Java Based Circuit Sim

This is a SUPER-COOL JAVA applet for learning about electronic circuits.  Just cruise your browser over to this link.  You will need to have a JAVA interpreter installed to run the program.  No installation of the application is required.  There are many different pre-built  circuits that can be selected from the menu “CIRCUITS”.  Multiple scope probe points can be customized as well.  This is a terrific tool for learning electronic circuits theory.  The author has also written many other JAVA applets, including a neat demonstration of digital filtering, as applied to audio frequencies so you can hear the effect.  FANTASTIC!

YL Demonstrates Yagi Antenna

Here is an excellent video demonstration of Yagi antenna design.  More details and construction plans are on the  MAKE blog.

New Tech Exams July 1, 2010

There are just five months left to get your new Technician Class license using current books and practice exams. The National Conference of Volunteer Examination Coordinators just released a revised question pool for Technicinl License exams administered AFTER JULY 1, 2010.  If you have been putting off the task, get to it before your book is obsolete.  There will be a Tech class in March at the American Museum of Radio and Electricity.  Go to AMRE.US for information.

Pedestrian mobile QRP-CW

N7OC-Stan sent me this audio file of a QSO he made last year during the MBARC QRP contest.  The station on the other end is Steve, NØTU in Colorado who was operating pedestrian mobile.  Below is a copy of his email to Stan last February.

>
> Hey Stan, You made my day! I just got back from the Caribbean doing
> the QRP thing as PJ6. But I’ve been wanting to try QRP/pm! So today
> I setup my IC703(5w) with Buddipole parts: 22″ mast-BPcoil-4′whip
> combo +16′ drag wire then worked Paul W0RW via ground wave on CW
> then I saw the HFpack post so slid up to 342.5 and worked CF7GO
> grant on Vancouver Is! The too a break for lunch came back and
> straped on pack and heard you! All while walking around on my deck!
> Way COOL ….Sri I wasn’t filming it! But I did capture the audio
> will send later. I plan to do lots more via/PM and will take my
> goats up Mt Herman for some mtn-top/pm soon!  73 Steve
> BTW my home QTH is at 7200′ ~ 50 miles south of Denver.
> latest video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7l8fdgGkHA

MBARC QRP Contest Time

It is February again (almost), and that means it is time to put a couple of volts to the Altoids tin and tickle the ether for the 28 day MBARC QRP marathon.  There is a note on the front page at mbarc.org or you can go straight to the QRP contest page.  The QRP blog is still up and running for comments and bragging.  Categories include 1 watt and 5 watt, wire and gain antennas, with a bonus for home built gear.  Digital modes are welcome.

DG meeting 01/19/2010

Just a reminder that the Digital Group will be meeting on Tuesday Jan. 19 at 7:00 PM at the BSD maintenance shop at 4060 Bakerview Valley Road (map).  I’ll be monitoring 146.74.  Hope to see everyone there!

Whatcom County ACS

Recently Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo asked me to create an organization of volunteers to support the emergency and incidental communications needs of his office and the county.  An ACS (Auxiliary Communications Service) is a very flexible organization that has proven a good model for similar purposes in many jurisdictions of the country, including right here in the municipality of Blaine.

Applications will be accepted from any Whatcom County citizens interested in participating in the organization.  Due to the sensitive nature of the mission, applicants will be subject to an extensive background check and will be required to sign an oath of confidentiality.  Although most of our communications tasks will be on non-amateur frequencies, at least a Technician level license must be obtained within six months of joining the ACS.  Numerous other classes and certifications will be required over time, depending on your position in the ACS.

Following is a copy of the “Purpose” and “Mission” sections from the WCSO ACS charter which demonstrates the broad and challenging duties of the ACS:

PURPOSE

The Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) is a volunteer team of unpaid communication professionals dedicated to assisting Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office with public safety and emergency communications in times of disaster and/or community need.

ACS is organized and operates under the authority and direction of the Whatcom County Sheriff or his designee to provide communications and related support to the Whatcom County Emergency Management functions.  This communications support includes operations on any authorized equipment or frequencies in support of any need that might be in any way connected with an eventual emergency.  This may include:  cellular, computer, email, facsimile, internet, microwave, radio systems (police, fire, amateur, other), satellite, telephone, television, video conference, in-office support of personnel, operators of equipment and systems.   In addition, ACS members volunteer their time to assist Whatcom County Emergency Management with other miscellaneous functions or operations as directed by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO).

When activated by WCSO, ACS members may be assigned to carry out one or more of the following tasks and responsibilities:

Staff communications posts at the Whatcom County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) or one of several public safety or government agency command centers located throughout the county.

Staff communications posts at Community Center facilities located throughout the county that serve as the communications and coordination hubs for the county’s neighborhood disaster response program (to be developed and organized in outlying cities and communities and coordinated through Division of Emergency Management).

Report to and staff various posts such as schools, shelters, hospitals and clinics, or to field teams to support the County’s emergency response and disaster recovery efforts with communications and other services.

Mission

ACS will, in a professional manner, provide auxiliary communications and other support services to County government and the community as is necessary to support disaster response and recovery efforts.  Typically, ACS’s mission objectives may include, but are not limited to:

Establishing and operating primary and secondary radio networks to carry public safety and emergency communications utilizing amateur as well as a variety of government systems.

Providing communications and administrative support by answering phones, making calls to locate staff and volunteers, as well as necessary mission support equipment and supplies, relaying messages within the EOC and other command centers and between various facilities throughout the County, utilizing computer networks, FAX, email and other methods as well as providing other assistance as may be necessary to support County disaster and emergency situations.

Reporting damage and weather conditions from the field, coordinate requests for assistance from all field teams and report progress on response and recovery actions by way of radio, telephone, television and other forms of communications.

Collecting, organizing, summarizing and reporting intelligence about the disaster or emergency event and the extent of damage as well as the nature of various response and recovery activities that are underway throughout the County.

Much preparation for mission readiness must be implemented through vigorous training and skill development to deal with emergency events.

_____________

I will address two questions that I have heard a few times while we were designing the ACS.

What about RACES/ARES? RACES as an organization is being discontinued.  ARES is a private radio club sponsored by the ARRL. Members of these or any other organization are welcome to apply to WCSO-ACS.

Do you need to buy a D-STAR radio? No. you do not need to own any radio, but it will be desirable and a boon to your training to own a dual band VHF/UHF radio.  The WCSO owns and provides the equipment that we will be using to perform our duties.  The ACS does operate the Sheriff’s D-STAR repeater, WC7SO, that is open for all.  Any required D-STAR operations will be on county equipment.

Again from the WCSO ACS charter:

Anyone, regardless of club or other Amateur Radio affiliations, with a sincere interest and desire to help the county with its emergency communication needs, is invited to apply to become a part of the Whatcom County Auxiliary Communications Service and use their time and talents to aid their fellow county citizens.

If you are interested in joining the WCSO ACS, print, complete, and mail the ACSInterestCard along with supporting documents to the Sheriff’s Office at the Grand Ave. address on the top of the form.  DO NOT SUBMIT THIS FORM BY EMAIL.  If you have any questions, you can contact me by email or at my listed phone number.

-Brian Lawler  KNØN

TV coverage: Haiti disaster

This video appeared on KDVR FOX 31 television in Denver. Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2010

W7BPD/R Sumas L&C

Tuesday January 5, 2010

It has been a looong time coming, but Sumas is back!  KP2X, WA7ZWG, K7RGK and N7OC made the trip up the mountain today to hook up the new antenna on the new tower at the new site on Sumas Mountain.  Have you seen the calendar? That is dedication The frequency remains 145.230 Mhz minus offset but the callsign is W7BPD/R reflecting the repeater owner and sponsor, The Blaine Police Department ACS.  The repeater will be open for all amateurs to use routinely outside of emergent or training needs by the ACS.  The BPD ACS is also making the new repeater available for the Whatcom County Sheriff’s ACS with the WCSO ACS offering a reciprocal agreement for BPD-ACS use of the WC7SO digital repeater on 146.700.

SKN

While December 31 is celebrated by most folks as “New Years Eve”, there is a segment of the ham community that knows its real significance.  Straight Key Night (“SKN”) is the time to polish up that Morse code key and perhaps pull a piece of vintage gear off the shelf and put it back on the air for this special event.  This is no contest for racking up point totals, but a salute to “rag-chewing” and a celebration of the roots of amateur radio.  Stan Schmidt, N7OC of the Mt Baker Amateur Radio Club sent the following story that I am sharing with you.  The MBARC has their own little CW contest in the month of February and we will be talking about it and how you can get started in making your own Morse code contacts at the January MBARC meeting on Tuesday Jan 12 at Pioneer Park in Ferndale.

- – - – -

Hi Brian,

I was “casting about” on 40 meters on New Year’s day looking for possible Straight Key Night CW operators still enjoying their Vintage equipment when I ran across this call sign: W6VJJ calling in perfect CW form. I listened for a bit and couldn’t be sure if he was using a straight key or a paddle with electronic keyer. The sending was near perfect.

I answered him at approximately the same speed and he came right back to me.

W6VJJ, Name is Rex, QTH is Halfmoon Bay, Ca. RST 599, Rig Hr Old KNWD TS-120 at 100 Watts to Dipole up 30 ft. I can’t see so don’t know about the WX K

RR Stan, OK on Heathkit DX-40 vintage gear. How did you know about my birth year? That blows me away. Am blind es disabled persons like me can’t see so am behind about computers and QRZ.COM. I’m here in a wheelchair and let the world go by. Pse say agn what computer site did you get that data from? BK.

I am amazed what computers can do today, tnx. I will have my kid look up the QRZ site.

Am too blind and disabled to use his brand new computer es I can’t walk, so am stuck in this wheelchair the hospital staff gave me years ago. My age is 84 yrs. Yes, what you see behind my house on QRZ.COM satellite photo is an empty field except for some drainage ditches and one big round tree in the middle. So hw cpy my old VIBROPLEX? BK.

Tnx Stan, I am amazed by all your info. I had many hobbies prior to the stroke that nearly killed me 7 years ago and destroyed most of my brain. Nw I only hv this old KNWD and this Vibroplex to see the world with. I learned the code when I was 10 yrs old in 1935, so it’s my only contact going thru people like you. N7OC de W6VJJ K.

RR solid copy FB sending. I can’t use fingers or thumbs so can’t do anything except use this IRONBUG. I’m new on CW because I was never on CW much. It has taken me 7 years to relearn CW by practicing every day es you hear the result. A part of my brain retained the code but most of the brain was destroyed. TU very much for taking the time to read this slow sending. NW they are pulling my wheelchair away from this key for lunch.

One thing I learned in the Military in WW2 was never show up late for chow.

73, N7OC de W6VJJ SK.

PS, Brian, I can only imagine how he sends with the Vibroplex paddle between the stubs of his hand using his arm motion. That was probably one of the finest examples of correct spacing sending with a bug! Flawless. A guy like that should be an inspiration to anybody wanting to learn the code. He is planning to listen for us from MBARC in the February QRP Contest. I’m already looking forward to working him again!

Stan, N7OC.