|
Re: Follow up on September 9, Field Meeting
Thanks Tony, and great job on pulling this together. It was a really fun day and we couldn't have asked for more perfect weather. Let's plan on doing it again in 2024!
73, Mark -- --------------------- Mark Ehr | K0EHR VP, 285 Tech Connect Radio Club Littleton, Colorado k0ehr@... Check out my ham radio blog: |
|
Re: Android #DMR bridge
#DMR
Thanks Jed! One advantage of having an Android phone (vs iPhone) is there are many more cool ham radio apps.
While i'm an iPhone guy (by necessity, as that's the phone my company gave me and pays for), I did have an Android phone for many years and I'm tempted to buy a used one just so I can play with the apps! Either that or a cheap Android tablet. I think there may be a way to run Android on a Raspberry Pi as well; I'll have to revisit that. And yeah, maybe it's time to rename our hobby "amateur communications!" I do get the part about not using an actual radio, although I suppose you could make the argument that it's highly likely that even digital comms go "over the air" one way or another, at some point during the QSO (eg over WiFi, LTE/5G/etc).? I do know one thing: if digital modes are one way to attract young(er) folks into the hobby (and thereby saving its future), I'm all for it. 73, Mark -- --------------------- Mark Ehr | K0EHR VP, 285 Tech Connect Radio Club Littleton, Colorado k0ehr@... Check out my ham radio blog: |
|
Hey, there's an #APRS net!
#APRS
Jed Baer | KD0YMG
And I do mean, APRS. It's not a voice net to talk about APRS, it's a net held over APRS. Seems somewhat simplistic, so possibly calling it a "net" is a bit much. Since I know almost nothing about APRS, I'm just going to post the info I got from Jeff - KF0BPN. I assume the frequency is 144.390.
There is a website: which doesn't expand much on the above. I think the Anytone AT-D878 will let me configure some canned APRS messages - not sure, since I haven't messed with it, but I have read some about using it for GPS logging via APRS. |
|
2023 TechFest Call for Speakers
Hi all,
In case you missed it, we will be rebooting the 285 Tech Connect Radio Club TechFest this year. It will be held on Saturday November 4 at the Bridge Church, and we're planning on having a total of 5 speakers who will present on a variety of ham topics. At present we have three slots out of the five filled, so I'm actively recruiting 2 more speakers. Speakers receive a small stipend and free lunch! If you have a topic that you could present which would be of interest to the greater ham community, please let me know your proposed topic and any other relevant info. We're looking for sessions that are of general interest to hams and if you can incorporate some sort of demo, that's even better!? I've put together a Google doc that has the latest list of confirmed speakers as well as a list of ideas? Please email me at k0ehr@...?with your proposed topic. Just include a title and a brief abstract (just a few sentences describing the session).? Thanks! -- --------------------- Mark Ehr | K0EHR VP, 285 Tech Connect Radio Club Littleton, Colorado k0ehr@... Check out my ham radio blog: |
|
Re: Simple guying solution for portable masts
Thanks Jed - that's pretty cool. I'll check out the article. I solved the guying problem by 3D printing a collar that slips onto my push up pole and has carabiners that attach to it and the guy ropes. That works pretty well as it's easy to deploy and very lightweight, but it will only work for push up poles that have gradually increasing diameter, as it's designed to slip down to the point where the pole's diameter equals the ring's.?
If anyone is interested, I'd be happy to share the 3D .STL file. 73, Mark -- --------------------- Mark Ehr | K0EHR VP, 285 Tech Connect Radio Club Littleton, Colorado k0ehr@... Check out my ham radio blog: |
|
!! September 9 POTA Club Meeting !!
#chatfield
#na0tc_meetings
#pota
(forwarding from Tony Montoya's email in case you all missed it). In addition to the equipment that Tony mentions below, I'll also be there with my ICOM IC-7000 connected to either an Alexloop Mag Loop antenna and/or an end-fed wire antenna, either a random wire or a half-wave variant), plus I'll be using my homebrew 2 meter Moxon for local simplex QSOs. For power I'll probably just bring my 100Ah marine battery. And if anyone in the Littleton area would like to carpool, reach out. I can take 3 additional people in my trusty Subaru. 73, Mark K0EHR
#### The next 285 TechConnect meeting will be held on Saturday, September 9th, 10AM, at Chatfield State Park. Setup, coffee & doughnuts at 9:30AM. Note this is a date change, and a location change.? We are planning on having several radios available for portable operation.? This email provides preliminary information so you can plan for the event in advance. Meeting Location: Chatfield State Park -? Dam Trail Parking Area <> NOTE there are no restrooms at this site, however there are , a 2 minute drive / 10 minute walk. GPS 39.560998, -105.067112 Grid square: OM29mn Entrance fees (note fees are per vehicle, not per person, so carpool to share costs).? The Keep Colorado Wild Pass is new this year and a great option, particularly if you are into Parks on the Air: *? ? ? ?Daily Vehicle Pass <>? - $10 per vehicle *? ? ? ?Annual Affixed Vehicle <> *? ? ? ?Keep Colorado Wild Pass? <>? (Colorado ?Residents Only) - $29 Keep Colorado Wild Pass is added to annual vehicle registration through the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The Dam Trail Parking Area is on the Perimeter Rd, just west of the dam.? It has several tables, some with covers, that are near the parking lot.? The area doesn¡¯t get a lot of use, but it should be just right for portable operations since it is high above the lake with no trees or other obstructions which should be good for radio propagation. Parks on the Air (if interested): For those who are interested, we are working to register for Parks on the Air club activation <> .? In addition to club activation, you can use your existing membership or register for individual activation credit.? More POTA information is at?? We will spot a couple of watering hole frequencies to make it easier for POTA ¡°hunters¡± to connect with us. Radios: HT radios can be used in simplex, for POTA.? Contacts using repeaters don¡¯t get credit for POTA activations.? We will spot our event so that POTA ¡°hunters¡± know we are operating.? In addition to HTs we want to have club members set up their portable rigs.? Please reply to this email with the following information if you are planning on using something other than an HT for portable operations. For example I¡¯ll be setting up: Radio:? Yeasu FT991a Antenna:? homemade 20m EFHW on an MFJ mast <> Power Supply:? Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 240Wh Misc:? Windows laptop running Ham Radio Deluxe and WSJT-X Other Information: *? ? ? ?Restrooms are located down the hill at the North Boat Ramp. *? ? ? ?We will stay and play as long as there is interest. *? ? ? ?There are charcoal grills at the meeting location, but we aren¡¯t planning on an organized cookout.? Please feel free to bring something to eat. *? ? ? ?Although there will be tables (some with covers) you should bring chairs, and maybe your own table or sun shade. *? ? ? ?There is no water at the site, so bring plenty. *? ? ? ?Towels are useful for the galactic adventurer¡ Please let me know if you have questions, ideas or concerns. Looking forward to a fun outing! Tony?Montoya?k0mcw 285 TechConnect Radio Club ¨C Program Coordinator -- --------------------- Mark Ehr | K0EHR VP, 285 Tech Connect Radio Club Littleton, Colorado k0ehr@... Check out my ham radio blog: |
|
Re: 2023 Colorado 14er Event
#sota
I activated Mt Evans yesterday along with Jerry K0ES and Walt W0CP as a part of the Colorado 14er event; it was a lot of fun. I had a total of 25 QSOs on 2 meters, 70cm, 18MHz and 28MHz, including six summit-to-summit QSOs, the longest of which was with KT0A who was up on Sylvan Peak in the South Dakota Badlands.?
The weather was beautiful. Unlike Denver, which was socked in by clouds, we were above the clouds and it was a bright sunny day with virtually no wind. I was able to operate for about two hours using my IC-705 and my home brew Moxon 2M and Alexloop HF antennas (plus my FT5DR which I used to get a couple of QSOs before I had the 705 setup).? Other highlights of the trip included talking to many people on the summit who were interested in what we were doing, and seeing a ton of mountain goats and a herd of very young big horn sheep which blocked the road for about 10 minutes.? If you haven't tried a SOTA activation, I'd highly recommend it. Many of the peaks are very easy to get to (an easy hike--like Mt Evans) and you really just need a 2-meter handheld and a reasonable antenna. 73, Mark -- --------------------- Mark Ehr | K0EHR VP, 285 Tech Connect Radio Club Littleton, Colorado k0ehr@... Check out my ham radio blog: |
|
Re: Morse code pocket knife
Very cool! I've seen Morse Code keychains, but never a pocket knife! I'll bet if you could come up with a Morse Code pocket knife that also includes a built-in key....you could make DOLLARS on that.? :-)
-- --------------------- Mark Ehr | K0EHR VP, 285 Tech Connect Radio Club Littleton, Colorado k0ehr@... Check out my ham radio blog: |
|
Hi all,
The Deep Space Exploration Society (DSES) will be holding an open house on Saturday Sept 16, with some really cool stuff happening. Here's Paul NO0T's email on the topic (from the Front Range 6-Meter group). This sounds like a whole lot of fun, although it is a bit of a hike (~3 hours from Denver)--anyone interested in carpooling? I have also attached the event flyer which has a lot of great info. 73, Mark -------- Hi folks - Please set aside Saturday September for a great open house at the DSES site near Haswell Colorado? (Open House Brochure Attached).? We will be serving a delicious lunch Noon - 2:30PM - Pork BBQ with Macaroni and Potato salads, Beans and great dessert.? Also soft drinks and water available.? Only $14 per plate (12 and under only $7) with all the proceeds going toward the 4H Shooting Sports Group and the Town of Haswell Community Center. We will have optical telescopes up and running so now you can see all these sunspots that Dr. Scott Macintosh has been talking about.? After dark see the milky way and many of the planets in our solar system. We will also have the HF/VHF stations working and the 60 foot radio telescope doing EME all day on 1296 - come sit down and work some DX on SSB or CW and hear yourself off the moon.?? Bring the family so they can hear their own "moon echos".? The moon will be up all day long. We should also have our new 30x60 foot club house building completed and open to the public to see. There are many hotels available in the towns of Eads,, Lamar and La Junta and surrounding area.? Also there are a few RV power hookups on site (limited availability). PLEASE RSVP to me at?sobonpaul@...?so we can get an idea on how much BBQ Pork we need to prepare (takes two days). Check out this YouTube video by Mike K0FYR for a preview of what you will see at the site.? See you all there! - 73 Paul NO0T ------------------------- -- --------------------- Mark Ehr | K0EHR VP, 285 Tech Connect Radio Club Littleton, Colorado k0ehr@... Check out my ham radio blog: |
|
2023 Colorado 14er Event
#sota
Passing this along from Bob K0NR. This is a really fun event for activators and chasers alike. Ham14eer Group: Amateur Radio operators from around Colorado will be climbing?ColoradoSummits On The Air?(SOTA) peaks and communicating with other radio amateurs across the state and around the world. Join in on the fun during the annual event by activating a summit or contacting (chasing) the mountaintop stations. This event is normally held the first full weekend in August. Again this year, we will add?two bonus days?to the Colorado 14er Event. The main two days remain?Saturday and Sunday (Aug 5 & 6), while the bonus days are?Friday Aug 4 and Monday Aug 7th, for those SOTA enthusiasts that need more than two days of SOTA fun! Be aware that many mountaintop activators will hit the trail early with the goal of being off the summits by (1800 UTC) noon due to lightning safety concerns. ? The 14er event includes?Summits On the Air (SOTA)?peaks, which provide over 1700 summits to activate. (See the??or browse the?.) The Colorado 14er Event was started in 1991, about 19 years before the SOTA program was set up in Colorado. As SOTA grew in popularity, this event expanded from just the 14,000-foot mountains (14ers) to include all of the SOTA summits in the state. We still call it the Colorado 14er Event because, well, that¡¯s where it all started and the 14ers are the iconic summits in the state. Important:?The recommended 2m FM frequencies have been changed to?146.58, 146.55, and 146.49 MHz, to align with the use of the?North America Adventure Frequency for SOTA (146.58). The National Simplex Calling Frequency (146.52) may be used as appropriate. There will be plenty of action on the other ham bands, for more information see the?. Resources: Colorado 14er Event Task Force --------------------- |
|
Re: #EFHW 40M - getting close to the finish
#efhw
Jed Baer | KD0YMG
Update! Well, not a lot to report - as usual, other things keep coming up and taking time, and I also find little things I hadn't thought of.
The counterpoise: the plan is to use a choke on the feedline at the feedpoint, and a 0.7 x wavelength counterpoise, based on information at QRZ and elsewhere. Part of that is that I think it'll be possible to refine the tuning by changing the length of the counterpoise. And I had forgotten to consider keeping the counterpoise elevated. I think that's the best approach, based on my experience with the antenna.(Link to the Wayback Machine, because it seems now that Google Sites, or maybe Budd, has required a Google login to load the page.) BTW, if anyone wants the PDF for the plans, I made a some minor edits for readability and clarity - just shoot me an e-mail. So, on the counterpoise, in the short term, I suppose I'll tie a couple bamboo garden sticks into a bipod for testing purposes, but in the long term, I want something nicer. The best idea I've seen is from K8MRD - The which he's selling. I'll have to consider whether that's worth $45, since I figure I can make something for a lot less. I need to price aluminum arrow shafts on Amazon, or Craigslist, and mess around on TinkerCad with something to 3D print, or come up with something from the plumbing aisle, though I'm not hopeful for PVC that's a small enough diameter. Mike's pieces are printed in PLA, rather than PETG, which I think is not best for outdoor use. Another obvious thing is that using the frame that holds the toroid and BNC connector is clearly not going to accommodate all the wire. Again, 3D printing comes to mind, or bodging something up using who knows what I can scare up. I've been meaning to try making my own "Micarta" using fabric and epoxy, so maybe this'll be the thing that motivates me to get that project restarted. I know there are cheap winders on Amazon and eBay, so maybe that'll be the ticket. |
Mark Ehr | K0EHR