Normal view
Sunspots - Thursday September 19th
Β Solar flux is 163 and the SSN 106. A=12 and K=4.
- Southgate Amateur Radio News RSS Feed
- Icom Amateur Radios Identified as Explosive Devices Used to Target Hezbollah
Icom Amateur Radios Identified as Explosive Devices Used to Target Hezbollah
Icom IC-V82 handheld transceivers designed for amateur radio use have been identified as the latest device to deliver deadly explosions targeting members of Hezbollah. The identification of Icom radios follows an initial attack on members of Hezbollah in which pager devices were used to deliver deadly explosions.
Icom is investigating the reports of its radios being used in these attacks while Icom sales reps believe the radios identified are knock-offs. Icom is expected to release its findings on its website. The IC-V82 was discontinued in 2014.
Source: Washington Post
WINLINK TRAINING UPDATE
Date: 2024/09/16 12:07 (UTC)
From: WG5GK
Greetings:
The WinLink training will start on September 23 at 8:00 PM CT. You will need to be prepared prior to the start of training.
To be prepared you will need the following setup
o A computer with WinLink installed (no radio required) and dual monitors. One monitor for the A/V conference and the second for your WinLink session.
OR
o A computer with WinLink Installed (no radio required) and either a second computer/laptop or tablet. The first computer will run WinLink while the second computer/laptop/tablet will be used for the A/V conference.
o Internet access on both devices.
The WinLink training will take 3 to 4 one hour sessions.
I will send a Winlink message to everyone by 6:30 PM on the day of the training with the A/V conference link.
If you know other that want to attend have them send an email to WG5GK@winlink.org. (Donβt forget the //WL2K in the subject line) I have 5 slots available.
Sincerely,
Gus.(WG5GK)
RSGB to End Paper Based License Exams
Beginning January 1st, Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) will no longer offer paper based amateur radio licensing exams except for special educational needs. Already, 97% of all amateur license exams are conducted online remotely or within a club space. Additional costs and effort around paper based exams were cited as reasons to move to an all digital format. Key dates:
- Paper exams continue until December 13
- November 29 is the last day to book a paper exam
- Paper exams will no longer be available beginning January 1
Source: RSGB
- This Week in Amateur Radio
- via Hackaday: An 80386 Upgrade Deal and Intel 486 Competitor: the Cyrix Cx486DLC
via Hackaday: An 80386 Upgrade Deal and Intel 486 Competitor: the Cyrix Cx486DLC
via Amateur Radio Daily: US Radio Orienteering Championship
Advertisers and radio magazines
Today I received my copy of the RSGB RadCom. One large UK dealer has most of the advertising space. I have no idea what this must cost, but it must be a lot. If this major dealer decided to stop advertising, or advertised far less, it would have a major impact on the RSGB and the remaining UK radio magazine available on newsstands.
Without this one dealer, I suspect RadCom would have to shrink in size and the one remaining magazine radio amateurs couldΒ buy in newsagents would enter terminal decline.
I hope I am wrong.
- This Week in Amateur Radio
- Man sold 52 years ago reunites with brother in Odisha, thanks to ham radio (India)
Man sold 52 years ago reunites with brother in Odisha, thanks to ham radio (India)
History Society - NOT amateur radio
10m 500mW WSPR TX ( Wednesday)
Happy 6th Anniversary to the NBN
On Wednesday the Nickel Belt Net celebrates its 6th Anniversary on the 40m band. If the band conditions allow check in with them on Wednesday afternoon and give them a hearty βCongratsβ for a job well done.
73bob
Logs 18 Sept 2024
1494 2030 Coast FM via relay. SINPO 34433.
1629 2020 Radio Bluebird. SINPO 44433.
1638 2013 Radio Eigen Risico. SINPO 34433.
1665 2007 Radio Wilskracht. SINPO 44433.
5020 1650 Radio JVG. SINPO 34433.
5030 2000 Deltracks. SINPO 44433.
5880 2036 Radio Rock Revolution. SINPO 34433.
6205 1823 Laser Hot Hits. SINPO 54444.
6290 1725 Radio Ronalisa (pres). SINPO 34333. Relay of Dutch MW station
6300 1809 Radio Boomerang. SINPO 54444.
6925 1730 "Radio 6925". SINPO 54444. No real ID but in pirate chat as this. Later on 6880
K3 Panadapter with NooElec Upconverter and SDR
Music from all over the map
Dr. James Breakall, WA3FET, Receives Major Award from the RCA
Dr. James Breakall, WA3FET, Receives Major Award from the RCA
Congratulations to long-time HamSCI member Jim Breakall, WA3FET, on receiving theΒ Dr. Ulrich Rohde Award for Innovation in Applied Radio Science and EngineeringΒ from the Radio Club of America (RCA).
Established in 2023, this award recognizes significant contributions to innovation in applied radio science and engineering in the wireless industry to inspire future generations of wireless professionals.
'Dr. Jim' received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Penn State University and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. He has over 50 years of experience in numerical electromagnetics and antennas. He was a Project Engineer at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL-Livermore, CA), and an Associate Professor at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPGS-Monterey, CA). He is currently a Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering at Penn State.
He began his career as a graduate student at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, working on antenna analysis and radar probing of the ionosphere. At LLNL, he and his group worked on the development of the Numerical Electromagnetics Code (NEC), the first sophisticated antenna modeling program. Other significant projects that he has worked on were the designs of the HAARP facility in Alaska, both HF facilities at Arecibo, and the Kinstar low profile AM broadcast antenna. Dr. Breakall (electrical) and HamSCI member/supporter Tim Duffy, K3LR, (mechanical) designed the very popular Ham Radio Skyhawk Yagi antenna, and Dr. Breakall is the inventor of the Optimized Wideband Antenna (OWA).
Dr. Breakall is a member of several IEEE societies, Eta Kappa Nu, International Union of Radio Science Commission B, and the IEEE Wave Propagation and Standards Committee. He has been an editor for several journals. He is a frequent speaker at the Dayton Hamvention Antenna Forum.
He received the RCA Sarnoff Citation and is a Life Fellow of IEEE and a RCA Fellow. He serves as an RCA director and as the Co-Chairman and later Chairman of the RCA Technical Symposiums. He also serves on the RCA Scholarship Committee, Education Committee and Awards Committee, and Innovation Council.
- Thanks to theΒ RCA website for the above details
QU-21C Mini Paddles
Iβve been toying with the idea of putting together a small radio kit based on my (tr)SDX or something similar, so Iβve been looking at small paddles to go with it. Browsing through eBay recently, I came across several listings for the QU-21C paddles. They were inexpensive, so I thought Iβd order them and give them a shot.Β
These paddles are nothing new; theyβve been around for a few years. (Iβm definitely no early adopter.) The QU-21C paddles are made in China and mine are marked with the brand name, Magic Rabbit. From other reviews I have seen, there may be other manufacturers. So, the quality and packaging may vary. I paid about $24 USD from a seller (iDrone) that ships from the U.S., but you can find them listed for less than $20, if you donβt mind waiting for a shipment from China.Β
Opening the package, I found the paddles are even smaller than I expected. The base is approximately .98 inch by .98 inch (25mm x 25mm) and 1 inch (26mm) tall. The overall length, including the paddles, is 1.9 inches (48.5mm). On my kitchen scale, the paddles weighed in at 1.25 ounces (34 grams). The paddles appear to be 3-D printed, but the quality is pretty good. The base of the paddles is magnetic, which is one feature that first drew my attention.Β
The package I received included:
- Paddles with a magnet attached to the bottom
- 3-ft cable with 3.5mm stereo plugs on each end
- Hex wrench for adjusting contact spacing
- Two adhesive metal discs
- Adhesive rubber pad
- Plastic storage case that holds everything
My first impression was that the contact spacing seemed a little wider than I like. I used the supplied hex wrench and adjusted the spacing until the contacts were completely closed. Then, I backed off a little.Β
I prefer a light spring tension on my paddles, but the spring in these paddles seems stiffer than Iβm used to. Unfortunately, thereβs no adjustment for that. So, Iβll just have to get used to using a little more force than my other paddles.Β
Iβm not sold on the magnetic base, though. The square magnet is fairly strong, but itβs highly polished. So, the paddles sometimes have a tendency to slide when Iβm sending. I applied the rubber pad that comes with it, but that seemed to offer only minimal improvement. For now, I just hold them in one hand while sending with the other.
Iβve actually thought about trying to remove the magnet altogether, since it appears to be glued on. At least, it wouldnβt be attracting every ferrous object that comes near it. But, for now, Iβm just thinking about it.
I had a chance to use the QU-21C paddles on a recent park activation. It didnβt take long to get used to them, and I had no issues with them at all. The paddles keyed reliably, without missing a single dit or dah.
Even with my spring tension and magnet gripes, Iβm pretty happy with these paddles. These cheap paddles look like worthy candidates for field use. Weβll see how well they hold up over time.
72, Craig WB3GCK