[CTSARA] Fwd: GFARA Newsletter, Dec. 2016

[Jon Perelstein]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: GFARA Newsletter <news at gfara.com>
Date: Wed, Nov 30, 2016 at 6:55 PM
Subject: GFARA Newsletter, Dec. 2016
To: jon.perelstein at gmail.com



                                            December 1, 2016

The next meeting of the GFARA will take place on Monday, December 5, 2016
at 7:30 PM in the conference room at the Fairfield Police station on Reef
Road, Fairfield.

     This month's meeting will be presented by Jeffrey Cronin KB1MZL.
titled "build your own antenna analyzer for under $75". This is another
project designed around the pairing up of an AD9850 Direct Digital
Synthesizer with an Arduino Nano micro controller. Designed by Beric Dunn,
K6BEZ, this configuration is hard to beat for versatility and low cost.
With just a few more components, a prototyping circuit board and a few
hours of work you can get a printout of the SWR for your HF antenna in any
frequency range you desire. With easy to install software written by Beric
Dunn, you will be up and running in no time. We will also discuss the
growing number of other fun and exciting projects possible with this basic
combination. So please Join us on Monday December 5th at 7:30 P.M. Catch
some of the enthusiasm that is building up around the new low cost
alternatives becoming available in the realms of Amateur Radio equipment.


*Working DX simplified, for newcomers - immediate interest for those of you
already on the air:*

     There is a net on 20 meters, operating daily M-F, and occasionally
Saturday if there are no contests scheduled, which muddy the waters for
this type of operation. The net facilitates US operators wishing to make
contacts in both Europe and Africa. The frequency for the net is 14.247
mHz., and the net control is shared between 4 or 5 operators on successive
days, as follows: KP4BME; AA0BS; W2AF; and VE3QN. Also, GI0AQD, and VP9HE
are around, to assist. Due to propagation peculiarities, usually from this
area it is best to work when the net control is KP4BME, Jose in San Juan.
He has a reliable signal to our area and can better set us up for
scheduling calls.
The net format is routine. The net begins at 2000Z.
*Listen only at first, to find the net control's signal. Do not transmit
until net control calls for US stations wishing to check in to the net..*

You will discover net control initially calling for DX stations only,
outside the US to check in.
KP4BME makes a list and repeats it once for US stations to know what DX
stations are available 'on line'.

AFTER the DX list is compiled. net control calls for US stations wanting to
check in. *This the invitation for you to transmit to the net control, the
last 2 letters of your call, and then wait for his acknowledgement of
receipt of your call letters*.
US stations are sequentially invited to call, one at a time, to the DX
station of their choice, and see if the US station is being copied there.
If so, the signal reports are exchanged, confirmed, and the contact
completed.
Net control monitors the proceeding to advise if a particular station is
not copied, or is missing information on the call letters. Net control will
assist you if you are experiencing difficulty.
It is a fun afternoon, and if you are patient to wait 15-30 minutes to work
a DX station, you have a good chance of making the contact, and WITHOUT
trying to overcome a 'pile up' of QRM such as are otherwise encountered in
many DX contacts from this area. Try it out. Most stations who check in are
able to work at least one DX station.

In the last day or so, VK7XX (Australia, long path), and 3DA0TM, Swaziland,
have checked into the
'DX 247 net' and stood bye to take calls from a number of U. S. stations in
our area. Both stations were received by your editor, with respectable
signal strength, and very workable.



January issue: More on the hows and whys of long path propagation to VK/ZL
stations, from here in Fairfield.












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