Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Courage Center Handiham World Weekly E-Letter for the week of Wednesday, 30 January 2013

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.

Do ham radio your way

Here's a picture for you: Think of a transceiver, a small one, tuned to a 160 meter frequency. The one I'm thinking of is an Icom IC-706 M2G, which makes sense because I have that very radio right here in my ham shack and I can use it on any band that it's capable of covering.

In my ham radio career that has not always been the case. Like you, I had radios that were capable of covering multiple bands, but I couldn't use all of them. Perhaps I hadn't installed an antenna for that band because it wouldn't it into my yard or because I just didn't know much about the band - the six meter band, for example. These days I am lucky to have a big enough back yard to have space for antennas, and even though they are modest by most standards they do allow me to get on every band that the radio covers.

Lots of my fellow hams are stuck in the ham radio doldrums because they live in places where antennas are either not practical or simply not allowed. Stealth antennas are sometimes less than ideal, and indoor antennas come with the baggage of RFI and RF exposure limitations. Going mobile or portable might be options, but both can be really inconvenient, and many Handiham members don't drive. Still others have at least some room for antennas but could never think of getting on a band like 160 meters because antennas for that band are hundreds of feet long.

So that's a problem. You want to get on the air, but the deck is stacked against you because of the antenna situation. What do you do?

Thankfully, the answer is at hand. You can now get on the air using a remote base HF station, and do so with newly-updated W4MQ software, thanks to Stan, W4MQ, who allowed us to use his code to make updates, and to Jose, KK4JZX, who did the heavy lifting on the new software coding. Our software team of testers also deserves thanks!

This special edition of your weekly e-letter will describe the remote base stations and how to set them up. Operating a remote can open up new HF bands for you, and you don't even have to venture outdoors to throw a wire up into a tree!

Patrick Tice, WA0TDA
Handiham Manager

Notice! We have new software as of 29 January 2013. Please upgrade as soon as possible.

Screenshot: Web transceiver setup screen, version 6.1.0.200

This is a screenshot. Please go to the client installation page for the new software.
Stan Schretter, W4MQ, wrote the W4MQ Internet Remote Base software and was a recipient of the ARRL Technical Innovation Award. This software, offered as a free service to the amateur radio community, allows users to control an Internet accessable160m through 70cm amateur radio station, provided the host station covers those bands.
The W4MQ software has been tested on Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 and 8 32 and 64 bit. It does not run on any other operating system, though we think it may run under WINE in Linux. Your reports on this may be sent to wa0tda@arrl.net.
Handiham Stations: These pages refer to the setup for the two Handiham Remote Base stations W0EQO and W0ZSW. Both stations are available to Handiham members as a member service. Everyone is welcome to try the stations on receive. This may be done by licensed amateurs using EchoLink.

Would you like to try the stations right now?
Echolink operation:
If you would like to connect to the station via EchoLink to listen to the radio, you can search for W0ZSW-L, node 524906, and connect. Entering a frequency and pressing the enter key will allow you to change the radio's receive frequency from the EchoLink text box. Enter U, L, or A for Upper sideband, Lower sideband, or AM, respectively. One thing to remember is that EchoLink control only works on receive, not transmit, and it is only available if there is no control operator logged in to the W4MQ remote base software. W0ZSW is located in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.
Don't forget about our station at Courage North, in far northern Minnesota's lake country. If you would like to connect to the station via EchoLink to listen to the radio, you can search for W0EQO-L, node 261171, and connect. Just as with the other station, entering a frequency and pressing the enter key will allow you to change the radio's receive frequency from the EchoLink text box. Enter U, L, or A for Upper sideband, Lower sideband, or AM, respectively. One thing to remember is that EchoLink control only works on receive, not transmit, and it is only available if there is no control operator logged in to the W4MQ remote base software.
Guest Receive Operation via W4MQ software:
The stations can be operated in a receive only mode by using the W4MQ software. The username is "GUEST" with a password of "1234". Please note that the W4MQ software must be installed and configured as shown in the W4MQ Client Software page.

W4MQ Client Software: This is where you want to begin if you are interested in what the whole remote base thing is about, or if you are interested in installing the software to use someone else's existing remote base station via your computer.
W4MQ Host Software: If you want to set up your own station as a remote base that can be accessed from the internet, you will need the Host software.

Remote Base Health Report for 30 January 2013

W0ZSW remote base station showing TS480HX, power supplies, tuner, and computer

Remote Base health report: W0EQO is on line. W0ZSW is on line. The radio at W0ZSW is a Kenwood TS-480HX. The radio at W0EQO is a Kenwood TS-480SAT. Speech readout of frequency is available on both radios for our blind users and is enabled by default. We have included a "widget" on solar conditions from G4ILO on the website. Please visit http://www.handiham.org/drupal2/remote and report to us if the widget is screenreader accessible.
Users are asked to upgrade their software immediately!
http://handiham.org/remotebase/

Correspondence:

Handiham NCS Mike, W1MWB, writes:

Do you remember the old days of ham radio when you could turn on a scanner or your VHF radio and tune to a repeater and there would always be activity on it, all hours of the day? There were local QSOs between hams, and autopatch calls, and you would always have someone to talk to.
To quote KB5UJM, "Nowadays the repeaters are dead because no one is talking, because no one is talking, so no one is talking."
Robert, KB5UJM, of San Antonio Texas, is working to bring back the old days and make his repeater the busiest repeater on the air. He has EchoLink on the repeater as well as an autopatch and reverse patch system. If you want to call a specific person on the repeater, you could dial a number, and a special access code and the repeater would signal for that operator to answer. The autopatch allows you to dial any ten digit phone number. Robert believes that this technology is still useful because when all other systems go down, amateur radio will still be going strong.
You can listen to activity on Rob's repeater and learn more by going to:
http://www.qsl.net/kb5ujm/repeater
It is my belief that utilizing systems like Echolink and other VoIP systems will bring more people back to the VHF/UHF repeaters.
I hope you can use this in your e-letter/newscast.

Thanks & 73,
Mike, W1MWB
Wells, Maine

Ken, KB3LLA, likes the URL of the new Victor Stream®:

http://www.humanware.com/microsite/stream/index.html

...and Pete K1PXE, writes about RFI hunting:

I almost forgot but here is another noise source. I have been getting a lot of line noise this past year. Sometimes, it does go away. At the end of the VHF contest I noticed something that sounded something like line noise except it had a bandwidth of only 100 kHz or so and it happened to be centered around 50.125 MHz at that time. Well, I knew it wasn't line noise. Over the next few days, it moved down the band a bit. I tried the easy things like turning things off in the shack. Finally, I routed the 6 meter antenna to my upstairs antenna so I could shut off the main breaker for the shack. That didn't do it. I kept thinking what it might be and suddenly it hit me. I grabbed my IC-502 and ran upstairs and ran into my bed room and the noise got louder. I pressed the power button on the Victor Reader Stratus and turned it off and the noise went away. The Victor Reader Stratus from Humanware is a desk top daisy book player with a disk drive. It draws a lot of power especially when you play a CD, so I leave it plugged in to the ac adapter most of the time and often I don't bother to press the power button to turn it off when I'm finished using it. Well, you can bet that practice will change from now on. Yes, it took me a few days but that was because I didn't try very hard. Finally, I got mad enough to put a real effort into finding the problem and I was successful.
73, Pete K1PXE FN31KE

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.

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:
Welcome to the NX0P repeater, 146.685 with a tone of 100Hz, Echolink node number 513917. The NX0P machine is near Albert Lea in far southern Minnesota, near the busy intersection of US Interstate highways 90 and 35.
*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:
T1E10 asks, "What type of control is used when the control operator is not at the station location but can indirectly manipulate the operating adjustments of a station?"
Possible answers are:
A. Local
B. Remote
C. Automatic
D. Unattended
This is an easy one - B, Remote. I just referenced it to remind you that remote operation is considered in our rules and regulations.
Please e-mail handiham@couragecenter.org to comment.

This week @ HQ

In response to a glowing comment about new volunteer reader Jim Perry, KJ3P, and his recording of the DAISY materials this month, I asked Jim for a brief bio of himself. We were wondering how he came to be such a professional-sounding reader! Here is his response:

Jim Perry, KJ3P - Brief Bio

Licensed (Novice) in 1958.
TV/Radio Engineer & Announcer in Philadelphia, Boston, Hartford (1964 to 2010), now retired
Volunteer Reader: Learning Ally (formerly Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic)
Started as a "DJ", but found out quickly that a local DJ's salary wouldn't pay the bills for a growing family. When the local station's Chief Engineer decided to leave, I put my ham radio technical experience to good use, plus a lot of studying at home, and obtained an FCC First Class Radiotelephone license (required in those days to work on a broadcast transmitter). Been a two-trick pony ever since (technical plus voice work).
Favorite Job: Chief Engineer and Mid-day host at Philadelphia's Classical Music Station, WFLN(FM) (now defunct).

The February digest is underway. Check it out in the members section for the latest Daisy digest. Meanwhile, all January 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. Thanks to Bob Zeida, N1BLF, for the Worldradio Daisy audio and to Jim, KJ3P, for the QCWA Journal and help with QST. Service notice: We are going to keep the podcast service. Thanks for your input!
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 in 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! 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
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 Handiham Weekly E-Letter in MP3 format
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.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Courage Center Handiham World Weekly E-Letter for the week of Wednesday, 23 January 2013

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.

Mid-Winter Radio

Tuesday, January 22. The cold has really settled in here. Even after sunrise the temperature (never mind the wind chill) is - 13°F. The HF bands are brimming with conversations because there are so many of us who find Amateur Radio way more fun than going outdoors for anything other than that which we absolutely, positively MUST get done. This would include jobs like taking the dog out, watching him try to find just the right spot while keeping as few paws on the frozen tundra as possible, and high-tailing it back indoors with maybe a quick stop at the mailbox to grab the day's collection of bills and advertising circulars. Winter fun? Heck, as far as some of us are concerned this is about the same as "root canal fun".

The ham shack is warm, well-stocked with radios, computers, ham radio publications, and coffee. I will personally choose a day in the ham shack over a day outdoors sitting on an inverted bucket on a frozen lake with a fishing line dangling through a hole in the ice. Or a day on the slopes possibly sustaining a broken limb. Or (heaven forbid) camping in the snow. Yes, I do still get out for a multi-mile walk for exercise in just about any weather, but this is for exercise and cannot be mistaken for "fun". It is a chore to be completed each day for my health. Only on nice days, when Jasper can accompany me and we can sometimes explore a different path down by the lake or pause to take some photos, would I consider this walk to be fun. In the biting cold when ice lurks beneath snow to try and trip me up, it is much more fun to retreat to the ham shack immediately after shedding my layers of outdoor gear.

In short, ham radio feels downright civilized by comparison!

Anyway, the bands seem pretty active from our perch here in the center of North America. Obviously there are a lot of my fellow ops who feel the same way, because the bands are pretty lively. In the pre-dawn hours there is a good chance to pick up contacts in states or counties you need on 75 and 160 meters. Many of the conversations I hear on 75 early in the morning are among stations in the deep South. As afternoon wanes, the propagation favors the East Coast and states like New York. Since we are in the coldest part of winter, even operators in the southern states were remarking on the cold weather.

On scheduled ham radio social nets there has been a traffic jam of stations trying to check in. Some net control stations have not coped well with this and have had trouble accommodating everyone, but I guess that is a better problem to have than the alternative, which would be only a few check-ins! So what do you do when you are the net control station and there are not enough check-ins? Well, depending on the mix of people you do have, you can almost always start a successful conversation about some topic of more or less general interest.

Topics can follow parallel interests. To illustrate what I mean, on Monday this week ARRL posted a note to Facebook about how close Jupiter and the moon would appear overhead.

ARRL and Jupiter?

Well, yes. Ham radio and amateur astronomy go together, something I have noticed over the years. Our local Amateur Radio store, Radio City Incorporated, has lots of radios - and an excellent line of telescopes. As a kid in grade school, astronomy was an early interest. Ham radio came along later, in my teen years. Astronomy and radio go together like, well, radio-astronomy! Space weather affects our bands, some amateur operators work in branches of science, education, and engineering that touch upon space. I have heard hams talking about the ideas of physicist Michio Kaku, which is definitely a step beyond just chatting about the weather. Just this morning I visited on the air with some of my friends and we talked about how the moon and Jupiter appeared from our different perspectives in the northern USA and the Rio Grande valley in far south Texas. The February QST features the cover story "Listening to the Sun!", which explains how we get solar flux numbers.

Another parallel interest is aviation. I don't know exactly why this is, but if you ask a group of ham radio operators about flying, you will likely find more than a few who have earned private pilot's licenses or who enjoy building and flying model aircraft. My local ham radio club met in an airplane hanger when it was first organized. When I am out walking Jasper in the summertime, I frequently stop to chat with other dog walkers. One of my fellow walkers was excited about taking flying lessons, so we talked about that quite a few times. I was interested, having earned my now disused pilot's license long ago. It wasn't until I knew him for at least a year before we talked about model airplanes. Not only did he build and fly them, but he had gotten a Technician ham ticket so that he would have access to more frequencies for radio control. Here was a case where aviation brought someone to ham radio!

If astronomy and flying are too elevated for your taste, you might consider other more down to earth hobbies and activities as on the air topics. Hunting, for example, may have a more seasonal and regional interest, but can gather enough like-minded folks for a good conversation. Woodworking, model building, photography, and travel can be other parallel topic zones. The point is that you need not limit conversations to simple hello-goodbye exchanges. All you need to do is figure out how to segue from the usual information exchange and weather reports to something of a bit more depth. I would be willing to bet that you are more likely to remember the callsign of someone who is willing to break out of the usual QSO fodder and venture into some other topic where you find that you share an interest.

Wednesday, January 23. Hey, it warmed up to 11°F. Time to get outdoors and bask in the warmth! Heaven knows we have enough winter yet to talk about lots of new stuff on the air.

Patrick Tice, WA0TDA
Handiham Manager

Correspondence:

Avery, K0HLA, writes:

I heard there is an app that will ring your cell phone in CW but I have yet to find it. A couple people I had breakfast with have it on their phones, and it is cool to hear your own call ringing.
How about it, readers and listeners? Can anyone suggest a Morse Code ringtone app for Avery? Or can you just create your own and get it onto the phone using a USB cable?

Dick, WA0CAF, suggests a website about accessibility in Wordpress:

http://www.sitepoint.com/4-ways-to-make-your-wordpress-site-more-accessible/

John, KC0HSB, writes with a great suggestion to turn RFI from a battery charger into a useful indicator:

Ni-MH battery charger with dual flashing LEDs and 4 AAA cells

I have a different thought about interference from battery chargers. For a totally blind person, the radio interference can be helpful. Put an AM radio next to the charger, and if you're familiar with what kind of noise each phase makes, you can tell how far along the charge is. Another charger I have shows red LED's when charging and green ones when it's done. It, too, puts out different sounds for these two phases. I'm not totally blind myself, but it seems to me these chargers can be useful for someone who is, as long as they know how to take advantage of the radio noise. The chargers are otherwise not blind-friendly.

And speaking of letters...

Don't forget about the one that arrives in your email inbox each Thursday. It's the ARRL Letter, and it's a good quick read for anyone who wants to keep up with ham radio news. Get it by going to www.ARRL.org and logging into your member preferences, then choosing the ARRL Letter as one of your email options. If you are not an ARRL member, you can still read the ARRL Letter each week on www.ARRL.org. Go to the "News and Features" page, then find the ARRL Letter. You will find this excellent weekly publication in its most current edition plus a large archive of past issues. You may also wish to check out the audio version, the ARRL Audio News. Just follow the link at the ARRL Letter page.

The VE badge

Another thing that arrived in the mail (the regular postal mail, no less) was my ARRL VE accreditation renewal sticker. 10 more years! Thanks, ARRL VEC.

Remote Base Health Report for 23 January 2013

Remote Base health report: W0EQO is on line. W0ZSW is on line. The radio at W0ZSW is a Kenwood TS-480HX. The radio at W0EQO is a Kenwood TS-480SAT. Speech readout of frequency is available on both radios for our blind users and is enabled by default. We have included a "widget" on solar conditions from G4ILO on the website. Please visit http://www.handiham.org/drupal2/remote and report to us if the widget is screenreader accessible.
In other Remote Base news, we are very close to an update release for the W4MQ client software. For the latest news on that, please visit our WordPress site at:
http://handiham.org/remotebase/

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.

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

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, where we are going to check out two questions about obsolete technology, cathode ray tubes.
E6D01 asks, "What is cathode ray tube (CRT) persistence?"
Possible answers are:

A. The time it takes for an image to appear after the electron beam is turned on
B. The relative brightness of the display under varying conditions of ambient light
C. The ability of the display to remain in focus under varying conditions
D. The length of time the image remains on the screen after the beam is turned off
And E6D02 asks, "Exceeding what design rating can cause a cathode ray tube (CRT) to generate X-rays?"

Possible answers are:

A. The heater voltage
B. The anode voltage
C. The operating temperature
D. The operating frequency
If you're a bit long of tooth as I am, you are probably old enough to remember the good old CRT. It was in everyone's living room TV, and was easily the single heaviest and expensive part of the set. Back in the day, TV owners feared the dreaded diagnosis of a "bad picture tube", which was bound to be expensive. In the electronics workshop and some ham shacks, the CRT was in the oscilloscope, the test instrument that could display waveforms and help to assure a properly adjusted transmitter. Today the CRT is an anachronism, old technology that cannot come close to the display quality of the modern LCD flat panel. Not only that, but the CRT was bulky, made up of heavy glass with a fragile cathode end that was in the "neck" of the tube. The front had thick glass with a phosphor coating on the inside surface. The glass of the tube was sometimes covered with lead to help cut down on X-rays. If you exceeded the plate, or anode voltage, the CRT might generate dangerous x-rays. (Answer B for question E6D02.) One use for the CRT was in SSTV, or slow scan TV in the ham shack. The beam traced across the screen and the specially-chosen phosphors would continue to glow long enough for a dim picture to form as the trace worked its way across and down the screen. Thus, the correct answer to the question of "persistence" in E6D01 is D, The length of time the image remains on the screen after the beam is turned off. Modern SSTV uses the ham shack computer and an LCD monitor to produce an awesome color image.
What to try SSTV? Get free software and give it a try. I like MMSSTV by JE3HHT, Makoto Mori:
http://hamsoft.ca/pages/mmsstv.php
Where to find signals? Check out 14.230 MHz USB. All you need is to tune your radio to that frequency and use your computer's microphone - even a webcam mic will work - and open MMSSTV to get received signals. You will see pictures form in the MMSSTV window, and usually following the picture transmission the QSO will continue on SSB phone. Then the other station will send a picture back. To transmit and receive properly you will need to interface the rig to the computer sound card for both transmit and receive. Devices like the RIGblaster from West Mountain Engineering can take care of this while protecting your equipment. Radios with built-in interfaces need only a USB cable and the proper USB driver, available from the radio manufacturer's website. The radio's menu settings then need to be adjusted for USB operation. While this does sound a bit involved - and it can be - you can easily get your feet wet with receive only SSTV and see if you like it.
CRT precautions: And finally, if you do have any old CRT equipment, please dispose of it through your local recycling center. It contains lead and should not end up in a landfill. If you happen to work on any device containing a CRT, remember that the anode, which often looks like a suction cup affixed to the side of the tube, will carry very high voltage and can be lethal. If you ever work on these devices, disconnect all power, then the CRT's anode should be discharged to ground with an approved probe with a heavily insulated handle.
Please e-mail handiham@couragecenter.org to comment.

This week @ HQ

The February digest is underway. Check it out in the members section for the latest Daisy digest. Meanwhile, all January 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. Service notice: Are you getting this news as a podcast or do you simply use a link to listen to the audio? Email me at handiham@couragecenter.org. I am considering dropping the podcast, though the audio link would still be available.
Welcome to new recording volunteer Jim Perry, KJ3P. You will hear him in the February Daisy digest.
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! 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
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 Handiham Weekly E-Letter in MP3 format
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.

Return to Handiham.org

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Courage Center Handiham World Weekly E-Letter for the week of Wednesday, 16 January 2013

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.

Noise abatement

Last week's topic was radio frequency interference from Part 15 devices. That struck a chord with Joe, N3AIN, who searched for and solved a persistent interference problem that had plagued his station. Joe explains:

Just read the lead story on part 15. It was really well written, and could have been written for me. As you know, living in the city, I have RFI from time to time from neighbors. Most of the time, I find it and they cooperate with me in getting it stopped. Unfortunately, this was not the case last month and after trying unsuccessfully for four months to get things solved with a belligerent neighbor on my own I had to turn it over to Laura Smith from ARRL and the FCC. I used to think Laura Smith didn't do much in the way of enforcement since she seems to have a lower profile than Riley Hollingsworth did when he had the job. Well, that wasn't the case, at least not for me. The FCC certainly got things taken care of and the noise is now gone.

The noise was coming from one of the usual culprits - a power adapter. Our podcast listeners can hear a sample that Joe sent along to me.

Joe approached the problem in exactly the right way. He used a portable receiver to ascertain that there was an interfering signal and that it could be tracked. Usually portable receivers capable of AM and short-wave reception have directional ferrite bar loop antennas that produce nice sharp nulls in the direction of the noise source. He tracked the noise to a neighbor's house, politely informed them of the problem, and found the neighbor to be uncooperative. Joe then escalated the issue to the FCC and got results. This short paragraph cannot really convey the time and effort it took to deal with a noisy power adapter. As you might guess, the process is much more deliberate and must unfold in a logical, consistent fashion from start to finish. You must be knowledgeable about noise hunting, be patient and persistent, have a diplomat's manner when dealing with the owner of the noise source, and finally be willing to call in help from the FCC if necessary.

How obnoxious are these little consumer devices? Plenty! Let's listen to a 4-cell battery charger that I use in my kitchen. The radio I am using to receive is a Yaesu VX5R HT set to 1.895 MHz AM mode. Since the Yaesu does not have a ferrite bar antenna, I have to place the rubber duck antenna near the charger to pick up the noise. The charger has a circuit that blinks two LEDs on and off as the charger is active. The LEDs show a solid green when the charge is complete. Fortunately this device is in my own home and thus completely under my control. I can make sure it is on a circuit well away from my radios and unplug it if it does cause interference.

Interference problems are really common, so what do you think about approaching this topic on our Thursday evening Tech Net sessions? Each interference problem is unique, but the methodology for solving them does have some common practices. Let's share what has worked for us!

PS: Don't forget to ask me how I eliminated SSB and CW signals from getting into the audio of my TV set! Interference sometimes comes from ham radio instead of the other way around.

Patrick Tice, WA0TDA
Handiham Manager

Correspondence:

From the ARRL ARES® E-letter:

The ARRL has added a new "FM Only" category to ARRL VHF contests, starting with the January VHF Contest, which begins this Saturday, January 19. The contest starts at 1900 UTC and runs until Sunday night at 0359 UTC. You'll find lots of "weak signal" VHF operators using high power and sensitive antennas working hard to work your station on FM. No special gear, no big expense -- you can operate in this contest and possibly win a certificate using just the radios you already own.
Editor's note: If you are an ARRL member, one of their many excellent services is this ARES letter by Rick Palm, K1CE. Go to www.arrl.org and after you log in, go to your own account page and you can choose which newsletters to receive. I like this one because it is an easy way to stay current on public service news and events. Another one on my must-have list is the weekly ARRL Letter, which comes out on Thursdays. In other notable ARRL news, www.arrl.org is reporting that "2012 Marks All-Time High for Amateur Radio Licenses". It's true - according to the http://www.ah0a.org/FCC/Graphs.html website, the USA license total in 2012 reached 709, 575. This includes all license classes.

From Rich, W2VU, (CQ Magazine) who ran across this press release:

Kelvin Marsh, M0AID is bringing together resources for disabled radio amateurs in a new web site to be found at www.active-elements.org. Working with Quentin, GW3BV and Chris, G5VZ Kelvin is publishing accessibility evaluations of amateur radio equipment, spoken word manuals and audio demonstrations.
Kelvin says, “Blind and partially sighted radio amateurs often use standard equipment that might easily seem impossible to operate. They can be incredibly resourceful but do need to be informed about what's available. Amateurs with other disabilities also need to know if equipment is accessible or whether adaptations are available to make it so. Active Elements attempts to draw together experience and knowledge gained by disabled operators from all over the world and make it available to anyone with an interest.”
Kelvin's team began work on the site during last autumn, building a range of evaluations, reviews and recordings plus links to resources available on other sites. The site is fully accessible and combines an attractive visual design with clear text while also being optimized for screen reader software like Window-Eyes or NVDA. Development of the site continues and the formal launch of Active Elements is planned for 1st March 2013. If you would like more information on Active Elements or would like to arrange an interview with Kelvin Marsh, please call Kelvin on +44(0)1823 412 087 or email kelvin@qti.org.uk

Ken, KB3LLA, likes a link to the accessible Insignia HD radio:

Insignia Narrator, a Talking HD Radio from Best Buy for $99.99 [Shipped] BestBuy.com offers the Insignia Narrator, a Talking HD Radio for $99.99 with free shipping. The Narrator is the first IAAIS-certified HD Radio product, ergonomically designed for people who are visually impaired, with audible voice prompts and a wealth of niche programming, all in crisp CD-like digital sound. The Narrator eliminates the need to see the display. Audible voice prompts tell the user which button was pressed, and when the radio's functions are activated. Read more at: http://www.blindbargains.com/bargains.php?m=7940

The Spaceweather.com letter and website are reporting a huge sunspot group now facing Earth:

One of the biggest sunspots of the current solar cycle, AR1654, is now facing Earth. If there is a flare today, the blast would be Earth-directed. Stay tuned to http://spaceweather.com/ for the latest.

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.

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

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:
G4C02 asks, "Which of the following could be a cause of interference covering a wide range of frequencies?"
Possible answers are:

A. Not using a balun or line isolator to feed balanced antennas
B. Lack of rectification of the transmitter’s signal in power conductors
C. Arcing at a poor electrical connection
D. The use of horizontal rather than vertical antennas
The correct answer is C: Arcing at a poor electrical connection. Interference like this can easily be distinguished by its broad range of frequencies covered as well as its range, especially if it is on a power pole outdoors. The overhead distribution wires act as huge antennas, radiating noise from the bad connection for long distances. Tracking this kind of interference might also be a good topic for the Thursday Tech net.
Please e-mail handiham@couragecenter.org to comment.

This week @ HQ

All January 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!
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
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 Handiham Weekly E-Letter in MP3 format
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.

Return to Handiham.org

Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Courage Center Handiham World Weekly E-Letter for the week of Wednesday, 09 January 2013

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.

"This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules."

Back of remote sensor showing FCC statement

Last week we had a run of cold weather here in Minnesota, and the AA batteries in one of our remote reading thermometers failed as the voltage dropped below the operating threshold. Since these cells depend on chemical reactions to produce DC, they are susceptible to failure in cold conditions when reactions can slow considerably. Bring the remote sensor back indoors and let it warm up, and it will work just fine. Of course that would not make much sense for a remote reading thermometer!

So I stepped outdoors and retrieved the sensor and brought it down to my shop, where I could put it under a shop lamp and use a small Phillips head driver to get the four tiny screws out of the battery cover plate. That's when I noticed the ubiquitous FCC Part 15 statement:

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

This device may not cause harmful interference, and
This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operations.

Seeing the statement reminds me of the growing cloud of radio frequency energy that surrounds us, emanating from consumer devices of every shape, size, and description. These wireless thermometer devices are intentional radiators in that they are designed to use RF energy to communicate with other devices by exchanging data or other information. Some devices are so small as to make the FCC statement impractical, so a simple FCC logo may be visible instead to indicate compliance. Part 15 also covers "unintentional" and "incidental" RF radiation. Some devices, while not specifically designed to communicate wirelessly like the thermometer, may produce RF radiation anyway because of the circuit design. This kind of energy is incidental to the purpose of the circuit, but could still cause interference. One example I located in our kitchen is a little 4-cell battery charger. Oddly enough, it is MUCH noisier than the wireless thermometer could ever hope to be when I bring a Yaesu VX-5 HT close to it while listening on 1.895 MHz AM, my tool of choice for noise sniffing.

Last night I checked in with a group of friends on 160 meters, but was stymied by the noise level on the band. Although most everyone else was having no problem hearing the weaker stations, my noise level made it pretty difficult. I switched from the wire antenna I was using to the ground-mounted vertical way back in the yard, and the noise level dropped like magic. I was able to hear everyone!

The wire antenna clearly tuned well on 160 and had more capture area. Its high angle of radiation should have suited the situation perfectly, but yet the shorter vertical was better for receive.

Why was this the case?

I can't say for sure, but I have a theory. The wire antenna is about 200 feet long. Most of its length is far out into our large back yard, running far past the vertical antenna, but part of it runs between our house and the neighbor's house. It is likely that in this crucial part of the run that the antenna picks up noise from "incidental" radiators like plasma TV sets and whatever other nearby devices might be radiating from our house or the neighbor's. When radiating devices are plugged into the AC mains the house wiring may even act as an antenna to increase the range of the interfering signal. Generally the interfering signal levels are low and the vertical antenna, fed with underground coax and far away from any buildings, was not nearly so susceptible to these short-range interfering signals and instead was able to "hear" the desired signals from amateur stations.

Fortunately the noise level is not high every evening, so no further action need be taken right now - but if the situation should get worse, it might mean figuring out a plan to fix the problem. This could take several directions:

Search for strong interfering signals the traditional way, with portable receiving equipment. This takes skill and patience, and may require listening and tracking data over time, including recording the dates and times of the interference. When a suspect device is identified, try disabling it and checking the results with the receiver. This can be challenging if you determine that the interference is coming from outside your own home since you must then put on your good neighbor diplomat hat! Once located, measures are taken to filter or otherwise lessen the interfering signal. This could include relocating or replacing the offending device, turning it off while you are operating (if it is under your control), or trying to add filtering to the device to limit radiation. Turning off unused switching power supplies can be helpful. Sometimes interference comes not from Part 15 devices but from defects in power lines. Notify your power company if you locate such interference.
Change your own operating schedule to a time of day when there is less interference. For obvious reasons this is not always desirable or practical - you really should be able to operate your station when you want to!
Relocate or redesign your own antenna system to minimize near-field interference. This is actually a really good plan, but not always practical if you must fit an antenna into a city lot. Many of us do, however, have some antenna options. For example, I could beef up my vertical antenna system and make it better with more radials or a different radiator altogether. This is in the works for Spring 2013. I might even try running the wire antenna in a different location, but that is not my first choice just yet.
Finally, you can make use of the noise-reduction technology in your existing radio. Learn to use the filtering and pass band tuning options. Check out the noise blanker and the noise reduction controls, and learn to set the noise reduction level - often a hidden menu item.

MFJ makes a noise-reduction device that uses phase reversal to "cancel" noise. It is the "MFJ Noise Canceling Signal Enhancer", model MFJ-1026.

This device takes an entirely different approach to noise reduction. It "listens" for noise, then feeds the noise back to the radio 180 degrees out of phase, which theoretically provides up to a 60 dB null to cancel the noise. The null is sharp and the device must be tweaked to get the exactly perfect phase reversal. It can be quite effective, but the preferred method is still to locate and eliminate the noise source in the first place. The MFJ-1026 is a choice when the noise source cannot be identified or if it is not in your own home. The tuning is a bit fussy, but it can be effective when nothing else will help. A caution is that the device can be damaged by transmitting through it - after all, it is connected right in your feedline. There is a transmit/receive control jack in the back of the unit, and it is important to have this wired properly. Follow all the installation and operating directions carefully. There is also a built-in T/R switch that senses RF, but use with caution. We have burned out one of these in the Handiham shack! The MFJ-1026 needs a second receiving antenna to "hear" the noise signal, and there are connectors for this external second antenna on the back of the unit. A built-in telescoping antenna is included, but unless the noise source is really right in your ham shack, it isn't going to be effective. I recommend a second, dedicated receiving antenna located outdoors.

Want to learn more about Part 15? No problem - the ARRL website is an excellent source:
http://www.arrl.org/part-15-radio-frequency-devices

Idea! Part 15 would make an excellent topic for a club program. If there is someone in your radio club who is technically-oriented and willing to give a program on Part 15 and Part 15 devices, we strongly recommend it as a very relevant learning experience. One thing we have not covered here is that Part 15 devices must accept interference from our licensed and properly-operated amateur radio transceivers. This is not always easy to explain to a grumpy neighbor, so the club program might address how to deal with this aspect of interference.

Patrick Tice, WA0TDA
Handiham Manager

Correspondence:

Ken, KB3LLA, alerts us to the news release about a new refreshable Braille display, the Focus 80 Blue from Freedom Scientific:

http://www.freedomscientific.com/products/fs/focus-80-blue-braille-display.asp

The Focus 80 Blue is expected to be released in February 2013.

Dick, WA0CAF, likes a link to AudioScreen, an experiment in image accessibility for blind people:

Audio Screen is an add-on for the NVDA Screen Reading software that can allow a blind person to touch or move a finger around a Windows 8 compatible touch screen, and hear the part of the image under their finger. According to the website by Michael Curran, "As Audio Screen requires NVDA to run, the user will therefore also receive speech feedback such as the name of the control or text, directly under their finger. Audio Screen can be seen as an experimental alternative way for blind people to view basic images such as diagrams and maps when no other tactile format is available."
Find out more about AudioScreen here:
http://www.nvaccess.org/audioScreen/

Bob, W8ULM, sent us a link to a really useful free web tool that creates maps showing licensed amateurs around your own zip code:

This website will map the location of all hams in any area you designate, such as by zip code:
http://www.vanityhq.com/index-hamlocator.html
This map is a graphic and not accessible by our blind members as far as we can tell, but it is useful to those who can see a computer screen. When tested for stations around the WA0TDA QTH, the map absolutely lit up with stations all around me, including some in my own neighborhood that I had not known about! Highly recommended.

John, N1IWT, and Anne, K1STM, from TIPSnet write to let us know about the suspension of the net:

With the new year, there are many changes with TIPSnet.

First, we enjoyed our Summer hiatus so much that we have continued it. The main reason is lack of weekly interest.

Personally, we can think of reasons, but I think, lack of guests due to TV nets on the same night drawing larger audiences was a major reason. Sandy possibly, as many had more important things to worry about this Fall. Whatever the reason we've only gotten 3 total emails asking where we were... not too encouraging. So Anne and I have decided 12 years was long enough and it was time. We needed and asked for help and no one came forward due to commitments.

We plan on keeping the www.tipsnet.org domain and website as an archive of programs and our email addresses - yes they are there. Also, we are keeping the tips discussion email reflector; it's very low use so it will serve as a conduit to listeners. We still want to communicate as friends with all.

Have a wonderful 2013 and who knows - there may be a time to come back with TIPSnet in another form in the future... keep your eyes open.

Thank you to the whole cast of characters from Kevin KD6PDG who started the net, and Dorrie who followed and got Anne involved in the net, to Steve WA4VWV our mentor, what guests that man found - and for Katrina we had over 1000 stations checked in including satellite feeds to networks around the world, Tad KT1NG too many thank you'd, and to the repeater clubs, operators, and trustees and the trustees and devotees of EchoLink and IRLP, may more learn that these modes can be a useful tool for nets.

True weekly supporters and I will forget some -- first, SPARC and Brian K1SOX, our main RF and Echolink entry point, the NEW-ENG group W1RJC, K1SOX, KD1CY and your other partner's thanks for the connections, Thank you to our other stalwart Grahame VK2FA and the VK2RNC repeater group, the Hunter Radio Group in Australia, how can we say thanks. AL7YK in Bethel, Alaska our far western friends, our Handiham Friends Pat Tice, and the MN-CONF conference and Chris John's and the KI4GGH system couldn't have lasted so long without your support and that of others along the way, KB1AEV in CT, the DODROPIN conference and many more that stopped by for a net or 2 along the way.

Lastly, the listeners, our partners, checking in - you kept the net going on the busy and the slow nights. Thank you everyone. Kudos to my partner and wife Anne K1STM who many nights after a long work-day did the NCS duties week after week.

See you all on the radio,

73,

Anne West K1STM TIPSnet Net Manager
John West N1IWT TIPSnet Program and Publicity Manager

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.

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

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:
T7B08 asks, "What should you do if a "Part 15" device in your neighbor’s home is causing harmful interference to your amateur station?"
Let's take a look at your possible choices:

A. Work with your neighbor to identify the offending device
B. Politely inform your neighbor about the rules that require him to stop using the device if it causes interference
C. Check your station and make sure it meets the standards of good amateur practice
D. All of these choices are correct
Well, what do you think? Should you sneak over to your neighbor's house and pour coffee into the device? Tell your neighbor in no uncertain terms that you will bring the FCC down on him if he doesn't comply immediately? Give up ham radio in favor of gardening? No, none of that!
The correct answer is D, because you should first check your station and make sure it meets the standards of good amateur practice, then work with your neighbor to identify the offending device after politely informing your neighbor about the rules that require him to stop using the device if it causes interference. Let's all play nice here, boys and girls!
Please e-mail handiham@couragecenter.org to comment.

This week @ HQ
The main Handiham website, www.handiham.org, has recovered from a serious failure on Monday, 7 January 2013. A problem with the table structure in the SQL database made the site inaccessible, though the member section and remote base section remained in service throughout and were not affected. During the outage, users were redirected to our secondary site, www.handiham.net.
Both remote base HF stations are on line. The latest remote base health report is at:
http://www.handiham.org/remote Thanks to new volunteer reader Daryl Stout, WX1DER, for reading the W3BE column from the latest QCWA Journal. It will be available in the Members section by Friday 11 January. We no longer carry the expanded version of the QCWA Journal, but this always popular column by John B. Johnston, W3BE, covers questions that might come up about how to comply with FCC rules. John uses a question and answer format to explain the reasoning behind the rules. These are questions that you and I might think of and they are answered clearly and concisely. John served on the staff of the FCC, so he knows what he is talking about. Check out his impressive resume here:
http://www.qcwa.org/w3be.htm
The January Audio Digest is on line in the member section and in the mail on digital NLS cartridges for those who returned their cartridges from last month. All January 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! 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
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