Author Archives: Bob K0NR

Too Much Data

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Disclaimer: I am a little ticked off that my digital scanner (radio receiver, not a graphics scanner) decided to toss its cookies today and lose all of its programmed data. The day before, my Yaesu FT-8900 got amnesia, losing all of its channels. (It seems to not appreciate the voltage dip when the car engine starts.) This reminds me of when iTunes discarded my podcasts about 3 weeks ago. Which reminds me of when my computer hard drive failed, putting my entire digital presence into the bit bucket.

I had always resisted using software to program my radios. When our public service agencies switched to 800 MHz trunked digital, I didn’t have a choice anymore for the scanner. The complexity of that system requires a software program to manage the channels. I also tried to avoid using software to program my amateur transceivers. (Old Guy Talk: Back in the old days, we only had a band switch and one big VFO knob to turn and that was plenty good enough.) Slowly, but surely, the huge number of memories and features available have teased me into buying the software to keep track of it all. I don’t mind paying for the software…typically, the programs are a bargain.

I do object to the time it takes to manage this stuff. You might think that there would be a standard file format that stores my favorite frequencies, transmit offset, CTCSS tone and channel labels so that I don’t have to enter them every time. No, that would make too much sense.

What other cute little electronic devices require their own database? I already mentioned iTunes and MP3 players, where the songs are just bits on a computer. (Not your old 8-track tapes anymore, is it?) My GPS receiver has its own set of maps that demand to be cared for and fed to keep the little device happy and useful. (The other day, a bit in the GPS got set that told it to ignore the maps that were loaded. I could see that the maps were there but the GPS was apparently not using them. A master reset and reload eventually cured the problem.) The GPS also makes use of my favorite set of waypoints that I maintain…carefully stored on The Hard Drive, waiting for the next disk crash.

Oh, and don’t forget digital cameras….they are the Masters of Data Creation. One click of the camera can generate a file with a million or two bytes. A day of photography can fill up a few gigs of storage with no effort at all. All of these precious photos need to be stored somewhere to be preserved for posterity. (Should I put posterity on The Hard Drive?)

There is just too much data in my life, and the trend line is increasing. Keep in mind that this data is the kind that you never really see. You can’t see files on a hard drive, you can’t see mp3 files on an iPod, you can’t see the bits programmed into my scanner. Oh sure, you can see something that pretends to represent the actual data….The Hard Drive lets you display a Word document on your screen and print it out. It is supposed to be the same as the file on The Hard Drive, but that is just an approximation….or maybe an illusion. Another reason bits are so hard to manage….they are invisible.

Back to the scanner…I had the configuration file on The Hard Drive (and backed up via Carbonite, just in case.) The Win96 software that programs the RadShack PRO-96 scanner was a victim of the recent hard drive failure, so I had to reinstall it. The program refused to run until I found the magic registration key that proves I paid for the software. No problem…found that on The Hard Drive as well and off we go. Then, the PC had trouble talking to the scanner via the COM port, mostly because there is no COM port on the PC. That is, I needed to use a USB-to-Serial Port converter. (Insert another poorly documented device of questionable origin.) Can we just have USB ports on all data-hungry electronic devices? After much fiddling around, I got the scanner to load all of the data.

Any one of these things is not that big of a deal. I can deal with one or two special programs and cables. But after being surrounded by these self-centered little devices that don’t play nicely, it really starts to wear you down. Clearly, the amount of data is going to continue to increase and more devices are going to take advantage of it. So don’t count on the problem getting any simpler. Ever.

So what’s the solution?

  • Electronic devices should use standard data formats that share easily from device to device. They shouldn’t insist on their own native format. Sharing data is good.
  • These devices should use standard interfaces and memory cards so that moving data around is trivial. Get rid of the proprietary cables.
  • The software that handles the data should be designed and tested for maximum usability using established human factors methods. Every feature should work with minimal effort for the end user.
  • Last but Most Important: these devices shouldn’t ever lose their memory. Bad, bad, bad, bad.

There, I feel much better now.

— 73, Bob K0NR

Awesome June VHF Contest!

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It didn’t start out all that great. First, my boss decides that I need to be in Scotland the week before the contest weekend. I have nothing against Scotland, I just preferred to not be there right before the biggest VHF contest of the year (ARRL June VHF QSO Party). I needed to be home putting together antennas, repairing cables, loading software, etc. ahead of the contest weekend.

At the last minute, I piled all of the gear (well, most of it) into the SUV and we head to the mountains. I planned to set up my portable station at our antenna-less cabin in the western part of grid DM78. (Gotta get that tower up for next year.) My station consisted of an FT-847 on 2M and 70 cm, driving decent yagi antennas on those bands. On 2M, a linear amplifier boosted the output to 170W, so I had a decent signal on that band. For 6 Meters, I used an FT-100 running 100W to a 3-element yagi and on 222 MHz I just had an ICOM FM transceiver feeding a small yagi.

I downloaded N1MM logging software at the last minute and attempted to install it on my new Windows Vista PC. Turns out that Vista doesn’t seem to like N1MM or vice versa. (I am bumping into this on occasion where some software aps are not fully checked out on Vista.) I bailed on N1MM and grabbed VHFLog by W3KM. It was the first time I have used it but it worked well for me.

There was very good sporadic-e propagation on 6M for a large portion of the contest, occasionally extending to 2M. This is the way the June contest is supposed to be! Six meters kept me quite busy and I am sure I missed some good rover contacts on the other bands. This is the downside of a single-op station when six is open. Most contacts were on SSB but I did use CW to grab a few grids on 2M and 6M (N0KE in DM69 and K0YW in DM67). Wow, my CW is getting rusty and it was tough going but I made the contacts.

I had 206 contacts on 6M, which I thought was quite good until I saw some of the other guys scores on the local email reflector….many of them did a lot better. Worked XE2YW in Mexico and a number of VE’s in Canada. I was happy with the 15 grids on 2M, including a new grid via sporadic-e (W4VC EM81). I snagged KB0HH up in EM06 and N0YK in DM98.

Band       QSOs X pt =  QSO pts.  X   Grids   =     Points
---------------------------------------------------------------
50         206    1      206           125           25750
144        34     1      34            15            510
222        1      2      2             1             2
432        12     2      24            6             144
---------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS     253           266           147           39102
                                         Claimed score =  39102

This contest has reinforced the notion that for me, VHF is all about 2M and 6M. The Magic Band provides the excitement and 2M provides the challenge (with enough local activity to keep some interest going). The practice of moving on up to 222 MHz, 432 MHz and higher and just working the same guys over again doesn’t seem as much fun. It definitely generates contest points but I am thinking more about VUCC and grid chasing. I will be optimizing my station to do better on 2M and 6M….upgrade the antennas, amplifiers, transceivers, etc.

73, Bob K0NR

My First D-STAR Contact

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At Dayton, I picked up an ICOM IC-91AD handheld radio, with D-STAR capability. The thing is, there are no D-STAR repeaters within range of my house. Fortunately, Elliott KB0RFC also picked up a D-STAR handheld and we arranged a sked on 2M simplex. The de facto calling frequency for D-STAR is shaping up to be 145.67 MHz, so that is what we used.

I have to admit that the audio quality was better than I expected. When the radio is not dropping bits, the audio is quite clean and clear. When the Signal-to-Noise Ratio degrades, you do start to hear that digital twang as the vocoder does its best to recover the audio in the face of digital errors. Overall, I was favorably impressed.

Tonight, we did some additional testing with DV mode and were surprised at the range of the handheld on 2M. The 70 cm band seemed even better, apparently due to the improved efficiency of the handheld antennas on that band.

There is lots more stuff to play around with, so stay tuned.

Digital voice on the ham bands? Must be the 21st Century!

For more info on D-STAR, see my article from CQ VHF.

73, Bob K0NR

FCC Says No to Digital Repeater Subband

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As reported on the ARRL web site, the FCC rejected the proposal from Ken Chafin, W6CPA, and Leon Brown, KC6JAR to create a 2M subband for digital voice repeaters. This proposal was apparently a good-intentioned approach to opening up new spectrum for digital machines (D-STAR, P25, etc.). Chafin and Brown jointly filed a PRM in October 2007 requesting that the FCC “propose to expand the frequencies on which an amateur station operating as a repeater (repeater station) may operate,” specifically Section 97.205(b) to allow repeater stations to transmit in the 145.5-145.8 MHz frequency segment of the 2 meter amateur service band.

The FCC correctly rejected this proposal, indicating that the Amateur Radio Service does not need additional 2M spectrum for repeaters. Also, the FCC rejected the notion of a subband that is dedicated to a particular modulation format.

I appreciate the problem of trying to open up repeater frequency pairs for digital voice repeaters. We are struggling with that issue here in Colorado. It seems that all of the 2M repeater pairs are “full” in the front range. (Full but not necessary well-used.) The Colorado Council of Amateur Radio Clubs (CCARC) took action to open up digital voice repeater pairs on the 440 MHz and 1.2 GHz bands, but we haven’t figured out what to do on 2 Meters.

Technically-oriented hams want to put up repeaters using the new digital technology, so we want to find a way to support that effort. One answer is to expand the repeater subband. But let’s be honest….in most locations the 2M repeater subband are filled with repeaters that largely sit there doing nothing. I find it very difficult to justify adding additional spectrum to amateur repeater usage.

Also, what is the big freaking deal with 2 Meters? Why does everyone insist on having a D-STAR machine on 2M? There is generally much more room on 70 cm (440 MHz), so let’s give that a go. I think the ham community is stuck in the 2-meter rut. (I understand this, sort of, for good old FM, but digital voice means buying new gear, so let’s do it on 440 MHz.)

73, Bob K0NR

Crystal-Controlled Toasters

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The Phone Losers of America web site champions pranks of all kinds, especially ones associated with technology. One of their standard pranks is taking over the radio communication system used at the drive-up window of fast-food restaurants.

They really out did themselves by creating a video that describes how to mod a CB radio to work on fast food restaurant frequencies. (Hmm, it seems unlikely that a 27 MHz transceiver could be easily modified for VHF.) Oh, I see, they use a special crystal found in modern day toasters. That explains it.

Warning: some adult language

Be sure to look at the comments on the video. The prank keeps on going.

I do not condone nor support modifying radios for out-of-band operation, hassling employees of fast food restaurants or posting hilarious videos on youtube.com 🙂

73, Bob K0NR

Observations from Dayton

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Here’s a few thoughts and observations from the Dayton Hamvention®:

  • Dayton remains the ultimate ham radio geekfest on planet earth. I am checking with other galaxies….so far, no competition.
  • Attendance, inside booths and flea market activity all seemed to be down a bit this year. I am guessing that $3.85 per gallon gasoline might be a factor.
  • The weather forecast threatened rain for most of the weekend but the actual weather was just fine….not real hot, not real wet.
  • For some reason, this year I really noticed how decrepit Hara Arena has become. I don’t think it has seen more than $5 worth of maintenance in recent years. This is not a new thought, see this string of comments on eham.net
  • The forums that I attended drew large crowds, typically overflowing the available seating. This seems like a problem and an opportunity. (How to expand the size and number of the forums?)
  • Lots of interesting characters walking the flea market (my wife is entertained by the target-rich, people-watching environment.)
  • Yaesu was showing an early unit of the VX-8R. See Universal Radio web site for preliminary data. This handheld has 50 MHz, 146 MHz, 222 MHz and 440 MHz with optional APRS feature.
  • Lots of buzz around D-STAR. Last year, I thought “hmmm, maybe this technology is going to take off.” This year, I think “this technology has taken off.”
  • I bought an ICOM IC-91AD dualband handheld with D-STAR capability.
  • I picked up the usual collection of coaxial connectors/adaptors and cables.
  • I picked up my free Yaesu hat. Thanks, Yaesu! I will put it with my collection of hamfest hats, mostly from Yaesu 🙂

See you next year….

73, Bob K0NR

Use that New HF+6m Rig on 6 meters

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Colorado just experienced a nice 6M sporadic-e opening. Phil N0KE sent out this article as encouragement to try 6 Meters.

A few years ago we started seeing new HF rigs with 6 meters included, and at the 100 watt level in many cases. At the Central States VHF Conference in July 1998, it was claimed that world wide there are now 30,000 more stations with 6 meter capabilities. In the ARRL June 1998 VHF contest, several stations exceeded 1,000 QSOs on 6m and about half the all time top QSO totals were made this year, which would indicate a lot of these rig owners are using them on 6m.

You may have an existing antenna that will function on 6m. Obviously the best thing to do would be to put up a 6 meter yagi and an advantage is that they are small and light and you may be able to add it on an existing tower. For those who want to try out the band without making the commitment for buying a new antenna, you may be able to use an existing antenna. Most 15 meter antennas will work reasonably well on 6 meters. My TA33 tribander loads well. I’ve also tried the TH6DXX, TH7DXX tribanders and KLM 6 element 15 meter monobanders on 6 meters with reasonable results. You may have to use a tuner to get full power. I’ve found that a HF tuner in the 10 meter position will often work and the auto tunners in many rigs will work too. There are some inexpensive 6 meter antenna tuners made. A multi band vertical that covers 15 meters will also work, except one gentleman told me he fried the 15 meter trap on his R7000 in a matter of seconds at the 100 watt level on 6 meters. I’ve had good luck using a Butternut HF6V and HF9V on 6m. Most HF SWR and power meters are still reasonably accurate at 50 MHz. I’ve also worked some other stations using unusual antennas on 6 meters. I worked a New Zealand station who was using 10 watts to an 80 meter folded dipole. A 2 meter 5/8 wave vertical is very close to a ¼ wave on 6 meters and lots of people have used that mobile or like the guy in Dallas I worked who was using one on a magnetic mount on his bath tub. I never did find out why he was using the bathroom for his ham shack.

Since many of these HF+6 rigs, like the Icom 706 are very small, they are very attractive to take on that contest or vacation trip, especially when coupled with one of the light weight switching power supplies that will convert a wide range of AC voltages to 13.8 VDC. I easily carried my rig, power supply and laptop as carryon luggage on a KH6 trip for the 1997 CQWW SSB. You may end up in a country with little or no resident 6 meter activity and be much more in demand than on any of the HF bands. You can make some 6 meter QSOs even without packing along a 6 meter yagi, but do take the yagi if you can.

On 6 meters 50.000 to 50.100 is reserved for CW and contains many beacons. US beacons are mostly between 50.060 to 50.090. Most DX CW QSOs take place between 50.090 and 50.100. 50.100 to 50.125 is the DX window in the USA with 50.110 being the international DX calling frequency. In Europe the DX window is 50.100 to 50.130. The USA domestic calling frequency is 50.125. In Europe the domestic or inter Europe calling frequency is 50.150. Six meters is like other VHF bands in that SSB and CW are used in the same portions of the bands. Experienced expeditioners like W6JKV will constantly switch back and forth from CW to SSB on the same 6 meter frequency. Cross mode QSOs are also common.

We are in the spring sporadic E season that runs from mid May to late July or early August. Whether you are doing E mail or watching TV etc turn the rig to 50.125, turn up the squelch. If anything is happening, you will most likely hear it first on 50.125. Once the band is open move above the calling frequency for QSOs. I’ve found activity up above 50.250 on good openings. Another clue is if you are hearing very strong E (short) skip on 10m, chances are very good that 6m is open in the same direction. E skip is typically between 700 and 1400 miles per hop. Double hop is fairly common and multi hop propagation of 4 or more hops is much less common. Last June I worked 27 JA stations one evening and two days later I worked 7 European stations. both of these openings were probably 4 or 5 hops. Generally you need a good gain antenna and power but a few Colorado stations did work the JAs and Europeans with 100w to good antennas last summer.

73 Phil N0KE

More News on BPL

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The Dallas Morning News reported that Broadband Over Power Lines Plan is Dead in Dallas because Current Communications is bailing out of its plan to offer internet service via BPL. However, Oncor is going to buy the equipment from Current and use it to help manage the power grid. This is consistent with recent trends in the BPL industry that are emphasizing using BPL as part of a “smart grid” strategy and deemphasizing operating as an Internet Service Provider.

An ARRL news article points out BPL is not going away in Dallas but (more importantly) the BPL technology from Current is believed to be “ham friendly.” The reason for this is that Current uses the Homeplug standard on the power lines that go into a residence, which notches out the HF amateur bands, not including 60 Meters. (By the way, the ARRL lab….which basically means Ed Hare W1RFI….got involved with the Homeplug standard early and influenced them to implement this notching.) Where Current equipment is in use, there have been no amateur radio interference complaints.

An article at itbusinessedge.com poses the question “Is it Lights Out for BPL?” Very likely.

In the mean time, the FCC got its hand slapped by the U.S. Court of Appeals for their mishandling of the BPL rulemaking process.

Closer to home in Colorado, Xcel Energy made this announcement:

Xcel Energy announces intended site of Smart Grid City: Boulder, Colo. to become first fully integrated “smart” city in the nation

The current electric grid has served us well for the last half century. But the future requires a technology revolution.

The next-generation electricity grid will allow our company to better meet growing demands, address environmental challenges, maximize available resources and optimize the entire energy system. Ultimately, a “smarter” grid helps us serve our customers by creating more options for managing personal energy use, habits and costs.

Their list of partners in the Smart Grid Consortium includes Current Group, which seems to imply that BPL may be part of the system deployment. It is not clear from their press release that Xcel will be offering internet service to the general public. However, I have heard from a reliable source that Xcel has been telling customers in Boulder that broadband internet service is part of their plan.

You can see the appeal of a Smart Grid approach with all of the focus on “being green.” Managing the power grid and energy demand is one way to get the most out of an electric utility. If a utility can gain some extra revenue by selling broadband internet, that’s even better.

The good news is that the Current Group technology seems to be OK from a ham radio point of view. Other users of the HF spectrum may see things differently.

73, Bob K0NR

Girls, Ham Radio and Diet Dew

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I just stumbled onto this video where three of my favorite things come together: girls, ham radio and Diet Mountain Dew.

Let me explain. When I say girls, I mean the three women that have let me live in the same house with them for decades (my wife and two daughters). You know about the ham radio part and Diet Mountain Dew is the low cal version of the sugar-plus-caffeine overload drink.
Anyway, take a look at this video:

73, Bob K0NR

Peanut, Rooster and Steve N0TU Head Up Mt Herman

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Mountaintop radio operating is one my favorite ham radio activities. In particular, there is a 9000 foot mountain within a short drive/hike from my house called Mt Herman. It is a great hike in the summer to get a little exercise and some great views. Lately, I have also been hiking or snowshoeing up there in the winter for the ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes. See my blog posting on the 2007 January expedition.

Some time ago, I discovered that Steve N0TU also likes to operate radios from Mt Herman. I lean toward VHF operating while Steve takes along HF QRP. Steve also takes along Peanut and Rooster, his two goats. Lately, he has made a few videos of his adventures with Goat-portable ham radio.
Take a look at the most recent one:

73, Bob K0NR

FCC Rejects Request for Amateur Frequencies

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In the Things That Make You Go Hmmmmm department, Miller Motorsports of Utah requested Special Temporary Authority to use a handful of frequencies in the 70 cm amateur radio band for a race to be held at the end of May. I guess they didn’t think these frequencies were in use, so they just asked the FCC for authorization to use them: 448.525, 448.650, 448.060, 448.290 and 448.610 MHz.

The ARRL objected and the FCC turned down the request, as reported by the ARRL web site.

This story really had me scratching my head. How could someone put together a proposal like this in one of the more popular ham bands? Then it occurred to me that the Amateur Radio Service is authorized to use the 70 cm band on a secondary basis. The primary user is the Federal radiolocation service. (See FCC Part 97.301) It seems that the ham radio community often forgets this…even though we have lots of repeaters and simplex operation on the 440 MHz band, we have a secondary status on the band.

So maybe they looked around and figured that the radiolocation service wasn’t all that active, making these frequencies a good choice for race communciations. Of course, the Miller Motorsports proposal was a poorly formed idea and the FCC made the right call by rejecting it.

73, Bob K0NR

ON4AW is a Ham Spammer

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I recently received an email from ON4AW encouraging me to visit some website of questionable value (something about QSLs, ham radio and art). This was clearly UCE that was sent to a large number of ham radio operators. I replied with a request that my email be removed from the list and I got this reply:

Sir, here is not any list ,so we cannot remove you from something that does not exist. We are finding you with a Google-search and every simple search-machine will find you because you are standing naked and nude on the internet. Up to now 240000 hams from 133 countries have thanked us for that mail. Anyway it would be impossible to find you back among such a number. If you would receive the mail again,there are two possibilities:1) throw it simply into the thrash of your PC , 2) Remove your email from the web,that is the best solution. Your family-members,true friends,hams and business-relations know your email-address. So your presence on the internet is useless and unnecessary

/ 73 ON4AW

PS. Every mail-server has built-in filters. As a last ressort , you could put a filter on our mail so that you will not see it anymore if you eventually would be found again by Google.If you remain with your email-address on the web, you will be found again and you will receive the mail again.We do not see that this happens,because the special search program sends the mails (40 found hams per package) without our knowledge about to whom. Remove youremail-address from the web please. This is the last time that we answer a mail from you .We have told you enough now ,and spent enough time to explain the case.

Jeesh, so now it is MY FREAKING FAULT for having my email address out on the web. Thanks a lot, ON4AW. I get enough of this from the viagra/porn/ambien vendors, now ham radio operators are in on the deal, too?

ARRL Prevails Against FCC in Court

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Just when the Broadband Over Powerline (BPL) drama was getting extremely boring, the U.S. Court of Appeals in DC ruled in favor of the ARRL, which filed suit against the FCC. Back in May 2007, the ARRL filed an appeal concerning the FCC’s sloppy rule making in determining BPL regulations. Today the court ruled that the FCC failed to comply with the Administrative Procedure Act because they did not disclose all of the documents that they used to make their decisions. It seems that the court concluded that the FCC needed to disclose all of the data available, not just the parts that served their agenda. Also, the court concluded that the FCC did not adequately explain why they chose a 40-dB extrapolation factor (when there was evidence that 20 dB is the right factor).

Read the ARRL story here and the court decision here. This is a signficant loss for the FCC and they have some explaining to do.

Of course, none of this matters since BPL is dying a slow death anyway.

73, Bob K0NR

What to Do at Dayton?

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May is fast approaching, which means it is time for the biggest amateur radio event of the year: the Dayton Hamvention® (May 16-18). I managed to attend last year and had a great time, including meeting astronaut Bill McArthur KC5ACR. So it is time to finalize plans for this year.

What to do at Dayton? Last year, I decided to really focus on the forums, including AMSAT, D-STAR, Frequency Coordination and weak-signal VHF. I’ll repeat that again this year, since there are quite a few interesting forums listed on the Hamvention® web site. The second priority is the vendor displays throughout Hara arena. It is a unique opportunity to see lots of equipment in person, rather than in a catalog. I’ll probably spend some time in the flea market, as you never know when a precious treasure (read: someone else’s junk) is sitting there with my name on it. Years ago, I thought the flea market was the main attraction but lately I don’t have the passion for wandering up and down the aisles for hours on end.
The QRP Amateur Radio Club International seems to think that 3 days of Dayton are just not enough, so they sponsor a fourth day focused on QRP. They call this event Four Days in May (or FDIM). I will probably spend most of Thursday hanging out with the QRPers. (I write the VHF column for the QRP Quarterly, the official publication of QRP ARCI.)
Then there are the banquets….the QRPers, the Contesters, AMSAT/TAPR and weak-signal VHF, just to name a few. Not sure which ones will make the short list this year. Perhaps, I’ll just skip them.
What do you like to do at Dayton?
73, Bob K0NR

D-STAR Equipment Grant in Colorado

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The Colorado Council of Amateur Radio Clubs (CCARC) and Ham Radio Outlet (HRO) teamed up to encourage the adoption of D-STAR technology in Colorado. To date, there are no D-STAR machines on the air in the state so HRO offered to provide equipment to a suitable ham radio group to help get things started. The CCARC, the repeater coordinating body for the state, agreed to assist in the selection process. According to the letter from the CCARC and HRO, the equipment grant was awarded to the Colorado D-STAR Association, a newly-formed group of radio amateurs in Colorado. The donated gear is a “full stack” of ICOM D-STAR repeaters: 2M, 70 cm and 1.2 GHz.

This is a very creative way to get the ball rolling on a new technology for ham radio. Yes, HRO has a vested interest in having a D-STAR machine on the air in the Denver area….they will sell more D-STAR radios. But it is good to see that they coughed up some equipment to help get this going.

The ICOM web page on D-STAR is here. For an overview of D-STAR technology, see my CQ VHF article.

73, Bob K0NR

Ham Radio COW (Comms on Wheels)

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Sometimes I get a little wrapped up in a particular ham radio project I am working on. Like how many antennas does a VHF contest rover really need? Is 6 enough? Is 12 too many? I think “gee, maybe this is getting a little out of hand.”

Then I come across someone else, usually on the internet, that is really taking the hobby seriously and I feel better. I think “hey, I am not that wacked out….look at this other guy…he is way more intense than me.”

The cellular telephone industry has the concept of COW: Cell on Wheels. This is a portable cell site that can be dropped into a special event (think Super Bowl or World Series) or into a disaster area (think hurricane Katrina).

Enter Roland N1JOY, who decides to build himself a HAMCOW (Ham radio Communications on Wheels). What a project….a ham radio trailer with 5 operating positions, shower, toilet and bed! OK, I feel more normal now. Thanks, Roland.

Seriously, cool project….good luck with it!

73, Bob K0NR

2007 September VHF QSO Party

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The March issue of QST arrived in the mail today, so I sat down and did my usual browsing through it. Ah, the September VHF contest results article by Sean KX9X is in here. The September contest is not a focus for me….usually I am out of energy for serious VHF contesting after participating in the June ARRL contest, the July CQ VHF contest and our local mountaintop event (Colorado 14er Event) in August. More to the point, propagation is usually not that great in September in Colorado and not that many VHFers participate in the contest (compared to the June event).

So I was a bit surprised when I scanned through the article and found my score in the Single Operator Portable category. Oh, now I remember, I got out my FT-817 QRP rig and worked a handful of stations while standing on the back deck. I usually try to do this to hand out a few contacts for the serious contesters. It seems I must have taken the time to submit a contest log with the totally awesome score of 20 points.

Just as surprising, this outstanding effort resulted in a first place score for my category in the Colorado Section, Rocky Mountain Division and the entire Midwest Region. Talk about taking names and kicking b***t!

In the article KX9X wrote:

In what may be the the most concentrated effort in history, Bob, K0NR, needed only five minutes’ worth of operating time to capture the QRP Portable category in the entire Midwest region!

Oh, I guess I should say that there was only one other entry in the category: N0JK submitted another Single Op Portable log with a score of 9 points. So the competition was not that intense.

Well, I guess you never know how it will turn out. So get off the couch, turn on the radio and work someone this weekend.

73, Bob K0NR

Happenings in the ARRL Rocky Mountain Division

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The Rocky Mountain Division of the ARRL has established a new web site to aid in communications with the membership. It looks to be a great place to find out about regional ham radio events, including local hamfests.

Jeff Ryan K0RM is the Section Manager for the ARRL Colorado Section. Jeff has recently created a web site for the Colorado section of the ARRL.

Speaking of hamfests, the 2008 Division Convention will be held July 11-13 in beautiful Bryce Canyon, Utah. Count on there being excellent forums, equipment sales, fun competitions, great eyeball QSOs, and wonderful food, all at a gorgeous venue, and all in the company of hams from around the Division and beyond!

It is not too early to start thinking about Field Day (June 28-29). The ARRL has published the updated rules for this event. Although FD is run like a contest, it really is more of an “operating event,” with lots of opportunity to socialize, provide publicity, have family activities and pull in non-hams. Oh, yeah, and it might even help with emergency preparedness.

I like the Field Day logo this year….with the theme of “Ride the Waves”. That insect/bug thing last year really missed the mark. I might even buy a Field Day T-shirt this time.

  • 73, Bob K0NR

The Use of 146.52 MHz

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One of the local clubs recently had a heated discussion about the use of the National Simplex Calling Frequency, which is 146.52 MHz in the US (per the ARRL band plan). You have probably heard the argument before…..is the calling frequency reserved to just calling or is it OK to ragchew on that frequency?

In the Summer 2006 issue of CQ VHF, I wrote about mountaintop operating and included these thoughts on the use of 146.52:

Calling Frequency
What frequency are you going to use to call CQ from your favorite high spot? Well, the calling frequency, of course…. most likely 146.52 MHz. This usually works pretty well as many simplex-oriented operators make it a point to listen on .52. While we don’t normally make long CQ calls on VHF FM, making a call such as “CQ Five Two,this is K 0 N R on Pikes Peak” is a good way to go.

One problem I’ve run into is when the calling frequency is tied up with lengthy contacts by other hams. If the frequency is in use, I generally just stand by and wait for them to finish. If it seems appropriate, I might break in and chat with them.

Disclaimer: It is difficult to write authoritatively in a national ham magazine about VHF issues that often tend to be regional in nature. What works in rural areas with lower population density may not apply in New York City. Ignoring that, I’ll jump in with both feet (maybe with one in my mouth, who knows?)

What is the purpose of a calling frequency? Back in the old days of crystal controlled rigs it was important that we had common channels crystalled so we could talk to each other. We typically only had a dozen or so channels, so having a common calling or simplex frequency (or two) was an obvious thing to do. These days, we have synthesized 2M FM rigs that cover the entire 4 MHz band in 5 kHz steps. Now the purpose of a calling frequency is, well, for calling. You use 146.52 MHz when you want to establish contact on the band, lacking any other information. For example, if I know my buddy Steve KØSRW is going to be listening on the 146.94 MHz repeater, I’ll call him there. If I know the local DX crew hangs on out 146.46 MHz, I’ll make a call there. But when I don’t have any other information, and I am making a call or listening for a call, I go to the calling frequency. Why? Because that’s what it’s for! If I am out of repeater range and I just want to talk to someone on simplex, I try the calling frequency.

The Three Minute Rule

There are two ways to make a calling frequency useless:
1. No one ever uses the calling frequency (nobody there, nobody home)
2. The calling frequency is always tied up due to lengthy contacts

So we need to encourage hams to monitor and use the calling frequency, but not monopolize it. We don’t have to be extreme about it. Perhaps a “three minute” rule of thumb: if I am in a contact with another station on the calling frequency for more than 3 minutes, it is time to change to a different frequency. This opens up the frequency for other hams to use. Just as important it keeps the long ragchew sessions away from the calling frequency. These long sessions have a tendency to discourage monitoring of 146.52 MHz. One ham recently told me that he tries to keep a receiver tuned to .52 for anyone just passing through the area that might need some help. But when some of the locals get on the frequency and chat for an hour, the radio gets turned off.

There, I said it: the calling frequency is for calling, not for ragchewing.

Now you have heard my opinion, what do you think?

73, Bob K0NR