September 28, 2009 by kb3ljm.

On Friday, September 25, veteran Army communicator Jim Griffin, KE7LJA, became Chief of the Army Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS). Major General Susan Lawrence, Commanding General of the 9th Signal Command (Army), named Griffin to succeed Stuart Carter; Carter has held the Chief’s post since December 2006. MARS, the Defense Department-sponsored organization of Amateur Radio operators who volunteer for communications support in emergencies, is a component of the 9th SC(A).

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/09/26/11093/?nc=1

Posted in ARRL Web Extra | Comments Off

September 28, 2009 by kb3ljm.

From Pat Kilroy, N8PK

The SimSat-4 high-altitude balloon experiment launch was scrubbed this past Saturday morning due to weather. It was rescheduled to this coming Saturday morning, October 3.

It features the PICetSat II module, flying a microcontroller similar to that originally designed by our own Rich Mitchell N3III and Steve Beckman N3SB.

You are invited to check it out!

For more insight on the mission or the scrub, go to http://simsat.net under SimSat-4.
Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments Off

September 26, 2009 by kb3ljm.

BALTIMORE MARATHON - Saturday October 10, 2009, HELP NEEDED

Amateur Radio Operators are needed for the 9th Annual BALTIMORE RUNNING FESTIVAL.

EVENT: Baltimore Marathon, Half Marathon, Team Relay, and 5K Race in Baltimore City.
WHEN: Saturday October 10, 2009, from 6:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
WHERE: Start/Finish at the M&T Bank Stadium.
Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Public Service | Comments Off

September 26, 2009 by kb3ljm.

ETHIOPIA, ET.

Jim, WU0I is staying in Addis Ababa momentarily and should soon be QRV as ET3JD in October. Activity will be on 40 to 15 meters using CW, SSB and PSK31. QSL direct to ET3JD.

TAJIKISTAN, EY.

Ken, K4ZW has been QRV as EY8/home call on 20meters around 1200z and 15 meters around 0900z. QSL to home call.

OGASAWARA, JD1.

Operators JO2JDJ and JI5RPT will be QRV as JD1BLP and JD1BLY, respectively, from Chichijima, IOTA AS-031, from September 19 to 22. Activity will be on 40 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, digital modes and satellites. QSL to home calls.
Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in ARRL DX BULLETIN | Comments Off

September 26, 2009 by kb3ljm.

After several delays, South Africa’s SumbandilaSat satellite finally blasted to orbit aboard a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 17. The main payload is a multi-spectral imager, but the satellite also carries an Amateur Radio component consisting of a 2 meter/70 cm FM repeater. After SumbandilaSat is fully commissioned, the repeater will be activated with an uplink at 145.880 MHz and a downlink at 435.350 MHz; there will also be a voice beacon at 435.300 MHz. The transponder mode will be controlled by a CTCSS tone on the uplink frequency. The CTCSS tone frequencies have yet to be announced. SumbandilaSat was sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology and was built at SunSpace in cooperation with the Stellenbosch University. In addition to the SA-AMSAT amateur module, the satellite carries Stellenbosch University’s radiation experiment and software defined radio (SDR) project, an experiment from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and a VLF radio module from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

http://www.arrl.org/?artid=9183

Posted in ARRL Web Extra | Comments Off

September 26, 2009 by kb3ljm.

On September 15, Michael Seedman, AA6DY, announced that his company, RF Concepts, had purchased Boulder, Colorado-based Alpha Radio Products. Seedman explained in a press release that when he contacted Alpha to purchase a new amplifier, he was “disappointed to learn that I would not receive it for months.” He was told that as each amplifier is made by hand, there was not enough shelf inventory to send a new one right away. Working with Alpha Products president Molly Hardman, W0MOM, “we created a way to capitalize the company in order to put amplifiers in inventory for immediate availability. Customers will no longer have to wait weeks or months to add an Alpha product to their station.” Seedman said that RF Concepts “will focus on shipping our backlog of Alpha amplifiers and building sufficient product to ship from stock. We will honor our existing customer commitments — including warranties, customer and technical support and repairs — and keep our extensive parts inventories to support the more than 10,000 Alpha amplifiers in the market.” Hardman will be staying on as Vice President of Sales for RF Concepts.

http://www.arrl.org/?artid=9180

Posted in ARRL Web Extra | Comments Off

September 26, 2009 by kb3ljm.

It is sad to see two amateur radio equipment manufacturers going out of business. When was the last time you purchased a new piece of gear? Fortunately, both Icom and Yaesu make aircraft band transceivers; Kenwood makes a lot of commercial walkies. It does not look like any of them they will go out of business soon. But you never can tell. The time to buy a new radio or antenna is NOW! Do it while you still can.
73, Mayer, W3GXK

Posted in Some Thoughts | Comments Off

September 26, 2009 by kb3ljm.

People looking to cash in on the next gold rush should consider developing applications — or apps — for the new generation of smart mobile phones, according to a forecast released Tuesday by the Yankee Group.

Consumers will spend more than $4.2 billion on apps in 2013, up from $343 million this year, the research firm says, as smartphones become ubiquitous and app prices rise.

The average smartphone owner “downloads about 20 apps per year,” says Carl Howe, director of consumer research. “It’s a bigger market than a lot of people have been thinking.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in USA Today | Comments Off

September 17, 2009 by kb3ljm.

From Tom Baxter K3MOV

This note is being sent to you and members of various other Amateur Radio Clubs in and around the Ellicott City, MD area. If you don’t mind, can you please pass along the below announcement regarding our Boy Scout presentation to some or all of the members of your club:

John King, WB3WK, and I are preparing to give a brief Amateur Radio presentation to an Ellicott City Scout Troop. The presentation is going to take place on Thursday, September 24 @ 7:00 EDT. We will probably begin calling CQ at approximately 7:30 EDT at or around 14.240 Mhz. I would really appreciate some of you marking your calendars with that date, time and frequency, and giving a listen to improve our chances of establishing a contact in front of our audience.

We will be running 100 watts from a TS 480SAT to a 12′ Outbacker antenna on an Alpha Delta tripod mount (and hopefully a G5RV). At this point, we are not exactly sure where the antenna will be located or how much coax we will be using. With rapidly deteriorating night time conditions on 20 meters, we are keeping our fingers crossed and hoping for the best. Your assistance will be greatly appreciated.

Tnx es 73, Tom Baxter K3MOV (410 960 4170)

Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments Off

September 15, 2009 by kb3ljm.

7:15 PM at the Pikesville Library

Posted in Meetings | Comments Off