PRC mtg May 2, 2016

PRC Earth Day Event a Success! By all standards, our Earth Day special event operation was a great success.  We had the most participants ever, the most contacts, the most DX and the most fun.  Many thanks to our hosts, the Parma Historical Society who thanked us for doing our Earth Day Event and said … Continue reading “PRC mtg May 2, 2016”

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PRC Earth Day Event a Success!

By all standards, our Earth Day special event operation was a great success.  We had the most participants ever, the most contacts, the most DX and the most fun.  Many thanks to our hosts, the Parma Historical Society who thanked us for doing our Earth Day Event and said what a joy it was to work with the Parma Radio Club.

We had many wonderful contacts with hams around the world.  Of course, we can always be certain that the number of people listening is far greater than the actual contacts.  Many will say, “I’ve been listening for some time and just wanted to say hi.” I don’t think they could hear the recently chicks under the red warming lights that were in the cabin but I was sure to paint word pictures for them to describe our wonderful location and the role of the Stearns Homestead as an educational urban farm. A Catskill, NY operator said, “I had to call you when I heard the fun you were having chasing those chicks around the cabin!”  Those New Yorkers!

We had two separate stations. On 40 meters we contacted many local operators in Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania, and Michigan as well as Wisconsin to New York to Toronto, Virginia, Kentucky, and the Carolinas. On 20 meters people as far as Lithuania, Vienna, and Syria.  It was a very good day. 

And like any rewarding endeavor, the day provided learning opportunities.  At our May 2nd meeting, we’ll give a full report and discuss how we might be able to make some improvements for next time. 

Apparently our setup was very similar to last year because our antennas required no adjustments. I guess we did a great job last year when we tuned the 40 meter dipole.  But we were equipped and ready just in case.  At our meeting May 2nd I’ll show you how easy it is to tune a dipole when you have the right tools.

Stearns Homestead has a couple of increasingly popular events that you won’t want to miss: The Farmer’s Market and the Rummage Sale.  Check them out at www.stearnshomestead.com .


 

Equipment for Sale

Member Bob Bassett, KE8UV  has some excellent equipment offerings. Definitely look his list over before you trek to Dayton.  I’m sure you’ll find a some real bargains.   Equipment for sale

 


The Buzz is Building

It’s kind of like the sound of bees in the spring and early summer.  As I listen to hams I hear the buzz of questions like “Goin’ to Dayton?”  And it’s not just midwest hams. Those DX operators are buzzing about Dayton as well.  Many have found it to be one of the most exciting aspects of their hobby.  One PRC member is making the journey with a group of friends, one of who is marking his 50th Hamvention!  Not many can say that! 

The 2016 Hamvention is May 20-22nd.

If you’re “goin’ to Dayton” your friends at home would appreciate a report on the experience… and dont forget to bring home some samples.

More info at  Hamvention


Hal Rogers, K8CMD

President, Communications Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PRC mtg April 18, 2016

  This will be a “a quick read” post.  Like many of you, this wonderful weather has made it possible to get on with a number of pressing outdoor projects.   I want to thank Natalie the Director of Replay for Kids for a very enjoyable program this month. From conversations at the event and … Continue reading “PRC mtg April 18, 2016”

 

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This will be a “a quick read” post.  Like many of you, this wonderful weather has made it possible to get on with a number of pressing outdoor projects.  

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I want to thank Natalie the Director of Replay for Kids for a very enjoyable program this month. From conversations at the event and on the net, we all had a wonderful time busily adapting toys for handicapped children. I have a superb collection photos from Ken Osicki K8OAE along with video I took and am editing it for a later date.  If you missed out on the event, another will be planned for later in the year.


 

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Stearns Homestead

Our April 18th meeting will be our only opportunity to discuss and finalize plans for the Earth Day Special Event on April 23rd at Stearns Farm.  Hard to believe that this will be our 4th annual event in which we operate entirely on solar energy.  This year, coincidentally, the Ohio section Emergency is hoping to expand the Section’s NVIS Antenna Day which also takes place on the 23rd.  Scott Yonally, N8SY our ARRL Ohio Section Manager suggested that we try an NVIS antenna.  So we’ve decided to “join the party” by using a quick and easy homemade NVIS antenna.

If you’re not familiar with this antenna, the acronym stands for Near Vertical Incident Scattering antenna. While several designs meet this purpose, a popular one is a short inverted vee dipole. The NVIS antenna directs the pattern vertically so that it reflects off the ionosphere and reflects downward. Similar to the broad, scattered illumination you get when you direct a flashlight onto the ceiling.

If you will be participating in any way at the event, particularly supplying equipment, we need to have your attendance at this meeting.

More information on the Ohio ARES event is on the ARRL site.    Ohio SEC NVIS Day

 


 

Hal Rogers K8CMD
President, Communications Director

 

PRC mtg Apr 4, 2016

  All about coax Many of us might think “Coax! What could somebody tell me about that stuff that I don’t already know?”  Well, I can say that Larry Shimerka, KC8VZZ really put some work into the topic and we all learned something new about this fundamental aspect of our hobby.  Larry’s presentation included many … Continue reading “PRC mtg Apr 4, 2016”

  All about coax

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Larry Shimerka, KC8VZZ presents his new program on COAX

Many of us might think “Coax! What could somebody tell me about that stuff that I don’t already know?”  Well, I can say that Larry Shimerka, KC8VZZ really put some work into the topic and we all learned something20160321_205445_copy new about this fundamental aspect of our hobby.  Larry’s presentation included many actual samples of hardline, LMR -400 and other pricey coax.  And, as if that wasn’t enough we even viewed a short video on the proper way to solder the PL-259.

      

Photos: Ken Osicki, K8OAE


PRC to host Replay for Kids

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Replay for Kids‘ modified toys for handicapped children.

This April 4th will be a unique meeting.  Our guests from Replay for Kids of Strongsville will put us to work  modifying toys.  The organization specializes in adapting common toys so they can be enjoyed by handicapped children. While the organization provides the materials and tools, volunteers such as you and I provide the skill and labor to make it happen. The evening promises to be a fun opportunity to get hands on experience and benefit children.

Upper vs. Lower (Sideband — not dentures)

You might have wondered why it is that on the HF bands below40 meters we use lower sideband (LSB) while we switch to upper (USB) for the higher bands. In the April ’16 QST (p.24) Dave Cook, WA∅TTN explained. It all goes back to the receiver and transmitter designs in use at the time. (Recall that an early ham stations consisted of a separate transmitter and receiver. Dave’s explanation seems to pick up after transceivers became the norm. Another wonderful design that appeared was the variable frequency oscillator. The VFO liberated hams from crystals that had a fixed frequency.)

All this to say that the writer’s explanation covers post-transceiver introduction. He says that the IF frequency of the transmitter and the receiver were at 9 MHz.  The transmitter and the receiver used the same filters for carrier suppression and filtering out the undesired sideband. It worked out that the sidebands fall into those two differences when mixed with the (common) VFO output.

In the early 60’s, when I was starting into this hobby as a novice, sideband meant “double sideband” in which the AM carrier was removed but both the lower and the upper sidebands were transmitted. The missing carrier was referred to as “suppressed carrier.”  Soon afterward it was discovered how to remove not only the carrier but one of the sidebands. 


After several years of great work as NCO, Bob, KA8WQL has found it necessary to step down as Net Control Operator for the FM net.  Bob was covering the 1st Tuesday of the month.  If you would like to take the position, we would love to have you.  Please contact any of the officers or send us an e-mail.  If you can only take the role temporarily, we can work around that and it would help your club tremendously.

The nets are a great way for the club to reach out to new hams in the area and to invite prospective members to participate in the fun.


PRC to Celebrate 4th Annual Earth Day

Stearns Homestead

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High Output Solar Panels

This year the Parma Radio Club will again celebrate Earth Day by operating a special event station in the heart of Parma at Stearns Homestead, the unique historical urban farm on Ridge Road. The Homestead is owned by the City of Parma and maintained by the Parma Area Historical Society as a living educational facility for people of all ages. This year marks our 4th Earth Day celebration in which we plus entirely on power from the sun. On Saturday April 23rd the PRC will have several transmitters in operation on the HF bands. and offer our radio contacts a custom QSL card to commemorate the event. Earth Day is celebrated around the world in hundreds of countries by millions of people and seeks to remind everyone of the fragility and singularity of our special planet. We welcome visitors and operators. In recent years we’ve spread the word to as many as three countries, hundteds of amateur operators and untold shortwave listeners. This event station gives us the opportunity to inform listeners about Earth Day but also our area and the Stearns Homestead. For more information about Stearns Homestead, the site of increasingly popular summer farmers market go to www.stearnshomestead.com

 We’ll be on the air from 10 am to 4 pm 1400z t0 2000z.  Operation will be entirely from solar power.  Mode of operation will be SSB on 40, 20  and 15 meters.

For photos of previous events see our albums.


Hal Rogers, K8CMD

President, Communications Director