T He F Eedline - Saskatoon Amateur Radio Club

Transcript

Newsletter of the Saskatoon Amateur Radio Club Celebrating over 85 Years of Service The Feedline This Month • President’s Message • Radio Ham & Titanic • Laser Guidance • SWR & Transmitters • It’s not your microphone • Announcements • Membership Renewal The Saskatoon Amateur Radio Club is a great way to become acquainted with amateur radio. Our club has much to offer the beginner, as well as the seasoned veteran. Please join us at an upcoming meeting or for our Saturday breakfast, and discover the SARC. Saskatoon Amateur Radio Club 326 Anderson Crescent Club Email [email protected] Club Repeater VE5SK 146.64- 2m Net Nightly at 8:00 pm Club Website http://ve5aa.dyndns.org Facebook https:// www.facebook.com/ SaskatoonARC/ Twitter https://twitter.com/VE5AA October 2016 From the President’s Shack: By Lawrence Dobranski, VA5LD It is hard to believe that we are in October already – with snow in the forecast for next Wednesday. I hope that everyone has gotten their antenna projects completed. But according to legend, snow and rain are important conditions of when to install an antenna otherwise it will not radiate well. Recall that our goal for 2016/2017 is to get SARC members and guests ‘Radio-Active’. Let’s get on the air! We have two new nets launching and our first Advanced Class, all in October! SARC 10 Meter SSB Round Table Net The SARC 10 Meter SSB Round Table Net will formally launch on Sunday, October 2nd immediately following the SARC 2 meter Checkin Net at 0200 Zulu, on or about 28.479 MHz USB. The SARC 10 Meter SSB Net will be a roundtable net, very informal, with a topic or question of the net. It will have a focus on fun. We will coordinate problems on the club’s 146.640 repeater. Thanks to Ron, VE5RS, we did an impromptu dry run of the net on Sunday, September 25th.We had 6 participants: Ron, VE5RS; Erik, VE5HG, Rollie, VE5RO; Sean, VA5LF; Ian, VE5WIZ; and yours truly, VA5LD.  We worked on our round table skills, and trouble shot some radio adjustments. We rag chewed for about 30 minutes.  Signals were clear, and most heard all other stations.  Everyone that was present had a great time.  Rollie remarked that it was the first real QSOs he had on his new rig, and Ian said it was contacts 5, 6, and 7, in his log.  All were looking forward to the first regular meeting of the net on Oct 2nd, 2016. This net will run on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month, on 28,479 MHz following the SARC 2 Meter Checkin Net @ 0200 Zulu. SARC 2 Meter Traffic and Training Net will run on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month on the 146.640 Repeater following the SARC 2 Meter Checkin Net at 0200 Zulu. This net will be a training net to practice our formal traffic handling skills. All are welcome. To prepare folks to check into a traffic net we will be having a tech-talk on traffic handling at the October 8th club meeting at McClure United Church at 10:00 AM. The Advanced Class will run on Saturdays, starting on October 22nd, at 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, at McClure United Church. This class will have a different format than originally planned, with the first half of the class of getting participants to be able to pass the Advanced Exam. The 2nd half of the class is still planning to build a 1 watt QRP transceiver. Checkin to the SARC 2 Meter Checkin net as more details are made available and how to register. In other areas, we are considering an upgrade to the 164.64 Repeater and moving ahead with our HAM Mesh installation. Let’s get radioactive 73 de VA5LD Lawrence! The mission of Saskatoon Amateur Radio Club is to enjoy amateur radio through the development, promotion, and expansion of amateur radio in and around Saskatoon SARC Executive President Lawrence Dobranski VA5LD Elected 2016 Past President Garry Schwartz VE5SG 2015 Vice-President Ron Slind VE5RS 2016 Treasurer Terry Cutler VE5TLC 2016 Secretary Ron Ford VA5RJF 2015 Directors Mike Mikytyshyn Ned Carroll Stuart Kasdorf Barry Pomedli VE5MMG VE5NED VA5KAS VE5BPS 2016 2016 2015 2016 New Meeting Date/Time Next Club Meeting October 8, 2016 SATURDAY 10:00 A.M. McClure United Church 4025 Taylor Street E (Corner of McKercher & Taylor) Follow the Signs! COFFEE Haywood’s Restaurant Saturdays 9:00 AM 3016 Arlington Avenue South of Alvin Buckwold School Committees Repeaters Property and Assets Training Coordinator Public Service Sick and Visiting Field Day Elmer/Mentoring Trailer Space Club Liaison New Hams Liaison SARC Net Feedline Web-site 50/50 Draw Little Bear Lake Amateur Radio/Physics Research Station Bruce, VE5BNC Club Executive Ron, VA5RJF Club Executive Club Members Club Members Stuart, VA5KAS Club Members Mike, VE5MIK Stuart, VA5KAS Club members Mike, VE5MIK Terry, VE5TLC Bruce, VE5BNC Terry, VE5TLC Ken, VE5KRB OR Jerry’s Artisan Burgers & Gelato 884-51st Street East Saturdays@ 9:30 am Listen to Friday’s 2m SARC Net for details Everyone is welcome. Hams, non-Hams, it doesn’t matter. We’re there to have good conversation with good friends. Come on out and visit! Any items for Swap ‘n Shop in the Feedline contact VE5MIK. Contact Bruce, VE5BNC, or Terry, VE5TLC to put the items on the club website. The Feedline is the official publication of the Saskatoon Amateur Radio Club. This is your newsletter! Amateur radio information of general interest, club member project descriptions and doings, radio applications to other activities, corrections, or suggestions are all welcome. If you wish to contribute articles, photos, comments, cartoons or perhaps you want to let your fellow members know about some rare DX contact you have made, or pictures of your shack or antenna installation, or anything else that interests you, then please submit these to the editor at [email protected] Be kind and respectful to your fellow hams. After all, without them, all you’d hear on the air is static. Saskatoon and Area Frequencies, Nets, Contests, DXpeditions LOCAL AREA REPEATERS VE5SK 146.640- Saskatoon, SARC VE5XW 146.730- Rock Point VA5LLR 145.390- Lizard Lake VE5ZH 147.270- 2 MHz offset, Saskatoon, Auto Patch VA5SV 145.330- (100) Ridge East of Saskatoon VE5RPD 145.190- Elbow/Davidson VE5CC 146.970- Saskatoon MARS Linked to VE5SKN, VE5DNA, & IRLP node 1360Link code 502*/503* VE5SKN 146.940- Saskatoon MARS. 100Hz tone on xmt only -Linked to VE5CC, VE5DNA and IRLP node 1360. -Link code 500*/501* ARES SAME wx Rcvr APRS 144.390 VE5RHF Saskatoon DIGI VE5BNC-3 Saskatoon IGATE & SATGATE VE5XW-1 Rock Point VE5HAN-4 Hanley DIGI IRLP VE5LLR Lizard Lake Digi NODE 1360 Hard linked to VE5CC UHF Hub (444.975 +5M) & available to VE5CC, VE5SKN and VE5DNA VHF repeaters when linked. LOCAL & Sask. WX ARES (Sun.) Aurora Manitoba Montana Tfc Sask. 80m 80m 40m 80m 80m 80m REGIONAL 1400Z 1430Z 2330Z & 0200Z 0000Z 0030Z 0100Z NETS 3735 Khz 3753 Khz 7055 Khz 3747 Khz 3910 Khz 3735 Khz SARC 10m 0200Z 28479 kHz SARC 2m 0200Z 164.64- L I T T L E B E A R Alberta 80m 0130Z 3700 Khz 80m YL Net 80m 0315Z 3755 Khz-Sundays B.C. 80m 0130Z 3729 Khz SARC Local 2m 0200Z 146.640- Prince Albert 2m 0330Z 147.150+ Roundtable 1st and 3rd Sunday following SARC 2 meter net Traffic & Training 2nd and 4th Sunday following SARC 2 meter net L A K E •The LBL telemetry address is    dougf.no-ip.com/tlm/test2.txt C O N T E S T S • FISTS Fall Slow Speed Sprint D X P E D I T I O N S 1700Z-2100Z, Oct 1 • North American SSB Sprint Contest • SKCC Sprint 0000Z-0400Z, Oct 9 0000Z-0200Z, Oct 26 0000Z, Oct 29 to 2400Z, Oct 30 • CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB For a full calendar of contests see: WA7BNM Contest Calendar or http://www.contesting.com/ Check out theseDXpedition sites! http://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html http://www.dxcoffee.com/eng/ http://www.dxpeditions.org/ Design • Experiment • Explore • Research • Communicate • Create • Invent • Build • Test • Enjoy. . . . . . That’s Amateur Radio! Radio Ham Heard Titanic’s Call for Help ARTIE Moore was born in 1887, Victoria was still on the throne and he lived in a 17th century water mill. But his fascination for the very modern technology of wireless communication meant that on the night of April 15 1912 when a disaster happened which would be known across the world, it would change his life forever. As a child, Artie had an accident at the mill badly injuring his leg, which had to be amputated. Perhaps spurred by this setback he developed a fascination for engineering, which saw him make a device so he could still pedal his bicycle while wearing a wooden leg. The water mill at Gelli Groes was the perfect workshop for the youngster. He used a lathe driven by the waterwheel to build a working model steam engine. Having entered a competition in The Model Engineer magazine, his prize was a book called ‘Modern Views of Magnetism and Electricity’. It was to be the spark which would ignite his interest in radio. He became known throughout the area as something of a character, with his gadgets like the specially adapted bicycle. Artie’s reputation as teenage boffin was cemented as he began putting up wire aerials for the radio he was building. He strung a long, thin copper cable from the mill, over the nearby River Sirhowy and slung between trees up the hillside to an old barn. Artie used his engineering skills to store electricity in his batteries using a generator hooked up to the water wheel. He would also charge batteries for local businesses and farmers, who must have come and gazed in wonder at the sparks generated by his radio transmitter. The thin strand of copper strung across the Sirhowy, near Ty Llwyd farm, would be the magical thread connecting the talented man to the world in a way that was unthinkable to most people then. The RMS Titanic was the largest ship afloat when it entered service. Graceful, palatial and vast, she carried 2,224 passengers and crew – some in luxury, but all in comfort. The White Star Line ship was on her maiden voyage, and having left her final port of call, Queenstown in Southern Ireland, steamed out into the Atlantic bound for New York. The Titanic's radio equipment was manned 24-hours a day sending and receiving passenger telegrams, handling navigation messages including weather reports and ice warnings. A sound-proofed radio room on the boat deck was manned by two operators and had an aerial strung from its roof along the length of the ship. This strand of wire would send its faint signals which Artie Moore’s spindly cable could pick up thousands of miles away. Just after midnight on April 15 1912, while steaming in the North Atlantic the Titanic collided with an iceberg 375 miles south of the coast of Newfoundland. As millions of tons of water poured through a massive gash in the ship’s hull, the two radio men frantically sent out their signals. Meanwhile, in the early morning at Gelli Groes mill, Artie was at his desk, listening. He heard a faint signal in Morse code: "CQD Titanic 41.44N 50.24W." The cryptic ‘CQD’ meant simply ‘Come Quickly Distress". The numbers gave the ship’s position. It was quickly followed by a further call. Radio was in its infancy and terms familiar to us were new then. The operators, more desperate now used the new SOS signal: "CQD CQD SOS de MGY Position 41.44N 50.24W. Require immediate assistance. Come at once. We have struck an iceberg. Sinking." ‘MGY’ was the radio callsign for the Titanic. Moore frantically wrote down the messages, but still they carried on. "We are putting the passengers off in small boats" said another. "Women and children in boats, cannot last much longer - Come as quickly as possible; our engineroom is filling up to the boilers." He soon became known beyond the Gwent valley when the Daily Sketch featured him on their front page after he intercepted the Italian government's declaration of war on Libya in 1911. Then, finally: "SOS SOS CQD CQD Titanic. We are sinking fast. Passengers are being put into boats. Titanic." A bigger story was looming in which Artie would play a part. Moore continued to copy the desperate messages until the Titanic went silent about two hours after the first distress call. As the signals faded, he ran to the police station to tell them. But the police and everyone else he told didn’t believe him. And who could blame them? He was the one-legged boffin who tinkered with his mysterious contraptions and strung wires across the valley. But they were soon proved wrong. As newspaper reports appeared, they read of the 1,500 people who drowned in the icy Atlantic. They found out too that, just as Artie had claimed, the Titanic had been using the new SOS distress signal. The skill Artie showed that night was eventually rewarded. As proof came of his fantastic story, a local resident wrote to radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi, who had worked in South Wales, telling him of Moore’s achievement. Marconi came to meet him and offered him a job with his fledgling wireless company. Two years later, as war broke out, Artie’s talents were even more in demand. He was employed as a technician for the Royal Navy. He supervised the fitting of equipment similar to that which he used on that fateful night on naval battleships. As HMS Invincible and HMS Inflexible then steamed 8,000 miles south to the Falkland Islands in 1914 to meet a German naval force off the Falkland Islands, they could easily communicate with home and each other. Still working with the Marconi Company he did research in developing the radio valve without which vital advances in wireless technology would not have happened. After the war he kept working in the field. In 1922 he fitted the first fishing boat to be equipped with wireless equipment and in 1932, he patented the Echo-meter an early form of sonar. He retired in 1947, but with failing health, he moved to Jamaica to recuperate. But after only six months, he returned to Britain and died at a convalescent home in Bristol. The end of his days mirrored his most famous moment. As those fateful messages crossed the Atlantic, so did he in the final months of his life. A word to the wise - - drill presses vibrate, and the one in Figure 1 is probably too heavy for drilling PC boards. After you've set the laser dot, turn on A lot of amateur radio build projects involve making the drill press and let it run a minute; then re-check holes. In many cases, only approximate location is the position of the dot (again, with the machine needed--for example, a few thousands of an inch stopped). Correct any error and you should be makes little difference if you're mounting a good to go. connector on the outside of a project box. Laser Guidance for Accurate Drilling - Tom Wheeler, NØGSG However, circuit boards are a different story. Good lot of amateur radio build accuracy and repeatabilityAprojects are a must for involve making holes. In professional looking results! many cases, only approximate Laser Guidance for Accurate Drilling location is needed--for example, a few thousands of an inch Commercially-manufactured circuit boards are makes little difference if drilled by computer numericalmounting controlled (CNC) you're a connector on the drills. This allows the process to ofbea project driven outside box.by However, circuit boards are by a different computer data files, which are generated a story. Good accuracy and repeatdesigner using a printed circuitability (PC) are board CADD a must for propackage. At home, most of us have to results! drill by fessional-looking hand, and it's tricky to drill PCCommercially-manufactured boards accurately cuit boards are drilled this way! cirby computer numerical controlled (CNC) drills. This allows the One way of achieving improved accuracy is to process to be driven by computer simply aim a laser dot at the work piece. I by data files, whichIn arefact, generated a designer using a printed happened to have an extra laser diode module that circuit (PC) board CADD package. At I'd purchased through eBay a few years back, and home, most of us have to drill by I was getting ready to throw out a gooseneck hand, and it's tricky"grill to drill PC light" as it had died quite a longboards time accurately ago. this way! One way of achieving improved is to pieces simply aim If you're thinking that I marriedaccuracy the two ofa laser dot at the work piece. In fact, I hardware, you're right. I simplyhappened removed theanLED to have extra laser light bulb from the "grill light" and the I'd laser diode glued module that purchased eBayisa afew module in its place. (The laserthrough module 3 years volt back, and I was getting ready to throw general purpose type that can be purchased out a gooseneck "grill light" as it through many sellers on eBay; justquite search forago. had died a long time Figure 1 "laser diode modules.") If you're thinking that I married The "grill light" is a perfect Be sure the laser is focused It's got both a accurately so that you get a nice the two pieces of hardware, platform for this. In photograph you can clamp for attaching the it to preceding tables clean dot. The more vertical you you're right. I simply removed the I left the "shade" on the end of the gooseneck to and other surfaces, as well as can keep the laser, the more see the gooseneck snaking its way up from the LED light bulb from the "grill help protect the laser module from hard knocks three very you'll be. thenstrong backmagnets down totoaccurate the laser head. There's light" and glued the laserinmodule table, clamp it onto steel surfaces. The A word to the wise - - drill presses the shop. in its place. (The laser module is a nothing wrong with securing the top of the vibrate, and the one in Figure 1 is 3 volt general purpose type that setup is shown above. gooseneck to the drill press with an extra clip so probably too heavy for drilling PC To use the system, set up the drill can be for purchased through The "grill light" is a perfect platform this. It's got many boards. After you've set the laser theworkpiece effect ofinvibration limited. bit and the usual is sellers on eBay; just search for that both a clamp for attaching it "laser to tables and other manner. Before drilling your first dot, turn on the drill press and let diode modules.") a minute; then re-check the hole,this simply lower the drill (Figure down it run2) surfaces, as well as three veryI left strong magnets to of the In the "shade" on the end photograph you see with the position of the can dot (again, to the work surface with the drill clamp it onto steel surfaces. The setupto ishelp shown gooseneck protect the system in action. There's the machine stopped). Correct any a clear dot on the laser module from hard knocks in stopped, then move the laser dot error and you should be good to above. (Figure 2) until it's in exactly the same spot. workpiece where the hole is going to be drilled. the shop. go. The drill is slightly above the board, so on the dot see DRILLING page 5 To use the system, set up the drill bit and workpiece in the usual manner. Before drilling your first hole, simply lower the drill down to the work surface with the drill stopped, then move the laser dot until it's in exactly the same spot. Be sure the laser is focused accurately so that you get a nice clean dot. The more vertical you can keep the laser, the more accurate you'll be. appears slightly to the left of the bit due to the camera angle. -4Cautions and Limitations It goes without saying that you should follow all safety rules when using power tools. Wear eye protection, keep your body clear of moving parts (restrain loose hair), and remove any jewelry before starting the job. on like page mine 4 If you've mounted your from laserDRILLING system In the precedingvertical), photographbe you (where the laser head is not perfectly can see the gooseneck snaking aware that it will only be accurate in one plane,its way up from the table, then back and that's the one you aligned it on. You must down to the laser head. There's make sure that the boardnothing remains flatwith and withinthe wrong securing top of or the accuracy gooseneck to thebe drill this plane while you're drilling will press with an extra clip so that degraded. the effect of vibration is limited. this photograph Don't use a high power Inlaser module. Ayou 1 can to 5see the system in action. There's a mW, FDA Class I module is sufficient; these are clear dot on the workpiece where very safe. Don't stare directly intois the the hole goinglaser to be beam. drilled. The drill is slightly above the board, so Be sure to work with adequate illumination theleft the dot appears slightlyon to the of the bit due to theyour camera angle. work surface. This will actually make work Cautions Limitations more accurate by making the and laser dot appear sharper and more distinct Ittogoes yourwithout eyes. saying that you should follow all safety rules when using power tools. Wear eye Conclusion protection, keep your body clear of moving parts (restrain loose It's easy to set up a laserhair), system a drill and on remove anypress jewelry or other manually operated equipment--and before starting the job. there are many other uses for this little mounted device that If you've youryou laser will discover as you use system it. If you're repairing like mine (where thePC laser notlaser perfectly vertical), boards, you'll quickly find head that isthe is great forbe aware that it will only be accurate pinpointing component leads on the bottom of in one plane, and that's the one boards. Simply shine the laser through you alignedup it on. You mustthe make board from the component side the leads willflat sure thatand the board remains and within this plane while you're be clearly marked. drilling or degraded. accuracy will be Don't use a high power laser module. A 1 to 5 mW, FDA Class I module is sufficient; these are very safe. Don't stare directly into the laser beam. MARK IT ON YOUR CALENDAR Nov. 20, 2016 Be sure to work with adequate illumination on the work surface. This will actually make your work more accurate by making the laser dot appear sharper and more distinct to your eyes. Figure 2 from HAMBONE on page 8 It's easy to set up a laser system "Professor Berner is trying to teach on a drill press or other manually you the details you need to actually operated equipment--and there design something useful some day. are many other uses for this little Maxwell’s Equations, daunting as Cross-type laser modules use are, available. show how theThe electric and device that you will discover as theyare induction and electromagnetic your accuracy even youof usethis it. If type you're might repairingimprove PC fields interact and depend on each boards, you'llby quickly find thatathe further producing better-defined target. other much like current and voltage laser is great for pinpointing do in Ohm’s Law. component leads on the bottom Happy building! of boards. Simply shine the laser Unfortunately, it is very difficult to up through the board from the use the basic field equations to component side and the leads will solve everyday antenna problems, even for Professor Berner. be clearly marked. Cross-type laser modules are "Electromagnetic waves and antenavailable. The use of this type nas seem to be simple, especially as might improve your accuracy they are described in popular ham even further by producing a radio books. But in reality, there’s a lot going on that we don’t see.” better-defined target. “Well, Uncle Elmer, you can go get Happy building! lunch, but I’m getting back to studying. I don’t want to end this course with a D,” said Hambone. “But wait, Unck! I have a question, -- JCRAC FEEDBACK -how does an antenna receive?” “That’s another story for another time, Dude. Right now, I’m heading to the refrigerator.” Conclusion Tom Wheeler, NØGSG -5- HAM RADIO VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Just exactly what do they mean to you and your signal on the other end at that DX station you are looking to get into your log? Using an swr reading of 1.6 :1 in the example above, our percentage of reflected power would be 5 % with 95 % of transmitter power usable or 95 watts to the antenna assuming no other loses in your feed line or antenna. Since no feed line is perfectly lossless and no antenna is perfect in every sense of the word, these numbers should give you an idea of how your transmitter and antenna system would be performing into a perfect load with no loss anywhere in your antenna system. You have to assume that your antenna system is not and never will be that 100% perfect system we all strive for. An "antenna system" is everything between the transmitter up to and including the antenna. Hopefully this simple chart, a comparison or two and some great information links will help you understand better, the relationship between swr readings and your total station's efficiency in sending that rf out where it belongs. This article is in no way meant to be a short course in swr, antennas or antenna systems. The links below will help do that. Study them, and save to your favorites, they are worth your time. In the example above we assume that, in fact, we have a perfectly matched and 100% efficient antenna and the feed line has NO loss. We also assume that our transmitter's output stage protection circuit is working properly. Use the numbers in the chart as a guide. Just because you have a low swr reading, does not mean that your antenna system is perfect! Read on! POWER LOSS AT VARIOUS SWR READINGS An example using the chart below: Here is something to think about. Consider a dummy load with a perfect 50 ohm load inside it attached to your transmitter with an swr meter in between. You take a reading and get that perfect match or a 1:1 swr reading. Now I ask you, does that dummy load make a good antenna? NO. SWR and TRANSMITTERS Friends or Foes! Making Sense of it! You just finished hooking your station up to that new whiz bang antenna or made some changes to your antenna system to squeeze out a bit more signal and hooked the feed line into your swr meter. Now it's time to decipher those swr readings. Assume your transmitter is producing exactly 100 watts to the antenna connector and your SWR Meter is reading 1.6 to 1. (See Green section in chart below) This chart "assumes" that there are no losses in the feedline in a "perfect world”! You can have much the same situation with antenna systems that show a really great swr but your not "getting out". You will learn why in the links below. It called line loss which increases the SWR AT THE ANTENNA and, the SWR meter will never see it! Here is a hint for your station SWR record keeping! When taking the final swr measurement on your new antenna system or after making changes to it, record them in a permanent record for safekeeping. Check your swr from time to time on the same frequency and of course using the same antenna system to see if the swr has changed or is changing gradually. Then try to find out why before the reading gets too high and your transmitter starts shutting down power. Recording swr in a permanent record rather than your memory helps with troubleshooting antennas, feedlines, etc later. Keeping good records of your swr from the time changes were made to your antenna system until a later date can help you see trends in swr changes which can tell you that "something" is changing over a period of time. If you do not keep a record of your swr between two points in time, then you may be in for a surprise some day months later when your transmitter starts telling you that you should have....there goes that DX contact you needed! swr to get about 1 S unit higher reading over the lower power station. Running a station with high SWR! Does it really matter? It all depends on how you look at it and understand what is going on in the entire station system including the antenna and all that is connected to it. Now, assuming you have had a bit of time to look at the chart above, let us consider what difference it would make on the receive end, (the DX station), if we compared two identical stations at your QTH that could be switched back and forth, the first station with a 1:1 swr and the second station having a 5:1 swr. These readings are at the station end of the feedline. So the bottom line here is that the higher the swr ratio is to (1), the less output to the antenna system due to transmitter power reduction. When you add to this fact what is actually going on AT THE ANTENNA after the signal goes thru that feedline, you may be horrified! That perfect 1:1 reading at the transmitter may translate to a horrible reading where it really counts... at the antenna! Looking at the chart you will notice under the 5:1 swr section that the station looses almost HALF of it's output power due to the transceiver "cutting back" power for protection, or from 100 watts to about 52 watts out to the antenna system.....reducing from 100 watts to about 52 watts is about a 3db loss in signal strength....only barely enough to notice on the S meter with the DX station! The DX station can not hear the difference, he can only see it on the S meter. In voice communications, it's what you HEAR that tells the story. Now don't misunderstand, we are not telling you it is OK to run your station like that with a high swr at the station end of the antenna system. This is just to show you that having a high swr is not all that terrible when it comes to actual signal comparisons! The proof is in the db loss if we are assuming that most S meters increase 1 S unit for a 6db change in signal strength which is the same as a multiplying by 4 times the power output at the transmitter. In this high SWR example above, we are cutting the output from the transmitter to the antenna by about half, from 100 watts to about 52 Another example would be to consider two identical stations sitting side by side. One is running 100 watts with a 6:1 swr and the other station is running 200 watts with a 10:1 swr. By looking at the chart, there is only 15 watts difference between their output power even though one station is running 100 watts more than the other....The DX station could not tell the 15 watts difference between the two! The higher power station is actually only getting about 60 watts from his transmitter while the lower power station is getting about 45 watts from his transmitter. So that's only about 15 watts difference between the two stations! That's not enough difference to make a difference! The higher power station would have to run at about 600 watts out of his transmitter assuming the same 10:1 Thank you to hamuniverse.com for allowing a reprint of this article. Please visit hamuniverse.com for more articles. It's Not Your Microphone, It's You! By Steve Katz, WB2WIK/6 Those of us who foray into the “phone” bands have all heard some G-dawful modulation. means to add “fidelity.” What the ones who sound lousy really need is a way to listen to how badly they sound, and learn how not to sound like that. Some useful hints There are the “wi-fi audio guys” who, to me, sound like fingernails scratching a chalkboard, but I'll admit some like the way that stuff sounds. I don't, but that's neither here nor there. No matter what kind of microphone you use, use it as you would a “hand mike.” If your lips are more than an inch or so from the front of the microphone, you're too far away. If you've never operated this way: Trust me, it works, and you'll sound a whole lot better as soon as you start operating this way. There are the over processed guys who have fallen victim to AKTR* Syndrome, and as long as they believe what they do, will never, ever sound good. Don't talk “across” the microphone. That looks silly, and doesn't sound any better, at all. (*AKTR = All Knobs To Right. This is a method where the operator simply turns all the knobs on his transmitter fully clockwise, keeping adjustments very simple.) Use conversational tone. Don't elevate the pitch or volume of your voice simply because you're on the air. Speak normally, as you would to someone sitting in front of you. There are the “radio dispatchers,” who sit back in a chair about two feet away from their microphones and operate from that position. They always sound crappy, without exception. This method of operating creates a very under modulated signal unless the operator also follows the AKTR philosophy, in which case, then you can hear his heart beat, clock tick and cat meow, and those items all modulate his rig about the same as his voice. Along with lots of room echo. Practice enunciation, using a tape recorder or digital voice recorder. Most people, especially if they've never been broadcasters, have a very incorrect impression of how they sound. The tape playback clears that all up. There are the mumblers. There are the cross-talkers: You know, guys who talk across their microphones rather than into them, honestly believing the mythology that somehow that works better. There are the yellers who elevate the pitch and intensity of their voices every time they're on the air, and never use a conversational tone until the rig's shut off. There are those with lisps and various impediments to normal speech, and while many of those could be cured by simply listening to their own voices played back by a tape recorder, most have never even tried this. And then, there are the drawlers. These are folks who don't actually live in the deep south, and really don't have a southern drawl, except when they're on the radio, when they suddenly develop one. Or if not that, then some other silly accent they don't really have. Why is it that only about ten percent of all hams using the phone bands actually sound good on the air? Pssst: It's usually not their microphones, or even their rigs. They really don't need audio equalizers or other Adjust your transmitter (assuming the mode is SSB) so that the “ALC” indicator registers just a bit on voice peaks, and goes dead between voice peaks. If the “ALC” scale on your particular transmitter goes from 1-10, and the “highlighted” area where you're “supposed to” use it is a range from 2-7, adjust your mike gain so that a very occasional peak indicates about a “5,” and normal speech is down around “2.” Background noise, including the cat, the dog, the TV in the next room, and everything else, should indicate absolutely nothing. If you do operate SSB, and most of this discussion concerns SSB operation, by all means try to buy, build or borrow a true PEP wattmeter. A normal wattmeter cannot indicate PEP, and PEP is what counts when you're operating SSB. Some wattmeters have a “peak” or “PEP” position, but do not have a power supply operating them, nor internal batteries to power the PEP circuitry. If you have a meter like that, rest assured it is not a PEP meter, period. It's impossible for it to be, because peak reading circuitry consumes power, and cannot work by magic. The reason I stress the “PEP meter” point is that so many hams look at their average-reading wattmeters and try to modulate their rigs so these meters indicate whatever the output power of their transmitter is supposed to be. If you do that, you're guaranteed to sound crappy on the air, and you'll probably achieve such reports. A 100% modulated SSB transmitter will usually indicate 20-30% of actual output power on a typical (non-PEP) wattmeter. That same transmitter will indicate 100% of actual output power on a PEP meter, and this will make you feel better and also provide you with great insight about the difference between peak and average power. (Remember, the average power of a high-level modulated AM transmitter is 25% of PEP; however, all of that is the carrier, so even if you don't say a word, you're running an average power of 25% of PEP, and that power is entirely wasted: Which is why suppressed-carrier single sideband became popular in the first place.) Most microphones, regardless of design, work best under full sound pressure, e.g., when you provide them with as much sound pressure as they can handle without damage. In the case of communications mikes, that's a lot of pressure. You can't provide that pressure from across the room, a foot away, or usually not even from two inches away, unless you're screaming. With normal voice modulation, you'll want to be right up against the microphone. It's what sounds best, and it's what works. Take a look at any broadcast studio and you'll see announcers right up on their microphones. Ditto any concert with vocals. You never see anybody back a foot from the mic. That doesn't work. Get in the good habit of close-talking the microphone, no matter what the environment, or what type of microphone it is. I've never come across a microphone that didn't sound better under full sound pressure. Desk mics Desk mics are silly. Okay, I'll go a bit further (although I really could have ended it there). They're not only silly, but they always cost more than hand mikes, and never sound better. For radio operating, what works, if you have one hand free, is a hand mic. If you don't have a hand free, then a boom mic, or boom headset. Anything that puts the mic element right in front of your lips. Problem with desk mics is that most are not designed to be comfortably used if you want your lips up against them. They're too short, so you have to lean over. Or, they're too something. If you can mount a desk mic so that it's the same height as your mouth when you're comfortably seated at your operating position, great. But rarely is this the case. Which brings me back to my first statement: Desk mics are silly. most sensitive position, preferably something like 5W full scale, or maybe 20W full scale. Then, run as much power as you can (preferably a kilowatt), and key your push-to-talk switch with your mike gain and any processor or compressor set as they would normally be set for your operating. Count to three and look at the meter. Does it indicate anything at all? It shouldn't. It should just lay there, reading zero. If it reads anything at all, that's too much, as you have background noise modulation which is extremely distracting to anyone trying to listen to you. I say trying, because hard as I try, I usually can't listen to anybody with that much background noise. And “any” is too much. Get rid of the noise source, or make adjustments to your station. Distortion Any that can be discerned as distortion is too much. There's distortion in everything, so we'll never achieve “zero.” But you shouldn't be able to hear any obvious distortion, other than that caused by propagation. On HF, and even sometimes on VHF, there surely is distortion created by “the path” (propagation) that isn't actually there when the signal leaves the transmitter. But most of us who have spent any time operating know the difference. Best way to avoid distortion is to not overdrive any stage of the transmitter. Not the mike preamp, or the balanced modulator, or any of the driver stages, or the final amplifier. In an SSB transmitter chain, all modulated stages are linear and can operate pretty much distortion-free if not overdriven. Overdriving the mike preamp can be pretty easy to do, with some rigs. All you need is too much mike gain for the voltage the mic is producing. Close-talk the mike as repeated ad nauseum above, and adjust your mike gain for slight ALC activity. That's usually the right amount; although, with some rigs, it may not be. It really pays to listen on a second receiver, using headphones, if you can. Headphones Using headphones can create a better-sounding, better modulated signal for you! How? A few ways... The ambient The ambient is your operating environment: What's around you. It should be quiet, so that nothing other than your voice modulates your transmitter. If you have a wattmeter with different scales of sensitivity, here's a great test: Set the wattmeter to its 'Phones allow you to use your transceiver's MONITOR function (if it has one - all the “high end” rigs do, and some of the mid-line rigs do, too), so you can listen to yourself and see how you sound. 'Phones allow you to use your transceiver's MONITOR function (if it has one - all the “high end” rigs do, and some of the mid-line rigs do, too), so you can listen to yourself and see how you sound. recorder or DVR, and work on your own voice until you think it sounds great. When you do, others will, too. 2015 WB2WIK/6 'Phones allow you to use a second receiver (if your transceiver has no MONITOR function), to do the same thing. A b 'Phones also allow you to operate in a very quiet environment. It's peaceful and serene, and you can hear signals in headphones that nobody could hear in any speaker in the world. When SONY developed the Walkman, they realized the magic of a set of $2 headphones. The phones bring the sound close to your eardrums and allow you to hear a range of frequencies you can't hear if those same sounds are generated by million-dollar speakers across the room. Once you get used to operating with 'phones all the time, it's unlikely you'll ever go back to a speaker. CLUB (BTW, other members of your household will thank you for ditching the speaker. “Radio receiver noises” represent a majority of the noise pollution generated by hams in their own homes, and using headphones eliminates this.) And, 'phones set the stage for the greatest boon to two-way radio communications: The boom headset, which includes a microphone that you can have planted directly in front of your lips to create the best modulation you'll ever have. Better than desk mikes, anyway. APC NEWS Number 241 September October 2015 FOR SALE Equalizers and such ASTRON SS-30MV Switching Power Supply Nah. •30 AMP Surge, 25 Amp Continuous Ham radio would be nothing without experimentation, and by all means, feel free to experiment! However, in lieu of $500 worth of modulation-altering add-ons, most operators would benefit more from $500 worth of professional vocal training. Improving your diction, enunciation and voice timbre is something that you can take with you everywhere you go, for the rest of your life; it will make you a better public speaker, a better telemarketer, and a better communicator in all facets of life and for most, I'd highly recommend this over electronic gizmos that work only with your transmitter. •Amp & Voltage Meters (Adjustable) Conclusion If you don't get stellar reports of full, rounded, smooth, punchy, great modulation - it's probably not your microphone's fault. It's far more likely the operator. Learn to close-talk, adjust levels properly, minimize room noise, and really articulate. Practice with a tape •Like New! Asking $100 (Less than half retail) • 306 651 0779 Email [email protected] Roly, VE5RO w ANNOUNCEMENTS, NEWS, INTERESTING STUFF SARC Important Dates Oct. 8, 2016 Nov. 12, 2016 Nov. 20, 2016 Dec. 13, 2016 SARC Regular Meeting SARC Regular Meeting Santa Claus Parade SARC Christmas Banquet Check out the Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network http://www.aredn.org/ Some Contesting FAQ’s at http://www.qsl.net/zs1an/contesting_faq.html#mult World Radiosport Team Championship 2014 https://vimeo.com/119947598 WRTC 2014 Documentary. An interesting video detailing the championship and the events leading up to it. Also check out the WRTC 2018 homepage at http:// www.wrtc2018.de/index.php/en/ which has lots of information about the 2018 event in Germany. Mark it on your calendar The SARC Christmas Banquet at The Cave December 13, Tuesday Details to follow Introducing The Android HT A new handheld driven by the Android operating system. The RFinder H1(https://store10195853.ecwid.com/) is an FM plus DMR radio to be released at the end of this month. The following YouTube video (https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqDpucBAhCc) will give you a glimpse of the radio’s capabilities. The 70cm band radio apparently also supports GSM and 4G/LTE mobile phone formats. There are a few other YouTube videos available, one of which emphasizes the easy programming of the radio using the RFinder online repeater directory (http://www.rfinder.net/blog/). This makes perfect sense and is a great example of the power of a connected device. This feature would be very handy for programming up FM repeaters on the fly and outstanding for dealing with the complexity of DMR settings. SARC 2016 Advance Qualification Course SARC is beginning to plan to have an Advance Qualification Course during the fall of 2016. This course will have two goals: 1) to train Basic Qualification holders to pass the Advance Qualification exam; and 2) training them in practical, real-world, ham radio technologies. The course is being constructed so that participants will acquire the knowledge to pass the exam while learning practical skills that are the hallmark of an Advanced Qualification holder. Presently, a course where participants build and test a 40 metre CW QRP transceiver is being considered. In this syllabus, students will incrementally build the transceiver, constructing, testing, and understanding its functional blocks: Power Supply, CPU, LCD Display, VFO, VFO Buffer, Tune/RIT, Keying Circuit, TX Mixer, Driver, VFO Calibration, Mixer, Low Pass Filter, RX Antenna Switch, Audio Amplifier, Active Filter, RX Input Filter, RX Mixer, Differential Amplifier, RF Gain Control, RX Checkout and Alignment, TX Driver, Transmitter Checkout, and TX Alignment. With a course of this nature it will be important for each student to allocate the time each week for the 10-13 weeks of the course to build and test the transceiver. In addition, the course will use a ‘flipped’ classroom technique. In the ‘flipped class room’ participants will need to complete approximately 1-2 hours of on-line learning each week. This will prepare them for the classroom sessions and maximize their knowledge acquired. We are also looking at a means to teach the Code to those who are not yet certified in CW. Our hope is that having invested the hours in our Advanced program to successfully challenge the Industry Canada Advanced License exam, people will be motivated to also pass the Code test. (Note from RJF: I am one who would benefit from such a CW class, even though I already have my Advanced License!) SARC would like to know are you interested in such a course, and how much would you be prepared to spend on the course materials and transceiver kit. Please contact Ron Ford, VA5RJF, SARC’s Training Coordinator for more information. MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION/RENEWAL SASKATOON AMATEUR RADIO Club inc. 326 Anderson Crescent, Saskatoon SK, S7H 4A3 Membership valid from September 1, 2016 to August 31, 2017 NAME CALL SIGN May information be distributed to club members Yes ADDRESS ! ! ! ! ! ! No CITY SK POSTAL CODE TELEPHONE (Home) ___________________ (Business or Cell) __________________ for FEEDLINE email E-mail address: Print Clearly (By providing your email address you are agreeing to receive group emails for Club business) LICENSE: (Please check) Basic ____ Basic+ ___ Advanced ____ Code ____ Occupation (optional) ______________________________ Name of spouse (optional) _____________________________ Family Members (for Family Membership Application) NAME ___________________________________________________ CALL SIGN __________________ Basic _____ Basic+ _____ Advanced _____ Code _____ WHICH CLUB ACTIVITIES CAN WE COUNT ON YOU FOR? Special event or area of interest to you Emergency Response Team ____ Field Day ____ Communication: MS Walk ____ Sask. Marathon ____ Fire Works Festival ____ Santa Clause Day Parade ____ Pride Parade _____ Other: _________________________________ Affiliation (Provide membership number where applicable) ARRL ________ RAC ________ SARL ________ MARS ________ OTHER _______ MEMBERSHIP FEES Regular Membership – RAC Member $30.00 - Non RAC Member $40.00 $ (must be licensed to operate an amateur station) Family Membership - RAC Member - Non RAC Members ($10.00 per ea) Associate Membership $35.00 $10.00 X _____ $30.00 $ $ $ $15.00 $ (Enthusiasts – not eligible for office) Junior Membership (under 18 years) (Full privileges if licensed to operate a station) Name Tag $ Donation (Towards developing, maintaining, upgrading programs/equipment) $ TOTAL REMITTED Cheques payable to Saskatoon Amateur Radio Club Inc. $ Saskatoon Amateur Radio Club Inc. Membership Year: 2016-2017 (Financial period May 1, 2016 to April 30, 2017) Subject: Membership Vote for Waiver of Formal Financial Audit / Review of the Clubs Financial Books Amendments to the Non-profit Corporations Act and Regulations: Effective June 15, 2006 amendments to The Non-profit Corporations Act, 1995 became law. Changes to the Act affect financial reporting requirements as follows: a. Financial statements must be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles as set out in the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) Handbook. b. A membership corporation (Our Club ) may resolve by a 2/3 majority not to appoint an auditor or a person to review the financial statements. c. Any person appointed to audit or review financial statements must be a member in good standing of a recognized accounting profession (CA, CMA, or CGA) or be a person approved by the Director of Saskatchewan Justice, Corporations Branch. The cost incurred by the club for a formal audit / review would be substantial. Normally an audit for club like ours would cost between $500.00 to $1000.00 plus. With fees of this magnitude, the club finances would mostly go to supporting this activity. Vote Question: ‘YES’ vote means you agree to Waive the Formal Audit / Review of the Club Books. ‘ No’ vote means you wish for a Formal Audit / Review of the Financial books of the club. At the Annual General Meeting Held in June 2017 the club books will be available for inspection by all members in good standing and the Financial Statement that will be prepared for Fiscal year 2016-2017 will be presented to the club for acceptance. Once accepted, the Financial Statement will be submitted to the Saskatchewan Corporations Branch of the Justice Department as required by law. As a member in good standing I ____________________ vote ________ to the motions stated above. Signed: _____________________________ Date: _______________