epara beacon 2018.pdfwell i guess it’s time to say goodbye to summer in the poconos and enjoy the...

Dedicated to the Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association 1

Another month is in the books, I don't know about the rest of you but the months are just flying by for me. It's hard to believe how much has happened since the new Board of Directors has taken office in April. So far, I'm proud of what we have accomplished. Based on the turnout at our events and monthly meetings, I guess we are doing something right. I want to thank everyone for all the support and participation, this club is nothing without you.

N3SEI Elmer Weekend went extremely well! The fox hunt on Saturday was not only a lot of fun, we learned much about RF direction finding and multi-path. Several members of the public questioned us on just what we were doing, I guess a bunch of hams running around with weird looking antennas caused some curiosity. Sunday was a day of laid back portable operating running FT8 at about 50 watts of RF power. The station was powered by batteries and solar panels, and even with minimal sunshine the batteries held up for the several hours of operation. In fact, after I got home I checked the batteries and they still had an 80% charge left in them. We abandoned the idea of QRP because the band conditions were really bad. We had 15 members up on the mountain during the two-day event and the feedback I've received leads me to believe that all had a good time. I know Eric N3SWR will have some photos later in the newsletter, so be sure to check them out.

September brought us two returning members, Darryl N3AOI and Kevin KB3EJM. These gentlemen bring a lot of

experience with them, they are welcome additions to the ranks. We also had two members take and pass their Amateur Extra license test, congratulations to Charlie KB3JUF and Bob W3BMM. Well done!

Well I guess it’s time to say goodbye to summer in the Poconos and enjoy the crisp fall weather. Not too much longer and we will be in the wonderful Pocono winter weather. So, it’s the time of the year we slow down a bit in EPARA, but we are far from idle. At the October meeting we will choose a new logo, thank you Faith for making a great set of logos for us to choose from. We will also pick a local restaurant to hold the Club Christmas dinner, but most importantly we will have the final reading and review of our new Constitution and bylaws. After the final reading we will put it up for a vote by the membership to accept and ratify. If accepted by the membership, the changes will pave the way to becoming a non-profit corporation. As many of you know this has been on the to do list for several years and I'm still sticking to the schedule of becoming a 501c3 in 2019! By the time you read this the Alpha Delta antenna at the 911 center will have been taken down and the new NVIS antenna construction should be underway. The antenna will be installed on the 911 center roof by the end of October and this will restore HF capabilities in the radio room for EMCOMM activities. Speaking of EMCOMM, Charlie KB3JUF is planning a SET (Simulated Emergency Test) for our ARES / RACES group in Monroe County. Stay tuned for further details about this from our EC Charlie. Last but not least, Naomi KC3GVO, will be doing a presentation on her experience in the National Guard during hurricane Floyd; this has been rescheduled from September. I hope to see you all at the Meeting on October 11th, until then 73 and good DX! Chris AJ3C President, EAPRA

Beacon

Volume 2, Number 10 EparaClub.org October 2018

The Official Newsletter of The Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association

EPARA

http://www.eparaclub.org/


• EC-001 classes are being held at the 911 center by Don WK2RP

• Elmer Weekend – September 22nd – 23rd, enjoy a QRP operation and fox hunt!

• Construction of our clubs NVIS antenna begins this October – stay tuned!

• Club Picnic – To be announced

• SET – Simulated Emergency Test.

Stay tuned as this is a planned autumn event

• Winter Field Day - January 26th - 27th 2019, Get ready for a fun time during our colder months!

Setup will be Friday, January 25th

Welcome to the EPARA BEACON! The EPARA Beacon is published monthly and is the official (and only) newsletter of the Eastern Pennsylvania

Amateur Radio Association. The club meets on the second Thursday of every month, at the Monroe County 911

Emergency Control Center. The business meeting starts at 7:30 P.M. and visitors ARE ALWAYS welcome to attend!

To join our mailing list or to submit articles for consideration, send an email to: [email protected]

EPARA Nets:

Monroe county ares/races – Sunday’s 8:30 PM, 146.865 MHz, PL 100.0 Hz

SPARK Information/Swap Net – Tuesday’s 8:30 PM, 147.045 MHz, PL 131.8 Hz

EPARA Tech net – Friday’s 8:30 PM, 147.045 MHz, PL 131.8 Hz

PARK/EPARA Follow EPARA on the Web: EparaClub.org

Next Meeting: October 11th Monroe County Public Safety Center, 100 Gypsum Rd Stroudsburg, PA 18360

For More Information Contact: Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association

Postal Address: PO Box 521 Sciota, PA 18354

Send Email to [email protected] with Questions, Suggestions or Comments Copyright © 1997-2018 Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association

mailto:[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/296425513816860/

http://www.eparaclub.org/


Anyone looking to take an exam is encouraged to contact Donald WK2RP to preregister at

least two (2) weeks in advance of the dates shown below. If you have any questions or to

register, Donald can be reached via email [email protected] and/or phone 914-424-6924.

Session time is at 7 PM. The following are the testing dates for the remainder of year. Please

note, no date has been set for August due to the Carbon County Fair.

July 13, 2018; September 14, 2018; October 12, 2018; November 9, 2018; December

14, 2018

VE exam sessions are held at the Monroe County 911

Emergency Control Center located at 100 Gypsum

Rd, Stroudsburg, PA 18360

http://www.monroeco911.com/. From route

33/209, take the Snydersville exit to Manor Dr west.

Proceed past the Harley Davidson dealership on

your right to Mid Easton Belmont Pike. Turn right

and immediately right again onto Gypsum Rd.

Follow this to the end and park in the visitor’s

section.

Amateur Radio Emergency Service In the United States and Canada, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is a corps of trained

amateur radio operator volunteers organized to assist in public service and emergency

communications. It is organized and sponsored by the American Radio Relay League and the Radio

Amateurs of Canada.

Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) is a standby radio service provided

for in Part 97.407 of the Federal Communications Commission rules and regulations

governing amateur radio in the United States. Founded in 1952.

For those that are interested in becoming involved in

ARES or RACES or simply have questions feel free to

contact Charlie Borger KB3JUF: [email protected] ,

that’s why he’s here 😉


http://www.monroeco911.com/



• AREA/RACES - 3

• Officers and Committees – 4

• From the Editor’s Desk – 4

• Secretary’s Report – 5

• Listening to the Hurricane Watch Net - 10

• Solar Forecast & Knowledge Test – 11

• Elmer N3SEI Weekend - 12

• The Elmer’s Notebook – 16

• Contest Corral – 17

• Pennsylvania QSO Party - 18

• Boot The Bootstrap – 19

• Antenna Archives #3 – 22

• PL259 Connectors Revisited - 25

• Tech Corner – Coax Explained - 29

• Installing Crimp SO-239 Connectors - 31

• US Amateur Band Plan, Morse code – 36

• Local Repeater Info – 37

• New Logo Designs -38

• NTS Corner – 39

Well if you missed our September club meeting, do try and make it to our next

one! The room is starting to fill up with members – new and old. Much was discussed

to the point we barely had time for a coffee break. The last two months had a lot of

activity between both county fairs and our “normal” routine and I think I managed to

capture the spirit of the moment here, in our newsletter. Chris AJ3C, our president, was

kind enough to offer some rather nice Go-To bags for our gear in appreciation for our

efforts towards making this a better club. Many thanks!!!

We had a great VE session this month and because of that we added two new Extra’s to the group: Charlie KB3JUF

and Bob W3BMM. Congratulations!

Elmer weekend was a definite success and had a great time! Thank you Frank W3OKW as well as all who attended

for making that happen! Three fox hunts were done and much was learned from the different styles of antennas and

receivers used. Hopefully we can do that more often.

To keep this newsletter enjoyable, informative and growing, photos and article submission that would be of

interest to radio amateurs are most welcome and you can reach me at [email protected]. I’ve set the first of each

month as a goal to send out the newsletter so please try your best to have anything I may need sent to me at least a week

or two ahead of that. Eric N3SWR 73!

President: Chris Saunders AJ3C

Vice President Bill Carpenter AB3ME

Secretary Naomi Lepes KC3GVO

Treasurer Scott Phelan KC3IAO

ARES EC, Charlie KB3JUF

Field Day Coordinator, Chris AJ3C

Quartermaster, Ron N3GGT

Membership Coordinator, Franklin W3OKW

Newsletter Editor, Eric N3SWR

Photographer, Eric N3SWR

Public Information, Don WK3RP

Social Media, VACANT

Special Event Coordinator, VACANT

Technical Program Coordinator, Bill AB3ME

Lead VE, Donald WK2RP

Webmaster, Franklin W3OKW


EPARA General Membership Meeting September 13th 2018

General Membership (Club) Meeting AGENDA: 7:30Pm

Open meeting:

Meeting called to order at 7:30 pm on September 13, 2018 by Chris AJ3C

Introduction with call signs:

There was a total of 25 attendees at the meeting.

Visitors:

There were four visitors (non-club members) present at the meeting.

Rob Scott Sasso KB2YED, Jim Konrad, Robert Van Ness and Elijah Graff.

Pledge of Allegiance / Moment of silence:

Announcement, Jerry N3SEI is a silent key, Moment of silence Reading of previous meeting minutes:

From the July meeting, Carbon County Fair occurred during the 2nd week of August. There was not a meeting held

during the month of August due to this. Minutes from the July meeting (as done by Matt Lesoine) were read by Don

Darcy.

Motion to accept by Eric N3SWR. Seconded by Charlie KB3JUF Motion passed.

Treasurers report: Bill AB3ME…current checking account balance is $2653.56 as of September 13, 2018. We have received the

$1500 check from CCF and was deposited Sept. 9th.

Expenses incurred in July-August:

$85.12 for summer field day expenses (#656)

$39.63 for antenna day food/gas (#658)

$420 food allowance for Carbon County fair (#659)

Total spent = $544.75

Income for July-August (Deposits)

$20.00 Club dues

$19.00 50/50

Total Income = $39.00

Expenses incurred in August-Sept:

$165.55 for EPARA banner, and Ramp for Comm. Tlr. (#660)

Total spent = $165.55

Income for August-Sept (Deposits)

$49.00 funds not spent for food allowance during Carbon County Fair

$1500 Donation check from Carbon County Fair for parking cars

Meeting minutes for September 13, 2018


Total Income $1549.00

With these expenses and incomes accounted for, we have $246.09 left to spend of our 2018 budget as

approved. We have spent a total of $1781.91 of the $2028 budgeted amount thru Dec. 31, 2018.

We have achieved an income of $1937 against our Budgeted income of $1725 so far this year 2018. This

more than anticipated additional income of $212 which offsets the majority of the $297.92 BUDGET

OVERRUN we have incurred so far this year…..we are still $85.92 (or 4.2%) over our 2018 Budget. (if

we spend the amounts we originally used to decide a budget in May)

We continue to work diligently to stay within our 2018 budget which ends Dec.31.

Motion to accept by Pete KB3YKJ. Seconded by Ron N3GGT Motion passed.

Correspondence: Chris AJ3C read an email from Pete Carron W3DKV, a local ham licensed for 65 years who we met at the West

End Fair. Pete gave great praise for our newsletter. Chris presented “Go Bags” to those who were at most of the

days for the Carbon County Fair and to Eric for the newsletter. Go Bags went to Eric N3SWR, Ron N3GGT, Dan

KC3JCE, Bill KA3UKL, Charlie KB3JUF, Bill AB3ME, and Donald WK2RP.

Reports of officers and committee’s:

Club presentations

Bill -AB3MECarbon County Fair summary (see newsletter for August) and Volunteer Appreciation Picnic on

September 23, 2018.

Ares/Races

Charlie KB3JUF announced there will be a SET (Simulated Emergency Test) exercise during the month of October,

the date has yet to be determined. It will simulate a real emergency with ARES (next year will include as many

agencies as possible, too late to do this year). He also announced that he has appointed Kevin McCauly (KB3EJM)

as assistant EC for Monroe County. Kevin has accepted this position.

Charlie expressed concern as to the fact there are only 6 members of Ares/Races at this time. He urged those who

may be interested in getting involved with Ares/Races to take the FEMA courses on line that are required to receive

an ID to allow participation in the event it is needed.

The 145.865 Monroe County Emergency Repeater is now identifying correctly as WX3OES.

Shelves and counter need to be built in the radio room. It is estimated material cost of about $100 will be required.

Chris AJ3C agreed to use club funds to proceed with this with verbal/majority approval of attending members

present.

Motion to accept by Ed WF3N. Seconded by Bob KB3MX.

PIO, VE, and EC001

Don WK2RP – discussed his participation with WESS (East Stroudsburg University) radio station interview. There

will be a VE session tomorrow evening and needs VE’s required to attend to allow this to happen.

West End Fair

Report of events were given by Rich Galante KC3IAM. Detail and schedule are published in the September

newsletter. General feeling was it was well received by the public and was a worthwhile event for the club to do as

we got real exposure of our organization this way.


Website and Membership:

Frank W3OKW - Frank has recently broken his arm and did not attend the meeting this evening.

Quartermaster

Ron N3GGT - Count safety vests and flags after the meeting. Will add 1 cargo ramp to inventory.

Newsletter:

Eric N3SWR - Eric presented several versions of the club logo from Faith KC3KJA (a graphic artist) that she was

able to enhance. All were attractive and looked great. It was decided not to change the appearance in any way but

add color and maybe shading enhancements. This was put on the next meeting agenda for a decision.

Social Media

Chris AJ3C asked for a volunteer. Eric N3SWR said he would do it.

He will now be looking into the Facebook page management and updating.

Old business: Chris AJ3C reported the following status:

NVIS project, construction of NVIS antenna is in process. We are waiting to hear from Bruce Henry for the time

and place of a meeting with Gary Hoffman, Communications Director (who is in charge of the actual 911 center

building) and must approve the installation. Scott KC3IAO provided several drawings he made of the roof in 11 x

17 size for presentation during this meeting. We hope to install the antenna at the 911 center in October.

Installation team selections:

Jon Buno W2JON

Ron Salamanica N3GGT

Bob Van Ness

Club Picnic is canceled. The $100 budgeted for the picnic has been reallocated to the radio room shelving project.

As per membership vote.

Club ID badges, any member who needs one please see Chris AJ3C after the meeting to get your photo taken or

email him a head shot, include call sign. There is no charge for the Id badges. New business: Chris AJ3C Proposes to make Elmer Weekend Elmer “N3SEI Elmer Weekend” in honor of Jerry Truax N3SEI.

Motion to accept by Al KB3OVB. 2nd by Joe KB3VRS Motion passed.

The Club has purchased loading ramps for the comm trailer, ramps need to be modified to accommodate Danny's

wheelchair. It was estimated it would cost approx. $40 - $45 for material to cover these aluminum ramps to allow

wheel chair access.

Chris asked for a membership vote to proceed with this. It was approved by unanimous vote by all attending.

Chris AJ3C submitted to the membership….” What not to say on the air while using ham radio.”

Doug (KG3I) has his DMR repeater up and operational on Pimple Hill.

Frequency is 447.275 color code 0

Elmer Weekend Fox hunt planning.

Frank W3OKW is the committee chairman for this event, and not present at the meeting. Chris AJ3C will follow

up with him to insure things go smoothly. Sept 22 and 23rd on Camel back is to be the location for this event.


Hamburgers and hot dogs will be available as well as the communications trailer for this event.

New members voted in:

Kevin McCauley KB3EJM

Daryl Frasier N3AOI

The new club constitution was read for the 2nd time. Followed by a 10-minute break.

SPECIAL ELECTION TO REPLACE TREASURER:

Nominee…Scott Phalen KC3IAO, Scott accepted the nomination. With no other nominations the Secretary Donald

WK2RP (acting secretary in the absence of KC3GVO) cast one vote for Scott Phalen as per the constitution. Vote

of affirmation motion by Charlie KB3JUF, 2nd by Dick WA3MDP. Vote of affirmation passed by majority vote,

Scott Phalen KC3IAO is the newly elected Treasure.

Announcements: September is National Disaster Preparedness Month, it’s a good time to assess your ability to handle a natural or

man-made disaster. Also, it’s also a good idea for ARES members to check their radio go kits. Handouts available.

Discussion about the ARES go kit needing new batteries. Talk of getting a trickle charger for the gel cell batteries.

Club Christmas Dinner will be on December 13th, if your wish to attend, think of a local restaurant to have the

Dinner. We will have a discussion at the next meeting. (Not Perkins)

Winter Field Day will be on January 26, 27, 2019. Setup will start on Friday January 25.

Adjournment…

Meeting was adjourned at 9:50 PM. Motion by Daryl N3AOI, 2nd by Ron N3GGT

MEETING NOT FOLLOWED BY A PRESENTATION Naomi was absent and was not able to do the presentation about her time in the National Guard and her communication duties during hurricane Floyd, rescheduled for the October meeting


September Club Meeting Photos courtesy of Pete KB3YKJ


How to listen to Hurricane Watch Net frequencies

The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) is a group of amateur radio operators who

are trained and organized “to provide essential communications support to the

National Hurricane Center during times of Hurricane emergencies.” The HWN

focuses on “ground truth” observations (much like SkyWarn nets).

The Hurricane Watch Net is activated when a hurricane is within 300 statute miles

of expected land-fall. The HWN covers the Caribbean, Central America, Eastern

Mexico, Eastern Canada, and all US Coastal States.

The HWN operates in both English and Spanish, and is active on 14.325 MHz

(upper sideband) during the day and 7.268 MHz (lower sideband) at night. The HWN is known to operate on

both frequencies if propagation allows.

Please keep HWN frequencies clear

If you’re an amateur radio operator, please avoid using 14.325 MHz and 7.268 MHz anytime the HWN has been

activated.

Monitoring hurricane frequencies

If you have a shortwave radio with a BFO/SSB mode–and you live within the

propagation footprint–you can monitor the Hurricane Watch Net.

Note that you’ll need to use upper sideband on 14.325 MHz and lower sideband

on 7.268 MHz. You can also monitor the Hurricane Watch Net via a number of

WebSDRs on the KiwiSDR network and even potentially via the U Twente

WebSDR in the Netherlands (although a WebSDR in North America would be

preferable). Click here to view the Hurricane Watch Net website.

Congratulations to Bob W3BMM and Charlie KB3JUF for passing their Extra exams!

https://swling.com/blog/2018/09/how-to-listen-to-hurricane-watch-net-frequencies/?utm_source=amateur-radio-weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

https://sdr.hu/map

http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/

http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/

http://hwn.org/

https://i2.wp.com/swling.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Digitech-AR-1780-keypad-closeup-radio-dial-e1515698199697.jpg?ssl=1


Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 10 September - 06 October 2018 Solar activity is expected to be at low levels throughout the outlook period, with a slight chance for C-class flare activity. No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at moderate to high levels through period. Moderate levels are

expected from 10 - 12 Sep and again from 29 Sep - 06 Oct. High levels are expected from 13 - 28 Sep. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at quiet to active levels on 10 Sep. Conditions are then likely reach G2 (Moderate) geomagnetic storm levels on 11 Sep due to a positive polarity coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS). G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels are also likely on 12 Sep as CH HSS effects persist. Active levels are expected on 13, 14, and 22 Sep from the influence of recurrent CH HSSs. Field activity is expected to be at quiet to unsettled levels throughout the remainder of the outlook period.

Knowledge Test

What is the cause of gray-line propagation?

A. At midday, the Sun super heats the ionosphere causing increased refraction of radio waves

B. At twilight and sunrise, D-layer absorption is low while E-layer and F-layer propagation remains high

C. In darkness, solar absorption drops greatly while atmospheric ionization remains steady

D. At mid-afternoon, the Sun heats the ionosphere decreasing radio wave refraction and the MUF

Last month’s answer was, B.

Say your call sign during a break between transmissions by the other stations

Just saying your call sign is “good amateur practice” and it is an effective way to break into a QSO, not only

do the other stations know there is another amateur wishing to use the frequency they also know who you are.

Saying “Break Break Break” should only be used by a station in distress or with emergency traffic.


Elmer Weekend – The N3SEI Fox Hunt!


Saturday proved to be a fun time for all who attended. The exercise in transmitter locating

can be tricky and depending on where it’s located, multipath signals converging on your

receiver can lead you down the wrong path as we discovered. Frank W3OKW demonstrated

a Yagi antenna using home brew parts and 4MHz oscillator/attenuator which was popular.

Ron N3GGT brought a homebrew bowtie antenna while Chris AJ3C tried out a TDOA (Time

Difference Of Arrival) design with very good success!


Line Propagation What is the Gray Line? The gray line is the part of the earth that is transitioning from day to night or vice versa. In simple terms its dawn and dusk. An interesting thing occurs along this line that boosts propagation for HF frequencies. This line is in constant motion throughout the day, and the shape of line changes with the seasons. By using a gray line map you can see where the gray line is on the surface of the earth. The image below shows the gray line, maps like this are readily available on line and from many ham radio software programs.

What Causes Gray Line Propagation?

What causes this enhancement? If you remember your studies for

your amateur radio license you learned about the ionosphere and its layers. The ionospheres D, E, and F layers are at play with Gray Line. At sunset and sunrise, the sun in acting on the E and F layers but the D layer being lower in the atmosphere is not being ionized or not full ionized. Remember that the D layer is mainly an absorption layer for RF. So, it makes perfect sense that if absorption is minimized while refraction in the E and F layers is still high, propagation would be enhanced. That’s it, no magic or super spooky science going on. The image shows just what I’m talking about.

Using Gray Line Propagation?

Gray Line Propagation gives a boost to stations along the gray line. This makes it easier for you to make contact to other stations across the world that share the Gray line. The places that you can make contacts with vary throughout the year, so keeping track of the places that share the gray line is important. Who knows by utilizing Gray Line you just might bag those DX stations you need to get your DXCC! Try it out, but like all things with radio propagation your mileage may vary!

73 Till Next Month.


The Pennsylvania QSO Party is the second weekend of October, October 13th and 14th. Known as the

Friendly QSO Party, it's a fun operating event for amateurs in PA and across the globe, and offers fun and

challenge for both casual operators and seasoned contesters.

This year the PA QSO Party is led by a new organization, the PA QSO Party Association. Consisting of several

Party enthusiasts, the group is continuing the over 60-year tradition.

The Bonus Station for the 2018 Pennsylvania QSO Party will be operated by the Nittany Amateur

Radio Club (NARC) operating under the callsign of former PAQP Chairman, Mike Coslo, N3LI,

recognizing his years of service and dedication to the PA QSO Party. The NARC N3LI bonus

station will be a multi-op operation located in Centre County Pennsylvania.

Rules and awards for this year have been posted on the new PAQP

website, http://paqso.org . The Party will be from 1600Z October 13 to 0500Z October 14, and

1300Z October 14 to 2200Z October 14, 2018, that's from 12 PM Eastern Saturday to 1 AM

Sunday, and 9 AM Eastern Sunday to 6 PM Sunday. A "pre-Party" net is held 8 PM Eastern Friday

night (0000Z 10/13) on 3.910 LSB +/-.

The Party is open to amateurs everywhere. For PA stations, the exchange consists of serial

number and PA county abbreviation. Non-PA and DX stations should send serial number and

ARRL/RAC section, or serial number and "DX". Complete details can be found in the rules on the

website.

We look forward to having another great PA QSO Party this year and we hope you'll join us. 73

PA QSO PA

http://paqso.org/


Greetings EPARA Club Members and Associates young and old and welcome to another edition

of the Boot the Bootstrap (W3OKW) where we detail the many aspects of Digital

Communications used in Ham Radio at an introductory level.

As discussed in previous editions, many of the new digital operating modes have been

developed and made available to Ham operators largely because of the availability of personal

computers, soundcard technology and advanced software. Morse as a digital mode has been

sending binary data over the radio waves since the early 1900’s as wireless telegraphy and in

the 1940’s hams worked out techniques of connecting mechanical Teletype keyboard/printers

to amateur gear using FSK and AFSK modulation. And now over time Ham Radio digital

communications has implemented other popular digital modes for award chasing and working

DX. The more popular mode these days is the digital mode FT8 authored by Joe Taylor as part

of his WSJT-X software suite. This month I will be emphasizing a great Internet support tool for

PSK31, JT65, and FT8 operations that defines the usefulness of FT8.

In previous months I have discussed many of the fun digital modes. The Packet mode provides

the transmission of binary data in groups or packets of 10’s and 100’s of bytes. This provides

good throughput and added error control. The protocol for packet radio is AX.25 and the

transmission speeds are typically from 300 bps (bits per second) on HF to 1200 and 9600 bps on

VHF and UHF.

PSK31 (Binary Phase Shift Keying 31.25 Hz) as discussed is still one of the most popular

keyboard-to-keyboard digital modes. PSK31 is generated and decoded using PC soundcards and

software programs like FlDigi. PSK occupies a very small bandwidth (100 HZ)and provides

effective communications at low power.

The RTTY digital mode also discussed is the original keyboard to keyboard mode and still very

active with regularly scheduled contests throughout the year. RTTY is base on the the 5-bit

Baudot code which was based on the mechanical Teletypes and modulates the transmitter in

either FSK (170 Hz Frequency Shift Keying) or AFSK modulating the carrier with sound card audio

using the upper sideband of SSB modulation.

Other modes previously discussed that you can work on HF include MFSK, Olivia, MT63, and the

EmComm AMTOR mode that provides error detection and correction.


Whenever you observe the bands seem “dead” due to a lack of activity, there is a good chance

this is mainly due to a large number of radio operators that are operating FT8 on the lower

portion of the band below the MUF as per the ionospheric propagation at any time of the day.

I’ve discussed FT8, JT65 and PSk31 operations in previous months in greater detail, this month I

want to discuss a very useful support tool as a result of operating these digital modes worldwide

that not only indicate who is operating on the band but also what stations are being heard and

where.

A meaningful characteristic of the jt65 and FT8 digital modes is the automated signal report

exchanges as part of every QSO. This means the actual signal report measured in dBm

representing received signal level exchanged is not a human interpretation but instead is

software generated as a measured signal level against the noise floor level reference. If you are

only monitoring the QSO exchanges with WSJT-X software on the monitor log, you can easily

identify how well signals are propagating to different parts of the country or world. With the

monitored callsigns, maidenhead grid square and signal report exchange you can get a pretty

good idea the condition of the band and the resulting propagation. If you become active on the

band, make contact and exchange QSO data with the stations you can hear and that hear you,

you are able to easily determine the band condition to and from your station. Continuing to

make contacts while changing up antenna’s, antenna rotor positions, power levels and other

radio parameters, you can easily realize what the change results are with the different operating

configurations as a result of the accurate software generated signal reports. No need to

interrupt or question the ambiguous RST or s-meter feedback.

Now the jewel in the sand, there is a major Internet service that provides total propagation

analysis and reporting for all heard stations through the world which is called “PSK Reporter” at

www.pskreporter.info. The more popular digital mode software programs are now uploading

your contact info automatically to Internet logs (i.e. LoTW, QRZ, eQSL, HRDLog, ClubLog) in real

time. With programs like WSJT-X, DM780, FlDigi and JT65-HF, they can also automatically send

out your local program stations heard (CQ) monitor log and stations contacted info to the

PSKreport Website over the Internet. The results of this world-wide radio operating data are a

consolidated Internet database of all reported stations heard, completed QSO’s along with

signal reports heard throughout the world. This Website in turn provides both world map

displays and statistical pages for viewing and interpretation. This can be very useful in

determining propagation conditions or in adjusting your antenna and/or radio parameters when

favored band openings appear.

The PSKreporter map page, www.pskreporter.info/pskmap.html, is a colorful world map

representing all stations heard by reporting stations with an easy world map zoom feature and

provides significant filtering to block out only the radio traffic you’re interested in. Filters

http://www.pskreporter.info/

http://www.pskreporter.info/pskmap.html


include band, callsign, sent/rec’d, countries, modes over a selected time period (last 15min–

24hrs).

I consider PSKreporter a well worth while support tool to realize band conditions, what parts of

the world station are accessible and who is working whom. And you don’t even have to be

operating any of the mentioned digital modes to make use of the reported data and respond

with your own station activities.

FT8,,, guaranteed radio contact success !!!

Pass along any questions or comments via the EPARA newsletter or my contact info on QSZ.com.

Best DX to all … 73 de W3OKW


Quarter wave vertical antenna

An overview about the basics of the quarter wave vertical and ground plane antennas that are

widely used for medium wave broadcasting, mobile radio communications applications and

many more.

Vertical Antennas Include:

• Vertical Antennas Introduction

• Quarter Wave Vertical

• 5/8 Wavelength vertical

• J pole antenna

Vertical antennas are widely used at all frequencies from MF up to VHF and beyond. They exist in a variety of

forms including the quarter wave vertical and ground plane antennas. They possess many advantages and are

widely used for medium wave broadcasting as well as for mobile applications in areas including private mobile

radio.

The reason for this widespread use is the omni-directional radiation pattern that they give in the horizontal plane.

This means that the antennas do not have to be re-orientated to keep the signals constant as the car moves it

position. This is obviously an essential requirement.

A further advantage is that much of the radiation is at right angles to the antenna element, and as a result it travels

close to the earth's surface where the receiving stations are located. Radiation directed upwards is wasted in many

instances as VHF transmissions are normally not reflected by the ionosphere.

For medium wave broadcast stations, a particular advantage is that the radiation is vertically polarized. It is found

that the vertically polarized transmissions propagate further via the ground wave that these transmissions use.

Basic element

Like the name suggests the antenna consists of a quarter wavelength vertical element. The antenna is what is

termed "un-balanced", having one connection to the vertical element and using an earth connection or simulated

earth connection to provide an image for the other connection.

The voltage and current waveforms show that at the end the voltage rises to a maximum whereas the current falls

to a minimum. Then at the base of the antenna at the feed point, the voltage is at a minimum and the current is at

its maximum. This gives the antenna a low feed impedance. Typically, this is around 20 ohms.

Antenna Archives #3

https://www.radio-electronics.com/info/antennas/vertical-antennas/vertical-antennas-types.php

https://www.radio-electronics.com/info/antennas/vertical-antennas/quarter-wavelength.php

https://www.radio-electronics.com/info/antennas/vertical-antennas/five-eighths-wavelength.php

https://www.radio-electronics.com/info/antennas/vertical-antennas/j-pole-antenna.php


A quarter wave vertical RF antenna design

The ground is obviously an important part of the RF antenna. Many MF and HF installations use a ground

connection for this. These ground systems need to be very effective for the antenna to perform satisfactorily. They

must obviously have a very low resistance, and often utilize large "mats" of radials extending out from the base

of the antenna to ensure excellent RF performance.

For VHF and UHF installations, height is obviously important and antennas need to be raised to ensure they are

above the nearby obstructions. Also, for mobile installations it is clearly not possible to use a true earth

connection. In these cases, a simulated earth is used. For mobile applications this consists of the body of the

vehicle. The antenna mounting will normally enable a suitable connection to be made to the vehicle body,

sometimes using a capacitive connection. However, it is necessary to ensure that the vehicle body is metal, and

not plastic in the vicinity of the antenna mounting.

For fixed stations a set of radials simulating a ground plane is used. In theory the ground plane should extend out

to infinity, but in practice a number of radials a quarter wavelength long is used. Typically for many VHF

applications four radials is sufficient.

A radial system used with a quarter wave vertical

If the radials are bent downwards from the horizontal then the feed impedance will be raised. A 50-ohm match is

achieved when the angle between the ground plane rods and the horizontal is 42 degrees. Another solution is to


include an impedance matching element in the antenna. Normally this is in the form of a tapped coil that can be

conveniently housed in the base of the antenna.

Folded element

In view of the low impedance presented to the feeder by the RF antenna, methods must be found of presenting a

good match and some have already been outlined. Another is to use a folded element. In the same way that a

folded dipole increases the feed impedance of the antenna, so a folded vertical element can be used. If the diameter

of both sections is the same, then an increase by a ratio of 4:1 is achieved. This would bring the impedance to 80

ohms and will provide an acceptable match to a 75-ohm feeder. By using a smaller diameter grounded element,

the feed impedance can be reduced so that a good match to 50-ohm coax can be achieved.

Summary

The quarter wave vertical antenna is widely used in view of its simplicity and convenience. To improve on its

performance other types of vertical are available. It is also possible to use further verticals and feed them with

different phases to provide gain to the overall antenna system.

By Ian Poole “Quarter Wave Vertical Antenna.” Radio Electronics, www.radio-electronics.com/info/antennas/vertical-antennas/quarter-wavelength.php.

https://plus.google.com/104687638164370436625?rel=author


PL-259 Connectors Revisited by

John White VA7JW

Overview

Most would think that there cannot be much left to say about the PL-259 / UHF connector any more. However, I think there

are some important considerations regarding this connector that may be of interest.

“On the Bench”. TCA. March April 2007, has spoken of the difficulty of soldering the coax braid to the connector shell, that

being, how to heat the connector and braid without melting the dielectric, and at the same time, assuring that the braid

actually soldered to the connector. The four small diameter holes at the neck do not provide adequate means to solder or

inspect. Many of the problems experienced over the years at this station, and others, can be attributed to poorly or

improperly soldered connector - braid interfaces.

What Problems?

If the braid is simply making mechanical contact to the connector, that is, an uncertain electrical connection, consider the

following,

Conductivity. It is imperative that the coax braid be electrically bonded to the connector. Visually, the connector may

appear OK because the holes are filled with solder, but most often, because heat did not transfer well from the connector

to the braid, a soldered connection to the braid does not exist. This leads to an electrical intermittent or open circuit.

Mechanical. If the braid is not well soldered to the connector, and the connector is supporting a length of coax, such as

the feeder to a dipole antenna, the considerable weight of the coax is taken by the center pin and the outside jacket of the

coax that is threaded into the connector. This is not mechanically sufficient. A strong mechanical connection to the braid

around the internal perimeter of the connector is imperative to reliably support the weight of the coax.

Shielding. If the electrical connectivity of the braid is marginal, that is, by a few stands of the braid, the coax is electrically

“open” from a shielding perspective, and will allow the ingress of unwanted signal. Unwanted signal currents are induced

on the outer surface of the braid and will flow to the inside of the coax where the desired signal from the antenna exists.

This permits broadband signal to “enter” and load the front end of the receiver. Don’t believe it? Undo the antenna coax

from the rig and pull out the PL-259 such that the center pin still makes contact but the connector shell does not. It will

sound a whole lot noisier than with your antenna. If it does not sound noisier, you probably have an open braid somewhere

at a connector.

All of the above may not always be revealed as a high SWR but as a changeable SWR.

Making the Right Connection

To make the connector to braid solder connection, two criteria must be met. The tip of the iron must contact and heat the

braid simultaneously with the heating of the connector, and secondly, the solder joint must be confirmed visually to see that

the braid has soldered to the connector. This can’t be done well given the small diameter holes. These problems can be

resolved. Start with a good quality PL-259. Refer to Figure 1. It can be seen that the diameter of the connector "neck", where the

braid is to be soldered, can vary. The neck must be of a dimension that is snug to the braid of the coax being used to

achieve heat transfer when soldering. The connector with the narrow neck is to be used for 50 ohm, RG213, 9913, LMR400

style cable. If the wide-bodied connector is used, it will be impossible to solder to the braid due to the gap between the

body and the braid. Use silver plated connectors as they will take solder very well. In this example, the wide-bodied

connector had a nickel or chrome finish. This is not uncommon and these finishes do not take solder at all well and ought

not to be used. Another requirement is to ensure that the center insulator be Teflon as it takes heat well compared to other

insulation materials that may melt completely or soften, and misalign the center pin.


Wide Neck

Narrow Neck Narrow Neck PL-259

Figure 1 Figure 2

To achieve the required connection, it will be necessary to modify the connector using a Dremel© tool with a small cutting

wheel or a razor saw such as available at hobby shops. Cut a slot between any two side by side holes. The width of the

slot is the same as the width of the holes at each end of the slot. See Figure 3. This slot now provides the required access

to solder the braid and to inspect the joint.

Slotted PL-259

Figure 3

The Procedure

Having prepared the connector, follow Frank’s “On the Bench”, TCA April / May 2007, procedure through step 7, noting that

the tinning of the braid in step 3 is critical. Figure 4 provides an illustrated summary of these steps.

Figure 5 illustrates the progressive cable end preparation as per “On the Bench”.

Cut cable outer jacket back ~ 1-1/2” exposing braid

From jacket, tin braid ~ 3/4” outwards, all around

Using a metal pipe cutter *, trim braid to ~ 7/16”

* Refer to Sidebar for Pipe Cutter

Cut & remove dielectric leaving ~ 1/16” beyond braid

Screw PL-259 onto cable. Ensure braid fills slot

Figure 4

Neck sized to coax

~ 0.41" +/- 0.01"

Slot


The prepared cable end is dimensioned per Figure 5.

Figure 5

Replace steps 8 and 9 in “On the Bench” as follows,

Step 8. As the prepared cable is screwed into the connector, the tinned braid will come past the slot. Wind the coax fully

into the connector so that the tinned braid fills the entire slot. The braid should be against the slot. If it is not close, the

connector and coax may not be correctly sized for each other and heat will not bridge the gap, and will not make the solder

connection. Step 9. With a soldering iron of at least 100 watts, or a gun of at least 140 watts, insert the tip of the iron into the slot to

get heat onto both the braid and the connector shell at the same time. Wet the iron - joint contact surfaces with a little

solder to improve the transfer of heat from the iron to the work. When the temperature is right, the solder will flow equally

well on both the braid and connector. Add solder as needed. Evidence of a soldered connection will be a visual impression

of the braid pattern in the solder, the solder having flowed smoothly on both the connector and braid. One can easily confirm

that the coax braid is soldered to the connector. Finish the connection by soldering the remaining two holes while the braid

and connector are still hot. Poke the tip of the iron into the hole, feed solder into the hole, and watch for the solder to wick

down onto the braid.

Complete steps 10, 11, 12.

Test It

The finished connection must minimum be tested for continuity as a minimum - center pin to center pin and shell to shell,

and no shorts. You can also verify the cable for shielding. Tune your transceiver to an active band with strong signals

being heard. Remove the antenna coax from the rig and connect the new coax cable to the transceiver. The other end of

the coax needs to be connected to a dummy load such as a cantenna. If you do not have a dummy load, make one. Use

a SO-239 female chassis connector and solder a 51-ohm ¼ W resistor, carbon or metal film, from the center pin to the

flange. Tolerance and wattage are not important as long as this is used as a receive termination. Do not hit the PTT as

the resistor will vaporize.

If the connector is properly installed, the band will be quite dead because the cable is completely shielded and cannot pick

up signal. Wiggle the cable at both connectors. If signals suddenly jump up, the connection to the braid is intermittent and

so the job is no good.

Note that the quality of the coax will have an effect on the degree of shielding effectiveness. Less expensive coax with 70%

braid coverage will leak RF noticeably whereas > 90% coverage will be much improved, and braid with 100% foil will be

excellent. Use the best you can afford in this respect.

Connectors can pass continuity and fail shielding. The DC continuity may measure OK only because a few individual braid

strands are connected, either electrically or mechanically. Even SWR may look OK. However, this does not make for a

reliable, stable, effective, or RF shielded joint and so the coax becomes RF leaky, on both transmit and receive. This

situation is to be avoided.

COAX

1 "

7 /16" 1 /16" 1-1/2 "

Coax Cable Preparation

Tinned braid


Be Confident

Considering the amount of time I have wasted looking for faulty connections, intermittencies, leaking RF and unstable

SWR’s, this procedure makes the connection all at once permanent and reliable.

Acknowledgements

A long time ago, a commercially manufactured PL-259 with such a slot turned up in my junk box. I had no idea why this

connector had such a defect and so I paid no attention to it. Many years later, Lee Sawkins, VE7CC and I were discussing

connectors at a BCDX meeting and he mentioned the slot and how it makes all the difference in terms of making a verifiable

connection. I paid attention this time and have used that method ever since. Thanks Lee.

SIDEBAR

MAKING a CLEAN CUT

After the braid has been tinned and cooled, use a small pipe cutter to “ring” the stiffened braid.

Increase the depth of the cut to slice into the dielectric. Do not cut the center conductor. Remove the pipe cutter and carefully finish cutting the dielectric down to the center conductor with an Exacto knife, again being very careful not to nick the conductor.

If the center conductor is stranded, the individual conductors will have a twist. The dielectric - braided end has to be pulled

off with a twisting motion in the same direction as the twist. Pulling it straight off doesn’t work unless the center conductor

is a solid, single wire.

I use the pipe cutter illustrated here, a Rigid model 104, 5 to 24 mm range. Any similar one will do.


Coaxial cable, or coax, is an electrical cable with an inner conductor surrounded by a flexible, tubular

insulating layer, surrounded by a tubular conducting shield. The term coaxial comes from the inner conductor

and the outer shield sharing the same geometric axis. Coaxial cable was invented by English engineer and

mathematician Oliver Heaviside, who first patented the design in 1880. Coaxial cable differs from other shielded

cables because the dimensions of the cable are controlled to give a precise, constant conductor spacing, which

is needed for it to function efficiently as a transmission line.

Coax is used as a transmission line for radio frequency signals. Coaxial cable conducts electrical signal

using an inner conductor (usually a solid copper, stranded copper or copper plated steel wire) surrounded by an

insulating layer and all enclosed by a shield, typically one to four layers of woven metallic braid and metallic tape.

The cable is protected by an outer insulating jacket. Normally, the shield is kept at ground potential and a signal

carrying voltage is applied to the center conductor. The advantage of coaxial design is that electric and magnetic

fields are restricted to the dielectric with little leakage outside the shield. Conversely, electric and magnetic fields

outside the cable are largely kept from interfering with signals inside the cable. Larger diameter cables and

cables with multiple shields have less leakage. This property makes coaxial cable a good choice for carrying

weak signals that cannot tolerate interference from the environment or for stronger electrical signals that must

not be allowed to radiate or couple into adjacent structures or circuits.

Coaxial cable design choices affect physical size, frequency performance,

attenuation, power handling capabilities, flexibility, strength, and cost. The inner

conductor might be solid or stranded; stranded is more flexible. To get better high-

frequency performance, the inner conductor may be silver-plated. The insulator

surrounding the inner conductor may be solid plastic, a foam plastic, or air with

spacers supporting the inner wire. The properties of the dielectric insulator determine

some of the electrical properties of the cable. A common choice is a solid polyethylene

(PE) insulator, used in lower-loss cables. Solid Teflon (PTFE) is also used as an insulator. Many conventional

coaxial cables use braided copper wire forming the shield. This allows the cable to be flexible, but it also means

there are gaps in the shield layer, and the inner dimension of the shield varies slightly because the braid cannot

be flat. Sometimes the braid is silver-plated. For better shield performance, some cables have a double-layer

shield. The shield might be just two braids, but it is more common now to have a thin foil shield covered by a

wire braid. Some cables may invest in more than two shield layers, such as "quad-shield", which uses four

alternating layers of foil and braid. Other shield designs sacrifice flexibility for better performance; some shields

are a solid metal tube. Those cables cannot be bent sharply, as the shield will kink, causing losses in the cable.

When a foil shield is used a small wire conductor incorporated into the foil makes soldering

the shield termination easier. For high-power radio-frequency transmission up to about

1 GHz, coaxial cable with a solid copper outer conductor is available in sizes of 0.25 inch

upward. The outer conductor is corrugated like a bellows to permit flexibility and the inner

conductor is held in position by a plastic spiral to approximate an air dielectric. One brand

name for such cable is Heliax and is used in high power linear amplifiers. Coaxial cables

require an internal structure of an insulating (dielectric) material to maintain the spacing

between the center conductor and shield. The dielectric losses increase in this order: Ideal dielectric (no loss),

vacuum, air, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyethylene foam, and solid polyethylene. Kinks or abnormally

Tech Corner

By Eric Weis, NSWR

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmission_line


tight bends will reduce this spacing and create VSWR changes because the characteristic impedance has

changed at that spot. More on that in a moment.

Explaining signal propagation down a transmission line involves more

physics than we have room for here but in a nutshell we can compare it to simple twin

lead wire. Twin-lead transmission lines have the property that the electromagnetic

wave propagating down the line extends into the space surrounding the parallel wires.

These lines have low loss, but also have undesirable characteristics. They cannot be

bent, tightly twisted, or otherwise shaped without changing their characteristic

impedance, causing reflection of the signal back toward the source. They also cannot

be buried or run along or attached to anything conductive, as the extended fields will

induce currents in the nearby conductors causing unwanted radiation and detuning of

the line. Coaxial lines largely solve this problem by confining virtually all of the

electromagnetic wave to the area inside the cable. Coaxial lines can therefore be bent

and moderately twisted without negative effects, and they can be strapped to

conductive supports without inducing unwanted currents in them. There are many

benefits to using coax however twin lead also has its advantages, such as impedance matching, and is often

used for that purpose.

All transmission lines have a characteristic impedance

(ZO) that’s a function of the line’s inductance and capacitance

as such: ZO Ω = √(L/C). To achieve maximum power transfer

over a transmission line, the line impedance (coax) must also

match the source (transmitter) and load impedances (antenna).

If the impedances aren’t matched, maximum power will not be

delivered. In addition, standing waves will develop along the

line. This means the load doesn’t absorb all of the power sent down the line and that portion is reflected back to

the transmitter and efficiency of the entire system is affected. And since we don’t live in a perfect world, often

times you will see an antenna tuner sitting between the transmitter and coax feed line and a balun attached

somewhere, making an attempt to lower the VSWR by correcting a mismatch in the system.

What type of coax you use is obviously your choice

and should at a minimum bring to your mind considerations

about power handling, length of line needed, installation

requirements and system efficiency. Many times, when

talking about coax, it can quickly become confusing given the

science behind the subject. Hopefully I was able to break it

down just a bit for everyone as this could easily turn into a

much larger discussion.

On a final note I thought I would mention a bit on care

and expectations of coax before I happened across this chart.

It honestly does convey my thoughts since I have worked with

coax for years in industry and at home. Considering what I

have seen suffice it to say coax probably is the least

respected, most abused, stepped on, bent, twisted and

crushed piece of wire that we expect to watch television and talk to the world on. Need I say more?

73!

https://www.astra2sat.com/technical/coaxial-cable-explained/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaxial_cable http://www.electronicdesign.com/communications/back-basics-impedance-matching-part-1 http://www.zs6hvb.za.net/index.php/our-favourite-links/why-ladder-line http://slideplayer.com/slide/1631553/

https://www.astra2sat.com/technical/coaxial-cable-explained/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaxial_cable

http://www.electronicdesign.com/communications/back-basics-impedance-matching-part-1

http://www.zs6hvb.za.net/index.php/our-favourite-links/why-ladder-line

http://slideplayer.com/slide/1631553/


How to Install a Crimp on SO-239 to RG8x Coax

1. First slide the crimp ferrule onto the coax. See easy huh? Just wait.

2. Next, measure out to 1/4 then 1/2 and make marks with a knife. (Some

connectors may require slightly different lengths you may have to use a small

screwdriver to probe the depth of the connector)


3. At the first mark, cut through the jacket, braid and dielectric all the way to the

center conductor making sure not to cut the center conductor. This may take

a little practice.

4. Next cut the jacket at the second mark.


5. Flair back the braid so it doesn’t get into the center conductor.

6. Now slide the little tip that came with the connector onto the center

conductor. Place the soldering iron on the opposite side of the little hole in the

tip. Heat for a couple seconds then put your solder up to the little hole. The

solder will draw into the hole firmly attaching the tip.


7. Now it gets fun. Slide the connector onto the end of the prepped coax. You

should feel the little tip plug into the socket inside of the connector.

8. Slide the ferrule up against the connector.


9. Then using the correct crimping tool. Simply crimp the ferrule. I had to crimp

and the move the tool over a little to get the whole thing as the ferrules with

these connectors are long.

10. That’s it you’re done. Good stuff huh!

“How to Install a Crimp on so-239 to Rg-8x Coax.” SO-239 Crimp Tutorial,

www.n9tax.com/howto_files/so239_cri_tut/so239_cri_tut.html.


Local Repeater Info


Proposed logos for the club. These were drawn up by Faith KC3JKA from the original logo. Time and technology have

come to offer us the means to bring the logo a newer refreshing look and not loose the original image as well. In short

– we have the means to “make it pop” as they say in the artists world. So, in case you missed then handouts at the

last meeting, here they are once again for consideration.


National

Traffic

System

NTS Corner

By Donald Darcy WK2RP

This month I am taking a break from the usual Net information. As many of you

have heard there are changes coming to the ARES program. Among these changes are

required courses and new ways of doing things. The EC-001 Introduction to Emergency

Communications is also getting updated along the lines of the new ARES.

Right now, there is only a hand full of club members active in ARES/RACES.

The Storm on March, 2018 should have been a wakeup call to all. The National Weather

Service believes that storm was just the beginning of winters to come. All members

should be making an effort to learn what to do under adverse conditions, including

taking training to be properly prepared. While many ARES activations require some

travel, not all necessitate having to travel. There are times we need base stations to help

get messages out.

Monroe county is a very hilly area and having stations at many different locations

can help get messages through. ARES is in desperate need of more manpower and

EPARA as the local club should be supporting the local ARES as best it can. Hopefully

we can raise the ability of ARES to provide communications to the county and other

organizations that may need us.

epara beacon 2018.pdfwell i guess it’s time to say goodbye to summer in the poconos and enjoy the...

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