September 25, 2015
Two things...
There are in fact two things, science and opinion; the former begets knowledge, the latter ignorance. -- Hippocrates
September 22, 2015
Finished 20 Meters WAS award from California
Thanks to AB1NJ in Vermont today, we completed the WAS award for 20 Meters (from California) with a JT-65 contact.
Chasing ARRL awards is good fun. Awards also encourage radio amateurs to stay active which is good for the hobby. The LoTW makes it easy to keep track of all the contacts for the various awards. Looking for the next award which will likely be Phone DXCC. So many interesting and challenging choices...
Good DX and 73, NJ2X
Chasing ARRL awards is good fun. Awards also encourage radio amateurs to stay active which is good for the hobby. The LoTW makes it easy to keep track of all the contacts for the various awards. Looking for the next award which will likely be Phone DXCC. So many interesting and challenging choices...
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| NJ2X's ARRL WAS Award with 20 Meters endorsement |
Good DX and 73, NJ2X
September 20, 2015
Hiram Percy Maxim Award Recipient Anna Veal, W0ANT
Sunday's are a perfect day for reflection and inspiration. We were inspired today by Anna Veal, W0ANT, who is the 2015 Hiram Percy Maxim Award Recipient. This article also appears in the October 2015 edition of QST on page 82. If you haven't read the article then do yourself a favor and read it now.
Good DX and 73, NJ2X
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| Hiram Percy Maxim, c. 1914 |
Good DX and 73, NJ2X
September 18, 2015
Basic research...
Basic research is what I am doing when I don't know what I am doing. — Wernher von Braun
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| Wernher von Braun - Rocket Scientist |
September 11, 2015
Who invented ferrite?
Who invented magnetic core material known as ferrite?
Good DX and 73, NJ2X
- Dr. Takeshi Takei from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, discovered zinc and iron oxides have special magnetic properties.
- Professors Kato and Takei applied for a patent in Japan in 1930 for their discovery of oxide magnetic core materials which was granted in 1932.
- Tokyo Denki Kagaku Kogyo (now known as TDK Corporation) was founded in 1935 to commercialize ferrite cores. TDK is still making ferrite cores today.
- Philips applied for a patent in The Netherlands in 1941 for ferrite.
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| Ferrite Bead |
Good DX and 73, NJ2X
September 6, 2015
Using a Diamond HV7A Mobile Antenna as a stealth base antenna
We recently had need for a multiband stealthy antenna covering 70cm, 2m, 6m, 10m, and 20m. The stealth requirement meant that the antenna had to be near invisible on a rooftop as seen from the ground level. After evaluating our options (beam, traditional full-size base vertical, wire) we were unsatisfied. None of the choices seem to meet the prime criteria of invisibility.
This prompted us to consider the use of a multiband mobile antenna which tend to be constructed with a minimal profile. We eventually settled on the Diamond HV7A as it offered multiband coverage that met our needs in a rather stealthy package.
We mounted the antenna on our rooftop and it was amazingly difficult to see from the ground level. This was exactly what we had hoped for in terms of physical appearance. We have been satisfied with the HV7A though performance as a stealthy base antenna is a compromise due to its intended purpose as a mobile antenna.
Good DX and 73, NJ2X
This prompted us to consider the use of a multiband mobile antenna which tend to be constructed with a minimal profile. We eventually settled on the Diamond HV7A as it offered multiband coverage that met our needs in a rather stealthy package.
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| Diamond HV7A Mobile Antenna in its packaging |
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| Diamond HV7A Mobile Antenna unpacked |
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| HV7A Mobile Antenna assembled and ready for mounting |
| Antenna_Band | Frequency Coverage Range | Vertical Antenna Gain | Element Phasing (wavelength) | Antenna Power Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 meters | 28-29.7 MHz | 2.1 dBi | 1/4 | 120 watts |
| 6 meters | 50-54 MHz | 2.1 dBi | 1/4 | 200 watts |
| 2 meters | 144-148 MHz | 2.1 dBi | 1/2 | 200 watts |
| 70 centimeters | 440-450 MHz | 5.5 dBi | 2 x 5/8 | 200 watts |
Good DX and 73, NJ2X
September 5, 2015
A few favorite free amateur radio iPhone iOS 8 Apps and Podcasts
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| iPhone 6 |
The iPhone is one our favorite technologies. It is so amazingly useful. The iPhone is also an outstanding platform for amateur radio applications. Here are a few of our favorite free amateur radio apps on our iPhone running iOS 8.
The Apple Podcasts application provides yet another vehicle for enjoying amateur radio through ham radio oriented shows. Here is our list of favorite Podcasts programs:
- Ham Nation
- ARRL Audio News
- Amateur Radio QSO Show
- Amateur Radio Newsline
- QSO Today
Good DX and 73, NJ2X
September 4, 2015
Vacationing on a motorcycle...
“You see things vacationing on a motorcycle in a way that is completely different from any other. In a car you're always in a compartment, and because you're used to it you don't realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV.” ― Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values
August 28, 2015
The real purpose of the scientific method...
“The real purpose of the scientific method is to make sure nature hasn’t misled you into thinking you know something you actually don’t know.” ― Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values
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| 2003 Suzuki VL800 |
August 21, 2015
Sometimes it's a little better to...
“Sometimes it's a little better to travel than to arrive” ― Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values
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| 2003 Suzuki VL800 |
August 16, 2015
Program that HT and get on the air!
An amateur radio HT or handy talkie isn't of much use if you don't use it. Perhaps it could be an unusual paperweight or interesting desk ornament. They do look nice sitting on the desk in the shack in a sad inert, powered off, dust-collecting way. Our two Kenwood TH-F6A HTs were mostly idle due to having relocated across the country to California.
The radio memories had been programmed chock-full-o-stations located on the East Coast (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and the Eastern Seaboard). None of the repeaters in the radio memory were accessible from California. Lack of useful programming was main reason our HTs weren't getting used. Turn on the radio and there was simply no way to contact anyone other than via simplex communication.
The Kenwood TH-F6A is a compact and very capable radio. It transmits 5W on 144/220/440 MHz and includes a wide-band receiver. You can really pack the radio's memory with stations given its 435 PC programmable memories. The radio has all kinds of really great features, and it has been reliable since purchased back in 2007.
We decided it was time to get our Kenwood TH-F6A radios back on the air and that meant reprogramming them with California stations. The first thing we needed to do was to locate the radio's programming cable. If you have ever moved, then you know how much fun it can be to locate a particular item in the new home. The memory of where it was located at the old residence is usually vivid and the location in the new home tends to be a mystery. Is it still in a box or in some drawer or perhaps in the attic? After much searching in all the wrong places we found the cable logically stored on a desk near the computer.
Lesson learned: always start the search with the most logical place to store the item.
The next step was to load the latest version of the free Kenwood programming software (MCP-F6F7) onto the PC. This was very easy since the software is available for download on the Kenwood website.
Whenever reprogramming a radio, we always make a backup of the radio's memory first. You never know when you may need to reference or revert to an earlier memory configuration. This is very easy with the Kenwood MCP-F6F7 software. We simply connected the radio to the cable and the cable to the computer and then read the radio's memory (from the menu: Radio --> Read --> All). Once you have read the memory contents save it as a file on the PC (from the menu: File --> Save-As).
Our next step was to delete all of the undesired East-Coast stations from the memory we just read into the Kenwood MCP-F6F7 software. It is much easier to delete the stations using the PC software than directly on the radio. Just click on the memory item then right click and select, "delete" from the from the pop-up menu. Memory items can only be deleted one memory at a time which worked fine. It would be nice if you could select and delete a range of memories. C'est la vie.
Once we had cleaned up our memory, we then resorted the remaining memories by name to organize them and make them contiguous from memory 1 (menu option: Edit --> Memory channel Sort --> Memory Name). This provides a nice clean set of memories to program in the software.
The next step was to locate California area repeaters on the three bands that the TH-F6A can operate on (144/220/440 MHz). There are a variety of repeater reference guides available. We use the RepeaterBook.com website and iPhone app. The iPhone app is quite handy since it works with or without an Internet connection. RepeaterBook allows you to search on wide area coverage repeaters. These are particular useful repeaters, so we targeted these specifically.
Using RepeaterBook.com we searched for repeaters in various areas that we frequent or intend to visit and programmed them each into the Kenwood MCP-F6F7 PC software. This is really easy to do by double clicking on an empty memory and then filling out a simple form.
The TH-F6A has an LCD screen and allows for station memories to be named. This is helpful though the real estate for a memory name is limited to eight characters. Making eight characters understandable requires creativity. A number of years ago, we came up with a coding standard for our station memories that is surprisingly simple and effective. After programming, we handed the HT over to another local ham who was able to scroll through the memories and translate (name and city) all but one.
Applying this naming convention we named our file, "20150815 TH-F6A CA". A little forethought saves time down the road.
The next step was to load the programming from the Kenwood MCP-F6F7 PC software to the radio. Turn off the radio before plugging in (or removing) the cable to avoid damaging the radio (power is present on some of the jack connections). Once the cable is connected to both the radio and computer, turn on the radio.
On the radio, use the menu to find the parameter, "SP/MIC Jack9" and set it to, "PC". Exit the menu on the radio.
Next, from the Kenwood MCP-F6F7 PC Software select the menu option, Radio --> Write --> Memory. This will initiate uploading the memories to the radio. If you get a "Communication Timeout Error" then check your COM port settings on your PC. The following settings generally work:
We gave both newly programmed TH-F6A radios a good testing on our local repeater by cruising around the area on a motorcycle with our HT to see if we could maintain contact through the repeater at various locations. For safety purposes, we would stop and park the motorcycle before attempting the contact. Test results:
We had a lot of fun with our motorcycling HT/repeater coverage test. We were very pleased to find excellent local repeater coverage at each destination with only one dead spot on the trip. Most of all, we were thrilled to have our two HT's returned to full operating status instead of sad (though cool looking) inert dust collectors.
Do you have an inert dust collector HT on your desk? If yes, we hope we have inspired you to take action - charged it up, program it, and get back on the air. We look forward to our next contact with you either on an HT (or the HF bands).
Good DX and 73, NJ2X
The radio memories had been programmed chock-full-o-stations located on the East Coast (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and the Eastern Seaboard). None of the repeaters in the radio memory were accessible from California. Lack of useful programming was main reason our HTs weren't getting used. Turn on the radio and there was simply no way to contact anyone other than via simplex communication.
The Kenwood TH-F6A is a compact and very capable radio. It transmits 5W on 144/220/440 MHz and includes a wide-band receiver. You can really pack the radio's memory with stations given its 435 PC programmable memories. The radio has all kinds of really great features, and it has been reliable since purchased back in 2007.
 |
| Kenwood TH-F6A HT (Handy-Talkie) |
We decided it was time to get our Kenwood TH-F6A radios back on the air and that meant reprogramming them with California stations. The first thing we needed to do was to locate the radio's programming cable. If you have ever moved, then you know how much fun it can be to locate a particular item in the new home. The memory of where it was located at the old residence is usually vivid and the location in the new home tends to be a mystery. Is it still in a box or in some drawer or perhaps in the attic? After much searching in all the wrong places we found the cable logically stored on a desk near the computer.
 |
| TH-F6A Programming Cable |
Lesson learned: always start the search with the most logical place to store the item.
The next step was to load the latest version of the free Kenwood programming software (MCP-F6F7) onto the PC. This was very easy since the software is available for download on the Kenwood website.
Whenever reprogramming a radio, we always make a backup of the radio's memory first. You never know when you may need to reference or revert to an earlier memory configuration. This is very easy with the Kenwood MCP-F6F7 software. We simply connected the radio to the cable and the cable to the computer and then read the radio's memory (from the menu: Radio --> Read --> All). Once you have read the memory contents save it as a file on the PC (from the menu: File --> Save-As).
Our next step was to delete all of the undesired East-Coast stations from the memory we just read into the Kenwood MCP-F6F7 software. It is much easier to delete the stations using the PC software than directly on the radio. Just click on the memory item then right click and select, "delete" from the from the pop-up menu. Memory items can only be deleted one memory at a time which worked fine. It would be nice if you could select and delete a range of memories. C'est la vie.
Once we had cleaned up our memory, we then resorted the remaining memories by name to organize them and make them contiguous from memory 1 (menu option: Edit --> Memory channel Sort --> Memory Name). This provides a nice clean set of memories to program in the software.
The next step was to locate California area repeaters on the three bands that the TH-F6A can operate on (144/220/440 MHz). There are a variety of repeater reference guides available. We use the RepeaterBook.com website and iPhone app. The iPhone app is quite handy since it works with or without an Internet connection. RepeaterBook allows you to search on wide area coverage repeaters. These are particular useful repeaters, so we targeted these specifically.
Using RepeaterBook.com we searched for repeaters in various areas that we frequent or intend to visit and programmed them each into the Kenwood MCP-F6F7 PC software. This is really easy to do by double clicking on an empty memory and then filling out a simple form.
 |
| MCP-F6F7 PC Software - adding a repeater to memory |
The TH-F6A has an LCD screen and allows for station memories to be named. This is helpful though the real estate for a memory name is limited to eight characters. Making eight characters understandable requires creativity. A number of years ago, we came up with a coding standard for our station memories that is surprisingly simple and effective. After programming, we handed the HT over to another local ham who was able to scroll through the memories and translate (name and city) all but one.
- 2-digit state code (e.g., CA - California)
- Use a capital letter to indicate the start of a new word
- Eliminate vowels since it is proven that people can read most words effectively without them
- Numerous California cities begin with the word, "San" so abbreviate this to a single letter "S"
- In this example, "CASFrncs" denotes California, San Francisco
- YYYYMMDD
- Name of the radio
- State or location
- Version (we only use this if there are several versions on a given day)
Applying this naming convention we named our file, "20150815 TH-F6A CA". A little forethought saves time down the road.
The next step was to load the programming from the Kenwood MCP-F6F7 PC software to the radio. Turn off the radio before plugging in (or removing) the cable to avoid damaging the radio (power is present on some of the jack connections). Once the cable is connected to both the radio and computer, turn on the radio.
On the radio, use the menu to find the parameter, "SP/MIC Jack9" and set it to, "PC". Exit the menu on the radio.
Next, from the Kenwood MCP-F6F7 PC Software select the menu option, Radio --> Write --> Memory. This will initiate uploading the memories to the radio. If you get a "Communication Timeout Error" then check your COM port settings on your PC. The following settings generally work:
- 9600 Baud Rate
- 8 Data bit Rate
- None Parity
- 1 Stop Bits
- Xon/Xoff Flow Control
We gave both newly programmed TH-F6A radios a good testing on our local repeater by cruising around the area on a motorcycle with our HT to see if we could maintain contact through the repeater at various locations. For safety purposes, we would stop and park the motorcycle before attempting the contact. Test results:
- Home - full quieting
- Local grocery store - full quieting
- State Park Entrance nearby - full quieting
- End of the road in the State Park - DEAD SPOT - no area repeaters could be reached and no mobile phone service
- Fruit stand in neighboring village 17 miles away - full quieting - a happy surprise
 |
| 2003 Suzuki VL800 |
We had a lot of fun with our motorcycling HT/repeater coverage test. We were very pleased to find excellent local repeater coverage at each destination with only one dead spot on the trip. Most of all, we were thrilled to have our two HT's returned to full operating status instead of sad (though cool looking) inert dust collectors.
Do you have an inert dust collector HT on your desk? If yes, we hope we have inspired you to take action - charged it up, program it, and get back on the air. We look forward to our next contact with you either on an HT (or the HF bands).
Good DX and 73, NJ2X
August 14, 2015
The act of getting there...
It is not knowledge, but the act of learning, not the possession of but the act of getting there, which grants the greatest enjoyment. ― Carl Friedrich Gauss
August 7, 2015
Plan of the universe...
There cannot be a language more universal and more simple, more free from errors and obscurities...more worthy to express the invariable relations of all natural things [than mathematics]. [It interprets] all phenomena by the same language, as if to attest the unity and simplicity of the plan of the universe, and to make still more evident that unchangeable order which presides over all natural causes” ― Joseph Fourier
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