Feld Hell Sprint -- Oct 15, 2011 -- A.R.S. W8MDE

I had fun this weekend participating in the Feld Hell Sprint on amateur radio.  Feld Hell or Hellschreiber as it was originally known is my favorite digital mode.  I love the primitive appearance of the type as it scrolls out on the monitor and the peculiar sound of the incoming signals.  I wrote a post about the history of this fascinating mode and it's inventor here.

Actual screen captures would have looked better on the blog but it was easier to just snap quick pictures with the point and shoot as I made contacts during the sprint.  I thought this would make a good illustration of how the Feld Hell Sprint works.  The contest exchange is simple and quick.  Operators transmit a signal report, club member number, State/Country and grid locator.  The goal is to make the most contacts in a 2 hour period.

Randy, K7AGE produced a great video on YouTube explaining Hellschreiber and shows the mode in action. Link here.  Randy's videos inspired me to get into the digital modes on high frequency amateur radio.  I highly recommend checking them out.

K3QIA -  Berwick, PA

K3TXT - Edgewater, MD

W8MDE calling CQ and getting a bite

A nice 5 watt signal from K4RCH/QRP in Culpeper, VA

N8EWX - Hilliard, OH

KJ8O - Troy, MI

N9YDZ/ Mobile in Missouri not quite 599 but perfectly readable.

  

KD8GNC - Columbus, OH

Post Sprint QSO between KJ8O and KD8GNC 

  

Solid copy - TG9AHM Guatemala City

I received excellent copy from Emmanuel, TG9AHM in Guatemala on 15 meters but try as I might I could not reach him.

Fall Hike at Clear Fork

Once in a while I take a picture with my digital camera that reminds me of my old 35mm film camera.

Prehistoric Stone Point Found In Ohio

While I'm out on my bike looking at leaves I'm not always looking up or riding.  As I was walking along inspecting some bare ground my eye instantly recognized a familiar shape.  I reached for the primitive stone weapon and nearly plucked it from it's rain worn perch before I remembered I had my camera.  The next two pictures show the point in it's undisturbed position as I found it.  The first photograph shows the  edge of a small gully formed by rain runoff.  The point rests on the edge atop a pillar of dirt shaped like the point itself.  

An interesting effect of erosion

The second photograph was taken looking straight down.  The lip of the gully is just discernible at about midpoint in the frame.  The bottom of the gully (top of frame) is slightly out of focus.

This awesome find was expertly knapped from flint mined by prehistoric Native Americans in Coshocton County about 70 miles away from where I found the point in Crawford County.  This fact shows the wide distribution of the dark gray flint stone.  Even though the point has suffered some damage over the years it's still a great example of an "Ohio Blue".

Sharpest Tool in the Shed

Titanium General Purpose Bike

"I like my wheel-brows low and frame tubes made of metal."

Bikes are made for warm fall days.  

Antenna Testing At W8MDE

This weekend I decided to set up the KD8JHJ 40 Meter Vertical Antenna in the back yard and perform some testing.  Because I built this antenna during the past two years while I held my original call sign I've decided to refer to it by this name even though I now have a new amateur radio call sign.  

During my last testing sessions earlier this year I was unable to attain a good match anywhere near the 40 Meter band (7 MHz).  During this deployment I did one thing different and discovered why my initial efforts to establish resonance at 7 MHz failed.  Because space is limited in my backyard I used some 16' 6" radial wires I had made up for another project.  These radial wires I constructed with ring terminals at each end not only facilitating easy connection to the radial plate below the match box but also allowing me to anchor the other end of the radial wire to earth using a 8" steel spike.  Using this method I effectively connected the coax shield to ground thus completing the antenna circuit allowing the antenna to resonate in the 40 Meter band.

In past testing I secured the ends of the radials to plastic stakes using short lengths of poly antenna cord thinking that because the radials were elevated they did not need to make positive electrical contact with Earth.  Obviously a vertical antenna needs to work against ground.

   

I had the vertical up and down probably twenty times this weekend as I optimized the coil observing the SWR on my antenna analyzer as I added or removed turns from the loading coil.  Once I achieved the best looking curve I placed a length of heat shrink tube over the coil and sealed the upper end with black electrical tape.  I left the bottom end open so in case moisture does enter the coil area it can dry.

Match box and radial plate

Parallel shunt inductance coil to match the antenna to a 50 Ohm transmission line

I connected the other end of the feed line to my antenna switch and with my transmitter set to the CW mode I sent out CQ CQ CQ de W8MDE using Morse code.  For this initial transmitting test I set my power at 25 watts.  I was pleased to hear K9VON answering my call.  Ross, located in Peach Tree City, Georgia 517 miles away was copying my signal and reported a 359 RST.  Before my next transmission I increased power to 50 watts and Ross then reported 579 reception.  

Later at 7.032 MHz I heard the CQ calls of WA1HFF.  I answered this call and promptly received a 599 report from Steve in Springfield, Mass. 538 miles away.  I am very happy with these first two contacts using an antenna I made with my own two hands.  To learn Morse code and use it in radio communications is an achievement in it's own right but to do it with my homebrew antenna is icing on the proverbial cake.

For reception testing I tuned around the band and using the antenna switch I could easily compare signals heard between the 66 foot end fed wire and the vertical.  Most signals seemed to be about an S-unit less on the vertical versus the horizontal wire.  Not a big deal as I could easily copy all signals on either antenna.  Overall I am very pleased with the results of my first attempt at a high frequency radio antenna.

I don't have fancy antenna modeling software but using the MFJ-259B analyzer I can provide these figures which illustrate SWR curve.

7.180 MHz     1.2 SWR     7.292 MHz

7.129      1.3 SWR     7.308

7.090      1.4 SWR     7.353 

7.031      1.5 SWR     7.370 

6.889      2.0 SWR     7.485 

For additional information click on the "40 Meter Vertical" label below.

Brandi Carlile -- The Kent Stage -- Oct 1, 2011

For my wife's birthday we took a drive up to Kent, Ohio for dinner and a show.  As I have noted before in these blog pages we are music fans and enjoy hearing our favorite artists play live.  The Kent Stage is a small theater built in 1927. Operated as a movie theater for more than 80 years the Kent Stage is now operated by the Western Reserve Folk Arts Association whose purpose is to preserve and support traditional music and arts through, education, concerts, festivals and workshops.

This venue provides my favorite setting for live music.  Because the place is smaller the amps don't need to be turned up to eleven and we were lucky enough to score second row seats.  As my wife pointed out we listen to our favorite act's recorded music all the time.  Its nice to come to a show and see their faces.  I couldn't agree more.

Mountain Bike Ride -- Alley Scramble

Yeti F.R.O. (chromoly steel) Single Speed

Has it been raining a lot or is it just me?  Saturday afternoon the rain tapered off and I stole away for a little fat tired cruise.  I have not been out on the Yeti in quite some time and even though I didn't ride any single track it was still nice to feel the buzz of the knobbies.  I call this ride an "Alley Scramble" because it avoids pavement for the most part navigating around my town using the network of alley ways and rail road double track as shown in the picture.  The ride also typically involves a lap or two around the up ground reservoir which contains my towns fresh water supply. 

For this type of riding I run 40 psi in the front and rear tires and set the air chambers of my Rock Shox Sid to the prescribed recommendation for a 160 lb rider.  My customary 32/20 single speed gearing is much to low for flat land cruising so I change out the 20 tooth cog for a 15.  I have no computer on this bike but I imagine I top out around 10 or 12 mph with the 15 tooth cog installed.

Unfortunately a trip to the hills and woods to ride on real mountain bike trails involves loading up the car and driving.  If I've got just a little time to spare and that knobby tired itch to scratch the Alley Scramble usually does the job.

News at Amateur Radio Station W8MDE

It's been rainy so I've been getting on the air.

W8MDE is my new amateur radio call sign.  My old call sign was KD8JHJ.   

http://www.vanityhq.com/ 

Call Sign CW Weight Results

Call sign    Weight

KD8JHJ    82

W8MDE    54

K8MDE    54

N8MDE    50  (shortest)

Weight is determined by the number of dots, dashes and spaces that make up a call sign in Morse code.  The lesser the weight the less effort and time expended during sending.

Check out my new bio page at http://qrz.com/  put my call sign in the search.

Some recent activations:

September 2011  SKCC Week End Sprint

(last wes under call sign KD8JHJ)

7.057    00:47    N2WT    MD    John    4965T

7.109    00:57    KB2RAW    NY    Bill    6539T

7.111    01:01    W4NA    VA    Nate    5262T

7.112    01:06    K9SKC    NY    George    2836T

7.110    01:19    N0UMP    MO    Bill    659T

7.058    01:25    WA1lWS    MD    Hans    1933T

7.056    01:35    AC8JD    MI    Joe    8107C

7.054   01:40    K1LEE    CT  Lee    7246

7.052    01:43    W3OKC    PA    Steve    7186T

14.053    01:55    AD5VC    LA    Dana    1555T

7.057    02:13    NW3K    NY    Dean    7330T

7.055.5    02:25    W1LVT    VT    Len    3932T

7.052    14:15    WQ9Z    IL    Roy    325T

7.055.5    14:20    N4PGJ    NY    Ron    6869T

14.046    15:26    F6HKA    FRA    Bert    6069T

--

Crawford County Amateur Radio Club 

50 Years of Service Special Event

I consider it near sacrilege to not activate a cw (Morse code) station at my club's 50th Aniversary Special Event.  The weather forecasts called for rain and storms but we got lucky.  I set up in the open and enjoyed an afternoon of rare sunshine.  Went home and changed into shorts.

W8BAE

Whiskey 8 Bacon And Eggs

7060    14:45    N8KZH    WV    Ron

7060    14:51   KB3LGO    PA   Walt

7060    14:55    AB8EL    OH    Don

7060    15:26    WB3BIQ    PA    Rick

7060    16:00    W8DP    WV    Dallas

7060    16:30    KD8OTT    MI    Bryon

7060    16:44    K3PR    PA    Joe

7060    17:41    K9LWA    IN    Bob

7060    18:57    K8JV    MI    Jim

7061    19:30    KC9SNC    WI    Don

  

2 Sides Primed

A break in the weather allowed me to get a coat of white primer on two sides of the shed.  I was looking through my painting supplies in the basement this morning and found nearly a whole gallon of exterior white primer and a full gallon of exterior latex house and trim paint so that saves me about 40 dollars.  With two sides done less than half a gallon of the primer is left so I may have to break down and buy another can.

  

This is the reason I went crazy with the gravel.  The day the shed was built it rained on and off for hours.   I took this picture the next day 24 hours after the rain had passed.  The photo is a great example of how wet the back end of my property can be even days after torrential rains.  

This is the shed of my next door neighbor Frank Horton.  Frank's shed is over 20 years old and still looking good.  A World War II veteran in his 90's Frank stays active still mowing his own grass and puttering around his property enjoying his retirement.

Shed Construction Complete

At 6:45 am this morning before it was even light the shed crew showed up to assemble the components of the 8' x 10' storage shed.  These two young men worked as a well oiled machine completing the building and off to their next job by 8:15 am.

I ended up needing two additional tons of limestone to complete the base providing a level surface for the construction.  This brings the grand total of stone to 8,180 pounds or just over 4 tons.  Every last shovel full transported by hand the 80 feet from the driveway back to the construction site.

The last task which only requires a couple sunny days will be a bit of caulking and painting of the exterior surfaces. 

   



Urban Loop

A little time to kill on a Sunday afternoon.

Ride Time:  53:54

Distance:  10.04 miles

Average Speed:  11.1 mph

Max Speed:  22.3 mph

More Rolling Stones

View North

View South

After a good soaking of rain I used the human powered roller and noticed that the limestone settled even more from just four passes.  The back of my yard to the East has a very slight downhill grade.  I decided that my shed base would follow this contour allowing rain gutters to drain the same direction as the surrounding ground.  An extra two feet of gravel on each side of the shed will aid in runoff if I decide not to use rain gutters and spouts.  

The weather this afternoon was bright and sunny but cool.  56 F / 13 C is nearly a 50 degree difference in temperature from the start of my shed project.  I have to find my hat.