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December 2018

WELCOME

Welcome to the first edition of the GRAND HAM newsletter, a publication for the Sun City Grand Ham SIG. Via this newsletter, we intend to share news about Amateur Radio that particularly impacts our Ham radio activities as residents of Sun City Grand. We encourage both SCG Amateur Operators as well as members of our community to join us in our monthly meetings and learn about a new hobby. Via this newsletter, we intend to share information about Amateur radio special events, ham-fests, and activities in the general Phoenix area. We invite contributions and suggestions for future articles.

DECEMBER 2018 MONTHLY MEETING

The December Sun City Grand Ham Radio SIG meeting will be held

Friday, December 28th at 1:00 PM in the Computer Club Classroom

located in the Chaparral Center. The meeting will feature a

presentation given by Gordon, NW7D on the FT-8 & WSPR digital

modes.

Be sure to attend our December meeting to learn more about this exciting digital mode as

well as learn about a few other digital modes that are similar to FT-8. A live “on-the-air”

demonstration of FT-8 will be given using a remotely located ham station. See the next

page for a preview of what you see during the presentation.

We will be featuring a door prize at our meetings going forward so don’t miss out on the

opportunity to take home a radio trinket for your ham shack.

INSIDE

Weekly Net 1

Monthly Meeting 1

December Meeting 1

Chirp Software 3

Emcomm Power 5

Area Ham Clubs & Nets 8

Ham News 9

Calendar 10

License Classes 10

Arizona Lic Plates 11

Ham Humor 11

Hamfests 12-14

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PREVIEW OF FT-8 PRESENTATION TO BE

GIVEN AT THE DECEMBER HAM SIG

ABOVE: Sample FT-8

Screen

RIGHT: WSPR weak

signal propagation

program—here the signal

from NW7D is being

heard in Japan and

Australia

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NOVEMBER MEETING RE-CAP

PRESENTATION ON CHIRP SOFTWARE

We were honored to have a presentation given by Ron Raisanen, K7NLF, at our November Ham SIG regarding

the CHIRP software which can be used to program a large variety of hand-held amateur radios .

What is CHIRP?

• CHIRP is a free, open-source tool for programming your amateur radio

• Supports a large number of manufacturers and models (see web page).

• Provides a way to interface with multiple data sources and formats.

1. Open the CHIRP Web page: https://chirp.danplanet.com

Tools: You will need a computer and a programming cable (buy from eBay, DX Engineering, Gigaparts, etc, $10-$20)

Click on the “WIKI” – Index by Title• Cable Guide – FTDI (note the recommended cable vendors)

• Beginners Guide

• Supported Radios

2. Use the link “Get It” and download and install CHIRP program based on your computer software platform (i.e., Windows/Mac OSx or Linux) Note: download the installer.exe file

3. Using the programming cable, connect from your Ham Radio to your Computer. Open Device Manager and find your COM port (i.e., Com 2, Com 3, etc.)

4. Open the CHIRP program. Click the link ”Radio” on the menu bar and choose “Download From Radio". Choose the COM port number, the Vendor (e.x. Baofeng) and the Model of the radio (such as the UV-82) from the drop down list in the pop-up box.

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USING CHIRP SOFTWARE—2

5. To download frequencies do the following:Click on Link “Radio" then "Import from data source" or “Query data source”

Click on Link "Repeater Book" (other resources are available). Select “Repeater Book Political Query” or “Repeater Book Proximity Query"

Add the following information relative to your selection for example: Location “85374" or your zip code), Distance “50” for 50 miles (you select), Band: 2 meters (you select). Select the frequencies you desire and click OK and save the file.

6. To modify any of the frequencies just click on the desired data and then save the file.

7. To transfer the file to your radio from the computer click on “Radio” then "Upload to radio”

8. To transfer the file from your radio to the computer click “Radio” then “download from radio”

REFERENCES:

REPEATER FREQUENCIES:

https://www.repeaterbook.com

http://www.radioreference.com

CHIRP SOFTWARE:

https://chirp.danplanet.com

A special thanks goes to Ron, K7NLF for

sharing this information with our Ham SIG

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RE-CAP: NOVEMBER MEETING PRESENTATION ON EMCOMM POWER

Our Ham SIG community needs Emergency Power capable stations

• In order to be fully capable of providing emergency comms within our community, we should have several ham stations capable of operating with emergency power.

• While our Net repeater, the TBARC 147.040 repeater does have emergency power, we have no guarantee that we will have full access to the repeater in the event of a true emergency.

• Thus it would be highly beneficial to be have one or more SCG ham stations capable of running on emergency power.

Suggestion for Controlling Station EmPower

Lithium Iron

Phosphate

(LiFePO4)

Sealed Lead Acid or Gel-type

AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat)

TYPES OF BATTERIES THAT CAN BE USED

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EMPOWER PRESENTATION—2

Battery Characteristics• Price vs. Performance

• Sealed Lead-Acid is the cheapest – but voltage drops off during use

• AGM: mid-tier pricing and better performance compared to Lead-Acid

• Lithium Iron Phosphate: Highest price but superior performance, voltage remains nearly constant until almost fully discharged. Very light weight.

Solar Panel Options

Renogy 100 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Foldable Solar Suitcase panels $247 (Amazon)

Renogy 100 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Solar Panel

- $ 149 (Amazon)

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EMPOWER PRESENTATION—3

Calculation of Run Time with Battery & Solar

• Assume that transceiver draws 22 Amps in transmit, 1.5 Amps receive

• Transmit time = 15 minutes/hour

• Receive standby time = 45 minutes/hour

• Therefore (22*.25) +(1.5*.75) = 5.5+1.125= 6.625 Amp/Hours

• Thus, a 100 AH LiFe battery should work for 100/6.625 = 15 Hours of use

COSTS

PowerGateLead-Acid

ATM -100 AH

LiFePO4 100 AH

Solar 1

Solar 2 Misc.

$180 $130 $170 $800 $150 $247 $75

OPTION 1 - LEAD ACID $535

OPTION 2 - ATM BATTERY $575

OPTION 3 – LiFePO4 $1,205

With suitcase Solar Add $100

DC-to-GO Battery Box – Contains Epic

Controller and fused DC distribution panel -

$360

Sold by West Mountain Radio

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About the SCG Ham SIG

The Sun City Grand Ham group is a Special

Interest Group within the SCG Computer

Club. The SIG was formed by April Kramer

and Nancy Collins in order to provide

amateur radio operators who reside in our

community an opportunity to share

common interests and knowledge.

Mark Heroux, N1MAE, now leads our Ham

SIG and is supported by Gordon, NW7D

who is the manager of our weekly on-the-

air Net as well as the newsletter editor.

We invite all SCG hams and those

interested in amateur radio to join our

monthly meetings and our Nets

AREA HAMCLUBS

Visit these area Ham clubs during their

monthly meetings:

West Valley Amateur Radio Club

Meetings: 7:00 PM, 1st Monday at: Shepherd of the Desert Lutheran Church 11025 North 111th Avenue Sun City, AZ 8535

Thunderbird Amateur Radio Club

Meetings held the third Monday of each

month (except December) at the North

Campus of Northern Arizona University at

7:00 PM in Room 147

15451 N 28th Ave

Phoenix, AZ 85053

Area NETS

• Sun City Grand Volunteers On-The Air:

10:00 AM Mondays, 147.040 (+)

PL 162.2 and 446.15 (-) PL 100.0

(White Tanks Mountain)

• West Valley Amateur Radio Club

147.300 (+) PL 162.2 - Morning net:

9:00 AM and evening net 8:00 PM

(repeater on Del Webb Hospital)

• Thunderbird Amateur Radio Club,

Tuesdays at 7:30 PM, 147.040 (+) PL

162.2 and 446.15 (-) PL 100.0 (White

Tanks Mountain)

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THE DX CODE OF CONDUCT

I will listen, and listen, and then listen again before calling.

I will only call if I can copy the DX station properly.

I will not trust the DX cluster and will be sure of the DX station's call

sign before calling.

I will not interfere with the DX station nor anyone calling and will never tune up on the

DX frequency or in the QSX slot.

I will wait for the DX station to end a contact before I call.

I will always send my full call sign.

I will call and then listen for a reasonable interval. I will not call continuously.

I will not transmit when the DX operator calls another call sign, not mine.

I will not transmit when the DX operator queries a call sign not like mine.

I will not transmit when the DX station requests geographic areas other than mine.

When the DX operator calls me, I will not repeat my call sign unless I think he has

copied it incorrectly.

I will be thankful if and when I do make a contact.

I will respect my fellow hams and conduct myself so as to earn their respect.

THE WORLD OF AMATEUR RADIO NEWS

• Winter Field Day, sponsored by the Winter Field Day Association (WFDA), will take place over

the January 28-29 weekend, and it can be a great time to prep for ARRL Field Day in June.

The annual event’s stated purpose is to encourage emergency operating preparedness in the

winter, but it’s also an excuse to get out of the house and enjoy the great outdoors.

• JY1Sat, launched on December 3 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California as part of the

SpaceX SSO-A: SmallSat Express launch, has been designated as Jordan OSCAR 97 (JO-

97). The 1U CubeSat is a project of the Crown Prince Foundation of Jordan. Telemetry has

been received and decoded around the world since the launch. The spacecraft’s name recalls

the Amateur Radio call sign of Jordan’s late King Hussein, JY1. JO-97 carries a 435/145 MHz

SSB/CW inverting Amateur Radio transponder and a Slow-Scan Digital Video (SSDV) system

to transmit stored images. The telemetry downlink is on 145.840 MHz, the transponder down-

link passband is 145.855 – 145.875 MHz, with an inverting uplink on 435.100 – 435.120 MHz

• The WSJT-X 2.0 software suite has just been released, and developer Joe Taylor, K1JT, is

urging FT8 and MSK144 users to upgrade to what will become the new standard, because the

FT8 and MSK144 protocols have been enhanced in a way that is not backward compatible with

older versions of the program. That includes any version 1.9 releases. “The new protocols be-

come the worldwide standards starting on December 10, 2018, and all users should upgrade

to WSJT-X 2.0 by January 1, 2019,” Taylor said on the WSJT-X home page. “After that date,

only the new FT8 and MSK144 should be used on the air.”

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HAM RADIO LICENSE TESTING AND TRAINING CLASSES

• The Thunderbird Amateur Radio Club occasionally provides Ham Radio License training

classes as well as VE testing. Recent classes included General and Extra class exam

training. Check their website for more information on classes and VE testing:

www.w7tbc.org/content.php?148-licensing

• The West Valley Amateur Radio Club offers VE testing prior to their monthly meetings.

Get the latest information at: westvalleyarc.com/ve-testing

• The Arizona Amateur Radio Association offers training and testing (Tech, General, &

Extra License classes) www.azara.org/radio-exams.html

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

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SCG Net

10:00 AM

147.040

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SCG Net

10:00 AM

147.040

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ARRL ROOKIE

CW CONTEST

1100 TO 1700

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SCG Net

10:00 AM

147.040

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SCG Net

10:00 AM

147.040

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MERRY

CHRISTMAS

26 27 28 1:00

PM - SCG Ham

SIG monthly

meeting

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31

SCG Net

10:00 AM

147.040

1

HAPPY

NEW

YEAR !

2 3 4 5 11:00 AM

ARRL RTTY

Contest

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HOW TO CALCULATE THE TIME NEEDED TO ERECT A WIRE ANTENNA

When raising a wire antenna using an air-gun and using ham club member helpers, here is the formula for

calculating the amount of time needed to realistically complete the project:

X= D+C(M + T)²+B+L(W+H)²+A+O(√ S)

Whereas:

X= Total time of the antenna project in minutes L = # of Lost air gun projectiles in the neighbor’s yard

D = # of Donuts consumed by the antenna party W= # of Wind gusts exceeding 35 Knots

C = # of Coffee breaks H = Error in estimating Height of the targeted tree limb in feet

M= # of Misfires of the air gun A = # of Arguments about the technique of shooting the line

T = # of Tangles in the tree O = # of Onlookers criticizing or laughing at the operation

B= # of Bad aiming attempts by the air gun operator S = # of attempts to re-trim the wire to desired SWR

For more information, go to: Arizona Ham Plate

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