Sorry for being missing, Upcoming plans, and Pre-Field Day thoughts

Hello everyone,

It has been a while since I posted here on this blog. As for that poll, don't worry; I will cover the topic on the history of licensing very soon, probably next weekend during any studying breaks from final exams. I have had so much on my plate, hence forth why I haven't posted in so long. I am just going to be talking about my future plans: both personally and in the amateur radio community as a whole since awareness has been really widespread thanks to the show "Last Man Standing" and the episode The Fight and a recent Burger King commercial for their Chipotle Chicken sandwich, which you can watch it here

Before I continue with what I have to say, I have a major announcment to make. I recently decided to become a Voulenteer Examiner, or VE for short (Not to be confused with Canadian amateur prefixes.) The Voulenteer Exam Coordinator I am working with is through the ARRL, which is very convenient since most amateur radio clubs are involved with that particular  Voulenteer Exam Coordinator.

(Logo for ARRL/VEC)

For my contingency plan for college, I am going to attend SUNYIT in Utica, which is about an hour and twenty minutes southeast of my home QTH. I am hoping to set up an amateur radio club at SUNYIT as well and hopefully bring in some fresh faces that could gain their licenses and help with operating on the air. Over this summer, the ham shack (aka my bedroom) is getting an overhaul! A new antenna setup will be installed, as I am debating over a full G5RV (ZS6BKW Optimized) on a 50' mast with a 2 and 6 meter omnidirectional on top as well, along with a 250' dipole for 160m (Give or take a few feet for optimalization on the band.) As for a new radio, I am hoping to acquire an IC-706 (or its later models) for use in my hamshack as well. If I can not find one, I may settle with a modern Alinco, Kenwood, or Yaesu setup that at least has 6m on it as well and move my TM-261A inside for 2m operations rather than playing the thing mobile. As for handhelds, I am taking a break from them ever since my IC-V82 stopped working a few months ago for strange reasons, which I think could've been a battery short to the system itself.

In about a month and a half for operators in North America, Field Day is coming up!!! If you do not know what Field Day is in regard for amateur radio operation, here is a quick rundown. Field Day usually involves a well talented and developed group of amateur operators and support to help set up in a temporary location and work as many stations across the US and Canada in a stint lasting anywhere from 24 to 30 hours. All bands on the amateur radio spectrum, Sans the 12, 17, 30, and 60m bands are fair game for contacts. Many groups break their focus down to bands and further break them down into operating modes. There are more rules on the ARRL website which goes into greater detail than I can explain here.

(Field Day 2013 Logo, Courtesy of the American Radio Relay League)

For myself, I am going to be collaborating and working with the Thousand Islands Repeater club, which their callsign is KD2CPX, at the Tibbet's Point Lighthouse in Cape Vincent, NY. It is going to be a major change compared to last year's operations with the Jefferson County Radio Amateurs Club, KC2ELX. I am talking to Will Covey, The president of the Thousand Islands Repeater Club, call sign AC2GE, about plans for Field Day and looking forward to working with him and the other members of the club.

(Picture of Tibbet's Point Lighthouse)

Until next time, this is N2ASD signing you clear. 73s my friends.

Post RIT decisions, my future and miscellaneous stuff....

Hello everyone, just before I start talking this post is going to be very personal. It is going to lament about a decision that i am going to have to make very soon. Also, there is a poll at the bottom of this post which will determine what my next blog post will be about. If you do not want to read this stuff and just vote, just scroll down to the poll.

Anyways,
I have been doing a lot of thinking over this week, so I do apologize for making a very late post. I have recently received my transcript evaluation from RIT, and it is safe to say that it does not look very good.... Based on what I completed at both SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Canton, RIT has decided it will honor only a small percentage of what I have done at both SUNY colleges into their program. Out of the 126 credits needed to earn the degree I desire at RIT: I have only placed down 30 of them, and still in need of 96 more, taking a lot longer then the desired two years that I am willing to spend there. What attracted me to RIT was the vast amount of student support options they have, from their office of disability services to their unique Spectrum Support Program for students with autism spectrum disorder, to the number of student organizations that RIT has, from their anime club, which hosts Tora-con in the spring, to K2GXT, RIT's Amateur Radio Club that I was looking so forward to being a major part of, and hopefully taking an executive board position in, as well as helping the Rochester Amateur Radio Association with their technician license examination classes.... All it it now is just a faint dream....










 (How I really feel when I posted this, just as bad as Little Mac from Punch-Out! When you lose 3 ttimes in one circuit)

However, there is a bit of a silver lining to all of this when you think about it.... I could forward to seeing what SUNYIT could have to offer for me, and it would be a lot easier to have transfer credits honored... I could also have the possibility of starting an amateur radio club there too! I should stop rambling on about my future plans and change things up and talk about a few old TV shows that I used to enjoy as a child/young teenager.

One of the first shows that I watched quite a bit growing up was MXC, or the Most eXtreme elimination Challenge. This TV show aired on Spike from 2003-2007, and was basically a re-dubbing of the Japanese game show, Takashi's Castle from the 1980s. It had some absurd voice acting, and a motif to show a competition between two outrageously different themes, such as Hip-Hop Stars Vs. Horror Film Actors. It had a lot of cheap laughs, thanks to the "hosts," Vic Romano and Kenny Blankenship, voiced by Vic Wilson and Chris Darga respectively who bring this show to real life with cheap innuendos and crazy designs. It is a shame that Spike re-branded itself and decided to not show re-runs of this show on their lineup, but I could be wrong. The series itself can be found on DVD fairly cheaply.















(MXC's Original Logo)



Another TV series I watched incessantly was the Gundam anime series, but particularly, Gundam Wing. It aired on Cartoon Network's original Toonami block on March 6, 2000 in the US and ended its original run on May of that same year. The anime's original run in Japan was from April 1995 to March 1996. I was a little too young to remember most of it, but I am just reliving my former experiences with it on Netflix DVD rental, because the DVDs for this series are very hard to find complete. From what I remember it aired in the afternoon, a cut version of the anime that made it suitable for a TV-Y7 FV rating, and an uncut version that aired late at night (this was before Adult Swim existed.) It is centered around a group of young teenaged Mecha pilots who are loosely working together to stop the System Alliance from taking over Earth. I have just recently refreshed myself with the first 5 episodes, and it seems promising. The main protagonist, Heero Yuy, a 15 year old rebel Gundam pilot who arrived on Earth as part of a covert operation known as Operation Meteor, voiced my Mark Hildreth in the English Dub. Maybe at some point when I finish watching the complete anime, which will be no easy task since there are 10 DVDs, not counting the movie, Endless Waltz, to watch.





(cover for Gundam Wing DVD#1)
 
I hope you withstood my ramblings for now. I will be back again soon with some ham history, I will leave a poll for you to happily vote on, which I will tally up the results on Wedensday and I will talk about it. Link to the poll



Until next time, this is N2ASD signing all clear.

Mobile antennas and DBs... What you need to know

Hello hello,
Before I get started on today's blog about what I am going to talk about, I am going to throw one picture out there so that my followers who are not as technically savvy or not as keen on understanding, or who do not understand are warned...

 (You have been warned...)

That is all... I promise to all of my non-technical followers, I will post a special blog up for you all later this week.

Now we go on to today's topic: one which all amateur radio operators should be aware of: the use of antennas and how DB, or decibels work.

Think back to the days when you studied and took the technician examination for your first license... You learned about antennas, and touched ground on the basic concepts of how they work. Today, I will be talking about these in a mobile sense, or in car operation.

As many of you are aware, most mobile antennas mounted on cars are omnidirectional. There are some cases, however, where unidirectional antennas can be used on a vehicle, which are predomintly for VHF and higher, like this one below are predominantly found on rover station for VHF and UHF contesting.


 (5 Element yagi pair used for direction finding)

Now that I talked a little about antennas, I want to now talk about the factor that drives antenna, or gain. Gain is measured in the unit decibel, which is very similar to sound. It is a logarithmic measurement of the intensity given to a specific reference point, and in the case of amateur radio there are two of them. dBi, or decibels to an isotropic radiator, or theoretical antenna that radiates the same intensity in all directions, or dBd, or decibels to a half wavelength dipole. dBd is approximetely 3.1 dBi. Most antennas that are used in VHF mobile operation range from about 2-4 dBi, and 3-7 for UHF. Common ways to mount such antennas is via a magnetic base, which was commonplace for a while, and lastly NMO mounted, or those who do not want to use a magnet to stick their antennas on their cars and mount them somewhere, usually on the trunk or off to the side of the car. I am going to answer right away how you can improve your overall gain on your VHF mobile antenna setup. First of all, if your car can support it, always try to purchase a 5/8 or 3/4 wavelength antenna, since they will provide more gain then the usual ones out there in comparison. Second, try to mount the antenna at the highest point on the vehicle if possible, being careful to take in account low clearance areas that will not hit your antenna. My rule of thumb is to keep it below 7', since most drive-thru clearances are about that height.

That is all I have to say for now, until then this is N2ASD signing you clear.

RIT Visit wrap-up and Kenwood TM261A Mobile Review

Hello Everyone,

Yesterday I visited the Rochester Institute of Technology, or RIT for short to learn more about the campus and possibly make a decision on transferring there in the upcoming fall semester. I was most pleased by the campus as a whole; the environment, the student body, the vast amount of extracurricular activities such as student clubs and events outside of class, and the support services that they have to offer.

(Time to roll out the welcoming mat?)

 I felt very excited and willing to accept RIT's offer for admission, but the one thing that is worrying me is the cost. RIT, being a private school, has a very high tuition rate, which makes it hard for people from lower echelons of society to attend. Even with my honor standing from SUNY Canton and they scholarships I received with my acceptance letter, I may still be about $15,000 or more short each semester. If push comes to shove, I may fall back and decide to stay within the SUNY system and attend SUNYIT in Utica next fall instead of the prestigious RIT. I will keep you all up to date as my decisions develop and I finally make a decision.


And now it is time for everyone's favorite part of the blog, an EQUIPMENT REVIEW!!!

The Kenwood TM261A is a decent 2m (144Mhz.) mobile transceiver that has a lot of nice features right out of the box, beside being a simplistic radio made around the late 1990s and discontinued around 2003 or 2004. It offers power settings at 50W, as well as two lower settings at 10W and 5W. What sets the 261A apart from other radios at the time was its ability to recieve the air band (110-136Mhz) in amplitude modulation, or AM, which set it apart from other radios at the time. Other features included were 61 channel memories that are able to store the PL tone to your repeaters plus calling frequency memory. It also has automatic repeater shift for the default configuration on the band plan, so no more having to remember what the shift is for repeaters down the road, unless it is an oddball! It also has a modular microphone plug that uses an RJ-45 connector, similar to those on Ethernet cables, which makes plugging it into a terminal node connector a breeze for digital packet use.

(Small and mighty, this mobile fits the bill)

For a basic 2m radio to install into a car, I would definitely recommend it due to its simplicty in design, an modular microphone jack. The only drawback is that for most 2m mobile radios nowadays, 55 or 60W on high power seems to be the norm, but it all comes down to preference. A good price for one of these used would be about $100, which is how much I paid for my own exactly. I had very good signal reports on many of the repeaters in the Syracuse and Rochester area traveling down Interstate 90 on my way to RIT.

Next week, I will be talking about mobile antennas and how to improve your dee bee's or to put it simply; gain. Until then, this is N2ASD. Clear.

Triple F

Instead of boring you all with a long length equipment review or a personal reflection, I have decided today that I will post Funny or Freaky Fotos today, hence the name Triple F with a ham radio or technological theme.


















Enjoy the weekend, because I will surely do the same too! Until then, this is N2ASD. Clear.

ARRL DX Contest wrap-up and "Spotting"

Hello all,

It is glad to be back on and talking about something that is relevant to the hobby of amateur radio. Last weekend on March 2nd and the 3rd, The ARRL sponsored their annual DX Contest. People wonder: "What is the big deal with contesting DX stations?" To put it simply, DX stations are international stations or stations that are very elusive that are on the air. In the DX Contest, for US (Lower 48) and Canadian stations, they have to work as many as the other stations out in the world as possible, while the DX stations have to work as many of the US and Canada stations as they can. It can be very fun, but very hairy due to many operators being stack on top of each other, trying to get the same station. This phenomenon is known to the amateur community as a "pileup", and is common in contests due to rare stations being out there to get all  of the possible regions needed to clean sweep the contest. The DX contest is heavily dependant on the solar cycle and sunspot activity, so if you plan on entering that contest, it would be wise to look up this information a few days before...

Also, I want to talk about the use of "Spotting", or the use of a packet or telnet network to solicit yourself on during amateur radio contests. During the November Sweepstakes last year, I did not use it due to stigma of being not as valued as a contact. However, during the DX contest I found spotting to be a major help into finding those ever elusive stations that are on the air and can pass this information to other operators in look for those contacts by spotting such DX stations. There is a drawback to using spotting networks, in most contests, your category of an operator will usually change. For instance, in the November sweepstakes, unassisted operators are listed by power level, ranging from QRP for less than 5 watts, to High for operators who use more than 150 watts. If using a spotting network, you are listed as an unlimited station, because of the use of these protocols. There are many ethics to spotting, such as the distasteful act of self spotting, or posting your own callsign to these networks, which is very heavily frowned upon and could lead to disqualification in some contests.

That is all I have for now, this is N2ASD, clear.

Reflection and Equipment Review Doubleheader: W8AMZ G5RV Jr. and Yaesu FT-1900R

Its been a while since I posted, and I am so glad that it is! Today, I am bringing two amateur equipment reviews to place on the table for thought: an HF wire antenna and a 2m mobile, or car radio. However, before we get to the juicy reviews, I am bringing up my thoughts on several things, and please feel free to leave a comment with your own answers; What bands do you like to use and why? Does VHF/UHF (50Mhz+) have a purpose outside of contests, and lastly, what can you do to help advocate amateur radio?


But before I begin, do check this link out. After almost 2 months, the FCC has finally granted me my Extra class privileges and I could not be any happier!

Here are my answers to my own questions:

For my personal favorite bands, on VHF it would have to be 2m because of the vast majority of repeaters that are around my area (by that I mean 4, 3 in my locale and 1 in Canada.) For HF, I like 20m and 40m a lot because they are versatile bands, and can usually be used in tandem with each other during parts of the day, such as 20m in the daytime, and 40m at night.

VHF/UHF does have a purpose: 1) it is used by repeaters. 2) In larger metropolitan areas, UHF is the only mode that can permeate though the buildings to get reception. 3) the antennas needed for such operations are smaller, and can be created a lot easier via homebrew, especially 1.2Ghz and up. Lastly 4) it is nice to chat up with the local hams in the area around you.

Lastly, as for trying to advocate amateur radio, being a young operator, I try to reach out to those around me and educate them in that matter. I am planning on becoming a Volunteer Examiner, or VE (Not to be confused with the prefix for Canadian operators) and proctor exams for all license classes.

And now It is time for equipment reviews!!!!

Starting off is the W8AMZ G5RV Jr. Dipole antenna

(Simple setup and easy to use)

This particular model of the G5RV, made by Tom (W8AMZ) is seen to be an improvement of the original multiband dipole made by R.L. Varney (G5RV.) It is a shortened version to 52' (or approx. 17 meters) and is useable for the amateur bands on 10m up to 60m, handling up to 2kW PEP power. For my setup here, I am using it at 24' (7.8 meters) above ground attached to 2x4's (which needs to be fixed due to flaws in the design, one of the supports fell over during the winter) For what it is, the signal reports are very decent, as I am able to hear most domestic stations running 100W at around Signal level 7 to 9, and occasionally 10 to 20 Decibels over 9. The only major drawback I have with this antenna is the need of height to gain more reception, and no access to 80m(3.5Mhz) or 160m(1.8Mhz) due to its shortened length. (There are other models that are 104' and 222' so 80m and 160m can be used.) Overall, for the price I paid at around $48, it is a decent basic antenna you can use with your HF radio to get on the air with, and does especially well in digital modes. It is nice to use if you live in an antenna restrictive environment.


Lastly, I am going to do a somewhat journalistic review of the Yaesu FT-1900R 2m mobile radio, because I am personally doing some research and planning on purchasing one in the near future, so a more detailed review of that, or whatever radio I buy will be up.


It looks like very promising and a welcoming to the Yaesu mobile radio line. (Image Courtesy of Universal-Radio)

 For its price at about $170 here in the United States, it is a very decent and well usable 2m mobile rig that provides 55W PEP out. It has standard features, such as CTCSS/PL Tone and DCS access for repeaters, along with 200 memory channels, so your favorite repeater is there on tap. It also has other unique features, such as NOAA weather alert, which automatically tunes the radio to the nearest NOAA weather radio station broadcasting a weather alert, as well as access to Yaesu's proprietary WIRES II internet node link. The radio also boasts the ARTS, or Automatic Range Transponder System, to locate other amateur operators in your area. This radio would make a good addition to anyone's operations, or even as a first radio outside a handheld.


That is all I have for now. Until then, this is N2ASD clear.

VHF Contest Aftermath, Mourning the Loss of an Operator, and Repeaters

As the end of the January VHF contest settles in, I realized it was a complete and total failure. I think the reason behind it is because handheld radios lack the power and antennas that base stations do for one, and for two, my 2 degree latitude by one degree longitude grid square does not see too much competition in the way of VHF. As another amateur radio operator once told me "You need hills to run VHF, especially on a contest"

Recently, an amateur radio operator named Rodger, his call sign was KA2JXI, has passed away. He was the trustee of most of the repeaters in New York's St. Lawrence county, where I attend college at SUNY Canton. When an amateur radio operator dies, he/she is deemed to be a silent key, or SK for short. Silent Keys date back to the past of amateur radio when it used to be Morse Code (CW) only. They are honored for their selfless sacrifices and work that they have done for the amateur radio community as a whole.

Lastly for today, I will give a basic introduction on what repeaters are. A repeater does exactly what you think it sounds like: it repeats a signal for many miles around. It is a very unique and complex piece of equipment which I will probably explain more in depth in a later blog post. The most common band that you will hear repeaters on is 2m (144-148 Mhz.) but they are also found on 10m (29.5Mhz), 6m (50-54Mhz) and 440Mhz and up, but it is rare to hear them on UHF and up. Most repeaters have a special tone known as a CTCSS, or as Motorola calls it, a Private Line, or PL tone to prevent a repeater many miles away from interfering with another. Other repeaters can allow you to call 911 in case of an emergency where there is no cell phone service. Some repeaters may require a special code to use it, because the repeater can be controlled by the operator who owns the repeater. Repeaters can be found dotted across the world, and there are websites where you can look up local repeaters in you area. My personal favorite is Repeaterbook and usually tells if the repeater is operational or not, as well as if the repeater is open to the public.

I am doing some research on some equipment to do a journalistic review on for my next blog post in the near future.

Until then this is N2ASD. Clear.

Thoughts on the VHF Contest, Baofeng HT Review, and Nets.

Hello all again,

I have been thinking really hard about participating in the ARRL January VHF Contest on the air during the weekend of January 19-21. It seems to be very interesting, but there is one major kicker: my reigon does not see too much heavy duty VHF operation over 50Mhz. The only radios that I happen to own for this purpose are my BaoFeng UV200 2W 2M/440 HT and my hulking Icom ICV82 HT for 2M at 7.5W. I really can not partake as a rover station in a car, because I did not buy an antenna for the car.Lastly, I did not consider the purchase of an output amplifier, since I am returning to college and I had to spend some of my money on the semester's textbooks. What to do, what to do? I will try to throw out what I can for it and be prepared for the best.

-
For today's equipment overview, I will be looking at the BaoFeng's UV3R family of radios (which will include the UV100 and more particularly, I'll be focusing on the UV200 that I own.)

Small, but is it worthy to be an HT?

At first glance, it may seem to be a knockoff of Yaesu's VX2R and VX3R Lines of radios: it is. This Chinese made radio offers easy access to 2m (144-148Mhz) and 440Mhz. at a decent price. I got mine last Febuary for $41, and had the 2m and 440 antennas as well as a headset (which is now broken) and the belt clip and battery charger. On high power, it transmitts with 2W, and on low power, an amazing 0.5W. It also has a flashlight, unlocked transmit outside the amateur range for emergency use (you can legally transmit on the Family Radio Service channels using this radio in the US if you do not have an amateur license), a flashlight, and FM broadcast receive. The major drawback to it is the supercompact size, having to set the repeater offsets manually (apparently this radio wont let you do that) cheap feeling and pathetic battery life that this radio has. I am planning on modifying it to support 3 C or D cell batteries for extended life and being able to switch them out without having to use a charger (which mine failed) For a beginner amateur operator who got his/her technician licence, it would make a budget radio, but for myself, I would get Baofeng's UV-5R series for 2m/440. Personally, if you can afford it, a Yaesu FT-250R or Icom ICV82 for 2m use on its own.

People who are new to the hobby who just get their technician license often use repeaters, and on repeaters, there are usually nets. Some people ask me: what are nets? In short, it is an on the air gathering of amateur operators, either in a formal or informal setting. Most of the nets you find on 2m are informal nets, but there are a few formal ones on the air. For example in my local area, Sully's International Rooster Roster has a set of formal rules and guidelines that one must follow to check in. Another local net that is around me, known as the Seaway Net, is an informal net where local operators can talk about their day. Each net has an operator known as the control operator who coordinates and runs the net, announcing it to order, and closes the net when it is finished.

First Blog Post: about myself and about what I do

Hello All,

My name is Christopher Durgan, and my amateur radio callsign is N2ASD.It stands for Norway Two Autism Spectrum Disorder. Suffering from that does not let my problems define who I am, and I live for the moment. I am glad to enjoy the company of my girlfriend, her blog is here. I am a college student with a unique talent for computers and my hobby, amateur radio.

Many people ask me what amateur radio is or do not understand it: I will give a short explanation about what it is. 
Quoted from the ARRL.org page about what amateur radio,

Ham Radio, also known as Amateur Radio is a popular hobby and a service in which licensed participants operate communications equipment with a deep appreciation of the radio art.  The unique hobby of Amateur Radio is a mix of fun, public service, and convenience. Although hams get involved for many reasons, they all have in common a basic knowledge of radio technology and operating principles, and pass an examination for the FCC license to operate on radio frequencies known as the "Amateur Bands." These bands are radio frequencies reserved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for use by hams at intervals from just above the AM broadcast band all the way up into extremely high microwave frequencies.

It has a very rich history going back to the late 1900s with the works of Hiram Percy Maxim. I am interested  in the history of the hobby itself, as well as the equipment used in years past, as well as my personal thoughts that happen to occur relating to the hobby. I have been licensed since April 2010 with my original callsign, KC2YDY, but changed it a few months after obtaining my general class licence in June 2010. I have recently passed my amateur extra examination last December, but I am awaiting the FCC to grant me the license upgrade.

When I blog, I will usually talk about some of the recent contacts that I made, as well as my personal thoughts on things pertaining to the amateur radio hobby today, as well as the upcoming ARRL contests as they draw closer. I may also showcase and talk about equipment from the years past, as I do research on them.

Below is a picture of my setup that I am currently using; my HF radio is an Icom IC-725 Transciever that covers 160M-10M (1.8-30Mhz.) (Which was gladly donated by Chris (KB2ZAW), my Astron 25A Switching Power Supply, and my LDG IT-100 Autotuner. It transmitts out anywhere between 10 to 100W.

I use a G5RV Jr. antenna that was made by W8AMZ, which I have it raised up to about 24' above my house. It Covers 10M-40M, which is a letdown, but for the space I have, it works.

and lastly, when I am away from my parent's house I bring a 2M (144-148 Mhz.) portable handheld tranciever with me, and my Icom ICV82 fits the bill as a powerful 7.5W on the 2M band, which can hit quite a few of the local repeaters with a Smiley Super Stick II antenna.

Today, I made contact with about a 65 year veteran of the hobby, Richard (W2EZB), from New Hartford, NY on 40M, about 90 miles away from where I live. It was nice being able to talk to an operator who has had so much experience from it.

Thank you for reading!
This is N2ASD. Clear for the night.