April - Anchorage Amateur Radio Club
Contents
1. Anchorage Amateur Radio Club Next Meeting April 3 2009 7 00 PM m APRIL PROGRAM Lt Col Timothy Bolin with the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center will be providing a presenta tion about SARSAT and emergency communica tions that are used in Search and Rescue Testing COAX 101 An ordinary ohmmeter cannot be used for measuring resistance of multimillions of ohms such as in conduc tor insulation To adequately test for insulation break down it is necessary to use a much higher potential than is furnished by the battery of an ohmmeter This potential is placed between the conductor and the out side surface of the insulation An instrument called a MEGOHMMETER is used for these tests A Megohmmeter generates a high voltage low cur rent signals for testing the breakdown strength of elec trical insulation They are called megohmmeter be cause the insulating resistance of a properly designed product is expressed in megohms MO Insulation resistance IR is the DC resistance between two de fined points at a specific voltage in a controlled envi ronment Typically the applied voltage is 500 VDC and the environment is 25 C with less than 50 rela tive humidity EN 60204 1 a standard for machinery safety states that for test voltages at 500 VDC the minimum insulation resistance is 1 MO EN 60335 1 a safety standard for household and similar electrical appliances states that for test voltages at 500 VDC the minim2. Calex noted the treasury is healthy no grants are before the Board and Field Day purchases have not been made yet Motion made Heather Hasper KL7SP seconded Michael O Keefe KL7MD to accept the Treasurers report as given The motion carried unanimously VE REPORT Eric McIntosh KL2FM reported that testing remains steady with two people passing the Technician exam 1 passed the General exam and 1 passed the Extra exam at the last session TRUSTEE REPORT Keith Clark KL7MM reported that there was nothing new to report MEMBERSHIP REPORT There was no membership report as Fred Erickson was not In attendance ARES TRAINING Heather Hasper reported that the Fairbanks Arctic Ama teur Radio Club would be presenting a statewide ARES training session on March 21 The training will be hosted by the AARC at the Alaska Pacific University beginning at 9 30am in the Carr Gottstein Building Heather also reported on the upcoming UAA Municipality of Anchorage joint exercise which will be held on March 23 as well as the upcoming Anchorage ns Airport disaster exercise to be held on June 6 OLD BUSINESS CCV TOILET Michael O Keefe reported that the new toilet had been installed at the CCV garage and was complete REAL ESTATE Keith Clark KL7MM reported on the banks requiring a down payment of 40 instead of the normal 25 which would likely result in the AARC being able to purchase a 400 000 00 building with current funds Keith no
3. inter operative agreement project timeline use of system for ARES 501c3 non profit requirements T J noted that details and site plots are available on the www WL7CWE org website MISC DISCUSSION Heather Hasper KL7SP reported that the Kenwood re peater removed from Grubstake for repair is being sent back to Kenwood USA for repairs due to undocumented modifications and will be returned to its original con figuration Michael O Keefe KL7MD noted the missing TNC and radio from the CCV facility has been returned to the fa cility and is back in place in its kit ADJOURNMENT Motion made Tom Rutigliano NL7TZ seconded Mi chael O Keefe KL7MD to adjourn Motion carried The meeting adjourned at 8 55pm Respectfully submitted as recorded on 03 17 09 by Richard Tweet KL2AZ Secretary Volume 38 No 4 HAMS provide communications for RED CROSS Muni Exercise Mass Care Feeding NEW Fur Rondy board AACE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DOG HED Wi HotWire TUDOR a BINGO pepsi APRIL 2009 aen Pr ee cam eh 4 ok x T is W orig Ky Volume 38 No 4 SSVTO WVH CC c SSVT AVH cl rl ET Cl PU WROALT 4J UOY Peo UAUGLU ype JO Aepumes DILI L ULON TY GtN3 TVLO LLZ QAN Y N N euo INVLL HleUsq uo SALE 72 SeU Ded Awa py SIYY nas i w ka mi ot S E0I Td 0 EPP 40 01 d L7 LtI Wd 00 8 S2Y43IN Avpsiny L LIN SAYV SSVTO SSVTO WVH WVH 6C SC LC 9c
4. 90 MHz 80 watts no patch 141 3 Hz PL KL7AIR Elmendorf AFB EARS 146 67 146 07 107 2 Hz PL KL7CC Anchorage Hillside SCRC amp QCWA 146 97 37 MHz 30 watts auto patch 103 5 Hz PL KL7M Anchorage Hillside 147 21 147 81 MHz on IRLP 97 4 Hz PL KLSE Chugiak 147 15 147 75 123 0 Hz PL auto patch KL7JFU KGB road MARA 146 85 146 25 auto patch no PL Palmer IRLP 146 64 04 simplex patch no PL Mile 58 3 Parks Highway IRLP 147 09 69 MHz 97 4 Hz PL Winlink VHF RMS 145 190 MHZ mode is Packet KL7JFT 10 KL3K Girdwood IRLP 146 76 146 16 MHz 25 watts no patch 97 4 Hz PL KL7AX South Anchorage IRLP 146 79 146 19 MHz 100 Hz PL WL7CWE Cliffside Amateur Radio Association WL7CWE Anchorage IRLP 2 Meter 146 82 146 22MHz PL 103 5 6 Meter 51 65 output 51 15 input PL 103 5Hz 70 cm 444 85 449 850 MHz PL 103 5 Hz Node 3400 South Central Area Simplex Frequencies 146 52 MHz Calling and Emergency frequency 147 57 MHz National DX Calling Coordinating frequency 146 49 MHz Anchorage area simplex chat 146 43 MHz Mat Su Valley simplex chat 147 42 MHz Peninsula simplex chat 146 58 MHz Simplex IRLP Wasilla Lake VHF Morning Road and Weather Report 147 27 87 103 5Hz Daily at 9 00 AM No Name Net 146 85 25 repeater Sundays 8 00 PM and 1900 2400 Alaska Time AL7N or KLST monitoring With Packet 145 01 and 147 96 Tuesdays 8 00 PM local Echolink KL7M s N Nets in
5. CELL CASE MH 29A2B LCD Display mic with remote functions 350 00 Yaesu FT 530 FNB 26S AND FNB 26 batteries MH 29A2B LCD Display mic with remote functions VINYL CASE NC 42 QUICK CHARGER 350 00 Yaesu FT 530 3 EACH FNB 25 DESKHARGER 250 00 Brand new Simpson 260 8 volt ohm meter 200 00 gt SGC SG 2000 HF Transceiver no mic 750 00 This is an extremely high quality 150 watt HF SSB CW and AM Transceiver for Marine or Ham use s wewe Keene w _ we t j NT ad PW ae I amp TRA qt i j __ L Ve sei V 7 sj I uF T i APRIL 2009 6 ANCHORAGE AMATEUR RADIO CLUB MEMBERSHIP MEETING March 6 2009 Carr Gottstein Building APU Campus Anchorage AK Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 7 00 PM by Presi dent Randy Vallee KL7Z Members and guests intro duced themselves Thirty nine were in attendance Presentation Jerry Matthews of Municipal Light and Power gave a presentation on Power Distribution m South Central Alaska and Standby generator installations Jerry s de partment is the Distribution Transformer Shop Facility Maintenance Jerry provided a layout of the 17 Distri bution plants connected throughout South Central and Interior Alaska These plants are between Delta Junc tion in the Interior and Bradley Lake across the bay from Homer and feed the large neighborhood substa tions Several Power Dispatch centers are used to bro ker power throughout this section of the s
6. No 4 KL7AA Club Business ANCHORAGE AMATEUR RADIO CLUB BOARD MEETING March 17 2009 540 WEST INTERNATIONAL ROAD Anchorage AK UNAPPROVED at Printing The meeting was called to order at 7 00 PM by President Randy Vallee KL7Z BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT President Randy Vallee KL7Z Vice President Heather Hasper KL7SP Secretary Richard Tweet KL2AZ Treasurer Calex Gonzalez KL2BT Activities Manager Pat Wilke WL7JA Past President Kathleen O Keefe KL7KO Eric McIntosh KL2FM Susan Woods NL7NN John Orella KL7LL T J Sheffield KL7TS Tom Rutigliano NL7TZ Michael O Keefe KL7MD Sean Jensen KL2CO Hugh McLaughlin KL7HM NON VOTING MEMBERS PRESENT Keith Clark KL7MM EXCUSED Bruce McCormick KL7BM UNEXCUSED Craig Severson KL2FN REQUEST FOR AGENDA ITEMS Travel and Unavailability John Orella KL7LL D Star repeater availability Tom Rutigliano NL7TZ Membership Survey Heather Hasper KL7SP GUESTS Bill Fults KLIUK T J Tombleson KB8JXX SECRETARY REPORT Previous Board meeting minutes for the February Board meeting were presented as well as the membership meet ing minutes from the March membership meeting Dis cussion noted the misspelling of an Officer s name Mo tion made John Orella KL7LL seconded Michael O Keefe KL7MD to accept the minutes as presented corrected The motion carried unanimously APRIL 2009 TREASURER S REPORT Calex Gonzalez KL2BT gave the financial report for month ending February 2008
7. The basic connection procedure is the same as for a proof test and the voltage applied is calculated from the dc test voltage formulas When testing good equipment you should notice a steady increase in insu lation resistance due to decrease in capacitive and ab sorption currents Total Current I H in seconds Volume 38 No 4 W Wo Wo WW X lt OW OW OW OW WWW XX X lt X lt WWW WW The Alaska DX Club KL7DX and 4 KL7CQ has been granted a third call sign which we will be using for a yearlong spe x cial event 2009 in honor of the 50th An niversary of Alaska s Statehood The call vr sign is KLSO Attached a picture of what the QSL card u 4 will look like ALASKA Be Be Be Be Be Be Be Be Be P Be Be Be Be Be Be Be Be Be Be e k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k elle G IMWONIGS GLISS CORNEY EASTMAN KLOFK is offering a great Electronics Class on Friday evenings at the KL7AA HAMSHACK The classes are open for anyone wanting to learn The toilet at the KL7AA hamshack was recently replaced to accommo date our aging members A complete hamshack with full accommodations troubleshoot radio or antennas more about electronics or test equipment used in radio applications anyone who wants to test or This informal fun class discusses design and partners omen equipment options that might be used to build a radio RADIO KITS are available to pu
8. there to assist local state and federal agencies and relief organizations such as the American Red Cross and Salvation Army When All Else Fails Amateur Radio BERBER s s ERR RRR RRR RRR RRR NN ARES TRAINING WHEN APRIL 18 2009 BERBER ERE REPRE RRR Ree eee NN NMERBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEREREEREBS EE EE emergency communication scenarios with multiple Do you have coax laying around in piles wondering if agencies it works or if it is still good Perhaps the connectors are rusted out and you need help in changing the con On Saturday June 6 2009 Anchorage International Airport will be practicing a disaster operations exercise Due to the size of ANC International the airport 1s required to complete this exercise every 3 years as part of the recertification of the airport under Federal Aviation Regulations Part 139 This training exercise will involve a simulated aircraft crash on or near airport property This training exercise will help the airport prepare for it s response to an aircraft accident This is a multi agency exercise Many client agencies will be participating including Anchorage Office of Emergency Management AFD APD State Troopers Providence Hospital Regional Hospital Kulis Air National Guard USFW USCG Port of Anchorage as well as many other Non Government Organizations More details about volunteer opportunities In future newsletters There are plen
9. use of equipment acquired Purpose is for commonality of equipment What operator training will be provided to the membership and who will be providing the training Training opportunities other than contesting Wise use of club finances Past purchases not used APRIL 2009 10 This proposed 26 000 00 purchase was approved by the AARC Board during the February Board meeting and will go the membership for a vote on the April 3 general membership meeting President Vallee ex pressed his appreciation to T J Sheffield and Keith Clark for their work on the presentation and Field Day preparations T J TOMBLESON PRESENTATION T J Tombleson KB8JXX gave a presentation to the Board detailing the Cliffside Amateur Radio Associa tion s CARA project for a Statewide Linked Radio Project T J noted this project will provide for 24 linked repeaters and is proposed to be installed in 3 phases AT amp T Alaska has partnered with CARA and will pro vide for free hosting of the equipment as well as installa tion by their technicians T J noted that it will cost CARA approximately 8 000 00 per site in support equipment to bring online Discussion included fre quency pairing control operator availability control link via leased lines project budget support personnel and equipment sites included per phase repeater intercon nection project engineering grant availability require ments and procedures ArcticCom experience in devel opment
10. Aduebuawy 3 d Aepsunul u1S J MOd 3u Bi u3 Aepsunyul y y SSOUD Gay AepsInyL pIE ssoupeW JIqow epsinu L puz lqe1iod LH epsinul 3ST SL3N SAYV O OIVA WEH 606 F 9 7 HUIBSOL XWOD ONINIVEL STAV 8J Volume 38 No 4 12 PUBLIC SERVICE ACTIVITIES Public Service ARES Section 7 District 7 Listed below are events that local radio clubs and event coordinators are looking for communication volunteers Anchorage ALAS KA to support these upcoming public service events Your participation is appreciated J While April is a quite month for public Vou errs service activities Spring 1s Just around the corner and Summer events will soon be here Here are some of the dates and events in May that we will be looking for volunteers 3 2 VJALR FOR DOPE Contact John Lynn KL7CY johnlynn gci net 5 17 COLD NUGGET TRIATHLON Contact Heather Hasper KL7SP kl7sp arrl net 20G MAYORS MARATHON 64 23 FIELD DAW EMERGENCY EXERCISES E This spring will bring many opportunities to practice odes COAX Maintenanee kumumununananuanunananananananananananananananananaanun Mission statement Dedicated to amateur radio as it pertains to disaster ser vices The history of amateur radio operators involve ment in sending life saving information in and out of dis aster areas and providing help during and after earth quakes floods hurricanes and tornadoes HAM s have been
11. Alaska The following nets are active in ARES Net 147 27 87 103 5Hz Thursdays at 8 00 PM local PARKA Net 147 30 90 141 3 HZ Thursdays at 7 00 PM local Big City Simplex Net 146 520 446 0 52 320 FM 29 6 FM 28 400 USB gt ACWN Alaska CW Net Grandson of SSB Net 144 20 USB Mondays 8 00 PM local Alaska VHF Up Net 144 200 USB Saturdays 9 00 AM local Statewide LINK Net 147 27 87 103 5Hz Sunday 8 00 PM local South Central Alaska HF Alaska Sniper s Net 3 920 MHz 6 00 PM daily Alaska Bush Net 7 093 MHz 8 00 PM daily gt Alaska Motley Net 3 933 MHz 9 00 PM daily 3534 7042 Daily 0700 1000 Net Purpose Formal NTS traffic via CW Alaska Pacific Net 14 292 MHz 8 00 AM M F ERC HF Net 3 880 MHz Sunday 8 30PM TPR RRR RRR RRR RRR RRR RRR 8 A kill G EEEI unn nas snn sss s s sss sss sss ss sss sss sss sss sss sss s s 5 5 5 5 b APRIL 2009 14 Volume 38 No 4 Internet Links the favorites from our readers AARC http www KL7AA net SCRC http www KL7G org EARS http www kl7air us MARA http www kl7jfu com Moose Horn ARC _http www moosehornarc com PARKA http www parka kl7ion com ARES http www aresalaska org Practice Exams http www AA9PW com Fairbanks AARC http www kl7kc com ALASKA MARS http www akmars org Alaska VHF Up Group http www kl7uw com avg htm B thel Amateur Radio Klub http www al7yk org Yukon Am
12. Sheffield KL7TS k17ts at arrl net Craig Severson KL2FN chipman at clearwire net John Orella KL7LL k17II at arrl net Susan Woods NL7NN NL7NN4606 at yahoo com Tom Rutigliano NL7TZ tomr at alaska net Sean Jensen KL2CO sean jensen at gmail com Hugh McLaughlin KL7HM kl7hm at arrl net Kathleen O Keefe KL7KO Past President kok at woodscross net i AARC web page amp Email contact addresses Homepage http www KL7AA net Webmaster webmaster at kl7aa net Membership membership at kl7aa net Newsletter editor at kl7aa net News Letter Submissions Information or corrections Submissions must be received 2 weeks before meeting Email editor at kl7aa net 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 a o JAN 1 2009 KL7AA Flattop Mountain 2 200 ft 146 94 34 MHz 80 watts auto patch 141 3 Hz PL 224 94 223 34 25 watts no patch no PL 444 70 449 70 25 watts auto patch 103 5 PL WL7CVG Mount Susitna 4 396 ft VHF WL7CVG R1 147 270 147 870 PL 103 5 no auto patch UHF WL7CVG R3 443 300 448 300 PL 103 5 no auto patch WL7CVE Grubstake Hatcher Pass 4 536 ft VHF WL7CVF R1 147 330 147 930 PL 103 5 Hz no patch UHF WL7CVEF R3 443 900 448 900 PL 103 5 Hz no patch KL7ION at Mt Gordon Lyon PARKA 3 940 ft 147 30 147
13. ateur Radio Association http www yara ca Links for Propagation http www haarp alaska edu QRP and Homebrew Links http www AL7FS us Solar Terrestrial Activity http www spaceweather com http www swpc noaa gov 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 editor kl7aa net Regular HAM Gatherings Tuesday Lunch 11 30 AM Denny s on Denali be hind Sears Several old timers show for this and have lots of stories to share about amateur radio in Alaska 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 American Diner at the Northeast corner of Arctic and Interna tional Great Fun Who Do I Contact to Join AARC Fred Erickson KL7FE 12531 Alpine Dr Anchorage AK 99516 3121 E mail membership at kl7aa net Phone number 345 2181 Annual Dues are 12 prorated as appropriate Additional Member in same household is 6 Full Time Student is no charge Ask about Life Memberships APRIL 2009 15 MONTHLY 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 27 repeater 1 Tuesday each month except for holidays VE License Exam 6 30 PM at the Hope Cottage offices 540 W Internati
14. bile amplifier would be wired into CCV permanently 200 control cable gt Guy ropes to allow for 2 guy connection on towers Shipping and contingency T J provided a view of the proposed layout noted this was a legacy system noted the fundamental question was the capability to provide communications provided a history of AARC purchases to improve the deploy ment portable capabilities noted the 2 Elecraft radios would be used as the primary transmitters for DX capa bilities and the use of a regional statewide training sta tion using multi mode capability at 150 watts and a SteppIR antenna the GOTA station would be a dupli cate of the CCV facility club station using a Mark V and a Micro KEYER provided a cost comparison of AARC costs associated with the ownership of VHF UHF repeaters as compared to this purchase noted the availability to provide wireless and HinterNET support to agencies noted training opportunities available at CCV facility during contests Board discussion of the proposal included 2 K3 s would be needed to provide both DX and NVIS com munications K3 s are portable and more robust per the reference material presented Why laptops vs desktop pe s Could existing club assets be used in lieu of pur chasing new What is the minimum needed to operate on Field day Project would be for ARES communica tion response and tested on Field Day and Sweepstakes events Who will provide ARES training for
15. e goal WILEY TEST GEAR This was discussed as noted above Heather Hasper noted that Corny Eastman KLOFK will be out of town on business until the beginning of April NEW BUSINESS BOARD POLICY ON USE OF PERSONAL CREDIT CARDS Discussion was held on the AARC Board Policy regard ing the use of personal credit cards for club purchases It was noted that the AARC Bylaws and Articles of Incor poration prohibits the personal gain by any officer of the club and the club s policy is that no personal credit cards will be used for the purchases of the AARC Discussion APRIL 2009 9 was held on the use of debit cards by club members for club purchases for repairs and improvements to club as sets and the reimbursement policy of the club Randy Vallee noted the AARC Bylaws Committee will review the policy BOARD MEMBER TRAVEL John Orella KL7LL noted that he will be travelling from the 7 of April until the middle of June and will be un available for AARC business Tom Rutigliano reported that he would be gone during May and June and would also be unavailable D STAR REPEATER AVAILABILITY Tom Rutigliano NL7TZ reported that Mike Romanello KL7BK was interested in selling his D Star repeater Discussion was held on AARC interest In obtaining this system use and equipment requirements for D Star and current status of the system Sean Jensen KL2CO noted this was appropriate for the Technical Committee to pursue Tom will find out pa
16. h a PC and soundcard to operate In many digital modes There are weekly contests to participate in even if Just helping Hams all over the world gain points and multipliers to win awards Your club station is quite capable and has great ears Club operators have made many QSO s with all modes on all continents Recent activities have seen SSTV QSO with New Zealand hearing a Fallujah Iraq operator on PSK a 15 meter contact to Peru during the CQ WW Phone contest Common contacts are made with the lower 48 states and Caribbean Canada Japan Korea Taiwan China Russia and islands in the Pacific Take advantage of this unique benefit Arrange a session by contacting the club trustee Keith Clark KL7MM to meet at the KL7AA station on Rowan Street DH U Mall jeilecsor If you like to stay in touch on KL7AA news and other posts of local interest Step 1 First point your browser to 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 set tings on the list such as digest mode etc Step 4 If you would like the e mails in daily digest form click yes on the line marked Would you like
17. major holiday weekend Wasilla Red Cross is in the Westside Mall next to Speedy Glass it s just a click up from AIH hardware 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 Tim Comfort NL7SK NL7SK at arrl net Volume 38 No 4 THE MODULATION TIMES Anchorage Amateur Radio Club Inc PRSRT STD Post Office Box 101987 U S Postage Anchorage Alaska 99510 1987 PAID www kl7aa net Anchorage AK Permit No 69 ARRL Affiliated Club for more than 50 years OF WF OP UP UF 05 UP UF WE OF UF UP UP UF UF UR UR UF UF OF e es OF ey e CF OF F UF e Se y 4224224442 2224242224 LIDS Cartoons are the creation of NL7SK Tim Comfort and are avail able for purchase on CD for only 15 All sale S44444544444444554 eT e proceeds go to support the Matanuska Amateur Radio Association www kl7jfu com THE EASTER BUNNY BORROWED RAY S TRAILER FOR HIS DELIVERIES HE DECORATED IT FOR THE HOLIDAY amp CALLED IT THE ETHER EGG i Ah a a a a a ka a a i Ra a a a a a a Ra Ah a a a ka a i a a kh a a a a a a Ai a AA APRIL 2009 16 Volume 38 No 4
18. mplete rebuilds of these units are done on regular intervals coordination issues between utilities for transferring power isolation capabilities during disasters weak links in the power grid such as the Seward area due to avalanches Whittier due to the tunnel Hope due to fuel constraints The installation of standby generation for homeowners was discussed and a handout detailing the requirements of the 3 local utilities were provided as handouts Jerry noted that an individuals location would have a major part in the decision of how much to spend on a standby system what the standby load requirements would be what the critical loads might be what type of electrical electronic equipment would be powered is the generator permanently installed or cord and plug connected Jerry noted that a permanently installed generator has more stringent requirements to satisfy Utility and Code enforcement agency rules Transfer switches if used are required to be rated the same as the utility service is to the residence i e 100 amp 200 amp etc Multiple circuit switching assemblies are available locally which allow for switching critical circuits between utility and generator power without the installation of a transfer switch Estimated costs for the installation of standby generation are 500 per kilowatt if the work is done by the homeowner and can range to the area of 1500 per kW if installed professionally Jerry noted the average home requi
19. n two or more conductors are run together in a raceway they act as a capacitor Due to this capacitive effect a leakage current flows through conductor insu lation This current lasts only for a few seconds as the dc voltage is applied and drops out after the insulation has been charged to its full test voltage In low capacitance equipment the capacitive current is higher than conductive leakage current but usually dis appears by the time we start recording the data Because of this it is important to let the reading settle out before recording it On the other hand when testing high ca pacitance equipment the capacitive charging leakage current can last for a very long time before settling out APRIL 2009 Dielectric insulation Conductors Polarization absorption leakage current IA Absorption current is caused by the polarization of molecules within dielectric material In low capacitance equipment the current is high for the first few seconds and decreases slowly to nearly zero When dealing with high capacitance equipment or wet and contaminated insulation there will be no decrease in the absorption current for a long time During the short time test the MegOhmMeter is con nected directly across the equipment being tested and a test voltage is applied for about 60 seconds In order to reach a stable insulation reading in about one minute the test should only be performed on low capacitance equipment
20. nformation Megohmmeters provide many features Remote con trols permit control by computers or other instru ments Build in calibration allows operators to cali brate test instruments without removing them from the test location Warning indicator lights indicate pass fail conditions and often work in conjunction with au dible buzzers or alarms In automated test environ ments ATEs megohmmeters are often interfaced with programmable logic controllers PLCs Rapid cutoff circuitry protects devices from excessively high levels of voltage or current User selectable output frequencies typically 50 Hz or 60 Hz are commonly available Front panel lockouts enable users to pass word protect megohmmeters Some manufacturers call this tamper proof operation There are a variety of applications for a megohmme ter Some devices are used to test the insulation resis tance of wires cables transformers and electrical mo tors Others are used to verify that devices such as air craft fuel pumps meets manufacturer IR specifica tions are also used to test the insulation resistance of cable reels rectifiers solid state diodes and other electrical components cont page 3 Volume 38 No 4 KL7AA HAMSHACK The KL7AA station is available for training in HF operations Learn from an experienced HF operator about propagation voice and Morse code modes as well as best practices and legal operations The station is fully integrated wit
21. onal Bring photo ID copy of license if any and any certificates of comple tion Contact Jim Wiley KL7CC 338 0662 2 Saturday each month PARKA Meeting at 11 00 AM Polar Amateur Radio Klub of Alaska All amateurs welcome Denny s on Denali Street in Anchorage Talk in on 147 30 2 Saturday each month except for holidays 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 com pletion Contact Jim Wiley KL7CC 338 0662 3 Saturday of each Quarter month EARS gen eral meeting at 3 00 PM EARS meetings are held formally each Quarter during the first month Jan April July and October Meetings are held infor mally each month at R1 North Contact info PO Box 6079 Elmendorf AFB 99506 or email Ron Keech KL7YK for information EARS 552 2664 recording Talk in on 146 67 Email KL7AIR arrl net or KL7YK arrl net 3 Tuesday each month AARC Board meeting at 7 00 PM at Hope Cottage 540 W International All hams are invited and encouraged to attend 3 Saturday each month ARES General meet ing 9 30AM to 12 30 PM Call Michael O Keefe ANC DEC dec kl7aa net HM 243 4675 for ad ditional information Also check for ARES Info at www aresalaska org 4 Saturday of each month Valley VE Testing at 7PM sessions will be held at the Wasilla Red Cross at 7 pm on the fourth Saturday of each month unless it is a
22. rchase and build Bring your questions and projects to the KL7AA Radio shop on Friday Evenings at 530PM i i The class is currently scheduled to meet on the following nights 5 4 10 4 17 4 24 THANKS TO CORNEY Looking For an Apartment Where You for offering this course Can Put Up an Antenna Dream On APRIL 2009 4 Volume 38 No 4 Step voltage test The step voltage test involves resistance testing at various voltage settings In this test you apply each test voltage for the same period of time usually 60 seconds graphing the recorded insulation resistance By applying increasing voltages in steps the insulation is exposed to increased electrical stress that can reveal information about flaws in the insulation such as pinholes physical damage or brittleness Good insulation should withstand an increase in over voltage stress and its resistance should remain approximately the same during testing with different voltage levels On the other hand especially at higher voltage levels deteriorated cracked or contaminated insulation will experience an increased current flow resulting in a decrease in insulation resistance This test is independent of insulation material equipment capacitance and temperature effect Because it takes a longer time to run it should be performed only after an insulation spot test has been inconclusive A spot test deals with absolute resistance change single reading with re
23. res between 5 to 10kw to power standby equipment and circuits Discussion noted the installation of equipment in the Municipality of Anchorage requires an electrical permit a homeowner not renters may obtain the permit and do the work themselves with a diagram of the intended installation all utilities have requirements for installation and will inspect the installation to verify the installation for safety and protection of the crews working on the utility power during an outage Jerry noted that a generator supplying 120v to a residence that 1s improperly installed can produce 7200v by back feeding a transformer and energizing the primary lines Discussion noted that the less expensive the generator the lower quality of power provided automatic vs manual transfer switches permanent vs portable generators site considerations noise issues with generators life safety issues for some utility requirements are easier with manual APRIL 2009 transfer switches vs automatic grounding issues National Electrical Code article 702 requirements and the bottom line that the installation needs to be safe Discussion was also held on co generation geo thermal tidal and in river generation systems legally required standby systems in hospitals schools assembly points and other similar facilities use of coal and emissions dwindling natural gas supplies wind farms and the proposed new substation in Anchorage at International and Minne
24. rticulars on the equipment and sale price and report back to the committee MEMBERSHIP SURVEY Heather Hasper inquired as to the status of the AARC membership survey discussed at the February Board Meeting Hugh McLaughlin reported that he had not initiated the survey yet ARES HF EQUIPMENT PURCHASE T J Sheffield KL7TS gave a presentation of a Capital Projects funding request for additional club equipment This was in addition to the presentation during the Feb ruary AARC Board meeting and was intended to be more detailed and address questions raised by the Board T J noted this proposed matrix of equipment would al low for deployment without tearing down of club station equipment or borrowing personal equipment and could be available for use at Field Day Equipment proposed for purchase consists of Volume 38 No 4 KL7AA Club Business 4 Laptop computers with external mouse keyboard and monitors These will allow for portability and rapid deployment One would be used for the satel lite station one for the training station and 2 for the primary transmitters These higher end laptops would allow for multiple applications to be open in an emergency 3 MicroHAM micro KEYERS One for each of the proposed Elecraft stations and one for the GOTA station Micro KEYERS provide multi mode capa bility T J noted the new ARRL Triple Play award for Voice CW Digital contacts 2 Elecraft K3 transceivers 1 SGC mo
25. sion is hereby granted to any not for profit Amateur Radio Publication to reprint any portion of this newsletter provided both the author and Anchorage Amateur Radio Club are credited Volume 38 No 4 What are insulation resistance and leakage currents During the testing procedure the high dc voltage gener ated by pressing the test button will cause a small micro amps current flow through the conductor and the insulation The amount of current depends on the amount of voltage applied the system s capacitance the total resistance and the temperature of the material For a fixed voltage the higher the current the lower the re sistance E IR R E I The total resistance is the sum of the internal resistance of the conductor small value plus the insulation resistance in MQs The value of in sulation resistance read on the meter will be a function of following three independent sub currents Conductive leakage current I Conductive current is a small micro amp amount of current that normally flows through insulation between conductors or from a conductor to ground This current increases as insulation deteriorates and becomes pre dominant after the absorption current see Figure 1 van ishes Because it is fairly steady and time independent this is the most important current for measuring insula tion resistance Pa a KES i k Conductors Capacitive charging leakage current IC Whe
26. sota Business Randy Vallee noted the open Activities Manager position on the AARC Board of Directors Pat Wilke WL7JA volunteered for the position and was approved by the AARC Board of Directors at the February Board Meeting Randy asked for a show of hands to approve Pat to the position There was no opposition Randy Valley noted that T J Sheffield was going to be putting forth a proposal for the purchase of emergency response equipment and requests input from members at the weekly sessions at the Rowan Street ham shack The meetings are held every Wednesday at 7pm T J requests input and thoughts regarding emergency preparedness and also thoughts about the upcoming Field Day OTHER Heather Hasper announcements Heather thanked the volunteers for the Fur Rondy event and handed out certificates for participating A statewide ARES training session will be held at the APU campus at 9 30am on March 21st The training will be on Winlink and will be presented by the Fairbanks radio club A joint exercise will be held on UAA campus involving UAA Red Cross and OEM on Monday March 23rd Two shifts of volunteers are requested A 930am 3pm shift and a 230pm 8pm shift Contact KL7SP at ARRL net for information and to volunteer Door Prize Drawing WL7CPX Nancy KL2HC KL2OS and KL7MM The meeting adjourned at 8 50pm Submitted as recorded on March 6 2009 by Richard Tweet KL2AZ Secretary KL7SP made the following Volume 38
27. spect to time while the step voltage test looks for trends in resistance with respect to varying test voltages Direction of Insulation z lin seconds Dielectric absorption time resistance test The time resistance test 1s independent of equipment size and temperature It compares the absorption characteristics of contaminated insulation with the absorption characteristics of good insulation The test voltage is applied over a 10 minute period with the data recorded every 10 seconds for the first minute and then every minute thereafter The interpretation of the slope of the plotted graph will determine the condition of the insulation A continuous increase in graphed resistance indicates good insulation A flat or downward curve indicates cracked or contaminated insulation O APRIL 2009 in Megohms Good Insulation Condition Poor To Condition Voltage lin KV Ham graffiti Volume 38 No 4 I have a list of Ham gear 1 ater to 5 sell they will go on eBay soon if they don t sell here in Alaska If you need any more info please ask Home phone is 376 2857 email is nl7tz arrl net I can bring anything to town to the club meeting Thanks 73 Tom NL7TZ ICOM IC R7000 600 00 Description 25 1000 1025 2000 MHz multimode communications receiver with 99 memory channels Operator s manual and service manual Have 3 of these 2m 440 HT Yaesu FT 530 FBA 12 6 AA DRY
28. tate and keeps power flowing to the customer Power is then distrib uted throughout the distribution system by the use of transformers which regulate the voltage down from the high voltage transmission for distribution In high den sity areas the loop feed system is used with one switch in the loop locked open This provides for redundancy in situations such as cable failures or downed lines and provides the ability to reroute power to the area and minimizing the affected users Where the density is lower the radial feed system is used The drawback to this type of feed is that extended power outages may be experienced while repairs are made Power linemen are reminded of their own safety In situations where they are focused and intent on getting the power back on Jerry discussed the incident where a raven caused a flash over In a substation and the domino effect which caused 2 3 of South Central Alaska to go black as a re sult Jerry noted the use of hydro electric power from the Bradley Lake Cooper Lake and Eklutna Lake facilities coal at the Fairbanks and Healy plants natural gas at the Chugach Electric and ML amp P plants and diesel and bunker fuel generators at other facilities Jerry noted that Delta Junction used to have a small nuclear power plant that is no longer in use Volume 38 No 4 KL7AA General Meeting Club Business General discussion noted the age of the turbines in use in Anchorage which are 25 30 years old Co
29. ted this severely limits appropriate property choices to ac commodate the AARC s requirements Keith noted he will continue to watch the market Volume 38 No 4 KL7AA Club Business CLUB TEST EQUIPMENT Heather Hasper KL7SP reported that the test equipment discussed at the last Board meeting had been purchased from Jim Wiley KL7CC and was in use at the AARC CCV facility Heather reported that the policy for use of club assets was still in draft format and was still being developed AARC BOARD OF DIRECTORS TRAINING Randy Vallee asked for input on the recent Foreaker Group Board of Director training provided to the AARC Board of Directors General discussion was all very posi tive with the suggestion the training occur annually and additional training be sought in the Finance Committee and Project Management areas CCV SECURITY Michael O Keefe KL7MD reported that the project is not complete and is waiting on installation of equipment and devices CCV VEHICLE Michael O Keefe reported that the leveler jack system is in need of repair as it is inoperative Michael is working on finding a facility to repair it CCV CONFERENCE PHONE Brief discussion was held on conference phone availabil ity in the CCV facility Discussion was held on the pro totype multiple headset monitoring mentoring INTER COM station being tested by the club and the possibility of using off the shelf aviation type equipment to accom plish the sam
30. to re ceive list mail batched in a daily digest Step 5 Click on the Subscribe button below the infor mation that you just entered APRIL 2009 Are you a member of ARRL ARRL is the American Radio Relay League AR R L This is the national or Amateur Radio ganization that advo cates on behalf of ama teur radio operators to the FCC and the communications industry KLTAA is an ARRL affiliated club with more than 50 years Consider becoming a member of ARRL today Fore more information about the ARRL DXCC Program check out htt www arrl org awards dxcc t t t t t t t News Letter Submissions Information or correc tions Submissions must be received 2 weeks before meeting Email editor kl7aa net Mail PO BOX 101987 Anchorage AK 99510 1987 t t t t t t t 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 Submis sions must be In the hands of the editor no later than the 10 days prior to the meeting or it may not be in cluded The MODULATION TIMES is the monthly newsletter of the Anchorage Amateur Radio Club published by and for its members The entire contents of this newsletter are copyright 2008 by the Anchorage Amateur Radio Club Permis
31. ty of nectors On Saturday April 18 2009 we will have test gear setup and soldering irons set up at Alaska Pacific Uni versity to allow participants to bring their coax to the training and learn how to put on connectors and how to test the resistance of your coax Multiple stations will be set up to allow for many op erators to use the equipment Be sure to LABEL any of your coax so not to get them confused with others that may be there testing as well Corny Eastman KLOFK will be providing the training o ARES District 7 Contact Information opportunities for operators who enjoy all modes of Michael O Keefe KL7MD amateur radio to get involved in your club activities DEC7 at kl7aa net APRIL 2009 13 Volume 38 No 4 Data You Can Use 2009 Board of Directors President Randy Vallee KL7Z president at kl7aa net Vice Pres Heather Hasper KL7SP vicepresident at kl7aa net Secretary Richard Tweet KL2AZ secretary at kl7aa net Treasurer Calex Gonzalez KL2BT treasurer at kl7aa net Activities Chairman Pat Wilke WL7JA activities at kl7aa net Trustee Keith Clark KL7MM trustee at kl7aa net Membership Chairman Fred Erickson KL7FE membership at kl7aa net News Letter Editor Heather Hasper KL7SP editor at kl7aa net Three Year Board Members Michael O Keefe KL7MD mok at gci net 3rd Year Eric McIntosh KL2FM kI2fm at arrl net 2nf Year Bruce McCormick KL7BM kl7bm at arrl net 1st year One Year Board Members TJ
32. um insulation resistance is 5 MO Important specifications for a megohmmeter include DC output voltage DC output current current leak age rate resistance range and test time The type of electrical safety test determines the level of voltage or current that is supplied For example hipot testing usually produces very high voltage outputs and very low current outputs Current leakage another impor tant specification for a megohmmeter is the rate at which current flows through a ground conductor and is borne away safely Resistance range measures a material s opposition to the flow of electric current Test time is the time required to complete the test APRIL 2009 Megohmmeters vary in terms of dis play and interface technologies Analog meters display values on a dial usually witha a needle or pointer Digital meters display values with a numeric readout Light emitting diode LED and liq uid crystal display LCD devices are common types of digital meters In terms of interface technologies several types are available General purpose interface bus GPIB is designed to connect computers periph erals and laboratory instruments so that data and con trol information can pass between them RS232 or ANSI 232 is used for serial communications between instruments and computers Megohmmeters with printer ports and scanner ports are also available De vices with storage capabilities can provide printouts of formatted i
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