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By Tim McGillen/N9CA 2023 LCARC President
February 2023 issue *Click on blue wording to open the internet topic links Hello everyone, Here is the latest…January’s Club program was a tour of Chicago’s 91.5 FM radio station on the 93rd floor of the former John Hancock Building. Our thanks to Mark Skowronski K9MQ February LCARC Club meeting will be Friday February 10th at 7:30pm (Always the 2nd Friday of the month). February’s Program “State-Of-The-Art Electronic Testing and Repair Equipment” presented by George Pazak/KD9FCI The LCARC Information NET Every Wednesday - at 8:00pm. 147.000 and 442.075 (pl 131.8) Informal, informative, and fun. A great way to stay connected with local hams. Typically 30 minutes long. LOCAL HR NETS Courtesy of KC9UNS www.tinyurl.com/chicago-ham-nets Hunting For NDBs In CLE288 YNE - 207 Norway House, MB (tnx ve3gop.com)Yes! It's CLE time once again. This is a challenge for all newcomers to NDB listening and the ultimate test of your medium frequency receiving capabilities. Can you meet the challenge?' https://youtu.be/waIFtVodHHM Russian Meteorological Satellite M2 Has Failed Meteor “M2” was launched July 2014 and failed late December 2022. Meteor M2 was a Russian meteorological satellite whose LRPT transmissions at 137 MHz were relatively easily received by anyone with a simple satellite antenna plus an RTL-SDR dongle and a computer. Low-Rate Picture Transmission (LRPT) is a digital transmission system, intended to deliver images and data from an orbital weather satellite directly to end users via a VHF radio signal. It is used aboard polar-orbiting, near-Earth weather satellite programs such as MetOp and NPOESS. Instructions for receiving LRPT images are posted on the Internet. M2 should not be confused with satellite M2-1 who’s launch rocket blew up, or M2-2 which is now partially operational in orbit after being struck by a micro-meteorite. A replacement satellite “M2-3” is in the works and being prepared to be launched in 2023. NOAA’s meteorological satellites in orbit use a 60 year old analog system called automatic picture transmission (APT). BTW, lots of older NOAA, USAF, and Department of Defense satellites have mysteriously “expoloded” or disintegrated while in orbit leaving space debris fields. Hmmmm Newer USAF & DMSP satellites transmit their data classified as “need-to-know”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_Meteorological_Satellite_Program PROS AND CONS OF HF ATTIC ANTENNAS In a perfect world, all hams would have plenty of room for antennas. HOAs wouldn’t exist, and there would be no need to hide antennas in the attic (provided you have one). While the performance of antennas located outside will almost always be better, locating them inside and in a roof space may be the only option—and a workable one. Here’s the article’s link found with other great – (worth a look) - ham stuff at www.onallbands.com a HR blog by DX Engineering www.onallbands.com/pros-and-cons-of-hf-attic-antennas/ February 2023, Facebook Live HR Events FB Live with Tim, K3LR every Friday at 3:00 pm CST (20:00 UTC) FB Live with Tim, K3LR, and Jeff, KB8ZWT, every Tuesday at 12:15 pm CST (17:15 UTC) Manufacturer Showcase, every Thursday at 1:30 pm CST (18:30 UTC) ARRL Audio News Listen to ARRL Audio News, a new 10-13 minute edition is available every Friday. ARRL Audio News is a summary of the week's top news stories in the world of amateur radio and ARRL, along with interviews and other features. 3Y0J Bouvet Island DXpedition The 3Y0J Bouvet Island DX-pedition is an amateur radio event planned for late January through February 2023. The expedition's goals are the same as other DXpeditions: to contact as many amateur radio stations as possible from a remote location. http://www.3y0j.no https://www.facebook.com/groups/3093983840726129 K7RA Solar Update www.K7RA@ARRL.net K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean..." and check out the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA. Also VOACAP Online for Ham Radio website. 15, 12, & 10 METER BANDS OPEN FOR BUSINESS Solar Cycle 25 is bubbling up faster than expected. Solar Flux Index (SFI) can vary from the 50s up to 300. Higher SFI = more ham radio DX propagation. Lately SFI is between 140 and 190 www.dxmaps.com During the mornings, Europe is open to the US. While in the afternoon, propagation favors the southwest: Asia, New Zealand, and Australia. All, I say ALL , ham licenses have privileges on 10 meters for Voice, CW and digital modes. The antenna needs for 10 meters such as a horizontal or vertical dipole are simple… just 16 and a half feet long… total. Higher may be better, but just 15 feet off the ground will do nicely (as will an attic install). While the max output for the Tech license is 200 watts, you can work the world with QRP on 10 meters. LIVE VE EXAM SESSION 02/11/2023 | Valparaiso IN 46383-4820 Sponsor: Porter County ARC www.PC-ARC.net Location: Valparaiso Public Library Downtown Time: 9:00 AM (Walk-ins allowed) . ARES 2 meter NET Tuesday evening at 7:00pm. N9IAA repeater 146.685 MHz PL 173.8 ARES HF Net Sunday 4:00 PM - 80 meters 3.900 MHz – LSB Worldwide Contests www.ARRL.org/contest-calendar *pick the month you wish www.ContestCalendar.com See you February 10th @ 7:30 PM 73, Tim/N9CA By Tim McGillen/N9CA 2023 LCARC President
January 2023 issue *Click on blue wording to open internet topic links Happy New Year ! I’m personally wishing the best for each of you and your loved ones in 2023. It’s truly hard for me to believe it has been another year already. Guess it’s true: The days are long, but the years fly by! December 2022, the LCARC celebrated out 70th year as a Ham Radio Club. Cake, coffee, soda, and most importantly, ham radio fellowship were the order of the evening - plus a short HR program by yours truly. Friday January 13th, is our next live meeting at 7:30PM in the EMA offices, 2900 W. 93rd Ave Crown Point IN 46307. Our program will be “A Virtual Tour of Chicago’s FM Radio Station WBEZ”. You do not have to be a Club member to attend. You may face mask if you wish. Fans will be running, windows will be cracked, social distancing observed as possible. EZ free parking and handicapped accessibility. Online Amateur Radio License Examination Since June 2020, many ARRL VE teams have gone completely electronic by using a web-based examination system to administer online exams for remote, video-supervised sessions or in-person sessions. The remote sessions are conducted using a video conferencing platform with ExamTools onscreen tests. Online exams can also be used at in-person sessions (candidates must have tablets or computers for fully electronic in-person sessions) The online exam platform includes registering and tracking candidates throughout the session, onscreen exams and grading, online signing of Certificates of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCEs) and 605 forms, logging and compiling the session stats and VE participation list, and output files for upload to the coordinating VEC. The program manages almost everything needed to conduct a test session. Interested ARRL VE team leaders should email the ARRL VEC at VEC@arrl.org for details and instructions on creating an ExamTools account and training with an experienced team. JANUARY’S ARRL EVENTS Jan 7th ARRL Kids Day Twice a year, ARRL offers an event designed to promote Amateur Radio to our youth. Share the excitement with your kids or grandkids, a Scout troop, a church or the general public! Jan 7-8 ARRL RTTY Contest Objective: Amateurs worldwide contact and exchange QSO information using only the Radioteletype (RTTY) mode on the 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter bands. Any station may work any other station. Stations may be worked once per band. Automated operation is not permitted. Each claimed contact must include contemporaneous direct initiation by the operator on both sides of the contact. Jan 21-23rd ARRL VHF And Up Contest Objective: For amateurs in the US and Canada (and their possessions) to work as many amateur stations in as many different 2 degrees x 1 degree Maidenhead grid squares as possible using authorized frequencies above 50 MHz. Stations outside the US & Canada (and their possessions) may only work stations in the US (and its possessions) and Canada. Visit: www.arrl.org Other Worldwide Contests www.ARRL.org/contest-calendar *pick the month you wish www.ContestCalendar.com LOCAL HR NETS Courtesy of KC9UNS www.tinyurl.com/chicago-ham-nets The LCARC Information NET Every Wednesday - at 8:00pm. 147.000 and 442.075 (pl 131.8) Informal, informative, and fun. A great way to stay connected with local hams. Typically 30 minutes long. Deja Vue A new VarAC V6.4.15 program has just been released. The software is free. Visit Youtube for how to use this cool keyboard P-P digital mode. A big thing with the new version is Narration! Yes, synthesized text-to-voice that will read outload anything you want. From Broadcasts to CQ calls. From chat messages to real-time alerts, you name it ! Rep. Lesko Introduces Bill to Replace Symbol Rate Limit With A Bandwidth Limit12/22/2022 Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (AZ-08) introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 9664) on December 21, 2022, to require that the FCC replace the current Amateur Radio HF digital symbol rate limit with a 2.8 kHz bandwidth limit. The Back Story The ARRL petitioned the FCC in 2013 (RM-11708) for the same relief. Finally, in 2016, the FCC issued a “Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” (WT Docket No. 16-239) in which the FCC agreed that the HF symbol rate limit was outmoded, served no purpose, and hampered experimentation. But… the FCC questioned whether any bandwidth limit was needed at all ! Most amateurs, including the ARRL, objected to there being no signal bandwidth limit in the crowded HF ham bands, and so, there has been no action to date by the FCC on this matter. Stay tuned In a Future Filled With Electric Cars, AM Radio May Be Left Behind Carmakers say electromagnetic interference causes static and noise on AM transmissions, annoying customers. Broadcasters say they could lose a connection to their core listeners, who rely on the radio for emergencies. Quote from BMW: “Rather than frustrate customers with inferior reception and noise, the decision was made to leave the AM radio band off vehicles that feature “eDrive technology,” their name for the system that powers BMW electric vehicles. Tesla, Audi, Porsche and Volvo have also deleted AM radio from their electric vehicles, as has Volkswagen from its electric S.U.V., ID.4. Ford said that the 2023 F-150 Lightning, (it’s popular electric pickup truck), has also dropped AM radio. Mid-Winter Sporatic E – Or Was It Tropo? The main Sporadic-E (Es) season normally lasts from May to August every year, but… there is also a smaller secondary peak during the Winter months around December 21st. What caught my interest was in December I was hearing 10 meter signals at mid-day from just 400 miles away. My question: was it Es or some kind of tropospheric ducting? Most of the time, E-Skip stations will be 1000+ miles away. www.DXMAPS.com offers real-time E-skip maps, and there were definitely Es clouds, hovering over just the Midwest US. Hmmm? My Recent 10 Meter Observations 01/03/2023A good indicator of band conditions on 10m is via the 10m beacon band. In general, most state-side beacons are found from 28.2 – 28.3 MHz while DX (ex-US) beacons are heard from 28.1 – 28.2 MHz. While listening to 10 meter beacons 01/03/2023 at 2:00PM, I observed a phenomena. Each beacon I heard had a distorted delayed echo of itself right on the same frequency. At first, I thought it was some “lid” jamming. But all the beacons? I think what I was hearing was the beacons via both a “short path” and then a distorted delayed long path signal -on frequency - that had traveled all the way around the world with a time delay. Very cool and worth your moment to listen for. Using A Drone To Put Up A HAM Radio Antenna You say your antenna came down? You just want another antenna? You don’t want to climb ladders, houses, or trees especially in the winter? Clever hams to your rescue. https://youtu.be/U5H_jJJHMiA https://youtu.be/k_kzTwGRrhc https://youtu.be/MvSGPGC94ik https://youtu.be/kKWu68mCr4 https://youtu.be/VzIvXZx4S8w Interesting Ham Internet Sites Worth a Look www.voacap.com HF radio propagation prediction maps using real-time MUF and SFI www.onallbands.com DX Engineering’s Own HR newsletter See you on lucky Friday January the 13th @ 7:30PM 73, Tim/N9CA By Tim McGillen/N9CA 2022 LCARC President
December 2022 *Click on blue wording to open internet topic links Hi everyone and welcome, The November 2022 LCARC meeting was enjoyable as we made and renewed HR friendships in person. After all… HR is about creating friendships. Congratulations to winners of all the free raffle prizes! The elected LCARC 2023 Club officers: Tim McGillen N9CA President James Harney KF9EX Treasurer Russ McComb KB9HO Secretary My sincere thanks all the members who volunteered to serve on the Board. WANTED: Club Vice President. Could you be that person? Fun job. Not much work. Looks great on resume. Candidate must like amateur radio. Email Tim N9CA tim2020@sbcglobal.net for a no obligation discussion. The LCARC Board meeting will be Tuesday December 6th at 7:30pm via ZOOM. All Club members are welcome to link in with ZOOM. The Friday December 9th Club meeting at 7:30pm will be physical without a ZOOM option. The theme of the meeting is: a seasonal and social celebration of life and Ham Radio friendships. Coffee, cake, cookies, pop. You do not have to be a Club member to attend. Come join us. Lighted easy parking, handicapped accessible, 1st floor of the EMA office, north side of 93rd 2900 W. 93rd Ave, Crown Point IN 46307. ARRL DECEMBER CONTESTS 160 METER CW Contest - For Amateurs worldwide to exchange information with W/VE amateurs on 160-meter CW. December 2-4, 2022. 10 Meter Contest – all modes For Amateurs worldwide to exchange QSO information with as many stations as possible on the 10 meter band. December 10-11 (the Second weekend of December). Starts 0000 UTC Saturday; runs through 2359 UTC Sunday Rookie Round-up - Sunday, December 18, 2022, using CW 6 hours from 1800 to 2359 UTCRookies exchange information with as many other stations as possible on the 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter HF bands. All hams are encouraged to participate, but only those licensed 3 years or less may submit their logs for awards. For complete ARRL rules visit www.ARRL.org Other Worldwide Contests www.ARRL.org/contest-calendar *pick the month you wish www.ContestCalendar.com LOCAL HR NETS Courtesy of KC9UNS www.tinyurl.com/chicago-ham-nets The LCARC Information NET Every Wednesday - at 8:00pm. 147.000 and 442.075 (pl 131.8) Informal, informative, and fun. A great way to stay connected with local hams. Typically 30 minutes long. ARES 2 meter NET Tuesday evening at 7:00pm. N9IAA repeater 146.685 MHz PL 173.8 ARES HF Net Sunday 4:00 PM - 80 meters 3.900 MHz – LSB ARRL ARES Info https://inarrl.org/index.php/public-service/indiana-ares Indiana ARES® HF Digital Net is held every Wednesday at 8:30 PM Eastern Time except the second Wednesday of the month on or about 3.583 MHz check in using Olivia 8/500 digital. May use VARA-HF also. On-Line EmComm WINLINK VARA Digital Training http://www.EmComm-Training.org VarAC Revisited VarAC is a “newer” keyboard person-to-person digital communication mode using computer software. Speeds to 210WPM. There are many YouTube videos. Here is a short introductory YouTube link on VarAChttps://youtu.be/0yJ-GGBEFQU * There has just been a new software release: v6.3.3. New software is not backward compatible!!! Free VarAC software download: https://vara-ac-hamradio.com 20m - 14.105 MHz (Primary - day time) 40m - 7.105 MHz (Primary - night time) optional VarAC calling frequencies 80m - 3.595 MHz 30m - 10.133 MHz 17m - 18.106 MHz 15m - 21.105 MHz 12m - 24.927 MHz 10m - 28.105 MHz 6m - 50.330 MHz EmComm DIGITAL USERS Latest free version of VARA-HF is v4.6.6 Latest free version of VARA-FM is v4.2.6 YouTube video how-to-install & use https://youtu.be/N8Kd_W_djVQ ARES D1 RAFFLE ARES Indiana District 1 volunteers are in the process of revitalizing our webpage www.ARESD1.com We are in need of funds to change its domain and pay for initial hosting fees. The raffle is for a Surecom SW-102 SWR meter (a $65 value). This SWR meter is rated for 125 - 525MHz, 120 watts.Tickets are $5.00. Contact David KD9UOW david.kd9uow.wrkq418@gmail.com Amateur Satellite News www.Amsat.org “ANS-331 Weekly Bulletin” 11/27/2022 New FCC Ruling Presents a New Set of Challenges Until now, all spacecraft had to either deorbit or move to a disposal orbit no later than 25 years after the end of their mission. With the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) new ruling, they must come down sooner. The FCC’s new orbital debris mitigation ruling, FCC 22-74, requires non-geostationary satellite operators that terminate their satellite operations or pass through the Low Earth Orbit region below 2,000-kilometer (1246 miles) altitude, complete disposal as soon as practicable following the end of mission, and no later than five years after the end of its primary mission. The goal is to minimize the risk of collisions that would create debris. *Space-X satellites orbit 340 miles up. The ISS orbit is about 240 miles up. Based upon maneuvering fuel, Space-X is predicting a 7 year life for their communication satellites which may be commanded to change orbit 8x/day. The FCC defines “end of mission” to be “the time at which the individual spacecraft is no longer capable of conducting collision avoidance maneuvers,” and, for spacecraft without collision avoidance capabilities, end of mission is defined as the point at which the individual spacecraft has completed its primary mission. Furthermore, the FCC requires a demonstration that the probability of success of the chosen disposal method will be 90 percent or greater. This new rule-making will have a significant effect on AMSAT’s future satellite operations. OMOTENASHI Struggling to Carry Amateur Radio to the Moon Amstat Bulletin ANS-324 11/20/22 OMOTENASHI, a project of the JAXA Ham Radio Club, (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) was a secondary payload aboard NASA’s Artemis 1 mission, launched along with the Orion space capsule from Cape Canaveral on November 16. It was planned to land on the surface of the moon, and to transmit with a 1 watt beacon in the amateur 70cm band. Of the ten CubeSats flown as secondary payloads with the Orion space capsule, seven are operation, two have not been heard from. OMOTENASHI, a Japanese word for hospitality, is derived from Outstanding MOon exploration TEchnologies demonstrated by NAno Semi-Hard Impactor. Controllers have reported OMOTENASHI is tumbling, making it difficult for the spacecraft to charge its batteries and communicate with the ground. Controllers are continuing recovery attempts, but it’s Moon landing mission window has closed permanently. OMOTENASHI is a 6U-CubeSat with external dimensions of 239 x 366 x 113mm and an approximate mass of 14 kg. (9.5 x 14 x 4.5 inches and 30 lb). It’s cost was $5.6 million US and would have made Japan the 4th nation with a probe on the Moon. Further details at https://www.isas.jaxa.jp/home/omotenashi/JHRCweb/jhrc.html U.S. High School CubeSat to be APRS Relay TJREVERB, a 2U CubeSat built by Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology, has been frequency coordinated to operate as an APRS relay on 145.825 MHz. It is scheduled for launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft set to deliver additional science, crew supplies, and hardware to the International Space Station next week. The satellite will be released from ISS at a later time. The first U.S. high school to send a CubeSat to space back in 2013, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology’s Research and Education Vehicle for Evaluating Radio Broadcasts satellite aims to study the use of iridium as a primary radio communication method. Additionally, the satellite will demonstrate using a passive magnet onboard and the Earth’s magnetic field for stabilization rather than using an attitude determination and control system for pointing accuracy and stabilization for iridium. What makes this satellite even more notable is that it was a system’s engineering project. The students selected space-grade parts, wired the electronics for the satellite, wrote the drivers to control the different systems, and coded the flight software. “What’s special about TJREVERB isn’t necessarily the mission, it’s what we did. These kids literally built a satellite the way the industry would build a satellite; we selected parts from vendors and got those parts to work together,” said Kristen Kucko, robotics lab director and the school’s space faculty advisor. “This is an engineering feat.” The Iridium Satellite Constellation Network provides L band (1-2 GHz) voice and data information coverage to satellite phones, pagers and integrated transceivers over the entire surface of Earth. Iridium Communications owns and operates the constellation, additionally selling equipment and access to its services. The constellation consists of 66 active satellites in orbit, required for global coverage, plus additional spare satellites to serve in case of failure. Satellites are placed in low Earth orbit at a height of approximately 781 kilometres (485 miles) The nearly polar orbit and communication between satellites via Ka band inter-satellite (26-40GHz) links provide global service availability (including both poles, oceans and airways), regardless of the position of ground stations and gateways. GlobalStar Satellite Network What is the main difference between Iridium and GlobalStar? The main difference between Iridium and Globalstar is the relaying mechanism. While Iridium requires relaying between satellites via Ka band links, GlobalStar requires relaying between satellites and network station “brains” on earth. GlobeStar currently operates using 11.5 MHz across the United States and now LTE 5G on 2.4 GHz. They have also begun to use the L band as consumer satellite communication grows worldwide. The FCC has authorized GlobalStar to use 65.1 GHz (so called 6G “mm” internet and cell phone) The Globalstar project was launched in 1991 as a joint venture of Loral Corporation and Qualcomm. Apple's new 450 million dollar investment provides critical enhancements to Globalstar's satellite network and ground stations, ensuring iPhone 14 users are able to connect to emergency SOS services when off the grid. At Globalstar, more than 300 employees support the new service. CAPSTONE Arrives to Orbit at the Moon The CAPSTONE mission operations team confirmed that NASA’s CAPSTONE spacecraft arrived at its orbit at the Moon Sunday evening. The CubeSat completed an initial orbit insertion maneuver, firing its thrusters to put the spacecraft into orbit, at 12:39 UTC on Nov. 13. CAPSTONE is now in a near-rectilinear halo orbit, or NRHO. This particular NRHO is the same orbit that will be used by Gateway, the Moon-orbiting space station that will support NASA’s Artemis missions. CAPSTONE is the first spacecraft to fly an NRHO, and the first CubeSat to operate at the Moon. In the next five days, CAPSTONE will perform two additional clean-up maneuvers to refine its orbit. After these maneuvers, the team will review data to confirm that CAPSTONE remains on track in the NRHO. CAPSTONE – short for Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment – is a precursor to the Gateway project to establish a crewed space station in orbit around the moon. AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an Amateur Radio package, including two-way communication capability, to be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit. What Is CAPSTONE A lunar orbiter that will test and verify the calculated orbital stability planned for the Lunar Gateway space station. Capstone is a 12-unit CubeSat the size of a microwave weighing 55 lbs that will also test a navigation system that will measure its position relative to NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) without relying on ground stations. It was launched on June 28th 2022, and arrived in lunar orbit on 14 November 2022. It’s scheduled to orbit for six months. What is Lunar Gateway ? The Lunar Gateway, or simply Gateway, is the first planned extraterrestrial space station in lunar orbit intended to serve as a solar-powered communication hub, science laboratory, and short-term habitation module for government-agency astronauts, as well as a holding area for rovers and other robots. It is a multinational collaborative project involving four of the International Space Station partner agencies: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA) plus10 more. It is planned to be both the first space station beyond low Earth orbit and the first space station to orbit the Moon. The manned Artemis 4 mission in the reusable Orion space capsule is hoped to dock with Gateway orbiting the Moon sometime in 2027-8. What Is the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter ? (LRO) is a NASA robotic spacecraft currently orbiting the Moon in an eccentric polar mapping orbit.[6][7] Data collected by LRO have been described as essential for planning NASA's future human and robotic missions to the Moon.[8] Its detailed mapping program is identifying safe landing sites, locating potential resources on the Moon, characterizing the radiation environment, and demonstrating new technologies. Launched on June 18, 2009, in conjunction with the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), as the vanguard of NASA's Lunar Precursor Robotic Program,\ Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter - WikipediaThe Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is a NASA robotic spacecraft currently orbiting the Moon in an eccentric ... The LRO mission life was expected to last 1-2 years. 13 years later, it is still orbiting and working. LRO might well operate through 2027 depending on its fuel reserves. Are LRO, LCROSS, CAPSTONE, Gateway, and Orion, all part of NASA’s Artemis mission? YES. The plan of the Artemis mission is to return man to the Moon surface with Artemis 3. Artemis 4 will dock with and crew, a robotic/manned space station (GATEWAY) orbiting the Moon. This will allow regular robotic and manned excursions to the Moon surface. 73, see you at the December 9th meeting Tim/N9CA Q1) RTTY uses what digital encoding method? baudot, binary, fortran, EBCDIU A1) baudot By Tim McGillen/N9CA 2022 LCARC President
November 2022 Hello and welcome, It’s hard to believe it is November. That means it is time to think about antenna maintenance or finally putting up that antenna you were meaning to (like me). It’s so easy to do now while it’s warm. Some ideas; Check and tighten screws and bolts Clean off terminal corrosion and apply a protective sealant Check for fraying of guy lines or rope supports Consider replacing the coax feed line and consider rewrapping the coax connectors for water resistance * especially if the SWR is off from the past Drive in any new antenna grounds, and check spark-gap plugs for continuity to see if they have failed due to static electricity over time LCARC November Meeting: Second Friday of the month, November 11th at 7:30 pm - 2900 W. 93rd Ave. Crown Point Indiana 46307 - EMA/Lake County Health Department building north of 93rd Ave. Look for a "HAM RADIO" sign along 93rd. Meeting Program; There will be a door prizes for the first 5 attendees, as well as free raffles for some cool prizes. Perhaps a 50-50 raffle, so bring a few $1s. This meeting will be an informal conversational, sharing, get to know each other format, talking about HR, the Club, and it’s 70 year history Our meeting is on the ground floor, handicap accessible, lots of free easy parking. Windows will be open, fans running, social distance respected and face masking is optional. You do not have to be a Club member to attend or link via ZOOM for our meetings. The ZOOM meeting link if attending virtually is on our Club webpage; www.W9LJ.org This meeting is an important one for the Club. We will are asking for members to help determine the direction of the Club in 2023 by volunteering to be on the 2023 Club Board. Speaking of Heathkit You may not have been around, but build-it-yourself kits from Heathkit were popular ways for hams to save money. In 1979, Heath engineers designed a brand new state-or-the-art ham radio transceiver. Meant to replace the SB-104, it was christened the SS-8000. It had all the bells and whistles built into it that we just take for granted today, including computer control! Heath made 3 prototype SS-8000s. Heath even wrote the assembly manuals when news from the 1979 World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC) in Geneva Switzerland announced 3 new amateur radio bands: 30 meters, 17 meters, and 12 meters. The project was terminated, and the three SS-8000 prototypes were reportedly scrapped… or were they? The incredible story of the 1 that survived for 35 years as broken pieces stuffed inside a forgotten cardboard box in someone’s garage and the 200 hour restoration to bring that radio back to life that can be found on Youtube. https://tinyurl.com/2u373pcc and at https://tinyurl.com/2t3xv8vj Before Heath went out of business, did they make a transceiver with the WARC bands? Yes, but it was not offered as a kit. 1980 cost... $3,000 or $10,800 in 2022 dollars. It was the SS-9000 and they made just 350 of them. Upcoming Nearby Hamfests HAMFEST/CONVENTION 11/19/2022 - 11/20/2022 Fort Wayne Hamfest & Computer Expo Location: Fort Wayne, IN Type: ARRL Hamfest Sponsor: Allen County Amateur Radio Technical Society Website: http://www.acarts.com/hfmain.htm HAMFEST/CONVENTION 11/05/2022 - Sullivan Swapmeet Location: Sullivan, IL Type: ARRL Hamfest Sponsor: Moultrie Amateur Radio Klub Website: https://www.qsl.net/mark/ HAMFEST/CONVENTION 11/05/2022 - Friendly Fest Location: Milwaukee , WI Type: ARRL Hamfest Sponsor: Milwaukee Repeater Club Website: http://MRC91.org HAMFEST/CONVENTION 11/06/2022 - FCARC Swapfest Location: Kaukauna, WI Type: ARRL Hamfest Sponsor: Fox Cities Amateur Radio Club, Inc. Website: http://www.fcarc.club/hamfest.php Local VE Session EXAM SESSION 11/12/2022 | Valparaiso IN 46383-4820 Sponsor: Porter County ARC Location: Valparaiso Public Library Time: 9:00 AM (Walk-ins allowed) From the NOAA Weather Service - Indiana Section They will conduct the spotter training virtually again this Fall, and are offering four sessions to make it convenient for you. More details can be found online at www.weather.gov/iwx/Spotter_Event_List On-Line VE Testing Sources http://www.arrl.org/online-exam-session www.hamtestonline.com November ARRL CONTESTS 5-7 Nov. Sweepstakes – CW 12-13 EME - 50 to 1296 MHz 19-21 Nov. Sweepstakes – Phone Other Worldwide Contests www.ARRL.org/contest-calendar *pick the month you wish www.ContestCalendar.com LOCAL HR NETS Courtesy of KC9UNS www.tinyurl.com/chicago-ham-nets The LCARC Information NET Every Wednesday - at 8:00pm. 147.000 and 442.075 (pl 131.8) Informal, informative, and fun. A great way to stay connected with local hams. Typically 30 minutes long. ARES 2 meter NET Tuesday evening at 7:00pm. N9IAA repeater 146.685 MHz PL 173.8 www.ARESD1.com ARES HF Net Sunday 4:00 PM - 80 meters 3.900 MHz - LSB On-Line EmComm WINLINK VARA Digital Training http://www.EmComm-Training.org See you at the meeting 73, Tim/N9CA Q1) When was the Technician Class license granted? 1948, 1951, 1957, 1958 Q2) What frequency range is used to communicate with submerged submarines? SHF, MF, ELF, LF Q3) Philo T. Farnsworth owner of Philco is best known for inventing what device? Stereo FM radio, the HT, the car radio, television A1) 1951 A2) ELF A3) At age 19, in 1927 he received the patent for television ! By Tim McGillen/N9CA 2022 LCARC President
October 2022 Hi Everyone; Hope that October finds you safe and well. I don’t know how many of you were listening to the Hurricane Net activated as IAN approached via the Florida Gulf... but I was. During the day the NET activated on 14.325 KHz. As propagation shifted, at 6:00pm CDT they QSYed the NET to 7.268 KHz. On the air, they were asking for on-the-ground reports of; wind speed, gusts, wind direction, rainfall vs time, and storm surge. They asked for digital images to be sent via their Facebook, Twitter, or email. The weather report format they look for is that used by SKYWARN Weather Spotters. Those were some brave ham radio operators sharing information to help others as conditions escalated. Utility repair crews, The Salvation Army, The National Guard, FEMA, and the Red Cross all mobilized heading to Florida to render help and shelter. Please keep all those impacted by this terrible storm in our thoughts and prayers. God bless us all. National Hurricane Center --> https://www.nhc.noaa.gov VoIP NET https:// www.VoIPwx.net OCTOBER LCARC CLUB MEETING Friday, October 14th 7:30pm Physical meeting - Not ZOOM Meeting Site: EMA office - 2900 W. 93rd Ave. Crown Point IN 46307 Windows will be open, fans running, social distance kept, masks are optional. Emergency SOS And Text Via Satellite Now On iPhone 14 With iPhone 14 models, you can use Emergency SOS via satellite to text emergency services when you're out of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. There are already several YouTube videos as well Visit: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213426 New Faster Computer Memory Chips Coming DDR5 RAM is the next generation of system memory, and it’s just around the corner. It promises greater bandwidth, increased capacity, and lower power demands than existing DDR4, helping to make the most of not only modern CPUs but onboard graphics, too. DDR5 memory will bring with it a number of performance improvements, most notably a much greater frequency or clocking potential. Although existing DDR4 kits have been shown to be capable of running in excess of 5Gbps, the official specification maxes out at 3.2Gbps. In comparison, DDR5 debuted at 4.8Gbps, but will be able to reach 6.4Gbps. Memory manufacturers will likely push the data rate far beyond that in due course, potentially reaching over 8Gbps. Low-power systems will also benefit from DDR5, as it’s rated to run at just 1.1v. That’s 0.1v less than DDR4, which can run higher when pushed using XMP or manual overclocking. The real potential be to under-volt it and reduce its power demands further while still maintaining higher speeds than most DDR4 kits. That could be great news for laptops looking to boost battery life on new-generation hardware. This is a rich website. Leading edge reviews; computers, software, browsers, routers, cellphones, electronics, even robots! www.digitaltrends.com From the NOAA Weather Service - Indiana Section They will conduct the spotter training virtually again this Fall, and are offering four sessions to make it convenient for you. More details can be found online at www.weather.gov/iwx/Spotter_Event_List SOLAR ACTIVITY EARLY WARNING SATELLITE DSCOVR It is the Nation's primary monitor of real-time solar wind data and a warning system for solar magnetic storms that could threaten electrical grids, disrupt communication systems and the Global Positioning System navigation, reroute air travel, affect satellite operations and endanger humans in spaceflight. DSCOVR was launched on Feb. 11, 2015, by Space-X at Cape Canaveral. It weighs 1260 lbs, and measures 4 ½ feet by 6 feet in size. It was intended for a 5 year mission, and it has been operational for 7 ½ years now. DSCOVR was America's first operational satellite in deep space, orbiting about one million miles from Earth at Sun-Earth LaGrange point L1. You may remember the new James Webb space telescope is sitting at the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L2 For trivia sake there are 5 Lagrange points where the gravity of the Sun and Earth are in balance and allow a spacecraft to just float in position unattended. BTW it has it’s own dedicated website !! OCTOBER HAMFESTS 10/08/2022 - Hoosier Hills Hamfest Location: Mitchell, IN Type: ARRL Hamfest Sponsor: Hoosier Hills Ham Club Website: http://www.w9qyq.org/pdf/hamfest2022.pdf 10/15/2022 - BRVARS Shelbyville Tailgate Location: Shelbyville, IN Type: ARRL Hamfest Sponsor: Blue River Valley Amateur Radio Society Website: http://www.brvars.com 10/15/2022 - Hamtober Fest Location: Lynnville, IN Type: ARRL Hamfest Sponsor: Tri State Amateur Radio Society Website: http://www.hamtoberfest.com On-Line VE Testing Sources http://www.arrl.org/online-exam-session http://www.hamtestonline.com Local VE License Test Session Saturday October 8th 9:00am sharp *walk-ins are welcome Valparaiso IN downtown public library -Porter County Amateur Radio Club Bring: photo ID, your FCC FRN #, a valid e-mail address, $15 for the test, $35 for any FCC fees, a photocopy of your current ham license if upgrading, a pen, and pencils. Amateur Radio Weekly Newsletter In issue #256: What was the Ham response to Hurricane IAN Plus: solving light dimmer RFI, detect Starlink satellites with a Raspberry Pi, RTL-SDR dongle use on HF and shortwave, BBC changes, new Yeasu FT-710 review, N0VCU’s boat anchor collection, if your house is bugged, and more. Amateur Radio Weekly is a fun free weekly ham email newsletter. For issue 256 visit the link below, or for more info, visit: www.AmateurRadio.com https://www.amateurradio.com/amateur-radio-weekly-issue-256/?awt_a=4inN&awt_l=80164&awt_m=3n32OxFlS9rzbnN OCTOBER CONTESTS www.ARRL.org/contest-calendar then pick the month you wish www.ContestCalendar.com 15-16 ARRL EME - 50 to 1296 MHz 17-21 ARRL School Club Roundup www.10-10.org two 10 meter exclusive contests the 10th & 15th www.W5KUB.com Live HR subject broadcasts on Tuesdays at 8:00 Central time. 203 recorded podcasts. The audio is re-broadcast on shortwave radio WBCQ (50,000 watts) on Thursdays from 4:00pm – 6:00pm Central Time at 7490 KHz. Worth a listen. LOCAL HR NETS Courtesy of KC9UNS www.tinyurl.com/chicago-ham-nets The LCARC Information NET Every Wednesday - at 8:00pm. 147.000 and 442.075 (pl 131.8) Informal, informative, and fun. A great way to stay connected with local hams. Typically 30 minutes long. ARES NET Tuesday evening at 7:00pm. N9IAA repeater 146.685 MHz PL 173.8 www.ARESD1.com On-Line EmComm WINLINK VARA Digital Training http://www.EmComm-Training.org See you at the meeting 73, Tim/N9CA QUESTION #1: The term PL is a proprietary term for CTCSS by which company? A) Collins B) GE C) Motorola D) Johnson Question #2: How many states and call districts border the Mississippi? A) 3 call districts & 6 states B) 4 call districts & 10 states C) 5 call districts 9 states A#1: PL stands for “Private Line” and was created by Motorola in the 1950’s for land mobile radio A#2: B By Tim McGillen/N9CA 2022 LCARC President
September 2022 Hi Everyone, (To explore items in “ShortSkip” issues “click” on the blue internet links) Thank you on behalf of the Club to Tim McGillen N9CA for his August meeting program titled “Efficient Wire HF Antennas”. Free door prize at September’s Club meeting. It is the new ARRL book on how to use Digital Amateur Radio 3rd edition. The September 9th 7:30pm program will be a “double-header”. Andy Finick W9FTX, who with his wife Pat N9FXT keeps our Club repeaters up to date, will discuss “DXing the AM Broadcast band and the hobby of Short Wave Listening.” The other half of the program will be presented by Tim McGillen N9CA on “Operating with a “new” conversational HF digital mode called VarAC” To do so, you will need 2 free Windows software programs downloaded from the internet. Because it’s digital, even if you are operating QRP, with poor band conditions, and less than optimal antennas, the digital signal gets through when others don’t. The software uses ARQ for error free copy. VarAC allows for computer CAT control of your compatible transceiver, and what I personally like… it has built in spell checker! Download, unzip, and install VARA HF first. Free VARA HF v4.6.3 software site https://rosmodem.wordpress.com/ Video on how to install VARA HF https://youtu.be/N8Kd_W_djVQ Find the free program VarAC at: https://www.varac-hamradio.com VarAC a fast tutorial: https://youtu.be/0yJ-GGBEFQU Detailed using VarAC in your shack: https://youtu.be/INjXXriezhA Other Cool YouTube HR Videos How To: $30 Software Defined Radio (SDR) dongle using your computer. https://youtu.be/h4x7cGALaC8 SEPTEMBER CONTESTS Visit www.ARRL.org/contest-calendar then pick the month you wish Visit www.ContestCalendar.com September 10-12 ARRL VHF 50mHz and up September 17-18 ARRL 10 GHz & Up - Round 2 September 17-18 ARRL EME - 2.3 GHz & Up *visit www.arrl.org for more specific ARRL contest info Route 66 On the Air Special Event The annual Route 66 On the Air Special Event will take place September 10 - 18, 2022. The purpose of the event is to commemorate the history of the "Mother Road" connecting the east and west United States. For more information on participating stations, certificates and decals, and the Route 66 On the Air Special Event, visit the Citrus Belt Amateur Radio Club (CBARC) and Northern Arizona DX Association (NADXA) websites. On-Line VE Testing Sources http://www.arrl.org/online-exam-session www.hamtestonline.com LOCAL HR NETS Courtesy of KC9UNS www.tinyurl.com/chicago-ham-nets The LCARC Information NET Every Wednesday - at 8:00pm. 147.000 and 442.075 (pl 131.8) Informal, informative, and fun. A great way to stay connected with local hams. Typically 30 minutes long. ARES NET Tuesday evening at 7:00pm. N9IAA repeater 146.685 MHz PL 173.8 www.ARESD1.com On-Line EmComm WINLINK VARA Digital Training http://www.EmComm-Training.org Have you ever looked at this website: www.DXnews.com It is a European based website about DX, contesting, ham radio news, DXpeditions, and the world of amateur radio but with a Euro slant. I found it interesting. Kind of like listening to the BBC news or NHK news from Japan on the TV instead of the Chicago channels On-Line Ham Expo 2022 There will be close to 100 live programs on Radio topics coming up September 17-18. For a $10 ticket, you also get access to listen to any speaker you missed for 30 days afterwards. Did I mention there are virtual sales booths and HR door prizes? Visit www.qsotodayhamexpo.com QSO TODAY VIRTUAL HAM RADIO EXPOThe QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo is the first and only on-line amateur radio convention, since August 2020. For... ABOUT SEPTEMBER’S MEETING There will NOT be a ZOOM simulcast of the Friday September 9th 7:30pm meeting. Live Meeting Site: EMA office - 2900 W. 93rd Ave. Crown Point IN 46307 Windows will be open, fans running, social distance kept, masks are optional. 73, Tim/N9CA The LCARC next meeting is Friday August 12. The meeting will start at 7:30pm physically at 2900 W. 93rd Ave Crown Point IN at the EMA/Lake County Board of health offices.
The meeting will also be simulcast on ZOOM. The link to log in can be found at the LCARC club website www.W9LJ.org Hello, let me get to the timely things first: AUGUST HAMFESTS 08/06/2022 - Elkhart East Hamfest Saturday (EDT) Location: Elkhart, IN Type: ARRL Hamfest Sponsor: Northern Indiana K9DEW Repeater Network Website: http://elkharteasthamfest.com 08/07/2022 - Hamfesters Radio Club Hamfest Sunday CDT Location: Peotone, IL Type: ARRL Hamfest Sponsor: Hamfesters Radio Club Website: http://ham-ham.org *GATES Open at 6:30am Sunday. Indoor Exhibit hall opens at 8:00am CONTESTER CONVENTION - HAMFEST - SEMINARS 08/27/2022 - SMCFest FRIDAY - SATURDAY Location: Naperville, IL Type: ARRL Convention Sponsor: Society of Midwest Contesters Website: https://www.w9smc.com/smc-f Saturday ticket reservations are $50 which includes lunch, Friday Dinner education seminar is available and is handled with separate meal checks. There is a block of hotel room bookings at a special rate. The affair will be at the Marriott - Chicago in Naperville LOCAL VE TESTING 08/06/2022 | Valparaiso IN 46383-4820 Sponsor: Porter County ARC Location: Porter County Public Library Time: 9:00 AM (Walk-ins allowed) On-Line VE Testing Sources http://www.arrl.org/online-exam-session www.hamtestonline.com AUGUST 2022 CONTESTS August 6-7 – “ARRL - VHF 222 And Up Contest” Objective: Work as many stations as possible on the 222 MHz through 241 GHz bands using any allowable mode. A station in a specific grid locator may be contacted from the same location only once on each band, regardless of mode. Contest Period: Begins at 1:00pm Saturday CDT and ending at 12:59pm Sunday CDT Click Here for Complete ARRL 222 and Up Contest Rules More contest information, contact contests@arrl.org or (860) 594-0232 ARRL – ROOKIE ROUND-UP Sunday, August 21, 2022, using RTTY. A Rookie is defined has having been first licensed in the current calendar year or the previous three calendar years, regardless of license class. Objective: Rookies exchange information with as many other stations as possible on the 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter HF bands. Maximum power output is 100 Watts For more info go to: Rookie Roundup Contest Corral August 2022 All the August contests! Check for updates and a downloadable & printable PDF version of the contest websites for ... Learn More LOCAL HR NETS Courtesy of KC9UNS www.tinyurl.com/chicago-ham-nets The LCARC Information NET Every Wednesday - at 8:00pm. 147.000 and 442.075 (pl 131.8) Informal, informative, and fun. A great way to stay connected with local hams. Typically 30 minutes long. ARES NET Tuesday evening at 7:00pm. N9IAA repeater 146.685 MHz PL 173.8 www.ARESD1.com KA9QJG “Technical Net” Tuesday evenings 8:00pm 147.040 pl 131.8 KA9QJG “ Astrononomy Net” Wednesday 7:00pm 147.040 pl 131.8 ARRL Podcasts Schedule The latest episode of the ARRL On the Air podcast (Episode 31) provides an overview of the 222 MHz frequency band. The latest edition of the ARRL Eclectic Tech podcast (Episode 65) features a discussion about lightning protection with Ron Block, NR2B. Both podcasts are available on iTunes (iOS) and Stitcher (Android), as well as on Blubrry – or... just click on: On the Air | Eclectic Tech. Navajo Code Talkers Special Event Station Aug 8-Aug 14, 0000Z-0000Z, N7C, Chinle, AZ. N7HG. 14.265 21.265 7.265 18.133. Certificate & QSL. Navajo Code Talkers, P.O. Box 06, Chinle, AZ 86503. n7hgster@gmail.com The “Code Talkers” may have been THE key allowing The Allies to win WWII. Just two original members survive today. 73, Tim/N9CA By Tim McGillen/N9CA 2022 LCARC President
July 2022 Hi Everyone, (To explore items in “ShortSkip” issues “click” on the blue internet links) Last month’s Program: “DMR Ham Radio, DMR Vocabulary, DMR Code Plug Programing” presented by Robert Clark KA0WAS which was as professional and outstanding of a program as they come. On behalf of the LCARC… thank you Robert! BTW, Robert is open to scheduling a ZOOM session for those who have questions or wish to know more about DMR programming. Please contact me via www.W9LJ.org if you are interested. July 8th’s LCARC Program: Michael Masleid AB9GV – “RF Bandwidth vs Noise & Ways to Reduce Your Noise Floor” July’s meeting once again will be simulcast. On Friday, at 7:30pm July 8th, you may either attend the meeting live, at: Lake County Government EMA Building at 2900 W. 93rd Crown Point IN 46307. Or you can connect virtually by ZOOM. The ZOOM meeting link will be posted at www.W9LJ.org in July. You do not have to be a Club member or a ham to attend or to log into the ZOOM meeting portion. Masks are highly recommended if you attend in person. Secrets Of End Fed Zepp Antennas Is there an End Fed Zepp multi-band antenna in your future? Many have questions about using this very old simple antenna design in today’s world. This PP presentation by Palomar Engineers has been shown at several ham radio Expos. It just might be the start of a beautiful friendship. End Fed Antenna Secrets – SDDXC 2018 - Palomar Engineers https://palomar-engineers.com › uploads › End-F... PROPAGATION REPORT As I write, www.dxmaps.com shows the upper HF bands and 6 meters “exploding” with contacts across the US and to Central and South America even though the Solar Flux Index is below 100! It all may be a “good hangover” from Field Day operators finally beginning to believe in Solar Cycle 25. Whatever the reason, it’s great news for Hams worldwide! HAMFEST/CONVENTION 07/17/2022 - Karsfest Yes, it’s a Sunday 8:00am door-prizes Location: Peotone, IL Type: ARRL Hamfest Sponsor: Kankakee Area Radio Society Website: http://w9az.com/karsfest.html < downloadable flyer webpage link 07/30/2022 - East Central Indiana Hamfest Saturday on EDT Location: Winchester, IN Type: ARRL Hamfest Sponsor: Randolph Co ARC Website: https://sites.google.com/view/ecindianahamfest/home LOCAL VE TESTING EXAM SESSION 07/09/2022 | Valparaiso IN 46383-4820 www.PC-ARC.net Sponsor: Porter County ARC Location: Downtown Valparaiso Public Library Time: 9:00 AM (Walk-ins allowed) On-Line VE Testing Sources http://www.arrl.org/online-exam-session http://www.hamtestonline.com LOCAL HR NETS Courtesy of KC9UNS www.tinyurl.com/chicago-ham-nets The LCARC Information NET Every Wednesday - at 8:00pm. 147.000 and 442.075 (pl 131.8) Informal, informative, and fun. A great way to stay connected with local hams. Typically 30 minutes long. ARES NET Tuesday evening at 7:00pm. N9IAA repeater 146.685 MHz PL 173.8 www.ARESD1.com UPCOMING CONTESTS www.contestcalendar.com Contest Calendar – ARRL http://www.arrl.org › contest-calendar AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE June 22nd 2022 4 minutes https://youtu.be/aBryKE6zNfc Hope to see you Friday July 8th. 73, Tim/N9CA Q1: There is no difference in the orbits between geosynchronous and geostationary satellites? True or False? Q2: the “RG” in coax (RG-8, RG-213 RG-11) stands for: Reactance Grade, Research Grade or Radio Guide? A1: false A2: Radio Guide By Tim McGillen/N9CA 2022 LCARC President
June 2022 Hi Everyone, *To explore items in “ShortSkip” issues “click” on the blue internet links Hope you’ve had a chance to enjoy the increased band openings. 10 meters,12m, 15m, and 17m has been open almost every day from the US to Central and South America in the morning to early afternoon via TEP. F2 propagation from the US in the late afternoon and evenings into New Zealand, and Australia. TEP was my subject of April’s issue of “ShortSkip”. Check real-time US propagation at www.DXmaps.com (just click the link) June’s Club Program: “DMR Ham Radio, DMR Vocabulary, DMR Code Plug Programing” presented by Robert Clark KA0WAS June’s LCARC Meeting will be a hybrid. On Friday, at 7:30pm June 10th, you may attend the meeting live, at: Lake County Government EMA/HLD building at 2900 W. 93rd Crown Point In 46307. Or you can connect virtually by ZOOM. The ZOOM meeting link will be posted at www.W9LJ.org. You do not have to be a Club member or a ham to attend or to log into the ZOOM meeting portion. Masks are highly recommended if you attend in person. Coordinated Listening Event (CLE) Days: Friday 27 May - Monday 30 May Times: Start and End at midday, your LOCAL time Range: 350.0 - 369.9 kHz It's CLE time once again. This is a challenge for all newcomers to NDB listening and the ultimate test of your medium frequency receiving capabilities. Can you meet the challenge? 'CLE's are 'Co-ordinated Listening Events, and NDB DXers around the world focus their listening time on one small slice of the NDB spectrum. It's back to an 'almost normal' activity but with a slightly wider frequency span: 350.0 - 369.9 kHz. When tuning for NDBs, put your receiver in the CW mode and listen for the NDB's CW identifier, repeated every few seconds. Listen for U.S. NDB identifiers approximately 1 kHz higher or lower than the published transmitted frequency since these beacons are modulated with a 1020 Hz tone approximately. For example, 'AA' near Fargo, ND, transmitted on 365 kHz and its upper sideband CW identifier was tuned at 366.025 kHz while its lower sideband CW ident could be tuned at 363.946 kHz. Its USB tone was actually 1025 Hz while its LSB tone was 1054 Hz. Often, one sideband will be much stronger than the other so if you don't hear the first one, try listening on the other sideband. Canadian NDBs normally have an USB tone only, usually very close to 400 Hz. They also have a long dash (keydown) following the CW identifier. All NDBs heard in North America will be listed in the RNA database (updated daily) while those heard in Europe may be found in the REU database. Beacons heard outside of these regions will be found in the RWW database. For full CLE article and contest entry details visit: https://www.amateurradio.com/hunting-for-ndbs-in-cle280/?awt_a=4inN&awt_l=80164&awt_m=3W0vgsz.YTrzbnN#:~:text=It%27s%20CLE%20time,following%20CLE%20info%3A ARRL June 4-5th Digital Contest Contest Objective: Amateurs worldwide contact and exchange QSO information with other amateurs using any digital mode (excluding RTTY) that supports the 4-digit Grid Square exchange — attended operation only -- on the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10 and 6 meter bands (Technicians are limited per FCC Rules to the 10 and 6 meter bands). Any station may work any other station. Stations may only be worked once per band, regardless of mode. Automated operation is not permitted -- each claimed contact must include contemporaneous direct initiation by the operator on both sides of the contact. Dates: First full weekend of June (June 4-5, 2022). Contest Period: Begins 01:00pm CDT Saturday, ends 06:59 CDT Sunday, Contest rules are now maintained as a single downloadable document. Click Here for the complete ARRL International Digital Contest rules (PDF) For contest information contact contests@arrl.org or (860) 594-0232 ARRL June 11th-12th 2022 VHF Contest Objective: For amateurs in the US and Canada (and their possessions) to work as many amateur stations in as many different 2 degrees x 1 degree Maidenhead grid squares as possible using authorized frequencies above 50 MHz. Stations outside the US & Canada (and their possessions) may only work stations in the US (and its possessions) and Canada. Dates: The second full weekend in June. (June 11-12, 2022) Contest Period: Begins 1:00pm CDT Saturday, ends 9:59 CDT Sunday. Contest Rules are now maintained as a single downloadable document. Click Here for Complete ARRL June VHF Contest Rules (PDF) For contest information contact contests@arrl.org or (860) 594-0232 All legal modes are permitted (while CW and SSB/Phone are most common, MSK144, FT8 and FM-Only are gaining popularity - other popular modes include PSK31, FSK441 and JT65). *For Cabrillo file mode definitions, Digital modes should be represented as "DG" (for all things digital), SSB Phone as "PH", FM voice as "FM", and CW as "CW". *Stations in KH0-9, KL7 & KP1-KP5, CY9 and CY0 count as W/VE stations and can be worked by DX stations for contest credit. ARRL FIELD DAY June 25-26 2022 Rules & Resources | Facebook Group | T-shirts & Gear | Join ARRL *Some New Rules Going into Effect This Year for ARRL Field Day 2022 CONTACT ME IF YOU WANT TO JOIN A LCARC FIELD DAY OUTING Objective: To contact as many stations as possible on the 160, 80, 40, 20,15 and 10 Meter HF bands, as well as all bands 50 MHz and above, and to learn to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal conditions. Field Day is open to all amateurs in the areas covered by the ARRL/RAC Field Organizations and countries within IARU Region 2. DX stations residing in other regions may be contacted for credit, but are not eligible to submit entries. Each claimed contact must include contemporaneous direct initiation by the operator on both sides of the contact. Initiation of a contact may be either locally or by remote. A virtual wealth of Field Day Information available at www.ARRL.org Type Field Day into the upper right “search” space on the website The Porter County Club is planning an outing. www.PC-ARC.net Upcoming Hamfests 06/05/2022 - Starved Rock Radio Club Hamfest Location: Mendota, IL Type: ARRL Hamfest Sponsor: Starved Rock Radio Club Website: http://www.w9mks.org 06/11/2022 - Monroe County IN HamfestLocation: Bloomington, IN Type: ARRL Hamfest Sponsor: BARC, SIARA, K9IU 06/05/2022 - Starved Rock Radio Club Hamfest Location: Mendota, IL Type: ARRL Hamfest Sponsor: Starved Rock Radio Club Website: http://www.w9mks.org Nearby VE Testing 06/18/2022 | Valparaiso IN 46383-4820 Sponsor: Porter County ARC Location: Valparaiso Public Library Time: 9:00 AM (Walk-ins allowed) On-Line VE Testing Sources http://www.arrl.org/online-exam-session www.hamtestonline.com 2022 LCARC CLUB MEMBERSHIP The LCARC always welcomes new members. If you have never been a Club member, the cost to join for the year 2022 is; zero. Go to www.W9LJ.org and submit an email membership request. You can also print a form out and mail it to us. LOCAL HR NETS Courtesy of KC9UNS www.tinyurl.com/chicago-ham-nets The LCARC Information NET Every Wednesday - at 8:00pm. 147.000 and 442.075 (pl 131.8) Informal, informative, and fun. A great way to stay connected with local hams. Typically 30 minutes long. ARES NET Tuesday evening at 7:00pm. N9IAA repeater 146.685 MHz PL 173.8 http://www.ARESD1.com On-Line EmComm WINLINK Digital Training http://www.EmComm-Training.org 73, Tim/N9CA Q: When was the now eliminated Amateur Radio “Advanced License” first offered? After WW I, Just before WW II, Shortly after WWII, January 1970 A: shortly after WW II Q: What were BBC television stations used for in WW II? Transmitting encrypted messages, Jamming German propaganda stations, Jamming German navigation systems, Secret sub-band communications A: jamming German Navigation By Tim McGillen/N9CA 2022 LCARC President
May 2022 Hi Everyone, Hope you’ve had a chance to enjoy the increased band openings. 10 meters has been open almost every day to Central and South America as well as New Zealand. China, Japan, Saudi Arabia have been on 15m. Quite a bit of it is Trans Equatorial Propagation. TEP was my subject of April’s issue of “ShortSkip”. Check real-time US propagation at www.DXmaps.com (just click the link) A 10 meter dipole is just 19.5 feet long. Antenna height for good DX using a dipole starts at just 20 feet. Many hams string one up in the attic. If your coax feed run is over 60 feet, invest in good coax such as LMR-400 or Belden 9913. These brand name coax cables have low losses on 10 meters (especially for longer feed line runs). *All HR licenses classes have 10m privileges for CW, SSB, and Digital modes. In the meantime, Our sun keeps throwing chunks of CME and solar flares in the direction of Earth which can either black-out the radio bands or excite the ionization of the upper “F1 and F2” layers increasing the chance of short-wave “skip”. www.SpaceWeather.com (just click the link) This site posts video and photographic images of the Sun’s flares, aurora, planets, comets, and even the new Chinese Space Station as seen from Earth by telescope. Each day’s edition is archived for your review with click-on links to learn more. Last Month’s Meeting The meeting was held entirely on ZOOM. The program was by Joe Butcher KE9FZ on “How To Obtain A Permit To Build A HR Tower”. We are all grateful for your program Joe, thank you. Joe shared his first-hand experience with; several local towns, their procedures, talking with town engineers, and the importance of talking with neighbors first. Joe told us the right way to present engineering plans, as well as the likely questions to expect from town zoning board members who are unfamiliar with towers and amateur radio in general. May’s LCARC Program will be a hybrid. On Friday, at 7:30pm May 13th, you may attend the meeting live, at: Lake County Government EMA/HLD building at 2900 W. 93rd Crown Point In 46307. Or you can connect virtually by ZOOM. The ZOOM meeting link will be posted at www.W9LJ.org. You do not have to be a Club member or a ham to attend or to log into the ZOOM meeting portion. Masks are highly recommended if you attend in person. The programs will be: “Building A Portable Under $10 Two Meter VHF Tape Measure Yagi” not only for Fox-Hunting but will be useful if you cannot make it into a repeater with your HT with it’s rubber duck antenna. And we will also stream a video from a Porter County Club’s ZOOM meeting held a few weeks ago with Dan Quigley N7HQ from Flex Radio. “Software Defined Ham Radio Transceivers”. The K7RA Solar Update Tad Cook/K7RA is predicting Solar Flux increasing to 140 by mid-May. Additiionally, there is a geomagnetic disturbance warning, stating, "The Earth is currently under the influence of moderately elevated solar wind speed associated with a southern coronal hole. 2022 LCARC CLUB MEMBERSHIP The LCARC always welcomes new members. If you have never been a Club member, the cost to join for the year 2022 is; zero. Go to www.W9LJ.org and submit an email membership request. You can also print a form out and mail it to us. NEARBY VE EXAM SESSIONS 05/06/2022 | Clarendon Hills IL 60514-2711 Sponsor: Dupage ARC Location: Church of Holy Nativity Time: 7:30 PM (No Walk-ins / Register or Call ahead) 05/09/2022 | Libertyville IL 60048-1308 Sponsor: Lake County RACES/ ARES Location: Lake County EOC CLASSROOM Time: 7:00 PM (No Walk-ins / Register or Call ahead) 05/14/2022 | Valparaiso IN 46383-4820 Sponsor: Porter County ARC Location: Valparaiso Public Library Time: 9:00 AM (Walk-ins allowed) NEARBY MAY HAMFESTS 05/07/2022 - North Central Indiana Hamfest, ARRL Indiana State Convention Location: Peru, IN Type: ARRL Convention Sponsor: Cass County, Grant County, Kokomo, and Miami County AR-Clubs Website: http://www.ncihamfest.com/ May 20 - 22 -- Dayton Hamvention®, Xenia, Ohio, and featuring ARRL EXPO www.hamvention.org LOCAL HR NETS Courtesy of KC9UNS www.tinyurl.com/chicago-ham-nets The LCARC Information NET Every Wednesday - at 8:00pm. 147.000 and 442.075 (pl 131.8) Informal, informative, and fun. A great way to stay connected with local hams. Typically 30 minutes long. ARES NET Tuesday evening at 7:00pm. N9IAA repeater 146.685 MHz PL 173.8 www.ARESD1.com MAY 2022 CONTESTS INDIANA QSO PARTY Saturday May 7th 10am to 10pm CDT. Objective: For Amateurs worldwide to contact as many stations in Indiana as possible on the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meter Amateur bands. For all contest rules VISIT www.HDXCC.org For more contests visit www.contestcalendar.com 73 for now, & “see” you on the bands! Tim/N9CA |
Short SkipThe Official Newsletter of the LCARC
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