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N4WD

BRUCE BALLEW
FORT OGLETHORPE, GA.
EM74iw





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 ( well no code to test for now, but I recommend learning it ). The knowledge that you get  studying  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. QRP, not new, but loads of fun and lots of skill to work. Along with a reworked HW-7 on 40-20-15 and a CUB on 40 meters. With the use of a HFT-9 antenna tuner and the antenna's on site. Lots of new QRP contacts. The CUB will surprise you with the tuning range and its ears. Cuba stations were the first worked with a long wire and 1 watt. FOX-HUNTER QRP and NAQCC contest are the best way for me to make contacts. There are other QRP actives I have yet to try, but we will get to them. A 66 foot long wire works great from my daughters house in the mountains. Still tying to build up the ears and cw skills on QRP, its a new learning curve for an old ham, hi hi. The QRP station has grown with little add-on, the cw audio filter kit by 4SQRP "NM�S Hi-Per-Mite CW Filter" (see web link below) has made copying cw a blast. The filter will add hears to any old receiver without narrow band filters. We also build the 4SQ antenna tuner "4S-Tuner". Smaller than the HFT-9, making it a lot easier to pack into the fishing tackle box we use to take qrp rig into for field use. The next add on, you quest right is the 4SQ "AA�ZZ EZKeyer III". I use this when just chatting on QRP. Use the straight-key when QRP contesting , more points that way and we need all the help we can get, HI HI Well we added a MFJ 9200 QRP Mini Multi Band Transceiver. Had to get other fishing tackle box. Like these for the multi band use and the added wattage, up to a full 5 watts.


And the world of HAM RADIO keeps changing. Have you tried one of the MIXED worlds of communications? ILINK/ECHOLINK/WIRE, 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, WIRE or any of the new systems to you local radio hub. The cost is not that much and you can add a link to your local radio system and 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 ). Then there is FreeDV, an open source narrow band digtal voice over radio software. This is growing at a fast as a way to get more voice communications in a narrow band width. Work's great with my SignaLink system. With out saying ICOM D-Star and YAESU C4FM digtal voice and data system radios work right into the more in a little band space.
BUT wait there's more. DMR on VHF and UHF. With a DMR radio you can talk around the word. With a local repeater in your neighborhood your ready to go. But wait again, there's no repeater near me. So if you have internet in your home, phone or on the road, you can still get into DMR. There is what is called a hotspot system for you. ( this hotspot is just for ham radio, not the one at Big MC-D. even thou you can yes theirs for your internet feed.) These little systems will let your DMR handheld transmit to your hotspot which is your own little repeater of your own. Most systems are about the size of a Raspberry-Pi, in fact these hotspots may use a Raspberry-Pi of some type to make the hotspot. You say this will cost me a lot, na na. Radios from 75 dollars up, depending on you taste. Hotspots from 100 dollars and up, Look into it, there's nothing like setting on the porch or driving down the road and talking to VK or HL, G, and others stations. As a thought, if you have internet spot on your cellphone, you can take it anywhere you phone service.

Well we just added DXCC on 10 thru 80 (5 band DXCC), still working on 160. Small yard and small antennas with 100 watts may take awhile. Need Alaska and Hawaii to finish off 6 meters. So now that makes DXCC, QCWA, WAS, RCC, 1010, SB and a few other wall papers hanging from the wall.

THE MAIN RIGS FT-1000D, IC-7300 AND FT847, STAND-BY FT-990 , TS-430S


X7

pic from www.cushcraft.com, www.icom.com, and www.yaesu.com

THE MAIN ANTENNA CC X7 and OCF DIPLOE


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

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.

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

4SQRP
4SQRP Clup,info and links for QRP. Great supply of kits for QRP users.

NOGA QRP
Home of the "Peanut Power Sprint"

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. .

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.

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

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



Ham Radio Personal Pages

AC6V -Amareur Radio and DX Reference Guide

K4RO -Web Site for Tennessee Contesters

KA9FOX -Web Site for Contesters and DXers

NW7US - Command Center via NW7US for amateur radio

W9RPM - John Kjos of La Crosse, WI



HAM RADIO COMPANIES

Alternative Arts
CW and Theory Hypnosis Tapes
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 ham radio equipment for all your needs
R&L ELECTRONICS
R&L Electronics Raddio Equipment
WIREMAN
Coax and wire for all antenna
MFJ
Ham Radio accessories from MFJ
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

SMC - Society of Midwest Contesters

TCG - Tennessee Contest Gourp, serving theTri-City area

W9DXCC Convention - Annual event by NIDXA



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