Category — Hardware

In this series on Club Program ideas, I’m providing possible programs for clubs to use in their meetings. You can find a full explanation of the approach in Club Programs – The Series.

Today’s program idea: Radio filters.

One of the most effective ways to increase your ability to hear is the use of filters on the radio.

Filters vary by radio as well as how they are implemented. Filters that are great for CW are crappy for SSB. RTTY offers a challenge for filters, but great ones shine.

Then there are mechanical filters as compared to software (DSP) filtering. Which is better? How can you tell?

A program on making the case for filters in your receiver could cover these subjects:

• The need for filters in your radio
• OEM or specialty filters?
• Mechanical compared with DSP filtering — or both?
• Roofing filters

Upgrading a receiver with correct filtering can help turn average to excellent.

Scot, K9JY

Photo Credit: International Radio Filters

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In this series on Club Program ideas, I’m providing possible programs for clubs to use in their meetings. You can find a full explanation of the approach in Club Programs – The Series.

Today’s program idea: Inside an amplifier.

Everyone loves a big amplifier, who wouldn’t? But the inside of an amplifier is a scary place. This program suggests taking a tour inside an amplifier so that hams can see the different sections. Here are a few ideas for the presentation:

• Show the tubes and how they are rated
• Show the various band switch areas
• Show the electronics in today’s amp and compare with older tube models
• Show the transistor amplifier sections in the new amplifiers
• Show why you need an interface between new radios and old amplifiers

Amplifiers are, for many, a dream to own. This type of program can show hams the guts of power in a ham station.

Bonus program idea: set up a few tables and have club members (pre-arranged) bring in their amplifiers so that everyone can look at the various models and makes. Great for individual questions and answers as well.

Scot, K9JY

Photo Credit: Alpha Amplifiers

In this series on Club Program ideas, I’m providing possible programs for clubs to use in their meetings. You can find a full explanation of the approach in Club Programs – The Series.

Today’s program idea: Moonbounce.

Bouncing signals off of the moon and listening to them come back is a fascinating entry into Doppler shifts, weak signals, long distances, and knowing when the moon is available at your QTH.

Program ideas;

• Why the moon?
• How it works
• Building Antennas — and rotors
• Software (WSJT)
• Frequencies to listen

Hams were working the moon long before astronauts landed there. It’s time to brush up on how all that was done.

Scot, K9JY

Photo Credit: SV1BTR’s antenna on Skynet

In this series on Club Program ideas, I’m providing possible programs for clubs to use in their meetings. You can find a full explanation of the approach in Club Programs – The Series.

Today’s program idea: Putting repeaters together.

Repeaters have become standard operating procedure for hams. We take our handheld, hit the repeater and start talking.

But repeaters are placed far away in little rooms with fans and other radios. No one ever sees them.

This program idea is to take a deconstructed look at repeaters. The component parts, the function of each of the major components, the feedlines to the antennas and how to deal with interference from all the other radio sources (typically) found for a tower site.

And if that isn’t enough, how those high mountaintop repeaters connect to each other to give multi-state coverage.

Bonus points: Linking radio repeaters together anywhere there is Internet service available.

Scot, K9JY

Photo credit: CAT-400 Repeater Controller, Computer Automation Technology

Field Day brings forth a wide range of antennas used for the event. Clubs even have their own stock of antennas, hidden in local garages, to spring on participants if needed.

Whether it is beams and towers or stuff with wires, here are some Field Day considerations for antennas:

Easy Does It

Antennas have to be put up and taken down. Ham Radio rules apply here as well: everything will take twice as long as you think to put up and take down, so select something easier to do.

Lower is better

Field Day favors working stations close-in relative to the world. Verticals with low angles radiation won’t help you work as many people as you need to, so try horizontal antennas that are not too high up.

Monobanders help

Monoband antennas will give you better SWR across the band and will help reduce inter-station interference. Nothing like operating 20-meters on your triband yagi with the 15 and 10-meter stations chiming in as well.

Any tower must be well supported

Safety is a big deal here and people setting up antennas for an event are more likely to cut corners. Don’t do that; safety first.

Know your antenna supports

If you have a long wire or dipole or inverted vee…where will the ends be supported? The middle of a flat field doesn’t help you support dipole ends, so some other support structure will be needed. Pre-planning on the site will help.

What are your favorite Field Day antennas?

Scot, K9JY

Field Day is coming up sooner than we think. So I thought I’d spend some time on Field Day and start working through some of the tasks associated with the event.

Most Field Day operations have more than one station. A conventional way of working each station is to have a “Station Captain” responsible for the setup, tear down and allocation of responsibilities for the station and operators.

What follows is a beginning attempt to establish a “checklist” for station captains.

Station Captain Checklist:

Equipment:

Radio

Antenna Tuner

Morse Key

Microphone

Computer

Field Day software

Computer – Radio Interface

Sound Card Check

Coax

Antenna 1

Antenna 2 (if needed or wanted)

Antenna Supports

Network Router or Hub

Network Cable

Wireless Adapter

Plans:

Setup

Take down

Operator Schedule

Bonus Point attainment plan for station

Food

Cooking

Shelter:

Shelter – tent, RV…??

Sleeping bag or equivalent

Clothes

For cooking

For refrigeration

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What else should be added to this list? What other lists should be here?

Scot, K9JY