Broken Arrow Amateur Radio - W5BBS - News

Display Case at the Library

2010-02-05T15:20:00.000-06:00

Contact me if you can help decorate the display case at the Broken Arrow Library with Amateur Radio info... 73 Scott KD5NJR

Tower Site

2010-02-05T13:01:00.001-06:00

Anyone know the scoop on this tower ?

On 161st Street S. East of the Sod Farm. But West of 257th E. Ave. Click below:

Aerial View : Click Here

Head on view: Click Here

A picture I took from my iPhone:

Looks to be some Cell phone and VHF antennas up there.

73 Scott.

KD5NJR

Stuff To Do Tomorrow

2010-02-05T12:56:00.001-06:00

Hams 'n Eggs. 0800. Golden Corral. 71st & Mingo. 2/6/10.
FoxHunt to follow.

Not Really Ham Radio But… (late Juanuary 2010)

2010-01-29T12:21:00.003-06:00

Normal 0 0 1 467 2667 22 5 3275 11.1282

Not Really Ham Radio But…

By Scott Haley KD5NJR

KD5NJR@gmail.com

918.637.0396

If you ask folks why they got interested in amateur radio and went on to get their license you’ll get all kinds of answers: public service, emergency communications, an interest in weather or that it was a technical hobby like something else they were interested in.

My father was a ham. I was encouraged to get my license as a kid; I couldn’t (or just didn’t try enough) get the code down. But after college I was working in the telecommunications industry and come to find out Hams were doing digital communications (just like we did at work, but lots slower) and they even had their own satellites! I was hooked.

And it seems to me that once you start, the number of technical hobbies you have multiplies. There are hams that have branched into rockets, into astronomy, into computers, into hacking gadgets and into building circuits, so on and so forth.

So just to give a glimpse into their worlds, here’s some recent Internet links:

ROCKETS
Electronics onboard ‘model rockets’
http://www.rocketryplanet.com/content/view/3142/30/

Scott: In some of the larger ("high power") model rockets, small computers are used to determine altitude, time events (staging, 'chute deployment, etc.) and provide some functions similar to APRS.

ASTRONOMY

Water on Saturn’s Moon Enceladus
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/091104-enceladus-plumes.html

Scott: And while talking about communications, little probes send info back to Earth would certainly be some real DX.

And future plans for probes:
http://www.astrobio.net/pressrelease/3295/robot-armada-could-explore-alien-worlds

COMPUTERS
Write your own iPhone apps
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/01/stanford-offering-updated-iphone-dev-course-on-itunes-u.ars
Scott: This isn't my own original idea of course, but the iphone would make a great "walkie talkie" for folks that can't hit regular repeaters (office dwellers?) but have access to the cell-phone data networks... provided there was an Echolink client for iphone... hummm....

“Linux for Dummies”
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/a-newbies-initiation-to-linux-free-pdf/

Scott: If your computer is getting a little too old for Vista or Win7 maybe you can retire it to the ham shack and use Linux. New ham apps (ex: FLDIGI and XASTIR) baked daily.

GADGETS

Not an R/C Helicopter, but a Quadrocopter !
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/how-to_quadrocopter_based_on_arduin.html

Scott: Reminder, R/C aircraft talk at Feb. club meeting.

CIRCUITS

Hands-On Electronics & Make Magazine
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/jim_kellys_make_electronics_lab_upd.html

Scott: Ham radio isn't the only "sect" of people experimenting with electronics.

QRP Kits
http://kb6nu.com/four-state-kit-update/

Scott: But some hams do still homebrew equipment.

OLD (or OBSCURE MODES)

Hellscreiber : A mode a bit like RTTY.
http://blog.k4sac.net/what-is-hellschreiber/

Scott: this is a "text" mode that shares uses the error-correction in your head. What I mean is, folks can make out a scratchy SSTV picture in noisy conditions. I assume Hellscreiber is better in noise than RTTY. But I don't know for sure.

WSPR: Even slower than PSK-31. But works well (even better?) at QRP levels
http://www.g4ilo.com/wspr.html

If you hear these conversations or similar on the air, jump in ! Most folks are passionate about their hobby and would love to drag you into it !! If you do something out of the ordinary, drop me a line and we’ll try to include it in a future newsletter.

Scott

KD5NJR

Internet Roundup (late January 2010)

2010-01-29T12:17:00.001-06:00

Internet Roundup #1
By Scott Haley KD5NJR
KD5NJR@gmail.com

There are a lot of amateur radio resources on the web. There are tools for callsign look up (www.qrz.com) tools to make / view DX spots (http://www.vhfdx.net/spots/map.php ) tools to check solar weather (http://www.spaceweather.com/ ) so on and so forth.

Then again, there are online stores, discussion forums and the websites for clubs and organizations both large and small.

Below is a list of websites / articles that I ran across that you might enjoy… 73 Scott

1. “The New ARRL Website”. Who knows ?
http://www.arrl.org/?artid=9387

Scott: I have been a member for a couple years now. Maybe its time to give it another go.

2. An HF antenna for wideband HTs.
http://www.g4ilo.com/2010/01/portable-hf-receiving-whip.html

Scott: if there are programs you like to listen to on Shortwave and you have one of the newer HTs with wide-band receive, you might be able to leave the general coverage receiver at home.

3. Thoughts on the Flex-1500 Software Defined Radio. (160 – 6m… add your own computer)
http://ke9v.net/2010/01/09/flex-1500/
Scott: I'm excited about rig !

4. A great website (really a book) on radio history, theory and some projects.
http://www.qsl.net/k3pd/book.html
Scott: The 10m projects appeal to me.

5. Are your neighbors hams (a nifty map) ??
http://kb6nu.com/how-many-hams-in-your-grid-square/
Scott: Invite them to a meeting. Offer to carpool ;)

6. MOSFET / “High Sensitivity Crystal Set”
http://brainwagon.org/2009/10/23/zero-threshold-mosfets/
Scott: Guy WB5MXO talks to me regularly about crystal sets.

7. High Altitude Balloon Projects (not necessarily using Ham Radio)
http://space.1337arts.com/
Scott: I'd like to try this out mysel. I've chased a bunch of ham balloons in these parts.

8. Stan's Blog.

http://ke5lep.blogspot.com
Scott: Get your Hams 'n Eggs news here.

9. Comments / remarks / questions for the Monday Night Net
http://w5bbs.blogspot.com

Keep your eyes on these and other ham authors. If you find something of note, bring it up on the Monday Night Net or send me an email.

73
Scott

From The President (February 2010)

2010-01-29T12:13:00.000-06:00

From the President’s Desk…
By Scott Haley KD5NJR
KD5NJR@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION :
I was collecting my thoughts for this column during the last few minutes of the Monday Night Net and it occurred to me that a lot is going on in amateur radio today. It’s a big hobby! There is a broad range of interests and you can get technically deep into any one of them.

BIG EVENTS:
• 2010 All – Day Storm Spotter Training. 20 February. 8a – 4p. OU Schusterman Center. 4502 E. 41st St. http://okarkskywarn.org/
• Green Country Hamfest. 12/13 March. Claremore Expo Center. www.greencountryhamfest.org

ACTIVITIES:
• There are a variety of nets to check-in on. On our 146.910 repeater: Monday @ 8, Wednesday @ 7 and Friday @ 7pm. Other area nets out of Tulsa, Claremore and Pryor are in range of most folks.
• Fox Hunt : An active group of Foxes and Hunters made it through the winter storms. Next hunt will be 2/6 or late February to avoid conflicts.
• Daryl Starbird’s Car Show. 19 – 21 February. Tom Stroud is trying to organize a display about ham radio and storm spotting. If you can help contact him at kd5oph@tulsahamradio.org
• VE Testing: Do you need to upgrade to General or Extra ?!? The BAARC offers ARRL VE Testing on the 2nd Saturday of EVEN numbered months.

IDEAS : (Folks have made a lot of suggestions. If you can help out or are interested, let me know.)
• Display Case at the BA Library: In April the BAARC will be decorating the display case for the library. I’ll be meeting with the librarians in the near future to get the dimensions and the rules. I thought I’d use mostly clip art from the ARRL, but if you have an artistic flair, let me know and we’ll collaborate together.
• Swap ‘n Trade Day: Who wants to propose a time & date ?
• Antenna Build Day: Same above. We probably need room and tools for this one.
• THE BATFISH ! Stay tuned for details on activating WW2SUB in Muskogee.

FEBRUARY MEETING:
Thanks to Guy WB5MXO for helping us get some assistance from the Tulsa Glue Dobbers, They’ll be showing us a variety of Radio Controlled Aircraft. Interesting fact: some radios run in portions of the RF spectrum shared by amateur radio and other services .

MARCH MEETING:
Keeping in tradition, this is the storm spotter review with the National Weather Service. Thanks to Steve KB5ZSD.

FUTURE MEETINGS:
• The new Club Constitution.
• ????

ENGINEERING:
146.910 repeater seems to be doing well up on Tiger Hill.
145.450 repeater seems to work, but might have some intermittent problems.
444.000 repeater : not linked to 146.910.
443.600 repeater : not installed.
See the engineering report & Engineering Committee for further details.

CONCLUSION :
The above news roundup is the “tip of the iceberg”. It’s your club. Questions ? Suggestions ? Please contact myself or the officers. I’m looking to an exciting year with a motivated club.

73
Scott
KD5NJR

FOXHUNT (This Saturday) 8/26

2009-09-22T22:28:00.000-05:00

Guys,

Foxhunt this Saturday at 10am.

Come out and help catch the Fox.

Listen for his clues on the 146.910 repeater. Listen on 146.310 (directly) for the fox and close in on him by traveling toward the signal. Swap information with other hunters on the .91 and .45 repeaters.

73
Scott
KD5NJR