Stamford Amateur Radio Association

11/04/2004

November Newsletter has been published. Best viewed at 600X800.

Repeaters: W1EE 146.655 Out 146.055 In PL-100Hz. W1EE 447.125 Out 442.125 In PL-114.8Hz.

Unless noted, meetings are held on the first Thursday of every month in the Mural room of the Senior Center, at the Stamford Government Center, Tresser & Washington B'lvds., Stamford, CT. Meeting starts at 8:00 P.M. Directions / Map

November Program: Joel, N1ZR who writes articles & equipment testing at the ARRL.

Fred is working very hard to find speakers for the SARA meetings. If you have any suggestions please contact Fred, K1FC.

This interactive map will automatically plot the location of active storms. This page uses Macromedia's Shockwave plug-in. If you don't have it, you can get it here.

We will be holding our usual Holiday �pot luck� Party December 2nd. Details in the next issue.

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Will be held on Wednesday, December 8th, 2004 at the Sons of Italy, 162 New Canaan Ave. RTE 123, Norwalk, CT.

Social hour from 6:30PM - 7:30PM - Dinner will be served at 7:30 PM. Cash Bar available. - Soda, Coffee, Tea, & Water served with dinner. Choice of two Entrees, Roast Sirloin of Beef Au Jus or Chicken & Broccoli.
Entrees come with Salad, Pasta, Vegetables and DESERT.

Fees are $30.00 for one person or $55.00 for a couple. Grand Prize of the Raffle - Alinco DJ-596 Dual Band Radio. Plus Lots of Door Prizes including an Icom IC-2100 VHF Mobil Radio.
and . . . A GIFT FOR EVERYONE ! ! !

Will be held on Wednesday, December 8th, 2004 at the Sons of Italy, 162 New Canaan Ave. RTE 123, Norwalk, CT. Please mail this completed Form to attend. Directions & Map.

Talk in will be available on both GNARC repeaters
K1UHF 448.075- PL 114.8 and K1OF 147.39+ No PL.

Fred reminded everyone that our most key core member has passed away,. Marv, N1AWJ. Now SARA is faced with a new direction.. We are going to start thinking about what we are going to do in the future as a club. We have lost an important member who was the heart of the club.

We are going to continue to have speakers at our club meetings In the future we may cooperate with Norwalk (GNARC) in perhaps having some joint meetings as far as getting speakers. Nothing has been discussed yet and we will be taking up the subject with Norwalk.

Andy, K1SLG has volunteered to be chairman of the Activities Committee. The purpose would be to come up with new activities for the club. We hope we can continue with Field Day. In the last few years we have been heading in a new direction from the traditional Field Day . This is using battery power and QRP. Three years ago we earned 900 points, last year we earned 1900 and this year over 2500 points. Public Service is another area we would like to expand and continue in the future.

Repeater: Ernest, KA1NNG and myself are going to the repeater site. We would like to get the 440 repeater on the air before the snow falls. The hospital has changed the locks so we had to get new keys made.

Dick, WA1VUU will be the new contact VE. Next VE session is November 13th. At the Government Center, 4th. Floor Cafeteria. Test takers must bring a photo ID, $12.00 exact change (a check to ARRL/VE is preferred) original and a photocopy of your current license and any CFCE�s that apply. Check-in at 9:30am, tests begin at 10:00am. You can check the latest schedule at: www.qsl.net/wb1grb/Vetest.htm .

Fred reminded everyone that we had a simulated emergency test on Saturday, October 2. The Norwalk club had a large compliance on the 147.390 repeater. I opened our net from 9:00 to 9:30. We had 5 people check in and I made a contact on 80 meters to the state net.

Stan, WA2NRV then reminded everyone that we need to get young people interested in Amateur Radio. �We are not bringing in many young people. We should go to the schools and promote ham radio. If we don�t excite them now it will be gone.� This important subject will be discussed at future meetings and at the SARA board meetings.

Fred then introduced our speaker, Dan Gravereaux, N1ZZ (Left Photo) who spoke on operating a contest station from the island of Curacao.

This new message board is very easy to use and has many full features.
So far I have four categories:

Ask Fred K1FC new to Ham Radio or have a tech question, just ask Fred.
WB1GRB 9/7/2004

LICENSE EXAMINATION SCHEDULE for 2004 Check-in at 9:30 AM and the exam will start at 10 AM. Pre-registration is NOT required. Walk-ins are encouraged. The fee for the test session $12.00 but might increase. You can find up to date information at: www.qsl.net/wb1grb/VEtest.htm

Emergency Response Team 2004 Telephone Tree. Make sure your information is correct. If you want to be added to the list contact Dick. 323-0982. Make sure you keep this list in a save place and where you can find it!

ARES. We will be coordinating ARES through Norwalk (GNARC) on the behalf of the Area and District. Fred K1FC will be discussing the details at the next SARA Board Meeting. Bill Barrett the AEC also agrees so things are moving. We hope to get more involvement in the greater Stamford area. We will be working with Allan Valeo, NN1H

SARA SUNDAY NIGHT NET We encourage all of the SARA members to join in the informal net on the Stamford Repeater every Sunday night at 8 PM. After about a half hour of friendly discussion, we play the �Amateur Radio Newsline� with the latest happenings in amateur radio. Make yourself heard, join the net.

Squelch Burst: �We need new articles. This is your newsletter so why not write an article related to Amateur Radio. Try to write an article that you feel other members would be interested in. We need someone to continue �Ask Elmer Column� . Any articles or correspondence contact Dick WA1VUU.

E-Mail Squelch Burst: We are asking SARA members to give their E-mail addresses to Dick, WA1VUU so that the club newsletter can be sent by E-mail thus saving postage!. Your address will not be published and will be kept confidential. Please make sure Dicks e-mail address is not blocked. Postal rates are going up next year. Contact Dick.WA1VUU.

We need your ideas and input. What activities would you like the club to participate in? We also need your help in organizing these activities as well as participating in them. How would you increase club membership? Communicate your ideas and comments to any of the board members or to the editors of the Squelch Burst. Your input is very important to the continuing health of the club.

Squelch Burst: We need new articles. This is your newsletter so why not write an article related to Amateur Radio. Try to write an article that you feel other members would be interested in. We need new Ask Elmer questions desperately. Dick will be editing the Squelch Burst. Contact Dick WA1VUU.

If you have anything you would like to share photos, news articles, web sites. Questions, Remarks Concerning Web Site. Or any other questions:353-8422 John Sabini. To make changes you need to attend meetings participate and volunteer, because your opinion and vote can make all the difference for change.

Ham Radio Reviews Am-Com ClearSpeech Speaker

SARA Newsletters	January 2004	March	May	Past Archives
December	February	April	June	Ask Elmer Archives

July	September	November
August	October

Malicious Interference Report Form

�Malicious Interference Report Form.� This form will be used to report Malicious Interference within the Fairfield County area. Fill in the information in the text fields or bring this form to the next meeting. This information is very important and will automatically be forward to the appropriate repeater owners, trustees, etc.

Both Norwalk 147.390 and Stamford 146.655 have had malicious interference. This report may be forward to the FCC in the future, so consider placing as much detail as possible in your reports in an effort to help them as much as possible.

Note: If you are a repeater owner or trustee and would like to have your repeater listed, please send an email to Chris Southern W1CWS with repeater information and email address of trustee or owner. You will receive all reports from all links. You will need to add this link to your web site.

Malicious Interference Report Form

SARA Voluntary Member Information Newsgroup.

If you have any photos that you would like published send them to Contact

Ham Radio Reviews	Broadcast Transmitters	Hear Local Police/Fire	Greenwich Trunk System
SARA Guest Book	Freq. Allocation Chart	Stamford Police Codes	Scanning Resource

Photos

Nutmeg Hamfest Photos 2003	Photos of SARA's new repeater site.	Denmark Sailboat
Photos of GNARC Repeater Site.	SARA 2003 Holiday Photos	GNARC Field Day Photos 2004

ASK ELMER

Marvin Fleischman, N1AWJ died Friday evening, Sept. 24th.

Dear Elmer: I am setting up a Novice station and I don�t know what kind of antenna to put up. I cannot spend more than $50.00.

On the antenna and I would like to be able to operate on all the Novice bands. I would like to get on the air as soon a possible .
What do I do now? Signed , Anxious.

Dear Anxious: There are many ways to erect multi-band antennas at a reasonable cost. I will try to cover some of them.

The most common multi-band antenna is the �End fed Herz� or long wire antenna. The basic idea is to get as long a piece of wire as you can as high up as you can and use a simple �Transmatch� to match the feed line to the radio. This is one of the earliest forms of antennas used and is quite effective. Since this antenna is a non-resonant antenna, its impedance varies and is generally greater than 300 ohms. A transmatch is required to convert the antenna�s impedance to the 50 ohms required by your radio. An advantage of this antenna is that it can be of any reasonable length and it will still operate. A disadvantage is that there will be a high level of RF in the shack, since the feed line is part of the antenna.. Low cost Transmatches such as those made by MFJ are available from your local Ham equipment dealer.

The next type of antenna is the �Multi-Band Resonant Dipoles� using good quality 300 ohm TV Twin Lead. Notice I used the plural in the name of the antenna. This is because it consists of 4 separate resonant dipoles connected in parallel The antenna is fed with 50 or 75 ohm coaxial cable. Rather than trying to describe the antenna in words, the diagram which follows shows the method of construction and the approximate lengths of the elements.

The ends of the twin lead should be separated from each other by several inches. The plastic insulators can be made of any form Plexiglas , polystyrene or other good insulator. Wood is not recommended , since it will absorb moisture and lose any insulating properties. Once the basic antenna is constructed , you must tune the elements. This is done by trimming a pair of wires on their specific band until the VSWR at the transmitter is less than 2:1. This procedure may take some time, but once done does not have to be repeated. To trim the wire, simply notch the twin lead taking care not to cut too deeply into the insulation separating the two parallel wires. Doing this will ensure good mechanical strength of the twin lead. Trim in 1/2 inch increments so as not to overshoot the resonant point of the antenna. It may take a few minutes longer but the results are worth it. When properly tuned, the antenna does not need a Transmatch, and since it is fed with coaxial cable, there is no RF in the shack. The disadvantage of this antenna is that you need at least 110 feet of space to cover 80 meters, since it is a full dipole, shortened only by the dielectric material surrounding the wire. Note: when tuning this antenna, you tune the 10 meter portion first, and then the succeeding lower bands. A variation of this type of antenna is marketed by MoreGain, but if you construct it yourself you will save a considerable sum of money .

The last type of antenna I will discuss is the �Trapped Dipole�. I will not attempt to go into all of the details of it�s construction, but I will refer you to the ARRL Antenna Handbook as well as the Radio Amateurs Handbook.

Basically, the �Trapped Dipole� is a resonant dipole which is segmented or cut up by using resonant traps. These traps look like high impedance points (read insulators) at their resonant frequencies and as inductors at frequencies below their resonance. Inserting these resonant traps set to 10 meters, 15 meters and 40 meters at the appropriate points in the dipole makes the antenna look like separate antennas on each band. A second advantage is that they shorten the overall length of the antenna because of the inductance of the traps. A disadvantage is that they narrow the bandwidth of the antenna, but they will be more than wide enough to cover the entire Novice portion of the band. A diagram of a typical �Trapped Dipole� follows:

0��UUUU��UUUU��0 0��UUUU��UUUU��0
Ins. 40M 15M Ins. 15M 40M Ins

Well, anxious, I hope this helped you in your search for a low cost multi band antenna.
73, ELMER.
(This is one of the first Ask Elmer articles that Marv, N1AWJ wrote)

Linux Part 1, 2, 3. By: Mike KB1DXC

Get with the Penguin ! Part 1. The installation of LINUX Part 2. Part 3, The Programs installed with Mandrake 9.2.

ARRL Bulletins	SARA Logo By-Laws	SARA Field Day Photos
Computer Corner	1997 Squelch Burst	F/D Photos From Gerry KA2ALT.

Use this form to generate a list or amateur repeaters and broadcast transmitters to your specifications. The database covers the fifty U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the ten Canadian provinces.

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Ham Radio Message Board Classified Ads Service. News, announcements, events, for sale and more. This Board Hosted For FREE By ProBoards

For Sale

ESTATE SALE (N1CML) Yaesu FT-980 HF Xcvr, $475; Yaesu FT 726R 2M all mode Xcvr $325; Yaesu YS-60 SWR-Pwr Mtr, $50; MFJ Versatuner II (300W), $100; Tram Reflect meter, $15; Azden PCS3000 2M Mobile w/o Mic, $25; HP5301 10 MHz Freq Ctr. $25; Eldorado 1615 30 MHz Freq Ctr., $25; AEA PK-88 Packet TNC, $35; Leader LAC 897 2M Transmatch, $20.

Icom 706mkIIG, no box, in excellent condition, have all the small connectors it came with, asking 650$ or Best offer. 203 748 7143.

FT-8100B 2M/70cm Tranceiver with factory CTCSS encode/decode, separation kit, and includes all schematics and manual. Recent o/haul at Yaesu - Installed new style transmitter board and complete alignment. Works and looks as new. $200.00 plus shipping - 203-975-8014 eves.

For sale Icom 2AT (2 Meter) Thumb wheel tuning with DTMF Key pad three dead Battery packs and drop in charger! $40 bucks, Astron RS-12 12 Amp Power Supply (Great for Mobile Rig in House) $40. MFJ 1278T multi Mode SSTV, RTTY, Packet, CW, Amtor & Fax TNC has 2400 Baud installed! $100. Tempo Packet TNC w/built-in printer 1200 Baud $80. PC Electronics 430 MHz ATV Down Converter used for viewing video on your TV set. $70. Yaesu 2 Meter HT FT23R Thumb wheel tuning with / DTMF Key pad Squelch not working great for AGW packet or APRS! $30.

Contact Ned de KA1CVV. Days at 203-853-8080. Sincerely, 73 Ned Bassick, KA1CVV. West Mountain Radio http://www.westmountainradio.com fax: 203 - 299 - 0232.

Icom IC-735 HF 10 thru 160 meters. Great starter radio. $200.00. Chris N1YNO. 203-359-0570.

Texas Weather Instruments 1-wire Weather Station. Comes complete with Wind Vane, Anemometer, Temperature/Humidity sensor, Radiation Shield and Rain Gauge. Weather View 32 Software included. Note: This station does not use a console, all data is displayed on a computer monitor. $250.00. Cushcraft 11 element 2 meter beam $20 Contact Phil (203) 847- 0965.

30 ft. Antenna tower looking to donate to amateur radio club. just come get it! Posted. April 23, 2004

Wanted tri-band beam antenna.10m 15m 20m a 14ft boom would be great. 73's Louis. n1nq.

SB 102, POWER SUPPLY/ SPEAKER, AND HAND MIKE IN VERY CLEAN CONDITION. 80-10M. $150. (203) 531-9493. Andy KA1SLG.

Icom 706mkIIG, no box, in excellent condition, have all the small connectors it came with, asking 650$ or Best offer. (203) 748 - 7143.

ICOM T8A HT w/slow charger & 2 extra Batteries, $119; Radio Shack HTX 242 2m 10/45W Mobile w/o mounting bkt., $60 Call Chris, N1YNO at (203) 359-0570 evenings.

FT-8100B 2M/70cm Transceiver with factory CTCSS encode/decode, separation kit, and includes all schematics and manual. Recent o/haul at Yaesu - Installed new style transmitter board and complete alignment. Works and looks as new. $200.00 plus shipping - 203-975-8014 eves.

Quad, rooftop tower, and ham desk for sale. Lighting Bolt 5 band, 2 element Quad $40. Create 10' rooftop tower with thrust bearing and rotor plate. Make me an offer. Unique ham desk originally used in Heathkit store: Slight "U" shape. Desk is 25" deep x 7 feet (at widest part) , two adjustable 12" deep full length shelves, tan Formica, extremely sturdy and handsome!. It disassembles for moving. $350. Gary K3OS 203-762-8972 evenings.

HD-73 ROTOR w/CONTROL & CABLE, $50; Cushcraft 10-40M Vertical. Ant., $15; Heathkit Station Monitor Mod. 614, $50. 2 South Bend 7.5 HP Go-Cart Engines. Call for Info. Call Irv, N1ATS, 348-3425. Posted by: WB1GRB.

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