KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog

KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog

Amateur radio in the news: A teen’s passion for radio, a ham’s view of the Boston Marathon, pico balloon makes it to Italy

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A Stroudsburg teens’ passion for radio

[Stroudsburg, Monroe County, PA (WBRE/WYOU)] In this week’s Here’s to You Kid segment, 28/22 News met a young ham radio operator. It’s not only his hobby, what he does also involves helping save lives.

Young man operating a radio.
Samuel Thrall, W3GZ, has a passion for radio.

14-year-old Samuel Thrall, W3GZ,  is a member of the Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association (EPARA.) He passed three levels of the FCC Amateur Radio Licensing exam and now helps at the Monroe County Public Safety Center.

What interested him in ham radio in the first place is simple. “The scientific aspect of it is very interesting because it’s a technology we use on a daily basis. Our phones are all powered by radio just with computers built into them,” Samuel explained.

…read more and watch the video

As a ham radio operator, Lacy, of Middleburgh, had interesting perspective on Boston Marathon

[Middleburgh, MA] There are an estimated half a million spectators along the Boston Marathon course in any given year. If you’ve run the race, you know what a half-million voices stretched over 26.2 miles of Massachusetts roads sound like.

Of the over 9,000 volunteers that work Boston, over 300 serve as the voice of the marathon in their own way, but also serve as the eyes and ears. For the last two years, Matt Lacy of Middleburgh has been one of them. On Monday, he took up his assigned station at Mile 11 as one of the amateur (ham) radio operators who play an important role from start to finish by providing a communication network that supplements the other public safety personnel and resources vital to this massive enterprise.

“For the ham radio folks, it’s the premiere public service event, the chance for us to get the experience doing one of these events, having to report to whatever levels we need to, working within the confines of whatever section of the course we’re on,” Lacy said on Wednesday.

…read more

TAG students launch solar-powered balloon

[Iowa Falls, IA] Riverbend Middle School TAG (Talented and Gifted) students launched a solar-powered balloon on April 5 from the school, after a presentation and help from amateur ham radio operator Jim Emmert of Pella. The balloon named PENS-p22 traveled across Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, the Atlantic Ocean, Morocco, Algeria the Mediterranean Sea, Italy, and the Adriatic Sea.

The “pico balloon” launched by the students made it all the way to Italy.

“I am constantly on the lookout for guest speakers, fascinating projects or unique things that we could learn about,” TAG teacher Amanda Fjeld said. “I value exposing students to new topics and projects of any kind. I am constantly brainstorming ideas and often ask others for engaging project ideas. My friend Jen, who is from Pella, told me about Jim’s Solar Balloon program, so I reached out to him. I was especially excited because I lack knowledge in the world of solar technology and weather patterns but want to expose students to more science-related opportunities.”

Emmert is a retired teacher who lives in Pella and travels to different schools teaching students about amateur radio, earth science, balloons, and GPS technology. He also launches Pico balloons and gives predictions and tracking to the students.

“Our students spent about three hours on the morning of April 5 learning and launching the balloon,” Fjeld said. “It was one of the few times I have had all of the students in TAG in 6th, 7th and 8th grade come together on one project, so it was encouraging to see them interact and work together.”

…read more

Operating Notes: The sun giveth and the sun taketh away

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The good news about this point in the sunspot cycle is that the sun is more active, meaning that in general, band conditions are pretty good. Except when they’re not.

According to the NOAA:

There are several types of space weather that can impact HF radio communication. In a typical sequence of space weather storms, the first impacts are felt during the solar flare itself. The solar x-rays from the sun penetrate to the bottom of the ionosphere (to around 80 km). There the x-ray photons ionize the atmosphere and create an enhancement of the D layer of the ionosphere. This enhanced D-layer acts both as a reflector of radio waves at some frequencies and an absorber of waves at other frequencies. The Radio Blackout associated with solar flares occurs on the dayside region of Earth and is most intense when the sun is directly overhead.

This seems to be happening frequently in the last week or so. You can go to the NOAA site or SolarHam to learn more than you probably want to know about this.

Radio blackouts are no fun, but they’re especially disappointing if you’ve hauled your gear out for a POTA activation. I went up to the Island Lake Recreation Area (US-3315) on Saturday afternoon and fought the conditions for a while. I was also competing for calls from the Indiana, New England, and 7th Call Area QSO parties.

I started out on 20 meters, but after making only five contacts, I decided to try 17 meters, where I was able to scratch out a couple more.  I then tried 15 meters, but had absolutely non success there, so I went back to 20 meters.

By hunting around for some park-to-park contacts, I was able to make 20 contacts overall, but it took me two and a half hours to do it. I’m not sure if the conditions or the contest competition was the main culprit, but activating on a big contest weekend was probably not the smartest thing to do.

Activating the AACME

Conditions weren’t all that much better Sunday morning, when three of us—Joe AC8ES, James AE8JF, and yours truly—set up to demo amateur radio at the Ann Arbor Creativity and Making Expo (AACME).  Joe had brought his Xiegu G90 and Alex Loop, but we were barely able to hear anything.

Two hams standing behind a table demonstrating amateur radio.
Joe, AC8ES, and Dan, KB6NU, at the 2024 Ann Arbor Creativity and Making Expo. Photo: James, AE8JF.

We attributed this to two factors. First, we were trying to operate the loop inside the building. Second, there had been reports of solar flares that morning that were adversely affecting HF propagation.

Despite that, we had a great time. Joe had brought his latest project—a QRP dummy load/wattmeter—that’s going to be our club’s next build project. And, I brought various keys and code oscillators to demonstrate Morse Code and get kids (and adults) to send their names in Morse Code.

A little after 1 pm, I decided to set up my KX-3 and see what I could do with it. Before the event started, I had set up my 66-ft. doublet in the courtyard just outside where our table was located. Over the next hour and a half, I managed to scratch out eight contacts, all on 20 meters, and all with participants in the New England QSO Party.

Overall, I think our participation in the AACME was a success. We were able to spread the word about amateur radio and our club. I passed out some flyers for my June 1 Tech class, and met some other interesting people.

What’s your special event?

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Yesterday, on Mastodon, a fellow posted this:

As far as QSLs go, you might want to design something that you can send electronically. And, if someone wants a printed card, you could take that design to a Staples and have a few printed for you.

I’ve always enjoyed working special event stations, and I think that coming up with your own personal special event would be even more fun. So, what’s your special event?

Amateur radio in the news: STEM students get licenses, eclipse news

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I’ve been falling a bit behind in my “amateur radio in the news” posts. These are from the beginning of April, but still worth blogging about, I think……Dan

STEM Club Members Earn HAM Radio Licenses

[GREENVILLE, IL] Members of the Greenville Junior High School STEM Club have obtained their Amateur HAM Radio licenses, after attending sessions led by the Okaw Valley Amateur Radio Club.

The students immersed themselves in learning radio communications principles, regulations, and practical skills. Okaw Valley members believe the partnership by the two groups showcases the importance of community collaboration in enriching educational experiences.

Attainment of the licenses not only equips students with valuable skills, but also opens doors to opportunities in emergency communication and public service.

Earning their licenses were Milan Hustedde, Jay Neer,  Ryder Johnson, Nolan Prater, Lukas Simmonds,  Ezra Van Middendorp,  Jackson Wood.

…read more

Tooele students have out-of-this-world conversation with astronaut

TOOELE, Utah — Excitement filled the air as students from the Tooele County School District had the extraordinary opportunity to connect directly with astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

Thanks to the amateur radio on the stations, students from the district gathered at Blue Peak High School and posed questions Monday to astronaut Mike Barratt in live ham radio contact.

…read more and watch video

see also “Utah students use ham radio to connect with astronaut during eclipse”

BBC – Total solar eclipse: The 4-minute window into the Sun’s secrets

About halfway down is this section:

Radio listening party

The Sun’s activity can disrupt almost all our communications, including the humble long-wave radio. Energy from the Sun charges a region in the upper atmosphere called the ionosphere, which helps radio transmissions whizz around the planet. But when the Moon blocks the Sun, the ionosphere is affected.

To test what that does to radio, hundreds of amateur radio operators will join a listening party and send signals to each other across the world, competing for the most connections. They might communicate in Morse code or even speak.

The results could help scientists better understand radio communications used by emergency workers, airplanes, and ships, as well as GPS, according to Nathaniel Frissell at University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, who is running the party.

…read more

Warm fuzzies from the ARRL?

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Over on Mastodon a couple of days ago, a fellow posted a link to the ARRL CEO’s editorial in the May 2024 QST with this comment, “Seems like drama aimed at…everyone?”

In the editorial, NA2AA, rails against the “persistent  bashing” of the ARRL. He writes, “Recreational attacks on social media and other public forums, where participants ‘eat their own’ and only serve to drive of good people within amateur radio, are counterproductive and reckless.”

I actually agree with him on this, but I also think that this editorial comes off as kind of petulant. Like he’s not getting the kudos that he thinks he deserves. This may be true, but I’m not sure an editorial like this is the way to get people to stop. If anything, it gives bad actors another target to shoot at.

“Warm fuzzies”

Coincidentally, there was a post on /r/amateurradio titled “Leaving ARRL.” The post itself was kind of nonsensical, but I found one of the comments to be spot on. The commenter writes,

I was an ARRL member for a couple years after I got licensed back in 2018. I would rather spend my money by directly investing in local clubs. I don’t outright hate everything about them, but I sure don’t get warm fuzzies either.

I think that this may be one of the most cogent observations yet. It’s not that the ARRL isn’t doing good things for amateur radio, but that they’re not providing that warm, fuzzy feeling that members are looking for.

In Rotary clubs, fellowship and camaraderie are stressed, and Rotary leaders recognize that the camaraderie—i.e. “warm fuzzies”—provided by Rotary clubs is the biggest reason that members continue to be members. I think that this is what’s missing from the ARRL. If the ARRL was a more collegial organization, then perhaps there would be less contentiousness.

Social media is with us to stay. Asking people to stop posting bad things about you isn’t the way to get them to stop.

Dealing with misinformation

While writing this post, I did an internet search for “how nonprofits deal with misinformation” that yielded hundreds of references. One of them listed five tips to combat misinformation and disinformation, including:

  1. Use trusted messengers.  Look for leaders of groups and sub-groups to connect with the broader community.
  2. Fill information gaps quickly with accurate information; explain what you are doing; and find the facts when all are not yet known.
  3. Be transparent about how decisions are made.
  4. Repeat actionable information.
  5. Build trust in “blue sky times” when there is no crisis.

Perhaps this is a start?

Wow…MFJ to cease production on May 17

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There have been rumors floating around for the past couple of days that MFJ was going to discontinue production. That seemed almost impossible to me because they’ve become such a big part of amateur radio. Nonetheless, the rumors are true. Martin Jue sent out this message earlier today:

April 25, 2024

Dear Fellow Hams and Friends,

It is with a sad heart as I write this letter

As many of you have heard by now, MFJ is ceasing its on-site production in Starkville, Mississippi on May 17, 2024.  This is also the same for our sister companies’ Ameritron, Hygain, Cushcraft, Mirage and Vectronics.

Times have changed since I started this business 52 years ago.  Our product line grew and grew and prospered.  Covid changed everything in businesses including ours.  It was the hardest hit that we have ever had and we never fully recovered.

I turned 80 this year.  I had never really considered retirement but life is so short and my time with my family is so precious.

I want to thank all of our employees who have helped build this company with me over the years.  We have many employees who have made MFJ their career for 10, 20, 30, 40 and more years.

We are going to continue to sell MFJ products past May 17, 2024.  We have a lot of stock on hand. We will continue to offer repair service work for out-of-warranty and in-warranty units for the foreseeable future.

Finally, a special thanks to all of our customers and our dealers who have made MFJ a worldwide name and a profitable business for so many years.  You all are so much appreciated.

Sincerely Yours, 73s
Martin F. Jue, K5FLU

I would be surprised if someone didn’t buy the company—there was talk that DX Engineering made an offer—but at this point, it doesn’t appear that there’s a buyer. Stay tuned.

More QSLs: DL1PAN, WA2TAX

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Here are a couple more QSL cards from my collection of QSLs whose calls spell words….

I’ve actually had this care for a while, but I just ran across it while going through a pile of cards I received from the bureau.

Here’s one that’s appropriate for the season.

I didn’t know that Rochester had such an impressive waterfall. I’m going to have to visit there sometime to see it.

ICQ Podcast Episode 428 – ICQPodcast Live

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In this episode, I joined Martin Butler M1MRB, Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT and Edmund Spicer M0MNG, and we discussed:

Amateur radio videos: W6LG on SWR, CW without Morse Code?, M0NTV on impedance matching

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W6LG on SWR

Standing wave ration (SWR) is arguably one of the most debated—and misunderstood—topics in amateur radio. Here is Jim, W6LG’s, take on it.

CW without Morse Code?

In amateur radio, we tend to use the terms “CW” and “Morse Code” interchangeably. Technically, though, we send Morse Code using continuous wave (CW) transmissions.  CW could be used to send other codes, such as the one proposed by this video.

It doesn’t’ seem like the code proposed here is all that practical, but YMMV. Let me know what you think.

MONTV on impedance matching

Impedance and impedance matching are two more misunderstood topics. Here, Nick, M0NTV, explains some of the basics of LC matching networks. What good is knowing this? Well, for example, if you really want to understand how your antenna tuner works, you’ll want to watch this. This is Part 1 of 2 videos.

Random Noise: Wet antenna, POTA ragchewing, more ops sending BK

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Rain puts a damper (literally!) on 30m operations

I love my homebrew Cobra antenna…

…but it suffers from one big drawback. When it rains, the ladder line impedance changes and I have to retune the antenna. And, when it rains constantly for more than a couple of hours—like it has been here for the past 24 hours or so—I can’t tune it at all on 30 meters. That’s a bummer because 30 meters is my favorite band.

Oh well….It looks like the rain has finally let up here, so I should be back in business on 30 meters this evening.

POTA Ragchewing?

One of my ragchewing buddies is Howard, K4LXY. He’s fun to chat with because he always has something interesting that he’s doing or working on. A couple of days ago during our QSO, he suggested that POTA would be even more fun if somehow one could get credit for ragchewing from a park.

I like this idea. Perhaps if one had a ragchew of 15 minutes or more from a park, that one contact would qualify the operation as a legal activation and 10 contacts. What do you think?

More breaking, less IDing

It used to be that, at the end of a transmission, one would send the other station’s call, then “DE”, then your call, then “K”. So, for example, if I was working W1ABC, I’d send “W1ABC DE KB6NU K”.

Lately, however, I’ve been noticing more stations simply sending “BK” when they’re done with their transmission. I’m cool with this. The regulations say that one only has to identify every ten minutes, so why waste time sending call signs over and over? What do you think?