President: William (Buddy) Rodgers-KA4END,
19 Wintergreen Ln., Taylors, SC 29687
Vice President: Mitchell Hawkins-KD4VXP,
P.O. Box 41, Pelzer, SC 29669
Treasurer: Carroll Smith-WA4WYE,
202 Agewood Dr., Simpsonville, SC 29680
Secretary: John Chism-ND4N,
139 Mustang Circle, Simpsonville, SC 29681
NOTICE: The next meeting of BRARS
will be at 7:00 pm, Monday, April 6 at the Greenville Technical College
( Auditorium CE 350)....Coffee etc. at 7:00 pm. The meeting starts
at 7:30. The program will include a discussion / planning session for the
May 9, Upstate Hamfest and a short presentation on the status of the VHF/UHF
repeaters owned by the Club. Ray Allison-K4SUG will present the repeater
information.
Special thanks to Gene Owensby-WB4ZBZ for following
information about
Skywarn. The Skywarn Net was activated several times this winter due
to severe weather in the Upstate. The tornado that hit Anderson a few months
ago was first
reported by a trained amateur spotter. More amateur radio spotters
are needed. See
below....Editor
NOTE: Skywarn Net has moved from 146.61 to 146.79.
The 146.61 repeater is
now a Liaison Station for the Skywarn Net.
The key focus of the Skywarn program is to
save lives and property through the use of the observations and reports
of trained volunteers, using amateur radio as the means of communication.
Skywarn is the national program of trained volunteer service weather spotters.
The volunteers support their local community and government by providing
the National Weather Service (NWS) with timely and accurate severe weather
reports. These reports, when integrated with modern NWS technology,
are used
to inform communities of the proper actions to take as severe weather
threatens.
Skywarn was formed in the early 1970’s and has historically provided critical severe weather information to the NWS in time to get appropriate warnings issued. Amateur Radio is a critical component of Skywarn. The NWS offers several training classes each year to increase the number of amateurs that participate. Amateur radio operators have along history of using their training, skills, and equipment in uncompensated public service to help the community at large, which is precisely the focus of the Skywarn system.
Gene-WB4ZBZ has been associated with Skywarn from
the start. If you would like to become a Skywarn volunteer in you area,
please call Gene at 864-476-2609 or catch him on 146.61 almost any morning.
Antenna Choices.. Most Hams have a back yard of at least
3 acres but a few,
including your editor are stuck with a small yard. Amor-N2FY must have
had a
small back yard in New Jersey because he has become our resident expert
on “antennas for small yards” or as he puts it..”WHEN YOU ONLY HAVE “UP”
LEFT AS A CHOICE” Amor; many thanks for the following article..
In a previous article, it was mentioned that during
the recent low ebb in the current sun spot cycle, it could be worth while
exploring 80 and 40 meters while waiting for things to improve on
the higher ( 20-10 meter) bands. But, for many, the space for low-band
( 80 and 40 meter) antennas is a real problem. Trying to find 65 feet or
so of sky space in which to string a 40 meter dipole presents a problem
for many, let alone even thinking about a wire for 80 meters! But, there
is one recourse to be considered... and that is STRAIGHT UP. Of course
I’m talking about a vertical antenna, and the primary thrust for this discussion
will be for 40 meters, with some consideration for 80. True, to have
a vertical antenna work reasonably well, even on 40 meters or 80, does
require some sort of ground plane. But, you don’t have to use full 1/4
wavelength ground radials and they don’t have to be elevated above ground.
If you did, the whole idea of going “UP” would be negated by trying to
find enough real estate to snake the 66-foot-
wide radial pattern (on 40) across your yard.
What about the antenna proper? There are several
available verticals that can get you at least on 40 meters and some also
cover 80. For example, the Butternut HF-2V ( my personal favorite) covers
80 and 40; both Cushcraft and Hy-Gain offer multibanders that cover from
40 to 10; or you could make one yourself if you can come up with some aluminum
tubing. But let’s get back to the less-than-full-size radial system. In
my old dog-eared ARRL Antenna Book, there is a table showing optimum ground
system configurations for a given number/length of radials. Getting right
to it. what it says is that for a 16 radial system, the radials should
be 0.1 wavelength long, which for 40 meters is about 13 feet. Now twice
this, or 26 feet for the diameter of the circle of radials is a far cry
from the 1/4 wave-length span, or about 66 feet. You can get a lot of antenna
in a small “lot” using the multi-radial system.
A final comment: some have defined a vertical antenna
as one that “radiates equally poor in all direction.” Sorry, but I can’t
buy that. I’ve been using vertical antennas, both singly and in pairs,
for many years with good success. True, there are times when a simple dipole
will outperform a vertical for a given distance, but I have found that
my vertical system generally holds its own. Just something to consider..N2FY.
Editor’s note: Amor’s idea to phase two or more vertical
antennas for gain
should work well on 10 meters as the sun spot cycle continues to improve.
Three weeks ago, 10 m. was open to Europe and Latin America during
the ARRL SSB DX contest.
A Bit of Nostalgia--1935--
( From the Files of George Henderson-K4QDU, Silent Key. Provided by
K4SUG)
We were before panty hose, drip dry clothes, ice makers, food processors, and dishwashers. Before clothes dryers, freezers, and electric blankets...before men wore long hair and ear rings and women wore tuxedos. In our day, cigarette smoking was fashionable, grass was mowed; Coke was something you drank and pot was to cook in. In 1935, “Made in Japan” meant “Junk” and the term “Making Out” was something you did on an Exam! In those days, bunnies were baby rabbits and rabbits were not Volkswagens. We also thought “chips” were made of wood...
Thanks For Help At The “Sticker Party”
We had a good turn-out for the March 14 “Sticker Party”..
“BRARS THANKS” to
Jeff-WA4EFT, Buddy-KA4END and Pat, Sue-N4ENX and
John-ND4N, Marty-KF4HTL, Terri- License Pending, Phil-N4IQ
and Elaine, Jim-K4JF,
Bob-KF4KCZ, Al-WA4LUQ, Kay-KE4NHX, Earl-WK4O, Geraldine-KF4SBM,
Carlisle-WA4ULE, Mitchell-KD4VXP, Steve-KE4WI, Lonnie-N5YOH,
Gene-WB4ZBZ, and Jonathan, KE4ZVU.....plus any other friends, family
members or welcome
strangers that stopped by the Red Cross building to help out.
Minutes of the 3/2/98 Club Meeting
| KA5WLL | M.L. | Melvin | Alexnader | 23 Wood Cir | Taylors | SC | 29687 |
| WD4RIZ | E.A. | Ed | Coats | 104 Creighton St | Taylors | SC | 29687 |
| KF4VIS | D.L. | Dan | Donovan | 203 Fairhaven Dr | Taylors | SC | 29687 |
| KD4THV | M.A. | Mark | Elliot | 3 Lakeview Dr | G'ville | SC | 29617 |
| K4KK | G.E. | Ed | Grooms | 98 Brooke Ann Ct | Taylors | SC | 29687 |
| KM4TN | A.H. | Al | Holden | 3115 White Horse Rd. Box 189 | Taylors | SC | 29611 |
| WA4LUQ | A.C. | Al | Lemmons | 3860 Line Rd. | Greer | SC | 29651 |
| KA4YEA | A | Al | Nelson | 611 Regency Cir | Anderson | SC | 29625 |
| KE4RNF | J.L. | Joe | Swafford | 16 E Welcome Rd | G'ville | SC | 29611 |
Submit any comments on submitted applications in writing to:
Attention: Board of Directors
BRARS, Inc.,
P.O. Box 6751
Greenville, SC 29606-6751
John E. Chism, ND4N
Secretary, BRARS Inc.
Any comments, suggestions, articles, etc. regarding the
newsletter should be sent to livewire@brars.org
The Livewire Editor is Dr. Carl Rogers, WA4ULE
and this webpage is maintained by Jonathan
Nalley, KE4ZVU who is a member of the
Send your comments or inquiries to: brars@brars.org
©1998 Blue Ridge Amateur Radio Society, Inc.