College Satellite Night February 4, 2010
It’s time for another College Satellite night! I hope to see you on Thursday evening Feb. 4th from 22:00 UTC to 0500 UTC. College Satellite nights are a monthly event held the first Thursday of the month. Mark your calendar and spread the word to other college hams/club stations that you know!
From 22:00 UTC to 05:00 UTC get on as many of the birds and make as many contacts if you can, identifying your contacts as part of a college night effort. Birds include AO51, SO50, AO7, VO52, HO-68 and FO-29, and they should all have passes during that time.
Please QSL all the stations you work as we are planning on creating an award for working college club stations on satellite. This makes for a great public image for your school and rewards the stations for allowing us coordinated use of such valuable time on the birds. Make sure to work each other as well and we will also create a special award for college clubs that work and confirm the most other club stations on the birds!
73, Dr. Jay Garlitz, AA4FL
Gator ARC Faculty Advisor at UF
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Cambridge University Wireless Society Helps Spaceflight Program
Dominic Smith M0BLF Reported that the Cambridge University Wireless Society G6UW (CUWS) helped the Cambridge University Spaceflight program with communications from the payload and licensing members of the program. If you haven't heard about CU Spaceflight its well worth the time to investigate. The program is a high altitude balloon project that is well advanced compared to many others. Amateur radio (ham radio) is often used with high altitude balloon projects to send back real time data such as GPS location, altitude, barometric pressure, temperature, etc.
Teddy bears at the edge of space due to Cambridge University - Photo BBC.co.uk
Recently in October 2009 Cambridge University Wireless member M0TEK Ed Moore who is a member of both CUWS and CU Spaceflight gave a talk on a project which launched teddy bears into near space. CUWS which gives many of the radio examinations to the CU spaceflight members helps the spaceflight team obtain the ability to know where the balloon and payload are at all times. Without the guidance of CUWS members, tracking the balloon payload could be much more difficult let alone costly.
The article titled "One Giant Leap for Teddy-Nauts" documented the event. While the article does not explicitly mention of Cambridge University Wireless Society, Dominic is an alumni of the school and still very much involved with the ham radio club as a graduate student. Being as active as he has been on CollegeARC and with G6UW he has shown many members of the website some of the neat stuff the school is doing. Good job Cambridge University!
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ARRL Promotional Publications
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) provides a host of services to radio amateurs. One of these services includes free event publications which can be ordered for no more than the cost of shipping. Are you planning on attending a campus club fair or hosting a special event with your radio club and want promotional materials to incorporated into the display? Look no further than the ARRL event publications website.
College Oriented Publications
The brochures and other publications available offer a wide variety of topics covering many demographics. Several of these I have found to work particularly well when promoting amateur radio (ham radio) to college students. For my situation, I attend Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, NY where the campus consists not only of a large population of engineering & technology students but also art & design students. Therefor simply touting all the technological "coolness" of amateur radio just wont hack it. How does your campus respond when promoting the hobby?
We Do That!
We Do that!
We use a number of We Do That! brochures at club fairs. They are flashy, up-to-date, and grab the students attention. We Do That! is a great example of meshing the technology with a bit of coolness mixed in. Some ARRL productions go overboard trying to show how cool radio is, this is not one of them! The link above shows a PDF version of the brochure which can also be printed. We Do that! is an essential publication that every college, university, or other higher educational institutions should have on hand.
"Hello"
Hello ARRL Promotion
"Hello" is the recent effort by the ARRL to appeal to a younger generation. While some of the materials were well suited for pre-teens, this one came in pretty good for promoting to higher education students. The "Hello" brochure is less technical and more general topic oriented.
Why Use These Publications?
Well, free is a good price for most college students. The only cost is shipping so order several at once and it really pays off. These are professional looking promotional items and they save you the time of creating your own. Use them in conjunction with your own clubs material too. Lastly, there are many different items including "PR kits", brochure stands, banners, magnets, etc. Get your club recognized by the campus student body, promote amateur radio, help your amateur radio club GROW!
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PSK Automatic Propagation Reporter
psk reporter main screen
Philip's description of the PSK Automatic Propagation Reporter informs how one can use it with HRD or Fldigi, API's for developers, and even an SDK for programmers wishing to use PSK Reporter in their software. The website also provides server statistics, showing information from reports such as quantity received by the hour, rarest countries heard, users with the most reports, etc. There is a wealth of documented information which almost anyone with interest using this software can find relevant answers.
College Club Use of PSK Reporter
College clubs can make great use of PSK Reporter at their club station. In fact these tips apply to everyone, not just college students. One of the first uses is to see how well your club station is propagating, the software in HRD or Fldigi is not needed. Simply call CQ on one of the bands where in our case we will use 14.070 MHz on the 20 meter band. Check the PSK Reporter Map about five minutes later to see who picked up your call sign. It's really that simple, you get almost instantaneous propagation reports personalized to your station!
Fldigi 3.12.5 with psk reporter
Using Ham Radio Deluxe or Fldigi 3.1 or later can allow you to send reception reports to the website. The system runs in the background and does not interrupt operating the radio or software. Shown on the right is Fldigi 3.12.5 with the PSK Reporter configuration menu open. Participating in this unique, real QSO, propagation network is only a few buttons away.
Fldigi is available for more than just Linux, there is a Windows version too. W1HKJ's Fldigi Website explains more about the software and links to download files for various Operating Systems. Ham Radio Deluxe is also very easy to use and only requires a few options to be set for PSK Reporter operation. At this time Ham Radio Deluxe is only a Microsoft Windows based program, however, one of the more full-featured ones.
Promoting Amateur Radio, Technology, and Innovation
College ham radio clubs can use PSK Reporter to show where software meets radio waves. Inspiring the next radio amateur to give the hobby a new digital mode may only be as far away as a presentation with PSK reporter. Its simple integration with Google Maps yet powerful information really does show how pliable amateur radio is. Amateur radio can be meld into topics which were unheard of several years ago. Innovation is important not only to ham radio but also to college students. Get thinking!
Have you used PSK Reporter? What are your thoughts or experiences? Has it inspired you to become more technical with the hobby? Comment below and let CollegeARC know what you think of N1DQ's great piece of software.
Relevant Blogs
- G4ILO's Blog: PSK Propagation Reporter
- G4ILO's Blog: Spotting CW Contacts to PSK Reporter
- PC4T: PSK-Reporter
- M3PHP.com PSK Automatic Propagation Reporter
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Getting Louder at School With Amplifiers and Antennas
One of my recent projects for K2GXT has been to fix a broken Yaesu FL-7000 HF amplifier which K2GXT owns. It spent the summer at my house in Massachusetts where I actually have the time to fix it as opposed to at school where there is little free time. Bill Grassa N4ATS provided helpful information and parts for the amplifier. The power supply transistors had been blown causing the voltage to be too high. This caused the Yaesu FL-7000 to trip its protection circuits whenever the push-to-talk button was keyed; hence, we had an amplifier which was unusable.
Yeasu FL-7000 amplfier power supply
Prior to this the RIT amateur radio club ran barefoot which means using only the transceiver with no amplifier. This typically is about 100 watts with most of today's radios. Building an amateur radio station capable of transmitting a strong signal with only 100 watts is an important consideration. A station that is loud with such capabilities means it has an efficient antenna system and location, for the most part. When an amplifier is introduced to the mix, The loud signal heard on the air is that much more effective when the amplifier is used.
This boils down to antennas. There's no sense in using an amplifier with an amateur radio station that radiates power inefficiently. The RIT amateur radio club has such a station on the air. An off center fed dipole (OCFD) was built and installed a year and a half ago. The antenna is also referred to as an off center fed doublet. More information can be found on the L.B. Cebik (SK) Website. The antenna radiates efficiently, often preferred over the high frequency (HF) beam we also own. The Yaesu FL-7000 is going to really pump up the signal of the club with the antenna system installed. If you operated a school club with an ineffective antenna try to fix it before adding an amplifier to the system.
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College Satellite Night
KB1LQC operating a satellite with an HT and a hand-held Arrow crossed yagi antenna.
The Fall 2009 college satellite night held on October 1st, 2009 was a fun event in which several colleges enjoyed participating. Held between 22:00 UTC October 1 and 05:00 UTC October 2 college and university stations had priority on AO-51 "Eagle". The stations also used several other satellites to contact as many station as possible which included AO-7, SO-50, and VO-52. Dr. Jay Garlitz (AA4FL) of the University of Florida organized the event, coordinating the satellite priority to college clubs with AMSAT. The event was fun and gave college clubs a reason to operate together on the "birds". It is hoped that all schools with send a QSL card to the stations they worked during this event. An award for contacting college stations is in the works.
I gave a quick effort to record some of the activity on AO-51 (QRP repeater) as it passed over eastern Massachusetts. This pass occured around 22:13 UTC October 2. My setup included a Yaesu VX-8R and a hand-held Arrow crossed yagi. My radio had just returned to me from being fixed by Yaesu (very happy) so all my memory channels were erased. In the end I had made a decent recording of the pass where K0KU and several other stations were on.
Audio: AO-51 College Satellite Night
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Club News 9-19-2009
You are reading the first installment of many news articles to come. We welcome members and visitors to read about the current activities of college clubs and even comment these articles regarding the club activities. We encourage all clubs to submit even basic news, CollegeARC.com is here to provide visitors with information about college amateur radio clubs!
Iowa State University - W0ISU
"CARC" as the amateur radio club is known as has been up to alot in the first weeks of classes. KD0FGY has given us an update on the clubs recent activities that the W0ISU club has been pursuing. They have been busy getting their club's name out on the campus as well as planning to build new stations.
Advertisement
The club at Iowa State University submitted an advertisement to the school newspaper to publicize the clubs first meeting to the general student body. The ad ran for two days prior to their first meeting promoting their September 10th meeting for all interested students. The amateur radio club at the Iowa State University also sent out announcements to their e-mail list and Facebook group.
First Meeting
Their first meeting gave free pizza to all those that attended while the club discussed its plans for this semester as well as future amateur radio testing dates. Although new students are told about different club activities and such the club also discussed their projects for the upcoming months.
The club's highest priority project is to install their new Cushcraft X7 HF Beam as their older Beam antenna was destroyed in an ice storm. They plan to ask the school's departments to bring a bucket truck as well as instructing the maintenance staff how to install the antenna. Unfortunately the school will not let the club members on the roof while the bucket truck is at the antenna location.
Repeater Project
W0ISU is also currently repairing their club repeater to fix several issues including poor performance and RFI (Radio Frequency Interference). The repeater is currently located in penthouse Zaffarano Hall on the Iowa State University campus. They belive several issues are stemming from the amplifier they installed last year they may have a faulty power supply. Another concerning issue comes from the campus FM radio station's antenna roughly ten feet away, causing RFI during their tests to the repeater system.
Last But Not Least!
The CARC (Cyclone Amateur Radio Club) at the Iowa State University has been talking with the Electrical Engineering department to build a new operating station for the general student body. The department began talking earlier this year and the amateur radio club took an advisory role in the project. The station will consist of HF, VHF, and UHF equipment that will be stationed in at the Electrical Engineering department.
South Dakota School Of Mining and Technology - K0VVY
Karl Diekevers (KD0GY) updated CollegeARC.com with a few club activities that they have been up to. I'm sure they are busy out there getting ready for the year and getting back into "the grind."
Echolink
The South Dakota School of Mining and Technology has recently completed moving their Echolink node from the school to a nearby hill. This was due in part to the poor coverage that the former location at the school provided and is now located at a weather station sitting on top of a hill [sounds like a great location!]. The node uses the call sign "K0VVY" and can be dialed using the node number #457882. If you are local to the South Dakota School of Mining and Technology (In Rapid City, South Dakota) you can reach the Echolink system by transmitting on 147.500 MHz.
Club Meetings
The club meetings on campus occur every Wednesday at 5PM in the club room (ham shack) on the 3rd floor of the ECE/PHYS building near the Robotics Lab. They are looking forward to participating in the upcoming School Club Round-up and Collegiate Championships. They are also looking forward to operating in the SKYWARN Recognition Day and the PSK Flavor Contest this coming April.
Future Field Day Preparation
Yes, K0VVY (SDSM&T Amateur Radio Club) appears to be REALLY planning head by think about next years Field Day! The club is planning to organize a combination hiking and camping trip to Harney Peak in South Dakota as it is the highest point east of the Rocky mountains. This trip will most certainly be a great experience. Hiking, Camping, Radio, and mountains sound like something a college student can't pass up!
Rochester Institute of Technology - K2GXT
The RIT amateur radio club has been up to a lot as the school year kicks off to a start. K2GXT hit the ground running as they advertised the club to freshmen and upperclassmen alike during the "Orientation Club Fair" the day before classes began. The club has also rolled out plans for a few projects to be completed that will not only be fun for the club members but invite other students to participate with the club.
Club Fair
The RIT amateur radio club showcased their activities and equipment in full force with many members attending and even more interested students. During the club fair hundreds of students were exposed to the efforts of the club and the technologies that they "Play With" and build. In all, over 50 students ranging from entering freshmen to graduate students signed up to receive information about club meetings and activities. Those 50 students ranged from electrical engineering students to business students as well as both men and women.
First Meeting
K2GXT held its first meeting this year on September 9th, 2009 in the Kate Gleason College of Engineering. Although several current members were unable to attend, a total of 24 students came to the meeting. The club discussed its activities in greater detail and answered any questions the interested students may have had. The new members were then brought down to the club room and shown the radios and other gear. To date, many of the new members are actively coming to meetings and have other wise become involved with the amateur radio club at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Projects
The club has been pursuing several projects that will be completed in the fall/early winter. These include finallizing the club's 12 foot blimp that has been nearly redesigned and will fly at hockey games and other RIT events. There is a "soldering class" that is being design and will feature members learning how to properly solder and build circuits "Deadbug" style so that easy and quick prototypes can be made. The club blimp is not only a fun activity for the club members but allows experimentation regarding the payload that it carries (Cameras and other devices) as well as premoting the club at events that draw thousands of antendees. The club will submit updates to CollegeARC about these projects in the future and many other smaller projects as well.
Is Your Club's News Here?
We are asking all clubs to send CollegeARC information about your club activities. You can use the "Submit Club News" menu option in the "User Menu" when logged into an account. Not the club president or other Exceutive Board member? That's OK! We want to hear about your club even if you are a regular student member of a club. Submit even the shortest and basic news, we want to hear it and so does everyone else. A few clubs have submitted things like their advertising efforts in the first weeks of school and their contesting activities, anything goes! Pictures are also welcomed.
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Weekend Article Publication
A new article titled Installing HF Vertical Antenna Radials will be released with weekend. The article is non-technical only going deep enough into concepts as needed to get the point across. However, due to personal obligations the article will not be published until about 0000 UTC Sunday (Saturday night EST) or During the day Sunday. The article is complete but just needs some TLC before being published. This was one of my largest projects during the Summer of 2009 and sharing it with everyone on CollegeARC is a privilage. I hope you enjoy the article!
PS... CollegeARC on Twitter will announce the posting of the article, Stay tuned!
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