volume 51, issue 4 vox

de N4BCD

Inside this issue:

K4BFT FDSatellite Station 2

Madison Co Propagation Test 3

FCC Website Overhaul 3

ARES Emcom QRZ? 4-5

Program Managers & Area Nets 5

Meeting Minutes 6

Event Calander 7

Hamshack of the Month 8

Ma;dison Co ECO 9

April, 2011

Volume 51, Issue 4

VOX

Welcome to a busy April. There are so many things go-

ing on and I don’t want to miss any of them. March

storms. Had a few net activations that went well and

fortunately the weather caused minimal damage to the

area. Sunspots. Had a few of those too and they're

helping with propagation on the HF bands.

Radios during club meetings. Getting better each

time. This past month we used our new radio to make

about 30 QSO’s and hit three continents during a phone

contest. One memorable contact: getting through the

pile-up for Greenland with a rig running barefoot into a

dipole really demonstrate the capability of K4BFT. In

April we’re going to try one or more of the digital modes

such as PSK or RTTY

Like mattress sales, it seems that every weekend

there's a hamfest somewhere. I was planning on Day-

ton but changed those plans and will be taking my son

Elliott KF5HYZ to HamCom in Plano, TX in June. Yes, I’ll

bring back photos. Of course we have our own Hamfest

in August which we're all look-

ing forward to. Be sure to visit

www.hamfest.org to volunteer

some time to help.

April hosts a 5th Friday this

year which means HARC hosts an action that night. Dust off

your unused items and bring them to the club. Witness for

yourself the frantic bidding wars for the right to put your

treasure on another ham's shelf.

There’s a county-wide VHF propagation test in a few weeks

where we’ll find and learn how to fill the repeater coverage

holes.

In conjunction with QRP Amateur Radio Club International

(ARCI)'s 50th Anniversary, there’s rumor of a local QRP

event the weekend of April 16 but no firm details as we go to

press. Stay tuned to your emails & local repeaters for details.

73 Mark Brown, N4BCD President

Get ready to experience the thrill of being the DX! Instead of busting pile-ups you can

be the one sifting through the calls and handing out contacts to guys eager to work

you and your county.

The party starts at 11:00AM CDST on June 4 and ends at 11:00PM CDST. All stations

may operate the full 12 hours contest period. It’s a great warm up for Field Day too.

For more details visit: http://www.alabamaqsoparty.org/

Find rules at: http://www.alabamaqsoparty.org/2011/2011Rules.pdf

Start Planning Now for the Alabama QSO Party !

The K4BFT Satellite Station landed the #3 spot in the AMSAT International Satellite Field Day Com-petition. Great job! The AMSAT Satellite Field Day Competition is an international event displaying the best satellite operators competing around the

world.

Since I get very little time to operate these days, Field Day was the only time his year I have oper-ated on the satellites in 2010 and the equipment

still worked.

If we had made just 6 more CW contacts we could have taken the #1 spot as the scoring was very close this year. If you are a CW operator, think about making a contact via satellite during the

next Field Day exercise.

This is an event where K4BFT has held the #1 spot for 4 consecutive years between 1999 through 2002. The satellite station was absent at Field Day from 2004 to 2007. Alan Sieg, WB5RMG, was asking questions a few years ago about a satellite station at Field Day and we came back out for Field Day in 2007 to demonstrate how to work a satellite using a hand held beam antenna pointed skyward. This got me pumped up a little for operating the satellites since K4BFT has

been absent on the satellites.

K4BFT AMSAT History Operating Emergency PowerK4BFT AMSAT History Operating Emergency PowerK4BFT AMSAT History Operating Emergency PowerK4BFT AMSAT History Operating Emergency Power

1997 - 2nd place

1998 - 2nd place

1999 - 1st place

2000 - 1st place

2001 - 1st place

2002 - 1st place

2003 - 4th place

2007 – log not submitted



2010 - 3rd place

The number of satellites were limited this year due to aging/failing spacecraft and operating schedules that did not favor this part of the world. There was a newcomer to the satellite lineup from China with HO-68 making its SSB linear transponder debut. It woke up many satellite operators and the band came alive with activity during the final hour of Field Day. If you had a chance to listen to HO-68 at the satellite station you would have heard how quiet the band can be in comparison to the HF bands. It was unfortunate this satellite was only active for 1 short low angle

pass over the U.S.

We worked satellites AO-51, AO-07, FO-29, VO-52, SO-67, HO-68, and AO-27

during Field Day via FM, SSB, and CW modes of operation.

I would like to thank all of those who helped at the Satellite Station in one way or another. If you just simply stopped by to check out the station or provided moral support, your presence was appreciated. For all those who helped with

set-up, operation, or break-down Thank You!!!!!

Participants:

N8DEU – Tim Cunningham

KN4OK - Dave Guthrie

N4KH – Jim Spikes

K4RGG – Rolf Goedhart

N4NM - Chuck Lewis

K4ADK - Mike Maples

K4JCH - John Hilliard

KG4PLK - Robby Lock

KD4TFM - Steve Bell

(...and others not listed who

helped...)

73’s de Tim – N8DEU

• Meetings are held weekly every Friday at 7:30 PM.

• Red Cross Building, 1101 Washington Street, Huntsville, AL 35801

• Check the club schedule in this issue for specific program night information.

• Visitors are welcome at all meetings.

• Website: www.harc.net

• Mail Reflector signup: follow the link below the HARC logo on the home page

K4BFT lands #3 in the Amsat Satellite Field Day Competition By Tim Cuningham—N8DEU

The Huntsville Amateur Radio Club

VOX

Mark Brown N4BCD President [email protected]

Tom Hatter K4AKC Vice President [email protected]

Tom Duncan KG4CUY Secretary [email protected]

Heath Thorson KC4HRX Treasurer [email protected]

Club Officers

The Federal Communications Commission announced April 6 that it has launched a complete overhaul of

its website. According to an April 6 press release from the FCC, the new website is “architected with a

more intuitive user experience and the addition of Web 2.0 technologies, the new site improves and sim-

plifies the FCC.gov experience for consumers, government, public safety agencies and the business com-

munity.” This is the first major update to the Commission’s website in 10 years.

News from www.arrl.org

FCC Launches Complete Overhaul of Website

“Calling all amateur radio operators: we need volunteers for the Madison County Simplex and Repeater Madison County Simplex and Repeater Madison County Simplex and Repeater Madison County Simplex and Repeater

Propagation Test Propagation Test Propagation Test Propagation Test on Saturday Apr. 23 from 10 am to 12 noon.

We need 19 base stations to cover the 2 m, 70 cm, and 6 m bands.

We need 50-watt mobile stations to cover the checkpoints on 1 of the 7 routes from 12-20 miles in length. We can use mobiles who have one or more of 2 m FM, 70 cm FM, 6 m FM, 2 m D-STAR, 70-cm D-

STAR.

The routes cover areas that are shadowed from the 146.94 repeater by various mountains. This test will enable us to determine the best alternate repeaters and simplex coverage for those "black holes" in our

county.

The mobiles and base stations will exchange and log signal reports at each checkpoint. The log needs to include the contact time, checkpoint location if mobile, frequency, mode, power, station worked, signal report given and signal report received, as well as one-time station info of antenna gain and height plus station location if base. Signal reports will be exchanged as per cent time copied, e.g. "100% copy" or

"80% copy."

We need operators to program their radios in advance with the frequencies and submit their logs within a

week of the event.

Additional information, including the frequency information, routes, sample logsheet, and sign-up roster

info, may be found in the public bulletins area of the Huntsville-Madison County ARES/RACES website at

http://www.hmcraces.org/BB/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=379. To sign up e-mail your sign-up roster info to

[email protected] by Apr. 16.”

Madison County 50+ MHz Propagation Test

Volume 51, Issue 4

Well, here we are in the middle of another severe

weather season. I hope that you and your stations have sur-

vived the storms we have already experienced. As emergency

radio operators, we should be trained, practiced, and proficient

in our ’Nets. This month, I want to hit upon a few high points to

help the new ham get started in EmComm, and to remind the

rest of us, that this activity requires constant maintenance.

Well, here we are in the middle of another severe weather sea-

son. I hope that you and your stations have survived the

storms we have already experienced. As emergency radio op-

erators, we should be trained, practiced, and proficient in our

’Nets. This month, I want to hit upon a few high points to help

the new ham get started in EmComm, and to remind the rest of

us, that this activity requires constant maintenance.

The first priority to the operator is personal safety.

Along with this goes the welfare of your family and your station.

We usually have enough operators in a specific region that we

don’t need a check-in or spotter to stand like a pillar until the

storm is unavoidable. You don’t get a posthumous license up-

grade for being a martyr for the cause! If you are in the direct

path of the watched event, declare to the Net Control that you

are seeking shelter and then take cover. Hopefully, no injury

will occur, and we can use your services as damage assess-

ment.

A typical, well-equipped ham station should include a

radio. I know that couldn’t be more obvious, but let me take it

a bit further: you should have a radio that has every possible

band and frequency that may be used during a Net pre-

programmed into it. Reading your manual and figuring out the

buttons on your radio during an event is not acceptable, espe-

cially if the Net Control needs you to handle traffic to a less-

used frequency. Spend some time during the downtimes, or

while you are watching a game on TV to get familiar with your

radio. (As a side note, the upcoming county-wide propagation

test is an excellent opportunity to make ready your stations.)

Part of the ham’s station includes a more overlooked

section - the antenna system, i.e. the feed line and radiating

body. Make sure that your antenna does not suffer water deg-

radation, and the SWR is within acceptable ranges. During the

winter, moisture can invade small crevices and then freeze and

cause damage. Make sure your antenna switches and radios

have proper grounding. Have a plan to be able to get to your

coax connections so that you can disconnect them, in case

lightning gets too close to the shack. While an indoor antenna

is not usually desired, it can come in handy to hook your HT to,

EmComm – QRV? By Tim Holland KK5H

VOX

if it’s stormy outside and the power has gone out. If I may get on my

soapbox here for a moment, I would like to address the use of handy

talkies in Net operations: Using an HT inside with a “rubber duck”

antenna should be the last alternative. Usually these signals can

barely reach the repeater, and require several repetitions of traffic. A

mag-mount antenna can be purchased for under $20, and if placed on

a large metal surface like a refrigerator or filing cabinet, will far out-

perform the lesser antenna.

The power system is another critical component of any sta-

tion. I generally shy away from using a HT as my base radio, as battery

life becomes a real issue. If power were to go out, one may have no

way of recharging the power packs. One solution is to have a battery

pack that can be filled with AA alkaline cells. These are available al-

most universally, and are relatively cheap. A lot of stations, whether

using a HT or a fixed station, use the automotive-type lead/acid bat-

tery. These are a good solution, as they have a long discharge life.

One needs to remember that they need to exercise those batteries, by

discharging them (not till they're dead, though), and then recharging

them. I use a float charger on mine, and still it looks as if the battery

has reached its life, and needs to be replaced. One problem of using

an automotive battery is that they start their voltage at just a little over

12vdc. If you are using much power when transmitting, this can

quickly drop to 11vdc and lower. A lot of radios don't really appreciate

this fact, and may start acting a bit erratically. There are a couple of

companies that make a voltage booster, which essentially trades the

buckets of current available in the battery for a little more voltage. I

have one, and it works great! The best answer to the problem of

power would be a portable generator. There are many types available,

and can be used to help power your family's needs while you stay on

the air.

Now that we have all the parts in place to have your station

physically operating, we have to concentrate on the operator himself.

The most important tool an operator can use is the pencil and paper.

During an event, you do not want to have to rely on your memory. That

Madison County Emergency Coordinator

Rolf Goedhart,, K4RGG

Field Day Chairman

Tim Williams, K4AEE

Fundraising Coordinator

Tim Williams, K4AEE

K4BFT Club Station Trustee

Tom Duncan, KG4CUY

Picnic/Food Coordinator

Peggy Bell, K4EGB

Public Service Event Coordinator

Charlie Tedder, W1CST

Training/Education Coordinator

Jack Hemby, W5WQQ

VOX Publisher

Mark Brown, N4BCD

Website Designer

Joshua Babb, KD7HLX

Program and Project Managers

Limestone County Emergency Training

145.15

Thursday 7:00 pm

Lincoln, TN County Emergency Training

147.03

Monday 6:30 pm

North AL/Southern Middle TN Training

147.24

Thursday 8:00 pm

Please send any additions or corrections to

[email protected]

Area Weekly Nets

Northeast Alabama 6m Net (ragchewing)

50.150

Weeknights 9:00 pm

Madison County Emergency Training

146.94

Thursday 7:30 pm

Lauderdale County Emergency Training

146.68 pl 100

unknown

Lawrence County Emergency Training

145.27 pl 107.2

Thursday 7:45 pm

Volume 51, Issue 4

is the reason we have been practicing ARRL message handling. When traffic has to be passed, it must arrive at its desti-

nation just as it was transmitted – nothing added, and nothing left out. Have yourself a clear area, already stocked with

writing instruments, a note pad, some message forms and a log sheet. If the Net Control calls on you, be ready! One of

the reasons we have a practice net every Thursday evening is in the hope that everyone will be making a log and practic-

ing copying call signs. While this may seem mundane, it is critical to a Net to know who is out there, where they are, and

what abilities they have.

Use the time available to make sure your station is up to the task of EmComm. Even the most modest station

can be a real asset, if it has been maintained, and the operator has been practicing. There are many free courses avail-

able online to help train yourself in proper Net operation. Go to http://www.arrl.org/emergency-communications-training

Avail yourself of these free resources to make yourself a better operator. Join us on the Thursday evening training net at

7:30pm on the 146.94 repeater, and bring a pen!

Tim KK5H

Meeting was called to order at 7:30 pm by president Mark Brown, N4BCD. There were 26 attendees at the start, and at

least 5 stragglers.

Old Business:Old Business:Old Business:Old Business:

Charlie, W1CST asked if it would be possible to include treas-urer’s reports in the VOX. Treasurer Heath, KC4HRX said yes, and that we typically do this once a year after Field Day. He reported typical yearly income of between $ 2,600 and $ 3,600 based on dues, but that we have been loosing mem-bers every year, attributing this to the unrestricted availability of the VOX on the web site. Related to this topic, Mark, N4BCD says he has researched club successes and failures, indicating some 38 out of 40 clubs researched provide their newsletter for free and unrestricted, and urged it should be that way. Heath says that every year prior to the HARC/NARA joint membership meeting we send notices to every ham in Madison County urging them to join HARC, and that this year this cost about $ 1,000. Charlie opined that there must be a way to target previously-dues-paying members rather than an expensive blanket approach. Others felt that separate or-ganizations, e.g., NARA , ARES/RACES, TVATV, and HUNTSPAC diluted HARC’s impact. Leigh, WD4CPF noted that these organizations fall under the HARC umbrella, and that HARC meets weekly rather than less frequently to offer members the possibility of missing meetings here and there. Mark ended this discussion with the observation that the club serves those who support the club, e.g., by coming to

meetings.

Announcements:Announcements:Announcements:Announcements:

Leigh announced the Cotton Row Run will again be held on Memorial Day, and that we will need volunteers. Charlie

will handle sign-ups for Cotton Row.

Mark announced the Tour de Cure on May 14th. Woody will

handle the sign-ups for Tour de Cure.

The City of Madison is opening a new Emergency Opera-

tions Centers. Details will appear in the VOX.

At the urging of Jack, W5WQQ, an impressive video of a young YL, RZ9UMA working CW in a contest or DX pileup

was shown.

New Business:New Business:New Business:New Business:

Steve KD4TFN asked when we intend to hold Old Timers night. After some discussion, a Friday May 27 date was

agreed upon.

Meeting adjourned at 8:09 pm.

Meeting Minutes from April 1, 2011 de KG4CUY

VOX

Volume 51, Issue 4

HARC Calander

3-Apr 4-Apr 5-Apr 6-Apr 7-Apr 8-Apr 9-Apr

Training Nets

146.94 @7:30PM,

147.24 @ 8PM

Program - Solar Num-

bers, what is SFI, A, &

K de N4KG


Training Nets

146.94 @7:30PM,

147.24 @ 8PM

Hands-On Radio, PSK


QRP to the Field week-

end

Training Nets

146.94 @7:30PM,

147.24 @ 8PM

Emptying Your Junk-

box de KG4CUY VHF Propagation Test


Training Nets

146.94 @7:30PM,

147.24 @ 8PM

Auction Night, Last

General License Class

1-May 2-May 3-May 4-May 5-May 6-May 7-May

Business Meeting


Appoint audit commit-

tee & nominating

committee >>>

The National Traffic

System - K4AKC Tour de Cure


Dayton Hamvention Dayton Hamvention


Dayton Hamvention

Nominating commit-

tee results due & Old

Timer's Night

CQ WW WPX Contest,

CW weekend

29-May 30-May 31-May 1-Jun 2-Jun 3-Jun 4-Jun

Cotton Row Run

Business Meeting &

Election Night

AL QSO Party 11AM-

11PM

5-Jun 6-Jun 7-Jun 8-Jun 9-Jun 10-Jun 11-Jun

HAM-COM Dal-

las, TX

ARRL June VHF QSO

Party weekend

Shack of the Month—John K4JCH

100w Portable operation from Florida

Equipment:

Icom IC-7000

MFJ 4225MV Switching Power Supply

LDG Autotuner

+ assorted operating aids

To see your shack featured here, send a medium or high resolution

photo + equipment list to [email protected]

Volume 51, Issue 4

The Madison City Police Department is pleased to announce the ribbon cutting and official grand opening of its new ex-

pansion to our Public Safety Building which includes a state of the art Emergency Operations Center, and Training Room.

We welcome and encourage everyone to join us as we officially open this facility to better serve our community.

Date: April 28, 2011

Times: 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

Location: City of Madison Police Department

100 Hughes Road, Madison, AL

14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955

Please send content to the publisher, or …. Look for more dead scientists here

News de Bruce Campbell KG4HLZ …

Dedication Planned at new EOC for Madison City

volume 51, issue 4 vox

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