Operating on a Vacation

On the Foothill Net, a question came up about operating your station while on vacation - specifically a cruse.

Below is a link to a posting from Wikipedia that seemed to cover it.  Footnotes of references from the ARRL are contained in the posting.

Check it out!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radio_international_operation#International_Waters.2C_Airspace_and_Extraterrestrial_Operation

BSA to Offer Morse Code Interpreter Strip

For many years, Boy Scouts and Scouters have been able to earn an interpreter strip to wear on their uniforms. This strip -- worn on the uniform above the right pocket -- denotes proficiency in a foreign language or sign language. Each language has its own strip (with the name of the language embroidered in that language), and some Scouts and Scouters wear more than one strip. Now those hams involved with the Boy Scouts can show their proficiency in Morse code with a Morse code interpreter strip (with M-O-R-S-E spelled out in Morse code).

 

According to BSA Director of Communication Services Jim Wilson, K5ND, the idea for a Morse code interpreter strip came about during meetings preparing for the 2012 Jamboree on the Air (JOTA). “One of the ideas presented was a variation on an interpreter strip for Morse code,” Wilson told the ARRL. “We played around with it a bit and then approached the BSA Awards Committee with the idea. They liked it, so we decided to explore the idea a bit more. We looked at the existing requirements for interpreter strips to see how they could be adapted for code. The BSA approved the strip in April, but we decided to wait until the strips were available before we announced it.” Wilson also serves as the BSA’s National JOTA Organizer and is President and Trustee of K2BSA, the BSA Headquarters Amateur Radio station in Texas.

The requirements to earn the Morse code interpreter strip are in line with the requirements of interpreter strips for other languages:

• Carry on a five-minute conversation in Morse code at a speed of at least five words per minute, and
• Copy correctly a two-minute message sent in Morse code at a minimum of five words per minute. Copying means writing the message down as it is received, and
• Send a 25 word written document in Morse code at a minimum of five words per minute.

“Together, Amateur Radio and Boy Scouting is a wonderful thing,” Wilson told the ARRL. “The new Morse code interpreter strip is a nice recognition of the special skill of Morse code and its use in emergency communications. From my perspective, the strip gives us more buzz on things happening in Amateur Radio. In the past couple of decades, we have seen a tremendous increase in the number of Radio merit badges that have been awarded. In 1991-2000, we awarded 20,000 Radio merit badges. But in 2001-2010, we awarded 54,000! The interest in this badge has grown by leaps and bounds, indicating not only a keen interest in the art and science of radio, but in technology, too.”

Beginning with the 2013 National Jamboree, Wilson said that they will be teaching the Radio merit badge in four hours: “We will be teaching the badge every hour, on the hour. Scouts will spend 90 minutes in a classroom environment, 30 minutes on the air and then back to the classroom for another 90 minutes. In four hours, they will have their badge.” K2BSA has operated at every National Jamboree since 1977 and will be at the 2013 National Jamboree at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia.

“The sole purpose of any interpreter strip is to serve as an immediate, visual cue to others that the wearer is able to perform as an interpreter when needed, not to award the ability to converse in another language,” Wilson explained. “This is also why it is placed on the uniform is near the nameplate. When you wear the strip, whether it say Español, Français, Italiano, Signing or Morse, a Scout or Scouter is showing to the world that he or she has that proficiency to be tapped as an interpreter when needed.”

Article from ARRL.org

Three Hams Venture to ISS Next Week

All six crew members on Expedition 31 are 

radio amateurs! From left to right (front row): 

Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka, RN3DT,

 and Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX. 

Back row: NASA astronaut Joe Acaba, KE5DAR,

 Russian cosmonaut Sergei Revin, RN3BS,

 European Space Agency astronaut Andre Kuipers, PI9ISS,

 and NASA astronaut Don Pettit, KD5MDT. 

[Photo courtesy of NASA]

NASA will televise the launch and docking of the next mission to the International Space Station (ISS), scheduled for May 14. NASA Flight Engineer Joseph Acaba, KE5DAR, and his two Russian crewmates, Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin, RN3BS, are completing their training as they undergo Soyuz spacecraft fit. Live NASA TV coverage of the Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan begins at 9 PM CDT on Monday, May 14 (0200 UTC May 15), with the launch scheduled for 10:01 PM CDT (0301 UTC).

The trio will arrive at the station May 16, joining Expedition 31 Commander Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Flight Engineer Don Pettit, KD5MDT, of NASA and Flight Engineer Andrei Kuipers, PI9ISS, of the European Space Agency, who have been aboard the ISS since December 2011. Padalka, Acaba and Revin will transition to the Expedition 32 crew in July and return to Earth in mid-September. You can watch live online on the NASA TV Public and Media channels, or on your television set. Contact your local provider for the NASA TV channel in your area. Click here for a complete schedule of televised events.

Article from ARRL.org

KC6TYD's Go Box

Ron Hyte, KC7WVS and other Ham's are looking to put a box similar to this one together.   Check out the video link:

Email by Ron Hyte, KC7WVS on the Go-Box

"Greetings everyone,

I have been asked by several people to put together a list of items that I used for my Kit.  I also realize that some of you might have the advantage of ordering stuff through your company for better deals.  I have added links to the places I purchased my parts from.   Other times I have added links just for pictures of the part.

I should mention that I have been researching for an application that I would like to use for my Grab and go kit.   I looked at the ones that were built in the Pelican brief cases of various sizes but they didn't have options to add a TNC or another radio.  This is a YouTube video for the one I decided on and was my inspiration.    One of the problems he had was space for his speakers.  He had to shave the top and bottom down to fit them in.   That was not an option I wanted to take, so I modified the spacing of the shelves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_95WEjoeA0&feature=related

The first Item is the case.   There are several companies that make a case like this but they do not compare in quality or durability.  This case is called a Gator Pro with 6 units.   In the link I sent you, is a 6 Unit case and is what I used.   Each unit is about 1.75 inches which figures to be about 10.5 inches inside measurement.   The price on this case was $144.  This case comes with mounting rails in front but not in back.   The company however encloses a coupon good for free rails just like the  rails in front.  You also get black mounting screws.   The new rails nestles in place and all you need to do is drill three holes on each side for three bolts and nuts that are provided..

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GPro6/

The surge protector is made by Furman and they have several models available.   You will get the best deal with this going on ebay.  The model number is Furman M-8Lx.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M8Lx/

Right now I did a search for this model and I saw one for $59.95 and another for $49.50, with a “Buy now” option.

The shelves are two different sizes.   The rear shelf is a half rack.   A half rack is 6” deep.  The front shelves are full but that doesn't mean they go all the way back to the rear mounting rails.  Ebay has several racks but the best ones go for about $27.00 each on eBay.   Some of the cheaper ones go for $15.00 but are heaver.

I got my shelves from Poll sound, located here in town and he let me have them for $17.95 each.   That was a special price because of other purchases I had made there.   Maybe if you went through your company you could get a better deal also.  This is the shelf that I got from Poll audio.   This link is just for a picture.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/UTR1

The two speakers I used were MFJ 281 that I got from our local ham store, Communications Products. Please note Bob has closed his store and is now only an internet store but you can go to his house and buy from him.   Because I didn't have to pay shipping it was cheaper to get them from him rather the one of the bigger Ham Outlets.   Go to his website and call him.   He will give you directions how to get to his house.

http://www.commproducts.net/

This is a MFJ link to see what speakers look like.

http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-281

If you were putting one of these kits with someone else’s money,  I would consider using one of the slimmer speakers from Icom like the Sp-10.

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/5623

I also used a Rigrunner 4005 power strip for power distribution.

http://www.westmountainradio.com/product_info.php?products_id=rr_4005_c "

Digital QST Coming Soon from ARRL

Coming Soon: NEW ARRL Membership Benefits

We are excited to announce two new ARRL membership benefits that will be introduced in June 2012.
In addition to the print copy of QST, all members will have access to an online, digital edition of QST at no extra cost. You will be able to access QST from anywhere--on nearly any computer, laptop, mobile device, smartphone and tablet (including Apple iPad, iPhone, and devices using the Android operating system).

Also in June, members will gain access to archived issues of QST from December 1915 to the present (previously, only issues through 2007 were available to members). If you are familiar with the current periodicals archive (which serves images of pages), that platform will be expanded to include all of QST from December 1915 through December 2011. A second, new archive will be introduced for issues beginning January 2012, featuring enhanced functionality including full-text search.

Be Prepared!
Members must have a valid ARRL website login to access the current digital edition of QST and archived editions.

Questions?Contact Member Services by email circulation@arrl.org or by telephone 860-594-0200 or 888-277-5289 (US only).

Iowa Hams Support Local Officials Before, After Tornado

On April 14, a string of tornados swept through the Central US and Great Lakes Region, including an EF2 tornado in Creston, Iowa, causing severe damage to the Greater Regional Medical Center and the Southwestern Community College campus. Prior to the tornado, radio amateurs in Creston reported storm observations directly to the National Weather Service. After the storm forced the evacuation of the hospital, hams provided communications support to local officials.

“Because most of the communication lines had been damaged in the storm, we were provided communication support to the local authorities,” ARRL Iowa Section Official Emergency Station and Des Moines SKYWARN Coordinator Tom Reis, N0VPR, told the ARRL. “The efforts of the Creston hams once again proved the value of Amateur Radio in critical situations.” Hams also were able to provide assistance in passing information back to the National Weather Service that they could not receive through their conventional methods. “The information provided about Creston was very valuable,” said NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist Jeff Johnson. “Thank you very much for your service”

The day following the storm, officials discovered that the local school district lost the 80 foot tower that is used for the school bus repeater. The Creston Amateur Radio Club offered up their antenna, coax and tower space to the school. On May 17, hams installed the school’s repeater at the club’s site and moved the Creston repeater to a temporary site. Creston is located in the Southwestern Iowa.

Posting from ARRL.ORG website

04/19/2012

Close up of the tornado path through northwest Creston on April 14. The light blue contour denotes EF0 damage, green denotes EF1 damage and yellow represents EF2 damage. This tornado formed about one and a half miles east of Cromwell at 6:55pm and quickly tracked into northwest Creston around 7 PM. EF2 damage occurred to the Greater Regional Medical Center and the Southwestern Community College campus. Surrounding apartments and homes also sustained severe damage and many cars were flipped or destroyed. The tornado continued tracking to the northeast and damaged several farmsteads northeast of Creston before dissipating about 10 miles northeast of town at approximately 7:15 PM. [Photo courtesy of the National Weather Service in Des Moines, Iowa]

Emergency Ham Radio Portable Go-Kit

Check out this Emergency Ham Radio Portable Go-Kit put
together by N5NTG

          Emergency Ham Radio Portable





I have also place a link to a YouTube video for another style...click on the menu item "Video Links" above to access it.