March/April 2020
Greetings from Wheat Ridge CO. Yes I too have been working from home in the KEØVH Hamshack / Eastern Colorado “mini NOC”. I hope this finds you and your family safe. There is absolutely no more important thing that we can do right now than to do everything we can to keep our families, and others, and ourselves safe from this virulent pestilence that is effecting and infecting our entire world right now. We need to really be aware of and deeply caring of our neighbor as our Lord asks us to be. Let us really follow the guidelines to protect all those within our sphere of influence. And to help out those in need when and where we can.
The KEØVH Hamshack in “EMF Engineering” mode! During a meeting, via remote facilities!
Its actually been a lot of fun working at home. Its amazing to me how these days everyone is finding out the different ways to work remotely and make everything happen. Cudos to our IT crews at EMF and the Engineering department for making it work. It has been so wonderful to see my fellow colleagues around the country via our remote connection facilities. The people and company that I am blessed to work for and with, and my amateur radio community friends have blessed me beyond measure. I am wondering how all of this will manifest itself in the future for people who can work remotely and how as this crisis has made certain things absolutely necessary, how it will possibly make changes to our society. Will some businesses change and will working remotely, schooling remotely, seeing our doctors remotely become more of whatever the “new normal” might be? It will be interesting to see how the next couple of months and even year plays out. And please lets remember to pray for, support where we can, and be friends, real friends to our neighbor in need where we can. So many are suffering HORRIBLY during this time. More on that later.
This is one of my favorite internet things ever. Want an idea of how small we are in the Universe, or how LARGE?
Then take a look at this site:
Its been around since 2012, but is still mesmerizing and profound:
If you have some good rope, here’s a trick that might just get you home when you get stuck in your vehicle. Thanks Sam!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFDGGht3CQU
IF you are using a hotspot for digital radio communications, it is VERY IMPORTANT to keep up with this
https://amateurradionotes.com/pi-star-updates.htm
The latest update as of this writing is in the upper right of the above is:
Be sure to do this…..often! New nodes and improvements in the software are available frequently.
And thanks to my good buddy Kenny K4KR for the great picture here of his VERY NICELY laid out shack. Here you see his WSJT-X software running and interfaced with his FLEX 3000 Radio system, and using AC Log from N3FJP. And I have just started using the logging software myself. It is a really cool system that will interface with your radio and various software systems like WSJT-X. It keeps up with your contacts, possible awards earned, and all those great features such as uploading to LOTW and EQSL. If you would like to learn more go to the website https://www.n3fjp.com/aclog.html
Below are pictures of KEØVH operating WSJT-X on the FT8 mode using the same software as Kenny but interfaced to my Yaesu FT-991A. A single USB cable from the computer to the radio’s on onboard USB connection and onboard soundcard makes the digital modes extremely easy. The Yaesu system uses its own software drivers for the USB port setup but it is really easy and quick to do. If you decide to do this with your FT991A and need help don’t hesitate to holler at me! Or you can call on the phone, or SkyHubLink!
Here you can see my open AC Log, and WSJT-X operating the Yaesu FT-991A
Operating on 6 meter WSJT-X FT8 mode. Was pretty dead when I took this picture, so I went to 15 meters and contacted quite a few stations in north and south America. And, using the https://pskreporter.info/pskmap.html website I was able to see everywhere that heard me. This is a really remarkable site that listens for communications on the ham bands and can show you in real time where your signal is being heard! SO COOL! Here on this map you can see where KEØVH’s FT8 signal was heard on 20 meters (with hour stamp) one afternoon (17 hours ago when I pulled this picture). West coast of Africa, Hawaii, Japan, and out of the shot a New Zealand and Australia monitoring stations received my signal!
Pi-STAR UPDATES VERY IMPORTANT!
IF you are using a hotspot for digital radio communications, it is VERY IMPORTANT to keep up with updates for your
Pi-Star. This will enable you to of course in additions to the latest updates for nodes and operations,
https://amateurradionotes.com/pi-star-updates.htm
The latest update as of this writing is in the upper right of the above is:
Be sure to do this…..often! New nodes and improvements in the software are available frequently.
AND, Skyler WØSKY is at it again!
This setup is a couple of Kenwood TK-88 type radios that Skyler is building into a repeater that will be deployed on the SkyHubLink.com system in Akron CO for our friends Andy NØSTY and Corey KEØHFK to be on with us (plus others in the Akron area). Corey has a tower and antenna already at his home on the south side of Akron and it will be great to have them join us on the system.
I guess Matt KEØLNU had a bit of snow at his place up in Coal Creek Canyon NW of Golden. Enough to almost bury his mobile antenna for the Yaesu FTM-400xdr. Matt is that your car under there? HOLEY MOLEY!
Hello Cris W5WCA via my C4FM Yaesu FT-3207D!
AND, while I am at it, here are several articles about ham radio “social distancing”!
https://gardnernews.com/ham-radio-operators-practice-their-social-distancing-on-air/
http://www.arrl.org/news/ham-radio-clubs-connect-amid-social-distancing
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/coronavirus/article241608001.html
😊 It was noted by one ham on QRZ.com that he preferred 40 meters! 😊
*******************************************************************************************
HAMSHACK ARCHIVES FILES
4 Years AGO: http://www.smpte-sbe48.org/wp/2016/02/
5 Years AGO: http://www.smpte-sbe48.org/wp/2015/02/
6 Years AGO: http://www.smpte-sbe48.org/wp/2014/02/
Click HERE TO CHECK OUT the latest BDR.net articles at: https://www.thebdr.net/articles/thisweek.html
|