[handiham-world] Handiham World Weekly E-Letter for the week of Wednesday, 14 July 2010
- From: "Patrick Tice" <wa0tda@xxxxxxxx>
- To: <handiham-world@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:00:42 -0500
This is a free weekly news & information update from Courage Center Handiham
System. Please do not reply to this message. Use the contact information at
the end, or simply email handiham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
You can also listen to the content online:
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_____
Welcome to Handiham World!
A volunteer summer - Eliot, KE0N, gets the remote base project underway
Eliot, KE0N, at the new remote base control point.
Eliot, KE0N, at the new remote base control point.
The Handiham Remote Base at Courage North has proven to be reasonably
reliable and quite popular with the Handiham membership. Just in case you
need a refresher, our Camp Courage North location is in far northern
Minnesota near the headwaters of the Mississippi River. The station is at
the location where we held many Handiham Radio Camp sessions over the past
two decades. It consists of a Kenwood TS-480SAT, a rig control interface and
computer,
an LDG auto tuner, and a G5RV antenna. The station runs W4MQ software to
control the radio and SKYPE to port the audio both to and from the remote
control operator. Users sign in with their approved credentials and are able
to control the radio, changing the frequency and other parameters, and use
the radio for both transmit and receive functions. The idea is to provide a
real radio for many of our members who cannot otherwise get on the air
because of antenna restrictions or other impediments to installing an HF
station. Some of our members who do have their own stations also appreciate
being able to operate from a completely different location. In addition to
the W4MQ software interface, up to five users without transmit privileges
can listen to the radio by connecting to W0EQO-L on Echolink. If no transmit
control operator is present, Echolink users may control the radio's receive
frequency using the text box feature of Echolink, simply by sending a
frequency in the text and pressing enter. This feature is useful for a quick
check of propagation conditions here in the Midwest. For example, a user
might enter the number 10 to hear what The National Bureau of Standards
station WWV sounds like here in Minnesota.
Kenwood TS-570 transceiver
Since only one transmit control operator can run the station at a time,
there is a need for a second remote base. That is why we are pleased to have
the able assistance of Eliot, KE0N, and Lyle, K0LR, who are working together
to help me with this second Handiham remote base. Our new callsign will be
the traditional Handiham headquarters call of W0ZSW. We hope to have the
station in operation by the end of July, and when Eliot visited Handiham
headquarters yesterday to work on the project, he made a lot of progress. In
case you were wondering, the radio we have chosen is a Kenwood TS-570S. This
radio, which has the capability of operating 160 through 6 m, will be
coupled through an MFJ autotuner to a W0OXB 300 foot "special" wire antenna
at an average height of 45 feet. This arrangement will allow us to offer 160
m through 6 m capability from the new remote base location. The existing
remote base station at Courage North operates only 80-10 m using a 102 foot
wire antenna, so we think that this will be a significant addition to our
member services. The rig control computer is a Windows machine configured
and supplied by KE0N, and the interface is a RIGblaster Pro. The radio is
equipped with the VS3 speech module for blind users.
Lyle, K0LR, engineer for the Courage North station, is helping us with the
station configuration. Our goal is to copy all of the user credentials from
the first remote base to the new remote base so that users will have easy
access to either station. This will also help us with tech support issues,
and as you might guess we hope to keep those at a minimum!
One advantage of having two remote base stations separated by a significant
distance is that there will be more choice for operating when conditions are
bad in one spot but not in another. In the event that one station goes down,
the other one would still be available. Redundancy is a good thing if you
want to keep a service like this up and running.
No project worth its salt ever gets through the installation process without
a few glitches and a visit from our associate engineer "Murphy". Sure
enough, Murphy's presence was felt when the necessary DB9 serial cable
turned out to be missing in action. We still have some issues to figure out
with port forwarding and a static IP address,
for those of you who understand what that stuff means. Nonetheless, we are
pleased with the progress to date and feel that we are on target to have
this member service available very soon.
For Handiham World, I'm...
Patrick Tice
wa0tda@xxxxxxxx
_____
Handiham Headquarters spruced up
Outside view of Handiham HQ entrance, showing antennas to the left, wooded
scene
The Handiham headquarters entrance in the Camp Courage Reception Center.
You have seen photos of our headquarters before, but things are looking
pretty good now at the Cyril Rotter Technology Center. Antennas rise to the
left of the round building, and the 300 foot wire antenna is invisible high
up in the trees to the left. The double doors can open wide to accommodate
electric scooters or wheelchair users.
_____
QSL cards
Since it is strictly "slow news" for ham radio this time of year, how about
telling us about some favorite QSL cards you have either sent or received
over the years? A photo or scan would be helpful, if you have one.
Handiham 25th anniversary QSL sticker
This photo shows a Handiham 25th anniversary sticker that we produced in
1992. The idea was to stick these onto your existing QSL cards and send
them out to help promote the Courage Handiham System. They are pretty rare,
so if you have a card with one of these Silver Jubilee stickers, hang onto
it!
So what do you have? Send it to wa0tda@xxxxxxxx with your comments.
_____
Feedback
cartoon dog barking at postal carrier
Howard, KE7KNN, writes:
Hello, Pat.
Could you please remind our readers and listeners that we need people to
take part in the Handiham nets, both the daily net and the Wednesday evening
net. Summer is a particularly slow time and we need more participants.
Remember that these nets are open to everyone and that you do not need to be
a Handiham member. So bring a friend and join us -- you may even find the
Handiham net a place to make new friends!
73,
Howard, KE7KNN, Handiham Net Manager
_____
Active sunspot group 1087 pops & crackles with activity
SOHO image of sunspot group 1087 (Image credit: SOHO.)
This large sunspot is rotating into view and is promising to be quite
active. According to Spaceweather.com, "On July 9th, magnetic fields
overlying sunspot 1087 became unstable and erupted."
Read more and follow the story daily at:
http://spaceweather.com/
Image credit: Solar & heliospheric observatory, 11 July 2010
_____
Old army Morse code video
Morse code is long gone from the military services, but back in the day...
How did the Army introduce Morse code to a class of prospective radio
operators? This early film shows us how:
http://www.handiham.org/node/883
_____
This week @ HQ
* Tonight is net night! The Wednesday evening EchoLink net is at
19:30 United States Central Daylight time, which translates to +5 hours, or
00:30 GMT Thursday morning during North American Daylight Time. In the
winter, the GMT schedule is +6 hours. Connect from any Internet-enabled
computer in the world, and come out on Twin Cities repeater N0BVE on
145.450.
EchoLink nodes:
KA0PQW-R, node 267582
N0BVE-R, node 89680
HANDIHAM conference server Node 494492 (Our preferred high-capacity node.)
Other ways to connect:
IRLP node 9008 (Vancouver BC reflector)
WIRES system number 1427
Stay in touch! Be sure to send Nancy your change 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@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or call
her toll-free at 1-866-426-3442. Mornings are the best time to contact us.
_____
Supporting Handihams
graphic showing figure using wheelchair holding hand of standing figure
Now you can support the Handiham program by donating on line using Courage
Center's secure website.
It is easy, but one thing to remember is that you need to use the pull-down
menu to designate your gift to the Handiham program.
. Step one: Follow this link to the secure Courage Center Website:
https://couragecenter.us/SSLPage.aspx?pid=294
<https://couragecenter.us/SSLPage.aspx?pid=294&srcid=344> &srcid=344
. Step two: Fill out the form, being careful to use the pull-down
Designation menu to select "Handi-Hams".
. Step three: Submit the form to complete your donation. If the gift
is a tribute to someone, don't forget to fill out the tribute information.
This would be a gift in memory of a silent key, for example.
We really appreciate your help. As you know, we have cut expenses this year
due to the difficult economic conditions. We are working hard to make sure
that we are delivering the most services to our members for the money - and
we plan to continue doing just that in 2010.
_____
Thank you from the Members, Volunteers, and Staff of the Handiham System
Patrick Tice, WA0TDA, Handiham Manager
patt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Handiham Membership Dues
Reminder: Handiham renewals are on a monthly schedule - Please renew or
join, as we need you to keep our program strong!
You will have several choices when you renew:
. Join at the usual $10 annual dues level for one year. Your renewal
date is the anniversary of your last renewal, so your membership extends for
one year.
. Join for three years at $30.
. Lifetime membership is $100.
. If you can't afford the dues, request a sponsored membership for
the year.
. Donate an extra amount of your choice to help support our
activities.
. Discontinue your membership.
Please return your renewal form as soon as possible.
Your support is critical! Please help.
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 at 763-520-0532 or
email him at walt.seibert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ask for a free DVD about the Handiham System. It's perfect for your club
program, too! The video tells your club about how we got started, the Radio
Camps, and working with hams who have disabilities.
Call 1-866-426-3442 toll-free.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
<http://www.handiham.org/> .
Email us to subscribe:
hamradio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Handiham members with disabilities can take an online audio course at
<http://www.handiham.org/> www.handiham.org:
. Beginner
. General
. Extra
. Operating Skills
That's it for this week. 73 from all of us at the Courage Handiham System!
Pat, WA0TDA
Manager, Courage Handiham System
Reach me by email at:
patt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Nancy, Handiham Secretary:
hamradio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Radio Camp email:
radiocamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
_____
ARRL Diamond logo
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!
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