December - Anchorage Amateur Radio Club
Contents
1. I still want to try out QRP Looks like fun But my HF rig does not power down to QRP levels 5 watts or less Guess I will have to build a radio Putting some wire together for an antenna is one thing building a transceiver is another I have never built something like this before but you know what I am looking forward to the thrill just as much as I did with that wire antenna Ihave 3 kits on my desk right now in various stages of assembly So many projects so little time I am still wandering down the rows of the ham radio superstore Taking a sample here and there Some are fun others don t have much appeal to me yet There are so many facets of this great hobby It will take me years to explore them all One thrill that will never fade is the new friends I have made in the last few months Both in person and on the air you all are a great bunch of people I just wish I had gotten into this great hobby sooner Thanks for the help the advice and the encouragement If only every activity had the quality folk that ham radio does I hope I can learn enough to pass on some knowledge the way that many of you have done with me Thank you For the newcomers like myself to Amateur Radio all I can say is go for it You never know if you will like something or not unless you take a sample Try the different modes look into HF and CW There are lots of hams in the area that have many years of experience to share Take advantage of that2. 1 2 b 0 25kg MM01021 60 40 0 022 0 56mm 1 Ib 0 5kg MM01022 60 40 0 024 0 61mm 1 2 b 0 25kg MM01023 60 40 0 024 0 61mm 1b 0 5kg MM01083 63 37 0 022 0 56mm 1 2 b 0 25kg MM01084 63 37 0 024 0 61mm 1 2 b 0 25kg RMA Mildly Activated Rosin Type Flux MM01045 63 37 0 032 0 81mm 1 Ib 0 5kg Radio Shack Rosin Core Solders R S Content Part Sn Pb Diameter Spool Weight 64 017 60 40 0 032 0 81mm 0 5 oz 149 64 005 60 40 0 032 0 81mm 2 5 OZ 71g 64 009 60 40 0 032 0 81mm 8 00z 0 25kg WARNING WARNING WARNING DO NOT build ELECRAFT kits using solders which contain NO CLEAN or WATER SOLUBLE FLUXES nor should you use NO LEAD solders Kits submitted for repair which HAVE been assembled using No Clean or Water Soluble fluxes MAY be refused service DO NOT USE SOLDERS WITH THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF FLUX CORE Kester 245 No Clean Solder Kester 331 Water Soluble Solder or ANY solder with a No Clean or Water Soluble flux core POSSIBLE SOLDER SOURCES not exhaustive MOUSER ELECTRONICS http www mouser com KESTER SOLDERS 44 Rosin RA Activated Rosin Core Solder MOUSER Dia Weight STK NO Alloy in Ib 533 24 6337 0100 63 37 0 020 1 533 23 6337 18 63 37 0 025 1 2 533 24 6337 18 63 37 0 025 1 533 23 6337 27 63 37 0 031 1 2 533 24 6337 27 63 37 0 031 1 MOUSER Dia Weight STK NO Alloy in Ib 933 24 6040 0100 60 40 0 020 1 533 23 6040 18 60 40 0 025 1 2 533 24 6
3. knowledge and ask for advice and guidance They are more than happy to share some know how Who knows you may make some good friends along the way Free Morse software and online practice sites http www aa9pw com radio morse html http www g4fon co uk http www gqsl net n9bor morse htm DH QRP Mail Reflector Subscribing to the QRP Mail Reflector is about the same as for the KL7AA list This is the list used to stay in touch with other low power operators Just go to http mailman qth net mailman listinfo qrp and follow the steps Alaska CW Net ACWN Alaska CW Net ACWN still maintains a daily traffic watch on 3540 7042 and 14050 Khz from Fairbanks ACWN 1s a registered ARRL Section Net in Alaska Starting at about 0100Z every evening AL7N in Fairbanks maintains traffic watch simultaneously and as continuously as possible on all three frequencies until the following morning about 1600Z Also guards 2 meters 144 100 Mhz CW mode in Fairbanks area Weekends monitor continuously whenever in the house where can hear the speakers day and night Ed Trump AL7N Net Mer _ 1 trump worldnet att net Frequently Asked Questions About Amateur Radio and Broadband Over Powerline BPL PLT An excellent resource for understanding BPL can be found at http www qrpis org k3ng bpl1 html and also at http www arrl org tis info HTML plc FHEEETHEEETEE THEE THEE HHH 44 Working event stations
4. 2 Hz PL KL7JFU KGB road MARA club 146 85 25 autopatch no PL KL7DOB Alcantra Wasilla Armory 146 64 04 simplex patch no PL KL7DJE at Grubstake Peak 4 500 ft lt down gt 147 09 69 MHz 25 watts no patch 100 Hz PL 444 925 449 925 10 watts no patch 141 3 Hz PL KL3K Girdwood 146 76 16 MHz 25 watts no patch 97 4 Hz PL South Central Area Simplex Frequencies 146 52 MHz Calling and Emergency frequency 147 57 447 57 crossband linked HF spotters amp chat 103 5 HZ PL 146 49 MHz Anchorage area simplex chat 146 43 MHz Mat Valley simplex chat 147 42MHz Peninsula simplex chat VE Testing in the Valley Valley VE testing sessions will be held at the Wasilla Red Cross at 7 pm on the fourth Saturday of each month unless it is a major holiday weekend The address is 262 E Nelson St in Wasilla Nelson Street is the extension of Bogard to the west from Main Street Wasilla Fishhook and the Red Cross is on the south side of Nelson about halfway from Main to Lucille eff 9 25 04 Internet Links the favorites from our readers QRP and Hombrew Links http WWW AL7FS US AARC hittp www KL7AA org SCRC _http www KL7G org EARS __http www qsl net kl7air MARA hittp www kl7jfu com Moose Horn ARC _http www alaksa net k17fg ARES _http www qsl net aresalaska KL7J http www alaska net buchholz Fairbanks AARC http www kl7kc com Yukon Amateur Radio Association http www klondike com yar
5. fi the plated thru hole Use of 020 diameter solder greatly enhances your ability to perform this operation Use of 03 or larger diameter solders will generally cause more solder than required to be applied the instant the solder is applied to the joint When soldering plated thru holed which are to only be filled apply a small amount of solder and allow your iron to remain a short while longer This will ensure that the solder is wicked down into the hole You will be able to see the solder as it flows into the hole Solder shorned pads Figure 8 illustrates two adjacent but separate connections which have been shorted together by the application of excessive solder Figures 9 amp 10 show what can happen if the component lead is not heated along with the PC board pad A rosin joint will result The solder flows onto the PC board pad but since the component lead is not hot enough to melt solder rosin accumulates around the wire The solder then forms around the rosin coating on the component lead and there is no connection Generally joints of this type can be corrected by reheating the joint Solder Solder not wicked into thru hole Figure 10 Similarly a poor joint will result if you do not properly strip and tin the enameled wire leads of inductors before the lead is inserted into the PC board for soldering Enamel coating allowed to remain on the inductor lead can create a joint similar to the rosin join
6. when soldering or desoldering components especially when working with double side printed circuit boards They simply cannot provide and maintain enough heat when soldering to large foil areas or when several joints are soldered in rapid succession Tip width will normally be in the range of 1 82 0 79mm through 1 8 3 2mm depending upon the width of the pad to which you are soldering The width of the tip selected should be about 75 to 90 of the width of the pad If the heat range of the tip is specified by temperature choose those with a 600 F to 700 F 315 C to 370 C rating AL7FS and KL7CC prefer 700 F and often run 720 740 F with temperature controlled units Though some applications may require the use of a conical pointed tip a screwdriver or chisel style tip is generally preferable because it offers more contact heating surface against the joint The right solder Mildly active rosin core 0 020 0 5mm to 0 035 0 98mm diameter solders with 63 37 or 60 40 Tin Lead Sn Pb content will work best Small diameter solder 020 is preferable when working with double sided PC boards with plated thru holes because it allows easy regulation of the amount of solder you apply to each connection Silver content solder generally 2 may sometimes be specified While silver content solders flow more smoothly and make a stronger joint they also require more heat and are more difficult to remove when de
7. 040 18 60 40 0 025 1 533 23 6040 27 60 40 0 031 1 2 533 24 6040 27 60 40 0 031 1 285 Rosin RMA Mildly Activated Rosin Core Solder MOUSER Dia Weight STK NO Alloy in Ib 533 24 6337 9700 63 37 0 020 1 533 24 6337 9718 63 37 0 025 1 533 23 6337 9713 63 37 0 031 1 533 24 6337 9710 63 37 0 031 1 DIGI KEY http www digikey com MULTICORE SOLDERS RA Activated Rosin Core Solder DIGI KEY Dia Weight STK NO Alloy in Ib SN6324 ND 63 37 0 020 1 SN6322 ND 63 37 0 025 1 SN6321 ND 63 37 0 032 DIGI KEY Dia Weight STK NO Alloy in Ib SN6022 ND 60 40 0 028 KESTER SOLDERS 44 Rosin RA Activated Rosin Core Solder DIGI KEY STK NO KE1103 ND KE1112 ND KE1109 ND KE1111 ND KE1102 ND DIGI KEY STK NO KE1107 ND KE1118 ND KE1116 ND KE1117 ND KE1106 ND Alloy 63 37 63 37 63 37 63 37 63 37 Alloy 60 40 60 40 60 40 60 40 60 40 Dia in 0 020 0 025 0 025 0 031 0 031 Dia in 0 020 0 025 0 025 0 031 0 031 285 Rosin RMA Mildly Activated Rosin Core Solder DIGI KEY STK NO KE1201 ND KE1202 ND KE1200 ND Alloy 63 37 63 37 63 37 Dia in 0 020 0 025 0 031 Weight Ib 1 2 1 2 Weight Ib 1 1 2 1 2 Weight Ib NOTE Neither Tom Hammond nor Elecraft have any interest whatsoever in the Kester Multicore Mouser Electronics or Digi Key companies Compiled for Elecraft 02 28 2001 by Tom Hammond Edited for content an
8. 345 3190 Bring projects to share with the group Some show up at 6 00PM to eat 3 Saturday each month ARES General meeting 9 30AM to 12 00 PM Call Phil Mannie kl0qw alaska net at 762 9590 for additional information Also check for ARES Info at http www gqsl net aresalaska The last Friday each month MARA meeting at 7PM Fire Station 61 located two blocks up Lucille Drive from the Parks hwy Talk in help for the meeting can be acquired on either the 146 640 or 146 850 repeaters Further details can be found by contacting Len Betts KL7LB lelbak yahoo com The last Saturday each month at 11 00 AM Quarter Century Wireless Assoc QCWA at the Royal Fork South of Dimond on Old Seward Highway You need not be a QCWA member to attend Who Do I Contact to Join AARC Fred Erickson KL7FE frederickson iname com Phone number 345 2181 Annual Dues are 12 prorated as appropriate Additional Member in same household is 6 Full Time Student is no charge Compiled for Elecraft 02 28 2001 by Tom Hammond NOSS Edited for content and length by AL7FS Jim Larsen 11 28 04 Good equipment and a good soldering technique are both essential to successful assembly of any device Please read these tips before you start TOOLS YOU LL NEED 1 Temperature controlled soldering station with a fine tip for use with printed circuit boards Ordinary non temperature controlled soldering irons will often produce very poor results
9. By Mike Wood KL1RO Tune into 15 or 20 meters most any weekend and among the contests DX chasers and general rag chewing you will hear some other stations out there They are special event stations They are not really a contest and not really an award yet the fun of hunting down and working these stations can be fun and challenging A special event station can run for a few hours or several days They are set up to commemorate something special hence the term special event Event stations can be set up to honor a holiday the anniversary of a club s founding a memorial to a shipwreck a local festival or other such reason You can find listings of event stations in most of the ham magazines as well as online They are found near the back of QST and World Radio magazines with the contest listings and in the front section of CQ in the announcements section The ARRL keeps a listing online for those who do not get any of the above magazines Events are usually held on weekends and holidays The listings will give the dates and times for each event Simply look through the listings find and event that appeals to you and hope that the band conditions are in your favor Event listings will give the general frequencies they will be working Use that as your starting point and work up and down from there till you find the station you are trying to reach On 20 meters event stations tend to be located between 14 250 and 14 270 A
10. December 2004 Anchorage Amateur Radio Club Next Meeting December 3 December Program Craig Bledsoe KL4E KL7XJ Dale Hershberger will deliver an updated and expanded version of his recent GAHLEO presentation on the Challenger Center and its ham radio connections t H ttt ttt ttt tt tt Sweepstakes in the Park The local Amateur Radio Emergency Services group along with AARC members operated the recent 2004 ARRL November Sweepstakes This event was run as a training event for the use of the Command and Control Vehicle CCV It allowed an opportunity to try out different antennas and to ht ingale discover problems with current plans TJ Sheffield KL7TS Heather Hasper KL7SP and Phil Mannie Some of the issues highlighted by trial and error were as follows 1 There is some issue with the way the generator interfaces with the CCV 2 The CCV engine battery is discharging unnaturally TZE bs and needing to be on charger just to be able to start vo US NS 4 fe the CCV when it is time to move i ce 0s AMO A A 3 Putting up multiple vertical antennas for 80 and 40 meters is a lot of extra work and is dangerous 1f there are not enough people to help 4 The Club needs to buy its own equipment to use for EEEE the 80 and 40 vertical perhaps even building a multi r 7a eee Vile otis 0 gt oe 7 a at x band antenna KL7GN Gordon 5 There needs to be a way to operate HF fro
11. Step 4 If you would like the e mails in daily digest form click yes on the line marked Would you like to receive list mail batched in a daily digest Step 5 Click on the Subscribe button below the information that you just entered The list owner will review and verify your subscription to help avoid spammers joining the list Hope this helps and I m looking forward to seeing all of you on the KL7AA mail reflector Jim Larsen AL7FS FEEEEE EEE t ttt ttt QST QST QST Iditarod 2005 is just around the corner and I need volunteers to staff HQ at the millennium from 6 March 2005 14 00 until 11 March 2005 16 00 We plan to use Hams at Yentna Finger Lake Rainy Pass Rohn Nikolai Ophir and Eagle Island Rohn will connect to HQ via Echolink in Nikolai In the event the Sat Phones fail we will need HF monitors to cover Ophir and or Eagle Island you may go to www iditarod com and link to the Communications Handbook to see what is expected Contact Mark Kelliher KL7TQ arrl net or 694 3722 for the trail and HQ Gordon Hartlieb gordon systems33 com for the Start Dan O Barr dan obarr net for the restart or as he says the real start 73 s Mark Kelliher FHEEETHEEE THEE THEE TH 4 4 ARES Contact Information District Emergency Coordinator Phil Mannie KLOQW Contact via Pager 268 7609 Email via klOgqw alaska net Additional information on ARES can be found at the following URL http www gqsl net aresalaska The th
12. Te toe Rs UC ee sich MSAK 242 positon tyres A Mariga hlu bik bik op MARI EFEK lire whe n Winer frees eee zhu Btk A ben The instructions for building the kit are straight forward with little excess detail As the kit is quite simple to build there is no real need to go to unusual lengths in the detail In fact the option is there in the instructions to just plug and solder as you please but I chose to follow the instructions step by step so I could be sure to get the parts right Also I did decide to use my HP3478A to check the resistance of all the 1 resistors just to be sure I had the right ones in the correct spaces ie oo Sia vi Se 7 ei neo a The LCD readout is prebuilt and just plugs into the main board After wiring up the battery and switch the unit was ready for testing Testing was very simple The three probe leads are shorted the W1 leads are shorted the unit is turned on W1 is released and self calibration takes place Done Takes just seconds Relearning that which I already knew After mounting the readout on the case I moved on to preparing the probes I made a mistake here I forgot that heat guns get hot Well I did not forget at first I slid the heat shrink tubing onto the leads and slid them back away from the probes Applying heat I reduced the size down to near the size of the wire but not quite The heat shrink slid into the probe housing just fine and I then use
13. Tony Romas A great bunch of folks attend this one Saturdays Breakfast 7 30 AM Here is a good way to get started on the weekend Come and meet with some of the locals and have a great breakfast at Phillips Restaurant at the corner of Arctic and International Great Fun t 4 4 THIS MONTH S EVENTS 1 Friday each month AARC general meeting 7 00 PM in the Carr Gottstein Building on the APU Campus Talk in will be on 147 30 repeater 1 Tuesday each month VE License Exam 6 30 PM at the Hope Cottage offices 540 W International Bring photo ID copy of license if any and any certificates of completion 1 Tuesday each month EARS general meeting 6 30PM in the club house shack in the basement of Denali Hall building 31 270 on Elmendorf AFB Talk in on 147 67 repeater 2 Friday each month SCRC general meeting at 7 00 PM at Denny s on Debarr amp Bragaw Talk in on 147 57 simplex 2 Saturday each month VE License Exams at 2 00 PM at Hope Cottage 540 W International Be sure to bring photo ID copy of license if any and any certificates of completion 2 Saturday each month PARKA Meeting at 11 00 AM at Peggy s across from Merrill Field 3 Tuesday each month AARC Board meeting at 7 00 PM at Hope Cottage 540 W International All are invited and encouraged to attend 3 Friday each month Alaska QRP Club 7 00PM at Denny s on DeBarr in the back room Info Jim Larsen
14. a index html HAARP Project Amateur Radio Reference Library http www area ham org library libindex html Hamradio http www hamrad com Solar Terrestrial Activity http 209 130 27 95 solar ARRL _ http www arrl org Propagation Report Recording 566 1819 Please let us know if there are other clubs pages or good starting points that should appear here Report dead links or bad info to JimLarsen2002 alaska net 4 4 4 4 4 NEWSLETTER ARTICLES All articles from members and interested persons are very welcome If you wish to submit any articles jokes cartoons please have it typed or neatly handwritten It can be submitted by mail computer disk or E mail to the newsletter editor at the address listed above Submissions must be in the hands of the editor no later than the 14 days prior to the meeting or it may not be included 4 4 4 4 4 Regular HAM Gatherings Alaska QRP Club Third Friday 7 00 PM Hams with QRP low power under 5 watts and Homebrewing interests meet for a social meeting monthly Meet at Denny s on DeBarr amp Bragaw in the back room Hungry QRPers start showing up about 6PM Info contact Jim Larsen AL7FS JimLarsen2002 alaska net or 345 3190 Tuesdays Lunch 11 30 AM Join the gang for lunch and an eyeball QSO at the Royal Fork South on Old Seward Highway Attendance varies from 8 to 24 each week Thursdays Brunch 10 30 AM Brunch at Lily s on Tudor Road just East of
15. band radio All I had was my 2 meter Alinco DJ 191 During the course of my readings I came across the ISS fan club website www issfanclub com This is a great site that focuses on ham radio aboard the ISS The ISS packet system operates on 2 meters only Hmm wonder if 5 watts are enough to connect to the ISS Only one way to find out Sure enough I was able to connect to the ISS with my homebrew antenna and a 5 watt HT Now to catch an astronaut for that voice QSO I am quickly learning that in ham radio one part of the hobby leads to another Connecting to the ISS which was about 1800 km away on 5 watts got me to looking at QRP Fun with less power Sounds like fun What Morse code General ticket Hmm do I really want to do this Sure why not So I was off on leaning Morse code Took me 8 weeks to learn the code well enough to pass If you are wanting to upgrade yet are hesitant about learning Morse code take it from me it is not as hard as it looks Take your time and don t rush it I worked on it for 10 20 minutes a day with a day off here and there I became discouraged at one point but some advice and encouragement from some of the more experienced hams in my area got me back at it It may seem impossible at first but like anything else the more you work at it the easier it becomes There are several good and free training programs on the Internet Give them a try It is actually fun once you get the hang of it
16. d length by AL7FS Jim Larsen 11 28 04 This entire original file can be downloaded at http www gqsl net nogaqrp soldering solder html a a il r j anm f T m a T oe E 8 eki L H am T A lam ay 35 i j JdOT ETSZsosly V ited Tam The Anchorage Amateur Radio Club News Anchorage Amateur Radio Club Inc PRSRT STD Post Office Box 101987 U S Postage Anchorage Alaska 99510 1987 PAID Anchorage AK Permit No 223 pny Anchorage hams conquer Flattop Mountain in April 1978 Left to Right Nancy Larsen exKL7JJZ Jim Larsen exWA0LPK Tom Moore exKL7Q Wilse Morgan exKL7CQ Betty Rhodes Malley KL7AP and Mary Moore exKL7P
17. d the heat gun to tighten up the remaining tubing As I was assembling the leads I notice the probe heads would come off if I just pulled on them Ah hah Now can I can heat shrink the tubing up closer to the solder joint I suspect you can guess where this is going As I applied heat all worked great but when I tried to reassemble the probes I found I had deformed two out of three This is why my unit no longer looks like the one on the M3 Electronix website see small photo below So once again I relearned what I already knew from past mistakes heat guns are hot and plastic melts Wow What a surprise It was fortunate that I found some old probes around the house along with the jacks that fit The leads are a bit too long and the jacks are kinda large but all in all the unit looks pretty good and it works perfectly I did recalibrate after adding the longer probe leads just to be on the safe side lt a ate Es A a P Ave n Final Comments I really like this semiconductor analyzer It is fast and gives me key parameters on many semiconductors All I have to do is connect the three probes onto any of the three legs and the unit tells me which lead is E B C The kit took me about two hours to complete and test with the box taking about another hour There is a new Version 3 1 chip out now and folks with the original version will be able to upgrade at no cost The new chip adds new features and enhance the exis
18. e clipped end of the wire into the solder blob and wait a few seconds for the heat strippable enamel to begin to smoke and bubble As the enamel begins to bubble insert more of the wire into the solder blob Adding a bit more solder to the new rosin will assist in the tinning process Once you have inserted and stripped the lead to the length required slowly pull the wire back out of the solder blob This should produce a nicely tinned lead with possibly a bit of burnt rosin remaining on the outside of the tinned lead Any remaining rosin can be easily removed by pulling the wire between your index finger and your thumbnail CLEANING AND TINNING NON HEAT STRIPPABLE ENAMELED LEADS Leads which are insulated with enamel e g Formvar which us not heat strippable must be scraped clean before they can be tinned WARNING When using a knife or other device with a sharp blade to strip enamel from a wire be very careful to not cut or nick the wire itself A wire which has been nicked will not withstand much flexing at the nick before it breaks Determine the length of the lead which must be stripped Lay the lead on a hard surface and using a sharp blade held vertically and placed at the inner end of the length to be stripped slide the blade toward the end of the wire Rotate the wire slightly and repeat until all of the enamel has been removed from the end of the wire Once the enamel has been stripped of enamel heat the lead with your solde
19. een folded flat against the PC board Then when it was clipped it was not clipped close enough to the joint and was allowed to lie up against the lead of the nearby capactor Shorts resulting from Inappropriate lead bending trimming wa Excess unclipped lead length AA bent and touching another lead Regarding Solders What brand type diameter solder should use for building my Kits ELECRAFT RECOMMENDED SOLDERS This list is NOT exhaustive However these brands and fluxes HAVE been tested and have been found to be acceptable There are most certainly other brands with equally acceptable flux cores also available The following brands and types of solder are RECOMMENDED for use when building Elecraft kits Below this section have included a listing of available solders from both Mouser and Digi Key just to give you at least two possible sources Kester RA Activated Rosin Type Flux Core types 44 and 285 60 40 or 63 37 Sn Pb content in diameters between 0 020 0 5mm and 0 035 0 89mm with 0 020 to 0 030 being the preferred sizes Multicore previously Ersin Multicore RA Activated Rosin Type Flux Core Multicore Content Part Sn Pb Diameter Spool Weight MM00979 63 37 0 022 0 56mm 1 Ib 0 5kg MMO00980 63 37 0 024 0 61mm 1 Ib 0 5kg MMO00981 63 37 0 032 0 81mm 1 Ib 0 5kg MM00992 60 40 0 024 0 61mm 1 Ib 0 5kg MM00993 60 40 0 032 0 81mm 1 Ib 0 5kg MM01020 60 40 0 022 0 56mm
20. enter lead to match the hole pattern before installing transistor Figure 2 It is generally accepted as good technique to install components in all the same direction horizontally or vertically if at all possible This is done so that all readable nomenclature text or resistor bands can be read by holding the PC board in either the normal front facing or the 90 degree rotated position For instance with the PC board oriented so the front edge of the board is facing you all horizontally mounted resistors should have their bands oriented so they are readable from left to right and the text for all other non position critical components small caps etc is readable as well Components mounted with their leads running front to back are generally mounted so they are readable when the PC board is rotated 90 degrees counter clockwise CLEANING AND TINNING HEAT STRIPPABLE ENAMELED LEADS Many enamel insulated copper wires use a heat strippable enamel You can usually identify this type of wire by its color Most NON heat strippable enamels are of a dark color often a brownish red while most heat strippable enamels are of a much lighter translucent color generally red green or an orange yellow Measure and clip the lead to a length slightly longer than that required by the joint Using a HOT 725 F 385 C or hotter soldering iron with a medium width 05 1 25mm tip melt a blob of solder onto the tip of the iron Insert th
21. good indication that you have found the event station is the wonderful sound of a pileup You are not alone in your quest and will have to work through the pile to get your turn working the station If you cannot get through on one band try another Usually events have more that one person working and they can be found on multiple bands at the same time Why work these event stations For fun of course Event stations are like a mini contest or expedition They are only there for a given length of time if you want to log the contact Event stations usually issue a special certificate or QSL card to stations that want one Send a self addressed stamped 9 X 13 envelope to the address in the listing for a certificate or a regular SASE with your own QSL card included for a QSL card of the event From working the USS Kidd ARC on Pearl Harbor Day or the Anaheim Police Radio Club s commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge you can have fun chasing event stations You can even work the Arrowhead Radio Amateur Clubs 75th anniversary of ARRL affiliation if you want to Get some interesting entries in your logbook Practice working the pileups in preparation for that next big contest Gather some neat looking certificates and QSL cards for your collection Event stations offer a little of each Give them a try Event listings on the web http www arrl org contests spev html t tt t t tt t t Volunteers are what ma
22. kes the Club Successful We need help to work on the ARES Kits These are portable kits we hope to use in emergencies and they are capable of packet crossband repeat APRS and other such things Please call me at 345 3190 to volunteer a bit of your time If you have basic skills you can be shown or taught what needs to be done Thanks 73 Jim Jim Larsen AL7FS President AARC Data You Can Use Officers President Jim Larsen AL7FS Vice President Randy Vallee KL7Z Secretary Phil Mannie KLOQW Treasurer Steve Jensen KLOVZ Trustee Jim Feaster KL7KB Activities Chairman Craig Bledsoe KL4E News Letter Editor Jim Larsen AL7FS Membership Chairman Fred Erickson KL7FE Past President Three Year Board Members Jim Wiley KL7CC Richard Block KL7RLB Lil Marvin NL7DL One Year Board Members Pat Wilke WL7JA Jimmy Tvrdy KL7CDG Judi Ramage WL7DX Steve Gehring NL7W George Wilkinson KLIJJ Mike O Keefe KL7MD AARC web page amp Email contact addresses Homepage http www KL7AA org Email Reflector KL7AA QTH NET Webmaster AL1G_ak yahoo com President JimLarsen2002 alaska net Membership frederickson iname com Newsletter JimLarsen2002 alaska net News Letter Submissions Information or corrections Submissions must be received 2 weeks before meeting Email JimLarsen2002 alaska net Mail 3445 Spinnaker Drive Anchorage 99516 Nets in Alaska The following nets are active in South central Alaska Ala
23. m the CCV ES SE SES SNe 8 while in motion and also at rest without putting up Nitec te Os A the big towers 6 Wire antennas need more exploration The attempt for this event did not work well 7 When the roads are icy send a four wheel drive vehicle ahead to check to be sure the hills and ice are not going to be a problem The ice was a BIG problem for the CCV in this drill 8 Advance planning for the event needs to occur more in the future of the event to allow for proper advertising in the club newsletter and via other methods 9 Using tuners on vertical antennas whilst in the rain is not a good thing Tuning method needs to be such that weather is not a problem And now a few pictures from the event f Aps Haia e a a Jesse Luk id wy Eaa e and T J Low Earth Orbit LEO Net The 9 AM LEO Road and Weather Group has moved to the 147 27 87 WL7CVG Mt Susitna repeater with a split and 103 5 Hz tone Remember to check your tone encode and make sure it is set to 103 5 Hz as that is the only tone the 147 27 WL7CVG repeater will now accept Thank you The Gahleo Group Moderator Dan O Barr KL7DR Wasilla AK HHHEHHHH H H H H H Alaska QRP Club meets the Third Friday of every month 7 00 PM Some show for dinner at 6PM Hams with QRP low power under 5 watts and Homebrewing interests meet for a social meeting monthly Meet at Dennys in the back room on DeBarr
24. near Bragaw Contact is Jim Larsen AL7FS or 345 3190 M3 Electonix Semiconductor Analyzer Built by AL7FS Jim Larsen AL7FS AK QRP 003 Not too many days ago I was happily reading the Elecraft email for the day and there was mention about a new Semiconductor Analyzer that was about to come onto the market in kit form I have always wanted something to handle the chores for me on analyzing semiconductors and I had to have one A contact to MCubed Electronix Inc http www m3electronix com and Mike Doty WOMNE ww2 42 dragonbbs com responded Note the sales contact is listed as Mike Knox KC8WR kc8wr bright net As they accept bank transfer through Pay Pal I ordered a kit on the spot and in only a few days the box arrived Diving Right In My Elecraft K2 developed the INFO 080 error not too long ago I promised myself I would build no kits until the K2 was operational lied This analyzer needed to be built right away I am not going to go into much detail in this writeup but will add sequential photos of the kit progress My workbench was actually already cleared off in preparation for working on the K2 The M3 kit was nicely packed and the bags of parts were quickly spread out I did an inventory and all the parts were there This is good Tert ji Erdagi the SO Deri Se t We Caer pes eal ee ay emg as TELTET Ma Electronix Semiconductor MANE A Aen I ee His Uttinng LIS Wh Ned toons oe ih
25. rill of being new Mike Wood KLIRO Have you ever walked through one of those big warehouse stores at noon Seems that every row you go down has someone handing out samples of some delicious food Care to try some artichoke dip You can take some home for only 4 99 Want some soup All natural no preservatives Great stuff Have you tried this wonderful pizza Take some home today Ham radio is like that For a newcomer like myself every turn brings a different activity mode method or thrill to this wonderful hobby When I first got my ticket I had no intention of building my own gear Why build when you can buy Well I can tell you that nothing beat the fun in taking some scraps of wire and making a 2 meter ground plane antenna out of them I thought for sure that I was going to blow up my radio I have no SWR meter for VHF so I just cut the wire carefully and soldered it to aSO239 connector as the plans said I said a little prayer turned on my HT keyed the microphone and gave my call No smoke no sparks the radio was still working and someone answered and said that my signal was good It worked Wow Who would have thought that a couple dollars in wire could do that My next thrill and still one of my favorite activities was contacting the ISS International Space Station via packet I had been reading about satellite communications and wanted to give it a try but alas I did not have a dual
26. ring iron and apply a ight coating of solder SOLDERING Apply heat to BOTH the PCB pad AND the component lead Proper positioning of the soldering iron tip and solder are essential in obtaining a well made soldered joint Figure 3 The tip must be in contact with both the lead to be soldered and the PC board pad After the joint is hot 2 secs apply solder AT the joint and then allow a SMALL anountto The soldering iron will heat the lead and pad and melt and flow into and around joint their combined heat will then melt the solder This 7 ensures a well made solid joint Figures 4 amp 5 single sided PC Board Figure 6 shows a well made connection to a single sided PC board A small sman fillet of amount of solder has been melted by the heat from the component lead and solder at jqint the PC board pad A small additional amount of solder has been added to the joint to form a small rising fillet around the lead If the PC board was of the plated thru hole type capillary action of the lead in the plaf d through hole has the solder down into the hole Figure 7 left Double sided PC Board with Plated Thru holes Small fillet of Apply just enough solder at joint or solder to fill the and to fill the plated thru hole thru hole Note that some soldering requirements may dictate that no fillet be created when soldering to plated thru holes Figure 7 right In this instance apply only enough solder to
27. ska Sniper s Net 3 920 MHz 6 00 PM daily Alaska Bush Net 7 093 MHz 8 00 PM daily Alaska Motley Net 3 933 MHz 9 00 PM daily Alaska Pacific Net 14 292 MHz 8 00 AM M F ACWN Alaska CW Net 3534 7042 Daily 0700 1000 and 1900 2400 Alaska Time AL7N or KLST monitoring Net Purpose Formal NTS traffic via CW No Name Net 146 85 25 repeater Sundays 8 00 PM Grandson of SSB Net 144 20 USB Mondays 8 00 PM local Big City Simplex Net 146 520 446 0 amp 52 525 FM With Packet 145 01 Tuesdays 8 00 PM local ARES net 147 27 87 103 5Hz Thursdays at 8 00 PM local PARKA net 147 30 90 Thursdays at 7 00 PM local ERC VHF Net 147 27 87 103 5Hz Sunday 7 30 PM local ERC HF Net 3 880 MHz Sunday 8 30PM local Any AARC sponsored repeater with or without an auto patch will always be open to all licensed amateur radio operators in the area who are authorized to operate on those frequencies Anchorage amp Mat Valley Area Repeaters KL7AA systems at Flattop Mt 2 200 ft 146 94 34 MHz 80 watts autopatch 141 3 Hz PL 224 94 223 34 25 watts no patch no PL 444 70 449 70 25 watts autopatch 141 3 PL 1 47 27 87 MHz no patch Mount Susitna 103 5 Hz KL7CC Anchorage Hillside SCRC amp QCWA 146 97 37 MHz 30 watts 103 5 Hz PL KL7M Anchorage Hillside 147 21 81 MHz on IRLP 97 4 Hz PL KL7ION at Mt Gordon Lyon PARKA 3 940 ft 147 30 90 MHz 80 watts no patch 141 3 Hz PL KL7AIR Elmendorf AFB EARS 146 67 07 107
28. soldering a joint for component replacement More heat means a better chance of damaging a PC board trace by lifting the pad because the adhesive used to attach the pad to the PC board material has been overheated Use silver content solders only when required to do so Adamp sponge or a kitchen curly metal pot scrubber Always keep the tip of your soldering iron clean If using a damp sponge wipe the tip quickly so as not to cool the tip excessively If you use a curly stainless steel pot scrubber available in the kitchen wares section of any grocery store to clean the tip of your soldering iron no moisture is involved and the thermal mass of the pot scrubber is negligible so virtually no heat is lost during the tip cleaning process 4 Small sharp wire cutters either of the diagonal or flush cutting preferable type 5 Small tipped needle nose pliers Also useful Medical hemostats with locking handles A WORD ABOUT KEEPING THE TIP OF YOUR SOLDERING IRON CLEAN The name of the game in soldering is heat transfer If you cannot quickly and adequately heat the joint to be soldered you risk making a poorly soldered connection and you risk damaging the PC board itself as well It is essential to keep the tip of your soldering iron clean and well tinned at all times Ensure that the tip of your iron is clean before you attempt to apply solder to a connection Once the tip is cleaned of any debris burnt rosin exce
29. ss solder tiny bits of component lead etc ensure that the tip is well tinned If the tip is a dull gray color instead of a bright silver apply a tiny bit of solder to wet the tip before you place the tip against the joint to be soldered Heat transfers from the tip to the joint by physical contact A clean solder wetted tip will significantly decrease the length of time spent on each connection because it enhances heat transfer even before additional solder is applied In some instances it may mean the difference between success and failure in completing a solid connection POSITIONING COMPONENTS ON THE BOARD With the exception of some transistors e g TO 92 unless otherwise specified all components should be pressed down flush with the surface of the PC board as far as they will go Figures 1 amp 2 show both the right and wrong X ways to mount individual components and sockets When installing ICs and sockets solder only one lead Check the positioning of the device reheat the joint and re seat the device if necessary and then proceed to solder the remaining pins once you are satisfied that the device is properly seated against the PC board Figure 1 Before a wire lead component is inserted into the PC board component leads should be formed using your fingers or long nose pliers to fit into the PC board holes TO 92 Transistors in trianglular PCB hole pattern 50 08 on HAM Os RAC T igi 1 F Form the c
30. t preventing the lead from being adequately heated by the soldering iron Such a joint cannot normally be restored by reheating Remove the lead from the PC board strip it of all enamel and tin it Then resolder the joint CLIPPING COMPONENT LEADS Commonly used diagonal cutters have blades which are beveled to an edge from both sides The cutting action of such a blade can flare or mound up the soldered joint Figure 11 left In contrast the blade of a flush cutting wire cutter Figure 11 right is flat on its bottom and beveled only from the top Non flush cut Flush Cut Flush cut connections will be flat across the surface of the gt lt q M cut making them cleaner and less likely to cause shorts to nearby pads Clip leads just slightly above the surface of the n e PC board 1 16 1 5mm This will leave enough excess lead length to facilitate reheating the connection if it is necessary to remove the component and to reinstall it later if required To determine if you are using too much solder look at your connections once the excess lead length has been trimmed from the component As shown in Figures 12 amp 13 if your wire cutters have cut too deeply into the solder there is probably too much solder being applied Adjacent components may become accidentally shorted together when their leads are clipped following soldering Examples of this are shown in Figures 14 amp 15 A lead from the resistor has first b
31. ting ones This is a must have piece of test gear for any ham shack I hope you enjoyed this non technical report of the M3 Semiconductor Analyzer as seen from my workbench It has been fun for me and I enjoy sharing with you Maybe later I will add some of the technical information from the manual but for the price why not just buy one for yourself Features are found at http www m3electronix com features html The User s Manual is also on this page Take care 73 Jim Larsen AL7FS AL7FS was originally licensed as WNOLPK in March 1965 WAOLPK from 1965 1985 Jim is President of AARC and has participated in HF from 160 10 meters CW and SSB packet satellite 6 meter UHF VHF ATV EME 2 meter WAS 36 DX and QRP QRP has lasted the longest and the strongest 1970 to the present ttt ttttttttttttttt gt lt ALTA Mail Reflector If you like to stay in touch on KL7AA news and other posts of local interest Step 1 First point your browser to click the link below http mailman qth net mailman listinfo kl7aa Step 2 On the web page you will see a section titled Subscribing to KL7AA Enter your e mail address in the Your email address entry box Step 3 Pick a password for your account and enter it in the box marked Pick a password and then enter the same password in the box marked Reenter password to confirm This password will be used to change your settings on the list such as digest mode etc
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