The Drake TR7 brings back the days of the Novice Round-up when RadioSport captured my attention. Sensitivity is 0.5 uV for 10dB and ultimate selectivity is greater than 95dB. Image rejection is 60 dB minimum below 14 MHz and 50 dB minimum above 14 MHz. However image rejection for the Yaesu FT100 is better than 70dB and rcvr sensitivity is .25 uV. Interesting.
My first ever copy of the National Contest Journal (NCJ) arrived in the mailbox. I'm stoked!
Contest on.
If anyone has further N0HR toolbar really simple syndication (RSS) feed problems let us know.
73 from the shackadelic.
This is the weekend for "extreme wireless" as Islands on the Air [IOTA] strikes the ionosphere. I did not operate the contest in 2007 but this year the timing is excellent. DXpeditions are preparing for an intense 24-hours of global radio frequency (RF) competition and I'm not missing out on the fun.
On the other hand, Ward, N0AX coined extreme wireless and I'm borrowing because it sounds too good for this geek.
Ionospheric coolness.
An IOTA station has a 15-point value whereas non-island stations are valued at 3-points. The game is multipliers because one must work different IOTA references. That is cool. Additionally, if one is not a marathon 24-hour contest machine then consider the half-marathon 12-hour version of IOTA. The exchange is riveting for the ears as well. An IOTA station must send signal report, serial number, and reference. That's king kong.
Radio Society Great Britain (RSGB).
This weekend will be nothing less than a good show sponsored by RSGB. I've met a few of the finest in Great Britain via Twitter and these ham radio operators are spot on cool. They are giving back to the hobby in giant proportions and I'm honored to know them.
If one is 'new' to contesting then checkout RSGB's HF Contesting Guide.
For more information on RSGB click here and IOTA contest rules click here.
Contest on.
Read comment here.
No problem. I understand what is the potential issue at hand.
Perhaps one is clicking on my micro-blog in the left hand column? If this is so, then, one will only read my commentary at either Twitter and/or FriendFeed. That is all and signing up is necessary to proceed any further.
Currently, I'm using really simple syndication (RSS) that feeds my content to the following websites that feeds back into my blog as a micro-blog.
Social Networks & Aggregators.
Please consider one of the following social networks especially FriendFeed and/or Twitter in the near future. Also, consider subscribing to KA3DRR, using the RSS symbol just below my picture.
Contest on.
If I could click my steel toed boots three times? I would ask for a Collins KWM2 or KWM2A. One collector noted an item of interest and that is winged emblem (WE) or round emblem (RE). The RE tends to fetch a higher market price. However I have not found a satisfactory answer to why an RE or WE on the rig? Perhaps I'm not searching the Collins Collectors Association using appropriate terms i.e. winged or round. As a teenage ham in the late 70s a few radios stood out and one of them is a Collins KWM2 or KWM2A. I gravitated toward the stories. Let's see if I can find anything on a Drake C-Line? 73 from the shackadelic.
I noted desensitization and its effect on a repeater system. Desensitization is especially evident when transmitter operation coincides with nearby rcvr functions. Isolation is important to consider when desensitization occurs during TX/RX functions. There are a few fixes to think about when this problem manifests.
This afternoon, I'm learning about capture effect in relationship to frequency-modulation (FM) and amplitude-modulation (AM). There are differences as suggested in the license manual. Noise and interference affect an incoming signal according to Wolfgang, Reed, and Jan Carman (2007).
Capture Effect.
FM behaves differently when noise or interference are present. The loudest signal on the frequency will be demodulated unlike AM, SSB, or CW. This characteristic is capture effect as suggested by Wolfgang, et al. (2007). Is this true about FM in one's vehicle? Because the authors note that capture effect is advantageous when one is trying to receive a loud station when weaker stations occupy the same frequency. The manual further explains noise and interference effects on AM, SSB, or CW signals (p 4-28).
Wolfgang, et al. (2007) added a few suggestions as well.
Time for me to answer the questions.
Reference: Wolfgang, D. L., Reed, G. D., and Jan Carman, R. (2007). [8th ed.] Extra Class License Manual. ARRL-The national association for amateur radio. Newington, Ct. 06111.
I'm looking at 10.9% (n=118) of ham radio operators with pages on either FaceBook or MySpace. This is not a blow out but it is a good beginning. For me, 10.9% potentially represents the NexGen movement, inside the hobby. They are the future. In contrast, 75.2% (n=815) though not a scientific sample, represents the age/generational variable in the poll. They are not interested. Who can be surprised? However what does this mean for ham radio on a daily basis? The hobby gains exposure on websites whose traffic measures into the millions. That's not bad. Currently, when one types [ham radio] as keywords on Twitter, the count is one-hundred and thirty. Likewise, a dismissive attitude would be counter productive, the poll demonstrates a beginning not an end. Perhaps the next step is translating the data into something productive?
Read comment here.
Invaluable information regarding ham radio's digital era, the Millennial generation, and leadership.
Why are some but not all Millennials gravitating into ham radio? I wager, it is the digital niche, opportunities to lead, and imagination. That's not all that different from any other generation of ham radio operators however they are breathing the cloud like oxygen. That's the difference between Millennials and Baby Boomers.
I advocate, at every turn, a consistent message regarding ham radio's digital era. Perhaps putting software defined radio (SDR) at the tip of the wave? Or text messaging as described in Kenwood's TM-D710A Multi Communicator 144/44o MHz FM Dual Bander brochure?
One might say, "The extreme cell phone is ham radio."
73 from the shackadelic.
