From hbco2 at sbcglobal.net  Tue Aug  3 14:50:58 2010
From: hbco2 at sbcglobal.net (Bill Smith)
Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2010 11:50:58 -0700
Subject: [K6BW] Hamilton Wireless Association Building 549 Open Tonight
	(Tuesday)
Message-ID: <00d601cb333c$d0291a00$0303a8c0@hbco>

Tonight is our Hamilton Wireless Association Open House, held each Tuesday
evening.  Our regular Amateur Radio monthly meetings are held each third
Tuesday.

Tuesday evenings are devoted to general Amateur Radio activities.
Communications training sessions are conducted Thursday evenings in support
of emergency preparedness.

If you have any questions, are working on a favorite project (such as
setting up your radio), or just want to see the clubhouse, drop by the
clubhouse tonight.  Building 549 is open from about 6:30 to later in the
evening.  Club phone is 382-8135.

73 de Bill, AB6MT
hbco2 at sbcglobal.net


From hbco2 at sbcglobal.net  Sat Aug  7 22:40:53 2010
From: hbco2 at sbcglobal.net (Bill Smith)
Date: Sat, 7 Aug 2010 19:40:53 -0700
Subject: [K6BW] Lightning discussion
Message-ID: <000b01cb36a3$20907ba0$0303a8c0@hbco>

Regarding comments and the recent interest in the CME event, the subject of lightning came up at our last HWA meeting.  Those of you who are curious about the subject might enjoy the following discussion.  Comments are from the solarcycle24 website blog:

What causes lightning? Nobody really knows. It's one of the really big open questions in physics. Everything you were told in high is probably wrong, i.e. it's not clouds rubbing together to produce static electricity.

The key phrase in the NSSL article (see below) is
" ...but there is still debate about exactly how lightning forms."

Some of this debate is on whether the graupel collisions generate sufficient static electricity to account for observed phenomena. For example the longest lightning bolt recorded (in Dallas Texas) was 190km long. This would be roughly equivalent to having ten-foot long sparks jumping off your body when you shuffle your feet on a carpet. 


>From the NSSL lab in Oklahoma:
What causes lightning?

The creation of lightning is a complicated process. We generally know what conditions are needed to produce lightning, but there is still debate about exactly how lightning forms.The exact way a cloud builds up the electrical charges that lead to lightning is not completely understood. Precipitation and convection theories both attempt to explain the electrical structure within clouds. Precipitation theorists suppose that different size raindrops, hail, and graupel get their positive or negative charge as they collide, with heavier particles carrying negative charge to the cloud bottom. Convection theorists believe that updrafts transport positive charges near the ground upward through the cloud while downdrafts carry negative charges downward. What follows is a summary of what we know.

Thunderstorms have very turbulent environments - strong updrafts and downdrafts occur often and close together. The updrafts carry small liquid water droplets from the lower regions of the storm to heights between 35,000 and 70,000 feet - miles above the freezing level. At the same time, downdrafts are transporting hail and ice from the frozen upper parts of the storm. When these particles collide, the water droplets freeze and release heat. This heat keeps the surface of the hail and ice slightly warmer than its surrounding environment, and a soft hail, or graupel forms.

When this graupel collides with additional water droplets and ice particles, a key process occurs involving electrical charge: negatively charged electrons are sheared off the rising particles and collect on the falling particles. The result is a storm cloud that is negatively charged at its base, and positively charged at the top.

Opposite charges attract one another. As the positive and negative areas grow more distinct within the cloud, an electric field is created between the oppositely-charged thunderstorm base and its top. The farther apart these regions are, the stronger the field and the stronger the attraction between the charges. But we cannot forget that the atmosphere is a very good insulator that inhibits electric flow. So, a HUGE amount of charge has to build up before the strength of the electric field overpowers the atmosphere's insulating properties. A current of electricity forces a path through the air until it encounters something that makes a good connection. The current is discharged as a stroke of lightning.

While all this is happening inside the storm, beneath the storm, positive charge begins to pool within the surface of the earth. This positive charge will shadow the storm wherever it goes, and is responsible for cloud-to-ground lightning. However, the electric field within the storm is much stronger than the one between the storm base and the earth 's surface, so about 75-80% of lightning occurs within the storm cloud.



GROUND FLASHES

There are two categories of ground flashes: natural (those that occur because of normal electrification in the environment), and artificially initiated or triggered. Artificially initiated lightning includes strikes to very tall structures, airplanes, rockets and towers on mountains. Triggered lightning goes from ground to cloud, while "natural" lightning is cloud to ground.

Terms used to describe ground flashes include forked lightning, which shows branching to the ground from a nearly vertical channel; ribbon lightning, when the horizontal displacement of the channel by the wind appears as a series of ribbons; and bead lightning, when the decaying channel of a ground flash will sometimes break into a series of bright and dark spots. Ball lightning is a luminous sphere whose physics is not well understood.

Cloud-to-ground lightning (CG's)

A channel of negative charge, called a step leader, will zigzag downward in roughly 50-yard segments in a forked pattern. This step leader is invisible to the human eye, and shoots to the ground in less time than it takes to blink. As it nears the ground, the negatively charged step leader is attracted to a channel of positive charge reaching up, a streamer, normally through something tall, such as a tree, house, or telephone pole. When the oppositely-charged leader and streamer connect, a powerful electrical current begins flowing. A return stroke of bright luminosity travels about 60,000 miles per second back towards the cloud. A flash consists of one or perhaps as many as 20 return strokes. We see lightning flicker when the process rapidly repeats itself several times along the same path. The actual diameter of a lightning channel is one-to two inches.

A typical cloud-to-ground flash is a negative stepped leader that travels downward through the cloud, followed by an upward traveling return stroke. The net effect of this flash is to lower negative charge from the cloud to the ground. Less common, a downward traveling positive leader followed by an upward return stroke will lower positive charge to earth. These positive ground flashes now appear to be linked to certain severe storms and are the focus of intense research by scientists. 

From hbco2 at sbcglobal.net  Tue Aug 10 14:36:29 2010
From: hbco2 at sbcglobal.net (Bill Smith)
Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:36:29 -0700
Subject: [K6BW] Historical Maritime Station KSM at Point Reyes needs your
	help!
Message-ID: <007001cb38ba$f4deb660$0303a8c0@hbco>

KSM (with the historical call KPH) is a Living Historical Maritime
communications station located in Point Reyes and Bolinas.  Beginning from
the earliest days of spark-gap transmitters, CW, and later radioteletype,
has been used over shortwave frequencies to establish point-to-point
contacts to the Pacific and Pacific ship-to-shore communications.  Satellite
communications replaced the use of shortwave frequencies only in the 1990's.

Stations KSM and KPH still transmit CW on special occasions as a historical
tribute to the radio system and the years of service provided by the
operators of the marine station.  If you haven't visited the station, it is
worth the trip to the coast.  The URL of the Maritime Radio Historical
Society is http://www.radiomarine.org.


Here's what's happening:

Every few years an international radio conference is held. The next is the
World Radio Conference 2012 (WRC-12). The FCC is the US representative to
these conferences.

For WRC-12 the FCC proposes to support recommendations that would make
digital data dominant in the maritime service to such an extent that KSM and
other stations could be forced off the air.

Here's what you can do:

In a Public Notice the FCC has solicited comments from the public regarding
the recommendations to be supported at WRC-12. You can file a comment on
line to recommend that KSM and other stations using A1A (Morse code) and
NBDP (Narrow Band Direct Printing or RTTY) be allowed to continue operation.

But time is short!

The deadline for filing comments is 13 August 2010.

If you'd like to help keep KSM on the air, follow these steps:

1. Read the FCC Public Notice HERE:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-10-1408A1.doc

2. Read the comments the MRHS has filed with the FCC HERE:

http://ddillman.home.igc.org/Radiomarine/Comment.doc

3. File your comment on line in support of KSM. You can do this by uploading
a prepared document like the comments the MRHS has filed. Or you can use an
on-line form to file brief comments.

The proceeding number is 04-286. To file a prepared document go HERE:

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/upload/display?z=lg4h3

To file a brief comment go HERE:

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/hotdocket/list?z=g4v1a

If proceeding number 04-286 is not listed click on the "click here" option
to add it.

Suggested text:

If you wish to upload a prepared document like the comments the MRHS has
filed we've provided suggested template for your use. Add your own name and
address and modify the text to include your own words as needed. The
template may be found HERE:

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/hotdocket/list?z=g4v1a

If you wish to file a brief comment you might use wording similar to this:

"My name is xxx xxxx. I'm writing to support the comments filed by the
Maritime Radio Historical Society (MRHS) regarding WRC-12. Specifically, I
agree with the MRHS position that the FCC should not support those portions
of the recommendations for WRC-12 that would adversely effect MRHS station
KSM and other stations in the maritime service."

Full information may also be found on our Web site:
http://www.radiomarine.org

Thanks and VY 73,

RD

=================================
Richard Dillman
Chief Operator, Coast Station KSM
Maritime Radio Historical Society
http://www.radiomarine.org
=================================


From hbco2 at sbcglobal.net  Tue Aug 10 20:29:37 2010
From: hbco2 at sbcglobal.net (Bill Smith)
Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:29:37 -0700
Subject: [K6BW] Hamilton Wireless Association Building 549 Open Tonight
	(Tuesday)
Message-ID: <005601cb38ec$48a98e60$0303a8c0@hbco>

Tonight is our Hamilton Wireless Association Open House, held each Tuesday
evening.  Our regular Amateur Radio monthly meetings are held each third
Tuesday.

Tuesday evenings are devoted to general Amateur Radio activities.
Communications training sessions are conducted Thursday evenings in support
of emergency preparedness.

If you have any questions, are working on a favorite project (such as
setting up your radio), or just want to see the clubhouse, drop by the
clubhouse tonight.  Building 549 is open from about 6:30 to later in the
evening.  Club phone is 382-8135.

73 de Bill, AB6MT
hbco2 at sbcglobal.net


From hbco2 at sbcglobal.net  Fri Aug 13 19:57:09 2010
From: hbco2 at sbcglobal.net (Bill Smith)
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:57:09 -0700
Subject: [K6BW] Solar Information Site
Message-ID: <007001cb3b43$3e845a60$0303a8c0@hbco>

A bit technical, but found this site from the ARRL website.  If you are interested in 'Ol Sol, you'll find plenty of information and pretty pictures:

http://prop.hfradio.org

Bill

From hbco2 at sbcglobal.net  Tue Aug 17 19:38:11 2010
From: hbco2 at sbcglobal.net (Bill Smith)
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:38:11 -0700
Subject: [K6BW] Hamilton Wireless Association Building 549 Open Tonight
	(Tuesday)
Message-ID: <00f601cb3e65$41814140$0303a8c0@hbco>

Tonight is our Hamilton Wireless Association Open House, held each Tuesday evening.  Our regular Amateur Radio monthly meetings are held each third Tuesday.

Tuesday evenings are devoted to general Amateur Radio activities.  Communications training sessions are conducted Thursday evenings in support of emergency preparedness.

If you have any questions, are working on a favorite project (such as setting up your radio), or just want to see the clubhouse, drop by the clubhouse tonight.  Building 549 is open from about 6:30 to later in the evening.  Club phone is 382-8135.

73 de Bill, AB6MT
hbco2 at sbcglobal.net

From hbco2 at sbcglobal.net  Tue Aug 24 17:49:37 2010
From: hbco2 at sbcglobal.net (Bill Smith)
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:49:37 -0700
Subject: [K6BW] Tuesday Evening Open House at Building 549
Message-ID: <007801cb43d6$42024b20$0303a8c0@hbco>

As you know, Building 549 is open every Tuesday evening for Amateur Radio.
Unfortunately, this member is unable to attend this evening due to a
vigorous bout with a summer cold/flu.  If another member with a key wishes
to open the building, please do so.  Else, hope things will be stabilized
well enough so we can continue on Thursday.

73 de Bill, AB6MT
hbco2 at sbcglobal.net


From hbco2 at sbcglobal.net  Wed Aug 25 00:00:38 2010
From: hbco2 at sbcglobal.net (Bill Smith)
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:00:38 -0700
Subject: [K6BW] [MarinTeams] Tuesday Evening Open House at Building 549
References: <007801cb43d6$42024b20$0303a8c0@hbco>
	<8CD1216C61327F5-1798-941@angweb-usd003.sysops.aol.com>
Message-ID: <00f601cb440a$16857d80$0303a8c0@hbco>

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Stacey Henderson
To: hbco2 at sbcglobal.net

The secret to happiness is a Good Sense of Humor and a Bad Memory.
--John Wagner

..and the Great Feeling and Lasting Memory, nurtured by the concerns that
have been expressed today.

Thank you all!

Bill


