The Longest ARRL Affiliated Club in Michigan March 2018motorcityradioclub.roundtablelive.org/resources/Documents/Spark_Gap... · Getting started in Electronics-Forrest m. Mimms,III

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The Longest ARRL Affiliated Club

in Michigan

March 2018 Volume 66 Issue 3

Here we are in late February and thoughts of spring are growing

inside us. You may remember our February meeting being

cancelled by the only winter storm of the season which dumped

around nine inches of snow, prompting Wyandotte to close the

Copeland Center, our meeting place.

At that point it was clear that either we cancel or meet in the

parking lot. We cancelled. But that isn’t to say that nothing has

happened. We secured our Field Day site for 2018 again at

Centennial Farm in Grosse Ile. We have a Field Day co-chair in

place, Bruce Menning, AC8KD. We need someone else to step up

to work with Bruce. We will be asking someone to do that at our

March meeting. The program for March is Skywarn which we

expect to begin promptly at 7:00. Please invite anyone having a

weather interest to join us that night.

At our last board meeting we voted to put members who haven’t

paid their dues this year to be lapsed members. If you are one of

that group, please don’t let your membership expire. Dale Poblenz,

WA8FRD will be happy to reinstate you upon payment of your

dues. If you are unable to afford your renewal, please contact me

or Rick Hardy, KE8BPZ about special consideration.

The MCRC will be taking part in keeping everyone safe at the

Metro Grand Spring Bike Tour this year held on May 6th. See page

7 of this issue of the Spark Gap for more information. Please

consider joining us for this event.

See you on Friday March 9th for our Skywarn program.

Don Novak, K8THU

Don’s Ditherings Don K8THU

MCRC President

Inside this issue …

2018 Fox Hunts …………………………….. 2

Bus Trip to Dayton ……………………….. 4

J-Poles ………………………………………….. 5

2018 Field Day ……………………………... 5

Upcoming VE Exams ………………….… 6

Metro Grand Spring Tour …………..… 7

Skywarn ………………………………………. 8

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2018 Fox Hunts

start in May

Perhaps you have heard club members talking about Fox Hunts. It's

all about Amateur Radio operators doing a radio direction finding

exercise. Special antennas are used to tell what direction a radio

signal is coming from. The antennas, plus the other equipment in

their vehicles, are used to track down the source of the radio signal.

It's all part of a contest called a hidden transmitter hunt or simply a

"foxhunt."

Somewhere out there is another Amateur Radio operator with a

transmitting setup. The "fox" might be in a car, or out in the open in

a park, or on a hill, or just about anywhere in a discreet, incognito

location. Every one of the teams are trying to find the fox by figuring

out where their radio signal is coming from. The winner is the team

that finds the fox with least mileage.

It’s a lot of great fun, and is a challenging contest. Transmitter

hunting also has lots of practical uses. Amateur radio operators have

been called on to use direction finding equipment to locate downed

airplanes, boaters in distress, and sources of radio interference. It

can also be used to find illegal and unlicensed radio transmitters.

Hams use contests like fox hunting to test their equipment and

practice their skills in preparation for more serious searches.

Motor City Radio Club's first fox hunt is May 26th, and run once a

month until October. Once you do it, you will be hooked.

The Heath Kit HW101 was Heath's

most popular HAM Transceiver. It was

sold for nearly 12 years and evolved

from the HW100. The HW series was a

cheaper version of the better looking

SB series but circuitry wise these

radios are 95 % the same. In fact all of

the circuit boards are identical. Some

boards were not fully populated with

components on the HW series radios

to reduce costs. The main difference

between a HW100 and a HW101 is

that the 101 has a CW filter option. If

you have a chance to purchase a HW

series radio be aware that the 101 is

the better of the two. However, either

will work in SSB or CW with almost

identical performance. For more

information on the HW-101, visit: http://www.northland-drifters.net/HW101Project.htm

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Wyandotte Amateur Radio Repeater Association

1885 Pinetree Dr

Trenton, MI 48183

Name________________________________________________ Call__________

Address_______________________________________

_______________________________________

E-mail _______________________________________

Donation amount_____________

The MCRC has a library of valuable knowledge that is available for loan to all members. The library

includes both books and audio tapes on various ham related subjects. Members are encouraged to take

advantage of this valuable member benefit.

Below is a list of the resources currently in the library:

The ARRL- Operating Manual For Radio Amateurs

The ARRL- RFI Book 2nd Edition...Practical Cures for Radio Frequency Interference

The ARRL- Ham Radio Liscense Manual 1st Edition Level #1Technician

The ARRL- Handbook 2008...For Radio Communications.

The comprehensive RF Engineering Reference 85th

Edition

Simple, low cost Wire Antennas for Radio Amateurs

The ARRL- Handbook 2001 78th Edition

The ARRL- Spread Spectrum Source Book

ARRL DVD Amateur Radio Today

ARVN DVD Digital Voice for Amateur Radio HF: AOR, WinDRM, DRMDV, FDMDV 25 Minutes VHF/UHF:

D-Star P-25 35 Minutes

Troubleshooting Solid State Circuits

- George Loveday, Arthur H. Seidman

Getting started in Electronics

-Forrest m. Mimms,III

National Electrical Code 2005

-International Electrical Code

Ham Antenna Construction Projects -J.A. Stanley

Beam Antenna Handbook

-5th Edition Orr & Cowan

Amateur Radio Vertical Antenna Handbook

-Capt. Paul H. Lee USN (ret) N6PL

Digital Interfacing with an Analog World 2nd ed

-Joseph J. Carr

Cassette Tapes for General Class Liscense study

- 6 Tapes

Cassette Tapes for Morse Code Practice

- 2 Tapes

CD's for Morse Code Practice - 2 Tapes

Members are encouraged to contact the club librarian, Ray - KD8DPZ, to reserve any of the materials

they wish to borrow. Donations of new materials to the club library is also appreciated.

100% of the operation of the

Wyandotte Repeater is paid

through financial

contributions. You may

support the repeater in a

couple of ways. You can

give your donation directly

to the club treasurer using

this form, or mail the

donation to the address on

the form. Thank you so

much for your support.

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Once again, the ARROW Club in Ann Arbor will be hosting a one-day excursion to the Dayton Hamvention. Tickets are now on sale. The bus departs from Ann Arbor (Pioneer High School, 601 W Stadium Blvd, Ann Arbor, MI) at 5:00 AM, arriving in Xenia, OH around 9:00 am. On board, you can stretch out, relax, chat with other Hams and enjoy a continental breakfast with coffee as the coach takes you directly to the door of the country’s largest amateur radio event! Who could ask for more? Breakfast. Door prizes. You have the dealers and forums inside and the monster flea market outside.

Tickets are $55 (Before April 1) and $65 (From April 1). Please note that this does not include the Hamvention ticket. For more info and to buy the tickets online please visit: https://w8rp.org/activities/dayton-bus-trip/

ARROW Club Dayton Hamvention

2018 Bus Trip

V.P. Rick KE8BPZ asks: Would anyone be interested in operating a

special event station for the Motor City Radio Club 86th birthday? All

you need is your voice! no set-up or tear-down sit and rag chew with

the world! (propagation permitting) All license classes welcome,

(technicians you can operate HF with the W8MRM call sign) Elmers

too! Date in September...let us know...on a weekend, 1 day or 2

depending on operators.

Shoot us an email at [email protected] or [email protected]

Get out have some radio fun!

The club is thinking about having a non-profit booth at the Wyandotte Art Fair from July 11-14th this year.

We would like to set up an information booth about ham radio, upcoming classes, upcoming club meetings, and other fun and interesting ham radio and electronic related events.

Right now, we are just pondering whether or not to do this. . Since the fair runs for 12 hours for 4 days straight, we would need just about every member to commit to attend the booth. At the March meeting, there will be a discussion on if we can get enough club members and friends to pledge to do this.

Thank you for considering this. This sounds like a great way to get the word out about our club, and ham radio.

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- courtesy John Huggins on www.hamradio.me/

Here we see five variations on the basic J antenna (aka J-pole). Key takeaways include:

The basic J and SlimJIM configurations operate identically for all practical purposes.

The Super J is an easy way to obtain

gain towards the horizon. The 5/8ths Super J represents the most

bang for the buck for gain. The Collinear J provides the benefits of

the Super Js in a slim package. If on a conductive mast (red) a mast

decoupling stub (green) provides essential RF isolation while preserving a direct path to ground.

Field Day is ham radio's open house.

Every June, more than 40,000 hams

throughout North America set up

temporary transmitting stations in

public places to demonstrate ham

radio's science, skill and service to our

communities and our nation. It

combines public service, emergency

preparedness, community outreach,

and technical skills all in a single event.

Field Day has been an annual event

since 1933, and remains the most

popular event in ham radio. In 2018,

Field Day will be the weekend of June

23rd and 24th.

Location will be the same as last year,

Grosse Ile's Centennial Farm. Make

plans now to be a part of this year's

Field Day. Details coming soon.

2018 ARRL Field Day is June 23-24

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Our next exam session will be held on Saturday, March 10,

2018 at the First United Methodist Church, 72 Oak St.,

Wyandotte, MI. 48192.

On March 24th, there will also be an additional VE session for

the graduates of the Motor City Radio Club's Technician Class.

This exam will be at the Wyandotte Bacon Memorial Library.

45 Vinewood. Testing beings at 10am.

Items to bring with you:

1. $15.00 exam fee (Exact Amount Preferred)

2. Number 2 Pencil

3. An original of your current FCC license (if you have one)

4. A copy of your current FCC license (if you have one)

5. Two pieces of Identification (at least one photo)

6. Your PayPal Receipt if you choose to pay online

7. Your FRN number if you choose to pre-register

Although not mandatory, we strongly recommend you pre-register for your FRN number

at: http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls to avoid using your Social Security number on the NCVEC QUICK-

FORM 605.

Those interested can register for the exam ahead of time on the Motor City Radio Club's website.

Go to w8mrm.net. Click on the "Operating and Events" tab on the top, then click on the exam

announcement date. On that page, you can register for the exam and also pay beforehand using

Paypal.

Woody N8MWQ

V.E. Liaison

MOTOR CITY RADIO CLUB VE EXAMS

2018 November

Dinner

Mark your calendar now, and save the

date for this year's Banquet. As of right

now, the menu and price are expected to

be the same as last year's. Location has

also not changed from the last two years.

CW Sportsmen's Grill

(formally the Sportsmen Den)

15001 Sibley Road, Riverview, MI 48193

November 10th, 2018

6pm to 8:30pm

At the November 2017 banquet, incoming

president Don K8THU honors outgoing

president Bruce AC8KD with a award of

recognition for a terrific job the past two

years. Bruce's efforts were well appreciated

by all in the Motor City Radio Club.

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UPCOMING HAMFESTS

Toledo Hamfest

Sunday, March 18th, 2018 from 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Owens Community College - Student Health and Activity Center (SHAC)

30335 Oregon Road, Perrysburg, OH 43551

GMARC Swap and Shop

Sunday, April 29th, 2018 from 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM

UFCW Local 876 Hall

876 Horace Brown Drive, Madison Heights MI 48071

Motor City Radio Club General Membership meetings are held at

the Copeland Center at 2306 4th Street in Wyandotte at 7pm.

Meetings are the second Friday of each month, except there is no

meetings in August and November. August is the Club Picnic, and in

November, there is the 2018 Annual Banquet.

It's Metro Grand Spring Tour Time May 6th

Once again the Motor City Radio Club has been asked by the Downriver Cycling Club to provide communications for the 35th Annual Metro Grand Spring Tour (MGST). MGST is one of Michigan's oldest, continually recurring rides and is generally acknowledged to be the start of the ride season in SE Michigan We need as many operators as possible, hopefully 20 or more, to cover all the routes. More details will be coming as plans are finalized. Please contact Dale WA8FRD for more information.

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Skywarn

Training

March 9th.

At the Motor City Radio Club March General Membership meeting, Skywarn Training will be provided by the National Weather Service Forecast Office for the

Detroit/Pontiac area. SKYWARN® is a National Weather Service (NWS) program developed in the 1960s that consists of trained weather spotters who provide reports of severe and hazardous weather to help meteorologists make life-saving warning decisions. Spotters are concerned citizens, amateur radio operators, truck drivers, mariners, airplane pilots, emergency management personnel, and public safety officials who volunteer their time and energy to report on hazardous weather impacting their community.

Although, NWS has access to data from Doppler radar, satellite, and surface weather stations, technology cannot detect every instance of hazardous weather. Spotters help fill in the gaps by reporting hail, wind damage, flooding, heavy snow, tornadoes and waterspouts. Radar is an excellent tool, but it is just that: one tool among many that NWS uses. We need spotters to report how storms and other hydro meteorological phenomena are impacting their area.

SKYWARN® spotter reports provide vital “ground truth” to the NWS. They act as our eyes and ears in the field. Spotter reports help our meteorologists issue timely, accurate, and detailed warnings by confirming hazardous weather detected by NWS radar. Spotters also provide critical verification information that helps improve future warning services. SKYWARN® Spotters serve their local communities by acting as a vital source of information when dangerous storms approach. Without spotters, NWS would be less able to fulfill its mission of protecting life and property. NWS encourages anyone with an interest in public service and access to communication, such HAM radio, to join the SKYWARN® program. The March 9th monthly meeting of the Motor City Radio Club will be at the Copeland Center at 2306 4th. Street in Wyandotte, starting at 7pm. If you are unable to make this training session, two other ham clubs in Wayne County are also hosting SKYWARN training in March:

Saturday, March 10th from 10:00am to Noon Garden City Presbyterian Church 1841 Middlebelt Road in Garden City 48135. Park on sounth side of building, session in basement. Location website: http://www.gardencitypresbyterian.org/

Sponsored by the Garden City Amateur Radio Club and Wayne County ARPSC.

Club website : https://www.gcarc.net/ Wednesday, March 28th from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at the Livonia Civic Center Library Auditorium. 32777 Five Mile Road in Livonia 48150. Park in rear of building, session in Auditorium. Location website: http://livoniapubliclibrary.org/civiccenter Sponsored by the Livonia Amateur Radio Club and Wayne County ARPSC. Club website: http://www.livoniaarc.com/ National Weather Service - White Lake Michigan office: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dtx/

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MCRC Officers

President Don K8THU

[email protected]

Vice President Rick KE8BPZ

[email protected]

Secretary Denise Keeler KC8HDX

[email protected]

Treasurer Dale Poblenz WA8FRD

[email protected]

Custodian John Roberts N8KAM

Trustee(s) Jim Baksa KD8HFX for W8MRM

John Roberts N8KAM for W8GTZ

Parliamentarian Bill Loeber NU3D

[email protected]

Committee Chairs

V.E. Liaison ‘Woody’ Kirkman N8MWQ

[email protected]

Net Manager John Roberts N8KAM

[email protected]

Education Kimball Williams N8FNC

[email protected]

QSL Manager Jim Baksa KD8HFX

[email protected]

Webmaster Jim Baksa KD8HFX

[email protected]

Associate Webmaster ‘Woody’ Kirkman N8MWQ

[email protected]

Spark Gap Editor Mike Antio W8MRA

[email protected]

Renewing MCRC membership, on-line:

Open the MCRC website at: http://www.w8mrm.net/

Log into the site using your e-mail and password.

‘Click’ on the ‘Member Application’ button.

You will see the Notice: “You are already a member. Edit your

member profile”

Click on the ‘Edit your member profile’ and you will be taken to the

“My profile” page.

Notice the first section titled ‘Membership details’ with the

Renew to mm/dd/yyyy button in the lower right hand corner of that

first section.

Click on the Renew to mm/dd/yyyy button and you will be taken to

the ‘Membership renewal’ page.

If you need to renew, you may click on the ‘Update and next’ button

to go to the page where payment method may be chosen.

From there on, the system branches, depending on your chosen method of

payment. ( mm/dd/yyyy is the format for the date code in the website.)

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Coming Events

March 9th. General Membership meeting. 7pm. Topic: SKYWARN TRAINING Provided by the National Weather Service Forecast Office Detroit/Pontiac. Copeland Center 2306 4th. St, Wyandotte.

March 10th Ham Radio Exam. 9am. First United Methodist Church, 72 Oak St, Wyandotte.

More information on Page 6 of this Spark Gap.

March 15th Board Meeting at 7:30pm. Leo's Coney Island, 19230 Fort St., Riverview, MI 48193

Everyone is welcome at all Board Meetings

March 17th Club Breakfast 9am. Leo's Coney Island, 9845 Telegraph Road, Taylor, MI.

March 24th Ham Radio Exam 10:00 am to 12:30 pm. Bacon Memorial Library, 45 Vinewood St, Wyandotte, MI 48192

More information on Page 6 of this Spark Gap.

April 13th General Membership Meeting. 7pm. Copeland Center. 2306 4th Street Wyandotte 48192.