Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Handiham World for 19 December 2012 (Last of the year)

Courage Center Handiham World Weekly E-Letter for the week of Wednesday, 19 December 2012

This is a free weekly news & information update from Courage Center Handiham System. Our contact information is at the end, or simply email handiham@couragecenter.org for changes in subscriptions or to comment. You can listen to this news online.
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Welcome to Handiham World.

"Welcome the change coming soon into your life."

That was the fortune from a fortune cookie that I cracked open last week. It was timely, because there will be a lot of change in 2013. The Handiham System is a long-time program of Courage Center, and Courage Center will be making some changes in 2013. Here is what our Handiham members need to know:

The Boards of Directors of Courage Center and Allina Health approved an agreement to create a new partnership between Courage Center and Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, part of Allina Health. This agreement includes full integration of services and programs across both Courage Center and Sister Kenny, including our respective foundations. This will be a uniquely comprehensive continuum of care including inpatient, outpatient and community-based rehabilitation services that keep people healthy and independent.

As an advocate on behalf of people with disabilities, we recognize that one of the challenges our clients face is a fragmented system of rehabilitation services. We believe the community will be better served by a comprehensive, streamlined continuum of services that blends both excellent health care and broader programs that support independence and community participation.

By blending Sister Kenny’s strengths in clinical care and process improvement with Courage Center’s breadth and depth of programming and history of advocacy, we seek to be recognized as a national leader in improving population health for this important part of our community.

The organization will now move forward with due diligence and integration planning that should culminate in an official merger sometime in the middle of 2013.

There are still many details to be worked out; we are committed to communicating updates about the integration along the way.

• Both Courage Center and Sister Kenny are committed to promoting health, independence and wellness for people with disabilities
• Client therapies and services will not be impacted for now. We will continue to take the same insurance plans. Any future changes will be communicated well in advance of any changes.
• We believe a more seamless system will make it easier for clients to get the coordinated care and services they need.
• We believe partnership is the best way for Courage Center to fulfill our mission and continue to grow and provide innovative care that meets the needs of our community, now and into the future.
• We expect to close on the partnership transaction in mid-2013.
• The new organization’s name and brand are yet to be determined.
• There are still many details to be worked out, and we are committed to communicating updates about the partnership as soon as we can.

There will also be flyers with this information available for clients at the Courage Center sites next week. The Courage Center website is also a source for updated information:

Here is the official news release:
http://www.couragecenter.org/ContentPages/partnershipagreementannouncement.aspx

Any media questions should be directed to Marketing & Communications, Ryan Hoffman, 763-520-0361, or ryan.hoffman@couragecenter.org.

Patrick Tice, WA0TDA
Handiham Manager

New in Extra Class: Toroids

Three choke cores designed for use with plasma TV set.

In this week's Extra Class audio lecture series (members only), we talk about toroids and different types of core materials. Here you can see several core designs that came with a Panasonic plasma TV set. These are designed to be used on the wiring between the set and its external cabling to antennas, speakers, other input devices, and so on. The chokes will prevent RF from traveling through these connecting wires and being radiated, which could cause interference to other devices - such as your amateur radio receiver!

Members should log in and go to Extra Class lecture 19 in the member section. This is the last audio lecture of 2012. We resume the series in 2013.

Holiday schedule

The Handiham System is closed on Friday, 21 December and through the week of Christmas through New Year's.

We will reopen on Wednesday, 2 January 2013. There will be no weekly Handiham World E-Letter and podcast on December 26. Updates and breaking news will be featured at www.handiham.org. Both Handiham Remote Base HF stations will remain on the air and available to users.

If you have a gift-in-kind of solid-state working ham radio equipment, it can be accepted during normal business hours at Courage Center, 3915 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley, MN 55422. Although the Handiham office will be closed, the Courage Center front desk can give you a donation receipt. The general information number for the front desk is: 763-588-0811.

Please note that we cannot accept antennas (except small VHF/UHF antennas for handheld radios), electronic parts, outdated or broken equipment, oil-filled dummy loads, or anything not directly related to ham radio.

We really appreciate your support! All mail and gifts of support for the Handihams should be mailed to the following address:

Courage Center Handiham System
3915 Golden Valley Road
Golden Valley, MN 55422

Your gift is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

In other notable closings, ARRL Headquarters will be closed Monday, December 24 and Tuesday, December 25, 2012 in observance of Christmas, and Tuesday, January 1, 2013 in observance of New Year's Day. There will be no ARRL Audio News or ARRL Letter the last week of December. As always, the latest information about ARRL activities and services can be found at www.arrl.org.

We wish you a wonderful holiday week, a merry Christmas, and a happy and prosperous new year in 2013.

Correspondence:

Ken, KB3LLA, passed along a story about a new VoiceOver learning tool: VoiceOver Starter app now Released for iOS

VOStarter, the first app to offer training on the VoiceOver screen-reader for iOS has just been released to the app store. Developed by Michael Doise, VO Starter offers tips and hints navigating various iOS elements such as buttons, text fields, tabs, and more. It also allows one to practice interacting with these different controls. VO Starter is currently free for a limited time.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vo-starter/id586844936

FCC PROPOSES ACTION TO ACCELERATE THE AVAILABILITY OF NATIONWIDE TEXT-TO-911 SERVICE

Proposal Would Mark the First Major Milestone in the Nation’s Transition to Next-Generation 911. Read more at:
http://www.handiham.org/drupal2/node/160

Handiham Nets are on on the air!

We are on the air daily at 11:00 USA Central Time, plus Wednesday & Thursday evenings at 19:00 USA Central Time. Nets will continue through the holidays, but if there is not a Net Control Station available, the net will be a simple roundtable.

The official and most current net news may be found at:
http://www.handiham.org/nets

Join us on the Thursday evening Handiham Radio Club TechNet. The frequency in the local Minnesota repeater coverage zone: 145.45 FM, negative offset with no tone and 444.65 MHz with 114.8 Hz tone in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul Minnesota. The UHF repeater will be heard more easily in the Eastern Twin Cities. You will find our daily net on the air at 11:00 hours USA Central Time, with a Sunday roundtable session for a change of pace. A Wednesday evening session at 19:00 hours USA Central Time also offers a chance to take a guess at a trivia question (offered by some Net Control Stations) and visit with your friends on the air. Ideal for those who can't make the daily morning session! Then Thursday evening at 19:00 hours return to the Tech net and learn something new.

EchoLink nodes:
*HANDIHAM* conference server Node 494492 (Our preferred high-capacity node.)
*VAN-IRLP*, node 256919
KA0PQW-R, node 267582
KA0PQW-L, node 538131
N0BVE-R, node 89680
Other ways to connect:
IRLP node 9008 (Vancouver BC reflector)
WIRES system number 1427

A dip in the pool

It's time to test our knowledge by taking a dip in the pool - the question pool, that is!

Let's go to the Technician Class pool:
T3C05 asks, "What is meant by the term “knife-edge” propagation?"
Possible answers are:
A. Signals are reflected back toward the originating station at acute angles
B. Signals are sliced into several discrete beams and arrive via different paths
C. Signals are partially refracted around solid objects exhibiting sharp edges
D. Signals are propagated close to the band edge exhibiting a sharp cutoff
The correct answer is C: Signals are partially refracted around solid objects exhibiting sharp edges. Also known as "knife-edge effect", more information can be found on Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knife-edge_effect. The explanation is highly technical, but what it means for ham radio operators is that sometimes signals can find their way around sharp-edged obstacles in surprising ways.
Please e-mail handiham@couragecenter.org to comment.

Remote Base health report: W0EQO is on line. W0ZSW is on line.
Work continues on the remote base software with a projected release in January 2013. Both stations are accessible via Echolink for receive. Look for W0ZSW-L and W0EQO-L using the search function in your Echolink application. Please note that it is not allowed to connect through RF to the two remote base Echolink nodes, you can only use the Echolink application of a computer or smartphone.
If problems show up, please email handiham@couragecenter.org.
Keyboard commands list updated:
http://handiham.org/remotebase/w4mq-keyboard-commands/
Solar Activity Forecast:

Solar activity is expected to be at low levels  with a slight chance for M-class flares on days one, two, and three (19 Dec, 20 Dec, 21 Dec).

Credit: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center:
www.swpc.noaa.gov/forecast.html

This week @ HQ

The January Audio Digest is in production. All December DAISY files are available in the DAISY section of the website following member login. Please let me know if you have trouble using the DAISY files, because this is an important member service and we want you to take advantage of it.
Another member service is the audio lectures for Technician, General, and Extra. All courses are available on line for your use whenever you want to study or review. Teaching is done with thoughtful attention to descriptions for those who are blind, and we promote understanding concepts rather than simply memorizing the question pool. If you would like to use this service but do not understand how, please contact us. We can also put the audio lectures on your DAISY digital NLS cartridge if you prefer that method instead of downloading or streaming audio from the website. Our latest audio lectures cover concepts like resonance from the Extra Class course. Please join us in whatever course you need, and also please let us know if you would like a specific topic covered in our Operating Skills lecture series.
Don't forget that Courage Center is a registered non-profit and your gifts to Handihams are tax deductible. We appreciate your support!
Plan now to contact the Handiham office with your news or address changes, stories to share, or anything else that needs to be completed before year's end. The Handiham office will close for the week of Christmas through the end of the year and will reopen after New Year's Day. That means that once Nancy leaves the office at 2pm USA Central Time on December 20, any business you have left until the last minute will have to wait for the first week in January! Please plan ahead - it will not be possible to get in touch with us during the last 10 days of the month! During that time we will keep the website up to date and assure that the remote base stations are operational. The nets will continue on a regular schedule most days, but family holidays are special and sessions may be simple open round tables if no net control shows up. Net information and news: The official and most current net news may be found at:
http://www.handiham.org/nets
Change in address for equipment donations: Please contact Pat, WA0TDA, before making any donation of equipment. My phone number is 763-520-0511 and my email address is pat.tice@couragecenter.org. The address is now the same as our postal mailing address. This should simplify our contact information.
Courage Center Handiham System
3915 Golden Valley Road
Golden Valley, MN 55422
Equipment change: We no longer accept antennas, except small accessory antennas for handheld radios. We do not accept donations of cassette tapes or tape equipment or used magazines.
George, N0SBU, reminds us that the final tape digest mailing is out and we will no longer support cassette tapes. We do not accept donations of cassette tapes or tape equipment.
Digital mailers are important: If you do mail a digital cartridge to us, please be sure that it is an approved free matter mailer. Otherwise it will quickly cost us several dollars to package and mail out, which is more than the cost of the mailer in the first place. We don't have a stock of cartridges or mailers and not including a mailer will result in a long delay getting your request back out to you.
DAISY audio digests are available for our blind members who do not have computers, playable in your Library of Congress digital player. Handiham members who use these players and who would prefer to receive a copy of the monthly audio digests on the special Library of Congress digital cartridge should send a blank cartridge to us in a cartridge mailer (no envelopes, please), so that we can place the files on it and return it to you via free matter postal mail. Your callsign should be on both the cartridge and the mailer so that we can make sure we know who it's from. Blank cartridges and mailers are available from APH, the American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.
Digital Talking Book Cartridge Catalog Number: 1-02610-00, Price: $12.00
Digital Talking Book Cartridge Mailer Catalog Number: 1-02611-00, Price: $2.50
Order Toll-Free: (800) 223-1839.
The Library of Congress NLS has a list of vendors for the digital cartridges:
http://www.loc.gov/nls/cartridges/index.html
Get it all on line as an alternative: Visit the DAISY section on the Handiham website after logging in.

Stay in touch

Be sure to send Nancy your changes of address, phone number changes, or email address changes so that we can continue to stay in touch with you. You may either email Nancy at hamradio@couragecenter.org or call her at 763-520-0512. If you need to use the toll-free number, call 1-866-426-3442.
Handiham Manager Patrick Tice, WA0TDA, may be reached at handiham@couragecenter.org or by phone at 763-520-0511.
Mornings Monday through Thursday are the best time to contact us.
The Courage Handiham System depends on the support of people like you, who want to share the fun and friendship of ham radio with others. Please help us provide services to people with disabilities. We would really appreciate it if you would remember us in your estate plans. If you need a planning kit, please call. If you are wondering whether a gift of stock can be given to Handihams, the answer is yes! Please call Walt Seibert, KD0LPX, at 763-520-0532 or email him at walt.seibert@couragecenter.org.
Call 1-866-426-3442 toll-free. -- Help us get new hams on the air.
Get the Handiham E-Letter by email every Wednesday, and stay up-to-date with ham radio news.
You may listen in audio to the E-Letter at www.handiham.org.
Email us to subscribe:
hamradio@couragecenter.org
That's it for this week. 73 from all of us at the Courage Handiham System!
Pat, WA0TDA
Manager, Courage Handiham System
Reach me by email at:
handiham@couragecenter.org

Nancy, Handiham Secretary:
hamradio@couragecenter.org

ARRL is the premier organization supporting amateur radio worldwide. Please contact Handihams for help joining the ARRL. We will be happy to help you fill out the paperwork!

The weekly e-letter is a compilation of software tips, operating information, and Handiham news. It is published on Wednesdays, and is available to everyone free of charge. Please email handiham@couragecenter.org for changes of address, unsubscribes, etc. Include your old email address and your new address.

Courage Center Handiham System
3915 Golden Valley Road
Golden Valley, MN 55422
763-520-0512
hamradio@couragecenter.org

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Courage Center Handiham World Weekly E-Letter for the week of Wednesday, 12 December 2012

http://www.itunes.com/podcast?id=372422406
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Welcome to Handiham World.

Meet the 75 meter band - A reliable friend year in and year out.

3.925 MHz is displayed on an Icom IC-7200 radio.

This week we are taking a look at a band that is useful during the entire 11 year solar cycle.

The 80/75 meter amateur band covers 3.5 to 4.0 MHz. The ARRL Frequency Chart shows us that this band is clearly a more complicated place to operate than the 160 meter band, where everyone with a General license or above has the same privileges and modes are not restricted to band segments. On 80/75 meters there are restrictions by license class. Novice and Technician licensees have 200 watt CW privileges in a limited portion of 80 meters, while General and Advanced licensees have their own respective limitations in both the CW and phone segments of 80/75.

CW, RTTY, and data are allowed below 3.6 MHz. Phone and image are allowed from 3.6 to 4.0 MHz.

A typical dipole antenna used on the 80/75 meter band is about a half-wavelength long, but because this band extends along a fairly wide portion of frequency spectrum, we do sometimes talk about an "80 meter dipole", which is tuned for the CW portion of the band and is thus a bit longer - around 130 feet (39.6 meters). Note that this is about 40 meters, or a half-wave on the 80 meter band. Many operators prefer to spend more time in the phone segment of the band, so they would prefer a "75 meter dipole". This antenna is cut for a slightly shorter wavelength and a higher frequency, perhaps around 123 feet (37.5 meters).

What can you expect to hear if you tune around the 80/75 meter band? If you are listening during the daylight hours, you can hear distant stations until the sun gets higher in the sky and absorption kills any chance of DX. The band will still often be useful for shorter distance regional communications, perhaps a statewide net. A dipole antenna with a high angle of radiation is ideal for this kind of communication. Once the sun sets, 80/75 starts to "go long". Stations from many hundreds, even sometimes thousands, of miles will now be heard. You can count on hearing stations in the southern states from here in Minnesota with no problem at all. As is the case with 160 meters, the winter months tend to be best for using 80/75 because there are more hours of darkness and the band will be open for long distance skip more hours, and because in the winter there is less interfering static (QRN) from thunderstorms.

You can work all states on 80/75 more easily than you can on 160 m, but those who prefer to meet on a less-crowded band for a casual roundtable conversation are heard every day and through the night and early morning hours.

A 125 foot dipole that might not fit a city lot can shrink to a much more manageable size just by installing it in an inverted vee configuration. This requires only one tall supporting structure for the very center, which will be the apex of the antenna, right at the feedpoint. This will allow you to run the feedline up the supporting structure, thus taking the weight of the feedline off the center insulator. The ends of the antenna angle downward toward the ground and terminate at supporting structures that are convenient but that keep the wire out of the way so that people won't walk into it. I have used everything from trees to fence posts. Assuming a 125 foot antenna with a center support that allows each leg to angle downward at 45°, the inverted vee will only take up about 90 feet of space. It also has several other advantages. Because the center support holds the feedline, it cannot whip around in the wind and possibly come loose or break from the center insulator as easily. The center support structure makes the inverted vee design much more stable and sturdier, allowing it to stand up to icing and wind. The part of the antenna that carries the highest current is right near the feed point, and the feed point is at the highest elevation of any part of the antenna, making for more efficient communications. One thing to watch out for is how you locate the ends of the antenna. As with all half wave dipoles, there will be high RF voltage at the end insulators. That means that you will want to keep them away from any tree branches or anything else that might cause a short and away from reach of any person who might inadvertently come in contact with that part of the antenna. Always use high quality insulators in your antenna systems.

I know that antennas for the 75/80 meter band can be challenging to fit in, but it is possible to have a a lot of fun on the band using a multiband vertical antenna. Many models cover 75/80, and most of us can fit a vertical antenna nearly anywhere, assuming that you can keep it away from power lines. Many days I enjoy using a vertical to work stations on bands like 20, 15, and 10 meters, but I also am able to press the vertical into service for a regional 75 meter net with no problem at all. Sure, it isn't my first choice for 75, but I know it will work and sometimes the conditions actually favor vertical polarization over horizontal. Another antenna you might consider is the simple end-fed wire. As with the end-fed wire for 160, you will want to feed it against an excellent ground system with some radials for the highest effectiveness. Of course you will need a tuner.

If you are interested in working all states (WAS), you really should consider 80/75 this winter. On this band alone, you can work the majority of the states simply by learning about propagation on the band and listening for nearer states during the daylight hours and distant states at night. Remember also that both Handiham remote base HF stations are equipped to operate on 80/75.

Next time: The 40 meter band.

Let's get out there and enjoy HF!

Email me at handiham@couragecenter.org with your questions & comments.
Patrick Tice, WA0TDA
Handiham Manager

What kind of microphone are you using?

Logitech desk mic and monitor showing w4mq software interface.

Bring up the subject of microphones and you are sure to get plenty of opinions from amateur radio operators. Most of us are probably content to stick with the microphone that came with the transceiver, at least for some of our on the air activity. Others prefer some kind of a specialized microphone costing hundreds of dollars because they find that it is more configurable to their needs and makes operating more efficient and comfortable. Sometimes you will hear on the air comparisons as microphone geeks run A-B tests to compare one microphone with another one. I have always been one of those operators who has been content with the microphone that came in the box with the rig, but when the Handiham remote base HF stations came online, I was introduced to yet another option – the computer microphone.
I had always assumed that the microphone that came with the radio would always do a better job than some less-than-expensive computer microphone, but once I got on the air using the HF remotes, I began getting good signal reports that included unsolicited mentions of "nice audio". Usually people don't comment on audio quality spontaneously unless there is something really, really wrong and your signal sounds like a spoon that fell into the garbage disposal. Anyway, the long and short of it is that you can produce fine audio for amateur radio communications use when the input device is a simple, inexpensive computer microphone. In the accompanying photo, you can see a Logitech USB desk microphone that is used with the computer running the W4MQ remote base client software. This combination allows me to make nice, clear contacts using the HF remote base stations and gives me the convenience of a desk microphone. The Logitech even has a pushbutton toggle switch in the base to mute the audio, a feature that is convenient if I get a phone call or am using the computer for some other application, just to make sure that I don't transmit accidentally. I was first introduced to this microphone when we received the donation of one for the Handiham program from Howard, KE7KNN. I liked it so much that I bought one for myself to use at my own station. There are other desktop microphones out there, and there are many excellent headset-boom-microphone combinations. The one thing I would recommend is that you get a USB microphone instead of trying to depend on the analog microphones with the three and half millimeter audio plugs. Having the USB microphone allows you to tailor the audio specifically for the application of the remote base station so that you don't have to worry about messing up the settings for your internal computer soundcard. It is like having a second specialized soundcard, which is especially useful if you are blind and using a screen reader that depends on having soundcard resources.
Is there a computer microphone that you should not use? Although I have not had any real problem making contacts with the built-in microphone on a laptop computer, these built-in microphones do have some serious disadvantages. They are generally not able to cancel noise and are likely to pick up sounds that are some distance from you somewhere else in the room. In other words, if the dog starts barking that will completely obliterate your voice as the AGC circuit in the computer tries to reset the level. The sound can also be hollow or the level may vary enough to be annoying. I have heard people getting good results from extremely cheap microphones simply plugged into the computer's sound card. You have to be careful doing this with remote base operation because if you happen to be multitasking with the computer and some other application begins calling for sound card resources, you can mess up the settings or inadvertently send the wrong audio to the rig. That can be embarrassing!
The long and short of it is that you can get excellent audio for HF operation using a computer microphone. You don't have to spend a fortune on a high-end microphone, either.
Next time: We talk a little bit about the VoIP software Skype, which we use for the audio in remote base operation.

Thoughts on FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in WT Docket No. 12-283

By Patrick Tice, WA0TDA, Handiham Manager

On October 2, the FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in WT Docket No. 12-283. In the November 7 edition of your weekly Handiham World we heard from ARRL Dakota Division Director Greg Widin, K0GW, seeking input from his Division:

In October, the FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rule-Making proposing changes to the Amateur Service rules. The FCC proposal includes:

granting Exam credit for expired amateur operator licenses;
shortening the grace period for renewal of amateur licenses from 2 years to 6 months;
reducing the required number of Volunteer Examiners from 3 to 2;
permitting remote test administration; and
allowing amateur stations to transmit TDMA using FXE phone and FXD data emissions.

Here's a link to the ARRL Web story:
http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-seeks-to-change-amateur-radio-licensing-rules-allow-additional-emission-types

And here's the link to the FCC's NPRM:
http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2012/db1002/FCC-12-121A1.pdf

Comments are due to FCC by December 24, 2012. I would like to hear your comments and feedback on any of the FCC proposals in this NPRM.
Thanks es 73, Greg Widin, K0GW ARRL Dakota Division Director ARRL--of, by and for the Radio Amateur

ARRL Dakota Division Director: Gregory P Widin, K0GW
k0gw@arrl.org

Here are our thoughts on this NPRM:

On lifetime exam credit:

In recent years there has been a trend toward making processes simpler and easier. Rules that have been in place for decades need to be reviewed to assess their effectiveness and relevance, and the discussion does recognize the interplay of one rule with another - the license renewal window of two years could change if lifetime exam credit were to be granted, or if a long (10 year) renewal window replaces the existing two year window, then perhaps there is no need for lifetime exam credit. On the other hand, what is to be done with callsigns that should not sit in limbo for years? The question is one of balance. The process needs to be reasonable and fair, be consistent with good service to citizens, and not add to the costs and overhead of administering the VE program or the related FCC processing and record keeping.
We believe that the best balance is in the granting of lifetime exam credit with a corresponding reduction of the renewal period from two years to the proposed six months. I know that people are used to a two year "grace" period, but come on - if you are so disengaged from Amateur Radio that you need two years to figure out that you need to renew, you are probably not going to care one way or the other if you keep your callsign. Six months is more than enough, and way more than most other renewal periods for nearly any other license or certification. In any case, even after the grace period passes, one would be able to get a new license by proving previous exam credit rather than by taking the tests again. This would help to free up inactive callsigns while still maintaining a pathway back into the Amateur Radio Service for those whose licenses have long expired. Thus, the FCC proposes that the vanity callsign wait also be set to six months. Another reason cited by the FCC is to keep the licensee database accurate. These seem like reasonable changes that would make the system more efficient.

On reducing the number of required VEs:

The FCC states, “We believe that reducing the number of required VEs can increase the availability of examination opportunities (by enabling VEs to offer more frequent examination sessions, or examination sessions at more locations, or both), while not compromising the reasons the Commission decided that more than one VE is necessary. This in turn would reduce the difficulty and expense that some examinees and VEs experience in traveling to an amateur radio license examination session.”
On the face of it, this goal is a worthy one that could indeed help VE teams in sparsely-populated areas offer more VE sessions. I know there is a tradeoff between having three VE team members to better assure exam integrity and the very real need to address the relative difficulty of offering timely VE sessions in rural areas. We talk with Handiham members who have to travel long distances to test, and people with disabilities often face a much more complicated and sometimes expensive travel day because they may not have access to a personal vehicle. I have to come down on the side of supporting this change - but a smaller two member VE team should only be used when three VE team members are simply not available and the exam could otherwise not be administered in a timely fashion.

On remote VE testing:

The FCC opens the possibility of remote testing using audio and video “to provide that, at the option of the administering VEs and the VEC coordinating the examination session, the VEs may be ‘present and observing’ an examinee for purposes of the rule when they are using an audio and video system that can assure the proper conduct and necessary supervision of each examination. Commenters should address what, if any, specific requirements should be incorporated into the rule (such as requiring one VE to be physically present at the examination session) and whether remote testing should be permitted everywhere, or only for examination sessions at less accessible locations (and how to define such locations). We believe that permitting remote examination administration can increase the availability of examination opportunities, which would reduce the difficulty and expense that some examinees and VEs experience in traveling to an amateur radio license examination session.”
Remote testing appeals to me, because I am used to operating remotely in my work for the Handiham program. Giving examinations remotely is an obvious way to make a VE session available in an isolated area. However, the FCC would also like to know if remote examinations should be available everywhere. We have no objection to its wider application, but the devil is always in the details of such things. It will be necessary to figure out a process to ensure exam integrity, and this will certainly take some time. What constitutes being ‘present and observing’ must be clearly defined.

On emission designators and TDMA:

We support the changes recommended by ARRL. ARRL states, "The ARRL will file an amended waiver request immediately in the hope that it can be quickly granted in light of the strong support for the ARRL’s Petition that is reflected in the comments filed on RM-11625.”

Correspondence:

George, NB9R, writes seeking participants for ARES:

My name is George Geotsalitis and I'm one of the Assistant Emergency Coordinators for the ARES Group in DuPage County, Illinois. I'd like to talk to someone in Handihams regarding the existence of any Handiham members who live in or around our county. We have a definite interest in training Net Control Stations for our ARES nets.
73,
George Geotsalitis, NB9R
Public Service & Emergency Communications Manager
DuPage County ARES Assistant Emergency Coordinator
NWS Severe Weather Ham Team

We have withheld George's contact information to prevent junk mail and telemarketers, so please contact the Handiham office for his phone number and email address if you live in the Chicagoland area, especially the northwestern suburbs, and wish to participate in ARES NCS training. Please email handiham@couragecenter.org for the contact information.

Handiham Nets are on on the air!

We are on the air daily at 11:00 USA Central Time, plus Wednesday & Thursday evenings at 19:00 USA Central Time.

A dip in the pool

It's time to test our knowledge by taking a dip in the pool - the question pool, that is!

Let's go to the General Class pool and take a look rectifiers:
G7A06 asks: "What portion of the AC cycle is converted to DC by a full-wave rectifier?"
Possible choices are:

A. 90 degrees
B. 180 degrees
C. 270 degrees
D. 360 degrees

Think of a wave as a complete circle of 360 degrees. In a sine wave, as we proceed through time, we begin at 0º, proceed to the first peak at 90º, return back down to the baseline at 180º, dip to a low below the baseline at 270º, and finally return back up to the baseline at 360º, ready to start the next cycle. D, 360 degrees, is the right answer because a full wave includes 360º.
Please e-mail handiham@couragecenter.org to comment.

Remote Base health report: W0EQO is on line. W0ZSW is on line.
Work continues on the remote base software. Both stations are accessible via Echolink for receive. Look for W0ZSW-L and W0EQO-L using the search function in your Echolink application. Please note that it is not allowed to connect through RF to the two remote base Echolink nodes, you can only use the Echolink application of a computer or smartphone.
If problems show up, please email handiham@couragecenter.org.
Keyboard commands list updated:
http://handiham.org/remotebase/w4mq-keyboard-commands/
Solar Activity Forecast: Solar activity is expected to be at very low levels with a chance for C-class flares on days one, two, and three (12 Dec, 13 Dec, 14 Dec).
Credit: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center:
www.swpc.noaa.gov/forecast.html

This week @ HQ

The December Audio Digest is completed and digital DAISY cartridges are in the mail. All December DAISY files are available in the DAISY section of the website following member login. Please let me know if you have trouble using the DAISY files, because this is an important member service and we want you to take advantage of it.
Another member service is the audio lectures for Technician, General, and Extra. All courses are available on line for your use whenever you want to study or review. Teaching is done with thoughtful attention to descriptions for those who are blind, and we promote understanding concepts rather than simply memorizing the question pool. If you would like to use this service but do not understand how, please contact us. We can also put the audio lectures on your DAISY digital NLS cartridge if you prefer that method instead of downloading or streaming audio from the website. Our latest audio lectures cover concepts like resonance from the Extra Class course. Please join us in whatever course you need, and also please let us know if you would like a specific topic covered in our Operating Skills lecture series.
Don't forget that Courage Center is a registered non-profit and your gifts to Handihams are tax deductible. We appreciate your support!
Plan now to contact the Handiham office with your news or address changes, stories to share, or anything else that needs to be completed before year's end. The Handiham office will close for the week of Christmas through the end of the year and will reopen after New Year's Day. That means that once Nancy leaves the office at 2pm USA Central Time on December 20, any business you have left until the last minute will have to wait for the first week in January! Please plan ahead - it will not be possible to get in touch with us during the last 10 days of the month! During that time we will keep the website up to date and assure that the remote base stations are operational. The nets will continue on a regular schedule most days, but family holidays are special and sessions may be simple open round tables if no net control shows up. Change in address for equipment donations: Please contact Pat, WA0TDA, before making any donation of equipment. My phone number is 763-520-0511 and my email address is pat.tice@couragecenter.org. The address is now the same as our postal mailing address. This should simplify our contact information.
Courage Center Handiham System
3915 Golden Valley Road
Golden Valley, MN 55422
Equipment change: We no longer accept antennas, except small accessory antennas for handheld radios. We do not accept donations of cassette tapes or tape equipment or used magazines.

No more tape digests and manuals

Please remember that the cassette tape digest ceases following the mailing at the end of November! After that all audio is in DAISY digital format or on line through the members only section of handiham.org. The Library of Congress 4-track tape system will no longer be supported in any form after 2012.
George, N0SBU, reminds us that the final tape digest mailing is out and we will no longer support cassette tapes. We do not accept donations of cassette tapes or tape equipment.
Digital mailers are important: If you do mail a digital cartridge to us, please be sure that it is an approved free matter mailer. Otherwise it will quickly cost us several dollars to package and mail out, which is more than the cost of the mailer in the first place. We don't have a stock of cartridges or mailers and not including a mailer will result in a long delay getting your request back out to you.
DAISY audio digests are available for our blind members who do not have computers, playable in your Library of Congress digital player. Handiham members who use these players and who would prefer to receive a copy of the monthly audio digests on the special Library of Congress digital cartridge should send a blank cartridge to us in a cartridge mailer (no envelopes, please), so that we can place the files on it and return it to you via free matter postal mail. Your callsign should be on both the cartridge and the mailer so that we can make sure we know who it's from. Blank cartridges and mailers are available from APH, the American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.
Digital Talking Book Cartridge Catalog Number: 1-02610-00, Price: $12.00
Digital Talking Book Cartridge Mailer Catalog Number: 1-02611-00, Price: $2.50
Order Toll-Free: (800) 223-1839.
The Library of Congress NLS has a list of vendors for the digital cartridges:
http://www.loc.gov/nls/cartridges/index.html
Get it all on line as an alternative: Visit the DAISY section on the Handiham website after logging in.

Stay in touch

Be sure to send Nancy your changes of address, phone number changes, or email address changes so that we can continue to stay in touch with you. You may either email Nancy at hamradio@couragecenter.org or call her at 763-520-0512. If you need to use the toll-free number, call 1-866-426-3442.
Handiham Manager Patrick Tice, WA0TDA, may be reached at handiham@couragecenter.org or by phone at 763-520-0511.
Mornings Monday through Thursday are the best time to contact us.
The Courage Handiham System depends on the support of people like you, who want to share the fun and friendship of ham radio with others. Please help us provide services to people with disabilities. We would really appreciate it if you would remember us in your estate plans. If you need a planning kit, please call. If you are wondering whether a gift of stock can be given to Handihams, the answer is yes! Please call Walt Seibert, KD0LPX, at 763-520-0532 or email him at walt.seibert@couragecenter.org.
Call 1-866-426-3442 toll-free. -- Help us get new hams on the air.
Get the Handiham E-Letter by email every Wednesday, and stay up-to-date with ham radio news.
You may listen in audio to the E-Letter at www.handiham.org.
Email us to subscribe:
hamradio@couragecenter.org
That's it for this week. 73 from all of us at the Courage Handiham System!
Pat, WA0TDA
Manager, Courage Handiham System
Reach me by email at:
handiham@couragecenter.org

Nancy, Handiham Secretary:
hamradio@couragecenter.org

ARRL is the premier organization supporting amateur radio worldwide. Please contact Handihams for help joining the ARRL. We will be happy to help you fill out the paperwork!

The weekly e-letter is a compilation of software tips, operating information, and Handiham news. It is published on Wednesdays, and is available to everyone free of charge. Please email handiham@couragecenter.org for changes of address, unsubscribes, etc. Include your old email address and your new address.

Courage Center Handiham System
3915 Golden Valley Road
Golden Valley, MN 55422
763-520-0512
hamradio@couragecenter.org

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Handiham World for 05 December 2012

Courage Center Handiham World Weekly E-Letter for the week of Wednesday, 05 December 2012

http://www.itunes.com/podcast?id=372422406
RSS feed for the audio podcast if you use other podcasting software:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/handiham

Welcome to Handiham World.

Meet the TOP BAND - 160 meters

This week we are taking a look at what has long been called "the top band" by old-timers in Amateur Radio.

The 160 meter amateur band covers 1.8 to 2.0 MHz. The ARRL Frequency Chart notes that we are to "avoid interference to radiolocation operations from 1.9 to 2.0 MHz". This is to protect the LORAN (LOng Range RAdio Navigation) system from interference, but the fact of the matter is that this old technology has effectively been replaced with the much more reliable GPS navigation system and there are really no worries about interference these days.

The entire 160 meter band is open to RTTY and data (including CW) and phone and image modes. Its entire spectrum is also open to Extra, Advanced, and General license holders. It's really not a fussy band with a lot of restrictions by mode or license class.

As you know, the lower the frequency, the longer the length of the radio's wave - the wavelength. A typical dipole antenna used on the HF (High Frequency) bands is about a half-wavelength long, ensuring that it will be resonant at the correct frequency. A resonant antenna will have a low standing wave ratio and will efficiently radiate RF energy at the desired frequency. So if we are talking about the 160 meter band, a half wavelength would be a whopping 80 meters. A meter is about 39 inches, a bit over three feet. If you use the tried and true formula 468 divided by the frequency in MHz and you pick 1.9 MHz, a frequency in the center of the band, you get an antenna length of about 246 feet and 3 inches for the length of your half-wave dipole. I don't know about you, but not many ham radio operators have that kind of real estate in which to string antennas. The length of the antenna has often been a deciding factor in whether one chooses to try the "top band". If you live on a smaller city lot, it just may seem more practical to put up antennas for the higher frequency bands because they are shorter and easier to fit into a city lot. A 20 meter dipole is only about 33 feet long by comparison. Even though your transceiver probably has the capability of working on 160, it might end up being a band you never try because of the antenna requirements.

What can you expect to hear if you tune around the 160 meter band? Well, nothing much if you are listening during the daylight hours. The band will effectively be closed to all but very close ground wave communications because of absorption of those wavelengths when the sun is out. Once the sun sets, 160 begins to come to life. Stations from hundreds, even sometimes thousands, of miles can be heard. The winter months tend to be best for using the top band because there are more hours of darkness and the band can really open up. Winter is also better because there is less interfering static (QRN) from thunderstorms. Summer storms are a major headache for 160 meter communications, so if you operate 160 in the summer months the quietest time with the least interference with the band still open is probably right around sunrise.

You can work all states on 160 and even work DX, but most QSOs I hear on the top band are contacts between groups of friends who prefer to meet on a less-crowded band for a casual roundtable conversation. It can be an excellent band to have at the bottom of a sunspot cycle when the higher frequencies are less than impressive. If you have an AM radio (don't laugh - they are a disappearing species), you can use it to tune around in the evening to hear distant stations. If far away stations are coming in on the AM broadcast band, then the 160 meter band is probably wide open as well. The two bands are nearby neighbors on the frequency spectrum chart.

If you are intrigued by the idea of trying 160 meters but put off by the antenna challenge, don't despair. Antennas that do not physically fit into a city lot can still be made to fit electrically by adding inductance - loading coils - to make the antenna the correct electrical length to resonate in the band. There is no free lunch in physics, so the efficiency of the loaded antenna will not be as high as that of a full-size half-wave dipole. The bandwidth of a loaded antenna will also generally be less, meaning that the usable frequency range around the resonant frequency will not be as wide. This, at least, can usually be taken care of with an antenna tuner. A dipole isn't the only antenna design to consider. You might choose a Marconi antenna (end-fed wire) tuned at the feedpoint. A vertical antenna with a loading coil near the base can also be a way to get on 160 when real estate is at a premium. In fact, the new crop of 43 foot vertical antennas offered by a number of manufacturers can be made resonant on 160 with base loading. Marconi antennas and verticals need to be fed against a good ground system, preferably with multiple ground radial wires. It may be necessary to acquire a more serious antenna tuner than the one built into a transceiver. For really efficient 160 meter tuning, it is best to have a bigger external tuner because it will be more efficient and be able to cope with a wider range of matching conditions. The typical internal automatic antenna tuner is not much good for SWR readings of 3:1 or higher, and even then it's problematic. You can easily encounter high SWR readings when trying to tune a 160 meter antenna.

Still thinking 160 might be for you? Here's what you need to get started:

HF transceiver capable of operating on the 160 meter band.
Antenna assessment to help you plan for and choose the correct antenna system for your situation.
Antenna and tuner (if required) installed and tested with help from your local radio club or a knowledgeable fellow ham with antenna experience.
Free time to listen and operate in the evening and nighttime hours, or in the very early morning.
Patience - it will take a while to learn how the 160 meter band works.
Plan to listen or participate in the next big 160 meter event, the CQ World Wide 160-Meter Contest, if you have your station ready by January. Here are the particulars:

The 2013 CQ World-Wide 160-Meter Contest
- CW: 2200Z January 25 to 2200Z January 27
- SSB: 2200Z February 22 to 2200Z February 24
- http://www.cq160.com/rules.htm

ARRL also sponsors a 160 meter contest, but it was recently completed just a few days ago, so look for the next one near the end of November 2013.

Next time: The 75/80 meter band.

Let's get out there and enjoy HF!

Email me at handiham@couragecenter.org with your questions & comments.
Patrick Tice, WA0TDA
Handiham Manager

Handiham Manager’s Technology Award goes to KK4JZX

cartoon robot chasing light bulb signifying bright ideas

In 2012 we decided to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math - STEM - as part of our amateur radio mission. To that end we have created the Handiham Manager's Technology Award, to be presented to a person whose volunteer effort on behalf of the Handiham System in the area of technology has significantly advanced assistive technology, accessibility, or communications technology resulting in an advancement of the state of the art for the benefit of Handiham members.

The 2012 award goes to Jose Tamayo, KK4JZX, for his dedication to the Handiham Remote Base software update project. Jose has done exemplary work to debug and update the existing W4MQ remote base client software, leading the beta testing team and working to build accessibility into the newest version of the client.

It is my pleasure to recognize Jose and to congratulate him on his achievement.
Patrick Tice, WA0TDA
Handiham Manager

Volunteers needed

Handiham volunteer Bob Zeida, N1BLF, at his recording station.

Handiham volunteers help us with recording projects and are much appreciated by our blind Handiham members. In this photo we see Bob Zeida, N1BLF, posing at his computer where he has recorded countless hours of audio for his school district and for the Handiham program. The demands on Bob are considerable, and we have more audio recording needs than he can possibly handle. Other volunteers like Ken Padgitt, W9MJY, record audio for us each month. Bob and Ken know that recording for those who cannot read regular print is a wonderful way to share one's time and talent with others who want to learn more about amateur radio, learn how to run a transceiver, or understand a concept in electricity and electronics.
Some recording jobs are as straightforward as reading printed copy word for word with perhaps a pause or two in order to explain a picture or figure. Others involve more or less freestyle teaching into a microphone about how to operate a radio. You can do that kind of teaching even if you cannot see to use regular printed materials yourself. If you know a radio and can use it well, why not share this knowledge with other Handiham members by making an audio tutorial? It's a lot like explaining something over the telephone - once you get the hang of it, the process is pretty simple. Volunteers Joe, N3AIN, and Matt, KA0PQW, have made excellent audio tutorials on different models of radios from a blind operator's perspective. Don't assume you need to see to do this work. While you do need to see to read printed pages, you can make audio tutorials whether you are blind or sighted.
Years ago, people used tape recorders to make audio recordings. Today the computer is the tool of choice. In the picture of Bob above, you can see the waveform of recorded audio on his computer screen in the background. Some people prefer the portability of a digital recorder, which can later be attached to the computer for transfer and processing of the audio file. Virtually any modern computer can be a sound recording studio for next to nothing in cost. You do need a decent microphone, preferably a headset microphone, and recording software like Audacity, which is free, open-source, and cross-platform. That means it will work on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers. Recorded audio can be sent to Handiham headquarters via several internet services, which are also free - assuming you already have internet service at home.
Recording for your fellow hams is a great Handiham volunteer activity. You don't need to go out in the snow, sleet, and rain. There is no heavy lifting, high voltage, or tower climbing. You can do it at home on your own schedule. We don't care if you are a night owl or an early bird. We can even pair you up with recording tasks that match your interests.
Can you help? Drop me a line or give me a call. Don't sit in front of the TV all winter long - read for your fellow amateurs and share the fun!
Patrick Tice, WA0TDA, Handiham Manager
Handiham@CourageCenter.org
763-520-0511

Correspondence:

Avery, K0HLA says:

Get ready for 12/12/12 - December 12, 2012 !

Ken, KB3LLA, likes several books about the iPhone from National Braille Press, including Getting Started with the iPhone and iOs5 for Blind Users:

http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/IPHONE-IOS5.html

Handiham Nets

We are on the air daily at 11:00 USA Central Time, plus Wednesday & Thursday evenings at 19:00 USA Central Time.

A dip in the pool

It's time to test our knowledge by taking a dip in the pool - the question pool, that is!

Let's go to the Extra Class pool and take a look at four related questions about HF propagation.
E3B04 asks: "What type of propagation is probably occurring if an HF beam antenna must be pointed in a direction 180 degrees away from a station to receive the strongest signals?"
Possible choices are:
A. Long-path
B. Sporadic-E
C. Transequatorial
D. Auroral

E3B05 asks: "Which amateur bands typically support long-path propagation?"

Possible choices are:
A. 160 to 40 meters
B. 30 to 10 meters
C. 160 to 10 meters
D. 6 meters to 2 meters

E3B06 asks: "Which of the following amateur bands most frequently provides long-path propagation?"
Possible choices are:

A. 80 meters
B. 20 meters
C. 10 meters
D. 6 meters
And finally, E3B07 asks: "Which of the following could account for hearing an echo on the received signal of a distant station?"
Possible answers are:

A. High D layer absorption
B. Meteor scatter
C. Transmit frequency is higher than the MUF
D. Receipt of a signal by more than one path
These questions all relate to long-path propagation in some way. If an HF beam antenna must be pointed in a direction 180 degrees away from a station to receive the strongest signals, that means that you are receiving a signal by long path propagation. The signal is traveling around the Earth instead of via the most direct, shorter path that you might expect. As for which amateur bands typically support long-path propagation, you might be surprised to learn that although long-path is most common on 20 meters, all the bands found on the typical HF transceiver, 160 to 10 meters, are subject to long-path propagation. If you hear an echo on the received signal of a distant station, that is a sign that the signal is traveling to your receiver by more than one path. The correct answers are A, C, B, D.
Please e-mail handiham@couragecenter.org to comment.

No more tape digests and manuals

Please remember that the cassette tape digest ceases following the mailing at the end of November! After that all audio is in DAISY digital format or on line through the members only section of handiham.org. The Library of Congress 4-track tape system will no longer be supported in any form after 2012.
George, N0SBU, reminds us that the final tape digest mailing is out and we will no longer support cassette tapes. We do not accept donations of cassette tapes or tape equipment.
The December Audio Digest is in preparation for digital DAISY cartridges, but we are still waiting for some audio to be submitted. December DAISY files are available in the DAISY section of the website following member login.
Digital mailers are important: If you do mail a digital cartridge to us, please be sure that it is an approved free matter mailer. Otherwise it will quickly cost us several dollars to package and mail out, which is more than the cost of the mailer in the first place. We don't have a stock of cartridges or mailers and not including a mailer will result in a long delay getting your request back out to you.
DAISY audio digests are available for our blind members who do not have computers, playable in your Library of Congress digital player. Handiham members who use these players and who would prefer to receive a copy of the monthly audio digests on the special Library of Congress digital cartridge should send a blank cartridge to us in a cartridge mailer (no envelopes, please), so that we can place the files on it and return it to you via free matter postal mail. Your callsign should be on both the cartridge and the mailer so that we can make sure we know who it's from. Blank cartridges and mailers are available from APH, the American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.
Digital Talking Book Cartridge Catalog Number: 1-02610-00, Price: $12.00
Digital Talking Book Cartridge Mailer Catalog Number: 1-02611-00, Price: $2.50
Order Toll-Free: (800) 223-1839.
The Library of Congress NLS has a list of vendors for the digital cartridges:
http://www.loc.gov/nls/cartridges/index.html
Get it all on line as an alternative: Visit the DAISY section on the Handiham website after logging in.

Stay in touch

Be sure to send Nancy your changes of address, phone number changes, or email address changes so that we can continue to stay in touch with you. You may either email Nancy at hamradio@couragecenter.org or call her at 763-520-0512. If you need to use the toll-free number, call 1-866-426-3442.
Handiham Manager Patrick Tice, WA0TDA, may be reached at handiham@couragecenter.org or by phone at 763-520-0511.
Mornings Monday through Thursday are the best time to contact us.
The Courage Handiham System depends on the support of people like you, who want to share the fun and friendship of ham radio with others. Please help us provide services to people with disabilities. We would really appreciate it if you would remember us in your estate plans. If you need a planning kit, please call. If you are wondering whether a gift of stock can be given to Handihams, the answer is yes! Please call Walt Seibert, KD0LPX, at 763-520-0532 or email him at walt.seibert@couragecenter.org.
Call 1-866-426-3442 toll-free. -- Help us get new hams on the air.
Get the Handiham E-Letter by email every Wednesday, and stay up-to-date with ham radio news.
You may listen in audio to the E-Letter at www.handiham.org.
Email us to subscribe:
hamradio@couragecenter.org
That's it for this week. 73 from all of us at the Courage Handiham System!
Pat, WA0TDA
Manager, Courage Handiham System
Reach me by email at:
handiham@couragecenter.org

Nancy, Handiham Secretary:
hamradio@couragecenter.org

ARRL is the premier organization supporting amateur radio worldwide. Please contact Handihams for help joining the ARRL. We will be happy to help you fill out the paperwork!

The weekly e-letter is a compilation of software tips, operating information, and Handiham news. It is published on Wednesdays, and is available to everyone free of charge. Please email handiham@couragecenter.org for changes of address, unsubscribes, etc. Include your old email address and your new address.

Courage Center Handiham System
3915 Golden Valley Road
Golden Valley, MN 55422
763-520-0512
hamradio@couragecenter.org

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Handiham World for 28 November 2012

Courage Center Handiham World Weekly E-Letter for the week of Wednesday, 28 November 2012

http://www.itunes.com/podcast?id=372422406
RSS feed for the audio podcast if you use other podcasting software:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/handiham

Welcome to Handiham World.

What do you know about the HF bands?

It's starting to look like newly-licensed amateur radio operators need some help understanding which band to use and when.

Back in the day, I entered amateur radio by earning a Novice license that was valid for one year. In that year, I was expected to get on the HF bands and increase my Morse code speed so that I could pass my General exam and use phone and more HF frequencies. In that year, I learned to use 80 meters in the nighttime hours for long-distance contacts and during the daylight hours for more local contacts here in Minnesota. 15 meters would prove useful in the daylight hours for worldwide communications, provided the band was "open" - and one learned that when it was not open, no amount of calling CQ would ever yield a contact. There was no getting on the air without an antenna, and for a teenager with almost no budget for ham radio, that meant building my own antennas. That's a good way to learn that an antenna for the 80 meter band takes up a lot of real estate while one for the 15 meter band will fit in nearly any yard.

Once I passed my General under the keen eye of an FCC examiner in St. Paul, MN I was ready to take advantage of all the HF bands. That meant more antenna building, which in turn taught me more about the relationship of conductor length and spacing to wavelength. Since directional antennas were said to pull in more DX, I had to build a beam antenna. I was on the roof of my parent's house putting the final touches on a three element 15 meter beam when a kid rode up on a bike and called up to me to ask if I was a ham radio operator. We both ended up enjoying amateur radio as lifelong activities. One of the things we both liked was participating in our local radio club's ARRL Field Day, another prime learning activity. At the Field Day site one could put up antennas for various bands and learn the physical characteristics of antennas designed for different frequencies. Even better, there were seasoned operators at the Field Day site to teach the newbies like us when the bands were open and which bands would yield the most contacts at any given time of day. Since Field Day usually includes different modes and power levels, we were able to learn first-hand which was most effective for a given type of communication considering band conditions and the competition.

There's no point in suggesting that "the good old days" were better than today. I would never do that, because we enjoy such a wide range of opportunities in amateur radio right now!

But... We do have to acknowledge that people enter amateur radio through a different license these days. The Technician license is most often considered a portal to the VHF and UHF bands even though it does confer some limited HF privileges. The typical Technician operator will gravitate toward FM repeater operation and will not consider HF operation until passing General. With the General Class CSCE in hand after the VE session, the new General operator now has really serious HF privileges and virtually no HF experience.

Now, let's look at what this means.

Since I administer the remote base HF stations, I notice what bands and modes people are trying to use at different times of the day and night. I observe connections via Echolink for the receive function, too. Users are often connected and listening to what must sound rather odd since they are using the wrong sideband for a given HF band. Others are listening or trying to make contacts at a time of day when a band is almost certainly dead.
In my work I often hear from new General Class licensees who are eager to get on the air but who have no idea that HF antennas are much, much larger than the VHF antennas they are used to. They also have not considered the kind of HF operation they really want to try. They are blissfully unaware of the problems they will encounter with RF interference. Some live in apartments with no access to outdoor space for antennas. I know I am going to have to manage expectations for folks who have already sunk a bundle into a new HF station without considering the lack of space for an outside antenna system. Others have plenty of space for antennas but no help to put them up.
Once on the air, the new General operator has no experience with the different operating practices found on HF. Typically the new General will not have been a short-wave listener and will not have much (if any) exposure to how a typical contact is made on the HF bands. Even then, he or she will be unaware of the difference between contest operating and casual contacts and what expectations there are for each.

Fortunately, we have plenty of learning resources. The internet has many HF resources that include descriptions of each HF band and its characteristics. Radio clubs still enthusiastically participate in ARRL Field Day, which remains one of the best places to get hands-on experience putting up antennas for various bands and dealing with station layout, band conditions, and interference. In fact, your local radio club is still an excellent learning resource because club meetings will sometimes include programs on HF operation and antennas and many of the attendees will have extensive HF experience and be willing to share. Some clubs have a "MAP", or "Member Assistance Program", that can help you with station layout and antenna installation. Experienced HF operators on the club's MAP team may be willing to visit your home and take measurements of your lot in order to recommend an effective HF antenna system.

If you are new to HF, it is normal to have many questions about how to get on the air. You most likely have not been on HF before, even if you have been a Tech for years. Don't be afraid to ask for help, and don't expect to learn everything all at once. It will take time and patience for you to learn which bands are best for whatever communications you want to try. Since band conditions are variable and change radically by the hour, time of day, with solar and terrestrial weather conditions, and seasonally, you will have to plan to learn in the long term. Take advantage of club programs and events. Do some reading - there are some great resources available in print and on the web. Get into the ham shack and listen, listen, listen! Make contacts on different bands to learn more about RF propagation and operating practices. Start with casual, informal contacts or friendly regional HF nets and as you learn, try the more challenging world of contesting. Try collecting a few QSL cards. Make an HF schedule with a friend.

If you are an experienced HF operator, answer a CQ on the air. Be patient with our new HF licensees and help them to learn. Point them to a welcoming HF net or suggest that they try a higher frequency band such as 15 meters when you know it will be open to DX. Suggest working all states. Ask if the new op has any questions. You may be surprised at some of them - things you know might be entirely new concepts to someone else.

Let's get out there and enjoy HF!

Email me at handiham@couragecenter.org with your questions & comments.
Patrick Tice, WA0TDA
Handiham Manager

Volunteer hours needed

George, N0SBU, finds room for an antenna in the storeroom following radio camp.

Handiham volunteer George Lavallee, N0SBU, finds a place in the storeroom for a two meter beam after a Handiham Radio Camp session. George has been a volunteer for years and understands the value of helping to share ham radio with others through the Handiham program. His most recent volunteer work has been with the audio cassette tape duplication for our blind members, and he has helped us organize Handiham historical documents. George regularly reports his volunteer hours to our office by sending the total to Nancy, who makes sure that the information is passed on to Courage Center's Volunteer Department.

Why report hours?

Volunteer hours are a measure of a program's activity within Courage Center. Our Handiham volunteer hours have dropped precipitously - not because our volunteers are doing less, but because we no longer have volunteers clocking in to a physical location like the old Handiham repair shop that we used to have in Golden Valley. Those hours were easy to collect and track because guys like Rex Kiser, W0GLU, who headed up our shop team, could just go right to the Volunteer Office to sign his time card each day that he worked in the shop. Those day are gone, along with the volunteers like Rex, who is a silent key. Today's volunteers usually work at home recording audio or assessing used radio equipment. Electronic communications and transfers of recorded audio are now the norm, and there is no need to physically travel to a volunteer office in Golden Valley to sign a time card. The result is that these valuable volunteer hours are not being recorded. The stakes are higher than you might realize because some funding from outside agencies can depend on volunteer activities taking place in their geographic areas.
So don't just assume that you are reporting hours for recognition and milestone awards from Courage Center. It is much more than that - it really helps our program to get those hours recorded! I know you are not in it for the recognition. Our volunteers are dedicated to helping others advance in amateur radio, learning new things and making friends on the air. We get that, and we really appreciate your work on our behalf. Please send Nancy your hours soon, so that we can get them recorded before the end of 2012.
It's easy!

Make a short list of your volunteer activities if you need to remind yourself of what you did over the past year. Here's an example:
- Recorded for blind members each month.
- Represented Handihams at a hamfest two times.
- Gave a program about Handihams at my local club or service organization.
- Taught a class for Handihams (Radio Camp or other event)
- Repaired a broken radio for the equipment program.
Estimate the hours spent on each of these activities and add to get your total estimated annual hours. Include travel time to volunteer activities.
Send Nancy your hours via email or call her directly at 1-763-520-0512. Her email address is hamradio@couragecenter.org.

Now let's get back to George, N0SBU, for a moment. We are featuring him in this story because he is the only volunteer who is currently reporting his hours! Please don't assume that just because you were at Radio Camp or have done some other activity that we automatically recorded your hours. There is no way for us to know how long it took you to prepare for the classes you taught or how much time you took to travel to camp or to an event. All we need is a simple estimate and a brief mention if you wish of what activity it was that you did. A quick email and you are done - and it will really help us out!
Thanks again for all that you do!

Correspondence:

Dick, WA0CAF, likes a link to a blog article entitled "Windows 8 — Disappointing Usability for Both Novice and Power Users":

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/windows-8.html

Ken, KB3LLA, writes about NPR on the iPhone:

I got the "NPR News" app on my iPhone. Am very happy.
73, Ken
Editor's note: Thanks for both of these notes about new media. We think that the jury's still out on Windows 8, but time will certainly tell us whether the new operating system holds promise for people with disabilities and for use in the ham shack. For now yours truly is sticking with Windows 7 Professional 64 bit. If you have decided to get a new computer that features Windows 8, please share your experience with us. We are particularly interested in compatibility with amateur radio applications and screenreaders like NVDA. As for the NPR app, we agree - it's awesome!

Ken also writes about an opportunity for students:

To Prospective NASA Student Interns with Disabilities,
NASA is looking to increase the number of students with disabilities pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers through our internship programs.
NASA has a two-percent hiring goal for employment of people with disabilities and internships are a good way to get experience. Students can apply for summer internships now! The deadline for submitting applications is Friday, March 15, 2013, and we will begin extending offers to students as early as February 2, 2013.
Read more on the Handiham website:
http://www.handiham.org/node/154

Handiham Nets

We are on the air daily at 11:00 USA Central Time, plus Wednesday & Thursday evenings at 19:00 USA Central Time.

Join us on the Thursday evening Handiham Radio Club TechNet. The frequency in the local Minnesota repeater coverage zone: 145.45 FM, negative offset with no tone and 444.65 MHz with 114.8 Hz tone in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul Minnesota. The UHF repeater will be heard more easily in the Eastern Twin Cities. You will find our daily net on the air at 11:00 hours USA Central Time, with the Sunday session featuring a special trivia question theme for a change of pace. A Wednesday evening session at 19:00 hours USA Central Time also offers a chance to take a guess at a trivia question and visit with your friends on the air. Ideal for those who can't make the daily morning session! Then Thursday evening at 19:00 hours return to the Tech net and learn something new!

A dip in the pool

It's time to test our knowledge by taking a dip in the pool - the question pool, that is!

Let's go to the General Class pool, and this time we are going to pick a question for our HF newbies!
G1B08 asks, "When choosing a transmitting frequency, what should you do to comply with good amateur practice?"
Possible answers are:
A. Review FCC Part 97 Rules regarding permitted frequencies and emissions
B. Follow generally accepted band plans agreed to by the Amateur Radio community.
C. Before transmitting, listen to avoid interfering with ongoing communication
D. All of these choices are correct
I hinted to you that this was one for our newcomers to the HF bands. Answers A, B, and C are all good ideas, so the correct answer is D, all of these choices are correct. Few of us need to consult Part 97 for much of anything after we get a bit of experience on the air, but remember that new hams will not have the experience that you and I do if we have been hams for years. Even so, I'm not embarrassed to admit that I keep a copy of my ARRL "US Amateur Radio Bands" chart on the wall of the ham shack just in case I need to make sure that I can operate a particular mode on a band segment I don't often use. The Frequency Chart is not the same thing as the band plan, which is much more detailed and largely voluntary. You can find the band plan at http://www.arrl.org/band-plan. The idea behind the voluntary band plan is to keep interference to a minimum while increasing the likelihood of successful contacts among users of particular modes. For example, lower sideband is used by convention on 75 meters, even though the FCC does not say that we must use lower sideband. You could use upper sideband, but your transmissions would possibly cause interference to others on the band and would not be copied by anyone whose receiver was set to lower sideband. Finally, it is always good to listen before transmitting to make sure that the frequency is not already in use.
Please e-mail handiham@couragecenter.org to comment.

Echolink tip: Control the HF receiver frequency by typing it into the text box. Example: Get focus in the text box, then type 10 and press the enter key. The receiver goes to WWV, 10 MHz. Type 14.3 and press enter to go to the maritime mobile net on 20m. If the band seems dead, it may be that someone else has used the radio on another band and the antenna has not been tuned to the band you want to listen to. The antenna is only tuned when a user logs in with the W4MQ software and transmits. The LDG autotuner senses the RF and tunes.

If problems show up, please email handiham@couragecenter.org.
Keyboard commands list updated:
http://handiham.org/remotebase/w4mq-keyboard-commands/
Solar Activity Forecast: Solar activity is expected to be at low to moderate levels on days one, two, and three (28 Nov, 29 Nov, 30 Nov).
Credit: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center

This week @ HQ

Plan now to contact the Handiham office with your news or address changes, stories to share, or anything else that needs to be completed before year's end. The Handiham office will close for the week of Christmas through the end of the year and will reopen after New Year's Day. That means that once Nancy leaves the office at 2pm USA Central Time on December 20, any business you have left until the last minute will have to wait for the first week in January! Please plan ahead - it will not be possible to get in touch with us during the last 10 days of the month! During that time we will keep the website up to date and assure that the remote base stations are operational. The nets will continue on a regular schedule most days, but family holidays are special and sessions may be simple open round tables if no net control shows up. Change in address for equipment donations: Please contact Pat, WA0TDA, before making any donation of equipment. My phone number is 763-520-0511 and my email address is pat.tice@couragecenter.org. The address is now the same as our postal mailing address. This should simplify our contact information.
Courage Center Handiham System
3915 Golden Valley Road
Golden Valley, MN 55422
Equipment change: We no longer accept antennas, except small accessory antennas for handheld radios. We do not accept donations of cassette tapes or tape equipment or used magazines.

No more tape digests and manuals

Please remember that the cassette tape digest ceases following the mailing at the end of November! After that all audio is in DAISY digital format or on line through the members only section of handiham.org. The Library of Congress 4-track tape system will no longer be supported in any form after 2012.
George, N0SBU, reminds us that the final tape digest mailing is out and we will no longer support cassette tapes. We do not accept donations of cassette tapes or tape equipment.
Digital mailers are important: If you do mail a digital cartridge to us, please be sure that it is an approved free matter mailer. Otherwise it will quickly cost us several dollars to package and mail out, which is more than the cost of the mailer in the first place. We don't have a stock of cartridges or mailers and not including a mailer will result in a long delay getting your request back out to you.
DAISY audio digests are available for our blind members who do not have computers, playable in your Library of Congress digital player. Handiham members who use these players and who would prefer to receive a copy of the monthly audio digests on the special Library of Congress digital cartridge should send a blank cartridge to us in a cartridge mailer (no envelopes, please), so that we can place the files on it and return it to you via free matter postal mail. Your callsign should be on both the cartridge and the mailer so that we can make sure we know who it's from. Blank cartridges and mailers are available from APH, the American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.
Digital Talking Book Cartridge Catalog Number: 1-02610-00, Price: $12.00
Digital Talking Book Cartridge Mailer Catalog Number: 1-02611-00, Price: $2.50
Order Toll-Free: (800) 223-1839.
The Library of Congress NLS has a list of vendors for the digital cartridges:
http://www.loc.gov/nls/cartridges/index.html
Get it all on line as an alternative: Visit the DAISY section on the Handiham website after logging in.

Stay in touch

Be sure to send Nancy your changes of address, phone number changes, or email address changes so that we can continue to stay in touch with you. You may either email Nancy at hamradio@couragecenter.org or call her at 763-520-0512. If you need to use the toll-free number, call 1-866-426-3442.
Handiham Manager Patrick Tice, WA0TDA, may be reached at handiham@couragecenter.org or by phone at 763-520-0511.
Mornings Monday through Thursday are the best time to contact us.
The Courage Handiham System depends on the support of people like you, who want to share the fun and friendship of ham radio with others. Please help us provide services to people with disabilities. We would really appreciate it if you would remember us in your estate plans. If you need a planning kit, please call. If you are wondering whether a gift of stock can be given to Handihams, the answer is yes! Please call Walt Seibert, KD0LPX, at 763-520-0532 or email him at walt.seibert@couragecenter.org.
Call 1-866-426-3442 toll-free. -- Help us get new hams on the air.
Get the Handiham E-Letter by email every Wednesday, and stay up-to-date with ham radio news.
You may listen in audio to the E-Letter at www.handiham.org.
Email us to subscribe:
hamradio@couragecenter.org
That's it for this week. 73 from all of us at the Courage Handiham System!
Pat, WA0TDA
Manager, Courage Handiham System
Reach me by email at:
patt@couragecenter.org or handiham@couragecenter.org

Nancy, Handiham Secretary:
hamradio@couragecenter.org

ARRL is the premier organization supporting amateur radio worldwide. Please contact Handihams for help joining the ARRL. We will be happy to help you fill out the paperwork!

The weekly e-letter is a compilation of software tips, operating information, and Handiham news. It is published on Wednesdays, and is available to everyone free of charge. Please email handiham@couragecenter.org for changes of address, unsubscribes, etc. Include your old email address and your new address.

Courage Center Handiham System
3915 Golden Valley Road
Golden Valley, MN 55422
763-520-0512
hamradio@couragecenter.org