Category Archives: Operating

Another Repeater Update

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Following the activity list presented by John King during the last club meeting, Rick, Ed, John, and Willy, were at it again this weekend, performing additional upgrades to the W1SYE repeater.  A document describing their activities can be found here.  More work is needed in the future, especially with respect to the receiver performance.

Also they need someone to design a AC power fail detector circuit that can give them a logic level output when power is good and when power is failed.  If anyone is interested in this project, please contact Willy MacLean or John King.

 

Useful Repeater Directory for Smart Phone Users

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I had stumbled across what is billed as “The World Wide Repeater Directory” today: http://www.rfinder.net/blog/

While not a free service ($9.95 per year for a subscription), their IOS and Android Apps provide an new way for hams to access repeater information on-the-go.  I purchased the iPhone App to try it out ($9.95, but that includes the year-long subscription).  The App knows my location from the phone GPS and can show the visual location of repeaters on a map, or simply list them (by distance, frequency, or call sign).

I think I now have a permanent replacement for the pocket repeater directory I used to by each year, then promptly misplace.  Plus mapping the locations seems far more useful than simply seeing a list by region.

73, Bob, WB4SON

Don’t miss the Clipperton Island DXpedition going on NOW

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The Clipperton Island DXpedition has about 5 days remaining for their operation.  Signals into Rhode Island have been exceptionally good.  WB4SON reports working them on 160/80/40/30/20/17/15 and 12 meters using all modes (CW, SSB, Digital) in the past two days.  So far nothing has been heard on 10 meters during the times they are active on that band, but conditions on 10 meters have been quite poor recently. (Ed: Bob reports that he managed to work them on 10 meter CW as well)

TX5K has a wonderful real-time website that informs people what bands and modes are being used, and lets you know within a minute or two that you have a valid contact in their log.  Check it out here:  http://www.dxa2.org/

For those of you interested in what goes into a $250,000 DXpedition, you might find the book written to describe this DXpedition interesting.

This is the same gang that will be putting on a $1,000,000+ DXpedition to the Antarctic’s Heard Island next Jan/Feb.

A fun time at the Holiday Party

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To those that attended, thanks for the fellowship, conversation, and fun memories.  To those that did not, you missed a fun evening.

Outgoing President Ted Wrobel summarized the club’s successful year, highlighting the W1SYE radio event at the Tall Ship’s races, the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend Rose Island event, and Field Day activities.

Of course the highlight of the night was the Yankee-Swap gift exchange.  This author is already planning revenge on a certain outgoing president, who managed to snag a fine present in the very last move of the night.  Details can’t be given, but it will involve a mallet, a ceramic pot, and several packs of sweet-n-low.  It will be recorded live using a fine Motorola microphone.

Speaking of recorded live — a video was made of the Yankee-Swap.  It will be edited and posted soon..

PS:  For those of you feeling left out, Sock Monkeys are currently half-off at Cracker Barrel in Coventry.