arrl2.txt

NOW 20 WPM TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 56 SITUATIONS WHERE I COULD HAVE BROUGHT A DIRECTIONAL ANTENNA WITH ME, SUCHAS A SMALL YAGI FOR HF OR VHF.  IF ITS LIGHT ENOUGH, ROTATING A YAGI CAN BEDONE WITH THE ARMSTRONG METHOD, BUT IT IS OFTEN VERY INCONVENIENT TO DO SO.PERHAPS YOU DONT WANT TO LEAVE THE RIG BEHIND WHILE YOU GO OUTSIDE TO ADJUST THE ANTENNA TOWARD THAT WEAK STATION, OR PERHAPS YOU'RE IN A TENT AND ITS DARK OUT THERE.  A BATTERY POWERED ROTATOR PORTABLE ROTATION HAS DEVELOPED A SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS.  THE 12PR1A IS AN ANTENNA ROTATOR FIGURE 6 THAT FUNCTIONS ON 9 TO 14 V DC.  AT 12 V, THE UNIT IS SPECIFIED TO DRAW 40 MA IDLE CURRENT AND 200 MA OR LESS WHILE THE ANTENNA IS TURNING. IT CAN BE POWERED FROM THE BATTERY USED TO RUN A TYPICAL PORTABLE STATION.WHILE THE CONTROL HEAD FIGURE 7 WILL FUNCTION WITH AS LITTLE AS 6 V, A END OF 20 WPM TEXT QST DE AG1LE  NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2014 QST  PAGE 46 TRANSMITTER MANUALS SPECIFICATIONS.  BUILD A 12 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER SINCE THE OUTPUT OF THE BUFFER AMPLIFIER SUPPLIES ONLY 5 V PP, I CHOSE TO USE A 12 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER TO BOOST THE BUFFER AMPLIFIER OUTPUT AND TO RAISE ITS IMPEDANCE LEVEL.  A 12 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER TRANSFORMS THE IMPEDANCE BY A 1:4 RATIO.  I WOUND MY TRANSFORMER ON AN AMIDON ASSOCIATES FT 50A 61FERRITE TOROIDAL CORE.  I DOUBLED UP THE WIRE AND WOUND 1:1 BIFILAR TURNS USING 24 AWG ENAMELED MAGNET WIRE, THEN CONNECTED THE WIRES ACCORDING TO THE SCHEMATIC IN FIGURE 5.  I THEN ADDED A DC ISOLATING 0R01 UF CERAMIC DISC CAPACITOR IN SERIES WITH OUTPUT SEE FIGURE 6.  I ADDED COAXIAL CABLE LEADS AND MOUNTED MY TRANSFORMER ASSEMBLY IN A SMALL PILL BOTTLE.  THE TRANSFORMER SHOULD BE PLACED AS CLOSE TO THE TRANSMITTER INPUT AS POSSIBLE.  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2014 QST  PAGE 84 COORDINATOR, SENT OUT AN E MAIL TO ALL GARC MEMBERS, ALUMNI, FACULTY,STAFF, AND FRIENDS TO SPREAD THE WORD AND ASK THAT THEY GIVE W4DFU A CALL DURING A WINDOW FOR A VHF SIMPLEX CONTACT.  MUCH TO EVERYONES SURPRISE,W4DFU HAD A SMALL 2 METER PILEUP.  EVERYONE IN THE STATION WAS EXCITED AND THE ATMOSPHERE TURNED TO ONE OF CELEBRATION.  THE EXPERIMENT WAS A SUCCESS AND GARC IS PLANNING TO EXPAND FOR FUTURE SCR WORK.  YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT GARC AT HTTP//GATORRADIO.ORG.  TEAMING UP WITH THE LOCAL CLUB GLENN RAYMOND SCHOOL AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, W9GRS, OF WATSEKA, ILLINOIS, ENTERED THEIR FIRST SCHOOL CLUB ROUNDUP IN OCTOBER 2008 AFTER BEING AWARDED AN ETP GRANT FROM THE ARRL.  W9GRS GOT STARTED WITH A STATION DUE TO THEIR CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LOCAL AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, THE IROQUOIS COUNTY AMATEUR  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 52 AUDIO COMING FROM YOU VIA THE BLUETOOTH CONNECTION IN OTHER WORDS, WHENEVER YOU SPEAK OR WHEN THE DIGITAL MODE SOFTWARE ON YOUR COMPUTER STARTS SENDING TRANSMIT AUDIO.  BEFORE FIDDLING WITH THESE KNOBS, HOWEVER, YOU MUST FIRST ESTABLISH THE BLUETOOTH CONNECTION BY PAIRING THE RIGBLASTER BLUE WITH WHATEVER BLUETOOTH DEVICE YOU ARE USING WHETHER THAT IS A HEADSET, LAPTOP OR TABLET.  WITHOUT GOING INTO GREAT DETAIL THE RIGBLASTER MANUAL OFFERS STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS, IT IS ESSENTIALLY A MATTER OF PRESSING WHATEVER BUTTONS ARE REQUIRED TO PUT YOUR DEVICE INTO DISCOVERY MODE.  YOU DO THE SAME TO THE RIGBLASTER BLUE.  IT MAY TAKE AS LONG AS 60 SECONDS, BUT EVENTUALLY THE INTERFACE AND YOUR DEVICE FIND EACH OTHER, EXCHANGE GREETINGS AND STRIKE UP A CONVERSATION SO TO SPEAK.  IN MY FIRST TEST I  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 63 CONTROL.  ONCE YOU'VE FOUND THIS, YOU REALLY DONT NEED TO PLAY WITH THE PHASING.  NOW TUNE IN SOME REAL CW SIGNALS, USING YOUR BAND SPREAD, AND NOTE HOW SHARP AND SELECTIVE IT IS.  UNLESS YOU'RE A SAFE CRACKER, ITS EASY TO COMPLETELY SCOOT BY THE SWEET SPOT AND NEVER REALIZE THE ADVANTAGE OF THE CRYSTAL FILTER.  ONCE YOU DO FIND THE SWEET SPOT, ITS BEST TO ADJUST THE BFO AFTERWARD FOR A COMFORTABLE PITCH.  I REGRET THAT BFO PITCH IS NO LONGER A FRONT PANEL CONTROL ON MODERN RADIOS.  ON MOST VINTAGE RECEIVERS,ITS HELPFUL TO RUN THE AUDIO GAIN WIDE OPEN AND USE THE RF GAIN AS A VOLUME CONTROL, ESPECIALLY ON CW.  ALTHOUGH NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE ISSUE, IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT MOST EARLY CW RECEIVERS HAD VERY WEAK BFOS, WHICH IS NEVER AN ADVANTAGE, CONTRARY TO SOME ADVICE OF THE TIME.  THIS RESULTED IN  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 34 DB/S UNIT TO 7 DB/S UNIT.  BE AWARE THAT YOU CANT USE ANY OLD OPERATIONAL AMPLIFIER BECAUSE THE INPUT AND OUTPUT VOLTAGE OF THE AMPLIFIERS MUST BEABLE TO ACCOMMODATE 0R8 V, WHICH IS CLOSE TO THE POSITIVE RAIL OF 0 V.  THE TLV2372 HAS INPUT AND OUTPUT CAPABILITY ALL THE WAY TO THE SUPPLY RAILS POTENTIOMETER R2 ZERO PROVIDES A ZERO ADJUSTMENT FOR THE S METER, WHICH IS BUFFERED THROUGH AMPLIFIER U1B.  THE ZERO FUNCTION OPERATES DIFFERENTLY FROM MOST.  DIODE D3 TRANSFORMS THE AMPLIFIER INTO A PRECISION RECTIFIER.THE RESULT IS THAT THE S METER CANNOT BE DRIVEN BELOW ZERO.  THE REASON FOR ADDING THIS FEATURE IS THAT IF THE VALUE OF C137 SEE FIGURE 1 IS INCREASED BY A LARGE AMOUNT IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE AGC DECAY TIME AS I DID IN MY RECEIVER, SWITCHING FROM STANDBY TO OPERATE CAN RESULT IN A NEGATIVE METER  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 85HIS FM SIGNAL ACROSS 14 GRIDS TO CLAIM THE TOP SPOT IN THE SINGLE OPERATOR,FM ONLY CATEGORY.  ART USED ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR BANDS ALLOWED, 144 MHZ,FOR HIS LEADING EFFORT.  LACKING THE CONCENTRATION OF STATIONS TO WORK THAT EXISTS IN THE NORTHEAST REGION, THE TEAM OF OPERATORS AT K5QE WORKED HARDTO CLAIM THE THIRD SPOT IN THE LIMITED MULTI OPERATOR CATEGORY FROM THEIR EAST TEXAS LOCATION IN THE SOUTH TEXAS SECTION.  THE CREW AT MARSHALLS STATION RACKED UP 207 MULTIPLIERS SO ALMOST 2/3 OF THEIR 315 CONTACTS WEREIN A UNIQUE MULTIPLIER FOR THEM.  THE MIDWEST WAS ALSO LESS HOSPITABLE TO ROVERS BUT WYATT, AC0RA, TEAMED UP WITH BRIAN, KD0LRG TO BRAVE THE COLD AND CHALLENGING ROAD CONDITIONS.  THEY PILOTED THEIR FOUR BAND STATION THROUGH 10 GRIDS TO COMPLETE 328 QSOS, ACHIEVE THIS YEARS TOP MULTIPLIER COUNT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 36 THAT P9 SHOULD BE ABOUT 100 5V, BUT CHOOSING 50 5V MAKES THE METER ACTIVE AT LOWER SIGNAL LEVELS, AND MEETS THE IARU RECOMMENDATION FOR AN S9 READING.  SETTING 5 DB/S UNIT IS AN OPTION WITH AN S0 TO S9 METER RANGE TO 45 DB.  HOWEVER, THE REQUIRED GAIN OF THE RECEIVER MAY STILL BE A BIT MARGINAL.  MOVING PT TO 67 DBM 100 5V HELPS THIS SITUATION SHOULD YOU CHOOSE A 5 DB/S UNIT SETTING.  THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC OF THE SMETER IS A CONSISTENT DB/S UNIT VALUE.  NEARLY ALL ON AIR REPORTS ARE RELATIVE READINGS COMPARING ANTENNAS OR AMPLIFIERS, SO CONSISTENT DB/S UNIT SENSITIVITY OVER THE S 1 TO S 9 RANGE IS OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE.  BECAUSE P9 AND PT CHANGE WITH RECEIVER GAIN, TEMPERATURE, BAND, AND FREQUENCY WITHIN THE FIRST IF, CONSISTENCY OF PT AND P9 IS PRETTY MUCH A PIPE DREAM FOR AN S  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 85HIS FM SIGNAL ACROSS 14 GRIDS TO CLAIM THE TOP SPOT IN THE SINGLE OPERATOR,FM ONLY CATEGORY.  ART USED ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR BANDS ALLOWED, 144 MHZ,FOR HIS LEADING EFFORT.  LACKING THE CONCENTRATION OF STATIONS TO WORK THAT EXISTS IN THE NORTHEAST REGION, THE TEAM OF OPERATORS AT K5QE WORKED HARDTO CLAIM THE THIRD SPOT IN THE LIMITED MULTI OPERATOR CATEGORY FROM THEIR EAST TEXAS LOCATION IN THE SOUTH TEXAS SECTION.  THE CREW AT MARSHALLS STATION RACKED UP 207 MULTIPLIERS SO ALMOST 2/3 OF THEIR 315 CONTACTS WEREIN A UNIQUE MULTIPLIER FOR THEM.  THE MIDWEST WAS ALSO LESS HOSPITABLE TO ROVERS BUT WYATT, AC0RA, TEAMED UP WITH BRIAN, KD0LRG TO BRAVE THE COLD AND CHALLENGING ROAD CONDITIONS.  THEY PILOTED THEIR FOUR BAND STATION THROUGH10 GRIDS TO COMPLETE 328 QSOS, ACHIEVE THIS YEARS TOP MULTIPLIER COUNT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 55ANTENNA THE RADIO IS SILENT.  A THAT IS A KEY DISTINCTION, BECAUSE THE CUREIS QUITE DIFFERENT FOR THE TWO CASES.  TO FIND OUT, INSERT, SAY, 10 DB OF ATTENUATION IN THE FRONT END OF YOUR RECEIVER MANY TRANSCEIVERS CAN DO THIS WITH A FRONT PANEL BUTTON.  IF THE SIGNAL IS COMING FROM OUTSIDE ON THE RECEIVE FREQUENCY, IT WILL DROP BY 10 DB, OR ALMOST 2 S UNITS.  IF IT IS ATHIRD ORDER INTERMODULATION PRODUCT GENERATED FROM OFF FREQUENCY SIGNALS MIXING WITHIN YOUR RECEIVER, IT WILL DROP BY 3 X 10 DB OR 5 S UNITS CHECK YOUR S METER CALIBRATION ON A KNOWN SIGNAL IN THE SAME BAND FIRST.  IF ITIS A SIGNAL ON YOUR FREQUENCY, ABOUT THE ONLY HOPE IS ONE OF THE CANCELLING TYPE NOISE REDUCTION DEVICES, ALTHOUGH YOU MAY GET SOME RELIEF BY TURNING YOUR BEAM TO A NULL IN THE STATIONS DIRECTION.  YOU ALSO COULD TRY TO  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 31 DIAMETER WITH A SCREW ON LID.  A STAINLESS STEEL SCREW THROUGH THE TOP SERVES AS AN ANCHOR FOR THE ANTENNA AND IS CONNECTED TO THE INNER LEAD OF AN SO239 SOCKET AT THE BASE OF THE ABS PIPE SECTION.  THE SHIELD OF THE SO239 IS CONNECTED TO THE GROUND BLOCK WITH HEAVY GAUGE METAL.  THE GROUND RADIAL SYSTEM IS A CRITICAL PART OF THE ANTENNA.  AS AN INITIAL EXPERIMENT I USED JUST TWO 65 FOOT PIECES OF INSULATED WIRE LAID ON THE GROUND.  I WAS ABLE TO TUNE THE ANTENNA AND THEY ACTUALLY WORKED QUITE WELL FOR CONTINENTAL CONTACTS.  HOWEVER, FOR DX A MORE EXTENSIVE GROUND SYSTEM IS REQUIRED AND AT PRESENT, I HAVE 40 RADIALS, EACH 20 TO 80 FEET LONG,CONNECTED TO THE GROUND JUNCTION BLOCK.  THE RADIALS ARE 15 AWG ZINC COATED WIRE.  AFTER BURYING THE RADIALS THEY WERE SOON COVERED BY THE SURROUNDING  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 91 SUNSPOT NUMBER DID NOT QUITE TRANSLATE INTO THE CME RATE ITSELF.  THE CME OCCURRENCE RATE IN CYCLES 24 AND 23 ARE COMPARABLE IN THE MAXIMUM PHASE.THEN HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THE MILD SPACE WEATHER IN CYCLE 24?  A CLUE TOTHE REASON FOR MILDER SPACE WEATHER CAME FROM THE FACT THAT ALL CMES THAT PRODUCED PARTICLE EVENTS ARE HALO CMES IN CYCLE 24, COMPARED TO ABOUT 70 IN CYCLE 23.  HALO CMES ORIGINATE FROM CLOSE TO THE DISK CENTER AND EXPAND RAPIDLY, GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF SURROUNDING THE SUN.  THERE MUST BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE CMES IN SOLAR CYCLE 24. GOPAL SWAMY AND CO WORKERS EXAMINED THE RELATION BETWEEN CME WIDTH AND SPEED AND FOUND THAT THE CYCLE 24 CMES ARE WIDER THAN THE CYCLE 23 ONES FOR AGIVEN SPEED.  FOR ENERGETIC CMES SPEED EXCEEDING 1000 KM/S, THE WIDTH IS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 50VERY INFORMATIVE.  MORE ON PREDICTING SAG IN WIRE ANTENNAS JANUARY 1966 IWROTE THE ARTICLE PREDICTING SAG IN LONG WIRE ANTENNAS WHICH APPEARED INTHE JANUARY 1966 ISSUE OF QST.  THAT ARTICLE HAD AN ERROR IN IT WHEN PUBLISHED IN 1966.  THE NOMOGRAPH WAS OFF BY A FACTOR OF 2.  IN ORDER TO CORRECT IT LATER, MY EDITOR BYRON GOODMAN, W1DX, I BELIEVE DECIDED IT WAS EASIER TO EDIT THE SPAN IN FIGURE 1 TO BE SHOWN AS OF THE TOTAL SPAN, RATHER THAN ADJUST THE NOMOGRAPH ITSELF.  THAT DID CORRECT THE ERROR,ALTHOUGH IT PROBABLY LED TO SOME OF THE ONGOING CONFUSION.  SEVERAL ARRL EDITORS HAVE ASKED ME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DRAWING AND NOMOGRAPH OVER THE YEARS, PROBABLY WHEN CHANGES WERE BEING MADE TO THE ARRL ANTENNA BOOK.  A BATTERY MONITOR FOR 12 V SYSTEMS JUNE 2013 MERT NELLIS, W0UFO, OUTLINED A  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 52  ME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TUBE AND SOLID STATE AMPLIFIERS IN TERMS OF PERFORMANCE, EASE OF OPERATION, COST, OR OTHER CHARACTERISTICS?  I ALSO WONDER WHY SOME HF AMPLIFIERS DONT OPERATE ON THE 10 AND 12 METER BANDS?  A ARGUABLY, TO A STATION AT THE OTHER END OF THE CONTACT, THE SIGNAL FROM ATUBE AMPLIFIER SOUNDS ABOUT THE SAME AS THAT FROM A SOLID STATE UNIT.  IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT TO YOUR STATION, HOWEVER, THE SOLID STATE AMPLIFIER HASA NUMBER OF ADVANTAGES.  PERHAPS THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE IS THAT TRANSMITTING TUBES ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE AND IT IS GETTING HARDER TO FIND REPLACEMENT TUBES OF GOOD QUALITY.  WHILE PROPERLY OPERATED TRANSMIT TUBES SHOULD LAST 10 YEARS OR MORE, WE DO MAKE MISTAKES, AND THE REST OF THE AMPLIFIER SHOULD LAST MUCH LONGER, MEANING WE WILL NEED TO FIND REPLACEMENT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 44MONEY AND SERVE AS A GOOD FIRST RADIO OR AS AN AUXILIARY HANDHELD BACKING UP A FULLY FEATURED MODEL.  THE SIMPLIFIED OPERATING AND CONTROL INTERFACE WAS WELCOME, WITH THE CLEARLY LABELED FUNCTIONS I NEED MOST AT MY FINGERTIPS.  THANKS TO SCARC MEMBERS JACOB, KD0SJV THERESA, KC0PEO MATTKD0VUH JEFF, AC0SC AND MELANIE, KD0LRC, FOR THEIR TIME AND DETAILED EVALUATIONS.  MFJ 225 GRAPHICAL ANTENNA ANALYZER THE MFJ 225 IS MFJS LATEST ENTRY INTO THE ANTENNA ANALYZER MARKET.  IT IS MUCH SMALLER THAN THE POPULAR MFJ 259B, MAKING IT CONVENIENT FOR FIELD USE.  IT HAS A BACKLIT 3INCH LCD GRAPHIC DISPLAY THAT SIMULTANEOUSLY SHOWS THE FREQUENCY OR SWEPT FREQUENCY RANGE, UNSIGNED COMPLEX IMPEDANCE, IMPEDANCE MAGNITUDE, COMPUTED INDUCTANCE OR CAPACITANCE, BATTERY VOLTAGE, AND SWR.  BECAUSE IT IS A TWO  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 91 SUNSPOT NUMBER DID NOT QUITE TRANSLATE INTO THE CME RATE ITSELF.  THE CME OCCURRENCE RATE IN CYCLES 24 AND 23 ARE COMPARABLE IN THE MAXIMUM PHASE.THEN HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THE MILD SPACE WEATHER IN CYCLE 24?  A CLUE TOTHE REASON FOR MILDER SPACE WEATHER CAME FROM THE FACT THAT ALL CMES THAT PRODUCED PARTICLE EVENTS ARE HALO CMES IN CYCLE 24, COMPARED TO ABOUT 70 IN CYCLE  23.  HALO CMES ORIGINATE FROM CLOSE TO THE DISK CENTER AND EXPAND RAPIDLY, GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF SURROUNDING THE SUN.  THERE MUST BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE CMES IN SOLAR CYCLE 24. GOPAL SWAMY AND CO WORKERS EXAMINED THE RELATION BETWEEN CME WIDTH AND SPEED AND FOUND THAT THE CYCLE 24 CMES ARE WIDER THAN THE CYCLE 23 ONES FOR AGIVEN SPEED.  FOR ENERGETIC CMES SPEED EXCEEDING 1000 KM/S, THE WIDTH IS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 70 HAD OUR ANTENNA CREW TAKEN THIS STEP, WE WOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT WE NEEDED TO BRING IN THE ADVICE AND COUNSEL OF SOMEONE FAMILIAR WITH THE ANTENNA SYSTEM.  EVEN IF WE HAD AN EXPERT IN THE GROUP, STOPPING TO TALK THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN DURING THE TAKEDOWN WOULD HAVE ASSURED EVERYONE WAS IN THE CORRECT PLACE DOING THE CORRECT THING.  HASTE  AS MY GROUP LEARNED AT FIELD DAY THIS YEAR, HASTE DOES, WELL AND TRULY, MAKE WASTE.  AS MUCH FUN AS EVENTS SUCH AS FIELD DAY ARE, WHEN THEY ARE OVER,THEY ARE OVER.  FOLKS WANT OR NEED TO GET ON WITH OTHER ASPECTS OF THEIR LIVES.  ALL TOO OFTEN, WE FALL UNDER THE SPELL OF BELIEVING THAT IT IS EASIER TO TAKE THINGS DOWN THAN IT IS TO PUT THINGS UP.  FOR EXAMPLE,ROLLING UP A LENGTH OF COAX IS MUCH SIMPLER THAN TAKING THE TIME TO PLAN  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 66AND ACCESSORIES.  WE HAVE USED TROLLEY SYSTEMS TO RAISE 200 POUND ANTENNAS AND GOTTEN THEM MOST OF THE WAY UP BEFORE THE SYSTEM BROKE.  WE CLAIM THE RECORD FOR HAVING BUILT AT LEAST 12 FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40S AND NONE OF THEM SURVIVED THE SOUTH TEXAS WEATHER.  ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAD A 140 FOOT TOWER THAT WAS RIVETED TUBULAR STEEL, HAD A 10 INCH FACE, AND WAS GUYED EVERY 20 FEET WITH 3/16 INCH STEEL CABLE BROKEN UP WITH STRAIN INSULATORS.THE TOWER SHOULD HAVE COLLAPSED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE GUYS, BUT IT STAYED UP FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS WITH A FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40 METER BEAM AT THE TOP.IN 40 YEARS OF BUILDING AMATEUR ANTENNA SYSTEMS, WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE NOTTO HAVE HAD ANY INJURIES MORE SERIOUS THAN SUNBURN AND SCRAPED KNUCKLES.WE HAVE AMASSED A HUGE COLLECTION OF SCRAP ALUMINUM, TOWER SECTIONS,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014 QST  PAGE 75OR A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT.  OUR ROLE IS TO COMMUNICATE EMERGENCIES WHEN THEY HAPPEN.  IF WE LOOK AT WHAT WE DO OVERALL, WE EASILY SEE THAT MOST OF OUR WORK IS IN THE AREA OF PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS FESTIVALS, PARADES, MARATHONS,ETC.  DISASTERS ARE OUR SECOND LARGEST AREA OF WORK.  HURRICANE RESPONSE ALWAYS INCLUDES AMATEUR RADIO, AND THE SKYWARN PROGRAM WOULD NOT BE THE SAME WITHOUT AMATEUR RADIO SUPPORT.  TRUE EMERGENCIES, HOWEVER, ARE VERY RARE.  IF WE WERE TO BREAK IT DOWN BY THE NUMBERS, ACCORDING TO OUR COLLECTIVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, WE CAN SAFELY SAY THAT AMATEUR RADIO PUBLIC SERVICE COMMUNICATIONS IS ABOUT 80 PERCENT PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS, 19PERCENT DISASTER COMMUNICATIONS, AND 1 PERCENT EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS.THIS BREAKDOWN HELPS US SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE OF THE VALUE OF THE AMATEUR  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 58TAPE.  I USE A FIBERGLASS RECURVE BOW OF AT LEAST 40 POUNDS COMPOUND BOWSWILL GIVE YOU LESS CONTROL WHEN SHOOTING INTO LOWER TREES AND SEND THE ARROW TOO FAR.  A LINE REEL OR LOOP IS ATTACHED PERPENDICULAR TO THE BOWSEE FIGURE 5.  THE ARROW IS FED THROUGH THE CENTER FOR SHOOTING.  I USE THE METAL LIP OF ONE OF THE REEL SUPPORTS TO KEEP THE LINE FROM UNWINDING UNTIL SHOT.  IN SELECTING A TRAJECTORY, I STAND CLOSE TO THE TRUNK AND SHOOT UP THROUGH THE CANOPY AND OUT INTO THE OPEN AREA ON THE ANTENNA SIDE, THIS WAYTHERE IS LESS CHANCE FOR THE ARROW TO GET CAUGHT IN THE TREE.  AFTER THE LINE IS SHOT TO A SUITABLE LOCATION, A HEAVY NYLON CORD WILL HAVE TO BE PULLED THROUGH, TO BE USED TO PULL THE HALYARD LINE.  FOR THIS I USE A KITE STRING REEL SEE FIGURE 6 THAT CAN BE FOUND AT TOY STORES OR SPORTING GOODS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 88OF LATITUDE.  THE NIGHTTIME HAWAIIAN OPENINGS WERE ALMOST ALWAYS CLOSE TOTHE LONG PATH GREAT CIRCLE HEADINGS TO EUROPE.  THESE HEADINGS ARE ABOUT 1520 WEST OF SOUTH.  SMALL TPL FOOTPRINTS IN EUROPE THE FOOTPRINTS OF THE MARCH TPL OPENINGS WERE SMALL IN EUROPE.  THEY CENTERED AROUND SLOVENIA ANDTHE IMMEDIATE SURROUNDING COUNTRIES.  ON ONE EVENING, KH7Y HEARD ONLY BULGARIA.  THIS WAS A VERY SMALL FOOTPRINT FOR SUCH A LONG PATH.  THE SMALL SIZE OF THE EUROPEAN FOOTPRINT MAY BE DUE TO THIS BEING THE SAME TEP FOOTPRINT FOR THE SOUTHERN AFRICA SOUTHERN EUROPE PATH.  THIS ALSO SUGGESTS REGULAR TEP IS INVOLVED FOR THE LAST PART OF THE PATH.  THE HAWAIIAN TPL CONTACTS ARE ALSO SENSITIVE TO THE HIGH LATITUDE POLAR K INDEX.  OVER 90 OFTHE HAWAII CONTACTS WERE MADE WITH A KP PLANETARY K INDEX OF 1 OR 0.  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 66AND ACCESSORIES.  WE HAVE USED TROLLEY SYSTEMS TO RAISE 200 POUND ANTENNAS AND GOTTEN THEM MOST OF THE WAY UP BEFORE THE SYSTEM BROKE.  WE CLAIM THE RECORD FOR HAVING BUILT AT LEAST 12 FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40S AND NONE OF THEM SURVIVED THE SOUTH TEXAS WEATHER.  ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAD A 140 FOOT TOWER THAT WAS RIVETED TUBULAR STEEL, HAD A 10 INCH FACE, AND WAS GUYED EVERY 20 FEET WITH 3/16 INCH STEEL CABLE BROKEN UP WITH STRAIN INSULATORS.THE TOWER SHOULD HAVE COLLAPSED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE GUYS, BUT IT STAYED UP FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS WITH A FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40 METER BEAM AT THE TOP.IN 40 YEARS OF BUILDING AMATEUR ANTENNA SYSTEMS, WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE NOTTO HAVE HAD ANY INJURIES MORE SERIOUS THAN SUNBURN AND SCRAPED KNUCKLES.WE HAVE AMASSED A HUGE COLLECTION OF SCRAP ALUMINUM, TOWER SECTIONS,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014 QST  PAGE 41 INDICATOR, AND SOME THE COMPLETE ANTENNA IMPEDANCE AS A COMPLEX NUMBER THAT LOOKS LIKE R JX.  TO FIND THE DIPOLES IMPEDANCE, WE NEED TO PUT THE R AND X VALUES TOGETHER AS A COMPLEX NUMBER THAT IS MADE UP OF THREE PIECES THE FIRST 4 IS RESISTANCE AND ITS REAL, THE SECOND IS THE OPERATOR / , AND THE LAST, REACTANCE, J1590 IS IMAGINARY.  YOU KNOW THAT RESISTANCE IS IN OHMS AND REACTANCE IS ALSO IN OHMS.  OHMS 1 OHMS IS NICE AND SIMPLE WHY NOT JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT?  WHY PUT THE J IN THERE TO COMPLICATE THINGS?  DONT LET THAT IMAGINARY J PART BRING BACK SOME TERRIBLE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORIES.THERES NO TEST TO WORRY ABOUT, SO TAKE A FEW DEEP BREATHS AND CHILL OUT.NOW, LETS GET REAL ABOUT THE IMAGINARY J.  A FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE THE JIS THERE TO REMIND US OF THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RESISTANCE  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 99EARLY DAYS OF THE NEW MODE, THE SSB RF SIGNAL WAS TYPICALLY GENERATED AT 9MHZ.  THAT MAY SEEM AN ODD CHOICE UNTIL YOU CONSIDER THAT IF YOU MIXED THIS SIGNAL WITH THE OUTPUT OF A VFO OPERATING IN A RANGE FROM 5 TO 5R5 MHZ, YOU COULD USE THE HETERODYNE METHOD TO COMBINE THE TWO SIGNALS AND GENERATE ANRF OUTPUT ON TWO BANDS.  IT WORKED LIKE THIS WHEN YOU COMBINED THE 5 TO 5R5MHZ VFO SIGNAL WITH THE 9 MHZ SSB SIGNAL THE SUM WAS A SIGNAL BETWEEN 14AND 14R5 MHZ, WHICH PROVIDED COVERAGE ACROSS THE 20 METER BAND.  TAKE THE DIFFERENCE INSTEAD AND YOU GET AN OUTPUT IN THE 80 METER BAND 3R5 TO 4 MHZ.ENGINEERS QUICKLY DISCOVERED THAT WITH THE PROPER APPLICATION OF THIS HETERODYNE SLEIGHT OF HAND, THEY COULD CREATE A SINGLE CIRCUIT CAPABLE OF  GENERATING BOTH THE TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE FREQUENCIES.  NOW A SINGLE RADIO,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 722013.  LOU THEN BEGAN A LENGTHY PROCESS SEEKING PERMISSION TO CONDUCT A DX PEDITION ON WAKE ATOLL.  INITIAL CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE USAF, THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, AND DEPARTMENT OF INSULAR AFFAIRS IN OCTOBER2012 WAS LESS THAN ENCOURAGING.  UNDAUNTED, LOU CONTINUED TO SEEK PERMISSION TO TRAVEL TO WAKE, WHICH REQUIRED SECURING USAF SIGNATURES AT SEVERAL LEVELS IN THE PENTAGON, INCLUDING GENERAL HAWK CARLISLE COMMANDER,PACIFIC AIR FORCES.  THE PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE TRIP HAD TO BE CLEARLY DEFINED MEDICAL FORMS APPROVED, BACKGROUND CHECKS COMPLETED, AND AN APPROVED BUDGET FINALIZED.  FINALLY ON OCTOBER 28, 2013, WE RECEIVED OUR TRAVEL ORDERS.  ALTHOUGH THE TEAM MISSED THE OCTOBER 7 ANNIVERSARY, WE WERE NEVERTHELESS EXCITED ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THIS COMMEMORATIVE DX PEDITION.  THE  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW  
NOW 20 WPM TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 56 SITUATIONS WHERE I COULD HAVE BROUGHT A DIRECTIONAL ANTENNA WITH ME, SUCHAS A SMALL YAGI FOR HF OR VHF.  IF ITS LIGHT ENOUGH, ROTATING A YAGI CAN BEDONE WITH THE ARMSTRONG METHOD, BUT IT IS OFTEN VERY INCONVENIENT TO DO SO.PERHAPS YOU DONT WANT TO LEAVE THE RIG BEHIND WHILE YOU GO OUTSIDE TO ADJUST THE ANTENNA TOWARD THAT WEAK STATION, OR PERHAPS YOU'RE IN A TENT ANDITS DARK OUT THERE.  A BATTERY POWERED ROTATOR PORTABLE ROTATION HAS DEVELOPED A SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS.  THE 12PR1A IS AN ANTENNA ROTATOR FIGURE 6 THAT FUNCTIONS ON 9 TO 14 V DC.  AT 12 V, THE UNIT IS SPECIFIED TODRAW 40 MA IDLE CURRENT AND 200 MA OR LESS WHILE THE ANTENNA IS TURNING.IT CAN BE POWERED FROM THE BATTERY USED TO RUN A TYPICAL PORTABLE STATION.WHILE THE CONTROL HEAD FIGURE 7 WILL FUNCTION WITH AS LITTLE AS 6 V, AEND OF 20 WPM TEXT QST DE AG1LE  NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2014 QST  PAGE 46TRANSMITTER MANUALS SPECIFICATIONS.  BUILD A 1 2 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER SINCE THE OUTPUT OF THE BUFFER AMPLIFIER SUPPLIES ONLY 5 V P P, I CHOSE TO USE A1 2 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER TO BOOST THE BUFFER AMPLIFIER OUTPUT AND TO RAISE ITS IMPEDANCE LEVEL.  A 1 2 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER TRANSFORMS THE IMPEDANCE BYA 1 4 RATIO.  I WOUND MY TRANSFORMER ON AN AMIDON ASSOCIATES FT 50A 61FERRITE TOROIDAL CORE.  I DOUBLED UP THE WIRE AND WOUND 1 1 BIFILAR TURNS USING 24 AWG ENAMELED MAGNET WIRE, THEN CONNECTED THE WIRES ACCORDING TOTHE SCHEMATIC IN FIGURE 5.  I THEN ADDED A DC ISOLATING 0R01 UF CERAMIC DISC CAPACITOR IN SERIES WITH OUTPUT SEE FIGURE 6.  I ADDED COAXIAL CABLE LEADS AND MOUNTED MY TRANSFORMER ASSEMBLY IN A SMALL PILL BOTTLE.  THE TRANSFORMER SHOULD BE PLACED AS CLOSE TO THE TRANSMITTER INPUT AS POSSIBLE.  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2014 QST  PAGE 84COORDINATOR, SENT OUT AN E MAIL TO ALL GARC MEMBERS, ALUMNI, FACULTY,STAFF, AND FRIENDS TO SPREAD THE WORD AND ASK THAT THEY GIVE W4DFU A CALLDURING A WINDOW FOR A VHF SIMPLEX CONTACT.  MUCH TO EVERYONES SURPRISE,W4DFU HAD A SMALL 2 METER PILEUP.  EVERYONE IN THE STATION WAS EXCITED ANDTHE ATMOSPHERE TURNED TO ONE OF CELEBRATION.  THE EXPERIMENT WAS A SUCCESSAND GARC IS PLANNING TO EXPAND FOR FUTURE SCR WORK.  YOU CAN FIND OUT MOREABOUT GARC AT HTTP//GATORRADIO.  ORG.  TEAMING UP WITH THE LOCAL CLUB GLENNRAYMOND SCHOOL AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, W9GRS, OF WATSEKA, ILLINOIS, ENTEREDTHEIR FIRST SCHOOL CLUB ROUNDUP IN OCTOBER 2008 AFTER BEING AWARDED AN ETPGRANT FROM THE ARRL.  W9GRS GOT STARTED WITH A STATION DUE TO THEIR CLOSERELATIONSHIP WITH THE LOCAL AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, THE IROQUOIS COUNTY AMATEUR  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 52AUDIO COMING FROM YOU VIA THE BLUETOOTH CONNECTION IN OTHER WORDS, WHENEVERYOU SPEAK OR WHEN THE DIGITAL MODE SOFTWARE ON YOUR COMPUTER STARTS SENDINGTRANSMIT AUDIO.  BEFORE FIDDLING WITH THESE KNOBS, HOWEVER, YOU MUST FIRSTESTABLISH THE BLUETOOTH CONNECTION BY PAIRING THE RIGBLASTER BLUE WITHWHATEVER BLUETOOTH DEVICE YOU ARE USING WHETHER THAT IS A HEADSET, LAPTOPOR TABLET.  WITHOUT GOING INTO GREAT DETAIL THE RIGBLASTER MANUAL OFFERSSTEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS, IT IS ESSENTIALLY A MATTER OF PRESSING WHATEVERBUTTONS ARE REQUIRED TO PUT YOUR DEVICE INTO DISCOVERY MODE.  YOU DO THESAME TO THE RIGBLASTER BLUE.  IT MAY TAKE AS LONG AS 60 SECONDS, BUTEVENTUALLY THE INTERFACE AND YOUR DEVICE FIND EACH OTHER, EXCHANGEGREETINGS AND STRIKE UP A CONVERSATION SO TO SPEAK.  IN MY FIRST TEST I  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 63CONTROL.  ONCE YOUVE FOUND THIS, YOU REALLY DONT NEED TO PLAY WITH THEPHASING.  NOW TUNE IN SOME REAL CW SIGNALS, USING YOUR BANDSPREAD, AND NOTEHOW SHARP AND SELECTIVE IT IS.  UNLESS YOURE A SAFECRACKER, ITS EASY TOCOMPLETELY SCOOT BY THE SWEET SPOT AND NEVER REALIZE THE ADVANTAGE OF THECRYSTAL FILTER.  ONCE YOU DO FIND THE SWEET SPOT, ITS BEST TO ADJUST THEBFO AFTERWARD FOR A COMFORTABLE PITCH.  I REGRET THAT BFO PITCH IS NOLONGER A FRONT PANEL CONTROL ON MODERN RADIOS.  ON MOST VINTAGE RECEIVERS,ITS HELPFUL TO RUN THE AUDIO GAIN WIDE OPEN AND USE THE RF GAIN AS A VOLUMECONTROL, ESPECIALLY ON CW.  ALTHOUGH NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE ISSUE, ITSHOULD BE NOTED THAT MOST EARLY CW RECEIVERS HAD VERY WEAK BFOS, WHICH ISNEVER AN ADVANTAGE, CONTRARY TO SOME ADVICE OF THE TIME.  THIS RESULTED IN  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 34DB/S UNIT TO 7 DB/S UNIT.  BE AWARE THAT YOU CANT USE ANY OLD OPERATIONALAMPLIFIER BECAUSE THE INPUT AND OUTPUT VOLTAGE OF THE AMPLIFIERS MUST BEABLE TO ACCOMMODATE 0R8 V, WHICH IS CLOSE TO THE POSITIVE RAIL OF 0 V.  THETLV2372 HAS INPUT AND OUTPUT CAPABILITY ALL THE WAY TO THE SUPPLY RAILSPOTENTIOMETER R2 ZERO PROVIDES A ZERO ADJUSTMENT FOR THE S METER, WHICH ISBUFFERED THROUGH AMPLIFIER U1B.  THE ZERO FUNCTION OPERATES DIFFERENTLYFROM MOST.  DIODE D3 TRANSFORMS THE AMPLIFIER INTO A PRECISION RECTIFIER.THE RESULT IS THAT THE S METER CANNOT BE DRIVEN BELOW ZERO.  THE REASON FORADDING THIS FEATURE IS THAT IF THE VALUE OF C137 SEE FIGURE 1 IS INCREASEDBY A LARGE AMOUNT IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE AGC DECAY TIME AS I DID IN MYRECEIVER, SWITCHING FROM STANDBY TO OPERATE CAN RESULT IN A NEGATIVE METER  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 85HIS FM SIGNAL ACROSS 14 GRIDS TO CLAIM THE TOP SPOT IN THE SINGLE OPERATOR,FM ONLY CATEGORY.  ART USED ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR BANDS ALLOWED, 144 MHZ,FOR HIS LEADING EFFORT.  LACKING THE CONCENTRATION OF STATIONS TO WORK THATEXISTS IN THE NORTHEAST REGION, THE TEAM OF OPERATORS AT K5QE WORKED HARDTO CLAIM THE THIRD SPOT IN THE LIMITED MULTIOPERATOR CATEGORY FROM THEIREAST TEXAS LOCATION IN THE SOUTH TEXAS SECTION.  THE CREW AT MARSHALLSSTATION RACKED UP 207 MULTIPLIERS SO ALMOST 2/3 OF THEIR 315 CONTACTS WEREIN A UNIQUE MULTIPLIER FOR THEM.  THE MIDWEST WAS ALSO LESS HOSPITABLE TOROVERS BUT WYATT, AC0RA, TEAMED UP WITH BRIAN, KD0LRG TO BRAVE THE COLD ANDCHALLENGING ROAD CONDITIONS.  THEY PILOTED THEIR FOUR BAND STATION THROUGH10 GRIDS TO COMPLETE 328 QSOS, ACHIEVE THIS YEARS TOP MULTIPLIER COUNT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 36THAT P9 SHOULD BE ABOUT 100 5V, BUT CHOOSING 50 5V MAKES THE METER ACTIVEAT LOWER SIGNAL LEVELS, AND MEETS THE IARU RECOMMENDATION FOR AN S 9READING.  SETTING 5 DB/S UNIT IS AN OPTION WITH AN S 0 TO S 9 METER RANGETO 45 DB.  HOWEVER, THE REQUIRED GAIN OF THE RECEIVER MAY STILL BE A BITMARGINAL.  MOVING PT TO 67 DBM 100 5V HELPS THIS SITUATION SHOULD YOUCHOOSE A 5 DB/S UNIT SETTING.  THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC OF THE SMETER IS A CONSISTENT DB/S UNIT VALUE.  NEARLY ALL ON AIR REPORTS ARERELATIVE READINGS COMPARING ANTENNAS OR AMPLIFIERS, SO CONSISTENT DB/S UNITSENSITIVITY OVER THE S 1 TO S 9 RANGE IS OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE.  BECAUSE P9AND PT CHANGE WITH RECEIVER GAIN, TEMPERATURE, BAND, AND FREQUENCY WITHINTHE FIRST IF, CONSISTENCY OF PT AND P9 IS PRETTY MUCH A PIPE DREAM FOR AN S  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 85HIS FM SIGNAL ACROSS 14 GRIDS TO CLAIM THE TOP SPOT IN THE SINGLE OPERATOR,FM ONLY CATEGORY.  ART USED ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR BANDS ALLOWED, 144 MHZ,FOR HIS LEADING EFFORT.  LACKING THE CONCENTRATION OF STATIONS TO WORK THATEXISTS IN THE NORTHEAST REGION, THE TEAM OF OPERATORS AT K5QE WORKED HARDTO CLAIM THE THIRD SPOT IN THE LIMITED MULTIOPERATOR CATEGORY FROM THEIREAST TEXAS LOCATION IN THE SOUTH TEXAS SECTION.  THE CREW AT MARSHALLSSTATION RACKED UP 207 MULTIPLIERS SO ALMOST 2/3 OF THEIR 315 CONTACTS WEREIN A UNIQUE MULTIPLIER FOR THEM.  THE MIDWEST WAS ALSO LESS HOSPITABLE TOROVERS BUT WYATT, AC0RA, TEAMED UP WITH BRIAN, KD0LRG TO BRAVE THE COLD ANDCHALLENGING ROAD CONDITIONS.  THEY PILOTED THEIR FOUR BAND STATION THROUGH10 GRIDS TO COMPLETE 328 QSOS, ACHIEVE THIS YEARS TOP MULTIPLIER COUNT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 55ANTENNA THE RADIO IS SILENT.  A THAT IS A KEY DISTINCTION, BECAUSE THE CUREIS QUITE DIFFERENT FOR THE TWO CASES.  TO FIND OUT, INSERT, SAY, 10 DB OFATTENUATION IN THE FRONT END OF YOUR RECEIVER MANY TRANSCEIVERS CAN DO THISWITH A FRONT PANEL BUTTON.  IF THE SIGNAL IS COMING FROM OUTSIDE ON THERECEIVE FREQUENCY, IT WILL DROP BY 10 DB, OR ALMOST 2 S UNITS.  IF IT IS ATHIRD ORDER INTERMODULATION PRODUCT GENERATED FROM OFF FREQUENCY SIGNALSMIXING WITHIN YOUR RECEIVER, IT WILL DROP BY 3 X 10 DB OR 5 S UNITS CHECKYOUR S METER CALIBRATION ON A KNOWN SIGNAL IN THE SAME BAND FIRST.  IF ITIS A SIGNAL ON YOUR FREQUENCY, ABOUT THE ONLY HOPE IS ONE OF THE CANCELLINGTYPE NOISE REDUCTION DEVICES, ALTHOUGH YOU MAY GET SOME RELIEF BY TURNINGYOUR BEAM TO A NULL IN THE STATIONS DIRECTION.  YOU ALSO COULD TRY TO  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 31DIAMETER WITH A SCREW ON LID.  A STAINLESS STEEL SCREW THROUGH THE TOPSERVES AS AN ANCHOR FOR THE ANTENNA AND IS CONNECTED TO THE INNER LEAD OFAN SO 239 SOCKET AT THE BASE OF THE ABS PIPE SECTION.  THE SHIELD OF THE SO239 IS CONNECTED TO THE GROUND BLOCK WITH HEAVY GAUGE METAL.  THE GROUNDRADIAL SYSTEM IS A CRITICAL PART OF THE ANTENNA.  AS AN INITIAL EXPERIMENTI USED JUST TWO 65 FOOT PIECES OF INSULATED WIRE LAID ON THE GROUND.  I WASABLE TO TUNE THE ANTENNA AND THEY ACTUALLY WORKED QUITE WELL FORCONTINENTAL CONTACTS.  HOWEVER, FOR DX A MORE EXTENSIVE GROUND SYSTEM ISREQUIRED AND AT PRESENT, I HAVE 40 RADIALS, EACH 20 TO 80 FEET LONG,CONNECTED TO THE GROUND JUNCTION BLOCK.  THE RADIALS ARE 15 AWG ZINC COATEDWIRE.  AFTER BURYING THE RADIALS THEY WERE SOON COVERED BY THE SURROUNDING  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 91 SUNSPOT NUMBER DID NOT QUITE TRANSLATE INTO THE CME RATE ITSELF.  THE CMEOCCURRENCE RATE IN CYCLES 24 AND 23 ARE COMPARABLE IN THE MAXIMUM PHASE.THEN HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THE MILD SPACE WEATHER IN CYCLE 24?  A CLUE TOTHE REASON FOR MILDER SPACE WEATHER CAME FROM THE FACT THAT ALL CMES THATPRODUCED PARTICLE EVENTS ARE HALO CMES IN CYCLE 24, COMPARED TO ABOUT 70 INCYCLE 23.  HALO CMES ORIGINATE FROM CLOSE TO THE DISK CENTER AND EXPANDRAPIDLY, GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF SURROUNDING THE SUN.  THERE MUST BESOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE CMES IN SOLAR CYCLE 24.GOPALSWAMY AND CO WORKERS EXAMINED THE RELATION BETWEEN CME WIDTH AND SPEEDAND FOUND THAT THE CYCLE 24 CMES ARE WIDER THAN THE CYCLE 23 ONES FOR AGIVEN SPEED.  FOR ENERGETIC CMES SPEED EXCEEDING 1000 KM/S, THE WIDTH IS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 50VERY INFORMATIVE.  MORE ON PREDICTING SAG IN WIRE ANTENNAS JANUARY 1966 IWROTE THE ARTICLE PREDICTING SAG IN LONG WIRE ANTENNAS WHICH APPEARED INTHE JANUARY 1966 ISSUE OF QST.  THAT ARTICLE HAD AN ERROR IN IT WHENPUBLISHED IN 1966.  THE NOMOGRAPH WAS OFF BY A FACTOR OF 2.  IN ORDER TOCORRECT IT LATER, MY EDITOR BYRON GOODMAN, W1DX, I BELIEVE DECIDED IT WASEASIER TO EDIT THE SPAN IN FIGURE 1 TO BE SHOWN AS OF THE TOTAL SPAN,RATHER THAN ADJUST THE NOMOGRAPH ITSELF.  THAT DID CORRECT THE ERROR,ALTHOUGH IT PROBABLY LED TO SOME OF THE ONGOING CONFUSION.  SEVERAL ARRLEDITORS HAVE ASKED ME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DRAWING AND NOMOGRAPH OVER THEYEARS, PROBABLY WHEN CHANGES WERE BEING MADE TO THE ARRL ANTENNA BOOK.  ABATTERY MONITOR FOR 12 V SYSTEMS JUNE 2013 MERT NELLIS, W0UFO, OUTLINED A  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 52  ME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TUBE AND SOLID STATE AMPLIFIERS IN TERMS OFPERFORMANCE, EASE OF OPERATION, COST, OR OTHER CHARACTERISTICS?  I ALSOWONDER WHY SOME HF AMPLIFIERS DONT OPERATE ON THE 10 AND 12 METER BANDS?  AARGUABLY, TO A STATION AT THE OTHER END OF THE CONTACT, THE SIGNAL FROM ATUBE AMPLIFIER SOUNDS ABOUT THE SAME AS THAT FROM A SOLID STATE UNIT.  INTERMS OF THE IMPACT TO YOUR STATION, HOWEVER, THE SOLID STATE AMPLIFIER HASA NUMBER OF ADVANTAGES.  PERHAPS THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE IS THAT TRANSMITTINGTUBES ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE AND IT IS GETTING HARDER TO FINDREPLACEMENT TUBES OF GOOD QUALITY.  WHILE PROPERLY OPERATED TRANSMIT TUBESSHOULD LAST 10 YEARS OR MORE, WE DO MAKE MISTAKES, AND THE REST OF THEAMPLIFIER SHOULD LAST MUCH LONGER, MEANING WE WILL NEED TO FIND REPLACEMENT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 44MONEY AND SERVE AS A GOOD FIRST RADIO OR AS AN AUXILIARY HANDHELD BACKINGUP A FULLY FEATURED MODEL.  THE SIMPLIFIED OPERATING AND CONTROL INTERFACEWAS WELCOME, WITH THE CLEARLY LABELED FUNCTIONS I NEED MOST AT MYFINGERTIPS.  THANKS TO SCARC MEMBERS JACOB, KD0SJV THERESA, KC0PEO MATTKD0VUH JEFF, AC0SC AND MELANIE, KD0LRC, FOR THEIR TIME AND DETAILEDEVALUATIONS.  MFJ 225 GRAPHICAL ANTENNA ANALYZER THE MFJ 225 IS MFJS LATESTENTRY INTO THE ANTENNA ANALYZER MARKET.  IT IS MUCH SMALLER THAN THEPOPULAR MFJ 259B, MAKING IT CONVENIENT FOR FIELD USE.  IT HAS A BACKLIT 3INCH LCD GRAPHIC DISPLAY THAT SIMULTANEOUSLY SHOWS THE FREQUENCY OR SWEPTFREQUENCY RANGE, UNSIGNED COMPLEX IMPEDANCE, IMPEDANCE MAGNITUDE, COMPUTEDINDUCTANCE OR CAPACITANCE, BATTERY VOLTAGE, AND SWR.  BECAUSE IT IS A TWO  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 91 SUNSPOT NUMBER DID NOT QUITE TRANSLATE INTO THE CME RATE ITSELF.  THE CMEOCCURRENCE RATE IN CYCLES 24 AND 23 ARE COMPARABLE IN THE MAXIMUM PHASE.THEN HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THE MILD SPACE WEATHER IN CYCLE 24?  A CLUE TOTHE REASON FOR MILDER SPACE WEATHER CAME FROM THE FACT THAT ALL CMES THATPRODUCED PARTICLE EVENTS ARE HALO CMES IN CYCLE 24, COMPARED TO ABOUT 70 INCYCLE 23.  HALO CMES ORIGINATE FROM CLOSE TO THE DISK CENTER AND EXPANDRAPIDLY, GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF SURROUNDING THE SUN.  THERE MUST BESOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE CMES IN SOLAR CYCLE 24.GOPALSWAMY AND CO WORKERS EXAMINED THE RELATION BETWEEN CME WIDTH AND SPEEDAND FOUND THAT THE CYCLE 24 CMES ARE WIDER THAN THE CYCLE 23 ONES FOR AGIVEN SPEED.  FOR ENERGETIC CMES SPEED EXCEEDING 1000 KM/S, THE WIDTH IS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 70 HAD OUR ANTENNA CREW TAKEN THIS STEP, WE WOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT WE NEEDEDTO BRING IN THE ADVICE AND COUNSEL OF SOMEONE FAMILIAR WITH THE ANTENNASYSTEM.  EVEN IF WE HAD AN EXPERT IN THE GROUP, STOPPING TO TALK THROUGHEVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN DURING THE TAKEDOWN WOULD HAVE ASSUREDEVERYONE WAS IN THE CORRECT PLACE DOING THE CORRECT THING.  HASTE  AS MYGROUP LEARNED AT FIELD DAY THIS YEAR, HASTE DOES, WELL AND TRULY, MAKEWASTE.  AS MUCH FUN AS EVENTS SUCH AS FIELD DAY ARE, WHEN THEY ARE OVER,THEY ARE OVER.  FOLKS WANT OR NEED TO GET ON WITH OTHER ASPECTS OF THEIRLIVES.  ALL TOO OFTEN, WE FALL UNDER THE SPELL OF BELIEVING THAT IT ISEASIER TO TAKE THINGS DOWN THAN IT IS TO PUT THINGS UP.  FOR EXAMPLE,ROLLING UP A LENGTH OF COAX IS MUCH SIMPLER THAN TAKING THE TIME TO PLAN  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 66AND ACCESSORIES.  WE HAVE USED TROLLEY SYSTEMS TO RAISE 200 POUND ANTENNASAND GOTTEN THEM MOST OF THE WAY UP BEFORE THE SYSTEM BROKE.  WE CLAIM THERECORD FOR HAVING BUILT AT LEAST 12 FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40S AND NONE OF THEMSURVIVED THE SOUTH TEXAS WEATHER.  ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAD A 140 FOOTTOWER THAT WAS RIVETED TUBULAR STEEL, HAD A 10 INCH FACE, AND WAS GUYEDEVERY 20 FEET WITH 3/16 INCH STEEL CABLE BROKEN UP WITH STRAIN INSULATORS.THE TOWER SHOULD HAVE COLLAPSED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE GUYS, BUT IT STAYEDUP FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS WITH A FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40 METER BEAM AT THE TOP.IN 40 YEARS OF BUILDING AMATEUR ANTENNA SYSTEMS, WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE NOTTO HAVE HAD ANY INJURIES MORE SERIOUS THAN SUNBURN AND SCRAPED KNUCKLES.WE HAVE AMASSED A HUGE COLLECTION OF SCRAP ALUMINUM, TOWER SECTIONS,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014 QST  PAGE 75OR A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT.  OUR ROLE IS TO COMMUNICATE EMERGENCIES WHEN THEYHAPPEN.  IF WE LOOK AT WHAT WE DO OVERALL, WE EASILY SEE THAT MOST OF OURWORK IS IN THE AREA OF PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS FESTIVALS, PARADES, MARATHONS,ETC.  DISASTERS ARE OUR SECOND LARGEST AREA OF WORK.  HURRICANE RESPONSEALWAYS INCLUDES AMATEUR RADIO, AND THE SKYWARN PROGRAM WOULD NOT BE THESAME WITHOUT AMATEUR RADIO SUPPORT.  TRUE EMERGENCIES, HOWEVER, ARE VERYRARE.  IF WE WERE TO BREAK IT DOWN BY THE NUMBERS, ACCORDING TO OURCOLLECTIVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, WE CAN SAFELY SAY THAT AMATEUR RADIO PUBLICSERVICE COMMUNICATIONS IS ABOUT 80 PERCENT PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS, 19PERCENT DISASTER COMMUNICATIONS, AND 1 PERCENT EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS.THIS BREAKDOWN HELPS US SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE OF THE VALUE OF THE AMATEUR  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 58TAPE.  I USE A FIBERGLASS RECURVE BOW OF AT LEAST 40 POUNDS COMPOUND BOWSWILL GIVE YOU LESS CONTROL WHEN SHOOTING INTO LOWER TREES AND SEND THEARROW TOO FAR.  A LINE REEL OR LOOP IS ATTACHED PERPENDICULAR TO THE BOWSEE FIGURE 5.  THE ARROW IS FED THROUGH THE CENTER FOR SHOOTING.  I USE THEMETAL LIP OF ONE OF THE REEL SUPPORTS TO KEEP THE LINE FROM UNWINDING UNTILSHOT.  IN SELECTING A TRAJECTORY, I STAND CLOSE TO THE TRUNK AND SHOOT UPTHROUGH THE CANOPY AND OUT INTO THE OPEN AREA ON THE ANTENNA SIDE, THIS WAYTHERE IS LESS CHANCE FOR THE ARROW TO GET CAUGHT IN THE TREE.  AFTER THELINE IS SHOT TO A SUITABLE LOCATION, A HEAVY NYLON CORD WILL HAVE TO BEPULLED THROUGH, TO BE USED TO PULL THE HALYARD LINE.  FOR THIS I USE A KITESTRING REEL SEE FIGURE 6 THAT CAN BE FOUND AT TOY STORES OR SPORTING GOODS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 88OF LATITUDE.  THE NIGHTTIME HAWAIIAN OPENINGS WERE ALMOST ALWAYS CLOSE TOTHE LONG PATH GREAT CIRCLE HEADINGS TO EUROPE.  THESE HEADINGS ARE ABOUT 1520 WEST OF SOUTH.  SMALL TPL FOOTPRINTS IN EUROPE THE FOOTPRINTS OF THEMARCH TPL OPENINGS WERE SMALL IN EUROPE.  THEY CENTERED AROUND SLOVENIA ANDTHE IMMEDIATE SURROUNDING COUNTRIES.  ON ONE EVENING, KH7Y HEARD ONLYBULGARIA.  THIS WAS A VERY SMALL FOOTPRINT FOR SUCH A LONG PATH.  THE SMALLSIZE OF THE EUROPEAN FOOTPRINT MAY BE DUE TO THIS BEING THE SAME TEPFOOTPRINT FOR THE SOUTHERN AFRICA SOUTHERN EUROPE PATH.  THIS ALSO SUGGESTSREGULAR TEP IS INVOLVED FOR THE LAST PART OF THE PATH.  THE HAWAIIAN TPLCONTACTS ARE ALSO SENSITIVE TO THE HIGH LATITUDE POLAR K INDEX.  OVER 90 OFTHE HAWAII CONTACTS WERE MADE WITH A KP PLANETARY K INDEX OF 1 OR 0.  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 66AND ACCESSORIES.  WE HAVE USED TROLLEY SYSTEMS TO RAISE 200 POUND ANTENNASAND GOTTEN THEM MOST OF THE WAY UP BEFORE THE SYSTEM BROKE.  WE CLAIM THERECORD FOR HAVING BUILT AT LEAST 12 FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40S AND NONE OF THEMSURVIVED THE SOUTH TEXAS WEATHER.  ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAD A 140 FOOTTOWER THAT WAS RIVETED TUBULAR STEEL, HAD A 10 INCH FACE, AND WAS GUYEDEVERY 20 FEET WITH 3/16 INCH STEEL CABLE BROKEN UP WITH STRAIN INSULATORS.THE TOWER SHOULD HAVE COLLAPSED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE GUYS, BUT IT STAYEDUP FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS WITH A FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40 METER BEAM AT THE TOP.IN 40 YEARS OF BUILDING AMATEUR ANTENNA SYSTEMS, WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE NOTTO HAVE HAD ANY INJURIES MORE SERIOUS THAN SUNBURN AND SCRAPED KNUCKLES.WE HAVE AMASSED A HUGE COLLECTION OF SCRAP ALUMINUM, TOWER SECTIONS,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014 QST  PAGE 41 INDICATOR, AND SOME THE COMPLETE ANTENNA IMPEDANCE AS A COMPLEX NUMBER THATLOOKS LIKE R JX.  TO FIND THE DIPOLES IMPEDANCE, WE NEED TO PUT THE R AND XVALUES TOGETHER AS A COMPLEX NUMBER THAT IS MADE UP OF THREE PIECES THEFIRST 4 IS RESISTANCE AND ITS REAL, THE SECOND IS THE OPERATOR / , AND THELAST, REACTANCE, J1590 IS IMAGINARY.  YOU KNOW THAT RESISTANCE IS IN OHMSAND REACTANCE IS ALSO IN OHMS.  OHMS 1 OHMS IS NICE AND SIMPLE WHY NOT JUSTLEAVE IT AT THAT?  WHY PUT THE J IN THERE TO COMPLICATE THINGS?  DONT LETTHAT IMAGINARY J PART BRING BACK SOME TERRIBLE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORIES.THERES NO TEST TO WORRY ABOUT, SO TAKE A FEW DEEP BREATHS AND CHILL OUT.NOW, LETS GET REAL ABOUT THE IMAGINARY J.  A FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE THE JIS THERE TO REMIND US OF THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RESISTANCE  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 99EARLY DAYS OF THE NEW MODE, THE SSB RF SIGNAL WAS TYPICALLY GENERATED AT 9MHZ.  THAT MAY SEEM AN ODD CHOICE UNTIL YOU CONSIDER THAT IF YOU MIXED THISSIGNAL WITH THE OUTPUT OF A VFO OPERATING IN A RANGE FROM 5 TO 5R5 MHZ, YOUCOULD USE THE HETERODYNE METHOD TO COMBINE THE TWO SIGNALS AND GENERATE ANRF OUTPUT ON TWO BANDS.  IT WORKED LIKE THIS WHEN YOU COMBINED THE 5 TO 5R5MHZ VFO SIGNAL WITH THE 9 MHZ SSB SIGNAL THE SUM WAS A SIGNAL BETWEEN 14AND 14R5 MHZ, WHICH PROVIDED COVERAGE ACROSS THE 20 METER BAND.  TAKE THEDIFFERENCE INSTEAD AND YOU GET AN OUTPUT IN THE 80 METER BAND 3R5 TO 4 MHZ.ENGINEERS QUICKLY DISCOVERED THAT WITH THE PROPER APPLICATION OF THISHETERODYNE SLEIGHT OF HAND, THEY COULD CREATE A SINGLE CIRCUIT CAPABLE OFGENERATING BOTH THE TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE FREQUENCIES.  NOW A SINGLE RADIO,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 722013.  LOU THEN BEGAN A LENGTHY PROCESS SEEKING PERMISSION TO CONDUCT ADXPEDITION ON WAKE ATOLL.  INITIAL CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE USAF, THEDEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, AND DEPARTMENT OF INSULAR AFFAIRS IN OCTOBER2012 WAS LESS THAN ENCOURAGING.  UNDAUNTED, LOU CONTINUED TO SEEKPERMISSION TO TRAVEL TO WAKE, WHICH REQUIRED SECURING USAF SIGNATURES ATSEVERAL LEVELS IN THE PENTAGON, INCLUDING GENERAL HAWK CARLISLE COMMANDER,PACIFIC AIR FORCES.  THE PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE TRIP HAD TO BE CLEARLYDEFINED MEDICAL FORMS APPROVED, BACKGROUND CHECKS COMPLETED, AND ANAPPROVED BUDGET FINALIZED.  FINALLY ON OCTOBER 28, 2013, WE RECEIVED OURTRAVEL ORDERS.  ALTHOUGH THE TEAM MISSED THE OCTOBER 7 ANNIVERSARY, WE WERENEVERTHELESS EXCITED ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THIS COMMEMORATIVE DXPEDITION.  THE  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW  
NOW 20 WPM TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 56 SITUATIONS WHERE I COULD HAVE BROUGHT A DIRECTIONAL ANTENNA WITH ME, SUCHAS A SMALL YAGI FOR HF OR VHF.  IF ITS LIGHT ENOUGH, ROTATING A YAGI CAN BEDONE WITH THE ARMSTRONG METHOD, BUT IT IS OFTEN VERY INCONVENIENT TO DO SO.PERHAPS YOU DONT WANT TO LEAVE THE RIG BEHIND WHILE YOU GO OUTSIDE TOADJUST THE ANTENNA TOWARD THAT WEAK STATION, OR PERHAPS YOURE IN A TENT ANDITS DARK OUT THERE.  A BATTERY POWERED ROTATOR PORTABLE ROTATION HASDEVELOPED A SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS.  THE 12PR1A IS AN ANTENNA ROTATORFIGURE 6 THAT FUNCTIONS ON 9 TO 14 V DC.  AT 12 V, THE UNIT IS SPECIFIED TODRAW 40 MA IDLE CURRENT AND 200 MA OR LESS WHILE THE ANTENNA IS TURNING.IT CAN BE POWERED FROM THE BATTERY USED TO RUN A TYPICAL PORTABLE STATION.WHILE THE CONTROL HEAD FIGURE 7 WILL FUNCTION WITH AS LITTLE AS 6 V, AEND OF 20 WPM TEXT QST DE AG1LE  NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2014 QST  PAGE 46TRANSMITTER MANUALS SPECIFICATIONS.  BUILD A 1 2 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER SINCETHE OUTPUT OF THE BUFFER AMPLIFIER SUPPLIES ONLY 5 V P P, I CHOSE TO USE A1 2 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER TO BOOST THE BUFFER AMPLIFIER OUTPUT AND TO RAISEITS IMPEDANCE LEVEL.  A 1 2 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER TRANSFORMS THE IMPEDANCE BYA 1 4 RATIO.  I WOUND MY TRANSFORMER ON AN AMIDON ASSOCIATES FT 50A 61FERRITE TOROIDAL CORE.  I DOUBLED UP THE WIRE AND WOUND 1 1 BIFILAR TURNSUSING 24 AWG ENAMELED MAGNET WIRE, THEN CONNECTED THE WIRES ACCORDING TOTHE SCHEMATIC IN FIGURE 5.  I THEN ADDED A DC ISOLATING 0R01 UF CERAMICDISC CAPACITOR IN SERIES WITH OUTPUT SEE FIGURE 6.  I ADDED COAXIAL CABLELEADS AND MOUNTED MY TRANSFORMER ASSEMBLY IN A SMALL PILL BOTTLE.  THETRANSFORMER SHOULD BE PLACED AS CLOSE TO THE TRANSMITTER INPUT AS POSSIBLE.  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2014 QST  PAGE 84COORDINATOR, SENT OUT AN E MAIL TO ALL GARC MEMBERS, ALUMNI, FACULTY,STAFF, AND FRIENDS TO SPREAD THE WORD AND ASK THAT THEY GIVE W4DFU A CALLDURING A WINDOW FOR A VHF SIMPLEX CONTACT.  MUCH TO EVERYONES SURPRISE,W4DFU HAD A SMALL 2 METER PILEUP.  EVERYONE IN THE STATION WAS EXCITED ANDTHE ATMOSPHERE TURNED TO ONE OF CELEBRATION.  THE EXPERIMENT WAS A SUCCESSAND GARC IS PLANNING TO EXPAND FOR FUTURE SCR WORK.  YOU CAN FIND OUT MOREABOUT GARC AT HTTP//GATORRADIO.  ORG.  TEAMING UP WITH THE LOCAL CLUB GLENNRAYMOND SCHOOL AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, W9GRS, OF WATSEKA, ILLINOIS, ENTEREDTHEIR FIRST SCHOOL CLUB ROUNDUP IN OCTOBER 2008 AFTER BEING AWARDED AN ETPGRANT FROM THE ARRL.  W9GRS GOT STARTED WITH A STATION DUE TO THEIR CLOSERELATIONSHIP WITH THE LOCAL AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, THE IROQUOIS COUNTY AMATEUR  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 52AUDIO COMING FROM YOU VIA THE BLUETOOTH CONNECTION IN OTHER WORDS, WHENEVERYOU SPEAK OR WHEN THE DIGITAL MODE SOFTWARE ON YOUR COMPUTER STARTS SENDINGTRANSMIT AUDIO.  BEFORE FIDDLING WITH THESE KNOBS, HOWEVER, YOU MUST FIRSTESTABLISH THE BLUETOOTH CONNECTION BY PAIRING THE RIGBLASTER BLUE WITHWHATEVER BLUETOOTH DEVICE YOU ARE USING WHETHER THAT IS A HEADSET, LAPTOPOR TABLET.  WITHOUT GOING INTO GREAT DETAIL THE RIGBLASTER MANUAL OFFERSSTEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS, IT IS ESSENTIALLY A MATTER OF PRESSING WHATEVERBUTTONS ARE REQUIRED TO PUT YOUR DEVICE INTO DISCOVERY MODE.  YOU DO THESAME TO THE RIGBLASTER BLUE.  IT MAY TAKE AS LONG AS 60 SECONDS, BUTEVENTUALLY THE INTERFACE AND YOUR DEVICE FIND EACH OTHER, EXCHANGEGREETINGS AND STRIKE UP A CONVERSATION SO TO SPEAK.  IN MY FIRST TEST I  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 63CONTROL.  ONCE YOUVE FOUND THIS, YOU REALLY DONT NEED TO PLAY WITH THEPHASING.  NOW TUNE IN SOME REAL CW SIGNALS, USING YOUR BANDSPREAD, AND NOTEHOW SHARP AND SELECTIVE IT IS.  UNLESS YOURE A SAFECRACKER, ITS EASY TOCOMPLETELY SCOOT BY THE SWEET SPOT AND NEVER REALIZE THE ADVANTAGE OF THECRYSTAL FILTER.  ONCE YOU DO FIND THE SWEET SPOT, ITS BEST TO ADJUST THEBFO AFTERWARD FOR A COMFORTABLE PITCH.  I REGRET THAT BFO PITCH IS NOLONGER A FRONT PANEL CONTROL ON MODERN RADIOS.  ON MOST VINTAGE RECEIVERS,ITS HELPFUL TO RUN THE AUDIO GAIN WIDE OPEN AND USE THE RF GAIN AS A VOLUMECONTROL, ESPECIALLY ON CW.  ALTHOUGH NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE ISSUE, ITSHOULD BE NOTED THAT MOST EARLY CW RECEIVERS HAD VERY WEAK BFOS, WHICH ISNEVER AN ADVANTAGE, CONTRARY TO SOME ADVICE OF THE TIME.  THIS RESULTED IN  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 34DB/S UNIT TO 7 DB/S UNIT.  BE AWARE THAT YOU CANT USE ANY OLD OPERATIONALAMPLIFIER BECAUSE THE INPUT AND OUTPUT VOLTAGE OF THE AMPLIFIERS MUST BEABLE TO ACCOMMODATE 0R8 V, WHICH IS CLOSE TO THE POSITIVE RAIL OF 0 V.  THETLV2372 HAS INPUT AND OUTPUT CAPABILITY ALL THE WAY TO THE SUPPLY RAILSPOTENTIOMETER R2 ZERO PROVIDES A ZERO ADJUSTMENT FOR THE S METER, WHICH ISBUFFERED THROUGH AMPLIFIER U1B.  THE ZERO FUNCTION OPERATES DIFFERENTLYFROM MOST.  DIODE D3 TRANSFORMS THE AMPLIFIER INTO A PRECISION RECTIFIER.THE RESULT IS THAT THE S METER CANNOT BE DRIVEN BELOW ZERO.  THE REASON FORADDING THIS FEATURE IS THAT IF THE VALUE OF C137 SEE FIGURE 1 IS INCREASEDBY A LARGE AMOUNT IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE AGC DECAY TIME AS I DID IN MYRECEIVER, SWITCHING FROM STANDBY TO OPERATE CAN RESULT IN A NEGATIVE METER  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 85HIS FM SIGNAL ACROSS 14 GRIDS TO CLAIM THE TOP SPOT IN THE SINGLE OPERATOR,FM ONLY CATEGORY.  ART USED ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR BANDS ALLOWED, 144 MHZ,FOR HIS LEADING EFFORT.  LACKING THE CONCENTRATION OF STATIONS TO WORK THATEXISTS IN THE NORTHEAST REGION, THE TEAM OF OPERATORS AT K5QE WORKED HARDTO CLAIM THE THIRD SPOT IN THE LIMITED MULTIOPERATOR CATEGORY FROM THEIREAST TEXAS LOCATION IN THE SOUTH TEXAS SECTION.  THE CREW AT MARSHALLSSTATION RACKED UP 207 MULTIPLIERS SO ALMOST 2/3 OF THEIR 315 CONTACTS WEREIN A UNIQUE MULTIPLIER FOR THEM.  THE MIDWEST WAS ALSO LESS HOSPITABLE TOROVERS BUT WYATT, AC0RA, TEAMED UP WITH BRIAN, KD0LRG TO BRAVE THE COLD ANDCHALLENGING ROAD CONDITIONS.  THEY PILOTED THEIR FOUR BAND STATION THROUGH10 GRIDS TO COMPLETE 328 QSOS, ACHIEVE THIS YEARS TOP MULTIPLIER COUNT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 36THAT P9 SHOULD BE ABOUT 100 5V, BUT CHOOSING 50 5V MAKES THE METER ACTIVEAT LOWER SIGNAL LEVELS, AND MEETS THE IARU RECOMMENDATION FOR AN S 9READING.  SETTING 5 DB/S UNIT IS AN OPTION WITH AN S 0 TO S 9 METER RANGETO 45 DB.  HOWEVER, THE REQUIRED GAIN OF THE RECEIVER MAY STILL BE A BITMARGINAL.  MOVING PT TO 67 DBM 100 5V HELPS THIS SITUATION SHOULD YOUCHOOSE A 5 DB/S UNIT SETTING.  THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC OF THE SMETER IS A CONSISTENT DB/S UNIT VALUE.  NEARLY ALL ON AIR REPORTS ARERELATIVE READINGS COMPARING ANTENNAS OR AMPLIFIERS, SO CONSISTENT DB/S UNITSENSITIVITY OVER THE S 1 TO S 9 RANGE IS OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE.  BECAUSE P9AND PT CHANGE WITH RECEIVER GAIN, TEMPERATURE, BAND, AND FREQUENCY WITHINTHE FIRST IF, CONSISTENCY OF PT AND P9 IS PRETTY MUCH A PIPE DREAM FOR AN S  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 85HIS FM SIGNAL ACROSS 14 GRIDS TO CLAIM THE TOP SPOT IN THE SINGLE OPERATOR,FM ONLY CATEGORY.  ART USED ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR BANDS ALLOWED, 144 MHZ,FOR HIS LEADING EFFORT.  LACKING THE CONCENTRATION OF STATIONS TO WORK THATEXISTS IN THE NORTHEAST REGION, THE TEAM OF OPERATORS AT K5QE WORKED HARDTO CLAIM THE THIRD SPOT IN THE LIMITED MULTIOPERATOR CATEGORY FROM THEIREAST TEXAS LOCATION IN THE SOUTH TEXAS SECTION.  THE CREW AT MARSHALLSSTATION RACKED UP 207 MULTIPLIERS SO ALMOST 2/3 OF THEIR 315 CONTACTS WEREIN A UNIQUE MULTIPLIER FOR THEM.  THE MIDWEST WAS ALSO LESS HOSPITABLE TOROVERS BUT WYATT, AC0RA, TEAMED UP WITH BRIAN, KD0LRG TO BRAVE THE COLD ANDCHALLENGING ROAD CONDITIONS.  THEY PILOTED THEIR FOUR BAND STATION THROUGH10 GRIDS TO COMPLETE 328 QSOS, ACHIEVE THIS YEARS TOP MULTIPLIER COUNT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 55ANTENNA THE RADIO IS SILENT.  A THAT IS A KEY DISTINCTION, BECAUSE THE CUREIS QUITE DIFFERENT FOR THE TWO CASES.  TO FIND OUT, INSERT, SAY, 10 DB OFATTENUATION IN THE FRONT END OF YOUR RECEIVER MANY TRANSCEIVERS CAN DO THISWITH A FRONT PANEL BUTTON.  IF THE SIGNAL IS COMING FROM OUTSIDE ON THERECEIVE FREQUENCY, IT WILL DROP BY 10 DB, OR ALMOST 2 S UNITS.  IF IT IS ATHIRD ORDER INTERMODULATION PRODUCT GENERATED FROM OFF FREQUENCY SIGNALSMIXING WITHIN YOUR RECEIVER, IT WILL DROP BY 3 X 10 DB OR 5 S UNITS CHECKYOUR S METER CALIBRATION ON A KNOWN SIGNAL IN THE SAME BAND FIRST.  IF ITIS A SIGNAL ON YOUR FREQUENCY, ABOUT THE ONLY HOPE IS ONE OF THE CANCELLINGTYPE NOISE REDUCTION DEVICES, ALTHOUGH YOU MAY GET SOME RELIEF BY TURNINGYOUR BEAM TO A NULL IN THE STATIONS DIRECTION.  YOU ALSO COULD TRY TO  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 31DIAMETER WITH A SCREW ON LID.  A STAINLESS STEEL SCREW THROUGH THE TOPSERVES AS AN ANCHOR FOR THE ANTENNA AND IS CONNECTED TO THE INNER LEAD OFAN SO 239 SOCKET AT THE BASE OF THE ABS PIPE SECTION.  THE SHIELD OF THE SO239 IS CONNECTED TO THE GROUND BLOCK WITH HEAVY GAUGE METAL.  THE GROUNDRADIAL SYSTEM IS A CRITICAL PART OF THE ANTENNA.  AS AN INITIAL EXPERIMENTI USED JUST TWO 65 FOOT PIECES OF INSULATED WIRE LAID ON THE GROUND.  I WASABLE TO TUNE THE ANTENNA AND THEY ACTUALLY WORKED QUITE WELL FORCONTINENTAL CONTACTS.  HOWEVER, FOR DX A MORE EXTENSIVE GROUND SYSTEM ISREQUIRED AND AT PRESENT, I HAVE 40 RADIALS, EACH 20 TO 80 FEET LONG,CONNECTED TO THE GROUND JUNCTION BLOCK.  THE RADIALS ARE 15 AWG ZINC COATEDWIRE.  AFTER BURYING THE RADIALS THEY WERE SOON COVERED BY THE SURROUNDING  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 91 SUNSPOT NUMBER DID NOT QUITE TRANSLATE INTO THE CME RATE ITSELF.  THE CMEOCCURRENCE RATE IN CYCLES 24 AND 23 ARE COMPARABLE IN THE MAXIMUM PHASE.THEN HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THE MILD SPACE WEATHER IN CYCLE 24?  A CLUE TOTHE REASON FOR MILDER SPACE WEATHER CAME FROM THE FACT THAT ALL CMES THATPRODUCED PARTICLE EVENTS ARE HALO CMES IN CYCLE 24, COMPARED TO ABOUT 70 INCYCLE 23.  HALO CMES ORIGINATE FROM CLOSE TO THE DISK CENTER AND EXPANDRAPIDLY, GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF SURROUNDING THE SUN.  THERE MUST BESOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE CMES IN SOLAR CYCLE 24.GOPALSWAMY AND CO WORKERS EXAMINED THE RELATION BETWEEN CME WIDTH AND SPEEDAND FOUND THAT THE CYCLE 24 CMES ARE WIDER THAN THE CYCLE 23 ONES FOR AGIVEN SPEED.  FOR ENERGETIC CMES SPEED EXCEEDING 1000 KM/S, THE WIDTH IS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 50VERY INFORMATIVE.  MORE ON PREDICTING SAG IN WIRE ANTENNAS JANUARY 1966 IWROTE THE ARTICLE PREDICTING SAG IN LONG WIRE ANTENNAS WHICH APPEARED INTHE JANUARY 1966 ISSUE OF QST.  THAT ARTICLE HAD AN ERROR IN IT WHENPUBLISHED IN 1966.  THE NOMOGRAPH WAS OFF BY A FACTOR OF 2.  IN ORDER TOCORRECT IT LATER, MY EDITOR BYRON GOODMAN, W1DX, I BELIEVE DECIDED IT WASEASIER TO EDIT THE SPAN IN FIGURE 1 TO BE SHOWN AS OF THE TOTAL SPAN,RATHER THAN ADJUST THE NOMOGRAPH ITSELF.  THAT DID CORRECT THE ERROR,ALTHOUGH IT PROBABLY LED TO SOME OF THE ONGOING CONFUSION.  SEVERAL ARRLEDITORS HAVE ASKED ME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DRAWING AND NOMOGRAPH OVER THEYEARS, PROBABLY WHEN CHANGES WERE BEING MADE TO THE ARRL ANTENNA BOOK.  ABATTERY MONITOR FOR 12 V SYSTEMS JUNE 2013 MERT NELLIS, W0UFO, OUTLINED A  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 52  ME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TUBE AND SOLID STATE AMPLIFIERS IN TERMS OFPERFORMANCE, EASE OF OPERATION, COST, OR OTHER CHARACTERISTICS?  I ALSOWONDER WHY SOME HF AMPLIFIERS DONT OPERATE ON THE 10 AND 12 METER BANDS?  AARGUABLY, TO A STATION AT THE OTHER END OF THE CONTACT, THE SIGNAL FROM ATUBE AMPLIFIER SOUNDS ABOUT THE SAME AS THAT FROM A SOLID STATE UNIT.  INTERMS OF THE IMPACT TO YOUR STATION, HOWEVER, THE SOLID STATE AMPLIFIER HASA NUMBER OF ADVANTAGES.  PERHAPS THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE IS THAT TRANSMITTINGTUBES ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE AND IT IS GETTING HARDER TO FINDREPLACEMENT TUBES OF GOOD QUALITY.  WHILE PROPERLY OPERATED TRANSMIT TUBESSHOULD LAST 10 YEARS OR MORE, WE DO MAKE MISTAKES, AND THE REST OF THEAMPLIFIER SHOULD LAST MUCH LONGER, MEANING WE WILL NEED TO FIND REPLACEMENT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 44MONEY AND SERVE AS A GOOD FIRST RADIO OR AS AN AUXILIARY HANDHELD BACKINGUP A FULLY FEATURED MODEL.  THE SIMPLIFIED OPERATING AND CONTROL INTERFACEWAS WELCOME, WITH THE CLEARLY LABELED FUNCTIONS I NEED MOST AT MYFINGERTIPS.  THANKS TO SCARC MEMBERS JACOB, KD0SJV THERESA, KC0PEO MATTKD0VUH JEFF, AC0SC AND MELANIE, KD0LRC, FOR THEIR TIME AND DETAILEDEVALUATIONS.  MFJ 225 GRAPHICAL ANTENNA ANALYZER THE MFJ 225 IS MFJS LATESTENTRY INTO THE ANTENNA ANALYZER MARKET.  IT IS MUCH SMALLER THAN THEPOPULAR MFJ 259B, MAKING IT CONVENIENT FOR FIELD USE.  IT HAS A BACKLIT 3INCH LCD GRAPHIC DISPLAY THAT SIMULTANEOUSLY SHOWS THE FREQUENCY OR SWEPTFREQUENCY RANGE, UNSIGNED COMPLEX IMPEDANCE, IMPEDANCE MAGNITUDE, COMPUTEDINDUCTANCE OR CAPACITANCE, BATTERY VOLTAGE, AND SWR.  BECAUSE IT IS A TWO  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 91 SUNSPOT NUMBER DID NOT QUITE TRANSLATE INTO THE CME RATE ITSELF.  THE CMEOCCURRENCE RATE IN CYCLES 24 AND 23 ARE COMPARABLE IN THE MAXIMUM PHASE.THEN HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THE MILD SPACE WEATHER IN CYCLE 24?  A CLUE TOTHE REASON FOR MILDER SPACE WEATHER CAME FROM THE FACT THAT ALL CMES THATPRODUCED PARTICLE EVENTS ARE HALO CMES IN CYCLE 24, COMPARED TO ABOUT 70 INCYCLE 23.  HALO CMES ORIGINATE FROM CLOSE TO THE DISK CENTER AND EXPANDRAPIDLY, GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF SURROUNDING THE SUN.  THERE MUST BESOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE CMES IN SOLAR CYCLE 24.GOPALSWAMY AND CO WORKERS EXAMINED THE RELATION BETWEEN CME WIDTH AND SPEEDAND FOUND THAT THE CYCLE 24 CMES ARE WIDER THAN THE CYCLE 23 ONES FOR AGIVEN SPEED.  FOR ENERGETIC CMES SPEED EXCEEDING 1000 KM/S, THE WIDTH IS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 70 HAD OUR ANTENNA CREW TAKEN THIS STEP, WE WOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT WE NEEDEDTO BRING IN THE ADVICE AND COUNSEL OF SOMEONE FAMILIAR WITH THE ANTENNASYSTEM.  EVEN IF WE HAD AN EXPERT IN THE GROUP, STOPPING TO TALK THROUGHEVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN DURING THE TAKEDOWN WOULD HAVE ASSUREDEVERYONE WAS IN THE CORRECT PLACE DOING THE CORRECT THING.  HASTE  AS MYGROUP LEARNED AT FIELD DAY THIS YEAR, HASTE DOES, WELL AND TRULY, MAKEWASTE.  AS MUCH FUN AS EVENTS SUCH AS FIELD DAY ARE, WHEN THEY ARE OVER,THEY ARE OVER.  FOLKS WANT OR NEED TO GET ON WITH OTHER ASPECTS OF THEIRLIVES.  ALL TOO OFTEN, WE FALL UNDER THE SPELL OF BELIEVING THAT IT ISEASIER TO TAKE THINGS DOWN THAN IT IS TO PUT THINGS UP.  FOR EXAMPLE,ROLLING UP A LENGTH OF COAX IS MUCH SIMPLER THAN TAKING THE TIME TO PLAN  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 66AND ACCESSORIES.  WE HAVE USED TROLLEY SYSTEMS TO RAISE 200 POUND ANTENNASAND GOTTEN THEM MOST OF THE WAY UP BEFORE THE SYSTEM BROKE.  WE CLAIM THERECORD FOR HAVING BUILT AT LEAST 12 FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40S AND NONE OF THEMSURVIVED THE SOUTH TEXAS WEATHER.  ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAD A 140 FOOTTOWER THAT WAS RIVETED TUBULAR STEEL, HAD A 10 INCH FACE, AND WAS GUYEDEVERY 20 FEET WITH 3/16 INCH STEEL CABLE BROKEN UP WITH STRAIN INSULATORS.THE TOWER SHOULD HAVE COLLAPSED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE GUYS, BUT IT STAYEDUP FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS WITH A FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40 METER BEAM AT THE TOP.IN 40 YEARS OF BUILDING AMATEUR ANTENNA SYSTEMS, WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE NOTTO HAVE HAD ANY INJURIES MORE SERIOUS THAN SUNBURN AND SCRAPED KNUCKLES.WE HAVE AMASSED A HUGE COLLECTION OF SCRAP ALUMINUM, TOWER SECTIONS,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014 QST  PAGE 75OR A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT.  OUR ROLE IS TO COMMUNICATE EMERGENCIES WHEN THEYHAPPEN.  IF WE LOOK AT WHAT WE DO OVERALL, WE EASILY SEE THAT MOST OF OURWORK IS IN THE AREA OF PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS FESTIVALS, PARADES, MARATHONS,ETC.  DISASTERS ARE OUR SECOND LARGEST AREA OF WORK.  HURRICANE RESPONSEALWAYS INCLUDES AMATEUR RADIO, AND THE SKYWARN PROGRAM WOULD NOT BE THESAME WITHOUT AMATEUR RADIO SUPPORT.  TRUE EMERGENCIES, HOWEVER, ARE VERYRARE.  IF WE WERE TO BREAK IT DOWN BY THE NUMBERS, ACCORDING TO OURCOLLECTIVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, WE CAN SAFELY SAY THAT AMATEUR RADIO PUBLICSERVICE COMMUNICATIONS IS ABOUT 80 PERCENT PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS, 19PERCENT DISASTER COMMUNICATIONS, AND 1 PERCENT EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS.THIS BREAKDOWN HELPS US SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE OF THE VALUE OF THE AMATEUR  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 58TAPE.  I USE A FIBERGLASS RECURVE BOW OF AT LEAST 40 POUNDS COMPOUND BOWSWILL GIVE YOU LESS CONTROL WHEN SHOOTING INTO LOWER TREES AND SEND THEARROW TOO FAR.  A LINE REEL OR LOOP IS ATTACHED PERPENDICULAR TO THE BOWSEE FIGURE 5.  THE ARROW IS FED THROUGH THE CENTER FOR SHOOTING.  I USE THEMETAL LIP OF ONE OF THE REEL SUPPORTS TO KEEP THE LINE FROM UNWINDING UNTILSHOT.  IN SELECTING A TRAJECTORY, I STAND CLOSE TO THE TRUNK AND SHOOT UPTHROUGH THE CANOPY AND OUT INTO THE OPEN AREA ON THE ANTENNA SIDE, THIS WAYTHERE IS LESS CHANCE FOR THE ARROW TO GET CAUGHT IN THE TREE.  AFTER THELINE IS SHOT TO A SUITABLE LOCATION, A HEAVY NYLON CORD WILL HAVE TO BEPULLED THROUGH, TO BE USED TO PULL THE HALYARD LINE.  FOR THIS I USE A KITESTRING REEL SEE FIGURE 6 THAT CAN BE FOUND AT TOY STORES OR SPORTING GOODS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 88OF LATITUDE.  THE NIGHTTIME HAWAIIAN OPENINGS WERE ALMOST ALWAYS CLOSE TOTHE LONG PATH GREAT CIRCLE HEADINGS TO EUROPE.  THESE HEADINGS ARE ABOUT 1520 WEST OF SOUTH.  SMALL TPL FOOTPRINTS IN EUROPE THE FOOTPRINTS OF THEMARCH TPL OPENINGS WERE SMALL IN EUROPE.  THEY CENTERED AROUND SLOVENIA ANDTHE IMMEDIATE SURROUNDING COUNTRIES.  ON ONE EVENING, KH7Y HEARD ONLYBULGARIA.  THIS WAS A VERY SMALL FOOTPRINT FOR SUCH A LONG PATH.  THE SMALLSIZE OF THE EUROPEAN FOOTPRINT MAY BE DUE TO THIS BEING THE SAME TEPFOOTPRINT FOR THE SOUTHERN AFRICA SOUTHERN EUROPE PATH.  THIS ALSO SUGGESTSREGULAR TEP IS INVOLVED FOR THE LAST PART OF THE PATH.  THE HAWAIIAN TPLCONTACTS ARE ALSO SENSITIVE TO THE HIGH LATITUDE POLAR K INDEX.  OVER 90 OFTHE HAWAII CONTACTS WERE MADE WITH A KP PLANETARY K INDEX OF 1 OR 0.  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 66AND ACCESSORIES.  WE HAVE USED TROLLEY SYSTEMS TO RAISE 200 POUND ANTENNASAND GOTTEN THEM MOST OF THE WAY UP BEFORE THE SYSTEM BROKE.  WE CLAIM THERECORD FOR HAVING BUILT AT LEAST 12 FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40S AND NONE OF THEMSURVIVED THE SOUTH TEXAS WEATHER.  ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAD A 140 FOOTTOWER THAT WAS RIVETED TUBULAR STEEL, HAD A 10 INCH FACE, AND WAS GUYEDEVERY 20 FEET WITH 3/16 INCH STEEL CABLE BROKEN UP WITH STRAIN INSULATORS.THE TOWER SHOULD HAVE COLLAPSED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE GUYS, BUT IT STAYEDUP FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS WITH A FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40 METER BEAM AT THE TOP.IN 40 YEARS OF BUILDING AMATEUR ANTENNA SYSTEMS, WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE NOTTO HAVE HAD ANY INJURIES MORE SERIOUS THAN SUNBURN AND SCRAPED KNUCKLES.WE HAVE AMASSED A HUGE COLLECTION OF SCRAP ALUMINUM, TOWER SECTIONS,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014 QST  PAGE 41 INDICATOR, AND SOME THE COMPLETE ANTENNA IMPEDANCE AS A COMPLEX NUMBER THATLOOKS LIKE R JX.  TO FIND THE DIPOLES IMPEDANCE, WE NEED TO PUT THE R AND XVALUES TOGETHER AS A COMPLEX NUMBER THAT IS MADE UP OF THREE PIECES THEFIRST 4 IS RESISTANCE AND ITS REAL, THE SECOND IS THE OPERATOR / , AND THELAST, REACTANCE, J1590 IS IMAGINARY.  YOU KNOW THAT RESISTANCE IS IN OHMSAND REACTANCE IS ALSO IN OHMS.  OHMS 1 OHMS IS NICE AND SIMPLE WHY NOT JUSTLEAVE IT AT THAT?  WHY PUT THE J IN THERE TO COMPLICATE THINGS?  DONT LETTHAT IMAGINARY J PART BRING BACK SOME TERRIBLE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORIES.THERES NO TEST TO WORRY ABOUT, SO TAKE A FEW DEEP BREATHS AND CHILL OUT.NOW, LETS GET REAL ABOUT THE IMAGINARY J.  A FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE THE JIS THERE TO REMIND US OF THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RESISTANCE  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 99EARLY DAYS OF THE NEW MODE, THE SSB RF SIGNAL WAS TYPICALLY GENERATED AT 9MHZ.  THAT MAY SEEM AN ODD CHOICE UNTIL YOU CONSIDER THAT IF YOU MIXED THISSIGNAL WITH THE OUTPUT OF A VFO OPERATING IN A RANGE FROM 5 TO 5R5 MHZ, YOUCOULD USE THE HETERODYNE METHOD TO COMBINE THE TWO SIGNALS AND GENERATE ANRF OUTPUT ON TWO BANDS.  IT WORKED LIKE THIS WHEN YOU COMBINED THE 5 TO 5R5MHZ VFO SIGNAL WITH THE 9 MHZ SSB SIGNAL THE SUM WAS A SIGNAL BETWEEN 14AND 14R5 MHZ, WHICH PROVIDED COVERAGE ACROSS THE 20 METER BAND.  TAKE THEDIFFERENCE INSTEAD AND YOU GET AN OUTPUT IN THE 80 METER BAND 3R5 TO 4 MHZ.ENGINEERS QUICKLY DISCOVERED THAT WITH THE PROPER APPLICATION OF THISHETERODYNE SLEIGHT OF HAND, THEY COULD CREATE A SINGLE CIRCUIT CAPABLE OFGENERATING BOTH THE TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE FREQUENCIES.  NOW A SINGLE RADIO,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 722013.  LOU THEN BEGAN A LENGTHY PROCESS SEEKING PERMISSION TO CONDUCT ADXPEDITION ON WAKE ATOLL.  INITIAL CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE USAF, THEDEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, AND DEPARTMENT OF INSULAR AFFAIRS IN OCTOBER2012 WAS LESS THAN ENCOURAGING.  UNDAUNTED, LOU CONTINUED TO SEEKPERMISSION TO TRAVEL TO WAKE, WHICH REQUIRED SECURING USAF SIGNATURES ATSEVERAL LEVELS IN THE PENTAGON, INCLUDING GENERAL HAWK CARLISLE COMMANDER,PACIFIC AIR FORCES.  THE PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE TRIP HAD TO BE CLEARLYDEFINED MEDICAL FORMS APPROVED, BACKGROUND CHECKS COMPLETED, AND ANAPPROVED BUDGET FINALIZED.  FINALLY ON OCTOBER 28, 2013, WE RECEIVED OURTRAVEL ORDERS.  ALTHOUGH THE TEAM MISSED THE OCTOBER 7 ANNIVERSARY, WE WERENEVERTHELESS EXCITED ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THIS COMMEMORATIVE DXPEDITION.  THE  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW  
NOW 20 WPM TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 56 SITUATIONS WHERE I COULD HAVE BROUGHT A DIRECTIONAL ANTENNA WITH ME, SUCHAS A SMALL YAGI FOR HF OR VHF.  IF ITS LIGHT ENOUGH, ROTATING A YAGI CAN BEDONE WITH THE ARMSTRONG METHOD, BUT IT IS OFTEN VERY INCONVENIENT TO DO SO.PERHAPS YOU DONT WANT TO LEAVE THE RIG BEHIND WHILE YOU GO OUTSIDE TOADJUST THE ANTENNA TOWARD THAT WEAK STATION, OR PERHAPS YOURE IN A TENT ANDITS DARK OUT THERE.  A BATTERY POWERED ROTATOR PORTABLE ROTATION HASDEVELOPED A SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS.  THE 12PR1A IS AN ANTENNA ROTATORFIGURE 6 THAT FUNCTIONS ON 9 TO 14 V DC.  AT 12 V, THE UNIT IS SPECIFIED TODRAW 40 MA IDLE CURRENT AND 200 MA OR LESS WHILE THE ANTENNA IS TURNING.IT CAN BE POWERED FROM THE BATTERY USED TO RUN A TYPICAL PORTABLE STATION.WHILE THE CONTROL HEAD FIGURE 7 WILL FUNCTION WITH AS LITTLE AS 6 V, AEND OF 20 WPM TEXT QST DE AG1LE  NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2014 QST  PAGE 46TRANSMITTER MANUALS SPECIFICATIONS.  BUILD A 1 2 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER SINCETHE OUTPUT OF THE BUFFER AMPLIFIER SUPPLIES ONLY 5 V P P, I CHOSE TO USE A1 2 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER TO BOOST THE BUFFER AMPLIFIER OUTPUT AND TO RAISEITS IMPEDANCE LEVEL.  A 1 2 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER TRANSFORMS THE IMPEDANCE BYA 1 4 RATIO.  I WOUND MY TRANSFORMER ON AN AMIDON ASSOCIATES FT 50A 61FERRITE TOROIDAL CORE.  I DOUBLED UP THE WIRE AND WOUND 1 1 BIFILAR TURNSUSING 24 AWG ENAMELED MAGNET WIRE, THEN CONNECTED THE WIRES ACCORDING TOTHE SCHEMATIC IN FIGURE 5.  I THEN ADDED A DC ISOLATING 0R01 UF CERAMICDISC CAPACITOR IN SERIES WITH OUTPUT SEE FIGURE 6.  I ADDED COAXIAL CABLELEADS AND MOUNTED MY TRANSFORMER ASSEMBLY IN A SMALL PILL BOTTLE.  THETRANSFORMER SHOULD BE PLACED AS CLOSE TO THE TRANSMITTER INPUT AS POSSIBLE.  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2014 QST  PAGE 84COORDINATOR, SENT OUT AN E MAIL TO ALL GARC MEMBERS, ALUMNI, FACULTY,STAFF, AND FRIENDS TO SPREAD THE WORD AND ASK THAT THEY GIVE W4DFU A CALLDURING A WINDOW FOR A VHF SIMPLEX CONTACT.  MUCH TO EVERYONES SURPRISE,W4DFU HAD A SMALL 2 METER PILEUP.  EVERYONE IN THE STATION WAS EXCITED ANDTHE ATMOSPHERE TURNED TO ONE OF CELEBRATION.  THE EXPERIMENT WAS A SUCCESSAND GARC IS PLANNING TO EXPAND FOR FUTURE SCR WORK.  YOU CAN FIND OUT MOREABOUT GARC AT HTTP//GATORRADIO.  ORG.  TEAMING UP WITH THE LOCAL CLUB GLENNRAYMOND SCHOOL AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, W9GRS, OF WATSEKA, ILLINOIS, ENTEREDTHEIR FIRST SCHOOL CLUB ROUNDUP IN OCTOBER 2008 AFTER BEING AWARDED AN ETPGRANT FROM THE ARRL.  W9GRS GOT STARTED WITH A STATION DUE TO THEIR CLOSERELATIONSHIP WITH THE LOCAL AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, THE IROQUOIS COUNTY AMATEUR  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 52AUDIO COMING FROM YOU VIA THE BLUETOOTH CONNECTION IN OTHER WORDS, WHENEVERYOU SPEAK OR WHEN THE DIGITAL MODE SOFTWARE ON YOUR COMPUTER STARTS SENDINGTRANSMIT AUDIO.  BEFORE FIDDLING WITH THESE KNOBS, HOWEVER, YOU MUST FIRSTESTABLISH THE BLUETOOTH CONNECTION BY PAIRING THE RIGBLASTER BLUE WITHWHATEVER BLUETOOTH DEVICE YOU ARE USING WHETHER THAT IS A HEADSET, LAPTOPOR TABLET.  WITHOUT GOING INTO GREAT DETAIL THE RIGBLASTER MANUAL OFFERSSTEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS, IT IS ESSENTIALLY A MATTER OF PRESSING WHATEVERBUTTONS ARE REQUIRED TO PUT YOUR DEVICE INTO DISCOVERY MODE.  YOU DO THESAME TO THE RIGBLASTER BLUE.  IT MAY TAKE AS LONG AS 60 SECONDS, BUTEVENTUALLY THE INTERFACE AND YOUR DEVICE FIND EACH OTHER, EXCHANGEGREETINGS AND STRIKE UP A CONVERSATION SO TO SPEAK.  IN MY FIRST TEST I  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 63CONTROL.  ONCE YOUVE FOUND THIS, YOU REALLY DONT NEED TO PLAY WITH THEPHASING.  NOW TUNE IN SOME REAL CW SIGNALS, USING YOUR BANDSPREAD, AND NOTEHOW SHARP AND SELECTIVE IT IS.  UNLESS YOURE A SAFECRACKER, ITS EASY TOCOMPLETELY SCOOT BY THE SWEET SPOT AND NEVER REALIZE THE ADVANTAGE OF THECRYSTAL FILTER.  ONCE YOU DO FIND THE SWEET SPOT, ITS BEST TO ADJUST THEBFO AFTERWARD FOR A COMFORTABLE PITCH.  I REGRET THAT BFO PITCH IS NOLONGER A FRONT PANEL CONTROL ON MODERN RADIOS.  ON MOST VINTAGE RECEIVERS,ITS HELPFUL TO RUN THE AUDIO GAIN WIDE OPEN AND USE THE RF GAIN AS A VOLUMECONTROL, ESPECIALLY ON CW.  ALTHOUGH NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE ISSUE, ITSHOULD BE NOTED THAT MOST EARLY CW RECEIVERS HAD VERY WEAK BFOS, WHICH ISNEVER AN ADVANTAGE, CONTRARY TO SOME ADVICE OF THE TIME.  THIS RESULTED IN  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 34DB/S UNIT TO 7 DB/S UNIT.  BE AWARE THAT YOU CANT USE ANY OLD OPERATIONALAMPLIFIER BECAUSE THE INPUT AND OUTPUT VOLTAGE OF THE AMPLIFIERS MUST BEABLE TO ACCOMMODATE 0R8 V, WHICH IS CLOSE TO THE POSITIVE RAIL OF 0 V.  THETLV2372 HAS INPUT AND OUTPUT CAPABILITY ALL THE WAY TO THE SUPPLY RAILSPOTENTIOMETER R2 ZERO PROVIDES A ZERO ADJUSTMENT FOR THE S METER, WHICH ISBUFFERED THROUGH AMPLIFIER U1B.  THE ZERO FUNCTION OPERATES DIFFERENTLYFROM MOST.  DIODE D3 TRANSFORMS THE AMPLIFIER INTO A PRECISION RECTIFIER.THE RESULT IS THAT THE S METER CANNOT BE DRIVEN BELOW ZERO.  THE REASON FORADDING THIS FEATURE IS THAT IF THE VALUE OF C137 SEE FIGURE 1 IS INCREASEDBY A LARGE AMOUNT IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE AGC DECAY TIME AS I DID IN MYRECEIVER, SWITCHING FROM STANDBY TO OPERATE CAN RESULT IN A NEGATIVE METER  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 85HIS FM SIGNAL ACROSS 14 GRIDS TO CLAIM THE TOP SPOT IN THE SINGLE OPERATOR,FM ONLY CATEGORY.  ART USED ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR BANDS ALLOWED, 144 MHZ,FOR HIS LEADING EFFORT.  LACKING THE CONCENTRATION OF STATIONS TO WORK THATEXISTS IN THE NORTHEAST REGION, THE TEAM OF OPERATORS AT K5QE WORKED HARDTO CLAIM THE THIRD SPOT IN THE LIMITED MULTIOPERATOR CATEGORY FROM THEIREAST TEXAS LOCATION IN THE SOUTH TEXAS SECTION.  THE CREW AT MARSHALLSSTATION RACKED UP 207 MULTIPLIERS SO ALMOST 2/3 OF THEIR 315 CONTACTS WEREIN A UNIQUE MULTIPLIER FOR THEM.  THE MIDWEST WAS ALSO LESS HOSPITABLE TOROVERS BUT WYATT, AC0RA, TEAMED UP WITH BRIAN, KD0LRG TO BRAVE THE COLD ANDCHALLENGING ROAD CONDITIONS.  THEY PILOTED THEIR FOUR BAND STATION THROUGH10 GRIDS TO COMPLETE 328 QSOS, ACHIEVE THIS YEARS TOP MULTIPLIER COUNT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 36THAT P9 SHOULD BE ABOUT 100 5V, BUT CHOOSING 50 5V MAKES THE METER ACTIVEAT LOWER SIGNAL LEVELS, AND MEETS THE IARU RECOMMENDATION FOR AN S 9READING.  SETTING 5 DB/S UNIT IS AN OPTION WITH AN S 0 TO S 9 METER RANGETO 45 DB.  HOWEVER, THE REQUIRED GAIN OF THE RECEIVER MAY STILL BE A BITMARGINAL.  MOVING PT TO 67 DBM 100 5V HELPS THIS SITUATION SHOULD YOUCHOOSE A 5 DB/S UNIT SETTING.  THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC OF THE SMETER IS A CONSISTENT DB/S UNIT VALUE.  NEARLY ALL ON AIR REPORTS ARERELATIVE READINGS COMPARING ANTENNAS OR AMPLIFIERS, SO CONSISTENT DB/S UNITSENSITIVITY OVER THE S 1 TO S 9 RANGE IS OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE.  BECAUSE P9AND PT CHANGE WITH RECEIVER GAIN, TEMPERATURE, BAND, AND FREQUENCY WITHINTHE FIRST IF, CONSISTENCY OF PT AND P9 IS PRETTY MUCH A PIPE DREAM FOR AN S  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 85HIS FM SIGNAL ACROSS 14 GRIDS TO CLAIM THE TOP SPOT IN THE SINGLE OPERATOR,FM ONLY CATEGORY.  ART USED ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR BANDS ALLOWED, 144 MHZ,FOR HIS LEADING EFFORT.  LACKING THE CONCENTRATION OF STATIONS TO WORK THATEXISTS IN THE NORTHEAST REGION, THE TEAM OF OPERATORS AT K5QE WORKED HARDTO CLAIM THE THIRD SPOT IN THE LIMITED MULTIOPERATOR CATEGORY FROM THEIREAST TEXAS LOCATION IN THE SOUTH TEXAS SECTION.  THE CREW AT MARSHALLSSTATION RACKED UP 207 MULTIPLIERS SO ALMOST 2/3 OF THEIR 315 CONTACTS WEREIN A UNIQUE MULTIPLIER FOR THEM.  THE MIDWEST WAS ALSO LESS HOSPITABLE TOROVERS BUT WYATT, AC0RA, TEAMED UP WITH BRIAN, KD0LRG TO BRAVE THE COLD ANDCHALLENGING ROAD CONDITIONS.  THEY PILOTED THEIR FOUR BAND STATION THROUGH10 GRIDS TO COMPLETE 328 QSOS, ACHIEVE THIS YEARS TOP MULTIPLIER COUNT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 55ANTENNA THE RADIO IS SILENT.  A THAT IS A KEY DISTINCTION, BECAUSE THE CUREIS QUITE DIFFERENT FOR THE TWO CASES.  TO FIND OUT, INSERT, SAY, 10 DB OFATTENUATION IN THE FRONT END OF YOUR RECEIVER MANY TRANSCEIVERS CAN DO THISWITH A FRONT PANEL BUTTON.  IF THE SIGNAL IS COMING FROM OUTSIDE ON THERECEIVE FREQUENCY, IT WILL DROP BY 10 DB, OR ALMOST 2 S UNITS.  IF IT IS ATHIRD ORDER INTERMODULATION PRODUCT GENERATED FROM OFF FREQUENCY SIGNALSMIXING WITHIN YOUR RECEIVER, IT WILL DROP BY 3 X 10 DB OR 5 S UNITS CHECKYOUR S METER CALIBRATION ON A KNOWN SIGNAL IN THE SAME BAND FIRST.  IF ITIS A SIGNAL ON YOUR FREQUENCY, ABOUT THE ONLY HOPE IS ONE OF THE CANCELLINGTYPE NOISE REDUCTION DEVICES, ALTHOUGH YOU MAY GET SOME RELIEF BY TURNINGYOUR BEAM TO A NULL IN THE STATIONS DIRECTION.  YOU ALSO COULD TRY TO  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 31DIAMETER WITH A SCREW ON LID.  A STAINLESS STEEL SCREW THROUGH THE TOPSERVES AS AN ANCHOR FOR THE ANTENNA AND IS CONNECTED TO THE INNER LEAD OFAN SO 239 SOCKET AT THE BASE OF THE ABS PIPE SECTION.  THE SHIELD OF THE SO239 IS CONNECTED TO THE GROUND BLOCK WITH HEAVY GAUGE METAL.  THE GROUNDRADIAL SYSTEM IS A CRITICAL PART OF THE ANTENNA.  AS AN INITIAL EXPERIMENTI USED JUST TWO 65 FOOT PIECES OF INSULATED WIRE LAID ON THE GROUND.  I WASABLE TO TUNE THE ANTENNA AND THEY ACTUALLY WORKED QUITE WELL FORCONTINENTAL CONTACTS.  HOWEVER, FOR DX A MORE EXTENSIVE GROUND SYSTEM ISREQUIRED AND AT PRESENT, I HAVE 40 RADIALS, EACH 20 TO 80 FEET LONG,CONNECTED TO THE GROUND JUNCTION BLOCK.  THE RADIALS ARE 15 AWG ZINC COATEDWIRE.  AFTER BURYING THE RADIALS THEY WERE SOON COVERED BY THE SURROUNDING  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 91 SUNSPOT NUMBER DID NOT QUITE TRANSLATE INTO THE CME RATE ITSELF.  THE CMEOCCURRENCE RATE IN CYCLES 24 AND 23 ARE COMPARABLE IN THE MAXIMUM PHASE.THEN HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THE MILD SPACE WEATHER IN CYCLE 24?  A CLUE TOTHE REASON FOR MILDER SPACE WEATHER CAME FROM THE FACT THAT ALL CMES THATPRODUCED PARTICLE EVENTS ARE HALO CMES IN CYCLE 24, COMPARED TO ABOUT 70 INCYCLE 23.  HALO CMES ORIGINATE FROM CLOSE TO THE DISK CENTER AND EXPANDRAPIDLY, GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF SURROUNDING THE SUN.  THERE MUST BESOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE CMES IN SOLAR CYCLE 24.GOPALSWAMY AND CO WORKERS EXAMINED THE RELATION BETWEEN CME WIDTH AND SPEEDAND FOUND THAT THE CYCLE 24 CMES ARE WIDER THAN THE CYCLE 23 ONES FOR AGIVEN SPEED.  FOR ENERGETIC CMES SPEED EXCEEDING 1000 KM/S, THE WIDTH IS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 50VERY INFORMATIVE.  MORE ON PREDICTING SAG IN WIRE ANTENNAS JANUARY 1966 IWROTE THE ARTICLE PREDICTING SAG IN LONG WIRE ANTENNAS WHICH APPEARED INTHE JANUARY 1966 ISSUE OF QST.  THAT ARTICLE HAD AN ERROR IN IT WHENPUBLISHED IN 1966.  THE NOMOGRAPH WAS OFF BY A FACTOR OF 2.  IN ORDER TOCORRECT IT LATER, MY EDITOR BYRON GOODMAN, W1DX, I BELIEVE DECIDED IT WASEASIER TO EDIT THE SPAN IN FIGURE 1 TO BE SHOWN AS OF THE TOTAL SPAN,RATHER THAN ADJUST THE NOMOGRAPH ITSELF.  THAT DID CORRECT THE ERROR,ALTHOUGH IT PROBABLY LED TO SOME OF THE ONGOING CONFUSION.  SEVERAL ARRLEDITORS HAVE ASKED ME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DRAWING AND NOMOGRAPH OVER THEYEARS, PROBABLY WHEN CHANGES WERE BEING MADE TO THE ARRL ANTENNA BOOK.  ABATTERY MONITOR FOR 12 V SYSTEMS JUNE 2013 MERT NELLIS, W0UFO, OUTLINED A  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 52  ME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TUBE AND SOLID STATE AMPLIFIERS IN TERMS OFPERFORMANCE, EASE OF OPERATION, COST, OR OTHER CHARACTERISTICS?  I ALSOWONDER WHY SOME HF AMPLIFIERS DONT OPERATE ON THE 10 AND 12 METER BANDS?  AARGUABLY, TO A STATION AT THE OTHER END OF THE CONTACT, THE SIGNAL FROM ATUBE AMPLIFIER SOUNDS ABOUT THE SAME AS THAT FROM A SOLID STATE UNIT.  INTERMS OF THE IMPACT TO YOUR STATION, HOWEVER, THE SOLID STATE AMPLIFIER HASA NUMBER OF ADVANTAGES.  PERHAPS THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE IS THAT TRANSMITTINGTUBES ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE AND IT IS GETTING HARDER TO FINDREPLACEMENT TUBES OF GOOD QUALITY.  WHILE PROPERLY OPERATED TRANSMIT TUBESSHOULD LAST 10 YEARS OR MORE, WE DO MAKE MISTAKES, AND THE REST OF THEAMPLIFIER SHOULD LAST MUCH LONGER, MEANING WE WILL NEED TO FIND REPLACEMENT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 44MONEY AND SERVE AS A GOOD FIRST RADIO OR AS AN AUXILIARY HANDHELD BACKINGUP A FULLY FEATURED MODEL.  THE SIMPLIFIED OPERATING AND CONTROL INTERFACEWAS WELCOME, WITH THE CLEARLY LABELED FUNCTIONS I NEED MOST AT MYFINGERTIPS.  THANKS TO SCARC MEMBERS JACOB, KD0SJV THERESA, KC0PEO MATTKD0VUH JEFF, AC0SC AND MELANIE, KD0LRC, FOR THEIR TIME AND DETAILEDEVALUATIONS.  MFJ 225 GRAPHICAL ANTENNA ANALYZER THE MFJ 225 IS MFJS LATESTENTRY INTO THE ANTENNA ANALYZER MARKET.  IT IS MUCH SMALLER THAN THEPOPULAR MFJ 259B, MAKING IT CONVENIENT FOR FIELD USE.  IT HAS A BACKLIT 3INCH LCD GRAPHIC DISPLAY THAT SIMULTANEOUSLY SHOWS THE FREQUENCY OR SWEPTFREQUENCY RANGE, UNSIGNED COMPLEX IMPEDANCE, IMPEDANCE MAGNITUDE, COMPUTEDINDUCTANCE OR CAPACITANCE, BATTERY VOLTAGE, AND SWR.  BECAUSE IT IS A TWO  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 91 SUNSPOT NUMBER DID NOT QUITE TRANSLATE INTO THE CME RATE ITSELF.  THE CMEOCCURRENCE RATE IN CYCLES 24 AND 23 ARE COMPARABLE IN THE MAXIMUM PHASE.THEN HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THE MILD SPACE WEATHER IN CYCLE 24?  A CLUE TOTHE REASON FOR MILDER SPACE WEATHER CAME FROM THE FACT THAT ALL CMES THATPRODUCED PARTICLE EVENTS ARE HALO CMES IN CYCLE 24, COMPARED TO ABOUT 70 INCYCLE 23.  HALO CMES ORIGINATE FROM CLOSE TO THE DISK CENTER AND EXPANDRAPIDLY, GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF SURROUNDING THE SUN.  THERE MUST BESOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE CMES IN SOLAR CYCLE 24.GOPALSWAMY AND CO WORKERS EXAMINED THE RELATION BETWEEN CME WIDTH AND SPEEDAND FOUND THAT THE CYCLE 24 CMES ARE WIDER THAN THE CYCLE 23 ONES FOR AGIVEN SPEED.  FOR ENERGETIC CMES SPEED EXCEEDING 1000 KM/S, THE WIDTH IS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 70 HAD OUR ANTENNA CREW TAKEN THIS STEP, WE WOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT WE NEEDEDTO BRING IN THE ADVICE AND COUNSEL OF SOMEONE FAMILIAR WITH THE ANTENNASYSTEM.  EVEN IF WE HAD AN EXPERT IN THE GROUP, STOPPING TO TALK THROUGHEVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN DURING THE TAKEDOWN WOULD HAVE ASSUREDEVERYONE WAS IN THE CORRECT PLACE DOING THE CORRECT THING.  HASTE  AS MYGROUP LEARNED AT FIELD DAY THIS YEAR, HASTE DOES, WELL AND TRULY, MAKEWASTE.  AS MUCH FUN AS EVENTS SUCH AS FIELD DAY ARE, WHEN THEY ARE OVER,THEY ARE OVER.  FOLKS WANT OR NEED TO GET ON WITH OTHER ASPECTS OF THEIRLIVES.  ALL TOO OFTEN, WE FALL UNDER THE SPELL OF BELIEVING THAT IT ISEASIER TO TAKE THINGS DOWN THAN IT IS TO PUT THINGS UP.  FOR EXAMPLE,ROLLING UP A LENGTH OF COAX IS MUCH SIMPLER THAN TAKING THE TIME TO PLAN  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 66AND ACCESSORIES.  WE HAVE USED TROLLEY SYSTEMS TO RAISE 200 POUND ANTENNASAND GOTTEN THEM MOST OF THE WAY UP BEFORE THE SYSTEM BROKE.  WE CLAIM THERECORD FOR HAVING BUILT AT LEAST 12 FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40S AND NONE OF THEMSURVIVED THE SOUTH TEXAS WEATHER.  ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAD A 140 FOOTTOWER THAT WAS RIVETED TUBULAR STEEL, HAD A 10 INCH FACE, AND WAS GUYEDEVERY 20 FEET WITH 3/16 INCH STEEL CABLE BROKEN UP WITH STRAIN INSULATORS.THE TOWER SHOULD HAVE COLLAPSED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE GUYS, BUT IT STAYEDUP FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS WITH A FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40 METER BEAM AT THE TOP.IN 40 YEARS OF BUILDING AMATEUR ANTENNA SYSTEMS, WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE NOTTO HAVE HAD ANY INJURIES MORE SERIOUS THAN SUNBURN AND SCRAPED KNUCKLES.WE HAVE AMASSED A HUGE COLLECTION OF SCRAP ALUMINUM, TOWER SECTIONS,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014 QST  PAGE 75OR A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT.  OUR ROLE IS TO COMMUNICATE EMERGENCIES WHEN THEYHAPPEN.  IF WE LOOK AT WHAT WE DO OVERALL, WE EASILY SEE THAT MOST OF OURWORK IS IN THE AREA OF PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS FESTIVALS, PARADES, MARATHONS,ETC.  DISASTERS ARE OUR SECOND LARGEST AREA OF WORK.  HURRICANE RESPONSEALWAYS INCLUDES AMATEUR RADIO, AND THE SKYWARN PROGRAM WOULD NOT BE THESAME WITHOUT AMATEUR RADIO SUPPORT.  TRUE EMERGENCIES, HOWEVER, ARE VERYRARE.  IF WE WERE TO BREAK IT DOWN BY THE NUMBERS, ACCORDING TO OURCOLLECTIVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, WE CAN SAFELY SAY THAT AMATEUR RADIO PUBLICSERVICE COMMUNICATIONS IS ABOUT 80 PERCENT PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS, 19PERCENT DISASTER COMMUNICATIONS, AND 1 PERCENT EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS.THIS BREAKDOWN HELPS US SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE OF THE VALUE OF THE AMATEUR  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 58TAPE.  I USE A FIBERGLASS RECURVE BOW OF AT LEAST 40 POUNDS COMPOUND BOWSWILL GIVE YOU LESS CONTROL WHEN SHOOTING INTO LOWER TREES AND SEND THEARROW TOO FAR.  A LINE REEL OR LOOP IS ATTACHED PERPENDICULAR TO THE BOWSEE FIGURE 5.  THE ARROW IS FED THROUGH THE CENTER FOR SHOOTING.  I USE THEMETAL LIP OF ONE OF THE REEL SUPPORTS TO KEEP THE LINE FROM UNWINDING UNTILSHOT.  IN SELECTING A TRAJECTORY, I STAND CLOSE TO THE TRUNK AND SHOOT UPTHROUGH THE CANOPY AND OUT INTO THE OPEN AREA ON THE ANTENNA SIDE, THIS WAYTHERE IS LESS CHANCE FOR THE ARROW TO GET CAUGHT IN THE TREE.  AFTER THELINE IS SHOT TO A SUITABLE LOCATION, A HEAVY NYLON CORD WILL HAVE TO BEPULLED THROUGH, TO BE USED TO PULL THE HALYARD LINE.  FOR THIS I USE A KITESTRING REEL SEE FIGURE 6 THAT CAN BE FOUND AT TOY STORES OR SPORTING GOODS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 88OF LATITUDE.  THE NIGHTTIME HAWAIIAN OPENINGS WERE ALMOST ALWAYS CLOSE TOTHE LONG PATH GREAT CIRCLE HEADINGS TO EUROPE.  THESE HEADINGS ARE ABOUT 1520 WEST OF SOUTH.  SMALL TPL FOOTPRINTS IN EUROPE THE FOOTPRINTS OF THEMARCH TPL OPENINGS WERE SMALL IN EUROPE.  THEY CENTERED AROUND SLOVENIA ANDTHE IMMEDIATE SURROUNDING COUNTRIES.  ON ONE EVENING, KH7Y HEARD ONLYBULGARIA.  THIS WAS A VERY SMALL FOOTPRINT FOR SUCH A LONG PATH.  THE SMALLSIZE OF THE EUROPEAN FOOTPRINT MAY BE DUE TO THIS BEING THE SAME TEPFOOTPRINT FOR THE SOUTHERN AFRICA SOUTHERN EUROPE PATH.  THIS ALSO SUGGESTSREGULAR TEP IS INVOLVED FOR THE LAST PART OF THE PATH.  THE HAWAIIAN TPLCONTACTS ARE ALSO SENSITIVE TO THE HIGH LATITUDE POLAR K INDEX.  OVER 90 OFTHE HAWAII CONTACTS WERE MADE WITH A KP PLANETARY K INDEX OF 1 OR 0.  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 66AND ACCESSORIES.  WE HAVE USED TROLLEY SYSTEMS TO RAISE 200 POUND ANTENNASAND GOTTEN THEM MOST OF THE WAY UP BEFORE THE SYSTEM BROKE.  WE CLAIM THERECORD FOR HAVING BUILT AT LEAST 12 FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40S AND NONE OF THEMSURVIVED THE SOUTH TEXAS WEATHER.  ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAD A 140 FOOTTOWER THAT WAS RIVETED TUBULAR STEEL, HAD A 10 INCH FACE, AND WAS GUYEDEVERY 20 FEET WITH 3/16 INCH STEEL CABLE BROKEN UP WITH STRAIN INSULATORS.THE TOWER SHOULD HAVE COLLAPSED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE GUYS, BUT IT STAYEDUP FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS WITH A FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40 METER BEAM AT THE TOP.IN 40 YEARS OF BUILDING AMATEUR ANTENNA SYSTEMS, WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE NOTTO HAVE HAD ANY INJURIES MORE SERIOUS THAN SUNBURN AND SCRAPED KNUCKLES.WE HAVE AMASSED A HUGE COLLECTION OF SCRAP ALUMINUM, TOWER SECTIONS,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014 QST  PAGE 41 INDICATOR, AND SOME THE COMPLETE ANTENNA IMPEDANCE AS A COMPLEX NUMBER THATLOOKS LIKE R JX.  TO FIND THE DIPOLES IMPEDANCE, WE NEED TO PUT THE R AND XVALUES TOGETHER AS A COMPLEX NUMBER THAT IS MADE UP OF THREE PIECES THEFIRST 4 IS RESISTANCE AND ITS REAL, THE SECOND IS THE OPERATOR / , AND THELAST, REACTANCE, J1590 IS IMAGINARY.  YOU KNOW THAT RESISTANCE IS IN OHMSAND REACTANCE IS ALSO IN OHMS.  OHMS 1 OHMS IS NICE AND SIMPLE WHY NOT JUSTLEAVE IT AT THAT?  WHY PUT THE J IN THERE TO COMPLICATE THINGS?  DONT LETTHAT IMAGINARY J PART BRING BACK SOME TERRIBLE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORIES.THERES NO TEST TO WORRY ABOUT, SO TAKE A FEW DEEP BREATHS AND CHILL OUT.NOW, LETS GET REAL ABOUT THE IMAGINARY J.  A FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE THE JIS THERE TO REMIND US OF THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RESISTANCE  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 99EARLY DAYS OF THE NEW MODE, THE SSB RF SIGNAL WAS TYPICALLY GENERATED AT 9MHZ.  THAT MAY SEEM AN ODD CHOICE UNTIL YOU CONSIDER THAT IF YOU MIXED THISSIGNAL WITH THE OUTPUT OF A VFO OPERATING IN A RANGE FROM 5 TO 5R5 MHZ, YOUCOULD USE THE HETERODYNE METHOD TO COMBINE THE TWO SIGNALS AND GENERATE ANRF OUTPUT ON TWO BANDS.  IT WORKED LIKE THIS WHEN YOU COMBINED THE 5 TO 5R5MHZ VFO SIGNAL WITH THE 9 MHZ SSB SIGNAL THE SUM WAS A SIGNAL BETWEEN 14AND 14R5 MHZ, WHICH PROVIDED COVERAGE ACROSS THE 20 METER BAND.  TAKE THEDIFFERENCE INSTEAD AND YOU GET AN OUTPUT IN THE 80 METER BAND 3R5 TO 4 MHZ.ENGINEERS QUICKLY DISCOVERED THAT WITH THE PROPER APPLICATION OF THISHETERODYNE SLEIGHT OF HAND, THEY COULD CREATE A SINGLE CIRCUIT CAPABLE OFGENERATING BOTH THE TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE FREQUENCIES.  NOW A SINGLE RADIO,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 722013.  LOU THEN BEGAN A LENGTHY PROCESS SEEKING PERMISSION TO CONDUCT ADXPEDITION ON WAKE ATOLL.  INITIAL CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE USAF, THEDEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, AND DEPARTMENT OF INSULAR AFFAIRS IN OCTOBER2012 WAS LESS THAN ENCOURAGING.  UNDAUNTED, LOU CONTINUED TO SEEKPERMISSION TO TRAVEL TO WAKE, WHICH REQUIRED SECURING USAF SIGNATURES ATSEVERAL LEVELS IN THE PENTAGON, INCLUDING GENERAL HAWK CARLISLE COMMANDER,PACIFIC AIR FORCES.  THE PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE TRIP HAD TO BE CLEARLYDEFINED MEDICAL FORMS APPROVED, BACKGROUND CHECKS COMPLETED, AND ANAPPROVED BUDGET FINALIZED.  FINALLY ON OCTOBER 28, 2013, WE RECEIVED OURTRAVEL ORDERS.  ALTHOUGH THE TEAM MISSED THE OCTOBER 7 ANNIVERSARY, WE WERENEVERTHELESS EXCITED ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THIS COMMEMORATIVE DXPEDITION.  THE  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW  
NOW 20 WPM TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 56 SITUATIONS WHERE I COULD HAVE BROUGHT A DIRECTIONAL ANTENNA WITH ME, SUCHAS A SMALL YAGI FOR HF OR VHF.  IF ITS LIGHT ENOUGH, ROTATING A YAGI CAN BEDONE WITH THE ARMSTRONG METHOD, BUT IT IS OFTEN VERY INCONVENIENT TO DO SO.PERHAPS YOU DONT WANT TO LEAVE THE RIG BEHIND WHILE YOU GO OUTSIDE TOADJUST THE ANTENNA TOWARD THAT WEAK STATION, OR PERHAPS YOURE IN A TENT ANDITS DARK OUT THERE.  A BATTERY POWERED ROTATOR PORTABLE ROTATION HASDEVELOPED A SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS.  THE 12PR1A IS AN ANTENNA ROTATORFIGURE 6 THAT FUNCTIONS ON 9 TO 14 V DC.  AT 12 V, THE UNIT IS SPECIFIED TODRAW 40 MA IDLE CURRENT AND 200 MA OR LESS WHILE THE ANTENNA IS TURNING.IT CAN BE POWERED FROM THE BATTERY USED TO RUN A TYPICAL PORTABLE STATION.WHILE THE CONTROL HEAD FIGURE 7 WILL FUNCTION WITH AS LITTLE AS 6 V, AEND OF 20 WPM TEXT QST DE AG1LE  NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2014 QST  PAGE 46TRANSMITTER MANUALS SPECIFICATIONS.  BUILD A 1 2 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER SINCETHE OUTPUT OF THE BUFFER AMPLIFIER SUPPLIES ONLY 5 V P P, I CHOSE TO USE A1 2 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER TO BOOST THE BUFFER AMPLIFIER OUTPUT AND TO RAISEITS IMPEDANCE LEVEL.  A 1 2 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER TRANSFORMS THE IMPEDANCE BYA 1 4 RATIO.  I WOUND MY TRANSFORMER ON AN AMIDON ASSOCIATES FT 50A 61FERRITE TOROIDAL CORE.  I DOUBLED UP THE WIRE AND WOUND 1 1 BIFILAR TURNSUSING 24 AWG ENAMELED MAGNET WIRE, THEN CONNECTED THE WIRES ACCORDING TOTHE SCHEMATIC IN FIGURE 5.  I THEN ADDED A DC ISOLATING 0R01 UF CERAMICDISC CAPACITOR IN SERIES WITH OUTPUT SEE FIGURE 6.  I ADDED COAXIAL CABLELEADS AND MOUNTED MY TRANSFORMER ASSEMBLY IN A SMALL PILL BOTTLE.  THETRANSFORMER SHOULD BE PLACED AS CLOSE TO THE TRANSMITTER INPUT AS POSSIBLE.  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2014 QST  PAGE 84COORDINATOR, SENT OUT AN E MAIL TO ALL GARC MEMBERS, ALUMNI, FACULTY,STAFF, AND FRIENDS TO SPREAD THE WORD AND ASK THAT THEY GIVE W4DFU A CALLDURING A WINDOW FOR A VHF SIMPLEX CONTACT.  MUCH TO EVERYONES SURPRISE,W4DFU HAD A SMALL 2 METER PILEUP.  EVERYONE IN THE STATION WAS EXCITED ANDTHE ATMOSPHERE TURNED TO ONE OF CELEBRATION.  THE EXPERIMENT WAS A SUCCESSAND GARC IS PLANNING TO EXPAND FOR FUTURE SCR WORK.  YOU CAN FIND OUT MOREABOUT GARC AT HTTP//GATORRADIO.  ORG.  TEAMING UP WITH THE LOCAL CLUB GLENNRAYMOND SCHOOL AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, W9GRS, OF WATSEKA, ILLINOIS, ENTEREDTHEIR FIRST SCHOOL CLUB ROUNDUP IN OCTOBER 2008 AFTER BEING AWARDED AN ETPGRANT FROM THE ARRL.  W9GRS GOT STARTED WITH A STATION DUE TO THEIR CLOSERELATIONSHIP WITH THE LOCAL AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, THE IROQUOIS COUNTY AMATEUR  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 52AUDIO COMING FROM YOU VIA THE BLUETOOTH CONNECTION IN OTHER WORDS, WHENEVERYOU SPEAK OR WHEN THE DIGITAL MODE SOFTWARE ON YOUR COMPUTER STARTS SENDINGTRANSMIT AUDIO.  BEFORE FIDDLING WITH THESE KNOBS, HOWEVER, YOU MUST FIRSTESTABLISH THE BLUETOOTH CONNECTION BY PAIRING THE RIGBLASTER BLUE WITHWHATEVER BLUETOOTH DEVICE YOU ARE USING WHETHER THAT IS A HEADSET, LAPTOPOR TABLET.  WITHOUT GOING INTO GREAT DETAIL THE RIGBLASTER MANUAL OFFERSSTEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS, IT IS ESSENTIALLY A MATTER OF PRESSING WHATEVERBUTTONS ARE REQUIRED TO PUT YOUR DEVICE INTO DISCOVERY MODE.  YOU DO THESAME TO THE RIGBLASTER BLUE.  IT MAY TAKE AS LONG AS 60 SECONDS, BUTEVENTUALLY THE INTERFACE AND YOUR DEVICE FIND EACH OTHER, EXCHANGEGREETINGS AND STRIKE UP A CONVERSATION SO TO SPEAK.  IN MY FIRST TEST I  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 63CONTROL.  ONCE YOUVE FOUND THIS, YOU REALLY DONT NEED TO PLAY WITH THEPHASING.  NOW TUNE IN SOME REAL CW SIGNALS, USING YOUR BANDSPREAD, AND NOTEHOW SHARP AND SELECTIVE IT IS.  UNLESS YOURE A SAFECRACKER, ITS EASY TOCOMPLETELY SCOOT BY THE SWEET SPOT AND NEVER REALIZE THE ADVANTAGE OF THECRYSTAL FILTER.  ONCE YOU DO FIND THE SWEET SPOT, ITS BEST TO ADJUST THEBFO AFTERWARD FOR A COMFORTABLE PITCH.  I REGRET THAT BFO PITCH IS NOLONGER A FRONT PANEL CONTROL ON MODERN RADIOS.  ON MOST VINTAGE RECEIVERS,ITS HELPFUL TO RUN THE AUDIO GAIN WIDE OPEN AND USE THE RF GAIN AS A VOLUMECONTROL, ESPECIALLY ON CW.  ALTHOUGH NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE ISSUE, ITSHOULD BE NOTED THAT MOST EARLY CW RECEIVERS HAD VERY WEAK BFOS, WHICH ISNEVER AN ADVANTAGE, CONTRARY TO SOME ADVICE OF THE TIME.  THIS RESULTED IN  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 34DB/S UNIT TO 7 DB/S UNIT.  BE AWARE THAT YOU CANT USE ANY OLD OPERATIONALAMPLIFIER BECAUSE THE INPUT AND OUTPUT VOLTAGE OF THE AMPLIFIERS MUST BEABLE TO ACCOMMODATE 0R8 V, WHICH IS CLOSE TO THE POSITIVE RAIL OF 0 V.  THETLV2372 HAS INPUT AND OUTPUT CAPABILITY ALL THE WAY TO THE SUPPLY RAILSPOTENTIOMETER R2 ZERO PROVIDES A ZERO ADJUSTMENT FOR THE S METER, WHICH ISBUFFERED THROUGH AMPLIFIER U1B.  THE ZERO FUNCTION OPERATES DIFFERENTLYFROM MOST.  DIODE D3 TRANSFORMS THE AMPLIFIER INTO A PRECISION RECTIFIER.THE RESULT IS THAT THE S METER CANNOT BE DRIVEN BELOW ZERO.  THE REASON FORADDING THIS FEATURE IS THAT IF THE VALUE OF C137 SEE FIGURE 1 IS INCREASEDBY A LARGE AMOUNT IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE AGC DECAY TIME AS I DID IN MYRECEIVER, SWITCHING FROM STANDBY TO OPERATE CAN RESULT IN A NEGATIVE METER  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 85HIS FM SIGNAL ACROSS 14 GRIDS TO CLAIM THE TOP SPOT IN THE SINGLE OPERATOR,FM ONLY CATEGORY.  ART USED ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR BANDS ALLOWED, 144 MHZ,FOR HIS LEADING EFFORT.  LACKING THE CONCENTRATION OF STATIONS TO WORK THATEXISTS IN THE NORTHEAST REGION, THE TEAM OF OPERATORS AT K5QE WORKED HARDTO CLAIM THE THIRD SPOT IN THE LIMITED MULTIOPERATOR CATEGORY FROM THEIREAST TEXAS LOCATION IN THE SOUTH TEXAS SECTION.  THE CREW AT MARSHALLSSTATION RACKED UP 207 MULTIPLIERS SO ALMOST 2/3 OF THEIR 315 CONTACTS WEREIN A UNIQUE MULTIPLIER FOR THEM.  THE MIDWEST WAS ALSO LESS HOSPITABLE TOROVERS BUT WYATT, AC0RA, TEAMED UP WITH BRIAN, KD0LRG TO BRAVE THE COLD ANDCHALLENGING ROAD CONDITIONS.  THEY PILOTED THEIR FOUR BAND STATION THROUGH10 GRIDS TO COMPLETE 328 QSOS, ACHIEVE THIS YEARS TOP MULTIPLIER COUNT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 36THAT P9 SHOULD BE ABOUT 100 5V, BUT CHOOSING 50 5V MAKES THE METER ACTIVEAT LOWER SIGNAL LEVELS, AND MEETS THE IARU RECOMMENDATION FOR AN S 9READING.  SETTING 5 DB/S UNIT IS AN OPTION WITH AN S 0 TO S 9 METER RANGETO 45 DB.  HOWEVER, THE REQUIRED GAIN OF THE RECEIVER MAY STILL BE A BITMARGINAL.  MOVING PT TO 67 DBM 100 5V HELPS THIS SITUATION SHOULD YOUCHOOSE A 5 DB/S UNIT SETTING.  THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC OF THE SMETER IS A CONSISTENT DB/S UNIT VALUE.  NEARLY ALL ON AIR REPORTS ARERELATIVE READINGS COMPARING ANTENNAS OR AMPLIFIERS, SO CONSISTENT DB/S UNITSENSITIVITY OVER THE S 1 TO S 9 RANGE IS OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE.  BECAUSE P9AND PT CHANGE WITH RECEIVER GAIN, TEMPERATURE, BAND, AND FREQUENCY WITHINTHE FIRST IF, CONSISTENCY OF PT AND P9 IS PRETTY MUCH A PIPE DREAM FOR AN S  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 85HIS FM SIGNAL ACROSS 14 GRIDS TO CLAIM THE TOP SPOT IN THE SINGLE OPERATOR,FM ONLY CATEGORY.  ART USED ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR BANDS ALLOWED, 144 MHZ,FOR HIS LEADING EFFORT.  LACKING THE CONCENTRATION OF STATIONS TO WORK THATEXISTS IN THE NORTHEAST REGION, THE TEAM OF OPERATORS AT K5QE WORKED HARDTO CLAIM THE THIRD SPOT IN THE LIMITED MULTIOPERATOR CATEGORY FROM THEIREAST TEXAS LOCATION IN THE SOUTH TEXAS SECTION.  THE CREW AT MARSHALLSSTATION RACKED UP 207 MULTIPLIERS SO ALMOST 2/3 OF THEIR 315 CONTACTS WEREIN A UNIQUE MULTIPLIER FOR THEM.  THE MIDWEST WAS ALSO LESS HOSPITABLE TOROVERS BUT WYATT, AC0RA, TEAMED UP WITH BRIAN, KD0LRG TO BRAVE THE COLD ANDCHALLENGING ROAD CONDITIONS.  THEY PILOTED THEIR FOUR BAND STATION THROUGH10 GRIDS TO COMPLETE 328 QSOS, ACHIEVE THIS YEARS TOP MULTIPLIER COUNT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 55ANTENNA THE RADIO IS SILENT.  A THAT IS A KEY DISTINCTION, BECAUSE THE CUREIS QUITE DIFFERENT FOR THE TWO CASES.  TO FIND OUT, INSERT, SAY, 10 DB OFATTENUATION IN THE FRONT END OF YOUR RECEIVER MANY TRANSCEIVERS CAN DO THISWITH A FRONT PANEL BUTTON.  IF THE SIGNAL IS COMING FROM OUTSIDE ON THERECEIVE FREQUENCY, IT WILL DROP BY 10 DB, OR ALMOST 2 S UNITS.  IF IT IS ATHIRD ORDER INTERMODULATION PRODUCT GENERATED FROM OFF FREQUENCY SIGNALSMIXING WITHIN YOUR RECEIVER, IT WILL DROP BY 3 X 10 DB OR 5 S UNITS CHECKYOUR S METER CALIBRATION ON A KNOWN SIGNAL IN THE SAME BAND FIRST.  IF ITIS A SIGNAL ON YOUR FREQUENCY, ABOUT THE ONLY HOPE IS ONE OF THE CANCELLINGTYPE NOISE REDUCTION DEVICES, ALTHOUGH YOU MAY GET SOME RELIEF BY TURNINGYOUR BEAM TO A NULL IN THE STATIONS DIRECTION.  YOU ALSO COULD TRY TO  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 31DIAMETER WITH A SCREW ON LID.  A STAINLESS STEEL SCREW THROUGH THE TOPSERVES AS AN ANCHOR FOR THE ANTENNA AND IS CONNECTED TO THE INNER LEAD OFAN SO 239 SOCKET AT THE BASE OF THE ABS PIPE SECTION.  THE SHIELD OF THE SO239 IS CONNECTED TO THE GROUND BLOCK WITH HEAVY GAUGE METAL.  THE GROUNDRADIAL SYSTEM IS A CRITICAL PART OF THE ANTENNA.  AS AN INITIAL EXPERIMENTI USED JUST TWO 65 FOOT PIECES OF INSULATED WIRE LAID ON THE GROUND.  I WASABLE TO TUNE THE ANTENNA AND THEY ACTUALLY WORKED QUITE WELL FORCONTINENTAL CONTACTS.  HOWEVER, FOR DX A MORE EXTENSIVE GROUND SYSTEM ISREQUIRED AND AT PRESENT, I HAVE 40 RADIALS, EACH 20 TO 80 FEET LONG,CONNECTED TO THE GROUND JUNCTION BLOCK.  THE RADIALS ARE 15 AWG ZINC COATEDWIRE.  AFTER BURYING THE RADIALS THEY WERE SOON COVERED BY THE SURROUNDING  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 91 SUNSPOT NUMBER DID NOT QUITE TRANSLATE INTO THE CME RATE ITSELF.  THE CMEOCCURRENCE RATE IN CYCLES 24 AND 23 ARE COMPARABLE IN THE MAXIMUM PHASE.THEN HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THE MILD SPACE WEATHER IN CYCLE 24?  A CLUE TOTHE REASON FOR MILDER SPACE WEATHER CAME FROM THE FACT THAT ALL CMES THATPRODUCED PARTICLE EVENTS ARE HALO CMES IN CYCLE 24, COMPARED TO ABOUT 70 INCYCLE 23.  HALO CMES ORIGINATE FROM CLOSE TO THE DISK CENTER AND EXPANDRAPIDLY, GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF SURROUNDING THE SUN.  THERE MUST BESOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE CMES IN SOLAR CYCLE 24.GOPALSWAMY AND CO WORKERS EXAMINED THE RELATION BETWEEN CME WIDTH AND SPEEDAND FOUND THAT THE CYCLE 24 CMES ARE WIDER THAN THE CYCLE 23 ONES FOR AGIVEN SPEED.  FOR ENERGETIC CMES SPEED EXCEEDING 1000 KM/S, THE WIDTH IS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 50VERY INFORMATIVE.  MORE ON PREDICTING SAG IN WIRE ANTENNAS JANUARY 1966 IWROTE THE ARTICLE PREDICTING SAG IN LONG WIRE ANTENNAS WHICH APPEARED INTHE JANUARY 1966 ISSUE OF QST.  THAT ARTICLE HAD AN ERROR IN IT WHENPUBLISHED IN 1966.  THE NOMOGRAPH WAS OFF BY A FACTOR OF 2.  IN ORDER TOCORRECT IT LATER, MY EDITOR BYRON GOODMAN, W1DX, I BELIEVE DECIDED IT WASEASIER TO EDIT THE SPAN IN FIGURE 1 TO BE SHOWN AS OF THE TOTAL SPAN,RATHER THAN ADJUST THE NOMOGRAPH ITSELF.  THAT DID CORRECT THE ERROR,ALTHOUGH IT PROBABLY LED TO SOME OF THE ONGOING CONFUSION.  SEVERAL ARRLEDITORS HAVE ASKED ME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DRAWING AND NOMOGRAPH OVER THEYEARS, PROBABLY WHEN CHANGES WERE BEING MADE TO THE ARRL ANTENNA BOOK.  ABATTERY MONITOR FOR 12 V SYSTEMS JUNE 2013 MERT NELLIS, W0UFO, OUTLINED A  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 52  ME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TUBE AND SOLID STATE AMPLIFIERS IN TERMS OFPERFORMANCE, EASE OF OPERATION, COST, OR OTHER CHARACTERISTICS?  I ALSOWONDER WHY SOME HF AMPLIFIERS DONT OPERATE ON THE 10 AND 12 METER BANDS?  AARGUABLY, TO A STATION AT THE OTHER END OF THE CONTACT, THE SIGNAL FROM ATUBE AMPLIFIER SOUNDS ABOUT THE SAME AS THAT FROM A SOLID STATE UNIT.  INTERMS OF THE IMPACT TO YOUR STATION, HOWEVER, THE SOLID STATE AMPLIFIER HASA NUMBER OF ADVANTAGES.  PERHAPS THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE IS THAT TRANSMITTINGTUBES ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE AND IT IS GETTING HARDER TO FINDREPLACEMENT TUBES OF GOOD QUALITY.  WHILE PROPERLY OPERATED TRANSMIT TUBESSHOULD LAST 10 YEARS OR MORE, WE DO MAKE MISTAKES, AND THE REST OF THEAMPLIFIER SHOULD LAST MUCH LONGER, MEANING WE WILL NEED TO FIND REPLACEMENT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 44MONEY AND SERVE AS A GOOD FIRST RADIO OR AS AN AUXILIARY HANDHELD BACKINGUP A FULLY FEATURED MODEL.  THE SIMPLIFIED OPERATING AND CONTROL INTERFACEWAS WELCOME, WITH THE CLEARLY LABELED FUNCTIONS I NEED MOST AT MYFINGERTIPS.  THANKS TO SCARC MEMBERS JACOB, KD0SJV THERESA, KC0PEO MATTKD0VUH JEFF, AC0SC AND MELANIE, KD0LRC, FOR THEIR TIME AND DETAILEDEVALUATIONS.  MFJ 225 GRAPHICAL ANTENNA ANALYZER THE MFJ 225 IS MFJS LATESTENTRY INTO THE ANTENNA ANALYZER MARKET.  IT IS MUCH SMALLER THAN THEPOPULAR MFJ 259B, MAKING IT CONVENIENT FOR FIELD USE.  IT HAS A BACKLIT 3INCH LCD GRAPHIC DISPLAY THAT SIMULTANEOUSLY SHOWS THE FREQUENCY OR SWEPTFREQUENCY RANGE, UNSIGNED COMPLEX IMPEDANCE, IMPEDANCE MAGNITUDE, COMPUTEDINDUCTANCE OR CAPACITANCE, BATTERY VOLTAGE, AND SWR.  BECAUSE IT IS A TWO  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 91 SUNSPOT NUMBER DID NOT QUITE TRANSLATE INTO THE CME RATE ITSELF.  THE CMEOCCURRENCE RATE IN CYCLES 24 AND 23 ARE COMPARABLE IN THE MAXIMUM PHASE.THEN HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THE MILD SPACE WEATHER IN CYCLE 24?  A CLUE TOTHE REASON FOR MILDER SPACE WEATHER CAME FROM THE FACT THAT ALL CMES THATPRODUCED PARTICLE EVENTS ARE HALO CMES IN CYCLE 24, COMPARED TO ABOUT 70 INCYCLE 23.  HALO CMES ORIGINATE FROM CLOSE TO THE DISK CENTER AND EXPANDRAPIDLY, GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF SURROUNDING THE SUN.  THERE MUST BESOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE CMES IN SOLAR CYCLE 24.GOPALSWAMY AND CO WORKERS EXAMINED THE RELATION BETWEEN CME WIDTH AND SPEEDAND FOUND THAT THE CYCLE 24 CMES ARE WIDER THAN THE CYCLE 23 ONES FOR AGIVEN SPEED.  FOR ENERGETIC CMES SPEED EXCEEDING 1000 KM/S, THE WIDTH IS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 70 HAD OUR ANTENNA CREW TAKEN THIS STEP, WE WOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT WE NEEDEDTO BRING IN THE ADVICE AND COUNSEL OF SOMEONE FAMILIAR WITH THE ANTENNASYSTEM.  EVEN IF WE HAD AN EXPERT IN THE GROUP, STOPPING TO TALK THROUGHEVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN DURING THE TAKEDOWN WOULD HAVE ASSUREDEVERYONE WAS IN THE CORRECT PLACE DOING THE CORRECT THING.  HASTE  AS MYGROUP LEARNED AT FIELD DAY THIS YEAR, HASTE DOES, WELL AND TRULY, MAKEWASTE.  AS MUCH FUN AS EVENTS SUCH AS FIELD DAY ARE, WHEN THEY ARE OVER,THEY ARE OVER.  FOLKS WANT OR NEED TO GET ON WITH OTHER ASPECTS OF THEIRLIVES.  ALL TOO OFTEN, WE FALL UNDER THE SPELL OF BELIEVING THAT IT ISEASIER TO TAKE THINGS DOWN THAN IT IS TO PUT THINGS UP.  FOR EXAMPLE,ROLLING UP A LENGTH OF COAX IS MUCH SIMPLER THAN TAKING THE TIME TO PLAN  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 66AND ACCESSORIES.  WE HAVE USED TROLLEY SYSTEMS TO RAISE 200 POUND ANTENNASAND GOTTEN THEM MOST OF THE WAY UP BEFORE THE SYSTEM BROKE.  WE CLAIM THERECORD FOR HAVING BUILT AT LEAST 12 FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40S AND NONE OF THEMSURVIVED THE SOUTH TEXAS WEATHER.  ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAD A 140 FOOTTOWER THAT WAS RIVETED TUBULAR STEEL, HAD A 10 INCH FACE, AND WAS GUYEDEVERY 20 FEET WITH 3/16 INCH STEEL CABLE BROKEN UP WITH STRAIN INSULATORS.THE TOWER SHOULD HAVE COLLAPSED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE GUYS, BUT IT STAYEDUP FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS WITH A FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40 METER BEAM AT THE TOP.IN 40 YEARS OF BUILDING AMATEUR ANTENNA SYSTEMS, WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE NOTTO HAVE HAD ANY INJURIES MORE SERIOUS THAN SUNBURN AND SCRAPED KNUCKLES.WE HAVE AMASSED A HUGE COLLECTION OF SCRAP ALUMINUM, TOWER SECTIONS,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014 QST  PAGE 75OR A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT.  OUR ROLE IS TO COMMUNICATE EMERGENCIES WHEN THEYHAPPEN.  IF WE LOOK AT WHAT WE DO OVERALL, WE EASILY SEE THAT MOST OF OURWORK IS IN THE AREA OF PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS FESTIVALS, PARADES, MARATHONS,ETC.  DISASTERS ARE OUR SECOND LARGEST AREA OF WORK.  HURRICANE RESPONSEALWAYS INCLUDES AMATEUR RADIO, AND THE SKYWARN PROGRAM WOULD NOT BE THESAME WITHOUT AMATEUR RADIO SUPPORT.  TRUE EMERGENCIES, HOWEVER, ARE VERYRARE.  IF WE WERE TO BREAK IT DOWN BY THE NUMBERS, ACCORDING TO OURCOLLECTIVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, WE CAN SAFELY SAY THAT AMATEUR RADIO PUBLICSERVICE COMMUNICATIONS IS ABOUT 80 PERCENT PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS, 19PERCENT DISASTER COMMUNICATIONS, AND 1 PERCENT EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS.THIS BREAKDOWN HELPS US SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE OF THE VALUE OF THE AMATEUR  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 58TAPE.  I USE A FIBERGLASS RECURVE BOW OF AT LEAST 40 POUNDS COMPOUND BOWSWILL GIVE YOU LESS CONTROL WHEN SHOOTING INTO LOWER TREES AND SEND THEARROW TOO FAR.  A LINE REEL OR LOOP IS ATTACHED PERPENDICULAR TO THE BOWSEE FIGURE 5.  THE ARROW IS FED THROUGH THE CENTER FOR SHOOTING.  I USE THEMETAL LIP OF ONE OF THE REEL SUPPORTS TO KEEP THE LINE FROM UNWINDING UNTILSHOT.  IN SELECTING A TRAJECTORY, I STAND CLOSE TO THE TRUNK AND SHOOT UPTHROUGH THE CANOPY AND OUT INTO THE OPEN AREA ON THE ANTENNA SIDE, THIS WAYTHERE IS LESS CHANCE FOR THE ARROW TO GET CAUGHT IN THE TREE.  AFTER THELINE IS SHOT TO A SUITABLE LOCATION, A HEAVY NYLON CORD WILL HAVE TO BEPULLED THROUGH, TO BE USED TO PULL THE HALYARD LINE.  FOR THIS I USE A KITESTRING REEL SEE FIGURE 6 THAT CAN BE FOUND AT TOY STORES OR SPORTING GOODS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 88OF LATITUDE.  THE NIGHTTIME HAWAIIAN OPENINGS WERE ALMOST ALWAYS CLOSE TOTHE LONG PATH GREAT CIRCLE HEADINGS TO EUROPE.  THESE HEADINGS ARE ABOUT 1520 WEST OF SOUTH.  SMALL TPL FOOTPRINTS IN EUROPE THE FOOTPRINTS OF THEMARCH TPL OPENINGS WERE SMALL IN EUROPE.  THEY CENTERED AROUND SLOVENIA ANDTHE IMMEDIATE SURROUNDING COUNTRIES.  ON ONE EVENING, KH7Y HEARD ONLYBULGARIA.  THIS WAS A VERY SMALL FOOTPRINT FOR SUCH A LONG PATH.  THE SMALLSIZE OF THE EUROPEAN FOOTPRINT MAY BE DUE TO THIS BEING THE SAME TEPFOOTPRINT FOR THE SOUTHERN AFRICA SOUTHERN EUROPE PATH.  THIS ALSO SUGGESTSREGULAR TEP IS INVOLVED FOR THE LAST PART OF THE PATH.  THE HAWAIIAN TPLCONTACTS ARE ALSO SENSITIVE TO THE HIGH LATITUDE POLAR K INDEX.  OVER 90 OFTHE HAWAII CONTACTS WERE MADE WITH A KP PLANETARY K INDEX OF 1 OR 0.  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 66AND ACCESSORIES.  WE HAVE USED TROLLEY SYSTEMS TO RAISE 200 POUND ANTENNASAND GOTTEN THEM MOST OF THE WAY UP BEFORE THE SYSTEM BROKE.  WE CLAIM THERECORD FOR HAVING BUILT AT LEAST 12 FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40S AND NONE OF THEMSURVIVED THE SOUTH TEXAS WEATHER.  ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAD A 140 FOOTTOWER THAT WAS RIVETED TUBULAR STEEL, HAD A 10 INCH FACE, AND WAS GUYEDEVERY 20 FEET WITH 3/16 INCH STEEL CABLE BROKEN UP WITH STRAIN INSULATORS.THE TOWER SHOULD HAVE COLLAPSED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE GUYS, BUT IT STAYEDUP FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS WITH A FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40 METER BEAM AT THE TOP.IN 40 YEARS OF BUILDING AMATEUR ANTENNA SYSTEMS, WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE NOTTO HAVE HAD ANY INJURIES MORE SERIOUS THAN SUNBURN AND SCRAPED KNUCKLES.WE HAVE AMASSED A HUGE COLLECTION OF SCRAP ALUMINUM, TOWER SECTIONS,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014 QST  PAGE 41 INDICATOR, AND SOME THE COMPLETE ANTENNA IMPEDANCE AS A COMPLEX NUMBER THATLOOKS LIKE R JX.  TO FIND THE DIPOLES IMPEDANCE, WE NEED TO PUT THE R AND XVALUES TOGETHER AS A COMPLEX NUMBER THAT IS MADE UP OF THREE PIECES THEFIRST 4 IS RESISTANCE AND ITS REAL, THE SECOND IS THE OPERATOR / , AND THELAST, REACTANCE, J1590 IS IMAGINARY.  YOU KNOW THAT RESISTANCE IS IN OHMSAND REACTANCE IS ALSO IN OHMS.  OHMS 1 OHMS IS NICE AND SIMPLE WHY NOT JUSTLEAVE IT AT THAT?  WHY PUT THE J IN THERE TO COMPLICATE THINGS?  DONT LETTHAT IMAGINARY J PART BRING BACK SOME TERRIBLE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORIES.THERES NO TEST TO WORRY ABOUT, SO TAKE A FEW DEEP BREATHS AND CHILL OUT.NOW, LETS GET REAL ABOUT THE IMAGINARY J.  A FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE THE JIS THERE TO REMIND US OF THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RESISTANCE  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 99EARLY DAYS OF THE NEW MODE, THE SSB RF SIGNAL WAS TYPICALLY GENERATED AT 9MHZ.  THAT MAY SEEM AN ODD CHOICE UNTIL YOU CONSIDER THAT IF YOU MIXED THISSIGNAL WITH THE OUTPUT OF A VFO OPERATING IN A RANGE FROM 5 TO 5R5 MHZ, YOUCOULD USE THE HETERODYNE METHOD TO COMBINE THE TWO SIGNALS AND GENERATE ANRF OUTPUT ON TWO BANDS.  IT WORKED LIKE THIS WHEN YOU COMBINED THE 5 TO 5R5MHZ VFO SIGNAL WITH THE 9 MHZ SSB SIGNAL THE SUM WAS A SIGNAL BETWEEN 14AND 14R5 MHZ, WHICH PROVIDED COVERAGE ACROSS THE 20 METER BAND.  TAKE THEDIFFERENCE INSTEAD AND YOU GET AN OUTPUT IN THE 80 METER BAND 3R5 TO 4 MHZ.ENGINEERS QUICKLY DISCOVERED THAT WITH THE PROPER APPLICATION OF THISHETERODYNE SLEIGHT OF HAND, THEY COULD CREATE A SINGLE CIRCUIT CAPABLE OFGENERATING BOTH THE TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE FREQUENCIES.  NOW A SINGLE RADIO,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 722013.  LOU THEN BEGAN A LENGTHY PROCESS SEEKING PERMISSION TO CONDUCT ADXPEDITION ON WAKE ATOLL.  INITIAL CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE USAF, THEDEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, AND DEPARTMENT OF INSULAR AFFAIRS IN OCTOBER2012 WAS LESS THAN ENCOURAGING.  UNDAUNTED, LOU CONTINUED TO SEEKPERMISSION TO TRAVEL TO WAKE, WHICH REQUIRED SECURING USAF SIGNATURES ATSEVERAL LEVELS IN THE PENTAGON, INCLUDING GENERAL HAWK CARLISLE COMMANDER,PACIFIC AIR FORCES.  THE PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE TRIP HAD TO BE CLEARLYDEFINED MEDICAL FORMS APPROVED, BACKGROUND CHECKS COMPLETED, AND ANAPPROVED BUDGET FINALIZED.  FINALLY ON OCTOBER 28, 2013, WE RECEIVED OURTRAVEL ORDERS.  ALTHOUGH THE TEAM MISSED THE OCTOBER 7 ANNIVERSARY, WE WERENEVERTHELESS EXCITED ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THIS COMMEMORATIVE DXPEDITION.  THE  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW  
NOW 20 WPM TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 56 SITUATIONS WHERE I COULD HAVE BROUGHT A DIRECTIONAL ANTENNA WITH ME, SUCHAS A SMALL YAGI FOR HF OR VHF.  IF ITS LIGHT ENOUGH, ROTATING A YAGI CAN BEDONE WITH THE ARMSTRONG METHOD, BUT IT IS OFTEN VERY INCONVENIENT TO DO SO.PERHAPS YOU DONT WANT TO LEAVE THE RIG BEHIND WHILE YOU GO OUTSIDE TOADJUST THE ANTENNA TOWARD THAT WEAK STATION, OR PERHAPS YOURE IN A TENT ANDITS DARK OUT THERE.  A BATTERY POWERED ROTATOR PORTABLE ROTATION HASDEVELOPED A SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS.  THE 12PR1A IS AN ANTENNA ROTATORFIGURE 6 THAT FUNCTIONS ON 9 TO 14 V DC.  AT 12 V, THE UNIT IS SPECIFIED TODRAW 40 MA IDLE CURRENT AND 200 MA OR LESS WHILE THE ANTENNA IS TURNING.IT CAN BE POWERED FROM THE BATTERY USED TO RUN A TYPICAL PORTABLE STATION.WHILE THE CONTROL HEAD FIGURE 7 WILL FUNCTION WITH AS LITTLE AS 6 V, AEND OF 20 WPM TEXT QST DE AG1LE  NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2014 QST  PAGE 46TRANSMITTER MANUALS SPECIFICATIONS.  BUILD A 1 2 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER SINCETHE OUTPUT OF THE BUFFER AMPLIFIER SUPPLIES ONLY 5 V P P, I CHOSE TO USE A1 2 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER TO BOOST THE BUFFER AMPLIFIER OUTPUT AND TO RAISEITS IMPEDANCE LEVEL.  A 1 2 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER TRANSFORMS THE IMPEDANCE BYA 1 4 RATIO.  I WOUND MY TRANSFORMER ON AN AMIDON ASSOCIATES FT 50A 61FERRITE TOROIDAL CORE.  I DOUBLED UP THE WIRE AND WOUND 1 1 BIFILAR TURNSUSING 24 AWG ENAMELED MAGNET WIRE, THEN CONNECTED THE WIRES ACCORDING TOTHE SCHEMATIC IN FIGURE 5.  I THEN ADDED A DC ISOLATING 0R01 UF CERAMICDISC CAPACITOR IN SERIES WITH OUTPUT SEE FIGURE 6.  I ADDED COAXIAL CABLELEADS AND MOUNTED MY TRANSFORMER ASSEMBLY IN A SMALL PILL BOTTLE.  THETRANSFORMER SHOULD BE PLACED AS CLOSE TO THE TRANSMITTER INPUT AS POSSIBLE.  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2014 QST  PAGE 84COORDINATOR, SENT OUT AN E MAIL TO ALL GARC MEMBERS, ALUMNI, FACULTY,STAFF, AND FRIENDS TO SPREAD THE WORD AND ASK THAT THEY GIVE W4DFU A CALLDURING A WINDOW FOR A VHF SIMPLEX CONTACT.  MUCH TO EVERYONES SURPRISE,W4DFU HAD A SMALL 2 METER PILEUP.  EVERYONE IN THE STATION WAS EXCITED ANDTHE ATMOSPHERE TURNED TO ONE OF CELEBRATION.  THE EXPERIMENT WAS A SUCCESSAND GARC IS PLANNING TO EXPAND FOR FUTURE SCR WORK.  YOU CAN FIND OUT MOREABOUT GARC AT HTTP//GATORRADIO.  ORG.  TEAMING UP WITH THE LOCAL CLUB GLENNRAYMOND SCHOOL AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, W9GRS, OF WATSEKA, ILLINOIS, ENTEREDTHEIR FIRST SCHOOL CLUB ROUNDUP IN OCTOBER 2008 AFTER BEING AWARDED AN ETPGRANT FROM THE ARRL.  W9GRS GOT STARTED WITH A STATION DUE TO THEIR CLOSERELATIONSHIP WITH THE LOCAL AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, THE IROQUOIS COUNTY AMATEUR  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 52AUDIO COMING FROM YOU VIA THE BLUETOOTH CONNECTION IN OTHER WORDS, WHENEVERYOU SPEAK OR WHEN THE DIGITAL MODE SOFTWARE ON YOUR COMPUTER STARTS SENDINGTRANSMIT AUDIO.  BEFORE FIDDLING WITH THESE KNOBS, HOWEVER, YOU MUST FIRSTESTABLISH THE BLUETOOTH CONNECTION BY PAIRING THE RIGBLASTER BLUE WITHWHATEVER BLUETOOTH DEVICE YOU ARE USING WHETHER THAT IS A HEADSET, LAPTOPOR TABLET.  WITHOUT GOING INTO GREAT DETAIL THE RIGBLASTER MANUAL OFFERSSTEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS, IT IS ESSENTIALLY A MATTER OF PRESSING WHATEVERBUTTONS ARE REQUIRED TO PUT YOUR DEVICE INTO DISCOVERY MODE.  YOU DO THESAME TO THE RIGBLASTER BLUE.  IT MAY TAKE AS LONG AS 60 SECONDS, BUTEVENTUALLY THE INTERFACE AND YOUR DEVICE FIND EACH OTHER, EXCHANGEGREETINGS AND STRIKE UP A CONVERSATION SO TO SPEAK.  IN MY FIRST TEST I  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 63CONTROL.  ONCE YOUVE FOUND THIS, YOU REALLY DONT NEED TO PLAY WITH THEPHASING.  NOW TUNE IN SOME REAL CW SIGNALS, USING YOUR BANDSPREAD, AND NOTEHOW SHARP AND SELECTIVE IT IS.  UNLESS YOURE A SAFECRACKER, ITS EASY TOCOMPLETELY SCOOT BY THE SWEET SPOT AND NEVER REALIZE THE ADVANTAGE OF THECRYSTAL FILTER.  ONCE YOU DO FIND THE SWEET SPOT, ITS BEST TO ADJUST THEBFO AFTERWARD FOR A COMFORTABLE PITCH.  I REGRET THAT BFO PITCH IS NOLONGER A FRONT PANEL CONTROL ON MODERN RADIOS.  ON MOST VINTAGE RECEIVERS,ITS HELPFUL TO RUN THE AUDIO GAIN WIDE OPEN AND USE THE RF GAIN AS A VOLUMECONTROL, ESPECIALLY ON CW.  ALTHOUGH NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE ISSUE, ITSHOULD BE NOTED THAT MOST EARLY CW RECEIVERS HAD VERY WEAK BFOS, WHICH ISNEVER AN ADVANTAGE, CONTRARY TO SOME ADVICE OF THE TIME.  THIS RESULTED IN  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 34DB/S UNIT TO 7 DB/S UNIT.  BE AWARE THAT YOU CANT USE ANY OLD OPERATIONALAMPLIFIER BECAUSE THE INPUT AND OUTPUT VOLTAGE OF THE AMPLIFIERS MUST BEABLE TO ACCOMMODATE 0R8 V, WHICH IS CLOSE TO THE POSITIVE RAIL OF 0 V.  THETLV2372 HAS INPUT AND OUTPUT CAPABILITY ALL THE WAY TO THE SUPPLY RAILSPOTENTIOMETER R2 ZERO PROVIDES A ZERO ADJUSTMENT FOR THE S METER, WHICH ISBUFFERED THROUGH AMPLIFIER U1B.  THE ZERO FUNCTION OPERATES DIFFERENTLYFROM MOST.  DIODE D3 TRANSFORMS THE AMPLIFIER INTO A PRECISION RECTIFIER.THE RESULT IS THAT THE S METER CANNOT BE DRIVEN BELOW ZERO.  THE REASON FORADDING THIS FEATURE IS THAT IF THE VALUE OF C137 SEE FIGURE 1 IS INCREASEDBY A LARGE AMOUNT IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE AGC DECAY TIME AS I DID IN MYRECEIVER, SWITCHING FROM STANDBY TO OPERATE CAN RESULT IN A NEGATIVE METER  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 85HIS FM SIGNAL ACROSS 14 GRIDS TO CLAIM THE TOP SPOT IN THE SINGLE OPERATOR,FM ONLY CATEGORY.  ART USED ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR BANDS ALLOWED, 144 MHZ,FOR HIS LEADING EFFORT.  LACKING THE CONCENTRATION OF STATIONS TO WORK THATEXISTS IN THE NORTHEAST REGION, THE TEAM OF OPERATORS AT K5QE WORKED HARDTO CLAIM THE THIRD SPOT IN THE LIMITED MULTIOPERATOR CATEGORY FROM THEIREAST TEXAS LOCATION IN THE SOUTH TEXAS SECTION.  THE CREW AT MARSHALLSSTATION RACKED UP 207 MULTIPLIERS SO ALMOST 2/3 OF THEIR 315 CONTACTS WEREIN A UNIQUE MULTIPLIER FOR THEM.  THE MIDWEST WAS ALSO LESS HOSPITABLE TOROVERS BUT WYATT, AC0RA, TEAMED UP WITH BRIAN, KD0LRG TO BRAVE THE COLD ANDCHALLENGING ROAD CONDITIONS.  THEY PILOTED THEIR FOUR BAND STATION THROUGH10 GRIDS TO COMPLETE 328 QSOS, ACHIEVE THIS YEARS TOP MULTIPLIER COUNT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 36THAT P9 SHOULD BE ABOUT 100 5V, BUT CHOOSING 50 5V MAKES THE METER ACTIVEAT LOWER SIGNAL LEVELS, AND MEETS THE IARU RECOMMENDATION FOR AN S 9READING.  SETTING 5 DB/S UNIT IS AN OPTION WITH AN S 0 TO S 9 METER RANGETO 45 DB.  HOWEVER, THE REQUIRED GAIN OF THE RECEIVER MAY STILL BE A BITMARGINAL.  MOVING PT TO 67 DBM 100 5V HELPS THIS SITUATION SHOULD YOUCHOOSE A 5 DB/S UNIT SETTING.  THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC OF THE SMETER IS A CONSISTENT DB/S UNIT VALUE.  NEARLY ALL ON AIR REPORTS ARERELATIVE READINGS COMPARING ANTENNAS OR AMPLIFIERS, SO CONSISTENT DB/S UNITSENSITIVITY OVER THE S 1 TO S 9 RANGE IS OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE.  BECAUSE P9AND PT CHANGE WITH RECEIVER GAIN, TEMPERATURE, BAND, AND FREQUENCY WITHINTHE FIRST IF, CONSISTENCY OF PT AND P9 IS PRETTY MUCH A PIPE DREAM FOR AN S  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 85HIS FM SIGNAL ACROSS 14 GRIDS TO CLAIM THE TOP SPOT IN THE SINGLE OPERATOR,FM ONLY CATEGORY.  ART USED ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR BANDS ALLOWED, 144 MHZ,FOR HIS LEADING EFFORT.  LACKING THE CONCENTRATION OF STATIONS TO WORK THATEXISTS IN THE NORTHEAST REGION, THE TEAM OF OPERATORS AT K5QE WORKED HARDTO CLAIM THE THIRD SPOT IN THE LIMITED MULTIOPERATOR CATEGORY FROM THEIREAST TEXAS LOCATION IN THE SOUTH TEXAS SECTION.  THE CREW AT MARSHALLSSTATION RACKED UP 207 MULTIPLIERS SO ALMOST 2/3 OF THEIR 315 CONTACTS WEREIN A UNIQUE MULTIPLIER FOR THEM.  THE MIDWEST WAS ALSO LESS HOSPITABLE TOROVERS BUT WYATT, AC0RA, TEAMED UP WITH BRIAN, KD0LRG TO BRAVE THE COLD ANDCHALLENGING ROAD CONDITIONS.  THEY PILOTED THEIR FOUR BAND STATION THROUGH10 GRIDS TO COMPLETE 328 QSOS, ACHIEVE THIS YEARS TOP MULTIPLIER COUNT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 55ANTENNA THE RADIO IS SILENT.  A THAT IS A KEY DISTINCTION, BECAUSE THE CUREIS QUITE DIFFERENT FOR THE TWO CASES.  TO FIND OUT, INSERT, SAY, 10 DB OFATTENUATION IN THE FRONT END OF YOUR RECEIVER MANY TRANSCEIVERS CAN DO THISWITH A FRONT PANEL BUTTON.  IF THE SIGNAL IS COMING FROM OUTSIDE ON THERECEIVE FREQUENCY, IT WILL DROP BY 10 DB, OR ALMOST 2 S UNITS.  IF IT IS ATHIRD ORDER INTERMODULATION PRODUCT GENERATED FROM OFF FREQUENCY SIGNALSMIXING WITHIN YOUR RECEIVER, IT WILL DROP BY 3 X 10 DB OR 5 S UNITS CHECKYOUR S METER CALIBRATION ON A KNOWN SIGNAL IN THE SAME BAND FIRST.  IF ITIS A SIGNAL ON YOUR FREQUENCY, ABOUT THE ONLY HOPE IS ONE OF THE CANCELLINGTYPE NOISE REDUCTION DEVICES, ALTHOUGH YOU MAY GET SOME RELIEF BY TURNINGYOUR BEAM TO A NULL IN THE STATIONS DIRECTION.  YOU ALSO COULD TRY TO  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 31DIAMETER WITH A SCREW ON LID.  A STAINLESS STEEL SCREW THROUGH THE TOPSERVES AS AN ANCHOR FOR THE ANTENNA AND IS CONNECTED TO THE INNER LEAD OFAN SO 239 SOCKET AT THE BASE OF THE ABS PIPE SECTION.  THE SHIELD OF THE SO239 IS CONNECTED TO THE GROUND BLOCK WITH HEAVY GAUGE METAL.  THE GROUNDRADIAL SYSTEM IS A CRITICAL PART OF THE ANTENNA.  AS AN INITIAL EXPERIMENTI USED JUST TWO 65 FOOT PIECES OF INSULATED WIRE LAID ON THE GROUND.  I WASABLE TO TUNE THE ANTENNA AND THEY ACTUALLY WORKED QUITE WELL FORCONTINENTAL CONTACTS.  HOWEVER, FOR DX A MORE EXTENSIVE GROUND SYSTEM ISREQUIRED AND AT PRESENT, I HAVE 40 RADIALS, EACH 20 TO 80 FEET LONG,CONNECTED TO THE GROUND JUNCTION BLOCK.  THE RADIALS ARE 15 AWG ZINC COATEDWIRE.  AFTER BURYING THE RADIALS THEY WERE SOON COVERED BY THE SURROUNDING  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 91 SUNSPOT NUMBER DID NOT QUITE TRANSLATE INTO THE CME RATE ITSELF.  THE CMEOCCURRENCE RATE IN CYCLES 24 AND 23 ARE COMPARABLE IN THE MAXIMUM PHASE.THEN HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THE MILD SPACE WEATHER IN CYCLE 24?  A CLUE TOTHE REASON FOR MILDER SPACE WEATHER CAME FROM THE FACT THAT ALL CMES THATPRODUCED PARTICLE EVENTS ARE HALO CMES IN CYCLE 24, COMPARED TO ABOUT 70 INCYCLE 23.  HALO CMES ORIGINATE FROM CLOSE TO THE DISK CENTER AND EXPANDRAPIDLY, GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF SURROUNDING THE SUN.  THERE MUST BESOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE CMES IN SOLAR CYCLE 24.GOPALSWAMY AND CO WORKERS EXAMINED THE RELATION BETWEEN CME WIDTH AND SPEEDAND FOUND THAT THE CYCLE 24 CMES ARE WIDER THAN THE CYCLE 23 ONES FOR AGIVEN SPEED.  FOR ENERGETIC CMES SPEED EXCEEDING 1000 KM/S, THE WIDTH IS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 50VERY INFORMATIVE.  MORE ON PREDICTING SAG IN WIRE ANTENNAS JANUARY 1966 IWROTE THE ARTICLE PREDICTING SAG IN LONG WIRE ANTENNAS WHICH APPEARED INTHE JANUARY 1966 ISSUE OF QST.  THAT ARTICLE HAD AN ERROR IN IT WHENPUBLISHED IN 1966.  THE NOMOGRAPH WAS OFF BY A FACTOR OF 2.  IN ORDER TOCORRECT IT LATER, MY EDITOR BYRON GOODMAN, W1DX, I BELIEVE DECIDED IT WASEASIER TO EDIT THE SPAN IN FIGURE 1 TO BE SHOWN AS OF THE TOTAL SPAN,RATHER THAN ADJUST THE NOMOGRAPH ITSELF.  THAT DID CORRECT THE ERROR,ALTHOUGH IT PROBABLY LED TO SOME OF THE ONGOING CONFUSION.  SEVERAL ARRLEDITORS HAVE ASKED ME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DRAWING AND NOMOGRAPH OVER THEYEARS, PROBABLY WHEN CHANGES WERE BEING MADE TO THE ARRL ANTENNA BOOK.  ABATTERY MONITOR FOR 12 V SYSTEMS JUNE 2013 MERT NELLIS, W0UFO, OUTLINED A  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 52  ME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TUBE AND SOLID STATE AMPLIFIERS IN TERMS OFPERFORMANCE, EASE OF OPERATION, COST, OR OTHER CHARACTERISTICS?  I ALSOWONDER WHY SOME HF AMPLIFIERS DONT OPERATE ON THE 10 AND 12 METER BANDS?  AARGUABLY, TO A STATION AT THE OTHER END OF THE CONTACT, THE SIGNAL FROM ATUBE AMPLIFIER SOUNDS ABOUT THE SAME AS THAT FROM A SOLID STATE UNIT.  INTERMS OF THE IMPACT TO YOUR STATION, HOWEVER, THE SOLID STATE AMPLIFIER HASA NUMBER OF ADVANTAGES.  PERHAPS THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE IS THAT TRANSMITTINGTUBES ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE AND IT IS GETTING HARDER TO FINDREPLACEMENT TUBES OF GOOD QUALITY.  WHILE PROPERLY OPERATED TRANSMIT TUBESSHOULD LAST 10 YEARS OR MORE, WE DO MAKE MISTAKES, AND THE REST OF THEAMPLIFIER SHOULD LAST MUCH LONGER, MEANING WE WILL NEED TO FIND REPLACEMENT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 44MONEY AND SERVE AS A GOOD FIRST RADIO OR AS AN AUXILIARY HANDHELD BACKINGUP A FULLY FEATURED MODEL.  THE SIMPLIFIED OPERATING AND CONTROL INTERFACEWAS WELCOME, WITH THE CLEARLY LABELED FUNCTIONS I NEED MOST AT MYFINGERTIPS.  THANKS TO SCARC MEMBERS JACOB, KD0SJV THERESA, KC0PEO MATTKD0VUH JEFF, AC0SC AND MELANIE, KD0LRC, FOR THEIR TIME AND DETAILEDEVALUATIONS.  MFJ 225 GRAPHICAL ANTENNA ANALYZER THE MFJ 225 IS MFJS LATESTENTRY INTO THE ANTENNA ANALYZER MARKET.  IT IS MUCH SMALLER THAN THEPOPULAR MFJ 259B, MAKING IT CONVENIENT FOR FIELD USE.  IT HAS A BACKLIT 3INCH LCD GRAPHIC DISPLAY THAT SIMULTANEOUSLY SHOWS THE FREQUENCY OR SWEPTFREQUENCY RANGE, UNSIGNED COMPLEX IMPEDANCE, IMPEDANCE MAGNITUDE, COMPUTEDINDUCTANCE OR CAPACITANCE, BATTERY VOLTAGE, AND SWR.  BECAUSE IT IS A TWO  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 91 SUNSPOT NUMBER DID NOT QUITE TRANSLATE INTO THE CME RATE ITSELF.  THE CMEOCCURRENCE RATE IN CYCLES 24 AND 23 ARE COMPARABLE IN THE MAXIMUM PHASE.THEN HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THE MILD SPACE WEATHER IN CYCLE 24?  A CLUE TOTHE REASON FOR MILDER SPACE WEATHER CAME FROM THE FACT THAT ALL CMES THATPRODUCED PARTICLE EVENTS ARE HALO CMES IN CYCLE 24, COMPARED TO ABOUT 70 INCYCLE 23.  HALO CMES ORIGINATE FROM CLOSE TO THE DISK CENTER AND EXPANDRAPIDLY, GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF SURROUNDING THE SUN.  THERE MUST BESOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE CMES IN SOLAR CYCLE 24.GOPALSWAMY AND CO WORKERS EXAMINED THE RELATION BETWEEN CME WIDTH AND SPEEDAND FOUND THAT THE CYCLE 24 CMES ARE WIDER THAN THE CYCLE 23 ONES FOR AGIVEN SPEED.  FOR ENERGETIC CMES SPEED EXCEEDING 1000 KM/S, THE WIDTH IS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 70 HAD OUR ANTENNA CREW TAKEN THIS STEP, WE WOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT WE NEEDEDTO BRING IN THE ADVICE AND COUNSEL OF SOMEONE FAMILIAR WITH THE ANTENNASYSTEM.  EVEN IF WE HAD AN EXPERT IN THE GROUP, STOPPING TO TALK THROUGHEVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN DURING THE TAKEDOWN WOULD HAVE ASSUREDEVERYONE WAS IN THE CORRECT PLACE DOING THE CORRECT THING.  HASTE  AS MYGROUP LEARNED AT FIELD DAY THIS YEAR, HASTE DOES, WELL AND TRULY, MAKEWASTE.  AS MUCH FUN AS EVENTS SUCH AS FIELD DAY ARE, WHEN THEY ARE OVER,THEY ARE OVER.  FOLKS WANT OR NEED TO GET ON WITH OTHER ASPECTS OF THEIRLIVES.  ALL TOO OFTEN, WE FALL UNDER THE SPELL OF BELIEVING THAT IT ISEASIER TO TAKE THINGS DOWN THAN IT IS TO PUT THINGS UP.  FOR EXAMPLE,ROLLING UP A LENGTH OF COAX IS MUCH SIMPLER THAN TAKING THE TIME TO PLAN  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 66AND ACCESSORIES.  WE HAVE USED TROLLEY SYSTEMS TO RAISE 200 POUND ANTENNASAND GOTTEN THEM MOST OF THE WAY UP BEFORE THE SYSTEM BROKE.  WE CLAIM THERECORD FOR HAVING BUILT AT LEAST 12 FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40S AND NONE OF THEMSURVIVED THE SOUTH TEXAS WEATHER.  ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAD A 140 FOOTTOWER THAT WAS RIVETED TUBULAR STEEL, HAD A 10 INCH FACE, AND WAS GUYEDEVERY 20 FEET WITH 3/16 INCH STEEL CABLE BROKEN UP WITH STRAIN INSULATORS.THE TOWER SHOULD HAVE COLLAPSED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE GUYS, BUT IT STAYEDUP FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS WITH A FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40 METER BEAM AT THE TOP.IN 40 YEARS OF BUILDING AMATEUR ANTENNA SYSTEMS, WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE NOTTO HAVE HAD ANY INJURIES MORE SERIOUS THAN SUNBURN AND SCRAPED KNUCKLES.WE HAVE AMASSED A HUGE COLLECTION OF SCRAP ALUMINUM, TOWER SECTIONS,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014 QST  PAGE 75OR A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT.  OUR ROLE IS TO COMMUNICATE EMERGENCIES WHEN THEYHAPPEN.  IF WE LOOK AT WHAT WE DO OVERALL, WE EASILY SEE THAT MOST OF OURWORK IS IN THE AREA OF PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS FESTIVALS, PARADES, MARATHONS,ETC.  DISASTERS ARE OUR SECOND LARGEST AREA OF WORK.  HURRICANE RESPONSEALWAYS INCLUDES AMATEUR RADIO, AND THE SKYWARN PROGRAM WOULD NOT BE THESAME WITHOUT AMATEUR RADIO SUPPORT.  TRUE EMERGENCIES, HOWEVER, ARE VERYRARE.  IF WE WERE TO BREAK IT DOWN BY THE NUMBERS, ACCORDING TO OURCOLLECTIVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, WE CAN SAFELY SAY THAT AMATEUR RADIO PUBLICSERVICE COMMUNICATIONS IS ABOUT 80 PERCENT PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS, 19PERCENT DISASTER COMMUNICATIONS, AND 1 PERCENT EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS.THIS BREAKDOWN HELPS US SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE OF THE VALUE OF THE AMATEUR  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 58TAPE.  I USE A FIBERGLASS RECURVE BOW OF AT LEAST 40 POUNDS COMPOUND BOWSWILL GIVE YOU LESS CONTROL WHEN SHOOTING INTO LOWER TREES AND SEND THEARROW TOO FAR.  A LINE REEL OR LOOP IS ATTACHED PERPENDICULAR TO THE BOWSEE FIGURE 5.  THE ARROW IS FED THROUGH THE CENTER FOR SHOOTING.  I USE THEMETAL LIP OF ONE OF THE REEL SUPPORTS TO KEEP THE LINE FROM UNWINDING UNTILSHOT.  IN SELECTING A TRAJECTORY, I STAND CLOSE TO THE TRUNK AND SHOOT UPTHROUGH THE CANOPY AND OUT INTO THE OPEN AREA ON THE ANTENNA SIDE, THIS WAYTHERE IS LESS CHANCE FOR THE ARROW TO GET CAUGHT IN THE TREE.  AFTER THELINE IS SHOT TO A SUITABLE LOCATION, A HEAVY NYLON CORD WILL HAVE TO BEPULLED THROUGH, TO BE USED TO PULL THE HALYARD LINE.  FOR THIS I USE A KITESTRING REEL SEE FIGURE 6 THAT CAN BE FOUND AT TOY STORES OR SPORTING GOODS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 88OF LATITUDE.  THE NIGHTTIME HAWAIIAN OPENINGS WERE ALMOST ALWAYS CLOSE TOTHE LONG PATH GREAT CIRCLE HEADINGS TO EUROPE.  THESE HEADINGS ARE ABOUT 1520 WEST OF SOUTH.  SMALL TPL FOOTPRINTS IN EUROPE THE FOOTPRINTS OF THEMARCH TPL OPENINGS WERE SMALL IN EUROPE.  THEY CENTERED AROUND SLOVENIA ANDTHE IMMEDIATE SURROUNDING COUNTRIES.  ON ONE EVENING, KH7Y HEARD ONLYBULGARIA.  THIS WAS A VERY SMALL FOOTPRINT FOR SUCH A LONG PATH.  THE SMALLSIZE OF THE EUROPEAN FOOTPRINT MAY BE DUE TO THIS BEING THE SAME TEPFOOTPRINT FOR THE SOUTHERN AFRICA SOUTHERN EUROPE PATH.  THIS ALSO SUGGESTSREGULAR TEP IS INVOLVED FOR THE LAST PART OF THE PATH.  THE HAWAIIAN TPLCONTACTS ARE ALSO SENSITIVE TO THE HIGH LATITUDE POLAR K INDEX.  OVER 90 OFTHE HAWAII CONTACTS WERE MADE WITH A KP PLANETARY K INDEX OF 1 OR 0.  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 66AND ACCESSORIES.  WE HAVE USED TROLLEY SYSTEMS TO RAISE 200 POUND ANTENNASAND GOTTEN THEM MOST OF THE WAY UP BEFORE THE SYSTEM BROKE.  WE CLAIM THERECORD FOR HAVING BUILT AT LEAST 12 FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40S AND NONE OF THEMSURVIVED THE SOUTH TEXAS WEATHER.  ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAD A 140 FOOTTOWER THAT WAS RIVETED TUBULAR STEEL, HAD A 10 INCH FACE, AND WAS GUYEDEVERY 20 FEET WITH 3/16 INCH STEEL CABLE BROKEN UP WITH STRAIN INSULATORS.THE TOWER SHOULD HAVE COLLAPSED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE GUYS, BUT IT STAYEDUP FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS WITH A FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40 METER BEAM AT THE TOP.IN 40 YEARS OF BUILDING AMATEUR ANTENNA SYSTEMS, WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE NOTTO HAVE HAD ANY INJURIES MORE SERIOUS THAN SUNBURN AND SCRAPED KNUCKLES.WE HAVE AMASSED A HUGE COLLECTION OF SCRAP ALUMINUM, TOWER SECTIONS,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014 QST  PAGE 41 INDICATOR, AND SOME THE COMPLETE ANTENNA IMPEDANCE AS A COMPLEX NUMBER THATLOOKS LIKE R JX.  TO FIND THE DIPOLES IMPEDANCE, WE NEED TO PUT THE R AND XVALUES TOGETHER AS A COMPLEX NUMBER THAT IS MADE UP OF THREE PIECES THEFIRST 4 IS RESISTANCE AND ITS REAL, THE SECOND IS THE OPERATOR / , AND THELAST, REACTANCE, J1590 IS IMAGINARY.  YOU KNOW THAT RESISTANCE IS IN OHMSAND REACTANCE IS ALSO IN OHMS.  OHMS 1 OHMS IS NICE AND SIMPLE WHY NOT JUSTLEAVE IT AT THAT?  WHY PUT THE J IN THERE TO COMPLICATE THINGS?  DONT LETTHAT IMAGINARY J PART BRING BACK SOME TERRIBLE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORIES.THERES NO TEST TO WORRY ABOUT, SO TAKE A FEW DEEP BREATHS AND CHILL OUT.NOW, LETS GET REAL ABOUT THE IMAGINARY J.  A FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE THE JIS THERE TO REMIND US OF THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RESISTANCE  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 99EARLY DAYS OF THE NEW MODE, THE SSB RF SIGNAL WAS TYPICALLY GENERATED AT 9MHZ.  THAT MAY SEEM AN ODD CHOICE UNTIL YOU CONSIDER THAT IF YOU MIXED THISSIGNAL WITH THE OUTPUT OF A VFO OPERATING IN A RANGE FROM 5 TO 5R5 MHZ, YOUCOULD USE THE HETERODYNE METHOD TO COMBINE THE TWO SIGNALS AND GENERATE ANRF OUTPUT ON TWO BANDS.  IT WORKED LIKE THIS WHEN YOU COMBINED THE 5 TO 5R5MHZ VFO SIGNAL WITH THE 9 MHZ SSB SIGNAL THE SUM WAS A SIGNAL BETWEEN 14AND 14R5 MHZ, WHICH PROVIDED COVERAGE ACROSS THE 20 METER BAND.  TAKE THEDIFFERENCE INSTEAD AND YOU GET AN OUTPUT IN THE 80 METER BAND 3R5 TO 4 MHZ.ENGINEERS QUICKLY DISCOVERED THAT WITH THE PROPER APPLICATION OF THISHETERODYNE SLEIGHT OF HAND, THEY COULD CREATE A SINGLE CIRCUIT CAPABLE OFGENERATING BOTH THE TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE FREQUENCIES.  NOW A SINGLE RADIO,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 722013.  LOU THEN BEGAN A LENGTHY PROCESS SEEKING PERMISSION TO CONDUCT ADXPEDITION ON WAKE ATOLL.  INITIAL CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE USAF, THEDEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, AND DEPARTMENT OF INSULAR AFFAIRS IN OCTOBER2012 WAS LESS THAN ENCOURAGING.  UNDAUNTED, LOU CONTINUED TO SEEKPERMISSION TO TRAVEL TO WAKE, WHICH REQUIRED SECURING USAF SIGNATURES ATSEVERAL LEVELS IN THE PENTAGON, INCLUDING GENERAL HAWK CARLISLE COMMANDER,PACIFIC AIR FORCES.  THE PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE TRIP HAD TO BE CLEARLYDEFINED MEDICAL FORMS APPROVED, BACKGROUND CHECKS COMPLETED, AND ANAPPROVED BUDGET FINALIZED.  FINALLY ON OCTOBER 28, 2013, WE RECEIVED OURTRAVEL ORDERS.  ALTHOUGH THE TEAM MISSED THE OCTOBER 7 ANNIVERSARY, WE WERENEVERTHELESS EXCITED ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THIS COMMEMORATIVE DXPEDITION.  THE  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW  
NOW 20 WPM TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 56 SITUATIONS WHERE I COULD HAVE BROUGHT A DIRECTIONAL ANTENNA WITH ME, SUCHAS A SMALL YAGI FOR HF OR VHF.  IF ITS LIGHT ENOUGH, ROTATING A YAGI CAN BEDONE WITH THE ARMSTRONG METHOD, BUT IT IS OFTEN VERY INCONVENIENT TO DO SO.PERHAPS YOU DONT WANT TO LEAVE THE RIG BEHIND WHILE YOU GO OUTSIDE TOADJUST THE ANTENNA TOWARD THAT WEAK STATION, OR PERHAPS YOURE IN A TENT ANDITS DARK OUT THERE.  A BATTERY POWERED ROTATOR PORTABLE ROTATION HASDEVELOPED A SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS.  THE 12PR1A IS AN ANTENNA ROTATORFIGURE 6 THAT FUNCTIONS ON 9 TO 14 V DC.  AT 12 V, THE UNIT IS SPECIFIED TODRAW 40 MA IDLE CURRENT AND 200 MA OR LESS WHILE THE ANTENNA IS TURNING.IT CAN BE POWERED FROM THE BATTERY USED TO RUN A TYPICAL PORTABLE STATION.WHILE THE CONTROL HEAD FIGURE 7 WILL FUNCTION WITH AS LITTLE AS 6 V, AEND OF 20 WPM TEXT QST DE AG1LE  NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2014 QST  PAGE 46TRANSMITTER MANUALS SPECIFICATIONS.  BUILD A 1 2 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER SINCETHE OUTPUT OF THE BUFFER AMPLIFIER SUPPLIES ONLY 5 V P P, I CHOSE TO USE A1 2 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER TO BOOST THE BUFFER AMPLIFIER OUTPUT AND TO RAISEITS IMPEDANCE LEVEL.  A 1 2 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER TRANSFORMS THE IMPEDANCE BYA 1 4 RATIO.  I WOUND MY TRANSFORMER ON AN AMIDON ASSOCIATES FT 50A 61FERRITE TOROIDAL CORE.  I DOUBLED UP THE WIRE AND WOUND 1 1 BIFILAR TURNSUSING 24 AWG ENAMELED MAGNET WIRE, THEN CONNECTED THE WIRES ACCORDING TOTHE SCHEMATIC IN FIGURE 5.  I THEN ADDED A DC ISOLATING 0R01 UF CERAMICDISC CAPACITOR IN SERIES WITH OUTPUT SEE FIGURE 6.  I ADDED COAXIAL CABLELEADS AND MOUNTED MY TRANSFORMER ASSEMBLY IN A SMALL PILL BOTTLE.  THETRANSFORMER SHOULD BE PLACED AS CLOSE TO THE TRANSMITTER INPUT AS POSSIBLE.  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2014 QST  PAGE 84COORDINATOR, SENT OUT AN E MAIL TO ALL GARC MEMBERS, ALUMNI, FACULTY,STAFF, AND FRIENDS TO SPREAD THE WORD AND ASK THAT THEY GIVE W4DFU A CALLDURING A WINDOW FOR A VHF SIMPLEX CONTACT.  MUCH TO EVERYONES SURPRISE,W4DFU HAD A SMALL 2 METER PILEUP.  EVERYONE IN THE STATION WAS EXCITED ANDTHE ATMOSPHERE TURNED TO ONE OF CELEBRATION.  THE EXPERIMENT WAS A SUCCESSAND GARC IS PLANNING TO EXPAND FOR FUTURE SCR WORK.  YOU CAN FIND OUT MOREABOUT GARC AT HTTP//GATORRADIO.  ORG.  TEAMING UP WITH THE LOCAL CLUB GLENNRAYMOND SCHOOL AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, W9GRS, OF WATSEKA, ILLINOIS, ENTEREDTHEIR FIRST SCHOOL CLUB ROUNDUP IN OCTOBER 2008 AFTER BEING AWARDED AN ETPGRANT FROM THE ARRL.  W9GRS GOT STARTED WITH A STATION DUE TO THEIR CLOSERELATIONSHIP WITH THE LOCAL AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, THE IROQUOIS COUNTY AMATEUR  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 52AUDIO COMING FROM YOU VIA THE BLUETOOTH CONNECTION IN OTHER WORDS, WHENEVERYOU SPEAK OR WHEN THE DIGITAL MODE SOFTWARE ON YOUR COMPUTER STARTS SENDINGTRANSMIT AUDIO.  BEFORE FIDDLING WITH THESE KNOBS, HOWEVER, YOU MUST FIRSTESTABLISH THE BLUETOOTH CONNECTION BY PAIRING THE RIGBLASTER BLUE WITHWHATEVER BLUETOOTH DEVICE YOU ARE USING WHETHER THAT IS A HEADSET, LAPTOPOR TABLET.  WITHOUT GOING INTO GREAT DETAIL THE RIGBLASTER MANUAL OFFERSSTEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS, IT IS ESSENTIALLY A MATTER OF PRESSING WHATEVERBUTTONS ARE REQUIRED TO PUT YOUR DEVICE INTO DISCOVERY MODE.  YOU DO THESAME TO THE RIGBLASTER BLUE.  IT MAY TAKE AS LONG AS 60 SECONDS, BUTEVENTUALLY THE INTERFACE AND YOUR DEVICE FIND EACH OTHER, EXCHANGEGREETINGS AND STRIKE UP A CONVERSATION SO TO SPEAK.  IN MY FIRST TEST I  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 63CONTROL.  ONCE YOUVE FOUND THIS, YOU REALLY DONT NEED TO PLAY WITH THEPHASING.  NOW TUNE IN SOME REAL CW SIGNALS, USING YOUR BANDSPREAD, AND NOTEHOW SHARP AND SELECTIVE IT IS.  UNLESS YOURE A SAFECRACKER, ITS EASY TOCOMPLETELY SCOOT BY THE SWEET SPOT AND NEVER REALIZE THE ADVANTAGE OF THECRYSTAL FILTER.  ONCE YOU DO FIND THE SWEET SPOT, ITS BEST TO ADJUST THEBFO AFTERWARD FOR A COMFORTABLE PITCH.  I REGRET THAT BFO PITCH IS NOLONGER A FRONT PANEL CONTROL ON MODERN RADIOS.  ON MOST VINTAGE RECEIVERS,ITS HELPFUL TO RUN THE AUDIO GAIN WIDE OPEN AND USE THE RF GAIN AS A VOLUMECONTROL, ESPECIALLY ON CW.  ALTHOUGH NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE ISSUE, ITSHOULD BE NOTED THAT MOST EARLY CW RECEIVERS HAD VERY WEAK BFOS, WHICH ISNEVER AN ADVANTAGE, CONTRARY TO SOME ADVICE OF THE TIME.  THIS RESULTED IN  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 34DB/S UNIT TO 7 DB/S UNIT.  BE AWARE THAT YOU CANT USE ANY OLD OPERATIONALAMPLIFIER BECAUSE THE INPUT AND OUTPUT VOLTAGE OF THE AMPLIFIERS MUST BEABLE TO ACCOMMODATE 0R8 V, WHICH IS CLOSE TO THE POSITIVE RAIL OF 0 V.  THETLV2372 HAS INPUT AND OUTPUT CAPABILITY ALL THE WAY TO THE SUPPLY RAILSPOTENTIOMETER R2 ZERO PROVIDES A ZERO ADJUSTMENT FOR THE S METER, WHICH ISBUFFERED THROUGH AMPLIFIER U1B.  THE ZERO FUNCTION OPERATES DIFFERENTLYFROM MOST.  DIODE D3 TRANSFORMS THE AMPLIFIER INTO A PRECISION RECTIFIER.THE RESULT IS THAT THE S METER CANNOT BE DRIVEN BELOW ZERO.  THE REASON FORADDING THIS FEATURE IS THAT IF THE VALUE OF C137 SEE FIGURE 1 IS INCREASEDBY A LARGE AMOUNT IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE AGC DECAY TIME AS I DID IN MYRECEIVER, SWITCHING FROM STANDBY TO OPERATE CAN RESULT IN A NEGATIVE METER  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 85HIS FM SIGNAL ACROSS 14 GRIDS TO CLAIM THE TOP SPOT IN THE SINGLE OPERATOR,FM ONLY CATEGORY.  ART USED ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR BANDS ALLOWED, 144 MHZ,FOR HIS LEADING EFFORT.  LACKING THE CONCENTRATION OF STATIONS TO WORK THATEXISTS IN THE NORTHEAST REGION, THE TEAM OF OPERATORS AT K5QE WORKED HARDTO CLAIM THE THIRD SPOT IN THE LIMITED MULTIOPERATOR CATEGORY FROM THEIREAST TEXAS LOCATION IN THE SOUTH TEXAS SECTION.  THE CREW AT MARSHALLSSTATION RACKED UP 207 MULTIPLIERS SO ALMOST 2/3 OF THEIR 315 CONTACTS WEREIN A UNIQUE MULTIPLIER FOR THEM.  THE MIDWEST WAS ALSO LESS HOSPITABLE TOROVERS BUT WYATT, AC0RA, TEAMED UP WITH BRIAN, KD0LRG TO BRAVE THE COLD ANDCHALLENGING ROAD CONDITIONS.  THEY PILOTED THEIR FOUR BAND STATION THROUGH10 GRIDS TO COMPLETE 328 QSOS, ACHIEVE THIS YEARS TOP MULTIPLIER COUNT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 36THAT P9 SHOULD BE ABOUT 100 5V, BUT CHOOSING 50 5V MAKES THE METER ACTIVEAT LOWER SIGNAL LEVELS, AND MEETS THE IARU RECOMMENDATION FOR AN S 9READING.  SETTING 5 DB/S UNIT IS AN OPTION WITH AN S 0 TO S 9 METER RANGETO 45 DB.  HOWEVER, THE REQUIRED GAIN OF THE RECEIVER MAY STILL BE A BITMARGINAL.  MOVING PT TO 67 DBM 100 5V HELPS THIS SITUATION SHOULD YOUCHOOSE A 5 DB/S UNIT SETTING.  THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC OF THE SMETER IS A CONSISTENT DB/S UNIT VALUE.  NEARLY ALL ON AIR REPORTS ARERELATIVE READINGS COMPARING ANTENNAS OR AMPLIFIERS, SO CONSISTENT DB/S UNITSENSITIVITY OVER THE S 1 TO S 9 RANGE IS OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE.  BECAUSE P9AND PT CHANGE WITH RECEIVER GAIN, TEMPERATURE, BAND, AND FREQUENCY WITHINTHE FIRST IF, CONSISTENCY OF PT AND P9 IS PRETTY MUCH A PIPE DREAM FOR AN S  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 85HIS FM SIGNAL ACROSS 14 GRIDS TO CLAIM THE TOP SPOT IN THE SINGLE OPERATOR,FM ONLY CATEGORY.  ART USED ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR BANDS ALLOWED, 144 MHZ,FOR HIS LEADING EFFORT.  LACKING THE CONCENTRATION OF STATIONS TO WORK THATEXISTS IN THE NORTHEAST REGION, THE TEAM OF OPERATORS AT K5QE WORKED HARDTO CLAIM THE THIRD SPOT IN THE LIMITED MULTIOPERATOR CATEGORY FROM THEIREAST TEXAS LOCATION IN THE SOUTH TEXAS SECTION.  THE CREW AT MARSHALLSSTATION RACKED UP 207 MULTIPLIERS SO ALMOST 2/3 OF THEIR 315 CONTACTS WEREIN A UNIQUE MULTIPLIER FOR THEM.  THE MIDWEST WAS ALSO LESS HOSPITABLE TOROVERS BUT WYATT, AC0RA, TEAMED UP WITH BRIAN, KD0LRG TO BRAVE THE COLD ANDCHALLENGING ROAD CONDITIONS.  THEY PILOTED THEIR FOUR BAND STATION THROUGH10 GRIDS TO COMPLETE 328 QSOS, ACHIEVE THIS YEARS TOP MULTIPLIER COUNT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 55ANTENNA THE RADIO IS SILENT.  A THAT IS A KEY DISTINCTION, BECAUSE THE CUREIS QUITE DIFFERENT FOR THE TWO CASES.  TO FIND OUT, INSERT, SAY, 10 DB OFATTENUATION IN THE FRONT END OF YOUR RECEIVER MANY TRANSCEIVERS CAN DO THISWITH A FRONT PANEL BUTTON.  IF THE SIGNAL IS COMING FROM OUTSIDE ON THERECEIVE FREQUENCY, IT WILL DROP BY 10 DB, OR ALMOST 2 S UNITS.  IF IT IS ATHIRD ORDER INTERMODULATION PRODUCT GENERATED FROM OFF FREQUENCY SIGNALSMIXING WITHIN YOUR RECEIVER, IT WILL DROP BY 3 X 10 DB OR 5 S UNITS CHECKYOUR S METER CALIBRATION ON A KNOWN SIGNAL IN THE SAME BAND FIRST.  IF ITIS A SIGNAL ON YOUR FREQUENCY, ABOUT THE ONLY HOPE IS ONE OF THE CANCELLINGTYPE NOISE REDUCTION DEVICES, ALTHOUGH YOU MAY GET SOME RELIEF BY TURNINGYOUR BEAM TO A NULL IN THE STATIONS DIRECTION.  YOU ALSO COULD TRY TO  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 31DIAMETER WITH A SCREW ON LID.  A STAINLESS STEEL SCREW THROUGH THE TOPSERVES AS AN ANCHOR FOR THE ANTENNA AND IS CONNECTED TO THE INNER LEAD OFAN SO 239 SOCKET AT THE BASE OF THE ABS PIPE SECTION.  THE SHIELD OF THE SO239 IS CONNECTED TO THE GROUND BLOCK WITH HEAVY GAUGE METAL.  THE GROUNDRADIAL SYSTEM IS A CRITICAL PART OF THE ANTENNA.  AS AN INITIAL EXPERIMENTI USED JUST TWO 65 FOOT PIECES OF INSULATED WIRE LAID ON THE GROUND.  I WASABLE TO TUNE THE ANTENNA AND THEY ACTUALLY WORKED QUITE WELL FORCONTINENTAL CONTACTS.  HOWEVER, FOR DX A MORE EXTENSIVE GROUND SYSTEM ISREQUIRED AND AT PRESENT, I HAVE 40 RADIALS, EACH 20 TO 80 FEET LONG,CONNECTED TO THE GROUND JUNCTION BLOCK.  THE RADIALS ARE 15 AWG ZINC COATEDWIRE.  AFTER BURYING THE RADIALS THEY WERE SOON COVERED BY THE SURROUNDING  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 91 SUNSPOT NUMBER DID NOT QUITE TRANSLATE INTO THE CME RATE ITSELF.  THE CMEOCCURRENCE RATE IN CYCLES 24 AND 23 ARE COMPARABLE IN THE MAXIMUM PHASE.THEN HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THE MILD SPACE WEATHER IN CYCLE 24?  A CLUE TOTHE REASON FOR MILDER SPACE WEATHER CAME FROM THE FACT THAT ALL CMES THATPRODUCED PARTICLE EVENTS ARE HALO CMES IN CYCLE 24, COMPARED TO ABOUT 70 INCYCLE 23.  HALO CMES ORIGINATE FROM CLOSE TO THE DISK CENTER AND EXPANDRAPIDLY, GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF SURROUNDING THE SUN.  THERE MUST BESOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE CMES IN SOLAR CYCLE 24.GOPALSWAMY AND CO WORKERS EXAMINED THE RELATION BETWEEN CME WIDTH AND SPEEDAND FOUND THAT THE CYCLE 24 CMES ARE WIDER THAN THE CYCLE 23 ONES FOR AGIVEN SPEED.  FOR ENERGETIC CMES SPEED EXCEEDING 1000 KM/S, THE WIDTH IS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 50VERY INFORMATIVE.  MORE ON PREDICTING SAG IN WIRE ANTENNAS JANUARY 1966 IWROTE THE ARTICLE PREDICTING SAG IN LONG WIRE ANTENNAS WHICH APPEARED INTHE JANUARY 1966 ISSUE OF QST.  THAT ARTICLE HAD AN ERROR IN IT WHENPUBLISHED IN 1966.  THE NOMOGRAPH WAS OFF BY A FACTOR OF 2.  IN ORDER TOCORRECT IT LATER, MY EDITOR BYRON GOODMAN, W1DX, I BELIEVE DECIDED IT WASEASIER TO EDIT THE SPAN IN FIGURE 1 TO BE SHOWN AS OF THE TOTAL SPAN,RATHER THAN ADJUST THE NOMOGRAPH ITSELF.  THAT DID CORRECT THE ERROR,ALTHOUGH IT PROBABLY LED TO SOME OF THE ONGOING CONFUSION.  SEVERAL ARRLEDITORS HAVE ASKED ME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DRAWING AND NOMOGRAPH OVER THEYEARS, PROBABLY WHEN CHANGES WERE BEING MADE TO THE ARRL ANTENNA BOOK.  ABATTERY MONITOR FOR 12 V SYSTEMS JUNE 2013 MERT NELLIS, W0UFO, OUTLINED A  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 52  ME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TUBE AND SOLID STATE AMPLIFIERS IN TERMS OFPERFORMANCE, EASE OF OPERATION, COST, OR OTHER CHARACTERISTICS?  I ALSOWONDER WHY SOME HF AMPLIFIERS DONT OPERATE ON THE 10 AND 12 METER BANDS?  AARGUABLY, TO A STATION AT THE OTHER END OF THE CONTACT, THE SIGNAL FROM ATUBE AMPLIFIER SOUNDS ABOUT THE SAME AS THAT FROM A SOLID STATE UNIT.  INTERMS OF THE IMPACT TO YOUR STATION, HOWEVER, THE SOLID STATE AMPLIFIER HASA NUMBER OF ADVANTAGES.  PERHAPS THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE IS THAT TRANSMITTINGTUBES ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE AND IT IS GETTING HARDER TO FINDREPLACEMENT TUBES OF GOOD QUALITY.  WHILE PROPERLY OPERATED TRANSMIT TUBESSHOULD LAST 10 YEARS OR MORE, WE DO MAKE MISTAKES, AND THE REST OF THEAMPLIFIER SHOULD LAST MUCH LONGER, MEANING WE WILL NEED TO FIND REPLACEMENT  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 44MONEY AND SERVE AS A GOOD FIRST RADIO OR AS AN AUXILIARY HANDHELD BACKINGUP A FULLY FEATURED MODEL.  THE SIMPLIFIED OPERATING AND CONTROL INTERFACEWAS WELCOME, WITH THE CLEARLY LABELED FUNCTIONS I NEED MOST AT MYFINGERTIPS.  THANKS TO SCARC MEMBERS JACOB, KD0SJV THERESA, KC0PEO MATTKD0VUH JEFF, AC0SC AND MELANIE, KD0LRC, FOR THEIR TIME AND DETAILEDEVALUATIONS.  MFJ 225 GRAPHICAL ANTENNA ANALYZER THE MFJ 225 IS MFJS LATESTENTRY INTO THE ANTENNA ANALYZER MARKET.  IT IS MUCH SMALLER THAN THEPOPULAR MFJ 259B, MAKING IT CONVENIENT FOR FIELD USE.  IT HAS A BACKLIT 3INCH LCD GRAPHIC DISPLAY THAT SIMULTANEOUSLY SHOWS THE FREQUENCY OR SWEPTFREQUENCY RANGE, UNSIGNED COMPLEX IMPEDANCE, IMPEDANCE MAGNITUDE, COMPUTEDINDUCTANCE OR CAPACITANCE, BATTERY VOLTAGE, AND SWR.  BECAUSE IT IS A TWO  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 91 SUNSPOT NUMBER DID NOT QUITE TRANSLATE INTO THE CME RATE ITSELF.  THE CMEOCCURRENCE RATE IN CYCLES 24 AND 23 ARE COMPARABLE IN THE MAXIMUM PHASE.THEN HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THE MILD SPACE WEATHER IN CYCLE 24?  A CLUE TOTHE REASON FOR MILDER SPACE WEATHER CAME FROM THE FACT THAT ALL CMES THATPRODUCED PARTICLE EVENTS ARE HALO CMES IN CYCLE 24, COMPARED TO ABOUT 70 INCYCLE 23.  HALO CMES ORIGINATE FROM CLOSE TO THE DISK CENTER AND EXPANDRAPIDLY, GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF SURROUNDING THE SUN.  THERE MUST BESOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE CMES IN SOLAR CYCLE 24.GOPALSWAMY AND CO WORKERS EXAMINED THE RELATION BETWEEN CME WIDTH AND SPEEDAND FOUND THAT THE CYCLE 24 CMES ARE WIDER THAN THE CYCLE 23 ONES FOR AGIVEN SPEED.  FOR ENERGETIC CMES SPEED EXCEEDING 1000 KM/S, THE WIDTH IS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 70 HAD OUR ANTENNA CREW TAKEN THIS STEP, WE WOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT WE NEEDEDTO BRING IN THE ADVICE AND COUNSEL OF SOMEONE FAMILIAR WITH THE ANTENNASYSTEM.  EVEN IF WE HAD AN EXPERT IN THE GROUP, STOPPING TO TALK THROUGHEVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN DURING THE TAKEDOWN WOULD HAVE ASSUREDEVERYONE WAS IN THE CORRECT PLACE DOING THE CORRECT THING.  HASTE  AS MYGROUP LEARNED AT FIELD DAY THIS YEAR, HASTE DOES, WELL AND TRULY, MAKEWASTE.  AS MUCH FUN AS EVENTS SUCH AS FIELD DAY ARE, WHEN THEY ARE OVER,THEY ARE OVER.  FOLKS WANT OR NEED TO GET ON WITH OTHER ASPECTS OF THEIRLIVES.  ALL TOO OFTEN, WE FALL UNDER THE SPELL OF BELIEVING THAT IT ISEASIER TO TAKE THINGS DOWN THAN IT IS TO PUT THINGS UP.  FOR EXAMPLE,ROLLING UP A LENGTH OF COAX IS MUCH SIMPLER THAN TAKING THE TIME TO PLAN  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 66AND ACCESSORIES.  WE HAVE USED TROLLEY SYSTEMS TO RAISE 200 POUND ANTENNASAND GOTTEN THEM MOST OF THE WAY UP BEFORE THE SYSTEM BROKE.  WE CLAIM THERECORD FOR HAVING BUILT AT LEAST 12 FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40S AND NONE OF THEMSURVIVED THE SOUTH TEXAS WEATHER.  ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAD A 140 FOOTTOWER THAT WAS RIVETED TUBULAR STEEL, HAD A 10 INCH FACE, AND WAS GUYEDEVERY 20 FEET WITH 3/16 INCH STEEL CABLE BROKEN UP WITH STRAIN INSULATORS.THE TOWER SHOULD HAVE COLLAPSED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE GUYS, BUT IT STAYEDUP FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS WITH A FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40 METER BEAM AT THE TOP.IN 40 YEARS OF BUILDING AMATEUR ANTENNA SYSTEMS, WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE NOTTO HAVE HAD ANY INJURIES MORE SERIOUS THAN SUNBURN AND SCRAPED KNUCKLES.WE HAVE AMASSED A HUGE COLLECTION OF SCRAP ALUMINUM, TOWER SECTIONS,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014 QST  PAGE 75OR A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT.  OUR ROLE IS TO COMMUNICATE EMERGENCIES WHEN THEYHAPPEN.  IF WE LOOK AT WHAT WE DO OVERALL, WE EASILY SEE THAT MOST OF OURWORK IS IN THE AREA OF PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS FESTIVALS, PARADES, MARATHONS,ETC.  DISASTERS ARE OUR SECOND LARGEST AREA OF WORK.  HURRICANE RESPONSEALWAYS INCLUDES AMATEUR RADIO, AND THE SKYWARN PROGRAM WOULD NOT BE THESAME WITHOUT AMATEUR RADIO SUPPORT.  TRUE EMERGENCIES, HOWEVER, ARE VERYRARE.  IF WE WERE TO BREAK IT DOWN BY THE NUMBERS, ACCORDING TO OURCOLLECTIVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, WE CAN SAFELY SAY THAT AMATEUR RADIO PUBLICSERVICE COMMUNICATIONS IS ABOUT 80 PERCENT PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS, 19PERCENT DISASTER COMMUNICATIONS, AND 1 PERCENT EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS.THIS BREAKDOWN HELPS US SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE OF THE VALUE OF THE AMATEUR  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 58TAPE.  I USE A FIBERGLASS RECURVE BOW OF AT LEAST 40 POUNDS COMPOUND BOWSWILL GIVE YOU LESS CONTROL WHEN SHOOTING INTO LOWER TREES AND SEND THEARROW TOO FAR.  A LINE REEL OR LOOP IS ATTACHED PERPENDICULAR TO THE BOWSEE FIGURE 5.  THE ARROW IS FED THROUGH THE CENTER FOR SHOOTING.  I USE THEMETAL LIP OF ONE OF THE REEL SUPPORTS TO KEEP THE LINE FROM UNWINDING UNTILSHOT.  IN SELECTING A TRAJECTORY, I STAND CLOSE TO THE TRUNK AND SHOOT UPTHROUGH THE CANOPY AND OUT INTO THE OPEN AREA ON THE ANTENNA SIDE, THIS WAYTHERE IS LESS CHANCE FOR THE ARROW TO GET CAUGHT IN THE TREE.  AFTER THELINE IS SHOT TO A SUITABLE LOCATION, A HEAVY NYLON CORD WILL HAVE TO BEPULLED THROUGH, TO BE USED TO PULL THE HALYARD LINE.  FOR THIS I USE A KITESTRING REEL SEE FIGURE 6 THAT CAN BE FOUND AT TOY STORES OR SPORTING GOODS  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 88OF LATITUDE.  THE NIGHTTIME HAWAIIAN OPENINGS WERE ALMOST ALWAYS CLOSE TOTHE LONG PATH GREAT CIRCLE HEADINGS TO EUROPE.  THESE HEADINGS ARE ABOUT 1520 WEST OF SOUTH.  SMALL TPL FOOTPRINTS IN EUROPE THE FOOTPRINTS OF THEMARCH TPL OPENINGS WERE SMALL IN EUROPE.  THEY CENTERED AROUND SLOVENIA ANDTHE IMMEDIATE SURROUNDING COUNTRIES.  ON ONE EVENING, KH7Y HEARD ONLYBULGARIA.  THIS WAS A VERY SMALL FOOTPRINT FOR SUCH A LONG PATH.  THE SMALLSIZE OF THE EUROPEAN FOOTPRINT MAY BE DUE TO THIS BEING THE SAME TEPFOOTPRINT FOR THE SOUTHERN AFRICA SOUTHERN EUROPE PATH.  THIS ALSO SUGGESTSREGULAR TEP IS INVOLVED FOR THE LAST PART OF THE PATH.  THE HAWAIIAN TPLCONTACTS ARE ALSO SENSITIVE TO THE HIGH LATITUDE POLAR K INDEX.  OVER 90 OFTHE HAWAII CONTACTS WERE MADE WITH A KP PLANETARY K INDEX OF 1 OR 0.  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 66AND ACCESSORIES.  WE HAVE USED TROLLEY SYSTEMS TO RAISE 200 POUND ANTENNASAND GOTTEN THEM MOST OF THE WAY UP BEFORE THE SYSTEM BROKE.  WE CLAIM THERECORD FOR HAVING BUILT AT LEAST 12 FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40S AND NONE OF THEMSURVIVED THE SOUTH TEXAS WEATHER.  ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAD A 140 FOOTTOWER THAT WAS RIVETED TUBULAR STEEL, HAD A 10 INCH FACE, AND WAS GUYEDEVERY 20 FEET WITH 3/16 INCH STEEL CABLE BROKEN UP WITH STRAIN INSULATORS.THE TOWER SHOULD HAVE COLLAPSED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE GUYS, BUT IT STAYEDUP FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS WITH A FOUR ELEMENT KLM 40 METER BEAM AT THE TOP.IN 40 YEARS OF BUILDING AMATEUR ANTENNA SYSTEMS, WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE NOTTO HAVE HAD ANY INJURIES MORE SERIOUS THAN SUNBURN AND SCRAPED KNUCKLES.WE HAVE AMASSED A HUGE COLLECTION OF SCRAP ALUMINUM, TOWER SECTIONS,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014 QST  PAGE 41 INDICATOR, AND SOME THE COMPLETE ANTENNA IMPEDANCE AS A COMPLEX NUMBER THAT LOOKS LIKE R JX.  TO FIND THE DIPOLES IMPEDANCE, WE NEED TO PUT THE R AND X VALUES TOGETHER AS A COMPLEX NUMBER THAT IS MADE UP OF THREE PIECES THE FIRST 4 IS RESISTANCE AND ITS REAL, THE SECOND IS THE OPERATOR / , AND THE LAST, REACTANCE, J1590 IS IMAGINARY.  YOU KNOW THAT RESISTANCE IS IN OHMS AND REACTANCE IS ALSO IN OHMS.  OHMS 1 OHMS IS NICE AND SIMPLE WHY NOT JUSTLEAVE IT AT THAT?  WHY PUT THE J IN THERE TO COMPLICATE THINGS?  DONT LETTHAT IMAGINARY J PART BRING BACK SOME TERRIBLE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORIES.THERES NO TEST TO WORRY ABOUT, SO TAKE A FEW DEEP BREATHS AND CHILL OUT.NOW, LETS GET REAL ABOUT THE IMAGINARY J.  A FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE THE JIS THERE TO REMIND US OF THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RESISTANCE  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM    TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 99EARLY DAYS OF THE NEW MODE, THE SSB RF SIGNAL WAS TYPICALLY GENERATED AT 9MHZ.  THAT MAY SEEM AN ODD CHOICE UNTIL YOU CONSIDER THAT IF YOU MIXED THISSIGNAL WITH THE OUTPUT OF A VFO OPERATING IN A RANGE FROM 5 TO 5R5 MHZ, YOUCOULD USE THE HETERODYNE METHOD TO COMBINE THE TWO SIGNALS AND GENERATE ANRF OUTPUT ON TWO BANDS.  IT WORKED LIKE THIS WHEN YOU COMBINED THE 5 TO 5R5MHZ VFO SIGNAL WITH THE 9 MHZ SSB SIGNAL THE SUM WAS A SIGNAL BETWEEN 14AND 14R5 MHZ, WHICH PROVIDED COVERAGE ACROSS THE 20 METER BAND.  TAKE THEDIFFERENCE INSTEAD AND YOU GET AN OUTPUT IN THE 80 METER BAND 3R5 TO 4 MHZ.ENGINEERS QUICKLY DISCOVERED THAT WITH THE PROPER APPLICATION OF THISHETERODYNE SLEIGHT OF HAND, THEY COULD CREATE A SINGLE CIRCUIT CAPABLE OFGENERATING BOTH THE TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE FREQUENCIES.  NOW A SINGLE RADIO,  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW    NOW 20 WPM     TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 722013.  LOU THEN BEGAN A LENGTHY PROCESS SEEKING PERMISSION TO CONDUCT A DX PEDITION ON WAKE ATOLL.  INITIAL CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE USAF, THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, AND DEPARTMENT OF INSULAR AFFAIRS IN OCTOBER2012 WAS LESS THAN ENCOURAGING.  UNDAUNTED, LOU CONTINUED TO SEEK PERMISSION TO TRAVEL TO WAKE, WHICH REQUIRED SECURING USAF SIGNATURES ATSEVERAL LEVELS IN THE PENTAGON, INCLUDING GENERAL HAWK CARLISLE COMMANDER,PACIFIC AIR FORCES.  THE PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE TRIP HAD TO BE CLEARLYDEFINED MEDICAL FORMS APPROVED, BACKGROUND CHECKS COMPLETED, AND AN APPROVED BUDGET FINALIZED.  FINALLY ON OCTOBER 28, 2013, WE RECEIVED OUR TRAVEL ORDERS.  ALTHOUGH THE TEAM MISSED THE OCTOBER 7 ANNIVERSARY, WE WERENEVERTHELESS EXCITED ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THIS COMMEMORATIVE DXPEDITION.  THE  END OF 20 WPM TEXT    QST DE W1AW