The Illuminator

The monthly newsletter of the Carbon Amateur Radio Club

May 2002

May Meeting

The next regular meeting of the Carbon Amateur Radio Club will be held on Thursday, May 16, at 7:30 p.m. at the Emergency Operations Center in Nesquehoning. See you there!

QRP Corner

By Lamar, N3AT

Many of you know that I have been searching for the ideal apartment antenna to use with my QRP equipment ever since I moved to Bethlehem. In the process I have found some fascinating ideas. Just recently I came across a Web site that I think will appeal not only to QRPers, but also to those of you in the QRO crowd. The Webmaster is Budd Drummond, W3FF, of Redding, CA. Budd enjoys the outdoors, and has been experimenting with antennas that he can use while he is hiking. He has a 13-pound pack to carry his gear, including a new antenna that he has designed. He calls it his “Buddipole.” It will tune 10,12,15,17, and 20 meters!

The Buddipole weighs only a pound, and folds up into a very small package that he can carry in his backpack, along with his 50-watt transceiver. The whole station, including antenna, battery, transceiver, and everything else he may need, weighs only 13 pounds!

On his Website you can read all about it, and even HEAR a QSO he had, with a station in Norway, using the Buddipole. The Norwegian ham was flabbergasted when Budd told him what he was using, and that he was WALKING-PORTABLE with it! I think you, too, will be fascinated, if you listen to their conversation.

There is a full detailed set of instructions on the Web site, telling how you, too, can make and use your own Buddipole, how to test it and tune it. And if you have any problems or questions, he lists his email address and is willing to try to help you in any way he can! In addition, his Website also lists HOT LINKS TO OTHER AMATEUR SITES.

Look up this fascinating Website: http://www.qsl.net/w3ff/index.html (minus the quotation marks, of course!). This is not strictly a QRP article, but I think it has something of the QRP spirit in it, and will resonate with QRPers anywhere.

For now, 72 de Lamar, N3AT.

Treasurer’s Report

By John, W3MF

Previous Balance	934.58
Receipts (dues)	45.00
Subtotal	979.58
Disbursements (newsletter)	7.14
Final Total	972.44

ARRL DX Bulletin

DX Bulletin 19 ARLD019

From ARRL Headquarters

Newington CT May 2, 2002

To all radio amateurs

This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by Tedd, KB8NW, the OPDX Bulletin, 425DXnews, OH1VR, DXNL, QRZ DX, The Daily DX, WA7BNM and Contest Corral from QST. Thanks to all.

CROATIA, 9A. Sylvain, 9A/F5TLN and Bernard, 9A/F5LPY will be QRV from Korcula Island, IOTA EU-016, from May 4 to 5. QSL to home calls.

GERMANY, DA. Look for DH8WLA, DL1APR, DL1APW, DL2AXA, DL5AOJ, DM3BJ and DL9NDS to be QRV from Ummanz Island, IOTA EU-057, from May 9 to 13. Activity will be on all bands using CW, SSB, RTTY and PSK31. QSL to home calls.

GUADELOUPE, FG. Michel, FG/F5IN is QRV until May 10 using mostly CW. QSL to home call.

FRENCH POLYNESIA, FO. Alain, F2HE has been issued the special call TX5BTY to commemorate the Mutiny of the Bounty. He is QRV until May 14 on all bands using CW and SSB. QSL via F6CTL.

ITALY, I. I0CUT, I0JBL, IK0LNN, IK0NFV, IK0PEA, IK0SME, IZ0BXZ and others are QRV as IQ0N as a Multi/Single entry in the ARI International Contest. QSL via operators' instructions.

JAPAN, JA. JN3ATJ/6 is QRV from Tsushima Island, IOTA AS-036, until May 7. Activity is on 40 to 6 meters, including 17 and 12 meters, using SSB. QSL to home call.

BAKER AND HOWLAND ISLAND, KH1. Station K1B is active until possibly May 9. Activity is on 160 to 6 meters, including some satellite operation, using CW, SSB, RTTY, SSTV, FM and PSK31. QSL SSB contacts via RZ3AA and all other modes via YT1AD.

ARGENTINA, LU. The Radio Club Ushuaia is QRV as AY8XW until December 31. QSL via WD9EWK.

BULGARIA, LZ. Special event stations LZ02KM and LZ02JP are QRV on all bands and modes until May 31 to celebrate the St. Cyril and Methodius Day and the visit of Pope John Paul II. QSL via LZ1BFR.

MARKET REEF, OJ0. Look for OJ0VR to be QRV from May 8 to 9. Activity will be on 80 to 10 meters, and possibly 6 meters, using CW and SSB. QSL via OH1VR.

DODECANESE, SV5. Ermanno, IK2WZD is QRV as SV5/IK2WZD from Lipsi Island, IOTA EU-001, until October 2002. QSL to home call.

BELAU, T8. T88KL has been QRV on 15 meters around 0900z, 17 meters around 2000z and 10 meters around 2200z. QSL via JN3JBC.

CAMBODIA, XU. XU7ABP has been QRV on 20 meters from 1900 to 2200z. QSL via IZ0EGB.

IRAQ, YI. Peter, YI9OM has been QRV on 17 meters between 1900 and 2100z. QSL via OM6TX.

SYRIA, YK. Saad, N5FF is QRV as YK1BA from Damascus until possibly May 11. This is not a DXpedition. He will try to operate at least 2 to 3 hours a day. Look for him mainly on 20 meters using CW and SSB. QSL to home call.

ARRL Propagation Forecast Bulletin

Propagation Forecast Bulletin 18 ARLP018

From Tad Cook, K7VVV

Seattle, WA May 3, 2002

To all radio amateurs

Both average solar flux and daily sunspot numbers dropped last week. Sunspot numbers were down over 30 points, and solar flux was down nearly 20 points. But now that April is over, let's look at monthly averages. Average sunspot numbers for October through April were 197.4, 178.6, 217.5, 189, 194.5, 153.1 and 194.9. Average solar flux values for the same seven months were 208.1, 212.7, 236.5, 227.3, 205, 179.5 and 189.8. From these numbers it is apparent that April had higher solar flux and sunspot counts than March, but it is down from previous months.

During the last half of April, three coronal mass ejections sent energy past earth, and the results were geomagnetic storms around April 17-20 and April 23. Energy from a coronal hole should sweep past us shortly, but it shouldn't cause the kind of upset that April's storms brought us.

Over the next few days expect moderate geomagnetic activity with a rising solar flux. Flux values are expected to rise above 180 by Sunday, and peak for the near term above 200 around one week from now.

Lower geomagnetic indices are generally good for HF propagation. The solar flux is rising, which is also good. 10-meters should be fading away as we move toward summer, but 15-meters should do quite well over the next month. This summer 20-meters should be excellent during nighttime.

WB6RIB sent along a URL for a fascinating web site devoted to the 50-foot solar tower at the Mount Wilson Observatory in California. You can point your web browser toward http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~obs/intro.html to see this. To me the most interesting feature of this site is the archive of hand-drawn pencil sketches of the sun's surface dating back to January 4, 1917.

The story of these drawings (which are really tracings) and how they are made may be seen at

http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~obs/150_draw.html. There are many very old drawings, including sets from the years 1128 to 1800.

Next week Carl, K9LA takes over the bulletin while K7VVV leaves town.

Sunspot numbers for April 25 through May 1 were 208, 160, 173, 121, 124, 113 and 166 with a mean of 152.1. 10.7 cm flux was 167.3, 162.6, 156.9, 147.1, 153, 153.4 and 162.4, with a mean of 157.5, and estimated planetary A indices were 5, 6, 8, 19, 9, 8 and 5 with a mean of 8.6.

Check out http://incolor.inetnebr.com/n0ujr for other cartoons and to purchase N0UJR’s book, “N0UJR and His Friends.”

Carbon Amateur Radio Club – 2001-2002 Officers

President: Anthony “Goody” Good, K3NG, [email protected]

Vice President: Rob Roomberg, KB3BYT, [email protected]

Secretary: Larry Lilly, N3CR, [email protected]

Treasurer: John Schreibmaier, W3MF, [email protected]

W3HA Callsign Trustee: Bill Dale, WY3K

W3HA Repeater Trustee: John Bednar, K3CT

Public Information Officer: Bill Kelley, KA3UKL

Directors

Bob Schreibmaier, K3PH, John Bednar, K3CT, Bert Rex, W3OWP

Illuminator Staff

Editor: Bob, K3PH [email protected]

DX: Bob, K3PH

Foxhunting: open

Propagation and Commentary: Larry, N3CR [email protected]

Newsletter Printing, Folding, and Mailing: Bob, K3PH

Services

W3HA Repeater: 147.255 Mhz + PL 131.8

CARC Website: http:/www.learnmorsecode.com/carc/

Webmaster: Rob, KB3BYT [email protected]

CARC Email Reflector: see www.qth.net CarbonARC list for details

CARC Membership Information

Regular Membership is $15.00, which includes autopatch privileges.

All amateur radio operators are invited to join the CARC ARES / RACES net held 21:00 local time every Wednesday on the W3HA repeater at 147.255 MHz + offset, PL 131.8. Any amateur radio operator or anyone with an interest in ham radio is welcome to attend our monthly meetings which occur the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 PM at the Carbon County EMA Center on Route 93 in Nesquehoning.