Activities, Education and Training, Featured, General, Newsletter, On The Air, Youth Activities

NARS Activities at HamXposition 2019

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The Nashua Area Radio Society was a major part of the New England HamXposition 2019 @ Boxboro again this year. We added some new things including:

  • Ham Bootcamp – an activity to help Hams to get on the air
  • An HT Programming Clinic
  • An Expanded Kit Building Activity – which included a new antenna kit
  • Forum Presentations about the ISS Crew Contact we did with Hudson Memorial School and our Road To Becoming Club Of The Year
  • Updates to our Satellite and HF GOTA Stations and Activities

Amateur Radio Expo Display

HamXposition 2019
NARS Expo Display and Kit Build

Our Expo display grew a bit this year to include an HT Programming Clinic. We also updated several of our display elements to add more hands-on activities.

HamXposition 2019
Nashua Area Radio Society Activities and Training Display

In particular, we added information on our training programs and the associated Internet Subscription that we launched earlier this year. We also added video and other content from the ISS Crew Contact that we did with Hudson Memorial School late last year.

More Photos from our Amateur Radio Expo Display

Ham Bootcamp

HamXposition 2019
Ham Bootcamp Kickoff

Our main new activity at HamXposition 2019 was Ham Bootcamp. We had a total of 57 folks join us on Saturday morning for 9a – noon to learn about how to put together a station and get on the air.

HamXposition 2019
Bill AB1AV is Net Control for a Practice Net during the Bootcamp Tech Track

Bootcamp consisted of two tracks – one for Techs/Perspective Hams and one for Generals. Both were popular with the group pretty evenly split between the two.

HamXposition 2019
Dan AC1EN and Kenzie KE1NZY provide a Satellite Intro during the Bootcamp Tech Track

Bootcamp included a number of demonstrations and hands-on activities. The photo above shows Dan, AC1EN and Mackenzie, KE1NZY explaining how to get started with Amateur Radio Satellites. The Tech track included:

  • How to pick an HT and a simple, effective antenna
  • How to program your radio
  • How to get started with EchoLink
  • How to make a QSO – this activity involved having Bootcampers checking into and participate in a practice chat net using HT’s
  • How to get started with Fox Hunting and Amateur Radio Satellites
HamXposition 2019
Jamey AC1DC Explains HF Station Building during the Bootcamp General Track

Jamey AC1DC, Anita, AB1QB, Abby AB1BY, and Jerry K1OKD covered how to put together a first HF station as part of the General Track. They built a working HF station at Bootcamp and used it to explain and demonstrate making contacts using SSB, CW, and Digital (FT8). The activities in the General track included:

  • How to put together a basic HF station for SSB, CW, and Digital (FT8)
  • How to make a QSO on the HF bands
  • How to pick a simple HF antenna and put it up safely
  • Operating portable (gear and antennas) – especially important for Hams in HOA and other antenna restricted situations
  • How to find and work DX and how to QSL
  • How to go about learning CW
HamXposition 2019
Folks Who Made Bootcamp Go – Our Registration Team

Jerry K1OKD, Andrea KC1JDX, and Patrick W1YTT handled registration and put together a nice graduation package that was personalized for each Bootcamp participant.

We closed Bootcamp with some information on how to go about earning a license or an upgrade along with a walking tour of the vendor area, our expo display, and our GOTAs. This gave folks a chance to ask some additional questions about gear and Amateur Radio activities that they were interested in.

More Photos from Ham Bootcamp

Kit Building

HamXposition 2019
Kit Builders working on their Kits at HamXposition – Bill AB1AV and Mike K1WVO Mentoring

Our Kit Building activity was popular again this year. We build a total of 34 kits during the weekend. Our mentors help the builders learn to solder and to complete their kits. Our Morse Tutor kit was back again this year and was very popular with our builders.

HamXposition 2019
Jeff AC1FX Tunes Up a 70cm Ground Plane Antenna Kit

We added a new kit this year – a 70 cm Ground Plane Antenna. We helped folks assemble the new antenna kit at the show and our mentors helped builder tune up their completed antennas. The new kit was very popular and we’re planning to add a 2m Ground Plane Antenna kit for our next kit build.

More Photos from our Kit Building Activity

GOTA Stations

HamXposition 2019
Satellite GOTA

Our GOTA stations were popular again this year. Our GOTA stations served several purposes including:

  • A chance for folks to get on the air and make HF and Satellite Contacts
  • A chance to learn how to build stations and operate them
  • An opportunity to generate on-air interest in youth outreach via our N1T special event operations
HamXposition 2019
Jon AC1EV and Greg AC1FS Getting Up To Speed on our Satellite GOTA

We updated our Satellite GOTA Station to include the new Icom IC-9700 transceiver and a more portable antenna system.

HamXposition 2019
Jerry, K1OKD Conducting Satellite GOTA Operations

There was lots of interest in Amateur Radio satellites and the computer-controlled ground station that we had at HamXposition.

HamXposition 2019
Jamey AC1DC and Abby AB1BY Operating as N1T at our HF GOTA

Our HF GOTA station was also popular and we used it to make most of our contacts as N1T.

Our GOTA stations helped to spark interest in Satellite Operations, DX’ing, and HF in general. We secured the N1T special event call (Youth Outreach at HamXposition 2019) again for use with our GOTA stations. We made a total of 303 contacts as N1T during HamXposition.

More Photos from our GOTA Stations

Forum Presentations

HamXposition 2019
Dan AC1EN and Fred AB1OC Present Highlights of HMS ISS Contact

We provided two presentations as part of the Forum Program at HamXposition 2019:

You can view a copy of these presentations via the links above.

Thank You NARS Members!

HamXposition 2019
NARS HamXposition 2019 Team on Saturday

It would be impossible for us to provide a set of activities as extensive as these without a lot of support from our members. The NARs team at HamXposition 2019 consisted of over 30 volunteers who contributed to planning, preparation, and operation of our activities at HamXposition.

HamXposition 2019
Some of the NARS Members Who Helped with Takedown on Sunday

A very big THANK YOU to everyone who helped make our contribution to HamXposition a success! Also thanks to Charlie W1CBD and Bob K1OLD, our roving photographers, for all of the great pictures featured in this article!

Additional Photos from HamXposition 2019

Fred, AB1OC

Education and Training, Featured, General, Newsletter, Space

ARRL Teachers Institute 2: A Week Devoted to Remote Sensing and Satellite Communication

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For the second year in a row, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend the American Radio Relay League Teacher Institute in Newington, Connecticut.   This summer I attended TI – 2 from July 8 – 12th.  Thanks to the generous donations of ARRL members, I was afforded the chance to further explore ways in which I can bring Amateur Radio into the classroom.

ARRL Teachers Institute

The second year of Teacher Institute helped me delve further into Remote Sensing and using radio to bring Space into the classroom.  Throughout the week, seven other participants and I were offered the chance to operate W1AW, take tours of the ARRL Headquarters, and learn new ways for us to bring HAM radio alive for students.

ARRL Teachers Institute

Over the course of the week, Instructor Matt Severin brought participants through building a remote sensing buoy using an Arduino and sensors that included GPS, Pressure, Altitude, and Temperature.  Participants programmed their buoy to relay information through the APRS system.  Using a Yaesu FT-60R and 12-volt battery, the buoys were set outside overnight.  Each participant’s buoy sent over 20 hours of data through APRS.  Participants then copied the data into Excel and created several graphs that showed the change in temperature inside and outside the buoy over the course of time.  We were also able to see the health of the battery and other measurements over the course of the same time.  I believe one use for my new buoy will allow me to have students utilize local data while studying statistics in mathematics class.

ARRL Teachers Institute

Participants also explored how amateur radio could easily be brought into the classroom through the use of SDR radio.  By connecting an SDR to a laptop in conjunction with the program  HDSDR I was able to hear local radio stations, the NOAA weather updates, and packets being transmitted through the air.

ARRL Teachers Institute

The item that I found most exciting was the use of our new Arrow Antennas to make satellite contacts.  During the course of the week, participants went outside of headquarters several times to attempt contacts through SO – 50, AO 91, and AO-92.  Being rather new to ham radio, I found this very challenging as the airways on a good pass are very noisy.  I also discovered that I am far too polite to interrupt others.  To get over this, myself and another participant took our radio and Arrow antennas back to the hotel and attempted a contact in the early morning.  I am pleased to report that I was able to make my first satellite contact on SO-50 at 7:10 am in the morning.  Okay, I stand corrected.  It was really my second satellite contact since I did get to contact the International Space Station with my students last December.

ARRL Teachers Institute

Another thing I found interesting was using my Arrow and SDR radio to collect data packets from the passing satellites.  On one pass AO-91 turned on its picture transmission so that we could attempt to collect the packets.  I was able to collect 6 of the packets but did not get a picture. We then looked at the telemetry that we were able to collect from the satellites.

ARRL Teachers Institute ARRL Teachers Institute

On the last day, we once again used the APRS system.  This time we used the MAREA protocol to send commands to the same Arduino robots that we built last year.  With a few extra pieces we were able to send our robots’ instructions to move forward, backward, left, and right.  The MAREA protocol was a great demonstration of how NASA controls rovers that have been sent to the moon and Mars.

ARRL Teachers Institute

I would like to thank all of those ARRL members whose contributions made these two years of professional development possible.  I will remember this forever.  It was even more special to me as the first day of this workshop landed on a day that many others dread.  I turned 40 on July 8th.  While I was not with my family, I gained a whole new family of educator friends that I know will continue to support each other as we bring Amateur Radio to a whole new generation.  Thank you, Ally, Kris, ARRL, and the Nashua Area Radio Club Members who continue to support me through my continued discovery of Amateur Radio.

Dan, AC1EN

Antennas, Featured, General, Newsletter

Buddipole 15m 2-element Yagi with 8-foot boom

There was a query after the September newsletter was published regarding the antenna pictured in my 100 Pound DXpedition article. Here are the details.

15m 2-Element Buddipole Yagi

The standard Buddipole Deluxe kit can be augmented to produce a very effective two-element 15 meter Yagi. This antenna was used on St. Thomas, USVI, during the 2010 CQ WPX Phone contest by NE1RD to generate nearly 800 QSOs using only 5 watts (QRP). This note provides assembly instructions for this antenna.

Necessary Components

The components necessary to construct this antenna are:

  • 1x ~ Buddipole Yagi converter kit
  • 8x ~ 22” Antenna accessory arms
    • 2x arms for the driven element
    • 2x arms for the reflector element
    • 4x arms for the antenna boom
  • 2x ~ 11” Antenna accessory arms
  • 4x ~ 9.5 fool long Buddipole whips
  • Buddipole Deluxe System
    • Rotating arm kit (RAK) knobs with nylon washers
      • One knob holds the reflector to the end of the boom
      • The other knob holds the center IT adapter to the mast
    • Buddipole VersaTee
    • Coax feed-line with banana plugs
    • Velcro strap (and additional strapping to secure the feed line to the boom)
    • 8-foot mast
    • Tripod
    • Guying system or very heavy weight on the bottom of the tripod to prevent tipping

Antenna Design

The basic design of the antenna is illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Buddipole 15m 2-el Yagi

Construction Details

  1. Begin by constructing the boom. Locate one of the IT adapters that came with the Buddipole Yagi kit. Screw a 22” arm into each side of the IT adapter. Add a second 22” arm to each side to produce a boom nearly 8-feet in length.
  2. Construct the reflector by locating the second IT adapter. Screw a 22” inch arm into each side of the IT adapter. Attach an 11” arm to each side of this assembly. There should be approximately 34” of arms on each side of the IT adapter. Locate two 9.5’ Buddipole long whips and, with the whips collapsed, attach a whip to each side of the reflector assembly.
  3. Construct the driven element by locating the threaded 3/8” x 24 threaded rod. Screw this rod into the top of the VersaTee. Attach the Yagi collar to one end of the boom. Attach the VersaTee to the boom and mate with the Yagi collar. Be sure to have the VersaTee in the same plane as the boom’s IT adapter so that the elements will be horizontal with respect to the ground when the antenna is mounted. Attach 22” arms to each side of the VersaTee. Locate two 9.5’ Buddipole whips and, with the whips collapsed, attach the whips to the ends of those arms.
  4. Attach the reflector to the boom by first fixing the second Yagi collar on to the other end of the boom. Then attach the reflector, ensuring it is properly aligned with respect to the boom’s IT adapter, using one of the large RAK knobs.
  5. Attach the feed line to the VersaTee with black and red wires going to the corresponding colored banana plug mounts on the VersaTee. Secure with Velcro straps. (Additional straps, or other means of routing the feed line back to the center IT adapter may be necessary).
  6. Set up the tripod and mast as you would for a standard Buddipole deployment. Guy as necessary, or weigh down the tripod with a heavy rock or other weight.
  7. Locate the mast collar from the Buddipole Yagi kit and attach it to the top of the mast. Use the second RAK knob to secure the antenna to the mast.

Tuning The Antenna

The lengths of the elements are such that the antenna can be tuned easily. Extend each whip to full length, then retract the outer-most section 6 or 7 inches. Make small adjustments to the reflector to tune. The author found that even guesses (no rulers) for the element lengths were good enough for creating a good match.

SWR and 2:1 Bandwidth

A properly tuned antenna will provide a good match across the band. The two plots below are from the author’s installation on St. Thomas in March of 2010 (Figures 2 and 3).

Figure 2. 15m Yagi SWR plot

Figure 3. 15m Yagi Smith Chart plot

The small green line along the real axis between 50 and 75 Ohms is the plot for the antenna. Pure resistive load, no reactance, resonant.

Results From KP2/NE1RD Deployment

The author made 977 contacts on this antenna including 808 in the CQ WPX SSB contest (794  unique stations after duplicates were removed). He worked 48 states (missing ND and WY), and 58 DXCC entities in 17 zones in just a few days of operation. All contest contacts were made QRP (5 watts)!

Scott, NE1RD

Radio Amateurs Developing Skills Worldwide