Dirty Dishes, March - April 1997

DIRTY DISHES and clean signals the official publication of The 50 MHz and UP Group located in Northern California.

Volume 2 Number 4 March/April 1997

Visit our website at: http://www.nitehawk.com/rasmit/50UP.html

Next Meeting, SUNDAY, 4/6/97 at 1PM,

AT NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CREDIT UNION

in Sunnyvale, CA.

PROGRAM: VHF thru Microwave tune up clinic. Lars, AA6IW will bring test equipment to measure Noise Figure, Filters, Power, and Frequency.

Note the location is National Semiconductor Federal Credit Union in Sunnyvale this month.

NSFCU is located on Kifer, between Lawrence Expressway and Wolfe. Very close to HRO Sunnyvale. Kifer is located just 1 light south of Central Expressway. From 101, take Lawrence Expressway south to Kifer. Turn right on Kifer. Go past the main National Semiconductor Buildings. On the right just before a park is the Credit Union. Go around to the back entrance.

Officers

President	Jeffrey Pawlan	WA6KBL	408-371-0256	jpawlan@pawlan.com
Vice President	Bill Rausch	AA6PA	408-637-0622	aa6pa@amsat.com
Treasurer	Will Jensby	W0EOM	408-296-6071	w0eom@aol.com
Secretary	Bill Ogilvie	KQ6FY	415-968-3707	bill_ogilvie@qmgate.arc.nasa.gov
Board Member	Art Lange	W6RXQ	408-735-1594	art_lange@trimble.com
Board Member	Jim Moss	WB9AJZ	408-746-2789	jmoss@berlioz.nsc.com

Contests and Events

22 Mar 97 European EME Contest (144&1296)
29 Mar 97 CQ WW WPX SSB Contest
4-5 Apr 97 SouthEast VHF Conference, Marrietta Ga. contact WA4KXY Jim.
mailto:jimworsham@bellsouth.net
http://www.akorn.net/~ae6e/svhfs
6 Apr 97 Livermore Swap, 50 MHz and UP Group meeting at 1PM
12 Apr 97 Foothill Swap meet El Monte exit off I-280. Bring quarters for parking!
12-13 Apr 97 European EME Contest (432, 2304+)
14 Apr 97 144 MHz Spring Sprint
22 Apr 97 222 MHz Spring Sprint
30 Apr 97 432 MHz Spring Sprint
13 Jun 97 CY9AA, St Paul Island including 6/2m thru 21st.
Aug 97 FP Dxpedition including 6 and 2 St. Pierre et Miquelon
late Oct 97 Pacificon - 50 MHz and UP VHF+ Sessions
3-5 Oct 97 Western States Weak Signal Society Conference
http://www.qsl.net/n7stu
23-26 Oct 97 Microwave Update '97, Sandusky, Ohio

VHF+ WeakSignal NETS

Sunday	8PM	144.240	Southern California WSWSS
Sunday	8PM	144.250	Central California WSWSS
Sunday	8:30PM	432.100	Central California WSWSS
Tuesday	8PM	144.250	Northern California SWOT
Wednesday	8PM	144.240	Southern California WSWSS SWAP
Thursday	8PM	144.250	Northern California SWOT SWAP

MINUTES of the March 2nd Meeting
The 50 MHz and Up Group met at the Lockheed-Martin auditorium, Bldg. 212, on Page Mill Rd., Palo Alto, on March 2, 1997. There were 24 people in attendance, and the meeting was called to order at 1:15 PM. Club officers that were present were: Jeffrey WA6KBL, President; Bill AA6PA, Vice President; Will W0EOM, Treasurer; Bill KQ6FY, Secretary; and Jim WB9AJZ; and Art W6RXQ, directors.

The speaker for May's meeting was announced: Lance Ginner will discuss the communication systems on Mt. Umunum.
During the Pacificon Conference, in October, the club has reserved time for presentations starting at 1:00 PM on the Saturday of the conference. Antenna testing will be held in the back parking lot in the morning. A call went out for any interested club members to prepare presentations for this event.

An application was made for ARRL affiliation, and some progress was reported at getting the club incorporated as a non-profit entity. A request was made for someone to make phone inquires to get the necessary non-profit tax forms.
The treasurer reported that the club had a bank balance of $1307. An contest was announced, related to the upcoming Foothill Flea Market. The first club members to get there before Lars would be winners. No prize was announced.
There was a brief discussion on the use of GPS as a frequency standard. Tom Clark, the founder of AMSAT, who works at the Goddard Space Flight Center, in Maryland has designed a board that uses the 1 pps signal from GPS receivers to phase lock reference oscillators. This board will be sold by TAPR. Art Lange confirmed that the GPS units sold to club members have the necessary features.

A requirement was expressed for software to help put the club newsletter on the Web. There was opposition to the expenditure of club funds to buy software for this purpose, so alternatives were discussed. The need was for someone to take Jeffrey's Frame Maker output file and convert it into an HTML file for display on the Web. Kevin Hague N5XSA volunteered to do this. The question was asked whether we should put our newsletter on the Web, so a vote was taken. It was approved 8 - 5 to continue this.

In other business, it was announced that the club roster has grown to 46. The latest copy of the Western States Weak Signal Society newsletter was circulated. A new award from the NorCal Sidewinders On Two was announced: The worked all California counties.

Ken Kitlas KD6OBU, gave a very interesting talk and slide show on his exploits in the field of Amateur Rocketry.

AA6HA Moves to Arizona!

John Ekiss, AA6HA has moved to: jbekiss@worldnet.att.net

12496 E. Gold Dust Ave.

Scottsdale, AZ 85259-5203

Note from John:

There is some 50 MHz and up activity here. I operated in the January contest with temporary antennas. I have made a new friend in W7GBI, Charlie, who is very active on EME (432, 1296, 2304). I have worked him several time on 1296 and 2304 (terrestrial). I have also talked with Jim Vogler, WA7CJO, of 10 GHz fame! Charlie and I are trying to get more interest going on the microwave bands.

73. John Ekiss. AA6HA.

Spread Spectrum Docket 97-12

Text format see:

http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Wireless/Notices/1997/fcc97010.txt

This NPRM was submitted in December by ARRL to allow an increase in the allowable types of spread spectrum emissions allowed by amateurs. It restricts power to be automatically controlled if more than 1 watt is used. In no event is more than 100 watts allowed. It allows SS to be used only in bands above 225 (same as current).

Comments are due by May 5, 1997, and reply comments by June 5, 1997. For formal comments, you must file an original plus four copies of all comments and reply comments. If you want each Commissioner, to receive a personal copy of your comments, you must file an original plus nine copies. Address them to:

Office of the Secretary of the Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC. 20554.

Microwave Update

http://www.wa8wzg.com/update97

Microwave Update will be held this year in Sandusky, Ohio at the Holiday Inn Conference Center on October 23-26, 1997. Thursday will be a surplus tour.

Friday and Saturday is the conference with many speakers. Friday night will be noise figure measurements and microwave flea market. Saturday night will be a BBQ and EME demonstration at WA8WZG's QTH. Sunday will be a wrap up and possible tour of W8JK "Big Ear" at Ohio State University. Registration before 10/2 is $40, after is $45. More info can be found at the web site listed above, or contacting

Tom Whitted 419-732-2944

4641 Port Clinton East Rd. wa8wzg@wa8wzg.com

Port Clinton, OH 43452

Cum 10 GHz Results

From March 1997 QST 6's only

CALL	SCORE	QSO's	Unique Calls	10GHz KM	24GHz KM
wa6cdr	20937	90	33	801
w6ylz	16288	63	25	812
k6gza	12157	50	21	644
w6oyj	8015	35	23	630
wb6cni	7404	41	18	448
kc6uqh	6557	30	17	695	k6uqh?
w6asl	6105	30	15	492
ab6sm	5279	31	14	726
k6kly	3519	27	13	339
wb6bkr	3497	14	10	350
ne6o	1475	7	7	267
k6jey	603	3	3	200
w6oat	557	4	4	51
xe2/n6xq	32417	53	20	812	DX

10 GHZ and UP (multi bands)

wa6owd	20496	84	29	769	56
w6hcc	17502	88	26	769	178
wa6exv	12380	92	14	487	178
wb6dnx	10465	52	23	768	166
wa6qyr	9415	63	22	448	136
wa6paz	9368	46	25	614	1
n6ca	8352	17	17	768	166

Laser Communications Home Page!

http://www.qsl.net/wb9ajz/laser/laser.htm

Lots of bright stuff and archives of the LASER mail reflector.

A Call for Amateur Payloads
The ERAST program, run by NASA is involved in flying remotely piloted airplanes (RPA) with environmental sensing payloads. One of the goals of this program has been to involve as many other groups as possible - hence the ERAST Alliance. This summer, several long duration flights are planned; with some at high altitude. The Program Managers have expressed an interest in flying an Amateur Radio payload, to be built and operated (remotely) by Hams. This would fall under the same category as the SAREX operations on the Shuttle, and would be dependent on getting an FCC waiver and support from interested Hams. The kind of payload envisioned is a cross-band repeater, with periodic CW ID and broadcasts of navigational telemetry via a packet protocol. Once the RPA is airborne, the payload would be switched on and could be used as a mobile repeater by Hams along its flight path. All contacts through the RPA repeater would be logged by each Ham, with the time, signal report, station worked, and any telemetry received. These logs, along with details about the station’s location, antenna, power, etc. would be sent to ERAST, to be used for link analysis. An award certificate would be issued to all participants who provided data. The purpose of this experiment is to evaluate the usefulness of an airborne repeater for emergency purposes. This would likely be a one time experiment and any operational repeater based on this experiment would not use Amateur frequencies. The first level of support for this proposal that ERAST would like to solicit is from amateurs who would like to build the payload. The payload would remain the property of the builder(s), and would be developed with no remuneration. A payload that is light weight, can operate in band despite temperature extremes, and is designed as a compact, self contained package would be desirable.

The contact person for this program is Bill Ogilvie, at the Ames Research Center. Tel # (415) 604-1834
E-Mail wogilvie@mail.arc.nasa.gov