North Hills Amateur Radio Club

What is Ham Radio Night? North Hills Amateur Radio Club:

The Sacramento area North Hills Amateur Radio Club hosts an annual What Is Ham Radio Night event. The members setup demonstrations and the evening is open to the public. This is to show future amateur radio operators different aspects of the hobby.

There were some other demonstrations that I did not cover. Satellite operation was tried, but no luck. I didn't get a chance to video the military radios either.

IRLP
http://www.irlp.net/

North Hills Amateur Radio Club
http://www.k6is.org/

ESpotter
http://espotter.weather.gov/

Wilderness Radio
http://www.fix.net/~jparker/wild.html

http://t.co/icUCsV5eOC 

Lost Ham?

Field Day 2013; Articles of Interest

I did not participate in Field Day this year, so I will just have to share some articles of interest in regards to Field Day Activities.

Ham radio day has locals connecting in La Quinta http://www.mydesert.com/article/20130622/NEWS01/306220032/Ham-radio-day-has-locals-connecting-La-Quinta …

Louisville amateur radio enthusiasts hold emergency preparedness 'field day' http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130623/NEWS01/306230054/Louisville-amateur-radio-enthusiasts-hold-emergency-preparedness-field-day- … 

Ham radio has a field day at MCLB (Marine Corps Logistics Base) ALBANY, Ga. http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2013/jun/22/ham-radio-has-a-field-day-at-mclb/ … 

Amateur radio operators train for the worst-case scenario- http://www.ydr.com/local/ci_23519219/amateur-radio-operators-train-worst-case-scenario … 

Ham radio operators having a field day- http://www.advertiser-tribune.com/page/content.detail/id/555921/Ham-radio-operators-having-a-field-day.html?nav=5005 … 

Radio operators demonstrate skills during 'Field Day'-http://www.reviewonline.com/page/content.detail/id/567521/Radio-operators-demonstrate-skills-during--Field-Day-.html?nav=5008 … 

HAM radios key to emergency communication-http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130623/GJNEWS_01/130629612/-1/FOSNEWS … 

Ham radio group tuned into hobby- http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/621608/Ham-radio-group-tuned-into-hobby … 

Amateur radio enthusiasts have a field day- http://www.carolinalive.com/news/story.aspx?id=912958#.Ucecg9jhfFE … 

Field Day highlights emergency preparedness role of ham radio buffs- http://www.sacbee.com/2013/06/23/5517282/field-day-highlights-emergency.html … 

 

5 Watts QRP

Burj Khalifa, Dubai

This is amazing. 

Winter in New Zealand

Dubai, the city of lights

Stunning. 

HAMTV from the International Space Station (ISS)

The frequencies of 2422.0 MHz and 2437.0 MHz have been announced for a new ham radio Digital TV transmitter that will operate as an educational adjunct from the International Space Station.

The main mission of what’s being called Ham TV is to perform school contacts between the astronauts on board ISS and educational institutions on the ground. This by providing space station to ground video within ARISS program.

To accomplish this, the ISS will host a new S-Band video transmitting station in addition to the existing VHF FM ham band transceiver. The new equipment will have the ability to transmit images from orbit during the school contacts. It will also be able to broadcast other pre-recorded video images up to 24 hours a day to allow ground stations tuning. More information on this new on-orbit service is on the Web at tinyurl.com/iss-dtv. (IRTS)

Fox-1 Ham Radio CubeSat Frequencies Announced

The International Amateur Radio Union Frequency Coordination Panel has announced coordinated frequencies for the AMSAT-NA Fox-1CubeSat. The uplink will be on 435.180 MHz for FM voice and the downlink on145.980 MHz with FM voice and an optional sub audible FSK digital carrier channel.
Fox-1a is a one unit cubesat that will serve as a communications relay for radio amateurs worldwide via the onboard FM repeater system. It will also carry an experiment consisting of a 3-axis gyro developed by Penn State University. The communications and scientific experiment missions will run concurrently. (AMSAT)

More 6m Bandspace in Germany

Radio amateurs in Germany have had their 6 meter band extended until at least the end of the year. The latest allocation is from 50.03 to 51MHz and the bottom 30 kHz ties up with where the new 6 meter Synchronized Propagation or Synced Beacons are planned. German radio amateurs may use all modes with a bandwidth up to 12 kHz but must not cause interference to the primary user of the band which is the German the military. (GB2RS)

Amateur Radio Ops; SPAIN GRANTED NEW BANDSPACE

Hams in Spain have been granted an extension of the 160 meter band along with a new 630 meter allocation. This with word that Spanish radio amateurs have been authorized to use a new segment from 1810 to 1830 kHz on secondary basis. The new frequencies are in addition to their primary allocation of 1830 to 1850 kHz. Spanish radio amateurs are also now allowed to use the band of 472 to 479 kHz also on secondary basis. (EA7SB, Southgate)

Amateur Radio Kids Day

Kids Day is an on-air event to encourage young people (licensed or not) to have fun with Amateur Radio. It is designed to give on-the-air experience to youngsters and hopefully foster interest in getting a license of their own. It is also intended to give older hams a chance to share their station and love for Amateur Radio with their children 

VEC Clerical Error leads to License Modification

A clerical error by a Volunteer Examination Coordinator will likely lead to a license downgrade for a California ham. This after the FCC releases an order proposing to modify the license of James H. Schofield, KI6JIM, from General to Technician due to no fault of his own.
On November 29, 2012, the W5YI Volunteer Examiner Coordinator sent an electronic data file to the Commission requesting that Schofield’s operator license for amateur station KI6JIM be modified to upgrade to General Class amateur radio operator privileges. Based on this application, the Commission granted Schofield a General Class license on November 29, 2012.
On May 30, 2013, the W5YI VEC notified the Commission that it had made a typographical error in the November 2012 data file and that a licensee other than Schofield had qualified for a General Class operator license. W5YI VEC noted that a correction was filed, resulting in the other licensee receiving the operator license for which he had qualified but that Schofield’s operator privileges had not been returned to Technician Class operator privileges. The W5YI VEC urged the FCC to modify Schofield’s license to correct the operator privileges.
Now in a June 4th Order Proposing Modification the FCC says it believes that the grant of General Class operator privileges to Schofield was erroneous because he did not pass the examination necessary to qualify for that class of operator license. Rather, he appears to be currently authorized to operate with General Class operator privileges due to a typographical error made during the application process. As such it believes that a modification of the license for amateur station KI6JIM to replace General Class operator privileges with Technician Class operator privileges is appropriate. It also notes that if Schofield opposes this action that he has 30 days to submit a written statement with sufficient evidence to show that the modification would not be in the public interest. (FCC)

Red Square, Moscow, Russia

Amateur Radio; Where Livin is Lively

Canterbury, New Zealand

White House going after Patent Trolls

If you are a ham or other hobbyist who produces a podcast, listen up. The White House says that its time to end what the legal world calls patent trolling. And it’s taking the first steps by issuing five executive actions and seven legislative recommendations designed to protect U.S. companies and their products from spurious litigation from Patent Assertion Entities that are more commonly called Patent Trolls. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Heather Embee, KB3TZD, reports:
--
According to the National Economic Council and the Council of Economic Advisers, Patent Trolls are entities that threaten to sue thousands of companies at once, without specific evidence of infringement against any of them. They may also create shell companies that make it difficult for defendants to know who is suing them and assert that their patents cover inventions not imagined at the time they were granted.

Information made public by the two councils say that suits brought by patent trolls have jumped by nearly 250% in just the last two years, rising from 29% of all infringement suits to 62% of all infringement suits. Estimates suggest that patent trolls may have threatened over 100,000 companies with patent infringement last year alone.

But it does not end there. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office says that there is yet another new aspect to this situation This is where Patent Trolls are increasingly targeting retailers, consumers and other end-users of products containing patented technology especially software.

Among the initial steps being taken by the Obama administration is having the Patent and Trademark Office begin a rule making to require patent applicants and owners to regularly update patent ownership information when they are involved in patent proceedings before that agency, specifically naming who controls the patent. Its also will give more training to its patent examiners on scrutiny of functional claims and develop strategies to improve claim clarity. This in areas where stakeholders remain concerned about patents with overly broad claims.

Possibly more important to all U.S, citizens is the White House statement that says end users should not be subject to lawsuits for simply using a product as it was intended. It says that citizens need an easier way to know their rights before entering into costly litigation or settlements with Patent Trolls.

Nighttime in Africa

Deluxe CB Radio

You have to love it when you are out hitting garage sales and flea markets.
I have come across many kinds of sellers. 
Today I met an arrogant SOB to say the least.
I was looking at an old phonograph player/stereo made by Zenith.  He gave me the idiot speech, telling me it was an antique worth a thousand dollars and was willing to let it go for half, 500 bucks FIRM!!
As I was shaking my head and leaving something had caught my eye, a Kenwood TS-530S.
I walked over to it, picked it up and the guy told me it was a Kenwood Deluxe CB radio. LOL
I asked him what he wanted for it and he said 50 bucks! He also said, “I do not know if it works because his police scanner antenna would not work with it”.
I thought about how he treated me on the Zenith and said, bummer, I only have ten dollars.
He said……..SOLD!!!!!!!!!
WOW!!!!
 Now to hook it up and see what I have.

Emergency Communications on Twitter

Amateur Radio Ecomms
@AmateurRadioEco

In times of crisis and natural disasters, amateur radio is often used as a means of emergency communication when other conventional means of communications fail~

Follow us on Twitter;
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In the DX world

In the DX world;

If you are DXCC hunting and has a card for E51WL for North Cook Island rejected, here’s some good news. According to Bill Moore at the ARRL DXCC Desk, it turns out that the operator is a native of the island and that his previous ZK1WL had previously been approved. The bottom line is that this is just a callsign change, so if you had E51WL rejected in a recent submission send an e-mail to bmoore (at) arrl (dot) org for an update to your record. (NC1L)
In DX, W5JON will be operating as V47JA from his Calypso Bay, St. Kitts, West Indies vacation home from July 9th until August 10th. Listen out for John on 160 through 6 meters using SSB, RTTY and several digital modes. He will also be using his newly issued contest call V49J in the IARU and Islands on the Air contests on SSB. Johns wife Cathy, W5HAM, may get on the air occasionally operating as V47HAM. All QSL's go direct or via Logbook of the World to W5JON.
PA3A, PD1AEG, PA8AD and PA8AN will be active from Congo September 28th to October 11th as TN5MS. They will be active on H-F Bands. QSL via PA3AWW, either direct, or Logbook of the World.
ZL2JU is currently active from Rarotonga in the South Cook Islands as E51JJU. He is operational on most of the High Frequency bands but no exact schedule of operating times is mentioned. QSL via home call.
OO9O will be on the air portable LX from Luxembourg from June 17th to the 20th. He plans to focus on 30 meter CW and PSK. QSL via home call, or electronically using eQSL or Logbook of the World.
Five operators will be active using the call will be active from Ustica Island from July 24th to the 29th signing IE9 stroke IK6JRI. They also plan to take part in the RSGB sponsored Islands on the Air contest that takes place during their stay. If you make contact please QSL via IK6JRI
Lastly, G0MGX is currently working in Qatar and has obtained a permit to operate stroke A7. He says to listen out for him during evenings and some weekends primarily using RTTY and JT65. He adds that the Qatar Amateur Radio Society has made him feel very welcome and that he is very grateful to them for the support and help they have given to him. He adds that he has provided the ARRL with the necessary documents of licensing for all his callsigns and uploads to Logbook of the World regularly. QSL as directed on the air.

Two Hams Rescued from Flooded Campground

Two hams have been rescued from a flooded campground thanks to their hobby. Sunday morning, May 19th at about 4:40 a.m. Eric Heaton, KF4LJN, and Henry Miller N4VG, were awakened by a flooding situation at Lake Chinabee in Munford, Alabama east of Birmingham. The two had been camping when Miller noticed water getting into his tent.

Miller and Heaton moved their cars several times to stay above the flooding line. They soon realized that the only road out of the area was submerged in 2 to 3 feet of water and impassable. So Miller made contact with a ham in Talladega, Alabama, over the Mt. Cheaha 147.69/ .09 repeater. That ham in turn notified authorities of the two trapped radio amateurs.

The Cleburne County Sheriff’s Rescue Squad was dispatched and both Heaton and Miller were soon brought to safety by boat. There was very poor cellphone coverage in the area but thanks to ham radio everyone is safe. (KB4KCH)