North American QSO Party [NAQP] CW 2009 | My Goals

I like this type of RadioSport event between the majors. And this weekend the North American QSO Party [NAQP] version CW pumps our ionosphere. The fun dimension in NAQP? Everyone operates no more than 100-watts. Propagation has a big hand well propagation always has a big hand in any contest.

Morse code speed is not a fun disqualifier. If one is 5 words-per-minute turn on, tune, and operate. The objective is spectrum activity.

Goal(s).

• Have fun.
  
• Beat last year's Q-count.
  
• Push my listening skill.
  
• Call CQ into my sub-optimal wire antenna system.
  
• Less search and pounce.
  
• Maximize single-operator 2 VFO (SO2V) operation.
  
• Post on-going score at Live Amateur Radio Contest Scores.
• Have a lot of ham radio fun.

If one's contest logger does not auto update to Live Amateur Radio Contest Scores, please consider, Get Score's Universal Updater (link). Cool.

Hope to see members of RadioSport Nation in the contest log. Remember, before any RadioSport event, review the rules (link).

Contest on.

P.S. My FriendFeed aggregator channeled several YouTube ham radio contest videos for viewing pleasure on the blog. Feel free to click in and watch.

International Consumer Electronic Show | January 8 - 11

Do not forget to check wireless activities at the International Consumer Electronic Show (link).

73 From Radio Dawg

73!

On Multiple Input, Multiple Output [MIMO] | Bob, K0NR replied "MIMO uses multiple transmitter/receiver paths..."

Read comment (link).

Multipath and selective fading both came to mind after watching a short MIMO video presentation. The ARRL extra class license manual suggested an effect known as picket fencing at very high frequency (VHF). Perhaps this rapid fluttering is much like the effect at high frequency (HF) when signals follow ground wave, the ionosphere or the HF signal is split within ionospheric layers.

The result is a variable-strength signal according to the license manual.

The illustration in the manual (Figure 3-13, p 3-14) also exemplifies the MIMO video where the signal bounces off fixed structures to include a mountain and line of sight. Each signal arriving at the receiver at different time intervals. I'm curious how the engineers overcame selective fading? Perhaps beamforming is an answer.

I'm running a couple of video presentations through FriendFeed here at the blog. Thanks for your comment and webinar link as well.

73 from the shackadelic.

Band-Pass Filter | Detector | Exclusive OR Gate | High-Pass Filter | Low-Pass Filter

Band-pass filter.

• A circuit that allows signals to pass only if they are within a specific range of frequencies. This circuit attenuates signals above and below this range (Wolfgang, L., Reed, D., and Carman, R., 2007).
  

Detector.

• A circuit used in a receiver to recover modulation signal from the RF signal (Wolfgang, L., Reed, D., and Carman, R., 2007).
  

Exclusive OR gate.

• A logic circuit. Output is 1 when single input is 1 and output is 0 when no input is 1 or when more than one input is one (Wolfgang, L., Reed, D., and Carman, R., 2007).
  

High-pass filter.

• Allows signals above cutoff frequency to pass however attenuates signals below the cutoff frequency (Wolfgang, L., Reed, D., and Carman, R., 2007).
  

Low-pass filter.

• All signals below cutoff frequency to pass however attenuates signals above the cutoff frequency (Wolfgang, L., Reed, D., and Carman, R., 2007).

Reference: Wolfgang L,, Reed, D., and Carman, J., (2007). [8th ed.] Extra Class License Manual. ARRL-The national association for amateur radio. Newington, Ct. 06111.

Life Is High Frequency

The trouble with CC&R living is gratitude. Who knows, I might exist in a parallel universe, inside a shackadelic stuffed with tube radios with an antenna eclipsing the Empire State building. A place where Mister Murphy does not exist. Where everything resonants and capacitive reactance is solved.

I enjoyed my ham radio weekend. My doublet made of copper wire tapped into the medium of wireless reaching Japan, Mexico, Alaska, and Arizona. Operating high frequency (HF) only requires a fraction of electrical energy to achieve giant leaps across our blue planet. Twenty five watts is all for me. Our G4 class star gets into the action and space weather is just as important as terrestrial reports. If only old Sol would grow a few more spots.

Whatever one's mode of communication there is exists a place for all of us to communicate. They call this place ham radio.

Life is high frequency.

My Wireless World | WorldWide Interoperability for Microwave Access [WiMAX]

I want to know how technological objects tick. Why? Because learning is a life long process and learning is fun. What is involved in the deployment of technological objects like a mobile phone, a high frequency (HF) transceiver or a wireless system such as WorldWide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX)?

What makes all of my wireless world function much like ham radio?

WorldWide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) According To Motorola.
I'm drawn into WiMAX for its wireless functionality, radio frequency (RF) spectrum usage, sheer curiosity, and game changing footprint. My mobile phone is wireless. My computer connected to Internet is wireless. My world is evolving into a wireless world.

And what makes this work?

Motorola wi4 WiMAX.

• Motorola’s WiMAX solutions are based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) 802.16e-2005 standard for fixed and mobile applications.
• Focused on licensed bands primarily 2.5GHz, 3.5GHz and 2.3GHz.
• WiMAX is a wireless alternative with greater range and bandwidth.

An interesting note from Motorola's WiMAX fact sheet wherein WiMAX takes advantage of underutilized spectrum. The anticipated growth projection is 133 million WiMAX users by 2012 accessing broadband Internet services on a global basis. WiMAX is the wireless broadband pipe promising bandwidth intensive applications such as voice, data, and video.

Additionally, I'm noting an interesting term for the first time, teledensity.

My Learning Curve.

• Scalable - Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (S-OFMDA) is more bits per hertz.
• What is multiple input, multiple output (MIMO)? Would that mean voice, data, and video.
  
• Smart antennas?

More bits per hertz? I'm fascinated. Smart antennas? That suggests software capable of analyzing radio frequency (RF) traffic at the antenna as well as the influence of propagation and (RF) interference then reconfiguring resonant frequency. Sounds a lot like ham radio.

I've asked more questions than I actually answered. Let's see what happens around here as 2009 gets underway?

73 from the shackadelic.