The World’s Best Contest QTH? p.

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COMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
OCTOBER 2020
 ANNOUNCEMENTS EDITORIAL STAFF
Richard S. Moseson, W2VU, Editor
Jason Feldman, KD2IWM, Managing Editor
Susan Moseson, Editorial Consultant
COVID-19 UPDATE
The COVID-19 pandemic has radically altered plans for any social gathering and hamfests CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
and ham radio-related conferences are taking a huge hit. CQ urges all readers to please check Kent Britain, WA5VJB, Antennas
with the organizers of these events to ensure the event will still be held. Gerry L. Dexter, The Listening Post
Joe Eisenberg, KØNEB, Kit-Building
Tony Emanuele, K8ZR, VHF
OCTOBER Tomas Hood, NW7US, Propagation
COLUMBUS JUNCTION, IOWA — The Muscatine Amateur Radio Club and Washington Area Jim Houser, WA8JIM, Awards
Amateur Radio Club will hold the 36th Annual Southeast Iowa Hamfest beginning 7 a.m., Sunday, John Langridge, KB5NJD, MF/LF Operating
October 4 at the Louisa County Fairgrounds, 101 Fairground Road. Contact: C. Scott Richardson, Anthony Luscre, K8ZT, Microcontrollers
NØMRZ, (563) 506-0304. Email: <ec@muscatineares.org>. Website: <www.waarc.net>. Talk-in Irwin Math, WA2NDM, Math’s Notes
Joe Moell, KØOV, Homing In
146.985- (PL 192.8). VE exams.
Eric Nichols, KL7AJ, Analog Adventures
MIDDLETOWN, NEW YORK — The Orange County Amateur Radio Club will hold its Hamfest from Ron Ochu, KOØZ, Learning Curve
8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Sunday, October 4 at the Town of Wallkill Community Center, 2 Wes Warren Drive. Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR, Mobile/Radio Magic
Phone: (845) 391-3620. Website: <http://ocarcny.org>. Talk-in 146.76 (PL 100). VE exams. Scott Rought, KA8SMA, QRP
MELBOURNE, FLORIDA — The Platinum Coast Amateur Radio Society will hold the 55th Annual Don Rotolo, N2IRZ, Digital
Melbourne Hamfest and 2020 ARRL Southern Florida Section Convention from 1-7 p.m., Friday, October Rob de Santos, K8RKD, Communications Horizons
9 and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, October 10 at the Melbourne Auditorium, 625 E. Hibiscus Bob Schenck, N2OO, DX
Boulevard. Email: <hamfest@pcars.org>. Website: <http://pcars.org>. Talk-in 146.850-. Tim Shoppa, N3QE, Contesting
TOWAMENCIN TOWNSHIP, PENNSYLVANIA — Special event station W3T will be on the air from Jason Togyer, KB3CNM, Spurious Signals
Thursday, October 8 through Friday, October 16 to commemorate the 243rd anniversary of the Gordon West, WB6NOA, Short Circuits
Towamencin Encampment by George Washington and the Continental Army. Frequencies include 7.074 Wayne Yoshida, KH6WZ, The Ham Notebook
MHz on FT 8; 75, 40, and 20 meters for SSB and CW. Website: <www.w3t.info>.
HARROD, OHIO — The Northwest Ohio Amateur Radio Club will hold its Fall Hamfest beginning 8 AWARD MANAGEMENT
a.m., Saturday, October 10 at The Abby at the Westminster United Methodist Church, 6650 Faulkner John Bergman, KC5LK, WAZ Award
Road. Contact: Bob Butler, KE8BCJ, (419) 230-7977. Email: <officerbon28@yahoo.com>. Website: Brian Bird, NXØX, USA-CA Custodian
<www.nwoarc.com>. Talk-in 146.670. Steve Bolia, N8BJQ, WPX Award
TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, NEW JERSEY — The Bergen Amateur Radio Association will hold Keith Gilbertson, KØKG, CQ DX Award
the BARA Fall Hamfest from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, October 10 at the Westwood Regional Jr./Sr.
High School, 701 Ridgewood Road. Contact: Jim Joyce, K2ZO, (201) 664-6725. Email: <k2zo@arrl.net>. CONTEST MANAGEMENT
Website: <www.bara.org>. Talk-in 146.79- (PL 141.3). VE exams and DXCC card checking. Andy Blank, N2NT, CQ 160 Meter Contest
John Dorr, K1AR, CQWW DX Contest
STINTON, TEXAS — The South Texas Hamfest Association will hold the South Texas Hamfest
JK Kalenowsky, K9JK, CQ VHF Contest
Saturday, October 17 at the San Patricio County Fair Grounds, 218 W. 5th Street. Website: <www.
Ed Muns, WØYK, CQ RTTY Contests
southtexashamfest.org>. John Sweeney, K9EL, CQ DX Marathon
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS — The Harvard Wireless Club, MIT Electronics Research Society, Joseph “Bud” Trench, AA3B, CQWW WPX Contest
MIT UHF Repeater Association, and MIT Radio Society will hold the Flea at MIT from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
Sunday, October 18 at the parking garage on Albany and Main Streets. Phone: (617) 253-3776. Website: BUSINESS STAFF
<www.swapfest.us>. Talk-in 146.52 or 449.725- (PL 114.8). Richard A. Ross, K2MGA, Publisher
HICKSVILLE, NEW YORK — The Long Island Mobile Amateur Radio Club will hold its Indoor Hamfest Dorothy Kehwieder, Associate Publisher,
beginning 9 a.m., Sunday, October 25 at Levittown Hall, 201 Levittown Parkway. Contact: Richie, K2KNB, Advertising
(516) 694-4937. Email: <hamfest@limarc.org>. Website: <http://limarc.org>. Talk-in 146.85 (PL 136.5). Richard S. Moseson, W2VU, Associate Publisher,
VE exams, DXCC / WAS card checking. Editorial
MADISON HEIGHTS, MICHIGAN — The USECA Amateur Radio Club will hold its Hamfest 2020 Emily Leary, Sales Coordinator
from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sunday, October 25 at the United Food & Commercial Workers Local 876 Hall, Doris Watts, Accounting Department
876 Horace Brown Drive. Contact: John, N8KAN, (248) 709-5300. Email: <usecahamfest@gmail.com>.
Website: <http://usecaarc.com>. Talk-in 147.180+ (PL 100). VE exams and DXCC card checking. CIRCULATION STAFF
Cheryl DiLorenzo, Customer Service Manager

NOVEMBER PRODUCTION STAFF

MITCHELL, INDIANA — The Hoosier Hills Ham Club will hold the 59th Annual Hoosier Hills Hamfest
beginning 8 a.m., Saturday, November 7 at the Lawrence County 4H Fairgrounds, 11265 U.S. Highway
50 West. Contact: W.W. Warren, KB9TMP, (812) 675-2450. Email: <hamfest@w9qyq.org>. Website:
<www.w9qyq.org>. Talk-in 146.73- (PL 107.2).
TOWAMENCIN TOWNSHIP, PENNSYLVANIA — Special event station W3A will be operating
November 12 through November 19 to commemorate the Adoption of the Articles of Confederation and
Perpetual Union on November 15, 1777. Frequencies include 7074 and 14074 on FT8. SSB and CW
on 75, 40, and 20 meters. Primary mode will be FT8. Website: <www.wv2m.com>.
NORFOLK, NEBRASKA — The Elkhorn Valley Amateur Radio Club will hold the 2020 Northeast
Nebraska Hamfest from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, November 21 at the CHC Hall, 105 West Elm
Avenue. Contact: Fred Wiebelhaus, KØFJW, (402) 992-7653. Email: <fwiebelhaus@cableone.net>.
Website: <http://qsl.net/evarc>. VE exams.
DECEMBER
DELTA, OHIO — The Fulton County Amateur Radio Club will hold its Winterfest 2020 from 8-11 a.m.,
Saturday, December 5 at the Village of Delta Memorial Hall, 401 Main Street. Contact: Bryan Patterson,
KB8ELG, (419) 822-5038 or (419) 250-6694. Email: <kb8elg@hotmail.com>. Website:
<http://k8bxq.org>. Talk-in 147.195+. VE exams.
PLANT CITY, FLORIDA — The Florida Gulf Coast Amateur Radio Council will hold the 45th Annual
Tampa Bay Hamfest and Electronics Show and the 2020 ARRL Florida State Convention from 1-6 p.m.,
Friday, December 11 and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, December 12 at the Strawberry Festival
Grounds Expo Building, 301 N. Lemon Street (now Berryfest Street). Website: <http://fgcarc.org> or
<www.tampabayhamfest.org>. Talk-in 147.165+ (PL 136.5). VE exams, WAS / DXCC / IARU / VUCC
card checking.
CHELTENHAM, MARYLAND — The Prince Georges County ARES / RACES will hold SantaFest
from 8:30 a.m. to noon, Saturday, December 12 at the American Legion Youth Camp, 9201 Surratts
Road. Email: <selbynet@hotmail.com>. Website: <http://pgares.org>. Talk-in 145.230 (PL 110.9).
VE exams.
Elizabeth Ryan, Art Director
Dorothy Kehrwieder, Production Director
Emily Leary, Production Manager
Hal Keith, Illustrator
Larry Mulvehill, WB2ZPI, Staff Photographer
A publication of
CQ Communications
P.O. Box 1206
Sayville, NY, 11782 USA.
CQ Amateur Radio (ISSN 0007-893X) Volume 76, No. 10,
Published monthly by CQ Communications, Inc., P.O. Box
1206, Sayville, NY, 11782, Telephone 516-681-2922. E-mail:
cq@cq-amateur-radio.com. Fax 516-681-2926. Web site:
www.cq-amateur-radio.com. Periodicals Postage Paid at
Hicksville, NY 11801 and at additional mailing offices.
Subscription prices (all in U.S. dollars): Domestic-one year
$42.95, two years $77.95, three years $111.95; Canada/
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$156.95: Foreign Air Post-one year $72.95, two years $137.95,
three years $201.95. Single copy $6.99. U.S. Government
Agencies: Subscriptions to CQ are available to agencies of the
United States government including military services, only on a
cash with order basis. Requests for quotations, bids, contracts.,
etc. will be refused and will not be returned or processed. Entire
contents copyrighted 2020 by CQ Communications, Inc. CQ
does not assume responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts.
Allow six weeks for change of address.
Printed in the U.S.A.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:
CQ Amateur Radio, P.O. Box 1206, Sayville, NY, 11782

2 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

 HAM RADIO NEWS
FCC to Hams: That’ll be $50, Please
The FCC is proposing a $50 fee for all amateur radio license
applications, modifications and upgrades, under terms of a
law passed by Congress in 2018. It would not include admin-
istrative updates such as address changes, but according to
the ARRL Letter, the proposed fee would also apply to
requests for printed licenses. Over a 10-year license term,
the fee would be the equivalent of $5 per year.
Hams have had to pay fees as high as $70 in the past for
vanity licenses, but licenses with sequentially-issued call-
signs were exempted. The FCC eliminated all fees for ama-
teur licenses several years ago. The fee proposal is con-
tained in a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in MD
Docket 20-270. The full NPRM is at <https://tinyurl.com/
y58xuc7a>. Comments were being accepted for 30 days after
publication in the Federal Register. (See our cartoonist’s take
on this story on page 31)
Leadership Changes at ARRL
The ARRL has a new CEO and a new editor of QST maga-
zine. David Minster, NA2AA, of Wayne, New Jersey, began
his new role as ARRL Chief Executive Officer on September
28th. According to the ARRL Letter, he had previously been
Managing Partner at a management consulting company and
Chief Information Officer at Unilever, a multinational con-
glomerate, among other top management positions.
Licensed since 1977, Minster holds an Extra Class license
and is involved in a wide variety of amateur radio activities,
from contesting to traffic handling.
Steve Ford, WB8IMY, the longtime editor of QST and ARRL
Publications Manager, announced his retirement in the
September issue of QST. He is being succeeded by long-
time Managing Editor Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY, who took
the reins as QST Editorial Director as of the October issue.
The League also announced that Paul Gilbert, KE5ZW, of
Cedar Park, Texas has joined the staff as ARRL’s first Director
of Emergency Management. Gilbert is currently ARRL South
Texas Section Manager and was most recently Radio Officer
for the Texas State Guard headquarters staff. The Texas
State Guard is part of the state’s military department, along
with the Army and Air National Guard branches.
Solar Minimum “Probably” Occurred
Last December
The Royal Observatory of Belgium reports that the solar min-
imum marking the end of Cycle 24 and the beginning of Cycle
25 “most probably” occurred in December 2019. The ARRL
Letter reports that the observatory’s Sunspot Index and Long-
Term Solar Observations branch, or SILSO, based its call on
this past January’s increase in the 13-month smoothed
sunspot number, the first time that number has increased
since the last solar maximum in April 2014. SILSO also
reported that since last November, more new-cycle sunspots
have been observed than old-cycle spots. They are differ-
entiated by their location on the sun’s surface and their mag-
netic polarity.
Opportunities for Multi-Multi Operations
in the CQWW
Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, two of the biggest
U.S. competitors in the CQ World Wide DX Contest are tak-
ing a step back from their usual categories. CQ Contesting
www.cq-amateur-radio.com
Editor Tim Shoppa, N3QE, reports that both K3LR and
W3LPL have announced that they will not compete in the
multi-operator / multi-transmitter (also known as multi-multi
or M/M) category this year in either the SSB or CW week-
ends of the CQWW. Both stations plan to be on the air, but
neither had announced its revised plans. This creates a new
opportunity for other groups capable of mounting a COVID-
safe M/M operation to compete in the category with an actu-
al chance of winning! CQ recommends that multi-operator
contesting at this time be limited to family units already liv-
ing in the same house or remote operations in which each of
the operators is in a different location. (We want you to have
fun but also to be back next year!)
Upgraded Space Station Ham Gear
Coming Online
The first batch of upgraded ham radio equipment aboard the
International Space Station has been installed and is on the
air. The new gear replaces equipment that is 20 years old.
The ARRL reports that the first of the new radios — a “space-
modified” Kenwood D710GA transceiver installed in the ISS
Columbus module — came on the air on September 2 in FM
cross-band repeater mode. The uplink is on 145.990 MHz
with a 67-Hz CTCSS tone; the downlink is on 437.800 MHz
(plus or minus Doppler shift). A second batch of new ham
equipment — planned for installation in the Russian Service
Module — is still undergoing flight certification.
Milestones: DK6SP Named to WWROF Board;
N1IN, K9STH SKs
Twenty-two-year-old Philipp Springer, DK6SP, has been
named a director of the World Wide Radio Operators
Foundation, which provides logistical support for CQ-spon-
sored contests and others. He succeeds longtime board
member Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV, who stepped
down. According to WWROF, Springer has been a ham since
age 10, is a member of the International Amateur Radio Union
Region 1 Youth Working Group and coordinates the
Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) program in Germany. He was
also a youth participant in the 2018 World Radiosport Team
Championship (WRTC 2018) held in Germany.
We are sad to report the passing of frequent CQ contribu-
tor Bill Sexton, N1IN. After retiring from a long career in jour-
nalism, much of it spent at New York’s Newsday newspaper,
Bill became the Public Affairs Officer for Army MARS.
According to Newsday, he was honored with the Presidential
Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. Bill was 91.
Also joining the list of Silent Keys this month is former CQ
FM Editor Glen Zook, K9STH. Glen was the magazine’s first
FM Editor, penning the column from 1971-73, just as VHF
FM operation was beginning to take off. More recently, Glen
was a content moderator on QRZ.com.
KD3Z Wins Intrepid DX Group Essay Contest
Faith Hannah Lea, KD3Z, has been awarded first place in
the Intrepid DX Group’s “Dream Rig” youth essay contest.
The ARRL Letter reports that over 60 essays were submit-
ted by young hams around the world. As first-place winner,
Faith Hannah is receiving an ICOM IC-7300 transceiver, a
Greyline flagpole antenna, a Heil Sound headset and more.
Additional winners were Charlie Meadows, N4VTI, in second
place; and Patrick Gawthrop, W9GGG, in third. For more infor-
mation on the Intrepid DX Group, visit <www.intrepid-dx.com>.
October 2020 • CQ • 3
 CONTENTS
OCTOBER 2020 • VOLUME 76 NUMBER 10

10 COVER: EF8R: THE

WORLD’S BEST
CONTEST QTH?
By Leonid Radchenko, RA5A

Hearing … and being heard by … EF8R on

46
the Canary Islands is somewhat less chal-
lenging than one might expect, due to the 28
different antennas and associated gear inside
this contest superstation built at what might be
76
the world’s best contest QTH. Cover photo
details on page 15; the story of “Magic
Mountain” begins on page 10. (Cover photo
by Aleksandr Gimanov, UA5C)

EMCOMM SPECIAL: Emergency communications have never been more important in 2020 with raging wildfires, a more active hurri-
cane season, and a worldwide pandemic combining to form a year that have left billions weary. This year’s EmComm Special has features
on organizing EmComm services, back-up power, and over-the-air email to keep you connected. Plus KOØZ has antenna tuner basics,
and Gordo highlights a ham club that focuses on EmComm. You can find their stories on pages: 19, 28, 32, 43, 76, and 80!

FEATURES COLUMNS DEPARTMENTS

19 PLANNING YOUR FIRST AMATEUR 58 MATH’S NOTES: Another Chance at 16 EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS:
RADIO EXERCISE OR EVENT THz Experimentation Welcome to CQ’s Annual Emergency
By Scott Ruesch, W9JU By Irwin Math, WA2NDM Communications Special
28 BACKUP POWER WHEN THE GRID 60 THE LISTENING POST: COVID-19 By CQ Staff
GOES DOWN Continues Taking Its Toll on 91 VHF PLUS: How to Work Meteor
By Bob Bruninga, WB4APR Shortwave Broadcasters Scatter With MSK-144
32 WINLINK: KEEPING YOU By Gerry Dexter By Tony Emanuele, K8ZR
CONNECTED “WHEN ALL ELSE 64 KIT-BUILDING: May the Morse Be 94 DX: Chasing!
FAILS” With You By Bob Schenck, N2OO
By Jim Kocsis, WA9PYH By Joe Eisenberg, KØNEB 99 AWARDS: Awards Editor Needed
40 54th EDITION: CQ WORLD WIDE 68 QRP: QRP and POTA ... A Perfect By CQ Staff
DX CONTEST ALL-TIME RECORDS Match for Fun on the Air! 100 CONTESTING: COVID-19 Contesting
By Fred Capossella, K6SSS By R. Scott Rought, KA8SMA Spike Continues
43 SHERLOCK INVESTIGATES: USB 72 ANALOG ADVENTURES: Non-Linear By Tim Shoppa, N3QE
CONNECTOR FAILURE ABORTS By Eric P. Nichols, KL7AJ 105 PROPAGATION: Good Conditions
FT4 / VARA EXPEDITION 74 MAGIC IN THE SKY: Is It Time to Predicted for 2020 CQWW DX SSB
By “Sherlock” Rethink Our License Exams? Contest
44 CQ CLASSIC: 72 Years Ago, CQ Said By Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR By Tomas Hood, NW7US
That More Youth Needed To Be 76 GORDO’S SHORT CIRCUITS:
Involved in Ham Radio Nothing Cancelled Here!
(August 1948) By Gordon West, WB6NOA 2 ANNOUNCEMENTS
46 ADVENTURES WITH PICO 80 LEARNING CURVE: Antenna Tuner 3 HAM RADIO NEWS
BALLOONS USING AMATEUR Basics
RADIO 8 ZERO BIAS
By Ron Ochu, KOØZ
By Tom Medlin, W5KUB 9 NEWSBYTES
84 MF/LF OPERATING: To The Mailbag:
51 THE HEX-BEAM REVISITED 15 ON THE COVER
A Few Considerations for Using a
By Mike Traffie, N1HXA 160-Meter Inverted-L on 630 & 2200 31 SPURIOUS SIGNALS
53 HOW’S MY AUDIO Meters 38, 79, 83 WHAT’S NEW
By George Wagner, K5KG and By John Langridge, KB5NJD 109 OUR READERS SAY
Lu Romero, W4LT 88 ANTENNAS: Measuring Things You 110 BEHIND THE BYLINES
56 THE DAY I LET THE SMOKE OUT! Can’t See
112 HAM SHOP
By Dr. Ron Milliman, K8HSY By Kent Britain, WA5VJB
 ZERO BIAS: A CQ Editorial
BY RICH MOSESON,* W2VU
The “Young Hams Crisis” is Getting Old
ou hear it on the air, at hamfests (when we had ham-
Y fests), and club meetings (when we had club meet-
ings). You read it in news articles about ham radio.
“Ham radio is a dying hobby.” “There’s nothing to attract
young people to amateur radio today.” “We’re all going to die
off in the next 20 years and ham radio will die with us.” I’ve
been hearing it for years and frankly, it’s getting to be as old
as many of the hams who believe it’s true. In fact, even older.
Now, I’m not suggesting that we don’t need to do all we
can to introduce young people to amateur radio and to hope-
fully get some of them to join us. But I am suggesting that
the basic premise — that not enough young people are com-
ing into ham radio to sustain it in the future — is false. Another
premise behind the premise — that there were so many more
young people becoming hams whenever you became a ham
than there are today — is also false. Ham radio has always
attracted a small percentage of young people, a special breed
of geek if you will, and it’s just that you and your friends were
part of that small percentage.
You can blame former Contesting Editor Dave Siddall,
K3ZJ, for my tirade this month. While Dave was writing the
Contesting column, he frequently highlighted the activities
and accomplishments of young contesters. And he recently
brought a couple of items to my attention. (Thank you, Dave!)
The first was a “Zero Bias” editorial from one of my prede-
cessors. You’ll find the full text in this month’s “CQ Classics”
column (p. 44) but let me share a few excerpts with you here:
“Amateur radio today is attracting older men …equipment
prices have been forced higher along with everything else in
our daily lives … A second, and perhaps even more com-
pelling reason for this lack of enthusiasm for our hobby by
the younger, or youngest generation, is they have had little
encouragement.
“Amateur radio needs new blood and too many youngsters
never even heard of ham radio … What we need is lots more
teenagers raising the roof at hamfests and … shuttling
around on all bands.”
Care to guess when this was written? 1990? 1980? Wrong
and wrong … this editorial appeared in the August 1948 issue
of CQ! That’s 72 years ago, folks. According to the editorial,
there were about 100,000 licensed hams in the U.S. back in
1948. There are roughly 750,000 today.
But wait! (as they say on TV) There’s more!
Dave also sent me an editorial on the same theme from
QST … the author was quite diplomatic, writing, “The major
trend in amateur radio during the past decade seems to have
been toward an increasing maturity … The day of amateur
radio as the hobby of ‘attic experimenters’ and ‘basement
laboratorians,’ the art of lads of high school age or younger
who dabble with it as a distraction … is passing. Indeed, it is
already past.
“Amateur radio is growing older, more mature. It has long
been more than just a hobby for the youngsters; it has now
gotten well beyond their reach (in terms of cost and
complexity).”
*Email: <w2vu@cq-amateur-radio.com>
8 • CQ • October 2020
Date on this editorial? May 1938. Yes, 1938, 82 years ago.
I occasionally do a talk at clubs and hamfests titled “Ham
Radio: Successfully Dying for 50 Years.” It appears that the
title needs to be updated to 80.
The Bottom Line(s)
There are four main takeaways here:
Bottom line #1: Virtually since the birth of amateur radio,
there have been those predicting its imminent demise, even
some people occupying this chair.
Bottom line #2: They have consistently been wrong, and
they are wrong today. The old-timers worrying today about
the next generation started out as the young hams who pre-
sumably weren’t coming into the hobby 30-40 years ago.
We do have a steady stream of young people entering the
hobby — not huge, but it never was — and some of them
are doing amazing things, as we frequently highlight in
these pages.
Bottom line #3: Despite all that, we still need to work hard
to attract each new generation of hams to our hobby. There
are always competing interests and there always have
been. One difference from when I entered the hobby back
in the early 1970s is that many more clubs are welcoming
of young hams today than they were 50 years ago, and
there are formalized programs in place to encourage and
recognize the accomplishments of young hams. Some
examples include the Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham
of the Year program, Carole Perry’s Youth Forum at the
Dayton Hamvention®, the Dave Kalter Youth DX Adventure
program and YOTA, “Youngsters on the Air” in Europe and
“Youth on the Air” in the Americas. The ARRL even has its
Hiram Percy Maxim award for outstanding young hams.
Peer examples are not hard to find.
Bottom line #4: Overall, young people are continuing to find
their way into amateur radio and are advancing the way we
“do” hamming. If you feel there aren’t enough young hams
where you live, don’t just complain about it; do something
about it. Plenty of resources are available. The future of ham
radio is yours to make. Let’s keep it successfully dying for at
least another 80 years.
In This Issue
This is our annual Emergency Communications Special and
as usual, we’ve got several articles to help you be better-pre-
pared to help out in a crisis or in a public service event. Also,
in our news columns this month, we touch on a few items
which will likely continue to be on our collective radars for a
while … the FCC reinstating fees for amateur radio licenses
… the coming loss of the 9-centimeter band … and the devel-
opment of a possible “weather radar” system for tracking spo-
radic-E openings. Finally (even though it’s on the cover and
the first article!), the SSB weekend of the 2020 CQ World
Wide DX Contest is coming up later this month and if you
work EF8R in the Canary Islands, our cover story explains
why the signal is so loud!
– 73 and good DX, Rich, W2VU
Visit Our Web Site
 NEWS BYTES
Can Power Line Noise Help Track Sporadic-E? cation; position, navigation and timing; and intelligence, surveillance
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is hoping that a and reconnaissance.
combination of power line noise and an antenna built primarily for A more detailed scientific paper on the project is still undergoing
radio astronomy can help identify and track the movement of the peer review process as this is written and will likely be published
sporadic-E (Es) clouds in real time. And of course, a ham is part of sometime next year.
the team. And for those of you who are wondering why an antenna system
According to an Air Force news release, the research team — led operating at VHF is named the “Long Wavelength Array,” it was built
by physicist Ken Obenberger — is using the unintentional RF radi- primarily for radio astronomy work, much of which is done at
ation from power lines and the University of New Mexico’s Long microwave frequencies. So, for a radio astronomer (as one of them
Wavelength Array (LWA) to map and track dense Es clouds. The explained it to us), wavelengths of a few meters are considered
announcement explained that while the climatology of Es has long long. The University of New Mexico’s LWA is part of a much larger
been able to provide a probability of when it will occur (e.g., we know research effort looking back to the very early days of the universe
that it’s most likely in the summer, during late morning and late after- when star formation shifted into high gear.
noon / early evening), “but the actual presence of Es can only be
determined through trial and error observations at the time” (in the
case of hams, that means getting on the air and calling CQ!). This
method will reportedly permit what the Air Force is calling “now-
casting” of Es openings.
Chris Fallen, KL3WX, former Chief Scientist for HAARP, the High-
Frequency Active Aurora Research Program, is part of the AFRL
research team. He compared this method to tracking thunder-
storms. “This is similar to how meteorologists can predict how like-
ly thunderstorms will occur in the afternoon above New Mexico dur-
ing monsoon season,” he explained, “but use Doppler radar to
identify and track specific thunderstorms as they occur … Ken’s
technique basically provides weather radar for Es, only using radio Some of the University of New Mexico’s Long Wavelength Array
noise from power lines as the radar transmitter.” stations in the desert near Kirtland Air Force Base (also in New
The AFRL is interested in being able to more accurately predict Mexico). While built primarily for radio astronomy, this array is now
and track Es for more reliable military communications. As a key element of an Air Force Research Laboratory program to iden-
Obenberger explained, “understanding how Es develops and moves tify and track Es openings in real time. (U.S. Air Force courtesy
can improve our ability to design and use” systems for communi- photo)

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 9

Photo A. Original house and six towers (all photos courtesy of the author)

The CQ World Wide DX Contest’s SSB weekend is later this month, followed by
the CW weekend in November. If you’re on the air, there’s a good chance
you’ll work EF8R in the Canary Islands for your Zone 33 contact. Here’s why!

EF8R: The World’s Best Contest QTH?

BY LEONID RADCHENKO,* RA5A

Life is ... searching! When the millennium changed in 2000, I decided to start
looking for an even better QTH in Gran Canaria. One rea-
n this case, I mean searching for the best contest QTH in

I the world. In the 1990s, after traveling around the world

many times, visiting almost every Pacific island, contest-
ing and carrying radios and antennas on my back, I finally
got a better idea. Why not settle down in one place only —
at the best QTH in the world?
A Good Start
Our group already had a good place in Faro de Sardina on
the north coast of Grand Canary Island (or more accurate-
ly, in Spanish, Gran Canaria). We had made some excellent
contest efforts from that location, including the incredible
multi-record-breaking CQWW SSB performance in 1999 by
Jeff Steinman, N5TJ, operating as EA8BH. (That year, Jeff
broke the single-op all-band record by more than 10 million
points — a record that still stands today — was the first to
make over 10,000 QSOs in CQWW as a single-op, and had
the highest-ever multiplier total for a single-op. –ed.)
* Email: <rn3az@mail.ru>
son was that the towers at Sardina were starting to deterio-
rate, due to the damp and salty environment.
With Ville, OH2MM; Mauri, OH2BYS; and Manolo, EA8ZS
we made signal comparisons against Sardina from the sum-
mits of many of the island’s mountains. I drove a car with a
tribander and radio and compared signals to Europe and the
U.S. against the same system at Sardina. I visited many
crazy places and was lucky that the car never fell into a
ravine.
A couple of good places were found, signal-wise, but each
one had some problems. One place was too close to the
refuse dump. The other good one had no electricity or near-
by water source. Then Manolo told me to drive to the top of
Guia Mountain. I hadn’t known there was a road to the top,
but there is.
On Top of Ol’ Guia…
The first tests were promising: Sardina was couple of deci-
bels weaker and Manolo’s QTH (which is in the valley) was
down by more than 1 S-unit. Fine tuning continued: We found

10 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

Photo B. Hurricane Delta in 2005 destroyed all six towers and 10 antennas, striking immediately after the conclusion of
the CQWW CW Contest.

Photo C. During the hurricane, the team took shelter in this underground bunker.

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 11

 Photo D. Some of the many contest teams that have
operated from Magic Mountain.

12 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

a house in the area with a lot of land as well as electricity and
water. Hurray!
I made a deal to purchase the property and contesting start-
ed immediately with the CW leg of CQWW DX on November
23, 2001. Jaakko, OH1MA, worked 10-meter SBLP (single-
band low power) using only a 3-element quad and a 2-ele-
ment Yagi. Result: second in the world.
Then, a few weeks later, I worked the ARRL 10-Meter SSB
Contest, using high power with the same antennas. Result:
first in the world.
Then we started to put up more antennas and towers (Photo
A) and the station was quiet for half a year.
Between 2001 and 2004, we had five wins and then in the
2004 CQWW SSB Contest, OH2U/EA8ZS, operating
multi/multi, had a big win. Work continued and 2005 was a
very active contest year; of the six contests we participated,
we had three wins.
The 2005 CQWW CW was a memory-shaking contest. The
contest itself went OK, but when it was over, Hurricane Delta
hit the island and “killed” all 6 towers and 10 beams (see
Photo B)! During the storm, we moved “underground” into a
bunker which was a 120-square-meter (1292-square-foot)
cellar-space (Photo C). The only problem was a little water
coming in.
Rebuilding
After the hurricane, we had to start rebuilding the station. I
found an interesting program named “Antenna Analyzer,”
which was really helpful. Our QTH is interesting because of
big terrain slopes on all sides. Each tower’s height was cal-
Photo E. The EF8R station in 2018.
www.cq-amateur-radio.com
culated depending the position and direction. I noticed that
the program really worked. Signal strengths were super and
the tower heights ranged from 16-28 meters (52-92 feet),
depending on the location.
Contest life has been very active after that. In the three
years after Hurricane Delta, we worked 28 contests until the
CQWW RTTY Contest of 2008. This contest, which we oper-
ated multi/multi, was one of the best. The team consisted of
Val, RD3AF; Sasha, RZ3AZ (now UA5C); Jaakko, OH1MA;
Juan, EA8CAC (now EA8RM); and Pekka, EA8AH (see
Photo D for a sampling of the different groups of operators
who have competed from our station). We scored over 13
million points and stopped working a couple of hours before
the end and opened a bottle of champagne.
Magic Mountain
The contesting continued, as we added more towers and
more elements.
Our next interesting contest was ARRL DX CW 2010, which
we operated M/2. We had some visitors from U.S. The team
for this competition included: Val, RD3AF; Sasha, RZ3AZ;
Juan, EA8CAC; Manolo, EA8ZS; and our American visitors,
John, W2GD; and Don. K4ZA. The contest was memorable
because W2GD named the QTH “Magic Mountain.”
Another Big Win and Another Big Wind
In 2012, we had a big M/M operation from Magic Mountain
in the CQ WPX SSB as EB8AH. For the first time, we arranged
so called co-pilot radios for each band. It was a huge effort,
but resulted in a big score. We not only won but set a new
October 2020 • CQ • 13
Photo F. Current antenna layout.

record. The conductor of “the orches-

tra” was very busy during the whole con-
test: Changing connectors, changing
antennas to eliminate QRM, fixing lost
elements, etc. The hard work paid off
though, we were champions!
The next “funny” case was in the 2013
ARRL SSB DX Contest. We (Pekka,
Juan, Salva, Manolo) operated multi-
single, low power. The weather forecast
told us to “be ready for a big storm!” We
lowered the trailer towers, but it did not
help. When I went outside during the
night, I saw one of the trailers had lifted
its leg. I went to stand on the leg to pre-
vent it from falling down. But the trailer
decided to move downhill. I was still
standing on the leg when the trailer hit
another trailer and luckily stayed verti-
cal. At 2200, all antennas were unwork-
able, so we stopped the contest. The
wind speed was 180 kilometers per
hour (112 miles per hour).

A New Team
In 2015, a new team came to the sta-
tion, led by RL3AA, and a new large
round of contesting began.
For the CQWW DX SSB in 2016,
Photo G. Operating positions at EF8R … looks like a NASA control room! which we worked multi-single, the sta-

14 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

tion included 24 towers / masts, 120 ele-
ments, and 4,000 meters (13,000+ feet)
of coaxial cable.
As of 2019, Magic Mountain featured
35 towers / masts, 134 elements, and
more than 4 kilometers of coax. (See
Photos E and F). But the most impor-
tant thing is that we have the perfect and
most intelligent team.
Under the leadership of our coach and
team leader Mikhail, RL3AA; your
author (Leonid, RA5A); Juan, EA8RM;
Sasha, UA5C; and the rest of the team,
we have managed to build the best sta-
tion in the world today. The station itself
inside the bunker (Photos G and H)
looks like the control center for the
NASA moon flights.

Recent Results
The 2019 CQWW SSB contest went
very well for us. We operated multi-multi
and placed second with 41,951,525
points!
Here’s our band-by-band breakdown:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
160 614 17 78
80 1962 29 114
40 3271 32 134 Photo H. Behind the scenes … and we call this wireless?
20 4143 38 150
15 4299 38 155
10 1746 24 116

Last year’s CW weekend of the

CQWW went even better! Again oper-
ating M/M, we won with 47,808,624
points … more than 11 million points
higher than the second-place team. On the Cover
Here’s our CW breakdown:
A close-up look at just a few of the 28 The
e World’s
s Bestt Contestt QTH?
? p.. 10
Band QSOs Zones Countries antennas atop Montaña de Guía, 600 http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com $6.99

160 1577 26 101 meters (1968 feet) above sea level on

C
COMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
80 3006 35 134 OCTOBER 2020

Grand Canary Island, which author Leo

40 4487 39 159
20 4316 39 166 Radchenko, RA5A, believes is the
15 3375 38 149 world's best contest QTH. The anten-
10 345 24 74 nas in the cover photo include, from left-
to-right, a 160-meter ground plane (just
Conditions were poor on 10 meters, barely visible at the very far left of the
but 40 was excellent. Our five elements cover); a 5-over-5 for 15 meters (the top
to Europe and five elements to the U.S.
one is hidden behind the CQ logo); a
on 40 were super.
Congratulations to all of the EF8R SteppIR DB18E; a 20-meter rotatable
team members: EA2OT, EA7RM, beam; and a 20-meter Yagi fixed on
EA8RM, EW2A, R3GG, R6FFS, Europe. All of the towers are 60 feet
R6FGG, RA5A, RC5A, RO4F, RU3XY, high. The peak in the background is
and UA5C. Excellent work! Pico de la Atalaya, at 432 meters (1417
feet), with the Atlantic Ocean beyond it.
Ready? For more information about this QTH and the contest superstation that's
In total through this year so far, we have been built there (and operated under several call signs, currently EF8R),
operated in 150 contests, got 70 wins see RA5A's adjacent article and a video from last year's CQ World Wide
and set 30 records. (These are approx-
imate numbers) Contesting continues! DX CW Contest at <https://tinyurl.com/y3yx5cpq>. (Cover photo by
We here on Magic Mountain are ready. Aleksandr Gimanov, UA5C)
Are you ready?

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 15

Emergency Communications Special

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
BY CQ STAFF

Welcome to CQ’s Annual Emergency Communications Special

Here’s a look at what lies ahead

Being an effective emergency or Knowing what

public service communicator resources are
available to you is
requires the right equipment and important in
the know-how to use it in a planning a public
variety of circumstances... service event or
emergency
activation. W9JU
very October, CQ supplements covers the basics

E this monthly Emergency Com-

munications column with an in-
depth Emergency Communications
of planning and
organizing in his
article on page 19
Special. This year, we have seven (W9JU photo)
features and columns (this one includ-
ed) that fit into our theme. Since some
of their EmComm connections might
not be immediately obvious, we thought
we’d use this space to introduce each
of the EmComm-related articles that
you’ll find throughout this issue.
Being an effective emergency or
public service communicator requires
the right equipment and the know-how
to use it in a variety of circumstances,
as well as training and experience in
net operations and the ability to work
with other people, including served
agency officials, net control and the
communications coordinator for your
event or activity. But being that coor-
dinator requires a whole different
skillset, one which may be daunting to
some people. Scott Ruesch, W9JU,
helps break down what’s involved in
this end of ham radio EmComm in his
article, “Planning Your First Amateur
Radio Exercise or Event.”
Having emergency power is a big
part of being able to provide emer-
gency communications, not to mention
keeping your lights on and your
refrigerator running. Bob Bruninga,
WB4APR, developer of APRS and
author of the ARRL book, “Energy
Choices for the Radio Amateur,” points
out in his article, “Backup Power When
the Grid Goes Down,” that owners of
electric vehicles (or gas / electric
hybrids) have a huge amount of stored
power as close as their garages. In The newest version of VARA software for Winlink email via amateur radio offers
fact, he even suggests that non-”EV” this dashboard for a quick view of your station’s status. in an emergency or dis-
owners consider investing in a used aster. See WA9PYH’s article on page 32 for a primer of setting up and using
electric vehicle primarily as a backup Winlink ham radio email. (Photo via WA9PYH)

16 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

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power source with the side benefit of giving you reliable local
transportation!
Much of our everyday communications these days involves
email, especially for served agencies that need written / print-
ed records of requests and / or need to send lists of people
or supplies from one place to another. Plus, individuals rely
on email to keep in contact with family and friends. But what
do you do when the internet and / or cell service is down due
to a natural disaster? Jim Kocsis, WA9PYH, introduces us to
email via ham radio with his article, “Winlink: Keeping You
Connected ‘When All Else Fails’.” Jim also introduces us to
VARA, the latest and greatest software to use with Winlink.
Testing VARA and FT4 was on the agenda recently for
“Sherlock,” our intrepid electronics detective. But a short in
a cable — discovered in the field — brought the whole test
to a halt. Sherlock reminds us of the importance, especially
in an emergency response, of checking all equipment (includ-
ing cables) before heading off to an event, and of carrying
backup for as much as you can in your go-kit. His article is
“Sherlock Investigates: USB Connector Failure Aborts FT4 /
VARA Expedition.”
Among this month’s columns, “Learning Curve” editor Ron
Ochu, KOØZ, fills us in on “Antenna Tuner Basics.” You might
not connect that right away with EmComm, but if you’re
tasked with setting up an HF station in the field or at a tem-
porary location, you probably won’t have a tower and beam
at your fingertips. A wire antenna is much more likely, put up
in a less-than-ideal setting and possibly needing to be used
on more than one band. At that point, an antenna tuner
becomes essential, along with an understanding of what it
does and how it does it.
Finally, Gordon West, WB6NOA, devotes the first part of
his “Gordo’s Short Circuits” column this month to a public ser-
vice-oriented radio club in California and the innovative ways
in which its members are carrying on with most of their activ-
ities despite coronavirus restrictions.
That’s a brief overview of the contents of this year’s
Emergency Communications Special. If your group is doing
something unique or outside-the-box in terms of EmComm,
tell us about it. We can share your story either in this column
or in next October’s EmComm Special. Meantime, stay safe
and healthy and enjoy this issue.

Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, has outfitted his 2013 Chevy Volt with rooftop solar
panels to make it even more “grid-independent” as a source of both local trans-
portation and backup power. See his article on page 28..

The Mountain Top ARA helped guide

An antenna tuner can become a critical piece of gear if an emergency deploy- a rescue helicopter to an injured cyclist
ment requires you to set up a makeshift HF station. KOØZ covers the basics in using APRS data to pinpoint his loca-
his “Learning Curve” column on page 80. (KOØZ photo) tion. (Photo courtesy of MTARA)

18 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

Emergency Communications Special
Congratulations! You’ve done such a great job as a public service
communicator that you’ve been asked to be in charge at the next event.
Help!!
Planning Your First Amateur Radio
Exercise or Event
BY SCOTT RUESCH,* W9JU
o you have been contacted and
S asked to support an event by pro-
viding radio communications or
you have been requested to participate
in an exercise as the communications
coordinator. Perhaps you have lent
your expertise as a radio communica-
tions volunteer or other activity in the
past and now you are being asked to
step up to the plate and organize such
an effort. Now what?
If you’re like some of us, fear and pan-
demonium set in. The blood drains from
your face and your palms are sweating
profusely. With a shaky voice and a
quivering lip, you agree to organize
radio communications for the event.
You have visions of the past where all
you had to do was show up at your
assigned location and do your part,
then go home. Life was good, wasn’t it?
The situation is not quite so rosy when
you are the coordinator for amateur
radio communications.
I hope I haven’t scared anyone off yet,
but it is a very different perspective
when you are the one leading the effort.
If you have never been in a position to
supervise or lead people, that will be a
bit of a challenge. You will need to learn
how to handle people and all the per-
sonalities they bring to the table along
with all the necessary planning activi-
ties. You may have even witnessed
some of those idiosyncrasies with oth-
ers in the past. Having previous lead-
ership experience will certainly help in
the long run. But do not be dismayed.
Help is on the way. Much of planning
involves dealing with people, too.
This article is not intended as a cook-
book plan for you to follow and be able
to run with it. It is meant to give you
ideas and suggestions that you may
* Email <sarpb9918@gmail.com>
www.cq-amateur-radio.com
want to consider when planning for your For example, if you take the route GPS
own event. Only you know the situa-
tions you will encounter in the field and
you must be prepared to meet those
provides to my home QTH, the GPS
tells you to take a road that is not much
more than an old logging trail. You will
challenges. not make it through in a car without
compromising the undercarriage. Yet,
Safety because it is a named road, it shows up
Before I delve into specifics of planning on GPS as the shortest route.
and preparation for your event, I want to • Ensure everyone knows what to do
take a moment to talk about safety. if there is an emergency. If someone
Personal safety must be first and fore- gets injured, it may be necessary to call
most in your mind as you draft your com-
munications plan. You must keep your
volunteers safe! The last thing you want
to do is send someone home in a poor-
er condition than when they arrived. It
goes without saying that a major topic of
your plan will be safety pertaining to
radio operations. This would include
electrical safety, erecting antennas, RF
radiation, etc. That is a different article.
However, there are other aspects of
safety that should be considered:
• Directions are needed on how to get
to the communicator’s assigned loca-
tion. Make sure everyone knows exact-
ly where they are going. A few years
ago at the Patriot North exercise, I was
assigned as a Salvation Army Team
Emergency Radio Network (SATERN)
radio shadow to one of the command
staff and we were asked to deliver
lunches to an airfield at Fort McCoy
(see CQ October 2019 for more infor-
mation about the Patriot North exer-
cise). I had not been there before but
the driver had, so I thought, “No prob-
lem.” Well, it turns out there are two air-
fields near each other and, of course,
we went to the wrong one. We didn’t
know how to get to the correct one and
it was fortunate we were able to contact
the other airfield by radio and they were
able to guide us in. Also, do not totally Photo A. An example of a race course
rely on GPS to get you to your destina- map with checkpoints clearly identified.
tion the best way. Have a backup plan. (Except as noted, photos by the author)
October 2020 • CQ • 19
911 or use the protocol that has been
established beforehand. Where is the
nearest first aid kit? I keep one in my go
kit. You don’t ever want net control to
receive a radio transmission from a
communicator in the field wondering
what to do. Make sure everyone is clear.
The organization you are supporting
may require incident reports to be filled
out as well. You should know this infor-
mation ahead of time. Also, don’t ever
give an injured person’s name out over
the airwaves. Remember the airwaves
are public and could be monitored by
anyone, including the media. It would
be a very bad day if someone was seri-
ously injured and it showed up on the
six o’clock news before the family had
been informed.
• If there is a reason to stop the event,
how will it be accomplished? Who
makes the decision and who will pro-
vide the information to you? How will
you implement the decision? My son,
Kyle, AB9AX, was supporting a major
bicycle race a while back. There was a
serious accident at the checkpoint next
to his assigned location involving
dozens of competitors and requiring
some to be taken to the hospital. Word
was put out over the radio to stop the
race. This was easier said than done
when you have bicycles whizzing by
you at 40 miles per hour. A few stopped
immediately, but most just kept on
going until they reached the accident
and were forced to stop. That created
a new problem. There were now over
Photo B. This go kit for VHF / UHF has its own battery as well as the capability
to use a vehicle battery or plug into an AC receptacle.
20 • CQ • October 2020
200 competitors milling about at the
next checkpoint, which was ill-equipped
to handle those numbers. It took some
persuasion on his part, but Kyle was
finally able to convince the checkpoint
where he was located to send their sup-
plies to the next where all the people
were now stranded.
• Ensure the areas assigned to the
radio communicators are safe to enter.
If you are responding to a disaster, this
is especially important. Don’t become
part of the problem and make it neces-
sary for someone to rescue you!
• Don’t overburden any assigned
areas. Consider whether net control
requires multiple operators. Some of
the event areas in the field may become
very busy. The plan you develop should
incorporate methodology for extra peo-
ple to assist. For example, I was once
assigned a busy intersection for a
triathlon where the participants arrived
on bicycle then set off on the running
portion, which was a loop. When they
returned, the competitors again picked
up their bicycles and finished up the
bike leg. I had to keep track of who was
coming in on a bicycle, leaving on foot,
returning from the run, and taking off by
bicycle again. Of course, this all had to
be relayed to net control. It was chaos
to keep it all straight. There was a huge
potential to lose track of someone. It
would have been much easier if one
radio communicator handled the bicy-
cles in and out while a second commu-
nicator handled the runners in and out.
Please don’t consider what I have
described above as an exhaustive list
of safety issues to consider and ad-
dress. All situations are different. The
goal is to get you to thinking about safe-
ty for your group in a proactive manner
rather than having to react when some-
thing does occur. It really should be your
top priority.
Leadership 101
Most of us have learned at some time
or another that leadership is not the
same thing as supervision. As the
leader, you will be directing volunteers
with varying degrees of expertise and
having to deal with those differences.
As noted earlier, these same volunteers
bring with them a myriad of personali-
ties. For now, I want to stress that you
must always remember that you over-
see volunteers, not employees. When
you need to enter the supervisory role
with them, you must be very careful
how you do so. I cannot emphasize this
enough. They are volunteers, giving up
their free time to help you out. Leaders
have very little positional authority with
them, so you need to be good at read-
ing people. They do not work for you in
the traditional sense and can very eas-
ily take their ball and go home when
upset, even at the slightest infraction
against their ego. This is especially
true if the volunteers are essentially
strangers to you.
It is sad to say, but volunteers will
often do what they want to do rather
than what you want them to do. Quite
frankly, they may think they know the
situation better than you do or just want
to do things their way instead. I remem-
ber an event I was coordinating in which
we had time set aside for the radio com-
municators to set up their radios in vehi-
cles that would be used in the field the
following day. That evening, one of the
vehicle drivers approached me and said
he had not been able to link up with his
radio communicator so the radio could
be installed in his vehicle. That worried
me because I was clear with everyone
what was to be done. I was eventually
able to contact the communicator only
to find out he had gone into town! This
issue forced us to get up early the next
day to get the radio installed and — of
course — there were issues. It was a
few hours into the event when it was
determined that the antenna being used
was not appropriate for the application.
Fortunately, the problem was rectified
early in the day, but those issues should
have been resolved the day before as
planned, not the day of the event. In
these situations, you will sometimes
Visit Our Web Site
just have to smile at them and thank them for their help. Even
though you may be seething inside, don’t let it show.
As a leader, do not assume you know the abilities of your
radio communications volunteers. They may have Amateur
Extra class licenses, but not all Amateur Extras are equal. It
really depends on the facet of radio you are using and what
they are familiar with. Generally, for local events, it will be VHF
/ UHF for the bulk of radio communications and perhaps a lit-
tle HF if a long-distance contact is needed. The Amateur Extra
may not have a go-kit or even a mobile radio, only an HT, yet
at their home station they could run circles around you trans-
mitting messages anywhere in the world on HF using CW.
Likewise, do not undersell any radio communicator just
because he/she has a Technician license. You might be sur-
prised at what a Technician can do. They may be profoundly
proficient at VHF / UHF and could easily fill any role you give
them, if given the opportunity.
Find out each volunteer’s capabilities. A few years ago, I
assigned a Technician to an area I thought would be good
for him because he was very green. He had been licensed
less than three months and only obtained an HT radio a month
before the event. I set him up in a room with a mobile radio
and spent a little time showing him basics on how to use it.
What should have been a quiet position for him to sink his
teeth into and gain some valuable experience fell apart rather
rapidly. His assigned location quickly evolved into a major
command center with a beehive of activity, forcing non-stop
radio traffic from his radio. He did a marvelous job. I wished
I had 10 more of him.
Lastly, supervise if you must. By that, I mean that there will
be times when you must deal with confrontation. It doesn’t
happen often, but it will occur from time to time and as a
leader you cannot ignore it. It should be done quickly. Do not
let the issue linger. Nobody likes to deal with confrontation,
but you have to do it. Your volunteers will respect you for it.
I tell my communicators that if they see me hanging around
them in the field for a significant period of time, it typically
means there is an issue with them or their position that I am
Photo C. This is a portable APRS I-gate using a Raspberry Pi. I have used this in the field with Wi-Fi. (Photo by Kyle
Ruesch, AB9AX)
www.cq-amateur-radio.com
trying to address or better understand. If they don’t see me
in their area asking a lot of questions, it generally implies that
I am satisfied with their performance. I’ve said this before but
it warrants repeating; remember to be tactful because they
are volunteers.
Training
Some of the best training you will receive will be what you
learn from participating in events with radio communications.
You will quickly learn what works and what does not and will
be able to apply this experience to your own planning
process. I have been involved in events that have had mini-
mal planning because the organizers wanted to use the
opportunity to test how their group would respond in an actu-
al emergent call out. In my experience there are enough
issues to manage without adding the complexity of an emer-
gent call out. However, there is some value to practice as if
the emergent situation was reality.
There are few things to think about if you are considering
this:
• If your plan has been used multiple times to the point that
supporting the event has become mundane, then I would
think about operating as if the event were an emergent call
out.
• Secondly, be forewarned that you may have difficulty get-
ting volunteers on short notice so be prepared to work short-
handed. You may really need 15 people to support the event
but, because of the short notice call out, are only able to get
10. The event organizers may not be happy with you if you
are unable to provide the resources you said you would.
• Third, if the entire event you are supporting is structured
so that everyone involved will be called out on an emergent
basis, then it certainly would be appropriate to do the same.
Many organizations provide formal training in order to
obtain the required certifications to become credentialed. You
owe it to these organizations to be as qualified as you can
October 2020 • CQ • 21
be to ensure that you will be an asset and not a hindrance.
For example, with SATERN, the Salvation Army Emergency
Disaster Services (EDS) requires credentialing through their
organization in order to participate in an event or to be
deployed into the field for a disaster. This necessitates
coursework and a background check, among other things.
Other organizations have similar requirements. Find out what
is needed, then do it.

Meet with the Event Organizers

The organizers may not know exactly what you can provide
for communications so it is a good idea to explain the capa-
bilities available to them. Or some may know exactly what
they want from you and will tell you. Do they just want mes-
sage-passing capability or do they want boots on the ground
to keep track of field units and also be their eyes in the field?
Do they want a formal communications plan submitted? Find
out. Feel free to make suggestions but remember it is their
event and they make the call. A good recommendation for a
race might be whether they want you to track times and bib
numbers for each participant. Some may just want the lead-
ers and the stragglers, or anyone that has dropped out. But
in an isolated locale, it may be important to track everyone.
However, if the organizers want an apple and nothing more,
you had better deliver an apple at a minimum. Don’t just go
off and do your own thing because you think it would be bet-
ter for them. Most times this will not be an issue and the orga-
nizers will respond positively to your input. This is typical of
smaller events such as local races. For very large events,
such as the Patriot North exercise, the planning is very for-
mal. There are multi-day planning meetings months ahead
of time. The exercise is scripted with controllers, role-play-
ers and the regular participants. Any input you may have must
be brought up during the planning meetings, not on the day
the exercise starts.
Find out what the event areas include. Do the organizers
have a map with a route highlighted (see Photo A)? Are the
checkpoints identified? Is there inside space available to
establish net control or will it need to be set up in the field?
Ask about erecting antennas. Are there any restrictions such
as no stakes for guy wires? Does Diggers Hotline need to be
brought on board? At the Patriot North exercise, we had
always been provided a building for net control and the grassy
area just outside was where the antenna farm was erected.
One year, the military came by and asked to see our digging
permit. “We never had to have one before,” was the reality,
but obviously was not the right answer. It was embarrassing
and I made certain the shortfall was corrected the following
year. Find out if the set-up area you requested is located on
an impervious surface. It would be a sad day if you arrive
only to discover you are not allowed to guy your antenna with
stakes. If there are no trees nearby a drive-on telescoping
antenna mast with boat anchors to secure the wire sure would
be nice to have. Plan for the worst possible situation you may
encounter.
If the event you are supporting is in response to a disaster,
the event organizers would be Incident Command (IC). It is
imperative that you discuss with them what your role will be
and where you will be located. Also, if you are responding to
a disaster as part of a group such as SATERN, there are pro-
tocols for deployment that must be adhered to. One doesn’t
just show up to the disaster site and expect to be welcomed
with open arms. If they are not expecting you, they most like-
ly do not have logistical support in place to take care of you.
You are now a burden and will probably be turned away.
Remember, this is a disaster and all internal resources are
Photo D. This is the Wisconsin-Upper Michigan SATERN
communications trailer. It has HF and VHF / UHF capabilities.
at a premium. No matter how good your intentions are, do
not self-deploy!
Finding Your Communicators
Identifying volunteers to participate in the event can be easy
or it can be hard. If the event is a local radio club supporting
a local race, there are typically enough volunteers in the club
to make it work. Or if the event is a little larger, neighboring
radio clubs can be solicited for assistance. For the largest
events, many radio clubs may need to be brought onboard
to fill all the positions. This is especially true if the event cov-
ers a wide area. Remember, if you are covering a large event,
some people just do not want to travel and prefer to stay close
to home. Driving five miles to your assigned position is a lot
different than having to drive 50 miles.
The largest events require even more forethought to obtain
the resources needed. I would consider the largest events
those that have more than about 200 people involved or it is
a multiple-day exercise. For example, the main portion of the
Patriot North Exercise takes place over the course of a week
and includes about 1,000 participants. Last year the Salvation
Army contingent alone was about 80 people. We drew on
SATERN communicators from all over the Midwest to find
individuals willing to give up a week of their time to support
the exercise. It was a challenge. We were able to procure 17
SATERN communicators, but had hoped for more. As it
turned out, the extras were not needed because a portion of
the exercise was scrubbed because some military units had
to respond to a hurricane.
Remember, I said that not all amateur radio operators are
created equal. As you are enlisting volunteers ensure you
get an idea of what their capabilities are, and not just the tech-
nological aspects. What is their physical condition? I have no
problem using people that have some health issues.
However, I do need to know so I can ensure they are assigned

22 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

a position which will accommodate their limitations. Some
time ago, I was coordinating a large event and at the end of
the event one of the volunteer radio communicators came to
visit the net control building. There was a small step up to
access the building and the person asked to hold my arm for
support to make the step. My look of disbelief must have been
obvious because they then explained to me that they had just
had their hips replaced! I had nearly assigned this person out
in the field requiring some walking and climbing, far from civ-
ilization not knowing the situation. Fortunately, I had tasked
this individual to an inside location because it was going to
be very hot that day. I may not be so lucky next time.
For large events in which you are the communications coor-
dinator, it would behoove you NOT to assign yourself a posi-
tion as net control or in the field as a communicator. If an
issue crops up during the event, you need to be available to
address it. I was once involved in an event where the com-
munications coordinator was also the event director, net con-
trol, and a SAG vehicle. I don’t think I need to elaborate to
you how well that worked.
Your situation is unique and you will know (or need to learn)
the best way to garner the radio resources you need. The
point is that for larger events, more upfront planning is nec-
essary to ensure you will have a successful contingent of
radio communicators available.
Radio Equipment Needs
When you know the scope of the event and the communi-
cators you will need, it is time to figure out what radio equip-
ment is needed and who will be bringing what. For a local
race it will most likely be VHF / UHF but there are still things
to consider. If everyone shows up with just an HT you may
be disappointed. Depending on location, a mobile rig may be
required for adequate communications. It would also be
especially prudent if Net Control used a mobile radio to
ensure they can reach everyone in the field.
Photo E. Normally, leapfrogging radio positions is a good alternative to having vacant checkpoints when short on
communicators. However, this practice was not particularly effective for this fast-paced motocross event involving about
100 competitors.
24 • CQ • October 2020
With SATERN it is expected that each volunteer commu-
nicator arrives with his / her personal go-kit (see Photo B).
How they choose to build their go-kit is an individual choice,
but must include the following at a minimum:
• VHF / UHF mobile radio
• High-gain magnetic mount antenna
• Power supply (AC power supply, DC battery and / or abil-
ity to use vehicle battery)
• VHF / UHF HT with high-gain rubber duck antenna
Granted, not all SATERN communicators will have a fully-
developed go-kit and, at times, they may still be able to be
used in an event if certain assigned positions can satisfac-
torily be manned with an HT only, or extra radio equipment
is brought by others that can be loaned. When deployed in
the field, one never knows what resources will be available.
I take the stance that the only resources you have are the
ones you bring with you.
Is a repeater needed or will simplex operations suffice?
Simplex certainly is less complicated and is preferred if pos-
sible. Unfortunately, I have been involved in only one event
where simplex was able to be used for the whole area that
needed to be covered. But use it if you can. While repeaters
are typically open to everyone, it is common courtesy to ask
permission beforehand to use someone else’s repeater. If
you will use your own club’s repeater, then that is not a prob-
lem. If repeaters are utilized make sure each volunteer has
the frequencies (including CTCSS tones) programmed into
their radio prior to arrival.
Consider the use of cross-banding. I use this quite a bit in
the field for an event. It allows me the freedom of movement
with an HT yet use the transmitting power of a mobile unit. I
would recommend half-duplex if possible. If you elect to use
full duplex then ensure your radio is capable of transmitting
your callsign periodically to stay within FCC requirements.
Visit Our Web Site
Using full duplex also places additional
wear and tear on your radio that you
may want to think about.
For large events, the use of APRS
(Automatic Packet Reporting System,
see <www.aprs.org>) may be beneficial
to track communications units in the
field. This would be especially helpful if
there are roving positions. It should be
determined beforehand that all areas
encompassing the event are able to
reach a nearby digipeater. If not, you
may have to use a portable I-gate or
your own digipeater to ensure reliable
tracking with APRS (see Photo C).
There are options.
Will HF capability be required? In a
large exercise or other event where
there is a need to transmit over long dis-
tances, then most likely net control or a
designated HF relay station would be
the only station that would need this
capability. When HF is required during
a major deployment where SATERN is
utilized, this equipment is either specif-
ically requested or is brought in from the
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you will need in this regard. If there is a
need to send photographs and forms,
then digital resources will need to be
arranged for as well.
Finally, consider using a communica-
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already have at its disposal. Most are out-
Audio Tubes
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tions and can be rolled up to any desired
location. They make for an excellent net
control station (see Photo D).
Why do I mention all this when we may
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www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 25

or any other organization utilizing amateur radio for emergency
response, it does not matter. You should at least consider how
participating in a local event supports the organization you
serve and strive to be prepared for any situation that arises.
Document the Plan
It helps to write down your plan and share it. Get input for
things you may have missed or forgotten. For large events,
this is not optional. Don’t leave things to memory. Also, the
plan you create should be finalized long before the actual
event or exercise takes place. A plan is considered finalized
when all necessary resources have been identified and prop-
erly arranged for, including the volunteer communicators. At
the Patriot North exercise, I try to have the plan finalized a
month ahead of time. For smaller events, not as much time
is required. This buffer of extra time is used to address last-
minute brush fires. And there will be brush fires to put out!
Some examples include equipment unavailability, person-
nel cancellations, or possible changes to the event itself.
The extra time you allotted by completing your plan early will
be used to address these emergent problems. If you find
yourself performing initial planning during this buffer phase,
you have done a great disservice to yourself and your team.
Keep stress to a minimum and give yourself a buffer zone.
You will be amazed at how relaxed you will be during this
time because if you did initial planning right, you will already
have been thinking about potential setbacks and how to
resolve them.
net control before entering the field to ensure any issues can
be corrected immediately. Also have them check in with net
control when they reach their destination.
• What if a repeater that you planned on using fails? Have
you arranged for a backup? Does net control have a suffi-
ciently high antenna with significant gain to reach everyone
using simplex? Can the use of relays be employed?
• What if the net control station fails? Will someone step up
in the field to act as net control to salvage the crisis? I remem-
ber a triathlon I was supporting where all field operators lost
communications with net control, which had two radios and
two operators. This was fortunately at the very onset of the
race and the field operators started putting together a plan
on the fly. Fortunately, net control got back on the air after
about 15 minutes. It turned out they were both using the same
power supply and it failed. One of the operators happened
to have a vehicle jump-start kit in his truck and they were
back in business.
• Did anybody get lost or injured? This includes radio com-
municators as well as competitors / participants. It’s amaz-

The Day of the Event

The best of plans can go right out the window when you show
up for your event if you did not carefully consider necessary
contingencies. The best plans will have accounted for any
contingencies, but perhaps not all. It’s time to hit the ground
running and revise the plan on the fly if necessary. However,
there are some things you can do to minimize any new issues.
• Perform a pre-job brief. Be sure the communicators know
where they need to be and at what time. Make sure you cover
all the aspects discussed so far. Also, is there required attire?
Some race organizers want you to wear their shirt promot-
ing the race. Some events want radio communicators to wear
special vests. The Salvation Army EDS requires all volun-
teers on deployment to wear red shirts with its logo on them.
• Did some of your volunteers not show up? You will have
to decide whether to leave a position vacant or leapfrog some
positions. Sometimes a position will be finished early in the
event and the person there could be moved to a later check-
point to which competitors have not yet arrived. It is worth
trying, but there are times when this will not work very well.
A few years ago, I was involved with a 100-mile amateur
motocross rally in which the race organizer elected to use
amateur radio at the last minute. We were only able to get
four radio communicators to cover the 100 miles through
roads and woods around two counties (see Photo E). The
communicators leapfrogged positions as quickly as they
could, but as the event progressed, competitors became
more spread out so that we could not get to the next check-
points fast enough. But we did the best we could under the
circumstances.
• Procure help for setting up net control before everyone
heads out into the field (see Photo F). It is very easy when
trying to set up an antenna farm with extra hands as opposed Photo G. When your checkpoint is in the middle of a nation-
to doing it all yourself. al forest or other publicly-accessible location, you may be
• Did everyone program their radios beforehand? It’s time called upon to assist individuals not associated with the
to find out. Have each communicator test their radios with event you are supporting. Do your best to help regardless.

26 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

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ing how many people consider you an authority on every-
thing because you are wearing a chartreuse vest and have
a radio. Make sure you know what to do or how to direct peo-
ple. In one race I supported, I was stationed at an intersec-
tion of two dirt roads in the middle of a national forest. I had
one person ask me how to get to a certain trout stream and
another how to get to the local bait shop (see Photo G). And
this was before the race started! Please try to be helpful
regardless. Ironically, in that same race, a competitor took a
wrong turn between my checkpoint and the one prior. It was
a tremendous help to the SAG vehicle to know that he had
not arrived at my position and they were able to backtrack
and find the runner who had wandered off course.
• Are any assigned positions being overburdened with traf-
fic? Send some help if you can, or perhaps lighten the posi-
tion’s duties temporarily.
• Did all stations stay active until permitted to shut down by
net control? Typically shut down should not occur until it can
be assured that there will be no more activity in that area and
everyone is accounted for. Regardless, field stations should
not pack up and go home until released.
After the Event
Please thank your hosts for allowing you the privilege of sup-
porting them. I always feel I gained more value from these
events than they may have received from radio communica-
tions. The organizers are generally very grateful for your help.
Ask for feedback from them regarding what you could do bet-
ter with communications to support them. It is a good feeling
when the race director says they were getting better infor-
mation from the field from the radio operators than they were
from their own staff. Then you know you hit the mark with
your plan. Likewise, provide feedback to them as well. They
certainly have the desire to improve and they need to hear
any ideas or concerns you may have. Remember to use tact
when doing this. Don’t throw anyone under the bus. Pose
any criticism to them with a questioning attitude. Get them to
start thinking about it without putting them on the defensive.
In other words, don’t say, “You did…” or, “You need to…”
Phrase your words such that you are merely describing some-
thing that occurred, without any finger-pointing. Please offer
suggestions for them to contemplate to fix the issue.
Remember you were there and witnessed it, they did not, so
be helpful and give them some ideas.
Solicit feedback from the radio communicators. They were
in the best position to see things that worked well and also
the things that did not. If you have a post-job brief (and I rec-
ommend you have one), ask for comments on an individual
basis. If you just throw it out to the group you will not get
everyone’s input. Make sure you document any lessons
learned for radio communications. You would be surprised
how many details fade from memory over time.
Now It’s Your Turn
As I alluded to in the beginning of this article, it is impossible
to script everything when planning for an event in which you
are providing radio communications. I intentionally did not lay
it out in a checklist-type itinerary for it to merely be copied.
That work is left for you. The intent is to get the thought
process going and get you to thinking about things you may
not have considered in your own experiences with planning.
Remember, only you know your event and how to best sup-
port it. A well-thought-out plan will provide your best chance
for success.

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 27

Emergency Communications Special

Ham radio keeps working when our everyday communication infrastructure fails.
But even we need power for our radios. APRS developer WB4APR offers a power
source that may be under your nose without your realizing it.

Backup Power When the Grid

Goes Down
BY BOB BRUNINGA,* WB4APR

any hams enjoy building, plan-

M ning, and preparing for emer-

gency and field operations
almost as much as operating. Turns
out, the transformational electrification
of transportation is a genuine game
changer in these areas. More than half
of the dozen-plus deaths in Hurricane
Laura were from carbon monoxide poi-
soning from home generators. On the
other hand, electric vehicles (EVs) and
plugin-hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs)
now have huge batteries with energy
capacity ranging from 4 to 85 kilowatt
hours (kWh) (and / or 50 kilowatts or
more generators in the plug-in hybrids)
suitable for powering field or grid-down
home power for hours or days, as noted
in the ARRL publication “Energy Choices
for the Radio Amateur.”1
My latest toy is what I call the back-
to-the-future FrankenVolt shown in
Photo A. It is simply my old 2013 Chevy
Volt (cost $12k used in 2017), modified
with plywood side panels to hold the lift-
gate horizontal to support three rather
large low-cost flat solar panels totaling
to about 240 watts peak in the summer.
Not only can this added energy amount
to about 30 more free solar miles a
week, but the real advantage to me is
providing field operating power with or
without the HV battery system being
powered up.2
Whole House Battery Backup
You may have heard about whole
house battery backup systems such as
the Tesla Powerwall.3 It can provide 14
kWh of backup energy, which would be
about 14 hours for the typical home, at
a cost of roughly $7,500. But in com-
parison, a used electric Nissan Leaf for
*Email: <wb4apr@amsat.org
Photo A. The author’s 2013 Chevy Volt modified for a flat roof and 240 watts of
solar panels.
about the same price can give more
than double that battery capacity, while
also serving as reliable local trans-
portation the other 99.9% of the time.
Meanwhile, the expensive Powerwall is
stuck at home unused 99.9% of the time
for most homeowners. In fact, in this
example, the entire storage capacity of
14 kWh is really only a bit over $2 worth
of electricity.
Don’t misunderstand, the home bat-
tery is definitely in our future, but it
makes no economic sense now, until
the grid and your utility start to pass
along the true value of its electricity
back to the consumer during peak
demand. In other words, the energy in
the home battery can be worth more
than ten times the normal rate for the
two hours after the sun goes down until
the grid ramps up to meet base load. If
you got paid for that premium daily, then
the battery would pay for itself in around
two years and basically, you’d have a
whole-house battery to boot, at no extra
cost. But until that happens, don’t waste
the money for a bit over $2 worth of
backup electricity per power outage,
and simply consider an EV to provide
both backup power and transportation
for less cost.
EV Air Conditioning
Another huge advantage of EVs during
summer field operations is operating
from the car for hours with full climate
control. It’s quite an experience to stand
next to a quiet EV sitting in the hot sum-
mer sun and realize the person inside
is in perfect comfort with hardly any
noise or oppressive heat coming from
under the hood. An EV is more than five
times more energy efficient tank-to-
wheel than an internal combustion
engine (ICE), and considering that a
belt-driven AC compressor operating at
engine idle is probably only half as effi-
cient as the electric compressors in
EVs, it is estimated that the heat from
the ICE with the AC on is ten times that
from an EV, not to mention the ten times
more fan noise to keep the gas burner
from overheating. Yet both provide the
same amount of cooling.
Energy Consumption
As for energy consumption, I drove my
Volt at 1 MPH in a 4th of July parade for

28 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site


Photo B. Connecting a 2-kilowatt inverter to the Chevy Volt’s 12-volt battery under
the trunk.
two hours with the AC on high and the
windows open (for waving). I used 16
miles of range in the two hours to go two
miles. This includes driving power, max
AC power and “on” power. The Volt con-
sumes about 500 watts just being on,
to power up its internal systems. With
the Volt’s 50-mile EV range, that can
equate to about six hours of full AC
operation at idle before the gas engine
would start to replenish the battery.
More, if the car was not actually mov-
ing the whole time such as during field
operations.
Choosing an Energy System
The sidebars show at least 56 models
of EVs on the market in 2020 with a
variety now including wagons, SUVs,
and crossovers. Sidebar 1 shows the
fully battery electric models (BEVs)
currently available. In addition, five or
more electric pickup trucks (most with
multi-kW 240 VAC power) will be com-
ing next year. This gives the field oper-
ating ham a wide variety of economi-
cal vehicles from which to choose.
Nearly half of these vehicles by 2018
cost less (with incentives) than the
average gas car4 and about half now
have ranges over 350 miles.5 More
than half are plugin-hybrids (shown in
Sidebar 2) which have all the advan-
tages of full electric daily operation
locally but also include a gas-engine
backup for longer distances.
When deciding on the EV to power
your ham operations or home backup,
www.cq-amateur-radio.com
the key to understanding the duration
of power from your vehicle is to under-
stand your load. Although the typical
American home draws about 1-kW
average under routine conditions, this
can be reduced 80% or more under con-
servation power-out conditions and
especially with modern LED lighting.
(More on this below)
Backup Circuits
I moved every lighting circuit in my
house (six circuits — 60 light bulbs and
outlets) plus the refrigerator to a sepa-
rate six-breaker subpanel and 60-amp
A/B switch to switch to the EV when the
grid goes down. Instead of a $150 emer-
gency transfer panel, I took two $11 60-
amp air conditioner disconnect boxes
and threw away one of the pullouts so
I could never have both in at the same
time. Or you can combine the switches
from two of the more expensive $15 AC
disconnect switches (GE) and gang
them together with some aluminum
brackets.6 Total draw with the refriger-
ator and every bulb on is only about 600
watts, which still leaves room for a small
window AC unit when powered from a
1,200-watt inverter from the EV 12-volt
battery.
Calculating the Load
The most important aspect of design-
ing your backup energy system is
understanding the concept of duty-
cycle, not only on the power capacity of
the inverter itself (in kW), but also on
the total energy needed from the vehi-
cle for the duration of the outage (in
kWh). The total energy is not so impor-
tant to a plugin-hybrid with a full gas
tank that might last for a week, but is
critical for determining the duration of
the supply from a BEV battery. Most
electrical loads do not run full time but
are used intermittently or cycle on and
off as needed. In my emergency power
example above (LED lights and the
refrigerator), the lights are only needed
about six hours a day and the refriger-
ator’s compressor is only actually run-
ning maybe half the time.
Looking at the nameplate data on the
refrigerator might suggest 1,000 watts,
but that includes the occasional strip-
heaters used for defrosting. The actual
compressor might only draw 250 watts
and without kids opening and closing it
all the time, the compressor may only
run half the time. I use a simple 1,200-
watt modified-sine 12-volt inverter
(about $100) on my Prius battery7
which is not only sufficient for these
loads but I have also run electric lawn
mowers, chain saws, other power tools,
and even a small window AC unit on it.
When I tried to run these on a more
sophisticated 1,000-watt pure-sine
inverter, it would fault-out on these big
loads. So, I prefer the more robust 1,200
or 1,500-watt modified-sine models.
Example: For overnight, say a dozen
lights for six hours (at 6 watts each = 12
x 6 x 6 = 422 Whrs) and the average
need of the refrigerator [250 W x 24 Hrs
x 50% (duty cycle) = 3 kWh] gives a total
24-hour energy requirement under 4
kWh per day. Looking at kWh capacity
of all the BEVs and PHEVs gives a
range of operation of about two days for
a Prius Plugin before the engine would
start and then give another couple of
weeks’ run-time on gas. Or if you have
a typical 250-mile Battery EV like the
Chevy Bolt, with an 88-kWh battery, it
would theoretically run my emergency
house loads above for 22 days.
WRONG (Don’t forget overhead):
These calculations assume that the
only thing running on the EV or PHEV
is your loads. But you also need to con-
sider the overhead of having the EV
powered up in the ON or “READY” con-
dition so that the power feeding the 12-
volt battery “indefinitely” is actually
coming from the big HV battery down
into the 12-volt system. Most EV/
PHEVs will consume from 500-1,000+
watts just sitting there. This is more than
double your actual loads, so you should
divide these optimistic numbers by
more than half to get a more realistic
run time. You can also avoid midnight
October 2020 • CQ • 29
 Sidebar 1: The 29 Full Battery Electric EVs on the market in
2020. (Source: The Electric Vehicle Association of Greater
Washington, DC <evadc.org>)

snacks and let the refrigerator just coast until morning so you
can shut down the EV and drastically reduce the overhead.
Also, many BEVs and most PHEVs will shut down after an
hour or two in case someone forgot and left the car in ON
position (very easy to do with a quiet car that is not idling on
gas until shut off). Imagine if the car is in a closed garage.
Once the battery was depleted, you would not want the
PHEV’s gas engine to start up on its own in an enclosed
space until the gas runs out. In the Volt, a simple rubber band
around the shift-button (while in Park) will keep it ON indefi-
nitely. Eventually we hope hams can document which EVs
and PHEVs can run indefinitely and which ones time out (and
what workarounds have been found).

EVs’ 12-Volt Continuous Duty Capacity

There is one other thing to consider and that is the capacity
of the car’s built-in HV-to-12-volt DC/DC converter. It main-
tains the 12-volt battery at about 13.8 volts by drawing from
the HV (high-voltage) battery. In the Prius, this has been
found to be about a 1-kW converter. But at a continuous 1-
kW load, the battery will begin to droop below 13.8 volts, so
the continuous power from such a Prius car system has been
found to be about 800 watts continuous. Of course, the 12-
volt battery and the DC/DC converter can easily provide 2 or
3 kW for burst loads for a few minutes, but the long-term aver-
age — 24 hours a day — should stay below 800 watts for the
Prius (remember another 250 watts or so is just keeping the
car’s 12-volt system alive). In contrast, the Chevy Volt has a
2.5-kW DC/DC converter to the 12-volt system and so can

30 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

 Join Christian, K0STH at the intersection
of life and amateur radio.
Subscribe wherever you get podcasts and
oin the community on Facebook and Twitter.

100WATTSANDAWIRE.COM

Sidebar 2: The 32 Plug-in Hybrids currently available, with

both all-electric miles and gas engine backup listed. (Source:
The Electric Vehicle Association of Greater Washington, DC
<evadc.org>)

provide almost double the continuous power (though it draws

over 500 watts of overhead just sitting there in the ON /
READY position). A 2-kW inverter added in the trunk of a Volt
is shown in Photo B.

Conclusion
Do not overlook the huge batteries in BEVs and generators
in PHEVs for your ham needs when you think about emer-
gency power. Especially considering that you can also use
the car for daily transportation that is better, faster, cleaner,
quieter, safer, and cheaper to buy (with incentives), cheap-
er to operate and cheaper to maintain. With an EV or PHEV,
the emergency power aspect is almost an additional freebie
and even when run as a generator, the toxic emissions due
to its catalytic converter are down 10:1 compared with a
portable generator.

Notes
1. Bruninga, “Energy Choices for the Radio Amateur,” ARRL,
Newington, CT 2019
2. <http://aprs.org/FrankenVolt.html>
3. <www.tesla.com/powerwall>
4. <http://aprs.org/Energy/EV/EV-costs-color-c.pdf>
5. <http://aprs.org/Energy/EV/EV-ranges-color-b.pdf>
6. <http://aprs.org/ac-disconnects.html>
7. “Energy Choices for the Radio Amateur,” Figure 9.12B

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 31

Emergency Communications Special

“The Big One” has just hit your area. Fortunately, you and your neighbors
are fine, but you have no power, no phone service, no internet. How do
you tell people outside the affected area that you’re OK? WA9PYH has
one solution … email over ham radio via Winlink.

Winlink: Keeping You Connected

“When All Else Fails”
BY JIM KOCSIS,* WA9PYH

onsider this scenario: What if you had no power, no

C access to cell service and internet, and you needed

to let loved ones far away know that you are safe and
sound during a localized disaster (tornado, explosion, ice
storm, hurricane)? How would you reach them? One
answer: A mobile setup or home station powered by a gen-
erator, and Winlink.
Winlink ® is a means of sending and receiving email via
ham radio on HF and VHF. The purpose of this article is to
provide you with a starting point for Winlink on HF. It’s not
nearly as fast as a true internet connection but it has its place
in ham radio because in a mobile setup, it is independent of
local power, cell and internet availability, and will get the mes-
sage through. If you have a generator for power, Winlink can Photo A. Homebrew push-to-talk (PTT) circuitry for an
get a message through to the internet then on to its final des- RS232 port, built into a DB-9 connector.
tination. Think of it as going through a wireless router hun-
dreds of miles away. You probably already own the hard-
ware required to use Winlink. The hardware is the same as tab. The information there will get you up to speed quickly.
that used in the newer digital modes (FT8, etc.). You only Also, there is a Winlink Google Program Group. This group
need to spend around $100 for membership and the latest, has some excellent technical folks who do a great job
greatest, software. answering questions.
On June 30, 2020, a new version of VARA (version 4.0)
was rolled out. It adds a 500-Hz-wide mode. This allows
A (Very) Brief Overview of Winlink and Modes VARA operation in narrow channels. This is especially impor-
Used With It tant on 40 meters, where there is a narrow 5-kHz wide ACDS
Using a PC, an HF transceiver, and an audio interface (Automatically Controlled Digital Stations) band for the 2300-
between the radio and the computer’s audio in / out ports and Hz-wide VARA mode. With VARA 500 Hz, you can operate
PTT, you “connect” over the air to a gateway station. The gate- outside this narrow band.
way has a local high-speed connection to the internet. Once I’ve done some testing of the 500-Hz mode with gateways
connected, you send and receive email. Attachments are han- running the new mode and it is absolutely amazing. With a
dled the same as when using your “regular” email. good connection (strong signal), it works as well as the 2300-
The modes I’ve experimented with are WINMOR, ARDOP Hz-wide mode. I connected to a gateway station that was
(Amateur Radio Digital Open Protocol) and VARA. Each is buried in noise. The software was able to dig out the signal
successively faster and more robust than its predecessor. perfectly. Author Jose, EA5HVK, has done an excellent job
(Robust here means being able to get through during poor of composing this newest software.
band conditions –JK). WINMOR is quite slow, ARDOP is
faster but VARA is much faster and more robust. In fact, I’ve My Path to the Best Part of Winlink
been able to transfer a test email using VARA when the gate-
For several years, I used a desktop PC and WINMOR.
way station was barely audible. The data transfer wasn’t as
Although it worked, I was not happy with the speed or its abil-
fast as when band conditions are perfect, but it got through.
ity to operate in poor band conditions. For a brief time, I exper-
There is a LOT of information on the <www.winlink.org>
imented with using PATWinlink software, a Raspberry Pi-
website. Checkout the FAQ page and the excellent videos
3B+ and a HAT board which only provided ARDOP
by Rob, K4REF. Those two valuable resources and much
capability. My goal was to use that setup in my car with a
more can be found by clicking on the “Book of Knowledge”
mobile HF rig. It worked after a fashion, then quit working
entirely (I will be the first to admit that I’m not an expert on
* Email: <sadiekitty@sbcglobal.net> Pi operation –JK). In PATWinlink, characters on the Pi screen

32 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

are small, there is very little information on the status of an
email exchange and the hardware configuration required an
external display, mouse, and keyboard. Granted, it’s a small
computer, but packaging it turned out to be a major project
in addition to it looking homebrew. I wanted a compact and
inexpensive setup since I have emergency communications
(EmComm) in mind. A laptop has a keyboard, mouse, and
big display all in one enclosure — just what I wanted. In addi-
tion, Winlink looks much like popular email software we are
familiar using.
Recently, I switched from WINMOR and ARDOP to VARA
on my home PC. VARA is far superior. Additionally, it shows
a lot of status information during an email exchange. (VARA
offers a display that is similar to a car’s dashboard that I think
is especially “neat” –JK). YouTube has many videos that
show Winlink in use. The sounds of the three modes differ
markedly from each other. VARA sounds very different from
WINMOR and ARDOP — like a group of birds all chirping at
once. All of my testing up to now has been from my home
QTH. Recently I realized it would be much more useful and
valuable if I could use it mobile. Now I have VARA and Winlink
running in my car on 40, 30, and 20 meters.
Hardware and Software Options
If you don’t operate the digital modes, an audio interface can
be homebrewed. Two small 1:1 audio transformers, a resis-
tor and two potentiometers are all that’s required, along with
connectors that match your PC and radio. The PTT function
can be accomplished several ways. The PC that I use at my
home QTH has a true serial port (do you remember RS232?)
that I’ve wired to a small TTL IC-size relay that keys my rig.
It’s built inside a DB-9S connector. Schematics of each are
shown in Figure 1 and pictures are in Photos A and B. As an
alternative, you can purchase a USB-based interface such
as a RigBlaster Plug-n-Play ($120) that provides all inter-
facing (RX/TX audio and PTT). That is the interface I have
used in the past in my mobile setup but have changed to a
simpler and much less expensive setup as described in the
next paragraph. My Netbook audio in / out connector became
intermittent so I added a USB-to-audio sound adapter as
shown in Photo C. They are available at Amazon, Walmart,
Best Buy, etc. Mine cost $10.
There is an option in the software for automatically setting
the band, frequency, and mode and operating the PTT func-
tion. These settings are all done via commands sent from
Winlink to the rig when you select a gateway station from the
list (see below). For my mobile rig, a Yaesu FT-857D, a $25
CAT (Computer Aided Tuning) cable does all the interfacing
except the audio in / out connections. This feature will elimi-
nate your having to dial in the frequency and band when
changing gateway stations. I spent several hours getting it to
work. My rig’s ACC connector can be set to CAT, TUNER, or
LINEAR. Mine was set to TUNER which prevented it from
accepting any commands from Winlink. Make sure yours is
set to CAT.
Here are the settings I used: 1 stop bit, 8 data, no parity

NC
x x xx NOTCH
ON TOP
2 x 1N914 OR 1N4148 x x xx
DB-9
C NO
5 CP CLARE, INC.
TO PC TYPE PRME 15005B OR OTHER
RS-232 WITH 350 Ω COIL
4
150 Ω NO
¹/W C
TO PTT ON ACC CONNECTOR
NC

2 x ¹/" PLUG

R - RIGHT
2 x 1:1 AUDIO TRANSFORMERS
L - LEFT
10K-TO-10K
G - GROUND
2 x 5K 10 TURN POTENTIOMETERS

R
L RECEIVE AUDIO
G
TO PC RIG GROUND
LINE IN

100K ¹/W
R
L
G
TRANSMIT
TO PC
AUDIO
LINE OUT

Figure 1. Schematic of push-to-talk (PTT) and audio interface for running Winlink between your computer and your
HF transceiver.

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 33


Photo B. You can purchase an audio interface device between your computer
and your rig, or you can build your own.
Photo C. A RIGblaster Plug & Play interface for a USB connector on a computer.
and 2 stop bits. In my rig I set menu #19
(baud rate) to 9600, menu #20 to CAT.
In Winlink VARA, the radio settings are
as follows: Radio model to your radio,
mode to USB digital, radio control to
COM N (N is the USB device # of your
CAT cable), PTT port to your model
radio (mine is Y8&7 for many Yaesu
models), RTS and DTR buttons NOT
selected. At present, I’m using a
RigBlaster for the audio in / out con-
nections only. If you use the CAT cable,
don’t plug in the RigBlaster USB con-
nector. Eventually I will construct a sim-
ple interface for the audio in / out sig-
nals instead of the RigBlaster. That
interface is simply two 1:1 audio trans-
formers, the same as in the RigBlaster.
34 • CQ • October 2020
This feature makes operation so simple
because you don’t have to set the fre-
quency or band. Also, the interface is
much less cumbersome.
What type of PC is needed? At home
I use Windows 7 on a very mature (old)
32-bit desktop. In my car, I use an HP
Netbook running Windows 8.1. Neither
is very fast but both work perfectly when
running Winlink VARA.
What type rig is needed? At home, I
use a TenTec Eagle; in my car, I use a
Yaesu FT-857D. Neither rig is very
fancy, but both provide the needed con-
nections for PTT and audio in / out.
These signals are usually available at
the accessory connector at the back of
the rig. As stated in the quick guide for
Winlink, don’t use an SDR. The latency
typical of SDRs, no matter how small,
will add significantly to the turnaround
times and affect the exchange of data.
(When listening to a typical “session” I
couldn’t hear any delay between when
my rig sent a short burst of data and the
gateway sending its short burst of data.
Consider that my home rig [the Eagle]
can operate full break-in, so I didn’t have
a latency problem. –JK)
The software contains a list of gate-
way stations that you can update via the
internet. An option of doing this via radio
is shown but I haven’t tried it.
The gateway station list also provides
a prediction of the best station and band
to use at the current time (see Photo G).
Those shown in green are most likely to
provide a good connection (good sig-
nal). Those in yellow are doubtful and
those in red probably will not work at all.
The software takes into consideration
the distance from you to each station
and the time of day. This can be
observed by noting that 80 and 40
meters will be rated the best at night,
while the higher bands (30 and 20
meters) will be rated best during the
daytime.
When operating mobile you must be
able to charge the PC’s battery.
Otherwise you will be off the air in a few
hours. The AC wall charger that is used
with my Netbook outputs 19 volts. For
mobile charging, I use a 12- to 19-volt
voltage booster that I found on Amazon.
(p/n gczwpn4y5o or UPC 746771655444
is the unit I purchased for $25.59 or you
can do a search on Amazon “12V to NNV
voltage booster” for a unit that matches
that of your AC charger –JK). I attached
a cigarette lighter plug and a connector
that fits my PC. The laptop manufactur-
ers use barrel connectors that you prob-
ably won’t have in your junk box. I have
a large selection of them but not one fit
my Netbook PC! On eBay I bought a
charger for $7 made specifically for the
model of my Netbook PC. I cut off the
cable and connector and spliced it onto
the voltage booster. See the mobile
charging components in Photo D.
Software Setup and Getting
More Information
Go to <www.winlink.org> and download
the latest software. You will have to
enter your callsign, name, address, grid
square, etc., to register your station with
the Winlink organization. The use of
WINMOR and ARDOP are free but you
will be requested to donate $25 to
ARSFI, the Amateur Radio Safety
Foundation, Inc. ARSFI oversees the
Visit Our Web Site
 BAND LOW LIMIT HIGH LIMIT If you make a connection and are sending an email or you
(METERS) (MHz) (MHz) are receiving one, a green progress bar will move across
the upper part of the screen: Right to left when receiving an
email, left to right when sending an email in VARA. However,
80 3.5850 3.6000
you don’t have to send an email just to test connecting to a
40 7.1000 7.1050
gateway.
30 10.1400 10.1500
How long does it take after a message is received by a gate-
20 lower 14.0950 14.0995
way station to reach its destination? For a test I sent a mes-
20 upper 14.1005 14.1120
sage to myself (relayed through the ARRL email forwarding
17 18.1050 18.1100
service) and it took less than a minute for it to appear in my
15 21.0900 21.1000
home email account.
12 24.9250 24.9300
10 28.1200 28.1890
Why Get Involved With Winlink?
I remember reading early in my ham career that “amateur
Table 1. FCC HF subbands for automatically controlled dig- radio exists for the service it provides.” We are given oper-
ital stations (ACDS), including most Winlink gateways. The ating privileges on parts of the valuable RF spectrum to pro-
20-meter segment is split in order to protect propagation bea- vide a service to the country. That service can take many
cons on 14.100 MHz. forms, such as training people in electronics and providing
communications during an emergency. Do you recall the hur-
development and operation of the Winlink system and keeps ricane that hit Puerto Rico a few years ago? Ham radio was
the entire system running. See <www.arsfi.org> for more the only means of getting messages in and out during the
information. Be generous and make that contribution! (Note: first few weeks. ARRL equipped a group of hams with HF
As this is being written in mid July 2020, WINMOR eventu- rigs, computers, and interface devices to provide desperately
ally will be removed from the software –JK). needed communications with the U.S. mainland.
You will have to configure the software for your radio and
interface. The audio levels for both transmit and receive will Some Limitations and Suggestions
need to be adjusted so that you don’t overdrive the trans- Your communications are NOT private. Keep that fact in mind
mitter or the sound card in your PC. To make sure your trans- when sending email messages. Inform the person receiving
mit audio is actually going “out the door,” you should listen your email of that fact so they don’t send you an email with
to it on another receiver. sensitive information in it.
Compared to WINMOR, ARDOP and the free version of
VARA, the purchase of the high speed VARA software is well
worth the price of $69. I cannot stress this enough! After buy-
ing the software, you will receive a registration key that is tied
to your callsign. One key will work on multiple computers. Eliminate Hash & Noise with
Making a Connection Clearspeech® Audio Solutions
Here’s the sequence to follow to connect to a gateway sta- Clearly hear voice & amplify your audio!
tion (Screenshots E-H show the various windows that you
will use):
1. Open the main screen called RMS Express. The icon is CLRspkr ‫ݹ‬$PSహLHGVSHDNHUZLWKDGMXVWDEOH
a purple and white checkered flag. YROXPHDQGDGDSWLYHQRLVHసOWHULQJ
2. On the main screen in the upper right, select VARA HF ‫ݹ‬,GHDOIRUPRELOHRSHUDWLRQDQG
Winlink (use the slider bar if you don’t see it listed) KRPHVWDWLRQ
3. Click on Open Session ‫ݹ‬5HFRJQL]HVWKHQDWXUHRI&:DOORZLQJ
4. When the next window opens, click on Channel Select WRSDVVQRLVHIUHH
5. Double click on a gateway station that is in the green
area
6. Set your VFO to Dial Freq. (kHz), NOT “Center Freq.
(kHz)” CLRdsp ‫ݹ‬:DPSOLసHUZLWKQRLVHUHGXFWLRQ
SURFHVVRUIRUVSHDNHURU
7. Use USB on all bands, or if your rig has a data mode, KHDGSKRQHDSSOLFDWLRQV
use that. Make sure the data mode is set to USB.
8. If you have variable IF bandwidth, set it to 2600 to 2700 ‫&ݹ‬RQQHFWVWRDQ\SRZHUHGRU
Hz to “fit” the audio inside the passband XQSRZHUHGVSHDNHUZLWK‫ݴ‬MDFN
9. If you have variable IF passband, adjust the settings so
the band noise is centered between the two red lines on the ‫ݹ‬,QGHSHQGHQW'63QRLVHUHGXFWLRQ
waterfall IRU0DLQDQG6XE5;
10. Click Start. The computer, rig, and gateway will do the CLRstereo
rest. ‫ݹ‬,QGHSHQGHQWYROXPHWRQHDQG
‫ݹ‬
సOWHULQJIRURQHRUERWKFKDQQHOV

Hopefully, you will hear a gateway station come back to

‫ݹ‬,GHDOIRU625
you. It may take a few tries because the station may be in
the scan mode, checking other frequencies or bands. If you

RADIO
can’t make a connection, either the band is not open to that WEST MOUNTAIN Sales: 262-522-6503 EXT 35
sales@westmountainradio.com
gateway or it may be busy on another frequency or band.
westmountainradio.com/CQ1120

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 35

 There are narrow bands within our HF
bands that are allocated for digital
modes such as Winlink. The stations
operating there are referred to as ACDS
(Automatically Controlled Digital
Stations). Some gateway stations are
located in Canada and other countries,
but U.S. amateurs should not use those
gateways unless they are inside the
U.S. ACDS bands. There are gateways
located worldwide but I doubt you will
be able to connect to non-U.S.-based
stations. But, why would you want to do
that? A better connection can always be
obtained using U.S. stations. The chart
in Table 1 shows the ACDS bands. Also,
Photo D. Voltage booster to provide 19 volts to a computer from a 12-volt car
battery.
Photo E. Main screen of the newest VARA software for Winlink.
36 • CQ • October 2020
see Section 97.221(a) through (c) of the
FCC rules.
Okay, so you’re ready to be that “hero
OM or YL with the ham radio” and you’re
going to exchange messages during an
emergency or disaster with a distant fam-
ily member. Do you know their email
address? Don’t depend on your cell
phone’s contact list. Remember, if every-
thing is “out” you may not be able to get
the person’s email address there. The
cellphone battery may be dead, the
phone may be lost or damaged.
Hopefully, the addresses are on the PC
but store them on a thumb drive just to
be sure. Your neighbors may not have
that info available but if they do, you’re
there to help. (Picture that “deer in the
headlight” look when you ask them for the
email address of their Aunt Bessie –JK).
You should have those email addresses
stored BEFORE the emergency.
These modes are 100% duty cycle.
They use upper sideband but are
putting out full power when they are
transmitting. When I first tested VARA,
my Eagle was set to 100 watts (full
power). During a long transmission, the
cooling fan came on and ran faster than
I’d ever heard it run before. YOU DON’T
NEED A LOT OF POWER TO GET
THROUGH. Set your actual power to
50% to keep your finals cool. Here’s
how: Set your transmitter for full power
in CW mode, then adjust the audio level
for half power output. That keeps your
power amplifier happy and assures you
there won’t be any distortion caused by
the rig’s ALC cutting back the power and
creating distortion. You want the purest
waveform going out, not distortion.
Have you seen wide, overdriven signals
on the waterfalls of FT8, PSK, etc.?
Don’t be one of those stations.
When using your mobile setup,
remember that there are dangerous
voltages at the antenna. You will be
parked so you need to warn people to
stay away from the antenna. Some yel-
low pylons and caution tape will help
establish your boundaries. Also, people
should stay clear of the mobile antenna
because if anyone is nearby, they can
detune it so much that the rig’s SWR
protection circuitry may reduce power
or change the pattern.
After a lot of testing, I have found 40,
Visit Our Web Site
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38 • CQ • October 2020
Photo F. The VARA screen when you’re ready to connect.
30, and 20 meters to be the most reli-
able bands. If 17 and 15 meters are
open (if you hear any activity), try them;
but at this point in the sunspot cycle, I
haven’t found 17 or 15 to be usable. If
you have a good mobile setup for 75
meters (more than my 5-foot loaded
mobile whip), you should be able to
communicate reliably in the early
evening. I prefer 30 meters as it pro-
vides 10-kHz bandwidth, while 40 pro-
vides only 5 kHz and 20 provides 16-
kHz bandwidth (split into two subbands
to avoid interference to the NCDXF bea-
cons on 14.100 [see QST July 2019,
page 59]).
Attachments should be limited to what
is absolutely necessary. A large attach-
ment can consume a lot of airtime. A
photo attachment should be reduced to
the minimum resolution required to con-
vey the needed information.
Hams With Antenna
Restrictions
If you live in a neighborhood governed
by an HOA (homeowners association)
that doesn’t permit outdoor antennas,
Winlink may be a way to allow you to
erect at least a simple wire antenna. The
idea here is to explain and demonstrate
the usefulness of Winlink in an emer-
gency. A discussion with the HOA board
is the starting point. Generate a good,
honest list of what you want to discuss.
Use some of the text in this article if
needed, but be sure to be positive.
Explain that you will need to erect a tem-
porary wire antenna to test your setup.
If that works, follow up with a live
demonstration. Sending an email to an
HOA board member’s cell phone dur-
ing the demonstration should impress
even the most skeptic member. A block
diagram showing your station, its loca-
tion and the location of a gateway, and
how it works will explain the “magic” of
Winlink and how it works. Be sure to
stress that you are not using any local
internet router / modem.
In Closing…
This is a valuable service you can offer
to your community, friends, neighbors,
and relatives. Consider setting up your
very own EmComm station, either at
home, in your car, or ideally both. A few
dollars and a few hours’ time will be well
spent. You really don’t know when your
cell provider’s or ISP’s “reliable” and
“familiar” email service will fail. Get set
up now.
I suggest you test your setup (home
and mobile) frequently to ensure every-
thing is working properly and that you
remember how to use it. Don’t let it sit idle
for so long that you forget how to use it
or find out something doesn’t work prop-
erly. I suggest testing both the home and
mobile setups weekly. Operation (set-
tings, use of menus, etc.) should be sec-
ond-nature. During periodic testing,
update the station list — it would be a
waste of time trying to connect to a gate-
way that is no longer available (i.e., a
gateway may have moved to a different
frequency or stopped operation entirely).
I’ve had a lot of fun connecting to gate-
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ways, learning how Winlink works,
building interfaces, and experimenting
with various bands to find the best gate-
ways and times for my location.
Show a neighbor how it works and
how it could really come in handy dur-
ing an emergency. They might just learn
to put up with “those ugly antennas” in
your yard instead of hating them and
you. Get them on your side. Your local
ham group that provides EmComm
Photo G. VARA provides a list of available gateway stations, along with which
ones you’re most likely to be able to access, based on your location and time of
day. The list may be updated over the internet.
Photo H. The dashboard feature of VARA.
www.cq-amateur-radio.com
should be interested in it, too. Perhaps
once you’ve gotten up to speed on it,
you can do a demonstration.
I want to thank Tom, N5TW, for help
with this article and suggesting I switch
to VARA. Otherwise I might have been
in the “slow lane” with WINMOR for a
long time. He operates one of the many
gateways I use.
A special thank you to my wife for
proofreading this article.
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October 2020 • CQ • 39
54th Edition:CQ World-Wide DX Contest All-Time Records BY F. CAPOSSELA, K6SSS
These records represent the pinnacle of achievement by the true champions of contesting. We congratulate them on their success. Number groups after calls are:
year of operation, total score, contacts, zones and countries. All-Band and Multi-Operator records include a band-by-band breakdown of the world leader in each
category. NOTE: Complete records can be found at <www.cqww.com>.

Phone Single Operator/Single Band CW Single Operator/Single Band

WORLD RECORD HOLDERS WORLD RECORD HOLDERS
1.8 IG9/IV3TAN(’96)...............................441,252 ........1,203 .........24......102 1.8 CN2FF(’07) (Opr. UA2FF)...............618,849 .........1,599 .........26......107
3.5 CN2R(’06) (Opr. W7EJ).................1,091,694 ........2,409 .........33......126 3.5 CN2FB(’07) (Opr. UA2FB) ...........1,590,288 .........3,244 .........35......133
7.0 EA9LZ(’16) ...................................1,802,047 ........3,760 .........35......134 7.0 CN3A(’09) (Opr. IK2QEI)..............2,156,652 .........4,285 .........36......135
14 PYØFM(’94) (Opr. PY5CC) ...........3,202,242 ........5,109 .........38......175 14 FY5KE(’16) (Opr. F6FVY) ............2,428,248 .........4,540 .........38......146
21 HC8A(’10) (Opr. N6KT) .................3,565,674 ........6,571 .........38......151 21 FY5KE(’14) (Opr. F6FVY) ............2,475,510 .........4,462 .........39......151
28 HC8A(’01) (Opr. N6KT) .................3,916,600 ........6,957 .........39......161 28 ZD8X(’13) (Opr. OH2KI)...............2,423,123 .........4,591 .........37......142
Single Operator/All Band Single Operator/All Band
AF EA8BH(’99) (Opr. N5TJ)..............25,646,796 ......10,253 .......176......692 AF EA8BH(’00) (Opr. N5TJ) ............18,010,765 .........7,555 .......183......634
AS A61AJ(’04) (Opr. S53R)...............15,272,745 ........7,204 .......173......622 AS P3N(’10) (Opr. R2AA) ................11,654,496 .........6,549 .......137......527
EU CR2X(’13) (Opr. OH6KZP) ..........16,259,949 ........9,111 .......174......573 EU CR2X(’12) (Opr. OH6KZP) ........11,839,500 .........7,209 .......165......585
NA 8P5A(’13) (Opr. W2SC) ...............17,059,840 ......10,126 .......162......518 NA ZF2MJ(’15) (Opr. N6MJ) ............16,730,788 .......10,014 .......170......527
O NH2T(’13) (Opr. N2NL)................12,215,161 ........6,855 .......179......444 O NH2T(’12) (Opr. N2NL) .............11,455,401 .........6,374 .......180......453
SA HC8A(’99) (Opr. N6KT) ...............18,607,050 ........8,638 .......175......595 SA P4ØE(’03) (Opr. CT1BOH).........15,943,070 .........7,828 .......169......546
QRP P40W(’00) (Opr. W2GD)................5,097,780 ........3,599 .......127......381 QRP P4ØW(’99) (Opr. W2GD) .............5,024,800 .........3,277 .......137......413
LowPwr. D44TD(’02) (Opr. IV3TAN) ..........11,199,793 ........6,097 .......141......508 Low Pwr. V26K(’13) (Opr. AA3B)...............10,261,251 .........6,751 .......141......462
Asst. 9Y4ZC(’03) (Opr. DL6FBL)..........14,979,055 ........8,114 .......137......500 Asst. 9Y4ZC(’04) (Opr. DL6FBL) ........14,581,665 .........6,576 .......169......596
WORLD RECORD WORLD RECORD
Station Band QSOs Zones Countries Station Band QSOs Zones Countries

1.8 150 13 54 1.8 197 17 60

EA8BH 3.5 547 18 80 EA8BH 3.5 541 20 82
(Opr. N5TJ) 7.0 682 27 97 (Opr. N5TJ) 7.0 1,091 33 95
(1999) 14.0 2,655 39 158 (2000) 14.0 1,601 39 129
25,646,796 21.0 2,071 39 148 18,010,765 21.0 1,746 39 134
28.0 4,148 40 155 28.0 2,375 35 133

Total 10,253 176 692 Total 7,555 183 634

Multi-Operator/Single Xmtr. Multi-Operator/Single Xmtr.

AF CN2AA(’14)................................33,435,840 .......12,471........187.........741 AF CN2AA(’13)................................33,276,270 .......11,080........213.........829
AS P33W(’14)..................................26,183,520 .......10,696........173.........691 AS P33W(’14)..................................31,772,672 .......10,975........210.........814
EU TM6M(’11) .................................20,427,450 .........8,644........196.........759 EU 403A(’14) ...................................18,303,516 .........9,210........212.........811
NA VP2E(’03) ..................................25,299,296 .......11,617........182.........720 NA 8P9Z(’99) ...................................18,711,252 .........8,245........192.........669
O KHØAA(’02) ...............................12,599,064 .........6,872........158.........490 O KH7X(’11) ..................................13,322,608 .........6,191........195.........563
SA PJ1B(’93) ...................................22,596,570 .........9,386........164.........646 SA P4ØL(’11) ..................................22,396,296 .........8,722........192.........705
WORLD RECORD WORLD RECORD
Station Band QSOs Zones Countries Station Band QSOs Zones Countries
1.8 71 15 68 1.8 520 22 88
CN2AA 3.5 551 24 92 CN2AA 3.5 1,827 34 125
(2014) 7.0 1,771 34 117 (2013) 7.0 1,967 39 148
33,435,840 14.0 3,092 37 146 33,276,270 14.0 1,710 39 149
21.0 3,040 39 155 21.0 2,365 40 158
28.0 3,946 38 163 28.0 2,691 39 161
Total 12,471 187 741 Total 10,014 200 799

Multi-Operator/Two Xmtr. Multi-Operator/Two Xmtr.

AF CN2R(’15)..................................36,582,798 .......13,906........183.........734 AF D4C(’15) ....................................42,437,395 .......14,799........211.........790
AS UP2L (13) ..................................27,846,478 .......11,486........189.........698 AS P33W(’18)..................................29,509,542 .......12,467........178.........671
EU TM6M(’13) .................................23,072,088 .......11,369........184.........692 EU TM6M(’14) .................................22,478,634 .......10,534........204.........777
NA VP2E(’04) ..................................40,907,104 .......16,868........188.........804 NA K1LZ(’13) ...................................24,945,250 .........9,229........196.........769
O KHØAA(’03) ...............................14,109,480 .........7,589........172.........488 O KH7X(’12) ..................................17,699,500 .........8,846........190.........510
SA PJ4X(’12) ...................................32,580,440 .......13,941........179.........636 SA P4ØL(’13) ..................................32,307,440 .......12,585........187.........693
WORLD RECORD WORLD RECORD
Station Band QSOs Zones Countries Station Band QSOs Zones Countries
1.8 216 17 62 1.8 360 24 88
VP2E 3.5 945 23 102 D4C 3.5 1,303 33 104
(2004) 7.0 2,346 34 145 (2015) 7.0 2,846 40 142
40,907,104 14.0 3,794 40 172 42,437,395 14.0 2,593 40 152
21.0 4,771 39 163 21.0 4,418 39 162
28.0 4,796 35 160 28.0 3,279 35 142
Total 16,868 188 804 Total 14,799 211 790

Multi-Operator/Multi-Xmtr. Multi-Operator/Multi-Xmtr.
AF CN8WW(’00)..............................78,170,508 .......25,711........199.........854 AF CN2AA(’14). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73,299,950 .......23,459........217.........858
AS A61AJ(’02) .................................33,377,700 .......13,376........186.........784 AS 9K2HN(’14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38,917,878 .......15,171........203.........738
EU ES9C(’13) ..................................39,013,828 .......19,244........208.........814 EU ES9C(’13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30,790,130 .......15,246........219.........866
NA VP2E(’01) ..................................44,332,785 .......19,214........185.........760 NA 6Y2A(’98) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39,279,140 .......17,609........192.........740
O KHØAM(’90) ..............................35,730,600 .......16,309........179.........565 O ZL8X(’10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,240,941 .......11,744........193.........594
SA PJ4B(’99) ...................................59,127,810 .......20,618........188.........834 SA PJ4B(’99) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47,516,600 .......17,889........208.........757
WORLD RECORD WORLD RECORD
Station Band QSOs Zones Countries Station Band QSOs Zones Countries
1.8 923 17 77 1.8 1,470 24 94
CN8WW 3.5 1,818 25 106 CN2AA 3.5 2,840 35 120
(2000) 7.0 3,545 37 138 (2014) 7.0 4,357 40 150
78,170,508 14.0 6,737 40 177 73,299,950 14.0 5,704 39 161
21.0 5,754 40 175 21.0 4,457 39 166
28.0 6,934 40 181 28.0 4,631 40 167
Total 25,711 199 854 Total 23,459 217 858

40 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

 54th Edition: CQ World-Wide DX Contest All-Time U.S.A. Records
BY FREDERICK CAPOSSELA, K6SSS

Tabulated below are the record-high scores achieved by U.S. contesters in the CQ World-Wide DX Contest. Number groups following calls and
bands are: year of operation, total score, contacts, zones, and countries. NOTE: Complete records can be found at <www.cqww.com>.

PHONE CW
Single Operator/Single Band Single Operator/Single Band
1.8 K1ZM(’95) .........................................55,420 251 15 70 1.8 K3BU/8(’06) ....................................151,970 527 26 104
3.5 K1ZM/2(’96) ....................................292,100 952 27 100 3.5 W1MK(’06)......................................530,264 1,390 32 104
7.0 W4AAA (KK9A)(’13) .......................635,769 1,964 32 109 7.0 W3UA/1(’11) ................................1,049,760 2,395 34 126
14 KQ2M/1(’08) ................................1,242,150 2,504 38 144 14 K2WK(’98) ...................................1,007,781 1,955 39 144
21 KQ2M/1(’99) ................................1,327,139 2,624 39 148 21 K3RV/4(’13) ....................................980,880 1,865 39 144
28 W4ZV(’01)....................................1,464,255 2,654 40 155 28 W4ZV(’00).......................................965,874 1,984 37 137

Single Operator/All Band Single Operator/All Band

Station Band QSOs Zones Countries Station Band QSOs Zones Countries

1.8 97 11 38 1.8 72 15 44
K1DG 3.5 278 15 60 K3CR 3.5 552 23 81
(2014) 7.0 321 20 79 (2014) 7.0 1,323 33 107
9,552,092 14.0 841 37 112 10,871,028 14.0 966 35 105
21.0 1,466 36 127 21.0 1,074 34 108
28.0 2,039 31 116 28.0 1,265 34 104

Total 5,042 150 532s Total 5,252 174 549

QRP QRP
KR2Q(’00) .................................................1,507,506 1,181 104 358 K1TO/4(’13) ..............................................2,758,313 1,651 138 449

Low Power Low Power

N1UR(’13) .................................................4,911,440 2,969 136 448 WA1Z(’14) .................................................6,842,375 3,496 146 469

Assisted Assisted
NN3W(’11) ..............................................11,828,236 .........4,921 185 683 K5ZD/1(’14).............................................12,768,365 4,993 190 697
Multi-Operator/Single Xmtr. Multi-Operator/Single Xmtr.
Station Band QSOs Zones Countries Station Band QSOs Zones Countries

1.8 46 12 39 1.8 196 20 82

K1LZ 3.5 293 22 89 K1LZ 3.5 706 28 114
(2014) 7.0 764 30 100 (2012) 7.0 1,571 37 137
13,771,733 14.0 1,211 39 146 15,586,106 14.0 1,200 39 154
21.0 1,554 39 146 21.0 1,302 38 148
28.0 1,979 37 152 28.0 885 32 138

Total 5,847 179 672 Total 5,860 194 773

Multi-Operator/Two Xmtr. Multi-Operator/Two Xmtr.

Station Band QSOs Zones Countries Station Band QSOs Zones Countries

1.8 42 13 36 1.8 146 18 66

KC1XX 3.5 518 25 85 K1LZ 3.5 1,204 29 116
(2013) 7.0 1407 35 123 (2013) 7.0 2,187 38 149
23,851,137 14.0 1,782 39 149 24,945,250 14.0 1,715 40 140
21.0 3,150 40 155 21.0 2,160 38 153
28.0 2,625 38 155 28.0 1,817 33 145

Total 9,524 190 703 Total 9,229 196 769

Multi-Operator/Multi-Xmtr. Multi-Operator/Multi-Xmtr.
Station Band QSOs Zones Countries Station Band QSOs Zones Countries

1.8 489 19 69 1.8 389 23 80

K3LR 3.5 999 28 100 K3LR 3.5 1,534 35 120
(2013) 7.0 2,227 35 130 (2014) 7.0 2,823 40 150
37,402,560 14.0 3,346 40 169 37,486,260 14.0 3,370 39 165
21.0 3,739 40 163 21.0 2,664 38 161
28.0 3,380 39 167 28.0 2,078 40 164

Total 14,180 201 798 Total 12,858 215 840

CLUB RECORDS
WORLD
Club Combined Record: Yankee Clipper Contest Club (’99) 702,296,971
Team Contesting: Phone – Neiger’s Tigers Team #1 (’99) 66,546,582
CW – Pile-Up Survivors (’12) 64,559,451

42 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

Emergency Communications Special
For emergency communications as well as everyday hamming, it’s
important to make sure everything is working, to test station components
before deployment and to have backups whenever possible.
Sherlock discovered this the hard way on a recent remote operation.

Sherlock Investigates: USB Connector

Failure Aborts FT4 / VARA Expedition
BY “SHERLOCK” *

recent expedition to Ice Station Zebra (ISZ)1 (see

A Photo A) for an FT4 and Winlink / VARA2 test had to

be aborted because of a USB cable failure. The test
involved having a lot of RF around the radio and modem, so
a short (1-foot) USB-A to USB-B cable was ordered (see
Photo B). The cable was not bench tested before the trip.
While setting up the gear, the ISZ computer interface would
not connect to the CODEC interfaces. The computer said the Photo A. Ice Station Zebra access road in the winter.
USB interface was defective. While the CW portion of the
test was successful, the entire digital-mode portion had to
be aborted.

Failure Analysis
Back at the Baker Street failure analysis lab, the cable was
found to have a short from pin 2 to shield ground. The USB-
B connector had the lowest resistance short, so it was cut
open. The molded plastic covering was removed and the pins
were easily seen. The white wire going to pin 2 had a single
strand of shield wire soldered to the pin with it, causing the
short (see Photo C).
There was no way to correct this problem in the field and
a spare cable was not available. The team made a serious
mistake not doing a pre-expedition check before leaving, and
for not having a spare cable. The cable was repaired and put
back into service. The Trip to ISZ was nice and it was a good
CW operation. Photo B. Overview of USB jumper connectors.
This episode illustrates the need for emergency prepared-
ness to extend to even the most basic accessory items. Being
an effective emergency communicator requires that you test
your gear — all of it — before it’s needed in the field, and
that you pack backups of as many station elements as pos-
sible when you do deploy.
– Sherlock

Notes:
1. ISZ is at the Las Brisas Observatory, high in the Colorado Rockies,
See Photo A.
2. To learn more about Winlink and VARA software, see “Winlink:
Keeping You Connected “When All Else Fails” elsewhere in this issue.

*c/o CQ magazine Photo C. Closeup of shield wire shorting to white wire.

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 43

 CQ CLASSICS
The Fountain of (Not Enough) Youth
“There are far fewer young amateurs to be seen … Amateur
radio today is attracting older men.”
We’ve all heard it on the air, heard it at club meetings and hamfests (back when there were club meetings and hamfests), heard
and seen it in newspaper and TV stories about amateur radio … the hobby is in danger of dying out because it isn’t attracting
enough young people. But here’s the thing. The quote above comes from the “Zero Bias” editorial below … from the August 1948
issue of CQ! This complaint is nearly as old as the hobby itself and yet, neither ham radio nor the worry over its future have gone
away. So take a look at the concerns as expressed in these pages 72 years ago, then check out this month’s “ZB” for a 2020
perspective. (And tnx to K3ZJ for bringing this to our attention) – W2VU

ZERO BIAS AN EDITORIAL

IN AMATEUR RADIO, at least, everything isn’t beset with
difficulties or disputes as one might be led to believe by read-
ing “Zero Bias” month in and month out. On the contrary,
it is the relative serenity of our hobby, the intense enjoyment
that the participants derive, that makes it necessary for a
page such as ours to point out the faults of our hobby. If we
didn’t they might pass unnoticed by the great majority of
amateurs until the matter was past correction. “Zero Bias”
tries at times to be the conscience of amateurs who are too
busy to do anything but pursue their own course. But remem-
ber, at best it represents the opinion of one amateur, pos-
sessing all the human frailties plus those of the dyed-in-the-
wool ham. We mention this because several recent letters
have asked, “Is anything all right with amateur radio?” Sure,
almost everything is all right. In fact, one of the few big trou-
bles today is that there aren’t enough amateurs to enjoy its
blessings.
We can see the hackles rising on the necks of amateurs
everywhere. But when the smoke clears away, the fact is
there just aren’t enough amateurs. Sure, all the bands are
badly crowded at one time or another, but take 14 mc for
example. In every 24-hour period there are more hours when
20 is relatively free from QRM than QRMd. Every other
band could stand more occupancy based on this measure.
Now it is true that you can’t confine a new licensee to oper-
ating when QRM is the lightest. But why not try to encour-
age new licensees whose normal operating habits would fit
into this grove. There is such a class and they make the best
kind of amateur material.
Not so many years ago, when we might have been typed
as a young squirt, we can remember going to every hamfest
within walking or hitching distance of our home QTH. Two
things stand permanently etched in our memories about
these gatherings.
The wonderful times we had and how we could always
renew old acquaintances at them. Certainly one of the con-
tributing factors to those wonderful times was the fact that
there were so many amateurs pretty much our own age. We
still have a good time today and we are still renewing old
friendships, but they’re the same old ones—the same faces
and calls that wre’ve known for ten or more years. There are
far fewer young amateurs to be seen, and talking to them on
the air will verify this.
Amateur radio today is attracting older men. There may
be several explanations for this. It is more expensive to get
going than before the war. Equipment prices have been
forced higher along with everything else in our daily lives.
Manufacturers know that they may be pricing themselves
out of the lowest income market, but are powerless to do
anything about it. A second, and perhaps even more com-
pelling reason for this lack of enthusiasm for our hobby by
the younger, or youngest generation, is they have had little
encouragement.
It’s an old story how the first amateurs have grown up and
out of the tinkering stage. And so it is with the second gen-
eration and even third generation of amateurs. The war years
have caused a tremendous gap between youngsters of today
and the youngest pre-war group of amateurs. They have
nothing in common, no talking or meeting grounds. It isn’t
a case of a high school junior talking to a young man start-
ing college—it’s a case of a kid in high school trying to talk
to a man already out in the world trying to make his own
way. Amateur radio could be a common meeting ground,
but we are not giving it a chance. And what is happening is

44 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

that we are creating a lost generation of amateurs—a gen-
eration that amateur radio can sorely afford to lose. We must
have new amateurs to replace those who drop out, those who
find other interests or have too little time, and at the present
moment we’re not doing that.
Don’t think not having these youngsters means less QRM,
because the active amateurs of today won’t appreciate the
difference in their lifetime of operation. It does mean that
eventually there may be less QRM, and there may be less
year after year until ham radio isn’t justified in terms of its
frequency allocations. It would be a crime laid directly on
the steps of present day amateurs because in order to pro-
tect themselves against more QRM they didn’t want to
encourage new amateurs—they would be so selfish as to
deprive others of the pleasure they themselves derive from
amateur radio.
Now earlier in this discussion we mentioned how we
thought all of our bands could stand greater tenancy during
most of the day. And youngsters would give it the occupancy
during these hours. While the OM was out bringing home
the bacon they could be pounding brass. Between classes in
the afternoon and dinner you could tolerate plenty more
QRM. In the morning there is quite a difference between
dashing off for the commuters train to get you to work at
8:30 and the youngster who can take a leisurely dash down
the street to get into classes at 9. Sure they might even snag
some of the choice DX, but that’s a mighty slim reason to
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exclude them. And 40 and 80, with great wide open spaces
would welcome some thumping and pounding. What does it
add up to?
Well OM, and we do mean “old man,” it is high time that
present-day amateurs started a real “hell-for-leather” pro-
gram to encourage new amateurs. Radio clubs in every city
should organize classes, arrange cooperative programs with
science teachers, etc. Code practice classes, simple theory,
field days outings for youngsters—there are a hundred
things that could and should be done. Amateur radio needs
new blood and too many youngsters never even heard of
ham radio. Talks and demonstrations in front of local boy
scout troops and in schools would be welcomed by their
adult leaders.
At the end of the war figures on the number of prospec-
tive amateurs went up as high as a quarter million. The
actual number today is closer to 100,000. The increases
haven’t measured up to expectations and it isn’t because
amateur radio has lost any of its glamour. The trouble is
that lots of youngsters who might have entered the hobby
were deprived of their contacts during the war. It’s up to
us to help them now. What we need is lots more teenagers
raising the roof at hamfests and lots more 6L6s and 807s
shuttling around on all bands. Let’s get a breed of ham on
the air that still considers trans-continental contacts big
stuff, and we’ll be doing our bit toward insuring the future
of amateur radio.
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October 2020 • CQ • 45
If you want to use ham radio to help teach math, physics, meteorology,
geography and more … and have lots of fun in the process … join W5KUB on
one of his long-distance balloon flights – or start planning one of your own!

Adventures With Pico Balloons

Using Amateur Radio
BY TOM MEDLIN,* W5KUB

mateur radio is a great hobby.

A After being licensed for 57 years,

I still find new adventures and
enjoyment in the ham radio hobby
(Photo A). My recent activities have
taken me to the new area of pico bal-
loons. Pico balloons are not to be con-
fused with weather balloons or other
high-altitude balloons as they are small,
as little as 3 feet in diameter, carry pay-
loads as light as 8 grams, and with luck,
can circumnavigate the earth. Using
ham radio, specifically APRS (Auto-
matic Packet Reporting System) and
WSPR (Weak Signal Propagation Re-
porter), you can track a balloon’s alti-
tude, speed and position, as it plots on
a real-time map while making its jour-
ney across the country, oceans, and
continents.
Pico balloons have been around a
while, but only a select few ham radio Photo A. W5KUB holding one of the tiny trackers he’s built for his pico balloon
operators worldwide are launching missions. (Photos courtesy of the author)
them. I became interested in pico bal-
loons a few years ago when I met Bill
Brown, WB8ELK, who became my bal- feet. This is a cause for concern as $160. After launching so many bal-
loon mentor. Bill is a well-known expert many storms are higher and will bring loons, to reduce expenses, I decided to
and has launched over a 1,000 balloons down a balloon. I have had a higher suc- build my own. Eduard Voiculescu,
in the last past 30 years. Bill has gra- cess rate flying the higher-end balloon, YO3ICT, a friend from Romania, was
ciously shared his knowledge and has which can fly around 45,000 feet, kind enough to share his plans for a
assisted many of my launches. putting it above most storms. small, lightweight tracker that he
Launch day (Photo B) needs to be designed. I sent the plans to a PCB
sunny because moisture can bring it manufacturer who made the boards,
Materials Needed down … even 5 or 10 drops of rain will and now I build trackers for myself
There are only a few usable pico bal- be a disaster. Use care when filling the (Photo D).
loons on the market. The balloon is balloon as measurements down to the
about 1-mil thick and requires special tenth of a gram are essential (Photo C). About the Tracker
handling. Do not fold, crease, or touch These balloons fly on just a few grams When finished, the complete tracker
it without gloves any more than is of lift, and it does not take much to bring weighs only 1.6 grams (0.056 ounces).
absolutely necessary. The less expen- one down. They are called pico for a The boards include a GPS and a WSPR
sive balloons cost about $4 each, and reason. Keeping the weight low is a transmitter based on the SI5351 chip.
there is another high-end balloon which constant challenge and must be moni- The transmitter runs 10 milliwatts and
costs about $160. The inexpensive bal- tored. Some payloads may weigh as lit- can be placed on any band by the
loons’ drawback is that they hold a tle as 6 grams, but the average payload firmware. The tracker’s processor is an
smaller gas volume, limiting their alti- is about 15 grams, equivalent to about ATMEGA 328P, and the firmware puts
tude to only about 28,000 to 36,000 three American nickels. A couple of everything into motion. It brings up and
companies sell trackers for these transmits our call on WSPR every 10
* email: <wa5kub@gmail.com> launches, costing between $100 and minutes and can make a JT9 transmis-

46 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

sion as well. It also sends a second WSPR transmission with
additional data (discussed later).
One other important aspect of the firmware is geofencing,
the ability to shut off the transmitter over certain countries
that do not allow transmitting. Using its GPS location, it will
turn off the transmitter when flying over North Korea, Yemen,
and the United Kingdom. Laws prohibit transmission in air
space above these countries. We do not want to start World
War III!
Tracker Power
Most of our flights are solar-powered only. Adding a battery
would more than double the weight of our payload. Therefore,
we only get tracking every 10 minutes while the tracker is in
sunlight. We have had some mixed success experiencing
with a LiPo battery at low altitudes, but it is not effective with
the temperatures at -70°C (-94°F) at the higher altitudes. No
one makes a rechargeable battery that will function in those
temperature extremes. Believe it or not, we have researched
and found a nuclear battery that does not need charging for
20 years. The problem was that it does not provide the
required current, and the cost is over $2,000.
Building the System
The antenna system is fundamental, a half-wave 20-meter
vertical dipole. Putting a 34-foot antenna on the balloon might
seem to be impossible, but it is actually straightforward. As
Photo B. A pico balloon must be launched on a sunny day, as even the tiniest bit of rain can bring it down.
www.cq-amateur-radio.com
the tracker hangs about 20 feet below the balloon, it is pos-
sible to install the dipole by running half the antenna (17 feet)
up the string and let the other half hang below in the air. We
use #36 magnet wire to maintain a low weight. The anten-
na’s total weight and the line add only 1.3 grams (just a little
more than one U.S. penny) to the entire system weight.
Our first attempts to build the tracker were not fun; I quit at
least seven times and promised that I would never do it again.
However, not being one to give up too quickly, I kept going
back and trying again. Each tracker became less difficult to
build, and now I can complete one in about two hours using
special tools. The parts used are some of the smallest sur-
face-mount parts available. Resistors and capacitors are size
0402 and are about the size of a tweezer’s fine tip (Photo E);
I use a binocular microscope to build and inspect the boards
because of the small-sized parts. When building a tracker,
use ham radio ingenuity. For example, in our build, we use
a 2.5-centimeter length of guitar string for the GPS antenna.
Tracking the Flight
Pico balloonists use both APRS <www.APRS.fi> and WSPR
<www.WSPRnet.org> to track their flights. APRS is excel-
lent as the transmission time is very short, and you can
receive minute by minute position reports. However, the
ARPS range is only about 250 miles from 45,000 feet, and
there are no APRS stations over the ocean or North Africa,
among other locations. The balloon may not appear for one
to two weeks using APRS alone. On one of our previous
October 2020 • CQ • 47
flights, we only used APRS, and it was
silent for two weeks as it crossed the
Atlantic Ocean, Africa, and the Middle
East. The signal was not received until
it crossed into China and again over
Japan. During this time, it was not
known if the balloon was still flying or if
it had crashed.
Using WSPR eliminates the problem
of “going dark.” Instead of being limited
to about 250 miles, our little homebrew
10-milliwatt tracker has transmitted
16,050 kilometers, or 9,973 miles, giving
us the capability of getting regular 10-
minute tracking nearly anywhere in the
world (Photo F). One problem with
WSPR is that it typically only provides a
four-digit grid square position (a box sev-
eral hundred miles square) and does not
provide other needed data, such as alti-
tude, speed, and voltage. To fix this
problem, Hans Summers, GØUPL, in-
vented a method to get all this data
Photo C. Extreme care must be taken to fill the balloon with precisely enough
gas to give it the lift it needs while not bursting at its maximum altitude.
48 • CQ • October 2020
across WSPR. It is possible to send a
second WSPR transmission containing
additional data, which matches your call
and sends that data to be decoded and
converted to a spreadsheet for flight
specifics. A Python script runs on the
ground, pulls information from the
WSPR database, converts alpha letters
and numbers to real numbers like speed,
altitude, course, voltage, and more.
Then that Python script sends that infor-
mation over the internet to APRS, which
plots it on the map and provides the spe-
cific data.
Hydrogen or Helium?
Altitude is important. Either helium or
hydrogen gas is used to achieve float
altitude. Hydrogen is cheaper than heli-
um and will take the balloon about 3,000
feet higher, but a user must take spe-
cial precautions when using hydrogen
gas, as it is highly flammable. So far, we
still have all our fingers and eyebrows.
Helium purchased at party stores is not
pure and will not fly as high as pure heli-
um; however, it will work and provide
much excitement on the first launch.
Science and Math
Weight is another essential item and
plays a massive role in a successful
flight. Bottom line: The lighter the bet-
ter. When building the balloon and pay-
load, it is vital to reduce weight in all
areas. Insulation on a single wire or a
couple of extra drops of glue or adhe-
sive will add several unwanted grams
to the total weight.
There is also a certain amount of sci-
ence and math involved in preparing for
launch. There are formulas, spread-
sheets, calculations, and measure-
ments to do for the flight. Many of the
calculations are in user-friendly, shared
spreadsheets. Those sheets consider
and calculate the type gas used, cubic
volume of the balloons, temperature,
free lift, amount of gas for the balloon,
to name a few. Once the numbers are
input, the data will project the altitude
within 100 feet. Our last flight flew at
43,200 feet for 72 days.
Upon launch, the balloon intentional-
ly looks almost empty, so it will reach its
float altitude and not burst as the gas
expands. Using these tools to prepare
the launch will provide the best chance
of a long and successful flight. I almost
forgot two other essential things need-
ed for success: Good luck and a coop-
erating Mother Nature!
Web Resources
Many great weather websites will
enhance the experience as the balloon
makes its way around the world. Since
the altitude and exact position are
known, these websites can show the jet
streams, speed, and actual path.
Storms in the path and height of the
cloud tops are also available on these
websites.
Another great site that plots the bal-
loon’s position on a map is habhub
<http://tracker.habhub.org>, which in-
cludes weather overlays. Habhub has a
feature to turn on the path traveled and
a travel projection for the next 80 hours.
These predictions are similar to the hur-
ricane models seen on the weather
forecasts. Hysplit, part of NOAA (the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration), provides these very
accurate predictions.
Under the callsign W5KUB-18, our
last balloon circled the earth three
times. On two occasions, it went into the
Visit Our Web Site
Arctic Circle for a week or two. Its final resting place was the
Norwegian Sea between Greenland and Norway (Photo G).
Previous launches went down in the Atlantic Ocean, Japan,
China, the Sahara Desert, Spain, Poland, and Romania. Most
downed balloons are not recoverable, but the SP2KMH
Polish ham club recovered the one that went down in Poland
(Photo H).
Legality and Safety
One of the most frequently asked questions I get is, “What
about an airplane hitting the balloon?”. The sky is a vast place.
A ham radio friend has been a commercial pilot for 35 years
and has never seen a balloon, not even a weather balloon.
Weather services launch about 1,000 weather balloons each
Photo D. The author now builds his own trackers, using a
circuit from a ham in Romania (YO3ICT) and his binocular
microscope for the tiny surface-mount components.
Photo F. WSPR (Weak Signal Propagation Reporter) map showing stations across North America that received the bea-
con transmission from the W5KUB-18 balloon.
www.cq-amateur-radio.com
day. The Federal Aviation Administration has determined that
pico balloons are not a risk and are allowed under FAA 101
rules.
If you follow those simple rules, you will be okay. You do not
need to get a permit, file a flight plan, or anything else. Even
though not required, you should stay away from large metro-
politan areas and busy airports. It is okay to call the tower and
notify them of the launch if close to aircraft activity.
Mixing Fun and Education
Pico balloons are becoming very popular in STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) class-
es, including for young kids. The kids become excited and
energized as they launch their balloons. During the flight, the
Photo E. Some of the tracker’s components are so small
that they can barely be seen at the tip of these tweezers.
October 2020 • CQ • 49
Photo G. Tracking map of W5KUB-18 as it made three trips around the world before finally coming down in the
Norwegian Sea.

kids are glued to their computers, watching the journey. As

they follow, they learn things such as geography, famous
landmarks, weather patterns, jet streams, science, electron-
ics, and they gain the knowledge of combining radio, com-
puters, and the internet to monitor their worldly flights. These
kids may choose to become astronauts or pilots, or maybe
meteorologists, never forgetting their experiences as children.

You Can Do It!

Photo H. One of Tom’s balloons was recovered by a group
of hams in Poland!
Hundreds of people have expressed interest in launching
their own balloon. My recommendations are the following:
(1) Purchase an already built tracker.
(2) Begin with one of the inexpensive balloons, using heli-
um party gas, which is safer. It is possible to go around the
world with that configuration.
(3) Furthermore, and most importantly, you will need luck
and Mother Nature on your side.
Our experience has shown that one out of every 10 launch-
es will make it around the world. Be prepared to be persis-
tent. Do not give up. We launched nine flights before we made
it around the world.
By starting this way, you will have some fun, gain some
experience, and then will be ready to move on to bigger and
better flights.
For more information on our balloons and other amateur
radio activities, please visit <www.W5KUB.com>.

50 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

If you’ve used a (lower-case) hex beam antenna, you may not know that it
started out as the (upper-case) HEX-BEAM® antenna, designed, built and sold
by Traffie Technologies. While Mike Traffie, N1HXA, has retired from the business,
he’s still studying and discovering new things about his antenna design.

The HEX-BEAM® Revisited

BY MIKE TRAFFIE,* N1HXA

he HEX-BEAM® began with a creative spark based on

T the snowflake, which also has six sides, forms flat, and
forms from the middle out (Photo A)1,2,3. The first HEX-
BEAM® contact was with Tom Christian, VR6TC, on 15
meters during a big pile up on April 22nd, 1992 (Photo B).
The band was just closing when Tom answered and I was
stunned. I was more than stunned, it was an unforgettable
experience.
Many versions of hexagonal beams have been introduced
since the introduction of the HEX-BEAM® with most, if not
all, using a “U-shaped” reflector. Unfortunately, the priorities
have changed from maximum performance and high Q to
achieving broadband performance that takes away from the
advantages of the original HEX-BEAM® with its two “W” ele-
ments. For the greatest signal strength at the receiving sta-
tion, we do not need a broadband design but rather an anten-
na design optimized for narrowband and maximum field
focusing ability.
In our own field tests, and those of many others, it was
observed that the HEX-BEAM® consistently compared well
with a 3-4 element Yagi-Uda in actual operation even though
it is much smaller and has only two elements. About 20 years
ago, we built a 3-element, 17-meter Yagi-Uda whose design
was verified by a professional antenna designer for a major
manufacturer. The HEX-BEAM® and the 17-meter Yagi-Uda
were mounted on towers at the same height and at nearby
locations. The same length of feedline from each antenna
was used to attach to an antenna switch to allow an “A/B”
comparison. Over a period of some weeks, numerous QSOs
were made in Europe, the West Coast of the U.S., and some
other DX locations. During the QSOs, the DX operator was
asked to compare the two antennas and answer if A or B
was the better or about the same, with the Yagi-Uda and
HEX-BEAM® randomly changing designations between Photo A. The HEX-BEAM® antenna has six sides, forms
QSOs. Independent analysis of the log data indicated that flat, and forms from the middle out. (Photos courtesy of the
about 30% of the time the antennas were determined to be author)
about the same, about 30% of the time the Yagi-Uda was
considered to be better, and about 40% of the time the HEX- HEX-BEAM® are very flat and very intense. There is a deep
BEAM® was thought to be better. How can this be? null in the element plane separating an upper component
and a lower component in each of the two elements. It is
Differences in Field Intensity important to note that we find four components in a two-ele-
With the HEX-BEAM®, the field intensity is increased by its ment antenna. Current balance in the array is accomplished
configuration at the signal source instead of adding multiple by coupling of the element ends. With the proper remote tun-
diffused fields on a boom like is done for a typical Yagi-Uda. ing (i.e., focusing) on a fixed location on the globe, maximum
The fields produced by the two W-shaped elements of the gain and front-to-back ratio are achieved. Also, nulls well in
excess of 100 dB are possible. The nulls can be steered and
the takeoff angle can be varied without changing height
* c/o CQ magazine above ground.

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 51

Photo B. The first QSO on the first HEX-BEAM® was with
Tom Christian, VR6TC, on Pitcairn Island.

In January 1993, we experimented with a remotely tun-

able HEX-BEAM® for the 10-meter band. The results were
exciting and created motivation for further investigation of
remote tuning of the HEX-BEAM®. During May 1994, we
built a HEX-BEAM® for the 40-meter band that had step-
ping motors to allow adjustment of the electrical length of
the reflector and independent changing of the tip spacing
being fed from a spool. It was observed that the takeoff
angle could be adjusted as well as the flattening of the field.
Additionally, the F/B ratio and the forward gain could be
controlled using the stepping motors. The inherent null
direction (typically about ±110°) was also found to be con-
trollable and with an adjustable attenuation depth reaching
a remarkable 100 dB or more. Although we learned a great
deal about the behavior of the HEX-BEAM®, the cost and
complexity of commercially manufacturing such an anten-
na system for the amateur radio marketplace was imprac-
tical at that time. It is noted that some decade and a half
later, SteppIR, Inc. developed a Yagi-Uda-like remotely tun-
able beam antenna suite that uses a system configuration
which incorporates stepper motors to change the element Photo C. Flattened fields permit close stacking of HEX-
lengths. Their patent was filed in 2011 and awarded in 2015 BEAM® antennas. This photo shows a stacked pair of 5-ban-
(USP 8,963,560 B2). ders with a 40-meter HEX-BEAM® in between.

Achieving Optimum Performance
The answer to achieving optimum performance lies in the
utilization of these intense fields and critical coupling in a nar-
row-band HEX-BEAM® that is tuned for existing conditions.
The antenna is first tuned for maximum F/B on the signal
source with stepping motors as was done on our 40-meter
version. Then it is rotated 180°. As mentioned earlier, best
gain and maximum F/B are co-incident as it should be for
maximum efficiency. The antenna is automatically tuned for
best takeoff angle using this technique. If a broad range of
frequencies is desired, the spreader arms could be hinged
like a backyard patio umbrella and the feed line can be used
to become elements as necessary.
An additional advantage of the HEX-BEAM® is its surpris-
ing “quietness” when properly tuned. We have also noticed
unique advantages such as reduced QSB when working
HEX-BEAM® to HEX-BEAM®. Chuck Brady [N4BQW (SK)
and 3YØC] used a HEX-BEAM on Bouvet Island and we
communicated frequently with him, noting that we had HEX-
BEAM®s at 42 and 90 feet. Depending upon conditions, one
of these antennas would almost always allow us to hold our
QSOs when no other stations were able to hear him. Also,
the intense flattened fields allow close stacking of five
monobanders in about 3 feet fed with a single feed line
(Photo C).
More to Learn
I was going to use the title “The HEX-BEAM ... The Rest of
the Story” for this article, but I realize after these years of
working with the HEX-BEAM®, we still remain surprised and
amazed. We believe we have just scratched the surface of
the controlled field concept, so we don’t know the “the rest
of the story.” Where things go from here remains to be seen.
Having now retired, we are not able to continue the HEX-
BEAM® effort at this time, so our hope is that others would
come to see the importance of this approach to beam design,
take it to the next level and carry on where we left off.
NOTES:
1. Mike Traffie, N1HXA (Spring 1996). “Miniature Antennas”.
Communications Quarterly (Spring 1996): 99.
2. Lew McCoy, “The Five-Band HEX BEAM”. CQ Amateur Radio (April
2000, p. 30-33).
3 Mike Traffie “The HEX-BEAM” Electric Radio, (Sept. 1994)

52 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

A single-sideband signal with poorly adjusted audio sounds bad, creates
interference on adjacent frequencies, and might even result in out-of-band
splatter and harmonics. Here’s a primer on how to make your signal crystal clear
and focus most of your voice energy where it can do the most good.

How’s My Audio?
BY GEORGE WAGNER,* K5KG AND LU ROMERO,# W4LT

his article is for the new ham who to engaging in an extended phone radio’s menu. I recommend they get on

T likes to work phone but is uncer-

tain of how to set up a radio’s
audio controls, and for the seasoned
operator who may be unaware of the
quality of his or her transmitted audio.
This piece addresses the problem of
poor “transmit audio” and what to do
about it.
Let’s focus on stations with distorted
audio. Single-sideband (SSB) trans-
mitters whose audio controls are not
properly set may contribute to on-the-
air interference such as splatter, blast-
ing audio, distorted audio, or even weak
and feeble audio.
I (K5KG) usually avoid phone con-
tests, but I recently worked the ARRL
DX phone contest, and found it to be a
mixture of both fun and frustration.
What made it fun were the exciting, fast
runs and being able to give quick hel-
los to friends who called in. Although I
much prefer CW contests, I do find
phone contests to be more “person-
able.” On the downside, what can make
phone contests agonizing and tiring is
splatter from adjacent stations, distort-
ed or blasting audio, stations with weak
audio, stations calling off-frequency,
stations using phonetics improperly (or
not at all) and, occasionally, accents
that are difficult to understand. Tuning
in SSB signals properly, using phonet-
ics and understanding different accents
are learned through experience.
Correcting distorted transmit audio,
however, requires adjustments of the
equipment. The bottom line is that there
are many things that can contribute to
making phone contests either enjoy-
able or tiring and difficult to work.
transmission, I suggest asking on the
air, “How’s my audio?” Responses will
vary, such as “it sounds terrific” or
maybe “you’re driving your audio too
hard,” “it’s too hot,” “terrible,” “distort-
ed,” etc. Any negative responses need
to be investigated.
Whether it is in a contest or casual
operating, if I hear a station with unsat-
isfactory audio, I will not hesitate to
point it out to the operator. Most of the
time, I get a “thank you” since they may
have not realized they had a problem.
If I get a positive response, and I usu-
ally do, I will suggest they reduce their
mic gain and / or compression if their
audio is “too hot.” That usually takes
care of it.
When “Elmering” or mentoring a ham
about their transmit audio, I suggest
that they first study their radio’s manu-
al with regard to microphone (mic) set-
tings (bias / no bias), and proper adjust-
ment of mic gain and compression
using the radio’s ALC (automatic level
control) and compression meter dis-
plays. They should also check the
transmit equalization settings in the
the air with a local ham who can give
them feedback on the quality of their
audio as mic gain, compression, and
equalization adjustments are made.
At this point, let us dive into some of
the more technical aspects of trans-
ceiver audio, and see what can be done
to correct problems with it. My co-
author, W4LT, tells me “the key to good
audio is to make minor incremental
improvements and, once you reach a
level that you are comfortable with,
DON’T FIX IT!”
Audio Dynamic Range
Dynamic range in audio is the ratio of
the quietest sound to the loudest sound
in a signal. A wide dynamic range (high
to low frequencies) is nice in a quiet
medium like FM broadcasting of classi-
cal music but is unsuitable in SSB trans-
missions. In amateur radio, we are
transmitting into a very noisy medium,
and the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) gets
even worse in contesting, which raises
the noise floor to ungodly levels. So,
audio dynamic range in SSB transmit-
ters should be narrow to concentrate

“How’s My Audio?”
So how do you know if your transmitted
audio is causing a problem? First, prior
Figure 1. The frequency spectrum for the human voice is roughly 150 – 4000 Hz,
* Email: <giwagner@k5kg.com> but anything below 300 Hz or above 3000 Hz conveys little information and is
# Email: <lromero56@tampabay.rr.com> essentially wasted energy. (Figures courtesy of the authors)

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 53

available transmitter power within range of the voice fre-
quencies that are being transmitted.
Human Voice and Bandwidth
The idea in SSB transmissions is to use every watt God gave
you to communicate effectively with the guy or gal you are
working. Early experiments in dynamic range found that most
of the intelligibility in the human voice is found in the 1,200-
Hz to 2,500-Hz range with consonants. Consonants are rich
in harmonics, which is necessary for understanding the spo-
ken word over the air.
Vowels, on the other hand, have the most energy of any
part of human speech, and they carry most of the “informa-
tion” of a language (the sounds that determine what you are
“trying to say”). These are found in human speech from 350
Hz to 2,000 Hz (see Figure 1).
Anything below 300 Hz or above 3,000 Hz is wasted ener-
gy. Unfortunately, the low-frequency part of the spectrum has
more power than the high end of the spectrum. In the human
voice, power decreases as frequency increases, which leads
to a loss of power at the higher frequencies where it is need-
ed for intelligibility. So how do we fix that?
Equalization and Compression
Equalization is used to remove frequencies below 300 Hz
and above 3,000 Hz, and to flatten the voice frequency spec-
trum to maximize audio power by placing rising emphasis on
the areas that carry the most intelligibility — 1,200 to 2,500
Hz (see Figure 2).
Following equalization, speech compression is applied to
reduce the dynamic range of the signal by raising the lower-
power parts of the content and lowering the high-power parts
of the content. This allows as much of the transmitter power
as possible to move intelligible information efficiently for a
given transmitter power output level.
ALC
Automatic level control (ALC) is a feature that has been
included in just about every transmitter and transceiver built
since the mid-1950s. It was designed by Collins Radio for
the company’s KWM series, and the idea was so good that
it became a de-facto standard across the industry.
Figure 2. Results of processing a voice signal. The image on the left is an off-air audio waveform, while the image to the
right graphs voice power vs. the audio spectrum.
54 • CQ • October 2020
ALC was designed to manage the current in a power ampli-
fier (PA) stage so as to not allow the peaks of the signal to
exceed the current output capability of the amplifier’s power
supply. This happens every so often, and at random. When
the ALC senses that an audio peak has consumed more than
the current available in the power supply, the circuit then both
controls the output of the modulating signal and supplies
additional stored current in the capacitors in the circuit. At
the same time, this circuit supplies a DC voltage that can be
fed to an external RF power amplifier to adjust its level in the
same way as the exciter (transmitter, if using an external
power amplifier) did — although feeding ALC to an external
amplifier is highly discouraged for reasons discussed below.
ALC functions like a speech compressor does, but it is too
slow to follow signals that have compressed dynamic range,
that is, a signal that is “processed” by a speech compressor
that has more peaks and fewer valleys. Consequently, attempt-
ing to use ALC to act as a compressor defeats the purpose of
ALC and creates distortion as the ALC circuitry is not fast
enough to adjust to more densely modulated audio signals.
There is no industry standard for the level or polarity of ALC
DC voltage. Different manufacturers have implemented the
feature in their own unique ways. Typically, ALC is a nega-
tive DC voltage, but in some transceivers or amplifiers, it is
positive. For this reason, the only place that ALC should be
used to control an RF signal is within the exciter.
Feeding an ALC voltage from a transceiver to an external
amplifier, especially one that may or may not adhere to the
voltage reference used by the exciter manufacturer, is adding
yet another variable to the RF signal and may cause more
harm than good. We must assume that if the exciter is “lin-
ear,” the amplifier will be as well, and adding the ALC con-
trol voltage from a transceiver to an external amplifier may
introduce unexpected results.
ALC is a feature that is often misunderstood, as some oper-
ators tend to increase mic gain and push the ALC reading
past its designed optimum level. The more the ALC is pushed
(increased) to compress a signal, the less available current
is in the PA’s capacitors and the greater chance there is to
run out of current and clip the signal peaks. This, in turn, will
cause harmonics that will that widen the transmitted band-
width, thereby creating distortion (splatter) and making you
a “bad neighbor” on the band.
Visit Our Web Site
 As mentioned above, ALC controls the amount of signal
going to the PA. This can be the final amplifier in the trans-
ceiver, or to an external PA connected with an ALC line.
Connecting ALC from the amplifier to a transceiver is highly
discouraged for two reasons. First, using ALC to control the
power output of an external PA can cause distortion if the
ALC level is set too high and, second, different ALC DC volt-
age levels or polarity (±) can cause unexpected results.
Linearity and Amplifiers
Linearity is the property of a relationship that can be repre-
sented by a straight line. As an example, linearity in an
amplifier is the property that the output signal strength will
vary in direct proportion to the strength of the input signal.
Most modern rigs with solid-state finals are very linear. With
the proliferation of broadband tuned solid-state amplifiers,
if the exciter is linear, the external power amplifier will like-
ly be as well.
Linearity in the amplifier stages of a PA is important for sev-
eral reasons. The most salient reason is that the more linear
the amplification (linear being “a faithful reproduction of the
original signal”), the “cleaner” the transmitted wave will be.
In other words, a “clean” signal — one lacking intermodula-
tion distortion products that are produced anytime a complex
audio waveform is modulated into RF — will be easier to copy
and better to overcome the natural (and unnatural) noise that
exists on the band.
While solid-state amplifiers are rapidly gaining popularity,
there are still many tube amplifiers on the air today. Since
amplifiers are usually the last thing a ham purchases and the
last thing he replaces, tube amps are likely to be used well
into the future.
One of the most popular types of tube amplifiers is the
grounded grid amplifier. In grounded grid amps, keeping an
eye on grid current and not letting it go past its design limit
on peaks will result in a clean signal. Too much exciter power
drives up the grid current, which in turn causes clipping and,
therefore, distortion. This is a common causes of SSB splat-
ter. The result is a wider signal due to the added harmonics
from the clipping. The exciter’s signal is no longer a sine wave
since its peaks are clipped by the overload condition. And,
as we know, clipping a peak is distorting a signal.
It is our hope that this article has provided some answers
of how to manage transmitted audio. There are many great
articles out there that discuss this, and it is highly recom-
mended that that you search them out. A few excellent ref-
erences are shown below. You should become intimately
familiar with your equipment’s manual, and you may even
wish to join an email reflector that brings together like-mind-
ed operators with similar transceivers and amplifiers.
Now, how’s my audio?

References:
“ALC Exciter Power Overshoot,” by W8JI: <https://tinyurl.com/y5o9jemj>
“ALC Adjustment Procedure,” by KØBG: <https://tinyurl.com/y5dfcf9b>
“Never Apply Positive Voltage to the Rear-Panel ALC Jack!” (of an ICOM transceiver), by VA7OJ/AB4OJ: <https://tinyurl.com/y4647nt7>
“How to Use an ALC Meter,” by AE7PD: <https://tinyurl.com/y3zgdhgt>

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 55

It was a well-known fact, especially back in the days of discrete components,
that each of those components contained a certain amount of smoke,
which was essential to their functioning. Your goal, particularly as a new ham,
was to keep that smoke inside the components. K8HSY reminisces on a
less-than-successful effort…

The Day I let the Smoke Out!

BY DR. RON MILLIMAN,* K8HSY

ack in 1957, my buddy Don, KN8OEY, and I were a

B couple of goofy kids, just getting into ham radio and

willing to try anything. We built my first transmitter fol-
lowing the plans given in the Radio Amateur’s Handbook.
It was a little two-tube oscillator rig that lots of us got start-
ed with in those days; it used a 5Y3 rectifier and a 6V6 oscil-
lator and was crystal controlled. It put out maybe 15 watts
if we were lucky. Then, we made the big trip to Fair Radio
in Lima, Ohio, and loaded up Don’s Willies with WWII sur-
plus gear … Command sets/ARC5s, BC-454s, BC-455s,
BC-457s, BC-459s, and even a couple of BC-348s and an
ART-13.
Then, we experimented with all kinds of antennas; even
some crazy things like window screens, bed springs, and the
gutter that went around my parents’ house. We brought the
feedline, just a single wire, into my bedroom going through
the window and to a knife switch which we used to switch
the antenna from the receiver to the transmitter and back
again. Nothing worked all that well, but it was good enough
for us; after all, we were just kids and had nothing to com- not too hard to construct. We thought we were following
pare anything with. the plans we found in one of the ham publications, and
strung it up in the front yard. Well, evidently, we did some-
Into the Big Leagues thing wrong.
OK, finally I saved up enough from the various jobs I was I was so excited to connect the new Zepp antenna to my
doing to earn money to move into the big leagues. Well, rig and give it a try. I started dipping and loading my DX-40,
it was big leagues to us. I purchased a used Heathkit DX- tuning it up. It acted a little strangely, but I didn’t think much
40 from Purchase Radio Supply in Angola, Indiana. Now, about it. After all, it was a different antenna, and I expected
I was putting out some serious RF, a full 75 watts input it to load up a little differently.
on CW! However, it was a struggle trying to separate out
the signals using my Hallicrafters S-38D general cover- “CQ, CQ, CQ, de KN8HSY, KN8HSY dah dit dah”
age shortwave receiver or the ARC5 Command Set
receivers. Saying the selectivity was poor was a gross A KN9 came back to me, and I was so excited. It seemed
understatement. like my new Zepp antenna was working just great. We got
My parents heard me complain about hearing five stations into a pretty long QSO, and I noticed during one of my long
all on top of each other, and my not being able to tell who transmissions that something was smelling strange, like
was calling me and who was calling someone else. Much to something was getting a little hot. Then, suddenly right in the
my total shock, the first Christmas after I got my Novice tick- middle of my next long transmission, all hell broke loose! I
et, my parents gave me a Hallicrafters SX-71 receiver. heard sparks and smelled lots of smoke. It was my DX-40
Compared to what I was using, that SX-71 was at least a 12 ... literally burning up!
on a scale of 10! The heavy smoke, that terrible electrical smell, wafted
throughout the entire house. I opened the windows, but I just
Time for a Serious Antenna couldn’t get rid of the pungent odor.
Now, it was time to put up a more serious antenna. Don Oh, no, Mom and Dad were coming home from work; they
and I decided to try a Zepp antenna. We really didn’t know were pulling into the garage. Then, I heard the back door
what a Zepp antenna was, but it sounded interesting and open, and my Dad no more got into the house, and I heard
him yell:
“What is that terrible smell? Ronnie, what in the hell have
*Email: <rmilliman@twc.com> you done this time?”

56 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

“I’ll bet I know what you did. You 1(:1(:1(:
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cal smell to fade away in the house. Of

course, it helped that my Mom sprayed
deodorizers all over the place every so
often for the next several days. And,
once my Dad settled down, he actually
agreed to take me over to Heathkit in
Benton Harbor to have them look at my
DX-40 to see if it was salvageable.

Lesson Learned
I told the fellow at Heathkit what hap-
pened as best as I could since I wasn’t
really sure what happened myself. He
was really nice about it. He sat my DX-
40 on the bench and opened it up. He
took one look and chuckled. He said:
“I’ll bet I know what you did. You said
that you were using a new antenna.
So, what was the SWR on that new
antenna?”
I responded by saying: “SWR? What
do you mean SWR? I have no idea what
SWR is.”
That was when I learned about stand-
ing wave ratio, what it was, what could
happen if it were too high, and how, evi-
dently, the SWR on my new Zepp
antenna was so high that it created too
much heat in the tank coil of the output
tuning circuit. He explained that when
that happened, it caused the insulating
material used to separate the windings
on the output tank circuit coil to melt,
shorting out the tank coil, which, in turn,
took out several other parts going back
to the power supply.
It didn’t seem like it took him very long
to replace the burned-up tank coil and
other parts and get my DX-40 opera-
tional again. Oh, it still smelled pretty
bad, but there wasn’t anything he could
do about that. He checked it out, canned
it back up, and said: “I think you have
had your first lesson about the impor-
tance of SWR, and why you want to
keep it as low as possible, like below 2
to 1 and as close to 1 to 1 if you can.”
So, that was the day I let the smoke
out of my DX-40! It is a lesson I’ve never
forgotten.

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 57

 MATH’S NOTES
BY IRWIN MATH,* WA2NDM
Another Chance at THz Experimentation
rom time to time, we have tried to present various
F thoughts, ideas, and even some circuitry regarding
possible new areas for experimentation by technical-
ly inclined amateurs. One of our favorites has been optical
or THz transmission. While we have received numerous
emails with various comments, we have not personally
heard from actual experimenters in this area to any great
degree and we feel that this is a mistake. As I have said
many times in the past, early experimenters in radio, begin-
ning with Loomis, Hertz, Branly, Tesla, Marconi, etc., all
started out with very basic crude equipment but did prove
that wireless communication was possible and eventually
we wound up with full-color high-definition pictures from
outer space. This, I feel is where optical transmission tech-
niques (at least from an amateur’s point of view) are today.
But don’t underestimate amateurs. Sometimes not being an
“expert” in a field allows one to try things that “could not pos-
sibly work” but somehow do.
THz Basics
To refresh your memory, a portion of the terahertz (THz)
region of the electromagnetic spectrum contains visible light
(which is really just electromagnetic radiation that we can
happen to see). For reference, this visible portion extends
from red (which is at a wavelength of around 700 nanome-
ters and a frequency of around 426 THz) to blue (which is at
a wavelength of around 400 nanometers or around 743 THz).
I suggest these since it is much easier to work with signals
you can actually see. Note: The wavelengths and frequen-
cies I just mentioned are approximate values and if you want
to specifically calculate them, you can certainly do so, but
the point here is to indicate that they are well within the THz
region and can be experimented with.
THz Transmitters
For transmitters, various LEDs and laser diodes exist which
can be used for CW (digital) or voice experimentation by
being turned on and off or modulated with AM, various pulse
techniques and the like for audio. Current digital modulation
techniques exist well into the millions of pulses per second
and analog modulation techniques exist well into and well
beyond high-definition analog video transmissions. These
techniques are commonly used in various fiber-optic trans-
mission systems and can be easily researched by those inter-
ested. What is lacking, however, is long-distance free-air
transmissions and the refinement of the extremely wide fre-
quency range available.
Today’s optical (THz) technology consists of varying the
different light sources I just mentioned, but like the efforts of
spark-coil amateur experimenters at the start of the 20th cen-
tury, when entire “swaths” of frequencies were turned on and
off, real meaningful selectivity was slow to come. Today in
the THz region, like the spark coil, turning LEDs or a laser
on and off still switches large amounts of bandwidth. These
*c/o CQ magazine
58 • CQ • October 2020
devices are, relatively speaking, still far from being narrow
band and the bandwidth of these sources alone are very
wide. So far, stable ultra-narrow bandwidths of light are not
easy to come by.
If one considers the normal channel width of an amateur
SSB signal, for example, this usually takes up around 3 to
6 kHz. Imagine how many 6-kHz channels you could fit into
a 500-THz wide channel (500 x 1012 Hz)! Exactly how to do
this is where the experimenter can potentially make signif-
icant contributions. While it is obviously difficult for an exper-
imenter to design and fabricate LEDs or lasers, perhaps
there are other methods not previously considered. Many
sources of white light exist. Could exotic optical filters be
developed to filter what is wanted? Or could light sources
such as arc lamps, various gas discharge tubes or some-
thing even more extreme be developed? If you think “out of
the box” perhaps something unique, or even something obvi-
ous will turn up.
On the Receive Side
The same goes for the receiving end. Photodiodes are com-
monly used to detect light, but they are also use a very wide
band. A simple silicon photodiode, for example, covers the
entire visible region as well as many hundreds of THz (opti-
cally) above and below it. Maybe filters here are the answer,
as well, or maybe something even more exotic. Who would
have thought, in 1875, that a carbon filament light bulb with
a metal plate in it, originally intended to prevent early incan-
descent lamps from darkening prematurely, would become
a super RF detector, easily surpassing the coherer and var-
ious other exotic schemes being developed at the time? If
Edison had only paid a little more attention to it, the entire
electronics industry could have been years ahead. I hope
you get the point.
Distance
The other major area is communication distances. THz trans-
missions are line of sight … as far as we know so far. Just
like UHF and microwave distances, they are severely limit-
ed without a direct unobstructed path, but are there other
ways? Could you perhaps bounce light signals off some
unknown layer of the atmosphere or even clouds to extend
range? I know some of this sounds crazy but I have a col-
lege textbook from 1890 that mentions Hertzian waves but
also indicates there is probably no real practical application
for them.
The aforementioned is concerned with the optical portion
of the THz spectrum but keep in mind that it does not end
here. In theory, the spectrum increases infinitely with no con-
ceivable end and who knows what lies there? It also extends
downward, eventually into the microwave region, after pass-
ing through the infrared region. As in the case of amateurs
over 100 years ago, the “200 meters and down” region was
not originally used by the “professionals” at the time and was
left for us “amateurs.” The rest, of course, is history.
– 73, WA2NDM, Irwin
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 THE LISTENING POST
COVID-19 Continues Taking Its Toll on Shortwave Broadcasters
~ It seems I stepped off the curb too
soon a month or so back when I did an
obit for Radio Pilipinas. The station is
back. It’s now on via U.S. government
transmitters in the Philippines. The
false alarm was caused by COVID-19.
(I keep wondering what happened to
COVID 1-18 –GLD)
~ Radio Tarma (4775 kHz) in Tarma,
Peru, has cut back its schedule due to
the economic effects of the COVID-19.
Tarma now operates from 1100-1400
UTC and again at 2200-0000 UTC, its
500 watts were fairly well heard in the
evenings.
~ Iran International TV is now sup-
posedly being relayed by Armenia on
11570 kHz in Farsi from 0400-1200
UTC and on 11550 kHz at 1200-1400
UTC, also in Farsi with both via the
Yerevan site. IIT is a London-based
“independent” news service.
~ Radio 208 is another shortwave out-
let based in Denmark. It’s recently
opened on 5805 kHz with a U.S.-made
250-watt transmitter which did not do
the job and so was replaced by a trans-
mitter built in the UK, now operating with
under 200 watts from the Copenhagen
suburb of Hvidovre.
~ Another newish Northern European
broadcaster is Radio Northern Star
from Bergan, Norway, on 5895 kHz
from 1300-2200 UTC. Curious that
many of those countries which once had
major international voices have seen
stirrings from private broadcasters eye-
ing to replace them.
~ The German broadcaster Missions-
werk has ended its shortwave broad-
casts via Nauen, Germany. The Russian
airings lasted for some 16 years.
~ The Cross Radio, formerly active
from Pohnpei, Micronesia, on 41
meters won’t be back on shortwave
after Typhoon Dolphin wiped out the
station some years ago. It’s little con-
solation to us, but their FM station still
operates.
*c/o CQ magazine
60 • CQ • October 2020
BY GERRY DEXTER
Radio Nacional Arcangel is much in the shortwave news but is seldom in logs.
LRA36 is in Argentine Antarctica.
~ New Guinea’s Radio Fly from Port
Moresby is back. It was using 3915 kHz
and 5960 kHz. If you hear the station, it
would be in the very early mornings.
~ Radio Vanuatu is much in the news
of late. It’s being heard on its third har-
monic in the 25-meter band on 11835
kHz. One has to wonder how long this
can continue, hopefully for quite a while!
Readers’ Logs
Your shortwave broadcast station logs
are always welcome. But please ensure
to double or triple space between the
logs, list each according to the station’s
home country and include your last
name and state abbreviation after each.
Also needed are copies of QSLs, sta-
tion schedules, brochures, pennants,
station and / or shack photos and any-
thing else you think would be of inter-
est. The same holds for you amateur
radio operators who also listen to short-
wave broadcasts ... I know you’re out
there! You, too, are also most welcome
to contribute. C’mon, I don’t bite!
Here are this month’s logs. All times
are in UTC. If no language is mentioned
English is assumed.
ALASKA—K KNLS, Anchor Point, 9795
at 1215 ending English with station ID,
address, and email then into contempo-
rary Christian music. (Taylor, WI)
ALGERIA—R Radio Algerienne, 6050 via
France at *0358 with a man talking in
Arabic, station ID, English station ID, and
the sequence repeated. (D’Angelo. PA)
9655 at 2011 in Arabic. (Brossell, WI)
13820 via France at 1835 with an inter-
view in French, switched back to Arabic
at 1845. (Taylor, WI)
ASCENCION—B BBC Relay-English Bay,
5875 at 0657 in Hausa, with woman speak-
ing then a man spoke and gave several
mentions of BBC; off at 0700. (Taylor, WI)
AUSTRIA—A Adventist World Radio,
9630 via Moosbrunn in Hausa at 0512
with an African song, then a preacher or
an educational feature. (Taylor, WI)
BRAZIL—(All in Portuguese –GLD)
Radio Difusora Roraima, Boa Vista, (p)
4875 excited talk from a man at 0121, pos-
sibly soccer play-by-play. (Taylor, WI)
Voz Missionaria, Camboriu, 5939.6 at
2358 with a female preacher. Wiped out
by WWCR sign on 5930. (Taylor, WI)
Radio Nacional Brasilia, 11780, with
station ID at 1929. (Brossell, WI)
CANADA—B Bible Voice Broadcasting,
5900 via Moosbrunn, Austria at *0256-
0330* “overcoming” Overcoming Ministry
with an Arabic program which was repeat-
ed at 0315. (D’Angelo, PA) 15310 via
Nauen, Germany in Amharic at 1653.
(Brossell, WI)
Visit Our Web Site
 CHINA—C
China Radio International, 6145, Qinghai at 1057
in Mandarin with two streams of talk, both stopped at same time
and returned, then back after 30 seconds and into chatty woman;
11780, Kunming at in Burmese at 1446; 11935, Shiajiazhuang
at 1252 in Russian; 11990, Nanning at 2336 in Cambodian.
(Brossell, WI) 11640 via Mali at 2102 with news in English end-
ing at 2105, then a feature on COVID-19. Off at 2130 in Mandarin.
(D’Angelo, PA)
CNR-8, 11810, Beijing at 0021 with two men speaking in
Mongolian with music bridges. (Taylor, WI)
PBS Xinjiang, 5960, Changgi at 1201 in Mandarin with possi-
ble news; 6145, possibly from Xining in Mandarin with Chinese
ballads and male announcer at 1104. (Taylor, WI)
Voice of the Strait, 4900, Fuzhou at 1121 with Chinese bal-
lads and male announcer. (Taylor, WI)
China Huayi Broadcasting Corp., 6185, Fuzhou at 1215 in
Mandarin with animated woman speaking, then another, slow-
er-paced woman then into a seeming radio drama. (Taylor, WI) Radio Republik, Indonesia’s regional outlet at Makassar
Firedrake jammer, 6105 at 1123 with the usual loop against (Sulawesi), relays the Voice of Indonesia on 7295 kHz.
RTI. (Taylor, WI)
CUBA—R Radio Havana Cuba, 9630 in Spanish at 2258 jock- FRANCE—R RFI, 11700, Issoudun at 0430 with news in French.
eying with KBS for control of the frequency, station ID at 2300. (Sellers, ON)
(Figliozzi, NY) GERMANY—D Deutsche Welle, 15200 via France with talks in
ECUADOR—H HCJB / Radio Mufriha in Hassinya at 2210. Hausa at 1820. (Brossell, WI) 15215 via France at 1851-1859*
(Brossell, WI) with man and woman speaking in Hausa, instrumental music,
ENGLAND—B BBC, 5930 via Moosbrunn, Austria at 0046 in man giving station ID, and closing. (D’Angelo, PA)
Dari, news with correspondent reports; 9410-Woofferton at 0502 GREECE—V Voice of Greece, 9420, Avlis at 0230 with Greek
with news; 11810.1, Woofferton at 2111 in English. (Taylor, WI; music, multiple station IDs. (Barton, AZ)
Sellers, BC) 11875, Oman Relay at 0341 with man speaking in GUATEMALA—R Radio Verdad, Chiquimula, 4055 at 0124 with
Farsi, various announcements, station ID, into woman reading religious talk in Spanish and instrumental music. (Barton, AZ)
the news at 0400. (D’Angelo, PA) Hymns in Spanish at 0248. (Brossell, WI)
ESWANTINI—T Trans World Radio, Manzini, 9940 at 2002 in GUINEA—R Radio TV Guineenne, Conakry, 9650 at 2023 with
Lingalia. (Brossell, WI) drums, flutes, and French talks. (Brossell, WI)

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 61

 INDIA—A All India Radio, 11560 at 0203 in Arabic at 0213 with
familiar IS at 0215, man beginning program, into news at 0220,
followed by music at 0230. (D’Angelo, PA)
IRAN—V VOIRI, 7410 in Arabic at 0203. (Brossell, WI)
JAPAN—N NHK-Radio Japan, 6090, Yamata at 1959 in Korean
with IS, station ID, time pip, man giving an announcement, and
fanfare. (Taylor, WI) 11970 via France in English at 0045 with a
guest economist. (Sellers, ON)
Radio Nikkei One, 3920, Nagara at 1153, man speaking at
length in Japanese. (Taylor, LFP)
MADAGASCAR—W World Christian Broadcasting, 11610,
Majahanga at 2100 with station IDs before opening in Mandarin.
(D’Angelo, PA)
Madagascar World Voice / Radio Feda, 11965 at 1906 with
Arabic talks. (Brossell, WI)
MALI—R RTV Malienne, Bamako, 2355-2359* with man speak-
ing in French, then a vocal to close. (D’Angelo, PA) 2346 in local
Bambara with Afropop music. (Taylor, WI) Also seldom heard is the low powered Chilean Radio Triunfal
MEXICO—R Radio Educacion, Mexico D.F., 6185 at 0910 with Evangelica on 5825 kHz.
Greek folk music, Spanish announcer, station ID at 1000 fol-
lowed by marimba music. (Barton, AZ)
NEW ZEALAND—R Radio New Zealand, 5945 at 1045 in Tok
Pisin. (Taylor, WI) 9700, Rangitaiki at 0507 into “Checkpoint”
news program. (Sellers, BC) 11840 at 2110 with “ Dateline Radio”
program. (Barton, AZ) 13840 at 0400 with news. (D’Angelo, PA)
NIGERIA—V Voice of Nigeria, 7255, possibly from Abuja at 0652
with Afropop music, man with music bridge, man with excited
talks. (Taylor, WI) 11770 at 2014 in Hausa at 2014. (Brossell,
WI) 2021-2058*, man with long talk and messed up audio, light
instrumental music to close. (D’Angelo, PA)
NORTH KOREA—V Voice of Korea, 9435 at 1302, ending NA
into DPRK opera, 9665 possibly in Korean at 1149 with orches-
tral music and opera. (Taylor, WI) 9875 at 2314 with man and
woman speaking in Korean beamed to SE Asia at 2314.
(Figliozzi, NY) 11710 in French at 1438. (Brossell, WI)
KCBS, 3320 at 1040 with patriotic Korean music. (Barton, AZ)
11710 at 1255 with man speaking in Korean under typical NK
Radio Vanuatu has become an international broadcaster,
grind / roar jammer. Were they jamming themselves? (Taylor, WI)
OPPOSITION—R Radio Ndarason International (via Woofferton
by mistake, thanks to a 3rd harmonic, which puts them on
to Chad), 12050 at 1906 with talks in Kanuri, rustic vocal at 1928, 11835 kHz.
station ID, woman hosting talk feature. (D’Angelo, PA)
Echo of Hope (South Korea to North), 6255 at 1120 with bare- 0130 with station ID with rock, brief talk. WDOG, 5060u at 0123
ly audible man speaking in Korean. (Taylor, LFP) with music, dog howls after each song, talk program, more howls.
Voice of Hope (South Korea to North), 3930 at 1037 in Korean, Zeeky’s Attic, 6933u at 0054 with chatter, eclectic music.
//3910 was jammed. (Taylor, WI) Ballsmacker Radio, 6960 at 0104 with mellow music, rock,
Radio Tamajuz (possibly via Vatican to South Sudan), 15310 address for an e-QSL. (Taylor, WI)
at 1403 in with long talks in Sudanese Arabic. (Taylor, LFP) ROMANIA—R Radio Romania International, 11650, Tiganesti at
Eye Radio (via Madagascar to South Sudan), 7340 at *0358 2144-2158* woman speaking in Spanish hosting Spanish ser-
with instrumental open, station ID in Arabic, into English at 0415, vice, station ID at closing followed by IS. (D’Angelo, PA)
back into Arabic at 0430. (D’Angelo, PA) SAO TOME—V VOA Relay-Pinheira, 13590 at 1936 on injus-
Denge Welat (via France to Turkey), 11530 at 2023 in Kurdish. tices in Zimbabwe. (Figliozzi, NY)
(Brossell, WI) 2051-2100* with nice Kurdish vocals to close in SOUTH KOREA—K KBS World Radio, 6015, Hamnijok, woman
mid-song without announcements. (D’Angelo, PA) and man alternating talk in Korean. (Taylor, WI) 9785 with pop
Radio Dap Loi Song Nu (via Taiwan to Vietnam), 9670 (p) at music at 1530, female announcer. (Barton, AZ) 9640 with K-pop
1234 with man talking briefly, then woman talking at length, then music at 2252 against RHC to close at 2300; 15575 at 1300-
man talking at length. (Taylor, WI) 1400 with English to North America, 2 men on social / econom-
Republic of Yemen Radio (Saudi Arabia to Yemen), 11860 at ic conditions there. (Figiiozzi, NY) 15575 at 1417 with news in
2147, man speaking in Arabic, then continuous vocals to anoth- Korean. (Brossell, WI)
er man speaking in Arabic, back to music at 2256. (D’Angelo, PA) SPAIN—R Radio Exterior Espana, 9690 at 2130 Sundays with
PHILIPPINES—F FEBC Radio, 9275, Bocaue, with tuning sig- exotic Ladino for Sephardic Jews, especially good with a pow-
nal to open at 0955 with man speaking in Chinese. (Barton, AZ) erful signal in ECNA. (Figliozzi, NY) 2157-2258* when English
PIRATES—M Mix Radio International, 6930 usb (u) at 0014 with opened at 2200, man talking about flamenco guitar music.
smooth jazz, make announcer. Black Star Radio 6935u with (D’Angelo, PA) 11940, Nobeljas at 2215 with woman speaking
rock, some instrumental music. WILD, 6935u at 0208, rock, sta- in Spanish. (Barton, AZ)
tion ID, sudden fade at 0212. Damn Skippy, 6950u at 2352 with SRI LANKA—S Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corp., 11905,
rock, Grateful Dead, many SSTVs. Sycko Radio, 5150u at 0203 Trincomalee at 0050-0058* with male vocal, female announcer
with talk. Radio Free Mars, 6872.1 weak just at static floor, later speaking in Bengla with closing announcements. (D’Angelo, PA)
piano music. WEED Radio, 6935 at 0045 with rock or rap. Poor SWEDEN—IIBRA Radio, 15260 via Woofferton with man and
but was able to get a station ID. Nuttin’ on Shortwave, 6925u at woman talking in Arabic at 1747. (Taylor, WI)

62 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

 TAIWAN—R Radio Taiwan International,
9490, Tanshui at 1104 in Russian, man and
woman reading the news. (Taylor, WI)
9555, Kouhu at 1204 with man speaking in
Mandarin at length; not audible with CNR-
1 jammer on 9660 and 9680. (Taylor, WI)
TURKEY—V Voice of Turkey, 7260, Emiler
at 0112-0154 with Turkish vocals, woman
speaking Greek, station ID in several lan-
guages at 2329 to close; 9830, Emiler at
2315-2330* woman speaking Greek, multi-
lingual station ID at 2329. (D’Angelo, PA)
9635, Emirler in French at 2002. (Brossell,
WI) 13635 at 1234 in Turkish. (Taylor, WI)
UNITED STATES—V Voice of America-
Philippines Relay, 15110, Tinang, at 1448
in Mandarin. (Brossell, WI) 15130, Tinang
with man and woman speaking in Mandarin
at 1337; 15165 Thailand Relay in Mandarin,
jammed by CNR at 1343. (Figliozzi, NY)
VOA/Deewa Radio, 12035, Thailand
Relay at 1600 in Pashto possibly with man
reading the news. (Barton, AZ)
Radio Free Asia, 9555, Tadzikistan at
2310 with woman speaking in Tibetan and
CNR-1 jammer; 15275 at 1346 in Tibetan.
(Figliozzi, NY; Taylor, LFP) 15470 at 1356
in Tibetan. (Brossell, WI)
Adventist World Radio, 7385 via Austria
at 0208 in Urdu. (Brossell, WI) 9800 via
Germany in English / Nigerian Pidgin.
Address in Lagos and Abuja at 2126, off
at 2129. (Taylor, WI, D’Angelo, PA)
Radio Farda, 17830, Lampertheim
Relay at 1428 with Farsi music and female
announcer; //12005 via Woofferton.
(Taylor, LFP)
VATICAN—Vatican Radio, 15565 in
Swahili at 1616. (Brossell, WI)

Quien Sabe
Ralph Perry notes an unidentified sta-
tion at around 0330 UTC on 6135 kHz.
Perry said that he heard a woman host-
ing a program with fairly non-descript
music; some HOA, and other African
stuff to 0359 UTC and then closed with-
out an announcement.

Just Sayin’
... Another guy, a highly experienced,
professionally equipped medium wave
DXer, noticed a minute variation in the
frequency of BCB stations prior to the
arrival of an earthquake. I don’t know if
the theory has ever been proven ...
another, a well-known comic, enjoyed
listening to ship-to shore phone calls on
his ICOM I-71 receiver. And so ends this
multi-month excursion.

Thanks for Your Logs

Mark Taylor, Madison, WI and LFP-
Lake Farm Park, near Madison; Rich
D’Angelo, Wyomissing, PA; John
Figliozzi, Half Moon, NY (WELCOME
John!); Rick Barton, Sun City, AZ; and
Bob Brossell, Pewaukee, WI.

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 63

 KIT BUILDING
BY JOE EISENBERG,* K0NEB
May the Morse Be With You
ith very few in-person hamfests or meetings taking
W place right now, many hams find themselves look-
ing to better their skills for more on-air enjoyment.
Learning and practicing Morse code skills has long been
something with which many hams have struggled. I found
two kits that give a great building experience and serve as
useful tools for learning CW.
One of the questions I get asked most often is “what is a
great kit for a beginner?” One of the kits I recently built real-
ly fills that need and was designed by Jim Stafford, W4QO,
and Warren Merkel, KD4Z. The Morse Code Practice Kit from
*7133 Yosemite Drive, Lincoln, NE 68507
email: <k0neb@cq-amateur-radio.com>
NFARL Code Practice Kit parts. There are only 11 parts needed to build this kit.
64 • CQ • October 2020
the North Fulton Amateur Radio League sells for $10 and
has a minimal number of parts, yet delivers a great code
oscillator that fits in an Altoids® tin.
When choosing a good kit for a beginner, a few factors
come in to play. One is a low number of parts, so that if built
in a group situation, it can be completed in about an hour.
Second, it should be simple to use. Third, the layout of the
PC board should not be so crowded as to make parts place-
ment difficult for a newcomer. The PC board for this kit is
very well labeled on both the top and bottom.
NFARL Morse Code Practice Kit
The NFARL Morse Code Practice Kit uses a combination of
two types of input, a plug-in key jack and a built-in touch key.
Visit Our Web Site
I have seen touch paddles in keyer kits,
but this is the first I have seen one used
as a straight key. The touch module is
a tiny board with surface-mount com-
ponents that comes pre-assembled,
only requiring a 3-pin terminal to be sol-
dered to it and then to the main board.
There is also a red LED on the bottom
of the touch pad that lights up in addi-
tion to the blue LED that lights on the
right side of the board whenever the kit
is keyed. The sound comes from a piezo
device and its volume is regulated by
opening or closing the tab taped on top
of the piezo device. I left mine com-
pletely covered, as the oscillator was
plenty loud.
An issue that often surfaces when
selecting a kit for a beginning kit builder
is the quality of the instructions. This kit
has very thorough instructions with
good quality color photos and is orga-
nized so only the steps for one part at a
time are on each page. Each page is one

HamTestOnline™ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐĂƌĞ
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ĞƐƚƐƚƵĚLJŵĞƚŚŽĚ͕ƐƚƵĚLJŵĂƚĞƌŝĂůƐ͕ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌ
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www.hamtestonline.com

The Altoids® tin is prepared by drilling four holes corresponding to the holes in Real Hams Do Code
the PC board, then mounting four 4-40 standoffs anchored by screws.
Learn code with hypnosis today.
Download Now!
www.success-is-easy.com
561-302-7731
Success Easy
568 SE Maple Ter.
Port St. Lucie, FL 34983

The completed kit is ready to send Morse code.

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 65

A straight key or keyer output can be plugged into the 1/8-inch jack on the left or the red touch pad can be used to key the
oscillator.
part, and the steps are well explained to assist a new builder.
The kit comes with a business card sized Morse code chart
as well as cutout-sized versions printed as part of the manu-
al. The suggestion is made in the instructions to use one as a
bottom insulator between the bottom of the PC board and the
base of the mint tin. I chose to go a different way, and to first
drill holes, then mount the board using four 4-40 hardware
threaded standoffs. These standoffs hold the board well above
the bottom of the tin and yet give plenty of headroom for the
top of the kit to fit under the lid. If you don’t have standoffs
handy, a couple of 4-40 nuts on each bottom screw can pro-
vide adequate spacing. I have also used the plastic credit-card
shaped things I get in junk mail as a base insulator for my
Altoids® projects. In addition to the four holes in the bottom, I
had to drill a single hole in the left side to allow a 1/8-inch plug
to connect an external key.
The Morse Code Practice Kit is powered by a pair of
CR2032 coin cell batteries. These are the same batteries as
in many common remote-control devices, so they are easy
to find. Two of these batteries are supplied with the kit. The
only oddity I found was that, if mounted in an Altoids tin, plac-
ing the tin on a metal surface, like a metal table or one of my
cookie sheets, resulted in irregular operation of the touch
pad. That is because a touch pad is a capacitive device and
placing the kit on a metal surface changes the behavior of
the capacitive sensor. Simply moving it to a wood tabletop
eliminated that issue.
Drilling holes in an Altoids tin can be tricky as the metal is
very thin. I used a small bit in a Dremel tool to drill the initial
pilot holes in the tin. I then used a more conventional drill with
66 • CQ • October 2020
the proper bit size to finish the job. I highly suggest down-
loading the manual for the kit at nfarl.org to see the thor-
oughness of the instructions and to see how this kit is put
together. Downloading manuals for any kit is a good idea to
see if that kit is a good fit for your building skills.
If building this kit as a group kit-building experience, it might
be wise to have someone skilled with working with these tins
pre-drill them and supply the necessary 4-40 hardware to
mount the kit into an Altoids tin. This avoids the logjam at the
end of a group experience when everyone needs to drill their
tins to mount the board.
To order the NFARL Morse Code Practice Kit, check at
<www.nfarl.org>. The kit sells for $10 plus shipping and is a
great deal if your club wants to group kit-building experience.
Once the COVID-19 crisis is over, I will be glad to help with
your group builds of this and other great beginner’s kits.
Morserino 32
The second kit I found was the Morserino32, a kit that comes
all the way from Austria. The Morserino32 is an Arduino-
based kit that pretty much does about anything you might
want in a code trainer / decoder and offers the ability to trans-
mit and receive via Lo Ra to another identical unit nearby as
well as via Wi-Fi though the internet. I will go into more detail
about assembling and using this kit in my next column,
Including shipping, the cost of the Morserino32 is about $100
U.S. (the exact cost depends on the Euro / USD exchange
rate at the time of purchase.). You can order the Morserino32
at <https://tinyurl.com/yxb4ljd5> and expect it to take 2-3
weeks to arrive. Until next time, 73 de KØNEB
Visit Our Web Site
BEST SERVICE. BEST WARRANTY. BEST VALUE. NO ONE BEATS LDG! CONTACT YOUR FAVORITE DEALER TODAY!

Any way you look at an LDG tuner, it functions as a variable impedance transformer. No matter where you place it in the
feedline, it’s just like a balun, unun or any other matching transformer device. Way back in 1944, Phillip H. Smith (of
Smith-Chart fame) wrote about the eight ways to configure an L-type matching circuit for transmitters using one inductor and
one capacitor. Smith wrote in Electronics for Engineers: One of the simplest and most effective impedance transforming
networks for RF applications is the half-section L-type circuit. Those circuits, with the aid of microprocessors and software
control, have been whittled down over the years to the standard LDG “Switched-L Network”.

The tuning range of the typical LDG tuner is about 15 to 1 to favor high impedance (Hi-Z) loads such as dipoles, vertical, end-
fed, ect and about 8 to 1 for less popular low impedance loads (Lo-Z) like loops, folded dipoles, ect. Choosing the components
for the range are critical, as going too far beyond a 10:1 range will cause excess losses to accumulate in the tuner. Using
decades of feedback from our users, LDG has tailored the range in our models to best fit the needs of today’s Ham.

410-586-2177 support@ldgelectronics.com www.ldgelectronics.com

 QRP: Low-Power Communications
BY R. SCOTT ROUGHT,* KA8SMA

QRP and POTA … A Perfect Match

for Fun on the Air!

everal months ago, I was tuning across the ham bands

S and heard a station calling “CQ POTA … CQ POTA.”

This was not the first time I had heard a station calling
“CQ POTA” and knew it had something to do with contact-
ing a park, but not much else. As I listened, a steady stream
of hams began making contest-like exchanges with the call-
ing station — “Thanks for calling, you are 58 into park K-
1995, Sycamore State Park in Ohio.”
“Roger, you are 55 into northern Minnesota … thanks for
activating the park, this is a new one for me”.
As I continued to listen, more stations began calling and
eventually a small pileup formed on the frequency. What I
heard next surprised me. The operator at the park indicated
he was using an Elecraft KX2 with 5 watts into an inverted-
V at 25 feet. I could not recall the last time I heard a QRP
station working a pileup. As a QRP operator, I am generally
There are two ways to participate in POTA, either as an
the station on the other side of the pileup, not the one being
activator or as a hunter. Activators set up the portable oper-
sought. A few minutes later, I was online reading about Parks
ation at the park and call CQ. An activation can be set up
on the Air (better known by its acronym POTA) and how I
from a picnic table, campsite, alongside a hiking trail, etc.
could become part of the fun.
You can even operate from your vehicle, if desired. The only
This month we discuss POTA, an on-air program that offers
rule for activating a park is that the operation needs to occur
something for every ham. Whether you want to set up a
inside park boundaries. There are no mode or frequency
portable operation and activate a nearby park, contact parks
restrictions for making POTA contacts, so SSB, CW, AM,
from the leisure of your ham shack, or plan a trip for a multi-
FM, digital, satellite, etc. all count. The only restriction is that
park operation, POTA will keep you busy. The program also
contacts made via a repeater do not count. Also, there are
has a variety of awards that can be earned by making con-
no power limitations as an activator or hunter.
tacts with designated parks or activating parks. Additionally,
Alerting park staff that you are operating from the park is
in QRP Spotlight, our monthly segment dedicated to those
not necessary; however, a friendly chat with personnel on
QRPers who do a little more with less, we feature VK4QS of
your way in is not a bad idea as it may save an interruption
Queensland, Australia. We’ll hear again from VK4QS in
later. I have made several activations and I have been asked
December when we continue our discussion from June’s col-
once what I was doing. When I told the park ranger I am an
umn on the “True Meaning” of QRP and share some of his
amateur radio operator, his eyes lit up and the conversation
thoughts from the land down under.
shifted to stories about how he and his grandfather listened
to Radio Moscow and other shortwave stations in the early
POTA – The Ultimate “on the Air” Program 1980s. After 20 minutes of the ranger reminiscing about the
The purpose of the POTA program is to promote communi- good ol’ days, he walked down the trail to visit with others. It
cations from national and state / province level parks while was a good conversation, but I would rather have been mak-
helping amateur radio operators further develop their skills ing contacts.
and demonstrate our hobby to the public. There are currently One benefit of being an activator is that you will polish your
22,524 parks worldwide that are part of the POTA program. operating skills. You will learn how to manage pileups, refine
More parks are being added all the time and chances are your emergency communications skills and learn how to call
you are not too far from at least one of them. Do not let the CQ if you are new to amateur radio. For me, POTA has helped
“Parks” in POTA fool you as the program also includes many me better learn how to type (log contacts) and talk at the
state and federally listed entities such as fish hatcheries, same time – a skill I have not yet mastered.
wildlife management areas, state game lands, national mon- In addition to activating the park, activators are respon-
uments, designated scenic sites, etc. Within a 1-hour drive sible for uploading their contacts to the POTA website fol-
of my QTH there are 11 entities, three of which are state lowing the activation. POTA will accept any log that is in
parks and the remaining eight are a mix of state fish hatch- ADIF file format. Most ham logging software will export files
eries, wildlife management areas and state game lands. The in this format with the click of a button. POTA will not accept
POTA website <www.parksontheair.com> has a complete paper logs, so be sure to use appropriate software to log
list of registered entities and a user-friendly map showing your contacts, just ensure the software will export your log
each location. as an ADIF file.
If you do not want to go to the effort of being an activator,
hunting can also be fun. POTA has a unique spotting net-
*<ka8sma@cq-amateur-radio.com> work that aids hunters in knowing when a ham may be acti-

68 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

vating a park and helps activators let
hunters know when they are on the air.
The spotting network also contains a
scheduling tool that can be populated
by activators with information regarding
their planned activation dates, park
location, frequencies, and times when
they will likely be on the air. Hunters can
Photo A. POTA’s Silver Hunter Certificate for successfully working 20 different
entities, one of the many awards offered.
Photo B. VK4QS in his shack.
www.cq-amateur-radio.com
check the scheduler for upcoming acti-
vations. There is also a spotting feature
that can be used by activators to “self-
spot” when they begin an activation or
for a hunter to post a spot for an acti-
vator after they make a contact.
When activating a park, I find the spot-
ting network to be a valuable tool to let
the world know I am on the air. If I have
a cellular connection, I use my cell
phone to self-spot my operation on
POTA’s website and within minutes I
have a slew of hams lining up to con-
tact me. When I do not have a cellular
connection (this happens when I am
camping out in the boonies), I simply
ask hams to spot me on DX Summit or
one of the other spotting networks prior
to ending the contact. Either way, be
sure you have something to drink and
a snack on hand because after you have
been spotted you will likely be on the air
for a while.
Awards Galore
If you like collecting certificates and
earning awards, POTA has many to
offer in recognition of your dedication to
the program. There are several cate-
gories of awards including the number
of parks activated or successfully hunt-
ed, successfully hunting or activating
parks in all 50 states, activating multi-
ple parks in one day, activating or hunt-
ing the same park 20 times or more, and
so on. The bronze award is earned by
contacting 10 different parks as a hunter
or activating 10 different parks (as an
activator) and is generally the first
award earned. After learning about
POTA it did not take long for me to earn
the Silver Hunter award (Photo A) for
contacting 20 different locations.
October 2020 • CQ • 69
Photo C. Vintage keys at VK4QS. From left to right – AWA WT 8 AMP No. 2, AWA R688B used by Australian Coast
Watchers in WWII, Pre-WWII Japanese Naval Spark key, German WWII Junkers Kriegsmarine key, and a WWII Flameproof
U.S. Navy key.
The neatest part about POTA’s awards program is that
hunters do not need to report their contacts to POTA for cred-
it, POTA automatically tracks this information from activator’s
logs that are uploaded into the system. As long as an acti-
vator does not forget to upload his/her contacts or did not
make a mistake in recording the hunter’s callsign, the process
is iron-clad.
When the system determines you have qualified for an
award, it automatically downloads a certificate (.pdf) into an
awards folder that is maintained on the POTA website. For
the system to keep track of your information (awards issued,
number of hunted QSOs, completed activations, etc.), you
need to register for an account. This process is free and
straightforward and there are easy-to-follow instructions on
the website for registering.
W3AAX – A Ham with Vision
To gain a little more information about the program and how
it started, I sent an email to the POTA website help desk.
Within 24 hours, I received feedback from Jason Johnston,
W3AAX, President / Owner of Parks on the Air, Inc.
W3AAX was licensed in 2014 and started out with an
Elecraft KX3 and an Alex Loop antenna. “I was extremely
active in SOTA (still enjoy it to this day on occasion), but it
was frustrating when the nearest decently sized mountain
was a minimum of three hours away. In 2016, the ARRL had
the year-long National Parks on the Air program which I
enjoyed even more.” At the end of this program “I reached
out and verified that ARRL did not have the budget to keep
the program running, and then thought, wow, I wish there
was a way to keep this going…” With his background as an
information technology architect and some ham ingenuity,
POTA was soon born.
W3AAX has built a solid team of nearly 100 volunteers who
are responsible for various tasks to keep the system running
and points out that “the volunteers of POTA are paramount
to its success.” A well-oiled machine is important as the pop-
ularity of this program continues. Since its inception, the pro-
gram has grown each year with 86,687 QSOs made in 2017,
70 • CQ • October 2020
191,522 contacts in 2018, 371,510 contacts in 2019, and as
of August 2020, 399,088 contacts made for the year thus far.
There have also been 29,358 park activations (as of August
2020) and over 21,000 certificates issued since 2017. These
are some astounding numbers, especially when taking into
consideration the number of hams who are currently inactive
due to the lull in the sunspot cycle.
As for the future of POTA, W3AAX foresees a Yelp-like
database for park activations / activators where an activator
can record overall values for their experience. A rating sys-
tem for how accessible the park was; whether you can oper-
ate only by park bench, boat, or car type vehicle, etc.; or how
friendly the rangers / park staff are, would be stored by users
and averaged out to provide well rounded data. There will
also be a nice collection of park border maps at the ready.
“It might sound complicated, but we will attempt to simplify
the interface”, says Johnston. Considering the accomplish-
ments made by the POTA team thus far, this unique addition
to the system may not be too far in the distant future.
At 5 watts or less, QRP operators are not often the focus
of a pileup; however, POTA provides any QRP operator work-
ing from one of the nearly 23,000 registered locations in the
world the opportunity to be a highly sought station. For me,
POTA is a dream come true as it blends portable operating,
leisurely operations from my QTH, and certificate hunting all
in one package … QRP-style.
QRP Spotlight – VK4QS
This month we highlight Mike Charteris, VK4QS, of Granville,
Queensland, Australia (Photo B). Mike has been interested
in radio for as long as he can remember and first went on the
air during the Citizens Band radio craze in the 1970s. Shortly
thereafter he discovered amateur radio and began studying
for the Australian Novice exam. In 1985 he was licensed as
VK4MAE and took to the air with a Yaesu FT-200, an FT-
401B, and a Hy-Gain Long John 5-element beam on 15
meters and worked the world from “down under.” Shortly
thereafter he studied for and passed the next level license
and was issued the callsign VK4JDW. “Jack Daniels Whisky
Visit Our Web Site
— what more could a young man wish amateur radio operators in Queensland ber when we continue our discussion
for to call CQ DX to the world with, I ask prior to World War I (WWI) and was the from June regarding the “True Meaning”
you.” In the early 1990s he passed the only Queensland pre-WWI amateur to of QRP.
Morse code element of Australia’s renew his license after the war.” VK4QS Also, a special thanks to W3AAX for
license structure and was issued VK4IQ, holds the callsign VQ4XQM in his honor providing additional background infor-
which he later changed to VK4QS. and to perpetuate this ham’s good work mation on POTA. Keep up the good
Today, VK4QS uses one of Yaesu’s prior to and after WWI. More informa- work. A personal benefit in preparing this
elite class transceivers, the FTDX-9000, tion about this radio pioneer is available month’s column is learning who my XYL
which he jests, “I should never need by visiting VQ4XQM on QRZ.com. can hold responsible for those heated
another transceiver before I go to God in discussions when I want to activate my
the future.” Also, “you can bet many do A Final Word local state park on a Saturday afternoon
not believe you operate QRP when they I would like to thank VK4QS for sharing and she has other plans — now I can say
see your transceiver is a Yaesu FTDX- some of his QRP achievements with us. blame W3AAX, not me, hi!
9000,” albeit, VK4QS turns the power He will join the column again in Decem- – Until December, 73, KA8SMA
down to 5 watts and has been enjoying
QRP for many years now. “The lure of
QRP came after 33 years of yarping
‘Ducktalk’ and I needed a new challenge
in the hobby.” CW is now my preferred
mode of operation and very rarely, if
ever, do I use SSB anymore. The CW
keys I use are all WWII vintage, being
German navy, Japanese navy, U.S.
Navy, an Aus- tralian Coast Watcher
AWA Key and a WT 8 AMP No. 2 AWA
key.” See Photo C for his collection of
vintage keys.
The lowest power Mike has worked is
5 watts (from the back of the transceiv-
er) and he plans to build a QRP rig with
less than 5 watts output. VK4QS
believes one of the biggest challenges
faced by QRP operators is faith — faith
that you will be heard, faith that your
antenna theory will stand up under Last Year, our members worked thousands of hours for
harsh conditions, and faith that you will
be rewarded for your efforts after call-
ing CQ for an hour (with a straight key)
with no contacts. I cannot agree more;
a little faith goes a long way when work-
NO PAY
ing QRP. And this year are well on their way to doing

EVEN MORE!
VK4QS has many QRP achievements
including contacts with F5IN (France —
distance of 16,064 kilometers) and long
path contacts with VE7ACN (Cortes
Island) and GW3YDX (Wales), which
are 28,263 kilometers and 23,479 kilo- WHY?
meters from his QTH, respectively. He
also has several QRP category wins in Because they are giving back to their communities! They are
CQWW contests for Australia and
Oceania. It is important to note that helping with civic events, motorist assistance AND MORE,
VK4QS also sponsors the CQWW CW yes even emergencies and disasters, if needed!
Low Power plaque.
Although he rarely cranks the power
beyond 5 watts, “I have indulged in QRO CONTACT
from time to time to make a point or
event just to see how far the band is REACT INTERNATIONAL
open. I start with a few hundred watts 301-316-2900
then just wind it down over CQs to see
what the Reverse Beacon Network Or write to
turns up.” He also uses QRO when REACT INTERNATIONAL
using his other callsign, VQ4XQM, to P.O. Box 21064, Dept CQ100
ensure he is heard by other hams.
Glendale, CA 91221
“VQ4XQM is a very special call with a
great deal of radio and military heritage. RI.HQ@REACT Intl.org
XQM was the callsign of one of a dozen

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 71

 ANALOG ADVENTURES
BY ERIC P. NICHOLS,* KL7AJ

Non-Linear
lthough it is common to syn-

A onymize (is that a word?) analog

with linear, there are many non-
linear analog functions, the most com-
mon being the logarithmic amplifier. In
our last installment, we explored the
Gilbert Cell, a most useful non-linear
analog building block. As a four-quad-
rant multiplier, the Gilbert Cell adds the
logarithms of the applied signals to cre-
ate the product of those signals … just
as a slide rule (Photo A in case you’re
too young to remember them) adds log-
arithms to achieve multiplication.
I suppose we should do a whole arti-
cle or two on slide rules, since one can
really gain some tremendous mathe-
matical insights by their use, but we’ll
save that for another time.

0 Hertz Revisited
We mentioned early in this series that
there’s a tremendous amount of really
interesting “RF” down in the sub-Hertz
frequency range. We are allowed to call
this domain RF because while the fre-
quencies are below audio frequencies,
they are electromagnetic in nature, and
other than the actual numbers involved,
all the radio equations and principles
still hold.
Because the monolithic double bal-
anced mixer, as useful as it is, contains
a couple of transformers, it does have
a lower frequency limit, which is why the
Gilbert Cell is the preferable mixer for
“almost DC” lock-in detection. In addi-
tion, the Gilbert Cell also has a degree
of gain, unlike the fully passive double-
balanced mixer (DBM). In either imple-
mentation, however, the “converter”
stage of a lock-in amplifier is always a
multiplier, or product detector.
Now, in case you have come away
with the impression that the Gilbert Cell
is some exotic sort of circuit, the near-
ly ubiquitous NE602 / SA602 family of
“really cheap radios on a chip” have a
Gilbert Cell at the core … as well as a
few other components we won’t need
in our lock-in amplifier (see Figure 1).
We can simply “drop in” a pair of these
chips in place of the original DBMs in
*3763 Lyle Avenue
North Pole, AK 99705
email: <kl7aj@cq-amateur-radio.com>
Photo A. A portion of KL7AJ’s slide rule collection.
A long time ago, I learned that
the Music of the Spheres was
often a lot more interesting than
the typical ham radio QSO …
our lock-in amplifier. Well, almost. One
of the really neat features of the Gilbert
Cell is its balanced input … which is just
what we want when working with bal-
anced magnetic-loop antennas, com-
monly used for VLF / ULF / ELF work.
The antenna can be connected direct-
ly to pins 1 and 2 without having to con-
sider persnickety baluns and such. And
the local oscillator can be conveniently
fed to pin 6. However, this will need to
be a much lower level than the LO (local
oscillator) used with a DBM, since there
is some gain in the Gilbert Cell. The
detected output will be extracted from
pins 4 and 5, which are also perfectly
balanced. Under a normal locked-in
state, pins 4 and 5 will give us a differ-
ential DC voltage, which will ideally
drive an instrumentation amplifier …
remember those? As promised, every-
thing we’ve learned in this series will be
coagulated / consolidated in our lock-in
amplifier. See how wonderfully consis-
tent our universe is? We will then follow
up our instrumentation amplifiers with
appropriate low-pass filters (integra-
tors) to accommodate the bandwidth
(integration time) that we need.
Slow
I have a confession to make. About two
weeks ago, I joined the unwashed mul-
titudes on FT8 … just for a day or two.
There’s no question about it, FT8 and
its ilk have remarkable capabilities
when it comes to pulling signals out of
nothing … and in interior Alaska at this
time, we are pretty much in a state of
nothingness, propagation-wise. FT8 is
also surprisingly fast. But it’s also
unspeakably boring.
A long time ago, I learned that the
Music of the Spheres was often a lot
more interesting than the typical ham
radio QSO … and the lock-step nature
of FT8 and other structured modes
makes this more so than ever.
Detecting Schumann Resonances
(and other natural radio phenomena)
takes a lot of patience, dedication, and
a lock-in amplifier. I’m not a prognosti-
cator, because I’ve often been sur-
prised. But I would almost be willing to

72 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site


Figure 1. Equivalent circuit of SA 602 “Radio on a Chip.”
bet that no JT or JT-derived digital mode will ever allow detec-
tion of Schumann Resonances, especially automatically.
What is so special about Schumann Resonances? In them-
selves, not much, except they are the traditional bench-
mark for weak-signal detection performance. If Dr. JT
comes out with a Schumann Resonance mode in the WSJT
suite, I will have to eat my words, but I am predicting it will
never happen.
Field Day Debrief
By the time this installment comes out, Field Day 2020 will
have already transpired, as will most of what follows here.
But here are my plans. Since ARRL has modified the rules
to allow full credit for home stations, I’m taking the opportu-
nity to upgrade my long-neglected antenna farm, with the aid
of Field Day visitors (indentured servants) to KL7EX (my club
station). I plan to have a little community “barn-raisin’” to get
my refurbished HyGain tribander up where it belongs. I have
a military surplus AB-577 / GRC “launcher” tower coming …
a very interesting device. We’ll see how that works … I should
get the Yagi up to around 40 feet with this … without having
to pour even a cubic inch of concrete.
This antenna will also give me a nice top-loaded 40-some-
thing-foot vertical for some more effective LF experimenta-
tion. (Currently, I’m using just an inverted-L for 2200 and 630
meters, which leaves a lot to be desired –EN). I also plan to
do some VHF work for Field Day … something I’ve never
done before. I had a bit of fun last weekend during the ARRL
VHF contest, since HF was absolutely abysmal, and will con-
tinue to be for the foreseeable future (at least up here).
As always, I invite your comments on my column; I answer
every email comment I get. I’m also open to suggestions for
new topics … as long as they are fundamentally analog in
nature. I don’t want to tread on our wonderful digital colum-
nist’s bailiwick!
Oh, yes … one final note. I just got in yet another huge col-
lection of electronics components, which I’m sorting through
right now. If I don’t have it, you probably don’t need it. So, if
you’re looking for an oddball part, do give me a scream.
– 73 es stay safe! Eric
33 Simple Weekend Projects
For the Ham and Student and the Experimenter
By Dave Ingram, K4TWJ, SK
Dave Ingram pulled together a wide-
ranging collection of do-it-yourself
electronics projects ranging from the
most basic to the fairly sophisticated,
and even touching on the frivolous.
You'll find an interesting and very "do-
able" array of useful devices. Add a
measure of practical tips and techniques
on how to build electronics projects
yourself, and you've got an information-
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Chapter 7: A Potpourri of Fun Projects
Order yours today!
CQ Communications Inc.
POB 1206, Sayville, NY 11782
516-681-2922
Visit CQ’s Online Bookstore: http://store.cq-amateur-radio.com
Young Ladies’ Radio League, Inc.
Since 1939
For 75 years the Young Ladies’
Radio League, Inc. (YLRL) has
helped women find their voice in
Amateur Radio with members of
all ages and interests.
The YLRL sponsors a number of certificates for
both YLs and OMs. Members can earn special
YL Certificates.
YL-Harmonics is our bi-monthly publication
highlighting what women are doing in Amateur
Radio.
YLRL gives out scholarships to YLs each year.
For more information on the YLRL, the current
dues amounts, weekly YL Net locations or how to
join please go to our website at www.ylrl.org or
contact the Publicity Chairwoman, Cheryl Muhr,
NØWBV at n0wbv@earthlink.net. All Officer
informationis also listed both on the website and in
each edition of the magazine and you may
contact any Officer as well.
With thanks to the OMs who
encourage and support us.
Visit us at www.ylrl.org

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 73

Commentary
MAGIC IN THE SKY
BY JEFF REINHARDT,* AA6JR
Is It Time to Rethink Our License Exams?
The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author
and do not necessarily reflect the views of CQ. – ed.
iven that we know this year is like no other, “the new
G normal” is a considerable distance from “the old nor-
mal” in ways too numerous to list in this space.
Methods of licensing new operators and upgrades for exist-
ing hams are among the challenges to which we should
devote some thought. I know of what I speak, having been
a volunteer examiner (VE) or coordinating VE at more than
100 exam sessions over 20+ years. In short, since the out-
break of COVID-19, the old model of VE sessions just doesn’t
work anymore.
Some will take issue with that stance. Yes, there have been
VE sessions that use work-around methods, such as hold-
ing exam sessions remotely, having candidates take tests in
their cars, having sessions outdoors, and the like. The opin-
ion here is that these methods are “band-aid” solutions to a
larger issue, with one exception — read on …
A Parable
Stay with me through this. In the late 1960s and early ’70s,
automakers were faced with newly-enacted regulations
intended to reduce pollution. American automakers
approached the challenge through kludge solutions limited
to existing technology that retained carburetors and other “off
the parts shelf” items that used easy (read inexpensive) con-
ventional approaches such as leaner fuel mixtures and
retarded engine timing to meet the new standards. The result
was cars that ran poorly, had poor fuel economy, dieseled
when the operators attempted to turn them off, and more.
Woe befell many an owner of those vehicles, perhaps the
worst being 1974 models. Meanwhile, European and
Japanese engineers took new approaches. They respond-
ed with computer-controlled ignition systems, electronic fuel
injection, and engines that not only performed well but met
the new emission regulations. So rather than use old meth-
ods to meet new challenges, new thinking and new technol-
ogy won the day.
Current Challenges for VEs
Forget about testing methods for a moment. When consid-
ering a VE session in the COVID age, here are some of the
thoughts to mull over. Is a VE willing to put his or her life on
the line to act as a volunteer at a session? Consider that
many VEs are in one or more higher-risk categories that may
include age, weight, and other pre-existing medical condi-
tions that make COVID-19 exposure something to avoided.
What are the prudent steps to take to protect examiners and
candidates at a VE session? Hand sanitizer, a Plexiglas®
barrier for each VE, six feet of separation between VEs and
between candidates, face masks for everyone and perhaps
a touchless temperature scanner. These are all good steps,
but some basic problems remain.
*5904 Lake Lindero Drive, Agoura Hills, CA 91301
e-mail: <aa6jr@cq-amateur-radio.com>
74 • CQ • October 2020
Procedurally, each candidate needs to have his or her iden-
tity verified by at least three VEs and submit a properly exe-
cuted FCC 605 form. Then fees are collected, making it nec-
essary to handle cash or checks, or the VE team needs to
acquire a cashless method of payment. Test papers are then
graded by at least three VEs, passing them from person to
person to person. Then 605 and Certificate of Successful
Completion of Exam (CSCE) forms must be signed by each
VE, again transmitting documents through multiple handlers.
All of these are elements VE coordinators did not have to
consider as problematic prior to this year. How many VE
groups or clubs are able to clear these obstacles without risk
to anyone now? And don’t dismiss the expenses associated
with preventive measures and devices.
Where We Are Today
In the past several months, exam sessions across the coun-
try have been cancelled or very limited in size or scope.
Formerly available public spaces that hosted exams, such
as municipal facilities, have been closed to public access.
Yes, there have been remote sessions and other accom-
modations (see photo), but they require tremendous
amounts of preparation.
Also at risk is the integrity of the license exam process.
While it may not be nice to mention in polite company, cheat-
ing is a reality that examiners must consider when emplac-
ing accommodations that facilitate an exam session con-
ducted using normal or unconventional means.
When COVID-19 first appeared, it was assumed by many
that this would be a temporary inconvenience and life would
soon return to “normal.” We have since found otherwise and
science is learning more about the virus all the time. Unless
and until there is a significant breakthrough, it is apparent the
virus will be a lingering challenge for the foreseeable future.
So with a few exceptions, we’re using old technology to
meet a new challenge. As those “Only seen on TV” products
proclaim, “there has to be a better way.”
Some Alternative Ideas
Here are a few thoughts for the amateur radio community
and the FCC to consider as we think through safe and enlight-
ened approaches to the licensing process.
• Consider a new entry level license. For the sake of dis-
cussion, let’s call it the “Communicator” class and it would
only require a signed form submitted to the FCC. Such a
license form would include acknowledgement of the rules
and regulations pertaining to the basics such as identifica-
tion and safety practices, maybe limited to frequencies above
222 MHz and limited to no more than 5 or 25 watts. This
would bring new life to the higher frequencies as a side ben-
efit. If thought to be necessary, a unique call prefix could be
assigned to this group. Put your “CB” concerns aside, it’s
time to move on.
Another alternative might be a throwback — a temporary
certification or license upgrade for a two-year period that
would require the holder of that temporary authorization to
take a test within that two-year span in order to complete the
Visit Our Web Site
This photo from our July issue shows a drive-in license exam session in Florida, with candidates in their vehicles and vol-
unteer examiners monitoring the session from the parking lot. AA6JR says this is a band-aid approach and that going for-
ward, all amateur license exams should be administered online. (Photo by Rajesh Verma, K4SK)
upgrade. Such a conditional upgrade could be submitted as
an electronic application and use identifiers similar to today’s
“Temporary AG or AE” designations. This is somewhat based
on the hope that a successful vaccine and / or treatment for
the virus could be successfully developed in the interim,
enabling standard test sessions to resume.
Here’s the “Big One”
Or, let’s just throw out the old system and take testing com-
pletely online. Period.
As reported in the July 14, 2020 CQ Newsroom update:
As of July 1, all exams conducted by the Anchorage Amateur
Radio Club VEC (Volunteer Examiner Coordinator) have
been using a web-based platform for both the tests them-
selves and the documents normally filled out on paper by
both candidates and examiners.
The entire process is paperless, according to an announce-
ment by the group. “Examinees will take their examinations
on a computer that is connected to the internet. All docu-
ments will be electronically completed and signed by the
examinee and VEs.”
“The system not only renders one-time-use examinations for
each individual examinee,” the announcement continues,
“but also can provide a live video / audio feed using the exam-
inee’s webcam / microphone. This feature has been utilized
extensively during (the Anchorage VEC’s) remote testing
effort” as a result of in-person test session cancellations due
to COVID-19.
In addition, the group says, “(e)xaminations are graded
immediately and automatically. When video and audio mon-
itoring is used, those data streams are recorded and become
a permanent part of the examination record.”
The Anchorage ARC is also able to file test results directly
with the FCC almost immediately after the end of a test ses-
sion, with new licenses or upgrades issued as quickly as one
hour later.
Some other Volunteer Exam Coordinators (VECs), includ-
ing W5YI and GLAARG (Greater Los Angeles Amateur Radio
Group) are also beginning to adopt this process. Conducting
fully online exam sessions also eliminates the need for field
VEs, maintaining an inventory of paper exams, answer
sheets, 605 forms, CSCE documents, mailing expenses, and
the like. In short, the existing VE process could be deleted,
www.cq-amateur-radio.com
a great deal of time and expense could be saved and expo-
sure to COVID-19 through the VE process would no longer
be a concern.
Exam sessions could be at set times or even available 24/7.
They can be conducted using available technologies that
allow observation of the candidate throughout the exam
process. Or maybe exams could be constructed to be com-
pleted within a certain amount of time.
If you think this too extreme or a threat to the integrity of
the licensing process, consider that it’s already happening at
“remote” VE sessions and in Alaska.
Meanwhile, other jurisdictions are moving professional cer-
tifications such as accounting, bar (law), and professional
engineering exams in that same direction. Quite simply,
we’ve learned that for now, placing many people in an
enclosed space for a significant amount of time is a bad idea.
Don’t get me wrong — I have enjoyed the privilege of being
a VE for a few decades. It’s been a great way to “give some-
thing back” to our hobby. It’s terrific to see the smile of a new
ham or upgrade when a test is successfully completed. But
time and circumstances have rendered that system obsolete,
if not outright hazardous. As a VE session coordinator, I would
never want to endure the experience of knowing an examin-
er or candidate became ill (or worse) as a result of having
participated in a volunteer activity.
So IMHO, it’s time to move on. We are a group that
embraces new technologies and methods, while respecting
our proud traditions of public service, protecting life and prop-
erty, and welcoming new licensees to our community. That’s
another benefit of online testing. The license process would
be available to anyone in the U.S. (or beyond) without the
need to locate and travel to a VE session; it would be as close
as your access to an online computer. It’s logical to believe
there would be an influx of many new licensees and upgrades
for existing hams would be easily accessible.
It’s been said that COVID-19 has changed retailing forev-
er, moving it ahead by 20 years or so. One only needs to look
at the success of Amazon, in-car deliveries of merchandise
at stores, or “to go” meals and other changes that are here
for now, if not permanently. Sadly, some older reference
points such as shopping malls, crowded restaurants, schools,
sporting events, theaters, and social gatherings have had to
reconsider their positions. We do too, if we are to continue
expanding the numbers of those who want to put some Magic
In The Sky.
October 2020 • CQ • 75
Emergency Communications Special
GORDO’S SHORT CIRCUITS
BY GORDON WEST, * WB6NOA
Nothing Cancelled Here!
alifornia’s Mountain Top Amateur Radio Association,
C like many ham groups across the nation, responded
to the COVID-19 pandemic by moving its activities to
the internet and the radio. The club’s 140 members gather
on Zoom for regular monthly meetings, and three training
nets a week are held both on the air and online. Tracy
Lenocker, WM6T (Photo A), says he gets more participants
in these Zoom meetings than he ever expected.
“Vic, KK6WKI, the current association leader, encouraged
the club to offer educational 1-hour sessions a couple times
a week, with field photos and videos of club members in
action setting up antennas, and bench workshops to teach
soldering skills,” comments Tracy.
For non-Zoomers, radio nets are coordinated by Denise
Loxton, N6DEE, with rotating net controls to train all of their
members in this 5,000-foot mountainous area around Lake
Arrowhead how to handle emergency radio traffic, especial-
ly for fires on the only two roads up the mountain, accidents
or snow closures (yes, it snows out here in California, too!).
(See Photos B and C)
Mountain Top member Dede Hermon, K6DDZ, runs a 222-
MHz ladies’ “YL Happy Hour” net. Dave Esquer, K6WDE,
hosts a gathering of hams concurrently on Zoom and HF,
making contacts for the study of propagation, band-by-band
ground wave, and NVIS (near vertical incidence skywave)
with loops on 40 meters.
Tina and Dave Bremer, W6TNA and W6DVE (Photo D),
offer testing on the mountain, meeting guidelines during this
pandemic, with several other VEs assisting. Gary Johnson,
AA6GJ, offers license classes on Zoom for club members
and those going for their first ticket.
Nothing gets cancelled by this association up at Lake
Arrowhead. Same story with hundreds of ham groups around
the country, keeping membership in high gear and keeping
members trained and prepared for emergencies!
Quarzfest 2021: We’re On Our Own
(See You There!)
The popular week-long ham / RV gathering held each
January in Arizona, known as Quartzfest. Next year will
become Quartz-PAUSE 2021. But we will still see you there!
Everyone is invited, same location, five miles south of
Quartzite, Arizona, for a free boon-docking stay on Bureau
of Land Management desert, up to 14 days (Photo E).
With pandemic precautions, Quartz-PAUSE will go back to
where and why it started 24 years ago by Harvey and Margie
Tetmeyer — a casual non-event fun gathering of RV hams
in the middle of the desert! No organizer back then, no com-
mittees, everyone on their own. This coming January, there
will be no seminar tents, no pre-planned tent or single fire
ring seminars, no PA systems, no special event station, just
ham radio RVers who want to get away from it all.
*CQ Contributing Editor
2414 College Dr., Costa Mesa, CA 92626
emial: <wb6noa@cq-amateur-radio.com
76 • CQ • October 2020
Photo A. Tracy Lenocker, WM6T, founder of the Mountain
Top Amateur Radio Association (MTARA). (Photo courtesy
of MTARA)
On the other hand, everyone can have their own camp-
fires, tall antennas, ATV riding to fabled gold and quartz
deposits, kite flying, hootenanny and individual music after
dark outside their RVs, amateur television show-and-tell fun
received on their RV TV system cable channel over the air,
fun trips to town to see what’s up (or what’s down), tent camp-
ing, stargazing, ISS spotting at dusk, local and DX radio nets,
and friendships, all at a distance.
“This will be our 25th annual gathering, and this year, social-
ly distanced.” adds Kris Weed, KR1SS, seasoned gathering
organizer for many years. “Morning walks, individual swap-
meet activities, four wheeling, with morning nets at sun up on
146.550 simplex … this simplex net is for everyone to find out
what you’ve been doing, and your plans for the day, that oth-
ers can look in and take part in, at a safe distance,” add Kris.
“So keep the dates January 17th to 23rd on your winter trav-
el calendar to attend Quartz-Pause with all of us,” adds Lyn
Weed, KJ7DSE.
For the latest on “Quartz-Pause 2021,” go to <www.
quartzfest.org>. Remember, this year, we are all on our own,
but distanced “together” to beat this pandemic. No close
contacts other than on the airwaves. Bring masks, and
marshmallows.
Extra, Extra! Read All About It!
(and Hear Sound Bites!)
Passing the new 2020-2024 Extra Class examination has
just become more straightforward than past Extra class tests.
Not necessarily easier than before, but much more logical
exam questions.
There are still 50 questions on the test, taken from a pool
of 621 questions, down from the previous 712 — with 91
questions deleted which were either obsolete, nearly dupli-
cate, or missing the mark in being ham radio related.
Visit Our Web Site

Photo B. The Gran Fondo Mountain Bike Race in Big Bear, California. The tac-
tical location is “Heaven.” Front, left to right, are Mountain Top Amateur Radio
Association (MTARA) members Gail Brarmann, KM6GBN; Jodi Lenocker,
WA6JL; Back row, Denise Loxton, N6DEE; and Tracy Lenocker, WM6T. (Photo
courtesy of MTARA)
Some of the older questions were
modified slightly for proper grammar,
and a handful of entirely new questions
were added in the digital field question
pool. Here are some examples:
• AFSK vs. FSK
• IMD levels for PSK
• PACTOR and Winlink
• FEC and ARQ for error detection
• Orthogonal Frequency Division
Multiplexing
• FT8 and other digital modes with
WSJT
• Mesh networks
• Not to panic CW ops, still included
are the same questions on CW keying
wave forms and CW bandwidth.
Photo C. The MTARA Command Post
at the Gran Fondo bike race talks
directly to the helicopter pilot to give the
pickup location of an injured partici-
pant. MTARA used APRS and
SARTrack to report the injured party’s
location to the rescue units. (Photo Photo D. Tina, W6TNA, and Dave, W6DVE, MTARA’s VEs, organize distanced
courtesy of MTARA) in-person testing. (Photo courtesy of MTARA)
www.cq-amateur-radio.com
All current question pools, developed
by National Conference of Volunteer
Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC)
Question Pool Committee, are updated
every four years, and the NCVEC QPC
will consider all comments and sugges-
tions from the ham community. I have not
seen any major push by the NCVEC QPC
to publicly encourage hams to send in
fresh questions for a pool under review,
so send them to me. I’ll get them to each
NCVEC QPC member for you.
Technician Class test updates re-
quested early next year for the new
Technician Class pool in 2022. Send
them to me. (<gordo@wb6noa.com>)
Sort out the current questions you think
are off the mark for a new ham and give
us some new Qs that you think ALL new
operators should learn about.
My Extra Class book (Photo F) ar-
ranges similar questions in groups, cut-
ting study time in half, and logically
putting like topics together. See this
method at the W5YI Group’s free in-
structor/club site, <www.haminstructor.
com>. Sign up for the free materials
offered to club elmers and instructors.
You can tune me in on a 53-minute,
on-the-air audio program free from
the W5YI Group at <www.w5yi.org/
page.php?id=367>. Listen to the on-air
recorded excitement on Extra Class fre-
quencies. Plenty of band-by-band activ-
ity for fun listening.
QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo
I was pleased to join with fellow CQ writ-
ers and editors in early August at
the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo.
Organized by QSO Today podcast pro-
ducer and host Eric Guth, 4Z1UG, the
online hamfest had over 26,000 regis-
trations, with more than 14,000 visitors
attending each of the hamfest’s two days.
October 2020 • CQ • 77
Photo E. Quartz-Pause 2021 will draw hundreds of campers, but this year, all must SPREAD OUT!
For the first time in ham radio history,
a convention with more than 20,000
signups had no parking problems, full
capabilities to recall sessions that you
wanted to see later, lively chatrooms
Photo F. Gordo’s new Extra Class
book, from W5YI.ORG, is available
from most ham dealers plus Amazon.
78 • CQ • October 2020
with fellow hams and exhibitors, prizes,
and visually exciting booth layouts.
An important aspect of working the
CQ booth at this Ham Expo was the
capability of the chatroom. Future col-
Photo G. Manual or motor driven, the
inside contactor on the Hi-Q antenna
easily slides up and down within the coil
for resonance. (Photo courtesy of Hi-Q)
umn and feature article ideas were
shared with all of our columnists, and
this continues to help us steer new fron-
tiers for new technology writings for CQ.
Best of all, the QSO Today Hamfest
was a streaming success of presenta-
tions, where at the conclusion of a seg-
ment, you could easily go into a live Q
& A with the presenter, with a nearly
automatic hand off via Zoom.
Now if we could just add computer-
ized smell, to lead us to the virtual snack
bar for a boosh burger.
Military Using HI-Q HF
Antennas
At the Yuma hamfest last February
(about the last live-person hamfest
before the epidemic shut them all
down), I spotted a Hi-Q center-loaded,
electronic-tuned HF antenna on a mili-
tary aircraft coming in for a landing.
Charlie with Hi-Q Antennas confirmed
that his work with the military indeed has
several of his antennas on both aircraft
and tactical small craft for HF comms
on military frequencies. (See <www.
hiqantennas.com>)
He says the motorized antennas tune
nearly instantly for reliable military HF
comms (Photo G). And he also showed
Visit Our Web Site

Photo H. The Hi-Q manual antenna is mounted at the far
right of this military vehicle’s rooftop. (Photo courtesy Hi-Q)
me a manually tuned man-pack HF antenna (Photo H), like
his original manual-tune line a few years ago.
These manual-tune antennas for 75-15 meters are great
for parking lot ham demonstrations of resonance, by listen-
ing to the ham radio’s rush of signal strength on receive back-
ground white noise.
“Yes, we continue to offer Hi-Q motorized and manual
tune antennas to hams, too, built to tough military stan-
dards” adds Charlie.
“Special order HI-Q antennas is my specialty,” smiles
Charlie. See his ham lineup at <www.hiqantennas.com>. See
them in action ... at a distance ... at Quartz-Pause on the
Gordo communications van.
Safety First!
Stay safe this winter — wear your protective face covering
any time you are out in public or the desert floor, social dis-
tance in person, and get up as radio-close as you want over
the airwaves.
And WOW, those virtual hamfests, radio club Zoom meet-
ings, and training keep ham radio strong. Keep making things
happen over the airwaves!
www.cq-amateur-radio.com
what’s new
RFMW Announces Ampleon Transistor
RFMW announces design and sales support for a high effi-
ciency transistor from Ampleon. The BLP9LA25S(G) is a
25-watt device designed for mobile radio applications
supporting frequencies from HF to 941 MHz. Operating
from a 13.6-volt supply with 72% drain efficiency, the
BLP9LA25S(G) is ideal for TETRA, SSB, and LTE mobile
radio applications in VHF and UHF bands. Capable of with-
standing a VSWR mismatch of 65:1, it’s extremely rugged
and contains integrated dual-sided ESD protection for
demanding environments. Mid-band power gain is up to
18.4 dB when biased class-AB. Offered in a gullwing con-
figuration for surface-mount applications, a drop-in version
is also available.
The Ampleon transistor is available now with pricing
depending on volume. For more information, contact:
RFMW, 188 Martinvale Lane, San Jose, CA 95119. Phone:
(408) 414-1450. Email: <info@rfmw.com>.
RFMW Announces Qorvo Amp
RFMW announces design and sales support for a high-per-
formance power amplifier. The Qorvo QPA2610, GaN on
SiC amplifier provides 2 watts of saturated output power
with 23-dB large-signal gain from 8.5 to 10.5 GHz. With
47% power-added efficiency at 20-volt drain bias, RF ports
are matched to 50 ohms and include integrated DC block-
ing capacitors. The QPA2610 is ideally suited for phased-
array radar applications where tight lattice spacing is
required. The Qorvo QPA2610 is offered in a 5- x 5-mil-
limeter plastic overmold QFN package.
The Qorvo QPA2610 Power Amplifier is available now
with pricing depending on volume. For more information,
contact: RFMW, 188 Martinvale Lane, San Jose, CA
95119. Phone: (408) 414-1450. Email: <info@rfmw.com>.
October 2020 • CQ • 79
Emergency Communications Special

LEARNING CURVE
BY RON OCHU, KOØZ

Antenna Tuner Basics

very year, CQ dedicates its Octo-

E ber issue to emergency commu-

nications (EmComm) and all the
hams who volunteer their time to aid their
communities in need. Aiding our com-
munities with communications, espe-
cially during emergencies, is a primary
reason for the existence of the Amateur
Radio Service. Preparing ourselves and
our stations for the rigors of EmComm
and community service is an ongoing
process, one that depends on our indi-
vidual EmComm awareness and per-
sonal involvement. As ham radio oper-
ators, we primarily communicate from
the comfort of our shacks (radio rooms)
at our homes or from our mobile instal-
lations. But what if we need to set up for
a few days (or longer) from a remote
location? As you may recall from study-
ing for your license, a simple length of
wire can serve as an antenna on sever-
al ham radio bands. Sounds good in the-
ory, but just how do we accomplish such Photo A. Vintage Heathkit HFT-9-B QRP tuner sits atop an MFJ Deluxe Versa
a trick? Tuner II. Note the MFJ tuner includes a built-in SWR / power meter which is
extremely useful. (Photos by KO0Z, except as noted)
Antenna Resonance
To be honest, there’s no trick; rather,
it’s all about understanding antenna
resonance. Antenna resonance is de-
fined by Antenna Theory.com <https://
tinyurl.com/yxhhvkrx> as: “When the
antenna input impedance is entirely
real, i.e. Zin = R + j*0.” In other words,
at a single radio frequency, the anten-
na’s capacitance and inductive reac-
tance cancel out leaving only resis-
tance. Please note the importance of
the word, “single.” Theoretically, every
antenna has only one resonant fre-
quency, which is determined by the
length of the radiating element (alu-
minum tube or wire). That doesn’t mean
that as we move away from the reso-
nant frequency that the antenna will
cease to work. The antenna will still
radiate, but if we move too far from its
resonant frequency, SWR (standing
wave ratio) will increase and less power
will be transferred to the antenna.
Power that isn’t radiated turns into heat.
Every radio wave has a physical length.
That’s why we have 40-, 20-, 10-, 6-,
Photo B. An ICOM transceiver being used with an antenna tuner outdoors.
*Email: <ko0z@cq-amateur-radio.com (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

80 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

 Pi impedance network

Figure 1. Typical Pi network.

2-meter, and 70-centimeter antennas,

just to name a few. When an antenna is
resonant on the band we wish to oper- Photo C. An RF inductor coil (center). The coil plays a big part in selecting the
ate, then maximum power will be trans- band of operation.
ferred between the transceiver and the
antenna for both transmit and receive.
But what happens if we don’t have a
resonant antenna? If the antenna is
non-resonant, then instead of pure
resistance, we now have increased
capacitive and / or inductive reactance.
Somehow, we need to deal with pesky
reactance.

Enter the Antenna Tuner

You’ve probably heard plenty of talk
about the antenna tuner (Photo A). For
some reason, in amateur radio circles,
there’s some mystique surrounding it.
Simply put, an antenna tuner is a device
that matches the impedance of your
transceiver, typically 50 ohms, to the
impedance of the antenna. Remember,
an antenna’s impedance is made up of
its resistance and reactance. Many
commercially made ham radio anten-
nas exhibit a 50-ohm impedance. If the
transceiver and the antenna both exhib-
it 50-ohm impedances, then there’s no Photo D. Variable capacitors (right) used in an antenna tuner. One matches the
need for an antenna tuner. On the other tuner to the transceiver and the other matches the tuner to the antenna.
hand, if the antenna has a significantly
different impedance than 50 ohms, then As with all amateur radio systems, a into ground (Figure 1). The purpose of
an antenna tuner is warranted. good single-point ground to Earth is the inductor coil is to add inductance
necessary to ensure proper operation where required (Photo C) and the
“Mystical” Inner Workings and to reduce any “RF hot spots” (cur- capacitors, yep, you guessed it, add
For an antenna tuner to be effective, it rent flowing on the outside of conduc- capacitance (Photo D) when needed.
needs to be placed between the trans- tors). So, how does this magic box If we are using a single antenna for a
ceiver and antenna because it must work? broad range of frequencies, such as a
match the impedance of the transceiv- Antenna tuners primarily use either a wire antenna strung between two sup-
er and the antenna (Photo B). The L impedance matching network or a Pi ports, then that antenna will offer us an
antenna tuner has two major sections. impedance matching network. A Pi net- impedance other than 50 ohms at all but
The first section is to match the trans- work can be thought of as two L net- its resonant frequency. Hence, we will
ceiver’s impedance to the tuner and the works back to back. An “L” network is need our antenna tuner to match our
second section matches the antenna’s made up of an inductor (wire coil) and antenna to the band / frequency on
impedance to the transceiver / tuner’s a capacitor. A Pi network usually has which we wish to operate. Will a non-
impedance. one inductor and two capacitors tied resonant antenna transmit a signal?

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 81

Yes; however, the efficiency of the
antenna will not be as good as that of a
resonant antenna.
Antenna tuners work because they
balance out the antenna reactance
through increasing / decreasing capac-
itive and inductance reactance, which
allows us to transfer more power into
the antenna and into the air. Like most
things in life, there’s no free lunch and
antenna tuners work well, but there is
still power loss in the transfer. That loss
is converted into heat, which brings up
a good point. Please ensure that you
purchase or build an antenna tuner that
will safely handle the power output of
the transceiver. For example, the
Heathkit HFT-9-B, which is a QRP (low
power) tuner, will not work for long with
Photo E. Heathkit antenna tuner back panel. There are coax connectors and lugs
for wire and balanced lines.
Photo F. MFJ antenna tuner back panel is similar to the Heathkit, but it has an
additional SO-239 jack for a second antenna.
82 • CQ • October 2020
a 100-watt transceiver. Running exces-
sive power levels will arc over the
capacitors or the inductor coil; thereby
rendering them useless.
On the Outside
Once we have a properly rated anten-
na tuner for our power level, our next
order of business is to look at the front
panel. Looking at Photo A, we see two,
older model antenna tuners: A Heathkit
HFT-9-B QRP tuner and an MFJ Deluxe
Versa Tuner II. For the most part, front
panels are alike. There’s a knob for
transmitter matching, a knob for induc-
tor selection and one more knob for
antenna matching. The MFJ tuner has
an additional knob for selecting two
antennas. Coax direct means the tuner
is bypassed; whereas Coax 1 and Coax
2 allow for two different antennas to be
selected and matched with the tuner.
While we are on the topic of antenna
selection, another important point to
remember is to select an antenna tuner
that will cover the bands you are inter-
ested in operating. For example, an HF
(high frequency) tuner will not work with
a VHF (very high frequency) tuner and
vice-versa. An impressive feature of the
MFJ tuner is the addition of a SWR /
power meter.
The backside of the Heathkit antenna
tuner is straightforward and user intu-
itive (Photo E). There are two SO-239
female coax jacks, one for the antenna
and the other for the transmitter. There
are also three lug screws for a wire
antenna (such as a long wire) or for a
balanced input using ladder line. Also
worth noting is the ground lug used to
attach the tuner to a properly installed
single-point Earth ground. MFJ’s tuner
is very similar to the Heathkit, but it has
an additional SO-239 jack (Photo F) for
the second antenna.
Tuner Operation
Connect the transceiver’s coax to the
antenna tuner’s transmitter jack. Next
connect the antenna coax to the
tuner’s antenna jack. If your tuner does
not have a built-in meter, I’d suggest
putting a power meter in line by con-
necting the antenna coax to the power
meter output and then installing a coax
jumper from the tuner’s antenna jack
into the power meter’s transmitter input
jack. I find that a power meter is easi-
er for me to read when tuning up.
Ensure all the coax connections are
good and tight then select the band on
which to operate.
Turn on your transceiver and leave it
in receive. Play around with the trans-
mitter matching knob and the inductor
knob by turning them and listening for
maximum noise from the transceiver.
Usually, the inductor knob selects
points soldered on the inductor coil that
closely match an amateur radio HF
band (Photo G). Select a position with
the inductor knob and then turn the
transmitter matching knob (capacitor)
and tune for maximum noise. Keep try-
ing this procedure until you hear the
most noise. Next, turn the antenna
matching knob (capacitor) and tune for
maximum noise.
This procedure will put you “in the ball-
park.” Now, it’s time to apply low power
from the transceiver. Apply a few watts
into the tuner and adjust the transmitter
and antenna matching knobs for maxi-
Visit Our Web Site
mum forward power output / minimum
reflected power (or minimum SWR).
Once you’re satisfied that you have the
best match possible, the power level
can be raised to full output, provided
your antenna tuner is rated for that
power level.
Retuning
Once the antenna is tuned, you should
not need to retune the antenna tuner
unless the frequency is changed.
Depending on the antenna resonance,
moving a few kilohertz may require
retuning the antenna tuner. You will
know if the system needs retuning when
the power level begins to drop. Manual
tuning doesn’t take much time, once
you are familiar with the procedure. If
cost is not a problem, there are manu-
facturers who offer automatic antenna
tuners that will do the work for you. I do
want to note that in an EmComm situa-
tion where power consumption is criti-
cal, an automatic antenna tuner will
draw power while it is tuning.
That’s a Match
Antenna tuners are versatile tools.
Hopefully, I’ve done a good job of
explaining the “magic” of these tuners
and how they can work. Nothing beats
Looking Ahead
Here are some of the articles we’re
working on for upcoming issues of
CQ:
• CW Results: 2020 CQ World
Wide WPX Contest
• A Closer Look at Wintertime
Sporadic-E (Or Is It?)
• Build a Dual-Band Low-Noise
Amplifier
Plus…
• Rules: 2021 CQ World Wide
160-Meter Contest
• Rules: 2021 CQ DX Marathon
• More “CQ Classics” for Our 75th
Anniversary
Upcoming Special Issues
December: Technology
February: QRP
June: Take it to the Field
Do you have a hobby radio story to tell?
Something for one of our specials? CQ
now covers the entire radio hobby. See
our writers’ guidelines on the CQ web-
site at <http://bit.ly/2qBFOdU>.
www.cq-amateur-radio.com
Photo G. Note the wire taps along the RF inductor coil which go to the inductor
selection knob / switch for band tuning.
a resonant antenna, but location, avail- an antenna tuner. I can envision a sce-
able space and antenna restrictions can nario where having the internet to pass
certainly put a crimp in our antenna traffic would be helpful, but it isn’t avail-
plans. A properly installed antenna able in a stricken area. A longwire
tuner can make the difference between antenna, an antenna tuner, a rig, a lap-
wishing to be on the air and actually top computer running RMS Express
being on the air. Go-kits should include could be an EmComm asset.
what’s new
Amateur Contact Log 6.7 Available Now
N3FJP’s popular Amateur Contact Log has been updated to AC Log 6.7. This version
has a bevy of new enhancements including the ability to interface with up to three rigs
simultaneously and it allows you to switch between them with a keyboard shortcut.
In addition, users will have the ability to specify CW and phone settings files to
associate with a specific rig. To do this, you can toggle with Ctrl-X, and your CW and
phone settings will automatically update.
Additional improvements and added features include:
• Grid Sent on AC Log’s Setup form.
• Added Technician and Advanced filtering for DX spotting.
• Ability to disable keyboard tuning (requested by blind hams, who use the key-
board shortcuts used for tuning in other ways).
• Added Satellite Name to the eQSL upload.
• Ability to record text to send via speech to text mic input on the CW buffer form.
• Operator field can be mapped to the Call value entered in setup or made blank
when exporting in ADIF.
• Option to include Station Callsign in LoTW upload in case an override of an
Operator value is required.
• To be identified as an LoTW user in AC Log, the station must have uploaded in
the last two years.
• Reordered LoTW All Since and All Confirmed download buttons to better reflect
the priority of the All Since button, which is the one that should typically be used most
often.
• Added a button on the LoTW Form to view LoTW queue status.
• Added additional Tool Tips on the LoTW form.
• Port for TCP Networking is now user customizable instead of being locked at
1000.
Amateur Contact Log 6.7 is available now and can be downloaded for a free try-
out at <www.n3fjp.com/aclog.html>. If you would like to continue using AC Log 6.7,
the cost is $29.95.
October 2020 • CQ • 83
MF/LF OPERATING: Life Below the AM Broadcast Band
BY JOHN LANGRIDGE, * KB5NJD

To the Mail Bag: A Few Considerations for Using a 160-Meter

Inverted-L on 630 and 2200 Meters
his has been a remarkably busy

T quarter for questions about 630-

and 2200-meter station-building
and I can only imagine that this is due,
in part, to amateurs being stuck at home
through the spring and summer.
Additionally, statistics on my website
suggest that there are operators in
needed states (states that currently
have no operators) on both 630 and
2200 meters who are actively seeking
technical information about how to
approach station-building in such a way
that their chances of on-air success are
as high as possible. It’s great progress
for what we do. If you are one of those
people and have questions, please ask
one of the friendly operators who are on
the air and “in the trenches” nightly.
Most of us are happy to try to answer
your questions and provide some per-
spective on your particular situation. A
link to the 630-meter operator list can
be found in the bottom section of the
front page of my website1 and a link to
Photo A. An inexpensive way to remotely control a variometer is to use an old
N1BUG’s 2200-meter operator list2 can
TV antenna rotator which is common on the used market or even in many ama-
be found at the bottom of the 630-meter
teurs’ garages. It eliminates the need for limit switches and only needs to move
operator list page.
over a range of 90°.
In previous discussions I have pre-
sented my own exploits and those of
other operators in story form, leaving that can be answered in a more defini- complete. Many of those details are the
many of the specific details for the tive manner. Often, that requires a lot of same, regardless of band. Most sta-
prospective operator to consider or reading after determining what holes tions that are already active on 160
question at a later time. Every situation might exist in knowledge. meters can probably transition to 630 or
is different and trying to detail every step The other type of correspondence 2200 meters relatively easily, particu-
necessary to get on the air, with all of the that I receive is usually from people in larly if they can keep their aspirations
possible if-then logical scenarios, is an a position for action. These prospective for remote band switching in check or
exercise in futility. This is not a “plug tab operators have considered the options they have deep pockets for vacuum
A into slot B” affair. Additionally, it’s good and have a plan of what they want to relays. All three stations were either
for someone to critically think through achieve, sometimes knowing what using or wanting to use a 160-meter
their situation, even if that means strug- resources are available and maybe inverted-L wire vertical antenna fed
gling a bit. Sometimes I receive emails having a tentative plan on how they against a radial system and supported
or letters with the seemingly simple want to implement the system. In that either by a tower or mast. At this point
request, “tell me how to get on the air.” case, my job is simply filling in some a few options came to mind that need
I wish it were that simple and I often find holes and that’s where today’s story to be considered:
myself offering only food for thought and takes us.
consideration for the prospective oper- 1. Loading
ator to help them reach a point to make A Three-Band MF/LF Antenna? 2. Band switching
good decisions about how to proceed. 3. High-voltage management
Three amateurs in the eastern half of
There really isn’t much I can do to help 4. The radiator and toploading
the U.S. had similar goals in mind, to
until that operator has considered the
work 160, 630, and 2200 meters using
options and devised specific questions Let’s briefly touch on each of these.
a single radiator. Two of the stations
were already active on 160 meters, cre-
*827 Middle Run Ct. ating an ideal situation since the Loading
Duncanville, TX 75137 mechanical aspects of antenna con- The most common loading method for
<kb5njd@cq-amateur-radio.com> struction and erection were already 630 and 2200 meters is base loading

84 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

Photo B. Mike, W3TS, of Halifax, Pennsylvania, was in dry dock for much of the early Summer due to persistent storms.
Mike’s experience was repeated by countless stations across much of North America. This image shows a brief but wel-
come pause in the action allowing him to log some air time. (Courtesy of W3TS)
and the most common loading implement is the variometer.
This approach may seem counterintuitive until one consid-
ers that both 630 and 2200 meters are regulated by radiat-
ed power rules so, to a point, power can be used to make up
for transmit losses. I won’t go into details here about build-
ing a variometer because numerous detailed articles have
already been published, including one that I consider to be
the definitive work on the topic in the modern era by John
Molnar, WA3ETD, that was published in the September 2017
issue of CQ. One of the nicest features of the variometer is
that parts are readily available from local home improvement
stores. Base loading will also provide easier band switching
and adjustment options, but it’s probably in the best interest
of the prospective operator to plan on using separate, inde-
pendent coils for 630 and 2200 meters.
Remote tuning is a valuable asset as short, reactive anten-
nas can interact with the surrounding environment and val-
ues of R and X can change over the course of an operating
session. Having to run outside to the antenna with the ana-
lyzer on a cold, dark night to make an adjustment is really
not very enjoyable or ideal. The astute ham will be able to
adapt either a stepper motor or even an unused antenna rota-
tor mounted sideways like I did to adjust my variometer
remotely (see Photo A). No limit switches to worry about here.
Band Switching
Unless you are prepared to spend $1,000-1,500 on vacuum
relays, build a modular system that will allow you to use
jumpers to rapidly switch bands. Those prices are conserva-
tive estimates for new vacuum relays in the 15- to 20-kilovolt
range, which will be necessary for 2200 meters. In some cases,
it may be possible to hybridize the system, using a combina-
tion of bayonet / banana plugs, knife switches, and vacuum
relays. In my system I have a vacuum relay to select whether
I am operating 630/2200 meters or 160 meters. Inside my
630/2200-meter ATU, I use a knife switch to select which coil
I feed so I must decide what band combination I want to oper-
ate and manually select. Also, the 160-meter network floats
www.cq-amateur-radio.com
at high voltage (and thus the vacuum relay), but I use bayo-
net / banana plugs and connectors to rapidly install networks
for other bands. My big vertical was killer on 20-meter CW at
Field Day 2020. In this scenario, the hybridized approach was
a bit less expensive and allowed some flexibility with band
switching from the ham shack. If your antenna is located 1,000
feet from the ham shack, however, that is probably little con-
solation and you probably need to plan to dig deep for vacu-
um relays throughout your system.
High-Voltage Management
Most operators underestimate the high voltages present
while operating 630 and 2200 meters until they set some-
thing on fire. It’s a little less daunting on 160 meters when a
full-size antenna is used, but some nasty voltages can still
exist at the feed point and particularly at the far end of the
top loading wire of the inverted-L. Since the feed point has
been discussed in detail in previous articles, let’s focus on
the far end of the top loading wire. There are a number of
crazy stories of guys looping top-loading wires over tree
branches in lieu of an insulator. This might be OK in some
cases on 160 meters, but it’s a bad idea on 630 and 2200
meters. In fact, end insulators should probably consist of a
minimum of two and probably three insulators in series (Photo
C). This will save you grief later as high voltage can arc to
wet supporting ropes or across insulators contaminated with
pollutants. This approach is cheap insurance unless your end
support for that top-loading wire is easy to restring.
The Radiator and Top Loading
As hams, we are used to installing wire antennas but some-
times long spans of wires like those we use for top loading
can break due to the builder trying to pull them too taut.
Sometimes the answer can be using a pre-stretched copper-
jacketed steel wire such as Copperweld®, but I find that stuff
to be too difficult to deal with most of the time and end up
with a tangled mess or worse. As a result, I recommend old
October 2020 • CQ • 85
Photo C. This is how many operators increase their ability to stand off high voltage on top-loading wires. The individual
lengths are not generally critical, the goal is to make it tougher for arcs to occur.
fashioned THHN wire like you find on spools at your local
home improvement store and likely also used to wind what-
ever loading device that was selected.
Thirty years ago, there was an article in one of the ama-
teur publications that addressed just how much sag was per-
missible in a long span of wire in order to prevent breakage.
I believe it was geared more toward longwire antennas, but
the information is also applicable to long top-loading wires.
There were formulas that took into account exact geometries
and wire gauges and, while I paid careful attention to the
details at the time, I never went to so much trouble as to make
those calculations for my systems. Instead I’ve found over
the years that a good rule of thumb is to allow approximate-
ly 1 foot of sag per 100 feet of length with stranded, insulat-
ed wires. That 1 foot of sag is found at the center of the wire,
Resonating and Matching a Vertical with a Variometer and Ferrite Transformer
For the past few years, when presenting in-person at ham-
fests or club meetings, I have performed a demonstration
where I resonate and match a small model vertical using a
variometer and ferrite transformer. The model approximates
a 45-foot vertical with two 50-foot, top-loading wires and a
quality radial field, and those attributes are represented by
values of capacitance and resistance. The point of the
demonstration is to not only show how quickly the process
can be completed but also the steps and order that the
process should follow. Those steps are detailed below.
1. Connect the “hot wire” from the variometer to the base
of the vertical antenna.
2. Secure the ground connection from the coax to the
antenna’s ground system.
3. Connect a short jumper with alligator clip to the center
conductor of the coax.
4. Set the variometer to 45° with respect to vertical and
horizontal.
5. Connect your antenna analyzer to the coax and adjust
for 475 kHz. You want to be able to measure values of
resistance and reactance, R and X, respectively (Photo
D). SWR is a meaningless value for developing reactive
antenna systems.
6. Starting at the top of the fixed coil, test each tap and
note the values of X. You are looking for the tap closest to
0 ohms reactance. Don’t worry about resistance right now.
7. Once you have found the tap closest to X=0, note the
value of R. This value is the unmatched feed point resis-
tance or total system resistance. If the value is over 40 ohms,
you probably need more radials or you need to improve your
overall ground system.
8. Assuming the value is in the 1- to 40-ohm range (com-
mon for many on the air), take the square root of the value
86 • CQ • October 2020
which often forms a parabola between two support points. In
the case of my longer, 200-foot, top-loading wire on my ver-
tical, in the center of the wire, 100 feet from the top of the
radiator, the sag is about 2 feet. That system has been in the
air and trouble-free since 2012. Avoid using top-loading wires
as guy wires unless you are prepared for some advanced
engineering.
These discussion points were top of mind in these specif-
ic cases but it’s important to remember that a myriad of addi-
tional considerations exist.
K5DNL Retiring His 630-Meter Amplifier Line
Ken Roberson, K5DNL, of Shawnee, Oklahoma, reported
that he will cease construction and sale3 of his popular 630-
of R that you measured. The value to the left of the decimal
point will be the number of turns you will place on the ferrite
core. For example, if you measured 30 ohms of resistance,
the square root is 5.5. Five passes of wire should go through
the core but keep enough wire to add a sixth later, if nec-
essary. Use a 2.4-inch type-77 ferrite core that is wrapped
with fiberglass tape. Space the windings so that a turn can
be placed in between each turn and ensure that you use as
much of the core as possible (don’t wind to just one side of
the core, spread them out). These windings will be the sec-
ondary or antenna side winding.
9. The primary or coax side winding will require about
seven turns for a 50-ohm coaxial feed line (square root of
50 is approximately 7). Place a turn of the primary between
a turn of the secondary but maintain spacing between the
windings to minimize capacitance. Close-spaced windings
which might result from using a core that is too small will
require additional inductance from the variometer in order
to resonate and will increase losses.
10. Connect one lead of the secondary winding to the coil
tap that you identified earlier when X=0 and connect the
other lead for that same winding to the ground system (sol-
der the connections this time!)
11. For the primary winding, connect one lead to the cen-
ter conductor of the coax and the other to the braid. Probably
best to use an SO-239 connector if the coax is using a PL-
259 connector.
12. Recheck the values of R and X and you should find
that you are very near 50 + j0 ohms. If you look at the SWR
now, it should be very near to 1:1. If the measurements show
a bit of reactance, readjust the variometer until you are near
0 ohms reactance. The transformer will usually load the sys-
tem just a bit.
13. You are all set — now get on the air!
Visit Our Web Site
Photo D. Find the tap closest to
zero reactance (X) on the fixed
coil and then match the resis-
tance (R) with a transformer for
the characteristic impedance of
the feed line. R and X are the
only values that are important
in this process so avoid the
temptation to look at the SWR
until you are done.
meter amplifier at the end of 2020. He
indicated that a lot of work and effort
went into the design and construction of
the line, adding that “it’s a lot harder to
build something to sell than build some-
thing for yourself.” Having been in the
amplifier construction business several
years ago, I can attest to this fact. While
he has released the schematics on his
website, Ken hopes to find someone to
take up the cause of assembling, test-
ing, and servicing this line of amplifiers
for amateurs who either cannot or will
not design and assemble for them-
selves. Interested parties should con-
tact Ken at his QRZ.com email address.
N3FJP Adds Support for 630
and 2200 Meters to
His Logging Software
As I was updating my logging software
for Field Day, I found that N3FJP has
added both 630 and 2200 meters to
his suite of logging software. I cannot
confirm that all packages contain sup-
port but his Amateur Contact Log
suite, designed for general, everyday
logging, as well as the 2020 Field Day
logger were updated. Kudos to Scott
for making this a reality. It is very much
appreciated. While ARRL Field Day
rules remain unchanged, excluding
both 630 and 2200 meters from QSO
points, it would likely be impossible to
proceed with making a case for inclu-
sion without support from a popular
logging software package. It’s my
understanding that Scott’s software
has a significant piece of the market
share at this time.
Overall Poor Summer Band
Conditions in North America
The summer of 2020 was more chal-
lenging than previous years, mostly due
to persistent and ongoing storm systems
that drifted across the continent almost
constantly. In general, it was the eastern
half of North America that was most
affected. In some cases, stations were
off air for a month, such as Mike, W3TS
www.cq-amateur-radio.com
destroyed all of his antennas except for
a lone 2-meter vertical. Fortunately, he
returned to air by mid-July.
The western region was not un-
scathed as high noise levels from the
eastern storms and a general lack of
long-haul stations for QSOs resulted in
stagnating activity. By mid-July, the sit-
uation had improved and more stations
were venturing out onto the bands to
operate. In addition to storms, the long
periods of daylight remain a significant
complicating factor. By the time of pub-
(Photo B), who was mostly in monitor- lication of this article, shorter days will
only mode from June through August have arrived and improving trans-con-
using a lightning-safe antenna and tinental and trans-Atlantic activity
receiver. In other cases, the severity of should be observable.
the storm systems resulted in antenna That’s all for this month. If you have
system failures. Dennis, N8IVE, report- questions or comments, please contact
ed recently that early summer storms me at KB5NJD@gmail.com.
For your convenience the following links, in addition to bonus material, can be
found at <http://njdtechnologies.net/cq/>.
1. 630-meter operator list: <https://tinyurl.com/yaxhz33t>
2. 2200-meter operator list: <https://tinyurl.com/ybdzj6ev>
3. K5DNL’s 630-meter amplifiers: <https://tinyurl.com/ybs97a4b>
4. N3FJP logging software: <https://tinyurl.com/ya4lyle9>
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October 2020 • CQ • 87
 ANTENNAS
BY KENT BRITAIN, WA5VJB

Measuring Things You Can’t See

here are certainly a lot of different

T ways to measure standing wave

ratio, or SWR, and a lot of differ-
ent devices with which to measure it
(see Photo A). Although I must admit
that once you have used dB return loss,
you stop thinking in terms of SWR.
Sounds like a good future topic.

NanoVNA
This got started with one ham com-
plaining of problems he was having
measuring SWR with his new
NanoVNA miniature vector network
analyzer (Photo B). Cute little guys, I
ordered three. One for my lab, one for
the lab at an antenna company I do a
lot of work for, and one for playing with
all the software mods different people
have come up with for these guys.
His issue was the inconsistent results
he saw on the NanoVNA versus using
his HF rig and SWR meter. So out
comes the test equipment to measure
my new test equipment.
It varies a bit with frequency, but my
NanoVNA was putting out about
0.00005 watts. For the more technical- Photo A. Many varieties of SWR meters are available. The lower-cost ones may
ly inclined, mine measured -13.5 dBm not be as good as professional-grade models (such as the Bird meter at top cen-
at 100 MHz. I think I got all those zeros ter) at filtering out energy from other RF sources that may affect their accuracy.
right. When looking at an antenna with
an SWR of 2:1, the NanoVNA will be
seeing about .000005 watts of reflect-
ed power, or -23 dBm of RF power. For
the same antenna, his HF rig would be
putting out 100 watts or so and seeing
about 10 watts of reflected power. So
you have a good signal-to-noise ratio
on that reflected power. But not with
0.000005 watts.
Back to the NanoVNA. It uses a sim-
ple power detector and a resistive
bridge to measure reflected power.
There is no frequency selective filtering.
Now any local AM radio stations, FM
stereo transmitters, TV stations, 5G cell
sites, etc., are all picked up in that power
detector. If these add up anywhere
close to 0.000005 watts on that long
wire antenna, you are going to have
measurement errors. I have already
heard a report that one ham can tell
when a ham neighbor some blocks
away is on the air by looking at his
NanoVNA’s SWR sweep. Photo B. The popular NanoVNA is a tiny and low-cost vector network analyzer.
It packs a lot of computing power into a small box, but it has its limitations, as
email: <wa5vjb@cq-amateur-radio.com> Kent explains.

88 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

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 There’s a lot of computing power in
that tiny form factor, but you have to
watch what you are doing.

RF Levels Around the Shack

More and more, we are seeing require-
ments to know the RF levels around our
stations. And this is not just in the U.S.,
but in many other countries as well.
I have done quite a bit of field-strength
measuring, and it does require anten-
nas with known characteristics and
either a spectrum analyzer or an RF
voltmeter.
To our rescue are several websites
with RF field calculators at our dispos-
al. Well, it seems like a good idea. So
far, every one I have worked with con- Figure 1. Many online calculators are available to help you measure RF
verted the antenna to an infinitesimal fields, but their readings are more valid in the far field (several miles away)
point. In Figure 1, we have a typical HF than in the near field (around your shack and your neighbors’ homes). See text
inverted-V. The highest RF fields close for discussion.
to the antenna are near the tips of the
antenna. OK, but all the RF field calcu-
lators I tested convert that 200+ foot- they must be used with care on the HF umn topics. You guys do come up
long 160-meter inverted-V into an infin- bands to determine RF exposure with some doozies at times and are
itesimal point. It even converted a levels for your shack and your neigh- always good fodder for a future
2-meter EME array with 16 Yagis into a bors’ homes. column. Email your questions to
point the size of the period at the end of <wa5vjb@cq-amateur-radio.com> or
this sentence. Feed Me Fodder! snail mail to my QRZ.COM address.
These kinds of calculators are valid Feel free to contact me with your anten- For other antenna projects visit
in the far field, i.e., miles away. But na questions or suggestions for col- <WWW.WA5VJB.COM>.

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6. Easy-to-build 160-meter antennas
7. How antenna analysis programs can work for you
8. Low-cost Yagi beam projects
9. A triband quad for 20-15-10 meters
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90 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

 VHF PLUS
BY TONY EMANUELE,* K8ZR

How to Work Meteor Scatter With MSK 144

VHF Calendar tab and check the box labelled: Special
operating activity: Generation of FT4,
432 MHz Fall Sprint: Wednesday October 7th from 7-11 p.m. local FT8, and MSK144 messages and then
ARRL EME contest 50 to 1296 MHz: October 10th & 11th enable the NA VHF Contest button. In
Microwave Fall Sprint: Saturday October 10th from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. local order to enable the short-format mes-
Leonids Meteor Shower Predicted Peak: November 17th – November 18th sages check the “Sh” box on the main
ARRL EME Contest 50 MHz to 1296 MHz: November 28th – 29th WSJT-X MSK144 screen (Figure 1).
Geminids Meteor Shower Predicted Peak December 13th – 14th The CQ message in contest mode is
CQ TEST W9ABC EN70. However, the
message can be a bit ambiguous as it
he year closes out with two major 12-bit hash of the two callsigns rather

T
does not inform those monitoring the
meteor showers: The Leonids than the callsigns themselves plus a 4- frequency whether the station calling
with its predicted peak on the bit numerical report — an acknowledg- CQ will use the Sh format messages for
night of November 17th into the morn- ment RRR or sign-off 73. Only the Tx3, Tx4, or Tx5 as the QSO progress-
ing of November 18th and the Geminids intended QSO partner can decode es. A more informative CQ message is
with its predicted peak on the night of short format messages. The Sh for- CQ CMSH W9ABC EN70 denoting CM
December 13th and into the morning of matted message will be displayed with for Contest Mode and SH for short-for-
December 14th. Like most major mete- the callsigns enclosed in <> angle mat messages.
or showers, the increase in the number brackets, as in the following example: There is a noticeable increase in
of meteors starts a few days prior to the activity during the major meteor show-
peak and lasts a few days after the pre- CQ K1ABC FN42 ers and therefore it is even more impor-
dicted peak. Both the Leonids and K1ABC W9XYZ EN37 tant that operators adhere to the stan-
Geminids offer a good opportunity for W9XYZ K1ABC R FN42 dard operating practices. During a
the newcomer to give meteor scatter a <K1ABC W9XYZ> R R R major meteor shower, working stations
try, particularly on 6 meters where the <W9XYZ K1ABC> 73 one or two grids over is frowned upon,
“burns” will be more frequent and longer especially in grids where activity is high.
in duration than on 2 meters. There is little or no advantage to using Why not just QSY to 50.313 MHz to
The go-to meteor scatter mode is MSK144 short-format messages on 6 work on FT8 or to the SSB part of the
MSK144 with 50.260 MHz and 144.150 meters as most pings are long enough to band and say hello? Stations new to the
MHz considered the meteor scatter call- support the standard messages, which mode will frequently call CQ on the first
ing frequencies in North America. On 6 has the advantage of being decoded by sequence regardless of the direction
meters, most stations exchange signal anyone monitoring the frequency. that they are trying to work. The con-
reports and not the contest exchange To configure MSK144 into contest vention is the westernmost station
of grid locator. On 2 meters the stan- mode, see Settings and the Advanced transmits first sequence.
dard practice is to use the contest mode
exchange instead of signal reports. The
reasoning is that using the contest
mode exchange reduces the overall
number of exchanges between the two
stations. When compared to 6 meters,
all things being equal, the number of
usable meteors is less on 2 meters.
Only the larger meteors will ionize the
E-layer enough to support communica-
tions at 2 meters. One less message to
transmit / receive increases the odds
that the QSO partners will complete
their QSO on 2 meters.
The other important difference be-
tween 6- and 2-meter meteor scatter
when using the digital mode MSK144 is
that on 2 meters, short format “Sh”
mode is used for messages Tx3, Tx4,
and Tx5. These messages are 20-mil-
liseconds long compared to 72 mil-
liseconds for a full-length MSK144 mes-
sage. Their information content is a
Figure 1. Screenshot of Sh-enabled & Contest mode on MSK144. Note the red
email: <k8zr@cq-amateur-radio.com> circles that point out how to set up MSK144 in SH and Contest mode.

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 91

 A common practice during times of high activity, during sure the distance from the top and bottom of the dish to the
either a contest or a meteor shower, is to call CQ on the call- feedhorn and “remains in place so that the position can be
ing frequency but note intended QSO frequency. For exam- checked throughout the life of the radio.” The 1-pps GPS1
ple: CQ 255 W9ABC EN70. Stations decoding the message receiver is mounted on the top of the die-cast box.
will respond by transmitting on 50.255 MHz and once the sta-
tion calling CQ decodes a response on 50.255 MHz, the Spring Sprint Results
remainder of the QSO takes place there. Think split-fre- The 2020 Spring Sprints results have been tabulated and
quency operation until the station calling CQ decodes a reply. scored courtesy of the Central States VHF Society, the
On 6 meters, there is plenty of spectrum as the meteor-
scatter window extends from roughly 50.240 MHz to just
below the FT8 calling frequency of 50.313 MHz. However, Spring Sprints Results Table 1
on 2 meters the spectrum window is narrower as EME activ-
ity can be found starting at 144.140 MHz with FT8 activity on 50 MHz Spring Sprint
144.174 MHz. Of course, the moon is not always up during Rovers
a major shower. There may be little or no EME activity in your 1st Place ACØRA/R Wyatt Dirks 4,560 points
immediate locale but it is good practice to avoid the EME por- 2nd Place K9PW/R Pete Walter 3,360
tion of the band as it is likely only a matter of time before you 3rd Place K9JK/R John Kalenowsky 2,828
try to complete a 2-meter meteor-scatter QSO below 144.150
MHz, forgetting that the moon is above the horizon (it doesn’t Fixed
have to be nighttime! – ed.). 1st Place K1TEO Jeff Klein 6,223
A frequently asked question from those attempting their first 2nd Place K2DRH Bob Striegl 5,768
meteor scatter QSO is where do I point my antenna? Since 3rd Place K1WHS Dave Olean 4,725
meteor scatter communication is the result of ionization of
the E-layer, point your antenna at the station that you are 144 MHz Spring Sprint
intending to work. For those new to the mode, it is recom- Rovers
mended that you become familiar with the program by mon- 1st Place ACØRA/R Wyatt Dirks 5,720
itoring the calling frequency and getting a feel for both the 2nd Place K9PW/R Pete Walter 1,953
program and the standard practices, preferably before either 3rd Place K9JK/R John Kalenowsky 1,794
a contest or meteor shower. The Ping Jockey Central web-
site <www.pingjockey.net/cgi-bin/pingtalk> is a good to place Fixed
for those new to the mode to ask questions or make sched- 1st Place K1TEO Jeff Klein 3,959
ules. You will find the regulars on the site more than willing 2nd Place K2DRH Bob Striegl 3,652
to help you through your first meteor scatter QSO and answer 3rd Place W2KV Dave McGee 2,080
any questions that you may have.
222 MHz Spring Sprint
122-GHz Activity Rovers
1st Place ACØRA/R Wyatt Dirks 2,760
A year ago, who would have thought that there would be
2nd Place K9JK/R John Kalenowsky 1,633
reports from numerous stations of their 122-GHz activity?
3rd Place K9PW/R Pete Walter 1,092
The design and manufacture of the 122-GHz board by
VK3CV changed all that by making readily available a 122-
Fixed
GHz printed circuit board with all components populated and
1st Place K1TEO Jeff Klein 861
the board tested (the difficult part). Though populated with
2nd Place K1RZ Dave Petke 748
all the surface-mount and through-hole components, as deliv-
3rd WZ1V Ron Klimas 648
ered the board is by no means turnkey as it requires the addi-
tion of switches, connectors, etc., and the ability to solder
432 MHz Spring Sprint
small gauge wire to the printed circuit board. Taking the board
Rovers
and adding what is necessary to make it a functional trans-
1st Place K9PW/R Pete Walter 3,045
verter is well within the capabilities of anyone who has had
2nd Place ACØRA/R Wyatt Dirks 2,880
some experience either kit-building or homebrewing.
3rd Place K9JK/R John Kalenowsky 1,344
The January 2020 VHF Plus column summarized the
board’s technical details. To date, the vast majority of QSOs
Fixed
on 122 GHz made using the VK3CV board have been over
1st Place K1TEO Jeff Klein 1,625
distances of less than 10 kilometers. As we move into fall
2nd Place W2KV Dave McGee 602
and winter, distances are expected to increase as dew
3rd Place WZ1V Ron Klimas 527
points for many regions will be lower. The following have
made QSOs on the 2.5-mm band this summer: AA5AM,
Microwave Spring Sprint
K2DH, K2UA, K2DLU, K6ML, K6TJ, K8ZR, K9PW, KB8U,
Rovers
KB8VAO, N5BRG, N6KLD, N9JIM, VA3ELE, VA3TO,
1st Place ACØRA/R Wyatt Dirks 13,139
VE2UG, W5LUA, WA8VPD, and WB2BYP. Certainly, oth-
2nd Place Andrea Slack 5,108
ers have also been active or will soon be on the band. A
3rd Place K9PW/R Pete Walter 3,803
search on YouTube for “122 GHz” will result in several
videos of recent QSOs.
Fixed
Photo A shows Pete Mahowald, K6TJ’s, implementation of
1st Place K1RZ Dave Petke 10,817
his 122-GHz system. The 122-GHz board assembly with feed
2nd Place K1TEO Jeff Klein 10,783
in a die cast box is mounted at the focal point of the dish.
3rd Place VE3ZV Stephen Land 4,395
According to Pete, the string in the picture is used to mea-

92 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site


K6TJ’s 122-GHz station. Note the red circle is where K6TJ mounted his 122-GHz
transverter. See text for more details. (Photo by K6JT)
BEHIND THE BYLINES...
… a little bit about some of the authors
whose articles appear in this issue.
Scott Ruesch, W9JU (“Planning Your First Amateur Radio
Exercise or Event,” p. 19), is the SATERN (Salvation Army Team
Emergency Radio Network) Coordinator for The Salvation
Army’s Wisconsin-Upper Michigan Division. This is his second
Emergency Communications Special article for CQ. His first, in
the October 2019 issue, described SATERN‘s role in the
Defense Department’s annual Patriot North exercise, which
trains military and civilian groups to work together in response
to natural disasters.
Bob Bruninga, WB4APR (“Backup Power When the Grid Goes
Down,” p. 28), is a pioneer of amateur packet radio and the father
of APRS, the Automatic Packet Reporting System. He also has
a longtime interest in electric vehicles, and brings his twin pas-
sions for amateur radio and electric vehicles together in this arti-
cle. Bob is also the author of the ARRL book, “Energy Choices
for the Radio Amateur.”
Jim Kocsis, WA9PYH (“Winlink: Keeping You Connected ‘When
All Else Fails’,” p. 32), is a frequent contributor to CQ. A ham since
1964, Jim has had a variety of amateur radio interests overe the
years. His current one is Winlink e-mail over amateur radio, which
is the subject of his article in this issue.
Tom Medlin, W5KUB (“Adventures With Pico Balloons Using
Amateur Radio,“ p. 46), has been licensed since 1964. He
www.cq-amateur-radio.com
sponsoring organization (see Table 1).
As noted in previous columns, sprint
activity based on log submissions is
trending upward. Congratulations to the
winners. Your participation, whether
just a few contacts or an all-out effort,
is appreciated by the weak-signal VHF+
community. The 432 MHz and Micro-
wave Sprints are scheduled for this
month. The sponsor of the Fall Sprints
is the Southeastern VHF Society.
On the Bands
Proving the point that Sporadic-E on 6
meters can take place anytime of the
year was the August 24th opening from
the east coast of North America into
Western Europe. The following is a
sample of what was worked: SV9CVY
& KM3T, IT9RZR & K1SIX, WZ1V &
DJ8RZ, K8ZR & F4VPC, VE1PZ &
EI4DQ, and WW1L & G3LHJ. The
opening was brief with most signals
weak, i.e. -15dB or less but welcomed
just the same, given the typical condi-
tions late August.
– CU on the bands & 73, Tony, K8ZR
Note:
1. The VK3CV 122-GHz printed circuit board
(pcb) requires a user-supplied 1-pulse per sec-
ond reference for the PLL. The pcb can be mod-
ified to accept a 10-MHz reference.
holds an Extra Class license, General Radio Telephone
License, and is a Senior Member of the IEEE. Tom is also the
host of Amateur Radio Roundtable, a popular weekly amateur
radio video podcast.
Mike Traffie, N1HXA (“The HEX-BEAM® Revisited,“ p. 51), is
the inventor of the HEX-BEAM® antenna. He built and sold them
for many years until retiring. He is still discovering new things
about the design and hopes that someone in the amateur com-
munity will pick up on what he’s written here and apply it to refine-
ments in hex-beam design.
George Wagner, K5KG (co-author “How’s My Audio?” p. 53)
is a frequent contributor to CQ. He has traveled extensively
for work and has operated from all over the world, both during
work assignments and on DXpeditions. Bad audio bugs him!
Lu Romero, W4LT (co-author “How’s My Audio?” p. 53), is
retired from a long career in broadcast technology, starting in
the days of film and manual patchbays. One constant through-
out the industry’s many technical changes has been the need
for clear, high-quality, audio.
Ron Milliman, K8HSY (“The Day I Let the Smoke Out,” p. 56),
is a professor of marketing at Western Kentucky University. He‘s
been a ham since 1957, prefers CW over phone and has writ-
ten several articles for CQ in the past. In this article, Ron looks
back at his first lesson in the importance of maintaining a low
SWR in your antenna system!
October 2020 • CQ • 93
 DX
BY BOB SCHENCK, N2OO

Chasing!
e are living in strange times.

W DXpeditions are virtually non-

existent, yet the bands seem
to be very active with “other” DX. For us
DXpedition Memories
Since there are virtually no DXpeditions to report on right now, here is an assort-
ment of pictures from some past DXpeditions … just to keep you ready for future
ones ... Enjoy.
“dyed in the wool DXers,” it is time to
figure out what to chase now. Ob-
viously, DXpeditions to those rare far- Here are a few pictures from Desecheo K5D in 2009. I thought you might like
flung corners of the earth just aren’t comparing these to the pictures in the August DX Column about the 1981 KP2A/D
happening right now or in the immedi- Desecheo DXpedition.
ate future. Who would have thought that
traveling anywhere could be just as
hazardous as going to a sub-Antarctic
island? So, why are the bands so busy?
Not much of anything else to do? I think
it is simply being able to find some new
stations to work. Let me share what I
have been doing lately.

60 Meters
As I have detailed earlier, I found 60
meters to be tons of fun. Even though
there are no “major” awards that allow
60 meter QSOs to count for anything,
as I previously detailed, there are
awards offered via <http://60meterson-
line.com>. My original goal was pretty
simple. I wanted to work all 50 states,
100 DXCC entities (I am holding at 104),
and all continents. Mission accom-
plished and it really didn’t take that long.
All but one entity was on FT8. It was a The “food pantry” and the cook on Desecheo K5D 2009.
blast and kept me busy for months.

States Awards
Since everyone is staying close to
home, activity from home stations all
around the world is higher than normal.
In the U.S., there is obvious high activ-
ity on the bands, especially on FT8.
Locally, I have noted many of our non-
DXers have been wandering around on
FT8 chasing DX. If you never chased
the various “Worked All States” awards
including the ones for specific bands,
now is a great time to start, or maybe
“pick up” where you have left off. I had
discovered that I needed a dozen or so
states on 12 meters. Within a few days,
I wrapped up WAS 12 meters. Again,
FT8 has been an awesome way to
chase awards, and with JT Alert run-
ning, you can make a special effort to
work what you need because the state
is posted in the program.

The radio operating tent on Desecheo K5D 2009.

*email: <n2oo@comcast.net

94 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

CQ Awards
<www.cq-amateur-radio.com>
CQ’s Grid Field Award
The CQ DX Field Award is issued in four categories — Mixed, CW, SSB, and
Digital — for confirmed two-way contacts with 50 or more grid fields, based on
the Maidenhead grid system. There are 324 grid fields, 10° latitude by 20° longi-
tude rectangles lettered AA through RR, covering the entire world. This can be a
difficult challenge since so many “fields” are entirely water based. When I was on
the RV Braveheart operating as VK6FZM/MM with the FT5ZM team en route from
Perth, Australia, to Amsterdam Island (and back), we sailed through grid field “NF.”
This particular grid has NO LAND and is not especially in any shipping lanes and
thus, pretty darned rare. As such, we kept track of all QSOs made from that grid
field just for those chasing this award. While you are stuck at or near home, now
might be a good time to figure out what “grid fields” you need for the award and
watch out for new ones.
The WAZ Program
SINGLE BAND WAZ
6 Meter
158........................................................US5WE, 25 Zones
159.........................................................UX4UA, 28 Zones
160.........................................................UT3UA, 26 Zones
161.........................................................US4EX, 26 Zones
15 Meter CW
374........................................................................JA8FHM
15 Meter Digital
4............................................................................JA7OUV
17 Meter Digital
5...........................................................................OE2SGU
80 Meter CW
107........................................................................JA7OUV

5 Band WAZ 160 Meter

643 ..........................................................N6RW, 34 Zones
As of August 15, 2020 Callsign Zones Zones 644 ..........................................................W3UR, 40 Zones
2239 stations have attained at least the 150 Zone level, Needed 645 ......................................................SQ7FPD, 32 Zones
and KØDEQ 198 22, 26
1062 stations have attained the 200 Zone level. K1BD 198 23, 26 160 Meter Update
K2EP 198 23, 24 466.......................................................JA7OUV, 40 Zones
As of August 15, 2020 K2TK 198 23, 24
152 ..........................................................9A2AJ, 40 Zones
The top contenders for 5 Band WAZ (Zones needed on 80 K3JGJ 198 24, 26
or other if indicated): K3LR 198 22, 23
CHANGES shown in BOLD K3PA 198 18, 23
K4JLD 198 18, 24 ALL BAND WAZ
Callsign Zones Zones K5OT 198 18, 23
Needed KI1G 198 24, 23 on 10 CW
AK8A 199 17 KZ2I 198 24, 26 1094......................................................................JA8FHM
DM5EE 199 1 N4GG 198 18, 24 1095..........................................................................W5GJ
EA5RM 199 1 NX0I 198 18, 23 1096 ..........................................................................K7RR
EA7GF 199 1 UA4LY 198 6 & 2 on 10
H44MS 199 34 1097.....................................................................SQ5EBM
UN5J 198 2, 7
HAØHW 199 1 US7MM 198 2, 6
HA5AGS 199 1 W5CWQ 198 17, 18 Digital
I5REA 199 31 W9RN 198 26, 19 on 40 172 ........................................................................JA3HLX
IKØXBX 199 19 on 10M WC5N 198 22, 26 173........................................................................JA8FHM
IK1AOD 199 1 WL7E 198 34, 37 174............................................................................W5GJ
IK6DLK 199 1 ZL2AL 198 36, 37 175 .........................................................................JH3IEG
IK8BQE 199 31
176 .......................................................................OE3EVA
IZ3ZNR 199 1
JA1CMD 199 2 177 .......................................................................UB3GEL
The following have qualified for the basic 5 Band WAZ
JA5IU 199 2 Award: 178.........................................................................JL1KBS
JA7XBG 199 2 179........................................................................JK6DXD
JH7CFX 199 2 Callsign 5BWAZ # Date # Zones 180........................................................................JA3ENN
JK1BSM 199 2 N6RW 2230 2020-07-15 193 181 ........................................................................JA5JGY
JK1EXO 199 2 RA3SS 2231 2020-07-16 200 182 ..........................................................................HL1ZN
K1LI 199 24 IK4DCT 2231 2020-07-17 153
K2RD 199 18 W5GJ 2233 2020-07-20 174
K7AWB 2234 2020-07-20 164
Mixed
K4HB 199 26
7L3SQL 2235 2020-07-27 153 9889 ....................................................................JG1OGM
K5TR 199 22
K7UR 199 34 K9SM 2236 2020-07-31 190 9890 .........................................................................N6RW
K9KU 199 22 on 15 JA2MNB 2237 2020-08-06 179 9891........................................................................RA3SS
KZ4V 199 26 SV2JAO 2238 2020-08-11 200 9892......................................................................JA8FHM
N3UN 199 18 CT7ANG 2239 2020-08-11 172 9893..........................................................................W5GJ
N4NX 199 26 9894.......................................................................UT6CW
N4WW 199 26 Updates to the 5BWAZ list of stations: 9895 ........................................................................IU8IYE
N4XR 199 27 9896........................................................................YO3YV
N8AA 199 23 Callsign 5BWAZ # Date # Zones
RAØLQ 1948 2020-07-17 153 9897.......................................................................RØQAF
N8DX 199 23
N8TR 199 23 on 10 IK5ZUK 1908 2020-08-11 188 9898......................................................................JE8KGH
RA6AX 199 6 on 10M 9899 ..........................................................................PA1H
RU3DX 199 6 New recipients of 5 Band WAZ with all 200 Zones con- 9900..........................................................................WN7J
RWØLT 199 2 on 40M firmed: 9901 ...........................................................................NF4J
RX4HZ 199 13 5BWAZ # Callsign Date All 200 # 9902 ....................................................................7K3OWM
RZ3EC 199 1 on 40M 2231 RA3SS 2020-07-16 1060 9903 .......................................................................WA4PT
S58Q 199 31 2232 IK4DCT 2020-07-17 1061 9904 .....................................................................CT7ANG
SM7BIP 199 31 2238 SV2JAO 2020-08-11 1062 9905......................................................................SV2JAO
VO1FB 199 19
9906........................................................................N6DHZ
W1FJ 199 24 Rules and applications for the WAZ program may be obtained
W1FZ 199 26 9907.........................................................................5T5PA
by sending a large SAE with two units of postage or an address 9908.......................................................................W2ARP
W3LL 199 18 on 10M
label and $1.00 to: WAZ Award Manager, John Bergman, 9909.......................................................................JA7JAA
W3NO 199 26
KC5LK, 125 Deer Trail, Brandon, MS 39042-9409. The pro-
W4LI 199 26
cessing fee for the 5BWAZ award is $10.00 for subscribers
W6DN 199 17
(please include your most recent CQ mailing label or a copy)
W6RKC 199 21 Rules and applications for the WAZ program may be ob-
W6TMD 199 34 and $15.00 for nonsubscribers. An endorsement fee of $2.00
for subscribers and $5.00 for nonsubscribers is charged for tained by sending a large SAE with two units of postage or
W9XY 199 22
each additional 10 zones confirmed. Please make all checks an address label and $1.00 to: WAZ Award Manager, John
9A5I 198 1, 16
EA5BCX 198 27, 39 payable to John Bergman. Applicants sending QSL cards to a Bergman, KC5LK, 125 Deer Trail, Brandon, MS 39042-
F5NBU 198 19, 31 CQ checkpoint or the Award Manager must include return 9409. The processing fee for all CQ awards is $6.00 for sub-
G3KDG 198 1, 12 postage. KC5LK may also be reached via e-mail: <kc5lk@cq- scribers (please include your most recent CQ mailing label
G3KMQ 198 1, 27 amateur-radio.com>. or a copy) and $12.00 for nonsubscribers. Please make all
HB9FMN 198 1 on 80 & 10 checks payable to John Bergman. Applicants sending QSL
I1EIS 198 1 & 19 on 10 *Please note: Cost of the 5 Band WAZ Plaque is $100 shipped cards to a CQ checkpoint or the Award Manager must
JA1DM 198 2, 40 within the U.S.; $120 all foreign (sent airmail).
include return postage. KC5LK may also be reached via e-
JA3GN 198 2 on 80 & 40 mail: <kc5lk@cq-amateur-radio.com>.
JA7MSQ 198 2 on 80 & 10
JH1EEB 198 2, 33

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 95


D X Wo r l d
Guide
4th Edition!
By Franz Langner, DJ9ZB
h
Buy Bot !
E
and SAV
Known throughout the DX
and DXpedition world as a
meticulous and tireless operator,
Franz Langner, DJ9ZB, is also
noted as one of the most
knowledgeable individuals in
Amateur Radio in terms of
documenting DXCC entities.
This is the fourth edition of his
series of books bearing the title
DX World Guide. It was first
published in Germany in 1988
and followed by a second
edition, also in Germany in 1977.
The third edition, published in the
U.S.A in 2012 was the first to use
color throughout. This 380-page,
fourth edition, also full color
throughout, includes information
on well over 300 DX entities.
Whether used as a desk
reference for the DXer of any
level of proficiency or as a “wish
book” for DXers just starting his or
her DXCC journey, the new DX
World Guide is a worthy and
pleasant companion!
This 380-page, Fourth Edition is
available in paperback and on CD!
6 X 9 Paperback – only $49.95
Book on CD – only $34.95
Buy both the Paperback and CD –
only $68.95
Plus applicable shipping and handling charge.
Single item shipping charge applies when you
purchase both the book and CD together.
CQ Communications, Inc.
516 681-2926
http://store.cq-amateur-radio.com
96 • CQ • October 2020
CQ WPX
Another fun thing to chase is working “prefixes.” The CQ WPX Award does this.
Many logging programs (I use AC Log) track them for you. There is an almost unend-
ing number of prefixes out there to work. Again, JT Alert tracks new ones for you
on FT8. Whenever I see a dark blue decode in JT Alert on 20 meters (which is the
color I happened to set up for any new prefix), I pounce on it because it is usually
a new one overall following the same process outlined in the last paragraph.
The WPX Program
CW 4067 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ON7GLF
3973 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WJ8Y 4068 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IU1HGN
3974 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NS4X 4069 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N5JED
3975 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AE4AN 4070 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JM8BPM
3976 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K5HEM 4071 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K4DXT
4072 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KB8KIM
SSB 4073 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K5HEM
4306 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WJ8Y
4307. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KA5WSS Digital
4308 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KM9Z 1296 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WB5CON
4309 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NS4X 1297 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NYØK
4310 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W2GI 1298. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KA5WSS
4311 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G6AD 1299 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KI5IXP
4312 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IU8IYE 1300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KG5PIO
4313 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I1YDT
1301 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K4BH
Mixed 1302. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WI7P
4049 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AB5J 1303 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NG9J
1304 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W7SUT
4050 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GM7NZI
1305 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NS4X
4051 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NØYK 1306 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WB9DAR
4052 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N6TTO 1307. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W9TAM
4053 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KM9Z 1308 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AA5H
4054 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KD3PC 1309 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BG8KFP
4055 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WJ8Y 1310 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K4OBL
4056 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K5DEU 1311 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N3NMP
4057 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NG9J 1312 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WA5YCG
4058 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NS4X 1313 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IU1HGN
4059 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PDØJDF 1314 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N2EDU
4060 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WB9DAR 1315 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N5JED
4061 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K9AAN 1316 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K6PST
4062 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AA5H 1317 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JH1KKT
4063 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W1XMM 1318 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N2TC
4064 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K4OBL 1319 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K4DXT
1320 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA2AA
4065 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AE4AN
1321 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KB8KIM
4066 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KT3LZY
CW: 350: K5HEM. 500: AC6BW. 550: NZ7Q, EA2AA. 650: NS4X. 900: WJ8Y. 1100: DK5JW. 1200: K3XA, AB7RW. 1400:
KN1CBR. 1900: WA6KHK.
SSB: 400: GM7NZI, EA2AA. 450: KA5WSS, NS4X, N6PM, I1YDT. 500: WJ8Y. 550: CT7ANG. 600: G6AD. 650: KJ4KVC.
850: K3XA, K6VXI. 900: K6HRT. 1850: WA6KHK.
Mixed: 450: AA5H, K4OBL, AE4AN, K4DXT. 500: NYØK, KT3LZY, K5HEM. 550: KM4VI, WB9DAR, IU1HGN. 600: W4DWS.
650: N5JED, KB8KIM. 700: WW5XX. 800: KA5WSS, I1YDT. 850: K6VXI. 900: KJ4KVC. 950: IZØFYW. 1000: IZØOTV.
1050: EA2AA. 1100: DL5KW, AC6BW, AF4T. 1250: WJ8Y. 1300: K6HRT. 1350: K9AAN. 1400: AA8SW. 1500: KE4KMB.
1650: K3XA. 1800: CT7ANG. 1900: NS4X. 2000: N6PM. 2400: WA6KHK, G4FKA. 2800: K9RR.
Digital: 350: K5DEU, NG9J, W9TAM, AA5H, EA2AA. 400: N6TTO, NØYK, WB9DAR, N5JED, JH1KKT, K4DXT. 450:
KA5WSS, K4OBL, N3NMP. 500: W4DWS. 550 IU1HGN, WW5XX, W4DWS, KB8KIM. 650: IZØFYW. 750: NS4X, AC6BW.
800: KE4KMG. 950: WI7P, AF4T. 1000: W9VOB, IZØOTV. 1300: HL2ZN. 1350: K9AAN. 1450: G4FKA. 1750: W1EQ. 1850:
N6PM.
160 Meters: EA2AA, KB8KIM
80 Meters: EA2AA, KB8KIM
60 Meters: AA8SW
40 Meters: KA5WSS, K5DEU, NS4X, AA5H, IU1HGN
30 Meters: HL2ZN, IZØFYW
20 Meters: KA5WSS, WI7P, KM4VI, KD3PC, WJ8Y, K5DEU, AB7RW, NS4X, WB9DAR, K9AAN, AA5H, K4OBL, N3NMP,
HL2ZN, IU1HGN, K6PST, I1YDT, AC6BW, W4DWS
17 Meters: HL2ZN
15 Meters: WJ8Y, AB7RW, NS4X, AA8SW
10 Meters: WJ8Y, NS4X, AA8SW
6 Meters: G4FKA, DH4JQ, AA8SW
Africa: G4FKA, KE4KMG, EA2AA
Asia: WJ8Y, AB7RW, KE4KMG, NS4X, K9AAN, AA5H, BG8KFP, IZØOTV, JH1KKT, AC6BW, IZØFYW, EA2AA
Europe: GM7NZI, WJ8Y, AB7RW, NS4X, PDØJDF, K9AAN, AA5H, AE4AN, ON7GLF, G6AD, IU1HGN, N5JED, JM8BPM,
I1YDT, W4DWS, EA2AA, KB8KIM
Oceania: AB7RW, KE4KMG, NS4X, AC6BW
North America: WB5CON, AB5J, WJ8Y, KA5WSS, NYØK, KI5IXP, KG5PIO, K4BH, N6TTO, NG9J, KD3PC, WJ8Y, K5DEU,
W7SUT, NG9J, NS4X, WB9DAR, K9AAN, W9TAM, AA5H, W1XMM, K4OBL, AE4AN, W2GI, KT3LZY, N3NMP, WA5YCG,
HL2ZN, IU8IYE, N2EDU, N5JED, IZØOTV, K6PST, JM8BPM, N2TC, K4DXT, KB8KIM, K5HEM
South America: NS4X, K9AAN
6M Bar: DH4JQ
Complete rules and application forms may be obtained by sending a business-size, self-addressed, stamped envelope (for-
eign stations send extra postage for airmail) to "CQ WPX Awards," P.O. Box 355, New Carlisle, OH 45344 USA. Note: WPX
will now accept prefixes/calls which have been confirmed by eQSL.cc. and the ARRL Logbook of The World (LoTW).
*Please Note: The price of the 160, 30, 17, 12, 6, and Digital bars for the Award of Excellence are $6.50 each.
Visit Our Web Site
Grid Squares and 6 Meters
Here is what has caught my attention lately. My initial intro-
duction to grid squares began just a few years ago after get-
ting active on 6 meters for pretty much the first time since
getting licensed in 1965. I just happened to wander onto
6 meters FT8 a few years ago in June and got caught up in
the Sporadic-E activity that lasted into July or August. I knew
that my SteppIR antenna covered 6, but I never really exper-
imented there. Over the last three years, I’ve been able to
work 48 states (no KH6 or KL7 yet) and 63 DX entities (all
confirmed). It has been a long time since working Germany
anywhere got me to jump up and shout out a “YEAH!” The
ARRL VUCC Award is awarded for contacting grid squares
and is aimed at VHF / UHF. (My current total on 6 meters is
344/360). But alas, I have not got the patience to wait around
for the less frequent openings once the Sporadic-E season
is over. So, onward to my next challenge.
HF Grid Square Challenge
For any of you who operate FT8 with JT Alert, I am sure that
you are familiar with the way that JT Alert lets you know if
ANYTHING decoded is something that you need for a mul-
titude of awards. One of those things it tracks is grid squares.
Since it seems to only track on the particular band and mode
on which you are operating, it is a little daunting to keep track
of everything if you are only interested in how many grid
squares you have worked on “mixed bands and modes.” So,
what I have done is focused on 20 meters only because it is
obviously the busiest FT8 band I have come across and my
most actively used band over the years. So, my new chal-
lenge to keep myself in the “chase mode” is to work every
new grid that pops up in JT Alert on 20 meters. What I have
found is that around half are all time new grid squares (any
band) anyway. So, when I see the JT Alert decode pop up
in bright green (which is the color I happened to set up for
any new grid), I pounce on it. If it becomes difficult to work,
I’ll check the grid in my “AC Log” logging program to see if it
is a new one overall. If it is, I’ll move into a more diligent chase
mode. Anyone who says that FT8 is not a challenge hasn’t
really done it much. There is a lot of strategy involved in tim-
ing and finding a clear frequency to call the station in the
passband. Sometimes if you go too high, you might not get
answered if the station you are calling doesn’t have a wide
enough filter in his receiver. Sometimes, you may plop onto
someone with a stronger signal than yours so dragging your

CQ DX Honor Roll
The CQ DX Honor Roll recognizes those DXers who have submitted proof of confirmation with 275 or more ACTIVE countries. With few exceptions, the ARRL DXCC
Countries List is used as the country standard. The CQ DX Award currently recognizes 340 countries. Honor Roll listing is automatic when an application is received
and approved for 275 or more active countries. Deleted countries do not count and all totals are adjusted as deletions occur. To remain on the CQ DX Honor Roll,
annual updates are required. All updates must be accompanied by an SASE if confirmation of total is required. The fee for endorsement stickers is $1.00 each plus
SASE. (Stickers for the 340 level and Honor Roll are available.) Please make checks payable to the Award Manager, Keith Gilbertson. Mail all updates to Keith
Gilbertson, KØKG, 21688 Sandy Beach Lane, Rochert, MN 56578-9604 USA.

CW
DL3DXX ....339 K4CN ........339 N7RO ........339 K8SIX........338 K9OW ......334 W9IL..........329 N2LM ........321 W6WF .......309 K7CU ........282
HB9DDZ....339 K4JLD .......339 NØFW ......339 KA7T .........338 PY2YP ......334 IKØADY ....328 ON4CAS ...321 KT2C........ 307 PP7LL ......282
K4IQJ ........339 K4MQG .....339 OK1MP .....339 WA5VGI ....338 WG5G/ OZ5UR......328 W2OR .......320 K4DGJ ......307 WR7Q .......282
K9MM........339 K5RT.........339 W3GH .......339 W1DF........338 QRPp ....334 AB4IQ ......327 HB9DAX/ W4ABW ....306 N2VW........280
N4MM .......339 K7LAY.......339 W4OEL .....339 W9RPM.....338 WD9DZV...334 K6CU ........326 QRPp .....319 K7ZM ........305 K4EQ ........280
WB4UBD...339 K7VV.........339 W5BOS .....339 G3KMQ .....337 K2OWE .....333 KE3A.........326 W6YQ ......319 HA5LQ ......301 W8BLA......280
WS9V........339 K8LJG .......339 W7CNL .....339 KØKG........337 K5UO ........333 EA5BY ......325 HA1ZH ......318 RN3AKK....300 WB5STV ...277
EA2IA........339 N4AH ........339 W7OM.......339 W7IIT ........337 N6AW........333 KA3S.........325 N6PEQ......318 WA9PIE ....298 YO6HSU ...275
F3TH .........339 N4CH ........339 W8XD........339 K8ME ........336 W4MPY.....333 N3RC ........324 CT1YH ......316 K4IE ..........295
K2FL ........ 339 N4JF .........339 WK3N........339 W6OUL .....336 K6LEB.......331 N7W0 ........324 EA3ALV ....315 YU1YO......295
K2TQC ......339 N4NX ........339 WØJLC .....339 JA7XBG ....335 N7WO .......331 KEØA ........322 RA1AOB ...313 WA2VQV...292
K3JGJ .......339 N5ZM ........339 WØVTT .....339 F6HMJ ......334 OK1DWC ..331 YT1VM ......322 WA4DOU ..312 4XIVF ........286
K3UA.........339 N7FU.........339 YU1AB ......339 K1FK .........334 K6YK.........329 4Z5SG.......321 YO9HP......312 K6YR.........284

SSB
AB4IQ .......340 K6YRA ......340 VE3MRS ...340 W4UNP .....339 HB9DQD ...335 KE3A.........332 K7HG ........327 IV3GOW....312 F5MSB ......293
DJ9ZB .......340 K7VV.........340 VE3XN ......340 W9RPM.....339 IKØAZG ....335 N2VW........332 K6GFJ.......326 N8SHZ ......312 W9ACE .....291
DL3DXX ....340 K8LJG .......340 VK2HV ......340 EA3EQT....338 IW3YGW ...335 N5YY.........332 KE4SCY....326 OK1DWC ..311 N3KV.........289
DU9RG .....340 K8SIX........340 W3AZD .....340 K3UA.........338 OE2EGL....335 K5UO ........331 KF4NEF ....325 KU4BP ......310 W6MAC.....289
EA2IA .......340 K9MM........340 W3GH .......340 K7LAY.......338 VK2HV ......335 KC2Q ........331 W6WF .......325 W6NW.......310 K7CU ........287
EA4DO......340 KE5K.........340 W4ABW ....340 K9HQM .....338 W4WX.......335 SV3AQR ...331 W9GD .......325 I3ZSX ........309 N5KAE ......283
HB9DDZ....340 KZ2P .........340 W5BOS .....340 N4NX ........338 WB3D........335 WØROB ....331 VE7EDZ ....324 G3KMQ .....308 IZ1JLG ......282
I8KCI .........340 N4CH ........340 W6BCQ.....340 YU1AB ......338 AA4S.........334 W6OUL .....331 WA5UA .....324 KA1LMR....308 WA9PIE ....282
IK1GPG.....340 N4JF .........340 W6DPD .....340 4Z4DX.......338 EA5BY ......334 XE1MEX ...331 F6BFI ........323 RA1AOB ...308 WD8EOL...281
IN3DEI ......340 N4MM .......340 W7BJN......340 K1UO ........338 K9OW .......334 KD5ZD ......330 ON4CAS ...323 XE1MEX ...308 IWØHOU...277
K2FL .........340 N5ZM ........340 W7OM.......340 N7WR .......338 PY2YP ......334 WA4WTG..330 VE6MRT ...323 IK5ZUK .....307 AKØMR.....276
K2TQC ......340 N7BK.........340 W8ILC .......340 WA5VGI ....338 VK4LC.......334 WØYDB ....330 W5GT........323 IØYKN.......306 NØAZZ......275
K3JGJ .......340 N7RO .......340 W9SS........340 W2CC .......338 W8AXI.......334 ZL1BOQ....330 N6PEQ......322 XE1MW.....305 SQ7B ........275
K4CN ........340 NØFW .......340 WB4UBD...340 W7FP ........338 XE1J .........334 AD7J .........329 W4MPY.....322 K4IE ..........304
K4IQJ ........340 OK1MP .....340 WK3N........340 W9IL..........338 CT3BM......333 N3RC .......329 K8IHQ .......321 K4ZZR.......304
K4JLD .......340 OZ3SK ......340 WS9V........340 N4FN.........337 IK8CNT .....333 VE7SMP ...329 KW3W.......320 K7ZM .......303
K4MQG .....340 OZ5EV ......340 XE1AE ......340 IØZV..........336 K8LJG .....333 WØULU.....329 TI8II...........320 4Z5FL/M....302
K4MZU......340 VE1YX ......340 YU3AA ......340 K3LC .........336 N6AW........333 CT1AHU....328 YO9HP......320 K7SAM......301
K5OVC......340 VE2GHZ....340 JA7XBG ....339 K8ME ........336 OE3WWB..333 N1ALR ......328 W1DF........318 KA8YYZ ....301
K5RT.........340 VE2PJ .......340 KØKG........339 EA3BMT....335 WD9DZV...333 N2LM ........328 XE1RBV....317 4X6DK.......298
K5TVC ......340 VE3MR......340 W2FKF......339 F6HMJ ......335 AA1VX ......332 AE9DX ......327 N7YB.........315 K2HJB.......295

RTTY
NI4H . . . . . 338 WK3N . . . . 338 OK1MP . . . 337 K8SIX . . . . 334 W3GH . . . . 333 AB4IQ . . . . 323 N4MM . . . . 302 K8ME . . . . 278
WB4UBD . 338 N5ZM . . . . 338 K4CN . . . . 334 W9RPM . . 334 K3UA . . . . 332 K4WW . . . 323 K4IQJ . . . . 300 IN3YGW . . 275

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 97

feet to watch the waterfall might be beneficial. Anyway, now
that I have worked all DXCC mixed, all states on all feasible
bands, all CQ zones on all feasible bands, even all U.S. coun-
ties … I have found that there is ALWAYS something for a
DX chaser to do, even during a pandemic. Other than the CQ
DX Field Award, there don’t seem to be any ongoing HF grid
square awards sponsored by the normal organizations out
there. The Wireless Institute of Australia does sponsor an HF
grid square award; details are at <https://tinyurl.com/
y6hpclm9>. There might be others out there as well.
Band Fillers
Meanwhile, anytime I happen on a new band / mode DX enti-
ty anywhere, I pounce on it as well. I found that chasing the
grid squares and prefixes has worked well for picking up a
DXpedition Memories
These photos are from the HKØNA Malpelo DXpedition
in 2012.
Sometimes, getting “onto” a DX entity is pretty scary! “El Tangon” is the only
decent safe access to Malpelo. It is a hanging rope ladder high above the
water.
98 • CQ • October 2020
new band / mode entity from time to time just by keeping me
on the air more than I was.
As many of you might know, I have never gotten caught up
in gathering the plaques or paper for most awards. Except
for my Mixed DXCC, WAC, WAZ, WAS, and my USA-CA
awards, I really never went after the paper awards very much.
I find ample satisfaction just knowing that I have worked what
I have worked and tracking it in my logging program. So,
chasing HF grids fits that mold perfectly. Maybe I will create
my own award and design a certificate for myself just as a
memory for the accomplishment.
Bottom line! Have fun! Chase “STUFF”. Work “STUFF”. Get
together with your other locals on the RADIO and compare
notes. And above all else, stay safe.
– Di-dit de N2OO
Everett, WZ8P, prepares the HKØNA
QSL cards for shipment to the QSL
Manager (N2OO)
Visit Our Web Site
 AWARDS
BY CQ STAFF

Awards Editor Needed

Plus Parks, States, Grid Fields, and More
If you’re an active paper-chaser who
likes to uncover little-known awards and
help guide your fellow hams in the art of
earning “wallpaper” for their shacks —
and you have the time to research and
write a monthly column — we’d like to hear
from you. Please drop a note to CQ Editor
Rich Moseson, W2VU, at <w2vu@cq-
amateur-radio.com> and we’ll talk.

POTA, States, and CQ Awards

Awards Editor Jim Houser, WA8JIM, is
stepping down after only five months to
devote more time to family health issues.
e unfortunately need to an-
Meanwhile, we won’t leave you high and
dry because award-chasing is on the
menu for two of our other columnists. QRP
Editor Scott Rought, KA8SMA, devotes
much of his column this month to POTA, POTA — the Parks on the Air program —
the Parks on the Air program. Scott notes is the focus of this month’s QRP column.
that taking your rig to a designated park
and calling “CQ POTA” is one of the few
ways for a low-powered station to end up sions of the Worked All States award,
on the receiving end of a pileup. The along with VUCC (the VHF / UHF Century
POTA program offers a wide variety Club), the Wireless Institute of Australia’s
of awards. Read Scott’s column (page Grid Square Award and CQ’s DX Field
XX) and check out the Parks on the Air and WPX Awards. Bob’s column begins

W
nounce the resignation of Awards
Editor Jim Houser, WA8JIM, due
to family medical issues. We thank Jim for
taking on this position this past May and
filling it ably for the few months during
which he was able to do so. We wish Jim
and his family all the best in these difficult
times.
website <www.parksontheair.com> for
details.
DX Editor Bob Schenck, N2OO, sug-
gests that DX chasers frustrated by the
COVID-induced absence of DXpeditions
this year use the opportunity to chase con-
tacts for some awards with a different
focus. He takes a look at various state-
level awards and filling in single band ver-
on page XX and, as always, includes the
latest updates on who’s earned what in
the CQ awards program.
Again, if you think you’d like to write this
column, we’d like to hear from you. Please
be sure to let us know about your experi-
ence in ham radio, certificate-hunting, and
writing for publication (or broadcast).
– 73, The editors

If there’s not much rare DX to work because of cancelled DXpeditions, DX Editor N2OO writes in his column this month, try chas-
ing states, grid fields, or prefixes.

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 99


COVID-19 Contesting Spike Continues
ast month, I noted that contests
L from March through June of 2020
had shown an extreme rise in par-
ticipation. This trend continued in July
and August.
Table 1 shows the count of logs
received in 2019 and 2020 for four pop-
ular summer contests, the RTTY, CW
and SSB segments of the North
American QSO Party, and the CW
weekend of the Worked All Europe
(WAE) Contest. New record high levels
of participation were reached for all
three modes of the summer North
American QSO parties. And Peter,
DL7YS, busy processing the WAE CW
logs, noted “one thing we already know,
the highest growth in submitted logs is
coming from the U.S.”
Not only was activity up, but so was
propagation on 10 and 15 meters, at
least in the SSB leg of the North
American QSO Party. Many stations
reported hundreds of QSOs on 15 and
10. John Laney, K4BAI, writes “Who
would have thought that 10 meters
would produce the highest number of
QSOs on all the bands?” after making
209 QSOs on 28 MHz.
License Classes and Contest
Log Submissions
Which hams get on for contests? Is
there a relationship between license
class and contest participation? Can we
use licensing data to help draw more
hams into contesting? Is there a corre-
lation between license class and modes
used?
I attempted to accumulate some sta-
tistics to answer these questions by
cross referencing contest “logs receiv-
ed” callsign lists against the FCC U.S.
Amateur license database, I created
Table 2, showing submissions for five
popular contests, broken down by U.S.
amateur license classes. Also, I show
current FCC license statistics for each
class of U.S. license.
Extra Class hams make up only 20%
of U.S. license holders, but they submit
more than 80% of the logs in every con-
test I researched. I’m not surprised —
those who have made the effort to reach
the highest license class are also those
most likely to participate in contests.
email: <n3qe@cq-amateur-radio.com>
100 • CQ • October 2020
CONTESTING
BY TIM SHOPPA,* N3QE
Contest
July NAQP RTTY
August NAQP CW
August NAQP SSB
2019
600
913
800
2020
733
1241
1170
Growth
22%
36%
46%
Worked All Europe CW 1187 1518 28%
Table 1. Year-over-year increase in activity for four popular summer contests
Contest Novice Technician General Advanced Extra
2019 CQWW CW 0.1% 0.1% 3.4% 1.0% 95.2%
2019 CQWW SSB 10.3% 2.2% 87.5%
2020 NAQP Aug CW 0.1% 0.2% 3.7% 0.5% 95.3%
2020 NAQP Aug SSB 12.7% 1.8% 85.5%
2020 ARRL Jun VHF 1.5% 10.9% 4.8% 82.7%
U.S. Licensed hams 1.0% 50.6% 23.5% 5.0% 19.8%
Table 2. Distribution of U.S. license classes submitting logs in five recent con-
tests. Below the contest statistics are FCC license statistics for all U.S. hams.
The Advanced Class license hasn’t likely to hear recently licensed 2x3 for-
been issued since the FCC’s restruc- mat sequential callsigns from Generals
turing of 2000. Advanced class li- on the phone bands than on the CW
censees are twice as likely to send in a bands. And I would make the general-
log for an SSB contest than a CW con- ization that many recently-licensed
test. I held an Advanced Class license Generals are enjoying HF SSB contests
from 1982 through 2007. In 2006, I had but are not comfortable with CW, or at
gotten active in some contests and least the higher CW speeds (25 WPM
DXing, and I had noticed that the bot- or higher) that dominate the majority of
tom 25 kHz of the 80-, 40-, 20-, and 15- CW contest activity.
meter CW bands, where my Advanced That brings us to the most common
ticket did not allow me to transmit, were license class of U.S. hams — the Tech-
packed with lots of interesting DX both nician Class, which is held by a little
in and out of contests. There’s also 25 more than half of all U.S. hams.
kHz of spectrum on the 20- and 15- Technician Class hams have full VHF
meter phone bands, as well as 100 kHz privileges and do send in logs in VHF
on 75-meter phone, that is unavailable contests — at the 1.5% level. Techni-
to Advanced licensees but is available cians also show up in very small frac-
to Extra. These band segments are tional-percent levels in the CW con-
packed with activity in each big DX con- tests, since they have limited CW priv-
test. The dense contest activity I heard ileges on 80, 40, 15, and 10 meters.
in these segments gave me the incen- Finally, there are still some U.S. hams
tive — for the first time in 25 years — to holding the Novice Class license. This
study for the Extra exam and gain those license class is no longer issued, but
extra privileges. Novices are eligible to renew and they
General Class licensees represent have HF CW privileges. You see that
23% of U.S. licensed hams and are the some of the Novice licensees still are
lowest license class with broad-based on the air and participating in CW at the
HF voice privileges. None of the CW less than 1% level.
contests for which I checked callsigns
had more than 4% log submissions
from General Class hams. But the SSB License Classes and Contest
contests had more than 10% of their log Participation
submissions from General Class I also took the FCC database and used
licensees. I can relate that I am far more it to find the license classes of U.S. calls
Visit Our Web Site
in my activity in the 2020 Maryland-DC QSO party (where
the vast majority of my activity was on SSB) and in my activ-
ity in 2020 NAQP SSB. My CQ for both events included “CQ
Anyone Anywhere” and I consciously made an effort to CQ
in the General segment of the HF phone bands.
In the license class breakdown tables in Table 3, note that
35% of hams I worked in the Maryland-DC QSO party held
a General Class license, and 21% of the hams I worked in
NAQP SSB held a General Class license. Does this mean
more General Class hams are on for state QSO parties than
for contests? Perhaps this is the case, but it is hard to make
a generalization based on just these two logs.
A likely possible bias exists in my logs: I called CQ only in
the General Class phone band. If my statistics were aver-
aged in with other operators who operated in the more priv-
ileged sections of the bands, perhaps this is more represen-
tative of overall participation.
A more general study of contests, state QSO parties, and
special event activations would result in more useful statis-
tics, and I look forward to gathering logs of all these kinds to
study the activity of the different license classes on the bands.
There is a more general lesson I learned: if I had been
CQing outside the General Class phone segment, I would
not have worked the hundreds of General Class hams that I
did during those weekends. Any phone contester who doesn’t
venture into the General Class bands is missing out on 10%
or more of the participants.
Is 150 Watts Low Power?
Many contests have “High Power” and “Low Power” cate-
gories. You might read one set of rules for one contest and
assume it’s the same limit for a different contest the follow-
ing weekend. But it’s more complicated!
For every ARRL HF contest, the maximum power output in
low power category is 150 watts. This 150-watt definition for
low power originated back in the 1960s when many rigs with
sweep tubes or 6146Bs in their final amplifier were rated (per-
haps optimistically) for up to 150 watts PEP output.
In 2020, for every CQ-sponsored contest with a low power
category, the maximum power allowed is 100 watts. This
includes each mode of CQWW, CQ WPX, and CQ 160. The
limit is stated as “total output power” — this is the maximum
power developed at the output of the transmitter or amplifier.
Even though ARRL is the current publisher of the National
Contest Journal, note that the NCJ North American Sprints
also use 100 watts as the cutoff. There is no high-power cat-
egory for the NCJ NAQPs; entrants above 100 watts are clas-
sified as checklogs and are not scored.
And the ARRL VHF contests have yet another definition of
low power — on 6 and 2 meters, 200 watts is classified as

Calendar of Events
All year CQ DX Marathon http://bit.ly/vEKMWD
Oct. 1 SARL 80m QSO Party http://bit.ly/H0IqQf
Oct. 3 FISTS Fall Slow Speed Sprint www.fistsna.org/operating.html#sprints
Oct. 3 German Telegraphy Contest http://bit.ly/291wozN
Oct. 3-4 YLRL DX/NA YL Anniversary Contest https://ylrl.org/wp/dx-na-yl-contest
Oct. 3-4 California QSO Party www.cqp.org/Rules.html
Oct. 3-4 International HELL-Contest https://bit.ly/3iMvJ4m
Oct. 3-4 Oceania Phone DX Contest www.oceaniadxcontest.com
Oct. 3-4 Russian WW Digital Contest http://bit.ly/2MF8xoC
Oct. 3-4 SKCC QSO Party http://bit.ly/2Xl2vyx
Oct. 3-4 TRC DX Contest https://trcdx.org/rules-trc-dx
Oct. 4 Peanut Power QRP Sprint www.nogaqrp.org
Oct 4 UBA ON 80M SSB Contest https://bit.ly/3kKYKzj
Oct. 4 RSGB DX Contest https://bit.ly/3iWoeZQ
Oct. 5 RSGB Autumn Series CW https://bit.ly/2XF8mSB
Oct. 7 432 MHz Fall Sprint http://svhfs.org/wp
Oct. 7 UKEICC 80m Contest SSB http://bit.ly/2MbaURB
Oct. 7 VHF-UHF FT8 Activity www.ft8activity.eu/index.php/en/
Oct. 9-11 Nevada QSO Party http://nvqso.com/contest-rules
Oct. 10 10-10 Intl. 10-10 Day Sprint http://bit.ly/1FrFeBc
Oct. 10 FISTS Fall Unlimited Sprint www.fistsna.org/operating.html#sprints
Oct. 10 QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party www.qrparci.org/contests
Oct. 10 Microwave Fall Sprint http://svhfs.org/wp
Oct. 10-11 Arizona QSO Party www.azqsoparty.org
Oct. 10-11 ARRL EME Contest www.arrl.org/eme-contest
Oct.10-11 Cosack’s Honor VHF/UHF Contest http://cshonor-vhf.ho.ua/eng1.html
Oct. 10-11 Pennsylvania QSO Party http://paqso.org
Oct. 10-11 Makrothen RTTY Contest http://bit.ly/2uZd6oF
Oct. 10-11 Oceania CW DX Contest www.oceaniadxcontest.com
Oct. 10-11 PODSX 070 Club 160M Great Pumpkin Sprint http://bit.ly/2RUkcE6
Oct. 10-11 Scandinavian SSB Activity Contest www.sactest.net/blog
Oct. 10-11 South Dakota QSO Party https://sdqsoparty.com
Oct. 10-11 Veron SLP Contest http://bit.ly/2L9eT1L
Oct 11 UBA ON 80M CW Contest https://bit.ly/3kKYKzj
Oct 11 UBA ON 6M Phone/CW Contest https://bit.ly/3kKYKzj
Oct. 14 RSGB Autumn Series Data https://bit.ly/2XF8mSB
Oct. 14 VHF-UHF FT8 Activity www.ft8activity.eu/index.php/en
Oct. 17 Feld Hell Spooky Sprint https://bit.ly/3g8gpxD
Oct. 17 Argentina National 7 MHz Contest https://tinyurl.com/yyowv5ro
Oct. 17-18 10-10 Intl. Fall CW Contest http://bit.ly/1FrFeBc
Oct. 17-18 Araucaria World Wide VHF Contest www.avhfc.com/rules/en.pdf
Oct. 17-18 New York QSO Party www.nyqp.org
Oct.17-18 JARTS WW RTTY Contest http://jarts.jp/rules2020.html
Oct. 17-18 Worked All Germany Contest http://bit.ly/2uDQRSV
Oct. 17-18 Stew Perry Topband Distance Challenge www.kkn.net/stew/stew_rules.html
Oct. 18 Asia-Pacific CW Sprint http://jsfc.org/apsprint
Oct 18 UBA ON 2M Phone/CW Contest https://bit.ly/3kKYKzj
Oct. 18 RSGB RoLo CW Contest www.rsgbcc.org/hf/rules/2020/rolo.shtml
Oct. 18-19 Illinois QSO Party www.w9awe.org/ILQP.html

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 101

low power, and above 902 MHz, 50
watts is the low power maximum. There
is another category, “Single Operator 3-
Band,” where the limit on 50 MHz is 100
watts. The CQWW VHF Contest does
not make any distinction between high
and low power. As always, read the
rules to be sure.

Mobile and Multi in Maryland

QSO Party
In most state QSO parties, there is a
“Rover” or “Mobile” in-state category
that encourages mobile operators to
activate a series of different counties.
The 2020 Maryland-DC QSO Party was
the first roving experience for Iain Kelly,
AD5XI (Photo A). In preparation, he did
some research to help target some of

Photo A. Iain Kelly, AD5XI, operated as

a rover through seven counties in the
2020 Maryland-DC QSO Party.

Oct. 18-21 Fall Classic Exchange CW https://bit.ly/3fYa9Iv

Oct. 19 RSGB FT4 Contest Series http://bit.ly/38xg9V7
Oct. 19-20 Telephone Pioneers QSO Party https://bit.ly/314dGkx
Oct. 19-23 ARRL School Club Roundup http://bit.ly/MaLmBs
Oct. 21 AGCW Semi-Automatic Key Evening http://bit.ly/2LCDywm
Oct. 24-25 Veron SLP Contest http://bit.ly/2L9eT1L
Oct. 24-25 CQWW DX SSB Contest www.cqww.com/index.htm
Oct. 28 UKEICC 80m Contest CW http://bit.ly/2MbaURB
Oct. 29 RSGB Autumn Series SSB https://bit.ly/2XF8mSB
Oct. 31-Nov. 1 North American SSB Sprint Contest https://ssbsprint.com/rules
Oct. 31-Nov.1 Russian WW MultiMode Contest http://bit.ly/2CMbWOM
Oct. 31-Nov.1 UK/EI DX Contest www.ukeicc.com/dx-contest-rules.php

Nov. 1 High Speed Club CW Contest www.highspeedclub.org

Nov. 1-4 Fall Classic Exchange CW https://bit.ly/3fYa9Iv
Nov. 2 RSGB Autumn Series, Data https://bit.ly/2XF8mSB
Nov. 4 UKEICC 80 Meter Contest SSB http://bit.ly/2MbaURB
Nov. 4 VHF-UHF FT8 Activity www.ft8activity.eu/index.php/en
Nov. 7-8 IPARC Contest www.iparc.de
Nov. 7-8 Ukrainian DX Contest http://urdxc.org/rules.php?english
Nov. 7-8 Marconi Memorial VHF Contest https://bit.ly/3kM459J
Nov. 7-8 AWA Bruce Kelley 1929 Memorial QSO Party https://bit.ly/2FtzQEn
Nov. 7-9 ARRL CW Sweepstakes www.arrl.org/sweepstakes
Nov. 8 EANET Sprint Contest https://fediea.org/news/?news=20201108
Nov. 8 FIRAC HF Contest www.firac.de/html/contest.html
Nov. 11 RSGB Autumn Series, SSB https://bit.ly/2XF8mSB
Nov. 11 VHF-UHF FT8 Activity www.ft8activity.eu/index.php/en
Nov. 14-15 AWA Bruce Kelley 1929 Memorial QSO Party https://bit.ly/2FtzQEn
Nov. 14-15 10-10 Digital Fall Contest http://bit.ly/1FrFeBc
Nov. 14-15 JIDX Phone Contest www.jidx.org
Nov. 14-15 OK/OM CW DX Contest http://bit.ly/19rrRjl
Nov. 14-15 SARL VHF/UHF Analogue Contest http://bit.ly/H0IqQf
Nov. 14-15 Worked All Europe RTTY Contest http://bit.ly/2vufgcb
Nov. 14-16 CQ-WE Contest http://cqwe.cboh.org/rules.html
Nov. 14-16 PODXS070 Club Triple Play Low Band Sprint http://bit.ly/2Cq2yUA
Nov. 15 Homebrew & Oldtime Equipment Party www.qrpcc.de/contestrules/hotr.html
Nov. 15 YO Int’l PSK31 Contest http://bit.ly/2w93WEd
Nov. 16 RSGB FT4 Contest Series http://bit.ly/38xg9V7
Nov. 20 YO International PSK31 Contest www.yo5crq.ro/Rules.htm
Nov. 21 Feld Hell Turkey Sprint https://bit.ly/3asfcjj
Nov. 21 RSGB 2nd 1.8 MHZ Contest CW https://tinyurl.com/y378u9wn
Nov. 21-22 All Austrian 160M Contest http://bit.ly/32ZYYd4
Nov. 21-22 LZ DX Contest http://lzdx.bfra.bg/rulesen.html
Nov. 21-22 REF 160-Meter Contest https://bit.ly/3iHzsQU
Nov. 21-22 SARL Newbie Party http://bit.ly/H0IqQf
Nov. 21-23 ARRL SSB Sweepstakes www.arrl.org/sweepstakes
Nov. 25 UKEICC 80 Meter Contest CW http://bit.ly/2MbaURB
Nov. 26 RSGB Autumn Series, CW https://bit.ly/2XF8mSB
Nov. 28-29 ARRL EME Contest www.arrl.org/eme-contest
Nov. 28-29 CQWW DX CW Contest www.cqww.com/index.htm

102 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

the less-commonly activated Maryland counties. Iain used
Google Maps in combination with an online tool that overlaid
the county boundaries <https://tinyurl.com/yyko8a5l> to plan
his route through seven Maryland counties. “My mobile sta-
tion consists of a Kenwood TS-480SAT and a Tarheel Little
Tarheel HP screwdriver antenna mounted on the rear door,”
Iain writes.
For the fifth consecutive year, a multi-operator team at Alan
Hoffmaster, WA3EKL’s, station entered the Maryland-DC
QSO Party as a “club” category station. This year, the team
of K3MTR, K6ZO, KB3VQC, N3DPB, WA3EKL, and WT3K
(Photo B) entered using K3MTR’s callsign and made 738
QSOs, more than doubling their previous team record of 365
QSOs in 2016. WA3EKL has hosted 161 Multi-Op contest
efforts in the past five years.
Automatic CW Keying, 1957-Style
“CQ SS” will be heard many times this fall in the ARRL’s CW
Sweepstakes contest in November. You might wonder what
cleverness hams in earlier eras used to help automate their
CQing. Photo C shows Vic Clark, W4KFC’s, “code wheel”
that was heard across North America in the 1950s and 1960s
ARRL Sweepstakes contests. (Vic was a major player in ham
radio in the mid-20th century, on-air as a contester and DXer,
and off-air as IARU Region 2 president, QCWA director,
ARRL director, and ARRL president. He became a Silent Key

Photo B. Five operators of the K3MTR multi-op “Club” entry in the 2020 Maryland-DC QSO Party. Top Left: Daryl Olson,
WT3K; Top Right: Alan Hoffmaster, WA3EKL; Bottom Left: Susan Hoffmaster, N3DPB; Bottom Middle: Tyler Reece, K3MTR;
Bottom Right: Zory Glaser, KB3VQC.

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 103


Photo C. W4KFC’s “CQ SS” code
wheel, an early example of CQ keying
automation. (Photo courtesy of Buddy
Smith, W4YE.)
in 1983. – ed.) A 4-RPM gear motor
turns an aluminum disc, into which Vic
cut slots and folded back the metal to
spell out his CQ message. Art Boyars,
K3KU, tells me that the early versions
of Vic’s codewheel disc was made from
a pie tin, but Vic’s comments in the
April 1966 QST indicate that the more
evolved version pictured here uses a
blank pre-World War II aluminum
phonograph disc.
With a button press, Vic would acti-
vate the motor, which began its 15-sec-
ond cycle. The rim of the big metal disc
makes and breaks the CW keying cir-
cuit, while a second contact not only
keys the transmit / receive relay, but
keeps the motor energized until it has
completed its message and then stops,
ready for another activation.
If you read around the edge of the disc
counterclockwise, you will see “CQ SS
CQ SS CQ SS DE W4KFC W4KFC
W4KFC”. Vic wrote that the mechanical
CQ has a “come hither” quality that was
superior to his own hand keying.
W4KFC won the CW Sweepstakes in
1958, 1964, and 1965, so it certainly
worked!
Automated Keying, 2020-Style
From the 1990s onward, it has been
quite common for Morse keying to be
done by the PC running the logging pro-
gram. The techniques of serial port key-
ing and parallel port keying were very
popular for decades, because every PC
or PC-clone had serial or parallel ports
readily available at the time. A small cir-
cuit consisting of a transistor and a few
resistors allowed the low voltages on
the computer port to directly key the
transmitter.
Real serial and parallel ports are rare
on PCs today. They began disappear-
ing from standard motherboards before
2010, and while they were still readily
104 • CQ • October 2020
Contest
N3QE August 2020 NAQP SSB log
N3QE 2020 Maryland-DC QSO Party log
Table 3. Distribution of U.S. License Classes in two recent N3QE contest logs.
No Novices or Technicians were contacted.
available on sub-$100 refurbished PCs
popular in hamshacks through 2017, it
is incredibly rare today to find a used or
refurbished PC with parallel or serial
ports.
The USB (Universal Serial Bus) jack
has replaced serial ports for almost all
purposes on desktop PCs. If you still
have a serial port keying adapter, you
can continue using it on a newer PC by
using a USB-to-serial port converter
dongle. If you read the N1MM interfac-
ing page at <https://rb.gy/ocowkg>, you
can find many hints on using a USB to
serial adapter for keying and radio com-
munications.
Another approach is to skip the serial
port and use a modern USB-based
smart keyer. These have the advantage
over serial port keying in that they don’t
depend on PC processor timing for
forming the dots and dashes — com-
plete characters are sent by the com-
puter to the keyer over the USB con-
nection, and then an embedded chip in
the smart keyer controls exact timing
and produces perfect CW even if your
PC is busy with other tasks. The K1EL
WinKeyer USB <https://rb.gy/5qbfny>
is the archetype and it has worked flaw-
lessly in my shack since 2011. Many
multimode ham interfaces have built-in
Winkeyer protocol compatibility and the
Mortty kit <https://rb.gy/6tvnul> has
recently become very popular with con-
testers.
Australian Callsign Updates
The Australian Communications and
Media Authority has made two changes
to VK callsigns effective July 30, 2020.
Originally suggested by a Radio
Amateur Society of Australia commit-
tee, a new 2x1 call format is now avail-
able. Clubs and Australian Advanced
class license holders are now eligible to
request a 2x1 call just for contesting
activities. To maximize the number of
2x1 calls that can be issued, two new
prefix letter blocks — VJ and VL — will
be used in addition to the traditional VK
prefix letters.
For several years, Australian Found-
ation Class hams — the introductory
license class in Australia — have been
identifiable by having four letter suffix-
es starting with F. Effective July 30,
General Advanced Extra
20.9% 2.6% 76.5%
34.6% 4.8% 60.5%
2020, no new 4-letter F suffixes will be
issued. New Foundation Class hams
will be assigned 2x3 VK calls, and exist-
ing Foundation Class hams have the
option of keeping their current callsign
or applying for a 3-letter suffix callsign.
Details about Australian callsigns can
be found at the RASA website, <https://
vkradioamateurs.org>.
October-November Contests
The North American SSB Sprint Contest
is a four-hour contest held the evening
of Saturday, October 31st. Like the other
North American Sprints, QSYing is
required after CQing and making a QSO.
As a result, no one station owns the fre-
quency for more than a few minutes —
in fact, the CQer’s goal is to quickly make
a QSO and turn the frequency over to his
caller at the completion. The result is a
lively contest filled with motion for all
entrants, and an opportunity for every-
one to be handed a run frequency. Full
rules as well as operating tips for this
exciting contest can be found at
<https://ssbsprint.com>.
CQWW SSB and CW are the world’s
biggest contests and use a very simple
exchange — RST and CQ zone. At
press time, there are only a handful of
announced DXpeditions coinciding with
these contests, but there will be no
shortage of hams to work at their
homes. The 2020 SSB contest is
October 24-25th and CW is November
28-29th.
The 87th running of the ARRL No-
vember Sweepstakes uses an ex-
change format based on traffic-handling
traditions. The CW contest is November
7th and 8th, and the SSB contest is
November 21st and 22nd. Of special
note this year, there are now 84 ARRL
/ RAC sections now that the Radio
Amateurs of Canada has separated
Prince Edward Island (PE) from the
Maritime (MAR) Section. Please update
your contest software to handle this
transition smoothly. An excellent intro-
duction to Sweepstakes operations is
“An Enticement for Contest Newbies” by
NØAX, K5OT, and N2MG, online at
<https://eham.net/article/31081> and
the ARRL Sweepstakes page at <www.
arrl.org/sweepstakes> has many details
about this long-running contest.
Visit Our Web Site
 PROPAGATION
BY TOMAS HOOD,* NW7US

Good Conditions Predicted for 2020 CQWW DX SSB Contest

A Quick Look at Current One Year Ago: A Quick Look at Current

Cycle 24/25 Conditions Solar Cycle Conditions
(Data rounded to nearest whole number) (Data rounded to nearest whole number)

Sunspots: Sunspots:
Observed Monthly, July 2020: 6 Observed Monthly, July 2019: 1
12-month smoothed, January 2020: 2 12-month smoothed, January 2019: 3

10.7-cm Flux: 10.7-cm Flux:

Observed Monthly, July 2020: 70 Observed Monthly, July 2019: 67
12-month smoothed, January 2020: 71 12-month smoothed, January 2019: 70

Ap Index: Ap Index:
Unavailable Observed Monthly, July 2019: 6
12-month smoothed, January 2019: 9

radio enthusiasts celebrate the arrival of the fall However, it is expected that the higher bands will have a lot

HF and winter DX season. From October through

November 2020 we will see a steady annual
improvement in the DX bands. With the CQWW contests tak-
of fluctuation in performance. The lower frequency bands will
be quiet, much like last year.
Even if you are not a dedicated contester, you should give
ing place in both months (SSB in October, CW in November), this contest a try. If you are trying for your DXCC or other
we should experience fair success — we are witnessing the paper, this is the contest of choice.
very starting phase of Sunspot Cycle 25.
The 2020 CQWW SSB Contest <www.cqww.com> will
start at 0000 UTC, Saturday, October 24th, and run through LAST-MINUTE FORECAST
2359 UTC Sunday, October 25th. Looking at the 27-day rota- Day-to-Day Conditions Expected for October 2020
tion of the Sun, taking into consideration the current solar
activity at the time of writing this column, propagation should Expected Signal Quality
Propagation Index (4) (3) (2) (1)
be fair to good this weekend. Expect conditions to be com- Above Normal: A A B C
parable with conditions from last year’s contest weekend. 1, 3-11, 14-15, 18-19,
28, 30-31
Predictions for one 27-day rotational period are far more High Normal: A B C C-D
accurate than for three 27-day rotational periods so be sure 2, 12-13, 17, 20, 27, 29
to carefully check conditions on September 27th and Low Normal:
2, 12-13, 17, 20, 27, 29
B C-B C-D D-E

September 28th, since this would be one rotational period Below Normal: C C-D D-E E
23
before the SSB contest weekend. There is better than a 90% Disturbed: C-D D E E
chance that conditions observed on those days will recur dur- 25-26
ing the October contest weekend.
Where expected signal quality is:
See the “Last-Minute Forecast” for expected day-to-day A--Excellent opening, exceptionally strong, steady signals greater than S9
conditions for the entire month of October. You can also see B--Good opening, moderately strong signals varying between S6 and S9, with little fading or
noise.
an up-to-the day “Last-Minute Forecast” on my propagation C--Fair opening, signals between moderately strong and weak, varying between S3 and S6,
resource center, at <http://SunSpotWatch.com>. with some fading and noise.
D--Poor opening, with weak signals varying between S1 and S3, with considerable fading and
Table 1 tabulates the smoothed sunspot count during pre- noise.
vious CQWW DX Contest periods since 2009, and what’s E--No opening expected.

predicted for the 2020 contest. Contest conditions should be

much the same as those of last year. Low to middle latitude
propagation paths should be good on the lower HF bands
(160, 80, and 40 meters). There is a moderate chance that
we will experience reasonably long windows of propagation
on the higher HF bands above 20 meters for paths spanning
lower latitudes over sunlit and gray-line termination regions.
* P.O. Box 110
Fayetteville, OH 45118
Email: <nw7us@nw7us.us>
@NW7US (https://Twitter.com/NW7US)
@hfradiospacewx (https://Twitter.com/HFRadioSpaceWX)
HOW TO USE THIS FORECAST
1. Using the Propagation Charts appearing in “The New Shortwave Propagation Handbook,”
by George Jacobs, Theodore J. Cohen, and R. B. Rose.
a. Find the Propagation Index associated with the particular path opening from the
Propagation Charts.
b. With the Propagation Index, use the above table to find the expected signal quality asso-
ciated with the path opening for any given day of the month. For example, openings shown in
the Propagation Charts with a Propagation Index of 1 will be fair on October 1, poor to fair on
October 2, fair on October 3 through October 11, and so forth.
2. Alternatively, you may use the Last-Minute Forecast as a general guide to space weath-
er and geomagnetic conditions throughout the month. When conditions are Above Normal, for
example, the geomagnetic field should be quiet, and space weather should be mild. On the
other hand, days marked as Disturbed will be riddled with geomagnetic storms. Propagation
of radio signals in the HF spectrum will be affected by these geomagnetic conditions. In gen-
eral, when conditions are High Normal to Above Normal, signals will be more reliable on a given
path, when the ionosphere supports the path that is in consideration. This chart is updated daily
at <http://SunSpotWatch.com> provided by NW7US.

www.cq-amateur-radio.com October 2020 • CQ • 105

 Table 1
2009 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’20
October 12 36 84 85 114 102 62 29 15 6 3 *5
November 13 41 86 87 115 98 59 28 14 6 2 *6

* Predicted sunspot values expected during the 2020 contests

Smoothed Space Weather Prediction Center Observed Sunspot Number data during CQ World Wide DX Contests since
2009 (October SSB, November CW)

Take a look online at my up-to-the-day

Last-Minute Forecast chart, available
on my Space Weather and Radio Prop-
agation Center at <http://SunSpot
Watch.com>.

October Shortwave (HF)

Propagation
The following is a band-by-band sum-
mary of the most popular CQWW con-
test bands (except for 10 meters, which
is expected to be poor –ed) propagation
conditions expected from mid-October
through mid-December and centered
on the two CQWW contest weekends.
Next month’s column will update this
summary.
160 Meters: As usual, this slice of
radio spectrum begins to turn attractive
for DXing, as well as everyday use now,
with the considerably decreased sea-
sonal static levels. However, with the
geomagnetic field somewhat more
active, the top band will be somewhat
more variable than a year ago during
this season. The longer hours of dark-
ness in the northern latitudes should
provide a number of DX openings on
this band. These openings will often be
weak due to the relatively high signal
absorption since we are not yet to the
longest periods of daily darkness. But
give this band a try, as some fairly good
openings should be possible toward
Europe and the south from the eastern
half of the U.S., and toward the south,
the Far East, Australasia, and the South
Pacific from the western half of the
country. Other DX openings might also
be possible. The best propagation aid
for this band (and for 80 and 40 meters
as well) is a set of sunrise and sunset
curves, since DX signals tend to peak
when it is local sunrise at the easterly
end of the path.
80 Meters: Here is the workhorse
nighttime band for those with a well-
designed antenna system. This band
provides great DX openings to many
areas of the world during the hours of
darkness and into the sunrise period.
The band should peak towards Europe
and in a generally easterly direction
around midnight. For openings in a gen-
The end of August saw a minor geomagnetic event, when the Bz remained slight-
ly southward, and the solar wind speed increased along with a dense plasma
cloud released by the Sun just days before. Geomagnetic activity with a Planetary
K-Index of 5 or greater is usually associated with a decrease in the Maximum
Usable Frequency over a given path between a transmitter and receiver (i.e.,
from your station to some DX station). (Courtesy of SWPC / NOAA)
erally western direction, expect a peak south should be possible throughout
just after your sunrise. The band should most of the night-time period.
remain open toward the south through- 20 Meters: DX openings should be
out most of the night. Propagation in this possible on this band both day and
band is quite similar to that expected on night. Conditions should peak from
40 meters, except that signals will be about an hour or two after sunrise and
somewhat weaker on average, noise again during the late afternoon and
levels will be a bit higher, and the peri- early evening hours. Expect to work into
od for band openings in a particular some areas of the world between sun-
direction will be a bit shorter. rise and sunset when conditions are a
40 Meters: This should be the hottest mix of low geomagnetic activity and an
DX band during hours of darkness as increase in solar activity. Good open-
the seasonal static levels are lower than ings should be possible to many areas
they were during the summer. The band of the world during the dusk and dawn
should be open first for DX toward periods, following the gray line termi-
Europe and the east during the late nator. When conditions are above nor-
afternoon. Signals should increase in mal, expect 20 meters to offer a few sur-
intensity as darkness approaches. prises with worldwide DX openings
During the hours of darkness, expect during the night. Look for long-path
good DX openings to most areas of the openings for about an hour or so after
world. Signals should peak from an sunrise and again for an hour or so
easterly direction about midnight, and before local sunset. Signal levels are
from a westerly direction just after sun- expected to be exceptionally strong dur-
rise. Excellent openings toward the ing the October contest period.

106 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

 15 Meters: This year, 15 meters may play less often as a
DX band. During the daylight hours, this band should see
some significant action, but not better than the last few years.
Fair to Good conditions are expected from shortly after sun-
rise through the early evening hours. The band could remain
open into the evening toward southern and tropical areas.
VHF Conditions
Watch for possible tropospheric ducting conditions during
October because of changing weather patterns. Two meters
is the best band to watch for this.
There is a moderate to strong chance to work meteor-scat-
ter VHF propagation off this year’s Draconids, active during
October 6th through October 10th. This shower is not expect-
ed to produce more than about 10 per hour. The best time to
This chart details when alerts are sent out from the Space
Weather Prediction Center and / or NOAA, when a geo-
magnetic storm is underway. The end of August was a bit
chaotic in terms of geomagnetic activity. This activity degrad-
ed HF communications on higher frequencies. (Courtesy of
SWPC / NOAA)
Geomagnetic activity reached the G1-level of the scale for
geomagnetic storms. G1 is a minor disturbance, but this is
enough to lower the Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) over
a given radio propagation path. (Courtesy of SWPC / NOAA)
www.cq-amateur-radio.com
check for radio propagation would be from around midnight
onward until dawn, locally.
Draconid meteors are exceptionally slow moving, a charac-
teristic that helps separate genuine shower meteors. This
shower could produce meteor scatter mode (Ms) propagation
openings on VHF and UHF. Predictions are indicating that the
only interaction with these meteors will be from a thin wispy
trail of debris that will intersect Earth’s orbit, this time around.
See this month’s VHF+ column for a best-practices
guide to working meteor scatter with the FSK-441 digital
mode. Check out the International Meteor Organization
The geomagnetic activity as seen in the A-Index, which aver-
ages the K-Index readings, clearly shows the geomagnetic
activity stronger at the higher latitudes, but still somewhat dis-
turbed in lower latitudes. (Courtesy of SWPC / NOAA)
The end of August was a period of increased geomagnetic
activity, with a K-Index of up to 7 measured at the College
observatory. The College observatory is located on the
College International Geophysical Observatory (CIGO), a
facility established in 1996 through a collaborative effort
between the USGS Geomagnetism Program and the
University of Alaska. (Courtesy of SWPC / NOAA)
October 2020 • CQ • 107
Falling leaves...
Falling prices...

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Antenna and
Ground Radial
by Sevick, W2FMI

This small but solid guide

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could keep you on the air!
6 x 9 Paperback $10.00

The NEW Shortwave

Propagation Handbook The dark area in the middle segment of the Sun is a coronal hole, from which
by W3ASK, N4XX & K6GKU plasma escapes the Sun’s magnetic grasp. This image was captured in the 211-
A shortwave propagation
Angstrom wavelength. We cannot see that with the naked eye, but the instru-
book with information on
ments on the Space Dynamics Observatory (SDO) can capture this and then give
sunspot activity, propagation it false color for our benefit. (Courtesy of NASA / SDO)
predictions, unusual
propagation effects and do-it- <https://tinyurl.com/y59jwnl8> for a complete calendar of meteor showers in 2020
yourself forecasting tips. and 2021.
8.5 X 11 Paperback $19.95 If you use Twitter.com, you can follow <@hfradiospacewx> for hourly updates
CD Version $14.95
that include the K-index numbers. You can also check <http://sunspotwatch.com>
for the latest numbers along with a wealth of current space weather details as well
Buy both for only $29.95 as links. Please report your observations of any notable propagation conditions,
by writing this columnist via Twitter, or via the Space Weather and Radio
Sloper Antennas Propagation Facebook page at <https://fb.me/spacewx.hfradio>.
By Juergen A. Weigl, OE5CWL
Single- and Multi-Element Current Solar Cycle Progress
Directive Antennas
for the Low Bands The Royal Observatory of Belgium reports that the monthly mean observed
With calculations and sunspot number for July 2020 was 6.48, slightly higher than June. The 12-month
practical experience, this book running smoothed sunspot number centered on January 2020 was 2.3. A smoothed
shows which basi sunspot count of 8, give or take about 6 points, is expected for October.
concepts have to be The Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory at Penticton, BC, Canada,
considered for sloper reports a 10.7-cm observed monthly mean solar flux of 69.47 for July 2020. The
antennas for the low bands. 12-month smoothed 10.7-cm flux centered on January 2020 is 69.5. The predict-
6 X 9 Paperback $24.95 ed smoothed 10.7-cm solar flux for October 2020 is 70.
CD Version $18.95 The observed monthly mean planetary A-Index (Ap) for July is unavailable, as
Buy both for only $36.95 is the 12-month smoothed Ap index centered on January 2020. This is due to
changes at the Space Weather Prediction Center and NOAA’s Space Weather
Shipping & Handling: U.S. add $7 for the first item, services. This column will review these changes in an upcoming issue.
$3.50 for the second and $2 for each add’l item. FREE Geomagnetic activity this month should be mostly quiet with fair to good propa-
shipping on orders over $100 to one U.S. address.
CN/FN add $25 for 1st item, $10 for 2nd and $5 for each
gation conditions, except for those days indicated in the Last-Minute Forecast dur-
additional. Buy Both=single item! ing which we expect degraded propagation (remember that you can get an up-to-
the-day Last-Minute Forecast at <http://SunSpotWatch.com> on the main page).
CQ The Radio I welcome your thoughts, questions, and experiences regarding this fascinating
Amateur's Journal science of propagation. You may email me, write me a letter, or catch me on the
HF amateur bands. If you are on Facebook, check out <https://fb.me/spacewx.hfra-
Phone 516-681-2922 dio> and <https://fb.me/NW7US>. Speaking of Facebook — check out the CQ
FAX 516-681-2926 Amateur Radio fan page at <https://fb.me/CQMag>. – 73, Tomas, NW7US
http://store.cq-amateur-radio.com

108 • CQ • October 2020 Visit Our Web Site

 OUR READERS SAY...
Bomb-Mounted Yagis
The following letters were in response to WA5VJB’s June
Antennas column, which included discussion of the 3-ele-
ment Yagi mounted to the side of the atomic bomb that was
dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, 75 years ago to hasten the
end of World War II:
Hi Kent,
I read your article in June CQ magazine about the anten-
na mounted to the side of “Fatman.” I’m interested in any
design formulas or requirements when making one like that
for either 2 meters or 436 MHz. Does it have to be mounted
to a ground plane or flat metal surface? (Sorry, I don’t have
any bombs in my junk box ... hee hee). I have never in all my
days seen something like that! Just when you think you’ve
“seen it all” a new item pops up.
– 73, Jim Kocsis, WA9PYH
WA5VJB replies:
Hi Jim,
Just take half a Yagi!
Yes, all elements must be electrically part of ground.
If you wanted some rooftop gain on your car, take a 1/4-
wave mag mount. Get two more mag mounts without coax.
Make one a bit longer, one a bit shorter, and stick them near
the 1/4-wave with coax … three-element beam!
Editor, CQ:
Just received my June issue of CQ; in the (Antennas) col-
umn, the author incorrectly identifies the B-29 that dropped
the “Fat Man” bomb on Nagasaki as “Boxcar.” The correct
name was “Bockscar” (also sometimes called “Bock’s Car”)
as a play on the commander’s name, Frederick Bock.
Thanks!
– Michael D. Hagen, M.D., NØMH
W2VU replies:
Hi Michael,
I’ve long believed that history should not be taught as a
series of events, but rather as a series of individual stories
that caused or influenced events. Thank you for adding this
fascinating tidbit of information.
The following letters were directed to authors Bob Rose,
KC1DSQ, and Bob Glorioso, W1IS, in response to their June
article, “Multiband Off-Center-Fed Dipoles for 160 & 80
Meters.”
Dear Bob and Bob,
Thank you very much for this antenna innovation, I built it
and am extremely pleased with the results. I do have a ques-
tion or two, however. I ordered the high-powered load for the
80-meter dipole from you and built it exactly to the specifi-
cations in the magazine article, using your end insulators and
the 14-gauge insulated wire from the big box store. I also
used a balun from the Balun Engineers company and sup-
ported the center of the dipole at approximately 70 feet in a
pine tree. The short end of the antenna goes out horizontal-
ly, while the long end droops down to a height of about 15
feet presently, but I plan to raise it to about 40 feet. Both ends
have approximately 2 feet of wire wrapped back onto itself
with the insulation still on it.
On 20 meters. my SWR curves are all below 1.9:1 except
the very top of the band is 2.1.
www.cq-amateur-radio.com
On 15, I find a SWR of 2.1 at the bottom rising to 2.5 towards
the middle of the band, then dropping to 1.9 at the top of the
band.
On 10, everything is below 2.0 until you get to 28.5 and
then it rises rapidly to the top end of the band.
Forty is essentially flat with low SWR of 1.8 at the bottom
and 1.9 at the top.
On 80, I was surprised to see that it was also very flat, with
a low of 1.1 at 3.6 MHz, topping out at 2.0 at the top of the
band, with most of the band being below 1.8.
So, would you recommend any changes to the lengths of
the two sides and would you recommend cutting off the
excess wire and just terminating the ends with a good wrap
and taping?
Hopefully, my measurements above will be helpful to you
in your work, and I would appreciate any recommendations
that you might offer. I plan on ordering the 160-meter ver-
sion soon and putting that up at my farm where I have more
room and tall pine trees to support it. You might be interest-
ed to know that I can tune this antenna with my tuner on 160
meters with fairly good results, but I am afraid to raise the
power level above 100 watts because I do not know if it would
destroy the balun. Any thoughts?
– Best, John Seibels, K4AXV
Columbia, SC
W1IS responds:
John,
Thanks so much for telling us about your 80-meter OCF.
Your results are about what we would expect. The tuning
may change a little as you raise the long end above 15 feet,
with the minimum SWR going up a bit in frequency on the
high bands, so leave the 2 feet wrapped on the ends in case
you want to move the minimum SWR location. We usually
leave at least a foot wrapped on the ends of all the anten-
nas we make. It makes no measurable difference in SWR or
performance.
You are correct in not putting too much power into the
antenna on 160 meters; the balun may not take the SWR
well. The rig and tuner may tune 160 but the antenna will not
perform all that well. I’ve tried and finally put up our 160-
meter OCF and an inverted-L for 160 meters as well. The
OCF is much better than the inverted-L at distances of
approximately 1,000 miles, with the inverted-L doing better
beyond that.
Let us know how the 160-meter OCF does; we’d love to
hear from you again.
– 73, Bob, W1IS
Good Morning from Alaska,
I wanted to write and tell you how much I enjoyed your arti-
cle on the off-center-fed dipole concept in the June issue of
CQ magazine. This is absolutely one of the most practical
and potentially useful designs for an easy-to-build trans-
portable wire antenna that I have ever seen. While the multi-
band Windom concept goes back almost a hundred years,
your version — which compensates for the vanishing-end
effect and aligns with modern amateur band allocations —
seems ideal for my particular situation.
Our home was severely damaged in the 7.1-magnitude
earthquake in November and will have to be torn down at
some point in the near future. I recently constructed a rooftop
array out of hamfest leftovers that has provided excellent
October 2020 • CQ • 109
capability from 20 meters up through 1296 MHz [see Craig’s
article, “Building Antennas During the Pandemic,” in last
month’s issue of CQ. –ed.] However, I have been looking for
a wire antenna design that I can hang from the tall spruce
trees that surround my QTH and will load well from my Drake
TR-7 transceiver and L7 high power amplifier without using
a tuner. This leads me to a few basic questions:
A) Your Figure 1 construction values in the article are spec-
ified for the CW segments. Since I primarily operate in the
phone portions of the bands, what should the dimensions and
/ or series capacitance values be for the lowest average SWR
in those band segments? Since this is Alaska and I have plen-
ty of room to run wires, I won’t be using the drooped-end
design if I decide to build the 160-meter version.
B) Based on what I have on hand, it would be easier for me
to run window line or heavy-duty twinlead from the antenna
feedpoint down through ceramic feedthrough insulators in a
plywood window insert to a 4:1 balun located behind the
Drake L7 amplifier. Does this sound like a workable way to
go, in your opinion?
C) Your pre-built potted designs as shown [on the Battery
Eliminator Store website] look really well made. I will proba-
bly start out with these components unless the capacitance
values are different for the phone portions of the bands as I
asked about in A) above.
Thanks for your time and consideration.
– 73, Craig Bledsoe, KL4E
KC1DSQ responds:
Thanks for the kind words about the article. I’m sorry to hear
about your earthquake damage.
Designing an OCF antenna is an exercise in compromises
because you don’t have independent control of individual
bands. Our design intent was to place the resonances at the
center of each band. Some bands came out on the low end
and some came out on the high end. Just getting the reso-
nances inside each band is a major accomplishment. I would
suggest you start by trimming the length and see if you can
get what you need on each band.
For the typical OCF, you cut the length and live with what
you get on each band. For our 80-meter design, you can
increase the frequency for 80 independently by decreasing
the value of the capacitor at the center. A 270-pF capaci-
tor will probably work well. The higher bands are determined
by the length. The ability to independently control 80 meters
allows you to lengthen the antenna to cover the higher
bands well.
For our 160-meter design, decreasing the value of the
capacitor at 1/4 of the length will increase the frequency for
both 160 and 80 meters. Decreasing the value of the other
capacitor at 7/8 of the length will increase the resonant fre-
quency on 40, 80, and 160. The higher bands are determined
by the length. Changing the value to 270 pf for one or both
positions may help.
We simulated using an open wire feedline and balun at the
shack entrance and it didn’t work well. The antenna’s imped-
ance is around 200 ohms and using a higher impedance feed-
line did not work well. We recommend 50-ohm coax feeding
the balun at the feedpoint. The coax loss actually helps by
lowering the measured SWR at the transmitter end.
We referenced an article by Serge, ON4A, who actually
invented the 80-meter version 13 years ago <https://tinyurl.
com/u8jw95n>. He uses his tube amplifier with no tuner and
claims he can tune up to 3:1 SWR by adjusting his pi-net-
work output filter.
110 • CQ • October 2020
I hope this helps. If you have any further questions, let us
know.
– 73, Bob, KC1DSQ
The following letter was directed to “Ham Notebook” editor
Wayne Yoshida, KH6WZ:
Hi Wayne,
I noticed your mention of using turret terminals on the repur-
posed power supply (“Ham Notebook,” May 2020 CQ) and
wanted to ask why.
I recently have been playing to turrets on a circuit board
and just don’t get the appeal. I got started on this because a
generous soul on Facebook (K6RRE) sent me some scrap
tube circuit boards that he designed specifically for use with
turrets. Of course, I couldn’t find turrets of the right size so
had to go larger. But I really don’t get the appeal. You really
need to get out the big iron to solder to them, and I don’t see
that they make inter-board connections any easier.
So what am I missing?
Attached is a photo of what I’m doing, part of an AM
transmitter.
I always enjoy reading your column; please keep up the
good work!
Ron Wagner, AC6RW
KH6WZ replies:
Ron -
Thank you for reading and enjoying my column in CQ.
Regarding turret terminals — the reason I use them is
because I have thousands in my junk box. Some are gold-
plated and some are tin-plated. But they do serve two good
purposes when attaching them onto circuit boards:
1) The terminals — actually any sort of terminal, including
“flea clips” — will enable “top access,” so I can screw the
board into place and then solder wires to the board later.
2) They prevent wear on circuit board traces. Often, when
I am experimenting or modifying, I will use and re-use chunks
of circuits on boards. If wires go to the pads, there is a good
chance the traces could de-laminate and come off.
On soldering them, I use my normal Weller WTCPS iron
with Number 8 tips. I have two of them, one of which has
been in use since I was a kid in high school. They work fine.
I use 63/37 solder, which has a slightly lower melting point,
maybe that is the reason I have good success.
By the way — I like your tube breadboards — they look great!
When it’s done, show us what you did with them and share
your story — including your turret terminal experience ...
73 and keep building!
A work in progress by AC6RW. Eventually, these boards will
be part of a tube-run AM transmitter. (AC6W photo)
Visit Our Web Site
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Let CQ help you get the most for your advertising dollar!
Contact Dottie K, CQ’s Advertising Director
at 516-681-2922 x 106 or via email at ads@cq-amateur-radio.com
 HAMSHOP
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