DCARCommunicator
Vol 2K10 June
No.2010
6
Editor - Lon Stuart WM7E
Field Day -- By Roy Rasband, KF4USN, Field Day Chairperson Field Day Schedule
The meeting DCARC Club Meeting, Saturday, June
12th, 2010, at 10:00 AM at the Davis County Sheriff
subject will be Field Day. The Field Day Committee
Some of you are key contributors to the club’s annual
will
be doing the presentation. This is a great
field day event. Others know what it is, but have chosen
opportunity
for the people that have never been to
not to participate. Others, maybe haven’t ever attended
Field
Day
to
learn more about what happens. Field
one or don’t even have a clue as to what it is really all
Day
for
the
Davis
County Amateur Radio Club is a
about.
Family Event, so bring your family to enjoy the fresh
mountain air, and Radio Communications.
Well, in short, the annual ARRL Field Day event
combines emergency in the field setup of communications equipment with heavy duty contesting and a lot of Friday - Arrive on-site - setup camp on your own.
June 25th - 12:00 noon
FUN! The idea is to create an exercise that gets amateurs to take their grab-n-go kits, antennas, generators,
rigs, camping equipment, etc., to either local or remote a. Start antenna project (exclusive 15-meter
V-beam)
locations for worldwide operations.
b. Setup tower with beam
c. Setup PSK31 station/antennas
Some people do field day in their own homes or
backyards, some go to local parks or EOC facilities and d. By evening, Davis County Sheriffs Department
generator should arrive.
others head for remote areas in the mountains. The
e. Meals own your own.
DCARC has chosen to go to a remote, but not too far
location of the mountain tops of Monte Cristo. It takes
less than 2 hours and is easily accessible by any type of Saturday - Breakfast/Lunch on your own.
vehicle. The good part is that you end up on the top of a June 26th - 8:00 am - 12:00 noon - Finish final
preparations
beautiful mountain away from home, work and the
hustle and bustle of our society.
a. Test power source
So who says we have to rough it? We have generator
b. Logging computers on-line and ready
power, many bring motor homes, trailers (trawlers),
c. Final calibration of antennas all stations
tents, etc. You are on your own for food except for
d. Final coordination of operating schedules
Saturday dinner and Sunday morning breakfast. Here is e. 10:00 am - 11:30 am - Kid’s Activities
the deal. We ask you bring something potluck, such as, f. 12:00 noon - start contesting.
chips, a salad, beans, a dessert) and a good breakfast on g. 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm - potluck/everyone’s famous
Sunday morning. You can’t beat that deal. It doesn’t
Dutch Oven barbeque .
stop there. We have Roy’s world famous popcorn on
h. 7:00 - 8:00 pm - special projects for points
Saturday night, and talk about high tech. We have an
(video/satellites, etc.)
outdoor movie, digital (DVD) projected on screen with i. 7:00 - 8:30 pm - kids movie on TV.
a large sound system.
j. 9:00 pm or when dark enough outdoor movie
So what in blazes is “Field Day?”
There is plenty of assignments to go around, so come
on get off your soft sofa and volunteer to help out. If
you don’t plan on camping the entire weekend, we can
still use lots of people to help on any of the days,
Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Type of help needed
includes: transportation of equipment, setup, operating,
take-down, help with meals and entertainment for kids
and other non-ham adults. We look forward to your
participation.
DCARC Badges
Those of you who requested badges at our last meeting,
the badges have been ordered but they won’t arrive until
field day. If you want to order a badge and didn’t put
your name on the list, see Mel Parkes, NM7P, at the
June Club meeting and we will make a followup order.
Badge cost is $12.50.
Sunday - 8:00 - 9:00 am - breakfast - provided by
club - contribution
required.
June 27th - contesting continues
a. 12:00 noon - cleanup - take down project
b. Take down tower with beam
c. Take down PSK31 and other stations.
d. Police camp for trash, etc.
e. Depart in convoy.
For more information go to: http://www.dcarc.net/go/
index.php/field-day
Before the meeting, come and join us at the Golden
Corral in Layton for Breakfast at 8:00 am.
Ya’all Come, ya’hea?
Join us June 12 at 10AM at the Davis County Sherrif’s Auditorium for the June DCARC
1 all about Field Day!!
meeting that will be
Are You Tough Enough to
Conquer the Kings?
Named for the legendary magi of biblical times,
North Salt Lake’s Three Kings is destined to
become one of the premier cycling events of the
year. However the only thing that these hellish
climbs have in common with their pious namesakes is the prayers that you will be offering as
you try to make it to their summits.
The Three Kings is a unique cycling event in that
you get to choose the number of kings that you
will assault: one, two, or all three. Regardless of
your choice, all riders will start their day in North
Salt Lake’s Hatch Park and finish the event in
North Salt Lake’s Trailhead Park. Along the way,
however, you get to decide how much pain you
can endure.
If you would like to help out with communications for this activity, contact Lon Stuart, WM7E,
at the email address or telephone number in the
adjacent column.
Event Date:
July 17, 2010
Start Time:
8:00 am
Start Line:
Hatch Park
Finish Line:
Trailhead Park
ROUTE MAP
Vol 2K10 No. 6
2010 DCARC Organization - All Telephone Numbers
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Program Director
Master Elmer
Repeater Chairman
Newsletter Publisher
Newsletter Editor
Member Chairman
Official Photographer
Education Chairman
Webmaster
ARES (Utah State)
ARES (ASEC)
ARES (Davis Co.)
VE Exam Chairman
DAV Node Coord.
JOTA Chairman
War Wagon Chairman
Antenna Trailer Coord.
Club Bookstore
Public Service Info
Field Day Chairman
are 801 Area Code.
John Leary, K7JWL
451-6507
[email protected]
Alan Malan, KB7YSP
[email protected]
Wayne Leary WA3YNE
949-3226
[email protected]
Gary Johnson, N7DND
[email protected]
292-1212
John Gold, N7UPI
[email protected]
295-8863
Position Open
John Mabey, W7CWK
[email protected]
295-3024
Roy Rasband, KF4USN
[email protected]
296-9336
Lon Stuart, WM7E
[email protected]
936-1573
Matt Zundel, KD7HHW
[email protected]
731-8939
Matt Zundel, ND7HHW
J.R. Westmoreland, W7JR
Matt Zundel, KD7HHW
[email protected]
731-8939
Bob Craven, N7GTE
John Mabey, W7CWK
Tim Seeley, KK7EF
544-7928
Mike Youngs, KK7VZ
John Mabey, W7CWK
Matt Zundel, KD7HHW
Hall Blankenship, KC7RAF
[email protected]
292-1695
position open
Brent Thomas, AC7H
[email protected]
292-8110
Fred Holston, KD7YFG
[email protected]
518-3170
Mel Parkes, NM7P
[email protected]
547-1753
John Gold, N7UPI
Roy Rasband, KF4USN
* When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U C L A.
Annual Grand Hand Cart Parade July 23
The 60th annual Grand Hand Cart Parade will be
held on July 23, 2010 at 6:00 P.M. It begins at
1500 So. Main Street in Bountiful and proceeds
north on Main Street to 400 North.
The DCARCommunicator is written, typeset and printed in the good ole’ US of A by the Davis County Amateur
Radio Club. The club is an affiliate of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) amd is incorporated in the
State of Utah. The club meets on the second Saturday of each month, unless other circumstances dictate
changes. The meetings are held at the Davis County Sheriff’s Office, 800 W. State St., Farmington, UT. Dues
are $15 per year individual; $20 per family; $10 Senior Citizen over 65 years and Free for 105-year-old geezers... Dues may be mailed to the address above or be paid in person at the club meeting. Typesetting was
accomplished by a troop of Trolls, plying their trade, but the current financial melt-down has also melted the
Trolls down into silly putty, pushed and squeezed into a small pieces and lovingly deposited in the muddy Jordan
River to provide life-sustaining and proper sustinance for the local aquatic fish and bug population.
sponsored by churches, civic groups, businesses, and
others. Over 200 volunteers make it happen on parade day.
Hundreds of others begin making preparations months
before the parade. Please mark this day on your calendar.
It is a lot of fun. Visit the DCARC web site for up-dates.
The Parade is a big event with over 106 entries
annually and over 60,000 spectators! Entries are
* Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He’s all right now.
2
* When the waiter spilled a drink on his shirt, he said, “this one is on me.”
DCARCommunicator
DCARCommunicator
Vol 2K10 No. 6
THE EMCOMM ALLEY
ARES NEWS
* Those who throw
dirt are sure to lose
ground.
I got to see a great museum of old aircraft down in Tucson recently. Wow, that was impressive. I asked
Jim Rudnicki, NZ7T, an air traffic controller by trade, a few times, “What are the air traffic controllers saying?” He would elaborate, I would go back to listening to “approach/departure” [120.900 AM] and could
figure out most of what they were saying, but couldn’t quite understand everything. A ground map of the
airport layout helped. I couldn’t believe that such a complex orchestration could be done with not too many
errors. (I witnessed a near miss a few years back on runway 36R.) The pilots and the tower have communications down so well that instructions are given in machine-gun like fashion and there are very few read backs.
On our last SET, I tried something that would alleviate unnecessary airtime being spent on letting
everyone know “what is going on.” I believe this is what was envisioned when, whoever conceived the information net, had in mind. I just gave it a name and fashioned it around the air traffic communications.
Prior to when an airplane comes into the Salt Lake City International’s airspace proper, they are
expected to know the current weather, runway conditions, hazards and anything unusual. They are expected to
tune to a specific frequency and listen to the information. On the first contact with the tower (net control), they
tell them they know “what is going on” by telling them all of the particulars at the current time. It would take
hours if the tower had to stop and explain to each aircraft the ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service)
bulletin [125.625 AM]. Similarly, net control doesn’t have time to tell each station that checks into an emergency net the problems and current conditions. That would take too much time.
A second station is posted, usually on 147.040 R that serves as the information net station, a
resource net, keeping track of people and resources. This is assigned early on to advise people that check in
“what is going on.” The ATIS gives their bulletin a name; it is a letter of the alphabet. As things change the
bulletin is changed and the next letter is used. It is an efficient way to disseminate information. If net control
has vital information, he or she may have a second operator contact the information net to disseminate, not
only to operators in the field when they can break from a task at hand or when they have free airtime, but most
importantly, I see this of extreme value to mutual aid hams as they come in from different areas. This last
reason is what I feel drove the information net to begin with.
If you hear an advisement to get “Information Golf” on 147.04, you know it is the seventh bulletin.
Only when you can, ask net control if you can leave frequency; unless you have another operator and another
radio at your location. When you check in to a net, tell him your location and that you’re briefed… “I have
information Golf.”
With some practice we can streamline our emergency nets. 73, keep ready, have a good summer.
…. Until next month, I’ll see you in The Alley.
Tim _._ _._ _ _... . .. _.
3
* Two peanuts were walking in a tough neighborhood and one of them was a-salted.
By Tim Seeley, KK7EF
I have, long since being a boy, thought it exciting to watch airplanes take off and land. I would bug
my folks to go to the Salt Lake Airport and go onto the “observation deck” to see the huge pieces of metal
defy gravity. Back then, you were able to go to what I recall as a “sort-of patio” (although it was one level
above the flight line) that was attached to what is now Terminal One….the only terminal. Western airlines and
United were the big carriers then with grand four-prop, piston-driven power plants. There must have been jet
engines around, but that is my first recollection, I believe it was when my brother joined the Air Force. I still
am excited to see different designs and modifications come about.
DCARCommunicator
Vol 2K10 No. 6
Notes from the Generator Trustees
By Brent Thomas, AC7H, and Lou Little, W7JOF
* It was an emotional wedding.
Even the cake was in tiers.
The Military Club 3 KW Generators on the trailer had a couple of issues last year at Field Day. First, the
voltage regulator on the rear unit was operating erratically (not serious, but not right), second, we had an oil
leak on the same unit, enough to make a big mess, and finally, a small leak in the fuel tank. After Field Day,
we made a few tests on the regulator, got distracted and went on with the oil leak problem. Again looking for
something simple, a leak in a connector, loose oil filter etc., and finding nothing obvious, we got distracted/
discouraged again and started on the fuel tank leak.
The tank has a float level sensor that was not working properly; we tried several tests to figure out how it
worked. Lou and I argued with each other on how it worked (or did not). We finally figured out we had to
take the top off of the tank - the part where the sensor is installed. We tried to avoid this as it appeared to be a
sealed-molded top. We next had to figure out how the sensor worked, this took us a while. It was determined
that it was a magnetic-type sensor switch with a very narrow on/off range. The sensor worked, but needed to
be adjusted to work properly. This took several tries to get it right, as the manual says to replace it. The float
sensor controls the auxiliary fuel pump. That pump feeds from a separate fuel source to maintain an approximately ¾ full fuel tank on the generator. While we had the tank out, we added an additional layer of gasket
material to fix the leak around the gas cap. We also noticed the frame where the tank rests had a piece of
metal that was wearing into the bottom of the tank and could, over time, have worn a hole in the bottom of the
tank. We ground of the excess metal down, solving this problem and while we were grinding, we did some
more grinding on the battery compartment to solve a similar problem with the batteries. While talking about
batteries, we need to thank Don, K0NOD, for donating two batteries for the generator.
Back to the oil leak. Following several weeks of putting it off and working on some of our own projects, we
were back on the oil leak. We were actually following the oil leak problem when we got distracted on to the
gas tank problem. When chasing the oil line, we followed it to an oil cooling radiator, located behind the gas
tank. We had to again remove the tank to get to the radiator. It’s amazing how just a little oil leak appears to
be coming from everywhere and spreads to everything. We had to wipe everything down and start the generator long enough to warm it up and move the oil through the system to find the leak. Several attempts lead us
to the oil cooling radiator and we found the leak on both the input and output fittings of the radiator. The
radiator pipe is aluminum as well as the fixed nut fittings on the ends of the pipe. The nuts were about an inch
long and were joined to the pipe with glue or epoxy. The manual again says to replace the radiator. The
generators are old enough that parts are not available unless someone is scrapping one out or one is possibly
on Ebay at a very high price. Finding nothing available, we tried looking at automobile parts. We needed a
hose for repairs and finally ended up at a radiator shop and had the glue joints welded and it worked like a
charm. We put it all back together and with the covers off, Lou took it to the car wash for a clean up.
Now, we attacked the voltage regulator problem. We removed the regulator and took it to the work bench, but
nothing jumped out at us as a possible solution. Several delays later, Lou removed a huge unused connector
and associated wiring (not used on our generator), checked several components, checked soldering, trimmed a
lead that could be gouging into a capacitor, and reworked the heat sink compound on the pass transistor. I
checked the voltage regulator pot on the control panel and we put things back together after an hour looking
for the missing screws and nuts. We fired up the generator and crossed our fingers, all went well, the unit is a
3000-watt generator, so we loaded it up to 4700 watts, 110% of full load and it worked like a champ. We then
backed it down to 4500 watts and let run for about 30 minutes with no problems. We did note that from little
load to full load the voltage was stable and did not change, but the frequency changed by several cycles, so
Lou went through the procedure for the load/no load adjustment.
(Continued on Page 6)
* He wears glasses during math class because it improves division.
4
DCARCommunicator
Vol 2K10 No. 6
Month of Service
By Gary Johnson, N7DND
“A successful event always starts on time”
— Lots of hands and cool heads make for a successful event, be it a parade, a pony ride, bike ride,
100-mile race or fireworks.
There are hundreds of volunteers who will make it look like a smooth, easy operation - this year is
no different. There are many amateur radio operators who are making preparations starting in March
for most towns, this year is no different.
The hams, which are officially known as members of the Davis County Amateur Radio Club, also
assist with parades in Clearfield, Kaysville, Layton, Centerville and West Bountiful. We all have
serviced agencies that need our help.
I serve Bountiful, and along with 48 hams. We put on the Hand Cart Days parade. The DCARC have
been doing this parade for 25 years, coordinating much of the behind-the-scenes magic that makes
the parade run.
At the staging areas, ham operators check maps determining where various entries should be placed.
Entries start arriving at the staging area several hours before the event starts. Ham operators call out
every entry before the event, to determine who might not have shown up, or is late.
With hundreds of entries, it could spell disaster to randomly place horses next to bands, and the LDS
Primary children must be properly taken care of prior to the big event. Entries have to be properly
spaced and timed, although that can get a bit tricky when a high school band wants to stop in place
and perform for a bit, as do some entries of the motorized variety, at times.
Ham operators are interspersed along the parade route at such places as the announcer’s booths, so
they can relay any changes necessary in lineup dialogue, in case a change has to be made in placement of an entry.
There is also a “shadow,” or ham operator, tagging every parade official, called into action to provide communication if there is a problem.
“We spend pretty much all day (on the 23rd) involved with the Bountiful parade, and then a lot of us
have to be at the Days of 47 Parade early the next morning,”
These events serve as great training, For Races, ARES and S&R. Please call or e-mail the Ham who
has stepped up to chair the event. Please remember why we have radios, It’s not just a great hobby.
Our DCARC club had its start in 1983, the year the big floods hit Bountiful, Farmington, and elsewhere in the county and beyond.
It has been providing public service since that time and has built up a great reputation by its members. Remember, you are part of this great organization!!
(See pictures on Pg. 6)
* A cardboard belt would be a waist of paper.
5
DCARCommunicator
Vol 2K10 No. 6
147.04 Repeater Autopatch
Emergency Dispatch Center Access Numbers
910 Clearfield Dispatch
911 Davis County Dispatch
912 Bountiful - NON Emergency
913 Davis Co. - NON Emergency
914 Hill AFB Security
915 Layton Dispatch
916 Weber Co. (Ogden City PD)
917 Weber Co. (Roy Dispatch)
918 SL Co. UHP
919 Weber & Morgan Co. Sheriff
“There, I fixed it!!”
Generator Notes from Page 4.
NOTE: It is NOT necessary to use the autopatch UP
code to use these Emergency Autopatch Access numbers.
Just tap in the 9xx code for the center you want to access.
Also note that if the issue does not involve a threat to life
or property, then you should use the NON Emergency
dispatch number, if available.
The 3 minute call timer limit also applies to these calls.
Two more items to finish up on the generators, the
noise reduction covers have several nut-inserts that
needed replacing. The control panel is exposed to the
elements and we installed plexi-glass covers over them. Airport Frequencies
Finishing these last two items, we are ready for another Here is a list of Airport Frequencies.
field day.
Most hand helds can listen to the AM air band.
Airport Freqs:
One last thing, the battery system on the generators is
125.625 ATIS SLC International
24 volts, we are looking for a small 24 volt charger or 120.900 Approach / Departure South
power supply to keep the batteries at full charge so the 121.100 A/D N
generators are ready to go at a moments notice.
124.900 A/D NW
135.500 A/D NE
124.300 A.D SE
127.300 Pre-departure
118.300 Runways 17/35 and 14/32
119.050 Rws16L/34R
132.650 Ground 16/34
121.900 Gr 17/35 14/32
133.650 Gr 16R/34L
120.900 Class B South
121.100 CB N
122.800 Bountiful Skypark
125.550 ATIS Ogden Hinkley
Hand Card Days Parade Net Control
121.700 Gr
118.700 Gr
134.925 ATIS Hill AFB
124.000 Clearance
121.600 Gr
139.300 Pre-departure
127.150 tower
* Those who jump off a Paris bridge are in Seine.
How to fix your
car after an
accident...
525-2806
911
298-6000
451-4150
777-3056
544-1241
629-8221
629-8221
887-3800
629-8221
Funny puns make Punny funs...
* I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it
hit me.
* He drove his expensive car into a tree and found out
how the Mercedes bends.
Hand Cart Days Parade Setup
6