Moncton Area Amateur Radio Club Inc.

February Edition February 13, 2012

Moncton Area Amateur Radio Club, Inc.
Serving the Community since 1936 through Amateur Radio

MAARC Website: http://www.maarc.ca

Welcome to QTC Newsletter, official publication of the

Moncton Area Amateur Radio Club, Inc.

QTC Newsletter is posted monthly to the MAARC, Inc. Website with all Club Members
immediately advised of its publication..

We encourage and welcome your comments and input.

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February MAARC, Inc. Meeting

February 20/2012 1900 hrs L (7pm AST) / Guest Speakers: JP LeBlanc, VE9BK
and Charles Levasseur, VE9CEL

Subject: "Mesh Network" What it is and its advantages in Emergency Communications

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The Prez Sez . . .

Will keep it short this month, as I'm still in Ontario visiting our new grandson after spending three weeks down south to get away from the cold Canadian weather.

I'd like to single out Charles, VE9CEL, for setting up the web presentation with Bob Robichaud from Environment Canada at our December meeting. This is a good example of what the Club can now do with the new technology that is available to us at the clubhouse as a result of the Grant Project. As I stated after the presentation, we're now able to gain access to any guest speaker for our meetings, no matter where the speaker is in the world. The only criteria for the speaker is to have access to the internet. Since then, Charles and Marcel have installed a surround sound system at the clubhouse so that all members are able to easily hear the audio during presentations.

A group of Club members got together and completed the alternate plan that I presented for the Club antenna refurbishments. Their hard work was much appreciated. A writeup and photos of this important project were featured in the January issue of QTC Newsletter.

Charles, Matthieu, Stephen and Marcel are in the process of establishing an
I-Gate system for APRS. We're looking forward to a progress report at the February meeting.

Planning for the Basic Amateur Radio Course to begin on February 25, 2012 is in full swing. Instructors on various subjects are needed. Please contact Charles to offer your assistance.

We were shocked to hear about the misfortune of Gerry Doyle, VE1KB, on his recent trip to Austria. So far news of his recovery has been very positive and Bill, VE1WG, will continue to provide updates as he receives them.

We have a very interesting program for the February meeting. The main focus will be on new Amateur Radio technology and how Radio Amateurs are still experimenting at the leading edge of new technologies. So do come out to the meeting, be informed, entertained and enjoy socializing with old and new friends.

73, Jean-Paul LeBlanc, VE9BK
President, MAARC, Inc.

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February 25, 2012

Amateur Radio Training Course

* A new course to begin February 25th.

* Sessions scheduled for each Saturday

* Instructors needed.

* Please contact: Charles Levasseur, VE9CEL at:

381-9997 ve9cel@rogers.com

Did You Know . . . . . . . . ?

That the man credited with a number of inventions related to the early development of radio, spent considerable time and money in extensive litigation claiming infringement of his designs and discoveries by other radio pioneers. Concurrently, he spent much of his time and income defending himself in patent lawsuits brought against him by other inventors. Born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, he was Lee de Forest (1873-1961) who claimed to have been defrauded by business associates while contesting a legal suit launched by the US Attorney General that he had unlawfully deceived his business partners. With such a web of legal entanglements, Lee de Forest was, without doubt, one of the most contentious inventors of his day.

In February 1908, he was granted US Patent 879,532 for a three element vacuum tube. De Forest had added a third element to the diode vacuum tube between the cathode and the anode. It was called the grid and the tube became known as the triode. With refinement, it found use as the prime component in audio and radio frequency applications such as amplifiers and oscillators. Until the invention of the transistor and other solid state devices, the triode tube was the fastest switching device of its time and was the basic digital element in early computers.

De Forest came upon his development of the three element tube while tinkering with the diode vacuum tube. In the application of his triode tube, it became evident that he did not fully understand how it worked. He initially held that its operation was in relation to ions created within the gas in the tube even though it was irrefutably demonstrated by others that the tube operated within a vacuum. Irving Langmuir of GE was the first to correctly explain the theory of the vacuum tube and make significant improvements to it.

De Forest is acknowledged to have conducted the first live broadcast in 1910 when he transmitted a performance of the opera, "Tosca," by Puccini from the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York with tenor Enrico Caruso performing.

Later that year he moved to San Francisco to work for the Federal Telegraph Company which in 1912 became engaged in a project with others to build a global radio system. (The wireless station built in Newcastle, NB at the time was part of this system.) The following year in 1913, the US Attorney General sued de Forest for fraud in a protracted legal action that went all the way to the US Supreme Court and was finally settled in a 1926 ruling that favored de Forest. The court's decision was thought by many to be wrong due to a failure of the Supreme Court Judges to fully understand the technical aspects of the case.

Although early silent movies enjoyed a large viewership, the absence of sound precluded their realistic portrayal of live performers. In 1919, de Forest filed a patent application for his sound on film system. An improvement on the work of European inventors, it was called the "De Forest Phonofilm." It found little acceptance among the major American film producers and de Forest was confined to producing a few short films which were shown at movie houses he controlled, such as the Rivoli in New York.

De Forest then collaborated with Freeman Owens and Theodore Case to perfect the Phonofilm system. Unfortunately, with de Forest's unlicensed misuse of Case's inventions and his failure to publicly recognize Case's contributions, the two men had a falling out. Case concluded that de Forest was more concerned with his own fame and was making every attempt to downplay the contributions of the Case Research Lab. Case and Earl Sponable severed their ties with de Forest in 1925 and together with William Fox, owner of Fox Film, negotiated an agreement to obtain his patents. The system was marketed as the Fox Movietone process. The next year the Phonofilm Company filed for bankruptcy and Warner Brothers introduced a new sound system called Vitaphone.

De Forest did finally gain some recognition when he was given an "Academy Award" in 1959-60 and a star on the Hollywood "Walk of Fame" for his pioneering inventions. Such accolades did not entirely erase the reputation he had acquired by his questionable business dealings. He was on one occasion indicted for mail fraud but later acquitted. In a 1991 PBS Documentary by Ken Burns, Lee de Forest was portrayed as a man of uncertain integrity with a relentless desire, at any cost, to become a wealthy and famous inventor.

Lee de Forest died in Hollywood on June 30, 1961 at age 87. At his passing, despite all the opportunity he had during his life, his bank balance was a paltry $1,250. and he had few friends to mourn him. He did however, win recognition for his invention of the three electrode vacuum tube, even though he didn't fully understand how it worked. He was awarded the Franklin Institute "Elliott Cresson Medal" in 1923 and the Edison Medal of the AIEE. A highly prized annual medal awarded to engineers by the IEEE is named the Lee de Forest Medal -VE1WG

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Upgrades to Club Station

MAARC Director Charles Levasseur, VE9CEL, reports on two Club Station upgrade projects that are planned for completion this month.

He is currently in the process of resetting the MAARC Packet Station. The associated computer is ready but the radio has to be changed to one that operates on the new Packet frequency. One item required is change of interface cable. The plan is to provide a method for members who currently do not have a Packet Station at home to connect using a browser version of VNC enabling use of the Packet Station. So far, at least five members have indicated interest in this project.

We also have another computer, radio and TNC to set up a new I-Gate. These items have been provided by Marcel, VE9ML and he will host the server at his QTH. Stephen and Charles will be able to VNC into it to support the I-Gate and ensure that it is correctly connected. Required for this project is an interface cable between the radio and TNC. Radio is an ICOM IC-22 that will require re-programming to the correct frequency. By next week we will know the type of TNC required.

Please contact Charles if you can be of any assistance on these projects.

The Car Radio

Recently, some of the story on development of the car radio was related by interested QTC Newsletter readers. The initial effort to install a broadcast receiver in a vehicle presented a whole new set of challenges. To get some idea of what had to be overcome and the people involved, three websites listed below provide the reader with some interesting detail.

www.antiqueradiomuseum.org/thecarradio.htm

minornotes.com/elmer.html

licn.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/07/car-radioshow-they-came-aboutcarl-schwab.html

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Address Change & Instruction Offer from VE9SC

Stephen Conrad, VE9SC, would like to advise all that his e-mail address has changed. Stephen's new e-mail address is: ve9sc@ve9sc.com

He would also like to inform all that he is prepared to offer instruction and guidance to anyone wishing to use his two remote sites. His Website address is: www.ve9sc.com

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New Edition of ARRL Antenna Book

The ARRL Antenna Book was first published in 1939 and a new edition is made available about every five years. The 22nd Edition is now available with a special offering, while quantities last, of the hard cover edition at the same price as the soft cover version. There are several new chapters on various antenna subjects. The Antenna Book includes a CD-ROM augmenting the book's printed material.
There is also a Website: www.arrl.org/antenna-book which augments and constantly updates the Antenna Book.Other software support is also included with this latest edition.

Lead Editor on this edition is Ward Silver, N0AX. He can be reached at: n0ax@arrl.org The Club should give consideration to acquiring a copy of this latest comprehensive Antenna Book which members would find to be a valuable reference.

Milestones in Radio

April 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic and transmittal of the most famous distress signal in the history of radio. One immediate aftermath was a tightening of multi-lateral regulations to ensure the reliability of maritime wireless distress communication.

"World Amateur Radio Day" on April 18, 2012 will celebrate the theme of 50 years of Amateur Radio in space. It began with launch of the first OSCAR satellite in 1961, progressed through Amateur Radio contact with astronaut Owen Garriott, W5LFL as he orbited the earth on STS-91 and has continued with many contacts with astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

The April issue of QTC Newsletter will feature fuller coverage of these historic events. Meanwhile, Club members are urged to become proficient in the operation of MAARC's Space Station, VE9MSC.

You just might be lucky and make contact with an astronaut aboard the ISS.

Website Listings

The attention of our readers is drawn to the addition of the Maritime Amateur Website to website listings maintained by MAARC, Inc. It is included under LINKS-Clubs-Maritimes. This site has been maintained by Jim Langille, VE1JBL, for the past four years and includes news from around the Maritimes. Full details on this site have been circulated to all Club Presidents in the Maritimes.

Radio Amateurs in Maritimes are encouraged to view the site and consider adding it to their Club Website for cross-referencing. To view the Maritime Amateur Website go to: www.maritimeamateur.ca

The Role of Amateur Radio Clubs

As indicated last month, it was planned to reprint the November 2011 QST article on the important role of Clubs in Amateur Radio. After reviewing the article, it was concluded that it would not be entirely applicable, as written, in relation to organized Amateur Radio in
Canada. However, the important role of local Clubs, as described in the orginal article, is worthy of review as it applies to promoting the interests of the Amateur Radio Service in Canada.

Relative to the points outlined in the article by ARRL's Chief Operating Officer, Harold Kramer, WJ1B, the Club activities listed below plus others that over time have come to be adopted as Club objectives, together make a substantial contribution to the overall promotion of the Amateur Radio Service in Canada. Most local Clubs, with some exception, are organized on the basis of the following terms and objectives:

Establishment of Clubs as incorporated or unincorporated entities for licensed and prospective Radio Amateurs.
Operates on an agreed set of constitutional articles or stipulated Club objectives and activities.
Clubs provide Emergency Communications Service during emergencies.
Clubs ensure Emergency Communication preparedness, equipment readiness, training, etc.
Clubs maintain liaison with municipal services: fire, police, rescue, etc.
Clubs conduct training programs for those seeking qualification for licensing.
Clubs participate in Annual ARRL Field Day.
Clubs maintain, where possible, Club facilities and a Club Station.
Certain Clubs accept responsibility for distribution of QSL cards to one or more designated call areas.
Clubs conduct instructional seminars on new equipment and systems.
Clubs conduct Morse code proficiency training.
Clubs conduct annual and monthly meetings, scheduling of guest speakers, etc.
Clubs sponsor Annual Flea Markets and other organized Amateur Radio Events.
Clubs conduct social activities such as dinners, receptions, etc. on certain occasions for members and guests.

The above activities together with other pursuits of particular local interest, can be considered as the main purposes of most local Clubs. The success of any local Club is dependent on the level of support and participation by individual members. Leaving member participation to just a few will not enable any Club to achieve its full potential. -VE1WG

ARRL Diamond DXCC Challenge

2012 is the 75th Anniversary of the ARRL DXCC Award. The world 's preeminent DXing Award continues to be DXCC, so reaching the "Diamond Milestone" is an event that we all want to celebrate. The "Diamond Milestone" DXCC List represents 227 of the 231, 1937 countries. This list is fascinating and leads us to learn more about world history and how geopolitics has changed the world map leading up to today.

The "Diamond Milestone" DXCC Challenge is an "Honor Award" and will not require acquisition or inspection of QSLs or proof of confirmation although it will still be fun and useful to seek out cards or LoTW confirmations. We will provide forms on line to use at your operating position to track what you have worked and forms for applying for awards and endorsements. As the year goes on, we will also provide hints and tips about what is happening with the Diamond DXCC Award and for instance who might be on the air from Goa or Gdansk!

The "Diamond Milestone" DXCC Certificate will be available for working 100 of 226 entities, and will be endorseable at 5 levels: 125, 150, 175, 200 and 225. If anyone works all 225, there will be a special award for that remarkable achievement! We hope to publish award recipients' callsigns on line during the year and identify high numbers.

There will be a Diamond DXCC Challenge Honor Roll. The Honor Roll level will be determined by the leader in worked entities submitted to HQ and the bottom of the Honor Roll will be 9 entities less than that of the leader. For complete details on the ARRL 75th Anniversary DXCC Award, see the ARRL link on MAARC, Inc. Web Site www.maarc.ca

Club Member Gerry Doyle, VE1KB / VE0FA

We’ve all been very concerned about Gerry and the injury he sustained in a fall while in Austria.
As we learned last week, Gerry was released, after surgery from hospital for return to Canada. His medical evacuation flight, with refueling stops, took him from Austria to the Saint John Regional Hospital in short order, where he continues to make good progress. Gerry has his cellphone (506) 432-0681 and would be pleased to hear from his friends. Updates on Gerry’s progress will continue to be circulated.

All of us wish him continued good progress in his recovery and we look forward to having Gerry re-join his fellow club-members at the Wednesday morning gatherings.

-VE1WG

Subjects to Ponder . . . .

How do you greet a fellow radio amateur?

With a short wave !

How do you know if you are a real Ham?

If talking about male and female connectors doesn't get you excited !
If fermentation never enters your mind when "homebrew": is mentioned.
If you find yourself whistling in Morse code.
If you sold all your ham gear, you could pay off your mortgage.

A young man who had been a licensed ham since he was twelve years old joined the army. On the first day out with his platoon, the Sergeant asked if anyone knew anything about antennas. The new recruit eagerly put up his hand. "Good," says the Sergeant. "I want you to dig a six foot hole for this antenna pole."

That's QTC Newsletter for February 2012 . . .

We welcome your comments and suggestions. Input from MAARC, Inc. members will make QTC Newsletter a better reflection of member interest and particular pursuits.

Whether you are a new or long time member, a rough draft on any subject you wish to submit for publication is very welcome. Such topics as your on-air experiences with particular modes, DX and contest achievements, unusual items you've found at flea markets, unique on-air experiences, etc., are all of interest to your fellow Amateurs.

To keep members informed on Club administrative matters and future planning, the Executive is encouraged to update members with briefings for publication in QTC Newsletter.

QTC Newsletter is distributed by posting to the MAARC Website a few days before the monthly Club meeting with direct notification to each Club member.

Bill, VE1WG,
Website & QTC Newsletter Editor

Larry, VE9ASB,
Webmaster

Moncton Area Amateur Radio Club, Inc.

Serving the Community since 1936 through Amateur Radio

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