May 2009 - Marple-Newtown Amateur Radio Club

The Dipole
Radiating the News of the Marple Newtown Amateur Radio Club
May 2009
Next Club Meeting: May 7th, 2009, 7 p.m. at The Gauntlett Center
INSIDE THIS MONTH’S DIPOLE
THE NEW AND IMPROVED VERSION
The New and Improved Version......................Cover
It is rare happening in Amateur Radio where
something “old” becomes something “new.”
When that comment was created for the March
2009 program its intent dealt with the topic of that
month’s planned program. In reality, when it is
used for this month’s program, the sentence has a
new meaning. The old program, one that did not
happen, will now be the new program for Thursday,
May 7, 2009.
The new and improved version, fresh from a
medical rebuild will be the featured program 7 p.m.,
Thursday, May 7 program of the Marple Newtown
Amateur Radio Club. In all seriousness, the jovial,
but well-versed Joe Ames, W3JY, will do “a make
good” presentation about a concept that has gained
a lot of attention for both ARES-RACES and
general applications.
Referring to the original program notes that told
of the earlier program, one that was abruptly halted
by a very serious Ames medical event, attendees to
the upcoming meeting will learn about NVIS
Mr. Ames is once more a very busy person. The
list of activities participated in by this busy husband
and father includes a strong mixture of public
service activities within the Amateur Radio
community.
If one were to look at his formal, Amateur
Radio signature, they would see added to this
formal signature the well-deserved recognitions of
PSVA, OES, VE, AEC, and ASM.
As it was outlined in the original announcement,
skilled presenter Ames will provide impressive
details about a growing favorite form of Amateur
Radio
Emergency
Service
(ARES)
communications.
Continued on Page 2
Field Day 2009.........................................................2
Samuel Finley Breese Morse ...................................3
W3SA SK.................................................................4
They Earned Their Licenses in One Day.................5
More Street Scenes ..................................................5
A Different Kind of SK............................................6
Down Our Memory Lane Continued .......................7
Ideas Waiting to Be Discovered ..............................9
EPA Help Requested..............................................13
It Worked with Great Results ................................15
The Dipole
MARPLE NEWTOWN AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
c/o The Gauntlett Center
20 South Media Line Road at West Chester Pike
Newtown Square, Delaware County, PA 19073
For information about our club,
phone President Walt Faust at (610) 622-2200.
OFFICERS
President.............................................Walt Faust N3FXR
Acting Program Chair ........................Walt Faust N3FXR
Vice President .................................. Jim Goldman W3JG
Secretary .................................................................. Open
Treasurer ..........................................Bill Bowers N3ZAV
COMMITTEES, MANAGERS,
AND COORDINATORS
Public Relations ................................Jim Biddle W3DCL
License Exam School Manager...........Bill White K3TBZ
Webmaster ....................................Tom Tenaglia K3TAT
K3MN Repeater Trustee ................. Dan Amoroso W3DI
K3MN Club Station Managers ... John Nielands W3YDC
Neil Griffith W2GTV
IRLP Trustee.................................Tom Tenaglia K3TAT
The Dipole
Contributing Editor ...........................Jim Biddle W3DCL
Desktop Publishing .......................Tom Tenaglia K3TAT
Reproduction....................................Bill Bowers N3ZAV
Distribution ...................The Peel’em and Seal’em Group
Page 2
One of the benefits of NVIS that appeals to
ARES and other emergency communicators is the
capability of this communications format to provide
communications in terrain where line of sight VHF
and/or UHF communications is not possible.
As it was outlined in the previous program
announcement, NVIS embraces the theory of radio
propagation that uses the F-Layer of atmospheric
refraction in the neighborhood of 65- to 90-degrees.
This communications concept permits low-power
local and regional communications within an
approximate circle having a 300 – 400 mile radius.
When one pinpoints our geographic location and
the population centers and government facilities
within the NVIS circle of communications, the
advantages of NVIS become apparent.
The key is the selection of high angle of
radiation antennas. This will be one of the
discussion topics that Joe Ames will present.
The “first Thursday in May” meeting will be
held at 7 p.m. at the Robert Gauntlett Community
Center, Media Line Road, near West Chester Pike,
Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.
For additional information about this program or
any Amateur Radio topic, please contact
MNARClub president Walter Faust, N3FXR. He
may contacted by calling 610-622-2200.
Meetings, Nets, and Packet BBS
Monthly Club Meetings: First non-holiday Thursday,
7:00 p.m. at the Gauntlett Center in Newtown Square,
Delaware County. Talk-in: 147.195 repeater
Daily Weather and Information Net: Every morning at 8:30
a.m. on 147.195 repeater
Club Web Page (including online version of The Dipole):
http://mnarc.org
Delaware County ARES Net: Every Wednesday at 19:30 local
New and Improved Version from Cover
His program will incorporate details about a
communications concept pioneered by the Germans
during World War II and widely used by US forces
in Vietnam. Today, this Near Vertical Incident
Skywave (NVIS) has special applications in
emergency activities.
Presenter Joe Ames during a previous presentation.
Field Day 2009
The warm weather
that produced the first
official heat wave for
the warm season of
2009 can be viewed as
a reminder of months
to follow. Members of
the Marple Newtown Amateur Radio Club, along
with members of the other Delaware Countyassociated Ham Radio organizations have a special
target—Field Day.
The Dipole
The sight has been granted and the Drexel
Lodge Park in Newtown Square will once more
become the home to wires in the trees, good food,
experiences and memories for the next 12 months,
and a form of coordination that hopefully will never
be used.
In preparation for Field Day, the Thursday, June
4 meeting will provide an update of this year’s
plans and equally important, continue the annual “6foot Hoagie night.”
Field Day has several areas of impact. It is not
unusual for visitors to this annual event to become
either boosters or students of our Public Serviceaffiliated hobby.
The bonds of local and
international friendships and the applications of
hands-on Science are benefits of Amateur Radio
that are often overlooked. Anyone having doubts
about this aspect of Amateur Radio should take a
few minutes to reflect upon his or her own
involvement.
Samuel Finley Breese Morse
(April 27, 1791 – April 2, 1872)
Page 3
somewhat unknown history dealing with the origins
of Mr. Morse’s code and telegraph.
A venture into commercial art and a set of sad
circumstances fostered the telegraph and the code.
In 1825, the city of New York commissioned Morse
for $1,000 to paint a portrait of Gilbert du Motier,
marquis de Lafayette in Washington, D.C.
While Morse was involved in the process of
working on the commissioned piece of art, a horse
messenger arrived in Washington and the courier
bore the news that Mr. Morse’s wife had died. The
one short sentence, “Your wife is dead,’ changed
his life.
The sad, upsetting news prompted Morse to
leave Washington immediately. Another fallout of
this series of events resulted in the portrait of
Lafayette unfinished. Despite his rapid return, when
he arrived at their home, his wife had already been
buried
Morse was heartbroken in the knowledge that
for days he had been unaware of his wife's failing
health and her lonely death. This simple, but
moving set of circumstance resulted in a change of
careers for Samuel Morse. He left painting and
began his quest to provide a form of rapid long
distance communication.
Morse’s technical foundation was aided by
courses he attended during his years at Yale, where
he graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors.
One of the shocking realizations of history is the
relationship of events. It was during a Google
search on Monday, April 27 that a collection of
visual code equivalents were visually change to
their corresponding audible meaning. The colorful
collection of “dashes” and “dots” spelled “Google.”
These visual code symbols were helping
celebrate the birthday of the father of the singlewire telegraph system and the Morse Code that
made this communications possible.
The historical comparisons of dates sparked the
reality that Morse’s birth was only a few years after
the end of our revolutionary war.
One of the
lesser-known facts about “our Mr. Morse” deals
with his painting skills.
Anyone who was a listener to the late afternoonearly evening, Paul Harvey’s “Rest of the Story” on
ABC radio about 20 years ago became familiar with
the history of his painting skills and a bit of a
The younger Samuel Finley Breese Morse
The Dipole
Page 4
W3SA SK
Regional Amateur Radio has lost a voice of
experience and messages from a valued source of
both area and world geography and history. Robert
H Haase, W3SA (better know as Bob) recently
became a Silent Key. For this writer, Bob was a
pleasant reflection upon several time periods for life
in a small, near-Philadelphia community of Yeadon.
It was in this compact, suburban community that
Bob was first licensed in 1937with the call of
W3HFC
While Bob and I did not live in that small, 1.6
square mile residential borough at the same time,
his memory and knowledge of the many small
stores and the collection of churches within the
community was textbook in nature. A special
importance to the two of use was our sharing of the
same, long-tenured Presbyterian pastor, Dr. Robert.
Tignor. Dr. Tignor’s tenure spanned the worship
periods of both of our families.
While Bob Haase was 22 years younger than my
uncle, William Biddle, 8FS, 8UZ, W8UZ, and
K8UZ, many of the experiences they both reflected
upon were similar.
Think of the advent of
replacement technologies for the once ‘only forms
of technologies.’ These technologies replaced the
former spark transmissions; newer tubes; newer
bands; the loss of all on-air Amateur Radio
operations during World War II; and the news of
something called “solid state” and many ongoing
technologies we take for granted.
As an example of this last concept, today’s
entrants to the HF may find it hard to believe that
there was a time when there was no Single Side
Band.
There also was a time when Frequency
Modulation (FM) was little more than a
communications concept that “might have some
application.”
The doubters cited all of the
bandwidth that FM required. This was a valid
concern because at one time, the closest thing to 2meters was an experimental band called 5-meters.
Bob Haase had deep, deep roots in many topics,
subjects, and parts of the world.
His discussions in the advent of the once new
services and techniques of AT&T and that firm’s
sibling, Bell of Pennsylvania were a history in
communications.
Another topic of frequent QSOs were reports on
the geographic “where-abouts” and corporate
overviews of his son, Robert P. Haase, W1RH [see
picture and quip about his son, below]
In describing this regional treasure, MARC
president Dieter Hauer, K3DK, proudly cited, “Bob
was a tireless friend and member of MARC for
many years. We were very fortunate to have a nice
Field Day site each year, for over 25 years, due to
Bob's prior affiliation with Verizon and through his
influence and thoughtful actions in this area. Bob
also served as a MARC Board member for many
years and was a great example for all of us to
follow.”
Continuing in his praise of Bob Haase, Dieter
Hauer added, “He even gave the Amateur Novice
test to some club members dating back to the early
80's. He was certainly dedicated to family and liked
Amateur Radio (first licensed back in 1937 as
W3HFC). He had also served in the Army Signal
Corp. overseas, in Europe and in the Far East, from
1943-1946.”
In addition to being survived by his son, Robert
P. Haase, his is also survived by his daughter Lois.
Bob Haase was a longtime resident of Strafford.
Bob Haase’s smile was captured by Dick Stewart, K3ITH. It is
believed this picture was taken at a March 2000, MARC VE
examination session. This image was provided by ARRL First
Vice President Kay Craigie, N3KN.
This
QRX-supplied
pictures
shows
son
Robert Haase operating
at the Siesta Hotel, near
St. George's, on the
island of Grenada where
he was operating as
J37VG.
The younger,
The Dipole
Haase’s collection of Amateur Radio calls demonstrates his
operating skills; he has had as former calls the following:
AA1KY WB6EUQ J3/W1RH J37VG.
They Earned Their Licenses in One Day
Earn your Amateur license in one day has once
more proven to be a licensing tool that achieves its
goal.
A great success was achieved in the recent,
“GET YOUR HAM RADIO LICENSE IN ONE
DAY” program. During this seven-hour, Penn-Del
Amateur Radio Club training and testing session an
enviable percentage of attendees became a part of
our hobby.
The area Amateur Radio group was motivated
by the past successes of other similar sessions.
Their motivation was buoyed by the record that in
the past ten yours, hundreds of individuals, in more
than 100 sessions have created a success rate that
was never less than 85%.
All but a few of the recent test-takers left the
Boothwyn session with a new challenge. They
must wait for the Federal Communications
Commission’s issuance of their Amateur Radio call
sign.
This is not the only challenge. As these new
Amateur Radio operators begin populating the air,
the seasoned and tenured and somewhat missing
Ham Radio world must volunteer to help create
proper operating skills and expand upon the
foundation information acquired during this impacttraining concept.
Outreach of this nature has always been a part
of the proud history of Amateur Radio. This recent
success has given the previously licensed operator
cadre an opportunity to become ELMERS.
With a younger element increasing the number
of United States’ Amateur Radio ranks, there may
be many operators that are not aware of the term
"Elmer." This term has had the following meaning:
someone who provides personal guidance and
assistance to would-be hams.
In time, and
applicable in this current application, and ELMER
is someone who also guided and molded seasonedsounding Amateur Radio operators from new
recruits.
This term first appeared in the ARRL’s monthly
publication QST in a March 1971 "How's DX"
Page 5
column by Rod Newkirk, W9BRD (now also
VA3ZBB). The accolade that ELMERS were "the
unsung fathers of Amateur Radio,” help create and
acceptance of the term and concept.
The story behind the origin of this term is an
interesting piece of Amateur Radio history. While
he probably was not trying to coin a term at the
time, it was a written comment by Newkirk that
helped introduce "Elmer" in his column and, as
history has shown, to the rest of the Amateur Radio
world:
The simple, but effective concept was, "Too
frequently one hears a sad story in this little
nutshell: 'Oh, I almost got a ticket, too, but Elmer,
W9XYZ, moved away and I kind of lost interest.'"
In reflecting upon this concept, the ARRL’s
Rick Lindquist, N1RL added, “Newkirk went on to
say, ‘We need those Elmers. All the Elmers,
including the ham who took the most time and
trouble to give you a push toward your license, are
the birds who keep this great game young and
fresh.’”
While this term is not very old, this single word
became a substitute for a collection of proud and
rewarding identities. They include the names and
influences of teacher, mentor, tutor, guide, helper,
and sage.
Each of these traits are appropriate, but the
wonderful brevity of the word ELMER gives the
Amateur Radio world just one, well chosen word
for an even better word – friend.
More Street Scenes
Edgar Mueller, often called “the Super Artist” is
seen constructing one of his many street pieces of
art. The scene below, Mueller’s “Great Crevasse”
was the result of impressive talent, a large amount
of hard work and the help of up to five assistants,
Mueller painted all day long from sunrise to
sunset to produce this awe-inspiring art that was
located in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, where it was
apart of the town's Festival of World Cultures. The
image, below, was painted on that city’s East Pier.
“Try not to become a man of success but a man of
value.” –Albert Einstein
The Dipole
Page 6
Concluding this series of reflections, Mueller
stated, “I like to think that later, when they returned
home, they might reflect more on what a frightening
scenario it was and say, ‘Wow, that was actually
pretty scary’.”
The first steps in the massive 3D street painting.
This talented artist spent five days, working 12
hours a day, to create the 250 square meter image of
the crevasse. When viewed from the proper angle,
the finished image appears to be three-dimensional.
When completed, he added mirth to the art. As
people passed by, he was successful in convincing
many that the gaping hole was real.
The work completed. How far down is the water?
Mueller, who has previously painted a giant
waterfall in Canada, said he was inspired by the
British 'Pavement Picasso' Julian Beever, whose
dramatic but more gentle 3D street images have
featured in the Daily Mail.
A Different Kind of SK
Getting help from people walking
by the work-in-progress.
In yet another of Edgar Mueller three
dimensional works of art, he had fun playing with
the people passing by “street canvas.”
In describing this painting the talented street
painter stated, “'I wanted to play with positives and
negatives to encourage people to think twice about
everything they see. It was a very scary scene, but
when people saw it they had great fun playing on it
and pretending to fall into the earth.”
A combination of economics and regulations is
responsible for an unexpected and different Silent
Key (SK). A regional AM broadcast station left the
airwaves in mid April. Charles Higgins, both a
broadcast historian and very welcomed, and
frequent contributor to the eDipole shared this sad
information “WARM Radio Goes Off the Air.”
The sad information form Plains Township
began with news, “WARM, the AM-radio station
synonymous with Northeastern Pennsylvania, is off
the air after broadcasting news, music and sports for
more than 50 years. The station has been silent and
a posting on its Web site thanked listeners for their
support. "We love you and we'll miss you.”
The Dipole
Local news reports provided additional
information that stated that phone call made to the
Citadel Broadcasting Co.-owned station were not
returned after the station ‘went dark.’
“WARM is done,” said Sam Liguori.
“Unless there's a miracle they ain't coming
back.”
Liguori, 72, of Forty Fort, hosted a
Saturday polka show. He said the station's
backup transmitter had failed. "It's a big
technical problem that would cost a lot of
money" to repair, he said.
Listeners found static when they tuned in
to the station's 590 kHz frequency for the
past week.
Unable to give a final sendoff on the air,
Liguori thanked his audience and sponsors.
In describing his personal efforts, Liguori
added, “I hope the four hours a week that I was on
the air put some joy in your life. That was my goal.”
During its radio-hay day 1950 through the '70s,
WARM, known as “The Mighty 590,” created its
popularity by featuring on-air personalities who
played the current Top 40 rock 'n' roll records. As
one WARM observer stressed, “They populated
their shows with signature characters and their
antics entertained listeners well beyond the
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area on the strength of its
5,000-watt transmitter.”
The propagation characteristics at this part of
the AM band gave WARM a “warm” reception as
far south as the Philadelphia northern suburbs.
The history of WARM adds, “The station
changed hands, formats and locations. It billed itself
as the “True Oldies Channel” with a play list
containing some of the songs WARM's
“Sensational Seven” disc jockeys spun on 45-rpm
records in its Avoca studio.”
Harry West, 79, of Kingston, a WARM
employee added, “We had a talented bunch of
guys,” said. He worked at the station from
September 1959 through July 1992 and then moved
around to other local stations. “To this day I will be
someplace and somebody will know me by my
jingle.”
West added, “The shows were fun. The station
was popular. And it won't be duplicated. The format
was, there was no format.”
Despite the popularity and the impact of this
station, WARM is required to adhere to Federal
Page 7
Communications Commission rules. Rules state
that WARM's owner must give notice of an
extended disruption of service for up to 30 days
because of events beyond the control of the station
owner.
At the time of the initial notice the FCC stated
WARM had not yet make such a notification. If the
station fails to broadcast for 12 consecutive months,
its license expires, according to FCC rules.
Down Our Memory Lane Continued
This third trip down the Philadelphia’s Memory
Lane of electronic sources for hobby and commerce
provides exploratory, background information on a
very special offering of Messrs. Herbach and
Rademan. This installment of this historic venture
into a largely lost collection of dreamland supply
sources for young Amateur Radio operators and
suppliers to a vast group of electronic repair
organizations.
Mr. Herbach and Maury Rademan
A fond remembrance, by Bob Thomas, W3NE
Until recently moved to its present
location in Independence Mall, the Liberty
Bell stood almost exactly on the former site
of 522 Market Street. That was the address
of Herbach and Rademan Co., a radio store
like no other. It was not a ham radio store,
or a radio serviceman’s Mecca, and it
certainly was no Radio Shack, but I hope
this short memoir will enable the hams of
today understand what that store and its
proprietors meant to me, and the influence
they had on a naive kid just getting into the
radio game.
Mr. Herbach’s first name is lost in the
sands of time, but that doesn’t really matter
because, by his very stature, one never
referred to him as other than “Mister”
Herbach. A first-generation product of the
old country, he was a gentleman above all,
as well as accomplished businessman,
always impeccably dressed, even to wearing
spats*. Rumor had it that, after initially
being a partner with a Mr. Moskovitz in
The Dipole
store called M&H, which sold sporting
goods and electronic equipment at 514
Market Street, Mr. Herbach suddenly
departed in 1934 due to Moskovitz’s
involvement in an arms deal. Is that true?
Who knows? The result was Mr. Herbach
subsequently joined with his perfect
complement, Maury Rademan, to establish
H&R.
Entering the H&R store, one first
encountered a spacious section of floor
models and showcases devoted to an array
of eclectic products. For example, there
were microscopes and telescopes, motion
picture cameras and projectors, drafting
instruments, high fidelity and public address
sound equipment, Erector, chemistry, and
scientific kits, model train sets, model
airplane kits and gas engines, and a few
quirky amateur receivers. That was Mr.
Herbach’s domain. He glided around,
schmoozing customers and making sales,
handing over final paperwork to a counter
clerk to complete transactions.
Beyond that area was the radio store. It
had a long counter behind which Maury
Rademan, thinning black hair, bow tie and
sleeves of his white shirt always rolled up,
flitted like a nervous bird from customer-tocustomer, to a gigantic rotary catalog file, to
the stock room and to the Bell telephone or
the Keystone phone. In those days, the
independent Keystone Telephone Company
served a large segment of the Philadelphia
business community with alternative
telephones and lines between commercial
users. In fact their motto was, “When the
‘Keystone’ rings, it means Business!”
Anyway, it was not unusual to see Maury
getting information for a customer and
placing an order with simultaneous calls on
both company’s phones at once! Another
common implement of the day was the
Western Union call box – an elliptical blue
box about five inches high with a bar knob
on the front. Turning the knob through 90degrees sent your unique address code to the
WU central office, informing them you
wanted to send a telegram. They would then
dispatch a messenger boy on a bike to pick
Page 8
up your written message and return it to the
office for transmission. This was obviously
before email!
Whatever H&R might have lacked in
commercial ham equipment, they more than
compensated with a fantastic stock of
material for builders, such as chassis and
cabinets by Par-Metal, Bud and Premier;
variable condensers from Cardwell,
Hammarlund, Millen, National and Bud;
every kind of transformer imaginable from
Kenyon, Thordarson, UTC, Chicago,
Stancor, Triad, and Acme; tubes made by
RCA, GE, Amperex, Raytheon, Hytron, and
Tungsol. These names might sound like a
foreign language today, but at a time before
QST construction articles were supported by
the author’s sale of pre-programmed PIC
chips and etched circuit boards, those early
components were the literal foundation of
amateur radio. Even with such an immense
variety of products, however, Maury
Rademan seldom had to consult an
inventory list to know if a certain part was in
stock or what it cost – it was all in his head.
More importantly, beyond that efficient
customer service, he treated everybody,
regular big-time customer or walk-in dumb
kid, with the same kindness, respect and
dispatch.
How else would this rare
gentleman be so indelibly etched in my
memory after all these years?
There was an interesting pricing
structure in those days. Before politicians
intruded with their MSRP mandates,
manufacturers established their own “List”
for their product’s retail price. At H&R and
most other radio stores, marked prices were
usually followed by “/L” to designate List
Price. When Joe Schmo walked in with a
dud tube in his hand and asked for a
replacement, he got it in a box marked “/L”
and paid full List. But when a radio
serviceman or ham bought the same tube
they automatically got it for “Net”,
designated “/N” on the box, which was 1/3
off List. Store wholesale cost was typically
40% off list, so the business was quite
orderly and well understood.
The Dipole
H&R was an innovator in the
radio/electronics field with distribution of a
free monthly-illustrated newsletter that
advertised new, overstock and specialized
products. Appropriately titled This Month,
it showcased a variety of items unavailable
through mainstream distribution channels,
including government surplus, small motors,
pumps, relays, optical equipment, and
unusual commercial products manufactured
by H&R. It typically ran twenty pages or
more, all produced in-house, and was very
popular among small manufacturers and
hobbyists.
The Independence Mall project resulted
in all the stores in the 500-block of Market
Street being demolished, so H&R moved to
the new (but short-lived) “Radio Row” on
the 1200-block of Arch Street for a few
years until new owners moved an
unrecognizable shadow of the original
company to Bristol and most recently to
Cherry Hill, where products typical of the
old This Month are still offered through an
on-line catalog for delivery by mail.
In addition to looking after his section of
the store, Mr. Herbach established a modest
manufacturing facility on the second floor
where custom electronic equipment was
designed and built to support special needs
of store customers.
Later, the shop
responded to urgent requirements of the
armed forces during WW-II. It was during
my employment by the Manufacturing
Division of H&R that I received a priceless
education in the way electronic equipment
should be built, in short, with superior
quality unmatched anywhere, until the
advent of Tektronix. But that’s a story for
another time.
* Spats are fabric covers worn
around the ankle and over the top of
the shoe. They are typically made of
felt-like material with buttons down
one side. Spats were popular with
dapper gentlemen until the Second
World War. Surprisingly, they are
beginning to come back in vogue
among best-dressed men and
Page 9
women. This fashion note courtesy
of the Blurb.
This series will continue in the future. As many
seasoned builders and “tinkerers” know, these
suppliers were a true Mecca. They not only were
suppliers, they often employed fellow Amateur
Radio operators as well as being a source for new
ideas to build and experiment.
While today’s Radio Shack continues to be a
partial and dwindling supplier of parts and tools,
this national giant has once more diminished its
Ham Radio impact.
Who knows, this once frequent supplier, one
whose corporate image is to have a store within five
miles of each possible purchaser, may once more
address the Amateur Radio needs. As the sluggish
sunspot cycle hopefully begins its upward slope,
Radio Shack may once more make available their
10-meter mobile rig or a similar communications
item.
Ideas Waiting to Be Discovered
This list of ideas shown in very clear images are
in reality a collection of items that are both
humorous and, in some instances, items that would
make life much easier.
This list of possible household items begins
with bed products.
This type of bed might stop young boys and
girls from taking a running jump for their bed.
About the second time they were bounced up to the
overhead fan or light, they might get the idea that
jumping on the bed is not really good behavior.
The Dipole
Page 10
There will be no argument about who receives a
bigger amount of drink when this simple, but
effective dispensing tool is used.
There is practicality in this combination
nightlight, left, and a wake up light. Just look at the
young man’s face.
This new style of top sheet should end the bedhogging argument once and for all.
The next category of newly suggested special
items have a focus on food and drink.
“If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you
can dream it, you can become it.” –William Arthur
Ward
Through the simple addition of indentations, the
possibilities of a dropped glass are reduced.
“They can because they think they can.” –Virgil
“Every artist was first an amateur.” –Ralph Waldo
Emerson
“To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first.”
–Shakespeare
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These two party items help in maintaining the
party environment.
Good balance and simple and safe food and
beverage services are assured by this new party
service item.
Through the use of a timer, tea drinkers can be
assured of the proper tea strength on a consistent
basis.
This device is an almost guaranteed laughterproducing item at the next party.
Dunkers unite! This simple invention assures
both a good supply of dunking material and way of
hiding the dunking ammunition.
This combination kitchen appliance is a second
generation of combination devices and appliances
that became a feature of the eDipole in the past.
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Household items are included in the special
collection of eDipole suggested new household and
work items.
Bathing entertainers can add temporary realism
the next time they are in the shower.
This simple device is one of a few within this
collection of images that may prove to be a valuable
asset at the home or office.
Personal items are not excluded in this
collection of new, special service items.
Instead of employing the unsafe practice of
using the steps as a temporary storage area, one that
often results is avoidable falls and injuries. This
concept will prove to be a lifesaver as well as
adding orderliness.
This new style of belt will surely prove to be a
strong motivator in many people beginning a diet
program. First of course, we must become more
familiar with the metric system.
“Go back a little to leap further.” –John Clarke
“Failure teaches success.” –Japanese Proverb
“What would life be if we had no courage to
attempt anything?” –Vincent van Gogh
“The way to gain a good reputation, is to endeavor
to be what you desire to appear.” –Socrates
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Work is not neglected in this month’s eDipole
collection of new work and play items.
The next time any readers of the eDipole see
someone attempting to take a self-photo through the
use of an extended arm, this new device should be
suggested.
In the interest of increasing worker efficiency
and time away from the desk, this new work area
may soon be debuting in the modern work place.
True outdoor adventure and its humor is the
subject of the final new eDipole item.
This device provides a new definition to
togetherness in the rain.
There is a collection of captions that are
appropriate for this image. They include, “low
rider,” “high tide”, and full moon.” Not to be
neglected is the appropriate phrase, ‘crack kills!’
EPA Help Requested
This image may help young boys acquire a new
image as well as mature at a faster pace.
During the past month, there was a mailing to
Amateur Radio operators within the ARRL’s
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Eastern Pennsylvania Section. This mailing had a
meaningful impact upon EPA in a companion way
that EPA will have an impact in a unique, but
importantly demonstrative use of Amateur.
And who said Packet Radio was dead?
The proven form of digital communications will
once more become a truly valuable form of
communications during a communication effort that
is taking place along America’s historic, beautiful
and challenging Appalachian Trail.
This project is in the midst of an attempt to
provide a digipeat path over the entire length of this
2175-mile well document experience. As a primer
of this treasure, the Appalachian Trail is a
continuously marked footpath that goes from
Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in
Georgia.
A geographic plot of the trail
and the required RF links needed for this project.
One form of documentation about its history
states the origins of the Trail to a 1921 article
written by Benton MacKaye. It was entitled An
Appalachian Trail: A Project in Regional Planning.
The EPA participation is planned to focus upon
two sites that have initially been viewed as good
locations. These sites are located on Governor Dick
Hill and Camelback in Big Pocono state park.
Before these sites and the others can be included
in the overall radio linking process, the organizers
are looking for input from local VHF rover’s
repeater operators and mountaintop operators in the
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target area to test the paths and give us local detail
information
Additionally, as the late July event date
approaches, the project personnel will also be
looking for sources of RF. They state they prefer 2meter repeaters that are on these hills so they can
listen for any 2m signals that will help verify paths
without having to visit the site for each test.
Elizabeth A Bruninga, WE4APR and Robert E
Bruninga, WB4APR are pictured at the
commemorative plaque at the Springer Mountain,
Georgia start of the Appalachian Trail.
For packet and for the event, the temporary
digipeater station does not have to be a complicated
collection of equipment. Experienced operators
stress that nothing more than a mobile APRS radio
or a similar, simplistic collection of equipment is
required. Each of the cited sites is reachable by
vehicle. To be totally successful, the organizers
hope to make this a team effort that embraces local
help.
One bit of wisdom that was shared in the initial
request was the realistic reminder that APRS is not
a vehicle tracking system. It is a two-way
information resource and amateur radio Text
messaging system from the front panel of your HT
or mobile APRS radio
Anyone interested in obtaining more
information about either personal involvement or
more information is encouraged to visit
www.aprs.org/at-golden-packet.html
The key contact for additional information is
Bob Bruninga, WB4APR and he may be contacted
via WB4APR@amsat.org.
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It Worked with Great Results
As cited in the previous edition of the eDipole,
the experiences of Amateur Radio were scheduled
to be a part of a truly special event at Mount Saint
Joseph Academy Chris Brady, N3CB, was the key
motivation for this teenage effort. His previous
efforts at motivation and involvement as key
ingredients for licensing were eclipsed by this
event.
In describing his efforts and feelings, Chris
stated, “Our event "officially" began at 7:27PM
Friday evening, when we made our first contact on
the 20 Meter amateur band with Orlando, Florida.
Minutes later, on another station set-up, a contact
was made with UR8MA, a Russian station on the 40
Meters.”
In a diary of the events surrounding this special
event, Brady stated the following:
Operation continued with the volleyball
marathon
participants
until
almost
midnight!! At that time, we pulled the plug,
so to speak, until around 10AM on Saturday.
We kept busy through Saturday until almost
8PM. Sunday, we began in earnest around
noon and our W1L event came to a close at
2013 UTC, which is 4:13 PM, locally. At
that time, all the antennas were lowered and
disassembled, radio equipment broken down
and cars packed. We were a tired group of
radio operators.
Over the weekend, the participants in this
special event station made an impressive
collection of contacts. Some of the foreign
country list includes the following: Russia,
Czech Republic, France, Italy, Canada, Cuba,
Spain, England, South Africa, Mexico,
Germany, and Austria
Domestically, the Amateur Radio effort at
the Mount, W1L, made over 300 contacts. In
addition to their foreign successes, they also
made contact with 34 states.
The states
contacted were the following; PA, NJ, SC, NY,
KS, MD, FL, CT, GA, AL, WVA, OH, DE, VA,
NC, MI, TX, MS, LA, IL, KY, NH, IN, MO,
NM, CA, OK, MT, AZ, MN, IA, CO, SD, and
TN.
During this impressive effort, the operators
use multiple modes -- CW (Morse Code), SSB
(voice), FM (voice) and also introduced the
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young operators and onlookers to PSK-31, the
digital, keyboard-to-keyboard. As expected,
this format, with its similarity to "texting" was
one format that easily captured the attention of
the young participants. Chris explained, “The
girls REALLY migrated towards this one!!!”
During the operation of this Special Event
Station W1L the crew amassed a total of over
300 ham radio contacts from the Mount! One
of the milestones of this event was a special
contact. During this event, the young operators
at the Mount document that the OLDEST ham
radio operator they contacted was Rolland
Madara, W3PWG. This spry, Lansdowne,
Delaware County Ham Radio operator who was
profiled last year in the eDipole told the girls
that he was “only 98 years old”!!!!
Chris Brady also added that the volleyball
was a successful fundraiser. A portion of the
funds raised will go to the survivors of fallen
firefighters in New York City. The enterprising
young ladies had previously contacted an FDNY
firefighter.
In addition to the firefighter-funding project,
another portion of these dollars will benefit a
collection of other projects. The recipients
include "Kids Helping Kids," "Project Sew," a
robotics team they support in Ghana, and the
school's robotics team, The Firebirds.
Caitlin Brady, W3CJB and a Mount sophomore, operates
from the W1L Special Event Station during Friday night's
volleyball marathon. Caitlin is making contacts with a
few local "hams", looking to earn a commemorative
certificate for contacting the Mount.
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.
Live the life you have imagined.” –Henry David
Thoreau
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Page 16
One of the PSK-31 contacts that the W1L station made. Here,
this contact is with a station from Spain.
The Mount’s flagpole was used as a support structure for the
W1L 40 meter dipole antenna. The second contact made with
this simple wire antenna was with Russia!
Mount sophomore, Steph Rivero, KB3SMD, operates the 75meter ham radio station during the W1L Special Event Station
held over the weekend of April 3, 4 and 5.
Close-up view of the same antenna.
Sophomores Mary Elizabeth Entwistle, KB3SMB, Caitlin
Brady, W3CJB and Hannah Farrell, KB3SME operating PSK31, a computer-based amateur radio mode during the W1L
Special Event. Note the professionalism demonstrated by the
“ON AIR” sign.
W1L's UHF antenna was mounted alongside the art room.
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Brittany Palac, Lisa Brady, Steph Rivero and Heather Brady
operating the W1L event station.
Attached to the breezeway roof, this rather lanky antenna was
used for W1L's PSK-31 contacts. Probably one of the furthest
contacts using this antenna was with South Africa!
Guest operator, Richard Moll, W3RM, demonstrated his
expertise in operating CW, or “Morse Code,” as some of the
onlookers described his efforts.
Everyone had an opportunity to participate in this Special
Event Station operation. Shown are Sophomores Kacie
Farrell, Hannah Farrell, KB3SME and Junior Caroline Shaw
operating the UHF position at the W1L event.
The total communication effort was recorded by WN3A, Jeff
DePolo. This clever advertisement showing their collective
efforts was one of many creative efforts by the tireless
collection of young DX hunting students of the Mount.
Sophomore Steph Rivero and Junior Brittany Palac @ W1L.
“You cannot dream yourself into a character: you must
hammer and forge yourself into one.” –Henry D. Thoreau
“Dreams are the touchstones of our character.” –Henry
David Thoreau