to achieve using the curious two-stage spark transmitter Marconi insisted on using. A higher spark rate could have been more eas-ily achieved using a Tesla transmitter, and would have given a received signal, assum-ing that the mercury detector was working like a rectifier (which it sometimes did), a buzz-buzz sound, or a more musical sound depending on spark rate, rather than just a click, indistinguishable from atmospheric clicks or electrostatic discharges; see, read and listen.4

3) Concerning the sensitivity of his receivers, the untuned land-based receiver would have to have had 47-55 dB more sensitivity compared with his tuned ship receiver, which he used in February 1902, when he was returning to North America on the SS Philadelphia. On this occasion he claimed to have received signals from the Poldhu sender up to distances of 1120 km by day to 2500 km by night. The distance from Poldhu to Signal Hill is 3500 km. The frequency of his sounder has also been questioned. According to my simulations (experimental and numerical modeling) Marconi in this time period was using a frequency of about 500 kHz (the self reso-nant frequency of the aerial was ~ 900 kHz, the operating frequency tuned by the aerial transformer ~ 500 kHz).

Continuing (in conclusion) I previ-ously wrote, “whether Marconi heard the faint dots or not is really unimportant at this time in history. His claim ‘sparked’ a controversy among contemporary scientists and engineers (Fessenden and Tesla), which Marconi (in his usual manner) never rebut-ted, about the experiment which continues

3R. N. Vyvyan, Marconi and His Wireless, EP Publishing, 1974. First published in 1933 as Wireless over 30 Years, Routledge and Keegan.

4J. S. Belrose, Sounds of a Spark Transmitter: Telegraphy and Telephony. Available online at www.hammondmuseumofradio.org/spark.html.

1J. S. Belrose, “A Radioscientist’s Reaction to Marconi’s fi rst transatlantic Wireless Experi-ment — Revisited,” 2001 IEEE Antennas & Propagation Society International Sympo-sium, Boston, MA, July 8-11, 2001, Confer-ence Digest, Volume 1, pp. 22-25. Available online at: www.radiocom.net/Fessenden/Marconline_Reprint.pdf.

2V. J. Phillips, “The ‘Italian Navy Coherer’ Affair: A Turn-of-the Century Scandal,” IEE Pro-ceedings-A, Volume 140, No. 3, May 1983, pp 175-185.

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54 March 2008

today; and his claim kick started the race, by Marconi himself and Fessenden to achieve transatlantic telegraphic communications.”5 So let us give Marconi credit for the bold attempt he made to achieve transatlantic communications, but in my point of view he did not hear what he thought he did. — John S. (Jack) Belrose, VE2CV, VE2KPG, VY9CRC, ARRL TA, 17 rue des Montagnais, Secteur Aylmer, Gatineau, QC J9J 1G1, Canada; [email protected]

OPERATIONALLY READY — AN ARES PERSPECTIVE

From time to time you run good articles, like the one in the Aug 2006 Public Service column (see pp 69-70) from David Crawford, KF4VXJ, dealing with emergency readiness. As usual, I check my stuff over and find one or two things to add. Thanks, David.

Batteries are the heart of every ARES-ready station. Big, heavy and inert as they seem, they are actually technically quite fragile and often don’t get the attention they deserve. Here are a few tips about the big brutes we expect to power the station when the ac goes down. These notes apply especially to the lead-acid batteries most of us use, although the principles are generally the same for all.

CAPACITY of a battery is stated in ampere-hours, not watts or amperes. A 50 Ahbattery in good condition should deliver 1 ampere for 50 hours, 2 amperes for 25 hours, and so on. This rating falls some-what if high currents are demanded.

Rule of thumb: Size your batteries such that the average current demand during the emergency stays below “the 10-hour rate.” That is, in the case of our 50 Ah battery, keep the average demand below 5 A. This will run 2 100 W transceivers (mostly on standby) quite comfortably for more than 10 hours. Rule of thumb: If the battery capacity is unknown, lead acid batteries weigh around 3⁄4 pound per Ah.

TRUE CAPACITY is what your battery will actually deliver. This can be deter-mined only by cycling, which is a good idea for other reasons anyway. Buy or make a dummy load capable of dissipating energy at the 10-hour rate. In the case of our 50 Ah example, that is 5 A at 12 V, or 60 W. Ohm’s law tells us that is R = E / I = 12 / 5 = 2.4 Ω.Put your battery on this load and monitor its voltage every half-hour or so. When the voltage has dropped to 11.5 V, stop. The

number of hours on-load before the battery dropped to 11.5 V is a direct measure of how long your battery will last if the demand is 5 A. Double this time for a 2.5 A load, and so on. Check your equipment manual in case your rig needs more than 11.5 V minimum. Remember, surplus batteries are surplus for a reason. If you buy one, recharge it and check its true capacity immediately.

CHARGING should similarly not ex-ceed the ten-hour rate, so our 50 Ah battery should be charged at no more than 5 A. WARNING: your helpful tire-store clerk may not know this. Don’t let him charge your new battery. Take it home and charge it yourself. Monitor the battery voltage during the charge cycle. It will rise fairly abruptly to 13+ V when charging is complete. A check with a hydrometer should show a specific gravity around 1.3. It is helpful to have an ammeter in the charging line.

OVERCHARGING is a common battery destroyer. This dissociates the electrolyte water, generating dangerous hydrogen and oxygen gas, drops the water level and raises the concentration of the sulfuric acid. It may also warp the plates. Use a charger with at least enough intelligence to cut the charge rate drastically when the voltage rises.

UNDERCHARGING AND IDLENESS will also destroy batteries by permitting the formation of lead sulfate, which interferes with everything you may want to do with the battery. This cannot be reversed by recharg-ing. There is modern hardware that claims to recover sulfated batteries. In any case, do not leave batteries idle for long, especially if they are discharged.

STANDBY SERVICE is famously ex-pensive and unreliable. One solution to this problem with batteries is to “drip charge” them. In the case of our 50 Ah battery, full charge is 5 A, trickle charge is perhaps 0.5 A,and a drip charge would be 50 or 100 mA. A series resistor (a 1⁄2 W rating is fine) of about 50 Ω left permanently in the charging line will drop the charging current to 50-100 mA, which is just enough to offset the self-discharge rate. Switch out the resistor to deliver full charging current to the bat-tery. All battery/charger combinations are different; you have to experiment to get the right resistance value.

ELECTROLYTE LEVEL must be monitored constantly, because regardless of all else, it will slowly fall. Top off with distilled water if available; tap water often has undesirable minerals in it.

I recommend that you do not strap bat-teries in parallel. Every battery has its own open-circuit voltage that is slightly different from every other. The internal resistance of a lead acid battery is very low, so the higher voltage battery will discharge into the lower

one, doing neither any good. Instead, have two batteries and use them in sequence. This has the added advantage that the dis-charged battery can be recharged from your car’s electrical system, thus extending your operating time. Your car’s electrical system may well exceed the 10-hour rate, however; check this and improvise as necessary to limit the charging current.

TYPES OF BATTERIES: There seems to be a natural tendency to use a car battery for ARES or other emergency/portable op-erations. (They are cheaper, readily available and interchangeable with your car’s battery.) This is a mistake. Car batteries are designed to deliver hundreds of amperes for a few seconds, the exact reverse of ARES require-ments. They are built to suit, with thin plates and appropriate chemistry. Instead get a deep-cycle battery built to tolerate repetitive total discharge.

WARNING OF A DEADLY HAZARD: Use metal tools with great care. A wrench dropped across the terminals may splat-ter molten steel around and/or cause an explosion. Wear gloves and goggles when working on batteries. Keep a squirt bottle of “soda water” handy (add household sodium bicarbonate to water until some remains undissolved in the bottom). Of course you have a fire extinguisher handy anyway, haven’t you? You do, don’t you?

CONNECTIONS for low voltage stand-by circuits must provide large surface areas and must be protected from inevitable corro-sion with one of the tire-store anti-corrosion greases or just plain wheel-bearing grease applied before the connection is bolted up or the plug inserted.

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING is essential. Keep batteries in a plastic box made for the job, or in any case big enough to hold all the electrolyte if there is a split case. Wash box and batteries from time to time with plain water. Have a proper battery carrying strap. The size of your batteries may be governed by what you can lift without ruining your back, probably 50 pounds or less. — 73, Frank Gue, BSc, MBA, P Eng, VE3GUE, 2252 Joyce St, Burlington, ON L7R 2B5 Canada; [email protected]

POWER PACKING FOR EMERGENCIES

The Sep 2007 QST article by John Raydo, KØIZ, “Power Packing for Emergencies,” (p 54) deserves a cautionary note. Different lead-acid battery chemistries have different float voltages. AGM batteries, in particular, typically have lower float voltages than the sealed gel cells used in many commercial UPS units. If an AGM battery is substi-tuted for the gel cell that came with the unit, it will overcharge, vent hydrogen and

5J. S. Belrose, “The Development of Wireless Telegraphy and Telephony, and Pioneering At-tempts to Achieve Transatlantic Wireless Com-munications,” Chapter 12, History of Wireless, editors. T K Sarkar, R J Mailloux, A A Oliner, M Salazar-Palma, and D L Sengupta, John Wiley & Sons, 2006, pp 349-420.




March 2008 55

Technical Correspondence items have not been tested by QST or the ARRL unless other-wise stated. Although we can’t guarantee that a given idea will work for your situation, we make every effort to screen out harmful information.

Materials for this column may be sent to ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111; or via e-mail to [email protected]. Please include your name, call sign, complete mailing address, day-time telephone number and e-mail address on all correspondence. Whether praising or criticiz-ing a work, please send the author(s) a copy of your comments. The publishers of QST assume no responsibility for statements made herein by correspondents.

fail prematurely, possibly with disastrous results. In my experience, when a battery gets hot enough to vent hydrogen, quite a bit of electrolyte (battery acid) gets forced out the vent as well, resulting in collateral damage to anything in the vicinity.

The Tripp-Lite inverter recommended by the author has provision for manually adjust-ing the battery charging voltage to suit the type of battery in use. This unit also has an optional battery temperature sensor that can be used to shut off the charger automatically if the battery gets hot. That particular feature is critically important because the typical end-of-life failure of lead-acid batteries is a shorted cell. When the battery dies, the charger keeps trying indefinitely to bring the battery up to its float voltage, but it never gets there because of the shorted cell. The remaining cells are eventually overcharged and start venting. So, I strongly recommend using the optional temperature sensor to avoid simulating the Big Bang. The battery may be a goner after having served faithfully for five years or so, but you would prefer that it go gently into that good night, not burn the house down!

Yet another precaution — the current drain of high-powered radios varies widely during transmit in SSB and CW modes. This rapid change in load current can confuse and upset some “automatic” battery chargers.

There is also the possibility that the charger and/or inverter will be susceptible to RF interference and go out of regulation, espe-cially if you are operating in the field with high-SWR antennas. My advice is to monitor the performance of any new power system closely until you gain experience with it.

During the 1990s, I designed ac and dc power distribution systems for the National Disaster Medical System field hospitals. A number of my friends encouraged me to publish some of this work in QST. I was always reluctant to do so, because the safety issues surrounding these systems are many, and the home builder can quickly get into serious trouble without realizing it. I would feel terrible if I led my fellow hams into water over their heads and someone was injured or killed as a result. It is a tough problem, because you can’t buy the stuff we need at any store, yet most EmComm groups lack the engineering expertise and/or electrical know-how to avoid subtle elec-trical hazards that arise when dealing with high-power circuits.

The system described in the article, I must emphasize, is very well thought out, and the photos show an attention to detail that the article, in its brevity, could not com-pletely convey. My concern is that readers might adapt John’s ideas and inadvertently get themselves into some hot water (or

worse). Unfortunately, I don’t have the so-lution to that conundrum. — 73, Al Taylor, KN3U, 910 Grandin Ave, Rockville, MD 20851; [email protected]

I completely support Al’s comments, and in fact, with his reminder, I have added the battery temperature sensor to my inverter. I do like the Tripp Lite unit because of its various options, including selection of battery type. The unit also has supported simultaneous multiple SSB and CW stations without any load regulation or RF interfer-ence problems. As Al points out, selection of another type of inverter should be care-fully evaluated. — 73, John Raydo, KØIZ, 4901 NW 79th St, Kansas City, MO 64151; [email protected]

ARRL VEC Volunteer Examiner Honor Roll

The ARRL VEC Honor Roll recognizes the top 25 Volunteer Examiners according to the total number of exam sessions they have participated in since their accreditations. Since each session requires an average time commitment of 2-4 hours or more, the thousands of hours these VEs have invested is extraordinary! Whether you are one of our VE Teams that test once a week, once a month or once a year, we want to express our warmest appreciation to all volunteers for their generous contributions to the ARRL VEC program.

If you are an ARRL VE, you can see your session stats online at www.arrl.org/arrlvec/veparti.php.If you’re not a VE, become one! See www.arrl.org/arrlvec/become-a-ve.html.

Examiner Sessions Accreditation DateAE6Z, Emmett Freitas 545 31-Aug-84N5AF, Sammy Neal 460 20-Nov-84K6VIP, Royal Metzger 368 29-Apr-85K6RQ, Frank Glass 353 29-Apr-85KAØCDN, Karen Schultz 321 06-Sep-84WØIJR, Glenn Schultz 310 28-Sep-84ABØSX, Harry Nordman 293 09-Jan-02KA6RHF, David Laurel 287 22-Apr-85W6IO, Leonard Scarpelli 285 01-Nov-92AC2T, Paul Maytan 284 06-Sep-84K3FL, Franz Laugermann 274 01-Dec-91KP4PQ, Victor Madera 268 01-Mar-92KSØF, John Mackey Jr 266 01-Oct-90

Examiner Sessions Accreditation DateK6PYP, Scott Swanson 254 01-Dec-92W7QGP, Mary Lewis 253 12-Aug-85W6EOA, Salvatore Teresi 252 21-Aug-89AA2HX, Daniel Calabrese 249 01-Nov-91KØIH, John Hauner 247 11-Jan-85KB5PGY, David Fanelli 246 01-Oct-91N8MPC, James Henderson 245 01-Nov-91NØWDG, Kevin Naumann 244 17-Nov-02N6NAD, Ralph Schutte 244 22-Aug-97NI5S, Leslie Dale 244 06-Sep-84WB5R, Gerald Grant 240 04-Jan-85N5KBW, Michael Faucheaux 240 15-Jul-96




56 March 2008

T imes change, and so do our living arrangements. In my former home I enjoyed a tower and many outdoor

antennas. For example, my previous QST article back in 2004 showed a fine micro-wave satellite antenna system that I used to make contacts that often spanned conti-nents.1

Now I no longer have that luxury. Instead, I find myself living in a comfortable, but antenna restricted, apartment. I did not want to give up on ham radio, so I decided to “downshift” to stealthy operating on the HF bands. Figure 1 shows my new multiband HF antenna in all its glory. What do you mean you don’t see it? That’s the point!

Creative SimplicityHams have been working on hidden

and indoor antennas for a long time. The very same issue of QST that reported on my microwave antenna efforts included a lead article on indoor antennas.2 I do not have the option of using an indoor antenna in my apartment building because it is constructed of pre-stressed concrete floors, ceilings and steel wall studs. There is just too much metal in this construction to allow any kind of indoor operating capability. My new apart-ment is a virtual Faraday shield cage!

Looking at outdoor options, there is always the multiband vertical antenna, but I lack a setting that provides easy camouflage for such a creature. A wire dipole antenna can be quite stealthy, but it requires a feed line that can be readily seen. The best choice for me was a thin-gauge wire that exited my office window, ran out among the treetops, and then returned to the same window. In other words, a loop antenna, or what I refer to as a random loop.

My antenna is a 187 foot loop of wire in a mostly horizontal configuration. Loops don’t have to be this long and they don’t need to be horizontal. Longer is better if you

intend to operate on the low bands, but in an antenna-restricted environment any length of outdoor wire is better than nothing.

Loop antennas can offer remarkable performance and they can easily blend into their surroundings. And unlike random-wire or vertical antennas, loops are “balanced” (like dipoles) and do not require ground systems or counterpoises. To use a single loop on many different bands, however, you have to deal with the fact that the feed point impedance may vary considerably from one frequency to another. The solution is an antenna tuner. An antenna tuner, or really an antenna coupler, is designed to convert whatever impedance exists at the feed point of your antenna to 50 Ω to match the coaxial cable attached to your transceiver. Many antenna couplers are available, but the one I chose for my station is the SGC SG-237 (Figure 2). This is a waterproof, low-profile antenna coupler that senses the presence of RF and tunes automatically.

My coupler is mounted just below the window sill, immediately below a sealed board that I’ve inserted in the window open-ing with two ceramic feed-through posts to bring the antenna wires inside to the coupler.

HF Antennas and Restricted LivingDon’t give up on Amateur Radio just because you live in an apartment or condominium. With a little creativity and discretion, you can be on the air in no time.Dick Jansson, KD1K

1Notes appear on page 58.

Figure 2 — KD1K’s SGC SG-237 antenna coupler bridges the impedance gap between the 50 Ω coax and the loop

Figure 1 — Do you see the antenna? Of course you don’t! That’s the idea. What is invisible in this photograph is a 187 foot loop of wire that functions as KD1K’s multiband HF antenna.

Jansson.indd 56Jansson.indd 56 1/23/2008 10:23:08 AM1/23/2008 10:23:08 AM



March 2008 57

I could have placed the SG-237 outdoors, but that would complicate the installation and add to the “visibility problem.” The building supervisors would be sure to notice a dark box dangling outside the window.

Having a balanced antenna does presentone RF issue since the SG-237 is not a bal-anced coupler. Specifically, there is the pos-sibility that the coaxial cable between the coupler and the radio may radiate RF inside my apartment. There is an easy solution for this problem and it is also illustrated in Figure 2. As you can see, I’ve wound the coupler’s combined coax/control cable seven times through a large FT-240-43 ferritetoroid to give an impedance of about 1.37 kΩ at 3.6 MHz up to 19 kΩ at 50 MHz.3 These impedances are sufficiently large to effec-tively choke off any radiation. RadioShack

has a usable Snap-On-Choke, part number 273-104, that can be used for this purpose.4

Connecting the antenna feed-through posts to the ’237 coupler is accomplished with a pair of robust house wires and alligator clips.

To further assist this ’237 coupler’s isolation from the real world, I followed the advice of Kirk Kleinschmidt, NTØZ,by placing the coupler on an insulated board to isolate it from any stray grounds.5 In this case, a visit to a neighborhood K-mart provided two plastic bread-cutting boards that I bolted together, thus keeping the ’237 mounting screws isolated from the board’s mounting screws. This arrangement also provided a convenient carrying handle for the assembly.

On the outdoor portion of this window-connected antenna system, things could not be simpler. Figure 3 shows the terminations of the random loop antenna made of “slinky” #26 AWG black insulated Copperweld

Figure 3 — The two ends of the 187 foot loop antenna enter KD1K’s window discreely.

Figure 4 — KD1K’s offi ce shack with the feed-through window on the left.

Figure 5 — Ed, WD4DTC, launches a tree-topping tennis ball.

RF Safety and Restricted Antennas

Whenever you have an antenna installed in proximity to people, you need to pay attention to RF safety. Every radio amateur is responsible for not exceeding the Maximum Permissible Exposure require-ments listed in the FCC regulations. See the RF Safety page on the ARRLWeb at www.arrl.org/tis/info/rfexpose.html for more information about these requirements and how you can evaluate your station.

antenna wire.6 This wire is nearly invisible to the unaided eye. At one time I was using a #26 AWG magnet wire, even smaller on the outside and even more invisible, although the wire is not as strong as Copperweld. Larger wire sizes are also available — up to #12 AWG — from the same source and many others. To keep from stressing the stripped wire ends and causing a failure of the wire at the feed-through posts, I took some large 16-gauge crimp terminal lugs and placed them over the outside of the insulated wire. These were crimped and the terminal lug eyes were used to tie a cord to a cable clamp screwed to the window board. The wooden insert to the window open-ing was made in two pieces with the ends mortised to lock into the window channels. Weather stripping material from the hard-ware store is placed on the top and bottom of this board assembly to keep the weather,




58 March 2008

and various creatures, out.As you can see in Figure 4, the simplicity

of the station equipment is underwhelming and is a far cry from racks of equipment used long ago to get a signal out to the ionosphere. My shack consists of a Kenwood TS-2000X transceiver, a switching power supply (not seen), the window-mounted SG-237 tuner, a CW key, a clock and a small home-built box, seen under the front edge of the ’2000X. This is an aluminum box containing the control switches and indicators for the ’237. The information for building the controller was taken from the SGC instructions; it was easy to whip together from my junk box. You don’t really need it, but the controller offers an extra measure of operating ease that I enjoy.

Palm Trees, Wires and Tennis Balls

Getting a wire into a high treetop is never easy, but I happened upon an interesting tool. It is a pneumatic tennis ball launcher designed specifically for erecting antenna wires.7 Figure 5 shows Ed Jansson, WD4DTC, launching a tennis ball toward one of the trees in his yard to string his own stealth antenna. He used the same technique and tool to help me “launch” my loop wire. It takes practice, but the effort pays off in having the wire placed exactly where it is desired.

So how does my stealth station perform? I originally had a smaller, 85 foot loop antenna and while it worked on the higher bands, it did not do very well on 75 and 40 meters. With my 187 foot loop, which is a sizable percentage of a wavelength on 75 meters, the low-band performance has been outstanding. Because a significant

part of the loop is horizontal, and per-haps considered an NVIS (Near Vertical Incidence Skywave) antenna, it seems to be resistant to the dreadful daytime noise lev-els on that band. Florida is not a small state and the distance from Tallahassee to my home in Winter Park is estimated to be about 217 miles. During the morning Northern Florida Amateur Radio Emergency Communica-tions Net on 75 meters, most stations with vertical antennas can barely hear the Tallahassee net control station because of the band noise. Not so for the KD1K loop! I can hear the net control with an S9 signal and a background noise level of only about S1 to S2. In other words, I have solid copy.

Performance on 40 and 20 meters has been equally good. On 20 meters, the European DX stations are usually com-ing in at a strong S9 in the late afternoon. That’s pretty good when you consider the mediocre band conditions we struggle with today.

Operating this station with the SG-237 coupler is a breeze. Once the ’237 has “learned” the tuning positions for different frequencies for the loop, it takes only one or two CW dash characters to bring it into tune. Alternatively, a few vocal syllables on SSB can do the trick in just a fraction of a second. Such operating simplicity makes life easy for me, and it can for your station as well.

While the solar cycle has not provided much relief on the higher bands, there are indications that this random loop antenna performs well for itself on 17 through 6 meters. Solar conditions are expected to improve soon, so my little apartment station is going to see some exciting years ahead!

Notes1D. Jansson, WD4FAB, “An Integrated AO-40

Antenna System,” QST, Mar 2004, p 38.2K. Stenson, W4KVS, “Adventures with Indoor

Antennas,” QST, Mar 2004, p 28.3Amidon Associates; www.amidoncorp.com/. 4RadioShack; www.radioshack.com.5Kirk Kleinschmidt, NTØZ, has published many

articles in QST on stealth and hidden antennas.6#26 AWG stranded insulated Copperweld wire

from The Wireman, http://thewireman.com/index.shtml.

7A. Biocca, WB6ZQZ, “Pneumatic Antenna Launch-ing Systems,” QRP Quarterly, Spring 2003, www.antennalaunchers.com/antlaunching.html.

Dick Jansson, KD1K (formerly WD4FAB and WA1QLI), has been a licensed radio amateur since 1972. He is an ARRL Technical Advisor.

As a youngster he had a latent interest in radio electronics, including having a 1947 ARRL Handbook, but being uninstructed, this interest remained latent. This interest in radio was again fired up in the mid-1950s when he began developing receivers and transmitters for his radio controlled model boats and airplanes.

Dick has participated in the design aspects of AMSAT spacecraft since the late 1970s. His principal expertise is heat transfer and the ther-mal design of spacecraft, which has been his professional occupation as a Thermal Design Engineer. Although professionally retired, Dick has continued to participate in the engineering aspects of satellite design for AMSAT.

Dick also has been very involved in the ama-teur satellite communications, and VHF, UHF and microwave communications in general, and has garnered many operating awards in those activities.

You can contact Dick at 1620 Mayflower Ct, Apt B125, Winter Park, FL 32792-2590; [email protected].

Larry Ballew, ABØHPGeorge Baschiera,

KC2REHMark Bayern, AD5SSKevin Boyle, K8XBJay Brackin, W3NURRichard Bunn, N4ASXRichard Butz, AI4LGPaul Carr, N4AANCharles Davenport,

N2CHD

Robert Davisson, KA4BOB

S Kent Dickinson, KØWEW

Alan Dixon, N3HOEClyde Getman, AF4ZSAllan Hobron, KC2DPPRobert Kappler, KE7LIYGary Kline, WC8WNicki Koch, KO6C

Harold Laughlin, KD5JZC

David Luehr, K9DAVLouis Mallow, AG4ODRobert McCaffrey,

KØCYGregory McConaughey,

K7GLMGordon McCraw,

WX7EM

David Miner, W4SKGDaniel Nye, WØNYEShane O’Neal, NS5DLawrence Osterman,

W8JYQRobert Ott, WB8OIFScott Portz, NØYIJames Putnam,

KD5LSU

John Randle, K9RSQMark Rasche, KI4JPAScott Reeve, KD5ZYYJohn Regan, KAØHYRWilliam Renaud,

WR4MSDonald Riley, N4CZLMichael Sanders,

KD7TTY

John Snellen, AI4RTJohn Walton, WB4HVMike Watkins WX4ALRobert Westerholt,

KCØYZWRebekkah Whiting,

W2WHTLuther Winters, K6FE

We honor the following individuals who have successfully completed all three ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications courses (Levels I, II and III) between October 1 and December 31, 2007.

If you are interested in taking an Amateur Radio Emergency Communications course, or one of our other ARRL online courses, see www.arrl.org/cce/.

ARRL Emergency Communications Course Honor Roll

www.arrl.org/cce/www.arrl.org/cce/




March 2008 59

maximum should peak around 2010 with a sunspot number of 160, plus or minus 25. “This would make it one of the strongest solar cycles of the past fifty years — which is to say, one of the strongest in recorded history.” Four of the five biggest cycles on record have come in the past 50 years. “Cycle 24 should fit right into that pattern,” Hathaway said.

Amateur Radio and Solar Cycle 24

A c c o r d i n g t o C a r l Luetzelschwab, K9LA, “As for improvement in propagation on the higher bands, we still have a way to go before that happens, and it depends on the magnitude of Cycle 24. The Solar Cycle 24 Prediction Panel has published predictions for Cycle 24, but unfortunately the panel did not reach one consensus prediction. If the larger of the two predictions comes true, we should expect consistent F2 propagation

on 10 and 12 meters to start toward the end of 2009. If the smaller prediction comes true, this will be delayed about one year.”

Luetzelschwab, who wri tes the “Propagation” column for the National Contest Journal (NCJ), continued: “While we wait for improved high band conditions, don’t forget the low bands. Around solar minimum and for the next year or so, the Earth’s geomagnetic field is at its quietest. This is good for low band propagation. Thus, right now is the time to start (or add to) your 80 and 160 meter DXCC efforts.”

Active Solar Cycles Bring Sunspots, Solar Storms

While sunspots are good news to Amateur Radio operators, an active solar cycle can disrupt other aspects of life that we take for granted, since violent solar eruptions oc-cur more often on the Sun during an active period. According to NASA, solar flares and vast explosions, known as coronal mass ejections, shoot energetic photons and high-

NASA, NOAA Say Solar Cycle 24 Has Arrived

With the appearance of Sunspot 981 — a high-latitude, reversed polarity sunspot — on Friday, January 4, experts at NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that Cycle 24 is now here. “This sunspot is like the first robin of spring,” said solar physicist Douglas Biesecker of the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), part of NOAA. “In this case, it’s an early omen of solar storms that will gradually increase over the next few years.”

Solar physicist David Hathaway of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama concurred, saying that new solar cycles begin with a “modest knot” of magnetism, like the one that appeared on December 11 on the east limb of the Sun: “That patch of magnetism could be a sign of the next solar cycle. New solar cycles always begin with a high-latitude, reversed polarity sunspot.” The region of magnetism that appeared back in December achieved high latitude (24° North) and was magnetically reversed, but no supporting sunspot appeared until 25 days later.

Reversed polarity means a sunspot with opposite magnetic polarity compared to sun-spots from the previous solar cycle. High-latitude refers to the Sun’s grid of latitude and longitude. Old-cycle spots congregate near the Sun’s equator; new-cycle spots appear higher, around 25 or 30° latitude. Sunspot 981’s high-latitude location at 27° North and its negative polarity leading to the right in the Northern Hemisphere are clear-cut signs of a new solar cycle, ac-cording to NOAA experts. The first active regions and sunspots of a new solar cycle can emerge at high latitudes while those from the previous cycle continue to form closer to the equator.

Solar Cycle 24 Predictions While experts vary in their predictions

on when the solar cycle will peak and how

This shows the emergence of Sunspot 981, hailed as the beginning of Solar Cycle 24. The decline of Solar Cycle 23 is evidenced by the gradual disappearance of Sunspot 980. At the start of a solar cycle, sunspots appear approximately 30° from the solar equator. As the solar cycle progresses, sunspots form closer and closer to the equator.

NASA

strong it will be, NOAA, in coordination with an international panel of solar experts, predicted that the next 11-year cycle of solar storms “would start in March 2008, plus or minus six months, and peak in late 2011 or mid-2012.” Meeting in April 2007, half of the panel predicted a “moderately strong cycle of 140 sunspots, plus or minus 20, expected to peak in October 2011. The other half predicted a moderately weak cycle of 90 sunspots, plus or minus 10, peaking in August 2012. An average solar cycle ranges from 75 to 155 sunspots. The late decline of Cycle 23 has helped shift the panel away from its earlier leaning toward a strong Cycle 24. The group is evenly split between a strong and a weak cycle.”

NASA’s Hathaway, along with colleague Robert Wilson at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco last month, said that Solar Cycle 24 “looks like it’s going to be one of the most intense cycles since record-keeping began almost 400 years ago.” They believe the next solar

HAPPENINGS

S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA ARRL News Editor [email protected]

HAPPS.indd 59HAPPS.indd 59 1/23/2008 1:53:38 PM1/23/2008 1:53:38 PM



60 March 2008

ly charged matter toward Earth, jolting the planet’s ionosphere and geomagnetic field. This has the potential to affect power grids, critical military and airline communications, satellites and Global Positioning System (GPS) signals, and even threaten astronauts with harmful radiation. These same storms illuminate night skies with brilliant sheets of red and green known as auroras, or the northern or southern lights.

NOAA Administrator and Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere Vice Admiral (Ret) Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr said, “Our growing dependence on highly sophisticated, space-based technologies means we are far more vulnerable to space weather today than in the past. NOAA’s space weather monitoring and forecasts are critical for the nation’s ability to function smoothly during solar disturbances.”

Many forecasters believe Solar Cycle 24 will be big and intense. “Solar cycles usu-ally take a few years to build to a frenzy and Cycle 24 will be no exception. We still have some quiet times ahead,” said Hathaway.

NEWLY ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS VISIT NEWINGTON

The four ARRL Board members new to the ARRL Board of Directors — Southeastern Division Director Greg Sarratt, W4OZK; Rocky Mountain Division Vice Director Dwayne Allen, WY7FD; Dakota Division Vice Director Greg Widin, KØGW, and Southwestern Division Vice Director Marty Woll, N6VI — journeyed to ARRL HQ for two days in January to learn the “ins and outs” of the ARRL Board in preparation for the Board’s 2008 Annual Meeting on January 18-19 in Houston, Texas.

According to ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, “The new Board members came to Newington to learn not only how the Board functions, but to see what each department does and how it in-teracts with and serves both Amateur Radio and ARRL members, through our four pil-lars: Public Service, Advocacy, Education and Membership. I am pleased they came to see how we support Amateur Radio each and every day here at ARRL HQ.”

One of the highlights of the group’s visit to Headquarters was a tour of the ARRL Lab. Ed Hare, W1RFI, ARRL Laboratory Manager, explained to the new Board members the function of the Lab and its staff: “We showed them how we support Amateur Radio through the Technical Information Service (TIS), product review testing, RFI issues such as power line noise, and support for spectrum defense, including BPL issues.”

Sarratt said, “It was a pleasure visiting ARRL headquarters in Newington to attend

annual awards dinner. They added both stature and luster to the evening!”

Woll summed up the two fast-paced days, saying, “I enjoy spreading the ARRL message to radio clubs and other groups, and I can now do so with even greater con-fidence that our members — and indeed,

FCC NewsFCC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

On January 15, Riley Hollingsworth, Special Counsel in the FCC’s Enforce-ment Bureau, issued a Warning Notice to David O. Castle, ex-WA9KJI, of Evansville, Indiana. Castle’s appli-cation to renew his Amateur Radio license was denied with prejudice by an Administrative Law Judge in August 2007. The current complaint states that “Monitoring information before the Commission indicates that you have been operating portable radio transmit-ting equipment on Two Meters in order to interfere with a local linked repeater system on 146.835/146.250, and that you have provided a portable unit for others to use in the same manner. You have no authority to operate Amateur radio transmitting equipment on any fre-quency. Such operation is a violation of Section 301 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. Section 301, and carries criminal penalties in-cluding monetary forfeiture (fine) and prison. Monetary forfeitures normally range from $7,500 to $10,000.”

an orientation for new ARRL Directors and Vice Directors. This orientation was beneficial covering numerous facets of what the ARRL does for Amateur Radio and ARRL members. We met many of the staff members and learned more about what they do. All the ARRL folks are knowledgeable, helpful and enthusiastic about their jobs.”

Widin concurred: “I’ve been a member of ARRL for more than 40 years, but I still discovered great things going on at ARRL HQ that I wasn’t aware of. I was impressed by the level of commitment to ham radio that was evident in everyone I met. I was also a little surprised that so many staffers are licensed — truly ARRL is an organization ‘by and for hams.’ ARRL HQ is not just a bunch of people who work for the League — it is an organization of colleagues of all members. I’ve always been proud to be a League member, but I left with a renewed appreciation of the great organization we share.”

Allen said, “Visiting the League is al-ways fun. Through the course of serving the ham radio community, I have had occasion to visit HQ several times. I do like seeing old faces and new ones alike. Attending meet-ings and touring the various departments helped me to see how the ARRL works for the community of all hams, and affords me insight on how I can serve better.”

The group joined the Newington Amateur Radio League (NARL) for their annual awards banquet. ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, gave the keynote address, “Not Your Grandfather’s Amateur Radio,” focusing on the emerging technologies and activities that the Amateur Radio Service has to offer. Incoming NARL President Mary Hobart, K1MMH, said “It was an honor to welcome Dave and four of the new ARRL Board Members to NARL’s

Rocky Mountain Division Vice Director Dwayne Allen, WY7FD; Southeastern Division Director Greg Sarratt, W4OZK; Southwestern Division Vice Director Marty Woll, N6VI, and Dakota Division Vice Director Greg Widin, K0GW, came to Newington in January for a “hands-on” orientation for newly elected ARRL Board members.

S. KHRYSTYNE KEANE, K1SFA




March 2008 61

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Net control for the January tornado was based at the American Red Cross building in Racine.

all hams — are being very well served by the ARRL. I am delighted to have had the opportunity to meet so many of the ARRL staff in Newington during the recent orienta-tion for new Directors and Vice Directors, and I appreciate the warm welcome I was given. The high caliber of the team mem-bers at Headquarters is a real asset to our members, and to the League as a whole. What impressed me most was that the HQ staff view their responsibilities not just as jobs, but as a shared mission to grow and improve Amateur Radio. This common vision is reflected in their enthusiasm and in their eagerness to work together in a col-laborative way. I’ve been inside hundreds of businesses in my career, and I can’t think of anywhere where the collective attitude was more positive.”

WISCONSIN HAMS ACTIVATED DUE TO RARE JANUARY TORNADO

A rare January EF3 tornado in Wisconsin destroyed houses and knocked out power shortly after 4 PM (local time) January 7, dis-placing about 160 people. The Red Cross ac-tivated members of the Kenosha County and Racine County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) groups to provide logistical communications at the two relief shelters in Kenosha County, as well as from a com-munications station at the Kenosha County Emergency Operation Center.

“Providing communications is essential,” said Assistant Emergency Coordinator for the Racine County ARES Alex Voss, N9RGX. “We set up a communications network at the Red Cross building in Racine, outside of the affected area. We were ready to go when activated. I couldn’t be more proud of our volunteers. We’ll take what we’ve learned this time and use it to improve our response in the future.”

ARRL Wisconsin Section Emergency coordinator Bill Niemuth, KB9ENO, thanked the 18 ARES and RACES members who responded. “I bet this morning that [the 18 responders] never thought they would be responding to help their community recover

from an EF3 tornado by evening! But, the reality is emergency and disaster situations most always catch us by surprise. That is why we train and prepare.”

YASME FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS

The Yasme Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation organized to conduct scientific and educational projects related to Amateur Radio, including DXing and the introduc-tion and promotion of Amateur Radio in un-derdeveloped countries, has announced the winners of the first-ever Yasme Excellence Awards. These awards, in the form of a plaque and a monetary award, are given for service and dedication to Amateur Radio as recognized by the foundation’s Directors. Joseph L. Arcure Jr, W3HNK, was noted for his long service to DXers as a QSL manager. Sheldon C. Shallon, W6EL, was acknowl-edged for his work with propagation predic-

ARRL CENTURY CLUB AWARDS GET NEW LOOK

The ARRL has completed the finishing touches on certifi-cates issued through the 5-Band DXCC (DX Century Club) and VUCC (VHF/UHF Century Club) programs. The awards program staff worked with the ARRL in-house graphic design-ers to create a fresh new look for these traditional awards.

The new 5-Band DXCC certificate recognizes the achievement of this award with a distinctive graphic display that incorporates the ARRL diamond and globe design that is familiar throughout the DXCC program, as well as raised gold leaf enhancement; when framed and hung in your shack, it will definitely mark your accomplishment. The new VUCC award is a full color diploma that features red, white and blue shading over a grid square map with a stylish VUCC logo. Radio amateurs earn the 5-Band DXCC award by confirming two-way contacts with at least 100 DXCC entities on each of the following amateur bands: 80 meters, 40 meters, 20 meters, 15 meters and 10 meters.

Earn the VUCC award by confirming two-way V/UHF contacts in 2 × 1° grid squares. Complete rules for all ARRL operating awards are available on the Awards section of the ARRL Web site at www.arrl.org/awards. Both full-sized 11 × 17 inch awards are numbered and dated, bearing the signature of ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN.

The newly designed cer-tificates are being issued for all new award applications. Anyone who has previously been issued a VUCC or 5-Band DXCC cer-tificate may request a new design certificate for the cost as speci-fied in each program’s rules.

tion software. James Brooks, 9V1YC, was recognized for DXpedition organization and videography. Jukka Salomaa, OH2BUA, and Antti Kantola, OH5TB, were honored for conceiving, operating and maintaining DX Summit, the first widely used Web-based spotting network portal.

HIRAM PERCY MAXIM II, SKThe grandson of ARRL co-founder

Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW, died at home in Lyme, Connecticut on January 12 after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. Hiram Percy Maxim II — called HPM just like his grandfather — was 72. Not a ham, Maxim told the Newington Amateur Radio League in October 2002 that he didn’t feel he shared the inventive talents of his grandfather and great-grandfather, who held many patents between them; HPM II’s great-grandfather, Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim invented the modern machine gun.




62 March 2008

In Brief• ARRL QSL Bureau Sees Rise in Number of Cards Sent: Despite the fact that sunspots have been virtually non-existent, the ARRL Outgoing QSL Service is doing a brisk business. “We are seeing bigger numbers this year as compared to last year,” said ARRL Outgoing QSL Service Manager Sharon Taratula. “It’s amazing, considering where we are in the sunspot cycle.” In 2007, the Outgoing QSL Service sent out 1,035,225 QSL cards, she said, compared with 1,000,475 cards sent during 2006 — a difference of 34,750 QSLs, an increase of 3.5 percent. The volume of outgoing QSL cards reflects the trend, although not all cards received — es-pecially those destined for rarer DXCC entities — go out right away in the monthly mailings to foreign bureaus. In 2005, the Bureau sent out 1,137,550 cards. “Now that the new solar cycle is here, we should see even more cards,” Taratula said. In the last solar cycle (Cycle 23), the number of cards shipped via the ARRL Outgoing QSL Service topped 1.9 million cards in the 2001-2002 period. The Outgoing QSL Service sorts and forwards QSLs received from US radio amateurs to bureaus in more than 220 countries.• New Amateur Extra Class Question Pool Released: The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) has released the new pool of questions for the Amateur Extra class license exam. It is available at www.ncvec.org/page.php?id=338. This pool will become effective for examinations given on or after July 1, 2008, and should be in service until June 30, 2012. The pool, which consists of 741 questions and 12 graphics, can be downloaded from the NCVEC Web site in Word, PDF or Rich Text formats. If you have any questions concerning the new Amateur Extra question pool, please contact the NCVEC’s Question Pool Committee via e-mail at [email protected].• Stu Leland, W1JEC (SK): Former ARRL Assistant Technical Editor Stu Leland, W1JEC, passed away this summer in Hendersonville, North Carolina. He was 90. Leland, who worked in the former Technical Department, came to ARRL HQ in 1976, retiring in 1982. He edited the “Hints and Kinks” column and QST technical articles every month, as well as the Hints and Kinks books. Larry Wolfgang, WR1B, QEX Editor, remembers “When I was hired as an Assistant Technical Editor in June 1981, it was to take over the “Hints & Kinks” column with Stu Leland’s impending retire-ment. During my first half year or so at ARRL HQ, he taught me the ropes of being a technical editor. It’s hard to imagine a kinder, more gentle soul than Stu. He was a great mentor, helping a raw young editor fit into the Technical Department and teaching me how to work with the many “Hints & Kinks” authors who submitted their ideas — some good and some perhaps not so good!” ARRL Graphic Design Supervisor Sue Fagan, KB1OKW, remembered Leland fondly: “Stu was one of the kindest, classiest individuals I had the pleasure to know. We checked in with each other during the holidays, and my gift was the instant flood of all the good memories I had of Stu back in the days when he was one of my beloved Tech Department ‘partners.’” Former ARRL colleague Paul Pagel, N1FB, said, “Stu was a quiet, soft-spoken, gentle man, always willing to help others and dedicated to ensuring the technical-article material he was handling for QST was accurate. He had a good knowledge of antenna theory. He liked operating CW most. He was a fatherly and — to the younger coworkers — a grandfatherly image.”• New Jersey Exempts Amateur Radio from Handheld Wireless Law: On March 1, a new law goes into effect in New Jersey that bans drivers from using handheld wireless communication devices while driving. Public Law 2007, c. 198, states that “‘an electronic communication device’ shall not include an amateur radio.” Hands-free devices, such as earpieces connected to a cell phone, will also be allowed. The complete law can be read at www.judiciary.state.nj.us/legis/2007c198_law.pdf.• Classic Gil Cartoon Book Now Available: Gil: A Collection of Classic Cartoons from QST is a reprint of the popular 1986 Gil cartoon book. It is more than a book of illus-trations — it is a tribute to a legend, a man who, over a span of

40 years, created more than 1500 cartoons and drawings for QST and the ARRL. The work of Phil “Gil” Gildersleeve, W1CJD, became a tradition. In tribute to this talented, creative and devoted artist and ham, the ARRL presents in this book a reprint of a portion of the best of his work. Gil was an avid radio amateur, devoted family man and exceptionally active in the community. Although he became a Silent Key in 1966, his characters live on. Still today, Gil’s conceptions remain alive in the minds of both old-timers and newcomers to

Amateur Radio. Get your copy today at www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=0364. • New Section Manager Appointed in Wyoming: Dave Patton, NN1N, Manager of ARRL’s Membership and Volunteer Programs, in consultation with Rocky Mountain Division Director Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, has appointed Chris Pritchard, WY7UPR, of Green River as the new Section Manager of Wyoming, effective January 1. Pritchard will complete the term of office that was held by Dwayne Allen, WY7FD; Allen was elected as the new Vice Director of the Rocky Mountain Division starting January 1. Pritchard has served as Assistant Section Manager for Wyoming for more than two years. The present term of office for the Wyoming Section Manager position continues through March 31, 2009.• ARRL Staffers Help Raise More Than $16,000 for Public Television: On December 31, ARRL staffers and members of the Newington Amateur Radio League came out to support Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) by working the phones during the University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball game against Army. More than $16,000 was raised in pledges to help support CPTV. ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, the face of UCONN women’s basketball on CPTV since 1994, promotes women’s basketball about 10 times a year on CPTV. “The Amateur Radio volunteers filled the studio and demonstrated that among the best volunteers are Amateur Radio volunteers, the world’s best communicators! The afternoon presented a wonderful opportunity to introduce ham radio to all of southeastern New England, and I encourage other Amateur Radio clubs, ARES groups and other organizations to contact their local public television and radio sta-tions for opportunities like this. It’s great promotion — and it’s great fun!” she said.

Assistant Production Supervisor Jodi Morin, KA1JPA; Production Coordinator Maty Weinberg, KB1EIB, and ARRL Receptionist Penny Harts, N1NAG, work the phones, while ARRL Chief Development Offi cer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, gets ready to go live on camera during the Public Television fund-raiser. Field and Public Service Supervisor Steve Ewald, WV1X, is in the back row.

S. KHRYSTYNE KEANE, K1SFA




March 2008 63

The Doctor is INPROJECTS AND INFORMATION FOR THE ACTIVE AMATEURUR

Frequent QEX contributor Maynard Wright, W6PAP, took issue with my state-ment in the January 2008 column in which I noted that a choke coil would just act like an inductance to common mode currents. Maynard is correct that there are really three inductances involved, although the two differential mode inductors cancel out when currents are balanced. Here are his comments:

The utility of the coil choke balun actually results from the fact that equal inductances are added to all three conduc-tors — the center conductor, the inside of the shield, and the outside of the shield. When a differential mode current flows in the circuit formed by the center conductor and the inside of the shield, the current components flowing in opposite directions in each conductor oppose each other’s magnetic fields and the net result, ideally, is as if there were no inductance at all in the differential mode circuit.

This may have the appearance of adding an inductance only to the outer surface of the shield, but the difference may some-times be important. In some instances, there may be stray coupling or other spurious current paths that partially bypass the inner surface of the shield or the center conductor. One possibility here is that the legs of the di-pole are not exactly the same length or that they couple differently to nearby metallic objects such as gutters, metal roofs, or util-ity cables. In such a case, the two current components in what was intended to be a purely differential mode circuit may not be equal and opposite, causing an undesired inductive reactance to appear in that cir-cuit since the cancellation of the magnetic fields will not be complete. This problem also affects baluns formed by other means, such as by placing ferrite beads around the transmission line. 73, Maynard Wright, W6PAP.

QBob, WØFES, asks: Can you settle a discussion from our radio club meet-

ing last night regarding the FCC require-ment for control of our 2 meter repeater? One position was that, as the result of a

change in regulations, our repeater control requirement may be exercised on its input frequency. The other position was that the repeater control requirement must be via either landline or by RF above 222 MHz. Which side is correct?

AFor this question we sought the expert opinion of Regulatory Information

Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND. Dan says neither side has it quite right. While some of the rules have changed, the rules still require you be able to control the repeater some way other than via its input frequency.

An example of why this is a requirement is that the control operator is responsible to insure that the repeater is being operated le-gally and shut it down if it isn’t. If someone is violating the rules and has captured the input with their 1500 W signal, you won’t be able to shut the repeater down by issuing commands on the input frequency.

The rules change allowed auxiliary stations to operate on the 2 meter band rather than the previous requirement to operate above 222.15 MHz. The rules did not change as far as the ability to control the remote station properly — in this case, the repeater. The control operator of the repeater must still be able to exercise control of the repeater. All that changed was the ability to use an auxiliary control link on a different frequency band.

QGeorge, K3HCS, asks: All too often we have no choice but to coil excess

coaxial cable that is factory fabricated onto, for example, gutter or magnetic mobile antenna mounts. Is such a coil a balun? If so, what should or shouldn’t we do with such excess transmission line?

ANowhere is it written that you can’t cut off the excess and put on a new connec-

tor. If you do that, and put another connector onto the other piece, you end up with both the right length cable and a coax jumper cable. That’s not for everyone — besides, sometimes you will want the flexibility to be able to move the mount to another vehicle in which the extra cable will be needed. So, to answer your question, a coil of coax is not, strictly speaking, a balun. It can, however,

act like the common mode choking function of some baluns by providing an inductance that keeps unbalanced (common mode) cur-rents from flowing down the outside of the shield (see the note from W6PAP, above).

If you have no such currents to start with, then it doesn’t make much difference what you do with it — the currents inside the coax are not affected for most types of coax. Some coax, especially the semi-rigid types, have a minimum bend radius. If the coax is bent more sharply, the shield may crush, potentially shorting the coax or at least reducing the power rating and probably changing the characteristic impedance.

If you would like to optimize the choking effects, you will get the best results by hav-ing a number of coils with different numbers of turns, rather than one large coil. A large coil, especially at VHF, tends to have dis-tributed capacitance that negates the choking effect at higher frequencies.

Of course any excess coax will add to the transmission line loss. You can determine the amount of loss by using the charts in The ARRL Antenna Book or The Handbook.

QJohn, KC4AGW, asks: A circuit can be made resonant at a specific

frequency by selecting the capacitance and inductance so they have equal reactances at that frequency. Thus, there are an infinite set of values that can be resonant at any frequency. What is the difference between having a low capacitance and high inductance, ver-sus having a low inductance and high capacitance? What other factors should be considered?

AIn addition to L and C, each resonant circuit has resistance, making it an

RLC resonant circuit. There are two com-ponents of R, wire resistance in the wire of the coil and equivalent resistance of any loss within the dielectric material of the capaci-tor. At MF and HF, the coil wire resistance (higher than the wire’s dc resistance due to skin effect) dominates, particularly with air dielectric capacitors.

Thus a high C, low L circuit, all things being equal, will have less resistance than a

Doctor0308.indd 63Doctor0308.indd 63 1/23/2008 10:24:04 AM1/23/2008 10:24:04 AM



64 March 2008

Do you have a question or a problem? Ask the Doctor! Send your questions (no telephone calls, please) to “The Doctor,” ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111; [email protected]; www.arrl.org/tis/.

circuit at the same resonant frequency with a low C and high L because the higher L will have more wire. This all manifests itself in the circuit Q and bandwidth. The Q, or quality factor, of a tuned circuit dominated by inductor loss equals XL/R. More R means less Q.

The higher the Q the sharper the tuning and narrower the bandwidth of the circuit. The difference between the edge frequen-cies of a tuned circuit at half power, or the 3 dB bandwidth equals F/Q, where F is the center frequency.

QBob, WA3YGQ, asks: My 160 meter half wave dipole is cut for 1.9 MHz, my

favorite low power (QRP) frequency. This antenna receives better on 80 meters than does my 80 meter dipole. Both are roughly the same height. My antenna analysis pro-gram says the 160 meter antenna has a bit more gain on 80 meters than the 80 meter antenna. The program also predicts that the SWR will be 1:1 at 1.9 MHz but will be infinite on 3.8 MHz. I have verified these results with my SWR meter. My question is why is the SWR so high at the full wave frequency?

AAs a full wave dipole, you actually have a center-fed Zepp, or two half waves in

phase, a two element collinear array. This is a good antenna and works very well, but the impedance is quite high. It has a gain of about 2 dB over a half wave dipole, along with a slightly sharper azimuth pattern as shown in Figure 1.

The impedance at the end of each of your half waves (on 80 meters) is around 2500 Ω. Hence the impedance of the two in series is about 5000 Ω. This is not quite an SWR of

If you are operating in an area where the Amateur Radio Service is regulated by the FCC, all you have to do is ID with your FCC issued call sign. Part 97.119 (c) allows you to append your call sign with special identifiers, such as /M or /P provided the self-assigned identifier does not conflict with an FCC-issued identifier (such as AE, which the FCC reserves for those who have upgraded to Extra). Also it cannot conflict with a prefix assigned to a foreign country. Someone signing /FR8 needs to be operating (with the proper permissions) from one of the French territories that hold the FR prefix. Such a designator could not be legally used by a US operator in US territory.

There is always a debate about whether you have to give your call sign at the very start of the contact. The FCC rules require that you give your station identification every 10 minutes during a QSO and at the end of the contact. For practical reasons, giving your call sign at the start of a contact or when joining an ongoing conversation is considered good amateur practice. For example, as the control operator of a re-peater, it is my responsibility to make sure the repeater is used legally. Unless you give your call sign at the start of the contact, how am I to know who you are or if you are a li-censed operator? Of course a repeater owner sets the rules for their repeater and can thus require the procedure. They can always make rules a bit more stringent if you are making transmissions on their equipment, in this case, their repeater.

infinity, but about 100:1, which your SWR meter may round up to infinity!

Fortunately, this antenna can be used very nicely on all bands, 160 meters and up, if fed with open wire or 450 Ω window line. These transmission lines have much less loss than coax and thus can work with a high SWR. The SWR at 450 Ω would be 450/50 or 9:1 on 160 and 5000/450 = 11:1 on 80. It will be lower on the higher bands.

The only downside is that you will need a wide range antenna tuner to use this antenna with your radio. You will find that most internal tuners are rated for an SWR of up to 3:1 (Ten-Tec and Elecraft internal tuners are exceptions.) Thus, you will need an external tuner to make this work unless you have one of the radios that include a wide range tuner.

QChester, KD5TFK, asks: My usual HF transceiver has an output power

rating of 120 to 125 W on the various HF bands. My other rig is rated at 97 to 100 W. My question is would I see a marked S-unit increase by using the more powerful radio?

AIncreasing your power from 97 to 125 W is an increase of 1.1 dB. While

S-meters vary in calibration, the standard is S-9 for 50 µV at the antenna terminals and a 6 dB (0.5 voltage ratio, or 0.25 power ratio) change for each S-unit below S-9. Thus a change of 1.1 dB change represents a change of 3⁄16 of an S-unit. That amount of change might be just barely noticeable on an S-meter with a steady carrier, but with a modulated signal it would probably not be perceivable. There is no denying it does make just a bit of difference.

QDick, W9SKD, asks: I looked briefly at FCC Part 97 (Rules for the Amateur

Radio Service) and couldn’t find answers to these questions. I suspect the answers may be of general interest. Years ago we had to identify as portable or mobile and, if outside our home call area, had to include the call area. On CW it was call sign/loca-tion. For example, we would sign W9SKD/FR8 or W9SKD/1 or W9SKD/MM. Now I sometimes hear it as FR8/W9SKD. What are the requirements and the required format? If I hear someone call CQ or announce on the repeater, is it correct that I can start a conversation with them without any ID as long as I ID before 10 minutes are up? When two stations end a QSO the first will ID, then the second. Then the first may come back with a couple of short key ups, a “73” or perhaps a short comment. Does this station have to ID again as this is now the end of the series of transmissions?

AAgain, thanks to Dan Henderson. The Part 97 rules haven’t required you to

sign mobile or portable for some years.

Figure 1 — Azimuth plot of a 3.8 MHz dipole at a height of 50 feet (blue) compared to a 1.9 MHz dipole operated on its second harmonic (red). Both plots are at an elevation angle of 30°, about 3 dB below the peak at 90°. Note that the longer dipole has a bit more gain, but less response at most azimuth angles away from the broadside direction.

Those watching Jeopardy! on January 3 may have seen this, under the category “IF YOU’RE.” The answer was “...Using a call sign like K8RX, you’re engaged in this hobby.” It was answered correctly as “Amateur Radio.” It was not a fl uke — the folks at Jeopardy! are all friends of our family. — Neil Dorfman, K8RX

StraysNEIL DORFMAN, K8RX

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March 2008 65

permit you to save the log data in Cabrillo formats as required for ARRL and CQ HF and VHF contests. After Cabrillo formatting, the data may be printed, PDF’d, or copied and pasted into e-mail.

After a contact, QSO Wizard has a cool QSL card generator that automatically completes all the contact information from the log, but allows you to personalize the card by using any image for the card’s background and by allowing you to include individual remarks regarding the contact. You can print the card for real mail or PDF it for e-mail.

For future contacts, QSO Wiz-ard has a scheduling feature that allows you to set up one-time and recurring on-the-air skeds. You can configure the software to alert you of each sked 1 to 15 minutes ahead of schedule, as you desire.

Reviewer’s ImpressionsUsing QSO Wizard is very intuitive. I only

consulted the documentation to fine-tune the software and to learn more in depth about its various features. The average user, that is, someone not reviewing the software for QST, can probably get by without ever looking at the documentation.

I like the global view of the Earth that QSO Wizard features. This view gives you a true impression of the planet and its rela-tionship to time, size, location and direction (especially direction) that no flat map projec-tion can provide. (Hey — Japan is really over here, not over there!)

QSO Wizard is a fine addition to the soft-ware toolbox of any Mac ham shack. It looks good and as a visual aid, looks are important. It also works as advertised; I encountered no “gotchas” or program errors. The software ran without a glitch and did not stop until I told it to quit.

The Fine Print OrcaStar* Software (www.orcastar.com)

sells QSO Wizard for $49 and recommends running the application at a minimum on Mac OS X version 10.2.7, but preferably on Mac OS X version 10.4 (or later).

Steve Ford, WB8IMY QST Editor [email protected]

SHORT TAKES

Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU1 Glen AvenueWolcott, CT [email protected]

OrcaStar* Software billsQSO Wizard as a Mac OS X appli-cation that provides “visual aids to assist amateur radio operators in identifying, locating, selecting, beam pointing, scheduling, and logging contacts world-wide.”

After you configure the soft-ware with your preferences, it is off and running with an easy-to-use and pleasing-to-the-eye graphical-user interface (GUI) featuring an Earth globe display centered on your location. On three sides of the globe are the buttons and fields that you use to control the application.

The globe displays the current night and day based on your local time (and calculated from your Mac’s clock). The software also displays Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and the local time at the station you are in contact with or are attempting to contact.

Point and click on the location of the other station and the software displays the great circle path on the globe as well as in the numerical Azimuth field in the Contact Data panel of the GUI.

If the location of the other station is in the opposite hemisphere of your station location, select Opposite Lat & Lon in the Display View pull-down menu and then point and click on the location. The Continent selection in the Zoom pull-down menu allows you to view more details. This is especially helpful in areas where a bunch of small countries are grouped closely together, for example, South-east Asia, Europe and Latin America.

Alternatively, you can obtain the path by means of a call sign prefix look-up. Select Call Sign Prefix in the Select Category pull-down menu of the Locate panel, type the prefix in the Search Prefix field, then press the Return key to display information about the location in the fields of the Contact Data panel.

You can select a location from a database (the software includes databases of DXCC entities, worldwide cities, cities by country, and cities by state/province) or you can enter

QSO Wizard: Mac OS X Amateur Radio Visual Aid

a location’s latitude and longitude.The software augments the great circle

path display by also showing the approximate antenna beam width of its main lobe, as well as the effect on the backside of the beam. This display is fairly accurate because you customize it according to the actual antenna you are using.

In addition to the Azimuth information, the Contact Data panel also displays the other station’s alternate call sign prefix (if any), location (country/island, continent, state/province, city/town, ITU and CQDX zones, maidenhead grid number, latitude, longitude, time zone) and distance (“range”) from your station. The Contact Data panel also indicates if there is a QSL Service (bureau) in the other station’s location.

When your contact begins, you click on the QSO Begin button and the software creates and displays a new entry in its log, which pops out from the right side of the GUI. Some of the information appears in the log automatically, that is, the date and time of the beginning and end of a contact. You must manually input other information: fre-quency, mode and signal reports. At the end of a contact, clicking on the QSO End button completes the logging of the contact.

QSO Wizard includes templates that

OrcaStar* Software built its Mac OS X QSO Wizard around an easy-to-use and pleasing-to-the-eye graphical user interface

(GUI) featuring a global display of the Earth.

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66 March 2008

H. Ward Silver, NØAX PO Box 927, Vashon, WA 98070 [email protected]

Experiment #62 — About ResistorsNØAX

HANDS-ON RADIO

When is an ohm not an ohm? It depends on the home of the ohm! There are many different types of resistors and all of them have different characteristics that make them suitable or unsuitable for certain types of uses around radio circuits. Let’s have a look and even have a demonstration.

Terms to LearnParasitic — a secondary characteristic

of a component that depends on its physical construction.

Ideal — a component without parasitic characteristics.

Resistor FundamentalsEvery conductor resists the flow of cur-

rent (except for superconductors). Georg Ohm defined the exact relationship between voltage (E), current (I) and resistance (R), formulating his famous law learned by every Technician class licensee:

E = I × R, I = E / R or R = E / I

Electrons collide with the atoms that make up the material as they flow through it. The collision transfers some of the electron’s en-ergy to the atoms, which vibrate in response. These vibrations increase the temperature of the material and result in power dissipation calculated as:

Power (P) = I2 × R or P = E2 / R

An ideal resistor does not care whether the current flowing through it is ac or dc. The electrons collide with atoms going in either di-rection. Nevertheless, the shape and construc-tion of the material affects the electrical char-acteristics of the resistor. Practical resistors that can be used in electronics require a pair of electrodes or leads. The resistive material must be coated with an insulating material to protect it from the surrounding environment and vice versa. Construction details of the real resistors, shown in Figure 1, result in the electrical model for the resistor shown in Figure 2. The model includes parasitic characteristics created as a consequence of how the resistor is constructed. Look for the ideal resistor, R, buried deep inside the model! RS is the equivalent resistance of the real resistor.

The series inductance, LS, is created both by the leads attached to the resistor and

the structure of the resistive material. Wire wound and spiral cut film resistors have the highest parasitic inductances, carbon com-position resistors the least. Notice that for a surface-mount resistor, there are no leads. This greatly reduces LS.

A resistor’s electrodes also form a very small capacitor, CP , modifying the resistor’s behavior at very high frequencies. Although the resistor’s coating is a very good insulator, current can still flow in very small amounts across its surface as a leakage current, repre-sented by RP . This becomes important when the resistor has a very high value or is used in a high voltage circuit.

Resistor TypesThere are several different resistor con-

struction methods and body styles or pack-ages that are designed for a certain range of applied voltage, power dissipation or other considerations.

Carbon Composition ResistorsComposition means that the resistive

material is a mix of carbon and stabiliz-ing compounds. The amount of carbon in the mix determines the resistance of the material. A small cylinder, much like a pen-cil lead, is held between the two electrodes and coated with resin or phenolic, making a resistor with low LS that is often used in RF circuits.

Carbon composition resistors are typi-cally available with power ratings of 1⁄4 to 2 W. They can also handle temporary over-loads much better than film resistors because the heat is distributed evenly throughout the cylinder of resistive material. That makes them a good choice for circuits that protect against and absorb pulses and transients. Un-fortunately, these resistors are also strongly influenced by temperature and humidity and so are not good for circuits that depend on precise, stable resistance values.

Cermet or Metal Oxide ResistorsCermet (ceramic-metal mix) or metal

oxide resistors are replacing carbon com-position resistors in many radio applications

Figure 1 — The electrical characteristics of different resistor types are strongly affected by their construction. Reactance from parasitic inductance and capacitance strongly impacts the resistor’s behavior at RF.

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March 2008 67

because their value is more stable than that of carbon composition resistors.1 These are constructed much like carbon composition resistors, substituting the cermet or metal oxide for the carbon composition material.

Film ResistorsA film resistor uses a very thin coating of

carbon or metal on an insulating substrate, such as ceramic or glass as the resistive mate-rial. The value of the resistance is determined by the thickness of the film and the amount of carbon or metal it contains. These resistors are available with very accurate and stable values, but they are unable to handle large amounts of power because the film is so thin. Overloads can also damage the film by creating hot spots inside the resistor, chang-ing its value permanently. The value of film resistors is sometimes adjusted before sealing by cutting away some of the film with a laser in a process called trimming. If the film is deposited on the inside of a tube, the trim-ming process creates a coil-like current path that raises the LS of the resistor. If your circuit operates at high frequencies, be sure the resis-tors you use have a low value of LS.

Surface-mount resistors are almost always film resistors. These resistors have no leads at all, so LS is very low. The film is deposited on a ceramic sheet. Because of their extremely small size, surface-mount resistors have very low power ratings — from 1⁄10 to 1⁄4 W.

Wire-Wound ResistorsWire-wound resistors are made just as

you might expect. A high resistance wire is wound on an insulating ceramic tube and attached to electrodes at each end. These are made to dissipate a lot of power — from 1 to 100s of watts! Wire-wound resistors are usually intended to be air cooled, but some styles have a metal case that can be attached to a heat sink or metal chassis to get rid of heat. This type of resistor is common in power supplies and other equipment where lots of power is dissipated.

Because the resistive material in these resistors is wound on a form, they have very high LS. For this reason, wire-wound resis-tors are not generally used in audio or RF circuits. Be careful when using a resistor from your junk box or a grab bag in such a circuit! Small wire-wound resistors look an awful lot like film or carbon comp resistors. There is usually, but not always, a wide color band on wire-wound resistors. If you’re in doubt, test the resistor at the frequencies you expect to encounter.

Resistor NetworksResistor networks are often used in order

to save space on printed circuit boards. These

are miniature printed circuits themselves, placing several resistor films on one sub-strate. The resistors may be isolated from each other, share a common terminal or be connected in series with taps. There are a number of configurations that can be found in any component supplier’s catalog.

Power Dissipation and Voltage Ratings

Power dissipation is the next most im-portant characteristic of a resistor. An over-loaded resistor often changes in value over time and can get hot enough to burn itself and surrounding components. Every circuit designer learns the smell of burnt resistor sooner or later!

The common rule of thumb is to calculate how much power the resistor will have to dissipate and then use the next largest size or a dissipation rating higher by a factor of 2, whichever is larger. The power rating is based on unobstructed air circulation around the resistor. For resistors dissipating more than 1 W, arrange nearby components so that air can circulate freely. If possible, mount power resistors horizontally so that convection cools all parts of the resistor equally.

Another important rating is maximum applied voltage. Voltages above this value may cause an arc between the resistor termi-nals! At high voltages RP can also become significant, allowing current to leak around the internal resistance. High-voltage resistors must be kept clean. Fingerprints, oil, dirt and dust all create unwanted current paths, lowering RP and increasing leakage or even causing an arc. This is why resistors for use in high-voltage circuits are long and thin with their terminals far apart — to minimize leakage and withstand high voltage.

Observing the Effects of LS and CPThis is all an academic discussion until

you can see the effects for yourself. See if you can borrow that SWR analyzer again and

gather a bunch of different types of resistors. Values from 20 to 120 Ω will do. Obtain a coaxial-to-binding post adapter, such as a Pomona 1296, and connect it to the analyzer with a BNC-to-UHF adapter.

Mount a resistor on the binding post using short leads and set the analyzer to its lowest frequency. Note the resistance and reactance settings. Sweep the frequency upward while watching the SWR and X meters. Even a car-bon composition resistor will show increasing reactance with frequency. You can estimate LS by noting the frequency at which X = R and using the formula L = X/2πf. Sweep the analyzer through its complete range — some resistors may even show self-resonances, either parallel (high X) or series (low X)! This can be a good way to learn about the different types of resistor construction. It can even make a great club activity with everyone contributing a resistor or two!

Recommended ReadingChapter 6 of The ARRL Handbook

contains in-depth discussions of real-world components and makes for illuminating read-ing!2 For the serious student of resistance, Cletus Kaiser’s The Resistor Handbook is a thorough handbook on resistors of nearly any type you can imagine.3

Next MonthContinuing in this vein of exploring

the different types of components, let’s forge ahead into the world of capacitors — a component of many more styles than resistors, with a much greater variation of characteristics.

Figure 2 — The equivalent circuit for resistors including the various parasitic inductances and capacitances associated with the resistor’s construction.

1See www.vishay.com/docs/20127/sxa.pdf for more information.

2The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communica-tions, 2008 Edition. Available from your ARRL dealer or the ARRL Bookstore, ARRL order no. 1018. Telephone 860-594-0355, or toll-free in the US 888-277-5289; www.arrl.org/shop/; [email protected].

3C. Kaiser, The Resistor Handbook, CJ Publishing. Available from www.amazon.com.

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68 March 2008

Getting that Antenna Cable Into the House

A problem faced by all amateurs, unless they are unable to use outside anten-nas, is how do you get that transmis-

sion line from the yard into the radio room. That is, how do you do it so that snakes, ver-min and weather don’t come in with it!

The Problem StatementMost dwellings are designed to be pretty

tight. They attempt to keep the outside (cold, precipitation, lightning and varmints) out and the inside (heat or air conditioning) in. If someone else owns the building, they may be averse to having new holes drilled or hammered through their structure.

Getting in the BuildingThe absolute optimum arrangement for

entering a building, in my opinion, is to enter close to ground level near the building utility ground point or ground system. A solid metal termination plate at the building boundary should be connected through a short and wide conductor to the ground system. It should have feed-through lightning arres-tors or coax fittings with lightning arrestors mounted on the outside of the plate.

Any differential voltages will fire the arrestors and result in current staying outside. Balanced transmission lines can enter through feed-through insulators with a balanced arres-tor on the outside. Note that for balanced transmission lines, the common mode current will not flow to ground unless the arrestor fires. Figure 1 shows the arrangement.

Well, not everyone can do it in the ideal way. In fact I’ll bet very few folks come all that close to the ideal — I know I don’t! What we can do is keep the ideal in mind and try to get as close as we can. Some ideas might help:

If you can’t make a hole in the outer wall for a transition plate, perhaps you can deglaze a basement window and replace it with a piece of aluminum plate. Before you install and reglaze, make all the needed holes and insert required feed-through connectors.

If neither of the above is feasible, per-haps you can bore a 5⁄8 inch hole through the wall and insert a PL-258 UHF connector coax feed-through through the hole. While

The antennas in this issue are outside but the station’s inside!

cables themselves, can be put beneath a win-dow sash and the window closed over them. If painted the color of the woodwork, it will be hardly noticed. For safety’s sake, make sure that the window is blocked from opening since the usual locks will not be usable. Also put the kind of foam strips that come with window air conditioners between the now-open part at the top of the lower sash to keep insects out. MFJ and others make an adjust-able width board pre-fitted with coax, open wire and ground connections if you don’t want to do it yourself.

Getting to the StationIf you end up with your entry point in

an unfinished basement, it is usually pretty easy to find your way to a spot within the basement or underneath a station on the first floor. If the basement has a dropped ceiling with liftable tiles, that makes a great way to haul cable.

To get up to the floor above, I try to make use of existing holes for pipes or ducts — they often have enough clearance for a piece or two of coax. Be wary of heating pipes, though. If you can’t keep your finger on them for a time (make this check in the winter when hot water is circulating!) only use them if you can force the cable to stay a reasonable distance from the pipe. Sometimes you can follow an ac wire into the wall and install an electrical box with a coax connector adjacent to the ac outlet or telephone box.

If you have to blaze your own trail, you could just drill through the floor, but in my experience, that is the worst kind of hole to try to repair. If you must, pick a hidden corner of a closet for such a project. I’ve had good luck drilling through baseboards at an angle to go down into the basement. Only try this in interior walls; holes at such angles in exterior walls will end up in a sill and the foundation, not where you want to be.

To get to higher floors, a professional cable or telephone installer will often run wire outside, up the outside wall and back in again. This is not my preferred method. If you have access to each floor, it is often possible to do better. If all else fails, look for closets, one above another and go up inside corners.

Figure 1 — View of ideal cable entrance arrangement.

the regular PL-258 double female connec-tors are too short for the task, similar con-nectors are available in lengths of 4 through 12 inches from QST advertisers, and often at hamfest flea market vendor tables. These come with nuts on each end, but obtain an extra and clamp the ground connection between two nuts on the outside.

If your cable entrance point is not near your utility ground connection for any of the above cases, put in a new ground rod, or bet-ter a rod with multiple rods radially around the primary interconnected by buried heavy bare wires. Then tie this new ground to your utility ground through as short a buried wire as possible — outside the house.

For example, if you need to enter your premises via an upper floor window, see if you can run the cable to an arrestor near the utility ground point before you head back up.

To get into that upstairs window, a piece of 1 × 2 lumber with holes drilled for feed-through connectors, or even notched for the

Joel R. Hallas, W1ZR

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March 2008 69

Joel R. Hallas, W1ZR QST Technical Editor [email protected]

That First Contact!W1ZR

GETTING ON THE AIR

The gear is assembled, the antenna’s up, the station’s ready — now what do I say?

Learning what you need, passing your exam and getting that first license is all fun. You meet new people, learn some basics and assemble a station. Now that it’s all together, the rubber hits the road — what do I say when I press that push-to-talk button — panic!

Well, panic, or what we used to call mic fright, hits us all at the beginning in one way or another. I think it may be one reason some folks go through all the preparatory steps but never really get comfortable being on the air. This is not unique to Amateur Radio. Some people have trouble getting used to raising a hand in a classroom or meeting new people at a party.

So What Can We Do to Get Past Mic Fright?

The first rule is to be a good listener. Whether you are setting up to operate through the local 2 meter repeater, ragchew on 75 meter SSB or chase DX on 20 meters, listen to what’s happening first to get the rhythm and the scope of conversations before you try to jump in.

Get Your Feet WetBut, perhaps one toe at a time. There are

some venues that are easier than others to get used to. Some examples:

Check into a local net. Perhaps your local radio club or emergency communica-tions group has a regular weekly or monthly net. In my local group, the net control station asks for check-ins and folks respond with their call sign. The net controller compiles a list and then invites each checked-in sta-tion in turn, with a request for each station operator’s name and town. The second round is sometimes directed with a question about station capability, perhaps “Can your station run on emergency power,” or “Do you have a handheld transceiver and what bands does it cover.”

Sometimes the second round is not explic-itly directed, but passed to each station for any comments. Some will say, “no traffic,” but it would be a great opportunity for a new ham to say, “I just got my license, set up my new station and have been looking forward

to having an opportunity to join this group.” Chances are you will get a lot of “welcome aboard” messages, as well as a bunch of folk who will remember you and give you a call when they hear you on the air.

Enter a contest. Believe it or not, con-tests can be a good way to get used to talking on the radio. There is usually some kind of HF contest every weekend. Check the ARRL Letter on Friday and it will list many sched-uled for the upcoming weekend.1 To look ahead, check the ARRL Web site at www.arrl.org/contests and click on the month of interest in the CONTEST CORRAL box.

Find, read and understand the rules, particularly the required information in the contest exchange, since some have require-ments that are not obvious, although simple once you read the rules. An example — a contest may require that you send a “check” composed of the last two digits of the year in which you were first licensed.

What makes contesting easy to do is the fact that the exchanges are generally fixed and predictable, once you know the rules. The exchange for the December ARRL 10 Meter Contest, as well as a number of other contests, goes like this, as you listen to W1NCY seek contest contacts:

CQ contest, CQ contest this is W1NCY, whiskey one november

charlie yankee calling. W1NCY this is W1ZR, whiskey one

zulu romeo.W1ZR you are 59 in western

Massachusetts, whiskey mike alfa.Roger W1NCY, you are 59 in

Connecticut, charlie tango.Roger, thank you and good luck, this

is W1NCY, QRZ?

That’s it. Note the frequent use of the phonetic alphabet, as well as the Q signal. If you aren’t familiar with either, you might want to print out a “cheat sheet” to keep on your operating desk.2,3 Note the contact in your log, including the required information, so you can submit your log to the contest sponsor. W1NCY continues looking for the next contact on her frequency. By contest etiquette she stays on that frequency until she relinquishes it. For a beginner, it is probably less hectic to answer CQs than to initiate them. You will likely be able to hear the exchange a few times before it’s your turn, so you know what to expect.

Ready for Prime Time?Now you’re ready to jump into general

operating. You could give a general call (CQ), but for the first few times, why not look for someone calling CQ on HF, or saying they are listening on FM?

HF OperationPick a strong signal that you will be able

to copy easily, even if conditions worsen while you’re in mid-contact. Make sure the station’s frequency is well within a band seg-ment your license covers. Tune off frequency to a clear channel so you can’t hear another station (pushing a button to memorize the station’s frequency is handy here if your radio is equipped). Make sure you are transmitting

2A list of the current phonetic alphabet and other useful information is available on the ARRLWeb. See www.arrl.org/FandES/fi eld/forms/fsd220.html.

3A list of international Q signals and other handy abbreviations is also available on the ARRLWeb. See www.arrl.org/FandES/fi eld/forms/fsd218.html.

1The ARRL Letter is available to ARRL members via e-mail free of charge directly from ARRL. To subscribe, see www.arrl.org/arrlletter/about.html#get.

Making contest contacts is fun and easy.

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70 March 2008

properly into the correct antenna and it is tuned on frequency, if need be.

CQ, CQ, CQ this is W1NCY, whiskey one november charlie yankee calling and standing by.

As soon as the calling operator indicates she’s listening, give a call — almost like the contest example, but perhaps more slowly:

W1NCY this is W1ZR, W1ZR, whiskey one zulu romeo calling and by.

W1ZR this is W1NCY, thanks for the call OM (or YL) you have a fine signal 59 plus in Littleton in east-ern Massachusetts. Name here is Nancy, november, alfa, november, charlie, yankee. We’re having a fine day here, 32 degrees Fahrenheit, blue sky and solid snow cover. How is it your way, go ahead.

Fine copy W1NCY from W1ZR. Thanks for the nice report from Littleton. You are a solid 59 in Westport Con-necticut, about 50 miles northeast of New York City. Here we’re at about 60 F and we’re green again after our short snow experience.

The usual first exchange goes about like that. It contains enough information, call let-ters and signal report, to qualify as a contact for various awards. There’s no need for much more until you confirm that each station is copying comfortably.

The usual next exchange describes the station configuration. This generally includes the radio type, power output and antenna type and height. Sometimes it leads into an inter-esting discussion, particularly if there is something unique about the radio or antenna (for example, “Here we’re using a WWII surplus BC-375 transmitter that was the type used in B-17 bombers,” might cause some conversation).

It can go anywhere from there. You can even say that you just got your license and are new to this — chances are the other station will try to help you along. Lately many con-tacts seem to include information about how many years folks have been on the air, a good opportunity to raise the fact of your recent license. People also frequently discuss what they do for a living, how long they’ve been retired and from what, or what they are study-ing in school. Usually it’s safe to let the person who called CQ decide when the con-tact is over, unless you want to move on — just let her know with a “great to have met you, but…” and “73 and hope to see you again soon.”

VHF Repeater OperationPerhaps you know the frequency pair of

your local repeater. If there is more than one repeater in your local area, frequently local folk can be found mainly on one particular one, perhaps the one with the widest cover-

4J. Hallas, W1ZR, “Getting to Know Your Radio — VHF Squelch Modes,” QST, Aug 2005, pp 46-47.

5The ARRL Repeater Directory, 2007-2008 Edi-tion. Available from your ARRL dealer or the ARRL Bookstore, in either desktop-sized edi-tion, order no. 9914, or pocket-sized edition, order no. 9906. Telephone 860-594-0355, or toll-free in the US 888-277-5289; www.arrl.org/shop/; [email protected].

your first voice communication via Amateur Radio. One of the enjoyable aspects of Ama-teur Radio is the wide variation of what else you can do with it, so make sure you find out about all the other dimensions of our service before you get too comfortably settled into just one dimension.

There are a number of resources that will give you a good overview of the possibilities available to you as a licensed Amateur Radio operator. Much can be learned by actively listening around the bands, but perhaps you can learn even more by supplementing your listening with directed research. A particu-larly good source is the recently overhauled The ARRL Operating Manual, 9th Edition.6 This book’s 13 chapters cover the operating basics of digital and image communications, emergency communication, contests, DXing and more, as well as basic voice operation such as we have briefly described here.

Whatever direction you go — enjoy what you do and don’t forget to learn and grow in the field. A lifetime of interesting challenges awaits you!

6The ARRL Operating Manual for Radio Ama-teurs, 9th Edition. Available from your ARRL dealer or the ARRL Bookstore, ARRL order no. 1093. Telephone 860-594-0355, or toll-free in the US 888-277-5289; www.arrl.org/shop/; [email protected].

Yvette, KB3HTS, carefully scans 20 meters at the Case Western Reserve University club station, W8EDU

W8WTS

age. Sometimes there are multiple active repeaters with hams with different interests joining each other on specific repeaters. Try listening to each during morning and after-noon rush hour — it should become clear which one is most active or lines up with your interests.

After you have selected a repeater or repeaters, make sure you know the repeater input and output (the one that’s indicated on your radio when you listen) frequencies and have set them into your VHF FM radio. Also set up any other special settings that the repeater requires, such as continuous tone coded squelch system.4 CTCSS is intended to reduce unwanted repeater activation from interfering stations by requiring a continuous sub-audible tone. Without setting it, you will be able to hear stations using the repeater, but no one will hear you. If you don’t know about your local repeaters, check your local club’s Web page or look them up in The ARRL Repeater Directory.5

Once you have your radio set to the re-peater, if it’s not on use, give a call such as:

This is W1ZR testing.

After you release the PTT button, you should notice the repeater stays on for a few seconds. This will be indicated by the radio’s busy light or signal strength indicator staying on. This lets you know all is probably well with your gear and its settings.

Now you can wait until you hear someone announce they are listening, or perhaps just announces their call letters. Give them a call and engage as appropriate.

We’ve Just Scratched the SurfaceThe information in this article should be

just about enough to get you started with

ARMAD’S MCCLENDON BREAKFASTS AT THE WHITE HOUSE

On September 16, 2007 Emery McClendon, KB9IBW, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, traveled to Washington, DC at the invitation of “Families United For A Strong America.” Emery got in-volved with Families United in 2005 after they contacted him regarding Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day (www.armad.net/), which he founded in 2004.

The three day trip included a private tour of the Pentagon and a visit to Arlington National Cemetery for a wreath ceremony with General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. On Tues-day morning the group was invited to breakfast at The White House with President and Mrs Bush. Also present was Vice President Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and others from the Administra-tion.

During the White House visit he was able to speak with the President and shake his hand. He also spoke with White House staff about ARMAD and was able to leave information. After a visit to the Capitol, there was a huge press conference at Upper Senate Park and a dinner at the Marine Corps Museum at Quantico, Virginia.

Emery McClendon, KB9IBW (left), on the White House lawn in September.

Strays

GOTA.indd 70GOTA.indd 70 1/23/2008 10:26:14 AM1/23/2008 10:26:14 AM



March 2008 71

HINTS & KINKS

R. Dean Straw, N6BV Senior Assistant Technical Editor h&[email protected]

LURKING BEHIND THE GRAY DOORSoon after Hurricane Rita in 2005 my wife

and I made the decision to buy a larger gen-erator, since we had been without power for some time and our 5 kW generator wouldn’t run the air conditioner in the sweltering heat. When the new 15 kW automatic generator arrived, I called Steve, an electrical contractor and a close friend, to wire it in for us.

Like everyone we have an electrical panel. Ours is in the back bedroom closet. It is seldom opened except to reset a breaker (or to turn one off) or to change a switch or outlet. The panel remains out of sight. Steve opened the door and removed the cover over the breakers. What was lurking behind that gray door sent chills down my spine!

Hiding in the darkness was a disaster just waiting to happen. One of the wires coming into the box from the pole was covered with green copper oxide. The added resistance had caused the connection to become very hot, melting and burning the insulation. After dis-connecting the power, Steve removed the wire and the 200 A main breaker. The back of the breaker was burnt and crumbling. Underneath the breaker, the plastic panel had melted with a hole showing the metal back of the electrical box behind it. Pieces off burnt plastic lay in the bottom of the box. See Figure 1.

How long had it been like this? How long before it shorted out above the main breaker and our house caught fire? No one knows! We had not had any electrical problems. Nor had we smelled anything funny or had any clue that something was amiss. Had we not purchased a larger generator…who knows?

A loose connection was probably the culprit. This sort of thing could happen to anyone in a house or apartment. Everyone reading this article should check his or her electrical panel. Do not assume that

everything is okay because the lights come on when you flip a switch. An electrician will charge you for a service call, which is a bargain compared to having your house burn to the ground. — 73, Terry D. Coffman, KC5NAC, 3040 FM 2109, Huntington, TX 75949, [email protected]

FEED LINE ENTRANCE TIPSeveral years ago my family moved to a

newer home. Knowing that I was going to put up several antennas, I had to come up with a way to get the coax outside. At that time I ordered glass-block windows to replace the single pane originals. I asked the salesman if he could have the installers leave one glass block out of one of the windows and cement three 21⁄4 inch PVC pipes in its place. He agreed to do this and since this involved no drilling in the wall my wife, Debbie, N8FPA, gave her full blessing.

I purchased a 4 foot length of 21⁄4 inch PVC pipe and cut three pieces about 8 inches long. Then I took the caps and drilled five holes in each and covered them with Coax Seal. I made each hole large enough to feed coax a little larger than RG-8 through it. This would allow me to have 15 runs of coax or other cables to the outside. I drilled the caps ahead of time because once you have coax in one hole you cannot remove the cap. It is a lot easier to drill them in a vise rather than outside.

When I gave the pipes to the installers I had put the cap ends on each pipe since you cannot touch the pipes while the cement dries and because I did not want any vermin coming in. I made sure to have them leave about 3 inches of pipe sticking out of the cement. The caps need over 1 inch to attach to the pipe. I let the cement dry for several days. See Figure 2.

Currently I have a lot of wires running through this system. There is Buryflex coax for my remote SGC tuner, a run of direct-bury

ac cable I use to provide dc power to the SGC tuner, a coax for a dual band vhf/uhf antenna, coaxes for a 6 meter and a 2 meter loop, RG-6 to a UHF corner reflector for HDTV, a coax for an FM broadcast omni and a heavy duty ground wire.

This system works great for my purposes, especially since my shack is in the basement. Another benefit of glass block windows is that they are very energy efficient. — 73, Zack Schindler, N8FNR, 1103 Butternut, Royal Oak, MI 48073, [email protected]

PLASTIC PIPE WIRE TRAY FOR BACK OF CONSOLE

Here’s some info on the wire tray I made for the back of my equipment console. It works well and costs little. I had a 4 inch AWS Plastic Sewer Pipe that I had left over from installing a new sewer lateral in my house about 10 years ago. I cut it to be 5 feet long. I cut a 2 inch slit in the top for the wires to go into. See Figure 3. At the bottom of the pipe I cut five square holes to allow convenient access to the five ac power receptacles at the back of my console. I had some 3⁄4×1⁄16 inch flat aluminum that I bent to make the end holders. See Figure 4. The only thing I had to buy was the two end caps for the pipe, which cost me $7.95 each. I think that PVC plastic pipe would work just as well. This installation has really neatened up

Figure 1—Plastic panel holding the breakers in the metal box. Notice that a hole is burned all the way through the plastic.

TERRY D. COFFMAN, KC5NAC

Figure 2 — PVC pipe through one open frame in glass-block window in the basement allows cables easy, water-tight (and vermin-tight) entry to the house.

ZACK SCHINDLER, N8FNR

Figure 3 — Top view of 2 inch slit in the top of plastic sewer pipe used as a homemade wire tray.

JOHN J. ROESSLER, K6BX

H&K.indd 71H&K.indd 71 1/23/2008 10:26:42 AM1/23/2008 10:26:42 AM



72 March 2008

the spider’s web of wiring I had in the rear of my console! — 73, John J. Roessler, K6BX, 392 N Westwind Dr, El Cajon, CA 92020, [email protected]

ADDING 60 METERS TO THE MFJ-207 SWR ANALYZER

The 60 meter band requires a new level of care because of the unique operating require-ments on that band, including channelization and a strict radiated power limit. Adjusting your antenna on-the-air is not viewed favor-ably, and this is where SWR Analyzers have become a real boon. An inexpensive and popular unit is the MFJ-207. Unfortunately, it does not cover the 60 meter band because of a gap in coverage from 5 to 6.5 MHz. The MFJ-209, MFJ-259 and MFJ-269 don’t have this problem but these models are consider-ably more expensive.

Along with many MFJ products, a sche-matic was not supplied and is not readily available. Previously posted reviews and comments indicate that the SWR detector itself does not require tuning. Within wide limits it will respond to whatever frequency is generated by the exciter section. A bit of poking around revealed that the operating frequency is determined by a number of series-connected inductors. A bandswitch shorts out individual inductors. Since they are not inductively coupled there is no concern about creating shorted turns. An air variable capacitor does the tuning within each band. I wanted the modification to be simple and easily reversible. I also wanted to avoid sac-rificing any other bands or changing the dial calibration for the existing bands.

The solution turned out to be straightfor-ward. It involves creating a new band whose frequency is determined by adding a new inductor to the existing “C band,” which pres-ently covers 6.5 to 11.7 MHz, thereby pulling the frequency down to 3.7 to 6.4 MHz. The existing bandswitch is a 2-pole, 6-position affair. One half of the switch shorts out legs of the series-connected inductors and the other half serves to connect power to the circuit. The OFF position basically removes power and removes all shorts from the inductors.

mon fixed value inductor is 6.8 μH, and this will also work. You can buy a small ferrite choke of this value from Mouser (part no. 542-77F6R8-RC) or from Digi-Key (part no. M8655-ND) for about a dollar (plus ship-ping charges). — 73, David Koh, KE1LY, 14 Shuman Rd, Marblehead, MA 01945-2744; [email protected]

Hints and Kinks items have not been tested by QST or the ARRL unless otherwise stated. Although we can’t guarantee that a given hint will work for your situation, we make every effort to screen out harmful information. Send technical questions directly to the hint’s author.

QST invites you to share your hints with fellow hams. Send them to “Attn: Hints and Kinks” at ARRL Headquarters, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111, or via e-mail to h&[email protected]. Please include your name, call sign, complete mailing address, daytime telephone number and e-mail address on all correspondence. Whether praising or criticizing an item, please send the author(s) a copy of your comments.

Figure 4 — Bottom view of homemade wire tray

JOHN J. ROESSLER, K6BX

Figure 5 — Bottom view of MFJ-207 PCB showing where connections for new inductor and new power switch are made.

DAVID KOH, KE1LY

There is actually nothing connected to this position on either half of the switch. Adding a small inductor of 7.5 μH from the unused pin of the inductance side of the switch over to the C position pin will produce the new band. Obviously there is no dial calibration for this new band but the built-in frequency counter output allows for precise monitor-ing of the frequency (not a bad idea when working with this new channelized amateur band). When the new inductor is switched out of the circuit, it adds only a tiny amount of stray capacitance to the tuning circuit, not enough to change the existing dial calibration by even one percent.

Which position on the bandswitch accesses this new band? The OFF position! This leads to the final step of how to apply power to the circuit when using the new band. The simplest way is to solder a jumper from the unused pin on the power side of the bandswitch to the common trace connecting all of the other pins on that side of the switch. This means that the SWR analyzer is on all of the time — not a problem if you’re using an ac adapter but not great for battery operation. Adding a conven-tional power switch means cutting a trace on the circuit board. Instead, I carefully soldered insulated wire leads (#22 to #26 works fine since supply current is only 45 mA) to the un-used pin on the power half and to the common trace connecting all of the other pins on the power side of the bandswitch. See Figures 5 and 6. The other ends of the insulated wires are connected to a mini-toggle switch. When this switch is closed the unit is on and there-fore energized in the new 60 meter position. When it is open the result is normal operation; that is, power is off in the OFF position and ON in any of the usual band positions. There is plenty of room to drill a small mounting hole for this switch near the accessory power jack. You could also leave the switch dangling from its leads routed through a case seam and mount it more permanently after the warranty period has expired.

I had a 10 μH choke from a RadioShack coil assortment. This had 25 turns on a 0.156 inch ferrite core. Removing 5 turns yielded an inductance of 7.7 μH. The closest com-

Figure 6 — Finished view of MFJ-207 modifi cation for 60 meter coverage.

DAVID KOH, KE1LY

H&K.indd 72H&K.indd 72 1/23/2008 10:27:10 AM1/23/2008 10:27:10 AM



March 2008 73

Operating Tip of the Month

❝

This Month in ContestingSean Kutzko, KX9X

ARRL Contest Branch Manager, [email protected]

ADIOSPORT MARCH 2008 RADIOSPORT MARCH 2008 RADIOSPORT MARCH 2008 R

❞

“QRL?” If you want to call CQ Contest, make sure that “clear” frequency is really clear. Nothing upsets non-contesters more than not checking if a frequency is in use before calling CQ Contest. You wouldn’t want somebody doing that on top of you, so extend the same courtesy to others.

You’re new to HF, you have a trans-ceiver, and you have an antenna up. Now what? While there are many things you can do with your Amateur Radio license (see the article that begins on page 39 of this issue), one thing you can do very soon is get involved in the ARRL DX SSB Contest. It’s coming up the first weekend in March.

Why get involved? It gives you a chance to work lots of DX from around the world, it gives you an opportunity to see how many QSOs you can make in a short amount of time and it’s a lot of fun!

DetailsThe ARRL DX SSB contest begins at

0000 UTC on Saturday, March 1 and ends at 2400 UTC Sunday, March 2. For ama-teurs in the continental US and Canada, this translates to early Friday evening to early Sunday evening. US/Canadian sta-tions are only allowed to contact DX sta-tions, and DX stations are only allowed to work US/Canadian stations. For the pur-pose of this contest, the states of Alaska and Hawaii, as well as Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and all the US Pacific terri-tories count as DX. In the contest, stations need to exchange a signal report and an exchange. US and Canadian stations send their state or province, while DX stations send the amount of power they are trans-mitting with.

How Does It Work?Most contest QSOs are very short,

lasting only a few seconds. There’s no chit-chat involved; remember, it’s a competition, so people are trying to work fast and make as many contacts as they can in the time allowed. Here’s how a QSO between my-self in Connecticut and station PJ2T on the Caribbean island of Curacao would sound:

PJ2T: CQ Contest, CQ Contest, Papa Japan Two Tango, Contest. KX9X: Kilowatt X-ray Nine X-ray. PJ2T: Kilowatt X-ray Nine X-ray, you’re 5-9 Kilowatt, QSL? KX9X: QSL, you’re 5-9 Connecticut, QSL? PJ2T: QSL, thanks. QRZ, Papa Japan Two Tango.

That is a very compact QSO, but it contains all the critical elements needed for a valid contact: Both stations gave their call sign, a signal report and the contest exchange, and each station acknowledged

AN ARRL DX SSB CONTEST PRIMERthey received the other station’s information correctly.

Where Do I Listen?There will be thousands of stations active

during the contest period, from all around the world! This is your chance to make the most of your time, as you can make a lot of long-haul DX contacts in a very concen-trated period. The contest allows QSOs on 160 through 10 meters, with the exception of 60, 30, 17 and 12 meters. The higher bands will be open during daylight hours, while the lower bands will be open at night.

We are currently at or near the bottom of the 11 year solar cycle. This means that conditions on the upper bands (15 and 10 meters) are not likely to be very good. Most of the activity will be on 20 meters and lower, but you never know; there have been many openings on 15 meters from the US to the Caribbean and South America re-cently, so it’s always worth checking.

The 40 meter band will have lots of stations to work, but 40 works a bit differ-ently than other bands in a contest, so it requires a bit of explanation. Most DX sta-tions are not allowed to transmit in the US Phone band on 40 meters, so hams operate “split” — they transmit on one frequency while listening to another. DX stations can be found on 40 meter SSB between 7.040 and 7.100 MHz. They will announce what frequency in the US Phone band they are listening on. For example, “CQ Contest from Italy Radio Four Tango, listening 7-2-1-5.” This means the Italian station IR4T is lis-tening for calls on 7.215 MHz. It requires a bit of patience, but many stations can be worked this way. Just make sure you don’t

accidentally transmit on the DX station’s transmit frequency, as you will be outside of the 40 meter US Phone band allocation.

Do’s and Don’tsIf you hear a station and aren’t quite

sure what they’re saying, listen to them for a little bit until you understand them. You can pick out their call sign and their exchange information before you call them, which saves time. Always send your com-plete call sign, and always use standard phonetics when calling a station. Remem-ber, English is not the primary language of many DX stations; don’t use “cute” phonet-ics they may not understand. As the name of the game is speed, do not repeat infor-mation two or three times; acknowledge you have his information correct, then give your report one time only (“QSL, you’re 5-9 Ohio.”) If the station needs your report and state again, they will ask you for it. Effi-ciency is important.

Attitude is also important. Have only a 100 W radio and a simple antenna? That doesn’t mean anything. Contesters have very good ears and receivers, and can pull even the weakest stations out of their head-phones. They want to have a QSO with you! Act like you’re loud and you will be loud!

Be sure to check what frequencies your license class allows; for instance, General class Amateurs are not allow to transmit below 14.225 MHz on 20 meters. Be mind-ful of those restrictions so you don’t break the terms of your amateur license!

Be sure to take the time to read the official rules. Go to www.arrl.org/contests and look for the International DX Contest on the Rules page.

Most importantly, have fun! Make it a challenge; see how many different coun-tries you can have a QSO with. The ARRL offers award pins for station that submit a log with 100 QSOs. Can you qualify for a pin? If you get tired or frustrated, take a break and go do something else for a while. The contest will be going on all weekend long, so you have plenty of op-portunities!

If you get in the ARRL DX Contest for the first time this year, I’d love to hear from you. Tell me how it went: What was your farthest QSO? How many contacts did you make? What did you learn? I’m always look-ing for high-resolution photos to publish, so you can send those to me as well. Until next month, 73 and good luck in the contest!

NEW CORRAL TITLE PAGE MARCH.indd 73NEW CORRAL TITLE PAGE MARCH.indd 73 1/23/2008 10:28:02 AM1/23/2008 10:28:02 AM



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March 2008 75

FeatureSPORT RADIOSPORT RADIOSPORT RADIOSPOR

The 2007 ARRL September VHF QSO Party Results

They call it “sporadic-E” for a reason…Sean Kutzko, KX9X

ARRL Contest Branch Manager, [email protected]

VHF/UHF means different things to different

people. Some amateurs have only used the VHF/UHF bands for local communications, handheld transceivers and repeaters, missing out on a lot of fun and exciting DX possi-bilities. By using a small beam installed for horizontal polarization instead of vertical and trying SSB or CW instead of FM, they could be working stations several states away! VHF/UHF contesters have long figured this out, of course, and enjoy themselves to their heart’s content — assuming, of course, there is propagation.

Beyond the Radio HorizonVHFers all know how unpredictable

propagation can be. Paul, AA4ZZ, summed it up best: “It’s not often that the big story for June is tropo and September is 6 meter sporadic E (Es), but that is the story for the 2007 VHF contests.” How right he is!

An E-cloud settled in over Arkansas for a few hours on Saturday and allowed some much-needed 6 meter propagation. Those in the Northeast and South benefited from the un-expected 6 meter opening, while the rest of the country had to find QSOs by lots of CQing and sheer determination. There was also a touch of tropospheric enhancement to be found on the East Coast on Sunday morning, which led to some modest gains on 2 meters and up.

Keys to SuccessPerhaps the biggest factor that leads to

success in a VHF contest comes down to “chair time.” Sitting at the rig actively look-ing for or soliciting QSOs is going to lead to a bigger score. It’s really that simple. With marginal conditions, more chair time gives you better chances of catching the small openings that invariably occur during a con-test weekend and that increases your QSO and grid square totals.

Another strategy I’ve heard mentioned over and over is to work a station on as many bands as possible when you have the chance. If

Single Operator, Low PowerK2DRH 261,120K1TR 182,332W3SZ 181,450WB1GQR 132,526 (W1SJ, op)KB8U 95,760KC9BQA 79,734AF1T 78,870WB2SIH 70,680N9DG 65,526W3XO 52,624

Single Operator, High PowerK1TEO 502,502K1RZ 303,462WA2FGK 271,760 (K2LNS, op)KA1ZE 224,775K3TUF 177,704K8TQK 169,071K4QI 126,028W9GA 110,695K5LLL 97,704KE2N 94,041

QRP PortableKA1LMR 55,500W1JHR 10,816N8XA 6,728WB2AMU 6,650WA6OSX 4,371VA2WDQ/P 1,664VE7IHL 1,625KG6HSQ 351N3AWS 140KC2JRQ 42

Limited MultioperatorW3SO 277,440W4IY 256,896AA4ZZ 218,772K8EP 209,944W1QK 112,359N8ZM 79,975K2BAR 62,208KB1DFB 60,102KV1J 41,676W3HZU 39,585

MultioperatorK8GP 1,372,000W2SZ 1,174,600K1WHS 1,125,375N3NGE 516,051K5QE 472,256K3YTL 393,466N2NK 257,442W4NH 188,284W2EA 167,890K3EOD 129,808

RoverK6MI (+ W6TE) 617,013N6NB 584,486KK6KK 529,600W9FZ 76,962K3LFO 70,560 (+ W3DIO)VE3OIL 67,743 (+ VE3NPB)K9ILT (+ KØPG) 58,900W1AUV 55,521KC3WD 52,668WA3PTV 52,113

there’s no great opening, take advantage of having a station available to you and work them on as many bands as you pos-sibly can. Adding FM capabilities can also bring in some extra QSOs, especially if you live in a high-density population area.

And lastly, pay attention to the rovers and where they are going to be. Rovers, by definition, activate more than one grid square, often activating any given square for a very short period of time. Since you can work rovers each time they appear in a different grid, it’s worth the effort to keep tabs on their schedule. Rovers make VHF contests much more exciting, especially during periods of marginal propagation.

Stories from the TrenchesThe collective experience from a contest’s

participants can be a place to learn a lot of valuable tips to improve your performance in the next event. We had a lot of great sto-ries submitted to us from newcomers and seasoned veterans alike. Steve, K4GUN, had his first contest rover experience in the September VHF QSO Party. “This is when I discovered just how bad a vertical antenna is for SSB in the VHF/UHF bands. People had tried to tell me, but being as inexperienced (and perhaps stubborn) as I am, I didn’t quite understand the depths of this issue. I figured I have a pretty good vertical so how bad could it be? The answer: pretty bad.” Look for Steve as a rover in future VHF contests, with better gear.

Another Rover, Glen, KCØIYT, empha-sizes fun during his operations. “I had a lot of fun and I think it was mostly because I was out roving purely for the fun of it and not caring what my score would be. I know operators who won’t even turn their radios on if they’re not sure that they can WIN some category of the contest.”

Dan, W1QK, offers this insightful piece of information: “One of the reasons why we contest is to continuously assess what works and why, as well as determine how to make the deployment, operation and equipment better for the next competition.” One of the operators at W1QK was Harlan, KB1ILY, participating in his first event. “My first major contest was a hoot! The propagation seemed average, as I understood, but usually there were stations that responded to my CQ calls. The friends, food and radio fun-factor were astounding. Will I contest again? You betcha!”

The Contest — By The NumbersParticipation was up slightly this year, with

557 logs received compared to 2006’s 532, and 2005s 628 logs. Although conditions were generally down this year, we saw a few divisional records broken, including some

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76 March 2008

Regional LeadersNortheast Region(New England, Hudson and Atlantic Divisions; Maritime and Quebec Sections)

K1TR 182,332 AW3SZ 181,450 AWB1GQR 132,526 A (W1SJ, op)AF1T 78,870 AWB2SIH 70,680 A

K1TEO 502,502 BK1RZ 303,462 BWA2FGK 271,760 B (K2LNS, op) KA1ZE 224,775 BK3TUF 177,704 B

KA1LMR 55,500 QW1JHR 10,816 QVA2WDQ/P 1,664 QKC2JRQ 42 Q

W3SO 277,440 LW1QK 112,359 LK2BAR 62,208 LKB1DFB 60,102 LKV1J 41,676 L

W2SZ 1,174,600 MK1WHS 1,125,375 MN3NGE 516,051 MK3YTL 393,466 MN2NK 257,442 M

K3LFO (+ W3DIO) 70,560 RW1AUV 55,521 RWA3PTV 52,113 RW1RT (+ ON4IY) 42,277 RK1DS 41,791 R

West Coast Region(Pacifi c, Northwestern and Southwestern Divisions; Alberta, British Columbia and NWT Sections)N7CFO 20,898 AW6YX (KI6CCH, op) 12,532 AK6XN 11,634 AKI7JA 7,612 AW6OMF 6,750 A

KC6ZWT 29,212 BW6VNQ 17,980 BK7ND 14,042 BK7AED 3,956 BW7MY 3,610 B

WA6OSX 4,371 QVE7IHL 1,625 QKG6HSQ 351 QWBØIWG 1 Q

VA7ISL 23,374 LAD6IJ 15,105 L

KØDI 21,321 MKF6KDA 12,672 MK7RST 4,784 MKF6LT 2,340 MN6SPE 1,003 M

K6MI (+ W6TE) 617,013 RN6NB 584,486 RKK6KK 529,600 RK3UHF 30,753 RN7UHF 30,753 R

Midwest Region(Dakota, Midwest, Rocky Mountain and West Gulf Divisions; Manitoba and Saskatchewan Sections)W3XO 52,624 AWB5ZDP 38,720 ANØKP 38,710 ANØLL 28,060 AW6ZI 28,024 A

K5LLL 97,704 BK9MK 74,817 BWØZQ 65,369 BW5PR 24,700 BKCØTPP 18,601 B

KØNR 20 QN ØJK 9 Q

AB5GU 21,208 LKA5WZY 10,564 LNG5A 8,305 LNØUNL 5,782 LKE5BAV 3,888 L

K5QE 472,256 MKBØHH 92,901 MWØEEA 42,510 MWØFRC 1,302 M

KCØIYT 19,872 RWAØVPJ 15,370 RKRØVER 10,750 RKAØKCI 9,306 RN5AIU (+ AE5BN) 8,460 R

Central Region(Central and Great Lakes Divisions; Ontario Section)

K2DRH 261,120 AKB8U 95,760 AKC9BQA 79,734 AN9DG 65,526 AWZ8T 43,200 A

K8TQK 169,071 BW9GA 110,695 BK9EA 82,110 BK8MD 76,302 BK9CT 75,187 B

N8XA 6,728 Q

N8ZM 79,975 LN9TF 15,872 LW9RM 15,300 LKC8QAE 14,091 LWA3ZKR 11,280 L

N9UHF 61,248 MN2BJ 41,529 MW8PGW 20,746 M

W9FZ 76,962 RVE3OIL (+ VE3NPB) 67,743 RK9ILT (+ KØPG) 58,900 RN9TTX 46,110 RVE3SMA 43,450 R

Southeast Region(Delta, Roanoke and Southeastern Divisions)

K4LY 51,923 AW4SHG 48,138 AN4QWZ 39,250 AK4FJW 12,600 AK2DEL 11,285 A

K4QI 126,028 BKE2N 94,041 BW4WA 83,424 BW4ZRZ 56,304 BKN4SM 33,812 B

N3AWS 140 QAB4EJ 12 Q

W4IY 256,896 LAA4ZZ 218,772 LK8EP 209,944 LWD4OAR 34,632 LNG4T 1,474 L

K8GP 1,372,000 MW4NH 188,284 MAG4V 26,214 MNE5BO 21,504 MW4OZK 6,731 M

KC3WD 52,668 RN2CLB 3,424 RK4EPC 2,639 RAI4GR (+ KI4GQZ) 1,323 RAD4IE 1,272 R

that have stood for quite a long time.

Individual and Team Results — NationalSingle Operator

Bob, K2DRH, pulled off a repeat of 2006 and won the SOLP category yet again this year, improving his 2006 score by almost 50k points and setting a new central divi-sion record. The Saturday 6 meter opening, enhancement on Sunday morning and lots of tower and antenna work a week before the event led Bob to his best September VHF score ever. He was 80k ahead of sec-ond place K1TR, who received a visit from Murphy atop his Wachusett Mountain QTH in FN42, frying his IF and T/R switch for his 903-3456 MHz transverter box. Roger, W3SZ, set a new Atlantic Division record with his third place score, with only 882 points less than K1TR. K1TR had 239 QSOs more than W3SZ, but Roger had 32 more multipliers. W1SJ piloted WB1GQR to a respectable fourth place finish, while Russ, KB8U, came in fifth overall with 95k while struggling with a malfunctioning rotor, rounding out the top five. Honorable mention goes to Todd, N4QWZ, for break-ing the Delta Division record in the SOLP category.

For the high-power crowd, Jeff, K1TEO, pulled off his second win in a row as he topped the SOHP category by almost 66% from second place K1RZ, despite encoun-tering more problems than he’s experienced in some time. Persistence paid off and Jeff

was able to coast to victory even though his score was down almost 70k from 2006. Dave was hardly a slouch, scoring over 300k in his second-place effort. Herb, K2LNS drove WA2FGK to third place overall, with KA1ZE and K3TUF completing the top five.

For those who enjoy some fresh air — and a significant challenge — the QRP Portable category offers both a chance to get outdoors and a chance to do a lot with a little — or bang their head against a brick wall. Only 13 amateurs braved the category this Sep-

With a sporadic-E cloud settling over Arkansas, contesters were able to enjoy a surprise 6 meter opening Saturday afternoon throughout the Northeast and the South. Many QSOs were made off this cloud.

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March 2008 77

50 MHzK1TR 216WB1GQR 213 (W1SJ, op) W3XO 209K2DRH 203W4TAA 122K4LY 120

144 MHzWB1GQR 239 (W1SJ, op) K1TR 237K2DRH 181N8RA 154K5MA 137

222 MHzK1TR 84WB1GQR 80 (W1SJ, op) K2DRH 68W3SZ 67N9DG 58WB2SIH 58

QSO Leaders By BandSingle Operator Low Power

Club CompetitionLocal Club CategoryClub Name Score # of LogsMurgas ARC 668036 4North Texas Microwave Society 595863 5Chippewa Valley VHF Contesters 79772 6Raritan Bay Radio Amateurs 14241 8CTRI Contest Group 9800 310-70 Repeater Ass’n 9506 3

Medium Club CategoryClub Name Score # of LogsPotomac Valley Radio Club 2095553 21Northeast Weak Signal Group 2068735 21PACRATS 641932 11Badger Contesters 558231 25Society of Midwest Contesters 432704 18Yankee Clipper Contest Club 302672 12Carolina DX Assn 271967 3Contest Club Ontario 208241 17Northern Lights Radio Society 197723 14Pacifi c Northwest VHF Society 109429 12Northern California Contest Club 52342 6Florida Weak Signal Society 49394 6Grand Mesa Contesters of Colorado 47584 5Frankford Radio Club 28054 3Mad River Radio Club 24816 3Dauberville DX Assn 19354 7

tember and the general lack of propagation shows in the scores. Chris, KA1LMR, took first place for the fourth straight September contest, somehow scoring five times more points than second place George, W1JHR. Coming in third was Phil, N8XA, while Ken, WB2AMU, enjoyed some good en-hancement on Sunday to earn fourth place. Tom, WA6OSX, led the West Coast QRP contingent with fifth place overall.

Multioperator2007 saw a lot of familiar faces in the

Limited Multiop Top Ten. Seven of last year’s Top Ten are back again this year. The team from FN00, W3SO, managed to add 12k more to their score this year and take the top spot. Using older equipment and a station that has been pieced together little by little over the years, the Wopsononock Mountaintop Operators were able to overcome computer crashes and rig failures and edge out second place W4IY, who returned to the Limited Multi category after trying their hand at the Unlimited Multioperator category last year. Only 19k separated the two teams. While W4IY fared better on 6 meters in QSOs and multipliers, it was W3SO’s bet-ter performance on 432 MHz that seemed to make the difference. Paul, AA4ZZ, and his troupe broke 200k and earned third place, up a slot from last year’s effort. They were able to enjoy the 6 meter opening on Saturday, working a handful of stations at a time before the band would fold again. By the time the opening was done, AA4ZZ had managed to work 25 grids in Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and New Mexico. Now that is persistence. The K8EP crew improved their 2006 score by 25k points, but that was only good for fourth place this year. W1QK made the biggest improvement from 2006,

from ninth to fifth. The Unlimited Multioperator category

is the proverbial “Battle of the Titans,” with the Grid Pirates, K8GP, and the Mt Grey-lock Expeditionary Force, W2SZ, setting new standards for multioperator contesting year after year. This past June, the big news was The Grid Pirates victory over the Mt Greylock team. History has a tendency to repeat itself, and for the second time this year, K8GP took first place in the Unlimited Multioperator category, beating W2SZ by just under 200k. While W2SZ certainly has an advantage of more people to work on 902 MHz and up, The Grid Pirates were dominant on 50 MHz-432 MHz, making over 100 more QSOs and doubling the number of grids on 6 meters that their second place competition. K1WHS earned 100k more than last year’s effort, which translated into third place this season. Rounding out the top five are N3NGE and K5QE, who broke their own West Gulf Division record from 2004 with 472,256 points this year.

RoversThe big news this year was the shattering

of the previous top rover score not once, not twice, but three times in the same contest. Three different rovers headed up the Cali-fornia coast in tandem and all scored over 500,000 points. The winner this year was K6MI with a new record score of 617,013 points. N6NB was second with 584k and KK6KK came in third with 529k. Bruce, W9FZ, opted for a route in completely unfamiliar territory, venturing south of his home turf and amassing just under 77k to earn fourth place. Dave, K3LFO (+W3DIO) enjoyed great success around Virginia and Maryland to earn fifth place, scoring just over 70k.

Club CompetitionThe September VHF QSO Party is one

of many ARRL sponsored events that allows ARRL and RAC affiliated clubs to combine the scores of their members and compete with other clubs. The 2007 September VHF contest featured six competing in the Local Club category and 16 in the Medium Club category. In the Local Club category, The group from the Pennsylvania mountain ter-ritory, the Murgas Amateur Radio Club, used their skills honed from the Pennsylvania QSO Party and beat out a great effort from the North Texas Microwave Society (NTMS) to take top honors with 668,036 total points. Murgas scored 72k more than their brethren down South even though they submitted only four logs, compared to the NTMS’s five en-tries. The Chippewa Valley VHF Contesters managed third place with six logs.

In the Medium Club category, heavy hitters Potomac Valley Radio Club went up against New England’s premier VHF/UHF

club, the North East Weak Signal group. Both clubs submitted 21 logs, with NEWS utilizing five rovers to the PVRC’s 1. Both clubs racked up over 2 million points in their combined members’ score! When the dust had settled, the difference was a mere 26,818 points! Despite their best efforts, the North East Weak Signal group fell short this year and the PVRC won the Medium Club category. The Mount Airy Pack Rats came in third on their way to 642k, while Wisconsin’s Badger Contesters submitted an impressive 25 logs — the highest number of any club — on their way to fourth place.

Across the Continent — Regional NotesNortheast Region

The battle for top honors in the Single Op Low Power category continued to be fought out by familiar calls. Ed, K1TR, fought off high-band equipment failures to win the region, just edging out W3SZ, who managed to set an Atlantic Division record. Jeff, K1TEO, made the most of high-band enhancement to claim Single Op High Power and first place nationwide, beating Dave, K1RZ, by almost 200k. KA1LMR won the QRP category nationally and beating second place W1JHR by 500%. W3SO bested W1QK for the top Limited Multi op score, While K1WHS put in a very impressive score from their Maine hilltop QTH in the Multiopera-tor category, second only to perennial region winner W2SZ. K3LFO (+W3DIO) cruised in

Single Operator High Power50 MHzK1TOL 303W5PR 260K1TEO 182K5LLL 177K1RZ 175

144 MHzK1TEO 328KA1ZE 225K1RZ 209WA2FGK 193 (K2LNS, op) KE2N 164

432 MHzK1TR 112K2DRH 107WB1GQR 103 (W1SJ, op) W3SZ 77WB2SIH 73N9DG 73

902 MHzK2DRH 29W3SZ 28WB2SIH 24KC9BQA 19AF1T 19

1296 MHzK2DRH 37WB1GQR 36 (W1SJ, op) W3SZ 30KC9BQA 28WB2SIH 26

QSO Leaders By Band




78 March 2008

Multiplier Totals By Band

-L denotes Limited Multioperator

Single Operator Low Power50 MHzW3XO 90K2DRH 69K5IX 62W4TAA 58K4LY 52

144 MHzK2DRH 53K4EQH 44N9DG 38KB8U 37W6ZI 36K8ZES 35

222 MHzK2DRH 33N9DG 30KB8U 28K1TR 27W3SZ 25KC9BQA 25K5MA 25

432 MHzK2DRH 40N9DG 28K8ZES 28K1TR 27K4LY 27W3SZ 27KB8U 27

902 MHzK2DRH 20W3SZ 17KB8U 13WB2SIH 12KC9BQA 11WA3EOQ 11

1296 MHzK2DRH 20W3SZ 19WB2SIH 15WA3EOQ 13WB1GQR 13 (W1SJ, op)

Single Operator High Power50 MHzW5PR 95K5LLL 84K1TOL 70K9MK 68K5GZR 67

144 MHzKA1ZE 57K1TEO 56K8TQK 56K4QI 48W2KV 42K9EA 42WA2FGK 42 (K2LNS, op)

222 MHzK8TQK 44KA1ZE 38K1TEO 37K4QI 35K3TUF 34

432 MHzKA1ZE 50K8TQK 42K1TEO 41K4QI 40K3TUF 35

902 MHzK1TEO 25KA1ZE 21K1RZ 19K8TQK 19WA2FGK 17 (K2LNS, op)

1296 MHzK1TEO 28KA1ZE 27WA2FGK 23 (K2LNS, op) K4QI 21K8TQK 19K1RZ 19

Single Operator Portable50 MHzN8XA 27KA1LMR 22WB2AMU 16W1JHR 14VA2WDQ/P 9

144 MHzKA1LMR 25WB2AMU 18VA2WDQ/P 17W1JHR 17N8XA 12

222 MHzKA1LMR 16W1JHR 13N8XA 9WA6OSX 5VE7IHL 3

432 MHzKA1LMR 17WB2AMU 14W1JHR 13N8XA 6VE7IHL 6WA6OSX 6

902 MHzKA1LMR 6W1JHR 2N8XA 2WA6OSX 1

1296 MHzKA1LMR 6W1JHR 3N8XA 2WA6OSX 1

Multioperator50 MHzK5QE 118K8GP 100W4NH 92K1WHS 84AA4ZZ -L 75

144 MHzK8GP 80K5QE 63K1WHS 63N3NGE 59W3SO -L 59

222 MHzK8GP 50N3NGE 40W2SZ 39AA4ZZ -L 37K1WHS 36

432 MHzK8GP 51W3SO -L 49W2SZ 44K1WHS 42K3YTL 41

902 MHzW2SZ 35K8GP 29K1WHS 27K5QE 19N2NK 18N3NGE 18

1296 MHzW2SZ 38K1WHS 28K8GP 25N2NK 20K5QE 20

points for the regional Multioperator title. W9FZ prevailed over VE3OIL (+ VE3NBP) by just over 9k for the top rover operation in the Central region.

Midwest RegionBill, W3XO, in south Texas was able to

take advantage of the 6 meter opening on Saturday afternoon, snagging over 200 QSOs in five hours to earn the Single Op Low Power honors. Ron, K5LLL, combined the 6 meter opening with effective rover manage-ment to win the Single Op High Power honors, smashing the West Gulf Division record held by K5IUA since 1999. In what may be the most concentrated contest effort in history, Bob, KØNR, needed only five minutes’ worth of operating time to capture the QRP Portable category in the entire Midwest region! Marty, AB5GU, needed just 230 QSOs and 21k to take the region in the Limited Multioperator category, and in the Multi operator class, the K5QE crew was able to muscle their way to a new West Gulf division record in the Multioperator cate-gory for the fourth consecutive year. The regional rover title was contested between the efforts of KCØIYT and WAØVPJ, two members of the Northern Lights Radio So-ciety. KCØIYT was the winner, thanks to his use of the microwave bands. While John had more overall QSOs (208 vs 192) and more overall multipliers (53 vs 46), espe-cially on 6 and 2 meters, it was Glen’s QSOs on 903 MHz plus 2304 MHz and up that took him over the top.

West Coast RegionIf there’s no propagation to speak of,

VHF contesting out west can be especially try-ing. That doesn’t deter the Pacific Northwest

VHF Society folks, including Lynn, N7CFO, from getting in there anyway! Lynn walked away with the region’s best score in the SOLP category. Norm, KC6ZWT, increased his 2006 score by 33% taking the Single Op High Power category and a regional victory. With the difference in propaga-tion between the left and right coasts, QRP scores were decidedly lower out west. Tom, WA6OSX, fared the best, with 98 QSOs and 31 Multi pliers from 50 MHz through 1296 MHz to earn first place in the region from the field. With only two entries in the Limited Multioperator category from the Western sec-tions, VA7ISL had no trouble taking AD6IJ for top regional honors. KØDI was able to use the southern California population density to take the Multioperator title for the West Coast Region. So who were the rovers? K6MI, N6NB and KK6KK followed their noses up the California coast in tandem to a West Coast and national rover record score. John, K6MI, was the leader of the pack with 617k points.

ConclusionMore activity with some odd propaga-

tion made the 2007 ARRL September VHF QSO Party an enjoyable event. With some newcomers participating in their first VHF contest and many amateurs purchasing rigs that have VHF bands built in, now is a great time to get involved with VHF/UHF contest-ing and get on a band or mode you’ve never tried before. With the ARRL sponsoring three VHF/UHF contests a year plus an event dedicated to UHF only, you have plenty of opportunities to get in on the VHF/UHF fun. Join us! You’ll be glad you did. The 2008 September VHF QSO Party will be September 13-15. I look forward to working you!

style to the top rover score in the Northeast.

Southeast RegionDoug, K4LY (ex-WØAH) took the region

for the second straight year in the Single Op Low Power category, despite his score being down 18k from last year. Russ, K4QI, improved last year’s score by nearly 40k to claim the Single Op High Power regional title. Jim, N3AWS, took the top spot in the QRP Portable category with only 13 QSOs and a score of 140. The teams from W4IY and AA4ZZ slugged it out in the Limited Multioperator category again this year, with W4IY taking top regional honors in addition to second place nationally. The Grid Pirates, K8GP, worked the lower bands to perfection and took first place in the Multioperator category in both the Southeast division as well as nationally. Matt, KC3WD, scored 7k fewer points than in 2006, but was the Southeast’s best rover in September 2007.

Central RegionBob, K2DRH, continues his dominance

from Illinois as the top Single Op Low Power entry both in the region and overall, while Glenn, K8TQK, repeated his Single Op High Power regional victory, scoring just under 8k less than last year. The lone QRP Portable entrant in the region was Phil, N8XA, who managed 83 QSOs on six bands and improved dramatically on his 2006 score. The Limited Multioperator effort by Tom, N8ZM, and company was head and shoulders above second place N9TF. The Multioperator category pitted two Society of Midwest Con-testers contingents against each other; Barry, N2BJ (with packet) versus several operators as part of the N9UHF effort in EN52. The Stoned Monkey team topped Barry by 20k




March 2008 79

FeatureRADIOSPORT RADIOSPORT RADIOSPORT RADIO

The ARRL’s 10 GHz and Up contest, held August 18-19 and September

15-16, 2007, is like no other contest for so many reasons. First off, like the pre-WWII UHF Relay days, scoring is based solely on distance and there are no “multipliers.” In order to maximize your distance-based score, it re-quires that you sharpen your operating skills, improve your equipment, be aware of what propagation modes may be available and push the known limits about what can be done on all fronts.

So what kind of distance can be worked on these “Ultra Highs”? Line-of-sight? Maybe 1 or 2 kilometers or more? How about 1460 km! During this year’s contest a new North America 10 GHz DX record of 1460 km was set between Gary Lauterbach, AD6FP, operating from CM96wa and Frank Kelly, 4C2WH, operating from DL34wt. But they were not the only sta-tions working some long DX. For the contest as a whole, 16 different 10 GHz stations worked at least 1000 km! The average “Best DX” from all 113 competitors was 481 km and two thirds of all operators report making at least one contact out to 300 km or better. On 24 GHz, the best DX was 246 km, on 47 GHz it was 218 km and using visible Light, Clint Turner, KA7OEI, reported a 172 km QSO. Now that’s DX!

Another aspect that makes this contest unique is that the majority of contestants operate portable, all in search of long clear vistas free from RF absorbing foliage. There is no staying at home in the comfortable operating chair for most of these operators. Microwave contesters are not only skilled operators; they have to be tough to endure

The 2007 ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest Results

Twenty-one years young and still setting records!Jon Platt, WØ[email protected]

what Mother Nature hands out. Operating portable means combating rain, bugs, gas prices and perhaps our number one enemy, the wind. With a beamwidth of just a few degrees, keeping a 19 inch or larger dish antenna aimed properly in the face of wind and rain is no easy task. Be sure to visit the 10 GHz results at www.arrl.org/contests for a great sidebar story from Bruce Rich-ardson, W9FZ, to see how a small group of 10 GHz contesters battled the elements while trying out new microwave paths in the upper Midwest.

10 GHz Only ResultsThe big news here is the new North

America continental tropospheric propa-gation (tropo) record of 1460 km between AD6FP and 4C2WH. Gary and Frank took full advantage of the major tropo duct that appears along the California and Mexican coastline. How good was the Baja duct this year? The old DX record was broken multiple times. W6CWX worked a 1247 km path into Mexico using just

200 mW and a 16 dBi horn an-tenna, and KC6QHP reported working the /XE guys at 741 km from inside his apartment building while looking the op-posite direction! Also taking advantage of that same tropo duct was our 10 GHz Only winner Bernardo Gonzalez, 6I2HWB, with a total score of 196,989 points. Bernardo was able to make 275 QSOs with 52 different stations. Reviewing the 10 GHz Only category shows that the top 11 spots all belonged to either XE or 6-land stations. Dale Clement, AF1T, was the highest placing non-California, non-XE station with a 12th place finish of 27,629 points. Dale also had one of

the longest contacts outside of this same region at 635 km along with W3HMS and WA3PTV. The title for the greatest number of QSOs goes to 4B2WB with 299, while the title for the greatest number of different calls goes to AD6FP with 62. Looking at the participation by region, it’s not surpris-ing that 6-landers led the way with 34 en-tries, up four from last year. There are very definite “hot pockets” of microwave activ-ity around the country as 6, Ø and 1-land together accounted for 71 of the 115 entries, or nearly 62% of logs received. This year 7-land showed a nice increase in activity going from just two entries last year to five this year.

10 GHz and Up ResultsStarting in 1996, the 10 GHz Contest

rules were modified to include a second contest category for those stations operating on the bands above 10 GHz. This year there were 38 stations competing in this competi-tive group, essentially no change from the 39 entries last year. Of these 38 stations, 35

Bernardo Gonzalez, 6I2HWB, working into California from Mexico on 10 GHz.

DAN BUBKE, K6NKC

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80 March 2008

Table 1Top 10 Scores10 GHz Only Score 10 GHz and Up Score6I2HWB 196,989 KH6WZ 76,9844B2WB 173,020 N6TEB 38,258XE2/K6NKC 169,895 AD6FP 27,1254C2WH 157,487 N9JIM 26,509KE6HPZ 124,061 K6GZA 25,104WB6JDH 91,857 NØIO 24,140N6DN 55,594 WBØLJC 23,775N9RIN 39,214 W6OYJ 21,145K6WCI 37,460 K6JEY 20,968N6RMJ 34,296 WA6QYR 20,423

Table 2Participation by Call AreaCall Area Entries6 35Ø 231 145 8VE 78 7

Table 3Top 10 Total QSOs Completed10 GHz Only Score 10 GHz and Up Score4B2WB 299 KH6WZ 197KE6HPZ 280 NØYE 1736I2HWB 275 NØIO 163XE2/K6NKC 265 KØRZ 143WB6JDH 240 WBØLJC 1364C2WH 222 W6HCC/Ø 130N6DN 170 KA1OJ 115N9RIN 169 N9JIM 114N6RMJ 133 AD6FP 108W1AUV 115 N6TEB 107

Carol, NØHZO, enjoys a sunny Minnesota day in EN34qg while working the contest.

MEL LARSON, KCØP

Call Area Entries4 57 53 32 3DX 39 1

operators report operating on 24 GHz and 16 on 47 GHz. Just 13 stations report hav-ing made contacts on 10, 24 and 47 GHz. Congratulations to those few! There were no reported contacts on the bands between 47 GHz and Light and just one reported QSO on Light.

The winner of the 11th running in the 10 GHz and Up category is Wayne Yoshida, KH6WZ, with a score of 76,984 points. Wayne’s 197 contacts also captured the greatest number of QSOs in this category. In all, eight of the Top Ten slots were captured by those operating from 6-land with only Ø-landers NØIO and WBØLJC cracking into this top group.

Dropping in at 6th place was Mark Lewis, NØIO, with 24,140 points. Mark was the highest placing non-6-lander in this oper-ating class. It’s no coincidence that Mark also had the best DX on both 24 GHz at 246 km and 47 GHz at 218 km sharing those honors with Phil Lee, W6HCC/Ø. Mark’s key advantage was not a coastal duct, but the lofty vista provided by Pikes Peak, Colorado at over 14,000 feet. Those of us who live in the low flatland can only dream! On 24 GHz Mark used a homebrew transverter based on a DB6NT board with a 10 MHz locked LO, a homebrew preamp with a 1.8 dB noise figure and 28 dB of gain, a surplus 500 mW amplifier and a 21 dBi horn antenna. Mark reports that this contact took place between Pikes Peak (DM78lu) and a spot in Wyoming (DN71nb) that has a great view to the south. On 47 GHz, Mark used a homebrew harmonic mixer with a 10 MHz locked LO, a DB6NT amplifier providing a 4.8 dB noise figure and 35 mW of RF output to a surplus 12 inch PCom dish antenna fed with homebrew WR22 waveguide. On 47 GHz W6HCC/Ø was listening with a bare mixer connected to a 12 inch dish antenna. Mark reports that W6HCC/Ø 50 mW was 10 dB out of the noise on this 218 km path. Following this contact Mark reported a 47 GHz 175 km QSO with KØRZ. KØRZ’s SSB signal was 30 dB above the noise.

Looking at the distances worked on the bands above 10 GHz, on 24 GHz both the average and the mean “Best DX” for the 38 reporting stations was 101 km. On 47 GHz, the average “Best DX” for the 16 reporting stations was 56 km while the mean was 30 km.

On the 300+ GHz frontier, Clint Turner, KA7OEI, reported a 172 km Light QSO with Ron Jones, K7RJ. Clint operated from Inspiration Point, north of Ogden, Utah (DN41aj) with a station consisting of two 250 mm by 318 mm Fresnel lenses. Ron, K7RJ, was located near Mt Nebo, Utah (DM49du) and used a station that con-

bandwidth of 20 nm. Clint reported that signals varied between Q2 and Q3 with the exchange being completed using voice. Due to a tremendous amount of haze in the air neither site was visible from the other.

Looking Ahead —— the 22nd Running

As Ron Simpson, N6GKJ, said in his con-test soapbox, “I want to thank each and every one of the stations that I contacted. I learned something very valuable and important from all of them...never give up...keep going, the thrill is the farthest contact, the chase is worth it!” Well said. Congratulations to all 113 mi-crowave enthusiasts who participated in the 2007 contest. You can see that this contest is like no other, in many ways. Now is a good time to start to think about this year’s contest, so mark down August 16-17 and September 20-21, 2008 in your calendar.

The photo caption of President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, with Senator Mark Pryor [Jan 2008, p 13] identified the senator as a Republican. He is in fact a Democrat.

In “2007 ARRL International DX Phone Con-test Results [Oct 2007, pp 95-100], KA5PVB was incorrectly listed in the Single Operator, Low Power category. He should have been listed in the Single Operator QRP category. This change puts him in fourth place overall in his correct category. The ARRL regrets the error.

In “Building the Tinker Box” [Jan 2008, pp 35-38], the schematic in Figure 1 is authentic based on the original; however, it introduces a safety risk not acceptable in peacetime. There is no bleeder resistor in the power supply to discharge the filter capacitor after turning the set off. We suggest that those building copies insert a bleeder of around 40 kΩ at 10 W in parallel with C11. As with any safety device, always assume it has failed and ground the positive side of C11 with a shorting stick to be sure.

In “Product Review—ICOM IC-R9500 Com-munications Receiver” [Jan 2008, pp 69-73], Table 1 on p 71 has two errors. The correct value of the measured IMD DR for 14 MHz at 5 and 2 kHz spacings is 92 and 81 dB, respectively.

In “Feedback” [Feb 2008, p 44], pins 4 and 5 of the opto-isolator are reversed.

In “Hints & Kinks” [Feb 2008, pp 80-81], the item “Two Speed Soldering Iron” actually reduces power by 50%, not 75% while the diode is inserted in the circuit. This is a result of the duty cycle being reduced by 50%.

In “Old Radio” [Feb 2008, pp 96-97], the modified electronic keyer schematic did not show the pin connections for the change to the 6C4 triode. The pins are as follows: filament, 3 and 4 (not center tapped); grid, 6; plate, 5 (or 10) and cathode, pin 7.

sisted of two 404 mm × 430 mm Fresnel lenses. Both stations used one lens for transmit while the other lens was used for receive. Both stations were located at about 9383 feet in elevation. Common to both stations was a KA7OEI designed JFET-based optical detector using a BPW34 PIN photodiode while the emitters were AM modulated Luxeon III devices operating at 627 nanometers (about 478 THz). It should be noted that the emitters that were used for these contacts, while not lasers, are narrow band transmitters with a half power

Feedback

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March 2008 81

For more comments about this year’s IARU contest, link to www.arrl.org/contests/soapbox/.

Participation StatisticsContrary to what one would expect for

being at solar minimum between Solar Cycles 23 and 24, there were a record number of logs received this year (3200). The 3200 logs received were up a bit over 5% from the previous record in 2005 (3038). This shows how popular this contest is in fulfilling the “contest withdrawal symptom” experienced by many contesters during the summer. If Cycle 24 ramps up and offers any reasonable amount of sunspots for next year’s event, one could easily imagine that a new record will again be set with log submittals. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

This year’s event had entries from 51 zones. That’s on par with previous years, which has seen a low of 48 to a high of 53. There were five zones with only one entry — zones 22, 25, 46, 48 and 53.

Zone 28 led the pack with a bit more than one third of the total log submittals, up a bit from last year. Zone 8 came in second with about 14% of the total logs. Zone 29 was third with about 12% of the logs.

The most popular category again this year was Single Op CW Low Power, with Single Op Phone Low Power second and Single Op Mixed Low Power third. In fact, if you operated Low Power, you were part

Feature

Although Ol’ Sol only offered two small sunspots for the contest weekend, that didn’t stop six IARU

participants from setting three new World records and three new W/VE records. And some of the new records didn’t just “squeak by” the old records — we’re talking about some major increases.

World RecordsIn the Single Op Mixed High Power cat-

egory, Hrane, YT1AD, piloting 3V1A bested his old record set in 2004 while operating 3V8BB by 3%.

In the Single Op Mixed QRP category, the 2004 record held by HG5Z (HA1CC op) was eclipsed by fellow countryman HG5Y by 2%.

The largest World record-breaking effort was in the Single Op Phone QRP category. HG1W (HA1WD op) toppled last year’s record set by HA8JV by 10%.

W/VE RecordsOf the six new records that fell in 2007,

the three W/VE records had the largest increases.

Leading the pack was N2QT’s Single Op Phone Low Power effort. He broke the 2005 record held by W3LL by 62%.

Not far behind in terms of a record increase was N2WN in the Single Op CW QRP category. He took the record away from W5GAI with a 59% increase.

2007 IARU HF World Championship Results

A great year for record-breaking.Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA

Former Editor, National Contest Journal (NCJ) 2002-2007

RecordsBoldface indicates new record for 2007.World Call Score YearHQ R9HQ 26,342,498 2006Single Op Mixed HP 3V1A (YT1AD op) 4,414,517 2007Single Op Mixed LP HG3M (HA3MY op) 2,095,522 2004Single Op Mixed QRP HG5Y 1,067,647 2007Single Op Phone HP CN2R (W7EJ op) 4,718,736 2005Single Op Phone LP HG3M (HA3MY op) 1,581,930 2006Single Op Phone QRP HG1W (HA1WD op) 348,517 2007Single Op CW HP CT3EN (CT1BOH op) 3,829,848 2005Single Op CW LP HA8DU 2,278,782 2006Single Op CW QRP HA5KDQ (HA7ANT op) 1,412,260 2006Multi Op P3A 7,008,176 2003

W/VE Call Score YearHQ W1AW/4 10,720,370 2000Single Op Mixed HP KQ2M 2,810,088 2001Single Op Mixed LP K1XM 760,704 2006Single Op Mixed QRP NØKE 156,774 2006Single Op Phone HP KH6ND 2,257,190 2002Single Op Phone LP N2QT 329,565 2007Single Op Phone QRP KC5R 172,080 2007Single Op CW HP VY2ZM (K5ZD op) 2,631,694 2005Single Op CW LP W1RM 1,065,110 2006Single Op CW QRP N2WN 166,370 2007Multi Op KH6ND (at KH7R) 2,113,350 2001

Single-Op Participation Number Category of LogsMixed HP 292Mixed LP 548Mixed QRP 56Phone HP 216Phone LP 636Phone QRP 51CW HP 293CW LP 690CW QRP 115

Zone Participation Number Zone of Logs 28 1106 8 438 29 381 27 211 45 145 7 133 6 132 30 85 18 80 37 77

Finally, KC5R beat his own record from last year by 27% in the Single Op Phone QRP category.

Congratulations to all the new 2007 Re-cord Holders. But you better watch out — if Ol’ Sol comes through with some new Cycle 24 sunspots next July, we’re likely to see another round of record-breaking efforts.

Soapbox SamplesI’m just 17 years old and I’ve only been

operating CW since last September, so this was my first full CW effort in a contest — I had a great time and will be back for another one next year! — N3ZL

Bring back the sunspots. — N8CMZThis was the year of the HQs!

— WP3GWI had a blast in the contest. — W8JMF

SPORT RADIOSPORT RADIOSPORT RADIOSPORT

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82 March 2008

Op Phone QRP category. That has to be a tough one, but there were 51 entrants who braved it.

HQ CompetitionIn the battle of the HQ

stations, Europe was (as expected) the place to be.

The gang at DAØHQ bested second place finisher TMØHQ

by a decent margin of 4.9%. A big pat on the back goes to the DAØHQ

team for their win. Rounding out the Top Five were OM7HQ, SNØHQ and GB7HQ.

Multi-Op CompetitionThere were a total of 255 Multi-op

entries in this year’s contest. The team at P33W took first place in the World with a

of the 65% that were Single Op. The moral here is don’t shy away from the IARU con-test if you don’t have an amp — you’ll be in good company with many others.

The least participation was in the Single

Ol’ Sol on Saturday, July 14, 2007. Many hams were confused by

the appearance of dark spots on the sun; some Old-Timers

remembered seeing them long ago…

Northeast Region(New England, Hudson and Atlantic Divisions; Maritime and Quebec Sections)KA1LMR 53,808 A ANS3T 39,616 A AK3OQ 31,980 A AVA3JFF/W1 6,237 A AN1UR 671,822 A BN2GM 131,200 A BW3KB 125,477 A BVE2AWR 105,248 A BWA2MCR 69,930 A BK3CR 1,480,063 A C (LZ4AX, op) N3AD 868,884 A CK3ZO 858,060 A CKB1H 714,270 A CVE1MC 155,262 A CWBØIWG 13,254 B AWB7OCV 2,500 B AAA2VK 95 B AKK1KW 175,980 B BW3LL 134,780 B BKB3LIX 83,616 B BKA2KON 77,826 B BKE3WM 57,392 B BW2RDS 411,480 B CKK1L 360,427 B CW3NX 340,960 B CW1OP 167,776 B CNA3M 84,755 B CAA4AK 103,960 C AAA1CA 86,946 C AKR2Q 22,250 C AKO1H 4,900 C AK3WWP 4,221 C AVE2XAA 350,172 C BWB2AA 319,966 C BVE1RGB 241,674 C BVE1DT 229,749 C BKB1T 174,492 C BWA1Z 1,457,528 C CAA3B 1,235,379 C CK3WW 1,195,830 C CVY2/KV8Q 1,183,884 C CW1UE/VE1 1,090,397 C CKD4D 1,252,440 DK9RS 1,211,946 DK1TTT 833,466 DNO2R 406,692 DW2RDX 171,086 D

Southeast Region(Delta, Roanoke and Southeastern Divisions)N8II 34,383 A AN5AN 158,670 A BNF4A 146,853 A BAI4MT 140,996 A BWA4JUK 108,491 A BAA5CH 79,378 A BN4PN 852,867 A CW5WMU 841,269 A CN8OO 567,213 A CK4PV 431,616 A CAC8Y 368,640 A CKC5R 172,080 B AW1KLM 16,797 B AN2QT 329,565 B BW4SVO 213,172 B BW4TMN 158,664 B BW4LT 108,015 B BN2ESP 60,912 B BW4WTB 528,953 B CN4OX 455,259 B CK5ER 281,112 B CNJ2F 206,017 B CN4MM 125,419 B CN2WN 166,370 C AK4LTA 144,643 C ANU4B 13,664 C AW5JBV 8,835 C AWA2ASQ 8,550 C AWJ9B 483,351 C BWB4TDH 402,990 C BWK2G 277,860 C BK4AMC 252,035 C BWA1FCN 206,664 C BN4OGW 1,098,082 C CK4RO 776,860 C CK1PT 771,125 C CK4BAI 713,424 C CW4NZ 630,608 C CNR4M 843,600 DWW4LL 636,437 DW2OO 173,565 DW4XO 34,884 DN4UQB 15,295 D

Central Region(Central and Great Lakes Divisions; Ontario Section)VA3YP 255,294 A BVA3NR 226,464 A BKB9OWD 186,390 A BK8GT 130,338 A BAC9X 108,900 A BVE3DZ 1,813,490 A CVE3EJ 1,775,554 A CVE3AT 1,746,108 A CVE3JM 1,266,432 A CK9NW 942,844 A CWD9FTZ 14,388 B AKC9AMM 7,252 B AN8XA 2,600 B AKC8SQC 66 B ANV8N 141,300 B BVE3OX 57,024 B BW8KNO 49,628 B BW9QL 48,552 B BVA3TTU 32,604 B BWB9Z 756,624 B CKE9S 374,375 B CVA3XH 102,400 B CK8ZZU 50,336 B CW8JMF 25,200 B CW8TM 30,380 C AVE3MGY 27,830 C AVA3RKM 15,826 C AVE3IGJ 5,440 C AKB9S 1,111 C AVE3XB 758,160 C BVE3XD 191,632 C BVE3GSI 166,980 C BK9QVB 134,479 C BK8QKY 113,262 C BKV8Q 1,089,080 C CN8VW 479,958 C CK8GL 354,941 C CK9OM 215,757 C CW8MJ 214,434 C CK8AZ 1,091,250 DK9SD 598,368 DN2BJ 315,386 DVE3MIS 309,591 DNG9T 169,776 D

Midwest Region(Dakota, Midwest, Rocky Mountain and West Gulf Divisions; Manitoba and Saskatchewan Sections)NØLY 50,615 A AAD7BN 7,290 A AW5ZL 540,770 A BKØAD 317,205 A BKØHW 114,975 A BN5TY 109,319 A BVE4YU 96,496 A BKU1CW 1,195,422 A CN3BB 1,090,388 A CKØOU 518,434 A CN5XZ 123,816 A CKØBJ 41,572 A CNDØC 4,671 B AW5LL 273 B AW9BNO 170 B AKCØNYK 125,291 B BKBØQJX 76,618 B BKØLEJ 39,438 B BK5WMH 38,848 B BKØAIZ 34,873 B BKØRH 373,860 B CWA5ZUP 52,920 B CWØUVC 24,750 B CWØCHH 10,540 B CKC5TA 5,975 B CKG5U 34,200 C AWA3RML 13,110 C AW5ESE 992 C AN5KEV 988 C AKØRU 198,000 C BKKØHF 121,606 C BKØGEO 104,796 C BKA5KLU 50,799 C BWØRAA 37,796 C BWXØB 1,071,576 C CNØAV 394,810 C CN5PO 240,484 C CKØFX 181,008 C CK5BG 60,852 C CK5NA 1,662,000 DNØNI 1,045,488 DWØEWD 454,662 DKØRC 255,420 DK4IU 148,680 D

West Coast Region(Pacifi c, Northwestern and Southwestern Divisions; Alberta, British Columbia and NWT Sections)W6AQ 72,375 A AKD4HXT 10,908 A AK6DBG 1,580 A AN6NF 244,400 A BWA6FGV 101,232 A BK6GEP 58,812 A BND6S 54,350 A BN6EM 40,572 A BK6XX 1,049,048 A CN6ED 498,784 A CK6NR 442,200 A CW6TK 310,284 A CK7BTW 192,832 A CW6QU 24,539 B A (W8QZA, op) N7EL 1,365 B AN1MMY 4 B AK7ACZ 11,696 B BK7XE 8,382 B BW7KAM 7,285 B BW6NF 7,105 B BK6PTS 3,978 B BW7WA 902,656 B CW6YX) 214,291 B C (KI6CCH, op K3LL 156,862 B CN7VF 114,894 B CK6QK 100,831 B CVA7DER 10,440 C A (VE6BIR, op) WA6L 3,102 C AKK6TV 540 C AK8IA 444,573 C BK7WP 334,110 C BW6/VK2IMM 186,454 C BWN6K 144,550 C BNQ7R 108,066 C BW6YI 1,492,032 C C (N6MJ, op) N6TV 883,660 C CN6RO 545,860 C CN6AA 413,168 C CW6EU 351,000 C CN6RJ 536,333 DK7ZSD 496,496 DN7WA 371,800 DW6GMU 295,250 DNN7SS 175,624 D

W/VE Region WinnersColumns are Call, Score, Class and Power. For Class: A = Mixed Mode, B = Phone Only, C = CW only, D = Multioperator. For Power: A = QRP. B = Low, C = High.

score of 5.07M, beating second place RL3A by a good margin. The team at K5NA came out on top of the W/VE entries with a 1.66M score, followed by KD4D.

Close Races in Single OpThere were several tight races in the

Single Op categories in the 2007 event.In Phone High Power, OH2BYS (at

EA8/OH4NL) beat PP5JR (at ZX5J) by

Jeff, NX9T, shared the IARU fun with his sons Jonathan (left) and Jacob.

COURTESY JEFF KELLER, NX9T




March 2008 83

Continental ResultsFor Class: A = Mixed mode, B = Phone only, C = CW only, D = Multioperator. For Power: A = QRP, B = Low, C = High.

Call Score Class PowerAfricaST2A 258,090 A B3V1A 4,414,517 A CZS6AA 296,037 A CCT3HF 97,422 B BEA8AAJ 94,209 B BST2M 83,898 B BEC8AFM 67,410 B BCN8YE 15,522 B BEA8/OH4NL 2,236,216 B C (OH2BYS, op) ZS5NK 15,300 B CEA8BEX 263,917 C BEA8BVP 12,800 C BZS4JAN 63 C B5H3EE 630,355 C CEA8MQ 509,151 C CVQ9JC 93,849 C CZS5ZZ 5,106 D

AsiaJK1TCV 17,550 A AJH7RTQ 1,768 A AVU2GUR 24 A ARA9DZ 807,737 A BRK9AJZ 514,265 A BRL9AA 442,850 A BRL9A 248,805 A B (UA9AX, op) E21EIC 222,750 A BC4M 3,680,586 A C (RW3QC, op) UA9CLB 2,694,472 A CUPØL 2,512,500 A C (UN9LW, op) EX2M 1,870,041 A CRA9JX 1,031,184 A CTA2RX 47,200 B ABG3BXH 16,132 B AJA2MWV 6,055 B AJG1UKW 374 B ARAØSMS 60 B A7Z1SJ 391,544 B BUA9ACJ 189,332 B BRW9TP 92,026 B BRX9FR 73,920 B BRNØSA 62,678 B BC4I 507,640 B CJY4NE 351,390 B CUN7MMM 281,941 B CVR2XMT 172,627 B CBX5AA 157,300 B CUN7CN 52,026 C AJR1NKN 27,086 C ARV9AZ 21,027 C ARA9SC 9,471 C AJF2MBF 1,632 C ATA3D 776,364 C BRU9WZ 507,687 C BUA9AOL 473,564 C BJF1NHD 350,865 C BRA9KM 287,133 C B

Call Score Class PowerZC4LI 2,021,586 C CRG9A 722,600 C C (UA9AM, op) RT9S 682,753 C C (UA9SP, op) VR2BG 484,968 C CJA7DLE 370,108 C CP33W 5,066,256 DRT9W 3,102,776 DRN9S 2,510,200 DRK9CWW 2,097,425 D

EuropeHG5Y 1,067,647 A ARV3QX 319,928 A AOK7CM 305,744 A AUR5IF 271,912 A AUS2IZ 256,128 A ALY6M 1,426,030 A BLY9A 1,371,760 A B (LY3BA, op) UT2UZ 997,692 A BON4CT 954,240 A BLZ5W 652,834 A BUA3RAR 2,038,895 A CIR2Y 2,001,293 A C (IK2QEI, op) UW2M 1,967,094 A C (URØMC, op) ES5RR 1,879,788 A CS5ØA 1,863,960 A CHG1W 348,517 B A (HA1WD, op) YO4AAC 110,080 B AYO2LYN 83,030 B AUT5ERP 73,932 B ASQ2DYF 59,000 B AHG8R 1,155,390 B BHG3DX 1,077,274 B B (HA3MY, op) IZ2FOS 734,706 B BUV8M 728,008 B B (UX3MR, op) F4BKV 512,190 B BUT7QF 2,115,928 B CS57DX 1,440,732 B CIR2M 1,305,884 B C (IZ2FDU, op) US5D 1,282,323 B C (UT7DX, op) YL7A 1,049,580 B CHG5A 679,855 C A (HA5IW, op) HA5KDQ 418,215 C AHA7AP 351,740 C AUA6LCJ 222,684 C ALY4BF 192,717 C AYU7W 1,501,605 C B (YT7AW, op) OL6P 924,375 C BYO5KIP 838,490 C B (YO5OHO, op)HG8K 787,889 C B

Call Score Class PowerMDØCCE 782,061 C BCU2A 2,946,312 C C (OH2UA, op) YL8M 2,245,320 C CUZ7U 2,139,825 C C (UT3UA, op) RD3A 2,132,436 C C (RD3AF, op) HA8FM 2,008,476 C CRL3A 3,202,424 DUU7J 3,121,002 DRU1A 2,937,896 D4O3A 2,545,858 DHG6N 2,437,893 D

North AmericaV31UB 395,370 A B (KU5B, op) NP3CW 39,820 A BHR1RTF 13,420 A BXE1RCF 9,912 A BXE1V 77,616 A CXE2YBG 896 A CTG9ANF 151,632 B BWP3GW 48,720 B BCO7PH 60 B BXE2K 443,555 B C6H1ZVO 13,251 B CTG9AKH 5,808 B CXE1CT 78,705 C BZF2EK 74,172 C B (N2EK, op) XE2S 56,155 C BJ39BS 9,078 C BWP4BH 5,808 C BTI5N 896,670 C C (N5ZO, op) XE1MM 132,308 C CXE2GG 1,058,800 DFG5KC 104,594 D

OceaniaYB2OK 12,039 A AVK2GR 36,051 A BVK3KE 14,801 A B9M6YBG 2,346 A BZL1KMN 79,912 A CKH7Y 52,111 A CDV1JM 105,182 B BYB3KM 54,135 B BYB2ECG 51,678 B BDS2NMJ 6,336 B BYB1UUN 5,334 B BKH6FI 359,635 B CDU1IVT 78,208 B CV8FEO 68,390 B C (9M6DXX , op) YB1TJ 40,419 B CZL2UO 33,344 B CYB5AQB 13,769 C AZL1TM 246,675 C B

Call Score Class PowerVK6DU 84,623 C BVK5MAV 53,534 C BVK2CCC 37,884 C B (LY1F, op) VK4TT 36,162 C BZM2B 401,024 C CVK2AEA 242,352 C CKH6ZM 242,015 C CKG6DX 182,160 C CZL1V 1,605,786 DYE1ZAT 895,217 DNA8O/AHØ 310,669 DKH2INC 78,156 DYC1RIF 2,684 D

South AmericaZY3X 22,015 A APY1DX 17,917 A APY2HL 5,418 A APY1NB 449,334 A BYV7QP 84,461 A BPY2SRB 5,916 A BCE6TBN 988 A BPY5TJ 16 A BPS2T 2,448,675 A C (PY2NY, op) LV5V 792,939 A CYV5NWG 80,115 A CLV6D 17,080 B ALW3DN 1,496 B AZPØR 490,920 B B (ZP5AZL, op) CE1E 182,002 B BHK3JJH 154,944 B BPY2DN 118,716 B BXR1C 112,924 B BZX5J 2,191,269 B C (PP5JR, op) PY2KC 1,438,864 B CFY1FL 886,725 B CHK6P 529,660 B CPY5EW 248,124 B CLU4MHQ 15,498 C APY4ZO 2,755 C ALU8EHR 163 C APY2NA 377,725 C BLW1E 112,918 C BPY8MGB 31,242 C BLU8EOT 19,008 C BPR7HR 16,065 C BP4ØW 2,568,592 C C (W2GD, op) 8R1K 1,741,632 C C (HP1WW, op) LW4EU 1,469,820 C C (LU5DX, op) PY2YU 1,039,452 C CPY3AU 39,500 C CPY2TO 1,236,114 DZW5B 790,664 DCE4CT 737,600 DZV5O 720,452 DHD2A 254,124 D

Single Op Mixed ModeQRPHG5Y 1,067,647RV3QX 319,928OK7CM 305,744UR5IF 271,912US2IZ 256,128SM6EQO 223,500OM7DX 206,780UA1CUR 172,825RW3AI 123,660YU1LM 120,768

Single Op Mixed ModeLow PowerLY6M 1,426,030LY9A 1,371,760 (LY3BA, op) UT2UZ 997,692ON4CT 954,240RA9DZ 807,737N1UR 671,822LZ5W 652,834S51F 622,300UR6QS 582,862W5ZL 540,770

Worldwide Top TenSingle Op Mixed ModeHigh Power3V1A 4,414,517 (YT1AD, op)C4M 3,680,586 (RW3QC, op) UA9CLB 2,694,472UPØL 2,512,500 (UN9LW, op) PS2T 2,448,675 (PY2NY, op) UA3RAR 2,038,895IR2Y 2,001,293 (IK2QEI, op) UW2M 1,967,094 (UR0MC, op) ES5RR 1,879,788EX2M 1,870,041

Single Op Phone OnlyQRPHG1W 348,517 (HA1WD, op) KC5R 172,080YO4AAC 110,080YO2LYN 83,030UT5ERP 73,932SQ2DYF 59,000F4AGR 50,700TA2RX 47,200IKØEIE 45,018PE2KP 43,239

Single Op Phone OnlyLow PowerHG8R 1,155,390HG3DX 1,077,274 (HA3MY, op) IZ2FOS 734,706UV8M 728,008 (UX3MR, op) F4BKV 512,190ZPØR 490,920 (ZP5AZL, op) SP4XQN 423,052YO3CZW 400,4917Z1SJ 391,544SP1DI 336,787

Single Op Phone OnlyHigh PowerEA8/OH4NL 2,236,216 (OH2BYS, op) ZX5J 2,191,269 (PP5JR, op) UT7QF 2,115,928S57DX 1,440,732PY2KC 1,438,864IR2M 1,305,884 (IZ2FDU, op) US5D 1,282,323 (UT7DX, op) YL7A 1,049,580IKØPHY 1,044,765W7WA 902,656

Single Op CW Only QRPHG5A 679,855 (HA5IW, op) HA5KDQ 418,215HA7AP 351,740UA6LCJ 222,684LY4BF 192,717YU1FG 178,364DD1IM 177,056N2WN 166,370YO6EX 161,560LZ1MG 152,850

Single Op CW Only Low PowerYU7W 1,501,605 (YT7AW, op) OL6P 924,375YO5KIP 838,490 (YO5OHO, op) HG8K 787,889MDØCCE 782,061TA3D 776,364VE3XB 758,160OK3C 746,787UR7EQ 729,433YO8KOS 720,000 (YO8AXP, op)

Single Op CW Only High PowerCU2A 2,946,312 (OH2UA, op) P4ØW 2,568,592 (W2GD, op) YL8M 2,245,320UZ7U 2,139,825 (UT3UA, op) RD3A 2,132,436 (RD3AF, op) ZC4LI 2,021,586HA8FM 2,008,476EA3KU 1,942,257OH6LI 1,895,5518R1K 1,741,632 (HP1WW, op)

MultioperatorP33W 5,066,256RL3A 3,202,424UU7J 3,121,002RT9W 3,102,776RU1A 2,937,8964O3A 2,545,858RN9S 2,510,200HG6N 2,437,893YT9X 2,337,853RK9CWW 2,097,425




84 March 2008

W/VE Top Ten

Single Operator Mixed ModeQRPW6AQ 72,375KA1LMR 53,808NØLY 50,615NS3T 39,616N8II 34,383K3OQ 31,980KD4HXT 10,908AD7BN 7,290VA3JFF/W1 6,237K6DBG 1,580

Single Operator Mixed ModeLow PowerN1UR 671,822W5ZL 540,770KØAD 317,205VA3YP 255,294N6NF 244,400VA3NR 226,464KB9OWD 186,390N5AN 158,670NF4A 146,853AI4MT 140,996

Single Operator Mixed ModeHigh PowerVE3DZ 1,813,490VE3EJ 1,775,554VE3AT 1,746,108K3CR 1,480,063 (LZ4AX, op) VE3JM 1,266,432KU1CW 1,195,422N3BB 1,090,388K6XX 1,049,048K9NW 942,844N3AD 868,884

Single Operator Phone OnlyQRPNo Entries

Single Operator Phone OnlyLow PowerN2QT 329,565W4SVO 213,172KK1KW 175,980W4TMN 158,664NV8N 141,300W3LL 134,780KCØNYK 125,291W4LT 108,015KB3LIX 83,616KA2KON 77,826

Single Operator Phone Only High PowerW7WA 902,656WB9Z 756,624W4WTB 528,953N4OX 455,259W2RDS 411,480KE9S 374,375KØRH 373,860KK1L 360,427W3NX 340,960K5ER 281,112

Single Operator CW OnlyQRPN2WN 166,370K4LTA 144,643AA4AK 103,960AA1CA 86,946KG5U 34,200W8TM 30,380VE3MGY 27,830KR2Q 22,250VA3RKM 15,826NU4B 13,664

Single Operator CW OnlyLow PowerVE3XB 758,160WJ9B 483,351K8IA 444,573WB4TDH 402,990VE2XAA 350,172K7WP 334,110WB2AA 319,966WK2G 277,860K4AMC 252,035VE1RGB 241,674

Single Operator CW Only High PowerW6YI 1,492,032 (N6MJ, op) WA1Z 1,457,528AA3B 1,235,379K3WW 1,195,830VY2/KV8Q 1,183,884N4OGW 1,098,082W1UE/VE1 1,090,397KV8Q 1,089,080WC1M 1,085,136WX0B 1,071,576

MultioperatorK5NA 1,662,000KD4D 1,252,440K9RS 1,211,946K8AZ 1,091,250NØNI 1,045,488NR4M 843,600K1TTT 833,466WW4LL 636,437K9SD 598,368N6RJ 536,333

only 2.1%. OH2BYS had fewer mults than PP5JR (254 vs 267), but the margin of vic-tory was in the number of QSOs. OH2BYS made 1953 QSOs compared to ZX5J’s 1833 — and that did the trick.

In a battle of VE3s in Mixed High Power, VE3DZ bested VE3EJ by 2.1%. But the competition was a lot closer than the 2.1% suggests. VE3DZ had 1 more QSO and 3 more mults than VE3EJ — that was the difference in their scores.

Another close race was the battle of the US coasts in CW High Power. W6YI (N6MJ op) topped WA1Z by 2.4%. The fact that W6YI made 77 more QSOs and found 5 more mults sealed the win.

The last close victory was in Mixed Low Power, and involved LY6M and LY9A (LY3BA op). LY6M won by 4%, and this victory was the opposite of the OH2BYS/PP5JR breakdown. Although LY6M had fewer QSOs (1870 vs 1924), he found enough mults (295 vs 260) to take the checkered flag.

IARU 2008Be sure to mark your calendars for the

2008 event — July 12 and 13. Jump in and enjoy the fun — you’ll not only be partici-pating with many newcomers to contesting, you’ll be participating with many experienced contesters who are willing and able to help you out if you have any questions.

Be sure to check the Web version of this article for sidebar stories from KV8Q and N3BB.

Thanks to N5KO, N2IC, N6TR, N6TW, K1ZZ and NN1N for their assistance in the preparation and scoring for this contest.

Disqualifi cationsThe following were disqualified for

submitting logs deemed incompatible with the category entered:

9A1A (9A9A, op)UT5UGRHA1KSA (HA1DAC, op)

2008 SHORTWAVE FREQUENCY GUIDE

The 12th edition of the Klingenfuss Shortwave Frequency Guide covers the lat-est schedules of clandestine, domestic and international broadcast stations worldwide. The 470-page Guidewas compiled by a team of experts as-sisted by monitors around the globe. The volume fea-tures a broadcast frequency l ist with thousands of entries plus a separate section with utility sta-tions used by the Red Cross, United Nations and others. Stations are listed by frequency and by country. Listings show station name, originating location, target region, time schedule and language used. For more information visit www.klingenfuss.org. Available from the ARRL at www.arrl.org/shop/, order no. 1206. Price: $44.95.

2008 SUPER FREQUENCY LIST CD-ROM

The 14th edition of the Klingenfuss Super Frequency CD-ROM has searchable databases covering thousands of broadcast and utility stations worldwide from 0 to 30 MHz. The CD-ROM includes sched-ules for 8500 shortwave broadcasting ser-vices; frequencies used by 10,000 utility stations; and informa-tion on more than 20,000 formerly active frequencies. The CD also includes hundreds of digi-tal data decoder screen shots. Requires Microsoft Windows. For more information visit www.klingenfuss.org. Available from the ARRL at www.arrl.org/shop/, order no. 1193. Price: $34.95.

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Call QSOs Mults ScoreDAØHQ 22,650 463 18,206,086TMØHQ 14,653 412 17,353,852OM7HQ 14,788 449 16,209,349SNØHQ 16,676 445 15,331,140GB7HQ 13,161 399 14,322,903OL4HQ 13,044 432 13,930,704T9ØHQ 13,017 433 13,607,458IUxHQ 12,023 435 12,598,035SK9HQ 10,618 388 12,584,004S5ØHQ 11,724 421 12,141,640EM5HQ 10,872 406 11,883,620YRØHQ 11,980 441 11,701,935LYØHQ 10,038 407 11,516,065HGØHQ 11,523 429 11,457,732OH2HQ 8,943 407 11,248,259YT7HQ 11,029 415 10,765,515AMxHQ 11,042 301 10,444,098OE1A 11,033 404 10,215,948PA6HQ 9,154 360 9,387,360LR4A 5,748 342 9,008,964OPØHQ 7,917 349 7,894,031R9HQ 5,984 330 7,690,980YL4HQ 7,988 340 7,366,780CS7HQ 6,103 351 7,031,934LXØHQ 6,342 334 6,292,226W1AW/4 7,720 291 5,801,085PJ2HQ 4,431 258 5,318,154HB9HQ 7,324 308 4,291,056BxHQ 4,642 270 3,982,7708NxHQ 8,175 258 3,744,096YV5AJ 3,234 256 3,694,848NU1AW 4,904 254 3,245,358LN2HQ 3,439 273 2,794,974LZ7HQ 4,001 298 2,371,484CX1AA 1,770 271 2,037,378A25HQ 1,441 206 1,301,096HLØHQ 1,836 116 647,860VK4WIA 1,051 137 646,914HSØAC 1,020 169 572,741VE7RAC 1,491 118 535,8389Y4HQ 1,088 56 279,552ZF1A 1,194 56 205,8004LØHQ 349 120 122,4006F75A 678 71 121,481DX1HQ 324 55 77,000TIØHQ 325 73 68,693OZ1HQ 268 39 25,818

IARU Offi cialsK1ZZ 1,612 241 1,056,544YV5AMH 756 106 368,774

A lower-case “x” in the call indicates this HQ station used more than one call — each with a different number in the prefi x.

IARU Society Headquarters Stations

IARU REZ.indd 84IARU REZ.indd 84 1/23/2008 1:32:28 PM1/23/2008 1:32:28 PM



March 2008 85

HOW’S DX?

Bernie McClenny, W3UR 3025 Hobbs Rd, Glenwood, MD 21738-9728 [email protected]

YK9SV DXpedition to SyriaW3UR

This month’s column was written by Manos G. Darkadakis, SV1IW

When I started to think of a Greek DX-pedition outside of the country it was just before New Year’s Eve 2007. On doing research among countries near or far away, rare or semi rare, Syria soon became one of my best attractions. Firstly it was not that far. Secondly it was rarely activated especially on the 12, 17 and 30 meter bands and the low bands. Thirdly, I knew Omar, YK1AO, the national society president. We met in Davos in the year 2005 and at least he could offer me guidance. It proved afterwards that he offered me a lot more.

My first approach was to operate from Damascus for about 10 days. The answer came soon; there was a possibility of ac-ceptance, so I started to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together. While making some preliminary plans with local hams, one of them had a better idea — why not activate Arwad Island, which was a new IOTA refer-ence number that had never been activated before. A new question had to be posted again over to Damascus. Was that idea possible? Again the answer came soon —— yes it was! The only condition was that we should be accompanied by a member of the Syrian Scientific Technical Amateur Radio Society (SSTARS), the Syrian IARU Member Soci-ety, and by a member of the Syrian Telecom-munication Establishment (STE) during all of our days of operation.

The First All-Greek DXpeditionSo this is how the YK9SV, the first ever

all-Greek DXpedition out of the country, was started. It took more than 10 months to have everything carefully planned and leaving only very few details without consideration.

The YK9SV team included (standing from left) SV1RP, SV1GYG, SV1GE, SV1JG, SV1QN, SV1RC (seated) SV1IW.

Arwad Island (AS-186) as seen from Tartous, Syria, which is about 3 kilometers away.

To have a better picture from the area of the island where we should operate Cliff, SV1JG, made a three day trip to Damascus and Arwad Island to inspect the place and decide whether we should operate from a house on the island or from the seaside in tents.

When he came back it was decided to op-erate from two tents using generators, which could be installed on the southeast part of the island. Fortunately we never operated from there, as you will see below.

After making some rough calculations regarding costs involved for the operation it came out that a team of 7-8 persons would cost around €25,000 (Euros) ($36,000 US). This involved also some equipment to be left at SSTARS to help generate some more activ-ity from them after the DXpedition was over. The concept presented to the others wishing to join the operation was very clear: We will go even if there is not a single Euro donated to our team.

Some preliminary research to find op-erators for the trip resulted at first in seven people. Then two more were added raising the number to nine. Finally and for reasons beyond their control, two were not able to

make the trip, which made the crew revert to the original number of seven!

Equipment RoundupDuring the period of preparation a lot of e-

mails were sent to various DX organizations, companies and other associations in an effort to secure help and perhaps some financial support. Then, a Web site was created and some useful information about the island, the country and the operators was posted. Little by little we added some more informa-tion, operating plans, frequencies, estimated propagation charts, vote casters and some pictures from our preparations.

Finally, the radios, antennas and ampli-fiers had to be chosen from what was offered by companies or from what we had available in our individual shacks. Fortunately, Yaesu and Kenwood (local dealers) responded immediately offering a number of radios, two with 200 W output. The latter proved an excellent choice for stand-alone stations. Just to be on the safe side, two Ameritron AL-811X amplifiers were also added to the long list of equipment. As for the antennas, we would have three spider beams and three

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86 March 2008

spider poles for making verticals, supports for dipoles, etc. As we added this and that, the total weight rose uncontrollably to finally reach 450 kilograms (990 pounds).

A month before the trip we got together to install and familiarize ourselves with the spider beams and to check computers and software working with the radios. Things went smoothly during these tests. As we were approaching the departure date I was preparing and sending regular e-mails to the members of the team with information of our status as well as information regarding Syria and our accommodation plans.

Wheels UpOn October 31 at about 1200 local time

we all met at Eleftherios Venizelos, Athens International airport. After we had cleared the equipment through customs and checked them in, we were ready to board a Royal Jordanian plane to Amman first and then to Damascus. Here I must thank all the people of the Royal Jordanian Company for not charging us for the full load but for a mere 100 kilograms (220 pounds).

We left on schedule at 1530 hours and reached Amman two and a half hours later where we had to spend three hours before we caught the next flight to Damascus. My concern was if all equipment and the luggage would find their way safely to the right plane. To our best interest they all did!

We arrived in Damascus around 2300. After we had collected all equipment and luggage we approached customs where we had a little problem explaining what all this convoy with eight fully-loaded carriers was about. Fortunately Omar, YK1AO, and other members of SSTARS were there and cleared the situation for us. Soon we were all on a bus heading for Sheraton Hotel in Damascus. This night all radios were kept by the Syrian Telecommunication Establishment (STE) people on a small truck and they promised to have them on the bus first thing the fol-lowing morning before we left for our next stop, Tartous city.

Putting it all TogetherThe next morning, November 1 found

Cliff, Omar and myself running through the streets of Damascus to get the generator and the tents. We cleared all matters at around 1100 and hit the road to Tartous where we arrived at 1400 and registered in the Shahin Tower Hotel. The next thing was to load all equipment onto a small boat and leave for the island. Weather was excellent and nothing was foreshadowing of what would follow in a few days. We arrived at the island at 1530, while unloading the equipment from the small boat we were informed that we were offered two rooms in the local STE building thanks to the Mayor of Arwad and Governor of Tartous. Well that was quite an unexpected change. No

tents, no generators and no gasoline, which would make things easier for us!

Time was running so we moved every-thing to the STE building where we left two people behind to prepare the rooms and unpack and most of us went on top of the building to start building and installing the antennas. Soon the first spider for 10, 12, 15, 17 and 20 meters was up, followed by the 40 meter dipole. Operation started at around 1414Z. The team offered me the first QSO, which I made with DF2NS on 14.190 MHz. During the first hour of the operation we faced the first problems. The STE people in the building were picking up RF interfer-ence in a telephone used to check the quality of the phone connections between Arwad and Tartous. Very quickly George, SV1QN, solved the problem by installing two ferrite beads at the long unshielded cable connecting the phone with the check point.

A Busy Start and Abrupt StopYK9SV was on the air and the pileup

was really huge. The first station operated on 20 meters followed by another one operating on 40 meters. Now some operators were left on the island for the night and the rest took the boat to Tartous to spend the night at the hotel. They had to come early next morning to install the rest of the antennas. The next day we installed the 12, 17 and 30 meter spider beam and dipoles for 80 and 160 me-ters overlooking the sea. After we rearranged the two operating rooms, we were able to have three stations on the air on various bands and modes. The pileups were holding nicely and the logs started to fill.

Saturday morning Cliff, SV1JG; Spyros, SV1RC, and I prepared and installed a quarter wave vertical for 80 meters. The antenna was working excellently, but unfortunately not for long. Up to Tuesday evening everything was running smoothly and the logs were filling nicely. Tuesday evening Cliff saw a slight difference in wind speed and sent an SMS to the operators on the island to keep an eye on the weather and antennas. Around 0300 local time Wednesday morning the wind blew down the 80 meter vertical, which fell on top of the 12, 17 and 30 meters spider beam. Nothing happened to the 80 meter vertical but the spider broke into several pieces. Its alu-minum pole was also damaged from the fall. The next morning we tried to recover whatever we could and install a 30 meter dipole to keep working on that band. The 80 meter vertical could not be reinstalled for the moment; the wind still blew wildly! We were starting to emphasize RTTY as there was a lot of demand for this mode. The weather situation did not change until Friday when the wind finally quieted down. We installed the 80 meter vertical again on Saturday evening. It was not meant to last. Early Sunday morning the wind blew

so hard (100-110 km/h) that now the pole broke at two joints. So did the pole which was holding the 40, 30 and 17 meter dipoles but it remained in place. The wind also transformed the five-band Spider beam for 10, 12, 15, 17 and 20 meters into a “Spider wreck.” Sunday morning there was nothing left except the dipoles!

This day we could not reach the island to replace the night shift (three operators). We spent most of the day in Tartous looking up (the sky) and down (the sea) in an effort to determine when the weather would allow us to go to the island. It seemed impossible for that day. Now we hoped at least to be able to make the trip the following morning as this was our dismantling day.

The Wind and a PrayerHearing our prayers, the weather got bet-

ter. On Monday, November 12 we managed to get to the island first thing in the morning. Operation ended at 0557Z while George, SV1RP, made the last QSO with JR1TNE on 17, meters CW. We took all antennas down and packed the equipment; at around 1300 we had everything loaded into a small boat. We sailed for Tartous to meet the bus at1430. After lunch we headed for Damascus. “Game Over!”

The next day was for rest or for seeing Damascus and its Souq Al Hamidiyeh (mar-ket of Al Hamidyeh). Around 1300 we met for lunch with SSTARS members and the president of the Syrian-Greek community. After that most of us returned to Souq Al Hamidiyeh. Finally we all met at the end of the day around 2100 at Sheraton café to discuss and prepare ourselves for our return back home. We think after all, that the op-eration was successful, considering weather and propagation conditions. We operated for 10 and a half days from the island, which resulted in a total of 25,000 QSOs.

The following day we were early at Da-mascus airport. Due to the state of security almost half of our equipment packs or lug-gage was opened. Apart from this delay, we flew to Amman and after spending some four hours in Amman’s airport, we headed for Athens where we arrived safely at around 1500 local time.

With a Little Help from Our FriendsAs a team we would like to thank the

National association of Syria, SSTARS, its president, YK1AO, and all members we met for their valuable help and assistance. We would also like to thank the Syrian Telecom-munications Establishment for their offer and hospitality while on Arwad Island and also the Mayor of Arwad and Governor of Tartous for their kindness and help. Finally, we thank the crew and officials of the Royal Jordanian Company for their sponsorship and leniency with our weight allowance!

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March 2008 87

This MonthMarch 16 Moderate EME conditions*March 23 Moderate EME conditions**Moon data from W5LUU

Gene Zimmerman, W3ZZ 33 Brighton Dr, Gaithersburg, MD 20877 [email protected]; (301-948-2594)

THE WORLD ABOVE 50 MHZ

Station Automation — Part 1W3ZZ

Many of us who have looked at even modestly serious HF contest stations realize what marvels of efficiency they are. Time = performance in contesting so every second you can save in doing the routine tasks of band changing, tuning, antenna selection and pointing, etc. means an extra second for finding and working new stations. Part of this efficiency derives from the equipment they use: all-band transceivers and often amplifiers that can be switched remotely by computer programs, rotators control-lable by contesting software, and –– at a price –– automated interface boxes that deal with functions simple [rx and tx audio, for example] to complex [SO2R (single opera-tor two radio, for example) operations with their associated filters]. Table 1 shows some of the multiple functions that such stations can do automatically or with the touch of a single button.

Think how much more pleasant VHF contest operating — or even day-to-day VHF+ operating — would be if all these things were to be possible in our stations. Although not quite as straightforward as automating an HF station, a rapidly band-switched VHF+ station is a real possibility, even one that goes high into the microwaves [see particularly Mike King’s (KMØT) elegant implementation of a complex mul-tiband station built around the SDR1000 software defined radio at www.km0t.com/pages/sdr.htm].

Reaching the level of an automated VHF+ station has been a long time goal of this month’s guest commentator, Terry Price, K8ISK. First from his own multiband VHF+ station in southwestern Ohio, through the development of several big multi-multi operations and culminating as the technical director of the Grid Pirates VHF Group, K8GP, rapid efficient movement from band to band and antenna to antenna has been Terry’s goal. This month he will explore a straightforward approach to an automated VHF+ station that can be widely applied to a broad array of equipment.

At the OutsetMost of us who operate the VHF and

above bands have built our stations over

Table 1Some Automated or Semi-automated Functions Accomplished by an Effi cient Contest Single Operator StationFunction Equipment affectedChange bands Transceiver Amplifi erChange antennas Select correct band Select which antenna on that band Select phasingPoint antennas Selected antenna(s)SO2R functions TX1, TX2; RX1, RX2Distribute accessories Key, Headset, Microphone, Earphones

excellent band data decoder used by many of the Pack Rats. There are commercially available band data decoders available from Top Ten and W9XT to name a few. Older rigs like the FT-736/726 had individual PTT lines per band. Most newer radios have “band data” outputs ranging from a step voltage output to BCD (binary coded decimal) outputs. Anyone lucky enough to have an Elecraft K3 has many transverter functions built in. The K3 can control 10 external transverters and since it has 6 m native to the rig, it would allow 50 MHz through 24 GHz very easily. I use Roverlog for contest logging and it can output BCD through the parallel port on your computer. Add to this, many rotors now have RS232 interfaces and with a contesting program like Roverlog, imagine working a station on 6 or 2 and just from entering his 6 digit grid, the sharper UHF and microwave antennas automatically turning to the correct beam heading. All this without ever taking your fingers off the keyboard!

Integration TheoryGiven all this technology available, how

does one put it all together? There are several devices available that will decode BCD and allow you to control external devices. What I was looking for was an integrated approach to controlling all my transverters, amplifiers, remote preamps and only having to look at a single wattmeter (at least through 2304). Through the wonders of eBay, you can find just about every part you need to build the ultimate band switching interface.

As with any project, you first need to define what it is you are going to ac-

time, adding a band or amplifier or preamp as the need arises or the money is avail-able. Whether you are a DXer, contester, or a casual operator, station efficiency and ergonomics play an important role in how effective your station is. Some band open-ings only last a few minutes and being able to change frequency quickly can make the difference between working someone or missing the “big” one. Contesters are always looking for ways to improve their rates.

Over the years, I’ve had many opportu-nities to see how others have laid out their stations. They range from a Yaesu FT-736 where one button changes from 50 MHz to 432 MHz and all of the brick amps use RF sensing, to station layouts that resemble the wizard behind the curtain in “The Wizard of Oz” where a band change should be an Olympic event! Then, there was my dear father’s method of band changing: unplug this BNC, move it to here, move this BNC over there and 5 minutes later he would show up on the wrong band!

My preference is being able to run the bands with a station as fast as possible. When N4UK (now WØMZ) lived in South Carolina, we ran from 50 MHz to 2304 MHz in less than 2 minutes and we were almost 500 miles (800 km) apart.

Today’s radios and most all computer logging programs offer the capability to control external equipment. N3FTI had an

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88 March 2008

complish. This interface had to be able to control transverters on 11 bands, 50 MHz through 24 GHz, have full sequencing to protect relays and preamps, deal with the fact that 432 and below were split transmit and receive with 28 MHz IFs and 903 and up were combined 144 MHz IFs, and switch different Bird line sections in for different bands. Most importantly, do it automatically from a single program and have a manual override when the computer crashes!

Practical AspectsI began with a CD4514, CMOS 4 line to

16 line decoder. Most other band decoders I have seen use CD4028s, which are 4 line to decimal decoders, and extra circuitry is needed for 24 GHz control. The extra decod-ed lines also allow for expansion to 47 GHz. The active high outputs from the CD4514 drive NPN switch transistors through LEDs that control the matrix relays.

The BCD inputs are isolated from the computer via optoisolators as are most other designs for protection. I found to ac-complish everything I set out to do would require a lot of breadboarding and lots of hand wiring so I decided to do a PC board layout and get a custom board made by ExpressPCB. This would allow me to have separate PC mounted triple RCA jacks for various PTT outputs. I found some nice units from DigiKey that are colored red, white and yellow, obviously for some audio/video ap-plication. I also incorporated separate IDC connectors for controlling IF relays.

Because of the high density of control lines, the PC board needed to be a four layer board using the inner two layers as ground and +28 V dc. While they are pricey in small quantities, I knew many rovers and multi-band VHF ops who would want these and purchasing most of the necessary items on eBay saved enough money so the PC boards didn’t kill the budget! In addition, I wasn’t looking forward to wiring 36 RCA jacks on the back panel.

Figure 1 shows a complete block diagram of the controller and its externally controlled items. The IF relays are connected to the main PCB via two14 pin IDC connectors with ribbon cables. Separate +12 V dc and +28 V dc lines are available on both of the IDC connectors for separate 50 MHz-432 MHz and 903 MHz-24 GHz relay control. An onboard LT1083-12 supplies plenty of current for several 12 V relays. This allows for a mix of both 12 V and 24 V relays in the system as long as isolation diodes are used.

The relays used for the switch matrix are DIP relays from eBay. They are 24 V units but the standard Omron G5V-12s used on the DEM sequencers can also be used

Figure 1 — Main block diagram of the automated controller. See text for details.

by selecting the 12 V relay source jumper instead of the 24 V. There are two DPDT relays per band in the matrix. Three sets of contacts switch ports 1, 2 and 3 from the sequencer and the fourth set of contacts sink the IF relays. Bands 903 MHz and higher also activate the 144 MHz transverter PTT and IF relay but not the power amp or remote preamp. As you change bands, a dif-ferent set of DIP relays are selected routing the first three channels of the sequencer to the selected bands’ RCA connectors. An external 12 position, 2 pole rotary switch is used to manually change bands if the com-puter dies or you don’t have the computer running. The 12th position is for “remote” operation.

Next month I will include a diagram, board layout and detailed parts list with DigiKey part numbers for the special items and photos of the finished unit.

UPDATE: CYCLE 23 SOLAR MINIMUMLast month I discussed the impending

solar minimum and the possibility that Cycle 24 would soon begin. At the dead-line for that column (very early December 2007) I indicated that no one could predict in advance when the exact minimum would

occur. I did note that conditions on the HF bands were typical of sunspot minimum conditions, that daily sunspot numbers had reached zero on many days and that all of the features of the minimum were in place save for the appearance of the first spots of Cycle 24, which would occur at higher solar latitudes and would have a polarity reversed from those of Cycle 23. Only a very few such spots had previously appeared and none of those in recent months.

Just after the deadline, on December 11, a reversed polarity knot of magnetic fields (but not a sunspot) appeared at solar latitude 24°N. Then on January 4, 2008 an actual reversed polarity sunspot emerged at solar latitude 30°N. These newest observations are consistent with the sunspots of Cycle 24 — high latitude and reversed polarity. In ad-dition the solar flux increased significantly in December and the number of spotless days decreased.

I still maintain that making predictions on such a short span of data is dangerous — but it sure looks like we are about to go up the ladder toward the next maximum. How high will it go? We don’t know but we sure would like to see a peak that tends toward the high side of the predictions.




March 2008 89

NEW ROVER RULESGenerated by the VHF/UHF Advisory

Committee (VUAC) and released by the ARRL just prior to the January VHF Sweep-stakes, the new rules establish two new classes of rover operation — limited rover and rover unlimited. To understand the rules fully, you should access three files on the ARRLWeb: General Rules for All Contests, www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/rules-all.html; General Rules for ARRL Contests on bands above 50 MHz, www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/rules-vhf.html, and contest-specific rules for the 2008 ARRL January Sweepstakes, www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2008/jan-vhf-ss.html.

All rover classes may use the Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS) but can provide only call and position information in beacon mode only. Only multiop stations (multi-unlimited, limited multi, rovers) can access APRS information generated via digipeaters and/or the Internet because of restrictions in the General rules. All rover classes may use HamIM. Rover and limited rover scores count toward club competition; unlimited rover scores do not.

To summarize, rovers are not limited by power or number of bands but are limited to 2 operators or fewer (they may have un-limited numbers of drivers and observers). They are limited to ≤100 Qs with any other rover and must transport all their equipment and antennas. Limited rovers choose any 4 bands or fewer, and must follow power limits of the single operator, low power class. They follow the same rules as rovers

as to transporting equipment, drivers, op-erators, observers and the 100 Q limit with any other rover. Unlimited rovers may run any legal power, have unlimited numbers of operators drivers and observers, have no limits in number of Qs with another rover and need not transport their equipment. It seems to me that with these revisions, the VUAC has dealt forcefully with many of the previous problems in the rover class and provided a lot of win-win situations. Grid circling rovers are a very separate group from other rovers and now compete in a separate class where they can attempt to maximize their score without any detrimen-tal effects on other rovers. Most importantly the limited rover class will provide a com-petitive outlet for the thousands of IC-706/FT-100 owners who currently have only four or fewer bands. This should increase activity for everyone and eventually some of those limited rovers will move forward to work many other bands as well.

ON THE BANDSThe Geminids appeared to be rather ordinary

this year and we had an unremarkable minor E-skip season this past December that even included a few double hop openings. Let’s take a look. 6 meters. Jon, NØJK (EM17) opened the month with an opening from the Midwest to W3, 4 and 8 on December 3. During the fol-lowing week, Tom, KN4LF (EL97) detected a number of stations in the Midatlantic and the Midwest with his simple dipole. NØLL re-ports a strong opening from the Denver area (DM79) eastward into the Gulf coast. On December 7 KL7NO (BP54) heard the VE7FG beacon (CO83) and was worked in Arkansas (EM44). On December 8-9 Al, K7ICW (DM62) worked several states to the east in W4, 5, 9 and

Ø. Al and Graham, KE4WBO (EL96) also report hearing one another with weak, watery signals in a somewhat skewed direction typical of FAI in what may have been a rare Es/FAI double hop path. Also on the 9th EM00 was reported into XF4YK, the Socorro Islands. On December 11 Bob, W9JDT (EM79) worked into Mexico XE3 and Vic, WB4SLM (EM82) worked into XE2 (EL06). On December 16 John, W5UWB (EL17) had ~25 Qs from Florida through Iowa. On the 17-18th, Jon, NØJK reports contacts with the Upper Peninsula of MI and with FL; Jon also notes double hop propagation from AL to CA. At this time Steve, N5TEY (EM16) was working a number of stations in FL. Jon, NØJK caught another single hop opening from his location into TN on the 22nd. Finally John, W5UWB worked several station in W9,Ø on the 30th-31st. Meteor Scatter. Mid-December is the peak of the Geminids meteor shower. This shower has many slow moving meteors that are ideal for FSK441 digital contacts. Activity seems to have been decent but not particularly high this last December. John, W5UWB (EL17) had 19 Qs via FSK441. Graham, KE4WBO (EL96) worked new grids with FM18 (KE2N) and EM64 (N4JH) on 2 meters and had a partial contact on the 8th with AA9MY (EM50 on 222 — the latter almost certainly not a shower meteor). Shelby, W8WN relays a report from Bernd, DF2ZC indicating that Bernd worked Frank, DH7FB on Decem-ber 9 ~1626Z with S3-5 signals by scattering off the International Space Station (ISS) during orbit 51845. The contact was made on CW with substantial Doppler. Congratulations to Bernd and Frank!

HERE AND THEREBeacon News. Carlos, TI2KD, reports that

the TI2NA/B is operational at 3500 meters el-evation from a new location on top of the Irazu Volcano just East of San Jose (EJ89bx) with 30 W into a vertical dipole. John, WZ8D reports the return of V44KAI/B as of December 25, 2007. Both of these will be welcome monitors of band conditions during the coming E-skip season.

Call States Entities Sign State Worked DXCC Worked

\6 Meters (50 to 54 MHz) W7GJ MT 2 73 154IW5DHN DX 17 25 70K6QXY CA 13 25 59K1SG MA 5 25 48KR7O CA 5 13 19K2BLA FL 4 8 11K1SIX NH 3 7 13W5UWB TX 2 7 12W5LUA TX 2 3 4KØFF MO 2 2 4W7MEM ID — 1 1

2 Meters (144 to 148 MHz)W7GJ MT 50 112 152PA3CEE DX 22 80 300W8WN KY 50 69 403AA9MY IL 49 64 316W7MEM ID 37 62 423K2BLA FL 39 58 373KD3UY MD 36 58 330K6AAW CA 48 57 402W5UWB TX 40 57 339N5KDA MS 48 55 246WØPT KS 41 54 419IK1UWL DX 31 53 276VE3KH ON 50 52 344N9LR IL 50 50 149

Table 2Earth-Moon-Earth Annual StandingsPublished Earth-Moon-Earth annual standings include stations with a minimum number of unique initial contacts as of January 1. For a complete list of all reporting stations check the VHF/UHF/Microwave Standings tables at www.arrl.org/qst/worldabove/standings.html. To ensure that the Standings tables refl ect recent activity, submit reports at least every two years by e-mail to [email protected]. For printed reporting forms, send a request with SASE to Standings, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.

Call States Entities Sign State Worked DXCC WorkedXE2AT DX 36 44 246AA1YN NH 24 42 154K6PF CA 46 41 215KC7V AZ 23 40 148W5RCI MS 50 38 278KØAWU MN 27 38 164KØFF MO 50 35 164WA2FGK PA 45 35 150WD5AGO OK 34 33 163

1.35 meters (222 to 224 MHz)W5LUA TX 35 4 31KL6M AK 1 1 2WD5AGO OK 1 1 2

70 cm (420 to 450 MHz) KØRZ CO 46 48 326K4QIF VA 50 46 229W5RCI MS 47 41 227W5LUA TX 46 33 201KL6M AK 30 33 177K4EME VA 26 23 100WD5AGO OK 25 23 101W7MEM ID 10 10 28

33 cm (902 to 928 MHz)W5LUA TX 6 2 9K2DH NY 6 2 7

— Not given

Call States Entities Sign State Worked DXCC Worked

23 cm (1240 to 1300 MHz)W5LUA TX 44 57 282WD5AGO OK 33 36 170K2DH NY 29 35 189KL6M AK 13 18 61K4QIF VA 12 18 53

13 cm (2300 to 2310, 2390 to 2450 MHz)W5LUA TX 27 21 83WD5AGO OK 7 17 27KL6M AK 4 13 22K2DH NY 3 8 11

9 cm (3300 to 3500 MHz)W5LUA TX 3 8 12K2DH NY 1 1 1

5 cm (5650 to 5925 MHz)W5LUA TX 3 16 27WD5AGO OK 1 7 7K2DH NY 1 1 1

3 cm (10 to 10.5 GHz)W5LUA TX 7 21 64

1.25 cm (24 to 24.5 GHz)W5LUA TX — 5 5




90 March 2008

PUBLIC SERVICE

Steve Ewald, WV1X Public Service Specialist [email protected]

Oscar P. Fuller Jr, [email protected]

Repeaters are great! Distributed around the country, networks of repeaters serve a critical need in day to day communications and most especially during emergencies. Many of these repeaters’ support and main-tenance is due to dedicated individual hams or clubs whose only reward is to serve the ham community and contribute to better communications in the region.

As reliable as repeaters are, many depend on battery backup power in the event of a power outage. This may work fine…for a while. However, in an extended outage, batteries strain and fi nally give up. A power outage is only one concern. Storms, physical damage, system failures, even sabotage are all risks we must face and plan around.

So, what happens when repeaters fail or are not available during an emergency? The answer for the Danbury, Connecticut ARES team is “simply simplex.”

Even if the repeater is working during an emergency, heavy traffi c could force the ARES team to seek alternates. As the Dan-bury team assessed the different options avail-able, we became convinced that a disciplined net, operating simplex could be the answer to either a repeater system failure or to avoid heavy repeater demand during an emergency. But how can we be sure simplex would work for us in our area?

Danbury is located in western Connecticut in Fairfi eld County and rests in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains. The surrounding terrain consists of rolling hills and is heavily wooded. Small mountains lace the horizon to the west and northwest (the western high-lands). Danbury covers an area of 44 square miles with elevations ranging from about 300 to 1050 feet. While there are no “real” moun-tains to contend with, the hills in this heavily forested area have the potential to make sim-plex communications, not so “simple”.

At a recent meeting, one of our local ARES members, Mark Hertzberg, WA2IZQ, proposed we conduct an exercise to “map” the Danbury area to ensure that we could talk from specifi c locations around town back to the Danbury Emergency Operations Center (EOC — KX1EOC / WC1AAX). It was quickly agreed that we should proceed with planning to conduct a simplex exercise as a test.

Under the leadership of Harlan Ford,

KB1ILY — Assistant District Emergency Coordinator (ADEC) for Connecticut ARES Region 5 South — and coordination from Mark Hertzberg and Oscar Fuller, KO1F, the exercise was designed and planned in two stages and scheduled for the coming next two months.

The proposed test plan was presented to Mr. Paul Estefan — City of Danbury, Director of Emergency Management. Paul has been a consistent and enthusiastic supporter of the ham operation within the Danbury EOC and the ARES team. He agreed the test would be benefi cial to the city and should proceed. He assisted by providing the team with several specifi c locations he wanted included in the drill. Paul’s interest was to ensure key city locations were tested — locations the city has in their operations planning to use in the event of an emergency. To assist with tracking our fi ndings, Paul provided a detailed street map of Danbury to be posted in the EOC after the exercise to display our results. Each member of the ARES team contributed to the list of locations to include those that might be used from a communications perspective during an emergency.

Finally, 27 sites were selected as potential deployment locations that included schools, fi re and police headquarters, hospitals, key city services locations, and served agencies (e.g. Red Cross). In addition, it was decided that we should include an alternate (backup) EOC location, taking into account the pos-sibility our primary EOC location might be unavailable due to damage or contamination. Armed with our overall plan and input from several sources plus the guidance we received from the city, we proceeded to develop the details of the plan.

To make life a little easier for the team, (and to take into consideration the price of gas), we agreed the test should be conducted as part of our regularly scheduled meeting. Members would simply “stop by” assigned locations on their way to the meeting. Using this approach minimized the additional travel required and provided us with an opportunity to discuss the fi ndings as part of the regular meeting.

The intent was to assess each site as to whether or not that location could communi-cate directly with the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) (located inside City Hall, in the center of town) and a secondary location at a higher elevation identifi ed as a possible back-up site for the EOC.

Prior to the exercise, readings were taken at each site to identify latitude / longitude as well as elevation and grid square locator number. An Excel® spreadsheet was used to set up a form that allowed our net control and alternate control station (back-up) an easy way to document signal reports from the various locations.

As we began to publicize the upcoming drill, other EOC teams in surrounding com-munities volunteered to test with us to assess how well we could communicate with them using only simplex mode.

As part of the test, our Region 5 Dis-trict Emergency Coordinator, David Hyatt (N1DAV) agreed to come to the Region HQ in Litchfield, CT to test communications from that location. Given that the Region HQ location would be the focal point for any regional emergency we were anxious to fi nd out whether or not we would have any problems communicating with them using only simplex communications. We had some concerns given Litchfi eld is about 30 miles north of Danbury.

Primary participants for this exercise were members of the ARES/RACES team in Danbury, including Harlan Ford, KB1ILY, at the primary EOC and Mark Hertzberg, WA2IZQ, at the secondary (backup) EOC location. Oscar Fuller, KO1F; Tom Kimball, WA8UNS; Gene Gregory, KL7CE; Rosty Slabiciky, N2FEX; John Will, KB1LYP, and Jim Ritterbush, KD1YV, were deployed to test the various sites.

The stage was set, and now it was time for the team to move into action. The fi rst phase of this test to be conducted was underway. As the team members left their homes, they stopped by specifi ed locations and attempted to contact both the primary and secondary EOC locations. Depending on their personal equipment, we asked the team to contact the net control stations and test three power levels. The fi rst test was with a handheld on full power (around 5 W), followed by two additional tests from a mobile station — one

Simply Simplex

Harlan Ford, KB1ILY, operates as the primary net control from the Danbury EOC.

KO1F

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March 2008 91

at mid power (approximately 25 W) and one at full power (about 50 W). Signal strength readings would be assessed by the control operators at the primary and alternate EOC locations and logged for analysis. Once the readings were taken, operators moved on to other locations and repeated these tests on their way in to the meeting. At the meeting we reviewed the readings and were able to address any open questions about the testing. We knew that testing so many locations would take more than one session. The second half of the test was scheduled for May, and each person again took location assignments that best fi t their commute to the primary EOC (meeting location).

It was during the initial test that the sur-rounding Emergency Operations Centers in other communities — Ridgefi eld, Newtown, Brookfi eld and Bethel — were tested, and all were successful. While there was some vari-ability in signal strength, all were readable.

We were pleased (and a little surprised) to fi nd we could hear and be heard at the Region 5 HQ location in Litchfi eld, CT EOC — not 5×9, but certainly readable.

Following the same procedure as the fi rst part of the test, the second phase of the exer-cise was completed the following month with the remaining locations tested and logged.

ResultsOverall, we were very pleased with the

results. With few exceptions, we were able to communicate with little trouble. Even the handhelds worked better than expected. We were able to profi le every site relative to how well a simplex signal would reach the EOC and alternate EOC. With this information, we’ll be able to send the right people and the right equipment to each location as needed. Key to this information is knowing that in some cases an operator will need more power to have effective dialog with net control. Hav-ing this information will provide the commu-nications coordinator or incident commander with critical data needed to ensure effective communications.

A formal report was prepared for Mayor Mark Boughton and the City of Danbury.

Mayor Boughton and his team have pro-vided outstanding support for the EOC ham operation in Danbury. His leadership was essential in recent expansion and equipment upgrades for the ARES station in the EOC. The report was presented to Mike McLachlan, Chief of Staff for the Mayor of the City of Danbury and to Paul Estefan — Director of Emergency Management. In accepting the report on behalf of the city, Mike McLachlan expressed his “thanks to all the team members

Field Organization ReportsPublic Service Honor RollDecember 2007This listing is to recognize radio amateurs whose public service performance during the month indicated qualifi es for 70 or more total points in the following 6 categories (as reported to their Section Managers). Please note the maximum points for each category: 1) Participating in a public service net, using any mode. --1 point per net session; maximum 40.2) Handling formal messages (radiograms) via any mode. --1 point for each message handled; maximum 40.3) Serving in an ARRL-sponsored volunteer position: ARRL Field Organization appointee or Section Manager, NTS Net Manager, TCC Director, TCC member, NTS offi cial or ap-pointee above the Section level. -- 10 points for each position; maximum 30.4) Participation in scheduled short-term public service events such as walk-a-thons, bike-a-thons, parades, simulated emer-gency tests and related practice events. This includes off-the-air meetings and coordination efforts with related emergency groups and served agencies. -- 5 points per hour (or any portion thereof) of time spent in either coordinating and/or operating in the public service event; no limit.5) Participation in an unplanned emergency response when the Amateur Radio operator is on the scene. This also includes unplanned incident requests by public or served agencies for Amateur Radio participation. -- 5 points per hour (or any por-tion thereof) of time spent directly involved in the emergency operation; no limit. 6) Providing and maintaining a) an automated digital system that handles ARRL radiogram-formatted messages; b) a Web page or e-mail list server oriented toward Amateur Radio public service -- 10 points per item.Amateur Radio stations that qualify for PSHR 12 consecutive months, or 18 out of a 24-month period, will be awarded a cer-tifi cate from Headquarters upon written notifi cation of qualifying months to the Public Service Branch of the Membership and Volunteer Programs Department at ARRL HQ.

Section Emergency Coordinator ReportsDecember 2007The following ARRL Section Emergency Coordinators reported: AL, AZ, CO, CT, EWA, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MDC, MO, NC, NM, NTX, NV, OH, OK, SD, SFL, STX, SV, VA, WPA, WTX, WV.

Section Traffi c Manager ReportsDecember 2007The following ARRL Section Traffi c Managers reported: AK, AL, AZ, CO, CT, EB, EMA, ENY, EPA, EWA, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MS, NC, NFL, NH, NLI, NNJ, NTX, OH, OK, OR, SB, SC, SD, SFL, SJV, SNJ, STX, TN, UT, VA, WCF, WMA, WPA, WV, WY.

Brass Pounders LeagueDecember 2007The BPL is open to all amateurs in the US, Canada and US possessions who report to their SMs a total of 500 points or a sum of 100 or more origination and delivery points for any calendar month. All messages must be handled on amateur frequencies within 48 hours of receipt in standard ARRL radiogram format.

The following station qualifi ed for BPL during October, 2007, but was not recognized in this column: K7BDU 1198.

The following stations qualifi ed for PSHR in previous months but were not recognized in this column: (Nov) W2MTA 250, W9AL 185, K3CSX 130, KC9IED 123, K6YR 120, KJ7NO 104, N7EIE 103, KF6SHU 100, N7IE 100, KO4OL 87, NA7G 82, WA9APQ 85. (Oct) N7CM 285, K7EAJ 265, KE5HYW 180, K3CSX 165, KD7THV 143, W7IG 140, KC9IED 123, N7XG 110, N7YSS 110, KB2KLH 100 (call sign correction), N7EIE 96, KK7TN 90, KD7ZLF 90, W7VSE 87 WA9APQ 85. (Sep) N7EIE 81. (Aug) N7EIE 100. (Jul) N7EIE 85. (Apr) N7EIE 75. (Nov 2006) N7EIE 134.

who participated in compiling this important information and providing such a professional report.” Mike added, “The timing is perfect as Danbury is reviewing its communications strategy and this work will be an important component of the input to that plan.” Paul Estefan said, “Every community should have this information to know where their radio communications hot spots and weak spots are located.” Copies of the report were made avail-able to the Fire Chief and Chief of Police.

Knowledge is power. Armed with this information we will be able to assign the team with the right equipment and power output, to any of the locations tested assured they will be able to reach the EOC in time of need. We will have updated a map of the area in the EOC to refl ect the simplex connectivity to tested locations in the area. That map will serve as a reference document and guide us in our deployment to make sure we put the right resources in the right locations.

If you’re interested in public service and emergency communications, sub-scribe to the ARES e-letter at www.arrl.org/ares-letter. It’s free to ARRL members!

375N7CM

370K7EAJ

330KB9KEG

300WA2MWJ

293W2MTA

260W2LTB

242KØLQB

220K4GR

215KG4TND

213KI4GEM

190WA2BSSW4DNA

166KB1LCS

165KE5HYW

160KØIBS

155K8MFK

150WB5ZED

145KW1U

132K4DND

130N8IOW7EKBN2QZK4GKW4FALN5NVP

129KK7TN

127WB8RCR

125W1PLWKA8ZGYWB9JSR

120W8ULAG9GK9FHIK9LGUN7BECKC5OZTK6JTKA4FZIKD5TXDW1CARNA9LK3CSXN1LKJW1GMFK4IWWWØLAWWD8USAKY6R

118N1CKM

116W7DSB

115WØSJSN3RBKD1LEKC8WSE

114K4FQUN2GJKA1ZIA

112W7JSW

110N7YSS

N7XGW7GBKE5DLZW6DOBKK5GYW4TYK2VXKB2RTZK1YCQN1IQIW2EAGW4TTON3YTD

109N9WSN2VCW5PYK5MC

108K2ULW4ZJY

106K2GW

104KF7GC

103W2CC

102N4USN7IEKO4OL

100W7GHTWB6OTSNN7DNR2FWX4HN9MNWB2LEZKC2LIX

W3TWVNØMEAKA5KLUKM1NAA3SBWB4FDTWV8RGW4LNKØBLRKB2KLHW2DSXK2TVN4MEHNX1QKB1NMOKF6SHU

98KK1X

96KS3Z

95WG8ZW5CUKB5KKTNR4DWN8NMAWA2YBM

94WAØVKC

92WA1JVVW3CBKJ7NO

91K7BCKB3LNM

90N8ODWD8QN8DD

WB8SIQW8IMK1JPGKF4WIJWB4BIKN1JXKI4JQBWA2CUWK3INN4EJFWB8OIFKA8WNOWD8DHCKI4YVN3KBKA1RMVKA1GWE

88W8SBKD7OEDAA4BNAB1AVKD8BGQ87KC2ODNW8CPG

86N4FNT

86WC5M

85KE4CB

84WD9FLJ

83KD7ZLFW5ESEK8RDN

82W4CAC

81KK1AKD7THVN7EIE

80KE5DKVW3GQJK8KVN2GSKØBXFWDØGUFAB8SY

79W4YE

77W7VSE

75N3ZOCKBØDTI

73WB4GHUW3ZQNKA4LRM

72K1HEJNA7G

70N3SWNØZIZWD8JAW

Call Orig Rcvd Sent Dlvd TotalWB5ZED 32 1745 1863 39 3736W1GMF 0 385 1802 14 2201W4ZJY 0 929 878 0 1807KK3F 36 882 842 40 1800N1IQI 0 404 1318 0 1722K7BDU 17 699 724 3 1443WB5NKD 24 136 1125 0 1285WB9JSR 15 481 460 26 982WB5NKC 54 137 695 8 894WX4H 0 368 486 8 862W8UL 0 406 441 4 851N1UMJ 22 373 363 22 765KC8WSE 3 281 379 0 663KB9KEG 36 319 0 319 638N8IXF 0 328 294 13 635

140W7IGK7BFLW2DWRWA4UJCKK3F

138K2HJ

135WB2KNSW3YVQAB5WFN1UMJN5KWB

PUB SERV.indd 91PUB SERV.indd 91 1/23/2008 10:31:29 AM1/23/2008 10:31:29 AM



92 March 2008

the idea. I needed something to shut out the sound and something to help me relax.

Several years ago my collector friend from North Carolina, Robert Lozier, KD4HSH, introduced me to an Internet ra-dio show called The Big Broadcast, by host Rich Conaty. The show has been broadcast for over 25 years and can be heard locally near New York City for 4 hours every Sun-day night on WFUV-FM, Fordham Uni-versity. It is also broadcast via the Internet. Rich Conaty must have the world’s greatest collection of 1920s and 1930s music, much of it cleaned up and put on remastered CDs. I set my computer to capture the show every Sunday that I can remember to do so. Then I take copies of the MP3 files to work, place them on my classroom big screen computer and play the shows as background music all day long. (This is actually appreciated by my middle-school students working on their computer projects in my lab. I know it seems unlikely, but is true; some actually ask me to turn it on if I have forgotten to do so for some reason. I guess good music is always

OLD RADIO

Old BroadcastsK2TQN

Hospitals are great places if you are going to pick up your new child or to see your brand new grandchild, but they are a lousy place to spend time when you are sick. I found this out for myself in 2007, as I had two operations last year and spent a couple of weeks in a rehabilitation (rehab) wing. Other than your loss of modesty and privacy the thing I found most disturbing was the constant noise down the hall and the interruptions by nurses to give you a pill or take a blood sample, then another only an hour later. Meanwhile you are trying to get some sleep. It’s hard to do.

How does this relate to radio, you ask? Well, I found that my radio hobby went a

long way to smooth over the bumps for me and probably helped me recover sooner. I took along an old book to read on my first trip to the hospital last March. It was SOS to the Rescue, which turned into my June column. I think everybody takes or plans to read a book while there. But reading doesn’t do much for the noise. (For instance: There was a door that loudly slammed shut, right outside my room in the hall, and it seemed that every hospital employee had to go through that door all night long. Then there was the little old lady just down the hall who kept setting off the bed alarm every half hour or so. It was a siren sounding device that re-ally caught your attention.) I think you get

Early Ham Stations Station 3ZI, 1928

Ed Cummings wireless station 1WP in 1913 at Warwick, Rhode Island. The antenna is 4 strands #14 aluminum wire, 45 feet high, 100 feet long, fl at top “L” type. The receiver is a 2-slide tuner (on same rod), Bowman 23 plate variable condenser, E. I. Co fi xed condenser, Silicon Detector, 3 load coils for long wire (WSL, WCC, NAA, etc) and Brandes 2800 ohm phones. Receiver DX — Naval Stations Maine to Key West — Ships, etc. Transmitter — Splitdorf ¾ inch spark coil, glass plate condenser, zinc spark gap, helix, key (not shown in photo) used for local contacts only.

Photo taken fall of 1963, Ed Cummings, then in Cranston, Rhode Island, tuning his 1904 Marconi Tuner, using Holtzer Cabot phones.

Station 1WP, 1913

W3ZI receiving setup on the ground fl oor. The transmitter in the attic is controlled from the switch panel on wall.

Fifty Watt Hartley Transmitter at

Ed Raser’s station in the attic at 315 Beechwood

Avenue, Trenton, New Jersey. It was

controlled remotely from shack on the ground fl oor. The

antenna used was a semi-vertical cage with

V type counterpoise.

Old Radio.indd 92Old Radio.indd 92 1/23/2008 10:37:42 AM1/23/2008 10:37:42 AM



March 2008 93

John Dilks, K2TQN 125 Wharf Rd, Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234-8501 [email protected]

good music.) Anyway, I’ve become a big fan of early jazz music.

A couple of years ago I bought a small MP3 play-er, complete with mini-earphones. I had loaded it with Big Broadcast shows, intending to hook it up someday to one of the console radios in my liv-ing room. Instead I took the easy way out and bought an extra set of computer speakers and placed them on the floor under and behind the radio. It now sounds like the music is coming through the old radio. (Someday I’ll do it right.)

After one really difficult night at the re-hab hospital I telephoned my wife and asked her to bring the MP3 player, earphones and some spare batteries with her when she came to visit. I got myself situated so I could get to it while lying in the bed the next night.

Hooking it up and adjust-ing the volume I found almost no noise was dis-turbing me and I had the best night so far. Of course the nurses still came in for pills and blood samples, but I drifted back to sleep quickly, all the while lis-tening to my music.

During my most recent trip to a different hospital

for a second operation, I took my MP3 player with me anticipating the same prob-lems. I had just discovered another great radio show on the Internet called the Jimmy Jazz Show presented by WOOL-FM in New Hampshire. The two hour show is broadcast on Thursdays at 1 PM, and there is a huge listing of archived shows on the Internet. Jim Baldwin, known as DJ “jimmiejazz,” hosts the weekly show focusing on 1920s hot dance music and the personalities of the

period. Besides great music, you learn the history about the artist or band.

My second hospital trip was much shorter, but the music sure helped me get through the first night. Recovering at home over the Christmas holidays, I again used my MP3 player so I could relax.

I’m sure there are other shows on the In-ternet you can listen to, and properly hooked into your old broadcast radio, they should sound great. I’ve heard of one ham who is trying to set up an archive of recorded old ham QSOs on the Internet. I’ll report on that in a future column.

You can also purchase re-mastered early jazz CDs on the Internet, directly from the Jimmy Jazz Web page or through such places as www.amazon.com/.

If you want to listen to or download the Big Broadcast or Jimmy Jazz shows, please visit my Web page for more informa-tion and Web links: www.k2tqn.com/ — K2TQN

A rare occasion to have four photos of the same early station and operator.

E. E. Aker taken in 1915. His last call held was W8EB.

This 1915 receiving setup is a slide tuner with a DeForest detector. The switch mounted on left wall is the antenna and control switch for the transmitter located in the cellar.

Home of 8DZ, E. E. Aker of Lima, Ohio in 1915 showing fl at top antenna.

Thordarson 1 kW ac spark transformer coupled to a helix coil and eventually to the antenna. Note the ac wiring coming down the left wall. Many times the spark transmitter was located in the cellar due to the amount of noise it made while transmitting.

Station 8DZ, 1915

Old Radio.indd 93Old Radio.indd 93 1/23/2008 10:38:17 AM1/23/2008 10:38:17 AM



94 March 2008

NEW PREFIX FOR BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED

In response to a request from the Min-istry of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina in August, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) withdrew the call sign prefix alloca-tion T9A-T9Z for Bosnia and Herzegovina and made a new allocation, E7A-E7Z. The change was made initially on a provisional basis under authority of the ITU Secretary-General and was confirmed by the 2007 World Radiocommunication Conference to be effective November 17, 2007.

The Ministry of Communications and Transport held a press conference in Sara-jevo on December 18 to formally announce the change. Minister Dr Božo Ljubic ex-plained the desirability of changing a prefix that initially was allocated during wartime and how it was now being replaced with one that has no connection to that troubled time; similar steps have been taken with regard to passports, drivers’ licenses and

WRC-07: The Rest of the Story

S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA ARRL News Editor [email protected]

The January 2008 QST editorial [“It Seems to Us,” page 9] reported the bot-tom line for radio amateurs from the 2007 World Radiocommunication Conference, WRC-07, held last October and November in Geneva. Of course, the issues of direct interest to us were but a small part of the conference agenda that attracted more than 2800 delegates and 104 observers from 164 countries.

Under the chairmanship of Mr François Rancy of France, WRC-07 addressed some 30 agenda items related to almost all ter-restrial and space radio services and appli-cations. These included future generations of mobile telephony, aeronautical telemetry and telecommand systems, satellite services (including meteorological applications), maritime distress and safety signals, digital broadcasting, as well as the use of radio in the prediction and detection of natural disasters.

The conference agreed to a second-ary allocation for the Amateur Service at 135.7-137.8 kHz, subject to a power

IARU Region 1 President Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, addresses the press conference at the Ministry of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while (left to right) IARU Region 1 Executive Committee member Nikola Percin, 9A5W; IARU Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ, and Minister Ljubic look on.

COURTESY NIKOLA PERCIN, 9A5W

limitation and to geographic restrictions in North Africa and the Middle East. The conference did not agree to changes in al-locations between 4 and 10 MHz to benefit broadcasters, which led to there also being no changes to the amateur allocations in this frequency range.

According to the ITU press release is-sued at the end of the conference, the bands 2.3-2.4 GHz and 3.4-3.6 GHz are among those identified for possible future use by International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) systems. There was, however, no agreement for these bands to be used for IMT on a global basis; their use by existing services is expected to continue in much of the world, including North America.

Among the issues identified for the agenda of the next WRC, now scheduled for 2011, is consideration of a possible secondary allocation to the Amateur Service of up to 15 kHz in the vicinity of 500 kHz. Several other agenda items that could po-tentially impact the Amateur and Amateur Satellite Services will be monitored. The

ITU Council will finalize the agenda later, but in the meantime, preparations are under-way based on the agenda as it now stands. An organizational Conference Preparatory Meeting for WRC-11 was held right after the close of WRC-07 and the first substan-tive preparatory meetings were scheduled for February 2008.

The IARU team at WRC-07 consisted of IARU President Larry Price, W4RA; Vice President Tim Ellam, VE6SH; Secre-tary David Sumner, K1ZZ; Region 2 President Reinaldo Leandro, YV5AMH; Ken Pulfer, VE3PU; Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, and Hans Zimmermann, HB9AQS. IARU Region 1 Vice President Tafa Diop, 6W1KI, attended for the African Telecommunica-tions Union. There were several members of national delegations specifically to rep-resent Amateur Radio, including IARU Region 1 President Ole Garpestad, LA2RR; Hans Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T; Colin Thomas, G3PSM; Peter Lake, ZL2AZ; Keith Malcolm, VK1ZKM; Jim Dean, VE3IQ; Jay Oka, JA1TRC, and for the ARRL, Walter Ireland, WB7CSL, and Jonathan Siverling, WB3ERA. More than half of these individuals attended the entire four weeks of the conference, with the rest serving part-time. There were numerous other radio amateurs in country delegations who helped to the extent possible, consis-tent with their professional responsibili-ties.

IARU Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ, and IARU Region 1 President Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, of Norway, were invited to speak at the press conference. Accompanying them was IARU Region 1 Executive Committee member Nikola Percin, 9A5W, of Croatia. They expressed congratulations and support for the change, which eliminates an issue that has complicated relations among the radio amateurs of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Also invited to speak was Miroslav Nikše, President of the Union of RadioAmateur Associations of Bosnia and Herze-govina (URAS), a recently formed umbrella organization of Amateur Radio associations based in different parts of the country. He thanked those involved in promoting the change.

In his remarks, Dr Ljubic pledged support from the Ministry of Communications and Transport to the umbrella organization for the development of Amateur Radio repeater and digital networks that would cover the whole of the country, enhancing emergency communications capabilities.

automobile registrations, he said. Ljubic also observed that the costs associated with the change were minimal compared to the benefits. Amateur Radio station licenses bearing E7 prefixes were to be issued start-ing in January; the use of other prefixes will be phased out.

AMATEUR RADIO WORLD

AR WORLD.indd 94AR WORLD.indd 94 1/23/2008 3:59:16 PM1/23/2008 3:59:16 PM



March 2008 95

beaconing must be from an at-tended station.

You don’t have to “sign up” to be a PropNET participant. You simply download the software and go. The more hams that participate, the more useful PropNET becomes. Give it a try!

More on the Wearable Power Contest

Pete Friedrichs, AC7ZL, took note of my discussion of the Department of Defense “wear-able power” competition in the November 2007 column. He has written a short article that ex-plores what that contest really means in terms of its technical challenges, and what, if any-thing, is presently available to meet those challenges. You’ll f i n d i t o n l i n e a t www.hpfriedrichs.com/rr-dodpow-er.htm.

Software Defi ned Radio on a PS3

A Sony Playstation 3 game console, known as simply the PS3, is just a sophisticated toy, right? Well…it depends on

your point of view. If you’re into Software Defined Radio, the considerable (and afford-able) computing power of a Playstation 3 may begin to tweak your interest.

Eric Blossom,K7GNU, and Bob McGwier,N4HY, are working on getting the Linux GNU Radio up and running on a PS3, turning this “toy” into a capable ham rig. Bill, KD5TFD, is working along similar lines, trying to get High Performance Software Defined Radio boards (http://hpsdr.org/) to talk to Linux software running on a PS3.

As Bill points out, the PS3 is of in-terest because of its Cell BE processor. The Cell BE processor has one general purpose CPU and eight SPEs (Synergistic Processing Elements). The performance you can obtain from a properly “hacked” Playstation 3 is enormous — much more than a dual core x86 processor.

PropNET is one of the cool-est Amateur Radio projects you’ve probably never heard of. It is a 21 st century version of the tried-and-true propaga-tion beacon system, except that the beacons are digital and the Internet is used to aggregate the data.

The “secret” of PropNET is its network of participating sta-tions scattered throughout the world. Listening stations sniff the airwaves for PropNET bea-cons and automatically upload reception reports via Internet e-mail. Many of these same stations also transmit digital beacons at regular intervals. It all comes together at http://propnet.org where you can see the results displayed on colored maps. There are PropNET sta-tions operating on 30, 17, 10, 6 and 2 meters, although the 30-meter network is by far the most active. For a real treat, try clicking on the animated maps and watch as the propagation conditions change over time. Note to teachers: This can be a useful educational tool.

Anyone can participate in PropNET, ei-ther as a beacon station, a reporting station or both. All you need is a transceiver for your chosen band, a station computer and a sound card interface. If you already operate one of the HF digital modes such as PSK31, you’re good to go. PSK31 is the most popular PropNET mode, although there is some VHF PropNET activity using packet radio.

To become involved as a listening sta-tion, you’ll need to download and install the free PropnetPSK software for Windows, which is downloadable from the PropNET Web site. The software allows you to moni-tor several PSK31 beacon signals simulta-neously. Whenever PropnetPSK decodes a valid string of beacon text, it logs the infor-mation and can display the station location on a map. Depending on how you’ve set up PropnetPSK, it will also send your

PropnetPSK can receive several PSK31 beacon transmissions at once, analyzing each for valid beacon text.

Thirty-meter activity as received at my station and displayed by PropnetPSK.

reports to the central database.I often park my rig on the 30-meter

PropNET frequency (10.139.5 MHz, USB) and just monitor for an entire day. The results are fascinating. For instance, I once logged a British station in the middle of the night when 30 meters was allegedly “dead” in my part of the world.

More fun takes place when you start actively beaconing. As stations receive and report your signals, your call sign and location appear on the PropNET Website maps. On one occasion I dropped my output power to less than 1 W and was amazed at how many stations reported my beacons. One caveat: You cannot leave your beacon station unattended if you operate outside the beacon band segments speci-fied in Part 97.203(d). These segments are only at 10 meters and up, so any 30-meter

ECLECTIC TECHNOLOGY

Steve Ford, WB8IMY QST Editor [email protected]

PropNETWB8IMY

Eclec.indd 95Eclec.indd 95 1/23/2008 10:39:20 AM1/23/2008 10:39:20 AM



96 March 2008

SILENT KEYSIt is with deep regret that we record the passing of these amateurs:

Life Member, ARRL

Note: Silent Key reports must confi rm the death by one of the following means: a letter or note from a family member, a copy of a newspaper obituary notice, a copy of the death certifi cate, or a letter from the family lawyer or the executor. Please be sure to include the amateur’s name, address and call sign. Allow several months for the listing to appear in this column.Many hams remember a Silent Key with a memo-rial contribution to the ARRL Foundation or to ARRL. If you wish to make a contribution in a friend or relative’s memory, you can designate it for an existing youth scholarship, the Jesse A. Bieber-man Meritorious Membership Fund, the Victor C. Clark Youth Incentive Program Fund, or the Gen-eral Fund. Contributions to the Foundation are tax-deductible to the extent permitted under current tax law. Our address is: The ARRL Foundation Inc,225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.

WB1ABI Kenney, Peter J., Woburn, MAN1COW Palmer, Lawrence J., East Falmouth, MAW1IUX Tenkarian, Zaven V., Cranston, RIK1LZZ Buzel, George G., Fairfield, CTW1TNU Kleinman, Melvin, West Haven, CTK1UNQ Ellis, Carl W., Rumford, ME W1YCZ Truland, Daniel J., Lancaster, NH

W2BV Scibal, Stephen, Linwood, NJW2DBO Richey, Joel J., Liverpool, NYWA2EEA Wolkin, Sidney, Rahway, NJNS2G Landry, Helen B., Endwell, NYWB2HZY Burger, Charles H. Jr, Hillsborough, NCW2IKF Klinko, Paul W., Tallahassee, FLK2LZS Gawenus, Paul O., Port Jervis, NY WA2MRZ Mausteller, Robert M., Marilla, NY

WB2OWW Phillips, Barrie R., Endicott, NYKB2RIS Wilkins, Lawrence R., Neptune, NJW2TTM O’Connor, Edward J., South Amboy, NJKZ2U Ross, J. G., Canandaigua, NYW2VC Colaguori, Victor J., Oakhurst, NJW2VPS Adelfio, Sal A. Jr, South River, NJK2YEW Wesler, Norman, Oceanside, NYWA2YL Scheuerman, Janice R., Cape Coral, FLWB3BHX Curtze, Charles A., Erie, PAKB3BVU Lewallen, Michael A., Rockville, MDKB3GLY Kochman, John, Ford City, PAW3HHC Fritsch, Paul W., Allentown, PAW3JUZ Moyer, Russell W., Virginville, PAK3NPX Leiser, David J., Freedom, PAN3RSU Palumbo, Frank E., Kittanning, PAW3URG Prowell, Tolbert V., Mechanicsburg, PA W3WHB Bailey, Wendell H. Jr, Ft Washington, MD

WB4CMH Myers, Robert V. Sr, Louisville, KYK4CQD Bolduc, Albert H., Merritt Island, FLW4DDM Scruggs, William A., Richmond, VAW4DJS Caldow, John R., Tuscaloosa, ALWA4FKI Zellers, William C., Fayetteville, NCW4GXY Booras, George H., Melbourne, FLK4HPV Erlandsen, Charles F., Beaufort, SC K4IP Swift, Fredrick J. Jr, Gainesville, FL

W4JBA Warner, Otho, Carterville, ILN4MB Bacow, Mitchell L., Boca Raton, FLW4MOU Freedman, Roslyn, Plantation, FL

W4OEM Trice, Bobby W., Nashville, TNAA4PZ Delay, James M., Chattanooga, TNKN4QA Smigley, Theodore, Ringgold, GAW4SBK Hockman, John S. Jr, Middleburg, VAW4TAD Hazell, Willis C., Largo, FLW4TPT Smith, Dewey C., Antioch, TNWA4UGC Suchy, Raymond M., Sparr, FLW5ADX Price, John A., Corrales, NMN5CGV Teeter, David D., Livingston, TXW5CNM Saxon, Merl, Lufkin, TXAB5EF Kays, Charles L., Sand Springs, OKKC5EFD Parker, Terry L., Elgin, TXKG5EP Wagner, Robert T., Hot Springs, VAK5IQO Robertson, Estus E., Columbia, MS AB5J Phillips, Franklin J., Lawton, OK

NR5J Musick, Finas O. Jr, Iredell, TXWA5KQX Holmes, James K., Henry, TNWA5KWH Greer, Charles D., Tulsa, OKKD5RPO Richardson, Brian, Albuquerque, NMKD5RRK Windle, Reba L., College Station, TXW5TIZ Freeling, Richard N., Little Rock, ARW5YDC De Blanc, Jefferson J., St Martinville, LAWH6CGX Martin, Frederick C., Honolulu, HIW6ECP Pugh, Ernest C., Turlock, CAW6FJO Lewis, Edwin W. Jr, Castro Valley, CAN6HUH Anderson, Robert, Soulsbyville, CAK6JAG Luter, Paul R., Bakersfield, CAW6JYN Frank, K. M., Walnut Creek, CAKS6T Robertson, Aura L., Yucca Valley, CAK6UA Hoppe, Dale A., Fallbrook, CAKC6UET Dykes, Douglas W., Vallejo, CAKA7ARE Henning, Donald M., Covington, WAK7AYE Buttenob, Vern M., Seattle, WAW7CWB Bush, Charles W. III, Scottsdale, AZK7DPL Westerman, William A., Seattle, WAN7EYO Burlingame, Donald E., Lacey, WAW7FJY Potts, William R., Albany, ORKJ7IG Lockbeam, Robert F., Yakima, WAKD7JLF MacPherson, Brad E., St George, UT K7KOT Tillett, Stephen R., Puyallup, WA

KD7LL Morse, Harry, Vancouver, WAK7MGA Riemenschneider, Floyd, Yakima, WANV7N Brooks, Erwin T., Klamath Falls, ORK7NSX Mc Collum, Harold O., Ellensburg, WAW7SMC Colton, Daniel R., Shelton, WAN7XKU Arnold, Jill R., Douglas, WYKI7YG Hyde, Carroll O., Mukilteo, WAWA7ZSX Scott, William “Ross”, Lake Oswego, ORK8AXK Bergen, Jon F., Marietta, OHW8BX Atems, Edward, St Claire Shores, MI

WA8GMD Olance, Robert J., Dewitt, MIW8HN Sevougian, Stephen G., Medina, OHW8JDT Atems, Irene, St Claire Shores, MIW8KEB Burrough, Kenneth E., Flushing, OHN8MEP Davis, Donald A., Troy, OHKC8SIP Davis, Michael F., Marietta, OH WB8TDD Huschart, John H. Jr, Cincinnati, OH

AB8ZI Mueller, Mark C., Ann Arbor, MI W9CIT Linkmeyer, Larry L., Aurora, IN

N9EJD Imanski, Daniel L., Milwaukee, WIWA9FFT Kalata, Walter, Appleton, WIKA9IJW Dawson, James R., Evansville, INK9ILP Graber, Loren L., Normal, ILex-W9IQZ Niesen, Henry W., Monona, WIKB9IRD Lopas, Dolores I., Menasha, WIN9LKY Paul, James M. Jr, Merrimac, WIAB9NY Giese, Patrick J., Plymouth, WIN9PHO Johnson, William A., Oregon, WI W9QQ Hulick, Timothy P., Schwenksville, PA

K9RI Wolfe, Raymond G., Kenosha, WIK9VTO Rickert, Kenneth E., Belleville, ILWDØA Moore, Rex D., Manson, IA KCØFL Trentham, Gary, Independence, MO

NØISS Brannan, George, Wichita, KSKØJPW Weaver, Donald A., Osawatomie, KSWØLHS Snyder, William D., Fargo, NDKCØPKI Kohoutek, William R., Longmont, COWØREO Jensen, Donald D., Loveland, CO WØRZF Shirer, Hampton W., Lawrence, KS

KBØTFT Hayden, Michael J., Muscatine, IA

Amy Hurtado, KB1NXO Silent Keys Administrator [email protected]

been awarded to expand a fox hunting project, to expand a school radio club, to license Civil Air Patrol cadets, to support licensing classes, to place an antenna on a space module and to assist two museums with Amateur Radio displays.

The ARRL Foundation awards an increasing number of scholarships each year, and in 2007 more than $58,000 was awarded to 65 FCC-licensed young hams who are pursuing higher education in fields that range from petroleum engineering and computer science to health care. More scholarships are added every year, funded by Amateur Radio clubs and organizations as

The ARRL Foundation –– Dedicated to Amateur Radio’s Future!

well as individuals who share the Foundation’s commitment to education.

In both of these arenas, the ARRL Founda-tion is funding the future of Amateur Radio, and you can be part of that process. These grants and scholarships are 100% funded by contributions and I can think of no better organization to benefit from your generosity.

You can make a tax deductible contribution of any size to support the scholarship program or the grants projects by contacting the ARRL Foundation at 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111. We’d love to hear from you!

Founded in 1979, the ARRL Foundation is a unique 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting Amateur Radio activities — primar-ily young hams! The Foundation concentrates on two key areas, providing project grants and awarding scholarships to young hams pursuing higher education.

Amateur Radio organizations apply for grants that may range from $500 to $3000 to support projects related to Amateur Radio. Many of them are focused on introducing young people to ham radio, helping them become licensed and getting on the air. In 2007, challenge grants have

AT THE FOUNDATION

Mary M. Hobart, K1MMH Secretary, ARRL Foundation Inc [email protected]

SKEYS.indd 96SKEYS.indd 96 1/23/2008 10:39:49 AM1/23/2008 10:39:49 AM



March 2008 97

75, 50, AND 25 YEARS AGO

Al Brogdon, W1AB Contributing Editor

W1AW SCHEDULEW1AW’s schedule is at the same local time through-out the year. From the second Sunday in March to the fi rst Sunday in November, UTC = Eastern US Time + 4 hours. For the rest of the year, UTC = Eastern US Time + 5 hours.

Morse code transmissions: Frequencies are 1.8175, 3.5815, 7.0475, 14.0475, 18.0975, 21.0675, 28.0675 and 147.555 MHz.Slow Code = practice sent at 5, 71⁄2, 10, 13 and 15 WPM.Fast Code = practice sent at 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 13 and 10 WPM.

Code bulletins are sent at 18 WPM.W1AW qualifying runs are sent on the same frequencies as the Morse code transmissions. West Coast qualifying runs are transmitted on approximately 3.590 MHz by K6YR. See “This Month in Contesting” in this issue. Underline one minute of the highest speed you copied, certify that your copy was made without aid, and send it to ARRL for grading. Please include your name, call sign (if any) and complete mailing address. Fees: $10 for a certifi cate, $7.50 for endorsements.

Digital transmissions: Frequencies are 3.5975, 7.095, 14.095, 18.1025, 21.095, 28.095 and 147.555 MHz.

Bulletins are sent at 45.45-baud Baudot and 100-baud AMTOR, FEC Mode B. 110-baud ASCII will be sent only as time allows.

On Tuesdays and Fridays at 6:30 PM Eastern Time, Keplerian elements for many amateur satellites are sent on the regular tele printer frequencies.

Voice transmissions: Frequencies are 1.855, 3.99, 7.29, 14.29, 18.16, 21.39, 28.59 and 147.555 MHz.

Notes: On Fridays, UTC, a DX bulletin replaces the regular bulletins. W1AW is open to visitors 10 AM to noon and 1 PM to 3:45 PM on Monday through Friday. FCC licensed amateurs may operate the station during that time. Be sure to bring your current FCC amateur license or a photocopy. In a communication emergency, monitor W1AW for special bulletins as follows: voice on the hour, teleprinter at 15 minutes past the hour, and CW on the half hour.During 2008, Headquarters and W1AW are closed on New Year’s Eve Day and New Year’s Day (Dec 31 and Jan 1), Presidents Day (Feb 18), Good Friday (Mar 21), Memorial Day (May 26), Independence Day (Jul 4), Labor Day (Sep 1), Thanksgiving and the following day (Nov 27 and 28) and Christmas (Dec 25). For more information, see www.arrl.org/w1aw.html.

March 1933 The cover photo shows a poor ham being dragged from his

operating position by a wife, as she wags her finger and scolds him. Surely that doesn’t really happen….

The editorial reports that Congress again is proposing a license fee for amateurs. Surely that won’t really happen….

Clyde Houldson, W1KP, describes “A Power Type Electron-Coupled Exciter Unit” that uses a single 100-watt 860 tube.

Frank Jones, W6AJF, discusses “Checking the Behavior of Ultra-High Frequency Waves,” and presents the results of “interesting transmission tests using directive antennas.”

An interesting “Stray” describes the ham station of W9GFK. Built on a coaster wagon, it can be wheeled into a closet when not in use.

T. H. Kemp, W2AJA, tells about “A Versatile Temperature-Controlled Master Oscillator Unit” that helps keep his transmitter exactly on frequency. “On the Top of New England,” by Alexander McKenzie, W1BPL, tells the tale of a group of

hams operating from the top of Mount Washington, New Hampshire, in cooperation with the International Polar Year project. A. L. Budlong announces “A New A.R.R.L. QSL Forwarding Service” that will forward all

foreign cards. Technical Editor Jim Lamb talks about “Getting the Most from the Single-Signal Superhet.”

March 1958 The cover cartoon by Gil, W1CJD, shows our ham’s shack after

the A.R.R.L. DX Test (compare it with the before view on the February cover).

The editorial discusses the well-known “cut and try” method of building ham gear.

E. G. von Wald, W4YOT, describes “A Transistor Handitalky for Ten Meters” that uses a crystal-controlled transmitter and a superregenerative receiver.

“A New Receiver Principle” explains the several unique characteristics of the new, and excellent, British-made Racal RA-17 communications receiver.

“Obstacle Gain Techniques for 50 Mc. and Higher,” by Julian Craig, W6LWY, explains that diffraction of a V.H.F. signal as it

passes over a tall barrier (say, a mountain) will propagate your signal a bit farther than you might expect.

“Two Linear Amplifiers” presents circuits for using the PL-172 in both grounded-cathode and grounded-grid configurations. Karl Tipple, W5TEV, tells about his “Transistorized Keying Monitor with Speaker,” a simple

circuit that uses two of the popular and inexpensive CK-722 transistors. Herbert Vonhof, W7PNO, describes his “Telescoping Antenna Mast,” made at low cost from

2×4 lumber. Lew McCoy, W1ICP, discusses “Feeding the Simple Antenna,” explaining some basic

antennas and their transmission lines. Well-known DXer, contester, and ragchewer Katashi Nose, KH6IJ, explains the “Adjustment

of Gamma-Matched Parasitic Beams.” Judging from his signal while using modest power, Nose must be onto something good.

March 1983 The cover photo silhouettes several towers and beams against the

sunset sky. The editorial announces, “The FCC No-Code Proposal: Ready or

Not, Here It Comes.” John Reed, W6IOJ, says, “Make Mine Modular: Easy-to-Build

Receiving Converter and Test Equipment for 435 MHz.” Jerry Hall, K1TD, presents “A Simple Approach to Antenna

Impedances,” and covers radiation resistance, antenna resistance, standing waves and other topics that are often misunderstood.

Doug DeMaw, W1FB, tells us to “Go Class B or C with Power MOSFETs.”

Jack Priedigkeit, W6ZGN, tells us about “Measuring Impedance with a Reflection-Coefficient Bridge.”

“Horizontal X Beams for 15 and 20 Meters,” by Brice Anderson, W9PNE, tells about the antenna first described in Break-In, the journal of the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters. Another good antenna idea is described by Richard Gray, W9JJV, in “The Two-Band

Delta-Loop Antenna.” “FCC Proposal for ‘Codeless’ Operator License Class” gives the text of, and details on,

PR Docket 83-28.

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75 50 25.indd 9775 50 25.indd 97 1/23/2008 10:40:28 AM1/23/2008 10:40:28 AM



98 March 2008

February 16Arkansas Section, Hoxie*

February 23Vermont State, Milton*

February 23-24Santa Clara Valley Section, Monterey, CA*

March 1South Texas Section, Rosenberg*

March 8West Texas Section, Midland*

March 8-9North Carolina Section, Charlotte*

April 12North Carolina State, Raleigh

April 25-26Southeastern VHF, Orlando, FL

May 2-3Midwest Division, South Sioux City, NE

May 2-4EMCOMMWEST, Reno, NV

May 3South Carolina Section, Spartanburg

May 3-4Alabama State, Birmingham

May 30-31Atlantic Division, Henrietta, NY

May 30-June 1Northwestern Division, Seaside, OR

*See February QST for details.

Attention Hamfest and ConventionSponsors:

ARRL HQ maintains a date register of scheduled events that may assist you in picking a suitable date for your event. You’re encouraged to register your event with HQ as far in advance as your planning permits. Hamfest and convention approval proce-dures for ARRL sanction are separate and distinct from the date register. Registering dates with ARRL HQ doesn’t constitute League sanction, nor does it guarantee there will not be a confl ict with another established event in the same area.

We at ARRL HQ are not able to approve dates for sanctioned hamfests and con-ventions. For hamfests, this must be done by your division director. For conventions, approval must be made by your director and by the executive committee. Application forms can be fi lled out online at www.arrl.org/FandES/fi eld/hamfests/regform.html.

Note: Sponsors of large gatherings should check with League HQ for an ad-visory on possible date confl icts before contracting for meeting space. Dates may be recorded at ARRL HQ for up to two years in advance.

D = DEALERS / VENDORSH = HANDICAP ACCESSV = VE SESSIONS

F = FLEA MARKET

S = SEMINARS / PRESENTATIONS

Abbreviations: Spr = Sponsor, TI = Talk-in frequency, Adm = AdmissionArkansas (Fort Smith) — Apr 5 F D V8 AM-3 PM. Spr: Fort Smith Area ARC. Colum-bus Acres, 10203 Columbus Acres Rd. “Hanging Judge Hamfest,” indoor flea market, dealers, tailgating (free with admission), VE sessions, free RV/Trailer overnight parking (no hookups). TI: 146.94, 146.64 (88.5 Hz), 444.5. Adm: advance $8, door $10. Tables: $10. Dennis Burton, N5DRB, 7909 S 25th St, Fort Smith, AR 72908; 479-648-0831; n5drb@

OKLAHOMA SECTION CONVENTIONMarch 14-15, ClaremoreF D H VThe Oklahoma Section Convention, sponsored by the Green Country Hamfest Assn, will be held at the Claremore Expo Center, 400 Veter-ans Pkwy. Doors are open for setup on Friday at noon and Saturday at 7 AM; public Friday 5-9 PM, Saturday 8 AM-5 PM. Features include large indoor flea market, commercial vendors, dealers, fantastic forums, free test table (check it before you buy it), on-site VE sessions, free parking, on-site RV parking. Talk-in on 147.09, 444.35. Admission is $8 in advance, $10 at the door (under 13 free); good both days. Tables are $10 in advance, $15 at the door (electri city is $15; cords not provided). Contact Merlin Griffin, WB5OSM, Box 470132, Tulsa, OK 74147-0132; 918-272-0066; [email protected]; www.greencountryhamfest.org.

SOUTHERN FLORIDA SECTION CONVENTIONMarch 15, StuartF D H V SThe Southern Florida Section Convention, sponsored by the Martin County ARA, will be held at the Martin County Fairgrounds, 2616 SE Dixie Hwy. Doors are open 7 AM-5 PM. Features include large tailgate area (free), commercial vendors, indoor swap tables, ARRL seminar, forums (technical, ARES/RACES), Satellite demonstration, QSL card checking, transmitter foxhunt, large ham club expo area, VE sessions. Talk-in on 147.06 (107.2 Hz). Admission is free. Tables are free. Contact Doug Shields, W4DAS, c/o Martin County ARA, Box 1901, Stuart, FL 34995; 772-349-7820; fax 810-963-5192; [email protected]; www.mcaraweb.com.

LOUISIANA STATE CONVENTIONMarch 21-22, RayneF D H V SThe Louisiana State Convention (48th Acadiana Hamfest), sponsored by the Acadiana ARA, will be held at the Rayne Civic Center, 300 Frog Festival Dr. Doors are open Friday 5-8 PM,Saturday 8 AM-2 PM. Features include Craw-fish Boil on Friday; flea market, commercial dealers, vendors, demonstrations, forums (ARRL, AMSAT), DXCC card checking, foxhunt, VE sessions (9 AM, walk-in basis; $14 fee), refreshments on Saturday; RV parking with power and water. Talk-in on 146.82. Admission

is $4 in advance (before Mar 1), $5 at the door. Tables are $10 (swap), $15 (dealers). Contact Roland Guidry, NA5Q, 701 S Arenas St, Rayne, LA 70578; 337-334-2090; [email protected]; www.w5ddl.org/hamfest/index.htm.

MAINE STATE CONVENTIONApril 4-5, LewistonD H V SThe Maine State Convention (30th Annual “Andy” Hamfest and Computer Fair), spon-sored by the Androscoggin ARC, will be held at the Ramada Inn Conference Center, 490 Pleasant St. Doors are open Friday 7-9 PM, Saturday 8 AM-noon. Features include exhibitors, vendors, new and used radio and electronics gear, computers, forums, VE ses-

sions (12:15 PM). Talk-in on 146.61. Admission is free Friday evening, Saturday $6, under 18 free. Tables are $8. Contact Bill Woodhead, N1KAT, 68 Madison St, Auburn, ME 04210; 207-782-4862; [email protected]; w1npp.org.

COMMUNICATIONS ACADEMYApril 5-6, Seattle, WAD SThe Communications Academy, co-sponsored by the ARES of King County, the Seattle Auxil-iary Communications, the WWA Medical Ser-vices Communications, and the WA State ARES, will be held at the South Seattle Commu-nity College (Brockey Student Center), 6000 16th Ave SW. Doors are open both days from 8 AM-5 PM. Features include two days of con-tinuing education training in emergency management, basic radio communications, technical and hands-on communications, com-munications van display, vendors, and network-ing. Admission is $50 in advance for 2 days, $30 at the door per day. Contact Bruce Miller, KC7IAY, Box 31134, Seattle, WA 98103; 206-854-6414; fax 206-526-1338; [email protected]; www.commacademy.org.

Attention: The deadline for receipt of items for this column is the 1st of the second month preced-ing publication date. For example, your informa-tion must arrive at HQ by March 1 to be listed in the May issue. Hamfest information is accurate as of our deadline; contact sponsor for possible late changes. For detailed directions to the event, see the event Web site or contact sponsor. For those who send in items for Hamfest Calendar and Coming Conventions: Postal regulations prohibit mention in QST of prizes or any kind of games of chance such as raffles or bingo.

cox.net; www.hangingjudgehamfest.com. Colorado (Longmont) — Apr 5 V8 AM-2 PM. Spr: Longmont ARC. Boulder County Fairgrounds, 9595 Nelson Rd. VE sessions. TI: 147.27. Adm: $5. Tables: $15. Jeremy Haley, WG9T, Box 86, Longmont, CO 80501; [email protected]; w0eno.org/node/217. Connecticut (Pomfret) — Mar 15 V8 AM-noon. Spr: Eastern Connecticut ARA. Pomfret Community School, 20 Pomfret Rd. VE sessions. TI: 147.225 (156.7 Hz). Adm: $2.

Gail Iannone Convention and Hamfest Program Manager [email protected]

COMING CONVENTIONS

HAMFEST CALENDAR

CONV HAMF.indd 98CONV HAMF.indd 98 1/23/2008 10:41:09 AM1/23/2008 10:41:09 AM



March 2008 99

Tables: $10. Paul Rollinson, KE1LI, 182 Wrights Crossing Rd, Pomfret Center, CT 06259; 860-928-2456; fax 860-928-3844; [email protected]; www.qsl.net/k1muj/. Connecticut (Southington) — Mar 30 F D VSet up 6:15 AM; public 8 AM-noon. Spr: Southington ARA. Southington High School, 720 Pleasant St. Flea market, ham radio equip-ment, electronics, computers, vendors, annual spring ARES meeting, VE sessions (all classes; pre-registration preferred; walk-ins welcomed). TI: 145.49, 147.345, 224.8, 444.25 (77 Hz). Adm: $5, under 12 free. Tables: 6-ft, advance $15, door $20 (½ off if you bring your own table). Make checks payable to SARA and send with SASE to Chet Bacon, KA1ILH, c/o SARA,Box 873, Southington, CT 06489; 860-628-9346; [email protected]; www.chetbacon.com/sara.htm.Florida (Ft Walton Beach) — Mar 15 F8 AM-3 PM. Spr: Playground ARC. Northwest Florida Fairgrounds, 1958 Lewis Turner Blvd (State Rte 189). Swapfest. TI: 146.79. Adm: $5. Tables: $10. Terry Young, K4KJP, 129 Sotir St, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547; 850-243-4315; [email protected]; www.w4zbb.org/parcweb/swapflyer.html.Florida (Oakland Park) — Mar 29 F V6 AM-noon. Spr: Broward ARC. Collins Center, 3900 NE 3rd Ave. “Cy Harris W4MAQ Memorial Free Flea,” VE sessions, EmComm Exams. TI: 146.79. Adm: Free. Marty Falk, KI4IQZ, 3900 NE 3rd Ave, Oakland Park, FL 33334; 954-632-1667; [email protected]; www.eagle3.net/barc. Florida (Stuart) — Mar 15, Southern Florida Section Convention. See “Coming Conventions.” Georgia (Marietta) — Mar 15 F D V8 AM-3 PM. Spr: Kennehoochee ARC. Jim R. Miller Park, 2245 Callaway Rd. 55th Annual Hamfest, vendors, covered boneyard, VE ses-sions. TI: 146.88 (100 Hz). Adm: advance $5, door $6. Tables: $20. Bobby O’Donald, KD4ISM, Box 1245, Marietta, GA 30060; 770-439-9300; fax 770-974-1249; [email protected]; www.w4bti.org. Indiana (Columbus) — Mar 29 F V8 AM-2 PM. Spr: Columbus ARC. 4-H Fair-grounds Community Building, 750 W 200 S (SR 11). 25th Annual Hamfest, VE sessions. TI: 146.79 (100 Hz). Adm: advance $4.50, door $5. Tables: $8. Marion Winterberg, WD9HTN, 11941 W Sawmill Rd, Columbus, IN 47201; 812-342-4670; [email protected]; www.qsl.net/carc.Indiana (Terre Haute) — Mar 8 F V S8 AM-1 PM. Spr: Wabash Valley ARA. Vigo County Fairgrounds, 3901 S US Hwy 41. Tail-gating, forums, VE sessions, refreshments. TI: 146.685 (151.4 Hz). Adm: $5. Tables: Free. Kevin Berlen, K9HX, 308 W 4th St, Clay City, IN 47841; 812-239-9140; [email protected]; w9uuu.org. Louisiana (Rayne) — Mar 21-22, Louisiana State Convention. See “Coming Conventions.”Maine (Lewiston) — Apr 4-5, Maine State Convention. See “Coming Conventions.”Maryland (Timonium) — Mar 29-30 F VSaturday 8 AM-5 PM, Sunday 8 AM-3 PM. Spr: Baltimore ARC. Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Rd. 37th Annual Greater Baltimore Hamboree and Computerfest, over 900 indoor tables, VE sessions. TI: 146.67, 449.625 (107.2 Hz). Adm: advance $10 for a weekend pass, door $6 per day. Tables: see web site. Doug Wittich, N3VEJ, Box 95, Timonium, MD 21094; 443-590-1145; [email protected]; www.gbhc.org.Massachusetts (Feeding Hills) — Mar 8F D H V9 AM-2 PM. Spr: Mount Tom Amateur Repeater Assn. Springfield Turnverein Club, 176 Garden St. 20th Annual Flea Market, dealers, vendors, tailgating ($10 per space), VE sessions, handi-

capped accessible, refreshments. TI: 146.94 (127.3 Hz). Adm: $5. Tables: 8-ft $15. Cindy Loiero, K1ISS, 27 Deepwoods Dr, Westfield, MA 01085; 413-568-1175; [email protected]; www.mtara.org.Massachusetts (Framingham) — Apr 6 F V9 AM-1 PM. Spr: Framingham ARA. Keefe Tech High School, 750 Winter St. Fleamarket, VE sessions. TI: 147.15. Adm: $5. Tables: advance $20, door $25. Beverly Lees, N1LOO, 31 Ridgefield Dr, Framingham, MA 01701; 508-626-2012; [email protected]; FARA.org. Michigan (Marshall) — Mar 15 F8 AM-noon. Sprs: Southern Michigan ARS and Marshall High School Industrial Arts Club. Marshall High School, 701 N Marshall Ave. 48th Annual Michigan Crossroads Hamfest. TI: 146.66 (94.8 Hz), 146.52. Adm: $5. Tables: $8. Stephanie Halbert, W8AEZ, 20960 NE Capital Ave, Battle Creek, MI 49017; 269-966-0770; [email protected]; www.w8df.com. Minnesota (Buffalo) — Mar 29 F V8 AM-1:30 PM. Spr: Robbinsdale ARC. Buffalo Civic Center, 1306 Calder Ave (CR 134). 27th Annual Midwinter Madness Hobby Elec-tronics Show, VE sessions, free parking. TI: 147.0. Adm: $7. Tables: $20. Jerry Dorf, NØFWG, Box 22613, Robbinsdale, MN 55422; 763-537-1722; [email protected]; www.k0ltc.org. Minnesota (Faribault) — Mar 22 F V8 AM-noon. Spr: AR Equipment Retail Trader. Moose Lodge, 1810 4th St NW. 6th Annual Hamfest, VE sessions. TI: 146.79 (100 Hz), 444.625 (100 Hz). Adm: $3. Tables: $5. Larry Schmidtke, NØZXH, 201 Division St S, Morristown, MN 55052; 507-330-2622; [email protected]; www.w0nka.net. New Hampshire (Henniker) — Mar 30 F V S8 AM-2 PM. Spr: Contoocook Valley RC. Henniker Community School, 51 Western Ave. Flea market, speakers, demonstrations, VE sessions. TI: 146.895 (100 Hz). Adm: $3. Tables: $10. Jim McElroy, NS1E, Box 325, Henniker, NH 03242; 603-428-7436; [email protected]; www.k1bke.org. New Jersey (Annandale) — Apr 5 F V S8 AM. Spr: Cherryville Repeater Assn II. North Hunterdon High School, 1445 State Rte 31. All indoors, SKYWARN training, VE sessions, NJQRP forum, refreshments. TI: 147.375 (151.4 Hz). Adm: $6. Tables: $15. Walter O’Brien, WO2U, Box 4922, Clinton, NJ 08809; 908-963-1245; [email protected]; www.qsl.net/w2cra.New Jersey (Parsippany) — Mar 1 F D VSellers 6:30 AM, buyers 8 AM. Spr: Splitrock ARA. Parsippany PAL Building, 33 Baldwin Rd (next to Smith Field). All indoors, vendors, VE sessions (registration 8:30 AM, exams 9 AM sharp), DXCC card checking. TI: 146.985 (131.8 Hz). Adm: $6, non-ham YLs and har-monics free with ham admission. Tables: $22 (includes 1 admission). Mike Greenfeld, K8BQ, c/o Splitrock ARA, Box 610, Rockaway, NJ 07866; 866-457-6687; [email protected]; www.splitrockara.org. New Jersey (Township of Washington) — Mar 2 D (Auction)Vendors noon, buyers 1 PM. Spr: Bergen ARA. Westwood Regional Jr/Sr High School, 701 Ridgewood Rd. Annual Auction, refreshments. TI: 146.79 (141.3 Hz). Adm: Free. Tables: Free. Jim Joyce, K2ZO, 286 Ridgewood Blvd N, Township of Washington, NJ 07676; 201-664-6725; [email protected]; www.bara.org. New Jersey (Wall Township) — Apr 5 F VSellers 6:30 AM; buyers 7:30 AM-1 PM. Spr: Ocean-Monmouth ARC. Project Diana Site, Camp Evans, Marconi Rd. Tailgate Hamfest, VE sessions. TI: 145.11 (127.3 Hz). Adm: $5.

Tables: $10. Jeff Harshman, N2LXM, 5 The Arborway, Ocean, NJ 07712; 732-996-0637; [email protected]; www.omarc.org.New York (Horseheads) — Feb 23 F V8 AM-2 PM. Sprs: ARA of the Southern Tier and Chemung County AR Emergency Service. National Guard Armory, 128 Colonial Dr. 27th Annual WinterFest, VE sessions. TI: 147.36, 146.7. Adm: advance $5, door $6. Tables: $17. Elliott Blauvelt, N2OJM, Box 614, Horseheads, NY 14845; 607-739-5626; fax 607-739-4469; [email protected]; www.arast.org. New York (West Seneca) — Mar 2 F V7:30 AM-2 PM. Spr: Lancaster ARC. Ismailia Shrine Center, 1600 Southwestern Blvd (Rte 20). Greater Buffalo Winter Hamfest, VE sessions. TI: 147.255 (107.2 Hz). Adm: $7. Tables: $12. Luke Calianno, N2GDU, 1105 Ransom Rd, Lancaster, NY 14086; 716-481-5747; [email protected]; gbhamfest.hamgate.net. North Carolina (Kinston) — Apr 6 F V8 AM-3 PM. Spr: Down East Hamfest Associa-tion. Lenoir Community College, 231 Hwy 58 S. 18th Annual Down East Hamfest, indoor climate controlled, tailgating, VE sessions, breakfast and lunch on site. TI: 146.685 (88.5 Hz). Adm: advance $4 or 3 for $10; door $5 or 3 for $12. Tables: $10. Jean DuPree, KB4OHX, 212 E Capitola Ave, Kinston, NC 28501; 252-523-2703; [email protected]; www.downeasthamfest.org.Ohio (Maumee) — Mar 16 F D8 AM-2 PM. Spr: Toledo Mobile Radio Assn. Lucas County Recreation Center, 2901 Key St. 53rd Toledo Hamfest/Computer Fair, new and used radio and computer equipment and sup-plies, major ham gear vendors. TI: 146.27. Adm: $6. Tables: $20 (regular), $25 (wall). Brian Harrington, WD8MXR, 4463 Holly Hill Dr, Toledo, OH 43614; 419-385-5624; [email protected]; www.tmrahamradio.org. Oklahoma (Claremore) — Mar 14-15, Oklahoma Section Convention. See “Coming Conventions.”Ontario (Brampton) — Mar 29. [email protected]; www.ham-ex.ca. Pennsylvania (Greensburg) — Mar 9 F8 AM-2 PM. Spr: Foothills ARC. Greensburg VFD Hose Company #1, 12 McLaughlin Dr. Refreshments. TI: 147.18 (131.8 Hz). Adm: Free. Tables: $10. Frank Rossi, N3FLR, 707 9th St, Irwin, PA 15642; 724-989-0462; [email protected]; www.w3lww.org/. Tennessee (Tullahoma) — Mar 15 F V8 AM-4 PM. Spr: Middle Tennessee ARS. First Methodist Church, 208 W Lauderdale St. Electronics, computers, 2-way radios, VE sessions. TI: 146.7 (114.8 Hz). Adm: $5. Tables: $10. Bill Holt, NØEUU, 420 Joe Hicker-son Rd, Manchester, TN 37355; 931-728-9015 (after 5 PM CST); [email protected]; www.qsl.net/mtars.Tennessee (Union City) — Mar 15 F H V9 AM. Spr: Reelfoot ARC. Obion County Fair-grounds, 1711 E Church St. “The Ides of March Hamfest,” tailgating, VE sessions, handicapped accessible. TI: 146.7 (100 Hz). Adm: Free. Tables: $5. Bob Miles, K9IL, 113 Green Acres Dr, Martin, TN 38237; 731-588-2840; [email protected]; www.reelfootarc.com. Texas (Weatherford)—Mar 29 V7 AM-1 PM. ARC of Parker County. Weatherford National Guard Armory, 719 Charles St. VE sessions. TI: 147.04 (110.9 Hz). Adm: $5. Tables: $10. Jim Spaulding, WØUO, 2104 Farmer Rd, Weatherford, TX 76087; 817-448-8024; [email protected]; www.qsl.net/w5pc. Washington (Seattle) — Apr 5-6, Communica-tions Academy. See “Coming Conventions.”




100 March 2008

West Virginia (Charleston) — Mar 15 F V S9 AM-2 PM. Spr: Charleston Hamfest Committee. Coonskin Armory, 1707 Coonskin Dr. Charleston Area Hamfest and Computer Show, forums (ARRL, ARES), VE sessions, Kanawha Valley Amateur of the Year Award. TI: 145.35. Adm: $5. Tables: $5. Jim Damron, N8TMW, 4607 Baxter Dr, Charleston, WV 25302; 304-965-5349; fax 304-965-7753; [email protected]; www.karc.wvhamradio.com/hamfest.htm. Wisconsin (Eau Claire) — Mar 15 V9 AM. Spr: Eau Claire ARC. Grace Lutheran Church, 202 W Grand Ave. 17th Annual AR Equipment Auction, VE sessions, breakfast and lunch served. TI: 146.91 (110.9 Hz). Adm: $5. Jim Staatz, KI9H, 202 W Grand Ave, Rm 109, Eau Claire, WI 54703; 715-514-0078; [email protected]; www.ecarc.org. Wisconsin (Jefferson) — Mar 16 F V8 AM-1 PM. Spr: Tri-County ARC. Jefferson County Fairgrounds Activity Center, 503 N Jackson Ave. “W9MQB Hamfest 2008,” VE sessions. TI: 145.49 (123 Hz). Adm: $5. Tables: $6. Paul Marowsky, KD9PM, W 5345

Attention All Hamfest Committees!Get offi cial ARRL sanction for your event and receive special benefi ts such as an an-

nouncement in these listings, donated ARRL publications, handouts, discounted rates for display advertising, and other support.

It’s easy to become sanctioned. Contact the Convention and Hamfest Branch at ARRL Headquarters, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111, 860-594-0262, or send e-mail to [email protected]. The application form can be fi lled out online at www.arrl.org/FandES/fi eld/hamfests/regform.html.

Promoting your event is guaranteed to increase attendance. As an approved event sponsor, you are entitled to special discounted rates on QST display advertising and ARRLWeb banner advertising. Call the ARRL Advertising Desk at 860-594-0207, or e-mail [email protected].

Schiferl Ln, Johnson Creek, WI 53038; 920-674-4968; [email protected]; www.cmdline.com/tcarc/.Wisconsin (Milwaukee) — Mar 28-29F D V SFriday 2:30-6 PM; Saturday 8:30 AM-3 PM. Spr: Amateur Electronic Supply. AES Milwaukee, 5710 W Good Hope Rd. “AES Superfest 2008,” major manufacturers, forums, clubs, scouts, VE sessions, refreshments. TI: 145.130/144.530 (127.3 Hz). Adm: Free. Tables: Free. Ray

Maty Weinberg, KB1EIB Special Events [email protected]

SPECIAL EVENTS

Certifi cates and QSL cards: To obtain a certifi cate from any of the special-event stations offer-ing them, send your QSO information along with a 9×12 inch self-addressed, stamped envelope to the address listed in the announcement. To receive a special event QSL card (when offered), be sure to include a self-addressed, stamped business envelope along with your QSL card and QSO information.*Note: Some clubs may ask for a nominal fee to cover the cost of the certifi cate or QSL. Request will be made on air during the event or on the club’s Web site.Special Events Announcements: For items to be listed in this column, you must be an Amateur Radio club, and use the ARRL Special Events Listing Form, at www.arrl.org/contests/spevform.html, or if you prefer, forms are available via Internet ([email protected]), or for an SASE (send to Special Requests, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111, and write “Special Events Form” in the lower left-hand corner). Off-line completed forms may be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to ARRL, Attn: Special Events. Submissions must be received by ARRL HQ no later than the 1st of the second month preceding the publication date; that is, a special event listing for May QST would have to be received by Mar 1. In addition to being listed in QST, your event will be listed on the ARRLWeb Special Events page.

Contact these stations and help commemorate history. Many provide a special QSL card or certifi cate!

Jan 1-Mar 31, 0000Z-2359Z, Karlovo, Bulgaria. Balkan Contest Club, LZ130LO. 130th Anniversary of the liberation of Bulgaria. Various bands. QSL. Balkan Contest Club, LZ1KZA, PO Box 36, 4300 Karlovo, Bulgaria. Special awards for multiple contacts. www.qrz.com/lz130loFeb 16, 1700Z-2359Z, San Diego, CA. USS Midway CV-41 Museum Radio Room, NI6IW. Commemorating President’s Day and Mt Suribachi, Iwo Jima Flag Raising by US Marines in 1945. 14.325 7.250 14.060 7.040. QSL. USS Midway CV-41 Museum Radio Room, 910 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101. [email protected] 16-Feb 17, 1500Z-2200Z, Alexan-dria, VA. Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club, K4US. George Washington’s Birthday. 28.415 14.240 7.240 7.038. Certificate. MVARC, PO Box 7234, Alexandria, VA 22307. www.mvarc.comFeb 16-Feb 17, 1500Z-0300Z, Jackson, TN. West Tennessee Amateur Radio Society, WF4Q/50. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of our club. 28.400 21.310 14.225 7.250. Certificate. West Tennessee Amateur Radio Society, PO Box 3382, Jackson, TN 38303. www.wtars.orgFeb 16-Mar 2, 0000Z-2359Z, Paris, France. ARP Radio-Club de Paris, TM1R. 40th anniversary of the “Ville de Paris.” 14.275 10.110 7.075 3.775. QSL. Association des Radioamateurs de Paris, ARP Radio-Club de Paris, 66 Avenue de la Republique, Paris 75011, France. Award available for contact with all 5 special event stations. arp75.free.fr/PortailARP/img/DVP_regles_rules.jpgFeb 20-Feb 21, 1500Z-0500Z, Urbana, IL. Mobile Ohm Volunteer Examiners, W9C. Celebrating the 175th Anniversary of Cham-paign County, IL. 14.175 14.070 7.175 7.080. QSL. Patrick Twigg, N9OQT, 1824 Amber Ln #205, Urbana, IL 61802. www.twiggtimes.com/w9c.htmFeb 23-Mar 6, 0100Z-2359Z, Austin/San Antonio, TX. Central TX Contest Group, WA5DTK. Commemorating the siege days at the Alamo. 14.250 7.240 14.040 7.040. QSL.

Barry Brewer, 603 Broken Bow Dr, Round Rock, TX 78681-7401. [email protected] 1-Mar 2, 1500Z-2100Z, Arlington Heights, IL. Peace Corps Amateur Radio Club, KA9NLX. To honor Peace Corps volunteers, their service and sacrifice. 21.360 14.290 10.125 7.270. Certificate. John Paskevicz, 1423 N Ridge Ave, Arlington Heights, IL 60004. 2-meter simplex in the Chicago area. [email protected] 7-Mar 9, 1400Z-1100Z, Sweetwater, TX. Nolan County Amateur Repeater Associa-tion, W5NCA. 50th Year Sweetwater Jaycees World Largest Rattlesnake Roundup. 14.245 7.275 7.245. Certificate. Gary Armstrong, 806 E 16th, Sweetwater, TX 79556. www.rattlesnakeroundup.netMar 8, 1500Z-2100Z, Vero Beach, FL. Vero Beach Amateur Radio Club, W4OT. Commem-orating America’s First Wildlife Refuge, 105 Years. 14.240 14.060 7.240 7.060. QSL. W4OT — Vero Beach ARC, PO Box 2082, Vero Beach, FL 32961. From the Refuge on The Barrier Island, west of route A1A. www.fws.gov/pelicanislandMar 8, 1700Z-2359Z, San Diego, CA. USS Midway CV-41 Museum Radio Room, NI6IW. Commemorating the Naval Aviator designation established in 1915. 14.325 7.250 14.060

7.040. QSL. USS Midway CV-41 Museum Radio Room, 910 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101. [email protected] 8-Mar 9, 1700Z-0300Z daily, Florence, SC. Florence Amateur Radio Club, N4B. 50th Anniversary of the “Atomic Bombing” of Mars Bluff, SC. 28.330 14.290 7.263 3.920. Certificate. FARC/Mars Bluff Certificate, PO Box 5602, Florence, SC 29502-5602. Other frequencies may be used. www.w4ulh.orgMar 22-Mar 23, 1500Z-2300Z, Corona, NY. Hall of Science Amateur Radio Club, WB2JSM. HoSARC 35th Anniversary. 21.300 14.250 7.225 3.800. Certificate. Hall of Science Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 150131, Kew Gardens, NY 11415. www.hosarc.orgMar 29, 1300Z-1600Z, Brampton, ON. Peel and Mississauga Amateur Radio Clubs, VE3XR. Ham-Ex Annual Hamfest. 14.265 7.260 3.750. QSL. Jeff Richardson, VA3QSL, 36 Crawley Dr, Brampton, ON L6T 2S1, Canada. US postage not valid in Canada. www.ham-ex.orgMar 29, 1500Z-2200Z, Macon, GA. Macon Amateur Radio Club, W4BKM. 26th Annual Macon Cherry Blossom Festival. 14.240 7.055 10.110 14.055. Certificate. MARC, PO Box 4862, Macon, GA 31208. members.cox.net/w4bkm

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March 2008 101

HAMSPEAK

The following are brief descriptions of Amateur Radio related terms found in this month’s issue of QST. More information on most can be found in The ARRL Handbook, or other specialized ARRL publications.1 See also www.arrl.org/qst/glossary.html.

The Doctor is INAuxiliary stations — Radio system that is part

of an RF control link, often used for control of a remote repeater station. See www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/faq-aux.html for more information.

Azimuth plot — Graphical representation of signal strength from an antenna as a function of horizontal angle around the antenna center. It is made at a particular elevation angle, often the angle with the maximum response. The azimuth plot of a dipole half a wavelength above ground is shown.

erator had broad authority to take any action deemed necessary to insure that the station is being operated within FCC regulations per the terms of the license.

Differential mode circuit — The circuit formed by two conductors in which the current leaves on one and returns on the other — the typical desired circuit.

Half wave dipole — Antenna approximately half a wavelength long, usually fed by connections to each side at the center. Often used as an antenna itself, it is also a reference standard for the performance of other antennas.

Home call area — Of the 10 FCC regions, the one in which you resided upon issuance of your amateur license. For many years all licensees were required to change call signs if they moved between areas. There is no longer such a requirement.

Landline –– A dedicated leased or dial-up telephone line. In this context it is used to provide control connectivity to a remote repeater station.

Resonant circuit — A circuit in which the inductive and capacitive reactances are equal and cancel, leaving just the resistive part of the circuit.

S-meter — A signal strength meter on a re-ceiver. It is traditionally calibrated in S-units that are intended to correspond to the 0 to 9 values of signal strength in the RST signal reporting system. There is often an additional scale above S-9 calibrated in decibels.

S-unit — Unit of measure on S-meter. Each S-unit is intended to represent a factor of 2 in input voltage at the receiver antenna terminals.

Wide range antenna tuner — Antenna sys-tem matching device that can compensate for large impedance mismatches, typically representing a standing wave ratio of at least 10:1.

2 meter repeater — Radio transmitter and receiver that simultaneously receives on one 2 meter frequency and retransmits on another. Used to extend the range of mobile and portable stations.

I Just Got My General License and a Used HF Transceiver — Now What?Guy ropes — Rope used to support a tower

or mast.Hamfests — Informal scheduled gathering of

Amateur Radio operators. Often includes presentations, workshops, exam sessions and a flea market. See www.arrl.org/hamfests.html.

HF bands — Amateur bands in the region of the RF spectrum from 3 to 30 MHz. There are bands at approximately 80, 40, 60, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10 meters in this region. See www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/bands.html for details.

Horizontally polarized antennas — Antennas in which the electric field lines are horizontal. This is generally the case for dipole or Yagi antennas, for example, with horizontal ele-ments.

Multiband trap antennas — Antennas in which parallel resonant circuits, called traps, are used to isolate certain sections to oper-ate only on some frequencies. This results

in antennas that can operate on multiple bands. See www.arrl.org/tis/info/Trapped.html.

Radials — Wires beneath an antenna system designed to act as a ground, or if buried, to provide a low resistance path to the real ground. See www.arrl.org/members-only/tis/info/pdf/0007038.pdf.

11 year solar cycle — Periodic change in average number of sunspots. During periods of low sunspots, such as we are now having, the higher HF bands do not support long distance propagation as well as they do with more sunspots. See www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/03/07/5/.

A New Spin on the Big WheelBroadband — System, or in this case an-

tenna, that can operate over a wide band of frequencies.

Electrolysis — Electrochemical process in which a current through a solution between electrodes of different metals results in the transfer of molecules of one material into the solution and then often to the other electrode. This is the process by which electro plating is performed. It also can happen if two dissimi-lar metals are in contact with each other in the presence of water. A battery-like current will flow through the electrical circuit that is formed resulting in decomposition of one of the metals over time; this is known as galvanic corrosion.

Feed point — Part of an antenna at which connections are made. The connections are usually to a transmission line that runs from the antenna to the radio equipment.

Omnidirectional — Antenna that radiates well in all directions in one or more planes. This is particularly appropriate for mobile stations that may be at any orientation with respect to a fixed base station. Omnidirectional anten-nas are also commonly used by base sta-tions that communicate with mobile stations from all directions without requiring them to change antenna systems.

Schedule 40 PVC — Polyvinyl chloride pipe with thicker walls than some other types. Popular material often used as antenna structural support or insulator.

The World Above 50 MHzBCD — Binary coded decimal. Decimal num-

bers represented in binary code. The coding is shown below:

Decimal BCD 0 00001 00012 00103 00114 0100

BNC — Bayonet type quick release coaxial cable connector. The BNC is built like a Type N connector, but is smaller and a good fit to cables of the size of RG-58, RG-8X or RG-59. It is a quality constant impedance connector suitable for use into the UHF range.

IDC connector — Connector intended for use on flat “ribbon” type cable.

1The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications, 2008 Edition. Available from your ARRL dealer or the ARRL Bookstore, ARRL order no. 1018. Telephone 860-594-0355, or toll-free in the US 888-277-5289; www.arrl.org/shop/; [email protected].

Balun — Balanced to unbalanced transformer. Part of an antenna system that provides the transition between a balanced antenna such as a center fed dipole and an unbalanced transmission line, such as coaxial cable. See www.arrl.org/tis/info/pdf/8004019.pdf.

Coil choke balun –– A multiturn coil in a length of coaxial cable intended to provide an in-ductive reactance and thus reduce currents flowing on the outside of the shield.

Common mode currents — Currents that flow on both sides of a circuit at the same time, such as result from not having a balun on a coax fed dipole. The other side of the circuit is usually some kind of ground. This kind of connection is sometimes intentionally used for signaling on a balanced telephone line, but is generally undesired in Amateur Radio systems.

Control operator –– The person responsible for the proper operation of a licensed radio station. This person may be a licensee or a person with appropriate license privileges designated by the licensee. The control op-

Decimal BCD 5 01016 01107 01118 10009 1001

Hamspeak.indd 101Hamspeak.indd 101 1/23/2008 10:42:02 AM1/23/2008 10:42:02 AM



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• 500 kHz - 2.45 GHz*• 450 Alphanumeric Memories• CTCSS w/Tone Scan• 4 Level Attenuator• Telescoping Antennaw/BNC Connector• Lithium Ion Battery• 2” Color TFT Display• Audio/Video Output• Four Way Action Joystick• PC Programmable w/Optional Cable & Software(Limited Availability)*cell bands blocked*816-901.995 MHz blocked; unblocked versionsavailable to FCC approved users. FM video rangefor the IC-R3 is 900-1300 MHz & 2250-2450 MHz

MA-4040' Tubular Tower

Call For LatestPricing!

MA-55055' Tubular Tower

Handles 10 sq.ft. at 50mphPleases neighbors with tubular streamlined lookCall For LatestPricing!

TX-45555' Freestanding

Crank-UpHandles 18 sq. ft.

@ 50 mphNo guying required

Extra-strength const.Can add raising and motor drive acces.

Towers Rated to EIA Specifications

Other Models at Great Prices!

Call For LatestPricing!

Shown withOptionalRotor Base

All US Towers shipped by truck;freight charges additional


• Wide RX .150–3309 mHz*• 1250 memories• Alphanumeric labels• DMS scan• AM, FM, WFM













HL-1.5KFX• Fully Solid-state 1 KW HF 650W 6m• Built-in Power supply (110 or 220v)• 2 Ant ports selectable• auto band switched w/ most ICOM/Kenwood/Yaesu tcvrsCALL FOR ADDITIONAL THP PRODUCTS!

Now with 12mand 10m built-in!Complies withnew FCC rules!

FLASH!


*goodthru

3/31/08

*goodthru

3/31/08

*goodthru

3/31/08

$20.mail-inrebate*

$10.mail-inrebate*

$10.mail-inrebate*



High Sierra AntennAs 530-273-3415 www.cq73.com

The Largest Motorized Antenna Manufacturer

Explore All of HF with Your Sidekick Antenna

HF Motor Driven Antenna for Home, Portable and Mobile Use Remotely Tunes 80 to 6 Meters in Just a Few Seconds High Q Loading Coil for Good Efficiency & Continuous Coverage 160 Meters with 8 Foot Whip & Six Shooter Capacity Hat Standard 3/8-24 Threaded Base with Many Mounts Available Rated at 200 Watts with a Typical SWR of Less Than 1.5:1 Includes 3 Foot Black Stainless Steel Whip & Standard Controller Works with Any Transceiver Just About Anywhere No Hazardous Beryllium to Worry About Weighs Less Than 3 Pounds and About 15 Inches Tall EZ-Tune Controllers Available for Icom, Kenwood and Yaesu See Our Website www.cq73.com for Money Saving Package Deals Some Packages Include a VHF/UHF Antenna



www.cq73.com These Sale Items Are Only Available Online!

Very Limited Quantities

March Online Super Sale

Digital Multi Meter Regular $20 Sale Price $7

High Sierra’s New Sheriff’s

Lightning Arrestor Replaceable Cartridge

Regular $75 Sale $25

Over 575 Crimp Connectors In 4 Plastic Containers

Regular $40 Sale Price $15

Kilowatt Coffee! Blind Roasted by

Blind Ham WB6IVF Regular $15

Sale Price $10/lb www.unseenbean.com

Stainless Steel Antenna Spring


High Sierra’s New Mobile Mug Regular $10 Sale Price $5

Two 30 Watt Soldering Irons 12 Volts & 120 Volts


High Sierra’s New Flashlight, Radio,

Cell Phone Charger Perfect for Power Outages


High Sierra’s Trigger With the Trigger You Can Pulse Tune

Your Amplifier, Antenna Tuner or Motorized Antenna


High Sierra’s New Big Duffel Bag

10x12x23 Inches Regular $50

Sale Price $20



108 March 2008

Fast Taper 160 to 10m Multiband Vertical• 43 ft. optimal length vertical radiator • 6063 T832 corrosion-resistant aircraft aluminum tubing and stainless steel hardware

• Easy tuning design—correct length and taper• Thick stainless steel tilt base• No coils or linear loading elements to rob power• Requires DXE-BAL050-H10-AT Balun for multiband use with your wide range tuner

DXE-MBVE-1 ..................................................$299.50DXE-GUY400-KIT Guy Kit ...............................$47.95

Fast Taper 80m and Higher Multiband Vertical• 33 ft. vertical radiator • 6063 T832 corrosion-resistant aircraft aluminum tubing and stainless steel hardware

• Thick stainless steel tilt base• Easy tuning design—correct length and taper• No coils or linear loading elements to rob power• Requires DXE-BAL050-H10-AT Balun for multiband use with your wide range tuner

DXE-MBVE-2 ..................................................$279.50

High Performance 40m Vertical • High performance, self-supporting EZ-UP™ vertical antenna system

• 6063 T832 corrosion-resistant aircraft aluminum tubing and stainless steel hardware

• Operates over the entire 40 meter band with an SWR of less than 1.5:1

• Less than 24 feet high• No coils or linear loading to rob power• Easily configured to operate on the 30 meter bandDXE-40VA-1 ...................................................$249.50

Fast Taper High Performance 40m Vertical • 33-35 ft. tall vertical element• 6063 T832 corrosion-resistant aircraft aluminum tubing and stainless steel hardware


• Full length—no coils or linear loading to rob power• Easily configured to operate on the 30 meter band• Perfect for four-square or phased arraysDXE-40VE-1....................................................$259.50

Fast Taper High Performance 30m Vertical • 24 ft. tall vertical element• 6063 T832 corrosion-resistant aircraft aluminum tubing and stainless steel hardware


• Full length—no coils or linear loading elements to rob power

• Perfect for four-square or phased arraysDXE-30VE-1 ...................................................$229.50

Fast Taper 60m Vertical Antenna • 43 ft. vertical radiator • 6063 T832 corrosion-resistant aircraft aluminum tubing and stainless steel hardware

• Thick stainless steel tilt base• Full 60 meter coverage with SWR 1.5 or less• No coils or linear loading elements to rob power• Includes impedance matching networkDXE-60VE-1P .................................................$349.50

AccessoriesDXE-RADP-1P Radial Plate with

20 stainless bolt sets...$49.95DXE-363-SST Bulkhead Grounded

Cable Connector ............$6.95DXE-BAL050-H10-AT 5kW/10kW

SSB Balun...................$114.95DXE-VFCC-BRKT Insulated Balun

Mount ..........................$14.95DXE-CAVS-2P V-Saddle Clamp for

DXE-VFCC-BRKT..........$10.95

THUNDERBOLT™ Design 160 to 10m Multiband Vertical • Slow taper, heavy duty tubing—optimal 43 ft. vertical radiator

• 6063 T832 corrosion-resistant aircraft aluminum tubing and stainless steel hardware

• Easy tuning design• No coils or linear loading elements to rob power• Thick stainless steel tilt base• 5kW continuous/10kW CW/SSB rating• Includes heavy duty DXE-BAL050-H10-AT Balun for multiband use with your wide range tuner

• Easily upgradeable to DXE-80VA-3 for 75/80m operation

DXE-MBVA-1P................................................$449.50DXE-GUY400-KIT Guy Kit ...............................$47.95

THUNDERBOLT™ Design 75/80m Vertical Antenna • Slow taper, 43 ft. vertical radiator• 6063 T832 corrosion-resistant aircraft aluminum tubing and stainless steel hardware

• 12 ft. diameter capacity hat• Thick stainless steel tilt base• 300 KHz wide below 2:1 SWR • No coils or linear loading elements to rob power• 5kW continuous /10kW CW/SSB rating• Includes impedance matching networkDXE-80VA-3 ...................................................$499.50DXE-GUY400-KIT Guy Kit ...............................$47.95

THUNDERBOLT™ Design 60m Vertical Antenna • Slow taper, 42 ft. vertical radiator• 6063 T832 corrosion-resistant aircraft aluminum tubing and stainless steel hardware

• Thick stainless steel tilt base• Full 60 meter coverage with SWR 1.5 or less• No coils or linear loading elements to rob power• Easily upgradeable to DXE-80VA-3 for 75/80m operation

• Includes impedance matching networkDXE-60VA-1P .................................................$349.50DXE-GUY400-KIT Guy Kit ...............................$47.95

New VerticalsWhy Pay More??

We will beat any competitive prices on similar models!

FAST TAPER MODELS CAN BE SHIPPED

WORLDWIDEVIA LOW COST

U.S. POSTAL SERVICE!

New models available after March 15th!858.565.1319 FAX 858.571.5909

www.NationalRF.com

VECTOR-FINDERHandheld VHF directionfinder. Uses any FM xcvr.Audible & LED displayVF-142Q, 130-300 MHz$239.95VF-142QM, 130-500 MHz$289.957969 ENGINEER ROAD, #102, SAN DIEGO, CA 92111

ATTENUATORSwitchable,T-Pad Attenuator,100 dB max - 10 dB minBNC connectorsAT-100, $89.95

S/H Extra, CA add tax

Model MHz .NF GAIN PTT/VOX $SP-6 50 <.8 20 Adj. 750/200W 250.00SP-2000 144 <.8 20 Adj. 750/200W 250.00SP-220 222 <.9 20 Adj. 650/200W 250.00SP-7000 70cm<.9 20 Adj. 500/100W 250.00SP-33 903 <.9 20 100/10W 360.00SP-23 1296 <.9 18 100/10W 360.00LNA 144 <.4 18 NA 220.00LNA 432 <.5 18 NA 220.00SLN 1296 <.4 30 NA 290.00SLN 2304 <.4 30 NA 290.00

ULTRA LOW NOISE PREAMPLIFIERS FROM SSB ELECTRONIC

The SP-2000 and SP-7000 are NEW Ultra Low Noise mast mountedGaAsFET Preamplifiers with Helical Filters for the ultimate in weaksignal performance. SSB Electronic's SP Series preamplifersfeature: Low Noise figures, high dynamic range, dual stage design,adjustable gain, Helical or Bandpass filters, voltage feed via the coaxor a separate line plus the highest RF-Sensed (VOX) and PTT powerratings available of any preamplifiers on the market today.

SP-33 "NEW" 903 MHz. Helical Filter Preamp NF < 0.9 dB 360.00MKU13-OTX .5 W 1268 MHz. TX-UPCONVERTERUTM-1200-DLX 15 W MAST-MOUNT 1268 TX-UPCONVERTERUTM-1200-1 1 W 1268 MHz. TX-UPCONVERTERGaAsPA20 20 Watt 2304 /2400 MHz. AmplifierUEK-3000S 2400MHz. MstMount Mode "S" Conv NF 0.7dB 460.00LT230S 1296MHz 30W Transverter NF < 0.9 dB 1400.00AS-3000 2 port Antenna Switch High Pwr DC - 3.0 GHz 180.00AS-304 4 Port Antenna Switch High Pwr DC - 600 MHz. 180.00SSB-2424GD 2.4GHz. Mode "S" Mag/Alum Parabolic 24 x 39" 130.00

CALL

570-868-5643

MC/VISA Prices subject to change without notice. 2 stamps for flyer

WIMO / SHF DESIGN High Precision YAGISSSB Electronic USA is pleased offer the WIMO / SHF Design Line ofVHF / UHF / SHF Antennas. The SHF series of Yagi antennas feature:multiple optimized design according to DL6WU, precision CNC boomdrilling, element length tolerances of better than 0.1mm.SHF DESIGN "ELIMINATOR" SERIES" Gain Figures on our WEB Site

SHF2328 1240 - 1300 MHz. 28 el. on 5.25 foot boom 130.00SHF2344 1240 - 1300 MHz. 44 el. on 9.85 foot boom 155.00SHF2367 1240 - 1300 MHz. 67 el. on 16.7 foot boom 199.00SHF1340 2300 - 2450 MHz. 40 el. on 5.25 foot boom 137.00SHF1367 2300 - 2450 MHz. 67 el. on 9.85 foot boom 210.00

SSB ELECTRONIC USA www.ssbusa.com

NEW Hours: MTWTFSS 9:00AM - 10:00PM

124 Cherrywood Dr. Mountaintop, Pa. 18707

BEKO Ultra LINEAR Solid State POWER AMPLIFIERSBEKO Amplifiers Built for non-stop contest operation!HLV-160/10 144MHz. 10 in 160 W Out Linear Amplifier 569.00HLV-160/25 144MHz. 25 in 180 W Out Linear Amplifier 569.00HLV-120/10 432MHz. 10 in 130 W Out Linear Amplifier 649.00HLV-600 144MHz. 10 in 600 W Out w/power supply 2,150.00

AIRCOM PLUS DB Loss per 100 feetFreq. MHz. 10 145 432 1296 2304 3000 5000Loss per 100ft .27 1.37 2.50 4.63 6.55 7.62 10.3925 Mtrs/82ft. $71.00 50Mtrs/164ft.$134.00 100Mtrs/328ft $252.00AIRCOM Connectors: Type-N 9.00 PL259 / N-Female / BNC 10.00

coaxial cable that everyoneis talking about. Due to itsoutstanding electrical and mechanicalspecifications and its ultra low loss characteristicsAIRCOM PLUS is extremely suited for VHF, UHF & SHF applications.AIRCOM PLUS outperforms any cable in its price class.

Aircom Plus is the new .425(OD) 50 Ω European

WinRadio WR1550E 499.00 WR1550I 499.00 WR3700E Call!

6M5X/6M7/6M7JHV219/320/271 2M12/2M5WL/2M18XXX 175/220/2542MCP14 / 2MCP22 175/255 436CP30 / 436CP42UG 255/300432-9WL / 432-13WL 189/254 6/2/222/70cm HO Loops............Call!HF Antennas: Call for Super Prices on the new KT-36XA Tri-banderOR2800PDC ROTOR 1230.00

M2 Antennas & Rotors

DB6NT 144 MHz. - 47 GHz. World Class EquipmentNEW! TRANSVERTERS FROM DB6NT for 144, 222, 432/435 MHz.TR144H NF <0.8dB 25 W out TR222H NF <0.8dB 25 W outTR432H NF <1.0dB 20 W out See our WEB Site for complete DetailsNEW! 1268 - 1300 MHz. Power Amplifiers up to 250 W out CALL!MKU13G2 1296 MHz. Transverter NF <0.8dB 1.5W out 465.00MKU23G2 2304 MHz. Transverter NF <0.8dB 1 W output 520.00MKU34G2 3456 MHz. Transverter NF <1.0dB 200mW output 599.00MKU57G2 5760 MHz Transverter NF <1.0dB 200mW output 599.00MKU10G2 10.368 GHz Transverter NF 1.2typ 200mW output 620.00MKU24TVs 24GHz. X-verter 540.00 MKU47TVs 47GHz X-verter 899.00DB6NT TRANSVERTER KITS See QST Review May '01MKU13G2KIT... 315.00 MKU23G2KIT... 350.00 MKU34G2KIT...385.00MKU57G2KIT... 385.00 MKU10G2KIT... 415.00



Current Baluns and Feedline Current Chokes• 5, 10 and 10 kW+ Baluns and Current Chokes

• High efficiency, low loss—W8JI design• All standard ratios availableFeedline Current Chokes• Reduce RFI and pattern distortionStarting at just $69.95 for FCC050-H05-A

Remote Antenna Switches• Best SWR and port isolation on the market!

• Weatherproof, welded stainless steel housing for best RF shielding

• 8-position switch, controller included• Better than 1.1:1 SWR below 30 MHz5 kW Key-Down RF Switch• Better than 70 dB of port-to-port isolation

RR8-HP-P .............................................$375.0010 kW Key-Down RF Switch• Better than 60 dB of port-to-port isolationRR8-SD-P .............................................$495.00

17mAdd-On Kit • Full band under 1.5:1 SWR

• Minor adjustments for other bands

• Simple installation• 850W SSB/CWpower rating

Patent Pending

DXE-AOK-17M 17m add-on kit for BTV.................$49.95

60m Add-on Kit • 60m coverage for Hustler BTV series antennas

• Operates across the complete 60m band

• SWR of 1.5:1 or less• Includes new capacitive compensator

• Retains all bands at peak performanceDXE-AOK-60M 60m Add-on Kit for Hustler BTV..........$69.95

NoiseCanceling Controller

• Reduce overload or interference by nulling a strong local signal or noise before it gets to your receiver

• Better and more stable nulling than any other noise canceller on the market

• Peak weak signals hidden under a strong signal on the same frequency

• Null out local AM broadcast stations• Null out noise from power line arcing, lamp dimmers, motors and consumer electronics from a single direction

Special Features• Exceptional dynamic range, nearly 1000 times better than nearest competitor

• Phasing is voltage controlled allowing precise resetting of phase

• Phasing rotates more than 360 degrees with smooth control• Built-in two channel, voltage controlled attenuator system• Low noise, high dynamic range amplifiers• Vastly superior dual channel complementary phasing system• Very low noise floor• Separate controls for reversing channel and phase• Works on all modes, 300 kHz to 30 MHz• Provides power for external active antennas• Input for mute on transmitDXE-NCC-1 Noise Canceling/Phasing Controller ......$495.00

ActiveReceive Antenna• Now available with relay protection from transmitter overload when used with TVSU-1

• Weak signal sensitivity rivals full size antenna

• Operates from 100 kHz to 30 MHz

• Excellent strong signal handling with +30 dBm output third order intercept

• Easy installation• Available in vertical or dipole configuration

DXE-ARAH-1P Horizontal Configuration....................$259.00DXE-ARAV-1P Vertical Configuration ........................$229.00DXE-ARAH2-1P Horizontal Configuration

with relay...........................................$289.00DXE-ARAV2-1P Vertical Configuration with relay........$259.00

1.800.777.0703DXEngineering.com

8:30 am to 4:30 pm ET

Tech/International: 330.572.3200

SOURCE CODE:0803QS

Order by 2:00 pm ET for Same-Day Shipping

Phase two antennas at any spacing.For optimal results, use identical antennas.

Prices effective through June 15, 2008

TWO-IN-ONE RECEIVEANTENNA CONTROLLER

VERTICALS ON SALE

MAXI-CORE™

DXERS 1ST CHOICE!

HUSTLER BTV ADD-ONS

1

2

HAM-SWL

Antenna Phasing Controller• 2 antenna alternative to DX Engineering’s Receive Four-Square antenna

• Combine two antennas to create a directional pattern • The NCC-1 enables you to adjust the antenna array pattern as if you were moving the antennas

• Use for direction finding

UniversalWire Antenna Hardware Kit• Multi-purpose center-T and

end insulators to create many types of wire antennas

• Create single band, multi-band, multi-frequency and folded dipole antennas

• Easy solder-free construction• Works with DX Engineering’s

300 Ω ladder line for both the feed and elements• Use with doublet, inverted-V, off-center fed, Zepp, long wire,

rhombic, V-beam, and loop antenna configurations• Kits available for coax or ladder line feed• Center-T attaches to all DX Engineering baluns,

including the new lightweight DXE-BAL050-H05-ADXE-UWA-KIT Universal Wire Antenna Hardware Kit,

no Coax Adapter ..........................$17.95DXE-UWA8X-KIT Universal Wire Antenna Hardware Kit

with coax attachment and strain relief for use with RG-8X ......................$29.95

DXE-UWA213-KIT Universal Wire Antenna Hardware Kit with coax attachment and strain relief for use with RG-213.....................$32.95

EZ-BUILD™

HIGH PERFORMANCEANTENNA COMPONENTS

Thick, Laser CutStainless SteelTilt Base• Patent pending cam action allows

you to easily raise or lower DX Engineering, Hustler, Hy-Gain, or Butternut for tuning, weather or CC&R accommodation.

DXE-TB-3P For Hustler BTV verticals ....................$59.50

DXE-TB-4P For DX Engineering 40VA-1, Butternut, most Hy-Gain 1/4-wave verticals.....$79.50

Stainless Radial Plate with Coax AttachmentMakes radial attachment a snap!• Fits 2" pipe, 4x4 and 6x6 posts• 0.125" thick 304 stainless steel• Accommodates up to 120 radials• Patented high current coax connection to radialsDXE-RADP-1P Complete with 20 stainless bolt

sets ................................................$49.95DXE-RADP-1HWK 20 sets of 1/4" stainless hardware ...$5.95DXE-CAVS-2P Stainless Saddle Clamp for attachment

to round tube 1.0" to 2.0" O.D. .........$8.90DXE-363-SST Silver/Teflon® bulkhead connector....$6.95DXE-VFCC-H05-A Vertical Feedline Current Choke .....$94.95DXE-RADW-500K Radial Wire Kit, 500 feet of wire,

20 lugs, 100 anchor pins ...............$59.90DXE-RADW-1000K Radial Wire Kit, 1000 feet of wire,

40 lugs, 200 anchor pins .............$119.95DXE-STPL-100P Radial Wire Anchor Pins,

100-pack ........................................$14.00DXE-SAD-200A Saddle Clamp for 2.0" O.D. ..............$9.30

Shown with optionalDXE-363-SST andDXE-SAD-200A

MAXIMIZE VERTICALANTENNA PERFORMANCE

ONE MAN TILT OVER

Patent Pending

TVSU-1 Time Variable Sequencer Unit• Protect receiver front end, preamplifiers, linear amplifiers, or other sensitive equipment from damage due to improper switching during the receive/transmit transition

• Five outputs tied to the CW keying or push-to-talk (PTT) lines each have adjustable delay from 0-30 ms in 2 ms increments

• Side-tone generator follows input of keyer, not transmitter• Supports full CW break-in• Ideal for protecting DXE ARAV-2 or ARAH-2 Active Antennas from RF damage

DXE-TVSU-1 Time Variable Sequencer Unit .............$159.95

Verticals on Sale!Best Antenna Value Anywhere!Easiest assembly and tuning of any multi-band vertical!4BTV (10, 15, 20, 40m)............................$114.955BTV (10, 15, 20, 40, & 75-80m).............$149.956BTV (10, 15, 20, 30, 40, & 75-80m).......$174.95DXE-8X19-RT Coax Jumper Cable to BTV Base........$16.95DXE-A0K-DCF SO-239 Add-On Kit for BTV Base.......$19.95DXE-CBC-8XU2 Jumper, Radial Plate to DCF...............$18.99

Hustler BTV Direct Coax Attachment—All Stainless



Our customers have always known we’re #1. LDG was the fi rst company with a “no questions asked” two-year warranty on ALL our products, the fi rst company to include all cables with our autotuners, and the fi rst company with 3-D memory in our autotuners. LDG autotuners also have the highest resale value of any autotuner on the market today. So why wait? Get tuned to #1 at your favorite dealer!

NEW! AT-1000ProAT-1000ProBuilding on the success of the AT-1000, LDG Electronics has refi ned and expanded its 1KW tuner. The AT-1000Pro has an Automode that automatically starts a tuning cycle when the SWR exceeds a limit you set. Other features include:

• Operates at any power level between 5 and 1,000 watts peak. RF Relay protection software prevents tuning at greater than 125 watts.

• 2 Antenna connections

• Tunes from 1.8 to 54.0 MHz (inc. 6 meters)

• Tuning time usually under 4 seconds, transmitting near a frequency with stored tuning parameters, under 0.2 seconds.

• 2000 memories.

• All cables included.

Suggested Price $599Suggested Price $599

AT-200ProAT-200ProThe AT-200 features LDG’s new “3-D memory system” allowing up to eight antenna settings to be stored for each frequency. Handles up to 250 watts SSB or CW on 1.8 – 30 MHz, and 100 watts on 54 MH (including 6 meters). Rugged and easy-to-read LED bar graphs show power and SWR, and a function key on the front panel allows you to access data such as mode and status. All cables included. Suggested Price $249

Z-100Z-100Designed from the ground up to provide 100 watt power handling in a small, lightweight package. Perfect for portable as well as sitting on your desk in your shack! The Z-100 will tune with 0.1 to 125 watts (50 watts on 6 meters), making it an excellent choice for almost any radio or operating style. Backpackers and QRP operators will appreciate the latching relays. Power can be removed from the tuner once you have tuned. Additionally, when it’s not tuning, it draws nearly zero amps. Suggested Price $149

AT-100ProAT-100ProThis desktop tuner covers all frequencies from 1.8 – 54 MHz (including 6 meters), and will automatically match your antenna in no time. It features a two-position antenna switch, allowing you to switch instantly between two antennas. The AT-100Pro requires just 1 watt for operation, but will handle up to 125 watts. All cables included. Suggested Price $219

AT-7000AT-7000The AT-7000 is the ideal tuner for IC-7000 & other Icom Radios: Covers all frequencies from 1.8–54 MHz (including 6 meters), and will automatically match your antenna. Requires just 0.1W for operation, but will handle up to 125W (100 W on 6 m), making it suitable for everything from QRP (IC- 703 Plus) to a typical 100 W Icom transceiver. All cables included. Suggested Price $169

AT-897 for the Yaesu FT-897AT-897 for the Yaesu FT-897If you own a Yaesu FT-897 and want a broad range automatic antenna tuner, look no further! The AT-897 Autotuner mounts on the side of your FT-897 just like the original equipment. We even added the ability to mount the “feet” on the side of the tuner so when you’re transporting your rig by the handle, you can safely set it down and not worry about scratching the case. The AT-897 takes power directly from the CAT port of the FT-897 and provides a second CAT port on the back of the tuner so hooking up another CAT device couldn’t be easier. Suggested Price$199

radio not included

radio not included



LDG Electronics, Inc.1445 Parran Road

St. Leonard, MD 20685Phone 410-586-2177

Fax 410-586-8475

The #1 Line of Autotuners!The #1 Line of Autotuners!

The “Talking” HF Watt Meter The “Talking” HF Watt Meter The TW-1 Talking Watt meter provides an spoken indication of power and SWR using a digitally recorded voice. It is ideal for the vision-impaired, for those of us in the “bi-focal set”, or just for those times when you need to be looking somewhere else. At the press of a button, the TW-1 speaks the forward power, reverse power or SWR. Three languages are included: English, Spanish and German. It includes its own internal speaker; no external audio hookups are needed. Also available TW-2 UHF/VHF. Suggested Price $149

The DTS Series Antenna SwitchesThe DTS Series Antenna SwitchesInstantly switch your rig between 4 or 6 antennas with the press of a button. Auto-grounding when you shut your rigdown. Purchase the additional remote control and put the DTS Series switch anywhere indoors and operate it from your desk. They handle up to 1500 watts of RF power on HF (250W on 6M), and can be used with any coax-fed antenna. Suggested Price: DTS-4 $79, remote $39, DTS-6 $99, remote $49

RCA-14 Your Cable Problems Solved!RCA-14 Your Cable Problems Solved!RCA-14 is a breakout box for the accessory jacks on most popular transceivers. It comes with cables with the right DIN plugs, and all the outputs are RCA jacks. You simply plug the RCA-14 into your radio’s accessory jacks, and all your ports are right there at your fi ngertips; just plug and play, one function or all of them. The RCA-14 is compatible with: Icom 703, 706, 718, 746, 756, 7000 and 7800, Yaesu 817, 857, 897 and 840, Kenwood 480, 570, 2000, Ten Tec Orion and many more. Suggested Price $59

IC-7800 Owners...IC-7800 Owners... Your Eye-Strain Problems Solved! Your Eye-Strain Problems Solved!Your beautiful IC-7800 deserves the best; add LDG’s new DM-7800 dual meter system, and you’re in the picture like never before. The DM-7800 is made exclusively for the IC-7800; order yours today. List Price $179

Z-11ProZ-11ProThe original portable Z-11 was one of LDG’s most popular tuners, accompanying adventurous hams to their backyards, or to the ends of the earth. Now meet the Z-11Pro, everything you always wanted in a small, portable tuner. Designed from the ground up for battery operation. Only 5” x 7.7” x 1.5”, and weighing only 1.5 pounds, it handles 0.1 to 125 watts, making it ideal for both QRP and standard 100 watt transceivers from 160 - 6 meters.

“With 8,000 memories in LDG’s exclusive “3-D Memory” array, the Z-11Pro uses LDG’s state-of-the-art processor-controlled Switched-L tuning network. It will match dipoles, verticals, inverted-Vs or virtually any coax-fed antenna. With an optional LDG balun, it will also match longwires or antennas fed with ladder-line. All cables included. Suggested Price $179

New FT Meter New FT Meter LDG’s new version of its popular FT-Meter presents a lush, highly readable 2.5” meter face with calibrated scales for signal strength and discriminator reading on receive, and power output, SWR, modulation, ALC action and supply voltage on transmit. Each function is selectable from the radio’s menu. On/Off switch for the light. • LED back-illuminated in cool, high-visibility blue.• Calibration adjustment is on the back of the unit; makes it easy calibrate.• Backlight brightness adjustment is also on the back of the unit; so you can set the backlight to your desired level brightness.

The FT-Meter comes fully assembled and ready to go; just plug it into the radio and you’re in the picture like never before. Still Only $49

For more info, or to fi nd your nearest dealer, For more info, or to fi nd your nearest dealer, visit us on the web at www.ldgelectronics.comvisit us on the web at www.ldgelectronics.com

“The Forward Power is One Hundred Watts”



112 March 2008

www.arraysolutions.comPhone 972-203-2008

[email protected] 972-203-8811

There are just too many features for one ad, see them on our website!

Another Big Winner from Array Solutions

We’ve got your stuff!

PowerAIM 120Vector Impedance Analyzer for Commercial Broadcast

Travel ready, water tight, brief case with molded high density foam includes battery, charger, room for adapters, and your 14 or 15 inch notebook.

Features ■ Measures RF parameters such as

R+/-jX; Z/Ang, VSWR & Return Loss. Parameters can be measured at the PowerAIM RF jack or referred to the end of a transmission line.

■ Plots can be linear data plots, Smith charts and dual Smith charts with the second chart displaying the measured data rotated through a transmitter RF output network and/or a length of transmission line. Great for IBOC network adjustment applications!

■ Line Lengths and phase delay of transmission lines.■ Operates with up to 50 volts peak to peak RF input to the instrument.

Instrument is self protected against RF input overload.■ Calibrates easily, fast, and to NIST standards, eliminating expensive

lab certifi cation.■ Large selection of software tools to make the job easy and self documenting.■ Outputs can be saved, printed, and imported into spreadsheets.■ Many more functions for the broadcast professional.

NEW!



IC-7800 Multimode HF/6M Transceiver• TX: HF/6M • RX: 0.03-60 MHz • Power: 5-200W• Memories: 101 • 7 inch color screen • Four 32-bit floating DSPs• Two identical receivers • Three roofing filters • External VGA connector• Automatic antenna tuner

$10599.99 Save $500 when purchased with Icom PW-1

IC-756PRO III Multimode HF/6M Transceiver• TX: HF/6M • RX: 0.03-60 MHz • Power: 5-100W • Memories: 101• 5 inch color screen • 32-bit floating DSP • Real time spectrum scope• Improved 3rd order intercept point • Automatic antenna tuner

$2699.99 after instant ©oupon, Save $100 more whenpurchased with Icom PW-1 amplifier

IC-746PRO Multimode HF/VHF Transceiver• TX: HF/6M/2M • RX: 0.03-60, 108-174 MHz • Power: 5-100W• Memories: 102 • 32-bit floating DSP & 24-bit AD/DA converter• Automatic HF/6M antenna tuner

$1499.99 after instant ©oupon & mail in ®ebate, free PS-125

IC-718 All Band HF Transceiver• TX: HF • RX: 0.03-30 MHz • Power: 5-100W • Memories: 101• DSP built-in • SSB, CW, RTTY and AM (40W)

$549.99 after mail in ®ebate

IC-2200H 2M FM Mobile• TX: 144-148 MHz • RX: 118-174 MHz• Power: 65/25/10/5W• Memories: 207 • D-Star upgradablewith optional UT-118

$139.99 after mail in®ebate

IC-V85 2M FM Handheld• TX: 144-148 MHz • RX: 136-174 MHz• Power: 0.5-7W • Memories: 107

$199.99IC-P7A 2M/440 FM Micro HT• TX: 144-148, 420-450 MHz• RX: 0.495-999 MHz (cell blkd)• Power: 0.5-1.5W (2M), 0.5-1W (440)• Memories: 1000

$229.99 after mail in ®ebate

5710 W. Good Hope Rd.

Milwaukee, WI 53223

414-358-0333

800-558-0411

[email protected]

621 Commonwealth Ave.

Orlando, FL 32803

407-894-3238

800-327-1917

[email protected]

28940 Euclid Ave.

Cleveland, OH 44092

440-585-7388

800-321-3594

[email protected]

4640 South Polaris Ave.

Las Vegas, NV 89103

702-647-3114

800-634-6227

[email protected]

1 - 8 0 0 - 5 5 8 - 0 4 1 1www.aesham.com

We accept I.M.P.A.C.®Government Credit Cards

Prices subject to change withoutnotice. © After Instant coupon

® After Mail in rebate (USA only)Coupons, Rebates & Freebies

expire 3/31/08

TRADE UP TO ICOMCALL NOW FOR A QUOTE!

Radios by...

With optional GPS accessories (HM-175GPS for IC-92AD & UT-123 for IC-2820H) both of these radios combine the power of D-Star & GPS for manyamazing features! Both can show your position data on the display and offerautomatic position reporting in DV mode. They also can show the direction toa received D-STAR station or to a memory stored with a compass-like displaypointer. The GPS-A mode assists in easy D-PRS system operation.

Find out more about this exciting new technology at www.icomamerica.com

IC-92AD D-Star Ready 2M/440 FM Submersible HT• TX: 144-148, 420-450 MHz • RX: 0.495-999 MHz (cell blkd) • Power:5/2.5/0.5/0.1W • Memories: 1304 • Submersible to 1 meter depth for 30minutes • Optional HM-175GPS Speaker microphone adds GPS capabilities

$579.99IC-2820H D-Star Optional 2M/440 FM Mobile• TX: 144-148, 430-450 MHz • RX: 118-549.95, 810-990.990 MHz (cell blkd)• Power: 50/15/5W • Memories: 522 • Supports diversity reception in the127, 136, 146, 375, 440 and 500 MHz bands (two antennas required)• Packet ready (9600 BPS – 6-pin DIN) • Upgradable D-Star DV (digital voice)& GPS capabilities with the optional UT-123

$649.99

IC-V85

IC-92AD

IC-2820H

IC-P7A

WHEN D-STAR & GPS COLLIDE!

ICOM MARCH 08 1/18/08 5:13 PM Page 1



FT-1802M 2M FM Mobile• TX: 144-148 • RX: 136-174 • Power: 50/25/10/5W • Memories: 221

Call or Check www.aesham.com

FT-2000 100W HF/6M Base• TX: HF/6M • RX: 0.03-60 MHz • Power: 10-100W • Memories: 99• Auto Antenna Tuner • 32-bit Floating Point DSP • Dual In-Band Receive• Internal Power Supply

Call or Check www.aesham.comFT-2000D 200W HF/6M Base• Same as FT-2000 except RF output is 200W and power supply is external


FT-950 100W HF/6M Base• TX: HF/6M • RX: 0.03-56 MHz • Power: 10-100W • Memories: 100• Auto Antenna Tuner • 32-bit Floating Point DSP• Requires 12VDC Power Supply

$1499.99

FT-8800R 2M/440 FM Mobile• TX: 144-148, 430-450 MHz • RX: 108-520, 700-999 MHz (cell blkd)• Power: 50/20/10/5W (2M), 35/20/10/5W (440 MHz)• Memories: 1000 • Crossband repeat

$379.99 free YSK-8900 for a limited time only!

FT-8900R 10/6/2M/440 Quad Band FM Mobile• TX: 28-29.7, 50-54, 144-148, 430-450 MHz • RX: 28-29.7, 50-54, 108-180, 320-480, 700-999 MHz (cell blkd) • Power: 50/20/10/5W (10/6/2M),35/20/10/5W (440 MHz) • Memories: 800 • Crossband repeat


5710 W. Good Hope Rd.

Milwaukee, WI 53223

414-358-0333

800-558-0411

[email protected]

621 Commonwealth Ave.

Orlando, FL 32803

407-894-3238

800-327-1917

[email protected]

28940 Euclid Ave.

Cleveland, OH 44092

440-585-7388

800-321-3594

[email protected]

4640 South Polaris Ave.

Las Vegas, NV 89103

702-647-3114

800-634-6227

[email protected]

1 - 8 0 0 - 5 5 8 - 0 4 1 1www.aesham.com

Radios by...

We accept I.M.P.A.C.®Government Credit Cards

Prices subject to change withoutnotice. Freebies are available for

a limited time only!

TRADE UP TO YAESUCALL NOW FOR A QUOTE!

(FT-8900R shown)

VX-6

R

FT-857D FT-897D

VX-3

R

VX-150 2M FM HT• TX: 144-148 • RX: 140-174 • Power: 5W • Memories: 209

Call/Web free FNB-64 extra battery for a limited time only!

VX-3R Ultra Compact 2M/440 FM Dual Band HT• TX: 144-148, 430-450 • RX: 0.5-999 (cell blkd) • Power: 1.5W (2M), 1W(440 MHz) • Memories: 1286 • Sub-RX feature allows listening to AM or FMradio stations while monitoring a HAM frequency and talk on instantly bypressing the PTT button.

$179.99VX-6R Submersible 2M/440 FM Dual Band HT• TX: 144-148, 222-225, 430-450 • RX: 0.5-999 (cell blkd)• Power: 5/2.5/1/0.3W (1.5/1/0.5/0.2W on 220) • Memories: 900• Submersible 3 feet for 30 minutes

$249.99

VX-1

50FT-857D 100W HF/VHF/UHF Mobile• TX: HF/VHF/UHF • RX: 0.1-56, 76-108, 118-164, 420-470 MHz• Power: 5-100W (HF/6M), 5-50W (2M), 5-20W (440 MHz) • Memories: 200


FT-897D 100W HF/VHF/UHF Portable/Base• TX: HF/VHF/UHF • RX: 0.1-56, 76-108, 118-164, 420-470 MHz• Power: 5-100W (HF/6M), 5-50W (2M), 5-20W (440 MHz) • Memories: 200• Operate in the field without a 12VDC power supply using up to two option-al FNB-78 battery packs which makes power output 20W (10W on 440 MHz)


YAESU MARCH 08 wo Coupons rev2 1/18/08 4:45 PM Page 1



116 March 2008

QST 2/2008

ARRLSHOP DIRECT or call for a dealer near you.ONLINE WWW.ARRL.ORG/SHOPORDER TOLL-FREE 888/277-5289 (US)

The national association forAMATEUR RADIO

ARRL’s HF DigitalHandbookARRL Order No. 1034Only $19.95*

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The World’s FIRST Software Defined Digital Interface

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AM-751T-Bar Stake Hole MountRubber Pads Idealfor Most Pickup TrucksSM-1L3/8 x 24T Stud MountRight Angle SO-239

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NMO-3Thick Plate Mount for Platesup to 1” thickNMO to SO-2395/8” Hole Requires

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Features■ Solid State.■ The amplifi er’s decoder changes bands automatically with

most ICOM, Kenwood, Yaesu.■ The amp utilizes an advanced 16 bit MPU (microprocessor) to

run the various high speed protection circuits such as overdrive, high antenna SWR, DC overvoltage, band miss-set etc.

■ Built in power supply.■ AC (200/220/235/240V) and (100/110/115/120V) selectable.■ Equipped with a control cable connection socket, for the

HC-1.5KAT, auto antenna tuner by Tokyo Hy-Power Labs.

Frequency:1.8 ~ 28MHz all amateur bands including WARC bands and 50MHzMode:SSB, CW, RTTYRF Drive:85W typ. (100W max.)Output Power:HF 1kW PEP max.50MHz 650W PEP max.Circuit:Class AB parallel push-pullCooling Method:Forced Air Cooling

AC Power:AC 240V default (200/220/235) – 10 A max.AC 120V (100/110/115) – 20 A max.Dimensions:10.7 x 5.6 x 14.3 inches (WxHxD)/272 x 142 x 363 mmWeight:Approx. 20kgs. or 45.5lbs.Optional Items:Auto Antenna Tuner (HC-1.5KAT)External Cooling Fan (HXT-1.5KF for high duty cycle RTTY)Accessories Included:Band Decoder Cables included for Kenwood, ICOM and some Yaesu

HL-1.2KFX750W PEP Desktop Linear

HC-1.5KAT HF 1.5KW Auto Tuner

HL-350VDXVHF 330W Amplifi er

HL-1.5KFXHF/50MHz Linear Power

Features■ Solid State.■ This world-class compact 750W HF amplifi er is the easiest to

handle and operate.■ The amplifi er’s broadband characteristics require no further

tuning once the operating band is selected.■ The amplifi er allows operation in full break-in CW mode due to

the use of the amplifi er’s high speed antenna relays■ Quiet operation allows for even the weakest DX signals■ The amp utilizes a sophisticated circuit to run the various high

speed protection circuits.

Frequency:1.8 - 28MHz all amateur bands including WARC bands Mode:SSB, CW, RTTYRF Drive:75 - 90W Output Power:SSB 750W PEP max., CW 650W, RTTY 400W Circuit:Class AB parallel push-pull Cooling Method:Forced Air Cooling

Specifi cationsAC Power:1.4kVA max. when TX AC 100/110/115/120V, AC 200/220/230/240V Dimensions:9.1 x 5.6 x 14.3 inches (WxHxD) Weight:Approx. 33lbs.

Specifi cations

Two of the LIGHTEST and MOST COMPACT Amplifi ers in the Industry!

More Fine Products from TOKYO HY-POWER

HC-200ATHF 200W Auto Tuner



Southeast1-800-444-7927


Northeast1-800-644-4476




WEST MOUNTAIN RADIO

Whether it’s over the

counter or over the phone,

we’re your home town

dealer!

TS-480HX/TS-480SATHF/6M All-Mode

Transceiver

TS-2000/TS-2000X

High performance true IF/stage DSP on main band.HF/VHF/UHF

IC-7800 + IC-PW1 HF/6m @ 200 Watts, 100% Duty Cycle

HF/50 MHz All Band 1kW Linear Amplifi er

TM-271A2M FM Transceiver,

136-174MHz RX

TH-D7AG144/430 MHz 5.5 WATTS @

13.6 Volts

TM-V71A1000 Alpha Memories,

Dual Display

IC-756 Pro III* or IC-756 Pro III + IC-PW1**

HF + 6 Meter, HF/50 MHz, All Band 1kW Linear Amp

$300*Coupon

$500Coupon

with the purchase

of an IC-PW1

$400** Coupon

with the purchase

of an IC-PW1

IC-746 Pro + FREE PS-125

HF/6m/2m TransceiverUSB, LSB, CW, RTTY, AM, FM

$200Coupon

IC-7000HF, 6M,2M, 440

$200Coupon

IC-706MKIIG FREE RMK706

IC-PCR 1500/2500 + FREE Bonito CS4.5

*Government Versions are excluded

IC-718HF 100W on HFUSB, LSB, CW, RTTY (FSK), AM

$20Mail inRebate

$50Mail inRebate

$50Mail inRebate

Prices, products and policies may vary between dealer locations. Not all dealers have all product lines. All prices and products subject to change. Not responsible for typographical errors.

RMK 7000

The IC-91AD Designed to be

D-Star compatible.

TM-V708A144/440 MHz

Dual Transceiver

$20Coupon

IC-V8000DTMF Encode, 200 Alpha Memories, Weather Alert and Weather Scan, 75 Watts Output

$20Mail inRebate

IC-T90ATri-Band Operation

$10Mail inRebate

IC-R20150 kHz to 3304.999 MHz

$25Mail inRebate

ICOM IC-2820H 2M/440 dual bander

IC-V827 watts output

$10Mail inRebate

FREERMK7000

FREERMK706

FREEPS125

FREEBonito CS4.5*

$20Mail inRebate

ICOM ID-11.2 GHz transceiver,

vital part of a D-STAR system*Limited to current ICOM inventory

IC-208H2M/440, wideband

BUY 5*Receive a FREE

ID-RP1D/VS System!

TH-F6ADual Channel Receive,H144/220/440 MHz

with 5 WATTS on all 3 bands

TH-K2AT2m HT

- 5watts w/NOAA warning,

VOX

$20Coupon

$80TS-2000Coupon

$180Coupon

$150TS-2000XCoupon

Visit Your Local HamPROsHamPROs

TM-D700AAPRS, GPS and SSTV

technologies, 144/440 MHz Dual Band

Coupons expire February 29, 2008

Coupons expire March 31, 2008 $50Mail inRebate

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Associated Radio800-497-1457

Local (913) 381-5900FAX (913) 648-30208012 ConserOverland Park, KS 66204

www.associatedradio.com

Universal Radio, Inc.800-431-3939

Local (614) 866-4267FAX (614) 866-23396830 Americana Pkwy.,Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068

www.universal-radio.com

LentiniCommunications, Inc.800-666-0908

Local (860) 666-6227FAX (860) 667-356121 Garfi eld StreetNewington, CT 06111

www.lentinicomm.com

Austin AmateurRadio Supply800-423-2604

Local (512) 454-2994FAX (512) 454-30695325 North I-35Austin, Texas 78723

www.aaradio.com

Radio City, Inc.800-426-2891

Local (763) 786-4475FAX (763) 786-65132663 County Road IMounds View, MN 55112

www.radioinc.com

It’s Here... Cycle 24 – Be Ready!

AT-7000 Works with any late model Icom HF Radios.

AT-100ProAutomatic Antenna Tuner

FreeJumper Cable!with the purchase of the AT-100Pro

TM-D710A2M/70cm Mobile 50W/50W, Optional Voice Synthesizer, Advanced APRS FeaturesNEW!



VR-50002000 Memories

100 kHz to 2600 MHz (2.6 GHz) less cellular

FT-2000Provides a full 100 Watts of power output (AM: 25 W) on the 160-6

Meter Amateur bands.

FT-2000DAn all mode HF/6m

transceiver offering 200 Watts of output power.

DMU-2000 Informative and useful displays for the FT-2000 series. require a computer display and keyboard

FT-897DHF/VHF/UHF

transceiver 10-160 m

FT-857DHF, 6M, 2M, 440,

100W HF

FT-1802M144-148 MHz

136-174 MHz RX

FT-2800M144-148

MHz (USA)

FT-7800RDual-Band Moblie

2M, 440, 50W on 2M

FT-8900R10M, 6M, 2M &

440Mhz Quad Band Dual Band Receive.

μ-Tuning Kit w/MTUBase Kit Required

FTM-10R2M, 440 mobile

50W 2M, 40W 440waterproof front panel, 500 Alpha Memories,

Clock with Event Timer, Bluetooth

Ready, Dual Receive, Club Channel

Monitor, VOX with automatic audio delay

VL-1000High performance linear amplifi er covers 160 to 15 and the 6 meter

amateur bands

FC-40The FC-40 is a new,

wide-range Antenna Coupler

for the FT-857 and FT-897 Series of

Transceivers

HRI-100WIRES-II node

MD-200A8X Desk

MicrophoneDesigned for the

latest generation of Yaesu HF

transceivers

FT-8800RDual band 2m/70cm mobile transceiver

144-148 / 430-450 MHz

We participate in all radio manufacturers’ coupon, free accessory, and rebate programs, and stock a tremendous variety of radio and accessory products from essentially all of the major Amateur Radio manufacturers. If you don’t see what you are looking for in this ad, give us a call!

FT-950 Provides up to 100 Watts of power

output on SSB, CW, and FM (25 Watts AM carrier).

FTV-10006 meter trans-

verter for the FT-1000MP

MarkV

VX-7R – SilverVX-7RB – Black

Triple band (6M, 2M & 440 MHz) HT

with extensive receive coverage

FT-817ND160-10 meter HF bands, plus the 6 meter, 2 meter,

and 70 cm bands

FTDX-9000MP400 watts, dual analog meter sets, LCD display, memory card installed, main and sub receiver

VRF, full dual rx, external power supply with twin speaker enclosure.

FTDX-9000D200 watts, large TFT, built-in memory

board, main & sub receiver VRF, full dual rx, internal power supply.

FTDX Series

FTDX-9000C200 watts, dual meters & LCD, VRF installed

in main receiver, extra key & headphone jacks, internal power supply.

HamPROs Visit our Web site www.hampros.com for group specials and links to your local dealer!Dealer!Dealer!

VX-6RTriple band 2M, 222, 440, 5W

(1.5W on 222)

Wideband RX

FT-60RDual band 2 meter, 440 MHz

5 watts output on both bands

VX-3RMicro-minia-

ture,extensive receive

frequency coverage

VX-1505 watts

144 to 148 MHz with

up to 5 watts in three

power levels

VX-170144-148 MHz

136-174 MHz RXHigh

performance FM, 5 watts of RF

power

VR-500100 kHz to 1300 MHz less cellular,

in AM, FM-N, FM-W, LSB,

USB and CW

VR-120D100 kHz to

1299.995 MHz in AM,

FM-Narrow and

FM-Wide

VX-177440 MHz,

5W, Rugged/Submersible,

DTMF Keypad,

Backlit LCD *Complete Package. Includes Ni-Cd Battery

and Wall Charger

VX-1105 watts

144 to 148 MHz with

up to 5 watts, 209

memories

VX-120144-146 MHz,Submersible, 200 Memory

Channels, 700 mW of

audio

VX-127 430 MHz,

5W, Rugged,RF Squelch,

8-key pad for command functions

FT-450160-10 Meters,

50 MHz., 30 kHz-56 MHz

ATU-450Antenna Tuner

1.8 to 30 MHz and 50 to 54 MHz

■ HamPROs ■ HamPROs ■ HamPROs ■ HamPROs ■



Call Toll-Free (US)1-888-277-5289

Join Onlinewww.arrl.org/joinor Clip and send to:

Card Number Expiration Date

Cardholder's Signature

If you do not want your name and address made available for non-ARRL related mailings, please check here.

Sign up my family members, residing at the same address, as ARRLmembers too! They’ll each pay only $8 for a year’s membership, haveaccess to ARRL benefits and services (except QST) and also receive amembership card.

Family Member Name Call Sign (if any)

Sign up ________ family members @ $8 each = $ _________ .

Total amount enclosed, payable to ARRL $ ________________ .

Enclosed is $ ___________ ($1.00 minimum) as a donation to the Legal Researchand Resource Fund.

Charge to: VISA MasterCard Amex Discover

Please check the appropriate one-year1 rate:$39 in US.Age 65 or older rate, $36 in US*.Age 21 or younger rate, $20 in US (see note**).Canada $49.Elsewhere $62.

*Please indicate date of birth ____________ .(US funds drawn on a bank in the US).1 1-year membership dues include $15 for a 1-year subscription

to QST. International 1-year rates include a $10 surcharge forsurface delivery to Canada and a $23 surcharge for air deliveryto other countries.Other US membership options available: Blind, Life, and QST byFirst Class postage. Contact ARRL for details.

**Age 21 or younger rate applies only if you are the oldestlicensed amateur in your household.

International membership is available with an annual CD-ROMoption (no monthly receipt of QST). Contact ARRL for details.Dues subject to change without notice.

QST 3/2008

Name Call Sign

Street

City State ZIP

E-mail

Membership Application

ARRL The national association for

AMATEUR RADIO225 Main StreetNewington, CT 06111-1494 USA



March 2008 121

ARRL’s Visa Platinum CardApply Today!

www.arrl.org/visaQS3/2008

ContinuingEducation Program

ARRL

Courses Available:■ Antenna Design

& Construction■ Antenna Modeling■ Radio Frequency

Interference■ VHF/UHF—Life Beyond the

Repeater■ Analog Electronics■ Digital Electronics■ HF Digital Communications■ Radio Frequency

PropagationOr,■ Emergency Communications

Level 1, 2 or 3

To learn more about session startdates, registration and cost, visit

www.arrl.org/cce

Learn when andwhere it’s convenient

for you————— 24/7!

LearnMore

ONLINE!WWW.RADiOSCAMATORUL.Hi2.RO


122 March 2008

QST 4/2007



CD-ROM, version 1.0ARRL Order No. 9868Only $19.95**shipping: $6 US (ground)/$11.00 International

The ARRLEMERGENCYCOMMUNICATIONLIBRARY

Minimum System Requirements: A 400 MHzPentium PC with 256 MBytes of RAM andMicrosoft® Windows® XP or Windows 2000.

■ Documents andpresentations on manyaspects of emergencyradio communicationoperating (many in PDFformat)

■ ARES® Field ResourcesManual

■ The ARRL Public ServiceCommunications Manual

■ APRS software■ WinLink 2000 software■ Simulated Emergency

Test (SET), a videocreated by Bob Doherty,K1VV

■ Microsoft® Powerpoint®

viewer and AdobeAcrobat Reader® included

QUICK ACCESS TOINFORMATION ANDSOFTWARE:

Teri Software [email protected]

ANTENNA MODELTM

3D Patterns - Yagi Optimization Match Wizard - Clamp Wizard

Coil Wizard - Graphs No Segment Limit

Only $90US

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Mixing Board Kits These kits come with everything the following: 1 – Heil AD1 adapter cable (Your choice of radio type) 1 – Heil CC1XLRXLR (for 3 pin mics) or CC1XLR4 (for 4 pin mics) 1 – Vanco AC100 cable, for between Behringer board and AD1 One of the above boards depending on the kit below:

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Accessories for the FT7800RMEK2 Microphone Extension Kit.................42.95 MLS100 High power ext speaker..................46.95MMB60 Quick Release Mobile Bracket .......29.95 YSK7800 Separation Kit ...............................54.95

Yaesu FT7800R

The FT-7800R is a ruggedly-built, high quality Dual Band FM transceiver providing 50 Watts of power output on the 144 MHz Amateur band and 40 Watts on the 430 MHz Amateur band. Featuring 1055 memory channels which enable the storage of Independent Transmit Frequencies (“Odd Split ”),and built-in CTCSS and DCS encoder/decoder circuits, the FT-7800R includes also provision for remote-head mounting, utilizing the optional YSK-7800 Separation Kit, which allows installation even in the most compact of cars. Additional features include a convenient access key for Vertex Standard ’s WIRES (Wide-Coverage Internet Repeater Enhancement System),a transmit Time-Out Timer (TOT), Automatic Power-Off (APO), Automatic Repeater Shift (ARS), plus Yaesu ’s exclusive ARTS (Auto-Range Transponder System) which “beeps ” the user when you move out of communications range with another ARTS equipped station.

Yaesu FT8800R

The FT-8800R is a ruggedly-built, high quality Dual Band FM transceiver providing 50 Watts of power output on the 144 MHz Amateur band and 35 Watts on the 430 MHz band. Featuring 1054 memory channels (527 channels each for “Main ” and “Sub ” band)), full duplex operation with independent Volume and Squelch controls, and built-in CTCSS and DCS encoder/decoder circuits, the FT-8800R includes provision for remote-head mounting, utilizing the optional YSK-8900 Separation Kit, which allows installation even in the most compact of cars.

Accessories for the FT8800RADMS2I Software and cable ......................39.95 CT39 Packet Interface Cable ........................ 9.95MEK2 Microphone Extension Kit...............42.95 MLS100 High power ext speaker................46.95MMB60 Quick Release Mobile Bracket .....29.95 YSK8900 Separation Kit .............................41.95

Accessories for the FT8900RADMS2H Software and cable ...................... 39.95 CT39 Packet Interface Cable.......................... 9.95MEK2 Microphone Extension Kit ................ 42.95 MLS100 High power ext speaker ................. 46.95MMB60 Quick Release Mobile Bracket ....... 29.95 YSK8900 Separation Kit .............................. 41.95

Yaesu FT8900R

The FT-8900R is a ruggedly-built, high quality Quad Band FM transceiver providing 50 Watts of power output on the 29/50/144 MHz Amateur bands and 35 Watts on the 430 MHz band. Featuring 809 memory channels, full duplex operation with independent Volume and Squelch controls, and built-in CTCSS and DCS encoder/decoder circuits, the FT-8900R includes provision for remote-head mounting, utilizing the optional YSK-8900 Separation Kit, which allows installation even in the most compact of cars.

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DJ296T220 mHz HT

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220 MHz HT DJ296T Alinco 220 MHz HT that sets new standards in features, convenience and easy operation. The DJ-296 sports an alphanumeric

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value. 40 memory channels, 13.8 VDC direct input with battery charge feature, Direct frequency input, S-meter, Autodialer, Cable Cloning,

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Boards and cables are available separately, call for details

BehringerWWW.RADiOSCAMATORUL.Hi2.RO


124 March 2008

QST 2/2008



ARRL’s popular journals areavailable on a compact, fully-searchable CD-ROM. Every wordand photo published throughout2007 is included!

■■■■■ QST The official membershipjournal of ARRL

■■■■■ NCJ National Contest Journal■■■■■ QEX Forum for Communications

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System Requirements: MicrosoftWindows™ and Macintosh systems, usingthe industry standard Adobe AcrobatReader ® (included).

2007 ARRL Periodicalson CD-ROMARRL Order No. 1204Only $19.95**shipping $6 US (ground)/$11.00 International

Additional sets available:

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March 2008 125

QST 2/2008



– The Art and Science of QRPBy Rich Arland, W3OSSThird Edition

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ARRL’s Low PowerCommunicationARRL Order No. 1042Only $19.95**shipping $7 US (ground)/$12.00 International

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License Study Materials

CD-ROM CollectionsARRL Periodicals CD-ROM is a compilation of all QST, QEX andNCJ issues on one CD. ............................................ $19.95 per set.

ARRL’s Extra Q & A.Order No. 8888 ......................................... $17.95

MA

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QST onCD- ROM!

The ARRL Operating Manual. 9th edition.Order No. 1093 .................................................................... $29.95

ARRL Repeater Directory® — 2007/2008 edition. The authoritativesource of VHF/UHF repeater listings. Over 20,000 listings!

Pocket-sized (3.25" x 5.25"), Order No. 9906 .................. $10.95Desktop Edition (6" x 9"), Order No. 9914 ...................... $15.95

TravelPlus for Repeaters™— 2007-2008 edition. It’s like havingthe power of The ARRL Repeater Directory on your COMPUTER!CD-ROM, version 11.0. Order No. 9930 ................................ $39.95

The ARRL DXCC List (February 2008 ed.) Order No. 1212 .. $5.95

ARES Field Resources Manual. Order No. 5439 .............. $12.95

The ARRL Emergency Communication Handbook.Order No. 9388 ............................................................................ $19.95

The ARRL DXCC Handbook. Order No. 9884 .................. $19.95

DXing on the Edge—The Thrill of 160 Meters. Book with audioCD! Order No. 6354 ............................................................. $29.95

RF Exposure and You. Order No. 6621 ............................. $22.95

Hints & Kinks. 17th Edition. Order No. 9361 ..................... $17.95

Low Profile Amateur Radio. 2nd edition. Order No. 9744 $19.95

HamTestOnline™. Web-based training for all three written exams.Order No. 9571 ....................................................................... $49.95

Ham Radio for Dummies. Order No. 9392 ........................... $21.99

The ARRL Software Library for Hams. Quick access to utilities,applications and information.CD-ROM, version 2.0, Order No. 9825 .................................. $19.95

The Radio Amateur’s World Atlas.Order No. 5226 .......................................................... $12.95ARRL Map of North America. 27 x 39 inches. Includes grids!Order No. 8977 ................................................................... $15ARRL Map of the World (Azimuthal). 27 x 39 inches.Order No. 7717 ................................................................... $15ARRL Map of the World (Robinson). 26 x 34.5 inches.Order No. 8804 ................................................................... $15ARRL Worked All States (WAS) Map. 11 x 17 inches.ARRL Frequency Chart on reverse side. Order No. 1126 .... $3

Getting Started with Ham Radio. A guide to your FIRST AmateurRadio station. Order No. 9728 ................................................ $19.95

2007 Edition, Order No. 12042006 Edition, Order No. 98412005 Edition, Order No. 95742004 Edition, Order No. 93962003 Edition, Order No. 9124

Your Introduction to Morse Code. Learn code at 5 words-per-minute. Order No. 8314 ......................................................... $14.95

General Class (upgrade from Technician)

Exam: 35-question General test (Element 3)

ARRL General Class License Manual — 6th Edition

Order No. 9965 .............................................. $24.95

ARRL’s General Q & A. Make upgrading to Generalclass Quick & Easy! Review from the entire questionpool. Brief explanations follow each question.3rd edition. Order No. 9957 ............................... $17.95

Extra Class (upgrade from General)

Exam: 50-question Extra test (Element 4)

ARRL Extra Class License Manual—8th edition

Order No. 8659 ......................................... $24.95

Technician Class

Exam: 35 -question Technician test (Element 2)

The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual. Allyou need to become an Amateur Radio Operator.For Technician exam study.Order No. 9639 .................................... $24.95

The ARRL Ham Radio License Course. Register atwww.arrl.org /cce and complete all of your ham radio licensetraining online. Registration includes The ARRL Ham RadioLicense Manual, a one year ARRL membership, and graduatesupport. Book with online course .......... $69 100% Guaranteed!

ARRL’s Tech Q & A. 4th edition. Review questions and answersfrom the entire Technician question pool. Includes brief, clearexplanations for all the questions. Order No. 9647............... $15.95

Ham University. Quiz yourself using this feature-packed easy-to-use software. Technician/General Edition, Order No. 8956 .. $24.95

The ARRL Instructor’s Manual for Technician Class LicenseCourses. 3rd edition. Order No. 9817 .................................. $15.95

Ham Radio FAQ. Order No. 8268 ...................................... $14.95Amateur Radio on the Move. Order No. 9450 ................. $19.95ARRL’s Vintage Radio. Order No. 9183 ............................ $19.95

Ham University. Quiz yourself using this feature-packed easy-to-use software. Complete Edition (Tech, Gen, Extra, and Morsecode), Order No. 8735 ........................................................ $39.95

HamCall™ CD-ROM. Thousands of worldwide call sign listings.Order No. 8991 ...................................................................... $49.95

Radio Amateur Callbook CD-ROM. Thousands of worldwide callsign listings. Requires Microsoft Windows or MS-DOS. Winter 2008Edition. Order No. 1129 ......................................................... $49.95

FCC Rules and Regulations for the Amateur Radio ServiceOrder No. 1173 ...................................................................... $5.95

NEW!

Operating and ReferenceNEW!

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1999 Edition, Order No. 78811998 Edition, Order No. 7377



1995 Edition, Order No. 5579

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QST 3/2008

Antennas and Transmission LinesThe ARRL Antenna Book—21st EditionThe ultimate reference for Amateur Radio antennas, transmission linesand propagation. Fully-searchable CD-ROM included (for Windowsand Macintosh). Softcover, Order No. 9876 ........................... $44.95International Antenna Collection. Fixed and mobile antennadesigns from 136 kHz to 1.3 GHz.

Volume 1, Order No. 9156 .......... $19.95Volume 2, Order No. 9465 .......... $21.95

Antenna Zoning. Order No. 8217 ......................................... $49.95ON4UN’s Low-Band DXing. Antennas, equipment and techniquesfor DXcitement on 160, 80 and 40 meters. Fourth ed. with CD-ROM.Order No. 9140 ....................................................................... $39.95

ARRL’s Wire Antenna Classics. Order No. 7075 ..................... $14

More Wire Antenna Classics —Volume 2. Order No. 7709 .... $17.95

More Vertical Antenna Classics. Order No. 9795 ................ $17.95

Vertical Antenna Classics. Order No. 5218 ............................... $12

ARRL’s VHF/UHF Antenna Classics. Build your own portable,mobile and fixed antenna designs. Order No. 9078 ................. $14.95

Practical Circuits and Design

Digital Signal Processing Technology. Order No. 8195 .... $44.95

Space and VHF/UHF/Microwave Communications

We accept the following major credit cards: American Express, MasterCard, Visaand Discover. Prices and product availability are subject to change without notice.

Amount of Order Add Amount of Order Add1. To order or obtain the address of an ARRL Dealer near you,

call toll- free (US): 1- 888- 277-5289 (non-US call 860- 594-0355)8 AM-5 PM Eastern time, Monday-Friday.

2. Fax 1-860-594-0303 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.3. By mail to: ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington CT 06111-14944. Visit our World Wide Web site: http://www.arrl.org/shop

If you’d like a complete publications listingor would like to place an order, please contact us:

Understanding Basic Electronics. Order No. 3983 ............ $29.95

Experimental Methods in RF Design. CD-ROM included.Order No. 8799 .....................................................................$49.95

Shipping and Handling InformationIn the US, add the following amounts to your order to cover shipping and handling(S/H). Add an additional $5.00 to the US rate for shipment outside the US. USorders will be handled via ground delivery service. International Air and otherspecialty forwarding methods are available. Please call or write for information.Sales Tax is required for shipments to CT 6% (including S/H),VA 5% (excluding S/H), CA (add applicable tax, excluding S/H). Canadian Provinces NS, NB and NFadd 14% HST, all other Provinces add 6% GST (excluding shipping/handling).

ARRL’s Yagi Antenna classics. Order No. 8187 .................. $17.95

The Radio Amateur’s Satellite Handbook.Order No. 6583 ...................................................................... $24.95The ARRL Satellite Anthology — 5th Edition. Includes specific sat-ellite operating details. Order No. 7369 ..................................... $15

The ARRL UHF / Microwave Projects CD. CD-ROM includes Volumes1 and 2 of The ARRL UHF/Microwave Projects Manuals.Order No. 8853 ........................................................................... $24.95

Digital and Image Communications

VoIP: Internet Linking for Radio Amateurs.Order No. 9264 ...................................................................... $17.95

The ARRL Image Communications Handbook. See and talk withother hams! CD-ROM included with software utilities.Order No. 8616 ...................................................................... $25.95

Basic Radio — Understanding the Key Building Blocks. Anintroduction to radio for everyone. Includes build-it-yourself projects.Order No. 9558 ...................................................................... $29.95

More QRP Power. More equipment, accessories and antennas forlow power radio operating! Order No. 9655 ........................... $19.95

L /C/F and Single- Layer Coil Winding Calculator. A slide rule forthe experimenter. Order No. 9123 ......................................... $12.95

Introduction to Radio Frequency Design.Order No. 4920 ....................................................................... $39.95

ARRL’s RF Amplifier Classics. Find practical designs and construc-tion details for classic tube and solid-state amplifiers at power levelsfrom 5 W to 1.5 kW. Order No. 9310 ...................................... $19.95

Emergency Power for Radio Communications. Plan alternativemeans for electric power generation. Order No. 9531 ......... $19.95

W1FB’s QRP Notebook Order No. 3657 ................................... $10

$40 Web Special

ARRL’s HF Digital Handbook. 4th Edition. Use your computer totalk to the world! Order No. 1034 .......................................... $19.95

ARRL Antenna Compendium series— Practical antenna designs,and other articles covering a wide range of antenna-related topics.Volume 7. Order No. 8608 $24.95Volume 6. Order No. 7431 $22.95Volume 5. Order No. 5625 $20

Simple and Fun Antennas for Hams. Order No. 8624 ........ $22.95

Volume 3. Order No. 4017 $14Volume 2. Order No. 2545 $14Volume 1. Order No. 0194 $20

The ARRL Handbook—2008The Standard in applied elec-tronics and communications.Operating activities, electronics andcommunications concepts, radiopropagation and antenna theory,practical projects, repair techniques,references and more. Includes TheARRL Handbook CD—the com-plete and fully searchable book onCD-ROM.

Hardcover . Includes book and CD-ROM (version 12.0).Order No. 1026 ................................................................... $59.95

Softcover. Includes book and CD-ROM (version 12.0).Order No. 1018 ................................................................... $44.95

The ARRL RFI Book. 2nd Edition. Practical cures for radio frequencyinterference. Order No. 9892 ................................................... $29.95

International Microwave Handbook. Reference information anddesigns for the microwave experimenter. Order No. 8739 ..... $39.95

GPS and Amateur Radio. Order No. 9922 ........................... $18.95

$10.00 or less $6.0010.01 - 20.00 7.0020.01 - 30.00 8.0030.01 - 40.00 9.00

40.01 - 50.00 10.0050.01 - 75.00 11.00Over $75.00 12.00CD- ROM only 6.00

Volume 4. Order No. 4912 $20

ARRL’s Low Power Communication. 3rd edition. Build and operatelow-power radio gear-the QRP way!

Book. Order No.1042 ......................................................... $19.95Book with Cub CW Transceiver Kit. Order No.1042K .... $99.95



128 March 2008

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* Slopers have unique installation requirements for proper tuning. See details on our WEB site.** Check our WEB site for SWR bandwidths on Model DX-LB.

Prices are plus $8.00 ea. shipping/handling in the U.S. Check for export quotes.

It’s What’s up HERE that Counts! Alpha DeltaCommunications Antennas are

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You can run 10 watts or 1 kW,but the KEY to performanceis choosing an efficent, welldesigned antenna! And tens ofthousands of ALPHA DELTA DXseries HF antennas later, usedin all continents by hams,embassies and the military,ALPHA DELTA is YOUR key toworking lots of great stuff,whether DX, regional or local.They are now made in ourISO-9001 certified productionfacility for the highest qualityever! They are RUGGED!

Stainless steel hardware, Model SEP gas tube static modules in dipoles, efficientISO-RES inductors for multi-band operation and insulated high tensile strength solidcopper 12 ga. wire are used for severe weather rated applications. Rated 1 kW.Check our WEB site or your dealer catalog for a complete list of all models.Here are some of the most popular:

■ Model DX-CC, 80-40-20-15-10 meters,82 ft. long parallel dipole ......................................................... $160.00 ea.

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■ Model DX-EE, 40-20-15-10 meters,40 ft. long parallel dipole ......................................................... $140.00 ea.

■ Model DX-LB, 160-80-40 meters,100 ft. long single wire dipole** ............................................... $160.00 ea.

■ Model DX-LB PLUS, same as Model DX-LB, but includes additionalparallel wires for 20-10 meters** ............................................. $190.00 ea.

■ Models DX-80, DX-40, DX-20 Half-Wave Monoband Dipoles (each Modelincludes DELTA-C center insulator with SEP ARC-PLUG static module).BONUS, the Model DX-20 can easily be trimmed to 17 meters forgreat performance ................................................... Any model $70.00 ea.

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Antenna Time – Special Advertising Section

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ARRL Order No. 1173 Only $5.95**plus shipping and handling

QST 2/2008



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Special Advertising Section – Antenna Time

Whether it’s for your main homestation antenna, a DXpeditionantenna, or the portable antennayou use with your mobile home,your Butternut is ready to deliverbig antenna performance in anefficient, reliable, compact design.Used in over 160 countriesthroughout the world and oncountless DXpeditions.

EEvery ham needsat least one!

Butternut verticals are available to cover all bands from 160 to 6 meters

Just about anywhere! Just about anywhere!

Ultimate Antenna Systems

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Larsen has provided mobile antennas for amateur,

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Larsen Antennas and Mounts

Discount Prices and Quick Delivery !

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Maximize the operation ofnewer receivers capturing signalsof 2 GHz or more with theDS3000A from AOR. Receivesfrom 75 MHz to 3 GHz and isperfect for multibandtransmitters. By replacingmultiple antennas and feedlines, the DS3000A simplifiesham radio operations. Built toprecision standards; its relativelysmall size (only 2.9 feet high)and light weight (just 1.55pounds) present a small windload. Can be mounted inconfined areas. The DS3000Asupports transmitting on 144,430, 904 and 1200 MHZ, safelyhandling loads up to 50 watts.The DS3000A antenna systemincludes mounting hardware forstandard masts and 33.8 feet oflow-loss RG58A/U cableterminated in a Type Nconnector.

DS3000A is another exampleof why AOR stands forAuthority On RadioCommunications!

Enjoy Super Wideband Coverage with the new

DS3000A Discone Antenna!

® AOR U.S.A., Inc., 20655 S. Western Ave.Suite 112, Torrance, CA 90501, USATel: 310-787-8615 Fax: 310-787-8619www.aorusa.com

KØXG Systems1117 Highland Park Dr.

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Visit ourWeb Site at:

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KØXGSystems

Orbital Rotor

VHF

UHF

Heavy Duty ORBITALAntenna rotor.

Rotor shown here willmount at any elevation

on Rohn 45 or 55Gtower and will acceptboom diameters from

2" up to 3.5"Models availablefor any size tower

or antennaboom diameters.

Rotating tower equipmentfor LF, HF, VHF and UHFapplications.• Guy ring bearings.• Ground mounted rotors.• Elevated rotors.• Guy ring bearings and rotors

for most brands of towers:Rohn 45,55,65,80gAB105 etc.

Complete range of Hot dippedgalvanized tower accessories.

QST 10/2007



ARRL Order No. 9922Only $18.95*

*shipping: $7 US (ground)/$12.00 International

By Walter Fields, W4WCF

With this book, you’ll explore GPS:its history, how it works, andnavigating with a GPS receiver.You’ll also examine how AmateurRadio operators have made useof GPS technology for directionfinding and public service activi-ties.

Contents:• GPS Basics• GPS Accuracy• GPS Receivers• Navigating with the GPSReceiver

• Using GPS withTopographic Maps

• Ham Radio Applicationswith GPS

• Making it Happen withAPRS*

• Selecting a GPS Receiver

*APRS® is a registered trademarkof Bob Bruninga, WB4APR.

GPSand Amateur Radio



Special Advertising Section – Antenna Time





The rear doors on newer trucks are the perfect place to mount antennas • No holes to drill • Above roof line • Easy access • When mounting to a van, SUV, truck, etc., use the CP-5M or build your own system with components shown above. There are several mount sizes, coax diameters and coax lengths from which to choose.

UNIVERSAL LIP MOUNTS WITH UNIVERSAL LIP MOUNTS WITH COAX CABLE COMBINATIONSCOAX CABLE COMBINATIONS

Several mounts with coax combos are available to chose from depending on your vehicles available mounting space and antenna size.

No holes to drill, held securely in place with set screws and adjust in multiple planes. Attach to virtually any lip edge that is 1/4” thick or less: trunk lids, van doors, SUV doors, truck doors, hoods, etc...

Deluxe low loss cable assy included for easy entry thru the weather seal without causing water leaks, wind noise, and/or cable damage.

Max power: HF 200WMax power: HF 200W VHF 75W VHF 75W UHF 50W UHF 50W

For small antennas & limited spaceFor small antennas & limited spaceMODEL / ANT CONN / COAX CONN

EM-5M SO-239 / PL-259

Footprint: 1.1”x .75” (Less than 1 sq inch!)(Less than 1 sq inch!)Max Antenna: 40” For medium size antennasFor medium size antennas

MODEL / ANT CONN / COAX CONN CP-5M SO-239 / PL-259 CP-5NMO NMO / PL-259

Footprint: 3.4” x 1.25”Max Antenna: 60”

For tall or multi-band HF antennasFor tall or multi-band HF antennasMODEL / ANT CONN / COAX CONN

HD-5M SO-239 / PL-259 HD- 5 3/8-24 3/8-24 / PL-259

Footprint: 3.75” x 1.1 “Max antenna: 80”

and Mobile

3D5M / 3D4M Standard low loss cable assy. Gold plated SO-239 / PL-259 connectors. 3D5M length 16' 6"3D4M length 13'

CK-3M5 / CK-3M Deluxe low loss cable assy. Includes 18” of mini RG-188A/U type coax for easy entry from a lip mount without causing water leaks, wind noise or coax damage.CK-3M5 length: 16’6”CK-3M length: 9’9”

Combine the coax style and length you need with a bracket from below. (assemblies also available with N-connectors)

Choose the bracket that best fits your antenna and vehicle. All have multiple adjustments and fit virtually any lip 1/4” thick or less. Soft rubber protects vehicle finish.

GRB-5MTrunk lip mount, low-profile,black anodized stainless steel. Offset washers provide up to 17 deg. vertical adjustment

of antenna.16’9” of deluxe cable included, 18” of mini RG-188A/U style coax for easy entry thru the weatherseal. Gold-plated SO-239/PL-259 connectors.

PRM-THeavy-duty, 3 adjustment planes, up to 80” antenna.

CP-5MCP-5MUniversal lip mount with coax, Universal lip mount with coax, SO-239 andPL-259 connectors.SO-239 andPL-259 connectors.

RS-730Heavy-duty, 4 adjustment planes, up to 60” antenna.

RS-720 / RS-720NMOMed-duty, 3 adj planes, 60” ant.RS-720: Accepts SO-239 connRS-720NMO: Accepts NMO conn

RS-520 Light-duty, 3 adjustment planes, up to 45” antenna.

MK-30H12VDC motorized mount. Mounts to vertical or horizontal door lip. Up to 70”/19 oz. antenna.

EM-B80Light-duty, 2 adjustment planes, up to 40” antenna.

RS-840Heavy-duty, 2 adjustment planes. For HF and heavier antennas up to 80”.



March 2008 137

Great Introductory RadioThe TH-F6A is incredibly small -just 2 5/16” x 3 7/16” x 13/16” in size and can fit in the palm of your hand. This greatintroductory handheld is an FM Triband with 5W of outputpower on 2m, 1.25m and 70cm! A separate wide band, all-modereceiver is built in. You won’t miss a minute of scanning actionfrom car races to the ballpark, or off to the airport Kenwood’sTH-F6A has you covered.

Other attractive features include a built-in ferrite bar antenna forlistening in on shortwave broadcast or your favorite local AMtalk show, a lithium-ion battery and an easy-to-read LCDequipped with both contrast control and backlight.

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SIGNAL STRENGTH METER3 MHz to 5 GHz

The ZC 185 is an extremely sensitiveRadio Frequency (RF) Detector thatoperates over a broad span offrequencies.HAM RADIO uses: Detects and locates Fox Xmtrs,far-field tune-ups of milliwatt to kilowatt rigs,measures antenna patterns, detects oscillations,locates cable leaks &RFI, monitors power.

COMPUTER WIRELESS uses: Super Wi Fi sniffer,detects Hot & Cold spots, measures baseline RF,optimizes hub & satellite network sites, locateshacker sites, strengthens RF signal links.

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QS12 2007 Op Man Ad.pmd 11/13/2007, 3:55 PM1



. . . the VECTTRONICS HFT-1500• High Current Roller Inductor• SSB*Analyzer BargraphTM

• Cross-Needle Meter• 6 Position Antenna Switch• Built-in 4:1 Balun• Gear driven Turns Counter

The VECTRONICS HFT-1500 isnot just an antenna tuner . . . it’s abeautifully crafted work of art, usingthe finest components available andthe highest quality construction.

Every HFT-1500 aluminum cabinet iscarefully crafted with a super durable paintthat won’t scratch or chip.

Attractive two-color Lexan front panelis scratch-proof. Take a quarter. Scratchthe front panel. You won’t leave a mark!

Arc-Free OperationTwo 4.5 kV transmitting variable capacitors

and a massive roller inductor gives youarc-free operation up to 2 kW PEP SSB.

Precision ResetabilityA sturdy hand cranked roller inductor

lets you quickly fly from band to band. Aprecision 5-digit gear driven turns counterlets you accurately retune.

Large comfortableknobs and smoothvernier drives maketuning precise andeasy. Bright red pointers on logging scalesmake accurate resetability a breeze.

Absolute Minimum SWRYou can tune your SWR down to the

absolute minimum! Why? Because allnetwork components -- roller inductor andvariable capacitors are fully adjustable.

Tune any AntennaYou can tune any real antenna from

1.8 to 30 MHz, including all MARS andWARC bands. You can tune verticals,dipoles, inverted vees, Yagis, quads, long-wires, whips, G5RVs, and more.

SSB*Analyzer BargraphTM

Exclusive 21 segment bargraph letsyou visually follow your instantaneous

voice peaks. Has level and delay controls. Accurate SWR/Power Meter

A shielded directional coupler andbacklit Cross-Needle meter displays accu-rate SWR, forward and reflected powersimultaneously. Reads both peak andaverage power on 300/3000 Watt scales.

6 Pos. Ceramic Antenna SwitchSelect two coax fed antennas (tuned or

bypassed), balanced line/wire or bypass. Built-in Balun

A heavy duty two ferrite core 4:1 balunfeeds dual high voltage Delrin terminalposts for balanced lines. 5.5x12.5x12

inches. One year limited warranty. Call toll-free, 1-800-363-2922

Order the HFT-1500 from Vectronics.Try it for 30 days. If you are not com-pletely satisfied, return it for a full refund,less shipping and handling -- no hassles.

MIRAGE. . .160 Watts on 2 Meters!Turn your mobile, base or handheld into 160 Watt powerhouses and talk further,

longer, clearer. . . All modes: FM, SSB, CW . . . Superb GaAsFET preamp . . .Overdrive, high SWR, Over-temperature protection . . . Remote controllable . . .

The MIRAGE B-5018-G gives you 160 Watts output for50 Watts input on all modes -- FM, SSB, or CW!

Ideal for 25-50 Watt 2 Meter mobile or base.Weak signals pop out with its low noiseGaAsFET preamp and its excellent 0.6 dB noisefigure. Selectable 5, 8 or 14 dB preamp gain.

Exclusive MIRAGE ActiveBiasTM circuit givescrystal clear SSB without splatter or distortion.

B-5018-G is legendary for its ruggedness andis fully protected -- high SWR or excessive input powerautomatically bypasses the B-5018-G to prevent damage.

Heavy-duty heatsink spans entire length of cabinet. Powertransistors protected by MIRAGE’s Therm-O-GuardTM.

Has adjustable delay RF sense Transmit/Receive switch andremote external keying. 16-20 Amps at 13.8 VDC.12x3x51/2 inches.

B-1018-G, $409.95. MIRAGE’s mostpopular dual purpose HT or mobile/baseamplifier. 160 Watts out for 10 Watts in.For 0.25-10 Watt rigs.

B-2518-G, $329.95. Same as B-5018-G but for 10 to 25 Watt mobile or base.

160 Watts out for 25 Watts in. RC-2, $49.95. Remote Control. On/Off,pre-

amp On/Off, selects SSB/FM. With 25 foot cable.

MIRAGE . . . the world’s most rugged VHF/UHF amplifiers!

100 Watts for 2M HT100 Watts out for 2-8 Wattsin! Great for HTs up to 8W.FM, SSB, CW. 15 dB GaAs-FET preamp, RF sense T/R,high-SWR protected.

the finest antenna tuner made!

300 Industrial Park Road,Starkville, MS 39759, USAPrices/specs subject to change without notice/obligation (c)2008 Vectronics

http://www.vectronics.comNearest Dealer, Free catalog, To Order . . .

800-363-2922Voice: 662-323-5800 Fax: 662-323-6551

300 Industrial Park RdStarkville, MS 39759Prices/specs subject to change

without notice/obligation (c)2008.MIRAGE

http://www.mirageamp.comNearest Dealer, Free catalog, To Order . . .

800-647-1800Tech: 662-323-8287 Fax: 662-323-6551

VECTRONICS . . . the finest amateur radio products made!

Power Curve -- typical output power in WattsB-1018-GB-2518-GB-5018-GWatts In

B-5018-G$32995

35 Watts for 2 Meter HTFor handhelds

up to 8 Watts. 35Watts out for 3-8Watts in (18 W out/1W in)!18 dB GaAsFET preamp. Allmodes: FM, SSB, CW. RF sense T/Rswitch. Reverse polarity protection.Includes mobile bracket, 1 yearwarranty. 51/4Wx13/4Hx43/4D in. 35 Watts, $89955, FM only

B-34, $99.95. 35 Watts out for2 Watts in. Like B-34-G, FM only, lesspreamp, mobile bracket. 31/8Wx13/4Hx41/4D in

B-34-G

25 5--

.25

5072.5

14040153

15060255

16080408

1601005010

--1257015

--16010025

--16013035

--16016050

B-310-G$22995

MIRAGE Dual Band144/440 MHz Amp

Boost your dual band144/440 MHz handheldto a powerful mobile/base-- 45 Watts on 2 Meters/35 Watts on 440 MHz! Workswith all FM handhelds to 7Watts. Includes full duplexoperation -- lets you talk on one band, listenon other at same time. Auto band selection,RF sense T/R switch, single connector,reverse polarity protection, 5Wx13/4Hx5D

in. Mobile bracket. One year warranty.

BD-35$17995

VECTRONIICS®

HFT-1500$47995

$11995

Mirage_Vectronics_091807.qxd 9/19/2007 11:33 AM Page 1



KENWOOD U.S.A. CORPORATIONCommunications Sector Headquarters3970 Johns Creek Court, Suite 100, Suwanee, GA 30024Customer Support/DistributionP.O. Box 22745, 2201 East Dominguez St., Long Beach, CA 90801-5745Customer Support: (310) 639-4200 Fax: (310) 537-8235

Two Great Companies...Providing One Outstanding Solution!

Kenwood & AvMapThe Ultimate APRS® Combination

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TM-D710AAvMap G5



compression clamps is used for radiators. Includes all stainless steel hardware.

Recessed SO-239 prevents moisture damage. Hy-gain verticals go up easily with just

hand tools and their cost is surprisingly low. Two year limited warranty. AV-18HT, $849.95. (10,12,15,20,40,80 M,

160, 17 Meters optional). 53 ft., 114 lbs. Standing 53 feet tall, the famous Hy-Gain

HyTower is the world’s best performing verti-cal! The AV-18HT features automatic bandselection achieved through a unique stub-decoupling system which effectively isolatesvarious sections of the antenna so that an elec-trical 1/4 wavelength (or odd multiple of a 1/4wavelength) exists on all bands. Approximate-ly 250 kHz bandwidth at 2:1 VSWR on 80Meters. The addition of a base loading coil(LC-160Q, $109.95), provides exceptional160 Meter performance. MK-17, $89.95. Add-on 17 Meter kit. 24 foot tower is all rugged,hot-dip galvanized steel and all hardware isiridited for corrosion resistance. Special tilt-over hinged base for easy raising & lowering.

AV-14AVQ, $169.95. (10,15,20,40 Meters).18 ft., 9 lbs. The Hy-Gain AV-14AVQ usesthe same trap design as the famous Hy-GainThunderbird beams. Three separate air dielec-tric Hy-Q traps with oversize coils give superbstability and 1/4 wave resonance on all bands.Roof mount with Hy-Gain AV-14RMQ kit, $89.95.

AV-12AVQ, $124.95. (10, 15, 20 Meters).13 ft., 9 lbs. AV-12AVQ also uses Thunder-bird beam design air dielectric traps forextremely Hy-Q performance. This is the wayto go for inexpensive tri-band performance inlimited space. Roof mount with AV-14RMQ kit,$89.95.

AV-18VS, $99.95. (10,12,15,17,20,30,40,80Meters). 18 ft., 4 lbs. High quality constructionand low cost make the AV-18VS an exceptionalvalue. Easily tuned to any band by adjustingfeed point at the base loading coil. Roofmount with Hy-Gain AV-14RMQ kit, $89.95.

DX-88, $369.95. (10, 12, 15,17,20,30,40,80Meters, 160 Meters optional). 25 ft., 18 lbs.

All bands are easily tuned with the DX-88’sexclusive adjustable capacitors. 80 and 40Meters can even be tuned from the groundwithout having to lower the antenna. Superheavy-duty construction. DX-88 OPTIONS:160 Meter add-on kit, KIT-160-88, $189.95.Ground Radial System, GRK-88, $99.95. RoofRadial System, RRK-88, $99.95.

DX-77A, $449.95. (10, 12, 15, 17, 20, 30,40 Meters). 29 ft., 25 lbs.

No ground radials required! Off-center-fedWindom has 55% greater bandwidth thancompetitive verticals. Heavy-duty tiltablebase. Each band independently tunable.


http://www.hy-gain.comPrices and specifications subject to change without notice or obligation. (C) Hy-GainR, 2006.

Free Hy-Gain Catalogand Nearest Dealer . . . 800-973-6572Call your dealer for your best price!

Model #AV-18HT

AV-14AVQAV-12AVQAV-18VS

DX-88DX-77A

Price$849.95$169.95$134.95$99.95$369.95$449.95

Bands10,15,20,40,8010,15,20,4010/15/20 M10 - 80 M10 - 80 M10 - 40 M

Max Power1500 W PEP1500 W PEP1500 W PEP1500 W PEP1500 W PEP1500 W PEP

Height53 feet18 feet13 feet18 feet25 feet29 feet

Weight114 pounds9 pounds9 pounds4 pounds18 pounds25 pounds

Wind Surv.75 MPH80 MPH80 MPH80 MPH

75 mph no guy

60 mph no guy

Rec. Mast------

1.5-1.625”1.5-1.625”1.5-1.625”1.5-1.625”1.5-1.625”

HF VERTICALS

PPAATRIOTTRIOTHy-Gain’s new PATRIOT HF verticals are the best

built, best performing and best priced multibandverticals available today. For exciting DX make fulluse of your sunspot cycle with the PATRIOT’s low 17degree angle signal.

No ground or radials neededEffective counterpoise

replaces radials and ground. Automatic bandswitching

Single coax cable feed. Eachband is individually tunable. Extrawide VSWR bandwidth. End fedwith broadband matching unit.

Sleek and low-profileLow 2.5 sq. ft. wind surface

area. Small area required formounting. Mounts easily ondecks, roofs and patios.

Full legal limitHandles 1500 Watts key down

continuous for two minutes. Built-to-last

High wind survival of 80 mph.Broadband matching unit madefrom all TeflonR insulated wire.Aircraft quality aluminum tub-ing, stainless steel hardware.

hy-gainR warrantyTwo year limited warranty.

All replacement parts in stock. AV-640, $399.95. (6,10,12,

15,17,20,30,40 Meters). 25.5ft., 17.5 lbs. The AV-640 usesquarter wave stubs on 6, 10, 12and 17 meters and efficient endloading coil and capacity hats on15, 20, 30 and 40 meters -- notraps. Resonators are placed inparallel not in series. End load-ing of the lower HF bandsallows efficient operation with amanageable antenna height.

AV-620, $299.95.(6,10,12,15,17,20 Meters). 22.5ft., 10.5 lbs. The AV-620 cov-ers all bands 6 through 20

Meters with no traps, no coils, no radials yielding anuncompromised signal across all bands.

Self-supporting -- no guys required . . . Remarkable DX performance -- low angleradiation, omnidirectional . . . Handles 1500 Watts . . . Low SWR . . . Automatic bandswitching . . . Aircraft quality aluminum tubing . . . Stainless steel hardware . . .

Recessed SO-239 connector . . . Two year limited Warranty . . . hy-gainRFree

Manuals!

hy-gain(R)

ClassicsAll hy-gain multi-band vertical

antennas are entirely self sup-porting -- no guys required.

They offer remarkable DX per-formance with their extremelylow angle of radiation and omni-directional pattern.

All handle 1500 Watts PEP SSB,have low SWR, automatic band-switching (except AV-18VS) andinclude a 12-inch heavy duty mastsupport bracket (except AV-18HT).

Heavy duty, slotted, taperedswaged, aircraft quality aluminumtubing with full circumference

AV-640$39995

DX

-77A

,$ 44995

DX

-88,

$ 36995

AV-1

8VS

$ 9995

AV-1

2AV

Q$ 12

495

AV-1

4AV

Q$ 16

995

AV-1

8HT

$ 79995

Hy-Gain_HFverticals_Patriot!_122607.qxd 12/27/2007 2:27 PM Page 1





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BNC-24 DUAL-BAND 2M/70CM HT ANTENNA RX range: 100-1200MHz• Wavelength: 2M 1/4 wave • 440MHz 1/2 wave • Length: 17” • Conn: BNC Super flexible featherweight whip

SMA-24 DUAL-BAND 2M/70CM HT ANTENNA RX range: 100-1200MHz• Wavelength: 2M 1/4 wave • 440MHz 1/2 wave • Length: 17” • Conn: SMA Super flexible featherweight whip

SMA-503 DUAL-BAND 2M/70CM HT ANTENNA RX range: 100-1200MHz • Length: 8.75” • Conn: SMA

MH-209 (BNC Conn) MH-209SMA (SMA Conn) 2M/70CM DUAL-BAND HT ANTENNAS3” length, soft rubber cover. Good performance in a small package!

and Mobile

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For Small Antennas & Limited SpaceFor Small Antennas & Limited Space

For Medium Size AntennasFor Medium Size Antennas

For Tall or Multi-band HF AntennasFor Tall or Multi-band HF Antennas

MINI COOPER SHOWN WITH MINI COOPER SHOWN WITH CP-5M UNIVERSAL LIP MOUNT CP-5M UNIVERSAL LIP MOUNT ON THE DOOR EDGE. ON THE DOOR EDGE. All the mounts attach to van doors, truck side doors, SUV doors, etc... and require no holes. Includes 16’ 6” deluxe cable assy w/18” mini RG-1888A/U type coax for weather seal entry.

Choose a mount depending on the antenna size and vehicle mounting location space.

MODEL / ANT CONN / COAX CONN EM-5M SO-239 / PL-259Footprint: 1.1”x .75”Max Antenna: 40”

MODEL / ANT CONN / COAX CONN CP-5M SO-239 / PL-259 CP-5NMO NMO / PL-259Footprint: 3.4” x 1.25”Max Antenna: 60”

MODEL / ANT CONN / COAX CONN HD-5M SO-239 / PL-259 HD- 5 3/8-24 3/8-24 / PL-259Footprint: 3.75” x 1.1 “Max antenna: 80”



Ad’l/ft.$1.00$1.85$1.53$2.01$1.76$2.03$2.31$3.15$3.74$4.88$6.83

810-2000I-6W, $44.95 each. Unique tubing has one end slitted andone end swaged to make it stackable. Slide one end intoanother tubing for longer poles. Secure with standard hostclamp. Strong, 2”OD x .120” wall. Good for base sectionsof vertical antennas. Standard 6-ft. length, longer sections,to 20 ft. available. Add $6.83 each add’l foot. 6 ft. lengthsship by UPS, longer units must ship UPS oversize/truck.

hy-gain Base Mount Assembly Kit877200, $69.95. New! Complete ATM-65 base assem-bly kit with base mounting plate, insulators, hardware.

hy-gain Aluminum Tubing6063 T832 round, drawn aluminum tubing sold in 2 styles:

6’ standard or 6’ slitted one end, (.083” gaps, 1-2” slit lengths).Tubing are sized to allow telescoping into one another

from .625 OD to 2 inches OD. Select slitted tubing for tele-scoping. Use Hy-gain Stainless Steel hose clamps to secure.

OD x Wall-Th x ID.625”x.035”x.555”.750”x.058”x.634”.875”x.058”x.759”1.000”x.058”x.884”1.125”x.058”x1.009”1.250”x.058”x1.134”1.375”x.058”x1.259”1.500”x.058”x1.384”1.625”x.058”x1.509”1.750”x.058”x1.634”2.000’x.120”x1.760”

Part No.745-3106S745-3110S745-3116S745-3128S

Price$1.00$1.00$1.25$2.84

Description#6 Clamp for .75” OD to .875” OD tubing#10 Clamp for 1” OD to 1.125” OD tubing#16 Clamp for 1.25” OD to 1.50” OD tubing#28 Clamp for 1.75” OD to 2” OD tubing

6’stnrd; p/n, price/ea810-0625C-6U, $5.70810-0750E-6U, $10.55810-0875E-6U, $8.72810-1000E-6U, $11.46810-1125E-6U, $10.03810-1250E-6U, $11.57810-1375E-6U, $13.17810-1500E-6U, $17.95810-1625E-6U, $21.32810-1750G-6U, $27.86810-2000I-6U, $38.93

6’slitd; p/n, price/ea.810-0625C-6S, $6.90810-0750E-6S, $12.66810-0875E-6S, $9.92810-1000E-6S, $12.66810-1125E-6S, $11.23810-1250E-6S, $12.77810-1375E-6S, $14.37810-1500E-6S, $19.16810-1625E-6S, $22.52810-1750G-6S, $29.62810-2000I-6S, $41.03

hy-gain Stainless Steel Hose Clamps

ATM-65, $199.95. Pictured left. 11-section multi-purpose aluminumtelescopic pole can be used as a vertical antenna or as a mast. Greatfor portable, temporary use and permanent use -- traveling, camp-ing, etc. Includes one size of each slitted tube listed above and tenhose clamps. 65 ft. fully extended, 6 ft. collapsed without clamps.Guying required if mast is extended beyond 30 feet. Top section is.625” OD. Bottom section is 2 inches OD x .120 wall.

hy-gain Telescopic Aluminum Mast

BMC-249, $79.95. Boom to Mast ClampHeavy duty 11/4” OD thick aluminum die castedboom to mast clamp designed for heavy antennas.Supports 2-inch boom antennas, such as the TH-11DX, Long John Monobanders and other beamswith a 2” boom. The BMC-249 allows mast toextend past the top of the clamp. This feature allows

stacking of several antennas on one mast. Clamp is adjustable for mast sizesfrom 11/4” to 23/4” OD. The tilt-over feature permits easy assembly of the ele-ments and simplifies maintenance of the antenna. 4Wx4Hx11/4”thick. Kit comes complete with stainless steel hardware. Element Insulators These element insulators are made to fit theelement bracket (right). Precision injection molded with black UV resisted ABS plastic.

hy-gain TH-series HF Beam Trap CapsA. 464723, $.75 ea. Trap caps, for large Hy-gain TH-series traps.B. 466221, $1.59 ea. Trap caps for Hy-gain TH-3Jr. traps.

Element to Boom ClampsMade from high tensile strength aluminum alloy.Custom die is used to stamp these clamps. Nomiss-drilled holes. They fit perfect everytime.Required 2 clamps per element. ElementInsulators available (left).

hy-gain Custom Precision Antenna Hardware

Part No.

465216461057463767465833

Price

$3.42$4.40$4.40$4.80

Fits theseElement sizes

7/16” OD5/8” OD7/8” OD11/4” OD

InsulatorSize

7/8”OD x 23/4”11/4” OD x 3”11/4” OD x 3”11/2” OD x 4”

Fits Element toboom clamp

163409165919165919165920

Description

21/2x7”x.08 Thick, #1223/8x71/8”x.08 Thick, #431/4x71/4”x.125 Thick, #1331/4x91/2”x.125 Thick, #143/4x5”x.063 Thick, #021/2x61/2”x.08 Thick, #1125/16x65/8”x.08 Thick, #1223/4x65/8”x.08 Thick, #1

Part#

161409163764165919165920160055161422165141165138872223

Price

$2.71$3.80$5.32$6.28$1.22$3.63$3.76$5.20$6.60

Element ODw/o insulator w/insulator

5/8” ---7/8” 7/16”11/4” 5/8”, 7/8”11/2” 11/4”7/16” ---5/8” ---7/8” 7/16”11/4” 5/8”, 7/8”

Insulator

None465216463767, 461057465833NoneNone465216463767, 461057

BoomOD”

2”2”2”2”11/4”11/4”11/4”11/4”Stainless steel screws, nuts and washers for 1 set of element-to-boom clamp

hy-Gain Tower BasesSpecially designedfor hy-gain crank-up towers. Completewith base hinge andfoundation welded

steel-cage. Specify tower model.*Shipped by truck, call for quote.

Model#TB-37TB-52TB-54TB-70

TowerHG-37SSHG-52SSHG-54HDHG-70HD

Price$299.95$299.95$299.95$349.95

Weight50 lbs.*80 lbs.*90 lbs.*102 lbs.*

hy-gain Vertical Antenna Hardware

A B

C D

E

A. 463011, $14.00, Base tubing insulator, fits 11/4” OD tube. Six5/16” mounting holes. Super strong fiberglass filled ABS. Used inHy-tower to isolate tower legs from ground. Tubing not included.B. 877130, $28.64, Vertical antenna bracket assembly. Includesbracket (C), base cover insulator (D), support insulator (E) andSO-239. Fits 11/4” tubing. Tubing not included.C. 160043-1, $11.84, Base mount bracket. Custom-tooled 1/8”thick x 12 inch length aluminum bracket with vertical ridges forsuper strength. Pre-punched holes for SO-239 or N-connector.D. 863427, $6.90, Base tubing insulator. Molded pin connectsbase tubing to SO-239 or N-connector.E. 463056, $3.12, Base antenna support insulator. Made to fit topsupport of antenna bracket (C). Hole fits 11/4” OD tubing. F. 460316, $12.96, Tubing coupler/insulator. Used to couple/ in-sulate 1” tube to 7/8” tubing. Made of fiberglass filled ABS, 5” long.

AB

F


http://www.hy-gain.comPrices and specifications subject to change without notice or obligation. (C) Hy-GainR, 2008.

Free hy-gain Catalogand Nearest Dealer . . . 800-973-6572Call your dealer for your best price!

Antennas built-to-last . . . Use hy-gain parts!BN-86, $79.95.Broadband 50 Ohmferrite balun.Useable from 3 to30 MHz. Rec-ommended for allHF Yagi antennas.

It provides improved front-to-backratio. Comes with clamp to bolt toboom, SO-239 connector.

BN-4000B, $109.95.Broadband 50 OhmYagi current balun ispotted to seal outmoisture. Rated at 4000Watts for increased

power handling capabilities. 1 to54 MHz. SO-239 connector. BN-4000D, $109.95. dipoles. BN-4000N, $119.95. “N” connector.

hy-gain Center/End Dipole InsulatorsC-1, $29.95.Center Insulatorfor multibanddipole antenna.

C-1C, $29.95.Similar to C-1, buthas SO-239 antenna connector.

E-1,$6.95.6 inchsuper high-power, high-voltage endinsulator for Multi-band doubletantenna. Set of 2.

FAMOUS Heavy Duty hy-gain BALUNS

GroundRod

Durable fourfoot by3/8 inchdiametercopper

bonded steel earthground rod. Sharppoint makes iteasy to insert intoground. Bleed offstatic/RFI.Prevent RF hotspots. Use sever-al to form a goodRF ground.

GR-1$895

GlazedCeramicInsulator

Extra-strong -- willnot break, arcover or melteven under fulllegal power.Molded ridges

give extra-long pathto prevent high-volt-age breakdown.

Arrowpoint AnchorAPA-3, $14.95. Up to 2000

lbs. pull-out resistance tosecure antennas, towers. Useone per guy wire. DR-3,$29.95. Drive Rod.

E-2

79ceach

E-26$456

6-Pack

World’smostruggedrotator! Many inuse after 25years. Highlyresistant tolightning, static, RFI. Belldesign gives total weatherprotection. 15 sq. ft. wind-load, 5-sec. brake delay,5000 in-lb steel wedgebrake, ring gear handles100,000 PSI, dual 98ball bearing race, -30O Foperation. Max mast 21/16”

hy-gain RotatorHAM-IV

$55995

ATM-65$19995



For more information, contact:

Mary M. Hobart, K1MMH

Chief Development Officer

ARRL

225 Main Street

Newington CT 06111-1494

Telephone: 860-594-0397

Email: [email protected]

For more information, contact:

Mary M. Hobart, K1MMHChief Development Officer

ARRL225 Main Street

Newington CT 06111-1494Telephone: 860-594-0397




MFJ-259B Antenna AnalyzerThe world’s most popular antenna ana-

lyzer gives you a complete picture of yourantenna performance 1.8 to 170 MHz.Super easy-to-use -- makes tuning yourantenna quick and easy. Read antennaSWR, complex impedance, return loss,reflection coefficient. Determine velocityfactor, coax cable loss in dB, length ofcoax and distance to a short or open in feet.Read inductance in uH and capacitance inpF at RF frequencies. Large easy-to-readtwo line LCD screen and side-by-sidemeters clearly display your information.Built-in frequency counter, Ni-Cad chargercircuit, battery saver, low battery warning

andsmoothreductiondrive tuning.

MFJ-99B, $93.80.Accessory Package forMFJ-259B. IncludesMFJ-29C custom foam-filled carrying case,MFJ-66 dip meteradapters, MFJ-1312D110VAC adapter and10-pack high capacityNi-MH MFJ SuperCellTM

batteries. Save $7!

MFJ-259B$28995

All-in-one handheldantenna test lab letsyou quicklycheck/tune HF, VHF, UHF antennas any-where. Measures: SWR, Return Loss, Re-flection Coefficient, R, X, Z, Phase Angle,Coax cable loss, Coax cable length, Distanceto short/open in coax, Inductance, Capac-itance, Resonant Frequency, Bandwidth,

Q, Velocity Factor, Attenuation, more!

1.8-170 MHz plus415-470 MHz Antenna Analyzer

MFJ-269$38995

33 Foot fiberglass Mast33 foot super strong fiber-

glass telescoping mast collaps-es to 3.8 feet, weighs 3.3 lbs.

Huge, strong 13/4 inch bottom section. Flexesto resist breaking. Resists UV. Put up fullsize inverted Vee dipole/vertical antenna inminutes and get full size performance!

MFJ-1910$7995

MFJ’s Weather-proof AntennaFeedthrough Panel mounts in your win-dow sill. Lets you feed three coax-fedantennas, balanced line, random wire andground without drilling through walls.

Simply place in window sill and closewindow. One cut customizes it for anywindow up to 48 inches. Use horizontal-ly or vertically. High-quality pressure-treated wood with excellent 3/4 inch thickinsulating properties is painted withheavy coat of white outdoor enamel paint.Edges sealed by weather-stripping. Seals

and insulates against all weather conditions.Gives years of trouble-free service.3/4Dx31/2Hx48W in.

Inside/outside stainless steel plates bond allcoax shields to ground. Stainless steel groundpost brings outside ground connection inside.3 Teflon(R) SO-239 coax connectors, ceramicbalanced line/randomwire feedthru insulators.

MFJ Weather-Proof Antenna Feedthrough PanelBring three coax-fed HF/VHF/UHF antennas, balanced line, random wire and ground into yourhamshack without drilling through walls . . . New! MFJ-4602

$6995

Current Balun/CenterInsulatorTrue 1:1 Current

Balun/Center Insulatorforces equal antenna currentsin dipoles. Improves all dipoles/doublets! Reduces coax feed-

line radiation, field pattern distortion, TVI,RFI, RF hot spots. SO-239. 1.8-30 MHz,1.5kW. Stainless steel hardware. Directwire connection to antenna. 5x2 inches.

MFJ-915 RF IsolatorMFJ-915 RF Isolator

prevents unwanted RF fromtraveling on the outside of

your coax shield into your transceiver.Clears up RFI. Eliminates painful RF“bites” on your rig or microphone.Keeps your transceiver and vehicle

displays and settings from locking up.Plugs between coax and transceiver. 5x2inches. 1.8-30 MHz, 1.5 kW.

MFJ W9INN Balun BoxConverts

unbalancedcoax line tobalanced lad-der transmission line.Giant 2-core 4:1 balunwound with Teflon(R) wire. 31/4x21/4x7 inch-es. Heavy duty ceramic feed-through insu-lators. 1500 Watts full legal limit. SO-239.Ground post, mounting holes.

MFJ-912$6995

MFJ-915$2995

Clamp-On RF AmmeterClamp-On RFAmmeter snapsover cables up to ½

inch diameter. Measure RF cur-rents in antenna elements, radials,ground wires, coax shield. Fivecalibrated ranges to 3 Amps. 1-30

MHz. 2½Wx5½Hx1½D inches.

All Band G5RV Antennas160-10 Meters with tuner. 102foot.1.5 kW. Use as Marconion 160 Meters with tuner/ground. Ladder line/SO-239.MFJ-1778M, $39.95. Half-

size, 52 ft. G5RV-Jr. 60-10Meters with tuner. 1.5 kW.

MFJ Field Strength MetersHuge 3” meter. Tele-scoping ground-inde-pendent dipole. .1-500 MHz.Sensitivity control. Remotesensor, MFJ-802R, $34.95. MFJ-801, $29.95. Monopolefield strength meter, 11/4” meter.

Antenna SwitchesMFJ-1702C 2 position antennacoax switch. Exclusive light-ning arrestor and center pos.ground, lightning arrestor. 2.5kW PEP, 1 kW CW. Loss be-low .2 dB. 50 dB isolation @450 MHz. 50 Ohms. 3x2x3”. MFJ-1704. Like MFJ-1702Cbut has 4 positions. 61/4x41/4

x11/4 in. 50 load. SWR 1.1: 1to 30 MHz; 1.5:1, 30-650 MHz. SO-239.

6-Band Rotatable mini-Dipole

Low-pro-file mini 14foot rotatable dipole has tiny 7-foot turningradius. Fits on smallest roof -- perfect fortown houses, apartments and condos.

Easily turned by TV rotator. It’s no Wimp! Good directivity reduces

QRM/noise and lets you focus your signalin the direction that you want -- so you canwork some real DX.

Operate 40, 20, 15, 10, 6, 2 meters. Runfull 1500 Watts SSB/CW on all HF bands!

Ham radio’s most versatile rotatabledipole features automatic band switching.Uses highly efficient end-loading with itsentire length always radiating.

No lossy traps! Has separate, efficientend-loading TeflonTM coils on fiberglassforms and capacitance hats for each HFband. 6/2 Meters are full-length dipoles.

Built-to-last -- super strong solidfiberglass center insulator, 6063 T-6aircraft strength aluminum tubing.Assembles in an afternoon. MFJ-1775W, $249.95. WARC bandversion for 12, 17, 30, 60 Meters only.

MFJ-1775$24995

Indoor View

Outdoor ViewStainless Steel Bonding Plate

MFJ-918$2495

MFJ-1778$4495

MFJ-802$4995

MFJ-1704$7995

MFJ-1702C$3995

MFJ-854$11995

Free MFJ Catalogand Nearest Dealer . . . 800-647-1800http://www.mfjenterprises.com

• 1 Year No Matter WhatTM warranty • 30 day money back guarantee (less s/h) on orders direct from MFJ

MFJ ENTERPRISES, INC. 300 Industrial Pk Rd, Starkville,MS 39759 PH: (662) 323-5869 Tech Help: (662) 323-0549

FAX:(662)323-6551 8-4:30 CST, Mon.-Fri. Add shipping.Prices and specifications subject to change. (c) 2008 MFJ Enterprises, Inc.



■ The ARRL Handbook—2008edition. Up-to-date and alwaysrevised!

■ The ARRL Handbook onCD-ROM— version 12.0 includedwith every book.

This 85th edition is both a useful introduction to radio communication and a source for answers toquestions about every aspect of the state-of-the-art. Topics include Amateur Radio licensing require-ments and operating activities, fundamental and advanced electronics and communications concepts,radio propagation and antenna theory, practical projects, repair techniques, references and muchmore. The Handbook includes descriptions for new and emerging wireless technologies involvingdigital signal processing (DSP) innovations, and radio applications utilizing software and the Internet.New projects include:

■ MKII updated universal QRP transmitter

■ MicroR2 receiver and MicroT2 transmitter

■ ID-O-Matic—10-minute ID timer for individual,repeater or beacon control

■ Simple computer-to-transceiver serial portinterface and USB interface

Order Today www.arrl.org/shopor Toll-Free 1-888-277-5289 (US)

2008 ARRL Handbook Hardcover. Includes book and CD-ROM.ARRL Order No. 1026 ............................................... $59.95 plus s&h2008 ARRL Handbook Softcover. Includes book and CD-ROMARRL Order No. 1018 ............................................... $44.95 plus s&h

Unmatched Excellence

CD-ROM Included! This edition isbundled with The ARRL Handbook CD(version 12.0) – includes the fullysearchable text and illustrations in theprinted book, as well as companionsoftware, PC board templates and othersupport files.

■ Keying adapter to interface vintage radioswith modern gear (CW keying or amplifierTR keying)

Plus, new filter theory and design examples,including a HF/6 meter high-power low-passfilter project and revised and expandedRF safety content.

QST 2/2008

SHOP DIRECT or call for a dealer near you.ONLINE WWW.ARRL.ORG/SHOPORDER TOLL-FREE 888/277-5289 (US)

Shipping and Handling charges apply. Sales Tax is required for orders shippedto CA, CT, VA, and Canada.Prices and product availability are subject to change without notice.


AMATEUR RADIO225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111-1494 USA

QS2 2008 HNBK Ad.pmd 12/07/2007, 2:06 PM1



10 Bands -- 1 MFJ Antenna!Full size performance . . . No ground or radials

Operate 10 bands: 75/80, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10, 6 and 2 Meters with one antennaSeparate full size radiators . . . End loading . . . Elevated top feed . . . Low RadiationAngle . . . Very wide bandwidth . . . Highest performance no ground vertical ever . . .

Operate 10 bands -- 75/80, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15,12, 10, 6 and 2 Meters with this MFJ-1798 verticalantenna and get full size performance with noground or radials!

Full size performance gives high efficiency formore power radiated. Results? Stronger signalsand more Q-5 QSOs.

Full size performance also gives you exception-ally wide bandwidths so you can use more of yourhard earned frequencies.

Full size performance is achieved using separatefull size radiators for 2-20 Meters and highly effi-cient end loading for 30, 40, 75/80 Meters.

Get very low radiation angle for exciting DX,automatic bandswitching, omni-directional cover-age, low SWR. Handles 1500 Watts PEP SSB.

MFJ’s unique Elevated Top FeedTM elevates thefeedpoint all the way to the top of the antenna. Itputs the maximum radiation point high up in theclear where it does the most good -- your signalgets out even if you’re ground mounted.

It’s easy to tune because adjusting one band hasminimum effect on the resonant frequencies ofother bands.

Self-supporting and just 20 feet tall, the MFJ-1798mounts easily from ground level to tower top -- smalllots, backyards, apartments, condos, roofs, tower mounts.

Separate Full Size RadiatorsSeparate full size quarter wave radiators are used on 20, 17,

15, 12, 10 and 2 Meters. On 6 Meters, the 17 Meter radiatorbecomes a 3/4 wave radiator.

The active radiator works as a stub to decouple everything

beyond it. In phase antenna current flows in all parallelradiators.

This forms a very large equivalent radiator andgives you incredible bandwidths.

Radiator stubs provide automatic bandswitching --absolutely no loss due to loading coils or traps.

End LoadingOn 30, 40, 75/80 Meters, end loading -- the most

efficient form of loading -- gives you highly efficientperformance, excellent bandwidth, low angle radiationand automatic bandswitching.

MFJ’s unique Frequency Adaptive L-NetworkTM pro-vides automatic impedance matching for lowest SWRon these low bands.

Tuning to your favorite part of these bands is simpleand is done at the bottom of the antenna.

No Ground or Radials NeededYou don’t need a ground or radials because an effec-

tive counterpoise that’s 12 feet across gives you excel-lent ground isolation.

You can mount it from ground level to roof top andget awesome performance.

No Feedline Radiation to Waste PowerThe feedline is decoupled and isolated from the

antenna with MFJ’s exclusive AirCoreTM high power currentbalun. It’s wound with TeflonR coax and can’t saturate, nomatter how high your power.

Built to LastIncredibly strong solid fiberglass rod and large diameter 6061

T-6 aircraft strength aluminum tubing is in the main structure. Efficient high-Q coils are wound on tough low loss fiberglass

forms using highly weather resistant TeflonR covered wire.

MFJ-1798$29995

Ship Code F

MFJ’s tiny 36 inchdiameter loop antennalets you operate 10through 30 MHz con-tinuously -- includingthe WARC bands!

Ideal for limitedspace -- apartments,small lots, motor

homes, attics, or mobile homes.Enjoy both DX and local

contacts mounted vertically.Get both low angle radiation for excellentDX and high angle radiation for local,close-in contacts. Handles 150 watts.

Super easy-to-use! Only MFJ’s superremote control has Auto Band SelectionTM.It auto-tunes to desired band, then beeps tolet you know. No control cable is needed.

Fast/slow tune buttons and built-in tworange Cross-Needle SWR/Wattmeter letsyou quickly tune to your exact frequency.

All welded construction, no mechanicaljoints, welded butterfly capacitor with norotating contacts, large 1.050 inch diameterround radiator -- not a lossy thin flat-strip-- gives you highest possible efficiency.

Each plate in MFJ’s tuning capacitor iswelded for low loss and polished to preventhigh voltage arcing, welded to the radiator,has nylon bearing, anti-backlash mecha-nism, limit switches, continuous no-stepDC motor -- gives smooth precision tuning.

Heavy duty thick ABS plastic housing

has ultraviolet inhibitor protection. MFJ-1788, $469.95. Same as MFJ-

1786 but covers 40 Meters-15 Meters con-tinuous. Includes super remote control.

MFJ-1782, $379.95. Like MFJ-1786but control has only fast/slow tune buttons.

MFJ-1780, $299.95. Box Fan PortableLoop is about the same size (2x2 foot) as abox fan, complete with handle. Covers 14-30 MHz. Control has fast/slow tunes.

MFJ Apartment AntennaCovers 40 thru 2 Meters.

Mounts outdoor to win-dows, balconies, railings.Works great indoors mount-ed to desks, tables, book-shelves. Highly efficient airwound bug catcher loading

coil and telescoping 51/2 foot radiator letsyou really get out! Radiator collapses to21/2 feet for easy storage/carrying. Includescoax RF choke balun, coax feed line, coun-terpoise wire, safety rope. 200 Watts PEP.

MFJ’s G5RV AntennaCovers all bands, 160-10 Meters with anten-na tuner. 102 feet long,shorter than 80 Meter

dipole. Use as invertedvee or sloper to be more compact. Use on160 Meters as Marconi with tuner andground. Handles full legal limit power.Add coax feedline and some rope or othernonconductor and you’re on the air!

MFJ . . . the world leader in ham radio accessories!

MFJ’s Super High-Q LoopTM Antennas

MFJ-1786$41995

MFJ-1622 $9995

$4495

MFJ-1778

MFJ halfwave vertical6 bands: 40, 20, 15, 10, 6, 2 Meters . . . Noradials or ground needed

Only 12 feethigh and has a tiny24 inch footprint!Mount anywhere --ground level to tower top --apartments,small lots, trailers.Perfect for vacations, field day,DXpedition, camping.

Efficient end-loading, nolossy traps. Entire length isalways radiating. Full sizehalfwave on 2/6 Meters. Highpower air-wound choke baluneliminates feedline radiation.Adjusting 1 band has minimumeffect on others.

MFJ-1792, $189.95. Fullsize 1/4 wave radiator for 40Meters. 33 feet, handles 1500 Watts PEP.Requires guying and radials.

MFJ-1793, $209.95. Like MFJ-1792but has full size 20 Meter 1/4 wave also.

MFJ-1796$22995

Free MFJ Catalogand Nearest Dealer . . . 800-647-1800

http://www.mfjenterprises.com• 1 Year No Matter WhatTM warranty • 30 day money back guarantee (less s/h) on orders from MFJ

MFJ ENTERPRISES, INC. Box 494, Miss. State, MS 39762(662) 323-5869; 8-4:30 CST, Mon.-Fri.FAX: (662) 323-6551; Add s/hTech Help: (662) 323-0549

Prices and specifications subject to change. (c) 2008 MFJ Enterprises, Inc.

10bands_1MFJ_Antenna_091807_color.qxd 9/19/2007 11:54 AM Page 1



148 March 2008

1. Advertising must pertain to products and services which are related to Amateur Radio.

2. The Ham-Ad rate for commercial fi rms offering products or services for sale is $2.00 per word. Individuals selling or buying personal equipment: ARRL member 65¢ per word. Non-ARRL member $1 per word. Bolding is available for $2.25 a word. Prices subject to change without notice. You may pay by check payable to the ARRL and sent to: Ham-Ads, ARRL, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111. Or, you may pay by credit card sending the information by fax to 860-594-4285 or via e-mail to [email protected]. The credit card information we need is: the type of credit card, the exact name that appears on the credit card, the credit card number, the expiration date and the credit card billing address.

3. Remittance in full must accompany copy since Ham-Ads are not carried on our books. Each word, abbreviation, model number and group of numbers counts as one word. Entire telephone numbers count as one word. No charge for postal Zip code. No cash or contract discounts or agency commission will be allowed. Tear sheets or proofs of Ham-Ads cannot be supplied. Ads submitted in writing should be typed or printed clearly on an 8 1/2” X 11” sheet of paper.

4. Closing date for Ham-Ads is the 15th of the second month preceding publication date. No cancellations or changes will be accepted after this closing date. Example: Ads received January 16th through February 15th will appear in April QST. If the 15th falls on a weekend or holiday, the Ham-Ad deadline is the previous working day. Please contact the Advertising Department at 860-594-0255 or [email protected] for further information or to submit your ad.

5. No Ham-Ad may use more than 100 words. No adver-tiser may use more than two ads in one issue. A last name or call must appear in each ad. Mention of lotteries, prize drawings, games of chance etc is not permitted in QST advertising.

6. New fi rms or individuals offering products or services for sale must check with us to determine if a production sample (which will be returned) should be submitted for examina-tion. Dealers are exempted, unless the product is unknown to us. Check with us if you are in doubt. You must stand by and support all claims and specifi cations mentioned in your advertising.

The publisher of QST will vouch for the integrity of advertis-ers who are obviously commercial in character and for the grade or character of their products and services. Individual advertisers are not subject to scrutiny.

The American Radio Relay League does not discriminate in its advertising on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status or national origin. The League reserves the right to decline or discontinue advertising for any other reason.

Club/Hamfests/NetsFRIEND OF BILL W.?? – Join HAAM net Saturdays at 12:30 Eastern on 14.290; Sundays at 09:30 Pacifi c on 14.340/2. http://members.cox.net/k6lx/HAAM.HTM

JOIN The RADIO CLUB of AMERICA, Inc. The oldest Radio Club in the U.S. Contact, e-mail: [email protected] Ray Minichiello P.E., W1BC, Secretary.

MARCO The Medical Amateur Radio Council Ltd. is a charitable non-profi t group of health care professionals who meet weekly at 10:00 am Eastern on Sunday for “Grand Rounds” 14.308 MHz. All welcome. Membership inquires to [email protected] or CBA. SASE for newsletter to: MARCO, 144 Head of the Tide Road, Belfast, ME 04915. http://www.marco-ltd.org

Please contact the Advertising Department at 860-594-0231 or [email protected] for further information or to submit your ad.

Sell Your Radio TODAY!Check out RADIOS On-Line on the

ARRL web site:www.arrl.org/ads/RadiosOnline/

QST Ham Ads on the Web – Updated Monthly!

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World’s First dual power level300/150 Watts SSB/CW Tuner --

Select 300 Watt SSB/CW power leveland match 6-1600 Ohm antennas Or . . .select 150 Watt SSB/CW power level andmatch extra wide-range 6-3200 Ohms!

The MFJ-993B IntelliTunerTM lets youtune any antenna automatically balanced orunbalanced -- ultra fast.

It’s a comprehensive automatic antennatuning center complete with SWR/Watt-meter, antenna switch for two antennas and4:1 current balun for balanced lines.

MFJ’s exclusive IntelliTunerTM, AdaptiveSearchTM and InstantRecallTM algorithmsgive you ultra fast automatic tuning withover 20,000 VirtualAntennaTM Memories.

You get a highly efficient L-network, 6-1600 ohm matching at 300 Watts SSB/CWor extra-wide 6-3200 Ohm matching at 150Watts SSB/CW, 1.8-30 MHz coverage, Cross-Needle and digital meters, audio SWR meter,backlit LCD, remote control port, radiointerface, heavy-duty 16 amp/1000V relays.

It learns while you’re having funAs you’re ragchewing, contesting or

DXing, your MFJ-993B is learning!When you transmit, the MFJ-993B auto-

matically tunes for minimum SWR andremembers your frequency and tuner set-tings. The next time you operate on thatfrequency and antenna, these tuner settingsare instantly restored and you’re ready tooperate in milliseconds!

MFJ’s newVirtualAntennaTM

Memory systemgives you 4

antenna memorybanks for each of2 antenna con-nectors. Selectup to 4 antennason each antennaconnector. Eachantenna has2500 memories,

20,000 total. Intelligent ultra

fast tuningMFJ’s InstantRecallTM first checks its

memory to see if you have operated thisfrequency before. If so, tuning is instanta-neous and you’re ready to operate.

If not, MFJ’s IntelliTunerTM algorithm --based on MFJ’s famous SWR Analyzertechnology - - kicks in. It measures thecomplex impedance of your antenna. Next,it calculates the components it needs andinstantly snaps them in. Then, it fine tunesto minimize SWR -- you’re ready to oper-ate. It’s all done in a fraction of a second.

When the impedance is within its meas-urement range, the MFJ-993B is the fastestautomatic antenna tuner in the world.

If it can’t accurately determine impedance,MFJ’s AdaptiveSearchTM algorithm goes intoaction. Frequency is measured and relevantcomponents values are determined. Onlythose values are searched for ultra-fast tuning.

For even faster searches, you can set thetarget SWR to 2 (settable 1.0-2.0).

You can manually tune when you can’ttransmit (for listening out of ham bands).

Cross Needle and DigitalSWR/Watt Meters

Lighted Cross-Needle and digital meterslets you accurately read SWR, forward andreflected power at a glance.

An audio SWR meter lets you hear thetuned SWR when you can’t see/read meters.

Turn on a highly visible, instant responseSWR LCD bargraph when you need it.

Backlit LCD DisplayAn easy-to-read backlit LCD displays

SWR, forward/reflected power, frequency,antenna 1 or 2, L/C tuner values, on/off

indicators and other information.The MFJ-993B is a compact 10Wx2¾

Hx9D inches. Use 12 to 15 VDC at 1 ampor 110 VAC with MFJ-1316, $21.95.

Tune any AntennaYou can tune any antenna -- dipoles,

verticals, beams, phased arrays, invertedvees, quads, random wires, mobile anten-nas, compact limited space antennas.

A 4:1 true current balun lets you tuneany balanced antenna - - horizontal loops,vertical loops, multi-band doublets, quads,folded dipoles, Zepps.

Remote Control Plug in the MFJ-993RC,

$39.95, remote control and useyour tuner elsewhere remotely.

MFJ-993B Interface Pre-wired CablesAllows automatic tuning of your MFJ-

991B/993B/994B IntelliTunerTM through radio.MFJ-5124I, $19.95, ICOM. Supports

IC-706, 707, 718, 725, 728, 736, 746, 756,765, 775, others that support AH-3 or AH-4.

MFJ-5124A, $19.95, ALINCO.Supports DX-70, DX-77 and others.

MFJ-5124K, $59.95, KENWOOD.Supports TS-50S, 450S, 570S, 690S, 850S,870S, 2000 and others that support AT-300.

MFJ-5124Y, $59.95, YAESU. SupportsFT-100D, FT-857, FT-897, others.

MFJ-5124Y2, $59.95, YAESU FT-847.

MFJ IntelliTunerTM Automatic TunerAutomatically tunes unbalanced/balanced antennas . . .Ultra fast . . . New 20,000 memories . . .Antenna Switch . . . Efficient L-network . . . Select 300 Watts (6-1600 Ohms) or 150 Watts(6-3200 Ohms) . . . 1.8-30 MHz . . . 4:1 current balun . . . Cross-Needle and Digital SWR/

Wattmeter . . . Audio SWR meter . . . Backlit LCD . . . Remote control port . . . Radio interface . . .

600 Watt MFJ Automatic Tuner MFJ-994B,

600 Watt Intelli-TunerTM! automaticantenna tuner with

new 10,000 VirtualAntennaTM

Memories. Like MFJ-993B buthandles 600 Watts SSB/300

Watts CW, matches 12-800 Ohms. Does not have digital SWR/Wattmeter/LCDdisplay, audio SWR meter/audio feedback, antenna switch or 4:1 current balun.

MFJ-994B$35995

Dual 300/150 Watt Auto Tuner

World’s First dual power level Tuner-- Select 300 Watt

SSB/CW and match 6-1600Ohm antennas Or select 150Watt SSB/CW and match

extra wide-range 6-3200 Ohms. New 10,000VirtualAntennaTM Memories. Like MFJ-993B, less digital SWR/Wattmeter/ LCDdisplay, audio SWR meter/audio feedback,antenna switch or 4:1 current balun.

MFJ-991B $21995

MFJ . . . the World Leader in Ham Radio Accessories!

New!

MFJ-993B$25995 New!

New!




Dealer/Catalog/ManualsVisit: http://www.mfjenterprises.com

or call toll-free 800-647-1800

B

B

MFJ Weather-sealed AutomaticAntenna Tuner, 1.8-30 MHz

MFJ-926, $399.95. Weather-sealedfor outdoor/marine use. Heavy duty

custom plastic enclosure has inner rubbergasket that seals interior electronics. Stain-

less steel mounting bracket. Handles 200 WattsPEP. Tunes wire in less than .2 seconds frommemory (200 memories). Requires 13.8 VDC,1.5A. Compact 91/4Wx141/4Hx3D inches, 4 lbs.

MFJ_Intellituner_marine_092606.qxd 10/16/2006 10:50 AM Page 1



150 March 2008

N4USA Building Global Friendship. WWW.FAIRS.ORG

RAINBOW AMATEUR RADIO ASSOCIATION Serving the gay/lesbian community since 1995. ARRL affi liated. Privacy respected. Four active weekly HF nets, newsletter, e-mail server, chat room, VE teams, DXpeditions. Web site: www.rara.org. Information: PO Box 18541, Rochester, NY 14618-0541.

Property/Vacation/Rentals2 1/2 miles west of I10 in foothills Tucson Mnts, AZ. One acre plus lot, 1600 plus sq ft house, 2 bdrms plus radio-computer rm, 2 baths, liv rm, din rm, lrg kitchen, attch garage-shop, Radio tower, 7 element beam on ridge-line plus VHF-UHF service. A rare fi nd. 520-743-7149

ALASKA DX VACATION RENTAL – plus fi shing and hunting in Homer, Alaska. 2 bedroom/2 bath deluxe accommodations + ham shack. Rigs, KW amps, antennas. [email protected], www.diamondridgecottage.com 1-907-235-7526

BELIZE VACATION QTH www.wishwilly.net

COLORADO CHALET with ham gear for rent, www.lostcreekcabin.com. WØLSD, Buena Vista, CO.

COSTA RICA - www.yantis.us/ti5kd

DX Hilltop for sale WWW.LITTLEFAMILYFARM.COM

HAWAII DX VACATION RENTAL. Big Signal KH6RC 808-929-7101 www.leilanibedandbreakfast.com

HOME FOR SALE, San Fernando Valley, City of Los Angeles. 1500 square foot, 3 bedrooms, 2 bath. 54’ HyGain crank up tower with permit. 3 element beam. Shack wired for 220. Jacuzzi and nice back yard. $589,000.00. Contact WA6LAU Len Drayton. 818-894-2456.

VIRGIN ISLANDS www.radioreef.com

VY2TT www.peidxlodge.com

Antique/Vintage/Classic ANTIQUE RADIO CLASSIFIED. Free sample copy! Antique radio’s largest-circulation monthly magazine. Old radios, TVs, ham equip., 40s & 50s radios, telegraph, books & more. Ads & articles. Free 20-word ad monthly. Subscribe today. Six-month trial: $19.95. Yearly rates: $39.49 ($57.95 by 1st Class). Foreign: write. ARC, PO Box 802-B22A, Carlisle, MA 01741. Phone: 978-371-0512, Fax: 978-371-7129, Web: www.antiqueradio.com

ANTIQUE WIRELESS ASSOCIATION. The organization for all enthusiasts of antique and historical radio! Publishes THE AWA JOURNAL, covering vintage ham gear, keys, telegraphy, contests, broadcast receivers, vacuum tubes, historical, technical articles, restoration, and much more. AWA produces the famous annual Rochester, NY meet. Maintains world-famous historical radio-electronics communications museum. Membership only $20/year USA, $25 elsewhere. Antique Wireless Association, PO Box 421, Dept. 1, Bloomfi eld, NY 14469. Check our Website: http://www.antiquewireless.org

BROADCAST MICROPHONES and accessories (call letter plates, stands) wanted: early carbon, condenser, ribbon, dynamic models. Cash or trade. James Steele, Box 610, Kingsland, GA 31548. 912-729-6106. [email protected]; http://www.k-bay106.com/mics.htm

Bugbooks? WWW.BUGBOOKCOMPUTERMUSEUM.COM

CLASSIC REPAIR - Specializing in Collins, Drake and other fi ne tube radios. Steve, 661-822-6850. [email protected]

CODE PRACTICE OSCILLATOR MUSEUM: http://www.n4mw.com

HALLICRAFTERS MANUALS Ham.swl, All manuals are $9.00. Send model number needed. ARDCO ELECTRONICS, P O Box 24, Dept. Q, Palos Park, IL 60464. www.ardcoelectronics.com. [email protected]

HT’s wanted VX-2R Foundation for Amateur International Radio Service -- Pay your price or tax deductible donation - www.fairs.org

Pre1980 microcomputers wanted for historical collection - KK4WW 540-763-2321

TELEGRAPH KEYS wanted by collector. Bugs and unusual or unique straight keys or sounders, and tube electronic keyers. Also pre-1950 callbooks. Vince Thompson, K5VT, 3410 N. 4th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85013. 602-840-2653.

TELEGRAPH MUSEUM / COLLECTOR’S INFORMATION: http://w1tp.com

Visit THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN RADIO MUSEUM! - www.saradiomuseum.org 828-299-1276. Asheville, NC.

W4QCF MANUALS - 828-298-1847 http://www.w4qcfmanuals.com

WANTED Pre-1980 Microcomputers. [email protected]

GAP Antenna Products Inc.99 North Willow Street,

Fellsmere, FL 32948Tel: (772) 571 9922 Fax: (772) 571 9988

[email protected] www.gapantenna.com

Hear-it speaker Hear-it inline module

RadiomateCompact keypad

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FT-817FT-857

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Hear-it amplifiedmodule

Hear-itdsp module-kbd

Low level audioDSP module

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High level audioDSP module

Connects between yourradio and extension

speaker

W4RT Electronicsfax: 256 880 [email protected]

Noise cancellingloudspeaker

Manufactured in the UK by bhi Ltd.www.bhi-ltd.co.uk [email protected]

Connectsbetween yourradio and extension speaker

NEW

DX4WIN V7…the way logging

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The MFJ-929 IntelliTuner-CompactTM

lets you automatically tune any coax fed orrandom wire antenna 1.8-30 MHz at full200 Watts SSB/CW. It can match 6-1600Ohms (SWR up to 32:1) - - that's a 50%wider matching range at a higher powerlevel than lesser competing products.

You get a digital SWR/Wattmeter withbacklit LCD, antenna switch for 2 anten-nas, built-in radio interface and built-ininternal BiasTee for remote tuner operation.

MFJ's exclusive IntelliTuneTM, AdaptiveSearchTM and InstantRecallTM algorithmsgive you ultra-fast automatic tuning withover 20,000 VirtualAntennaTM Memories.

MFJ VirtualAntennaTM MemoryMFJ new VirtualAntennaTM Memory sys-

tem gives you 4 antenna memory banks foreach of 2 antenna connectors. You canselect up to 4 antennas on each antennaconnector. Each antenna has 2500 memories.

4 Times the Solutions!MFJ-929 gives you 256

values each of capacitanceand inductances for 131,072 matching solu-tions. That's 4 times the 32,768 matchingsolutions of competing products with only128 L/C values each!Highly intelligent, ultra-fast tuning!

Don't be fooled by competing productsclaiming fast search times -- if you have aquarter of the matching solutions, of course,it takes less time to search but it's not faster.

MFJ's much faster speed comes fromadvanced technology and software algo-rithms not from fewer matching solutions.

MFJ's IntelliTuner-CompactTM actuallymeasures complex impedance -- R and X --of your antenna, computes the L-networkvalues needed and snaps in those compo-nents to give you an instant match.

If the load is out of measurement range,AdaptiveSearchTM determines the smaller sub-set from all solutions that can match a safeload -- and then searches only that subset --others search through far more solutions.

Digital LCD SWR/WattmeterAn easy-to-read, two-line, 16-character

backlit LCD displays SWR, peak or averageforward/reflected power, frequency, antenna1 or 2, L/C tuner values, on/off indicatorsand other info. They are selected fromeasy-to-understand menus -- not complexcombinations of buttons you can’t remember.

A fast-response, high-resolution bargraphgives you an auto-ranging 20/200 Watt powermeter. You get 60 segments each for for-

ward and reflected power and 36 segmentsfor SWR -- try that with an 8 segment bar-graph that makes you change power rangesand doesn’t even give you reflected power!

You can read inductance and capacitancedirectly in uH and pF. This turns you intoan expert L-network designer! Match yourload, read the resulting L/C values, then usethem to build your fixed L-network.

Or, knowing the L/C values you candetermine R and X of the load impedance.

Plus Much More!StickyTuneTM mode gives you one-hand

tuning by locking the TUNE button -- justtransmit to tune regardless of SWR.

Has audio SWR meter and audio feedback. Competing products don’t.

Built-in 50 MHz frequency counter. Its built-in radio interface lets you use a

simple wire cable to compatible rigs. Othersrequire a cable with expensive electronics.

Binding post for random wire. Self-test.Highly efficient L-network. 10 Amp/1000V

relays, RF duty silver mica capacitors. 61/2

Wx23/4Hx71/2D in. 2.4 lbs. 12-15 VDC/1Amp or 110 VAC with MFJ-1316, $21.95.

MFJ-928, $199.95.Like MFJ-929, less LCD,manual tune buttons.

MFJ-927, $259.95.Weather protected remote auto tuner for coax/wire ant., includes MFJ-4116 Power Injector.Most MFJ-929 features, no LCD/buttons.

MFJ-5114 K/Y/I/A, $19.95. PrewiredRadio Interface cable for MFJ-929/928. MFJ-4116, $24.95. Power Injector for remoteMFJ-929/928 use. Sends DC/RF down coax.

MFJ Compact 200 Watt IntelliTunersTM

Automatically tunes any unbalanced antenna . . . Ultra fast . . . 20,000 VirtualAntennaTM

Memories . . . Antenna Switch . . . Efficient L-network . . . Matches 6-1600 Ohms at 200Watts . . . 1.8-30 MHz . . . Digital SWR/Wattmeter . . . Audio SWR meter . . . Radio interface . . .

MFJ-929$21995

Desktop/Remote Antenna and Antenna/Transceiver Switches

MFJ . . . The World Leader in Ham Radio Accessories

Place these MFJ antenna or antenna/transceiver switches on your desk or usethem remotely. You can place them out-of-the-way under your desk, in your garage orcloset -- saves cable, eliminates cable mess.

Super easy-to-use rotary switches -- nocomplicated computer buttons to learn ormicroprocessors to fail or generate RFI thatcovers up rare DX.

Select 1 of 6 antennas and/or 1 of 6transceivers in any combination. All unusedinputs are grounded. Automatically groundsall inputs when you turn off your transceiv-er -- simply connect a sense line to yourtransceiver. When rotary switches are in OFFposition, all inputs are grounded or controlis transferred to the optional remote control.

Ultra-fast gas discharge tube lightningsurge protector protects transceiver and

safely shunts staticelectricity and light-ning induced surgessafely to ground.Does not protect against direct lightning hit.

SO-239 connectors. 1500 Watts/50-75Ohm load, 1-60 MHz. Useable to 150MHz. Connects to remote control withcommon CAT 5 cable, not included (avail-able from WalMart, etc.). Use 12 VDC or110 VAC with MFJ-1312D, $14.95. Forindoor use, not weather protected.Antenna Switches - - 6 and 4 positions• MFJ-4716, $89.95, 6-positions; • MFJ-4714, $79.95, 4-positions. 8Wx23/4Hx41/4D in.

Remote Controls:• MFJ-4716RC, $39.95, 6-positions;• MFJ-4714RC, $39.95, 4-positions.23/4Wx33/4Hx1D inches.Antenna/Transceiver Switches - -

6 and 4 positionsSelect one of 6 antennas and one of 6

transceivers in any combination with justtwo easy-to-use rotary switches.

Plug in antenna tuner, SWR/Wattmeteror other into its common ports, so it’s alwaysconnected to the antenna and radio selected.• MFJ-4726, $159.95, 6-positions; • MFJ-

4724, $139.95, 4-positions. 8Wx5Hx41/4D”Remote Controls: • MFJ-4726RC,$59.95, 6-positions; • MFJ-4724RC,$59.95, 4-positions. 23/4Wx33/4Hx1D”

MFJ-4726$15995

6-positionAntenna/Transceiver

Switch






MFJ-4716$89956-positionAntenna Switch

New!

New!

MFJ_autotuners_041406.qxd 4/14/2006 2:58 PM Page 1



152 March 2008

QSL Cards/Call Sign NoveltiesWWW.THESIGNMAN.COM 888-426-8241

AFFORDABLE QSL CARDS, available in small quantities with lots of options. Parma Graphics, K2BKA, 5 Rondout Harbor, Port Ewen, NY 12466. 845-339-1996.

CALL SIGN NAME BADGES. Club logos our specialty. Certifi ed ARRL engraver. Capital Engraving, 3109 Marigold St, Longview, Washington 98632-3415. Al, WA7UQE. [email protected]. http://www.kalama.com/~capengrave/

ENGRAVING: Callsign/name badges by WØLQV. Send for price list. Box 4133, Overland Park, KS 66204-0133. E-mail: [email protected]

FREE SAMPLES. The QSLMAN®, Box 73, Monetta, SC 29105. Phone/FAX (803) 685-7117 anytime. Email: [email protected]. Always 100% satisfaction guarantee on anything we do. Check the web site at: http://www.qslman.com

Get Top Quality Full Color UV-Coated QSL Cards direct from the printer. Chester QSL Cards is now Star Cards, Inc. Call (800) 748-7089 for info or visit www.star-cards.net

HANDCRAFTED OAK CALL SIGNS www.oakcallsigns.com 1-888-425-4332, KCØSDV

NAME TAGS BY GENE: In full color, our artwork or yours. See our web page for samples and prices. –www.hampubs.com Harlan Technologies 815-398-2683

OVERSEAS AIRMAIL POSTAGE plus complete line of airmail envelopes. Order directly from our web site – James E. Mackey, proprietor. www.net1plus.com/users/ryoung/index.htm

QSLKIT – CardBoxes – Dividers – MORE www.HamStuff.com by W7NN

Rusprint QSL’s. 1-888-962-5783. www.rusprint.com

General#1 AMATEUR CALLSIGN CD-ROM. “HamCall” contains 1.7+ million world wide callsigns. Works with logging programs. Six FREE monthly Internet updates. Check/Visa/MC. $50, $5 ship/handling. Buckmaster, 6196 Jefferson Hwy., Mineral, Virginia 23117. 800-282-5628, http://hamcall.net/

ALUMINUM CHASSIS AND CABINET KITS. UHF-VHF Antenna Parts, Catalog E-mail: k3iwk@fl ash.net or http://www.fl ash.net/~k3iwk

ANTENNA COMPARISON REPORT: TRIBANDERS K7LXC & NØAX test Hy-Gain, KLM, CC, Bencher, Force 12, Mosley and others. $17 + $4 s/h. More info at www.championradio.com 206-890-4188

ANTENNA COMPARISON REPORT: VERTICALS. K7LXC & NØAX test CC, Butternut, MFJ, Force 12, Diamond, Hustler, GAP and other. $17 + $4 s/h. More info at www.championradio.com 206-890-4188

BEAM HEADINGS laser printout $20.00 Engineering Systems Inc., P.O. Box 1934, Middleburg, Virginia 20118-1934, [email protected]

BIGGEST on-line ham classifi eds: http://swap.QTH.com

Dave Retired? WWW.KK4WW.COM

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The MFJ-974HB is a fully balancedtrue balanced line antenna tuner. Itgives you superb current balance.

Johnson MatchboxFor decades, the Johnson Matchbox has

been the standard of comparison for bal-anced line antenna tuners. But, it had aseverely limited matching range and cov-ered only 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 Meters.

The MFJ-974HB is its successor. Itmeets today's needs and even surpasses theJohnson Matchbox outstanding performance.

Everything You NeedThe MFJ-974HB gives you excellent

current balance, very wide matchingrange(12-2000 Ohms) and covers 1.8through 54 MHz continuously including allWARC bands, 160 Meters, 6 Meters andthe new 60 Meter band. Handles 300 WattsSSB PEP and 150 Watts CW.

Tuning is fast and easy - - just three tun-ing controls. You can adjust for highlyefficient broadband low-Q operation or usehigher Q when you encounter extreme loads.

A large three-inch lighted Cross-NeedleSWR/Wattmeter lets you read SWR, peakor average forward and reflected power allat a glance on 300/60 or 30/6 Watt ranges.

A ground post is provided to ground oneoutput terminal so you can also tune ran-dom wires and coax fed antennas.

Compact 7½Wx6Hx8D in. fits anywhere.

Tunes any Balanced LineThe MFJ-974HB tunes any balanced

lines including 600 Ohm open wire line,450/300 Ohm ladder lines, 300/72 Ohmtwin lead - - shielded or unshielded.

Superb current balance minimizes feed-line radiation that can cause troublesome TVI/RFI, painful RF bites, mysterious RF feed-back problems and radiation pattern distortion.Excellent Balance, Excellent Design

The MFJ-974HB is a fully balancedwide range T-Network. Four 1000 Volt airvariable capacitors are gear driven. A high-Q air wound tapped inductor is used for 80-10 Meters with separate inductors for 6 and160 Meters. The tuning components are mountedsymmetrically to insure electrical balance.

A 1:1 current balun isplaced on the low imped-ance 50 Ohm input sideto convert the balanced T-

Net-work to un-balanced operation. Anefficient balun is made of 50 ferrite beadson RG-303 Teflon™ coax to give very highisolation. It stays cool even at max power.Balanced Line = Extremely Low Loss

Balanced lines give extremely low loss.Doublet, horizontal loop, vertical loop,

quad, double extended Zepp, Lazy H, W8JKantennas all give efficient multi-band oper-ation when fed with balanced lines.

160-6 Meters All Band Doublet AntennaMFJ-1777, $59.95. 102

feet doublet antenna covers160-6 Meters with balancedline tuner. Super strong cus-tom fiberglass center insula-tor provides stress relief for450 Ohm ladder line (100 feetincluded). Authentic glazed ceramic endinsulators. Handles 1500 Watts.

MFJ Balanced Line Antenna TunerSuperb balance . . . Very wide matching range . . . Covers 1.8-54 MHz . . .Cross-Needle SWR Wattmeter . . . Handles 300 Watts . . . Compact size . . .

Provide multiple high current DC out-lets for transceivers and accessories fromyour main 12 VDC power supply – keepsyou neat, organized and safe. Prevents firehazard. Keeps wires from tangling up andshorting. Outlets are fused and RF bypassed.

All MFJ DC power strips have built-insix foot, eight gauge, flexible color-codedcable with ring tongue terminals -- no extracost. RF-tight aluminum cabinet has mount-ing ears and ground post with wing nut.

Choose MFJ’s super versatile superheavy duty 5-way binding posts (spacedfor standard dual banana plugs) and/orAnderson PowerPole® outlets.

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MFJ High Current DC Multi-Outlet StripsChoose super versatile 5-way binding posts AND/OR Anderson PowerPole(R) connectors

12 outlets, each fused, 40Amps total. Three high-cur-rent outlets for transceivers.

Nine switched outlets for accessories. Mixand match in-cluded fuses as needed (one-40A, one-25A, four-10A, four-5A, three-1Afuses installed). Built-in 0-25 VDC Voltmeter.Includes extra 12 pairs of PowerPole® con-tacts and extra 10 fuses (2 each: 1, 5, 10, 25,40A) -- no extra cost. 12Wx11/4Hx23/4D in.

8 outlets. each fused, 40Amps total. Factoryinstalled fuses: two 1A, three

5A, two 10A, one 25A, one 40A. Built-in0-25 VDC Voltmeter. Includes extra 6pairs of Anderson PowerPole® contactsand extra 5 fuses (1, 5, 10, 25, 40A) -- noextra cost. 9Wx11/4Hx23/4 inches.

The best of both worlds!10 outlets, each fused, 40Amps total. Three high-cur-

rent outlets for rigs -- 2 PowerPoles® and 1versatile high-current 5-way binding post.Seven switched outlets for accessories(20A max) -- 5 PowerPoles® and 2 versa-tile binding posts. Mix and match includedfuses as needed (1- 40A, 2-25A, 3-10A, 3-5A, 2-1A installed). Built-in 0-25 VDC Volt-meter. Includes extra 7 pairs of PowerPole®

contacts, and 10 fuses (2 each,1,5,10, 25,40A) -- no extra cost.121/2Wx11/4Hx23/4D in.

6 outlets, each fused, 40 Amps total. FourPowerPoles® and two high-current 5-waybinding posts, Installed fuses: 1-40A, 2-25A,2-10A, 1-5A, 1-1A. Includes 4 pair PowerPole®

contacts, and 5 fuses -- no extra cost.

PowerPoles® AND 5-Way Binding PostsAll PowerPoles®

MFJ-1128$10495

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6-80 Meter Balanced Line TunerMFJ-974B

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Versatile 5-Way Binding Posts

Power two HF and/orVHF rigs and six accessoriesfrom your main 12 VDC sup-

ply. Built-in 0-25 VDC voltmeter. Twopairs 35 amp 5-way binding posts, fusedand RF bypassed for transceivers. Six pairsRF bypassed binding posts with master fuse,ON/OFF switch, and “ON” LED provide15 Amps for accessories. 121/2x23/4x21/2 in.

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MFJ-1124$6495

MFJ-974HB$20995

MFJBalancedLinetuner_091807_color.qxd 9/19/2007 12:47 PM Page 1



154 March 2008

REPEATERS, link systems, remote base, transmitters, receivers, 144/222/440. Available with basic to multi-port controllers. Two year warranty. Free catalog. Maggiore Electronic Lab., 645 Doe Run Road, Coatesville, PA 19320. 610-384-7555. www.hiprorepeaters.com

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PEP/AVGLit MetersRemote RFHeadAccurateConvenient$149.95+ S/H

Our WM1 gives you what you want – SWR on onemeter; power on the other! No adjustments orcrossed needles. Even reads SWR in PEP mode on SSB.5% FS. 1.5 to 30 MHz. Usable on 6M. 1 to 2000 Watts.8 to 18V DC. 115V AC adaptor, free. 6 3/8 X 3 3/4 X 3" D.Owners call it the best wattmeter even made!

VA1 RX VECTOR Analyst0.5 to 32 MHz.Freq., SWR,Impedance,L & C, R & X.Sign of X.Much More!$199.95 + S/H

Some say this is the best there is without spendingthousands on a network analyzer. Yet it is easy to use andfits in your pocket. Check our web site for all the featuresof this marvelous instrument!

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WM1 COMPUTING METER

Call to order with MC, VISA or send Check, MO. Add $8S/H in 48 States. Add tax in FL. We ship worldwide. Seeour web site for all rates and combo discounts.

Each analysts has a low power “xmtr” to go anywherein its range – not just the ham bands. Measures SWR,feedline loss, baluns, 1/4-wave lines. Measure at theantenna or in the shack. Adjust Yagis, quads, loops,dipoles, verticals, slopers, networks, traps and muchmore! Each is microprocessor-based and pocket-sized – about the size of the battery pack in others!Only about 8 oz. Uses one 9V standard battery. Formuch more information, please visit our web site.

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RF5 VHF Analyst35 to 75 MHz & 138 to500 MHz. Frequency,SWR, Impedance.Finds lowest SWR or Zautomatically!$229.95 + S/H



MFJ-259B 1.8-170 MHz SWR AnalyzerWorld’s most popular SWR analyzer is super easy-to-use

Reads SWR . . . Complex RF Impedance: Resistance(R) and Reactance(X) or Magnitude(Z)and Phase(degrees) . . . Coax cable loss(dB) . . . Coax cable length and Distance to fault. . . Return Loss . . . Reflection Coefficient . . . Inductance . . . Capacitance . . . BatteryVoltage. LCD digital readout . . . frequency counter . . . side-by-side meters . . . Batterycharger . . . battery saver . . . low battery warning . . . smooth reduction drive tuning . . .

World’s most popular SWR ana-lyzer! The famous MFJ-259B givesyou a complete picture of your anten-na’s performance. You can readyour antenna’s SWR and ComplexImpedance from 1.8 to 170 MHz.

You can read ComplexImpedance as series resistance andreactance (R+jX) or as magnitude (Z)and phase (degrees).

You can determine velocity factor,coax cable loss in dB, length of coaxand distance to a short or open.

You can read SWR, return lossand reflection coefficient at any fre-quency simultaneously.

You can read inductance in uH andcapacitance in pF at RF frequencies.

Large easy-to-read two line LCDscreen and side-by-side meters clearlydisplay your information.

It has built-in frequency counter,Ni-MH/Ni-CD charger circuit, batterysaver, low battery warning andsmooth reduction drive tuning.

Super easy to use! Just set thebandswitch and tune the dial -- justlike your transceiver. SWR and ComplexImpedance are displayed instantly!

Here’s what you can doFind your antenna’s true resonant fre-

quency. Trim dipoles and verticals.Adjust your Yagi, quad, loop and other

antennas, change antenna spacing and heightand watch SWR, resistance and reactancechange instantly. You’ll know exactly whatto do by simply watching the display.

Perfectly tune critical HF mobile anten-nas in seconds for super DX -- without sub-jecting your transceiver to high SWR.

Measure your antenna’s 2:1 SWR band-width on one band, or analyze multibandperformance from HF to VHF -- 1.8-170 MHz!

Check SWR outside the ham bandswithout violating FCC rules.

Take the guesswork out of building andadjusting matching networks and baluns.

Accurately measure distance to a shortor open in a failed coax. Measure length ofa roll of coax, coax loss, velocity factor andimpedance.

Measure inductance and capacitance.Troubleshoot and measure resonant fre-quency and Q of traps, stubs, transmissionlines, RF chokes, tuned circuits and baluns.

Adjust your antenna tuner for a perfect1:1 match without creating QRM.

And this is only the beginning! The MFJ-259B is a complete ham radio test stationincluding -- frequency counter, RF signalgenerator, SWR AnalyzerTM, RF Resistanceand Reactance Analyzer, Coax Analyzer,Capacitance and Inductance Meter and more!Free Manual: call, write or download

MFJ’s comprehensive instruction manualis packed with useful applications -- all ex-plained in simple language you can understand.

Take it anywhereFully portable, take it anywhere -- remote

sites, up towers, on DX-peditions. It uses10 AA or Ni-Cad batteries (not included) or110 VAC with MFJ-1312D, $15.95. Its ruggedall metal cabinet is a compact 4x2x63/4 in.

How good is the MFJ-259B?MFJ SWR AnalyzersTM work so good, many

antenna manufacturers use them in their laband on the production line -- saving thou-sands of dollars in instrumentation costs!Used worldwide by professionals everywhere.

More MFJ SWR AnalyzersTM

MFJ-249B, $269.95. Like MFJ-259B,

but reads SWR, true impedance magnitudeand frequency only on LCD. No meters.

MFJ-209, $159.95. Like MFJ-249B butSWR meter only. No LCD/frequency counter.

MFJ-219B, $119.95. UHF SWRAnalyzer covers 420-450 MHz. Ex-ternal frequency counter jack. 71/2x21/2

x21/4 in. Free “N” to SO-239 adapter. SWR Analyzer Accessories

Dip Meter AdapterMFJ-66, $24.95. Plug a dip

meter coupling coil into yourMFJ SWR AnalyzerTM and turn itinto a sensitive and accuratebandswitched dip meter. Takesguesswork out of winding coils

and determining resonant frequency of tunedcircuits and Q of coils. Set of two coils cover1.8-170 MHz depending on your SWR Analyzer.

Genuine MFJ Carrying CaseMFJ-29C, $24.95. Tote

your MFJ-259B anywherewith this MFJ custom carry-ing case. Has back pocketwith security cover for carry-ing dip coils, adaptors andaccessories. Made of specialfoam-filled fabric -- cushions

blows, deflects scrapes, and protects knobs,meters and displays from harm. Wear itaround your waist, over your shoulder, orclip it onto the tower while you work -- thefully-adjustable webbed-fabric carryingstrap has snap hooks on both ends. Hasclear protective window for frequency dis-play and cutouts for knobs and connectorsso you can use your MFJ SWR AnalyzerTM

without taking it out of your case. MFJ-99, $60.85. Accessory Package for

MFJ-259/B/249/B/209. Includes MFJ-29Ccarrying case, MFJ-66 dip meter adapter,MFJ-1312D 110VAC adapter. Save $5!

Tunable Measurement FilterMFJ-731, $99.95. Exclusive MFJtunable RF filter allows accurateSWR and impedance measurements1.8-30 MHz in presence of strongRF fields. Virtually no effect on

measurements. Works with all SWR Analyzers.MFJ No Matter WhatTM warranty

MFJ will repair or replace (at our option)your MFJ SWR AnalyzerTM for one full year.

All-in-one handheld antenna test lab lets youquickly check/tune HF, VHF, UHF antennasanywhere. Measures: SWR, Return Loss, Re-flection Coefficient, R, X, Z, Phase Angle,Coax cable loss, Coax cable length, Distance

to short/open in coax,Inductance, Capac-itance, ResonantFrequency, Bandwidth, Q,Velocity Factor, Attenuation, more!

MFJ-259B$28995

1.8-170 MHz plus 415-470 MHz SWR AnalyzerMFJ-269

$38995

Call your favorite dealer for your

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More hams use MFJ SWR AnalyzersTM than any others in the world!

MFJ_259B_color_091807.qxd 9/19/2007 12:40 PM Page 1



156 March 2008

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EDX-2 Automatic Wire Antenna Tuner• Tunes amateur 160-10 meter bands Automatically in seconds!• Mates with Alinco DX-70 or DX-77 HF Transceivers and most other popular brands.• Can be mounted outdoors and used for your fixed, mobile or marine stations.• Designed for random length non-resonant wire antennas.

Alinco EMS-14 Desk Microphone• Flexible Goose Neck.• High Quality Condenser Microphone Element.• Power Switch.• Up / Down Frequency Controls.• PTT Bar with Lock.• Equalization Switch to tailor audio for SSB or FM.• User accessible Mic gain.• Wired for Alinco but can be used with most other major brands.

DM-340MVT Power SupplyThe DM340MVT delivers high quality steady DC. 30 Amps continuous (35A maximum) and features:

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March 2008 159

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March 2008 161

TERMS: NO MINIMUM ORDER. Shipping and handling for the48 continental U.S.A. $7.00 per order. All others including AK,HI, PR or Canada must pay full shipping. All orders deliveredin CALIFORNIA must include local state sales tax. Quantities

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TINY VIBRATING MOTORTiny motor with an offsetweighted shaft, designed as vibrator for cellphone orpager applications. Operates on 1.5 - 4.5 Vdc. 5 x 6 mm rubber casing covers motor and is easilyremovable. Dimensions ofmotor with casing removed:4mm diameter x 8mm long.Gold-plated, surface-mountterminals can be soldered. CAT# DCM-320

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The Thrill of WorldwideOperating!

The ARRL DXCCHandbook

by Jim Kearman, KR1SARRL Order No. 9884$19.95

Many radio amateurs enjoy thelure of DXing—seeing how faraway we can communicate withother Amateur Radio operators.It’s a way of determining how well our stations—and we, theoperators— perform. DXing is a full-time goal for some hamsand a just-for-fun challenge for others. We hope this book willinspire you to try DXing, and that you’ll use it as a guide tobeginning your own DX journey.

QST 2/2008

Shipping and Handling charges apply. Sales Tax is required for orders shipped to CA, CT, VA, and Canada. Prices and product availability are subject to change without notice.


AMATEUR RADIO225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111-1494 USA


The ARRLDXCC ListFebruary 2008 EditionARRL Order No.1212 ...... $5.95The official source of DXCCawards information.

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RSGB Prefix Guide – Eighth EditionARRL Order No. 1136………$19.95

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RSGB IOTA DirectoryARRL Order No. 1112………$19.95

US Amateur Radio Bands Chart

ARRL Order No. 1126………$3.00Size 11 x 17 inches. ARRL WorkedAll States (WAS) map on reverse side.

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March 2008 163

QST 10/2007



The ARRL

RFI BOOKSecond EditionARRL Order No. 9892Only $29.95**shipping: $8 US (ground)/$13.00 International

Step-by-stepInterferencesolutions covering:

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March 2008 165

2008 Super Frequency List on CD-ROMMore than 40,000 entries cover all broadcast and utility stations on shortwave–from 0 to 30 MHz! Hundreds of fascinating new digital data decoder screenshots!ARRL Order No. 1193 – ONLY $34.95*

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Shortwave Listeners (SWL-ers) havelong enjoyed this most popular guide toWorld Band Radio. There are more than100 countries reaching out every daywith news, music and entertainment.Make Passport your guide!

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QST Advertising Deadlines:Issue Reservation Date Materials Due DateApril 2008 Tuesday, February 12, 2008 Friday, February 15, 2008May 2008 Monday, March 17, 2008 Thursday, March 20, 2008

Advanced Specialties: 122Alan Broadband Co.: 137Alaska State Convention: 122Alinco: 157All Electronics Corp.: 161Alpha Delta Communications: 128Amateur Electronic Supply, LLC: 113, 115American Radio Association: 148Ameritron: 17Antique Radio Classifi ed: 156AOR U.S.A.: 18, pull-out 134Arcom Communications: 125Array Solutions: 112ARRL: 116, 120, 121, 122, 124, 125, 126, 127,

pull-out 130, pull-out 134, 138, 144, 146, 152, 158, 160, 162, 163, 165

ASA, Inc.: 125Associated Radio: 118, 119Austin Amateur Radio Supply: 118, 119Autek Research: 154BATTERIES AMERICA – Mr. Ni-Cd: 166Bencher/Butternut: pull-out 133BetterRF Co., The: 159bhi ltd: 150Bilal/Isotron Co.: 156Buckmaster Publishing: 154Cable X-PERTS, Inc.: 156CheapHam: pull-out 133Circuit Specialists: 137Command Technologies, Inc.: 148Computer International: 150Cutting Edge Enterprises: 152Dayton Hamvention/ARRL Expo 2008: 114DX Engineering: 108, 109Elecraft: 19Electric Radio Magazine: 128EZ Hang: pull-out 130FlexRadio Systems: 25Gap Antenna Products, Inc: pull-out 135Greater Baltimore Hamboree & Computerfest: 152Green Heron Engineering LLC: pull-out 130Ham Radio Outlet: 102, 103, 104, 105HamBid.com: 137HamPROs: 118, 119HamTestOnline: 154High Sierra Antennas: 106, 107Hy-Gain: 2, 10, 141, 143ICOM America: Cover II, 1, 27, 161, 163, 164, 165International Radio INRAD: 156Intuitive Circuits, LLC: 125Josef Pehan, W4LIG: 116Jun’s Electronics/Hamcity: 159K2AW’s “Silicon Alley”: 159Kenwood Communications: Cover IV, 29, 137, 140Kintronic Labs, Inc.: 121KØXG Systems: pull-out 134KU4AB.com: 148Kuhne electronic GmbH: 137LDG Electronics: 110, 111Lentini Communications, Inc. 118, 119

LOGic: 159Mayberry Sales & Service, Inc.: 154McKay Products USA: 148MetLife Auto & Home: MFJ Enterprises: 145, 147, 149, 151, 153, 155Mirage: 139N3FJP Software: 159N3ZN Keys: pull-out 130NARTE: 125National RF: 108NCG Company: 3, pull-out 136, 142NiCd Lady Company: pull-out 134Opek Technologies, Inc.: 116Orlando HamCation 2008: Palomar Engineers: 125, 152PC Electronics: 159Personal Database Applications: 159Powerwerx: 125QSLs By W4MPY: 137Quicksilver Radio Products: 152R&L Electronics: 123Radio City: 118, 119Radio Club of JHS 22 NYC: 150Radio Daze: 148Radio Works: 112Radioware/Radio Bookstore: pull-out 133, 154Rapidan Data Systems: 150Ross Distributing Co.: 116SkySweep Technologies: 148SSB Electronic: 108SteppIR Antennas: 124Super Antennas: pull-out 130SuperBertha: pull-out 133Surplus Sales of Nebraska: 128T G Electronics: 122Tac-Comm: 148Tashjian Towers Corp.: 122Tennadyne: 137Ten-Tec: 23Teri Software: 122Texas Towers: 167, 168TGM Communications: pull-out 130, 156Tigertronics: 154Timewave Technology Inc.: pull-out 131TOKYO HY-POWER LABS., Inc.: 26, 28, 117Tower * Jack: 156UNADILLA: pull-out 130Universal Radio: 118, 119US Interface: 116Vectronics: 139W2IHY Technologies: 156W3FF Antennas: pull-out 132W5YI: 121W7FG Vintage Manuals: 124Warren Gregoire & Associates: 156 WBØW, Inc.: 159West Mountain Radio: 22Wireman, Inc.: 128Yaesu USA: Cover III, 6, 7, 8, 11 Zapchecker: 137

Advertising Department Staff:Debra Jahnke, K1DAJ, Business Services ManagerJanet Rocco, W1JLR, Business Services AssociateLisa Tardette, KB1MOI, Business Services AssociateDiane Szlachetka, KB1OKV, Advertising Graphic Design

Toll Free: 800-243-7768Direct Line: 860-594-0207 Fax: 860-594-4285E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.arrl.org/ads

Please patronize ARRL advertisers. Support those

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For links to the Web sites of ARRL advertisers, visit

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Your Customers are Reading...QST!If your company provides products or services of interest to our Members, please contact the ARRL Advertising Department today for information on building your business.

Index of AdvertisersBATTERIES AMERICAMar. ‘08 Sale Ph 800-308-4805; orONLINEwww.batteriesamerica.com

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PB-2h Long life Ni-MH batt. 8.4v 1600mAh $39.95For KENWOOD TR-2500, TR-2600: (Wall charger $ 12.95 ea)

PB-25h Long life Ni-MH batt. 8.4v 1600mAh $39.95For ALINCO DJ-V5, DJ-V5TH : ( includes belt clip ) NEW ! EBP-46h 5W Ni-MH batt. 9.6v 1450mAh $49.95For ALINCO DJ-195/HP/R, DJ-196, DJ-446, 493, DJ-496, DJ-596 etc:

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EDH-11 6-cell AA Battery Case $22.95 EDH-11h 9-cell AA Battery Case (5W TX) $28.95 EBP-20x Ni-MH battery 7.2v 1800mAh $29.95For Yaesu-Vertex FT-60R;VX-110,120,150,170,177,180,210, etc:

FNB-83xh Ni-MH batt. 7.2v 2500mAh $44.95For Vertex Standard VX-2R, VX-3R : (w/ custom-designed PCB)

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FNB-41xh 5W Ni-MH batt. 9.6v 1200mAh $45.95For YAESU FT-11R, FT- 41R, FT-51R, etc. : FNB-38xh 5W NiMH batt. 9.6v 1450mAh $49.95For YAESU FT-530, FT-76, FT-26; FT-416, 415, 816, etc: FNB-25x Ni-MH battery 7.2v 1100mAh $29.95 FBA-12 6-cell AA Battery Case $22.95 FBA-12h 10-cell AA BatteryCase(5W) $28.95For YAESU FT-411, FT-470, FT-73R, FT-33R, FT-23R etc:

FNB-14xs Ni-MH batt. 7.2v 2200mAh $39.95 FBA-17 6-cell AA Battery Case $19.95For STANDARD C228, C528, C558; ADI HT-201, 401 etc:

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ANTENNA ROTATORSAlfa-Spid, RAK ................ $979Alfa-Spid, Big RAK ....... $1429Hygain, Ham-IV ............. $499Hygain, Ham-V ............... $849Hygain, T2X .................... $569Hygain, T2X Digital ....... $929Hygain, HDR-300A ...... $1269M2, OR-2800PX ............ $1379Yaesu, G-450A ................ $249Yaesu G-550.................... $299Yaesu, G-800SA .............. $329Yaesu, G-800DXA ........... $409Yaesu, G-1000DXA ........ $499Yaesu, G-2800DXA ...... $1089Yaesu G-5500 ................. $599ROTOR CABLE IN STOCK!

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M2 KT-36XASix element triband beam. Computer optimized for maximum performance, with dual driven elements for flat match and broad gain. Five elements are active on 15 and 20m, all six are active on 10m. Supplied with 3000W balun.CALL FOR M2 ANTENNAS! B-18 SERIES

Light duty aluminum self supporting tow-ers. Five models range-ing from 30 to 50 feet in height, and support up to 12 square feet of an-tenna wind load.CALL FOR MORE INFO!

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TX SERIESHeavy Duty Crankup towers, self-supporting heights range 38 to 106 feet. Supports up to 37 square feet of antenna wind load.

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We Ain’t Braggin’But we’ve helped so many Hams order US Towers over the years that we’ve become the US Tower experts. Please call for help se-lecting the perfect US Tower for your QTH!

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KENWOOD TS-2000Huge Band Coverage, All Mode HF/6m/2m/70cm, Auto Tuner, CW Memory Keyer, Dual RX, Dual DSP, Built-In TNC, TCXO, and Much More!$80 KENWOOD COUPON!

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CUSHCRAFT X7Seven element triband beam with optional 40m kit. Trapless, computer optimized design offers excellent gain and clean radiation pattern.CALL FOR CUSHCRAFT!



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• Great Gear• Great Deals• Great Service• Free UPS S/H!* *On all radio orders shipped within the contiguous USA.

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YAESU FT-2000DCompetition Class, All Mode HF/6m XCVR, 32-Bit DSP, Auto Tuner, CW & SSB Memory Keyers, 200 Watts, and More!$200 YAESU COUPON!

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KENWOOD U.S.A. CORPORATIONCommunications Sector Headquarters3970 Johns Creek Court, Suite 100, Suwanee, GA 30024Customer Support/DistributionP.O. Box 22745, 2201 East Dominguez St., Long Beach, CA 90801-5745Customer Support: (310) 639-4200 Fax: (310) 537-8235

With the supplied accessories the RC-D710 is a full upgrade to the TM-V71A. The TM-V71Awill have full functionality of the TM-D710A by exchanging the TM-V71A panel with the RC-D710.

This is where it gets interesting!PG-5J connection kit makes the RC-D710 a complete standalone APRS/TNC for your current radio. This option allows connectivitywith previous and current Kenwood models* as an external modem.

ADS#47207

TM-G707A

TM-V7A

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*Compatible models include: TM-D710A / TM-V71A / TM-D700A / TM-G707A / TM-V7A / TM-733A / TM-255A / TM-455A

