KE4ID's article in October CQ magazine

Jack's article about restoration of a National NC-81X has been published in the October 2011 issue of CQ Magazine. Congratulations, Jack!

Huntsville Hamfest 2011

Here are two photos from our traditional gathering at noon on Saturday at the Huntsville Hamfest. Thanks to N4OLN for the photos! Click on the photos for an expanded view. A captioned copy of the first photo is posted at the group photos page.

 

VoIP Phone Patch

Below is a drawing of the VoIP phone patch configuration that I have been using for a few months. Click on the image for a full-sized view.

I'm using the phone patch audio input & output jacks of the transceiver. Modern transceivers should work in a similar manner with their line audio input & output jacks. A RIGblaster Pro forms the interface between transceiver and the PC sound card. Many other forms of audio interface can serve the same function.

The vintage SoundBlaster sound card has 4 audio jacks: line in, line out, speakers, and microphone. The line in and line out jacks connect to their corresponding jacks on the RIGblaster. My headset microphone connects to the microphone jack. I've been using the convenient headphone jack on the RIGblaster with my headset earphone(s), but I need to try the sound card speaker jack to see if its performance is any different. This setup provides ample audio levels, except for the audio from the distant phone to my earphones.

The Windows-based audio mixer associated with the sound card provides the ability to combine and adjust the level of my voice along with the distant phone voice when transmitting. I'm able to hear the distant caller's voice and my own (i.e. sidetone), but I'd like to be able to reduce the latter a bit. I can mute my own voice with a mouse click in the Windows audio mixer.

In the receive direction, I can supply as much audio as needed for the distant phone party, using the transceiver's audio gain. This tends to provide more audio than needed for my local earphone(s).

For the VoIP connection to the distant phone, which is connected to the public switched telephone network (PSTN), I've been using the Google Call Phone feature in Gmail. It is free again this year, and does not max-out the 600 MHz CPU in my ham shack PC. A PC with adequate CPU power can use Skype for the same function, but calls to PSTN phones require a paid Skype subscription. Group voice chat / calls are apparently not supported on the Google platform at this time. Skype has good capabilities for conferencing multiple participants on PC-based Skype clients or on PSTN phones.

Doublet antenna for 7-30 MHz

Yesterday our discussion on 3740 kHz included the characteristics of a wire doublet antenna for 7 thru 30 MHz, based on recommendations (see page 8) from W8JI. Below are links to screen shots from NEC-based analysis of the antenna, for two lengths: 55 ft and 66 ft. Analysis used 3/8 wavelength of 300 ohm feeder, to conform to the article's recommendation to use odd multiples of 1/8 wavelength for the feeder.

55 ft antenna, with radiation patterns in horizontal plane and a plot of impedance for the 7 ham bands. The data points in the latter are the frequencies where computations were done. For the impedance plot, connecting lines drawn thru the intervening non-ham frequencies should be ignored.

W8JI 55 ft doublet

Click on individual thumbnails when the album opens, or select the slideshow mode.

66 ft antenna, with same plots and same feeder & height above ground.

W8JI 66 ft doublet

Radiation patterns for vertical plane are not included here, but are readily available.

John

W4S Special Event Station

Here is some pictures from the special event station W4S April 9th and 10th from Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

The four people in the above photo from left to right are

Paul WA0BAG, Sap N0SAP, Steve WA9JNM and Smitty KB4BW.

Above is a picture of Jim KC4RD operating the Ten-Tec Eagle.

73's Steve  WA9JNM

Video by WA9JNM

Thanks, Steve!

Pigeon Forge and TenTec factory

Here are some pixs from Pigeon Forge and TenTec factory with their new
radio.  KB4BW & KC4RD were with me.

Bruce
K4CMC

Titanic Special Event - April 9 & 10

Remember the Titanic April 9th and 10th in Pigeon Forge, TN.  

Hope to see you there.  N0SAP "SAP"

---

This Special Event is to honor the two brave radio operators Jack Phillips and Harold Bride for the 99th Anniversary of the Titanic tragic sinking. The WØS at the World's Largest Titanic Museum in Branson, MO. and the W4S World's Second Largest Museum in Pigeon Forge, TN. will be held as an open event for all hams and non-hams to operate. The "W" and "S" is for White Star the shipping company of the Titanic. Ten-Tec will display the new "Eagle" Transceiver for all to use in the Pigeon Forge, TN. location. We will be operating around the clock from both locations. Come experience being chased by stations from around the world at this International Famous Special Event Station.

Operating frequencies will be as follows for SSB and CW.
14.260 ssb +/- 3KC
7.260 ssb # +/- 3KC
3.860 #ssb #+/- 3kc

CW will be running split
14.060 CW UP 2kc
7.060 CW UP 2kc
3.560 CW UP 2kc

For more information and future updates the websites are:
www.w4sspecialevent2011.bravehost.com
www.wzeros.com