COU CU ue Re Ga) January 2021 www. are.org DEVOTED ENTIRELY TO AMATEUR RADIO. \, ‘hentia aataton or ¢ ARRL ainateurradio QST Reviews ~ FlexRadio Systems Power Genius XL Amplifier = PreciseRF HG3 Stepper Magnetic Loop Antenna Se Dr.Duino Explorer Edition Arduino Project Kit Pacific Antenna Tracer Injector KitYAESU ETT eee Full Color TFT & Touch Screen Display Superior Performance in a Compact C4FM Digital Transceiver Bead ieee ude Compact & Reliable 5W RF Power Output | Easy Hands-Free Operation i = with Built-in Bluetooth® unit 700mW of C4FM Exceptional Quality Audio pail High-Resolution and High-Speed EIT Re eed edie 79 channel Band scope High Visibility Full-Color ] CAM (Club channel Activity Monitor) Uae ee cla - Rae ——_ er Digital aT « i Y a Te ea) WIRES-X Portable Digital Node Function Givw)eatrieerrs rrr || Le ema Hh oi! rao CURE Eee Gy oc 4 ee DIGITAL TRANSCEIVER: Ly L. ad on in ls co = I 3DR =$ e Lali) renee YAESU yacsuusa rie cmretis 6125 Py Drive, Cypress, Ce naoThe Birth of the New Standard in HF, Inheriting the Performance of the World Leading HF Hybrid SDR radio, FTpx. A New Legend Begins... Facts: *2kHz RMDR 116 dB+ *2kHz BDR 141 dB+ * 2kHz 3 IMDR 109 dB+ rota poca Ultimate RF Performance with + 5-inch TFT Color Touch Panel with 3DSS visual Display © MPVD (Mutti-Purpose VFO Outer Dial) enables Outstanding Operating Performance * Remote Operation with LAN or Internet «tan unie(optionct, HF/SOMHz TRANSCEIVER Fipx1O *Extamal Speaker SP-S0: Optional662-323-9538 80-6 Meters! No Radials! ee Big Brother R9 now includes 75/80 Meters for local ragchewing and. ES cyst: REM | wrtvc ow bord DX wit = ts one decison rin is you cing aed oon Dx cual Stance TSO Ho 36,2017 1 Wand Sete hy few Sv GY ns no arena tnt nese {seul 150 Wats SSEICW when th goa gts ough to beak trough pleupe ad poor band conan The Ri sper en i aseonble asst abt ayo aed Istou pote ends nennspeesi ino be bacground oan and coursing aie, Compact Footprint tals in an area aouthe sce ofa chiss Sond rope! alt tny va of RFonotgaed ores Siapeuacrssen Rugged Construction: Thic bess nsiton, al anes ste! fardesre ac 000 tea alia uta due oil weld at Key ose ons o hance arytang Mates Neues sho 31.5 etal, 25ibs. Mounting mast 125 o2inces, Wind sutace males spre tect RB, $899.95. Like R9 anlonna but loss 75160 Meters. R-STB, $99.95, Ti-base lets youtit your antenna upldown easly by yourself work on. R-8GK, $79.95. Three-point guy kit for high winds Exes ‘omniDirectional Low ange raiaton ges Incredbe worauide OX i per Rugged i. SSO poner Amateur Radio Antennas 308 Industrial Pk Ra, Starkville, MS 39759 USA Cushcraft sitsrean: (se) 05.0088 « FAX ano) 9252008 Opon'e4'90 0ST Mon-Fh Fad api Pee 8 opto ie ane, 2018 SOUP, ee TTL EEThe perfect combination of analog and graphic information, designed in particular for antenna diagnostics and adjustments While on the roof, tower or in the field! Call or visit your local dealer today! www.natcommgroup.com | 800-962-2611 eee tar arn ae Ue aE Peas gnostic project... CAA"500Markil ea tel zi ‘The CAA-500Markil combines the simplicity and accuracy of an analog instrument, PLUS...a full color LCD graphic display Resistive (R) and Reactive (X) components of impedance graphed and displayed numerically SWR readings in both graphic and numerical results. Functions: In addition to the display of antenna properties, SWR curves are plotted quickly, easily and accurately! ‘Auto band-sweep function: Switch to the amateur band of choice and press “Sweep Center’. The chosen band is swept and the SWR graphed in seconds! Manual band-sweep function: Select the band, select the center frequency, and select the bandwidth. Manually sweep the chosen frequency range and display the SWR graph. Multiple Manual Band-Sweeps ‘Manually graph the user defined bandwidth ‘multiple times and see the results overlaid in 5 selectable colors! Make antenna length, position, height above ground, gamma match adjustments, otc...and graph each adjustment in seconds, in @ new color, without losing the previous graph! Operates on 8-16VDC external power, 6 AAAIkaline or NIMH rechargeable colls « Trickla charger built in (anly when using NiMH batterias) « Typical baltery life: 9 hours of continuous operation + Battery level indicator + Selectable auto power-of time limit preserves battery capacity » S0-239, ‘connector for 1.8-300MHz range + N-female connector for 300-500MHz range + Optional soft carry case sold separately: CAA-SSC @cxKmerT,.OST David A. Minster, NAZAA Publisher Becky A. Schoenfeld, WIEXY. torial Drector ‘den Gittor, KEIKNL Senior Ector Caroline Kenney anna 2wiebel Assistant Eto Bart datnke, Wo Radospon & Field Senices Manager Rick Lindquist, WWIME Happenings Bob Alison, WB1GCM Prod Heme Lab Testing ‘Steve Ford, W88iMY Mark J. Wilson, K1RO AlBrogdon, WiAB Bernie MeClenny, WSUR_ H.Ward Sivr NOAX: PaulWade,WiGHZ ‘Jon Jones, NAIC Fick Palm, KIGE. Joo 8 Halas, WiZR, Shackleford, WEYE Kal Siwiak, KEAPT Bruce Draper, AASB. Contouing Estos Michell Bloom, WBIENT. Production Supersor od Norn, KATA, [Resistant Proaucton Supervisor Weinbers, KEYES Prodan Comarator Dovid Pingroo, WINAS ‘Senor Teenie stator Janet Rocco, WLR ‘Adversing Sales Manager Bob nderbitzen, NOIR Product Development Manager ‘Ywette Vine! KCTAIM, Marketing and Sales Manaoor ‘Steve Ewald, WVIX Fiad Organizaton Supervisor Eric Casey, KCZERC ‘Corventon an Event Coordinator 4 January 2021 Contents January 2021 ¢ Volume 105 # Number 1 Q) | Second Century A Cue of"es" 30) CW:EIMER — An Advanced Morse Code Learning System | Davie A. Dunean, K7DUN 3.4, An Arduino-Based Antenna Rotator Controller Giovanni Carboni, 25PQT 3 | Build o 50-75 © Broadband Transformer for 1.854 MHz ‘Stan Johnson, WOSM AQ) Product Review ‘Mark Wilson, KIRO FlexPadio Systems Power Genius XL Ampitier; PreciseRF HGS Stepper Magnetio {Loop Antenna; Dr Duino Explorer Editon Arduino Proje Kit Paciic Antenna “iacer injector Kit | 6 |] One Million QSOs: PJ2T Celebrates 20 Years Geol Howard, WOCGIPI2DX 64 The Harris County ARES® NVIS Workshop Russel Richer, WP2AHG. 7 The ARRL February School Club Roundup 7 A book Back — March 1971‘Columns Departments Janae Pao Word Amateur Radio Band Cher. 86 Alte Foundation ARAL Section Manages. 18 CCoebrating Ou Legacy Carticte of Cose Giassic Radio Proficiency Recipients 82 Contes Corl. Convention and Hamieet Calendar... 74 Contespondence. Feeback “Te Doctor in Feld Organization Report Edectic Technology 7 Guide 0 ARRL Member Benois. Exam ino Ham Ad Happenings Index of Advertisers. 128,127 Fins & Hack. Ue Membors 83 Hows OX? New Proouets 59 ember Sptight Officers, Division Dict, and Stal. 18 Microwavelongts OST Cover Plaque AMEE sss 4 Publ Senice Silent Keys. 97 Technical Conespendonc@.cnn----58 Special Even Satins. 81 “The Wore Above 50 MHz 7 Stays. 57,60, 81 Up Front 20 WIAW Qualivin Runs 82 100, 50, and 26 Years Ago. “86 WYAW Schad. 85 WHAWS OSL Fl nso 23 Moons ne Rotate Vi Gop and al ‘be parka Jantar 2016 UME Se es {Gortest rep comarrat tho Rocestor HE Digital and Mobile Editions {Groups 7h anew Ts pto was en atte eur g’d squares east of Sracse, New ARPL members can sees he igi elon Se" now rou te ret Les oe el Write for @ST Vea inka! wurwarrorggst, dowioad our era ure aruda Ciel alas ol wrwarrLorg/astauthor guide JOS app rom ha Tunes Soe, and dowricad rth (ad exch open mop res fam ‘ems qat@arrkorg ‘our Ardrod app em the Googie Pay Store. _tiferen ois They soup nay sis ond wrk ‘her roves who are ele he ke on he (het sts a pracoe oun as clog [le Jenson NENT prc) 30 OseeNoR pepe! barat erp aA ngs ated Ate Send ene MRSC Lee anor, Mee etna’ eewlact sce mance = Reamenmipcre, Memnitiscsukeas” lesen Berrie at tae a 8 eae SEGRE Gmmmeerronun.. Sumemonmemnne, Weir ERiavawawiraimoes AMMO ao SEEN Te ttt as Nee Ter eNaieaceaees: eaten fee tenets wetceretataees, Seer mamas comme PA mucereetink sts Migermnnes nin | Pao tera Kperetsaeut Omaicamch payer eM Regs SS is eae cameaaegtnouae TEESE I” She comec ewesipnte gars r0r woot xomycuir, SEAERS meMEN A, “Morse Ave. Ek Grove Vilage, IL 0007, ‘AIL including 4 jeer subscrpbon ts ARES" Arratour Rago Emerpency ‘your assiiance Yesrneione Meressonre (SIAC ES ny SiS TEceI San Mga at rewsnae loesiaoeaes BNTSrsealgta0" Lira ArainFad av egemredtaoarane Permission dororg eer ANSE ay msc So Betabeeaatageage a Setegoy gine Pracyrse sitccis erences, Meme iwpesheoeenss meskes cer cemreett Semantaponneriecr psy Ritieracemruseee” ietierctoen clay Mencecntcee tent, cure mmaatn Raulle 28 vnoeG tes bind erste perpen Sadie pawns horte bay ot Fac seosaetase Sieratesmeac ell =, Rom mts din ere Tea ae Sa iGeccanaksne pena boketgtienteckwuiem — ESrtstncarsteoc irae te Seeenenane see January 2021Electronics Z-100A Plug & Play Operation The Z-100A features LDG's famous 10:1 SWR tuning range that matches Dipoles, Verticals, Endfed wires, G5RVs or even an Off-center fed Windham, Easy integration means plug and play operation; installation could not be simpler. The Z-100A tuner goes anywhere with it HF radio... desktop, portable, parks, lands, or tall summits. Z 100Plus/IC- “705 Power Antenna Tuner Designed to provide 125 watt r handling in SSB, CW and digtal modes, the 2100 Pus 2705 features 2000 memories that store both frequency and tuning parameters. Operating frequencies are stored with tuning parameters to make memory tunes in a fast 0.1 seconds. Full tunes take an average of only 6 seconds. Now includes 8 AA heavy duty batteries, Stereo interface cable, and BNC to PL-259 coax cable.Gop lear iies STEPPIR PACKAGED + SYSTEMS (SPS) = ANNOUNCEMENT cet stepRhastortheas2yerncutom 4S bu cach nial ordre orton, ona feta fstut ee ie as, Our pact Sarto the tomer wer that hy wl alto oasis baa esi pcr oat nothings, What dot rai war that ost pert Ge canter Pesaran iodine Rieti edh ak nats ator Easel ai sialic sameeren ree re reere: harder by rte we are pod trode the new SteppiRPachag Systeme (55) poeran!Sartiain 202, ‘we will begin selling our antenna systems in complete peckageswhichlallon stad pcan "groups" and create on-hand inventory, resulti much Site siaribe lien ireeeetretes the SPS buns wilrefets canted re of {etre ert oth tine AND cot sans ad EUROPEAN SUPPORT & WARRANTY CENTER Europe We are pleased to announce that SteppIR Communication ‘Systems has implemented a product support and service center, located in Italy through our partners SteppIR. Europe (www.steppireurope.com). Now, current customers and new customers alike can rest assured that there is @ local expert to take care ofall warranty and non-warranty repairs for SteppIR customers. SteppIR Europe also offers onsite antenna assembly services and custom installations. JOIN US FOR WINTER FIELD DAY JANUARY 30-31, 2021 Saturday January 30th ~ Sunday January 34, 2021, ‘The SteppIR Amateur Radio Club (WB7IR) will be participating in a winter emergency communications contest, sponsored by the Winter Field Day Association, For more information on parti check out their website (www.winterfieldday.com) for rules and other information. Come on out for some funin the... now? NO PRICE INCREASE IN 2021! 6 ‘SteppiR had planned an unfortunate price increase con all SteppIR consumer products for 2021, due to significant upward changes in our cost on just about every item we use in the manufacturing of our products. However, reviewing our situation and also that of the world as we go through these unprecedented times, we decided we wanted to be the bearers of good news, so we are NOT raising prices Jn 2021, and of course In regard to our SteppIR Packaged Systems (PS), the price will decrease by 5%. Po am ae oL hice www.steppir.com 425-453-1910DIAMOND ANTENNA DIU UE Mg Toei ec ec Overlapping outer shells for added strength Paes Stainless stee! mounting hardware & radials DA MRT cM ag Strong waterproo joint couplings Gal ee eS Type-N cable connection Wideband performance eae ala) OR ULSI Er Higtest gain Dual-band Base Antennal Cares ar ae SU Se ESIC URE Cua UL Se ACTA USS A UA eee NTR ate A tee eee Vso) Here is a small sample of our wide variety of antennas une roe jw Dualband Mobi A | or vo | usr or nao UNE orn May Combo une X30A / X50A0 X700HNA La he IRS COMPANY See SenDavid A. Minster, NAZAA, ARR Chia! Exnculive Offcar, aaa @ are Second Century A Culture of “Yes” 2020 was a year that nobody saw coming. By the time you read this, that long year will be drawing to a close. We have a new year to look forward to, and ARAL has @ new CEO. As | wrote on my Facebook page shortly after | was named ARRL CEO: Every day— every single day - | think about amateur radio. This isn't just a hobby to me. It is my community. It is where most of my friends are from — some spanning decades of friendship, and thousands of miles in distance. Amateur radio is where | discover new things, and it is where I dream. This is my dream job — to work with ARRL, its leadership, and its vast reach of members to continue driving excitement, involvement, experimentation, and public service in the hobby. {lam honored and blessed to take on the job of leading this, ‘wonderful organization through a digital transformation of its second century, so we can continue to attract, engage, and develop radio amateurs. ARRL is late to embrace digi- {al transformation — but not oo late, We'e adapting at a time when the technology, software, and access are all ‘well known, battle tested, and ubiquitous. As wo begin to achieve this transformation, members will notice new ways to interact with ARRL across areas of entertainment, ‘education, and information, Well strike an appropriate and targeted balance for publishing content, whether digital or in print. We will also be looking at the community to part- ner in creating video content, an area in which user- ‘generated content continues a meteoric rise. ARAL leadership is also going through a transformation, anda rebuilding of trust with the membership. We are all ‘aware of the issues that caused constemation in the past, ‘and we live in atime where “f | read it on the internet, it must be true” reigns supreme. Even during this cificut ‘year, you can be assured that the ARRL Board showed the highest levels of professionalism, resourcefulness, and tenacity in getting both the CEO and Director of Emergency Management positions filed. | am very grate- {ul for the relationships | have built with the Board mem- bers, and especially ARRL President Rick Roderick, SUR, for his mentoring and guidance. Its worth pointing ‘out that ARRL officers and Board members are all volun teers; they are your “first among peers” representing you and all of the good works of ARRL — most of which our members rarely if ever, hear or read about ‘As ARAL looks forward, we're looking at everything that ‘surfaces in our community and industry — from every product to every forum comment — through the lens ot, “ig this good for amateur radio?" Its easy to look back and find reasons to be critical. Instead of merely erticizing, ‘which closes the door on potential anc opportunity, we' be asking questions: Is FTB attracting new interest in on- air operating? Does the proliferation of YouTubers in the hobby represent a new way of mentoring or Elmering? Can simple rule modifications to operating events and contests help to expand participation during the pan- demic? Do digital radio hotspots increase the utilization of ur global network of repeaters? Does curating and hous- ing a collection of antique radios and accessories serve something valuable now and for the future? In all cases, yes! All ofthese, and more, drive up radio activity, educa- ‘ion, entertainment (fun), and innovation in the hobby. With that in mind, we are changing the culture of ARRL to tone of boundless enthusiasm, inclusion, and a renewed focus on the needs and wants of our members, with a bias toward saying "yes" and taking action. Youll see our resoive in the introduction of new products and offerings such as changes to our website, our leaming and training platforms, our expanded view into the use of computer and internet technologies in the shack, and efforts to make the hobby dramatically, intentionally more inclusive, whether its by more effectively welcorring newcomers, providing better accessibility for hams with disabilities, or any number of things that wil increase excitement about, ham radio among the people who love it. This is our com- munity, and ARFL willbe doing more to show how truly reat itis — with your hep. Here's where that opportunity starts: The ceo@arrl.org email address gets very litle feedback from members. | make an effort to answer every single email | receive. | also make ita habit to reach out via email to those who express concerns publicly regarding some aspect of ARRL. | urge you to take positive action. Before ranting, reach out. Give me — give us — the change to find a way to work with you, In closing, for 2021, | wish you a very happy and healthy New Year, and may God bless you and your family. At iw? WAoAA David A. Minster, NAZAA Chief Executive Officer a January 2021 9Free CatalogiDealersiManuals Online - Visit: www.hy-gain.com or calll toll-free 800-973-6572 [The First Choe of Hams Around the World! hy-gain. Antennas es AV-680 ae 80-6 Meters hy-gain’s new AV-680 adds 75/80 Meters with no radials! Includes 40,30, 20,47, 45,12, 10 and AV-640 - a — "Hannes fal 4500 Watts Peel 4 trey dove continuous fortwo minutes. Ue eepeoray Highly Efficient 680 usos qurtor wave tubs on 6 10,12 and 17 Meters aa ver oficart and eaang cal and apacty hats on 15, 29,30, 40 ana 80 Meters ro ‘ape. Endloading allows efit operation wih a Tow proto. Resonators aro placed in para natin Each band individually tunable Era wi low VSWR bandwith End ea th + broadband matencg unt ‘Single cone ese ted ‘Ata bandon. Sleek and low-profile Uw 29.9. ind aracesten. Smal feign for Frountng e361 en decks, fouls and patos 28 Toe he be Built-to-tast Highwind sural of 5 mph, Broacband matching Uinta rom leon insults wee Avera {ualy alumna bg staiess soe! herouare, hygain vricals are the best bit best peroring i" and ba! pread muttband vereae avalos toda) bhy-gain® warranty ‘Yai waar. At ropacomert pas {ATB-75, $99.95. Tatbase fo hy goin IAL E801AV-40 and AV-820 vera + [AGK-8, $79.95. Guy Ka tee pit an-conaucve guy system for hy gan \ IASBRIAWE4O and AGED vera, ‘AV.840, $499.95. 8 bands: 40, 30, 20, 17,15, 12, 40, ters. 25:5, 17.5 Ibs. av.s20, 3399. 6 bands: 20, 17,15, 12, 10,6 ioe - Dray TA Ba tgnnes, Betzters & Towers, 2ezineusal rena, Stare, Ms 39759 USA |. Sales/Tech (662) 323-9538 m FAX: (682) 323-5803 Open 8-4:30 CST, Mon. Fats ol ces wp cys Dr aKS Step up to Top Performance ~”. with the HG3 Stepper Mag Loop! Recker atacand Dt eee cee etn Reece Re ce Sere Res edna cue Oe Ried eu n ec Bee emcee eee CCR eet en ee nec aay cere eh Auer mene May Frese esc restate Te Rae cea eet Tee ee eee patibility with most radios. Manual tuning jenient rotary encoder knob - no Se oneenemua ote ace Tice eou cad Elect Neal N Meslay ea aoe weal aman Sree och | ‘* DISPLAYS BAND, SWR, ERP & MORE Exel ceras nes acon Oa Tel cere Snes Uaioe sete ‘# NO COMPROMISE SPOT-ON TUNING See had ety ae penny Seer aero puree) Loaeed Tose De ea eee ee eee ee oT ue Pn= eet A ake TT Ty uN Solutions ‘Array Solutions Lightning a aarestarl Coaxial; Ladder Line, Single wire, Control for Rotators, Switches, and Antenna Motors AS 90 Serie ators are known for tet latlty fc perormarse They teal eaty routing Plates, ground rds wih our sacking beckett also ‘conten crew ig Te cing Bacal on plates as wel Save precious reo in in 80-280, Type, and 7/16 IN {DC Boekoa, DC pass i avalabie as a custom aption Une sat Bee system wth a UL approvea Ga Discharge Tube, ase TUK 12 tsted Ths system Usualy prevents the GOT fm ever fring unless 2 ‘rect itis taken. Saves your redo hor tate bul \p onlargo antorinas, odes avaiable or 3 KW. 5K, 10 Kandi ‘etals on wots Flow power broadcast na Heal ere acp cre eer ne or also DC Hock wih state tae rol ingAestrs fr 812 nd $8 wes Spanovor Modo fo HF VHF to UHF — Etrorely low loss an Low VSWR Line protection Mere Te Ale ace ea bce acy v nee cotcr sn eet g ait peer titres ee ete iene ered ere Se Cerne ee rer Psa tea eee tay ‘done direct ro the Eternal as wall areca ut a ee ied See ase aiame eee tes ons Pea eee ne ae eared Pre reese ae er a ee ee oan eee ee irer nore tie | Pec etree To ene Lad Eoekd areal reap aera’ Peo ree 1a LT al eta pst a a oid tte eer Tee as pyar eee era eS Prine ecmerter oceenreaity Brcenay meter Doce PPTs e tary etter terrence) Pele hal eet Saree tahoe rtd ear Upon een ccny Naa ear cee ete ee ee ae etre arin c es Patera ee CC DrBecky R. Schoenfeld, WIBXY, bchoenfeld@arrhorg Member Spotlight Billy Irwin, Hi the ham radio community, like the business world, made an annual ist of achievers under the age of 40, Billy Irwin, KSOH, would be on i, Just a selection of his accomplishments — he's been a National Weather Service volunteer since age 12, he has three repeaters on the air in South Carolina, he's installed public safety repeaters that have been operational for 20 years, he's worked on public safety ‘communications networks throughout North Carolina and South Carolina, land he's the South Carolina Section Emergency Coordinator. And, Billy is only 38. Billy has been a ham for 20 years, but his interest in radio started before that, with CB and public safety scanners, Upon seeing Billy sneaking a look at a radio hidden in his jacket, his 10th- ‘grade English teacher said, “| think ‘you should talk to my husband The husband turned out to be the County Emergency Manager, and by the time Billy was in 11th grade, he was doing TT work in the county's office, “They immediately took an interest in Billy said. "| understood RF. | started working on some of the public safety radios and got my ham license” Early Coreer and Mentors Upon graduating high schoo, Bly was hired as the county’s IT director. He was based at the number one dis- patch center, because he was familiar vith all the radios and the IT infa- structure. He also handle all the ‘other county departments ‘While working full-time, he also man- ‘aged to do volunteer $11 dispatch, and become involved in ARES. “Lalways held an ARES leadership position from the time | got licensed Until the present” Billy said, He credits KIOH one of two ham radio mentors with getting him involved in ARES. "Lee Marion, W&CGQ, saw I had an inter- estin SKYWARN, and he said, ‘You're my assistant emergency coordinator! was a young, nervous kid — 16, maybe 19. | enjoyed doing it. Lee was the one who showed me how to work with people. He's still very much around; | talked to him just the other day” Billys other mentor was Ralph Crossley, KG4LCW (SK), a neighbor inhis 60s. They had a shared interest, in radio — Ralph got licensed after Billy did — but something else brought them together. Ralph was losing his eyesight, and Billy has been visually impaired since birth ‘There was an interesting trade-off” Billy said"! taught him how to survive visually impaired, and he taught me how to work with tools” Navigating the World Billy was born wih a rar, degenera- tive retina condition called Lebers congenital amaurosis. He was diag- nosed at the age of 3, and enrolled in the South Carolina Schoo! for the Deat and Blind, where he learned how to function as a blind person, even though he could stil soe toa degree whore he was able to learn to read. Billy has been preparing from a young age forthe eventual loss of his eye- sight. AAs his sight has decreased, his en- ployment has transitioned primarily to IT work —he's currently a senior net work technician at Clemson University — but he has stil consulted on public ssalely for various counties in North Carolina and South Carolina, and continued to hold ARES leadership positions, Getting Connected He became the South Carolina Section Emergency Coordinator in 2016, after holding several Emer- ‘gency Coordinator positions in various ‘counties, and having been the District Emergency Coordinator for the SKYWARN program at the National Weather Service Greenville- Spartanburg Office. Though he says there are challenges that come with being a visually impaired SEC, he enjoys getting the job done. “We build a lot of really good pariner- ships,’ he said, “Our ARES program is ‘extremely well connected at the state and local level and is constantly being integrated into the emergency plan. We're very fortunat Billy also feols fortunate in everything he’s been able to contribute to the ‘community. He feels that he’s gar- ered respect despite his disability, and uses that to encourage other peo- ple toward success. “When people tell me" cant do that | say learned to do it and I'm blind, 80 what's your excuse?"he said. “Amateur radio brought me every sin gle piece of employment | ever had So my idea of volunteering is a way to ‘ive back to a hobby that has given me so much January 2021 13ARRL’s mission: Guide to Member Benefits ARRL Online | www.crrl.org/myARRL Create an online ARRL Member account, and get access to members-only benefits. Register at woww.arrl.orgimyARRL. Already rogistered? Log in at the top of the ARRL website. =Magazines | www.arrLorg/gst and www.arrlorgiota ‘Members in the US receive a choice of print magazine: QST, ARRL’s membership journal (12 monthly issues), ‘or On the Air, cur new magazine for new and beginner- o-intermediate-level radio amateurs (6 bimonthly Issues). All members can access the digital editions of QST, On the Air, QEX, and NCJ from a web browser and apps available for iOS, Android, and Kindle Fire devices. Members need a valid ARRL account to access ARRL's digital magazines, the Archives and Periodicals Search, and the Product Review Archive "E-Newsletters | weww.arrl.org/myARRL ‘Subscribe to the weekly ARRL Letter and a variety of other ARRL e-newsletters and announcements. “New! The ARRL Current E-Mail Newsletter ‘Members can elect to receive this monthly email within their online profile. Each issue provides a reminder of the available digital magazine issues and highlights articles from all four digital publications, along with podcast overviews, benefit updates, product and publication specials, and more. "New! ARRL Learning Network www.arrl.orgarrl-learning-network This 30-minute webinar series features member- volunteers covering a variely of topics: technology, operating, and public service. Live presentations are recorded for viewing later, "Email Forwarding Service Email sent to your arrl.net address will be forwarded to any email account you specify. Technical Information Service | www.arrl.org, Call or email our expert ARRL Technical Information Service specialists for answers to all your technical and operating questions, ‘The American Radio Relay League, Ine. ARR trator coca fo Aran Rado nto Lied Sas: siete oawarnoue ander of anc oo weranae adocae or meets Stsez rad epecrum sivas ev Moos gl WreWes gl atx Sid gston ia eneauaoor ado operineratn ad. vous nao, ‘tapos ado osrloy and educa, eng organs ard ana vests > ‘ae falcons by Horan ple wars ena erxpeny commas {Artal ison Saaman: aoe Sart 2018. ‘Aza gan neon, oneormarsalasoeaten Were pia accra ‘repens us fw Sai of Cormac. eee an ere ogencaton nde ‘Seeien steal atte mal Rovone Coc O86 afore governs Bardo Dacre whos otra metbars as eleod ov yore by Bo ‘inure member. The ecw we decade soeaelas bine Cece 14 January 2021 To advance the art, science, and enjoyment of amateur radio. Join or Renew Benefits nie * wwww.are.arg/benefits Donate Shop wwwward.org/donate Se cranks Advocaty | wmarrl.org/regulotory-advecacy ARRL supporis legislation and regulatory measures that preserve and protect meaningful access to the radio spectrum. Our ARRL Regulatory Information Branch answers member questions concerning FCC rules and operating practices. ARRL's Volunteer Counsel and Volunteer Consulting Engineer programs ‘open the door to assistance with antenna regulation and zoning issues. Group Benefits* | www.arrl.org/benefits =ARRL Ham Radio Equipment Insurance Plan ty Mutual Auto and Home Insurance “Useny Find... a License Exam Session | www.arrl.orglexam a Licensing Class | wwwarrl.orgiclass a Radio Club (ARRL-affilated) | www.arrl.org/clubs «a Hamfest or Convention | www.arrlorgihamfests Interested in Becoming a Hom? wwwarrlorginewham newham@arr.org | Tel. 1-800-326-3942 (US) Connect with ARRL ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio™ 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111-1400 USA 1-860-594-0200, Mon. — Fri 8AM to § PM ET except hls FAX 1-860-594-0259, email hginfo@arrl.org Contact ARRL: www.arrl.org/contact-arrl BSE Website: wwrwarrl.org Facebook: @ARRLorg Twitler: @arr, @wiew, @arr_ares Instagram and Instagram TV: @arrthq ‘YouTube: ARRLHQ Linkedin. htips:fwiwinkedin.comlcompany! Smoricancrauionolaysoaguel = ARRL i normal ng ne ih paren e orient inret seal mereipen ty Bows "Of by, an exe ui” ABEL pe sak eve jy aro aaiat be ae adhe 3 prod Mey of ete ae ‘Sons beaver rer stain ‘tena eat arr ad be ony eset en aeaton ef recrbasip, ‘arate! acolenes snes prea, best Yong mores garmd en to keeree amas ne US Noreen hsuter wx ges uence sab assumes othe rica ead: ARE, 223 Man SL. Nowegen, Commack deri suo usawworora/dvisions Officers, Division Directors, and Staff ‘As an ARRL member, you elec the Director and Vice Director who represent your Divison on ARRL policy matters, Ifyou have @ question or comment about ARR. policies, contact our representatives sted below, Officers Founding President 19141836) Fram Petey Hoom, AW Prosidon icc Roamrek KSUR Box 146 Lite Rock, AR 72209 (covet eh Nearing Frat Vice Preside Rtcvol Rootes KrTWe* Ss Hign Set Ghetto MA oT824 (07280. 1283) kltwt@ar.org ‘Second Viee President Bob ako, WoReG ‘gece snameld Ra Gato Vatoy CR 64545 (Giossre7bt} wérgp@ar org tnteratonal fare Vice President Femey 4 Stators, WeIOD 5159 Shacow Ext Son Joe, A 98135 {608:258.867 1) werod@art.org Chief Executive Ofer Snd Secretary Bin hr, NAZAAY 2siain St ‘wingin, CT 06111 {6608805464) aminster@art.ora “treasurer Rex Niwender, K7GM Chol Financial Ofer Slane hoon, WSDL Stoff ‘Development Manager etaua Stommer KATELO Director of Operations on Pusare, Walz Laboratory Manager Editor Win ‘ssigant Laboratory Manager fab Ataon, WEICCM ‘Product Development Mana ESineroen are Membership, Marketing Communications Kamonn Calapan, Keni Marketing 8 Seles Manager Wete Vins KE TAH Memberahip Man Diane Pet, KEM Publications & Editorial Manager Becky RSchoerde WIRY. Advertising Sales Manager danet Roose, WLR Regulatory information Man SotHendénon NINDS Director of Emergency Mangement Paul bon KESaW VEC Msnager Mara Somma, ABiEM Lifelong Learing Manager ie Beko, KIB Radiosport & Feld Sorvices Manager Baraatone, Wald Contalier ‘Thomas Bel, KOM Infomation Technology Manager Mio Keane, Kine “Executive Committee Member Atlantic Di wonwatldivorg ‘Tom Abernethy, W3TOM" P.O. Box 73. Accakeek, MD 20607 (0-257-0225), wStom@arr.org Vice Director: Robert B. Famiglio, K3RF FO. Box 9, Media, PA 10003 (610-959-7500) K’rt@are.org Kermit Cartson, WSKAY ‘180 Mckee St, Batavia, IL 60510 (020.872.0003) waxa@arr.org Vice Director Cae Luetzelschwab, KOLA $227 Pion Ra, Fort Wayne, IN 46045 (260-637-5986); kSla@amr.org Dakota Division swontaridakota. org Matt Holden, KOBBC 2538 Lake Coclvane Dx W, Gary, SD 57257 (952.232-1884), KObbe@ant.org Ve Drecior Lynn Nelson, WOND ‘3204 Wilow Lr SE, Minot, ND 58701 (701-833-1000) wond@arrorg Delta Division ‘adelta.org David A. Noms, KSUZ 807 Evening Sunset Cr, Redild, AR 72192 (670-613-1606) kSuzamrLorg Vee Doctor Ed 8, Hudgens, WE4RH. {id Wesdord Davms in. Nashvlle, TN 37211 (615-6302753) wosrhag@arr.org Great Lakes Division a-greatiakes.org Dale Willams, WABEFK™ 281 Outer Dr, Dundeo, Ml 48131 (734-520-3282) wasetkenarr.org Vice Director; Thomas Delaney, WEWTD 4632 Glenway Ave, Connat, OH 45238, (i3-921-7425), wama@arr org Hudson Division \wonw-hudson art.org Fa Jairam, NOR PO, Box 73 Sussex, NJ 07461 (673.584.6275), nan@artorg Vice Dacor: Wiliam Hudaik, W2UDT 111 Preston Or, Guotte, NU 07833 (908.580.0493) waudt@arr.org ‘Midwest Division worwareimidwestorg Rod Blocksomo, KODAS. G0 Eastew Dr Robes 1A 52328-0768 (218.993.8022) Kodas@arrl.org Vice Director: art Zygielbaum, KOALZ {5604 Pineerest Dr. Linco NE B8516 402-427-0840); Koalegar org How to Contact ARRL Staff ‘Ta send an emalto any ARRL Headquarters ‘taf member, put his or her call ign (eefirst inal anclat name) in fot of (@arr org. For example, lo send to Hi ‘Maxim, Fist Prosident of he ARR. use wlaw@arrl.org, or hmaxim@arr.org. New England Division Fred Hopengarton, KAVR™ ‘8Wllseh Ra, Lincs, WA 01773 (789-258-0088), Ktveg@ar.org Vie Dict: Philip E. Temples, KSHI 428 Coolige Ave, #203 Watertown, MA024722875 (617-201-0189); kShi@ar.org Northwestern Division worwarrnwalv.org Mike Ritz, W7V “33643 Burma Rl, Scappscse, OR 97056 (503-967-1269); w7vod@ar.org Vice Dirsctor: Mark J. Tharp, KBTHDX PO. Box 2222, Yakima, WASEEO (s0a952'576d) koThd@are.org Poxifie Division pacific arriorg Kristen Melntyre, Kew ‘800 Golden Wht Park Or. #85, San Jose, CA 95112 (510-705-4012) K6wx@areorg Vice Doctor: Vacant Roanoke Division arttroanoke.com George W. "Buc Hippsloy, W2RU ‘981 Grele Coal Ra Pentigok, VA 24137 (540-578-2527), waru@arr.org Vee Director Bil Morine, N2COP. 401 Windlass Dr, Wimingin, NC 2408 (910-452-1770) nacop@arrLorg Rocky Mountain Division won rockymountaindivsion.org Jett Ryan, KORM, [3575 Wadswexth Phy. K2-275 Weostmnster CO 80021 (303-432-2886); kOrm@@ard.org ‘ee Draco: Dan Grady, N25RK {5708 S. Buchanan Way, Aurora. CO 80018 (720-236-7307) nasrk@art.org Southeastern Division wwwnwfacebook com! [ARRLSoutheastarDivision Mckay Baker, AME. {14702 Gack Bear Ra, West Pam Boach, FL 99418 (981-320-2775), ndmb@arr.ora Vice Drecir James Schilling, KG4I82 44 Joo Masoay Ra, Hanes Gly FLSA (407-508-2825) kgAlse@are.org ‘Southwestern Division won ken netin6aa Richard J Norton, NOAA 21290 Wea! Hilside Dr. Topanga, CA 90200 (310-455-1135), ichardjnorton@yahoo.com Vice Drector: Edward Stearns, ATA. TOSS. Aer Dr, Seoisale, AZ 85254 (480-352-8255), aaTa@ar.org West Gulf Division wesiguifaivision.org ‘John Robert Stratton, NSAUS. POBox 2292, Austin TX T8788.2282 {(912486.6262), nSaus@OnSaus.com Vise Doctor: Lee H. Cooper, WSLHC 2507 Autey Dr, Leander, 1X 78681 (612:658-3910)leoopor @arrLorg January 2021 15wr a ong/sections ARRL Section Managers “The 15 Divisions of ARRL are arranged into 7% administative Sections, each headed by an elected Section Manager (Sk). Your ‘Section Manager's the person fo contact when you have news about your activites, or those of your radio cli. Ifyou need assistance with a local problem, your Section Manages your frst point of contac. He 0 she can put you in touch with vanous ARR volunteers who ‘can help (such as Techni! Specialists) Your Section Manager is aso the person to S00 you's tke to became a Section volunieer Whatever your license dias, your SM has an appoinimant available Visit your Section page at www.arorg/sections. NN Sn ny WP ‘Belguare hae Silas Kasi a8 Opal, Nea, De 19719.2017 (G23 940, eajojet org Eno Pema: Gece ier, WISN, 295 Woods Rl, Wyss, PA ‘as ne 12 9 Nay Pa Rash Pern Rone Ms MOZHIT Sgiceeeerecee cates * ee Se Bx REZ, 1dr, Srna Lae NY 2863 Statin aan oe fr Prd: MANY, 177 Bot Ri, Maran, SeiseSo eas 8 eseyndeweoart ss Wego Yo Lora usar NaN 207 E Min, Foner NY 1733 Giese at ema Fenn tan sneSuBiens WAEC, PO. Bok, Fit Cio PR Sea oTeHL IT Shy whee om ‘Ciro Division SiR oras Sea Wa tc Mat en. 82958.0840 (ies 22 warranty Satan lars ta KCOROX, 722 W, Maan r, Ete 47429 (Gra. ane) kebpxGar.org Aeconen Pai ort Ker, WDA9S3070 Vn Rd, Bouman, {rhs ne S007 room org ‘Dokota Division (MN, ND, SD) este tee SEDEe 0 Ack AP 208 Mreapat, UN 8403 (Gin bese neensrrg er te: sre Bee, WETF A) BAN SL. NE, Yo NO 583265008 (8 wom ‘sm Gat Gr Seo 20,0 Gow 27, Sey SO ST4722”1 eve bape olla Division 1 ‘tte ros Baritone MAKE: (00 Lae, Seay AR 7219-077 (201503585) nShedor og Iesnaan svar Rober KSI, 201 Maceo, Goss Cy LA, Pinte a iy torment rg Main Mapu, WSDL et eC O, try MS 980 (Goren waesrarg ‘nasa Toma RAY 205 ro RS, Kowa, 1 37520 (oreot ae manent Sree kes Dison (70.26.4451); imeem. org J Kv Ka T0866 Greystone, rho, 484147650, ebay ‘art ore Sehr a2 Ver rte, roan reenact ct aceon Dion ENY, NU, NN) actor avr in Ral RAY. 4 Nena Gs, Das NY aisle) Rawat og Ne tog ana “Ra, 38 Ropero Ln, Cane Pass, sisiste ase ereste ee tory. ete oy btn W089, Ha NOTTS 70 (re Bo ast) wabdba oy 0 Sl rams, omens KY 401297 Midwest (Ss Br Wt le Pt, Reis szab7i8 (Gi82133608) wanogaontarg ‘as em ox A, PO, oc 30 acy KS COMO tar Sa cosa ony Masia cl Hogs, ASH 27905 Coty Rs, 20, Hemntge MO SARE HEA (cirtestes wears saa New eet PO) 140 NWS Sk, Rey, NE EINES Sy eebooaariong ‘Now Engl! Division UV A Sect ilCT, RAE So Neen fe, one (eae?) lta og {Easton Mocactuson Tam Vek, KIT, 9Widwond De, Bad, MADI730 iS Zita walang Mara Reber Gaus vido, 672 Peon Senge Caso, NE-O401S 4016 Garaissf oy etwewamarg ‘hee Mamasnra ann Geta, IUAF. PO. Box 2298, Waebor, NH (4.205 (000 03 Set Rruarar.org ‘Rte sand. Bob Donut WYRG, 30 Roky Cros Rl, Curbed, 02668 (otSS5%20 wtyreearorg ere Baul Gayot ARIS, 1 Chen St, Esso incon, VT OSAS2 (ocho 22) stair i Lie KBILRL, 285 Leorinee Rs, Lunes Maiidee2os1 pr-sus Sn koteba 16 January 2021 657 rena "Northwest Division (AK, EWA, 1D, MT, OR, WWA) ‘Masha David Stove, KL7EB, 852 Gdon Sk Ap Aer ape AK BBS {@0r-242.c48) Tenor org Jac Tey ADTEO, 1806S. Fa Or Spokane Valley. WA Eater Westy ‘sootone so8aa:-r2i adrtogan rg ‘eh Da Mai, KTREX, 0609 W Fare um, Bose, [DSTO ‘auv-oreadoat er regat.ors ‘artra: Pal Slos.KE S04, 5427 Doms Or, lings MT S05 (4oe-67- 70) feet org ‘Grog: David Ki KATOEO,217EDS Laksour Ave, Cregn Cy, OR 7045-3154 (Goes) kavexoeamory Weston ota Sngsn, WTFF PO, Bo 3068, Stes, WASHSES (60-69-7005; wit tear org Foal Division (EB, NV, PAC, SV, SF SIV SCV) age cma MPa orn, Nas Om CASHES as} wana og vay Bi, NUR 100 Pas A, Ls og, NV A81212157 (iesrsoey arg og ie ‘ate on Sera eo, 28 Kept Bvt 2 Hor MOS (essa anaaantorg ‘Sern vatyOrCaa cz, KEAMO, PO, BoxBB8, Cru Hots, CA Bote eee heaton Sere ier SGN PO Hs, Se ow, choEAz4t (a6 ear ‘Sr Josun Vie somtis No, 14 Ong Sno, CA 92073595 (20055 078) rebut ‘Saal ty Jan ong, vt 208 Paso Delo Sn on. RSG (BE ole ones esa: evar re Roanoke Division (NC; SC, VE Remeber tsee atin WAIN, PO, 208 Sore NO 28007 (826.04 0620; wotneaar.arg ‘Sa Capi Ne ion RAUFP 408 Dor Fae Rock il 2573.58, ar 8 mkt Men pa BU 0 ch, Ren. VAT Ee. Kawah bes wp om a 18 Po, Marron, a0" Cee, Ae Og EO MAUL onan en Sasha eae a Cae RTE wens ac tata ieee ERE te ratom omnirvoe eaters re ARENT ic mincna, on mc ins toarasiaugnrs cin a A NE ae See a CEE reid ang ton oS Scattateactes ee Eee ry aarp on Spt See ean ae oe ene ntithancascminnan Gertsesrarra seems See eet nn ent oh Serna TE icR URN te Beer aint neste eaten noses Be sone pecan oie mt Wiauchil, FL 39673 (868 245-4730) wamdd@are.org ‘esteem tn A ah ono sa OSA US ORE SB eis eee ee van morn 8 Seema ett han am cna Sere eet or enrewn.omtes2avin ee ee bec ro.onim amccison ists Malena es a i 2 Moros eras Sov lat Sec pe 128 Obs Ln, Bon Frank, TK Hate tpeideatien a. peti to See Rte Nt, sam ins mean Hino Staaaceerer Beret RSet neo mca nano te ‘sisi taENGINEERING EXCELLENCE Ale Pigg Unbelieveable Memory The classic lo ok & style to match On every wavelength Elite 750 = AM/FM/LW/SW bands ‘Aircraft Band ‘Set 9/10 KHz AM tuning; set FM tuning range + Single-Side Band (SSB) + 360 degree rotate AM antenna + Auto/Manual/Direct frequency ke ‘tuning + Auto Tuning Storage function (ATS) for FM/AM/Shortwave rere pens and station memory Authi + 1000 station memories (each band 100 memories, 500 customiable) ‘+ Dual alarm clock function * Line in socket (can be used as speaker for MP3) + Line out socket (radio broadcasting can be transferred to other device) + External antenna jacks for both AM/FM ‘+ Power source: DC Input (6V) power supply included Schlemmer ed Deal eténENGINEERING EXCELLENCE Elite Field Elite Executive “+ AMVEMUSU bands “FM with ROS (Radio Data System) + Diana course! narrow ctl tuning + Treblebass conto! + RF gain control + wide/narow bandwith section ‘+ AMIE UWISH bands ‘+ FMuith RS (Radio Data Syste) + Single sideband (55) with +71 KH tuning, += Vi fiat band + tomatic or Manual Digital Tunlng +50 memory stations = Fistereo/mona selection + Bluetooth® ready ‘extemal AWFYSW antenna connections * Localxsuiten + Eectroncolumerteblvtass contr + Syne detector with solectable sideband ‘+ Drect ken meter band for SW +700 memory stations ‘PLL synthesized dual conversion receiver = LocalOX switch ‘ Locabword time zones * Clack/AarSieep Tiner with time bacap ‘+ Rich orange LCD splay ‘+ ResevLock button ‘FM telescople antenna ‘+ Powersupply nied AC adapter or 4 AA bateres (sold separately) ‘Custom vegan leather case with craftsman stitching + Rich orange LCD display + Unetine-out and headphone jacks ‘FM telescopic antenna *Canying strap + Resetick button + Powersupply lnclded 7V OC adapter or 4D batteries (ol separately) ‘Custom vegan leather Cay Case (sod separate) “2iGy PREFERREDLiving Radiowerld"' Hammacher Schlemmer Abit = etonFree Catalog/Dealers/Manuals Online ~ Visit: www.ameritron.com or call toll-free 800-647-1800 Cee AMERITRON 600W 160-6M Solid State 600 Watts is only 4 dB below 1500 Watts full legal limit — less than an S-unit! Wee New! Ameritron ALS-GO6SIALS-606 Solid State 600 Watt ampiinier covers 160-6 Meters and automatically bandswitches by your transceiver. {es ony 48 below 1500 Wats — les than an Sunt antocy on Pe nae hear the diference! ra Be heard Vierk OX and ragehow wih anyone, Ju tno, sac band on your vanscaver and operat. No tubes, no wart Up. rotning ove. Desktop size 97x 7H x 14120", jst 14.2 pounds SWRithermal protected, extemsy que hed peak reading Crone Necsle SWROWattmeter ont panel ALC conta peratolstandby sch, maimetr Select vensceivernlrace cable, ww amenton com ‘ALS-6068, $2099 inchides choi, highly regulsted swing ower supph 10s, SW xH ae Call your favorite dealer for your best price! ALS-606, $2299 includes transformer power supply for 120/220 ALS506S ALS-606 ALS.6005ALS.600_—— VAC. 32 be. 1:Wx OH x 120 notes, $2099 $2299 $1899 $1999 NEW LOWER PRICE! Tirovcs Wiesner RIM Wnscne Wht oes ALS-6OOS, $1890, Live ALS-206S. Less auto-band swith, Fever, romisugy, Pome Say TOM. ARLSDO, $119, 95 aute-bandsivten box. MOD-TOMS, en - $20.95, adds 10-Meters. ALS-600, $1999, Lo ALS-6008 buthasranstommer AC power ay here's what QST sid about the ALS 600 it ey consnsan anasto AN rage cabs nits bar i see cee ene epee oi cy otinsamoiter” | : amare erms Ameritron 1200W 160-6M Solid State Amp home, traveand portable use. ts versatility has been demonstrated at countless Field Day and DXpedition operations + Matching PX3 panadapter wth fast, full-color spectrum/waterfall* + TA"X3.5°% 17" (weight: 15 Ibs) + Bestin-das performance + 160-6 eters plus 204m + 58, CW, AN FM, Data + Upto ISWTK + Weighted, free-spinning VFO knoby + Precision roofing filter* + Wide-range internal ATU* ‘Our KXz “stealth transceiver can go wherever your imagination takes you I's pocket sized, ett transmits at upto 12 watts, covers9 bands, and shares many fea- tures withthe KX3. It also works with the KKPATOO amp. + 58°x28"x 15" (weight 13.02) + Utralight grab-and-go station, perfect for SOTA and field operation + 80-10 meters (@ bands) fl + $98 /CW/ Data/ AM/FM + Upto 2WTX Pp temalas an tron batery renee + Built mic for H-style operation fmeoratorthe + Wide-ange internal ATU we eee + New KXPD2 compact keyer paddle * option Make Waves in Style with the New K-Line. K4 Direct-Sampling SDR and KPA 1500 Legal-Limit Amp Ka Features KPA1500 Features Direct sampling SDR - Modular hybrid architecture «Single or dual 1500W Very compact design «Fas sent PIN diode TM switching -Builtin panadapter- High resolution tuning aid-Comprehenshe VO-Fullremote ATU with dual antenna jacks -Campatiole with nearly any transceiver ‘control via themet +7” colo screen with ouch and mouse control ‘custom cables available 160-6 meters CE for Europe + ATU with 10+ ange 3 antenna jacks «Up 05 receive antenna sources 4) ELECRAFT’ a elecraft.com + 831-763-4211 x x Yiuphront@er.org Up Front slim Mayercak, WX84, setup a portable operation from Columbus, Ohio, wih an Elecraft KX3 and a homebrew vertical inspired by Les Cebik, W4RNL Fascinated by the thyhm ofthe CW signals, Jim's 2-year-old grandson, Noa, climbed upto help with the operation ‘Allen Shirley, NEN, received several amateur racio-elated gits from his wife for their anniversary, including two call sign shits ‘and caps, but what won the day was the metal and leather tag Imprinted with an anniversary message in code. To top tof, she ‘wrote and signed her card in code peSIG)E Fecte ge Bea Bom Sow a ee nas eee he ae ete Cee ue Pahokee eee ty 20° January 2021TURN YOUR RADIO INTO A LEGAL LIMIT BEAST. ‘Our Power Genivs XL solid state, software defined amplifier is exceptionally clean and delivers full 1.5kW ICAS duty cycle on all bands and modes including RTTY & FT8. The only fully ‘SO2R/Muli-Single copable amplifier on the market, it has 70d8 nominel isolation between transceiver inpus,diplexed fiers, and ulra-fast high SWR protection. Like our entire transceiver product line-up, the PGXL is Etheret connected and fully integrated with SmartSDR for remote operation. Making all controls and meters available from anywhere. Just one more way to help you find everywhere, lexradio.com/PowerGenius-XL oS FlexRadio Find Everywhere See our Product Review inthis issue on page 40.‘Ham Radio Saves Lives! = aie ames ; ee oo Ce = + 2m,1.25m, 70em “Tf you need EinComm, you need 2yideeComm!" -T.H. Merritt, KLSYJ ee STUER ear eu number below to learn more! > | acta ch ia _ Yell ell ee ing the New PTET ashes ia: , - RK ey, Penns ES eae) Pouce. eC “© What Hotspot Will You Own? Wen you non, a et ko tars soe fd ‘something better. You would make ‘your hotspot packed with scstes wall ne at ied ro a ‘Would make it dual-band. Yes, you ee an seep OS cnt il DMR Made Easy. - We can't deny it. We've made it easy. Hams enjoy ‘this remarkable SkyBridge Plug and Play package because it comes programmed out of the box. In fact, whether you're a Technician or an Amateur Extra, there's one fact you can be sure of: the ‘SkyBridge hotspot is your key to success!leters@ordLorg Correspondence Letters from Our Members It’s Never Too Late to ccitions of NCYand QEX,makeit | QSLing Today Get Back on the Air obvious that ARAL is so much Years ago, when | was raising my I've been a ham since 1959 and mere. kids, | was lax on sending QSL have loved every minute oft | John Rays, KOZ cards, Now that there's Lagbook of spend most of my time on CW, Kansas Cy. Miscou ‘The World (LoTW), | upload my ‘but also operate using SSB and TR paper logs into its database. My EchoLink. When I was in ninth Evergreen Articles in QST logs are now on LoTW, eQSL, Club grade, I heard a young gi taking | Hive inthe middle of a large city Log, and QRZ. A few hundred foaham in South Dakota. ttumed | and have always been plagued by | paper QSL cards were sent via the ‘ut that she and | went tothe same | _Nolse on the 40-meter band. At ‘QSL bureau before COVID-19 school, although she was 2 years | times the noise level would be slowed the delivery of mal, but ‘older than me. Se invited me to 20.dB over $9. A few years ago,! | _enjay secing the old confirmations ‘come see her station —aHeatht | bulla two-turn, 31-inch diameter, | from other stations, bath local and DX-40 transmitter and an RCA shielded resonant loop with a built- DX, that show up when | check the: AR-86 receiver. We losttouch ater | in preamplifier for receiving. | LoTW download, Tearned my license and she went | ‘mounted the loop vertically, about — | nas wereer ‘away to college. Shortly alter that, 12 feet above ground, but even Tong Boach, Micsisippi she lot her loonse expire. \when | rotated it for minimum noise, | could only obtain about 1 S-unit of Benefits of the IRwasnit until 4 years agothat Ire | reduction. Digital Editions connected with her on Facebook. ‘We started talking about ham radio | Inthe “100, 50, and 25 Years Ago” ARRL members who enjoy visiting ‘and | was able to “re-spark" her in- colurnn from the October issue of ‘the websites found in QS7 articles terest in the hobby. She studied OST, the aricle, “A Receiving will relly tke the digital editions of hard and passed the tests for her ‘Antenna that Rejects Local Noise” | ARRLs magazines, | haver't ted Technician’, General and Amateur| wiilen by Brian Beezley, K6ST, emia, bob ie Reber aricies ave Extra-class licenses alin one day, | was mentioned as being printed in| ickable ts a beneft to not only be coniy missing one question! Im so the 1995 Septemberissue, The aie f0 bed he acct bul vel eb» cre ot te cosotptstent She | arte states that local nose signals | Hes with one click You can read the Fas once agalh joined the hain are primarily vericaly polarized and | print edition with the digital ecition radio ranks with the call sign KY4ay, | that a horizontally polarized antenna | 9pen online to access the links, or ‘Cantratulations bad weloora is needed to reject noise. Beeziey | juStreadit ontine, I's definitely better back, Vivian! even shared that a horizontal small | than typing in the URL for each link. Joop would effectively reject noise. There's real value in visiting web- Bob Evesiage, WONYA ‘Thatbeing Said, Iremourted my | S#95 that you might spend hours loop horizontally and was aston- searching for on your own RRL is More Than QST ished by a § S-unit reduction in Mike Laird, WSLME, Ive been a ham for over 60 years noise. The horizontal loop is omnidi- | Logansport. neiana ‘Over the years, many people per- tpefacal ond epee soe hon at ceived ARRL as just a magazine, rections. Signals that were com- potwthstanding the many ether pletely covered by noise are now ‘Send yourleters ta ‘Corespendenee*ARRL benefits the organization offered Gleatly heard. Thank you for remind: | ee etna Dudes 059, oF People didn't ask if | was a member; | ing Us of past articles — they are ‘va email o letters@harr.org. We read every they asked if I‘took QST.” But often of great value! trea Cw an ea aon there's more to ARRL membership | Don Becker, KOEJV toi We reserve he oto es your than that. Congratulations on the | Lincoln Nebraska Peat feral epider new publication, On the Af This ‘may ais appear thr ARRL mada. The ‘publication, plus the now free oniine publishers of OST assure no responsi for Staiements made by corespondents 24 January 2021redpitaya Red Pitaya Boards DX Engnesringisexcted to cant wo versatile boards from Red Paya, The Upgraded SDRlab 122-16 bore makes poweril and affordable coreforbullding Your own SOR transceiver, featuring frequency rangeto 2.5 Mitzand {Gbitsofresoltion. The STEMLaD 125-14 Board SDR Kt can be used as an SOR receiver, CW and RTTY skimmer, weak signal propagation ‘eporter ociloscop, signal generator, and more Both units come ‘wth 1668 SDR cara Ethemet cable, and power supply. Enter “Red Pitaya”at DKEngineering.com. ‘ON ALL DX Engineering's i Yon " DS ‘Amateur Radio Blog for 1 New and Experienced Hams. 3-Element V2 Triangular Receive Array Systems Hear the low band Bx and contest stations like never before! Point this arrays cardioid pattern to six different directions for amazingly improved lovsnoise reception from ‘below the 160 through 40 meter bands and beyond. Kits include clement amplifier, delay cable system, phasing controller, digital shack switch with OLED cisplay, and matching transformer. Enter “V2 Triangular” at DXEngineering,com. 2M-microBEAM Antenna New rom COMPACtenna, this tiny high-performance beam directional gain antennafor2 meters is designed tft intight spaces and though ! attic operings that wont accommodate standard beam antenmias~even small ones. Measuring 19" x 28" Wx28"H, the lightweight antenna requires lite assembly and etsyou use an inexpensive TV-antenna-syl rotor. Enter “COMPACtenna” at DXEngineering.com. YAESU icom KENWOOD ALINGO = W5Ulll Xig€xpert Antenna Analyzers RigExperthas added three new analyzers tots impressive lineup: the A&-650Z00M (0.1-650 Miz), 4A-1500Z00M (0.1-1,500 M2), and AA-2000Z00M (0.1-2,000 Mia) These tools for antenna building ‘nd troubleshooting deliver the benefits you've come tocexpect, including measuring the capacitance or inductance of reactive loads, checking ‘coax cable, tuning an antenna to resonance, and measuring SWR and impedance. Enter “RigExpert” at DXEngineering.com. bhi Noise Canceling Desktop Speaker ‘The audio prosat bhi have great news for Hams—an upgraded version of its 10W DESKTOP DSP Noise Canceling Speaker. The DESKTOP-MKl isenhanced with the atest technology to ensure “an even more impressive listening experience “The speaker removes noise and interference to leave crisp and clear speech; allows users to select from eight fiter levels in real-time to suit current conditions; and works with al types of transceivers, Enter“‘bhi” at DXEngineering.com. {com 1€-705 HF/50/144/430 Portable Transceiver and Accessories —|COM With the features and funetionality ofthe C-730, 1-761, and C700, Icom’ neve QP igs ike owning a base transceiver you canola inne hand, I boasts SDR Direct Sampling technology for stellar ‘wansmit and receve performance; 43inch color touchscreen; real-time spectrum scope and waterfall display, and full STAR capabilites, Accessories sold separately include Backpack, Bluetooth Headset, Magnetic Loop Antenna, and maAT-Tuner Automatic Tuner. Enter “IC-705” a DXEngineering.com. (ee) KENT lard Ley Rene ue eed yr ee ee oe _ ") ENGINEERING Showroom Staffing Hours: 9.am to 5 pm ET, Monday-Saturday Phone or e-mail Tech Support: 330-572-3200 8:30 am to pm ET, Monday-Friday Gelcheomjieeds Sam to pm ET, Saturday : 8:30am to midnight ET, Mondsy:Fiday Al Times Eastern | Country Code: $1 = damtoSpmel, Weekends DEngineeringDXEngineeringcom 800-777-0703 | DXEngineering.com BE |fee SaoriEVERYWHERE MEANS EVERYWHERE. We're for every comer of he earth, So much so, i's led to revolutionizing the ~ hom radio industry as the leader in design of software defined radios (SORs) Because whan you'e looking lo connect with people and places hat may or FlexRadio may not even be onthe map, you beter have the best partner in technology cn the planet. To learn more about our boundary-pushing products, visi exradio.com/FindEverywhere Find Everywhere 6400 | 6400M | 600 | 660M |6700 | Maestro | Power Genius XL | SmartSDRW1AW’s QSL File Every month, W1AW receives hundreds of QSL cards from hams all over rialKENWOOD De ee a Se teeny SHUR Ua eUNL se Top-ciass receiving performance TS-890) S ee ee inch Color TFT nal erie iese cera ee ee can and tough 100W output, ee eon Ce ed > Hanade mixer 37-bit floating-point DSP for RX TX and Bandscope See ee eee a ag ee aa eaAn Adinlese Sharpen your Morse code timing and character keying skills. Dovid A. Duncan, K7DUN ‘The current study of Morse code emphasizes reoog- nizing the sound and rhythm of the code rather than memorizing charts of dots and dashes. This develops an ear for not just the letters but entire words and phrases at a time, much as one learns a new spoken language. Many current Morse teaching aids lack a means to monitor keying techniques, those hidden ele- ments buriad within the code that make one proficient To address this deficiency, | introduce the CW-ELMER, smart code practice oscillator (CPO) that evaluates your keying, with practice for copying code messages, {as well as practice exercises to sharpen timing skils. Physical Description ‘The CW-ELMER is designed around the Arduino Micro microcontroller (see Figure 1). The sketch, or ‘Arduino program, can also compile and run on @ Leonardo or Mega version of Arduino. User control consists only of a straight key connected between Arduino Pin 7 (D2) and ground. The key is Used for keying code, and also for maneuvering the ‘operating menus, calling up reports, and adjusting the various options. A miniature 8 © pancake speaker pro- vides audio. ‘AParallax 27977 serial 16 x 2 LCD displays visual readouts of results and prompts. This display requires only three wire connections to the Arduino. The serial interface rate dip-switches on the underside of the 27977 should be set for 2,400 baud serial (SW1 ON, ‘Swe OFF) 30 January 2021 Learning Systerr OE la Power is from either 6 V (four AA calls) or a 9V battery through a SPST ON/OFF switch. Filter capacitor C1 reduces the likelihood of unintentional intermittent power supply interruptions during use. CW-ELMER can also be powered through the Arduino USB port from a computer or a 5 V USB charger device, The components layout is not erica. All components in my prototype are mounted in a7 x 3.5 x 1 inch case that includes contacts for four AA cells (see Figure 2).1 cut the case top to allow the LCD to fit, and made cut- outs for the power ON/OFF switch and access to the Arduino USB connactor for power, programming, and communication with an external monitor. (One of the major functions of the CW-ELMER is to practice timing and technique, so the use of auto-keys Or paddles is not recommended or supported, How- ever, you can connect your favorite external straight key across the main key terminals, External Monitor Connect the Arduino USB to your computer USB port (CW-ELMER will then be powered by the USB), and start a text monitor application that accepts serial com- ‘munication through the USB, set for 9,600-baud rate. ‘The monitor will reflect messages viewed on the CW- ELMER LCD, and save them for later study, sharing, or printing,LOD! Paralax 27077 16.2 display Figure 1 — The schematic diagram ofthe CW+ELMER, Bt — Battery alkaline, 4 «1.5 VAA, or 8¥, with connector C1— Capacitor, 100 uF 35 V electroytc (Dig-Key P1854478- IND, Panasonic ECA-IVHG101I) (©2— Capacitor, 10 uF 35 V electrolytic (Digi-Key P19549TB- ND. Panasonic ECA-1VMIt00}) LCDI — Display, LCD, 18 = 2 alphanumeric, serial interface (DigtKey 27977-NO, Parallax 27977) ‘S1— Switch, rocker, SPST (DighKey CH7S5.ND, ZF Electronics 'SRBZ2AZFBENN) Figure 2— The key is mounted on the case top, and interior houses the speaker, Arduino, and LCD. The bottom holds the battery pack and ON/OFF swrich at BV ds AA) Sv 1 ora ‘S2—Morse practice straight key (Ham Radio Outlet part ‘Ameco K-1) ‘SP1— Speaker, miniature 8 $2 (Digi Key 458-1129-ND, Mallory ‘SonalertPSR-G5NOSA-JO) U1 — Microcontroller, Arduino Micro (DighKey 1080-1066-ND, ‘Arduino A000053) Misc, — Case, pastic, approx. 7" 3" x 1.5" (DighKey HH-3400-BC-ND, Bud industries HH-3400-8C for 9 V battery) Software Setup Consult the many available online resources about installing and using the Arduino IDE program on your computer. Once the Arduino IDE is installed, dawnload the file CWE3O.ino trom www.arrl.org/QSFin-Depth. This file must be the only fle located in a folder named CWE20 or the IDE to properiy recognize and load it as an Arduino sketch. Connect the CW-ELMER Ardu- ino USB port to your computer's USB port using a suit able USB data cable, then open the IDE application, and set the IDE TOOLS: BOARD to ARDUINO MICRO. ‘Also set TOOLS: PORT to watever serial port is assigned to your CW-ELMER Arduino. (Open the CW-ELMER sketch using the IDE FILE: OPEN command, locate and select the CWE30.ide file downloaded earlier, and click OK. Click on the VERIFY button to test the sketch for errors. A message stating, “Low memory available: stability problems may occur” ‘may appear; that is okay, as CW-ELMER will run with wonwaniorg OST January 2021 31the available resources of an Arduino Mioro. a mes- ‘sage stating, "Not enough memory;..." appears, oF other faults are reported, verify the correct board is selected. Ifa fault in the code is detected, the IDE will highlight any line on which an error is found. ‘When the verity test completes without error, click on the UPLOAD button in the IDE to transter to your CW- ELMER and automatically begin running, Format the EEPROM Atthis point, CW-ELMER may not behave as ‘expected, with random characters displayed and not responding correctly to the key. To correct this, the EEPROM of the Arduino must to be formatted and default parameters loaded. ‘To prepare the EEPROM, either press and hold the key while depressing the Arduino RESET button, or dis- ‘connect your CW-ELMER from the computer USB and {um the power switch off, then press and hold the key down while restoring power. When formatting is com pleted, the message [Format EEPROM] / [READY] will display. Release the key, and CW-ELMER should run property and be ready for use. Repeat this procedure if needed to restore the default settings. ‘The default settings for CW-ELMER are: ‘QRZ (call sign) = "K7DUN" WPM (receive and send rate) = 15 words/minute DitTime (duration of DIT tone) = 80 ms MidTime (threshold time, equals two DIT times) = 160 ms DahTime (duration of DAH tone, equals three DIT times) = 240 ms CharSet (‘Alpha only’, ‘Alpha+Number’, or "Alpha+Number+Punctuation’) = Alpha only ‘CW Pitch (DIT and DAH audio frequency) = 700 Hz You can use the functions in the OPTIONS menu to change these values if desired. Silent Mode Abhidden feature included in CW-ELMER is silent mode, which disables audio functions that you may find distracting. Functions such as receive and CW pitch are disabled in silent mode; all other functions ‘operate normally except for sound. 32 January 2021 ‘To enable silent mode, power on the CW-ELMER. When the QRZ and version text are displayed, but before QRZ sounds in Morse, press and hold the key during this 1-second delay, CW-ELMER will acknow!- ‘edge with [SILENT MODE] on the display until the key is released. Main Menu (CW-ELMER completes initialization, then starts the ‘Main Menu. tems in CW-ELMER menus are pre~ sented sequentially first to last, pausing for 2 seconds fon each item, then loop back to first and repeats. To make a selection, press the key while the desired iter. is displayed. ‘A few menus are shown here, and the rest of the ‘menu details are on the www.arrl.org/QST-in-Depth web page. + [CW-Elmer MENU] / [SENDING] * [W-Elmer MENU] / [RECEIVING] * [CW-Elmer MENU}/ [ANALYZE] * [CW-Elmer MENU) / [EXERCISES] + [CW-Elmer MENU] [OPTIONS] Menu / Sending In sending mode, press the key and CW-ELMER sounds a tone. Release the key to stop the tone. But CW-ELMER expects you to key something more or less resembling Morse code, so it attempts to interprat and display what you keyed. A value called MidTime is set equal to two DITs at the selected WPM rate. CW-ELMER measures each key press and compares that to MidTime. A key pressed for ess than MidTime is interpreted as a dit, if longer than MidTime, it considers that a DAH was intended. CW-ELMER also measures the pause time between key presses. When a pause longer than three dits is detected (end of character), CW-ELMER calculates a numerical value based on the presence and order of the dits and dahs, and uses that calculation to select a character from a lookup tabla for display on the lower row. Keyed characters are also displayed on the upper row. in classic dovdash form. This may help you see where your keying was off (QSD) if the interpreted character appears incorrect. ‘Sending will repeat as long as characters are keyed in. However, ifthe key is held down for more than 6 sec- ‘nds, Sending terminates and returns control to the Main Menu.Menu / Receiving In receiving mode, you frst select the character set you want to focus on: alphabet, numbers, and punctu- ation; alphabet plus numbers, or alphabet only. Select- ing CANCEL in that menu will continue with whichever ‘set was previously used, and not save any changes to the EEPROM memory. (CW-ELMER then sounds groups of three to seven randomly selected characters at the current WPM rate. You have 5 seconds to copy the characters heard before they are revealed. After that, you have another 5 seconds to compare your copy. A prompts dis- played! []/{ KEY now to exit}. Press the key to return ‘control to the Main Menu, or not to continue with another group of three to seven different characters. ‘Menu / Analyze In sending mode, CW-ELMER records various statis- tics about your key presses as you enter code. Select- ing ANALYZE displays this information in a number of ‘screens, to help you develop consistent key timing, or recognize where you need practice, Each screen is, displayed for 5 seconds, or it may be advanced by pressing the key. The first four screens display information about key presses detected as dits during sending practice. ‘The next four screens display similar information for key-presses detected as dahs. (CW-ELMER then calculates the equivalent WPM rate using the formula WPM = integer (2,400 / (ditAvg) + (dahAvg / 3) + [WPM RATE 15 ]/[ MEASURED 15 ] + [RESET KEY DATA ]/[ KEY to OK] Press the key at this time to clear accumulated statis- tics, otherwise values will continue to accrue when you return to sending mode. Control then retums to the Main Menu Menu and Exercises Menu CW-ELMER employs the PARIS timing scheme, where the basic unit of time is the dit, and a dah is three dits long, Inra-character pauses are one dit long; pauses between letters in a word are equal to three cits, and a seven-dlt pause marks the end of each ‘word. A properly keyed PARIS message, plus the end: of-word pause, is exactly 50 cits in duration, and is a standard for determining WPM rates. Available exer- cises are: * [EXERCISES ]/[ DIT Tone ] + [EXERCISES ] /[ DAH Tone} * [EXERCISES ]/[IntraChar Pause ] * [EXERCISES ]/[ Character Pause | * [EXERCISES ] /[ Word Pause } * [EXERCISES ] /[ Cancel ] Menu and Options Menu The options include settings that may be altered to make CW-ELMER operate according to your level of skill, or personalized as you wish. All options may be saved to the Arduino EEPROM, to be restored when next powered on. *[ SELECT OPTION ]/[ Select WPM Rate ] + [SELECT OPTION }/ | Select Char Set] * [SELECT OPTION ]/| Select CW Pitch ] + [SELECT OPTION ]/ | Edit QRZ] * [SELECT OPTION ]/{ Cancel ] Figure 3 shows the authors favorite straight key attached across the key built into the CW-ELMER. in Figure 3 — The CW-ELMER with an external key attached Photos by the author David Duncan, K7DUN, eared his Amateur Extraclass license in 2015 soon after geting his Teehnician-classlcenee, KG7AFK. In 1968, he studied physics atthe Univeral of Alaska in Fairbanks, His career include a sin as process photographer for a book publisher David founded Phoiostectroncs, a producer of mee urement and monitoring equipment for photographic darkrooms, He earned journoyman CET ceriication in 1975, and was a ser- vice department manager in Samoa and Fi for & reprographies. [equipment cstributor He joined Tektronix in 1980 as a systems siaff engineer. In 1991, he joined Providence Health & Services fs a Blomedical echnizian, and retred 25 years lator You can each Davi at k7dun @are.net For updates to this article, see the QST Feedback page at wnwarrorgiteedback. VOTE January 2021 33An Arduino-Based Antenna Rotator Controller ais: 34 January 2021 Giovanni Carboni, IZ5PQT Recently, | purchased a lightweight antenna rotator of the type used for TV antennas. its a "New Old Stock’ Hirschmann Hit Ro 250 (see Figure 1). thought that | could Use it to orient a simple VHF Yagi or the small untuned loop (See the lead photo) that | use for MF and HF reception. ‘These rotators usually rely on the constant rotation speed of the driving motor to orient the antenna to a given direction. To periodically calibrate the angular position, these rotators have a mechanical stop at 0 degrees and at 360 degrees, —usually corresponding to north when the antenna is installed. | decided to build a new completely electronic unit based on the Arduino microcontroller. The new controller replaces the ‘ld one; itis totally silent, compact, and allows you to preset and read the position on a backlit LCD. The rotator position is stored in the Arduino EEPROM and is automatically recalled when the unit is switched on. ‘The operating principle is shown with reference to the dashed section of the Figure 2 schematic. The motor has a center-tapped stator winding. Power is applied between the center tap, ine 1 on the three-pin terminal strip, and either side of the windings (line 2 or 3), depending on the rotation direction. A non-polarized electrolytic capacitor C3 con- ected across lines 2 and 3 is required for motor startup. To calibrate the controller, the rotator is initially rotated counter- clockwise (CCW) until the 0° end stop, when the motor stalls. Assume that ac power is applied between terminals 1 and 2 to get CCW rotation. Then when the motor stalls, the Current I3 drops from about 0.85 A to 0.65 A. This current. jump is detected by a dedicated sensor U2, so that the Arduino can determine the zero position The rotator position is stored in the Arduino EEPROM and is automatically recalled when the unit is switched on.Figure 1 —An inside view ofthe rotator. Controls (On the front panel, there is a 16 x 2 backlit LCD, the power switch, and two momentary contact center-off SPDT toggle switches to operate the controller (se Figure 3). When the unit is powered up, it recalls the rotator direction from the internal memory and shows it ‘on the display. Then the left toggle switch is used to preset the position (up or down) in degrees. if you go beyond the desired position, you can correct i by hit- ting the UP or DOWN switch again, as many times as ‘you wish, but the motor will not move yet. The starting position and the positive or negative displacement Tequired to move the rotator to the programmed direc tion are shown on the display in Figure 3. When the ‘second switch is toggled up the controller activates the motor in the proper direction (CW or CCW) for a time Tree proportional to 4.The final position is shown on the display and written to memory. If the second switch is toggled down the rotator performs a calibration going back to zero. The display inthis case shows the cur- rent reading continuousty, which will show the afore- mentioned drop when the motor is stalled. The calibration is also performed automatically when the Units switched on for the first ime or if the memorized tection is zero. Current Measurement U2, an Allegro ACS712 5 ampere version, is used for current measurements. | use a breakout board. The ac ‘output of the current sensor is sent to the U3 op-amp precision rectifier circuit (https:/len.wikipedia.oro/ wiki/Precision_rectifier). The resulting dc output is sent to the Arduino. Arduino Nano use the Arduino Nano microcontroller board. When planning the position of the various components, leave ‘enough space to allow plugging the USB cable into the Arduino board, The Circuit ‘The complete schematic diagram is shown in Figure 2. ‘An 18V ac center-tapped transformer powers both the ‘motor and the electronics. It replaces the original 16 =17V transformer. A fullwave rectifier (01, D2) fol lowed by a 7805 voltage regulator provides the voltage for all the electronics. The controller fits inside a metallic cabinet approxi- ‘mately 4.8 (W) by 4 (H) by 5 (D) inches (see Fig- ure 4).1 mounted the power supply and the Arduino board on a 2 x 4.8 inch piece of perforated copper ‘epoxy motherboard behind the front panel. ‘The Arduino board socket is made from two female header strips (15 contacts). A break-away 8 + 8 pin ‘male strip mounted on the board is used to connect the LCD. Connections to the toggle switches, the relays, and the current sensor are also routed via short male pin strips, three contacts for each toggle switch, one or two for the rest. The motherboard also accommodates the LCD contrast trimmer R6. This should be set once and forgotten. The relays, the ACS712 sensor, and the precision rectifier are mounted on a separate Bakelite board and all connections to the motherboard are made with female-female jumper wires. The 16 x 2 LCD module is mounted with four sorews onto the front panel. It has 16 external connections, and I strongly suggest that you first solder a row of 16 ‘male pins into them, and then use female-ferale short jumper wires (12 needed) to connect it to the mother- board. For the two relays, RYA and RYB, | used two small sin- gle relay modules (seen in the lower left of Figure 4) intended for use with the Arduino. The modules incor- porate a driver transistor, a protection diode, and LED. Capacitors C1 and G2 across the contacts are crucial to suppress transients. The U3 based precision rect- fier is mounted on a small piece of Veroboard. These rotators usually rely on the constant rotation speed of the driving motor to orient the antenna to a given direction. January 2021 35,st 1 OFF Powe aoomon | tif OF] 18V ot 4] eazz0ur 2 BV Decimal values of eapactance ae in microtarads (uF): ‘ters are in pcoarads (pF); Resistanes are inchs; e110, m=t,000.000 va, Figure 2— The schematic of the controler. Non-elacroytc eapactors should be plastic flm ar ceramic. C1, C2 —330 nF R6—5 kO trimmer C3120 uF, 63 V, non-polerized electrolytic (you can use two RYA, RYB—5V SPOT relay modules for Arduino or equivalent, £220 uF eleciroiytcs wired back-to-back) https:fivetco.net/products/single-relay-module-for-arduino- 42.200 uF. 25V, electrolytic 25ivupns94s. Tur gi —Power switch C8 — 1 nF 52, $3 — Momentary contact center-off SPOT toggle switch 67, C10— 100 nF T1'— Power transfotmer, 18 V cenler-lapped 1 A secondary, primary adapted to ine volage C3 — 10 uF electric Ui — 7808 5 V regulator D1, D2 —"IN4OO7 diode U2— ACST12 05A (BA version} curent sensor IC or breakout D3, D4 — 1N4148 dove board; htps:/mww.banggood. com/buyilow-current-sonsor~ Fi—Fuse 400 mA, coutaes712;html 1,3, RB — 10 KO, KW 1LM358 IC R233 ko, MW Ud — Arduino Nano Board R47 kG, AW U5—LED 1602.18 * 2 alphanumeric module 36 January 2021Figure 3 — The front-panel layout, The power switch is at the ‘bottom right. The toggle suitch on tha left programs the direction {up oF down). The toggle switch on the right starts the motor (up), for zeroes the rotator (dou), ‘The gain is set by R2/R1. The quiescent output voltage after RS should be 1.6 V. Don't substitute a 741 op- ‘amp for the LM358. ‘Aword of caution: don't place the ACS712 current ‘sensor too close to the power supply transformer, because its stray magnetic field will be detected by the Hall probe and will appear as noise on the output. Setup and Software ‘Once set up, no computer connection is needed to ‘operate the controller. There are two sketches on the www.arrl.org/qst-in-depth web page. The first, ‘myrotor_setup.ino, wil assist you in setting up the ‘controller, and then you can forget it. The second, myrotor_1.2.ino, is the actual operating sketch. Note that it Arduino Nano is not recognized when you plug the USB cable into your PC, you should probably instal the relevant drivers. For setup, load myrotor_setup.ino using the Arduino IDE. Once the sketch is loaded, you will see the wel ‘come soreen. Then the controller waits for you to send ‘@ command. Toggling the left switch up and down will tum the rotator CWICCW. Ifthe direction is wrong, ‘swap wires 2 and 3 on the terminal board. If everything is okay, toggle the switch down. The rotator will rotate ‘CCW toward zero, continuously reading current, J, and) time, T.Take a note of the current, /, reading. When the rotator hits the end stop, the current will drop. Note it, then compute the average of the readings before and after the stop. This determines the parameter stato be inserted in the operating sketch. Figure 4 — Internal view shows the relay modules mounted on a [Bakelite stip. All interconnections to modules and switches Use jumper wires and pin connectors (no soldering). The three-con- ducior fat cable onthe lower ght goes tothe toggle switch. The power transformer (not visible) is below the Bakelite stip. Finally, with the rotator at 0 degrees, toggle up the left switch until the rotator reaches the 360-degree stop, and make a note of the time. Multiply it by 1,000. This ives you the second parameter TT. (Open myrotor_1.2.ino in the Arduino IDE, and edit the two parameters, /stall and TT, inserting the numbers you obtained into the sketch. Load the sketch. The Controller will ring the rotator to zero and will auto- matically stop. Then it will be ready to operate, and you can disconnect the USB cable. The relationship between the Arduino readings and the motor current is explained on the wwwaarrl.org/qst-in-depth web page. Giovanni Carboni, I25POT, ist discovered ham radio by reading the 1958 Raglo Amateurs Handbook bul sludy, arly, ns work ‘opt him from gatting licensed until 2000. He graduatod with a dogree in physics from University of Pisa, and subsequently con- ‘ducted experimental high-energy physics research atthe EUro- pean CERN Laboratory in Genova, Switzerland, From 1995 to 2016, he was Professor of Physics In Tor Vergata University in ome. Now retired he lives in Pisa, where he enjoys ham radio digital modes, VHF meteor scatter, experimenting with antennas, land a wide range of homebrew projects, You can reach Giovanni at VOTE For updates to this article, ‘00 the QST Feedback page atwwwarrLorgifeedback, Aaa eae) January 2021 37Build a Make use of that 75 © coax. 50-750 Broadband Transformer for 1.8 — 54 MHz Stan Johnson, WOSJ Coax can be expensive, especially if you need a long, low-loss run, That's why | took a risk at a hamfest and purchased 200 feet of brand new, foam-core coax similar in diameter to RGB — for just $10. Unfortu- nately, the coax impedance turned out to be 75.9. In order to preserve a 50 0 impedance, this meant that I would need a pair of 50/75 2 broadband transformers to be placed on either end of any 75 © cable run. Design and Construction A50-75 © transformer has a 1.5:1 impedance ratio. This corresponds to a tums ratio of 1.225:1, as the tums ratio is the square root of the impedance ratio. My autotransformer design consists of a five-turn coil ‘wound on a Laird 2881540-000 ferrite core (Digi-Key 240-2319-ND) tapped at four turns, as shown in Figure 1. This 1.25:1 turns ratio is very close to the desired 1.225:1. Wind the core with four close- ‘spaced turns of 16-gauge Teflon insulated wire, cre- ate a tap, and then add one more tum. The 10 pF 200 V de ceramic capacitor (Digi-Key parts number 476-11012-ND) improves the input SWR. In the ccore’s center, use vinyl tubing with an outside diam- eter of % inches, and add a zip tie around the perim- eter to hold the windings against the core. The lead 98 January 2021 957 wn photo provides details of the physical construction. The aluminum box is a BUD CU-3002A (Digi-Key parts number 377-1089-ND) or equivalent. Testing ‘Two 50/75 © transformers were constructed. Testing was done with a 100 W transceiver; a 50 dB, 100 W attenuator, and an HP436 power meter with an HP8482 sensor. The system was first calibrated on each band without the transformers. Then the inser- tion loss was measured by installing the two trans- formers back-to-back between the transmitter and the attenuator to convert the impedance up to 752 and then back to 50 ©, 750 Figure 1 — The transformer schematic.Figure 2 — The retum loss swoop from 1 to 30 M2. Table 1 — Dual 50/75 0 Transformers Frequency Insertion Return. © SWR Loss Loss 1.80MHz 0.7008 200003 1.220: 7S M2 = 0.4448 240008 1.19601 7ASMH2 = 0.3168 2e60d8 1.07751 TO12MH2 = 0.2708 92.3008 1.0501 14176MH2 0.27 0B 3B.90d8 1.02211 1812MHz 0.26 0B 44.3008 101241 2120MHz 0.26 dB 38.2008 1.02501 2A95MHz 027 6B 32.8008 1.08751 28S0MHz 02348 29.80d3 1.0681 SO5MH2 © 0.7008 19.08 dB 1.250:1 Next, a high-power directional coupler was added between the transceiver and the first transformer input to measure reflected power using an HP8508 vector voltmeter. Table 1 summarizes the measure- ments. As the insertion losses include both trans- formers, the insertion loss per transformer is half of that shown. As can be seen from the test data, the performance of the transformers is fairly well bal- anced between 160 and 6 meters. ‘The final test was to connect the transformers to the 200-foot 75 © coax run to see how the overall sys- tem performed. A spectrum analyzer with tracking generator and a directional coupler were connected to the input transformer to measure return loss. The results are shown in Figure 2. Note that the return loss stays below 20 dB (1.22:1 SWR), except for the 160-meter band (Marker 1) and the citizens band (not a problem). Because itis not a perfect match, peaks and valleys are seen in the return loss plot, the positions of which will change with the coax length. For best results, try to keep the load SWR below 2:1, and don't operate above 100 W, unless you go with larger ferrite cores. Finally, i you are only interested in 160 — 40 meters, try winding 10 tums tapped at eight turns. This should improve the performance on 160 and 80 meters at the expense of 20 meters and above. ‘Stan Johnson, WOSJ, was fis oensed in 1961 and upgraded to Amateur Exra class in 1968. He has a degree n electronic from lowa State University and a physics degree from the University of Northern lowa, His career began at Bel Telephone Laboratories near Chicago and ended at the John Deere Product Engineoring Center in fowa as a scienisvengineer Since retring in 200", Stan ‘enioys building things, mostly out of junk You can reach Stan at wOscavengesjunk@ gmail.com, For updates to this article, see the QST Feedback page at wwwarrlorgiteedback. vanuary 2021 39