Have a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

December 2016 Official Newsletter

of the OM

International

Sideband Society

Don’t’ forget to thank a NCS for all they do for OMISS

We are fast approaching the end of 2016. Whether

you are spending your holidays at home with loved

ones or traveling to be with family, please enjoy your

time and be safe in your travels. For many of us, OMISS

has become our family. We will be doing our best to

keep our net schedules as full as possible, and as

always, we look forward to spending them with you.

I want to take the time to thank all the volunteers that

keep OMISS nets on the air. To every single

volunteer…THANK YOU. I look forward to working with

you in 2017 and I’m excited to see where OMISS goes

from here.

Dear Fellow OMISS Members,

I wish you all a very Merry Christmans and a Happy

New Year! May 2017 be filled with lots of QSO’s,

minimal QRM, fantastic prop, and raises for

everyone!

All My Best

Carrie Krueger W9FML

OMISS President

Christmas Eve Transmission Set

The Alexander Association has announced that it plans to

have Alexanderson alternator transmitter SAQ on the air for its

traditional Christmas Eve transmission. The 200 kW

Alexanderson alternator will transmit on 17.2 kHz on the

morning of Christmas Eve, December 24, starting with

transmitter tune-up at around 0730 UTC. The message

transmission will take place at 0800 UTC.

“Since the plant is old, there is always the risk that the

transmission will be cancelled on short notice,” the Association

said in an announcement. Repairs following an early October

fire in the longwave antenna, attributed to arcing, had put the

Christmas Eve transmission in jeopardy this year.

Dating from the 1900s, the Alexanderson alternator —

essentially an ac generator run at extremely high speed — can

put out 200 kW but typically is operated at less than one-half

that power level. Once providing reliable transatlantic

communication, it is now a museum piece and only put on the

air on special occasions. It was built in the 1920s.

Christmas Eve activity will also take place on Amateur Radio

frequencies from SK6SAQ on or about 7.035 and 14.035 MHz

(CW). Send reception reports of SAQ or SK6SAQ.

www.omiss.net

QUOTE OF THE MONTH:

It takes less time to do a thing right, than it

does to explain why you did it wrong.

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The birth of amateur radio starts, of course, with the invention of the radio. There are many

contributors to the birth of radio; Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian inventor, proved the

feasibility of radio communication in Italy in 1895. However, Nikola Tesla was able to

transmit signals from New York City to West Point and is credited with the first patent of

radio technology. Some argue that these were just wireless transmission of Morse code, and

that it was actually Ernst Alexanderson, a General Electric engineer, who built the first true

radio which made voice radio broadcasts practical. The first broadcast took place on

Christmas Eve, 1906, and was a Christmas story from the Bible while a violin played “Silent

Night.”

No matter who gets the credit, one thing is clear; these first radio operators were the pioneers

of amateur radio. In fact, by 1909, the first amateur radio club, The Junior Wireless Club, was

organized in New York, later changing its name to the Radio Club of America. But, it was the

sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912 that prompted new international radio laws

which also affect amateur radio, including frequency restrictions and operating procedures.

That’s because in those early days, everybody occupied any wavelength they wanted, so

Government stations, ships, coastal stations and the increasingly numerous amateur operators

all competed for time and signal supremacy in each other’s receivers.

Governments stepped in to regulate technical and operational characteristics of transmissions

and issue individual stations licenses with an identifying call sign. Regulations also designated

radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of

messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication. For

instance, it prohibited amateurs from transmitting over the main commercial and military

wavelengths and limited their transmitting signals below a wavelength of 200 meters (or

“short waves”).

So today the term “amateur” is used to specify persons interested in radio solely for personal

use and without any financial interest. It also distinguishes it from commercial broadcasting,

public safety (such as police and fire), or professional two-way radio services (such as

maritime, aviation, taxis, etc.). And that term “ham operator” – that was used as a derogatory

word by professional radio people to mean “incompetent”, like a ham actor. The funny thing

is that the “ham” radio folks took to the name and now love being called “hams” – just not

with cheese.

Birth of Ham Radio…….

OMISS on the Road!

Only a few years ago, blogs listed ham radio alongside 35 mm film and VHS tape as technologies slated to disappear.

They were wrong.

Over 700,000 Americans have ham radio licenses — up over 60 percent from 1981, a generation ago. And the number is growing.

Ham radio will never have the sex appeal of the iPhone, but it does have a certain nerd appeal, says Allen Weiner, an analyst at the technology research firm Gartner.

"If it creates its own experience, that's really what's key here," he says. "If it just emulates an experience that you can get online, it's not going to grow."

Newcomers to ham radio include Helen Schlarman, 89, who has a compact, two-way radio in her home in suburban St. Louis. She looks up a friend across town by pushing the talk button, announcing the letters and numbers of his call sign (W-0-S-J-S), and then announcing her own (W-0-A-K-I).

Steve Schmitz's voice crackles through Schlarman's radio.

"Hi Helen, how you doing, W-0-S-J-S?" he says, ending his response with his own call letters.

Many "hams," as they're known, hang postcards from global contacts on their walls, the way hunters show off deer antlers, but Schlarman's chats are mostly local. She says this hobby is perfect for an outgoing person who spends a lot of time inside.

"It's a different community," she says. "There [are] no stereotypes of age; it's just talking and sharing and enjoying."

Until recently, ham radio was declining as older operators died. Then the Federal Communications Commission phased out the Morse code test that many saw as a stumbling block to getting a license. Last year more than 30,000 new applicants signed up to become ham radio operators, according to Maria Somma, an official with the American Radio Relay League.

At a ham radio convention near St. Louis, the crowd swapping antenna parts and other equipment is mostly male, and over 50. But 15-year-old Jonathan Dunn is attending along with his father. He says Facebook and texting are fun, but making friends using a $200 radio that doesn't come with monthly fees is more rewarding.

"With ham radio you can talk to new people, all kinds of ages, races, and it's just amazing what a little radio can do. Because no matter where you're at, if you have the right stuff and the right power you can talk to anyone," he says.

Jonathan's dad, Steve Dunn, says the polite chitchat between ham radio operators is good for teenagers. "If young people have the opportunity to communicate with a wide range of people, that instills a certain amount of confidence in their ability to carry on the lost art of small talk," he says.

Even the most die-hard hams concede that amateur radio will never be a mainstream hobby. With smart phones and other devices, people are more plugged in to the Internet than before. But people are still discovering the joy of communicating with a technology that's existed for nearly a century.

Ham Radio In The Age Of Twitter

Matt Sepic/Russell W. Pelleberg

IS HAM RADIO ADDICTIVE?

OR;

You know when you’re a Hamaddict when;

You wait for a nice snowstorm to build your next antenna. They will always work

better!

Will actually spend 10 minutes listening to the other station describe his triple bypass

surgery in order to finally get a signal report.

Tell the xyl you need a minute to check something on the radio and show back up 3

hours later.

Spend Valentine’s Day at Radio Shack looking for 12 volt relays.

Read and absorb every word on W8JI’S website!

Go to Eham or DX summit before checking your email.

Line your birdcage with a complimentary issue of CQ magazine.

Have your ham radio activities come up during your divorce proceedings.

Venture into your backyard at 2am in 10 degree weather to check for icing on your

antennas with a spotlight able to be seen from space.

Buy a house based on available antenna trees with proper orientation.

Quit smoking so your equipment will maintain its resale value.

Never read the manual to your new radio till after a week or so, when you are totally

convinced it might actually be helpful.

Don’t kick the cat because your final pull up line has found the only remaining leaf in

your yard and has successfully tangled at 50 ft high in your only antenna tree.

Have enough buried and knotted up copper wire in your backyard to feed a third world

country.

Have told a nosey new neighbor that you are a NSA volunteer listening station.

Keep your comments to yourself when the self- proclaimed antenna expert with crappy

audio and a 2 by 2 signal is having an orgasm about his multiband 20 ft vertical being

able to work Italy, and will share the design on his QRZ page.

Leave your own Super Bowl party early so you can check your new antenna on the

greyline.

Set up a remote station at work to play with some digital during your “free” time.

Drive 400 miles to pick up an amp to avoid shipping costs and possible damage.

Intercept the UPS guy before that new big box ends up on your porch. Lying to xyl

never a good idea, subterfuge much better method.

Always remember to answer “Is that thing in the backyard permanent?” with “Of

course not, just a quick experiment be gone in a few days” Not.

Still working on that antenna book that’s going to take care of retirement bills.

Dislodge a chimney brick while pulling down a stuck homebrew Windom because of

perceived coupling with wire beam. Turns out to be bad barrel connector in the shack!

The following is brought to you by OMISS Director Bob, N4JTE and has

appeared on eHam.com

L D M X A T N E S E R P R C U

A R S A Y M I Q G P V L E H V

O A R N N C U B O R B S I R I

C E E Q O N Q M J D U Y N I K

F Y L S N W E S I C O M D S E

O W O L X H F T D N I B E T N

P E R C A A O L N N I W E M W

M N A A G P Q M A A E M R A O

U D C R R O N I E K R I K N O

L E K D S W C O J R E G R M D

J H D A B E V E R A G E L F Y

X K N I E K S S I M O A O L A

P T A S N O W M A N B H Q E E

A T F A R C E L E U P R Q K S

T U R K E Y M A X I M U M P U

SANTA

REINDEER

ELECRAFT

KENWOOD

ICOM

YAESU

ANTENNA

SNOWMAN

SNOWFLAKE

ICE

NEWYEAR

CHRISTMAN

LUMPOFCOAL

HOMER

ELF

TURKEY

PRESENT

CAROLERS

BEVERAGE

FRIENDS

OMISS

QSLCARD

MAXIMUM

MINIMUM

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND, IT’S THE ……….

OMISS WORD SEARCH!

Look who’s “Hanging Around” at KJ4SBC’s QTH

Checkout the OMISS Facebook Page!

$100 Hamburger

For those of you who fly, you are familiar with the phrase. For the rest, you may be

asking yourself who the heck would pay that kind of money for a hamburger. Hundred

dollar hamburgers are an excuse for a pilot to load up the plane, fly to a destination for

lunch and return home. In my case I enjoy adding a little something else into the mix. I

have over the course of a few years now managed to include visits with OMISS

Members while having that hamburger.

In March of 2015, a trip to the Windy City was in order. I flew into KLOT Lewis

University, where Larry KC9NCS picked me up and we traveled downtown to meet up

with Bob N4JTE, Richard N0OII, John WB0VBW, and Tom KC9SJN. We enjoyed a good

meal and had some time to chat.

Also in 2015 I made a much shorter flight to KIKV Ankeny IA and meet up with Mike

AC0BD. We went out for lunch and then I took Mike up for a flight over his house and

the local area.

Just last month I fueled up once again and made a voyage to KMFI Marshfield WI to visit

Tim K9WVL. We met and Tim took me on a tour of the local area and a stop at his QTH

where Gina (Tim’s better half) served up a fantastic lunch for us. I was able to tour Tim’s

Shack and see what a great antenna set-up looked like. We returned to the airport and I

gave Tim an aerial tour, and we managed to snap a few pics of his QTH.

My final visitor was Mr. Bob KF7UX who stopped by my QTH for a visit. It was great to

visit with Bob and his wife, and to be able to put a face to a voice.

So those of you who are out chasing $100 Hamburgers, I would suggest take a look

around your area and see if you could put a flight together to meet up with an OMISS

member or two. It is great fun, and enjoyable to place a face with a voice.

For those of you who are earthly bound why not try and schedule a meeting with a

member for a lunch.

Who knows where N4678R is heading next, but I guarantee you I am not done chasing

down those $100 Hamburgers just yet.

Dave

AI0A

OLD MAN INTERNATIONAL SIDEBAND SOCIETY

Don’t forget to check the

OMISS website for Net

times and Frequencies!

OMISS Officers

- President: Carrie W9FML #8420

- Vice President: Ed K6HP #7019

- Treasurer: John K5ENA #4604

- Secretary: Mike W7XTZ #7112

- Director: Jim KJ5IM #8016

- Director: Bob N4JTE #1440

U There are many ways you can spread good cheer during the

holidays. Here are some ideas for 12 days of Christmas time

good will to all men and women:

Here are some ideas:

1st Day – Donate toys to children in need.

2nd Day – Visit the sick or elderly.

3rd Day – Donate to animal shelters, pets without homes need

love too during Christmas

4th Day – Drop off old clothing, food or blankets to homeless

shelters in your area

5th Day – Donate to your favorite charity online.

6th Day – Purchase an ICOM for your favorite ham friend.

7th Day – Bake something and give it to someone who needs it

8th Day – Call a distant friend or relative that you don’t see

often or that you will not see during the holidays.

9th Day – Have a holiday block party with neighbors

10th Day – Check into an OMISS net..

11th Day – Donate food to a food bank.

12th Day – Send a Christmas card to a soldier overseas.

12 Days of Christmas Cheer & Good Will

OMISS Wish List…..

ICOM

Propagation

DXCC

QSL Cards

Doll

Top OP

Amplifier

Warm WX

Kenwood

Yaesu

100’ Tower

80 meter beam

$1,000,000

Ticket to Dayton

What I want for Christmas: