Tuesday, August 30, 2011

WIRED VERTICAL ANTENNAS

WIRED VERTICAL ANTENNAS
160 METER VERTICAL "T" ANTENNA



This Antenna Is Taken From A Time Proven Design. Constructed From durable,UV Resistant Parallel Feed Line(300 Ohm) And #14 Double Coated Stranded,Insulated COPPER Wire, This Antenna Performs Extremely Well On 160 Meters Because Of its Low Angle Of Radiation. This Is An Excellent Dx Antenna! You have the optional to place a matching device at the end of the 300 ohm line(the base of the antenna) or simply use the tuner in the shack which should be sufficient for matching the coax to the antenna. An interesting note is it will Not be Necessary To Have An Extensive Wire Radial System Under The Antenna. The more the better however. As few as 4-10 1/4 Wave Radials Should Be Sufficient To Make The Antenna Really "Sing"!!!! With my modest Modest Wire Counterpoise (12 1/8th Wave Wire Radials) I Have Observed That This Antenna Is As Reliable For DX Work As My 5/16ths Wave "L", And Appears To Be 3 to 4 S Units Quieter Than The "L". This Would Probably Be an Asset In An Urban Setting. Less Noise Pick Up. This Antenna Will Do A Good Job On the The 160 Meter Band.

Another more conventional Configuration Of This Antenna Consists of #14 stranded,insulated copper wire constructed to the same specifications as the balanced feedline version. The advantage of this model is that it is not necessary to have a tuning or matching device at the base of the antenna. Matching can be accomplished by either of the previously mentioned methods. It can be easily fed with 50 ohm coax at the base of the antenna as the impedence is about 30 ohms. The mismatch can easily increased to around 50 ohms by adding a radial system or counterpoise under the antenna and then matched by a tuner in the shack.

60-10 METER DOUBLET/VERTICAL "T" ANTENNA


Standard Doublet/Vertical "T" with Switch Box
Multi Wire Vertical "T"

I am happy to announce the introduction of a brand new antenna to the K4TR line of antennas. The "K4TR All-band 160-10 meter Doublet/Verical "T" antenna". This antenna has been field test by myself as well as NZ4O with great results. The focus was to construct an antenna which would work on all bands reasonably well, and would fill the need of amateur operators to have "TWO" antennas(switchable from the shack) for 160 meters. One Horizontally polarized for distances up 1000 miles(local rag chewing) and one vertically polarized with a low Take Off angle to work DX in excess of the 1000 mile mark. After more than year in the development stage and exhaustive field testing, the antenna has arrived that will fill all of these requirements. If you are looking for a really versitile antenna and have the space to put up a 60 to 70 foot vertical radiator, this is the antenna for you. The short technical description of the antenna is that antenna functions as a vertically polarized top loaded "T" when the shack activated relay is engaged and loaded up against a modest radial field (I use 36 1/8 wave radials). Deactivated the antenna becomes a horizontally polarized ladder line fed doublet for use on 160-10 meters. This is a very valuable tool, particularly on the 160 meter band. To date my log is full of contacts with Europe on SSB as well as CW, Australia,South America and Oceania, the Ural and Caspian Sea area of Russia and finally the Middle East (Turkey,Isreal and Cyprus). The antenna is constructed of the finest double coated UV resistant #14 stranded copper wire, heavy duty 300 ohm UV resistant ladder line, the K4TR Center insulator & Coax to Ladder Line connector, high quility coax connectors, relays, sockets, Zinc coated hardware and enclosures. The clickable link below will give you an idea of how the antenna functions. The switching unit is available seperatly and can be ordered below. Any other questions should be directed to to my email address listed at the beginning of this website. This is the antenna you all have been waiting for!! Get on the 160 meter band and have a really competative signal with all those so called "big guns"without the need for a high power linear in many cases!!!!! Don't let this band be a mystery any longer !!!!! Find out what you have been missing all your amateur career!! Come join us on the Band and get a multi band antenna as well all in one really neat affordable package. As all the fine K4TR products, this antenna comes with a 1 yr warantee for workmanship any other damage will be evaluated on a case by case basis.

160/80 METER INVERTED "L" ANTENNA


Great way to get on the 160 meter band (or 80 meters) and start working the Dx. This classic antenna consists of a 1/4 wave(130 feet) length radiator and is connected to radials laid out on the ground or even buried under the ground. The radials can either be 1/4 wave length long or as short as an 1/8th wave length long. both will work well. This antenna is the easiest and most convenient way to discover the mysteries of the 160 meter band! I have have used this type of antenna in the past and found it to be a very good performer both locally and with dx contacts as well. Come join in on the fun on the 160 meters or even 80 meters!
3 WIRE "K4TR BOBTAIL CURTAIN" VERTICAL ANTENNA
(MADE TO ORDER)

The Bobtail Curtain is an excellent low angle radiator having broadside bidrectional characteristics. This antenna system uses the principle of co-phased verticals to produce the above mentioned pattern and provides (depending on who's book you read) 5/6db of gain over a dipole. The antenna performs as three phased top loaded verticals a quarter length wave high and spaced a half wave length apart. It is most effective for low angle signals and makes an excellent long-distance antenna for either 3.5 or 7 mhz. In order to have this antenna work to it's maximum an antenna tuner is a must at the feed point of the center vertical element. If this does not present a problem and if you have the space this is the primier DX antenna for 40 and 75 meters!!!!!!! We are not limited to only 40/75 meter versions of this antenna. We now offer a complete line of Bobtail Curtain antennas 80 through 10 meters as well. We now offer another configuration that is fed in the upper corner with 50 ohm coax. The advantage of this arrangement is the user does not not need a parrelel tuner at the base of the center element. The coax is then run to a standard tuner inside the shack. The need for an extensive radial field is no longer manditory. A standard ground connection shack is all that is necessary. I have to add that I have not tried this configuration and have no first hand knowledge about how well it works, but feedback from a recent customer tells how this configuration worked very well for him. Additionally this configuration models out quite well with the EZNEC computer program, so there should be no problem with the antenna. Either configuration is a great choice for a "Kick ass Low Frequency DX Antenna" . I have included two diagrams via the links below for a visual idea of the two configurations.

HALF SQUARE PHASED 2 WIRE ARRAY


Gain 3.1-3.75 db Over Single Vertical With A Low Angle (21 Deg DX) Broadside Bidirectional Radiation Pattern If Mounted 1/4 Wavelength Off Of Ground. A great QRP Antenna!!!

160 METER "UMBRELLA" ANTENNA


This Antenna Is Taken From Another Time Proven Design. Constructed From durable,UV Resistant #14 Double Coated Stranded,Isulated COPPER Wire, This Antenna Performs Extremely Well On 160 Meters Because Of its Low Angle Of Radiation (Computed At 24 deg TO Angle According to the EZNEC 3 Computer Program). With The Radiation Resistance in Excess of 50 Ohms, This Is An Excellent Dx Antenna! It Will Be Necessary To Have A Tuning Device To Tune The Antenna To The Lowest Swr, Either At The Base Of The Antenna Or In The Shack. A Plus However Is That It Is Not Necessary To Have An Extensive Wire Radial System Under The Antenna. 4-10 1/4 Wave Radials (not supplied) Should Be Sufficient ( Although the more the merrier!) To Make The Antenna Really "Sing"!!!! The Antenna Is Configured With a 65 Foot Vertical Radiator With 3 65 Foot Diagonal Wires Spaced 120 deg Apart. NZ4O Indicates The "Umbrella" Is a Real "Kick Ass" Antenna on 160 Meters. If You Have A spot 60 To 70 Feet Tall This is Definately The Antenna For You!!

5/16th WAVE WIRE "L" ANTENNA


This Antenna Is A Solid Performer On DX And Ragchewing. It Has A High Radiation Resistance And Therefore Is Very Efficient. It Can Be Tuned With Either A Parallel Network Or A Conventional "T" Network Antenna Tuner. It Can Be Installed On A Typical 1/4 Acre Suburban Lot.
Read more...

WIRED HORIZONTAL ANTENNAS

WIRED HORIZONTAL ANTENNAS

SIMPLE 1/2 WAVE WIRE DIPOLE


Gain 2.14 dbi (i=Isotropic Radiator) Or Gain 0 dbd With Broadside Bidirectional Low Angle Radiation (DX) Pattern If Mounted 1/2 Wavelength Off Of Ground, A Higher Angle (RAG CHEW AND SOME DX) If Mounted 1/4 Wavelength Off Of Ground, A High Angle Cloud Warmer (RAG CHEW) If Mounted Less Then 1/4 Wavelength Off Of The Ground.

THE ORIGINAL "W5GI MYSTERY ANTENNA" TM "


The W5GI Multiband 80-6m Mystery Antenna

A multiband wire antenna that performs exceptionally well even though it confounds antenna modeling software... The design of the Mystery antenna was inspired by an article written by James E. Taylor, W2OZH, in which he described a low profile collinear coaxial array. This antenna covers 80 to 6 meters with low feed point impedance and will work with most radios, with or without an antenna tuner. It is approximately 100 feet long, can handle the legal limit. It’s similar to a G5RV but a much better performer especially on 20 meters. The W5GI Mystery antenna, erected at various heights and configurations, is currently being used by thousands of amateurs throughout the world. Feedback from users indicates that the antenna has met or exceeded all performance criteria. The “mystery” part of the antenna comes from the fact that it is difficult, if not impossible, to model and explain why the antenna works as well as it does. The antenna is especially well suited to hams who are unable to erect towers and rotating arrays. All that's needed is two vertical supports (trees work well) about 100 feet apart to permit installation of wire antennas at about 25 feet above ground. The W5GI Multiband Mystery Antenna is a fundamentally a collinear antenna comprising three half waves in-phase on 20 meters with a half-wave 20 meter line transformer. It may sound and looks like a G5RV but it is a substantially different antenna on 20 meters. Louis Varney’s antenna, although three half waves long, was an out-of-phase aerial. Mr. Varney had two specific reasons for selecting a 3 half waves on 20... he wanted a four-lobe radiation pattern, at least unity gain and a low feed point impedance. The Mystery Antenna, on the other hand, presents a six-lobe pattern on 20 meters, gain broadside to the antenna, and also low feed point impedance to simplify matching the antenna to the rig. Additionally, the Mystery antenna is designed to work at least as well, on the other HF bands as a G5RV. In short, the Mystery antenna is a sky wire that incorporates the advantages of a 3 element collinear and the G5RV antenna. In its standard configuration, a collinear antenna uses phase reversing stubs added at the ends of a center fed dipole. These stubs put the instantaneous RF current in the end elements in phase with that in the center element. In addition I am happy to announce we now offer the 75 ohm line isolator/quarter wave matching section of coax which W5GI recommends to flatten out the swr on 20 meters. This is a handy accessory if you plan on doing a lot of 20 meter work with the antenna. It enables the user to load the antenna without an antenna tuner. The swr is usually very close to 1:1 over a large portion of the 20m band. It connect between the 300 ohm line and the coax that goes to transmitter and has no effect on any other band.

FOLDED DIPOLE


We are now proud to offer the classic Folded Dipole for use on 40 or 80 Meters. These well constructed antennas are excellent performers on which ever band that you choose. Each is contructed from High quality 300 ohm transmit ladderline NOT the flimsy TV wire that has been commonly used by others in the past. Other components consist of schedual #40 PVC and galvanized steel eye screws. Each antenna comes with soldering lugs installed at the end of the feedline for easy connection to a balun or your antenna tuning unit. This is an excellent way to high performance on a single band AND a little wider band coverage than with a single band dipole!! So what are you waiting for? Have that big signal that you have always wanted on the band.

DOUBLE EXTENDED ZEPP WIRE DOUBLET
(MADE TO ORDER)

Gain 3 db Over A Simple Dipole With A Low Angle (DX) Narrow Beam like Broadside Bidirectional Radiation Pattern If Mounted 1/2 Or 1/4 Wavelength Off Of Ground. This Antenna Comes With A Short Length Of Parallel Feed Line (cut for a specific frequency),K4TR Center Insulator, A 3M Ladderline To Coax Coupling Device(registered trademark), End Insulators, Details For Construction Of A Coaxial Choke Balun, And High Quality Stranded Copper Wire (not copperweld). All That Is Left Is To Connect The Feedline To The Antenna Tuner In The Shack And You Will Be Ready To Transmit On The Band The Antenna Was Selected For. It Must Be Emphasized That The DEZ-40L Antenna, With The Short Run Of Parallel Feedline And Choke Balun, Can Be Used In A Multiband Configuration. However Care Must Be Taken During The Tune Up Procedure As Extremly High Voltages Can Develope During Off Band Operations!!! It Is Highly Recommended That If The DEZ-L Models Of This Antenna Are To Be Used For Multiband Operation, A Balanced Antenna Tuning Network Be Used Connected Directly To Short Run Of Balanced Feedline Or To A Bulun And A Short Run Of Coax To Insure Best Results.

HALF WAVE END FED ZEPP ANTENNA


This Classic Antenna Consists Of A 125 Foot End Fed Flat Top Wire With 50 Feet Of Parallel Feed Line. Excellent Antenna For Places Where A Centered Fed Dipole Is Not Practical. This Antenna Can Also Be Used With A Conventional "T" antenna Tuner. No Special Equipment To Purchase Or Construct. Just Put Up, Hook It Up To Your Parallel Output Of your Current Antenna Tuner And Begin Working Your Friends On The Band! For those who do not have space to erect a full size Zepp, we offer a half size version that also tunes 80-10 meters. Just 66 feet in length and 30 feet of 300 ohm ladder line to a tuner will give a respectable signal out on all the amateur bands 40-10 meters.

OFF-CENTER FED "CLASSIC WINDOM WIRE" 80-10 METERS

A Multiband Antenna That Enjoyed Considerable Popularity in The 1930's was Named for the Amateur Who Wrote a Comprehensive Article About It. The Antenna Consists Of A Half Wave Length Antenna on the Lowest Frequencey to Used, With a "Single Wire Feeder" Connected Off Center. The Antenna will Operate on the even Harmonic Frequencies, and Thus the Single Antenna Can be made to Serve on The 80-10 Meters Bands. The Single Wire Feeder Shows an Impedence of Approximately 600 Ohms to Ground, and Since The The Return is Through The Earth, a "Good Ground Connection" is Important to The Effective Operation of This Antenna. The Second Requirement is an External Antenna Tuner to match The SWR to The 50 ohm Output Of the Modern Transceivers. We Offer another Model of the off center fed antenna which Uses 300 ohm 1KW Rated Ladder line Instead of a Single Wire Feedline Attached To The Balanced Output Of The Antenna Tuner. This antenna is Configured Exactly the same as Our Other Model Just a Different Feed System and The Neccessity For "good" Ground system" Is Not High On The List of Required Elements To make The Antenna Work well. Either Antenna Is A good Choice For Multiband Operation. You Should Be Pleasantly SSurprised At Just How Well This Antenna works.

G5RV MULTIBAND (80-10) DOUBLET


We Use 102 Feet Of #14 Stranded Wire For the Flat Top And "Are Proud To Announce The Upgrade To A 30 Foot Section Of 300 Ohm 1kw Ladder Line" For The Tuning Stub. No BALUN Is Used As A BALUN Dramatically Reduces All Band Operation And Transmit Efficiency. This Very Popular Antenna Has A Broadside Bidirectional Low Angle Radiation (DX) Pattern If Mounted 1/2 Wavelength Off Of Ground At Lowest Operating Frequency, A Higher Angle (RAG CHEW AND SOME DX) If Mounted 1/4 Wavelength Off Of Ground, A High Angle Cloud Warmer (RAG CHEW) If Mounted Less Then 1/4 Wavelength Off Of The Ground. For Those Amateurs Who Have Limited Space And Still What To Get On The Some Of The Lower Frequency Bands A Half Size Junior Model Is Now Available. Made To The Same High Standards As The Full Size G5RV Except That The Total Size Of The Flat-top Portion Is Only 52ft!! Great For A Small City Lot In "1/4 Acreville". We Also Stock The 160 meter Version Of This Antenna Which Has a 204 ft Flat-Top Portion. This Antenna Like All The Larger Antenna's Are Made To Order And Are Shipped Very Soon After Payment Is Recieved.

G5RV WARC MULTIBAND 30/12 meter Dipole

This New Item Was Designed To Be Used On The WARC Bands 30-12 Meters. This Antenna Was Designed And Constructed Keeping In Mind The High Standards Of Quality And Durability That All Our K4TR Products Must Meet. Centered On The 17 meter Band, We Use 77 Feet Of #14 Stranded Wire For the Flat Top And 15 Feet Of 300 Ohm Twin Lead For The Tuning Stub. This Antenna Will Tune On The Other Bands In Between The WARC Frequencies But This Fuctions The Best On Its Designed Bands. Other Than These Design Changes The Antenna Now Becomes A Member Of The Family Of Fine D&G Products!!!!

FULL WAVE LOOP


This made to order classic antenna is a superb performer. I can be constructed as a single band antenna fed with coax or a multiband antenna feed with kilowatt ladder line. Either configuration would be a great addition to your "antenna farm". Feedback from some of my customer report that this antenna has an extremley low noise pick up on the lower frequencies ande is excellent performer on the upper frequencies for Dx. The choice is yours. Either the multiband version or the single band version would be a great choice.

MULTIBAND 1/2 WAVE WIRE DIPOLE

Classical dipole design with multiple elements that allows two band operation. Each antenna is a full electrical half wave one each band. Made of the same high qulity materials as the regular D&G Dipole Antennas and can be fed with maximum legal power. The only difference is there are two more elements. Either choose an antenna from the list below or choose your own band combination. Either way you will enjoy many hours of operation on each amateur band.
Read more...

Saturday, August 20, 2011

International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend

International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend




AN ANNUAL AMATEUR RADIO WEEKEND EVENT.
CONDUCTED UNDER THE SPONSORSHIP OF THE AYR AMATEUR RADIO GROUP, (AARG), SCOTLAND.

HELD ON THE THIRD FULL WEEKEND IN AUGUST.

WEBSITE MAINTAINED BY EVENT ORGANIZER KEVIN, VK2CE.
This year: 20-21 August 2011 - Duration 48 hours
Next Year: 18-19 August 2012 - Duration 48 hours



Welcome to the web site for the ILLW. This annual amateur radio event was started in Scotland in 1995 by the late Mike Dalrymple (GM4SUC) and other members of Ayr Amateur Radio Group (AARG). Today the group is committed to the longterm ownership, development, administration and non-commercial operation of the event on behalf of the world-wide radio amateur community. Through its efforts in these areas AARG hopes to ensure that the ILLW and Mike's dream (of a premier international goodwill event) shall continue for many years in a truly amateur environment. The fact that some 85 countries have been represented in this event since inception clearly shows that this goal has been well and truly achieved.

The event came into being from the Scottish Northern Lighthouses Award Weekend first held in 1994. See also the AARG web site for further history and here for the original ILLW web site and 1998 list by Bob Dixon, GM3ZDH. Over the past 15 years it has continued to grow. To date more than 450 lighthouses and Lightships in some 50 countries around the world have participated in the event.

The event is always held on the 3rd full weekend in August starting at 0001 UTC on Saturday and finishing at 2359 UTC on Sunday. It also coincides on the Sunday with International Lighthouse Day an event organised by the International Association of Lighthouse Keepers whereby many world lighthouses are open to the public for the day.

PURPOSE

The basic objective of the event is to promote public awareness of lighthouses and lightships and their need for preservation and restoration, and at the same time to promote amateur radio and to foster International goodwill. Lighthouses are fast becoming an endagered species with the introduction of Global Positioning Systems and Satellite Navigation and the automation of the light source to solar power which has resulted in the withdrawal of mangement personnel (Keepers). It is hoped that this event will highlight this situation and help prevent further desecration of these magnificent structures all around the world.

So come and join us in the fun of the weekend, establish a station at a lighthouse, lightship or maritime beacon. The more the merrier. If you decide to join us in the fun just fill in the official online entry form with your details. This will enable other stations to be aware of who is participating in the event. You may also send you entry, or any questions regarding the rules, via the "Contact Us" link in the main menu.

ILLW LOGO

The logo appearing at the top of the ILLW.net web pages is a registered Trade Mark. It may only be used with the approval of the owners of the Trade Mark. Generally speaking, the ILLW.net entrants may use the logo without express written permission on their web sites, QSL cards or certificates as this usage is within the spirit of the event and to its benefit. For other uses, contact the Trade Mark owner through the "Contact Us" link.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

The sponsors of the ILLW, the Ayr Amateur Radio Group Scotland, would like to thank all entrants for their loyalty and support of this web site and the fact that they have lodged entries via the official online entry form. We hope you have a very enjoyable weekend and we look forward to your participation next year.

It has come to our notice that there is confusing information on certain other web sites relating to the timing and duration of a similarly titled event. The ILLW is and always has been held on the third full weekend in August since inception in 1995. It is NOT a contest nor does it run for a week. If you have received email soliciting your participation in an event/contest purporting to be the ILLW, please be advised that it did not originate from the Ayr Group or anyone associated with the ILLW.

See where the lighthouses are located with Google Earth. Click on the download button for the file.
You will need Google Earth (free) to view the file.download here.

THE ILLW MANAGEMENT TEAM

Sponsors: The Ayr Amateur Radio Group, Scotland.

Event Organizer and Webmaster: Kevin VK2CE

Lighthouse List manager: Ted W8TTS

Publicity: Jim VK3PC

Google Earth file creator: Kenneth M1DZT
Read more...

Friday, August 19, 2011

HAM RADIO CELEBRITIES, A LONG LIST

HAM RADIO CELEBRITIES, A LONG LIST





On the 16th of August, Italian amateur radio operators commemorate the life of Francesco Cossiga, I0FCG, who passed away about a year ago. The deceased former President of the Republic of Italy was one of many people from institutions or from the world of culture and the arts, passionate about the world of ham radio, others who hold a license and the license itself. Some died, unfortunately, before FCG and therefore aren’t able to make their presence felt on the bands. Others, on the other hand, remain active and offer, from time to time, the opportunity for a QSO, never to be forgotten. In the paragraphs to follow, we will try to recall some of those who have passed on and offer a broad look at those still active, knowing full well that we will not succeed in being completely thorough. Know, in any case, that this topic has been addressed by various websites, while being constantly revised (i.e., The Original Famous Hams and Ex-hams List, edited by N2GJ and W2SG along with a group from Facebook).

Among those silent keys, beyond question, King Hussein of Jordan was the most celebrated of ham operators, with the callsign JY1. His activity was frequent and documented, not only by those who have memories of being contacted by him, but by his QSL card, complete with a royal seal, safely kept and proudly displayed by many OMs. Similar to the case of the Jordanian ruler is that of Rajiv Ghandi, Indian Prime Minister who fell victim to the act of an assassin on 21 March 1991. His call was VU2RG (in use today by a radio club in his memory) and this page offers an autobiography and allows one to see, among other things, his QSL card and his license. It should also be pointed out that his wife, Italian Sonia Ghandi, was also his companion: VU2SON.

The list of statesmen who have warmed the airwaves would then necessarily include JI1KIT, Keizo Obuchi, the 84th Japanese Prime Minister, having died 14 May, 2000, at the age of 72. “It’s said that I am a person of ordinary means – he explains in an interview. I just want people to know that I am a man that does that which must be done.” A reflection that goes well beyond any political appraisal, but well with the spirit which should inspire a radio amateur.

Now, turning to American politics, it’s impossible not to mention Barry Goldwater, who during the sixties ran for the White House. Licensed during the twenties, he had multiple callsigns, 6BPI, K3UIG and K7UGA. The last one is now in use by a radio club in Arizona in honor of his memory. His commitment and support of amateur radio was significant: during the years of the war in Vietnam, he came up with the first organizational plan for MARS (Military Affiliate Radio System), giving numerous soldiers the opportunity to speak with their families at home. Additionally, from 1969 right up to his death (in 1998 at 89), he appeared in numerous widely distributed videos through the ARRL. The first was “The World of Amateur Radio,” produced by Dave Bell (W6AQ) in which Goldwater gave a demonstration of a contact with Antarctica.

Moving on now to individuals in entertainment, is the emblematic figure of Marlon Brando. Not so well known outside of the amateur community is the fact is that the celebrated American actor is a two-time Oscar winner. Known by the pseudonym Martin Brandeaux (you’ll find all this on the pages of QRZ.com), having had two callsigns: one American, KE6PZH, and the other ticket for his private island in French Polynesia, FO5GJ. In 1994 in the celebrity interview conducted on Larry King Live, an icon of CNN with the unmistakeable red suspenders, the actor confirmed, among other things, his passion for radio.



The list, especially among Americans would be long. We want, in any event, to mention: W1AW, Hiram Percy Maxim (SK 1936, amateur radio pioneer and among the founders of the American Radio Relay League); Walter “Pee Wee” Hunt (died in 1979), respected jazz trombonist and vocalist; W1UHI, Earnest Wheatley (1993, honored with the title of “longest living American ham”, conferred at the age of 106); W1ZE, Irving Vermilya (1964, first OM licensed in the USA as documented in this article); W2ALS, Frank Gunther (1999, gave impetus to the unparalleled development of VHF, installing the first mobile radio network used by the police); K2GL, Hazard E. Reeves (1986 inventor of the stereophonic system in use by movie theatres); Walter Kronkite, KB2SGD, 2009 celebrity television correspondent from CBS Television; Winthrop M. Leeds (1998, inventor which patented some 100 inventions); Katashi Nose, KH6IJ (a name which still lights up the eyes of American DXers from the “old guard,” popular among contesters for his mastery of CW. His call is now assigned to his daughter Frances); and we certainly can’t forget Ambrogio Fogar, I2NSF, sole navigator /MM on board the “Surprise” (went missing in 2005); and VE2AHZ/VK2AHZ, Robert W. Lane, credited for being “the father of country music in Texas,” having died in 1983 at the age of 66, having composed and copyrighted some 300 songs.

Above all, however, we can’t help but remember Polish Franciscan Maximilian Maria Kolbe. Beatified in 1971, he was proclaimed a saint by John Paul II in 1982 and is the patron saint of all radio amateurs throughout the world. He acquired a license in 1938 and was active for a few years with the call SP3RN. In 1941 he offered to take the place of the father of a family who had been ordered to the “starvation bunker” in the Auschwitz concentration camp, where he perished.

With the list of “celebrity hams” still active, it’s impossible not to mention EA0JC, King Juan Carlos of Spain (here’s his QSL, now managed by URE (Union of Radio Amateurs of Spain) for QSOs made by specially operated stations in towns visited by the King, as the sovereign himself has been silent since the death of JY1), and then move right on to HS1A, the King of Thailand, Bhumipol Adulayadej and his natural heir to the throne, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, HS1D. Carlos Saul Menem, President of the Republic of Argentina during the ten year period 1989-1999 has been known by the call LU1SM. Of course, you can’t miss checking out a confirmed QSO with this distinguished colleague.

There are also many sovereigns in the Middle East with a passion for ham radio. Here’s the biography of 9K2CS, Prince Yousuf al Sabah of Kuwait. From the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, you may occasionally hear HZ1TA, Prince Talal bin Abdul Aziz al Saud; and HZ1TC, Prince Al Waleed bin Talal, nephew of King Abdullah. And moving on to representatives of the entertainment world, perhaps many do not know that Goran Bregovic was an amateur operator with the call YU4ZU, which, however, is now expired. Still active, on the other hand, is GO0AN, Feargal Sharkey, who found fame as the lead vocalist from the pop punk band “The Undertones.” And let us not forget to mention Eagle band member Joe Walsh, WB6ACU, who is not only known for his legacy with the Eagles, but is well known to many hams through his association with Bob Heil, K9EID of Heil Sound. In Italy there’s a ham radio threesome known as “La Scala.” They are Carlo Camerini, I2CUK, Director of the Palcoscenico of the celebrated milanese theatre, baritone Domenico Giglietti, I2DMH and I2LHZ, celloist.

We conclude with two stories which bring to light, once again, how much ham radio can be helpful in certain situations and have earned the nickname from their admirers, “radio celebrities.” In chronological order, the first, described in detail in this article from the BBC, showing Scottish publicist Les Hamilton, GM3ITN, as he advised England of the invasion of the Falklands by Argentina. In the second, on the other hand, 9K2DZ, Abdul Jabbar Marafie, in August 1990, maintained contact with the rest of the world from Kuwait, having been invaded by the Iraqis, heroic work for which he received the “Humanitarian Award” from the ARRL in 1992.

With numbers being increasingly supportive of the bands, along with their full agendas, it’s not easy to connect with one of these OMs. And however peculiar the callsign, you never know who may respond when calling CQ
Read more...

Thursday, August 11, 2011

DXpedition to Southern Sudan

DXpedition to Southern Sudan





This afternoon, the DX Friends and the Intrepid-DX Group departed Juba and are now resting in Cairo before our long trips home to our respective countries.

We are very excited about how well the ST0R DXpedition went. The DX Friends and the Intrepid-DX Groups worked well together and really enjoyed our three weeks together. We are already talking about our next DXpedition/Adventure!

We are quiet happy that we met our goal of 120,000 QSOs and set a record for RTTY contacts during a new country activation.

We wish to thank all of our donors and supporters. Ordinarily we thank our donors with an individual message, however the Internet in Juba was very unreliable and we were often without any connection to the outside world other than Amateur Radio.

This week, we held another meeting with the Engineering staff of the Ministry of Communications to guide them in their ITU prefix application. We are also providing them with guidance to develop and improve their Amateur Radio program and policies.

Team Co-Leader, Tony-EA5RM is also our QSL Manager. He will also investigate your “busted call” requests, if you email Tony directly.

Here are our final statistics, watch for updates to the ST0R web-page:

121.286 QSO in STØR Database.
27.994 Unique Call signs. 176 DXCC. 40 CQ Zones.
First QSO at 22/07/2011 @ 15:36 | Last QSO at 10/08/2011 @ 07:01

CW: 55.458
SSB: 47.696
RTTY: 18.132 (New world Record)


Read more...

RADIO IN SPACE: IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS SAREX

RADIO IN SPACE: IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS SAREX






With space shuttle Atlantis’ return to earth this past July 21st, an era of space exploration has come to an end.

The 135 missions of the American Space Shuttle Program which have taken place since April of 1981, right up to this year, testify of progress, not indifference to the field of science, having seen a multitude of experiments conducted by astronaut crews in orbit, having played a fundamental role in the assembly of the orbiting space station MIR (from 1986 through 2001) and the International Space Station (from 1998 to present).

Let it not be forgotten, in celebrating the achievements of progress, arrived at under the direction of NASA, the shuttle has also been a valuable vehicle for experimentation of amateur radio technologies. It was the 28th of November, 1983, when Mission STS-9 was launched with “Columbia” (unfortunately lost in the tragic accident of February 1, 2003) as the orbiter. Among the crew present was specialist Owen Garriott. The astronaut, an active ham radio operator when on terra firma, W5LFL, with permission to take his ham gear with him into space, could now exercise his hobby in time remaining from his rigid mission schedule.

By way of information, the rig which was brought aboard the shuttle was a 2 meter Motorola, plus a cavity antenna with a diameter of 60 centimeters which Gariott secured with velcro on the inside of one of the shuttle windows. That station, much like tens of thousands of others on the earth, had not only the effect of an “out of body experience” for many OMs (answering to a CQ launched from space), but consequently allowed for some QSOs which remain truly symbolic to this very day.

In addition to the first response received from earth (originating from WA1JXN, Lance Collister from Frenchtown, Montana), Garriott connected with his mother, also senator Barry Goldwater, the club station of his home town (Enid, Oklahoma), and King Hussein of Jordan, the unforgettable and active holder of the callsign JY1, amongst others. Right up to his death, the sovereign considered his contact with the American astronaut one of the high points of his amateur radio career.

The calls made by Garriott during the days of the mission, with a final log of about 300 contacts, persuaded NASA of the usefulness of intensified experimentation of amateur radio technologies in space. Thus was born the SAREX Program (Space Amateur Radio Experiment), with the ARRL and AMSAT as principal partners of the American aerospace industry. The initiative, above all, was aimed at getting students from schools on earth, connected – on phone or packet – with the astronauts. Clearly, the most obvious purpose was to satisfy the curiosity of children and teens regarding life in space, always a strong element of attraction and fascination of the human existence in general.




An important step forward was accomplished on a second occasion when the shuttle put amateur equipment into orbit. It was the event of the STS-51F mission in 1985 and specialist Tony England, W0ORE, who, working right from the start with a small group of OMs, completed a monumental task. The idea was to put a system in place which didn’t function in simplex mode, as Garriott had done, but to configure it as a repeater by design. The input remained on 2 meters, in order to facilitate terrestrial stations in reaching the spacecraft, while the output was done on 10 meters. This band, in particular, was also used to transmit and receive SSTV. The final log ended up with 130 contacts (including one with a mobile station, which caused quite the stir for that time) and ten images in Slow Scan Television which were successively received on-board the shuttle. The first to appear on the monitor was that which depicted his wife Kathi. This ended up being the first form of television having been received in space.

The shuttle missions which directly involved the SAREX Project, successfully worked these two “experiments” into a total of 23. These activities concluded on-board Columbia in 1999 with mission STS-93. This did not end, however, in a definitive way. Amateur activity which was also sponsored on MIR, had also spawned a growing interest in classroom instruction, with some 200 schools participating at the end of the program, resulting in “cosmic” QSOs. This led NASA, in 1997, to include amateur radio gear in the accouterments which would make up the equipment on the International Space Station (ISS). In fact, the program, as such, has come to be known as ARISS, “Amateur Radio on the International Space Station,” managed by an international team. The development of the amateur station systems was studied in several stages. The first, completed definitively in 2001, saw the astronauts using fairly simple equipment, installed in the “Zarya” module. From that point came the first amateur transmission from the ISS in December of 2000.



The equipment from “Phase 1″ consisted of: two portable Ericsson MP-A radios (for 2 meters and 70 cm); a series of adaptors for power and various connections; an antenna system (two 1/4 wavelength whips); a TNC and headset. In 2002 there was, at that point, enough room for the installation of four antennas in total, designed by the international ARISS team, in order to enable better performance on 2 meters and 70 cm; also HF (with particular reference to 20, 15 and 10 meters); and on the L and S microwave bands. The antennas, called WA1, WA2, WA3 and WA4, were installed during the course of a few “space walks,” which took place in January and August, 2002.

Taking into account the implementation of the second phase, focusing on the improvement of systems by means of superior equipment design, this was realized, on VHF/UHF, with a Kenwood TM-D700. From this new station, located in the service module, with phone capability, packet and SSTV; and alternatively working as a repeater between the stations on ground (the typical uplink is on 145.200, with an output on 145.800, 145.825 if activated as a packet cluster), Italian astronaut Roberto Vittori, IZ6ERU, contacted several Italian schools in April, 2005 during Mission “Aeneid.” In particular, the QSO of 18 April, 2005, with the Marconi Institute of Civitavecchia, was exciting, thanks to the participation of Princess Elettra Marconi, daughter of the discoverer of the properties of radio waves who exclaimed to the astronaut, “my father would be proud of you for this fantastic mission.”

One contact after another, one comes to a recent story, told by the commander of “Expedition 24,” Doug Wheelock, KF5BOC, in a 20 minute video, while he makes various contacts with OMs in North America. And there’s Italian astronaut Paulo Nespoli, IZ0JOPA, who, during his 157 days stationed on the ISS, from November to March of this year, made an impressive series of contacts with schools from Italy. Nespoli broke every record of the ARISS, contacting 45 different schools of learning. Additionally, with unprecedented drive on his part, this resulted in QSOs going beyond the allotted time in the area of education, offering students twice the opportunity to satisfy their curiosity. A willingness to communicate with all has earned formal acknowledgement from the ARISS. Among other things, during Nespoli’s stay on-board, 21 December, 2010 marked the tenth anniversary of the first ARISS contact, with the astronaut ready to festively celebrate the occasion. Almost all of his contacts with earth were subject to video recording and can be seen on AMSAT Italia.

A recent story capably offers literal “magical moments” to young students who remain involved (i.e., have participated in one of the contacts, remaining dumbfounded, like the teachers, as is the case, at the two hours of silence which is breathed into an auditorium where, during days of “normal” instruction, the volume levels of the little ones will vary), these not having been developed without the realization of intuitiveness exercised early on – and the readiness, however rapid, to partner with institutions of learning and the times when we could associate with these fine OMs – Garriott and England. Thus, it’s all of humanity which should say thanks to the Shuttle Program for many reasons, ham radio operators not being indifferent at all to the name “SAREX.”
Read more...

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

DX 101

DX
…What is it?
Just two letters; but these two little letters have excited hundreds of thousands of hams worldwide, launched expeditions to countless exotic locations and been the catalyst for many countries around the world to tear down political barriers and allow their citizens to join the amateur radio community. DX stands for DISTANCE, but DX is a relative term: DX stations might be 2000 miles away on the HF bands, 200 miles on the VHF/UHF bands, or 20 miles at microwave frequencies. Most DXers gained their experience on the HF bands from 160 meters to 10 meters. And, although those bands are what this brochure will concentrate on, all DXers share a common characteristic: the thrill of the chase, and capturing a QSO with someone who is far, far away. For us, it's exciting to snag a new country or new island, or even a new grid square, by digging a callsign and signal report out from behind a wall of noise and interference. There's just something special about snagging a contact with a guy in New Guinea, Japan, Pakistan or Sweden using your own rig and antennas that is hard to beat!


…What do YOU need to work it?
You do not need a big station to work DX. A surprising amount of DX has been worked from modest stations with meager antennas. A basic transceiver and some good dipoles will get you going in DXing. Some NADXC members have gotten to the 300 country level using 5 watts! Build your station as your interest and finances dictate. Adding a little more power or putting up a beam will improve your score, but if that's not in the cards, you can still work a lot of stuff with a minimal station. Concentrate on improving your listening ability and your operating technique; it will pay handsome dividends, especially if you don't have the loudest signal on the band.


…Where Do You Find It?
On the HF (High-Frequency) bands, you'll find DX signals on all modes including SSB, CW, digital (RITTY, Pactor, Amtor, Packet), SSTV(Slow Scan TV) and ATV(Amateur TV), and even FM(but rarely).
For the past several years, during the recent lull in the seven-year sunspot cycle, DX could be heard on the "high-bands" (20-10 meters) only during daylight hours, and on the "low-bands" (160, 80/75, and 40 meters) only during nighttime hours. This is because energy radiated from the Sun during sunspot activity affects radio propagation (the way our atmosphere reflects and refracts radio signals), and sunspots have been on the decline until just recently. So, as the Sun becomes more active over the next three or four years, it will be easier than ever to find exotic DX on all our HF bands. The new solar cycle (cycle 23) has already begun to get DXers around the world excited with the prospects of "easy pickin's" nearly any hour of the day on many of the HF bands. For now (Summer '98), try 20 or 17 meters during morning, evening and late night times. Fifteen and Ten meters are usually best for Europe near daybreak and for the Pacific at dusk, and are sometimes open to Africa & Asia mid-day, while the low-bands (160-40) will be open, but noisy, at night. As Fall approaches and the Sun angle changes, the low bands will become quieter and you'll be able to hear DX there, too. At the peak of the cycle, a couple years off, the high-bands, especially 10 meters, will allow round-the-world contacts with really low power and modest antennas. If you haven't heard 10 meters filled wall-to-wall with strong DX stations, you have a real treat in store! Contrary to what many people think, working DX is not difficult, and the more you work, the more you will sharpen your skills. You will learn about equipment, antennas, QSLing, propagation, pileup technique, operating etiquette, and before you know it, you, too, will be a DXer! Look for DX here:
Band Characteristics Where's the DX?
160 Late evening/night; best in winter 1820-1850 kHz.
80/75 Late evening/night, early morning; best in winter CW: 3500-3530; SSB: see SPLIT
40 Early evening thru early morning; Fall thru Spring CW: 7000-7030; SSB: see SPLIT
30 Sometimes like 40, sometimes like 20. Try it! CW and digital only; mixed anywhere
20 Open somewhere 24 hours, best Fall thru Spring CW: 14.000-14.040; SSB: 14.150-14.250
17 Sometimes like 20, sometimes like 15. Days/Eve. CW: 18.068-18.100; SSB: 18.110-18.168
15 Daybreak to Noon: Europe/Africa, CW: 21.000-21.150; SSB: 21.150-21.350 Midday to Evening: Asia /Pacific
12 Sometimes like 15, Sometimes like 10. Try it! CW: 24.090-24.930; SSB: 24.930-24.990
10 Lots of surprises! Dawn & Dusk best but improving! CW: 28.000-28.100; SSB: 28.300 & up
Start tuning around your favorite band on the frequencies your license class permits – no use getting frustrated listening to all that good stuff down in the Extra Class band if you can't work there. But it certainly does provide an incentive to upgrade!
The most fun is to prove these predictions wrong! Band openings to a specific part of the world can sometimes really be surprising and interesting. A good DXer is a good Short Wave Listener FIRST. Listen, Listen, Listen! Tune, Tune, Tune!


 …How Do You Work It?
Casual DXing is usually done like any other QSO. For example: a short response to a CQ, using your full callsign on the DX station's frequency should result in a nice conversation. Many DX ops speak English fairly well, and can at least exchange name, location, signal report, and often will enjoy a nice ragchew. CW ops can use Q-signals even if they don't share a common language. If you're on SSB, give a few short calls on his frequency using International phonetics that your DX target is likely to understand: "Kilo Foxtrot Four Zanzibar Tango Sierra" is a lot more easily understood than "Kilo Fox Four Zany Tennis Shoes". Speak slowly and clearly -- none of the cutesy stuff.
Split operation: On some bands and modes, U.S. stations cannot transmit where the DX station can, so you'll often hear the DX station announce a 'listening frequency'. For example, F2XXX in France, CQ'ing on 7035 might say "listening 7130". That's your cue to set up your rig for split operation with each of two VFO's on a separate frequency. You listen on his transmit frequency and he listens on your transmit frequency. It's a little like repeater splits, but with freedom to pick your own (legal) frequencies. This can get a little tricky until you become comfortable with the way your particular rig works in split mode. After a while it'll be second nature, but at first, listen to how other ops are handling it.
Rare DX: Sometimes a place with few or no active hams will be visited by a "DX-pedition" with operators, equipment and antennas ready to put a "new country" on the air for the benefit of DXers around the world. Or, perhaps it's just a case of a less rare area with especially good propagation. Whatever the reason, you'll know something's up, because there will be a whole group of stations calling the DX all at the same time. This is affectionately known as apile-up. The size of the pile will be an indication of the rarity of the DX! Pileups require a little technique…here's where you can gain a real advantage by using a little knowledge and planning:
Plan to go split: The DX will usually try to move the pile away from his transmit frequency in order to be heard over the masses, so be ready to transmit where he's listening. It makes no sense to call him on his own frequency once he says "listeneng UP TEN", or "200 to 220", or just "UP"!
Get in step: The DX op will try to catch one complete callsign from the pile on the first call, and will try to establish a rhythm that benefits everyone with a lot of contacts during the time propagation is in our favor. So send just your full call once, with STANDARD phonetics, on his listening frequency, then listen for his response.
Play the pileup: If you can figure out what his tuning pattern is, you can often anticipate where he'll be listening next in the pile, and slip your call right in. This works, but takes some patience. If it's a small pile, you can try picking a spot just on the edge…move around a little. Try to be noticed. Does it sound like Bass fishing? Yup.
Time your calls: Sometimes a little delay (a second or two) will let your call stand out among the rest as they taper off. Really experienced ops seem to have a knack for sensing the most opportune time to throw out their call. This is a pretty subtle skill that will pay off if practiced.
Follow his lead: If the DX op wants the pile to move, spread out, squeeze up, go by numbers, speed up, slow down…whatever…do it (legally). On CW, try to respond at his speed.
Don't react to others: Don't be tempted to be a traffic cop by telling others they are on the "wrong vfo" or "up, lid!" All this does is add to the problem. If you hear an obvious jammer, work around him; he wants to get a rise out of us, and he is thwarted when we IGNORE him. Patience! Discipline!
Don't be discouraged: Busting pileups on the first or second call is for the "BIG GUNS". The rest of us "little pistols" have to replace brute power with skill and cunning. You Can Do It. Too! Be patient. Listen. Figure out how the guy is playing the pile. Listen, Listen, Listen and LEARN.



…Now What?
You've done it…you worked the DX…so? Most DX chasers like to have a QSL card to confirm the deed, and if you want to apply for any of the many DX awards offered by the world ham community, you'll need that confirmation. The most prestigious and sought after award is ARRL's DX Century Club (DXCC), awarded for confirming contact with 100 different "entities" (call them countries, for now). There are over three-hundred 'countries' identified for DXCC purposes, and most are inhabited by active hams, so the first hundred is attainable with even the most modest station…especially in the next few years. If you become hooked on collecting countries, you'll join a huge group of like-minded DXers around the world who think this is the most exciting and challenging aspect of ham radio, and who will welcome you as a member of their fraternity. You don't need to be a big-gun; you don't even need a hundred countries…just the desire and interest will identify you as a DXer!


…How Do You Get Help?
Elmers- You may already know what an Elmer is – a nickname for someone who is really helpful at showing you the ropes. North Alabama DX Club abounds with them, and we love to help out beginning DXers with advice, tips, technical help, and moral support. We love to watch 'em grow!
WWW- There are lots of DX-oriented sites on the Internet. We have our own that is open to everyone (www.nadxc.org). Other prominent sites include those sponsored by the Texas DX Society, Potomac Valley Radio Club, Northern California DX Club, several European and Asian sites. All are easy to use, have helpful tips and info, and have lots of links to data, software, propagation forecasts and news.
Magazines- DX Publications abound. They run the gamut from weekly advisory DX bulletins, monthly columns in QST, slick magazine DX publications like THE DX Bulletin. NADXC also publishes a monthly summary of current DX happenings in our own monthly LONGPATH.
Clusters- PacketClusters are an excellent help to the new or seasoned DXer. Packet Clusters are networks that link up cities into large spotting networks. Hook in to our own local one on 144.93 or 145.73 and watch your screen for awhile. You will get the hang of it in a hurry. DX alerts (Spots) will appear from DXers all over the Southeast telling you what the callsign and frequency is of something they just spotted. There are also lots of other aids there, like current propagation info, an online callbook, help with hard-to-identify prefixes, QSL advice, and a QSL manager's directory. Talk to W4NS for more info.
NADXC-The North Alabama DX Club is one of the oldest DX organizations in the South. They meet once a month at a Huntsville area restaurant, sponsor two 2-meter repeaters (147.30/90, and 147.10/70) for providing DX info, a terrific webpage (www.nadxc.org) on the internet, as well as the PacketCluster. Dues are nominal, and they are a super helpful group. They'll help get you started on the right track, offer you a helping hand, and even tell you what traps to avoid right from the start.
Publications- Check out the stuff in ARRL's Operating Manual, the ARRL handbook, the ARRL Antenna Handbook, or any of the others in the list of good ARRL publications. There's help there on any subject you can think of. Don't forget to get yourself a copy of the ARRL DXCC Countries List and see what countries, islands and other entities count for your country totals.
HAVE FUN!

Read more...

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

ORARI History


ORARI History




In 1925, Prof.Dr.Ir. Komans-Netherland and Dr.Ir. De Groot-Batavia, managed to perform radio communication by using a relay station in Malabar. This incident was followed by the founding of Batavia and Nirom Radio Vereniging. In 1930 during the reign of the Dutch East Indies (Netherlands Indies) amateur radio in Indonesia have formed an organization calling itself NIVERA (Nederland Indische Vereniging Radio Amateur) which is the first amateur radio organization in Indonesia with PTT-member employees and technicians.Establishment of this organization authorized by the Dutch Government. In the period between the years 1933 till 1943, a member of the bumiputera NIVERA PK2MN establish Solosche Radio Vereniging followed by other members of the bumiputera NIVERA by founding such organizations as MARVO, CIRVO, VORO, VORL and others. IN 1937, was born Persatoean engagement Radio Ketimoeran (PPRK).


Also listed several names pioneer amateur radio activities in Indonesia include:
Rubin Cain, with the last callsign YB1KW, was first licensed in 1932, and died (silent key) in 1981. 
B. Zulkarnaen, with the last callsign YBØAU, was first licensed in 1933, and died in 1984.
During the Japanese occupation, not a lot of amateur radio activity records that can be assembled.This activity is prohibited by the Japanese colonial government but many of them are doing activities in the underground in effort to support the struggle for Indonesian independence.
In 1945 recorded a radio amateur, Gunawan-YBØBD, which emit Indonesia's independence proclamation text by using revolutionary radio transmitter device that is simple and is homemade. The service is very much appreciated the Government of Indonesia while YBØBD owned radio equipment that is invaluable for the history of Indonesia's independence struggle and now stored at the National Museum of Indonesia.


At the end of 1945 there was an organization calling itself the Prai (Persatoean Amateur Radio Indonesia). And in the period 1945 till 1949 many of the young radio amateurs who make their own radio transceiver device used to communicate between Java island and Sumatra P. which the Government of the Republic of Indonesia is located. Between 1945 and 1950, radio amateurs as well as many plays as the Radio Warriors.
At the end of December 1949, when the handover of sovereignty from the Dutch Government to the United States of Indonesia, all activities are stopped and disbanded. In the period 1952 till 1950, Indonesia established PARI amateur radio (Radio Amateur Association of Indonesia). But in 1952, because looking at the situation on the ground water is not possible, then the Government of Indonesia issued a regulation that in addition to government-owned radio stations banned the station on the air and for violating the sanctions imposed subversive. Amateur radio activities had to be frozen during the period between the years 1952-1965. Freezing is strengthened by Act No.5 of 1964 which imposed sanctions against those who have a radio transmitter without the permission of the authorized parties. But in 1966, amateur radio enthusiasts to start airing again can not be dammed again.


In 1966, exactly on February 14 to February 26, 1966, Ampera radio broadcasts that are the means of struggle-unity Unity of Action in the struggle of the new order. There were also various radio stations and army Ampera other radio stations that perform communication and broadcast. The radio stations are calling themselves as amateur radio.


In the period 1966-1967, in various regions formed organizations such as amateur radio: PARD (Djakarta Amateur Radio Association), PARB (Association of Amateur Radio Bandung), PARJ (Association of Amateur Radio Jogjakarta).
Especially with regard to the development of amateur radio organization in the DIY (Yogyakarta) may be noted here that in 1966 formed PRAJOGJA (Jogjakarta Amateur Radio Association) whose members tend to hold a broadcast service. Logged name Bambang Gods Good-YB2KX are more engaged in the field of broadcast has started its activities since 1961 when founded PRAJOGJA chaired. On July 14, 1967 was established PARI (Amateur Radio Association of Indonesia) chaired Aris Munandar-PK2JA. On August 19, 1967 formed PARJ (Association of Amateur Radio Jogjakarta) chaired by Aris Munandar, which is the incorporation effort PRAJOGJA with PARI. Dated February 10, 1968 meetings were held amateur radio se Jateng / DIY in Hyderabad as a result formed Prai (Radio Amateur Association of Indonesia).
In 1967, Chairman of the Board of Telecommunications of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr. Rubiono Kertopati, amateur radio call Indonesia to get input to formulate a Government Regulation (PP) on the amateur radio activities in Indonesia. On December 30, 1967 issued Government Regulation No.21 of 1967 on Radio amateurism in Indonesia (State Gazette No.35 of 1967, Explanation in the State Gazette No.2843 of 1967).


Dated July 9, 1968, stand ORARI (Organization of Amateur Radio Republic of Indonesia) are technical and administrative implementation carried out in accordance with the Decree DETELRI (RI Telecommunications Council) No.004/1968. On that date also AD / ART ORARI endorsed by DETELRI. The next date of July 9, 1968 declared as the Day and Day of birth ORARI amateur radio Indonesia. ORARI Center chaired by Vice Marshal (Air Vice Marshal) Suwondo-YBØAT. On June 8 and July 9, 1975, Congress implemented ORARI II in Jakarta, and on Wednesday, July 9, 1975 Congress passed the AD / ART with a name change ORARI (Indonesian Amateur Radio Organisation). AD / ART was ratified by Decree No.020/KPTS/DETEL/RA/1979 DETELRI April 21, 1979.


Read more...

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

The ILLW Contest Guidelines

The ILLW Contest Guidelines
August 6 & 7



PURPOSES:
To promote public awareness of ham radio and lighthouses; to contribute to the recognition that lighthouses, lightships, and their keepers deserve; to foster camaraderie within the ham fraternity;
and to provide fellowship amongst the members of the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society

DATES & TIMES:
0001 hrs UTC on   August 6th through 2359 hrs UTC on August 7, 2011.
The dates now include August 7th, widely regarded as "National Lighthouse Day," a day when many lights hold open house for the public. NOTE:  Hereafter, the first week in August each year, beginning August 1st through August 8th, will be known as "International Lighthouse-Lightship Week (ILLW)."

SUGGESTED MODES & CALLING FREQUENCIES:
Any and all modes : SSB, CW, RTTY, PSK, FM, SSTV, etc.

Suggested SSB freqs: 1950-1990, 3950-3990, 7250-7290, 14.250-14.290, 21.350-21.390, 28.350-28.390
(Calling  on the centered 0.70 kHz on each band — Example: 14.270.)

Suggested CW center freqs: 1830, 3530, 7030, 14.030, 21.030, 28.030
These are center calling frequencies. Work 20 kHz each side of center.

Digital modes: 1838, 3580, 7035, 14.070, 21.080, 28.070
Slow Scan TV (SSTV): 14.230, 14.233
RTTY: 14.080 and other standard RTTY frequencies.

The frequencies above are suggestions only and are based on the USA band plan.
You are free to use whatever frequencies your country and license class allow.

SCORING:
IMPORTANT: Answers to some common scoring questions can be found on the ARLHS Scoring FAQ page at  http://arlhs.com/scoring.html

Each contact (member or nonmember) = 1 pt.
*** Add an additional 1 point if contact is on CW, SSTV, or digital modes.
Add 2 points additional if contact is with an ARLHS member
Add 3 points additional if contact is with a lighthouse or lightship
BONUS for activating a light: As an incentive for participants to activate a light beacon, we are instituting a multiplier. If you activate a lighthouse or lightship under the rules of the ARLHS, you qualify for an additional 2x multiplier of your total score (as determined above). If for example your base score is 600 points and these were all accumulated by your operation at one of the recognized ARLHS lights (see the ARLHS World List), multiply your 600 points x 2 = 1200 points final score. This will be indicated on the final scoring cover sheet, which MUST be attached for log to qualify — see section below under "Log Submissions" for detailed guidelines about submitting your log and score sheet.

A  sample log sheet in Microsoft Excel (XLS) format can be found  on the ARLHS web site, but you can use whatever format is most comfortable for you. You do NOT have to use the sample log sheet, provided that all the usual, pertinent information is obvious.  Whatever log format you use, you MUST always attach as a top sheet a Scoring Summary Cover Sheet (see http://arlhs.com/score-coversheet.html ) as the cover sheet for each log.  See "Log Submissions" below for more logging details.

SCORING EXAMPLE:
You work ARLHS member #155 who is at lighthouse ARLHS USA-701.
Your score for this contact is 1 pt for the contact, plus 2 points
for working a member, plus 3 points for working a lighthouse.
Total score for this QSO = 6 points.
Answers to some other common scoring questions can be found on the Scoring FAQ page at  http://arlhs.com/scoring.html

EXCHANGES:
ARLHS members send call sign, member number, and state/province/country
Non-members send call, sequential contact number, and state/province/country
Lighthouse/Lightship Stations send call, ARLHS lighthouse name, ARLHS number, and state/province/country
NOTE: A numbered list of ARLHS lighthouses is available from page 10 of the Society's web page at  http://arlhs.com


Log submission deadline date: Postmark by August 31.
Send logs to the Contest Manager:
Dave Ruch, NFØJ
P.O. Box 20696
Bloomington, MN 55420-0696
Read more...

CONTEST STATION YB2DX

CONTEST STATION YB2DX


FIRST TOWER, CREATE CL-20DX Antenna Yagi 5 element 20m band, for CREATE CY-782 Antenna Yagi 2 element 80m band  and NAGARA A-240SII Antenna Yagi 2 element 40m band, but not yet installed

SECOND TOWER, CREATE CL-40DX Antenna Yagi 4 element 40m band, for  CREATE CD-78 Antenna Rotary 2 element 80m band but not yet installed

THIRD TOWER , CUBEX MARK IV Antenna Quad 4 element 5 band ( 10m ,12m ,15m, 17m, 20m band)

FOURTH TOWER, CRAETE CL-15DXX Antenna Yagi 7 element 15m band

FIFTH TOWER, CREATE CL-10DX Antenna Yagi 6 element 10m band, KLM 6M-7LB Antenna Yagi 7 element 6m band,

SIXTH TOWER, AVANTI AV-146 Antenna Cross Yagi 6 element 10/11m band

Another Tower for LAMDA MV4S YAGI multi-beam 4x13 element 2m band

Still on grounded, not yet installed :
10m band, 3 pieces antenna, 6 element fixed to JA/NA, EU/AS, AF/SA
15m band, 2 pieces antenna, 7 element and 9 element
20m band, 2 pieces antenna, 4 element and 5 element
40m band, 2 pieces antenna, 2 element and 4 element
80m band, 2 pieces antenna, 1 element and 2 element

                                                                  Antenna Receiving Loop 160m / 80m band

                                                                         Matching Unit for 160M band

Read more...