With The Queen on the phone a lot this Sunday, I had a chance to migrate the look of the site from a New Mexico feel to a Michigan feel.
Still to come….
Modifying my satellite pass prediction algorithms for and East Lansing QTH.
Re-writing my RSS code to display DX spots.
Add some D-700/D-710 data files for Mid-Michigan repeaters.
Time… If only there was more time!
Anybody up for creating a Ning site for Amateur Radio in Michigan? Here’s what I did in NM.
Milford Swap and Shop – Milford Amateur Radio Club
Milford High School – 2380 Milford Road
Talk-In: 145.49 (PL 67); 146.52 (backup)
Contact: Rose Moore, KC8NQJ
1383 Sylvan Drive
Hartland, MI 48353
Phone: 810-632-5174
Amateur Radio Group of Youth in Lowell (ARGYL)
Lowell High School – 11700 Vergennes Street
Talk-In: 145.270 & 146.620 (PL 94.8)
Contact: Al Eckman, WW8WW
725 Bowes Road, Apt. K6
Lowell, MI 49331
Phone: 616-450-4332
Email: al.eckman@sbcglobal.net
As of January 1, my adventures at Comcast in Albuquerque came to an end and I started a new gig as Head Servant for the Michigan State University Alumni Association.
It’s a homecoming of sorts. I’m an MSU grad and Colleen and I lived in the Lansing area for five years during my cable career.
Looking forward to re-connecting with the ham community!
I’ll be updating this site with an East Lansing QTH look and feel. The ISS and AO-51 pass info will be changed to reflect the new location, too.
Stand by and 73!
When I wrote this NMHams.com post about the Japanese creating a Morse device as a way to quickly input Twitter content, it got me to thinking…
Why not use a code key in place of your computer keyboard?
Turns out that at least one other person had this idea. The Comax people have developed an application that allows you to use your mouse to input text and other key strokes into any MS Windows computer. Attaching your favorite Morse paddles is as easy as buying one of these specially equipped mice.
The concept of using a keying device to translate content from your brain into a PC began at the dawn of the computer age. Folks with physical challenges that precluded keyboarding noodled creative alternatives that included straight keys, even bugs as input devices. Physicist Stephen Hawking is a notable example of someone who has mastered a joystick as a tool to turn his brilliant thoughts into everything from books to real-time speeches.
Comax has a code group for every key on your computer keyboard and with a little practice, you’ll be popping text into your Windows apps like a pro.
So if you’re a hunt and peck typer who is more comfortable at 20 WPM on CW, hook those paddles up to your PC and send away.
Rick Roderick, K5UR, is currently Vice President of the American Radio Relay League. He has held ARRL appointments continuously for over 40 years. He is known world-wide for his operating achievements in amateur radio on the HF and VHF/UHF bands, having held numerous records in the fields of DXing and contesting. He lives on a 50 acre antenna farm outside Little Rock, Arkansas where he practices law. Rick is a frequent speaker at clubs and events, and loves telling stories about what he calls “the greatest hobby in the world – amateur radio!”
Here’s his speech from the 2009 Colorado Hamcon Banquet. 19MB Mp3
In 1984, I had been a ham for just 3 years. My antenna was an energized downspout and I had just bought a used Ten Tec Omni to energize my Heathkit 2080a antenna tuner. We were at a great point in the sunspot cycle. Working DX on CB radios converted to 10 meter from the parking lot at work during lunch hour was not uncommon.
It was a time before DX clusters were on line, when we’d call one another on a special two meter frequency when we heard a rare one. We depended on the beacons to tell us when the circuit was open to the far East, and we calculated the grey line with our trusty ARRL tools.
I was president of the Oak Park Amateur Radio Club and then, as now, was responsible for coming up with an interesting program each month. The highlight of that year for me was a presentation by Jim Sansotera – K8JRK.
Jim was the quintessential DXer in Detroit. His country count was the envy of everybody in our group and when he agreed to be our speaker on August 13, 1984, we knew we were in for a treat.
From today’s perspective, many of the tools he recommends are outdated, but his tips of how to snag the rare ones are timeless.
Here’s an MP3 of that presentation. 25 years later, we can still learn from him.
Members of the NM-ARTS group saw a terrific presentation by Mike, K5KM, about how to protect your station from a lightning strike. It’s all about grounding, grounding, grounding. We learned a ton of theory plus some very useful ideas on how to protect your station, both from lightning and from the static discharge that’s often an issue during our March windstorms. Here’s a PDF of Mike’s presenation. Join their Yahoo group and get free access to all the NM-ARTS presentations.
Isaac, W5IDT proved again that DX is within our reach, bagging LY2ZZ the other night. Here’s what propo looks like to Vilnius.
By Scott Westerman – W9WSW
When we gathered to audit the logs from the New Mexico QSO party with the great guys from the Los Alamos Amateur Radio Club, the conversation turned to the challenges of suppressing ignition noise. KJ5KU has a hamstick and a Icom 706 as part of his mobile installation and recommends this link. Not only is Alan a New Mexican (he lives in Roswell), K0BG is an expert on identifying and mitigating ignition noise. A trip to his website will give you solutions along with audio examples with the fingerprints of the various devices that are often the culprits.
Fixing ignition noise can be as simple as turning on your noise blanker, Fred K9GAJ solved his issues that way, or as complex as wrapping the offending item with copper tape.
Need help? Visit K0BG.com. Your answer may well be found there.
