I Love This Stuff!

Nothing of substance from me, just a video I found interesting. Hope you enjoy it.

Things No One Else Will Tell You About Field Day

I'm nostalgic. I like traditions. I like to camp. I like to stay up all night from time to time. I like to play on the radio--but you knew that already. So, it makes sense that I would like the ARRL's Annual Field Day. In fact, since becoming a ham I haven't missed one yet. Okay, that's not really a major feat, as I've only been licensed during the past four Field Days, but I am on a roll that I hope to keep going. So like many other amateur radio operators, I've marked June 28-29 on the calendar and informed the XYL of my intentions to operate the, "entire weekend this year. " 

In case you're wondering: she rolled her eyes and gave me her best "whatever" look before informing me that I would have three children as company and that she would be happy to be left alone in the house for, "the entire weekend." She said it very menacingly.

If you've never partaken of the Field Day festivities, there is plenty of literature available online and in print. The books and website will give you the basics: what the point is, who might be on the air, what you'll be hearing, where to go, what t-shirt to buy, how many commemorative mugs you should consider parting with your dollars for...but there are a few things they don't tell you. For instance:

Field Day IS a contest

They will say it isn't. They will assure you that it's a test. They will tell you there is no winner. They are all liars! Of course it's a contest, but the points are a little tricky to calculate, so here is a handy guide to calculate your score.

Field Day 2014 Ham-N-Roll Point System
Visible Insect Bites	1 Pt./Ea
Antenna Rope Burns	1Pt./Inch
Hair Physically Torn Out During FD	10Pts./Square Inch
Caffinated Beverages Consumed	1 Pt./8 oz.
Pens/Pencils Rendered Useless	2 Pt./Ea.
Sleep	-25 Pts./Hour
Speaking to Non-Hams about Event	10 Pts./Minute
New Friends Made	Priceless
Multipliers:
Sunburn	Percentage of body covered expressed as a whole number i.e. 50% of body Sunburned=50 x total points
Lost Voice	Multiply points by db SPL lost from June 28 at 1800 UTC to June 29 at 2059 UTC

Field Day is a GREAT Weekend for DX

Sure the bands will be crowded, sure people will be piled up like I-5 during rush hour moments after an armored truck rolled over spilling it's contents across 8 lanes of asphalt. It also means that just about everyone in the world with na HF rig will be pointing their antenna stateside to witness the madness. If you're anything like me, you'll find those little RF holes in the spectrum and call CQDX a few times, you might be surprised at who answers. Last year, I added 7 new countries. 

You Don't Need an HF Rig to Enjoy Field Day

There are a few ways around the lack of a HF rig in your shack. You can join a club or group who is participating and use their gear at a GOTA (get on the air) station--find a group here. You can find a friend who has an HF rig and beg, borrow, or steal it for the weekend (I do not advise the latter, the fines and jail time will really hamper your chances at DXCC). Or you can take you FM mobile or hand-held out to the highest geographic location within a reasonable distance and score some major fun working simplex. If you decide to go that route, take a few minutes and a few dollars (<$20) to build a tape measure yagi and double your distance. Here is a link to some great plans for one.

Even if You Are Set Up on the Moon Bring Bug Spray

Field Day's one draw back is that it is always concurrently scheduled with the annual AMFGNEAH festival. The AMFGNEAH (Annual Mosquito Fly Gnat and Noseeum Eat A Ham) Festival is notorious. Google it. Never mind the robots must be sleeping, there are no results. Seriously though, you would be amazed at how many Field Day points (see the chart above) you'll acquire if you ignore this little tidbit: Bug Spray=Good, Mosquito Coils=Good, Sugar water=No Bueno. 

37% of Field Day Happens at Night

Field Day is twenty seven hours long, ten of those hours are in darkness, unless you live in Alaska or you are operating inside a building (which, for the record, is not a Field and therefore cheating...regardless of what the rules say). No one remembered to tell me this the first year, so imagine my surprise when I was trying to test my battery voltage at three in the morning without a flashlight. Luckily the arch of electricity alerted a fellow ham that I needed some light...and an icepack. Make sure you have some means of seeing after dark, I prefer an LED headlamp. It leaves my hands open and reduces shadows where I need to see. Also, it's easier to find after thirty cups of coffee and eight hours of breathing bug spray fumes.

In Conclusion

Field Day is a blast and the stories I have from my first four are some of my favorite Ham moments. If I could only impart one thing, it would be this: enjoy your time. No matter how many or how few contacts you make Field Day is always interesting, challenging, and usually a lot of fun. Take time to work stations having trouble, go out of your way to chat up younger hams. Be ready with a smile and plenty of charm when someone stops by to see what all the racket is about. Field Day is a blast, but only if you make it one.

146.52 Reasons to Monitor VHF Simplex

Before things get out of hand, I have to be honest: I don't actually have 146.52 reasons for monitoring simplex prepared.  Still, there are plenty of reasons, so I hope you'll stick around.

As I'm sure you are aware the Dayton Hamvention was last weekend and I attended it with my father, W2PJM. We had a lot of fun, but I can honestly say that one of the best parts was the ride there. We left NJ early on Thursday morning and monitored 146.52 the whole trip. After a few hours of quiet, some chatter broke through the squelch and we began to hear other Hams moving in the same direction. Before we knew it, we were chatting it up on simplex.

I make a point of monitoring 146.52 whenever I drive. It's a habit that my first Elmer W6LSW instilled in me. Around home, I almost never hear anyone on simplex. I put out a call occasionally, but I'm rarely met with a response, but I still monitor it with dogmatic fervor. Why? I'm so glad you asked.

It's an Easy Way to Meet New People and Get Information

How many times have you been riding down the highway when a car that resembles an AWACS flys by in the fast lane? Don't you want to know how he or she can fit that many antennas on a car. Wouldn't you like to see a picture of the dashboard of such an aerial-laden vehicle? Well, if you were both monitoring 146.52, you'd have the answers to you questions.

Let's explore another scenario: You are driving through a new or unfamiliar area and you forgot to program your mobile for the local repeaters. You scan and can hear them, but you cannot remember how to use that nifty CTCSS code scan function the salesman convinced you was worth an extra $100. If you jumped on 146.52 and there were other Hams monitoring (or at least scanning it), you could have an answer.

Like Morse Code, It's a Universal Ham Standard

Arguably, the best thing about Morse Code is that it is ubiquitous. Any Ham that learns the code, quickly redoubles his/her reach in the amateur community. It simplicity and consistency lend the code to being a Ham Standard. Even Hams that don't know the code, know what it sounds like and can probably pound out a few letters--even if it's just S.O.S.). The same goes for 146.52. If every Ham in the world (or at least the USA) took the time to monitor and make calls on simplex, there would be a more universal feel to the VHF allocation rather than tiny little cells and haunts or local repeater groups.

In an Emergency...

Except in cases of dramatic tropospheric ducting, VHF signal are regulated to reasonably short-range communication. This is not the case with a repeater. With the advent of linking and internet connectivity, you might ask for help on a repeater and be talking to someone that is at the farthest conceivable geographical point from you or they may even be floating above you in an orbiting space vehicle. 

Generally speaking, if you can work someone on VHF simplex with a mobile rig (35w or so) or HT (5w or less), they are close enough to help you out in a pinch. So, if you happen to run out of gas, get a flat tire, or find yourself navigating the aftermath of a natural disaster, being able to raise a like-minded Ham on 146.52 could prove very helpful.

The Problem

The problem is, most Hams don't monitor VHF simplex anymore. Why? Who knows? The most reasonable argument I have heard is, "No one is ever there." While overstated, it isn't far from the truth. The point is, unless a large chunk of us start to monitor and use the frequency, it will be continue to be silent and worthless. 

The Solution

The solution is simple. Tune into 146.52 simplex whenever you can. Announce your call and see if anyone responds. If you hear another, return the call. Program the channel into your scan lists too. You can still spend time working your buddies on the repeater, but why not try and contact them simplex; whether it's on 146.52 or some other frequency. And, if you ever see my little black coupe rolling down the highway, give WE2F a call, I'll be listening. What about you?

Quick and Dirty Field Day Doublet

Last night I got home with a few hours of daylight to spare (thank you very much Summer Solstice) so I decided to throw a quick and dirty doublet together for Field Day. Like most hams, I have a few (unless you ask my XYL, then it's hundreds) boxes of random "junk" laying around that I use from time to time to experiment, so I pulled out a few bits and pieces to put the antenna together. In case you've never built a doublet, here are my reasons for doing so and the theories that I employed.

There is a lot of confusion surrounding the terms "doublet" and "dipole," so let me wade into the murky waters and explain the difference as I see it. Technically, there is none. They are two names for the same thing. However, the difference, in common parlance, lies in how you feed said antenna and whether the antenna is cut to resonance for a target frequency. 

Typically, a "dipole" is a resonant antenna for a given frequency and is fed with coax. There are many purveyors of 40 meter, 20 meter, 10 meter, etc. dipoles that include a PL259 connection at the center connector to attach your coax. These dipoles are typically resonant near the center of the given bad and give adequate bad with to allow the ham to operate anywhere on the bad without the need for a tuner. Try to load them up on another band then their design frequency however, and noise, smoke, silence, and cursing often occur. 

"But I have a fancy built-in tuner in my rig, so I can load that 40-meter dipole up on 6 through 160, right?" 

Maybe, but the impedances of other bad on a resonant dipole can be amazingly high. So, in short, it's not a good idea to test fate. There are however tuners that will allow you to load up on other bands, but the signal losses of doing so offer drastically diminishing returns. In other words, you might be able to tune that 40-meter dipole up on 160-meters, but it might work as well as loading up a Soup Can. 

A Doublet (again, I'm speaking of "Doublet" as is generally understood. Both "dipole" and "doublet" mean the same thing), is a little different. The basics are the same. You generally cut a doublet antenna to be a half wave long on the lowest frequency you plan to operate. Impedances on other bands will still be amazingly high, but the losses will be much lower and turn our "Soup-Can" into a usable, although compromised, antenna. How? I'm glad you asked.

By using ladder line or open wire feed-line (two wires separated by spacers) the signal losses are dramatically reduced. The ladder line is then fed into a Balanced Line Tuner (or a 4:1 Balun) and then coax to your rig. A Balanced Line Tuner like the CG Antenna Ltd. Remote Auto Tuner is placed where your ladder line meets the ground and powered by a battery (in my case an SLA battery which is charge by a 5W Solar Panel (Pics coming soon) or by a "Bias Tee Power Injector" such as the MFJ-4116. When the auto tuner senses RF energy it quickly measures the SWR and makes the necessary adjustments to put it back in a usable range. Remote auto tuners like the CG can seamlessly deal with the wild impedance differences between bands and allow you to operate on 6 -meters one minute and 40-meters the next. So now you can pick a Saturday and knock out that DXCC you were thinking about getting someday. Maybe, but there are a few other things to consider.

Our 40-meter Doublet and subsequent Balanced Line Auto Tuner are doing their job singingly, but it is important to realize exactly what they are doing. Like a 40-meter resonant dipole, our antenna will project the bulk of it's RF energy 90° to the antenna in both directions, in other words, off the sides of the antenna. This is assuming that the antenna is flat-top and at least 1/4 wave (33 feet or so) above the ground. When we move dow to 20-meters, our antenna will still put the bulk of it's energy out at 90°, but as we go higher in frequency (17-meter, 15-Meter, 12-Meter, etc.) our two predictable lobes will start to break up and lose energy. by 15-meters, there will essentially be 4 lobes at 45° each. I wish I had the ability to plot this out for you, but at the moment I don't. Suffice it to say, that you must consider the trade-offs when ever you deploy a multi-band antenna. 

Wow, that was  a lot of theory to get to my application. So, I decided to deploy a lightweight 66' (half wave on 40-meter) doublet fed with 300Ω Ladder Line. I built this antenna to use for Field Day 2013, but it will also be used regularly when operating portable with my Hendricks PFR-3. That being the case, I wanted it to be pretty bullet-proof without adding too much weight. Also, I wanted to save the nice 500' spool of antenna wire I have to complete an 80-meter full-wave loop this summer. Luckily, my fellow Ham and father recently unloaded a spool of hefty speaker wire on me.

I found this Wireman 814C in a box and drilled the holes a little wider to accommodate the wire. I soldered everything up, added some shrink-wrap (in case it stays up longer than planed) and put it away for the weekend. 

As you might notice, I need to buy a heat gun as my lighter really charred the shrink wrap, but at least it's still functional. I'll report back on how the antenna performs, but in the meantime, I hope I've given you some food-for-thought on dipoles vs. doublets.

New Mobile Shack: Nothing Goes as Planned, Right?

With all intentions of following my plan for an install on my new car, I dove in between rain storms over the past two nights to get everything mounted and ready for years of mobile VHF/UHF enjoyment. About ten minutes into the project, it became apparent that things were not going to go exactly as planned.

The antenna mount I chose (see THIS post for details and links on the gear I used) mounted up in a heart beat. I only moved it once so that the antenna (when the trunk is opened) would not slam the roof of the car, potentially causing damage to one or both. I took a piece of ground strap I had lying around the garage and slipped it under the mount to bond the antenna to the radio and the farm of the vehicle. In hind site, it was a pain to run all the ground strap, but it was also well worth the effort as everything is quiet and appears to function very well. It's always amazing how much a solid ground plane work in your favor.

With the antenna mounded, it was time to run the feed line and ground strap, which took several attempts. Every time I thought I had found the perfect balance between keeping cable out of the way and being able to close the trunk, I found I was mistaken. After half an hour or so, I got it right. Again, I'm glad that I took the time to do it right. 

Next, I mounted the radio body to the car under the back dash. Unfortunately, I stripped a few screws in the process, which meant re-drilling. Just when I buttoned it up I realized that I hadn't laid the ground strap under the bracket. So off it came again and then back together. By this time, it was nearing midnight, so I wrapped it up.

The next morning, I re-thought the idea of fabricating an in-cabin mounting bracket. I just didn't have the time to do it well. Luckily, my father (also a ham) has a barn full of random bits and pieces. I called over to say, "hi," and have him rummage through boxes. :) He found just what I needed and dropped the pieces off later that day.

I mounted everything up quickly and set off to run the power and signal through the cabin and firewall. Oh boy, that was fun. Luckily, I was able to follow the hood release cable through the firewall and with a hour or so of tugging and contorting myself into ungodly under-dash positions, I had power. 

With the install done, I powered up the laptop, loaded a few frequencies, and programmed the radio. I'm happy to report that it is quiet, effective, and seems to work well, in spite of the fact that I still haven't received the planned antenna. In the meantime, I had another dual-band NMO to attach to the mount for testing and such. 

This is the first time I really took the time to do a mobile install correctly and I'm very happy with the results. I think my wife was even impressed that there weren't tangle wires snaking in every direction like my previous installs. The whole thing looks good, is out of the way while easily within reach, and works well. Sometimes the plan has to go out the window to get things right I guess.

73

Not so Common Sense Tips and Tricks for Public Service

If you follow me on Twitter (@rocknrollriter), you may have noticed that I got a little bit bent yesterday morning by a thread on eham.com. If you don't follow me on Twitter, (please do) then let me explain.

In the Emcomm thread, (a hotbed of seething, snarling, nastiness anyway) a relatively new ham asked a rather benign and open-ended question. Actually, it wasn't even really a question. He asked what tips and tricks more experienced hams had for someone just getting into emergency communications. He then subsequently got blasted for not using common sense, told to use Google, and was essentially called a moron for not framing his question correctly.

It made me angry, so I responded in kind. In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best way to deal with the situation, but it is what it is. I called out "the old guard" and said that they shouldn't bemoan the fact that no one with a newer ticket wants to come to meetings, help out at events, or activate rare DX when they are constantly barked at about the old days. I also pointed out that newbies rarely have the frame of reference to ask the "right" questions; whatever that means. Further more, the reason common sense isn't so common anymore is because hams weren't willing to give advice and make it common. Most of all, I told them that it was childish to treat people this way. 

My post was heated, and that wasn't good. Luckily K7RBW was kind enough to offer a constructive response that helped save the discussion from heading down the toilet. I also received a response from K1CJS that was well considered. There is a lot of information, both good and bad, floating around about any given facet of Amateur Radio. One has to narrow it down, or the answers are muddy at best. With that in mind and in the spirit of goodwill, here are the top ten lessons I've learned while using Amateur Radio in Public Service:

1.) Always have three ways (or more) to get power

Batteries run out, AA cells disappear quickly, the power grid is always spotty in an emergency, generators run out of gas. If you don't have redundant ways to secure power, your operation will suffer. Personally, I carry 5 ways to power an HT and 3 to power my mobile rig.

For the HT: I carry a fully charged battery in the unit and another in my go-bag, an AA cell holder, a cigarette lighter adapter, a wall-wart charger, and a fully charged 7.5aHr SLA battery with a 10 watt foldable solar panel.

For the mobile rig: 12v Power supply, a large 50aHr gel-cell marine battery, and two long extension cords, one for a 120v outlet and one with battery clips for the gel-cell or a car battery. 

2.) You NEED an LED headlamp with a spare set (or six) of batteries. 

You will need light, you will need your hands, and you may need your teeth at the same time…trust me on this one.

3.) Never go ANYWHERE on a deployment without:

• ID
• A copy of you Ham License
• A copy of your ARES, RACES, or MARS ID
• A multi-tool
• Some duct tape (wrap it around an old Hotel card key)
• A pencil (pens always fail on deployment, a pencil can always be sharpened with that multi-tool
• Paper you can spare

4.) A small, cheap mag-mount is your friend

Stick it on a car, motorcycle, file cabinet, or cookie sheet and you've just doubled the power of your little rubber duck. When you forget it on said car, motorcycle, file cabinet, or cookie sheet, you haven't lost $130 on a Diamond 5/8 wave base antenna.

5.) 19" will let you talk pretty far

If you forgot your mag-mount antenna, broke it; or it just drove away on a car, motorcycle, filing cabinet, or cookie sheet, 19" of still wire (even a coat hanger) soldered to the center of a panel mount PL259 connector and one to four 19" radials attached mechanically or soldered through the screw holes make a pretty darn effective antenna. Check THIS out.

6.) Get your inner MacGyver on

You would not believe what that guy could do with a paperclip. Look HERE! Likewise, you would not believe what a little can-do attitude and brain-power can do to fix an otherwise dire situation. Hams are a very resourceful bunch. Don't give us a bad name by giving up when all else fails. A small container of random connectors, fuses, paperclips, zip ties, velcro, blah, blah, blah is a godsend in a pinch.

7.) Find every fuse on every piece of gear that you'll bring...

...now put twenty thousand of each one in your go-bag. Okay, twenty thousand my be excessive  but bring way more than you think you'll need. I've always found that I usually blow at least three until I figure out the problem.

8.) Sometimes being in Emcomm means taking out the trash

This one goes straight to my heart. You're their to serve the public, so serve them in whatever way is needed, when it is needed, for as long as you are able. If you are looking to play with your radio in a bad situation, stay home. Most of the time emcomm is about communications, but sometimes it's about taking out the trash. If you're not willing to do both, then your thoughtful support from home would be better for everyone.

9.) Be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem

Much like the last tip, when you are in a public service capacity, help out, with a positive attitude, stay out of the way, keep your nose where it belongs, and bring the gear and knowledge you need to take care of yourself for the duration of your service. The last thing anyone needs is a volunteer who was there to help suddenly needing rescue or a diaper change. 

10.) At minimum, carry three radios

You will obviously need your HT and or Mobile rig. In addition, I always carry a FRS/GMRS (make sure you are licensed for one), and a digital trunk-tracking scanner. Also bring the peripherals  manuals, power supplies, extra batteries, headphones, etc.. It always seems that someone in the command chain believes that FRS/GMRS and Ham Radio are one and the same. They will need you to relay communications between someone with one to someone with the other. Be a part of the solution and have one of each, so you can accomodate them. A trunk-tracking scanner is also nice to have, especially if you're savvy enough to program it on the fly. You will be able to monitor what is happening, who is coming, where the trouble is, and myriad other things.

THIS IS IMPORTANT: If you are scanning, do so through headphones. I carry a single surveillance-style ear-piece. Why? Because people will be listening over your shoulder. Chances are they are in the middle of the emergency and stressed out of their minds. They will read all kinds of things into the radio traffic and it will cause them more harm than good. Also, there may be information shared over the scanner that is more personal than during normal radio operations. It is important to let the communications happen without causing secondary issues.

These are the top-ten tips and tricks that I have learned while serving the public with my amateur radio. Whether you are supporting a run, bike ride, or full-scale city evacuation, I believe that these things will help you out. I hope they do.

Coming Down / Setting Up

With the Dayton Hamvention behind me, it is time to think about the future again. I have lots of fun new gear and a few more tricks to try out on the air, but I'm the type that needs a goal...even in a hobby.

Goals are funny things. Sometimes, they motivate, other times they stifle. In this case, a goal reminds me that I have something to work toward. Without something to work toward, I often forget to pursue things that matter to me, for things that have deadlines. I'm not sure if that has to do with my upbringing, my need for success, or a hole in the ozone layer but a good solid goal keeps me engaged. I like to be engaged, especially if I'm doing something fun.

The notable date on my Ham calendar is Field Day. Having recently moved to New Jersey, I haven't found a club yet. Furthermore, I doubt I'll be able to get involved in one before Field Day, since all the ones in my area only seem to meet when someone signals them from Gotham City. I have not been able to locate a single one with a set meeting schedule or location; instead, they seem to roam the New Jersey pavement like nomadic hobbyists in search of a purpose. Since I'm not sure which bat-signal to follow, I haven't yet figured out where to go and meet these wayward Hams.

Being club-less (there I go, making up words again) and dead-set on operating abroad, I'm setting my sites on a little QRP Field Day atop a semi-local mountain-top. When I say "mountain-top" I mean the tallest spot in NJ, which is a little less than 2000' lower in elevation than my last QTH. This brings up a few challenges to overcome in the weeks ahead.

• I need to get my power setup built and tested. I have all the parts for a great little solar/battery setup, I just need to put it all together into something that doesn't look like a pile of electrical intestines torn from Robbie the Robot.
• I need to finish my PFR-3!
• I need to actually get on the air and have some CW QSOs. I don't expect to be hosting huge pile-ups on Field Day, but I don't want to sound like an idiot either. I've been in learning mode so long that its about time to try and use it.
• I need to test out a few antennas to decide which will serve best for that particular weekend.

For the minute, those are my Ham Radio goals. They're sure to change, but at least I have some direction to aim my "beam" as it were. Before I get to all that however, I have to get to work so I can pay for all the new toys I acquired in Dayton.

Learning CW: Rock-N-Roll Style

     I have wanted to learn Morse Code since my first ham club meeting. I lived in Northern California when I first got my ticket and attended the EDCARC (El Dorado County Amateur Radio Club) regularly while there. At my first meeting, we watched a video about the K5D DXpedition  to Desecheo Island. As soon as I watched those ops pounding out CW, I wanted to know how to do it. So I did what any other newb does, I asked the guy sitting next to me and the guy sitting next to him. Over the course of an hour, they told me three ways that were the "only" way to do it. Frustrated, I tried all three ways and failed.

     Over the four years since then, I have tried every software, CD, mp3, and web-based course that promises to have me pounding brass with the best of them in less than forty-eight hours at 25 wpm. By the beginning of 2013, I was ready to do just about anything, short of sacrificing my first-born to lear the code, but it seemed hopeless. So I decided to figure out my own method. So far, it's working WAY better than any other method I've tried so far.

     So what's the secret trick? I'm not sure yet. At least, I'm not sure if it's going to work out in the end. I just know that I am now understanding most characters at 20 wpm and I am able to pick out words after two or three trys rather than banging my head against the shack wall in dispair. I downloaded DahDit for my iPhone and started listening to the characters at 20 wpm with the spoken character before the tone for the first fifteen minutes of my morning commute. During the first fifteen minutes of my commute home, I switched the spoken characters to after the tones, giving me a chance to hear/guess the characters coming. I did this for three weeks so far and just started listening to random generated words at lunch time and before bed.

     Why do I think this is a "better" way to learn the code? I don't necessarily. It's just better for me. Next week my new CW rig (a Hendricks PFR-3) should be complete*. I'm also heading to the Dayton Hamvention, where I plan on picking up a set of paddles. Once I have both, I'll begin sending into a dummy load until aI'm ready to get on the air; hopefully within another week's time.

     I don't know if my method will work for anyone else, but it's working for me. The point is: no one has the "best" way to learn the code, because we all learn so differently. However, I do believe that it is impossible to learn it (well) in forty-eight hours or less. It may take weeks, months, or even years. It may take trying hundreds of methods, but like all things worth achieving, putting in the time will eventually pay off.

*More on this in a futre post