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.
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My Stamp Collecting Blog

My Stamp Collecting Blog

Counter Added January 1, 2011

free counters

HOW TO READ PROPAGATION NUMBERS

The A index [ LOW is GOOD ]

  • 1 to 6 is BEST
  • 7 to 9 is OK
  • 11 or more is BAD

Represents the overall geomagnetic condition of the ionosphere ("Ap" if averaged from the Kp-Index) (an average of the eight 3-hour K-Indices) ('A' referring to amplitude) over a given 24 hour period, ranging (linearly) typically from 1-100 but theoretically up to 400.

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

SFI index [ HIGH is GOOD ]

  • 70 NOT GOOD
  • 80 GOOD
  • 90 BETTER
  • 100+ BEST

The measure of total radio emissions from the sun at 10.7cm (2800 MHz), on a scale of 60 (no sunspots) to 300, generally corresponding to the sunspot level, but being too low in energy to cause ionization, not related to the ionization level of the Ionosphere.

Higher Solar Flux generally suggests better propagation on the 10, 12, 15, 17, & 20 Meter Bands; Solar Flux rarely affects the 30, 40, 60, 80, & 160 Meter Bands.

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.

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