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Monthly Newsletter of the Southern Oregon Amateur Radio Club

SOARC, P.O. BOX 1164, GRANTS PASS, OREGON 97528
VISIT THE SOARC WEBSITE AT: http://www.qsl.net/soar/SOARC/
EDITOR: MIKE WRIGHT, N7GEI, 432 GRANDVIEW AVE., G. P., OR 97527
PHONE: 541-471-0440 E-MAIL: n7gei@msn.com

Welcome From Your Editor

We'll be discussing the club communications trailer at the next meeting. It will be nice to finally complete this long-term project.

It looks as though we can anticipate another really dry summer ahead. Now's the time to get your emergency gear in order to be prepared for forest fire season.

We have 83 paid members, a few more than at this time last year. We ended 2001 with 108 paid members. If this year goes like the previous ones, we'll have over 100 again by year's end. Our average meeting attendance has been running about 48.

If you have anything to submit for publication in the Gnus, see the contact information below the masthead.

73, Mike, N7GEI

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2002 SOARC Officers and Board

NEXT CLUB MEETING
TUESDAY, 16 APRIL
1900
SENIOR CENTER
3^RD & B STREETS
GRANTS PASS

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Coming Attractions

Our last club meeting featured an auction of items from the estate of N7SVH. We had an enormously good auction with strong bidding and some pretty happy people.  We raised $505.00--that's pretty good for smaller items.  The surprise on Marne's face when I gave her the checks was worth all the work everyone did getting the auction completed.  As a matter of fact, it may become an institution, an auction every quarter or so.  Thanks to everyone who participated and to all who purchased equipment.  Not everyone has Icom 781 HF rigs and brand new VHF equipment.  It's good to know that there is a place for all equipment when the time is right!

The SOARC communications trailer is coming together and is getting ready for a busy season.  WM7K/R (147.14) is installed inside, along with a packet system, 2m and 70cm radios, four new deep-cycle batteries, and a nifty homebrew alternator/charger.  We have acquired a CP-22 repeater antenna, an Isopole on 70cm, a Diamond dual- band for general service, and a homebrew J-Pole for scanner service.  A major upgrade is being planned which will turn the "Cottage" into a full-service self-contained unit capable of nearly every amateur radio mode.

Get involved!   This is a project that has needed finishing for many years and 2002 looks like the year.  We have lots to do and a short list of volunteers who will be completing their projects and passing the trailer on to the next person for work.  We'll talk about this at the meeting.

73, Bill Tyner, WX7U

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Calling All Ladies

Western Belles is a women's ham radio chat group that meets at 7:30 PM on the 1^st and 3^rd Thursdays of every month on the 147.300 repeater. Please check in!

The ladies get together regularly for lunch and all female hams are invited to attend.

The next luncheon will be at 11:30 on Saturday, May 4th, at Sizzler Restaurant, 1871 NE 7^th St., Grants Pass.

73, Wilma, W1LMA, and Anita, KC7MGH

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2002 VE Exams

The remaining dates for SOARC-sponsored ARRL VE license exams for 2002 are May 31, August 30, and November 29.  Walk-ins are welcome.

All exam sessions will be held at 6:30 PM at the Senior Center where we meet. Don?t forget to bring a copy of your license, any CSCE's you hold, a photo ID, and $10.

Come by and test your code speed.  SOARC still offers code speed certification tests rewarded by a very attractive certificate to attest to your Morse prowess.

73, Bill Tyner, WX7U

VE Liaison

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Wouff Hongs Unearthed!

We all know that The Old Man (Hiram Percy Maxim) was the discoverer of the Wouff Hong. Its history has been reported in QST on a number of occasions. So, we know where it came from, but we have never known--until now--exactly what it is. Is it animal, vegetable, or mineral? The original Wouff Hong, on display at ARRL HQ in Newington, Connecticut, seems to be made of some fibrous material, unquestionably vegetable. Wood? A root? What? The answer is surprising--it's not only vegetable material, it is a vegetable.

Several years ago while fishing in the McKenzie River in central Oregon--with Wolf Laskowski, KD6WUZ--my line caught a snag. At first I thought it might be an old root or perhaps an old decayed log. It took several minutes to get the material to shore. When it was safely out of the water we were absolutely astounded to note that it was a perfectly formed Wouff Hong! Where did it come from? Why was it there? We rummaged through the thick foliage growing along the river bank, and within only a few minutes found another one. It was firmly rooted in the ground, but seemed to have shed some seeds, shaped like miniature Wouff Hongs. The rich soil of the valley and the high water content of the soil, only a few feet from the rushing water of the McKenzie River, seemed to provide ideal growing conditions for the Wouff Hong.

Of course we had to test our theory that the McKenzie River Valley is ideal for growing Wouff Hongs. In spring 2001 we took a portion of the small number of seeds we had found and planted them in a small plot only a few dozen feet from the river. We're happy to report that the first crop did very well indeed. It took work, however, for they require regular attention to make certain that they grow in a near weed-free environment. In the last photo the Hongs have been washed and laid out to dry. We managed to get 23 good ones this first time around.

Wouff Hongs are rare and very expensive. They are auctioned on the eBay Web site from time to time, and always bring very high prices. This is a pity, for the many beneficial effects of Wouff Hongs are well known: when used properly, they reduce interference, improve propagation, and can be used to punish those who misuse our bands. With this new discovery, it's clear that there is no need for Wouff Hongs to be the rare items they have been for many years. We intend to make Wouff Hongs as ubiquitous as hand-held radios, for we believe that every ham who wants one should be able to obtain one, and at a reasonable price. Consistent with that belief, we're presently clearing land in the McKenzie River Valley for our Wouff Hong farm. Soon every deserving ham will have an opportunity to obtain one. All profits will go to the ARRL Foundation.

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A Fully Functional L.D.M.

How many times have you repeatedly called 'CQ' on a wide open band and not received a single reply?  Have you ever suspected that someone is actually hearing your CQ and not bothering to call you?  Well, now with the L.D.M. it is possible for you to know if someone is listening to you, even if they do not reply to your call.

The L.D.M. (Listener Detection Meter) is simple to build and only a few components are necessary.  The calibration is a little more difficult but can be carried out by the newest recruit to the hobby.

Background

All radio receivers have tuned circuits and these tuned circuits absorb power from the signals they are tuned to. For example, a station calls CQ on 14.050 using very low power.  No-one is listening on that frequency and no tuned circuits are sucking power out of the transmitter.  The transmit power remains constant.  The station calls CQ again and this time two receivers are tuned in.  Each tuned circuit in each receiver will suck power out of the transmitter.  Admittedly,  it isn't very much but it is enough to measure on a sensitive meter.  

How to configure an LDM

An LDM is simply a calibrated FSM (Field Strength Meter).  However, the little antennas normally supplied with an FSM are inadequate for use in an LDM.  It is suggested that the short antenna provided is replaced by a sixty-seven-foot vertical.  (If you can't erect such an antenna, a sixty-six-foot vertical will be almost as good).  (European friends please  convert to hectares and kilogrammes).  Now comes the tricky part.  The transmitting station must run at least 100w and hold the key down.  Observe the meter reading at the operating position and adjust the meter for maximum.  Now, the assistance of many other hams is needed.  Contact about 200 ham friends, (more if available), and ask them to tune into your carrier at one minute intervals starting at a specific time.  At the predetermined time press the key on your transmitter.  At intervals of one minute you will notice the needle on the  LDM reducing  by a small amount as each ham friend tunes in to your signal.  At the end of about 200 minutes you will have been able to calibrate your LDM for 200 (or more) listeners.  Please note that after holding the key down on the transmitter for 200 minutes, if the SWR is way off some smoke may be observed.  

Using your new LDM

Call 'CQ' in the normal way.  Observe the LDM.  If the needle remains constant on the meter then no-one has heard your signal and is not tuned to your frequency.  If however, during the CQ the meter dips you know someone has tuned into your signal.  If the meter has been calibrated correctly you will be able to tell how many stations are listening.  Skilled users of the LDM will be able to detect how far away the listening stations are by spotting the minute differences in the readout. 

Problems with the LDM

One major problem exists with the LDM and it concerns band etiquette and ham radio manners.  As more and more amateurs are equipping themselves with this latest technology, it has been observed  that when stations call CQ and receive no reply they often respond with 'I know you are listening, yah bum!  Why don't you give me a call?' Or, sometimes, 'You twenty-seven guys who have tuned into my signal, if you are not DX please ignore me, but if any of you are rare and have a QSL-manager please think how important you will be to me and please, please press that little key or microphone switch.'  More often than not this results in 'OK yah bum.  I didn't wanna work you anyway.  I've already got 17 QSLs from Nadger Island.' 

Please remember:

An LDM should be used only as a scientific aid to operating and never as an instrument of abuse.

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Make Your Hamfest Swing!

Too many hamfests these days are getting boring.  There is too much ancient junk to look through, too many guys selling bits for computers that won't work, too many hot-dogs, too many hamburgers, and, worst of all, too much beer.  This page was designed to help your hamfest go with a swing.  Forget about all the old stuff and do something different for a change!

IDEAS FOR YOUR HAMFEST

SPOT THE CONTAMINANT

This is something the whole family can join in with.  Get the XYLs and the Juniors to make batches of cookies.  Nothing strange in that, you might say.  Here comes the difference.  Into each batch of cookies the chef places a special ham radio contaminant.  The following list is just a suggestion based on those that have worked before:

Solder globules

Silicon Grease

Ferrite Beads

Switch cleaner

Short pieces of wire (Contestants must guess A.W.G. (or S.W.G.), metal used and nature of insulation.  This should be easy because every ham has a place in their teeth where they can strip the insulation from any gauge of wire.)

Super Glue

Transformer Varnish.

NOTE - Please do not use the contents of semi-conductor cans or radioactive tubes.  This could be dangerous.

At the hamfest each ham samples the contents of each plate, blindfolded, and guesses the contaminant used.  The winner is the one who guesses the most correctly or who stays on his or her feet the longest.

 

DODGE THE BURN

This is a great game and guaranteed to provide a laugh.  A pre-arranged morse code message is sent continuously through a 1 KW transmitter at sixty words per minute.  Contestants with portable receivers tuned to the transmitting frequency have to touch the transmitting antenna as many times as possible during the sequence.  The contestant with the most touches and the most fingers left at the end, wins.

 

NOSTRIL GUESSING

My brother who was once a keen G operator but who now distributes RF from the State of New Jersey, once stuck a hot soldering iron up one of his nostrils.  That caused him to say 'Ouch' and 'Oh dear' and 'What a silly billy I am.'  However, he still breathes easier through one side of his nose than the other.

'What has this got to do with Hamfests?', I hear you ask.  Well, cold soldering-iron nostril guessing is great fun.  All you do is supply each blindfolded contestant with a cold iron and they have to guess whose nose they are violating.  Obviously, this could be dangerous, so judges must make sure that the insertion is no more than half of an inch.  (Metric friends please convert).  A word of warning: Anyone who switches on an iron during this event is obviously disqualified!

 

SPOT THE FREQUENCY

Get one of the club members to loan a modern rig to the group.  Carefully remove all of the frequency determining components and increase each of them by a third of their original value.  Re-solder and fire up the transmitter.  The person with his receiver pretuned closest to the transmit frequency wins.  For safety reasons it is suggested that the output power be kept below one kilowatt and that spectators should take steps to avoid any fall-out from components which explode.

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Your Ad Could Be Here

If you have anything ham or computer-related that you would like to advertise for sale or trade, or if you are looking for a part, assembly, radio, manual, or other ham or computer-related item, give your editor a call at 471-0440 or e-mail him at n7gei@aol.com.

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