The NODXA RAG

Fellow DXers,

It is great to see that the new year 2012 is starting off as possibly another great year for

DXing. Operations by the C21HA, FW0NAR, HK0NA and VP6T have made January a very exciting

month for DXers. February looks just as exiting. Look for operations by sev-

eral of the Caribbean Islands (6Y, FJ, FP, FS, J3, KG4, V2 and ZF.. to

name a few), 6O0, 3B8, 3B9, 3C0, FK, H40, XU7 and ZK2. Remember, this

is a great time to fill in those band countries we need because of the great

propagation we have been experiencing. The sunspot numbers continue to in-

crease (or are a lot higher than last year) and the bands 15, 12 and 10 me-

ters are very productive for DXers. This is the fun time of the current solar

cycle, so work them as you can. You know it is not going last.

One other topic I would like to talk about is how many of the major DXpe-

ditions are making DXing more interesting. DXing has always been competitive,

but even more so now. Many of the major DXpeditions are now using online logs (usually ClubLog)

during their operation. You not only can check to see if you are in the log, but it is also interesting

to be able to watch who worked the operation and to follow the ranking of DXers world-wide

(individuals, bands, modes and continents). Check it out sometime.

Lastly, I want to remind everyone that Dayton HamVention is coming quickly. Have you or-

dered your tickets and made plans? It will be here

before you know it. I hope to see you at next NODXA meeting.

73 and Good DX de Tedd KB8NW

Fireside Chat With KB8NW

“ O h i o ’ s F i r s t D X C C F i e l d C h e c k i n g C l u b ”

The NODXA

RAG

December 2011-January 2012

"The Mission of the Northern Ohio DX Association is to

promote and support Amateur Radio and the DX Community

around the world."


The meeting was opened by the Vice President, Dwaine, K8ME at 7:30pm. The President, Tedd,

KB8NW, was out of town. There were 20 members and 1 guest present. A round of introductions

was held.

The minutes of the September 12th meeting were read. Jim, KE8G, moved, seconded by Ron,

K8VJG, that the minutes be approved as read. The motion passed.

The treasurer, Mary, N8DMM, reported a balance of $Ka-Ching! in the ac-

count. Mary also reported that no new members had joined at the Cleveland Ham-

fest.

Dwaine, K8ME, reported that 20 members had signed-in as visitors to the club

table at the hamfest.

Dwaine further reported that the program for the next meeting would be a

VP8ORK DXpedition video.

Pete, N8TR, reported that Rob, N8HHE, showed up at the hamfest and is a

guest at tonight’s meeting. He wants to become a member again. Rob, an old-time

member of NODXA, had moved back to Hungary, but now lives in North Olmsted and needs his tower

painted. A discussion followed concerning the many different materials that can be used to paint and

preserve towers.

Dave, WD8IOU, reported that the newsletter is out. He thanked everyone who had contributed

to this issue of the newsletter.

John, K8YSE, reported that the annual Rt. 66 operation is over.

Dwaine, K8ME, reported that a number of DX operations are up. Among these are the T32 and

4W, Timor-Lese operations. Pete, N8TR, reported that the T32 operation was very easy to work,

even on 160m SSB. Many of the members present have worked them multiple bands and modes.

John, K8YSE, reported that the DXCC card checker, Keith, N8KOL, wants to come to the De-

cember meeting to check ST0R cards for the members. They must be checked by December.

Old – New Business

Bruce, N8DJX, reported that his new tower arrived last week. It is a 120’ Luso from Japan and

purchased at Dayton this year. Bruce described all the logistics and time schedules that came into

play just to get the tower to his home. The police had to block his street to get it unloaded from

two big trucks. Bruce said that he will have pictures at the next meeting.

Dave, WD8IOU, reported that he had two free tickets to a hamfest at the Washington County

Fairgrounds in PA.

Rick, K8ZH, commented that our website could use a fresh coat of paint. The site appears dat-

ed. Dave, WD8IOU, said that he would put a request in the next newsletter and on the reflector.

There was no 50-50 raffle this evening due to not having the materials.

Dave, WD8IOU, moved, seconded by Linda, N8LRS, that the meeting be adjourned. The motion

passed.

The meeting was adjourned by the Vice President, Dwaine, K8ME, at 8:40 PM.

Respectfully submitted, Al, N8CX, Secretary

Minutes of the October 3rd, 2011 NODXA Meeting


The meeting was opened by the President, Tedd, KB8NW at 7:30pm. There were 20 members

and one guest present. A round of introductions was held.

The minutes of the November 7th meeting were read. After a callsign correction, the minutes

were approved. The treasurer, Mary, N8DMM, reported a balance of $Ka-Ching!

in the account. Tedd reported that the repeater is OK. Dave, WD8IOU, report-

ed that the newsletter went out today. Tedd reported that N8AC Don Schmidt

had become a SK. George, K8KR, reported that AB8K Ron Pretekin had also be-

come a SK.

Old-New Business

Pete, N8TR, reported that conditions were very good for the CQWW DX-CW

contest. He made many good contacts, including 40 zones on 20 meters. Al,

AC8AP, had 120 contacts working QRP.

Dwaine, K8ME, reminded everyone that the 10 meter contest would be on this weekend. Tedd

commented that conditions looked good for the 10 meter contest.

Nick, W8XD, reported that he and Tedd, KB8NW, went to the DX lunch in Mansfield the day

after Thanksgiving.

Ron, K8VJG, commented on new grounding rules for field generators. New in 2011 was the re-

quirement that the outlet(s) at the generator be GFCI type and, do not ground the generator. More

information is available at http://forums.mikeholt.com/forumdisplay.php?f=63. A discussion followed

with numerous comments made on proper grounding of generators and towers and hazards to individu-

als.

Dwaine, K8ME, reported on the fine article in the West Park Radiops newsletter (for which

AF8C, Glenn, is the editor) which was a recap of the Polyphaser Corp. article on the danger of dis-

similar metals with copper wire grounding of galvanized towers.

Tedd, KB8NW, reported that he had received no letters requesting donations. He also commented

that the bands were very good and that many DXpeditions would be coming up next month. Tedd also

commented that recent information of LoTW were in the latest DX bulletin. John, K8YSE, comment-

ed that LOTW has to cross-check millions of QSO records against every new QSO entered from

each new log. As AF8C, Glenn remarked, this is a mathematical growth called geometric and will

likely to continue getting worse.

Al, AC8AP, reported that he wants to operate Curacao, PJ2T, as QRP in April. He will be there

for the QRP-ARCI contest.

Dwaine, K8ME, reported that the Dayton bus trip is set for May 19th 2012.

John, K8YSE, reported that the satellite AO-51 had gone silent due to battery failure. He also

reported that SO-50, AO-27 and VO-52 were still operational.

Bruce, N8DJX, reported that his new tower is up but, without antennas as yet. He commented

about the lady tower climber who came from Japan to help with the installation. He will put a slide

show together for an upcoming meeting.

Tedd reported that the next meeting will be Monday, January 2nd 2012.

The 50-50 raffle was won by Glenn, AF8C. The winning amount was $18. Door prizes of ARRL

DXCC Lists were won by Karl, K8BCK and Ron, K8VJG.

The meeting was adjourned by the President, Tedd at 8:54 PM.

Minutes of the December 5th, 2011 NODXA Meeting


It was sometime around 1988 during a vacation near San Diego California that I really got to know my

uncle Herb Johnson. All I had known before that time was that Herb was a successful and generous busi-

nessman who lived in Cardiff by the Sea California and traveled to his home town of Ashtabula occasion-

ally to visit his Mother, brothers, and sisters. We always looked forward to his visits since he would gift

us with cash or trips to the ice cream shop. Once day in 1966 Uncle Herb pulled up in a genuine Shelby

Cobra and allowed me to motor up and down Rt. 20 in hopes of seeing ANYONE who might recognize me!

My wife, two sons, and I met with Herb and his wife Mimi for dinner at the San Diego Yacht Club

where led us to a glass case and showed us a trophy called The Americas Cup. Moments later he intro-

duced us to his friend Dennis Conner, whom I was later told was at the helm for four victories. While I

knew little of the America’s Cup or any craft that you couldn’t rent at Lake Shore Park I had heard of

Conner so it was special to meet this celebrity. And yet, Herb’s humility belied his vision and true genius

which research would later reveal. Herb was actually a celebrity in his own right.

It all began around 1935 when this Harbor High student and resident with his family of a large home

on the Hulbert Avenue hill built the first PA system for what would become Wenner Field. In 1937 Herb

obtained an amateur radio license with the call letters W8QKI and a lifetime of contribution to science

began.

Norma Vanderhoff reported that in 1938 Herb was seen walking up 5th Street carrying a curious

suitcase with a microphone dangling from it. Three miles away the same scenario was repeated with one

Jim Chekouras duplicating the process as both friends talked to each other. When asked by a passer-by

what this strange contraption was called, Herb said it was a converted Majestic radio which he called his

“Walkie-Talkie” for obvious reasons. Although not given credit for the label, the name would become com-

monplace during WWII. Few know that it all began in Ashtabula.

As his scientific mind would often work when not laboring for Morrison Electronic spending money dip-

ping “skyscrapers” with Norman Rose at Isalys on Lake Ave. Herb would dabble on scratchpads his theo-

ries and ideas. On one particular day in 1937 Axel, Herb’s brother questioned as to what he was working

on. Herb explained that with the war under way, the US could gain great advantage by using radio waves

to guide bombs to specific targets rather than in wasteful clusters as they were being dropped at that

time. That was his first diagram of what we know today as “smart bombs.”

To be sure, Herb was patriotic and drove his 1934 Plymouth to Erie where he worked on defense con-

tracts for the Bliley Company. With Uncle Sam calling Herb joined the Army Air Force in 1944. Herb

would lecture friends and family to “buy American” at a time when few even had heard of the term. Herb

warned that foreign owned companies would become a threat to our economy. But as wars often stimulate,

it was a time when factories were buzzing and the economy was on an upswing so few thought much of his

prediction. Today we understand just what he meant in the 1940s. Herb himself would fall prey to for-

eign interference as I will note later.

By 1953 Herb had bigger ideas. Working on ham radio patents under the name of Swan (His Father’s

name) Herb abruptly took his ideas to Benson Arizona and opened what would be the first of a series of

factories producing affordable tube-type electronic radios which were able to be repaired by owners with

average electronic ability. Before he left the Ashtabula area Herb Johnson composed another footnote in

history when in 1957 he became the first documented amateur to bounce a radio signal off of the moon.

While others laughed, Herb had in fact sent out and back: “One small bleep for man, but one big fore

glimpse of the future for mankind.”

I had wondered why he chose Arizona until I saw pictures of Herb with his close friend and fellow

ham operator, Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater. Together, the two had been working on legislation allow-

ing for legal Mexican immigration and eventual citizenship, creating jobs other than agricultural for our

The History of Swan Electronics by Rich Lane, submitted by Carl, K8AV


neighbors to the south while building products to be sold by the USA. When asked if hiring Latinos was

simply a cheap way to get labor, Herb sternly offered that the Mexicans and, especially the women

outperformed, the many American employees he had hired. It was a matter of giving jobs to those most

qualified regardless of race, sex, or nationality. Perhaps due to his Salvation Army upbringing, Herb

took pride in watching the underprivileged provide for their needy families back home while at the same

time working their way toward legal citizenship in the USA.

Herb became a multi-millionaire we believe but it is difficult to say what his net worth really was

since he had a habit of giving it

all away both to good as well as

foolish causes. It was not unlike

him to stop his car along the

curb and hand out money to the

homeless. All of his employees

reportedly were paid well and the

bottom line was seldom dis-

cussed. It was the public’s ability

to afford his products which was

his consummate goal. For person-

al family reasons during the

1970s he moved to California and

once again set up shop, this time

in Oceanside California where he

produced and marketed both the

Swan and Atlas brands.

I recall on another visit watch-

ing Herb fight for certain free-

doms by arguing at City Council

for the right to have an antenna in his back yard to receive free radio signals. The city wanted all to

pay for cable signals but Herb maintained that certain things should have free access. I remember him

saying sarcastically that soon sunshine and air would come at a cost. He was right! They eventually did

by taxing solar panels and creating electricity with wind power!

But the worldwide market was changing and Japanese companies were taking a bite out of the mar-

ketplace. Sony approached Herb and reportedly offered him a handsome sum to sell his patents, prop-

erty, and rights to all business in the US. Herb stubbornly refused claiming that American companies

should remain so in order to keep the economy strong (another prophetic bit of wisdom) and that foreign

ownership would be unwise. Principled though it was, it became a fatal mistake.

In response to rejection Sony proudly built a mega production operation of electronics across the

street from Herb’s Atlas plant and marketed their knock off transceivers at a loss to run Herb out of

business. With pricing pressures and the advent of GPS, Uncle Herb eventually and sadly went broke.

He developed new products for maritime and attempted to sell them from the trunk of his car in Colonel

Sander’s fashion but again with worldwide communication becoming satellite oriented all attempts to re-

tool failed.

I recall crying in the early 1990s when Herb sent out his own SOS from the Bakersfield California

area. He was out off money and gas and had a flat tire. Herb was indeed flat broke. From a phone

booth he called my brother Dan, who lives in the area, for help. Dan was both happy to help this rela-

tive who many times for no reason had handed all of us cash and yet hurt that such a kind sole would

come to such a state. The family back East was shocked at his apparent demise. Millionaires didn’t go

broke … did they?


Herb never recovered and at the end suffered from Alzheimer’s. Perhaps it was God’s way of less-

ening the pain for such a considerate sole who remained true to himself and never sold out.

But Herb’s legacy lives on. Ask any ham operator about the Swan line of electronics. They are still

prized today for their simplicity and reparability. And so too lives on the memory of Herb Johnson of

Ashtabula … generous, foresighted, patriotic, principled, and not forgotten.

Ham Radio and Boy’s Life By Dan Romanchik, KB6NU


The magazine cover on the previous page is from the January 1959 issue of Boy’s Life, a magazine

send to all Boy Scouts. Dave, W9OCM, shared this with members of the Glowbugs mailing list, a mail-

ing for hams who enjoy working with vacuum tube circuits.

Of course, this unleashed a flood of memories and comments.

Dave himself comments:

In February 1959, I was 13 and just beginning to figure out radio. In some ways, I’m still

trying to figure out radio….just not 13. I wouldn’t be licensed until 2 years later 04/61 as

KNØHSD.

Tom, N0JMY says,

If you go to http://tinyurl.com/7oqrezk you can read the article by W1UED (click on the ap-

propriate line in the contents). Also, there’s a National ad on the contents page. [[All the ads

are interesting to read.....Dan]] I was alive then, but it wasn’t until the late winter of ’67-68

that I picked up a Boy’s Life mag out of boredom and stumbled onto an article called “Hamming

it Up”. And the rest is, as they say, “hay-seedery.”

Jon, K1NV, comments,

I’m getting a little teary, seeing a copy of “Boys Life” for the first time in about 50+

years. There was a ton of practical info to satisfy any American boy’s interests. I was torn

between stamp collecting, astronomy, model airplanes, and, yes, radio. My stack of “Boys

Life” magazines fed these interests.

We couldn’t afford the shortwave set kit but the official Boy Scout crystal set got things go-

ing for me until I graduated to the Philco console with two shortwave bands in the mid-fifties.

After learning code with flags and flashlights as a Boy Scout, the novice ticket arrived early in

1959.

Bill, KU8H, says,

My experience with Boy’s Life is from the late 50s and early 60s. They did help set the hook

for my interest in electronics in general – ham radio in particular. The oatmeal box with home

made capacitor and a crystal detector was from Boy’s Life. I don’t remember which issue(s).

That was more than two weeks ago! <evil grin>.

They also fed my interest in the outdoor life in the woods. When people want a campfire or a

fireplace lit to this day…I’m their go-to man. One paper match no matter the wind. No gaso-

line, kerosene, nor other artificial accelerants.

People are sometimes critical of Boy Scouts, and I often joke about my very short career as a

Scout, but you have to hand it to them in many respects. They exposed boys to a wide range of activ-

ities, many of which stick with them for a lifetime.


Editor’s note: Scotty has been very active in sending me various ham radio related material, which

I really appreciate, and some of that material is presented here. Scotty has a great idea of docu-

menting DX history, via historic and/or rare QSL cards, old log pages, etc. So if you have anything

along those lines, please send them my way! If the material is not in electronic format, I would be

happy to scan them.

Scotty’s Musings by “Scotty”, WK3N

Rare Tibet QSL from WK3N Collection

Rare Golan Heights QSL from WK3N Collection


Old log page from W8DLO, SK, from 1934


Now in it's ninetieth year, the Antarctic activity week now boasts over 40 special event stations

world wide. All for the purpose of promoting awareness of the important work done by scientific com-

munity and it's associated amateur operators who delve out qso's when their work schedule per-

mits. The February 2012 QST has a great article on the AAW.

"Scotty" WK3N, (WAP 192) is now in his third year of contributing. He will be passing out QSO's

from Feb 20th to the 26th. His special AAW QSL and associated links to awards, can be seen at the

WK3N page at www.qrz.com. His QSL card displays a rare October 1956 photo taken on the first

days of the construction of the South Pole Station showing parachutes dropping construction materials.

WK3N'S special event QSL has even made it's way to the South Pole station, where it is on dis-

play. QSL is via bureau or direct with SASE or SAE and one IRC.

The FCC has released a new Report & Order (R&O) that will change rules for the 60m band. An ar-

ticle on the ARRL website summarizes the changes:

The frequency 5368.0 kHz (carrier frequency 5366.5 kHz) is withdrawn and a new frequency of

5358.5 kHz (carrier frequency 5357.0 kHz) is authorized.

The effective radiated power limit in the 60 meter band is raised by 3 dB, from 50 W PEP to 100

W PEP, relative to a half-wave dipole. If another type of antenna is used, the station licensee must

maintain a record of either the antenna manufacturer’s data on the antenna gain or calculations of the

antenna gain.

Three additional emission types are authorized. Data (emission designator 2K80J2D, for example,

PACTOR-III), RTTY (emission designator 60H0J2B, for example, PSK31) and CW (150HA1A, i.e.

Morse telegraphy by means of on-off keying). For CW, the carrier frequency must be set to the center

frequency. For data and RTTY the requirement to transmit “only on the five center frequencies speci-

fied” may be met by using the same practice as on USB, i.e. by setting the suppressed carrier fre-

quency of the USB transmitter used to generate the J2D or J2B emission to the carrier frequency that

is 1.5 kHz below the center frequency.

The rules will take effect 30 days after they are published in the federal register.

Antarctic Activity Week By “Scotty”, WK3N

60M Band Rules Changes Coming By Dan Romanchik, KB6NU


How the ARRL operates seems to be a mystery to many members. The confusion probably comes

from the fact that many members assume ARRL in organized and operates the same way as their local

club. It doesn’t. Somewhat like the U.S. Government, ARRL has three branches of its organization.

These are the Board of Directors, the Field Organization and the HQ Staff.

The Board of Directors, including the Vice Directors, are elected by members of the divisions they

represent. In the case of the Great Lakes Division (GLD), these members are from Kentucky, Michigan

and Ohio. The Board of Directors establish policy for the ARRL and is headed by the ARRL president

who, along with the other officers, is elected by the Board.

The Field Organization is the group of volunteers that provide eight crucial services: emergency

communications, message traffic, volunteer monitoring, RFI problem-solving, support of affiliated clubs,

government liaison, encouragement of technical activities, and dissemination of on-the-air bulletins. The

field organization is headed in each section by the section manager (SM).

Section managers are elected by members of the Sections they represent and head activities in

their Sections to put League policy into effect at the field level.. The GLD consists of three sections,

the Kentucky Section, the Michigan Section, and the Ohio Section. Each section spans the entire state.

The biggest part of the SM’s job is coordinating the activities of the Amateur Radio Emergency

Service (ARES) in his or her section. Each section has hundreds of ARES members, so you can imagine

what a gargantuan effort this is. Being an effective SM means a person must be willing to dedicate

great effort to the job and must be an excellent, skilled leader.

The ARRL HQ staff support the field organization and provide a variety of other member services.

The staff is headed by our Chief Executive Officer, who is hired by the Board and reports to the

Board. The CEO is responsible for putting Board policy into action at headquarters and, through the

services HQ performs, for the members.

Even though many members believe their SM reports to their Director, this is incorrect. Dale Wil-

liams, WA8EFK (MI), Jim Brooks, KY4Z (KY) and Frank Piper, KI8GW (OH) do not report to me. They

report to Dave Patton, NN1N at HQ, who heads the ARRL membership services department, which

supports the Field Organization.

The three Sections in the Great Lakes Division are extremely fortunate to have members who care

enough for Amateur Radio and the ARRL to be willing to devote the extensive amount of time and ef-

fort to doing the job and, finally, who have the skills and knowledge to be successful, top-notch SMs.

It is obvious from their success that Dale, WA8EFK; Jim, KY4Z; and Frank, KI8GW are excellent

SM. Their past successes are indisputable evidence that they have everything needed to do the job.

We in the GLD are indeed fortunate to have such high-quality SMs leading our sections.

Cushcraft -X-9

Frequency Coverage – 40, 20, 15, 10meters

Total Number of Elements—9

Total Elements per Band- 4

Total Weight ----85 lbs.

Excellent Shape

Price: $750 or best offer

Cushcraft –A3WS/30

Frequency Coverage – 30,17 &12 meters

Forward Gain 8.0 db

2000 Watts PEP

Needs a new Boom and Element end caps

Two New 30 Meter Traps


Antennas For Sale

CONTACT: Dwaine Modock, K8ME E-MAIL: [email protected]

How the ARRL Operates By Jim Weaver, K8JE, ARRL Director, Great Lakes Division

The Northern Ohio DX Association is a non-profit organization

with a primary interest in DXing. We encourage all DXers to join our

group and share the interest and fun of DXing.

Please complete the application below and send along your

appropriate dues or renewal to:

NODXA, P.O. Box 361624 , Strongsville, Ohio 44136

First Time Membership/Renewal (U.S. and DX) $20.00

Name__________________________ Callsign_________________

Address _______________________________________________

City _____________________ State/Prov. __________________

Country _____________________ ZIP ______________________

E-mail ________________________________________________

Telephone _____________________________________________

ARRL Member? _____ Exp. Date _______ DXCC Member?_______

Special Interest ________________________________________

NODXA Application and Renewal Form

NODXA Information

NO8DX: Special Event Callsign

W8DXA: NODXA Repeater 147.360

Web-site: http://www.papays.com/nodxa.html

Newsletter Submission: [email protected]

NODXA Meetings are held the first Monday of each

month at the Gourme Family Restaurant at 15315

Pearl Road (Rt. 42) just west of Interstate 71 and

south of Rt. 82 in Strongsville at 7:30 PM. Come

early and have dinner and meet your fellow DXers

and enter the 50/50 raffle.

Meeting Information

President: Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW (440-237-2816)

V. President: Dwaine Modock, K8ME (440-582-3462)

Secretary: Al Moriarty, N8CX (216-221-3682)

Treasurer: Mary Michaelis, N8DMM (440-236-5426)

Newsletter: David Autry, WD8IOU (440-238-0417)

NODXA Club Officials for 2011-2012

As of July 2011, the cur-

rent DXCC Entities total is:

341.

DXCC Info

Thanks to the following for

their contribution to this months

edition: N8TR, N8DMM,

KB8NW, N8CX, K8YSE, K8ME,

K8AV, K8JE, WK3N, AF8C,

KB6NU, and Rich Lane.

Newsletter Contributors

Fellow DXers,

In preparing and updating the NODXA's club brochure for the Dayton HamVention, I noticed

that the club has probably donated the most funds in one year's time for DXpeditions. In 2011 and

the first three months of 2012, NODXA has donated to nine DXpeditions (some received $100,

$250 or $500). The DXpeditions which were added to the brochure were:

2012 – E51M North Cook Islands 2011 – 3D2R Rotuma

2012 – A35YZ Tonga 2011 – ST0R South Sudan

2012 – HK0NA Malpelo Island 2011 - CY0 Sable Island

2011 – 4W6A Timor-Leste 2011 – VP8ORK S. Orkney Islands

2011 – T32C Kiritimati, E. Kiribati

By the way, if you are curious on whom the club has donated funds to in the

past, the updated list and NODXA brochure is now available online at:

http://www.nodxa.org

Looking at the list, it brings back many memories of some great DXpeditions and the fun it was

working them. If you noticed that a DXpedition is missing from the list, please let me know so I

can update it.

Looking ahead on the calendar for the summer months, it does not seem that there will be any

major DXpeditions until September. However, this can always change. Rumor has it that the

"Intrepid-DX Group" will soon announce their next DXpedition. To where and when, I do not know.

Stay tuned!

Another reminder that Dayton HamVention is only about five to six weeks away (as I write

this). Are you prepared, and have you ordered your tickets? It will be here before you know it.

Lastly, it is that time to renew your membership. As you can see above the club has been very

active with our funds. Remember, it helps "promote DX and fund DXpeditions", and that is what

NODXA is about. I hope to see you at next NODXA meeting.




The NODXA

RAG

February-March 2012



around the world."

February–March 2012 Page 2


and one guest present. A round of introductions was held. The minutes of the December 5, 2011,

meeting were read. After a few corrections the minutes were approved. The treasurer, Mary,

N8DMM, reported a balance of $Ka-Ching! in the account. Tedd reported that the repeater is OK.

Dave, WD8IOU, reported that the newsletter will be started soon. Dave, is al-

ways looking for articles.

Old-New Business

Ron, K8VJG, again opened the prior discussion on new grounding rules for field

generators. Ron has talked to ARRL Senior Lab Engineer Zack Lau, W1VT, at the

ARRL and suggested that QST should carry an article on this topic. Especially im-

portant is what to do with generators at Field Day; so an article is needed by

May. A discussion followed with numerous comments made on proper grounding of

generators and how to connect GFCIs (GFIs) to them. GFIs exist for 240V center-tapped. A big

issue is that new codes say do not ground the generator with a ground rod. Check the generator

socket ground lug for a clear path and that the hot leads are correctly activated. Zack sent to Ron

some National Electrical Code articles. The CARS club will be talking up grounding at next week’s

meeting.

There was a short discussion on snow static and the resulting receiver noise.

Tedd, KB8NW, reported that he had received no letters requesting donations. Tedd also dis-

cussed some upcoming Scouting activity in the March-April time frame for Merit badges. Ron,

K8VJG, volunteered use of his Buddy Pole. There will be a planning meeting at the Polaris High

School on January 14 in room 309 at 9 a.m. The events will occur March 17 and April 14, both

being Saturdays. Tedd will send out minutes.

Tonight’s program was to be a show and tell but the attendance is too low. Pete, N8TR, had

brought his Show and Tell, an assembled Knight Model 740 "Ocean Hopper, identical to the kit Pete

built in his early teens.

Pete, N8TR, discussed the “Way Back Machine” web site which is preserving certain older web

pages from thousands of older web sites. (http://web.archive.org)

Dwaine, K8ME, reported that the Dayton bus trip is all set for May 19, 2012.

Tedd reported that the next meeting will be on Monday, February 6 2012.

The 50-50 raffle of December 6 was won by Glenn, AF8C. Due to the minimal attendance at

this meeting, Glenn will conduct the next raffle on February 6.

The meeting was adjourned by the President, Tedd at 8:17 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, on behalf of Al, N8CX, Secretary, by Glenn, AF8C.

Minutes of the January 2nd, 2012 NODXA Meeting



and one guest present. A round of introductions was held. The minutes of the January 2, 2012,

meeting were read. After a few corrections the minutes were approved. The treasurer, Mary,

N8DMM, reported a balance of $Ka-Ching! in the account. A new member, Tony

Hackenberg, N8SK, has joined by letter and dues. Tedd reported that the re-

peater is OK. West Park Radiops uses the repeater twice a month with no report-

ed problems, per Glenn, AF8C. Dave, WD8IOU, reported that the newsletter

has been delayed but should be out this week. Dave needs people to write arti-

cles.

Old-New Business

Ron, K8VJG, again opened the prior discussion on the new grounding rules for

field generators. Zack Lau, W1VT, at the ARRL, may try to have an article on this topic in the May

QST. Tedd, KB8NW, was the only person who showed up for the Scouting meeting. The event will

occur on April 14. An HF radio and two computers will be used to demonstrate amateur radio, with

perhaps a demonstration of Echolink. John, K8YSE will run a satellite station. Another station on 2m

or 440 will be used to verify the Echolink path. Each Scout wishing badge credit will need to run a

10 minute contact.

The Mansfield Hamfest will occur on Sunday February 12.

Dwaine, K8ME, reminded everyone of the new postage rates. IRCs have gone up $0.10 in price

to $2.20.

Dwaine received a certificate award in the CQ WW WPX First Place High Power Single Operator

40m, for being seventh in the country and eighth in North America.

Pete, N8TR, reported that CQ is working with the ARRL to make CQ Awards linked from Logbook

of the World (LOTW). In future this may extend to WAZ. Right now you can print your data from

LOTW and then mail or email it to CQ.

For DX news, TN2T will be in LOTW soon, but HK0NA is holding out for six months to attract

cards with green stamps from those who cannot wait.

Tedd reminds the members that the March meeting will take up the task of nominations for club

officers.

Tedd reminded us to plan for Dayton in mid-May. Tedd received a couple of donation requests.

DJ8NK who shows up at the Hospitality Room in Dayton is planning a big Dxpedition to Manihiki Atoll,

North Cook Island during the March 28 to April 10 timeframe. The call will be E51M. They will have

seven stations on the air. Bruce, N8DJX moved, seconded by Vicki K8VGM, to donate $100.00 to

the E51M event. In 2010 that entity was 66 on the All Time Wanted list. However, a recent

Dxpedition was just there. The motion to donate was withdrawn by Bruce. Tedd then discussed that

DL7DF and crew will operate from Tonga March 7 to 24 as A35YZ, on 6m through 160m. Bruce

N8DJX moved, seconded by Dave, WD8IOU, to donate $100 to the crew for A35YZ. This motion

passed on a unanimous vote.

Dwaine K8ME reported that Scotty WK3N worked an E51 on 6m by a fluke.

During the early part of the meeting Dwaine sold the 50-50 tickets. WB8K, Denny, won his half

worth $21.00. A donated door prize was then won by Dennis, K8LBT. This prize turned was a large

poster of a 2005 Ford Mustang.

Minutes of the February 6th, 2012 NODXA Meeting


The next meeting will be on March 5. Tonight’s meeting was adjourned by Tedd at 7:58 p.m. Follow-

ing setup, the program was a video of the ST0R Dxpedition.

Respectfully submitted, on behalf of Al, N8CX, Secretary, by Glenn, AF8C.

I spent almost a month in Peru during July and August of 2011. My goal was to see and photograph

the birds of the Manu cloud forest and rain forest, the ocean about 20 miles off

shore, and an Andean Condor. I also wanted to try to devote a day to amateur radio

and try some mobile operations while traveling to and from birding locations. The

daytime mobile conditions were not conducive. However, I had a wonderful afternoon

and early evening operating from the radio club in Lima (San Isidro).

The local club is active and meets every Wednesday at 8 PM at Los Ruisenores 245

in San Isidro. They have a good operating station and are happy to have guest opera-

tors. It is easy to get an IARP license through the ARRL. The club operates a very

good restaurant (Caplina) with a wide selection including seafood. I really enjoy their

local rocoto peppers stuffed with octopus or shrimp along appetizers and a good dark

Peruvian beer or pisco sour. Peruvians eat their main meal at midday and the restaurant is open from

about 11 to 4. I also ate supper there on club night.

The radio shack can be opened whenever someone is in the office. The office usually closes about

4:00. Often the propagation is limited then and it would be best to find a day when they are open later.

I was lucky to be there on a Tuesday and operated until 7:45. I operated on 20 meters using ssb and cw

(Bencher), making about 200 qso’s between 4 and 8 pm. They have a good antenna farm on the roof,

modern transceiver and an amp. At noon I got 3/3 reports from the states but by evening they were

5/9plus. I worked over 30 different dx entities enjoying the pileup from the other end. If one arrives

early in San Isidro, they can enjoy the Parque Olivar. I got some good birding and photography in there

also.

I found a great place to stay in Miraflores not far from the ocean and a taxi to the radio club was

not hard to get . However, it is

good to have a map and know where

the club is. Many drivers do not

know where Ruisenores is. It is a

small street. The radio club’s hos-

pitality was outstanding and I would

recommend as part of anyone’s visit

if for nothing else but the good

food. The birding was great there

also.

Thanks to all of those that worked

me. The card was design by Sandy

-K8FUN

Editors note: Audio from this

DXpedtion can be heard at this link:

http://

www.s88994128.onlinehome.us/

stuff/KF8UN-OA4.MP3

Operating Amateur Radio From Peru by Byron Berger, KF8UN/OA4

Byron, KF8UN/OA4, and Sandy, K8FUN, operating from the San

Isidro Radio Club in Peru.


The plane had just landed in Cotonou. The “where the heck are we going?” question I had asked my-

self seconds before (but it was the whole team’s question) simply faded into obscurity, leaving room for

curiosity, needing to know more, and of course, why not, about the challenge. To state things simply,

we were ready for a new adventure.

The previous days had left me with a plethora of feelings, even contradicting ones, maybe also a bit

of anxiety, but now it was just pure

adrenaline.

To be totally honest about it, our first

real “challenge” was encountered at lug-

gage claim. The airport was a real…

mess, with local people, in typical multi-

colour dress, frantically competing to pull

travellers’ bags onto trolleys, in order to

secure a “tip."

Considering the number (and the

weight) of our baggage, the operation

took a while, but once we had everything

and proceeded through customs, we

were able to say that we were finally in

Benin.

Even the next step of our adventure

required no small amount of effort, re-

quiring a good hour to be accomplished.

Two drivers managed to solve a real puzzle, that of stuffing us and our huge compliment of luggage into

two cars. Giorgio Minguzzi, IZ4AKS and Fabrizio Vallefuoco, IW3SQY kept the suitcases containing the

K3s at their feet to avoid any potential damage during the two hour scheduled journey.

Reaching Grand Popò was quite the feat in and of itself. The only existing road was traversed by

our driver at high speed and in the darkness of night, punctuated with jolts, “last minute” detours and

local police checkpoints. We also no-

ticed, during the drive, an overturned

truck. Certainly, the car with Franco

Papa IZ8GCE, Fabrizio Vallefuoco

IW3SQY and Les Fabjanski, SP3DOI

on board narrowly averted an accident

(I’d say they had mother luck on their

side). However, we managed to achieve

our first goal, that of arriving safely

at the resort.

It was late at night. So, once the

luggage was unloaded, we couldn’t do

much more than to get ourselves set-

tled in our rooms. We all agreed to

meet the following morning to start

setting up the stations.

Even if exhausted by the long jour-

TY1KS—The Home of the Voodoo By Antonello Scauso, IT9YVO


ney, we couldn’t sleep. So we availed ourselves of the opportunity to discuss the whole process that

got us there.

It hadn’t been easy to get the li-

censes. Benin recently reorganized the

issuance procedures, which are now

quite strict. The application form (if

you’re determined to do things “as in-

structed”) is quite technical and de-

tailed. If any data are missing, the

application doesn’t get processed. Our

friend Serge Koujo, working for Benin

at ITU, was crucial in helping us pro-

cure the necessary licenses.

Well, morning came. And after our

first briefing during breakfast, we

started setting up stations and putting

antennas in the air.

In a short while, thanks to Franco

Papa IZ8CGE, the first Spiderbeam and

the 30 meter vertical were up. Two

stations immediately hit the airwaves on 15 meter SSB and 30 meter CW.

After just a few minutes, the pile-up began to grow dramatically, while the rest of the team con-

tinued with antenna installation. Our first idea was that of a “holiday style” DXpedition, without hard

shifts and things like that… however, thanks to a spontaneous team spirit, we then wanted everybody

to be on the air in as short as possible time frame while giving us the greatest potential in maximizing

our efforts.

The location we chose was situated just a few dozen meters from the ocean, which greatly en-

hanced our performance from the outset.

Shortly thereafter, we mounted the second spider and completed the set-up. The two phased ver-

ticals for 40 meters worked great. During the first few nights of operation we were able to log nu-

merous stations from North America, especially from the west coast.

The resort owner had a problem with

our 80 and 160 meter antennas. But in

the end we found another solution, al-

lowing us to install these additional ra-

diators and beverage antennas.

The only problem we hadn’t been able

to manage during the course of the en-

tire DXpedition was that of the inter-

net connection, demonstrating once

again how things that look trivial to us

just aren't so in Africa. The resort of-

fered a connection, but only for a few

hours in the morning and it was really

slow and unreliable.

After a couple days we tried to look

for an alternative, buying an internet

key with a local SIM card. The result


was completely unsatisfactory. The connection was as slow as ever, especially when trying to send out

log updates.

Nevertheless, with just this hiccup, operations went on in a positive fashion. The size of our logs

grew ever increasingly.

Having been silent on HF the first few days (due to a geomagnetic storm), the 6 meter band re-

warded us with some openings, allowing us to work quite a number of European (and others) stations.

This particular circumstance was greeted with a triumphant sense of jubilation by the whole team.

On the 12th of August some of us (SP3DOI, IZ4AKS and IT9YVO) went to Togo, where we briefly

hit the airwaves as 5V7KS.

Crossing the border to Togo was an intense experience, as we could, even more than in Benin, wit-

ness the problems the third world has to deal with on a regular basis.

Some hours later the team was reunited again. Between jokes, a few laughs and additional QSOs,

the TY1KS adventure continued.

At 12:11 UTC, August 15th, the last of the three stations on the air shut down. Not without a

strong sense of emotion, Salvador Carol Tafal, C31CT passed the last “five by nine” report, while the

whole team applauded to QSO # 28,803.

We then tore everything down and after packing up the equipment, we waited for our transporta-

tion due to bring us back to the airport. First things first, however - raising the glass to TY1KS was

a must, and the bottle of champagne provided by Salvador was a special one.

The trip back to Cotonou was suspenseful at best. As with “Beninese” custom, speeding was a con-

stant (this, along with a slippery road and the vehicles used, provided an… explosive combination).

We didn’t feel as if ten days had

passed since our arrival there. We took

a good look at the landscape along the

way. With a sense of curiosity and

certainly charmed by what we were

seeing, we took a lot of pictures and

shot a lot of video (this was simply im-

possible during the previous drive, in

complete darkness).

The drive took a couple of hours.

Somewhere in the vicinity of the air-

port, we stopped to buy a few memen-

tos and get a Coke. All this aside, the

true memory will be the experience we

lived. That will remain with us forever.

However, the adventure was not over

yet. Some over-zealous officials gave us a hard time at baggage check. We risked missing our plane.

And it was only thanks to the very good French spoken by Fabrizio that, in the end, we made it to our

seats.

Just over a month has passed since returning home and our minds are still alive with sights and

emotions hard to express. Referring to this experience merely in terms of a “DXpedition” simply

doesn't convey the full impact of our adventure. It has truly been the experience of a lifetime.

Ham-wise, things went exceptionally. We ended at nearly 29,000 QSOs, with 11,400 unique ones.

This means we managed to give a “new one” to a lot of operators from 150 different countries.

The team, even though its first time working together, worked well and harmoniously. Our relation-

ships go deeper than radio. And when in Paris, before heading off for our respective destinations, we

all asked each other: “where next?”


It has been a long time since a significant award has been offered to DXers and it requires submit-

ting only 16 QSL cards with a user-friendly application. WUST is an acronym for Worked United

States Territories, sponsored by the Metro DX Club located in suburban Chicago. Some of these 16

WUST territories can be heard regularly but many appear on the list of the 25 most wanted countries

and can only be worked during a DXpedition to that location. Don't let this scare you away however,

because you can qualify for the basic award by confirming only 14 of the 16 territories. Your remaining

two can be confirmed later and endorsements are available that will signify that you have reached the

ultimate goal.

Awesome wallpaper, challenging and requires minimal paper work

The 16 WUST territories effective January 1, 2011 are: KG4 (Guantanamo Bay), KHØ (Mariana

Islands), KH1 (Baker & Howland Islands), KH2 (Guam), KH3 (Johnston Island), KH4 (Midway Island),

KH5 (Palmyra & Jarvis Islands), KH5K (Kingman Reef), KH7K (Kure Island), KH8 (American Samoa),

KH8S (Swains Island), KH9 (Wake Island), KP1 (Navassa Island), KP2 (US Virgin Islands), KP4 (Puerto

Rico) and KP5 (Desecheo Island).

Confirmations can be on mixed bands and modes and there are no date restrictions. No, it’s not as

easy as you may have thought, but remember, this is a DX award. It’s not a simple certificate acknowl-

edging contact with a special event station or commemorating an occasion. You can proudly display this

distinctive certificate in your ham shack and show it to fellow hams acknowledging your efforts in the

world of DX. Remember, only 14 QSL cards get you started on the road to WUST and not 341 that

are required to make number 1 on the ARRL DXCC Honor Roll. If you don’t want to take the chance of

mailing 16 valuable QSL cards, photocopies of confirmations will be accepted. In addition, Logbook of

Meet WUST, a New DX Award by John Holmes, W9ILY


the World confirmations are OK and must be verified by two licensed amateur radio operators. Plus, if

you are NUMBER ONE on the ARRL DXCC Honor Roll and your station call appears on the list dated Au-

gust 2010 you'll not be required to send any confirmations for the WUST award. Simply file an appli-

cation along with 8 US dollars or 4 valid IRCs. Mail your submission to the Metro DX Club, 3810 N.

Chamlin Drive, Morris, IL 60450. Following the receipt of the original award for a minimum of 14 terri-

tories, endorsements for contact 15 and 16 are available for 3 US dollars or 2 valid IRCs. For addi-

tional information, go online to http://www.metrodxclub.com/wust_award.htm. E-mail questions should

be sent to [email protected].

The new sunspot cycle is finally upon us and the bands are wide open. So what are you waiting

for? If DXing is your call then WUST must be on the wall!

The DX Century Club (DXCC) is the premier Amateur Radio operating award. Available to hams

around the world, tens of thousands of awards have been issued since 1945 under the modern award

program. In 2012, the DXCC program is not only still thriving, but it is growing, both in participation

and in numbers of award options. The addition of Logbook of the World (LoTW) and soon, the addition

of an Online DXCC Application utility, will continue to help the program grow. Effective Monday, April

2, the way DXCC fees are assessed will change. These changes will include both rate increases and rate

decreases.

The ARRL continues to add new and exciting twists to the DXCC platform, including a special 75th

anniversary Diamond DXCC Challenge award for 2012. The DXCC Challenge -- which counts total enti-

ties confirmed on 160-6 meters -- has proven to be extremely popular as a competitive supplement for

everyone, complementing the lifetime achievement of the DXCC Honor Roll. The ARRL website continues

to add to the fun with many pages of award statistics and information, including DXCC standings for

each award that are updated daily. Inside Logbook of The World, each user can see which records are

stored in the DXCC system for all of his or her entities on each band and mode. In 2011, the DXCC

Desk processed more than 11,450 DXCC applications and endorsements.

As a direct result of the terrific popularity of the DXCC program, our customer service has lagged

a bit. DXCC participants know that when the end-of-year deadline is reached, the load on the staff is

quite heavy and the turnaround time increases to more than 10 weeks. Our staff want to provide better

service and will continue to try to do so. The old fee structure is one of the culprits that increased the

workload. Most participants submitted one or two applications each year, with each of those applications

loaded with at least 120 QSOs and included a Logbook application component, as well.

One of the reasons these applications have been so large is that for many years, DXCC charged ex-

tra fees for second and subsequent applications each year. Additionally, application fees were waived

for LoTW applications if they were tied to a paper application, adding a large amount of work for the

staff as they matched applications.

Frequently, there were hundreds of applications on both the paper application side and on the LoTW

side, waiting for their “hybrid match” to arrive, delaying processing and setting the whole operation

back.

For applications received on April 2, 2012 and after, we are changing the fee structure for several

reasons:

Promoting more frequent applications

Removing the “hybrid application” problem Simplifying the price structure for DXCC Raising the rates

slightly to help offset ARRL’s increased costs Improving customer service

The rates for DXCC have not changed since 2003. While the rates are going up for some single ap-

plications, for those who continue to submit multiple applications each year, the costs will be less. Ac-

ARRL Announces New DXCC Fee Structure! by ARRL


companying the end of the “hybrid application” is a lower per-QSO fee for using credits in LoTW and

the addition of a small application fee. “We want participants to use LoTW as often as they can and

like” explained Membership and Volunteer Programs Department Manager Dave Patton, NN1N.

“LoTW applications are easier for everyone to process and remain the ‘way of the future’ to partici-

pate in awards programs. The costs of using LoTW are far less than traditional QSLing, when one con-

siders the costs of obtaining QSLs which then need to be stored, recorded and carried to a card

checker or sent to HQ.” As in the past, US participants must be ARRL members to receive a DXCC

award. See the link below for an explanation of the new fees.

As indicated earlier, ARRL HQ will very soon launch an Online DXCC Application. This new tool will

allow the client to supply the data from traditional paper QSLs in a digital form, so that DXCC staff

will not have to perform the data entry.

The way the Online Application works is that the participant can select the cards that he or she

would like to have checked by a card checker and, at his or her convenience, type that data into a

form (which can be saved and retrieved at any time until submitted) and make an application for DXCC.

When the application is finished, the participant will be able to print the list of cards and take the list

and the cards (in the same order that they are entered into the form) to a card checker who will check

the cards, note any changes and send the form to ARRL HQ. The card checker’s job is exactly the

same as before, except he or she does not need to collect a payment (unless the participant has worked

that out with the card checker), as the client can pay online. At ARRL HQ, DXCC staff will be able to

access the file submitted by the client, quickly make any changes noted by the card checker and pro-

cess the application.

The Online DXCC Application will have rates that are half those of a traditional paper QSL applica-

tion that is sent to ARRL HQ.

On and after April 2, 2012, here is how the DXCC fee system will change:

No more hybrid applications. Each DXCC application -- be it paper QSLs, LoTW or Online DXCC --

will be considered separate applications with separate application fees.

There are no limits on the number of applications that can be submitted.

There will be no more surcharges added to the second or subsequent applications.

A traditional, paper QSL application will have an application fee of $15 for ARRL members, and $25

for non-members. These applications will be allowed to include up to 101 QSOs. Additional QSOs in this

sort of application will continue to cost 15 cents each.

A DXCC application submitted using LoTW will have an application fee of

$5 for ARRL members and $10 for non-members. There are no limits on the number of QSOs that

can be included as part of a LoTW application. Each QSO used in LoTW for an award will cost 12

cents, down from a minimum of 15 cents in 2011. We will no longer sell LoTW “credits” in bulk. If you

have credits stored, you will still be able to use them.

DXCC staff will not mail any paperwork for LoTW applications (credit matrix or application sum-

mary), as all application information will be available online in the LoTW User account.

An Online DXCC Application will have an application fee of $7.50 for ARRL members and $12.50 for

non-members and will be allowed to include up to 101 QSOs. Additional QSOs will cost 8 cents. This

application is primarily intended to be used in conjunction with field checkers, but can be used by appli-

cants who do not have access to a card checker and are willing to ship cards to ARRL HQ.

Certificates will still cost $14 delivered in the USA, and $16.50 delivered outside the USA. Pins

will continue to cost $7 delivered anywhere.

The fee for an initial DXCC award will now be the same as for any DXCC application.

The free DXCC Yearbook that was sent to ARRL members will now be made available electronically,

and it will appear in an edition of Digital QST. For those who want a League-printed Yearbook, it will

still be available at a modest cost.

Questions? Please send an e-mail to [email protected].


Remember to say the following phrase before each statement: "You might be a Redneck DX’er" if...

• You call your ex-wives "deletions."

• You have used a piece of rope thru your belt loops as a climbing belt.

• You pack for the Dayton trip in Wal-Mart sacks.

• Your DX Club holds meetings down at the Waffle House.

• You have ever operated 20 Meters from your Bass boat.

• You kill a Copperhead every time you cut grass/weeds around the tower.

• You have taken down a broken antenna with a shotgun.

• You didn't operate Field Day because you were building a fireworks stand.

• You have ever shot at a deer out of the window in your radio shack.

• Your DX club has Carp fishing, noodling or coon hunting on the agenda for Field Day activities.

• You can tune your 80 Meter vertical by spraying Round Up around its base!

• Your radio club has "club overalls" instead of club shirts.

• You have 3 HF transceivers duct-taped on top of each other, and only the top one works.

• Your radio club had an article in its newsletter on "Grounding Double Wides."

• You have ever sent your XYL out in the dark to check an antenna for you.

• You can chew tobacco and work Phone Sweepstakes at the same time.

• Your DX club motto is "Git'R Done!"

• You tell people that the empty 807 cans in the back of your pick up help the ground plane on your 2

Meter antenna.

• You have never been too drunk to climb a tower.

• You solicited donations from Budweiser and Skoal for a club DXpedition.

• Your DX club Treasurer has accepted bullets instead of money for dues.

• Your DX/Contest club has 3 contest teams: The Fords, Chevys and Dodges.

• Your DX club President was late for the last meeting, because he had to stop and pull some guy out

of the ditch on the way.

• Your DX Club petitioned the ARRL DX Advisory Committee for separate country status for the

Ozarks.

• You can fish, drink beer and talk on the club repeater all at the same time.

• You have bird dogs named Tromelin and Glorioso.

Cushcraft -X-9

Frequency Coverage – 40, 20, 15, 10meters

Total Number of Elements—9

Total Elements per Band- 4

Total Weight ----85 lbs.

Excellent Shape


Antenna For Sale

CONTACT: Dwaine Modock, K8ME

E-MAIL: [email protected]

You Might be a Redneck DX’er if... from “The Wave Bender” Western Reserve ARC

Photo by Byron, KF8UN








Name__________________________ Callsign_________________

Address _______________________________________________

City _____________________ State/Prov. __________________

Country _____________________ ZIP ______________________

E-mail ________________________________________________

Telephone _____________________________________________




NODXA Information











Meeting Information



Secretary: Al Moriarty, N8CX (216-221-3682)






341.

DXCC Info




KB8NW, N8CX, K8YSE, K8ME,

KF8UN,AF8C, IT9YVO, W9ILY,

WRARC, and ARRL.


Fellow DXers,

If you missed the 2012 Dayton HamVention this year, you missed a good one. The weather was

perfect (maybe just a little hot), with many interesting things to see and do. It was not super

crowded, but just enjoyable to see and get to anything you wanted. The DX forums were also good,

particularly the talk by Don Greenbaum, N1DG, on "DXpedition's Funding and

Costs". This is something every DXer should see, and it should be shown at

every DX association and club. It will open your eyes. Don's excellent Power-

Point presentation from Dayton is now available at the NCDXF's Web page at:

http://www.ncdxf.org/misc/N1DG-DXpeditioncosts-Dayton2012.ppsx

It was also great to see the NODXA logo show up in all four of the presenta-

tions.

The NODXA hospitality suite was another big hit this year, and probably

had a record attendance. It showed in the amount of ice, beverages, food

and munchies consumed. Janeen/W8ZET kept the troops feed with plenty of

finger sandwiches, cookies and cheese. Special thanks goes out to Bill/N8PW for donating some

other cheeses and meats. We heard comments from the attendees like, "You guys have better food

than the dinner banquets!".

The visitors were also very generous this year with their donations in the donation jars. Once

again, the club would like to thank Janeen Hire/W8ZET and also Dolly Klukan [XYL of Ron/W8WH

(SK)] for being the hostess and sponsoring the suite again. Also, thanks to my wife, Linda, and By-

ron/KF8UN for helping in the clean-up and bartending, as well as Mary/N8DMM who also put some

time in greeting and attending the bar.

As always, the three hospitality suite nights was great "PR" for the club -- at times the room

was packed!

Well, it looks like 2012 will continue to be a banner year for rare DXpeditions. It was great to

see that a decent Yemen (7O) DXpedition finally hit the air waves, especially after many years of

being absent.

Operations to look forward to in the coming months - 1A0C, CY9M, NH8S and 3D2C.

June is here, and that means it is "Field Day" (June 23-24th) time.

I hope to see you out at the FD

site, whether to visit or operate. We

Poolside Chat With KB8NW


The NODXA

RAG

April-May-June 2012



around the world."

Apri l-May–June 2012 Page 2

are doing a very low-key op this year (just a fun get together). Details on how to get to the FD site

are somewhere in this newsletter.

Lastly, just another reminder that it is time to renew your membership.

The club has been very active with our funds - the Dayton HamVention Hospitality Suite and

funding DXpeditions. Remember, it helps "promote DX and fund DXpeditions", and that is what

NODXA is about. I hope to see you at next NODXA meeting.


The meeting opened at 7:30 PM with Tedd, KB8NW, presiding. There were approximately 19

members and guest present. After the usual round of introductions, the minutes from the March 5,

2012 meeting were read by Dave, WD8IOU. Tedd made a motion to pass the minutes as read and

they were without any corrections. Mary, N8DMM, reported a treasury balance

of $Ka-Ching! and that there were no new members for this month. Mary also

reminded the membership that dues are due.

Tedd, KB8NW, reported that the club has donated to nine Dxpeditions during

the last 14 months. Tedd also stated that the club spent a lot of money funding

the Dxpeditions, and buying the projector, and that the club’s dues are being well

spent.

The club’s repeater was reported to be working well and was given some exercise

by the West Park Radiops group. Dave, WD8IOU, reported that the newsletter

was in process and would be finished soon.

Old/New Business:

Dwaine, K8ME, reported that he received a letter from the ARRL asking if the club would again

sponsor the Great Lakes division, single operator, unlimited high power phone contest plaque at a of

$75 to the club. John, K8YSE, motioned that the club allocate the funds to purchase the plaque,

seconded by Carl, K8AV. There was no discussion and the motion passed.

Tedd, KB8NW, motioned that the club was also asked to sponsor the DX plaque for the Ohio

QSO party. Ron, K8VJG, made a motion that the club sponsor the plaque. There was some discus-

sion and the motion was amended to impose a $100 limit. Bruce, N8DJX seconded the motion.

There was no further discussion and the motion passed.

Ron, K8VJG, stated that the club has secured the field day site. Bruce, N8DJX, will provide

the insurance for the event.

Tedd, KB8NW, reported that a Field Day webinar is running on April 18.

Pete, N8TR, made a motion that the club pass a white ballet where all the current officers are

reelected. Ron, K8VJG, seconded the motion. There was some discussion about the length of ser-

vice with the current officers but the motion passed unanimously.

Tedd, KB8NW, talked about Dayton and the Hospitality Suite. Pete, N8TR, made a motion to

allocate $250 to fund the Hospitality Suite, seconded by Carl, K8AV. There was no discussion and

the motion passed.

Dwaine, K8ME, mentioned that the CARS Hamvention Bus was a “go” and they expect a good

turnout.

Dave, WD8IOU, expressed his disappointment in the A35YZ DXpedition, which the club donated

to, ignoring SSB. Tedd, KB8NW, stated that he emailed the DXpedition and was told that condi-

tions were not favorable for SSB. On the other hand, Tedd stated that the E51M DXpedition was

excellent and had strong signals.

Tedd reported that he received an article from Brian, K3USC, comparing the current sun spot

Minutes of the April 2nd, 2012 NODXA Meeting


cycle with the past five cycles. In short, the article stated that the current number of sun spots

pail in comparison with the previous cycles. There was some discussion and the membership decided

that the lack of sun spots was due to “global warming”.

Tedd, KB8NW, said that the D64K group asked for a donation for their August DXpedition. Af-

ter much discussion, the membership declined to sponsor this event.

Tedd, KB8NW, said that the NH8S group going to Swains Island also asked for funding. John,

K8YSE, seconded by Gary, NI8Z, motioned to allocate $100 to sponsor this DXpedition. After much

discussion, the motion passed. This group has a web site at www.nh8s.org.

There was some discussion about various Dxpeditions and their use of Logbook of the World.

Ron, K8DZO, reported that a local auto parts store is selling a 1925 Grebe radio in good condi-

tion and was wondering if any club members collected old radios. A discussion on old radios followed.

Gary, N8IZ, talked about the “Ham Nation” web show produced by Bob Heil.

Tedd, KB8NW, talked about the new DXCC on-line program for submitting cards for DXCC

checking. The fees for this program are lower. Hybrid submissions are no longer allowed.

Tedd, KB8NW, also talked about the new WUST award for working all US territories. If you

are at the top of the honor roll, you automatically qualify for this award. Details will be published in

the next newsletter.

George, K8KR, won the 50-50 raffle. His share was $19.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 PM by Tedd, KB8NW.

A video about the 3B7C St. Brandon DXpedition was shown after the meeting.

Respectfully submitted, on behalf of Al, N8CX, Secretary, by Dave, WD8IOU

The meeting opened at 7:30 p.m. with Tedd, KB8NW, presiding. There were 25 members and

guests present. After the usual round of introductions the minutes for the meeting of April 3 as

prepared by Dave, WD8IOU, were read by Glenn, AF8C. Ron K8VJG moved to accept the minutes

as read, and this was seconded by Karl, K8BCK. The motion passed.

From the treasurer's report Mary N8DMM listed the balance as $Ka-Ching!

The donation to the Swains Island operation was sent but our logo is not yet on

their web page. Another donation request was received from the Comoros D64K

group. They have a rank of 68 in most needed entities. We still have time so

any decision to donate to D64K was tabled. We have paid our P.O. Box bill. Dues

are due now. Dayton hospitality room expenses and the Swains Island contribu-

tion will cause a hit on the next report. Dwaine, K8ME, moved, and Jim, KE8G,

seconded, for the treasurer's report to be accepted as reported. The motion

passed.

The repeater was reported to be in good shape. Glenn, AF8C, reported that in

the West Park 2 meter nets, on Glenn’s TS2000, the PL tones are being heard from the transmitter

that is keying the repeater up. The answer was that the NODXA repeater does not filter out PL

tones. . From West Park Radiops, N8WB and NA8Y both sent nice emails to Tedd for the use of

the repeater. K8ME reported that the OARC sent a ballot and dues note for 2012. Dave, WD8IOU

announced that the newsletter will be held until after Dayton in order to collect any useful articles

and photos from Dayton sources.

Old/New Business:

Metro, W8MET, is 60! Alan, AC8AP, described his visit to PJ2T to provide help to that sta-

Minutes of the May 7th, 2012 NODXA Meeting


tion in the CQ WPX but he ended up being the operator after several others dropped out for family or

other reasons. He picked up 745 contacts before the contest on 10, 12, and 17 as PJ2T/AC8AP. During

the contest he made 2245 contacts with that callsign. Alan said he worked 5 beverage antennas with

QRP. The power limit on PJ2 is 1000 watts but many of the band segments have a 250 watt limit. U.S.

operators were very polite. Logs will be uploaded to eQSL and Logbook of the World.

Ron, K8VJG, gave his thanks for the club members who helped take down his damaged antenna. Help-

ers were John, K8YSE, Tedd, Pete N8TR and Mary N8DMM, and Dwaine, K8ME. Ron sent around a dam-

aged SteppIR antenna mounting plate that appeared to have broken from metal fatigue. SteppIR repre-

sentatives will be at Dayton at the Crown Plaza.

For DX operations, Tedd reported that a group is going to Brunei November 13-22 and are asking for

donations. The website is supposed to be up in the second week of May. Tedd mentioned that infor-

mation from K8MFO is that Don Chesser, W4KVX (SK) -- Pioneering DXer and DXpeditioner; founder of

DX Magazine—and became a SK in 1985, has been nominated to the CQ DX Hall of Fame. Don had a part

in setting up 4U1ITU in Geneva. Tedd said that NODXA was backing the nomination. Per Tedd, the club

wants to take down the 40 foot free standing aluminum tower from SK WA8FNB. Volunteers are needed

on Wednesday to take it down. The tower is aluminum, 40 ft., made by Universal Tower.

The 6O0CW in Somalia is up until May 31. John, K8YSE, was a guest on a ship going through the

Welland Canal. Tedd reminded Dayton attendees to visit the hospitality room. Janeen and K3LR had re-

served all the rooms.

The raffle basket reached $40.00 and the $20.00 split was won by Glenn, AF8C. After the break

the program was a showing of slides from John, K8YSE and the Boy Scout activity slides from Tedd,

KB8NW. John’s slides were scenes of Ron’s damaged SteppIR beam, and the Welland Canal views.

Respectfully submitted, by the Secretary, Glenn, AF8C.

It’s Field Day time again! June 23 and 24 to be exact. John, K8YSE, is the field day chairman for

this year and has decided that we will do a low-key, just for fun, operation. As a result, we will not

have a GOTA station this year because of all the extra work required to set it up; the club will partici-

pate in the 2A class using two stations: SSB, and CW/RTTY.

The NODXA site is the same as last year, the Mount Augustine Training Center

located on 5232 Broadview Road in Richfield. A map to the Field Day site is on the

next page.

Everybody is encouraged to attended this 24-hour marathon, and, most of all, to

operate! (Hey, if KB8NW can operate, then you can too!). We especially need CW

operators to keep that station running for the full 24 hours.

Pete, N8TR, is planning an early setup of tents and antennas Friday evening around

6 PM. Everybody is encourage to stop by and help out; this will decrease the amount

of work required on Saturday morning.

The contest starts at 2 PM Saturday and ends at 2 PM Sunday. Operators are real

scarce during the “3rd shift” (12 AM to 8 PM) so it would be a great help for our club’s score if we could

have a couple more operators during those hours.

The club has allocated some money for food and drink so there should be plenty to eat. But we will

need some cooks so, even if you don’t want to operate, stop on out and flip some burgers!

Remember to bring the bug spray, folding chairs, sun screen, and 807’s!

See you there!

Field Day 2012 by David Autry, WD8IOU


Yuri, UT1FG/MM, left Thunder Bay Ontario on Lake Superior a few days ago with a cargo of Oats

and Wheat destined for San Juan Puerto Rico. He had gone through the Welland Canal which connects

Lake Ontario to Lake Erie on the way to Thunder Bay and would come back through on his way out.

The Welland Canal is very long, has 8 locks and takes the boat from a water elevation of 572' in Lake

Erie to 246' in Lake Ontario. On the way in it took him about 8 hours to go through.

My thought was to drive up there and watch him go through and hope we could get within shouting

distance of one another. But where you do go to get close and how do you find your way around in un-

familiar territory? You may have heard VE3RCN on the birds, sometimes from different grids and

sometimes on the warship Haida. Kevin is in the Royal Canadian Navy (hence the callsign) and makes his

home in Welland! After some email

exchanges and some research on Kev-

in's part he offered to host my time in

the area. That took all of the stress

out of the situation. He knew every-

thing about the canal.

Yuri sailed out of the Detroit River

on Saturday night and into Lake Erie.

I was able to contact him on 144.200

sideband where we chatted for almost

an hour, much different than the quick

grid square exchange on the birds. He

estimated being at Lock 8 in the Wel-

land Canal around 8am. After 4 hours

of sleep and a quick shower I was on

the road at 3:15am. After a few

questions by Canadian Customs (they

UT1FG/MM Welland Canal by John Papay, K8YSE


know what to ask to determine if you

are telling the truth), I was in Cana-

da. About 15 minutes out of Port

Colborne, the entrance to the canal,

Yuri called on 146.52 to say he was

about 15 miles out. Fifteen miles lat-

er I was at Tim Horton's (the Canadi-

an Starbucks equivalent) where I was

to meet Kevin, VE3RCN/VA3OR.

He arrived their shortly after me

and we were off to the Lake Erie

shore to catch a glimpse of the MV

Barnacle. And there she was off in

the distance.

It was all coming together. The

Lake was calm, the sun was shining, it

was about 32 degrees but there was

no wind. The fish were jumping.

After the ship started moving closer to the channel we got into position to watch it come in. As it

rounded the bend and we could see the bridge; Yuri spotted us immediately and was waving. He

seemed as excited as we were. As he got closer we were able to shout back and forth. At Lock 8,

the first lock, we were able to talk back and forth; we were very close.

There are places on the canal where you can stand on the bank and put your hand on the ship going

by. The clearance may only be six inches.

After that we went to get some breakfast; then we lost track of where Yuri was. Kevin made a

quick call to his xyl Donna, VE3WIZ, and she was able to relay his position so we could catch up with

him again. We waited for him to pass over the highway at Thorold. The road actually goes under the

canal! Next stop, Lock 7.

We were waiting for Yuri at Lock 7 where the Canal Pilot changes. We were standing at the fence

when things started to come together. The invitation to come on board was given and before I knew

it I was ushered over the lock to the other side of the ship and boarded as the ship lowered to the

dock level. A minute later I was on

the bridge with Captain Yuri UT1FG.

Finally I was able to meet a guy that

I've been working on the satellites in

hundreds of water grids since April

2009! At that point Kevin went back

home to get Donna and they then fol-

lowed us down the canal, waving and

watching us at every highway crossing

and vantage point.

An experienced Canal Pilot takes

command of the ship through the

locks. He stands on the port or star-

board side of the bridge so he can

see the ship's hull with respect to the

edge of the canal. There may be on-

ly inches to spare so it is a tedious


effort. The Pilot calls out the com-

mands (Starboard 20, Port 10, Slow

Ahead etc) and the first officer car-

ries out the orders.

Yuri is usually with the Pilot and

helps relay the commands etc. There

is very little time for anything else

except when you are actually stopped

in the lock. It's one thing to see the

ship going through the locks from land

but quite another to experience the

change of level from inside the lock

itself. It truly was an experience of

a lifetime.

Yuri took me to his cabin one level

below the bridge. His quarters are

quite nice and private. This is where

he operates with his IC706, manually

tuning the radio and doing a great job at that! The power supply from HP1CQ sat on the table in the

corner and a computer running Orbitron is on the other side. Yuri now has an ELK antenna installed

(thanks to the efforts of Rick, WA4NVM). It is mounted on a manually rotatable mast that goes up

from the bridge, starboard side, directly above his cabin. The ELK is tilted up at 15 degrees and was

just installed on the way back from Thunder Bay. The CJU antenna is mounted on the crossboom next

to the ELK.

A vertical for 2 meters is on a separate mast above those antennas. Until this season Yuri only

used the 2 meter vertical for transmit and receive.

It is amazing that he was able to make any contacts with just that antenna.

The CJU improved things greatly and the ELK takes it to a new level. He worked PV8DX right at

his horizon on FO-29 with it. Yuri has SatPC32 but has not installed it yet due to time constraints.

When he is out in the Ocean again, he will install it and get his radio interfaced. This will make it

much easier for him to stay on frequency and focus on operating.

Yuri also has a 6 meter rotatable di-

pole and a end fed long wire that goes

from the bridge to the top of the

first two cranes.

The MV Barnacle is a sister ship to

the Mottler, the ship that he cap-

tained last season. It was also built

in 2009 and is owned by a Canadian

company based in Montreal. The en-

gine room boasts a 10,000 horsepower

plant and is controlled by state of the

art electronics. I was able to expe-

rience an excellent meal on the ship in

addition to touring the ship with the

Chief Engineer.

Time passes quickly and soon we

were at Lock 2 where it was decided


I should depart. Kevin and Donna were waiting there for me; we were 30 miles away from where my

car was parked. We stopped at McDonald's to demonstrate my remote control setup but the wi-fi

failed so we couldn't do that. After a nice drive and some good conversation we were back at Tim

Horton's in Port Colborne. At the US border crossing the agent questioned me as to why I would drive

all that way on Easter Sunday just to see a ship go through the canal. After I explained that the cap-

tain was a ham radio operator that I had talked with around the world but never met he handed back

my passport and said "GO!"

I want to thank Kevin VA3OR/VE3RCN and his wife Donna, VE3WIZ, for spending their Easter Sun-

day hosting my visit to the Canal. I'm sure they had better things to do but they decided to take me

all around and make my visit a memorable one. I hope they enjoyed the day as much as I did.

And a big thanks to Master Yuri Bodrov and his crew for their hospitality.

And also to the Canal Pilot who guided this massive ship through the locks with great precision. It

was an experience that very few will ever have.

Yuri is headed down the seaway and should be traveling through new water grids on the way to San

Juan PR. He is due there on 4/18. He will stay on until at least the end of May. He does not know

where he will go after San Juan. He has truly made operating the birds exciting. QSL to his manager

UX0FY (on qrz.com). He has ordered 5000 more qsl cards which should arrive shortly.

73, John K8YSE

My Dayton experience started at 3:45 am Thursday morning. That’s when I had to get up so that I

could make it to the Fairborn Holiday Inn in time for the first session of this year’s Four Days in May

(FDIM) conference. FDIM is a one-day conference put on by the QRP Amateur Radio Club International

(http://qrparci.org/) and is a great way to start the “Dayton experience.”

This year, we were treated to six very fine presentations. They included talks on using microcon-

trollers for various projects, software-defined radio, VHF and UHF for QRPers, homebrewing with

“hollow state” devices (more commonly known as tubes), using open-source electronic

design tools, and operating pedestrian mobile. The two talks that I enjoyed the

most were “Hollow State (Thermatron) Homebrewing” by Grayson, TA2ZGE/KJ7UM

and “Leveraging Free and Open Source Tools in Homebrewing” by Jason, NT7S.

Friday morning, I got up early again, so that I could make the 7:30am bus to the

Hamvention. We arrived about 8:00 am, just as the gates were opening. The first

thing that I did was to head to the FAR Circuits tent, which is–as the name im-

plies–at the far end of the flea market. There, I made my first purchases, a

board to make a regenerative receiver and one to make an audio breakout box.

The rest of the day was a combination of wandering the aisles of the outdoor

flea market, fighting the crowds inside the arena, attending seminars, and meeting people that I know.

By the time, 4:30 pm rolled around, I was pretty hot and tired. Temperatures topped 80 degrees, and

on the blacktop surface of the flea market, temperatures were undoubtedly higher. I was happy to get

on the bus and head back to the hotel.

Saturday, was pretty much the same story, except it was even hotter. The temperature almost hit

90 degrees. I didn’t bring any sunscreen, either, so I got a little rosy.

I ran into some people that I knew that had just come down for the day, or perhaps that I’d missed

the day before. On guy I ran into at the Ohio Repeater Council booth, pulled out his new Elecraft KX-3

and gave me a quick demo. It’s actually quite a cool, little radio. I’m still saving up for a K-3, though.

Dayton 2012: Another Great Ham Radio Experience by Dan Romanchik, KB6NU


Around noon, I went to the food court for a slice of pizza and a glass of beer. Seating is catch as

catch can, so I shared a table with several other hams. This is great because you get to meet all kinds

of different people.

This year, an older gentleman sat down next to me with his beer. We got to chatting, and as it

turned out, this was his 55th straight year attending the Dayton Hamvention! He started going before

it was even held at Hara Arena, and even after they moved to Hara, they didn’t use the entire facility

as they do now. I’m really glad that I got to speak with him.

So, what did you buy?

I didn’t really go down to Dayton with much of a shopping list. In addition to the PC boards, I did

pick up a bunch of other little stuff including some strain reliefs, more clamp-on ferrite cores, a paddle

pad from Vibroplex ($1) to keep the paddle down at the club station from sliding around, and some tube

sockets! One of the vendors there had a box of tube sockets that they were selling for a quarter

apiece or five for a dollar. I picked out five and paid the lady, and as I was walking away, I decided

that they were such a good deal that I went back and bought five more.

My biggest purchase was NT7S’s OpenBeacon QRSS transmitter (www.etherkit.com). It cost me

$40. It looks like a very nice kit, and I’m hoping to be on 30m QRSS shortly with it. The nice thing

about this transmitter is that it has a microcontroller that lets it transmit DFCW and Hellschreiber, in

addition to CW. It should be fun to both build and operate.

Too rich for my blood

In other news, both Kenwood and FlexRadio both introduced new radios at Dayton. Perhaps the most

buzz was around the Kenwood TS-990. All they were showing was a prototype under a Plexiglass cover.

In addition to being incredibly expensive, the radio is huge! I heard someone joke that to produce this

radio, Kenwood is going to have to corner the market on buttons and knobs. If you’ve seen the photo in

QST (which was allegedly produced with Photoshop), you’ll know what I mean.

The other radio with a bit of buzz is the new FlexRadio FLEX-6000. For the past couple of weeks,

the FlexRadio website was proclaiming that this radio was going to be a game changer. Perhaps it is,

but at $6,000+, this radio is out of my league, and too expensive for the majority of radio amateurs.

That being the case, I really don’t know what all the buzz is about.

I’m sure that the TS-990 and the FLEX-6000 are both great radios, but I think that the law of

diminishing returns applies here. At some point, are you really getting $6,000 or $12,000 of fun out of

the radio? I don’t think that I would.

Well, that’s it. Another Dayton Hamvention is in the bag. It was a lot of fun, and I’m already look-

ing forward to next year. I've already contacted one of the forum organizers about adding an adult ed-

ucation forum. I think that’s something that’s both needed and would be popular. I’ll just have to make

sure to leave enough time to hit the flea market and grab some more tube sockets or coax or whatever.

On April 14, 2012, several NODXA club members provided a demonstration of amateur radio to the

boy scouts at the Polaris Career Center in Middleburg Heights, Ohio. The purpose of the demonstration

was to allow the scouts to earn a radio merit badge. There were six scouts, and their instructor, Ed

Yager, in attendance. Participating NODXA members were Tedd/KB8NW, John/K8YSE, Al/N8CX, Ron/

K8VJG, and Dave/WD8IOU.

Several aspects of amateur radio were discussed and demonstrated. Tedd and John gave a slide

show presentation that covered various aspects of amateur radio such as the various license classes,

emergency communications, and proper log book essentials. The log book information was important

since each scout was going to make an HF contact and would have to record the QSO information.

John gave an excellent presentation on satellite communications. He showed the scouts how simple

NODXA Members Demonstrate Amateur Radio to Scouts by David Autry, WD8IOU


equipment, such as a dual-band HT and a hand-held dual-band antenna, is all you need to work the low

earth obit satellites. Then John made an actual satellite contact by using his laptop computer to re-

motely connect to his TS-2000 at his home QTH. The scouts were quite impressed by this integration

of computers and amateur radio.

John then gave a demonstration of HF radio. The equipment was a Buddipole portable antenna on

the roof of the building and another TS-2000 in the class room. John found a friendly ham in Florida

on 20 meters and each scout made a contact. To combat mike fright, a prepared script was provided

to the scouts so that they could easily exchange the proper information.

Al gave a great demonstration of the capabilities of Echo-Link using the NOARS (146.700 MHz) re-

peater. Again, the scouts were quite intrigued by the mixing of computers and amateur radio.

Tedd bought a small portion of his vast QSL card collection to show the scouts all the various coun-

tries and people that you can talk to using amateur radio. Several of the scouts enjoyed perusing the

cards with the JY1 card being their favorite.

All in all, I think that the class went very well. I had a lot of fun and I’m sure the other members

did also. Ed Yager, the instructor, was very appreciative and sent a letter of thanks (and pictures) to

Tedd and he also copied the ARRL. There was also some discussion of setting up a club station at Pola-

ris to encourage the scouts to get their tickets.








Name__________________________ Callsign_________________

Address _______________________________________________

City _____________________ State/Prov. __________________

Country _____________________ ZIP ______________________

E-mail ________________________________________________

Telephone _____________________________________________




NODXA Information











Meeting Information



Secretary: Glenn Williams, AF8C (216-221-3682)






341.

DXCC Info




KB8NW, N8CX, K8YSE, AF8C,

KB6NU, and Ed Yager.


Fellow DXers,

Here we are about half way through the summer and the bands have quieted down a bit. I

would actually say that the solar activity recently has had a major impact on the HF bands. Hope-

fully things will pick up before the next several events.

By the time you read this, a CY9M St. Paul Island operation should be on

the air (July 26th-August 6th). The next DXpedition will be the big D64K

Comorro Island (August 8-21st). For you Ohio DXers, this is followed by the

Ohio QSO Party (OhQP - August 25th, details at http://www.ohqp.org).

September should be an interesting month for Dxpeditions with activity from

NH8S Swains Island (September 4-17th) and the 3D2C Conway Reef

(September 24th- October 7th) operations. Oh yeah...... then there is a

possibility of a CW only operation to North Korea (P5) by Rick, K6VVA.

Dates have not been announced yet. It is suggested to watch the following

Web pages for updates: http://www.k6vva.com/p5 and http://twitter.com/k6vva. I will also try to

keep everyone informed on the NODXA mailing list and your new Facebook page at:

http://www.facebook.com/NorthernOhioDxAssociation

Lastly, (I know it sounds like a broken record) did you remember to renew your membership?

The club continues to be active funding DXpeditions, with the most recent: NH8S Swains Island

and the V84SMD Brunei DXpedition. There will be a discussion in August to possibly help fund the

3D2C Conway Reef operation. Remember, NODXA helps "promote DX and fund DXpeditions", and

that is what NODXA is about. I hope to see you at next NODXA meeting.


Poolside Chat With KB8NW


The NODXA

RAG

July-August 2012

"The Mission of the Northern Ohio DX Associa-

tion is to promote and support Amateur Radio

and the DX Community around the world."

Due to the Labor Day Holiday, the next

NODXA meeting will be on September

10, 2012. See you there!

Ju ly-August 2012 Page 2


guests present. After the usual round of introductions the minutes for the meeting of May 7 were

read by Glenn, AF8C. Ron K8VJG moved to accept the minutes as read, and this was seconded by

Jim, KE8G. The motion passed on a vote.

Some status updates were then the topic of immediate discussion. The club’s logo is now on the

Swains Island site. On the topic of the CQ Hall of Fame nomination for Don Chesser, W4KVX (Silent

Key), there was no discussion at the Dayton meeting. Tedd, KB8NW, circulated the plaque at to-

night’s meeting. The clubs involved in the original nomination were NODXA and the East Lansing

group. The tower that was taken down sold for $500.00. The rotor sold for $150.00 at Dayton.

The antenna, a TH3 MKIII is in excellent condition except for the plastic caps. The going price

($430.00 plus S&H, and a BN86 Balun value of $75.00) will sell for best offer.

The Boy Scout activity netted a Thank You card, and with mention of NODXA’s

efforts and the Polaris grant in the June QST.

Mary N8DMM listed the treasury balance as $Ka-Ching! with the caveat that

recent additional funds are not yet accounted for in that balance. We have a

new member AF2C, Jay Musikar, of Palm Coast, FL. The hospitality room at

Dayton had a record collection of donations due to a record attendance. Almost

all the supplies were gone.

At the DX Forum the NCDXF reported on how costly Dxpeditions can actually

cost. Per Gary, NI8Z, SM0T talked at Dayton. Dayton thinks the attendance

was about 24,600.

In other news, Tedd has seen his HK0NA cards arrive. Dave, WD8IOU, says the newsletter will

be out by Field Day. He wants to put in photos from Dayton.

Old/New Business:

George, K8KR, spoke on the 7O6T operation which allegedly boycotted 4Z calls. We discussed

that issue and many members felt it was not in the spirit of amateur radio to exclude any calls.

George also thanked the club for the Ohio QSO Party plaque sponsorship. George moved, and Karl,

K8BCK seconded, that the club sponsor another plaque for OQP in 2012. The motion passed. Jim,

K8MR, promoted the ARRL VHF QSO party occurring June 9-10. Tedd mentioned Baldur, DJ6SI,

who after DXing in 70 countries, was arrested while operating as SV5/DS6SI.

Our recent action for a contribution to the Brunei expedition was left on the table at this meet-

ing. Club member Henry Crow, W8PXY, is getting out of ham radio and has numerous items for sale.

Bruce, N8DJX, went to Dayton for discussion on changing his LUSO antenna rotor method to rotating

the whole tower.

John, K8YSE, led off the standard Q&A on the planning for Field Day coming up June 23. The

club may operate at 2A this year with a more relaxed activity. Bruce donated $50.00 for Field Day

expenses and Karl added in another $25.00. The raffle was for half of $56.00 and was won by

John, K8YSE. John donated his half back to the club treasury. There were also two grab bag draw-

ings. The first went to John, K8YSE and the second to George K8KR. The meeting closed at 8:43

p.m.


Minutes of the June 4th, 2012 NODXA Meeting



guests present. After the usual round of introductions the minutes for the meeting of June 4 were

read by Glenn, AF8C. Bruce, N8DJX, moved to accept the minutes as read, and this was seconded

by Gary, NI8Z. The motion passed on a vote. Mary N8DMM listed the treasury balance as $Ka-

Ching!. Ron, K8VJG moved to accept the treasurer’s report as read. The motion was seconded by

Dwaine, K8ME, and was passed on a voice vote.

Discussion: The repeater is good shape. Dave, WD8IOU, reported that the June newsletter was

sent out in time for Field Day. Dave is seeking Field Day pictures and articles. Dave thanked the club

members who provided articles for the newsletter.

Old/New Business:

Ron, K8VJG, thanked the club members who helped repair his tower and STEPPIR beam. Those

members were John, K8YSE; Pete, N8TR; Mary, N8DMM; Carl, K8AV; Gary, NI8Z; Metro,

W8MET; Tedd, KB8NW and Dave; WD8IOU. Pete, John, and Carl worked on

the STEPPIR beam. The task involved three days of reworking parts and having

a replacement motor shipped quickly. There have been some revisions to the de-

sign of the antenna’s fiberglass tubing and 24 joints. A new controller box was

attached and larger guy anchors were supplied by Pete. John, K8YSE, provided

a bit of show-and-tell with the 30/40 tuner mechanism which also was passed

around the tables for people to examine up close.

Pete, N8TR, relayed information from K8MFO that Rick, K8ZH, had a heart

valve and bypass operation recently at the Cleveland Clinic. He should be almost

ready to go home at this time.

For Field Day, John, K8YSE, read the resulting score numbers. The organization of the event

was superb: by 2 p.m. all the equipment was ready and the crew had also been fed just before the

start. Ron, K8VJG, moved that the club donate $100.00 to the Sisters of Charity in appreciation

for the club’s use of their property for Field Day. This motion was seconded by Carl, K8AV, and

passed on a voice vote.

Relative to DX support requests, we still have the donation to the November 13-22nd, Brunei on

the table. Bruce, N8DJX, moved for a $100.00 donation, seconded by Dave, WD8IOU, and this mo-

tion passed on a voice vote. Tedd listed a few other operations that are ongoing (1A, 13 colonies).

Tedd has received a notice from David Ford, the Telecommunications and Facilities Branch Chief

from the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, that the FEMC AUXCOMM would be holding training

classes at the states EOC Center on September 22-23rd.

Nick, W8XD, said that AA7JB has permission for operating at St. Peter and Paul Rocks in No-

vember, 2012. They will operate on 160m. Tedd said he has sent out a notice for the news on this

operation in the OPDX. Al, N8CX, reminded everyone that the summer NOARSFest will occur on July

21st, at Spitzer Center at LCCC. Tedd announced existence of a free packetcluster program for An-

droid smartphones (“NKCCluster”). Tedd mentioned the Swains Island NH8S operation coming in

September. Ron, K8VJG, added that QST has photos of the ST0R DXpedition. Tedd said that he

has been posting YouTube URL addresses for DXpedition videos of some recent operations in his

OPDX Bulletin.

The raffle was for half of $32.00 and the $16.00 half was won by Dennis K8LBT. The meeting

closed at 8:40 p.m.


Minutes of the July 2nd, 2012 NODXA Meeting


Tedd/KB8NW (for NODXA), Tom/K8CX and Don/K8MFO (for the East Lansing DX Club and NODXA),

accepting the CQ Hall of Fame plaque for Don/W4KVX (SK) at the Dayton's HamVention SWODXA DX

Dinner.

CQ Hall of Fame Plaque for Don/W4KVX (SK)


Dear board members of the Northern Ohio DX Association,

Thank you very much for sponsoring the beautiful 2011 Ohio QSO Party DX plaque. I finally re-

ceived it this week with the delay being caused by a delayed business trip to Michigan of one of my VW

colleagues. Having lived in W8 land for more than six years and having participated in the OhQP from

Ohio and from Michigan, this plaque is a great memory of the good times my family and I had in the

Midwest.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to join this weekend's contest due to an illness in the family. How-

ever, I hope to join the fun next year again from across the pond chasing counties and mobile stations.

To your club member Joe, W8GEX who I met at Friedrichshafen, I wish all the best for the upcom-

ing NH8S expedition. I still need it for an all-time new one and I hope to make a QSO from my little

pistol station (100W, R7000 vertical @ 15ft). If I receive a card from VU7M (I had a good QSO on

40), a QSO with NH8S would get me within 4 DXCCs from Honor Roll. A small donation for the endeav-

or has gone out tonight.

73 es tnx! Uli, DL2HBX (KK8I)

2011 Ohio QSO Party Plaque by Uli, DL2HBX


The joke amongst my family and friends is that my wife, Louise ZS1ONI, was instrumental in get-

ting me out the house for a year, as it was a sign of something wrong in my marriage. When, it wasn’t

like that at all. Being deployed to either Gough or Marion Islands was a passion from as far back as

1986.

Responding to an advert placed by the Dept. of Environmental Affairs in the Sunday Times, I ap-

plied for the position of Radio Technician for Gough Island. They told me they would prefer to have me

take the position up on Marion Island as my commercial and military HF radio training and experience

would be of better use.

I attended fire fighting, first aid and cooking classes with my new team members in March 2010,

thereafter boarding the world famous SA Agulhas on 8 April 2010 bound for Marion Island. I would be

the radio technician for the 67th Over Wintering Team 2010 / 2011 as well as be operating ZS8M for

the next year.

The team consisted of 18 team members; medic, diesel mechanic, radio technician, three weather

observers, two geologists, four seal experts, three bird experts, one engineer from HMO (now called

the SA Space Agency), a gogga expert and a mouse expert. We gained a base engineer in November

2010 when we migrated to the new base, expanding out team now to 19.

I need to give credit to a fantastic team, successfully lead by our Medic and Team Leader Simon

Avis and Deputy Team Leader and Diesel Mechanic Vincent Rademeyer for a job well done.

Some of these positions might raise an eye brow, but for interest sake the mouse expert is part of

an intense program to gather information on the mice that have become a major problem on the island.

The gogga (insects and bugs) expert was investigating the relationship of a certain insect that lives in-

side the Kerguelen Cabbage.

The trip to Marion was interesting, with lots of sea sickness and parties. On the second day into our

trip one of the two engines packed up. Management decided to continue the trip and placed a tug on

standby just in case we needed help. Luckily the remaining engine performed well and the ship returned

to Cape Town 6 weeks later without incident. On the morning of the sixth day we awoke to the beauti-

ful sight of Marion Island and penguins flying through the waves next to the ship.

For the next 4 weeks we were all involved in the massive logistical exercise of restocking the base

with food, diesel, spares, medical supplies, etc. We also restocked the 9 over night huts that dotted

the island. These huts are used by the field assistants and scientific staff while working away from the

base.

We occupied the old base for the first six months before moving into the new base. The old base

has served many over wintering teams for a number of years, but sadly has served her time and needed

to be replaced with a new high tech base that can serve the new requirements for the next 30 or so

Memoirs of Pierre D. Tromp ZS8M


years.

The SA Agulhas returned to Marion Island in September with a 60 man construction and mainte-

nance team from the National Dept. of Public Works (NDPW). The ship dropped them off with all

their equipment and then returned to Cape Town. The NDPW team stayed until the middle of Novem-

ber before returning to Cape Town. Their task was to complete the new base which had been under

construction for the last 5 or 6 years. Our team moved into the new base on 1 November 2010. The

new base is a truly high tech base with laboratories, medical facilities, accommodation, workshops,

etc. for 110 people and kitchen facilities to support such a massive expedition. There is even a heli-

copter base that can safely house two helicopters inside a hanger, as well as all the crew and mainte-

nance personal. This helicopter base also doubles up as the emergency base if the new base is compro-

mised in any way. It is also equipped with a commercial HF radio, medical and accommodation facili-

ties.

The main activities that take place on Marion Island are none other than weather observation,

mammal and bird sciences. Other activities include upper atmosphere monitoring by HMO, geophysical

sciences, as well as other disciplines funded by various universities from time to time.

Due to my extensive military and commercial HF training and experience, one of my main tasks was

to replace and upgrade the existing HF radio system on the island. There are eight over night huts

dotted around the coast which provide accommodation and shelter to the team members while on their

work assignment. The ninth hut is located inland and is situated near the top of one the highest peaks.

This is connected via a VHF radio back to the base. The coastal huts are linked to the base via HF.

Sadly the DEA has appointed technicians who have little or no HF experience at all. In their defense,

I must also add that radio technicians of today are either not trained in HF or are have virtually no

experience in HF. So, the HF dilemma continued on the island with the blind leading the blind through-

out the years. The existing HF system was literally on its last legs. The radios that were in use were

Racal TR-48 man-pack HF radio. These have been withdrawn and replaced with modern commercial ra-

dios. Most of the problem lay with decent antennas, leadership and management from DEA side. When

I was appointed it seems as if management was able to secure the correct funds and there was a new

willingness to rectify the problems.

I settled for the Icom F7000 commercial radio and the Radiant Broadgun HF antenna. The lowest

frequency on the standard Broadgun is 2.5MHz, but I was able to have the antenna modified by the

manufacture and have the frequency extended all the way down to 1.8MHz. DEA use a selection of

frequencies from 2 to 24MHz. The Broadgun was also upgraded to with stand higher wind speeds.

The radios were installed in plastic tote bins, complete with two 50Ahr batteries and a solar regu-

lator. The batteries are charged via two 80 Watt solar panels and there is a Honda generator that

can charge the batteries, as well as provide lighting to the hut when required.

Radio scheds are held twice a day to ensure that the external team members are safe, as well as

to supply them with weather info.

I also maintained regular radio sheds with Cape Town Radio and the SA Air Force Radio Room at


Silvermine. All telephone and data is carried via a satellite link to the offices of DEA, however it is

also prone to interference from the weather. The Cape Town Radio HF link proved vital in re-

establishing and resetting the satellite link.

We actually lost the services of the satellite link between Xmas and New Year, which gave me extra

pleasure in passing messages via Cape Town Radio. Numerous radio amateurs also stood by and passed

the odd message to the authorities when Cape Town Radio was unable or too busy to carry my traffic.

Apart from maintaining all the electronic communications on the island, which included the HF net-

work, satellite link, computer network and audio visual system, I also had the opportunity to play radio.

As you might be aware, Marion Island was rated as the 3rd most wanted country on the DXCC list in

2010.

The daunting task fell on my lap to be more popular than Osama Bin Laden! I was hunted on the

bands day and night.

The call sign requested from ICASA was ZS8M and I also registered my Dxpedition with the DXCC

desk in the USA. Approval was giving around about July 2010, so Marion Island was now legal and could

be added to your DXCC approval.

Operating DX as a hunted call sign can be extremely daunting and frightening. Listening to some 100

hams all calling and trying to work ZS8 can be very intimidating, especially when you have no control

over the frequency, but I learnt very quickly to master the art of DX. I have to give thanks to

JE1LET Masa and KH6CG Stan, to name just two DXers who were able to help me via Skype and guide

me. OM Masa would arrange the JA DXers for me in the afternoon and then hand over the frequency

while I worked about 100 JA call signs in an afternoon. The JA operators are notorious for being the

most professional and polity operators in the world, so believe me when I tell you this; they were a

pleasure to operate.

Other operators I would like to credit for their help and support are ZS1FH, ZS1LS, ZS1A,

ZS1LF / ZD9GI, V51B, ZS1DDK, ZS3Y, SQ8X, ZS2CC, ZS2CX, RA3CQ, ZS6A, ZS6BUU, ZS4BS,

NE8Z, ZS6P, N3DG, ZS6HA, N0UN, ZS1SR, ZS1L, ZS1SAM, ZS6WB, G3SVD, EB5BBM, EB7DX,

MM0NDX, W3UR, JH1AJT, ZS4S, CT1EEB, C91IW, JF2MBF, 7K4DHB, K8UT, K3FGO, N4AA,

N4BAA, NC1L, PE1NCP, DJ9ZB, DL9USA, EA5BZ, EA8AK, F8ATM, F8DHE, GI4FUM, IZ8MAX,

N1DG, VE7BZ, VE3LYC, VE7WEB, VK3MO, VK7XX, VK7ZE, W4SO, WA2HMM, WA3SKQ, W3DF,

WK3N, WX5L, ZL4PW. The above list, and I am sure I might have missed someone, helped in some or

other way to make the Dxpedition a memorable experience. Thanks!

My QSL Manager is ZS1X Dirk, who in my opinion did and still does a fantastic job. Thanks to

SteppIR, Icom (Multisource in South Africa) and Tigertronics for their kind assistance and support.

I was only allowed to use the local broadband HF antenna at the base: no Yagi or additional dipoles

were allowed to be installed. I was also not allowed to the IC-736 or the FL-7000 amp as I had to

supply and use my own equipment. In fact, I sold the Dept. this equipment in 1996. My equipment in-

cluded an Icom IC-7000 and IC-7200. The IC-7000 was used mostly for digital modes.


One of my friends and former SA Air Force colleagues, John ZS1LF, applied and was accepted for

Gough Island. Johan arrived on Gough Island about 4 months after I arrived on Marion Island. He op-

erated as ZD9GI. John was the radio technician and team leader. Johan and I also made contact via

AO-51, a first between these two islands.

Operating from Marion Island was an awesome experience. The DX bug has bitten me hard. Sadly

quite a few EU operators black listed themselves after I expressly requested that they stop QRMing

the frequency. I also identified a few QSL scams as well.

It seems that those hams who couldn’t speak English would ask a friendly ham to ‘pirate’ their call

sign on their behalf and secure the QSO so that they can claim the QSL card. Some of the scamsters

admitted this scam to me via email after I confronted them. Sadly they blacklisted themselves.

Some of these blacklisted operators then put up a massive fight via email demanding that I remove

them from the list. I even had an Italian threaten to have me arrested by Interpol. I am still waiting!

I follow and practice the DX Code. Those who behave badly have no respect for their fellow DXers

and should be blacklisted.

To my advantage I was able to collude with various non-QRMing operators via Skype and quickly

QSY to a quiet frequency and conclude the required QSO’s before the unruly QRMers arrived. Once

they arrived I would Skype the group I was busy with to QSY to another frequency.

The Italian operators were the most aggressive, causing an intense QRM barrier that was so intense

that many DXers from EU countries were blocked out. For the record, there are many Italian operators

who were and remain professional operators, but the majority remain a problem. I do not rule out some

operators from Russia and some from the former USSR countries. However, I was able to successfully

dodge these bad operators and still log those you deserved to end up in my log. I received many emails

from numerous DXers complaining and condemning the QRMers. All I can say is that they need to look

at themselves and rectify their operating style as they are placing a serve strain on the entire DX com-

munity. In my mind bad operating practices have nothing to do with culture, just bad manners and dis-

respect for others. It is high time the international community do something about this, or our hobby

will struggle to recover from being tarnished as a bunch of bad mannered old men. I even witnessed

verbal abuse between different cultural groups like you could only expect from sailors when frustrations

boiled over due to bad behavior from certain EU operators.

Over and above this, operating DX for the island was exciting. I made many friends, also receiving

many emails with request for a contact. The greatest contact was from a 75 year old OM requesting a

contact as ZS8 was his last required contact for his DXCC certificate. He had been waiting for 25

years for ZS8. Well, I can tell you that we arranged a 20m contact for the next day and successfully

made the contact. I received a very emotional thank you via email.

I really enjoyed 40m DXing in the early mornings working into North and South America. My thanks

go to ZS3D Danie for setting the standard and coaching me in the beginning.

There were times when I wasn’t able to operate, like when the construction team was on the island.

I also tried to keep a healthy balance between work and operating during quite periods and after work

hours.


Considering the type of antenna I was allowed to use (a commercial broadband 6ALJ6), as well as

the state of propagation, I was extremely lucky to be able to have worked all the stations I did, log-

ging some 8500. Propagation made operating extremely difficult most of the time. No new antennas or

any form of a Yagi was permitted as the island is bird friendly and any form of killing or damaging birds

is prohibited.

I also marveled at the digital modes, being able to work to the other side of the world on 10 watts

PSK-31 was a real eye opener. There is an entire SSB, digital and CW community amongst our amateur

radio community, let alone DX hunting and competition fanatics.

With South Africa being situated at the bottom of Africa, coupled to the largest amateur radio

community in Africa, we certainly have a role to play in the international community.

We had two bad emergency situations when two separate team members did not report in at the

required radio sched times. When this happens, certain reactions kick in and the members in base be-

come aware of a pending emergency. The first incident was when a team member misjudged his timing

and distance while walking from one hut to the other, only arriving at the hut way past midnight. He

only reported in the following morning. By then the remaining team members at the base and members

close the emergency area were ready to deploy and search for our friend. Luckily he was safe and un-

hurt. The second incident was when a member could not get the old TR-48 to switch on and then missed

a radio sched. Luckily we were able to get a search team into the area quickly enough. The problem was

thought to be flat batteries as we had experience many days of severe cloud cover.

I do come from a very strong HAMNET background. When these incidences happened, my training

and experience kicked in and I was able to take the lead and help with planning and the execution of

the search plan. This is no ordinary search and rescue as we only have radio contact with the huts when

someone is actually at the huts. There is neither a repeater network nor cell phone network, only HF at

the huts. Planning and clear communications between everyone is vital. If someone is injured and has to

be evacuated, it’s the hard way. The patient needs to be carried back to the base. The terrain is wet,

uneven, rocky, etc. Safety is vital and radio communications is your only life line, hence the dedicated

radio sched times.

There is no fashion on Marion Island. As you may notice, big beards are the norm. There are two

reasons for not shaving; beards serve to keep the cold winds off your face and lastly, it is rumored

that before the days of emails returning islanders took great joy in seeing their loved walk right past

them as they were unrecognizable.

Sadly, time came for me to stop operating as the new team arrived in April 2011. The base became

over full once again and we had other tasks like help restock the base with food, diesel, etc.

The new team took over once we departed. Sadly two radio amateurs were on the island after me,

but none were interested in the hobby.

We returned to Cape Town on 15 May 2011.


Be it a single card or an envelope full of QSL's, I am still as excited as I was when the very

first DX qsl arrived in my mailbox over 30 years ago. That PJ8UQ card has adorned my shack wall

ever since. I still love walking to my mailbox with anticipation of what QSL may await me. Each card

really tells a story about a point in time when two individuals met via only the airways to become friends

and exchange ideas , information and comparisons of customs.

The photo QSL takes it a step further. For example, the J5V card just received, shows a pan of

rice and veggies being scooped up to eat . But only with the use of their hands was it to be eat-

en. Some cards project the beauty of the operators country. Mountains and streams adorn

many. JA's QSLs often have this wonderful trait to project the flora and fauna of their coun-

try. Others may chosen to have pictures of their workplace, perhaps a brag photo there kids, group

photos, their cars, truck and motorcycles. Others put their pets to task as hams of another kind. ( I

am a sucker of a cute kid or puppy) How could one not want to see QSL's ?

It's no wonder the LOTW has not became the mainstay way of QSLing. Could it be many perceive

the savings in price is not worth holding in ones hand a record on what they did at one point in time in

their own personal amateur radio history ? YES, IT'S THAT PERSONALIZTION THAT IS KEEPING

THE QSLing TRADITION ALIVE .

On Monday August 6, 2012, 7 bureau envelopes arrived. Each had a 98 cent stamp that I previously

affixed. It was quite an interesting stack of QSL's:

total QSL's 156

total countries 46

total IOTA cards 21

total SWL cards 3

total 6 meters 4

total mine returned 3

Keeping QSLing ALIVE By James Scott, WK3N


QSL printing today is far superior to the days of old. Many, in fact most cards, were photo or

four color printing services used. Of greater interest were two folding QSL's: CE0Y/I2DMI (beautiful

inside panoramic of idols) and EM75LWY with 38 photos of traditional Ukraine children dancing !!! Also

note the decline in SWL cards.

In single outstanding cards were DA2MORSE(WOW) and ZP6CW , Doug's new photo QSL IS

NICE. I would be remiss if I did not include 4N7ZZ's "topless lady top band card"....and a cool photo

of his 160 antenna is on the front someplace ?

Of interested for publication of QSL's received via bureau: Bouvet 3Y0E MJ/EA1APV

TC18M K6KNH/KH0 KT3Q/KH2 6L0NJ/4 3B9WR CE0Y/I2DMI

EM75LWY J5V 4N7ZZ ZP6CW

MOST IMPORTANT IS THIS : THANK YOU TO ALL THE BUREAU VOLUNTEERS!!!!!! Remember

guy and gals, some countries bureaus have folded!

Wondering how many times a year you guys are receiving bureau envelopes. I guess I get a

lot, cause I never sleep!

Best regards to all, "Scotty" WK3N

The year is 1992 and the first operation from North Korea, P5RS7, is now under way by 4 Russian

Dxer's. It became my DXer's Christmas gift then, as I worked them on that Christmas eve . Their

signals were weak and the pile-ups huge. But I managed to get then 21 ssb and 14 cw. Elation reigned

supreme for many that day ....BUT.... The operation was deemed bogus by the ARRL , it would be

another 10 years before a true P5, North Korea contact would make it into my log.

Scotty,WK3N

My First P5 Contact…….Not! By James Scott, WK3N








Name__________________________ Callsign_________________

Address _______________________________________________

City _____________________ State/Prov. __________________

Country _____________________ ZIP ______________________

E-mail ________________________________________________

Telephone _____________________________________________




NODXA Information











Meeting Information









341.

DXCC Info




KB8NW, N8CX, K8YSE, AF8C,

DL2HBX, ZS8M, and WK3N.


Fellow DXers,

I would like to remind everyone that NODXA now has a Facebook page that is growing as well as

be viewed by many. It is a good place to see/view press releases of announcements of DXpeditions,

DXCC news, Contest Info.... etc. You do not have to sign up for Facebook.

Give it a look at: https://www.facebook.com/NorthernOhioDxAssociation

I recently updated the club's brochure and was really surprised to see how

many DXpeditions NODXA has contributed to in 2012. As of October, the

club has donated to 8 DXpeditions. They are:

E51M North Cook Islands V84SMD Brunei

A35YZ Tonga 3D2C Conway Reef

HK0NA Malpelo Island ZL9HR Campbell Island

NH8S Swains Island PT0S St. Peter and St. Paul Rocks

NODXA has donated about $1400 so far this year to DXpeditions. I think that is pretty good

for the size of our club. Like I always state, "The main purpose of NODXA is to help 'promote DX

and fund DXpeditions'. The members should be proud of this accomplishment.

As I am writing this, three of the above DXpeditions have not yet taken place: V84SMD Brunei

(November 11-23rd), PT0S St. Peter & St. Paul Rocks (November 12-24th) and ZL9HR Campbell

Island (November 28th- December 9th). Looks like November and early December should be a big

month for DX. Do not forget that the CQWW DX CW Contest also takes place between November

24-25th. I might as well mention that the CQWW DX SSB Contest takes place between October

27-28th). As you can see contest season and the winter season is approaching fast. Are you pre-

pared for them?

Lastly, I would like to say I am sorry for missing the Cleveland Hamfest, but family commit-

ments had to take precedence. It was my first and only grandchild's 1st birthday. It was well

worth the trip to Tennessee. His first year went by so quickly and he has grown so fast; it hard to

believe I was there for his birth a year ago. Anyway, I hope to see you at the next NODXA

meeting.


Poolside (Closed for the Season) Chat With KB8NW


The NODXA

RAG

September-October 2012




September-October 2012 Page 2

The meeting opened at 7:38 p.m. by Dave, WD8IOU making a decision to start. Both Tedd,

KB8NW, and Dwaine, K8ME, were absent. There were 15 members and guests present. After the

usual round of introductions the minutes for the meeting of July 2 were read by Glenn, AF8C. Gary,

NI8Z, moved to accept the minutes as read, and this was seconded by Vicki, K8VGM. The motion

passed on a vote. Mary, N8DMM listed the treasury balance as $Ka-Ching! Mary got some renewals

today. There was a nice note from Sister Miriam Erb at Sisters of Charity thanking the club for

their care of the grounds during Field Day weekend.

Discussion: Dave, WD8IOU, announced that the next newsletter is in progress, and he thanked

everyone for their contributions of articles for the newsletter. The repeater is

in good shape.

Old/New Business:

Brian, K3USC has set up a new Facebook page for the club. A “good view”

would be 18-19 people seeing the page. Facebook policy requires a minimum of

30 people to “like” the page before it starts getting real attention. On the topic

of handheld GMRS radios, the terrain affects the signal on the low power 5 watt

radios.

Pete, N8TR, reported on visiting Rick, K8ZH, who cannot drive after his recent operations. Rick

seems to be doing well, and is walking a mile a day. Rick is also a member of FOC. The Bletchley

Park trip group are in “thinking mode” regarding going or not. Pete borrowed a capstan winch for

work on K8AZ’s antennas. Dave WD8IOU and Brian K3USC discussed whether the NOARSfest is

getting noticeably smaller. Pete said that the NOARSfest was at the same time and day as the Es-

tes Auction (www.estesauctions.com) in Burbank, Ohio, off I-71. Could this event have stolen at-

tendance from NOARSfest? In the DX world, Comoros will soon be up as D64K. The St. Peter and

Paul rocks group did a reconnaissance, taking a K3 along to test the propagation. This may be the

last Dxpedition to that location, due to all the scientific facilities being built there on the flats.

Ron, K8DZO, moved to adjourn the meeting and Joe, K8YN, seconded. The raffle was for half

of $46.00 and the $23.00 half was won by Steve, K8QXB. The meeting closed at about 8:20 p.m.


The meeting opened at 7:30 p.m. by Tedd, KB8NW. There were 18 members and guests present.

After the usual round of introductions the minutes for the meeting of August 6 were read by Glenn,

AF8C. Jim, KE8G, moved to accept the minutes as read, and this was seconded by Ron, K8VJG. The

motion passed on a vote. Mary, N8DMM reported the treasury balance as $Ka-Ching! Major expens-

es recorded since August included paying the fee for the Field Day site. No renewals came in. Bruce

N8DJX moved to accept the treasurer’s report and Ron seconded. On a vote the motion passed.

The repeater was reported as working fine.

Discussion: Dave, WD8IOU, announced that the newsletter was out a couple of weeks ago and he

thanked everyone who sent articles for the newsletter. Dave always needs more articles. Tedd ex-

plained why he and Dwaine were both absent at the August meeting. Next month there will be a

program: the HK0NA video.

Minutes of the August 6th, 2012 NODXA Meeting

Minutes of the September 10th, 2012 NODXA Meeting


Tedd reported the new club Facebook page is gaining popularity. Tedd is putting press releases

there. Mark NB8I says we now have 34 “friends” on Facebook.

The Cleveland Hamfest is on September 23. Dwaine will run the club table at the hamfest because

Tedd will be absent. Al, N8CX, reported that all clubs will have tables in the main hamfest building

this year. CARS and NODXA will be situated next to each other.

Old/New Business:

Jim, KE8G, asked if the club had ever been a QSL manager for any Dxpedition. If there ever is a

request to do that, would we go for it? Jim would need help. He also has been invited by Paul,

N6PSE, to help the 3D2C Conway Reef operation but Jim can’t do it this year.

Tedd said that the Conway Reef group, operating September 24 through October 5 as 3D2C, has

requested contributions. Bruce N8DJX moved we send them $150.00, and Jim

KE8G seconded that. On a vote the motion passed unanimously.

Campbell Island ZL9HR will run November 28 through December 9. Bruce N8DJX

moved that we fund ZL9HR for $100, and this was seconded by Dave, WD8IOU.

The motion passed on a voice vote.

For PT0S, St. Peter and Paul Rock, Bruce moved for a $100 contribution and

Karl K8BCK seconded. That motion also passed on when voted. Tedd said he likes

to send these contributions via PayPal.

Dwaine, K8ME, discussed Walid, OD5ZZ, who no longer has any radio equipment.

Dwaine was the OD5ZZ manager at one time. Dave, WD8IOU, asked how was the

Findlay Hamfest? The report was that the flea market was small, but there were lots of vendors.

Bruce gave an extremely short report on his tower. George, K8KR, announced he will be going to Se-

attle to visit some radio amateurs. As a result of that he will have visited all 50 states.

Ron, K8DZO, moved to adjourn, and Dwaine seconded. The raffle was for half of $30.00. Nelson,

K8DJC, won the $15.00. The meeting closed at about 8:20 p.m. The next meeting will be on October

1, with the HK0NA video as the program.


ANTENNA FOR SALE

Cushcraft-X-9

Frequency Coverage – 40, 20, 15,10 & 6 meters

Total Number of Elements -9 Total Elements per Band- 4

Boom Length -28 feet Turning Radius – 21.7 feet

Wind Surface –9.9 ft Wind Survival ---100 mph

Wind Load ------255 at 80mph Total Weight ----85 lbs.

Excellent Shape

Asking $300.00

Contact Dwaine K8ME [email protected]


I have been going to the Dayton Hamvention without a miss for 26 years now. It is always an enjoya-

ble experience and through the years I have found wonderful treasures. It turned out that 2010 was no

exception.

I am somewhat of a Morse-code-key collector and I keep an eye out for the unusual. While casually

strolling through the aisles I came upon a gentleman selling two chrome iambic keys. One was the Vibro-

plex dual lever version we are all familiar with and the other was one I had never seen before. It was

round had a heavy bright-chrome base with two bright red paddles on long levers, which I knew right

away were of Vibroplex manufacture. I picked it up and looked underneath and it said Vibroplex Venus

serial number 0009 (see Figure 2). I had never seen or heard of this model before.

The vendor Ray, K9RS, said he purchased it from Vibroplex about 9 years ago and had used it little.

He mentioned that it was a discontinued model. Having recently browsed Vibroplex’s website I knew there

was nothing like this in their current product line. Negotiation over the price was polite; as I walked away

I knew I had found something great.

Excited, I told my friends over lunch about my discovery. They suggested I go to the Vibroplex booth

and ask someone there about it. I arrived at the busy Vibroplex booth and asked someone for

assistance. I was introduced to the former Vibroplex owner “Mitch” Mitchell, W4OA, and found him to be

very friendly.

Mr Vibroplex

“Hello sir,” I said “I kind of found a Vibroplex key I have never seen before. Would you know what it

is?” He looked in amazement and said “You have a Venus key. You have one of the rarest Vibroplex keys

ever made. Less than 20, maybe less than 15 of these keys exist in the world.”

He explained that about 10 years ago Vibroplex began to manufacture the Venus key. Due to manu-

facturing problems in the chroming process exacting tolerances required for the long levers of this iambic

key could not be attained with regularity and the project was discontinued.

The rare, chrome plated Venus Key discovered at Dayton 2010 by Sid, VE3ZSX

Venus Comes to Earth at Dayton by Sid Lipkowitz, VE3ZSX


“You sir have a rare Vibroplex treasure. It’s even rarer than the upright Vibroplex key made 100

years ago! By the way, the original designer of the Venus key, Wayne Smith, K8FF, is over in the next

building. Show it to him and see what he says.”

Mitch kindly signed the bottom of the Venus key for me and as I left I was dumbfounded. I couldn’t

believe only 15 or 20 Venus keys existed in the world. From Vibroplex no less.

Ray, K9RS, sold Sid the Venus key at the 2010 Dayton Hamvention

Sid meets Mitch, W4OA, who explains the history of the Venus key and autographs it to boot


Venus and Mercury

I walked over to Wayne, K8FF, a friendly fellow who, upon seeing the Venus key, was also amazed.

“You found one,” he said and proceeded to tell me the history of this unusual key. The design was influ-

enced by the original N2DAN Mercury key and hence the name Venus. Using magnets to attain tight and

smooth control over key tension, this was Vibroplex’s entry into the magnetic iambic-key market. I have

owned a N2DAN Mercury key, also rare to find now, it set the standard for magnetic-iambic keys made

today. Wayne still has the original drawings and specifications. He personally owns a gold-plated Venus

key and even sold the only painted Venus key made — talk about rare!

Using the Vibroplex Venus key is a pleasure. The smooth function of the levers is controlled by a strong

magnet on a central post allowing easy adjustment from the side. Construction is of the highest quality

and the heavy round base with rubber gasket gives solid nonslip support on any surface. This unusual

Vibroplex key is generally unknown due to its brief life, but it shows the passion of the designer and

the Vibroplex Company to bring it to the ham market regardless of the difficulties involved. For me it

just all came together this one day at the Dayton 2010 Hamvention.

Editor’s note: All photographs courtesy of Sid Lipkowitz.

Reprint permission granted by ARRL.

Sid meets NODXA club member, Wayne, K8FF, who designed the Venus key

Close up of the magnetic post of the Venus key


Please note the instructions for Rotator Illuminator appearing in this document are for the newer

model of the Hy-Gain Direction Controller Plus that contains a black plastic enclosure for the meter.

The meter will NOT have to be taken apart to make these modifications!

Idiom Press Rotator Illuminator by Jim Blanca, KE8G


Qty Part No Description

Installation Instructions

1. Unplug the rotator control box from the mains power supply.

2. Hold the Rotator Illuminator circuit board with the printed wiring side up. The printed wiring side is

the top of the board. All the components will be installed on the top of the board, except for the

LEDs.

The LEDs are sensitive to electrostatic discharge (ESD). Please take the necessary precautions against

static electricity to avoid damaging the LEDs. It is possible to install the LEDs touching the Rotator

Illuminator circuit board, up high and away from the meter, or down low and touching the meter. If the

LEDs are mounted up high, then the light will be more even but will not be as bright. If the LEDs are

mounted down low, then the light will be brighter but not as even. We recommend that you try mounting

the LEDs up high at first. If the light is then not bright enough, then you can lower the LEDs later.

3. Elevate the circuit board so from the table surface to make assembly easier.

4. Install the 1N4007 diode in D4 on top of the board. The banded end goes towards C1. Save the

trimmed leads for later.

5. Solder the 100 µF electrolytic capacitor C1 on top of the board. The long lead goes into the hole

with the square pad. Do not install C1 flush with the board; instead leave enough room so that the

leads can be bent 90°, because there is not room in the control box if the capacitor stands up. When

the solder connections have cooled, bend the capacitor leads 90°.

6. Install resistors R1 and R2 on top of the board. R1, 1.3 k_, is brown-orange-red-gold. R2, 2 k_,

is red-black-red-gold.

7. Cut the 24-gauge wire into two equal lengths. Strip the ends of the wires. Install a wire in each

hole labeled AC. Install the wires from below and solder on top of the board.


Set the newly assembled circuit box in a safe place until needed in later steps.

8. Remove the upper and lower covers from the controller box.

9. Place the control box on its side and remove the meter for the black plastic enclosure. This is ac-

complished by removing the two black plastic prongs from the top of the meter.

10. Set the controller on its base and place the meter under the bottom of the controller unit and re-

move the black plastic enclosure that held the meter.

11. You have several options of removing the top part of the enclosure to allow the LEDs to shine

through onto the top of the meter. Example: drilling 3 holes with the proper spacing. Then re-insert

the enclosure back into the front panel and reinstall the meter.


12. Hook up the power by cutting the brown wires (the two at the top) and connecting them with the

two wires on the assembled circuit board, by soldering and then taping. The wire on the left goes to

AC1 of the circuit board & the one on the right goes to AC2.

13. Attach the nylon spacers and insert the LEDs into the holes for D1, D2, and D3 from beneath.

The long lead goes into the hole with the square pad. Place the circuit board over the drilled holes and

allow them to touch the top of the meter, and solder them in place.

14. Connect power, and turn on the control box and the LEDs should light.

15. Hold the Rotator Illuminator on top of the meter so that the LEDs illuminate the meter face, as

they will when the board is permanently installed. Using a test lead with alligator clips on the ends, try

bypassing one resistor or the other, and see what level of brightness you prefer.

DO NOT BYPASS BOTH RESISTORS AT THE SAME TIME; doing so would permanently damage the

LEDs. If you prefer the brightness with R2 bypassed (brightest), then solder the diode lead you saved

earlier as a jumper at JP2. If you prefer the brightness level with R1 bypassed (medium brightness),

then solder the jumper at JP1. If you prefer the brightness with no resistor bypassed (least bright),

then install no jumper.

You may wish to test the Rotator Illuminator, with temporary jumper installed, in the shack under vari-

ous lighting conditions before soldering the jumper.

16. Experiment with the exact placement of the Rotator Illuminator over the meter. The light changes

quite a bit depending upon how far the Rotator Illuminator is from the front panel of the control box.

You may need to unsolder and adjust the height of the LEDs to get the lighting exactly as you want it.

17. Stick the glue dots to the bottom of the spacers. Peel the opaque paper off first, stick the dot

on the spacer, and then peel off the clear backing.

18. Stick the Rotator Illuminator down onto the meter lightly. Verify that the placement is exactly how

you like it, and then press down firmly so that the glue dots take hold.

Pictures of the finished project is on the next page.


Whether you're a newcomer or an old-timer, the Internet is possibly the best way to learn as much

as you can about amateur radio. On the Internet, you'll find many, many ham radio mailing lists, pod-

casts, and videos. In essence, these resources give you access to hundreds, if not thousands, of

Elmers.

One mailing list that I always suggest to new hams is the HamRadioHelpGroup

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HamRadioHelpGroup). The purpose of this group is to help "those who

are interested in getting started in Amateur Radio or upgrading their license." This mailing list has a

good mix of beginners and experts, and most questions are answered quickly and correctly. One thing

that I really like about this group is that the moderators do a good job of keeping

the discussions on track, and will squelch them when they stray off topic or threaten

to turn into flame wars.

In addition to the HamRadioHelpGroup, you might also want to join a more target-

ed mailing list. For example, if you’re interested in learning Morse Code (hint, hint),

you might join the SolidCpyCW list (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SolidCpyCW/). If

you just bought a Yaesu FT-60 hand-held transceiver, you might want to join the FT

-60 list (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FT-60/). Chances are that no matter what

your interest, there’s probably a mailing list to discuss that interest.

I’m subscribed to a lot of amateur radio mailing lists and could probably spend

most of my day just reading and replying to them. In order to get the most out of

them, without them taking away from my on-air time, I only read those threads that I am really inter-

ested in, and even then, I quit reading them once they have started to drift off-topic. I also un-

subscribe myself from lists that cover topics that I’m no longer interested in.

In addition to getting on a few mailing lists, you might want to read a few blogs and subscribe to

podcasts. These are also great sources of information about amateur radio. I blog about amateur radio

at www.kb6nu.com, and lots of hams find it a good source of information. You can find a list of other

ham radio blogs that I’d recommend on my home page.

Podcasts are also a good source of information. One podcast that you might want to check out is

the Practical Amateur Radio Podcast (http://www.myamateurradio.com). Since 2008, Jerry, KD0BIK,

has been producing PARP, and currently has more than 50 different episodes online. For other podcasts,

consult the list on Jerry’s home page.

Finally, there are literally thousands of amateur radio videos on the net. On YouTube alone, there

are approximately 32,000 of them. The American Radio Relay League has its own channel

(http://www.youtube.com/user/ARRLHQ), but perhaps the most popular amateur radio video channel is

the K7AGE channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/K7AGE). K7AGE has more than 6,200 subscribers and

Other Sources of Ham Radio Related Information by Dan Romanchik, KB6NU


his videos have garnered more than 2.1 million views!

Another interesting site is the 73 Magazine archive. 511 issues of 73 Magazine are now online at

http://archive.org/search.php?query=collection%3A73-magazine&sort=-publicdate. Wayne Green start-

ed 73 in 1960 after serving as editor of CQ Magazine for several years. It ceased publication in

2003.

Wayne Green is one of the true characters in ham radio, and indeed, in technical publishing in gen-

eral. Not only did he publish 73 Magazine, but also started Byte and a slew of other computer hobby-

ist magazines. These days, he seems to be interested in a variety of what some might call “off the

wall” topics, including cold fusion and alternative health care.

The issues of 73 that are in the archives are listed in a seemingly random order. I suspect that

this is the order in which they were uploaded to the archive. Even so, just scanning the article titles is

fascinating. Here’s a sample:

• Eager for Meager – Try an 11m vertical on 160 (Dec 2002)

• How to Build A Great Ham Club (Dec 1997)

• The Schizophrenic Triangle – a split-personality radiator (Dec 1978)

• RF Sniffer – Snooper sensitive RF detector which you will build (Dec 1960)

When I first went to download an issue—the December 2002 issue—I was excited to see that a

Kindle-compatible .mobi file was available. I was quickly disappointed, however. After downloading and

copying the file over to my Kindle, I found that it was nearly unreadable. Whoever converted the file

must have used some kind of OCR program, and didn’t do any checking before uploading it. So, stick

with the PDF version.

Whatever source or sources of information you select, remember to not let them take up too much

of your time. Ham radio is about more than just reading, listening, or watching. It’s about doing!

Part of the 2012 Field Day night crew: Tedd/KB8NW, John/K8YSE, Dennis/WB8LBT,

and “Little Dave”/WD8IOU. Photo courtesy Brian Hemmis/K3USC








Name__________________________ Callsign_________________

Address _______________________________________________

City _____________________ State/Prov. __________________

Country _____________________ ZIP ______________________

E-mail ________________________________________________

Telephone _____________________________________________




NODXA Information











Meeting Information









341.

DXCC Info




KB8NW, K8YSE, AF8C,

VE3ZSX, K8FF, KE8G, K3USC,

K8ME, KB6NU and the ARRL.


Fellow DXers,

As I am writing this, 2013 is only a few days away. Looking back over 2012, I would have to

say it was another good year for DXers. We had 7 DXCC entities out of the top 20 most wanted

listed by "The DX Magazine", and one listed in the top 10. The DXCC entities

were Yemen (7O, ranked 5), Macquarie (VK0/M - #11), Malpelo (HK0/M -

#11), Mt. Athos (SV/A- #14), Campbell Island (ZL9 - #15), St. Peter &

St. Paul Rocks (PY0S - #16) and Wake Island (KH9 - #19). Just a reminder

that NODXA has donated funds to three of the major operations (HK0/M,

PT0S and ZL9). In all, there was plenty of DX throughout 2012 to work other

than the above mentioned. It was just a fun year for DXers.

So, what can we expect in 2013? To start, some are saying that 2013 will

be the peak year of sunspot cycle 24. Scientists suggest it will peak in early

or mid 2013 with about 59 sunspots. We are not going to see the levels like

past cycles as this has been a very poor cycle. It will be interesting to see what will happen after

2013.

As far as DXpeditions for 2013, the "only important/rare" operations reported to take place in

the new year are Clipperton Island (TX5K) in late February (28th) through early March (10th), and

Tokelau Island (ZK3N) late April (23rd) through early May (4th). During the first three months on

2013, there will also be some various semi-rare operations to take place. For more details on these

operations, keep up-to-update by reading the various DX outlets (bulletins and Web sites).

Lastly, I hope everyone had a great Christmas holiday, and I would like to wish everyone a

great and healthy New Year, as well as a new DXCC entity for 2013, either be it a new band slot

or just a new one for the DXCC award. Hope to see you in 2013…




The NODXA

RAG

November-December 2012




November-December 2012 Page 2

The meeting opened at 7:30 p.m. by Tedd, KB8NW. There were 17 members and guests present.

After the usual round of introductions the minutes for the meeting of September 10 were read by

Glenn, AF8C. Ron, K8VJG, moved to accept the minutes as read, and this was seconded by Bruce,

N8DJX. The motion passed on a vote. Mary, N8DMM reported the treasury balance as $Ka-Ching!

Dues were received from KK8ZZ, Robert Hinkle. Tedd has sent the previously approved donations to

all three groups. Our club logo is now on all their web sites. Tedd is updating the club brochure. We

have donated to eight organizations in 2012, including HK0NA. A list of these organizations will be in

the next club newsletter. Dwaine, K8ME, sold the signal generator for $15.00 at the Cleveland Ham-

fest. Our sales were great. Rick, K8ZH, recommends we individuals who contribute to Dxpeditions

mark “NODXA member” in order to help give the club credit.

Recently the repeater was down for three days. Per John, K8YSE, the code to

put the controller on standby had been received on the input. Nothing else was

wrong. Dave, WD8IOU asked for more articles for the newsletter. Send them to

[email protected]

Old/New Business:

Metro, W8MET, thanked all the members who helped with the raising of a new

antenna for our new member KK8ZZ. Ron, K8VJG, asked about the situation

with the callsign for the recent Kosovo operation. Unfortunately any Kosovo call does not count for

anything due to Kosovo’s unofficial status.

Dwaine, K8ME, and Keith, N8KOL, counted approximately 500 cards at the Cleveland Hamfest.

Director Jim Weaver, K8JE, has appointed a new card checker, Joe Wehner, W8KNO, of Hiram,

Ohio. A person having a DXCC on 160m can count 160m cards (New rule [Section IV, Rule 1 (a)(i-

iv)]). Rick, K8ZH, asked who might be working on getting P5 on the air.

Tedd’s ISP’s server went down for a week, and just came up today. Pete, N8TR, said 3D2C is

quitting two days early due to site conditions. John, K8YSE, discussed the topography, geography,

and food on Swain’s Island. The population there is presently very low due to past experiences with

weather hazards from typhoons.

The raffle was for half of $26.00. Rick, K8ZH, won and donated his share back to the club. The

meeting closed at 8:03 p.m. The next meeting will be on November 5, 2012.


The meeting was opened at 7:34 p.m. by Tedd, KB8NW. There were 18 members and guests

present. After the usual round of introductions the minutes for the meeting of October 1 were

read by Glenn, AF8C. John, K8YSE, moved to accept the minutes as read, and this was seconded by

Dave, WD8IOU. The motion passed on a vote. Mary, N8DMM reported the treasury balance as $Ka-

Ching! No new members have joined this month.

Al, N8CX, reported hearing the repeater’s ID. He described how West Park Radiops now wants

to have only two meter nets, so every Monday they want to use the NODXA 2m repeater from 9

p.m. until 10:30 p.m. This club approved that usage.

Dave, WD8IOU, sent the newsletter out this weekend, and thanked the club members for their

Minutes of the October 1st, 2012 NODXA Meeting

Minutes of the November 5th, 2012 NODXA Meeting


contributions to the newsletter. Dave mentioned the article on the Venus key design by Wayne, K8FF

and the LED lighted rotator control box modification by Jim, KE8G. Dave always needs more articles.

Send articles to [email protected].

Ron, K8VJG, mentioned the CARS Christmas holidays party happening at the Independence Civic

Center on December 7. Tickets are $16.00, see the CARS web site or call W8GC. Pete, N8TR, de-

scribed the conditions for the CQ WW DX phone contest for 10 and 20m as great and 160m as the

worst ever.

Field Day results are now out on the ARRL Web site. NODXA has 8100 points and stands as 103

out of 2617 entries, 21 out of 408 on 2A. In the Great Lakes Division we were 14 out of 243 and

second in 2A. In Ohio we were eighth out of 122, and 2nd out of 17 for 2A.

We received two requests for donations. F6KOP will be going to Uganda, 5X, with six stations dur-

ing February 8 to 13. St. Peter and Paul Rocks will be starting up soon. Phil/G3SWH and Jim/G3RTE

will be going to the Solomon Islands as H44KW in an all CW operation. The club

had no interest in donating to any of these. There was discussion indicating that

the US Postal Service will cease selling IRCs after January 1, 2013. Foreign IRCs

will still be able to be redeemed.

Old/New Business:

Pete, N8TR, mentioned that CQ WW CW is coming at the end of November.

Pete mentioned there has been one big change in the entry to CQ contests. You

only have 5 days after the contest to send in your log file. This is intended to

prevent post-contest “editing” of the log. Pete says that now some stations using

Software Defined Radios and computers with large disks merely record the entire

band, edge to edge, for the full 48 hours of the contest, so anything anywhere can be replayed back

after the contest in order to perform log touchups.

Tedd, KB8NW, described that the Annual Mansfield DX Luncheon will occur on the day after

Thanksgiving. Call Tedd for information. Brian, K3USC, remarked that the number of NODXA friends

on FaceBook is creeping up toward the 20’s. Per Tedd, the December 3 program will be Show and Tell

night. Dave, WD8IOU, provided in the newsletter a link to the entire archive of 73 Magazine. The

50/50 raffle (where the pot was $32.00) was won by Brian, K3USC. He returned his $16.00 portion

to the club.

The meeting closed at 8:08 p.m. The next meeting will be on December 3, 2012.

Respectfully submitted, by the Secretary, Glenn, AF8C

ANTENNA FOR SALE

Cushcraft-X-9

Frequency Coverage – 40, 20, 15,10 & 6 meters

Total Number of Elements -9 Total Elements per Band- 4

Boom Length -28 feet Turning Radius – 21.7 feet

Wind Surface –9.9 ft Wind Survival ---100 mph

Wind Load ------255 at 80mph Total Weight ----85 lbs.

Excellent Shape

Asking $300.00

Contact Dwaine K8ME [email protected]


Greeting's Everyone,

I was going thru some of my antique radio stuff and found this old gray lead Barkley WW 1 doe boy

radioman, circa 1935. When you get to my age, looking thru old boxes one has, is like Christmas Day all

over. This little guy will adorn a shelf in my shack between an antenna tuner and code keyer. I think

he's happy to be home. :) He'll make lots of contacts as my new DX God. Maybe he will even show up in

the NODXA Rag?

Regards to all, Scotty WK3N. "DX NEVER SLEEPS"

WW1 Doe Boy Radio Operator Toy Soldier by James “Scotty” Scott, WK3N


I’ve always been interested in end-fed, half-wave antennas before, but until this recently, I’d never

built one. One of the reasons for this is that most designs are for QRP antennas and not made to han-

dle more than 5 – 10 W of power.

A couple of months ago, though, I ran across a design rated at 100 W

(http://earchi.org/proj_homebrew.html). The design seemed relatively simple to

build, requiring only a single toroid and a capacitor made with a short length of

RG-174 coax. Well, it just so happens that I bought 100-ft. of RG-174 at Dayton

this year, and I found the toroid cores online from the "Toroid King" for a very

reasonable price, so I decided it was high time to build one.

All told, the parts cost about $10, the biggest part of that being a 4-in. x 4-in.

x 2-in. plastic junction box (Carlon E989NNJ-CAR) I got from Lowe’s for $6.41.

Compare that with the $60 that LNR wants for their end-fed antenna.

I put up the antenna about three weeks ago, on a beautiful fall Sunday, running

34 feet of wire up a trellis attached to a small deck in my backyard, then out to a

tree near the back of my lot. With more than a little anticipation, I put the antenna analyzer on it,

only to be somewhat disappointed with the readings. The SWR was 2.6:1 at 14.000 MHz, dropping to

about 1.5:1 at 14.900 MHz.

Since the internal tuner on my IC-746PRO is supposed to be good to 3:1, I did use it and made a

couple of contacts. A guy in MA even gave me a 599 signal report. So, while I was a little uncomforta-

ble with an SWR so close to the limit of my tuner, it did seem to radiate pretty well.

I e-mailed the guy who published the design and asked why he thought the resonant frequency was

so high, and he said that all I had to do was add a couple feet of wire to the antenna. I also did some

more reading about end-feds and several websites suggested that adding a counterpoise might be a good

idea, too.

A week later, I finally got back to playing with the antenna. I added 24-in. of wire to it, and it did

indeed bring down the SWR of the antenna to below 2:1 in the CW portion of 20m. I’m happier with

this. I made a couple of contacts that day, too, with both stations giving me good reports.

I still do plan to try a counterpoise. Not so much to improve the SWR, but to see if it makes the

antenna a little more efficient.

Overall, this has been a fun project. I learned something about end-fed, half-wave antennas and

saved a bunch of money by rolling my own. Isn't that what ham radio is all about?

QST publishes a column every month towards the back of the magazine that highlights from issues

25, 50, and 75 years ago. Now that the QST archive is online, it’s really worth taking a look at these

articles. Here are a few that caught my eye in October:

October 1937

* Modernizing the Simple Regenerative Receiver (http://p1k.arrl.org/pubs_archive/19076) by

Vernon Chambers, W1JEQ. This a nicely-designed and built regen using two tubes, a 6K5 pentode and

6C5 triode. I’m going to keep this design in mind if I ever get around to playing with all the tubes I

have. As an aside, I searched on W1JEQ's callsign and found out that he wrote 87 articles for QST

from 1936 through February 1958. This was his third article.

* Concentrated Directional Antennas for Transmission and Reception

Building an End-Fed Half-Wave Antenna by Dan Romanchik, KB6NU

25, 50, and 75 Years Ago in QST (Oct 2012) by Dan Romanchik, KB6NU


(http://p1k.arrl.org/pubs_archive/19078) by John L. Reinartz, W1QP, and Burton T. Simpson, W8CPC.

This article describes two different antennas. The first is a half-wave loop antenna that the author

says works on 2-1/2, 5, 10, and 20m. The second is a square loop antenna called a “signal squirter” for

14 Mc.

October 1962

* In “New Apparatus” (http://p1k.arrl.org/pubs_archive/46246) on page 27, a key

made by J. A. Hills, W8FYO, of Dayton, OH is shown under the heading, “New Key

Mechanism for Electronic Keyers.” The photo clearly shows a key whose design was

adopted by Bencher for the BY-1 paddle.

* The Towering Problem (http://p1k.arrl.org/pubs_archive/46122) by Jay Kay

Klein, WA2LII clearly shows that putting up towers have always been a problem for

amateur radio operators. This is a humorous take on the problem. What’s notable is

that this type of humorous article almost never appears in QST anymore. Amateur

radio seems to have lost its sense of humor, or at least its cadre of humorous writ-

ers.

October 1987

* Stalking Those Fugitive Components (http://p1k.arrl.org/pubs_archive/81357) by Doug DeMaw,

W1FB. Today, we often complain about the demise of local parts suppliers, but this article shows that

this was a problem 25 years ago as well. W1FB gives some advice that I gave not long ago on my blog.

That is, stock up on parts, especially when you find a good deal on them, and you won’t have to

scrounge around for them when you want them.

Digitizing all of the back issues of QST and putting them online is one of the things that the ARRL

has done right. This is a wonderful resource for members. If you have a favorite QST article I'd love

to hear about it. Please send me the title and the month it was published. My e-mail address is

[email protected].

This is a neat video. It shows what looks to be a huge Collins amplifier but is actually a refrigera-

tor in disguise. I think that club members might find it interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=neHreW-PNtw

W5IG “Cool Transmitter” Submitted by Nelson Wittstock, K8DJC


We've seen an alarming increase in the number of scammers utilizing ham radio classified ads to

scam hams. I wanted to take this opportunity to explain what some of these scammers are doing, in

hopes it will better protect you from them, when you are selling equipment on

the QTH.com Classifieds at http://swap.qth.com.

About 100,000 ads are placed each year in the QTH.com Classifieds, and only a tiny, tiny fraction

wind up being fraudulent. I do not want to scare you into thinking that it is unsafe to trade

online. Rather, I simply want to arm you with knowledge, so that you will be able to sniff out the bad

guys, and stay safe.

Common scammer traits:

1) They will use some else's callsign, and they will create an email address that contains that

callsign, usually with a free email provider like gmail, yahoo, ymail, hotmail, etc. Recently, they have

even taken to breaking into ham's profiles at QRZ.com and changing the email address there, so that

when you check to see if they match the ham's profile, they do!

2) They predominantly post "For Sale" ads, with prices that are a little too good to be true.

3) They will use pictures of equipment they have found on the Internet (they don't really own the

equipment).

4) They seem to like payments via Western Union (no protection for the buyer), but will also use

PayPal (hoping to drain their account before the buyer realizes they have been scammed).

5) They seem to know ham radio jargon. For all we know, these scammers are hams, but we can't

be sure.

6) They are sophisticated enough to use "proxy servers" so their IP address cannot be easily de-

tected. This makes it difficult for us to block the scammers. We are constantly tweaking our filters

to block these guys when possible, but it is a constant cat and mouse game.

What can you do to protect yourself?

* Ask for a phone number and call the person before agreeing on any deal. This is probably the

#1 way to expose the rats.

* Ask for a photo of the equipment WITH THEIR QSL CARD IN THE PICTURE. Unless they are

very good at photo editing, you should be able confirm that they actually own the equipment this way.

* Check to see if the email address they used matches what is listed for that person on their

QRZ.com profile. It could be a red flag if there is a mismatch. However, if it DOES MATCH, that

is not a guarantee that the seller is not a scammer (again, we are seeing some of these scammers

manage to edit QRZ.com profiles to get their bogus email listed)

* Be especially cautious of dealing with foreign hams. Not all foreign hams are scammers, of

course! Just be extra careful!! Recently, the scammers have almost always been using US Callsigns

though.

* Never use Western Union. Be very cautious of using Money Orders and Cashier's

Checks. PayPal and Credit Cards seem to be the best option, as far as having any buyer protec-

tion. Money Orders & Cashier's Checks are perfectly acceptable if you are absolutely sure who you

are dealing with.

* Read all of my "Safe Trading Tips" at http://chat.qth.com/viewtopic.php?t=12

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me directly at [email protected].

Common Scammer Traits by Scott Neader, KA9FOX (QTH.COM)


Ten meters is open but not many people are using it. Just before the CQ Worldwide Contest ten

meters was dead of all activity. As soon as the contest started then 10 as well as 15 and 20 were open

to the world. Today the day after the contest I hear two CW signals on 10 plus some beacons. Not a

single SSB signal at all. If you tune down to the CB band skip is booming in from all over the country.

I believe that these days hams look at the DX cluster and if they see no activity in there area then

do not even try 10 or any other band for that matter. Back in the days before a cluster one would lis-

ten to beacons or believe it or not call CQ. You do remember how to do that I hope.

We all wait for the sunspot cycle to come around and frankly I thought this one was a bummer until

I started checking the CB bands.

Last Jan. I moved into a new home here in Nevada at the base of the Sierras. Due to antenna re-

strictions I put up a 1/4 wave ground plane for ten at ground level on my patio. I turned on my rig

tuned across ten and heard only one station a KH6 booming in begging for contacts. I gave him a call

with my 100 watts and some how got over the Mountain in front of my house and had a nice contact.

Since then the only ten-meter contacts I have had are during contests. We have a large population

of hams in our town who are retired for the most part. All have said they though we were having a bad

sun spot cycle due to the lack of activity on 10 and even 15. I urge you guys if you want to have a lot

of fun try ten meters, call CQ you might be surprised what comes back.

Rick/K8ZH, Nick/W8XD, Brian/K3USC, Don/K8MFO, and Tedd/KB8NW attended the annual Mansfield

DX Luncheon on the day after Thanksgiving.

10-Meters is Open by Ed Eggert, K3VO (via eHam.net)








Name__________________________ Callsign_________________

Address _______________________________________________

City _____________________ State/Prov. __________________

Country _____________________ ZIP ______________________

E-mail ________________________________________________

Telephone _____________________________________________




NODXA Information











Meeting Information









341.

DXCC Info




KB8NW, K8YSE, AF8C, WK3N,

K8DJC, KA9FOX, K3USC,

K8ME, KB6NU, K3VO and

eHam.net.


The NODXA RAG

Documents

Transcript of The NODXA RAG