Hello all,
I hope for those of you in the Mid-West USA have enjoyed the winter this year.
I have recorded 82.4 inches of snow at my home.
Just a couple of inches difference from the local airport about 7 miles to the South West.
Sorry for the lack of post.
I've been dealing with health issues for the last several weeks and have not been on the computer as much as I have ben on the iPad.
I can blog from the iPad but it is difficult for me to get comfortable and the touch screen is so sensitive. Having severe tremors dose not help either.
I seem to spend more time using Twitter and Facebook on the iPad.
I hope to be posting more regularly as I get over this cold/flu.
Best Regards
Mark de KD8BIG
Monday, January 27, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
Cuban Hams can use 60m band
Faithful to their promise of a new universal 60m ham band
in the last WRC, the Ministry of Communications of Cuba approved this
January the access of Cuban hams to this new band.
The law approved on January 20 of 2014, from the Ministry of Communications of Cuba allows the use of the spectrum between the 5418 to 5430 Khz, a continuous segment of 12 Khz, this unlike other countries that are allowing just channels.
The assignation is as a secondary users as per ITU recommendations for region 2, with the emphasis on its use in emergencies nets, as Cuba is in the path of the Caribbean Hurricanes every year and this band allows a steady communication path for all the island.
The new law sets this band for every day use, but once an official emergency is declared by the Cuban State, then the use of the band will be restricted to emergency traffic exclusively, ceasing all others kinds of use on it.
The new assignation allows SSB, CW and Digital, the former limited to PSK31 and PSK63. All ham categories of the three existent in Cuba can access the band based on a power limitations of 10W for the novices and 50W for the rest; with a note of the relaxation of this power limitation up to 100W tops for all users in emergency conditions as needed for a reliable link establishment.
The access of the hams to this band is not immediate, the process involves the request and approval for individual hams to the related Authority and the modification of the ham's licence (an in-office process of about 1 day), so the band will populate steady, but slowly.
Most Cubans hams use commercial radios with full or partial coverage of HF bands or even homebrew radios, so the "hardware" will not be a major problem, for a significant percent of Cuban hams will be a matter of setting up an antenna for this new band or simply tune in his multi-band antenna.
source
Pavel Milanes Costa CO7WT
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/201...e_60m_band.htm
The law approved on January 20 of 2014, from the Ministry of Communications of Cuba allows the use of the spectrum between the 5418 to 5430 Khz, a continuous segment of 12 Khz, this unlike other countries that are allowing just channels.
The assignation is as a secondary users as per ITU recommendations for region 2, with the emphasis on its use in emergencies nets, as Cuba is in the path of the Caribbean Hurricanes every year and this band allows a steady communication path for all the island.
The new law sets this band for every day use, but once an official emergency is declared by the Cuban State, then the use of the band will be restricted to emergency traffic exclusively, ceasing all others kinds of use on it.
The new assignation allows SSB, CW and Digital, the former limited to PSK31 and PSK63. All ham categories of the three existent in Cuba can access the band based on a power limitations of 10W for the novices and 50W for the rest; with a note of the relaxation of this power limitation up to 100W tops for all users in emergency conditions as needed for a reliable link establishment.
The access of the hams to this band is not immediate, the process involves the request and approval for individual hams to the related Authority and the modification of the ham's licence (an in-office process of about 1 day), so the band will populate steady, but slowly.
Most Cubans hams use commercial radios with full or partial coverage of HF bands or even homebrew radios, so the "hardware" will not be a major problem, for a significant percent of Cuban hams will be a matter of setting up an antenna for this new band or simply tune in his multi-band antenna.
source
Pavel Milanes Costa CO7WT
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/201...e_60m_band.htm
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Horns and Booms
Gabriel, is that you?
It is 3:49am January 22nd and I woke up to my beagle growling. At first I thought she was having a dream, then it saw her looking out the window.
I heard a horn, like a train horn from outside. I looked out several windows all sides of the house and could not determine the direction of the horn other than from the sky.
A half hour after the horn a loud boom came from under the house. It was a unique low tone boom that shook the house and awoke my daughter.
Then the horn started again for about 2 minutes.
Mark Strait
Amateur Radio Operator
Call Sign (KD8BIG)
Muskegon, Michigan
Saturday, January 11, 2014
DX News
In DX, ON6DX has announced the dates for his TY1TT operation fro Grand Popo will be January 26th
through and February 5th. He plans to operate on the highest possible
bands. For updates visit his website at dxpedition.be/Benin.html
AF1G is now living and working on Andros Island signing slash C6A. He will be there until November 20th and is expected to be on 80 through 6 meters on SSB. QSL via Logbook of the World or direct to Tim Hardy, PSC 1012 Box 593, FPO AA 34058-9998, USA.
JA3ARJ and JA1CJA will be active as TO3JA from Martinique between January 12th to the 19th. No other details are yet available. QSL via JA3AVO, direct, by the bureau or Logbook of the World.
Lastly, F5MVB and F5AOW are planning to be operational sometime in 2014 as 5V7MP and 5V7BJ, respectively from Avepozo. Details on bands, modes and dates have not been announced yet, but should soon be forthcoming. QSL via their home callsigns, direct or by the bureau.
AF1G is now living and working on Andros Island signing slash C6A. He will be there until November 20th and is expected to be on 80 through 6 meters on SSB. QSL via Logbook of the World or direct to Tim Hardy, PSC 1012 Box 593, FPO AA 34058-9998, USA.
JA3ARJ and JA1CJA will be active as TO3JA from Martinique between January 12th to the 19th. No other details are yet available. QSL via JA3AVO, direct, by the bureau or Logbook of the World.
Lastly, F5MVB and F5AOW are planning to be operational sometime in 2014 as 5V7MP and 5V7BJ, respectively from Avepozo. Details on bands, modes and dates have not been announced yet, but should soon be forthcoming. QSL via their home callsigns, direct or by the bureau.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Pacific, Missouri, has taken the First Step in Setting up a D-STAR Repeater
Previous approval had been given for the city to purchase gear dedicated
to amateur radio operation that was to be installed in the city
Emergency Operations Center. But according to City Administrator Harold
Selby, KA0WXX, technology had advanced so much the city can better
serve the emergency communication system with a digital repeater.
Selby said he was recommending the repeater instead of a single radio after he and Bob Masson, KBZ0JDY, met with Franklin County emergency management officials about what communication would be needed if a disaster occurred in Pacific and the Interstate 44 corridor. He noted that amateur radio is way ahead in how public services use radio. He also read a letter from Paul Chambers, N0BBD, the Franklin County Amateur Radio Emergency Services coordinator, who said he fully supported and welcomed the idea of a digital repeater.
Selby also displayed a small blue box with cable that he said would eliminate the need for radio anywhere in the government center. The small apparatus known in the world of amateur radio as a DV Dongle, is a duplex vocoder that connects to a computer via a USB port to provide amateur radio voice transmission capability.
Selby said he contacted St Louis and Missouri repeater councils and they also are on board with the idea. Alderman Ed Gass then made a motion to purchase the repeater, but added that a battery backup would be needed for the unit in case electricity was out during an emergency. Cost of the battery backup is estimated at about $200.
source-- Stephen Kinford, N8WB.
Selby said he was recommending the repeater instead of a single radio after he and Bob Masson, KBZ0JDY, met with Franklin County emergency management officials about what communication would be needed if a disaster occurred in Pacific and the Interstate 44 corridor. He noted that amateur radio is way ahead in how public services use radio. He also read a letter from Paul Chambers, N0BBD, the Franklin County Amateur Radio Emergency Services coordinator, who said he fully supported and welcomed the idea of a digital repeater.
Selby also displayed a small blue box with cable that he said would eliminate the need for radio anywhere in the government center. The small apparatus known in the world of amateur radio as a DV Dongle, is a duplex vocoder that connects to a computer via a USB port to provide amateur radio voice transmission capability.
Selby said he contacted St Louis and Missouri repeater councils and they also are on board with the idea. Alderman Ed Gass then made a motion to purchase the repeater, but added that a battery backup would be needed for the unit in case electricity was out during an emergency. Cost of the battery backup is estimated at about $200.
source-- Stephen Kinford, N8WB.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
NEW CALEDONIA in Late February
JE2EHP will be active as FK stroke K1HP from New Caledonia between February 18th
and the 26th. His operations will be on all the HF bands plus 6
meters, using CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL via his home callsign either direct
or electronically via ClubLog or Logbook of the World.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
A limited number of Czech Radio Amateurs will be returning to the 5 MHz band
According to Petr Ourdnik, OK1RP, this new permit comes as a result of
material presented by the Czech amateur radio community regarding their
initial 5 MHz operation. It also involved subsequent discussions with
the nations telecommunications regulator CTU together with the agreement
of the Ministry of Defense. As a result phase 2 of experimental 5 MHz
operations began at Zero hundred hours UTC on January 1st. This means
that a small number of 5 MHz individual permits will be issued and will
be valid until the end of 2014.
While originally limited to only one channel on 5260 Kilohertz, under Phase 2 those Czech amateurs issued with one of these special permits will be allowed use of six channels that are common to many other nations. These are 5288.5, 5330.5, 5366.5, 5371.5, 5398.5 and 5403.5 Kilohertz. Transmissions are limited to Upper Sideband and CW only at a power level of 100 watts Effective Radiated Power.
This experimental operation permit on 5 MHz band is allowed on a strictly secondary user basis. International Telecommunications Union rules for protection of the primary users must be observed at all times.
Those who are issued 5 MHz permits must prepare and send an experimental operation report to the Czech telecommunications regulator no later than October 31st in order that analysis of the operation on the different channels and modes can be made .
source--- Hal Rodgers, K8CMD.
--
More on this story is at the Czech Telecommunications Office English language page at
http://www.ctu.eu/main.php?pageid=178
While originally limited to only one channel on 5260 Kilohertz, under Phase 2 those Czech amateurs issued with one of these special permits will be allowed use of six channels that are common to many other nations. These are 5288.5, 5330.5, 5366.5, 5371.5, 5398.5 and 5403.5 Kilohertz. Transmissions are limited to Upper Sideband and CW only at a power level of 100 watts Effective Radiated Power.
This experimental operation permit on 5 MHz band is allowed on a strictly secondary user basis. International Telecommunications Union rules for protection of the primary users must be observed at all times.
Those who are issued 5 MHz permits must prepare and send an experimental operation report to the Czech telecommunications regulator no later than October 31st in order that analysis of the operation on the different channels and modes can be made .
source--- Hal Rodgers, K8CMD.
--
More on this story is at the Czech Telecommunications Office English language page at
http://www.ctu.eu/main.php?pageid=178
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Emergency Alert System May go to the Cloud
According to contracting documents posted by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency on December 27th, it is now looking for a commercially
built data storage alternative for its Integrated Public Alert and
Warning System and Open Platform for Emergency Networks or IPAWS-OPEN
system. One that will enable faster action and better communication
between federal, state and tribal officials and the public. It also has
to be a storage and retrieval system that uses more advanced storage
technology, including possibly placing some portions of the system in
the cloud.
For those who may have never heard the term, in its most basic form the Cloud is a euphemism for off-site secure data storage. This is a model of networked enterprise storage where data is accumulated in virtualized pools which are generally operated by third parties. These are mostly hosting companies that operate large data centers. Their customers are people or businesses that require their data to be hosted off site so they simply buy or lease storage capacity from them.
FEMA says that its custom-built IPAWS-OPEN has not met a slate of minimum standards, such as operating with 99.9% up time and allowing the president and other officials to alert the public about emergencies within 10 minutes. Rather it has been dogged by glitches, too many layers of technical bureaucracy and mainly insufficient storage space.
The current IPAWS-OPEN system transmits emergency messages to citizens through numerous channels, including local alert systems, traditional broadcast media, the Internet and cellphones. It also needs to be quickly expandable to new public communications systems and platforms as they are created.
For those who may have never heard the term, in its most basic form the Cloud is a euphemism for off-site secure data storage. This is a model of networked enterprise storage where data is accumulated in virtualized pools which are generally operated by third parties. These are mostly hosting companies that operate large data centers. Their customers are people or businesses that require their data to be hosted off site so they simply buy or lease storage capacity from them.
FEMA says that its custom-built IPAWS-OPEN has not met a slate of minimum standards, such as operating with 99.9% up time and allowing the president and other officials to alert the public about emergencies within 10 minutes. Rather it has been dogged by glitches, too many layers of technical bureaucracy and mainly insufficient storage space.
The current IPAWS-OPEN system transmits emergency messages to citizens through numerous channels, including local alert systems, traditional broadcast media, the Internet and cellphones. It also needs to be quickly expandable to new public communications systems and platforms as they are created.
Friday, January 3, 2014
DX News 1-3-2014
In DX, word that the only two stations in the South Sudan are off the
air due to the current internal political strife. These are Z81B and
Z81D and indications are that there will not be any further ham radio
signals from that new nation until conditions stabilize. More on this
as information becomes available.
DX-World.net reports that WA5A will be on the air stroke 5Z4 from Kenya until about January 28th. His operation will be holiday style on the High Frequency bands. QSL via his home callsign.
LA7GIA is expected to be active from Malawi as 7Q7GIA for one week in May or June. QSL’s will via his home callsign. No other information is available at this time.
IK2PZC will be active from Morocco as 5C2P between February 6th and the 9th. His operation will be on the High Frequency bands using SSB and RTTY. QSL via IK2PZC.
ON7WP stroke C5WP has announced that he and ON7YK stroke C5YK are or will be the only two permanent licensed hams in The Gambia for 2014. At least as of now. More information is at C5CP on QRZ.com
YV5IAL will be active stroke CE2 from Valparaiso, Chile through January 30th. His operation will be on 40 through 10 meters using PSK-31 with some SSB. QSL via his home callsign either direct or via the bureau.
Lastly, F6BLP will be operational from Senegal through January 31st as 6W7SK through January 31st. His location will be about 80 kilometers south of the city of Dakar. Activity will be holiday style operating mainly CW on 80 through 10 meters. Some 160 meters is possible. QSL to F6BLP, either direct or via the bureau.
DX-World.net reports that WA5A will be on the air stroke 5Z4 from Kenya until about January 28th. His operation will be holiday style on the High Frequency bands. QSL via his home callsign.
LA7GIA is expected to be active from Malawi as 7Q7GIA for one week in May or June. QSL’s will via his home callsign. No other information is available at this time.
IK2PZC will be active from Morocco as 5C2P between February 6th and the 9th. His operation will be on the High Frequency bands using SSB and RTTY. QSL via IK2PZC.
ON7WP stroke C5WP has announced that he and ON7YK stroke C5YK are or will be the only two permanent licensed hams in The Gambia for 2014. At least as of now. More information is at C5CP on QRZ.com
YV5IAL will be active stroke CE2 from Valparaiso, Chile through January 30th. His operation will be on 40 through 10 meters using PSK-31 with some SSB. QSL via his home callsign either direct or via the bureau.
Lastly, F6BLP will be operational from Senegal through January 31st as 6W7SK through January 31st. His location will be about 80 kilometers south of the city of Dakar. Activity will be holiday style operating mainly CW on 80 through 10 meters. Some 160 meters is possible. QSL to F6BLP, either direct or via the bureau.
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