Kila, the Magic Husky's Ham Radio College featuring Kila and her Trusty Sidekick, Ben

Kila, the Magic Husky's Ham Radio College

featuring Kila and her Trusty Sidekick, Ben

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Episode 14 -- May 16th, 2016 -- Grounding and Stelth Antennas. Radio Dave guest stars.

Listen to the episode 71 MB MP3

Electronics as a Hobbie (promote velocity of money)
Most wars during the past 3000 years are rich against poor
Not all rich folk are together against the rest of us. Some are individually against us.
May 23 end of CA voter registration.
Register at 255 N. Forbes St, room 209 on the 2nd floor, ask for a "Vote by Mail" ballot. You can vote right there. You must specify party preference.. "No Party Pref = Dem, Libertarian, American Independant".
LCARS meeting last Thu 6pm at Running Creek Casino conference room. 26 May.
Nice ARC Breakfast at Judy's Junction in Upperlake at 7am on Saturdays.
Review: Electricity - Static vs Current; Electron Flow vs Hole flow Current Electricity - DC vs AC (invented by Tesla) Ohms, Amps, Volts, Watts, E=IR, P=IE. E*I=P, E/I=R. RLC Circuits, Batteries, Switches, Fuses, Circuit Breakers Transistors, Decibles, Antennas, The Ionosphere.

The Ham Bands

Wavelength or Band	Freq Range	Technician Class Operation allows	Notes
160 meters	1.8 - 2 MHz		Close to the AM Broadcast band
80 or 75 meters	3.5 - 4 MHz	3.525-3.600 MHz: CW Only	Lots of local (500 - 1200 miles) activity
60 meters	5 channels near 5 MHz	USB, CW, PSK31, etc. on 5330.5 kHz, 5346.5 kHz, 5357.0 kHz, 5371.5 kHz, 5403.5 kHz, 2.8 KHz bandwidth or less; for some reason -NOT Lower Sideband
40 meters	7 - 7.3 MHz	7.025-7.125 MHz : CW only	Lots of local (500 - 1200 miles) activity mixed with broadcasters
30 meters	10.1 - 10.15 MHz		CW and data only
20 meters	14 - 14.35 MHz		Great band for long distance
18 meters	18.068 - 18.168 MHz		Also a great band for long distance, but quieter so not as great
15 meters	21 - 21.45 MHz	21.025-21.200 MHz: CW Only	Used to be a great band for lond distance, but I don't hear as much these days
12 meters	24.89 - 24.99 MHz		I don't know anything about this band. Close to CB on 26-27 MHz (11 meters)
10 meters	28 - 29.7 MHz	28.000-28.300 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data--Maximum power 200 watts PEP 28.300-28.500 MHz: CW, Phone--Maximum power 200 watts PEP	Sometimes in, sometimes out. Has SSB, FM Repeaters, Satellite output (occasionally)
6 meters	50 - 54 MHz	50.0-50.1 MHz: CW Only 50.1-54.0 MHz: CW, Phone, Image, MCW, RTTY/Data	Sometimes in, sometimes out, Has SSB, FM Repeaters
2 meters	144 - 148 MHz	144.0-144.1 MHz: CW Only 144.1-148.0 MHz: CW, Phone, Image, MCW, RTTY/Data	Very popular for FM. Also, weak signal direct SSB, CW. Also, moonbounce and satellites
1.25 meters	222 - 225 MHz	222.00-225.00 MHz: CW, Phone, Image, MCW, RTTY/Data	Less popular but some activity.
70 centemeters	420 - 450 MHz	420.0-450.0 MHz: CW, Phone, Image, MCW, RTTY/Data	Lots of FM repeaters and links
33 centemeters	902 - 928 MHz	902.0-928.0 MHz: CW, Phone, Image, MCW, RTTY/Data	I've never used this band.
23 centemeters	1240 - 1300 MHz	1270-1295 MHz: CW, phone, Image, MCW, RTTY/Data (maximum power, 5 watts PEP)	I've never used this band.
All modes and licensees are authorized on the following bands [FCC Rules, Part 97.301(a)]: 2300-2310 MHz 2390-2450 MHz 3300-3500 MHz 5650-5925 MHz 10.0-10.5 GHz 24.0-24.25 GHz 47.0-47.2 GHz 76.0-81.0 GHz* 122.25 -123.00 GHz 134-141 GHz 241-250 GHz All above 300 GHz * Amateur operation at 76-77 GHz has been suspended till the FCC can determine that interference will not be caused to vehicle radar systems

Here is a more friendly explanation of what kinds of activity can be seen on which bands. And here is even more detail.
Yes, sadly, you do -in fact- have to memorize at least most of the above chart because there'll be questions about it on your ham radio exam.
Syllabus Next Week: FCC Part 97 Then, Ham Radio exams Next: Computers, beginning with microcontrollers
Diana calls in and asks, "FCC Rules cover computers?" Answer: FCC Part 15 for electrical device radiation FCC Covers Wifi at 2.4 & 5 GHz
Mesh Networking is an alternative way of creating the internet anew aside from the current internet. Wired explains it pretty well. Hams have an enormous advantage over others in that we can operate a mesh network with much higher power equipment over longer distances using alternative frequencies. This allows for several orders of magnitude more signal density. That is, we could all set up a mesh network in Lake County, for example, that more than rivals all commercial internet offerings. If nothing else, it would simultaneously (a) Force ISPs to run fiber and (2) allow us to keen communicating whether or not autorities try to shut us down.
Democracy requires revolution, hopefully of the dancing variety, rather than the kind with holes in people. People are already holy enough without additional holes caused by bullets.
Microcomputers, number theory, computer languages (asm, c, etc).
Small computers $20. Relays, make symphonies by controlling hammers hitting garbage can lids. Or control sprinklers and lights and motors, anything around the house; servos, temp switches, light based switches, etc.
Radios contain computers. Used to set frequency and mode and switch between'em for scanning.
Grounding, Stelth HF Antennas, and a few other bits and peaces.
Next week, rules and regs
After that, beginning Digital Electronics
Analog vs Digital Electronics
Number Systems - binary.
Grounding
- Ufer Ground vs RF Ground
- Ufer gnd is a mesh in concrete.
- That's not how it is anymore because concrete doesn't conduct.
- So now we use a regular 8 ft gnd rod.
- RF Ground shouldn't be hooked to Ufer Ground.
- All 3 pronged plugs already go to ground, but it takes hundreds of feet. Impeadance Reversal every quarter wavelength along the ground wire.
- If gnd wire is 8-10 ft it won't work as gnd on 10m.
- Use an Antenna Sweeper. An Antenna Analyzer. Tells SWR and Impeadance and Reactance
- Inside all radios is a bandpass filter and/or low pass filter.
- Low Pass keeps harmonics out of the feedline (coax).
- It is always wise to keep a low pass filter at the point where your coax penetrates the structure.
- 28 MHz x 2 = CHannel 2 video! Low pass filter prevents the signal above 35 MHz or so.
- Low Pass Filter has to go to ground to dissipate the energy filtered out. AND < ¼ wavelength away.
- Nearby lightening and stray RF goes to ground when it comes in the house, NOT at the radios. All equipment is bonded to that plate. Then a strap to ground. Mix salt in the hole in the ground to make the ground better.
- Grounding prevents arcing to the mic, headset, keeps rf out of mic audio (distortion) keeps the neighbor's tv clear, helps prevent lightening damage to your radios.
HF Antennas, continued from last week.
- Story: In an Home Owner's Association.
- a 160 full wave loop above a fence made out of electric fence wire for receiving. Radiates straight up, so don't use it for xmt.
- a flagpole 33 ft with a gazillian under-ground radial (wires) of different lengths (for each band) to transmit. Verticle antenna for xmt. Can't use it for receive, because human noise is almost all verticle.
- 3x 160, 3x 75, 3x 60, 3x 40m counterpoises against the bottom of the flagpole.
- Any odd multiple of quarter waves will resonate: 3/4, 5/4. 160m = 15/4 on 10m.
- Dow-Key relay for receive-transmit switch
- Change horizontal dipoles to slopers or inverted-V. If you can't be at least a full wavelength above the ground, lift one end so it isn't parallel to the ground.
- a Halo antenna is an open-ended loop antenna with a beta-match for VHF or UHF. You can put'em in the attic. You can put 2 of'em in phase. They work well. You can also use them to receive weather sattelite pictures directly from the sattelites.
- You can also hide vhf and uhf verticle antennas in plastic vent pipes on the roof.
- It is easy to build your own antennas.
- 10m net in the next county.

If I've made any mistakes, please Call me or email Kila or you can call us directly at (707) 413-6435.
Here is my main website.