The Holmesburg Amateur Radio Club Weekly Net

• N3JEC question
• KC3PGT 73
• W3WHK
• N3ZZK 73
• K3FZT 73
• W3AZT 73
• KC3QPB 73
• WB2BXO

Next HARC meeting November 18. W6NBC about copper and illuminum tape self adhesive antennas.

[k3pdr] Parks on the Air: Lessons from the Park class 12/19/2021 9-Noon Upper Pottsgrove Twp Building

The ARRL online auction starts today.

Sol, N3UBY, doing great.

N3JEC Jonathan. First time. N3JEC wants to get on an HF from an apartment. I recommended magnetic loops

KC3PGT suggests a wire out the window, but watch out for fines! Still no luck with his Alpha Loop.

W3WHK will activate WM3PEN for PAQSO.

N3ZZK put up his 160 mmeters antenna. It loads up almost flatlined. Two coil sloper. OH/NY/NJ. Special event S90K, an island off of the African coast. Philadelphia, PHI a hard county to get. A city as well as a county.

K3FZT referred to the evolution of the net. Well said. K3CJ created a meaningful legacy. Still building an RMS Winlink gateway.

S9OK hits everyone except W3AZT! In the null, the weakest part of the antenna. Possible RFI computer issues. dxwatch.com. He eventually got it with FT8.

WB2BXO suggests fox/hound mode. Check his gray line, and wait until the last few days of the expidition.

KC3QPB, Abraham-shaw, second net checkin.

W3AZT compares FT8 to buying a nice bike with a motor. The longer the transmission the better the chance.

WB2BXO says that slow speed CW was common for 160 in the past. 160 sounds different now. Before repeaters control ops had CW ids.

• wa2uar
• kc3pgt
• n3zzk 73
• wb2bxo
• kc3ddo Len
• w3ae Horace

• Helping Joe with his antenna
• October 16,WRAET Hamfest
• 10-10Fall CW Contest
• Illinois and New York QSO Parties
• Worked All Germany

WA2UAR shot footage of the MS150. 129 hams involved. Will probably airing November 7th. Eric Gordon, KC2JL interviewed. A wheelchair user, she and her Dad did MS150 for years. Submit future show ideas. Hams with disabilities. Project MORE. 500 hams.

KC3PGT wrapped things up with MARC to commit to here. Thanks Cliff! Working with ARC and Philly ARES. SET (Simulated Emergency Test).

N3ZZK worked S9OK. He finally got them on 15 meters SSB. They seem to hang around FT8 or FT4, PSk31.

WB2BXO got them on 30 meters CW. A new country on 30 meters. Worked Croatia on 10 meters FT8. Worked RJ1RL in Antarctica on FT8. 30 meters nice and quiet, below 200 Watts. Propagation follows the gray line at this time of year. S9OK went on the OL MIS net but refused to move.

W3AE re K3CJ retiring: "It's about time. I retired 3 times."

• wa2UAR
• AA3VZ
• W3WHK
• KM3S
• N3PEG
• N3JEC jONATHAN
• W3AZT
• KC3QPB
• KC3PGT 73
• WB2BXO

HARC meeting Thursday October 21. We will talk about Adventures in FT8 and FT4.

ARES and the Red Cross will use the repeater on Saturday October 23 10:15-10:30 AM for emergency testing. Please keep it clear. For more info contact Cliff, KC3PGT.

Halloween party next week! Bring your scary ham radio stories.

WA2UAR getting up at 05:15 hosting web conferences. Brutal. Close to the end of editing What Hams Do. About public service focusing on MS150 and Field Day. November 7th at 08:00 PM.

AA3VZ's father passed away on the 4th. Our condolences.

I worked a station after W3WHK during the CWT but he didn't hear me. He played in IL and NY QSO parties.

KM3S going to private pilot school.

N3PEG first time checking in. Recovering from sinus surgery but wants to become a member.

n3JEC considering the J-pole Jr. from Alpha Antenna. He VE'ed his first exam session last week. Two technicians. He also has a privat pilot license.

W3AZT uses a 49:1 unun on an endfed. All HF including 6 meters. Originall 92 feet, he used a tophat, to the hot coming out of the unun. Held together by string. Worked CT9/DF6QV. SSB on 17 meters. Off the coast of Morocco. First time for Philadelphia. If you can't use a counterpoise then you can use the shielded coax, but the same length.

KC3QPB, Abe, a new ham.

WB2BXO says at a half wave resonant frequency you may not need a counterpoise, end fed instead of center fed. If not at resonance then you would probably need a quarter wave counterpoise. He worked DX multihop spiratic E on 6 meters. Worked more DX entities on 10 and 30 meters FT8. He used a remote site in CT. Polarity only an issue for ground wave.

WA2UAR also a pilot with 1200 hours.

N3JEC wonders about repeaters having issues in the last week. Wm3PEN still overdeviates.

W3AZT says before you get into FT8, listen listen listen. Software to software. Just worked CU7AA in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. 30 meters. Great for geography. All those little islands between us and Europe.

• kc3pgt announcement
• km3s
• n1lc
• w3whk
• k3fzt 73
• w3azt
• kc3qpb
• wb2bxo
• n3rjv in/out

The October issue of the HARC Spark just came out. Check the groups.io.

Welcome Abraham Shaw, KC3QPB.

K6FOD, Frank, sent us a nice message. We also began discussing the KX3 and antennas.

KC3PGT gave an update about ARES. 49 unique stations. Repeaters connected all 5 locations. Others will need a relay.

KM3S told a scary story. He went to Germantown Radio Club in high school. They would climb the tower.

K3FZT working on his amp.

W3AZT worked HT8R. On the back side of the antenna. SSB.

KC3PGT doesn't have any sppoky stories except for QRM.

W3WHK also got HD8R on 20 meters CW after 45 minutes.

WB2BXO says that things will get a lot better during the supspot peak, a real treat. He barely got on the peak on the late 90s. He likes 30 meters after midnight.

KM3S got in touch with N3JEC and had breakfast. Ham and pilots.

Wb2BXO saw Youtube supposedly Spacex sill do their first starship launch in November. Given the Chinese hypersonic testing.

• aa3vz
• w3whk 73
• n3zzk
• n3peg
• n3jec, Jonathan
• w3azt
• wb2bxo

NJ2BB on Veterans Day

WM3PEN passed 25000 EQSLs 35861 confirmed QSOs in LOTW

What Hams DO about public service premiered on Sunday.

HARC Spark came out last week.

AA3VZ worked a station on 17 meters.

N3ZZK did his final check for the winter time on the roof. He will help Bob mount a beam with a thermostatic control.

N3PEG had her one month followup from sinus surgery.

N3JEC upgraded to extra! He upgraded his 2 meters antenna on the roof. Comet GP6 with 1.2 SWR. New rig, Yaesu FT991A. Waiting for end fed.

W3AZT reports 17-10 ,meters kicking up. Worked a station in Western Sahara. S01WS. 17 meters wide open in the day time. Africa booming in at a 59!

WB2BXO says the Sahara station not on LOTW. A loud station on 40 meters 0300-0500Z. He worked a Japanese station on 10 meters FT* at our gray line. 30 meters is a nice band if you can put up an antenna for it.

N3PEG worked Hawaii. She got it at the end of their Maritime net. She has an OCF dipole.

W3AZT recommends Netlogger. 26 nets at this moment. AIN Window means that the net control monitors it. You can chat.

WB2BXO motices that the remote stations have low noise level, he gets low reports from FT8. 30 meters rocking all night long to some place. He says that I will work DX with QRP in the extra band.

• W3WHK
• K3CL/P
• KC3QPB
• KC3DDO Lenny
• N1LC in/out

We had an informative discussion about metal tape antennas.

The ARRL has renewed HARC as an SSC.

Great job helping Jeff and Johanna with study material.

Mark, KC3JV, posted anRF exposure calculator. Plaese use it and stay safe.

No Philly ARES last week or the upcoming week for Thanksgiving.

I went on a noise hunt. Untangling cables helped.

W3WHK moving things around his shack. Preparing for CQ WDX CW contest.

Echonlink doesn't work during nets.

KC3QPB studying for his general.

KC3DDO has a 2 meter mobile rig. He ordered some custom capacitors for a mag loop.

k3cl chatted on IRC about optical transmissions. Using fiber to substitute for coax. Lasers and LIFI. Re testing, use what works best as long as it involves looking through every question. Recognize the patterns between the questions and the answers. K3CL now a session manager. Set a deadline. LIDAR originally a TED talk. Modulates an LED. It looks like super high speed CW. Optical detection of radio waves through a nanomechanical transducer. K3CL went to a talk about slot antennas. Great application in VHF of above. AJ3DI reminds us of the salt water antenna. Thee Navy has a patent. /inz

• kc3jv in/out
• N3ZZK
• K3FZT
• WB2BXO
• W3AZT
• KC3QPB

ISS SSTV December 1-2

HARC Field Day resultes: 3 stations, 2898 aggregate score.

Some discussion of using a Chromebook. They do not have accurate time. A Linux computer works better.

Jeff Lewis has an HT under the tree, and will take his tech exam January 27!

In person VE session [[https://ham.study/sessions/619157ebb74cf461db6bcfe4/1][December 6, 06:00 PM.

]]Saul missed the 73 round because of a nice reunion on 80 meters.

N3ZZK away on vacation at Disney World. They have a repeater system, but it didn't work. He couldn't hit it with 10 Watts and a J-pole. WD4WDW. Carl mayhbe the 3rd for Field Day. He got 115 QSOS, he usually gets 150-200 at the site. Saul and Carl both got QST late. Usually half way through the clubs.

K3FZT had a nice Thanksgiving with his daughter. He needs to change the grounding for his Winlink gateway. They will go to the Red Cross building on Saturday.

WB2BXO played with Hamsphere, which W3AZT helped with. Steve still uses his old call of KC3AZT. He also runs a virtual broadcast station on 48 meters.

W3AZT thinks he heard the ISS SSTV transmission from Austrailia.

WB2BXO contacted a contest station on 160 using a remote in New England.

• kc3pgt
• k3fzt
• w3box Steve from west Philly
• w3azt

Jeff Lewis wondered about our chatter about spotting VK0PD in Antarctica. Everyone explained it well. Peter, K8PT, recommended DXWatch.com.

In person VE testing ARRL, Dec 13, 6:30 PM EST at 315 York Road, Willow Grove PA 19090 at Giant super market No walk in, sign up here.

A new ham named Chuckasked for a list of local nets. The Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club has a list of them.

Johanna will test in early 2022. Yaesu VX6R or FT5DR

In Chuck's email, he expressed the view that hams don't do a good job communicating. I have heard this expressed by others. I will try to give a running commentary for new hams.

KC3PGT: Philly ARES 09:00 PM Sunday on W3QV. Upcoming presentation about using Winlink with a Baofeng and $25 Easy Digi. KX3DEX has it working under Linux. Cliff says the VX6R looks nifty. He likes touch screens. Does VX6R do WIRESX/Fusion? Good for tech DX. Try the America YSF room. But then he voted for the FT5DR.

K3FZT says: Two very different HTs. Widely different price points. X6R doesn't have a lot of features, but a fine analog HT. He suggests the FT70. It has C4FM. He may need to change the frequency of his Winlink gateway, but satisfied. He needed to tweak the DRA70 pots. He improve his S/N by 8 dB.

KF5INZ makes the Easy Digi. Maybe the FT3D for Johanna? Can someone explain inductance?

K3FZT: ELI the ICE man. E and I from Ohms law, voltage and current. L an inductive loop. C capacitance. Voltage and current out of phase. In L, E leads I. With C, I leads E. An electromagnet is a DC inductor. Inductance: resist a change with the current. With AC, the inductor resists the flow every time it alternates. Your antenna is a circuit.

W3BOX checked in for the first time.

W3AZT: You understand the material when you upgrade to the next license.

W3BOX got his ticket in the 90s, then got back into it 1-2 years ago. Tinker with Linux. Last name: Groundwater. and SDR, goes by GWater.

• kc3pgt short 73
• k3fzt short 73
• wb2bxo
• kc3rgl Chris
• k3zmj
• w3azt

HARC meeting tomorrow at08:00 PM. AR Newslnie.

Technician class on Zoom starting January 5. From the Red Cross.

Stamps for the Wounded.

The Easy Digi.

I told a story of checking in to the Packrats net on Monday. I hooked up my transverter, but the net control sounded quiet, and the beam didn't make a difference. I realized that I forgot to plug it in! Moral: Check your connections, and SWR doesn't tell the whole story.

KC3RGL new member. He had a similar story to mine with the switch.

K3ZMJ checked in for the first time. He hasn't checked in for a long long time. He talked to Charlye a few years ago about RADAR interference on 440. Juergen.

W3AZT reminds me about the SSTV images from the ISS. Dec 26-31. 145.8 MHz FM PD120. You can download free apps to track the ISS and to decode the SSTV.

KC3PGT told us about the 3 levels of ARES. The first just requires you to fill ou ta form. The second level requires class from ARRL and a few from FEMA.

KC3RGL started studying for general.

WB2BXO's ProSet Elite fell apart! Polarity doesn't matter with mobile.

K3ZMJ started picking up a sound on his cheap Baofeng. The processor from a remote temperature sensor.

• N3ZZK
• KM3S, Alan
• KC3QPB
• KC3QEP, Katherine
• N3LYS, Lee
• W3AZT
• W3WHK 73
• K3FZT
• KCPGT in/out
• K2GFY

Sad news: E.J., KB3UWJ had a stroke just before Thanksgiving. Now treated as an outpatient.

Johanna treated herself to the Yaesu FT5D and the ARRL 2020 Handbook for Christmas.

PMRC 25th Annual Auction Wednesday January 12, 07:00 PM.

Ham Radio University: January 8.

We had an informative meeting about Amateur Radio Newsline.

Do you want to see Amateur Radio Newsline again?

N3ZZK got on Saturday night. Bands seemed dead. I agree. E.J. sounds good and clear.

KM3S studying for his pilot's license.

KC3QPB passed his general! Looking at the IC7300 and the FT991A.

KC3QEP on break. Go for the general! Had a good time volunteering. Wonders if anyone has read any good books lately.

N3LYS from Penn campus. Sounding great. Sounding much better than into W3QV. Still writing papers. Should graduate in Summer. Probably back to Shanghai.

W3AZT says you need good eyesight or the ft991A, very small.

K3FZT says that Philadelphia has a large FT991 community.

N3ZZK also has an FT991. If you ride to HRO it will save on taxes.

KM3S listened to AR Newsline for the first ten minutes, but it can't hurt.

W3AZT listened to Newsline all the time. The older radios could take the duty cycle!

GFY says as long as I have a good match, absolutely no problem. TM-V71 a real workhorse.

K3FZT listens to AR Newsline on W3QV Sunday mornings, but could go either way.

• kb3uwj E.J.
• k3fzt 73
• wb2bxo
• kc3pgt 73
• w3azt 73
• n3peg

Award processing picking up. Someone sent a QSL card wanting our SKCC number.

Ron, K3RJC has a repeater update. He has a new transmitter which will allow using the amplifier. He has to complete a fan modification. He will also have a backup transmitter, and a receiver for the Cherry Hill site. He applied to renew the Penn letter of access.

ISS SSTV.

Great to hear E.J., KB3UWJ. Sounding good!

KA3TTT may install a stealth end-fed.

K3FZT postponed his travel to Hawaii.

WB2BXO worked VK2GR on 12 meters CW. Added Caymen Islands on 160 digital.

kc3pgt working on the go bag for Philly ARES.

W3AZT started with an end-fed, 92 feet of wire in a triangle. A sloper. Highest point at 30 ft, lowest at 3 ft. Held together by string. His has a 49:1 unun. He attached the unun to the high point, making a tophat. Worked a station on 17 meters 20 over S9 85 Watts.

E.J. getting some ideas from our discussion about end-feds or a balun for a dipole.

N3PEG likes the velcro. Rich, AA3RC has a nice setup.

WB2BXO worked a UA9 on 160, Siberia using a remote site.

W3AZT had a 6 1/2 whip for CB, but it works on 12 meters. He worked south America on FT8.

• kc3pgt question
• n3peg
• kc3qpb Abraham
• k3fzt 73
• wb2bxo
• w3whk
• ks3x

nw3t w3azt

Free extra class.

KC3PGT building the go bag for Philly ARES. What antenna? Leaning towards a Diamond X-30 or Comet equivalent and an extendtable painter's pole. He does have a log periodic, but very directional.

n3peg agrees about the vertical. A meteor exploded above Pittsburgh on January 1. Equivalent to 30 tons of TNT.

K3FZT points out that X30 vs X50 doesn't matter much. Take the log periodic along for mobile.

And satellites.

wb2bxo worked the Falkland islands on 10 meters FT8. Best DX of the new cycle so far. The guy ran a Buddipole. 20000 head of sheep. Exactly at the gray line.

W3WHK worked VK2GR. We got the park for Field Day. Got a 3hour lesson via zoom about computer rig control.

N3PEG wonders about a ski case or something like that for the antenna.

KS3X wondered about K3CJ.

W3AZT will repair his amplifier, an SB230.

KC3PGT may have decided on the X50A in a hard rifle case. Yaesu FT6000R

WB2BXO imagines the ranger's reaction to a rifle case.

• N3ZZK
• W3AZT
• W3WHK
• WB2BXO
• KC3NPY Jason North Philadelphian

Congrats to our HARC PA QSO Party winners: W3WHK #1 low power in Philadelphia county, and KA3TTT #1 QRP in philadelphia county.

This weekend: ARRL VHF Contest and the North American QSO Party CW. Winterheat 2022 still going on.

Greg, Wa3GM, lent a key to Jason, KC3NPY. We look forward to hearing you on CW!

Solar Cycle 25 stronger than expected.

N3ZZK's cousin, W7FN after four calls in four states. He has a QSO card from each.

W3AZT still working on his amp. A faulty relay for TX/RX. An old amp from the 70s. Only at 85 Watts now.

WB2BXO did rover in Brooklyn 15 years ago. They also won because of the only entry. They would wait by JFK and bounce off airplane scatter.

KC3NPY a ham for 2 years, passed his general a year ago. Using a magmount. He wants to get into QRP and CW.

N3ZZK referred to CW users as bilingual. True.

W3AZT referenced wild boar at 03:00 AM. Keep your ears open to beta testers testing a new frequency or band around 60 meters, in between 5-7 MHz. 50 meters or 51 meters.

WB2BXO: K2RAW, a wellknown VHF contester, now SK. 432 stripline amp. He worked a station in NC with a KW. They noticed a peak in signals in the evening from aircraft, exactly between them at 32000 ft. Frank has worked 92 stations on 30 meters CW and FT8.

N3ZZK will set W3WHK up with a magmount.

W3AZT remembers N3ZZK rigging up fluorescent lights to the antennas to glow with FT8.

• W3WHK
• N3ZZK
• WB2BXO
• KT3H, Paul
• KM3S, Allan
• KC3PGT 73
• KC3QPB, Abraham
• AA3VZ
• W3AZT

Check out the HARC Spark.

AR Newsline mentioned WA3PZO and the Olympic torch relay in 1980.

Correction: W3WHK got his award for low power.

Monthly meeting tomorrow night at 08:00 PM on Zoom.

Warminster hamfest. Sunday May 1. HARC has tables.

Submit your VHF contest log by 0359Z January 27.

W3WHK tried 6 meters on Sunday but heard nothing. Me neither. He did enter the NA QSO party, probably a few hundred. The SSB version happens this weekend.

N3ZZK says Warminster happens mostly indoors. We have a table. He got a QSL card from the CQ WWDX SSB in October. He worked the Galapagos islands, HD8R. He got him on 17, 15, 12, and 10 meters.

WB2BXO worked HD8R on 80 meters CW. Maybe 17 and 12 meters. So far the best a VP8 station on 2 meters FT8. The gray line works. But he couldn't quite work a station via long path. Oh well things will get better.

KT3H thinks he can get a permanent VHF/UHF antenna. His back yard has a lot going on, two trees coming down. A couple POTA activations.

KM3S hasn't done much. He doesn't have less time after retiring. He checks in to MARC, medical amateur radio.

KC3PGT has fully assembled the ARES go kit, and will go over to WA2UAR's house to make a video. They had a standby activation for the Red Cross.

KC3QPB looking at an end-fed.

AA3VZ busy working. Monday nights 07:30 PM delco ARES on 446.775 88.5 PL. At 08:00 PM dvf net 448.85 PL 131.8. Fusion on 446.875, KB3WT does analog and digital 131.8 PL.

W3AZT up to about 6" 2' since about his 20s. Taking care of his Mom. This Spring he may do a little experimenting. He may try a smaller triangle to get into the higher bands, 10 and 6 meters. Replace the unun.

Johanna asked about needing a license to download an SSTV image. No. 20 meters, 14.230 MHz USB has STV. MMSSTV free software.

W3WHK read about cooties. A woman sending fast code with a cootie on YouTube. WA3PZO applied for HD8R QSL cards for him and the club.

WB2BXO says eventually dx'peditions upload their logs.

KT3H listened to the SSTV event last night on Philmont. Interested. I suggested using SDR to receive SSTV. Paul suggests using a web SDR.

W3AZT knows about SDR. You want a direct audio feed going into the program. You can transmit live TV with EasyPAL. You upload video to a server then send out a signal.