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K5RWK UPCOMING EVENTS
Meeting-on-the-Air
Monday, November 7, 7:30 P.M.
RWK Repeater, 2 Meters
147.120 (CTSS 110.9 Hz)
###
Monthly Meeting
Monday, November 14, 6:30 P.M.
St. Barnabas Presbyterian Church
1220 W. Beltline Rd, Richardson
Software Defined Radio
with
Kent Weeks WA5YXS
###
Monthly Breakfast
Saturday, November 19, 8:00 A.M.
Southern Recipes Grill
621 W. Plano Parkway, Suite 229, Plano, TX
### RACES Nets & Siren Test
Monday, November 7, 9:00 P.M. (Net)
Wednesday, November 2 Noon (SirenTest)
Monday, November 16, 9:00 P.M. (Net)
VHF repeater: 147.120 (CTCSS Tone 110.9 Hz)
Affiliated Club Since 1952
Ham radio license exams
3rd
Thursday of each month @ 7:00 P.M.
St. Barnabas Presbyterian Church
The Chawed Rag
Volume 46, Issue 11, November 2016
Software Defined Radio
Kent Weeks will describe and demonstrate the many advantages of software defined radio concepts.
Today's familiar amateur radio transceiver, with a variety of knobs, buttons, and colorful displays includes many software features within the computer that resides hidden inside that black box. Even old knob twisters, like myself, have grown to appreciate the improvement in received signals brought about by digital signal processing (DSP) and the many handy rig control capabilities.
Digital filtering can slice and dice an incoming signal with much more precision than yesterday's mechanical and noise filters. A challenge today is to learn how to properly choose and use the many features already available, and how to update a rig's software and firmware as new advances occur.
Learn more about the variety of SDR features and rigs from Kent Weeks, who is well-qualified to translate the secrets of software defined radio into understandable concepts you can use to make better equipment decisions.
Come early. Bring a friend. Make new ham friends & enjoy the fellowship!
Enjoy coffee and a cookie too.
In this issue:
1 K5RWK Upcoming Events
2 Prior meeting summary
3 RWK website & E-mail reflector information
3 Monthly Richardson sirens test
4 Future RWK events
K5RWK Repeaters 147.120 or 440.625
(CTCSS Tone 110.9 Hz)
Prior meeting summary
Jim Heye remembers DXing from Curacao Island.
Hal Wolff recalls his early DX days. Jim Heye's shack and antenna tower makes him a DX 'Big Gun.'
Members finished their 'eyeball QSOs' and paused prior to the DX program. NOTE: Here's the link to a copy of this presentation:
http://k5rwk.org/rwk01/attachments/article/24/Curing%20the%20dreaded%20DX%20bug-2016-2.pdf
Curing the Dreaded DX Bug!
Dick Morgan first pointed out some of the symptoms caused by the DX bug: infects at any age; easily transmitted to other hams; creates insomnia and often a terrible 'itch' that only working rare DX stations will cure.
Hal Wolff then recalled his early days as a DX hound and confessed he still gets that 'thrill' when working new DX .
Jim Heye remembered the fun he's had being a DX station during trips to Curacao Island. Jim has worked about 240 different entities and still stalks the rare ones.
Bob Winn related his experiences as part of several DXpeditions in the South Pacific and the North Atlantic. Bob put the DXer's perspective into the equation.
Dick Morgan finished with numerous DX resources and links for members wanting to best the DX Bug. A final plea to all was "Listen, always listen, Grasshopper!"
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WELCOME! New Member
in October
Max Pincu KG5PKX (Richardson High student)
2016 Officers & Board Members
President Grant Laughlin W5XJ 214.908.6355
V.P. & Program Coordinator Mac Cody AE5PH 214.808.2932
Treasurer Doug Kilgore KD5OUG 972.231.8539
Secretary
Vince Martin N5ATM 972.310.1500
Director-Siren Tests Don Bowen K5LHO 972.235.3063
Director-Mentoring Dave Russell W2DMR 972.690.9894
Director-Historian & VE Bill Owens AD5EW 972.380.2859
Director-Field Day Kevin Sims KD5YVL 214.533.6478
Director Emeritus Hal Wolff N5BT 972.233.0345
Director Emeritus Forest Cummings W5LQU 972.231.0793
Repeater Trustee-Director Bob Coelln KG5JL 214.244.9506
Past President Herb Welch W5YKU 214.808.6624
Newsletter Editor /Public Info Director
Dick Morgan K6RAH 972.931.7993
Webmaster-Director Bill Reed NX5R 972.713.9555
The Chawed Rag is the official publication of The Richardson Wireless Klub, Inc. You may reproduce any material contained herein unless otherwise noted, with attribution to original author(s), and The Richardson Wireless Klub, Inc. Please send us a complimentary copy.
Klub membership is open to all persons interested in amateur radio. Join at any meeting, by mail or on-line. Annual dues are $15 individual, $20 family, or $5 student rate.
Archives of The Chawed Rag are available online at:
http://k5rwk.org/rwk01/index.php/rwk-documents/rwk-newsletters.
RWK Website: http://www.k5rwk.org
RWK E-mail forum - READ THIS! The Klub has a Yahoo group mailing list. Go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rwk-ntx/
All Klub members NEED to subscribe to get Klub news!
The E-mail list is a forum for announcements, comments
and ideas of interest to members. KEEP CURRENT!
Any approved list member may post a message to the
group at [email protected].
RWK Siren Testing Services
The City of Richardson will test all emergency sirens on
first Wednesdays, at noon (weather permitting). We do
not conduct the test if the weather looks threatening, to
avoid confusing residents. Hams assist each month by
going to a designated siren, checking into the net on
147.120 MHz, watching and listening to the performance
of the siren, then reporting on the net. Most sirens have
an assigned ham, but there often are unassigned sirens.
New hams are welcome to participate and learn!
Please contact Don Bowen K5LHO, 972.235.3063,
if you can help with siren tests near your QTH.
0 MHz, watching and listening to the performance of the
siren, then reporting on the net. Most sirens have an
assigned ham, but there often are unassigned sirens.
New hams are welcome to participate and learn!
Please contact Don Bowen K5LHO, 972.235.3063,
if you can help with siren tests near your QTH.
Why “The Chawed Rag?”
Ham radio operators love to talk! In addition to the many emergency communications services provided to their communities, hams enjoy chatting with fellow hams on the air. Hams exchange information about their locations, radio equipment they use, antennas, tuners, etc.
Additionally, hams often discuss the weather and exchange personal and family information. They develop on-the-air friendships. Such discussions are often characterized as “chewing the rag” with a friend or several friends over a network. That is the origin of this newsletter’s strange name.
Frankly, rag chewing with fellow hams is something that you must experience to appreciate. Ham radio is fun! If you want to explore amateur radio, contact one of our board members and join us at our FREE monthly meetings. You are always welcome.
Future RWK Events: Nov 01 - Time to prepay your 2017 RWK membership dues. No increase again in 2017!
Nov 02– Wednesday – City of Richardson Siren Test, 12:00 noon http://www.cor.net/EM
Nov 07 – Monday – Meeting on the Air, 7:30 P.M.
Nov 07 – Monday – Richardson RACES Net, 9:00 P.M.
Nov 14 – Monday – Monthly Meeting, 6:30 P.M. –Software Defined Radio SDR (Mentoring @ 5:30 P.M.)
Nov 17 – Thursday - VE ham radio license exams, 7:00 P.M., St. Barnabas Presbyterian Church. Call 972.380.2859
Nov 19 – Saturday – Breakfast at Southern Recipes, 621 W. Plano Parkway, Suite 229, Plano – 8:00 A.M.
Nov 19 – Saturday - Raspberry Pi Group - 10:00 A.M., UTD Campus ECSS 2.410
Nov 21 – Monday – Richardson RACES Net, 9:00 P.M.
Dec 01 - REMINDER: Time to prepay your 2017 RWK membership dues if you haven't already done so!
Dec 03 - Saturday - Richardson Christmas Parade - to volunteer, e-mail [email protected]
Dec 05 – Monday – Meeting on the Air, 7:30 P.M.
Dec 05 – Monday – Richardson RACES Net, 9:00 P.M.
Dec 07– Wednesday – City of Richardson Siren Test, 12:00 noon http://www.cor.net/EM
Dec 12 - Monday – Monthly Meeting, 6:30 P.M. – Connectors & Coax (Mentoring @ 5:30 P.M.)
Dec 15 – Thursday - VE ham radio license exams, 7:00 P.M., St. Barnabas Presbyterian Church. Call 972.380.2859
Dec 17 – Saturday – Breakfast at Southern Recipes, 621 W. Plano Parkway, Suite 229, Plano – 8:00 A.M.
Dec 17 – Saturday - Raspberry Pi Group, 10:00 A.M., UTD Campus ECSS 2.410
Dec 19 – Monday – Richardson RACES Net, 9:00 P.M.
Jan 02 – Monday – Meeting on the Air, 7:30 P.M.
Jan 02 – Monday – Richardson RACES Net, 9:00 P.M.
Jan 04– Wednesday – City of Richardson Siren Test, 12:00 noon http://www.cor.net/EM
Jan 09 - Monday – Monthly Meeting, 6:30 P.M. – President's Dinner & Recognitions
Jan 16 – Monday – Richardson RACES Net, 9:00 P.M. Jan 19 – Thursday - VE ham radio license exams, 7:00 P.M., St. Barnabas Presbyterian Church. Call 972.380.2859
Jan 21 – Saturday – Breakfast at: Southern Recipes, 621 W. Plano Parkway, Suite 229, Plano – 8:00 A.M.
Jan 21 – Saturday - Raspberry Pi Group, 10:00 A.M., UTD Campus ECSS 2.410
Now, two good reasons to renew your RWK membership before year-end!
1. Attached is a simplified Dues Renewal form. For renewing members, only the fields in RED are required.
Members should print out form and bring it and payment to our next meeting already filled out to save time.
2. The President's Dinner will be held on Monday, January 9. All members who have prepaid 2017 dues by
December 31, 2016 will receive one EXTRA TICKET for the great Door Prize drawing.
Click link for dues renewal: http://k5rwk.org/rwk01/attachments/article/15/RWK%20Dues%20Renewal4.pdf
Need help getting a ham license? Getting on the air? Trying something new?
The Richardson Wireless Klub (RWK) donated to the Richardson Public Library a set of books to study for the Technician License. In addition, there are handbooks on various facets of ham radio operations. Look on the third floor in reference category 621.384.
RWK has “loaner” HF and VHF transceivers available for short-term use by newly licensed RWK members. For more information, contact Dick Morgan ([email protected] or 972.931.7993).
RWK offers informal Mentoring sessions prior to the Klub’s regular monthly meetings. Arrive at 5:30 P.M. to get answers to your ham questions and issues. "Elmer" is the term used to identify a mentor for amateur radio. RWK members act as local “Elmers” to new hams or to existing members exploring new modes or interests. If you could use some help, just let us know. We will put you together with one of our ‘old hands’ to help get you going. We may soon offer group mentoring to Technician licensees who want to upgrade to General, but have questions about certain portions of the General Class test. Meanwhile, here is a good online site with lots of references, self-study guides and video. http://www.hamelmer.com/.
You will find interactive practice license exams online at the following websites: http://qrz.com/ht/, or http://www.eham.net/exams/. When you can consistently get a 90% or better on practice exams, you are ready to take the real exam from any local club’s Volunteer Examiner team. You can check for exam locations, dates, and times at http://www.arrl.org/exam_sessions/search.
P.S. RWK offers exam sessions on the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 P.M. For more info or to reserve your seat, call Bill Owens at 972.380.2859 or email [email protected] Alert! Alert! almost 40% of RWK’s membership could upgrade their license class!
CLICK HERE: to go directly to ARRL’s booklet, “Practical Radio Applications for New Technician Licensees.”
K5RWK VE Ham Exam sessions – Monthly Progress Report The Richardson Wireless Klub holds license exam sessions on the third Thursday evening each month, starting at 7:00 P.M. We examined one candidate in October and administered two tests. The exams produced a brand new
Technician class licensee. Great job by all VEs who assisted. P.S. If you read this, and you are the first RWK member to call me at 972.931.7993, you will win a free raffle ticket at our November 14, 2016 meeting!
If you know someone who might like to become a ham, please tell him/her about the RWK VE program. Our VE testing project also has produced quite a few new RWK members. We're anxious to help new hams learn and enjoy!
Interested in helping with VE testing? An open book orientation exam for Volunteer Examiners is all it takes to receive ARRL accreditation. If you are a General, Advanced, or Extra Class, why not get your accreditation? For more information, contact Bill Owens at 972.380.2859 or email [email protected].
RWK Wednesday lunch bunch The RWK lunch bunch meets each Wednesday at noon at Sonny Bryan's BBQ on West Campbell Rd. two blocks East of Coit Rd. All are invited to enjoy the benefit of a lot of "eyeball QSOs." NOTE: On the first Wednesday of the month, RWK helps the City of Richardson conduct siren tests, so lunch is delayed until around 1:00 P.M. Of course, members of other ham clubs and guests are very welcome to join in the fun and fellowship!
Just for fun, since you’ve read this far Random thoughts and questions to ponder...
> Drive an engineer insane. Tie him to a chair, stand in front of him and fold up a road map the wrong way! > If procrastinators had a club, would they ever have a meeting? > For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program. > Why is it that night falls, but day breaks? > Middle age is when broadness of mind and narrowness of waist tend to change places. > The politician says, "Those are my firm principles, but if you don't like them...well I have others. > There's no middle ground with that guy...you either hate him or detest him! > Studies show that 100% of those who advocate abortion are people who have already been born. > If all the nations in the world are deeply in debt, where did all that money go? > Yesterday, I let my mind wander and it never came back. > Where are we going? And, what's with this fancy hand basket? > A horror to contemplate: in about 40 years, we'll have thousands of old ladies with tattoos. > Seat belts are not nearly as confining as wheel chairs! > No matter what goes wrong, there's always someone who knew it would.
Note: answers shown next to the RWK copyright notice below
RWK members to provide communications for Christmas Parade
K5RWK, along with other local area hams will again provide communication services to the City of Richardson during the City's annual Christmas Parade scheduled for Saturday, December 3, 2016.
Hams interested in volunteering to work the parade can sign up at our November meeting, or e-mail Birl Smith, Parade Communications Coordinator at [email protected].
Newly licensed hams are most welcome to participate. Working a parade route is a great introduction to the effective use of your hand-held transceiver as part of an event network. Experienced hams stand ready to assist new volunteers and work side by side to give City's staff instant communications all along the parade route. Copyright 2016, Richardson Wireless Klub K5RWK, Box 830232, Richardson, TX 75083. Answer to Extra Class Question: C Trivia Quiz: 4
HAM TRIVIA QUIZ
When there are three VEs conducting an
license exam session, who is responsible
for supervising the candidates?
1. The VE Liaison for the session. 2. The most senior licensed VE 3. Two out of three VEs to be legal 4. All three VEs equally responsible
From the Extra Class Question Pool Which of the following is often determined using a Smith Chart?
A. Beam headings and radiation patterns
B Satellite azimuth and elevation bearings
C. Impedance and SWR values in transmission lines
D. Trigonometric functions
From a recent A.R.R.L. QST Survey?
How many spare batteries do you have for your FM handheld transceiver? One = 27% Two = 19%
More than two = 18% None = 25%
I don't own a FM HT = 11%
Yes, VHF = 15% Yes UHF = 1% Yes, both = 7%
No = 77%
Donation made to RWK's VE exam program
Bill Owens, VE Program Director, and the RWK board of directors express their gratitude to Joey White-Smith KG5MKQ for his generous donation of $200 exclusively for the benefit of future amateur radio license candidates taking the Element 2 Technician Class examination.
Joey is a recent member of RWK, having joined in April 2016. He is a full time student at the University of Texas at Dallas, pursuing a degree in electrical engineering. Joey's home base is in Hewitt, Texas, South of Waco. He is also an active member of the UT-Dallas Radio Club, K5UTD.
Joey received the $200 from another RWK member, who was very grateful for Joey's voluntary help and insisted on paying him. Joey, in turn, decided that rather than keep the payment, he would donate it to RWK, specifically to provide a little extra help and encouragement to future amateur radio technician license candidates.
Several RWK members got to know Joey through his ARRL Field Day participation last June. He also has become a regular attendee at our monthly meetings. Thanks, Joey, for taking a proactive role in growing our amateur radio ranks!
Hear how you sound on the air using the K5RWK 411 system
1. Set your 2 meter transceiver to 147.120 MHz, the K5RWK repeater frequency (CTCSS tone 110.9 Hz). 2. Key your Push-To-Talk mike button and hold it in as you punch in 411. 3. Release the PTT and listen for the response from our repeater (--- -.-), 'OK' in Morse code. 4. Key your PTT mike button again and speak a short message in your normal voice. 5. Release PTT and listen to the message you just recorded played back to you through our repeater. 6. If you do not hear your message, go back and actually read the above steps! It really does work.
Dallas NBEMS Learning Net - a hiatus for now
The Dallas NBEMS Learning Net (DNLN) has been in a state of inactivity since last Spring when our summer break began. If anyone wants to restart it, either in our traditional format or in an expanded or modified format, I will participate and fully support but, not lead it. Since early 2012, the DNLN has provided the opportunity for us to build our digital operating skills using the amazingly versatile and capable FLDIGI suite of software programs and, more importantly, to build strong relationships based on courtesy, mutual trust, and respect -- in my opinion, the best qualities of the amateur radio service. In the bargain, we have also had a lot of fun! Regardless of the ultimate fate of our DNLN, we should all be grateful to the Richardson Wireless Klub for its generosity in allowing the pioneering DNLN to be conducted on its repeaters.
73, Paul Newman KA5YTW
Foundations of Amateur Radio - "Radio Amateur...the local lunatic"
There are things that surprise me about this amazing hobby of Amateur Radio every day.
One thing that is not a surprise is that some part of the general public thinks that I'm
crazy, a lunatic, or worse, someone or something to be feared.
Picture this.
My car is parked in a car-park, next to some bush-land. Behind the car is a 12m fibre-
glass squid-pole with a delta-loop hanging off it. The car-doors are open, it's a warm
day, and I'm sitting in the driver's seat with a good friend coaching from the passenger
side.
I'm calling CQ and trying to figure out if this antenna works.
Cue, Isobelle, she's the local ranger for the park we're in. She pulls up in her truck
and comes out with "So, what's going on here then?"
We explain that we're radio amateurs and that we're testing an antenna. She tells us that
someone has seen us, phoned it into the ranger and she's been tasked to come out and
check.
We'd been set-up for all of 15 minutes.
Two days later, I'm in my local park, 2 minutes walk from my home, trying to see if the
delta-loop will reduce some of the RF noise I get at home. I've brought along a fishing
rod, some guy wires, walked around the park, found a suitable tree, unpacked my stuff,
cast a sinker across the tree, hoisted up the delta-loop, secured it to a nearby fence
and strapped the feed point to the tree with some webbing.
I'm sitting on the ground with my radio, having a fine chat with a fellow amateur when
two likely lads walk up in ranger uniforms. I tell my fellow amateur that I've got to go,
as I have two visitors. We finish up and I ask, "Hello, how can I help you?"
One ranger tells me that they have had a report from a neighbour who told them that there
was this lunatic putting ropes in trees and doing weird stuff. He goes on to tell me that
he's quite disappointed to see the actuality of a radio amateur setting up an antenna.
Seems our ranger was in the emergency services in a prior life and has some experience
with HF wire antennae.
They have a look around to make sure that it's not unsafe and that I've not damaged any
trees and finish off with wishing me a great day.
I learned two things from this. Expect to be noticed and think about how the public might
interact with what you're doing. Also, be mindful of public safety, ensure that your
setup isn't a health hazard to someone.
So, those are my lunatic amateur stories, what stories do you have to tell? Drop me a
line and let me know.
I'm Onno Benschop VK6FLAB (Look him up on QRZ.com for the remainder of his interesting biography)
Editor's note: Look for future Foundations of Amateur Radio in the Chawed Rag. Thanks to Onno Benschop for his permission to include some of his articles in the Chawed Rag. Have you set some ham radio goals for yourself this year...for the next twelve months? Maybe, you will find new ways to be more active in RWK!
