I’ve just added an ARES registration page for those who haven’t registered or want to update their information. It’s in the ARES section or you can click here.
First, a few members of the WVU Amateur radio club, myself included, made our way onto the roof of the Engineering Sciences Building to work on and inspect antennas. Overall the work went well. We made sure our 10/15/20 Yagi was secured to it's mast and attempted to re-orient it so that it would be pointed the correct way based off of the rotor controllers reading. Well that was the intent anyway. Due to the lack of a decent compass (stupid iPhone compass) it's still not oriented the correct way. We also found out that there is a problem with our Yaesu G5500 Az/El rotor. It doesn't move when you push a button on the controller. Hopefully is just a problem with the cables. They were installed pretty quickly a few years ago for an ARISS contact at WVU, using ethernet cable instead of rotor cable so that seems like it could be the issue.
W8CUL also upgraded some equipment over the past few months. We switched out our old CDE rotor controller for a new Green Heron Engineering RT-21. It's such a nice controller with a USB interface. We also added a new rig to our Shack. An IC-9100 now sits on our bench acting as a 2nd HF rig and will hopefully be used with VHF and UHF satellites when we get the rotor system fixed. We are also upgrading our DC power distribution system on our main bench. We are switching from a horrendous Blue Sea distribution panel to a RigRunner. I'm also changing out all of the wires that were used to go from distribution panel to radio from 2 single wires to one piece of zip cord with Anderson PowerPoles (my favorite power connector). I'm also going to switch out our antenna patch panel. It's currently using a piece of steel plate that is showing some signs of oxidation. I'm going to switch it out with a piece of aluminium (that'll also be easier to drill through!).
WVUARC members worked with W8MWA Members to provide communications for a couple of parades. First the Morgantown Veterans day parade. The second parade was the annual Morgantown Christmas Parade. The Christmas parade is always fun to work!
Over my christmas break I played around on FT8 with the IC-706. I decided to try FT4 and WOW! It's extremely fast! I switched between FT8 and FT4 during break on 40m & 80m. I wanted to use 20m but something seems to be going on with either my antenna or my tuner. I'm no longer able to tune the G5RV on 20m. I'll have to look into it next time im home. Hopefully my ne ARRL Antenna Book will have some advice!
To close my first post of the year here are some of my ham radio goals for 2020:
Perfect my HF portable setup
Increase my understanding of antennas
Work HF mobile
Compete in a contest using my call (and hopefully do well)
Well that's all for now! Hopefully I'll get back on track with posting this year!
It's been a month since my last post and quite a lot has gone on since then.
W8CUL participated in the ARRL School Club roundup in October. We didn't have as good of showing as I hoped for, but with only two people operating we still did pretty decent with about 3 hours of operating time and 50ish QSOs we did better than 11 during the spring SCR!
WVUARC also hosted our second Tech-In-A-Day class of the semester. We had about 8 people take the course. Of those 8 we had 6 successfully pass the Technician test. Two members of the club also upgraded from General to Extra!
I completed some ARES training this weekend as well. I took my final exam for the ARRL's ECC-001 Intro to Emergency Communication course. This course was the only thing I needed to finish all of the requirements for ARES Level 2!
ECC-001 Certificate
I made the drive up to Washington, PA on Sunday for the WACOM hamfest. Overall it was a decent hamfest, though attendance seemed lower and prices seemed higher compared to last year. I ended up grabbing a pair of QuickStick hamsticks from Quicksilver Radio. I grabbed one for 20m and one for 40m. I also bought a 5in magnet mount for the hamsticks (to use while stationary). Unfortunately there is a short in the power cord for my IC-706 so I did't get to try out my antennas yet.
I also found a Heil HTH-K headset for my HT. My last purchase was a pair of old boxes that were used for TV and radio repair. I thought they were a pretty cool find!
I received my digital interface from XGGComms. I was able to get it connected to the IC-706 and it seems to be functioning. I've tried making a few FT8 contacts with it but I haven't been successful. I was able to see my transmissions on a few PSKReporter stations so I'm sure it's working but one of the downsides of using the buddistick in my current setting is I don't get out very well. I can hear quite a few stations but they can't hear me.
Marathon station with MPD.
This past Sunday I worked with W8MWA and W8CUL to provide communications for the Morgantown Marathon. I was posted with a newer ham at a busy intersection where all 3 races cross a road. Overall it seemed like everything worked well, but there's always room to improve! We also had issues with one of the dreaded Baofeng sirens (some of you will know what I'm talking about) blaring over the W8CUL repeater.
Unfortunately due to commitments for a class on Saturday and the Marathon on Sunday W8CUL didn't participate in the Collegiate QSO Party. Maybe next year. However, we will be in the ARRL School Club Roundup (hopefully) next month!
This Saturday is WVUARC's first Tech-In-a-Day session of the semester. I'll be there all day teaching a few sections, VEing, and watching managing testing as the VE Team Lead. Hopefully, all goes well! We already have about 10 people registered!
Another officer in WVUARC and I had a meeting with one of the safety coordinators from the university to begin planning antenna repairs and maintenance on the roof of the Engineering Sciences Building. We'll be repairing our 10/15/20m Yagi, our VHF/UHF Satellite antennas, rehanging our G5RV, and adding antennas for our UHF repeater and our APRS Digipeater.
We also had another general club meeting. We changed the format a little for this one with a presentation before the meeting. I gave a short hands on presentation covering how to operate a Baofeng UV5R, the most popular radio in our club. Following our meeting the weekly W8CUL 2m net went well with 13 check ins, counting me as NCS. We are hoping to break 20 this semester!
I'm still working on the W8CUL digipeater. Hopefully it will be finished soon. The W8CUL DMR repeater is still not online. We are waiting for our duplexer to arrive from Bridgecom Systems. It should be on air soon!
HF wise I haven't been operating from my apartment much. I have spent some time operating from
W8CUL K3s with my ACLog.
the W8CUL Shack though. I was able to work part of Canada, Italy, Malta, France and an SES from Austria on 20m FT8 this week! I was also able to grab Slavko in Slovenia, a station in Italy and a station in St Pierre & Miquelon on 20m SSB. 20m was really hot the past few days!
Well I think I've rambled on enough till next time!
Well, it looks like I'm posting on Friday now. Isn't it funny how your schedule schedule is set the all of a sudden BAM another change!
A few things have changed with the apartment HF setup since I last posted. I now have an HF antenna! I picked up a Buddistick Deluxe pack. It's a nice compact portable multiband vertical
Buddistick setup in front of my door
antenna. It can easily operate on 40m-10m at 250 watts! I haven't had much of a chance to try it out yet. I managed to set it up the night I got it and could receive the OMISS 40m net pretty well. Tried a transmission on low power (I haven't fully tuned the antenna yet) and wasn't heard. I'll work on getting it tuned over the weekend.
I also ordered a USB digital interface for the 706. I went with the XGGCOMMS Digimode-3-Icom. It shipped this week so I'm looking forward to working some digital modes (mainly FT8) from my apartment.
I have also be using the W8CUL Station to try and participate in the Hiram Percy Maxim Contest. Using a tri-band yagi and an Elecraft K3s makes it a little easier. Though I have been fighting band conditions I have only made 2 QSOs so far. I'm planning to operate a little over the weekend to finish out the contest.
This week I also completed the Heartsaver First Aid CPR and AED course. I've been wanting to do this for a while. I felt that it was a necessary training to take, given that I work a few public service events each year (Marathons, bike races, parades).
Ready for the W8CUL Net!
The WVU Amateur radio club held our first meeting of the semester this week! We had an awesome turnout! Quite a few people have already paid dues as well! Hopefully they all are active members! We also held the first W8CUL 2m net of the semester. I created a new net control script for this semester to better accommodate traffic handling, since we call it a "Traffic & Information Net". I acted as the net control station and took 10 check ins, including myself. Overall not too bad for the first net of the school year!
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