Kathy Capodicasa, N1GZO, and her meteor-scatter mentor Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV.
N1GZO smiles after putting another meteor-scatter QSO in the log.
Dec 17, 2003
(In alphabetical order: )
Kathy Capodicasa, N1GZO, and her meteor-scatter mentor Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV. |
N1GZO smiles after putting another meteor-scatter QSO in the log. |
ARRL staffer discovers VHF DX via "the
rocks": ARRL Sales and Marketing Manager Dennis
Motschenbacher, K7BV, has another meteor-scatter convert in ARRL Customer
Service Manager Kathy Capodicasa, N1GZO. For the most part, Capodicasa had only
operated sparingly on 2 meter FM, but Motschenbacher piqued her interest in
making VHF contacts during the Geminids meteor shower over the December 13-14
weekend. "The Geminids are one of the most popular meteor showers due to the
abundant number of fast moving bright meteors," Motschenbacher said. Hams
discovered a while back that as the meteorites burn up in Earth's atmosphere,
they leave behind a trail of ionized dust and gases, which frequently are
robust enough to refract radio signals. The normally mike-shy Capodicasa
visited the K7BV ham shack to see for herself how it works. "She discovered
that with a typical sound card equipped computer and the WSJT freeware, she was able
to quickly take control of my station," Motschenbacher reports. "Her first
contact was with K0AWU, in Minnesota." In no time at all, she added Georgia,
Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and Ontario to her list. She also completed
an SSB meteor-scatter contact with well-known VHFer Connie Marshall, K5CM, in
Oklahoma. K7BV says SSB, CW and the increasingly popular WSJT all are used to make
meteor-scatter contacts up to nearly 1500 miles on the 28, 50, 144 and 220-MHz
bands, often with modest equipment. "Meteors enter our atmosphere 24 hours a
day," Motschenbacher points out. "The VHF bands are never dead thanks to meteor
scatter!" He says his own nine months of meteor scatter fun in Connecticut
since moving from Nevada have netted him contacts off the "rocks" with 36
states, more than 60 grid squares and two countries. More information about
meteor scatter is available on the Web: Make More Miles on VHF--Meteor
Scatter Data by Bernd Gapinski DK3XT, the WSJT Home Page by WSJT
developer Joe Taylor, K1JT, Ping Jockey
Central--Meteor Scatter QSO Scheduling & Chat Site by Chris Cox N0UK, About
WSJT:
FAQs and Must Have Links by Louis "Tip" Tipton WA5UFH
and WSJT/FSK441
High Speed Meteor Scatter Information.
 Amperion says it can use high-voltage power lines like these to deliver BPL. Amperion and Data Ventures Inc have partnered to launch commercial BPL service throughout North America. The first deployment was to be in the rural upstate New York community of Penn Yan. |
BPL equipment manufacturer conducts tests on
high-voltage lines: Amperion Inc, a leading
medium-voltage Broadband over Power Line (BPL) equipment company, has announced
an "industry first" by successfully testing its high-speed "Connect" system on
69 kV transmission lines. Typical BPL systems have employed medium and
low-voltage lines to deliver broadband and Internet access. "The tests,
performed in conjunction with American Electric Power (AEP), demonstrated multi-megabit
data transmission to a distance of nearly one mile without the need for a
repeater," Amperion said in a news release. Amperion called the achievement "a
significant BPL industry milestone." Amperion's Vice President of Engineering
Philip Robinson says his company's Connect architecture can operate on high
voltage transmission lines as a result of "its unique, inherently safe wireless
interconnect approach, its ability to float at HV line potential (like a bird
on an electric wire ) and a design that operates directly from the power line's
current." He said the feat "required considerable expertise in corona
suppression and high-voltage phenomena." Amperion says using high-voltage lines
for BPL will lead to broader deployment of the service and will enable
utilities to better monitor and manage the power grid. There's more information
on Amperion's Web site.
 The September 2003 issue of 73 was the last. |
Buckmaster archiving 73 Amateur Radio Today on the
Web: Buckmaster Publishing is archiving the entire 43
years of 73
Amateur Radio Today on the Web. 73 debuted in 1960 and ceased publication
with its September 2003 issue. Buckmaster now has a test version of what
eventually will become a fee-based service on its HamCall.net site and invites comments from the amateur community.
 [Rob Roller, N7LV, Photo] |
Colorado group presented with ARRL
affiliation certificate: The Colorado Council of
Amateur Radio Clubs (CCARC) has become an ARRL-affiliated organization. At the
council's fall meeting October 11, Colorado Section Manager Jeff Ryan, K0RM,
presented the Charter of Affiliation to CCARC Chairman Bud Saum, K0GS (center),
while Rocky Mountain Division Director Walt Stinson, W0CP looks on.
CQ
names Floyd Gerald, N5FG, as Worked All Zones awards manager: CQ
has named Floyd Gerald, N5FG, as CQ Worked All Zones (WAZ) awards manager. He
succeeds Paul Blumhardt, K5RT, who is stepping down after four years due to
increased work and family commitments. Licensed since 1972, Gerald is an
accomplished DXer and the holder of many Amateur Radio operating awards,
including 5BWAZ (200 zones), DXCC (mixed and SSB), and CQ DX Honor Roll (SSB
and CW). A founding member of the Magnolia DX Association and a former manager
of the W5 QSL bureau, Gerald also has served as a CQ awards and ARRL DXCC card
checker. He is an ARRL member. After February 1, WAZ applications and cards go
to Floyd Gerald, N5FG, 17 Green Hollow Rd, Wiggins, MS 39577-8318.
DXCC desk approves operations for DXCC
credit: Chesterfield Island, TX0AT (October 2002);
Timor-Leste, 4W2DN; Afghanistan, YA1D, YA0J and YA1RS; Iraq, YI/KV4EB. For more
information, contact DXCC Manager Bill Moore,
NC1L.
 Jan Verduijn (right) receives the IARU R-1 certificate from IARU R-1 Chairman Ole Garpestadt, LA2RR. [IARU Photo] |
IARU Region 1 recognizes WRC-03 contributions
of Jan Verduijn: International Amateur Radio Union
Region 1 (IARU-R1) has honored Jan Verduijn of the Netherlands
Radiocommunication Agency with the IARU Region 1 Medal. IARU-R 1 Chairman Ole
Garpestad, LA2RR, presented a medal and certificate October 22 during the Dag
voor de Amateur (Day of the Amateur) sponsored by the VERON (Vereniging
voor Experimenteel Radio Onderzoek in Nederland), the Netherlands'
IARU member-society. Verduijn, who was CEPT coordinator and spokesman for the 7
MHz agenda item (Agenda item 1.23) at World Radiocommunication Conference 2003
(WRC-03), was recognized for his outstanding work in preparation for and during
the conference. "Jan was totally committed to finding a solution, not only for
radio amateurs but for broadcasters and the fixed and mobile services as well,"
said an IARU-R1 announcement. "His dedication, extremely hard work and not
forgetting his outstanding diplomatic skills were a major contribution to the
successful outcome of WRC-2003 Agenda Item 1.23 for the Amateur Radio
community."--IARU
 ITU Secretary-General Yoshio Utsumi. [ITU/Andre Longchamp Photo] |
ITU secretary-general issues appeal to share
information technology: International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) Secretary-General Yoshio Utsumi appealed to world
leaders to share the bounty of powerful information and communication
technologies with the most impoverished economies, and to shape their use for a
better world. "Today, information is a source of power and a route to riches,"
Utsumi said December 10 at the opening of the World Summit on the Information
Society (WSIS) in Geneva, Switzerland. "Our parents and teachers taught us to
read and write and to use information to make sense of the world around us," he
continued. "Now, the power of information and communication technology is
removing the boundaries of time and space, which have long kept us apart." The
WSIS closed on an optimistic note of consensus and commitment, but Utsumi, who
also chaired the summit, cautioned that the meeting was only the start of a
long and complex process. "Telephones will not feed the poor, and computers
will not replace textbooks," he said. But, he added, information and
communications technologies can be "part of the toolbox" to address global
problems. Representatives from 176 countries endorsed a Declaration of Principles and
a Plan of
Action to build on the WSIS vision and to bring the benefits of
information and communications technologies to underserved economies. Visit the
ITU Web site for additional information.
Louisiana Purchase special event a success:
The Benton Amateur Radio Society in Arkansas operated special event station W5P
in October to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase.
"Operation took place at the Territorial Restoration historical site in Little
Rock," says Arkansas Section Manger Dennis Schaefer, W5RZ. "The operation was a
success and provided an excellent demonstration of ham radio for the general
public who came for the bicentennial celebration."
 RAC President-elect Daniel Lamoureux, VE2KA. |
Radio Amateurs of Canada announces 2004-2005
executive officers: The Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) Board of Directors has announced the
organization's executive officers for the 2004-2005 term. The board elected
Daniel Lamoureux, VE2KA (ex-VE2ZDL), to succeed William Gillis, VE1WG, as RAC's
president. Gillis decided not to run for re-election. Lamoureux outpolled
Robert Burns, VE1VCK--the only other candidate for RAC president--by a 4-3
vote. An ARRL member, Lamoureux is the longtime RAC Director from Quebec and
has been an RAC delegate to the past two International
Amateur Radio Union Region 2 Conferences. In 2001 he qualified to teach the United States
Telecommunications Training Institute Amateur Radio Administration course. He
also has been active with the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
(ARISS) program. Other executive officers
elected without opposition include Robert Nash, VE3KZ, first vice president;
James Dean, VE3IQ, vice president regulatory affairs; Pierre Mainville, VA3PM,
vice president field services and international affairs; and Noel Marcil,
VE2BR, secretary. The RAC says there were no eligible nominees for the position
of treasurer, which is declared vacant as of January 1.
SATERN announces appointment:
Salvation Army Team Emergency Network (SATERN)
National Director Pat McPherson, WW9E, has announced the appointment of Gene
McGahey AL7GQ, as SATERN's Western Territorial Coordinator. McGahey is deputy
manager of Communications Technology Technical Assistance for the National Law
Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NPSTC) and chairs the NPSTC
Amateur Radio Working Group, which relates to the effective use of Amateur
Radio's assistance to public safety and homeland security. McGahey was among
the amateurs featured on ARRL's Amateur
Radio Today CD presentation where he's shown assisting
The Salvation Army disaster response to the Hayman fire in Colorado. McPherson
says McGahey is a veteran SATERN member and a regular on the International
SATERN net. "We in The Salvation Army are privileged to have his help," he
added.
 Students at the Arkansas State University Amateur Radio Club's W5ASU participate in the 2001 SCR. |
School Club Roundup 2003 certificates are in
the mail: Lew Malchick, N2RQ, reports the 2003 School
Club Roundup (SCR) certificates are in the mail from New York as of Friday,
December 12. "Each envelope contains a certificate, cover letter, entry summary
sheet and sample log page," said Malchick, who chairs the Council for the
Advancement of Amateur Radio in the New York City Schools. The council sponsors
the SCR along with the ARRL and its Hudson Division Education Task Force. The
goal of the SCR is to foster contacts with and among school radio clubs.
Malchick's article announcing the 18th annual School Club Roundup appears in
January 2004 QST (p 102). The 2004 SCR takes place February 9-13. "We look
forward to hearing you on the air!" Malchick said. Complete information on the 2004 School Club Roundup is available
on the ARRL Web site. Malchick invites questions via
e-mail.
 (L-R) Jon Baker, KG4YED, Virginia Gov Mark Warner, Ian McCuistion, KG4SCG. [Sue Baker, N4RVC, Photo] |
Scouts helped in Isabel response:
In keeping with the Scout motto,
"Be prepared," members of Venturing Crew 80 of Alexandria, Virginia--just
outside Washington, DC--responded to requests for assistance from the
Alexandria emergency operations center (EOC) and Fairfax Amateur Radio
Emergency Service (ARES) during Hurricane Isabel in September. The crew
specializes in emergency communication and first aid and counts several ARES
members among its members and leadership. Some of the scouts remained on duty
for several days, assisting in communication support activities at Alexandria and
Fairfax EOCs, at the Alexandria American Red Cross chapter house and at Red
Cross shelters in both communities. While distributing bulk bottled water to
homes lacking running water, crew volunteers got to meet--and have their
pictures taken with--Virginia Gov Mark Warner, who was visiting a shelter to
thank volunteers.
Steffie Nelson, KA1IFB, SK:
Steffie Nelson, KA1IFB, of E Hartford, Connecticut, died December 14 after a
lengthy illness. She was 80. For more than 20 years, Nelson served as the
proofreader for much of the copy that went into each issue of QST,
NCJ
and QEX,
as well as manuscripts for all other League publications. "Steffie was our sole
proofreader," said ARRL Production Supervisor Shelly Bloom, WB1ENT. "It took
three people to replace her. She was a great woman." Nelson had retired in the 1970s from teaching elementary
school but went on to a second career as a proofreader for the Hartford
Courant newspaper and in the same capacity for ARRL. "Steffie
was one of the best proofreaders in the history of the League," said QST
Editor and ARRL Publications Manager Steve Ford, WB8IMY. A daughter, brother and two sisters are among her
survivors. The family invites memorial contributions to the Humane Society of
Connecticut, 701 Russell Rd, Newington, CT 06111.
Ten-Tec club station tower topples:
Ten-Tec Product Manager Scott Robbins, W4PA, reports the company's 70-foot
crank-up tower at Ten-Tec headquarters in Sevierville, Tennessee, toppled in
late November, leaving a mess of twisted metal. The tower was cranked down at
the time it went down. A 6-meter beam at the very top of the structure survived,
but the tower, a multiband beam and several wire antennas attached to the
structure were a total loss. Fortunately, no one was around at the time to be
in harm's way. "This happened on Friday, November 28, while we were closed for
Thanksgiving," Robbins said. "The base of the tower collapsed from metal
fatigue and broke free from the concrete-filled metal post that was holding the
crank-up in place." Robbins says the top of the tower and the TH7DX beam hit
the front of the building on the way down--fortunately missing any windows.
Robbins says the tower and TH7DX had been in place since Ten-Tec opened for
business in 1968.
 Radio Amateur of the Year Award 2003 winner Bill Elliott VE1MR, accepts an engraved silver tray by RAC Atlantic Region Director David Nimmo VE1NN, and RAC President, Bill Gillis VE1WG. |
VE1MR is Radio Amateurs of Canada Amateur of
the Year: The Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) Board of
Directors has selected Bill Elliott, VE1MR, as RAC Radio Amateur of the Year
for 2003. RAC Atlantic Regional Director David Nimmo, VE1NN, and RAC President
Bill Gillis, VE1WG, presented Elliott with an engraved silver tray during the
Halifax Amateur Radio Club's annual Christmas dinner meeting December 10.
Currently president of Halifax Amateur Radio Club, Elliott has been a radio
amateur and RAC member for more than 20 years. He also belongs to the ARRL.
"Through that time, Bill has consistently and generously donated his
considerable technical and organizational skills to significantly promoting
excellence in Amateur Radio and facilitating its public service role," Nimmo
said . There's more information on the RAC Web site.
 Joe Craig, VO1NA, fits a crystal into his channelized Marconi Model CH150 transmitter. He keys the transmitter on CW using 1 kHz audio. His antenna for 60 meters is a base-fed 90-foot vertical. [Rick Lindquist, N1RL, Photo] |
VO1MRC announces 60-meter experiments: The
Marconi Radio Club of Newfoundland (MRCN) station VO1MRC will conduct a
propagation experiment on 60 meters Saturday and Sunday, December 20-21,
0000-2400 UTC both days. During this period, a CW beacon will be in operation
on 5269 kHz. The station will be open briefly for two-way contacts with
stations authorized to transmit on 60 meters, starting 0000 UTC each of these
days and will operate simplex on 5260.5 kHz CW. Following this, VO1MRC will
transmit on 5327.5 USB and receive on 5346.5 USB and 3807.5 kHz LSB. MRCN's Joe
Craig, VO1NA, says the experiment was proposed by the club, endorsed by Radio
Amateurs of Canada and authorized by Industry Canada.
Wireless Institute of Australia to host
"Welcome to HF QSO Party" on January 1: On New Year's
Day 2004, all Australian radio amateurs--whether or not they've passed a Morse
code examination--will gain access to the high-frequency (HF) bands. The
Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) invites the world's Amateur Radio
fraternity to join an on-the-air celebration to mark the occasion. The WIA
Welcome to HF QSO Party will begin at 0001 Australian Eastern Daylight Time
(1301 UTC December 31) and conclude at 2400 UTC January 1, New Year's Day. VK
radio amateurs appearing on HF bands for the first time will have three-letter
call sign suffixes beginning with H, T, U, X, Y or Z. WIA stations joining the
QSO Party will have two-letter "WI" call sign suffixes or three-letter suffixes
starting with "WI". Listen for the call "CQ WIA Welcome to HF QSO Party." There's
more information on the WIA Web site.
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