What ever happened to the Ozone hole ?!

View the latest status of the ozone layer over the Antarctic, with a focus on the ozone hole. Satellite instruments monitor the ozone layer, and we use their data to create the images that depict the amount of ozone.

What this video of six months of data

THe coolest little radio I've ever seen ! RCV/XMT SDR

PortableSDR

Here is a link to the HACKADAY.IO  - It looks like they are shipping now.

And a link to the creator's video on how to work it. on Youtube.

Airborne Cross-band Repeater Experiment

YOUTUBE LINK

Brilliant Wouxun KG-UVD on a Phantom 3 Drone
Cross-banding between UHF and VHF.
Heard 10+ miles away!


using this radio



AMAZON LINK

Atlanta Radio Club - Sunday Tech Session - Digital Modes Presentation by NN4QQ

A special thanks for the fine folks at the ARC/Sunday Tech Sessions for allowing me to share a "hands on" presentation on Digital Modes for the Amatuar Radio enthusiast.

The PDF Presentation can be found here

News - ki4SGU is now NN4QQ (nn4qq@arrl.net)

News - ki4SGU is now NN4QQ (nn4qq@arrl.net)

CW for your smart phone ! Introducing Gmail Tap

CW for your smart phone ! Introducing Gmail Tap

Tap into the future of productivity with Gmail Tap for Android and iOS. Double your typing speed with this revolutionary new keyboard. -- http://youtu.be/1KhZKNZO8mQ

HB-1A Operations Quick Reference by ki4SGU

Now that the weather has turn more "Spring-ish", I have been using my HB-1A in park bench operations mode. But the original manual leaves a lot to be desired, So I have a created a new EASY to follow HB-1A Operations Quick Reference Sheet. I have posted to the same on HB-1A Yahoo Group to share with the community at large. Please feel free to download and ENJOY. ~ki4SGU

New in-the-works repeater list for all of the USA

I have begun work on a new Universal Repeater List System (URLS), which is no list at all, but rather a system of telling one how to find the repeaters based on which state you are in at the time. The original "JL-list" for the ATL area was based on the SERA channelized system (and then filled in with the repeaters I could hear from Lost Mountain (a high spot near my home)) - This is the same but will have templates for non-SERA states like UTAH, CALIFORNIA, and other notably difficult Western States.  THIS IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS, but this way please feel to follow my progress, and make suggestions along the way. LINK

Heathkit returns!

Heathkit, the fabled electronics kits company, is going back into that business after a two-decade hiatus. - LINK

Last earthquakes worldwide for the last 48 hours

LINK see the Last Earthquakes Worldwide for the last 48 hours.

Antennas in Your Clothes? New Design Could Pave the Way

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110822111742.htm

ScienceDaily (Aug. 22, 2011) — The next generation of communications systems could be built with a sewing machine. To make communications devices more reliable, Ohio State University researchers are finding ways to incorporate radio antennas directly into clothing, using plastic film and metallic thread.

a Retroencabulator for your Ham Shack

Scientific Enrichment YouTube Video for the week – Swarmanoid Robots

The Swarmanoid swarm consists of three discrete types of robots:  Foot-Bots can grab onto other robots and move horizontally. Hand-Bots have manipulators and a sweet magnetic grappling hook that lets them move vertically. And Eye-Bots can fly, perch on ceilings, and direct the movements of the Hand-Bots and Foot-Bots with their cameras.

We've been watching these swarm-bot modules evolve since 2009, and the following video (which won an award for best video at the 2011 Artificial Intelligence Conference last week) is the first that we've seen showing all of the bots seamlessly and autonomously cooperating to execute a task:

QRP & a NAP - Baby Carriage Portable

This weekend, the sun finally poked out so baby Isabella and I were out for a walk. As babies do, she took a nap (we were at a noisy ball field, so a long walk around the back end of park was a lot quieter for both of us.) Also on the back of the All Terrain Baby Carriage was my FT-817 and a MFJ-1899T with a counterpoise.

The MFJ-1899T, is is a fascinating mini-antenna for on-the-spot HF'ing. It is made by Waters and Stanton of the UK and imported to the US by MFJ Enterprises, I got mine at HRO.

This multiband rig is similar to a miniature Outbacker, with band taps along its lower helical winding section, a jumper lead for selecting bands (wander wand), and a top mounted pull-up whip. The base is fitted with a BNC connector to mate with the FT-817’s front socket.

The MFJ-1899T “Walkabout” antenna covers 80 through 2 meters in a single “break apart and carry anywhere” package. Fully extended, it measures 63 inches in height. Retracted and separated, the helical base section is 12 inches long and the pull-up whip is 7 inches long. Adding a BNC-to-PL-259 plus a right angle PL-259 adapter and connecting it to the stronger SO-239 socket of the FT-817 relieves strain. That same idea also works for adapting the MFJ “Walkabout” to other transceivers (FT-857). But dial it down the output below the antenna’s limit of 25 watts.

It is the counterpoise, that is the key to making this little antenna perform. -- The instruction sheet suggests it need not be 1/4 wave long. In fact, the info sheet suggests using the formula 180/F(in MHz) = Length (in feet) of the counterpoise. I use a 16ft section for 40m & 20m and seems to work well enough, I used stainless steel cable covered in Teflon available at HOME DEPOT.

Isabella, slept for a little over an hour and half. When she awoke, we walked back to where the rest of the family was enjoying the ball games. She was rested and I was very happy to have worked a few stations on 20m QRP.


NOTE: I also listened for k4ESA on 10m, but did not hear anybody local, just lots and lots of South American stations calling, 10m is working well in the afternoon.

New Amateur Radio Digital Mode - ROS

ROS is a brand-new Amateur Radio digital spread spectrum mode with the first HF contact taking place this week. -- The first contact with ROS took place on February 18, 2010, at 20:56 UTC from Vitoria in Spain to the University of Twente in the Netherlands covering a distance of 1265 Km on 7.065 MHz.

Although it's only 4 days since the first HF contact with the new Amateur Radio data mode ROS, it's proving popular with plenty of activity on 14.101 MHz.

ROS is a digital spread spectrum mode but with a narrow total occupied bandwidth of about 2.2 kHz (similar to SSB Voice). The software has two Symbol Rates: 16 and 1 baud (the latter aimed at weak signals down to incredible -35 dbs of S/N) and can automatically synchronize any Symbol Rate.

Initial reports in Europe (See Caution Below for US based HAMs) talk of it being able to copy signals so weak that they don't show up on the Waterfall and there are early indications that it is several dB better than Olivia. However, HF with its Fading, Doppler, Multi-Path and Interference is a hazardous environment for digital signals and only time will tell how well it performs against the other modes.

 ... see my previous report on very robust signals -- http://ki4sgu.blogspot.com/2009/11/signal-to-noise-ratio-rainbows-in-dark.html -- (as you recall, WSPR will currently do -29db)


The HF frequencies currently used for ROS are USB 3.600, 7.053, 14.101, 28.300 MHz

To use ROS you just need your HF radio, a PC and a basic PC sound card interface, similar to PSK31 or WSPR.

The software for ROS is free and you can download it along with the User Guide and Introduction to ROS Spread Spectrum at http://rosmodem.wordpress.com/

A Word of Caution -- Here in the United States there the FCC specifies which modes Amateurs can use and where on the bands. Some USA Amateurs are concerned that FCC regulations appears to prohibit the use of Spread Spectrum below 420 MHz and ROS is a Spread Spectrum mode. It is a very narrow Spread Spectrum same as voice, but the devil is in the details. -- To be fair to the FCC they did try back in 1977 to change from a mode based band plan to one based on bandwidth. At the time the ARRL opposed the change and was successful in defeating it, as a result the development of digital modes was crippled for decades to follow.  In recent years the ARRL has been trying to get the FCC to re-introduce band planning by bandwidth and hopefully they will be successful.

So for now, this ham is in ROS/SWL only.

Re: Some of this information came to me via the south gate club.

[LxPeditionsAtlanta] 2nd Annual Mid Winter 10 Meter Lunchtime LxPedition is February 11th at High Noon

OK Gents;

The snow and rain are gone, the ground hog has done its jig, and the Saints have won the superbowl. -- Mean while in the world of ham radio the 10 M band is opening some, time to dust off the LX 10M gear and have some fun at lunch.

This Year's 2nd Annual Mid Winter 10 Meter Lunchtime LxPedition is February 11th at High Noon. -- 28.430 main calling frequency, so it in Tech friendly part of the band, 12-1:00 pm. Turn on your rig and call. -- See who you can contact.

Mark you calendars and join us. If we are lucky the band will open and lots of fun will be had. After the event, please post to the group in an email where you were, what your gear was, who you heard and who you had a contact with.

Non LxPedition members can email me direct for more info, and remember, once you participate in an event you can join the Yahoo group to keep current on up coming events.

Monitor 145.410 as the the talk-in Frequency.

Pictures are from Previous Events

An Evening with Martin F. Jue, founder of MFJ Enterprises

The Georgia Tech Amateur Radio Club and the Atlanta Radio Club are pleased to announce a community event that should be of interest to all hams:

An Evening with Martin F. Jue, founder of MFJ Enterprises

Thursday, February 25, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.

Georgia Tech
Van Leer ECE Building
777 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta

Everyone is invited. Come one, come all. Bring your friends.

There will be a Q&A session with Martin after his talk. Here's your chance to get your MFJ company or product questions answered by the ultimate MFJ insider, the MFJ of MFJ, if you will.

Admission is FREE and a FREE door prize drawing will be held for some cool prizes, including MFJ-259B antenna analyzers.

Refreshments will be served. // Talk-in will be available on the GTARC (W4AQL) and ARC (W4DOC) repeaters. // There may also be a few surprises. // Additional details, such as the event program, will be available in a few weeks.

Did you know that... The Georgia Tech Amateur Radio Club is celebrating its 100th birthday this year, which makes it the oldest radio club in the state of Georgia. The Atlanta Radio Club is a close second.

A VERY partial lunar eclipse will take place on New Year's Eve

A VERY partial lunar eclipse will take place on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2009, the last of four lunar eclipses in 2009. Only a tiny sliver of the Moon will be in the Earth's umbral shadow, but there should be a distinct darkening visible over the Moon's surface at greatest eclipse.

When and Where -- Will the Eclipse Occur? More details here.

And although this is a Lunar Eclipse, I was wondering what effect if any can be observed on the HF bands during a Solar Eclipse??  

Back on the Air - Ready for the New Year

After putting away the Christmas ornaments, and doing other honey-do's around the house. -- I finally got around to getting the radio shack back in shape earlier today.

The antennas are back in the trees after  the mid December storms had done their damage.

I've also added a second flat screen monitor to the main shack laptop computer.

2009 - HAM Radio Accomplishments; I got my EXTRA (Nov), Peak-2-Peak Golden Packet Appalachian Trail end-2-end effort (Jul). My First full length article in CQ /VHF+ (May)

2010 - HAM Radio Planned Goals; More CW, Dixie Pixie Project, and first SDR (Genesis Radio Kit G2030).

I look forward seeing you more of you on the radio this coming year.

Happy New Year de ki4SGU

US SENATE INTRODUCES BILL 1755 - Passed!

On Monday, December 14, S1755 -- The Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Act of 2009 -- passed the Senate by unanimous consent; the bill now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.

U. S. Senators Joe Lieberman (D-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced a companion bill to HR 2160 which was introduced to the House of Representatives by Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX-18) in April 2009.  Senate bill is S1755 is also known as “The Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Act of 2009”.  More complete information can be found on the ARRL website.


The Main items are;

• The first includes; Include a review of the importance of Amateur Radio emergency communications in furtherance of homeland security missions relating to disasters, severe weather and other threats to lives and property in the United States etc.

• The second is more interesting; Identify impediments to enhanced Amateur Radio Service communications, such as the effects of unreasonable or unnecessary private land use regulations on residential antenna installations; and make recommendations regarding such impediments for consideration by other federal departments, agencies and Congress.
  

These is key; if we are ever going to rid ourselves of the overly oppressive Home Owner Association and other antenna restricting rules. -- I highly recommend each of you write your senator and encourage him to explore ways that we can maximize this opportunity here in Georgia.

Our Senators

Sen. Saxby Chambliss
416 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Tel: 202-224-3521
FAX: 202-224-0103

Sen. Johnny Isakson
120 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Tel: 202-224-3643
FAX: 202-228-0724

73 de ki4SGU