Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Skip Behnke (W2OZ), who notes that MARS (Military Auxiliary Radio System) COMEX website is asking for your reception reports, notes, and suggestions regarding the NIST radio stations WWV, WWVH and WWVB.
This survey is being conducted while WWV and WWVH are announcing military communication exercises.
Click here to take the survey and submit your report at the DoD MARS COMEX website.
2018 W9IMS QSL
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Brian D. Smith (W9IND) who shares the following W9IMS press release:
Amateur radio station W9IMS prepares to unveil a new season of Indianapolis Motor Speedway-themed special events, with three QSL cards and a certificate available to hams and SWLs.
DATE: April 24, 2019
Three colorful QSL cards and a glossy certificate await amateur radio operators and SWLs who manage to contact – or tune in – Indianapolis Motor Speedway special event station W9IMS during all three of its 2019 special events. And even those who fall short of the trifecta can claim one or two of the QSLs.
2018 W9IMS QSL
Your first shot comes in two weeks as W9IMS fires up from May 5-11 to commemorate the IndyCar Grand Prix. Only nine days later, the second W9IMS special event (May 20-26) gets underway, this one in honor of the venerable Indianapolis 500. Then comes a summer break until Sept. 2-8, when W9IMS stages its third and final special event of the year, celebrating the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race.
The certificate and QSLs change every year, so even if you scored the clean sweep in 2018, you’ll find new trophies to pursue this year.
But you’ll have a chance to snare the station on either of two bands (20 and 40 meters) and possibly three (80 meters). Remember, too, that on Race Day – the final day of each operation – W9IMS generally stays on the air late, sometimes until midnight local time (0400 UTC).
Here are a couple of hints for tracking down the station during special event weeks:
- Go to the W9IMS web page (www.w9ims.org), find the “2019 Operating Schedule” heading, and click on the link to the IndyCar Grand Prix or any other race. Although some W9IMS operators take to the airwaves at unscheduled times, you’ll have your best luck looking for the station during the hours and bands reserved with a name and a callsign.
- Check DX Summit (www.dxsummit.fi) anytime for spots that identify the current frequency (or frequencies) of W9IMS, if any. And if you type “W9IMS” in the search box, you can customize it to show reports for only that station.
For additional details, consult the W9IMS web page. Feel free to submit all of your 2019 QSL and certificate requests in the same envelope. Again, although you’ll need to catch W9IMS during all three races to qualify for the certificate, you can earn a unique QSL card for each individual race.
(Source: USAmyMARS.org via Harald Kuhl)
(11 May 2019)
The Army Military Auxiliary Radio System will host this year’s Armed Forces Day (AFD) Crossband Test on Saturday May 11, 2019. This annual event is open to all licensed amateur radio operators, and will not impact any public or private communications. For more than 50 years, military and amateur stations have taken part in this event, which is only an exercise scenario, designed to include hobbyist and government radio operators alike.
The AFD Cross-band Test is a unique opportunity to test two-way communications between military communicators and radio stations in the Amateur Radio Service (ARS), as authorized in 47 CFR 97.111. These tests provide opportunities and challenges for radio operators to demonstrate individual technical skills in a tightly-controlled exercise scenario that does not impact any public or private communications.
Military stations will transmit on selected military frequencies and will announce the specific ARS frequencies monitored. All times are ZULU (Z), and all frequencies are Upper Side Band (USB) unless otherwise noted. The frequencies used for the test will not impact any public or private communications, and will not stray outside the confines of the exercise.
Additional Information is provided on the 20190424-AFDCT-final.pdf file available for download [by clicking here].
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Pete Eaton, who shares the following note and video:
Here is a You Tube Video of a presentation given by Joe Taylor last night at the Fair Lawn ARC Club Meeting on FT8 & Beyond an introduction to FT4.
Click here to view on YouTube.
Thank you for the tip, Pete! FT4 looks like a fascinating iteration of the popular FT8 mode.
Post Readers: Any fans of FT8 out there?
There’s a new QRP transceiver on the market: the twelve band ALT-512 by Aerial-51.
At first glance, you’ll see a similarity between the ALT-512 and the LnR Precision LD-11/Aerial-51 SKY-SDR. The LD-11 and SKY-SDR, are very similar, save the LD-11 is marketed to North America (via LnR) and the SKY-SDR to Europe. The SKY-SDR had several iterative upgrades, most importantly the dual-threaded software used in the firmware, which cut CPU latency in half. Both the LD-11, SKY-SDR and now the ALT-512 are made in Europe.
Click here to read my review of the LnR Precision LD-11.
ALT-512 Waterfall display (Photo: DJ0IP)
According to Aerial-51, the new ALT-512 is built on the LD-11/SKY-SDR platform, has the same chassis design but has many improvements over the SKY-SDR:
If the ALT-512 performs as well as or better than its predecessor, it’ll certainly be a great little QRP radio.
Pricing has not yet been posted, but Aerial-51 plans to make this transceiver available in the next few weeks.
Click here to check out the ALT-512 on the Aerial-51 website.
Many thanks to the Southgate ARC who notes this recently published 1947 silent film from the Radio Society of Great Britain:
The RSGB has released a vintage silent black and white video of an Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) field day held in 1947 at Chipping Barnet which was then in Hertfordshire
The Incorporated Radio Society of Great Britain titled the video – D/F Field Day (North of the Thames) May 18th 1947. It has been added to the many amateur radio videos that can be viewed on the Society’s YouTube channel.
One thing that’s apparent from the video is the difference in the age range of those who participated in amateur radio in the late 1940’s compared to today.
Watch RSGB Archive film – D/F Field Day 1947
Click here to view on YouTube.
Pages 69-70 of the RSGB Bulletin (forerunner of RadCom) for October 1947 contained a fully illustrated report on the North of the Thames ARDF event as well as the South of the Thames event held on July 6, 1947.
The two leading affiliated societies on May 18 were from Essex:
1st Romford and District Radio Society
2nd Southend and District Radio Society
The two clubs swapped positions for the July 6 event.
Fascinating! I love how everyone wore proper attire and much of the equipment was home brew. I imagine operators were happy to go back to field and enjoy all sorts of radio activity so close on the heels of WWII.
My good friend David Cripe (NMOS) has recently informed me about a new product he’s offering to the radio community via his eBay store: Kev-Flex Stealth Kevlar Antenna Wire. Kev-Flex looks like a superb option for field antennas of all stripes especially since it has an incredibly high tensile strength. It’s available in 75′ bundles, but Dave can also cut custom lengths. NM0S is also a trusted retailer in the ham radio world, so you can purchase with confidence.
Here’s the product description and link:
Kev-Flex is a unique antenna wire manufactured exclusively for NM0S Electronics. The lightweight center core of the wire is made from Kevlar fiber, giving the wire its incredible strength. The Kevlar core is wrapped with six tinned strands of 30 AWG copper. The effective surface of the wire creates an effective skin area capable of handling well over 100W.
The cable is protected from the elements by a coating of UV-resistant black polyethylene. With a total diameter of only 1/16″ (incl. insulation) and a weight of just 16 feet per ounce, the tensile strength 125 lbs allows lengthy unsupported horizontal runs. Kev-Flex is ideal for extremely long LW-antennas and Beverages and is great for balloon or kite-supported antennas. Its low weight and high break-load makes it most suitable for SOTA activations and other field operations.
The outer insulation makes the wire kink-resistant, and its slippery finish makes it ideal for stealth antennas that must be passed through trees or other obstacles without snagging.
This antenna wire is sold in 75 foot long bundles, which is enough for a 40M dipole or EFHW. Two 75 foot bundles would make a great 80M dipole. Custom lengths are available on request.
Specification
– Kevlar fiber core wrapped with six 30 AWG copper strands
– Weather-proof black polyethylene (PE) insulation, 1/16″ O.D.
– Weight: 16 feet per ounce
– Breaking-load: 125 lbs
– Velocity factor 0.97
