CVARC 2023 Field Day Interference Checklist

Bill Willcox-KF6JQO has revised his very useful Field Day Interference Checklist for 2023. The list offers a number of tips and best practices for minimizing interference with your Field Day setup. Of course, these suggestions can be very helpful for your own shack if you are having RF problems. You can view the checklist here or on this website at Links/Technical Articles/Anti-Interference Checklist.

Determined Sleuth Solves Field Day Inter-Band Interference

By Bill Willcox-KF6JQO

During the last three or so ARRL Field Day events the phone stations have been plagued by interference between the 10 and 15M bands, and to a lesser extent the 20M band as well. 

The transceivers for all three bands were within 10-20 feet of each other and all three fed individual band pass filters by means of lengthy coaxial cables.  The band pass filters then fed a multiplexer that in turn fed a multi-band hex beam antenna by means of a single coaxial cable equipped with a choke at the antenna.  Note: the band pass filters and multiplexer were all mounted on the same aluminum base plate in a plastic box.

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A Cost-Effective Way to Add Another Band to Your Bag of Tricks

An easy way to add transmit and receive coverage on frequency bands not included on your base radio is to use a transverter. This feather-light 28 MHz (10 meter) to 222 MHz (135 cm) transverter puts out about 10 watts of SSB, FM, CW, or FT-8 and easily mates up with the Yaesu FT-817 HF transceiver. It costs about $70 from a supplier in Ukraine.
By Pete Heins-N6ZE

A cost-effective way to increase the number of bands a ham can access is to use a transverter. Imagine adding the capability of using FM, SSB, Packet, and FT-8, at a power level of 10 watts, on a frequency band which you have never had before – for just $70!

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The Solar Cycle and HF Radio Communications

Remember this? We might see a similar solar maximum by 2025!

Members have been asking to take a closer look at the presentation made at the last meeting by Ken Larson-KJ6RZ on the solar cycle and its impact on HF radio communications. You can view his presentation by clicking here or you can find it anytime by clicking “Links” and then selecting the “Technical Articles” drop-down.

A High Altitude Balloon Project

by Stephen Terry- KM6ZXQ

Just before Christmas of 2018, my son told me he wanted a drone for Christmas so that he could send a camera into space and take pictures of Earth.  After explaining to him that perhaps there are more suitable vehicles to achieve this task and admiring how simple getting a camera to space was in his mind, I wondered myself if we could do it.  I mean, how hard could it be?  I knew then that it wouldn’t be as simple as it was to him, and after digging into it I realized it would be a much larger challenge than I anticipated.  This was my welcoming to amateur radio. 

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RF Bonding and Ground Planes

Every cable connecting the components in an Amateur Radio Station can act as an antenna. Differential and common mode voltages and currents in these cables can result in interference and even an RF shock. Stations with more than a few components can benefit from RF bonding and ground planes.

Simply stated, RF Bonding is the interconnection of all the station component chasses with a low RF impedance bonding strap. If the bonding strap is also connected to a ground plane under the station and both the bonding strap and ground plane connect to a ground rod the possibilities of RF shock and RF interference are virtually eliminated.

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