With Varying Frequency - Amateur Radio Ponderings

The famous KK Fiske Restaurant on Washington Island (WI-001L) Wisconsin was the venue for a WI9DX Washington Island DX Club meeting.  

Founding Members George W9EVT, Mac W9EVI and Myself (Steve K9ZW) welcomed member Dean K3GGN and new members John KA9USC & Mike K9ABT

WI9DX DX Club was founded several years ago to promote Amateur Radio on Washington Island, specially the pursuit of DXing.  (DXing is the hobby of tuning in and identifying distant radio stations, or making two way radio contact with distant stations in amateur radio.)

These events are always great fun, as everyone has so much to share, finally gets to meet people with shared interests and always results in much camaraderie!

Of special interest this July meeting is interference noted by several of the members on 6m, 10m, & 12m bands.  Several audio recordings were played and discussed.  There is a strong correlation that the interference (which can range to over S9 across more than a hundred kilocycles in several areas at times) with a pilot data over power grid (BPL) program underway currently on the Island.  When running this interference is strong enough to deny the affected band segments from Hobby & Emergency Communications use.  

In true “Island cooperative style“, the group was unanimous to offer our assistance to try an firmly identify the exact source, and to help correct the in-Amateur Band interference.  Further consultation with Ed Hare W1RFI at the ARRL is planned to help define a protocol for offering Amateur Assistance.  As the ARRL has a working & acceptable BPL install to the League’s main radio station the group hoped that depth of experience would help sort out the local interference on Washington Island.

Antennas, rigs, mobile (including Marine Mobile) operations and station banter filled the rest of the morning’s meeting.  George W9EVT extended an invitation for all the members to come visit his shack, QTH at Greengate Farm.

73

Steve
K9ZW

Recently eHam has had to address a new issue - a casual request to subscribers of The DailyDX to consider rating the publication in the eHam Reviews section lead to over 75 almost instantaneous 5 out of 5 ratings with reviews from around the world.

This was followed by a very crabby non-review posting giving The DailyDX a 0 of 5 rating by a new 2007 licensee who openly stated he never had even seen the publication.  This bogus review was removed by eHam’s Reviews Manager Phil NA4M after I emailed him pointing out that it wasn’t a product review, but rather a rant by someone who hadn’t taken the time to look over the product.

Next came the usual eHam hand-wringing in the Elmers section and apparently a fair number of private emails.

eHam’s Product Review Manager, Phil NA4M, had himself a paradox - complaints from all directions and thoughts that The DailyDX request to consider doing reviews was somehow advertising.

Result, eHam has pulled the reviews, blocked out the product Name for future reviews and at least for now set-aside the reviews that 75+ amateurs from around the world had taken the time to post.

Second guessing their decision isn’t hard - on the face of it one wonders why they would basically punish the successful for having an enthusiastic paying readership willing to give up their time to post their product reviews?

Isn’t that what eHam Reviews are supposed to be about?

Perhaps the eHam team is thinking about it.

Here are some related links:

eHam Blocking URL

eHam Periodical Reviews Section

eHam URL for My Personal Review which has been Deleted

(My review read: Each Day by email I get the most welcomed look into the world of DX by a subscription email Newsletter, The Daily DX by Bernie McClenny W3UR

From the DailyDX Website: The Daily DX is the first daily (Monday-Friday) E-mailed DX bulletin edited and produced by Bernie McClenny, W3UR.

The Daily DX contains late breaking news about future DXpeditions, propagation forecasts, QSL information, Contest expeditions, IOTA (Islands on the Air), facts, tidbits and more.

The Daily DX is full of fresh new DX information. You get 5 issues a week, received daily by e-mail in your home or office. Snail mail DX bulletins take too long to get you the DX information you need in a timely manner. The other e-mail DX bulletins only come out once a week. Do you want to wait a whole week for the latest DX news and then find you’ve missed a new one?

It is obvious that Bernie W3UR puts a lot of work into the newsletter and still is able to keep his subscription rate modest - you can arrange to receive a couple weeks as a free sample at The DailyDX Website

73 & best DX

Steve
K9ZW)

The DailyDX

Personally my thoughts, as conveyed before eHam deleted all reviews, was that the reviews by people who actually had purchased and used The DailyDX should stand.

Perhaps eHam will restore them after reflection.

73

Steve

K9ZW

At Contest University 2008 the importance of this book was again stressed, and a discount coupon to buy a copy was part of the CU packet.  Here is my write-up & review of the book from 2007.  It is also being reposted as it was done before Tags and RSS feeds were implemented for this blog.

——————————————————

At Dayton 2007’s Contest University one book on the important issue of station design for Multi Stations and SO2R (Single Operator Two Radios) Stations was mentioned by several of instructors.

Managing Interstation Interference by W2VJN

During the Dayton show I made a beeline to the INRAD booth to buy three copies - one for my local club, one for my Dayton traveling partner George W9EVT and one for my amateur radio library.

I found George W9EVT speaking with a long lost old time High-Speed CW contact who had worked Skeds for years between them. Imagine my surprise to find that with the books fresh in hand that this CW expert was none other than George W9JVN - Author of the Books!!

I mentioned how this book had received multiple mentions and recommendations during the Contest University and how I appreciated meeting the Author in person.

From the introduction of the book:

Whenever two or more transceivers are used in close proximity there is some level of interference involved. This level can vary from practically no problem to actually burning up components in the receiving radio. The purpose of this book is to identify and quantify the various parameters that create the interference and to show methods that will reduce or eliminate it.

My read of the book since Dayton has found that the CTU Profs understated the quality and usefulness of the information in this book. And that the book has not gone unnoticed by other experts:

ON4UN says:
“George [W9JVN] covers every imaginable
aspect of the interference
problem in this book…”

The actual stubs can either be designed and made by the amateur themselves, or one of George’s other businesses Top Ten Devices offers W2VJN’s Stubs as a commercial product:

Band Reject Coaxial Stubs
Every multi-transmitter environment suffers to some extent from harmonic interferences. In some cases, coupling due to closeness of antennas is sufficiently high that potentially damaging voltages may be present at the receiver terminals. Harmonics can be so strong that operation within 25 or 50 kHz is not possible due to receiver overload. Application of band reject coaxial stubs will reduce transmitted harmonics from the final amplifier and reduce fundamental pickup as well. This translates to fewer complaints from the operators, higher contest scores, and reduced risk of receiver front end damage.

Approximately 30 dB of harmonic attenuation can be expected from a single stub. Lumped constant filters can also provide the mentioned benefits, but none are available for amateur use unless they are home built. Top Ten Devices uses high quality RG-213 coax with a silver plated, teflon PL259 and heat shrink tubing on the shorted or open end. Rated ultra-conservatively at 1.5 kW continuous duty operation, these stubs will last a lifetime.

Stubs are manufactured to order and are individually trimmed with a Hewlett Packard network analyzer to +/-10kHz. When ordering, please specify CW or SSB, and the stub will be cut to plus 25 kHz from the sub band edge.

A single stub can be connected to the output of an amplifier with a UHF tee connector. For multi band operation, the stub(s) may be connected after the antenna switch. There is no requirement for a specific length of coax between the amplifier and the stub. Well shielded line should be used to prevent radiation of harmonics before they get to the stub. Two or more stubs for a given band may be used together. For example, a CS-4 and a CS-5 together will null 40,15 and 10. They would be connected with two UHF tee connectors close to the amplifier, if possible, to minimize pick up or radiation on the connecting lead. For stations where the amplifier is used on more than one band, automatic stub switching can be accomplished [and the] station antennas can be switched at the same time.

It is worth noting that not only has George W9VJN passed on what he has learned in his book, he is ensuring that his product knowledge & products remain available by passing the torch at INRAD. International Radio now in the very capable hands of new owners Trey, N5KO, and Mark, AG9A with George staying involved in the development of new products.

A recommended Book!

73

Steve
K9ZW

During the Dayton activities I was able to spend some time talking with two of the TI9KK DXpedition Team Craig K9CT and Norbert DJ7JC  

K9CT spoke to us during Contest University and DJ7JC we met in one of the Supersuites.

Organizational the DXpedition seemed fairly normal, a core group had established contact with the TI0RC Radio Club, the Costa Rica Licensing Authorities, arranged transport and all the 1000s of things that a DXpedition needs.

Unfortunately their on-air time was massively cut short, not by logistics, propagation, or technical difficulties, but by the direct action of one of the assisting groups to thwart the DXpedition.

TI0RC (Radio Club Costa Rica) - the Local Radio Club - sabotaged the TI9KK DXpedition by actively working to have the TI9KK operating license canceled.

Twice the TI9KK group had to travel to the capital to get their license reinstated after the TI0RC Group had done their dirty work. For those who read Spanish here is a link to one of the letters: http://www.ti9kk.dh8wr.com/Costa_Rica_Radio_Club.pdf  

Posts on the TI9KK website suggest that there may be some reconciliation with the TI0RC group, but no details are posted or assurances that this club might not turn on and work against another group.  The TI9KK group website suggests never contacting the TI0RC club.

All that aside TI9KK did make 17,000 QSOs during their five days. 

Both K9CT and DJ7JC had solid suggestions on how to avoid some of the other problems the group had - operator supplied rigs that interfered with all the other operators, too flat of a hierarchy making problem resolution that much more difficult, the Licensing issues, and so on.

Both said they were eager to do their next DXpedition, hopefully without the problems of a local group working against them.

As always it is great to meet up with “those that do” at the Hamvention, putting faces, voices, personalities and names to the DXpedition operator we may have briefly QSOed with for but a fleeting moment!

73

Steve
K9ZW

The W9 Bureau has been busy sending on inbound QSL cards.

Nice haul with a couple special events, IOTA & such. Here is the list:

• AO5KB (Spain)
• AO5MB
• CT3FT
• CU2A
• EA1ABT
• EA1AQO
• EA1NE
• EA1WS
• EA5DBF
• EA7HBP
• EA8ZS
• EB7AEY
• EF8A
• EH7SMM
• FS/N9QGU (3 cards)
• FY5KE
• G3WGQ/P (Lindisfarne EU-120)
• GI0VJE
• GM3OFT/P (Orkney EU-009)
• GN3XO/P (Rathlin EU-122)
• GP0STH
• GW6GW
• HP1WW
• JQ21QW
• LZ1900K
• LZ2007EU
• M0BZH
• MN5ALJ
• MU5W
• NP3U
• OA4WW
• OE3GCU
• OH3PS
• OM2VL
• ON4AMM
• OS8A
• P33W
• PA0CLN
• PJ4/G4IUF
• RA9XY
• SJ9WL
• SO2R
• SP9LJD (2 cards)
• SV3DCX
• TZ1T
• UA3AFJ
• UA6GP
• ZP4KFX

Thanks all for exchanging QSLs!

73

Steve
K9ZW

Bernie W3UR asked that this be spread quickly. Our thoughts & prayers are with the Burma & China disaster victims.

73
Steve
K9ZW

================
The following email was received from BD5RV/4, Michael, giving details of
the Amateur Radio activities in China hours after the earth quake hit.
73
Bernie, W3UR

Strong earthquake hits China, all ham radio operators stand by
PLEASE HELP TO SPREAD THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE

Strong earthquake hits China, all ham radio operators stand by

A Magnitude 7.8 earthquake hits Sichuan, China on Monday, May 12, 2008 at 06:28:04 UTC. Casualties and loss unknown up to now. According to Chinese Radio Sports Association, 14.270Mhz, 7.050 and 7.060 Mhz are preserved for amatuer radio emergency service in the rescue. Please spread this message as far as you can and keep the frequencies clean for emergency use. Thank you.

——————–
Yesterday, 05:57 PM
BG8AAS from Chengdu, Sichuan reported that local UHF repeater survived
in the disaster. It keeps functioning from the 1st minute and more
than 200 local radio hams are now on that repeater. A group of hams
from Chengdu has headed for Wenchuan, the center of the quake, trying
to setup emergency communication services there.

BA8AB, also from Chengdu, Sichuan, is active on the 40m emergency
frequency. Up to now, no further information available from the center
zone of the quake. There are a few radio amatuers there, but all of
the communications have been cut out, including amatuer radio.
————————-
Yesterday, 06:58 PM
Update

According to BG8AAS, local UHF repeater in Chengdu keeps busy running
after the quake. It helps to direct social vehicles to transport the
wounded from Dujiangyan, Beichuan, and other regions. Another UHF
repeater also starts its working in Mianyan, supported by generators.
However, they are going to face a shortage of gas.

Damage in Chengdu remains in the lowest level, but the situation is
very very bad in the counties around. A few towns are said to be
destroyed completely. More than 7000 died in the town of Beichuan.
Casualties in several other towns are still unknown and not counted in
the published numbers.

It is a long and sad day.
———————–
Today, 08:31 AM
Your attention please! 14.270Mhz is now reserved for ARES in 5.12
earth quake in Sichuan, China. Please help to keep this frequency
clear.

A group of radio amateurs is now transmitting from Wenchuan, the
center of quake. Its signal is reported to be very weak. They tried to
keep communication with BY8AA in Chengdu, seeking for all resources
needed. During a contact finished a few minutes ago, they were asking
for raincoats, water, tents, and outdoor living facilities.

PLEASE HELP TO FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO ALL RELEVANT FORUMS, MAILING LISTS, AND NEWS RESOURCES. MEANWHILE, KEEP THE ABOVE FREQUENCY CLEAN FOR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION.

–
Michael Chen, BD5RV/4
Email:michael.bd5rv@gmail.com
MSN: bd5rv@jsdxc.org
Skype: michael-bd5rv