As you are probably aware I have been having serious problems with my radio hookup. Unable to hold some repeaters, frequent power dropouts, etc. It was depressing and I thought I had some expensive repair work ahead.
Phil Bulllock, K7PB and KE7OMG dropped by for a quick look. The antenna is currently mounted on a fence, not on the roof, so it was easy to work on.
First the power problem. The Anderson Power Poles on this radio were the very first two I EVER installed. No crimping tools, so the connectors were soldered on. Too much solder meant that the pin would not go all the way in and "latch down". Used it anyway.
Anything that jiggled the power cord, like my microphone cord could cause an instant OPEN circuit. Easy fix, replaced the Anderson using the proper custom crimping tool - power problem solved.
Now on to the fascinating radio repair. Inside each PL259/SO239 mating pair there are two small pins or cogs and on the mating connector there are two or more small indents to receive the cogs.
Apparently the antenna connections were made without regard to "meshing" those little points. As a result the wind, over the YEARS, had actually unscrewed the connectors to some extent. When the wind blew, there would be power dropouts. The cables were loose on both ends - antenna and house.
Once the connectors were properly fitted and snug, the dropouts went away.
Moral of the Story - check your outside connections from time to time. The wind and weather can literally disconnect you.
Now my received audio is about 200% better and I am getting great signal reports again! Who knew it could be something so simple?
N7OZH
Tuesday, September 09, 2014
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
New sources for some ham radio stuff.
The Antenna Saga continues. Some changes have been made. If my signal stays constant tonight then progress has been made. This weekend or next Wednesday on the net I will be testing an entirely different method of accessing the MARA repeaters and will need feedback.
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A new discovery this week (for me, maybe not you). All sorts of ham related and emergency stuff is available at State Trailer Supply. For example, Coax Seal is $3.49 at AES HAM RADIO for 10 feet. At State Trailer Supply, they have three different colors in various widths and thicknesses and it sells for $5.98 for 30 feet! They call it window seal or various other trailer - related names.
Need 12 volt lights for emergency work? Almost ALL the lights at the trailer supply store run on just 12 volts and most are LED based! Bright light, low power drain!
Additional info will be added to this after the net.
N7OZH
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A new discovery this week (for me, maybe not you). All sorts of ham related and emergency stuff is available at State Trailer Supply. For example, Coax Seal is $3.49 at AES HAM RADIO for 10 feet. At State Trailer Supply, they have three different colors in various widths and thicknesses and it sells for $5.98 for 30 feet! They call it window seal or various other trailer - related names.
Need 12 volt lights for emergency work? Almost ALL the lights at the trailer supply store run on just 12 volts and most are LED based! Bright light, low power drain!
Additional info will be added to this after the net.
N7OZH
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
How to clean your electronic gear - Electricity Shortage - MARA Net Update
MARA NET - Update
During last week's net I was informed that I was "dropping out" and "hard to copy". Various people offered on the spot analysis and suggestions. The net was ended early and I was depressed thinking that I was going to have to send my radio to the factory to have the finals repaired.
After the net I got a call from Rex Extes who said that his grandson had just received his call sign and they had spent part of the day trying out various repeaters. The best two (strongest signal, easiest to hit) were 146.700 and 147.16. He also said they could not communicate on the 146.74 MARA repeater!
We fired up our radios and went to 146.700 and 147.16 and had S9 reports with full quieting. On the 700 repeater I was hearing Rex at S9 +20! He copied me perfectly and said that I was "bending his needle" on the signal strength meter. The problem is not my radio.
Unfortunately it is probably not the repeater either. Other MARA members were getting through 146.74 and 448.10 with no problem, no dropouts and perfect copy.
You may remember that KC7RUF used to call the net two weeks out of every month. Now he can hear the 146.74/448.10 repeaters but they cannot hear him. He has not moved, changed antenna positions, or switched radios. Something has appeared between his house and the repeater antennas that is blocking his signal.
I have noticed during the past several weeks while driving to work in the morning that the U of U is building a new parking structure. The metal framework is getting taller each week as new floors are added. That METAL structure is in the direct line from my house to the MARA antennas and may have reached a critical height where my signal is blocked.
Further experimentation is in order and I will let you know the results. The net may need a new Net Control operator or I may need to call the net using a mobile setup from down the street or a block or two over.
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Last week we discussed ways to clean the germs off of your ham radio gear, computer, phone, tablet, game controllers, etc. I was going to excerpt the article but decided instead to simply post the link to the entire article. The article starts out talking about keyboards, but if you click the ">" button you will proceed on through tablets, phones, ear buds, etc. Very useful information. There is soon going to be a LOT more disease in America - there's no reason to have your own electronic devices also trying to to infect you. Here's the article.
==========================
Ham radio operators use electricity in ALL our gear. We get used to plugging things into the wall to recharge them. That is already becoming more expensive and it is only going to get worse. A lot worse. The current administration has promised us that under current energy policies, all forms of energy are going to SKYROCKET in price. You can watch them saying it on YouTube. Here is a link to a print article that talks about the history and trend in electricity prices.
Ham radio operators use electricity in ALL our gear. We get used to plugging things into the wall to recharge them. That is already becoming more expensive and it is only going to get worse. A lot worse. The current administration has promised us that under current energy policies, all forms of energy are going to SKYROCKET in price. You can watch them saying it on YouTube. Here is a link to a print article that talks about the history and trend in electricity prices.
As for "alternative" forms of "green" energy, here is a fascinating article about wind power.
-N7OZH-
Tuesday, July 08, 2014
MARA PreAmble
We need more people who are ready to act as net control and/or do training. For those who are interested, here is a link to download the MARA PreAmble in a zip file that contains the script in 4 or 5 different formats including TXT, DOC, RTF, PDF, etc.
MARA PreAmble
If that link does not work, here is the actual URL.
http://www.inventorycontrolabc.com/getmyfile.php?file=MARA_PreAmble.zip
Case matters, so cut and paste is best.
N7OZH
MARA PreAmble
If that link does not work, here is the actual URL.
http://www.inventorycontrolabc.com/getmyfile.php?file=MARA_PreAmble.zip
Case matters, so cut and paste is best.
N7OZH
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Earthquake + Airport Explosion - Field Day - More Stuff
HAM RADIO!
FIELD DAY! (www.arrl.org)
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The Earthquake and The SLC Airport Explosion!
Remember the 3.3 earthquake we had a short while ago? It was VERY interesting at our household. When it hit, Sue and I were in the living room about 10 feet apart. I heard a loud explosion type BOOM followed by the house shaking. A few seconds later there was another explosion type BOOM followed by more shaking. As we discussed this, we learned that Sue did not hear any BOOMS like I did. She just had the shaking.
We could not find anything on the TV about the "explosions", so we turned on the scanner. We quickly found that there had been a very large explosion at the SLC airport. A fuel storage tank had exploded and many were killed and some were missing. A hellicopter flying overhead informed the rescue crew on the ground that there was a body on top of an airplane wing and that it would not be visible to rescue personnel on the ground.
Next they announced that an incendiary device had been located and that the explosion was a terror event and that the FBI and DHS were now on site. We listened to all the radio traffic until ll:45 PM when incident control stated, "The drill is finished. Everyone report to the debriefing room." Yep, the whole thing was a DRILL!
Apparently state and federal groups do not have to announce regularly that "This Is A Drill" like Ham Radio groups do. If they are required to announce that this is only a drill, the airport group forgot to do so!
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Hospital ICS Protocol Released with Job Sheet for Amateur Radio.
The fifth addition of the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) 2014 was just published. This document sets forth protocols for incident command responses to disasters associated with hospitals -- internally or within the community. Click here to view the document.
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The Kaiser Permanente Amateur Radio Network has an excellent web site www.kparn.org with hospital communications information. Mariotti reports "In my presentations (some are posted on the web site) I stress that hospital communications are not shelter or EOC or like any other communications -- hospitals already have patients that they are responsible for taking care of when the crisis starts. When they need a patient relocated, literally someone's life is at stake as a result of this communications activity. Even the basics of what information is required are unique. Hospital buildings do not move and the information that local government, health departments, etc, all want is the same so you can publish forms for use by all as part of planning." The webmaster also tracks Amateur Radio organizations that are devoted exclusively to supporting hospital communications.
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CERT Volunteers: Download Disaster Reporter
A message from FEMA: A picture is worth a thousand words. As we kick off the 2014 Hurricane Season, help us highlight the CERT [Community Emergency Response Team] program and demonstrate your capacity as citizens and trained volunteers to provide accurate, on-the-ground situational awareness and augment the capabilities of professional responders during disasters.
As a CERT volunteer, you play an integral role in disaster reporting in your community. Administrator Fugate is calling upon CERT volunteers throughout the country, including you, to download the FEMA mobile app, which includes Disaster Reporter. Why should you use Disaster Reporter? Here are our top four reasons:
1. It provides FEMA responders, local emergency managers, CERT volunteers, and the public with greater visibility into disaster situations across the United States. This can help expedite emergency response efforts.
2. It provides a reliable source for viewing disaster events around the country.
3. It's a great free resource to download straight to your mobile phone.
4. Your support efforts in an impacted area will be displayed publicly on an online map.
Learn more about Disaster Reporter at http://www.fema.gov/disaster-reporter and http://www.fema.gov/disaster-reporter-terms-conditions. To download the FEMA app, please visit http://www.fema.gov/smartphone-app.
In addition to the Disaster Reporter tool, the FEMA App also has preparedness tips, an interactive emergency kit checklist, recovery safety tips, open Red Cross Shelters, open FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers, and FEMA blog posts. The app is available for Android, Apple, and Blackberry. Don't forget to check the latest CERT newsletter for other great resources and stories. The latest edition is available at http://www.fema.gov/community-emergency-response-team-national-newsletter.
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WINLINK 2000 When the Internet is DOWN!
TEMA AuxComm Spring Exercise in the History Books
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) held its annual AuxComm Spring exercise May 1-4, 2014 at the Tennessee Fire and Code Enforcements Academy in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. The scenario for the exercise was that a major cyber-attack had been launched against the US taking down the Internet and critical infrastructure and resulting in civil disturbance and casualties. Because the Internet was unavailable, all message traffic had to be passed by radio-only Winlink messages. [Winlink 2000 is a global system for sending and receiving e-mail formatted messages over radio, independent of the Internet, which makes it attractive to entities needing to send messages when disasters occur and the Internet is consequently down. Amateur Radio and MARS are heavily invested in this system.]
There were four primary objectives of the exercise: (1) Training on the use of the Winlink system in general and specifically on the use of radio-only message transmission. Training also was provided on the Incident Command System (ICS) and HF field antennas; (2) test and assessment of the Winlink radio-only message transmission capability and capacity when stressed with an intense traffic load; (3) test long-haul relaying of messages from distant states (including Washington and Hawaii) via HF radio relay; and (4) test interoperability between SHARES, military units, civilian agencies, NGOs and individual participants.
Approximately 90 attended the exercise. There were 15 Winlink stations on-site in operation simultaneously including stations in a dozen command/communication vehicles. Many agencies participated on-site including TEMA, the Tennessee Department of Health, the National and State Guard, CUSEC, American Red Cross, Arnold Air Force, FedEx, Bridgestone Emergency Response Team, and multiple county EMAs. In addition to on-site participants, many agencies and individuals exchanged Winlink messages within the exercise from off-site locations.
All objectives for the exercise were met and exceeded. Training was provided both on-site and in Jackson, Tennessee. More than 880 radio-only messages were reported to have been sent/received by on-site stations. In addition, more than 400 messages were reported for the conventional (Internet-linked) Winlink system. All received messages were reported with 100% accuracy. Long-haul message relaying worked well with messages originating as far away as Washington and Hawaii.
An additional burden was placed on the radio-only Winlink system by a major Winlink radio-only exercise being carried out concurrently in Texas. The HF footprint of the two tests had overlapped.
Automatic Relaying of Packet Messages via HF
A system was set up in the Williamson County EMA trailer to act as a combined packet and HF RMS (Regional Message Server). Messages were sent to this RMS via packet connections from local client stations, and the RMS automatically forwarded the messages via HF to other RMS. This demonstrated that a packet/HF RMS located in a position with good coverage can provide wide-area (nationwide) relaying of packet messages via HF.
Interoperability Results
On the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) network, multiple messages were exchanged between the Tennessee National and State Guard, various civilian government agencies, NGOs and individual MARS members. On the SHARES network, interoperability was demonstrated between multiple agencies. Since the MARS and SHARES networks use different RMSs and radio frequencies, messages were not directly transferred between MARS and SHARES stations; MARS/SHARES interoperability was achieved by having a joint communications center at the exercise. SHARES/MARS linking on Winlink could be accomplished easily if policy so dictates. - Steve Waterman, K4CJX, Winlink Development Team
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I have more but I will save it for next time.
-N7OZH-
Sunday, June 08, 2014
Field Day 2014
Field Day is almost here - June 28 and 29 of 2014. You can find your nearest field day station here:
http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator
Here are three known locations in Utah. Two of them include GPS coordinates. The U of U station will have two HF rigs plus a GOTA station. I'm sure he could use some help setting up all the equipment and multiple operators will be needed.
http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator
Here are three known locations in Utah. Two of them include GPS coordinates. The U of U station will have two HF rigs plus a GOTA station. I'm sure he could use some help setting up all the equipment and multiple operators will be needed.
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Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Using Government Agency Web Sites for Emergency Planning
| Field Day 2014 Field Day is the 4th weekend in June. We may have a station up and running for this field day as we are in the process of combining the efforts of several ham radio groups around the valley. More details to follow. ===== Expect the Unexpected (This is from ThomasNet.com) A few days ago, as I rode the train to work, a young woman collapsed right in front of me. Several riders and I quickly moved to her aid, as she sat on the train floor disoriented and unresponsive. Fortunately, she regained awareness after a minute, got up, and refused medical help that had arrived, and everyone continued on their way. |
In all my years of riding the subway, I have been on plenty of trains with sudden emergencies, but this was the first time ever that I was not a distant spectator. Portions of my long-dormant response training kicked in, but in truth, I myself would have needed assistance in helping her. It proves you just never know when something might strike.
In his disaster-planning article, writer Mike Keating shows how businesses can be prepared for the improbable (never say impossible). Mike, actually, has written nine other articles covering just about every aspect of ensuring that lives are safe and the business can continue even when things are thrown out of whack. He has put together an informative series, and if it keeps you up thinking one night, it would have done its job. You can never be too sure in planning for any abnormal contingency and having a fallback position to land on.
William Ng, Editor-in-Chief, wng@thomasnet.com.
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GENERAL TIPS
Sell your old ham gear on eBay for some quick cash.
A radio just like the one I am talking on sold for just $100 less than I paid for this one.
Old gear sells just as well as new gear.
Defective gear can be sold for parts. (be sure to mention that in the listing)
Cables, tuners, telegraph keys, capacitors, etc. - it all sells well on eBay.
Even old Ham Radio books and magazines will sometime sell on eBay.
Really Old ham radio books and mags are collectors items and command a premium.
Old test gear can also be moved on Ebay, but you sometimes have to be patient.
Put together a CD of ham radio programs (freeware and shareware)
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JULY 1ST DEADLINE FOR TECH TEST
If you are studying for the Tech Test, there will be a NEW Question Pool on July 1st. You will need to take the test before July 1 if you are studying from the current manual.
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POWER GRID PROBLEMS ON THE HORIZON.
http://dailycaller.com/2014/04/23/americas-power-grid-at-the-limit-the-road-to-electrical-blackouts/
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LEAKING BATTERIES
Batteries leaking in flashlights and other items. I now leave the batteries for devices that are seldom used in clear sandwich
baggies so I can watch for problems. If I need the item powered up, the correct type and quantity of batteries are right there.
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Government Resources Can Bolster Disaster Planning Efforts
http://tinyurl.com/q9ng8zu
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LED Light Bulbs - Did You Know???
http://www.cnet.com/news/five-things-you-didnt-know-about-led-lightbulbs/
http://blog.lifx.co/2014/02/07/how-hot-are-led-light-bulbs/
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-N7OZH-
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