The results for the W1AW Frequency Measuring Test (FMT) <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/fmt/> held on May 21, 2008 are in <http://www.b4h.net/fmt/fmtresults200805.php>. Announced and reported completely online <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/04/29/10071/?nc=1>, the spring version of the exercise attracted 81 participants. The object was to measure the frequency of an audio tone, given the frequency of the transmitted signal's carrier. Since digital modes based on frequency-shift keying (FSK) require precise tuning, being able to measure frequency is an important skill.

The actual frequency of the tone was 1240.3 Hz for all of the W1AW transmissions. The majority of the participants reported frequencies within 1-5 Hz of the exact value, a 0.08 to 0.4 percent error. Participants could use a variety of measurement techniques, some of which are described in the November 2004 QST article announcing an FMT with a similar focus <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/fmt/2004/04fmtsilver.pdf>. The online results include detailed descriptions from many stations of the methods and equipment used to make the measurements.

W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, plans to run additional FMT exercises on a regular basis, so watch the ARRL Web Site <http://www.arrl.org> for future announcements. If possible, a West Coast station will be added to future FMTs, improving signal quality for participating stations in that region, particularly on the lower frequency bands. Automated results collection and reporting will be supported for all future FMT events.

 

 

Do you remember the distinctive double-diamond broadcast towers in old radio literature?

Those are examples of the Blaw-Know design. There is one belonging to WLW that stands just off the interstate, near the old VOA installation north of Cinncinnati.

You may have seen it on your way to or from the Hamvention. This informative paper deals with both the mechanical and RF reasons for the unique design and much of it is contributed by broadcast engineers who happen to be hams.

(Thanks, Don N4KC)

 

 

The Colorado Council of Amateur Radio Clubs (CCARC) recently teamed up with Ham Radio Outlet (HRO) in Denver to donate a 2 meter, 70 cm and 23 cm D-STAR system stack.

According to ARRL Colorado Section Manager and CCARC Board Member Jeff Ryan, K0RM, the two groups hit upon the idea of issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to Colorado radio amateurs. "We received three excellent proposals," Ryan said, "and on March 21, CCARC and HRO awarded the D-STAR system to the Colorado D-STAR Association, a consortium of Denver area individuals, clubs and ARES groups."

Ryan explained that the goal of the CCARC, which also serves as Colorado's frequency coordination body, was "to spur the interest and use of digital Amateur Radio technology. This is the first D-STAR system that will go on the air in Colorado. The hope is that it is the first of many such systems, ultimately linking the entire Amateur Radio community throughout Colorado and beyond."

The 3-band D-STAR system, serving the Denver Metro area and the Front Range of Colorado from Ft Collins to Castle Rock and points east, will be installed this summer at a mountaintop site. The system will have a coverage area of more than 5400 square miles, nearly the size of Connecticut. Ryan said that the RFP placed "special emphasis" on the D-STAR systems being available to ARES groups in the served area, "and also requires the host group to link to any other requesting D-STAR system that comes on the air in Colorado."

 

 

 

On May 7, the FCC denied two separate Petitions for Rule Making (PRM) dealing with digital issues.

Mark Miller, N5RFX, of Arlington, Texas, sought to delete the FCC's 2006 addition to how it defines data, amend the rules to prohibit automatically controlled stations from transmitting on frequency segments other than those specified in Section 97.221(b), and replace the symbol rate limits in Section 97.307(f) with bandwidth limitations.

The FCC denied all three parts of Miller's PRM, saying he "did not set forth sufficient reasons for the Commission" to approve his petition and that "should future experience substantiate Miller's concerns, he may file a new, factually supported petition for rulemaking." The complete copy of the FCC's reply to Miller is on the FCC Web site http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-08-1082A1.pdf.

Ken Chafin, W6CPA, of La Crescenta, California, and Leon Brown, KC6JAR, of Los Angeles, California, also filed a PRM concerning additional spectrum for more repeaters, including digital systems, requesting that the FCC "propose to expand the frequencies on which an amateur station operating as a repeater (repeater station) may operate."

Chafin and Brown argued that additional spectrum is needed for repeater stations because some amateur repeater stations have begun using digital communications protocols" and "digital voice operation is incompatible with existing analog operations [because d]igital voice users are unable to determine if the desired frequency is in use by analog users and can inadvertently cause harmful interference to those users." The men pointed out that coordinating groups have been unable to separate analog and digital voice repeater operations to avoid harmful interference because the available repeater spectrum in the 2 meter band is "fully occupied by existing analog users in most metropolitan areas."

The FCC, after considering Chafin and Brown's PRM, concluded that the PRM did not present grounds for the Commission to amend its rules: "Repeater stations are authorized to transmit on any frequency in the 2 meter band except the 144.0-144.5 MHz and 145.5-146.0 MHz frequency segments. These two segments were excluded to minimize the possibility of harmful interference to other amateur service stations and operating activities, including 'weak signal' operations. Allocating an additional three hundred kilohertz of the 2 meter band to repeater operation would not be consistent with that concern. Rather, it would likely result in increased interference to non-repeater stations." The complete copy of the FCC's reply to Chafin and Brown is on the FCC Web site http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-08-1083A1.pdf.

 

 

SB QST @ ARL $ARLB009
ARLB009 FCC Looks to Raise Vanity Call Sign Fees

ZCZC AG09
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 9 ARLB009
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT May 9, 2008
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB009
ARLB009 FCC Looks to Raise Vanity Call Sign Fees

The FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Order (NPRM) on May 8 seeking to raise fees for Amateur Radio vanity call signs. Currently, a vanity call sign costs $11.70 and is good for 10 years; the new fee, if the FCC plan goes through, will go up to $12.30 for 10 years, an increase of $.60.

The FCC is authorized by the Communications Act of 1934 (as amended) to collect vanity call sign fees to recover the costs associated with that program. The vanity call sign regulatory fee is payable not only when applying for a new vanity call sign, but also upon renewing a vanity call sign for a new term. Instructions on how to comment on this NPRM are available on the FCC Web site at, http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/howtocomment.html.

The vanity call sign fee has fluctuated over the 12 years of the current program -- from a low of $12 to a high of $50; the current fee of $11.70 is the lowest the fee has been since the inception of the vanity call sign program. The FCC said it anticipates some
15,000 Amateur Radio vanity call sign "payment units" or applications during the next fiscal year, collecting $184,500 in fees from the program.

The vanity call sign regulatory fee is payable not only when applying for a new vanity call sign, but also upon renewing a vanity call sign for a new term. The first vanity call sign licenses issued under the current Amateur Radio vanity call sign program that
began in 1996 came up for renewal two years ago. Those holding vanity call signs issued prior to 1996 are exempt from having to pay the vanity call sign regulatory fee at renewal, however. That's because Congress did not authorize the FCC to collect regulatory fees until 1993. Such "heritage" vanity call sign holders do not appear as vanity licensees in the FCC.

Amateur Radio licensees may file for renewal only within 90 days of their license expiration date. All radio amateurs must have an FCC Registration Number (FRN) before filing any application with the Commission. Applicants can obtain an FRN by going to the ULS site at, http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls, and clicking on the "New Users Register" link. You must supply your Social Security Number to obtain an FRN.

NNNN
/EX

 

 

 

I have released my final collection of Maidenhead Grid Squares in ESRI Shapefile (.SHP) format.

Two and Four character grids can be found here.  There is also the ability to drill down at that location to download specific four character grid files based on the four character prefix (useful in EmComm and Search and Rescue overlays) with six character resolution.

A collection of all the four character grid files is located here.  Keep in mind, it's big at over 350MB compressed and there are 32,400 files in the archive.  It is arranged in a directory structure such that you can drill down by grid square to get to the individual files.  Each grid square file is subdivied to the sixth character.  For example, the AA00.SHP file is subdivided into and labeled AA00aa, etc.

 I have tested these files in Xastir, PostGIS and qGIS and they have worked flawlessly.  I highly recommend qGIS if you want to make your own maps.  You can import a world base map, overlay it with grid squares and plot contacts.

As always, if you have questions, please let me know through the contact page at www.n1ics.net 

 

 

From the ARRL Contest Rate Sheet (2008-04-30)

Another new product line noted at Visalia is the screwdriver antennas from Scorpion Antenna <http://www.scorpionantennas.com>. The brainchild of Ron NI7J, these look like some really beefy adjustable mobile radiators!

 

 

From the ARRL Contest Rate Sheet (2008-04-30):

Force-12 Antennas, long rumored to be changing ownership, is now in the hands of Mark Hooper N5WEB.

The Force 12 product line will be manufactured in Bridgeport, Texas (NW of Dallas-Fort Worth).

Mark is a long-time ham with a career in electronics manufacturing. He plans on emphasizing customer service and support. You can check out the new Force-12 Web site at <http://force12inc.com>. (Thanks, John K1AR)

 

 

From the ARRL Contest Rate Sheet (2008-04-30):

The new SteppIR Dream Beam DB36 antenna <http://steppir.com/files/DB%2036%20brochure.pdf> was on display at the Visalia DX Convention this past weekend.

It uses three of the trombone-style elements described in the May QST Product Reviews column. An 80-meter dipole option is also available, making it possible for a single antenna to have useful rotatable directivity on all bands from 80 through 6 meters.

 

From the ARRL Contest Rate Sheet (2008-04-30):

 

Array Solutions <http://www.arraysolutions.com> has a new antenna analyzer product -- the PowerAim 120. Designed for the commercial broadcast engineer, it would certainly make an exceptional tool for the HF/6 meter contester.

The PowerAim can make measurements in the present of significant strong-signal RF interference from nearby transmitters. The package includes sophisticated DSP PC-based software and reporting/graphing utilities. The product won the "Pick Hit" and "Cool Stuff" awards at the recent National Association of Broadcasters convention -- congratulations!

 

 

From the ARRL Letter (2008-04-25):

 

The Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard will sponsor the Annual Armed Forces Day (AFD) Crossband Celebration on Saturday, 10 May 2008.

The annual celebration features traditional military to amateur cross band communications SSB voice tests and copying the Secretary of Defense message via digital modes. This also allows an opportunity for Amateur Radio operators and Short Wave Listeners (SWL) to demonstrate their technical skills, and to receive recognition from the Secretary of Defense and or the appropriate military radio station for their proven expertise.

Individuals participating will receive a QSL card later after the event acknowledging their contact, and a certificate will be given to individuals who copy the Secretary of
Defense message.

 

The Portage County Amateur Radio Service (PCARS) announces the first Ohio State Parks On The Air Contest to be held on Saturday, September 6, 2008, from the hours of noon to eight p.m. EDT (1600Z to 2400Z).

For hams throughout the State of Ohio this contest presents an opportunity to visit and enjoy the amenities offered by the seventy-three beautiful State Parks here in Ohio. You can spend the day or even spend the weekend at the park of your choice. No matter whether you are camping or staying at one of the outstanding lodges or resorts you will find that the parks are one of Ohio's greatest assets. Find out more about the parks and all that they have to offer at
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/default/tabid/80/Default.aspx.

This contest places a premium on working stations at the State Parks.  That means that it is critical to have as many parks activated as possible. The challenge for Ohio stations will be to work HF in the 50 to 300 mile range. Contacts can be made with any mode on the HF and VHF bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6 and 2 meters and all contacts have the same point value. This is a great chance to try something new, like an NVIS antenna or two meter SSB.

Individuals and clubs can operate high or low power park stations and there is a special award for the club that activates the greatest number of parks! Non-park stations in Ohio as well as outside of Ohio can also compete with each other.

So get to an Ohio State Park and get On The Air in September. Have some fun with this contest!

You can get complete information, including rules, forms and FAQ's, at http://parks.portcars.org, or contact the contest chairman, Chuck, K8CMP, at k8cmp@portcars.org. Check back at the web site for future announcements about additional prizes.

 

How close can a Maidenhead indicator get you?

Most people only give the first 4-6 digits of their Maidenhead grid indicator.  This article gives you the python code to calculate out to an arbitrary number of digits.  Here's the indicators for my QTH and their corresponding precision:

 

Length	Grid Square	Precision (m)
2	EN	1111200.0000
4	EN70	111120.0000
6	EN70su	4630.0000
8	EN70su24	463.000
10	EN70su24ii	19.2917
12	EN70su24ii66	1.9292
14	EN70su24ii66LJ	0.0804
16	EN70su24ii66LJ95	0.0080
18	EN70su24ii66LJ95ax	0.0003

 

That last one is .3 mm!

 

 

Location info for N1ICS:

17780 Middle Point Road Van Wert, OH 45891

40:51:05.4N 84:28:49.2W

Grid EN70su24

How much of a difference does adding digits to the Grid Square Matter? Read this article and then I'll get you as close as I can to my GPS time receiver.

 

 

Have you ever wanted to find out who's behind a callsign really quick?

Click the button below to add QRZ.com as a search provider in Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2.x. You can select QRZ.com in the search box, type the call sign and get all the info.

Very handy!

Questions or comments? Send them to me.

Add this site as search provider to your browser

Want to add QRZ.com as a new search provider? Just click the button below!

Current credentialing includes:

- Amateur Extra Class license issued 2007-09-25 for N1ICS
- Army MARS Training license issued 2007-12-02 for AAR5CP/T
- Ohio Certified Firefighter Level II
- Retired EMT

- FEMA IS-005.A - An Introduction to Hazardous Materials
- FEMA IS-100 - Introduction to the Incident Command System
- FEMA IS-100a - Introduction the Incident Command System v2.0
- FEMA IS-139 - Exercise Design
- FEMA IS-200 - ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
- FEMA IS-200a - ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
- FEMA IS-271 - Anticipating Hazardous Weather and Community Risk
- FEMA IS-288 - Role of Voluntary Agencies in Emergency Management
- FEMA IS-292 - Disaster Basics
- FEMA IS-340 - Hazardous Materials Prevention
- FEMA IS-700 - NIMS: An Introduction
- FEMA IS-701 - Multiagency Coordination Systems
- FEMA IS-702 - NIMS Public Information Systems
- FEMA IS-703 - NIMS Resource Management
- FEMA IS-706 - NIMS Intrastate Mutual Aid - An Introduction
- FEMA IS-800.A - National Response Plan (NRP), An Introduction
- FEMA IS-800.B - National Response Framework, An Introduction
- FEMA IS-801 - Emergency Support Functions (ESF) #1 – Transportation
- FEMA IS-802 - Emergency Support Functions (ESF) #2 - Communications
- FEMA IS-803 - Emergency Support Function (ESF) #3 – Public Works and Engineering
- FEMA IS-804 - Emergency Support Function (ESF) #4 – Firefighting
- FEMA IS-805 - Emergency Support Function (ESF) #5 – Emergency Management
- FEMA IS-807 - Emergency Support Function (ESF) #7 – Logistics Management and Resource Support Annex
- FEMA IS-808 - Emergency Support Function (ESF) #8 – Public Health and Medical Services
- FEMA IS-809 - Emergency Support Function (ESF) #9 – Search and Rescue
- FEMA IS-810 - Emergency Support Functions (ESF) #10 - Oil and Hazardous Materials Response Annex
- FEMA IS-811 - Emergency Support Functions (ESF) #11 - Agriculture and Natural Resources Annex
- FEMA IS-812 - Emergency Support Function (ESF) # 12 - Energy
- FEMA IS-813 - Emergency Support Functions (ESF) #13 - Public Safety and Security Annex
- FEMA IS-814 - Emergency Support Function (ESF) #14 – Long Term Community Recovery
- FEMA IS-821 - Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources Support Annex
- FEMA IS-860 - Introduction to the National Infrastructure Protection Plan
 

Two maps have been added to the "APRS and Maps" section of the Download area. One is for the region spanning most of Ohio and Indiana, while the other is zoomed in to Van Wert County.

These are intended to be base maps for UI-VIEW 32, an APRS plotting application. You will need both the image file and the assoicated INF file in order for UI-View to render the map properly.

A download section has been added to N1ICS.net. On it you will find odds and ends of software, configurations and other information which may be useful.

Enjoy!

You can now read N1ICS.net on your mobile phone. Just use the location www.n1ics.mobi for a mobile version formatted for a cell phone. It's all transparent and you get the same content, just formatted for better viewing.

For the second time in two weeks, 75 meter propagation problems have
caused the Ohio Single Side Band Net (OSSBN) to change its evening
start and this time also change frequency.

Beginning Tuesday, November 13, the third and evening daily session of
the OSSBN will be at 6 p.m. Eastern Time and on the OSSBN alternate
frequency of 3.968 MHz.

Time changes last week resulted in possible interference with
Connecticut traffic nets.

Ohio Assistant Section Manager and OSSBN Net Manager Connie Hamilton,
N8IO, thanks everyone for their patience in these matters. The new

Some people have asked me how I came up with the call N1ICS. When I orginally obtained my license in July 2007, I was KD8GSR. When I decided on ICS as the suffix, I found N8 was taken, so I settled on N1ICS.

A feed which does server-side filtering to limit APRS stations to the approximate boundaries of Allen County (OH) has been added to aprs.n1ics.net. It can be found on port 14582.

As demand warrants, other counties may be added.

A feed which does server-side filtering to limit APRS stations to the approximate boundaries of Van Wert County has been added to aprs.n1ics.net. It can be found on port 14581.

As demand warrants, other counties may be added.