2UcveCed eM eC) Peak of SummerOnthe Air ICYVABN RSIS) Perenmcniens nO JUL/AUG 2020 Barc tcal, ie oe Se ey Een MN Cicometcts BEER Etour Gy for Soldering a) ey py Digital Communication Ca PUR Ur ANCE) Sere bet) ic 7 26 ies ey sre eat CE PU Bie Oe AU iS)ARRL ; Becoming an ARRL member : gives you the resources you ‘ need to get active and involved in radio communications. You get all this: ‘+ Your choice of QST— ARRL's official membership journal — ‘or On the Air magazine — a bimonthly publication aimed at helping newly licensed and beginner-to-intermediate hams navigate the world of amateur radio Answers to all your technical and operating questions through ‘our Technical Information Service (TIS) + Support and training for public service and emergency communication volunteers Access to valuable members-only web services www.arrlorg/join eh hg 244.From the Editor From the Ground Up Here's a peck at a couple of places | went while working on ths issue (One of them's on the cover. I spent a day atop East Peak in Meriden, Connecticut with (On the Air's trusty design and photography folks and our model, getting that cover shot. We had lovely weather, gorgeous scenery, and alot of fun. It’s not every day that | get to do my jobin such a beautiful place! (On another day, | spent hours working with this issue's articles on coax and soldering, sunk deep into word-by.word considerations fof what to tall you about lossy cables and hot liquid metal. This is another “place” that my work takes me to. I's not pretty like a moun- taintop view, but it’s enjoyable in its own way — and it’s certainly necessary. Just as that 976-foot view and that narrow focus — and a la of aspects in between — are part of my job, they're part of har radio, too, We try to include a range of them inevery issue, because before you can have a successful, picturesque operation on a ‘mountain peak, you have to know how to make your radio setup, with all its bits and pieces and requirements, work properly. It may take a while to get where you want to {go, but On the Airs here to help, from the ground up ‘To that end, ths issue's articles on "Shopping for Coaxial Cable,” "Tools and Materials for Soldering,” and “Soldering PL-259 Coax Connectors" focus on that nuts-and:-bolts level, and "Hitting the Heights with Summits On the Air" will give you the high-level basics about the SOTA operating program. | hope On the Air inspires you to learn more, try a ‘new skil, and expand your view until you reach the peaks you're aiming for in this hobby 3, Becks vt onthe air Michele Bloom, WBIENT Geel ales ETAT Production Supersae Pabisner Maty Weinberg, KBIEI8 esha Sched Wi Productin Casrinator sonal Dvector Kok Design ttc Graph Design Jarra Seott his Zajac ne ny 20-29 Ector {8546 onine) x pbkaned amorthiy january, Senior Lab Engineer ‘March, May, ly, September, ara Novebe ree the Amare Railay League, ne 225 Sanat Roveo, WULR St, Newington, CT DS1LL-1400, USA, Application ‘Advertising Sales Manager toda at Periods Postage Rates's Pending st Bob nderbitzon, NOUR artforg, C7 and adationamaiing ofces, Pract Development Manager POSTMASTER: Sond address changes to: Onthe n,KCIMBY ‘225 Mal St, Newington, CTOBII1-400, USA unations Manage US & Possessions: Membershipin ARR, inching 2 Lyearsubseriton to On thea, aalatie a individual 48, Other membership rates are Resources On the Air information and Archive arrlorgjota Find the On the Air Podeast appstitcher.com bubery.com/arrlontheair ppodcasts.apple.com Onthe AirBlog arrlorgjota-biog ‘Technical Information Service tis@arrl.org New Ham Group gr0ups.arr.org/g/ARRL-New-Hams Manage Your ARRL Membership arrlorg/myaer Join ARRL or Renew Your Membership arrlorgjjain ARRL Member Benefits artlorg/benefts, Donate to ARRL artlorg/donate Shop with ARRL arrlorg/shop Find, s-a Licensing Class arrLorg/class a License Exam Session arrlorg/exam a Radio Club (ARRL-afilated) arrlorg/cub a Harnfest oF Convention arrLorg/hamfests fv Gein Facebook: @ARRLOTA Twitter: @arrl, @wlaw, @arrl_ares Instagram: @arrihg YouTube: ARRLHQ Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/ ‘american-radio-relay-league salable atarrrg. Membershipinudes #21 per Yr forsubsrigton a Or heh Merberahip soa Unthesircannot be separate. Sage copies $9.95, Copyright © 2020 by the Ararcan Rao Relay League, ine. Alright revered: Quedanrevervador (QST*,DXCC*, VUCC*, DX Century Cub", ARES, ‘rrateur Rado Emergancy Service" Logbook ‘of The Word, LoTWe, and ARRL.the nations sociation fo Amateur Rade ae roptted "ademarke ote Armeian co Rely Langu, product eserbed or reviewed herein. Inerderto ensure prompt delivery, we a that Youperoseal ence th adress nfrmatin on ere ratg label yu ie ny accuracies, pened Eancact the Creation Department a eeilatonD tsrlorgor 860-504-0200 retiately. Thank you foryurassstance Reprints and Permissions: permsson@arore Online Privacy Poy: arrorgjonine privacy poiyFrom Our Readers ‘Trying Out a Hack {'m enjoying OTA, especially the “Hints {& Hacks” section — I'm going to try the Vehicle Cable Adapter for my car, Great magazine for new hams lke myself Thanks. Jason Chan, xMEW)Q Pasadena, CX Broader Appeal | think the magazine has good content for the intended audience. The articles are well written, and are interesting enough to appeal to.a wide audience. In fact, iF fon On the Air was shared with non-hams, I believe it could generate greater inter- et this amazingly fun hobby. Bob Kar, a1626 Escondido, CA (On Your Level have been licensed and have been an ARRL member since 2011, but have never actually operated an amateur station, Many of the articles and projects in QST are way over my head technically, and out of my price range financially. The ‘new On the Air magazine is far more use- ful to me at my skill level. Thank you for publishing a magazine that | can actually read and understand. “Tom Wateon, W28Q Houston, 7 “if on On the Air was shared with non-hams, I believe it could generate greater interest this amazingly fun hobby.” Making a Comeback Although licensed over a half-century ‘ago, | have not been “radioactive” for a umber of years. have decided to revisit amateur radia naw that lam reticed. While searching atopic on the ARRL website, | noticed the new magazine, On the Air, and ‘was immediately drawn to its purpose — for beginner and intermediate hams. After listening to the Fist couple of episodes of. the OTA podcast, Iwas so impressed with the direction ARRL is going, in regard to those of us who are nat electronic/radio experts. Because of this, | decided to re- new my membership after all these years. Dave Smith, WO7P ‘ta 10 Visfor Victor The Big Picture infographic “The Phonetic Alphabet,” in the May/June 2020 issue of On the Ar, rmistakenly listed V as "Vietory.” The correct phonetic for Vis "Vietor” Portable Operating for Amateur Radio by Stuart Thomas, KBIHOS Now available at www.arrl.org/shop\ugust 226628 Intexnational Lighthouse Lightship ‘Weekend Each August, hams flock to lighthouses, and : sometimes lightships, all over the world for the International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend. The goal is to set up temporary amateur radio stations and contact as many hams as possible. These portable stations also help promote amateur radio to the public. You don't have to operate from a lighthouse to join the fun. You can just listen for lighthouse stations and make contact, using any communication mode you desire (voice, CW, digital). Some participating stations offer special certificates or QSL cards — contact-confirmation postcards that some hams enjoy collecting. The lighthouse stations operate primarily lon HF Frequencies, but many also include VHF stations with their antennas mounted at the top of the structures for wide coverage. If you want to try operating from a lighthouse, you must first contact the owner (often a government agency) and re- quest permission. They'll want to know details, such as how many people will be present, where you plan to place your antennas, and so on. Keep in mind that your station doesn’t have to be on or inside a lighthouse or ightship; operating. from anearby vehicle lot or parks sufficient. This year’s event is still scheduled to take place from midnight UTC August 22 until midnight UTC August 23. Just follow any restrictions that may still be in place in your area. You'l find complete details at illw.net.Ree nna d eerie ate art Plug the 3.5 mm Take a Tuner on the T ‘Summer brings outdoor operating, and it helps to have an antenna tuner along. An antenna tuner allows your HF transceiver to load its full output into an antenna system — even if your antenna is just a wire ina tree — with as little loss as possible. Since most trail-fiendly trans ceivers have low output to begin with, sending every watt to the antenna can make a big difference, ertgreren your index finger or thumb, and start sending, $12.99 fr Doren ni oct yiaraaat ightweight Morse code straight key that when operating portable, or at home. ‘attach the Finger Morse to Cretan) The May 2020 issue of QST magazine features a review of the mAT-Tuner mod- ‘el mAT-10 antenna tuner. I's compact, lightweight, battery operated, and fully automatic. Vibroplex is the US distrib- utor and you can learn more online at vibroplex.com/contents/en-us/d9168.html ‘and by reading the full QST Product Review at arrLorg/ast-product-review-and-short- takes-columns. Fun Kits for Solder Practice Ifyou'e looking for a lowsrisk way to learn to solder, try ‘one of the fun, low-cost kits available from Learn to Solder Kit (their “Bink” kit can be com- pleted in an hour or less; $12.99, learnto- solderkt.com/) or SparkFun Electronics (their basic flashlight kit is only $4.99; sparkfun.com) CCA ate tec Ss nee eu CUM ed that's ready to answer the technical questions standing in the way Pree eet re RF Connectors and Adapters DIN - BNC C-FME Low Pim MC - MCX MUHF N-QMA SMA - SMB TNC UHF & More Attenuators Loads & Terminations Component Parts Hardware Mic & Headset Jacks Mounts Feet - Knobs Speakers & Surge Protectors Test Gear Parts Gadgets - Toolsww att] Never Stops i - rank, KD9I mo nN a ke eo ace y) ay (Q: What kinds of things do you currently do with ham radio? ike to check into the local repeater nets to chat with other hams about our radio projects or how the week went. On HF, | like to contact special event stations, and I'm working, ‘toward a Worked All States award. 'm also in an online CWops CW Academy class, learning Morse code. Its so surreal when a stream of dits and dahs form themselves into @ word in your mind! | can’t wait to make my first CW contact. (Q: What ham radio activities do you want to becom: wolves ike to hike, so learning how to "“faxhunt,” using direction finding to locate a transmitter, would really be fun! | also want to be a volunteer helping with communication at local events like parades or races. (Q:What are your favorite non-radio activities /hobbies? Taekwondo, traveling, hobby farming, playing the ukulele, crochet, quilting, and my personal favorite..reading a good book. What do you do for work? ''m a Food Scientist and | work for the State of Wisconsin. | love how Wisconsin is known for our great cheese! What's the last book you read? id English and Its Closest Relatives by Orrin W. Robinson. I'm kind of a language history and word nerd. Q: Biggest ham-related success? Putting up my dipole antenna up in my backyard trees using a slingshot, a fishing pole, and all the ingenuity | could muster. l connected the cable from the antenna to ry HF radio, turned it on, and | could hear people around the country talking to each other. ‘Q:How do people describe you? People say | am always learning a new skil or finding a new hobby. Can | help it f there are so many interesting things to do? (Q: How have you benefited from beingan ARRL member? like the books, magazines, and podcasts that ARRL provides. Nearly all ofthe information I"ve needed to get up and running in the hobby has come frorn ARRL!Hear weak signals clearly with... ea) cancelling product! ParaPro EQ20)Audio DSP Range with parametric equalisation) ie Soe MED OSU Etre tee Ev nieteass aD ete cers E- fomalgneatilisteninglexperience) “canpartiiniine Easy touse in-line DSP noise cancelling unit with simple “real-time” control of audio and functions accross the whole audio bandwidth Poy se eied enya eat guamieiDo? noise - Powerful high-performance audio processor cancelling unit -8 Filter levels 9 to 40dB - Uicetee . - Unique DSP noise cancelling technology - Remove __3.5mm mono or stereo inputs - Line level noise and interference - Hear weak signals clearly iput/output - 7 watts mono speaker output - Rotary encoders perform all functions - Headphone socket - Suitable for all types of - Easy to use with “real time” adjustment radio incl’ SDR - Easy to use controls for quick - Use with headphones or a loudspeaker and easy operation - Enjoy clear intelligble - 3.5mm line level and speaker level inputs noise-free” speech from your radio DESKTOP = Replacement for bhi NEIM1031 In-Line Check out our range of extension speakers, headphones and accessories 10W Amplified DSP noise DSPIKR cancelling base 10W DSP noise station speaker - Easy to use “real-time” cancelling speaker + Simple control control of all functions -8 filter levels 9 to 4008, =8 filter levels. = Suitable for all radios = Volume control incl’ SDR, Elecraft and = Input overload LED FlexRadio products - Headphone socket - Headphone socket - Supplied with user + Speaker level and line ‘manual and fused, level input sockets DC power lead DX)enameenina DXEngineering.com -1-800-777-0703. www.bhi-Itd.comTHE BIG PICTURE The 6-Meter Band This VHF (very high frequency) band extends from 50-54 MHz, and is known for a type of radio wave propagation (or manner of travel) called sporadic E, which occurs randomly Te eRe ee ees et eaters gcueY Cee aaa et hte cea cen unr Here's a look at how sporadic E works, and what activities take place on 6 meters. oe ey cond Poe Err tran a cee meet cos ) recone BS ss oe Be Peo ene ist Pra ne Peon a & » x . eee 50.100-§ pen al si A Lit. ca Hi 4 Eee eam cot ; Sets A Pat a . SeThe Mystery of Ham Radio’s “Magic Band”—6 Meters The nickname for 6 meters (50 to 54 MHz) implies that there’s something mysterious and even spooky taking place — and there is! ectenyyoutanin L portent fone toS0126 i inosine query on theb meter. Canes treo rnohingba tbe ne Bat mes yl ey hea suet aro even thousands of miles away. “hve satay remain fines roby hors Pete abrupl sain ‘What's going on here? ‘The magic behind the Magic Band is caused by a phenome- non known as sporadic B, often abbreviated as Bs. “Sporadic” refers tothe fact that it comes ‘and goes randomly. The “E” isareference tothe Elayer of ‘our ionosphere, a region about 100 miles above the surface of Earth, ‘When sporadic Eis in play, clouds of ionized gas form in the E layer and act like mirrors, reflecting radio signals over ‘great distances. These clouds appear without warning and isappear just as quickly. They ‘even move around, causing signals to come first from one area, and then another. The reflections are so efficient that there is litle signal loss. As result, you don't need high power or big antennas to enjoy sporadic-E communication, Just wire dipole antenna will do the trick. Dipoles for 6 meters, are only about 9 feet long. Most signals bounce off the clouds and come back down at distances ranging from about 500 to 1,500 miles. This is known as single hop sporadic E, However, there can also bbe more than one cloud, and signals can som off one cloud, return to Earth, bounce again, and then reflect off another, more distant cloud! ‘This is called double hop spo- radio E, and it can cause signals to span entire continents, 1s bounce No one knows what causes ssporadie-E clouds to form. 1's one of the enduring mysteries of radio propagation that scien- tists have yet to explain. We know that sporadic E tends to take place hetween May and August. There's another period in December and January. But sporadie-E propagation can ap- ‘pear at any time, which is part of what makes it so strange. It usually happens between late morning and late afternoon, ‘but there have been reports of sporadic E occurring in the middle of the night as well. Sporadic E isn't just a 6-meter phenomenon, You can encoun- ter iton 10 meters and, when itis particularly intense, on 2 meters. Some sporadie-E fans keep radios parked on 50.125 MHz, waiting for the sudden appearance of signals. ‘The popularity of the FTS digital mode on 6 meters has also proven to bea valuable tool for staying on top of sporadic-, activity. The most popular FTS software, WSJTX, can monitor ‘common RTS frequencies (uch as 50.313 MHz) and automatically report activity in real time to internet sites such ag PSKreporter at pskreporter.info/pskmap.html. Pkreporter can display reports from FTB operators on detailed maps. This image shows Gemeter Sporedio-E activity onthe morning ofJune 12, 2020. Each fed “balloon” represents aham Station, and the red ins indicate Which stetions have been in Contact with each other. yutyaug2000Digital Communication in an Analog World Mother Nature isn’t a fan of wireless digital communication. Peete a ee cca ae an ete Oe et teers) Sascha ers or star clusters, must be analog, which méans the signals are forever changing Cee ke hs ike waves on the eee ea rn etre ac metas a SOs insteps, one after the other — on 1 of, high oF low, up or down, with rothingin between. So ifallelectrornagnetic signals are strictly analog, how can wireless digital communication ever take ces digital signals change only place? Well..strctly speaking, it doesn't To Bits and Back Computers store information — every- thing from documents to videos — in distinct pieces known as bts. Albits are binary, which means they can only be in tone of two states: either on or off, high or low, and so on. (Unless itis a quantum qbit, which we won't discuss here, or else we'd be up past our bedtimes.) Imagine @ hammer and a chocolate bar. The chocolate bar isa tasty, unified whole, but if you whack it withthe hammer, t shatters into pieces. Now imagine that with a mage wand, you command those chocolate fragments to reassemble themselves into the original bar. Ifyou have allthe pieces (presuming you didn't eat some), they should join and become awihole chocolate bar ance again, Here's a more realistic example. Ifyou place a printed photograph into a scan nes, its image will be converted (lke the chocolate bar with the encouragement of the hammer) into separ ase, bits of digital information. You can store all these bits in a computer's mem- ory and ask the computer to reassemble them into the original image that you can view on the screen or print to paper. te bite — in this With enough power and technology, anything in our analog universe can be transformed into bits of digital informa- tion, stored, transported from place to place, and reassembled. But to accomplish this, we have to play by Mother Nature's analog rules, Bits of digitally processed analog audio Digital transceiver Mother Nature’s Game The frst step is to convert the digital bits into electromagnetic analog signals. (Once you've done that, nature is happy to cooperate. The signals can go any: where you desire, and atthe speed of light! OF course, atthe destination you must convert those analog signals back into digital bits. We call this process “digital” communi: cation because it involves sending digital information, but the mechanism that gets the job done is analog. For example, let's say you own a D-STAR digital transceiver t communicates with other D-STAR radia digitally, or soit may When you squeeze the push-to-talk button and speak into the microphone, the sound waves of your voice are converted into analog electrical signals (ee below), and Modulated analog radio frequency energyLip Rare clan (oe te MR cht og cree Docc sf Cd ee play by Mother Nature’s analog those signals are converted to digital information. The digtal information is rearranged and processed according to the D-STAR protacol, and then i's ready for transmission. But, in order tobe transmitted, the bits must frst be converted to analog signals, Which are further transformed into radio frequency (RF) energy. These analog waves of RF power leave the antenna and travel to the other D-STAR radio. Now the process happens in reverse. The analog signals are converted back into bits, the bits are processed by the tiny computer in the radio, they are turned into analog signals, and then sent to the speaker to create sound waves for your analog ears to hear. So-called “digital communication” re- quires a lot of back and forth conversion, bout the information ultimately comes and goes from the antenna as an analog RF signal. Nature is very strict about this requirement. When it comes to wireless communication, it’s analog or nothing. Modulation is the Key IF you ead the atl “Modulation ‘Changes in the Flow” in the May/June 2020 510 of On the Ai, you know that we can change —modulots — anf slain sucha way thatitean cary inferration, including cigtal information. Aslonges you manage the digtalo-analog conver is \ DRL to etic elects Cl to place, and reassembled. But to accomplish this, sion and modulation processes correctly, you can send enormous amounts of digital information through the air, even under extremely difficult conditions Take digital TV as an example. Ifyou ware to tune in a digital TV signal with fan analog radio receiver, all you would hear is ahissing noise. Within that noise, however, isan ingenious pattern of complex signals — all of them analog, of course — that a TV receiver converts back to the bits of information necessary to create high-resolution video images. For a more extreme example, consider the New Horizons spacecraft. It was launched in 2006 to explore Pluto and ‘beyond, and has been sending 2 laod of information, including stunning images, from the outer reaches of our solar system, All ofthis information is digital, bbut it leaves the spacecraft’s antenna as analog RF energy, specially modulated so that ican stil be canverted and decoded here on Earth. I's an amazing feat of radio engineering. What's In it For You {As long as your radio functions properly, you don't need to care about how digital ‘communication works, but part of the pleasure of this hobby is understanding how things work. Besides, understanding the technology can have practical applications parle For instance, in the popular HF digital mode known as FT8, digital information from your computer is converted to analog audio tones. These tones are used to modulate the RF energy generated by fan SSB transceiver. But ifthe audio tones applied tothe radio are too loud, the result willbe highly distorted RF signals that are undecodable at the receiving end and cause horrendous interference to your fellow amateurs, By understanding this process, you'll know that you need to adjust the audio levels from the computer so that you're sending clean, easily decodable signals, ‘Some hams don't appreciate the relation- ship between digital information and ana- log modulation, but you'l see the problem right away and know how to Fixit. (On the receiving side of the equation, youl also understand how interference from ather signals can wreck your digital communications. Because the analog RF signals represent digital information, a burst of interference may be allit takes to effectively obliterate many bits at the receiver. Oblterate enough of them and the results silence! Hopefully, you now have a basic under. standing of the true nature of digital communication in our analog worldHeit ODM tate lia Lol maTe Vela tem CoM MATA CR CoML ie-l ole Via Lan-lecU mee (oy you probably didn’t consider time. But what's to learn? Don't we all tell time the same way? Well...yes and no. ee? Most people are accustomed to using 12-hour time. Our day is divided into two halves, cael ee ine en eee er renee a ea SS ere een ee ee tec er context makes it clear that you mean 6 oclock in the evening, but you could clarify by er pecc peed bee r you could chuck 12-hour time and do that what comes naturally for solders pilots, corey elena oce ereeyinine tines Cre 0700 7 Peery 800 Br eet ee rene et ey oe Pars STEN) en he When verbalzing 24-hour notation, we never say “lock” We just say the value ofthe cnt Pe ane ec ca cen ase rey If the hours or minutes are less than 10, say “ch” for the zeros. For example, 0701 is ren a ern eae ce nn aE Ivrea ee eterare eerie te beeen ot ee eee cee ca hundred.” With this approach, 1400 becomes “fourteen hundred.” Be Gotting back to your friend arriving atthe restaurant, instead of agreeing to meet at Pre) Cece Os Me ca se ee ent 2 om = ee ee eee ne eee a and ‘someone at 8:15 in the evening, you'd enter the time in your log as 20:18, or omit the colon and write 2015, Pata Pee eee ee eee er Pe ren ete eta eee eerie The 24-hour te format Peet eet eet eer ert Picea daa include the option to display the time in 24-hour format, omen teethN ' , : “ “ Cree Ne ay Here comes a curve ball f you are arranging to make contacts across time zones — possibly many time zones — figuring out the time at each location can be a headache. soleil athe ars eee ag ees nee Secs dn Pe Aa ee time (1900 in 24-hour format), what time wilt be at your location? You can eventually Gees orale figure it out, but it's an iritating exercise and prone to errors, pepe eet are eet RT Ree tore Scientists and others have been trying to establish a single worldwide time standard for more than 100 years. In 1961, in a remarkable moment of international cooperation, us eran See ence te eee ee eek Saha ya Coordinated Universal Time, or UTC. peer irate rey cebates “UTS Oe eee ee ea ce eee! he'll meet you on the air at 1400 UTC, the time is the same on your end: 1400 UTC. Yes, 1400 UTC is 7 PM in Pakistan and 9 AM if you happen to live in the eastern United Se ee na aeyou both turn on your radios at 1400 UTC, regardless of what that translates to in your local times, you and your friend in Pakistan will meet up on the air. That's the point of UTC. Amateurs almost always log contacts in UTC. rere Peon eee Co oR ee ee At) if you ve in an area that observes Daylight Saving Time, you'll need to subtract 1 hour from the time difference when Daylight Saving Time is in effect. four amateurin Fairbanks is making contact when Daylight Saving Time isin effec, shell log the 1100 contact as occurring at 1900 UTC (1100 + 8) een ee een eee eee ee ay ‘easier than trying to figure out the UTC conversion each time you make a contact. Daas Let's go to our amateur in Fairbanks one last time. I's Sunday eveningin Fairbanks and she just enjoyed a chat on the air. She made the contact at 7 o'elock or 1900 local time, s0 she adds 9 hours to get 0400 UTC. Asa result, she logs the contact as taking place Bone cl When she added the hours to convert to UTC, did you notice that the result was 4 hours after midnight? As far as UTC is concerned, the contact took place the next day. She will need to log the contact as taking place at 0400 UTC on Monday. ere i ene een en ere ee cd Using software to maintain your station log, it will usually caleulate and insert the cor- rect UTC date for you. You can also get a station clock that displays 24-hour time and ere erate a ieee eee att ee ee ener tt EN Fed What theZ Means Perret etary UTCas “Zulu. When writing out time, they'l even add the letter ones ricd ro ed aa pate Poa ro ronal +6 ee nd os 8 ee a ee rans) 1/30. MON ec Cee pt eer eran Cee nt Por eae icantoo Pee ee peak. This easy access would allow me ‘more time to focus on my equipmentSBR eet eae ery call signs oggod and noted that Seott Oe aaa rrr eneananery peer srie eae oaeo pi pes Creer ees eee hen FT-B17 was a smart choice for SOTA, Peete ts Seg eu Pec ronan a ag Secrets es Roe Se eed eter ater ees ih ot Pai einas Seen ad eset eee ets Se eee eect toot ons Cee yes oe etn Sonne aes Eee ga erin beset LBA Cis hd Sn a eee peveecety oo erne eet 420 contacts (inluding many with other et ey eer irs See eterno Peer er tetanus reac eee oem CL ie anona ee ae can drive up to the peak, or hike several ee ce ary Core Ifyou like exploration, challenge, and Ce ee) Pea ee een a Cre natures ae ied Panera re act a BS eet en aera neater vets Ce are renee Cree ae erie aan eatery Ce eee eae Doria Learn More on the OTA Blog For more tips on how to locate and Bonar ea beeen aaeentraty cee eee Senn eating ee SOc cers Coors My southern California,Times Microwave LMR 400 low-loss coaxial able, The type shown here is rated for direct burial which means itean withstand being buried in sol Shopping \ for Coaxial Cable Feed lines, also called transmission lines, transport radio frequency (RF) energy from your transceiver to your antenna. Without a feed line, your signal is going nowhere. Here’s a closer look at coax, the type of feed line you're most likely to encounter, with an eye toward how to determine what cable to buy for your station.Coaxial eable ie made ‘oftwo conductors, ane inside the other. in this example, the outer ‘conductor (r shel) is made of braided copper wire. I cormpletaly surraunes the center conductor which in this cable is made of stranded copper wire. The ingulating dielectric in this ‘examples made of white plastic, The exterior of coaxial cable is covered by plastic jacket Outer ingulation Ging jacked uter Conductor (Shree) enter Eendetor ™N Dielectric Gnsulaton) Coaxial cable is cated that because it has two electrical conductors, one inside the other, within a circle. So, the circle has two axes — itis co-avial. In most cases the conductors are rade of sold or stranded metal or wire “The two conductors are separated by an insulator called a dielec- trie. The dielectric can be plastic or foam, or it may be nothing at all — just empty space filled with ar. Coax and Loss Coaxial able isnt perfect. Far from it, in fact. Unless your cable is immersed in super-cold liquid helium and acting as a super- conductor (not a practical option for most installations), i's sure to lose some of the energy your radio pumps into it. So, your task sto pick the cable that will keep your RF loss as low as possible. This s a technical and financial balancing ac. You want to spend only as much as necessary to purchase a cable that will keep the losses at acceptable levels. Don't become obsessed with trimming loss at fractional levels. You won't notice the benefit. Loss in coaxial cable depends on three factors: The length of the cable, Longer cables dissipate (lose) ‘more energy. *The frequency of the signal. The higher the frequency, the greater the loss, “Standing wave rato (SWR). The higher the SW in the feed line, the greater the loss. (See page 17 ofthe January/February 2020 issue of On the Air fora definition of SWR.) Feed line loss is measured in decibels, More decibels means more energy loss. Because of the way decibels work, loss escalates with astonishing speed. A loss of 3 dB ina feed line, for example, means that half of the energy created by your radio never makes it to the antenna. Jack that up to 6 dB, and only 125% of your power reaches the antenna, ferent he easiest way to determine the amount of k Beoropeninar oes rr ind ree This loss works in reverse as well. With cable that results in a 3 d8 loss, half of the energy received by your antenna never, reaches your radio. Fortunately, radios are exquisitely sensitive and can work just fine with a great deal of received-signal los. How much loss is acceptable? That's up to you! Let's say your transceiver generates 100 watts of power, your antenna is far away, and you can't afford the type of coaxial cable that would result ina loss of, say, 1 dB. However, you can afford a cable that results in a3 dB loss. Yes, only 50 watts will get to your antenna, but you can still communicate with 50 watts. Your best option may be to purchase alless expensive cable, zt least for the time being, and live with the fact that your radiated power will be substantially reduced, Shopping for Coax Before you begin shopping you need to know two things ‘The distance between your radio and your antenna. In other words, che length of cable you'll ned. +The highest frequency on which you intend to operate, Dealers usually advertise cable loss in “decibels per 100 feet” at a specific frequency. Let’s say you're considering a cable with an advertised loss of 2 dB per 100 feet at 146 MHz. That's a decent cable for use on the 2-meter band. And remember that the loss decreases as the length decreases. If you only need 50 feet of this cable to reach your antenna, you've cut the effective loss in half to-only 1 dB, ‘A not-so-decent cable for 146 MHz would be one such as RG-58 One hundred feet of RG-S8 would result in a staggering loss of 4.7 dB. With 100 watts atthe input, only about 34 watts would reach your antenna! But what if you only needed 25 feet of RG-S8 to reach your an- tenna? Now the ossis just 1.1 dB, which is perfectly acceptable, More Shopping Tips *Urless you intnd to atach the connector yourself try 10 find ‘adealer who wil dott for you, or who sls cable lengths wth connectors aeady attached. At requencios below 148 MHS L239 connectors work well At higher requences, consider “ype Nconectors ‘if you plan to bury your coaxial cable in the ground, look for cable rated for direct burial *8Cables with lower loss tend to be more rigid. For instance, ‘low-loss cable made by Times Microwave and known as LMR-600 is quite stiff its popular cousin, LMR-400, is more flexible. The king of low-loss coaxial cable is hard line, a very rigid, expensive (100 feet can run hundreds of dollars) cable ‘a solid copper shield CeeTools and Materials for Soldering Soldering is a time-honored ham skill, and a good one to have if you want to build antennas or circuit boards. Here’s an explanation of the basic tools — and then some. Soldering Tools high and low power setting Reallylarge jobs may enue "Types of Solder controlled by how farthe trig- propane torch, which can gers pulled during operation. deliver plenty of heat in short amount of time, giving you Pencil irons come ina vari- ety of power ratings from Solder comes in diferent sizes, and it's important to use ROwattstosowatts Geta Larger a-powered soldering lable appro Frog cin oli sled Imodeltatafersacuate. ome powerratingsot Smoughtime oon Resoer ho Sart Temperature contol Penci 250 watts ormoreandare ETN WHR RE EEPET rege eo acs irons powered by avehicle’s used where thorough heating Het th Cvtreme caution, etween nearby connections. T2vdeaccessoryplugare_lsreededtoalow solder to ee Macfulfrworkingonmeble flow fulyhtothecomecton, Theme weldngia usd for alder cocranme, eo doen the Ststoncand ecpigivan youplanonslderngalot” verylargsconnactionsin—sountof hee rom to aevegenay Hrccoeacomenns getdoereanagoud — nal laeevortectstivommector fais Runsranenthornse Asolderingstationisbestfor egy wuckiy withcutover, chemiealreaetion tome Solders have different melting macinenpaes ties See or eee sieaiectitieeh, jamuared cans ab Aisne units hua the OF tin (wich mets at 450°F) Infos sol welded connection i controls, power supply, atio. ‘Tools for that ean beara tolead (which melts at 621 °F) canes anda lire Tare Joly Solder made with ferent. ene eyeestetnten Large Jobs ‘The Tip of the tron eedinrat hve apart uses. Some soldering sta- Soldered connections that will tions feature programmable _be exposed to weather require temperature settings, allowing _ siver-bearing, high-tempera- the user to specify preset heat ture solder. Making antennas levels and cool-down timing. from copper tubing requires alot of heat to allow solder to flow completely into and through the connection, These stote at some temperatures — a semi-liquid state, f solder is deformed while in the plastic state, the deformation re- ‘mains when the solder cools to the solid state, and may cause 1 poor solder joint. A conical tip comes toa small, round point. A chisel tip or ‘mini-cisel tip is also useful Pencil irons and soldering stations are used with a variety of tip shapes and sizes. High-power irons of Trowtctances eeureg large, 100Wattoandlarger usually Solder made from 63% tn and Sees arate o1at6® havea non-interchangeable 37% lead (alled 63-37) melts, % srrrngwthaffercrticels, chiseltp. Speciaizedtips are at 361 °F, the lowest melting ed wh diterent tack available for use with sur- point for a tin-lead mixture A\butoneiron or butane torch face-mount technology (SMT) (a quality that gives rise to isideal for outdoor work, © components. its other name — eutectic pecially on antenna wire or eo- solder), Ths typeof solder A soldering gun above) is for axial connectors Gutane rons Fyoubuyanironforuse.on gn provides the most rapid jobs such as antenna wires, _use the samme fuel canisters as “i"cuits that contain stat- solid-to-liquid transition, the larger coax connectors, and _refilable cigarette lighters, and _(¢-Sensitive components, get best stress resistance, and it's heavy poetcorpoint wiring _geerallycomewithavanetyoTethat has grounded P, es ikaly to cool unevenly. suchasforvacuurtube oft ond use leon sato-tesbpa ing workbench mat to prevent damage from static discharge. It's usually not necessary tohave a grounded tip ona The two most high-power iron or soldering common types of equipment. Typical power ratings are 100 to 250 watts, ‘Many soldering guns have a Fe not noe a soldering tps — gun, as those are not normally peoraip Raye Soldering stations Used on sensitive components. chisel (ight. provide a conveniant Blkin-one solution60-40 solder (60% tin and and called rosin when usedin ‘Tools for When using 40% lead) has the best wetting solder) inside. The resin is a . desoldering qualities. Werting isthe ably, flux thetreactswith oxde on Undoing Solder bral to spread rapidly, coat the sur- the surfaces being soldered, The easiest technique involves soleil faces tobe jined, and bond and emoves the oxide by sus- a desoldering braid (leo called ood ten materials uniformly. 60-40 pendingitinsolstion. Once the solder vieK) — fine copper {Ochoode 8 solder alsohas.alow melting oxides gone, the solder can _braid that often contains pai Doin. These factors make effectively wet the surfaces fx, The soldering braid is sickran Iethe most commonly used that need tobejoined. Flix paced againt the joint to be eathid folder in electronics. However, meltsatalowertempera-__desoldered, and ahot rons Meolthe 63.37 solderiethe bestsut. turethan solder, colt ows pressed onto the braid, Aa the ennetion ed for manual construction _—_out onto the joint before the _solder melts, its wicked into ad techniques Soider melts. Some types of the braid, away from the jon. solder require flux to be added separately. After soldering, re- ‘move any remaining flux with Isopropyl or denatured alcohol, Silver-beoring solders have higher melting points, and are used in connections that carry high current that would SOPTOPY 0 ‘melt tin-lead solder. High- temperature silver alloys Ser become liquid inthe 1,100°F Never use acid luxor acid-core ‘A desoldering vacuum pump ‘sucks up solder from a reheat- {ed joint. These pumps come intwo basic types — bulb and plunger. to 1,200 °F range, and a solder for electrical work. It silver-manganese (85-15) alloy will corrode and damage the requires almost 1,800 °F. equipment. Use only fluxes or solder-flux combinations that are labeled for electronic soldering. Rosin-core solder is solder formed intoa wire with a resin (made from pine trees, Solder comes in diferent sizes and ie made of various metals indifferent Combinations, Always use rosin.core solder for eleerieal work Concerns About Lead Solder containing lea is outlawed inthe European Union, and lead-free solder, such a tin-copper, is becoming more provalent inthe US. You should be abe so use today's soldering tools with the new lead-free solders, though they tend to have higher melting points than conventional solders I youte working with lead: bearing solder, est assured that inhalation of lead fures i unlikely. The temperatures ordinarily used in electronic soldering ate far below those needed 1 vaporize lead, Usinga small fan can reduce your exposure 1o sade smoke, There are also commercially avallable fans with builtin ters designed fr this purpose — leok fora soldering fume extractor. Because lead is soft and we may tend to handle solder with our fingers, contaminating our foodie areal possibility, For thi reason, wach your hands carefully after soldering or touching solder connections. suryaue 20200 aSoldering ae -259.C Perea eke te ech ru ete koa a PUR a Pu eee ete eer directly onto-RG-8/RG-213/EMR-400 type coaxial cable. RG-58 and RG-8X Ree en ta ete ial a lee ase Ee Ue a Oa rueC ae mc Rue ed ‘of the connector body, We'll cover that soldering method in a future issue. a Pesaran ee a acca tae Pras Tools Step1 '* Soldering gun, iron, or station PL-259 connectors consist of a! and screw-on shell (see (1). ‘= Small vise to hold coaxin place connector on, making sure you have it oriented correctly — you while you work on it won't be able do this once you attach the connector body. If «Sharp krife or box cutter desired, sip a short piece of heat-shrink tubing over the cable (7, witha fresh blade as well, and push the tubing and the shell temporarily away from sd theeend of the cable 4. [BiG reat shrink tubing works wellindoors tohelp stabilize Materials ‘become ny ange ee ed s CoaxctleRG-9/RG-213/ __tretterar elt gona eae ae ceca whontetedscninge mre watery comeston sSoldecon style P-253 + Solder (leaded or lead-free Step2 Teniceorenotacisbated place the connector body alongside one end ofthe cable as a plumbing solder!) measuring guide. Wrap a piece of masking tape around the cable + Soler wk For emoving tthe point where the connector body ends to use as aterm (2 excess solder porary cutting guide (see (3)). Use a sharp knife or box cutter to cpr ach toramore—__famove tha cuter achat of the cable, exposing the brad appro solder flux residue ‘mately the length of the connector body (see (@)). Take your time eat shrinking tn be careful not to ick the brad as youte cutting the jacket. (recommended but not tecored) Step3 ‘Touch the tip of the soldering iron to the braid, to heat the braid just enough so that the solder melts when you feed sold solder to that area Do the same thing around the entire circumference = of the braid, heating ita litle as you go, applying solder tothe heated part, then moving on until the whole circumference has been solidified with solder. Do this along 1" of the braid, past ‘where the jacket ends. Ths stiffens the braid so it’s easier to trim, and prepares it to accept the solder in Step 8. 22 ONTHEAIRRosin-Core vs. ‘Acid-Based Solders Solder isa mixture of lead combined with tn, Hare use it ‘tomake connections between «lectronic components. Applying heat changes solder From solid toliquid form, allowing it to low landform a conductive metalic bbond between the components. Electronic solder contains a rosin-based flu, typically a pine resin, which removes surface ‘You can now see how the cable wil it into the body (see @). ‘oxidation that ean iterforo with ‘The cable's inner conductor will go all the way through the the bonding process, Removing connector body and protrude through the tip. The soldered . feats sie conl ond braid will show through the holes inthe body, and the cable's et fe od Foer ig outer jacket wil stop under the screw threads forte shel, Soe renee ‘Hy wil bd orc solder jorenitravesdullappeerane. Step6 Plumbers and metal workers Propae the connector body by quickly melting and applying 2 toe slder with an ac based Smal bt of slder on topof each othe holes around it Wore fi, bus hams oul ever vse nat tying to make a good solder conection, yets the apled ib or solder orham poh solder may appear dull — what we call a cold solder joint (see ‘ects, as it will destroy electrical ‘the sidebar, “Rosin-Core vs, Acid-Based Solders"). Normally we “connections. avoid making old slder connections, but here we simply want to temporary place some slder where wel ned it for Step & “ty to eep solder only onthe hols; you can remove ary excess from adjoin surfaces with older wickif necessary. Step 4 Mark the braid about 5/8" from the end of the jacket (see (@)) and use your blade to cut through both the soldered braid and the dielectric, down to the inner conductor without nicking it [EET tomate a cleaner cut and keep the dielectric ‘rom deforming, nes hobby-atye ins ubing cuter Step5 “wist and ramave the detached braid and delectric(see @) “This may take some effort, so ples can el. Step7 Screw the connector body onto the coax using a turning motion, “The threads inside the cylinder will bite into the outer jacket of the cable, giving the connection mechanical strength (see @). ‘When the coax is fully seated, you'llbe able to feel the increase in tesistance a8 you turn [iid singarubbersitchenjartop ‘eanelpyouholdthe cable securely. ‘oper Step8 Secure the cable ina vise and apply the soldering ions lat ip surface tothe connector body, next to one ofthe solder labs. ‘When enough heats applied, the slder wl ow almost nstan- taneously into the ole and onto the prepared braid, comecting the braid othe connector body Do this for each hole, then run the tp around he circumference ofthe body fra smooth solder surface. You can add ait more solder to eath hole tilt comm pletely (see @). Do this quickly, as overheating the dielectric can melt and distort it, potentially changing the cable's characteris- tis inside the connection ee the sidebar, “How Much Heat?" Step9 Clip of the wire strands ofthe inner conductor where they pro= trude from the tip ofthe connector Place your iron onto both the strands ard the tip. This helps to orient the connector ata sight tip-up angle to allow solder to low into the tp chamber. Apply enough solder t fil the void and cover the stands, Continues on fellowing poge. jutyauc 202033Step 10 Clan off any este wth isopropyl slechol ona avab ov tissue, then ight fle away any sharp edges atthe endo the tip Step 11 Check the continuity ofthe cable from end to end with an ohmmeter or continuity tester and testo ensure theres ro short creut between the shelland ti. Step 12 Slide the heat shrink tubing aver the end ofthe connector, and apply heat with aighteror 1 better yet, a heat gun (ee @). (9 Dino Papas, KLOS, iso frequent QST and On the Air contibutor and has been an amateur radio operator for aver 50 years. You can cantact Dina ot His@orrnet. Instructional photos by the other. How Much Heat? Your soldering iron needs to have ‘enough thermal capacity to heat both the connector body and braid quickly so you don’t overheat and ‘damage the dielectric material, I set my soldering station to a temperature of 750° and use a chisel-style tip about 3/8” wide. Nickel-plated PL-259 connectors, like the one at right, can be difficult to solder to. Silver-type connectors, like the one at left, accept solder more readily.CO ELECTRONIC TINKERERS! ~~ \EISHSORGIRESTRMS OURS! EXPLORER EOIN PIONEER EDITION LEARNING PLATFORM CO DR.DUINO ARDUINO COMPATIBLE KITS. FOR THE BEGINNER OR ADVANCED USER + PERFECT FOR BUILDING & CONTROLLING * il @ # MORSE vox RF CODEKEYERS CONTROLLER = STRENGTHMETER SENSORS =— SERVOS. Orato ie): LEARN MORE AT WWW.DRDUINO.COM/OTAMany people — hams and non-hams — view amateur radio as a skill that can be used to help their communities during times of crisis or disaster when normal communication services become overloaded or fail completely. Many people get into amateur radio specifically so they can be of assistance at those times. Your skills as a trained radio operator are an asset to your community. ARES® offers a way for you to be of assistance when it matters. Public service is part of the reason for amateur radio's existence, Part 97.1 of the FCC rules and regulations lays out the basis and purpose ofthe Amateur Radio Service, and describes one of its core principles as follows: “Recogrition and enhancement of the value ofthe amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communi cation service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.” [ARRL, the national association for ham radio in the US, recog: rized the value of having a trained group of skilled operators who could be called upon in times of need, and in 1935 created the ‘Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®), which “consists of licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their quali- fications and equipment, with ther local ARES leadership, for communications duty in the public service when disaster strikes Basie membership in ARES requires having an amateur radio license and a desire to serve, but that's jus beginning. Because disasters are generally local or regional events, ARES is organized through ARRL section leadership. ARRL Section Managers appoint a Section Emergency Coordinator who ‘oversees ARES activity in the section. Coordinating through the ARRLappointed local Emergency Coordinator, volunteers ‘can form an ARES group to support ARES activity in their area, Often, local ARES leadership has formed partnerships or special relationships with local government agencies or disaster ser vices, such as the American Red Cross or Salvation Army. ARRL has memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with these and otherat the national level agence “These written agreements pave the way for a mutually cooperative operation in training or deployment when ‘an actual disaster happens. Tobe effective as a full memiber of ARES, you will need to complete some basic training. Local ARES groups ‘work closely with government ‘emergency management offices and partner agencies, often requiring volunteers to be familar withthe structure (of the Incident Command System (ICS), a standardized hierarchy that assists multiple ‘agencies in organizing and executing a cooperative incident response. Independent study Courses inincident command are offered at no cost by FEMA at training fema.gov/nims, and by ARRL, which offers two courses in public service communications, EC-001: Introduction to Emergency Communication, and EC-016: Public Service and Emergency ‘Communications Management for Radio Amateurs, The ARRL courses, which are aval able at arr.org/online-course-catalog, can be completed online or through feld study, ‘Completing FEMA ICS-100 and ARRL EC-001 wil give you an understanding of what wil be expected of you in this area of amateur radio, as well a an introduction to the terei= nology that is used. Ng James Plumlee, KISDAZ, serves as Net Control Operator fora hospital net during an exercise n Tulse, Oklahoma, Exercises that simulate real word oii tuations are an important part ‘of ARES involvement. [Paul Teel, WBSANX, photo, “Trainings not all bok learning. It ean als include fun hands-on things like regular on-the- air activities that keep skils fresh, or volunteering to support radio communications at local events like parades or races. Because local ARES members are part ofthe communi +, their friends and neighbors welcome their participation in these events. Participation in public service activities not only helps sharpen your cormmunication skis, but i's a great ‘way to familiarize yourself with the people you will be working with should a real commu- nications emergency present itself t's also great way for your ARES group to demon- strate ther skils tothe local served agencies, You don't need special equipment to be amember of ARES, but many ARES members have put together some gear that would be useful in an emergency. ARES folks refer to these kits as go-kts or bug-out bogs. A go-kit can be as simple as a small bag with a handheld VHF/UHF radio, spare batterie, a raincoat, a bottle of water, and snacks (see “Go-kit Basics” in the May/June 2020 issue of On the Air for more about this ype of go-kit). Others can be elaborate affairs bull into large travel cases, with equipment capable of providing long-haul voice and digital communications for extended periods. Contact your Section Manager for more information on how you can get involved with your local ARES. You can locate your Links to More Information Section Manager at arr.org/sectons. ARES Information: . ni arrhorg/ARES “The Amateur Radio Service strained 00! of communicators and technicians FOC Rules and Regulations Part 97: witha willingness to serve the community. | 2°FLorg/part-9T-amateur-radio [ARES offers you a way to expand your “Training from ARRL: technical knowledge and hone your radio rae anne ciasereaaee communication skills in a way that will allow you to serve your neighbors, should ‘Training from FEM) a disaster strike, training fema.gov/nims Sera rele ceceMonthly CARI Calls Connect Campus Clubs ‘Andy Milluzzi, KK4LWR The ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Initiative’s (CARI) goalis to connect amateur Tie Unnersiyof radio clubs at colleges and universities. Initially started asa grassroots movement, Cs KTUAZ. connected CARI brings together students, faculty, staff, and alumni of colleges and universities with othercolege cubs around the world to exchange ideas and support the growth of collegiate amateur radio, _;t'he CAR! Facebook After few years of informal discussions online and at hamfest forums n 2020 the nitive haspro- 2218 Bob nderbizen, gressed to monthly conference calls to exchange ideas and coordinate upcoming events. Video calls are AAR pret] held th second Tuesday of each month a 8 pm ET, and feature a presentation by acolegiate cub ora group discussion about matters related o stent ibs. For example, the June presentation rom aidan Montare, KBSUMD, of Case Westen Reserve University, WBEDU, discussed ther involvement with Ham Ra Science Citizen Investigation (HamSC!) research ona hnac eclipse’ effect on radio propagstion Discussion topics include alumni involvement, club activities, larger operating events, scholarship dead: lines, how to grow and sustain a club, and other topies useful to established collegiate amateur radio clubs ‘as well as individual students looking to start a club at their school. The monthly video call also serves as forum to coordinate events that focus on getting students on the ar, such as the Collegiate QSO Party (September 19 and 20) or School Club Roundup (October 19 - 23), “The challenges that clubs face are common topics of discussion. One of the most frequently discussed items is how to identify and connect with incoming students who are licensed amateurs or interested in the hobby. Engaging alumni and bridging periads of activity remains a challenge. The CARI monthly calls fensure that good ideas are not lost. For example, several years ago at an Orlando HamCation CARI Forum, Jay Garlitz, AAAFL, Faculty advisor to the University of Florida’s Gator Amateur Radio Club, WADFU, shared how alumni bridged student activity by forming a nonprofit, the Friends and Alumni of Gator ‘Amateur Radio, to support the club. This idea has been discussed on several CARI calls, with several Collegiate clubs incorporating it into their own approaches, Each calls recorded and posted to a shared repository in the CARI website (arrl.org/wewantu) and Facebook page (Facebook.com groups/ARRLCARI). We welcome anyone interested in growing or supporting collegiate amateur radio to jin the cals. ror eu UDC rely ‘Andy Milazi, KKALWR, i on ARRL member and an alumnus of the Gator Amateur Radio Club, WADFU, tthe University (of Foro, Andy co-coordinotes CARI actites with his brother Tory, KOBRTT, on alumnus ofthe Rese Tech Radio Club, WANAA, ond the Ohio University Amateur Radio Club, WSPZS.Onthe Air From the Podcast & Blog ent eT Unique content to help you get more out of the magazine. arrl.org/On-the-Air-Magazine arrl.org/On-the-Air-Podcast arrl.org/On-the-Air-Blog Podcast Every month, the editors of On the Airrelease a companion podcast that extends the features, projects, and experiences presented in the magazine. Hosted by ‘On the Air Editorial Director Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY, and sponsored by Icom, Built for CONVENIENCE the 15-minute podeast takes a deeper dive into an issue of On the Air to offer additional resources, techniques, and hints to help you get the most from the magazine's content. Keep ORGANIZED Hero's an overview of recent episodes, which were guest hosted by QST Editor Steve Ford, WBSIMY: May 2020 — An extension of the May/June article, "Modulation: Changes in the Flow,” with real-world examples of how different types of modulation sound. The "Go-it Basics” article gots built upon with advice from John Bloodgood, KDOSFY, Emergency Coordinator and Public Information Office for Pikes Peak ARES. June 2020 — ARRL Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, NISFE, offers advice For every station and tips for how to have a fun, successful, and safe 2020 ARRL Field Day. and every budget In uly and August, the podcast will diginto the July/August issue of On the Air, ‘with tips on soldering PL-259 connectors onto coax, and more + DC Power Fane! with simples: to-use Anderson Powerpole® You can subscribe to the On the Air podcast in Apple Tunes (podcasts.apple.com) eennectors or on Stitcher (app.stitcher.com). If you're using an RSS client, the feed URL is feeds blubrry.com feeds /arrlontheairam Standardize all of your 12VDC connections using the amateur radio ARES & RACES, Blog RSGB, ARRL Powerpole* Updated monthly, the On the Air blog features curated stores from system the communicators and makers who, lke you, are the driving force of today’s hham radio hobby and the Amateur Radio Service. Each connection is individually fused and each fuse has a blown LED indicator and an RFI protection capacitor Recent updates include “Radio Operating from Summits,” by Bob Witte, KONR, which offers resources for choosing a Summits on the Air (SOTA) activation spot, ‘as well as advice on what kind of radio gear to bring to the peak. ‘Amateur radio is an adventure, and the aim of the On the Air blog is to encourage ‘more hams to try new things. Like most blogs, the intent is to have a conversation — __ Westmountainradio.com/OTA620 we want you to talk tous! The On the Air blog welcomes contributions from both 262-522-6503 EXT 35 new licensees and more-experienced hams. You can share your stories and sales@westmountainradio.com tact chang ocaeinis an Tied Cathe A blog vt aterfotn RADIO@Hints: (aati Share your hints (or hacks) with fellow hams by sending them to ota@arrl.org ‘oF On the Air, ARRL, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111. ..the metal body of the vehicle helps to create areasonably uniform radiation pattern in all directions... ‘Arye ni antenna ‘mount Ths one oreody Fee the cova cb ond ro Mounting an Antenna to the Body of your Car For many hams, dling 2 holeina vehicle fora mobile antennas an unthinkable task snot uncommon for hams to wait unt the vehicle is either paid off, beyond factory warranty, or appears tohavelitie resale value However, there's no denying the superior performance of a through-chassis antenna. At VHF frequencies and above, the metal body of the vehicle helps to create a reasonably uniform radiation pattern in all directions, which is exactly what you want when aperat- ing on the road. Perhaps the most popular through-chassis antenna ‘mount is the NMO, a Motorola design. Many harm and eae) ‘commercial antennas are offered in the NMO style (see below left). The NMO connector is robust enough tosupport almost any size VHF/UHF mobile antenna, and it offers a waterproof feedthrough for the coaxial cable to your radio, Many NMO base options exist. You can purchase a preassem- bled unit, or you can assemble your own. | opted to make my own, 0] can select the type of coax, length, and connector. With sensitive and RF-noisy circuits in today's modern vehicles, | always opt for double-shielded, braid- cver-100%-foil coax such as LM-240. Ifyou're going to attach an NMO mount to your car, you need the right tool. Enter the NMO hole saw, which attaches to any electric Grill (Gee above right). This ingenious little device is a farcry from a standard hole saw. The center bit provides pilot hole for the larger Yecinch diameter cutter. The cutter is designed for shallow ‘metal, as many vehicles only have 20-gauge body panels, ‘Additionally, this tool has ‘a*shoulder,” so that the saw cannot plunge into the vehicle and cause damage to An NMO hoes the interior. Quality saws of this type can cost as much as $65, 80 consider splitting the purchase among your friends who may also want to install NMO antenna mounts Since all workis performed from outside the vehicle, it is imperative that all inspec- tions be performed before you drill. You must stay clear ofall vehicle reinforcement structures, cables/wiring/ raceways, and take care not to interfere with retractable ‘sun/moon roofs. Once you've marked and cut the hole, use a swab to apply some rustproof paint to the exposed metal edges. Install the NMO mount and make sure the rubber O-ring is facing down. This makeswatertight seal. Tighten firmly, but do not over-tight- en. typically tidy up with some car wax, but only on the paint, not on the connec- tor. Then | install the antenna and perform any necessary tuning, The resuit isa clean, high-performance installation you'll be proud of (see above). ‘When installed atop an SUV or van, it is nearly invisible When the time comes to sellor trade your car, simply unscrew the NMO mount and cut the coax. A low-profile rubber plug may be inserted and painted to match the color ofthe vehicle. mee Ls | Keeping Parts Together | use this convenient solution for small parts (nuts, bolts, ete. in my toolbox and go-kit. Obtain a few prescription bottles. Drill a small hole in the center of each cap and screw the caps together with a screw and nut (near right). Now you can keep the screws in one bottle and the ‘matching nuts in the other — always together whenever you need them! As shown at far right, | keep my spare PowerPale housings in one bottle, and their matching pins in the other. Tony Yamin KFO)S When the time comes to sell or trade your car, simply unscrew the NMO mount and cut the coax. of ech cop and sre the cops ‘ogether witha serewond Pat te bottles together an ‘our pares ~ and thr matching Components — wil obeys be cthondUS Amateur Radio Bands Operator license classes: E = Amateur Extra A= Advanced G = General T= Technician N= Novice CW operation is permitted throughout ll amateur bands. Except as noted, all frequencies are in megahertz (MHz). T= RIT, cata, phone, image EE] = USB phone, RTTY, deta and CW [= RITY anddata_ [HB] = phone and image [a =ssa phone MMI) = cweny LF -Low Frequency band MF — Medium Frequency bands 1630 Meters (472 kHz) E,A,G 2200 Meters (135 kHz) E,A,G ‘SW EIRP nn xapt in Als within a los 160 Meters (1.8 MHz) E,A,G -LWEIRP masimum ‘fons nar theliis WEIR 195.7 ke 1378kHe2 472 KH a7okHe = 4.000 1900 2.000MHz ‘Amateurs wishing to operat cn 200 or 630 meters as est rese it he Us Tecnology Cour cone St hips ste ogile-databese-amoteurnotifeaion-pracessl. You eed ony exist once teach bana see serene canes (60 Meters (6.3 MHz) E,A,G(100W) 40 Meters (7 MHz) E,A,G,T.N 80 Meters (3.5 MHz) E,A,G,TN ‘—— ow. Digta_ ——, 7000 _murasrcoRegen2mexet 7300 3.500 3.600 3.700 4.000 ra a il a ‘405 - a ee 5.718 54035 0 laren) dom 4000 % firs 7300 825 00 teen ess eas = rias ites 30 Meters (10.1 MHz) E,A,G 20 Meters (14 MHz) E,A,G 17 Meters (18 MHz) E,A,G 10100 evatstrtecn 199 MMO taB than nosh ato ‘even 15 Meters (21 MHz) E,A,G,T,N as 21.000 21,200 21.450 wots 4150 14.225 10 Meters (28 MHz) E,A,G,TN 29.000 29700 12 Motors (24 MHz) E,A,G see a hx (200w) oe 24800 24.900 24990 28.000 28.500 21025" 21.200 ‘VHF — Very High Frequency bands 6 Meters (50 MHz) E,A,G,T 2 Meters (144 MHz) E,A,G,T ae cl 503 44s wweo 2220 2250 UHF — Ultra High Frequency bands 23 em (1240 MHz) E,A,G.T.N 70 cm (420 MHz) EAGT 33 om (902 MHz) E,A,G.T 240 1300 4200 4500 9020 9280 wm 1295 'SHFBEHF ~ Super and Extremely High Frequency bands onaledtand panes ‘Aicnaces econ Nove are authorized all modssen he own Hequences Copyright © nt 2020 2300-260NHe 39003500 T000SGHe470472GHe 12228-1R20GKe 241-280GHe POOOASOMME SES0.SHOS MHz 2402425GHe THO-ELOGH: T4441 Ge AlabovaaysGre OT*DIVS TOW 122-20The Next Steps If you're thinking about upgrading your amateur radio privileges, try your hand at a couple of questions you may encounter on your next exarn, ‘These questions and answers appear in the current official question pools from the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators General Class Question G1A04 Which of the following ‘amateur bands is restricted to ‘communication only on specific ‘channels, rather than frequency ranges? A.11 meters B. 12 meters C30 meters: 1.60 meters ‘The correct answers D. Of all the amateur radio frequency bands, only 60 meters requires you to operate on specific channels rather than anywhere within a range of frequencies Channel Display Center__ (USB) Uno Derignation S320): s220.Skt Channel SaS70 KH SOTSOMHe — S57LS wre O50uHe —_S403.5 ee 46 Sue el? ‘Channel 4 ‘Channel Amateur Extra Question ELAI2 What special operating frequency restrictions are imposed on slow scan TV transmissions? |A. None; they are allowed on all amateur frequencies 2B. They are restricted to 7.245 MHz, 14.245 MHz, 21.345 MHz, and 28.945 MHz C. They are restricted to phone band segments D.They a 54 MHz not permitted above The correct answer is C. Although ‘many consider slow sean TV (or SSTV) to be. digital mode, according to the FCC Rules itis an “image mode” and the rules require that image and phone (voice) ‘modes occupy the same frequency segments. For Further Study pee eer ate Extra question pools, alongwith simple answers ike the ones shown Ire pa acy EARL Generel QGA cr Extra Q5A, Forin- depth explanations ofthe answers, get copy of The ARRL General les Lee Manielor Ett Cl IeeciaN aie tises eee cet areavaiable from the ARAL online store (arlorg/shop), Amazon, or ee tee areas ‘As youtre studying, take free practice ‘exams at arrLorgjexam-practic. ‘Whether you're looking to advance ‘your emergency communications Skills or get more enjoyment from {your ham radio hobby, ARRL License ‘Manuals are a great place to start. ARRL License Manuals provide: *All the exam questions with ‘answer key so there are no surprises on exam day ‘+ An expert approach to studying that breaks down dificult concepts * Detaled answers that make studying more efficient +A complete glossary for quick reference of new terms Level 2~ General Class Enjoy the endire range of operating modes and extensive HF privileges. The ARRL General Class License Maral Only $32.95 Level 3-Amateur Extra ‘Your ticket to every privege granted to amateur radio operators. The ARRL Extra Class License Manual ‘Only $32.95 www.arrLorg/shopThere are so many things to do within ham radio CER ener Tee eae ue eu ed Ps ron Bob Witte, KONR My first was the Worked All States (WAS) award, which requires contact with all 50 US states. Just being active on the HF bands resulted in radio contacts with many states, but in order to complete my goal, Uhad to seek out the ones | was missing. This caused ime tolearn which bands would be most likely to reach ‘particular state at a particular time. After | achieved WAS, | moved on to other awards, ike DXCC and UCC, which involve making contacts with atleast 100 different geopolitical entities. More recently, I've been active in the Summits on the Air (SOTA) program and have achieved the Mountain Goat award, as an activator cof summits. Getting onthe air from these peaks keeps radio fun and interesting for me. T® ‘myself active in ham radio by pursuing awards Your goals should reflect your own ham radio inter- ests: IFyou'e interested in public service, seta goal of ‘connecting with your local ARES or RACES team, or participating in a certain number of events forthe year. IF youre interested in learning about how radio works, or building your own gear, perhaps set a goal of completing a'simple antenna build or electronic kit. If you hold a Technician license, your goal might be to move up toa General or Amateur Extra license. ne caution: When working toward a goal, don't get ‘overly focused on your objective. It can become an ob- "Session that takes the fun out of the hobby. IF you aren't having fun while working toward the goal, your focus might be in the wrong place. Ham radio has so many different activities to choose from. Think about what got you interested in the hobby, {choose a goal that advances your knowledge of, and expe- fience in, that interest — and most importantly, have fun E {ab Wit, KONA, niogs varity of emote radi oct, He through UHR. his book, WHE, Suri and Moe san introducton to hovingfon onthe VHF ond ger bord. is ‘vol ot or orshop/ VHF Summit-and More bereached et bobeont carALINGO _esiaciix Simple, to, Operate. Alinco’s, Proud, Tradition. 144MHz Monoband 50W FM Mobile Transceiver Pp DR-135TMkm 18100 memory channels and alphanumeric channel labels, IB Wide and narrow ceramic filters enable true narrow ba setae microphone with remote control Receives VHF civil aviation frequencies in AM 144/440MHz Dualband 50W: FM Mobile Transceiver DR-73 ull-duplex, simultaneous TX/RX with Crossband-Repeater function i Fully independent frequency, audio level and squelch knobs for both right and left VFO I Mini DIN socket for data device connection I Freely customisable LCD display color 1 Front panel separation (optional cable required) I Receives VHF civil aviation frequencies in AM. 144MHz 5W / 440MHz 4W Dualband FM Handheld Transceiver DJ-VX50HT 3 color-selectable display and keypad I Semi-Duplex Dualband, V/V-U/U, FM broadcast, VHF AM aircraft and NOAA Weather Channel receiver ide and narrow FM TX/RX jh power L-lon battery pack, stand charger and belt renee furos pu S ctes. 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