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N4WD

BRUCE BALLEW
FORT OGLETHORPE, GA.
EM74jw





Welcome to the N4WD Page. Please view the page often to see more updates............... DO YOU USE THE LOGBOOK OF THE WORLD? Check the ARRL site for more information.



LIFE MEMBER







AMATEUR RADIO VIA N4WD


Amateur Radio enhances international relations as no other hobby. Radio amateurs all over the  world are communicating with each other,  even as you surf this web page. Most amateur radio operators, also know  as "HAMS," are different from non-ham in just one way -- their circle of friends is not limited by distance or social class. Hams can have daily contact with friends anywhere in the world.
Somewhere, sometime, there must have been an amateur who went through the trials of studying for their license, and the tribulations of taking an examination.  Who didn’t get "on the air" at the earliest possible minute after he get his "ticket" off the FCC web site or from the letter carrier? We’re still looking for that person, and someday we may meet them!


YESTERDAY TO TODAY


We were  "on the air" about a week after we received our "ticket" as a novice (WN4AYN), back in 1965. The rig was a one tube, two bands (75/40meter) 15 watt transmitter. The transmitter was build from old TV parts. "They had tubes in them back then." The receiver was a S38b that I put the tickle coil modification in for CW. The solid state rectifiers change to replace the rectifier tube. The antenna was an off center feed windom. My hand was  shaking when I made my first contact with a ham in Nashville, Tennessee. He had to know that I was a new ham, because my cw sounded like it was coming from a broken 75rpm record.

With all the new regulation, some may think it's easier to get a "ticket" now day, but I think the written test is just as hard or harder than back when I took my test. Wither you take the no-code or the 5wpm route for your ticket. The knowledge that you get  studying  for the test  will be with you for ever. So have fun and never stop learning. Build a few projects an antenna or two. Keep notes on all of your changes and projects. They will help you and others. What you learn will led you along a road of fun and new friends and maybe a new field of work.

I became interested in amateur radio after a couple of years on the old CB. I came across an ARRL book in the high school library. From the ARRL I found out about the Chattanooga Amateur Radio Club. I went to their meeting and they were just starting up a novice class. After 5 week at two nights a week, I was ready to take my test. We get our ticket in a little over 6 week in the mail, they were even slower back then. We were off and running.  We ended up with a degree in engineering and working in the digital communication in the great world of networking (WWW). My amateur radio experiences have helped me along this road and I believe will continue to guild me along this road. So give it a try and  "have fun." N4WD



WHATS NEW AT N4WD


Well the bug has bitting other HAM. SATELLITE "BIRD" communications, what more can one say. We started out with the HT (FT50R) and the old rubber duck. That was not enought, had to be able to talk for longer and hear and work more stations. Thus came the first of many beam antennas, from handhold to full control via the rotors. I have listed a lot of the sites that I get information for antennas and operation.
I hope they will help you out and point you to what ever type of operations you like.
For us we have gone from the MOXON ( see W4RNL, LB Cebik site) to an EGGBEATER (see K5OE site). To going around the town picking up old TV antennas. By the way picked up a good (after cleaning and oiling) old 110 rotor ( use this for elevation) and a Radio Shack rotor for a few bucks at a yard sale.
Used the TV antennas to make two 5 element beams for 2 M and two 8 elements for 70 CM. These were mounted on a PVC boom with T reducers and 45 deg. couplings. This gave me a way to set the beams up across from each other at 45 deg. and then feed them with stubs and phasing stubs to get righthand elliptically polarization.

/___/_____\___\
T
2 70 70 2


Well , we have changed again and now have 6 element 2M and 10 element 70CM antennas with antenna relays and phasing for switchable right/left hand polarization. Boy does it make a world of deference. The antenna are turned by two U100 rotors with contols built from old ARRL Antenna Hand Book. The two rotors were picked up from a sale for under $50. A lot of hand work between the radio control and the rotor controls, but for under $100 for rotors and home made controls what can you say, IT WORKS.

X---+---X
|
2M 70CM

Most of the construction information came from one of the web sites listed or one of their links and book on setelittes and antennas [ARRL Antenna Book and Handbook, and The Satellite Experimenter's Handbook].
The radio here is a Yeasu FT847. With this set up we are able to work AO 07, A0 27, AO 51, FO 29, HO68, VO 52, SO 50, RS satellites and ISS.
The HT still gets used on the road with an antenna from VK3JED site. I did change a couple of things, like using #0 aluminium for all the elements [ I know its hard to make connections with aluminium, so I used eyelets soldered together and crimped on the elements to make connections]. It's soft and I just bend the elements to fit in the car and reshap them when I want to use the antenna. You can buy or build a duplexer or just T the two antennas together. But be sure to use a duplexer on any larger antennas with higher power, its a most unless you have mutliple outputs on your rig for the different bands. (**NOTE if you use a handheld antenna use low power, no more than 5 watts and keep the antenna as far away from your body as possible. In other words "BE SAFE".)
The people at the hardware store most have thought I was replumbing the house I bought so much PVC, but it makes great booms. Hopfully soon we will be able to get potos of the many antennas for the site. Still have the ones we tried in storage. Never know when you will meet a HAM that gets bit and needs a little help getting started.
We are now working on a S band system, made up of a converted Drake receiver and a home made dish.
Hope to see you on the BIRDS.


And the world of HAM RADIO keeps changing. Have you tried the newest of the MIXED worlds of communications? ILINK/ECHOLINK, a mix of the INTERNET and HAM RADIO. If not, you need to give it a try.
Bands sound died and not much to talk about. Well this may change the day of operations and add a few new hams to the whos who list. With a internet link and some "free" software you can be talking around the word via the internet to hams at home, on the road or just kicking back at the local fishing hole. And if you just get to add the the fun yourself , you can add an ILINK to you local radio hub. The cost is not that much and you can add a link to your local radio system andd get others into the fun. All you need to get started is a computer, internet service, and all the information you need from VK2JTP's web site ( see link below ).
Hope to hear you on the local system here or via the op link on ILINK.

Well we just added DXCC to the other wall paper. It took a long time, but I was not looking to work DXCC. So now that makes DXCC, QCWA, WAS, RCC, 1010, SB and a few others hanging from the wall.

THE MAIN RIG FT990 AND FT847

X7

pic from www.cushcraft.com

THE MAIN ANTENNA CC X7


Enter your callsign to see if you have an eQSL waiting!



Where To Find DX Info

Space Weather Bureau
Start here to see what the sun is up to

QRZ
QRZ DX list

QSL
QSL.net

DXER
DX Notebook

Dailydx
Daily DX

425DXN
425 DX Report

NJDXA
North Jersey DX Association

WM7D
Propagation Info

DXPUB
QRZ DX / The DX Magazine

OH2AQ
DX Summit (on line cluster)



Web Sites For Amateur Radio

American Radio Relay League
Information on getting started in amateur radio, with details of activities and societies around the world.

AMSAT-NA
Information on amateur radio satellite activities.

Michigan AMSAT
Information on amateur radio satellite, by KG8OC.

Columbia University Amateur Radio Club
The resource of the ham radio club (W2AEE) of this university.

CQ Amateur Amateur Radio
CQ-Amateur Radio has been serving amateurs sence 1945. The journal is loaded with new to the old. HF, VFH, UHF, contesting to propagation. They have it all.

All Modes Of Digital Wireless BUXCOMM
The resource of the ham radio didital radio operations.

EHAM...New, DX, Sales, and more
just for Amateur radio enthusiasts. .

FUNET.FI
If your looking for software for ham radio, this is the place.

VK2JTP
ECHOLINKS, all you need to get started in internet/ham radio.

National Radio Club - DX Audio Service
Nonprofit club devoted to broadcast radio was founded in 1933 and features two publications. Find membership info, articles and suggested books.

NLSA
Satellite tracking program, one of many on the web.

North American Shortwave Association
Resource for short-wave radio enthusiasts includes event updates, newsletters, listening guides, a club store and related links.

ON1CAU
Link for satellite information.

QSL Server EQSL
Amateur radio enthusiasts can utilize this QSL servers, leave and pickup QSLs from all over the world.

Satellite Scope
Information on satellite operations and other links

VK3JED
Need a handheld antenna, this may just hit the spot.

KC6UUT
Links to more satellite antenna.

Weather Bug
Whats the weather in your area, Try the WEATHER BUG

W2SZ - Amateur Radio - New York
Radio station of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY.



Ham Radio Personal Pages

A61AJ -Asian Multi-Multi Station

AC6V -Amareur Radio and DX Reference Guide

K4RO -Web Site for Tennessee Contesters

K4UVT / ZF2RF -Bob's Caribbean DX and Contesting Site

KA9FOX -Web Site for Contesters and DXers

N3FJP - Logging software, great software for amateur use

N4BP - Web site and links to many great places

NW7US - Command Center via NW7US for amateur radio

WØAIH - Possibly the biggest ham radio installation in the world!

W9RPM - John Kjos of La Crosse, WI

WD4NGB -A starting point for DXing and Contesting



HAM RADIO COMPANIES

Alternative Arts
CW and Theory Hypnosis Tapes
Planar UHF and Microwave Antennas for Hams and WLAN's
Better RF Company
Improve your ICOM 706 or 706MkII - Get the 706 Tune Control!
Bulldog Iambic Key by K9LU
Inexpensive, lightweight CW key
Champion Radio
Professional tower supplies and specialty products for hams and industry
Dunestar Systems
RF Filters, Antenna Remote Switching, Coupling/Phasing and more
DWM Communications
Home of the "Tiny-Tenna" and "Peanut Whistle 2"
Ham Radio Outlet
Ham Radio Outlet worldwide distribution
Idiom Press
Home of the Logikey K-3 CW Keyer and Rotor-EZ Rotator Enhancement
International Radio
Crystal Filters, Newsletters and More for HF Tranceivers/Receivers
alignments.
R&L ELECTRONICS
R&L Electronics Raddio Equipment
WIREMAN
Coax and wire for all antenna
KØXG Rotating Tower Equipment
For turning those large beams and stacked antenna arrays.
La Villa Rose
Beachfront house at Whitby, North Caicos, Turks and Caicos Island, British West Indies
Lance Johnson Engineering
Superior Amateur Radio Accessories Since 1980
Low Band Monitor
Dedicated to the 40-80-160 Meter Enthusiast
MFJ
Ham Radio accessories from MFJ
N2CKH Software Products
Low cost software solutions for the Radio Amateur
PROLOG Software by Datamatrix
Logging and QSL Route Systems
Stealth 2000 Antennas by HA5CMG / VE7BOC
Hi Efficiency HF mobile antennas and coils
Top Ten Devices, Inc.
Automatic Band Data Decoders and Antenna Switching Systems
TR LOG Contest Logging Software
The Serious Contest Logging Program
Unified Microsystems
W9XT Contest Card and XT-4 CW Memory Keyer
XStamper by W9XR
Pre-inked Rubber Stamps at special prices


Ham Radio Organizations

JR6YQF - Radio Society of Okinawa

MMARC -Maryland Mobileers Amateur Radio Club

SMC - Society of Midwest Contesters

Sultans of Shwing - SHWING!!!

TCG - Tennessee Contest Gourp, serving theTri-City area

W9DXCC Convention - Annual event by NIDXA



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