Welcome to Welcome to Northern Northern
California DX ClubCalifornia DX Club
January 15, 2009January 15, 2009
NCDXC Jan 09NCDXC Jan 09 Slide 2
Tonight’s AgendaTonight’s Agenda• Club Business
– Introduction of Officers– Introductions of Members– New members– DX news– QSTs
• The status of the sunspot cycle• Visalia Patch Contest• Antenna Forum• NCDXC Raffle
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Introduction of OfficersIntroduction of Officers• Officers
– President Craig Bradley AE6RR
– Vice Pres Risto Kotalampi W6RK
– Secretary Russ Bentson K6KLY
– Treasurer Jose Picazo Jr. WT6X
• Directors– Steve Jones N6SJ
– Jim Abraham W6EB
– John Eisenberg K6YP
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IntroductionsIntroductions
• Let’s Go Around the room… – Introduce yourself & any guests– Tell us what new DX you have bagged
• Did anyone work E44M?• TS7C?• Contests?
– Any other news you wish to share?
(please keep it brief)
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New members?New members?
• Secretary - Russ, K6KLY
– He has applications are available…– Voting
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DX News – KP5DX News – KP5• KP5 Desecheo Island
– Leaders: Dr. Glenn Johnson, W0GJ & Bob Allphin, K4UEE– Web Site: http://kp5.us/ – Dates: February 12 to 26, 2009– Stations: 8 HF + 6M– Online log: Yes– Heading: 96 deg– Distance: 3531 miles– Operators: 22– Radios: 10 + Amps
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Propagation to KP5Propagation to KP5Feb 09Feb 09
18 MHz
22:00 UTC
43 dB SNR
14 MHz
22:00 UTC
40 dB SNR
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DX News - DXpeditionsDX News - DXpeditions
• PALESTINE, E44M – Ended Sunday – 29K Qs
• TUNISIA, TS7C – QRV until Jan 19
• MOZAMBIQUE – – Texas DX Society planning Mar 25 – Apr 5– 6 Ops– 3 Stations
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NCDXC NetNCDXC Net• Net coordinator - Don, AA6W• If you would like to be a net control,
please see or contact Don• Please Remember - NCDXC Net
– Every Thursday 8pm – Except on monthly meeting nights (3rd Thurs)– On W6TI repeater, 147.360 MHz, PL 110.9
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DXer MaterialDXer Material
• Editor - Phil, K6TT• If you have suggestions for articles, etc.
please see or contact Phil• If you would like to contribute (photos,
articles, etc.), Phil will be very happy to talk to you!
• This is your newsletter – help make it great!
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Tonight’s RaffleTonight’s Raffle• Mike W6WZ & Carolyn WB6ABC have some great prizes!
– Door Prizes– 1st Prize: Yaesu VX 150/83B – 2M HT w/1400mA Bat.– 2nd Prize: MH-C 9000A Battery Charger– 3rd Prize: Elecraft 2T-Gen Test Oscillator– 4th Prize: Set of Fair-rite Beads– 5th Prize: TE113 8P8C Crimping Tool
• Need Tickets – see Carolyn or Mike – 6 for $5– 12 for $10– 24 for $20
• GOOD LUCK!
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Additional QSTsAdditional QSTs
• Does anyone have any other announcements they would like to make?
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Sunspots Since 1994 with Sunspots Since 1994 with Prediction for Next 12 MoPrediction for Next 12 Mo<>
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IDXC VisaliaIDXC Visalia
• IDXC 2009 (the 60th year) will be held April 17- April19, 2009 at the Visalia Holiday Inn
• Let’s make 2009 the best IDXC EVER!!!
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AuthorsAuthors#1 K6TT #2
K6YP
#4 W7DR
#5 W6KM-1
#6 W6KM-2
#7 AE6RR
#3 NW6P
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Dean Straw, N6BVDean Straw, N6BV
• First licensed in 1959 as WH6DKD• EE from Yale University• First job was at National Radio Company
designing HF and VHF radios • Worked in the commercial radio industry all of
his life • Worked at the ARRL HQ for 15 years
– specializing in antennas, transmission lines and propagation
• He was the editor of the ARRL Antenna Book and other books dealing with antennas
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Kirsten McIntyre, K6WX Kirsten McIntyre, K6WX
• Interested in radio since she was about 5 years old • First ticket in 1979 while at MIT • Worked in many diverse areas
– analog circuit design– image processing– starting and running an ISP– currently the CTO of a Japanese web services company – formerly worked as a principal investigator at Sun Microsystems
Laboratories. • ARRL Technical Coordinator and Technical Specialist for
the East Bay Section, • Past president of PAARA• Has extensive experience operating from an apartment.
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Jim Brown, K9YCJim Brown, K9YC• First licensed in 1955 as WN8FNI• BSEE at the University of Cincinnati in 1964 • System design consultant, specializing in systems for
public places. • Vice-chair of the EMC Working Group of the Standards
Committee of the AES and Chair of the Technical Committee on EMC
• He has written numerous technical papers on sound system design
• Locally known for his papers and talks on the use of ferrites
• Avid contester • Jim primarily uses wire antennas
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Forum FormatForum Format• The moderator will present a
question/topic to the panel
• Each panel member will have a chance to comment (panel members may yield time to each other)
• We will try to limit each question to 5 minutes
• Additional questions will be taken from the floor as time permits (~ 1 hr)
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Forum TopicsForum Topics
1. Vertical vs. horizontal antennas 2. How important is SWR (impedance matching, antenna
tuners, etc.)? 3. Advantages of various types of feed lines 4. What is gain? 5. Frequency vs. pattern 6. What does an antenna analyzer actually tell you? 7. Grounding (especially when your not near the ground) 8. Downsides/compromises of compact antennas 9. The advantages of stacking antennas 10. The importance of terrain
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Forum TopicsForum Topics
2. How important is SWR (impedance matching, antenna tuners, etc.)?
NCDXC Jan 09NCDXC Jan 09 Slide 40
Forum TopicsForum Topics
3. Advantages of various types of feed lines
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Forum TopicsForum Topics
6. What does an antenna analyzer actually tell you?
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Forum TopicsForum Topics
7. Grounding (especially when your not near the ground)
– Radials?
– Can grounds or radials pickup noise?
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Forum TopicsForum Topics
8. Downsides/compromises of compact antennas
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The NCDXC Raffle!The NCDXC Raffle!
• Does anyone need tickets before we start?• Prizes
– Door Prizes– 1st Prize: Yaesu VX 150/83B – 2M HT
w/1400mA Bat.– 2nd Prize: MH-C 9000A Battery Charger– 3rd Prize: Elecraft 2T-Gen Test Oscillator– 4th Prize: Set of Fair-rite Beads– 5th Prize: TE113 8P8C Crimping Tool