I have not worked many stations in the CQ Phone contest. I think that I will do better next year. Oh wait, I said that last year! I’m watching that movie about a Padre in Mexico.Ê Tommorrow, I hope to fix a computer for a ham friend of mine.

N1EY

Hanson Winter Sunday Rides

Starts * October 22, 2006

Intersection 14 & 18, Hanson , MA

*New Time of 9 am

For more info e-mail mtogo@adelphia.net Hi Guys and Gals, The start time has changed from 8am to 9am, starting October 22, 2006. Also, we’ve added an optional 60 mile + arrowed route to the regular Hanson Ride. This newly paved and arrowed route will be a ongoing additional ride. The extended route goes to Lakeville and back to Hanson.

The Tower crew is getting ready for another day of work on the K1USN tower at the Braintree Historical Society. K1GUG and KB1TOM were working on the guy anchors, yesterday. This has been two nonstop days for K1GUG and KB1TOM, so far. W1BT is working on the grounding run for the coax entrance panel.

We created the panel many months ago in a team effort. The design of the panel and the service location was completed by W1BT. The service entrance features several key features. One feature is ease of use. The panel is located adjacent to the doorway. Another feature is the built in protection by placing the panel in a recessed location underneath cement block facade(horizontal around the building). Another key element of the design was to make a short grounding run from the panel to the master grounding system.

W1BT weighed all of the requirements and came up with a simple and bulletproof system with no trial and error required. W1BT completed the holes for the plate anchors and installed four feedthroughs. We have provisions in his panel for more feedthroughs as needed.

I connected the interior coax lines that feed station 1 and station 2 to the feedthroughs. This was an important step on an October day in New England. We were able to close the door and keep a weather seal so that we could enjoy the toasty interior and avoid the ravishing cold of the exterior.

K1GUG has built a beefy bracket that will not go anywhere. Most likely, the tower will be gone, but the bracket will still be there. He has modified the design for a four bolt system. KB1TOM went to work to install the fourth bolt. He had already drilled the fourth bolt hole on a previous day.

Here is tired KB1TOM after working for hours on the tower. I should have you note that he worked tirelessly with a whole number of scouts after working with the tower. So this picture was actually after he took care of tower business and the scouts. He is one of the most important members of our club and he is probably the backbone of our club. In this picture he is operating the IC746PROII at station 2.

For those are unaware of the configuration of the K1USN Radio Club we have four radio operating positions. We also have a public information display desk, a tool room, and computer workbench. I mostly have spare parts on the computer workbench. I need some new working computers. We are always looking for donations of computers.

N1EY

In this photo W1YR is operating Station #1. He is demonstrating 20 Meter Phone to one of the Scouts. W1YR has lead many successful amateur radio demonstrations over the last years and was a pivotal support in running the K1USN Amateur Radio Scouting Program aboard the U.S.S. Salem(retired). The scouts were thrilled to be working stations in Texas. 20 Meters was favorable for the event. At time many JOTA stations could be heard on the vertical simulatenously trying to find a contact on 14.290. 14.290 is the international JOTA calling frequency on 20 meters. W1YR has been a longtime member of the K1USN Radio Club and a support of Amateur Radio.

In this picture several scouts are learning how to send in Morse Code. We are working on a new printing of our famous Radioman cards. Right now, the scouts used a bulletin posted with the Morse Code alphabet. We just set them to it and let them send back and forth between each other. Some scouts have apparently seen that old Snappel ad, too! Many of the scouts think that morse code is very interesting and they are keen on giving it a try.

N1EY

We had a very successful JOTA event at the K1USN Radio Club, this year. This was our first JOTA event in our new facilities located at the Braintree Historical Society’s Watson Historical Library and Research Centre. W1QWT has worked dilligently on the website. I suggest that you review their website. As many might know the K1USN club used to be located in Quincy, Mass. We have moved to Braintree in order to better serve the needs and direction of the club. We have combined forces with the Historical Society and are helping them with their plans.

One of our goals for this year was to have our radio station on the air for Jamboree on the Air, which is the a world wide communication event for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. In combination with the Whitman Amateur Radio Club and the Braintree Emergency Management Agency we were able to run a successful event for several of the local packs and troops in the south shore area of Boston, Ma. Please contact me if you are interested in having your scouts attend a future event. We had BEMA’s vehicles on display for the scouts to see. BEMA Officers explained Emergency Management and demonstrated their equipment. We conducted some morse code demonstrations. We also highlighted digital modes such as PSK31 and SSTV. The scouts had an opportunity to make some phone contacts with other stations. We hope to have the event, again, next year. and the

N1EY

I would like to thank those for reading N1EY.com for the past few months since we began.Ê I appreciate feedback from those partaking of our feed through Newsgator and other services.Ê Please drop me comments at n1ey@n1ey.com.Ê Thanks N1EY

Hello, I have been busy planning the Jamboree on the Air event that the K1USN Radio Club shall run on Saturday. Scouts from South Shore region shall be coming to our clubhouse in order to learn about radio and talk to other scouts. I have scheduled contacts on 20 meters and Echolink with other Scout troops. We are going to operate two HF stations. We will also have one person operate the VHF/UHF station.You can learn more about JOTA by visiting their webpage. A lot of members from the club look forward to this. Everyone wants to make this a successful event. We are also receiving support from the Braintree Emergency Management Agency, the Whitman Amateur Radio Club, and of course the Braintree Historical Society. Everyone comes together to make this a reality! So hopefully, the scouts will have a good time.

Work continues at the K1USN Radio Club. W1AY and KB1TOM work on installing the tower bracket. I put a lot of effort into drilling those holes. KB1TOM did too. We were both sore in the arms for awhile after that hammer drill operation.

N1EY

I am working on the 20 meter jpole, right now. I am enjoying this antenna. It is fine business. It was very low cost and easy to setup. It only works on 20, but it is doing very nicely on 20.

I worked C98BWW,FG1GW, and EA3NW within a period of 15 minutes. I was really impressed with the C98BWW. I got him after a few tries. He had my entire call sign except for the yankee part on the first try. I just can get the Yankee bit past them. They must think that I sound like a rebel. So it is a long path of many kilometers to C98 out in the Indian ocean.

I don’t have to turn any beam around to bring these guys in. It is 59 with a flick of the dial!

N1EY

I am working on a 20 Meter J Pole.  I had a good opening, today.  I heard an Italian station work a European Russian.  Both signals were very strong.  At the same time I could hear the western coast of North America and South Africa was coming in at least S9 at times.  I hope to work some South African stations, soon.  There were lots of Canadians and Italians on the band.

The 20 meter Jpole works much better against 10 meters worth of line as a counterpoise.  I had it matched very low at 14.190 Mhz.

N1EY

I just came back from Hosstraders. Many thanks go to WB1EVP, whom drove this crash victim up to Hosstraders and back. We also stopped at the candy store on the way. Above is a shot of some of the vehicles, which were fully equipped for HF communications.

I saw a few interesting things. One fellow was in full army mode. He had a hummer with a huge mast for his screwdriver antenna. Inside was a complete set of a 24V army hf/vhf radios. I do not have exact model information.  I should make a note that the Boston Globe has recently published an article about how the army wants to replace the hummers with a more fuel efficient vehicle.

My friend N1VTI told me that he gave the code test to a 8 year girl that successfully passed. So, even young people are still learning the code. It will not die. I predict code to remain a requirement for many years, yet. I see very little reason to do away with the code; I see a few good reasons to retain it.

Hosstraders radio had several competitors that made valiant attempts to compete. However, who can compete with N1ZZN’s music selection?

I had a chance to talk to alot of people that I usually mingle with on the 67 repeater, but never see during the year. I also ran into an old railroad clubmate. I asked, “So you are a ham, too?” It is such a small word. It brought back fond memories of the South Shore Society of Model Railway Engineers. It was one of the largest 2 rail o scale clubs still in existence at its’ final moments.

N1EY

My friend, KB1TOM, sent me this email. I was wondering what the heck is this? It is the perfect thing for my growing collection of on the air radio callsign annoucements. Except this announcement is for WROR. It was done by my friend K1JIY.

You can listen to K1JIY, here.

Another big break through was made on the Quincy machine. I actually heard a friend and gave him a report of 59. 59!! We were all going to chip in and buy him an amplifier, but I guess that he does not need it. We can finally hear him!

I have not got the 220 running, yet. I’m just happy that I’m here.
N1EY

This is my neighbor’s attempt at a super strong mailbox. It is a colussal piece of construction for a mailbox laid inside a huge concrete pour. Someone tried to attack her, but she only has a little tilt to her. She settled in the ground. We do not know happened to the attackers. They were gone in the morning so they did not sustain siginificant damage.

N1EY

I’m working albeit with lots of pain.

The K1USN tower engineering department has been hard at work on developing the custom manufactured tower bracket. If you remember from previous posts, we decided not to align two legs with the building in order to position the future tilt over function properly. We need to tilt the antenna array over the driveway for access. We can’t tilt it over the building! It is almost ready. I suppose that K1GUG will have the whole tower up as soon as the bracket is done. I don’t think anything should stop putting the rohn 45 together, it is almost like plug and play in windows! I will have some pictures of the bracket in progress.

W1QWT has also created a new website for the club. It is at www.k1usn.org. We also have a yahoo mailing list, which all members should join. It is www.yahoogroups.com/group/k1usn. Please review the new website and join our mailing list for future announcements such as contest operations or commerations.

Hosstraders is coming up and I plan to attend the event in New Hampshire on next Saturday. I look forward to meeting anyone that reads my website. Keep an eye out for me.

N1EY