President's Message - Going HF Mobile

By Steve Champion, AE6NX

Sometimes, it seems like the only time I get to "play radio" any more is when I'm in the car. I suspected that this would be the case when I first got my US license, so I considered an HF mobile setup early on. Operating HF mobile is not without its challenges, but setting up a usable mobile station was not nearly as difficult as I had thought it was going to be.

I use my HF mobile rig mostly in two particular situations. Firstly, when I occasionally drive alone from Thousand Oaks to visit my in-laws in San Francisco. Secondly, when I am waiting somewhere to pick up Ben or Kate from a class or rehearsal.

Another application, as yet untested, is that of emergency station. I know that if there is a major emergency my home station could be inoperable. With a mobile set-up as well, there is a better probability that I will be able to contact someone out of the immediate area who can get word to distant relatives.

I certainly don't rate myself as an expert on HF mobile installations, but I have learned a few things along the way. Some of these points are applicable to VHF/UHF installations as well Here are some of them.

  • You do not need a huge antenna to make a usable HF mobile station. My own station uses a Yaesu ATAS-100 antenna, the radiating part of which is about 4ft long. A friend uses a CB whip with an auto-tuner under the trunk-lid.
  • With a small antenna, a trunk lip mount can be used. Some mobile installations require welded brackets or other modifications to the vehicle. Those techniques do allow some very efficient and impressive antenna systems, but are not essential
  • Having looked at a lot of mobile installations it is clear to me that some vehicles lend themselves better to an HF set-up than others. Some trunk arrangements look like they were designed specifically to make the use of a trunk mount impossible. When you buy a car, you might want to consider that!
  • The rig itself is inevitably a compromise between size and usability. I quite like my Yaesu FT-857 installation, but it is considerably more complicated to use than the larger Kenwood TS480 that Ben uses at home. The larger rig seems to have a separate control or button for every major function, which would be a big advantage when mobile.
  • Modern rigs that have a separable front panel (control head) give a lot of mounting options. My Yaesu FT-857 is mounted under the driver's seat using a bracket fashioned out of Erector Set parts. The bracket is trapped between the seat cross-member and the floor, so I did not need to drill holes for it. I used an existing seat mounting bolt to pick up a good ground.
  • My control head is mounted on the dash. A lot of satellite radio installations use clever brackets which mount behind various parts of the fascia without visible screws. At the time I shopped around for such a bracket and found that they were readily available, albeit a bit overpriced. In the end I decided to carefully drill a couple of small holes in the dash. That was a couple of years ago, and I would guess that brackets are now even more available (and varied) than they were then.
  • I wired power from the battery to the rig through an existing grommet in the firewall. There are inline fuses in both wires, mounted at the battery.The control head and antenna wires are tucked under existing trim at the edge of the carpet. I used adhesive cable hooks for the antenna coax in the hatchback gutter.
  • Grounding is very important in an HF installation. Initially I had some instability problems. These were solved by improving the connection between the tailgate and the car with thick braid. Braid can be installed without drilling if you are able to remove a hinge bolt to install a ground lug. In my own case I was not willing to risk compromising the door alignment so I elected to drill some small holes on the inside of the door lip instead.
  • Some hams report problems that are not solved by grounding alone. A selection of clamp-on ferrite cores may be useful in solving such problems. There is a large, rectangular, type which allows multiple turns of a cable to be wound on it. This can be very effective at keeping RF off a microphone cable or control head wire.
  • I decided to install a single rig for HF and VHF/UHF, but there are some advantages to having a separate VHF/UHF transceiver if you have room. The ability to monitor VHF/UHF while operating on HF is nice. Also, there are more HF only rigs available, both new and used, so it could be less expensive (especially if you already have a VHF/UHF set-up).

I hope that you find something of use here, and that it will prompt you to share your own tips and tricks with us in a future article.

73 de AE6NX



CVARC August 17th Meeting

Relativity

Adrian Popa will be our speaker for the August 17th CVARC Club meeting. He was a real crowd pleaser last year in March when he spoke on Communications Satellites. Adrian will be speaking on Einstein's Theory of Relativity. After working for over 50 years in the aerospace and automotive industries, Adrian retired from HRL Laboratories LLC (formerly GM Hughes Research Laboratories) in Malibu, CA in August 2000 where he was the Director of Programs in the President's Office. Since retiring he has been consulting for Boeing and has been working with 5th grade math students at the Conejo School and also at the Braille Institute in Santa Barbara where he has developed sensors to aid blind science students. Adrian also has answered over 400 physics and engineering related questions submitted by students and teachers to the Washington University Medical School's, award winning MAD SCIENCE website http://www.madsci.org.

Adrian received his BS in Engineering with honors from UCLA in 1969. In 1991 he graduated from the USC Graduate School of Business Administration. He has been a visiting lecturer at Caltech, UCLA, USC and at the Chalmers Institute for Technology in Gotenberg, Sweden. He has 10 patents and is a co-author of two editions of the CRC/McGraw-Hill Handbook of Laser Science and Technology (1980), (1991). Adrian has published his work in several leading journals and periodicals including the Scientific American Magazine. He was an Army aviator during the Korean War era and is a Life Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE).




Preview of the September Club Meeting Speaker

Greg Lane Speaks on "DX'ing, QSL Cards and QSL Bureaus"

Our own VP Greg Lane will speak on DX contacts and the exchange of QSL cards and the use of QSL Bureaus. This is a topic that many of us will be very interested in seeing since we have aspirations of getting into DX contesting at some point in the future.

This is an important part of the hobby that can open new vistas and provide nearly endless hours of enjoyment.




Results of the June 11th VE Session

Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR

These are the results of the June 11th 2006 VE Session:

June 11th 2006 VE Session Results

Name Call New License Class
Carl E. Fairbairn KI6ELB Technician
Kenneth D. Miller KI6ELA Technician
Albert Febraro KI6EKY Technician
Chris Hogan KI6ELC Technician w/HF
Timothy R. Kunes KI6EKZ Technician
Barry R. Enders KC6WVZ Extra


Special thanks to all the VEs who help make the CVARC Exam session possible. Next scheduled VE session is Sunday, October 8th at 8:30 a.m. at the East Valley Sheriff Station on Olsen Road.



Second Annual CVARC Auction

By Steve Champion AE6NX

At last December's CVARC Holiday Party, we held our first Auction. It was originally intended to be a small "side-show" of maybe half-a-dozen items. In the end we had thirty-six lots which truly ranged all the way from trash to treasure! A lot of fun was had by all concerned, and $526 was raised for a worthy charity.

Due to the success of that experiment, we will be having another auction at this year's Holiday Party. Jeff Reinhardt has again graciously agreed to be our auctioneer. Please start to sort through your junk (er... I mean valuable treasures) to see if you have anything that you can donate for this year. The charity has not yet been chosen, but will be something in a similar vein to the ARRL Katrina Toy Drive which benefited last time.

If you were not able to be at the last auction, you can get an idea of the sort of lots that we had by taking a look at last year's catalog. You can find it online at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CVARCDiscussion/files/Non-APRS%20Stuff/Auction%20Final.pdf

I will again be collecting items and making the catalog, so please send me an email at steve@stevechampion.com to arrange for pick-up or delivery.


Class for Ham Radio Beginners Saturday Sept. 16

By Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR

So you have your license - now what?

Come to "Ham Radio for Beginners" on Saturday September 16 from 10 a.m. to noon to learn the "basics." We'll teach you how to get along with your new radio, how to feel comfortable making contacts and we'll share in some of the fun that comes with making new friends. The class will be held at the Ventura County East Valley Sheriff's Station on Olsen Road between Hwy 23 and the Regan Library.

No experience is necessary and it doesn't matter what age you are, we'll have a crew of volunteers to show you how easy it is to get on the air.

There's no cost to attend but you should bring your radio (with a charged battery) and its instruction manual. If you misplaced the manual, you can often download a replacement online by visiting the manufacturer's web site.

For those who want to learn a bit more, we'll have an "on the air" demonstration of HF radio and we'll have instructors to answer your questions after the class ends at noon.

If you have any questions, call Jeff Reinhardt AA6JR at 818-706-3853 or drop him an e-mail at aa6jr@pacbell.net

Steve Champion

ARRL SWD Convention in San Diego Sept 22-24

By Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR

The ARRL Southwest Division Convention will be held September 22, 23, and 24, at the San Diego Marriott Mission Valley Hotel. A schedule of talks and events can be seen at www.sandarc-conv2006.org

In addition to a wide array of forums, there will be trade show booths and a host of activities in San Diego. And remember, you can also travel to San Diego by train!



Burbank Ham Radio Outlet Relocates

By Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR

Many hams call it the "candy store" and several may be surprised when they take a Saturday trip looking to shop at the Ham Radio Outlet (HRO) in Burbank, only to find it"s not there!

Don't panic - HRO has relocated within Burbank to 1525 W. Magnolia between Buena Vista and Victory. To familiarize hams with the new location, HRO Burbank will be holding a grand opening celebration on Saturday, September 9 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 pm. with manufacturer's reps and prize drawings through the day.



Preparations Underway for CVARC Holiday Party

By Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR

Who will take home a new radio in the prize raffle? Who will place the winning bid on an auction item? Will you be one of those with a smile on your face after a great holiday dinner shared with your CVARC friends and family members?

Plan to join us at this year's gathering and set aside some items to donate to our charity auction. We'll also be asking folks to bring something to share at the dinner; we'll have a sign-up at a future club meeting. Our planned date for the party is Saturday, December 2, subject to confirmation. Pencil the date on your calendar and plan for a fun-filled evening.



Field Day Lost and Found Items Looking for Their Owners!

Greg Lane reported finding the following items during tear-down after field day. If the owners could contact him he would be happy to arrange the return of their items:

  1. Bi-focal Sunglasses. Sort of purple lenses with brown ear lobe and red rim with silver.
    Looks like they might be reading glasses?
  2. 220VAC male plug to a three prong regular 115 AC female plug. Yellow cable connects the two connectors and it's about 10 inches long. Left by my generator and I think it was used to heat up a coffee pot or some other 220 device?




    3. Event Calendar 2006

    Date Event Comments
    January 12 CVARC Club Meeting General CVARC Meeting
    February 9 CVARC Club Meeting General CVARC Meeting
    February 12 FCC License Exam Begins at 8:30AM at East County Sheriff Station
    March 9 CVARC Club Meeting General CVARC Meeting
    March 12 CROP Walk Annual CVARC/ARES support T.O. CROP Walk (afternoon)
    April 2 Westlake Street Fair CVARC radio support for Westlake Rotary (morning)
    April 9 FCC License Exam Begins at 8:30AM at East County Sheriff Station
    April 20 CVARC Club Meeting Begins at 7:30pm at East County Sheriff Station
    April 22 Arbor Day CVARC/ARES radio demo at N. Conejo Creek Park
    May 13 Cruisin Conejo Bike Ride Major yearly CVARC field activity
    May 18 CVARC Club Meeting Visitors welcome. See web site for details
    June 11 FCC License Exam Begins at 8:30 am at East County Sheriff's Station
    June 15 CVARC Club Meeting Visitors welcome. See web site for details
    June 24-25 Field Day CVARC annual field day event, you don't want to miss it!
    July 3 Moorpark Fireworks Support for Moorpark's 3rd of July Fireworks
    July 20 CVARC Club Meeting Visitors welcome. See web site for details
    August 8 Technician Class Starts See web site or newsletter article for details
    August 13 FCC License Exam Begins at 8:30 am at East County Sheriff's Station
    August 17 CVARC Club Meeting Visitors welcome. See web site for details
    September 15 CVARC Club Meeting Visitors welcome. See web site for details
    September 27 Technician Class CVARC Technician License Class Begins (TENTATIVE)
    October 8 FCC License Exam Begins at 8:30 am at East County Sheriff's Station
    October 10 Technician Class Begins See website or newsletter article for details
    October 19 CVARC Club Meeting Visitors welcome. See web site for details
    November 16 CVARC Club Meeting Visitors welcome. See web site for details
    December 9 CVARC Holiday Party CVARC party at the Camerson Center
    December 10 FCC License Exam Begins at 8:30 am at East County Sheriff's Station


    Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service

    Ventura County Area 2 R.A.C.E.S. members are encouraged to check in every Tuesday night at 7:00 pm on the Area 2 Check-in Net. Specific ARES/RACES times and frequencies are as follows:



    ARES/RACES Times And Frequencies

    Area Time Mode Frequency Pl Repeater
    County 7:30-8 pm Voice 146.880 - 127.3 WA6ZTT
    County 7:30-8 pm Voice 224.020 - 127.3 WB6ZTR
    County Before 6:30 pm Packet 145.710 No pl Hospital Net
    County RACES Simplex Voice 147.570 No pl ____
    Area 1 7:00-7:30 pm Voice 147.930 - 127.3 WB6WEY
    Area 2 7:00-7:30 pm Voice 146.850 - 94.8 Grissom - K6AER
    Area 2 Simplex Voice 147.555 No pl ___
    Area 2 Backup Repeater Voice 147.885 - 127.3 Bozo - N6JMI
    Area 2 Amgen Repeater Voice 449.440 - 131.8 KE6SWS
    Area 3 7:15-7:30 pm Voice 147.915 - 127.3 WB6ZTQ
    Area 4 7:15-7:30 pm Voice 146.970 - 127.3 WB6YQN
    Area 5 7:00-7:30 pm Voice 145.400 - No pl N6FL
    Area 6 7:00-7:30 pm Voice 147.975 - 127.3 N6AHI
    Area 7 7:00-7:30 pm Voice 146.985 - 127.3 WB6ZTX
    Area 8 7:00-7:30 pm Voice 145.280 - 100 KN6OK
    6 Meter 6:45-7:00 pm Voice 052.980 - 082.5 K6SMR


    Net Control operations for the weekly ARES/RACES Area 2 check-in is run from the ARES/RACES communications center at East County Cheriff Station on Olsen Road each Tuesday at 7:00 PM. Visitors are welcome and have the opportunity to operate the station equipment. Contact Jerry Goldman KC6SO ( 805) 241-9187 if you plan to attend. RACES members, should remember that their RACES card is issued for only two years. When your card is due to expire call Jackie ( 805) 646-2551 at the Office of Emergency Services in Ventura to renew your card. For questions concerning ARES/RACES call Area 2 Emergency Coordinator Ken Larson KJ6RZ ( 805) 495-9435 or go to the ARES/RACES secion of the CVARC website at http://www.cvarc.org.



    2006 CVARC OFFICERS

    POSITION NAME CALLSIGN E-MAIL ADDRESS
    President: Steve Champion AE6NX steve@stevechampion.com
    Vice President: Greg Lane K7SDW k7sdw@verizon.net
    Secretary: Ben Champion K6NVS ben@benchampion.com
    Treasurer: Mike Pershing KD6IJF mpershing@earthlink.net
    Editor/Publisher: Neil Waybright KG6QEL kg6qel@yahoo.com
    Education: Karl Moody AE6TO ke6wvz@aol.com
    Technical: Hugh Bosma AE6YC hbrcrb@aol.com
    Operations: Ken Larson KJ6RZ  kj6rz@highstream.net
    Public Relations: Jeff Reinhardt AA6JR aa6jr@pacbell.net
    Social: Rob Hanson W6RH w6rh@verizon.net
    Member at Large Mary Ho KI6COG blank
    Member at Large Dave Davis KG6WRG blank




    ARRL

    ARRL Southwestern Division Director: Richard Norton, N6AA n6aa@arrl.org
    ARRL Southwestern Division Vice Director: Ned Stearns, AA7A  
    ARRL Santa Barbara Section Manager: Robert Griffin, K6YR, 1436 Johnson Ave., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 (805)543-3346) k6yr@arrl.org
    ARRL VUCC (VHF/UHF Century Club) Certification: Peter Heins, N6ZE (805)496-1315 n6ze@aol.com


    The Conejo Valley Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL affiliated Special Service Club. Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month, unless otherwise noted. Meeting location is at the Elks Lodge, 158 Conejo School Rd., Thousand Oaks, CA. Meetings start at 7:30 pm. with a pre-meeting social and technical assistance session, for those who are interested at 7:15 pm. Meetings are open to the public, and members are encouraged to bring their friends.



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    Editor: Neil Waybright