Building an FM Broadcast Radio

Today was an overcast, rainy and foggy day.  Rather unusual for August. So, it was a great day to stay inside and build a radio (or TWO!)  Our two grandsons, Owen (13) and Grant (11) have been helping us with landscaping this week.  On Monday we picked up a 6x8 foot trailer full of two scoops of black mulch.  The boys shoveled that to a yard cart they had attached to my 4-wheeler and they drove it from the street to the top of the yard and spread it out.  Tuesday, we did the same thing all over again!  On Wednesday we used the trailer to get 720 pounds of rocks to edge the landscaping and the 4-wheeler/yard cart was used again.  The boys really did a LOT of heavy work on those days so they deserved a day off.

About 3 years ago I purchased a crystal radio kit at the Dayton Hamvention and the boys built it.  They then installed a longwire antenna at their house and listened to it a good deal.  Not being very sensitive, it only picked up a few stations but they had fun with the building.  At the 2013 Dayton Hamvention, I picked up a more advanced AM radio kit and in January 2014, Owen and Grant built that one as you can see in the photo above on the right.  They did all the work, including the soldering, and had a really good time. This radio was much better than the crystal radio and pulled in more stations.

As I was getting ready to go to this year's Hamvention, the boys asked if I was going to buy them another radio kit!  WOW!  That was a very pleasant surprise but, I didn't find anything at Dayton that would be good for them.  So, I turned to Amazon and found an Elenco FM Radio Kit for $15.19 with FREE shipping.  Of course I bought TWO of them so each boy would have his own.  NOTE:  The manufacturer's suggested age is 17 and up!  However, I just KNEW that would NOT apply to these guys - and I was right.

On the Left above you can see Grant soldering his kit today.  On the Right is Owen soldering on his.  I only have one soldering station so we worked out a "share" plan where one boy would install parts while the other was soldering.  Then they switched.  It worked great!  You can click on any photo to see a larger image.

On the left below is an image of how the small parts were packaged in the kit.  That photo also shows one page of the instructions.  Very reminiscent of Heathkit with plenty of detail and images for them to see what the instructions were talking about.

The kit has a screened circuit board with schematic symbols marking the placement of each part.  The radio has two IC's and one is pre-soldered to the circuit board.  The other is socketed.  We learned that capacitance is measured in farads and resistance in ohms, that resistors have a color code to identify them, we learned the schematic symbols for all the parts, and so many other great things during the build.  The kit is built in two sections and after the first section there is a TESTING phase where you can see how you are progressing.  Both radios passed all tests at this point. 

We took a snack break, and a lunch break as these guys burn a huge amount of calories even building a radio!  Then we had to go walk the dog for their Uncle and that took an hour or so.  Finally, we reached the last step and ran into a snag.  Grant attached the telescoping antenna to his radio with no problems but it turned out that Owen's kit only had the holes drilled in his antenna and they were not tapped for the screws. These were VERY tiny screws and I knew no one would have a tap and die set for them so on the way back from the dog walk we stopped at the Hobby Shop and got a couple of 2mm bolts and nuts.  Back at home we had to drill out the holes a tiny bit so the bolts would fit but soon Owen's antenna was installed.  All in all, we actually only spent about 4 hours building the radios.


SUCCESS!  Both radios worked right off the bat!  Smiles all around!  High fives with Grandpa!

The radios have an auto scan feature and Grant read the instructions and figured out how to tune the radios for the first time.  OUTSTANDING!  Both radios were able to bring in many stations with enough audio that Evelyn and I had to ask them to turn them down a touch.  As we were taking them to meet their mom, one of them was running the radio in the back of the van.  What fun!

I guess I need to lay in a supply of 9-volt batteries as I can see these radios are going to get a lot of use!  I know that both Owen and Grant had a great time building these radios and I know they built a lot of great memories for the rest of their lives.  And, Grandpa had at least as much fun as they did!  Best 4 hours and $30 I've spent in a long, LONG time!

Preparing for the SteppIR Antenna Repair

NOTE:  I wrote first part of this post nearly TWO YEARS ago but did not publish it for some reason.  It's hard to believe that it's been that long that I have been "preparing" to take down and repair the SteppIR!

 ===== Previously unpublished info follows =====

Today (7 August 2013) was the day I began preparing to take down the SteppIR and repair/modify it.  I took a hike over the hill at 11:30 a.m.  The temperature was 79° and the humidity was 63% so it was not the most pleasant day for this work.  Still, we had not experienced any rain for a few days so things were dry.

Weed-eating to Clear the Work Area

After installing 18-feet of new trimmer line and filling the gas tank, I took my Stihl weed-eater and my electric leaf blower over the hill.  I also took a bottle of water, gloves, eye protection, etc.

The first thing I did was to trim around the tower and blow off the leaves and junk that had accumulated there.  I carefully pulled up the excess cables so I did not cut anything I did not want to cut.  Then it was just swinging the weed-eater back and forth.  Every so often the line would wrap around a bush and break and I had to shut off the weed-eater and fix the line.

End of Day No. 1

By the time I ran out of gas, I had run out of trimmer line on one hole and had about 1 foot left on the other.  I was more than glad to quit and climb back up the hill.

The picture at the upper left shows the work in progress.  You can see a stump that is tall enough to serve as a seat.  Basically the weeds were between 2 and 2-1/2 feet tall.  In the photo on the right, you can see how the tower area is now cleared.  The small bushes need to be taken out with some clippers and I may put the grandsons onto that project.

While I was there I noticed that a grapevine has grown up the upper guy line on to the North.  That guy will be dropped when the SteppIR comes down so that grapevine can be cleared then.  Next I need to measure the space I have cleared to see if it is enough to contain the SteppIR.  If not, I may have to take out some more bushes with a chainsaw to the NW of the tower.

Other items that need attention include pulling up the control line and RG-6 cable that run to the Beverage Hub so that they do not get damaged while the antenna work is being performed.  Also, the elevated radials for the 160-M Inverted-L need to be rolled up.  Installation of the top guy line to the NW needs to be completed.  The wires at the base of the tower need to be cleaned up so they do not get in the way.  Once that is done I can pull the 1/2-inch Heliax up to the top of the tower for measurement then cut it and install a connector on that end.  This will be the 6-M feedline and you can see it coiled up in the photo on the right.

Total time spent on the project today was just under 3 hours including the installation of trimmer line and cleanup of the tools and boots. Still, I'm pretty tired and need to rest before going over the hill again.

===== End of previously unpublished info =====

On a later date the grandsons DID go over the hill along with Evelyn and they removed the small bushes and finished the initial cleanup.  I think they also sprayed extensively with Roundup to prevent the undergrowth from returning.

Fast Forward to July 1, 2015, and the grandsons are back on the brush clearing project!  This time they are two years older and can run the weed eaters themselves.  They REALLY jumped into this job big-time and cleared the area around the tower in record time!

Owen Clearing the NE Guy Anchor

Grant Lopping Small Trees

On the left you can see a photo of Owen clearing things out toward the Northeast guy wire.  I did not clear the paths to the guy wires in 2013 and they had become quite overgrown.  On the right is a photo of Grant lopping off some trees that had been growing for quite some time.  We took a cooler with plenty of water and Gatorade because it was warm and humid that day.

I did not keep close track of the time but it seems like we only spent about two to two and a half hours and in that time the boys had completely cleared the area around the tower and cut a path to the Northeast and the South guy wires.  I had to go back up to the garage and bring back the chainsaw to complete the clearing of a path to the South guy wire.

We eventually ran one weedeater out of gas and the other one ran out of string and that was the point where we decided to call it quits for the day.  Back on the patio it was time to down another bottle of Gatorade and try to cool off before hitting the showers.  On the left you can see how Owen looked with weed litter all over him!  (Click on any photo to see a larger image.)

Owen Covered in Weed Litter

CLICK HERE to see a 48-second video of Owen weed eating around the Northeast guy anchor.  I shot this on my cell phone and it was difficult to see the screen but the video captured what the boys were both doing.

Bringing Home the BIG Heliax

A couple of weeks later the grandsons helped me retrieve a 190-foot length of Commscope-Andrew AVA7-50 (1-5/8" Heliax) from Ravenswood thanks to the generosity of Mike, N8WC.  We first picked up the 4-wheeler trailer from the grandsons house (they did all the hooking up!)  A little more than an hour later we were in Ravenswood and trying to run my minivan (miniature van as Grant calls it) up through Mike's field to the barn.  We made it but did pick up a load of grass in my front bumper!  Loading the nearly 200 pound roll of hardline was not difficult considering the great help I had!  The hardline is now sitting on my patio about to be pulled up the tower to serve as feedline for my new 6-M antenna.  In the first part of this Post you have read that I planned to use 1/2-inch Heliax as the feedline but thanks to N8WC, this 1-5/8-inch Heliax will drastically reduce the feedline loss.  Thanks, Mike!

 As the years progress for me, having these two grandsons to help with projects like this is FANTASTIC!  Thanks, guys!

Bad Day for my Van

WOOWZER!  What a fun day --- NOT!  The grandsons, Owen & Grant, were sitting with me in the van in Eleanor, WV, waiting on the purchaser of Aunt Edith's house to meet us there.  A fellow who was just out of high school was cutting the yard.  Suddenly there was a loud BANG and the sound of glass shattering.  It seems he ran over the bright yellow "Cap" that is over the gas line in the front yard.  (The grass was really high and I'm sure he didn't see it.)  However, the end result was that the mower flung that really heavy metal cap about 15-feet to where it struck my rear window just under the rear spoiler.  Shattered the crap out of the rear window of the van.  Scared the crap out of the 3 of us who were SITTING in the van at the time as well!  (Click on any photo to see it larger.)

I felt really bad for the lawn mowing kid as after he ascertained that no one was hurt, he began to tell us how his day had gone.  The first mower would not start and when he finally got it going, the blade caught on the internal shroud and messed it up totally.  He called the property owner who eventually brought another old mower (the one that trashed my van) and while waiting for him to show up, the battery died on this kid's car!  Then, he blows out the rear window of a van.  It sure was not a good day for him.

Anyway, the van is in the shop and should be repaired tomorrow.  The cost will be less than my $1,000 deductible but the property owner said he would pay for it.  Heck, even the lawn mowing kid offered to pay for it.  So, it's going to all work out without any major problems and we all have a great story to tell.  . . . Hey, did you hear about the time my van window was blown out by something thrown by a lawnmower?  Yeah, there's lots of mileage in that one for sure!

Logger32 - Last Upload to LoTW ToolTip

Logger32 Version 3.50.107 has added a very cool feature to this logging program.  Here is the Release Note describing the feature:

Version 3.50.107
ToolTip added to the DX Spot Window and BandMaps to show date of last LoTW upload by the DX Station

The image at the right shows what the ToolTip looks like.  Once you set up all the "conditions" listed below, then hovering your mouse over the Green "LoTW" square at the left of a spot in the DX Spot Window or any BandMap will result in a "ToolTip" popping up which will show the date of the last LoTW upload of that particular station and how many days it has been since that upload.

In order for this feature to work, you MUST download LoTW data from a site that contains the date data.  Here is one that has been suggested:

http://wd5eae.org/LoTW_Data.txt

To download from that site you need to do this:

From the DX Spots Window, right-click and choose Setup | Load the LoTW users file
Then, in the window that pops up, click Config | Change Internet filepath or URL
Now, enter the above URL for WD5EAE's site and press Enter. 
Then, while you have this window showing, choose Config | Filter inactive users, and
pick any option other than the last one.

Now click the "Download" button and when the file is complete, press "Save data."

You now have the LoTW data complete with the date info and you must set the following items to complete this setup:

In the Bandmap windows make sure there is a check-mark on each of these:

     Config | Show tips | Show tips
     Config | Show LoTW user

In the DX Spots Window make sure there is a check-mark on each of these:

     Setup | Tooltips | Show tips
     Setup | Appearance | Show LoTW user

That should complete the setup and you will now be able to see a ToolTip for any LoTW user which shows how recently they have uploaded to LoTW.  Quite a neat feature!

Remember, in order for this data to remain useful to you, every week or so you should download the LoTW data again.  Plus, that will add any "New" LoTW users to your file. 

AlphaClock for Your Desktop

Have you ever wanted a clock display someplace else on your desktop instead of only the bottom right part of the status bar?  Well, here is one that you can put anywhere on the screen, set the color to your liking, and even have it display UTC time.  AlphaClock is "Freeware" and is a very small program.  Just download the self-extracting EXE file from HERE, run it to extract the files to the folder of your choice, then RUN it by double-clicking on "aclock.exe" in the extracted files.

Once you have AlphaClock running on your desktop, you can right-click on the clock display and choose your color scheme, UTC time, and have it start when Windows starts.  Left-click and hold on the clock and you can drag it anywhere on the screen.  As you can see in the above image, I have AlphaClock set to the "Amber" color scheme and have positioned it right above the callsign entry field in N1MM.  The small "u" at the left means AlphaClock is displaying UTC Time.  (Click on the image to view it larger.)  It makes it super convenient to see the time since I'm focused on the callsign entry window most of the time I am contesting.  With it displaying UTC, there is no need for me to "convert" my computer clock time.  If you choose, it will also display 12-hour time.  And, just hover the mouse over it and the Day / Date is displayed.  Plus, it always sits on "Top" of all other windows so it's always visible.  AlphaClock will run on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000 or Windows XP and I have it working just fine on Windows 7/64.

How to BackUp MMTTY and MVARI Macros in Logger32

Have you spent a lot of time creating Macros in Logger32 for use with MMTTY or the MVARI digital modes?  If so, what happens if your computer dies?  Do you lose all that work?  Hopefully not!  If you have Backed Up your User Files to some off-site location like a CD, a Thumb Drive, another computer hard drive, or even by sending the files in an email to your Gmail, Yahoo, HotMail or other WEB based email account - NOT to an email account which is downloaded to your computer email program like Thunderbird or Outlook Express.  The email you send needs to be stored out in the "Cloud" so that if your computer dies, you can get a new computer and still access that email.

In Logger32, on the line directly below the Menu Bar, there is a string of icons for various features of Logger32.  The 2nd Icon from the left is for Zipping your User files.  See the image on the right.  Click on any image to see it larger.

Click on this "Zip user files" Icon and a new window opens called "Backup user files."  See the image on the left below.

Now just click on the "Start" button to save all the User Files to a Zip archive.   In the example here, the file will be saved to the following directory:

C:\LOGGER32\LOGGER32BACKUP.ZIP

You can click on the "Browse" button to save it in a different location if you wish.

The files that are backed up include your Logger32.ini, MMTTY.ini, UserPara.ini, and several other files that contain your "User" information.  As far as your Macros are concerned, there are two files that contain them and they are called:

MMVARISoundCardMacros.ini

SoundCardMacros.ini

The MMTTY Macros are stored in the second file above and the MMVARI ones in the first one.  You can open either of those files in a text editor like Notepad to view them or change them if you desire.  You can also find these files in your basic Logger32 directory if you want to save them separately from the Zip archive.

If you click on the First Icon on the left in Logger32, it will backup all your databases and your logbook.  That Zip archive may contain 20 to 30 separate files depending on how you actually use your Logger32.  It contains the .ISD, .ISF, and .ISM files that are your logbook as well as your IOTA database files, Country database files, etc.  Save this Zip file in a safe "off-site" location as well.

You can also export your full log as an ADIF file as a further backup.  Keep that file in a safe place also.

Having all these files backed up in a SAFE location will save you HOURS of work and frustration WHEN (not IF) your computer dies!  They can be used to restore your Logger32 to the new computer without the need for you to re-invent the wheel!

It is so quick to do that you have no excuse for not doing this on a regular basis.

1.  Zip the files
2.  Send yourself an email with those two Zip files as attachments.

Easy, peasy!   Don't forget to also send yourself the LoTW P12 file to save yourself having to set up a new LoTW account. You WILL thank me one day if you do this!

Logger32 Country Database Exceptions from ClubLog

In a recent update, Logger32 added a feature to make the QSO's shown in your log more accurate.  You can find this feature by clicking on "Setup" in the Menu bar and this will give you more Menu Options.  Click on the "Updates" item on the new Menu Bar and you will see your choices.  The one I'm showing here is the "Country database exceptions from Clublog."  If you hover the mouse over that item, a pop-up will reveal your options.  Choosing "Look for updates now."  Logger32 will open a new window and download ALL the Clublog Exceptions that are available.  You can see an example of that window on the Left.  Click on any image to see it larger.

It will show you how many exceptions have been downloaded when it has completed (and the progress bar has moved across the top of your screen.)

Once you have downloaded all the exceptions, click on "Updates" and then click on "Validate DXCC country codes from Clublog".  This will open another window that allows you to choose what the process does with entries in your log.  It would be a GREAT idea to backup your logbook, just in case you make changes that you do not want to make.

You can see the Options I picked in the photo on the upper Right.  I was moving cautiously to make sure I didn't screw anything up.  I chose NOT to change the DXCC country for any "Informational" entries in my log.  These are entries that have an equal sign "=" after the callsign.  They do not count for anything but are in my log for informational purposes.  I also chose the "Manual" confirmation of changes.  This caused a pop-up to appear for each potential change and I could manually "Approve" it or not.  I also chose to NOT change any entry that had been approved by ARRL.  And, I told Logger32 I was doing the full logbook and "promised" to recalculate my statistics later.

After the process completed, the box you see on the upper right was completed.  It made 21 corrections to my log.  This has not been a huge change in my log, but it definitely improved my statistics.  For example, when I logged "N5AIU/R" (a Rover station I worked on 6-M), Logger32 gave me credit for working European Russia!  This process removed that error.

Once you have done the entire logbook (and recalculated your statistics) you can set it to Automatically Update your log (Updates | Country database exceptions from Clublog | Enable auto updates.)  The update will then automatically update daily.

This is another great feature of Logger32 - putting the power of Clublog to use to keep your logbook as accurate as possible.  More instructions are in the Help file under "Clublog."

Antenna Question

The photo on the left was in the April 2014 issue of QST on Page 88.  Can anyone tell why this guy is not seeing any directional performance from his antenna?

I did not see it right away and had to go through several different thoughts and a couple of re-looks at the photo.

Click on the photo to see a larger image.

Amateur Equipment Inventory

The ARRL Contest Update for January 15, 2014, included a suggestion from the Mt. Airy VHF Radio Club's Cheese Bits newsletter that we, as hams, need to make an inventory of our equipment.  The article is reprinted below with permission of ARRL.  This is a useful idea not only for our spouse or whoever is charged with the duty of taking care of what we leave behind but can be beneficial for ourselves.  It can remind you what you actually paid for an item or how long you've really owned it when you go to sell it.

We are all getting older, that's a given. And, for the most part, we have a considerable inventory of ham radio related products. But, how many of us actually have this inventory written down? I started doing this many years ago in a Microsoft Word document but I got too detailed on what I was trying to keep track of, and with my limited knowledge of Microsoft Word, I had no way to sort it.

Even if you don't use Microsoft Excel to record this data, it can still be very beneficial just to record the simplest record on paper or even in Microsoft Word. Making this a New Year's resolution to simply "work" on this project over the year is a good start. You don't have to complete it by next Friday, just START on it TODAY!

I've seen some hams pass away where the person who has to go through their "stuff" has no idea that a rotor control box on the operating table necessarily has a rotor connected to it out on the tower, that empty boxes for "filters" indicate those "filters" are actually "inside" a radio, which charger belongs to which radio, and so on.  Even when another ham tries to unravel this mess, that charger issue can be a huge problem.  To solve the charger issue, I have started putting a label on the cable of a charger indicating what equipment it belongs to.  To solve the first issue, a simple list of equipment with notes showing the basic info is a great start.  I also need to do a little work on where I keep my manuals, accessory cables, connectors, fuses, etc.   A note in the description (or a column in Excel) could tell WHERE those items are located.  The "Notes" can also contain information about "issues" with that particular piece of equipment or any separate options or accessories that are installed or are located in a box or a drawer somewhere.  HECK, that's a great idea even for while I'm still HERE.  Sometimes it takes me days to find where I put those parts just a mere 10 years ago! 

Now go start this BASIC and SIMPLE inventory list TODAY! You can work on it as time is available but at least START it TODAY! I did!  See above a Screen Shot of my beginning effort.

One Other Idea:

While I'm at it, you should also begin looking at Life and Death Planning (if you haven't already done so.)  There is no guarantee for ANY of us as to how much time we have left so don't think that just because you are relatively young and healthy that this does not affect you.  Below is a link to a good place to start.  There is some very good information here as well as Checklists you can download and print to get yourself started.  Plus, the website has an easy to remember name!

http://getyourshittogether.org/


========== Excerpt of ARRL Contest Update follows  ==========

CONVERSATION

Taking Inventory

The New Year is always a time of resolutions and resolve...and maybe a bucket list or two. The January issue of the Mt Airy VHF Radio Club's Cheese Bits newsletter contained a gem of a resolution by John W3HMS - taking inventory of your shack equipment. As John explains in this issue's Conversation piece, reprinted with the permission of the Pack Rats, it's not hard and you'll be glad you did. 73, Ward NØAX

Your Easy New Year's Resolution: A Simple Ham Shack Inventory
by John W3HMS

There are many reasons to have an inventory and so very many reasons NOT to do it. One point to consider is that this is not the "good old days" when a friend sells THE radio of an SK but rather a time when a ham station has A LOT of gear in it and it may be very messy!!!!

The Contest Update wishes to thank the Pack Rats for their many contributions to this newsletter and to VHF+ contesting over their long and storied history.

Because my inventory is built in Excel it can and has been refined over time. Buying new gear is easy...you can add to it almost 100% from memory at the time when the gear is received. Sales or disposal is equally easy as "Sold VOM to W1XYZ for $25 on 1 Nov 13".

The key is to keep it simple remembering that you will miss some items but they can be added as/when you desire. Price is the purchase price (a fact at the time the item is bought), and NOT a current valuation. The latter is easy to obtain...set aside 15 hours per day for constant Ebay inquiries...yea, right, HI!!

The easy entry and sorting features of Excel and its widespread availability means you can enter items randomly then sequence like items together and sort as you desire later on. You can easily create additional rows and columns plus select the columns to print or email. Here is what I record: Description, Purchase Date, Purchase Price and Notes. One column per category, one row per item.

As you can see, I DO keep it simple. I could put in serial numbers if I want to research more than 200 items but that takes time and it could kill the project. I could try and find the current selling price and encounter the same issues. I try and put the item keyword first so like items sort together, e.g. transceiver, transmitter, SWR meter, antenna matcher, etc. For items like tools, I put in one lot valued at a low price...you may have big ticket power tools and desire to enter key items individually.

For homebrew gear or unknown gear, I use $1.00. You could start your entry process by entering the most expensive gear first as this follows a good business principle of putting effort on the most important gear. Don't forget your antennas and all outside towers, equipment, and gear in the car, boat, Rolls-Royce, etc .

On small parts of unknown value, just citing one lot at $1.00 will help ensure that this category is not missed at the time of your trip to "the big QTH in the sky". If you have big expensive spares, then individual inventory entry seems most desirable. You could set a dollar value for what to enter, but I feel that any piece of equipment I might want to sell is worth entry.

So what do you have when you are finished or close to it? Well, you have an accurate record to discuss with your insurance agent if you feel you may want additional QTH insurance.

It seems to me it is just a good practice to record your radio assets. If you feel the inventory process is tough for you, imagine how tough it would be for your widow and/or friends who have not the same knowledge as you do of the equipment by function and value? 

I think you may well be surprised at the dollar value you have tied up in your equipment. You also have a file that can easily be stored on your PC, safeguarded in a vault, and sent via email.

When needed, the inventory can be used to insert asking prices for estate sales and simplify so much the effort to be provided by friends and your XYL. So, if you are sure you will live forever, please put off starting your equipment inventory, HI!! If you are mortal, may I wish you good luck in starting with the big stuff and working down the value scale.

73, John W3HMS

========== "Reprinted with the permission of the ARRL. © Copyright ARRL." ==========

If a Tree Falls in the Woods, Will the Tower Still Stand?

Last night the weather forecast was: "While a few, scattered showers cannot be ruled out throughout the evening and overnight...the main activity, in the form of heavier rain, strong gusty winds and perhaps even a few thunderstorms, won't near until 2-6 AM from west to east."  Specific forecast predictions said the wind would hit Huntington between 3 and 4 a.m. and Charleston between 4 and 5 a.m.  WELL - - - Just after 1 a.m. I was awakened by the house creaking and the sound of fast moving wind and rain.  It lasted until about 2 a.m. which was a good deal longer than I had expected.

Yesterday was the first official day of winter and record temperatures were set in both Huntington and Charleston at 75°.  The National Weather Service Area Forecast Discussion for Charleston at 12:30 a.m. on Sunday did not think the winds were going to be significant:

WINDS WILL BE GUSTY FROM THE SOUTH AND WEST THROUGH THE DAY
TOMORROW. DID BUMP WINDS UP A BIT BASED ON THE NAM. NOT HIGH
ENOUGH FOR WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA.

Base of the Two Trees

However, local TV station WOWK-TV reported gusts as high as 60 mph and indicated the storm was moving across the area at 85 mph.  Only some 5,000 customers were without power however.

Center Section of the Trees

Once daylight returned, I took a look to see if my tower was still standing.  It was, but darned if it didn't look to be leaning just a little.  Further inspection showed a tree had fallen from my neighbor's property onto the Westerly set of guys for my tower. 

As you can see in the attached photos, the tree broke over about 5-1/2 to 6-feet above ground level.  This had actually happened in a previous storm and the tree had been supported at about a 60° angle by adjacent trees.  
Last night's storm finished the job of bringing it down.  As you can see in the third photo below, the top part of the trees were resting on the guys for my tower.  Click on any photo to see it larger.

Both of my go-to "Chain Saw Guys" were out of town so the job fell to me.  I began cutting the two trees (which had grown up together) about 2-feet above the ground to get them low enough so that they could be cut off the guys.  After I made my first wedge cut, I went back up the hill to get the gas can and bar oil for the chainsaw.  At that point my neighbor (who owned the land where the tree was) came to help and he did the rest of the cutting while I did the pulling and such. 

Top of Trees on Guy Wires

Eventually we were able to free the guy wires but they are quite slack.  I assume the tower has been pulled out of line and the guys may have been stretched due to the weight of the trees.  I will assess that situation later and see what needs to be done.  I'm just glad the tower is still standing!

I will need to go sight up the tower from the base and see how far it is out of line and see what can be done with the opposite guy wires to pull it back into line.  Then, I need to see if there was any damage to the Phillystran from the trees.  I saw nothing today but will want to check that just to be sure.

Could have been a WHOLE lot worse!

Recording QSO Audio on the K-3

An optional accessory for the Elecraft K-3 is the KDVR-3 Digital Voice Recorder.  The main purpose of this device is to record your voice and then play it back by pushing a button - a Voice Keyer.  However, it also has a feature where you can push a button (hold AF REC)and record the incoming rig audio.  Hold AF REC again to stop recording.  Push another button (hold AF PLAY) and it will play back that audio.  Hold AF PLAY again to stop the playback.  When in the playback mode, you can rotate the B VFO knob to select where in the 90 seconds you want to listen.  A "*" indicates you are in the most recent recording segment.

The recording can be up to 90 seconds in length and when it completes 90 seconds it just starts recording over what it previously recorded - a 90 second loop of the received audio.  Turn it on when you are about to call that rare DX and then turn it off after your QSO.  You can then easily play it back and see if he really did get your call correct.  You can also export the audio to your computer for archiving purposes (or to email to your buddies to brag about how well you copied the DX!)

Below is a link to an audio file (which I created using the KDVR-3) of my 80-M QSO with K9W on 8-Nov-2013 at 0800 GMT.  I recorded this because I was using a 160-M Inverted-L with a single elevated radial as my 80-M transmit/receive antenna.

Click HERE to listen to the audio.  Then use your BACK button to return to this page.

The trick to getting the audio out of the K-3 and into the computer is that you need to access the CONFIG : LIN OUT menu.  When you first access that menu it will probably read "nor 010" or something like that.  With that menu showing, you need to tap the "1" key.  The menu will now show "=PHONES" and that means the K-3 will feed the same audio that goes to the headphones to the LINE OUT jack on the back of the K-3.  This needs to be connected to your computer's LINE IN jack.  After you have exported the K-3 recorded audio to the computer, access the CONFIG : LIN OUT menu again and tap the "1" key to remove the "=PHONES" feature.  This puts the audio to your computer back to the normal level for PSK or other digital operation.

I use the program Audacity (which is a FREE program you can download from the Internet) to process and save my audio files.  Just "Google" the word "Audacity" for more info.  I run Audacity, start the Playback on the K-3, press the RECORD button in Audacity and then the STOP button when I reach the end of what I want to record.  I can now trim the audio as necessary and perform other operations on the audio file to make it more legible before saving it.

New 160-M Inverted-L Installed

Since pretty much all the WVDXA members who are on 160-M have now worked K9W on Wake Island, I felt the pressure to snag a Top-Band QSO for myself.  After my success with the 40-M antenna yesterday, I felt that today was the day to put up an Inverted-L for 160-M.

Tim, K8RRT, volunteered to come with his bow and arrow and shoot a line over a likely tree.  I got everything ready and when Tim arrived about 3 p.m. we measured out 130-feet of No. 14 solid for the vertical element and a second length for the single elevated radial.

Over the hill, Tim took only 2 shots to place his arrow right where he wanted it.  We pulled back a small line and used that to pull the Dacron support line back over the tree.  The spot where Tim placed the arrow is probably 80-feet above ground.  Once the Dacron line was over the tree, I tied on the end of the vertical element and Tim pulled that over.  At that point, Tim had to leave but all that was left was for me to connect the coax to the remote antenna switch and run out the elevated radial.  It is no lower than 6 feet above ground and probably no higher than 10-feet.  I finished about 5:40 p.m. (just after sunset.)

Once back in the shack I ran an SWR plot which you can see above.  (Click on the photo for a larger image.)  An SWR of 1.69:1 at 1.800 MHz drops down to 1.49:1 at 1.820 MHz. and pretty much stays there up to 1.900 MHz where it is 1.42:1

UPDATE:  IT WORKS!  I was able to work K9W on 80-M using this 160-M Inverted-L for a New One.  Then, a little later, when they were calling CQ on 160-M, they sent "UP" and I sent my call ONE TIME and they came right back.  I would say this puppy WORKS!  Now, bring on T33A on Top-Band.  I'm a "Happy Camper" to be back on Top-Band.  Thanks, Tim!

New 40-M Wire Vertical Installed

     I've been building a 40-M wire vertical here in the house over the last few days and yesterday I installed it.  It is a 33.3-foot section of No. 14 stranded wire that stands off from the tower about 2-feet.  You can see the 2x2 treated boards that hold the top and bottom of the antenna in the photo on the right.  (Click on any photo to see a larger image.)  The bottom of the vertical is about 27-feet above ground and the top is about 60-feet.  I have two elevated radials attached and both slope down a little (they are not horizontal.)  I wanted to get it as high up in the air as possible because below 30-feet on the tower, everything to the West is blocked by my hill.

     The photo on the left above shows the RF Choke which is about 21 feet of coax wound on a 6-inch form - about 12 turns.  It is about 3-1/2 feet from the feedpoint of the antenna.  It is marked "Coil" in the photo of the tower.

     On the left is a plot of the SWR of this antenna.  The antenna is pretty flat from about 7.1 to 7.2 but at a 1.6:1 SWR.  It seems to be resonant about 7.125 MHz.  I was shooting for 7.025 MHz. and missed that by a good margin.  I'm guessing that the proximity of the tower is messing with the antenna both in the resonant point and in the pattern.  Still, it was easy to put this up (relatively easy - I am WAY out of shape!)

     But, it was good enough for me to have a QSO with K9W this morning on 40-M SSB.  The operator was Hal, W8HC, who was with me on Swains Island last year.  That was HUGE to be able to work him on Wake Island - AND that was a New One for me on 40-M!.  Obviously the antenna does get out as I only had to call twice to work him (at 43 minutes past my SR.)

     Here are some spot checks of the SWR:

7.000 - 2.25:1     7.100 - 1.61:1     7.200 - 1.59:1

7.025 - 2.00:1     7.125 - 1.41:1     7.225 - 1.71:1

7.050 - 1.88:1     7.150 - 1.46:1     7.250 - 1.77:1

7.075 - 1.66:1     7.175 - 1.55:1     7.275 - 1.83:1

CW Skimmer's View of the 5JØR Pileup on 17-M

 At the left you can see a screen shot of CW Skimmer at K8RRT's QTH.  He was decoding the pileup for 5JØR, San Andres & Providencia, who was transmitting on 18.074 MHz.  It turns out that K9W, Wake Island, was also operational at the same time but the K9W station was not on 17-M at this particular time.  K9W's stated transmit frequency on 17-M is 18.079 MHz.  That would be square in the middle of the pileup on 5JØR!  (Click on any picture to see a larger image.)

On the right you can see the list of stations who were calling 5JØR, and who were being decoded by Tim's CW Skimmer program.  Who knows how many others were calling that Tim was not able to copy?  You can not see all the stations that CW Skimmer was decoding (see the extra yellow dots with no lines coming from them at the top of the image on the right) because Tim's monitor is not tall enough!

One interesting note is that while I was writing this Post, I was listening to 5JØR on 17-M.  By my count, he made 20 QSO's between the times when he sent his own call.  I looked at the clock when he made that second transmission of his callsign and then noted the time when he ID'd the next time.  12 minutes passed between those ID's!  Considering the potential for confusion on which station you worked when there are multiple DX'peditions on the air at the same time (and similar transmit frequencies), it would be better if ALL DX'peditions gave their calls more often.

Testing the Tin Can Stove

Owen Stirring

Tin Can Stove in Operation

During the 2012-2013 winter, our grandsons, Owen and Grant, saw a video HERE on YouTube describing how to build a camp stove from a couple of tin cans.  They were fascinated and talked Evelyn into helping them make it as a "project."  I was called in to provide the tools (tin snips) but Evelyn and the boys did the rest.  The project was complete in a little over an hour but we waited for an opportune time to "test" out the stove.

Saturday night the boys came for a visit and brought the stove with them.  We were having hot dogs with homemade chili (sauce) for dinner so they decided to heat the hot dog chili with their stove.  It worked GREAT!  The pan they had which fit exactly on top of the stove was a bit small but it worked fine.  They just had to fill it three times to heat all the chili!

The stove consists of a Tuna Fish can with the tuna and the lid removed.  Cardboard is cut and wound inside the can in a spiral and then filled with melted candle wax.  The wicks from the melted candles  are placed in the center of the cardboard spiral to allow easy lighting of the stove.  A larger can has been cut (with the tin snips) to provide a place to slide the Tuna Fish can inside it.  Vent holes are cut into the top of the larger can with a can opener.  Then a piece of coat hanger is attached to the Tuna Fish can lid and the project is complete.

Grant Watching the Cook

As you can see, we put down some cardboard to protect the back porch from any "splatter" or "over-flow" from the stove.  The stove itself we sat on a paving stone so as to not set the cardboard on fire!  In the photo on the right where Grant is watching the stove, you can see that some of the candle wax has over-flowed from the small Tuna Fish can and it ran out on the paving stone.

In the photo on the upper-right which shows Owen stirring the chili, you can see the Tuna Fish can lid that is attached to a coat hanger sitting on the paving stone.  This is used to regulate the heat or to extinguish the flame.  It worked quite well.

Dinner was an absolute success!  And, after the stove was extinguished, there is still plenty of wax/cardboard "fuel" for a future "cook."

Click on any photo to see it larger.