Happy New Years Noise Maker

Here we are again, some more Red Green. New Years Noise Maker

Happy New Year!!!!

de KD8BIG; Merry Christmas

Santa Claus Net

This is a re-post reminder

This was distributed to me via the
WestMichiganHams
yahoo group.

On December 24, 2010 @ 2200 hrs local time.

Gather your children, and grandchildren, around your radios for the annual Santa net.

While Santa is delivering presents around the world, the children can call for Santa, KD8DEG, and Santa will ask each child if they have been good little boy's and girls, and what they would like for Christmas.

Elf Radar Frank, N8UVI, will be giving Santa's location using NORAD, along with Elf Techno Dave, KC8PCL, scribing, both located at Santa's communications center at the North Pole.

You can find the "Santa Net" on the Lowell repeater 145.270 pl 94.8; also use IRLP: node 9617; & Echolink: Michigan Conference node 96170 .

73

The originator & Elf - N8UVI Frank
Santa - KD8DEG Tom
Elf - KC8PCL Dave

Please note the changes for the IRLP and ECHOLINK Node numbers. We have been given permission to use the Michigan Conference and IRLP nodes for the Santa Net. This enables the net to run Nationally and World Wide.

An Amateur Radio Christmas

A nostalgic look at the amateur radio operator's Christmas Holidays.

Amateur Radio Christmas Calls

Amateur Radio Christmas Calls.
-- G1FT -- **KR1S -- KR1NGL -- **NØEL -- N1CK--RE1NDR
**Issued Calls

de KD8BIG; Thank You

I just want to thank all of you who continue to stop by and read my little blog.
Yesterday I hit 10,000 visits on my blog.
Here is some of the break down;
631 =1-5 Returning Visits
315=5-10 Returning Visits
64 = 10+ Returning Visits
According to my site tracker 51% of my visitors are return visits. Not bad for an amateur. I realize much of my post are from others and I am just passing along the info. It still gives me something to do.

Thanks again

You can also follow me on Twitter.
http://twitter.com/#!/KD8BIG

SO-67 FM Suspended

Slow day for me today. Getting ready for the Christmas Holiday. The kids are home from school and the DX bands are already showing some congestion.

Got this in the E-Mail box this morning

Johann Lochner, ZR1CBC, reports that the FM Amateur Radio transponder on SO-67 is being temporarily suspended due to a probable radiation event.

On the AMSAT bulletin board he writes:

Last week the flash boot memory of a CAN controller on Sumbandila was corrupted by a probable radiation event. It does not affect satellite health but prevents activation of the amateur radio repeater, as the particular script detects an anomaly and aborts.

The same problem also occurred in October of 2009 and was corrected. However, the fix requires time consuming effort, which cannot be exerted immediately.

SO-67 repeater activations are therefore suspended. We apologize for any disappointment and hope to return to normal operations somewhere in January.

73 de ZR1CBC, Johann.

AMSAT Bulletin Board AMSAT-BB
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/maillist/

Southern African Amateur Radio Satellite Association (SA AMSAT)
http://www.amsatsa.org.za/

Rare Lunar Eclipse of Dec. 21st , 2010 (Up-Dated)

This is a Re-Post of my Dec. 10, 2010 post With update
Rare Lunar Eclipse of Dec. 21st , 2010
This eclipse is rare, only one previous instance of an eclipse matching the same calendar date as the solstice, and that is Dec. 21, 1638, the next one will be on Dec. 21, 2094, 84 years from now.
The eclipse begins on Tuesday morning, Dec. 21st, at 1:33 am EST (Monday, Dec. 20th, at 10:33 pm PST).
When to Look; The total eclipse lasts more than an hour from 02:41 am to 03:53 am EST on Tuesday morning, Dec. 21st. Any time within that interval is a good time to look. For other time zones, consult Shadow & Substance's animated eclipse.


More info; click here
and; click here

Preseus SDR info

I have received a few e-mails inquiring what I know about the Perseus by Microtelecom s.r.l. I do not have any experience with this item nor do I know of anyone who owns one.
What I have read thus far is that the Preseus is a software defined VLF-LF-MF-HF receiver based on an outstanding direct sampling digital architecture.
It features a 14 bit 80 MS/s analog-to-digital converter, a high-performance FPGA-based digital down-converter and a high-speed 480 Mbit/s USB2.0 PC interface.

The best I can do is providing you some links to which you may have already found. I think the yahoo group, (linked below) might be the best place to interact with those who have this interesting SDR Receiver.

Microtelecom Preseus page; click here
Microtelecom Preseus Software page; click here
E-ham reviews; click here
Universal Radio Inc/ Preseus; click here
Preseus Yahoo Group; click here

Desk Top Mic

My wife and kids asked me what last minute idea I had from my wish list under 200 dollars. Right away, the vision of The Fin came to mind. So, with any luck, I might have a pretty cool stocking stuffer coming my way.

The Fin, exhibiting a remarkable, natural, clear sound and designed especially for live sound, recording and broadcast applications. The exceptional performance is achieved by the use of a special magnet structure with a large 1 1/18" aluminum low mass voice coil assembly similar to the Heil PR 20. The frequency response is 60 Hz - 18kHz with that traditional Heil Sound mid range 'bouquet' at 4kHz, which presents incredible brilliance and presence. The Fin exhibits a tight linear cardioid pattern. The chrome finish is a special 'showchrome' where the steel body is copper plated and then double chrome plated producing a deep chrome finish. A blue molded internal foam windscreen inside the grill covers the large diameter Heil dynamic microphone element mounted in a specially tooled Sorbothane c shock mount.

The fun part of The Fin is the four blue L.E.D. lamps mounted inside. These can only be illuminated when using The Fin into one of the 3 pin balanced XLR inputs of a professional mixing console that supplies a + 48 volt d.c. phantom voltage down the balanced mic line. A small slide switch on the bottom of The Fin must be switched to 'ON'.


The Fin, by Heil; click here

Morse Code from Washington DC

This is cool. We have an amateur radio operator in the U.S. House of Representatives. I have often wondered how many amateur radio operators are in elected office.
The really cool thing about Rep. Greg Walden is that he is a very Conservative Republican. I think as US citizens we are fortunate to have him in Washington DC. He is representing the state of Oregon well.

Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) announced Thursday on Twitter that he will chair the House Commerce Committee's Communications subcommittee — using what appears to be Morse code.

The tweet from @repgregwalden: .-- .. .-.. .-.. / -.-. .... .- .. .-. / -.-. --- -- -- / .- -. -.. / - . -.-. .... / ... ..- -... / --... ...-- ... / .-- --... . --.- ..

Using a handy (in some very rare instances) online Morse code translator, that equates to this: "WILL CHAIR COMM AND TECH SUB 73S W7EQI."

continue reading; click here

Christmas Gifts

This is funny. It has nothing to do with Amateur Radio. Red Green is a great Michigander.

Amateur Radio Beacons

I was talking to some friends today about beacons and the MFJ-890 DX Beacon Monitor.
I know of three Amateurs that have the MFJ-890. They all say it is a great conversation piece and also make the shack look cool.
My friend Bryce sent this e-mail to me.

The Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF)operates eighteen beacons on five continents which transmit in successive one-minute intervals on 14.100, 18.110, 21.150, 24.930 and 28.200 MHz.

The NCDXF beacon call sign and the first dash is sent at 100Watts. The remaining dashes are sent at 10Watts, 1 Watt and 0.1 Watts. Very handy info for QRPers!

Almost all ten meter beacons transmit between 28.190 MHz and 28.300 MHz. You will find a comprehensive list at this URL

TEN METER PROPAGATION BEACONS

Six meter beacons are mostly found between 50.0 MHz and 50.1 MHz, with a concentration between 50.06 MHz and 50.08 MHz.

One example is W4CLM/B transmitting 30 Watts continuously into a vertical on 50.065 MHz (+/-) from location EM74 (Atlanta, GA.).

FCC; Amendment of the Amateur Service Rules

New rules affecting vanity and club station call signs within the Amateur Radio Service were published in the Federal Register. These new rules will go into effect on February 14, 2011. Thirteen months ago, the FCC announced its intention of modifying Part 97 as it applies to the vanity call sign system and club station call signs, aligning the rules to prior Commission decisions. Last month, the Commission released a Report and Order (R&O), outlining its decision. Along with the changes to the call sign rules, the FCC made “certain minor, non-substantive amendments” to portions of Part 97. (ARRL - FCC)
Read the full report; click here

HIGH SCHOOL -- 1957 vs. 2009 (OT)

OK, this is not amateur radio related. I like to throw somethings off topic (OT) every once in a while.
de KD8BIG

HIGH SCHOOL -- 1957 vs. 2009
Scenario 1:
Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack.

1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.

2009 - School goes into lockdown, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario 2:
Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.

1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins.. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.

2009 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario 3:
Jeffrey will not sit still in class, he disrupts other students.

1957 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.

2009 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The school gets extra money from the state because Jeffrey has a disability.

Scenario 4:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt..

1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.

2009 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.

Scenario 5:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.

1957 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock.

2009 - The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario 6:
Pedro fails high school English.

1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.

2009 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario 7:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.

1957 - Ants die.

2009 - ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents -- and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated.
Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario 8:
Wally falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Nancy. Nancy hugs him to comfort him.

1957 - In a short time, Wally feels better and goes on playing.

2009 - Nancy is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison... Wally undergoes 5 years of therapy.

Amateur Radio Society GETS the BOOT

Wow, what am I to say?
"Regulations governing child welfare can make it difficult for a school to manage certain situations in which outsiders use the premises, while at the same time ensuring the school remains fully compliant with regulatory requirements".
What a bunch of Hooey!!!!
I am so tired of this, all the school needs to do is operate this practice as they do during regular school hours or follow guide lines that the Boy Scouts of America operate by.
No wonder the Middle Eastern Countries are out performing the United States.
Read the full story here. It's over and out for the radio amateurs.
http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/It39s-over-and-out-for.6661140.jp

THE SANTA NET Dec 24th

This was distributed to me via the
WestMichiganHams
yahoo group.

On December 24, 2010 @ 2200 hrs local time.

Gather your children, and grandchildren, around your radios
for the annual Santa net.

While Santa is delivering presents around the world,
the children can call for Santa, KD8DEG, and Santa
will ask each child if they have been good little boy's
and girls, and what they would like for Christmas.

Elf Radar Frank, N8UVI, will be giving Santa's location using
NORAD, along with Elf Techno Dave, KC8PCL, scribing, both located
at Santa's communications center at the North Pole.

You can find the "Santa Net" on the Lowell repeater 145.270 pl 94.8;
also use IRLP: node 9617; & Echolink: Michigan Conference node 96170 .

73

The originator & Elf - N8UVI Frank
Santa - KD8DEG Tom
Elf - KC8PCL Dave

Please note the changes for the IRLP and ECHOLINK Node numbers. We have been given permission to use the Michigan Conference and IRLP nodes for the Santa Net. This enables the net to run Nationally and World Wide.

The ever Active Sun

A global eruption on the sun has shattered old ideas about solar activity. Researchers presented their surprising findings at a press conference Monday at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco. Get the full story from Science@NASA.
Hoping it will make the DX better.

A Great Book about Amateur Radio

I got a book from a friend a few months ago and I just finished reading it. I am a discouraged with myself for letting this incredible book sit on my desk untouched for so long.
The book,
The World of Ham Radio, 1901-1950: A Social History
by Richard A. Barlett

During the first fifty years of the twentieth century, ham radio went from being an experiment to virtually an art form. Because of the few government restrictions and the low monetary investment required, the concept of ham radio appealed to various people. More than just a simple hobby, however, ham radio required its operators to understand radio theory, be able to trace a schematic and know how to build a transmitter and receiver with whatever material they might have available. With the advent of World War II and the increased need for cutting-edge communications, the United States government drew upon the considerable knowledge and skill of these amateur ham radio operators, validating the fact that ham radio was here to stay.

This book explores the history of ham radio operators, emphasizing their social history and their many contributions to the technological development of worldwide communications. It traces the concept of relays, including the American Radio Relay League, from contacts as close as 25 miles apart to operators anywhere in the world. The book highlights the part played by ham radio in many of the headlined events of the half century, especially exploration and aviation "firsts". The ways in which these primarily amateur operators assisted in times of disaster including such events as the sinking of the Titanic and the 1937 Ohio River flood, are also examined.

A CW Story.

Back when the telegraph was the fastest method of long-distance communication, a young man applied for a job as a Morse Code operator. Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the office address that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, busy office filled with noise and clatter, including the sound of the telegraph in the background. A sign on the receptionist's counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office.

The young man filled out his form and sat down with the seven other applicants in the waiting area. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in. Naturally the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. They muttered among themselves that they hadn't heard any summons yet.

They assumed that the young man who went into the office made a mistake and would be disqualified. Within a few minutes, however, the employer escorted the young man out of the office and said to the other applicants, "Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has just been filled." The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and one spoke up saying, "Wait a minute, I don't understand. He was the last to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That's not fair!"

The employer said, "I'm sorry, but the last several minutes while you've been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse Code: 'If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours." None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. The job is his.

Snow Collapse of Minneapolis Metrodome

Wow, what a mess for Brett and the boys.

Distracted Driving Legislation

I have heard of laws being passed throughout the world and it seems they are getting ever close to reality here in the U.S.A. at times. Well this is what is going on with our northern neighbor.

Distracted Driving Legislation Continues to be on Provincial Agendas; New Brunswick introduces Legislation Banning Cell Phone and Two Way Radio Use

Most provinces [eg. Nova Scotia, Manitoba, BC, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador to name five] have chosen not to restrict the operation of mobile amateur radio equipment during driving. These governments have recognized the value of amateur radio to their citizens. Amateur radio has served the citizens of Canada during such emergencies such as floods, dangerous weather and ice storms, in support of public events such as Marathons and in support of agencies such as the Red Cross and a variety of provincial and municipal agencies across Canada. The support provided by amateur radio is frequent, freely given and in the highest standard of public service.
continue reading

Rare Lunar Eclipse of Dec. 21st , 2010

Rare Lunar Eclipse of Dec. 21st , 2010
This eclipse is rare, only one previous instance of an eclipse matching the same calendar date as the solstice, and that is Dec. 21, 1638, the next one will be on Dec. 21, 2094, 84 years from now.
The eclipse begins on Tuesday morning, Dec. 21st, at 1:33 am EST (Monday, Dec. 20th, at 10:33 pm PST).

More info; click here
and; click here

I will Re-post this on the 20th as a reminder for those of you who RSS

A Ham's Night Before Christmas

A pleasant video to share with your amateur radio friends. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

How to Use MUF

Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) describes, in radio transmission, using reflection from the regular ionized layers of the ionosphere, the upper frequency limit that can be used for transmission between two points at a specified time. This index is especially useful in regards to shortwave transmissions.

Note: MUF is a median frequency applicable to 50% of the days of a month, as opposed to 90% cited for the lowest usable high frequency (LUF) and the optimum traffic frequency (FOT).

Operating near the MUF often gives excellent results because of absorption is lowest just below the MUF. Low takeoff angles also raise the MUF because the signals will need less bending to complete a hop. Here are two examples;
*If the MUF over a certain path is 19MHz, the best band for that path is 17 meters.
*If the MUF over a certain path is 25MHz, the best band for that path is 12 meters.

source used; Federal Standard 1037C, titled Telecommunications

Amateur Radio Vendors & Sales

I have updated my Amateur Radio Vendors and Sales section at the bottom this page. Feel free to contact me if a site is not linking or out of business.
If you have a link you wish to be added please send me an e-mail. I will check out the site and if it meets my status I will post a link there.

Thanks for the e-mails and visits.
73,
de KD8BIG

CW TOUCH KEYER

A few of us were rag chewing about Keyers over the weekend and one of my friends suggested I look at these keys.CW TOUCH KEYER. He owns 2 and loves them.
I do not know if I will purchase one of these, the price seems to be consumer friendly with the economy like it is.
Here is a video of one of there products.

The Alinco DR-235 TMK III

I’m hoping to purchase an Alinco DR-235 TMK III in 2011. Why you may ask? Just because it is the only mobile rig that dose the 1.25 meter band (220 MHz). The 220 MHz is a portion of the VHF radio spectrum allocated for amateur radio use in ITU Region 2, comprising frequencies from 222 MHz to 225 MHz in the United States (with the addition of 219–220 MHz on a limited, secondary basis) I’m still needing to research the meaning of that.
It just seems to me that 2 meters is very crowded and 440 gives me heartburn, so I am gonna try 220MHz.

The Alinco DR-235 TMK III features;

Frequency range RX; 216-278 MHz (after modification: RX/TX 200-299.995 MHz depending on VCO alignment)

TX; 222-225 MHz

Modulations;
RX FM / N-FM
TX FM / N-FM

Sensitivity;0.25 µV (12 dB SINAD)

Selectivity;
FM: 12 kHz (-6 dB), 28 kHz (-60 dB)
N-FM: 6 kHz (-6 dB), 14 kHz (-60 dB)

Aerial; 50 Ω, SO-239

RF-Output; High: 25 W, Medium: 10 W, Low: 5 W

Memories;101 channels in 1 banks

Power requirements;13.8V DC

Current drain RX; Max 600 mA

TX; Max 8 A

Dimensions (w×h×d); 142 × 40 × 174 mm (5.59 × 1.57 × 6.85 in)

Weight; 1000 gr (2.2 lbs)

Features;
CTCSS, DCS and DTMF. 1K2/9K6 TNC option. Theft alarm Digital voice board option (requires at least two similarly equipped radios)

Amateur Radio Antennas and Radiation

My neighbors’ family members asked me about my antennas. After I explained that they are Amateur Radio Antennas I could see the fear in their eyes.
The very first question I was asked about was, “Will the antennas cause cancer and our hair to fall out?”

If there is a word guaranteed to cause apprehension, it is “radiation”. Amateur Radio uses the word in a much broader sense--radiation pattern, feed line radiation, antennas radiate--and that can be confusing to the layman. It is true that radio frequency energy is a form of radiation, but it is far different from the radiation used for cancer treatment or emitted by radio active materials.
Radiation from antennas is not the same as ionizing radiation from radioactivity. Radio frequencies are not nearly high enough for a photon of radio energy to cause an electron to leave the atom (ionize) as discussed when talking about ionospheric propagation. That is the difference between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation of which radios waves are the latter type.
Before radio ways can be considered ionizing, their frequency would have to be increased far beyond microwaves, through visible light and on the upper reaches of the ultraviolet and x-ray spectrum. The radiation from radioactivity is carried by atomic particles such as the nucleus of a helium atom (alpha radiation), an electron (beta radiation), neutrons, or gamma-ray photons with frequencies even higher than ex-rays. These are billions of time more energetic than the radio waves cause by Amateur Radio Operators.
Biologic (athermal) effects such as genetic damage have never been observed at amateur frequencies and power levels. That requires the energy of ionizing radiation. The only demonstrating hazard from exposure to RF energy is heating (thermal effects) and that occurs only in very strong fields. RF “burns” are caused by touching conducting surfaces that have a high RF voltage present and are a very localized instance of heating that carries no more risk than thermal burns from hot objects.

So, if you are ever approached by a neighbor or some local authority this would be your best explanation to give.
Not only is it true but they will walk away scratching their heads.

Busy Time of Year

Busy day for me today and yesterday.
Yesterday I was hoping to work some DX and spend to time doing everything Ham Related.
Well, that did not happen.
Today was spent Christmas shopping. Got it all done, except for me.
I just wrote a short review on the FT-897-D this afternoon on the Radio Reference web.site.
I also joined the North American QRP CW Club last week, I'm NAQCC # 5102.

I'm hoping to get some radio time this weekend. Hope to hear you on the bands.
Remember, you can follow me on twitter.

My Week So Far

Wow, the week is flying by. We got about 4 inches of snow today. I was hoping to spend time working DX and time on the computer. Neither has happen. I got my Vibroplex Iambic Deluxe today. I have not done anything with it other than look at it and show the wife and kids.
I imagine that I will make the adjustments and get it on the air tomorrow.

Stay tuned for updates and photos.

Sunday Football

A guy took his blond girlfriend to her first football game. They had great seats right behind their team's bench. After the game, he asked her how she liked the experience.

'Oh, I really liked it,' she replied, 'especially the tight pants and all the big muscles, but I just couldn't understand why they were killing each other over 25 cents.'

Dumbfounded, her date asked, 'What do you mean?'

'Well, they flipped a coin, one team got it and then for the rest of the game, all they kept screaming was: 'Get the quarterback! Get the quarterback!' I'm like...Helloooooo? It's only 25 cents!!!!

New Toy ordered

I ordered a Vibroplex Iambic Deluxe today.
I am hoping to see it before December third.
Here are some of the e-Ham reviews I read. click here
I also talked to several hams before my purchase. What do I have to loose? I am new to CW.

Thanksgiving 2010

As we sit down with family and friends this Thanksgiving, I pray that we all remember those less fortunate and include them in our prayers and well wishes.

BETA ANGLE

I was on a net and we were talking about Satellites, ISS and the Space Shuttle. The topic came up about the Beta Angle Cutout. Here is some info.
The beta angle is a value that is used most notably in spaceflight. The beta angle determines the percentage of time an object such as a spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO) spends in direct sunlight, absorbing solar energy. Beta angle is defined as the angle between the orbit plane and the vector from the sun (which direction the sun is shining from).The beta angle is the smaller angle (there are two angles) between the sun vector (where the sun is shining from in the sky) and the plane of the object's orbit. Note that the beta angle does not define a unique orbit plane; all satellites in orbit with a given beta angle at a given altitude have the same exposure to the sun, even though they may be orbiting in completely different planes around the Earth.The beta angle varies between +90° and -90°, and the direction the satellite revolves around the body it orbits determines whether the beta angle sign is positive or negative. An imaginary observer standing on the sun defines a beta angle as positive if the satellite in question orbits in a counter clockwise direction and negative if it revolves clockwise. The maximum amount of time that a satellite in a normal low Earth orbit mission can spend in the Earth's shadow occurs at a beta angle of zero. In such an orbit, the satellite is in sunlight no less than 59% of the time.

Launch window is a term used in spaceflight to describe a time period in which a particular launch vehicle (rocket, Space Shuttle, etc.) must be launched. If the rocket does not launch within the "window", it has to wait for the next window.^[1]

For trips into largely arbitrary Earth orbits, almost any time will do. But if the spacecraft intends to rendezvous with a space station (such as the International Space Station) or another vehicle already in an orbit, the launch must be carefully timed to occur around the times that the target vehicle's orbital plane intersects the launch site.

For launches above low Earth orbit (LEO), the actual launch time can be somewhat flexible if a parking orbit is used, because the inclination and time the spacecraft initially spends in the parking orbit can be varied. See the launch window used by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft to the planet Mars at [1].

To go to another planet using the simple low-energy Hohmann transfer orbit, if eccentricity of orbits is not a factor, launch windows are periodic according to the synodic period; for example, in the case of Mars the period is 2.135 years, i.e. 780 days. In more complex cases, including the use of gravitational slingshots, launch windows are irregular. Sometimes rare opportunities arise such as when Voyager 2 took advantage of 175 year planetary alignment (launch window) to visit Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. When such an opportunity is missed, another target may be selected. For example, the Rosetta mission of ESA was originally intended for comet 46P/Wirtanen, but a launcher problem delayed it and a new target had to be selected (comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko).

Launch windows are often calculated from porkchop plots that show the delta-v needed to achieve the mission, plotted against the launch time.

NASA's Humanoid Robot Gets Ready for Launch

NASA: ISS Beta Angle

International Space Station

Low Earth Orbit

Collision avoidance

Delta-v budget

Interplanetary travel

Oberth effect

Monday, Nov. 22

I went to a survivalist seminar this last weekend. Wow, did I learn a bunch, everything from food storage, food preparation, clothing, hunting, how to survive in hot and cold climates, how to do and survive just about everything.
Out of the 75 of those in attendance I was the only armature radio operator.
Other than that I am studying for my Extra Class License and also teaching myself Morse code.
I knew it once and due to the lack of using it I lost it.
I am using the G4FON Morse Code Trainer.
Doing pretty good so far, my goal is to get my upgrade before spring 2011 and make some quality CW contacts by the same date.

National Bible Week

This week is National Bible Week, National Bible Week has been celebrated the week of Thanksgiving every year since 1941.

http://www.nationalbible.org/

Week Ahead

Look at all the contest this week. I might try the Worldwide DX. Then again I rather just log contacts in the book.

ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB	Nov 20-22
NA Collegiate ARC Championship, SSB	Nov 20-22
Run for the Bacon QRP Contest	Nov 22
SKCC Sprint	Nov 24
QRP Fox Hunt	Nov 24
RSGB 80m Club Sprint, CW	Nov 24
QRP Fox Hunt	Nov 26
NCCC Sprint	Nov 26
CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW	Nov 27-28

Morse Code Music.

This is pretty cool.I'm sure many of you have seen this already. I did a few years ago.
Enjoy; Beethoven Morse Code

Water Antenna

Looks like another weekend project to play with.

KD8BIG

Wow, what a fast 2 weeks since my last post. I have been gone due to illness. I hope to be back into the swing of things very soon. Thanks for stopping by.

UHFSDR Kit

Here it is. Another winter project. This was e-mailed to me by a few anonymous readers. So I had to do some tracking to find the source. Credit to Andrew Sparky and WB6DHW

The UHFSDR is a Software Defined Transceiver covering the 1.75 MHz to 700 MHz frequency range. A Si570 is used for frequency control. Two LVPECL 4 GHz max.flip flops produce I and Q LO signals at 1/2 the Si570 frequency. A pair of 1-1000MHz Double Balanced Mixers are used to convert signals to and from base band.

A receiver pre-amp (2dB noise figure) and a transmit pre-amp(50mW max output) are provided as well as antennal switching plus provision for separate receive and transmit connections.

For additional information, download the Assembly Manual.
The BOM, schematic, and board layout are Here.
A HiRes(3.7MByte.) picture of the completed board is Here

Link to WD6DHW’s Website

Marshall Headphones

Not Ham related, but cool indeed. Having been a guitar player for 35 years I think this is pretty cool. I know many hams who also have battles with the six string axe.

----------------------------------------------------

Everyone knows that you can't really get that full live rock and roll experience without shoving your head against the amp. That said, sometimes it's hard to find a nearby Marshall stack--like, say, when you're at the office or on the subway.

These new Marhsall-branded headphones may be the next thing. At the very least, they sort of look like a pair of amps strapped to the sides of your head.

"These headphones are conceived from Marshall's time-tested fundamentals of performance and endurance, designed to thrive on daily use and to render music the way it was meant to sound, no matter what your flavor is," the company writes in a press release. "The greatest of effort has also been put into the aesthetics, making the headphones ooze of that iconic Marshall look."

If you don't mind a little oozing next to your ears, these things look downright snazzy. Well, at least wall two inches of what we've seen thus far.

350,000 km Twister

Earlier today (Oct. 28th) a twisted filament of magnetism on the sun suddenly untwisted. The result was a spectacular eruption recorded in full-disk detail by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.

Movie formats: 8 MB gif, 3 MB gif, 1.7 MB iPad, 0.7 MB iPhone

At its peak, the twister--or rather, untwister--towered more than 350,000 km above the stellar surface. It appears to have hurled a fragment of itself into space, but not toward Earth; the blast was not geoeffective.

Now that the filament has relaxed, it is unlikely to erupt again. The next blast is more likely to come from big sunspot 1117, which NOAA forecasters say could produce an M-class solar flare.

DEAD SPACECRAFT WALKING: Two NASA spacecraft that were supposed to be dead a year ago are instead flying to the Moon for a breakthrough mission in lunar orbit. The research they conduct could lead to important advances in space weather forecasting. For more information, read "Dead Spacecraft Walking" from Science@NASA.

source

I recommend SpaceWeather.com to everyone. I obtain much of my info from there site which I also have in my side bar Space Links and Sites list.

Articles of Interest

Radio ham Harry Johnson visits the world from his basement

When Harry Johnson was around three years old, back in 1939 or so, his grandpa carried him upstairs to a magical room at the grandparents’ house in Montana.

It was Uncle Charlie’s room, and Johnson’s memories of it resemble something from an old black-and-white monster movie.

“It was warm, and I remember the glow of vacuum tubes, and electricity sparking,” Johnson said.
Continue Reading

A 16-year-old brought radio to Memphis.

Alfred Cowles, a junior at Central High School, built his own transmitter to play recorded music and read stories during evening broadcasts from his Vance Avenue backyard on Amateur Radio Station 5NZ. The first sound on the airwaves here was the famous tenor Enrico Caruso singing Italian opera. The year was 1920.
Continue Reading

Scouts make contact with submarine

Well over 50 Scouts, mostly Cubs, and their families attended the Lake Area Amateur Radio Klub’s Jamboree on the Air in The Colony on Saturday. In all, there were over 150 attendees, which was an improvement from last year. There were Scouts from The Colony, Little Elm, Lewisville, Flower Mound and Frisco.
Continue Reading

Wouxun KG-UV920R Mobile

UPDATE; Click Here
I'm all for cheaper radios and equipment in this wonderful hobby of Amateur Radio. Being on a fixed income I can only afford used equipment at this point unless I save for several months. Wouxun has plans to release a New Dual Band Mobile unit. It sure looks awesome. Read the Specs. From what I have read it's in the $150-$200 price range. If that is the real price range, it's going to upset the Amateur Radio world as far as prices are concerned.
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The KG-UV920R is Wouxon's first dual band rig, operating both 2 meters and 70 cm (440 MHz). Power output is selectable in 3 steps (2m: 5/25/50W, 70cm: 5/20/40W) and modulation can be switched between narrow-FM and regular-FM. The receiver covers the entire HF band, 65-220 MHz and 400-520 MHz and supports AM. A detachable front panel and DTMF-mic come standard.

Frequency range RX 0.15-30 / 65-220 / 400-520 MHz

TX; 2 m / 70 cm

Modulations RX;AM / FM / N-FM

TX; FM / N-FM

Tuning steps; 5 / 6.25 / 10 / 12.5 / 15 / 20 / 25 / 30 / 50 / 100 kHz

Features;

DTMF-mic
Detachable front panel
Called ID
Twin RX
Cross-band repeater

For more info on Wouxum; click here

Illness

I have been gone due to Illness.
I hope all of you are doing well.
I am holding my own and hope to resume regular blogging tomorrow.
Thank you to all of you who have sent me e-mails.
73,
de KD8BIG

ASU's Hams are Back On the Air

I always enjoy hearing about Amateur Radio being used and introduced in the schools. My sons school has an Amateur Radio Station, W8MTA. The problem is getting the youth interested in Amateur Radio. My son has sit here in my shack for several hours listening, watching and even occasionally dose some ragchewing. He has even been a part of JOTA with his Boy Scout Troop.
Still he has little interest in getting his license. I have the lap-top, cell phone and Iphone he said. Why do I need more? he asked. Maybe one day.
This article came to me through an e-mail. I wonder how many colleges have Amateur Radio Stations? 73
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Calling CQ: ASU's hams are back on the air
by Judith Smith, jps@asu.edu

KC7MOD is Nicholas Radtke, president of W7ASU – ASU’s Amateur Radio Society – and AC7FL is Stuart Lindsay, Regents’ Professor of Biophysics, who is the club’s faculty adviser.

ASU’s “hams” are sharing good news these days with their fellow radio buffs around the world: For the first time in many years, the club has a permanent home.

W7ASU dates back to the 1930s, and actually is one of ASU’s oldest student clubs, said Radtke, a doctoral candidate in computer science. “There was a station on campus, with some breaks, until about 15 years ago. The club’s ‘shack’ was in the old Technology Building, which is now Psychology North, with two towers and multiple antennas on top of the building."

continue reading

Eagle HF DSP Transceiver; Ten-Tec

I got an e-mail asking if I had heard anything about this rig.
The answer is no I have not.
Ryan informs me that this rig may give some of the newer rigs a run for there money and operation features. The radio looks nice and I love the fact that the fact that many of the hot buttons light up and the fact you can also change the color on the display.
-----------------

Ten-Tec has created a transceiver combining simplified controls and ease of operation with the excellent performance of a low first IF 160-through 6-meter ham-band architecture in a compact, mobile-friendly structure. The analog portion of the radio is double conversion with IF frequencies of 9.0015 MHz and 22.5 kHz. A third conversion to zero-frequency IF is accomplished in the DSP processor.

- Frequency Range TX: Ham Bands Only (160-6M)
- RF Power Output: Adjustable, 5-100 W, +/- 1 dB

Price “599″ Model (without Antenna Tuner): $1795.00
Price “599AT” Model (with Antenna Tuner): $1995.00

Details

Documents:

599 Manual V1.003 1.15MB (2010-10-06)

Brochure 398.76KB (2010-09-27)

This Weekends Contesting Opportunities

This weekend is full of contesting opportunities. Good luck all.

YLRL DX/NA YL Anniversary Contest	Oct 8-10
Makrothen RTTY Contest	Oct 9-10
CQ SA SSB Contest	Oct 9-10
Oceania DX Contest, CW	Oct 9-10
WAB HF Phone	Oct 9-10
Scandinavian Activity Contest, SSB	Oct 9-10
Pennsylvania QSO Party	Oct 9-10
Arizona QSO Party	Oct 9-10
EU Autumn Sprint, CW	Oct 9
FISTS Fall Sprint	Oct 9
North American Sprint, RTTY	Oct 10
SKCC Weekend Sprint	Oct 10
10-10 Int. 10-10 Day Sprint	Oct 10
UBA ON Contest, CW	Oct 10

Absence

I have been sick the last several days. I hope to be back soon.

Kenwood TS-590 on Air test

Here is a new video of the New Kenwood TS-590

here is another video: Click Here

The Older Elmers

Three brothers ages 92, 94, and 96 live in a house together. One night the 96 year old draws a bath. He puts his foot in and pauses.
He yells down the stairs and says
"Was I getting in or out?"

The 94 year old yells back "I don't know. I'll come up and see." He starts up the stairs and pauses. Then he yells,
"Was I going up the stairs or down?"

The 92 year old HAM is sitting in front of his HF rig and listening to his brothers. He shakes his head, picks up the mic and says "I sure hope I never get that forgetful."
He knocks on wood for good measure.
He then yells into the mic,
"I'll come up and help both of you as soon as I see....
who's at the door. "OVER"

Balloon Launch this Morning

The QRP ARCI sponsored iHAB-2 high altitude balloon will be launched tomorrow morning at 9AM CDT, 1400z, from Ottumwa, IA.

The beacon will be transmitting on 14.059 and sending "K6JSS IHAB 2" at about 15 wpm, with 10 seconds between transmissions. A picture of the beacon and a rough drawn schematic can be seen here http://www.wa0itp.com/ihabbeacon.html

If you hear the beacon please post a signal report to www.qrpspots.com and/or balloon@qrparci.com. A typical report might be "heard ihab 2 at 1430z, 579 indianpolis, IN de kb9bvn" QRP ARCI will be sending a nice certificate to those who send a report to balloon@qrparci.com

Live video streaming can be seen at
http://www.w0otm.com/iHAB/iHAB-2/

QRP Amateur Radio Club International

This Weekends Contesting Opportunities.

Wow, here we are at another weekend full of contesting opportunities.
I am wishing all of you who participate good luck and have fun.

ARRL EME Contest Oct 2-3
TARA PSK Rumble Contest Oct 2
EPC Russia DX Contest Oct 2-3
Oceania DX Contest, Phone Oct 2-3
F9AA Cup, CW Oct 2
California QSO Party Oct 2-3
EU Autumn Sprint, SSB Oct 2
International HELL-Contest Oct 2-3
F9AA Cup, SSB Oct 3
UBA ON Contest, SSB Oct 3
German Telegraphy Contest Oct 3
RSGB 21/28 MHz Contest Oct 3

ARDF Championship;USA wins 3 Metals

This is cool. Over the last few months several in my local area have been getting involved with Fox Hunting. I believe it was a week ago the local club, MAARC held a fox hunting workshop.
I tried Fox Hunting for a summer and it was not for me. I an average hunter but could not see the excitement in it. I would rather build and antenna and play around with software etc.
Congratulations to Team USA!!

(ARDF) Amateur radio direction finding

Three Medals For Team USA At The 2010 ARDF World Championships:

from The ARRL Letter on September 30, 2010
Website: http://www.arrl.org/
Add a comment about this article!

Three Medals For Team USA At The 2010 ARDF World Championships:

By ARRL ARDF Coordinator Joe Moell, K0OV

ARDF Team USA has just returned from Croatia, the site of this year's World Championships of Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF). Three team members have new medals for their collections, the most medals ever earned in the World Championships by the USA. ARDF -- also called foxhunting and radio-orienteering -- requires map-and-compass proficiency, stamina and speed, as well as skill using direction-finding gear. It is done entirely on foot. Each day, the competitors set forth into a 1700 acre woods containing five "fox" transmitters in unknown locations. The foxes for each band are all on the same frequency and each one comes on the air for 60 seconds at a time in rotating sequence. Only men and women in the prime age category are required to look for all five; those in the other age/gender categories search for fewer, in accordance with International Amateur Radio Union rules. Read more here http://www.arrl.org/news/ardf-update-three-medals-for-team-usa-at-the-2010-ardf-world-championships.

I-com Scraps D-Star Forums

One day I will purchase a D-Star rig. We only have a few repeaters in my area that are D-Star and only a couple of operators that have a D-Star rig.
I know that the local emergency communications groups are investing into this technology via grants from HLS. Anyway, It looks like Yahoo Groups hold more credibility than most realize.

Icom America scraps D-STAR forums

Icom America have announced the closing of their D-STAR forums due to the popularity of email reflectors

They have posted this message at http://www.icomamerica.com/support/forums/

"Due to the popularity of the YAHOO! D-STAR Groups and the low activity levels within the Icom America D-STAR forums, it has been made to close the Icom America D-STAR forums".

Modern web tools make forums easy to set up and many Radio Amateurs have done so, unfortunately most of them are rarely used.

Postings on email reflectors such as Yahoo and Google groups go directly into peoples Inbox and so are read by many more people which in turn generates more postings in reply.

These are a few of the D-STAR email reflectors that are available:

dstarsoftware
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dstarsoftware

gmsk_dv_node
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gmsk_dv_node

dstar_digital
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dstar_digital

DVDongle
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DVDongle

D-STAR_23cm
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/D-STAR_23cm

dstar_development
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dstar_development

dstar-uk
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dstar-uk

The SDR Cube

I posted back in August (Tmate (what your SDR always wanted) I was told by several that SDR is not a popular thing here in the U.S. Looks like they maybe wrong.
While browsing around the ARRL web site I notice an article in which it mention SDR Dominating the 2010 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference.
While reading the article I was led to the web-page by George Heron, N2APB and Juha Niinikoski, OH2NLT, where they introduced the SDR Cube project.
This definitely looks cool to me.

For more on the SDR Cube;
click here
They also have a yahoo group;
click here

George N2APB and Juha OH2NLT have also added videos demonstrating the SDR Cube in action. The video segments include:- Overview- Tuning a CW station (two clips)- Tuning SSB stations- CW QSO with YL2QT- Tuning an RTTY station
These videos can be seen; click here

High Efficiency Plate Caps for the Eimac 3-500Z Tubes

While chatting with some friends this morning, The topic came up in regards to aluminum plate caps. So this is what I was taught;
These Precision machined 6061 aluminum Plate Caps remove an incredible amount of heat from the plate pin of the Eimac 3-500Z tube as compared with the original style Plate Cap (Anode Cap for our friends in the UK). This gives the operator a comfortable margin of safety regarding the Plate Pin Seal Temperature when operating his amplifier at elevated continuous duty output.
These plate caps are not intended to increase the original ratings of the tube or amplifier, always use good engineering practices and follow the recommendations of the tube and amplifier manufacture when in use.






source

Yaesu FT-8900

I have been asked several times by new and old hams, what is my favorite rig?
My answer is always my FT-8900.
Yes, it is a mobile rig yet it makes for a nice base station also. Mine is in the shack mounted just above my FT-897D.
The FT-8900 has many features that I enjoy such as the separation kit, dual receive, operating FM Satellites and Cross Band Repeat.
The Cross Band Repeat is helpful when I am rag-chewing while sitting around the fire pit in the back yard or in other areas of the house.
My HT is unable to make the trip to many distant stations, but it will receive them well, so I set up the cross band on the FT-8900, grab the HT and take my friends with me.
The other nice feature about the FT-8900 is that it is a Quad Band FM transceiver, able to work 70cm, 2m, 6m and 10 meter bands. If you hold only a Technician Licensee the great thing about this rig is you can operate on all bands.
Did I mention the Hyper Memory? Another great feature.

Check out the Yaesu FT-8900.

ANTENNA ROMANCE

Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married.
The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent.
Since they were a perfect match, soon they generated harmonics.
Wrapped the harmonics in dipoles.
But later the harmonics turned out to be parasitic elements.

The true story -- she was a tri-bander and he felt trapped, so they went on separate beam headings

Contest Opportunities this Weekend

We have a few contest to chose from this weekend. I do not plan on taking part in any of these however I do plan on listening to them. Many different web-sites to choose from to get info on these contest. The site I used today is here.

* NCCC Sprint Ladder 0230Z-0300Z, Sep 24
* CQ Worldwide DX Contest, RTTY 0000Z, Sep 25 to 2400Z, Sep 26
* AGCW VHF/UHF Contest 1400Z-1659Z, Sep 25 (144) and
1700Z-1759Z, Sep 25 (432)
* Texas QSO Party 1400Z, Sep 25 to 0200Z, Sep 26 and
1400Z-2000Z, Sep 26
* UBA ON Contest, 6m 0600Z-1000Z, Sep 26

An Electrifying Job

The tower climb to heaven was seen by many last week and the week before. I posted the video in late August. I am still seeing it come across on twitter and e-mails. I do not think the Tower Climb is scary. What would make me nervous is this guys job, watch the video. It has been around for a while but is still cool.

Getting Old

My friend Todd sent me this. Thanks for the laugh Todd
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An elderly ham driver was going down the highway when suddenly his 2 meter rig crackled his call...Answering...he heard a fellow ham's urgent warning.....
"Hey Mark, just heard on the news that there's a car going down US-31 the wrong way, please be careful"!!

Mark replied, "Well I'll declare, it's not just one.......
there's hundreds of them'!!!!!!!!!

Fall is in the Air

I have a few trees starting to change color. Wow, hard to believe that fall starts tonight at 11:09pm.
I am so happy that summer has come to an end. Don't get me wrong, I like summer, hate the heat and humidity and we had lots of that this summer here in Michigan.
In the next few weeks the color tours will begin, my wife and I are looking forward to a small getaway.

Graph obtained from The Fall Foliage Network
http://www.foliagenetwork.com/
A great site with lots of info so you can plan your color tours.

"New" ~ Elecraft Custom K3

Now this is a nice looking rig. I have never operated a Elecraft, heck, I have never seen one. I guess I should try and get out more. This is a beauty and would look nice in my shack. If anyone out there wants to donate one to me that would be awesome. hi hi.
BTW, although this rig is not new, to me the addition of the knobs makes it a new rig. Maybe I should had said the Custom K3 for a title.
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Now available: A New Weighted dimple type VFO Knob made just for the Elecraft K3

The original K3 knob weighs in around 3.5 ounces. These premium USA made knobs weigh 14 ounces and they tune just wonderful. This knob is made from solid high strength Bronze. There is something about this bearing grade material that feels ultra slick in the hand. It has to be felt in person to appreciate. Smooth as glass is a good description and the color while being quite different from stock, really grows on you the more you use it.

Installation is easy and all hardware is Stainless Steel. Everything is CNC Machined from billet stock right here in the USA. The set screw that holds the knob in place is a flat tip style (no marring of your VFO shaft). Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed 30 days or you may return it for a full refund.

LINK

Kenwood TS-590

I'm a major fan of Yaesu, however this looks to be a Gem....

The new Kenwood TS-590 that created a buzz at Dayton this year is finally being released WW in October 2010.

Kenwood in Japan has released the final specifications. It looks like it’s going to be a superb receiver but the pricing looks to be well over 2K USD. Kenwood’s Japan site lists it at 228,900.00 JPY=2,679.41 USD.

Related links at Kenwood Japan:

LINK (1)

LINK (2) Versions of New KENWOOD: “TS590S” “TS590V” and “TS590D”

2 Meter Fall Sprint Tonight

I'm a day off today. Was laid up yesterday and spent today getting things on track.
Got this e-mail from Todd KC9BQA in regards to the 2 meter sprint tonight.
I might get into it, then again, might not~not feeling to good yet.
--------------------------------------

2 Meter Fall Sprint Tonight -- Monday -- 7-11pm

If you enjoy activity on 2m SSB, then tonight's your night.
There will be multiple stations on from WI and N ILL and I'm sure
from MI, too.

80-90% of VHF/UHF contesting activity takes place on the SSB portions of the bands (talking 144.160-144.240, with more activity centered closer to 144.200 MHz) using horizontally-polarized
antennas -- typically directional yagis for maximum gain. If contesting interests you, that's where you want to go with your station. Well -- not just contesting, but for general ragchewing
and working band openings. On Sat. morning, TN stations were working 1000-mile paths into the Northeast on/near 144.200 MHz.

If you're FM-only, then you want to use 146.550 tonight. I'm sure if you CQ for a while, it'll get the ball rolling.

If you want more info about the fall sprints, all the relevant
info is easily found at kc9bqa.com.

I also will try to help anyone with questions via email.

73,
Todd KC9BQA EN63ao 40 N of Milwaukee
www.kc9bqa.com For Frequent VHF/UHF Updates
www.wivuch.com WI VHF/UHF County Hunters Award

TechNet Report

We had the 3rd MAARC TechNet today, 09-18-10.
We had 8 check-ins
The net lasted 72 minutes. Wow.
Topics discussed; J-Poles;
*How to mount them
*How high is to high
*Should the be painted or not? Paint prevents corrosion.
* Stacked J-Poles
*Dose a J-Pole require a Balun?
We talked briefly about PSK and QPSK.

The TechNet Topic was about the K-Index.

K index [ LOW is GOOD ]
* 0 or 1 is BEST
* 2 is OK
* 3 or more is BAD
* 5 is VERY VERY BAD

The overall geomagnetic condition of the ionosphere ("Kp" if averaged over the planet) over the past 3 hours, measured by 13 magnetometers between 46 & 63 degrees of latitude, and ranging quasi-logarithmically from 0-9. Designed to detect solar particle radiation by its magnetic effect. A higher K-index generally means worse HF conditions.

A lower K-Index generally suggests better propagation on the 10, 12, 15, 17, & 20 Meter Bands; a low & steady Kp-Index generally suggest good propagation on the 30, 40, 60, 80, & 160 Meter Bands.

W8ZHO/ MAARC TechNet

The MAARC 146.94 repeater is gaining another net! Called the TechNet, participants will focus on issues that relate to digital modes of communication and many other topics.
These might involve rockets, satellites, computer hardware and programming, astronomy events, contacting the International Space Station, working Amateur Radio Satellites, EME (Moonbounce) and how to use Orbital Plotting software.
Outside of Space topics we will also discuss;
How to use your radio, Radio Orienteering, building mini transmitters for ROCA, Antenna Construction, Sound Card-to-Rig Interfaces, Cables and Connectors, DSP Manufacturers, Interfaces Manufacturers, Radio Manufacturers, Packet Radio, PSK31, Radio Programming Cables, RTTY, Ham Radio Software, Networking issues, Operating System issues and many other High Tech Radio-Computer related issues and the list goes on. Check in Saturdays at 11:00 AM on 146.940 (-) (94.8PL)
Hope to hear you.