Sunspots & the XYL

The sunspots were roaring and the Old Dxer was working DX night and day.
The faithful XYL had had it with his QRZing and blew her stack.
"DX DX DX - thats all you ever think about!" she groaned
"Why I'll bet you don't even remember our wedding date!!

"I mostly certainly do" was the immediate reply.
"It was June 14th, 1958 - Thats the night I worked
the XT1, the CRØ, and the P4~

International Museums Weekend Registration now Open

The International Museums Weekend special event operations will take place on the weekends of June 16th through the 17th and again on June 23rd and 24th. Radio amateurs are encouraged to participate in this event by setting up stations in their local museums.

The International Museums Weekend organizer Harry Bloomfield, M1BYT in Leeds in the U-K. He asks that all those intending to take part in the event to register their museum operation at www.ukradioamateur.co.uk/imw.

This is not only a fun event but one that permits you to showcase amateur radio to non-hams world wide.

Buoys on 10 Meters

The source of some mysterious weak signals on 29.684 MHz with an 81.9 Baud and 130 Hz shift have been located. According to the February IARU Region One newsletter, the signals came from the Spanish coastal area and were audible across all of Europe but only during band openings and only by directional antennas.

It turns out the source of transmissions by Datawell buoys. These buoys, produced in the Netherlands are used for measuring water temperatures and wave heights. They are designed to transmit with 75 milliwatts on frequencies between 27 and 40 MHz.

Dick Van Empelen, PA2GRU, of Heemstede in the Netherlands has since visited the Datawell Company and has informed them that the buoy transmissions on the amateur service 10 meter band are illegal. The operations chief promised to inform all Datawell offices about the situation. (IARU-R1)

Ten-Tec Model 238C HP Antenna Tuner

Description

Model 238C now features a large cross-needle SWR and peak reading power output meter. Model 238C uses our tried and true “L” match design used in the earlier 238/238A/238B models with a new cosmetic design, larger heavy duty tuning capacitor than the original and backlit cross-needle SWR and peak power output metering. The 238 was rated the LOWEST INSERTION LOSS of any high power antenna tuner available by the ARRL Lab in their survey article comparing the Amateur Radio tuner market (QST 2/03).

Specifications:

• CIRCUIT TYPE: Modified “L” Network
• RF POWER RATING: 2000 watts

FREQUENCY RANGE: 1.8 to 30 MHz

• OUTPUT MATCHING RANGE: At least 10:1 SWR, any phase angle,
• 1.8 to 30 MHz. 3000 ohms maximum at full power.
• INPUT IMPEDANCE: 50 ohms, nominal

CAPACITOR VOLTAGE RATING: 3500 volts

• INDUCTOR: 18 uh silver plated roller inductor
• SIZE: HWD (in inches) 5 x 12.125 x 13.5 (12.7 x 30.8 x 34.3 cm). Depth measurement includes rear panel connectors.
• WEIGHT: 16 lbs. (5.45 kg)
  

source; http://www.tentec.com/

Crossroads Hamfest 2012; Hamfest/Convention

03/17/2012 |

Crossroads Hamfest 2012

Location: Marshall, MI
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Southern Michigan Amateur Radio Society
Website: http://www.w8df.com/hamfest.html
Learn More

Kenwood TM281 2 Meter Transceiver

A preview of the Kenwood TM281 transceiver that will be fully reviewed in the May 2012 issue of QST magazine.


• Weather Alert Radio function checks the 1050 Hz tone from NOAA (U.S.A only).
• Menu allows for easy control and selecting of various functions.
• Up to 200 memory channels to program frequencies and other various data.
• (Up to 100 memory channels if Memory Channel Names are assigned to the channels.)
• Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System (CTCSS) or Digital Code Squelch (DCS) rejects unwanted calls from other stations.
• Equipped with an easy-to-read large LCD with alphanumeric display capability.
• FM & Narrow Band FM ready

• High Power 65 Watts
• Free PC software (Memory Control Program) is available

Price $ 169.95 USD

Amateur Radio QRP on Facebook

Come and join in the conversation or just take notes if you like.
A new Facebook page, Amateur Radio QRP
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amateur-Radio-QRP/242560105830171

QRP operation means transmitting at reduced power levels while aiming to maximize one's effective range while doing so.

Description

Most amateurs use approximately 100 watts of power, and in some parts of the world like the US, can use up to 1500 watts. QRP enthusiasts contend that this is not always necessary, and doing so wastes power, increases the likelihood of causing interference to nearby televisions, radios, and telephones and, for United States' amateurs is incompatible with FCC Part 97 rule, which states that one must use "the minimum power necessary to carry out the desired communications."

VHF/UHF Antenna

I’m looking to purchase one of the following?

CUSHCRAFT A270-10S BEAM 5ELE EA.

A270-6S 2M/440 DUBAND BEAM 3 EL. EA BAND

DB-218SAT VHF/UHF OSCAR LINK SYSTEM

Any thoughts?
73 de KD8BIG facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/KD8BIG/165613683505542

Next-Gen Weather Satellites to Improve Tornado Warnings

I meant to post this a couple of weeks ago.

Feb 29, 2012: When you read the following paragraph, consider the following: Tornado season hasn't even started yet. On Jan. 22 and 23, 2012, more than 37 tornadoes struck the southern USA. Ten of them tore across the Lower Mississippi Valley into Alabama. Worst hit were St. Clair and Jefferson County, Ala., where 2 people were killed, about 100 others injured, and at least $30 million in damage was done. It was a chilling reminder of the April 2011 onslaught of deadly tornadoes that took a staggering toll across southern and Midwestern states.

In southern parts of the USA, tornado season tends to peak in springtime. Yet January 2012 produced 73 winter tornadoes -- third most of any January in recorded history. Most of them struck southern states. And since over a quarter of the incredible 1,688 twisters confirmed across the US in 2011 occurred in the four-state region of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee, residents there are becoming ever more wary of darkening skies.

"Even with our advances in science and communications, we can still be surprised by the deadliest storms," says NOAA scientist Steve Goodman. "But NOAA is working with NASA and university researchers to give more lead time in tornado warnings."

Southern tornadoes are especially insidious and challenging to track. The hilly, forested terrain in southern states makes an approaching twister harder to spot than in the flat Midwest. In the south you might not see the first evidence of an approaching tornado until it's almost in your back yard.

An Alabama resident describes the scene just before one of the April 2011 twisters struck near his home: "Suddenly, all the trees in my back yard corkscrewed violently, in unison, toward the northwest." Moments later, the storm was there.

Rain wrapped tornadoes are especially hard to see, as are night-time tornadoes. And records indicate that southern tornadoes often strike at night.

To reduce the surprise, NOAA and NASA² are developing the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R, or "GOES-R series," with the first expected to launch in late 2015. These next-generation weather satellites bristle with state-of-the-art instruments for improved scouting of these killer storms, even at night.

Tornadoes are, by their very nature, difficult to pin down. The Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) on GOES-R will improve meteorologists' ability to assess conditions that spawn twisters. Compared to current GOES imagers, the ABI provides twice the spatial resolution, three times as many channels of information, and more than five times the update rate.

"ABI will give us a much clearer picture of the clouds – where and how tall they are, how much and what kind of moisture they hold, and how they are moving and intensifying," says NOAA research meteorologist Tim Schmit.

Most importantly, ABI can better detect the super-cold "overshooting tops" that mean severe weather is imminent. "Overshooting tops portend huge energy inside the cloud – it takes tremendous energy and upward velocity to poke through the lid of the tropopause," explains Schmit.

"During episodes of severe weather, ABI can show conditions every 30 to 60 seconds. The system in use now only shows them every 7.5 minutes. And in normal mode, ABI will send readings over the continental U.S. every 5 minutes as opposed to every 15-30 minutes."

Lightning is another key to tornadoes.

"Studies show that sudden changes in the total lightning correlate with [the onset of] tornadoes," says Goodman.

Detecting lightning is a new specialty of GOES-R.

"GOES-R's Geostationary Lightning Mapper, or GLM, will see all the lightning: cloud-to-ground, cloud-to-cloud, and inside each cloud. And since this is the first time we'll have lightning detection from geostationary orbit, it means GOES-R will constantly monitor and map the lightning across the western hemisphere."

The GLM is expected to give 7 more minutes of lead time in tornado warnings. Average lead time now is 13 minutes.

"With GOES-R you'll have upwards of 20 minutes to get to a safe haven."

That sure beats standing in your back yard, in the dark, waiting for the trees to twist.

Source: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/29feb_tornadosurprise/

KD8BIG

The last two weeks have been difficult for me.
I think I am over the rough patch for now and hope to get back to regular postings.

Yesterday I received a phone call from one of the W8ZHO Club directors; he had asked if I would be interested if I would like to be NCS once a month. I accepted the offer so now I will be NCS for the W8ZHO 2 meter net every third Wednesday of the month.

Other than that I have not done anything on the radio except some listening here and there. I hope to get back into the DX swing soon.
I am also considering eQSL, LoTW and others that are available. I will be looking into these this week and next before deciding what to do.

New Rules for 5 MHz (60 Meters)

Effective Monday, March 5th United States radio amateurs
were granted new operating privileges on the 60 meter band.
In addition to an increase in effective radiated power from
50 to 100 watts, hams can now transmit CW and PSK31. More
information on what modes can be used on what frequencies is
on-line at the ARRL website.