Short Skip - May 2022

​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